Incipit Passus .xvus.
& dyght me deerly / & dide me to kyrke.
To heeren holyly / þe messe / & to be huslyd after.
& myddis of þe messe / men wentyn to offre.
& y fel on sleepe / & sodeynly y drempte.
Þat pers þe plowhman / cam peyntyd a / a[l] reede.
& browhte with hym a cros / by-fore þe comoun peple.
A-non y clepide conscyence / to kenne me þe soþ.
Wheyþir he were Iesu þe Iustiere / þat þe Iewis dyden to deþe.
Er ys he peers plowhman / þat is peyntyd so reede.
He ys crist with his cros / he haþ conqwere / conqwere[d] alle cristene sowlis.
& patriarkis & prophetis / þey profecyden by-fore.
Þat alle kenne creatures / sholde knelyn & bowen.
A-non as men nempned / þe name / of þat Ientyl Iesu.
Ergo þere is no name / to þe name of Iesus.
Ne non name so needful / to nempne / by nyghtis ne be dayes.
For alle þe derke deuelis / are a-dred to heeren y-nempned.
& synful soulis ben solaced / & savid be þat name.
¶ Why calle ȝee hym þanne crist / what cause ȝee me telle.
¶ For crist is moore of myght / & of more worthiere name.
Þan Iesu er Iesus / þat al oure Ioyȝe of spryngeþ.
¶ Knowest þou weel quod conscience / & þou kone good resoun.
Þat a knyght . & a kyng . & conquerour / may ben al on persone.
¶ To ben clepd a knyght is fayr / for men shulle knele til hym.
¶ To ben callid a kyng is fairere / for a kyng mai knyghtis make.
¶ For to ben conquerour calid / þat comeþ of goddis special grace.
& of hardynesse of herte / & also of hendenesse.
To maken lordis & ladijs / in londys þat þey wynne.
& free men / fowle þralle / þat folwe not hise lawes.
¶ For þe Iewis þat weren Ientyl-men / Iesu þey dyspisede.
Boþe his loore / & his lawe / & now be þey lowe cherlis.
As wyȝd as þis world ys / whonen þere noone.
But vndir tribut / & tallyage / as tykes & cherlys.
& þo þat by-come cristene / by conseyl of bapteme.
Arn Frankeleynes & free men / þorghȝ fullyng þat þei take.
& Ientil-men with Iesu / for Iesu was y-fullid.
Vpon Caluerye / on þe cros / & korouned kyng of Iewis.
It be-comeþ wel to a kyng / to kepen his lond & to defende it.
& conquerour of his conquest /. hyse lordis to ȝeve hem large.
Þe lawe of lyf / þat lasten shal euere more.
& fendid fram hem fowle evelis / boþe fyueres . & eek fluxis.
& feendis þat in hem was / & eek fals by-leve.
Þo was he Iesu of Iewis callyd / & þe Ientil prophete.
& þo conquerid he on þe cros / a conquerour noble.
Myghte no deeþ hym for-do / ne noþyng doun brynge.
Þat he a-roos & regnede / & ravischede helle.
& þo was he conquerour cald / of qwike & of dede.
For he ȝaf Adam & Eve / & oþere moo blysse.
Þat longe hadde leyn by-fore / as lucyferis chirlys.
Who was hardiere þan he / þat his herte blood he shedde.
To maken alle folk free / þat folwen hise lawes.
¶ & sytthen he ȝeveþ largely / alle hise leele lygis.
Places in paradis / at here departynge hennes.
He may wel be cald a conquerour / & þat is crist to meene.
¶ But þe cause þat he comeþ þus / with his cros of his passioun.
Is to wissen vs þere-with / whan we been y-temptyd.
Þer-with / to fyghte & defende vs / fro fallyng in-to synne.
& to seen be his sorwe / þat who-so loveþ Ioyȝe.
To penaunce & to pouerte / he muste pyttyn hym-selue.
& mychel woo / in þis world / wylnen & suffren.
