The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Errata and Addenda
• Introduction
• I: The Testament of Love.
• Book I Prologue. [ ]
• Book II.
• Book III.
• II.: The Plowmans Tale.
• III.: Jack Upland.
• IV.: John Gower Unto the Worthy and Noble Kinge Henry the Fourth.
• V.: Thomas Hoccleve. the Letter of Cupid.
• VI.: To the Kinges Most Noble Grace; and to the Lordes and Knightes of the Garter.
• VII.: A Moral Balade.
• VIII.: John Lydgate. the Complaint of the Black Knight; Or, the Complaint of a Loveres Lyfe.
• IX.: The Flour of Curtesye.
• X.: A Balade; In Commendation of Our Lady.
• XI.: To My Soverain Lady.
• XII.: Ballad of Good Counsel.
• XIII.: Beware of Doubleness.
• XIV.: A Balade: Warning Men to Beware of Deceitful Women.
• XV.: Three Sayings.
• XVI.: La Belle Dame Sans Mercy. Translated Out of French By Sir Richard Ros.
• XVII.: The Testament of Cresseid.
• XVIII.: The Cuckoo and the Nightingale; Or the Book of Cupid, God of Love.
• XIX.: Envoy to Alison.
• XX.: The Flower and the Leaf.
• XXI.: The Assembly of Ladies.
• XXII.: A Goodly Balade.
• XXIII.: Go Forth, King.
• XXIV.: The Court of Love.
• XXV.: Virelai.
• XXVI.: Prosperity.
• XXVII.: Leaulte Vault Richesse.
• XXVIII.: Sayings Printed By Caxton.
• XXIX.: Balade In Praise of Chaucer.
• Notes.
• Glossarial Index.
• List of Subscribers.

XXIII.

GO FORTH, KING.

From Th. (Thynne, ed. 1532); I give rejected spellings.

• • GO forth , king, rule thee by sapience;
  • Bishop , be able to minister doctryne;
  • Lord, to trew consayl yeve audience;
  • Womanheed , to chastitè ever enclyne;
  • Knight, let thy dedes worship determyne;5
  • Be rightwis, jugë , in saving thy name;
  • Rich, do almesse, lest thou lese blis with shame.
• • People, obey your king and the lawe;
  • Age, be thou ruled by good religioun ;
  • Trew servant, be dredful , and keep thee under awe,10
  • And thou, povre , fy on presumpcioun ;
  • Inobedience to youth is utter distruccioun ;
  • Remembre you how god hath set you, lo!
  • And do your part , as ye be ordained to.

[1. ]forthe; the.

[2. ]Bishoppe.

[3. ]Lorde; trewe counsayle.

[4. ]Womanhede.

[5. ]lette.

[6. ]rightous (read rightwis); iuge.

[7. ]blysse.

[9. ]relygion.

[10. ]Trewe; dredeful; kepe.

[11. ]poore; presumption.

[12. ]distruction.

[13. ]howe.

[14. ]parte.