Transcription exercise

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./

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

And how myght / eke eny creature Uppon erthe of any maner kynde With oute m[er]cy any while endure For alle were gone yf / m[er]cy were behynde Wherfor lorde on m[er]cy have thi mynde The woful caityffe to takyn to thi grace That / hath soo longe be severyd from thi face. /

And though [that] / I be humble meke and fre Pardon [lorde, erased] lorde of / dewte and of / ryght / Yet / ev[er] in one my dwellyng is w[i]t[h] / the FFor selde or nev[er] I parte oute of / thi syght / Pes is my name [that] / pouer hathe and myght / Through my connynge hem [that] ben mortalle foon Through helpe of / the to accorden in to one. /

And also lorde as holy wrytte can telle That / of thi pes may none ende bee And eke thi pes dothe ev[er]y wyght / excelle And art / thi self / of veray dewte callyd the p[ri]nce of pes and unyte And be hoteste wrecchis to releve Thi londe of / pes [that] art / shalle meve. /

And iove recordith the holsomest / fruyte Of / alle this worlde spryngith oute of pes. Now lorde sith I am made to be refute And to wofulle comforte and encrees streyte of / thi grace now a reles That / I and mercy may thi foon co[n]fou[n]de Of / thilke caytyffe [that] lyeth in pryson bou[n]de. /

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. /

Fygure here of we may beholde and see As the Bible makyth mencion How [tha]t a lambe of spotte & filthe clene Whilom was take be eleccion And offryd vppe in satisfaccion To god for synne for to sygnyfye That/ who [tha]t shulde for manys ransom|dye

Muste be clene pure and Innocent/ Ryght/ as a lambe from ev[er]y spette of/ blame And truly vnder the firmament/ Ther was none swiche sith Adam dyd atayne The froyte to ete other halte or lame In souereyne vertu is al the kynde of/ man Wherfore quod Mercy the best rede [that] I canne./

That/ Pes my syster sece this discorde And alle [th]e stryf/ [that] is vs be twene And [that] we praye oure Iuge & myghty lorde To this mater benyngly to seene And of/ his grace to shape swiche a mene For trouthe & Ryghte soo prudently ordeyne That/ Pes no^rt I cause have to playne

And this requeste is not/ a gayns Right/ Nor onto Trouthe pleynly none offence Yf/ [that]/ oure sentence or Iugeme[n]t of [th]e myghty Iuge Ordeyne soo in his prouydense To shappe a wey through his sapience That/ trouthe & Right/ be nothyng/ displesyd Throu[g]h Pes & me though ma[n] be holpyn & esyd./

*Than quod Right / of / necessite It / muste folowe though he were my brodyr That / he muste deye be dome of / equyte Or in his name mote be dede some other Soo of / my shippe guyed is the rother That / I may erre for water nefor wynde More than the anker of / trouthe wille me bynde. /

**CErtys quod Mercy soo hit / nought / displese Vnto youre nobley and wyse provydence His dethe to you may doo lytell ese For holywrytte rehersith in sentence Yf / ye consyder in youre advertence That / dethe of / synners the hie god to queme Is worste of / dethes yf / ye of / ryght / list / deme.

For synfulle blode is no sacryfice To god a bove [that] ev[er]y thynge may sene Than muste ye the dethe of one dyvyse That / is / w[ith] outen synne Innocent / and clene And ay I trowe vndyr the sonne shene Through oute the worlde to serch ynne all ma[n]kynde Hit / were full herde swiche one for to fynde. /

For Ruste w[ith] ruste mey not[?] not / skoryd[?] be./ Nor foule w[ith] filthe may not / be puryfied And who is foylyd w[ith] dishoneste To washen a nothir hit / is not / aplyed Blake in to white may not / be vndyed. / Nor blode in fecte w[ith] corrupcion. To god for synne is none oblacion. /

*t in margin as cue for rubricator **c in margin as cue for rubricator

IF it be soo this man [that] trespasced He be not / dede for his iniquite Than utterly the fran[..]ches us defaced Bothe of / my suster Ryghtwisnes & me And fynally oure bothe lyberte Gothe unto nought / and jurydiccion But / he be punysshed for his transgression

