Passus tercius de visione vt supra
Now is Mede þe Maide · and namo of hem alle
With bedellus & wiþT bayllyues · brouȝt bifor þe kyng
The kyng called a clerke · can I nouȝt his name
To take Mede þe mayde · and make hire at ese
I shal assaye hir my-self · and sothelichT appose
What man of þis [worlde]T · þat hire were leueste
And if she worche bi myT witte · and my wille folwe
I wil forgyue hir þis gilte / giltesT · so me god help
¶ Curteysliche þe clerke þanne [·] as þe Kyng hight
Toke Mede bi þe Middel · and brouȝteT hir in-to chaumbre
A[c]T þere was myrthe and mynstralcye · Mede to plese
Gentelliche wiþ ioye · þe Iustices somme
Busked hem to þe boure · þere þe birde dwelled
To conforte hire kyndely · by clergise leue
And seiden mourneT nought Mede · ne make þow no sorwe
For we [wil]T wisse þe kynge · and þi wey shape
To be wedded at þi wille · and where þe leue liketh
For al conscience caste · [and] craftT as I trowe
¶ Mildeliche Mede þanne · mercyed hem alle
Of þeire gret goodnesse · and gaf hem vchone
Coupes of clene golde · and coppis of siluer
Rynges with rubies · and ricchessesT manye
The leste man of here meyne · a motoun of golde
Thanne lauȝte þei leue · þis lordes at Mede
¶ With that comen clerkis · to conforte hir þe same
And beden hire be blithe · for we beth þine owne
Forto worche þi wille · þe while þow myȝte lasteT
[¶]T Hendeliche heo þanne · bihight hem þe same
To loue ȝowT lelli · and lordes to make
Shal no lewdnesse lette · þe leode / clerkesT þat I louye
That he neT worth first auanced · for I am biknowen
Þere konnyng clerkes · shul clokke bihynde
¶ Þanne come þere a confessoure · coped as a Frere
To Mede þeT mayde · he mellud þis wordes
And seide ful softly · in shrifte as it were
Theiȝ lewed men and lered men · had leyne by þe bothe
And false[hede]T haued yfolwed þe [·] al þis fyfty wyntre
I shal assoille þe my-selue · for a seme of whete
And also be þi bedeman · and bere wel þi message
Amonges kniȝtes and clerkis · conscience to torne
¶ Thanne Mede for here mysdedes · to þat man kneled
And shroue hire of hire shrewednesse · shamelees I trowe
Tolde hym a tale · and toke hym a noble
Forto ben hire bedeman · and hire brokour alsT
¶ Thanne he assoilled hir sone · and sithen he seyde
We han a wyndowe a-wirchyng wil sitten vs [ful]T heigh
Woldestow glase þat gable · and graue þere-inneT þi name
Siker sholde þi soule be · heuene to haue
For to be ȝowre frende frere · and faille ȝow neure
Whil ȝe loue lordes · þat lechery haunteþ
And lakkeþ nouȝt ladis · þat loueþ wel þe same
It is a frelete of flesche · ȝe fynde it in bokes
And a course of kynde · wher-of we komen alle
Who may scape þe sklaundre · þe skaþe is sone amended
It is synne of seueneT · sonnest relessed
¶ Haue mercy quod Mede · of men þat it haunte
And I shal keure ȝowre kirke · ȝowre cloystre do maken
Wowes do whitten · and wyndowes glasen
Do peynten and purtraye · and paye for þe makynge
¶ Ac god to alle good folke · suche grauynge defendeth
To writen in wyndowes · of here wel-dedes
On auenture pruyde be peynted þere · and pompe of þe worlde
For cristT knoweþ þi conscience · and þi kynde wille
AndT þi coste and þi coueitise · and who þe catel ouȝte
¶ For-þi I lere ȝow lordes · leueþ suche werkes
To writen in wyndowes · of ȝowre wel-dedes
Or to greden after goddis men · whan ȝe delen doles
An auenture ȝe han ȝowre hire here · and ȝoure heuene als
Nesciat sinistra quid faciat dextra ·
Lat nouȝte þi left half · late no rathe
