cause and matiere to preyse ȝou of pite and of mercy
895
and þat ȝe han
no cause to repente ȝou of þing þat ȝe doon
¶ For Senek seiþ ; he
ouercomeþ in euel manere þat repenteþ him of his victory
¶ Wherfore
I pay ȝou let mercy be in ȝoure herte
to þeffecte and þe entent þat god
almighty haue mercy vpon ȝou in his laste Iuggemēt
¶ Wiþoutē mercy
schal be to him þat haþ no mercy of anoþer wigħt
900
¶ Whan mellibe had
herde þe grete skiles and resoūs of Dame Prudence and of hire wise
informacioūs and techinges ;
his herte gan enclyne to þe wille of
his wyf consyderyng to þe trewe entent
cōformed him anon ¶ And
assented fully to worchen after hire counseil .
and þankeþ god of whō
procedeth aƚƚ goodnesse þat him sente a wyf of so gret discrecioū
¶ And when þe day came þat his aduersaries schulde apperen in his
persence ;
905
he spake to hem ful goodly and sayde to hem in þis wise /
¶ Al be it so þat of ȝoure pruyde and by persumpcioū and folye ¶ And
of ȝoure necligence and vnkūnynge
ȝe han mysborn ȝou and trespas-
ed to me //
ȝet for as meche as I se and byholde ȝoure grete humilite
and þat ȝe ben sory and repentaunt of ȝoure gultes ;
910
it constreignetħ
me to do ȝou gace and mercy
¶ Wherfore I receyue ȝou vnto my grace /
and forȝiue ȝou outrely aƚƚ þe offenses Iniuries and wronges þat
ȝe han doon aȝeins me and myne
to þis effecte and to þis ende / þat
god of his endeles mercy
wol at þe tyme of oure deyinge forȝiuen
oure gultes þat we han trespast vnto him in þis wrecchede world ~
915
¶ For douteles if we ben sory and repentaunt of þe synnes and gultes
þe whiche we han trespassed in þe sigħt of oure lord god ;
he is so fre
and so mercyful
þat he wol forȝiuen vs oure gultes
and bringen vs
to þilke blisse þat neuer haþ ende . To which blisse he vs bringe
That blood on crosse for vs gan springe Qi cū prē
¶ Here endeþ Chaucers tale of Mellibe ~
Whan ended was þe tale of Mellibe
And of Prudence and hire benignite
Oure hoost sayde as I am feyþful man
And By þe precious corpus Madryan
5
I hadde leuer þan a barel ale
That goode leef my wyf had herd þis tale
For sche nys no þing of such pacience
As was þis Mellibeus wyf Prudence