The fyftene joyes of maryage Quinze joyes de mariage. English La Sale, Antoine de, b. 1388? 1509 Approx. 209 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 69 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2006-06 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A05124 STC 15258 ESTC S106294 99842012 99842012 6635

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 Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A05124) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 6635) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 774:13) The fyftene joyes of maryage Quinze joyes de mariage. English La Sale, Antoine de, b. 1388? Copland, Robert, fl. 1508-1547, attributed trans. [136+] p. : ill. Wynkyn de Worde, [London : 1509] By Antoine de La Sale. Imprint from STC. Woodcut illustration on title page and throughout text. A translation in verse, possibly by Robert Copland, of: La Sale, Antoine de. Quinze joyes de mariage. C4r has catch title at bottom: "xv. Ioyes". Signatures: A-L4 +. Imperfect: all after L8 lacking. Reproduction of the original in the Folger Shakespeare Library.

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The fyftene Ioyes of maryage.

SOmer paſſed / and wynter well begone The dayes ſhorte / the darke nyghtes longe Haue taken ſeaſon / and brynghtnes of the ſonne Is lytell ſene / and ſmall byrdes ſonge Seldon is herde / in feldes or wodes ronge All ſtrength and ventue / of trees and herbes ſote Dyſcendynge be / from croppe in to the rote And euery creature by courſe of kynde For ſocoure draweth to that countre and place Where for a tyme / they may purchace and fynde Conforte and reſt / abydynge after grace That clere Appolo with bryghtnes of his face Wyll ſende / whan luſty ver ſhall come to towne And gyue the grounde / of grene a goodly gowne And Flora goddeſſe bothe of whyte and grene Her mantell large / ouer all the erthe ſhall ſprede She wynge her ſelfe / apparayled lyke a quene As well in feldes / wodes / as in mede Hauynge ſo ryche a croune vpon her hede The whiche of foures / ſhall be ſo fayre and bryght That all the worlde / ſhall take therof a lyght So now it is / of late I was deſyred Out of the frenche to drawe a lytell boke Of .xv. Ioyes / of whiche though I were hyred I can not tell / and yet I vndertoke This entrepryſe / with a full pyteous loke Remembrynge well / the caſe that ſtode in Lyuynge in hope / this wynter to begyn Some Ioyes to fynde that be in maryage For in my youth / yet neuer acquayntaunce Had of them but now in myn olde aege I truſt my ſelfe / to forther and auaunce If that in me / there lacke no ſuffyſaunce whiche may dyſpleaſyr / clerely ſet a parte I wante but all / that longeth to that arte yet wyll I ſpeke / though I may do no more Fully purpoſynge / in all theſe Ioyes to trete Accordynge to my purpoſe made to fore All be it ſo / I can not well forgete The payne / trauayle / beſynes and hete That ſome men haue after they wedded be Becauſe theyr wyues / want humylyte who ſhall I pray / to helpe me to endyte Cupyde or Uenus / whiche haue me in dyſoayne And for my feblenes / in grete dyſpyte For yeres paſſed / may not retorne agayne Now may I ſpeke / and ſhewe in wordes playne whan youth is gone / and comen is ſtoupynge age Then worldly Ioyes / muſt go on pylgrymage If I ſholde praye / vnto ymeneus The god of weddynge / to helpe me in this charge Then wyll he bydde me go to Morpleus The god of ſlepe / for he hath wayes large whiche with his rodde of leed dooth ſtere his barge To brynge for the age / vnto his ſlepy caue Pray hym of reſt / and nothynge elles craue I knowe ryght well / it is but vanyte All worldly Ioye / medled with bytternes Therfore theſe fayned goddes I lete them be And me betake to god / whoſe ſtedfaſtnes May neuer fayle / neyther his ſothfaſtnes Beſechynge hym / that for his moders ſake He wyll me teche his lytell boke to make And with good wyll I ſhall me ſoone apply This treatyſe out of frenche to tranſlate Of .xv. Ioyes / and yf I myght therby Purchace but one / my ſelfe though it be late I wolde be gladde / for olde paynes I hate Truſtȳge to Ioye / now ſomwhat in myn aege As dooth a byrde that ſyngeth in a cage Now to theffecte of this tranſlacyon with grete deſyre ſhortly well I procede But ſpeke I muſt / by proteſtacyon Touchynge this mater / or elles gode forbede whome I beſeche lowely to be my ſpede Praynge alſo / eche other maner wyght Take no dyſpleaſure with my wordes lyght Here endeth the prologue of the tranſlatoure.
And the prohemye of the auctour begynneth. Myn auctour wryteth in this prohemye That many men / haue trauayled here tofore To ſhe we by reaſon and auctoryte That it is grete wytte / and wyſdome more For euery maner wyght / of woman bore To lyue in fraunchyſe / at his lyberte Than ſeruaunt to hym ſelfe / and thrall to be without conſtraynt / but of his neclygence His wyll to folo we / and his vnclene delyte As luſty folke in theyr adoleſcence Haue ſuche deſyre / and ſo grete appetyte On Uenus brydle / for to champe and byte Tyll they with loue be ſtryken to the herte wherby full / oft they ſuffre paynes ſmerte Unto whoſe reaſon / and opynyon It may be ſayd / and anſwered thus agayne Man hath no good wytte ne entencyou In his yonge tyme / whan nature dooth conſſrayne Sauynge in Ioyes / and delytes vayne Of this frayle worlde vnſure and tranſytory None other thynge is in his memory As thus whan men in youth couragyous with fre wyll ende wed and luſtynes Of theyr deſyre / and mynde outragyous withouten nede / but of theyr folyſſhenes Frome wele to wo / frome Ioye to heuynes Conuey them ſelfe / from all theyr lyberte Nothynge content with theyr felycyte For where as they may frely ryde or go And at theyr choyſe / dyſporte them ouer all I you enſure theſe younge men wyll not ſo whan they leeſt wene / than ſodanly they fall And vnconſtrayned make theyr bodyes thrall Lyke to a wyght that in to pryſon depe without cauſe / all haſtely dooth crepe So do they oft for lacke of kyndely wytte And whan they be within this pryſon ſtrayte The gayler cometh and faſt the dore dooth ſhytte whiche is ofyren ſtronge / and in a wayte Helyeth oft / for drede that thrugh deſayte By nyght or day ſome ſholde eſcape out Ryght beſyly he pryeth all about He barreth dores / and maketh ſure all the lockes The ſtronge boltes / the fettres and the chayne He ſercheth well / the holes and the ſtockes That wo be they / that lyeth in the payne And out therof / they ſhall not go agayne But euer endure / in wepynge care and ſorowe For good ne prayer / ſhall them neuer borowe And ſpecyally men may call hym aſſoted Ferre frome reaſon / of wyſdome deſolate That thus his tyme myſſe vſed hath and doted whan he had herde / ſuche pryſoners but late wepynge waylynge / and with them ſelfe debate Lyenge in pryſon / as he hath paſſed by And put hym ſelfe therin ſo folyſſhely This auctour ſayth / by cauſe mankynde delyteth Alway to haue fraunchyſe and lyberte without the whiche / nature of man dyſpyteth Ryght thus in playne wordes ſpeketh he That many lordes grete / the whiche haue be And lord ſhyppes haue be loſte and ouerthrowe For takynge fredomes frome theyr ſubgets lowe He ſhe weth eke in maner ſemblable That grete cytees / with many an other toune And comyn people of mynde vnreaſonable Haue ben dyſtroyed / and ſodaynly caſt doune Agaynſt theyr prynces / takynge opynyon Deſyrynge fredomes / mo than here tofore Theyr elders had / and thus they haue be lore By reaſon wherof / batayles grete and werre Haue ben / and many folkes alſo ſlayue Syth Iheſus deyed / was neuer thynge bought derre Whan poore ſubgettes on foly wyll pretayne Agaynſt theyr prynce / or elles theyr ſouerayne To moue maters / not beynge obedynge Suche by the lawe ben execute and ſhent Somtyme the noble realme and men of Fraunce Exempte were / and vtterly made fre By theyr grete / prowes and valyaunce Of the emperours / of Rome the cyte As of trybutes / for whiche batayles haue be Betwene them / and the Romayns longe ago In whiche dayes I fynde it happed ſo Upon a tyme / for cauſe that they ne were Of fraunce in puyſſaunce / able to withſtonde The grete army and the myghty powere Of an emperour entred in theyr londe But for as moche / as they ne wolde be bonde Them were leuer go from that regyon Than to remayne vnder ſubgeccyon Seruynge this emperour / and trybute pay So of hygh courage / and theyr grete nobles All ſodaynly / theſe nobles wente away Conquerynge coūtrees / ſuche was theyr worthynes And afterwarde retorned neuertheles Home to theyr lande / in grete proſperyre Whiche they tyll now haue holde in lyberte Unto theyr owne vſe / prouffyte and auayle Wherfore folkes of many a nacyon Lyuynge in ſeruage / conſtreyned with trauayle Deſyred to haue theyr habytacyon In fraunce / and there vnder domynacyon To lyue in wele / lyberte / and reſt Wherby it grewe / ſomtyme the nobleſt Realme of the worlde / that knowen were or founde. Mooſt fayre in buyldynge / and inhabyte beſt The whiche in treaſure / and ſcyence dyde habounde Then for aſmoche / as they be fre at leeſt Prudent in fayth / in lyuynge holyeſt They ſholde theyr ſubgets / in fraūchyſe kepe & vſe After theyr lawe / and neuer to refuſe Ageynſt all trouthe / and inconuenyent It is certayne / and nothynge charytable God knoweth well / the lorde omnypotent A man to haue / a cuſtome reaſonable Onely for hym ſelfe / ryght prouffytable And for his neyghboure / vſe it otherwyſe Suche vſage ſholde / all well dyſpoſed men dyſpyſe Herofit groweth that lyberte is loſt In people voyde / of reaſon and ſcyence And thus vyces and ſynnes reygneth moſt Some gyue to vertues lytell reuerence Wherin to god / do they ryght grete offence The comyn wele / in generalyte All men ſholde loue of perfyte charyte Why it is thus / a man may reaſon make Who loueth not his wele pertyculerly Hath but a lytell wytte I vndertake Whan he may haue a prouffyte ſyngulerly Hurtynge none other creature therby And wyll not helpe hym ſelfe whan he ſo may But wylfully dooth caſt his grace away A fole is he / that wyttynge wyll go Into a caue / a dyche / or elles a pytte Whiche is aboue / bothe narowe and ſtrayte alſo And all within / full wyde and depe is it So that whan he therin / is fall and ſhytte Out may he not / for there he muſt abyde As wylde beſtes do in foreſtes ſyde Trapped and taken / ryght ſo this crature In lyke wyſe / thrugh his owne neclygence Is in the dyche / where as he muſt endure Lyke as theſe beſtes / whiche gladly wolde go thens Sekynge the wayes with all theyr delygence Out to auoyde / but ſo it wyll not be Tyme is not then / forth of the dyche to fle Thus one may ſay / and therupon conclude By ſuche as in to maryage be brought And herupon to make a ſymylytude Unto the fyſſhe whiche hath his paſture ſought And in a lepe / that is oft wygges wrought Is take / and out can not eſcape net wynne But euer dwell / and tary ſtyll therinne The fyſſhe that ſwymmeth in the ryuer clere As it ſhall fall hym ofte by aduenture To rayle aboute / in places here and there Fyndeth this lepe / the whiche withoute meſure Beholdeth he with all his beſy cure And he therin / the fyſſhes and the bayte Dooth ſe / ſuppoſynge well in his conſayte They be in Ioye and pleaſure at theyr luſt And all aboute the lepe he gooth rounde With grete deſyre / hauynge a veray truſt To come to them / and whan that he hath founde The entre / in he gooth gladde and Iocounde And to the ſhynynge bayte / he hyeth faſte Wherof anone / he taketh his repaſte To go agayne / he thynketh but a Iape For the of the lepe / aſſaynge beſyly A way to fynde / how he therout may ſcape And thens departe / to other company He boreth with his byll all haſtely His beſynes / and laboure is in waſte Abyde a whyle / he ſhall for all his haſte Therin to dwell in wo and heuynes And where as he hath demed certaynly Afore to haue had Ioye / and luſtynes There ſhall he paſſe his tyme ryght heuely By men it falleth thus mooſt comenly That put them in to maryage all day Experyence wyll wytneſſe as I ſay Though it ſo be / that folkes ſe before Theſe wedded men / within the lepe encloſed In poynt to droune & drenche / yet not therfore Wyll they forbere / ne tyll they be innoſed As houndes be of bones / it is ſuppoſed There is not one / by other can be ware Tyll they be take / and holden in the ſnare Thus what by foly / fortune or deſtene A man may ſe the people euery day Demeane themſelfe / forſakynge lyberte And ſhortely after that / repenteth they Deſyrynge it to haue / but they ne may At ony tyme / vnto ſuche grace attayne And all to late / for them is to complayne Moche more herof / myn auctoure dooth declare In his prologue / or that he wyll begyn To ſhe we theſe .xv. Ioyes / but I muſt ſpare By loſſe of tyme / there is nothynge to wynne But pouerte / vnthryftynes / and ſynne Wherfore in wordes rude to make an ende And of theſe Ioyes to wryte now I entende Some men do call theſe Ioyes ſorowes grete But yet they take them well in pacyence For of neceſſyte they muſt forgete The care / trouble / ſorowe / payne and offence The whiche they ſuffre at the reuerence Of theyr wyues / whiche they may not forſake And though they oft / myſſe vſe theyr eloquence Lytell regarde therto a man ſholde take ¶Here endeth the proheme of the auctour.
And here begynneth the fyrſt Ioye of maryage

