Fifteenth Century Prose and Verse Part 4

[21] _It should be_ Somme.

[22] 25th October 1415.

[23] 16th November 1415.

[24] 22nd November 1415.

[25] 23rd November 1415.

THOMAS OCCLEVE,

Clerk in the Office of the Privy Seal.

_The Letter of CUPID._

[THOMAS OCCLEVE,

Clerk in the Office of the Privy Seal.]

_The Letter of CUPID._

[Old forms like _serven_, serve; _wollen_, will; _tellen_, tell; _doin_, done; and the Imperatives _bethe_, be; _telleth_, tell; occur in this Poem.]

=T. Occleve. 1402.=

CUPIDO, (unto whose commandement The gentle kindred of G.o.ddis on high And people infernal be obedient; And mortal folk all serven busily), Of the G.o.ddess son CYTHERA only; Unto all those that to our deity Be subjects, heartly greeting, sende we!

In general, we wollen that ye know That Ladies of honour and reverence, And other Gentlewomen havin sow Such seed of complaint in our audience, Of men that do them outrage and offence; That it our earis grieveth for to hear, So piteous is the effect of this matere.

Pa.s.sing all landis, on the little isle That cleped is Albion, they most complain, They say that there is crop and root of guile: So can those men dissimulen and feign, With standing dropis in their eyen twain; When that their heartis feeleth no distress, To blinden women with their doubleness.

Their wordis, spoken be so sighingly, With so piteous a cheer and countenance That every wight that meaneth truely Deemeth that they in heart have such grievance.

They say, "So importable is their penance, That but their lady l.u.s.t to shew them grace They, right anon, must starven in the place."

"Ah, Lady mine!" they say, "I you ensure As doth me grace! and I shall ever be, While that my life may laste and endure To you as humble and low in each degree As possible is, and keep all things secree Right as yourselven liste that I do!

And elles must mine hearte burst in two."

Full hard it is, to know a manis heart For outward may no man the truthe deem, When word out of his mouth may none astert But it by reason seemed a wight to queme, So it is said of heart, as it would seem.

O faithful woman! full of innocence!

Thou art deceived by false appearance!

By process moveth oft woman's pity.

Weening all things were as these men ysay, They grant them grace, of their benignity, For that men shoulden not, for their sake die, And with good hearte, set them in the way Of blissful love: keep it, if they con!

Thus, otherwhile, women beth ywon.

And when this man the pan hath by the steel And fully is in his possession; With that woman keepeth he no more to deal After, if he may finden in the town Any woman, his blind affection On to bestow. But evil mote he preve!

A man, for all his oaths, is hard to believe!

And for that every false Man hath a Make, (As unto every wight is light to know) When this traitor, this woman hath forsake, He fast him speedeth unto his fellow.

Till he be there, his heart is on a low; His false deceit ne may him not suffice, But of his treason telleth all the wise.

Is this a fair avaunt? Is this honour?

A man himself accuse thus and defame!

Is it good to confess himself a traitor?

And bring a woman into slanderous name And tell how he her body hath do shame?

No worship may he thus, to him conquer, But great dislander unto him and her!

To her! Nay! Yet ywas it no reprefe; For all for virtue was, that she ywrought!

But he that brewed hath all this mischief, That spake so fair, and falsely inward thought; His be the slander! as it by reason ought And unto her be thank perpetual That, in such a neede helpen can so well.

Although through manis sleight and subtilty, A silly simple and innocent woman Betrayed is: no wonder! since the city Of Troy, as that the story tellen can, Betrayed was, through the deceit of man, And set on fire, and all down overthrow; And finally destroyed, as men know.

Betrayen not men cities great and kings?

What wight is it that can shape remedy Against these falsely proposed things?

Who can the craft such craftes to espy But man? whose wit is e'er ready to apply To thing that sowning is into falshede?

Woman! beth'ware of false men! I thee rede.

And, furthermore, have these men in usage That where they not likely been to sped, Such as they been with a double visage, They procuren, for to pursue their need; He prayeth him, in his cause to proceed, And largely guerdoneth he his travail.

Little wot women, how men them a.s.sail!

Another wretch, unto his fellow saith, "Thou fishest fair! She which that thee hath fired Is false, inconstant, and she hath no faith.

She for the road of folk is so desired; And, as an horse, from day to day she is hired!

That when thou twinnest from her company, Cometh another; and bleared is thine eye!

Now p.r.i.c.k on faste! and ride thy journey While thou art there! For she, behind thy back, So liberal is, she will nothing withsay, But smartly of another take a smack.

And thus faren these women all the pack Whoso them trusteth, hanged mote he be!

Ever they desire change and novelty."

Whereof proceedeth this, but of envy?

For that he himselve her ne winnen may.

He speaketh her reprefe and villainy; As manis blabbing tongue is wont alway.

Thus divers men full often make a.s.say.

For to disturben folk in sundry wise, For they may not acheven their emprise.

Many one eke would speaken for no good, That hath in love his time spent and used.

Men wist, his Lady his asking withstood; Ere that he were of her, plainly refused.

Or waste and vain were all that he had mused: Wherefore he can none other remedy, But on his Lady shapeth him to lie.

"Every woman," he saith, "is light to get, Can none say, 'Nay!' if she be well ysought; Whoso may leisure have with her to treat Of his purpose ne shall be failen ought But he on madness be so deep ybrought That he shende all with open homeliness; That loven women not, as that I guess."

To slaunder women thus, what may profit To gentles? namely, that them armen should, And in defence of women them delight As that the Order of Gentilesse would?

If that a man list gentle to be held He must all flee that thereto is contrary.