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Elf.Ed. Note: Click on the footnote number or “Notes” and it will take you down to that note, click on that footnote number and you will jump up to where you were in the text.

From Legends and Satires From Mediæval Literature, edited by Martha Hale Shackford; Ginn and Company; Boston; 1913; pp. 1-4.

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7

THE  AMOROUS  CONTENTION  OF
PHILLIS  AND  FLORA1

In flowry season of the yeere,
And when the firmament was cleere,
When Tellus hierbales paynted were
With issue of disparent2 chere.


When th’usher to the morne did rise,
And drive the darknes from the skyes,
Sleepe gave their visuale liberties
To Phillis and to Floras eyes.


To walke these Ladyes liked best,
For sleepe rejects the wounded brest,
Who joyntly to a meade addrest,
Their sportance with the place to feast.


Thus made they amorous accesse,
Both virgins and both princesces;
Fayre Phillis wore a liberal tresse,
But Flora hirs in curls did dresse.


Nor in their ornamentall grace,
Nor in behaviour were they bace;
Their yeers and mindes in egall3 place
Did youth and his effects embrace.

8
A little yet unlike they proove,
And somewhat hostilely they strove:
A scholler Floras minde did moove
But Phillis likt a souldier’s love.


For stature and fresh bewties flowrs,
There grew no difference in their dowrs,
All thinges were free to both their powrs
Without and in their courtly bowrs.


One vow they made religiously,
And were of one societie;
And onely was their impacie4
The forme of eithers phantasie.5


Now did a timely gentle gale
A little whisper through the dale,
Where was a place of festivale,
With verdant grasse adorned all.


And in that meade-prowd-making grasse,
A river, like to liquid glasse,
did in such sound-full murmure passe,
That with the same it wanton was.


Hard by this brooke a pyne had seate,
With goodly furniture compleate,
To make the place in state more greate
And lessen the inflaming heate.

9
Which was with leaves so bewtifide
And spread his brest so thicke and wide,
That all the sunnes estranged pride
Sustainde repulse on every side.


Fayre Phillis by the foorde did sit,
Bur Flora far remov’d from it,
The place in all thinges sweete was fit,
Where herbage did their seates admit.


Thus milde they opposite were set,
And coulde not their affects forget,
Loves arrows and their bosoms met,
And both their harts did passion fret.


Love close and inward shrowds his fires,
And in faint words firme sighs enspires,
Pale tinctures change their cheeks attires,
But modest shame entoombs their ires.


Phillis did Flora sighing take,
And Flora did requitale make:
So both together part the stake,
Till foorth the wound and sicknes brak.


In this chang’d speech they long time staide,
The processe all on Love they laide,
Love in their harts their lookes bewraide,
At last in laughter Phillis saide:

10
“Brave souldier,” sayd she, “O my Paris,
In fight, or where so ere he tarries,
The souldiers lyfe lyfes glory carries,
Onely worth Venus household quarries.”6


While she hir warr-friende did prefer,
Flora lookt coye and laught at her;
And did this adverse speech aver;
“Thou shouldst have said, I love a begger.


“But what doth he my hart embraces?
A thing create, that all things passes.
Whom nature blest with all hir graces;
O clerkes, in you blisse all blisse places.”


This hard speech Phillis hardly takes,
And thus she Floras pacience crakes:
“Thou lov’st a man pure love forsakes.
That God his godles bellie makes.


“Rise, wretch, from this grosse extasie,
A clerke sole epicure thinke I.
No elegance can bewtifie
A shapeles lump of guttonie.


“His hart sweete Cupids tents rejects,
That onely meate and drinke affects:
O Flora, all mens intelects
Know souldiers vows, shun those respects.

11
“Meere helps for neede his minde suffiseth,
Dull sleepe and surfetts he despiseth,
Loves trump his temples exerciseth
Cooradge and love, his life compriseth.


“Who with like band our loves combineth?
Even Natures law thereat repineth
My love in conquests palme-wreths shineth,
Thine feasts deforms, mine fight refineth.”


Flora hir modest face enrosed,
Whose second smile more fayre disclosed,
At length with mooving voyce she losed
What art in her storde brest reposed.


“Phyllis, they fill of speech thou hast,
Thy witt with pointed wings is grast,
Yet urdgest not a trueth so vast,
That hemlocks lillies have surpast.


“Ease loving clerkes thou holdst for cleere,
Servants to sloth and bellie cheere;
So envie honor would enpheere,7
But give me eare, Ile give thee answere.