THe fyrſt Ioy of maryage is this As whan a man oftenderyeres is Flourynge in youth / pleaſaunt freſſhe and gay Then in this worlde / nothynge may hym dyſmay. He other mynde / deſyre nor appetyte Conforte / lykynge / pleaſure / Ioye / ne delyte Hath he except / how he may tye his poyntes To cauſe his hoſe / to ſyt well on his Ioyntes And make his vyſage / and his lymmes fayre He bruſſheth oft his goune / and other gayre His hede he combeth ſmothe ryght as hym lyketh Wherof the heres / pruneth he and pyketh And maketh hym as clenly as he can That folke may ſay / there gooth a goodly man So wyll he ſynge / daunce / and balades make And vpon hym / mo entrepryſes take That he can do / or may atchyeue perchaunce Thynkynge therby / hym ſelfe ſo to enhaunce The fayreſt creature that he can eſpye He wyll beholde / with ryght a luſty eye As vyſynge well / where he ſuche one may fynde A Iolynet accordynge to his mynde And whan he hath her faſt in his demayne Ioyous he is / ryght mery / gladde and fayne For paraduenture ſo the caſe may ſtande That by his faders / or his moders lande Or by theyr other goodes he may mayntene His Iolynets / and go ryght well beſene Lyuynge in reſt and eaſe habundauntly Beholdynge other folkes certaynly In to the bonde of maryage ybrought Than in his mynde he caſteth and his thought Lyke as the fyſſhe behelde the lepe / ſo he Demeth / theſe wedded men in blyſſe be Hauynge the bayte / and paſture at theyr wyll Wherof they may / theyr appetyte fulfyll Ryght well he ſeeth the beatute of theyr wyues Suppoſynge that they haue ſo mery lyues With them ſo well appoynted and arayed For whiche the ſely huſbande hath not payed It may ſo be percaſe / at many ſeaſon Some folke wyll ſay / and ſhe we this man by reaſon That ſo her owne fader / or hermoder Her hath arayed / and demeth he none oder And ſo this yonge man / torneth hym aboute The lepe / wherin of wedded a route Encloſed be / and thenne he dooth enquere Of maryage / a lytell here and there Soone here vpon / aryſeth ſuche a wynde And ſmoke / that he therof is made ſo blynde That he vn ware / in to the lepe is caſt Wherin he ſhall be kepte and holden faſt And where as he was wonte in tyme afore To ſynge and daunce / that may well be forbore Of poyntes byenge / purſes / or thynges lyke Herof ſhall he not nede / whyles he may pyke Upon the bayte / tyll he therof be full His beſynes may cauſe hym to be dull Now Ioyeth he a whyle / and hym delyteth To do pleaſaunce / ryght well he hym acquyteth Newly ſo entred / in to the foreſayd gin And for a tyme nothynge dyſmayed therin Suppoſynge out to go / but there yet ſtyll He muſt abyde / and dwell maugre his wyll And to repent / there is no tyme ne houre For with the ſwete mete / the ſauces ſoure Contynuaunce wyll cauſe hym to aſſay Syth he can not eſcape by ony way And for to put his wyfe in ſuche degre As appertayneth of neceſſyte It hym behoueth honeſte to ſaue Andlo may be / his wyfe an herte may haue Ryght good / deſyrynge to be freſſhe and gay For peraduenture / ſhe this other day Was at a feeſt / where ſhe dyde well aduyſe Women of her degre / all otherwyſe Than ſhe / appoynted / clothed / and arayde Within her mynde / than to her ſelfe ſhe ſayde That by her byrthe / ſhe ought as well as they To be apparayled and in as good arey So ſhe compaceth / caſtynge in her mynd▪ The day and houre / out craftely to fynde To her good man / this mater to declare But her entent to ſhewe / yet wyll ſhe ſpare Tyll ſhe with hym / at nyght be gone to bedde For there theſe wyues truſt well to be ſpedde Of ſuche petycyons / as they requyre Accordynge to theyr wylles and deſyre Whan that this wyfe / in bedde is layde thus Sadly ſhe ſayth / for loue of cryſt Iheſus Syr lete me be in reſt / for euyll at eaſe I am / and he whiche gladly wolde her pleaſe Anſwereth and ſayth / tell me wherfore it is That greueth you / ſhe ſayth grete cauſe y wys Haue I / for ye care nothynge what I ſaye Or ſhewe to you / in erneſt or in playe He ſayeth than / why ſpeke ye in ſuche a wyſe By god and all his ſayntes in paradyſe She ſayth / no myſter it is that ye it knewe For whan I ſpeke to you but wordes fewe Lytell accompt therof or rekenynge ye make certayne / demynge for other thynge Suche wordes I haue / and yet it is not ſo Whiche cauſeth me / oft tymes to be wo Truly ſayth he ye ſhall tell your dyſeaſe Than anſwereth ſhe / ſyr ſyth it may you pleaſe For ſo the I ſhall you tell / this is the cas This other daye at ſuche a feeſt I was The whiche in trouth / me plaſed nothynge wele And wherfore I ſhall tell you euery dele Whan I there was / I thynke it veryly There was no wyfe arayed ſoo ſymply Though ſhe were neuer of ſoo lowe degre As I was than / ye may byleue well me How be it ſyr / ſurely I ſaye not this For prayſynge of my ſelfe / but ſoo it is I thaynke god of his mercy and grace That I am comen / of as good a place As ony gentyl woman that was there I me reporte / to ſuche as knowen where My lygnage and myn anceſtres but late Abydynge were / and for myn owne eſtate This ſaye I not / ſauynge I am aſhamed That ye or elles / my kynne ſhall be defamed Nothynge care I / of clothynge what I haue So that alwaye / your honour ye may ſaue And than ſayth he / in what eſtate were they At thylke feeſt / now tell me I you praye Now by my trouth / ſyth ye wyll knowe algate She ſayth / there was not one in her eſtate Egall to me / but ſhe a newe gowne had And was than better beſene and clad Of what clothe were / theſe gownes ſayth he Of ſcarlet fyne / of grene or perce ſayth ſhe Furred ryght wele / with menyuer or gray With traynes longe / and ſleues large / ſo they Had eke of rede / or grene / all gyrdelles good Hangynge vnto the grounde / and by the rode Theyr gownes were made of the neweſt gyſe And of the beſt maner / one coude deuyſe But there had I vpon my weddynge gowne Well ouer worne / and of the olde facyon Whiche ouer lytell / and to ſhorte for me Is waxen as ye may perceyue and ſe For I am growen more / ſyth it was made Than at my maryage / whan I it hade For whan I gyuen was to you alone I was but yonge and lytell of perſone And ſo moche waſted am I now for payne Whiche I of late haue had / that in certayne I ſeme now wele a moder for to be To her that myght be moder vnto me And in good ſayth ſo ſore aſſhamed was I Whan that I was amonge this company That I ne coude ne durſte make countenaunce And yet had I more payne and dyſpleaſaunce Whan that a lady there / of ſuche a place Afore them all wolde ſaye vnto my face Grete ſhame it was my clothes were ſo bad And wondred why that I no better had For whiche they toke to me but lytell hede Unneth they turne them wolde / ſo god me ſpede To warde me / ſaue of theyr gentylneſſe Of very pyte and of lowelyneſſe The good man than her huſbande anſwered tho ye knowe ryght wele that we haue moche to do Wherfore my loue now herken what I ſaye Remembre ye the ſame tyme and the daye Whan in to maryage we entred were Plente of money / plate or other gere We had but ſmall ryght wele herofye knowe For whiche your ſelfe ye may ſuppoſe and trowe That it he houeth vs now for to bye Beddes and other thynges haſtelye And at this tyme ſyluerne golde in ſtore Lytell haue we how be it ferthermore yet muſt we bye / for wynnynge and encres Kyne and other catelles neuertheles In ſuche a place / for our prouyſyon Alſo this other daye there fell a down The pygnon of our hous / for couerture It lacketh / wherfore dame I you aſſure Made muſt it be in haaſt of very nede And alſo other maters for to ſpede I haue / for whiche grete money ſhall I ſpende Or I may brynge my werkes to an ende And ouer this certes within ſhorte ſpace Unto thaſſyſe holden at ſuche a place For me to go it is well neceſſary Bycauſe of ſuche a plee I may not tarye That for your londe I haue to purſue there Of whiche as yet I may ſaye this and ſwere I haue had lytell prouffyte or auayle But ſpende my goodes / laboure and trauayle A ſyr ſhe ſayd / now wote I well that ye None otherwyſe can ſpeke but repreue me Of my landes / this may I not abyde And in her bedde / vnto that other ſyde All haſtely ſhe turneth with a grone Sayenge / for goddes loue let me alone For neuer ſhall I ſpeke to you aga ••• What deuyll ſayth this man why do y 〈…〉 layne And are ſo wroth / without cauſe resonab ••… I am not fyr / the ſay th / ne yet culpable Though ye but lytell had / whan ye me toke For dyuers to me ſpake / that I forſoke Of .xx. places / whiche wolde noo good craue So that they myght onely my body haue In maryage withouten golde or rente My perſon was to them ſuffycyente But ſo it was / that ye ofte came and wente And many a meſſenger vnto me ſente By ſuche ſubtyll maner crafte and mene So that all other I refuſed clene And had noo wyll / ony to haue but yow For whiche grete blame & maulgre haue I now Bothe of my lorde / my fader be ye ſure And of my moder / out of all meſures Wherof I may haue hate and grete dyſdayne And ſyr this queſtyon I aſke agayne If ony woman / at this ſayd feeſt there In ſuche a wyſe cladde or arayed were As I beynge to me / in lyke eſtate Nay ſyr not one / I was infortunate Thyder to come / for by ſaynt Iohan I ſaye The ſympleſt gownes / that they gaue a waye Unto theyr chamberers / were better cloth Than is the gowne / whiche on my body goth On londayes / or on the holy daye So wote I not herof what is to ſaye Moche people good out of this worlde departe Wherof grete domage is / but for my parte I ſaye / yf god were pleaſed I ſholde deceſſe To you it wolde be lytell heuyneſſe For noo dyſpleaſure / wolde ye for me take But haſtely gete you an other make By god ſayth he / that is nothynge well ſayd Suche ſymple wordes / myght aparte be layd For there is nothynge that I for you do But wele ye ought to take regarde therto Turne you to me / & what thynge ye lyke beſt I ſhall perfourme / for goddes ſake let me reſt Sayth ſhe / now ſothly nothynge alyeth me And wolde our lorde / that in lyke caas were ye But neuer ſhall ye touche me after this No ſhall ſayth he / no ſyr ſhe ſayth y wys To make all wele / than thynketh he and ſayth If I were deed I knowe it by my fayth Unto an other / ſoone wolde ye maryed be Nay ſyr by hym that dyed on a tree Touchynge ſuche pleaſure / as I vnto this daye Haue had in maryage / I ſwere and ſaye Durynge my lyfe / that neuer mouth of man Shall touche to myn / and ſhe to wepe began Sayenge theſe wordes / to god I make auow If that I knewe to lyue here after yow I ſholde ſo deale / that I afore wolde go The teeres fell downe fro her eyen two Thus he demaundeth her with wordes fayre All be it ſoo / ſhe thynketh the contrayre The good man demeth than / he is all eaſed But yet agayne / in mynde is he dyſpleaſed Suppoſynge / that of nature ſhe is colde Of body chaſt / & deale with no man wolde Alſo he troweth that ſhe hym loueth wele Thus he in herte is eaſed euery dele Bycauſe he ſeeth her ſom what wepe afore He truſteth that ſhe loueth hym the more Wherof he hath a pyteous herte and mynde And can not be in reſt tyll that he fynde The wayes how he may her content & eaſe All that he can / he dooth her for to pleaſe In dyuers wyſe / with laboure and trauayle But all for nought / it may nothynge auayle For ſhe alwaye a wayteth for to pyke Upon the ſtroke that ſhe afore dyde ſtryke That is to ſaye / a newe gowne wolde ſhe haue The whiche for cruell ſtomocke nolde ſhe craue She paſſeth tyme / and no good wyll ſhe do But at ſuche houre as ſhe was not wonte to Up ryſeth ſhe / and after all that daye A curſed angry there maketh ſhe alwaye And not one fayre worde than wyll ſhe ſpeke So in her breſte the malyce dooth ſhe ſteke Soone after this cometh the ſeconde nyght That ſhe to bedde muſt go as is it ryght With her good man / & whan that ſhe is layde In bedde / than he whiche is not wele apayde Beholdeth wele loketh and taketh kepe On her to knowe / whether that ſhe wake or ſlepe He wele aduyſeth yf her armes bothe Be couered wele and ſurely with the clothe And heleth them yf nede or mayſter be Wher with anone ſuche countenaunce maketh ſhe As thoughe ſhe were out of her ſlepe a waked Slepe ye ſayth he / I thought ye had ben naked Nay ſyr ſhe ſayd / what be ye not appeaſed Sayth he / no ſyr myn herte is lytell eaſed Syghynge ſayth ſhe I thanke god of his ſounde I haue yuoughe to lyue vpon the grounde By god ſayth he / dame we ſhall haue ynowe Of worldly goodes / and nere to her he drowe Sayenge I haue be thought me of a thynge ye ſhall be at my coſynnes weddynge And ye ſhall haue ordeyned as goodly gere For you as ony gentyl woman there Certes ſhe ſayth / all thoughe ye ſaye the beſt Of all this yere / I wyll go to no feeſt Now by my fayth he ſayth but yet ye ſhall And what ye wyll demaunde haue gowne & all What I demaunde ſhe ſayth / that is ryght nought For ſyr ſo god me helpe that all hath wrought I aſke not to be Ioly for enuy Gladde wolde I be forſothe yf neuer I Out of your hous but vnto chyrche ſholde paſſe Matyns to here euen ſonge and maſſe I ſaye it not ne yet no wayes ſeche Sauynge onely for ſuche vngoodly ſpeche As was amonges other whiche I knewe By my goſſyp / whome I fynde euer trewe For ſhe the wordes harde all openly The whiche ſhe ſhewed me full ſecretely Than thynketh moche this poore newe wedded man And in his mynde to compace he began Conſyderynge in what caas that he ſtode A newe huſholde hauynge lytell gode And moche to do he had by many a waye Not purueyed wele grete ſommes to paye And fyfty ſcutes or ſyxty for this gowne He muſt beſtowe / and ſhortly laye it downe And in his thought / caſt a cheuyſaunce For there may be none other waye ne chaunce But that this gowne nedely muſt be had Wherwith and other gere ſhe ſhall be clad For he perceyued hath / by his aduyſe His wyfe a woman is / bothe good and wyſe He thanketh god / the lorde of heuen blyſſe So fayre a Iuell / to gyue hym as ſhe is From one ſyde to an other / he turneth ofte In bedde he ſlepeth not though he lye ſofte And it may happen ſoo / his wyfe this ſeeth Whiche ſubtyll is / and ſhe within her teeth Wyll laughe / whan that ſhe knoweth his conceyte whome ſhe hath ouercome / with her deceyte After this nyght / whan comen is the morowe Aryſeth vp this good man full of ſorowe All ouercome with ſyghes / that he hath take The nyght afore / for his good wyues ſake And in auenture to the market gothe With pawne or credence / for to by the clothe And ſtraytly vnto marchauntes he hym byndeth Or elles to them ſuche Iuelles as he fyndeth Whether they be of ſyluer / or of golde Whiche he ſomtyme had / of his fader olde Then ſelleth he / or elles .x. pounde or more Of rente in mortgage layeth he therfore Shortly this man / dooth ſo his maters ſpede That he hath all ſuche thynges as in that nede Wher with he cometh home all ſpedyly And to haue thanke he demeth veryly She ſyenge this / made ſemblaunt hym before As though ſuche coſt myght well haue ben forbore And that nothynge / ſhe ſette by gowne ne gayre That he home brought with hym for her repayre Curſynge all them with tonge / & not with thought That fyrſt ſo grete eſtate and porte vp brought And whan ſhe knewe that thynge was ſure ſhe ſayd To her good man and hym beſought and prayed He neuer ſholde reproue her of the daye That ſhe had made hym ſpende for her araye His money or his goodes / and neuermore Her to rebuke / or elles vmbrayde therfore For by the gowne ſet I nothynge ſhe ſayth So that I may me kepe frome colde in fayth And alway haue one peny in my purſe Whiche wyll ſuffyſe to me though it were worſe Anone was made this gowne / and eke an hood Alſo a gyrdell whiche was ryche and good And now are comen the termes & the houres whan that he muſt content his credytoures And this poore man not able is to paye Bycauſe his golde and ſyluer ben awaye And lenger wyll they not forbere this man But execute in all the haaſt they can They curſe on hym / & ſhe the ſame perceyueth And therof all the circumſtaunce conceyueth And perauenture afore this curſe procede Or elles after the lawe dooth hym ſorbede In chyrche to be / wherfore his company Men wyll eſche we and grudge all vtterly Hauynge dyſdayne with hym to drynke & ete And he but lytell hath and none can gete Of money out of daunger hym to brynge God wote what Ioye he hath in his lyuynge His wyfe goth cryenge in the hous aboute Wher with a noyſe ſhe maketh and a ſhowte And thus ſhe ſayth / ha curſed be the houre That I was euer in my moders boure Forth brought or borne / alas it had not happed That in the cloth / wherin I was fyrſt lapped I had be buryed / for neuer ſo grete ſhame Betydde to ony woman ne dyffame As to me and my kynne / now ſhall belayd Alas I laboure ſore / and faſt ſhe ſayd And all the laboure beſyneſſe and coſt That I haue done of many a daye is loſt In twenty places or moo I had be maryed If I ſo wolde / but lyke a fole I taryed For where I myght grete honour & auayle Haue had / and rycheſſe / therof now I fayle I knowe how that theyr wyues be byſene That wolde haue maryed me / which doth me And therfore haue I heuyneſſe and wo That deth the lyfe nyll take my body fro Thus ſhe complayneth her withouten care Of her huſbande / or how the good man fare For hooly ſhe hath ſette her mynde vpon Her owne eſtate / and ſhortely ſhe is gon Unto this maryage / and where ſhe ſholde Haue thought vpon her huſbande ſhe ne wolde But to this poore man putteth all the wyte Lyke as an hors that can bothe playne & byte This woman dooth / and ſhe is cauſe of all For ſhe this man hath made ſo beſtyall Som what for ſorowe / or elles wyſe by playe That well nygh waſted is his wytte a waye So that he wyll not vnderſtonde ne knowe That ſhe is in defaute / wyll he not trowe And though he ſe the maters euydent yet of neceſſytee he is content But of the thought & ſorowes to enquere It is but waaſt / ſyth ye the cauſes here Of this man whiche can neyther reſt ne ſlepe That thynketh euery houre and taketh kepe How that he may in eaſe this woman ſette And fynde ſome remedy to paye his dette But yet is he more angry for his wyfe Whiche curſeth hym / than all that other ſtryfe Thus ſoroweth he / in pouertee downe fall And frome that payne recouer neuer ſhall Prycked he is / but ſmarte can he none fele That all is Ioye / to hym it ſemeth wele Thus is this man within the lepe ycloſed And parauenture ſo he is dyſpoſed That he nothynge therof dooth hym repent For yf that he out of the ſame were hent Soone wolde he go agayne in to that gynne And all his payne and woo newly begynne yet ſholde he neuer be in ſoo good cas As he hath ben afore he maryed was And there this poore man ſhall vſe his lyfe Endynge his dayes in wretchednes & ſtryfe ¶Thus endeth the fyrſt Ioye of maryage.
¶Here begynnes the ſeconde Ioye of maryage.

AS for the ſeconde Ioye of maryage It is whan yt this wyfe of her courage Feleth that ſhe ſo rychely is arayed In ſuche a wyſe as here tofore is ſayd And knoweth well ynough yt ſhe is fayre Than wyll ſhe go frome home to take the ayre To many feeſtes and aſſembles eke And alſo holy ſayntes for to ſeke On dyuers pylgrymages wyll ſhe go All though the huſbande be not pleaſed ſo Her Iourney enterpryſeth ſhe to ryde With her coſyon and goſſyppes at a tyde And ſpecyally for her kynneſmannes ſake Her pylg •••••… deuoutly wyll ſhe take And perauenture yet it may ſoo be That this man is as nyghe kynne vnto we As vnto her / but ſoo hym for to call wonte and accuſtomed is ſhe ouerall It may be thought for ſome entent or cauſe She calleth hym ſoo / but there I leue a clauſe Her moder than ſeynge her beſyneſſe Cometh ſomtyme to this man I geſſe And as a woman can begynne to clatter She ſayth his herte to tycle and flatter This foreſayd man / her coſyn is of blode For her to go with ſuche a company is good And other whyle the huſbande is lothe That ſhe ſholde go / ſayth ſadly by his othe How he none horſes hath ne other thynge Her to conuey to feeſt or gaderynge Than ſhall the goſſyp or her coſyn ſaye I am ryght lothe by god and by this daye To go / for myn hous ſo god me ſpede Moche thynge haue I to do of very nede And were it not honour to you and me Speke wolde I not as now ſo mote I the For ſyr ſoo god me helpe I knowe it wele your wyfe to go is pleaſed neuer a dele She is a woman leeſt that loueth waaſt Of ony lyuynge / for euer ſhe dooth haaſt Home warde whan ſhe at ony place is oute For your expence & charge ſhe hath ſuche doute So this good man / whos wyſdome is to ſeche And ſore abuſed with theyr flaterynge ſpeche Demaundeth who goth in this campany Of men and other / and ſhe ſayth certaynly My coſyon and my godfader alſo My god moder and many an other mo your moder in lawe / whiche is your wyues moder My good coſyn your wyfe / and dyuers other Alſo the wyues of ſuche a place in dede And your coſyn and hers haue ye no drede Other there be mo / dwellynge in your ſtrete I dare well ſaye this company is mete A kynges doughter for to be amonge And be ye ſure ſhe wyll not tarye longe Soo is this ſely man on honoure ſette That in no wyſe wyll he this vyage lette And perauenture ſhe that thus dooth ſpeke Shall haue a go wne or other thynges to breke The mater that the perſone may be playd And thus it falleth ofte as it is ſayd He ſayth this company is good and fayre But ſhe moche hath to do / and grete reparre At home how be it / for to goo as than She hath a lycence gyuen by this man whiche to her ſayth / be ware how by the dayes ye be demeaned trauaylynge on your wayes Alſo take hede at nyght ye lodge you ſure And god you kepe frome euyll auenture The good wyfe than / whiche doth perceyue & here That ſhe hath leue / maketh coūtenaunce & chere At home for to abyde yet had ſhe leuer Than forth to ryde / & from her home dyſſeuer She ſayth my loue this tyme no cauſe haue I Out for to goo with ſuche a company I praye you that I may not goo this ſeaſon Her coſyn than was nyghe herynge that reaſon Anſwered and ſayd / what coſyn ye ſhall goo your gentyll huſband wyll that it be ſoo The good man than a lytell abacke doth drawe And thus he ſayth vnto his moder in lawe Ne were it for the truſt I haue in yow She ſholde not go / this make I god auow Ha my good ſone ſhe ſayth by heuen kynge That made this worlde / and euery other thynge ye may as ſurely and withouten drede Suffre her to go as for to ſaye your crede Thus they departe and on theyr waye be gone And as they go / theſe wordes than ſayth one Unto an other he hath ſome Ialouſye It ſemeth wele he dredeth Ieopardye Thus is he mocked by theſe womens arte For now come galauntes forth on euery parte whiche at the feeſt afore by auenture This foreſayd werke haue made and put in vre And there awaytynge ben vpon theyr nede For to conclude and ſo forth to procede But how this wyfe now feſted is & ſerued For loue of her good man all vndeſerued And god wote how ſhe doth herſelfe applye To reuell daunce / and for to ſynge on hye Alſo ſhe maketh good and mery chere But god wote how ſhe prayſeth her bedfere The huſbande lefte at home whyle ſhe is oute And ſeeth herſelfe ſo prayſed amonge the route Certes theſe galauntes than her do aduyſe And ſe ſhe is apparaylled in ſuche wyſe Perceyuynge well her chere and countenaunce Shortely to hex eche one hym doth auaunce One profreth moche / an orher offreth more Harde is to me the cauſe to tell wherfore The Ioly chere the praty trotte and pace with the demeanynge of a womans face Wyll gyue theſe louers cauſe & hardyneſſe To ſewe for grace vnto theyr worthyneſſe One to her wordes gracyous dooth ſaye And other comēth asnygh her as he may And ſetteth his fote a lofte on hers playne Eke by the honde quyckly he doth her ſtrayne Alſo an other his loke caſteth a ſyde Full pyteouſly and ſharpely for a tyde An other than vnto her dooth preſente A dyamonde ryght fayre and oryente Or elles a ryche rubye with a rynge Whiche ſhe receyueth with ſome other thynge By whiche thynges may ſhe well vnderſtande Of theyr entent / and fele it with her hande If ſhe haue ony reaſon brayne or wyt And other whyles by fortune happeth it That frome her chayre alyght wyll ſhe adown To doo ſome werkes of deuocyon Or vnto Uenus to doo ſacrefyſe But how can I not ſaye ne in what wyſe This ſely man at home in poore degree Is made and brought vnto neceſſytee For thylke eſtate that his wyfe doth pretende The mater thus hath dryuen to an ende And made her go to gaderynges and feeſtes Amonge a wycked company of geſtes For vnto her they yolden be in truſt To haue theyr pleaſures appetytes and luſt Upon none other thynge do they aweyte But how they may doo this poore man deceyte The ſtroke wherof he hath without eſcape Whiche comynly is called but a Iape So he is cauſer of his propre ſhame None other wyght therof is for to blame And thus it happeth by contynuaunce That what by ſygnesſpeche or countenaunce Trouth of the thynge wherof he was in doute All openly reported is aboute Wherby he falleth Ialouſe in a rage Out of the whiche there is no wyght ſo ſage That hym can moue / for who that feruently Of woman feleth the cruell malady There is no medycyne that may hym cure The ſekeneſſe is ſo ſharpe without meſure Than wyll he bete her bytterly and curſe Wherby the werkes maketh he moche worſe For chaſtyce can he not by daye ne nyght His wyfe but by his betynge maketh lyght And hote the loue bytwne her & her frende Thus dryueth he the mater to an ende And ſoo he other whyles fortune may One of her lymmes breke or kytte a way Wherby his caſtell or his pyle he loſeth Than as a maſed beeſt he hym dyſpoſyth Withouten care and all he ſetteth at nought Thus hath he founde ye payne whiche he hath ſought And neuer after wyll ſhe loue hym more Bycauſe that he hath beten her ſo ſore But for to paſſe the tyme and make a ſhe we And of fayre wordes ſpeketh ſhe but fewe There this poore man in turment payne & wo Lyueth and yet he thynketh not ſo And all theſe ſoro wes / he for Ioyes doth take Soo in the lepe he is I vndertake Encloſed depe / and yfhe were withoute Yet ſhortely wolde he in withouten doute There vſeth he his lyfe in paynes alwayes And wretchedly / thus endeth he his dayes Thus endeth the ſeconde Ioye of maryage.
¶Here begynneth the thyrde Ioye of maryage.

