¶ And Ionas out of a whales body comynge.
¶ Samuel in a Temple & holy zachary.
¶ Besyde an aulter all blody stondynge.
¶ Osee wyth Iudyth stood there conspyryng.
¶ The deth of Dioferne & Salamon.
¶ A chylde wyth hys swerde dyuydynge in two.
¶ Many mo p{ro}phetes certeynly there were.
¶ Whoos names now come not to my mynde:
¶ Melchysedech also I espyed there.
¶ Brede & wyne offryng as fell to his kynde.
¶ Ioachym & Anna stode al behynde.
¶ Embraced in armes to the golden gate.
¶ And holy Iohan Baptyst in desert sat.
¶ And now comyth to my remembrunce.
¶ I am auysed I saw Sodechy:
¶ And Amos also with sober countenaunce.
¶ Stondyng wyth her faces towarde Sophony.
¶ Neemy & Esdras bare hem companye.
¶ The holy man Iob as an Impotente.
¶ Then folowed in pycture wyth Thoby pacyent
¶ Thyse wyth many mo on that one syde.
¶ Of that grene herber portrayed were.
¶ A sayd Morpleus a lytyll tyme abyde.
¶ Turn thy face where thy backe was ere.
¶ And beholde well what thou seeste there.
¶ Than I me turned as he me badde.
¶ With herte stedfaste & countenaunce sadde.
¶ Where I sawe Peter wyth his keyes stonde.
¶ Poule wyth a swerde and Iames also.
¶ Wyth a scalop & Thomas holdyng in his honde
¶ A spere and Phylyp aproched hym to:
¶ Iames the lesse nexte hem in pycture too.
¶ Stode wyth Bartylmew whych was all flayn
¶ Symon & Thadee shewed how they were slayn
¶ Mathy and Barnabe drawy{n}g lottys stode
¶ Nexte whome was Marke a Lyon hym by.
¶ Hys boke holdyng & Mathew in his mode.
¶ Resembled an aungell wyth wyngys gl{or}yously. Original has
¶ Luke had a calfe to holde his boke on hye. gl{or}youly
¶ And Iohan wyth a cuppe & palme in his honde. instead of
¶ An Egle bare his book thus saw I hem stonde gl{or}yously
¶ Gregory and Ierome Austyn and Ambrose.
¶ Wyth pyllyo{n}s on ther hedes stode lyke doctors
¶ Bernard wyth Amselme and as I suppose. Original has
¶ Thomas of alquyne and Domynyk co{n}fessours. suppese
¶ Benet and Hew relygyous gouernours. instead of
¶ Martyn & Iohan with bysshops tweyne. suppose
¶ Were there also and Crysostom certayne.
¶ Behynd all thyse was worshypfull Bede.
¶ All behynde and next hym stood Orygene.
¶ Hydynge his face as he of his dede.
¶ Had hem ashamed ye wote what I mene. Original has
¶ For of errour he was not al clene. bem instead
¶ And on that syde stode laste of alle. of hem
¶ The noble p{ro}phetyssa Sybell men her call.
¶ Let me remembre now I you pray
¶ My barayn is so thynne I deme in my herte
¶ Some of the felyshyp that I there say.
¶ In all this whyle to haue ouersterte.
¶ A benedicite none coude I aduerte.
¶ To thy{n}ke on Andrew the apostle {with} his crosse.
¶ Whome to forgete were a grete losse.
¶ Many one were peynted on that wall.
¶ Whoos names come not to my remembrau{n}ce.
¶ But thyse I marked in especyall.
¶ And moo coude I tell in countenaunce.
¶ Of tyme but forth to shewe you the substaunce.
¶ Of this mater in the myndys of that arbere.
¶ Sat Doctryne coloured as ony crystall clere.
¶ Crowned as I tolde you late here before.
¶ Whoos apparayl wos worth tresour Infynyte
¶ All erthly rychesse count I no more.
¶ To that in co{m}paryson valewy{n}g the{n} a myte.
¶ Ouer her hede houed a culuer fayr & whyte.
¶ Out of her byll p{ro}ceded a grete leme.
¶ Downward to Doctryne lyke a sonne beme
¶ The wordes of Doctryne yaue grete redole{n}s
¶ In swetnesse of sauour to her dyscyples al.
