¶Guystarde and Sygysmonde,
¶Here foloweth the amerous hystory of Guystarde and Sygysmonde / and of theyr dolorous deth by her father / newly trāslated out of laten in to engysshe by Wyllym̄ Walter seruaunt to syr Henry Marney knyght chaunceler of ye duchy of Lancastre.
¶R. Coplande to the translatour.
THynflammate desyre / of your good intent
Newes to compyle / eschewynge ydelnesse
Cometh of grace / & of wysdome excellent
To occupy tuche / as haue no besynesse
whiche vtu of doynge / moche harme doth oppresse
For surely ydelnesse / is portresse of all synne
Euery vyce / redy to lette in
¶The wretched lyfe / of osyosyte
Engendreth slouth / pouerte and payne
It is nouryce / of voluptuosyte
And setteth the mynde on all thynges vayne
It sleeth the body / and troubleth the brayne
Vnstedyeth the wyt / and wasteth good dede
And letteth vertu / and goodnesse to procede
¶Example playne / of ydle Sygysmonde
[...]edde deyntely / no maner werke to vse
whiche caused ydelnesse / for to habonde
And vnto pleasure / set onely for to muse
Daunce / songe / and play / she dyd not refuse
whiche thynges assembled / engendred delyte
Ot naturall lust / to do her appetyte
¶Here lacketh besynesse / and good pastyme
Grace of good doynge / was from her exyled
Caught as a byrde / tangled with lyme
Fyr it by one feder / and than with all begyled
Ryght so who with this vyce is fyled
Take with one synne / all other dothe ensue
Er go / good besynesse / is gate of vertue
¶Thus endeth the prologue.
¶How Sygysmonde after ye deth of her husbande was enamored of one Guystarde a man of her faders hous.
PRynce of Salerne somtyme was one Tācerde
A noble man gentyll lowly and sage
Greatly praysed for his manhode and ded
Yf he had not take vengeaunce in his age
Of two louers / done by his fell courage
For they loued eche other tenderly
By cruell meane he caused them to dy
¶This noble man had neuer other chylde
But a doughter of excellent beaute
Prudent in her youthe sage and nothynge wylde
Her father loued her ryght tenderly
So lothe he was to lese her company
That no man coude haue her in maryage
Tyll that she was aboue her lawfull age
¶Sygysmonde was the name of this lady
whiche was wedded with her faders counseyle
Vnto the dukes sone of Campany
But in shorte tyme after theyr espousayle
Dethe with his darte her husbande dyd assayle
After whose dethe she dyd not longe soiourne
But to her father she dyd home retourne
¶Of shape and persone she was well fourmed
Her face and coloure fayre and amyable
Nature in beauty her so fornysshed
That none to her was equiperable
Her maner and wysdome commendable
In all her dedes she was excellent
More than to woman is expedyent
¶In her faders house she longe soiournynge
In welthe and ease and greate prosperyte
Her faders mynde whan she had perceyuynge
How he in her had suche felycyte
That to mary her he wolde not agre
And how it sholde be shame for hym to requyre
To accomplysshe her pleasure and desyre
¶Wherfore she concluded in her mynde
Some gentyll man for her louer to chose
whiche wolde vnto her be secret and kynde
with whome she myght her pleasure somtyme vse
The chaunce of loue she coude no wyse refuse
Cupyde so sore her herte had set on fyre
That nede she must accomplysshe her desyre
¶Of nobles and other of meane degre
Her faders house was greatly fornysshed
As noble housholders are wont for to be
Sygysmonde theyr maners oft regarded
Amonge whome one out she had espyed
Vertuous / humble / stedfast / prew / and sage
How be it he was but of small lygnage
¶This noble yonge man Guystarde had ye name
Vpon whome ofte Sygysmonde her loke dyd cast
His noblesse her herte dyd sore enflame
And for she had full oft founde hym stedfast
Hym for to loue she was nothynge agast
