oþer remedye but for to haue recours vnto þe soueraigne
Iugge þat vengith alle vilonies and wronges
and he schal
venge ȝow after þat himself witnesseþ where as he saith
490
leueþ þe vengeaunce to me and I schal ȝelde it
¶ MelibeĆ«
answerd . If I ne venge me nouȝt of þe vilonye þat mē haue
doon vnto me .
I schal sounere warne hem þat han doon
to me þat vilonye and aƚƚ oþere to doo me anoþer vilonye
For it is writen ¶ Tak no vengeaunce of an old vilonye
þou suffrest þin aduersarie do þe a newe vilonye .
and
also for my suffraūce men wolde do me so moche vilonye
þat I mighte neither bere it ne susteyne it .
495
and so schul-
de I be put over lowe
For men say in moche sufferynge
schal many þinges falle vnto whiche þou schalt nouȝt
mowe suffre
¶ Certes quod prudence I graunte ȝow wel
þat ouer mochil suffraunce is nouȝt good ;
but ȝit folwiþ
it nought þerof þat euery persone to whom men doon vilonye
take of it vengeaunce .
For it appartieneþ and longeþ al
oonly to þe Iugges . For þay schul venge þe vilonyes and
þe iniuries .
500
and þerfore þe auctoritees þat ȝe haue sayd a-
boue been oonly vnderstonden in þe Iugges
¶ For whā
þay suffre to mochil þe wronges and þe vilonyes that
ben doon wiþoute punysshyng
þay somne not a man
oonly to doo newe wronges ; but þay comaūde hit .
also
þe wise man saith ¶ The Iugge þat correcteþ not the
synnere comaundith him and byddith him doon anoþer
synne
¶ And þe Iugges and souereignes mighten ī here
lond so mochil suffren of þe schrewes and mys doeres
505
þat þay schulde by such suffraunce by proces of tyme
wexen of such power and migħt þat þay schulde put
out þe Iugges and þe souereignes from here places
&
atte laste do hem lese here lordschipes
¶ But lete vs
now putte þat ȝe han leue to venge ȝow .
I say ȝe ben
nouȝt of might ne power as now to venge ȝou
For if
he wolde make cōparisoū as to þe migħt ¶ Of ȝoure
aduersaries ȝe schulde fynde in many þinges þt I haue I
schewed ȝow er þis þat here condicioū is bettre þan
ȝoures
510
¶ And þerfore say I þat it is good as now þat ȝe
suffre and be pacient
¶ Forþermore ȝe knowe þat after