Here begynneth the Complaynte of them that ben to late maryed Copland, Robert, fl. 1508-1547. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription B07531 of text S123101 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 5728.5). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 19 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 9 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 B07531 STC 5728.5 ESTC S123101 72798882 ocm 72798882 184027 2240876668

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 Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. B07531) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 184027) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 2222:3) Here begynneth the Complaynte of them that ben to late maryed Copland, Robert, fl. 1508-1547. [16] p. : ill. s.n., [S.l. : 1518?] Date of publication suggested by STC (2nd ed.). Printer's device on colophon (McK. 12), initials. Signatures: A-B⁴. In verse. Reproduction of original in: Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery. eng English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700. English literature -- Early modern, 1500-1700. eebo Here begynneth the complaynte of them that ben to late maryed. Gringore, Pierre, 1518 16 2836 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 A This text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. 2010-08 Assigned for keying and markup 2010-09 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2010-10 Sampled and proofread 2010-10 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2011-06 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

Here begynneth the complaynte of them that ben to late maryed ⸫

a young lady waves to two gentlemen

AFter playes sportes and daunces of solace We must thynke to come to prosperyte After that god of his haboundaunte grace Wyll prouyde how that I may gouerne me In mynde I purpose wedded to be In a better lyfe may no man lyue in Than to be maryed and lyfe out of synne All yonge louers sholde them so affyle That they loue trewely and so for to lyue With ardaunte wytte and perfyte style All vnto goodnesse themselfe for to gyue Than may they be sure that they shall thryue So wyll I lyue in maryage clene and pure To goddes behoue & increasynge of nature To longe haue I lyued without ony make All to longe haue I vsed my yonge age I wyll all for go and a wyfe to me take For to encreace both our twoos lynage For saynt Iohn sayth that he is sage That ayenst his wyll doth hym gouerne And our lordes preceptes hym selfe for to lerne There is no greter pleasure than for to haue A wyfe that is full of prudence and wysdome Alas for loue nyght I am in poynte to raue These cursed olde men haue an yll custome Women for to blame / both all and some For that thy can not theyr myndes full fyll Therfore they speke of them but all yll Now syth that I haue my tyme vsed For to folowe / my folysshe pleasaunces And haue my selfe oftentymes sore abused At plaes and sportes / pompes and daunces Spendynge golde & syluer and grete fynaunces For faut of a wyfe the cause is all To late maryed / men may me call The holy sacramente of maryage Before holy chyrche was ordeyned For to encrease humayne lynage He that doth other wyse is not receyued Before god / thus was man guerdoned With woman for to lyue at his owene wyll He is a fole that elles where doth nature spyll I haue done as the labourer doth That somtyme is payned with trobyll grete For he leseth his payne for certayne soth That in the hye waye sotweth his whete Well I perceyue that I dyde me forgete Or that I put me in to housholde I haue lost my seed my worke is but colde Women and maydens / both good and yll With me I helde my selfe for to please The one dyde rebell / the other abode styll Other made me well at myn ease Cupydo than came me for to cease Venus lyghted her bronde of fyre For suche seruyce suche guerdov & hyre Late mary . Thus rauysshed in this sayd abusyon I was taken with a cauteious wyle That me thought to make conclusyon Of my weddynge within a whyle But yet dyde they me begyle They caused me for to make grete dyspence For I was no soner wed through my neglygence I wolde do make comune I I wys My propre goodes so was I lyght Of wytte and was all wayes redy as is A man of armes in poynt to fyght Other whyles I went me ryght In to places my selfe solysytynge But nother frequented that beynge Yf I with helde ony praty one Swetely ynough she made me chere Sayenge that she loued no persone But me / and therto she dyde swere But whan I wente fro that place there Vnto another she dyde as moche For they loue none but for theyr poche I had fyue or syxe companyons That haunted with me euery houre But I haue knowen to suche garsons In secrete they haue done socoure yf that they enioyed my paramoure With grete payne durste I it to them saye Force me was to kepe counseyll alwaye I wote well that I haue ryght sore varyed For to haue wylled for to lyue alone For to haue ben to late maryed For that I haue herde so longe a gone For she that abandoneth to more than one I dare wyll swere and ther with it sustyne That she abandoneth vnto a dosayne Folysshe regardes full of vanyte I kest ouer swarte and eke contrauers To daye I had peas rest and vnyte To morowe I had plete & processe dyuers Breke I dyde dores and fenesters Sargeauntes met me by the waye And enprysoned both me and my praye Subiecte I was to a meyny of bawdes And vnto a grete company of brothelles Whiche to me brought an hepe of rybaudes Dronkardes that loued well good morselles Knaues & theues that wolde pyke quarelles I gaue them clothes I knewe not theyr vse There is none so subtyll but loue doth hym abuse Alas I haue all my tyme spent and lost Whiche for to recouer is impossyble Spent haue I nature at grete expens and cost Ayenst the ryght canon and of the holy byble Offens done to god neuer ceasyble In daunger for to forfayte bothe soule & lyfe By defaute for to haue taken vnto me a wyfe Lyke vnto a best and hors or an asse That careth not for to tomble in the fen yf that ony with me playenge there was An other to helpe I wolde go then Mo gallantes a man sholde se than ren After a wentche and lepe and hytche Than dogges do about a farowinge bytche She wolde to no maner a man escondyte Eche one she appetyted for to receyue Takynge therein pleasure and delyte To the ende theyr syluer for to haue But in the stede chyldren to conceyue Botches pockes / and goutes they engendre In hedes and in legges and in euery menbre In this maner of sykenesse many ther be That ben Impotentes hanged and dede But lytell semblaunce they make on to se Taken as they ben / not beggynge theyr brede Hast you to be wedded thus I you rede Vnto the ende that ye be not cappable Of this grete daunger / deedly and vncurable Now am I out of this daunger so alenge Wherfore I an gladde it for to perseuer Longe about haue I ben me for to renge But it is better to late than to be neuer Certes I was not in my lyfe tyll hyther So full of Ioye that doth my herte in spyre Wedded folke haue tyme at theyr desyre Out am I now of thought dole and mone Lyuynge euer more ryght amorously For I haue a wyfe by my selfe alone At my commaundement both late and erely And yf it happen that I loke heuely My wyfe me kysseth & than she me colleth And ryght woman there she me consolleth To that I wyll haue done she is redy Neuer wyll she ayenst my wyll saye She doth to me the best that she can truely Nothynge of my volenty she doth me naye Yf I be angred or trobled ony waye Redy she is to chaunge my purpose Vnto the ende that I may haue all my repose I haue me all to longe refrayned Furnysshe I can not to all her pleasyre And for to promyse her I am constrayned More than I can do to her desyre She appetyteth it moche & doth me enspyre Gorgyously shewynge her fayre corsage But I am all caduc and wery for age I ought for to haue by this many chyldren Some sporte and playe & some at fyre syttynge Other in the felde to shote lepe and ren And some hardy / some mery / & tryumphynge In whome I sholde haue all my delytynge But to late maryd withouten dout May neuer se his chyldren ren out My wyfe shewed to me her proper dugge On the mornynge her delyte for to make And to haue me for to playe nugge a nugge Alas I wolde it full fayne forsake But force it is suche lessons to take And to ryse vp erly as I thynke best In the mornynge and go vnto my rest Whan I se her lye in shetes fayre and whyte As rede as the button of the rose With good wyll wolde I take than delyte Neuertheles I lete her haue her repose For it is force that I cast agayne on the close And to make a pawse than I am conioynt For th ynstrument is not yet well in poynt But yet somtyme I me constrayne To take nature solace thus thynke I But all sodeynly I me refrayne For I do fere to be to soone wery And than I slepe with courage all drery And yet am I / I can not passe Vpon women more than euer I was Constrayned I am to be full of Ialousy Seynge that I can not content her mynde Touchynge the playe of loue all softely Often ynough the experyence to fynde She me assayeth and tourneth by kynde Castynge vnto me her beggynge legge But I do slepe I care not for suche a begge With her eyen pleasaunte castynge a regarde In chastynge a laughter a merous Than with a praty smyle she doth me larde And that maketh me som what Ioyous But comynge to a bed delycyous For to holde the spere in a full hande It plyeth and fayleth for wyll not stonde Whan I herde her bable and langage Her gentyll termes spoken so properly I do me wysshe for to be in to the age Of eyghten / neyntene / or foure and twenty Suche assautes than gyue wolde I That for it sholde haue no nede to craue Of the grete pleasure that she sholde haue If that she go to banckettes and daunces She doth none offence therin certayne Nedes she must haue her plesaunces In some place to make her glad and fayne Wherfore I dare well say and susteyne That after with me I wolde haue her ledde Yf ony soner I had ben to her wedde We twayne sholde haue all our yongenesse After maryage custome and ryght Passed in Ioye / solace / and gladnesse And is wherfore I haue me pyght Force it is to me that the fyre be nyght That at a nede I can not haue quenched To late maryed is for to be complayned Late mary . It is sayd that man in seruytude Hym putteth / whan he doth to woman bende He ne hath but only habytude Vnto her the whiche well doth hym tende Who wyll to housholde comprehende And there a bout studyeth in youth alwayes He shall haue honoure in his olde dayes Some chyldren vnto the