¶ Nature:

¶ A goodly interlude of Nature cōpylyd by mayster Henry Medwall chapleyn to the ryght re­uerent father in god Iohan Morton somtyme Cardynall and arche byshop of Can­terbury⸫

¶ Fyrst cometh in Mundue and syttyth down sayth nothynge and wyth hym Worldly affeccyon berynge a gown and cap and a gyrdyll for Man.
¶ Than cometh in Nature / Man / Reason / and In­nocencye / and Nature syttyth down and sayth.
¶ Nature.
¶ Thalmyghty god / that made eche creature
As well in heuen / as other place erthly
By hys wyse ordynaunce / hath purueyd me nature
To be as mynyster / vnder hym immedyately
For thencheson / that I shold perpetually
Hys creatures / in suche degre mayntayne
as yt hath pleased / hys grace for theym to ordeyne
¶ To me yt longeth by naturall engendure
thing to contynew / that hath spyryte of lyfe
whyche / ne were my helpe shuld neuer endure
But sodenly peryshe / and wax all caytyfe
Atwyxt thesementys / that whylom were at stryfe
I haue swaged / the old repugnaunce
and knyt theym togeder / in maner of alyaunce
¶ The I haue ordeyned / the goddys Deane
Lady of the see / / and euery freshe fontayn
whyche comenly decreceth / whan she gynneth wane
And waxeth abundant / whan she creceth agayne
Of eb and flode / she ys cause certayne
and reyneth as prynces / in euery yle and town
That wyth the see / ys compassed enuyron
¶ I am causer / of suche impressyon
as appereth wonderouse / to mannys syght
As of flammes / that from the sterry regyon
Semeth to fall / in tymes of the nyght
Some shote sydelong / and some down ryght
whyche causeth the ignorant / to stand in drede
that sterrys do fall / yet falleth there none in dede
¶ What nedeth yt to speke / of thyngys here by low
as fowles / bestys / and fysshes in theyre hynde
Of trees / herbys / and stones how they grow
In whyche / men sondry and meny vertuous fynde
One thyng be ye sure / and thynk yt in your mynde
[Page] No maner creature / may take on hy [...]ure
Of these works / but onely I nature
¶ And playnly there ys / in erthe no maner thynge
That ys not partyner / of my influence
I do prouyde / for euery beste lyuynge
Of naturall foode / alway suffycence
And geue theym also / a maner of prudence
Wherby they may / naturallyensew
Thyng that ys delectable / and thother exchew
¶ Who taught the cok / hys watche howres to obserue
And syng of corage / wyth shyrll throte on hye
who taught the pellycan / her tender hart to carue
For she nolde suffer / her byrdys to dye
Who taught the nyghtyngall / to recorde besyly
Her strange entuny [...] / in sylence of the nyght
Certes I nature / and none other wyght
¶ But yf that I / shold clepe to memorye
Eche strange effecte / and euery great meruayll
That I haue caused / I ensure you faythfully
That rather tyme / than processe shuld me fayll
yt were your payne / and to me but trauayll
All suche maters / as now to bryng in place
Wherfore I let passe theym / tell other tyme and space
¶ But yf ye couet / now to know theffecte
Of thyngys naturall / by trew conclusyon
Counsell with Arystotell / my phylosopher electe
Whyche hath left / in bokys of hys tradycyon
Now euery thyng / by heuynly constellacyon
Is brought to effecte / and in what maner wyse
As far as mannys wytt / may naturally compryse
¶ Wherfore syth god / of hys great largesse
Hath thus enryched me / wyth dower of hys grace
And made me as who seyth / a wordly goddesse
Of duty I can / no lesse do in thys case
But wyth hartꝭ ioy / and entyere solace
My selfe addresse / to do hys hygh pleasurs
And to thys same / moue all other creaturs
¶ Enforce you therfore / hys creaturs eche on
To honour your maker / wyth humble obeysance
Nomely thow man / I speke to the alone
Byfore all other / as chyef of hys creance
Thynke how he / hath made the to thys semblance
Pluck vp thyn harte / and hold thyn hed vpryght
[Page] and euer more / haue heuen in thy syght
¶ Ouyde in hys boke / cleped the transformacyon
among all other hys fables and poesyes
Maketh specyall / mensyon of thy creacyon
Shewyng how god / wonderously gan deuyse
whan he the made / and gaue to the thempryse
Of all thys world / and feoffed the wyth all
as chyef possessyoner / of thyngys mortuall
¶ In token wherof / he gaue the vpryght vysage
and gaue the in commaundement / to lyft thyn eye
Up to warde heuen / only for that vsage
Thow shuldest know hym / for thy lorde almyghty
all other bestys / as thyngys vnworthy
To behold therth / wyth grouelyng countenaunce
and be subdued / to thyn obeysaunce
¶ But as touchyng / the cause specyally
wherfore I haue ordeyned the / thys nyght to appere
It ys to put the / in knowlege and memorye
To what entent / thow art ordeyned tobe here
I let the wyt / thou arte a passanger
That hast to do / a great and longe vyage
and through the world / most be thy passage
¶ Addresse the selfe / now towardys thys iournay
For as now thou shalt / nolenger here abyde
Lo here Reason / to gouerne the in thy way
and sensualyte / vpon thyn other syde
But reason I depute / to be thy chyef gyde
wyth innocencye / that ys thy tender noryce
Euermore to wene the / from thappetyte of vyce
Man.
¶ O lord of lordes / my lord god immortuall
To the be honour / and ioy euer to endure
whose heuenly empyreshall neuer be fynall
But world wythout end / remayne stable and sure
whom heuen and hell / and erthly creature
wyth one assent / and all wyth one accorde
Honoureth / prayseth / and knowlegeth for theyre lorde
¶ To the myne hed / I humbly inclyne
Thankyng thy grace / that fyrst hast ordeyned me
To be as a syly creature of thyne
and after that / of thy great bownte
Thou hast me set / in souerayne degre
and gyuen me the profettys / of euery erthly thynge
aswell of frutys / as of bestys lyuynge
[Page iii] and that that ys / also most precyouse
thou hast me enspyred / wyth heuenly wysdome
wherby I may / do worhys meruaylouse
In euery place / where soeuer I come
Of eche perfeccyon / thy grace hath sent me some
So that I know / that creature no where
Of whose vertue / I am not partyner
¶ I haue as hath / eche other element
among other in thys world / a comen beyng
wyth herbys and trees / contynuall noryshement
that ys suffysant / to naturall lyuyng
wyth sensuall bestys / I haue a maner of knowyng
wherby I shuld / in good thyngꝭ delyte
and flee the contrary / of myne appetyte
¶ And ouer all thys / thou hast gyuen me vertue
Surmountyng all other / in hygh perfeccyon
That ys vnderstandyng / wherby I may auew
And well dyscerne / what ys tobe done
yet for all that / haue I fre eleccyon
Do what I wyll / be yt euyll or well
And am put in the hande / of myne own counsell
¶ and in thys poynt / I am halfe angelyke
Unto thy heuenly spyrytys / almost egall
albeyt in some parte / I be to them vnlyke
For they be ordeyned / to endure perpetuall
and I wretched body / shall haue my funerall
When yt pleaseth / thy grace so to prouyde
Man ys not ordeyned / alway here to abyde
¶ Wherfore vnto thy souerayne and hygh estate
Most heuenly prynce / I make myne oryson
Syth yt hath pleased / thy noble grace algate
That I vnworthy / of so great renown
In thys world / shall haue possessyon
thou gyue me grace / my selfe to enure
as may me profyte / and be to thy pleasure
nature.
¶ God hath herd thy prayer / mākynd no dout
In all thy requestys / and ryght full petycyon
Now forth thy iournay / and loke well about
that thou be not / deceyued by fals prodycyon
Let reason the gouerne / in euery condycyon
For yf thou do not / to hys rule inclyne
yt wylle to thy great myschef and ruyne
¶ I wot well sensualyte / ys to the naturall
[Page] And graunted to the / in thy furst creacyon
But notwythstandyng / yt ought tobe ouerall
Subdued to reason / and vnder hys tuycyon
Thou hast now lybertye / and nedest no maynmyssyon
And yf thou abond the / to passyons sensuall
Farewele thy lybertye / thou shalt wax thrall
sensua lyte,
¶ What lady nature / haue I none intresse
Aswell as reason / or innocency
Thanke ye thys lady / a good processe
That they are auaunced / and I let go by
ye knowe ryght well / that I ought naturally
Byfore all other / to haue of hym the cure
I am the chyef perfeccyon of hys nature
¶ Alas what coulde / the sely body do
Or how sholde yt lyue / ne were the helpe of me
Certes yt could not well / crepe nor go
At the lest wyse yt shuld / neyther fele here nor se
But be as other / incensate bodys be
In mouche wurscase / than wormes of the grownde
In whyche vnneth / any tokyn of lyfe ys founde
¶ Mesemeth yt shuld / abhort hym for to here
That I destrayned / shuld be in any wyse
Standynge that I / was create tobe hys fere
Of all hys guydyng / to take thenterpryse
And now ye put me out of hys seruyce
And haue assygned / reason to be hys guyde
Wyth innocencye hys noryse / thus am I set a syde
¶ ye clepe hym lorde / of all bestys lyuynge
And nothyng worthy / as far as I can se
For yf there be in hym / no maner of felynge
Ne no lyuely quyknes / what lorde ys he
A lorde made of clowtꝭ / or karued out of tre
And fareth as an ymage / araued out of stone
That nothyng ellys can do / but stande alone
¶ If ye intend / hymto contynew longe
In honour / or worldly felycyte
He most nedys folow / hys apetyte amonge
And conferme hym selfe / to the more parte
I tell you men / wyll haue no deynte
to do seruyce / or homage to a block
all the world wyll / thynk yt but a mock
¶ Suffer me therfore / to haue wyth hym a rome
and to be wyth hym / as chyef counseyll
[Page iiii] and yf he do so / I thynk to dome
He shall reygn in the world / as chyef gouerner
But yf Reason / tykyll hym in the ere
Or bere hym on hand the how ys wood
He shall neuer be able / to do erthly good
natur.
¶ My frend as I / sayd to you byfore
a Rome shall ye haue / no man sayth nay
But reason must be / preferred euermore
For he can best lede hym to the way
Of vertue and grace / wherby he may
Longest contynue / to goddyshygh pleasure
To y e whych end / god hath ordeyned this hys creature
¶ Content thy selfe / now wyth Reason my frend
And medyll the no further / than thou hast to do
Thou hast brought many a man / to a wrecched end
And so thou woldyst spyll / hys creature also
But what so euer he say / take no hede therto
wythout that Reason / wyll alow the same
For who so doth the contrary / deserueth myche blame
¶ God and I Nature / haue set the in better case
Than any creature / vnder the fyrmament
Abuse not man / abuse not thy grace
Of god almyghty / that from aboue ys sent
Thou shalt be the fyrst / that shall repent
If euer thou fle / Reason and sue foly
whan onys thou felest / the sinert of mysery
¶ But be of confort / hardely god shall send
Both gostly ayd / and worldly helpe also
And I shall neuer / fayll vnto thy lyfꝭ end
To mynyster vnto the / as me oweth to do
To yender the world / whyche thou must nedys to
Now shape the thyder / there ys no more to say
Thy lord and myne / guyde the in thy way
Then Nature goeth out.
sensua
¶ Well lady nature leue / ye me in thys case
Shall I haue of you / none other confort
By cryst yet / wyll I not hyde my face
For as sone as we / shall to the world resort
I put no doubt / he wyll me support
He hath ben my good mayster meny a day
And he wyll not se me / thus cast away
¶ Reason.
[...]
[Page] [...]
[...] and wotyst not why
[...] body / wyll demean hym thus
be sure thy mynde [...] all erronyous
[...] selfe well / and [...]
Whyche [...] thyn and others confusyon
sensua
¶ ye Reason syr ye speke [...] a noble man
but yet are ye take / wyth a [...] of ouersyght
What wold ye make me / stand as a sordan
And not speke ane word / for myne own ryght
I se yt well / that yf your lordshyp myght
by meanes possyble / onys bryng yt about
your selfe shuld be a ruler / and I but a cast owt
Rea.
¶ A rular? certes and so I owght to be
and a lord also / though ye say yt in scorne
sensua
¶ A lord? whose lord.
¶ Rea.
Thy lord
sensua
¶ Nay so mote I the
thou lyest / yt may no lengar be forborne
thou camyst but to nyght / & mayst hap go to morne
For yf thou be as haute / as thou begynnest
thou shalt auoyd / myche sonar than thou wenuyst
Rea.
