For she was horned and no thynge cleere And entred into the sygne of caprycorne Ryght ferre from phebus fulgent speere And not ayenst hym the crowne had worne I went vp and downe tyll on the morne That phebus his golden reyes dyd sprede Than dyscrecyon ferther forth me lede Amonge thornes sharpe & bestes wylde There was the lyon the wolf & the bere But I coude mete nother man ne chylde But many serpentes that dyde me fere And by a swete smelle I knewe a pantere So forth I went by longe contynuaunce Tyll that I sawe an herber of pleasaunce To whiche I toke anone my waye Where that I sawe a lady excellent Rydynge on a goote in fresshe arraye Ryght yonge of age & lusty of entent Prayenge me to her for to assent As to fulfyll the flesshly pleasure Whiche she desyred me out of mesure Nay sayd dyscrecyon that may not be No sayd I in no maner of wyse To her request I wyll now agree But euermore here foule lust despyse For I my selfe do now aduyse To kepe me chast that I may mary Fayre dame Clennes that noble lady [Illustration] So forth I went walkynge my iournay Metynge a lady olde and amyable Syttynge in a castell both fressh and gay On an olyphauntes backe in strength so stable Whiche it to bere was good and able Hauynge in her hande a cup of golde Sette with perles ryght many afolde She sayd she was the lady of rychesse The quene of welth and worldely glory Praynge me to company with her noblenesse And she than wolde promote me shortely To innumerable ryches and make me worthy Where I am poore and sette by nought By her to worshyp I sholde be brought Vnto her I answered I wolde not so As for to hunt in the parke of pryde The whiche to Clennes is mortall fo But with Dyscrecyon I wyll abyde Whiche doth a wyfe for me prouyde By whome I shall haue the possessyowne Of heuenly kyngdome & grete renowne So forth I went and had grete trauayle Without the comfort of ony persone Saue of dyscrecyon whiche dyd me counsayle As she went walkynge with me alone Vnto her I made full grete mone And lykened the wyldernes by morall scence Vnto worldely trouble by good experyence She sayd the fyrst lady that I dyd mete Iclyped was dame Sensualyte Whiche can well flater with wordes swete Causynge a man to fall into fragylyte And for to haunt the carnall freylte Whiche vnto clennes is abhomynable For they in werke be gretely varyable The seconde was pryde enduyd with couetyse A lady of ryght fruytles medytacyon Delytynge gretly in the synne of auaryce The whiche is cause of her dampnacyon For she by her fals supportacyon Blyndeth many a mannes conscyence And dryueth ryght oft fer in absence So ferther I went tyll at the last I was in a mase goynge in and oute Ther was none other way I was agast But forth I walked in grete doute Now here now there and so rounde aboute Than sayd vnto me dame Dyscrecyon Ye are in the besynes of worldely fastyon