“So much enjoyes this love of myne,
He nere envies, or hirs, or thyne;
Household stuffe, honny, oyle, corne, wine,
Coyne, jewels, plate, serve his designe.

12
“Such pleasing store have clerks bylying,
As none can fayne their dignifying:
There, Love clasps his glad wings in flying,
Love ever firme, Love never dying.


“Loves stings in him are still sustained,
Yet is my clerke nor pinde nor pained;
Joy hath no part in him restrained,
To whom his love beares thoughts unfained.


“Palled, and leane, is thy elected.
Poore, scarce with cloths or skin contected.
His sinews weake, his brest dyjected,
For nothing causde makes nought effected.


“Approaching neede is Loves meere hell,
Souldiers want gyfts to woo loves well:
But clerks give much, and still heaps swell.
Their rents and riches so excell.”


“Right well thou knowst” (Phyllis replide)
What in both arts and lyves abide,
Likely, and clenly thou hast lide:
But thus our difference is not tride.


“When holy-day the whole world cheeres,
A clerk lifes modest figure beares:
His crowne is heaven, black weeds he weares.
And showes a mind halfe dround in teares.

13
“None is so poore of sence or eyne,
To whom a souldier doth not shyne:
At ease, like sprightles beasts lives thyne.
Helms, and barb’d horse, do weare out myne.


“Mine low with armes makes foe-towrs ly,
And when on foote he fight doth try,
While his fayre squires his horse holds by,
Mine thinks on me, and then they dy.


“He turns, fight past, and foes inchased,
And lookes on me with helme unlaced,
Lifts his strong lyms,and brest strait graced,
And saies, kysse-blesse me, O hart-placed.”


Flora her wrath in pants did spye.
And many a dart at hir lets flye:
“Thou canst not make with heaven-reacht crye
A camel pierce a needels eye.


“False goes for true, for honny, gall,
To make a clerke a souldiers thrall;
Doth love to souldiers coradge call?
No, but the neede they toyle withall.


“Fayre Phillis, would thy love were wise,
No more the trueth to contrarise!
Hunger and thirst bow souldiers thies,
In which Deaths path and Plutos lies.

14
“Sharpe is the wasting bane of warre,
The lot is hard, and strayneth farre:
The lyfe is stooping, doubts doth jarre.
To get such things as needefull are.


“Knewst thou the case, thou wouldst not say.
Shaven haire sham’d clerks, or black aray:
Worne higher honors to display,
And that all states they oversway.


“All things should to my clerke encline,
Whose crowne sustains th’ impereal signe;
He rules and payes such friendes as thine,
And lay must stoope to men divine.


“Thou sayst that sloth a clerke disguiseth,
Who I confesse base workes despiseth:
But when from cares his free minde riseth,
Heavens course and Naturs he compriseth.


“Mine purple decks, thine maile bedighteth,
Thine lives in war, mine peace delighteth,
Olde acts of princes he resighteth,
All of his friend thinks, seeks, and wrighteth.


“What Venus can, or Loves winged lord.
First knowes my clerke, and brings me word:
Musicke in cares doth mine afford,
Thine joyes in rapine and the sword.

15
Here speech and strife had both their ending,
Phillis askt judgment, all suspending:
Much stir they made, yet ceast contending;
And sought a judge in homewards wending.


With countnances that egale8 beene,
With egale majestic beseene:
With egale voyce, and egale spleene,
These virgins ward uppon the greene.


Phillis a white robe bewtifide,
Flora wore one of two hews dide:
Phillis upon a mule did ride,
Flora did back a horse of pride.


The mule was that which being create,
Neptune did feede, and subjugate:
Which after fayre Adonis fate,
He Venus sent to cheere hir state.


This, she the queene of Iberine
Phillis fayre mother did resigne,
Since she was given to workes divine,
Whence Phillis had the mule in fine.


Who of the trappings asks, and bit,
The mule (though silver) champing it:
Know all things were so richly fit,
As Neptunes honor might admit.

16
Then Phillis no decorid wanted,
But rich and bewtious, all eyes daunted:
Nor Floras vertue lesse enchaunted,
Who on a welthy palfrey vaunted.


Tamde with his raines, won heaven for lightnes,
Exceeding fayre, and full of wightness,9
His brest art dectt with divers brightnes,
For jeate blacke mixt with swans pure whightnes.


Young and in dainty shape dygested,
His lookes with pride, not rage, invested:
His mayne thin haird, his neck high crested,
Small eare, short head, and burly brested.


