Passus quartus de visione vt supra
CEsseþ seiþ þe kyng . I suffre yow no lenger
Ye shul sauȝtne for-soþe . and serue me boþe
Kis hire quod þe kyng . Conscience I hote
But Reson rede me þer-to . raþer wol I deye
¶ And I comaunde þee quod þe kyng . to Conscience þanne
Rape þee to ryde . and Reson þow fecche
Comaunde hym þat he come . my counseil to here
For he shal rule my Reaume . and rede me þe beste
And acounte wiþ þee Conscience . so me crist helpe
How þow lernest þe peple . þe lered and þe lewed
¶ I am fayn of þat foreward . seide þe freke þanne
And ryt riȝt to Reson . and rouneþ in his ere
And seide as þe kyng bad . and siþen took his leue
¶ I shal arraye me to ryde quod Reson . reste þee awhile / a while
And called Caton his knaue . curteis of speche
And also Tomme trewe tonge . tel me no tales
Ne lesynge to lauȝen of . for I loued hem neuere
And set my Sadel vp-on suffre . til I se my tyme
And lat warroke hym wel . wiþ witty wordes gerþes
And hange on hym þe heuy brydel . to holde his heed lowe
For he wol make wehee . twies er he be þere
¶ Thanne Conscience vp-on his capul . carieþ forþ faste
And Reson wiþ hym ryt . rownynge togideres
Whiche Maistries Mede . makeþ on þis erþe
¶ Oon waryn wisdom . and witty his feere
Folwed hym faste . for þei hadde to doone
In thescheker and in þe Chauncerye . to ben descharged of þynges
And riden faste for Reson sholde . rede hem þe beste
For to saue hem for siluer . from shame and from harmes
And Conscience knew hem wel . þei loued coueitise
And bad Reson ryde faste . and recche of hir neiþer
Ther are wiles in hire wordes . and with Mede þei dwelleþ
Ther-as wraþe and wranglynge is . þer wynne þei siluer N
Ac where is loue and leautee . þei wol noȝt come þere N
Contricio & infelicitas in viis eorum &c
¶ Thei ne yeueþ noȝt of god . one goose wynge
Non est timor dei ante oculos eorum &c
¶ For woot god þei wolde do moore . for a dozeyne chiknes N
Or as manye capons . or for a Seem of Otes
Than for þe loue of oure lord . or alle hise leeue Seintes
For-þi Reson lat hem ride . þo riche by hem-selue
For Conscience knoweþ hem noȝt . ne crist as I trowe
And þanne Reson rood faste . þe riȝte heiȝe gate
As Conscience hym kenned . til þei come to þe kynge
¶ Curteisly þe kyng þanne . com ayeins Reson
And bitwene hym-self and his sone . sette hym on benche
And wordeden wel wisely . a gret while togideres
¶ And þanne com pees in-to parlement . and putte forþ a bille
How wrong ayeins his wille . hadde his wif taken
And how he rauysshede Rose . Reignaldes looue
And Margrete of hir maydenhede . maugree hire chekes
Boþe my gees and my grys . hise gadelynges feccheþ
I dar noȝt for fere of hem . fiȝte ne chide
He borwed of me bayard . he brouȝte hym hom neuere
Ne no ferþyng þer-fore . for ouȝt I koude plede
He maynteneþ hise men . to murþere myne hewen
Forstalleþ my feires . and fiȝteþ in my Chepyng
And brekeþ vp my bernes dore . and bereþ awey my whete
And takeþ me but a taille . for ten quarters of Otes
And yet he beteþ me þer-to . and lyþ by my mayde
I am noȝt hardy for hym . vnneþe to loke
¶ The kyng knew he seide sooþ . for Conscience hym tolde
That wrong was a wikked luft . and wroȝte muche sorwe
¶ Wrong was afered þanne . and wisdom he souȝte
To maken pees with hise pens . and profred hym manye
And seideP hadde I loue of my lord þe kyng . litel wolde I recche
Theiȝ pees and his power . pleyned hym euere
¶ Tho wente Wisdom . and sire waryn þe witty
For þat wrong hadde ywroȝt . so wikked a dede
And warnede wrong þo . with swich a wis tale
Who-so wercheþ by wille . wraþe makeþ ofte N
I seye it by my-self . þow shalt it wel fynde
But if Mede it make . þi meschief is vppe
For boþe þi lif and þi lond . lyþ in his grace
¶ Wisdom and wit þanne . wenten togidres
And token Mede myd hem . mercy to wynne
¶ Pees putte forþ his heed . and his panne blody
Wiþ-outen gilt god it woot . gat I þis scaþe
Conscience and þe commune . knowen þe soþe
¶ Ac wisdom and wit . were aboute faste
To ouercomen þe kyng . wiþ catel if þei myȝte
¶ The kyng swor by crist . and by his crowne boþe
That wrong for hise werkes . sholde wo þolie
And comaundede a Constable . to casten hym in Irens
And lete hym noȝt þise seuen yer . seen his feet ones
¶ God woot quod wisdom . þat were noȝt þe beste
And he amendes mowe make . lat maynprise hym haue
And be borȝ for his bale . and buggen hym boote
¶ Wit acorded þer-wiþ . and seide þe same
Bettre is þat boote . bale adoun brynge
Than bale be ybet . and boote neuer þe bettre
¶ And þanne gan Mede to mengen hire . and mercy she bisouȝte
And profrede Pees a present . al of pure golde
Haue þis man of me quod she . to amenden þi scaþe
For I wol wage for wrong . he wol do so namoore
¶ Pitously Pees þanne . preyde to þe kynge