ANother Ioye whiche named is the thrydde Of maryage in no wyſe may be hydde The whiche I purpoſe ſhortely to dclare Accordynge to myn auctour and not ſpare The whiche is whan man in youth doth wedde A yonge mayde / and whan they bothe in bedde Haue had theyr pleaſures largely and deſyre And well aſwaged is the brennynge fyre The hoot herueſt is well ouerblowe As it with me and other is I trowe Soone after this her bely doth aryſe And waxeth grete / as is the comyn gyſe Wherof the huſbande alwaye hath the name And perauenture he nothynge to blame Is of the dede / for ſo it happeth ofte As ſome men ſaye in preuy counſeyllſofte And therat meryly wyll laughe or hum But this is de ſecretes mulierum The huſbande than in to ſuche thought doth fall And turmentes that he ronne and trotte ſhall To gete the wyfe all ſhe ſhall nede Forth on his Iourney ſwyftely doth he ſpede And yf he tryppe or ſtomble by the waye He may fall in the myre by nyght or daye And grete auenture ſhall be yf he brynge Uytaylles that may be good to her lykynge All thoughe he hath done neuer ſo grete payne Whyles he was out / tyll he came home agayne And ofte it happeth ſo that for ſuche mete As comynly ſhe vſed hath to ete Bothe luſt and appetyte from her do pas Bycauſe her ſtomacke is not as it was Than ſhe deſyreth to haue thynges ſtraunge And noueltees her dyerte for to chaunge For whiche this poore man muſt trotte on fote Or elles ryde there is none other bote Bothe nyght & daye / to gete where he may fynde Suche delycates as may content her mynde And in this turment ſeuen yeres and more Is this good man / and yet ſhe euermore Nothynge wyll do but playe the wanton ſo That therof pyte hath this huſbande tho Whiche of the hous alwaye the charge doth bere And ſe all thynges well ordred euery where Erly to ryſe / and late to goo to bedde He muſt and ſe all maters be wellſpede And on his huſholde / after ſuche eſtate As he is of remembreth he algate Now dooth the tyme approche of trauaylynge And ſhe a chylde in to the worlde ſhall brynge God faders than in haaſt / god moders eke As ſhe wyll ordre / beſyly to ſeke He hath grete thought and out goth in an hete The nouryſſes and goſſyppes for to gete Whiche muſt her kepe of chylde whyle ſhe lyeth in What tyme his double ſorowe dooth begyn For ſo they drynke the wyne in euery houre As in to olde botes one dyde it poure Now lyenge in her trauayle payne and wo This wyfe auoweth twenty waye and mo On pylgrymage to go for her good ſpede To be put out of her grete payne and drede This poore man auoweth eke for toryde Unto all halowes / and now on euery ſyde The goſſyppes come / and this good man muſt gete Suche vytayles as they may well drynke and ete So that they may in ſuche a wyſe be eaſed As they ſhall holde them well content & pleaſed This done / the wyfe and goſſyppes talke togyder And faſt they carye in for drede of weder All be it ſoo / this good man hath the payne That trauayle muſt in wynde ſnowe hayle or rayne And whan he is forth paſſed on his waye One of the goſſyppes wyll theſe wordes ſaye Alas my goſſyp whiche now is withoute An harde fytte hath / that am I out of doute A foule and euyll weder now it is No force an other ſayth ſo haue I blyſſe He is ryght wele at eaſe / and ſo be we But yf it fortune ſoo / ſomtyme that he Fayle of ſuche thynge as were vnto theyr paye One of the goſſyppes to the wyfe ſhall ſaye Goſſyp I meruayle moche / and ſo dooth all This felawſhyp / that it ſo is befall And we haue wonder what it may amount That your huſbande doth make ſo lytell count Of you or of your yonge chylde here in trouthe A gentyll herte wolde pyte haue and routhe Beholde it wele / conceyue what he wolde do yf ye had chyldren fyue or ſyxe yet mo It doth appere he leuoth you but lyte Wherof bothe ye and we may haue dyſpyte Conſydred where ye luſt hym for to take He hath more honoure truely for your ſake Than euer ony of his lygnage bore Haue had in dayes paſſed heretofore By god I ſaye / that is our lorde Iheſus Rather than my huſbande ſerued me thus I had well leuer / eyther he were deed Or elles that he none eye had in his heed Than ſayth an other / goſſyp fynde ſome bote Let not this man thus caſt you vnderfote For he ſhall doo to you whan ye be layde As moche agayne or more / now haue I ſayde An other ſayth / my coſyon I meruayle ye take no more regarde to your auayle Conſydred / ye be wyſe of good lygnage And he not lyke to you / though maryage Hath coupled you and all men hygh & lowe How ye hym ſuffre vnderſtonde and knowe And he doth you ſo grete domage alwaye Than doth the wyfe anſwere agayne and ſaye Truely my dere goſſyppes what is the beſt To do as in this caas ſo haue I reſt Nothynge knowe I ne wayes fynde I can To helpe my ſelfe he is ſo euyll man An euyll man he is / one of them ſayth But I ſhall tell you truely by my fayth My goſſyppes that be here / they knowe well whan I was fyrſt maryed to myn huſbande than Men ſayd he was ſo dyuers of his wyll That it was wonder but he wolde me kyll By god my goſſyp though he ſo were named I thanke our lorde he is now ryght wele tamed For he had leuer fall and breke his arme Than me to do dyſpleaſure hurte or harme But fyrſt whan we togyder maryed were To ſpeke than he began with angry chere And for to ſtryke as dooth a carlyſſhe mon But by the ſacrament of god anon Faſt with my tethe I toke the brydell ſo That he me bette no more, but tymes two Wherin he played the very fole and more For after was I moche wors than before And he hath tolde my goſſyp ſykerly That he in me coude put no remedy Now may I ſpeke and do all that I wyll And be it ryght or wronge vntrouth or, ſkyll Alwaye with me the laſt worde ſhall remayne So whan he ſpeketh I chekke hym vp agayne There is no game lyke it / whiche is to playe With players and put beſyneſſe awaye For goſſyp neuer man yet was ſo harde I you euſure but yfhe be anſwarde Well by his wyfe ſhe ſhall ſoone make hym fre And debonarye / yf that ſhe wytty be An other ſayth / my coſyn be well ware ye ſpeke to hym / and for no drede ye ſpare Whan he cometh home / and ſaye the beſt ye can And in this wyſe / gouerned is this man Than drynke they faſt & ſaye ſaynt Iohn̄ to borowe And take theyr leue vnto the nexte moro we What tyme agayne they wyll retourne to ſe The maner all / how ſhe ſhall gouerned be But whan this poore man cometh home agayne With vytaylles and with other thynge certayne And ſeeth there is grete waaſt made in his hous Of goddes and he is inly couetous Than ſalleth he heuyneſſe and payne For thought that hym doth by the herte conſtrayne An houre or two by nyght he doth aryue For he hath comen ferre to ſe his wyue And for to vnderſtonde yet ferthermore How that ſhe dooth / he coueyteth ryght ſore Whether ſhe be hole / or how it with her is In ony wyſe to knowe wyll he not mys One nyght frome home he dare not lodge withoute Of his expence he hath ſuche fere and doute In to his hous with Ioye entred is he And all his ſeruauntes there in theyr degre Inſtructed be and taught in ſuche a wyſe Lyke as the good wyfe lyſt afore deuyſe For elles though neuer ſo good & true were thay They ſholde not tarye there well halſe a daye Now he demaundeth how the good wyfe doth And therof wyll he vnderſtonde the ſoth Than ſayth her chamberer whiche dooth her kepe Syr ſhe is very ſeke and may not ſlepe Syth ye departed hens ete myght ſhe not But lytell ſhe amended is god wot Than is this man all ſorowfull and ſadde Whiche hath ben wette wt reyne & harde beſtadde For oftentyme by hym and other moo Parauenture it may well happen ſoo That he is faynte and his hors at aſſaye For he hath paſſed by an euyll waye And they percas of all the daye afore Haue neyther dronke ne eten laſſe ne more And yet wyll not this poore man ete a bytte Tyll tyme that he may vnderſtonde & wytte How his wyfe dooth / & than the chambrerere Olde matrones / & the nouryſe drawen nere And ſeruauntes whiche enfourmed ben how they After theyr charge ſhall them demeane alwey They ſhe we theyr perſonages as they were wroth Than wyll not he abyde / but vp he goth In to the chambre / comynge her agayne And at his entre / ſoftely ſhe dooth playne Upon the bedde afore her leneth he Sayenge my beſtbyloued how do ye Ryght ſeke ſhe ſayth my lorde / and than he there Demaundeth how in what a wyſe and where My loue ſayth ſhe / ye knowe well that oflate I am made feble / and in poore eſtate Than anſwereth he to her as in this wyſe Haue ye not ordeyned ſo that ſome colyſe Of a fatte capon for you may be made Now ſyr ſo god me helpe / ryght ſo I hadde She ſayth of late / but they it can not make In fayth quod he loue I ſhall vndertake To make you one full well and holſomly The whiche ſhall no man touche but ye and I And ye ſhall ete it for the loue of me She ſayth my loue I wyll well it ſo be This good man than goth to the coke in haſt He ſtampeth faſt and ordeyned herrepaſt Faſt chydeth he / and ſayth they be but beſtes For they can dyght no metes at requeſtes Than haſtely he dooth this ſoupynge bere Unto this wyfe / and whan he cometh there With prayer he enforceth her to take Somwhat therof and ete well for his ſake And ſo ſhe dooth and ſayth ſyr good it is But ſo was not that they haue made or this For it was nothynge worth a ſymple fle And with that worde frome her departeth he To ſouper / and adowne he dooth hym fette And therupon the vytaylles be forth fette None of the delycates that goſſyppes ete The daye afore / whiche were not for hym mete Not perauenture of the meſſes che • e He had but of the fragmentes and belefe Whereof the olde wyues haue take theyr fyll And god wote in what wyſe they dranke theyrtyll Thus was this wery man at ſouper fedde Wher with he is content and goth to bedde All ſobrely with heuyneſſe and ſoro we And whan that comen is the nexte inoro we Unto his wyfe he góoth / and in this wyſe He ſayth / my loue tyme is ye a wake and ryſe And go to maſſe for we ſo moche do ſpende That all our money nygh is at an ende This coſt is grete / we may not bere out it And ſhe anſwereth a ſyr it is not yet No whyle ſyth I was layde / & ſo grete payne I haue that yet I can not well ſuſtayne Myſelfe / but now I wote it and byleue Ye thynge it longe / & ſore it doth you greue That I ne laboure in the hous agayne In ſuche a wyſe as though I ſholde be ſlayne I vnderſtonde it is your mynde and wyll That iu this wyſe I ſholde my ſelfe do kyll Alas I ſe in tyme to come that I Ryght moche ſhall haue to ſu ••• e certaynly If that I ſholde haue x or xii. yet mo Chyldren / but god defende that it be ſo For yf it myght hym pleaſe I wolde be gladde That neuer one after this tyme I hadde And pleaſe it to god that I more chylde haue neuer But his cōmaundement be perfourmed euer In me and all his wyll lowly obeyd Ha ſayd this man / alas what haue ye ſayd Ye mone yourſelfe without cauſe or encheſon For I dare ſaye and make it good by reoſon Was neuer poore man yet of myn eſtate That ſuffre hath ſoo moche as I of late Frome hens forth in it ſhall me lyke & pleaſe That whan ye wyll ye aryſe or take your eaſe Than ſayth ſhe thus / my counſeyll is that one Go ſtreyght vnto my goſſyppes all anone And ſaye to them they come no more to me For I am euyll dyſpoſed in certaynte My loue ſayth he they ſhall come and haue all Suche thynges as may them pleaſe in ſpecyall Syr than ſayth ſhe / no more let me be ſtyll And do ye all thynges as it is your wyll Than cometh a matrone with a wryngled face An olde kepſter with whome is lytell grace And to the good man out her mynde doth breke Peaſe ſyr ſhe ſayth / no mo ſuche wordes ſpeke For to a woman that is voyde of brayne And feble / and ſo tender in certayne Grete peryll is to ſpeke ſo in her payne And ther withall ſhe draweth the courtayne So doth this man lyue ſorowfully alwayes And wretchedly ſo ſhall he ende his dayes ¶ Here endeth the thyrde Ioye of maryage.
¶ Here begynneth the fourth Ioye of maryage.

THe fourth Ioye of maryage to tell Is as to go fronte purgatorye to hell For it is whan he whiche hath maryed be Kepynge an houſholde after his degre where he hath dwelled ſtyll .viii. yeres euen And hath of yonge chyldren •• r • or ſeuen Paſſynge full many an euyll nyght & daye Unhappely as ye haue herde me ſaye wherof he hath had many an euyll ende Thus is his youth gretely made colde & ſpende And it were tyme for hym ſore to re ••• te If that he coude / as ſynners ſholde in lente But of his hous whiche he muſt kepe algate He is ſoo inly wery and ſoo mate That what ſomeuer the wyfe wyll ſpeke or do Nought careth he / ne taketh hede therto For he as harde and dull is as an aſſe whiche for no prycke ne ſporre wyll faſter paſſe This poore man doughters hath yet one or twayne The whiche may fortune wolde be maryed fayne They redy be and on the houre they tarye Awaytynge faſt who wyll come them to marye They be in Ioye▪and it may happen to The man is poore / and lyueth in care & wo Nygh moneyles / and hath no grete ſubſtaunce For maryage to make his cheuyſaunce Alſo vnto his ſones he muſt bye His doughters & his other ſmall meynye Doublettes hoſyn kyrtels and vytayle And many an other thynge withouten fayle His ſayd doughters he muſt repayre and kepe All honeſtely and gaye / elles wyll they wepe And for thre thynges this nedely muſt be done One is bycauſe they may be aſked ſone Of dyuers galauntes dwellynge them aboute An other is withouten ony doute All were it ſo that this good man ne wolde yet ſo to be / for nothynge it ne ſholde For why the wyfe hath paſſed the ſame ways And ſhe ne wyll it ſuffre by this daye Alſo there is an other reaſon why Bycauſe they haue good myndes & hertes hye And are accuſtomed to be freſſhe & gay For otherwyſe wyll they not be ne may And in auenture yf they otherwyſe Entred were / anone they wolde practyſe To haue theyr Iolynettes / for helpe and eaſe But there an ende / of that I holde my peaſe So is this man on euery parte dyſmayd Theſe charges berynge / as afore is ſayd And perauenture ſoo he is beſtadde That ſymplely and poorely he is cladde Of whiche araye yet careth he nothynge So he may haue a paſſe tyme and lyuynge And this ſuffyſeth well to hym alwaye As to the fyſſ he doth in the lepe to playe Whyles he may haue a tyme and ſuffraunce Therin to lyue and languyſſhe ni penaunce And yet therby abbredged ben his dayes So fareth it by ſuche a man alwayes The whiche in to the lepe of houſholdynge Is put where he ſhall ſuffre ſuche turmentynge As I haue ſayd / and other innumerable And thus he ſeeth theſe thynges ſo chargeable That all he ſette at nought ſoo he lyue may As doth an hors morfounded by the waye Whiche none accompte doth ſet by ſporre ne thynge That may to hym be done in trauaylyage This not withſtondynge / wheder he wyll or not Forth hym behoueth for to goo and trot To gouerne londe and lyuelode whiche is his Ryght after ſuche eſtate as he of is And perauenture he hath horſest wayne The whiche be lene & poore for lacke of grayne And it ſoo fortune may he hath but one Or yet not one / but forth he gooth anone And .xx. myle or fourty from his place He trauaylleth / within a lytell ſpace Unto the parlyament / or to thaſſyſe Where he hath for to ſewe in dyuers wyſe For ſuche a cauſe▪as other thynges amonge Hath ben dependant in the lawe there longe A payre of botes well of thre yeres olde Or foure he hath to kepe his legges frome colde The whiche full ofte haue mended ben alowe Ryght craftely for drede it ſholde be knowe So that parte whiche was ſomtyme on the kne Amyddes the ſhynne muſt nedely vſed be Full ofte they chaunged haue theyr former face And that hath brought them from aboue ſo bace A ruſtye payre of ſporres he hath eke Wherof one of the rowelles be to ſeke Alſo of .x. yeres olde he hath a gowne Not of the neweſt gyſe ne facyowne The whiche for drede that he ſholde it appere Excepte on hygh feeſtes he nolde it were Or elles whan he frome home ſholde go or ryde All other tymes it was layde clene a ſyde The cauſe why it was of ſo olde a ſhappe May be for ſoo it fallen is by happe That gownes be made all in a newe gyfe But this to hym dooth well ynoughe ſuffyfe And in his wayes yf that he ſe or here Ony Inſtrumentes or playes ay they anſwere As ſemeth hym by ſo wynge in his ere Of his houſholde bycauſe his mynde is there He lyues harde and poorely by the wayes So do his horſes / and his page alwayes Whiche page is all to ragged and to rent As pluto was that rode to parlyament Upon his ſyde a ruſtye ſworde and bad He ware the whiche his mayſter goten had In flaunders at a bataylle / alſo he Thoſe bowges caryed that were wonte to be Ofte vſed to conueye bothe nygh and farre His legge harneys alwayes in tyme of warre Sortely to ſpeke / he doth all that he may With lytell coſt to trauayle by the waye For he at home ynough hath for to ſpende Alſo theſe aduocates to hym offende Sergeauntes gryffyers / and ſuche a companye So largely take of hym that he doth hye Home warde as faſt as he his hors can dryue And perauenture whan he cometh to his wyue It is nygh the mornynge as the nyght And whan he is at home he doeth alyght Where he noo ſouper fynde can ne eſpye Bycauſe his wyfe and other companye Unto theyr beddes were gone ſom what afore Or he came home / but he dare ſaye no more But taketh all in pacyence and gree For here vnto accuſtomed hath he be And yf it happe that he come in good houre Wery and ſadde with trauayle and laboure Penſyfe heuy / and of his charges greued Suppoſynge to be welcomed and releued How be it many tymes he hath had And he doth thynke ryght euyll chere & bad The good wyfe chydeth than & clappeth faſt As though a tempeſt were or thonder blaſt Within the hous / and yf that this good man Lyſt to cōmaunde / or bydde his ſeruaūtes than To gete hym ony thynge that he wolde haue There is not in his hous ſo lewde a knaue That maketh accompte therby ne wyll obey So by theyr dame afore taught ben all they Wherfore to ſpeke he loſeth tyme and payne But ſhe ther with be pleaſed in certayne And yf his ladde in ony wyſe demande Mete for hym ſelfe / or for his hors prouande He ſhall be checked and rebuked ſo That he ſhall not dare ſpeke ſuche wordes mo Alſo this poore man that is ſoo lage Wyll make no noyſe for hymne for his page But taketh all in pacyence and ſayth Dame ye do well / and yours in good fayth Ther with ſhe anſwereth hym all haſtely ye haue more loſt and ſpent now folyly Than ye wyll wynne of all theſe yerest waye I tolde you late in twenty deuylles waye ye ſholde haue made ourhenhous cloſe or now A martron eten hath this tell I yow Thre of myn olde hennes ye ſhall perceyue What harme we haue therby / thus ye deceyue By god I knowe yfye may lyue your age ye ſhall be pooreſt man of your lygnage Fayre dame ſayth heno moſuche wordes ſaye I haue ynough / and ſo ſhall haue alway Our lorde I thanke / and yf it do hym pleaſe I am content / and thynke me well at eaſe For of my kynred there ben full ryght good men In your kynred / haſe now / ſayth ſhe then By ſaynt Mary / I knowe not where they be And at the leeſt I coude them neuer ſe Dame by my fayth he ſayth / ſome be ryght gode Of my lygnage / I wolde ye vnderſtode The whiche be worthe as moche or more than ye What they / ſhe ſayth / be they lyke vnto me ye dame ſayth he / nay ſyr by god ſayth ſhe I tell you well your dedes were but ſmall without my frendes helpe in eſpecyall Now fayre dame / for goddes loue ſayth he Haue pacyence / and lete ſuche wordes be Certes ſhe ſayth / yf that my frendes were here And you ſuche / wordes had / they wolde anſwere you well ynough / then he the mater feres Leeſt it by her / ſholde come vnto theyr eres Wherfore to kepe all thynges in pacyence No more ſayth he / but reſteth with ſylence And here with all / begynneth for to wepe A lytell chylde / that can not go but crepe And ſhe anone / a rodde taketh in her hande And in dyſpyte / of this good poore huſbande More than for other cauſe or chaſtyſynge Upon the buttockes / ſhe dooth it bete and dynge This lytell babe / and than he ſayth no more Bete it fayre dame / and waxeth wrothe therfore And ſhe begynneth for to chyde and crye In all the deuylles names of hell on hye To gouerne them / ſhe ſayth ye haue no payne They coſt you nought / but I haue cauſe to playne For alway vpon them I muſt attende God gyue it ſhamefull deth / and euyll ende Ha fayre dame ſayth he / that is foule ſayd with that the nouryce ſhortely dooth out brayde And ſayth a ſyr / full lytell do ye knowe The ſorowe that here is amonge vs I trowe And what payne that it were to you / yf ye Sholde kepe and nouryſſhe them ſo as do we Now by my trouth / than ſayth the chamberere It is grete ſhame to you ſyr / wyll ye here For whan that you come home / we ſholde be fayne Of your comynge / but ye make noyſe and playne And all your hous / ye ſet in grete debate This man ſeynge this / and ther with is chekmate How he on euery ſyde is prycked ſore And he can gete no remedy therfore All wery gooth he ſouperles to bedde And yf he ſoupe / god wote how he is fedde Or eaſed / after he to ſlepe dooth lye, And hereth all the nyght his chyldren crye For wytyngly the nouryce and the moder Do let them crye / they wyll it be none other In grete dyſpyte of hym whiche all the nyght Dooth paſſe in ſorowe / vnto the dayes lyght All theſe tourmentes / he for Ioye dooth holde For why / none otherwyſe he lyue ne wolde Therfore he is / and alway ſhall abyde In ſorowe thought / and care on euery ſyde And wretchydly his dayes in payne and wo He ſhall endure / and make an ende ryght ſo ¶Here endeth the fourth Ioye of maryage.
¶Here begynneth the fyfth Ioye of maryage.

