And saide mercy ma-dame . for marie loue of heuene .
Þat bar þat blisseful barn . þat bouȝte vs on þe rode
Kenne me by som{me} crafte to knowen þe fals .
Loke vppon {.....}thy lefte half . and lo where he stondeth
Boþe fauel and falsT . and here feres manye
I loked on my lifte half{.} as þe lady me tauȝte .
And was war of a {..}womman . worth{.}ily y-clothed{e}
Purfiled with pelure . þe finest vpon erthe .
Y-crouned with a croune þe kyng{e} haþ non bett{..}re
Fetislich hire fyngres weren fretted with g{.}old wyr{e}
And þere-on rede rubies as red as any glede
And diamauntz of derreste pris and double manere sa{......}phires
Orientales and ewages . venymes to destr{.}uye
H{...}ir robe was ful riche . of red skarlet{e} engreyned
With ribanes of rede gol{de}d . and of riche ston{..}es
Hire arra{..}y me rauysshede . such{e} richesse saw I neuere
I {...?...}hadde wonder what she was . and whas w{.}yf she were .
That is mede þe mayden quod she haþ noied{e} me ful ofte
And ylakked my lemman þat leaute is hoten .
And bilowen hire to lord{..}es . þat lawes han to kepe .
In þe popes Palais . she is priue as my-selue
But sothnesse wolde nouȝt so for she is a basta{..e}rd
And Mede is manered aftur hym . riȝt{e} as kynde askeþ
Qualis pater talis filius . bonus arbor bonum fructum facit .
I auȝte to ben heiȝer þan she . I cam of a bett{..}re
My fad{..}er þe grete god is . & ground{e} of alle graces .
O god wyth-outen gynnynge . and I his goode douȝtur
And what man be merciful . and lelly me lou{..}ye
Shal be my lord and I his leef in þe heiȝe heuene .
And what man takeþ mede my lif dar I laye
Þat he shal lese for hire loue a lappe of caritatis
How construeth kyng{e} dauydT . of men þat take mede
And men of þis moolde . þat mainteigneth truthe .
And how {ȝ}ye shal saue {ȝ}youre-selue . þe sauter bereth w{..}ytnesse .
Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo . & cetera .
To o{..}on fals fik{..}el tonge . a fend{......}es biyete .
Fauel þourȝ{e} his faire speche haþ þis folk enchaunt{..}ed
And al is lieres ledynge þat she is þus y-weddud .
To-morwe worth{e} y-made þe mayd{o}en{.}es brydale
And þere miȝt{e} þow wyte {ȝ}if þou wolt . {.}whiche þei ben alle .
Þat longeth to þat lordshipe þe lasse and þe more .
And lakke hem nouȝt . but lat hem worthe . til leawte be iustice .
And haue power to punissh hem . þanne put forþ{e} þi resoun
Now I bikenne þe Crist quod she and his clene mod{.}er
And late no conscience acombre þe for couetise of mede .
Thus lefte me þat lady . liggynge a-slepe .
And how mede was y-maried{e} . in meteles me þouȝte .
Þat alle þe riche retenaunce þat regneth with þe fals
Weren boden to þe bridale . on boþe two sid{.}es
Of alle manere of men . þe mene and þe riche
To marie þis ma{...}yden . was many man assembled{e}
As of kniȝtes and clerkes . and oþur comune p{.}eple
As sisours and sompnours . shereues and hire clerkes
Bedelles and Bailliues . and Brokours of chaffaresT .
Forg{.....}oeris and vitaillers . and vocates of þe arche{.}s
I can not rekkenen þe route . þat ran aboute Mede .
Ac symonye and Cyuile . and sisours of courtes
Ac Fauel was þe furste þat fet here out{e} of boure
And as a brok{ur}our brouȝte hire . to be with fals enioyned{e} .
Whanne symonye and Cyuyle seiȝ hire boþere wille .
Thei assented for siluer . to saie as boþe wolde
Thanne leep liere forth . and saide lo here a chartre
Þat Gile with his grete othes . gaf hem to-gedre .
And preide Cyuile to see . and Symonie to rede it
Þanne symonye and Cyuile . stoden forth bothe .
A{.....}nd vnfolden þe Feffement . þat fals ha{.}þ y-maked{e}
And þus bigynnen þes gomes . to greden ful heiȝe
Sciant presentes {.}& futuri & cetera .
Witeth and wittenesseth . þat wonieth vpon þis erþe
Þat Mede is y-maried . more for hire good{..}es
{.....}Than for any vertue or fairenesse . or for any free kynde .
