cus hirre / h[u]re quod þe king . conciens I hote

nay by god quod conciens . conge raþere .

But resoun rede me þer-tille . arst wil I deye

and I commaunde quod þe king . to conciens þanne 

rap þe to ryden . and resoun þou fecche

commande hym þat he come . my counseyle to here .

Forhe / For heP schal rewle my rewme . and rede me þe beste

of mede and of mo oþere . what man schal hure wedde 

and counte with conciens . so me god helpe

how þou leryst þe peple . lered and lewed .

I am fayn of þat forward . seytȝ þe feytȝ T þenne

and ryȝt rennes to resoun . and rownes in his ere 

seyde hym as þe king sente . and swyþe tok his leue

I schal a-ray me to ride quod resoun . reste þe a-whyle .

And calde catoun his kanue / k[na]ue . curteys of speche

set my sadel vpon suffre . til I se my tyme 

and let warroke hym wel . wiþ ryȝthful gerþes

hong on hym an heuy brydel . and hold his hede lowe .

And ȝut we wil make many a wehe . ere we come þere

þanne conciens on his capel . caryeth forþ faste 

and resoun with hym ryȝth . and rapiþ hym swyþe

a ton / at on were wisdoum . and witty his fere .

Folwede hym faste . for he hadde to done

In þe chekyre and þe chauncerye . to be discharged of þinges 

and ryde faste for resoun . schulde rede hem þe beste

for to saue hem-self . fro fchame / [s]chame and fro harmes .

Ac conciens cam arst to þe court . by amyle / a myle way

and rowned forþ with resoun . ryȝt to þe king 

curteysly þe king þan . com in-to resounC

and by-twyn hym and hys sone . set hym on benche .

And wordedyn a gret while . wel wisly to-gederes

þen com pes in-to parlement . and put vp a bylle 

how wrong a-ȝens his wille . hadde his wif take

and how he rauesched rose . raynaldes loue .

And margrete of hure maydenhed . maugre hure chekys

boþe my geys and my grys . his gadelynges fecches 

I dar not for fere of hym . fytthen ne chyde

he borwed of me bayerd . and brouȝthe hym neuere a-gayn .

Ne no ferþing þer-fore . for nouȝt I coude plete

he maynteynes his men . to murþere myn hynes 

for-stalles my feyres . fyttes in my cheping

brekeþ vp my berne dores . and beryþ a-wey my whete .

And takeþ me but a tayle . for x / ten quarteres of otys

and ȝut he betyþ me þer-to . and lyth by my mayden 

and I am not so hardy . onys for hym to loke

þo knew þe king he sayde soþ . for conciens hym tolde  .

WrongC was a-ferd þo . and wisdam he souȝthe

to make his pes with his pans . and profrede manye 

and sayde had I þe loue . of my lord þe kingT

lytel wolde I recche þat pes and his power . pleyned hem euere

Wysdam wan þo . and so dude wit alse

for þat wrong hadde y-wrouȝt . so wycked a dede 

and warnede wrong . wytes swych a wys tale

and who wercheþ by wil . wratthe makeþ ofte .

I sey hit by my-self . þou schalt hit sone fynde

but mede hit make . þer myschef is vppe 

for boþe þi-self and þi lond . lyþ in his grace

wrong þan on wisdam wep . to helpe hym at nede T .

For ryȝt þer-of is . handy-dandy payed

þan wysdam and wyt . wenten to-gederes 

and tok mede with hem . mercy to wynne

pes put hym forþ . his hede and his panne .

Redly with-outen gilt . god wot þat is skaþe

conciens and þe king . knewe wel þe soþe  

and wiste wel þat wrong . was a schrewe euere

and wisdam and wit . were a-boute faste .

To ouercome þe kyng . with catel ȝif þei myȝte

þe king swor by crist . and by crowne boþe  T

to caste hem in Irenys . he schal not þis vij / seuene ȝer .C se his fet onys

god wot qwaþ wisdam . þat were not þe beste .

And he amendes mowe make . lat meynpris hym haue

and be borwe for his bale . and bryngen hym bote 

Amende þat mysdede . and euermore þe betere

wit a-cordeþ þer-with . and se{e}ydeP þe same .

