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_Percy Society._
EARLY ENGLISH POETRY,
BALLADS,
AND POPULAR LITERATURE
OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
EDITED FROM ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS
AND SCARCE PUBLICATIONS.
VOL. XVIII.
LONDON.
PRINTED FOR THE PERCY SOCIETY,
BY T. RICHARDS, ST. MARTIN’S LANE.
M.DCCC.XLVI.
CONTENTS OF VOL. XVIII.
THE PASTIME OF PLEASURE.
BY STEPHEN HAWES.
THE
PASTIME OF PLEASURE:
_An Allegorical Poem,_
BY
STEPHEN HAWES.
REPRINTED FROM THE EDITION OF 1555.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR THE PERCY SOCIETY,
BY T. RICHARDS, 100, ST. MARTIN’S LANE.
M.DCCC.XLV.
_Council_, 1845-6.
_President_,
The Rt. Hon. LORD BRAYBROOKE, F.S.A.
THOMAS AMYOT, Esq. F.R.S. Treas. S.A.
WILLIAM HENRY BLACK, Esq.
WILLIAM CHAPPELL, Esq. F.S.A.
J. PAYNE COLLIER, Esq. F.S.A.
BOLTON CORNEY, Esq.
T. CROFTON CROKER, Esq. F.R.S., M.R.I.A.
JAMES HENRY DIXON, Esq.
FREDERICK W. FAIRHOLT, Esq. F.R.S., F.S.A.
J. O. HALLIWELL, Esq. F.R.S., F.S.A.
WILLIAM JERDAN, Esq. F.S.A., M.R.S.L.
CAPTAIN JOHNS, R.M.
T. J. PETTIGREW, Esq. F.R.S., F.S.A.
WILLIAM SANDYS, Esq. F.S.A.
W. J. THOMS, Esq. F.S.A.
THOMAS WRIGHT, Esq. M.A., F.S.A., _Secretary and Treasurer_.
PREFACE.
Stephen Hawes, the author of the following poem, was, according to the
information gathered by Warton, a native of Suffolk, and studied in the
University of Oxford, after which he travelled much in France, and
“became a complete master of the French and Italian poetry.” He
subsequently obtained the favour of King Henry VII, who made him groom
of his privy chamber. To Warton’s information, we are at present able
only to add, that it appears from a book of the expenses of the 12th
Henry VIII, among the records in the Rolls House, that the following
payment was made to our author on the 6th of January in that year: the
play referred to is now perhaps lost.
“Item, to Mr. Hawse, for his play, vj^li. xiij^s. iiij^d.”
Hawes was the author of several other works besides the one here
printed, for an account of which we refer the reader to “Warton’s
History of English Poetry.” They are in general of very little
importance. “The Pastime of Pleasure,” which Warton characterises as his
“capital work,” is one of those allegorical writings which were popular
with our forefathers, but which can now only be looked upon as monuments
of the bad taste of a bad age. It is however a monument; and being one
of the most remarkable productions between the age of Lydgate and that
of Wyatt and Surrey, it deserves to be reprinted as one of the links in
the history of English poetry, without which that history would be
incomplete. The old editions of this poem are very rare.
The present edition is a reprint of that of 1555, of which there is a
copy in the British Museum. In two passages the language is so gross in
the original, that it has been considered necessary to omit a few lines.
These relate chiefly to the _dénouement_ of a tale which was extremely
popular in the Middle Ages, and which will be found told with somewhat
more decency in the common chap-book story of the enchanter Virgil. It
has been thought sufficient to print the simple text of this poem,
without illustrative notes. From the nature of the work, the choice lay
between giving a large mass of explanatory matter, or none at all, and
the circumstances under which it has been published placed the former
alternative entirely out of the question.
T. W.
The History of
GRAUND AMOURE and LA BEL PUCELL,
CALLED
THE PASTIME OF PLEASURE,
Conteynyng the Knowledge of the Seven Sciences, and the
Course of Mans Life in this Worlde.
Invented by STEPHEN HAWES,
Grome of Kyng Henry the Seventh his chamber.
Anno Domini
1555.
CONTENTS.
