The Temple of Glass Part 1

The Temple of Gla.s.s.

by John Lydgate.

For thought constreynt & greuous heuynes For pensifhed and high distres To bed I went now this other nyght Whan that lucina with hir pale light Was Ioyned last with phebus in aquarye Amyd decembre, whan of Ianuarye Ther be kalendes of the new yere And derk dyane horned and nothing clere Had her beames vnder a mysty cloude With in my bed for cold I gan me shroude Al desolate for constraynt of my woo The long nyght walowyng to and fro Til at laste er I began take kepe Me dyde oppresse a sodeyn dedly slepe With in the whiche me thought I was Rauysshed in spiryte in to a temple of glas I nyste how fer in wildernes That founded was as by liklynes Not vpon stele, but on a craggy roche Lyke yse y froze, and as I did approche Agayn the sonne that shone so clere

As ony Cristal and euer ner and ner As I cam nyghe this grisly dredful place I wex astonyed, the light so in my face Be gan to smyte, so persing euer in one On euery part wher that I gan gone That I ne might no thing as I wolde Aboute me considere and beholde The wonder estres for brightnes of the sonne Til atte last certayn skyes donne With wynde chaced han her cours y went To fore the stremes of t.i.tan and y blent So that I mighte with in and with oute Wherso I wolde beholden me aboute For to reporte the facon and manere Of all this place that was circuler In compas wyse, round by entayle wrought And whan I had longe gone and sought I found a wiket and entred in as fast In to the temple and myn eyen cast On euery syde now lowe eft alofte And right anon as I gan walken softe Yf I the soth a right reporte shal I sawe depeynted vpon a wal

From este to weste many a fair ymage Of sondry louers lyke as they were of age Y sette in ordre after they were trewe With liuely colours wonder fresh of hue And as me thought I sawe som sitte & som stade And some knelyng with billes in their hande And some with compleynt woful & pietous With doleful chere to putten to venus So as she sat fleetyng in the see Vpon her woo forto haue pitee And first of alle I saugh there of cartage Dido the quene so goodly of visage That gan compleyne hir auenture and cas How she deceyued was of Eneas For al his hestes and his othes sworn And said alas that euer she was born Whan she sawe that ded she must be And next I sawe the compleynt of Medee How that she falsed was of Iason And nygh by venus sawe I sitte atheon And al the maner how the boor hym slough For whom she wepte and had pyne ynough Ther saw I also how that penolope

For she so longe her lord ne mighte see Was of colour bothe pale and grene And after next was the fresh quene I mene alcest the n.o.ble trewe wyf And for admete hou she lost her lif And for her trouth yf I shal not lye How she was torned in to a daysye Ther was Grisildes Innocence And al her mekenes and pacience There was eke Isode & many other moo And al the torment and the cruel woo That she had for tristram al her lyue And how that Tisbe her hert dyde ryue With thilk swerd of sir Piramus And al the maner hou that Theseus The mynotaure slow amyd the hous That was forwrynked by crafte of dedalus Whan he was in pryson s.h.i.t in Crete And how that philles felte of loues hete The grete fyre of demephon allas And for his falshed and for his trespas Vpon the walles depeynt men might see How she henge vpon a fylberd tree

And many a story moo than I rekene can Were in the temple, and how that paris wan The fayr Eleyne a l.u.s.ty fresh quene And hou Achilles was for Policene Y slayn vnwarly withyn Troye toun Al this sawe I walkyng vp and doun Ther sawe I wreton eke the hole tale How Philomene in to a nyghtyngale Y torned was, and proigne vnto a swalowe And how the sabyns in their maner halowe The feste of lucresse yet in Rome toun Ther saw I also the sorow of Palamon That he in prison felte and al the smert And how that he thurgh vnto his hert Was hurt vnwarly by castyng of an eye On fair fresh the l.u.s.ty yong Emelye And al the stryf bytwene hym & his brother And how that one faught with that other Withyn the groue, til they by Theseus Accorded were as Chaucer telleth vs And furthermore as I gan beholde I sawe hou phebus with an arowe of golde Y wounded was thurgh out his syde

