And with this word this Justin’ and his brother Have ta’en their leave, and each of them of other. And when they saw that it must needës be, They wroughtë so, by sleight and wise treatý, That she, this maiden, which that Maius hight, As hastily as ever that she might, Shall wedded be unto this Januáry. I trow it were too longë you to tarry, If I told you of every script and band By which she was feoffed in his hand; Or for to reckon of her rich array. But finally y-comen is the day That to the churchë bothë be they went, For to receive the holy sacrament, Forth came the priest, with stole about his neck, And bade her be like Sarah and Rebecc’ In wisdom and in truth of marriáge; And said his orisons, as is uságe, And crouched them, and bade God should them bless, And made all sicker enough with holiness.
Thus be they wedded with solemnity; And at the feastë sat both he and she, With other worthy folk, upon the dais. All full of joy and bliss is the paláce, And full of instruments, and of vitáille, The mostë dainteous of all Itále. Before them stood such instruments of soun’, That Orpheus, nor of Thebes Amphioún, Ne madë never such a melody. At every course came in loud minstrelsy, That never Joab trumped for to hear, Nor he, Theodomas, yet half so clear At Thebes, when the city was in doubt. Bacchus the wine them skinked all about. And Venus laughed upon every wight (For January was become her knight, And wouldë both assayë his couráge In liberty, and eke in marriáge), And with her firebrand in her hand about Danced before the bride and all the rout. And certainly I dare right well say this, Hyméneus, that god of wedding is, Saw never his life so merry a wedded man. Hold thou thy peace, thou poet Marcian, That writest us that ilkë wedding merry Of her Philology and him Mercúry, And of the songës that the Muses sung; Too small is both thy pen, and eke thy tongue, For to describen of this marriáge. When tender youth hath wedded stooping age, There is such mirth that it may not be writ; Assay it yourëself, then may ye wit If that I lie or no in this mattére.