CAP. PAGE
1. Howe Graunde Amoure walked in a medowe, and met with Fame
envyroned with tongues of fyre 4
2. Of the swete report of Fame of the fayre lady La Bell Pucell,
in the tower of Musike 11
3. Howe Fame departed from Graunde Amoure, and left him
Governaunce and Grace, and how he went to the tower of
Doctrine 14
4. Howe he was let in by Countenaunce, the portresse, and of the
marveylous buildyng of the same tower 16
5. How Science sent him first to Gramer, where he was receyved
by dame Congruitie 21
6. Howe he was receyved of Logyke 25
7. Howe he was receyved of Rethoryke, and what rethoryke is 27
8. Of the first part, called Invencion, and a commendacion of
poetes 29
9. A replication against ignoraunt persones 32
10. Of Disposition, the ii. parte of rethoryke 34
11. Of Elocution, the thirde part of rethoryke, with colouryng
of sentences 37
12. Of Pronunciation, the iiii. part of rethoryke 47
13. Of Memory, the v. part of rethorike 50
14. A commendation of Gower, Chaucer, and Lydgate 52
15. Of Arsmetrike 56
16. Of Musike: mundain, humayn, and instrumental 58
17. Howe Graunde Amoure was enamoured of La Bell Pucell in the
tower of Musike, and met with Counsayle in a temple 64
18. Of the dolorous and lowly disputacion betwene La Bell Pucell
and Graunde Amoure 77
19. Howe La Bell Pucell graunted Graunde Amoure love, and of her
dispiteous departage 87
20. Of the great sorowe that Graunde Amour made after her
departyng, and of the wordes of Counsayl 93
21. Howe Graunde Amoure went to Geometry, and what geometry is 99
22. Of dame Astronomie 103
23. Of the direct operation of nature 106
24. Of the fyve internall wyttes 108
25. Of the hye influences of the supernall bodies 112
26. Howe Graunde Amoure departed from the tower of Science, and
went to the tower of Chivalry, where he was let in by
Fortytude 114
27. Of the marveylous argument betwene Mars and Fortune 117
28. Howe Minerve ledde Graunde Amoure to kyng Melyzyus, whiche
made hym knyght 127
29. Howe he departed from kynge Melyzyus, with his grayhoundes
and Attendaunce his varlet, and met with False Reporte,
that chaunged his name to Godfrey Gobilyve 134
30. Howe Graund Amoure in the temple of Venus made his
supplication 144
31. The copy of a letter that Venus sent to La Bell Pucell 150
32. Howe Godfrey Gobilive was taken of Correction and punyshed 156
33. Howe Graunde Amoure disconfited the gyant with thre heads,
and was received bi iii. ladies 161
34. Howe he met with Perceveraunce, and reposed hym in the
manour place of dame Comfort 170
35. Howe he vainquyshed a gyaunt with seven heades, and was
received of vi. ladyes 178
36. How he made oblacyon to the godes Pallas and sayled over the
tempestuous flode 185
37. How he dyscomfited the wonderfull monstre of the vii.
mettalles made by enchauntment 191
38. How he was received of La Bell Pucell 195
39. The mariage of Graund Amour and La Bell Pucell 200
40. How whan Graunde Amoure had lived longe wyth La Bell Pucell,
he was arrested by Aege, that brought unto him Polycy
and Avaryce 202
41. Howe he was arested by Death 203
42. Howe Remembraunce made his epytaphy on his grave 205
43. Howe Fame came into the temple wyth burnyng tongues and
other prayse 208
44. Howe Tyme came into the temple in marvaylous semilitude, and
of his replycation 212
45. Howe Eternyte came into the temple, and of her vertuous
Exhortacyon 218
46. The excusation of the auctour 220
¶ This boke, called the Pastime of Pleasure, was made and compyled by
Stephen Hawes, one of the gromes of the most honorable chambre of our
soverayne lorde Kynge Henry the Seventh, the xxi. yere of his most noble
reyne; chapitred and marked after the table here before sette.
THE
PASTIME OF PLEASURE.
Ryght myghty prynce and redoubted soverayne,
Saylinge forth well in the shyppe of grace,
Over the waves of this lyfe uncertayne
Ryght towarde heven to have dwellyng place,
Grace dothe you guyde in every doubtfull cace.
Your governaunce dothe evermore eschewe
The synne of slouthe, enemy to vertewe.
Grace stereth well, the grace of God is grete,
Whyche you hath brought to your ryall se,
And in your ryght it hath you surely sette
Above us all to have the soverayntie;
Whose worthy power and regall dygnite,
All our rancour and our debate gan ceace,
Hath to us brought bothe welthe, reste and peace.
Frome whome descendeth by the ryghtfull lyne
Noble prynce Henry, to succede the crowne;
That in his youth doth so clerely shyne,
In every vertue castinge the vyce adowne.
He shall of fame attaine the hye renowne;
No doubte but grace shal him well enclose,
Whiche by true right sprange of the reed rose.
Your noble grace and excellent highnes
For to accepte I beseche right humbly
Thys lytle boke, opprest wyth rudenes,
Without rethorycke or coloure crafty;
Nothinge I am experte in poetry,
As the monke of Bury, floure of eloquence,
Whiche was in the time of great excellence
Of your predecessour, the v. kyng Henry,
Unto whose grace he did present
Ryght famous bokes of parfit memory,
Of hys faynyng with termes eloquent;
Whose fatall fictions are yet permanent,
Grounded on reason, with cloudy fygures
He cloked the trouth of all his scryptures.
The lyght of trouth I lacke cunnying to cloke,
To drawe a curtayne I dare not to presume,
Nor hyde my matter with a misty smoke,
My rudenes cunnying doth so sore consume:
Yet as I may I shall blowe out a fume
To hyde my mynde underneth a fable,
By covert coloure well and probable.
Besechying your grace to pardon myne ignoraunce,
Whiche this fayned fable, to eschue idlenes,
Have so compyled nowe without doubtance,
For to present to your hye worthynes,
To folowe the trace and all the perfitenes
Of my maister Lydgate with due exercise,
Suche fayned tales I do fynde and devyse.
For under a coloure a truthe may aryse,
As was the guyse in olde antiquitie,
Of the poetes olde, a tale to surmyse,
To cloke the truthe of their infirmitie,
Or yet on joye to have mortalitie.
I me excuse if by neglygence
That I do offende for lacke of science.
CAP. I.
HOWE GRAUNDE AMOURE WALKED IN A MEDOWE, AND MET WYTH FAME ENVYRONED
WITH TONGUES OF FYRE.
When Phebus entred was in Geminy,
Shynyng above in his fayre golden spere,
And horned Dyane then but one degre
In the Crabbe had entred fayre and cleare;
When that Aurora did well appeare
In the depured ayre and cruddy firmament,
Forth then I walked without impediment
Into a medowe both gaye and glorious,
Whiche Flora depainted with many a colour,
Lyke a place of pleasure moste solacious,
Encensyng out the aromatike odoure
Of Zepherus breath, whiche that every floure
Through his fume doth alwaye engender.
So as I went among the flowres tender,
By sodayne chaunce a fayre path I founde,
On whiche I loked and ryght oft I mused,
And then all about I behelde the grounde
With the fayre path whiche I sawe so used.
My chaunce or fortune I nothyng refused;
But in the path forth I went apace,
To knowe whether and unto what place
It woulde me bryng by any similitude.
So forth I went, were it ryght or wrong,
Tyll that I sawe of royall pulchritude
Before my face an ymage fayre and strong,
With two fayre handes stretched out along
Unto two hye wayes there in particion,
And in the ryght hande was this description:
This is the strayght waye of contemplacion.
Unto the joyfull tower perdurable:
Who that will unto that mancion,
He must forsake all thinges variable,
With the vayne glory so muche deceivable,
And though the way be hard and daungerous,
The last ende therof shal be ryght precious.
And in the other hande ryght fayre wrytten was,
This is the way of worldly dignitie;
Of the active life who wyll in it passe
Unto the tower of fayre dame Beautye,
Fame shall tell hym of the way of certaintie
Unto La Bell Pucell, the fayre lady excellent,
Above all other in cleare beauty splendent.
I behelde ryght well bothe the wayes twayne,
And mused oft whiche was best to take;
The one was sharpe, the other was more playne;
And unto my selfe I began to make
A sodayne argument, for I myght not slake
Of my great musyng of this royall ymage,
And of these two wayes so muche in usage;
For this goodly picture was in altitude
Nyne fote and more, of fayre marble stone,
Ryght well favoured and of great altitude,
Though it were made full many yeres agone.
