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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=529739" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Letter of Cupid</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">Cupido, unto whos commandement <br>The gentil kinrede of goddes on hy <br>And peple infernal been obedient, <br>And the mortel folk seruen bisyly, <br>Of goddesse Sitheree sone oonly, <br>To alle tho that to our deitee <br>Been sogettes greetinges senden we. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">In general, we wole that yee knowe <br>That ladies of honour and reverence <br>And other gentil wommen han ysowe <br>Swich seed of complainte in our audience <br>Of men that doon hem outrage and offense <br>That it our eres greeveth for to heere, <br>So pitous is th' effect of hir mateere; <br>And passing alle londes on this yle <br>That clept is Albioun they moost complaine; <br>They sayn that ther is croppe and roote of guile, <br>So can tho men dissimulen and faine <br>With standing dropes in hir eyen twaine, <br>Whan that hir herte feeleth no distresse. <br>To blinde wommen with hir doublenesse, </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Hir wordes spoken been so sighingly <br>And with so pitous cheere and contenance, <br>That every wight that meeneth trewely <br>Deemeth that they in herte han swich greuance. <br>They sayn so importable is hir penance </div><div style="margin:10px 0">That but hir lady list to shewe hem grace <br>They right anoon moot sterven in the place. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">&quot;A, lady min,&quot; they sayn, &quot;I yow ensure, <br>Shewe me grace and I shal evere be, <br>Whiles my lif may lasten and endure, <br>To yow as humble in every degree <br>As possible is, and keepe al thing secree <br>As that yourselven liketh that I do; <br>And elles moot min herte breste on two.&quot; </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ful hard is it to knowe a mannes herte, <br>For outward may no man the truthe deeme <br>Whan word out of his mouth may ther noon sterte, <br>But it sholde any wight by reson queeme <br>So is it seid of herte, it wolde seeme. <br>O faithful womman, ful of Innocence, <br>Thou art betrayed by fals apparence! </div><div style="margin:10px 0">By procees wommen, meved of pitee, <br>Weening al thing were as that tho men saye, <br>Granten hem grace of hir benignitee, <br>For they nat sholden for hir sake deye, <br>And with good herte sette hem in the weye <br>Of blisful love -- keepe it if they konne! <br>Thus other while been the wommen wonne. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And whan the man the pot hath by the stele, <br>And fully of her hath possessioun, <br>With that womman he keepeth nat to dele <br>After, if he may finden in the toun <br>Any womman his blind affeccion <br>On to bestowe -- foule moot he preeve! <br>A man for al his ooth is hard to leeve. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And for that every fals man hath a make, <br>As unto every wight is light to knowe, <br>Whan this Traitour the womman hath forsake <br>He faste him speedeth unto his felowe; <br>Til he be ther his herte is on a lowe, <br>His fals deceit ne may him nat suffise, <br>But of his treson telleth al the wise. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Is this a fair avaunt? Is this honour <br>A man himself to accuse and diffame? <br>Now is it good confesse him a traitour, <br>And bringe a womman to a sclaundrous name, <br>And telle how he hir body hath doon shame; <br>No worship may he thus to him conquere <br>But ful greet repreef unto him and here. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">To her nay yit was it no repreef, <br>For al for pitee was it that shee wroghte; <br>But he that breewed hath al this mescheef, <br>That spak so fair and falsly inward thoghte -- <br>His be the shame as it by reson oghte; <br>And unto her thank perpetuel <br>That in a neede helpe can so wel. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Althogh that men by sleighte and sotiltee <br>A sely, simple, and ignorant womman <br>Betraye is no wonder, syn the Citee <br>Of Troie, as that the storie telle can, <br>Betrayed was thurgh the deceit of man, <br>And set afir and al doun overthrowe, <br>And finally destroyed as men knowe. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Betrayen men nat Remes grete and kinges? <br>What wight is, that can shape a remedie <br>Againes false and hid purposed thinges? <br>Who can the craft tho castes to espye, <br>But man whos wil ay reedy is t' applye <br>To thing that souneth into hy falshede? <br>Wommen, be waar of mennes sleighte, I rede; </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And ferthermore han the men in usage, <br>That wheras they nat likly been to speede <br>Swiche as they been with a double visage, <br>They procuren for to pursue hir neede; <br>He prayeth him in his cause proceede <br>And largely him quiteth his travaille; <br>Smal witen wommen how men hem assaille. