Incipit passus quartus .C
NOw was mede þe mayde / no mo of hem alle
Þrogh bedeles and baillefs / browt by-for þe kynge
Þe kyng called forth a clerk / y can nat his name
To tak Mede þe mayde / and make heore at ese
Y schal assaye heore my-self / and sothly appose
Wat man of this worlde / by wyse menne consail T
Y wole for-gyue heore al gultes / so me god helpe
Corteselyche þe clerk þenne / as þe kyng hyhte
Tok Mede by þe Middul / and myldelich heore brouhte
In-to boure with blisse / and by heore can sitte :
¶ Ther was murthe and mynistralcy / mede to plesoun
Þat wenden to westminstre / worschuped heore menye
¶ Genteliche with ioye / Iustises some .
Bosket hem to þe boure / þere þis beorde dwelled /
ConfortedP heore as they cowþe / by þe clerkes leue
And seydon morne þow nouȝt mede / make þow no sorow
For we wol wisse þe kyng / and þy weye schape
Fort wende atte þi wille / as þe leof lykeþ .
For alle concience cast / and craft as y trowe .
¶ Mildelich mede þo / mercyed hem alle
Of here gret godenesse / and ȝaf hem gret ȝeftus
Cowpes of gret gold / coppus of seluer /
Rynges with rubies / and oþer riche ȝeftus
Þe lest of heore Meynie / a moton of gold .
¶ Wen þei had taken heore leue / at þe lady Mede /
Þenne come clerkes / to confort hoere alle
And beed heore beo bliþe / for we be þi nowne .
Fort worche þi wille / whyle we mowen deyore .
¶ And Mede Fol hendeliche / by-hyȝht hem þe selue
To loue hem trewliche / and lordes hem maken
And porchace ȝow prouendres / whil ȝoure pans lasteþ .
And buche ȝow benefys / pluralite to haue .
And in constory atte cort / do calle ȝoure names
Schal no lewdnesse let / þe clerk þat y louye .
Þat he ne worth furst a-vaunced / for y am y-knowen .
Þer connyng clerkes / schul clokken be-hynde
¶ Þen þer come a confessour / coped as a Frere .
To Mede þe mayde / myldeliche he sayde .
Þaw lewed men and lered / had layn by þe bothe .
And falshedP y-fond þe / al this forty wyntur .
Y schal a-soyl þe my-self / for a sem wete
And ȝet beo þy bedmon / and bryng down concience
A-mong kynges and knyhtes / and clerkes ȝif þe lyke .
¶ Þenne Mede for heore mysdedes / to þe frere knelede .
Schrof heore of heore synnes / schamelesse y trowe
Told hym a tale / and tok hym a noble .
Fort beo heore beodman / and bere wel heore ernede
A-mong kynhtez / k[ny]htez and clerkes / concience to turne
And he assoilled heore sone / and seth he sayde we haue
A wyndow worchyng / wol stonden vs fol heȝe .
Wold ȝe glaze þat gabul / and graue þer ȝoure name
In masse and in Matyns / for mede we schul synge .
Sollempne-liche and soth-liche / as For a sustur of oure ordre .
¶ Loueliche þat lady / lauhynglyche seyde
Y schalle beo ȝoure frend Frere / and faille ȝow neuere
Þe while ȝeo louyeþ þes lordes / þat lecherye hawnten
And lakkeþ nauȝt þes laydies / þat louyeth þe same .
¶ Hit is but frelete of fleych / ȝeo fyndeþ wel in bokes .
And a cours of kynde / were-of we comen alle
¶ Ho may a-scape þe sclaundre / þe scha{p}þemay sone be amended
Hit is synne as of seuene / non sannore relessed .
¶ Haue mercy quod mede / of men that hit haunten
And y schal keuere ȝoure kyrke / and ȝoure cloystur maken
Boþe wyndows and wowes / y wol amende and glasse .
And do peynte and portrayon / ho payed for þe makyng
Þat euery man schal seo an day / y am sustre of ȝoure ordre
¶ Ac god to alle goode folk / suche grauyng defendeþ
To wryten in wyndows / of eny gode dedes .
Leost pruyde beo peynted þere / and pompe of þe worlde .
For god knoweþ þy Concience / and þi kynde wil
Thy cost and heore couetyse / and ho þe catel ouhte
For thy leue lordes loue / leueþ suche wrytinges
God in þe gospel / suche grauyng nat a-loweth
Nesciat sinistra quid faciat dextera .