Thus stode I musynge my selfe all alone
By right long tyme; at the last I went
The active waye with all my whole entent.
Thus all alone I began to travayle
Forthe on my waye by long continuaunce;
But often tymes I had great marvayle
Of the by pathes so full of pleasaunce,
Whiche for to take I had great doubtaunce;
But evermore, as nere as I myght
I toke the waye whiche went before me ryght.
And at the last, when Phebus in the west
Gan to avayle with all his beames mery,
When cleare Dyana in the fayre south est
Gan for to ryse, lightyng our emispery
With clowdes cleare without the stormy pery,
Me thought afarre I had a vysyon
Of a picture of marveylous facion:
To whiche I went without lenger delaye,
Beholdyng well the ryght faire portrayture
Made of fyne copper, shydyng faire and gaye,
Full well truely accordyng to measure,
And, as I thought, nyne fote of stature,
Yet in the brest with letters fayre and blewe
Was wrytten a sentence olde and true:
This is the waye and the sytuacion
Unto the toure of famous doctrine:
Who that wil learne must be ruled by reason
And with all his diligence he must enclyne
Slouthe to eschue and for to determine,
And set his hert to be intelligible;
To a willyng harte is nought impossible.
Besyde the ymage I adowne me sette,
After my laboure my selfe to repose,
Tyll at the last with a gaspyng nette
Slouth my head caught with his whole purpose.
It vayled not the bodye for to dispose
Against the head, when it is applyed,
The head must rule, it cannot be denied.
Thus as I satte in a deadly slomber,
Of a great horne I harde a royal blast,
With which I awoke, and had a great wonder
From whence it came: it made me sore agast.
I loked about; the nyght was wel nere past,
And fayre golden Phebus in the morow graye
With cloudes redde began to breake the daye.
I sawe come ryding in a valey farre
A goodly ladye, envyroned about
With tongues of fyre as bright as any starre,
That fyry flambes ensensed alway out,
Whiche I behelde and was in great doubte;
Her palfrey swyft renning as the winde,
With two white grayhoundes that were not behynde.
When that these grayhoundes had me so espied,
With faunyng chere of great humilitie
In goodly haste they fast unto me hyed;
I mused why and wherfore it should be,
But I welcomed them in every degre.
They leaped oft and were of me ryght fayne;
I suffred them, and cheryshed them agayne.
Their collers were of golde and of tyssue fine,
Wherin their names appeared by scripture
Of dyamondes that clerely do shyne:
The letters were graven fayre and pure.
To reade their names I did my busy cure;
The one was Governaunce, the other named Grace;
Then was I glad of all this sodayne cace.
And then the lady, with fiery flambe
Of brennying tongues, was in my presence
Upon her palfrey, whiche had unto name
Pegase the swyfte, so fayre in excellence,
Whiche sometime longed with his preminence
To kyng Percius the sonne of Jubiter,
On whome he rode by the worlde so farre.
To me she sayde, she marvelled muche why
That her grayhoundes shewed me that favoure.
What was my name she asked me truly?
To whome I sayde it was La Graunde Amoure,
Besechyng you to be to me succoure
To the tower of Doctrine, and also me tell
Your proper name and where you do dwell?
My name, quod she, in all the worlde is knowen,
I-clipped Fame in every region,
For I my horne in sundry wyse have blowen
After the death of many a champion,
And with my tongues have made aye mencion
Of their great actes agayne to revive,
In flaming tongues for to abyde on lyve.
It was the custome of an olde antiquitie,
When the golden worlde had dominacion,
And nature, hyghe in her aucthoritie,
More stronger had her operacion
Then she had nowe in her digression,
The people then dyd all their busye payne
After their death in fame to lyve agayne.
Recorde of Saturne, the first kyng of Crete,
Whiche in his youth through his diligence
Founde first plowyng of the landes swete;
And after this, by his great sapience,
For the comen profite and benevolence
Of all metalles he made division
One from another by good provision.
And then also, as some poetes fayne,
He found shotyng and drawyng of the bowe,
Yet as of that I am nothyng certayne;
But for his cunnynge, of hye degre and lowe
He was well beloved, as I do well knowe;
Through whose laboure and aye busy cure
His fame shall lyve and shall ryght long endure.
In whose tyme reigned also in Thessayle,
(A parte of Grece) the kyng Melizyus,
That was ryght strong and fierce in battaile;
By whose laboure, as the story sheweth us,
He brake first horses wilde and rigorious,
Teaching his men on them ryght well to ryde,
And he hym selfe did fyrst the horse bestryde.
Also Mynerve, the ryght hardy goddese
In the same time of so hyghe renowne,
Vainquished Pallas by her great worthynes,
And first made harneys, to laye his pryde adowne:
Whose great defence in every realme and towne
Was spredde about for her hye chyvalrye,
Whiche by her harneys wanne the victorye.
Doth not remayne yet in remembraunce
The famous actes of the noble Hercules,
That so many monsters put to utteraunce
By his great wisdome and hye prowes?
As the recule of Troye beareth good witnes;
That in his time he would no battayle take
But for the wealth of the commens sake.
Thus the whole myndes were ever fixt and set
Of noble men in olde tyme to devyse
Suche thynges as were to the comeyn proffet;
For in that tyme suche was their goodly guyse,
That after dethe theyr fame should aryse,
For to endure and abyde in mynde,
As yet in bokes we may them wrytten fynde.
O ye estates surmountynge in noblenesse,
Remember well the noble paynyms all,
How by theyr labour they wanne the hyenesse
Of worthy fame to raygne memoryall,
And them applyed ever, in specyall,
Thynges to practyse whiche should profyte be
To the comyn welthe and their heyres in fee.
CAP. II.
OF THE SWETE REPORTE OF FAME OF THE FAYRE LADY LA BELL PUCELL IN THE
TOURE OF MUSYCKE.
And after thys, Fame gan to expresse
Of jeoperdous way to the toure peryllous,
And of the beaute and the semelynesse
Of La Bel Pucell; so gaye and gloryous,
That dwelled in the toure so marveylous;
Unto whyche might come no maner of creature,
But by great laboure and harde adventure.
