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How Merci & pees. Ryghtwisnes & trouthe:- disputyd for the redempci[o]n] of Mankynde. Who is bo[u]nde & feteryd in presonne Thynkyth longe aftyr delyv[er]ance And he [tha]t felith peynes & passion desyreth sore aftyr allegyance And who [tha]t is in sorw and penance lytylle wonder of hertely hevynesse Though he kannot / reles of his distresse
And who [tha]t lyvyth in langoure & woo Fer in exile and prescripcion And is besette w[i]t[h] many a cruel foo And canne no wey for his salvacion To askape dethe w[ith]oute grete Ransom Full lityll he thyngketh of / fulle longe space / while he in bondys a bidith aftyr grace
And yette to corde of felicite In soth fastnes in cresith more his peyne Than all the constreynt/ of his adv[er]syte And causith hym more to syghe & pleyne For joy passid can hertis more constreyne Her welthe aforn to wepe and wayle Than all ye turment / yt hym dothe assayle
Who coude ever sith the worlde beganne Off more joye or of more gladnesse telle Than coude somtyme ye worthy kende of man That shapyn was in paradice to dwelle Tyl he Alas was banashed in to helle Feer in exile from his possession And ther to a byde stockyd in preson. /
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Merci & Pees
And hathe lost/ riches and honoure his myrthe his joye & his welfare his force his myght/ & his hole socoure And was of virtu nakyd made & bare And lay fulle seke langwissynge in oare So fere proscrept/ oute of his contre That be the lawe ther may no recovre be *[l.margin .ericordia]
Whois necke oppressyd w[i]t[h] so grete achayme lay pl[u]nged downe w[i]t[h] outyn any remede That when [tha]t Merci wolde have been amene Ryghtwisnes a non ganne hit / denye And when that Pees for reconer ganne to crye Cam Trouthe fourthe w[i]t[h] a sterne face And sayde platly [tha]t he gete no grace
For Pees and Merci togeder assembled were Fulle longe agone to trete of this mateer And Rightwisnes w[i]t[h] hem was eke there And Trouthe also w[i]t[h] a deyvous chere And they were alle foure in feere As ye have herde and gan to entrete Than firste of alle cruelly gan to threte
Trouthe began almoste in a rage Of cruel yre and of malyncoly And sayde shortly [tha]t man for his outrage Of very ryght / muste nedys dy And thus he began the contraversy Betwene the sistris al foure in fere And sayde playnly [tha]t recover was ther none. /
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Rightwisnes & Trouthe.
For I quod Trouthe at/ his creaci[o]n Tolde hym the parelle a fore his offence But/ he me putte oute of/ his bandon And gave me no man[er] audience And I quod Ryght/ w[ith] all my dilygence Wolde hym have rulyd but/ he toke no hede Wherfor of/ me he gete no helpe at/ nede./
For when he gave credence to the Snake He made his quarel evyn ayenst/ ryght/ And agayne trouthe he falsly gan to take When he her putte clene oute of/ his syght/ And ageyne pees began a quarel to make When he from hym mercy sette a ferre Brekynge the trews and wolde algate have werre./
Wherfor quod Ryght/ pletyth for hym no more But/ lette hym have as he hathe deservyd Ye do grete wronge yf / ye wille hym restore That / hathe his heste to you not / conservyd A yes quod mercy nature hathe reservyd To pees my syster pleynly and to me On wrecchis evyr to have pyte./
And he offendyd hathe of / ignorance More than of malyce quod mercy tho ye for alle [that] he muste have his penance Quod Right/ a non like as he hathe doo I think quod pees [that] towarde Jerico He was dispoyled amonge his foone For lacke of/ helpe when we left/ hym alone./
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That was quod Trouthe for he was reche reccles Too goo the way th[a]t I thoughte hym of reson Quod Mercy than the mortal foo of pees The olde serpent / roote of alle treson Of fals envy and indignacion lay in wayte to brynge hym in a trayne When f unto hym he falsly dyd fayne
That /yf/ he yete of / the forboden tre The feyre froyte in paradise p[re]sent / he shulde like unto goddis bee Of / good and evylle to have entendemente And for my syster Trouthe was absente And ye youreself / also Ryghtwisnesse he was betrayed sleyly be falsenesse
Wherfor quod Mercy I purpose utterly hym to releve yf / I canne or maye And I quod Pees wille helpe feithfully The grete yre and rancour to alaye Of jugement / to put / hit/ in delay And here uppon to fynde ful refuge I wille procede afore the hye Iuge /
And right / w[i]t[h]/ tofore [th]e kyng/ of / glorie Mercy and pees this cause brought / anon And in the hye hevynly consistorie Pes seyde thus amonges hem everychone O blisfulle lorde [th]at /art/ bothe thre and one So please it/ the benyngly to here What/ I wille seyn and my suster dere
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Reme[m]byr lorde a monge thi werkys alle howe thow madyst/ Mercy sovrayne Whan [tha]t / ev[er] unto the she calle Thou maiste of / ryght / her prayer not / disdeyn And specialli when we bothe tweyne To thyne hynes for any thynge requyre Thou muste of / grace fulfylle oure prayere. /
Is not / thy mercy grete a bove the hevyn Thyn owne doughtyr chiffe of / thyne allye And hathe her place above the sterrys seuyn. With the ordirs of / ev[er]y Ierarchie Whom day be day thou canste so magnyfie Amonge the werkys to makyn him emp[re]sse To helpe wrecchis when they ben in distresse
Thy m[er]cy eke abydyth ay w[i]t[h] / the Lyke thy gretnes and thi magnificence And who [tha]t / dothe m[er]cy and pyte Dothe sacrifice hye in thy presence And is not / m[er]cy of / more excellence Lyke as the fauter wel reherce canne Uppon the erthe than the lyffe of / man. /
Thy selfe also as hit/ is pleynly couthe Wisely who takith hede ther to Beist/ opynly w[i]t[h] / thyne owne mouthe That / to a thousande thou canste thi m[er]cy doo. And holy David recordith welle also With his harpe above alle thynge That / he thi mercies eternally shal synge./