Let nat þi lift half oure lord techeþ
Y-wite what þow delest / with þi riȝtht syde
¶ And Mede myldely / þe Meyre scho by-sowte
Bothe schereues and sergans / and suche as kepeþ lawes
To punyschen on pylorys / and on pynnyngstoles
As bakeres and brewers / bocheres and kokes
For þes men doþ most harm / to þe mene people
Rechen throw regraterye / and rentes hem buggen
With þat þe poere people / schold putten in here wombe
For tok þei on trewly / þey tymbred nat so hye .
Nowþer bowten borgages / be ȝe ful certayn
They haue no pite on þe people / þat parcelmel mot buggen
Þauh þey take hem on-tydyng þing / no treson þei holden hit .
And þauh þei Ful not ful / þat for lawe is seled P
He grypoþ þer-fore as grete / as for þe grete trewþe .
Monye sondry sorowes / in Cytees fallon ofte
Boþe þrow fuyre and flod / and alle for fals people .
Þat by-gyleþ godemen / and greueþ hem wrongly .
Þe whuche cryen on heore knes / þat crist hem a-venge
Heore in this eorthe / or elles in helle .
Þat so by-gyleþ hem of here good / and god on hem sendeþ /
Feueres or foulor eueles / or fuyr on here houses .
Moryne othur other meschaunce / and mony tyme hit falloþ
Þat innocens is y-herd / in heuene a-mong seyntes .
Þat lowten forhem / for hem to oure lord / and to oure lady bothe .
To grawnton gylours on heorþe / grace to amende .
And haue here penaunce on pure orthe / & nat þe pyne of helle .
And þenne þer falleth fuyre / on fals men howses
And good mennes for heore gultes / gloweþ on fuyr aftur
¶ Al this haue we seyon / þat somme tyme throw a brewere .
Menye burgages y-brent / and bodyes þer-inne
And þrow a candul clemyng / in a corsed place
Fel a-don and for-brende / forth alle þe rewe .
¶ For-þi Mayres þat maken freo men / me þenkeþ þat þey ouhten
Fort spure and to aspye / for eny speche of seluer
Wat maner muster / or marchaundyse he vsede .
Er he were vndurfong freo / and felow in ȝoure rolles .
¶ Hit is nat semely for sothe / in cytee ne in borghtoun
Þat vsereres and regratours / for eny kynne ȝiftus .
Beo Fraunchised as a freo man / and haue fals name
¶ Ac Mede þe mayde / þe Meyre scho by-souhte
Of alle suche sulleres / suluer to take
Or presenteþ with-oute pans / and oþer pryue ȝiftes
And haue reuthe on regratours / þat han riche hondes
In quorum manibus iniquitates sunt dextera eorum .
Loue hem for my loue / quod þis lady Mede
And soffre hem som tyme / to sulle a-ȝeynst þe lawe
{Salamon}Eliphaz{...?...}Iobys vrend a sarmon he made
In amendement of Meyrus / and other stewardes
And witnesse wat worþ hem / þat wol tak mede
Ignis deuorabit tabernacula eorum qui libenter accipiunt munera .
A-mong þes ledred Lordes / þis latyn is to mene
Þat Fuyr schal falle and for-brenne / on to blak askes
Þe houses & þe homes / of hem þat taken ȝiftes /
Þe kyng from Conseil c{o}am / and called aftur mede
And sent fort see heore / y sawe nat hym þat heore ladde .
Corteyslyche þe kyng þo / as his knyde / k[yn]de wolde
blamed heore a luytulwhit / for þat scho loued gyle .
And wilned to beo wedded with-outen his leue .
Til tewþe had told heore / a tokene from him-selue
And sayde womon vnwitlich / wrouht as þow ofte
I haue for-gyue þe mony gultes / & my grace graunted .
bothe to þe and to þynne / in hope þow schost amende
And euere þe lengur y lete þe go / þe lasse trewþe is with þe
For worse wrouhtest þow neuere / þan wanT þow fals toke
¶ Ȝit y for-ȝeue þe this gult / godes forbot eny more
Thou teone on trewþe / and þow mow by-take
In þe castel of corf / y schal do þe close
Þer as an ancre / or in a wors wone
And spille þe with meschief / by seynt mary my lady .
Þat alle wymnene / wym[m]en of þis lond / schul be awar by þe one .
