your wille." Sone aftir
that he had̛ be gon̛ to this contree, he dud̛ trespas
& transgressiouns a-yenste þe wille & comaundement of
the lorde. when̛ the Emperoure harde telle þis, he come
thidir, and̛ put a defaute to this forsaide sarvaunt; the
sarvaunte was provde, & sturdy, and̛ yaf but litle credence
to him. Then þe Emperour beynge in gret wrethe, for
violacion̛ of his precepte & comaundement, callid̛ to
him iiij. cruell tormentours, and̛ comaundid̛ to on̛
of hem, þat he & his felowes shoulde bynde him honde &
fote, & caste him in presoune; [leaf 172, back, col. 1]
to the secounde he comaundid̛ to helde him qwyke;
and̛ to the thirde & to the iiij. he comaundid̛, that
their shulde finally sle him. Thenne thes tormentoures purposyng to
fulfille the comaundment of the Emperoure, Thei toke this
wrechid̛ man̛, and̛ turmentid̛ him with al maner
of peynis. And̛ hit happid̛, that on̛ of the dowteres,
scil. þat is to sey, mercy, yede by the presoune þe same
tyme, & as she harde this man̛ crye in peynis, she ran̛
to the prison, & lokid̛ in, and̛ sawe this man̛ in
tormentes a-monge þilke tormentours; & when she sawe
þat piteful sight, she myght not but have pyte,—for hit is
þe propirte of mercy to have pite & compassion̛. &
so she Rente of the clothinges of hir body, & of hir hede,
and̛ pullid̛ of hir heer̛, and yellid, and cride;
and̛ Ranne with alle hir myght to hir fadir, the Emperour,
and̛ knelid̛ to him, and̛ seide, "Alas! my dere fadir,
am I not thi dowter, and̛ art þow not mercyfulle? have
mercy of suche a sarvaunt; for yf þow have no mercy of him,
þou art not mercyfulle, and̛ yf thow be not mercyfulle,
withe oute dowte þow shalt not have me þy dowter."
Anon̛ come hir syster sothefastnesse, and̛ askid̛ of
hir fadir whi hir suster wepte so? "for mercy, þi suster,"
quod̛ he, "wol algatis þat I have mercy of this man̛
in presoune." Then seide sothefastnes, with a Sterne countenauns,
"Nay, fadir, late it not be so. god̛ forbede þat
þowe yeve him mercy, for am not I thi dowter sothefastnes or
truthe? And̛ thow hast euer be trewe & sothefast, & it is
truthe that he have peyne & dethe, þerefor, fadir, pursue
trewthe, as thow hast be holden̛ her̛ afore; for yf thow
pursue not truthe, thow shalt not have me thi dowter no mor̛."
Thus as mercy and̛ sothefastnesse wer̛ togeder in stryf,
come the thirde dowter, scil. Rightwisnesse; and̛ for she