¶ Ofte is it seen with sobre contenaunce
¶ That wyse men fooles ouercome ay
¶ Tornyng as hem lyst & all her varyaunce
¶ Chaunge from ernest in to mery play
¶ What were they bothe amendeth that day
¶ When they were dreuen to her wyttes ende
¶ Were they not fayne to graunt to be his frende

¶ Ryght soo fooles when they haue done
¶ All that they can than be they fayne
¶ Gyue vp hed mater to oblyuyone
¶ Without rewarde they haue no more brayne
¶ And yet ful ofte hath hit be sayne
¶ When they it haue foryete & set at nought
¶ That they full dere haue afterwarde it bought

¶ And as for all tho that represent
¶ To be called goddys at that banket
¶ Resemble false ydollys but to his entent
¶ Was Morpleus commaunded thyder the to fet
¶ That thou sholdest know the maner & the get
¶ Of the paynym law and of her byleue
¶ How false ydolatry ledeth hem by the sleue

¶ For soone vppon the worldys creacyon
¶ When Adam and Eve had broke the precept
¶ Whiche clerkes call the tyme of deuyacyon
¶ The worldly people in paynym law slept
¶ Tyll moyses vnder god the tables of stone kept
¶ In whiche tyme Poetes feyned many a fable
¶ To dyscrete Reason ryght acceptable

¶ And to the entent that they sholde sounde
¶ To the eeres of hem the more pleasantly
¶ That theym sholde rede or here the yaue theym a grounde
¶ And addid names vnto theym naturally
¶ Of whom they spake & callid hem goddis hy
¶ Some for the strength & myght of her nature
¶ And some for her sotyll wytty coniecture

¶ By nature thus as the seuen planettes
¶ Haue her propre names by Astronomeres
¶ But goddys were they called by old Poetes
¶ For her gret feruency of werkyng in her speres
¶ Experyence preueth this at all yeres
¶ And for as other that goddys called be
¶ For sotyll wytte that shall I teche the

¶ How they by that hyghe name of god cam
¶ In this sayd tyme the people was so rude
¶ That what maner creature man or woman
¶ Coude ony newelte contryue and conclude
¶ For the comon wele all the multytude
¶ Of the comon people a god sholde hym call
¶ Or a goddesse after hit was fall

¶ Of the same thyng that was so newefounde
¶ As Ceres for she the crafte of tylthe fonde
¶ Wherby more plentouously corne dyd habounde
¶ The people her called thrugh out euery londe
¶ Goddesse of corne wendyng in her honde
¶ Had layn all power of cornes habundaunce
¶ Thus were the Paynems deceyued by ignoraunce

¶ In lyke maner Isys was called the goddesse
¶ Of frute for she fyrst made it multuply
¶ By the name of graffyng & soo by processe
¶ The name of Pan gan to deyfy
¶ For he fyrst founde the mene shepe to guy
¶ Some toke it also by her condycyon
¶ As Pluto Fortune and suche other doon

¶ Thus all that Poetes put vnder couerture
¶ Of fable the rurall people hit toke
¶ Properly as acte refusyng the fygure
¶ Which errour some of hem neuer forsoke
¶ Ofte a false myrour deceyueth a mannes loke
¶ As thou mayst dayly pryue at thyne ey
¶ Thus were the paynyms deceyued generally

¶ That seyng the dedely enemy of mankynde
¶ By his pouer premyssyue entred the ymagys
¶ Within the Temples to make the people blynde
¶ In her ydolatry standyng on hyghe stagys
¶ Insomoche whoo vsed daungerous passagys
¶ Ony maner way by water or be londe
¶ When hyd his sacryfyce his answere redy fonde

¶ Thus duryng the tyme of deuyacion
¶ From Adam to Moyses was ydolatry
¶ Through the worlde vsed in comon opynyon
¶ These were the goddys that thou there sy
¶ And as for the awayters that stood hem by
¶ They polytyke Phylosophers & Poetes were
¶ Whiche feyned the fables that I speke of here

¶ Then seased the tyme of deuyacyon
¶ When Moyses receyued that tables of stone
¶ Entryng the tyme of reuocacyon
¶ On the mounte of Synay stondyng allone
¶ God yaue hym myght ayene all his fone
¶ And then began the olde testament
¶ Whiche to the people by Moyses was sent

