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Ther schal he finde no winnynge；
And if he do it to pourchace
The hevene mede； of such a grace
I can noght speke； and natheles
Crist hath comanded love and pes；
And who that worcheth the revers；
I trowe his mede is ful divers。 2290
And sithen thanne that we finde
That werres in here oghne kinde
Ben toward god of no decerte；
And ek thei bringen in poverte
Of worldes good； it is merveile
Among the men what it mai eyle；
That thei a pes ne conne sette。
I trowe Senne be the lette；
And every mede of Senne is deth；
So wot I nevere hou that it geth： 2300
Bot we that ben of o believe
Among ousself； this wolde I lieve；
That betre it were pes to chese；
Than so be double weie lese。
I not if that it now so stonde；
Bot this a man mai understonde；
Who that these olde bokes redeth；
That coveitise is on which ledeth；
And broghte ferst the werres inne。
At Grece if that I schal beginne； 2310
Ther was it proved hou it stod：
To Perce； which was ful of good；
Thei maden werre in special；
And so thei deden overal；
Wher gret richesse was in londe；
So that thei leften nothing stonde
Unwerred； bot onliche Archade。
For there thei no werres made；
Be cause it was bareigne and povere；
Wherof thei mihten noght recovere； 2320
And thus poverte was forbore；
He that noght hadde noght hath lore。
Bot yit it is a wonder thing；
Whan that a riche worthi king；
Or other lord； what so he be；
Wol axe and cleyme proprete
In thing to which he hath no riht；
Bot onliche of his grete miht：
For this mai every man wel wite；
That bothe kinde and lawe write 2330
Expressly stonden therayein。
Bot he mot nedes somwhat sein；
Althogh ther be no reson inne；
Which secheth cause forto winne：
For wit that is with will oppressed；
Whan coveitise him hath adressed；
And alle resoun put aweie；
He can wel finde such a weie
To werre； where as evere him liketh；
Wherof that he the world entriketh； 2340
That many a man of him compleigneth：
Bot yit alwei som cause he feigneth；
And of his wrongful herte he demeth
That al is wel； what evere him semeth；
Be so that he mai winne ynowh。
For as the trew man to the plowh
Only to the gaignage entendeth；
Riht so the werreiour despendeth
His time and hath no conscience。
And in this point for evidence 2350
Of hem that suche werres make；
Thou miht a gret ensample take；
How thei her tirannie excusen
Of that thei wrongfull werres usen；
And how thei stonde of on acord；
The Souldeour forth with the lord；
The povere man forth with the riche；
As of corage thei ben liche；
To make werres and to pile
For lucre and for non other skyle： 2360
Wherof a propre tale I rede；
As it whilom befell in dede。
Of him whom al this Erthe dradde；
Whan he the world so overladde
Thurgh werre； as it fortuned is；
King Alisandre； I rede this；
How in a Marche； where he lay；
It fell per chance upon a day
A Rovere of the See was nome；
Which many a man hadde overcome 2370
And slain and take here good aweie：
This Pilour； as the bokes seie；
A famous man in sondri stede
Was of the werkes whiche he dede。
This Prisoner tofor the king
Was broght； and there upon this thing
In audience he was accused：
And he his dede hath noght excused；
Bot preith the king to don him riht；
And seith； 〃Sire； if I were of miht； 2380
I have an herte lich to thin；
For if the pouer were myn；
Mi will is most in special
To rifle and geten overal
The large worldes good aboute。
Bot for I lede a povere route
And am； as who seith； at meschief；
The name of Pilour and of thief
I bere； and thou； which routes grete
Miht lede and take thi beyete； 2390
And dost riht as I wolde do；
Thi name is nothing cleped so；
Bot thou art named Emperour。
Oure dedes ben of o colour
And in effect of o decerte；
Bot thi richesse and my poverte
Tho ben noght taken evene liche。
And natheles he that is riche
This dai； tomorwe he mai be povere；
And in contraire also recovere 2400
A povere man to gret richesse
Men sen： forthi let rihtwisnesse
Be peised evene in the balance。
The king his hardi contienance
Behield； and herde hise wordes wise；
