that ȝif they wele trete
of pees / & of acord /
that they schape hē wt outyn
delay or tarynge to comyn vn to vs /
830
whiche thī~g
parfornede was / in deede
& whāne these trespasouris
& repentȳge folk of here folyis / that is to seyne
the aduersaryis of Melibee /
haddyn herd what
these messageris seydȳ vn to hem /
they weere right
glad & ioyeful / & answeredyn ful mekely & benyg-
nely
ȝeldȳge gracis / & thankyngis to here lord Me-
libee & to alle his cūpaynye /
835
& schopȳ hē with ou-
tyn delay to gon with the massangeris / & obeye
to the comaūdement of here lord Melibee //
& ryȝt
a noon they toke here woye to the court / of Me-
libee /
& tokyn with hem sūme of here trewe frē-
dis to make feith for hem / & for to been here bor-
wys /
And whāne they were come to the presen-
ce / of Melibee / he seyde hē these wordys /
It stādith
thus quod Melibee / & soth it is that
840
causeles &
with outyn skille / & resoū
ȝe han doon greete In-
iurijs & wrongis / to me & to myn wif Prudence
And to myn doughtyr also /
for ȝe han entred in to
myn hous by violence /
& han doon swich outrage
that alle men knowȳ wel / that ȝe han deseruyd
the deth /
And therfore wele I knowe & wete of
ȝow
845
whethir ȝe wele putte the ponyschȳge and
the chastisynge in to vengeaūce / of this outage
in the wil of me / & of mȳ wif ; or ȝe wele nat .
Thāne the wyseste of hem thre / answere-
de for hē alle & seyde //
Sire we knowe
wel that we been onworthy to come to
the court of so gret a lord & so worthy as ȝe been
For we han so greetly mystakyn vs / & han offen-
dit & agilt in swich awise a geyn ȝoure hye lordsche-
pe /
that trewely we han deseruyd the deth /
850
But
ȝit for the greete goodnesse / & debonaierete / that
al the world witnessith of ȝoure persoone /
we sub-
myttyn vs to the excellence & the benygnete of
ȝoure graciouse lordschepe
And been redy to obeye
to alle ȝoure comandementis /