fol. 125v (cont.)I
Passus quartus de visione ·
c
CEce seyde the kynge y suffre ȝowe no lenger
ȝe schulle sauȝtle forsothe · and serue me bothe
kysse here quod the kynge conscyence y hote
Hm.4.4KD.4.4
Nay by cryste quod conscyence · ere congeye me for euere
but resoun rede me therto · rather wolde y deyȝe
And y comaunde the quod the kynge to conscyence thanne
rape the to ryde · and resoun thu fecche
Hm.4.8KD.4.8
comaunde hym to come · my counseyl to here
for he schal rewle my rewme · and rede me the besteHm.4.9: Kane-Donaldson supply the following line from Cr2-3OC2Y: Of Mede and of mo oþere, what man shal hire wedde.
and acounte wyth the conscyence · so me cryste helpe ·
fol. 126rI
howe thu lerneste the peple · the lered and the lewed ·
Hm.4.12KD.4.13
Y am fayn of þat forowarde · seyde the freke thanneHm.4.12: At this point, all other manuscripts contain three lines not found in Hm, here given in the spelling of L:
And ritte riȝte to resoun and rowneth in his ere
And seide as þe kynge badde and sithen toke his leue
I shal arraye me to ride quod resoun reste þe a while
. The omission was probably caused by eye-skip because both KD.4.14 and KD.4.17 begin with and. The mistake may have been easy to miss since the line still makes sense syntactically.
and called Catoun his knaue · curteys of speche
and also Tomme trewe tunge · telle me no tale
no lesynge to laugh of · for y loued hem neuere
Hm.4.16KD.4.20
and sette my sadull vpon Suffre · tyl y se my tyme
and late warrokke hym well · wyth wytty woordes gerte
and hange on hym an heuy brydel · to holde his heed lowe
or he woll make we-he · twyes orHm.4.19: Or, "ere." he be there
Hm.4.20KD.4.24
Thanne conscyence vpon his capull · caryeth foorth faste
and resoun wyth hym rygth · rownynge togydres
whiche maystryes mede · maketh on this erthe
#
On waryn wysdom · and wytty his fere
Hm.4.24KD.4.28
folowed hym faste · for they hadde to done
yn the Eschequer and yn chauncerye · to be descharged of thynges ·
and ryde faste for resoun schulde · rede hem the beste
forto saue hem for seluer · fro schame and fram harmes
Hm.4.28KD.4.32
And conscience knewe hem well · they loueden couetyse
and badde resoun ryde faste · and recche of here neythur
there are wyles in h.ere woordes · and wyth mede they dwellen ·Hm.4.30-38: A drypoint shield is inscribed in the right margin.
there-as wraþþe and wranglynge is · there wynne þey seluer ·
Hm.4.32KD.4.36
ac where is loue and leaute · they woll nougth come there
Contricio & infelicitas in vijs eorum · & cetera
They ne ȝyuen nougth of god · oo gose wenge
Non est timor dei ante oculos eorum · & cetera
Hm.4.36KD.4.38
For god woote they woll do more · for a dozeyn chyknes
or as many capouns · or for a seme of otes ·
than for the loue of oure lorde or alle his leue seyntys
for-...thi resoun late hem ryde · tho ryche by hem-selue
Hm.4.40KD.4.41
for conscyence knoweth hem nougth · ne cryste as y trowe
and thanne resoun rode faste · the rygth hie gate
and conscyence hym kennyde · tyl they come to the kynge
Curteysly the kynge thenne · cam. aȝenste resoun
Hm.4.44KD.4.45
and bytwene hym-selue · and his sone · sette hem on benche
and woordedyn fulwyslyful wysly · a grete while togydres
And thanne came pes into parlemente and putte foorth a bylle
howe wronge aȝenste his wylle · hadde hijs wyfe taken
Hm.4.48KD.4.49
and howe he rauasched rose · reynaldes loue
and Margarete of here maydenhode · mawgre here chekes
bothe my gees and my gry.es · his gadlynges feccheth ·
fol. 126vI
y dare nougth for drede of hem · fygth ne chyde
Hm.4.52KD.4.53
he borowed of me baȝarde and brougth hym neuere aȝen
ne no ferþynge therfore · for ougth y couthe plede
he manteneth his men · to morthre myn hewen
forstalleth my markettes · and fyȝteth in my chepynge
Hm.4.56KD.4.57
and breketh vp my bernys doore · and bereth a-wey my whete
and taketh me but a tayle for ten quarters otys ·
ȝette he beteth me therto · and lyggeth by my mayde
y am nougth so hardy · for hym · vnnethe forto loke
Hm.4.60KD.4.61
The kynge knewe he seyde soth · for conscyence hym tolde
that wronge was a wykked lyfte · and wrougth moche sorowe