¶ But to carpe more of crist / & how he cam to þat name.
Þoo he was boore in bedleem / as . bookys boldly tellyn.
& cam to take mankynde / boþe kyngys & angelis.
Reuerensed hym ryght fayre / with rycchesse of erthe.
Angelis out of heuene / come knelynge & sungen.
Gloria in excelcis deo.
¶ Kyngis kemen after / & kneled to hym & offreden.
Er of ony kenne Catele / þey knowlechid hym . here souereyn.
Boþe of sunne . of sond . & see / & sythis hoom þey wentyn.
In-to here kyngene kyþ / be kennynge of an angel.
& þerwith was þe woord / ful-fyld / þe wiche first þou speke
Omnia celestia / terrestria flectantur in hoc nomine Iesu.
¶ For alle þe angelis of hevene / at his berthe þey kneliden.
& al þe witt in þis world / was þoo in þre þynges.T
Resoun . & Ryghtwisnesse / & rewþe / þey offreden.
¶ Where-fore / & why wyse men þat tyme.
Boþe Maistris & men y-leernede / Magy hem nameden.
¶ Þe ton kyng cam with resoun / y-kouered vndir ensense.
Þe toþir kyng sytthe / sooþly he offrede.
Þe þrydde kyng þo cam / & knelid to Iesu lowe.
& presented hym with pite / a-peerynge be Mirre.
For Mirre is mercy to meene / & myȝlde speche of tunge.
Erthely onest þyng / was offred þus . at oonesa toones
Þorghȝ þre kenne kyngys / knelyng to Iesu
For þese precious presentis / oure lord prince Iesus.
Was neyþir kyng ne conquerour / tyl he gan to wexe.
In þe manere of a man / & þat þorghȝ myche sleyghte.
As it be-comeþ a conquerour / to knowe manye sleyghtes.
& manye wyȝlis / & witt / þat wille ben a leedere.
& so dide Iesu in hise dayes / who hadde tyme to telle.
Sum-tyȝme he suffrede / & sum-tyme he hedde hym-selve.
& sum-tyme he fawht faste / & he fleyȝ oyþer whyle.
& sum-tyȝme he gaf good / & graunted heele boþe.
& also lyȝf & leme / as he luste he wroghte.
As keende is of a conquerour / so cumsede Iesu
Tyl he hadde alle hem / þat he fore bledde.
In his Iuvente þis Iesus / at Iewene feeste he turnede.
Water in-to wyȝn / as holy wryt telleþ.
& þere by-gan god / of his grace Dowel.
For wyȝn y lykne to þe lawe / or lyf of holinesse.
& lawe lakked þo / for men lovede not here enemyȝs.
But crist conseyleþ þus vs / & comaundeþ vs boþe.
To lerede & to lewede / for to love oure enemyȝs.
So at þe feest first / as y be-fore tolde.
By-gan god of his grace / & of his goodnesse to Dowel
& þo was he clepid & cald / not oonly crist but Iesu.
A fantekyn ful of wit / filius Marie.
& byfore hys moodir Marie / made he þat wondir.
Þat she first & formest / scholde ferme þe beleve.
Þat he þorghȝ grace was begete / & of no goome ellis.
He wroghte þat / be no wit / but þorghȝ woord oone.
After þe kende þat he com of / þere comsed he Dowel.
He made lame to leepe / & he ȝaf lyȝht to blynde.
& he fedde with tweyn fyschis / & with fyve loves.
Folk soore an-hungrid / moore þan fyve þowsande
¶ Þus he confortyd þe careful / & kawhte a gret name.
Þe wyche was dobet / where þat he wente.
For deve þorghȝ his doynge / & dumbe speke & herde.
& alle he helede & halp / þat hym of grace askede.
& þo was he callid in cowrt / of þe comoun peple.
For þe dedys þat he dede / Iesu fyly dauyd.
For dauid was þe dowhtyeste / of dedis in his tyme.
