"And ȝeue thow loke aboutë [[about Tib., St.]] ryght,
To the kyng, vsynge this vice,
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Thow doste fful greet preivdice [[preiudice St.]]
Ageyne his lawefful ordynaunce,
Where it is boden [[bodyn St.]] (in substaunce)
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And dyffendid, (who kan espye,)
Alle maner theffte and robrye, [[robery St.]]
In peyne off deth: take heede her-to,
And with-drawe thyne hand ther-ffro
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With al thi myght and al thy peyne.
Thow standeste [[stanst St.]] in daunger atwene tweyne;
Outher off God or off Sathan
Thow art off the leegë man;
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And therffore, ffor to lyue in reste,
Leeue the worste, and cheese the beste;
ffor (schortly I schal devyse,)
Thow schalt be quytte lyke thi servyse,
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In hellë with dampnacyoun,
Or heuene, to thi savacïoun." [[C. & St.]]
¶ The Messangere: [Tib folio 46b]
'OF thy wordës I [[words when I St.]] take hede,
They puttë me [[me St., me not Tib.]] in fful greet drede:
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But, o thyng comfforteth me,
Whanne that I considere and se
There is so greet a companye, [Stowe folio 319a]
Me to susteyne in my ffolye,
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Off ffolkis that to-fforne haue be
Off wonder greet autoryte,
As whylom was kyng Salamoun,
And Virgyle, off greet renoun,
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Cypryan and Albalart,
And many an-other in this art, [[Tib. & C.]]
Maystres by experyence,
And hadde also ther-to lycence
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(With-outen [[outen St., out Tib.]] eny noyse or stryffe,)
ffor to vse it al her lyffe.
'And this ilkë craffte also
(Who that takyth heed ther-to,)
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Is not in rewarde so perillous,
Dredefful, nor superstycïous,