¶ And that tyme dured the Incarnacyon
¶ Of Cryste and then began it to sese
¶ For then came the tyme of reconcylyacyon
¶ Of man to god I tell the doutlese
¶ When the sone of man put hym in prese
¶ Wylfully to suffre dethe for mankynde
¶ In holy scrypture this mayst thou fynde

¶ This Reconcylyacyon was the tyme of grace
¶ When founded was the chirche vpon that fayre stone
¶ And to holy Peter the keye delyuered was
¶ Of heuen hell dyspoyled was anone
¶ Thys was mankynde delyuered from his fone
¶ And then began the newe testament[3]

¶ Whiche .iii. tymes a sondry dyuyded
¶ Mayst thou here see yf thou lyst beholde
¶ The fyrst behynde the in pycture is prouyded
¶ The seconde of the lyft honde shew prophet olde
¶ The .iii. on the ryght honde here it is to the tolde
¶ Thus hast thou in vysyon the verey fygure
¶ Of these .iii. tymes here shewed in portrayture

¶ That is to say fyrst of deuyacyon
¶ From Adam to Moyses recordyng scripture
¶ Seconde fro Moyses to the Incarnacyon
¶ Of Cryst kepeth reuocacyon cure
¶ And as for the thyrd thou mayst be verrey sure
¶ Wylt dure from thens to the worldes ende
¶ But now the .iiii. must thou haue in mynde

¶ Whiche is callid properly the tyme of pylgremage
¶ After some & some named it otherwyse
¶ And call hit the tyme of daungerous passage
¶ And some of werre that fully hit dyspyse
¶ But what so it be named I wyll the auyse
¶ Remembre it well and prynte it in thy mynde
¶ Wherof the fygure mayst thou me behynde

¶ And elles remembre thyselfe in thyne herte
¶ How Vyce & Vertue dayly theym occupy
¶ In maner one of hem hym to peruerte
¶ Another to bryng hym to endeles glory
¶ Thus they contynue fyght for the vyctory
¶ Hit is no nede herof to tell the more
¶ For in this short vysyon thou hast seen it before

¶ And as for Attropos greuous compleynt
¶ Vnto the goddys betokeneth noo more
¶ But oonly to shew the how frendely constreynt
¶ On a stedfast herte weyeth full sore
¶ Good wyll requyreth good wyll ayene therfore
¶ Dyscorde to deth hathe ay byn a frende
¶ For Dyscorde bryngeth many to her ende

¶ Wherfore Dethe thought he wolde auenged be
¶ On his frendes quarell yf that he myghte
¶ For her gret vnkyndnesse is somoche as she
¶ Was among hem all had so in despyte
¶ And at that ba[n]ket made of soo lyte
¶ Which caused hym among hem to cast in a bone
¶ That founde theym gnawyng ynough euerichone

¶ Thus ofte is seen on frende for a nother
¶ Wyll say & doo and some tyme maters feyne
¶ And also kynnysmen a cosyne or a brother
¶ Wyll for his alyer he haue cause compleyne
¶ And where that he loueth doo his besy peyne
¶ His frendes mater as his owne to take
¶ Whiche oft sythe causeth mychyll sorow awake

¶ Be hit ryght or wrong he chargeth not a myte
Ap towarde that poynt he taketh lytyll hede
¶ So that he may haue his frowarde appetyte
Performed he careth not how his soule spede (note
¶ Of God or Deuyll haue suche lytyll drede
¶ How be it one there is that lord is of all
¶ Whiche to euery wyght at last rewarde shall

¶ And as for the batayl betwene Vertu holde
¶ Soo playnly appereth to the inwardly
¶ To make exposycyon therof new or olde
¶ Were but superfluyte therefore refuse hit I
¶ In man shall thou fynde that were kept dayly
¶ Lyke as thou hast seen it fowty[u]e before thy face
¶ The pycture me behynde sheweth it in lytyll space

¶ And as for Macrocosme it is nomore to say
¶ But the lesse worlde to the comon entent
¶ Whiche applyed is to man both nyght & day
¶ Soo is man the felde to which all were sent
¶ On bothe partyes & they that thyder went
¶ Sygnyfye nomore but after the condycyon
¶ Of euery manes opynyon

¶ And as for the noble knygt Perseueraunce
¶ Which gate the felde when it was almost gone
¶ Betokeneth nomore but the contynuaunce
¶ Of vertuous lyvyng tyll dethe hath auergone
¶ Who soo wyll doo rewarded is anone
¶ As Vertue was with the crowne on hy
whiche is noo more but euerlastyng glory

