I wolue thou were brouȝt to assay
At nede a wys counseil to rede.
Were thou as hardy as thou art gay,
Ȝe were wel worthy to haue good mede.
Line 80
(11)
¶ 'Thenketh the not it doth the good,
Whan thou out of thy bed dost swerue?
Ȝe clothe ȝow, and do on ȝoure hod,
At tyme of day thy mete dost kerue.
Line 84
Why dost thou thy seluen serue?
I trowe thou do it for gret nede;
ffor hunger and cold elles myghtest thou sterue.
This preueth thou seruest al for mede.'
Line 88
III. Treuth, reste, and pes.
[Early in 1401]
[Digby 102, leaf 100.]
[21 stanzas of 8, abab, bcbc.]
(1)
FOr drede ofte my lippes y steke,
ffor false reportours, that trouhte mys-famed.
Ȝut Charitee chargeth me to speke.
Þouȝ trouþe be dred, he nys not ashamed.
Line 4
Trouþe secheþ non hernes ther los is lamed;
Trouþe is worschiped at euery des.
In that kyngdom ther trouþe is blamed,
God sendes vengeaunce to make trouþe haue pes.
Line 8
(2)
¶ Trouþe is messager to ryȝt,
And ryȝt is counseille to Iustice;
Iustice in goddis stede is dyȝt.
Do euene lawe [folio 100b] to fooll and wyse.
Line 12
Set mesure in euene assise,
The riȝte weye as lawe ges.
And lawe be kept, folk nyl not ryse.
That kyngdom shal haue reste and pes.
Line 16
