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Who that the vices wolde eschuie；
He mot be resoun thanne suie
The vertus； for be thilke weie
He mai the vices don aweie；
For thei togedre mai noght duelle：
For as the water of a welle 3170
Of fyr abateth the malice；
Riht so vertu fordoth the vice。
Ayein Envie is Charite；
Which is the Moder of Pite；
That makth a mannes herte tendre；
That it mai no malice engendre
In him that is enclin therto。
For his corage is tempred so；
That thogh he mihte himself relieve；
Yit wolde he noght an other grieve； 3180
Bot rather forto do plesance
He berth himselven the grevance；
So fain he wolde an other ese。
Wherof； mi Sone； for thin ese
Now herkne a tale which I rede；
And understond it wel； I rede。
Among the bokes of latin
I finde write of Constantin
The worthi Emperour of Rome；
Suche infortunes to him come； 3190
Whan he was in his lusti age；
The lepre cawhte in his visage
And so forth overal aboute；
That he ne mihte ryden oute：
So lefte he bothe Schield and spere；
As he that mihte him noght bestere；
And hield him in his chambre clos。
Thurgh al the world the fame aros；
The grete clerkes ben asent
And come at his comandement 3200
To trete upon this lordes hele。
So longe thei togedre dele；
That thei upon this medicine
Apointen hem； and determine
That in the maner as it stod
Thei wolde him bathe in childes blod
Withinne sevene wynter age：
For； as thei sein； that scholde assuage
The lepre and al the violence；
Which that thei knewe of Accidence 3210
And noght be weie of kinde is falle。
And therto thei acorden alle
As for final conclusioun；
And tolden here opinioun
To themperour： and he anon
His conseil tok； and therupon
With lettres and with seales oute
Thei sende in every lond aboute
The yonge children forto seche；
Whos blod； thei seiden； schal be leche 3220
For themperoures maladie。
Ther was ynowh to wepe and crie
Among the Modres； whan thei herde
Hou wofully this cause ferde；
Bot natheles thei moten bowe；
And thus wommen ther come ynowhe
With children soukende on the Tete。
Tho was ther manye teres lete；
Bot were hem lieve or were hem lothe；
The wommen and the children bothe 3230
Into the Paleis forth be broght
With many a sory hertes thoght
Of hem whiche of here bodi bore
The children hadde； and so forlore
Withinne a while scholden se。
The Modres wepe in here degre；
And manye of hem aswoune falle；
The yonge babes criden alle：
This noyse aros； the lord it herde；
And loked out； and how it ferde 3240
He sih； and as who seith abreide
Out of his slep； and thus he seide：
〃O thou divine pourveance；
Which every man in the balance
Of kinde hast formed to be liche；
The povere is bore as is the riche
And deieth in the same wise；
Upon the fol； upon the wise
Siknesse and hele entrecomune；
Mai non eschuie that fortune 3250
Which kinde hath in hire lawe set；
Hire strengthe and beaute ben beset
To every man aliche fre；
That sche preferreth no degre
As in the disposicioun
Of bodili complexioun：
And ek of Soule resonable
The povere child is bore als able
To vertu as the kinges Sone；
For every man his oghne wone 3260
After the lust of his assay
The vice or vertu chese may。
Thus stonden alle men franchised；
Bot in astat thei ben divised；
To some worschipe and richesse；
To some poverte and distresse；
On lordeth and an other serveth；
Bot yit as every man deserveth
The world yifth noght his yiftes hiere。
Bot certes he hath gret matiere 3270
To ben of good condicioun；
Which hath in his subjeccioun
The men that ben of his semblance。〃
And ek he tok a remembrance
How he that made lawe of kinde
Wolde every man to lawe binde；
And bad a man； such as he wolde
Toward himself； riht such he scholde
Toward an other don also。
And thus this worthi lord as tho 3280
Sette in balance his oghne astat
And with himself stod in debat；
And thoghte hou that it was noght good
To se so mochel mannes blod
Be spilt for cause of him alone。
He sih also the grete mone；
Of that the Modres were unglade；
And of the wo the children made；
Wherof that al his herte tendreth；