¶ As for myne auoydaunce / how sone so euer yt be
It shall not skyll / as for thys intent
But he that fyrst fleeth / or forsaketh me
He shall haue gretest / occasyon to repent
It shalbe to hys great trouble and turment
that he hath lest Reason / and suyd hys own foly
that therby ys fallen / to wreched penury
¶ But now as touchyng / the honour and degre
that I am ordeyned to / I wyll thou vnderstand
that almyghty god / of hys grace and bountye
Of the and suche / hath gyuen me the ouer hand
And wyll that I vse / the as a seruand
to aduyse the and reforme the / whan thou gynst to erre
And to clepe the homward / yf thou rayll to far
¶ And where thou sayst / thou art so necessary
that man wythout the / can haue no lyuyng
as in that poynt / we shall not myche vary
I wote thou art necessary / to hys beyng
But be thou sure / that ys not the very thyng
That maketh hym / to appere so wonderouse
and to be in hys nature so noble and precyouse
[...] a thyng that doth [...] far excede
[Page] All other perfecc [...]s / and vertuouse naturall
For sensualyte / in very dede
Is but a meane / whyche causeth hym to fall
In to moche foly / and maketh hym besty all
So that there ys no dyfference / in that at the lest
Bytwyxt man / and an vnresonable best
¶ But this other / cometh of great tenderaūce
and spyrytuall loue / that god oweth to mankynde
whom he hath create / to hys owne semblaunce
and endued / wyth a wonderouse mynde
wherby he may well dyscerne and fynde
Suffysant dyfference / bytwyxt good and bad
Whyche ys to be left / and whyche ys to be had
¶ Lo thys ys yt / that doth hym dygnyfye
and causeth hym to be / reputed so excessent
and of all thys / the chyef doar am I
whyche from heuen in to erth by god am sent
Only for that cause / and fynall intent
That I shuld thys hys creature / demean and guyd [...]
For the season that he doth in thys world abyde
¶ Now compare thy vertues / and myne togeder
and say whyche ys / the wurthyar of theym to
sensua
¶ Whyche ys the worthyar? forsoth I trow neyther
we be good felowys.
¶ Re.
Nay my frend not so
Thou ought to obey me / where so euer I go
sensua
¶ Nay that shall I neuer do / for to dye
I shalbe thy felow be / loke thou neuer so hye
¶ And therfore hardely / be somwhat selo wlyke
Leue thyn hawt conceytys / and take a metely way
For shame of the world man / let vs not styk
at a mater of tyght noght / and trauers here all day
Haue me in few wordys man / and hark what I say
Medyll thou in no poynt / that belongeth to me
and I shall promyse the / neu er to medyll wyth the
¶ And standyng the nonage / of thys gentylman
On my parell / take no care therfore
I shall demean yt / as well as I can
tyll he be passyd. xl. yerys and more
and reason then / yf ye wyll vndershore
Hys croked old age / when lusty youth ys spent
Than take vppon you. I hold me content
¶ For trust ye me / the very trouth ys thys
thys man ys put / in hys owne lybertye
[Page] And certaynly / the fre choyce ys hys
Wheder he wyll be gouerned / by the or by me
Let vs therfore put yt / to hys owne ieopardye
and therin stande / to hys arbytrement
To whyche of vs twayne / he had seuer assent
Rea.
¶ Nar syrnot so / I know hys fraylte
the body ys / dysposed for to fall
Rather to the worse / than the better parte
Butrt be holpen / by power supernall
sensua
¶ yet Reason / whan thou hast sayd all
yf thou se hym not / take hys owne way
Call me cut / when thou metest me another day
Rea.
¶ For cartayne yet / accordyng to myne offyce
I must aduertyse / and counsell hym at the lest
to hawnt vertue / and schew all vyce
And therin assyst hym / to the vttermest
and yf he wyll / algatys be a best
And take none hede / to my lore and doctryne
The parell and hurt / shalbe hys and not myne
Inno.
¶ Syrs I shall answere / for thys man as yet
That he ys mayden / for all suche foly
as shold dystayne nature / or dyshonour yt
Brought vp wyth me / full well and tenderly
wherfore I dare / the surelyar testyfye
for innocencye / that he ys yet vyrgyn
Both for dede / and eke consent of syn
¶ And lengar wyll not I be of hys acquayntaunce
Than he ys vertuouse / and of good lyuyng
for fleshly lust / and worldly plesaunce
ys wyth innocencye / nothyng accordyng
But yf hys behauyour / and dayly demeanyng
Be of suche draught / as reason wyll alow
I shall hym fauour / and loue as I do now
sensua
¶ Well spoken and wysely / now haue ye all done?
Or haue ye ought ellys / to thys man to say
Rea.
¶ O syr ye.
¶ Sensualy.
pece no more of thys dysputacyd
Here be many fantasyes / to dryue forth the day
That one chatreth lyke apye / that other lyke aiay
And yet whan they both / haue done what they can
Māgry theym teeth / I shall rule the man
¶ Man.
¶ O blessyd lord / what maner stryf ys thys
At wyxt my reason / and sensualyte
[Page] That one meneth well / and that all other amysse
In one ys sekernes / and in tother great fraylte
And both they be / so annexed to me
That nedest I must / wyth one of theym abyde
Lorde as thou thynkyst best / for me do prouyde
¶ For I am wonderously / entryked in thys case
and almost brought / into perplexyte
Not wythstandyng / thanked be thy grace
as I dyd neuer assent / ne aggre
To thynge that sholde / be contraryouse vnto the
Of synfull ded / and thought all innocent
Subduyd to reason / as hys obedyent
Rea.
¶ Cryst graunt you therin / good contynuaunce
to be euer / of the same mynde and intent
But now wyll ye call / to your remembraunce
For what cause / ye be hyder sent
I hold yt well done / and ryght expedyent
that ye were brough / vnto the worldys presence
Man.
¶ Be yt so in goddys name / I pray you go we hens
Rea.
¶ And wyll ye that I / shall for you declare
Vnto the world / the cause of your comyng
What ys your intent / and what parson ye are
Man.
¶ ye I wold be glad / that euery thyng
Be done euen / after your deuysyng
sensua
¶ Shall I than stand / as I were tong tyde
¶ Man.
¶ ye hardely / tyll reason haue sayd
Rea.
¶ Syr world / yt ys the mynde and also pleasure
Of lady nature / as she bad vs to you tell
that ye accept / and receyue thys her creature
Wyth you for a season / here to dwell
Despryng you hartely / to entreat hym well
wyth all the fauour / that ye can deuyse
Wherin ye shall do her / great pleasure and seruyce
¶ The worlde.
¶ Syrs ye be welcome / to vs hartely
your messagye ys / to vs ryght acceptable
Be ye assured / there ys nothyng erthly
to vs so ioyfull / ne yet so delectable
As to be acquaynted / wyth parsons honorable
Namely souch / as ye seme to be
Men of hygh honour / and of great dygnyte
¶ And as touchyng the message / that ye haue brought
[Page] Haue therof / the full mynde and intent
Assuryng you that our bysy thought
Shalbe to do / dame naturys commaundement
and thereunto / we wyll be dylygent
To do her pleasurys / in that we may
And so we wold / ye shold to her say
¶ And were ye shew / vnto me that thys man
Is ordeyned to reygne / here in thys empry
I assent well / for or nature began
To shape the world / the thought fynally
to ordeyne man / therin to occupy
He to take vppon hym / as myghty gouerner
Hauyng all thyng / subdued to hys power.
¶ Wherfore I receyue / gretly hys comyng
Mankynde syr / hartely welcom ye be
ye are the parsone / wythout faynyng
that I haue euermore / desyred to se
Come let me kys you. O benedycyte
ye be all naked / alas man why thus
I make you sure / yt ys ryght perylous.
¶ Man.
¶ I thanke you / but I nede none other vesture
Nature hath clothed me / as yet suffysantly
Gyltles of syn / and as a mayden pure
I were on me / the garment of innocencye
Inno.
¶ ye hardely were that garment contynually
It shall thy body / suffysantly sauegard
From stormy weder my lyfe to ieopard
¶ The worlde.
¶ Be pece / fayre woman ye ar not very wyse
Care ye not / yf thys body take cold
ye must consyder / thys ys not paradyse
Ne yet so temporate / by a thowsand fold
Whose so lyueth here / be he yong or old
He must suffer / both feruent cold and hete
And be out of temperaunce / oft tyme in hys dyet
¶ Also he must nedys / do as the worlde doth
That intendeth any whyle / here to reygne
And folow the gyse that now a day goth
As for as hys estate / may yt mayntayne
And who doth the contrary / I wyll be playne
He ys abyect / and dyspysed vtterly
and standeth euer baneshed / from all good company
[Page] ¶ Syth god therfore / had ordeyned thys body
To dwell here / in thys erthly regyon
Of conuenyence / he must hym selfe apply
To worldly thyngꝭ / and be of suche condycyon
As all men be / and leue eche fond opynyon
That ys not approuable / of wysar men than he
to take suche way / yt ys but vanyte.
¶ Take thys garment / man do as I you byd
Be not ashamed / hardely to do yt on
So so / now thys gurdell / haue gurd yt in the myd
And thys for your hed / go set yt vppon
By the charge of me / you be a goodly on
As euer I saw / syth y t I was borne
Worth a thowsand / that ye were beforne.
¶ Gyue me your hand / be not in fere
Sytdown / as ye ar borne to occupye thys place
I gyue you here / auctoryte and power
Ouer all thynge / that conceyued ys in the space
Of all the erth / that rownd ys in compace
To be as lord / of euery regyon
and therof I gyue you / pessyble possessyon.
¶ Man.
¶ Blessyd be thou / my lord most bounteouse
that of thy great / abundant cheryte
Me thy wretched creature / hast honoured thus
wyth naturall gyftys / and worldly dygnyte
Now I beseke the / for thy great pyte
Syth thou hast set me / in so noble way
Suffer me not here after / wrechedly to decay
¶ For certes yt ys / myne hartys desyre
So to demayn me / in thys lyfe present
As may be most / vnto thy pleasure
and vnto nature / not dysconuenyent
Thys ys my wyll / and my chyef intent
thys wyll I obserue / thy grace to borow
though I therfore / suffer mouche worldly sorow
Rea.
¶ Forsoth these wordys / be gretly to alow
yf they from meke / and lowly hart procede
Now mankynde / syth thou hast made thys vow
Scape the therafter / thy lyfe to lede
And set thy world / be cousyn to thy dede
that ys to say / do thou none other wyse
Inno.
Than thou here openly / to god dost promyse
[Page] ¶ ye syr and euer / loke that ye abstayne
Not onely from dede / but also from the assent
So that ye commyt / neyther of theym twayn
yf ye wyll obserue / the hygh commaundement
For surely ye may / not be cleped innocent
Nor gyltles of syn / as for as I can fynde
yf onys ye assent / to foly in your mynde.
¶ Mundus.
¶ Thys ys an harde word / syster that ye haue spoken
An hard worde surely / and an heuy sentence
But thynk ye goddys / commaundement broken
For a lyght tryfull / and mater of insolence
Alas haue ye suche a spyced conscyence
That wyll be entryked / wyth euery mery thought
Leue yt woman leue yt. For yt ys nought
loqui­ad ho.
¶ And man as for you / ye shall not take that way
That maner of obseruaunce / ys to hard and strayte
ye must attempte the world / and therin assay
Whether ye can lyue / after that endrayte
These. ii. folk / harp both on refrayte
and euer enbesyeth theym / to rebuke you of syn
¶ That neuer was spotted / ne fownd gylty therin
take none hede of theym / theyre wordys be but wynde
and as for thys tyme / I commaunde theym to sylence
And set vs se now / how prately ye can fynde
By sage polycy / and worldly prudence
To mayntayne the state / in honour and reuerence
that ye shall be in / whyle ye in the world dwell
Speke of thys mater / and ponder yt well
¶ Fyrst me semeth necessary / to prouyde
What maner folkys / your saruauntys shall be
For surely ye ar / nothyng accompanyde
accordyng / to a man of your degre
ye haue here wyth you. ii. parsons or. iii.
That pleaseth you happely / in the best wyse
yet yt appereth not so / to euery mannys ges.
¶ What man ys thys?
¶ Man.
¶ Reason syr my chyef conselour
And thys innocency / my noryce hyderto
And sensualyte that other / by whom I haue power
To do / as all sensate bestys do
But reason and innocency / chyefly these two
[Page] Haue the hole rule / and gouerny of me
To [...]m eke ys subdued / my sensualyte
sensua
¶ For cartayne syr / reason hath done me wrong
More than euer he shalbe able to recompense
God knoweth syr I thought / the season very long
Tyll we were brought / vnto your presence
But now I pray you / to adnull the sentence
That nature gaue vnto me / by reasons aduyse
to my great hurt / and vttyr preindyce
¶ And syr I aske / none amendys erthly
But that reason / may haue a chek mate
A lytell knack / a lytell prayty congy
Hys haut corage / some thynge to abate
For hyderto / he hath kept great estate
And had of me / the ouer hande and strengar
But ye not dyspleased / I wyll suffer yt no lengar
¶ Mundus.
¶ Thou hast had great wrong / and that ys pyte
For yf thou be the parson / that I take the fore
thou sholdyst be / as honorable as he
sensua
¶ Lord ye say well / but woldgod ye wold se
Some maner helpe / and remedy for thys euyll
And let me not alway / lyue thys lyke a dryuyll
¶ Mundus.
¶ Syr ye know well / that yf so yt were
A man shold sodenly / come to a straunge place
Wherin he ys / but alyand and straunger
He must nedys be / compelled in that case
to put hym selfe / in the fauour and grace
Of some syngler person / that can shew hym the way
Of all the behauour / and gyse in that contray
¶ So yt ys now / that ye be hyder sent
thys contray as yet / to you vnknowen
In myne opynyon / yt ys expedyent
to take some other counsell than your awne
Of well enured men / suche as haue growne
In worldly experyence / and haue therof the dryft
And can best for you / in tyme of nede skyft
¶ Homo.
¶ Certes ye moue / ryght well and prudently
and I am well content / that yt so be
But as yet / haue I not the polycy
To know whyche men / haue most abylyte.
[Page] Mun.
¶ Dare ye commyt / the mater vnto me
homo.
[...] well / I am fully content
That all thynge be done / by your assygnement
Mun.
