John Lydgate: The Complaint of the Black Knight with When by Divine Deliberation (Page 23 of 28)
(p.1his chare of golde his course swiftly ran
And quhill the twylyght and ye rewis rede
Of phebus lyt werr_ deaurat alite
I toke a penne and gan me fast spede
The woful pleynt of this man to write
Word be word as he did endyte
Lyke as I herd and koud hym to report
I haue here sett yhour hertis in disport
Gyf oucht be mys ley the wite on me
For I am worthy for to bere the blame
If anny thing mys reportit be
To mak this dyte for to seme lame
Through my vnkonnyng bot for to seme the same
Lyke as this man his compleynt did exprese
I ax mercy and forgefnese
And as I wrote me thought I sow aferre
In to the west lustely appere.
Esperus the goodely bryght sterre
So gladde so feire so plesaunt eke of chere
I mene venus wyth hyr bemes clere
That hevy hertis only to relefe
Is wount of custom for to schew at eue
And I als fast fell downe on my knee
And evyn to hyr thus I kan prey
O lady venus so feire vpon the see
Lat not this man for this treuth dey
For that Ioy thou haddest quhan thow ley
Wyth Mars thy knyt quhan that vlcanus fonde
And wyth a cheyn vnvisible you bonde