Wyte what þow worchest · with þi riȝt syde
For þus bit þe gospel · gode men do here almesse
¶ Meires and maceres · that menes ben bitwene
Þe kynge and þe comuneT [·] to kepe þe lawes
Brewesteres and bakesteres · bocheres and cokes
For þise aren men onT þis molde · þat moste harme worcheth
To þe pore peple [·] þat parcel-mele buggen
¶ For theyT poysoun þe peple · priueliche and oft
Thei rychen þorw regraterye · and rentes hem buggen
With þat þe pore people [·] shulde put in here wombeT
For toke þei on trewly · þei tymbred nouȝt so heiȝe
Ne bouȝte non burgagesT · be ȝe ful certeyne
¶ Ac Mede þe Mayde [·] þe Maire hath bisouȝte
Of alle suche sellers · syluer to take
Or presentz withoute pens · as peces of siluer
Ringes or other ricchesse · þe regrateres to maynetene
¶ For my loueT quod that lady loue [·] hem vchone
And soffre hem to selle · somdele aȝeins resoun
¶ Salamon þe sage · a sarmoun he made
For to amende Maires · and men þat kepen lawes
And tolde hem þis teme · þat I telle thynke
Ignis deuorabit tabernacula eorum qui libenter accipiunt munera &cT
Amonge þis lettered ledes · þis latyn is to mene
That fyre shal falle and berne · al to blo askes
Ȝiftes or ȝeresȝyues · bi-cause of here officesT
¶ The kynge fro conseille cam · and called after Mede
And ofsent hir alswythe · with seriauntes manye
ThatT brouȝten hir to bowre · with blisse and with ioye
¶ Curteisliche þe kynge þanne · comsedT to telle
To Mede þe mayde · melleth þise wordes
Vnwittily womman · wrouȝte hastow oft
Ac worse wrouȝtestow neure · þan þo þow fals toke
But I forgyue [þe]T þat gilte · and graunte þe my grace
Hennes to þi deth-day · do so namoreT
¶ I haue a knyȝte conscience · cam late fro biȝunde
Ȝif he wilneth þe to wyf · wyltow hym haue
¶ Ȝe lorde quod þat lady · lorde forbedeT elles
But I be holely at ȝowre heste · lat hange me sone
¶ And þanne was conscience calde · to come and appiere
Bifor þe Kynge and his conseille · as clerkes and othere
TKnelynge conscience · to þe kynge louted
To wite what his wille were · and what he do shulde
¶ Woltow wedde þis womman quod þe kynge · ȝif I wil assente
For she is fayne of þi felawship · for to be þi make
¶ Quod conscience to þe kynge · cryst it me forbede
Ar I wedde suche a wyf · wo me bityde
For she is frele of hir feith · fykel / and fykelT of here speche
And maketh men mysdo · many score tymes
Truste of hire tresore · treiethT ful manye
Wyues and widewes · wantounesT she techeth
And lereth hem leccherye · that loueth hire ȝiftes
Ȝowre fadre she felled · þorw falsT biheste
And hath apoysounde popis · [ap]peiredT holicherche
Is nauȝt a better baude · bi hym þat me made
Bitwene heuene and helle · [and]T erthe þough men souȝte
For she is tikil of hire taile · talwis of tongeT
As comune as a cartwey · to eche a knaue þat walketh
To monkes toT mynst[r]alles · to meseles in hegges
Sisoures and sompnoures · suche men hir preiseth
Shireues of shires · were shent ȝif she nere
For she doþ men lese here londe · and here lyf bothe
She leteth passe prisoneresT · and payeth for hem ofte
And gyueth þe gailers golde · and grotes togideres
To vnfettre þe fals [·] fle where hymT lyketh
And hangeth hymT for hatred · þat harme dede neure
¶ To be cursed in consistorie · she counteth nouȝte a russheT
For she copeth þe comissarie · and coteth his clerkis
She is assoilled as sone · as hir-self liketh
And may neiȝe as moche do · in a moneth one[s]T
As ȝowre secret seel · in syx score dayes
For she is priue with þe pope · prouisoures it knoweth