¶ Thā thus I wyll / that aboue all thyng
From hens forward / ye be lyke and conformable
Vnto other parsones / in all your demeanyng
Namely to suche / as be companable
Be they neuer so vycouse / or abhomynable
For euery man / clepyth hym wyse
That doth after the comen gyse.
¶ And as for men / that shold do you seruyce
I know dyuers persones / that be ryght honorable
That can you serue / alway poynt deuyce
In all the worlde / be there none so able
So wyse / so polytyke / ne yet so profytable
Lo here ys one of theym / that I speke fore
and he hym selfe can tell you / where ye shall haue more
¶ Worldly affeccyon ys thys mannys name
He ys well brayned / and wonderous of inuencyon
a fore castyng man / and payne of shame
ye shall not fynde / in any crysten regyon
a wyser felow / in thyngys to be done
Specyally of maters / that be concernyng
Worldly pleasure / that ys for you accordyng
¶ Suffer hym therfore / neuer to departe
But yf yt be / for maters of great substaunce
and for sensualyte / I pray you wyth all my harte
To accept hym to your fauour and tendraunce
He hath ben longe / of myne acquayntaunce
and on my fayth / my harte can not but grudge
To thynke that ye shold vse hym as a drudge
¶ Do as he aduyseth you / hardely now and than
and dyspyse not / vtterly hys counsell
Thynke that ye be here / a worldly man
and must do as men / that in the world dwell
ye ar not bounde / to lyue lyke an aungell
Ne to be as god / alway immutable
Mannys nature / of hym selfe ys full myserable
¶ I haue tolde you now / my counsell and aduyse
And ye haue promysed / to be ruled therby
Now set eche man / execute hys offyce
and se how wysely / ye can theym occupy
To encreace the world / and yt therto ye must apply
[...]
[Page] Now addresse you therto / and demeane you thus
I shalbe to you euer good and prosperouse
Man.
[...] of thys curtesy
[...]nde [...] as yet, but be ye sure
I sh [...] [...] selfe / endeuour bysyly
to do that may be / to your pleasure
And for the season / that I shall her endure
I shall [...] / and to my power mayntayne
That vnto you in any wyse do partayne
y e wor.
¶ Than to bygyn wyth all I wyll aduyse you
to put thys man / from your company
I tell you / euery man wyll despyse you
As long as ye / be ruled by innocency
to folow suche counsell / yt ys but foly
For he can neyther good neyther euyll
and therfore he ys taken / but for a dryuyll
Man.
¶ By my fayth / euyn as ye say
It lyketh me not ryght well
Wyth innocency longe to dwell
therfore accordyng to your counsell
I wyll not after thys day
wyth hys company my selfe affere
As me wet as yt were a gray frere
I suppose there ys no man here
what soeuer he be
That could in in hys mynde be content
all wayes to be called an innocent
Wherfore yt ys myne intent
to do as ye aduyse me
y e wor.
¶ ye hardely do euyn so
Inno.
¶ Forsoth and I hold me well content
to departe at your commaundement
ye shall fynde me obedyent
What soeuer ye byd me do
¶ Here innocencye goeth out,
sensua
¶ So the company ys well amend
Let hym go to the deuyll of hell
He ys but a boy I warn you well
and shuld ye folow hys counsell
All myghty god defend
yf euer ye sust to play the man
It ys tyme that ye now bygan
Mar [...] to play the boy now and than
[Page] For your [...]
It forceth not though ye do
Wh [...] ye may haue [...]ser therto
And among I wyll helpe you also
In due tyme and place
y e wor.
¶ ye that ye wyll indede
But now syr wyll ye any thyng
Commaund me byfore my departyng
Man.
¶ Nothyng at all to my w [...]tyng
But our lord haue you in hys kypyng
And send you well to spede
y e wor.
¶ Worldly affeccyon come hyder / ye are polytyke
and myche better enured / in thys world than I
I pray you dyspose for me / as ye thynk most lyke
That I may lyue here well and honorably
y e wor.
¶ ye syr I shall. Dout ye not hardely
yf yt lyke you / to put me in so great trust
And I trew ye shall fynde me / trew and iust
Man.
¶ I wote well I shall. Surely you be bound
To the world / that hath gyuen you so great cōmendacy [...]
y e wor.
¶ ye syr some men had leuer than a thowsand pound
They myght be commended / of the same fassyon
But syr set passe / all thys commendacyon
and answere to me / I pray you frutefully
In that I shall meue you / substancyally
¶ Syr at few wordys / I you exhorte
Syth that ye be come to your own
Cast your selfe to bere suche a porte
That as ye be / ye may be knowen
Eke yt ys necessary / for that behoue
that there be made / some maner of puruyaunce
Wherby / ye may here out your countenaunce
¶ Wyll yt lyke you therfore that I suruey
And se thextent / of all your land
and there vppon / in all the hast puruey
Both for you and yours / all maner of vyand
wyth other vtensyttys / redy at your hand
So that ye be purueyd / all tymes erely and late
Of eche thyng / that belongeth to your estate
Man.
¶ your counsell ye good / do as ye thynk best
I commyt all suche thyng / to your dyscrecyon
¶ I shall do my trew / bysynes at the lest
To bryng all thyngys / to good conclusyon
[Page] Man.
¶ Abyde [...] affeccyon / ye made no mencyon
Who shuld awayt / and gyue attendaunce
I must haue mo seruauntys / what so euer chaunce
w. aff.
¶ What ye havue Sensualyte / [...] neuer other counsell
Of suche [...] can you best aduyse
He knoweth where / all suche maner parsons dwell
as be moste [...] worldly saruyce
sensua.
¶ Then he goeth out.
¶ ye on my [...]rell syr / I shall take the enterpryse
Of all suche maters / and loke where I fynde
any man of pleasure / on hym set your mynde
Lo wyll ye se lo / here cometh one
Man.
Euen the last man / that was in my thought
¶ What ys he.
¶ Sensua.
ye shall se anon
a well drawen man ys he / and a well taught
That wyll not gyue hys hed for nought
And therto goodly / as ye shall se in a day
pry. co.
As well apparelyd / at eche poynt of hys aray
¶ Who dwelleth here / wyll no man speke
Is there no fole nor hody peke
Now by the bell yt were almys to breke
Some of these knaues brows
A gentylman comys in at the dorys
That all hys dayes hath worn gylt sperys
And none of thys knaues nor cutted horys
Byddys hym welcom to house.
¶ Wote ye not how great a lord I am
Of how noble progeny I cam
My fader a knyght my my moder callyd madame
Myne aunceters great estatys.
And now the lyuelod ys to me fall
By both theyre dethes naturall
I am spoken of more than they all
Hens to parys gatys.
¶ How say ye fyrst by myne aray
Doth yt please you ye ornay
In the best wyse I dare well say
By that ye knowe me a whyle
And one thyng I put you out of dout
I haue wherwyth to bere yt out
As well as any man here about
Wythin these hundreth myse.
[Page] [...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...] scold capp [...]
[...] yt cost hym [...]he
[...] there Pryde had a pull
¶ I loue yt well to haue [...] here
[...] a wote byneth myne ere
For euer more I stande in fere
That myne nek shold take cold
I knyt yt vp all the nyght
and the day tyme kemb yt do wnryght
And thē yt cryspeth and shyneth as bryght
as any pyrsed gold
¶ My doublet ys on laced byfore
A stomacher of saten and no more
Rayn yt snow yt neuer so sore
Me thynketh I am to hote
Than haue I suche a short gown
Wyth wyde sleues that hang a down
They wold make some lad in thys town
a doublet and a cote
¶ Som mē wold thynk y t this were pryde
But yt ys not so / ho ho abyde
I haue a dagger by my syde
yet therof spake not I
I bought thys dagger at the marte
A sharp poynt and a tarte
He that had yt in hys hart
Were as good to dye
¶ Than haue I a sworde or twayn
To bere theym my selfe yt were a payne
They ar so heuy that I am fayne
to puruey suche a sad
Though I say yt a praty boy
It ys halfe my lyues ioy
He maketh me laugh wyth many a toy
The vrchyn ys so mad
¶ I begate the horson in bast
It was done all in hast
ye may se there was no wast
[Page] [...]
Sometyme he serueth me at borde
sometyme he bereth my two hand sword
[...] thou [...]
Loke [...] thy faders face
¶ But now to be that I com fore
And of these thynges to speke no more
[...] me longeth fore
To here some newelie
I here say there ys a great state
Com in to thys contray late
And ys dysposed algate
an housholder to be
¶ Fathers soule syrs / ye shall vnderstād
That yf he kepe houshold in thys land
I wyll threst in one hand
who so euer say nay
what so euer the man intend
To appayre the world or to amend
I wylbe wyth hym at that one end
Hap what hap may
¶ I mete worldly affeccyon ere wyle
From thys town skant a myle
and he hath she wed me a praty whyle
If I may put yt in vre
He tellys me that Sensualyte
Begynnys a great rular to be
and yf yt be so / care not for me
The mater ys cok sure
¶ Ey good lord what man ys that
Fathers soule thys ys some great wat
garciꝰ.
¶ Thys ys he that ye seeke
Pryde
¶ Se thys brat
Thys boy ys passyng taunte
Com behynd and folow me
Set out the better leg I warne the
garciꝰ.
¶ yes in the best wyse trust ye me
ale seygniour ale vouse auant
Pryde
¶ Saluꝰ to you syr.
¶ Mā.
īto you also
Whens are ye
Pryde
¶ I shall tell you or I go
But fyrst wold I speke a worde ī no mo
wyth thys saruant of yours
[Page] sensua
¶ Wyth [...] ye speke wyth me
Pryde
[...] for god [...] not Sensualyte
sensua
[...]es [...]
Pryde
[...] such a gentylman ye seme to be
sensua
¶ your pox [...] all [...]owus
¶ Then Pryde speketh to Sensua. / in / hys ere that all may here
Pryde

[...] Syr I vnderstand that this gentylman is borne to great [...] and intendeth to inhabyt herein the contray. And I am a gentylman y t alway hath be brought vp wyth great estatys and affeed wyth them and yf I myght be in lyke fa­uour wyth this gentylman I wold be glad therof / & do you a pleasure.

sensua
¶ Where ys your dwellynge
Pryde
¶ I dwell her by
sensua
¶ What ys your name
Pryde
¶ Pryde
sensua
¶ Pryde?
Pryde
¶ ye sykerly
But I am cleped worshyp comenly
In placys where I dwell.
sensua
¶ Worshyp now in fayth ye saw trew
ye be radix viciorum. Rote of all vertew.
Pryde
¶ ye ye man ye wolde say so yf ye me knew.
sensua
¶ Turd I know you well
Syr ye are welcom as I may say
I shall bryng you in seruyce yf I may
And yf one man stand not in the way.
Pryde
¶ One man what the deuyll ys he
sensua
¶ By god one that loueth not the
Nor me neyther.
Pryde
¶ I pray the tell me
what maner of man he ys
And I shall gyue hym a lyft as I gesse
sensua
¶ Wylt thou so doubtlesse.
Pryde
¶ ye and that wythin a short processe
In fayth I wyll not mysse.
sensua
¶ Surely I can not spy the wayes how
Pryde
¶ Let me alone I shall do well ynow
Aquaynt me wyth that man and care not thou
The mater shall spede
sensua
¶ Hark cosyn fyrst spede thys mater
And yf yender man make the not good chere
As ony man that euer cam here
[Page] [...]
Pryde
¶ Syr I shall tell the how / whan I am in
To thy maysters seruyce I wyll fyrst begyn
To set hys hart on a mery pyn
And byd hym make good chere
I wyll byd hym / thynk how he ys create
To be a worthy potestate
And eke that he ys predestynate
to be a prynces pere
And other thyngys more than thys
I shall bryng that hart of hys
To be more howt than yt ys
By a dewys ase
Specyally I wyll commend hys wyt
That no man can amend yt
And that he ys able therby to syt
as a iuge in comen place
And when I prayse hym thys wyse
I thynke hys hart wyll begyn to ryse
and after that vtterly despyse
any opray counsell to here
He shall trust all to hys own brayne
and than wold Reason neuer so fayne
Though he come and suche opry twayn
He shalbe neuer the nere
sensua
¶ Surely thys conseyt ys well found
I shall bryng the in seruyce for twaynty pound
Pryde
¶ Gramercy brother I thynk me mych bound
To the forthy curtesy
But syr abyde here on thyng
I wyll not be knowen that yt ys my sekyng
sensua
¶ No more wold I for. xl. shelyng
Let me alone hardely
sensua
¶ Syr yf yt please you here ys come a straunge [...]
That neuer was aquaynted wyth you ere
Somwhat shame fast and halfe in fere
To put hym selfe in prese
A goodly parsone be ye sure
Both of countenaunce and of feature
If he were drawn in portrayture
And a good man doubtles
ye and a wyse man at all
Wyll yt please you that I hym call
[Page] to s [...]che wyth you.
¶ Ma.
hyd h [...]m com.
¶ S [...].
I shall
[...] wyll ye come nere.
sensua
¶ Syr hyd hym welcome for the maner sake
Another day I am sure he wyll crake
And say suche a gentylman dyd hym make
[...]ery great chere
Desyre hym for to dwell wyth you
I tell you he ys a man for your prow
And knoweth the world well I now
No man better than he
Man.
¶ Syr ye be welcom to thys place
Pryde
¶ I thanke you syr / but I do you trespace
to come thus homly.