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">To his felawe another wreche sayth, <br>&quot;Thou fishest fair! Shee that hath thee fired <br>Is fals and inconstant and hath no faith. <br>Shee for the rode of folk is so desired <br>And as an hors fro day to day is hired, <br>That whan thou twinnest from hir compaignie <br>Another comth and blered is thin eye. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now prike on faste and ride thy journeye; <br>Whil thou art ther, shee behinde thy bak <br>So liberal is shee can no wight withsaye, <br>But quikly of another take a snak, <br>For so the wommen faren al the pak. <br>Whoso hem trusteth hanged moot he be! <br>Ay they desiren chaunge and noveltee. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Wherof procedeth this but of envye? <br>For he himself here ne winne may, <br>Repreef of her he speketh and villenye <br>As mannes labbing tonge is wont alway. <br>Thus sundry men ful often make assay <br>For to disturbe folk in sundry wise <br>For they may nat acheven hir emprise. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ful many a man eek wolde for no good <br>That hath in love spent his time and used <br>Men wiste his lady his axing withstood <br>And that he were of his lady refused, <br>Or waast and vain were al that he had mused <br>Wherfore he can no bettre remedie <br>But on his lady shapeth him to lie: </div><div style="margin:10px 0">&quot;Every womman,&quot; he sayth,&quot; is light to gete; <br>Can noon sayn `nay' if shee be wel ysoght. <br>Whoso may leiser han with hir to trete <br>Of his purpos ne shal he faille noght.&quot; <br>But on madding he be so deepe broght <br>That he shende al with open hoomlynesse <br>That loven wommen nat as that I gesse. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">To sclaundre wommen thus what may profite <br>To gentils namly that hem armen sholde <br>And in deffense of wommen hem delite <br>As that the ordre of gentillesse wolde <br>If that a man list gentil to be holde <br>Al moot he flee that is to it contrary <br>A sclaundring tonge is therto Aduersary. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">A foul vice is of tonge to be light <br>For whoso mochil clappeth gabbeth ofte <br>The tonge of man so swift is and so wight <br>That whan it is araised up on lofte <br>Reson it sueth so slowly and softe <br>That it him nevere overtake may. <br>Lord, so the men been trusty at assay! </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Al be it that men finde o womman nice, <br>Inconstant, rechelees, or variable <br>Deinous, or proud, fulfilled of malice, <br>Withoute faith or love and deceivable, <br>Sly, queinte and fals, in al unthrift coupable, <br>Wikked and feers and ful of crueltee -- <br>It folweth nat swiche alle wommen be. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Whan that the hy god angels fourmed hadde <br>Among hem alle whether ther was noon <br>That founden was malicious and badde? <br>Yis, men wel knowen ther was many oon <br>That for hir pride fel from hevene anoon. <br>Shal man therfore alle angels proude name? <br>Nay, he that that susteneth is to blame. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of twelue apostles oon a traitour was; <br>The remanaunt yit goode were and true. <br>Thanne, if it happe men finden par cas <br>O womman fals, swich is good for t' eschewe <br>And deeme nat that they been alle untrue. <br>I see wel mennes owne falsenesse <br>Hem causeth wommen for to truste lesse. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">O, every man oghte han an herte tendre <br>Unto womman and deeme her honurable, <br>Whether his shap be either thikke or sclendre <br>Or he be badde or good; this is no fable. <br>Every man woot that wit hath resonable <br>That of a womman he descended is. <br>Than is it shame speke of hir amis. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">A wikked tree good fruit may noon foorth bringe <br>For swich the fruit is, as that is the tree. <br>Take heede of whom thou took thy beginninge <br>Lat thy moder be mirour unto thee; <br>Honoure her if thou wilt honoured be. <br>Dispise thou nat her in no maneere <br>Lest that therthurgh thy wikkednesse appeere. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">An old proverbe seid is in English <br>Men sayn that brid or foul is dishonest, <br>What so it be, and holden ful cherlish <br>That wont is to deffoule his owne nest. <br>Men to saye of wommen wel it is best <br>And nat for to despise hem ne deprave <br>If that hem list hir honour keepe and save. