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And will do euer to the death, While them endures any breath." This knight tho in armes twaine, This lady tooke and gan her saine,

Alas my birth, wo worth ny l'fe,"
And euen with that he drew a knife,
And through gowne, doublet, and shert,
He made the blood come from his herte,
And set him downe vpon the greene,
And full repent closed his eene,
And saue that ones he drew his breath,
Without more thus he tooke his death.
For which cause the lusty hoast,
Which in a battaile on the coast,
At once for sorrow such a cry
Gan rere thorow the company,

That to the Heaven heard was the sowne,
And vnder therth.als fer adowne,
That wild beasts for the feare,
So sodainly afrayed were,

That for the doubt, while they might dure,
They ran as of their lives vnsure,
From the woods vnto the plaine,
And from the valleys the high mountaine
They sought, and ran as beasts blind,
That cleane forgotten had their kind.
This wo not ceased, to counsaile went
These lords, and for that lady sent,
And of auise what was to done,
They her besought she say would sone,
Weeping full sore all clad in blake,
This lady softly to them spake,
And said, "My lords by my trouth,
This mischiefe it of your slouth,
And if ye had that judge would right,
A prince that were a very knight,
Ye that ben of astate echone,

Die for his fault should one and one,
And if he hold had the promesse,
And done that longs to gentilnesse,
And fulfilled the princes behest,
This hasty farme had bene a feast,
And now is vnrecouerable,
And vs a slaunder aye durable,
Wherefore I say as of counsaile,
In me is none that may auaile,
But if ye list for remembraunce,
Puruey and make such ordinaunce,
That the queene that was so meke,
With all her women dede or seke,
Might in your land a chappell haue,
With some remembraunce of her graue,
Shewing her end with the pity,
In some notable old city,
Nigh unto an high way,

Where euery wight might for her pray,
And for all hers that haue ben trew,"
And euen with that she changed hew,
And twise wished, after the death,
And sight, and thus passed her breath.
Than said the lords of the host,
And so conclude least and most,

That they would euer in houses of thacke,
Their liues lead, and weare but blacke,
And forsake all their pleasaunces,
And turn all joy to penaunces,
And beare the dead prince to the barge,
And named them should haue the charge,
And to the hearse where lay the queen,
The remnaunt went and down on kneen,

Holding their honds on high gon crie,
"Mercy, mercy," euerish thrie,
And cursed the time that euer slouth
Should haue such masterdome of trouth,
And to the barge a long mile,
They bare her forth, and in a while
All the ladies one and one,

By companies were brought echone,
And past the sea and tooke the land,
And in new herses on a sand,
Put and brought were all anon,
Unto a city closed with stone,
Where it bad been vsed aye
The kings of the land to lay,
After they raigned in honours,
And writ was which were conquerours,
In an abbey of nunnes which were blake,
Which accustomed were to wake,
And of rsage risc ech a night,
To pray for euery liues wight,
And so befell as in the guise,
Ordeint and said was the seruise,
Of the prince and of the queen,
So deuoutly as might been,
And after that about the herses,
Many orisons and verses,
Without note full softely,
Said were and that full heartily,
That all the night till it was day
The people in the church con pray,
Unto the holy Trinity,

Of those soules to haue pity.

And whan the night past and ronne
Was, and the new day begonne,
The yong morrow with rayes red,
Which from the Sunne ouer all con spred,
Atempered clere was and faire,

And made a time of wholsome aire,
Befell a wonder case and strange,
Among the people and gan change
Soone the word and euery woo,
Unto a joy and some to two:

A bird all fedred blew and greene,
With bright rayes like gold betweene,
As small thred ouer euery joynt,
All full of colour s'range and coint,
Uncouth and wonderfull to sight,.
Upon the queens herse con light,
And song full low and softely,
Three songs in her harmony,
Unletted of every wight,

Till at the last an aged knight,

Which seemed a man in great thought,
Like as he set all thing at nought,
With visage and ein all forwept,
And pale, as man long vnslept,
By the herses as he stood,
With hasty hondling of his hood,
Unto a prince that by him past,
Made the bridde somewhat agast,
Wherefore she rose and left her song,
And depart from us among,
And spread her wings for to passe
By the place he entred was,

And in his hast shortly to tell,

Him hurt, that backeward downe he fell,
From a window richly peint,
With liues of many divers seint,
And bet his wings and bled fast,
And of the hurt thus died and past,

