Hoccleve's works. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

(2) The chartre of pardon.

[14 stanzas of 7 lines each, ababb, cc.]

(1)

Ihesu, kyng of hie heuen a-bove, [folio 26] Line 1 Vnto Michael my chief lieu-tenaunt,

And alle thin ássessourës wich I love, That in my seruice be perséueraunt have euermore, and to me ful pleasaunt— Line 5 My gretyng;—and, upon the peyne of dreed, Vnto this present chartre take[th] heed. Line 7

(2)

Me hath be-sought, this present ladi here, Line 8 Misericorde; and at hire gret instaunce, And also eek myn ownë modier dere— [folio 26b] That alway redi is, at hire pleasaunce, ffor synful men to makë purueaunce Line 12 Above thei have me bede; wich, of my grace, Graunted hath, hire prayer have his place. Line 14

(3)

Ther be pilgrymës (as thei certifie) Line 15 That to meward hire weiës had [i]take, Wich have mysgon, and erred folily Be steryng of the foulë bestis blake, That som of hem hire iourney had forsake, Line 19 And efte hire iourney have a-geyn be-gunne, But sudei[n]gly hath failed him the sonne. Line 21

(4)

Some have be lettid be foule temptacïoun Line 22 And steryng of hire fleschly wrechidnesse; So, be disease and tribulacïoun Thei have [i]falle in-to huge hevynesse; And somme also to this worldes besynesse Line 26 So greuously hire hertës ouersette, So þat thei have of hire iournéy be lette. Line 28

(5)

But thei haue[n] repented wondir sore, Line 29 Some of hem, but at hirë lyvës ende; & somme of hem, a litel what be-fore Be-gan him selfë somwhat to amende, In wil theraftir neuer to offende, Line 33 But schreven hem of alle hire olde trespace, And put them self[ë] only in my grace. Line 35

Line 35

(6)

At the instaunce of myn owne modier swete— Line 36 To whom I may no maner thing denye, And mercy also may I nought for-gete; But vnto hir bone I wil myself applie:— This grace I graunte them of my Regalye, Line 40 That I schal hem receyve vnto my peas; Of hellë peyne I graunte hem ful relees. Line 42

(7)

So thei that han me, Ihesu, mercy cried Line 43 Or that the breeth out of the body yeed, [folio 27] And alle hire wrechid lustys have defied In veray faith (as techith hem the crede) So þat ye schal not a-geyn hem procede Line 47 As to iuge hem to hellë [bittre] peyne, But that in this, your rygoure ye restreyne. Line 49

(8)

And thow þat hir wikked [? wikke.] workis counterpeise Line 50 hire good[ë] dedës whan thei schul be weye, So þat the beter part hem selfë reyse As for defawte of weighte, yit thus I seye And will, þat [to] this chartre ye obeye, Line 54 Wich I have graunted for my modier sake: To mercy also her have I [i-]take. Line 56

(9)

Of tresour of my bitter passïoun, Line 57 And of the merite of my modier der— To whom non othir hath comparysoun— With merite of myn seintës alle in fer, That to my biddyng ful obeysaunt were, Line 61 Of plente and of superhábundaunce A forcet ful, wich puttith in the balaunce, Line 63

(10)

The countirpeis a-geyn the fendis part, Line 64 So that he faile of his entencïoun To bringë hem, so with his subtile art, To be iuged [vn-]to dampnacïoun Withowt ony comfort of saluacioun, Line 68

Line 68 With cursidnesse of alle the synnës sevene, Syn the [Since that, since the time.] that he was chased owt of hevene. Line 70

(11)

And nought for-thi,—this is not myn entent,— Line 71 Ne for this cause my blood ne shadde I nought, That ony wight in mysgouérnëment A-bidë schulde, and trust[en] in his thought That this chart[r]e schulde [him] a-vaile[n] ought Line 75 As of this pardon to be partenere, Or of this grace þat I haue graunted her. Line 77

(12)

Therfore, owt of this chartre I excepte [folio 27b] Line 78 To allë which, vnto hir lyvës ende, Have euermore in cursed synnës slepte, Purposyng nowt hire lyvës to amende, Vpon trust here-of, hem selfë to defende Line 82 ffrom hellë peynë, be this present grace, Alle tho þat schal be exiled fro my face; Line 84

(13)

And this also, wich that be obstynat, Line 85 and never wil [vn]to my lawe obeye; This also þat be veray desperat, That wil no gracë ne no mercy pray, But right so in hire cursed synnës deye: Line 89 To them is due the hotë fier of helle, With Sathanas eternally to dwelle. Line 91

(14)

Wherfore, no man so boldë ne so hardy be, Line 92 Trustyng upon this present pardonaunce, To surfeet or to synne in no degre, Vpon the trust of fynal répentaunce, Wich is my gifte; and aftir my pleasaunce Line 96 I geve it him þat schul myn mercy crave, withowt[en] wich, no wight [ne] wil I save. [MS. crave.] Line 98