And bitturliche corse þe / and alle þat bereþ þi name
And teche þe louye trewþe / and take consaille of resoun .
Y haue a knyht hatte conciense / com late from by-ȝende
Ȝif he wilneþ þe to wyue / wolt þow him haue
Ȝe lord quod þat lady / lord hit me for-beode
But y beo holy at þin hest / let honge me elles
By-fore þe kyng and his consail / as clerkes & othere
Conciense kneolyng / to þe kyng louted
To wyte wat his wil were / and wat he do scholde
Wold þow wed þis mayde / quath þe kyng ȝif y wol assente
For scho is fayn of þi felauschip / and fort beo þy make
¶ Quath conciense to þe kyng / crist hit me for-beode
Er y wedde suche a wif / wo me by-tyde .
for heo is fals of here faith / and fikul of heore tonge
And makeþ men misdo / mony score tymes
In trist of heore tresour / heo teoneþ ful monye
Wyfes and wyduwes / wantownesse heo techeþ .
And lereþ hem to lecherie / þat louyeth here ȝiftus .
¶ Ȝoure fadur heo felde / / fals and heo to-gedres
¶ Heo hath apoysened popes / heo a-peyroth holychurche
Is nat a betere baude / by him þat me {made}bouhte
By-twene heuene and helle / al eorth þauh men souht
¶ For heo is tykul of heore tail / talewys of tonge .
As comyn as þe cart wey / to knaues old and to ȝonge {to} alle
To monkes to al men / þe meselles in hegges .
Liggeþ by heore wen hem lust / lered and lewed .
Sysours and somnours / suche men heore preyseþ
Schereues of schires / were schent ȝif heo ne were
For heo doth men lese heore lond / and here lyf bothe
¶ Scho leteþ passe prysones / and payeþ for hem ofte
And gyueþ þe gayler gold / and grotes to-gederes
To vnfetere þe falce / and fleo wer hem likeþ
And takeþ trewþe by þe top / and tyeþ him fast
And hongeþ for haterad / þat harmede neuere
To beo corsed in constorie / heo counteþ not a rusche
Heo copuþ þe Commissarie / and coteþ his clerkes .
Heo is assoilled þis sone / as heore-self likeþ .
As ȝoure secre seal / in sixscore dayes .
¶ Heo is pryue with þe poepe / prouisours hit knoweþ .
For symonie and heore-self / seleth here bulles .
¶ Heo blesseþ theos byschopes / þauh þei beo ney lewed /
Heo prouendreþ persones / and preostes heo meynteyneþ
To holde lemmanesP and lotebyez / al here lyf dayes .
¶ Ther heo is wel wiþ eny kyng / wo is þe reome
For heo is fauerable to fals / þat defowleþ trewþe
¶ by ihesus with heore Iuweles / þe Iustises heo schendoþ
Heo lith a-ȝeyn þe lawe / and letteþ him þe gate
¶ Þat faith may not habbe his forth / hure floreyns gon so þikke
And ledoþ lawe as hure lust / and louedayes makeþ
Þrow wuche loueday is lost / þat leawte myht wynne .
¶ Þe mase for a mene man / þauh heo plede euere
Þe lawe is so lordliche / and lothe to maken ende
With-oute presentes or pans / heo pleseth ful fewe
¶ Trewe burgeys and bonde / to nauȝt heo bryngeþ oft
And alle þe Commune in care / and in couetyse .
¶ Religion heo al to-reueþ / and ouȝt of rewle to libbe
Ther nis Citee vndur sonne / ne so riche reawme
Þer heo is loued and led by / þat last schal eny while .
Withoute wer oþur wo / or wikked lawes .
And costymeos of couetyse / þe commune to destrye
¶ Vnsittyng suffraunz / heore sustur and heore-self
Haue maked al-most / / but mary þe helpe
Þat no lond loueþ the / and ȝut lesest þin owne
¶ For mede hath knut clerkes / and couetyse to-gederus
Þat alle þe wit of þis world / is woxen in-to gyle
¶ Þus þe lady ledeþ þi lond / now lord ȝif heore sorow
For pore men durnat / dur nat pleyne / ne heore pleynt schowe
Suche a maystur is mede / a-mong men of goode
¶ Þenne mornede mede / menyng heore to þe kyng
To haue space to speke / spede ȝif he myht .
