Passus quartus de visione vt supra
CEsseth seith þe kyng{e} . I suffre {ȝ}yow no lenger{e}
{Ȝ}Ye shal sauȝtene for sothe . and serue me bothe
Kisse hire quod þe kyng{e} . Conscience I hote .
Nay bi Crist{e} quod Conscience . congeie me for euere
But resoun rede me þerto rather wol I deie .
And I comaunde þe quod þe kyng{e} . to conscience þanne
Rape þe to ride . and resoun þow fecche .
Comaunde hym þat he come . my conseill{e} to here
For he shal reule my rewme . and rede me þe beste
And acounte with þe conscience . so me crist helpe
How þou lern{....}est þe p{.}eple . þe lered and þe lewede
I am fayn{e} of þat forward . saide þe freke þanne .
And rit riȝt{e} to resoun . and rowneth in his ere
And saide as þe kyng{e} — bad{de} — . and sithen to{..}ok his leue
I shal arraie me to ride . quod resoun reste þe a while
And called Catoun his knaue . curteis of speche
And also tomme trewe tonge telle me no tales
Ne lesynge to lawȝe of for I loued hem neuere /
SetteT my sadel vpon suffre . tyl I se my tyme
And lete warrok it wel with witty wordes gerthes
And hange on hym þe heuy bridul . to holde his hed lowe
For he wol make wehe . twye er he be þere .
Thanne Conscience vpon his . caple . kaireth forth faste
And resoun with hym rit{te} rownynge to-g{.}idres
Whiche maistries Mede . makeþ on þis erthe .
Oon waryn wisdom and witt{.}y his fere
In þe chekker{e} and chauncerie to be descharged{e} of þinges .
And riden faste for resoun shulde rede hem þe beste
For to saue hem for siluer from shame and from harmes
And Conscience knew{e} hem wel þei louede coueitise
And bad resoun ride faste . and recche of here neyþer{e}
Þere arn{e} wiles in h{...}ire wordes and with Mede þei dwelleth
Þere as wratthe and wrangelynge is þere wynne þei syluer .
Ac þere is loue and lewte þei wol not come þere .
Contricio & infelicitas in vijs eorum & cetera
Þei ne g{.}yuen nouȝt{e} of god on gose wynge .
Non est timor dei ante oculos eorum
For wot god þei wolde do more for a dosein of Chikenes
Or as many Capouns or for a seem of Otes
Þan{ne} — for loue of oure lord{e} or alle his leue seint{..}es
For-þi resoun l{..e}at hem ride þo Riche by hem-selue{ne}
For Conscience knoweth hem nouȝt{e} . ne Crist as I trowe
As Conscience hym kenn{..}ed . til þei come to þe kyng{e}
Curteisly þe kyng{e} þanne . com{e} aȝein resoun
And bitwene hym-self and his sone . sette {..} — hym on benche
And wordeden wel wysely . a gret while tog{.}idres
And þanne com{e} pees in-to parlement . and put forth a bille
How wro{...e}ong aȝeins his will had his wif taken
Boþe my gees and my grys / his gadlinges {.}feccheth
I dar nouȝt{e} for feere of hym . fiȝte ne Chide
He {.......}borwede of me bayard . he brouȝte h{.}ym hom{e} neue{..}re
{..}Ne no {........}ferthyng þerefore for nouȝt{e} I coude plede
Forstalleth my feires . and fiȝteth in my chepinge
And breketh vp my{n} berne dore . and bereth awey my whete
And {ȝ}yet he beteth me þerto and l{ii}yth by my mayde .
Þe kyng{e} knew{e} he saide soth{e} . for conscience hym tolde .
Wrong{e} was a-fer{..}ed þanne . and wisdome he souȝte
Theiȝ{e} pees and his power{e} playnede hym euere
For þat wrong{e} had y-wrouȝt{e} . so wikked{e} a dede
And warned wrong{e} þo . with suche a w{..}ys tale .
Whoso worcheþ by my wille . wratthe makeþ ofte
But {ȝ}if Mede it make þi meschief is vppe
For bothe þi lif and þi lond lith in his grace .
Þanne wowede wrong{e} . wisdom{e} ful {ȝ}yerne
Wisdom and wit{te} þanne wenten to-g{.}idres
And tooken m{..y}ede myd hem mercy to wynne .
Pees put forth his hed{e} and his panne blody
With-outen gilt{e} god it wot . gat I þis skaþe
Conscience and þe comune . knowen þe sothe
Ac wysdom and wittyT . weren abouten faste
To ouercome þe kyng{e} . with catel {ȝ}if þei miȝte
Þe kyng{e} swo{..}or by crist . and by his crowne boþe
Þat wronge for his werkes . shulde wo þolie
And comaunded a Conestable to caste hym in yrens
And lete hym nouȝt þis seuen {ȝ}yere seen his fe{..}et ones .
God wot quod wysdom þat were nouȝt þe beste
And he {...?...}amendes mowe make . lat meymprise hym haue .
And be borwe for his bale . and biggen hym bote
And so amende þat is mysdo . and euer-more þe bett{..}re
Bett{..}re is þat b{...}ote . bale a-doun bringe
Þan bale be y-bet{.e}e . and bote neuer þe bett{..}re
And profred pees a present . al of pure golde .
Haue þis man of me quod she to amende þi skaþe .
