885
moste deme moore curteisly /
this is to seyn
/ ye moste yeue
/ moore
esy sentences
& Iugementz
For it is writen / that he / þt moost
curteisly cōmandeth / to hym / men moste obeyen /
& therfore I.
pray yow
/ þt in this necessitee
/ & in this nede
/ ye caste yow to ou
er-
come your
herte
For Senek seith
![[wedge]](images/wedge.png)
that he
þt ou
ercome
þ his herte
~ ou
ercome
þ twies
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And Tulliƫ seith
![[wedge]](images/wedge.png)
ther is no thyng so c
ōm
ēdable
in a greet lord
/
as whan he is debonaire
& meke
& apeiseth hym
lightly
And I pray yow / þt ye wol forbere now to do vengean-
ce /
in swich a manere / þt youre good name / may be kept & conser-
ued /
& þt men mowe / haue cause & matere / to preise yow / of
pitee & of mercy /
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& þt ye haue no cause
/ to repente yow of thyng
þt ye doon
For Senek seith
![[wedge]](images/wedge.png)
he ou
ercometh
/ in an yuel manere
þt repenteth hym
/ of his victorie
Wherfore / I prey yow / lat mercy
be in youre herte /
to theffect
& entente
/ þt god almyghty haue m
erci
on yow in his laste Iugement
For Seint Iame seith
/ in his epistle
Iugement w
t oute m
ercy
/ shal be doon to hym
/ þt hath no m
ercy
/ of
another wight
900
¶ Whanne Melibe hadde herd / the grete skiles
& resons of dame Prudence / & hir wise Informacioūs & te-
chynges /
his herte gan enclyne / to the wyl of his wyf / consi-
derynge hir trewe entente /
conformed hym anon & assented
fully / to werken after hir conseil /
& thonked god
/ of whom
proce-
deth al v
ertu
/ & al goodnesse
/ þt hym sente a wyf
of so greet discreco
ū
And whanne the day cam / þt hise Aduersaries / sholde appieren /
in his persence ;
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he spak to hem ful goodly
/ & seyde in this wise
![[wedge]](images/wedge.png)
¶ Al be it so / þt of youre pride / & by persumpcioū & folie / & of youre
necligence & vnkonnynge /
ye haue mysborn yow / & trespased
vn to me ;
yet for as muchel / as I se & biholde youre grete hu-
mylitee /
& þt ye been sory & repentant of youre giltes ;
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it con-
streyneth me / to do yow gace & mercy /
Wherfore / I receyue yow
to my gace /
& foryeue yow outrely alle the offenses / Iniuri-
es & wronges / þt ye haue doon / ageyns me & myne /
to this
effect & to this ende / þt god / of his endelees mercy /
wole atte
tyme of oure dyynge / foryeuen vs oure giltes þt we han
trespassed to hym / in this wrecched world /
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for doutelees / if
we be sory & repentant of the synnes & giltes / whiche we
han trespased / in the sighte of oure lord god ;
he is so free
& so merciable /
þ he wole foryeuen vs oure giltes /
& bryn-
gen vs to the blisse / that neuere hath ende ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ .
¶ Here is endid / Chaucers tale / of Melibe