¶ Sensua.
ye a parlous case
God wote ye are welcom heder
On my fayth by my wyll
ye shall dwell wyth vs styll
Go nere to hym and task your fyll
I leue you togeder
[...]e goeth forth.
Man.
¶ Now syr what haue ye to say to me
Pryde
¶ No great thyng syr / but I come to se
And to know what maner man ye be
That all men prayseth so mouche
Man.
¶ Prayse whom prayse they.
¶ Pryde.
Mary you
Man me.
¶ Pryde.
ye syr I make myne auow
They gyue you a praysyng good I now
I harde neuer none suche
and surely ye be ryght wurthy
I se well now they do not ly
and therefore I dyd my hyder hy
To acquaynt me wyth you
[...]ut ye may say that I am bold
Man.
¶ Nay ye ar worth thy weyght of gold
Me thenketh me to you myche behold
I pray you what ys your name
Pryde
¶ My name ys wurshyp.
¶ Man.
Wurshpp now surely
The world told me yt was my destyny
To come to wurshyp or I dye
Pryde
¶ Truly I am the same
Man.
¶ Now wurshyp I pray you me tell
your wysedom and also counsell
ye can aduertyse me passyng well
In thyngys that I haue to do
[Page] Pryde
¶ In good sayth any thyng that I
May do to your pleasure yt ys redy
I am your own and pray you hartely
That ye accept me so
But where ye aske counsell of me
Me semeth ye saue not your honeste
Man.
¶ Myne honesty. Wherfore let se
I pray you shew me why
Pryde
¶ Mary syr for yt ys ryght fyttyng
That a man of your behauyng
Shuld haue alway suffycyent conyng
Of worldly wyt and polycy
To guyde hym selfe euery where
And not to be led by the ere
And beg wyt here and there
Of euery iak a pye
ye are well complexyond be ye sure
And nature hath done on you here cure
As myche as vpon any creature
that euer I saw wyth myne eye
And by lykylyhod syr I wys
ye haue wyt accordyng to all thys
Dressys nature hath wrought a mysse
And that ys not lykely
Man.
¶ Now certayne thanked be heuen kyng
I haue a ryght quyk vnderstandyng
If ye shew me any thyng
I can sone perceyue yt
But I was forbyd by reason
On myne own fantasye to ron
Or to take any presumpcyon
Of myne own wyt
Pryde
¶ Sayd reasō so. Mary fy on him knaue
yt were better y e hāgmā where ī his graue
than euer the lewd fole shold haue
the gouernaunce of you
Man.
¶ Certayn nature aduysed me
to folow reason what tyme that she
Put me fyrst in auctoryte
that I stand in now
Pryde
¶ Alas alas man ye be mad
I se well ye be but a very lad
On my fayth I was very glad
[Page] [...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
Of [...]
[...] ye [...] that [...]
[...] [...]e ha [...] [...] wyth a why [...]
[...] vpon the b [...]re hyp
If I shuld you not greue
He that wold lordshyp enioy
And [...]laye euer styll the old boy
Me semeth he doth but make a toy
And ye wyll me beleue
Man.
[...]urshyp for goddys sake greue ye no [...]
Pryde
¶ I wys ye ar but an ydeot
I pray you syr make not me a sot
I am no tryfler
I haue bene in honour here to forne
ye alow the counsell of a [...]arse borne
Byfore myne I haue ytin scorne
It ys a thyng I can not bere
Man.
¶ Whom meane ye Reason
Pryde
¶ ye that same daw
Man.
¶ What ys he a wyse man
Pryde
[...]e ys astraw
Bycause he kepys you vnder aw
ye be therin blynd
Man.
¶ And so doth he wythout saynyng
for hyderto I myght do nothyng
but after hye wyll and by ddyng
And that groged my mynde
Pryde
¶ Grouge [...] yt ys no maruell hardely
[...] shall greue me certaynly
As longe as I am in your cumpany
To se you deme [...] that wyse
ye be now in good way
but in fayth I lyke not your aray
It ys not the fassyon that goth now a day
For now there ys a new guyse
It ys now [...] Sayes a gon
Syth that men bygan thys fassyon
And euery knaue had yt anon
Therfore at thys season
[Page] [...] man th [...]t setteth the [...]eby
[...] [...]wn honesty
Man.
[...] certa [...]nly
[...] fre [...]her than I
[...] re [...]son
[...] in worldly affec [...] Sensua.
sensua
[...] [...]od and no
[...] what ye shall do
[...] [...]et [...]s [...]go
To some tauern here bysyde
Co [...]on I can bryng you there
and let theym alone wyth all thys ge [...]e
[...] ye nothyng for the mater
but let theym here abyde
And ye wyll suffer and set theym alone
ye shall se them deuyse you a new fassyon
[...]hat all the world shall wonder theron
Man.
¶ By god that wyll I do goodly
but I pray you syrs do your dylygence
for thys aray and spare none expence
and for a whyle I wyll go hens
And come agayne shortly
[...]ere Man and Sensualyte go out.
w. aff.
¶ Brother Pryde now the weyght
Of all thys mater resteth in the
Pryde
¶ Thus he thou shalt se me deuyse it euē streyght
It ys but tapes that gere wyth me
I haue none other study a dayes parde
but how I may new fassyons fynde
and theron I set all my labour and mynde
¶ Syr our mayster shall haue a gown
That all the galandys in thys town
Shall on the fassyon wonder
It shall not be sowed but wyth a face
by twyxt euery some a space
Of two handfull a sonder
¶ Than a doublet of the new make
Close byfore and open on the bak
No sleue vpon hys arme
Vnder that a shyrt as soft as sylk
and as whyte as any mylk
to kepe the carcas warm
¶ Than shall hys hosen be stryped
[Page] [...] of [...]
[...]
And [...]
[...]
[...]
¶ And wh [...] [...]
There [...] men wyll say
[...] huf [...]
ye shall se these fol [...]s on hym gase
and muse as yt w [...]reon a mase
New brought into the land
w. aff.
¶ Ha ha ha now by the mary vyrgyn
Thys wyll set hym on a mery pyn
Euen as yt shuld be
But euer I am in great fere
That Reason wyll whyster hym in the ere
and tome hys mynd clene fro thys gere
Thys thynge fereth me
Pryde
¶ Reason nay nay hardely
He ys forsaken vtterly
Syth I cam to hys company
He wold not onys appere
Neuerthelesse for a surte
Worldly affeccyon I aduyse the
as shortely as euer yt may be
For spede of the mater
To bryng hym shortly in acquayntaunce
Wyth all the company of myne affyaunce
and settheym gyue contynuall attendaunce
Euery man bysyly
after the propertye of hys offyce
Than shall ye se hym vtterly dospyce
Reasons counsell on waran [...]yse
and forsake hym vtterly
sensua
¶ Nay nay syrs care ye nothynge
That mater ys sped well and fyne
Pryde
¶ Is yt so.
¶ Sensua.
ye by heuen kyng.
Euen as we sat togeder at the wyne
w. aff.
¶ Thou shalt haue goddys blessyng and myne
but ys yt true
sensua
¶ ye syr by thys day
Our mayster and Reason haue made a great fray
Pryde
¶ Now so
[Page] sensua
[...] farth we sat together
[...] herby
[...] who shuld come together
[...] and margery
[...] you [...]rde so pra [...]ly
[...] the last mornyng
[...] whyle [...] say [...]pyng
Pryde
¶ I [...] ye [...]ne well I now
[...] that ys nothyng to thys purpose
[...] on thy tale for god auow
sensua
¶ I [...] had I wypt my nose
[...] I spyde theym anon I rose
an [...] called theym vnto me by name
And wythout more taryeng anon they came
¶ And sat down with vs / & made nothyng straūg
as they be full curteys / ye know yt well
And anon our maysters colour bygan to chaunge
wherof yt cam / I can not tell
Hys chere was appalled / euery dell
and scant that he coulde speke to me one word
But s [...]ert hym euen vp and rose fro the bord
¶ He sayd he wold go / ly down on a bed
and prayd me for the maners sake
That margery myght com hold hys hede
Whyche as he told me / bygan to ake
And so she hath hym vndertake
To make hym hole / in an houre or twayne
whan soeuer he hath any suche soden payn
¶ What yt meaneth I wote neuer
But he syketh her phy [...]yk so well
That I trow the deuyll of hell
Can not theym two dysseuer
¶ Lo thys haue I done / and what trow ye more
yet can I tell you better tydyng
¶ Worldly aff.
what ys that.
sensua
¶ Mary Reason that ye two spake of byfore
Ca [...] euen to vs as we sat so drynkyng
And gaue our mayster an hete worth an hangyng
Bycause that margery sat on hys kne
whyle that other hore sat talkyng wyth me
¶ My mayster saw that he coulde haue no rest
Neuer be ryd of thys controllyng
He prayed the man and thought yt best
[Page] [...] my [...]
[...] [...]ut more ta [...]yeng
[...] Reason so [...] the hed
[...] [...]ruayll but he be now dede
w. aff.
[...] [...]an fyll all t [...]e cuppes at ones
[...] thys be trew
sensua
[...] these, [...]
[...] neuer a word
Pryde
¶ Trowyst thou yt ys no fayned stryfe
Bytwyxt theym two
sensua
¶ No on my lyfe.
For whan they faught I ran bytwene
and cryed kepe pece and leue debate
But ye wold haue laughed had ye sene
How I departed theym / and for all that
Sometyme I clapped Reason on the pate
and cryed kepe the pece as fast as I coude
Tyll I was horse I cryed so loude
w. aff.
¶ But can our master play the man now
and fare wyth thys gere
sensua
¶ ye make god auow
And beware ye of one thyng
Medyll ye no more wyth margery
For by cokkys precyouse body
If our mayster may yt espy
Or haue an vnderstandyng
That ye vse her company
I tell you he wyll be angry
He ys so full of ielosy
As euer I knew man
w. aff.
¶ Ielosy pece man be styll
He can therof no maner of skyll
sensua
¶ No but say what ye wyll
I am sure he can
¶ He ys now as famylyer
Wyth bodely lust as euer ye were
ye and therto as great a swerer
Whan tyme requyres
Knew I neuer of hys age
A man of better corage
To do all maner of outrage
After our desyres
¶ Syth Reason and he were thus at varyaunce
[Page] He hath be full of suche dalyaunce
And both called to hys fauour and a [...]quayntaunce
[...]ur [...] by and by
[...]uy wreth glotony and co [...]se
Slouth and lechery become to hys ser [...]yce
And vtterly he hatyth theyre [...]
And that he professeth o [...]enly
w. aff.
¶ And be these folke of hys retynue
sensua
¶ ye euerychon on I tell you trew
But mary there names be chaunged new
For to blere hys eye
I tell you he ys a serefull man
For Reason styrreth hym now and than
And therfore do we what we can
It ys lytell I now hardely
¶ Syr a there ys fyrst Pryde as ye wot well
The swete darlynge of the deuyll of hell
How hys name ys chaunged ye can tell
w. aff.
¶ ye mary on the best wyse
Wurshyp I wene ys now hys name
sensua
¶ ye by the rode euen the same
And couetyse to eschue all blame
Doth hys name dysgyse
And calleth hym selfe worldly polycy
Wreth bycause he ys somwat hasty
Is called manhode. Then ys there enuy
and he ys called dysdayn
Glotony for good felyshyp ys taken
and slouth hys old name hath forsaken
And as fayre a name hath he shapen
as euer man coulde ordayn
He ys called ease ryght confortable to the blod
Specyally for theym that luste to do no good
and amonge all other I wold ye vnderstode
That lechery ys called lust
Lo these be fayre names parde
Both good and honest as semeth me
as for theyre condycyons what they be
ye know well
w. aff.
[...]ery iust
I know theyre condycyons on the best wyse
yf they kepe styll theyre old gyse
sensua
¶ yes that they do on warantyse
[Page] w. aff.
¶ But yet I haue gr [...]t maruay [...]
that couetyse shuld dwell in hys company
sensua
[...] trouth so / and so haue I
But one thyng I ensure you faythfully
And that I haue espyed well
that [...] [...]derto our mayster setteth no store
By hys councell nor hys lore
Mary whan hys hed waxeth hore
than shalbe good season
To folow couetyse and hys way
ye tyme I now another day
Euen so I hard our mayster say
w. aff.
¶ By my fayth he sayd but reason
but all the remanent be well retayned
sensua
¶ ye be ye sure yt ys mater vnfayned
And wote ye who ys gretely dysdayned
With our mayster now
Pryde
¶ Who
sensua
¶ By god euen shamfastnes
whan he shall do any suche excesse
No shame can fere hym doubtles
I may say to you
Pryde
¶ No than the craft were nought
but now syrs well bethought
Syth the mater ys hereto brought
It ys tyme for me
To go and make some prouysyon
Of garmentys after the new inuencyon
As he commaunded me to be don
therto must I se
For yt ys commytted to my neglygence
And yf he come hyder whyle I am hens
I pray the excuse myne absens
sensua
¶ ye and myne also
Pryde
¶ Why wylt thou go wyth me
sensua
¶ Wyll I ꝙ a ye parde
It ys accordyng for Sensualyte
Wyth Pryde for to go
w. aff.
¶ Now y e mater ys all most in good case
After the world ys mynde and pleasure
there ys no more / but now must I cupace
Wyth all my wyt and besy endeuure
how it may be stablysshed & cōtynued sure
[Page] For a lytell fantasy of mannys own wyll
May quayll thys mater and vtterly yt spy [...]
