To take mede þe mayde  & make hir at ese

I schal assaye hir my-self  & soþelich appose

What man of þis molde  þat hir were leuest

And if sche worche bi my witt  & my wille folewe

I wole forgyue hir þis gylt  so me god helpe

¶ Curteyslich þe Clerk þanne  as þe kyng hyȝte

Toke Mede bi þe myddil  & brouȝte hir inT chaumbre

And þere was myrþe & mynystralcie  Mede to plese

Þei þat wonyen in westmynstre  worschipeden hir alle

Ientilich wiþ ioye  þe iustises comenT

Buskede hem to þe boure  þere þe bryde dwellide

To counforte hir kyndeli  bi clergise leue

And seyde morne þou not Mede  ne make þou no sorwe

For we wissenT þe kyng  & þi weye schapenT

To be weddid at þi wille  & where þee leue likiþ

For al concience cast  or craft as I trowe

Mildelich þanne MedeT  mercyede hem alle 

Of her greet goodnesse  & gaf hem ichon 

Coupis of clene gold  & cuppes of syluer

Ryngys wiþ rubies  & richesses many

Þe leest man of hir meyne  a motoun of gold

Þanne lauȝtenT þei leue  þeise lordis at Mede

Wiþ þat comen clerkis  to counforte hir þe same

And beden hir be bliþe  for we been þine owne

For to wirche þi wille  þe while þou myȝte laste

Heendelich sche þanne  bihyȝte hem þe same

To loue hem lelli  & lordis to make

TIn þe consistorie at court  do calle ȝoure nameT

Schal no lewidnesse lette  þe lede þat I loue

Þat he ne worþ first auaunced  for I am biknowen

Þere kunnynge clerkis  schul clokke bihynde

Þanne come þere a confessour  coped as a frere

To Mede þe mayde  he medeledeT þeise wordis

And seyde ful softelich  in schrift as it were

Þouȝ lewid men & lered menT  hadden leyn bi þee boþe

And falsnesse hadde I-foulidT þee  al þis fifti wynter 

I schal assoyle þe my-self  for a seem of wheete

And also be þi bede-man  & bere wel þi message

Amongys knyȝtis & clerkis  concience to turne

¶ Þanne Mede for hir mysdedis  to þat man knelede

And schroue hir of hir schrewidnesse  schameles I trowe

Tolde hym a tale  & toke hym a noble

For to be hir bedeman  & hir brocour als

Þanne he assoylede hir soone  & siþen he seyde

We han a wyndow in wirchyng  wil sitten vs ful hye

Woldist þou glase þat gable  & graue þer-inne þi name

Siker schulde þi soule be  heuene to haue

Wiste I þat quod þat womman  I wolde not spare

For to be ȝoure freend frere  & fayle ȝow neuere

Whyle ȝe louen lordis  þat leccherie haunten

And lakken not ladyes  þat louen wel þe same

It is a frelete of flesch  ȝe fynden it in bokis

And a cours of kynde  wher-of we comen alle

Who-so may scape þe sclaundre  þe scaþe is soone amendid

It is synne of þe seuene  isT sonnest releced

