With the sharpë for to kerue, [Stowe folio 51b]
But he to-forn ful wel obserue
Line 2636
That he ferst with the platte assay,
In goodly wysë, what he may,
Al that ys mys, [[a mys St.]] for to redresse:
ffor by the platte, I ther [[dar St.]] expresse
Line 2640
Off thys swerd, and specefye,
Prudent a-wys [[avys St.]] in prelacye,
With good & trewe avysëment.
'And fyrst, that he, in good entent,
Line 2644
By trewë Ammonycyon
And fructuous predicacyon,
Or he smyte by violence,
To letë passë the sentence,
Line 2648
The evele to smyten [[smyten St., smyte C.]] in sparynge,
And spare hem also in smytynge.
Thys was of Ihesu the doctryne,
In whom lyth al the [[oure St.]] medycyne
Line 2652
Off deth, whan men be woundyd so.
'6 And taketh alway heed her-to,
To vse the plattë, nyh & ferre,
Whan ye se your sogettys erre,
Line 2656
Alder-fyrst; I menë thus,
With doctrynë vertuous
Techë, preche, & so begynne
ffor to make hem leve ther synne.
Line 2660
¶ Yiff ye may folkys so [[to St.]] recure
That be woundyd, I yow ensure, [Doctrina bona dabit gratiam. prouerbiorum. 13o (v. 15)]
Ther grevous woundys to allegge,
Bet ys the plattë than the egge.
Line 2664
ffor echë leche that wel kan werche, [Stowe folio 52a]
Namly lechys of the cherche,
That han manhys [[mannys St.]] sowle in cure
With plat they sholdë fyrst recure,
Line 2668
Rather than with the sharpë wounde,6 [6_6 The following 16 lines English are 6 French ones of the first cast:
De ce plat vser vous deuezQuant vos subies errer veez:Sermouner et bien prescher,Fait maintes fois peche laissier:S'ainsi les pouez garantir,Mieulx vault que du tranchant ferir.] [folio 42b]
