BALLADMost noble ladies, cherish your fair fame,And for God's love the contrary eschewOf good report, lest thus you come to blame:Nor make your choice of all acquaintance new.For some might tell (such evil tongues have they),How wanton manners in your life they see,Though never yet in any fault you lay:And from such faithless rascals keep you free.For little would it serve to bear the nameOf one whom many love, yet find for dueNought but dishonour that from slanderers cameTelling abroad how in your works they knewYour wantonness: so well it is alwayTo hold aloof, ere any trial be,From ill that follows after foolish play,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.Nay, be ye rather armed against the sameWith perfect wit, so tirelessly they sueTo stain your honour, whence full often shameComes without cause, yet they to pleasure you[pg 119]Feign courtesy: my warning may not stay,So oft I hear how those ye hold in feeBlame you no less: withdraw from these, I pray,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.Most noble ladies! be not wroth to-dayThat I have ever counselled you to fleeThese traitors: trust me, though no more I say,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.In such wise did the Lady of La Tour, who made me very sad by the letter the which she wrote, make answer to my Lady, who was sore dismayed by it albeit she was not displeased with her on account of it, but said forthwith, “Ah! if it had pleased our lord that she had been alway with me, she would have exhorted me wisely, and thus I should not have been beguiled by evil counsel, but ne'ertheless I shall abandon this, and abide me by her counsel, for I well perceive the grievous peril which pertains to a life of love, but it is meet that he who is oft in my thoughts should abandon it likewise.” Then she wrote a letter to me, even as is here set forth.
BALLADMost noble ladies, cherish your fair fame,And for God's love the contrary eschewOf good report, lest thus you come to blame:Nor make your choice of all acquaintance new.For some might tell (such evil tongues have they),How wanton manners in your life they see,Though never yet in any fault you lay:And from such faithless rascals keep you free.For little would it serve to bear the nameOf one whom many love, yet find for dueNought but dishonour that from slanderers cameTelling abroad how in your works they knewYour wantonness: so well it is alwayTo hold aloof, ere any trial be,From ill that follows after foolish play,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.Nay, be ye rather armed against the sameWith perfect wit, so tirelessly they sueTo stain your honour, whence full often shameComes without cause, yet they to pleasure you[pg 119]Feign courtesy: my warning may not stay,So oft I hear how those ye hold in feeBlame you no less: withdraw from these, I pray,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.Most noble ladies! be not wroth to-dayThat I have ever counselled you to fleeThese traitors: trust me, though no more I say,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.In such wise did the Lady of La Tour, who made me very sad by the letter the which she wrote, make answer to my Lady, who was sore dismayed by it albeit she was not displeased with her on account of it, but said forthwith, “Ah! if it had pleased our lord that she had been alway with me, she would have exhorted me wisely, and thus I should not have been beguiled by evil counsel, but ne'ertheless I shall abandon this, and abide me by her counsel, for I well perceive the grievous peril which pertains to a life of love, but it is meet that he who is oft in my thoughts should abandon it likewise.” Then she wrote a letter to me, even as is here set forth.
BALLADMost noble ladies, cherish your fair fame,And for God's love the contrary eschewOf good report, lest thus you come to blame:Nor make your choice of all acquaintance new.For some might tell (such evil tongues have they),How wanton manners in your life they see,Though never yet in any fault you lay:And from such faithless rascals keep you free.For little would it serve to bear the nameOf one whom many love, yet find for dueNought but dishonour that from slanderers cameTelling abroad how in your works they knewYour wantonness: so well it is alwayTo hold aloof, ere any trial be,From ill that follows after foolish play,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.Nay, be ye rather armed against the sameWith perfect wit, so tirelessly they sueTo stain your honour, whence full often shameComes without cause, yet they to pleasure you[pg 119]Feign courtesy: my warning may not stay,So oft I hear how those ye hold in feeBlame you no less: withdraw from these, I pray,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.Most noble ladies! be not wroth to-dayThat I have ever counselled you to fleeThese traitors: trust me, though no more I say,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.In such wise did the Lady of La Tour, who made me very sad by the letter the which she wrote, make answer to my Lady, who was sore dismayed by it albeit she was not displeased with her on account of it, but said forthwith, “Ah! if it had pleased our lord that she had been alway with me, she would have exhorted me wisely, and thus I should not have been beguiled by evil counsel, but ne'ertheless I shall abandon this, and abide me by her counsel, for I well perceive the grievous peril which pertains to a life of love, but it is meet that he who is oft in my thoughts should abandon it likewise.” Then she wrote a letter to me, even as is here set forth.
