The Assemble of Goddes. Unknown

      ¶ Lo good dame sayd god Appollo.

      ¶ what may he do more but sew to your grace.

      ¶ Beholde how the teres from his eyen goo.

      ¶ It is satysfaction half for his trespace.

      ¶ Now gloryous goddes shew your petious face

      ¶ To this pore prysoner at my request.

      ¶ All we for youre honour thynke thus is best.

      ¶ And yf it lyke you to do in thys wyse.

      ¶ And so to foryeue hym clerely his offence.

      ¶ One thynge surely I wyll you promyse.

      ¶ If he ought rebell and make resystence

      ¶ Or dysobey vnto your sentence.

      ¶ For euery tree that he maketh fall.

      ¶ Out of the erthe an /C/ ryse shall.

      ¶ Soo that youre game shall not dyscrease

      ¶ For lacke of shade i dare vndertake

      ¶ well syr Appolo sayd she than wyll I cease

      ¶ Off all my rancour and mercy with you make

      ¶ And than god Neptunus of his maner spak

      ¶ Saying thus appolo though dyana him relese

      ¶ yet shall he sue to me to haue his pease.

      ¶ A sayd Appolo ye wende I had forgete.

      ¶ You for my lady Dyana the goddesse.

      ¶ Nay thynke not so for I wyll you entrete.

      ¶ As well as her wythoute longe processe.

      ¶ wyll ye agre that Phebus your maystresse.

      ¶ May haue the guydyng of your varyaunce.

      ¶ I shall abyde quod he / her ordynaunce.

      ¶ Wel than quod appolo I pray you goddis all

      ¶ And goddesses that ben here presente.

      ¶ That ye companable wyll aborde falle.

      ¶ Nay than sayd Othea it is not conuenyente.

      ¶ A dew ordre in euery place is expedyente.

      ¶ To be hadde wherfore ye may not lette.

      ¶ To be your own marshal at your own banket

      ¶ And whan appolo se it wolde none other be

      ¶ He called to hym Aurora the goddesse.

      ¶ And sayd though ye wepe ye shall before me.

      ¶ Ay kepe your course and put yourself in presse

      ¶ Soo he her set fyrste at his owne messe.

      ¶ wyth her moyst clothes with teres all be spreynt

      ¶ The medewes in may shew therof her compleint

      ¶ Next her sat Mars myghty god and strong

      ¶ wyth a flamme of fyre enuyroned all about

      ¶ A crown of yron on his hede a spere in his hond

      ¶ It semed by his chere as he wold haue fought.

      ¶ And next vnto hym as I perceyue mought.

      ¶ Sat the goddesse Dyana in a mantell fyne.

      ¶ Of black sylke purfyled with poudred ermine

      ¶ Lyke as he had take the mantell & the rynge

      ¶ And next vnto her arayed roally.

      ¶ Sat the god Iupyter in his demenynge.

      ¶ Full sad and wyse he semed sykerly.

      ¶ A crowne of tynne stood on his hede.

      ¶ And that I recorde of all phylosophers.

      ¶ that lytyll store of Coyne kepe in her cofres.

      ¶ Ioyned to hym in syttyng next there was

      ¶ The goddesse Iuno full rychely besene.

      ¶ In a sercote that shone as bryght as glas

      Of goldsmyth werk with spangles wrought bedene

      ¶ Of royall ryches wanted she none I wene.

      ¶ And next to her sat the god saturne.

      ¶ That oft syth causeth many one to morne.

      ¶ But he was clad me thought straungely

      ¶ For of froste & snowe was all his aray.

      ¶ In his honde he helde a fawchon all blody

      ¶ It semed by his chere as he wold make a frai

      ¶ A baudryck of Isykles about his necke gaye

      ¶ He had and aboue on hygh on his hede.

      ¶ Couchid with hayl stones he wered a croun of lede

      ¶ And nexte in ordre was set by his syde.

      ¶ Ceres the goddesse in a garmente.

      ¶ Of sacke cloth made with sleues large & wyde

      ¶ Embrowdered wyth sheues and sycles bent

      ¶ Of all maner greynes she sealed the patente.

      ¶ In token that she was goddes of corne.

      ¶ Olde Poetes saye she beryth the heruest horn

      ¶ Then was there set the god cupydo·

      ¶ All fresshe & galaunte and costly in aray.

      ¶ Wyth ouches and rynges he was beset so.

      ¶ the paleys therof shon as though it had be day

      ¶ A kerchyff of plesauns stood ouer his helm ay

      ¶ The goddesse Ceres he loked in the face.

      ¶ And wyth one arme he her dyde enbrace.

      ¶ Next to Cupido in order by and by

      ¶ Of wordly wysdum sat the forteresse.

      ¶ Called Othea chyef grounde of polycy.

      ¶ Reuler of knyghthode of prudence the goddes

      ¶ Clad all in purpure was she more & lesse.

      ¶ Saaf on her hede a crowne there stode.

      ¶ Couched wyth perles oryent fyne & good.

      ¶ And nexte to her was god Pluto set

      ¶ Wyth a derke myste enuyrond al about.

      ¶ His clothy was made of a smoky net.

      ¶ His colour was bothe wythin & wythoute.

      ¶ Foule / derke & dymme his eyen grete & stoute.

      ¶ Of fyre & sulfure all his odoure wase.

      ¶ That wo was me whyle I beheld his face

      ¶ Fortune the goddesse with her perty face.

      ¶ Was vnto Pluto next in order sette.

      ¶ Varyant she was ay in shorte space.

      ¶ Her whele was redy to turne wythout let.

      ¶ Her gowne was of gawdy grene clamelet.

      ¶ Chaungeable of sondry dyuerse colours.

      ¶ To the condycyons accordyng to her shoures

      ¶ And by her sat thoughe he vnworthy were.

      ¶ The rewde god Pan of shepherdes that gyde

      ¶ Clad in russet frese & breched lyke a bere.

      ¶