But first, if I shulde make mencioun 155 Of his persone, and plainly him discryve, He was in sothe, without excepcioun, To speke of manhode, oon the best on-lyve; Ther may no man ayen the trouthe stryve. For of his tyme, and of his age also 160 He proved was, ther men shulde have ado, For oon the beste there, of brede and lengthe So wel y-mad by good proporcioun, If he had be in his deliver strengthe; But thought and seknesse were occasioun 165 That he thus lay, in lamentacioun, Gruffe on the grounde, in place desolat, Sole by him-self, awhaped and amat. And, for me semeth that it is sitting His wordes al to putte in remembraunce, 170 To me, that herdë al his complayning And al the groundë of his woful chaunce, If ther-withal I may you do plesaunce, I wol to you, so as I can, anon, Lyk as he sayde, reherce hem everichon. 175 But who shal helpe me now to complayne? Or who shal now my style gye or lede? O Niobè, let now thy teres rayne In-to my penne; and helpe eek in this nede, Thou woful Mirre, that felest my herte blede 180 Of pitous wo, and myn hand eek quake Whan that I wryte, for this mannes sake! For unto wo accordeth complayning And doleful cherë unto hevinesse; To sorowe also, syghing and weping, 185 And pitous mourning, unto drerinesse; And whoso that shal wryten of distresse In party nedeth to knowe felingly Cause and rote of al such malady. But I, alas! that am of witte but dulle, 190 And have no knowing of such matere, For to discryve and wryten at the fulle The woful complaynt, which that ye shal here, But even-lyk as doth a skrivenere That can no more what that he shal wryte, 195 But as his maister besyde doth endyte; Right so fare I, that of no sentement Saye right naught, as in conclusioun, But as I herde, whan I was present, This man complayne with a pitous soun; 200 For even-lyk, without addicioun Or disencrees, either more or lesse, For to reherce anon I wol me dresse. And if that any now be in this place That fele in love brenning or fervence, 205 Or hindred werë to his lady grace With false tonges, that with pestilence Slee trewe men that never did offence In word nor dede, ne in hir entent-- If any suche be here now present, 210 Let him of routhe lay to audience, With doleful chere and sobre countenaunce, To here this man, by ful high sentence, His mortal wo and his gret perturbaunce Cómplayning, now lying in a traunce, 215 With lokes upcaste, and with ruful chere, Th' effect of whiche was as ye shal here.-- COMPLEYNT.