For by the way theyr lye in wayte
Gyauntes great, dysfigured of nature,
That all devoureth by theyr yll conceyte;
Agaynst whose streingth there may no man endure,
They are so huge and stroonge out of measure;
Wyth many serpentes foule and odyous,
In sundry lykenesse blacke and tedyous.
But behynde them a great see there is,
Beyonde whyche see there is a goodly lande
Most full of fruyte replete wyth joye and blysse.
Of ryght fyne golde appereth all the sande
In this fayre realme, where the tower doth stand,
Made all of golde, enameled aboute
Wyth noble storyes whyche do appere wythout.
In whyche dwelleth by great aucthorytie
Of La Bell Pucell, whyche is so fayre and bryght,
To whome in beaute no pere I can se;
For lyke as Phebus above all sterres in lyght,
Whan that he is in his spere aryght,
Dothe excede wyth his beames cleare,
So dothe her beaute above other appeare.
She is bothe good, ay wyse and vertuous,
And also dyscended of a noble lyne;
Ryche, comly, ryght meke, and bounteous;
All maner vertues in her clerely shyne:
No vyce of her may ryght longe domine.
And I, dame Fame, in every nacyon
Of her do make the same relacyon.
Her swete reporte so my hert set on fyre
Wyth brennyng love moost hot and fervent,
That her to se I had greate desyre;
Sayenge to Fame; O lady excellent,
I have determyned in my judgement,
For La Bell Pucell the most fayre lady
To passe the waye of so greate jeopardy.
You shall, quod Fame, obtayne the vyctory,
If you wyl do as I shall you saye,
And all my lesson retayne in memory.
To the toure of Doctryne ye shall take your waye.
You are now wythin a dayes journeye;
Bothe these greyhoundes shal kepe you company:
Loke that you cheryshe them full gentely.
And Countenance, the goodly portres,
Shall let you in ful well and nobly,
And also shewe you of the parfytenes
Of all the seven scyences ryght notably.
There in your mynde you may ententyfly
Unto dame Doctryne gyve parfyte audyence,
Whyche shall enforme you in every scyence.
Farewell, she sayde, I maye not now abyde;
Walke on your waye, wyth all your hole delyght,
To the toure of Doctrine at thys morowe tyde,
Ye shall to morowe of it have a syght.
Kepe on your waye now before you right,
For I must hence to specyfy the dedes
Of theyr worthynesse accordynge to theyr medes.
And wyth that she dyd from me depart,
Upon her stede swyfter than the wynde.
Whan she was gone, full wofull was my herte;
Wyth inward trouble oppressed was my mynde.
Yet were the greyhoundes left wyth me behynde,
Whyche did me comforte in my great vyage
To the toure of Doctryne, with their fawnynge courage.
So forthe I went, tossynge on my brayne,
Greatly musyng, over hyll and vale.
The way was troublous, and ey nothing playne;
Tyll at the laste I came to a dale,
Beholdyng Phebus declinyng lowe and pale;
With my grayhoundes, in the fayre twylight,
I sate me downe for to rest me all nyght.
Slouthe upon me so fast began to crepe,
That of fyne force I downe me layed
Upon an hyll with my greyhoundes to slepe.
When I was downe, I thought me well apayed,
And to my selfe these wordes then I sayde:
Who will attaine sone to his journeys ende,
To nouryshe slouthe he may not condiscende.
CAP. III.
HOWE FAME DEPARTED FROM GRAUNDE AMOURE, AND LEFT WITH HYM GOUVERNAUNCE
AND GRACE, AND HOWE HE WENT TO THE TOWER OF DOCTRINE.
Thus then I slept, tyl that Auroras bemes
Gan for to spreade about the firmament,
And the clere sunne with his golden stremes
Began for to ryse fayre in the orient,
Without Saturnus blacke encombrement,
And the litle byrdes makyng melodye
Did me awake wyth their swete armony.
I loked about, and sawe a craggy roche
Farre in the west, neare to the element;
And as I dyd then unto it approche,
Upon the toppe I sawe refulgent
The royall tower of Morall Document,
Made of fine copper, with turrettes fayre and hye,
Which against Phebus shone so marveylously;
That for the very perfect bryghtnes,
What of the tower and of the cleare sunne,
I coulde nothyng beholde the goodlines
Of that palaice where as Doctrine did wonne;
Tyll at the last, with mysty wyndes donne,
The radiant bryghtnes of golden Phebus
Auster gan cover with clowde tenebrus.
Then to the tower I drewe nere and nere,
And often mused of the great hyghnes
Of the craggy rocke, whiche quadrant did appeare;
But the fayre tower so muche of ryches
Was all about sexangled doubtles,
Gargeyld with grayhoundes and with many lyons,
Made of fyne golde, with divers sundry dragons.
The little turrets with ymages of golde
About was set, whiche with the wynde aye moved.
Wyth propre vices that I did well beholde,
About the towers in sundry wyse they hoved,
Wyth goodly pypes in their mouthes i-tuned,
That with the wynde they pyped a daunce,
I-clipped Amour de la hault plesaunce.
CAP. IV.
HOWE HE WAS LET IN BY COUNTENAUNCE THE PORTERES, AND OF THE MARVELOUS
BUILDYNG OF THE SAME TOWER.
The toure was great, and of marvelous wydnes,
To whyche there was no way to passe but one,
Into the toure for to have an intres;
A grece there was, y-chesyled all of stone
Out of the rocke, on whiche men dyd gone
Up to the toure; and in lykewise did I,
Wyth bothe the greyhoundes in my company.
Tyll that I came to a ryall gate,
Where I sawe stondynge the goodly portres,
Whiche axed me from whence I came alate?
To whome I gan in every thynge expresse
All myne adventure, chaunce, and busynesse,
And eke my name I tolde her every dell.
When she herde this, she lyked me ryght well.
Her name, she sayd, was called Countenaunce:
Into the besy courte she dyd me then lede,
Where was a fountayne depured of pleasance,
A noble sprynge, a ryall conduyte hede,
Made of fyne golde enameled with reed,
And on the toppe foure dragons blewe, and stoute
Thys dulcet water in foure partyes dyd spout.