Most noble ladies, cherish your fair fame,And for God's love the contrary eschewOf good report, lest thus you come to blame:Nor make your choice of all acquaintance new.For some might tell (such evil tongues have they),How wanton manners in your life they see,Though never yet in any fault you lay:And from such faithless rascals keep you free.For little would it serve to bear the nameOf one whom many love, yet find for dueNought but dishonour that from slanderers cameTelling abroad how in your works they knewYour wantonness: so well it is alwayTo hold aloof, ere any trial be,From ill that follows after foolish play,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.Nay, be ye rather armed against the sameWith perfect wit, so tirelessly they sueTo stain your honour, whence full often shameComes without cause, yet they to pleasure you[pg 119]Feign courtesy: my warning may not stay,So oft I hear how those ye hold in feeBlame you no less: withdraw from these, I pray,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.Most noble ladies! be not wroth to-dayThat I have ever counselled you to fleeThese traitors: trust me, though no more I say,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.
Most noble ladies, cherish your fair fame,And for God's love the contrary eschewOf good report, lest thus you come to blame:Nor make your choice of all acquaintance new.For some might tell (such evil tongues have they),How wanton manners in your life they see,Though never yet in any fault you lay:And from such faithless rascals keep you free.For little would it serve to bear the nameOf one whom many love, yet find for dueNought but dishonour that from slanderers cameTelling abroad how in your works they knewYour wantonness: so well it is alwayTo hold aloof, ere any trial be,From ill that follows after foolish play,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.Nay, be ye rather armed against the sameWith perfect wit, so tirelessly they sueTo stain your honour, whence full often shameComes without cause, yet they to pleasure you[pg 119]Feign courtesy: my warning may not stay,So oft I hear how those ye hold in feeBlame you no less: withdraw from these, I pray,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.Most noble ladies! be not wroth to-dayThat I have ever counselled you to fleeThese traitors: trust me, though no more I say,And from such faithless rascals keep you free.
Most noble ladies, cherish your fair fame,
And for God's love the contrary eschew
Of good report, lest thus you come to blame:
Nor make your choice of all acquaintance new.
For some might tell (such evil tongues have they),
How wanton manners in your life they see,
Though never yet in any fault you lay:
And from such faithless rascals keep you free.
For little would it serve to bear the name
Of one whom many love, yet find for due
Nought but dishonour that from slanderers came
Telling abroad how in your works they knew
Your wantonness: so well it is alway
To hold aloof, ere any trial be,
From ill that follows after foolish play,
And from such faithless rascals keep you free.
Nay, be ye rather armed against the same
With perfect wit, so tirelessly they sue
To stain your honour, whence full often shame
Comes without cause, yet they to pleasure you
[pg 119]
Feign courtesy: my warning may not stay,
So oft I hear how those ye hold in fee
Blame you no less: withdraw from these, I pray,
And from such faithless rascals keep you free.
Most noble ladies! be not wroth to-day
That I have ever counselled you to flee
These traitors: trust me, though no more I say,
And from such faithless rascals keep you free.
In such wise did the Lady of La Tour, who made me very sad by the letter the which she wrote, make answer to my Lady, who was sore dismayed by it albeit she was not displeased with her on account of it, but said forthwith, “Ah! if it had pleased our lord that she had been alway with me, she would have exhorted me wisely, and thus I should not have been beguiled by evil counsel, but ne'ertheless I shall abandon this, and abide me by her counsel, for I well perceive the grievous peril which pertains to a life of love, but it is meet that he who is oft in my thoughts should abandon it likewise.” Then she wrote a letter to me, even as is here set forth.