¶ It fer exceded myr & frankencense.
¶ Or ony other tre spyce or els galle.
¶ And whan she me espyed anone she gan me cal.
¶ A{n}d co{m}mau{n}ded morple{us} {that} he shold bry{n}g me nere
¶ For she wold me hew the effect of my desyre. Original has
Ad{n}, bry{n}
¶ She sayd I know the cause of thy comyng. and theffect
¶ Is to vnderstond be myn enformal yon. instead of
¶ Sensyble the mater of morpleus his shewynge A{n}d, bry{n}g
¶ As he hath the led about in vesyon. and the effect
¶ Wherfore now I apply thy natural reason.
¶ Vnto my wordes & or thou hens wend.
¶ Thou shalt it know begynnyng and ende.
¶ For whan Colus to pluto was broughte:
¶ By hys owne neclygence taken prysonere.
¶ Wythin the erth for he so fer foughte.
¶ Sygnyfed is no more be that matere.
¶ But only to shew the how it doth appere:
¶ That welth vnbrydeled at thyn eye.
¶ Enbraseth mysrewle and oft causyth foly.
¶ For lyke as Colus beyng at his large
¶ Streyted hymself thrugh his own lewdenesse
¶ For he wolde deele where he had no charge
¶ Ryght soo wantons by her wyldenesse
¶ Oftesythe bryng hymselfe in dystresse
¶ Because they sometyme to largely deele
¶ What may wors be suffred tha{n} ouermykell weele
¶ By Mynos the Iuge of hell desparate
¶ May be vnderstonde goddys ryghtwysnes
¶ That to euery wyght his payne deputate
¶ Assygneth acordyng to his wyckednes
¶ Wherfore he is called Iuge of cruelnes
¶ And as for Dyana & Neptunus compleynte
¶ Fygured may be fooles reason feynt.
¶ For lyke as they made her suggestyon
¶ To haue me Colus from cours of hys kynde
¶ Which was Impossyble to bryng to correccyon
¶ For euermore hys lyberte haue wyll the wynde
¶ In lyke wyse fooles other whyle be blynde
¶ Wenyng to subdew with her one honde
¶ That is ouermykell for all an hole londe
¶ But what foloweth therof that shall thou here
¶ When they were come to the bankete
¶ The grete Apollo with his sad chere
¶ Soo fayre & curtously gan theym entret
¶ That he made her beerdys on the new gete
¶ Loo what wysdome dooth to a foole
¶ Wherefore are children put to scoole
¶ Ofte is it seen with sobre contenaunce
¶ That wyse men fooles ouercome ay
¶ Tornyng as hem lyst & all her varyaunce
¶ Chaunge from ernest in to mery play
¶ What were they bothe amendeth that day
¶ When they were dreuen to her wyttes ende
¶ Were they not fayne to graunt to be his frende
¶ Ryght soo fooles when they haue done
¶ All that they can than be they fayne
¶ Gyue vp hed mater to oblyuyone
¶ Without rewarde they haue no more brayne
¶ And yet ful ofte hath hit be sayne
¶ When they it haue foryete & set at nought
¶ That they full dere haue afterwarde it bought
¶ And as for all tho that represent
¶ To be called goddys at that banket
¶ Resemble false ydollys but to his entent
¶ Was Morpleus co{m}maunded thyder the to fet
¶ That thou sholdest know the maner & the get
¶ Of the paynym law and of her byleue
¶ How false ydolatry ledeth hem by the sleue
¶ For soone vppon the worldys creacyon
¶ When Adam and Eve had broke the precept
¶ Whiche clerkes call the tyme of deuyacyon
¶ The worldly people in paynym law slept
¶ Tyll moyses vnd{er} god the tables of stone kept
¶ In whiche tyme Poetes feyned many a fable
¶ To dyscrete Reason ryght acceptable
¶ And to the entent that they sholde sounde
¶ To the eeres of hem the more pleasantly
¶ That they{m} sholde rede or here the yaue they{m} a grou{n}d{e}