& named hym of nazarethȝ / & no man so worthy.
To ben kayser or kyng / of þe kyngdom of Iuda.
Ne ouer Iewis Iustise / as Iesus was hem thowte.
For to doon hym to deþe / day & nyght þey kastyn.
& kulled hym on þe cros / on Caluerye on a fryday.
& after beried þey his body / & beden þat men sholde.
Kepen it . fram nyght-comeris / with knyghtys y-armed.
For no freend sholde it fecche / for prophetis beforen tolde.
Þat cristis blessid body / of berielis shulde vp ryse.
& goon in-to Galile / & gladien hise apostlys.
& his modir Marie / þus men by-forehond demede.
¶ Þan þe knyghtis þat keptyn it / be-knewen hem-selue.
Þat angelis & Archangelis / er þe day gan springe.
Cristus resurgens a mortuis / & a-noon he roos after.
Verry man by-fore hem alle / & forþ be-fore hem wente.
& tellyn þe comoun / þat þere keme / a cumpany of hise postlis.
& by-wichyd hem þat þere wooke / & awey stole þe body.
But sone Marie Magdeleyn / mette hym in þe weye.
Goynge towarde Galyle / boþe in godhede & in manhede.
In euery cumpanye þere he cam / Cristus resurgens.
¶ Peter parceyvede al þis / & pursewede after
& eek Iemes & Iohan / Iesu for to seken.
& Thadeus & ten mo / with Thomas of ynde.
¶ & as alle þese wise weyȝes / weren to-gydres.
In an hows al by-schet / & here dore y-barred.
Cryst cam In & al closed / boþe dores & ȝatis.
He took Thomas by þe hond / & tawhte hym to grope.
& felen with hise fyngris / his fleschly herte.
¶ Þan Thomas towchid it / & with his tunge he seyde.
Þou dyedist & þoledyst deeþ / & deme þou shalt vs alle.
& now þou lyvist & lokist / & laste þou shalt euere.
¶ Cryst carpede þanne / & curteysly he seyde.
Thomas for þou trowist þis / & trewly it belevist.
Blessid mote þou be / & be shalt for euere.
& blessid mote þey been / in body & in sowle.
Þat neuere shulle see me in syght / as þou doost nowþe.
& leelly be-leven al þis / y love hem & blesse hem
Beati qui non viderunt & crediderunt.
& ȝaf Peers power / & pardoun to graunte.
To alle manere of men / mercy & for-ȝevenesse.
& power to a-soyle hem / of alle manere of synnes.
In connaunt þat þey come / & knowleche to payȝe
To peers plowhman pardoner ./ Redde quod debes.
To byȝnden . & vnbynde / boþe heere & ellys.
& a-soyle men of here synnys / save of dette oone.
¶ Þanne a-non after in hyȝ / vp in-to hevene.
He wente & wooneþ þere / & wil come at þe laste.
& peyȝeth parfyȝtly / as pure trewthe wolde.
& þe goode to þe godhede gon / in-to þe greete Ioyȝe.
& þe wikkede to wonye / in woo / with-outyn ende.
¶ Þus þe consciense of crist / & of þe cros he carpede.
& conseylide me to knele þerto / & þan cam me þowhte.
Oon Spiritus paraclitus / to peers & hise felawes.
Quod consciense & knelede / þis is cristis messager.
& comeþ fram þe grete god / grace is hys name.
Knele now quod consciense / & if þou canst synge.
¶ & by-gan grace / to go with peers plowhman.
& conseiled hym & conscience / þe comeune to sumne.
For y wille to-day / doon dyviden grace.
To alle kenne creatures / þat kan hise fyve wittis.
A tresor to leve by / to here lyves ende.
& a wepne to fyghte with / þat wille neuere fayle.
For Antecrist & hyse / al þe world shal greve.
& a-cumbre þe Conscience / but if crist þe helpe.
For false prophetis / & fele flatererys & gloserys.