Þe kyng graunted her grace / with a god wil
Excuse þe ȝif þow canst / y can namore sugge
For concience accuseþ the / to congeye þe for euere .
¶ Nay lord quod þat lady / leoueþ him þe worse .
Wen ȝe wit wit / wit witturly / in wom þe wrong ligeþ .
¶ Ther þat meschief is gret / mede may helpon .
And þat knoweþ concience / y cam nat to chide
Ne to depraue þi persone / with a prowde herte .
Wel þow wost witturly / but ȝif þow wol gabbe
Þow hast y-honged on my half / elleue tymes
And al-so gripon of my gold / & y ȝeue hit wer þe likeþ
Wy thow wrathest the now / wondur me þenkeþ
¶ Ȝut y may as y mihte / mensk þe with ȝiftes
And meynteyne þi manhed / more þan þow knowest
¶ Ac thow hast famed me foule / by-fore þe kyng here
For culde y neuere no kyng / ne consailed so to done
Ac y saued my-self / syxti þousand lyues
Boþe here and ellus-were / in alle kynes londes .
¶ Ac thow þi-self sothly / ho-so hit sugge durst
Hast y-harwed mony hardy men / þat hadden wil to fiȝhte
To brennen and to britton / to bete a-doun strengthes
In contreis þer þe kyng cam / concience him lette
Þat he ne felde nat his foes / tho fortune hit wolde
And as his riȝhtes were ordeyned / by wil of oure lord /
¶ Caytifliche þou concience / consailledest þe kyng letoun
In his enymis hond / his erytage of fraunce
¶ Vn-connyng is þat concience / a kynedom to sulle
Þat is conquered throw comune help / a kynedam or a duche
May not beo soold sothely / so mony here part asken
Of folk þat fauht þer-fore / and folowed þe kinges wil .
¶ Þe lest lad þat langeþ to him / beo þe lond wonnon .
Lokeþ aftur lordschip / or other large mede
Wer-by he may as a man / for euere-more lif aftur
¶ And þat is þe kunde of a kyng / þat conquereþ on his enymis .
To help heylich al his folc / or elles to graunte
Al þat his men mow wynne / to do þer-mid here best
¶ For-þi y consaille no kyng / eny counsail aske
A{c}tte concience ȝif he coueite / to conquere a reame
For schold neuere concience / be my constable
Wer y a kyng crowned / by marie quod Mede
Ne be marischalle of my men / þer y most fiȝhte .
Ac had y mede beo his Marischalle / ouer his men in Fraunce
Y durst haue leyd my lif / and no lasse wed
He had beo lord of þat lond / in lengþe and in brede
And al-so kyng of þat kepe / his kun to haue holpon
Þe lest brol of his blod / a barones peere .
¶ Vnkyndely thow concience / consailledest him þennes
To lete so his lordschip / for a litul moneye
Hit by-comeþ for a kyng / þat schal kepe a reome
To ȝiue men mede / þat meokliche him serueþ
To alienes to alle men / to honoure hem wiþ ȝiftes
¶ Mede makeþ him beo by-loued / and for a man y-holde
Emperous and Eorles / and alle maner lordes
Þrouh ȝiftes han ȝymmen / to rennen and ryde
¶ Þe poepe and alle prelates / presentes vndurfongeþ
And ȝiue mede to men / to meynteyne here lawes
¶ Seriauns for here seruice / mede þei asken
And taken mede of here maystres / as þei mow a-corde
Beggeres and beodmen / crauen mede for here preyers
Munestralles for her ministralsie / a mede þei asken
Maystres þat techen clerkes / crauen huyre mede for huyre
Preostes þat preochen / and þe poeple techen .
Asken mede and masse pans / and here mete bothe .
¶ Alle kynne crafty men / crauen mede for here aprentys
¶ Marchaundyse and mede / mote nedes go to-gederes
¶ Is no lede þat lyueþ / þat he ne loueþ mede
And glad fort grype heore / gret lord or pore
¶ Tho quath þe kyng to concience / by crist at my knowyng
Mede is worthi me þenkeþ / þe maystry to haue
¶ Nay quath concience to the kyng / clerkes witen þe sothe
Þat mede is euere-more / a meynteynour of gile
As þe sauter seith / by suche as ȝiuen mede
¶ Þat vnlawfulliche lyuen / hauen large hondes .
To ȝiue men mede / more othur lasse .
