REASON

1 line 1 line and wotyst not why body / will demean him thus be sure thy mind all erronyous self well / and Which thine and others confusion ¶ A rular? certes and so I ought to be and a lord also / though you say that in scorn ¶ As for mine avoidance / how soon so ever that be It shall not skill / as for this intent But he that First fleeth / or forsaketh me He shall have greatest / occasion to repent It shall be to his great trouble and turment that he hath lest Reason / and suyd his own folly that thereby is fallen / to wretched penury ¶ But now as touching / the honour and degree that I am ordained to / I will thou understand that almighty God / of his grace and bounty Of the and such / hath given me the over hand And will that I use / the as a seruand to advise the and reform the / when thou gynst to err And to clepe the homeward / if thou rayll to far ¶ And where thou sayest / thou art so necessary that man without the / can have no living as in that point / we shall not Much vary I wot thou art necessary / to his being But be thou sure / that is not the very thing That makes him / to appear so wondrous and to be in his nature so noble and precious ¶ a thing that does far exceed All other perfecc S / and virtuous natural For sensuality / in very deed Is but a mean / which causeth him to fallen In to Much folly / and makes him besty all So that there is no difference / in that at the lest Bytwyxt man / and and unreasonable best ¶ But this other / comes of great tenderau ̄ ce and spiritual love / that God owes to mankind whom he hath create / to his own semblance and endued / with a wondrous mind whereby he may well discern and find Suffysant difference / bytwyxt good and bade Which is to be left / and which is to be had ¶ Lo this is that / that does him dygnyfye and causeth him to be / reputed so excessent and of all this / the chief doar am I which from heaven in to earth by God am sent Only for that cause / and final intent That I should this his creature / demean and guide For the season that he does in this world abide ¶ Now compare thy virtues / and mine together and say which is / the wurthyar of Them to ¶ Nar syrnot so / I know his fraylte the body is / disposed for to fallen Rather to the worse / than the better part Butrt be helped / by power supernal ¶ For cartayne yet / according to mine office I must advertise / and counsel him at the lest to hawnt virtue / and show all vice And therein assist him / to the vttermest and if he will / algatys be a best And take none heed / to my lore and doctrine The parell and hurt / shall be his and not mine ¶ Oh sir you. ¶ Christ grant you therein / good continuance to be ever / of the same mind and intent But now will you call / to your remembrance For what cause / you be hither sent I hold that well done / and right expedient that you were borough / unto the worlds presence ¶ And will you that I / shall for you declare Unto the world / the cause of your coming What is your intent / and what parson you are ¶ Sir world / that is the mind and also pleasure Of lady nature / as she bade us to you tell that you accept / and receive this her creature With you for a season / here to dwell Despryng you heartily / to entreat him well with all the favour / that you can devise Wherein you shall do her / great pleasure and service ¶ Forsooth these words / be greatly to allow if they from meek / and lowly heart proceed Now mankind / sith thou hast made this vow Escape the thereafter / thy life to lede And set thy world / be Cousin to thy deed that is to say / do thou none other wise ¶ Oh good lord / to whom shall I complain And show the sorrows of my mind and nothing for mine own cause certain But only for the decay of mankind which now of late is waxed so blind That he hath despised and forsaken me And followeth every motion of his sensuality ¶ What aduayled at the beginning that Nature comytted me to his service and charged me that before all thing Of all his gydyng I should take thenterpryse when he lusteth not to follow mine advise but followeth thappety of his sensual affection As a bruit best that lakketh reason's ¶ And yet not withstanding that he does me disdain I will resort to him again And do my labour and busy pain To assay if I can him refrain ro such beastly living but First will I stand hereby In secret manner to espy Some token of grace in him whereby I may discern and find that he hath any shamefastness After his great surfeit and excess And if that be so doubtless It sha content my my ¶ I say sirs where is worship can you tell In this place I left him last ¶ Sir is that your mind to do as you say ¶ yes that I did in very dead ¶ Than my help shall be ready as oft as you me ta It is my duty so for to do And of your offencys will I make no rehearsal But what soever you have done hyderto To me ward set that pass and go Against God your offence is great Of the which mater I will not long treat ¶ But this Comfort of me you shall have if you be contrite as you pretend God is mercyable if you lust to crave Call for grace and soon he will that send And be not in purpose hereafter to offend accustom your self in the ways of virtue And be not in doubt grace will ensue ¶ And upon that condition I take the unto my tuition with all hartys affection Never to partly at wain And for this season Here we make and end Lest we should offend This audience / as God defend It were not to be done you shall understand never thelesse That there is Much more of this process wherein we shall do our business and our true endeuure To show that unto you after our guise when my lord shall so devise It shall be at his pleasure Thy lord Nay my friend not so Thou ought to obey me / where so ever I go