Haue mercy quod Mede  of men þat it haunten

And I schal keuere ȝoure kirke  & ȝoure cloystre do makeT

Wowes do whyten  & wyndowes glasyen

Do peynten & purtreye  & paye for þe makyng

Þat euery segge schal seye  I am sister of ȝoure hous

¶ Ac god to alle goode folk  sich grauyng defendiþ

To writen in wyndowes  of her wel-dedis

On auenture pride be peyntid þere  & pompeC of þe world

For crist knowiþ þi concience  & þi kynde wille

And þi cost & þi coueytise  & who þe catel ouȝte

¶ For-þi I lere ȝow lordis  leueþ siche werkis

To writen in wyndowis  of ȝoure wel-dedis

Or to greden after goddis men  whanne ȝe delen doles

On auenture ȝe han ȝoure hyre heer  & ȝoure heuene als

Late not þi lift half  late noT raþe 

Wite what þou worchest  wiþ þi riȝt syde

AndT þus bit þe gospel  goode men do her almesse

¶ Meires & maystresT  þat menes been bitwene 

Þe kyng & þe comunesT  to kepe welT þe lawes

To punyschen on pyleries  & pynynge stoolis

Breusters & bakesters  bochers & cokis

For þeise arn men on þis molde  þat moost harm worchen

To þe pore peple  þat parcelmele biggen

For þei punyschenT þe peple  priueylich & ofte

Þei richen þoruȝ regraterie  & rentis hem biggen

Wiþ þat þe pore peple  schulde putte in her wombe

For toke þei on truli  þei tymbreden notT so hye

Ne bouȝte noon burgages  be ȝe ful certeyn

¶ Ac Mede þe mayde  þe Meir haþ bisouȝt

Of alle siche sellers  syluer to take

Or presentes wiþ-oute pens  as peces of syluer

Ryngys or oþer richesse  þe regrateris to mayntene

¶ For my loue quod þat lady  loue hem ichone

And suffre hem to selle  sumdel aȝeyn resoun

¶ Salomon þe sage  a sermoun he made

For to amende Meyris  & men þat kepen lawes

And tolde hem þis teme  þat I telle þenke

Þat isT . fijr schal falle & brenne  al to bloo askes

Þe housis & þe homes  of hem þat desyren 

Ȝiftis or ȝeresyues  bi cause of her offices

¶ Þe kyng fro counceyl cam  & callede after Mede

And ofsente hir als swyþe  wiþ sergeauntis manye

Þat brouȝten hir to boure  wiþ blis & wiþ ioye

Curteyselich þe kyng þanne  comsede to telle

To Mede þe mayde  melleþ þeise wordis

Vnwittili womman  wrouȝt hast þow ofte

Ac wers wrouȝtist þou neuere  þan þoo þou fals tokeC

But I forgyue þee þisT gylt  & graunte þee my grace

Hennys to þ{i}yLG deþ-day  do so no more

I haue a knyȝt concience  cam late fro biȝonde

If he wilneþ þee to wijf  wilt þow hym haue

Ȝhe lord quod þat lady  lord forbede ellis

But I be holly at ȝoure heest  latte hange me soone

An / An[d]T þanne was concience called  to come & apere

Bifore þe kyng & his counceil  as clerkis & oþere .