His sadde behauour wounded her sore
That loue in her encreased more and more
¶This yonge man lykewyse of wyt excellent
Perceyuynge the noblesse of this lady
In her loue so feruently he brent
That nyght nor daye he coude rest quyetly
To loue his mynde so moche he dyd apply
That by desyre he was so sore opprest
His paynfull loue he coude in no wyse dygest
¶Eche of other was sore enamoured
Yet none of them knewe the others mynde
Sygysmonde nothynge so moche desyred
As Guystarde in a secrete place to fynde
To whome she myght bewray her loue so kynde
To none other she durst shewe her purpose
Leest they to her father wolde it dysclose
¶She coueytynge her mynde for to fulfyll
All her mynde she wrote in a lettere
And in an holowe rede she put the byll
And to hym she gaue it with smylynge chere
Byddynge hym to bere it to her chambere
And to delyuer it vnto her mayd
To kyndle the fyre / it was good she sayd
¶Guystarde than toke the foresayd rede
Sayenge he wolde soone do her commaundement
But in his thought he well ymagyned
It was not gyuen hym but for some entent
wherfore vnto his chambre he forth went
And brake the rede / wherin he dyd espy
The letter enclosed ryght secretly
¶Whan that he had ouer red the byll well
wherin her purpose he had perceyued
He was so mery that no tongue can tell
The ioye whiche his herte had supprysed
For it was the thynge he moost desyred
wherfore he agreed her mynde to fulfyll
Accordynge to the tenoure of the byll
¶R. Coplāde to these louers in the effect of theyr loue
SE here in loue / the merueylous effect
without foresyght / compassynge ye ende
Onely of lust / the doynge to coniect
As by this lady / whiche dyd condescende
Vnto this knyght / her mynde so to haue pende
Not regardynge / her state of wy dowheed
Honour and good fame / forgetynge as deed
¶O folysshe Guystarde / O vnwyse Sygysmonde /
O newe Pryamus / O yonge wanton Thysbe /
was no reason / nor fere in you founde
To pondre of Tancrede / the inwarde cruelte
O blynde loue / suche is thy properte
Youthe to enclose with thy lubryke fyre
Nothynge regarded / but to do theyr desyre
¶Alas Guystarde where is thy memory
Thou doost not pondre thy maysters gentylnesse
whiche from thy youthe hath fostred tenderly
His house & doughter thou wylt pollute rechelesse
Thou wylt dystayne / his honoure and noblenesse
His loue thou lesest / his good worde and his dede
Beware / suche seruyce / suche is the wage or mede
¶How after that Guystarde had receyued ye rede of Sygysmonde he founde the caue where thorowe he went to her chambre.
THere was a caue ioynynge vnto the place
whiche was out of mānes remembraūce past
For it was not vsed of longe space
On the toppe therof in lyght for to cast
There was an hole whiche wos so olde and wast
That thornes and breres dyd it ouer growe
So that the entre therof none myght knowe
¶And from the caue there was a secrete way
whiche of no creature was espyed
Vnto the chambre where as Sygysmonde lay
The way therof so longe was dysused
The dore of the sayd caue was fast barred
whiche passage was stopped so secretly
That harde it was the encrynge to espye
¶Sygysmonde by the secrete introduccyon
Of loue from whose eyes nothynge can be hyd
Of the sayd caue she founde the entrynge soone
And in to it alone she descended
Bothe length and depnesse she well regarded
And to Guystarde she made therof reporte
By wrytynge how he myght to her resorte
¶Guystarde of this beynge aduertysed
Ordred all thynge mete to his besynesse
A ledder cote for hym he deuysed
From thornes and breres to kepe hym harmelesse
And in the nyght thyder he dyd hym dresse
And by a rope in to the caue dyd slyde
And there for her all nyght he dyd abyde
¶In the mornynge whan the day gan to appere
