The Assemble of Goddes. Unknown

      Whan Phebus the crabbe had nere his cours ronne

      And toward the Leon his Iourney gan take

      To loke on Pyctagoras spere / I had begonne

      ¶ Syttyng all solytary allone besyde a lake.

      ¶ Musyng on a maner how that I myght make.

      ¶ Reason and sensualyte in one to accorde.

      ¶ But I coude not bryng about the manacorde.

      ¶ For longe er I myght slepe me gan oppres

      ¶ So ponderously I coud make none obstacle

      ¶ In myne hede was fall suche an heuinesse.

      ¶ I was fayne to drawe to myne habytacle.

      ¶ To rowne with a pylow me semyd best tryacle.

      ¶ So leyde I me downe my dysease to releue.

      ¶ Anone cam in Morpleus & toke me by the sleue

      ¶ And as I soo laye halfe in a traunse

      ¶ Twene slepyng & wakyng he bad me aryse.

      ¶ For he sayd I must yeue attendaunce.

      ¶ To the grete Courte of Mynes the Iustyse.

      ¶ Me nought auayled ayene hym to sylogyse.

      ¶ For hit is oft sayd by hem that yet lyues.

      ¶ He must nedes go that the deuell dryues.

      ¶ Whan I see noo better but I must go.

      ¶ I sayd I was redy at his commaundement.

      ¶ Wheder that he wolde me lede to or fro.

      ¶ Soo vp I arose and forth with hym went.

      ¶ Tyll he had me brought to the parlament.

      ¶ Where Pluto sate and kepte is estate.

      ¶ And with hym Mynos the Iuge desperate.

      ¶ But as we thyderwarde went by the way.

      ¶ I hym besought his name me to tell.

      ¶ Morpleus he sayde thou me call may.

      ¶ A syr sayde I than where do ye dwell.

      ¶ In heuen or in erthe eyther elles in hell.

      ¶ Nay he sayde myn abydyng most commonly

      ¶ Is in a lytyll corner called fantasy.

      ¶ And as sone as he thyse wordes had sayd.

      ¶ Cerberus the porter of hell with his cheyne.

      ¶ Brought theder Colus in ragges euyll arayd

      ¶ Agayn whom Neptunus & Dyana dyd compleynt

      ¶ Saynge thus O Mynos thou Iuge souerayn.

      ¶ Gyue thy cruel iugement ayen this traytour so

      ¶ That we may haue cause to preyse thy lord Pluto

      ¶ Then was there made a proclamacyon.

      ¶ In Plutoos name commaunded scylence.

      ¶ Vpon the payn of strayt correccyon.

      ¶ That Dyana & Neptunus might haue audience.

      ¶ To declare her grefe of the grete offence.

      ¶ To hem do by Colus wheron they compleined

      ¶ And to begyn Dyana was constreyned.

      ¶ Whyche thus begyn as ye shall here.

      ¶ Saynge in this wyse. O thou lorde Pluto.

      ¶ Wyth thy iuge Mynos syttyng with the in fere

      ¶ Execute your fury vpon Colus soo.

      ¶ Accordyng to thofence that he to me hath do

      ¶ That I haue no cause forther to appele.

      ¶ Whyche yf I do shall not be for youre wele.

      ¶ Remembre fyrst how I a goddesse pure.

      ¶ Ouer all desertes / forestes and chaces.

      ¶ Haue the guydynge and vnder my cure.

      ¶ This traytour colus hath mani of mi places

      ¶ Destroyd with his blastes & daily me manaces

      ¶ Where ony wood is he shall make it playne.

      ¶ If he to his lyberte may resorte ageyne

      ¶ The gretest trees that ony man may fynde

      ¶ In forest to shade the dere for her comforte.

      ¶ He breketh hem asonder or rendith he rote & rinde

      ¶ Out of the erthe this is his dysporte.

      ¶ So that the deere shall haue noo resorte.

      ¶ Wythin shorte tyme to noo maner shade

      ¶ Where thorough the game is lykly to fade.

      ¶ Which to my name a reproche synguler.

      ¶ Sholde be foreuer whyle the worlde laste.

      ¶ And to all the goddes an hygh dyspleyser.

      ¶ To see the game soo destroyed by his blaste.

      ¶ Wherfore a remedy puruey in haste.

      ¶ And lete hym be punysshed after his offence.

      ¶ Cousyder the cryme and yeue your sentence.

      ¶ And whan Dyana had made her compleynt

      ¶ To mynos the Iuge in Plutoos presence.

      ¶ Came forth Neptunus with vysage pale & feynt

      ¶ Desyrynge of fauour to haue audyence.

      ¶ Saynge thus Pluto to thy magnyfycence.

      ¶ I shall reherce what this creature.

      ¶ Colus hath done me out of mesure.

      ¶ Thou knowest well that I haue the charge

      ¶ Ouer all the se and therof god I am.

      ¶ No shyp may sayl Keruel / bote ne barge.

      ¶ Grete karyk nor hulke with ony lyuyng man.

      ¶ But he haue my saue conduyte than.

      ¶ who me offendith wythin my Iurysdyccyon

      ¶ Owyth to submyt him to my correccyon.

      ¶ But in asmoche as it is now soo.

      ¶ That ye hym here haue as your prysonere

      ¶ I shall shew my compleynt soo.

      ¶ wherfore I pray you that ye wyll here.

      ¶ And let hym not escape out of your daungere.

      ¶ Tyl he haue made full sethe & recompence

      ¶ For hurt of my name thrugh his grete offence

      ¶ Fyrst to begyn this Colus hath ofte.

      ¶ Made me to retorne mi course agein nature.

      ¶ wyth his grete blastes whan he hath be alofte

      ¶ And charged me to labour fer out of mesure

      ¶ that it was grete merueyl how I might endure

      ¶ The com of my swete wyll testyfy.

      ¶ That