Of whyche there flowed foure ryvers ryght clere,
Sweter than Nysus or Ganges was theyr odoure,
Tygrys or Eufrates unto them no pere.
I dyd than taste the aromatyke lycoure,
Fragraunt of fume, swete as any floure.
And in my mouthe it had a marveylous cent
Of divers spyces; I knewe not what it ment.
And after thys farther forth me brought
Dame Countenaunce into a goodly hall:
Of jasper stones it was wonderly wrought
The wyndowes cleare, depured all of crystall,
And in the roufe on hye over all
Of golde was made a ryght crafty vyne;
In stede of grapes the rubies there did shyne.
The flore was paved with berall clarified,
With pillers made of stones precious,
Like a place of pleasure so gayely glorified,
It might be called a palaice glorious,
So muche delectable and solacious.
The hall was hanged, hye and circuler,
With cloth of arras in the rychest maner,
That treated well of a ful noble story,
Of the doubty waye to the tower perillous;
Howe a noble knyght should wynne the victory
Of many a serpente fowle and odious:
And the first matter then appeared thus;
Howe at a venture and by sodayne chaunce
He met with Fame by fortunes purveyaunce.
Whiche did hym shewe of the famous pulcritude
Of La Bell Pucell so cleare in beauty,
Excellyng all other in every similitude;
Nature her favoured so muche in degree.
When he heard this, with fervent amytie,
Accompanied with Grace and Governaunce,
He toke his waye without encombraunce
Unto the ryght famous tower of learnyng,
And so from thence unto the tower of chyvalry,
Where he was made knight the noble kyng
Called Melizeus, well and worthely;
And furthermore it sheweth full notably
Upon the arras imbrodred all of blewe,
What was his name with letters all of Grewe.
Thus with his verlet he toke on his waye
To the perillous tower and sytuation,
Metyng Folye, as he rode on his journey,
Ryding on a mare by great illusion;
After whom ensued fast Correction,
And in her hande a strong knotted whippe;
At every yarke she made hym for to skyppe.
And then Correction brought La Graund Amour
Unto the tower, whereas he myght well se
Divers men makyng ryght great dolour,
That defrauded women by their duplicitie;
Yet before this in perfite certaintie,
As the arras well did make relacion,
In Venus temple be made his oblacion.
After whiche he mette an hydeous gyaunt
Havyng thre heades of marveylous kynde;
With his great strokes he did hym daunt,
Castyng hym downe under the lynde,
With force and myght he did hym bynde,
Strikyng of his heades then everychone,
That of all thre heades he left not one.
This terryble gyant yet had a brother,
Whiche Graunde Amoure destroyed also,
Having foure heades more then the other,
That unto hym wrought mikel wo;
But he slewe sone his mortall foe,
Whiche was a great gyaunt with heades seven.
To marveylous nowe for me to neven.
Yet moreover he put to utteraunce
A venemous beast of sundry likenes,
Of divers beastes of ryght great mischaunce
Wherof the picture bare good wytnes;
For by his power and his hye worthynes
He did discomfyte the wonderous serpente
Of the seven metals, made by enchauntment.
And eke the clothe made demonstration
Howe he wedded the great lady beauteous,
La Bell Pucell, in her owne dominacion,
After his labour and passage daungerous,
With solemne joye and myrthe melodious.
This famous storye well pictured was
In the fayre hall upon the arras.
The marshall ycclipped was dame Reason,
And the yewres also Observaunce,
The panter Plesaunce at every season;
The good butler Curteis Continuaunce
And the chefe coke was called Temperaunce,
The lydy chamberlayne named Fidelitie,
And the hye stewarde Liberalitie.
There sate dame Doctrine, that lady gent,
Whiche called me unto her presence,
For to knowe al the whole entent
Of my comyng unto her excellence.
Madame, I sayde, to learn your science
I am comen nowe me to applye,
With all my cure and perfect study.
And yet, also, I unto her then shewed
My name and purpose wythout doublenes.
For very greate joye than were endued
Her crystall eyes full of lowlenes,
Whan that she knewe of very sykernesse,
That I was he that should so attayne
La Bell Pucell wyth my busy payne.
And after thys I had ryght good chere;
Of meate and drynke there was great plenty.
Nothynge I wanted, were it chepe or dere.
Thus was I served wyth dylycate dysshes deyntie;
And after thys wyth all humylite
I went to Doctryne, prayenge her good grace,
For to assygne me my fyrst lernynge place.
Seven doughters, moost expert in connynge,
Wythouten foly she had well engendred;
As the seven Scyences in vertue so shynynge,
At whose encreace there is great thankes rendred
Unto the mother, as nothynge surrendred
Her good name and her dulcet sounde,
Whych did engendre theyr orygynall grounde.
And fyrst to Grammer she forthe me sent,
To whose request I dyd well obay;
Wyth delygence forth on my way I went,
Up to a chamber depaynted fayre and gay;
And at the chambre in ryght ryche araye
We were let in, by hygh auctoryte
Of the ryght noble dame Congruyte.
CAP. V.
HOW SCIENCE SENT HIM FYRST TO GRAMER, WHERE HE WAS RECEIVED BY DAME
CONGRUYTE.
The lady Gramer, in all humbly wyse,
Dyd me receyve into her goodly scoole;
To whose doctrine I dyd me advertise
For to attayne, in her artyke poole,
Her gylted dewe, for to oppresse my doole;
To whom I sayde that I wold gladly lerne
Her noble connynge, so that I myght descerne
What that it is, and why that it was made?
To whych she answered than, in speciall,
By cause that connynge shoulde not pale ne fade,
Of every scyence it is originall,
Whych doth us tech ever in generall
In all good ordre to speke directly,
And for to wryte by true ortografy.
Somtyme in Egypt reygned a noble kyng,
Iclyped Evander, whych dyd well abounde
In many vertues, especially in lernyng;
Whych had a doughter, that by her study found
To wryte true Latyn the fyrst parfyt ground.
Whose goodly name, as her story sayes,
Was called Carmentis in her livyng dayes.
Thus in the tyme of olde antiquytie,
The noble phylosophers, wyth theyr whole delyghte,
For the comon prouffyte of all humanite,
Of the seven sciences for to knowe the ryght,
They studied many a long wynters nyght,
Eche after other theyr partes to expresse,
Thys was theyr guyse to eschewe ydelnesse.
