“Shir, ſen that we conſtrenyt ar by myght To ſhaw that wich[T12] we knaw no thing aricht; For thing to cum preſeruith It allan To hyme the wich is euery thing c{er}tañ, 488 Excep the thing that til our knawleg hee Hath ordynat of certan for to bee; Therfor, ſhir king, we your magnificens Beſeich It turne till ws to non offens, 492 [Sidenote: “Hold us not as liars, though it happen not as we say.] Nor hald was no{ch}t as lear{is}, thoght It fall Not in this mat{er}, as that we telen ſhall.” And that the king haith grantit them, {and} thei Has chargit one, that one this wiß ſall ſeye. 496 “Preſumyth, ſhir, that we have fundyne so; [Sidenote: You must forego all earthly honour;] All erdly honore ye nedis[T13] moſt for-go, [Sidenote: and those on whom you most rely, will fail you.”] And them the wich ye moſt affy in-tyll [Fol. 7b.] Shal failye ȝow, magre of ther will; 500 And thus we haue in to this matere founde.” The king, quhois hart was al wyth dred ybownd, And aſkit at the clerk{is}, if thei fynde By there clergy, that ſtant i{n} ony kynde 504 [Sidenote: The king asks if his destiny can be altered.] Of poſſibilitee, fore to reforme His deſteny, that ſtud in ſuch a forme; If in the hewyne Is preordynat On ſuch o wiß his honor to tranſlat. 508 The clerk{is} ſaith, “forſuth, and we haue ſene [Sidenote: They reply, that the matter is dark.] O thing whar-of, if we the trouth ſhal meñ, Is ſo obſcure and dyrk til our clergye, That we wat not what It ſhal ſignefye, 512 Wich cauſith ws we can It not furth ſay.” “Yis,” q{uo}d the king, “as lykith yow ye may, For wers than this can nat be ſaid for me.” [Footnote T12: MS. “wich that.”] [Footnote T13: MS. “nediſt;” but see l. 518.] [Headnote: THE CLERKS GIVE MYSTERIOUS ADVICE.]