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ladies eek complainen hem on clerkes <br>That they han maad bookes of hir deffame <br>In whiche they lakken wommennes werkes <br>And speken of hem greet repreef and shame <br>And causelees hem yeue a wikked name. <br>Thus they dispised been on every side <br>And sclaundred and belowen on ful wide. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Tho wikked bookes maken mencion <br>How they betrayeden in special <br>Adam, Dauid, Sampson, and Salomon <br>And many oon mo. Who may rehercen al <br>The tresoun that they have doon and shal? <br>Who may hir hy malice comprehende? <br>Nat the world, clerkes sayn; it hath noon ende. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ovide in his book called Remedie <br>Of Love greet repreef of wommen writeth, <br>Wherin I trowe he dide greet folie <br>And every wight that in swich cas deliteth; <br>A clerkes custume is whan he enditeth <br>Of wommen, be it prose rym or vers, <br>Sayn they be wikke, al knowe he the revers. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And that book scolers lerne in hir childhede <br>For they of wommen be waar sholde in age, <br>And for to love hem evere been in drede, <br>Syn to deceive is set al hir corage. <br>They sayn peril to caste is avantage; <br>Namely swich as men han in be trapped, <br>For many a man by wommen han mishapped </div><div style="margin:10px 0">No charge what so that the Clerkes sayn <br>Of al hir wrong wryting do we no cure <br>Al hir labour and travaille is in vain <br>For betwixt us and my lady Nature <br>Shal nat be suffred whil the world may dure <br>Clerkes by hir outrageous tirannye <br>Thus upon wommen kithen hir maistrye </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Whilom ful many of hem were in our chaine <br>Tied and -- lo! -- now what for unweeldy age <br>And for unlust may nat to love attaine <br>And sayn that love is but verray dotage; <br>Thus for that they hemself lakken corage <br>They folk exciten by hir wikked sawes <br>For to rebelle again us and our lawes. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">But maugree hem that blamen wommen moost <br>Swich is the force of oure impressioun <br>That sodeinly we felle can hir boost <br>And al hir wrong imaginacioun <br>It shal nat been in hir elleccioun <br>The foulest slutte in al a town refuse <br>If that us list, for al that they can muse. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">But her in herte as brenningly desire <br>As thogh shee were a duchesse or a queene <br>So can we mennes hertes sette on fire <br>And as us list hem sende joye and teene <br>They that to wommen been ywhet so keene <br>Our sharpe strokes how sore they smite <br>Shul feele and knowe and how they kerve and bite. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Pardee, this greet clerk, this sotil Ovide <br>And many another han deceived be <br>Of wommen, as it knowen is ful wide. <br>What no men more and that is greet daintee <br>So excellent a clerk as that was he <br>And other mo that koude so wel preche <br>Betrapped wern for aght they koude teche. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And trusteth wel that it is no meruaille <br>For wommen knewen plainly hir entente <br>They wiste how sotilly they koude assaille <br>Hem and what falshode in herte they mente <br>And tho Clerkes they in hir daunger hente <br>With o venym another was destroyed <br>And thus the Clerkes often were anoyed </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thise ladies ne gentils nathelees <br>Weren nat they that wroghten in this wise <br>But swiche filthes that wern vertulees <br>They quitten thus thise olde Clerkes wise <br>To clerkes forthy lesse may suffise <br>Than to deprave wommen generally <br>For honour shuln they gete noon therby. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">If that tho men that lovers hem pretende <br>To wommen weren faithful, goode, and true, <br>And dredden hem to deceive and offende, <br>Wommen to love hem wolde nat eschewe; <br>But every day hath man an herte neewe <br>It upon oon abide can no while. <br>What force is it swich oon for to beguile? </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Men beren eek the wommen up on honde <br>That lightly and withouten any paine <br>They wonne been; they can no wight withstonde <br>That his disese list to hem complaine. <br>They been so freel they mowe hem nat restraine. <br>But whoso liketh may hem lightly have <br>So been hir hertes esy in to grave. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">To Maistir Iohn de Meun as I suppose <br>Than it was a lewde occupacioun <br>In makinge of the Romance of the Rose <br>So many a sly imaginacioun <br>And perils for to rollen up and doun -- <br>So long procees, so many a sly cautele, <br>For to deceive a sely damoisele! </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Nat can we seen, ne in our wit comprehende <br>That art and paine and sotiltee may faille <br>For to conquere and soone make an ende, <br>Whan man a feeble place shal assaille, <br>And soone also to venquishe a Bataille <br>Of which no wight dar make resistence, <br>Ne herte hath noon to stonden at deffense. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Than moot it folwen of necessitee <br>Syn art asketh so greet engin and paine <br>A womman to deceive, what shee be, <br>Of constance they been nat so bareine <br>As that some of tho sotil clerkes feine, <br>But they been as that wommen oghten be: <br>Sad, constaunt, and fulfilled of pitee </div><div style="margin:10px 0">How freendly was Medea to Jasoun <br>In the conquering of the flees of gold! <br>How falsly quitte he her affeccion, <br>By whom victorie he gat as he hath wold. <br>How may this man for shame be so bold <br>To falsen her that from deeth and shame <br>Him kepte and gat him so greet prys and name? </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of Troie also the traitour Eneas <br>The feithlees man how hath he him forswore <br>To Dido that Queene of Cartage was <br>That him releeved of his greeves sore. <br>What gentillesse mighte shee do more <br>Than shee with herte unfeined to him kidde? <br>And what mescheef to her of it betidde! </div><div style="margin:10px 0">In our Legende of Martyrs may men finde <br>Whoso that liketh therin for to rede <br>That ooth noon ne beheste may men binde; <br>Of repreef ne of shame han they no drede; <br>In herte of man conceites true arn dede; <br>The soile is naght; ther may no trouthe growe. <br>To womman is hir vice nat unknowe </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Clerkes sayn also ther is no malice <br>Unto wommannes crabbed wikkednesse. <br>O womman, how shalt thou thyself chevice, <br>Syn men of thee so mochil harm witnesse? <br>Yee, strah! Do foorth! Take noon hevynesse! <br>Keepe thin owne, what men clappe or crake <br>And some of hem shuln smerte, I undertake. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Malice of wommen what is it to drede? <br>They slee no men, destroyen no citees, <br>They nat oppressen folk, ne overlede, <br>Betraye Empires, Remes, ne Duchees, <br>Ne men bereve hir landes ne hir mees, <br>Folk enpoisone or houses sette on fire, <br>Ne fals contractes maken for noon hire. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Trust parfit love and enteer charitee, <br>Fervent wil and entalented corage. <br>To thewes goode as it sit wel to be <br>Han wommen ay of custume and usage; <br>And wel they can a mannes ire assuage <br>With softe wordes discreet and benigne <br>What they been inward sheweth owtward signe. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Wommannes herte to no crueltee <br>Enclined is; but they been charitable <br>Pitous, devout, ful of humilitee, <br>Shamefast, debonair, and amiable, <br>Dreedful, and of hir wordes mesurable; <br>What womman thise hath nat par aventure <br>Folweth nothing the way of hir nature. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Men sayn our firste moder nathelees <br>Mede al mankinde leese his libertee <br>And naked it of joye doutelees, <br>For goddes heeste disobeyed shee <br>Whan shee presumed to ete of the tree <br>Which god forbad that shee nat ete of sholde, <br>And nad the feend been, no more she wolde. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Th' envious swelling that the feend our fo <br>Had unto man in herte for his welthe <br>Sente a serpent and made her to go <br>To deceive Eve; and thus was mannes welthe <br>Bereft him by the feend right in a stelthe, <br>The womman nat knowing of the deceit. <br>God woot ful fer was it from hir conceit! </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Wherfor we sayn this good womman Eve <br>Our fadir Adam ne deceived noght <br>Ther may no man for a deceit it preeve <br>Proprely, but if that shee in hir thoght <br>Had it compassed first or it was wroght; <br>And for swich was nat hir impressioun, <br>Men calle it may no deceit by resoun </div><div style="margin:10px 0">No wight deceiveth but he it purpose <br>The feend this deceit caste and nothing shee. <br>Than is it wrong for to deeme or suppose <br>That shee sholde of that guilt the cause be. <br>Witeth the feend and his be the maugree, <br>And for excused have hir innocence, <br>Sauf oonly that shee brak obedience. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Touchinge which, ful fewe men ther been -- <br>Unnethes any dar we saufly saye -- <br>Fro day to day as men mowe wel seen, <br>But that the heeste of god they disobeye. <br>This have in minde, sires, we yow preye <br>If that yee be discreet and resonable <br>Yee wole hir holde the more excusable </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And wher men sayn in man is stedfastnesse <br>And womman is of hir corage unstable, <br>Who may of Adam bere swich witnesse? <br>Telleth on this: was he nat changeable? <br>They bothe weren in a cas semblable, <br>Sauf willingly the feend deceived Eve. <br>So dide shee nat Adam, by your leeve! </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Yit was that sinne happy to mankinde: <br>The feend deceived was for al his sleighte. <br>For aght he koude him in his sleightes winde, <br>God to discharge mankinde of the weighte <br>Of his trespas cam doun from hevenes heighte, <br>And flesh and blood he took of a virgine, <br>And souffred deeth man to delivere of pine. