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A philosophre, a good clerk seculer, Had a frend that sumwhat was aged, In such tymes as wyttes wex uncler, Which frend of his was at last encoraged, By flateres that by plesaunce hym faged, To have a wif, as happeth oftyn tyme, Where that regneth this fage, this sory cryme.1 And yet the man wolde his counsel take, Of his trewe frende, the clerk that I of tolde, Which was ful fayne feithful counsel to make, For he was scient, expert, and ful bolde; And spared nat the man thouh he were olde, For he set not by his wreth a whistel, But wrot to hym this esuyng epistel: Myn olde dere frend, whi aske ye me counsaile If ye shal wedde to plesaunce of your lif? Fayn wolde ye wyte, if it were for availe For you to have a goodly one to wyf, -2 Yong, fressh, and fair, to stynt al maner strif, To your semyng, and ye be ronne in age, Which other men calle bondage and dotage. Take good leyser or thou have mariage. Be avised on Justynes counsail, The long cart offte hath hevy cariage. War Placebo, leave hym for thine avail. After the knot it helpeth nat to bewail, Thanne is to late to sey, "If I had wiste"; Thynk on the end thouh never so much thee liste. Remembre wele on olde January, Which mayster Chauuceres ful seriously descryveth, And on fressh May, and how Justyne did vary Fro Placebo, but yet the olde man wyveth: Thus sone he wexeth blynde, and than outhryveth Fro wordly joye, for he sued bad doctryne; Thenk on Damyan, Pluto, and Proserpyne. Thenk wisely thus, "I have but yeres fewe, And feble I am, and febler shal bee. If it me happe be coupled to a shrewe, My dayes are done; I may not flyt ne flee. To shorte my lif and make bonde that was free, Become prentise and newe to go to scole, Why shulde I so than were I but a fole?" Thou seist to me that she is ful demure, And for thi luf dothe moorne, weep, and sihe; I say an hauke cometh oftyn unto lure, Whan that a kyte at al wol not come nyghe; A curre berketh and fleeth for he is slighe, The tauht grehound may sone be ledde away, Weping is wayt vengeable, this no nay.3 Thou answerist me, thou maist none other do; I sey to thee, thou myhtest if thou wolde; Thou seist ageyn, constreyned I am therto; And I sey efte, that many a coke is colde Which is aged; and many a cok is olde On the dungehil, and maynteneth al his flokke, But alle oure eyren comen of the yong cokke. Thou seist me thus, "Now in my tyme of age, I am feble, and need good help to have, To keep my good." I sey, "Thou seist dotage." Seest thou not ofte a wedowe wed a knave; And that the good man hadde, that shal he have At least, the yong that can hym well bestere;4 Thus may thi man at thi pelouh appere. Is ther no man that thou may on truste To keep thi good? Is no man trewe at al? Ful ofte a wif is a broken poste, And he that leneth may lihtly cache a fal: One prively she loveth in especial; Whan the man deieth, ful often tyme is seen, Riht sone aftyr, ho before loved hath been. Bethenk on this, the fal of thi colour; Thy skyn sumtyme was ful, now is it slakke; For eyen and nose thee nedeth a mokadour Or sudary; now coorbed is thi bakke, Or sone shal bene, as pedeler to his pakke; Thi chekes hangen, thyn eyen wax read as wyne, And wel belyned with good read tartaryne.5 Thy mone-pynnes bene lyche old yvory: Here are stumpes feble and her are none, Holes and gappes ther are inowe; for why The harpe discordeth, for the pynnes are gone; Two and thretty made of ful myhti bone, Which thou had erst, telle weel and see what faileth, And loke aboute to wive if it availleth. Loke sone after a potent and spectacle; Be not ashamed to take hem to thyn ease, And than to wyving be thou nat racle. Bewar of hast thouh she behest to please, For whil she leveth thou lyvest but in disease, And casteth one to chese to hir delite, That may better astaunche hir appetite. And where thou seist thou hast a stomak colde, Therfore thou must have one to lig thertoo, For to be sekyr, not to be cokolde, Hete thi pelow, this counsel I thee to doo, And no juvencle; for if thou say thus, "Loo, Yong womman may do more than fyere heet," She thynketh thi colde for hir is nothing meet. Thou tellest me ofte that thouh thou aged be, Thou hast gret lust and that thou felest wele. Abated sone may it be, telle I thee, Sone hast thou done, it is not worth a dele: Ful esily thou may thi corage kele. Be nat to hasty to venge thee on thi foo, Rise