Sygysmonde caused to auoyde by a trayne
The maydes whiche lay within her chambere
Sayenge that nyght she coude not slepe for payne
And quyetly than to rest she wolde fayne
And after them she locked fast the dore
Of her purpose she thought she wolde be sure
¶Into the caue she gothe incontynent
Fyndynge Guystarde / she oft dyd hym embrace
In to her chambre they bothe after went
And vnto bedde they yede for theyr solace
Theyr pleasaunt lyfe they contynue a space
Enforsynge them selfe to please eche other
Tyll it was tyme for them to dysseuer
¶Guystarde in to the caue went secretly
After whome she locked the dore full fast
And to her maydens she went hastely
But he durst not whyle the day dyd last
Go from the caue but whan mydnyght was past
He went out so that none hym espyed
And vnto his house fast he hym hyed
¶Often tymes this custome they vsed
Theyr lyfe amorous ledynge couertly
Of a longe tyme it was not perceyued
But fortune whiche is alway contrary
By his harde chaunce these louers dyd dyscry
So that with sorowe ended theyr pleasure
There is no ioye that alway may endure
¶Tancrede alone vsed customably
Vnto his doughters chambre to resort
And on her bedde to slepe somtyme wolde ly
Or els with her to fynde some game and sporte
In her talkynge he had full greate consort
And whan he had ben there a certayne space
He wolde departe vnto some other place
¶He came vnto her chambre on a day
whyle she was with her maydens in the gardyne
He seynge that she was besy in play
Besyde her bedde he dyd hym selfe declyne
Afore his face he dyd drawe the curtyne
A soft pylowe vnder his heed he cast
His wery body fell a slepe full fast
Sygysmonde before her chambre wyndowes shyt
For with Guystarde she had made apoyntment
The same day to haue a mery fyt
And whan she thought her tyme conuenyent
Out of the gardyne secretly she went
And vnto her chambre she resorted
And after her the dore she fast locked
¶She not knowynge her father there a slepe
The caue dore she opened with her kay
And caused Guystarde out of it to crepe
And on the bedde as they were wont alway
Of Venus they vsed the sporte and play
So that by noyse and wordes that they dyd make
Tancrede her father out of his slepe dyd wake
¶Tancrede from his slepe moued sodeynly
All theyr pastyme he well aduertysed
At the fyrst tyme he dyd thynke for to crye
But in hym selfe he well delybered
By sylence his mynde sholde be better sped
And that he myght with delyberacyon
Vpon them bothe take iust correccyon
¶Where from noyse he kept hym selfe full close
These louers whan they had done theyr pleasure
With glad semblaunt they bothe from ye bedde rose
The dede they thought ryght secrete and sure
In to the caue whiche was depe and obscure
Guystarde went in as he was wont to do
And Sygysmonde dyd to her maydens go
¶R. Coplande by exclamacyon to fortune.
VNstable fortune / tomblynge as the see
Thā yse more slypper frosen after rayne
Here is thy dede / here is thy properte
Neuer in one / but chaungeable sodayne
These two louers / by thy bryttle trayne
Thou hast assembled / and now wylt dysceuer
A worthy acte / this is thy guyse euer
¶Pryam and Thy she / thou goodly behyght
Dydo to Ene / thou caused to combyne
Arcyte to Emely / in sturdy fyght
And Heleyn to Parys / holly to enclyne
Ypomyneus to Athelant of noble lyne
Troylus to Cresede / by reason of Pandare
At last vnwares / thou dydest them separe
¶O fortune harde / of chaunces moost extreme
To brynge her father / O wycked slacke traytresse
was there none other person in all the reme
For to dyscouer / theyr secret besynesse
None? no / alas here is greate heuynesse
Of ony other / it myght haue ben denayde
But nay for sothe / thou fortune hast them trayde
¶How Guystarde was taken comynge out of the caue.