¶ And as for Prestynacyon[4]
¶ That eche of hem rewarded after his deserte
¶ Is to vnderstonde nomore but dampnacyon
¶ To vycyous people is the verey scourge smert
¶ Rewarde for they fro Vertue wolde peruert
¶ And endelesse Ioye is to hem that be electe
¶ Rewarded & to all that folow the same secte

¶ And as for the keyes of the posternes fyue
Whiche were to Morpleus rewarded for his laboure
¶ Sygnyfye not elles but whyle man is on lyue
¶ His fyue inwarde wyttes shall be euery hour
¶ In his slepe occupyed in hele & in langour
¶ With fantasyes tryfels Illusyons & dremes
¶ Whiche Poetes call Morpleus stremes

¶ And as for Residiuacyon is nomore to say
¶ But after Confessyon tornyng ayene to synne
¶ Whiche to euery man retornyth sauns delay
¶ To vycyous lyuyng agayn hym to wynne
¶ Whyle ony man lyueth wyll it neuer blynne
¶ That cursed conclusyon for to bryng aboute
¶ But Reason with Sadnes kepe it styll oute

¶ Here hast thou properly the verrey sentence
¶ Perde now declared of this vysyon
¶ The pycture also yeueth clere intellygence
¶ Therof beholden with good dyscresyon
¶ Loke well aboute and take consyderasyon
¶ As I haue declared whether hit soo be
¶ A syr quoth Morpleus what tolde I the

¶ Hast thou properly the verey sentence
¶ Loke on yon wall yonder before
¶ And all that tyme stood I in a wyre
¶ Whiche way first myn hert wolde yeue more
¶ To loke in a stody stood I therfore
¶ Neuerthelesse at last as Morpleus me badde
¶ I loked forwarde with contenaunce sadde

¶ Where I beheld in portrayture
¶ The maner of the felde euen as it was
Shewed me before & euery creature
¶ On bothe sydes beyng drawyng in small space
¶ Soo caryously in soo lytyll a compace
¶ In all this worlde was neuer thyng wrought
¶ Hit were Impossyble in erthe to be thought

¶ And when I had long beholde that pycture
¶ What quod Morpleus how longe shalte thou loke
¶ Daryng as a dastard on yon portrayture:
¶ Come of for shame thy wytte stante a croke
¶ I heryng that myn herte to me toke
¶ Towarde the fourthe wall tornyng my vysage
¶ Where I sawe Poetes & Phylosophers sage

¶ Many one moo that at the banket
¶ Serued the goddes as I sayde before
¶ Som were made standyng & som in chayris set
¶ Som lokyng on bokys as they had stodyed sore
¶ Som drawyng almenakis & in her hondis bore
¶ Astyrlabes takyng the altytude of the sonne
¶ Among whome Dyogenes sate in a tonne

¶ And as I was lokyng on that fourthe wall
¶ Of Dyogenes beholdyng the ymage
¶ Sodeynly Doctryne began me to call
¶ And bad me tourne towarde hyr my vysage
¶ And soo then I dyde with humble corage
¶ Whan thynkest thou she sayd hast thou not thentent
¶ Yet of these foure walles what they represent

¶ The pycture on the fyrst that standeth at my bake
¶ Sheweth the the present tyme of pylgremage
¶ Of whiche before I vnto the spake
¶ Whiche is the tyme of daungerous passage
¶ The seconde dyscrettly agayne my vysage
¶ The tyme expresseth of Deuyacyon
¶ Whyle paynyme lawe had the domynacyon

¶ The thryd wall standyng on my lyfe honde
¶ The tyme representeth of Reuocacyon
¶ And the fourthe standyng on my ryght honde
¶ Determyneth the tyme of Reconsylyacyon
¶ This is the effecte of thy vysyon
¶ Wherfore the nedeth no more theron to muse
¶ Hit were but veyne thy wyttes to dysuse

¶ But duryng the tym of Reconsylyacyon
¶ Thy tyme of pylgremage loke well thou spende
¶ And then woll gracyous Predestynacyon
¶ Bryng the to glory at thy law ende
¶ And euen with that came to my mynde
¶ My fyrst conclusyon that I was aboute
¶ To haue dreuen er slepe made me to lute

¶ That is to say how Sensualyte
¶ With Reason to acorde myght be brought aboute
¶ Whiche caused me to knele downe on my kne
¶ And beseke Doctryne determyne that doute
¶ Oo Lord god sayd Doctryne canst thou not withoute
¶ Me that conclusyon bryng to an ende
¶ Ferre is fro the wytte & ferther good mende

¶ And euen with that Dethe gan appere
¶ Shewyng hymselfe as though that he wolde
¶ His darte haue occupyed within that herbere
¶ But there was none for hym yong nor olde
¶ Saue oonly I Doctrine hym tolde
¶ And when I herde hyr with hym comon thus
¶ I me withdrew behynde Morpleus.

