My kinge of Harlottes shalt thou bee
And so ys yt in the editione of Chaucer’s Works, printed in anno Domini 1542, accordinge to the frenche moralizatione of Molinet, fo. 149. where he is called “Roye des Ribauldez,” The king of Ribalds or Harlottes, an officer of great accompt in times past. whiche is, the kinge of Ribaldes or Harlottes or evill or wicked persons; one officer of great accompte in tymes paste, and yet vsed in the courte of France but by one other name, in some parte beinge the office of the marshall of Englande. All whiche, because you shall not thinke I dreame, (though yt may seme strange to the ignorant to have so greate one officer intituled of suche base persons as to be called kinge or gouernor of Ribauldes,) Johannes Tyllius maketh mention of a Rex Ribaldorum. you shall here Johannes Tyllius (in his seconde booke de rebus Gallicis vnder the title de Prefecto pretorio Regis) confirme in these woordes: In domesticis regum constitutionibus, quos proximo capite nominavimus, fit mentio Regis Ribaldorum, officii domestici, quem semper oportet stare extra Portam pretorii, &c. and a litle after the explanynge of their office, he addeth; “sic autem appellantur, quia iam tum homines perditi Ribaldi, et Ribaldæ mulieres puellæque perditæ vocantur. Regis nomen superiori aut Iudici tribuitur, Quemadmodum magnus Cubicularius dicitur Rex Mercatorum,” &c. Where he maketh the “Regem Ribaldorum” an honorable officer for manye causes, Also Vincentius Luparius maketh him an honourable officer. as Vincentius Luparius in his fyrste booke of the Magistrates of france doth also, vnder the title of “Rex Ribaldorum et prouostus Hospitii;” makinge the Iudex pretorianus and this rex ribaldorum or provostus hospitii to seme all one, addinge further (after manye other honorable partes belonginge to this office) that “meretricibus aulicis hospitia assignare solebat.” In whiche pointe, bothe for orderinge and correctinge the harlottes and evill persons followinge the Courte of Englande, (whiche is the duty of the marshall,) the frenche and wee agree. The Rex Ribaldorum was like unto our Marshall. The Marshalls duties and his powers over Harlotts and lost men. Wherefor, touching that parte, you shall heare somewhat of the Marshalls office sett downe and founde in the Customes, whiche Thomas of Brothertonne (sonne to kinge Edwarde the fyrste) challenged to his office of Marshalcye; where, emongst other thinges, are these woordes: eorum (whiche was of the marshalls deputyes executinge that he shoulde ells do hym selfe) interest virgatam à meretricibus prohibere, et deliberare, et habet, ex consuetudine mariscallus ex quâlibet meretrice com[m]uni infra metas hospitii inventa iiijd. primo die. Quæ, si iterum inventa in Balliuâ suâ inveniatur, capiatur; et coram seneschallo inhibeantur ei hospitia Regis et Reginæ et liberorum suorum, ne iterum ingrediatur, &c. And so afterwarde shewethe what shall be done to those women, yf they be founde agayne in the Kinges courte, in suche sorte, that, as by Tillius, this Rex Ribaldorum his auctorytye was over homines perditos, mulieres puellasque perditas. And that yt was, by Lupanus, to assigne to Ribaldes lodginge out of the courte, (for so modestye willeth vs to vnderstande, because they shoulde not offende and infecte the courte with their sighte and manners,) so ys yt our Marshalls office, to banyshe those harlottes the courte, and bestowe them in some other place, where they might be lesse annoyance. Master Thynne being a herold liketh not that false semblance should be thought one. Wherefore I conclude with the frenche, and the former editione of Chaucer in the yere of Christe 1542, that False Semblance was of righte to be made kinge of Harlottes, and not of Haroldes, who wolde mightely be offended to haue them holden of the conditions of false semblance. Nowe here be nugæ in the Romante of the Roose, I cannott (as the proverb ys) take my hand from the table, (fyndinge go manye oversightes in the two last editiones,) but must speake of one thing more, deserving correctione, in these woordes of the Romante, fo. 116 of the last impressione:
Amide saw I hate stonde,
That for wrathe and yre & onde
Semed to be a minoresse;
Hate was a Moueresse or stirrer of debate, not a minoresse. Where this woorde Minoresse shoulde be Moueresse, signyfyinge a mover or styrrer to debate, for these be the frenche verses in the oldest written copye that euer was (to be founde in Englande, yf my coniecture fayle me not,) by the age of the frenche wordes, which are these:
Enz euz le milieu vi hayne,
qui de courouz et datayn
Sembla bien estre moueresse,
et courouse et teucerresse.