His brode backe stoopt to this clerks-loved,
Which with hir pressure nought was moved:
Strait legd, large thighd, and hollow hoved,
All Natures skill in him was proved.


An ivorie seate on him had place,
A hoope of golde did it imbrace,
Graven: and the poitrell10 did enchace
A stone that star-like gave it grace.


Inscription there allurde the eye,
With many a wondrous misterie:
Of ancient thinges made noveltie,
That never man did yet descrie.
17

The God of Rhetroiques nuptiall bowre,
Adorned with every heavenly powre,
The contract, and the mariage howre,
And all the most unmeasurd dowre.


No place was there that figurd nought,
That could through all the worle be sought:
But more excesse of mervails wrought,
Then might inceede11 a humane thought.


The skyll of Mulciber alone
Engrav’d that admirable throne
Who looking stedfastly thereon,
Scarse thought his hand such art had shone.


The trappings wrought he not with ease,
But all his payne employde to please:
And left, to go in hand with these,
The tardge of great Aeacides.12


A styrrop for hir feete to presse,
And bridle-bosses he did dresse,
And added rains in worths excesse,
Of his sweete spowses goulden tresse.


Thus on their famouse cavalrye,
These prince-borne damzels seemed to flye:
Their soft young cheekebales to the eye
Are of the fresh vermilion dye.

18
So lillies out of scarlet peere,
So roses of the vernall yeere,
So shoote two wanton starrs y-feere13
From the eternall burning spheere.


The child-gods gracefull paradise,
They joyntly purpose to invise:14
And lovely emulations rise,
In note of one anothers guise.


Phillis to Flora, laughter led,
And Flora Phillis answered:
A merlin Phillis managed
A sparhawlke Flora caried.


In little tyme these ladyes founde
A grove with every pleasure crounde:
At whose sweete entrie did resounde
A foorde that flowrd that holy grounde.


From thence the sweete-breathd winds convay
Odors from every mirtle spray:
And other flowrs, to whose aray
A hundred harpes and timbrels play.


All pleasurs studie can invent,
The dames eares instantly present:
Voyces in all sorts different,
The foure parts, and the diapent.15

19
Two tunes that from those voyces flie,
With admirable harmonie:
The tymbrell, harpe, and psalterie,
Rejoyce in rapting symphonie.


There did the viols voyce abounde,
In musicke angel-like profounde;
There did the phife dispredden rounde
His songe in many a variant sounde.


All birdes with tunefull bosoms sing,
The blackbird makes the woods to ring:
The thrush, the jay, and she16 in spring
Rues the past rape of Thraces king.


Their shrill notes to the musicke plying.
Then all the different flowrs descrying,
The odors in abundance flying,
Prov’d it the bowre of Loves soft-lying.


The virgins something entered here,
And sprinckled with a little feare,
Their harts before that helde Love deare,
In Cupids flames encreased were.


And while each winged forester
Their proper rumors17 did prefer,
Each virgins minde made waight on her
Applauses apt and singuler.

20
Deathles were he coulde there repose,
Each path his spycie odor stroes:
Of mirh and synamon there groes,
And of our blessed Ladyes rose.


Each tree hath there his severall blisse,
In fruites that never season misse:
Men may conceave how sweete Love is,
By that celestiall court of his.


The dauncing companies they see
Of young men and of maydens free;
Whose bodyes are as bright in blee,18
As starrs illustrate bodyes bee.


In which so mervaylous a guyse
Of unexpected novelties,
These virgins bosoms through their eyes
Were daunted with a quicke surprise.


Who stay their royall steads outright,
And almost from their seates alight:
Forgetting their endevors quight,
With that proud rumors sweete affright.


But when sad Philomene did straine
Her rape-full-raving brest againe,
These ladyes hearing hir complaine,
Were reinflamed in every vaine.

21
About the center of the spring,
A secret place is where they sing,
And use their supreme worshypping,
Of Loves neare-darting fiery king.


There many a two-shapt companie,
Of faunes, nimphes, satyres, meete and plie
The tymbrell and the psalterie,
Before Loves sacred majestie.


There beare they goblets bigg with wine,
And coronets of flowrs combine:
There nimphs and fauns demy-divine,
Doth Bacchus teach to foote it fine.


Who keepe true measure with their feete,
That to the instruments do fleete:
But olde Silenus playes not sweete
In consort, but indents the streete.19


The spring-sleepe did his temples lode,
As on a long-eared asse he rode:
Laughters excesse, to see him nod,
Dissolv’d the bosome of the God.


