Passus quartus de visione ·
CEce seyde the kyng{e} y suffre ȝowe no lenger
ȝe schulle sauȝtle forsothe · and serue me bothe
kysse here quod the kyng{e} conscyence y hote
Nay by cryste quod conscyence · ere congeye me for euere
but resoun rede me therto · rather wolde y deyȝe
¶ And y comaunde the quod the kyng{e} to conscyence thanne
rape the to ryde · and resoun thu fecche
comaunde hym to come · my counseyl to here
for he schal rewle my rewme · and rede me the besteT
and acounte wyth the conscyence · so me cryste helpe ·
how{e} thu lerneste the peple · the lered and the lewed ·
¶ Y am fayn of þat forowarde · seyde the freke thanneT
and called Catoun his knaue · curteys of speche
and also Tomme trewe tunge · telle me no tale
no lesynge to laugh of · for y loued hem neuere
and sette my sadull vpon Suffre · tyl y se my tyme
and late warrokke hym well · wyth wytty woordes gerte
and hange on hym an heuy brydel · to holde his heed lowe
¶ Thanne conscyence vpon his capull · caryeth foorth faste
and resoun wyth hym rygth · rownynge togydres
whiche maystryes mede · maketh on this erthe
¶ On waryn wysdom · and wytty his fere
folowed hym faste · for they hadde to done
yn the Eschequer and yn chauncerye · to be descharged of thynges ·
and ryde faste for resoun schulde · rede hem the beste
forto saue hem for seluer · fro schame and fram harmes
¶ And conscience knew{e} hem well · they loueden couetyse
and badde resoun ryde faste · and recche of here neythur
there-as wraþþe and wranglynge is · there wynne þey seluer ·
ac where is loue and leaute · they woll nougth come there
Contricio & infelicitas in vijs eorum · & cetera
¶ They ne ȝyuen nougth of god · oo gose wenge
Non est timor dei ante oculos eorum · & cetera
¶ For god woote they woll do more · for a dozeyn chyknes
or as many capouns · or for a seme of otes ·
than for the loue of oure lord{e} or alle his leue seyntys
for-{...}thi resoun late hem ryde · tho ryche by hem-selue
for conscyence knoweth hem nougth · ne cryst{e} as y trowe
and thanne resoun rode faste · the rygth hie gate
and conscyence hym kennyde · tyl they come to the kyng{e}
¶ Curteysly the kynge thenne · cam{.} aȝenste resoun
and bytwene hym-selue · and his sone · sette hem on benche
and woordedyn fulwysly / ful wysly · a grete while togydres
¶ And thanne cam{e} pes into parlement{e} and putte foorth a bylle
how{e} wrong{e} aȝenst{e} his wylle · hadde hijs wyf{e} taken
and how{e} he rauasched rose · reynaldes loue
and Margarete of here maydenhode · mawgre here chekes
bothe my gees and my gry{.e}s · his gadlynges feccheth ·
y dare nougth for drede of hem · fygth ne chyde
he borowed of me baȝard{e} and brougth hym neuere aȝen
ne no ferþynge therfore · for ougth y couthe plede
he manteneth his men · to morthre myn hewen
forstalleth my markettes · and fyȝteth in my chepynge
and breketh vp my bernys doore · and bereth a-wey my whete
and taketh me but a tayle for ten quarters otys ·
ȝett{e} he beteth me therto · and lyggeth by my mayde
y am nougth so hardy · for hym · vnnethe forto loke
¶ The kynge knewe he seyde soth · for conscyence hym tolde
that wrong{e} was a wykked lyfte · and wrougth moche sorowe
wrong{e} was affered thanne · and wysdome he sougthe
to make pes wyth his pans · and profred hym manye
and seyde hadde y loue of my lorde · the kynge · lytyl wolde y recche
