That I consent, and cónfirm every deal2816
Your wordës all, and your opinioún.
By God, there is no man in all this town
Nor in Itále, could better have y-said:
Christ holds him of this counsel well apaid.2817
And truëly it is a high couráge
Of any man that stopen2818 is in age,
To take a young wife, by my father’s kin;
Your heartë hangeth on a jolly pin.
Do now in this matter right as you lest,
For finally I hold it for the best.”
Justinus, that aye stillë sat and heard,
Right in this wise to Placebo answér’d.
“Now, brother mine, be patient I pray,
Since ye have said, and hearken what I say.
Senec, among his other wordës wise,
Saith, that a man ought him right well advise,2819
To whom he gives his hand or his chattél.
And since I ought advisë me right well
To whom I give my good away from me,
Well more I ought advisë me, pardie,
To whom I give my body: for alway
I warn you well it is no childë’s play
To take a wife without advisëment.
Men must inquirë (this is mine assent)
Whe’er she be wise, or sober, or dronkelew,2820
Or proud, or any other ways a shrew,
A chidester,2821 or a waster of thy good,
Or rich or poor; or else a man is wood.2822
Albeit so, that no man findë shall
None in this world, that trotteth whole in all,2823
No man, nor beast, such as men can devise,2824
But nathehess it ought enough suffice
With any wife, if so were that she had
More goodë thewës2825 than her vices bad:
And all this asketh leisure to inquére.
For, God it wot, I have wept many a tear
Full privily, since I have had a wife.
Praise whoso will a wedded mannë’s life,
Certes, I find in it but cost and care,
And observánces of all blisses bare.
And yet, God wot, my neighëbours about,
And namëly2826 of women many a rout,2827
Say that I have the mostë steadfast wife,
And eke the meekest one, that beareth life.
But I know best where wringeth2828 me my shoe,
Ye may for me right as you likë do.
Advisë you, ye be a man of age,
How that ye enter into marriáge;
And namely2829 with a young wife and a fair.
By him that made water, fire, earth, air,
The youngest man that is in all this rout2830
Is busy enough to bringen it about
To have his wife alonë, trustë me:
Ye shall not please her fully yearës three,
This is to say, to do her full pleasánce.
A wife asketh full many an observánce.
I pray you that ye be not evil apaid.”2831
“Well,” quoth this January, “and hast thou said?
Straw for thy Senec, and for thy provérbs,
I countë not a pannier full of herbs
Of schoolë termës; wiser men than thou,
As thou hast heard, assented here right now
To my purpose: Placebo, what say ye?”
“I say it is a cursed2832 man,” quoth he,
“That letteth2833 matrimony, sickerly.”
And with that word they rise up suddenly,
And be assented fully, that he should
Be wedded when him list, and where he would.
High fantasy and curious business
From day to day gan in the soul impress2834
Of January about his marriáge
Many a fair shape, and many a fair viságe
There passed through his heartë night by night.
As whoso took a mirror polish’d bright,
And set it in a common market-place,
Then should he see many a figure pace
By his mirrór; and in the samë wise
Gan January in his thought devise
Of maidens, which that dweltë him beside:
He wistë not where that he might abide.2835
For if that one had beauty in her face,
Another stood so in the people’s grace
For her sadness2836 and her benignity,
That of the people greatest voice had she:
And some were rich and had a baddë name.
But natheless, betwixt earnest and game,
He at the last appointed him on one,
And let all others from his heartë gon,
And chose her of his own authority;
For love is blind all day, and may not see.
And when that he was into bed y-brought,
He pourtray’d in his heart and in his thought
Her freshë beauty, and her agë tender,
Her middle small, her armës long and slender,
Her wisë governance, her gentleness,
Her womanly bearíng, and her sadnéss.2837
And when that he on her was condescended,2838
He thought his choicë might not be amended;
For when that he himself concluded had,
He thought each other mannë’s wit so bad,
That impossíble it werë to reply
Against his choice; this was his fantasy.
His friendës sent he to, at his instánce,
And prayed them to do him that pleasánce,
That hastily they would unto him come;
He would abridge their labour all and some:
Needed no more for them to go nor ride,2839
He was appointed where he would abide.2840
Placebo came, and eke his friendës soon,
And alderfirst2841 he bade them all a boon,2842
That none of them no arguments would make
Against the purpose that he had y-take:
Which purpose was pleasánt to God, said he,
And very ground of his prosperity.
He said, there was a maiden in the town,
Which that of beauty haddë great renown;
All2843 were it so she were of small degree,
Sufficed him her youth and her beautý;
Which maid, he said, he would have to his wife,
To lead in ease and holiness his life;
And thanked God, that he might have her all,
That no wight with his blissë partë2844 shall;
And prayed them to labour in this need,
And shape that he failë not to speed:
For then, he said, his spirit was at ease.
“Then is,” quoth he, “nothing may me displease,
Save one thing pricketh in my conscience,
The which I will rehearse in your presénce.
I have,” quoth he, “heard said, full yore2845 ago,
There may no man have perfect blisses two,
This is to say, on earth and eke in heaven.
For though he keep him from the sinnës seven,
And eke