For sire symonye and hir-selue · seleth hireT bulles
¶ She blesseth þise bisshopes · þeiȝe þey be lewedT
Prouendreth persones · and prestes [she]T meynteneth
To haue lemmannes and lotebies · alle here lif-dayes
And bringenT forth barnes · aȝein forbode lawes
There she is wel with þe kynge · wo is þe rewme
For she is fauorable to þeT fals · and fouleth trewthe ofte
¶ Bi ihesus with here ieweles · ȝowre / þeT iustices she shendeth
And lith aȝein þe lawe · and letteth hym þe gate
That feith may nouȝte haue his forth · here floreines go so þikke
She ledeth þe lawe as hire list · and louedayes maketh
And doth men lese þorw hire loue · þat lawe myȝte wynne
Þe mase for a mene man · þouȝ he mote hirT eure
Lawe is so lordeliche · and loth to make ende
With-oute presentz or pens · she pleseth welT fewe
¶ Barounes and burgeys · she bryngeth in sorwe
And alle þe comune in kare · þat coueyten lyue in trewthe
For clergye and coueitise · she coupleth togideres
Þis is þe lyf of that lady · now lorde ȝif hir sorwe
And alle that meynteneth here men · meschaunce hem bityde
For pore men mowe haue no powere · to pleyne hem þouȝ þei smerte
Suche a maistre is Mede · amonge men of godeT
¶T Thanne morned Mede · and mened hire to the kynge
To haue space to speke · spede if she myȝte
¶ The kynge graunted hir grace [·] with a gode wille
Excuse þe ȝif þow canst · I can namore seggen
For conscience acuseth þe · to congey þe for euere
¶ Nay lorde quod þat lady · leueth hym þe worse
Whan ȝe wyten witterly · where þe wronge liggeth
There þat myschief is grete · Mede may helpe
And þowT knowest conscience · I cam nouȝt to chide
Ne depraue þi persone · with a proude herte
Wel þow wost wernard · but ȝif þow wolt gabbe
Þow hast hanged on myne half · elleuene tymes
And also griped my golde · gyueT it where þe liked
And whi þow wratthest þe now · wonder me thynketh
Ȝit I may as I myȝte · menske þe with ȝiftes
And mayntene þi manhode · more þan þow knoweste
¶ Ac þow hast famed me foule · bifor þe Kynge here
For kulled I neuere no kyngeT · ne conseilled þer-after
Ne dede as þow demest · I do [it] onT þe kynge
¶ In normandye was he nouȝte · noyed for my sake
Ac þow þi-self sothely · shamedest hym ofte
Crope in-to a kaban · for colde of þi nailles
Wendest þat wyntre · wolde haue lasted euere
And draddest to be ded · for a dym cloude
And hiedest homeward · for hunger of þi wombe
¶ Wiþ-out pite piloure · pore men þow robbedest
And bere here bras at þi bakke · to caleys to selle
There I lafte with my lorde · his lyf for to saue
I made his men meri · and mornyng lette
I batered hem on þe bakke · and bolded here hertis
And dede hem hoppe for hope · to haue me at wille
Had I ben Marschal of his men · bi Marie of heuene
I durst haue leyde my lyf · and no lasse wedde
He shulde haue be lorde of þat londe · aT lengthe and a brede
And also Kyng of þat kitthe · his kynne for to helpe
Þe leste brolle of his blodeT · a barounes pere
¶ Cowardliche þow conscience · conseiledest hym þennes
To leuen his lordeship · for a litel siluer
That is þe richest rewme · þat reyne ouer-houeth
¶ It bicometh to a kynge · þat kepeth a rewme
To ȝiue Mede to men · þat mekelich hym serueth
To alienes and to alle men [·] to honoure hem with ȝiftes
Mede maketh hym biloued · and for a man holden
TEmperoures and Erlis · and al manere lordes
The pope and alleT prelatis · presentz vnderfongen
And medeth men hem-seluen · to meyntene here lawes
SeruauntzT for her seruise · we seth wel þe sothe