OF marayge for to declare or wryte The fyfth Ioye / now god wolde I were quyte So lytell fruyte or pleaſure ſtante therin That I am wery falfe or I begyn Whiche is whan yt the good man whiche is maryed Longe tyme in trauayle hath / and wo taryed And many a payne endured hath before Whoſe youth is gretely ouer drawen therfore And he is veray wery faynte and mate But by auenture it may ſo be algate He hath a wyfe more greter of lygnage Then he / and eke more yonger of heraege The whiche be two grete and doutfull thynges To medle with / and namely in weddynges For better none can do hymſelfe to waſte Than in theſe twayne / to lappe or put in haſte His body / and well vnderſtonde it why For two repungnaunce / they be truely Wherfore agaynge nature it were and ryght They ſholde accorde by daye or elles nyght And other whyles ſo is that he and ſhe Some chylde may haue / or elles that none there be This not withſtandynge ſhe is nothynge ſette To payne / for why / the good mau wyll not lette But ſhe be kepte in pleaſure eaſe and wele Wherfore he traueyleth / and dooth euery dele Whiche is to mayntene ſuche a Ioly ſtate And coſtyous / as ſhe wyllkepe algate And yf ſhe wolde haue thynge that there is not That ſhe may haue it / he wyll go or trote For ſhe wyll not make lo wer ne empeyre Her lygnage by her dyete ne her geyre The huſbande taketh all this for honoure And thanketh god entyerly of that houre In whiche he of his grace / her hath hym ſent So what ſhe dooth or ſayth he is content And often tyme it happeth at a tyde Whan they begyn / to vercyfy or chyde She ſayth to hym by maner of manace Ye knowe ryght well / of what an houſe or place I comen am / and was not gyuen to the A drabble or elles a dreuyll for to be She ſayth as ſoone / as I wyll ſende or wryte Unto my kynne and frendes of this dyſpyte Anone they wyll come hyder for toſe How I do here / and therfore dare not he For ony cauſe / ones touche her with his hande With ſtaffe ne ſtycke / for all his goodes and lande Though he with mouthe / grete wordes hath yſayd. As ſtyll he is / and muet as a mayde In bondage grete / me ſemeth that he is And ſo it may well be that ſhe or this Had by her frendes maryed ben aforne Unto / a rycher man / and better borne Than he / and in a hygher ſtate be ſette If that in her had ben no faute ne lette But for there was before ſome lytell Iape That in her yought fortuned for to ſcape To cole her thryſt / as dyuers folkes well trowe She had not elles ben maryed hafe ſo lo we Wherof the huſbande had no knowlegynge Or perauenture he hath herde ſome thynge But this good man / of ſuche fayth and beleue Is made / that this thynge lytell dooth hym greue For he hath herde it, ſayde / and ſo worne or then Of many folkes / and of ryght good men That all ſuche curſed langage was contryued Agaynſt his wyfe / and he the ſame beleued They ſaye it is boſtynges and auauntes Made by the meanes of Ioly frſſhe galauntes And other ſklaundrers that ſpeketh ſhame Of women good / and falſely them defame Whan they togyders in the ſtretes walke Thus of good men and women wyll they talke What tyme that they nothynge may elles do Unthryfrely thus ſpeke they euer mo Wherin god wote / grete ſȳne do they & wronges In ſuche vngoodly wyſe to vſe theyr tonges And yf ſo be this wyfe beholde and ſe Her huſbande beynge in ſo lo we degre That he all Ioye hath lefte / dyſporte and playe Thynkynge to make a cheuyſaunce ſome waye Upon her lande / or elles it may be fall Of cheuyſaunce he hath ynough at all And is a very nygarde / and a chynche That wyll not frely ſpende / but ſpare and pynche The whiche no pleaſaunt thynge is to the wyfe That purpoſeth to lyue a luſty lyfe Bycauſe that ſhe in ſeaſons of the yere Wyll haue theſe noueltees / though they be dere As well in vytayle / gounes as atyre Grydels and other thynges at her deſyre Lyke as ſhe ſeeth her felawes vſe and were At feeſtes and daunces euery where There as her coſyns / and her goſſyppes be And with an other man / that alwayes ſhe Uſeth to call her coſyn euermo And peraduenture yet he is not ſo Alſo ſomtymes well it fortune may That for the grete pleaſures eaſe and play She hath / and ſeeth in many a ſundry wyſe Dyſdayne her huſbande ſhe wyll and dyſpyſe And make a frende / ſuche as ſhe wyll deſyre Her haſbande then / in water or in fyre May lye / for ſhe wyll loue hym neuermore Som folke wolde deme ſhe were to blame therfore But ye muſt take the mater otherwyſe For all is longe vpon his couytyſe And he is ſadde / and in perplexyte But ſhe is lyght / and in proſperyte Not entred into thought ne negardy▪ She is but yonge / and ſo ſhe wyll apply Her youthe in pleaſure / luſtes and delyte Aege is not mete vnto her appetyte So louynge is ſhe / to her loue and kynde That to ſuche place / as ſhe demeth hym to fynde Ofte wyll ſhe take / her Iourney forthe and walke Or ſecretely / and ſoftly forthe wyll ſhe ſtalke Unto her frende / that luſty is and freſſhe For veray loue her lymmes to refreſſhe And it may happen many tymes that ſhe Sauynge her worſhyp / ſeldon may hym ſe Then for to ſpeke her good name and honoure Her meſſenger ſhe ſendeth at an houre That he ſhall come / and ſe her haſtely The whiche is done ryght well and honeſtly Soone after this / whan comen is the nyght And this good man and ſhe withouten lyght Be layde in bedde / and he ſomwhat wolde play With her / whoſe mynde is with her frende away This gentyll galaunt / whome of .viii. dayes & mo She hath not ſeen / and yet it may be ſo That on the moro we he wyll come for his wage All hote and haſty / hongry in a rage For perauenture he hath ſuche a tatche That he hath morned ſore / and keped watche Bothe in the gardyns / alſo in the ſtrete And they ne myght yet of longe tymes mete Ne ſpeke to gyder / but on the moro we whan This man ſhall come / he wyll be haſty than His appetyte and h • nger to aſwage Grete and wonder is / to ſpeke of his courage And it may fortune otherwyſe I trowe That they haue had leyſer ynough to knowe And ſo ſuche pleaſure / as a man may thynke But I dare neyther ſpeke ne loke but wynke Myn auctour wryteth / but ſo wyll not I That ſhe demeaneth her ryght wantonly He ſayth an hondred thynges ſhe can make That toucheteth loue / for her good frendes ſake And many a token wyll ſhewe and ſygne Of loue / / the whiche I can not well deuyne She maketh eke melancolyes amonge Whiche to her huſbande made ſhe not of longe Alſo her loue dooth beſynes and payne To do her pleaſure / as he can agayne So many praty Iapes he wyll begyn That ſhe grete Ioye / and conforte hath therin And thoſe ſuche maner Iapes ben or playe That wedded men can not / ne wyll aſſaye And yf the can / afore or that they wedde Thoſe they forbere / and ſet at nought in bedde Wherfore to ſhe we it to a wyfe or teche The whiche more able is to rede or preche Then for to lerne percaſe moche more than he The good wyfe can in her neceſſyte Therfore he wyll not teche her in that guyſe For ſhe / than he more connynge is and wyſe Now whan this wyfe / her loue hath at her wyll And they haue tyme / and leaſer to fulfyll Theyr appetytes / ſuche Ioyes as they ſhewe Togyder / men haue herde of but a fewe For there no wyght is / that can tell or ſaye The pleaſure that haue ben betwene them twaye And ſo ſhe hath had ſuche dyſporte and ſpede That nothynge prayſeth ſhe her huſbandes dede After the whiche pleaſures / Ioye and game As grete delyte / and pleaſure taketh the dame Of her good man / as one that taſteth wyne Whiche hath reboyled / and wyll neuer fyne After he hath dronke good wyne or yopocras And other whyle yet / thus may ſtande the caſe A drynker good whiche hath a feruent thyrſte And drynketh ſmall and muſty wynes fyrſte He thynketh them good ynough / his thyrſt ſo grete Is / and the dryenes of his mouthe and hete But after he therof hath dronke his fyll He fyndeth a curſed tarage and an yll And yf that he ſholde drawe agayne and taſte yet though he myght / he nolde vnto it haſte But in defaute of better wene it were Ryght ſo knowe ye that this good wyfe dooth here The whiche her louer / alway hath at nede At her deſyres / ſuche maters for to ſpede And taketh a taſte ſomtyme at requeſt Of her huſbande / for lacke of her good geſt To paſſe the tyme and dryue the nyght awaye But other whyle / whan he hath luſte to playe And ſhe not ſo / ſhe ſayth lete me be ſtyll Abyde / and towardes mornynge doyour wyll Nay certes dame / ſo wyll I not ſayth he Wherfore I pray you / torne you vnto me Nay loue ſhe ſayth / by god and by ſaynt Mayre ye ſhall do me grete pleaſure for to tarye Unto the moro we / and then he torneth awaye And dare not touche her ne no mo wordes ſaye So all the nyght / he lyeth ſtyll in reſt And ſlepeth metely well at her requeſt Then this good wyfe / that on her loue dooth thynge Not carynge whyder her huſbande flete or ſynge Entendeth for to ſe vpon the morne Hero wne loue / whome ſhe hath longe forborne Sayth to her ſelfe / for ſhe is not alone My huſbande ſhall not yet touche my perſone Tomoro we / and therfore erly ſhe aroſe Aud lefte her huſbande / routynge in the noſe And maketh ſuche a countenaunce as ſhe A houſwyfe good / and houſſholder ſholde be And peraduenture the huſbande is in bedde Whyles that his wyfes meters is well ſpedde By her good loue / and ſhe hath her deſyre And he content is / with his wage and hyre Thus all that day / ſhe is ſo well apayde That neyther ſeruaunt nedeth ſhe ne mayde In euery place / ſo ordreth ſhe the houſe And ſkyppeth aboute / as qnyckely as a mouſe She clappeth to the doores and the wykket And is as mery as it were a crykket And ſomtyme it may fortune other wyſe Whan that ſhe wyll not frome her bedde a ryſe But lyke a wanton or nycet play Then wyll ſhe playne / a lytell afore the day And this good man dooth aſke her what ſhe eyleth In trouthe ſhe ſayth / I thynke my herte me feyleth Within my ſyde / I haue ſo grete a payne And in my bely whiche do me ſore conſtrayne That it is meruayle / but as Cryſt me ſaue I deme ſyr that the ſame ſykenes I haue The whiche wonte was afore tyme me to take And namely whan I ouermoche dyde wake Torne you to me ſayth he I you requyre By god ſayth ſhe / I am as hote as fyre For this nyght haue I had ſo ſore a fytte That lytell haue I ſlepte / or nothynge yet Then this good man her clepeth with his arme And feleth well that ſhe is very warme He ſayth then / trouth now ſaye ye certaynly But ſhe hath other maner malady Of feuers / than that ſhe wyll tell or ſhe we For peraduenture / this falſe wyle ſhre we Thought that ſhe was with her loue in her dreme Whiche made the ſwetynge frome her body ſtreme Then this good man / her felynge in this hete Dooth couer her frome wynde / leſt that the ſwete Sholde in warde paſſe / all ſo daynly or drynke Whiche were a peryllous thynge as he dooth thynge To her ſayth he / dame kepe you well and ſure Lye ſtyll in bedde / whyle your ſwete dooth endure And I ſhall cauſe ſuche werkes to be doone As nedefull is / and vp he ryſeth ſoone Perchaunce withouten fyre or candell lyght Some what afore the day / within the nyght And whan he ſo is vp all haſtely He maketh a fyre for her / whiche eaſely Lyeth in her bedde / and laugheth by her ſelfe That in the derke / he walketh lyke an elfe An other tyme / yf this good man play wolde With her / as I here to fore haue tolde She well excuſeth her / in luche a wyſe Full ofte / as ye haue herde me late deuyſe To ſcape a way / euer wyll ſhe fynde a mene For ſhe his dede / not prayſeth worthe a bene And yet hath he / grete beſynes y wyſie At many a tyme / her for to coll and kyſſe But god wote how ſhe is eaſed therfore If ſhe be ſuche one / as is ſayd to fore Unto this man / the good wyfe wyll ſay thus I wolde that it myght pleaſe our lorde Iheſus ye neuermore ſholde doo / ne yet aſſay Suche thynges as ye or this haue herde me ſay ye ſholde forbere / and how what wolde yet not Do it your ſelfe ſayth he / nay god it wot Sayth ſhe / for yf yt ye ſuche thynge wolde ſpare B othe ye and I ſholde moche the better fare If I had knowen this or ye dyde me wedde I neuer wolde haue gone vnto mannes bedde what ſaye ye dame / now ſpeketh this good man For what encheſon dyde ye mary than I note quod ſhe / but whan I was a mayde So as my fader and my moder ſayde I dyde / and thought ſhe ſpake ſuche wordes waſte yet peraduenture afore ſhe toke a taſte what thynge is this to ſay / the good man ſayth I founde you neuer afore this by my fayth To ſaythe trouthe in your entencyon But alway faſt in this opynyon I wote not by my ſoule ſhe ſayth my loue This knoweth well the myghty lorde aboue Ne were it not / for your pleaſure alone Now neuer wolde I do it by ſaynt Ihone This man well eaſed is / as god it wolde And to hym ſelfe he ſayth / my wyfe is colde wherof he maketh none accompte ne tale And peraduenture ſhe is whyte or pale Of nature feble / and complexcyon But he hath her / in his ſubieccyon And her he clepeth / and he kyſſeth ſo That all his pleaſure / hath he or ſhe go And this good wyfe / whiche for the tyme is there Thynketh on other thynges and elles where She wolde ſhe were / and god wote heuely Is ſhe content / but well and womanly She kepeth her kyll / and dooth hym as rioche good As caſt a ſtone agaynſt a pyece of wood For helpe hym ſelfe / can he not ne ſocoure And ſhe nothynge is gladde of his laboure How be it other dyde ryght well afore And ſhe aſyde turneth her chere therfore A lytell / for that tyme / ſo ſtant the cas For this is not / the good wyne ypocras whiche ſhe afore at other tymes had This dooth her ſore anoye / for it is bad My loue ſhe ſayth / ye make me all a fole Better it were for you vpon a ſtole To ſytte / and of ſuche beſynes you reſt This good man whiche all taketh for the beſt Kepeth hym as well / and derely as he may That he of longe tyme wyll by no way Do her dyſpleaſure / treſpace or offence The payne he dooth endure with pacyence He doubteth lore the good wyfe to dyſpleaſe And ſo he reſteth / ſom what for his eaſe For he beleueth well / that of the game Nothynge ſhe wolde / in ony wyſe attame So putteth he hym ſelfe in ſuche dotage That he ſuppoſeth well it were domage To her complexyon ſhe is ſo lowe And ſymple eke ſuche wordes for to knowe Bycauſe percaſe / that lately of her hewe She is dyſcoloured in a maner newe wherfore the mater better he beleueth And it may fortune after thus it preueth That this good wyfe a goune or other thynge Of her huſbande wolde haue to her lykynge She knoweth well by his condycyon whan tyme is beſt to make a mocyon Aduyſynge in her mynde hym to begyle To haue all her deſyre / and on this wyle Remembreth ſhe / that whan they and no mo In chambre be / and it dooth fortune ſo That they in pleaſures and delytes be And in her mynde / ſhe dooth perceyue and ſe That he with ſome thynge wolde haue to do Then wyll ſhe put her good wyll there vnto And to make hym ſuche dalyaunce and chere That it is meruaylous to tell or here For why / a woman lerned in that arte A thouſande thynges newe vpon her parte Can do / to make good chere and dalyaunce To whome ſhe luſt / ſuche is the guyſe of fcaunce So in this dede the good man is well eaſed For he is not accuſtomed to be pleaſed with ſo good maner chere / and contenaunce She clepeth hym with all the cyrcumſtaunce And on the vyſage / kyſſeth ſhe hym ofte where as ſhe lyketh / with her lyppes ſofte Then this good man in this maner dooth ſay I deme ye wyll aſke ſome thynge by my fay Of me / and ſhe ſayth nay my trende as now Nothynge but make good chere I craue of yow For yf it pleaſed god / I wolde deuyſe To haue none other Ioye ne paradyſe Than euermore bytwene your armes twayne To be / wherby exyled were my payne Truely my loue / and alſo god me ſaue None other blyſſe wolde I deſyre to haue For my mouthe touched not ne neuer ſhall No mannes mouthe / but yours in ſpecyall Sauynge your coſyns and myn / well may ye wyt. And not but whan ye lyſt to commaunde it Syr I beleue ſo gracyous and ſwete There is no man as ye / ne to me mete My loue ſayth he / yf it a ſquyre were I wolde beleue you for to be your fere By / god ſhe ſayth / whan ones I dyde you ſe Ferre of / the ſame ſyght ſo rauyſhed me And yet I dyde you but beholde a lyte Than ye had all myn herte / loue and delyte I wolde haue had none other by my choys Though it had ben the dolphyn of vyennoys I thynke almyghty god / wyll it ſo be That I ſhall lyue with you / and you with me For why / my fader and my moder bothe Dyſpleaſed were with me / and wonder wrothe Bycauſe to haue ſuche one I nolde accorde But neuer wolde I by our blyſſed lorde Though that one wolde haue ſtayne me wt a knyfe yet thought I euer for to be your wyfe And I ne knowe what thynge that this may be Sauynge I thynke it is our deſtyne Than dooth this man his pleaſure as hym lyketh And ſhe is yelden therwithall and pyketh A countenaunce and ſayth / now wote ye what I wyll demaunde / my loue refuſe not that To promyſe me I you beſeche and pray The good man ſayth / I wyll it not denay yf that it be ſuche thynge as I may do Ryght well dyſpoſed wyll I be therto My loue ſhe ſayth / the wyfe of ſuche a man A furred goune with myneuers had on This other daye / and yf that I durſt craue I wolde praye you / that ſuche one I may haue Syr by my ſoule / for pryde or for enuy I ſaye it not / ne for to be Ioly But for by cauſe ſyr / that I thynke ye be As able as her huſbande to kepe me And of more ſuſtaunce / yf I ſholde not lye To maynteyne me / bothe well and honeſtlye And ſhe is not to make comparyſon That knowe ye well / as vnto my perſon Ne ſyr to haue honoure / praye or laude I ſaye it not for gyle / deceyte / ne fraude But for this woman hath ſo grete a pryde I wolde be gladds that ſhe layde it aſyde And for none other thynge ſo haue I blys Than this good man / whiche perauenture is A grete nygarde / thynketh in his entente That ſhe of gounes hath ſuffycyente And ſo a whyle he reſteth in a thought And ſayth my loue yf that it be well ſought Haue ye not gounes ynowe you to ſuffyſe Of dyuers ſortes furred in goodly wyſe yes ſyr ſhe ſayth / for yf I but a goune Had and no mo / though it were a ruſſet broune I wolde not recke / and yet it were grete ſhame Than ſayth this man / now care ye not good dame Now lete them ſpeke / & talke ynough with ſorowe For we of them / nothynge do begge ne borowe By god ye ſaye the trout he / but wyll ye here I am not lyke vnto a chamberere Of theyrs / and not ſo well cladde ne beſene As is my ſyſter / ne as other bene And yet of yeres / more olde I am than ſhe whiche is a foule / and an euyll thynge to ſe Then peraduenture / wyll this man conſent That ſhortely ſhe ſhall haue all her entent And what ſhe wyll deſyre in ſuche a rage whiche vnto hym / is nothynge but domage For whan that her demaunde / and her requeſt She hath / for to be freſſhe than is ſhe preſt To go where feeſtes / and theſe daunces be wherof no maner prouffyte geteth he Peraduenture ſhe ſhall her dreſſe and paynt And haue ſo lytell vertue and reſtraynt That ſhe in ſuche vnthryfty wyfe ſhall preue And neuer man ſuppoſe wolde ne beleue And yf this gowne her pleaſe not / wy •• ye knowe She hath an other loue / ye may well trowe whiche peradtenture hath no ryches grete And is a galaunt freſſhe / and can not gete More than to holde / and maytene his degre And therfore ſoone / aduyſe herſelfe dooth ſhe Upon an other galaunt ſtoute and gay The whiche a dyamounde this other day whan that ſhe was / at ſuche a maner feſte Unto her wolde haue gyuen as a geſte And ſent vnto her / by her chamberere well twenty ſcutes / in his beſt manere Or thyrty / but ſo ſoone ſhe ne them toke How be it / ſhe gaue a goodly loke All though ſhe gretely / dyde refuſe as than wherby ſuche comforte / toke this gentylman That he ſpake to her chamberere agayne whome he met goynge / to warde a fountayne Or elles where / and to her thus he ſayde O Iane my veray loue / come hyder mayde I haue to ſpeke ſome thynges with you now well ſyr ſayth ſhe / whan that it pleaſeth you Good Iane he ſayth / ye knowe ryght well the loue That I vnto your mayſtreſſe haue / aboue All other creatures / now I you pray Tell me yf ye haue herde her of me ſay Ony wordes / ſyr by my fayth ſayth ſhe Nothynge certayne / but good and honeſte And ſhe wolde you none euyll / hurte ne harme with that he taketh her ſoftely by the arme Saynge good Iane my loue remembre me That I to her may recommaunded be And in good faythe here a goune I you gyue with all my herte / and ſeruyce whyle I lyue Now certes ſayth the chamberere agayne That redy is to take the goune and fayne whiche he to her preſenteth as I ſay Syr I wyll not receyue it by no way By god ſayth he fayre Iane / but yet ye ſhall It is god wote / a ſymple gyfte at all And then he ſayth vnto the chamberere I pray you that to morowe I may here Some newes of you / and thus god be your guyde Fare well ſyth ye / no lenger may abyde Than to her mayſtres ſtreyght ſhe gooth / and ſayth Folkes haue I founde / in good poynt by my fayth what be they ſayth her mayſtreſſe / tell me now The ſame it is / the whiche ryght well ye know And he as yet / is in good cas and plyte For he is taken / with the feuers whyte In ſuche a wyſe / that what is beſt to do He knoweth not / loue dooth conſtrayne hym ſo The wyfe ſayth than / a goodly man he is And gracyous / ye ſay full ſothe y wys The chamberere than ſayth for in my dayes Suche one I neuer knewe at all aſſayes He is mooſt fayre full ryche / and well y ſhape Mooſt true of loue withouten deceyte or Iape And he can do ynough / his loue to pleaſe A lady myght / with hym be well at eaſe O Iane ſhe ſayth / by god I can not haue No ſuche thynges of myn huſbande as I craue And yet yf he me hate / he playeth the fole For we ſhall brynge hym / in to an other ſcole By god my Iane / I haue ſo loued longe This gentylman / though I haue kepte my tonge That to none other / coude I gyue myn herte So am I take / that I can not aſterte And this grete foly is / by god aboue For ony woman thus to ſette her loue On ony man / that in this worlde is here And I ſhall tell you why / Iane wyll ye here For whan theſe men / on women lordes be All ſodoynly in mooſt neceſſyte Cauſeles theo wyll forſake them and betraye And therof make / a tryfle or playe Then cometh this galaunt or that other parte And to the chamberere he ſpeketh a parte Saynge in this maner / with handes vp Togyder Ioyned / cloſe as ony cup My fayre loue Iane / ryghthumbly I you pray Tharye wyll do / and helpe all that ye may So that my werke ye well achyeue and ſpede And I ſhall neuer fayle you at your nede So ye my mayſtreſſe / ſhall be euermo Then anſwereth ſhe / and ſayth yf I myght ſo Syr for your loue / I wolde ſpeke what I myght But neuer medled I by day ne nyght Of thynges ſuche / alas my loue ſayth he What ſhall I do / for goddes loue counceyle me By god ſhe ſayth / beſt is for you to ſpeke your ſelfe / and vnto her your ſtomacke breke All well to poynte / the mater comen is For of her huſbande / hath ſhe late or this A goune deſyred / onely but of clothe Whiche he denayed her / and ſhe is wrothe I counceyle you / tomorowe that ye be Tymely at chyrche / where as ye may he • ſe And whan it happeth you / with her to mete So as it lyketh you / ye may her grete There may ye ſhewe / your mater and entent And ſuche as ye wyll / gyue to her preſent All be it ſo / that ſhe it wyll not take yet more ſhe wyll you prayſe I vndertake your largeſſe and your bounte ſhall the le Alas my loue / me leuer were that ſhe Take it that I wyll gyue her / than refuſe Now ſyr ſayth Iane / ſhe wyll make her excuſe But I ſhall ſay you / what thynge ye ſhall do After that ye / haue offred her vnto That thynge the whiche / ye wolde her gyue indede And ſhe refuſe it / than your cauſe to ſpedde Delyuer it to me / and at the leſt To cauſe hex take it / I ſhall do my beſt For Ianone / can knowe her mynde and fele Now truely gentyll Iane / ye ſay ryght wele Then gooth the chamberere / in Cryſtes name And whan ſhe cometh home / ſhe ſayth madame A longe tyme it is / yf it you pleaſe Or that ſome folke be brought to hertes eaſe And who is that good Ia • e / tell me anone y wys medame / ye knowe the ſame mon What do away / I pray you tell me how It is fayre Iane / what tydynge with you now Certes madame / he wyll not fayle tomorowe In chyrche to ſpeke with you / and all his ſorowe Unto you wyll he ſhewe / ſo as he can ye may be ſure / he is a gentylman But well and wyſely / gouerne you alway And make it ſtraunge / ſo as ye goodly may Not ouer moche of ſtraungenes ne dyſdayne Uſe may ye not / but ſo betwene twayne Demeane yon womanly / in hope that grace Therof ſhall growe within a lytell ſpace Upon the morowe this wyfe gooth to kyrke As whan a thynge ſhall be / nedes muſt it wyrke So dooth this galaunt / whiche thre houres & more In good deuocyon god wote afore Paſſeth the tyme / and draweth to a place Where he the holy water / in her face May caſt / and for to kepe all thynge frome ſhame He vnto other women dooth the ſame The whiche with her / be preſent than and there And they thanken hym in theyr beſt maner But this poore man / wolde do them more ſeruyce If he ſo myght / and dooth hym well aduyſe That this good wyfe / ſtyll teſteth in her ſete Lyuynge in hope / ſome grace of her to gete And ſayth his bedes demeanynge hym with all As ſwetely as an ymage in a wall And god wote / ſhe is dreſſed proprely After her power / whiche he well dooth eſpy Beholdynge how ſhe kneleth in her pewe So well apparayled / with ſo freſſhe a hewe And vnto her / anone he draweth nere Where at theyr leyſer / they do ſpeke in fere But nothynge wyll ſhe ſay / but herkeneth ſtyll Unto the tyme / that he hath ſpoken his wyll Ne nothynge of hym / then wyll ſhe receyue But ſo ſhe anſwereth hym / that he perceyue May well / that ſhe hym loueth peramoure And that ſhe dredeth not / but dyſhonoure Wherof he is well eaſed / and ago Frome her / and frome the chamberere alſo And ſo he walketh forthe his ſtacyon Then entren they in to collacyon! That is to wete / the mayſtreſſe and her mayde Remembrynge well / ſuche wordes as were ſayd And ſhortely / ſo conclude vpon theyr dede How that theyr werke / they may perfourme & ſpede And then the chamberere ſayth ſecretely Madame I knowe well / he hath grete enuy To ſpeke to me but I wyll to hym ſay That ye nothynge for hym / by ony way Wyll do / and therfore wrothe I wyll me make For pure pyte / the whiche I on hym take And I ſhall to hym ſay / our ſyre is out So he at nyght may come withouten doute Into your chambre ſecretely I trowe I ſhall hym let / as though ye dyde not knowe And I ſhall ſhewe as I were wrothe / wherfore He ſhall you pray / well better and the more And ſyth he afterwarde / ſhall lenger tary The ſame thynge I wyll do brynge and cary Whiche he wolde gyue you / for I knowe that he Tomorowe wyll delyuer it to me And I to hym ſhall ſay / ſo god me ſaue That ye it neyther / wyll receyue ne haue And whan it happeth ſhall / that after ſoone The proces and the actes be well doone Wherfore the goune / he gyueth you in rewarde The whiche afore he put in to my warde Then ye therfore / ſhall chyde me faſt and blame Afore hym / ſaynge / damoyſell fye for ſhame Wherfore dyde ye / this thynge with you retayne Why wolde not ye delyuer it agayne But how ſomeuer it come to paſſe / knowe ye That I ſhall put all thynge in certaynte For ſome there be that haue ryght many a wyle Wherby innumerable they begyle Of women good / and neuer can be ſtyll Now Iane / frome this daye forwarde do your wyll Forthe gooth this galaunt than / and ſo dooth mete The chamberere / ſomdele without the ſtrete And aſketh her / what newes the hath brought Of her mayſtreſſe / by god ſayth ſhe ryght nought I haue her founde / ſo daungerous and ſtraunge That ſore I drede ſhame wyll make her to chaunge But for becauſe I medled haue ſo ferre Thynkynge no tyme is / lenger to deferre This mater / I ſhall ſay you what is beſt That ye may do / to brynge your mynde in reſt Thyder ſhall ye go this nyght to werke and ſpede your maters / and yet haue I ſo grete drede That ſhe wyll to her huſande me accuſe Or to her frendes / but I thynke and muſe That yf ſhe wyll receyue / ſuche thynges as ye To her wolde gyue / your dede ſoone ſpedde ſhall be And yet by god / I ſhall proue and aſſay To cauſe her take it ſhortely yf I may For well it is / at poynt to brynge aboute The mater / for her huſbande ryden out Is now / and hath denyed her vtterly A goune / wherof ſhe hath ſo grete enuy That it is meruayle / and this galaunt tho Twenty ſcutes / or thyrty / elles mo Delyuereth vnto her / and Iane ſayth than By god ye be an honourable man But well ye ſe / how I aduyſe me And yet I drede that troubled ſhall I be For neuer dyde I thus / for man or now As I for you haue done / I make auowe And wyll ye knowe / how grete daungere that I Haue put me in / and I ſhall tell you why For yf ſo be / that knowen were one worde That ony thynge I ſholde do by our lorde Herin / I ſholde haue euer ſuche a blame That neuer after / myght I loke for ſhame But for bycauſe I truſte you perfytely I ſhall me put / in this grete Ieoperdy Knowynge that ſhe / you loueth well at all And that our ſyre is out / wherfore ye ſhall This ſame nyght / come fayre and honeſtly Unto her chambre / and I ſecretely Wyll let you in / for neyther harre ne locke Shall cauſe you eyther / for to call or knocke And thus at .xii. houres within the nyght ye muſt walke in the derke withouten lyght For that tyme ſadly / dooth ſhe ſlepe alway And there is but a lytell chylde in ſay To her in bedde than ſhall ye go and lye For I can ſe / none other remedy And peraduenture your dede ſhall be good Now whan a man / all naked is by the rode In bedde with her / that naked is and bare A full grete thynge it is and ſhe vnware And whan ſhe ſeeth none other choys ne rede As ſtyll ſhe lyeth then / as ſhe were dede So ſore ſhe dredeth ſhame and vylany That in the derke ſhe may not ſe to crye For though ſhe anſwere ſtraungely on the day At ſuche a ſodayne countre ſhe ne may O Iane my loue / this gentyll galaunt ſayth I neuer ſhall haue peny by my fayth But ye therof that one halfe and well more Shall haue alway / ſo wele ye do therfore Whan nyght ſhall come the galaunt gothe a pace As Iane hym hath / aduyſed to the pleace And ſhe vnto her mayſtreſſe ſecretely Hath ſhewed all the proceſſe manerly And whan this galaunt comen is and crepte Into the bedde / ſhe letteth as ſhe ſlepte This galaunt there / her ſhortely doth embras Then ſtarteth ſhe and ſayth / who is there alas My loue ſayth he / no more for it is I A by the ſacrament of god I crye She ſayth it ſhall not come to paſſe yet ſo And thynketh for to call / on Iane whiche tho No worde to her agayne anſwerde or ſayd Ha now I ſe it wele / I am betrayed Myn auctor ſayth / the fyght togyder bothe In dyuers wyſe / and ſhe is paſſynge wrothe And faſt ſhe panteth / bothe for fere and yre Wheihe is as angrye / as the brennynge fyre And ſore abaſſhed of this rekenynge ye may well knowe / it is a pyteous thynge A woman onely whan ſhe lacketh helpe No more of ſtrength is then a lytell whelpe But yf it had not ben for drede of ſhame More hyghe ſhe wold haue cryed in goddes name Then ſhe dyde than but all was for the beſt That ſhe to ſaue her honoure ſo dyde reſt Was neuer fythyll / ſhalmeulx / pype ne rote That better dyde accorde in euery note Of muſyk / or in gemetrye then they Whiche enterpryſe / gode tyme agayne to play Thus for the huſbande that tyme beynge onte Ryght well to poynt ye werke they brynge aboute Now hath this wyfe ye gowne that was denayed By her good man / and ſhe is wele apayed And for bycauſe he nolde it to her gyue It ſhall coſt hym full dere yf ſhe may lyue All be it ſo that he in tymes afore Wele more then it was wrothe hath payed therfore And this good wyfe / all thynges to excuſe And bycauſe no wyght her of ſholde muſe Her moder wyll ſhe cauſe with dylygence This goune to gyue her in his preſence All boubtes to auoyde that he may haue Thus honeſtly ſhe can her worſhyp ſaue And ſhe her moder maketh to byleue That this clothe ſhe hath bought as ſhe can preue Of thoſe lytell thynges whiche ſhe ſolde Wherof her huſbande yet ſhe neuer tolde So he therof dothe vnderſtende no dele Or parauenture he may knowe it wele And ſo it happeth ofte with her and mo After this goune another cometh alſo That is to wyte / a newe thynge muſt be had For her that ſhe / may honeſtly be clad Alſo of gyrdels harneyſed two or thre Of ſyluer gylte / elles angry wyll ſhe be Or other thynges / wherof her huſbande than Wyll be as ſore dyſpleaſed as he can The whiche is veray melancolyous Or lyke to Naball auarycyous As I haue ſayd afore / and he dothe doubte Or narowly he pryeth and loketh oute So that he wele perceyue hathe ſome thynge Wherin he toke no pleaſure nor lykynge Or vnto hym it hathe be tolde or ſhewed Or her good loue / this galaunt all be ſhrewed By ſome faſt frende of his this hath he knowen For at longe rennynge out it ſhall be blowen Then entreteth he in rage of Ialouſy And putteth hym in to an agony Anone he maketh ſemblaunt to go oute And cometh at nyght / ſtarynge all aboute Full ſodaynly ſuppoſynge in his mynde Oute of araye ſome folkes to fynde The whiche is not ſo eaſely to be done Then hydeth he hym in his chambre ſone And by auenture / ſome thynge dothe eſpye Wherfore he chydeth and ſhe can wele replye She feleth that ſhe wylye is and ſage And that ſhe comen is of good lygnage This ſely man remembreth hym agayne Of his frendes how they haue ſpoken playne So they in ryot and grete debate And ſorowe and care / ſhall reſt vpon his pate For Ioyes ſhall he neuer haue in dede Fro that tyme forth / but euer gnawe and fede On heuyneſſe / and euer amonge a lye Shall caſt be in the vyſage prately His cheuyſaunce / ſhall leſſen ſodaynly Alſo his pore body ſhall be drye So ſhall he ceſſe of werkes and beſyneſſe And neuer lyue in wele nor luſtyneſſe Thus cloſed in the lepe / abyde ſhall he Theſe paynes takynge for proſperyte For yf that he this lepe were not within yet neuer wolde he / tary reſt ne blynne Unto the tyme that he therto myght crepe And put hym ſelfe in to the ſame more depe Thus he ne wolde that otherwyſe he were Ryght ſo this poore man / as ye may here Shall euer languyſſhe in captyuyte And depe within the lepe ſhall barred be So wretchely his dayes ſhall he ende Fro ſuche auenture god vs all defende ¶Here endeth the fyfth Ioye of maryage.
¶Here begynneth the ſyxte Ioye of maryage.