¶ And addid names vnto they{m} naturally
¶ Of whom they spake & callid he{m} goddis hy
¶ Some for the strength & myght of her nature
¶ And some for her sotyll wytty coniecture
¶ By nature thus as the seuen planettes
¶ Haue her propre names by Astronomeres
¶ But goddys were they called by old Poetes
¶ For her gret feruency of werkyng in her speres
¶ Experyence preueth this at all yeres
¶ And for as other that goddys called be
¶ For sotyll wytte that shall I teche the
¶ How they by that hyghe name of god cam
¶ In this sayd tyme the people was so rude
¶ That what maner creature man or woman
¶ Coude ony newelte contryue and conclude
¶ For the comon wele all the multytude
¶ Of the comon people a god sholde hym call
¶ Or a goddesse after hit was fall
¶ Of the same thyng that was so newefounde
¶ As Ceres for she the crafte of tylthe fonde
¶ Wherby more plentouously corne dyd habou{n}de
¶ The people her called thrugh out euery londe
¶ Goddesse of corne wendyng in her honde
¶ Had layn all power of cornes habundaunce
¶ Thus were {the} Paynems deceyued by ignorau{n}ce
¶ In lyke maner Isys was called the goddesse
¶ Of frute for she fyrst made it multuply
¶ By the name of graffyng & soo by processe
¶ The name of Pan gan to deyfy
¶ For he fyrst founde the mene shepe to guy
¶ Some toke it also by her condycyon
¶ As Pluto Fortune and suche other doon
¶ Thus all that Poetes put vnder couerture
¶ Of fable the rurall people hit toke
¶ Properly as acte refusyng the fygure Original has
¶ Which errour some of hem neuer forsoke arte
¶ Ofte a false myrour deceyueth a mannes loke instead of
¶ As thou mayst dayly pryue at thyne ey acte
¶ Thus were the paynyms deceyued generally
¶ That seyng the dedely enemy of mankynde
¶ By his pouer premyssyue entred the ymagys
¶ Within the Temples to make the people blynde
¶ In her ydolatry standyng on hyghe stagys
¶ Insomoche whoo vsed dau{n}gerous passagys
¶ Ony maner way by water or be londe
¶ When hyd his sacryfyce his answere redy fonde
¶ Thus duryng the tyme of deuyacion
¶ From Adam to Moyses was ydolatry
¶ Through the worlde vsed in comon opynyon
¶ These were the goddys that thou there sy
¶ And as for the awayters that stood hem by
¶ They polytyke Phylosophers & Poetes were
¶ Whiche feyned the fables {that} I speke of here
¶ Then seased the tyme of deuyacyon
¶ When Moyses receyued that tables of stone
¶ Entryng the tyme of reuocacyon
¶ On the mounte of Synay stondyng allone
¶ God yaue hym myght ayene all his fone
¶ And then began the olde testament
¶ Whiche to the people by Moyses was sent
¶ And that tyme dured the Incarnacyon
¶ Of Cryste and then began it to sese
¶ For then came the tyme of reconcylyacyon
¶ Of man to god I tell the doutlese
¶ When the sone of man put hym in prese
¶ Wylfully to suffre dethe for mankynde
¶ In holy scrypture this mayst thou fynde
¶ This Reconcylyacyon was the tyme of grace
¶ When fou{n}ded was the chirche vpon {that} fayre sto{n}e
¶ And to holy Peter the keye delyuered was
¶ Of heuen hell dyspoyled was anone
¶ Thys was mankynde delyuered from his fone Original has Wnd
¶ And then began the newe testament instead of And
The last line of stanza
¶ Whiche .iii. tymes a sondry dyuyded is missing. The line reads:
¶ Mayst thou here see yf thou lyst beholde That the Crystyn pepyll
¶ The fyrst behynde the in pycture is prouyded beleve in present.