wronge was affered thanne · and wysdome he sougthe
to make pes wyth his pans · and profred hym manye
Hm.4.64KD.4.65
and seyde hadde y loue of my lorde · the kynge · lytyl wolde y recche
thouhe Pes and his power · pleynede hem .euere
Tho wente wysdome · and sere wareyne the wytty ·
for that wronge hadde wrougth · so wykked a dede
Hm.4.68KD.4.69
and warnyd wronge wyth suche a wys tale
who-so werketh by wylle · wratthe maketh ofte
y seye it by my-selfe · thu schalte yt wel fynde
but ȝif mede it make · thy myscheefe ys vppe
Hm.4.72KD.4.73
for bothe thy lyfe and thy londe lyeth in his grace
Thanne wowed wronge wysdome ful ȝerne
to make his pes wyth his pans · handydandy payed
wysdome and wytte thanne · wenten to-gydres
Hm.4.76KD.4.77
and tooken meede wyth hem · mercy to wynne
Pes putte foorth his hede · and his panne blody
wyth-outen gulte · god ytte wote gate y this scathe
conscyence and the comune · knewen the sothe
Hm.4.80KD.4.81
ac wysdome and wytte · weren abowte faste
to ouercome the kynge · wyth catel ȝif they mygthe
The kynge swoore by cryste · and by his crowne bothe
that wronge for his werkes · schulde wo tholye
Hm.4.84KD.4.85
and comawnndede a cunstable · to caste hym in yrens
and late hym nougth this seuene · ȝere · sene his feet ones
God wote quod wysdome · that were nougth the beste
and he amendes mowe make · leteth ...?...hym meynpris haue
Hm.4.88KD.4.89
and be borowe for his bale · and beggen hym boote
and so amende that is mysdo · and euermore the bettre
wytte accorded therwyth · and seyde the same ·
fol. 127rI
bettre is that bote · bale adowne brynge ·
Hm.4.92KD.4.93
thanne bale be ybet.ee · and bote neuere the bettre
And thanne gan mede to mengyn here · and mercy besougthe
and profred pes a presente · all of pure golde
haue this · man of me quod sche · to amende ...thi scathe
Hm.4.96KD.4.97
for y woll wagen for wrongeHm.4.96: A raised point is added over the erased <e>. · he woll do so nomore
Pytously pes thanne · prayede to the kynge
to haue mercy · on that man · that mysdede hym so ofte
for he hath waged me well · as wysdome hym taugthe
Hm.4.100KD.4.101
and y furȝiue hym that gulte wyth a good wylle
so that the kynge assente · y can seye no bettre
for mede me hath amendes maad · y may namore aske ·
Nay quod the kynge · so me cryste me helpe
Hm.4.104KD.4.105
wronge wendeth nougth soawayso away · furste y woll wyte more
for lepte he solygthlyso lygthly · laughen he wolde
and efte baldere be · to bete myn hewen ·
but resoun haue rewthe on hym · he schall reste in my stokkes ·
Hm.4.108KD.4.109
and that also longe as he lyueth · but lownesse hym borowe ·
Summe radde resoun tho to haue rewthe on that schrewe ·
and forto conseyle the kynge and conscyence after ·
that mede muste be maynpernour · resoun they besougthe ·
Hm.4.112KD.4.113
Rede me nougth quod resoun · no rewþe to haue
tyl lordes and ladyes · louen alle trewthe ·
and hatyn alle harlotrye · to here or to mowthe yt ·
tyl pernell purfyl · be putte in here hucche
Hm.4.116KD.4.117
and chyldren cheryschynge · be chastysed by ȝerdes ·
and harlotes holynes · be holdyn for an hyne
tyl clerkyn couetyse · be · to cloþe poore and fede
and relygyous romers · recordare · in her cloystres ·
Hm.4.120KD.4.121
a.s seynte benet hem bad... bernarde and Fraunces
and tyl prechours prechynge · be preuyd on hem-selue
tyl the kynges counseyl · by the comune profyte
tyl Buschopes bayardes · ben beggers chambres ·
Hm.4.124KD.4.125
here haukes and here houndes · helpe to poore relygyous
and tyl seynte Iames be sougth · there y schall assygne
that noman go to Galyce · but ȝif he go for euere
and alle rome-renners · for robbers byȝonde
Hm.4.128KD.4.129
bere no seluer ouer the see · that sygne of kynge scheweþ
neyther graue nor vngraue · golde neyþer syluer ·
vpon forfeture of that fee · who-so fynte yt atte douer ·
fol. 127vI
but ytte be Marchaunte or his man · or messagere wyþ lettris
Hm.4.132KD.4.133
prouysour or preste · or penaunte for his synnes ·
And ȝetteHm.4.133: The original scribe wrote ȝette. A corrector erased the final <te> and restroked the first <t>. quod resoun by the rode · y schall no rewthe haue
