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Which Senne is now so general；
That it welnyh stant overal；
In holi cherche and elles where。
Bot al the while it stant so there； 2530
The world mot nede fare amis：
For whan the welle of pite is
Thurgh coveitise of worldes good
Defouled with schedinge of blod；
The remenant of folk aboute
Unethe stonden eny doute
To werre ech other and to slee。
So is it all noght worth a Stree；
The charite wherof we prechen；
For we do nothing as we techen： 2540
And thus the blinde conscience
Of pes hath lost thilke evidence
Which Crist upon this Erthe tawhte。
Now mai men se moerdre and manslawhte
Lich as it was be daies olde；
Whan men the Sennes boghte and solde。
In Grece afore Cristes feith；
I rede； as the Cronique seith；
Touchende of this matiere thus；
In thilke time hou Peles 2550
His oghne brother Phocus slowh；
Bot for he hadde gold ynowh
To yive； his Senne was despensed
With gold； wherof it was compensed：
Achastus； which with Venus was
Hire Priest； assoilede in that cas；
Al were ther no repentance。
And as the bok makth remembrance；
It telleth of Medee also；
Of that sche slowh her Sones tuo； 2560
Eges in the same plit
Hath mad hire of hire Senne quit。
The Sone ek of Amphioras；
Whos rihte name Almes was；
His Moder slowh； Eriphile；
Bot Achilo the Priest and he；
So as the bokes it recorden；
For certein Somme of gold acorden
That thilke horrible sinfull dede
Assoiled was。 And thus for mede 2570
Of worldes good it falleth ofte
That homicide is set alofte
Hiere in this lif； bot after this
Ther schal be knowe how that it is
Of hem that suche thinges werche；
And hou also that holi cherche
Let suche Sennes passe quyte；
And how thei wole hemself aquite
Of dedly werres that thei make。
For who that wolde ensample take； 2580
The lawe which is naturel
Be weie of kinde scheweth wel
That homicide in no degree；
Which werreth ayein charite；
Among the men ne scholde duelle。
For after that the bokes telle；
To seche in al this worldesriche；
Men schal noght finde upon his liche
A beste forto take his preie：
And sithen kinde hath such a weie； 2590
Thanne is it wonder of a man；
Which kynde hath and resoun can；
That he wol owther more or lasse
His kinde and resoun overpasse；
And sle that is to him semblable。
So is the man noght resonable
Ne kinde； and that is noght honeste；
Whan he is worse than a beste。
Among the bokes whiche I finde
Solyns spekth of a wonder kinde； 2600
And seith of fowhles ther is on；
Which hath a face of blod and bon
Lich to a man in resemblance。
And if it falle him so per chance；
As he which is a fowhl of preie；
That he a man finde in his weie；
He wol him slen； if that he mai：
Bot afterward the same dai；
Whan he hath eten al his felle；
And that schal be beside a welle； 2610
In which whan he wol drinke take；
Of his visage and seth the make
That he hath slain； anon he thenketh
Of his misdede； and it forthenketh
So gretly； that for pure sorwe
He liveth noght til on the morwe。
Be this ensample it mai well suie
That man schal homicide eschuie；
For evere is merci good to take；
Bot if the lawe it hath forsake 2620
And that justice is therayein。
For ofte time I have herd sein
Amonges hem that werres hadden；
That thei som while here cause ladden
Be merci； whan thei mihte have slain；
Wherof that thei were after fain：
And； Sone； if that thou wolt recorde
The vertu of Misericorde；
Thou sihe nevere thilke place；
Where it was used； lacke grace。 2630
For every lawe and every kinde
The mannes wit to merci binde；
And namely the worthi knihtes；
Whan that thei stonden most uprihtes
And ben most mihti forto grieve；
Thei scholden thanne most relieve
Him whom thei mihten overthrowe；
As be ensample a man mai knowe。
He mai noght failen of his mede
That hath merci： for this I rede； 2640
In a Cronique and finde thus。
Whan Achilles with Telaphus
His Sone toward Troie were；
It fell hem； er thei comen there；
Ayein Theucer the king of Mese
To make werre and forto sese
His lond； as thei that wolden regne
And Theucer pute out of his regne。
