t shal thy way make
And honest menyng afore do thy message
To make pyte in her herte awake
And secretnes to further thy viage
Wit[=h] humble porte to her that is so sage
Shal menes be, and I my self also
Shal the fortune, or thy tale be do
Go fort[=h] anon, and be right good of chere
For specheles nothing mayst thou spede
Be good of trust & be no thing in were
Sit[=h] I my self shal helpen in this nede
For atte lest of her goodly hede
She shal to the her audience enclyne
And lowe the to her til thou thy tale fyne
For wel thou wost yf I shal not feyne
Wit[=h]oute speche thou maist no mercy haue
For who that wil of his pryue peyne
Fully be cured his lyf to helpe and saue
He must mekely out of his hert graue
Discure his wound and shewe hit his leche
Or ellis deye for defaute of speche
For he that is in myschief reklees
To seche help I holde hym a wrecche
And she ne may thyn hert bryng in pees
But yf thy compleynt to hir hert strecche
Woldest thou be cured & wilt no salue fecche
Hit wil not be, for no wight may atteyne
To come to blys, yf he list lyue in peyne
Therfore attones go fort[=h] in humble wyse
To fore thy lady and lowly knele a doun
And in al trouthe thy wordes so deuyse
That she on the haue compassion
For she that is of so hye renoun
In al vertues as quene and souerayn
Of womanhed shal rue on thy payn
And whan the goddes this lesson had told
Aboute me so I gan behold
Rig[=h]t so a stoned stode in a traunce
To se the maner and contenance
And al the chere of this woful man
That was of hue dedely pale and wan
Wit[=h] drede supprised in his owne thought
Makyng chere as thaug[=h] he rought nought
Of lyf ne det[=h] ne what so hym betyde
So moche fere he had on euery side
To put hym fort[=h] to tel his peyne
Vnto his lady, other to compleyne
What woo he felt torment or disese
What dedely sorow his hert dide sese
For cout[=h] of whiche his wo as I endite
My penne I fele quaken as I wryte
Of hym I had so grete compassion
For to reherce his weymentacion
That vnnethe, thoug[=h] I wit[=h] my self stryue
I want connyng his peynes to discryue
Allas to whom shal I for help calle
Not to the muses for cause they ben alle
Help of right in Ioye and not in woo
And in matiers that they delite also
Wherfore they nyl as now directe my style
Nor me enspiren Alas the hard whyle
I can no further but to the siphon
And to her suster to calle help vpon
That be goddesses of torment and peyne
Nowe lete yo
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