¶ Dredyng full sore lest he with his dart.
¶ Through Doctrynes wordes ony entresse.
¶ In me wolde haue had or claymed ony part
¶ Which sholde haue caused me grete heuynesse
¶ Within whiche tyme & short processe
¶ Came thyder Reason and Sensualyte.
¶ A quoth Doctryne ryght welcome be ye

¶ Hit is not long sythe we of you spake
¶ Ye must er ye goo determyne a doute
¶ And euen with that she the mater brake
¶ To theym & tolde hit euery where aboute
¶ I wolde haue be thens yf I had moute
¶ For fere I loked as blake as a cole
¶ I wolde haue cropen in a mouse hole

¶ What quoth Doctryne where is he now
¶ That meu[i]d this mater straunge & dyffuse
¶ He is a cowarde I make myn auow
¶ He hyded his hede his mocyon to refuse
¶ Blame hym not quod Reason alway that to vse
¶ When he seeth Dethe soo nere at his honde
¶ Yet is his part hym to withstonde

¶ Or at the leste way elles fro hym flee
¶ As longe as he may who dooth other wyse
¶ Is an ydeote quoth Sensualytee
¶ Who dredeth not Dethe wyse men hym dyspyse
¶ What said Doctryne how long hathe this gyse
¶ Be holden & vsed thus atwixe you tweyne
¶ Ye were not wonte to acorde certeyne

¶ Yes quoth Reason in this poynt alway
¶ To euery man haue we yeuen our counsayll
¶ Dethe for to flee as long as they may
¶ Although wo otherwyse haue done our trauayl
¶ Eche other to represse yet withoute fayll
¶ In that poynt oonly dyscordeth we neuer
¶ Thus condescended therin be we for euer

¶ Aha sayd Doctryne then is the conclusyon
¶ Clerely determined of the gret doute
¶ That here wes meuyd & halfe in derysyon
¶ She me then called & bade me loke oute
¶ Come forthe she sayd & feere not this route
¶ And euen with that Reason & Sensualyte
¶ And Dethe fro thens were vanysshed all thre

¶ Then loked I forthe as Doctryne me badde
¶ When Dethe was gone me thought I was bolde
¶ To shewe myselfe but yet was I sadde
¶ Me thought my doute was not as I wolde
¶ Clerely and openly declared & tolde
¶ Hit sowned to me as a parable
¶ Derke as a myste or a fayned fable

¶ And Doctryne my conceyte gan espy
¶ Wherfore sayd she standest thou soo styll
¶ Wherin is thy thought arte thou in stody
¶ Of thy questyon hast thou not thy fyll
¶ To the declared tell me thy wyll.
¶ Herdest thou not Reason & Sensualyte
¶ Declared thy doute here before the

¶ Forsothe quoth I I herde what they sayde
¶ But neuerthelesse my wytte is so thynne
¶ And also of Dethe I was so afrayde
¶ That hit is out where hit vent ynne
¶ And so that mater can I not wynne
¶ Without your helpe & benyuolence
¶ Therof to expresse the veray sentence

¶ Well quod Doctryne then yeue attendaunce
¶ Vnto my wordes & thou shalt here
¶ Openly declared the concordaunce
¶ Atwene Sensualyte & Reason in fere
¶ If thou take hede hit clerely dooth apere
¶ How they were knette in one opynyon
¶ Bothe agayn Dethe helde contradyccon

¶ Whiche concordaunce no more sygnyfyeth
¶ To playne vnderstandyng but in euery mane
¶ Bothe Sensualyte & Reason applyeth
¶ Rather Dethe to flee then with hir to be tane
¶ Loo in that poynt accorde they holly thane
¶ And in all other they clerely dyscorde
¶ Thus is trewly set thy doubtfull monacorde