And thus the Marches thei assaile；
Bot Theucer yaf to hem bataille； 2650
Thei foghte on bothe sides faste；
Bot so it hapneth ate laste；
This worthi Grek； this Achilles；
The king among alle othre ches：
As he that was cruel and fell；
With swerd in honde on him he fell；
And smot him with a dethes wounde；
That he unhorsed fell to grounde。
Achilles upon him alyhte；
And wolde anon； as he wel mihte； 2660
Have slain him fullich in the place；
Bot Thelaphus his fader grace
For him besoghte； and for pite
Preith that he wolde lete him be；
And caste his Schield betwen hem tuo。
Achilles axeth him why so；
And Thelaphus his cause tolde；
And seith that he is mochel holde；
For whilom Theucer in a stede
Gret grace and socour to him dede； 2670
And seith that he him wolde aquite；
And preith his fader to respite。
Achilles tho withdrowh his hond；
Bot al the pouer of the lond；
Whan that thei sihe here king thus take；
Thei fledde and han the feld forsake：
The Grecs unto the chace falle；
And for the moste part of alle
Of that contre the lordes grete
Thei toke； and wonne a gret beyete。 2680
And anon after this victoire
The king； which hadde good memoire；
Upon the grete merci thoghte；
Which Telaphus toward him wroghte；
And in presence of al the lond
He tok him faire be the hond；
And in this wise he gan to seie：
〃Mi Sone； I mot be double weie
Love and desire thin encress；
Ferst for thi fader Achilles 2690
Whilom ful many dai er this；
Whan that I scholde have fare amis；
Rescousse dede in mi querele
And kepte al myn astat in hele：
How so ther falle now distance
Amonges ous； yit remembrance
I have of merci which he dede
As thanne： and thou now in this stede
Of gentilesce and of franchise
Hast do mercy the same wise。 2700
So wol I noght that eny time
Be lost of that thou hast do byme；
For hou so this fortune falle；
Yit stant mi trust aboven alle；
For the mercy which I now finde；
That thou wolt after this be kinde：
And for that such is myn espeir；
As for my Sone and for myn Eir
I thee receive； and al my lond
I yive and sese into thin hond。〃 2710
And in this wise thei acorde；
The cause was Misericorde：
The lordes dede here obeissance
To Thelaphus； and pourveance
Was mad so that he was coroned：
And thus was merci reguerdoned；
Which he to Theucer dede afore。
Lo； this ensample is mad therfore；
That thou miht take remembrance；
Mi Sone； and whan thou sest a chaunce； 2720
Of other mennes passioun
Tak pite and compassioun；
And let nothing to thee be lief；
Which to an other man is grief。
And after this if thou desire
To stonde ayein the vice of Ire；
Consaile thee with Pacience；
And tak into thi conscience
Merci to be thi governour。
So schalt thou fiele no rancour； 2730
Wherof thin herte schal debate
With homicide ne with hate
For Cheste or for Malencolie：
Thou schalt be soft in compaignie
Withoute Contek or Folhaste：
For elles miht thou longe waste
Thi time； er that thou have thi wille
Of love； for the weder stille
Men preise； and blame the tempestes。
Mi fader； I wol do youre hestes； 2740
And of this point ye have me tawht；
Toward miself the betre sawht
I thenke be； whil that I live。
Bot for als moche as I am schrive
Of Wraththe and al his circumstance；
Yif what you list to my penance；
And asketh forthere of my lif；
If otherwise I be gultif
Of eny thing that toucheth Sinne。
Mi Sone； er we departe atwinne； 2750
I schal behinde nothing leve。
Mi goode fader； be your leve
Thanne axeth forth what so you list；
For I have in you such a trist；
As ye that be my Soule hele；
That ye fro me wol nothing hele；
For I schal telle you the trowthe。
Mi Sone； art thou coupable of Slowthe
In eny point which to him longeth？
My fader； of tho pointz me longeth 2760
To wite pleinly what thei meene；
So that I mai me schrive cleene。
Now herkne； I schal the pointz devise；
And understond wel myn aprise：
For schrifte stant of no value
To him that wol him noght vertue
To leve of vice the folie：
For word is wynd； bot the maistrie
Is that a man himself defende
Of thing which is noght to comende； 2770
Wherof ben fewe now aday