HYD, Absolon, thy gilte tresses clere; Ester, ley thou thy meknesse al a-doun; Hyd, Jonathas, al thy frendly manere; Penalopee, and Marcia Catoun, Mak of your wyfhod no comparisoun; Hyde ye your beautes, Isoude and Eleyne; My lady cometh, that al this may disteyne. Thy faire body, lat hit nat appere, Lavyne; and thou, Lucresse of Rome toun, And...Learn More

Sometime this world was so steadfast and stable, That man's word was held obligation; And now it is so false and deceivable, That word and work, as in conclusion, Be nothing one; for turned up so down Is all this world, through meed and wilfulness, That all is lost for lack of steadfastness. What makes this world to be so variable, But lust that...Learn More

The firste stock-father of gentleness, What man desireth gentle for to be, Must follow his trace, and all his wittes dress, Virtue to love, and vices for to flee; For unto virtue longeth dignity, And not the reverse, safely dare I deem, All wear he mitre, crown, or diademe. This firste stock was full of righteousness, True of his word, sober,...Learn More

Madame, for youre newefangelnesse, Many a servant have ye put out of grace. I take my leve of your unstedefastnesse, For wel I woot, whil ye have lives space, Ye can not love ful half yeer in a place, To newe thing youre lust is ay so keene; In stede of blew, thus may ye were al greene. Right as a mirour nothing may enpresse, But, lightly as it...Learn More

Alone walking In thought plaining, And sore sighing; All desolate, Me rememb'ring Of my living; My death wishing Both early and late. Infortunate Is so my fate, That, wot ye what? Out of measure My life I hate; Thus desperate, In such poor estate, Do I endure. Of other cure Am I not sure; Thus to endure Is hard, certain; Such is my ure, I you...Learn More

Incipit carmen secundum ordinem litterarum alphabeti.   Almighty and al merciable queene, To whom that al this world fleeth for socour, To have relees of sinne, of sorwe, and teene, Glorious virgine, of alle floures flour, To thee I flee, confounded in errour. Help and releeve, thou mighti debonayre, Have mercy on my perilous langour. Venquisshed...Learn More

Adam Scrivener, if ever it thee befall Boece or Troilus for to write anew, Under thy long locks thou may'st have the scall But after my making thou write more true! So oft a day I must thy work renew, It to correct, and eke to rub and scrape; And all is through thy negligence and rape....Learn More

I. 1. Youre two eyn will sle me sodenly I may the beaute of them not sustene, So wendeth it thorowout my herte kene. 2. And but your words will helen hastely My hertis wound, while that it is grene, Youre two eyn will sle me sodenly. 3. Upon my trouth I sey yow feithfully, That ye ben of my liffe and deth the quene; For with my deth the trouth...Learn More

Thou ferse god of armes, Mars the rede, That in the frosty contre called Trace, Within thy grisly temple ful of drede Honoured art as patroun of that place; With thy Bellona, Pallas, ful of grace, Be present and my song contynue and guye; At my begynnyng thus to the I crye. For hit ful depe is sonken in my mynde, With pitous hert in Englyssh to...Learn More

Proverbe of Chaucer What shul these clothes thus manyfold, Lo this hote somers day? After grete hete cometh cold; No man caste his pilche away. Of al this world the large compas Yt wil not in myn armes tweyne; Who so mochel wol embrace,...Learn More

Syn I fro love escaped am so fat, I nere thinke to ben in his prison lene; Syn I am fre, I count hym not a bene. He may answere, and sey this and that, I do no fors, I speke ryght as I mene ; Syn I fro love escaped am so fat. Love hath my name i-strike out of his sclat, And he is strike out of my bokes clene : For ever mo ther is non other...Learn More

The firste stok, fader of gentilesse -- What man that desireth gentil for to be Must folowe his trace, and alle his wittes dresse Vertu to love and vyces for to flee. For unto vertu longeth dignitee And noght the revers, saufly dar I deme, Al were he mytre, croune, or diademe. This firste stok was ful of rightwisnesse, Trewe of his word, sobre,...Learn More