Falsenesse is fain of hire . for he wot hire riche
And fauel with his fikel speche . feffeth by þis chartre
To scorne and to scoolde . and sclaundre to make
Vnbuxome : and bolde : to breke þe ten heestus .
And þerldome of enuye . and wrath to-gedres .
With þe chastlet{e} of cheste and chatering out of resoun
Þe countee of Coueityse . and alle þe coo{...}stes aboute
That is vsure and Auarice . alle I hem graunte .
In bargaines and in brocages . with all{e} þe b{....}urgh of thefte .
And all{e} þe lordshipe of lecherie . in lengthe and in brede
As in werkes and in word{.}es . and waitinges with eiȝes .
And in wed{..}es and {..}wysshinges . and with {.}idel thouȝt{.}es .
There as wille wolde . and wer{...?...}kmanship failleth
Glotonye he gaf hem eke . and grete othus to-gedre
And all{e} day to drinke . at diuerse tauernes
And þere to iangle and to iape and iuggen here euene-cristene .
And in fastinge-days to frete . ar ful tyme were .
And bred{.}en as burgh swyn . and bedden hem esily
And þanne {..}wanhope to awake hym so with no wille to amende
And þei to haue and to holde . and h{..}ir heires a{...}fter
A dwellinge with þe deuel and dampned be for euere
With alle þe purteinaunce of purgatorie . in-to þe pyne of helle .
{Ȝ}Yeldinge for þis þing{e} . at on {ȝ}yeres eende
Here soules to s{...?...}athan . to suffre with hym paines .
And with hym to wonye in wo whil god is in heuene .
In wittnesse of w{....}hich þing{e} wrong{e} was þe furste .
And Piers þe Pardoner{e} . of Paulines doctrine
Bette þe Bedelle . of Bokyngham shire .
Raynalde þe Reue . of Rotlande sokene
Munde þe Mellere and many mo othere
In þe date of þe deuel . þis dede I assele .
Bi siȝte of sire Symonye . and Ciuiles leue .
Thanne tened hym Theologie . whan he þis tale herde
And saide to Cyuyle . now sorwe moot þow haue .
Suche weddinges to worche . to wratthe with truthe
For mede is m{.....}oliree of amendes engendred
And god graunteth to {...}gyue mede to truthe
And þow hast {....}giuen hire to a gilour now god {ȝ}yeue þe sorwe
Thi tixte telleþ þe not so . truthe wot þe soþe .
For dignus est operarius . his hire to haue .
And þou hast{.} fest{e} hire to fals . fy on thi lawe .
For al by lesinges þou l{.}yuest . and leccherouse werkes .
Symonye and þi-self . shenden holichurche
Þe notaries and {ȝ}ye . noieth þe p{.}eple
Ȝe shul abiggen it boþe . by god þat me made .
That fals is faitheles . and fikul in his werkes
And was a bastard{e} ybore . of belsabubbes kynne .
And mede is moylere . a mayden of gode .
And miȝte kysse þe kyng{e} . for cosin and she wolde
For-þi worcheþ bi wisdome . and by wit{te} also
If any lawe wol loke þei liggen to-gedres .
And þouȝ Iustices iugge hire to be ioyned with fals
{Ȝ}Yet be war of weddynge . for witty is truthe .
And conscience is of his conseille . and knoweth {ȝ}yow echone
And {ȝ}if he fynde {ȝ}yow in defaute . and with þe fals holde
It shal bisitte {ȝ}youre soules . ful soure atte laste .
Til he had siluer for his seruice . and also þe Notaries .
Thanne fette fauel forth . flo{..}ryns y-nowe .
And bad gile to geue . gold{e} alaboute / al aboute .
And namelich to þe Notaries þat hem non{e} faille
Tho þis gold was g{.}yue grete was þe þonkynge
To fals and to fauel . for here faire {ȝ}yiftes
And comen to conforte . from care þe fals .
And saiden certes sire . cesse shal we neuere .
Til mede be þi wedded wif . þoruw witt{..}es of vs alle
For we haue mede amaistriede . with oure merie speche
That she graunteþ to gon . with a gode wille .
To londoun to loke . {ȝ}if þat þe lawe wolde
Iuggen {ȝ}yow ioyntly . in ioye for euere .
Thanne was fals{.}enesse fayn{e} . and fauel as blithe
And leten sompne alle segges . in shyres aboute
And badeT alle ben boun beggers and othere
To wende with hem to westmynstre to w{..}itnesse þis dede
Ac þanne carede þei for capl{..}es . to kayren hem þidur .