Fresh cups he ever cals uppon,
In sounds of imperfection,
With age and Bacchus overgon,
They stop his voyces organon.

22
Amongst this gamesome crew is seene,
The issue of the Cyprian Queene,
Whose head and shoulders fethered beene,
And as the starrs his countenance sheene.


In his left hand his bow he bare,
And by his side his quiver ware:
In powre he sits past all compare,
And with his flames the worlde doth dare.


A scepter in his hand he hild,
With Chloris native flowrs untild,
And nectars deathlses odors stild,
From his bright lookes the sunne did guild.


The triple Graces there assist,
Supporting with their brests commist,
And knees that Tellus bosome kist,
The challice of this amorist.


These ladyes now approached neare,
And worshipped exempt from feare
Loves god: who was environed there
With youth, that honord stiles did beare.


Their joy is superexcellent,
To see a court so confluent:
Whom Cupid, seeing their intent,
Doth with his greeting intervent.

23
He askes the cause for which they came:
They confidently tell the same:
And he gives prayse to eyther dame,
That durst so great a warre proclame.


To both he spake to make some pause,
Untyll their honorable cause,
Profoundly wayde in every clause,
Might be explande with all applause.


He was a God which well they know,
Rehearsall needes it not bestow:
They light and rest, and playnely show,
Where Love strives, Love will maister grow.


Love lawes and judges hath in fee,20
Nature and use his judges bee:
To whom his whole courts censures flee,
Since past, and things to come, they see.


These do the hart of justice trie,
And show the courts severitie:
In judgment, and strong customs eye,
The clerke is fitst for venerie.21


Gainst which the queenes but little strove,
Since loves high voyce did it approve:
So both to their abodes remove:
But as at first, rest firm in Love.



Translated by George Chapman (?)




FOOTNOTES



1   See Notes.

2  varied.

3   equal.

4  disagreement.

5  love.

6  pleasure.

7  describe.

8  equal.

9  quickness.

10  breastplate.

11  comprehend.

12  Achilles.

13  together.

14  see.

15  interval of a fifth.

16  nightingale.

17  music.

18  color.

19  staggers.

20  in fief.

21  love.



[161]

NOTES

DEBATE

THE  AMOROUS  CONTENTION  OF
PHILLIS  AND  FLORA

“De Phillide et Flora,” Latin poem of the twelfth century, perhaps, was translated about 1595 by George Chapman. In 1598 a certain “R. S.” republished this translation with a few minor changes, but the work is essentially Chapman’s. The present reprint follows the text in Thomas Wright’s “Latin Poems commonly attributed to Walter Mapes.” 162 Camden Society, Vol. XVI. London 1841. The translation reproduces the stanza and rime form of the original. Although the Elizabethan language may present some difficulties, they are not very serious to any one who will read slowly enough to enjoy “the proud full sail of his great verse” who may have been the rival of Shakespeare, and who was certainly one of the inspirers of John Keats.

The poem itself is of significance because, as forerunner of poems of the order of “The Romance of the Rose,” it illustrates significant mediæval traits. The attitude towards nature, classicism, love, war, and learning is of great interest, and so, too, is the position of women in that sophisticated world. The disputation gives a pretty picture of the seriousness of feminine thought. The account of the court of the god of love and the power ascribed to him are a good introduction to the conventions of love poetry.

Readers of Theocritus will recall how his shepherds contend in song over the charms of their beloved maidens, in Idyll V and elsewhere. (See Lang’s translation, The Macmillan Company, New York, 1889.) A study of the evolution of the debate, or disputation, will prove a good introduction to the world of late classical and of mediæval literature. There are many examples of debate, such as those between “The Heart and the Eye,” “The Body and the Soul,” “The Water and the Wine,” “The Owl and the Nightingale,” “The Thrush and the Nightingale,” The Debate of the Carpenter’s Tools,” “The Dispute between Mary and the Cross,” and many others. Birds, flowers, animals, inanimate objects, human beings, and even virtuous abstractions were turned into mediæval disputants.

For information regarding debates, and for bibliographies of edited debates, see

MERRILL, E. The Dialogue in English Literature. Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1911.

WELLS, J. E. Editor. The Owl and the Nightingale, p. liii. D. C. Heath & Co., Boston, 1907.

SCHOFIELD, W. H. English literature from the Norman Conquest to Chaucer, p. 485. The Macmillan Company, New York, 1906.






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