THe ſyxte Ioye of maryage it is ſo That he whiche was wedded longe ago Endured hath the trauayles / and the payne As I afore haue ſayd / all or certayne Of them / and hath a wyfe eſpecyall Dyuers of her condycyons at all A veray ſubtyll falfe and wyle ſhrewe She is / as I here after ſhall you ſhewe Cautelous wylfull / and eke malycyous Fro warde / wanton / nyse and dyſdaynous And her huſbande a good man is and playne The whiche her loueth well / and ſhe agayne Loueth hym I trowe / wherfore alway he So as he may by poſſybylyte Dothe vnto her / all pleaſures that he can For ſhe of body is a good woman How be it holly her entencyon Is ſette ſo faſt and her oppynyon That euer by ſome crafte or ſubtyllyte Fayle wyll ſhe not to haue the ſoueraynte And or her huſbande werkes wyll ſhe knowe wheder he of his degree be hyghe or lowe So wyll ſhe medle ofte anſwere and ſpeke yf myſter be / and many maters breke Suche is of her the dyſpoſycyon And after nature the condycyon Of all wyues / what huſbandes ſo they haue Or at leeſt / the mayſtrye wyll they craue For tho this wyfe be wele & wante ryȝt nought yet euer wyll ſhe ſet her mynde and thought To brynge her huſbande / into wo and care And make hym thynke and muſe / euyll fare And otherwhyles it may fortune ſo That he and ſhe in chambre and no mo Be all the nyght and ſom what of the daye In theyr delytes Ioye dyſporte and playe And they togyder kyſſe and make good che But he aryſeth fyrſt that theyr dynere May redy be / and alſo he muſt thynke Do other thynges mo then mete and drynke The hous aboute and whan tyme is to dyne He calleth her but ſhe wyll not enclyne Unto his ſpeche but ſendeth downe anone Her lytell chylde or of her ſeruauntes one whiche vnto hym then ſhall theſe wordes ſaye Syr in good fayth ſhe wyll not dyne to daye wele ſayth the good man / go agayne in haſt And byd her come anone to this repaſt Then gothe the ſeruaunt or the chylde and ſayth My mayſter byddeth you come now by my fayth To dyner ſone for he wyll nothynge eate Tyll ye be come and ſet with hym at mete Go ſay to hym I wyll not dyne ſayth ſhe Upon whiche anſwere ſtreyght to her gothe he And ſayth to her what ayleth you my dere She ſpeketh not / wherfore he draweth nere And ſayth what chere my loue and is dyſmayde How be it he hath ſene ſuche pagentes playde Afore that tyme / but for requeſt ne worde That can be ſayd ſhe nyll go to the borde But playe ryght ſo / and perchaunce in no wyſe wyll dyne that day for thynge he can deuyſe Another tyme / vnder her arme a ſyde He ledeth her as thoughe ſhe were a bryde And they to dyner go / but colde is all The vytaylles on the table grete and ſmall For ſo longe hath ſhe ſauſed them to tarye▪ Thus often tymes wyll ſhe do contrayre To reaſon / and ſuche countenaunce and chere with maners wyll ſhe make at her dyner • That no thynge wyll ſhe ete / ne bytte For whiche ſo dull and mate he is of wytte And lyke a maſed beeſt for wele the more He loueth her / and hath her dere therfore For ſuche melancolyes ſhe dothe hym gyue In thought and heuyneſſe to cauſe hym lyue wherin ryght wele ſhe dothe and cunnyngly Syth he wyll ſuffre it ſo curteyſly For why a woman for to gete the grace Of hym whome ſhe hath bounden in her lace Hath not to do / ſyth that he loueth her wele With herte / body / mynde and euery dele And dooth her all the pleaſures that he may Her nedeth not / with ſuche one for to play But ſhe muſt ſet her thought holy to gete The loue of hym / the whiche her dooth for yete And by her ſetteth / none accompte ne tale She ſholde aſſay to make ſuche one auale Unto her hande by chere and countenaunce By pleaſaunt ſpeche / with all the cyrcumſtaunce A fayre dede / ſhe thynketh to haue wrought Whan ſhe her huſbande / in to care hath brought It happeth other whyle this man gooth out Her werkes / and his beſynes about And whan he home warde dooth retorne agayne With hym he bryngeth of his frendes twayne In to his hous / by cauſe he hath to do With them / or elles ryght well it may be ſo That they of hym haue perfyte cognyſaunce Or elles they be of his acquayntaunce Whan he without is / as is ſayd before His yoman or his page / he ſendeth afore Unto his wyfe / and prayeth her hertely For to make redy / well and honeſtly The houſes all about / and other thynge For ſuche frendes as he wolde with hym brynge Bycauſe to them / he gretely is beholde Alſo he prayeth her haſtely that ſhe wolde Ordayne vytayles to make them well at eaſe For what he can / he wyll do them to pleaſe And he with them percaſe hath for to do Now gooth this meſſenger his wyfe vnto And ſalueth her and ſayth / madame truely My mayſter cometh / and in his company Two of his frendes / men of good eſtate For to be lodged here this nyght algate Wherfore he prayeth you ryght ſpecyally To ſe the ſouper dyght be / and redy And ſhe dooth anſwere ſaynge / what haue I And do with / feeſtes / or of his company Why cometh he not hymſelfe to ſe it dyght I wote not ſayeth the ſeruaunte by thys lyght But thus to ſay / he hath commaunded me Thon arte accurſed knaue by god / ſayth ſhe This fela we than holdeth his peas anone And ſhe in to a chambre is a gone Suche one ſhe is / whiche dooth none otherwyſe And wors is / ſhe hath a praty guyſe For all the ſeruauntes here and there about Bothe one and other / ſhortely ſhe / ſendeth out And ouer this / yf chamberere there be Or of her doughters / one / or two / or thre The whiche at home abyde / be taught how they Unto the good man of the houſe ſhall ſay Whan he cometh home / and now he comen is And calleth vpon a doughter fyrſt of his Or elles a chamberere / and ſayth is all Thynges redy made / the whiche we nede ſhall In fayth ſhe ſayth / my mayſtreſſe is full ſeke Your ſeruauntes and your meyny be to ſeke And certaynly as yet / nothynge is done Wherwith the good man waxeth angry ſoone How be it / bothe his frendes forth withall He bryngeth them curteyſly in to the hall Or in to other places elles wh • re As they be of eſtate / and fyndeth there Nothynges redy for to make them gladde It is no nede to alke / yf he be ſadde For perauenture his frendes whiche he brought Perceyue ryght wele enpryntynge in theyr thought That where he ſente his ſeruaunt or his page Afore vnto his wyfe on his maſſage They myght wele thynke that his commaundement Was not ſo ſure as acte of parlayment This good man then dothe call his folkes on hye But none of them he fynde can nor eſpye Excepte a pore knaue or elles a mayde That nought can do / and then he in a brayde Gothe to his wyues chambre ſodaynly And her to ſpeketh hygh and haſtely Wherfore haue ye not done I you demaunde As by my meſſagere I dyde comaunde A ſyr ſhe ſayth ſo many thynges ye Commaunde / that by the holy trynyte One ſhall not vnderſtande ne knowe wele how What for to do / o ſaynt Mary now Then ſayth this man / clawynge faſt his hede Now of this worlde / the mooſt vngodely dede And euyll haue ye done and vncurteyſly Se here the folkes / that I mooſt ſpecyally Am bounde vnto / how may I do therto Sayth ſhe / what wolde ye ſyr that I ſholde do Now with your coſyns moche to do haue we It ſhe weth wele an vnwyſe man be ye Do as ye wyll after your guyſe for I Care not therof a ryſſhe / nor yet a fly Fayre dame ſayth he I you demaunde wherfore Ye haue ſente out / your ſeruauntes here tofore Knewe I quod ſhe / that ye ſuche beſyneſſe Had daken on hande / how be it neuertheleſſe She ſente them for the / in dyſpyte wyttyngly Of this good man / afore all by and by Then he the whiche wyll ſuffre and obeye Unto her faute / dothe no mo wordes ſaye But fro her gothe with care and heuy chere For parauenture ſuche his geſtes were That he had leuer / an hondreth ſcutes and more Haue ſpente but ſhe / nothynge dothe care therfore She hath hym ſene and knoweth he wyll not byte And that afore he was not wonte to ſmyte Shortly to ſpeke he torneth hym aboute And of his folkes gadreth in a route Suche as he fyndeth and dothe the beſt he can To welles of werke he demaundeth than Fayre / fyne / whyte and other naperye ware Of dyapre and byddeth that they none ſpare And table clothes or they to ſouper go But of the good wyfe / he is anſwerde ſo To waylles ſhe ſayth ryght good & fyne there be And for moche better men / in theyr degre Then be theſe folkes / and of as good a place They gete none other as euer haue I grace Theſe other clothes in veſſels ben to ſtepe As waſſhynge tubbes / layed in the water depe How be it for the to waylles I ſay not this For erly haue I loſt the kayes y wys Of the dores / ſe how the chamberere Dothe ſeke them beſyly bothe here and there And of the bedde ſhe torneth to and fro The ſtrawe / alſo the good wyfe thus ſayth tho I wote not what I haue done of late ſo bad My wytte and eke my heed is made ſo madde With beſynes / and maſed is my brayne That where for to renne / I ne wote certayne Truely ſayth he / I am begyled wele▪ The coffres ſhall I breke now euery dele A fayre thynge do ye than / the good wyfe ſayth And I ſhall tary with you by my fayth I wolde ye had them all in pyeces broken So that they neuer ſholde be ſhytte ne loken Suche thynge ſomtyme a man may do in haſte That after warde he ſhall repent the waſte Than how to do / he knoweth not what is beſt But for all this / he is in peas and reſt Suppoſynge that ſhe ſhe weth hym the trouthe And forth with all / without ony slouthe Unto the table go they for to ſuppe Of freſſhe pypes / then to fyll the cuppe Grete nede it were for wyne wherof they ſpende Gooth lowe / and draweth faſt vnto an ende And it as now / is neyther good ne able Well for to ſerue theſe gentylmen at table And though that he byd one for to go He geteth none / bycauſe ſhe wyll not ſo And as for theſe fruyte or other thynge At his commaundement / or elles byddynge None can be had / for yf he wyll them haue Unto his neyghboure he muſt ſende his knaue Afore the table his page and theyrs ſtande And them amonge they compte and vnderſtande Seynge the wyues curſed loke and chere They ſay bycauſe our mayſters comen ben here The wyfe is wrothe but after ſouper then Tyme dooth approche yt theſe good gentylmen Shall go to bedde / and this man dothe entrete His wyfe for ſhetes whyte / but he can gete None good ne fyne / bycauſe erly that day Afore the good wyfe loſt hath euery kay Hedſhetes wolde he haue / and pylowes whyte And ſhe them kepeth frome his gheſtes quyte In comen ſhetes ſo all that nyght they ly But erly in the mornynge haſtely Theſe frendes aryſe / and hom warde them auaunce Whiche haue wele knowen the wyues countenaūce Theyr pages by the waye haue comynynge Wherof the mannes page made rekenynge To them afore and laughen by the way Nothynge content the whiche togyder ſay They wyll not theder come agayne of longe Suche comenynge theſe pages haue amonge Better had ben this good man to haue loſt Moche of his good then to haue ben theyr hoſt And ſo to brynge them theder to his ſhame Wherof the wyfe all holly was to blame The ſame moro we / I meruayle moche ſayth he Unto his wyfe / o benedycyte Of your maners / for why I knowe not how I ſhall demeane or gouerne me with yow Ane maria / with me is moche to do She ſayth. I nouryſſhe chekyns duckes pygges alſo And euermore I laboure and I ſpynne And do all that I may ſome thynge to wynne yet can I not one houre haue on the day Ofreſt ne eaſe / and ye trauayle alway Aboute nothynge / but euer waſt and ſpende And of our goodes deſtroye and make an ende Upon ſuche men with whiche I nothynge haue To do / thus ye wyll neyther gete ne ſaue With them ſayth he / yes theſe good men be they That bothe vs helpe / anoye or hyndre may Then ſadly he remembreth in his mynde How that his wyfe ſo gentyll is and kynde That whan a galaunt cometh he dothe thynke Anone ſhe wyll cauſe hym to ete and drynke And vpon hym no good thynge ſhall be spared Wherfore to her hath ſayd and declared That he wyll not this galaunt come more there And ther vppon he byddeth her forbere To drawe hym to her hous / for he nothynge There hath to do / and ſhe ſayth I ſhall brynge Hym whan me Iuſt and cauſe him to comeynne Wher wt gret noyſe bytwene them doth begȳne The good man angrye then theſe wordes ſayth Wherin he ſheweth wele the fole he playeth Now by the ſacrament of god yf I After this tyme can fynde or elles eſpye He wt you ſpeke / I ſhall make you more wrothe Then euer ye were / all be you leue or lothe Now by my fayth ſhe ſayth nothynge I recke All thoughe he were hye hanged by the necke But now I ſe ryght wele / it is full ſothe A good woman the whiche no ſynnes dothe Shall haue aſmoche reproue / & more dyffaine Then ſhe ye whiche dothe wyckednes attayne She ſayth yf that I ſuche a woman were Whiche dyde her gouerne euyll in manere I had no nede then for to be dyſmayde For moche better ſhe had done ſhe ſayde Then I now do / and thus he and the wyue Togyder make a noyſe / and ſo they ſtryue This in auenture / by the malyce grete Of hym or her / in ſuche a fume and hete They fall / that they wyll not togyder ly Of longe tymes in this melancoly And that it is / that ſhe deſyreth ſores For this ſquyer / of whome he ſpake afore Shall perauenture come within the nyght In at the backe dore out of his ſyght Or elles clyme in at a wyndowe hye And to the wyues bed go ſecretely Not for to ſynne / ne do her hurte ne harme But in her good mannes ſtede to kepe her warme For other bodye ſhe was good and trewe As it is ſayd afore / or elles of newe Myn auctor baryeth ſomwhat in his tale And taketh a knkko for the nyghtyngale After all this the thynge is well appeaſed And for bycauſe the good wyfe ſhall be pleaſed This good man dothe begynne her for to flatre And ſhe can ſuffre hym to ſpeke and clatre For euer wolde a woman flatred be And lyghtly / troweth it in certaynte yf it in prayſynge be of her godeneſſe Of beaute bounte / or of / gentylneſſe Thus paſſeth he the tyme tyll at the laſte His wyfe he fyndeth ſomtyme ſpekynge faſte Unto this forſayd ſquyre in his place Or in the chyrche / or elles where as ſhe was At ſuche a feeſt and in to Ialouſye He entreth in his mynde / more feruentlye Then euer a dayes afore he dyde By meane wherof ſo now it is betyde Of worldly Ioye he dothe hymſelfe defayte And entreth in to the thought and awayte He lyeth and requereth ſubtylly Her to eſpye or take with ſome foly Wherin he playeth the very fole alwaye Bycauſe the noble herte of man ne maye Ne ought of womens werkes to enquere For yfhe ſholde / the faute knowe and here Ones of his wyfe / he myght fall in ſuche plyte That medecyne neuer ſholde hym hele ne quyte And then his ſhame / he ſercheth in his mynde Enquerynge faſt and he the ſame doth fynde Good reaſon is that he endure therby The ſhame whiche he afore ſought beſyly As in this caſe I counte hym caſt away And loſt / for on his body and goodes alway Grete peryll renneth & aege cometh hym vpon So is he folyſſhe lyke a beeſtly man In euery thynge by reaſon of the play And he within the lepe I dare well ſay Ycloſed is / in ſorowe and heuyneſſe Whiche he doth take / for Ioye and gladneſſe Seynge that he / ne wolde but it were ſo Thus ſhall he dwell in paynes euermo And ſo ſhall ende his dayes wretchydly Syth he wyll fynde / none other remedy ¶Here endeth the .vi. Ioye of maryage.
¶Here begynneth the .vii. Ioye of maryage THe .vii. Ioye of maryage to knowe Is as I fynde it wryten on the rowe Whan that ſomtyme / the man whiche maryed is Hathe founde a wyfe / as I haue ſayd or this Whiche is a felowe good / at euery ſeaſon And neuer wyll refuſe nor forſake reaſon Whan it is profered her / but knowe ye may Thoughe ſhe be good / as ye haue herde me ſay And of her body chaſt or other wyſe Yet euer hathe ſhe ſuche maner guyſe The whiche a rule is named generall In maryage and vſed ouer all For euery wyfe byleueth verayly And holdeth this oppynyon ſted faſtly That her huſbande the weykeſt creature And mooſt wretche is & leeſt werke may endure. As in regarde / vnto the ſecrete crafte Of all other whiche in the worlde be lafte And ſo it happeth ofte / and hathe benſene That whan a yonge luſty man and grene Dothe marye hym vnto a good true mayde And they theyr pleaſures take and be apayde In ſuche a wyſe that maruayle is to here And take all that he may within a yere Of theyr dyſporte / or elles in two or thre Or mo in dyuers wyſe ſo may it be Wherby theyr youthe is greatly waxen colde But yet the good wyfe by an hundreth folde Her waſteth not ſo moche / as dothe the man In no maner for ſhe ſo wyſely can Her body kepe / fro beſyneſſe and payne With laboure wyll ſhe not herſelfe conſtrayne Nor yet with penſyfneſſe to ſaye the ſothe With care ne ſorowe / ſo as the good man dothe And though they dyde but play / and make ſolace Yet wolde ſhe not waſte in ſo ſhorte a ſpace As her good man dothe in this ſecrete plays Wher with then he / ſhe bettre may awaye But trouthe it is / whan women chyldrebere And they be grete / lyuynge in drede and fere Whan they drawe nere theyr tyme of chyldes byrthe They ſuffrs peynes grete withouten myrthe Myn auctor ſayth that it is to accounte To mannes peyne / the whiche all dothe ſurmounte He ſayth the huſbande peynes be wele more The whiche muſt thynke / and care all thynges fore Aboute his houſholde / as he hathe to do He ſuffreth anger trouble peyne and wo But of the ſorowe / and the anguyſſhe grete Of chyldes byrthe / all dothe he clene forgete How be it many wordes dooth he ſpeke Whiche in his breſt he myght well ſhyt and ſteke For I wyll not thoſe wordes put in ryme But holde my tongue / and ſpeke whan it is tyme He ſayth theſe huſbandes bely be to gete But wyues do no good / but drynke and ete And after this it falleth ſaunce fayle That for ſuche thoughtes / labours and trauayle The huſbande gretely waſted is and ſpent Wherfore his mynde he ſetteth and entent Some elles where / applyenge not the game More then of cuſtome / for to pleaſe our dame And alſo yfhe wolde the fayte aſſay For lacke of power / perchaunce he ne may Perfourme his appetyte / deſyre and wyll Wherfore as in that cace / he holdeth hym ſtyll But this good wyfe / yet leueth not the crafte Her luſte / ne courage be not her byrafte As hotte ſhe is as euer ſhe was before And ſo it is that he may do no more Thenne for be cauſe / her lyueree / and her fee Of her delytes dayly mynyſſhed be Whiche ſhe was wont to haue of her good mon In noyſe ryot bothe they falle anone Lyke as her leuere / mynyſſheth lyte and lyte They ſo begynne to gren as they wolde byte And though this lyuere / wyll her not ſuffyce Yet euyll dothe ſhe not / for ſhe is wyſe But ſhe ne leueth of deme / that he In power is / moche wors thenne other be And ſhe the more belueth it by reaſon Becauſe afore ſhe neuer in her ſeaſon Non other man / but hym onely aſſayed Of whome ſhe neyther was content ne payed And he to her was in ſuffycyente Without her lyuere ofte ſhe came and wente And yet by reaſon / and the ordynaunce Of holy chirche / it is a ſuffyſaunce One man vnto one woman to be knyt But other whyle / the wyfe wyll Ieoparde it For to aſſaye of other / two or thre Yf they ſo ſymple as her huſbande be And thenne ſhe whiche / ye crafte ſo dare aſſaye Parauenture beleueth it alwaye More certaynly thenne ſhe hathe done afore And ſuche a fela we taketh ſhe therfore That of the crafte / ye whiche ſhe dothe begynne But yf it be for drede / ſhe may not blynne Or elles / with plente / ſhe be ſatyſfyed She wyll not be content / ne pacyfyed For whan this felawe cometh happyly He is enfamyned wherfore meruaylouſly Dothe he / and ſhe her huſbande thynketh on Reputynge hym / a veray ſemple mon And of ryght lytell power ſhe byleueth The better for ſo ſurely ſhe it preueth For ſuche thynges as ſomtyme cometh by ſtelthe Is better for a ſykely wyues helthe Then ſuche as ſhe at home hathe but a lyte Hauynge therto no luſt nor appetyte And thus ſhe is in faſt byleue and ſure Experyence alwaye dothe her aſſure And ſometyme ſo fortuneth it that ſhe Another goſſyp / whiche hathe maryed be And knoweth reaſon / whan it is to her ſhewed Good in her maners beynge and wele thewed The whiche byleueth eke that her huſbande As dothe that other / for ſhe can vnderſtande And parauenture ſhe hathe taken aſſaye Of other mo as ye haue herde me ſaye Wherof wele gretter is the werke and dede Then of the good man hauynge lytell mede Whiche gyueth not hym ſelfe to ſo grete payne For why he knoweth wele / that for certayne Nyghe hym alwaye good plente ſhall he fynde But knoweye wele / that many meu by kynde Uſe contrary to this that women do For ſurely they byleuen euermo What maner women ſo they haue and wedde They be mooſt wyſe / and beſt for them in bedde Of all other / but this rule other whyle Do fayle / and that is by deceyte and gyie Amonge rybauldes lyuynge in deſpeyre To whome no wytte ne reaſon dothe repayre Ofte it is ſene / that maryed men wyll prayſe The maners of theyr wyues and vpreyſe And euery verture whiche they in them fynde They ſhewe ſuppoſynge / ſurely in theyr mynde That better women / be there none then they Ne lyke to them none can be founde they ſaye In goodneſſe ferre all other they excede Suche appetyte to them haue they at nede Thus dothe myn auctor ſpeke of wedded men And forth withall thus he declereth then Saynge / that gladly ofte it hathe ben ſene That whan a woman / hathe a wydowe bene Then ſhortely to another wyll ſhe marye And other whyles ſhe nyll abyde ne tarye A moneth but ſhe wyll her wedde agayne For to aſſaye and proue in certayne yf that another of his power be So ſymple in his werkes as was he The whiche out of this worlde of late is paſt And thus in wedlocke ſhe is bounden faſt Wherin ſhe kepeth neyther trouthe ne fayth But waſteth folyly myn auctor ſayth Loſeth and gyueth moche goodes a waye For whiche her huſbande many a wery daye Hath had in loboure / or yt they haue ben goten After his degree / but all hathe ſhe forgoten By many maner wayes dothe ſhe ſpende As well vpon her lemman / or her frende As olde baudes / and on her confeſſour A frere prechour / or elles a lymatour Whiche yerely hathe of her alpenſyon For ſhe of hym hathe abſolucyon Suche folkes haue grete power of the pope For to abſoyle / enſerche / and for to grope The conſcyence of wydowes and of wyues And them to teche how they ſhall lede theyr lyues This man her huſbande on yt other ſyde As warely / as he can dothe hym gyde Withouten grete expence or elles coſte And caſteth accompte / what he hath wonne or loſte Of marchaundyſes / after ſuche degree As he is of / and ſhortly fyndeth he That in his godes he gothe faſte abakke And knoweth well ynough there is grete lakke Thenne he ta ſyghe / and ſorowe dothe begynne And whan that he / his compter is withynne Unto his wyfe / the whiche he loueth more Thenne that he dothe hym ſelfe he ſpeketh therfore And thus he ſayth myn owne loue verayment I knowe not how our goodes be waſte or ſpent Or where they be become I can not telle Golde or ſyluer wherwith / we bye and ſelle Wyne corne / and other marchaundyſe And yet alwaye I take hede and aduyſe The beeſt wyſe that I can loke or eſpye And haue to euery thynge / as good an eye As is poſſyble vnto me to haue Oure goodes for to gouerne rule and ſaue So that one gowne / that good is for my corce I dare not haue / A ſyr ſhe ſayth no force And whan that he is / in a ſecrete place Unto his wyfe he ſpeketh / this percaſe Truely / but late it hathe be ſhewed to me Some wordes whiche dyſpleaſaunt to me be By god my loue ryght ſo it dooth appere For of longe tyme ye haue made euyll chere She ſayth / I haue ben ſore affrayed and dradde That ye ſome hurte or heuyneſſe haue hadde Or that ſome of your frendes had ben paſt To god / or had ben kepte in pryſon faſt With englyſſhe men / ytake at ſome affray Nay nothynge ſo / but moche wors than ye do ſay It is / Aue maria ſayth ſhe than If it pleaſe you / tell me good gentylman What thynge it is / fayne wolde I that I knewe Certes ſayth he / my faythfull frende and true Hath ſhewed me / that ſuche one maynteneth yow And other thynges he hath ſayd ynow Then ſhe begynneth for to croſſe and blis And many meruayles maketh ſhe of this Demurely ſhe begynneth for to ſmyle My loue ſhe ſayth / meke no wors chere a whyle Of all my ſynnes / as quyte I wolde I were And eke towarde almyghty god as clere As I of hym am / and ſhe ther withall Her handes lyfteth / and letteth them fall Upon her heed / and ſayth myn owne herte dere By this all onely wyll I not now ſwere But to the deuyll gyue I all at ones Under my handes / all be it fleſſhe and bones If euer mannes mouthe yet touched myne Except your mouthe / your kynneſmen and coſyne And neuer but at your commaundement The whiche ye knowe was but in good entent Fy / fy ſayth the / what maner is it I am ryght gladde that ye dome to wit I doubted it had ben ſome other thynge But now I knowe from whens cometh this leſynge And all theſe wordes vnto you ſhewed ofnewe But for what cauſe wolde god that ye knewe He hathe it ſayd to you for by my fayth Ryght ſore abaſſed wolde ye be ſhe ſayth For ſo moche as he maketh hym your good frende But I ryght well am eaſed in my mynde For he awaked hathe / the ſlepynge catte My loue ſayth he now tell me what is that Syr care ye not therof ſhe ſayth but lyte An other tyme I ſhall do you to wyte Truely ſayth he I wyll knowe it anone By god my loue ye be an haſtly mon She ſayth I was ryght wrothe be cauſe that ye Made hym to come ſo ofte for to be Within youre hous / but I forbere to ſaye Be cauſe that ye loued hym ſo well alwaye Tell me ſayth he / certes my loue as now She ſayth no nede it is to tell it you I praye you ſhe it me ſo as it is He ſayth. And the thenne ſwetely dothe hym kyſſe And clyp ſaynge my dere loue and myn lorde Ha that falle traytour whiche make wolde dyſcorde Byt wexte vst weyne / and do you euyll or gryfe God gyue hym veray vengeaunce and myſchyefe Tell me my loue ſayth he / what maner wyght He is that thus wolde do / and what he hyght Now in good fayth my lorde whome I loue beſte Aboue all thynges that in this worlde do reſte That falſe traytour and that ſclaunderour Hathe prayed me to be his paramoure The whiche ye truſt and louen ſo entyer This hathe he ben aboute more thenne two yere But I alwayes haue hym full well refuſed With grete payne / and maners that I vſed And whan he came in to your hous ye thought It for your your loue had ben / but it was nought For with his falſe flatterynge wordes gay He came for no cauſe / but you to betray Ne neuer ceaſed he tyll tyme that I Say hd tat I wolde tell you it certaynly Nothynge her of to me was charge ne cure For of my ſelfe alway was I ſo ſure And though I ſuche vnthryfty maners hate yet wolde I not make noyſe wrathe ne debate Bet wene you thus and hym / me thought no nede It was / bycauſe I kepte hym from the dede Alas there was no faute in hym truely For to haue done you ſhame and velony A ſaynt Mary ſayth the good man tho He is a traytoure that I truſted ſo For neuer had I of hym ony doute By god ſhe ſayth / yf he come in and oute And that I knowe that he dooth with you ſpeke Or dele then vp / our houſholde may we breke For after that I ſhall none with you holde If ye ſo do / for ſyluer ne for golde She ſayth / in fayth ye nede not me to garde I am ſuffycyent my ſelfe to warde If it pleaſe god / I wyll not now begyn Agaynſt his lawes to do / or vſe a ſynne With handes Ioyned / to god almyght I pray That fyre frome heuen aboue deſcende may And brenne my body all to nought and ſpyl Well rather than I ſholde be in ſuche wyll Then the clepeth hym in her armes twaye And ſayth my lorde / herken what I ſaye Ouer falſe I were / yf I ſholde euyll do To you that be ſo fayre and good therto For what I wyll / my loue ye wyll the ſame But yf I loued you well I were to blame I wyll that ye ſo god me ſaue and mende Your hous frome hym forbede wolde and defende With whome your frende / me falſely hath accuſed And you deceyued thus / and ſore abuſed Now be it frely do I gyue or ſell My ſoule vnto the fouleſt fende of hell If euer he to me ſpake leſſe or more But not withſtandynge yet by cryſt therfore I wyll not that he come in place where I Shall happen for to be in company Than ſhe to wepe began ryght tenderly And this good man appeaſed her ſpedely Promyſynge her with othes grete that he Wolde kepe and holde all thynges whiche that ſhe Afore had ſayd / excepte he nolde defende This felawe frome his houſe / and there an ende All be it in his herte with ſome remors He ſhall be charged ſore / but yet no force For ſo it happeth in concluſyon That ſuche dyſpleaſure and deuyſyon Bet wene hym and his frende herof dooth fall That he the greteſt ennemy of all To hym ſhall be / the whiche for loue hym tolde Hath all the trouthe / whome he beleuene wolde So this good man a veray beeſt is made Suche Ioyes of the huſholde he hath had And in the lepe he is ycloſed depe Out of the whiche he ſhall not lyghtly crepe And this good wyfe moche better in her guyſe Shall do / then euer ſhe dyde or coude deuyſe And neuer man of her ſhall tell hym thynge For he wyll not beleue ſuche rekenynge And he the whiche this velony hath done The beſt beloued frende ſhall be then ſone That he ſhall haue / and thus aege hym vpon Shortely dooth fall / and pouerte anone Wher with perchaunce ſo ſore he may be greued That neuer after ſhall he be releued Suche is the pleaſure / whiche this man hath founde Within the lepe / and yet folkes on the grounde Wyll ſpeke to hym after theyr fantaſy One ſayth of hym / thus as he paſſeth by He is good Iohan / an other maketh a ſhe we With his fynger / an other vnthryfty ſhrewe Sayth that it is grete domage for to ſe This ſely man in ſuche perplexyte Another ſayth / no force of hym in fay It is nothynge but good ryght of the play So lyueth he / with payne in pacyence And all theſe ſore wes dooth hym none offence The whiche for Ioyes alwaye taketh he Bycauſe he wyll that it none other be So ſhall he euermore dwell in dyſtres And ende his dayes in payne and wretchednes ¶ Here endeth the ſeuenth Ioye of maryage.
¶ Here begynneth the eyght Ioye of maryage.