up, go walk, and than is al agoo. Thou seist thou haddyst in yong age wantounesse, Therfore in olde age thee nedith have trewe spousaill. Canst thou no better come to holynesse, Than lese thiself al for a tikeltayll? Ful wery wil she be for hir avayll, For lust and good, if summe better can pay, Whereby she bideth thi passage every day. War the siknesse that called is the pank, A terme of court for the tide bitte no man,6 A maladie called "male de flank," A bocche that nedeth a good cirurgian; And but he be, she wol have men that can,7 That hath the crafte and the kunnyng pure, To make a parfytt and a redy cure. Thou tolde me, frende, I herd it of thiself, That thou kneuhest one, nameles of me as nowh, Unsatisfied a day in tymes twelf, Whan twelve plowmen ered at the plowh. She had sikenesse, I wot not where nen houh, But thou calledest it the fevere of the crevil, Nyne tyme a nyhte she had the wicked evyl. Put nat the wyte of this tale upon me, That I forged it upon my hed, For I herd it first of al of thee, And than of othere ful ofte in many a steed. Many an Ave, and many an hooly beed, Myht thou say, and praye for them may, If thou myht wynne so fair a weddyng day. Thi lusty leapes of thi coragious age, Thei are agoo, thi rennyng and thi trippes, In thi forehed fele Fridayes, this no fage,8 Farwele the rudde that was upon thi lippes; Unweldy wol thei be, both knees and hippes, Fele wel thyself, and parceyve every dele, For wommans eye al this parceyveth well. Thei can ful wele aspye in every syde, He bereth a name of godes and richesse; Thouh she be yong, yet wol she wele abide Uncoupled to a fressh man of junesse And take a buffard riche of gret vilesse, In hope that he shal sterve withynne a while, After to have a yong one al by gyle. Than is ther crafte, whan she begynne to feyne As thowh she loved the olde man al of herte. Halseth and kisseth and wol him not with-seyne, But flatereth fast that goode now nat asterte But she have al; than thouh he be nat querte, But turn up too and caste his clook away: That is to sey, she careth nat thouh he dey. She wol thee chastise, if thou love honesté, Voydyng slaundre, wyte thee of gelousye;9 Doute nat than but rebuked shalt thou be, She wol make men wonder on thi bodye; Liche confessoures thei wil rown pryvelye10 With other men, as it were gret counsail, Long and often; war than the countertaile.11 Wenest thou nat ther wol be mekil stryve Who shal have maistrie and the sovereynté? By trewe conquest, betwix thee and thi wife, Who shal prevail? Forsothe it wol be she! Elles pease and rest out of thine hous shal fle, And mydnythe, matynes, evensong, prime, and houres, She wol thee syng and weep, sharp are thoo shoures! And yet summe wyves wol fallen to consent Men to be maistres, so wommen have her will; That must nede be, or elles harm shal be hent. The husband must his wyves wille fulfill; And whoso geveth counsel but not thertille, She maketh hym werer, for sume haten ful sore Such as ther husbondes loven and no man more.12 Ther was a wife that seven husbandes hadde, And for six she wepte nat whan thei deied; But for the sevent she wept and was ful sadde, Wherefore hir neighbures merveyled, and hir preied To telle the cause, and thus to hem she seied, - "I may wele weep and cause I have therto To care and moorne, with me standeth so: "Of six husbandes whan thei were on bere, Was never none that passed unto grave, But I was purveied, whil he lyved here, Of a newe one; but now, so God me save! I am onpurveyed, and wot never whom to have; Thus must I moorne, for I am destitute, For now no man to me maketh ony sute!" Lo! lo! my frend, take tent to this womman That sex tymes had such purveyaunce Siker betymes, as many of them can, And namely in this case of chevysaunce. Make thou no doute but thou may leed the daunce Of Makabre, and the menewhile thi wife Is syker of such as she loved in thi life. She wol perhappous maken hir avowe That she wol take the mantle and the ryng Whil thou levest, whan she knoweth wel ynowe, Thou shalt be dede and have thi buryeng; But yet she taketh the man and eek the thynge, And hir husband disceyveth - allas! meschaunce! - Til she be siker of goode to hir pleasaunce. Thi wif wol be ful wyly, douht it nouhte, She loketh aboute whil thou lyvest here Where hir acquytaunce is; it shal be souhte, Most goodly persone, most leve and dere, That hir best liketh; and whan thou art on bere, She