For I wol wage for wrong{e} he wol do so namore
Pitousely pees þanne . praide to þe kynge
For heT waged me wel . as wisdome hym tauȝte
And I for{....}giue him þat gilt{e} . with a gode wille
So þat þe kyng{e} assente I can seie no bett{..}re
Nay quod þe kyng{e} þo . so me crist helpe
Wrong{e} wendeth not so away . arst wil I wite more
For loupe he so liȝtly . lawghen he wolde
And eft{e} þe balder be . to beten myn hynen
But resoun haue reuthe on him . he shal reste in my stokkus .
And þat as longe as he liueþ . but lowenesse hym borwe
And for to con{c}seille þe kynge . and co{n}nscience aft{.}er
Þat Mede moste be mainpernour . resoun þei bisouȝte
Rede me nouȝt{e} quod resoun . no reuthe to haue
Til lord{.}es and ladies . louen alle truthe .
And haten al harlotrie . to heren {it}T or to mouthe it
Til pernels purfil . be put in here hucche .
And Children cherisshinge be chastinge with {ȝ}yerd{.}es .
And harlotes holinesse . be holden for an hyne .
Til clerken coueitise be to clothe poreT and fede .
And religious rom{.}eres . Recordare in hire cloistres .
As seint Bernard hem bad . Benet{e}T and Fraunceis
And til prechours prechinge be preued{e} on hem-seluen
Til þe kynges con{c}seill{e} . be þe comune profit .
Til bisshopes baiardes . be beggers chambres
Hire haukes and hire houndes . help{e} to pore Religious
And til seint Iames be souȝt{e} . þere I shal assigne
Þat no man go to Galis . but {ȝ}if he go for euere
And alle Rome renneres for robbers of biȝende
Bere no siluer{e} ouer{e} see þat signe of kyng{e} sheweþ
Neithur graue ne vngraue gold neith{.}er siluer{.}
Vpon forfeture of þat fee whoso fynt him at Douere
But it be marchaunt or his man or messager{e} with lettres
Prouisour or preest or penaunt for his synn{..}es
And {ȝ}yet quod Resoun by þe Rode I shal no reuthe haue
Whil Mede haþ þe maistrie . in þis mote halle
Ac I may shewe emsamples as I se other{e}-while
I saie it by my-self quod he and it so were
That I were kyng{e} with crowne to kepen a reume .
Shulde neuere wrong{e} in þis world{e} . þat I {.}wyte miȝte
Ben vnpunisshede in my power{e} . for peril of my soule
Ne gete my grace for gift{.}es . so me god saue .
Ne for no mede haue mercy but mekenesse it make .
For nullum malum þe man . mette with inpunitum
And bad nullum bonum . be irremuneratum .
Lat {ȝ}youre confessour sire kyng{e} . construe þis vnglos{.}ed
And {ȝ}if {ȝ}ye werken it in werk{e} . I wedde myn eres .
Þat lawe shal ben a laborer . and lede a-field{e} donge
And loue shal lede þi lond{e} as þe lief likeþ .
Clerkes þat were confessours . coupled hem to-gedres .
Alle to construe þis clause . for þe kynges Profit
Ac nouȝt{e} for confort{e} of þe comune ne for þe kynges soule
For I seiȝ{e} Mede in þe moothalle . on men of lawe wynken
And þay lawghynge lope to hire . and lafte resoun manye
Waryn wisdom{e} . wynkede vpon mede .
And saide ma-dame I am {.}youre man . what so my mouth{e} iangeleth
¶ Alle riȝtful recorded . þat resoun truthe tolde
And þe mooste p{.}eple in þe halle . and manye of þe grete
And leten mekenesse a maister . and Mede a mansud shrewe
Loue le{..}et of hire liȝte . and lewte {ȝ}yet lasse
And saide it so heiȝe . þat all{e} þe halle it herde
Whoso wilneþ hire to wif for welthe of hire god{.}es
But he be knowe for a cokewold{e} kutte of my nose .
Mede mournede þo and made heuy chere .
For þe mooste comune of þe court{e} callud hire an hore
Ac a sisoure and a sompno{r}ur suwed hire faste
And a shireues clerk{e} bishrewed al þe route .
And {ȝ}yet {ȝ}yeue {ȝ}ye me neuere þe worth of a russhe
The kyng{e} called conscience . and aft{.}erwardes resoun
And recorded þat resoun had riȝtfulliche shewed{.}e .
And modiliche vpon mede with miȝt{e} þe kyng{e} loked
And saide þorwgh {ȝ}youre lawe as I leue . I lese many chetes
Mede ouermaistreth lawe . and mochul truþe letteþ
Ac resoun shal rekene with {ȝ}yow {ȝ}if I regne any while .
And deme {ȝ}yow by þis day . as {ȝ}ye han deserued{e}
Mede shal nouȝt mainprise {ȝ}yow . by þe marie of heuene
I wil haue lewte in lawe . and lette al {ȝ}yowre iangelinge
And as mo{s..}ost folk wittnesseth wel . wrong{e} shal be demed
Quod conscence to þe kyng{e} . but þe comune wil assente
It is ful hard{e} by myn hede herto to bringe it .
Alle {ȝ}youre lige leodes . to lede þus euene
By hym þat rauȝte on þe Rode quod resoun to þe kynge
But {ȝ}if I rule þus {ȝ}yowre rewme rende out my gutt{.}es
{....}If ye bidden buxomn{....}sse / buxomn{....}[e]sse ben of myn assent
Be my conseill {.}ycomen of clerk{.}es and of erles .
Ac redily resoun þow shalt nouȝt ride from me
For as longe as I l{.}yue . lete þe I nille
# Rex mandauit Conscientiam adquirere Racionem
#C
# wyt & warin wisdom
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nota
# quod lex laborabit & lede a-Feld dong
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