thouh{e} Pes and his power · pleynede hem {.}euere
¶ Tho wente wysdome · and sere wareyne the wytty ·
for that wrong{e} hadde wrougth · so wykked a dede
and warnyd wrong{e} wyth suche a wys tale
who-so werketh by wylle · wratthe maketh ofte
y seye it by my-selfe · thu schalt{e} yt wel fynde
but ȝif mede it make · thy myscheefe ys vppe
for bothe thy lyf{e} and thy londe lyeth in his grace
¶ Thanne wowed wrong{e} wysdome ful ȝerne
to make his pes wyth his pans · handydandy payed
¶ wysdome and wytte thanne · wenten to-gydres
and tooken meede wyth hem · mercy to wynne
¶ Pes putte foorth his hed{e} · and his panne blody
wyth-outen gult{e} · god ytte wot{e} gat{e} y this scathe
conscyence and the comune · knewen the sothe
ac wysdome and wyt{te} · weren abowte faste
to ouercome the kyng{e} · wyth catel ȝif they mygthe
¶ The kyng{e} swoor{e} by cryst{e} · and by his crowne bothe
that wrong{e} for his werkes · schulde wo tholye
and comawnndede a cunstable · to caste hym in yrens
and late hym nougth this seuene · ȝere · sene his feet ones
¶ God wote quod wysdome · that were nougth the beste
and he amendes mowe make · leteth {...?...}hym meynpris haue
and be borow{e} for his bale · and beggen hym boote
and so amende that is mysdo · and euermore the bettre
¶ wytt{e} accorded therwyth · and seyde the same ·
bettre is that bote · bale adowne brynge ·
thanne bale be ybet{.e}e · and bote neuere the bettre
¶ And thanne gan mede to mengyn here · and mercy besougthe
and profred pes a presente · all of pure golde
haue this · man of me quod sche · to amende {...}thi scathe
for y woll wagen for wrong{e}P · he woll do so nomore
¶ Pytously pes thanne · prayede to the kynge
to haue mercy · on that man · that mysdede hym so ofte
for he hath waged me well · as wysdome hym taugthe
and y furȝiue hym that gult{e} wyth a good wylle
so that the kyng{e} assente · y can seye no bettre
for mede me hath amendes maad · y may namore aske ·
¶ Nay quod the kyng{e} · so me cryste {me} helpe
wrong{e} wendeth nougth soaway / so away · furst{e} y woll wyte more
for lepte he solygthly / so lygthly · laughen he wolde
and eft{e} baldere be · to bete myn hewen ·
but resoun haue rewthe on hym · he schall reste in my stokkes ·
and that also longe as he lyueth · but lownesse hym borowe ·
¶ Summe radde resoun tho to haue rewthe on that schrewe ·
and forto conseyle the kyng{e} and conscyence after ·
that mede muste be maynpernour · resoun they besougthe ·
¶ Rede me nougth quod resoun · no rewþe to haue
tyl lordes and ladyes · louen alle trewthe ·
and hatyn alle harlotrye · to here or to mowthe yt ·
tyl pernell purfyl · be putte in here hucche
and chyldren cheryschynge · be chastysed by ȝerdes ·
and harlotes holynes · be holdyn for an hyne
tyl clerkyn couetyse · be · to cloþe poore and fede
and relygyous romers · recordare · in her cloystres ·
a{.}s seynte benet hem bad{..}. bernarde and Fraunces
and tyl prechours prechynge · be preuyd on hem-selue
tyl the kynges counseyl · by the comune profyte
tyl Buschopes bayardes · ben beggers chambres ·
here haukes and here houndes · helpe to poore relygyous
and tyl seynte Iames be sougth · there y schall assygne
that noman go to Galyce · but ȝif he go for euere
and alle rome-renners · for robbers byȝonde
bere no seluer ouer the see · that sygne of kynge scheweþ
neyther graue nor vngraue · golde neyþer syluer ·
