Part 7

_Bod. Lust._ No! but for a maiden she goeth.

_Glut._ Yea, fore God! that she doth; But yet she is none, by Jis!

_Bod. Lust._ No, no! what then?

_Glut._ I wis I not; but, as men clatter, They say she is innupta mater, Hardely an holy woman.

_Man._ Well, thither we will! go we hence!

_Bod. Lust._ Sir! ye will give me licence To sport me for a season?

_Man._ Yes, for a while ye well enow; But go not out of the way, I charge you; For hither will come, anon, All my company, as I suppose: Keep them together! for I purpose To come again anon, And show them my mind what I will do. [_Then he goeth out._

_Bod. Lust._ Marry! I shall do what I can thereto; And yet, it is hard for me To keep them together any while. But I shall tell you what: I had liever keep as many fleas, Or wild hares in an open lese, As undertake that.

[_Entereth_ WRATH _and_ ENVY.

_Wrath._ Where be these knaves that make this array?

_Bod. Lust._ Marry! they be gone that other way-- Tell me whom ye mean.

_Wrath._ I trow, thou scornest!

_Bod. Lust._ Nay, certainly! Howsobeit, if I should not lie At the first blush, I ensure you, faithfully, I had forgot you clean; Because ye be thus defensibly arrayed. What meaneth that? are ye afraid? Who hath you grieved?

_Wrath._ Nay, I fear no man that beareth a head; Yet had I liever that I were dead Than that should be proved.

_Bod. Lust._ By my faith! ye are wont to be as bold As it were a lion of Cotswold; But now, to my question: What meaneth all this defensible array?

_Wrath._ Marry! Sloth warned us two this same day, Even sith it was noon, That our master and Reason should make a fray; And, therefore, he had us, without delay, To await on our captain.

_Bod. Lust._ Ah! now I know the matter right well; But what shall come thereof I cannot tell: It passeth my brain. Our master willed that we twain Should tarry here till he come again.

_Envy._ What wilt thou do then?

_Bod. Lust._ Who, I? nay, care not for me! I will not come where strokes be; I am not so mad a man. And I wis it is not for any fear; But it is a thing that I can well forbear, And will as long as I can. Of lust and pleasure is all my mind; It longeth to me of property and kind; And if I should to the war, And lie in mine harness, as other men do, With hunger and thirst a day or two, It should me utterly mar.

_Envy._ It were a great loss if thou were marred! Now, fie on the stark whoreson coward! By Cock's precious blood! It were no sin to slay such a knave. Hast not thou wages as other men have? And few of us so good; Yet wilt thou fail us at this need! Now, whosoever shall quit my meed, I will no further go Till I have slain him [with] mine own hand, Though I should forswear the land Even when I have do. [_Then goeth out_ BODILY LUST. Hold him in, sirs! I you require-- Alas! would ye not, at my desire, Do so much for me? I wis it would have done me more good To have seen the knave's heart-blood Than twenty shillings of fee. [MAN _returneth_.

_Man._ What ho, sirs! what meaneth this gear? Will ye slay each other here? No more of this work!

_Envy._ By the heart of God! and he had abiden A little while he should never have spoken With priest nor with clerk.

_Man._ Who was that? _Envy._ Your own minion, Bodily Lust.

_Man._ Why, what hath he done?

_Envy._ Even like a lurden He saith that ye have given him licence To abide at home, and keep residence While we bear the burden, And serve you now at your need!

_Man._ He prayed me so, in very deed, Within these two days. He said he would serve me with a good will; But of the wars he could no skill, Nor knew thereof the ways: Howbeit I gave him thereof none answer.

_Envy._ No! but I am sure he will not come there; And now may ye see That no man is so much to blame As yourself.

_Man._ I?

_Envy._ Yea, by Saint Jame! No man but even ye. For, I am well assured of one thing, Ye gave him better clothing Than ye did me; And better wages and fees also; And though I said but little thereto, But suffered evermore, Yet I disdained it ever in my mind; And though[t] that ye were to me unkind To set so great store By such a knave as he was-- I would I had him here, by the mass! And no man but we twain.