Only by enuye of the G.o.d Cupyde And how that dyane vnto a laurer tre Y torned was whan that she dide fle And how that Ioue changed his cope Only for loue of the fair Eurepe And in to a hole, whan he did he sue Liste of his G.o.dhed his fourme to transmue And hou that he by trans.m.u.tacion The shap gan take of Amphitrion For Alc.u.mena so pa.s.sing was of beaute So was he hurt for al his deyte With louys dart, and might it not escape Ther sawe I also how mars was take Of vulca.n.u.s and with venus founde And with the cheynes Inuysible bounde Ther was also al the poesye Of hym Mercurye and al the philogye And how that she for her sapience Y wedded was to the G.o.d of eloquence And how the Muses lowly did obeye High in to heuyn this lady to conueye And with her songe hou she was magnefied With Jubiter there to be stellefied

And vppermore depeynt men might see How with her ryng the goodly canace Of euery fowle, the leydons and songe Coude vnderstond as she walked them among And hou her brother so often holpen was In his myschief, by the stede of bras And furthermore in the temple were Ful many a thousand louers here & there In sondry wyse redy to compleyne Vnto the G.o.ddesse, of her woo and peyne How they were hyndred som for enuye And how the serpent of fals Ielousie Ful many a louer hath put a back And causeles on them haue leid a lack And some ther were that playned on absence That were exiled and put out of presence Thurgh wicked tunges and fals suspecon Withoute mercy or ony remission And other eke her seruyse spent in veyn And of her lady were not loued ageyn And other eke that for pouerte Dursten in no wyse her grete aduersite Discouere ne opene, lest they were refused

And some for wantyng also were accused And other eke that loued secretly And of her lady durst axe no mercy Lest that she wolde of hym haue despyte And some also that putten right grete wite Ou double louers that loue thinges newe Thurgh whos falsenes hyndred be the trewe And som there were as. .h.i.t is ofte founde That for her lady many a blody wounde Endured hath in many a regyon Whiles that an other hath had possession Al of his lady and bereth a way the fruyt Of his labour and of all his fuyt And other compleyned of richesse How he with tresour doth his besynesse To wynne agaynst al kynde and right Where as true louers haue force none ne might And som ther were as maydyns yong of age That pleyneth so with pipyng & with rage That were coupled agayn al nature With croked elde that may not long endure For to perfourme the l.u.s.t of loues playe For hit ne fit not vnto fressh maye

For to be coupled to olde Ianuarye They be so dyuerse that they must varye For elde is gruoching and malencolious Ay ful of yre and suspecious And yongth entendeth to Ioye & l.u.s.tynes To mirth and play and to al gladnes Allas that euer hit shold falle So swete sugre y coupled be to galle These yonge folke cryeden oft sithe And praid venus her power to kythe Vpon this myschief and shape remedye And right anone I herde other crye With sobbyng teres and pietous sowne To fore the G.o.ddesse by lamentacion That were constrayned in their yougthe And in childhode as is ofte couthe Y entrid were in to Religion Or they had yeris of discrescon That al her lif can not but compleyne In wyde Copes perfection forto feyne Ful couertly for to coueren thair smert And shewe the contrary of thair hert Thus saw I wepe many a fair mayde

That on theyr frendes al the wyte thay layde And other next I saw ther in grete rage That they were maried in theyr tendre age With oute fredom of fre election Where loue hath selde domynacion For loue at large and at liberte Wolde frely chese and not with suche trete And other saw I ful ofte wepe and wrynge That they in men fonde suche varyynge To loue a season whyle that beaulte flourith And after by disdayn so vngoodly lourith On her that whylom he callyd his lady dere That was to hym so playsant and entier But l.u.s.t with fairnes is so ouer goon That in her herte trouthe abideth noon And some also I sawe in teres reyne And pietously on G.o.d and kynde pleyne That euer they wold on ony creature So moche beaute pa.s.sing be mesure Sette on a woman to yeue occasion A man, to loue to his confusion And namely there, where he shal haue no grace For with a loke forth by as he doth pace