¶ The seconde of the lyft honde shew p{ro}phet olde Original has
¶ The .iii. on the ryght honde here it is to {the} tolde in instead
¶ Thus hast thou in vysyon the verey fygure of is
¶ Of these .iii. tymes here shewed in portrayture
¶ That is to say fyrst of deuyacyon
¶ From Adam to Moyses recordyng scripture
¶ Seconde fro Moyses to the Incarnacyon
¶ Of Cryst kepeth reuocacyon cure
¶ And as for the thyrd thou mayst be verrey sure
¶ Wylt dure from thens to the worldes ende
¶ But now the .iiii. must thou haue in mynde
¶ Whiche is callid p{ro}perly {the} tyme of pylgremage
¶ After some & some named it otherwyse
¶ And call hit the tyme of daungerous passage
¶ And some of werre that fully hit dyspyse
¶ But what so it be named I wyll the auyse
¶ Remembre it well and prynte it in thy mynde
¶ Wherof the fygure mayst thou me behynde
¶ And elles remembre thyselfe in thyne herte
¶ How Vyce & Vertue dayly theym occupy
¶ In maner one of hem hym to peruerte
¶ Another to bryng hym to endeles glory
¶ Thus they contynue fyght for the vyctory
¶ Hit is no nede herof to tell the more
¶ For in this short vysyon {thou} hast seen it before
¶ And as for Attropos greuous compleynt
¶ Vnto the goddys betokeneth noo more
¶ But oonly to shew the how frendely constrey{n}t
¶ On a stedfast herte weyeth full sore
¶ Good wyll requyreth good wyll ayene therfore
¶ Dyscorde to deth hathe ay byn a frende
¶ For Dyscorde bryngeth many to her ende
¶ Wherfore Dethe thought he wolde auenged be
¶ On his frendes quarell yf that he myghte
¶ For her gret vnkyndnesse is somoche as she
¶ Was among hem all had so in despyte
¶ And at that ba[n]ket made of soo lyte
¶ Which caused hym among he{m} to cast in a bone
¶ That fou{n}de they{m} gnawyng ynough euerichone
¶ Thus ofte is seen on frende for a nother
¶ Wyll say & doo and some tyme maters feyne
¶ And also kynnysmen a cosyne or a brother
¶ Wyll for his alyer he haue cause compleyne
¶ And where that he loueth doo his besy peyne
¶ His frendes mater as his owne to take
¶ Whiche oft sythe causeth mychyll sorow awake
¶ Be hit ryght or wrong he chargeth not a myte
Ap towarde that poynt he taketh lytyll hede
¶ So that he may haue his frowarde appetyte
Performed he careth not how his soule spede (not{e}
¶ Of God or Deuyll haue suche lytyll drede
¶ How be it one there is that lord is of all
¶ Whiche to euery wyght at last rewarde shall
¶ And as for {the} batayl betwene Vertu holde
¶ Soo playnly appereth to the inwardly
¶ To make exposycyon therof new or olde
¶ Were but superfluyte therefore refuse hit I
¶ In man shall thou fynde {that} were kept dayly
¶ Lyke as {thou} hast seen it fowty[u]e before thy face
¶ The pycture me behynd{e} sheweth it i{n} lytyll space
¶ And as for Macrocosme it is nomore to say
¶ But the lesse worlde to the comon entent
¶ Whiche applyed is to man both nyght & day
¶ Soo is man the felde to which all were sent
¶ On bothe partyes & they that thyder went
¶ Sygnyfye nomore but after the condycyon
¶ Of euery manes opynyon
¶ And as for the noble knygt Perseueraunce
¶ Which gate the felde when it was almost gone
¶ Betokeneth nomore but the contynuaunce
¶ Of vertuous lyvyng tyll dethe hath auergone
¶ Who soo wyll doo rewarded is anone
¶ As Vertue was with the crowne on hy
whiche is noo more but euerlastyng glory
¶ And as for Prestynacyon The line is cut short.