And fauel fette forth þanne . fol{..}es ynowe .
And sette mede vpon a shyreue . {......}shood al newe
And fals sat on a sisour . þat softely trotted
And fauel on a flaterere . fetisliche attired{e}
For Symonye {..} & Cyuyle shulde on here feet gange
Ac þanne swo{..}or Symonye . {..}and Cyuyle bothe
That sompnours shulde be sadlede . and seruen hem {.}echone .
And lat apparaille þes prouisours . in palfrays wise .
Sire Symonye hym-seluen . shal sitte vpon hire bakkes
Denes and su{d}bdenes . drawe {ȝ}yow to-g{a}ydres
Erchedekenes and Officiales . and alle {ȝ}youre Registrers .
Lat sadle hem with siluer . owre synne to suffre
As auoutrie and {...?...}deuorses . and derne vsurye
To bere bisshopes aboute . abr{...}ood in visitinge .
Shullen seruen my-selue . þat Ciuyle is nempned
And carte-sad{..}le oure Comm{.}issar{..}ie oure carte shal he lede
And fecchen vs vit{....}ailes at Fornicatores .
And makeþ of liere a longe carte . to leden alle þes oþ{.}ere
As Freres and fa{u}ytours þat on hire fete rennen
And Mede in þe mydd{..}es . and alle þes oþere aft{.}er .
Ac gile was forgo{..}ere and giede hem alle
Sothnesse seiȝ hym wel and saide but litul
And priked his palfray . and passede hem alle .
And com{e} to þe kyngges court{.} & co{n}nscience it tolde .
And co{n}nscience to þe kyng{e} . carped it after
Now bi crist quod þe kyng{e} . and I cacche myȝte
Fals o{.}r fauel . or any of his feeres
I wolde be wroken of þo wrecches . þat wercheþ so ille
And don hem hange by þe hals . and alle þat hem mainteneth .
Shal neuere man of þisT molde . mainprise the leeste
But riȝt{e} as þe lawe wol loke . lat falle on hem alle .
And comaunded a conestable . þat com{e} atte f{u}yrste
To attache þo tirauntes . for eny þin{.}g{e} I hote
And fettereth faste falsnesse . for enykynnes {ȝ}yift{..}es
And gurdeth of giles hed . and lat hym go no ferther{e}
And bringeþ mede to me . maugre hem alle .
Drede at þe dore stood{e} . and þe doom{e} herde
And how þe kyng comaunded . constables and seriauntz
Falsenesse and his felash{.}ipe . to fettren {..} & to bynden
Þanne drede wente {...?...}wiȝtliche . and warned þe fals
And bad hym flee for feere and his felawes alle .
¶ Falsenesse for fere þanneT . fledde to þe Freres
And gile doþ him to go . agast for to dye
Ac marchauntz mette with hym . and made him abide
And bishetten hym in here sho{..}p . to shewen hire ware .
And apparailled hym a{...?...}s aprentice . þe p{.}eple to serue .
Liȝtlich lier . leep a-way þanne .
He was {...?...}nawher welcome for his manye tales .
Ouer-al yhowted . and yhote trusse
Til pardoners ha{...}dde pite . and pulled hym to house
Thei wesshen hym and wipped hym and wounden hym in cloutes
And senten hym with seles on sondays to churches .
And gaf pardoun for pens poundmele a-boute
Þanne loured leches . and lettres þei sente
Þat he shulde wonye with hem . wateres to loke
Spicers spoke with hym . to spien here ware .
For he couthe of hire craft{e} . and knew many gommes
Ac mynstrals and messagers . mette with hym ones
And helden hym an half {....}yeer and elleuen daies .
Freres with fair{e} speche . fetten hym þennes
And for knowynge of comers . coped hym as a Frere
Ac he hath leue to lepe out . as ofte as him liketh
And is welcome whanne he {.....}wille and woneth with hem ofte
Alle fledden for fere . and flowen in-to hernes
Saue mede þe mayden . namo durste abide
Ac truly to telle she tremblede for drede
And ek wepte and wronge whanne she was atached{e} ~
#
¶
# maritage medis
#
#
nota
#
# Irascebatur theologia
¶
/
coret
b j
# quo modo Rex Iurauit punicionem maleffactorum
¶
#
#
#primam apparicionem mede
ijus passus
# thassemble at medis mariage
Medis Fefment
{+ burgh}
Wel ȝe wyten wernardus
examinatur
Ius
ijus passus
Notate verba
# drede stetit ad hostium & audiuit mandatum Regis
# pardoun For pens & powndmele & cetera
coret