Shulle comen & ben curatoures / ouer kyngis & knyghtis.
& þan shal pryȝde ben pope / & prince of holy chirche.
Coueytise & vnkendenesse / shul ben / cardinalis hym to lede.
For-þy quod grace er y goo / y wille gyve ȝow tresor.
& a wepne to fyghte with / whan antecrist ȝow asayleþ
& gaf ech man grace / to gyȝe with hym-selue.
Þat ydelnesse a-cumbre hym nowht / ne envyȝe ne priȝde.
Diuisiones graciarum sunt.
¶ Summe he ȝaf wit / & woordes to schewe.
& wit to wynne here lyfloode / as þe lond askeþ.
As prechoures & preestis / & prentyȝs of þe lawe.
Þey leelly to lyven / be labour of here tunge.
& by here witt to wissen oþere / as grace wolde hem teche.
& summe he kennede craft / & konynge of syghte.
With sellynge & beggynge / here lyfloode to wynne.
& lyve by þat labour / a leel lyf & trewe.
& summe he tawhte to tylie / to diche & to þresche.
To wynne with here lyfloode / by loore of his techyng
& summe to dyuyne & dyvyde / numbris to knowe.
& summe to cumpasse craftyly / & coloures to make.
& summe to see / & to seyȝe / what sholde be-falle.
Boþe of wele & of woo / to telle it er it felle.
As Astrononyens / Astrono[m]yens of astronomye / & philosoferis wyȝsdom.
& fecchen it fram false men / with folvyles lawe
& summe he leernede to lyve / in longynge to ben hennys.
As in pouerte & in pacience / to preyȝe for alle cristene.
& for-bad hem / Debate / þat noon were a-mong hem.
Þey summe ben clennere þan summe / ȝee see wel quod grace.
Þat he þat vseþ fayr craft / to þe foulest y cowde a pyt hym.
If grace wolde haue grantyd hym / but þynk þou wel þerafter.
If he leede weel his lyf / his Ioyȝe shal encresen.
And al þat he swynkeþ harde heere / to blysse it shal hym turne.
Þynkeþ alle now quod grace / þat grace comeþ of myn gifte.
& looke non ne lakke oþir / but loveþ alle as bretheryn.
& who þat moost mastries can / be myȝldest of berynge.
& crowneþ Conscience kyng / & makeþ craft ȝoure styward.
& after Craftes conseyle / ȝee clothe ȝow / & feede.
For y make Pers plowhman / myn procour & myn reve.
& registrer to receyve / Redde quod debes.
My procour & myn plowhman / peers shal ben on erthe.
& for to tylyeT trewly / a teeme / shal he have.
¶ Þan grace gaf peers a teem / fowre greete oxen.
& Mark / & Mathewh / þe þrydde / myghty beestis boþe.
He Ioynede to hem oon Iohan / moost Ientyl of hem alle.
& prysest of peersys plowhȝ / & passynge alle oþere.
& ȝit grace of his goodnesse / gaf peers foure stottys.
Al þat hise Oxen ereden / þey to harwe it after.
Þe firste hyȝhte Austyȝn / & Ambrose is a-noþire.
& Gregorie þe greete clerk / & Ieroom þe fowrthe.
& þese fowre þe feyþ techen / & folwen peersys teeme.
& harwen in hand-wlyle / w[h]yle / Al holy scripture.
Id est vetus testamentum & nouum testamentum.T
¶ & grace gaf Peers greynes / kardynalys vertues
& he sew it in mannys sowle / & sitthe he tolde here names.
/ / [¶] Spiritus prudencie / þe fyrste seed hette.
Þat who eetyþ of þat frut / ymagene he sholde.
Er he dyde ony dede / dyvyse he sholde þe ende.
& leerned hym a ladil to bygge / with a long steele.
For he caste to keepe a crokke / & keepe þe fatte a-bove.
¶ Þe secunde seed þat he sew / was spiritus temperancie.
He þat eetiþ of þat seed / he shal have swich a kyȝnde.