courtes hauntes And ben puruayed of benefyces Some haunteth markettes & be marchauntes Byenge and sellynge theyr marchaundyses Or elles constytued in offyces Theyr faders and moders haue grete solace That to late maryed by no waye hase I bewayll the tyme that is so spent That I ne me hasted for to wedde For I shall haue herytage and rente Both golde and syluer and kynred But syth that our lorde hath ordeyned That I this sacrament take me vpon I wyll kepe it trewely at all season Theophrastus vs sheweth in his prose That in maryage all is out of tune So doth also the romanuce of the rose Composed by mayster Iohan de mehune Yet neuertheles it is all comune That they neuer were in bonde of maryage Wherfore at all aventures is theyr langage Matheolus that was holden so wyse For to blame womem was all his ebate Suppose that he was maryed twyse For he was so olde that balde was his pate For he came the last tyme so very late That in hym there was no puyssaunce Amyte / solace / Ioye ne pleasure But whan that a man may do no more He blame that / that he can not do To late wedded the surplus therfore May not furnysshe as other may do For whan he wened to satysfye lo Nature at nede wyll not hym preuayle Suche wenes do to well that other whyle fayle Yf that there be ony tryfelers That haue wylled for to blame maryage I dare well saye that they ben but lyers Or elles god fayled in the fyrste age Adam bereth wytnesse and tesmonage Maryed he was and comen we ben God dyde choyse maryage vnto all men Now syth it is thus befall Why than ought we it to blame Vs for to put we ben holden all So sholde we alwayes holde with the same Or elles holy scrypture sayeth it is shame And that alleggeth all predycacours Our lorde god hateth all fornycatours Late mary . I am now sory that I haue no rathe Put my selfe in to maryages rout For many a folysshe loke it hathe It hath me cost / here and there about But yet my soule is in grete doute For god fornycatures punyssheth And out of this realme he them banyssheth There is no man lyuynge that can commyt Withoutouten the worke of nature But he in maryage doth commyse it As vs telleth the holy scrypture It is than foly to ony creature Thus for to blame his creason For ony maner of folysshe opynyon All they that by theyr subtyll artes Hath wylled for to blame maryage I wyll susteyne that they be bastardes Or at leest waye an euyll courage For to saye that therin is seruage In maryage / but I it reny For therin is but humayne company Yf ther be yll women and rebell Shrewed dispytous & eke felonyous There be other fayre & do full well Propre / gentyll / lusty / and Ioyous That ben full of grace and vertuous They ben not all born vnder a sygnet Happy is he that a good one can get To late maryed now helpe than me To make my sorowes and complayntes For by my fayth I swere to the I haue suffred many dolours & crayntes And haue sustayned mo attayntes Than euer dede wat after the hounde At dyspence I lyued & that haue I founde Galantes playne ye the tyme that ye haue lost Mary you be tyme as the wyse man sayth Tossed I haue ben fro pyler to post In commysynge natures werke alwayes I haue passed full many quasy dayes That now vnto good I can not mate For mary I dyde my selfe to late Rychely in a raye ought for to go These women that be obedyent Better than these cursed wyues do That ben not to theyr husbandes pacyent To take a wyfe was myn intent Goddes lawes to kepe and them to obserue Sauynge of nature and heuen to preserue Afore that euer I was maryed Bordeles I haunted and places of infame But I am now vnto a wyfe alayed The worlde to holde & honoure goddes neme That wycked man I holde to blame That foloweth euyll ruell and wyll not amende Vnto his soulles heth and honoure to pretende Late mary . Whan a man to olde age is faden and fall Lerne this lesson herken my sentence Fewe frendes meteth he with all That wyll to his pouerte take ony intellygence Wo worthe than crye they of the expence That they haue spent vnto youthes lust And now they must dye for hunger & thurst Better it is in youth a wyfe for to take And lyue with her to goddes pleasaunce Than to go in age for goddes sake In worldely sorowe and perturbaunce For youthes loue and vtteraunce And than to dye at the last ande And be dampned in hell with the foule fende
The auctour . Rychenes in youth with good gouernaunce Often helpeth age whan youth is gone his gate Both yonge & olde must haue theyr sustenaunce Euer in this worlde soo fekyll and rethrograte Ryght as an ampte the whiche all gate Trusseth and caryeth for his lyues fode Eny thynge that whiche hym semeth to be good Crysten folke ought for to haue Open hertes vnto god almyght Putrynge in theyr mynde thyr soule to saue Lernynge to come vnto the eternall lyght And kepe well theyr maryage & trouth plyght Nothynge alwaye of theyr last ende Durynge theyr lyues how they the tyme spende Here endeth the complaynt of to late maryed For spendynge of tyme or they a borde The sayd holy sacramente haue to longe taryed Humayne nature tassemble & it to accorde Enprynted in Fletestrete by wynkyn de Worde Dwellynge in the famous cyte of London His hous in the same at the sygne of the Sonne .
FINIS .

wynkyn de worde

printer's device of Wynkyn de Worde
printer's device of Wynkyn de Worde

wynkyn de worde