The pomped carkes wyth foode dilicious
They dyd not feed, but to theyr sustinaunce;
They folowed not theyr fleshe so vycious,
But ruled it by prudent governaunce;
They were content alway wyth suffisaunce,
They coveyted not no worldly treasure,
For they knewe that it myght not endure.
But nowe a dayes the contrary is used:
To wynne the mony theyr studyes be all set.
The commen profyt is often refused,
For well is he that may the money get
From his neyghbour wythout any let.
They thynke nothynge they shall from it pas,
Whan all that is shall be tourned to was.
The bryttel fleshe, nourisher of vyces,
Under the shadowe of evyll slogardy,
Must need haunte the carnall delices;
Whan that the brayne, by corrupt glotony,
Up so downe is tourned than contrary.
Frayle is the bodye to grete unhappynes,
Whan that the head is full of dronkennes.
So doo they now; for they nothyng prepence
Howe cruell deth doth them sore ensue.
They are so blynded in worldly necligence,
That to theyr merite they wyll nothyng renewe
The seven scyences, theyr slouth to eschewe;
To an others profyt they take now no keepe,
But to theyr owne, for to eate, drynke, and sleepe.
And all thys dame Gramer told me every dele,
To whom I herkened wyth all my diligence;
And after thys she taught me ryght well
Fyrst my Donet and then my accidence.
I set my mynde wyth percyng influence
To lerne her scyence, the fyrst famous arte,
Eschewyng ydlenes and layeng all aparte.
Madame, quod I, for as much as there be
Eight partes of speche, I would knowe ryght fayne,
What a noune substantive is in hys degre,
And wherefore it is so called certayne?
To whom she answered ryght gentely agayne,
Sayeng alway that a nowne substantyve
Might stand wythout helpe of an adjectyve.
The Latyn worde whyche that is referred
Unto a thynge whych is subtancyall,
For a nowne substantyve is wel averred,
And wyth a gender is declynall;
So all the eyght partes in generall
Are Laten wordes, annexed properly
To every speche, for to speke formally.
And gramer is the fyrst foundement
Of every science to have construccyon:
Who knewe gramer wythout impediment
Shoulde perfytely have intelleccion
Of a lytterall cense and moralyzacion.
To construe every thynge ententifly,
The worde is gramer wel and ordinatly.
By worde the world was made orygynally,
The hye Kynge sayde, it was made incontinent;
He dyd commaunde, al was made shortly.
To the world the worde is sentencious judgemente.
I marked well dame Gramers sentement,
And of her than I dyd take my lycence,
Goynge to Logyke wyth all my dylygence.
CAP. VI.
HOW HE WAS RECEYVED OF LOGYCKE.
So up I went unto a chambre bryghte,
Where was wonte to be a ryght fayre lady,
Before whome than, it was my hole delyght,
I kneeled adowne ful well and mekely,
Besechynge her to enstructe me shortely
In her noble science, which is expedient
For man to knowe in many an argument.
You shall, quod she, my scyence wel lerne,
In tyme and space, to your gret utilite;
So that in lokynge you shal than decerne
A frende from fo, and good from iniquyte:
Ryght from wronge ye shall know in certainte.
My scyence is all the yll to eschewe,
And for to knowe the false from the trewe.
Who wyll take payne to folowe the trace,
In this wrecched world, of trouth and ryghtwysenes,
In heven above he shal have dwellynge place.
And who that walketh the waye of derkenes,
Spendyng his tyme in worldly wretchednes,
Amyddes the erth, in hel most horrible,
He shall have payne nothyng extinguyssible.
So by logyke is good perceyveraunce
To devyde the good and the evyll asondre:
It is alwaye at mannes pleasaunce
To take the good and caste the evyll under.
If God made hell, it is thereof no wonder,
For to punyshe man that hadde intelligence,
To knowe goode from yll by trewe experience.
Logyke alwaye doth make probacion,
Provyng the pro well from the contrary,
In sondry wyse by argumentacion,
Grounded on reason well and wonderly.
Who understod all Logyke truely,
Nothynge by reason myght be in pledynge,
But he the trouth should have in knowlegyng.
Her wyse doctryne I marked in memory,
And toke my leve of her hye person,
Because that I myght no lenger tary.
The yere was spent, and so ferre than gon,
And of my lady yet syght had I none,
Whych was abydyng in the toure of Musyke:
Wherfore anone I went to Rethoryke.
CAP. VII.
HOW HE WAS RECEYVED OF RETHORYKE, AND WHAT RETHORYKE IS.
Than above Logyke up we went a stayre,
Into a chambre gayly glorified,
Strowed wyth floures of all goodly ayre;
Where sate a lady gretly magnified,
And her true vesture clerely purified,
And over her head, that was bryght and shene,
She had a garlande of the laurell grene.
Her goodly chambre was set all about
With depured myrrours of speculacion;
The fragraunt fumes dyd well encense out
All misty vapours of perturbacion.
More lyker was her habitacyon
Unto a place which is celestiall,
Than to a certayne mancion fatall.
Before whom, than, I dyd knele adowne,
Sayeng: O sterre of famous eloquence,
O gylted goddesse of hyghe renowne,
Enspyred wyth the hevenly influence
Of the doulcet well of complacence,
Upon my mynd, wyth dewe aromatyke,
Distyll adowne thy lusty rethoryke.
And depaynt my tong wyth thy ryall floures
Of delicate odoures, that I may ensue
In my purpose to glad myne audytours,
And wyth thy power that thou me endue
To moralise thy lytterall censes trewe,
And clense away the myst of ygnoraunce
With depured beames of goodly ordinaunce.
With humble eres of perfyt audience,
To my request she dyd than enclyne;
Sayeng she wolde in her goodly scyence
In short space me so well indoctryne,
That my dull mynde it shoulde enlumyne
With golden beames, for ever to oppresse
My rude language and all my semplenesse.
I thanked her of her great gentylnes,
And axed her, after, this question:
Madame, I sayde, I wolde knowe doubtles
What rethoryke is, without abusion.
Rethoryke, she sayde, was founde by reason,
Man for to governe wel and prudently;
His wordes to ordre, his speche to purify.
Fyve partes hath Rethoryke, for to werke trewe,
Without whiche fyve there can be no sentence.
