SERVUS

¶O Lord that never didst refuse, a sinners joust complaint, kneel down. With tears I ask relief of thee, in this her great constraint, That if she guiltless be good Lord, as I do hope full well, Do strength her Lord, and teach her tongue, which way her tale to tell. Not Lord that thou haste need of us, but for to heap thy praise, Which thy desert shall herein get, for now and eake always, The world shall wonder at thy work, and always in Thee trust, Because thou dost deliver her, from those that are unjust. ¶Sir what is your name. ¶Why sir is not your name Ill Report. ¶Hearst thou True Report, this is the man we look for, ¶Now shalt thou be hanged in sign of relief, Lo True Report for all his great cunning, Himself hath bewrayed his knavery in something. ¶Content I faith, we will bear with him till than. ¶What is the matter? ¶Our Mistress, yea she does her life, in such sort still direct, As fickle fame at no time durst, her honest life suspect, I tell Thee true Servus my friend, I flatter not for meed, It shall be found that they them selves have wrought this wicked deed And cause that she would not consent, to serve their filthy lust, They have wrought this to scuse themselves, Servus thou mayest me trust, ¶I promise you I fear me much that Ill Report is fled, If not I have commission, to hang all but his head. ¶It is he in deed I think, I will ask him the question. ¶There is but one that lives for aye, and seeth every thing, He knoweth the fruit of every tree, before the branch do spring, I leave to him in this my need, that which I have to do, I am but one, thou knowest my God, these wicked men are two. ¶Hard you not my fellow deer, I thought her heart had broke, And eke my soul did sorrow much, to here the words she spoke, But I know this assuredly, that if she guiltless been, God will defend the innocent, from cruel destiny,