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And god fro whom ther may nothing hid be, <br>If he in womman knowe had swich malice, <br>As men of hem recorde in generaltee <br>Of our lady of lif reparatrice <br>Nolde han be born; but for that shee of vice <br>Was voide and of al vertu wel he wiste <br>Endowed of her be born him liste. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Her heped vertu hath swich excellence <br>That al too weyk is mannes facultee <br>To declare it; and therfore in suspense <br>Her due laude put moot needes be. <br>But this we witen verraily: that shee, <br>Next god, the best freend is that to man longeth. <br>The keye of mercy by hir girdil hongeth. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And of mercy hath every wight swich neede <br>That, cessing it, farwel the joye of man! <br>Of hir power it is to taken heede; <br>Shee mercy may, wole, and purchace can; <br>Displese her nat! Honureth that womman <br>And other wommen alle for hir sake; <br>And but yee do, your sorwe shal awake. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thou precious gemme, martyr margarete, <br>Of thy blood dreddest noon effusioun; <br>Thy martyrdom ne may we nat foryete. <br>O constant womman, in thy passioun <br>Overcam the feendes temptacioun, <br>And many a wight converted thy doctrine <br>Unto the feith of god, holy virgine. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">But understondeth: we commende hir noght <br>By encheson of hir virginitee <br>Trusteth right wel it cam nat in our thoght <br>For ay we werreie again chastitee <br>And evere shal; but this leeveth wel yee: <br>Her loving herte and constant to hir lay <br>Drive out of remembrance we nat may. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">In any book also wher can yee finde <br>That of the wirkes or the deeth or lif <br>Of Jhesu spekth or maketh any minde <br>That wommen him forsook for wo or strif <br>Wher was ther any wight so ententif <br>Abouten him as wommen pardee noon <br>Th' apostles him forsooken everichoon </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Wommen forsook him noght for al the feith <br>Of holy chirche in womman lefte oonly <br>This is no lees for thus holy writ sayth <br>Looke and yee shuln so finde it hardily <br>And therfore it may preeved be therby <br>That in womman regneth al the constaunce <br>And in man is al chaunge and variaunce </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now holdeth this for ferme and for no lye <br>That this treewe and just commendacioun <br>Of wommen is nat told for flaterye <br>Ne to cause hem pride or elacioun <br>But oonly -- lo! -- for this entencioun <br>To yeue hem corage of perseverance <br>In vertu and hir honur to enhaunce </div><div style="margin:10px 0">The more vertu, the lasse is the pride; <br>Vertu so noble is and worthy in kinde <br>That vice and shee may nat in feere abide <br>Shee putteth vice cleene out of minde <br>Shee fleeth from him shee leveth him behinde <br>O womman that of vertu art hostesse, <br>Greet is thin honur and thy worthynesse. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Than thus we wolen conclude and deffine: <br>We yow commaunde our Ministres echoon <br>That reedy been to our hestes encline <br>That of tho men untrue, our rebel foon, <br>Yee do punishement and that anoon <br>Voide hem our Court and banishe hem for evere <br>So that therinne they ne come nevere. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Fulfilled be it! Cessing al delay, <br>Looke ther be noon excusacion. <br>Writen in th' air the lusty monthe of May <br>In our Paleys wher many a milion <br>Of lovers true han habitacion <br>The yeer of grace joyeful and jocounde <br>One thousand four hundred and secounde.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Thomas+Hoccleve">Thomas Hoccleve</a><div class=q>
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<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=529739" data-title="The Letter of Cupid de Thomas Hoccleve" data-description="Cupido, unto whos commandement 
The gentil kinrede of goddes on hy 
And peple infernal been obedient, 
And the mortel folk seruen bisyly, 
Of goddesse Sitheree sone oonly, 
To alle tho that to our deitee 
Been sogettes greetinges senden we. 

In g..."></div>
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