Taken Mede of here maistre[s]T · as þei mowe acorde
Beggeres for here biddyngeT · bidden men Mede
Mynstralles for here murthe · mede þei aske
TÞe kynge hath mede of his men · to make pees in londe
Men þat teche chyldren · craue of hem mede
Prestis þat precheth þe poeple · to godeT asken mede
And masse-pans and here mete · at þe mele-tymes
Alkynnes craftyT men · crauen Mede for here prentis
Marchauntz and Mede · mote nede go togideres
No wiȝte as I wene · with-oute Mede may libbe
¶ Quatȝ þe kynge to conscience · bi criste as me thynketh
Mede is worthiT · þe maistrye to haue
¶ Nay quod conscience to þe Kynge · and kneled to þe erthe
There aren two manere of Medes · my lorde [bi]T ȝowre leue
Þat one god of his grace · graunteth in his blisse
To þo þat wel worchen · whil þei ben here
The prophete precheth þer-of · and put it in þe sautere
Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo
Lorde who shal wonye in þi wones · andT with þine holi seyntes
¶ And dauyd assoileth it hym-self [·] as þe sauter telleth
Qui ingreditur sine macula · & operatur iusticiam
Tho þat entren of o colour · and of on wille
And han wrouȝte werkis · with riȝte and with reson
And he þat neT vseth nauȝte · þe lyf of vsurye
And enfourmeth pore men · and pursueth treuthe
Qui pecuniam suam non dedit ad vsuram & munera super innocentem &c ·T
And alle þat helpeth þe innocent · and halt with þe riȝtful
Withoute mede doth hem gode · and þe trewtheT helpeth
Suche manere men my lorde · shal haue þis furst Mede
Of god at aT grete nede · whan þei gone hennes
[¶]T There is an other Mede mesurelees · þat maistres desireth
To meyntene mysdoers · Mede þei take
And þere-of seith þe sauter · in a salmes ende
In quorum manibus iniquitates sunt [·] dextera eorum repleta est muneribus
And he þat gripeth her golde · so me god helpe
Shal abie it bittereT · or þe boke lyeth
¶ Prestes and parsones · þat plesynge desireth
That taketh Mede and mone · for messes þat þei syngeth
Taketh here mede here · as Mathew vs techeth
Amen amen recipiebantT mercedem suam ·
¶ That laboreres and loweT folke · taketh of her maistres
It is no manere Mede · but a mesurable hire
TIn marchandise is no mede · I may it wel avowe
It is aT permutacioun apertly · a penyworth for an othre
¶ Ac reddestow neuere Regum · þow recrayed Mede
Whi þe veniaunce fel · on saul and on his children
God sent to saul · bi samuel þe prophete
Þat agag of amaleke · and al his peple aftre
Shulde deye for a dede · þat done had here aldres
¶ For-þi seid samuel to saul · god hym-self hoteth
Wende to amalec with þyn oste · and what þow fyndest þere slee it
Biernes and bestes · brenne hem to ded
Wydwes and wyues · wommen and children
Moebles and vnmoebles · and al þat þow myȝte fynde
Brenne it bere it nouȝte awey · be it neuere so riche
For mede ne for mone · loke þow destruye it
Spille it and spare it nouȝte · þow shalt spede þe bettere
¶ And for he coueyted her catel · and þe kynge spared
Forbare hym and his bestes bothe · as þe bible witnesseth
Otherwyse þan he was · warned of þe prophete
God seide to samuel [·] þat saul shulde deye
Such a myschief Mede made [·] saul þe kynge to haue
That god hated hym for euere · and alle his eyres after
¶ The culorum of þis cas · kepe I nouȝte to sheweT
An auenture it noyed men · none ende wil I make
For so is þis worlde went · wiþ hem þat han powere
That who-so seyth hem sothesT · is sonnest yblamed
¶ I conscience knowe þis · for kynde witt me itT tauȝte