TAncrede for this chaunce beynge troubled
From the chambre secretly dyd yssue
And with watche men the caue he enclosed
within the nyght Guystarde for to pursue
As he came oute they toke this louer true
In his ledder cote as he was clothed
Before Tancrede they haue hym presented
¶Tancrede vnto hym spake thus cruelly
Guystarde my kyndnesse hath not deserued
That thou sholde do to me this vylany
whiche with myne eyen this day I espyed
I haue alwaye the greatly fauoured
Thou hast dyshonoured me by thyne offence
For kyndnesse shame thou doest me recompence
¶The true louer answered pyteously
Vnto Tancrede sayenge syr for certayne
The harde chaunce of loue no man can deny
It is greater than is the power humayne
From it I coude my selfe in no wyse refrayne
Your puyssaunce may not vnto loue compare
Loue is so greate that it wyll no man spare
¶This prynce for this beynge full of sorowe
Commaunded hym to be kept in prysone
And after dyner on the nexte morowe
Vnto his doughters chambre he went ryght soone
All were auoyded saue they two alone
with heuy chere thus vnto her he sayd
whiche knewe nothynge her councell was bewrayd
¶Sygysmonde I haue ben longe dysceyued
By your honest vertu and sadde prudence
whiche vnto me so stedfast appered
That in you I had so greate confydence
Thynkynge ye wolde neuer do suche offence
No man coude haue made me it to byleue
Yf with myne eyes the dede I dyd not preue
¶Thy heynous trespace doth my herte sore greue
whiche contynually is in my thought
That the small tyme whiche I haue to leue
In sorowe to ende thou hast it now brought
At leest yf thou had mynded to be nought
Thou sholde haue taken one to thy degre
Conuenyent the lesse the faute had be
¶But of the multytude that vse my hall
Thou hast chosen Guystarde thy loue to be
whiche is moost symple and poorest of them all
Not gentyll borne but come of lowe degre
whome we haue nourysshed for charyte
wherfore I am so wrapped in sorowe
That what to do as yet I do not knowe
¶Of Guystarde whiche is in captyuyte
what I wyll do I am delybered
But what punysshement I shall take on the
As yet my mynde is not determyned
Loue wolde the offence to be pardoned
The trespace requyreth vengeaunce certayne
Iustyce wolde punysshe / nature wolde refrayne
¶Therfore my mynde as yet is varyable
Not knowynge what to done what counceyll
Sholde to this mater be moost profytable
But I thought fyrst to knowe thy mynde and wyll
And vpon that my pleasure to fulfyll
These wordes sayd / he cast asyde his eye
And lyke a chylde he wept haboundauntly
¶Sygysmonde herynge her father thus speke
And how Guystarde was put in pryson depe
For sorowe her herte in two dyd nyghe breke
Vnneth from sownynge she coude her selfe kepe
But lamentably she full fast dyd wepe
Knowynge theyr loue to be dyscouered
whiche of longe tyme had be full closely hyd
¶She vaynquysshynge her fentynyne courage
with constant mynde she dyd cease to lament
For angre she knyt the browes and vysage
And for to dye in herte she dyd assent
Yf Guystarde dyed by her faders Iudgement
wherfore of dethe she beynge not dysmayd
Vnto her father these wordes she sayd
¶Father your mercy I wyll not requyre
Syth your mynde [...]s my louer for to kyll
I shall nothynge optayne of my desyre
And as for me it shall be at your wyll
whyder that ye wyll my lyfe do saue or spyll
The one I knowe well I shall neuer get
The other to haue I do not couet
¶Wherfore your mercy I do now despyse
And with good reason for to purge my fame
Of this my dede lette it you now suffyse
That ye your selfe of it are moost to blame
For I had neuer come vnto this shame
Yf it had not ben by your neclygence
Syth I dyd yll / it is but your offence
¶To loue Guystarde I knowlege and confesse
And euer shall whyle that my lyfe doth last
whiche is but short the trewthe for to expresse
My herte and wyll shall euer be stedfast
Yf loue may be whan that the lyfe is past
Hym for to loue / my herte shall neuer sease
But and it may / it shall rather encrease
¶Father ye sholde haue well consydred
That I am not made of yron nor stone
But of your flesshe and nature engendred
