The Multitext Edition > Aberystwyth, National Library of Wales MS. Peniarth 392 D
The Tale of Melibeus
Folio 233r
5 of 38 folios
cause / þt by the gace / of oure lord god / ye shul be reconsiled vn to vs
795
¶ Thanne seyden they with o voys
worshipful lady
/ we putten
vs
& oure goodes al fully
/ in youre wyl
& disposicio
ū /
& been
redy to come / what day þt it like vn to youre noblesse / to lymy-
te vs / or assigne vs /
for to maken / oure obligacion & boond /
as strong as it liketh vn to youre goodnesse /
þ we mowe ful-
fille / the wyl of yow / & of my lord Melibe
¶ Whanne Dame
Prudence / hadde herd the answeres of thise men ; she bad hē
go agayn piuely /
800
& she retourned / to hir lord Melibe / & tolde
hym / how she fand hise Aduersaries ful repentant
knoweli-
chynge ful lowely / hir synnes & trespas / & how they weren
redy / to suffren al peyne /
requerynge / & prayynge hym / of
mercy & pitee
¶ Thanne seyde Melibe
he is wel worthy
/ to
haue
pardo
ū & foryifnesse of his synne
/ þt excuseth nat his
synne
/
but knowelicheth
& repenteth hym
/ axinge Indulgen-
ce
805
For Senek seith
Ther
is the remissio
ū & foryifnesse
/ whe-
re as the confessio
ū is
/
for confessio
ū / is neighebore to Inno-
cence
And he seith
/ in another place
that hath shame of his synne
& kno-
welicheth it
And therfore
/ I assente
& conferme me to haue
~pees ;
but it is good / þt we do it nat wt outen thassent & wil
of oure freendes
¶ Thanne was Prudence
/ right glad
& ioye-
ful
/ & seyde
810
Certes sire quod she / ye han wel & goodly an-
swerd /
for right as by the conseil / assent & help / of youre fren-
des / ye han ben stired / to venge yow / & make werre ;
right so
/ w outen hir
conseil
/ shul ye nat acorde yow
/ ne haue pees
with youre Adu
ersaries
For the lawe seith
Ther nys no
~thyng so good
/ by wey of kynde
/ as a thyng
to been vnboun-
de
/ by hym
þt it was ybounde
And thanne Dame Prudence /
w outen delay / or taryynge / sente anon messages / for hir
kyn / & for hir olde freendes / whiche þt were trewe & wise /
815
and tolde hem by ordre / in the persence of Melibe / al this ma-
tere / as it is aboue experssed & declared /
& preyde hem
/ þt they
wolde yeuen hir
auys
& conseil
/ what best were to do
/ in
this nede
And whan Melibees freendes / hadde taken hir
auys & deliberacioū of the forseyde matere /
& hadden exa-
myned it by greet bisynesse & greet diligence ;
they yaue
ful conseil / for to haue pees & reste /
820
& þt Melibe
/ sholde re
-ceyue w
t good herte
/ hise adu
ersaries
/ to foryifnesse
& m
ercy
And whanne Dame Prudence / hadde herd the assent of hir
lord Melibe / & the conseil of his freendes /