| |
| IT was my choice; it was no chance | |
| That brought my heart in other’s hold; | |
| Whereby it hath had sufferance | |
| Longer, perdie, than reason would. | |
| Since I it bound where it was free | 5 |
| Methinks, y-wis, of right it should | |
| Accepted be. | |
| Accepted be without refuse; | |
| Unless that Fortune have the power | |
| All right of love for to abuse. | 10 |
| For as they say one happy hour | |
| May more prevail than right or might; | |
| If Fortune then list for to lower, | |
| What ’vaileth right? | |
| What ’vaileth right if this be true! | 15 |
| Then trust to chance, and go by guess; | |
| Then who so loveth may well go sue | |
| Uncertain hope for his redress. | |
| Yet some would say assuredly | |
| Thou mayst appeal for thy release | 20 |
| To Fantasy. | |
| To Fantasy pertains to choose. | |
| All this I know: for Fantasy | |
| First unto love did me induce; | |
| But yet I know as steadfastly, | 25 |
| That if love have no faster knot, | |
| So nice a choice slips suddenly; | |
| It lasteth not. | |
| It lasteth not, that stands by change; | |
| Fancy doth change; Fortune is frail; | 30 |
| Both these to please the way is strange. | |
| Therefore methinks best to prevail, | |
| There is no way that is so just | |
| As truth to lead; the other fail, | |
| And thereto trust. | 35 |
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