_Man._ By my troth! this is ever thy guise: Look! by whom I set any prize Him thou wilt most disdain.

_Wrath._ By Christ! he can do none otherwise. But now, sir! is there any service That ye will command me?

_Man._ Yea, marry is there! but my company Dresseth them forward, passing slowly; I trow it will not be. Manhood! thou art good I know for one.

_Wrath._ Yea, by Christ! and they came everyone I will not greatly fear.

_Envy._ By my troth! because he saith so I shall tell you what I saw him do. I was present there-- Sir! it happened in Westminster Hall, Even before the judges all-- His hands were bound fast; And, never upon him, that ever God made, Dagger, sword, nor knife he had. And yet, at the last, He drave twelve men into a corner; And an hour after durst they not appear. How say ye hereto? And his hands had been at liberty He would have put them in great jeopardy-- It is to suppose so.

_Man._ Marry! there he quit him well-- But where be mine other folk, can ye tell?

_Then cometh in_ GLUTTONY _with a cheese and a bottle._

_Wrath._ Marry! here cometh one-- Good Fellowship meseemeth it should be.

_Glut._ Sirs, God speed ye!

_Man._ What tidings with thee?

_Glut._ I shall tell you anon

[_A line has been shaved away at the foot of the page._]

Marry, sir! I am come here For to attend upon you; We shall a warfare it is told me.

_Man._ Yea, where is thy harness?

_Glut._ Marry! here may ye see-- Here is harness enow.

_Wrath._ Why, hast thou none other harness but this?

_Glut._ What the devil harness should I miss, Without it be a bottle? Another bottle I will go purvey Lest that drink be scarce in the way; Or happily none to sell.

_Wrath._ Thou must have other harness than this, man!

_Glut._ Other harness? nay, I shrew me then! I can no skill thereon-- Why, trowest thou that I will fight?

_Envy._ Yea, so I trow!

_Glut._ Nay, by God Almight! Thereof will I none; I was never wont to that gear. But I may serve to be a victualler-- And thereof shall ye have store-- So that I may stand out of danger Of gun shot; but I will come no near; I warn you that before!

_Envy._ Now, such a knave I betake to the devil! This is even such another drivel As was here whilere: They be two knaves anointed. I fear me, sir! ye shall be disappointed; I like not this gear.

_Glut._ O! I had forgotten, I make God avow! Sir! my fellow, Ease, commandeth me to you.

_Man._ Commandeth thee to me?

_Glut._ You to me!

_Man._ Me to thee!

_Glut._ Commandeth you to him, I would have said.

_Man._ Why cometh he not hither?

_Glut._ By God! for he is afraid; And lieth sick in his bed. He took such a conceit when he heard of this gear That for thought and very fear

[_A line is shaved away at the foot of the page._]

_Wrath._ And he were hanged it were no reck: I pray God, the devil break his neck! And all such as he is.

_Man._ Well, let us suffer for awhile; I will go walk hence half a mile; And for all this, Happily, all this gear shall not need Howbeit that I doubt and dread The worst, as wise men do. Manhood! come thyself with me.

_Glut._ And I too, sir?

_Man._ Yea, parde! Wouldst thou be prayed thereto?

_Then goeth out_ MAN, GLUTTONY _and_ WRATH.

_Envy._ Now, he that would have war or strife I pray God send him a shrewd wife; And then shall he have enow. But, I shall tell you, sirs! as for me, I am none of them; so mot I thee! I may say to you I will no such reckonings abide. God's body! here cometh Pride As crank as a peacock! As soon as he and I meet, Without he stand right upon his feet, He shall bear me a proud mock. [PRIDE _entereth._]

_Pride._ What tidings, sirs? can any man tell?

_Envy._ Yea, marry! that can I do as well As any that was in field; Ye have tarried so long about your gay gear That the field is done or ye come there.

_Pride._ Done? marry, God shield!

_Envy._ It is done without fail; But which of them hath won the battle I cannot tell you certain.