The worde of / god [that] / playnly may not / erre Tholde hym a forn w[i]t[h]/outyn any drede The grete p[ar]elle of / this mortalle werre Etyng / the appelle [that] he motte be dede But / he of / slouthe to be thereto none hede Wherfor he muste as ryght / liste to provyde Withoutyn Mercy the dome of / dethe abyde./

And thouhe [that] / pes be of / pyte mevyd Man to delyv[er w[i]t[h] / a yole of / rewthe Ryghtwisnesse wyl bene a grevyd Me to consente [that] am callyd trouthe And as me seineth hit / were to grete a slouthe doine[?] or cause plee or any sute with outyn us aveyne to ben [deleted text] execute

Me semyth eke my suster pes dothe wronge To foster Man and holdyn a yenste us aveyne That / have ben conversant so longe Amonges us discorde to restreyne Therfor quod pes nowe I wylle not / feyne To doue myne office Right / to modifye That / she of / rygure cause hym not / to dye./

The offences of my youthe nor myne ignoraunces do thou not remember // - // - Thow for thy goodnesse good lord have minde of me according unto thy m[er]cye / - // - // - Our lorde is swere and rightuous for this he gevethe a lawe to them that goe out of the waye // - // He shall teache the meke his wayes = / - // - All the wayes of our lord are m[er]cye and verytee to them that requyre his testament & his p[ro]myses For thy names sake good lord thow shalt have m[er]cye on my sinne for truelye yt is greate - / - / - / Whoe is the man that fearethe o[u]r lorde he hathe ordeined a lawe to him in the waye whom he hathe chosen / - // - // - His soule shall dwell in goodnesse and his seede shall enheryte the earthe / - // - / - / Our lord is a sure grounde to them that feare him and the testament of him selfe that he may be manyfested unto them // - // - // - Myne eies[?] to our lord for he shall pull my fote oute of the snare / - // - // - // - Loke uppon me and have m[er]cye upon me for I am alone and pore / - // - // - The trybulations of my harte be multyplied delyv[er] me from my necessytyes // - // - Beholde my humylytye and my labour and forgeve me all my fawlt[es]

He shall receive blessing of o[u]r lorde and m[er]cye of god his saviour // - // -- // - This is the generation of them that seke him of theim that seke the face of the god of Jacob - // - // - Ye princes heave up yo[u]r gates and ye eternall gates open yo[u]r selves and a king of glorye shall come in // - // - // - Whoe is this king of glorye a stronge lorde and a mightye in battayle // - // - Ye princes heave up yo[u]r gates and ye eternall gates open yo[u]r selves and [sa?] a king of glorye shall ent[er] in // - // - Whoe is this same king of glorye? our lorde of power[es] he is the king of glorye // - =/=/=/ Unto the lorde have I lyfte up my soule my god in the I trust lett me not be ashamed / - Now lett myne ene[m]yes mocke me: for truelye all that ev[er] trust in the shall not be co[n]fonded Lett all them be confounded that worcke wickednesse in vayne - // - / - Good lorde shew me thy wayes and teache me thy pathes // - // - // - Dyrecte me and teache me in thy truthe for thou arte god my savyour and I have sustayned[?] the all the hold daye - // - // - / - Have minde good lorde of thy m[er]cyfulnesse & of the m[er]cyes w[hi]ch[?] ev[er] have bene

Our lorde rulethe me and nothing shall fayle me in a place of pasture there hathe he sett me He hathe Brought me uppon a freshe water he hathe converted my soule - // - He hathe ledd me uppon the pathes of iustice for his names sake - // - For althoughe I walke in the middest of the [crossed out: pathes] shadowe of deathe I shall feare no harme for thow arte w[i]t[h] me Thy stafe and thy rodd they have comforted me - Thow hast prepared a table in my light agaynst them that troble me / - // - // - Thow hast soupled my head in oyle and my capp being full is right goodlye / - // - And thy m[er]cy shall folow me all the dayes of my lyfe // - / - // - / - // - And that I may inhabite in the howse of o[u]r lorde all the lengthe of my dayes - // - // - ## The earthe is o[u]r lordes and the ab[undance?] the ross[??] the round world and all that inhabite it For he hathe sett him upon the seas and hathe prepared him uppon the flouddes / - // - Whoe shall ascende into the hyll of o[u]r lorde o[u]r whoe shall stand in his holye place // - // - An inocent in handes and of pure harte w[hi]ch hathe not taken his soule in vayne now hath sworne to deceive his neigh[bours] // - // -