Þat resoun shal regne · and rewmes gouerne
And riȝte as agag hadde · happe shul somme
Samuel shal sleen hym · and saul shal be blamed
And dauid shal be diademed · and daunten hem alle
And one cristene Kynge · kepen hem alleT
¶ Shal namore Mede ·T be maistre as she is nouthe
Ac loue and lowenesse · and lewte togederes
Þise shul be maistres on molde · treuthe to saue
¶ And who-so trespasseth ayein treuthe · or taketh aȝein his wille
Leute shal don hym lawe · and no lyf elles
Shal no seriaunt for hereT seruyse · were a silke howue
Ne no pelure in his cloke · for pledyng atte barre
Mede of mys-doeres · maketh many lordes
And ouer lordes lawes · reuleth þe rewmes
¶ Ac kynde loue shal come ȝit · and conscience togideres
And make of lawe a laborere · suche loue shal arise
And such peesT amonge þe peple · and a parfit trewthe
Þat iewes shal wene in here witte · and waxen wonder glade
Þat Moises or Messie · be come in-to þis erthe
And haue wonder in here hertis · þat men beth so trewe
¶ Alle þat bereth baslarde [·] brode swerde or launce
Axe [o]ther hachet · or eny wepne ellis
Shal be demed to þe deth · but if he do it smythye
In-to sikul or to sithe · to schare or to kulter
Conflabunt gladios suos in vomeres &c
Eche man to pleye with a plow · pykoys or spade
Spynne or sprede donge · or spilleT hym-self with sleuthe
¶ Prestes and parsones · with placebo to hunte
And dyngen vpon dauid · eche aT day til eue
Huntynge or haukynge · if any of hem vse
His boste of his benefys · worth bynome hym after
Shal neither kynge ne knyȝte [·] constable ne Meire
Ouer-lede þe comune · ne to þe courte sompne
Ne put hem in panel · to don hem pliȝte here treuthe
But after þe dede þat is don · one dome shal rewarde
Mercy or no mercy · as treuthe wil acorde
¶ Kynges courte and comune courte · consistorie and chapitele
Al shal be but one courte · and one baroun be iustice
ThanneT worth trewe tonge a tidy man · þat tened me neuere
Batailles shal non be · ne no man bere wepne
And what smyth þat ony smyt[hie]T · be smyte þer-with to dethe
Non leuabit gens contra gentem gladium &c ·
¶ And er þis fortune falle [·] fynde men shal þe worste
By syx sonnes and a schippe · and half a shef of arwes
And þe myddel of a mone · shal make þe iewes torneT
And saracenes for þat siȝteT · shulle synge gloria in excelsis &c
For Makomet & Mede · myshappe shal þat tyme
For melius est bonum nomen quam diuicie multe
¶ Also wroth as þe wynde · wex Mede in a while
I can no latyn quod she · clerkis wote þe sothe
Se what salamon seith [·] in sapience bokes
That hijT þat ȝiueth ȝiftes · þe victorie wynneth
Honorem adquiret qui dat munera &c
¶ I leue wel lady quod conscience · þat þi latyne be trewe
Ac þow art like a lady · þat redde a lessoun ones
Was omnia probate · and þat plesed here herte
For þat lyne was no lenger [·] atte leues ende
Had [she]T loked þat other half · and þe lef torned
Quod bonum est tenete · treuthe þat texte made
T ¶ And so ferde ȝe madame · ȝe couthe namore fynde
Tho ȝe loked on sapience · sittynge in ȝoure studie
Þis tixte þat ȝe han tolde · were gode for lordes
Ac ȝow failled a cunnyng clerke · þat couthe þe lef haue torned
And if ȝe seche sapience eft · fynde shal ȝe þat folweth
A ful teneful tixte · to hem þat taketh Mede
And þat is animam autem aufert accipientium · &c ·
And þat is þe taille of þe tixte · of þat þat ȝeT schewed
Þat þeiȝe we wynne worschip · and wiþ medeT haue victorie
Þe soule þat þe soude taketh · bi so moche is bounde