vpon forfeture of that fee · who-so fynte yt atte douer ·
but ytte be Marchaunt{e} or his man · or messager{e} wyþ lettris
prouysour or preste · or penaunte for his synnes ·
while mede haþ the maystrye · in this mote-halle
ac y may schewe ensamples · as y see otherwhyle
y seye yt by my-selfe quod he · and yt so were
that y were kyng{e} wyth corowne to kepe þe rewme
schulde neuere wrong{e} in this world{e} that y mygth wyte
ben vnpunsched in my power · for peryl of my soule
ne gete my grace for ȝiftes · so god me saue
ne for no mede haue mercy · but mekenesse yt made
for nullum malum the man · mette wyth inpugnitum / inp[u]nitum ·
and bad{de} nullum bonum be irremuneratum
¶ Late ȝoure confessour syre kyng{e} · construe this vnglosed
and ȝif ȝe wurchyn this werke · y wedde myn eres
that lawe schall ben a laborer · and lede afelde dungge
and loue schall lede þy lond{e} · as the leef lyketh
¶ Clerkes that weren confessours · coupled hem to-gydres
alle to construe þis clause · and for þe kynges profyte
ac nougth for profyte · of þe comune · ne for the kynges soule
for y say mede yn þe Mothalle · on men of lawe wynke
and þey lawynge loopen to here · and lefte resoun manye
¶ wareyne wysdome · wynked vppon mede ·
and seyde Madame y am ȝoure man · what-so my mowth{e} iangle
y fa{lle yn}yle floreyns quod that freke · and fayle speche ofte
¶ All rygthfull recordede · that resoun trewþe tolde
and wytt{e} accordede þerwyth · and comended his woordes
and þe moste peple in þe halle · and many of þe grete
and leten mekenesse amayster / a mayster · and mede mansed schrewe
¶ Loue leet of here lygth · and leaute well lasse
and seyde it so hye · that all the halle yt herde
who-so wylneþ here to wyue · for welþe of here goodes
but he be knowe for a cokewold{e} · kutte of myn nose
¶ Mede mornyd tho · and made heuy chere
for þe moste comune of þat court{e} called here an hore
and a sysoure and a sumnoure · seweden here faste
and a scherreues clerk{e} bysch{.....}rewyd was all þe route
and ȝet ȝoue ȝe me neuere · þe worþ of a rusche
¶ The kynge called conscyence · and aftyrward resoun ·
and recordede that resoun · hadde ryghtfully schewed
and modyly vpon mede · wyth mygth the kynge loked ·
and gan wexe wroth wyþ lawe · for mede hadde yt schent{e}
and seyde thorow{e} ȝoure lawe · y lese many enchetes
Mede ouermaystreth lawe · and moche trewþe letteth ·
ac reson schall rykene wyth ȝow{e} · yf eny while y reygne
and deme ȝow{e} by this day · as ȝe haue deseruyd ·
mede schall nougth maynprise ȝow{e} by the marye of heuene
y woll haue leaute in lawe · and leue all ȝoure ianglynge
and as moste {moste} folke wytnesseþ well · wronge schal be demyd
¶ Quod conscyence to the kyng{e} · but the comune woll assente
yt is full harde by myn hede · here to brynge yt
Alle ȝoure lyche ledes · to lede thus euene ·
by hym that reste on the rode · quod resoun to the kynge
but y rewle thus ȝowre rewme · lete rende out {...}my guttes
ȝif ȝe bydden buxumnesse · be of myn assente
¶ And y assente quod the kyng{e} by seynt Marye my lady
by my comen conseyl · of clerkes and of erles
ac redyly resoun thu schalt{e} nougth ryde fram me
for also longe as y leue · lete the y nylle ·
y am all redy quod resoun · to reste wyth ȝow{e} euere
so conscyence be of oure conseyl · y kepe no bettreT ·
also longe as oure lyfe lasteth · lyue we to-gydres ·
#