For these fyve do well evermore renue
The matter parfyte with good intellygence.
Who that will se them with all his dyligence,
Here foloweng I shall them specify,
Accordyng well all unto myne ordynary.
CAP. VIII.
OF THE FIRST, CALLED INVENCYON, AND A COMMENDACION OF POETS.
The fyrste of them is called Invencion,
Whiche surdeth of the most noble werke
Of v. inward wittes with hole affeccion,
As writeth right many a noble-clerke,
Wyth mysty colour of cloudes derke,
How comyn wytte doothe full well electe
What it shoulde take, and what it shall abjecte.
And secondly, by ymaginacyon
To drawe a matter full facundious,
Full mervaylus is the operacion,
To make of nought, reason sentencious,
Clokynge a trouthe wyth colour tenebrous;
For often under a fayre fayned fable
A trouthe appereth gretely profitable.
It was the guyse in old antiquyte,
Of famous poets ryght ymaginatife,
Fables to fayne by good auctorite;
They were so wyse and so inventife,
Theyr obscure reason, fayre and sugratife,
Pronounced trouthe under cloudy figures,
By the inventyon of theyr fatall scriptures.
And thyrdly, they hadde suche a fantasy,
In this hyghe arte to be intelligible,
Theyr fame encresynge evermore truely,
To slouth ever they were invincible:
To theyr wofull hertes was nought impossible;
Wyth brennynge love of insaciate fyre
Newe thynges to fynde they set theyr desyre.
For though a man of his proper mynde
Be inventife, and he do not apply
His fantasye unto the besy kynde,
Of hys connynge it maye not ratifye;
For fantasye must nedes exemplify
Hys new invencion, and cause hym to entende
Wyth hole desyre to brynge it to an ende.
And fourtely, by good estimacion
He must nombre al the hole cyrcumstaunce
Of thys mater wyth brevyacion,
That he walke not by longe continaunce
The perambulat waye, full of all variaunce.
By estimacion is made annunciate
Whether the mater be long or brevyate.
For to invention it is equipolent,
The mater founde ryght well to comprehende
In suche a space as is convenient;
For properly it doth ever pretende
Of all the purpose the length to extende:
So estimacion maye ryght well conclude
The parfyte nombre of every similitude.
And yet, than, the retentyfe memory,
Whyche is the fifte, must ever agregate
All maters thought to retayne inwardly,
Tyll reason therof hath made a brobate,
And by scripture wyll make demonstrate
Outwardly accordynge to the thought,
To prove a reason upon a thyng of nought.
Thus, whan the fourth hath wrought full wonderly,
Then must the mynde werke upon them all,
By cours ingenious to rynne dyrectly
After theyr thoughtes, than in generall
The mynde must cause them to be memoriall;
As after this shall appere more openly,
All hole exprest by dame Phylosophy.
O thrust of vertue and of ryall pleasure
Of famous poetes many yeres ago!
O insaciate covetyse of the speciall treasure
Of new invencion, of ydelnes the foo!
We may you laude, and often prayse also,
And specially for worthy causes thre,
Whiche to thys daye we may both here and se.
As to the fyrst, your hole desyre was set
Fables to fayne to eschewe ydlenes,
Wyth amplyacion more connyng to get,
By the laboure of inventyfe busynes,
Touchynge the trouthe by covert lykenes
To dysnull vyce and the vycious to blame;
Your dedes therto exemplifyde the same.
And secondly, ryght well you dyd endyte
Of the worthy actes of many a conquerour;
Through whych labour that you dyd so wryte
Unto this day reygneth the honour
Of every noble and myghty warriour,
And for your labour and your busy payne
Your fame yet lyveth, and shall endure certayne.
And eke to prayse you we are gretely bounde,
Because our connyng from you so procedeth,
For you therof were fyrst originall ground,
And upon your scripture our science ensueth.
Your splendent verses our lyghtnes renueth;
And so we ought to laude and magnify
Your excellent springes of famous poetry.
CAP. IX.
A REPLICATION AGAINST IGNORAUNT PERSONES.
But rude people, opprest with blyndnes,
Agaynst your fables wyll often solisgyse,
Suche is theyr mynde, such is theyr folyshnes;
For they beleve in no maner of wyse
That under a colour a trouth may aryse.
For folysh people, blynded in a matter,
Will often erre whan they of it do clatter.
O all ye cursed and such evyll fooes,
Whose syghtes be blynded over all wyth foly,
Open your eyes in the pleasaunt schooles
Of perfit connyng, or that you reply
Agaynst fables for to be contrary;
For lacke of connyng no mervayle though you erre,
In suche science, whych is from you so fer.
For now the people, whych is dull and rude,
If that you rede a fatall scripture,
And can not moralyse the semilitude
Whych to theyr wyttes is so hard and obscure,
Than wyll they say that it is sene in ure
That nought do poetes but depaynt and lye,
Deceyvyng them by tongues of flatery.
But what for that? they can not defame
The poetes actes, whych are in effecte;
Unto them selfe remayneth the shame
To dysprayse that whych they can not correcte;
And yf that they had in it inspecte,
Than they would it prayse, and often elevate
For it should be to them so delicate.
CAP. X.
OF DISPOSITION, THE II. PARTE OF RETHORYKE.
The second parte of crafty Rethoryke
Maye well be called Disposicion,
That doth so hyghe mater aromatyke
Adowne dystyll by consolacion;
As olde poetes make demonstracion
That Mercury, through his preeminence,
Hys natives endeth wyth famous eloquence.
By veray reason it maye ryght well appere,
That divers persons in sundry wyse delyght;
Theyr consolacions doth contrary so steere
That many myndes maye not agree aryght.
Such is the planettes of theyr course and myght.
But what for that? be it good or yll,
Them for to folowe it is at mannes fre wyl.
And dysposicion, the true seconde parte
Of rethorike, doth evermore dyrecte
The maters founde of this noble arte,
Gyvyng them place after the aspect,
And of tyme it hath the inspect,
As from a fayre parfit narracion,
Or els by stedfast argumentacion.
The whych was constitute by begynnyng,
As on the reason, and if apparaunce
Of the cause than by outwarde semyng
Be hard and difficulte in the utteraunce,
So as the mynde have no perceyveraunce,
Nor of the beginnyng can have audience,
Than must narracion begynne the sentence.
