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It nedeth take no witnesse,

For sche which seid is the goddesse,

To whether part of love it wende,

Hath sett me for a final ende

The point wherto that I schal holde.

For whan sche hath me wel beholde,

Halvynge of scorn, sche seide thus:

"Thou wost wel that I am Venus,

Which al only my lustes seche;

And wel I wot, thogh thou beseche 2400

Mi love, lustes ben ther none,

Whiche I mai take in thi persone;

For loves lust and lockes hore

In chambre acorden neveremore,

And thogh thou feigne a yong corage,

It scheweth wel be the visage

That olde grisel is no fole:

There ben fulmanye yeres stole

With thee and with suche othre mo,

That outward feignen youthe so 2410

And ben withinne of pore assay.

Min herte wolde and I ne may

Is noght beloved nou adayes;

Er thou make eny suche assaies

To love, and faile upon the fet,

Betre is to make a beau retret;

For thogh thou myhtest love atteigne,

Yit were it bot an ydel peine,

Whan that thou art noght sufficant

To holde love his covenant. 2420

Forthi tak hom thin herte ayein,

That thou travaile noght in vein,

Wherof my Court may be deceived.

I wot and have it wel conceived,

Hou that thi will is good ynowh;

Bot mor behoveth to the plowh,

Wherof the lacketh, as I trowe:

So sitte it wel that thou beknowe

Thi fieble astat, er thou beginne

Thing wher thou miht non ende winne. 2430

What bargain scholde a man assaie,

Whan that him lacketh forto paie?

Mi Sone, if thou be wel bethoght,

This toucheth thee; foryet it noght:

The thing is torned into was;

That which was whilom grene gras,

Is welked hey at time now.

Forthi mi conseil is that thou

Remembre wel hou thou art old."

Whan Venus hath hir tale told, 2440

And I bethoght was al aboute,

Tho wiste I wel withoute doute,

That ther was no recoverir;

And as a man the blase of fyr

With water quencheth, so ferd I;

A cold me cawhte sodeinly,

For sorwe that myn herte made

Mi dedly face pale and fade

Becam, and swoune I fell to grounde.

And as I lay the same stounde, 2450

Ne fully quik ne fully ded,

Me thoghte I sih tofor myn hed

Cupide with his bowe bent,

And lich unto a Parlement,

Which were ordeigned for the nones,

With him cam al the world at ones

Of gentil folk that whilom were

Lovers, I sih hem alle there

Forth with Cupide in sondri routes.

Min yhe and as I caste aboutes, 2460

To knowe among hem who was who,

I sih wher lusty Youthe tho,

As he which was a Capitein,

Tofore alle othre upon the plein

Stod with his route wel begon,

Here hevedes kempt, and therupon

Garlandes noght of o colour,

Some of the lef, some of the flour,

And some of grete Perles were;

The newe guise of Beawme there, 2470

With sondri thinges wel devised,

I sih, wherof thei ben queintised.

It was al lust that thei with ferde,

Ther was no song that I ne herde,

Which unto love was touchende;

Of Pan and al that was likende

As in Pipinge of melodie

Was herd in thilke compaignie

So lowde, that on every side

It thoghte as al the hevene cride 2480

In such acord and such a soun

Of bombard and of clarion

With Cornemuse and Schallemele,

That it was half a mannes hele

So glad a noise forto hiere.

And as me thoghte, in this manere

Al freissh I syh hem springe and dance,

And do to love her entendance

After the lust of youthes heste.

Ther was ynowh of joie and feste, 2490

For evere among thei laghe and pleie,

And putten care out of the weie,

That he with hem ne sat ne stod.

And overthis I understod,

So as myn Ere it myhte areche,

The moste matiere of her speche

Was al of knyhthod and of Armes,

And what it is to ligge in armes

With love, whanne it is achieved.

Ther was Tristram, which was believed 2500

With bele Ysolde, and Lancelot

Stod with Gunnore, and Galahot

With his ladi, and as me thoghte,

I syh wher Jason with him broghte

His love, which that Creusa hihte,

And Hercules, which mochel myhte,

Was ther berende his grete Mace,

And most of alle in thilke place

He peyneth him to make chiere

With Eolen, which was him diere. 2510

These.s, thogh he were untrewe

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