_Pride._ Thou were not there it seemeth thereby!

_Envy._ Not I there, quod a? yes, hardely! And that to my great pain; But, as soon as the battles joined together, I came my way straight hither For to tell tidings.

_Pride._ What the devil tidings canst thou tell?

_Envy._ Marry! I can show you nothing of the battle, But of many other tidings. Ye are out of conceit, I tell you, for ever; Because ye did not you[r] endeavour At this great voyage; Insomuch that ye are like to lese, Both your office and all your fees, And put clean out of wages.

_Pride._ That is not true, as I suppose.

_Envy._ Sir! and it be not, take my nose And my head also! Your office was given or I came thence.

_Pride._ Marry! that was a very short sentence; And I not called thereto. Now, Envy, what counsel wilt thou give me?

_Envy._ By my troth, Pride! thou mayst believe me, If I were in thy case I would withdraw me for a season; Though it be neither felony, nor treason, Nor yet wilful trespass. Yet the same is worst of all; For every knave will thee call A coward to thy face.

_Pride._ I am unhappy, I see it well, For th' expense of mine apparel Towards this voyage, What in horses and other array, Hath compelled me for to lay All my land to mortgage. And now, when I have all do, To lose mine office and fees also For my true intent, I may say that all my cost And all my time is evil lost In service that I have spent. Well, whatsoever betide me, For a season I will hide me, After thy counsel. And, sith it will no better be, Farewell! I take my leave of thee.

_Envy._ Now, gentle Pride, farewell! [_Exit._ Alas! that I had no good fellow here To bear me company, and laugh at this gear: This game was well found.

[SENSUALITY _entereth_.

_Sens._ Yes, and ye lust to play the knave Some manner of company ye might have, Here within this ground.

_Envy._ Some I can think, young or old; And else it were a small household As any might be found.

_Sens._ It is not small; the company showeth well; But, methought thou were about to tell Of some merry jest, Or some merry game at my coming.

_Envy._ Yea, hardely! it is a game for a king, When he lusteth best, To laugh for his disport and solace. Sir! I shall tell thee this is the case: Right now, as I stood In this place, and never a man with me, In came Pride garnished as it had be One of the royal blood. It grieved me to see him so well besene; But, I have abated his courage clean, For a little season. By the rood! I have given him a checkmate; For I bare him a hand that he came too late, And that the field was done, And how his office was given away Because he failed our master that day: I made him to believe so. And when I had told him all this tale, Anon, he began to wax all pale, Full of care and woe. And now he hideth himself for shame; I gave him mine advice to the same; And so he is gone.

_Sens._ Now, on my faith! this was madly do! But, in faith! what moveth thee thereto?

_Envy._ Marry! cause had I none; But only that it is my guise When I see another man arise, Or fare better than I, Then must I chafe and fret for ire, And imagine, with all my desire, To destroy him utterly. But now, in earnest, Sensuality! Tell me when this fray shall be; I pray ye heartily!

_Sens._ What, against Reason?

_Envy._ Yea, the same!

_Sens._ Tush! they be agreed, in pain of shame! And good company they keep.

_Envy._ Agreed, quod a? in the mere name; Marry, sir! that were a game To make some of us weep.

_Sens._ Weep or laugh, man! so it is; And who, trow ye, is the cause of this?

_Envy._ Who?

_Sens._ Age, the devil him quell!

_Envy._ Why, is Age now come in place?

_Sens._ Yea, and that may ye spy by his face And ye mark it well. His stomach fainteth every day; His back crooketh; his head waxeth gray; His nose droppeth among; His lust is gone and all his liking; I see it well, by everything, He may not live long; And all maketh Age, as I said before. He is the doer, and what trow ye more This Age hath done?

_Envy._ What?