UNto the .viii. Ioye ſyth I muſt go Of maryage / knowe ye that it is ſo As whan a man ſuche meane hath founde & ſkyft Thus he vn ware in to the lepe is left Wherin he hath had grete felycyte Takynge his pleaſures / yeres two or thre And hath ſo beſy ben to repe and ſowe That well the hote herueſt is ouer blowe Then other mennes werke wyll he aſſay No man at baſe ne barres may ſporte alway And peraduenture he hath had greuaunce ynough of trouble / and of dyſpleaſaunce Wherof enfebled gretely than is he So that regarde taketh he none to fle Perchaunce his wyfe / hath chyldren thre or mo And grete with chylde agayne ſhe gooth alſo But ſhe more ſeke is or this chylde be borne Than ſhe of all theſe other was beforne Wherfore the good man is in thought and drede To gete her ſuche thynge as ſhe muſt haue nede But this good man / dooth his auowes make To dyuers holy ſayntes for her ſake And alſo ſhe auoweth in that houre Unto our bleſſyd lady of Rochemadoure So happeth it / as god wyll after this And ſaynt Mary that ſhe delyuered is Of ſuche a fayre chylde and goodly thynge As myght be well the ſone vnto a kynge She lyeth longe in bed / now in this wyſe The goſſyppes to her come / as is the guyſe And maketh arete / andtt mery ſyynge vp Where beſely gooth rounde about the cup And ſo it falleth ſhe hath two or thre Goſſyppes / the whiche abyde with her / and be Within the houſe to rule merely With her / and goſſyp in her company And ſo ſhall peraduenture be that they May talke of tryftles / whiche I wyll not ſay And more goodes ſpende they in ſuche wyſe Then for to fynde the houſholde wolde ſuffyſe The newe tyme approcheth her / and ſhe Is puryfyed with ſolempnyte Unto the feldes then / to roue and playe She and her goſſyppes take the ryde waye Where as they ſpeke to go on pylgrymage And faſt they entrepryſe for theyr vyage For what thynge ſo the huſbande hath to do They care nothynge / ne haue regarde therto Then this good wyfe of whome we ſpeke of now Sayth to her goſſyppes I wote neuer how I may haue lycence to performe this dede And they her anſwere ſaynge haue no drede Good gentyll goſſyp / for we haue no doubte But ye ſhall brynge your purpoſe well aboute And we ſhall go and vs dyſporte togyder Whan god well ſende tyme and merye weder Now haue they entrepryſed as I ſaye This forlayd vyage and departe awaye One frome an other a myle two or more And thenne this wyfe of whome we ſpake afore Cometh to her hous. And whan ſhe draweth nere Unto her houſbande ſhe maketh euyll chere And he is lately comen frome the towne Or elles frome other werkes and ſetteth downe And her demaundeth how it with her is Ha ſyr ſayth ſhe I am ryght wrothe y wys Our lytell chylde is euyll at eaſe and ſeke Wherof the good man is as angrye eke And ſorowfull and cometh it to ſee Whan he it ſeeth / the teres falle in his eye For pure pytye / and thenne cometh nyght vpon And whan they be in ſecrete place allone The wyfe begynneth for to ſygh and ſaye Truely my loue ye me forgete alwaye And how ſayth he thynke ye not on ſayth ſhe Whan that I was in grete infyrmyte Of our yonge chylde / and that I made auowe Unto our lady of rochemadoure / and nowe Therof it ſemeth ye take lytell hede O god he ſayth / my loue ye knowe what nede Ther is / and how moche that I haue to do Good ſyr ſhe ſayth. I put caſe it be ſo yet neuer ſhall I be at eaſe ne gladde By god tyll I this pylgrymage haue made And by my fayth becauſe we do not ſeke Theſe ſayntes therfore is oure chylde ſo ſeke My loue ſayth he god knoweth well your good wyll And myn alſo. Ha ſyr ſhe ſayth be ſtyll For certaynly yf it pleaſe god and you I wyll accordynge vnto myn auowe Go with my coſyns and my goſſyppes als Unto our lady I wyll not be fals Then this good man the mater myndeth ſore And peraduenture hath not all in ſtore That to this vyage ſholde be requyſyte Accordynge to his wyfes appetyte Now is he brought to ſuche encombraunce That nedely muſt he muſt he make a cheuyſaunce Of horſes / and perchaunce for them ſhall paye A certayne hyre to trauayle by the waye After ſuche porte / eſtate or elles degre As he is / and it behoueth that ſhe A newe gowne haue to ryde in honeſtly And peraduenture in that company A gentyll galaunt is / the whiche ſhall do With ryght good wyll ſome ſeruyce her vnto Alſo this good man percaſe with her gothe On pylgrymage all be he neuer ſo wrothe yf he ſo do / moche better were that tyde For hym at home to tary or abyde Alway ſo ſore ſhe wyll hym chyde or chekke That he ſhall bere the ſtones vpon his nekke And neuer can ſhe be content ne fayne But whan that he hath hurte myſchefe or payne Now in that Iourney / as ſhe ſytteth ſofte Upon the horſe / ſhe her complayneth ofte Anone ſhe ſayth / one ſtyrope is to longe Another is to ſhorte and lacketh a thonge Alſo ſhe ſayth / her horſe dooth trotte to ſore And eke to harde / and ſhe is ſeke therfore Then frome her horſe ſhe muſt alyght anone And ſhe agayne ſhall ſette be hym vpon This good man then / for he ſhall not be ydle Ouer ſuche a brydge / muſt lede her by the brydle Or elles a peryllous path / or a narowe way And whan they come be frome this Iourney If he therby haue had wele or dyſporte That it of her longe / ſhe wyll reporte And yf that ony loſſe / or euyll fall She chydeth and ſayth / on hym it is longe all So thus and other wyſe his goodes wafte His houſholde eke / and his expence in haſte Then mynyſſhed be / and ſhe ſayth hym beforne How by his chyldren whiche that ſhe hath borne She gretly waſted is / and this man ſo ycloſed is within the lepe alſo In ſorowes grete / and paynes ſharpe and ſore And taketh them for Ioyes euermore In whiche alway he ſhall be and remayne And wretchedly his dayes ende in payne ¶ Here endeth the eyght Ioye of maryage.
¶ Here begynneth the nynth Ioye of maryage.

