"Yis," seide the Samaritan, "So wel thow myght repente, That rightwisnesse thorugh repentaunce, To ruthe myghte turne. Ac it is but selden y-seighe {366} Ther soothnesse bereth witnesse, Any creature that is coupable Afore a kynges justice, 11970 Be raunsoned for his repentaunce, Ther alle reson hym dampneth. For ther that partie pursueth, The peple is so huge, That the kyng may do no mercy Til bothe men acorde, And eyther have equité, As holy writ telleth. _Nunquam dimittitur peccatum, etc._ "Thus it fareth by swich folk 11980 That falsly al hire lyves Yvele lyven, and leten noght Til lif hem forsake. Good hope, that helpe sholde, To wanhope torneth, Noght of the noun power of God, That he ne is myghtful To amende al that amys is, And his mercy gretter Than alle oure wikkede werkes, 11990 As holy writ telleth. _Misericordia ejus super omnia opera ejus._ = Ac er his rightwisnesse to ruthe torne, Som restitucion bihoveth. His sorwe is satisfaccion, For hym that may noght paie. "Thre thynges ther ben That doon a man by strengthe For to fleen his owene, 12000 As holy writ sheweth. "That oon is a wikkede wif, {367} That wol noght be chastised; Hir feere fleeth fro hire, For feere of hir tonge. "And if his hous be un-hiled, And reyne on his bedde, He seketh and seketh Til he slepe drye. "And whan smoke and smolder 12010 Smyt in his sighte, It dooth hym worse than his wif Or wete to slepe. For smoke and smolder Smyteth in hise eighen, Til he be bler-eighed, or blynd, And hoors in the throte, Cogheth, and curseth That Crist gyve hem sorwe That sholde brynge in bettre wode, 12020 Or blowe it til it brende. "Thise thre that I telle of Ben thus to understonde; The wif is oure wikked flessh, That wol noght be chastised; For kynde clyveth on hym evere To contrarie the soule. And though it falle, it fynt skiles That freleté it made, And that is lightly forgyven 12030 And forgeten bothe, To man that mercy asketh, And amende thenketh. "The reyn that reyneth Ther we reste sholde, Ben siknesse and sorwes That we suffren ofte; {368} As Poul the apostle To the people taughte. _Virtus infirmitate perficitur, etc._ 12040 "And though that men make Muche doel in hir angre, And ben inpacient in hir penaunce, Pure reson knoweth That thei han cause to contrarie By kynde of hir siknesse; And lightliche oure Lord At hir lyves ende Hath mercy on swiche men, That so yvele may suffre. 12050