Ac ther is mede a-mercede / and boþe men demen
A desert from som doynge / deorne oþer elles
¶ Mede mony tymes / men ȝiuen by-fore þe doyng
And þat is nouȝt reson ne riȝht / ne in no reome lawe
Þat enyC man mede tok / but he hit miȝht deserue
And fort to vndurtake / to trauaille for a-noþer
And wot neuere witturly / wer he lyue so longe
Ne haue hap to his hele / mede to deseruen /
Y holde him ouur hardy / or elles nat trewe
Þat per manibus . is payed / or his paye askeþ
Harlotes and hores / and al-so falce leches
They asken here huyre / er thei haue hit deserued
¶ And gilors gyuen by-fore / and god men atte nende
Wen þe dede is do / and þe day ended .
¶ And that is no mede / but a mercede
A maner dewe dette / for þe doyng .
¶ And but hit beo payed prestoly / þe paiere is to blame
As þe bok þat bit / no-body to withholde
Þe huyre of his hyne / ouer eue til a-morow
Non morabitur opus mercennarij apud te vsque mane .
And þer is resounP as a reue / rewardyng trewþe
And boþe þe lord and þe laborer / beo lelly y-serued
Þe mede þat mony preost takeþ / For masses þat þei syngen
Amen Amen Matheu Lucas seith / dignus est operarius mercede sua mercedem suam recipiunt /
In marchaundise is no mede / y may hit wel a-vowe
Hit is a permutacioun a-pertely / a peneworth for a-noþer
And þauh þe kyng of his cortasie / kayser oþur pope
Ȝiue lond oþur lordschip / or oþur large ȝiftes
To here lelle lige / loue is þe cause
¶ And ȝif tho lelle and lige / beo luther men aftur
Bothe kyng and cayser / and þe croned pope
May desavowe wat þe dude / and dowe þer-wiþ a-noþur
And a-non by-nymen him hit / and neuere aftur
¶ Nothur thei noþur here heyres / hardy to cleyme .
Þat kyng or cayser him gaf / catel oþur rente
¶ For god gaf to Salomon / grace vpon eorthe
Richesse and reson / whil he riȝht lyuede
And as sone as god seye / he sewed nat his wille
He reued him of his richesse / and of his riȝth munde
And soffrede him leue in mysbyleue / y leue he beo in helle
¶ So god gyueþ no thing / þat sinne ne is þe glose
And riht so sothly / may kyng and pope
Bothe gyfe and graunte / þer his grace likeþ .
And eft haue hit a-ȝein / of hem þat don ille
Thus is mede a-mercede / as to manere relacions
Recte and indiret / indire[c]t / rennynge bothe
On a sad and a siker / semblabe to him-selue
Ac agetif and susteintif / vnite askeþ
And a-cordaunce in kynde / in case and in nombre
¶ And aythur is otheres help / of hem comeþ retribucioun
Þat is þe ȝifte þat god ȝiueþ / to alle trewe lyuyng
Grace of good ende / and gret ioye aftur
¶ Quath þe kyng to concience / knowen y wolde
What is relacion recte / and indirecte after
And þenne agetif and sustantif / for engliz was hit neuere
¶ Relacion recte quaþ concience / is a record of trewþe
Quia ante late rei est recordatiuum .
Folwyng and fyndyng out / þe fondement of a strengþe
And stifliche stand forth / to strengþe þe fondement
In kynde and in case / and in cours of nombre
¶ As a trewe laborer / by-leueþ with his maystre
In his paye and his pite / and in his pure trewþe
¶ To paye him ȝif he parformeþ / and haue pite ȝif he faileþ
And take him for his trauail / alle þat trewþe wolde
¶ So of hole herte comeþ hope / and hardy relacioun
Secheþ and seweþ / his sustantif sauacioun
¶ Þat is þe grond of al / a gracious antecedent
And man is relatif recte / ȝif he beo riht trewe
He a-cordeþ with crist / in kunde Verbum caro factum est .