Knelynge concience  to þe kyng lowtede

To wite what his wille were  & what he do schulde

¶ Wilt þou wedde þis womman  quod þe kyng . If I wole assente

For sche is fayn of þi felawschip  for to be þi make

Quod Concience to þe kyng  crist it me forbede

Er I wedde sich a / wijf  woo me be-tyde

For sche is frele of hir feiþ  fikel of hir speche

And makiþ men mysdo  many score tymes

Trust of hir tresore  treyeþ ful many

Wyues & wydewes  wantownesse sche techeþ

And lereþ hem leccherie  þat louen hir ȝiftis

Ȝoure fadirT felde  þoruȝ fals biheest

And haþ a-poysowned popes  & peyrid holy chirche

Bitwene heuene & HelleC  in erþe þouȝ men souȝtenT

For sche is fikilT of hir tayl  tale-wijs of hir tunge

As comune as a cartewey  to ich a knaue þat walkiþ

To monkys . to mynystralis  to meseles in heggis

Sisouris & sumpnouris  siche men hir preysen

Schirreues of schires  weren schent . if sche nere

For sche dooþ men lese her lond  & her lijf boþe

Sche leteþ passe prisouneris  & payeþ for hem ofte

And gyueþ þe gayleris gold  & grotes to-gyderis

To vnfetere þe fals  flee where hym likiþ

And takiþ þe trewe bi þe top  & tieþ hym faste

And hangeþ hym for hatered  þat harm dide neuere

To be cursid in consistorie  sche countiþ not a rische

For sche copiþ þe comyssarie  & coteþ hise clerkis

Sche is assoylid as soone  as hir-self likiþ

And may nyȝ as myche do  in a moneþ ones

As oureT secret seel  in sixe score dayes

For sche is pryue wiþ þe pope  prouysouris it knowen

For sire symonye & hir-self  seleþ her bullis

Sche blessiþ þeise bischoppis  þouȝ þei been lewide

Prouendreþ persounes  & preestes maynteneþ

To haue lemmans & lotebies  alle her lijf-dayes

And bryngen forþ barnes  aȝeyn forboden lawes

Þere sche is wel wiþ þe kyng  woo is þe rewme

For sche is fauerable to þe fals  & fouliþ truþe ofte

Bi iesus wiþ hir Iuelis  ȝoure iustises sche scheendiþ

And lyeþ aȝeyn þe lawe  & lettiþ hym þe gate

Þat feiþ may not haue his forþ  hir floreynes goon so þikke

Sche lediþ þe lawe as hir liste  & loue-dayes makiþ

And dooþ men lese þoruȝ hir loue  þat lawe myȝte wynne

Þe mase for a mene man  þouȝ he moote heerT euere

Lawe is so lordlich  & loþ to make anT ende

Wiþ-outen presentis or pens  sche plesiþ wel fewe

Barounes & burgeyses  sche bryngeþ in-toT sorwe

And al þe comunesT in-toT care  þat coueyten lyue in truþe

For clergye & coueytise  sche coupliþ to-gyderes

Þis is þe lijf of þat lady  now lord ȝyue hir sorwe

And alle þat mayntenen hir men  meschaunce hem be-tide

For pore men mowen haue no power  to pleyne hem þouȝ þei smertenT .

