For to be coupled to olde Ianuarye They be so dyuerse that they must varye For elde is gruoching and malencolious Ay ful of yre and suspecious And yongth entendetħ to Ioye & lustynes To mirtħ and play and to al gladnes Allas that euer hit shold falle So swete sugre y coupled be to galle These yonge folke cryeden oft sithe And praid venus her power to kythe Vpon this myschief and shape remedye And right anone I herde other crye Witħ sobbyng teres and pietous sowne To fore the goddesse by lamentacion That were constrayned in their yougthe And in childhode as is ofte couthe Y entrid were in to Religion Or they had yeris of discrescōn That al her lif can not but compleyne In wyde Copes perfection forto feyne Ful couertly for to coueren thair smert And shewe the contrary of thair hert Thus saw I wepe many a fair mayde That on theyr frendes al the wyte thay layde And other next I saw ther in grete rage That they were maried in theyr tendre age Witħ oute fredom of fre election Where loue hatħ selde domynacion For loue at large and at liberte Wolde frely chese and not witħ suche trete And other saw I ful ofte wepe and wrynge That they in men fonde suche varyynge To loue a season whyle that beaulte flouritħ And after by disdayn so vngoodly louritħ On her that whylom he callyd his lady dere That was to hym so playsant and entier But lust witħ fairnes is so ouer goon That in her herte trouthe abidetħ noon And som̄e also I sawe in teres reyne And pietously on god and kynde pleyne That euer they wold on ony creature So moche beaute passing be mesure Sette on a woman to yeue occasion A man, to loue to his confusion And namely there, where he shal haue no grace For witħ a loke fortħ by as he dotħ pace Ful ofte falletħ thurgħ castyng of an eye A man is wounded that he must nedis deye That neuer peraunter after he shal her see Why wil god don so grete a cruelte To ony man, or to his creature To make hym so muche woo endure For her, percas, whom he shal in no wyse Reioyse neuer, but so fortħ in Iuyse Lede his lif til that he be graue For he ne durst of hir no mercy craue And eke [per]aunter thougħ he durst & wolde He can not wite where he hir fynd sholde I sawe ther eke, and therof had I couthe That som were hyndred by couetyse & slougthe And som̄e also for their hastynes And other eke for their rechelesnes But altherlast as I walked and behelde Beside pallas witħ her Cristal sheld Tofore the statue of venus set on height Ther kneled a lady in my sight To fore the goddesse, whiche as the sonne Passetħ the sterris, and eke the stormys donne And lucifer to voyde the nyghtes sorowe