And seide unto him in this wise：
〃Thin ansuere I have understonde；
Wherof my will is； that thou stonde
In mi service and stille abide。〃
And forth withal the same tide 2410
He hath him terme of lif withholde；
The mor and for he schal ben holde；
He made him kniht and yaf him lond；
Which afterward was of his hond
And orped kniht in many a stede；
And gret prouesce of armes dede；
As the Croniqes it recorden。
And in this wise thei acorden；
The whiche of o condicioun
Be set upon destruccioun： 2420
Such Capitein such retenue。
Bot forto se to what issue
The thing befalleth ate laste；
It is gret wonder that men caste
Here herte upon such wrong to winne；
Wher no beyete mai ben inne；
And doth desese on every side：
Bot whan reson is put aside
And will governeth the corage；
The faucon which that fleth ramage 2430
And soeffreth nothing in the weie；
Wherof that he mai take his preie；
Is noght mor set upon ravine；
Than thilke man which his covine
Hath set in such a maner wise：
For al the world ne mai suffise
To will which is noght resonable。
Wherof ensample concordable
Lich to this point of which I meene；
Was upon Alisandre sene； 2440
Which hadde set al his entente；
So as fortune with him wente；
That reson mihte him non governe；
Bot of his will he was so sterne；
That al the world he overran
And what him list he tok and wan。
In Ynde the superiour
Whan that he was ful conquerour；
And hadde his wilful pourpos wonne
Of al this Erthe under the Sonne； 2450
This king homward to Macedoine；
Whan that he cam to Babiloine；
And wende most in his Empire；
As he which was hol lord and Sire；
In honour forto be received；
Most sodeinliche he was deceived；
And with strong puison envenimed。
And as he hath the world mistimed
Noght as he scholde with his wit；
Noght as he wolde it was aquit。 2460
Thus was he slain that whilom slowh；
And he which riche was ynowh
This dai； tomorwe he hadde noght：
And in such wise as he hath wroght
In destorbance of worldes pes；
His werre he fond thanne endeles；
In which for evere desconfit
He was。 Lo now； for what profit
Of werre it helpeth forto ryde；
For coveitise and worldes pride 2470
To sle the worldes men aboute；
As bestes whiche gon theroute。
For every lif which reson can
Oghth wel to knowe that a man
Ne scholde thurgh no tirannie
Lich to these othre bestes die；
Til kinde wolde for him sende。
I not hou he it mihte amende；
Which takth awei for everemore
The lif that he mai noght restore。 2480
Forthi； mi Sone； in alle weie
Be wel avised； I thee preie；
Of slawhte er that thou be coupable
Withoute cause resonable。
Mi fader； understonde it is；
That ye have seid； bot over this
I prei you tell me nay or yee；
To passe over the grete See
To werre and sle the Sarazin；
Is that the lawe？ Sone myn； 2490
To preche and soffre for the feith；
That have I herd the gospell seith；
Bot forto slee； that hiere I noght。
Crist with his oghne deth hath boght
Alle othre men； and made hem fre；
In tokne of parfit charite；
And after that he tawhte himselve；
Whan he was ded； these othre tuelve
Of hise Apostles wente aboute
The holi feith to prechen oute； 2500
Wherof the deth in sondri place
Thei soffre； and so god of his grace
The feith of Crist hath mad aryse：
Bot if thei wolde in other wise
Be werre have broght in the creance；
It hadde yit stonde in balance。
And that mai proven in the dede；
For what man the Croniqes rede；
Fro ferst that holi cherche hath weyved
To preche； and hath the swerd received； 2510
Wherof the werres ben begonne；
A gret partie of that was wonne
To Cristes feith stant now miswent：
Godd do therof amendement；
So as he wot what is the beste。
Bot； Sone； if thou wolt live in reste
Of conscience wel assised；
Er that thou sle； be wel avised：
For man； as tellen ous the clerkes；
Hath god above alle ertheli werkes 2520
Ordeined to be principal；
And ek of Soule in special
He is mad lich to the godhiede。
So sit it wel to taken hiede
And forto loke on every side；
Er that thou falle in homicide；
Which Senne is now so general；
That it welnyh stant overal；
In holi che