The .vii. sorowe.
This laste sorow, yf any sorow be
Is so the wydow of her charite
Now must perfourme her husbandes intent
Touching his wyll, his mynde and testament
And so she doth, as nygh as she can
So that no where ther is any man
That can demaunde of ryght and duty
But she them pleaseth well and honestly
So that her name is so wel spredde
That many delyteth her for to wedde
Wouers com with many a proude offre
Some with loue, and other som with proffre
Som come gayly, and all in pleasure
Som come poorely wyth countenaunce demure
Som launcheth mony largely fro theyr powches
Some sheweth rynges, Ieweles, and riche owches
Some sendeth her a tokne or a Capon
Som sendeth her wyne, other sendeth venyson
And all for to kendle, and set her hert on fire
To cause her to bowe, and folow ther desyre
But this wydow as stedfast as a wall
As she well can, thanketh them greatly all
Excusyng her as she can do full well
For certayne causes more than I can tell
How be it perchaunce that she woulde fayne
But she casteth in her mynde a gayne
Yf I should wedde and holde me vnto one
Than myght fortune all this chere were gone
Me thynke I lede a metely mery lyfe
Whiche I should not yf that I were a wyfe
To bed I go and ryse whan I wyll
All that I do is reason and skyll
I commaunde other but none commandeth me
And eke I stande at myne owne liberte
How be it I do note in consyence
Whether to wedde or lyue in continence
For I am yonge / and may the worlde increase
And vnto me it is full harde to cease
The wanton delyte, that younge women haue
And ferthermore my good name for to saue
For the resorte that here do com dayly
I take suche thought, and so muche care that I
Wote not well in what estate to a byde
For yf a yonge man shoulde me betide
That were to sharpe, or hath no worldli shifte
Than myght I say a dew farewel my thryfte
And yf I sholde hym in any wyse contrary
Than myght perchaunce that we two shoulde vari
And so me bete, saying olde wyddred hore
In the deuyls name, peke thee out at the dore
Or lay to pledge suche as I haue, or sell
Yet had I leuer neuer with none to mell
Yf he be olde and a waywarde wyght
He is yll to please, eyther day or nyght
Euer hummyng at thys thyng and that
And alway chydyng, and wotes not for what
And yf he fall ones in ialowsy
The deuyl than troubleth his fantasy
Thus I ne wote by god and by my soule
How that I may now me selfe controule
He that I had, me thought was very yll
But yf god pleased I wolde I had hym styll
So than this wydow herselfe to comforte
Vnto a frende of hers dothe resorte
With her neyghbours, and goynge be the way
They chaunce to walke ouer an olde cawsay
Whiche is to broke, and the pauement tore
Than taketh she vp her clothes a fore
For fylyng, rememberyng her husbandes entent
That euer a mended that broken pauement
Saynge our lorde Iesu graunt hym his grace
That was wont to lay stones in this place
But if that I may lyue an other yere
They shal be layde as well as euer they were
Ah true wydowe, so true, louyng and kynde
Thy husbandes dedes be not fro thy mynde
Now all true wydowes as ye do entende
In all your sorowes Chryst you comforte sende.
This laste sorow, yf any sorow be
Is so the wydow of her charite
Now must perfourme her husbandes intent
Touching his wyll, his mynde and testament
And so she doth, as nygh as she can
So that no where ther is any man
That can demaunde of ryght and duty
But she them pleaseth well and honestly
So that her name is so wel spredde
That many delyteth her for to wedde
Wouers com with many a proude offre
Some with loue, and other som with proffre
Som come gayly, and all in pleasure
Som come poorely wyth countenaunce demure
Som launcheth mony largely fro theyr powches
Some sheweth rynges, Ieweles, and riche owches
Some sendeth her a tokne or a Capon
Som sendeth her wyne, other sendeth venyson
And all for to kendle, and set her hert on fire
To cause her to bowe, and folow ther desyre
But this wydow as stedfast as a wall
As she well can, thanketh them greatly all
Excusyng her as she can do full well
For certayne causes more than I can tell
How be it perchaunce that she woulde fayne
But she casteth in her mynde a gayne
Yf I should wedde and holde me vnto one
Than myght fortune all this chere were gone
Me thynke I lede a metely mery lyfe
Whiche I should not yf that I were a wyfe
To bed I go and ryse whan I wyll
All that I do is reason and skyll
I commaunde other but none commandeth me
And eke I stande at myne owne liberte
How be it I do note in consyence
Whether to wedde or lyue in continence
For I am yonge / and may the worlde increase
And vnto me it is full harde to cease
The wanton delyte, that younge women haue
And ferthermore my good name for to saue
For the resorte that here do com dayly
I take suche thought, and so muche care that I
Wote not well in what estate to a byde
For yf a yonge man shoulde me betide
That were to sharpe, or hath no worldli shifte
Than myght I say a dew farewel my thryfte
And yf I sholde hym in any wyse contrary
Than myght perchaunce that we two shoulde vari
And so me bete, saying olde wyddred hore
In the deuyls name, peke thee out at the dore
Or lay to pledge suche as I haue, or sell
Yet had I leuer neuer with none to mell
Yf he be olde and a waywarde wyght
He is yll to please, eyther day or nyght
Euer hummyng at thys thyng and that
And alway chydyng, and wotes not for what
And yf he fall ones in ialowsy
The deuyl than troubleth his fantasy
Thus I ne wote by god and by my soule
How that I may now me selfe controule
He that I had, me thought was very yll
But yf god pleased I wolde I had hym styll
So than this wydow herselfe to comforte
Vnto a frende of hers dothe resorte
With her neyghbours, and goynge be the way
They chaunce to walke ouer an olde cawsay
Whiche is to broke, and the pauement tore
Than taketh she vp her clothes a fore
For fylyng, rememberyng her husbandes entent
That euer a mended that broken pauement
Saynge our lorde Iesu graunt hym his grace
That was wont to lay stones in this place
But if that I may lyue an other yere
They shal be layde as well as euer they were
Ah true wydowe, so true, louyng and kynde
Thy husbandes dedes be not fro thy mynde
Now all true wydowes as ye do entende
In all your sorowes Chryst you comforte sende.