Sich a maystre is Mede  amongys men of goode

¶ Þanne mornede Mede  & menede hir to þe kyng

To haue space to speke  spede if sche myȝte

¶ Þe kyng grauntede hir grace  wiþ a good wille

Excuse þee . if þou canst  I can no more seggen

For concience accuseþ þee  to congeye þee for euere

¶ Nay lord quod þat lady  leueþ hym þe werse

Whanne ȝe witen wittirli  where þe wrong liggeþ

Þere þat mescheef is greet  Mede may helpe

And þou knowist concience  I cam not to chyde

Ne depraue þi persoone  wiþ a proude herte

Wel þou wost wernard  but if þou wilt gabbe

Þou hast hanged on myn half  elleuene tymes

And also gryped my gold  gyue it where þee likide

And why þou wraþþist þee now  wondir me þinkiþ

Ȝit I may as I myȝte  menske þee wiþ ȝiftis

And mayntene þi manhod  more þan þou knowist

Ac þou hast famed me foule  bifore þe kyng heer

For killede I neuere no kyng  ne counceylede þer-after

Ne dide as þou demest  I do it on þe kyng

In normaundye was he not  noyed for my sake

Ac þou þi-self soþeli  schamedest hym ofte

Crope in-to a caban  for cold of þi naylis

Wendist þat wynter  wolde haue duridT euere

And dreddist to be deed  for a dym cloude

And hyedest þeeT homward  for hungre of þi wombe

Wiþ-oute pite pilour  pore men þou robbedist

And bare her bras at þi bak  to caleys to selle

Þere I lafte wiþ my lord  his lijf for to saue

I made hise men myry  & mornyng lettede

AndT I baterede hem on þe bak  & boldede her hertis

And dide hem hoppe for hope  to haue me at wille

Hadde I be marschal ofT men  bi marie of heuene

I durste haue leyd my lijf  & no lesse wed

He schulde haue be lord of þat lond  a lengþe & abrede

And also kyng of þat kiþþe  his kyn for to helpe

Þe leest brolle of his blood  a barouns pere

Cowardlich þou concience  counceyledist hym þanneT

To leue his lordschip  for a litil syluer

Þat is þe richest rewme  þat reyn ouer-houeþ

For ȝiftes han ȝonge men  to renne & to ride

Þe pope & alle prelatis  presentis vnderfongen

And meden men hem-seluen  to mayntene her lawis

Seruantis for her seruyse  we seen wel þe soþe

Taken mede of her maysterT  as þei mowen acorde

Beggers for her biddyng  bidden men medeT

Mynystralis for her myrþe  mede þei asken

Þe kyng haþ mede of his meneT  to make pees in londe

Men þat techen children  crauen of hem mede

Preestis þat prechen þe peple  to goode asken mede

And masse-pens & her mete  at þe male-tymesT

Alle kyns crafti men  crauen mede for her prentises

Marchauntis & mede  mote nede go to-gyderes

No wyȝt as I wene  wiþ-out mede may libbe

¶ Quod þe kyng to concience  bi crist as me þinkeþ

Mede is wel worþi  þe maystrie to haue

¶ Nay quod concience to þe kyng  & knelede to þe erþe

Þer arn two manere of medis  my lord wiþ ȝoure leue

Þat oon . god of his grace  grauntiþ in his blisse

To þoo þat wel wirchen  whyle þei been heer

Þe propheet precheþ þerof  & puttiþT it in þe sauter

Lord who schal wonye in þi wones  & wiþ þin holi seyntis

Or resten in þine holy hillis  þis askeþ Dauid

And dauid assoyliþ it hym-self  as þe sauter telliþ

Þoo þat entren of o colour  & of oon wille

And han wrouȝt werkis  wiþ riȝt & wiþ resoun

And he þat ne vseþ not  þe lijf of vsure

And enformeþ pore men  & pursueþ truþe

And alle þat helpen þe innocent  & halt wiþ þe riȝtful

Wiþ-oute mede dooþ hem good  &T truþe helpiþ

Sich manere men my lord  schul haue þe first mede

Of god at greetT nede  whanne þei goon hennys

Þer is an-oþer mede mesureles  þat maystris desyren

To mayntene mysdoers  mede þei taken

And þerof seiþ þe sauter  in a salmes eend

And he þat gripeþ {þat}her gold  so me god helpe

Schal abie it bittirli  or þe book lyeþ

¶ Preestis & persouns  þat plesyng desiren

Þat taken mede & money  for messis þat þei syngen

Taken her mede heer  as Matheu vs telliþT

¶ Þat laboreris & low folk  taken of her maystris

It is no manere mede  but a mesurable hyre

In marchaundise is no mede  I may it wel auowe

It is a permutacioun aperteli  a penyworþ for an-oþer

Ac reddist þou neuere Regum  þou recreyed mede

Why þe veniaunce fel on saul  & on hise children

God sente to saul  bi samuel þe prophete

Þat agag {&}of amalek  & al his peple after

Schulden dye for a dede  þat doon haddenT her eldris

For-þi seyde samuel to saul  god hym-self hotiþ C

Þee toT be buxum at his biddyng  &T his willeT fulfille