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And lay there well an houre and more,
Till at the last of briddes a score,
Come and sembled at the place
Where the window broken was,
And made swiche wamentacioun,
That pity was to heare the soun,
And the warbles of their throtes,
And the complaint of their notes,
Which from joy cleane was reuersed,
And of them one the glas soone persed,
And in his beke of colours nine,

An herbe he brought flourelesse all grene,
Full of small leaues and plaine,
Swart and long with many a vaine,
And where his fellow lay thus dede,
This hearbe down laid by his hede,
And dressed it full softily,

And hong his head and stood thereby,
Which hearb in lesse than halfe an houre,
Gan ouer all knit, and after floure
Full out and wexe ripe the seed,
And right as one another feed
Would, in his beake he tooke the graine,
And in his fellowes beake certaine
It put, and thus within the third
Up stood, and pruned him the bird,
Which dead had be in all our sight,
And both togither forth their flight
Tooke singing from vs, and their leue,
Was none disturb hem would ne greue,
And whan they parted were and gone
Thabbesse the seeds soone echone
Gadred had, and in her hand
The herb she tooke, well auisand
The leafe, the seed, the stalke, the floure,
And said it had a good sauour,
And was no common herb to find,
And well approued of uncouth kind,
And than other more vertuouse,
Who so haue it might for to vse
In his need, flowre, leafe, or graine,
Of their heale might be certaine :
And laid it downe upon the herse
Where lay the queene, and gan reherse,
Echone to other that they had seene,
And taling thus the sede wex greene,
And on the dry herse gan spring,
Which me thought a wondrous thing,
And after that foure and new seed,
Of which the people all tooke heed,
And said, it was some great miracle,
Or medicine fine more than triacle,
And were well done there to assay,
If it might ease in any way,
The corses, which with torch light,
They waked had there all that night,
Soone did the lords there consent,
And all the people thereto content,
With easie words and little fare,
And made the queenes visage bare,
Which shewed was to all about,
Wherefore in swoone fell whole the rout,
And were so sory most and least,
That long of weeping they not ceast,
For of their lord the remembraunce,
Unto them was such displeasȧunce,
That for to liue they called a paine,
So were they very true and plaine,
And after this the good abbesse,
Of the graine gan chese and dresse,

Three, with her fingers cleane and small,
And in the queenes mouth by tale,
One after other full easily,

She put and full conningly,
Which shewed soone such vertue,
That preued was the medicine true,
For with a smiling countenaunce
The queene vprose, and of vsaunce,
As she was wont to euery wight,

She made good cheere, for which sight,
The people kneeling on the stones,

Thought they in Heaven were soule and bones :
And to the prince where he lay,
They went to make the same assay,
And whan the queene it vnderstood,
And how the medicine was good,
She prayed she might haue the graines,
To releue him from the paines
Which she and he had both endured,
And to him went and so him cured,
That within a little space,
Lusty and fresh on liue he was,
And in good hele, and hole of speech,
And lough, and said, "Gramercy leech,"
For which the joy throughout the town,
So great was that the bels sown
Afraied the people, a journay,
About the city every way,

And come and asked cause and why
They rongen were so stately?
And after that the queene, thabbesse
Made diligence or they would cesse,
Such, that of ladies soone a rout,
Shewing the queene was all about,
And called by name echone and told,
Was none forgotten young ne old,
There might men see joyes new,
Whan the medicine fine and trew,
Thus restored had euery wight,
So well the queene as the knight,
Unto perfit joy and hele,
That fleting they were in such wele
As folke that would in no wise,
Desire more perfit paradise.
And thus whan passed was the sorrow,
With mikel joy soone on the morrow,
The king, the queene, and euery lord,
With all the ladies by one accord,
A generall assembly

Great cry through the country,
The which after as their intent

Was turned to a parliament,
Where was ordained and auised,
Euery thing and deuised,

That please might to most and least,
And there concluded was the feast,
Within the yle to be hold

With full consent of young and old,
In the same wise as before,
As thing should be withouten more,
And shipped and thither went
And into straunge realmes sent,
To kings, queenes, and duchesses,
To diuers princes and princesses,
Of their linage and can pray,
That it might like them at that day
Of mariage, for their sport,
Come see the yle, and them disport,
Where should be jousts and turnaies,
And armes done in other waies,

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Signifying quer all the day
After Aprill within May,