Sholde neuere meete ne myschef / maken hym to swelle.
Ne sholde no skornere / out of skylle hym brynge.
Ne wynnynge ne welthe / of no wordly rycchesse.
Ne wast woord of ydelnesse / ne wikkid speches meve.
& also sholde non koryows clooþ / comen on hys regge.
Ne non meete in his mowthȝ / þat Mayster Iohan it spyede / spy[c]ede
/ / [¶] Þe þrydde seed þat peers sew / was spiritus fortitudinis.
& who-so eet of þat seed / hardy he was euere.
To suffre al þat god sente / seeknessis & angrys.
Þer myghte no lesyngys of lyȝere / ne los of wordly catel.
Maken hym for ony murnynge / þat he was / [n]as meryȝe in sowle.
& boold / & abydynge / bysmeerys to suffre /
& he pleted euere with pacience / and parce michi domine.
& he coueryth hym vndir conseyl / of Catoun þe wyse.
Esto forti animo . cum sis dampnatus inique.
¶ Þe ferthe seed þat Peers sew / was spiritus Iusticie.
& he þat eet of þat seed / sholde be euere trewe.
& of god nowht a-gast / but of gyle oone.
For gyle gooþ so priuyly / þat good feythȝ oþirwhyle.
May not ben a-spyed / for spiritus Iusticie.
Spiritus Iusticie / spareþ nowht to spylle.
To demen ryght as a domesman / adrad is he neuere.
Neyþir of dewk ne of deeþ / if he doo þe lawe.
For present or for prayere / er for ony princes lettris.
He dede qwite / [e]qwite to alle men / euene-forþ his power.
Þese foure seedis peers sew / & sytthe he dyde hem harwe.
With þe olde lawe & þe newe lawe / þat love myghte wexe.
A-mong þese foure vertues / & vycys to distroyȝe.
& comounly groweth in cuntres / kammokys & weedis
Þey fowle þe frut in feeldis / þere þey growen to-gydres.
Ryght so dooþ vices / worthy fayre vertues.
Quod Peers harweth alle þat knowen witt / be conseyl of þis doctour.
& tylyeþ after here techynge / þese Cardynale vertues.
Peers ordeyne þe an hows / to herborwe in þyn cornes.
By goddis grace quod Peers / ȝee moote gyve me tymbir.
& ordeyne & caste þat hows / er ȝee hens wenden.
¶ & grace gaf hym þe cros / & þe crowne of þornys.
Þat crist vpon Caluerye / for mankeende kawhte.
& of his bapteme & of þe blood / þat he bledde on roode.
He made a maner morteer / mercy it hyȝghte.
& þerwith grace by-gan / to make a good fowndement.
& he peyntyde þe wallis / with þe woundis of his passioun.
& of al holy writ / he wroghte þe roof after.
& callyd þat hows vnyte / holy chirche on englyschȝ.
/ / [¶] & whan þis dede was doon / grace dyvisede.
A Carte þat hette cristendom / to carie hoom schevis.
& he made preesthod heyward / þe while hym-selue wente
As wyȝde as þe world is / with peers to tylye trewthe.
¶ Now is peers to þe plowhȝ / & priȝde it a-spyede.
& he gadreþ hym a gret ost / greven hym he þynkiþ.
/ / [¶] & Conscience & cristendom / & cardynale vertues.
Blewe hem doun & breeken hem / & beetyn doun here maneres.
& sentyn forþ surquidoures / were sergawntys of armes.
& his spyȝes spille love / & speke evyl by-hyȝnde.
¶ Þese two kemen to consciense / & to cristene peple.
& tolden hem tydyngys / þat þey wolde stroye þo seedys.
Þat peers plowhman seew / alle þe cardinal vertues.
& Peersis doore worþ y-broke / & þey þat been in vnyte.
Shul come to vs conscience / & ȝoure two caples.
Boþe Confessioun & contricioun / & þe carte of beleve.