_Sens._ By my faith! he hath brought in Reason In such wise that, at no season, Nothing can be wrought But Reason must be called thereto: I fear me he will us all undo Within few days. As soon as Gluttony had espied All this gear, he would not abide; But went even his ways. Our master prayed him to tarry a season-- Nay, nay, quoth he! now have I done; I may no longer tarry: For Age and I may not together dwell. And straightway he departed, fair and well. Bodily Lust stood by, And saw that Gluttony would needs be gone. Have with thee, Gluttony, quod he! anon, For I must go with thee. So that two be gone together; Came there none of them both hither?

_Envy._ Never a one, that I see!

_Sens._ Well, they be gone some other way To get a new master as soon as they may; They cannot be unpurveyed. And, as soon as they two were gone, Our master sent for Covetise anon, And heartily him prayed To await on him well for a year or two; And he hath promised him so to do, As for a year or twain; But Reason may not thereof know.

_Envy._ Reason, quod a? no, so I trow! He will that disdain; But where hath Covetise been many a day?

_Sens._ He dwelt with a priest, as I heard say; For he loveth well Men of the church, and they him also; And lawyers eke, when they may tend thereto, Will follow his counsel.

_Envy._ So men say there, as I dwell. But, Sensuality! canst thou tell, Now in this case, What were best for us to do?

_Sens._ Marry! I hold it best that we go Hereby, to some place, And semble together all our company; To hear their minds, by and by, And every man's opinion What shall be best for to do.

_Envy._ By my troth, and be it so! I hold it well done.

[_Then they go forth and_ REASON _and_ MAN _come in_.

_Rea._ Sir! I have ofttimes you advised To live virtuously, and showed you the way; And that notwithstanding ye have me despised, And followed Sensuality many a day. Will ye so continue? yea, or nay? If ever ye purpose yourself to amend, It is time; for your life draweth fast to th' end.

_Man._ I cannot continue though I would; For Age hath wained me clean therefro. And yet, Reason! when ye me told Of this gear, many day ago, I thought little I should have come hereto, But had of your words great scorn and disdain. Would God that my life were to begin again!

_Rea._ Speak not thereof! that may not be. A thing done cannot be called again; But the thing that most feareth me, On your behalf, I tell you plain, Is that ye would in nowise abstain From sinful lusts, as I willed you to do Till now that age compelleth you thereto.

_Man._ That is full true, without feigning; As long as mine appetite did endure I followed my lusts in everything; Which now, by the course and law of nature, And not of my policy or good endeavour, Is taken from me for evermore: And so can I deserve no meed therefore.

But notwithstanding this mine abusion, I trust that by the help of your good advice I may be made the child of salvation.

_Rea._ Yes, and ye will, sir! on warrantise; So that ye utterly forsake and despise All your old servants, in will and deed, And do by my counsel.

_Man._ Yes, have ye no dread!

_Rea._ Then, my soul for yours I lay to wed; Ye shall do well--have ye no mistrust! And first, to begin with, I you forbid All manner of despair; and secondly, ye must Put to your mind and good will To be recured of your great excess; For, without your help, it cannot be, doubtless!

As in this example: if so be the patient Of himself be willing to have any remedy, It is a great furtherance to that intent So that to the precepts of physic he apply; And whoso doth the contrary, no marvel, truly, Though he miscarry. What! should I bring Any mo examples for so plain a thing?

_Man._ It shall be no need, as in this case; I know right well what ye mean thereby; And that will I follow, by God's grace!

_Rea._ Then, as I told you, it shall be no maistry Yourself to comfort, and to have good remedy Against the great surfeits that thou hast done, By which thou hast deserved endless damnation.

But do as I shall tell thee, and have no dread; And, for to give thee medicines most according Ayenst thy sores, do by my rede. Look! what disease is hot and brenning Take ever such a medicine as is cold in working; So that the contrary, in all manner of wise, Must heal his contrary, as physic doth devise.

Right so whoso lusteth from sin to arise, Where he hath in pride done any offence, He can be helpen thereof none otherwise But only by meekness: that is the recompense. Again wrath and envy, take charity and patience; Take alms deed again the sin of covetise.