thynketh wel that one is yet alyve That she mowe truste wol have hir unto wyve. Thus is she redy, whanever it shal befall, Ther is hir mynde til mariage be made. Par case thi men in mynde she kepeth hem all. Perhappous one is loved that wol not fade; She cherissheth hym, to hym hir hert is glade. He bideth, she bideth, at last the knot is knyt, Thei have thi good; lewde man, wher is thi wytte? Puraventure thou hatest thi servaunt, Puraventure thi wife she loveth hym best, Puraventure with good she wol hym daunt. And meryly he shal slepe in thy nest; Whan thou art dead, in thi bed shal he rest; And he and she shal have lond, fee, and foode: Avaunt, rebel, of thy sore goten goode! He is a persone, she thynketh, of fair figure, - A yong rotour, redy to hir pleasier; Hyr eyen she fyxeth on hym, this is ful sure, And lokketh hym in hir herte hoote as fier, - And seeth the olde, hir colde and cowherand syer; Thou gost thi ways into a fer cuntré, Thi lewde servaunt thi successour shal be. She wol ordeyn by menes ful dyvers, That the kyng, or som gret lord, shal wryte To hir lettres, hir hert ful sore to pers, Coriously and craftly to endyte For hym, to whom was hir appetite Beforn goven, peraventure, many a day, Askauns she may nat to the lettres sey nay. This is the wyle of the womman wyly, For she wol have hir wille at al hir lust; Thou wenest wel but she is ful gyly, - Thou art deceyved whanne thou best gynnest to trust; Thou thynkest hir pollisshed whan she is ful of rust. Whil thou art here in hert she cherissheth other, As thouhe it were hir cosyn or hir brother. But be wel ware of feyned cosynage, And gossiprede, and myght of mayntenaunce,13 And lordes lettres, and ravisshing, and rage, For these are coloures and menes of myschaunce, Wherby thi wife shal have to hir pleasaunce One or other, such as she list to have In dyverse wise, whan thou art gone to grave. To make herof a confirmacioun, Lo! here a tale, and prynte it in thi mynde, Of a riche man who, by commoun relacioun, Had gret power and myhte, both lose and bynde,14    In his cuntree; yet, after cours of kynde, He was aged, and drouhe unto dotage, As olde men done that drawe to mariage. At last ther was one aspied oute, Goodly of port, that had experience Wel of the world, that semed ful devoute, Humble, sobre, nortured with reverence, - A fair womman, save that indigence She was sumdele; that is for to say, She was nat riche and she was nat to gay. This man was called Decembre of name, And gan to feble moch as age it wolde, But the woman kept hir out of blame Ful wilyly, riht lusty, and not olde; Hir name was July, hardly she was not colde By cause of age, and feat was hir array, And after good she longed nyht and day. He had knowlage of hir bi his espyes, And gat leiser to se hir prevylye, And spak with hir ynowh onys or twyes, And askid hir if she myht feithfullie Luf hym of herte, and morover, fynallye Become his wife, by spousayle fortunate, Notwithstandyng his richesse and estate. And with that worde she fel ful humbely Unto the grounde, and seid, "Wold God of myht I had be born, by influence hevenly, So fortunate, that I myht of riht Do trewe servyce, as ancille ever in siht Unto hir lord, and spare for non age, Which was never apt to such a mariage!15 "For to be coupled to so hih astate I am unable, I am not apt thereto So to presume, but that erly and late It sitteth me wele in other wise to do; That if ye had a wife, yf it were so, That gelousye wold not me disdeyne, I wolde hir serve and you and hir obeyne." Whan this was seide, his hert began to melt, For veray sweme of this swemeful tale; Aboute his hert he thoughte he gan to swelt, So loved he hir, he wex bothe colde and pale; And from his eyen the terys fel cleere and smale, As aged men wol lightly weep for routhe, And seid, "My luf, gramercy, up my trouthe, "Save for thre thinges that I am gylty inne, Shulde never erdely thyng maw make me lette, But that I wolde our mariage begynne, Which thre thynges have me aside so sette Fro al spousail with whech never yet I mette, So that as yet alle wedlok I denye, For which thre thynges I can no remedye." "No remedy," quod she, "God it forbede, That were mervail and a wonder thyng; Unto a sore with salve men must take hede, And for sikenesse men medycyne must bryng. I praye you, lorde, yf it be your likyng, Telle me alle thre, and a confortatif And remedye I shal make, up my lif." And with