Shal be coloured so qweyntely / & couered vndir sofistre
Þat Consciense ne contricioun / shal not ben knowe.
Ne be confessioun / who is cristene or heþene.
Ne no marchawnt / þat with monee deleþ
Wheyþir he wynneþ with ryght / or with wrong / or with vsure.
¶ With swiche coloures y-peyntid / comeþ / comeþ [pryde] y-armed.
To waaste & wel faren / & wikkednesse he meyntiþ.T
Al þe world in a while / þorghȝ oure wit . quod priȝde.
¶ Quod conscience to cristene þo / y conseyle þe to wende.
Hastely . to vnyte / & wee shulle holde vs heere.
& praye we / þat pees were / in Persys beerne plowhman / [þe] Plowhman.
For witterly y woot wel / we ben not of strengþe.
To goon a-geyn priȝde / but grace were with vs.
¶ & þan cam keende wit / conscience to teche.
& cryede & comandide / alle cristene peple.
For to delue & dyke depe / alle abowte vnyte.
Þat holy chirch stoode strong / as it a pyȝl were.
¶ Consciece / Conscie[n]ce comaundide þo / alle cristene to delue.
& maken a mychil moot / þat myghte been of strengþe.
To helpyn holy chirche / & hem þat it keepiþ.
¶ Þanne alle kenne cristene / save comoun wommen.
Repentyd & refused synne / save þey aloone.
& false men & flateris / & vsereris & þevis.
Lyeris / & qwest-mongeris / þat ben for-swore ofte.
Wytynge & wilful / & with þe false helde.
¶ Þer was no cristene creature / þat keende wit hadde.
Save shrewis oonly / & swiche y spak of to-forehond.
Þat he ne halp a qwantite / holynesse make to wexe.
Summe þorghȝ beedis byddynge / & þorghȝ pilgrimage.
Summe þorghȝ pens delyng / & summe þorghȝ priue penaunces.
& þanne walmede water / for wykkede werkys.
Ful egrily ernynge / owt of mennys eyȝes.
Clennesse of þe comoun / & clerkys cleene lyvynge.
Made Vnite in holychirche / holylyche stoonde.
¶ I care nowht quod conscience / þey keme / [pryde] keme nowthe.
& þe lord of lust shal be lettyd / al þis lentene y trowe.
Comeþ with me quod conscience / ȝee cristene & dyghneþ.
Þat han laboured lelly / al þis lentene tyȝme.
Heere is breed y-blessed / & goddis body þere-Inne.
Þan Grace þorghȝ goddis word / gaf pers his power.
& myght for to maken yt / & men to eete it after.
Er as ofte as þey hadde neede / þo þat hadde payed.
To peers plowhmann-ys pardoun / redde quod debes.
¶ Ow quod alle þe comoun / þou comandist vs to ȝeldyn.
Al þat we owen ony wyght / er þat we come to huslyng.
Þat is myn conseyl / quod conscience / & cardynale vertues.
Et dimite nobis debita nostra.
& so to been a-soyled / & setthen to been y-huslyd.
/ / [¶] Ȝee baw wawh quod a Brewere / y wille not so be rewlyd.
Ne after þe Conscience / but y can wel selle.
Boþe dreggis & draf / & drawe out an oon hole tappe.
Boþe þykke ale & þenne / þat is myn craft cleene.
& nowht hakke after holynesse / now hold consciense þyn tunge.
Of Spiritus Iusticie / þou spyllyst ydel speche.
¶ A Caytyf quod Conscience / þou art a cursyd wrecche.
Vn-blessid art þou brewere / but if god þe helpe.
& but þou lyve be þe loore / of spiritus Iusticie.
Þe cheef seed þat Peers sew / savid worþ þou neuere.
& but conscionce / consci[e]nce be þyn comoun foode / & cardynale vertues.
Leve me wel þou art loost / boþe lyf & sowle.
/ / [¶] Þan is many a man loost / quod a lewed vykery.
