warne hem that han doon to me that vilenye & al-
le othere to doon to me a nothir vilenye /
for it is
wretyn / ȝif thow take no vengeaūce of an opyn
vilanye / thow somounyst thȳne aduersaryis ; to do
the a newe velanye
And also for myn sufferaūce
men woldȳ do me so meche vilenye / that I ne myg-
hte neythir beere it ne susteene /
495
& so schulde I bee
put & holdyn ouyr lowe /
For men seyn in meche
sufferynge schal manye thȳgis falle vn to the whi-
che thow schalt nat mowe sufferre
CErtis quod prudence I graūte now that
ouyr meche sufferaūce / is nat good
But
ȝit ne folwith it not therof / that euery
persone to whō men doon vilenye ; tak of it venge-
aunce /
for that apertenyth / & longith al only to the
Iugis / for they schul venge / the vilanyis & the In-
iurijs /
500
And therfore to two autoriteis / that ȝe
han seyd a bouyn / been only vndyrstondyn In the
Iugis
For whan they sufferyn ouermeche the wrō-
gis & vilenyis to been doon with outyn punyschȳ-
ge
they somone nat a man al only for to doon ne-
we wrongis / but they comaūdyn it /
also a wys man
seyth / that the Iuge that corectith nat the synnere
comaūdyth / & biddyth hȳ to do synne /
& the Iugis & so-
uereynys / myȝtyn in here land so meche suffere
of the schrewis & mysdoerys ;
505
that they schuldȳ by
swich sufferaūce / by processe of tyme / waxen of
swich poweer & myȝt / that they schuldyn puttȳ
out / the Iugis & the souereynys frō here placis
&
at the laste makyn hē to lesyn here lordschepe //
But
lat vs now putte putte that ȝe han leue to vengen
ȝow /
I seye ȝe been nat of myȝt & power as now to
venge ȝow /
For ȝif ȝe wele make cōperarisoū vn to þõ
myȝt of ȝoure aduersaryis / ȝe schul fynde in manye
thyngis that I haue schewid ȝow er this / that hire
condicioū is bettere thā ȝoures
510
& therfore seye I that
it is good / as now / that ȝe suffere & been pacient /
Fertheremore ȝe knowe wel / that aftyr the comu-
ne sawe / it is a woodnesse a man to stryue with a
strongere / or a moore myȝty man / thā he is hȳ-
selue /