And yf he vary agayne
of scrypyll ymagynacyon
Or ellys by the suggestyon
Of the forsayd reason
One thyng I am certayne
He wyll no lengar me support
And that were a shrewd crank dor [...]
Therfore yt ys best that I resort
to my maysters presence
And se of what demeanour he ys
I am gretely to blame I wys
For that I saw hym not or thys
Syth he departed hens.
¶¶ He goeth out and Reason cometh in.
Rea.
¶ O good lord / to whom shall I complayn
And shew the sorowes of my mynde
and nothyng for myne own cause certayn
But onely for the decay of mankynde
whyche now of late ys waxen so blynde
That he hath dyspysed and forsaken me
And foloweth euery mocyon of hys sensualyte
¶ What aduayled at the begynnyng
that Nature comytted me to hys seruyce
and charged me that byfore all thyng
Of all hys gydyng I shuld take thenterpryse
when he lusteth not to folow myne aduyse
but foloweth thappety [...] of hys sensuall affeccyon
As a brute best that lakketh reson
¶ And yet not wythstandyng
that he doth me dysdayn
I wyll resort to hym agayn
And do my labour and bysy payn
To assay yf I can hym refrayn
[...]ro suche bestly lyuyng
but fyrst wyll I stande hereby
In secrete maner to espy
Some token of grace in hym wherby
I may dyscerne and fynde
that he hath any shamfastnes
After hys great surfet and excesse
And yf yt be so doubtles
[Page] It sha [...] content my my [...]
¶ Man cometh in.
¶ I say syrs where ys wurshyp can ye tell
In thys place I left hym last
w. aff.
¶ Syr I warand you he ys occupyed well
In ordeynyng your garmentys full fast
He departed fro me in great hast
For that intent / and so he desyred
That I wold tell you whan nede requyred
¶ He shewed me hys mynde or he went
How he had deuysed your garment
And yf yt be made after that intent
as he told me
Whan ye were on that vestour
Euery man shall do your honour
as becummeth a man of your hauyour
And so yt shuld be
Man.
¶ ye but what wyll Reason say
Whan he seeth me in that aray
w. aff.
¶ Reason. Mary let hym go play
To the deuyll of hell
He promysed me at the begynnyng
That ye wold no more be vnder hys gydyng
Man.
¶ No but yet yt were accordyng
To haue therin hys counsell
Man wythout reson ys but blynde
And yf I shuld speke after my mynde
I can well a dyfference fynde
Bytwyxt man and a beste
Whan he hath Reason in presence
and duely obeyeth hys saw and sentence
w. aff.
¶ Why haue ye suche a spyced conscyence
Now wythin your brest
that chaungeth your mynde so sodenly
I am sory and ashamed truely
On your behalf
Man.
¶ No force hardely
Thouledest me all wrong
and therfore wyll I no more folow the
w. aff.
¶ Not worldly affeccyon?
Man.
¶ Nparde
Nor yet thy brother Sensualyte
I haue folowed you to long
[Page] w. aff.
¶ Is that your mynde
Man.
¶ ye doubtles
And now wyll I seke shamefastnes
By whom I trust I shall redresse
All my mysded
w. aff.
¶ And syth thou wylt nedys to shame bowe
I pray god send the shame I now
and yet I trust make god auow
Ones thou shalt haue nede
To call me agayn to thy seruyce
Man.
¶ Nay nay on warantyse
Now syrs who can me aduyse
what ys best to do
¶ Shamfastnes.
¶ Syr yf ye lust to haue myne acquayntaunce
I am redy to geue you attendaunce
Happely my seruyce shall you aduaunce
I am called shamfastnes
Man.
¶ By your trouth are ye the same
sham.
¶ ye forsoth that ys my name
Almys dedys I can attame
And help for to represse
whan ye haue done offence or syn
yf ye wyll mercy and grace wyn
wyth shame fastnes ye must bygyn
Thys way must ye take
Man.
¶ ye be the man wythout faynyng
That I wysshed for / or ye cam here
and glad am I now of your comyng
Prayng you wyth hart entere
whan I haue nede thus to com nere
sham.
¶ So wyll I do ye may trust yt veryly
Whan soeuer ye call ye shall fynde me redy
¶ He goeth out
Rea.
¶ Syr ys yt your mynde to do as ye say
Man.
¶ ye that ys yt as god me spede
Hard ye all thys mater ye or nay
Rea.
¶ yes that I dyd in very ded
Man.
¶ O gostly reson I haue greter nede
Of your help than euer I had byfore
Help me now & I shall neuer forsake you more
Syth I forsoke your cumpany
I haue commytted myche foly
[Page] I am ashamed certaynly
when I thynke theron
Bu [...] now haue I refused [...]
All suche maner of cumpany
and thre haue I done veryly
Of myne own mocyon
Rea.
¶ Than my help shal be redy as oft as ye me ta [...]
It ys my duety so for to do
And of your offencys wyll I make no rehersall
But what soeuer ye haue done hyderto
To me ward set yt passe and go
Agaynst god your offence ys great
Of the whych mater I wyll not longe treat
¶ But thys confort of me ye shall haue
yf ye be contryte as ye pretend
God ys mercyable yf ye lust to craue
Call for grace and sone he wyll yt send
And be not in purpose hereafter to offend
accustom your selfe in the wayes of vertue
And be not in doubt grace wyll ensue
Man.
¶ Syr yt ys my mynde and intent
Hereafter to be your true obedyent
and neuer more to assent
To suche foly agayn
Rea.
¶ And vpon that condycyon
I take the vnto my tuycyon
wyth all hartys affeccyon
Neuer to part at wayn
And for thys seson
Here we make an end
Lest we shuld offend
Thys audyence / as god defend
It were not to be don
ye shall vnderstand neuer thelesse
That there ys myche more of thys processe
wherein we shall do our besynes
and our true endeuure
To shew yt vnto you after our guyse
whan my lord shall so deuyse
It shalbe at hys pleasure
¶ Thus endeth the fyrst parte.

¶ The second part [...].

Reason and Man come i [...].
¶ I assemble the lyfe of mortall creature
To the allyege agayn a s [...]rong town or castell
In whyche there ys myche b [...]st endenure
myche warly polycy wyth bysy trauayll
On euery syde whyche par [...]e shall prey ayll
By sleyght of ingyns or by strong power
that other to subdue and bryng into daunger
¶ In suche case and maner of condycyon
Is wreched man here in thys lyfe erthly
Whyle he abydeth wythin the garyson
Of the frayll carcas and carynouse body
Whom to impugn laboreth incessantly
the world / the fleshe / the enemy / these thre
Hym to subdue and bryng into captyuyte
¶ And for to shew you what wyse they vs ipugn
Fyrst doth the world geue vs an allectyfe
to couetryches and worldly renown
Wyth other vanyteys that be vsed in thys lyfe
Next that our fleshe whyche euer ys in stryse
agayn our spyryte / doth prouoke and excyte
Ys to accomplyshe our sensuall appetyte
¶ The last of all ys our great enemy
Whyche euer hath vs in contynuall haterede
Of old enkankred malyce and enuy
that he oweth to vs and all the kynrede
Of all the aunceters of whom we do succede
Nor yetcesseth hys malyce vnto thys day
Ys to endaunger in all that he can or may
¶ And certes these our sayd enemyes
Be of theyre nature so myghty and so strong
That hard yt wyll be for vs in any wyse
Agayn them warre or batayll to vnderfong
also our garisons and fortresse to mayntayn long
Agayn theyre ingens wythout spyrytuall grace
We can not performe in no maner case
¶ Wherfore yt ys to vs ryght behouable
Besyly to pray to god that ys immortall
Besechyng hym as he ys mercyable
To haue compassyon and pytye on vs all
And not to suffer vs any wyse to fall
Into suche foly and vtter myschaunce
[Page] Is [...] theym greue and do [...]
¶ Also yt behoueth on our parte
To fle all suche maner of occasyon
as may be put in fere and Ieoparde
Of theyre dyspleasure in any con [...]cyon
New fangl [...]s and c [...]nyce [...]
we must forsake in all maner wyse
And acquaynt vs wyth theyre contrar [...]se
Quia contraria contrariis curantur. &c.
I tell thys tale syr to you
Trustyng that yt be not done in wast
ye remember as I suppose well I now
Now yt ys not fully. in. dayes past
Syth ye me promysed and bound yt fast
From that day forth to be obedyent
unto my counsell and aduysement
Man.
¶ ye syr so I dyd in very ded
And yet yt ys my mynde and intent
To folow the same haue ye no drede
Rea.
¶ yf ye do nat your selfe shall repent
Now fare ye well for I must be absent
As for a season / and for your confort
whan so euer ye call me I shall to you resort
¶ Then he goeth out & Sensua. cometh in.
sensua
¶ God forbed that euer he com agayn
Iesu how may ye thys lyfe endure
Me semeth yt shuld be to you a great payn
Syth ye be of good complexyon and nature
To forbere the worldly sport and pleasure
As ye haue done now a great seson
and all by the folyshe counsell of reson
¶ Where ys your lusty hart bycom
That serued you so well thys other day
Now so helpe me god and halydom
I haue great maruell how ye may
Lyue in suche mysery / and thys dare I say
wythout ye take some other wayes
By my trouth yt wyll shorten your dayes
¶ And though I say yt that were pyte
For by cryste and ye were gone
Meny a good felow wold make great mone
¶ Then he wepyth
Man.
¶ Why wepe ye so
[Page] sensua
¶ let me alone
It wyll none other wyse be
and ye saw the sorowfull countenaunce
Of my cumpany your old acquayntaunce
that they make
For your sake
I dare say ye wold mone theym in your mynde
They be so louyng and so kynde
That I am sure
yf ye endure
In thys peuyshe opynyon
It wyll be theyre confessyon
There ys none other remedy
But for sorow they shall dye
Man.
¶ Nay god forbed they shuld so do
sensua
¶ In fayth wythout ye help therto
There ys none other way
Man.
¶ I wyll help yt in all that I may
And I wyst by what mene
sensua
¶ Mary call theym to your cumpany
Man.
¶ By saynt Ihān I am content
For I may say here to the
Syth I forsoke my lyberte
And dyd to Reson assent
I had neuer mery day
But lyued vnder awe and drede alway
Nothyng to myne intent
Another whyle I wyll me dysport
and to myne old cumpany resort
sensua
¶ O than shall ye theym confort
and your selfe also
Wote ye who wyll be very glad
Man.
¶ Who
sensua
¶ Margery
Man.
¶ Why was she sad
sensua
¶ ye by the masse she was stark mad
Euen for very wo
Whan she hard tell of thys chaunce
And bycause she wold lyue in penaunce
Her sorow for to quenche
She hath entred into a relygyouse place
At the grene frerys hereby
Man.
¶ ye hase.
[Page] Alak good [...] wenche
Is yt an house of strayt relygyon
sensua
¶ ye as any that euer was bygon
Syth the world stode
Man.
¶ Be they close nonnes as other be
sensua
¶ Close ꝙ a nay nay parde
That gyse were not good
ye must beware of that gere
Nay all ys open that they do there
As open as a gose eye
Man.
¶ And cometh any man into theyre sellys
sensua
¶ ye ye god forbede ellys
It ys fre for euery body
And bysyde all thys they be
Ex omni gente cognite
No nacyon they forsake
Wythout yt be beggars goyng by the way
That haue neuer a peny to pay
For that that they do take
¶ And yet can I beggars thyderlede
Where they shalbe for lumpes of brede
Satysfye theyre desyre
Suche drabbes some there be
That requyre none other fe
Nor yet any other hyre
Man.
¶ Be they not wedded as other folke be
sensua
¶ Wedded quod a no so mot I the
They wyll nottary therfore
they can wed theym selfe alone
Com kys me Ihān gramercy Ione
Thys wed they euer more
And yt ys the more to comend
For yf the woman hap to offend
as yt ys theyre gyse
a man may let her alone wyth sorow
and wed another hore on the morow
Euen of the same wyse
Man.
¶ Forsoth thys ys a noble relygyon
It styrreth me to great deuocyon
For to se that place
Canst thou bryng me thyder well I now
sensua
¶ ye and yt were myd nyght I make god auow
As dark as euer yt was
[Page] Man.
¶ But where ys bodely lust now
bodyly
¶ Then cometh in bodyly lust wyth hym w. aff.
¶ Mary syr I haue sytten and sought you
Man.
Thys thre or. iiii. howrys
¶ I make god auow
ye gyue shrewd attendaunce
bodyly
All thys. ii. dayes I coulde not the espy
¶ Syr ye know well that ye and I
Be neuer myche a sonder
Man.
albe yt I be from you among
¶ And now me semeth thou hast taryed to long
bodyly
whyche ys to me great wonder
¶ Wonder ye parde for an howr or twayn
Forth for a passyng whyle and com agayn
Here ys a sore mater
whan was I so long absent as now
and yet I was for to seke you
at the tother syde of the water
The place that ye wot of parde
Man.
Vnderstande ye what ye mene
bodyly
¶ ye ye
Man.
¶ Tell me in myne ere
bodyly
¶ Quid est latinum propter le stewys
¶ What laten now thys of the newys
I herd neuer thys ere
Man.
I trow ye begyn to waxe shamfast
¶ Nay nay hardely that gere ys past
Meny dayes a gon
bodyly
I am as wanton as euer I was
¶ It were almes to hang you ellys by the masse
By the hard necke bon
But wyll ye now go wyth me to a place
and I shall shew you the smorterst place
Man.
