Cap. I. Howe Graunde Amoure Walked in a Medowe, and Met Wyth Fame Envyroned with Tongues of Fyre

When Phebus entred was in Geminy, Shynyng above in his fayre golden spere, And horned Dyane then but one degre In the Crabbe had entred fayre and cleare; When that Aurora did well appeare In the depured ayre and cruddy firmament, Forth then I walked without impediment

Into a medowe both gaye and glorious, Whiche Flora depainted with many a colour, Lyke a place of pleasure moste solacious, Encensyng out the aromatike odoure Of Zepherus breath, whiche that every floure Through his fume doth alwaye engender. So as I went among the flowres tender,

By sodayne chaunce a fayre path I founde, On whiche I loked and ryght oft I mused, And then all about I behelde the grounde With the fayre path whiche I sawe so used. My chaunce or fortune I nothyng refused; But in the path forth I went apace, To knowe whether and unto what place

It woulde me bryng by any similitude. So forth I went, were it ryght or wrong, Tyll that I sawe of royall pulchritude Before my face an ymage fayre and strong, With two fayre handes stretched out along Unto two hye wayes there in particion, And in the ryght hande was this description:

This is the strayght waye of contemplacion. Unto the joyfull tower perdurable: Who that will unto that mancion, He must forsake all thinges variable, With the vayne glory so muche deceivable, And though the way be hard and daungerous, The last ende therof shal be ryght precious.

And in the other hande ryght fayre wrytten was, This is the way of worldly dignitie; Of the active life who wyll in it passe Unto the tower of fayre dame Beautye, Fame shall tell hym of the way of certaintie Unto La Bell Pucell, the fayre lady excellent, Above all other in cleare beauty splendent.

I behelde ryght well bothe the wayes twayne, And mused oft whiche was best to take; The one was sharpe, the other was more playne; And unto my selfe I began to make A sodayne argument, for I myght not slake Of my great musyng of this royall ymage, And of these two wayes so muche in usage;

For this goodly picture was in altitude Nyne fote and more, of fayre marble stone, Ryght well favoured and of great altitude, Though it were made full many yeres agone. Thus stode I musynge my selfe all alone By right long tyme; at the last I went The active waye with all my whole entent.

Thus all alone I began to travayle Forthe on my waye by long continuaunce; But often tymes I had great marvayle Of the by pathes so full of pleasaunce, Whiche for to take I had great doubtaunce; But evermore, as nere as I myght I toke the waye whiche went before me ryght.

And at the last, when Phebus in the west Gan to avayle with all his beames mery, When cleare Dyana in the fayre south est Gan for to ryse, lightyng our emispery With clowdes cleare without the stormy pery, Me thought afarre I had a vysyon Of a picture of marveylous facion:

To whiche I went without lenger delaye, Beholdyng well the ryght faire portrayture Made of fyne copper, shydyng faire and gaye, Full well truely accordyng to measure, And, as I thought, nyne fote of stature, Yet in the brest with letters fayre and blewe Was wrytten a sentence olde and true:

This is the waye and the sytuacion Unto the toure of famous doctrine: Who that wil learne must be ruled by reason And with all his diligence he must enclyne Slouthe to eschue and for to determine, And set his hert to be intelligible; To a willyng harte is nought impossible.

Besyde the ymage I adowne me sette, After my laboure my selfe to repose, Tyll at the last with a gaspyng nette Slouth my head caught with his whole purpose. It vayled not the bodye for to dispose Against the head, when it is applyed, The head must rule, it cannot be denied.

Thus as I satte in a deadly slomber, Of a great horne I harde a royal blast, With which I awoke, and had a great wonder From whence it came: it made me sore agast. I loked about; the nyght was wel nere past, And fayre golden Phebus in the morow graye With cloudes redde began to breake the daye.

I sawe come ryding in a valey farre A goodly ladye, envyroned about With tongues of fyre as bright as any starre, That fyry flambes ensensed alway out, Whiche I behelde and was in great doubte; Her palfrey swyft renning as the winde, With two white grayhoundes that were not behynde.

When that these grayhoundes had me so espied, With faunyng chere of great humilitie In goodly haste they fast unto me hyed; I mused why and wherfore it should be, But I welcomed them in every degre. They leaped oft and were of me ryght fayne; I suffred them, and cheryshed them agayne.

Their collers were of golde and of tyssue fine, Wherin their names appeared by scripture Of dyamondes that clerely do shyne: The letters were graven fayre and pure. To reade their names I did my busy cure; The one was Governaunce, the other named Grace; Then was I glad of all this sodayne cace.

And then the lady, with fiery flambe Of brennying tongues, was in my presence Upon her palfrey, whiche had unto name Pegase the swyfte, so fayre in excellence, Whiche sometime longed with his preminence To kyng Percius the sonne of Jubiter, On whome he rode by the worlde so farre.

To me she sayde, she marvelled muche why That her grayhoundes shewed me that favoure. What was my name she asked me truly? To whome I sayde it was La Graunde Amoure, Besechyng you to be to me succoure To the tower of Doctrine, and also me tell Your proper name and where you do dwell?

My name, quod she, in all the worlde is knowen, I-clipped Fame in every region, For I my horne in sundry wyse have blowen After the death of many a champion, And with my tongues have made aye mencion Of their great actes agayne to revive, In flaming tongues for to abyde on lyve.

It was the custome of an olde antiquitie, When the golden worlde had dominacion, And nature, hyghe in her aucthoritie, More stronger had her operacion Then she had nowe in her digression, The people then dyd all their busye payne After their death in fame to lyve agayne.

Recorde of Saturne, the first kyng of Crete, Whiche in his youth through his diligence Founde first plowyng of the landes swete; And after this, by his great sapience, For the comen profite and benevolence Of all metalles he made division One from another by good provision.

And then also, as some poetes fayne, He found shotyng and drawyng of the bowe, Yet as of that I am nothyng certayne; But for his cunnynge, of hye degre and lowe He was well beloved, as I do well knowe; Through whose laboure and aye busy cure His fame shall lyve and shall ryght long endure.

In whose tyme reigned also in Thessayle, (A parte of Grece) the kyng Melizyus, That was ryght strong and fierce in battaile; By whose laboure, as the story sheweth us, He brake first horses wilde and rigorious, Teaching his men on them ryght well to ryde, And he hym selfe did fyrst the horse bestryde.

Also Mynerve, the ryght hardy goddese In the same time of so hyghe renowne, Vainquished Pallas by her great worthynes, And first made harneys, to laye his pryde adowne: Whose great defence in every realme and towne Was spredde about for her hye chyvalrye, Whiche by her harneys wanne the victorye.

Doth not remayne yet in remembraunce The famous actes of the noble Hercules, That so many monsters put to utteraunce By his great wisdome and hye prowes? As the recule of Troye beareth good witnes; That in his time he would no battayle take But for the wealth of the commens sake.

Thus the whole myndes were ever fixt and set Of noble men in olde tyme to devyse Suche thynges as were to the comeyn proffet; For in that tyme suche was their goodly guyse, That after dethe theyr fame should aryse, For to endure and abyde in mynde, As yet in bokes we may them wrytten fynde.

O ye estates surmountynge in noblenesse, Remember well the noble paynyms all, How by theyr labour they wanne the hyenesse Of worthy fame to raygne memoryall, And them applyed ever, in specyall, Thynges to practyse whiche should profyte be To the comyn welthe and their heyres in fee.