Lyk to bestys resounnable. [folio 35a]
Thanne of ryght (yt ys no fable)
Your shepperde, that taketh of [[on St.]] yow kepe,
Schal receyuen off hys shep
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The flees somwhyle for hys travaylle;
But he shal nat so yow assaylle,
To flen yow fro yowr skyn al bare;
In swychë [[swyche St.]] cas he mostë spare;
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ffor he therto hath no lycence,
To yow to don swych vyolence.
He shal yow shern duely in dede,
Nat out of mesour, but for nede,
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Take hys part hym to sustene;
And for that skylë, thus I mene,
That he shal no vengeaunce make:
Therfore he hath the sherys take,
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And nat the knyff, to Robbe & slen,
And folk out of her skyn to fflen;
But cherysshe hem rather by fauour
Than oppresse hem by Rygour:
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Thus sholde euery shepperde do,
Resoun algatë techeth so.'
¶ And whan thys lady, dame Resoun, [prose cap xxi]
Hadde y-endyd hyr sermoun,
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Ther kam folk in sondry wyses,
That a-bood to han servyses,
Ordre off Colyt:
Made ther requeste to Moyses;
And he, Amongys al the pres
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Assygnede sondry offycerys.
And somme off hem he made hussherys,
And somme also he ordeynys
To haue offyce off chaumberleyns;
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And sergauntys he made also,
To whos offyce yt longeth to,
The Enmy to putte away, [Camb. MS. has, 'for to areste and putte out the enemyes that ben in the bodyes. To oothere he dide gret wurshipe; For to alle he yaf to be rederes of his paleys and to preche goddes lawe,' p. 15.]
Out of bodyes nyht & day, [folio 35b] [[St. & C.]]
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