And was auised that ladies tweine,
Of good estate and well beseine,
With certaine knights and squiers,
And of the queenes officers,
In manner of an embassade,

With certain letters closed and made,
Should take the barge and depart,
And seeke my lady euery part,
Till they her found for any thing,
Both charged haue queene and king,
And as their lady aud maistres,
Her to beseke of gentilnes,
At the day there for to been,

And oft her recommaund the queen,
And prayes for all loues to hast,
For but she come all woll be wast,
And the feast, a businesse
Without joy or lustinesse:

And tooke them tokens and good speed
Praid God send, after their need..
Forth went the ladies and the knights,
And were out fourteene daies and nights,
And brought my lady in their barge,
And had well sped and done their charge:
Whereof the queene so hartily glad
Was that in soth such joy she had,
Whan the ship approched lond,
That she my lady on the sond.
Met, and in armes so constraine,
That wonder was behold them twaine,
Which to my dome during twelue houres,
Neither for heat ne watry shoures,
Departed not no company,
Sauing themselfe but none them by,
But gaue them laysour at their ease,
To rehearse joy and disease,
After the pleasure and courages,
Of their young and tender ages:
And after with many a knight,
Brought were, where as for that night,
They parted not, for to pleasaunce,
Content, was herte and countenaunce,
Both of the queene, and my maistresse,
This was that night their businesse:
And on the morrow with huge rout,
This prince of lords him about,
Come and to my lady said,

That of her comming glad and well apaid
He was, and full conningly

Her thanked and full heartily,

And lough and smiled, and said ywis,
'That was in doubt, in safety is:
And commaunded do diligence,

And spare for neither gold ne spence,
But make ready, for on the morow,
Wedded with saint John to borow,
He would be, withouten more,
And let them wite this lese and more.
The morow come, and the seruice
Of mariage in such a wise
Said was, that with more honour,
Was neuer prince ne conquerour
Wedde ne with such company,
Of gentilnesse in chiualry,
Ne of ladies so great routs
Ne so beseen as all abouts
They were there, I certifie
You on my life withouten lie.

And the feast hold was in tentis,
As to tell you mine entent is,
In a rome a large plaine
Under a wood in a champaine,
Betwixt a riuer and a well,
Where neuer had abbay, ne sell
Ben, ne kirke, house, ne village,
In time of any mans age:
And dured three months the feast,
In one estate and neuer ceast,
From early the rising of the Sonne,
Till the day spent was and yronne,
In justing, dauncing, and lustinesse;
And all that sowned to gentilnesse.

And as me thought the second morrow,
Whan ended was all old sorrow,

And in surety euery wight
Had with his lady slept a night,
The prince, the queene, and all the rest,
Unto my lady made request,
And her besought oft and praied,
To mewards to be well apaied,
And consider mine old trouth,
And on my paines haue routh,
And me accept to her seruise,
In such forme and in such wise,
That we both might be as one,
Thus prayed the queene, and euerichone:
And for there should be no nay,
They stint justing all a day,

To pray my lady and requere,
Be content and out of fere,

And with good herte make friendly cheare,
And said it was a happy yeare:

At which she smiled and said ywis,
"I trow well he my seruaunt is,
And would my welfare as I trist,
So would I his, and would he wist
How and I knew that his trouth
Continue would without slouth,
And be such as ye here report,
Restraining both courage and sport,
I couth consent at your request,
To be named of your fest,
And do after your vsaunce,
In obeying your pleasaunce,
Ac your request this I consent,
To please you in your entent,
And eke the soueraine aboue,
Commanded hath me for to loue,
And before other him prefer,
Against which prince may be no wer,
For his power ouer all raigneth,

That other would for nought him paineth,
And sith his will and yours is one.
Contrary in me shall be none,"
Tho (as me thought) the promise
Of marriage before the mese,
Desired was of euery wight,
To be made the same night,
To put away all maner douts
Of euery wight thereabouts,

And so was do, and on the morrow,
Whan euery thought and euery sorrow
Dislodged was out of mine herte,

With euery wo and euery smert,
Unto a tent prince and princes,

Me thought, brought me and my maistres,
And said we were at full age

There to conclude our marriage,

With ladies, knights, and squiers,
And a great host of ministers,

With instruments and sounes diuerse,
That long were here to rehearse,
Which tent was church perochiall,
Ordaint was in especiall,

For the feast and for the sacre,
Where archbishop, and archdiacre
Song full out the seruise,

