C. III

MEED A LA COUR (suite). SES PARTISANS

Meed a été amenée à Westminster; en attendant que le Roi, qui est à son conseil, paraisse pour la juger, on l'entoure :

And thcre was myrthe and mynstralcyc ■ Mede to plesc. They that wonyeth in Westmynstre ■ worschiped hir aile; Gentelliche with ioye ■ the iustices somme Busked hem to the boure ■ there the birde dwelled, To conforte hire kyndely ■ by elergisc leue, And seiden : « Monrne nought, Mede • ne make thow no

[sorwe, For we wil wisse the kynge ■ and thi wey shape, To he wedded at thi wille ■ and where the leue liketh, For al Conscience caste ■ or craft as I trowe! »

Mildeliche Mede thanne ■ mercyed hem aile Of theire gret goodnesse ■ and gaf hem vchone Coupes of clene golde ' and coppis of silner, Rynges with mines- and ricchesses manye, The lest man of hère meyne ■ a motonn of golde. Thanne lanhte thei leue ■ tins lordes at Mede.

With that comen elerkls ■ to conforte hir the same, And beden hir he blithe ■ « for we beth Ihine owne, For to worche thi wille- the while thow myghle laste. » Hendeliche heo thanne - bibight hem the same, To « loue yow lelli ■ and lordes to make. And in the consistorie atte courte ■ do calle youre names; Shal no lewdnesse lette ■ the leode that I louve, That he ne worth first auanced ■ l'or I am hiknowen Ther konnyng clerkes • shul clokke bihynde. »

Thanne corne there a confessoure ■ coped as a frère, To Mede the mayde ■ he mellud lus wordes. And seide fui sol'tly ■ in shrifle as it were, « Theigh lewed men and lered men ■ had levne by the

[bothe.

And falsenessc haued vfolwed the ■ al lins fvftv wvntre,

I shal assoille the my-selue ■ for a semé of whete, AnJ also be thi bedeman ■ and bere wel thi mesage, Amonges knightes and clerkis ■ conscience to tome. » Thanne Mede for hère mysdedes ■ to that man kneled, And sliroue hire of hir shrewednesse ■ sbamelees I trowe, Tolde hym a taie ■ and toke hym a noble,

For to ben hire bedeman ■ and hire brokour als.

Thanne lie assoilled hire sone ■ and sithen he seyde, « We lian a wyndowe a wirchyng • wil sitten vs fui heigh : Woldestow glase that gable1 and graue there-inne thi

[name, Siker sholde thi soûle be ■ heuene to haue » . « Wist I that », quod that womman* « I wolde nought

[spare »

For to be vowre frende, frère' and faille yow neure Whil ye loue lordes • that lechery haunteth, And lakketh Qought ladis ■ that loueth wel the same.

II is frelte of flesh ■ ye fynde it in bokes,

And a course of kynde ■ wher-of we konien aile ; Who may scape the sklaundre ' the skathe is sone

[amended ; It is synne of the seuene • sonnest relessed.

Haue mercy », quod Mede- « of nien that it haunte. And I shal keure yowre kirke ■ yowre cloystre do maken, Wowes do whiten • and wyndowes glasen, Do peynten and purtraye ■ and paye for the makynge, That eury segge shal seyn ■ I am sustre of youre hous ».

Ac god to aile good folke ■ suche grauynge defendeth, To writen in wyndowes ■ of bere wel dedes, On auenture pruyde be peynted there ■ and pompe of the

fworlde ;

For Crist knoweth thi conscience ■ and thi kynde wille, And thi coste and thi coueitise ■ and who the catel oughte.

For-thi I 1ère yow, lordcs ■ leueth such werkes, ïo written in wyndowes ■ of yovvre wel dedes, Or to greden after goddis men ■ whan ye delen doles ; An auenture ye han youre iiire hère ■ and youre heuen als ;

Nesciat sinislra quid faciat dextra.