Tottel sig. Bbiiiir

[sig. Bbiiiir]

A Man may liue thrise Nestors life, Thrise wander out Ulisses race: Yet neuer finde Ulisses wife. +Such change hath chanced in this case. (5) Lesse age will serue than Paris had, Small pein (if none be small inough) To finde good store of Helenes trade. +Such sap the rote doth yelde the bough. For one good wife Ulisses slew (10) A worthy knot of gentle blood: For one yll wife Grece ouerthrew The towne of Troy: Sith bad and good Bring mischief: Lord let be thy will, To kepe me free from either yll.

An answer. +

T He vertue of Ulisses wife +Doth liue, though she hath ceast her race, +And farre surmountes old Nestors life: But now in moe than then it was. (5) Such change is chanced in this case. Ladies now liue in other trade: Farre other Helenes now we see, Than she whom Troyan Paris had. +As vertue fedes the roote, so be (10) The sap and rote of bough and tye. Ulisses rage, not his good wife, Spilt gentle blood. Not Helenes face, But Paris eye did raise the strife, That did the Troyan buildyng race. (15) Thus sith ne good, ne bad do yll: Them all, O Lord maintain my wyll, To serue with all my force and skill.

Against a gentil woman by whom
he was refused. +

T O false report and flying fame, whilist my minde gaue credit light,