to alle ȝoure comandementis /
besekynge ȝow that
of ȝoure Merciable pete / ȝe wolde considere oure
greete repentaūce & lowe submissioū
& graūte
vs forȝeuenesse of oure outrageous trespacis and
offence
855
for weel we knowyn / that ȝoure liberal
grace // & mercy / strechȳ hem ferthere / in to good-
nesse ; thā don oure outrageouse giltis & trespacis
in to wekedenesse
Albe it that cursedely & dāp-
nably we han gilt agen ȝoure highe lordschepe .
Whanne the wiseste of hē thre / Answerede for
hē alle & seyde // Sere quod / he we knowe weel
that / we been onworthi to come to the court
of so greet a lord & so worthy as ȝe been /
for we han
so greetly mystakȳ vs / & han offendede \&/ agylt in swich
a wise a geyn ȝore heye lordschepe that trewely we han
deseruyd / the deth /
But ȝit for the grete goodnesse / & debo-
nayerete / that al the world witnessith of ȝoure persoone
we submittyn vs / to the excellence / & benygnetee / of ȝore
gracious lordschepe /
And been redy to obeye to ȝore
heye lordschepe & to alle ȝoure comaūdementis / bese-
kynge ȝow of ȝoure merciable pete /
ȝe wolde conside-
re / oure greete repentaūce & lowe submyscioū & gante
vs forȝeuenesse of oure outrageous trespace & offēsse
for weel we knowyn that ȝoure liberal grace \and /
mercy strechn hē ferthere in to goodnesse ;
than dō
oure outrageoƫ giltis / & trespas into wikkedenesse
Al be it that cursedely & dampnably we han agilt
a geyn ȝore heye lordschepe /
¶ Thāne Melibee tok hem vp frō the ground
ful benygnely /
& resseyuede here oblygacy-
ounys & here bondis by here othis vpon
here plegges / & borewis /
and assignede hem a certeȳ
day to retorne vn to hise corit
860
forto receyue & accep-
te the sentence / & Iugement that Melibee wolde com-
maūde to been doon on hem / by the cause afforseid .
whyche thyngis ordeynyd / euery man retorned to
his hous //
And whāne that dame Prudence saw
hire tyme sche feynede and axede hire lord / Melibee