Beter is þat bote . bale a-doun brynge

þan bale be bote . and bote neuere þe betere 

þan gan mede to meke hure . and mercy by-souȝthe

and profered pes a present . al of pure golde .

Haue þis of me man qwaþ he . to amende þi skaþe

for I wil wage for wrong . he schal do so no more T

forC mede haþ mad my mendes . I may no more axyn

nay quod þe king . so god ȝyue me blysse .

Wrong wendeþ not so a-way . er I wyte more

lep he so lyȝtly a-way . lauȝen he wolde 

and after þe balder be . and betyn myn hynen

but resoun haue ruþe on hym . he schal reste in stokkes .

As longe as I lyue . but more loue hit make

some men redde resoun . to haue ruþe on þat schrewe .

and to counseile þe king . and conciens boþe

þat mede muste be meynpernour . resoun þei be-souȝte .

Rede me nout quod resoun . no ruþe to haue

til lordes and ladyes . louen alle truþe 

til peronelys purfyl . be put in he he[r] hocche

til childres chersyng . be chasted with ȝerdes .

And harlotes almesse . be holden for an hyne

til clerkes and kyȝtthes / k[n]yȝtthes . be curteys of her mouþe 

and hate to here harlotrye . or mouþe hit hem-selue

til prestes here preching . proueþ hem-selue .

And do hit in dede . to drawe vs to gode

tyl seynt Iame be y-souȝth . þer I schal a-syne  

þat no man go to galys . but ȝif he go for euereC

and alle þe rome-renneres . for robberes of by-ȝonde .

Bere no syluer ouer se . þat sygne of king scheweþ

neyþer grotes ne gold . y-graue with kinges coyne 

vp forfeture of þat fee . who fynt hym dygnere

but hit be marchaunt or his man . or myssager with lettres .

Or prouysour or prest . þat þe pope a-vaunseþ

and ȝut quod resoun by þe rode . I nel no ruþe haue 

whil mede haþ þe maystrye . to mote in þe halle

and I may schewe ȝou ensaumple as I se oþer . T I sey hit for my-selue .

And hit were so þat I were king . with crowne to kepe a rewme

schuld neuer wrong in þe word . þat I wyte myȝthe 

be vnpunsched by my power . for peril of my sowle

ne gete my grace with ȝiftes . so me god helpe .

Ne for no mede haue mercy . but meknysse hit made

for nullum malum þe may mete wyþ T

Inpunitum . and bad nullum bonum irremuneratumP .

Let þi confessour syre king . construe hit þe in englys .

And ȝif þou wirke hit in werk . I wedde boþe his erys

þat lawe schal be a labourer . and lede to felde dunge 

and loue schal lede þy lond . as þe best lykes

clerkes þat were confessoures . coupled hem to-gederes  .

For to construe þe clause . and declyned faste

ac resoun a-mong þe renkes . hadde rehersed þo wordes 

þer was man in þat mothalle . more ne lasse

þat he ne held resoun a mayster . and mede a muche wrecche

Loue let of here lyȝt . and low hure to skorne

and sayde hit so loude . þat soþnesse hit herde 

þat who wynne hure to wyue . for welþe of hure godys

but he he [be] cokewald y-calde . cut of my nose .

On warned wysdom þo . on-wittes fere

coude not warpen a word . to with-segge resoun .

but stareden and stodiede . and stode forþ as bestes .

þe king a-corded by crist . to resounes sawes .

And rehersed þat resoun . had ryȝthfully schewed

ac hit is ful hard by myn hed . here-to to brynge

and alle my lyche ledes . to ledyn hem þus euene

by hym þat rauȝþe on þe rode . quod resoun te / t[o] þe king .

But ȝif I reule þus my rewme . rent of my rybbys

ȝif hit be so þat buxumnesse . be of myn a-sent

and I a-sente quod þe king . by seynte marie my lady

be my counsel y-come . of clerkes and of erlys .

Ac redly resoun . þou schalt not ryde hennys

for as longe as I lyue . loue þe I wille

I am redy quod resoun . to reste with ȝou euere

so conciens be of ȝour counseyl . kepe I no better

I graunte quod þe king . godes forbode he fayle

as longe as I lyue . lybbe we to-gederes .