Stanzas XLVII–LIV

XLVII
This lesson unto them gives she,
The bellibone of days gone by.
Ill said or well, worth what they be,
These things enregistered have I
By my clerk Fremin ( giddy fry ! ),
Being as composed as well I may.
I curse him if he make me lie :
Like clerk, like master, people say.

XLVIII
Nay, the great danger well I see
Wherein a man in love doth fall . . .
Suppose that some lay blame on me
For this speech, saying, ' Listen, all:
If this do make you love miscall,
The tricks of wantons named above,
Your doubts are too chimerical,
For these are women light o' love.

XLIX
' For if they love not but for gain,
Folk do but love them for a day ;
In sooth, they roundly love all men,
And when purse weeps, then are they gay :
Not one but questeth after prey.
But honest men, so God me spare,
With honest women will alway
Have dealing, and not otherwhere.'

L
I put it that one thus devise :
He doth in nothing me gainsay ;
In sooth, I think no otherwise,
And well I ween that one should aye
In worthy place love's homage pay.
But were not these, of whom I rhyme
(God wot) and reason all the day,
Once honest women aforetime ?

LI
Aye, they were honest, in good sooth,
Without reproach or any blame ;
But, in her first and prime of youth,
Ere she had loren her good name,
Each of these women thought no shame
To take some man for her desire,
Laic or clerk, to quench love's name,
That burns worse than St. Anthony's fire.

LII
Of these, as Love ordains, they made
Their lovers, as appeareth well :
Each loved her gallant in the shade
And none else had with her to mell.
But this first love's not durable ;
For she, that loved but one erewhen,
Soon tires of him to her that fell
And sets herself to love all men.

LIII
What moves them thus ? I do opine,
Without their honour gainsaying,
That 'tis their nature feminine,
Which tends to cherish everything :
No other reason with the thing
Will rhyme, but if this saw it be,
That everywhere folk say and sing:
Six workmen do more work than three.

LIV
The shuttlecock light lovers be ;
Their ladie-loves the battledore.
This is love's way in verity :
Spite clips and kisses, evermore
By constancy it sets small store.
For everyone this wise complains
Of dogs and horses, love and war:
Each pleasure's bought with fifty pains.