Wende to amalek wiþ þin oost  & what þou fyndist þere . slee it

Bernes & beestis  brenne hem to dede

Wydewis & wyues  wommen & children

Mebles & vnmebles  & al þat þou myȝte fynde

Brenne it . bere it not awey  be it neuere so riche

For Mede nor for money  loke þou distroye it

Spille it & spare it not  þou schalt spede þe better

¶ And for he coueytide her catel  & þe kyng sparede

Forbare hym & hise beestis boþe  as þe bible witnessiþ

Oþer-wise þan he was  warned . of þe profeet

God seyde to samuel  þat saul schulde dye

And al his seed for þat synne  schenfullich ende

Swich a mescheef mede made  saul þe kyng to haue

Þat god hatede hym for euere  & alle hise eires after

Þe culorum of þis caas  kepe I not to schewe

On auenture it noyede men  noon eend woldeT I make

For so is þis world went  wiþ hem þat han power

Þat who-so seiþ hem soþes  is sunnest I-blamed

I concience knowe þis  for kynde witt me tauȝte itT

Þat resoun schal regne  & rewmes gouerne

And riȝt as agag hadde  happe schul summe

Samuel schal slee hym  & saul schal be blamed

And dauid schal be diademed  & daunten hem alle

And oon cristen kyng  kepen hem alle

Schal no more Mede be mayster  as sche is nouþe

Ac loue & lownesse  & lewte to-gyderis

Þeise schul be maystris on moold  truþe to saue

And who-so trespasseþ aȝeyn truþe  or takiþ aȝeyn his wille

Lewte schal doo hym lawe  & no lijf ellis

Schal no seriaunt for her seruyse  were a silken howue

Ne no pelure in his cloke  for pledyng at þe barre

Mede of mysdoeris  makiþ many lordis

And ouer{londis}lordisT lawes  ruliþ þe rewmys

¶ Ac kynde loue schal come ȝet  & concience to-gyderes

And make of lawe a laborer  swich loue schal arise

And swich a pees amonge þe peple  & a parfiȝt truþe

Þat Iues schul wene in her witt  & waxe wondir glad

Þat Moyses or Messye  be comen in-to þis erþe

And haue wondir in her hertis  þat men been so trewe

Alle þat beren basalard  brode swerd or launce

Ax oþer hachet or any wepene ellisC

Schal be demed to þe deþ  but if he do it smyþeT

In-to sikil or to syþe  to schar or to culter

Ich man to pleye wiþ a plow  pikeys or spade

Spynne or sprede dung  or spille hymself wiþ sleuþe

Preestis & persounes  wiþ placebo to hunte

And dynge vp-on dauid  ich a day til euen

Huntynge or haukyng  if any of hem vse

His boost of his benefice  worþ bynome hym after

Schal neiþer kyng ne knyȝt  cunstable ne meyr

Ouer-lede þe comune  ne to þe court sompne

Ne putte hem in panel  to do hem plyȝte her truþe

But after þe dede þat is doon  oo doom schal rewarde

Mercy or no mercy  as truþe wole acorde

Kyngys court & comune court  consistorie & chapitle

Al schal be but o court  & o baroun be iustise

Þanne worþ trewe tunge a tidy man  þat tenede me neuere

Bataylis schul noon be  ne no man bere wepen

And what smyþ þat any smyþeþ  be smyten þer-wiþ to deþe

And er þis fortune falle  fynde men schul þe werst

Bi sixe sunnes & a schippe  & half a scheef of arwes

And þe mydele of a mone  schal make þe Iues to turne

And sarasenys for þat syȝt  schul synge . Gloria in excelsis

For . Machometh & Mede  myshappe schul þat tyme

For . melius est bonum nomen  quam diuicie multe

¶ Also wroþ as þe wiynd  wex Mede in a whyle

I can no latyn quod sche  clerkis wotenT þe soþe

See what salomon seiþ  in sapience bokis

Þat he þatT ȝyueþ ȝiftes  þe victorie wynneþ

And myche worschip hadde þerwiþ  as holi writ telliþ

¶ I leue wel lady quod concience  þat þi latyn be trewe

Ac þou art like a lady  þat redde a lessoun ones

Was Omnia probate  & þat plesede hir herte

For þat lyne . wasT lenger  at þe leues eend

Hadde sche lokid þat oþer half  & þe leef turned

Sche schulde haue founden fele wordis  folwynge þer-after

Quod bonum est tenete  truþe þat text made

And so ferde ȝe madame  ȝe coude no more fynde

Þoo ȝe lokede on sapience  sittynge in ȝoure studie

Þis text þat ȝe han told  were good for lordis

Ac ȝow faylede a cunnynge clerk  þat couþe þe leef haue turnydT

And if ȝe seke sapience eft  fynde schul ȝe þat folewiþ

A ful teneful text  to hem þat taken Mede

And þat is Animam autem aufert accipientium & cetera

And þat is þe tayl of þe text  of þat þat ȝe schewedenT

Þat þouȝ we wynne worschip  & wiþ Mede haue victorie

Þe soule þat þe soude takiþ  bi so myche is boundenT.