Ful ofte falleth thurgh castyng of an eye A man is wounded that he must nedis deye That neuer peraunter after he shal her see Why wil G.o.d don so grete a cruelte To ony man, or to his creature To make hym so muche woo endure For her, percas, whom he shal in no wyse Reioyse neuer, but so forth in Iuyse Lede his lif til that he be graue For he ne durst of hir no mercy craue And eke [per]aunter though he durst & wolde He can not wite where he hir fynd sholde I sawe ther eke, and therof had I couthe That som were hyndred by couetyse & slougthe And some also for their hastynes And other eke for their rechelesnes But altherlast as I walked and behelde Beside pallas with her Cristal sheld Tofore the statue of venus set on height Ther kneled a lady in my sight To fore the G.o.ddesse, whiche as the sonne Pa.s.seth the sterris, and eke the stormys donne And lucifer to voyde the nyghtes sorowe

In clerenes pa.s.seth erly the morowe And so as maye hath the souereynte Of euery moneth the fayrnes and beaute And as the rose in swetnes and odour Surmounted flouris, and baine of al licour Hath the pryse, and as the rubye bright Of al stones in beaute and in sight As it is knowe hath the Regalye Right so this ladye with her goodly eye And with the stremys of hir loke so bright Surmounteth al thourgh beaute in my sight That for to tel her grete semelines Her womanhed her porte and her fairnes. .h.i.t was a meruayle, how euer that nature Cowde in her werkes make a creature So angelyk so goodly on to see So femynyn or pa.s.sing of beaute Whos sonnysh heer brighter than goldwire Lyche phebus beames shynyng in his spyre The goodlihed eke of her fresh face So replenyshed of beaute and of grace So wel ennewed by nature and depeynt As Rose and lilyes to gyder were meynt

So egally by good proporcion That as me tought by myn inspection I gan meruaylle hou G.o.d or werk of kynde Mighten of beaute suche a tresour fynde To yeuen hir so pa.s.sing excellence For in good faith thurgh her hye presence The temple was ensumyned enuyron And forto speke of her condicion She was the beste that might be on lyue For ther was none [that] with her might stryue To speke of bounte or of gentilesse Of womanhede or of lowlynesse Of curtoysie or of goodlihede Of speche of chere or of semelihede Of poort benigne or of daliaunce The best taught and therto of playsaunce She was the welle eke of honeste An Examplair and mirrour eke was she Of secretnes of trouthe of feithfulnes And to alle other lady and maistres To shewe vertu who so list to lere And so this lady right humble of chere Kneling I sawe, clad in grene and whyte

To fore venus G.o.ddesse of al delyte Enbrowded al with stones and perre So richely that Ioye it was to see With sondry rolles on her garnement For texpowne the trouth of her entent To shewe fully that for her humblesse And for her vertu and her stablenesse That she was cote of al womanly playsance Therfore her word withoute variance Enbrowded was as men might see De mieulx en mieulx with stones of perre This is to sayne that she was so benygne From better to better her hert doth resigne And al her wyll to venus the G.o.ddesse Whan that her list her harmes to redresse For as me thought somwhat by her chere For to compleyne she had grete desire For in her hand she held a lityl bylle For to declare the sume of al her wylle And to the G.o.ddesse her quarel for to shewe Theffect of whiche was in wordes fewe

.The copye of the supplicacion.