In case credere in ecclesia . in holy churche to by-leue
In nombre rotye and a-rise / and remission to haue
Of oure sory synnes / asoiled and clansed
And lyf as oure crede vs techeþ / whit crist wiþ-outon ende
¶ Thus is relacion recte / rith as agetif and sustantif
CA-cordeþ in alle kyndes / wiþ his antecedent
¶ Indirecte þing is / as ho-so coueyted
Alle kynne kunde / to knowe and to folowe
With-ouȝt cause to cache two / and come to boþe noumbres
In whuche beþ good and not goodP / and grant here noþeres wille
¶ Þat is nat resonable ne Rect / to refuse my sires surname
Suth y his sone and seruaunt / suwe for his riht
CFor wo-so wol haue to wyue / my worldelich dowter
I wol feffe him with hure fair / & wiþ hure foul taylende
So indirecte þing is / inliche to coueyte
To a-corde in alle kunde / and in alle kynne nombre
Wiþ-ouȝt cost and trauail / in alle kynne care
Ac relacion rect is / a rithful custome
As a kyng to cleyme / þe comune at his wil
To folwe him to fynde him and feche at hem his consail
Þat here loue thus to him / throw al þe lond acorde .
So comyn cleymoþ of a kyng / thre kynne þynkesLG
Lawe *loue / and leaute / and him lord antecedent
Bothe here heued and here kyng / haldyng with no partie
But stande as a stake / þat stykeþ in a mure
By-twene to londes / for a trew mark
¶ Ac þe most partie of the poeple / pure indirect semeþ
For they wilnen and wolde / as best were for hem-selue
Þauh þe kyng and þe comune / al þe cost hadde
¶ Al reson repreoueþ / suche in-parfit people
And halt hem vnstedefast / for hem lakeþ case
As relatif indirecte / recheþ þei neuere
Off þe cours of þe case / so þei cacche seluur
beo þe peccunye y-paied / thaw parties chide
¶ Ac agetif and sustantif / is as y here tolde
Þat is vnite a-cord{e}aunce / in case gendre and nombre
¶ And is to mene in oure mowþe / more ne mynne
But alle manere men / wemnen / wem[m]en and children
Scholdon conforme to o kunde / on holy churche to by-leue
And coueite þe case / wen þei couthe vndurstonde
To syke for her synnes / and suffre harde penaunce
For þat ilke lordes loue / þat for oure loue deyde
And coueyted oure kynde / and beo called in oure name deus homo
And nymen him into oure noumbre / now and euere-more
Qui in caritate manet in deo manet et deus in eo .
Thus is man and man-kynde / in manere of a sustantif
As hic et hec homo . / askynge an agetif
Of thre trewe termisons / trinitas vnus deus .
Nominatiuo pater et filius et spiritus sanctus .
Ac ho-so ratte of regum / rede me may of mede
How heo Absoloun . / to hongynge brouhte
And syþthe for Saul . sauede a kyng for mede
A-ȝayn godes comaundement god tok suche veniaunce
Þat Saul for þat synne / and his sone deide
And gaf þe kenedam to his knaue / þat kepte schep & lombren
¶ And men rat in Regum / after reuthe of kynges .
Hou god sente to Saul . / by Samuel . / þe prophete
Þat Agag of Amelek . and alle his liege poeple
Scholden deye dulfoly / for dedes of her eldren
Saul quaþ Samuel . / god him-self hoteþ
To beo buxom at my biddyng / his bone to folfulle
Hast þe wiþ alle þin host / to þe lond of Amelek
And alle þat liueþ in þat lond / oure lord wole þat þow scle hit
Man wommon and wif / wydow child and bestes .
¶ Meobles and vn-meobles / man and alle þinges /
Bren hit bere hit nouȝt a-way / beo hit neuere so riche
¶ For eny mede of moneye / alle þat þow myht spille
Spare hit nat / and þow schalt / spede wel þe betre .
¶ And for he coueyted heore catel / and þe kyng sparede
For-bare him and his best bestes / as þe bibul witnesseþ
Oþur-wyse þan god wolde / by warnyng of þe profete
God seyde to samuel þat Saul scholde dye
And alle his for that sinne / schenfulliche ende
¶ Thus was kynge saul ouurcome / throw couetyse of mede
Þat god hated him for euere / and alle his eyres after
¶ Þe culorum of this cas / kep y nat to schewe
An auntur hit nuyede me / non ende wol y make
¶ For so is þe worlde went / wiþ þat han þe power
Þat he þat seiht most sothest / sannest is y-blamed .
I concience know þis / for kynde wit me tauhte
Þat reson schal regne / and reomes gouerne .
