The Example of Vertu / The Example of Virtue

Capitulum .xiii.

Stephen Hawes

Virtue marries Dame Cleanness

I(In)

IN to a chapell gayly gloryfyed

And also hanged with cloth of tyssue

A place it was ryght gretly deyfyed

The roof was set with stones of vertue

As with rubyes and emeraudes bryght of hue

The rood loft was yuery garnysshed with gold

Set with dyamoundes ryght many a fold

Ther I dyd se the arke of god

With many sayntes that suffred martyrdom

And also I sawe there Moyses rod

And saynt Austyn that brought crystendom

Into englonde by his grete wysedom

And the xii. apostles that fast gan wryte

Of our byleue and eke dyd endyte

There was saynt peter the noble pope

That dyd stande on the ryght syde

Of the hyghe auter in a ryche cope

Dame clennes and I dyd there abyde

And vp there came than at that tyde

Dame prayer with her syster charyte

And eke dame penytence with humylyte

Than came dame fayth anone to vs

With ryghtwysenes peas and dame mercy

With dame contrycyon gay and gloryous

Whiche after theym dyd not longe tary

And than came bede and eke saynt gregory

With saynt ambrose the noble doctour

Whiche of our fayth was good protectour

Than came the kynge of feruent loue

Led with argos in goodely wyse

Without whome he myght not remoue

From his sete by ryght prudent gyse

Who loueth argos wyll not deuyse

Nor yet begynne no maner of thynge

Without in his mynde he se good endynge

Also saynt Ierome the noble cardynall

Came vp to vs by humble reuerence

Whiche euermore was a good doctrynall

Prechynge to vs by vertuous influence

With exhortacyon of dyuyne complacence

And than foure bysshoppes in grete dygnyte

Ryght connynge cernynge vnto the deyte

On hym wayted by grete dylygence

And neuer dyd forsake his company

But hym obeyed by good experyence

And from his cÕmaundement dyd not vary

But in the chapell they dyd there tary

And than saynt Ierome wente to the kynge

Of feruent loue vnto hym saynge

O amyable kynge seasour of debate

O ioyner of vertue and well of vnyte

O royall emperour o souerayne estate

O messenger of feruent amyte

O feruent dart of cordyall pryuyte

Here is your doughter fayre dame clennes

That must be maryed with good ryghtwysenes

Vnto vertue the louely knyght

Whiche the batayle now hath won

By dame sapyence helpe and myght

Of the foule thre heeded dragon

This maryage by me shall be don

Go ye now streyght into your tabernacle

Whiche is to you moost propre habytacle

Than the souerayne kynge to hym dyd call

Dame fayth dyscrecyon and dame sapyence

With dame contrycyon & charyte withall

And eke dame mercy and dame penytence

Vnto theym saynge ye haue intellygence

That this daye clennes my doughter dere

Shall be maryed to vertue that ye se here

Than they dyde all come vnto me

With dame peas and dame grace

And after theym came dame virgynyte

Whiche in her armes dyd me enbrace

Saynge that I was to her grete solace

Gyuynge me vnto my good maryage

A gowne of syluer for grete aparage

She gafe an other of the same

Vnto dame clennes puttynge it one

Vpon her back withouten blame

After whiche Clennes wente anone

Vnto her fader her selfe alone

And I with saynt Ierome dyd there tary

To wed dame Clennes that noble lady

And all the ladyes with meke contenence

Stode on a rewe besyde the closette

Of Clennes fader without resystence

Whiche hanged was gayly with blue veluet

And with perles & rubyes rychely set

Than forth came Clennes with two augels led

Whiche theyr golden wynges abrode dyd spred

Dame grace after her bare vp her trayn

And .xv. ladyes her dyd ensue

Fyrst went dame humylyte certayn

And after her than dyd pursue

Dame fayth in stablenes so true

Ledynge with her the fayre dame pease

That welth and ryches doth well encrease

Than went dame reason with perseuerauce

And than dame mercy with contricyon

And than exersyce with remembraunce

After whome went dame restytucyon

With dame prayer and dame confessyon

And dame charyte with obedyence

And after theym came fayre dame abstynence

Saynt Ierome dyd make there coniunccyon

Of dame Clennes and me in matrimonye

With heuenly wordes and vertuous fastyon

And aungels came downe from heuen hye

As saynt Mychell with gabryell & the gerachye

To helpe saynt peter the masse to synge

The organs went and the bellys dyd rynge

My penne for feblenes may not now wryte

Nor my tonge for domnes may not expresse

Nor my mynde for neglygence may not endyte

Of the aungelycall Ioye and swete gladnesse

That I sawe there without heuynesse

And whan this weddynge holy was fynysshed

The aungels than to heuen vanysshed

Than downe I went in to the hall

Where ordeyned was by grete solempnyte

A dyner of vertue moost celestyall

To whiche came my wyf full of benygnyte

On the one syde led by good auctoryte

With saynt Edmond the noble kynge

And martyr whiche dyd her downe brynge

And she was led on the other syde

With saynt Edward the kynge and confessour

And so bytwene theym wente this bryde

To whom all the ladyes made grete honour

As alway seruynge her without errour

And a lytell whyle anone after her

Ergos brought downe her noble fader

The kynge of loue than sat hym downe

At the table for that tyme to ette

Causynge dame Clennes for her renowne

On his one syde than for to be sette

And I on the other without ony lette

And besyde me sapyence and dyscrecyon

