Nowis / Now is mede þe maiden & no mo of heom alle
Wiþ beodels & bailifs to þe kyng ybroghte
þe kyn / kyn[g] callith aclerk / a clerk I kan not his name
To take mede þe maiden & make hire atese / at ese
y wol say hire my-seolf & sothly appose
What wyheT of þis world þat hire weore leouest
And ȝef heo worche by my wit & my wille folewe
ywol / y wol for-gyfe hire þis gult so me god helpe
Cortesly þe clerk þan as þe kyng hoted
Tok mede by þe myddel & broghte hire to chaumbre
Bote þer was murthe & mynstralsye mede to plese
þat woneden at westmynster worschipeden hire alle
Genteliche with ioye of þe iustises somme
Boskeden heom to þe boure þer þe beorde dwelled
Comforteden hire kyndelich by clergyes leue
For wol wisse þe kyng & thy way schapen
Myldeliche mede þan mercyed heom alle
Of heore grete godnes & giftes gaf heom vchone
Couered coupes of gold wel clanliche y-wroghte
Rynges wiþ rubies & riches manye
þe menest mon of heore meyne amoten / a moten of gold
þan laghten þey leue þeose lordes at mede
With þat come clerkis to comforte hire eken
And beden hire beon blythe for we beon thyn owne
For-to worchen oure wil whil oure lif lastes
hendelich þan {hem} heo by-hatte heom þe same
To louen heom lelly & lordes to make
schal no lewednes him lette þeo leod þat y loue
þat he no worth thorgh myn help hyghly auaunced
Of chirches of chapels chese of þe besteT
wher konnyng clerkis of clergy schal clocke by-hynde
þan com þer aconfessour / a confessour icoped as affrere / a Frere
To mede þe maiden meokelich he louted
And saide wel softely in schryfte as hit were
þagh lered & lewed han leyen by þe alle
And þagh falsed had folewed þe þis fiftene wynter
Ischal / I schal asoile þe my-seolf for a seem of whete
And eke beon þy baudekyn & beore wel thyn ernde
Among clerkes & knyȝtis concience to felle
þan mede for hire misdedes to þat man kneoled
And schrof here of hire schrewednes schemelas Itrowe / I trowe
Tolde him atale / a tale & tok him in hond anoble / a noble
For-to beon hire beodmon and hire baude after
þanne he asoiled hire sone & sethen he saide
we han awyndow / a wyndow in worchyng wol stonden vs wel hyȝe
woldestow glase þe gable & sette þer-in thy nome
wel siker scholde þy soule beo heouen blisse to haue
For þer nys wyndow no weoued wroght in ȝour wones
þat y ne scholde make or mende & my name on write
þer-to segg y schewe me now sustre of oure house
Bote god to alle gode folk suche grauyng defendith
And seith ・ Nesciat sinistra quid facit dextra
Lat not þy lifte hond late no rathe
Beo war what þy right hond worches or deles
Bote so pryuely parte hit þat pryde beo not schewed
Nouþer in sight no in þy soule for god him-seolf knoweth
Who is cortaise & kynde couetous or elles
For-þy ylere / y lere ȝou lordes leueth suche writynges
To writen in wyndowes of ȝoure wel worchyng
Or to greden after godesmen / godes men when ȝe dole deles
On auter ȝe hauen her ȝoure huyre resceyued
For oure saueour hit saide & him-seolf preched
Amen dico vobis vobis / vobis receperunt mercedem &cetera
Meires & macers ȝe þat beon made mene
By-twene þeo kyng & þe comunes to kepe {k} the lawes
As to punyschen onpillories / on pillories & on pynyng stoles
Breowesters & baxters bochers and cokes
For þeose arn men on þis molde þat most harm worchen
To þeo pore people þat parcymel buggen
For þey poisen þe people pryueliche wel ofte
And richen þorgh regraterye & rentes þey buggen
Of þat þe pore people schulde putte in heore wombe
For toke þey on treowely þey tymbred not so hyȝhe
No boghten no borgates / borga[g]es beo ȝe wel certayne
Bote mede þe maide þe mair heo by-soghte
Of alle suche sullers seoluer for to take
Or presentes with-oute pans as peces of seoluer
Rynges or oþir riches þeo regratours to meyntene
For my loue quod þe lady loue heom vchone
And suffre heom to selle somdel aȝeyn reson
Salamon þe sage asermon / a sermon he made
For to amende maires & men þat kepte lawes
And tolde heom þis teone þat I telle thynke
Ignis deuorabit tabernacula eorum qui {libere}
libenter accipiunt munera &cetera
Among þis lettred lordes þis latyn amounteth
þat fure schal felle and brenne at þe laste
þe houses & þe homes þat suche ȝeftes desireth
To ȝerne ȝeftes or ȝeresȝeftes in ȝouthe or in elde
þeo kyng fro counseil com & called after mede
And of-sent hire swythe sergauns hire fette
