Though that a man were infortunable And though that he were neuer so folysshe And a grete coward to fyght not able Yet shulde he lyue and neuer perysshe Tyll that my power of hym doth fynysshe Whiche fayle must ones it is my proprete And that was gyuen me by the deyte I am the orygynall of mannes creacyon And by me alway the world doth multyply In welth pleasure and delectacyon As I wyll shewe now in this party My dedes be subtyll & wrought craftely What were the worlde yf I were note It were sone done as I well wote The lawe of nature doth man bynde Both beste foule and fysshe also In theyr degre to do theyr kynde Blame theym not yf they do so For harde it is euer to ouer go The kynde of nature in her degre For euery thynge must shewe his proprete Who of theyr propretes lyst to rede Lete hym loke in the boke of barthelmewe And to his scripture take good hede That ryght nobly of theym do shewe With all theyr actes beynge not a fewe But wounderous many by alteracyon For lyke hath lyke his operacyon I nature norysshe by myn afflyccyon Mannes humayne partyes superfyxcyall And am the sprynge of his complexion The fonteyne of his vaynes inferyall To hym conserue moost dere and specyall Though he were hardy & wyse he myȝt not me forbere Nor fortune without me auayleth not hym a pere Wherfore dame Iustyce be you now indyfferent Consydre that I am moost dere and lefe Vnto euery man that is eliquylent And aboue all medycyns to hym moost chefe And by my strongh vnto hym relefe In his dysease wherfore as thynke me I ought of reason to haue the soueraynte Than spake dame Iustyce with meke contenaũce I wyll all your contrauersy now redresse For I of your reasons haue good perseueraunce And after your cases both more and lesse Wherfore I Iustyce by good ryghtwysnesse Gyue now vpon you a fynall Iugement That ye foure agree by a hole assent Man for to please at euery houre Without dysgrement or contradiccyon And in his nede to do hym socoure With louynge herte and true affeccyon He shall be in your good iurysdyccyon And you of hym shall be copertyners Both of his lyfe and of his maners Than sayd dame hardynes I agre therto And so do I than sayd dame Sapyence Than sayd dame Fortune I also do Agre vnto dame Iustyce sentence And I dame Nature wyll do my dylygence Lyke as ye do man for to please And hym to strength in his dysease With that dame Iustyce vp arose Vnto the ladyes byddynge fare well And went into her chaumbre close I cleped conscyence wher she dyd dwell As dame Dyscrecyon dyd me tell Than hardynes & fortune went downe the stayre And after theym Nature so clere and fayre Capitulum .viii. Dame Sapyence taryed a lytell whyle Behynd the other saynge to Dyscrecyon And began on her to laugh and smyle Axynge her how I stode in condycyon Well she sayd in good perfeccyon But best it is that he maryed be For to eschewe all yll censualyte