In the olde lawe, or Chrift himselfe was bore, Amonge the x. commaundènrentes I rede Howe that manflaughtir shouldè be forbore, Soche was the wil that tyme of the Godhede, But aftirward, whan Christ toke his manhede, Pece ywas the first thing he let do crie Ayenft the world'is rancour and envie.
And or Chrift went out of this erthè here, And stighed to heven, he made his testament, Where he bequath to his difciplis there, And yave his pece, whiche is the foundèment Of charite, withoutin whose affent The world'is pece may nevir wel be tried, Ne love be kept, ne lawe be justified.
The Jewis with the Painims haddin werre, But they among 'hemfelfe ftode er in pece, Why shouldin than our pece ftande out of erre, Which Chrift hath chofe unto his owne encrefe? For Chrift is more than ywas Moyfes,
And Chrift hath fette the parfite of the lawe, The whiche ne should in no wife be withdrawe. 189 To yeve us pece was caufe why Christ ydide; Withoutin pece may nothing stonde availed; But nowe a man may se on every fide Howe Chrift'is faith is every day affailed, With Painims distroyid and so batailed That for defaute of helpe and of defence Unnethis hath Chrift his dewe revèrence. Volume X111.
The right faith to kepin of holy churche The first point is ynamid of knighthode, And every man is holde for to worche Upon the point that stante to his manhode, But now, alas! the fame is fpred so brode That every man this thing complainith,
And yet is there no man that helpe ordainith. 203
The world'is cause is waitid ovir al,
There be the werris redy to the ful, But Chrift'is ownè caufe in fpecial There ben the fwerdis and the fperis dul, And with the fentence of the Pop'is bul, As for to done the folkè paine obey, The churche is tournid al anothir wey.
It' is wondir above any mann'is wit Withoutin werre how Chrift'is faith was won, And we that be upon this erthè yet
Ne kepe it not as it was first begon; To every creture undir the fonne
Christ bad himselfè that we shouldè preche,
And to the folke his Evangely teche.
More light it is to kepè than to make,
But that whiche we foundin made tofore honde We kepè not, but let it lightly flake, The pece of Chrift hath al to broke his bonde, We reft our felfe, and suffrin every lond To fle eche othir as thinge undefended; So stant the werre, and pece is not amended.
But though the hed of holy churche above Ne doith not al his whole bufineffe
Amonge the peple to fet pece and love, These kingis oughtin of ther rightwyfeneffe Ther ownè cause among 'hemfelfe redreffe; Tho Peter's fhip as now hath loft his stere It lythe in 'hem the bargè for to ftere.
If that holy churche aftir the dewte Of Chrift'is worde ne be nat al avised To makin pece, accorde, and unite, Amonge the kingis that be now devised, Yet nathèles the lawè ftand affifed Of mann'is witte to be fo refonable Withoutin that to ftande himselfè ftable. Of holy churche we ben the childrin al,
And every childe is holde for to bowe Unto the mothir, how that er it fal, Or ellis he must refon difalowe,
And for that cause a knight shall first avowe The right of holy churche for to defende, That no man fhal the privilege offende.
Thus were it gode to sette al in evyn The world'is princis and the prelats bothe, For love of him whiche is the king of hevyn, And if men fhould algatis wexin wrothe The Sarazins, whiche unto Chrift ben lothe, Let men be armid ayenst 'hem to fight, So maye the knight his dede of armis right.
Upon iii. pointis ftant Christ's pece oppreffed, First holy churchè in her felfe dividid, Whiche ought of refon first to be redressed, But yet so highe a caufe is not defidid, And thus whan humble pacience is pridid The remènaunt, whiche that they fhuldin rule, No wondir is though it ftande out of rule.
Of that the hed is ficke the lymmis aken; These reignis that to Christ'is pece belongen For world'is gode these dedly werris maken, Whiche helpèleffe, as in balaunce yhongen, The hed above 'hem hath nat undirfongen To fet pece, but every man fleith other, And in this wife hath Charite no brother.
The two defautis bringin in the thirde, Of myfcreantes, that seen how we debate, Betwene the two they fallin in amydde, Where now al day they finde an opin gate; Lo! thus the dedly werrè stant algate, But evir I hope of King Henrie's grace That he it is which fhal the pece embrace. My worthy noble prince, and king anoynt! Whom God hath of his gracè so preserved, Beholde and fe the world upon this point, As for thy part, that Chrift'is pece be served, And fo fhal thy high medè be deserved, To him which al fhal quite the at the laste, For this life here ne may no while lafte.
Se Alexandir, Hector, and Julius, Se Machabeus, David, and Jofue,
Se Charlemaine, and Godefray, and Arthus, Fulfilled of werre and of mortalyte,
Ther fame abytte; but al' is but vanite,
For Deth, which hath the werris undir fote, Hath made an ende, of which there is no bote. 287 So many a man the foth wete and know That pece is gode for every kinge to have, The fortune of the werre is er unknowe, But where pece is ther is the marchis fave, That now is up to morow' is undir grave, The myghtye God yhath al grace in hande, Withoutin him men may not longè stande.
Of the tennis to winne or lefe a chace May no life wete or that the bal be ronne ; Al ftant in God what thing men shall purchace; Th' ende is in hym or that it be begonne; Men faine the wolle, when it is well yfponne, Doth that the cloth is ftronge and profitable, And ellis it maye nevir be durable.
The world'is chauncis upon avinture
Ben evir fette, but thilke chaunce of pese
Is fo behovely to the creature
That it is above al othir pereles,
But it may not begetin natheles
Amonge the men to laflin any while
But where the herte is plaine withoutin gile.
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