The xxjti Chapitre.
YOLE, THE DOUGHTER of the Kynge of Ethioll, emonge the other virgynes of that regione was of exellente beaute. Ther be that say she was belouyd of Hercules, the conquerour of the wourlde. Whiche sayde Hercules hade fyrst the graunte of hyr father to mary hyr, and after by the persuasion of hys sonne, he denyede that Hercules shulde wedde hyr. Wherfore Hercules, beynge wondres angry, mouede a cruell warr agaynst hym and slewe hym. And when he had takyn hys prouynce, he toke also hys deare belouyde Yole; whiche sayde Yole, berynge more at hyr hertt the deathe of hyr father then she dyd the loue of Hercules, desyrous to be reuengyde, with a meruelouse dissemylynge loue and with other toyes she drew Hercules into so feruent a fantasy with hyr that she assuryde hyrself that, what so euer she desyred hym to do, he wolde not say ‘Nay’. And so, as though she dyd abhorre so rughe a garmente as Hercules was wonte to weere, fyrst she made hym to sett asyde hys clubbe, wherewith he was wonte to tame monsters, and aftre to caste asyde the lyons skynne, whiche was a token of hys fortitude and strength, and to sett also asyde hys shelde, hys bowe and hys arrowes. Whiche doone, as thoughe she were not well contentid with all, she made hym, besyds thys, to spynne of the dystafe, to combe hys rughe heyr, to put rynges on hys fyngars, to washe hys bearde with swete balme, and, breuely, to put a delycate cappe on hys heade, and to clothe hys body with fyne and softe garmentes — thynkynge planely that to a maydyn armyde with fraude and deceite that it was muche more to hyr honour with suche pleasures to ouercum Hercules then other with the swerde or the malle. Ouer and besydes thys, not thynkynge to haue reuengyde hyrself ynoughe, she soo wrought that Hercules, geuyne to thies pleasures, satt clothyd emonge the women, as he had bene a verey woman in dede, and weuynge and spynnynge emonge the other with those fyngars that he hade in hys cradle stranglede the serpentes with all. Surely, a verey sure argumente of mans imbecillyte and of the crafte and the deceyte of women! With thies craftes thys woman, reuengynge hyr fathers deathe, not with strengthe but with wantonnes deceyuyde Hercules and gatt hyr by it a fame for euer. And as many vyctoryes as Hercules had obteyned by subduynge the monsters thoroughoute the worlde, so muche the more glory it was to Yole to tryhumphe of hym. Thys pestiferus passyon is wonte often to assaute the delycate yonge maydyns and also the wanton and idle yonge men, for asmuche as Cupyde allwais is a dispyser of grauyte and of delycatnes an exellent maynteyner. And thus false Cupyde dyd penetrate the harde brest of Hercules and broughte into hym a farr more greate monster then euer he conquerede in hys tyme, which, if he had well remembrede hym self, he wolde not so soone haue left vertuouse laboure and taken hymself to idlenes, seynge so greate an ennemye as Cupyde is, dyd so assaute hym. Let vs then awaake and arme our myndes and our herttes, for ther is noo man that neades agaynste hys wyll to be vaynquysshed of hym, so that he do wythstonde the fyrste inuasyone and begynnynge of hym, in refraynynge his eyes frome lokynge of vanytes, and in stoppynge hys eares, as the serpent dothe, frome herynge of his incantationes, and with continuall study to suppresse wantonnes. For Loue at the fyrst offerithe hymselfe to those that be not ware of hym gentlely and smylyngly, and if he be receyuyde with a gladd hoope, he dothe persuade to vse gay garmenttes, new facyones and new dalyaunsys, songes, dauncys, versys and playse, with deynty bankettes contynually. But afterwards, when by proue he hathe all ocupyede the man, he dothe, as who shulde say, chayne or bynde the mynde frome all libertye, bryngynge in syghes and lamentationes, and oppressithe all scyences and wytte and reasone, makynge noo differense betwyxte vyces and vertues, so that he may obteyne that thyng that he dothe couete, takynge all hys ennemyes that doo wftfetande hym. And so, the flamme bumynge hys vnhappy brest, he gothe and cummethe aboute, newer seasynge tyll he do fynde the thynge that he sowghte; and ofte, after the syghte, sekynge to se agayne a begynnynge to kyndle a newe fyer. And when ther is noo place of penytence, then weepe they, then speke they faire, flatterynge wordes; then do they enstructe theire bawdes; then promysse they gyftes; and in verey deede bothe gyue and take, and often deceyue theyr kepars, not sparynge for noo watche, till at the laste they cum to pleasures and enbrasynges. Then the ennemy to chastyte and the persuadour to suche myschyfe dryuethe shamefastnes and honeste cleene a way; euen as a hogge tumblynge in the myre, so is he apte to all carnall actes; then sobriete is sett asyde; Ceres and Bacchus called, tryhumphes Venus, in suche wyse that all the nyght thorowe they attende to noone other but to that shamefull play. Nor for that the fury is not quenchyde, but for the more parte augmentide. I Whereby the greate Hercules shall fall into that detestable semytude, honour shalbe forgotten, substaunce shalbe waystede, and hate shalbe armyde, often tymes to the greate parelle of our lyfe. Nor thies thynges ar not withoute sorowse, for nowe is stryfe, forwythe slypper peax, nowe hoope and strayght agayne suspicione, wherby the zele of our sowlle and oure body is consumede. But if a man cannot cum to that he couettes, then loue, voyde frome all reasone, puttith, as who shulde say, the spurres to the horse. Then is ther nothyng but wepynges and complayntes, in so muche that sumtyme by deathe they heele theyr malady. But fyrste they assay with wichecrafte to speede; they counseile with the Caldeys, they make louynge drynkynges with flaterynge; and streyght they turne that to stryfe. In somuche that thys vngraciouse scoole maister bryngeth theym into so muche fury that they be redy to ende theyr days with halter or with sworde, they care not whether. O, howe swete and pleasaunt is suche loue that, in that he geuythe vs cause to hate hym, we extolle hym so muche and exalte hym and make of hym a gode; we pray to hym and with wepynge teares commytte aduoultery and other detestable thynges not honeste to tell!