O lady venus moder of cupyde That in this world hast the gouernance And hertes hye that hawteyn be by pryde Enclynest mekely to thyn obeyssance Causer of Ioye Relees of penance And with thy stremes canst euery thing discern Thurgh heuenly fire of loue that is etern

O blesful sterre persaunt and ful of light Of beames gladsom, deuoyder of derknes Chief recomfort after the blak nyght To wyde woful hertes out of theyr heuynes Take now good hede lady and G.o.ddesse So that my bille may your grace attayne Redresse to fynde of that I me compleyne

For I am bounde to thing that I nolde Frely to chese ther lack I liberte And so I want of that myn herte wolde The body is knyt, though my thought be fre So that I muste of necessite My hertes lyst outward contrarye Though we be oon the dede muste varye

My worship sauf I faylle election Agayn al right both of G.o.d and kynde Therto be knyt vnder subiection For whens for both ar out of mynde My thought goth furth my body is behynde For I am here, and yond my remembrance Betwene two so hange I in balance

Deuoyde of Ioye, of woo I haue plente What I desire, that may I not possede For that I nolde is redy ay to me And that I loue, for to sue I drede To my desire contrary is my mede And thus I stonde departed in tweyne Of wyll and dede ylaced in a cheyne

For though I brenne with feruence & hete Withyn myn herte I mote compleyne of colde And by excesse though I swelte and swete Me to compleyne G.o.d wote I am not bolde Vnto no wight, ner one word vnfolde Of al my peyne, allas the hard stounde The hotter that I brenne, [the] colder is my wounde

For he that hath myn hert feythfully And hool my loue in al honeste Withoute chaunge al be hit secretly I haue no s.p.a.ce with hym for to be O lady venus consider now and see Vnto theffecte and compleynt of my byll Sith lyf and deth I put all in thy wyll

And tho me thought the G.o.ddes did enclyne Mekely her hede and softly gan expresse That in short tyme her torment shold fyne And how of hym for whom al her distresse Contynned had and al her heuynesse She shold haue Ioye and of her purgatorye Be holpen sone and so lyue forth in glorye

And said doughter for thy sad trouthe Thy faithful menyng and Innocence That planted be with outen ony slouthe In your persone deuoyed of al offence So han they atteyned to our audience That with our grace ye shal be wel releuyd I you behete of al that hath you greuyd

And for that ye be euer of one entent Withoute chaunge or mutabilyte And in your paynes ben so pacient To take lowly your aduersyte And that so longe thurgh the cruelte Of olde saturne my fader vnfortuned Your woo shal now no lenger be contuned

And thinketh this with in a litil whyle Hit shal aswage and ouer pa.s.sen sone For men by laysir pa.s.sen many a myle And ofte after a droppyng mone The weder clereth, and whan [the] storme is done The sonne shyneth in his spyer bright And Ioye waketh whan woo is putto flight

Remembre eke how neuer yet no wight Ne cam to worship with out som debate And folke reioyse also more of light That they with derknes were waped & mate No mans chance is allewey fortunate Ne no wight preyseth of sugre the swetnes But they to fore haue tasted bitternes

Gryssyld was asayed atte full That torned after to encrese of Ioye Penolope gan eke for sorowes dulle For that her lord abode so long at troye Also the torment ther coude noman accoye Of dorygene flour of al Bretaigne Thus euer Ioye is fyn and ende of payne

And trusteth this for conclusion The ende of sorow is Ioye voyde of drede For hoolly seyntes thurgh her pa.s.sion Haue heuyn wonne by their souerain mede And plente gladly foloweth after nede And so my doughter after your greuaunce I you behote ye shal haue ful plesaunce

For euer of loue the maner and the gyse Is for to hurte his seruaunt & to wounde And whan he hath taught them his empryse He can in Ioye make them to habounde And sith that ye haue in my laas be bounde With oute gruoching or rebellyon Ye muste of night haue consolacion

This to sayne dowteth neuer a deel That ye shal haue ful possession Of hym that ye now cherisshe so weel In honest maner with oute offencion By cause I knowe youre entencion Is truly sette in party and in all To loue hym best and most in speciall

For he that ye haue chosen you to serue Shal be to you suche as ye desire With oute chaunge fully til he sterue So with my bronde I haue sette hym a fyre And with my grace I shal hym so enspyre That he in herte shal be right at your wylle Wherso you liste to saue hym or to spylle

For vnto you I shal his herte so lowe With oute spotte of ony doblenesse That he ne shal escape from the bowe Thaugh that hym self by vnstedfastnesse I mene of cupide that shal hym so distresse Vnto your honde with tharowe of golde That he ne shal escapen thaugh he wolde