That euer ye saw wyth eyes
bodyly
¶ What thyng ys yt yong or old
¶ What euer yt be yt ys able to be sold
Man.
It shall lyke you on the best wyse
¶ For my loue let vs some nyght be there
at a banket or a rere supper
and get vs some wanton mete
So we may haue some deynty thyng
yet wold I spende. xx. shyllyng
where so euer I yt get
[Page] bodyly
¶ Nay nay wyll ye spende a coyell of crownes
and there shall no gentylman in thys. x. townes
Be better serued than ye
Nor be receyued more honestly
As to an house of bawdry
For a banket or [...]nkry
For a dyshe. ii. or thre
Man.
¶ yes that wyll I spend wyth all myne hart
bodyly
¶ By your leue I wyll depart
To make redy thys gere
Man.
¶ What now in all thys hast
bodyly
¶ ye for god syr I am a gast
that other knaues wyll come theder
byfore vs and take vp all
Man.
¶ Se there to I pray the
bodyly
¶ So I shall
Ellys fye on all together
¶ Then goeth he out.
w. aff.
¶ Now wyll margery make great mone
bycause ye com not.
¶ Man.
ye let her alone
I am not her bond man parde
She hath dysappoynted me or now
w. aff.
¶ yet on my fayth syr and I were as you
at the leste I wold excuse me
Send her word that ye in no wyse
May thys nyght kepe her promyse
And yf ye do not so
She wyll so morn that as I thynk
Of all thys nyght she wyll slepe no wynk
She shalbe so full of wo
Man.
¶ ye on my parell take no care
Thys answere wyll I deffar and spare
tyll I be certayn
what answere bodyly lust shall bryng
Of thys other praty new thyng
whan he cometh agayne
w. aff.
¶ Wyll yt please you that I go to mergery
In your stede
Man.
¶ Mary that were mery
woldyst thou serue me so
w. aff.
¶ Why syr by my trouth I mene but well
Man.
¶ ye what thou menyst I can not tell
But that shall thou not do
[Page] w. aff.
¶ In good fayth syr ye may do wurs
For whyle I haue any thyng in my purs
Or any peny to spend
I wyll make her euen suche chere
As I wold myne own wyfe yf she were here
Ellys god defend
Man.
¶ ye I thanke the for thy good wyll
But as for that chere kepe yt styll
Tyll I call theron
w. aff.
¶ By god syr for good loue I spake yt
And now that I se ye wyll not take yt
I shall let yt alone
Man.
¶ How now hast thou bene yender away
bodyly
¶ ye syr.
¶ Man.
Et que nouellys
bodyly
¶ Ie nescey
I could not speke wyth her
No wyth none of her folkys
Man.
¶ Not wyth one
bodyly
¶ No they be a slepe euerychone
All that euer dwell there
Man.
¶ How knowest thou wether they be a slepe or n [...]
bodyly
¶ Mary she her selfe told me so
whan I rapped at the dore
Man.
¶ It semeth she was not a slepe than
bodyly
¶ No she was a bed wyth a strange man
Man.
¶ A myschefe on her hore
I wold this fyre wer i her tayll I make god auow
bodyly
¶ That nedeth not she ys hote I now
It were more almes to get
Some cold water her fyre to quenche
I tell you yt ys as warm a wenche
As any in all thys strete
I supposed I had angred her yll
Man.
¶ How so
bodyly
¶ For I rang her a knyll
That waked her from her slepe
I gaue her a pele for her frendys soulys
a man myght haue hard the noys from poulys
To the farthest ende of chepe
She saw that I wold not feace but knok
And rap styll at the gate
She opened a wyndow and put forth her hed
Hens. xl. d. ꝙ she. Iak noble ys a bed
[Page] Thys [...] ye come [...]o [...]
I ha standeth the wynd so cold quod I
[...]. q. tytle we haue a bry
Thys gere goeth all wyde
And so I cam thens a great pace
tyll I cam hyder / lo thys ys the case
Haue I not well hyde
Man.
¶ Well man there ys no more to do
that we cannot haue we must forgo
there ys none other remedy
Lo worldly affeccyon now mayst thou se
Thy counsell was nought that thou gauest me
w. aff.
¶ No more yt was truely
Man.
¶ ye I told the asmyche byfore
It ys good to be sure euer more
therfore now let vs go
And resorte agayn to our old hostes
that ys the best way now as I gesse
w. aff.
¶ ye hardely do so
¶ Then they thre go out & Pryde cometh in.
Pryde
¶ Syrs remember ye that thys other day
Man promysed me euen in thys stede
that I shuld wyth hym dwell and now I here say
The wylde worm ys com into hys hed
So that by reason only he ys led
It may well be so / but I am sure
that Reason shall not alway wyth hym endure
¶ Me thynketh that Sensua. doth not hys parte
accordyng to the duety of hys offyce
for no body can better torn a mannys hart
Nor yet a redyer mean deuyse
to put away suche folyshe fantasyse
than Sensualyte yf he lust to assay
for he ys chyef ruler whan Reason ys away
sensua
¶ ye / a ruler wyll I be though Reason say nay
Pryde
¶ Ah Sensualyte welcom by thys day
what tydyngys good
sensua
¶ ye by my fay
as good as can be told
I haue brought thys man to hys old gyse
Pryde
¶ Hast thou so
sensua
¶ ye on warantyse
Pryde
¶ Now forsoth I gyue the pryk and pryse
[Page] Thou [...]
Of thys tydyngys I am glad and fayn
But shall I be welcom to hym agayn
and all our cumpany
sensua
¶ ye hardely
as welcom as euer ye ware byfore
Pryde
¶ Goddys blessyng haue thyn hart therfore
thus am I in thy det more and more
sensua
¶ Iapes why say ye so
Pryde
¶ for I speke yt after my mynde
thou art to me alway so kynde
But where shall I our mayster fynde
to hym wyll I go
sensua
¶ He ys besy harke in your ere
wyth lytell margery ye wote where
And as sone as I had brought hym there
I cam my way a pace
and bycause he shuld not be alone
I left wyth hym worldly affeccyon
and other erand had I none
Now to thys place
but euen to shew you what ys done
and from hens I must anone
for to seke an other companyon
to gyue attendaunce
Pryde
¶ Who ys that
sensua
¶ Mary glotony
Our mayster calleth for hym besyly
Sawyst thou hym not
Pryde
¶ No certaynly
To my remembraunce
sensua
¶ I must go seeke hym wythout any taryeng
But Pryde I warn you of one thyng
Whyle I thynk theron
whan my mayster and ye shall mete
In any wyse se that ye hym grete
In the old fassyon
And make as though ye know nothyng
Of hys dyuers and varyable dealyng
Kepe that in your brest
ye can not do hym more dyspleasure
Than therof to make reporture
Therfore let yt rest
[Page] [...] [...]gh treson
¶ Then he goeth out.
[...]de
[...] g [...]ad ye warn me thus in seson
[...] the better were
B [...]th [...]s warnyng I shalbe wyse
And do as ye me aduertyse
take therof no ca [...]
¶ Slouth.
¶ Wyll ye be wyse quod a / mary that ys a thyng
By god ye had nede to haue better warnyng
Or ye bryng that about
[...]de
¶ What brother Slouth fro whens comyst thou
[...]h.
¶ Streyght fro my bed I make god auow
Myne eyes be almost out
for lak of slepe / but thys syr to you
Me thought ye called me slouth ryght now
Pece no more of that
I haue a new name as well as ye
[...]de
¶ What ys that / ease
[...]h.
¶ ye parde
But yt forceth not
whyle our mayster ys not present
Bytwene vs twayn I am content
Call me what ye wyll
But where ys our mayster
[...]de
¶ Wotest thou nere
[...]h.
¶ No
[...]de
¶ No more do I
[...]h.
¶ There there there
Thou shalt dwell wyth me styll
Thou art as good a wayter as I
[...]de
¶ I shrew the better of vs both hardely
But surely we do not well
we shall not contynue wyth yonder man
but we awayte better now and than
Therfore by my counsell
Let vs twayn go together
To seeke our mayster
[...]h.
¶ But wotyst thou whether
we shall now go
To fynde our mayster
[...]de
¶ I shall assay
Thou shalt se me gesse the way
[Page] And happely fynde hym to
Now must I to the stewes as fast as I may
to [...]ech thys gentylman but syrs I say
Can any man here tell me the way
For I cam neuer there
ye know the way parde of old
I pray the tell me whyche way shall I hold
wyll ye se thys horson cocold
I trow he cannot here
Now yt were almes to clap the on the crown
¶ Then cometh in man and worldly aff.
Man.
¶ Why be there any cocoldys in town
Pryde
¶ ye I durst hold theron my gown
that there be a score
but for god I cry you mercy
for by my sayth I wyst you not so ny
Had I wyst yt I ensure you faythfully
that word I wold haue forbore
Man.
¶ No force hardely yt toucheth not me
But wurshyp tell me where haue ye be
Me thynketh long syth I you se
Pryde
¶ Syr yt ys no maruell
Bad ye not me the last day
To go puruey for your aray
And ye remember well
Man.
¶ ye for god haue ye done the same
Pryde
¶ ye by the rode ellys were I to blame
All thyng ys redy in payn of shame
Ellys I quyte me yll
The tayler told me yester nyght
that all your garmentys were redy dyght
wyll ye go thyder and haue a syght
Man.
[...]emary wyth a good wyll
slouth.
¶ Wyll ye that I go wyth you also
Man.
¶ I wote neuer whether ye may attend therto
for ye do nothyng
But euen after your own swete wyll
slouth.
¶ Why shuld I euer wayt nay that I nyll
for to be a kyng
I may not endure contynuall besynes
I was neuer vsed therto doubtles
I shuld not lyue a yere
yf I folowed you I am sure
[Page] [...] and [...]our [...]ut of me sure
I saw neuer your pere
He wene there can nothyng be do
But yf ye put your hand therto
and I wrs that ys no nede
ye haue seruauntys that be true and iust
yf yt wold lyke you to put theym in trust
And quyte well they [...]e mede
what shuld I attend you for to please
whan I se well ye set by none ease
whyche belongeth to me
Man.
¶ Why ease what meaneth the thus to say
I do but ete drynk slepe and play
And none other labour parde
slouth.
¶ ye / ye may say what ye wyll
But I can neuer se you ydell
And quyete as ye shuld be
your body laboreth as doth an hakney
That bareth the burdon euery day
That pytye yt ys to se
And your mynde on that other syde
Is neuer Idell nor vnoccupyed
I wys yt greueth me
To se you demeaned that wyse
I trow ye be set all on couetyse
Man.
¶ Cou [...]tyse / nay let be
It ys a thyng of greter cure
That stycketh in my mynde be thou sure
slouth.
¶ So me thought by the rode
I wyst as myche there was som thyng
By your [...]o wryng chere and your syghyng
That was not all thyng good
But what ys the mater I pray you hartely
Man.
¶ I wys thou canst not deuyse the remedy
wyth all the wyt thou hast
But thys ys the case to tell yt shortely
A thyng was told me as I cam hereby
Now Reason puruayth fast
And maketh very great labour and ordynaunce
To dashe vs all out of countenaunce
And for that purpose
He hath gadred a great cumpany
slouth.
¶ What to do
[Page] [...].
¶ I wore nere I
But as I suppose
It ys to bryng me in captyuyte
And to take frome my l [...]berte
So he hath oft sayd
Pryde
[...]ere ye that mater
Man.
¶ Nay neuer a dell
but I care for yt wyt ye well
Yet am I not afrayd
For I wyst wythstand yt proudly
and syrs I trust ye wyll stand therby
whan yt shalbe nede
Pryde
¶ ye by the way that god went
Or he haue of you hys intent
Fyrst shall I blede
The best blode that ys in thys carcas
Man.
¶ Well ease go thy way hens a pace
and make therin good spede
Call my cumpany all togeder
and byd theym euery man com heder
That ys wyth me affeed
slouth.
¶ Mary syr that shalbe do
¶ Then he goeth out.
Man.
¶ Wurshyp in the mean tyme let vs go
To se my new apparell
Pryde
¶ Wyll ye so. Now for your ladyes sake
Go do yt on you and I vndertake
It shall becom you well
Man.
¶ Worldly affeccy on abyde thou here
For I wyll go do on thys new gere
as wurshyp doth me counsell
¶ Then Man and Pryde goeth out.
w. aff.
¶ Mary I shall wyth all myne hart
thys good fyre and I wyll nor depart
For very cold myne hand ys do smart
It maketh me wo bygon
Get me a s [...]ole here may ye not se
Or e [...]ys a chayr wyll yt not be
thou pyld knaue I speke to the
Now [...]ong shall I stande
¶ Glotony.
[...]et hym stand wyth a foule euyll
[...]
[Page] [...] ye se so / euery dr [...]uyll
Now adayes I w [...]rand
Must commaund as he were a kyng
Let hym stande on hys sete wyth bredyng
w. aff.
¶ What Glotony / I can tell the one thyng
In fa [...]th you wyll be shent
gloto.
¶ Why
w. aff.
¶ My mayster hath sent Sensualyte
To seke the all about the contre
Spakest thou not wyth hym
gloto.
¶ yes parde
I know all hys intent
And thereuppon I am com here
For to awa [...]t / but wotest thou where
Our mayster ys now
w. aff.
