To loue me so / whiche knoweth my persone And my frendes eke / me thynke ye are not wyse As now of me conforte haue ye none Wherefore this answere / maye to you suffyse I can not do / but as my frendes deuyse I can no thynge do / but as they accorde They haue me promest / to a myghty lorde ¶ Amour. Madame in this worlde ben but thynges twayne As loue and hate / ye knowe your selfe the trouthe yf I sholde hate you / deth I were worthy playne Than had you cause / with me to be wrothe To deserue dyspleasure / my herte wolde be lothe Wherfore fayre lady / I yelde at this hower To your mekenes / my herte my loue and power ¶ Pucell. {I} thynke you past all chyldy ygnoraunce {But} gladde I am / yf prudence be your guyde {Gr}ace cometh often after gouernaunce {B}eware of foly / beware of inwarde pryde Clymbe not to fast / but yet fortune abyde For your loue I thanke you / yf trouthe haue it fyxte As with yll thought / neuer for to be myxte ¶ Amour. Surely my mynde / nor yet my purpose In ony cause by foly dyde vary Neuer doynge thynke open ne close That to your honour sholde be contrary As yet for grace I am content to tary For myn enmyes fraude and subtylnes Whiche pryuely begyne theyr owne vnhapynesse ¶ Pucell. Now of trouthe / I do vnto you tell The thynge [that] to your enmyes is moost dyspleasure Is for to gouerne you by wysdome ryght well That causeth enuy in theyr hertes to endure But be ye pacyent and ye shall be sure Suche thynges as the ordayne vnto your gref Wyll lyght on them to theyr owne myschefe ¶ Amour. Surely I thynke / I suffred well the phyppe The nette also dydde teche me on the waye But me to bere I trowe they lost a lyppe For the lyfte hande extendyd my Iournaye And not to call me for my sporte and playe Wherfore by foly yf that they do synne The holy goost maye well the batayle wynne ¶ Pucell. Yf fortune wolde / for the payne ye haue taken I wolde graũt you loue / but it may nothỹge a{uayle} My loue is past / it can not be forsaken Therfore I praye you leue your trauayle Full lothe I were / your deth to bewayle There is no nette / nor no tempted snare But ye them knowe / wherfore ye maye beware ¶ Amour. The snares and nettes / set in sondrye maner Doone in tyme past / made many a byrde a dawe The tempted gynnes / were sette so cyrculer But euermore it is an olde sayd sawe Examples past dooth theche one to withdrawe Frome all suche perylles / wherfore than maye I By grace of god / beware full parfytly ¶ Pucell. Ye saye the trouthe / and I do not submytte My wyll and thought to the lady Venus As she is goddesse / and doth true loue knytte Ryght so to determyne / the mater betwene vs With assent of fortune / so good gracyous Besechynge you now for to holde you styll For these two ladyes / maye your mynde fulfyll ¶ Amour.