And sith ye list of pyte and of grace In vertu only his yonghthe to cherisshe I shal by aspectes of my benigne face Make hym beschewe euery synne and vice So that he shal haue no maner spice In his corage to loue thinges newe He shal to yow so playn be found and trewe

And whan this goodly fair fressh of hue Humble and benygne of trouth crop & rote Conceyued had how venus gan to rewe On her prayer plainly to do bote To chaunge her bitter attones in to sote She fyl on knees of high deuocion And in this wyse began her orison

Hyghest of hye quene and Emperice G.o.ddesse of loue, of good yet the best That thurgh your beaute withoute vice Whylom conquerd thappel atte fest That Iubiter thurgh his hye request To alle the G.o.ddes aboue celestyal Made in his palais most Imperyal

To you my lady vpholder of my lyf Mekely I thanke so as I may suffise That ye list now with herte ententyf So graciously for me to deuyse That whyle I lyue with humble sacrefise Vpon your auters your fest yer by yer I shal encence casten in to the fyre

For of your grace I am ful reconsiled From euery troble vnto ioye and ease That sorowes alle be from me exiled Sith ye my lady list now tappease My paynes olde and fully my disease Vnto gladnes so sodenly to torne Hauyng no cause from hens forth to morne

For sithen ye so mekely liste to daunte To my seruise hym that loueth me best And of your bounte so graciously to graunte That he ne shal barye though hym leste Wherof myn herte is fully brought to reste For now and euer o lady myn benigne That hert and will I hooly to you resigne

Thankyng you with al my ful herte That of your grace and visitacion So humble liste hym to conuerte Fully to ben at my subiection With oute chaunge or trans.m.u.tacion Vnto his laste, now laude and reuerence Be to your name and excellence

This al and sum and chief of my request And hool substance of my ful entente You thankyng euer of your graunt & hest Both now and euer that ye me grace sent To conquer hym that neuer shal repent Me for to serue and humblye for to please As fynal tresour of my hertes ease

And than anon venus cast a doun In to her lappe braunches whyte and grene Of hawthorn that wenten enuyron Aboute her heed that ioye was to sene And had her kepe hem honestly and clene Whiche shold not fade ne neuer wexe olde Yf she her biddyng kepe as she hath told

And as these vowes be bothe fair and swete Folowe theffecte that they do specifye This is to seyne both in cold and hete Be ye of one hert and of one fantasye As ar these leues whiche may not dye By no duresse of stormes that be kene Nomore in wynter than in somer grene

Right so by ensample of wele or woo For Ioye torment or for aduersite Whether so fortune fauoure, or be foo For pouert riches or prosperyte That ye your hert kepe in on degre To loue hym best for no thing that ye fyne Whom I haue bound so low vnder your cheyne

And with [that] word the G.o.ddesse shoke her heed And was in pees & s.p.a.ck as tho nomore And therwith all ful femynyn of drede Me thought this lady sighen gan ful sore And said agayn, lady that maist restore Hertes in Ioye from theyr aduersite To do your wil de mieulx en mieulx ma gree

Thus euer slepyng dremyng as I laye Withyn the temple me thought I saye Grete prees of folk with murmur wonderful To croude and shoue, the temple was so ful Euerich ful besy, in his owne cause That I ne may shortly in a clause Discriuen alle the rites and the guyse And eke I wante connyng to deuyse How some ther were with blood, encence & milk And some with flouris sote & softe as silk And some with sparowes & douues whyte That for to offren gan hem delyte Vnto the G.o.ddesse with sighe and prayer Hem to relese of that they most desire That for the prees shortly to conclude I wente my way for the mult.i.tude Me for to refressh out of the prees allone And by my self me thought as I gan gone With in the estres and gan a whyle tarye I sawe a man that walked al solitarye That as me semed for heuynes and dole Hym to compleyne, that he walked so sole With oute espyyng of ony other wight