¶ And riȝht as agag hadde / happon schullon some
Samuel shal sle him / and Saul schal beo blamed
And dauid schal beo dyademed / and daunton al oure enymis
And o Christiane kyng / kepon vs vchone
Schal no mede be maistur / neuere-more aftur
¶ Ac loue and louhnesse / and leaute do / [t]o-gederes
Schullen beo maystres on mold / trewe men to helpe
And ho-so takeþ a-ȝeyn trewþe / or transuersed a-ȝeins reson
Leaute schal do him lawe / and no lif elles
Schal no seriaunt for þat seruice / wery a selk houe
Ne pelure in his pauilon / for pledyng atte þe barre
¶ Muchel euele is throw Mede / mony time suffred
And letteþ þe lawe / þrow here large ȝiftes
¶ Ac kyndeloue schal come ȝit / and concience to-gederes
And make of lawe a laborer / suche loue schal a-ryse
¶ And suche pees among þe poeple / and a parfit trewþe
Þat Iewes schal wene in here wit / and wexe so glade
Þat here kyng be come / fro þe cort of heuene
Moyses or Messie / þat men beo so trewe
For alle þat beron baselardes / bryȝht swerd or launce
Axe oþur hachet / or kyne wepne /
Schal beo demed to þe deth / but he do hit smythie
In-to sikel or to sythe / to schare or to colter
Conflabunt gladios suos in fomeres / & lanceas suas in falces
¶ Ech man to pleye with a plowe / a pykoyse or a spade
Spennen and speke of god / and spil no tyme
¶ Preostes and persones Placebo and dirige /
Here sauter and her seuene psalmes / for alle sunful preyen
Haukyng or hontinge / ȝif eny of hem hit vse
Schal leose þer-fore his lyflode / and his lyf parantur
Schal neuere kyng ne knyht / constable ne meyre
Ouurcarke þe comune / ne to þe cort sompne
Ne put men in panele / ne put men plihte here trewþe
¶ But after þe dede þat is do / þe dom schal recorde
Mercy or no mercy / as most trewþe acorden .
¶ Kynges cort and comune cort / constory & chapetre
Al schal beo but o court / and o bern beo iustice
¶ That worth trewe tonge a tydy man / þat teonede me neuere
batailles schullen neuere eft beo / ne mon bere egge tol
And ȝif eny man smyþen hit / beo smyte þer-wiþ to deþe
Non leuabit gens contra gentem gladium nec exercebunt vltra ad prelium
Ac er this fortune by-falle / fynde me schal þe worste
By six sonnes and a schup / and half a schef of aruwes
And þe myddul of a mone / schal make þe Iuwes torne
And sarasyns for þat siht / schul suggen heu quid faciemus
For makamed and mede / schulle myshappe þat tyme
For melius est bonum nomen / quam diuicie multe
As wrothe as þe wynd / wax mede þer-aftur
Lo what Salomon . seith quod scheo / in sapience þe bible
Þat ȝiuef ȝiftes tak ȝeme / þe victorie he wynneþ
And muche worschup þer-wiþ / as holy writ telleþ
CHonorem adquiret qui dat
munera .
¶ Y leoue þe lady quaþ concience / for that latyn is trewe
Thow ert like a lady / þat a lesson radde
Was omnia probate / that plesede heore heorte
That was no lengore / and atte þe leues ende
Ac hadde heo loked on þe lift half / and þe leef turned
Heo scholde haue fond folwyng / fele wordes aftur
Quod bonum est tenete / a tyxt of trewþes makynge
¶ So heo þat secheþ sapience / fynde he schal þat folowiþ
Trusteliche a teonful tixt / to hem þat taken mede
Þe wuche hatte as y haue rad / and oþur þat conne rede .
Animam aufert accipiencium /
Worschip he wynnuþ / þat wol ȝiue mede
Ac he þat receyueþ or recette here / is recettur of gile .
Explicit passus quartus
Mathei . vj capitulo .
In psalmoP
Iob .Xv
levitici .xjx.
luce x capitulo
.vj. capituloT
vnsemisamN
sunt et contraP
ecclesiastes .ij. capitulo
. Iohanis . primo
par johannis . iiij . capitulo
secundo Regum xxviij .
primo . Regum . xv . capitulo
ysaye . ij . capitulo
ysaye . secundo capitulo .
.6. au{xg}ustumN anno domini Mo ccccoxijo
Ccredo in Spiritum Sanctum
proverbiorum . xxij .
proverbiorum v capitulo
prima ad {thessal}thessalonicenses vltimo
proverbiorum ibid
[a face]C
be m...
saluandorumT