And than by theym sat dame contrycyon

Than sate saynt Edwarde with vyrgynyte

And afore hym sate dame obedyence

Saynt Edmond and dame charyte

And than dame prayer with dame abstynence

And than dame fayth shynynge in excellence

With saynt Ierome and saynt Austeyn

And than saynt gregory without dysdeyn

There was two aungels holdynge fast

The table cloth at euery ende

Knelynge downe humbly and stedfast

Whose seruyce no man coude amende

Other there were that dyd entende

Vs for to serue with theyr grete dylygence

That in theym founde coude be no neglygence

There dyd saynt Peter by grete holynes

Serue vs of our swete lordes body

Fyrst he serued the fader of clennes

And after that he serued her shortly

With charyte fayth and dame mercy

And I with dyscrecyon and dame sapyence

Of saynt Peter was serued with grete indulgence

So dame obedyence with contrycyon

With saynt Edwarde and virgynyte

In lyke wyse were serued without corrupcyon

And saynt Edmond with dame charyte

And saynt Ierome with dame humylyte

With saynt austyn and saynt gregory

What nede I lenger of theym specyfy

This was a fest moost swete and precyous

To fede the soule with dyuyne comfort

This was a mete moost dere and gloryous

That causeth all man for to resorte

To sempyternall lyfe and comforte

Than saynt ambrose beynge dyuyne

After our mete gafe vs good wyne

By this tyme was I .lx. yere olde

And desyred for to lyue in peace

For I began to growe two folde

And my feblenes dyde sore encreace

For nature her strength than dyd seace

Wherfore after this ghoostly fest

I thought with my wyfe to abyde in rest

And I to her sayd with louynge chere

O my swete spouse moost fayre and beauteous

To me euer ryght leyfe and dere

Where is your lande that is solacyous

Ye shewyd me of your gardeyn gloryous

Vnto whiche now fayne wolde I go

There for to dwell and you also

Syr she sayd the aungell raphaell

Shall with these martyrs & noble confessours

Brynge you thyder with theym to dwell

Where ye shall see all your progenytours

With many sayntes and gloryous auctours

This lande is heuen that to vs longeth

As our euydence the gospell telleth

Than came my fader in lawe to vs

Saynge by ryght I dyd combynd

Clennes my doughter with vertue precyous

And you must I loue by naturell kynde

For on you now is all my mynde

Afore hym I kyst my wyfe moost swetely

For we loued to gyder hote and truely

Than came my good aungell to me

Causynge me with hym for to go

With clennes my wyfe wher I dyd se

The paynes of hell full of grete wo

There was the dragon that I dyd slo

Bounde with chaynes in fyer infynall

With the seuen dedely synnes in generall

Than my good aungell to me sayd

If ye had loued dame sensualyte

The whiche with you dyd make a brayde

Ye had ben dampned by ryght and equyte

In to this pytte full of all iniquyte

Wherfore thanke god that sent you wysedome

Suche deedly perylles for to ouercome

Also the lady with the cup of golde

Is here condempned for her grete pryde

In endeles payne both hote and colde

Where in for synne she shall abyde

This is a dongeon longe and wyde

Made for theym that do synne dedely

And of cryst Ihesu wyll axe no mercy

This is a place full of all derkenes

Wherin be serpentes foull and odyous

This is a place of mortall heuynes

Where I sawe deuyles blacke and tedyous

Dampned soules turmented with hokes rygorous

This is the vppermoost parte of hell

In whiche paynyms dampned do dwell

For as moche as they lacked instruccyon

For to beleue in god omnypotent

They haue deserued the lesse correccyon

Yet theyr payne haue none extinguysshement

For they are dampned by true sentyment

For theyr byleue and fals idolatry

That made theyr goddes of mars & mercury

Than went we doune to an other vaute

Where Iewes lay in grete paynes stronge

Whome deuylles tourmented by grete assaute

Drawynge theym with hokes a longe

For theyr opynyon so fals and wronge

Whiche byleued not in the natyuyte

Of Ihesu cryst and the vyrgyn Mare

Nor yet that he dyd suffre passyon

Bothe for theym and all mankynde

Nother yet of his resurreccyon

In theyr byleue they are so blynde

Yet as in bokes wryten we do fynde

That they haue ben taught many a tyme

For to forsake theyr owne fals cryme

Than went we downe to a depper vale

Where crysten soules dyd weppe & crye

In grete sorowe payne and bale

Brennynge in fyer moost hote and drye

And some in Ice ryght depe dyd lye

For to expresse it is impossyble

The paynes there they are so horryble

These crysten men knowe goddes lawe

And euery daye had informacyon

From deuelysshe werkes theym to withdrawe

That they sholde not fall in dampnacyon

Yet wyll they not make sequestracyon

Of goddes cÕmaundement but syn deedly

Therfore here are they dampned ryght wysey

And thou haddest set thy delectacyon

In flesshely pleasure and vayne glory

Thou haddest ben here without saluacyon

Without thou of god had axed mercy

Who that it axeth shall haue it truely

Yf he be contryt and do repent

That he his lyfe in yll hath spent

This place sythens it is moost heuy

Moost derke and moost ferre from lyghtnes

As philosophers afferme by astronomy

Is in the myddes of the erthe doutles

That is a place of dyssolate derkenes

Wherfore by reason it must nedes be sette

In the myddes of the erthe both longe & grette

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