THe nynthe Ioye of maryage is when One of theſe yonge luſty and freſſhe men Is put in to the pryſon or the lepe Of huſbandry and can not go ne lepe Out of the ſame / and grete pleaſure hath hadde whiche newely hath be founde in dayes gladde And peraduenture euyll is his wyfe As many be / wherby aryſeth ſtryfe And he a man is of good gouernaunce The whiche none euyll iuffre wyll perchaunce How be it dyuers argumentes haue bene And other whyles ſtrokes them betwene So in ſuche warre / well thyrty or more They haue contynued / and ye may knowe therfore He hath had moche to ſuffre and ſuſtayne For ſo may be that he hath had certayne Grete parte of ſorowes / and aduerſytees The whiche afore be ſayd / in theyr degrees And many other ſuche as ben conteyned Here after in this lytell boke vnfayned But neuertheleſſe / he dooth remayne alway Uyctoryous / what euer ſhe do or ſay And hath not ben in ſhame and velony Though moche to ſuffre he hath had therby And for to thynke vpon bycauſe that he perchauce hath doughters fayre / wel two or thre whiche wyſely he hath maryed here and there To put them out of Ieoperdy and fere So happeth it that in a lytell ſpace Suche fortune hath this ſely man and grace That for the euyll nyghtes and the dayes And colde whiche he hath taken many wayes A cheuyſaunce to make / this man dooth fall In ſekenes of the goute / then forth withall Or elles for aege / he is vn weldy ſo That he can neyther vp aryſe ne go And whan that he is ſet in ſuche a place As he ſhall in remayne his lyfes ſpace In euyll maner tourned is the chaunce For than the warre is ended and dyſtaunce And wors it is for dyuers tymes a daye Of veray hate ſhe wyll vnto hym ſaye She is ryght well aſſured in certayne How for his ſynnes / he hath all that payne And one may thynke / whan ſhe afore hym is Thus wyll he to her ſay / my loue y wys ye be the thynge that I owebeſt to loue Of all the worlde / excepte our lorde aboue And ye alſo of dutye ben ybounde To loue me mooſt of all that lyue on grounde But wyte ye well / my loue that it is ſo Some thynges be / that folkes vnto me dos wherwith I am not well contente ſayth he ye knowe of ryght I am and ſo ſhall be The lorde and mayſter of this houſe whyles I May lyue / but yet folkes do not lyke truely To me / for yf that I a poore man were whiche ſholde go fetche his brede bothe ferre & nere Men wolde not do to me as is done now And ye my loue may vnderſtanden how That I haue done grete payne and dylygence To make a cheuyſaunce for our expence your doynges to ſuſtayne / and your eſtate And all our chyldren whiche to me of late Behaue them ſelfe full ſymply as ye ſe Ha what wolde ye that one ſholde do ſayth ſhe To you is doone the beſt we can or may And ye wote not what we demaunde or ſay Now ſayth this man / holde your peas good dame And kepe your tonge in reſt for worldly ſhame The ſone alſo to hym dooth ſpeke and rayle So what this good man ſayth may not auayle And thus ſhe and the ſone departe hym fro His herytage emperynge euernio And for the good man / no prouyſyon Is made / and thus they in concluſyon Agre and make accorde bytwene them bothe That neuer creature / whiche cometh or gothe Shall with hym ſpeke / and then the ſone anon The gouernaunce preſume wyll hym vpon And take the rule more than he dyde afore And well content his moder is therfore For ſhe ſo dooth ſupporte hym and maytene Alſo they make well euery man to wene That he is fall in to a freneſy Or is retorned to his Infancy Thus vnto euery wyght ſayth ſhe and he And this good man muſt take it all in gre For other remedy none may be hadde Amonge them ſo harde he is beſtadde And as to me I well beleue certayne This is one of the greateſt erthely payne And ſorowe / that on the grounde a man may fele Thus this good man his penaunce dooth ryght wele And ſo ſhall be in mornynge euermore Endrnge his dayes wretchedly and ſore Curſynge the tyme that in the lepe he came To be encloſed / and in this wyſe made tame▪ ¶Here endeth the nynth Ioye of maryage.
¶Here begnneth the tenth Ioye of maryage.

THe tenthe Ioye of maryage to wyte Is as I fynde it in a boke y wryte Whan that he whiche in to the lepe is brought Bycauſe that he hath ſene ſo as he thought Other fyſſhes them baynynge in the ſame Whiche to his demynge / had a mery game And ſo he trauayled hath tyll tyme he In to the lepe hath founde the ryght entre And one may ſay that he by ſubtylte Made was to come / in to that gynne and be Of maryage / lyke as a fouler olde Theſe byrdes taketh in the wynter colde With other byrdes whiche he afore hath had And for that feate hathe them well taught and made▪ And bereth them about vpon his backe Within his panyer or elles a ſacke Whiche with a threde be teyed by the fote For to remayne there is none other bote Moche eaſed were theſe poore byrdes yf they Myght be at lyberte and fle away As other do frome a ryuer or a dyke Unto an other where they myght fede / and pyke Of euery maner vytayle / for them mete Whan other ſe theſe byrdes by the fete Yteyed faſt / they haſte vnto the gynne And ſodaynly they be taken therin But yf it be ſome wyle byrdes that haue Experyence them to preſerue and ſaue Frome ſuche daungere / and wyſely can be ware Surely to kepe them frome the nette or ſnare For they in tyme afore haue herde and ſene Of other byrdes whiche in that caſe haue bene This not withſtandynge they that wydded are Of whiche we ſhewe the paſſe tyme and declare Haue them aduyſed of this crafte / and they But lytell euyll thought in it alway Or elles percaſe without aduyſe in haſte In to the gynne one hath his body caſte Where as in Ioyes demed he to tary Neuertheleſſe / he fyndeth the contrary And other whyles it may fortune ſo That for ſuche thynges as ſhewed are them to By totelers or flatterers that vſe To cauſe deſcorde / and falſely folke accnſe The wyfe ſhall neuer more for erthely thynge Her huſbande loue / vnto her laſt endynge Then wyll ſhe ſaye vnto her moder thus Or to our coſyn / by our lorde Iheſus Whan I with hym in bedde am layde adoune His fleſſhe it ſtynketh lyke a caryoune And he to her ſhall neuer plaeſure do Ne loue / but euer lyue in malyce ſo And ofte it happeth / many men that he In ſuche eſtate / of hyghe and lowe degre And women bothe yet wyll they not lyue chaſte But eaſe them ſelfe by other meanes in haſte And whan that ſhe a whyle hath ben away With her good loue / for to dyſporte and play And largely hath her parte had of the game Then her to kepe frome velony and ſhame Some of her frendes good / wyll ſhe entrete Peace with her moder ſhortely ſor to gete The whiche by coloure / and craftely can ſaye That ſhe within her houſe hath ben alwaye The poore doughter pryuely is gone For ſhe ſo ſore her dredde / that her good mon Wolde her haue bet / as he hath doone or than Wherfore vnto her moders houſe ſhe ranne And he hathe wonder where that ſhe may be But ſo it was that afterwardes he Within her moders houſe / ſoone dooth her fynde To whome he ſpeketh with an haſty mynde What deuyll brought the hyder / and for why Departed thou frome home ſo ſodaynly Syr by our lorde ſhe ſayth / for drede that ye Withouten cauſe / ſore wolde haue ſtryken me Then ſayth the moder / certes me were leuer That ye ſone / and my doughter ſholde dyſſe •… And that ye leue her here with me to kepe Then for to bete her alway tyll ſhe wepe For I knowe well / my doughter hath not done Defaute to you / but ye be angry ſone Beholde this mater / loke theron and ſe If ſhe of euyll gouernaunce had be She had be loſt / but ye may ſe here Frome ſhame and myſrule for to kepe her clere Streyght vnto me ſhe came / for ſhe ne had None other helpe / wherof ye may be glad And ſhe by ryght / her may repente and rewe That ſhe to you / hath ben ſo kynde and trwe And it may fortune other whyles that they Demaunde to be departed byſome wey Wherfore the huſbande dooth accuſe the wyfe And ſhe agayne / as ſharpe as ſwerde or knyfe Unto the huſbande quyckely dooth the ſame ye may be ſure / her tonge ſhall not be lame So are they in the lepe / and wolde be out But ſo it may not be withouten doute It is no tyme them to repente / for why Then is none other way ne remedy Afore the lawe / faſte do they plede theyr cauſe And by theyr aduocates ſhe we many a clauſe But other whyle allegge they no cauſe why They ſholde haue theyr entente ſo haſtely Than ſayth ye Iuge ryght playnly in Iugement Unto them thus by good aduyſement The lawe it wyll that ye togyder holde In company your lyues and houſholde And here vnto the Iuge them dooth aduyſe But ſo to do / yet be they not ſo wyſe For why / ſuche goodes as they hadde afore They haue myſſe vſed euyll ſpente and lore And yet they be not werye but endure In theyr oppynyons ſtydfaſte and ſure So mokke and ſkorne them folkes ferre and nere Whiche of the mater / vnderſtande or here And other whyles / cauſes reaſonnable One dooth alledge / and thynges acceptable For whiche the Iuge departeth them a ſondre All be it ſo that folkes vpon it wondre Thenne one of them or other folyſſhely Wyll vſe them ſelfe in lyuynge vycyouſely Some tyme the woman gothe fro twone to towne And in to the mennys chambres vp and downe Where ſhe her pleaſures taketh of the game And parauenture he wyll do the ſame Suppoſynge they ben at theyr lyberte Out of the lepe of maryage and free But yet be they in wors cas thenne before And thus this man hym waſteth more and more Of what aſtate ſo euer that he be And in the ſame maner / waſteth ſhe For neuer after maye they wedde agayne Durynge theyr lyues by the lawes playne Of fraunce but yet in englonde other wyſe They vſe and haue a cuſtome and a gyſe Whiche is an other for to take and wedde Man or woman / where beſt they can be ſpedde Men thynke in fraunce / ſuche ſhamed be for euer As in that wyſe contynue and perſerue And namely yf they be of hyghe parentage Borne or deſcended / for a good lynage For parauenture a galaunt openly Within his hous ſhall kepe her ſhame fully So ſhall he be within the lepe adowne In ſorowe care and lementacyon Where he alwaye in paynes and dyſtreſſe Shall lyue and ende his dayes in wretchedneſſe ¶ Here endeth the .x. Ioye of maryage
¶ Here begynneth the .xi. Ioye of maryage

