The Temple of Glass

by John Lydgate

Eche hour and tyme. weke. day and yere
Be lich faithful and vary not for lyte
Abyde a whyle and than of thy desire
The tyme neygheth that shal the most delyte
And late no sorow in thy hert byte
For no differring, sith thou for thy mede
Shal reioyse in pees the flour of womanhede

Thinke hou she is this worldis sonne & light
The sterre of beaute the flour eke of fairnes
Both crop and robe and eke the rubye bright
Hertes to glade, y troubled with derknes
And hou I haue made her, thin hertes Empresse
Be glad therfore to be vnder her bond
Now come ner doughter & take him by the hond

Vnto this syn that aftir alle these shouris
Of his torment he may be glad and light
Whan by your grace ye take hym to be youris
For euermore anon here in my sight
And eke I wil also as hit is right
Without more his langour for to lysse
In my presence anon that ye hym kysse

That ther may be of al your old smertis
A ful relees vnder ioye assured
And that one lok be of your bothe hertis
Shet with my keye of gold so wel pured
Only in signe that ye haue recured
Your hool desire here in this hooly place
Within my temple now in the yere of grace

Eternally be bounde of assuraunce
The knot is knyt, that may not be vnbounde
That alle the goddes of this aliaunce
Satorne. Joue. and Mars as it is founde
And eke Cupyde that first did you wounde
Shal bere record, and ouermore bewreke
On whiche of yow, his troutħ first breke

So that by aspectes of their fair lokis
Witħoute mercy shal fal the vengeance
For to be raced clene out of my bokis
On whiche of you be found of variance
Therfore attones settetħ your plesance
Fully to ben whyle ye haue lyf and mynde
Of one acorde vnto your lyues ende

That yf the spiryte of newfanglenes
In ony wyse your hertes wold assaylle
To meue or styre to brynge in doublenes
Vpon your troutħ to gyuen a bataylle
Lete not your corage ne your force faylle
Nor none assaultes you flitten or remeue
For vnassayed no man may troutħ preue

For whyte is whitter yf it be set by black
And swete is swetter after bitternes
And falshed euer is dryue and put a back
Where trouthe is roted witħ doblenes
Witħout preue ther may be no sekernes
Of loue or hate and therfore of you two
Shal loue be more, for hit was bought with woo

And euery thing is had more in deynte
And more of pris whan it is dere bought
And eke loue stondeth more in sewrte
Whan it is to fore with payne woo & thought
Conquerd was first whan hit was sought
And euery conquest hath his excellence
In his poursute as it fyndeth resistence

And so to you more sote and agreable
Shal loue be found I do you plainly assure
Witħout grucchyng that ye were suffrable
So lowe so meke paciently to endure
That al attones I shal do now my cure
For now and euer your hertis so to bynde
That nought but deth shal the knot vnbynde