Al for tene of hir text Trembled myn herte; And in a weer gan I wexe, And with myself to dispute Wheither I were chosen or noght chosen. On holi chirche I thoughte, That under-fonged me atte font For oon of Goddes chosene. 6810 For Crist cleped us alle, Come if we wolde, Sarzens and scismatikes, And so he dide the Jewes. _O vos omnes sitientes, venite, etc._ And bad hem souke for synne Safly at his breste, And drynke boote for bale, Brouke it who so myghte. "Thanne may alle cristene come, quod I," = "And cleyme there entree 6822 By the blood that he boughte us with And thorugh bapteme after. _Qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit, etc._ = {210} For though a cristen man coveited His cristendom to reneye, Rightfully to reneye No reson it wolde. 6830 "For may no cherl chartre make, Ne his catel selle, Withouten leve of his lord; No lawe wol it graunte. Ac he may renne in arerage, And rome so fro home, And as a reneyed caytif Recchelesly rennen aboute. And Reson shal rekene with hym, And casten hym in arerage, 6840 And putten hym after in a prison In purgatorie to brenne, For hise arerages rewarden hym there To the day of dome; But if Contricion wol come, And crye, by his lyve, Mercy for hise mysdedes, With mouthe and with herte," "That is sooth," seide Scripture; "May no synne lette 6850 Mercy al to amende, And mekenesse hir folwe. For thei beth, as oure bokes telleth, Above Goddes werkes." _Misericordia ejus super omnia opera ejus._ = "Ye, baw for bokes," quod oon Was broken out of helle, Highte Trojanus, hadde ben a trewe knyght, Took witnesse at a pope, 6860 {211} How he was ded and dampned To dwellen in pyne, For an uncristene creature; "Clerkes wite the sothe, That al the clergie under Crist Ne myghte me cracche fro helle, But oonliche love and leautee, And my laweful domes. "Gregorie wiste this wel, And wilned to my soule 6870 Savacion for soothnesse That he seigh in my werkes; And after that he wepte, And wilned me were graunted Grace; withouten any bene biddyng His boone was under-fongen, And I saved, as ye see, Withouten syngynge of masses. By love and by lernyng Of my lyvynge, in truthe, 6880 Broughte me fro bitter peyne Ther no biddyng myghte." Lo! ye lordes, what leautee dide By an emperour of Rome, That was an uncristene creature, As clerkes fyndeth in bokes. Nought thorugh preiere of a pope, But for his pure truthe, Was that Sarsen saved. As seint Gregorie bereth witnesse. 6890