And broghte hire to boure wiþ blisse & with ioye
And on hire kneoes heo kneoled when heo þe kyng syghT
Bote he hire tok vp by þe hond & hailsed wel faire
And to mede þe maiden meled þeose wordes
Womman vn-wittelyT wroght hastow ofte
Bot wors wraghtest þou neuer þan whan þou fals toke
Bote Ifor-gyue / I for-gyue þe þat gult & graunt þe my grace
So þat hennes to þy deth day þou do so no more
Ihaue / I haue aknyȝt / a knyȝt consience com late from by-ȝonde
ȝef he wilne þe to wif woltow him haue
ȝe lord quod þat lady god for-beode elles
Bot ȝef ybeo / y beo holy at ȝor heste let hange me hye
þen was consience called to come & appere
Byfore þe kyng & his counsail bothe clerkes & othir
kneolyng consience to þe kyng he carped
To wite what his wille weore & what þat he scholde
Wole þou wedde þis womman ȝef y wol assente
For heo is fayn of þy felaschipe for to beo þy fere
quod consience to þe kyng crist hit me for-beode
Er ich wedde suche awif / a wif wo me by-tide
heo is frele of hire feith & fykel of hire speche
heo makith men mysdo mony score tymes
In treost of hire tresour heo teoneth wel monye
wyues & wydowes wantonesse techeth
Al lerithT heom lecherie þat loueth heore ȝeftes
ȝoure fadir heo felde þorgh false byhestes
By-tweone helle & heouen yholde / y holde ȝef men soghten
heo is tikel of hire tayl talewys of wordes
Als comyn as þe kartway to knaues & othirT
To munkes to mynstrales to meseles in hegges
Sisours & somnours suche men hire preyseth
Schirreues of schires weoren schent ȝef heo no weore
Heo doth men to leose heore lond & heore lif aftre
Ant leteth passe prisoners & paieth for heom ofte
And ȝeueth to þeo iaylers gold oþir seoluer
For to vnfetre þe false to fleo wher him likith
heo takith þe treowe by þe top & tyeth heom faste
And hangeth him for haterede þat harmed neuer
To beo corsed in constorie heo counteth not arysche / a rysche
For heo copeth þeo commyssary & koteth his clerkes
heo is asoiled as sone als hire-seol / seol[f] likyth
heo may negh als muche don in amoneth / a moneth ones
As ȝoure secrete seal in sixe skore dayes
heo is pryue with þe pope prouysors hit knoweth
Sir symony & hire-seolf seollen heore bulles
heo blesses þeo Bisschopes þaghT þey beon lewed
Prouendrers persons and prouest heo maynteneth
To holde lemmones & loteybes al heore lif dayes
And bryngen forth barnes aȝeyn forboden hestes
þer heo is wel with þe kyng wo is þe rewme
For heo is fauorable to fals & fouleth trouthe ofte
Barons & burgeys heo bryngeth in slouthe
By Ihesu wiþ hire iewelis ȝoure iustices heo schendith
heo ledith lawe as hire lust & louedayes makith
þeo mase for amene / a mene man þagh he mote euer
Lawe is so lordlich and loth to make an eynde
wiþoute present of pans heo pleseth wel fewe
Clergye & couetise heo coupleth to-gedre
And alle þat meynteneth hire men meschaunse heom by-tide
For pore men mown haue no power to playne þagh þey sterueC
Suche amaister / a maister is mede among men of gode
þan morned mede & mened hire to þe kyng
To haue space to speke spede ȝef heo myghte
þe kyng graunteth hire grace wiþ agood / a good wille
Escuse þe ȝef þou kanst y kan no more segge
For consience þe acuseth to congey þe for-euer
when ȝe witen witerly wher þeo wrong liggeth
þer þat meschef is most mede may ofte helpe
And þou knowest consience y com not to chide
No to dampne þy person with aproude / a proude heorte
wel þou wost consience bote ȝef þou wolt lye
þou hast honged on myn half mony feole tymes
And eken haste grope my gold gyfe wher þe liketh
And why þou wrathest þe now wondur me thynkith
ȝet may y as y myghte menske þe with ȝiftes
And meyntene þy monhode more þan þou knowest
And þou hast famed me foule byfore þy kyn here
For kulled y neuer no kyng no counseiled þer-aftre
No dude as þou demest ydo / y do hit on oure kyngis mouthe
In normandy was he noght nuyed for my sake
Bote þou þy-seolf sothely schamed him ofte
þou crope into caban for colde of þy nailes
And wendest whar wynter wold haue laste for-euer
And hastedest hamward for hunger of þy {w} wombe
wiþ-oute pite þou {robbe} pylour pore men þou robbedest
And bere heore bras at þy bak to caleys to seolle
þer I lafte wiþ my lord his lif for to saue
And made him muche murtheT mornyng to leue
And batrede him on þe bak bolded heore heortes
Deode heom hoppe for hope to haue me at wille
hade I beon marchal of his men by mary of heouene