¶ That eche of hem rewarded after his deserte The line must be:
¶ Is to vnderstonde nomore but dampnacyon And as for Prescience
¶ To vycyous people is the verey scourge smert and Predestinacion
¶ Rewarde for they fro Vertue wolde peruert
¶ And endelesse Ioye is to hem that be electe
¶ Rewarded & to all that folow the same secte
¶ And as for the keyes of the posternes fyue
Whiche were to Morple{us} rewarded for his laboure
¶ Sygnyfye not elles but whyle man is on lyue
¶ His fyue inwarde wyttes shall be euery hour
¶ In his slepe occupyed in hele & in langour
¶ With fantasyes tryfels Illusyons & dremes
¶ Whiche Poetes call Morpleus stremes
¶ And as for Residiuacyon is nomore to say
¶ But after Confessyon tornyng ayene to synne
¶ Whiche to euery man retornyth sauns delay
¶ To vycyous lyuyng agayn hym to wynne
¶ Whyle ony man lyueth wyll it neuer blynne
¶ That cursed conclusyon for to bryng aboute
¶ But Reason with Sadnes kepe it styll oute
¶ Here hast thou properly the verrey sentence
¶ Perde now declared of this vysyon
¶ The pycture also yeueth clere intellygence
¶ Therof beholden with good dyscresyon
¶ Loke well aboute and take consyderasyon
¶ As I haue declared whether hit soo be
¶ A syr quoth Morpleus what tolde I the
¶ Hast thou properly the verey sentence
¶ Loke on yon wall yonder before
¶ And all that tyme stood I in a wyre
¶ Whiche way first myn hert wolde yeue more
¶ To loke in a stody stood I therfore
¶ Neuerthelesse at last as Morpleus me badde
¶ I loked forwarde with contenaunce sadde
¶ Where I beheld in portrayture
¶ The maner of the felde euen as it was
Shewed me before & euery creature
¶ On bothe sydes beyng drawyng in small space
¶ Soo caryously in soo lytyll a compace
¶ In all this worlde was neuer thyng wrought
¶ Hit were Impossyble in erthe to be thought
¶ And when I had long beholde that pycture
¶ What q{uo}d Morpleus how longe shalte thou loke
¶ Daryng as a dastard on yon portrayture:
¶ Come of for shame thy wytte stante a croke
¶ I heryng that myn herte to me toke
¶ Towarde the fourthe wall tornyng my vysage
¶ Where I sawe Poetes & Phylosophers sage
¶ Many one moo that at the banket
¶ Serued the goddes as I sayde before
¶ Som were made standyng & som in chayris set
¶ Som lokyng on bokys as they had stodyed sore
¶ Som drawyng almenakis & in her hondis bore
¶ Astyrlabes takyng the altytude of the sonne
¶ Among whome Dyogenes sate in a tonne
¶ And as I was lokyng on that fourthe wall
¶ Of Dyogenes beholdyng the ymage
¶ Sodeynly Doctryne began me to call
¶ And bad me tourne towarde hyr my vysage
¶ And soo then I dyde with humble corage
¶ Whan thynkest {thou} she sayd hast {thou} not thentent
¶ Yet of these foure walles what they represent
¶ The pycture on the fyrst {that} standeth at my bake
¶ Sheweth the {the} present tyme of pylgremage
¶ Of whiche before I vnto the spake
¶ Whiche is the tyme of daungerous passage
¶ The seconde dyscrettly agayne my vysage
¶ The tyme expresseth of Deuyacyon
¶ Whyle paynyme lawe had the domynacyon
¶ The thryd wall standyng on my lyfe honde
¶ The tyme representeth of Reuocacyon
¶ And the fourthe standyng on my ryght honde
¶ Determyneth the tyme of Reconsylyacyon
¶ This is the effecte of thy vysyon
¶ Wherfore the nedeth no more theron to muse
¶ Hit were but veyne thy wyttes to dysuse
¶ But duryng the tym of Reconsylyacyon
¶ Thy tyme of pylgremage loke well {thou} spende
¶ And then woll gracyous Predestynacyon Original has
¶ Bryng the to glory at thy law ende well instead
¶ And euen with that came to my mynde of woll
¶ My fyrst conclusyon that I was aboute
¶ To haue dreuen er slepe made me to lute
¶ That is to say how Sensualyte
¶ {With} Reason to acorde myght be brought aboute
¶ Whiche caused me to knele downe on my kne
¶ And beseke Doctryne determyne that doute
¶ Oo Lord god sayd Doctry{n}e canst {thou} not withoute
¶ Me that conclusyon bryng to an ende
¶ Ferre is fro the wytte & ferther good mende
¶ And euen with that Dethe gan appere
¶ Shewyng hymselfe as though that he wolde
¶ His darte haue occupyed within that herbere
¶ But there was none for hym yong nor olde
¶ Saue oonly I Doctrine hym tolde
¶ And when I herde hyr with hym comon thus
¶ I me withdrew behynde Morpleus.