After the custome and the guise,
And the churches ordinaunce,
And after that to dine and daunce
Brought were we, and to diuers playes,
And for our speed ech with prayes,
And merry was most and least,
And said amended was the feast,
And were right glad lady and lord,
Of the marriage and thaccord,
And wished us hertes pleasaunce,
Joy, hele, and continuaunce,
And to the ministrils made request,
That in encreasing of the fest,
They would touch their cords,
And with some new joyeux accords,
Mooue the people to gladnesse,
And praiden of all gentilnesse,
Ech to paine them for the day,
To shew his cunning and his play,
Tho began sownes meruelous,
Entuned with accords joyous,
Round about all the tents,
With thousands of instruments,

That euery wight to daunce them pained,
To be merry was none that fained,
Which sowne me troubled in my sleepe,
That fro my bed forth I lepe,
Wening to be at the feast,
But whan I woke all was seast,
For there nas lady ne creature,
Saue on the wals old portraiture
Of horsmen, haukes, and hounds,
And hurt deere full of wounds,
Some like bitten, some hurt with shot,
And as my dreame seemed that was not,
And whan I wake, and knew the trouth,
And ye had seen of very routh,

I trow ye would haue wept a weke,
For neuer man yet halfe so seke,
I went escaped with the life,

And was for fault that sword ne knife
I find ne might my life tabridge,
Ne thing that kerued, ne had edge,
Wherewith I might my woful pains
Haue voided with bleeding of my vains,
Lo here my blisse, lo here my paine,
Which to my lady I do complaine,
And grace and mercy her require,
To end my wo and busie feare,
And me accept to her seruise,
After her seruice in such auise,
That of my dreame the substaunce
Might turne once to cognisaunce,
And cognisaunce to very preue,
By full consent, and good leue,
Or els without more I pray,
That this night, or it be day,
I mote vnto my dreame returne,
And sleeping so forth aie sojourne
About the yle of pleasaunce,
Under my ladies obeisaunce,

In her seruise, and in such wise,
As it please her may to deuise,
And grace ones to be accept,
Like as I dreamed whan I slept,
And dure a thousand yeare and ten,
In her good will, amen, amen.

Fairest of faire, and goodliest on liue,
All my secret to you I plaine, and shriue,
Requiring grace and of complaint,

To be healed or martyred as a saint,

For by my trouth I sweare, and by this booke, Ye may both heale, and slea me with a looke.

Go forth mine owne true herte innocent,
And with humblesse, do thine obseruaunce,
And to thy lady on thy knees present

Thy seruise new, and think how great pleasance
It is to liue vnder thobeisance

Of her that may with her looks soft
Giue thee the blisse that thou desirest oft.

Be diligent, awake, obey, and drede,
And not too wild of thy countenaunce,
But meeke and glad, and thy nature feed,
To do each thing that may her pleasance,
Whan thou shalt sleep, haue aie in remembrance
Thimage of her which may with lookes soft
Giue thee the blisse that thou desirest oft.

And if so be that thou her name find
Written in booke, or els vpon wall,
Looke that thou as seruaunt true and kind,
Thine obeisaunce as she were therewithall,
Faining in loue is breeding of a fall
From the grace of her, whose lookes soft
May giue the blisse that thou desirest oft.

Ye that this ballede read shall,

I pray you keepe you from the fall.

THE FLOWER AND THE LEAF.

A gentlewoman out of an arbour in a grove, seeth a great company of knights and ladies in a daunce upon the greene grass: the which being ended, they all kneel down, and do honour to the daisie, some to the flower, and some to the leaf. Afterward this gentlewoman learneth by one of these ladies the meaning hereof, which is. this: They which honour the flower, a thing fading with every blast, are such as look after beauty and worldly pleasure. But they that honour the leaf, which abideth with the root, notwithstanding the frosts and winter storms, are they which follow vertue and during qualities, without regard of worldly respects.

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WHAN that Phebus his chaire of gold so hie
Had whirled vp the sterry sky aloft,
And in the Boole was entred certainely,
Whan shoures sweet of raine discended oft,
Causing the ground fele times and oft,
Up for to giue many an wholesome airc,
And euery plaine was clothed faire

With new green, and maketh small floures
To springen here and there in field and in mede,
So very good and wholesom be the shoures,
That it renueth that was old and dede,
In winter time and out of euery sede
Springeth the hearbe, so that euery wight
Of this season wexeth glad and light.