this worde he wex glad in his hert, And wex mery and bolde to telle alle oute, As Sampson did, whil he was hole and quert, When Dalida compassed hym aboute, That Philistees ran in upon a route, And for al strengthe that Gad gaf hym before, Thei hym captived, whereby he was y-lore. This man for trust of femynyne promysse Wolde telle out alle, in semblable wise, "Forsothe," quod he, "two thynges ther been amysse That I wol telle, bene of a sory syse: I am sone wroth and angry, this my guyse; The secund is ful wroth withoutyn cause. These tweyne foul thynges are closid in a clause." Quod she, "Good lorde, can ye no remedye For these two poyntes, that bene easy and smale? In good feith, sire, I cane ful sone aspye Salve for such sores; she is a feble female, That lakketh such read; good lorde, telle on your tale Of your thrid poynt, myn herte mery to make, And up my soule I shal al undirtake." "The thridde," quod he, "nay, I may not for shame." "Why, sir," quod she, "seith on, upon my life." "Forsothe," quod he, "as touchynge chambre game, It were ful hard for me to have a wife; But I were able, we shuld ever stond in strife, And wel I wote that I am impotent. Thus must I nedes, allas! be contynent." And with that worde she cauht hym in hir armes And halsed hym and kissed hym ful swete; Lo! suche bene the wyly wommens charmes, And with his berde he frusshed hir mouthe unmete. Thus sone agen she fel doun at his fete, And seide, "Dere lorde, this is the laste of alle Your seid thre poyntes, that miht hereaftyr falle?" "Ya," quod he. "Ya, syr, upon my feith," Quod she, "drede nat; I undertake these thre; Chiefly of alle for the thrid poynt," she seith, "I make warant, for ful onwise is she That cannot counsel in such juparté. Myn own dere lorde, take me unto your grace, To stande in favoure of your weel-favoured face." "Now than," quod he, "in this condicion, To you, dere herte, my veray trouth I pliht As to my spouse." And, withoute more sermone, Thei drouhe handes, as wedding asketh of riht; What shuld I lenger tary? Soone was diht Al that wedlok asketh and spowsayles, Al was redy to plesaunt apparailes. The day was comen of the solempnyté; What shulde I speke of the feest and array? It were to gret a laboure unto me, And my paper it conteyne ne may; But that at laste forth passed was the day, And nyht cam on, and ech man took his leve, And unto bed them must whan it was eve. The worthi man, as it cam hym of age, He toke a slepe; al nyhte he was in rest With wery bones, but his wife of corage Wolde have be fed, as brid in the nest. She het his bak, to halse hym thouht hir best, But al for nouht was al hir contenaunce, The man was of a gentle governaunce. And a man of sadde religioun, He kept the nyhte in peas and silence; He brak no covenaunt nen condicioun, That he with hir made first by his prudence, But sobrely he kept his contynence. I dare wel sey ther was no speke y-broke, Nor wrestelyng wherby he was y-wroke. But also pleyn was his bedde at the morwe As at even, so was he nortured wele, But the womman was woo, I dare be borwe, For cherisshyng was withdrawe every dele; She was hungry and wold have had hir mele, As appetyt ran on in hir corage, For she smelled flesshe, thouhe it was of age. Whan it was day and liht the chambre spradde, She hir bethouht and seide, "Good syr, awake." She rogged on hym, and was nothyng adradde, And badde hym turne hym for his wives sake. "What, syr," quod she, "wol ye no merthes make Of cherisshyng, as other men doon alle, When such neightes of mariage befalle?" He turned hym and herd al hir entente, Merveillyng that she such mater meved. Not disposed to ony turnemente, He was agast, and in hert was agreved. "What, wife!" quod he, "I wend I had beleved And myht have trusted to your thre remedyes And trewe covenaunt, withoute flateryes." "Flateries!" quod she, "Nay, syr, not soo, It is of ernest that I to you seid; I wol you tell, or that ye ferther goo, Al that I mente, I am nothing dismayd. I have you nat begyled nen betrayd. As to your poyntes thre, thynges spoken in fere, I shal rehersen pleynly myne answere. "Ye seide to me that ye wolde sone be wroth, I seide ageyn I cowde a remedye; That is to sey, be ye never so loth, I wol myself be moch more angrye; Sette one agens anothre hardilye, And se aboute of that that may you greve, For I gef nat of al that wreth may meve.16 "And where ye sey ye wol be wroth also Withouten