And such pite withinne engendreth； 3290
That him was levere forto chese
His oghne bodi forto lese；
Than se so gret a moerdre wroght
Upon the blod which gulteth noght。
Thus for the pite which he tok
Alle othre leches he forsok；
And put him out of aventure
Al only into goddes cure；
And seith； 〃Who that woll maister be；
He mot be servant to pite。〃 3300
So ferforth he was overcome
With charite； that he hath nome
His conseil and hise officers；
And bad unto hise tresorers
That thei his tresour al aboute
Departe among the povere route
Of wommen and of children bothe；
Wherof thei mihte hem fede and clothe
And saufli tornen hom ayein
Withoute lost of eny grein。 3310
Thurgh charite thus he despendeth
His good； wherof that he amendeth
The povere poeple； and contrevaileth
The harm； that he hem so travaileth：
And thus the woful nyhtes sorwe
To joie is torned on the morwe；
Al was thonkinge； al was blessinge；
Which erst was wepinge and cursinge；
Thes wommen gon hom glade ynowh；
Echon for joie on other lowh； 3320
And preiden for this lordes hele；
Which hath relessed the querele；
And hath his oghne will forsake
In charite for goddes sake。
Bot now hierafter thou schalt hiere
What god hath wroght in this matiere；
As he which doth al equite。
To him that wroghte charite
He was ayeinward charitous；
And to pite he was pitous： 3330
For it was nevere knowe yit
That charite goth unaquit。
The nyht； whan he was leid to slepe；
The hihe god； which wolde him kepe；
Seint Peter and seint Poul him sende；
Be whom he wolde his lepre amende。
Thei tuo to him slepende appiere
Fro god； and seide in this manere：
〃O Constantin； for thou hast served
Pite； thou hast pite deserved： 3340
Forthi thou schalt such pite have
That god thurgh pite woll thee save。
So schalt thou double hele finde；
Ferst for thi bodiliche kinde；
And for thi wofull Soule also；
Thou schalt ben hol of bothe tuo。
And for thou schalt thee noght despeire；
Thi lepre schal nomore empeire
Til thou wolt sende therupon
Unto the Mont of Celion； 3350
Wher that Silvestre and his clergie
Togedre duelle in compaignie
For drede of thee； which many day
Hast ben a fo to Cristes lay；
And hast destruid to mochel schame
The prechours of his holy name。
Bot now thou hast somdiel appesed
Thi god； and with good dede plesed；
That thou thi pite hast bewared
Upon the blod which thou hast spared。 3360
Forthi to thi salvacion
Thou schalt have enformacioun；
Such as Silvestre schal the teche：
The nedeth of non other leche。〃
This Emperour； which al this herde；
〃Grant merci lordes；〃 he ansuerde；
〃I wol do so as ye me seie。
Bot of o thing I wolde preie：
What schal I telle unto Silvestre
Or of youre name or of youre estre？〃 3370
And thei him tolden what thei hihte；
And forth withal out of his sihte
Thei passen up into the hevene。
And he awok out of his swevene；
And clepeth； and men come anon：
He tolde his drem； and therupon
In such a wise as he hem telleth
The Mont wher that Silvestre duelleth
Thei have in alle haste soght；
And founde he was and with hem broght 3380
To themperour； which to him tolde
His swevene and elles what he wolde。
And whan Silvestre hath herd the king；
He was riht joiful of this thing；
And him began with al his wit
To techen upon holi writ
Ferst how mankinde was forlore；
And how the hihe god therfore
His Sone sende from above；
Which bore was for mannes love； 3390
And after of his oghne chois
He tok his deth upon the crois；
And how in grave he was beloke；
And how that he hath helle broke；
And tok hem out that were him lieve；
And forto make ous full believe
That he was verrai goddes Sone；
Ayein the kinde of mannes wone
Fro dethe he ros the thridde day；
And whanne he wolde； as he wel may； 3400
He styh up to his fader evene
With fleissh and blod into the hevene；
And riht so in the same forme
In fleissh and blod he schal reforme；
Whan time comth； the qwike and dede
At thilke woful dai of drede；
Where every man schal take his dom；
Als wel the Maister as the grom。
The mihti kinges retenue
That dai may stonde of no val