y durste haue leide my lif and no lasse wedde
he scholde haue beon lord of þat lond in leynthe & in brede
And eke kyng of þat kyth his kyn for to helpe
þeo leste brolle of his blod abarouns / a barouns pere
Cowardly þou consience conceiledest him þennes
To leuen þer his lordschipe for alitel / a litel seoluer
þat is þe rycheste rewme þat reyn ouer-hongeth
hit by-cometh to akyng / a kyng þat kepeth arewme / a rewme
To ȝeuen his men mede þat meokely him serueth
mede makith him beo loued & for amon / a mon yholde
Emperoures & eorles & alle maner of lordes
þorgh ȝeftes han ȝongemen / ȝonge men to rennen abowte
þeo pope & his prelates presentes vndurfongeth
And meden men heom-seoluen to meyntene heore lawes
Seruauns for heore seruyse we seon wel þe sothe
Taken mede of heore maistres as þey may acorde
Beggers for here byddyng byddyth men mede
Mynstrales for heore murthes mede þey sechen
And for to reule þe rewme þe kyng mede ȝefesT
Preostes þat prechen þeo people crist for to pleese
Asken mede & masse pans & heore mete alse
Alle maner mester men moten medlen with medeT
Mede & marchaundises moten alweys nede go to-gedre
No wight as y wene wiþ-outen mede myghte libbe
Quod þe kyng to consience by crist as me þynkith
Now is mede worthy þe maistry to welde
Nay quod consience to þe kyng & kneoled to þe eorthe
þer arn two maner of medes my lord wiþ þy leue
þat on god of his grace gyueth in his blisse
To heom þat worchen wel whiles þey beon here
þeo prophete prechede hit and putte hit in þe sauter
Qui peccuniam suam non dedit ad vsuram &cetera
Tak no mede my lord of men þat beon treowe
Loue & leue heom for þe lordes loue of heouene
Godis mede & his mercy þer myght þou wynne
þer is amede / a mede mesurelas þat maistres desireth
To meyntene mysdoers mede ofte þey take
And þer-of seith þe sawter in a salmes eynde
In quorum manibus iniquitates sunt dextera eorum
repleta est muneribus &cetera
And he þat gripeth heore ȝeftes so me god helpe
schalabugge / schal abugge hit wel bytter or elles þe book lyeth
Preostes & parsones þat plesynges desiren
þat taken mede & monee for masses þat þey syngen
Schal haue mede of þis molde þat mathew hath graunted
Amen dico vobis receperunt mercedem suam
þat laborers & lowe folk taken of heore maistres
ys no maner of mede bote amesurable / a mesurable huyre
In marchaundise is no mede I may hit a-vowe
hit is apermytacioun / a permytacioun apertelich apenyworth / a penyworth for anoþir
Bote reddest þou neuer regum þou recreyed mede
why þeo vengaunce worched on saul & on his children
God sende him to sayn be samueles mouthe
þat Agag of amalek and al his people after
scholde dye for adede / a dede þat don haden his aldres
Aȝeyn yraels & aron & moyses his brother
Samuel saide to saul god sendes þe & hoteth
To beo buxum & boun his byddyng to fulfulle
wend þider wiþ thyn oste alle wymmen þou qwelle
Children & cheorles choppe of heore hedes
Loke þou kulle þe kyng & coueyte not his godes
For any multitude of money mordre heom vchone
Beornes & bestes brutne heom to dethe
And for he kulled not þe kyng as crist him bode sende
Coueyted heore katel kulled not heore bestes
Bote broghte with him þe bestaile as þe bible telleth
God seide to samuel þat saul schulde dye
And al his seed for þat synne schenfulliche eynde
Suche amescheif / a mescheif mede made þe kyng for to haue
þat god hated him for euer & al his ayres after
þe culorum of þis no kepe y not to schewe
On aunter hit nuyed me non eynde wol y make
I consience knowe hit for kynde wit me taghte
þat reson schal regne and rewmes gouerne
And right as agag happed happen schule somme
Samuel schal slen him & {sc} saul schal beo blamed
And dauid schal beo dyademed & daunten heom alle
And on cristene kyng kepe vs vchone
Schal no more mede beo maister apon eorthe
Bote loue & lowenes & lewte to-gedre
And who-so trespaseth to trouthe or aȝeyn him takith
Lewte schal leggen him lowe or leose his lif elles
Schal no seriaunt for þat seruys weore aseolk / a seolk howue
No no ray robe rechely yforred
Mede of misdoers maketh heom to riche
þat lawe is alord / a lord waxen and lewte is pore
vnkyndenes is acomaundour / a comaundour & kyndenes is banned
Bote ȝet schal kynde wit come & consience to-gedre
And make of lawe alaboreir / a laboreir suche loue schal arise
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