we submitte vs vnto þe hihe excellence & benignite of ȝoure graci-
ous lorschip
and bien rede to obeie vn to al ȝoure cōmandementes
Besecheinge ȝowe þat of ȝoure merciable pitee to wylne consider our
And to grante vs for ȝefnesse
of owre owtrageous trespas & offense ;
855
For wel we knowe þat ȝour li-
berale grace & mercye strecchen ferþer in to goodenesse þan done owre outra-
geous giltes & trespasses in to wikkednesse ;
albeit þat cursedly & dampna-
blye we haue gilte aȝeines ȝowre hihe Lordschippe ;
Than Mellibe toke
him vpe fro þe grounde ful benyngly
& receyued her obligacions & her
Landes by hire oþes vppon here plegges & her borwes
& assigned hem a
certein daie to retorne vn to his courtes ;
860
for to accepte & receyve þe
sentence & Iuggement þat Mellibe wold Comande to be done on hem
be þe causes aforne seide ;
whiche þinge ordeint ; euery man retourned to his
hous ;
And whan þat Dam prudence sawhe here time sche feyned & ax-
ed her lord Mellibe ;
whatte vengeance he þouht to take on his aduersaris
¶ To whiche Mellibe anseward & seide ; Certes qd ; I. þenke & prpos fully
865
to disherit hem of al þat þei haue ; & for to putten hem in exile for euer
more
¶ Certes qd Dame Prudence þis were a cruel sentence & mechel
aȝeines resoū ;
For ȝe be riche ynowhe & haue \þ/ no nede of oþere mēnes go-
ode ;
and ȝe myht lyhtly geten ȝow a couetouse name .
whiche is a vici-
ous þinge & ouhte be eschewed of euery man ;
870
For after þe sawe of þe Apos-
tle Couetise is rote of al harmes
¶ And þerefore it were better to lese so
muchel goode of ȝoure owen ; þan for to tak of here goode in þis maner
¶ For bett er it is to lese goode wiþ worschippe þan it is goode to wynne wor-
schippe wiþ velanye and schame
¶ And euery man ouhte to done his be-
sinesse to geten him a goode name ;
And ȝitte schal he nouht onely kep-
pen him in kepinge of his good name ; //
875
Bott he schal also enforcen him
alweie to done some þinge be whiche he may renouelle his goode name
For it is ywritte ; þat þe olde good losē or goode name of a man is sone gone
& passed ; whan it is nouht newed ne renouelled ;
And as toucheinge þat
ȝe seyne þat ȝe wol exile ȝoure aduersaries ;
þat þenkeþ me muchel aȝeines
reson & out of mesure ;
Consider þe power þat þei haue ȝouen ȝowe vp-
on hem selfe ;
880
And it is wreten þat he is worþe to lesen his piuelege þt
mysvseþe þe myht & þe pouere þat is ȝouen him
¶ And .I. sette caas þt
ȝe myht annoye hem þat peyne be riht & lawe .
whiche .I. trowe ȝe may not
do ;
.I. seye ne myht not put it to excucion ; Paraduenture
& þan were it lik-
ly to retorne to þe werre as it was be forne
885
¶ And þer fore if ȝe wiƚƚ þt
men do ȝowe obseruance & obeysaūce ; ȝe most deme more curteisly ;
þis is
to seine ȝe most ȝeue mor esi sentence & Iuggementz ;
for it is wreten
þat he þat most curtesly cōmandeþ ; to him . men most obeyen
¶ And þer
fore .I. praye ȝowe þat in þis necessite ; & in þis nede ȝe casten þere fore
to ouere come ȝoure hert ;
¶ For Senec seiþe he þat ones ouere cōmeþ his hert
ouer cōmeþ twyes