cause, hardily it shal not nede. Ye shal have cause ynouh where so ye go, In thouht and worde ye shal not faile indede! How long agoo lerned ye, Crist crosse me spede! Have ye no more lernyd of youre a b c? Whan that ye list ye shal have cause plenté. "To the thrid poynt of which ye gan to meve, That was grettest to your jugement, And me thouht it, if ye wol me beleve, It the leste of alle that were y-ment; Of chambre werk we carped of assent, And wel ye wote by holy chirches lawe, Dette must be payd by oth, soth is this sawe. "But good fayre sir, God hath you endued With gret richesse, silver, gold, and fee, That if payment of dette be so remewed For noun power that it wol not be, Ye may, by godes of your prosperyté, Hire one that may fulfille al that in dede; Thus shal we never lak help at al oure nede. "Was this your wytte?" quod the cely man, "Ya, sir," quod she, "these oure remedies, Now also mot I thryve." And the saide he than, "I cannat se, for alle wittes and espies, And craft and kunnyng, but that the male so wryes, That no kunnyng may prevail and appere Agens a wommans wytt and hir aunswere." "Allas," quod he, "this is an insolible; If I strogel, slaundred shal I be; To satisfye it is but impossible: It may not be parformed as for me. What eyled me, lord, maryed for to be, Or for to trust to promysse femynyne, Sith not is golde al that as golde doth shyne. "Appeles and peres that semen very gode, Ful ofte tyme are roten by the core. I myht be ware, if I hadde not be wode, Of Adam, Sampson, and other me before; Davyd, Salamon, in liche wyse were y-lore; Eve, Dalida, beauteous Bersabé, And concubynes, they myht have warned me. "But now ther is no more to saye, I se Dame July must nedes haf hir wille! If I dissente, and if I make affray, I have the wers, thouhe I have rihte and skylle; I must hir wille agens my wylle fulfille, Evyr leve in shame, and that is al my woo, Farewele, fortune, my joye is al agoo!" Nowe is this tale done, and brouhte to ende, Of Januaries brother, and olde Decembre, And of Dame July; wherefore, myn olde dere frende, This counseil I, that ye you wol remembre, That if ye mowe chastise your carnal membre. For to leve soul and keep you contynent, Ne weddeth not at al be myn assent. And as for yssu and heyres to youre goode, Ther are ynowe, thouh ye have none at alle, Selle youre godes for coigne that is to goode, Do almesse dedes where nede is speciall; And elles, my frende, sey who is he that shall Make you yssu and begete you an heyr, That ye your lif ne shorte nen yt appeyr? And he that may not keep hym contynent, As seith Seynt Poule, lat hym wedded be; For better is rather than to be brent To be wedded. But, frend, I trowe that ye Have no more nede to such fragilité In this youre age, if ye wel discerne, Than hath a blynde man of a briht lanterne. And ever thynk wel on this proverb trewe, Remembring on age by ony weye, That veray dotage in olde age wol thee sewe, That the first yere wedlokk is called pleye, The second, dreye, and the thrid yere, deye. This is a mery lif to have amonge; It is ful fayre, if ye abide so longe. This is the ende of trewe relacioun: If thou wol wedde, and so be sette amys, If thou therto have gret temptacioun, Lifte up thyn handes, and with thi fingres blysse And praye to God, that thou mut thenk on this Litel lessoun, and keepe it in thi mynde, And hardly it shal away as wynde. L'envoye Go, pety quaier, and war where thou appere, In aunter that thou tourne unto displesaunce Of joly bodies, that labouren fer and neer To bryng olde men to her mortal myschaunce To that entente: that after variaunce Fro lif to deth, withinne a litle stounde, By sotyl crafte, a morsel or pitaunce, A rustiler shal sone be redy founde. Thy wordes, quayer, ar trewe, this no dowte, Wherbi wise men, if thei wol, may be ware And for popholy and vyce loke wel aboute, That rybaudy wol calle thi wordes bare. Laboure thiself for to kepe out of snare Cely dotardes, lat this be thyne entent; Farewel and worcke as ferforthe as thou dare, That life and godes take none abreggement. Explicit