And I so glad of the season swete,
Was happed thus vpon a certaine night,
As I lay in my bed, sleepe full vnmete
Was vnto me, but why that I ne might
Rest, I ne wist, for there nas earthly wight
As I suppose had more hertes ease
Than I, for I nad sicknesse nor disease.

Wherefore I meruail greatly of my selfe,
That I so long withouten sleepe lay,
And vp I rose thee houres after twelfe,
About the springing of the day,

And on I put my geare and mine array,
And to a pleasaunt groue I gan passe,
Long or the bright Sonne vp risen was,

In which were okes great, streight as a line, Under the which the grasse so fresh of hew, Was newly sprong, and an eight foot or nine Euery tree well fro his fellow grew,

With branches brode, lade with leues new, That sprongen out ayen the sunne shene, Some very red, and some a glad light grene.

Which as me thought was right a pleasant sight,
And eke the briddes song for to here,
Would haue rejoyced any earthly wight,
And I that couth not yet in no manere
Heare the nightingale of all the yeare,
Ful busily herkened with herte and with eare,
If I her voice perceiue coud any where.

And at the last a path of little bread
I found, that greatly had not vsed be,
For it forgrowne was with grasse and weed,
That well vnneth a wight might it se:
Thoght I this path some whider goth parde,
And so I followed, till it me brought
To right a pleasaunt herber well ywrought,
That benched was, and with turfes new
Freshly turued, whereof the grene gras,
So small, so thicke, so short, so fresh of hew,
That most like vnto green well wot I it was,
The hegge also that yede in compas,
And closed in all the greene herbere,
With sicamour was set and eglatere.

Wrethen in fere so well and cunningly,
That euery branch and leafe grew by mesure,
Plaine as a bord, of an height by and by,
I see neuer thing I you ensure,

So well done, for he that tooke the cure
It to make ytrow, did all his peine

To make it passe all tho that men haue seine.

And shapen was this herber roofe and all
As a prety parlour, and also

The hegge as thicke as a castle wall,
That who that list without to stond or go,
Though he would all day prien to and fro,
He should not see if there were any wight
Within or no, but one within well might

Perceive all tho that yeden there without
In the field that was on euery side
Couered with corn and grasse, that out of doubt,
Though one would seeke all the world wide,
So rich a field coud not be espide

On no coast, as of the quantity,
For of all good thing there was plenty.

And I that all this pleasaunt sight sie,
Thought sodainly I felt so sweet an aire
Of the eglentere, that certainely
There is no herte I deme in such dispaire,
Ne with thoughts froward and contraire,
So ouerlaid, but it should soone haue bote,
If it had ones felt this sauour sote..

And as I stood and cast aside mine eie,
I was ware of the fairest medle tree
That euer yet in all my life I sie,
As full of blossomes as it might be,
Therein a goldfinch leaping pretile
Fro bough to bough, and as him list he eet
Here and there of buds and floures sweet.

And to the herber side was joyning
This faire tree, of which I baue you told,
And at the last the brid began to sing,
Whan he had eaten what he eat wold,
So passing sweetly, that by manifold
It was more pleasaunt than I coud deuise,
And whan his song was ended in this wise,

The nightingale with so merry a note
Answered him, that all the wood rong
So sodainly, that as it were a sote,

I stood astonied, so was I with the song
Thorow rauished, that till late and long,
I ne wist in what place I was, ne where,
And ayen me thought she song euen by mine ere,

Wherefore I waited about busily

On euery side, if I her might see,
And at the last I gan full well aspie
Where she sat in a fresh grene laurer tree,
On the further side euen right by me,
That gaue so passing a delicious smell,
According to the eglentere full well.

Whereof I had so inly great pleasure,
That as me thought I surely rauished was
Into Paradice, where my desire
Was for to be, and no ferther passe
As for that day, and on the sote grasse
I sat me downe, for as for mine entent,
The birds song was more conuenient,

And more pleasaunt to me by manifold,
Than meat or drinke, or any other thing,
Thereto the herber was so fresh and cold,
The wholesome sauours eke so comforting,
That as 1 demed, sith the beginning
Of the world was neuer seene or than
So pleasaunt a ground of none earthly man.

And as I sat the birds harkening thus,
Me thought that I heard voices sodainly,
The most sweetest and most delicious
That euer any wight I trow truly
Heard in their life, for the armony
And sweet accord was in so good musike,
That the uoice to angels most was like,

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