And, to repress gluttony, acquaint ye with abstinence; Again foul lust of body, take chastity and continence. Much sin groweth by sloth and by idleness, And that must be eschewed by men of good business. Lo! these be preparatives, most sovereign, Against thy sores, which be mortal Unless that these medicines to them be lain. When thou hast received these preparatives all I will come again, if thou me call, And order thee further after my mind.

_Man._ Yea, but where shall I these preparatives find?

_Rea._ Thou shalt them find within thine own breast. Of thee it must come; it must be thy deed; For voluntary sacrifice pleaseth God best. Thou canst not thereof have help or meed But if this gear of thine own heart proceed.

_Man._ Well, I shall endeavour me to the uttermost; And till I have found them I shall never rest. But how shall I know them? that wot I ne'er; I pray you show me that before your departing.

_Rea._ It needeth not thereof to inquire: Thou shalt know them at the first meeting. Of two contraries there is but one learning; That is to say, when thou knowest well that one The other contrary is known anon.

_Then he goeth out and_ MEEKNESS _cometh in._

_Meekness._ Whoso wotteth histories of scripture well Shall find that for pride and presumption Lucifer, which sometime was a glorious angel-- For that his offence had such correction That both he, and eke many a legion Of his order--was cast down to hell By rightful Justice, perpetually there to dwell.

Remember also Adam, the first of our line, What pain he suffered for pride and disobedience! Causeth he not a great decay and ruin, In all the progeny, for the same offence? In suchwise that he, and all that were born since, Be utterly disherited and put from paradise; And so we be made thrall unto sin and vice.

And lost should we be all, of very justice, Ne had be that God of His merciful goodness Did us, soon after, with His own blood mainprize And us redeemed from pains endless; So that we do not disobey or transgress His high commandments, but demean us well After His laws while we here dwell.

And forasmuch as man's nature Is frail, and lightly to sin will assent, Either of purpose or on witting peradventure, There the said good Lord hath him sent, Again every sin, a remedy convenient. For He ne would have one soul to be lore Whom He hath dear bought, as I said before.

The root of all sin is pride, ye know well; Which is mine adversary in all that he may; Where I am in place he may not dwell. His malicious power I can right well allay; And teach every creature the remedy and way How to subdue pride; which no man can do Without that I, Meekness, must help thereto.

_Man._ Then your help and counsel is necessary to me: Whereof, I pray you, with all heart's affection!

_Meek._ All ready at hand--whosoever it be That lusteth to have me for his consolation.

_Man._ I myself have sinned in pride and elation: Show me your counsel what way shall I take A due satisfaction for that sin to make.

_Meek._ Thou must, before all thing, set little prize By thine own self; and take no heed Whether the people do thee praise or despise. Be thou meek in heart, in word, and in deed; Think not that thou wouldst any man over lead; Be soft and lowly in speech to every wight; And use none array that staring is to sight! Lo! in these three things only standeth pride If thou commit the least of them three.

_Man._ From this day forth I will set them aside And follow the counsel that ye give me.

_Meek._ Do so, and I will clearly discharge thee: As for the sin of pride, my soul for thine, Thou shalt be all whole if thou take this medicine. _Then he goeth out._

_Man._ Yes, I shall take it; think not the contrary! Now am I well eased, yet have I not done all.

[_Enter_ CHARITY.

_Charity._ There is no living physician, no poticary That can devise so sovereign cordial Again the sore of envy, which is mortal. No man living, I you ensure, Without my help may undertake that cure. For, I am called Charity, the salve for that sickness, Whom th' Apostle Paul commandeth singularly, In divers his epistles: I can well repress The rancour of Envy and give therein good remedy.

_Man._ Then is your counsel to me full necessary: If ye be Charity ye are bound, doubtless, To have some compassion of your neighbours' distress.

_Char._ Why, hast thou been envious before this day?

_Man._ Yes, as God knoweth well! and that I rue sore.

_Char._ Well, this must be the remedy--mark what I say: There is no sin that displeaseth God more Than doth this sin of Envy; and, therefore, If so be thou wilt thine own soul safeguard, Be thou never envious from this day forward.