Bie oure ladie her yborne, 135
    To-morrowe, soone as ytte ys daie,
    I’lle make thee wyfe, ne bee forsworne,
    So tyde me lyfe or dethe for aie.

  WOMANNE.

    Whatt dothe lette, botte thatte nowe
    Wee attenes[38], thos honde yn honde, 140
    Unto divinistre[39] goe,
    And bee lyncked yn wedlocke bonde?

  MANNE.

    I agree, and thus I plyghte
    Honde, and harte, and all that’s myne;
    Goode syr Rogerr, do us ryghte, 145
    Make us one, at Cothbertes shryne.

  BOTHE.

    We wylle ynn a bordelle[40] lyve,
    Hailie, thoughe of no estate;
    Everyche clocke moe love shall gyve;
    Wee ynne godenesse wylle bee greate. 150

  AELLA.

    I lyche thys songe, I lyche ytt myckle well;
    And there ys monie for yer syngeynge nowe;
    Butte have you noone thatt marriage-blessynges telle?

  CELMONDE.

    In marriage, blessynges are botte fewe, I trowe.

  MYNSTRELLES.

    Laverde[41], wee have; and, gyff you please, wille synge, 155
    As well as owre choughe-voyces wylle permytte.

AELLA.

Comme then, and see you swotelie tune the strynge,
And stret[42], and engyne all the human wytte,
Toe please mie dame.

MYNSTRELLES.

We’lle strayne owre wytte and synge.

Mynstrelles Songe.

FYRSTE MYNSTRYLLE.

The boddynge flourettes bloshes atte the lyghte; 160
The mees be sprenged wyth the yellowe hue;
Ynn daiseyd mantels ys the mountayne dyghte;
The nesh[43] yonge coweslepe bendethe wyth the dewe;
The trees enlefed, yntoe Heavenne straughte. 
Whenn gentle wyndes doe blowe, to whestlyng dynne ys broughte. 165

    The evenynge commes, and brynges the dewe alonge;
    The roddie welkynne sheeneth to the eyne;
    Arounde the alestake Mynstrells synge the songe;
    Yonge ivie rounde the doore poste do entwyne;
    I laie mee onn the grasse; yette, to mie wylle, 170
  Albeytte alle ys fayre, there lackethe somethynge stylle.

  SECONDE MYNSTRELLE.

    So Adam thoughtenne, whann, ynn Paradyse,
    All Heavenn and Erthe dyd hommage to hys mynde;
    Ynn Womman alleyne mannes pleasaunce lyes;
    As Instrumentes of joie were made the kynde. 175
    Go, take a wyfe untoe thie armes, and see
  Wynter, and brownie hylles, wyll have a charme for thee.

  THYRDE MYNSTRELLE.

    Whanne Autumpne blake[44] and sonne-brente doe appere,
    With hys goulde honde guylteynge the falleynge lefe,
    Bryngeynge oppe Wynterr to folfylle the yere, 180
    Beerynge uponne hys backe the riped shefe;
    Whan al the hyls wythe woddie sede ys whyte;
  Whanne levynne-fyres and lemes do mete from far the syghte;