Selections

John Lydgate

Ballade on an Ale-seller

Hic nota de illis que vendunt servisiam in Cantuar.

1

Remembryng on the grete vnstabilnesse,

The plesaunt looke also, the countenaunce,

The counterfett cheer, medlid withe dowbilnesse,

Of you in whom I put myn affiaunce,

I tooke my penne, thus stondyng in a traunce;

Experiens had, the trouthe I nyl denye,

In you my-silf I nyll nomor affye.

Nota decepciones per signa.

2

Your callyng look, the sholdres ofte thwertyng,

Your brestis bare, I dar riht weel assur,

Your lauhtir, and your sadde kissyng,

And I shold sey, be moste for to recure

Money out of purs, and call men to your lur;

Thes snaris leyd, withe guyle and trecherie

Makethe men to fonne, in you ther tryst taffie.

Nota decepcio per iuramenta.

3

This nat suffisithe, but yit ye be mor slihe

To make men put in you more affiaunce,

Your tresours tenvoce, and for to sett vp hihe

In eche of them ye putt withe desseyuaunce

A garlek hed, and swer thus in substaunce,---

"Whil the hed is hooll, withynne my chaplerie

I shal yow love, and moost in you affye."

4

Whil in ther purs thei haue money to spende,

Nouthir nyht nor day thei can themsilf withsette,

Till that ther spens be brouht fully to eende,

Than must thei borwe and bryng themsilfe in dette;

So in your love, your countenaunce hathe hem hette

And nat-for-this ye can weel bler ther ye,

And love a-nothir, whan they yow moste affye.

5

Your bewte and also your feyned plesaunce

Venus to serue, withe all the surplusage,

Causeth men ful ofte to haue greuaunce,

To wandryn in mynde, and make men full vnsage

To walke allone, as men that don in rage,

Thouh ye seen this, ye will riht applie,

Your herte a way; in whom shall men affye?

6

To trewe Grisilde I wil nat compare,

To Lucrece nor vnto Penelope;

Trew love in yow I trow is so ful rare

It were grete wrong, as me semethe, pardie,

To write your liff mong ther legendis to be,

From hym so soone in twynklyng of an ye

Your herte wil chaunge, that you moost dothe affie.

7

Gladly ye wil, to gete you acqueyntaunce,

Calle men to drynke, althouhe thei therfor pay;

With your kissyng thouh that ye do pleasaunce

It shal be derrer, er thei go ther wey,

Than al ther ale, to them I dar weel saye.

Thus withe your ale, and withe your cheer so slye,

Ye them disseyve, that in yow moste affye.

8

Thouh natur in you hathe don her besy cur,

And fourmed you withe bewtes and plesaunce;

Like as hir silfe wer set in your figur,

Off alle bewtes in yow be suffisaunce;

The fyne of all in you is variaunce;

Whan love is moost, rathest ye wil applie

Decet to them, that moost you don affie.

ffallere fallentem non est fraus.

9

Moost dewe rewarde, and also be guerdeun

To recompense your grete vnstabilnesse,

Your sotel guyle, and also your tresoun,

With gyle ageyn your guerdoun to redresse.

Sithe of deceit ye be first founderesse,

Put wite in you, and nat on my partye,

Your doubilnesse thouhe I nomor affye.

10

[incomplete]

Soo litil

To no t

But vn

Men to

All trew

That name

That men may

11

Sithe in ther natur

Is founde them silfe and

To ther honour ther na

All this writyng reboundethe I

Thouh it be rude & spoke in termys

The meenyng is, preys vnto them applie

That wil be trewe whan men in them affye.