And though that by age your courage is gone
Of youthe ye sholde haue consyderacyon
How they be brent with ryght feruent desyre
Of floue whiche doth theyr hertes sore set on fyre
¶Forthermore ye myght ryght well consyder
That ydelnesse and delycate fedynge
In yonge people to lust is a breder
And how I am in yonge age florysshynge
And of my husbande hauynge knowledgynge
Of loue what the delycyousnes ment
Wherfore with desyre I sholde soone be brent
¶I beynge in voluptuosyte
Bothe nyght and day my mynde I dyd apply
My flamynge hete how quenched it myght be
without mannes helpe I knowe no remedy
wherfore my courage for to satysfy
In secrete wyse I thought to vse the game
So that no man therof me sholde dysfame
¶Loue and fortune my purpose for derynge
A secret caue they made me for to fynde
wherof no man had ony knowledgynge
whiche caue auaunced my desyre and mynde
Thynkynge I myght secretly vse my kynde
But to your knowlege I greatly meruell
The entrynge therof how that ye coude tell
¶Guystarde I haue not loued faynedly
As moost women be wont of theyr vsage
But of longe tyme I dyd dylygently
Begarde his good maners and wysdome sage
His constaunt vertu / and manly courage
Or I wolde vnto hym ony loue cast
whiche is so sure that it shall euer last
¶But for he is borne but of lowe degre
Ye say to me the dede to be to me more shame
By your sayenge as semeth vnto me
Fortune and not Guystarde ye do now blame
Vnworthy men whiche bryngeth to greate fame
And they that be worthy of greate renome
She kepeth lowe vnder her fell thraldome
¶Of one man we toke our orygynall
Vertu maketh man to be excellent
whose dede is good hym noble men may call
Though your sayenge therto do not assent
But ygnorant men thynke by theyr Iudgement
He is noble that is of greate estate
Though theyr maners be worthy for to hate
¶The dedes of your nobles remembre
And the maners of Guystarde therwithall
Certes yf ye wyll iustely consydre
Of noblenesse he shall be specyall
Noble vnnoble eyther ye may call
Theyr byrthe and maners are full contrary
From noblenesse they greately do vary
¶I take recorde therof of your reporte
Whome ye haue praysed so excellently
Of your affyrmynge I toke greate confort
His vertu ye so moche dyd magnyfy
And without I am dysceyued truely
There is no prayse to hym attrybuted
But that he hath it full well deserued
¶Yf he be poore yet he is excellent
His noble vertu doth enhaunce his name
His youthe in your seruyce hath longe spent
Yf he be poore therof ye be to blame
with rychesse ye myght haue raysed his name
Promocyon he hath deserued full well
Pouerte dooth not gentylnesse expell
¶And where ye be in ambyguyte
How ye may do to punysshe myne offence
Of the sayd doute I wyll make your herte fre
To punysshe Guystarde yf ye do pretence
Vpon me execute the same sentence
I was the cause that he dyd the trespace
Yf that he dye I coueyte not your grace
¶Dethe I fere not nor lyfe I wolde optayne
But of Guystarde yf ye take not mercy
Though ye wolde me spare I shall not refrayne
But of my selfe take vengeaunce cruelly
And yf we haue deserued for do dye
Vpon vs bothe accomplysshe your pleasure
For after hym my lyfe shall not longe dure
¶Robert Coplande to the constauncy in loue of Sygysmonde.
O Constant lady / O lyght of louers shene
O turtle true / thy louer so absent
what myght thou more / thā wt courage clene
Offre thy selfe / to dethe moost vyolent
For thy Guystarde / whiche hath his Iudgement
Alas my pen / for ruthe sorowe doth quake
Onely for ruthe / that I haue for thy sake
¶Alas swete woman / thou loued not for mede
Nor yet in comune / but stedfastly to one
whiche secrete was in worde / thought and dede
And neuer loued but onely the alone
Alas what sorowe / now that he is gone
Doth the compasse / standynge all in drede
Herynge hym iudged / to deth by fyers Tancrede
¶Wyll none excuse / thy faders herte relent
And thou his chylde / O nature moost vntrewe
Alas me thynke I se the here present
Berayned with teres / and asshy deedly hewe
Thou do [...]st not praye this fauoure to eschewe
But hardyed in loue / makynge thy Iudgement
wenynge therby / his herte for to relent
¶Finis.
