This boke is compyled by Dan Iohn Lydgate monke of Burye, at the excitacion [and] styrynge of the noble and victorious prynce, Kynge Henry the fyfthe, i[n] the honoure glorie [and] reuerence of the byrthe of our moste blessed Lady, mayde, wyfe, [and] mother of our lorde Iesu Christe, chapitred as foloweth by this table

¶ Howe mercy and peace / rightwysnes & trouthe dysputed for the redemp∣cion of mankynde. Ca. xi. (Book 11)

W No that is bounde and fettered in prison Thynketh longe after delyuerauuce And he that feieth payne and passyon Desyreth sore after allegeaunce And who that is in sorowe and penaunce. Lytell wondre of hertely heuynesse Though he coueyte / relees of his distresse.

¶ And who that lyueth in langour & in wo Feare in exyle and prescripcion And is with sette / with many a cruell fo And can no gayne to his saluacion To escape deth / without grete raunson Full longe he thynketh / of full litell space While he in bondes abydeth after grace.

¶ And yet to recorde of olde felicite In sothfastnes / encreseth more his payne Than all the constraynte of his aduersite And causeth hym more / to sygh & playne For ioye passed / can herten more constrayne Her welthe afore / to be wepe and wayle Than all the torment / that hem dothe assayle.

¶ O who coulde euersith the worlde began Of more ioye or of gladnes tell Than somtyme coulde the worthy kynde of man That shapen was in paradyse to dwell Tyll he alas / was banysshed in to hell Feare in exyle / from his possession And there to abyde / stocked in pryson.

¶ And he that lost his riches and honoure His myrthe / his ioye / & his olde welfare His force / his myght / and holy his socoure And was of vertue / nakyd made and bare And laye full secke languyssenge in care So feare proscripte out of his contre That by the lawe / there may no recouerbe.

¶ Whose necke oppressed / with so stronge a ch•••••• Laye plunged downe / without remedye That whan mercy wolde haue ben a••ane Right wysnes gan hit anone denye And whan that peace for recouer gan to crye. Came trouth forth with a sterne face And sayd playnly / that he gete no grace.

¶ For peace and mercy to gyder assembled ware Full longe agone to trete of this matere And rightwysnes / with hem was eke there And trouth also / with a deynous chere And whan they were all foure in fere As ye haue herde / and gan to entrete Than fyrst of all cruelly to threte.

¶ Trouthe beganne almoste in a rage Of cruell ire / and of melancolye And sayd shortly / that man for his outrage Of veray Right must nedes dye And thus began the contrauersye Betwene the susteren & trouthe alway in one Sayd playnly that recouer was there none.

¶ For I quod Trouth / at his creacion Tolde hym the parell afore his offence But he me put out of his bandon And gaue to me no maner audyence And •• quod Right all my dyligence Wolde hym haue rewlyd / but he toke none hede Wherfore of me / he gete none helpe at nede.

¶ And whan he gaue credence to the snake He made his quarell euen agaynst Right And agayne Trouth / he fallely gan to take Whan he her clene put out of his sight And agayn peace / began a quarell to fight Whan he from hym mercy sette aferre And so he sette hym selfe / all out of herre.

¶ Therfore quod Right / pleteth for hym nomore But let hym haue / as he hath deserued ye do grete wronge / yf ye wyll hym restore That hath his heste / to you not conserued Ayes quod mercy / nature hath reserued To peace my suster playnly and to me On wretches euer / for to haue pyte.

¶ And offendeth hath of ignoraunce More than of malice: y wys quod mercy to yet for all that he muste haue his penaunce Quod Right / anone like as he hath do And thynke quod peace / that towarde Ierico He was disposed amonge his cruell fone For lacke of helpe / whan he lefte hym alone.

¶ That was quod Trouth / for he was recheles To go the waye / I taught hym of reason Quod mercy than the mortall fo of peace The olde Serpent rote of all treason Of false enuye and indygnacion Lay a wayte / to brynge hym in a trayne Whan he to hym falsely dyd fayne.

¶ That yf he ete / of the forboden tree The fayre fruyte in paradyse present: He sholde lyke vnto God be. Of good and euyll / to haue entendement And for my syster / trouth was absent And ye your selfe / also rightwysnes He was betrayed / sleyghtly by falsenes.

¶ Wherfore quod mercy / I purpose vtterlye Hym to releue / yf I can or maye And I quod peace / wyll helpe faythfullye The greate yre and rancour to allaye Of iugement to put it in delaye And here vpon to fynde full refuge I wyll procede / afore the hye Iuge.