¶ Dredyng full sore lest he with his dart.
¶ Through Doctrynes wordes ony entresse.
¶ In me wolde haue had or claymed ony part
¶ Which sholde haue caused me grete heuynesse
¶ Within whiche tyme & short processe
¶ Came thyder Reason and Sensualyte.
¶ A quoth Doctryne ryght welcome be ye
¶ Hit is not long sythe we of you spake
¶ Ye must er ye goo determyne a doute
¶ And euen with that she the mater brake
¶ To theym & tolde hit euery where aboute
¶ I wolde haue be thens yf I had moute
¶ For fere I loked as blake as a cole
¶ I wolde haue cropen in a mouse hole
¶ What quoth Doctryne where is he now
¶ That meu[i]d this mater straunge & dyffuse
¶ He is a cowarde I make myn auow
¶ He hyded his hede his mocyon to refuse
¶ Blame hym not q{uo}d Reason alway {that} to vse
¶ When he seeth Dethe soo nere at his honde
¶ Yet is his part hym to withstonde
¶ Or at the leste way elles fro hym flee Original has
¶ As longe as he may who dooth other wyse fym instead
¶ Is an ydeote quoth Sensualytee of hym
¶ Who dredeth not Dethe wyse men hym dyspyse
¶ What said Doctryne how long hathe this gyse
¶ Be holden & vsed thus atwixe you tweyne
¶ Ye were not wonte to acorde certeyne
¶ Yes quoth Reason in this poynt alway
¶ To euery man haue we yeuen our counsayll
¶ Dethe for to flee as long as they may
¶ Although wo otherwyse haue done our trauayl
¶ Eche other to represse yet withoute fayll
¶ In that poynt oonly dyscordeth we neuer
¶ Thus condescended therin be we for euer
¶ Aha sayd Doctryne then is the conclusyon
¶ Clerely determined of the gret doute
¶ That here wes meuyd & halfe in derysyon
¶ She me then called & bade me loke oute
¶ Come forthe she sayd & feere not this route
¶ And euen with that Reason & Sensualyte
¶ And Dethe fro thens were vanysshed all thre
¶ Then loked I forthe as Doctryne me badde
¶ When Dethe was gone me thought I was bolde
¶ To shewe myselfe but yet was I sadde
¶ Me thought my doute was not as I wolde
¶ Clerely and openly declared & tolde
¶ Hit sowned to me as a parable
¶ Derke as a myste or a fayned fable Original has
myhe instead
¶ And Doctryne my conceyte gan espy of myste
¶ Wherfore sayd she standest thou soo styll
¶ Wherin is thy thought arte thou in stody
¶ Of thy questyon hast thou not thy fyll
¶ To the declared tell me thy wyll.
¶ Herdest thou not Reason & Sensualyte
¶ Declared thy doute here before the
¶ Forsothe quoth I I herde what they sayde
¶ But neuerthelesse my wytte is so thynne
¶ And also of Dethe I was so afrayde
¶ That hit is out where hit vent ynne
¶ And so that mater can I not wynne
¶ Without your helpe & benyuolence
¶ Therof to expresse the veray sentence
¶ Well quod Doctryne then yeue attendaunce
¶ Vnto my wordes & thou shalt here
¶ Openly declared the concordaunce
¶ Atwene Sensualyte & Reason in fere
¶ If thou take hede hit clerely dooth apere
¶ How they were knette in one opynyon
¶ Bothe agayn Dethe helde contradyccon
¶ Whiche concordaunce no more sygnyfyeth
¶ To playne vnderstandyng but in euery mane
¶ Bothe Sensualyte & Reason applyeth
¶ Rather Dethe to flee then with hir to be tane
¶ Loo in that poynt accorde they holly thane
¶ And in all other they clerely dyscorde
¶ Thus is trewly set thy doubtfull monacorde
¶ I heryng that kneled on my kne
¶ And thanked her lowly for her dyscyplyne
¶ That she wouchesafe of her benygnyte
¶ Of tho gret doubtes me to enlumyne
¶ Well was she worthy to be called Doctryne
¶ If it had be no more but for the solucyon
¶ Of my demaunde & of this straunge vysyon
¶ And as I with myne hede began for to bow
¶ As me well ought to do her reuerence