¶ I heryng that kneled on my kne
¶ And thanked her lowly for her dyscyplyne
¶ That she wouchesafe of her benygnyte
¶ Of tho gret doubtes me to enlumyne
¶ Well was she worthy to be called Doctryne
¶ If it had be no more but for the solucyon
¶ Of my demaunde & of this straunge vysyon

¶ And as I with myne hede began for to bow
¶ As me well ought to do her reuerence
¶ She thens departed I can not tell how
¶ But within a moment gone was she thens
¶ Then sayd Morpleus let vs go hens
¶ what sholde we here tarye lengere
¶ Hast thou not herde a generall answere

¶ To all thy materes that thou lyst to meue
¶ My tyme draweth nere that I must rest
¶ And euen therewith he toke me by the sleue
¶ And sayd goo we hens for that sholde I best
¶ As good is ynough as a grete fest
¶ Thou hast seen ynough holde the content
¶ And euen with that forthe with hym I went

¶ Tyll he had me brought agene to my bedde
¶ where he me founde and then pryuely
¶ He stale awaye I coude not vnderstande
¶ were he became but sodeynly
¶ As he came he went I tell you veryly
¶ whiche done fro slepe I gan to awake
¶ My body all in swet began for to shake

¶ For drede of the syght that I had sene
¶ wenyng to me all had be trew
¶ Actuelly done where I had bene
¶ That batyll holde twene Vyce & Vertew
¶ But when I see hit hit was but a whew
¶ A dreme a fantasy & a thyng of nought
¶ To study thereon I had nomore thought

¶ Tyll at the last I gan me bethynke
¶ For what cause shewed was this vysyon
¶ I knew not wherefore I toke pen & ynke
¶ And paper therof to make mencyon
¶ In wrytyng takyng consyderacyon
¶ That noo defaute were found in me
¶ whereon accused I ought for to be

¶ For slouthe that I had left hit vntolde
¶ Neyther by mouthe nor in remembraunce
¶ Put it in wrytyng where thorugh manyfolde
¶ wayes of accusacion myght torne me to greuaunce
¶ All this I sawe as I lay in a traunce
¶ But wheder it was with myne ey bodely
¶ Or not in certayn god knoweth & not I

¶ That to dyscerne I purpose not to dele
¶ Soo large by my wyll it longeth not to me
¶ were hit dreme or vysyon for your owne wele
¶ All that shall hit rede here rad or se
¶ Take thereof the best & let the worst be
¶ Try out the corne clene from the chaff
And then may ye say ye have a sure staff

¶ To stande by at nede of ye wyll it holde
¶ And walke by the way of Vertue
¶ But alwey beware be ye yong or olde
¶ That your Frewyll ay to Vertue more
¶ Apply than to Vyce the easyer may be bore
¶ The burden of the felde that ye dayly fyght
¶ Agayn your .iii. enemyes for all her gret myght

¶ That is to say the Deuyll & the Flesshe
¶ And also the worlde with hith his glosyng chere
¶ Whyche on you loketh euer newe & fresshe
¶ But he is not as he dooth apere
¶ Loke ye kepe you ay out of his daungere
¶ And soo the vyctory shall ye obteyne
¶ Vyce fro you exyled & Vertue in you reyne

¶ And then shall ye haue the trumphall guerdon
¶ That god reserued to euery creature
¶ Aboue in his celestyall mansyon
¶ Ioye & blysse infynyte eternally to endure
¶ Wherof we say we wolde fayne be sure
¶ But the way thyderwarde to holde be we lothe
¶ That oft sythe causeth the good lord to be wrothe

¶ And by our deserte our habytacyon chaungeth
¶ Fro Ioye to payne & woo perpetuelly
¶ From his gloryous syght thus he vs estraungeth
¶ For our vycyous lyuyng thorugh our owne foly
¶ Wherfore let vs praye to that lorde of glory
¶ Whyle we in erthe be that he wyll yeue vs grace
¶ So vs here to guyde that we may haue a place

¶ Accordyng to oure Regeneracyon
¶ Which heuenly spyrytes his name to magnyfy.
¶ Whiche downe descendeth for oure redempcyon
¶ Offryng hymselfe on the crosse to his fader on hy
¶ Now benygne Ihesu that boren was of Mary
¶ All that to this vysyon haue gyuen her audyence
¶ Graunte eternal Ioye after thy last sentence

A M E N

¶ Here endeth a lytyll Treatyse
named The assemble of goddes