The two defautes bringen in the thridde Of miscreants, that seen how we debate; Between the two, they fallen in a-midde Wher now al-day they fynde an open gate. 270 Lo! thus the deedly werre stant al-gate. But ever I hopë of king Henries grace, That he it is which shal the pees embrace. My worthy noble prince, and king anoynt, Whom god hath, of his grace, so preserved, 275 Behold and see the world upon this poynt, As for thy part, that Cristes pees be served. So shal thy highe mede be reserved To him, whiche al shal quyten atte laste; For this lyf herë may no whyle laste. 280 See Alisandre, Hector, and Julius, See Machabeus, David, and Josuë, See Charlemayne, Godfray, and Arthus Fulfild of werre and of mortalitee! Hir fame abit, but al is vanitee; 285 For deth, whiche hath the werres under fote, Hath mad an ende, of which ther is no bote. So may a man the sothe wite and knowe, That pees is good for every king to have; The fortune of the werre is ever unknowe, 290 But wher pees is, ther ben the marches save. That now is up, to-morwe is under grave. The mighty god hath alle grace in honde; Withouten him, men may nat longe stonde. Of the tenetz to winne or lese a chace 295 May no lyf wite, or that the bal be ronne; Al stant in god, what thing men shal purchace: Th'ende is in him, or that it be begonne; Men sayn, the wolle, whan it is wel sponne, Doth that the cloth is strong and profitable, 300 And elles it may never be durable. The worldes chaunces upon aventure Ben ever set; but thilke chaunce of pees Is so behovely to the crëature That it above al other is peerlees. 305 But it may nat +be gete, nathelees, Among the men to lasten any whyle, But wher the herte is playn, withoute gyle. The pees is as it were a sacrament To-fore the god, and shal with wordes playne 310 Withouten any double entendëment Be treted; for the trouthe can nat feyne. But if the men within hem-self be vayne, The substaunce of the pees may nat be trewe, But every day it chaungeth upon newe. 315 But who that is of charitè parfyte, He voydeth alle sleightes fer aweye, And set his word upon the same plyte Wher that his herte hath founde a siker weye; And thus, whan conscience is trewly weye, 320 And that the pees be handled with the wyse, It shal abyde and stande, in alle wyse. Th'apostel sayth, ther may no lyf be good Whiche is nat grounded upon charitè; For charitè ne shedde never blood. 325 So hath the werre, as ther, no propertè; For thilke vertue which is sayd 'pitè' With charitè so ferforth is acquaynted That in her may no fals sembla[u]nt be paynted.