Tho wente Wisdom And sire Waryn the Witty, For that Wrong hadde y-wroght So wikked a dede, And warnede Wrong tho With swich a wis tale, 2220 "Who so wercheth by wille, Wrathe maketh ofte; I sey it by myself, Thow shalt it wel fynde; But if Mede it make, Thi meschief is uppe, For bothe thi lif and thi lond Lyth in his grace." Thanne wowede Wrong Wisdom ful yerne, 2230 To maken pees with his pens, Handy dandy payed. Wisdom and Wit thanne Wenten togidres, And token Mede myd hem Mercy to wynne. Pees putte forth his heed, And his panne blody, {70} "Withouten gilt, God it woot, Gat I this scathe; 2240 Conscience and the commune Knowen the sothe." Ac Wisdom and Wit Were aboute faste, To overcomen the kyng With catel, if thei myghte. The kyng swor by Crist, And by his crowne bothe, That Wrong for hise werkes Sholde wo tholie; 2250 And comaundede a constable To casten hym in irens, And lete hym noght thise seven yer Seen his feet ones. "God woot," quod Wisdom, "That were noght the beste; And he amendes nowe make, Lat maynprise hym have, And be borgh for his bale, And buggen hym boote, 2260 And so amenden that is mys-do And evere moore the bettre." Wit acorded therwith, And seide the same, "Bettre is that boote Bale a-doun brynge, Than bale be y-bet, And boote never the bettre." And thanne gan Mede to mengen hire, And mercy she bi-soughte, 2270 And profrede Pees a present Al of pure golde: {71} "Have this, man, of me," quod she, "To amenden thi scathe, For I wol wage for Wrong He wol do so na-moore." Pitously Pees thanne Preyde to the kynge, To have mercy on that man That mys-dide hym so ofte; 2280 "For he hath waged me wel, As Wisdom hym taughte, And I forgyve hym that gilt With a good wille, So that the kyng assente, I kan seye no bettre; For Mede hath me amendes maad, I may na-moore axe." "Nay," quod the kyng tho, "So me Crist helpe! 2290 Wrong wendeth noght so a-wey, Erst wole I wite moore. For lope he so lightly, Laughen he wolde; And eft the boldere be To bete myne hewen; But Reson have ruthe on hym, He shal reste in my stokkes; And that as longe as he lyveth, But lownesse hym borwe." 2300 Som men radde Reson tho To have ruthe on that shrewe, And for to counseille the kyng, And Conscience after; That Mede moste be maynpernour Reson thei bi-soughte. {72}