¶ She thens departed I can not tell how
¶ But within a moment gone was she thens
¶ Then sayd Morpleus let vs go hens
¶ what sholde we here tarye lengere
¶ Hast thou not herde a generall answere
¶ To all thy materes that thou lyst to meue
¶ My tyme draweth nere that I must rest
¶ And euen therewith he toke me by the sleue
¶ And sayd goo we hens for that sholde I best
¶ As good is ynough as a grete fest
¶ Thou hast seen ynough holde the content
¶ And euen with {that} forthe with hym I went
¶ Tyll he had me brought agene to my bedde
¶ where he me founde and then pryuely Original has
¶ He stale awaye I coude not vnderstande pruyely
¶ were he became but sodeynly instead of
¶ As he came he went I tell you veryly pryuely
¶ whiche done fro slepe I gan to awake
¶ My body all in swet began for to shake
¶ For drede of the syght that I had sene
¶ wenyng to me all had be trew
¶ Actuelly done where I had bene
¶ That batyll holde twene Vyce & Vertew
¶ But when I see hit hit was but a whew
¶ A dreme a fantasy & a thyng of nought
¶ To study thereon I had nomore thought
¶ Tyll at the last I gan me bethynke
¶ For what cause shewed was this vysyon
¶ I knew not wherefore I toke pen & ynke
¶ And paper therof to make mencyon
¶ In wrytyng takyng consyderacyon
¶ That noo defaute were found in me
¶ whereon accused I ought for to be
¶ For slouthe that I had left hit vntolde
¶ Neyther by mouthe nor in remembrau{n}ce
¶ Put it in wrytyng where thorugh manyfolde
¶ wayes of accusacio{n} myght torne me to greuau{n}ce
¶ All this I sawe as I lay in a traunce
¶ But wheder it was with myne ey bodely
¶ Or not in certayn god knoweth & not I
¶ That to dyscerne I purpose not to dele
¶ Soo large by my wyll it longeth not to me
¶ were hit dreme or vysyon for your owne wele
¶ All that shall hit rede here rad or se
¶ Take thereof the best & let the worst be
¶ Try out the corne clene from the chaff
And then may ye say ye have a sure staff
¶ To stande by at nede of ye wyll it holde
¶ And walke by the way of Vertue
¶ But alwey beware be ye yong or olde
¶ That your Frewyll ay to Vertue more
¶ Apply than to Vyce the easyer may be bore
¶ The burden of the felde that ye dayly fyght
¶ Agayn your .iii. enemyes for all her gret myght
¶ That is to say the Deuyll & the Flesshe
¶ And also the worlde with hith his glosyng chere
¶ Whyche on you loketh euer newe & fresshe
¶ But he is not as he dooth apere
¶ Loke ye kepe you ay out of his daungere
¶ And soo the vyctory shall ye obteyne
¶ Vyce fro you exyled & Vertue in you reyne
¶ And then shall ye haue the tru{m}phall guerdon
¶ That god reserued to euery creature
¶ Aboue in his celestyall mansyon
¶ Ioye & blysse infynyte eternally to endure
¶ Wherof we say we wolde fayne be sure
¶ But the way thyderwarde to holde be we lothe
¶ That oft sythe causeth {the} good lord to be wrothe
¶ And by our deserte our habytacyon chau{n}geth
¶ Fro Ioye to payne & woo perpetuelly
¶ From his gloryous syght thus he vs estrau{n}geth
¶ For our vycyous lyuyng thorugh our owne foly
¶ Wherfore let vs praye to that lorde of glory
¶ Whyle we in erthe be {that} he wyll yeue vs grace
¶ So vs here to guyde that we may haue a place
¶ Accordyng to oure Regeneracyon
¶ Which heuenly spyrytes his name to magnyfy.
¶ Whiche downe descendeth for oure redempcyon
¶ Offryng hymselfe on the crosse to his fad{er} on hy
¶ Now benygne Ihesu that boren was of Mary
¶ All that to this vysyon haue gyue{n} her audyence
¶ Graunte eternal Ioye after thy last se{n}tence
A M E N
¶ Here endeth a lytyll Treatyse
named The assemble of goddes
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