while mede haþ the maystrye · in this mote-halle
ac y may schewe ensamples · as y see otherwhyle
Hm.4.136KD.4.137
y seye yt by my-selfe quod he · and yt so were
that y were kynge wyth corowne to kepe þe rewme
schulde neuere wronge in this worlde that y mygth wyte
ben vnpunsched in my power · for peryl of my soule
Hm.4.140KD.4.141
ne gete my grace for ȝiftes · so god me saue
ne for no mede haue mercy · but mekenesse yt made
for nullum malum the man · mette wyth inpugnituminp[u]nitum ·
and badde nullum bonum be irremuneratum
Hm.4.144KD.4.145
Late ȝoure confessour syre kynge · construe this vnglosed
and ȝif ȝe wurchyn this werke · y wedde myn eres
that lawe schall ben a laborer · and lede afelde dungge
and loue schall lede þy londe · as the leef lyketh
Hm.4.148KD.4.149
Clerkes that weren confessours · coupled hem to-gydres
alle to construe þis clause · and for þe kynges profyte
ac nougth for profyte · of þe comune · ne for the kynges soule
for y say mede yn þe Mothalle · on men of lawe wynke
Hm.4.152KD.4.153
and þey lawynge loopen to here · and lefte resoun manye
wareyne wysdome · wynked vppon mede ·
and seyde Madame y am ȝoure man · what-so my mowthe iangle
y falle ynyle floreyns quod that freke · and fayle speche ofte
Hm.4.156KD.4.157
All rygthfull recordede · that resoun trewþe tolde
and wytte accordede þerwyth · and comended his woordes
and þe moste peple in þe halle · and many of þe grete
and leten mekenesse amaystera mayster · and mede mansed schrewe
Hm.4.160KD.4.161
Loue leet of here lygth · and leaute well lasse
and seyde it so hye · that all the halle yt herde
who-so wylneþ here to wyue · for welþe of here goodes
but he be knowe for a cokewolde · kutte of myn nose
Hm.4.164KD.4.165
Mede mornyd tho · and made heuy chere
for þe moste comune of þat courte called here an hore
and a sysoure and a sumnoure · seweden here faste
and a scherreues clerke bysch.....rewyd was all þe route
Hm.4.168KD.4.169
for ofte haue y quod ...sheHm.4.168: The spelling, inserted over an erasure probably by hand3, is unique in this manuscript for she. Hand1's and hand2's normal spelling is sche. · holpen ȝowe atte barre
and ȝet ȝoue ȝe me neuere · þe worþ of a rusche
The kynge called conscyence · and aftyrward resoun ·
fol. 128rI
and recordede that resoun · hadde ryghtfully schewed
Hm.4.172KD.4.173
and modyly vpon mede · wyth mygth the kynge loked ·
and gan wexe wroth wyþ lawe · for mede hadde yt schente
and seyde thorowe ȝoure lawe · y lese many enchetes
Mede ouermaystreth lawe · and moche trewþe letteth ·
Hm.4.176KD.4.177
ac reson schall rykene wyth ȝowe · yf eny while y reygne
and deme ȝowe by this day · as ȝe haue deseruyd ·
mede schall nougth maynprise ȝowe by the marye of heuene
y woll haue leaute in lawe · and leue all ȝoure ianglynge
Hm.4.180KD.4.181
and as moste moste folke wytnesseþ well · wronge schal be demyd
Quod conscyence to the kynge · but the comune woll assente
yt is full harde by myn hede · here to brynge yt
Alle ȝoure lyche ledes · to lede thus euene ·
Hm.4.184KD.4.185
by hym that reste on the rode · quod resoun to the kynge
but y rewle thus ȝowre rewme · lete rende out ...my guttes
ȝif ȝe bydden buxumnesse · be of myn assente
And y assente quod the kynge by seynt Marye my lady
Hm.4.188KD.4.189
by my comen conseyl · of clerkes and of erles
ac redyly resoun thu schalte nougth ryde fram me
for also longe as y leue · lete the y nylle ·
y am all redy quod resoun · to reste wyth ȝowe euere
Hm.4.192KD.4.193
so conscyence be of oure conseyl · y kepe no bettreHm.4.192: After this line, all other manuscripts contain a line not found in Hm, here given in the spelling of L: And I graunt quod the kynge goddes forbode it faile. Perhaps the omission is due to an eye-skip, for both the omitted line and the next begin (in most manuscripts) with the letter A. Despite the omission, the lines make perfect syntactic sense, though now the final line would have to be spoken by Reason rather than the King, whose words begin the omitted line. ·
also longe as oure lyfe lasteth · lyue we to-gydres ·
MED