¶ Nay I wote nere
I am not very certayn
But Pryde and he together begon
Ne sayd he wold com agayn anon
wythin an howr or twayn
Tary thou here and go net away
I wyll go breke my fast and I may
For I ete neuer a morsell thys day
¶ Then he goeth out.
gloto.
¶ Mary that ys a thyng
Go whan thou wyst I wyll abyde
My stomak he shall not rule or gyde
That ys now fastyng
Nay of all thynge erthly I hate to fast
Four tymes a day I make repast
Or thryse as I suppose
And whan I am well fed
Than get I me to a soft bed
my body to repose
There take I a nap or twayn
[...]p I go streyght and to yt agayn
Though nature be net redy
yet haue I some mete of delyte
For to prouoke [...]happetyte
And make the stomak gredy
After all thys nedys I must
Somtyme folow the wanton lust
[Page] For hote drynkys and delycate reflecyon
Causeth flesshely insurreccyon
ye know yt as well as I
Man.
¶ Trouth as ye say I know yt well
gloto.
¶ What gentylman ys thys can ye tell
bodyly.
¶ Wotyst thou neuer
gloto.
¶ No by the bell
I saw hym neuer byfore
bodyly
¶ Is yt our mayster
gloto.
¶ Nay by the rood
It ys not he woldyst thou make me wood
Man.
¶ yes I am the same
gloto.
¶ I cry you mercy I se yt well now
Byfore I knew you not I make god auow
In ernest nor in game
Man.
¶ Why. Bycause I haue chaunged myne aray
gloto.
¶ For that cause trow ye nay nay
That ys not the thyng
That can dysceyue me be ye sure
but I pray you who hath had you in cure
Syth my last departyng
Man.
¶ By my fayth a lytell season
I folowed the counsell and dyet of reason
gloto.
¶ There went the hare away
Hys dyet ꝙ a / yt may be veryly
For ye be haltred maruelously
Altred I wold say
alas the whyle had ye no mete
As long as ye were vnder hys dyet
Man.
¶ Mete / yes I had som
wythout yt were on fastyng dayes
Than he wythdrew my supper alwayes
and gaue me neuer a crom
gloto.
¶ No force hardely why wold ye than
fauor hym as ye dyd lyke a madman
ye loke now as yt were a gost
Had ye dwelt wyth hym tyll thys day
ye had bene pyned euen away
as ye be now almost
your fleshe ys gon euery dell
A vengeaunce on the morsell
That ys left theron
bodyly
¶ Now talk of the remedy
[Page] gsoto.
[...] now [...] the [...] and [...] safe
[...] ye there none
bodyly
¶ ye bu [...] where ye the m [...]te now [...]
gsoto.
¶ ye are [...]yng hasty be ne d [...]
frist must ye go
where as prouer spon therof ye made
Let ve go thyder and re shalbe had
Man.
¶ But what to the marsiers of the in
A weddyd woman or a vyrgyn
gloto.
¶ Nerther of both I ioys
bodyly
[...] No / but for a mayden she goth
gloto.
¶ ye forgod that she doth
But yet she ye none by Iye
bodyly
¶ No / no / what than
gloto.
¶ I wye I not / but as men clater
They say she ye innupta mater
Hardely an holy woman
Man.
¶ Well thyder we wyll / go we hens
bodyly
¶ Syr ye wyll gyue me lycence
To sport me for a season
Man.
¶ yes for a whyle ye well I now
but go not out of the way I charge you
for hyder wyll come anone
All my cumpany as I suppose
Kepe theym together for I purpose
to come agayn anone
and shew theym my mynde what I wyll do
¶ Then he goeth out
bodyly
¶ Mary I shall do what I can thereto
and yet yt ye hard for me
to kepe theym together any whyle
But I shall tell you what
I had seuer kepe as many flese
Or wyld hares in an opyn lese
as vndertake that
¶ Wrath.
¶ Wherebe these knaues that make thys aray
bodyly
¶ Mary they be gon that other way
tell me whome ye meane
wrath.
¶ I trow thou scornyst
bodyly
¶ Nay certaynly
How so be yt yf I shuld not ly
at the fyrst blushe I ensure you faythfully
[Page] I f [...]nd forgot you [...]
[...] ye be thus defensybly arayd
[...] at that are ye affrayd
who fiath you greued
wrath.
¶ Nay I fere no man that bereth an hee
[...] I seuer that I were dede
than that shuld be preued
bodyly
¶ By my fayth ye are wont to be as bold
as yt were a lyon of cottyswold
but now to my questyon
what meaneth all thys defensyble aray
wrath.
¶ Mary slouth warned vs two thys same day
Euen syth yt was none
that our moyster and Reason shuld make a stay
and therfore he had vs wythout delay
to awayt on our capytayn
bodyly
¶ A now I know the mater ryght well
But what shall com therof I can not tell
It passeth my brayn
Our mayster wylled that we twayn
Shuld tary here tyll he com agayn
enuy.
¶ What wylt thou do than
bodyly
¶ Who I Ienay care not for me
I wyll not com where strokys be
I am not so mad a man
And I wys yt ys not for any fere
But yt ys a thyng that I can well forbere
And wyll as long as I can
Of lust and pleasure ys all my mynde
It longeth to me of properte and kynde
And yf I shuld to the warre
And ly in myne harnes as other men do
[...]yth hunger and thurst a day or two
It shuld me vtterly marre
enuy.
¶ It were a great losse yf thou were mard
Now fy on the stath horson coward
By cokkys preciouse blode
It were no syn to sle suche a knaue
Host not thou wagys as other men haue
And few of vs so good
yet wylt thou fayll vs at thys nede
Now who so euer shall quyte my mede
[...] wyll no further go
[Page] [...] I haue [...] myne own hand
[...] I sh [...]d [...] were the land
Euen when I haue do
¶ When [...]orth out bodyly lust
[...] I you re quy [...]e
[...] as wo [...] ye not at my desyre
Do so my [...]e for me
I [...] wold haue done me more good
to haue s [...]ne the knaues hart blode
than. xx. shrll [...] ngys of fee
Man.
¶ What how syrs what meaneth thys gere,
wyll ye sle eche other here
No more of thys worke
enuy.
¶ By the hart of god and he had abyden
A lytell whyle he shuld neuer haue spoken
wyth preste nor wyth clarke
Man.
¶ Who was that
enuy.
¶ your own mynyon
Bodyly lust
Man.
¶ Why what hath he done
enuy.
¶ Euen like a lurden
He sayth that ye haue gyuen hym lycence,
to abyde at home and kepe resydence
whyle we bere the burden
And serue you now at your nede
Man.
¶ He prayde me so in very dede
wythin these. ii. dayes
He sayd he wold serue me wyth a good wyll
But of the warrys he could no skyll
Nor knew therof the wayes
How be yt I gaue hym therof none answere
enuy.
¶ No but I am sure he wyll not com there
And now ma [...] ye se
That no man ys so myche to blame
As your selfe
Man.
¶ I
enuy.
¶ ye by saynt I ame
No man but euen ye
for I am well a Jured of one thyng
ye gaue hym better clothyng
Than ye dyd me
And better wagys and fees also
And though I sayd but lytell thereto
[Page] But suffered euer more
yet I by [...]aynd yt euer in my mynde
And though that ye were to me vnkynde
To set so [...] at store
By suche a knaue as he was
I wold I had hym here by the masse
And no man but we twayn
Man.
¶ By my trouth thys ys euer thy guyse
Ioke by whom I set any pryse
Hym thou wylt most dysoayn
wrath.
¶ By cryst he can do none other wyse
but now syr ys there any seruyce
That ye wyll commaunde me
Man.
¶ ye mary ys there / but my cumpany
Dresseth theym forward passyng slowly
I trow yt wyll not be
Manhode thou art good I now for one
wrath.
¶ ye by cryst and they cam euery chone
I wyll not gretly fere
enuy.
¶ By my trouth bycause he sayth so
I shall tell you what I saw hym do
I was present there
Syr yt happyned in westmynster hall
Euen byfore the Iuges all
Hys handys were bound fast
And neuer vpon hym that euer god made
Dager sword nor knyfe he had
And yet at the last
He draue. xii. men into a corner
and an howi after durst they not appere
How say ye hereto
and hys handys had bene at syberte
He wose haue put theym in great I eoparde
It ys to suppose so
Man.
¶ Mary there he qurte hym well
but where be myne other folk can ye tell
¶ Thē cometh i Glotony wyth a chese i a botell.
wrath.
¶ Mary here cometh one
Good felyshyp me semeth yt shuld be
gloto.
¶ Syrs god spede you
Man.
¶ What tydyngys wyth the
gloto.
¶ I shall tell you anone
[...] [Page] [...] [Page]
[Page] [...] I am co [...] [...]
For [...]o a [...]de vppon [...]
[...] [...]ll a warfare [...] me
Man.
[...] w [...]re [...]s [...]
gloto.
¶Ma [...]y [...]
[...]re [...]s [...]es I now
wrath.
¶Why hast thou no [...]e [...] but thys
gloto.
¶What the deuyll harnes shuld I mys
wythout yt be a botell
Another botell I wyll go puruey
Lest that drynk be scarce in the way
Or happely none to sell
wrath.
¶Thou must haue other harnes than thys man
gloto.
¶Other harnes nay I shrew me than
I can no skyll theron
why trowest thou that I wyll fyght
enuy.
¶ye so I trow
gloto.
¶Nay by god almyght
Therof wyll I none
I was neuer wont to that gere
But I may serue to be a vyteler
And therof shall ye haue store
So that I may stand out of daunger
Ofgon shot / but I wyll com no nere
I warn you that byfore
enuy.
¶Now suche a knaue I betake to the deuyll
Thys ys euen suche a nother dreuyll
As was here whyle ere
They be. ii. knaues annoynted
I fere me syr ye shalbe dysappoynted
I syke not thys gere
gloto.
¶O I had for goten I make god auow
Syr my felow ease commaundeth me to you
Man.
¶Commaundeth the to me
gloto.
¶you to me
Man.
¶Me to the
gloto.
¶Commaundeth you to hym I wold haue sayd
Man.
¶Why cometh he not hyder
gloto.
¶By god for he ys afrayd
And lyeth syk in hys bed
He toke such a consext whan he hard of thys gere
That for thought and very fere
[Page] wrath.
¶And he were hanged yt were no [...]
I p [...]ay god the deuyll breke hys ne [...]
and all suche as he ys
Man.
¶Well l [...]t vs suffer for a whyle
I wyll go walke hens halfe a myle
and for all thys
Happely all thys gere shall not nede
Now be yt that I dout and drede
The wurst as wyse men do
Manhode com thy selfe wyth me
gloto.
¶And I to syr
Man.
¶ye parde
woldyst thou be prayd thereto
¶Than goeth out Man Glotony / & wrath.
enuy.
¶Now he that wold haue warre or stryfe
I pray god send hym a shrewd wyfe
and than shall he haue I now
But I shall tell you syrs as for me
I am none of theym so mot I the
I may say to you
I wyll no suche rekennyng ys abyde
Goddys body here cometh Pryde
as crank as a pecok
As sone as he and I mete
wythout he stand ryght vppon hys fete
He shall bere me a proude mok
Pryde
¶What tydyngys syrs can any man tell
enuy.
¶ye mary that can I do as well
as any that was in feld
ye haue taryed so long about your gay gere
That the feld ys done or ye come there
Pryde
¶Done mary god sheld
enuy.
¶It ys done wythout fayll
But whyehe of theym hath wone the balayll
I can not tell you certayn
Pryde
¶Thou were not there yt semeth therby
enuy.
¶Not I there ꝙ ayes hardely / [...] that to my grete
but as sone as y e batellys ioyned togeder (payn
I cam my way streyght heder / for to tell tydyng [...]
Pryde
¶What the deuyll tydyngys canst thou tell
enuy.
¶Mary I can shew you nothyng of the batell
but of ma [...]y other tydyngys
ye are out of concext I tell you foreuer
[Page] B [...]cause [...] not you endeuou [...]
[...]t th [...]s great [...]
I [...] so m [...]e [...] ye ore [...] to sees
[...]eth [...] off [...]ce and all your fees
And [...] out of wa [...]s
Pryde
¶ That ys not true as I suppose
enuy.
¶ Syr and [...]t be not t [...]ke my nose
And my hed also
your offyce was gyuen or I cam thens
Pryde
¶ Mary that was a very short sentence
and I not cassed therto
Now enuy what counsell wyst thou gyue me
enuy.
¶ By my trouth Pryde thou mayst byleue me
I [...] I were in thy case
I wold wythdrawe me for a season
though yt be nother felony nor treason
Nor yet wylfull tre space
yet the same ys wurst of all
For euery knaue wyll the call
a co ward to thy face
Pryde
¶ I am vnhappy I seyt well
for thexpense of myne apparell
towardys this vyage
what in horses and other aray
[...]ath compessed me for to say
all my sand to morgage
and now whan I haue all do
To lesse myne offyce and fees also
For my true intent
I may say that all my cost
and all my tyme ys euyll lost
In seruyce that I haue spent
well what so euer by tyde me
for a season I wyll hyde me
after thy counsell
and syth yt wyll no better be
Fare well I take my seue of the
enuy.
[...]ow gentyll Pryde fare well
Alas that I had no good felow here
to bere me cumpany and laugh at thys gere
thys game was well founde
sensua
¶ yes and ye lust to play the knaue
Some maner of cumpany ye myght haue
[Page] S [...]e wythin thys grounde
enuy.
