The Temple of Glass

by John Lydgate

Now in this mater what shold I lenger dwelle
Come ye attones and do as I haue said
And first my doughter that ar of bounte welle
In hert and thought be glad & wel apayd
To done hym grace that shal & hath obeyd
Your lustes euer, and I wil for his sake
Of trouth to you be bounde and vndertake

And so fortħ witħin presence as they stand
To fore the goddes this fair and wele
Her humble seruant toke goodly by the hond
As he to fore her, mekely did knele
And kyssed hym after fulfillyng eueridele
From poynt to poynt in ful thryfty wyse
As ye to forn haue venus herd deuyse

Thus is this man to ioye and al plesance
From heuynes and from his peynes olde
Ful reconcyled, and hatħ ful suffisance
Of her that euer ment wel, and wold
That in good faitħ and I tel shold
The inward mirthes did her hertis brace
For al my lyf to telle, it were to lityl space

For he hatħ wonne hir that he louetħ best
And she to grace hatħ take hym of pyte
And thus her hertes ben botħ set in rest
Witħoute chaunge or mutabilite
And venus hatħ of her benygnyte
Confermed al what shal I lenger tary
These tweyne in one and neuer to vary

That for the ioye in the temple aboute
Of this acorde by grete solempnyte
Was laude and honour within & witħoute
Yeue to venus, and to the deyte
Of god cupide, so that Caliope
And al her sustren in her armonye
Soon with songes the goddes did magnifye

And al attones with notes loud & sharp
They did her honour and her reuerence
And Orpheus among them with his harp
Gan strynges touche with his diligence
And Amphion that hath suche excellence
Of musyke ay dyde his besynes
To plese and queme venus the goddesse

Only for cause of the affinyte
Betwix these two not lusty to disseuere
And euery louer of lowe and hye degre
Gan venus pray fro thens fortħ and euer
That hool of them the loue may perseuere
Witħouten ende in suche wyse as they gonne
And more encrece that hit of hard was wonne

And the goddes heryng this request
As she that knewe the clene entencion
Of bothe them tweyne made a bihest
Perpetuelly by confirmacion
Whylis they lyue of one affection
They shal endure ther is no more to sayne
That neyther shal haue mater to complayne

So ferfurtħ euermore in our eternal see
The goddes haue in our presence
Fully deuysed thurgħ their deyte
And hooly concluded by her Influence
That by thair myght and Iuste prudence
The loue of hem by grace and eke fortune
Witħ oute chaunge shal euermore contune

Of whiche graunt the temple enuiron
Thurgħ hye comfort of them that were present
Anon was begun witħ a melodyous sowun
In name of tho that troutħ in loue ment
A balade newe in ful good entent
To fore the goddes witħ notis londe and clere
Syngyng right this anon as ye shal here