THe .xi. Ioye of maryage to ſaye Is whan a yonge luſty man and gaye A gentyll ioly galaunt wyllgo oute For his dyſporte / the countrees hym aboute Into ryght many places all the yere And in eſpecyall he wyll go where Theſe ladyes and the gentylwomen be After theſtate condycyon or degree That he is of / and for that he is yonge And amerous / he preceth them amonge No charge hathe he of ony other thynge So that he may contynue his lyuynge In pleaſures whiche by nyghtes and by dayes Ryght many profres maketh and aſſayes And yf it fortune ſo that he may fynde A lady or a gentylwoman kynde With whome he hathe ſome thynge to do or ſay His mynde and wyll applyeth he alway And dothe his beſt / her for to pleaſe and ſerue To that entente he may her grace deſerue And ſomtyme cometh he in ſuche place Where as a mayde he fyndeth fayre of face And parauenture not ſo grete is he Of lygnage / ne of noble as is ſhe And for that ſhe ſo goodly is and fayre Theſe ſupplyauntes ſomtyme to her repayre And them amonge one is that dothe entrete Her for to haue / and profereth gyftes grete Whome ſhe but lyte refuſeth or denyeth For euery gentylwoman her applyeth The whiche debonayre is and hathe pyte Compaſſyon to haue in that degree On ſuche as them / humbly beſeche and praye In goodly wyſe / they ought not to denaye yf theyr petycyon be reſonnable Withouten vylonye / an 〈…〉 ourable Torne we agayne to this fayre damoyſell That of her maners ſomwhat I may tell Of her conceytes and dyſpoſycyon whiche by conſtraynt or elles oppreſſyone Of ſuche a poore felowe is forlayne And neuer ſhall ſhe▪ fynde ne gete agayne That ſhe hathe loſt / for where ſhe was a mayde So hathe this homely felowe her betrayde That ſhe is grete wt chylde / ye whiche her dame Perceyueth wele / for ſhe knoweth of the game And in that crafte ſhe wylye is and felfe For ſo it fortune may / that ſhe hathe alſe Somtyme ben / in lyke condycyon The better can ſhe fynde prouyſyon And neuer ſhall this felowe touche her more Nor come to her as he was wonte before The wyfe this mater wyll / ſo rule and gyde This counſeyll kepynge cloſſe on euery ſyde All thynges muſte be taken as they be Of reaſon / wyſedome / and neceſſyte This poore damoſeyll with chylde / is grete whiche of conceyuynge / hathe the tyme foryete For of herſelfe knoweth ſhe but lyte How ſhe was brought in to ſuche eaſe & plyte And ſhe nothynges knoweth of that arte Ne what it is ſhe toke ſo lytell parte But yf it pleaſe our lorde god ſhe ſhall knowe How ſedes groweth after they be ſowe The moder auyſeth wele and ſeeth her hewe whiche knoweth the olde teſtament and newe And calleth her into a ſecrete place She ſayth come hyder with an euyll grace Haue I not ſayd to the afore this houre That thou haſt loſt thy worſhyp and honoure To do as thou haſt done thus folyly But whan a thynge is done what remedye That thou arte grete with chylde I knowe it wele / Tell me the trouthe and drede the neuer a dele Now fayre moder I wote not as ye ſaye To tell you trouthe wheder it be ſo or naye Then ſayth the moder / it ſemeth me alwaye whan that the morowe cometh euery daye I here the coughe / and pytouſly forbrake And dyuers other countenaunces make Now truely ſo it is ſhe ſayth madame Ha ſayth her moder holde thy peaſe for ſhame Thou arte with chylde / tell it not all aboute Ne to none erthely perſone breke it out And alwaye take a good reſpecte and hede To do as I the ſhall commaunde and bede Madame ſo ſhall I do in euery thynge And lowely you obeye / and your byddynge The moder then ſayth to her doughter tho Haſt thou not ſene ſo often come and go Into our hous ſuche a yonge ſquyer ofte And ſhe ſayth yes madame with wordes ſofte Now then aduyſe the wele for incertayne Tomorowe heder wyll he come agayne Then take good hede that thou make hym good chere In godly wyſe and in thy beſt manere And whan that other gentylmen and me Thou ſeeſt togyder talke / then caſt an eye On hym alwaye / and this good moder ſo Her doughter techeth wele how ſhe ſhall do Alſo I the commaunde and charge yf he Of ony maner thynges ſpeke to the Herken hym wele / and anſwere curteylly And ſwetely rule thy ſpeche and manerly And yf he ſpeke of loue / or thynges lyke Thenne other whyles ſoftely gyue a ſyke And thanke hym hertyly / but ſay y wys Thou knoweſt not yet / what maner thynge loue is Ne it to lerne / thou wylte not the apply Rule and demeane the well and womanly And golde or ſyluer yf he proffre the Thenne take it not in haſt / but herken me yf he the proffre Iuell croſſe or rynge Gyrdell bracelet owcheor other thynge Refuſe it gracyoueſely / but at the laſt yf he it often offre the and faſt Receyue it thenne / in goodly wyſe and take For loue of hym / ſaynge that for his ſake Thou wyll it kepe / thykynge no vyllonye Shame ne deceyte / that ſhall enſuye therby And whan he taketh leue of the to go Thenne hym demaunde or he departe the fro yf one ſhall ſee hym haſtyly agayne wherof ſay that / thou wolde be glad and fayne Here is this galaunt come whiche ſhall be caſt ynto the lepe / and therin holden faſt For why the dame wyll cauſe hym for to wedde Her doughter ſone / and with her do to bedde yf that ſhe can by ony carfte or wyle This galaunt ſhe porpoſeth to be gyle For he moche hathe / of herytage and rent And is / but ſymple and an Innocent Now cometh he this damoyſell to ſee In haſt for ouer wele at eaſe is he Ryght many galaūtes bent haue theyr engyne To take this damoyſell / and vndermyne The lady taketh a ſquyer by the hande Or elles a knyght and other ſytte or ſtande whiche Ioyeouſly togyder talke and rayle This galaunt eke draweth to the damoyſayle And by the hande he dothe her take and holde Sayenge fayre damoyſell good god it wolde That ye my thought wele knewe and vnderſtode And how may I ſhe ſayth for any gode Knowe it / but yf ye wyll it to me ſaye what do ye thynke ſuche thynges as ye ne may Telle me / nay by my fayth I wolde that ye Knewe it ſo that It were not ſayd by me Truely ſhe ſayth and laugheth pratyly ye telle a thynge to me / ſo meruaylouſely whiche to be done it is as / in poſſyble As for to cauſe an horſe walke in vyſyble yf it had lyked you this glaunt ſayth And no dyſpleaſyr taken in good fayth I wolde haue playnely ſhewed you my thought Now ſyr ſayth ſhe telle on and ſpare it nought So moche of you knowe I that by the rode ye wyll not ſay / ne ſhewe thynge / but all gode Mayſtreſſe he ſayth / ye knowe ryght welle that I Am but a poore gentylman for why I wote I am vn worthy / and vnable To be youre loue / or with you compaygnable For ye be gentyll fayre and gracyouſe And of all vertues full and beauteuouſe And yf it pleaſed you to do to me Suche honour that your louer I myght be I durſt maſte myn avaunt that with good wylle I ſholde do all the pleaſyrs you vntylle That any man / by poſſybylyte May to his lady do in ſoueraynte I ſhall you ſerue / and eke your honour kepe More thenne myn owne whether ye wake or ſlepe Graunt mercy ſyr thenne ſayth this damoyſell But for the loue of god ſpeke neuer adell Of ſuche thynges vnto me after this For I knowe not what maner thynge loue is Ne yet I wyll not lerne it ferthermore For it is not doctryne ne the lore The whiche my moder hathe me taught alwaye Thenne ſayth this ſquyer damoyſell in fay My fayre lady of whome ye ſpeke is good But I wolde not yet that ſhe vnderſtode Suche thynges as be ſayd be twexte vs twaye A ſyr ſhe ſayth yf you I haue herde ſaye This other daye / that ye ſholde maryed be Wherof I maruayle and ye come to me And ſpeke ſuche ydell wordes / and thenne he Sayth damoyſell Obenedycyte Now by my faythe yf that it pleaſe yowe I ſhall neuer other wedde I make auowe Whyle that I lyue / ſo that ye wyll me take As for youre ſeruaunt and I vndertake That with my ſeruyce ye ſhall be contente What wolde ye haue me deſhonoured and ſhente She ſayth / nay yet me leuer were to dye Sayth he / thenne for to do you vyllonye For goodes loue be ſtyll and ſpeke no more Herof and I ſhall tell you ſyr wherfore yf that / my / moder it perceyue or wytte I ſhall deſtroyed be I knowe wele it And parauenture the moder maketh a ſygne That of her ſpekynge ſhe ſhall ceſſe and fyne And thenne this galaunt gyueth her a rynge Under her hande or elles ſome other thynge Saynge to her / fayre lady I you pray Take this and kepe it / for my loue alway Certes ſayth ſhe I wyll not take no Alas my loue he ſayth / why ſaye ye ſo I pray you hertely / and in her hande He putteth it agayne ſo as they ſtande And ſhe it taketh and ſayth / this I receyue To haue your loue as you may well perceyue Without thought of thynge / but all honoure I take wyteneſſe vnto my ſauyoure The lady of that houſe thus ſpeketh then In curteyſe wyſe vnto the gentyll men To moro we muſt I go with goddes grace Unto a blyſſed lady of ſuche a place On pylgrymage to ſuche a toune here by Truely madame they ſay / ryght vertuouſly And well ye ſpeke / and forth withall they go To ſouper / and this galaunt euermo Anenſt this damoyſell is put or ſet That he to her may talke withouten let And ſhe ſo well can make her perſonage In ſuche a wyſe / that he halfe in a rage With loue is take of her that was ſo bryght And beauteuous as ſemed to his ſyght The moro we cometh this company muſt ryde On pylgrymage / and lenger not abyde And all men ſay they can not ſe ne fynde An horſe amonge them all yt bereth behynde Excepte this galaūtes horſe there by ſaynt loy Wherof grete pleaſure taketh he and Ioy For one the damoyſell behynde his backe Dooth ſette vpon his horſe / and he no lacke Fyndeth therin / and ſhe clyppeth hym faſt To holde her on the horſe / that he ne caſt Her doune / and god wote ther with he is eaſed As an hauke whiche hathe an heron ſeaſed Now draweth he nyghe the lepe withouten bote They do this foreſayd vyage god it wote With perfyte mynde / and good entencyon And home retorne / as made is mencyon Where merely / they ſet them doune to mete With ſuche vytayles as they can fynde and gete And after mete the lady fayre and well Gooth to her chambre / and this damoyſell To whome ſhe ſayth / whan thou ſpekeſt wt this man Say vnto hym as ſadly as thou can That there is one / whiche ſpoken hath to the Of maryage but thou ne wylte accorded be As yet / and yf he offre the to take Thanke hym / and ſay that he muſt meanes make To me / and put the mater to my wyll And that I do therin thou ſhalte fulfyll On my behalfe / and ſay that there is none Lyuynge in this worlde I excepte not one That thou loueſt halfe ſo wele in certaynte As hym / ſo as may ſtande with honeſte And all they after walketh twayne and twayne Togyder arme in arme to the gardeyne Where as amonge the herbes / and the floures They ſmell and taſte the holſom ſwete odoures And playenge take the floures by the ſtalke Whiche to theyr noſe they put ſo as they walke One taketh a gelofer or vyolere An other plucketh of the englentere And euery one of them as they eſpye Take herbe or floure after theyr fantaſye This galaunt ſquyre with the doughter gothe And telleth her euery thynge / but ſhe is wrothe Alas ſhe ſayth / ſpeke no more ſo for I Shall yf ye do / forſake your company What wolde ye do me ſemeth ye ſuppoſe To cauſe me / myn honoure for to loſe Haue ye not herde of late dayes yſayde That one to mary me hath ſpoke and prayde Now by my ſoule he ſayth I can not blame Hym / though to mary you / he wolde attame But I thynke that of myn habylyte I am as good in value as is he And eke as able / ſeruyce you to do As is the man of whome that ye ſpeke ſo Now by my fayth ſhe ſayth than with a ſyke I wolde that he were to your perſone lyke Graunt mercy fayre damoyſell he ſayth For of your grete curteyſy in fayth Well more than I am worthy / ye me prayſe But ye myn honoure gretely may vp rayſe yf ye wolde take me as your man to grace To do you ſeruyce all my lyues ſpace And ſhe ſayth ſyr graunt mercy ther withall This muſt be ſpoken in eſpecyall Unto my fader ſadly and my moder And to my kynne / and frendes dyuers oder Than ſayth he thus / yf I myght knowe yt they Sholde be content / I wold bothe ſpeke & prey A ſyr ſhe ſayth / be ware that ye ne ſaye That ye to me haue ſpoken by ony way For rather wolde I ſuffre dethe / than ye Sholde ony wordes ſhe we of preuyte That hathe be ſayd in ony maner wyſe Byt wene vst wayne / nay that is not my guyſe Sayth he / whiche to the moder ſpeketh ſoone And as god wolde in ſuche poynte was the moone whan he vnto the moder made requeſt That he all his deſyre had at the leeſt For ſhe and other haue them trouthes plyght And peraduenture cauſed them at nyght To gyder / for to lye in bedde and ſlepe Now is this poore ſquyre plonged depe within the lepe / and ſpedely they make The weddynge / for this gentyl womans ſake And haſtely they do this mater ſpede Bycauſe her frendes haue grete doute and drede Leſte ony let may come in this matere For in the wynde the weder was clere The nyght is come after they be wedde This damoyſell with man muſt go to bedde And knoweye wele / the olde wyle dame wyll teche her doughter / ſom what of the game How ſhe ryght may denly ſhall her demeane As though ſhe were an holy vyrgyn cleane Myn auctour ſayth her moder dooth her teche That whan her huſbande wyll vnto her reche She ſhall for drede tremble / quake and crye And hym withſtande / and how that ſhe ſhall lye In many maner wyſe as ſholde a mayde Upon the nyght whan ſhe fyrſt is aſſayde Alſo the moder dooth her well enfourme How ſhe ſhall her demeane / and in what fourme whan that this galaunt her wolde enforce or ſtryke Alſo ſodaynly than ſhall ſhe ſterte and ſyke As though ſhe wrre caſt in colde water depe Up to the breſtes / alſo ſhe ſhall wepe But in concluſyon as to the dede She playneth metely wele whan ſhe muſt nede And yet the fader and the moder bothe For loue and pyte angry be and wrothe whiche that they haue vpon theyr doughter yonge Suppoſynge that this man hath doone her wronge And cauſes them in preſence to be brought Now hath this ſquyre founde that he hath ſought Here may ye ſe one of the greteſt payne For ſhe whiche with aladde hath ben forlayne Or monethes thre may paſſe and come aboute Shall haue a baby lapped in a cloute Oftymes a go then Ioyes and pleaſaunce To heuynes be tourned and penaunce And peraduenture he ſhall her after bete And manace curſe and chyde with wordes grete And neuer after ſhall good houſholde kepe So in the lepe he put is for to ſtepe And out therof he neuer ſhall departe Of ſoro we and heuynes he ſhall haue parte And euer more abyde ſhall in dyſtres Endynge his dayes in care and wretchednes ¶Here endeth the enleueth Ioye of maryage.
¶Here begynneth the twelfth Ioye of maryage.

THe twelfth Ioye of maryage for to ſay Is whan ayonge man by many a day In ſuche a maner comen hath and gone That he in to the lepe hath founde anone The ſtreyght entre / and alſo ferthermore He hath her founde whome he demaunded fore And he ſome other myght percas haue had But for no thynge he wolde / and he is glad Of this / for as hym ſemeth he hath ſete His loue ſo wele / that no man coude do bete And that he was ſo happy her to fynde whiche ſo good is / and mete vnto his mynde And peraduenture ſuche a man is he As by her councell wyll well ruled be So that whan ony wyght hath for to do with hym / he ſayth I ſhall go ſpeke vnto The good wyfe of our houſe / and yf ſhe wyll It ſhall be doone / and yf ſo be ſhe nyll In no wyſe ſhall the mater take effecte As pleaſeth her ſhe wyll graunt or reiecte And here it cometh to the poynte anone I put the caſe he be a gentylmon And that his prynce an army do prepare with whiche he is commaunded for to fare Then yf the wyfe it wyll for the ſhall he go And yf ſhe do replye / he ſhall not ſo Unto the wyfe / thus may he ſay perchaunce My loue I muſt me ſpedely auaunce Streyght to the kynges army well arayed And ſhe ſhall ſay ſyr / be ye not afrayed what wyll ye go and cauſe you to be ſlayne How ſholde we do yfye come not agayne ye thynke but lyte what ſhall become of me And in good poynt / than ſholde your chyldren be But ſhortely for to ſpeke / yf it her pleaſe He ſhall go forthe / and ſomtyme for her eaſe Ofhym the hous ſhe can delyuer clene whan that her lyketh beſt / here what I mene For whyder it pleaſeth her hym out to ſende He ſhall go quyckely forthe / and there an ende Unto ſuche ſayntes as ſhe auo we hath made whiche to perfourme for her he wyll be glade And whyder yt it be wynde / ſnowe hayle or rayne Upon her byddynge ſhall he go certayne And ſo may be a galaunt herynge this The whiche her lemman or her louer is And knoweth the entres of the houſe about Well vnderſtandynge that this man is out Deſyrynge with her for to ſpeke and talke Withouten taryenge wyll to her walke For lenger in no wyſe may he abyde But on the nyght / whan come is the tyde In to her houſe he entreth ſecretely And where as the good man was wonte toly This homely galaunt boldely lyeth hym doune Whiche hath god wote a grete deuocyon For to accomplyſſhe his deſyres and wyll And this good wyfe her kepeth cloſe and ſtyll The whiche dyſdeyneth for to crye or call Ryght well in paeyence ſhe taketh all For whan ſome woman ſeeth a man dooth take Grete payne and labour onely for her ſake Of pyte neuer wyll ſhe hym refuſe And though that ſhe ſholde deye he ſhall her vſe She hath a bowe that by her ſtandeth bent And he artyllery that muſt be ſpent It happeth ofte he in the houſe abydeth And in a corner preuyly hym hydeth Whan that a lytell dogge dooth at hym bay And yf the good man / what is that wyll ſay The wyfe wyll anſwere / ſyr it is a ratte That he dooth barke / or elles at the catte For ofte tymes afore he hath doone ſo Thus wyll ſhe ſay with many wordes mo So ſhortly for to ſpeke this man is trapped And in the lepe he cloſed is and lapped She maketh hym the chyldren for to bere Whan they wolde play / and dady here and there Alſo ſhe cauſeth hym to take and holde Her ſpyndell and the thredes to vnfolde Upon the ſaterday / whan ſhe dooth rele And ſhe wyll chyde yf he do not wele Now hath he foūde a thynge whiche he hath ſought And vpon hym newly dooth fall a thought For warre begynneth in that regyon And euery man vnto the ſtrongeſt toune Wyll drawe that he can fynde to ſaue his lyfe But he at home abyde muſt with his wyfe And may not leue her wherfore he perchaunce Is take pryſoner / and grete fynaunce Then muſt he pay / or elles in pryſon dwell This can this man of care and ſorowe tell Whiche in his huſholde kepynge he hath founde For nyght and day he muſt trotte on the grounde Uytayles to gete / or for ſome other nede And ſhortly for to ſay ſo dooth he ſpede That his poore body neuer ſhall haue reſt Unto the tyme he put be in his cheſt Then falleth he in ſykenes and in aege Wherby with hym is paſt luſt and courage Well leſſe than prayed ſhall he be alway And lyke a foulecouer be caſt away Whiche is not wrothe to occupy that crafte So is all Ioye and pleaſure hym beraft The wyfe hath doughters two or thre or mo Whiche wolde be maryed / and they be not ſo Wherfore they prayſe this good man but a lyte But haue hym in dyſdayne / and grete dyſpyte In to the goute he falleth ſeke and ſore And helpe hymſelfe ſo ſhall he neuer more For euyll paynes ſuche as he hath had Whiche with his wyfe / hath thus ben ouerlad Than may this poore man his ſynnes wepe Within the lepe / where he is cloſed depe Out of the whiche he neuer ſhall departe But ſtyll remayne / and euer take his parte Of Ioyes ſuche as be in maryage Whiche he from youth hath founde vnto his aege And yet hym fallen is more heuyneſſe For he ne dare cauſe for to ſynge a meſſe Ne make his laſt wyll and teſtament But yf his wyfe ther vnto wyll conſent For he to her ſo buxome is and bonde That body and ſoule he putteth in her hande Thus vſyth he his lyfe in languyſſhynge Alway / and eke a ſorowfull endynge He ſhall ſuſtayne and wretchedly his dayes This man ſhall ende withouten myrth or playes And all is the cauſe of his good wyfe That cauſeth hym ſo to be caytyfe ¶ Here endeth the twelfth Ioye of maryage.
¶ Here begynneth the .xiii. Ioye of maryage

The .xiii. Ioye of maryage is ſo That whan that he whiche wedded is alſo Within the lepe hathe ben and dwelled there With his good wyfe well ſyxe or ſeuen yere Or elles peraduenture more or leſſe The certaynte wherof I do but geſſe And demeth he is ſure by his aduyſe That he hath founde a woman good and wyſe With whome he reſted hath in grete pleaſaunce And he a gentylman may be perchaunce Whiche for to gete hym worſhyp and honoure Wolde put hym forthe / to do his beſt deuoure Then to his wyfe he wyll declare and ſay My loue I muſt ryde out on my Iourney To ſuche a londe nyghe to the realme of fraunce Where I may wynne grete fame and valyaunce And ſhe ther with ofte wolde hym clyppe and kys Wepynge and ſyghynge / and ſay O what is thys Alas my loue wyll ye departe ſo ſoone Leuynge me here with all this charge to doone And in no wyſe ye vnderſtande certayne If ones or neuer ye ſhall come home agayne Bothe nyght and daye ſhe dooth vpon her ſyde All that ſhe can to cauſe hym to abyde My loue ſayth he. I muſt of veray nede This Iourney take on me how ſo I ſpede Or elles ſhall I leſe / bothe the fees and wage All that I haue and eke myn herytage The whiche I holde / and with goddes grace I ſhall come home agayne in lytell ſpace And in aduenture he gooth ouer the ſe With ſuche a prynce or in a grete arme To gete hym honoure / or for chyualry So of his wyfe than taketh he congye Whiche maketh all the dole that one can make At ſuche departynge for her huſbandes ſake For yf he be ſuche one as loueth honour There is no wyfe loue ne peramour That frome the dede of armes may hym holde If he an hardy perſone be and bolde Turne we agayne to this noble man anone The whiche vpon his vyage forthe is gone And vnto god he recommaundeth all His wyfe and his chyldren in eſpecyall It happeth that he ouer the ſee gooth clere And where his ennemyes are he draweth nere His fortune may ſo by aduenture vary That yeres thre or foure he ſhall out tary How he is deed the wyfe than hath herde ſay Wherof ſhe maketh ſorowes nyght and day So grete that for to here it is meruayle But alway may ſhe not ſo wepe and wayle For blyſſed be god / ſhe dooth appece at laſt And ſo it happeth that ſhe is maryed faſt Unto an other man / and dooth forgete Her olde huſbande / and all the Ioyes grete And loue / that ſhe vnto hym bare in her mynde Here may ye ſe / that ſhe can torne and wynde For now the ſolace and the pleaſures olde And feruent loue with her be waxen colde Whiche to her huſbande ſhe was wonte to make And reaſon why / for ſhe a newe hath take The folkes then / ſuche as afore haue ſene The maner of the delynge them bytwene Sayth that this newe man ſhe loueth more Than that ſhe dyde her huſbande here to fore But ſo it is as fortune dooth conſtrayne Her other huſbande cometh home agayne Whiche olde and feble growen is to ſe For alway at his pleaſure was not he And whan he to his countree draweth nere Of newes haſtely he doeth enquere Bothe of his wyfe / and of his chyldren all Grete doute he hath / how it is with them all Suppoſynge they be deed or elles greued Some otherwyſe whiche he wolde were releued And prayeth god them for to ſaue and kepe Full pytouſly well nye in poynte to wepe And it may happen well in the ſame houre That this man prayed deuoutly foro ſocure He whiche the wyfe ſo wedded late agayne Enbraceth her faſt in his armes twayne Than hereth he how that they maryed were But how he pleaſed is ſuche newes to here I trowe the ſorowe of Abraham & the payne Was not ſo grete / whiche his ſone ſholde haue ſlayne Ne yet the ſorowe of Iacob and his ſone To his were lyke / ne none vnder the ſonne For Tantalus whiche cheyned lyeth in hell Can not of greter payne and ſorowe tell Than this poore man whiche dooth hym ſelfe ſo caſt In ſuche a ſorowe as ſhall endure and laſt Perpetuelly / whiche he ſhall not recure Ne yet forgete / but in the ſame endure And other whyle the chyldren haue grete ſhame To ſe theyr moder / brought in ſuche defame And neuer ſhall they mary one ne other Of many a yere / for myſrule of the mother It fortune may / ſomtyme that in batayle As it dooth oft / ſome man dooth not preuayle But at aſkarmyſſhe / ſlayne is cruelly Or in a felde myn auctour ſayth / for why Ofte happeth it / that he whiche hath the ryght Shall vaynquyſſhed be / or elles put vnto flyght I put caſe that this man gooth to his wyfe And in his yre wyll make debate and ſtryfe With her and with her huſbande wedded newe Now what a vengeaunce herof may enſewe He cometh home with ſwerdes ſnarpe and bryght And peraduenture late within the nyght Whiche fyndeth them togyder bothe in bedde Than ſwereth he by the blode that Iheſus bledde They ſhall be ſlayne withouten ony remedy And they aryſe bothe all haſtely A fore that he the doores can vp breke And ryght pyteouſly to hym dooth ſpeke Alas my loue ſhe ſayth / what do ye now I wende ye had ben deed I make auow By many a man it hath benſhewed and ſayd That ye were ſlayne and in your graue ylayde But for that I wolde knowe the certaynte I was vnmaryed more than yeres thre And ſuche a ſorowe made I nyght and day That all my wytte and reaſon fyll away Helples I was / longe tyme in wo and care And god it wote full euyll dyde I fare That ye were deed / eche man ſayd out of doute And I ne coude well brynge ye worlde aboute Wherfore my frendes aduyſed me to mary And ſo I dyde / for what cauſe ſholde I tary Ye neuer ſente me worde / how that ye dyde But ye alway your counceyle fro me hyde And as this wyly woman ſtode and talked The newly wedded huſbande / ſoftely ſtalked And toke a bowe in hande / and dyde it bende And boldly ſayd / he wolde his place defende Than ſayd the wyfe vnto her huſbandes bothe Good gentyll ſyrs / yfye wolde not be wrothe But well agre / I truſt you bothe to pleaſe My ſelfe / and you at euery tyme well eaſe The olde huſbāde thus knowȳge of theyr dede Departeth ſodaynly / for he muſt nede With ſhame ynough / and haſteth hym away And they within the houſe faſt laugh and play And after this ſo ſeke he is and ſadde That he within a whyle is waxen madde Wherfore I ſay / he that may fortune ſo As dyde this man whiche wolde for honour go The way in to the lepe of maryage Streyght hath he founde as byrde in to the cage How be it he afore was not ſo wyſe Of ſo grete Ieoperdyes to take aduyſe So ſhall he lede his lyfe and hym enable To be a ſole / and mete to bere the bable And at the laſt in paynes greuouſly He ſhall his dayes ende / and wretchedly ¶Here endeth the .xiii. Ioye of maryage.