To haue mercy on þat man . þat mysdide hym so ofte
For he haþ waged me wel . as wisdom hym tauȝte
And I forgyue hym þat gilt . wiþ a good wille
So þat þe kyng assente . I kan seye no bettre
For Mede haþ me amendes maad . I may namoore axe N
¶ Nay quod þe kyng þo . so me crist helpe
Wrong wendeþ noȝt so awey . erst wole I wite moore N
For lope he so liȝtly . lauȝen he wolde
And eft þe boldere be . to bete myne hewen
But Reson haue ruþe on hym . he shal reste in my stokkes
And þat as longe as he lyueþ . but lowenesse hym borwe
¶ Som men radde Reson þo . to haue ruþe on þat shrewe
And for to counseille þe kyng . and Conscience after
That Mede moste be maynpernour . Reson þei bisouȝte
¶ Reed me noȝt quod Reson . no ruþe to haue N
Til lordes and ladies . louen alle truþe
And haten alle harlotrie . to heren or to mouþen it
¶ Til pernelles purfille . be put in hire hucche
And childrene cherissynge . be chastynge wiþ yerdes
And harlottes holynesse . be holden for an hyne
¶ Til clerkene coueitise be . to cloþe þe pouere and fede
And Religiouse Romeris . Recordare in hir cloistres
As Seynt Beneyt hem bad . Bernard and Fraunceis
And til prechours prechynge . be preued on hem-selue
¶ Til þe kynges counseil . be þe commune profit
Til Bisshopes Bayardes . ben beggeris Chaumbres
Hire haukes and hire houndes . help to pouere Religious
That no man go to Galis . but if he go for euere
And alle Rome renneres . for Robberes biyonde
Bere no siluer ouer see . þat signe of kyng sheweþ
Neiþer graue ne vngraue . gold neiþer siluer
Vp-on forfeture of þat fee . who-so fynt it at Douere
But if it be Marchaunt or his man . or Messager wiþ lettres
Prouysour or preest . or penaunt for hise synnes
¶ And yet quod Reson by þe Rode . I shal no ruþe haue
While Mede haþ þe maistrie . in þis moot halle
Ac I may shewe ensamples . as I se ouþer-while
I seye it by my-self quod he . and it so were
That I were kyng with coroune . to kepen a Reaume
Sholde neuere wrong in þis world . þat I wite myȝte
Ben vnpunysshed in my power . for peril of my soule
Ne gete my grace for giftes . so me god saue
Ne for no Mede haue mercy . but mekenesse it make
¶ Lat youre Confessour sire kyng . construe þis vnglosed
And if ye werchen it in werk . I wedde myne erisC
That lawe shal ben a laborer . and lede afeld donge
And loue shal lede þi lond . as þe leef likeþ
¶ Clerkes þat were Confessours . coupled hem togideres
Al to construe þis clause . and for þe kynges profit
Ac noȝt for confort of þe commune . ne for þe kynges soule
For I seiȝ Mede in þe moot halle . on men of lawe wynke
And þei lauȝynge lope to hire . and lefte Reson manye
Waryn wisdom . wynked vp-on Mede
And seide madame I am youre man . what so my mouþ Iangle
I falle in floryns quod þat freke . and faile speche ofteC
¶ Alle riȝtfulle recordede . þat Reson truþe tolde
And wit acorded þer-wiþ . and comendede hise wordes
And þe mooste peple in þe halle . and manye of þe grete
And leten Mekenesse a maister . and Mede a mansed sherewe
¶ Loue leet of hire liȝt . and leaute yet lasse
And seiden it so heiȝe . þat al þe halle it herde
Who-so wilneþ hire to wif . for welþe of hire goodes N
But he be knowe for a Cokewold . kut of my nose N
¶ Mede mornede þo . and made heuy chere
For þe mooste commune of þat court . called hire an hore
Ac a Sisour and a Somonour . sued hire faste
And a Sherreues clerk . bisherewed al þe route
For ofte haue I quod he . holpen yow at þe barre
And yet yeue ye me neuere . þe worþ of a risshe
¶ The kyng callede Conscience . and afterward Reson
And recordede þat Reson . hadde riȝtfully shewed
And modiliche vp-on Mede . wiþ myȝt þe kyng loked
And gan wexe wroþ with lawe . for Mede almoost hadde shent it
And seide þoruȝ lawe as I leue . I lese manye eschetes
Mede ouer-maistreþ lawe . and muche truþe letteþ N
Ac Reson shal rekene wiþ yow . if I regne any while
And deme yow bi þis day . as ye han deserued
Mede shal noȝt maynprise yow . by þe marie of heuene
I wole haue leaute in lawe . and lete be al youre ianglyng
And as moost folk witnesseþ wel . wrong shal be demed
¶ Quod Conscience to þe kyng . but þe commune wole assente
It is ful hard by myn heed . her-too . to brynge it
Alle youre lige leodes . to lede þus euene
¶ By hym þat rauȝte on þe Rode . quod Reson to þe kynge
But if I rule þus youre Reaume . rende out my guttes
If ye bidden buxomnesse . be of myn assent
¶ And I assente seiþ þe kyng . by Seinte Marie my lady
By my counseil commune . of clerkes and of Erles
Ac redily Reson . þow shalt noȝt ride fro me
For as longe as I lyue . lete þee I nelle
¶ I am al redy quod Reson . to reste wiþ yow euere
So Conscience be of oure counseil . I kepe no bettre
¶ And I graunte quod þe kyng . goddes forbode ellisT
Als longe as oure lyf lasteþ . lyue we togideres