¶How Guystarde was taken out of pryson and his herte cut oute of his body / & sente in a cuppe of golde to Sygysmonde.
THis prynce pceyuȳge his doughters courage
Thought not yt she wolde her sayenge fulfyll
But from her chambre he toke his passage
To sle his doughter it was not his wyll
But Guystarde he determyned to kyll
After whose dethe he thought she wolde refayne
Forgettynge the loue that was with them twayne
¶He commaunded them that dyd kepe the Iayle
To strangle Guystarde by his fell iudgement
Secretly in the nyght they sholde not fayle
And from his body his herte they sholde rent
And there withall they sholde do hym present
whose commaundement they durst not dysobey
But executed it without delay
¶Tancrede in a cuppe of golde put the herte
And by a secret seruaunt he it sent
Vnto his doughter with this message smert
Sayenge your father sendeth you this present
That you sholde take conforte is his entent
Of that whiche ye loued best in your mynde
whome ye haue founde so stedfast true and kynde
¶But Sygysmonde after her father was gone
Oute of her chambre her mynde to fulfyll
To the gardyne she went secret alone
And gadred veynymous herbes to styll
where with she myght her selfe sodeynly kyll
Yf Guystarde were slayne as she dyd suppose
Than by that venym her selfe she wolde lose
¶But after this message was to her tolde
She toke the cuppe with a sadde countenaunce
The herte therin sadly she dyd beholde
She pondred within her remembraunce
That it was his herte she had no dowtaunce
wherfore she sayd vnto the messangere
These wordes folowynge with heuy chere
¶Certayne my father hath well consydred
This noble herte is not worthy to haue
Other sepulture to be entyred
For in a cuppe of golde sholde be his graue
So greate a gyft he neuer to me gaue
with greate thankes haue me recommended
For his kyndnesse can not be deserued
¶R. Coplande by exclamacyon to Tancrede in executynge tyranny.
OVte on the tyraunt / O cruell Trancrede
what hast thou done / fury to commyt
Beholde Guystarde wtouten herte here blede
wo worth thy dome / and hasty shyttle wyt
Outrage alas how is thy reason quyt
Onely but dethe / fye out alas for wo
No pryson / banysshment / nor punysshynge but so
¶Thou hast not regarded the wordes of thy chylde
Nor her answers / with promysse desperate
But in angre thou hast / thy selfe begylde
Now to repent / thou shalt it fynde to late
Ase what cometh of domes abreuyate
But repentaunce / O fole insapyent
Of folysshe Iudge / an hasty iudgement
¶With dethe of one / thou thought to haue the other
Thou lesest bothe / and all with hastynesse
True loue of deth is the very mother
Recorde of Dido / as Vyrgyll doth expresse
Dyanyra / Isyphyll / and Lucresse
with many other whiche at this tyme Ispare
And now by the is come these louers share
¶Finis.
¶How Sygysmonde dyed after the herte of Guystarde was sent to her.