I am a curatoure of holy chirche / & cam neuere in my tyme.
Man þat cowde me telle / of Cardynale vertues.
Þat euere a-cowntyd conscience / oon cokkys fedre.
For we vykeres wan þey kome / for here comonys paye
& þe comewnys clamant cotidie / ech man tyl oþir.
Þat þe cuntre is þe cursedere / þere Cardynalis comen Inne.
¶ Þerfore quod þat vikery / by verry god y wolde.
Þat neuere Cardynal keeme / a-mong þe comoun peple.
But been at hoom in here holynesse / & þere holde hem stille.
At Avyoun a-mong Iewis / cum sancto sanctus eris.
Or in Rome as here rewle woole / þe relykys keepen.
& þou conscience in kyngis cowrt / & come þens sholdist þou neuere.
& grace þat þou gredist so of / sholde be gyȝere of alle clerkis.
& also peers plowman / with his newe plowh & þe olde.
Sholde be Emperoure ouer al þe world / & alle men weren cristene.
¶ For Inparfyȝt is þe pope / þat al þe peple shulde helpe.
For he sendiþ hem / þat sleeþ swiche / as he sholde save.
But weel worþ peers plowman / þat purseweþ god in dede.
Qvi pluit super iustos / & in-iustos bothe at onesatones.
& as bryght as to þe beeste man / or to þe beeste womman.
& trauayleþ & toyleþ / for a tretour as soore.
As for a trewe tyȝdy man / alle tymes in lyke.
& worchepeþ hym / þat wroghte al / boþe good & wikke.
& he suffreþ þo þat synful ben / tyl tyme þat þey repente.
¶ Grete god a-mende þe pope / þat pylyeþ so holy chirche.
& cleymeþ by-fore þe kyng / to be kepere ouer cristene.
& a-cownteþ not þei cristene / be kyllyd & robbid.
& fyndis folk to fyȝte / & cristene blood to spille.
Non occides . // Iterum . Michi vindictam & ego retribuam.T
It seemeþ by so / hym-selue / hadde his owne wille.
He ne rowhte ryght nowht / how þe remnaunt fareþ.
& turne here witt / to wisdom / & here welþe to sowle helpe.
Þe conseyl of Conscience / of Cardynale vertues.
But if þey sowne as to syghte / sumwhat to wynnyngis.
¶ Ne of Gyle ne gabbynge / gyve þey neuere tale.
For euerey man sotyleþ a sleyȝte / synne to hyȝde.
& coloureþ it for konynge / & a klene lyuynge.
¶ Þan lowrede þere a lord / & by þis lyght he tolde.
I holde it ryght & resoun / of myn reve to take.
Al þat myn Auditour haþ herd / or ellis myn styward.
& conseyleþ me / be here a-cowntes / & by myn clerkis wrytyng.
¶ & þan kam þere a kyng / & be his crowne he seyde.
I am kyng with krowne / þe comounes to rewle.
& holy kyrke & Clergye / fram þe cursede defende.
& if y lakke / to lyve by / by lawe wil y take it.
Þere y may hastlyere have it / for y am heed of lawe.
For ȝee been but membris / & y am a-bove ȝou alle.
& sytthe y am ȝoure alther heed / y am ȝoure althir hele.
& holy chirche cheef helpe / & cheuyntyn of þe comonis.
& what y take of ȝow / me to / y take it at þe techynge.
Of Spiritus Iusticie / for y Iugge ȝow alle.
& so y may boldely be hoseled / for y borwe neuere.
Ne crave of mynn comounys / but as myn kende askeþ.
In condicioun quod conscience / þat þou kunne hem defende.
& rewle þy rewme in resoun / in ryght & in trewþe.
Omnia sunt tua ad defendendum . sed non ad deprehendum.
Þe vykere hadde fer hoome / & faire he took his leve.
& y a-wakned þere-with / & y wroot as y mette.
Explicit Passus
.xvus.