scholar (priest); (see note) (see note) flatterers; flattered pleased wise wrath following end In your judgment, if; getting on before (see note) The big wagon often has [the] heavy load; (see note) Beware known though it pleases you little Chaucer; (see note) departed worldly; followed escape enslave apprentice unless I were; fool (see note) sigh cur barks; sly tightly bound do nothing else cock; (see note) eggs possessions; a foolish word young servant servant; pillow appear easily; (see note) who fading flaccid a type of handkerchief face towel; stooped teeth enough; therefore; (see note) tuning pegs before, count; is missing affords help crutch; eye glass not hasty haste though; promise remains; discomfort [she] plots satisfy; (see note) (see note) lay certain Heat young woman; whereas; (see note) fiery fitting capable much desire cool (see note) gone (dispersed) (see note) wedlock lose; loose woman attentive; advantage possessions awaits; death (see note) a pain in the groin or abdomen swelling; surgeon Who knew; now months plowed know; nor itch blame imagined it in place Ave Maria; prayer pray by means of; (see note) desirous capers (skips) ruddiness part He [who] Unattached; youth; (see note) stupid buffoon; old age die through [her] cleverness Hugs; contradict possessions; escape Until; then; healthy; (see note) turn up [his] toes die (see note) Do you not expect; great; (see note) (see note) those showers incline; (see note) as long as; their suffered wife's desire thereto wary (see note) [it] stands so with me bier; (see note) provided unprovided [for]; know give a thought to provision Certainly early enough provision (arrangement) Death accrued make a solemn promise (see note) remain; enough; (see note) nevertheless; possessions possessions acquittance (satisfaction); sought esteemed pleases her most; bier may Perchance; (see note) weaken encourages waits foolish Perhaps subdue (see note) Begone; evil; (see note) one who plays the rote locks boils; cowering sire (see note) pierce write given Pretending that expect; guileful (see note) forcible abduction; horseplay tricks; trouble desires hear; imprint; (see note) nature grew old; drew move toward spied; (see note) appearance except that [of] poverty; (see note) somewhat began to become feeble much as age requires And; disgrace indeed comely spies privately enough once; twice (see note) unworthy always It becomes me well Who would not scorn me because of jealousy obey sorrow; piteous grow faint easily; pity earthly; be able to; forbear do without know take care medicine upon healthy [So] that; crowd gave lost in the same manner [that] be of a sorry kind quickly wrathful; nature brief statement know council; (see note) upon Unless But chaste embraced rubbed; exceedingly; (see note) again hereafter occur take up guarantee; unwise difficulty (see note) pledge speech clasped accomplished; (see note) wedding festivities preparations (see note) document (writing page) (see note) being old; (see note) went to sleep sexual desire hit; embrace action self-discipline; (see note) nor chastity word spoken avenged; (see note) as undisturbed disciplined saved wholly (see note) light; spread throughout pulled mentioned tournament; (see note) (see note) agreement; deceptions; (see note) before perturbed together (see note) knew displeasing (see note) it shall not be necessary enough lack save listen referred to spoke of mutual agreement provided; (see note) movable property relieved destitution; (see note) foolish as I may prosper; (see note) [my] powers of observation the thing turns out; (see note) do harm; (see note) dilemma disagree (see note) (see note) (see note) have been mindful; crazed a similar way; lost Bathsheba trouble gone may discipline remain alone; chaste would be my opinion issue; heirs; possessions; (see note) enough coin nor make worse chaste (see note) follow (see note) trouble; death continually purpose; account amiss be allowed scarcely it shall disappear; (see note) little book; beware; (see note) In case their purpose; change short time a little bit book both for hypocrisy (pope holy); (see note) ribaldry; plain Foolish far lessening

John Lydgate (?), Prohemy of a Mariage betwixt an Olde Man and a Yonge Wife, and the Counsail, Select Bibliography

[The initial editing of this poem was done by Mary Elizabeth Ellzey and Douglas Moffatt.]

Manuscript

British Library MS Harley 372, fols. 45a-51a (1440-60).


Editions

Halliwell, James Orchard. A Selection from the Minor Poems of Dan John Lydgate. London: Printed for the Percy Society by C. Richards, 1840. Pp. 27-46. [Under the title Advice to an Old Gentleman Who Wished for a Young Wife. The work was first printed by Caxton as The Complainte of Them That Ben To Late Maryed.]