¶ Some I can thynke y [...]ng or old
And [...] yt were a small houshold
as any myght be found
sensua
¶ It ys not small the company sheweth well
But me thought thou were about to tell
Of some mery I este
Or som mery game at my cummyng
enuy.
¶ ye fardely yt ys a game for a hyng
whan he lusteth best
To laugh for hys dysporte and solace
Syr I shall tell the thys ys the case
Ryght now as I stode
In thys place and neuer a man wyth me
In cam Pryde garnyshed as yt had be
One of the ryall blode
It greued me to se hym so well be sene
But I haue abated hys corage clene
For a lytell season
By the rode I haue gyuen hym a chek mate
For I bare hym an hand that he cam to fate
And that the feld was done
and how hys offyce was gyuen away
Bycause he fayled our mayster that day
I made hym to byleue so
And whan I had told hym all thys tale
anone he began to wax all pale
Full of care and wo
and now he hydeth hym felfe for shame
I gaue hym myne aduyse to the same
and so he ys gon
sensua
¶ Now on my fayth thys was madly do
but in fayth what moueth the therto
enuy.
¶ Mary cause had I none
but only that yt ys my guyse
Whan I se another man aryse
Or fare better than I
Than must I chafe and fret for yre
and ymagyn wyth all my desyre
To dystroy hym vtterly
But now in ernest Sensualyte
tell me whan thys fray shal be
I pray y e hartely. ¶ Sensua. What agaynst Rea.
[Page] [...].
[...]e the same
sensua
[...] they be agreed in yarn of shame
and go [...]d cumpany they kepe
enuy.
¶ Agreed [...] in the m [...]re name
Mary fyr [...] at were a game
to make some of vs wepe
sensua
¶ We [...]e or laugh man so yt ys
and who trow ye ys the [...]a user of thys
enuy.
¶ Who
sensua
¶ Age the deuyll hym quell
enuy.
¶ Why ys age now com in pl [...]ce
sensua
¶ ye and that may ye spy by hys face
and ye mark yt well
Hys stomak faynteth euery day
Hys bak croketh hys hed waxeth gray
Hys nose droppeth among
Hys lust ys gone and all hys lykyng
I se yt well by euery thyng
He may not lyue long
and all maketh age as I sayd byfore
He ys the dear / and what trow ye more
thys age hath done
enuy.
¶ What
sensua
¶ By my fayth he hath brought in Reason
In suche wyse that at no season
Nothyng can be wrought
B [...]t Reason must be called therto
I fere me he wyll vs all vndo
wythin few dayes
As sone as Glotony had espyde
all thys gere he wold not abyde
but went euen hys wayes
Our mayster prayed hym to t [...]ry a season
Nay nay quod he / now haue I done
I may no lengar tary
For age and I may not togeder dwell
and streyght way he departed fayre and well
Bodyly lust stode by
and saw that Glotony wold nedys be gon
[...]aue wyth the Glotony quod he anon
For I must go wyth the
So that. [...]. be gon togeder
[...] am there none of theym both heder
[Page] enuy.
¶ Neuer a one that I se
sensua
¶ Well they be gon some other way
to get a new mayster as sone as they may
They can not be ou [...] urueyd
and as for [...] as they. ii. were gon
Our mayster sent for couetyse anon
and [...]rtesy hym prayd
to awayt on hym well for a yere or two
and he hath promysed hym so to do
as for a yere or twayn
But Reason may not therof know
enuy.
¶ Reason quod a / no so I trow
He wyll that dysdayn
but where hath couetyse ben many a day
sensua
¶ He dwelled wyth a prest as I herd say
For he loueth well
Men of the chyrche / and they hym also
and lawyars the / whan they may tend therto
wyll folow hys counsell
enuy.
¶ So men say these as I dwell
but Sensualyte canst thou tell
Now in thys case
what were best for vs to do
sensua
¶ Mary I hold yt best that we go
Nere by to som place
and semble togeder all our cumpany
to here there myndys by and by
and euery mannys opynyon
what shalbe best for to do
enuy.
¶ By my trouth and be yt so
I hold yt welldon
¶ Than they go forth & Reason & Man com in.
Rea.
¶ Syr I haue oft tymes you aduysed
to lyue vertuously / and shewd you the way
and that not wythstandyng / ye haue me dyspysed
And folowed Sensualyte / meny a day
wyll ye so contynue / ye or nay
If euer ye purpose your selfe to amend
It ys tyme / for your lyfe draweth fast to thend
Man.
¶ I can not contynue / though I wold
For age hath wayned me clene therfro
and yet Reason / whan ye me told
Of thys gere meny day a go
[Page] I [...] / I shuld [...]
[...] of your wordys / great story and d [...]
Wold god that my lyfe were to bygyn agayn
Rea.
¶ S [...]eke not therof / that may not be
a thyng don / can not be called agayn
but the thyng / that most fereth me
On your behalue / I tell you playn
Is that ye wold / in no wyse abstayn
From synfull lustys / as I wylled you to do
Tyll now that age compelleth you therto
Man.
¶ That ys full trew / wrthout faynyng
as long as myne appetyte dyd endure
I folowed my lustys / in euery thyng
whyche now by the course and law of nature
And not of my polycy / or good endeuoure
Is taken fro me / for euer more
And so can I deserue / no mede therfore
¶ But not wythstandyng thys myne abusyon
I trust that by the help of your good aduyse
I may be made the chyld of saluacyon
Rea.
¶ yes and ye wyll syr on warantyse
So that ye vtterly forsake and dyspyse
All your old seruauntys in wyll and dede
and do by my counsell
Man.
¶ yes haue ye no drede
Rea.
¶ Than my soule for yours / I lay to wed
ye shall do well / haue ye no mystrust
And fyrst to begyn wyth / I you forbed
All maner of dyspeyre / and secundly ye must
Put to your mynd / and good wyll
To be recured / of your great excesse
For wythout your helpe / yt can not be doubtles
¶ Is in thys example / yf so be the pacyent
Of hym selfe / be wyllyng to haue any remedy
It ys a great furtheraunce to that intent
So that to the preceptys of physyk he apply
And who so doth the contrary / no maruarll truely
Though he myskary / what shuld I bryng
Any mo examples for so playn a thyng
Man.
¶ It shalbe no nede as in thys case
I know ryght well / what ye meane therby
And that wyll I folow by godds grace
Rea.
¶ Than as I told you / yt shalbe no maystry
[Page] your selfe confort / and [...]o [...]aue good remedy
[...] [...]st the great [...] that thou hast don
[...] why the thou hast deserued endles dam [...] o [...]
[...]ut do [...] I [...] the / and [...]aue no d [...]de
And for to [...] the medyeyns / most [...]yng
[...] thy force / do by mr rede
Loke what dysease / [...]s [...] and b [...]
take euer suche a medyeyn as ys [...] in w [...]yng
So that the contrary in all maner of wrse
Must hele hys contrary as physyh doth deuyse
¶ Ryght so who so lusteth fro syn to aryse
where he hath in pryde / done any offence
He can be helpen therof none other wyse
but onely by mekenes / that ys the recompence
agayn Wreth and Enuy / take charyte and pacyence
take almes dede / agayn the syn of coue [...]rse
¶ And to represse glotyny / acquaynt y e wyth abstynece
Agayn foull lust of body / take chastrte [...] cōtynēce
Myche syn groweth by Slouth and by Idelnes
and that must be eschewed by mene of good besynes
[...]o thys be preparatyfys most souerayn
Agaynst thy sores whyche be mortall
Onles that thys medyeyns to theym be layn
Whan thou hast receyued these preparatyfys all
I wyll com agayn yf thou me call
And order the further after my mynde
Man.
[...] ye but where shall I these preparatyfys fynde
Rea.
¶ Thou shalt theym fynde wythm thyn own brest
Of the yt must com / yt must be thy dede
For voluntary sacrafyce pleaseth god best
Thou canst not therof haue help or mede
But yf thys gere of thyn own hart procede
Man.
¶ Well I shall endeuoure me to the vttermost
And trll I haue found theym I shall neuer rest
But how shall I know theym that wote I nere
I pray you shew me that byfore yout departyng
Rea.
¶ It nedeth not therof to enquere
Thou shalt know theym at the fyrst me [...]yng
Of. [...]. contrarys there ys but one seruyng
That ys to say whan thou knowyst well that o [...]
The other contrary ys knowen anon
¶ Then he goeth out [...] [...]kenes cometh in.
¶ Who so woteth hystoryes / of scrypture well
[Page] for your [...]
It forteth not thou [...] ye do
When ye [...] [...]aue [...] for there [...]o
And among I wrll helpe you also
In due t [...]e and place
y e wor.
¶ ye that ye wrll in dede
But now [...]ye wyll ye any thyng
Com [...]nd me byfore mr [...]yng
Man.
¶ Nothyng at all to my w [...]tyng
But our lord haue you in hys kypyng
And send rou well to spede
y e wor.
¶ Wo [...]dly affeccyon come hyder / ye are polytyke
and myche better enured / in thys world than I
I pray you dyspose for me / as ye thynk most lyke
That I may lyue here well and honorably
y e wor.
¶ ye s [...] I shall. Dout ye not hardely
yf yt lyke you / to put me in so great trust
And I trew ye shall fynde me / trew and iust
Man.
¶ I wote well I shall. Surely you be bound
To the world / that hath gyuen you so great cōmendacy [...]
y e wor.
¶ ye syr some men had leuer than a thowsand pound
They myght be commended / of the same fassyon
But syr let passe / all thys commendacyon
and answere to me / I pray you frutefully
In that I shall meue you / substancyally
¶ Syr at few wordys / I you exhorte
Syth that ye be come to your own
Cast your selfe to bere suche a porte
That as ye be / ye may be knowen
Eke yt ys necessary / for that behoue
that there be made / some maner of puruyaunce
Wherby / ye may vere out your countenaunce
¶ Wyll yt lyke you therfore / that I suruey
And se thex [...]ent'of all your land
and there vppon / in all the hast puruey
Both for rou and yours / all maner of v [...]nd
wyth other vtensy [...]tys / redy at your hand
So that ye be puruerd / all tymes [...]rely and late
Of eche thyng / that belongeth to your estate
Man.
¶ your counsell ys good / do as ye thynk best
I comm [...]t all suche thyng / to your dyscrecyon
¶ I shall do my [...]ew / bysynes at the lest
To bryng all thyngys / to good conclusyon
[Page] [...]
[...] I [...] in
[...] [...]yll fyrst [...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...] thy [...]
[...]
[...]
And other thyn [...]rs more tha [...] thys
I shall bryng that hart of [...]ys
To be more howt than yt ys
[...]y a de wys a [...]e
[...]crally I wyll commend hys wyt
That no man can amend yt
And that he ys able therby to syt
as a iuge in comen place
And when I prayse hym thys wyse
I thynke hys hart wyll begyn to ryse
and after that vtterly despyse
any opray counsell to here
He shall trust all to hys own brayne
and than wold Reason neuer so fayne
Though he come and suche oprytway [...]
He shalbe neuer the nere
sensua
¶ Surely thys conseyt ys well found
I shall bryng the in seruyce fortwaynty pound
Pryde
¶ Gramercy brother I thynk me mych bound
To the forthy curtesy
But syr abyde here on thyng
I wyll not be knowen that yt ys my sekyng
sensua
¶ No more wold I for. [...]. shelyng
Let me alone hardely
sensua
¶ Sy [...] yf yt [...]ase yo here ys come a straunge [...]
Th [...] neuer was aquaynted wyth you ere
Somwhat [...] fast and halfe in fere
To put hym selfe in prese
A goodly parsone be ye sure
Both of countenaunce and of feature
If he w [...] drawn in portrayture
And a good man doubtles
ye and a wyse man at all
Wyll yt please you that I hym call
[Page] to suche wyth you.
¶ Mā.
byd hym com.
¶ Sē.
I shall
[...] wyll ne come nere.
sensua
[...] dyd hym welcome for the maner sake
[...] day I am sure he wyll crake
And [...] suche a gentylman dyd hym make
[...] gr [...]at chere
[...] for to dwell wyth you
[...] you he ys a man for your prow
And knoweth the world well I now
No man better than he
Man.
[...] Syr ye be welcom to thys place
Pryde
¶ I thanke you syr / but I do you trespace
to come thus homly.
¶ Sensua.
ye a parlous case
[...]d w [...]te ye are welcom heder
[...]n my fayth by my wyll
ye shall dwell wyth vs styll
Go nere to hym and talk your fyll
I leue you togeder
¶ He goeth forth.
Man.
¶ Now syr what haue ye to say to me
Pryde
¶ No great thyng syr / but I come to se
And to know what maner man ye be
That all men prayseth so mouche
Man.
¶ Prayse whom prayse they.
¶ Pryde.
Mary you
Man me.
¶ Pryde.
ye syr I make myne auow
They gyue you a praysyng good I now
I harde neuer none suche
and surely ye be ryght wurthy
I se well now they do not ly
and therefore I dyd my hyderhy
To acquaym me wyth you
But ye may say that I am bold
Man.
¶ Nay ye ar worth thy weyght of gold
Me thenketh me to you myche behold
I pray you what ys your name
Pryde
¶ My name ys wurshyp.
¶ Man.
Wurshpp now surely
The world told me yt was my destyny
To come to wurshyp or I dye
Pryde
¶ Truly I am the same
Man.
¶ Now wurshyp I pray you me tell
your wysedom and also counsell
ye can aduertyse me passyng well
In thyngys that I haue to do

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