THe sayd messengere with this dyd departe
Sygysmonde holdynge the cuppe tenderly
with her lyppes often kyssed the herte
Replenysshed with teres aboundauntly
with face pale for wo and melancoly
Beholdynge it with deedly countenaunce
In this wyse she wayled the wofull chaunce
¶O noble herte the pleasaunt hospytall
Of my desyre whiche by greate cruelte
Hast fynysshed for me thy lyfe mortall
To knowe thy dethe it had suffysed me
Though with myne eyes I dyd it not se
But me thynke it is to me agreable
Thou hast thy graue to the conuenable
¶At thy last departynge there lacked nought
But the teres of thy louer so fre
Yet god hath put within my fathers thought
Thy herte he hath sent hyder vnto me
To fornysshe them at this thyne obseque
He knewe it loued me specyally
But with dry eyes I dyd thynke for to dy
¶I can desyre no better company
Than thy noble herte at my departynge
For to the it is ryght necessary
To haue knowlege of my lyfe the endynge
By soule with thyne to be is desyrynge
Ensemble that they may go theyr passage
where pleaseth god to theyr last pylgrymage
¶These wordes sayd she dyd declyne her eye
Vpon the cuppe wherin the herte was layde
Lyke a ryuer she wept haboundauntly
But noyse or cry she dyd not out brayde
As women be wont but with mynde dysmayde
Full oft she kyssed there the deed herte
Complaynynge on fortune false and peruert
¶Her gentyl women beynge there present
what the herte sygnyfyed they dyd meruayle
And wherfore she dyd so greatly lament
And for pyte they dyd wepe and wayle
Prayenge her to make to them rehersayle
The cause wherfore she made so moche sorowe
But in no wyse of her they myght it knowe
And whan she had wept suffycyently
She dryed her eyen and ceased her wepynge
And to the herte she sayd thus pyteously
O noble herte best beloued of all thynge
The offyce of loue I make now endynge
For tyme it is that I sholde folowe the
By cruell deth thy felowe for to be
¶This sayd she dranke the poyson without fere
And on her bedde downe her selfe she layde
The deed herte to hers she helde harde and nere
Abydynge her deth without noyse or brayd
The maydens of this beynge sore afrayd
Suspectynge the drynke and lamentacyon
To Tancrede therof they made relacyon
¶Her father of this was greatly meued
For he fered his doughters fell courage
That her selfe with some thynge had greued
To her chambre he toke fast his passage
But the poyson no medycyne coude asswage
wherfore he syghed and wept asperly
Complaynynge his doughters harde desteny
¶She prayed hym to cease so for to raue
And that he of his extreme charyte
wolde burye her and Guystarde in one graue
And for she lyuynge suffred myght not be
Secrete to vse famylyaryte
That after her dethe she vncouertlye
Myght be layd by hym where so he dyd lye
¶Tancrede for wo and sorowe coude not speke
Sygysmonde felynge deth to approche fast
And that her eye strynges began to breke
She badde them all farewell with mynde stedfast
with that her soule out of her body past
The herte full harde she helde vntyll her brest
Vntyll that deth her lyfe had ouer prest
¶Thus the loue of these louers fynysshed
Tancrede after his wofull heuynesse
In one sepulture them bothe entered
within the cyte of Salerne doutlesse
Full lyke a prynce with greate pompe and rychesse
To these two louers Iesu of his grace
Graunt mercy & in heuen to haue a place. Amen.
¶The lenuoy of R. Coplande.
GO tragedy vnto thy translatoure
Bewayle to hȳ thy chaunce vnfortunate
Yf ought be amys / thyne impressoure
In addycyon / or sence myslytterate
Pray hym of helpe / thy fautes to castygate
And where nede is / to adde or elles detray
Pardon of mysmakynge / gladly thou hym pray
¶And hym requyre / accordynge to promys
His boke to acheue / he knoweth myne intent
whiche is of substaunce worthe many of this
And more worthy / of mater excellent
How be it with this I do ryght well assent
[Page] That he with Pamphletes many doth occupy
whiche morall bokes / redeth not wyllyngly
¶And yf thou happe to reimpressyon
Desyre them / the whiche shall be the cause
Though thou be yll / that no transgressyon
By them nor theyrs / be made in ony clause
Correccyon / I agre / but there a pause
Folowe your copy / and lette thamendynge alone
He may yll mende two tonges that can but one
¶None be the maysters / that with me wyll dele
Than beware / my lytell boke I pray
From boyes / and lerners / lest they thy trowthe stele
And holly thy fautes / vnto me lay
Shewe forthe thy mater / what euer that they say
Of loue / foly / fortune / hastynesse / and shame
Vnto thyne auctour / and not to me the blame
¶And vnto them / whiche chayned be in loue
Shewe example / of wylfull appetyte
Ordre eche where / theyr courages to moue
well cometh entent / taken of wyse respyte
Gyue councell / to leue sensuall delyte
Take the as myrrour / suche daunger to ensewe
By harme of other / they may the same eschewe.
FINIS