And if it be a lytle probable,
From any maner stedfast argument,
We ordre it for to be ryght stable,
And than we never begyn our sentement,
Recityng letters not convenient,
But thys commutacion shoulde be refused,
Wythout cause or thynge make it be used.
Thys that I wryte is harde and covert
To them that have nothynge intelligence;
Up so downe they make oft transvert,
Or that they can knowe, they experience
Of thys craft and facundious science,
By dysposicion the rethorician
To make lawes ordinatly began.
Wythout disposicion none ordre gan be,
For the disposicion ordreth every matter,
And gyveth the place after the degre:
Wythout ordre, wythout reason we clatter,
Where is no reason it vayleth not to chatter.
Disposicion ordreth a tale directly,
In a perfit reason, to conclude truely.
The fatall problemes of olde antiquyte,
Cloked wyth myst and wyth cloudes derke,
Ordred wyth reason and hye auctorite,
The trouth dyd shewe of all theyr covert werke.
Thus have they made many a noble clerke.
To dysnull myschefe and inconvenyence,
They made our lawes wyth grete diligence.
Before the lawe, in a tumblyng barge
The people sayled, wythout parfitnes,
Throughe the worlde all about at large;
They hadde none ordre nor no stedfastnes,
Tyll rethoricians founde justyce doubtles,
Ordeynyng kynges, of ryght hye dygnite,
Of all comyns to have the soverainte;
The barge to stere, wyth lawe and justice,
Over the waves of thys lyfe transitory,
To direct wronges, and also prejudice.
And tho that wyl resyst a contrarye
Agaynst theyr kynge, by justice openly,
For theyr rebellion and evyll treason,
Shall suffer death by ryght and reason.
O what laude, glory, and greate honoure,
Unto these poetes shall be notefyed,
The whiche dystylled aromatyke lycoure
Clensynge our syght wyth ordre puryfyed;
Whose famous draughtes so exemplyfyed
Set us in ordre, grace, and governaunce,
To lyve dyrectly, without encombraunce.
But many one, the whiche is rude and dull,
Wyll dyspice theyr warke for lacke of connynge:
All in vaine they do so hayle and pull,
Whan they therof lacke understandinge,
They grope over where is no felynge;
So dull they are, that they can not fynde
This ryall arte for to perceyve in mynde.
CAP. XI.
OF ELOCUTION, THE THIRDE PARTE OF RETHORYKE, WITH COLOURYNG OF
SENTENCES.
And than the iii. parte is Elocusyon,
Whan Invencion hath the purpose wrought,
And set it in ordre by Disposicion.
Without this thyrde parte it vayleth ryght nought,
Though it be founde and in ordre brought,
Yet Elocusion with the powre of Mercury,
The mater exorneth right well facundyously
In fewe wordes, swete and sentencious,
Depaynted with golde harde in construction,
To the artyke eres swete and dylycious
The golden rethoryke is good refeccion,
And to the reder ryght consolacion;
As we do golde frome copper purifye
So that Elocucyon doth ryght well claryfy.
The dulcet speche from the langage rude,
Tellynge the tale in termes eloquent,
The barbary tongue it doth ferre exclude,
Electynge wordes whiche are expedyent,
In Latyn or in Englyshe, after the entent
Encensyng out the aromatyke fume,
Our langage rude to exyle and consume.
But what avayleth evermore to sowe
The precyous stones amonge gruntynge hogges?
Draffe unto them is more meter I trowe.
Let an hare and swyne be amonge curre dogges;
Though to the hares were tyed grete clogges,
The gentyll beast they wyll regarde nothyng,
But to the swyne take course of rennyng.
To cloke the sentence under mysty figures,
By many colours as I make relacyon,
As the olde poetes covered theyr scryptures,
Of which the fyrste is dystrybucyon;
That to the evyll, for theyr abusyon,
Doth gyve payne, and, to the worthy,
Laude and prayse, them for to magnyfy.
Of beste or byrd they take a symylytude
Of the condycyon lyke to the party,
Feble, fayre, or yet of fortytude;
And under colour of this beste, pryvely
The morall sense they cloke full subtyly,
In prayse or dysprayse, as it is reasonable:
Of whose faynyng fyrst rose the fable.
Concludyng reason gretely profitable;
Who that theyr fables can well moralyse,
The fruytfull sentences are delectable,
Though that the ficcion they doo so devyse
Under the colour the trouth doth aryse,
Concludyng reason, rychesse, and connyng,
Pleasure, example, and also lernyng.
They fayned no fable without reason,
For reasonable is al theyr moralitie,
And upon reason was theyr conclusion,
That the comon wyt, by possibilitie,
Maye well a judge the perfyt veritie
Of theyr sentence for reason openly
To the comon wyt it doth so notify.
Rychesse.
Theyr fruitfull sentence was grete rychesse,
The whych ryght surely they myght well domyne,
For lordshyp, welth, and also noblesse,
The chaunce of fortune can some determyne.
But what for this? she can not declyne
The noble science, whiche, after poverte,
Maye bryng a man agayne to dignitie.
Scyence.
Theyr sentence is connyng, as appereth well,
For by conning theyr arte doth engendre,
And wythout connyng we knowe never a dele,
Of theyr sentence, but may sone surrendre
A true tale, that myght to us rendre
Grete pleasure, if we were intelligible
Of theyr connyng nothyng impossible.
Pleasure.
O what pleasure to the intelligent
It is to knowe and have perceyveraunce
Of theyr connyng, so much expedient,
And therof to have good utteraunce!
Redyng newe thynges of so grete pleasaunce,
Fedyng the mynd wyth foode insaciate,
The tales newe they are so delicate.
Example.
In an example, with a mysty cloud
Of covert lykenesse, the poetes do wryte;
And underneth the trouth doth so shroude,
Both good and yll, as they lyst acquyte,
With similitude they dyd so well endyte,
As I here after shall the trouth sone shew,
Of all theyr mysty and theyr fatall dewe.
The poetes fayne how that kyng Athlas
Heaven should bere upon his shoulders hye;
Because in connyng he dyd all other pas,
Especially in the hygh astronomye:
Of the vi. planettes he knewe so perfytly
The operacions, how they were domified;
For whych poetes hym so exemplyfied.