So hath your beautè fro your herte chaced Pitee, that me ne availeth not to pleyne. 20 Allas! that nature hath in yow compassed

So greet beauté, that no man may atteyne
To
mercy, though he sterve for the peyne.
So hath your beautè fro your herte chaced
Pitee, that me ne availeth not to pleyne; 25
For Daunger halt your mercy in his cheyne.

Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat,

I never thenk to ben in his prison lene; Sin I am free, I counte him not a bene. He

may answere, and seye this or that; 30 I do no fors, I speke right as I mene. Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat,

I never thenk to ben in his prison lene. Love hath my name y-strike out of his sclat, And he is strike out of my bokes clene 35 For ever-mo; +ther is non other mene. Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat, I never thenk to ben in his prison lene; Sin I am free, I counte him not a bene. 39

Tempest thee noght al croked to redresse,
In trust of hir that turneth as a bal:
Gret reste stant in litel besinesse;
And eek be war to sporne ageyn an al;
Stryve noght, as doth the crokke with
the wal.

Daunte thy-self, that dauntest otheres dede;

That thee is sent, receyve in buxumnesse, The wrastling for this worlde axeth a fal. 16

Her nis non hoom, her nis but wilder

nesse :

Forth, pilgrim, forth! Forth, beste, out of thy stal!

Know thy contree, look up, thank God of al;

Hold the hye wey, and lat thy gost thee lede:

20

And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede.

Envoy.

Therfore, thou vache, leve thyn old wrecchednesse

25

Unto the worlde; leve now to be thral;
Crye him mercy, that of his hy goodnesse
Made thee of noght, and in especial
Draw unto him, and pray in general
For thee, and eek for other, hevenlich
mede;

Sou tyme this world was so stedfast and stable,

That mannes word was obligacioun,
And now hit is so fals and deceivable,
That word and deed, as in conclusioun,
Ben no-thing lyk, for turned up so doun 5
Is al this world for mede and wilfulnesse,
That al is lost for lak of stedfastnesse.

What maketh this world to be so variable,
But lust that folk have in dissensioun ?
Among us now a man is holde unable, 10
But-if he can, by som collusioun,
Don his neighbour wrong or oppressioun.
What causeth this, but wilful wrecched-

nesse,

That al is lost, for lak of stedfastnesse?

Trouthe is put doun, resoun is holden fable;

15