"It is noght used in erthe, To hangen a feloun Ofter than ones, Though he were a tretour. And if the kyng of that kyngdom Come in that tyme There feloun thole sholde Deeth or oother juwise, Lawe wolde he yeve hym lif, If he loked on hym. 12850 And I, that am kyng of kynges, Shal come swich a tyme Ther doom to the deeth Dampneth alle the wikked; And if lawe wole I loke on hem, It lith in my grace Wheither thei deye or deye noght For that thei diden ille; Be it any thyng a-bought The boldnesse of hir synnes, 12860 I do mercy thorugh rightwisnesse, And alle my wordes trewe; And though holy writ wole that I be wroke Of hem that diden ille,-- _Nullum malum impunitum, etc._-- Thei shul be clensed clerliche, And wasshen of hir synnes, In my prisone Purgatorie, {393} Til _parce_ it hote, And my mercy shal be shewed 12870 To manye of my bretheren. For blood may suffre blood, Bothe hungry and a-cale; Ac blood may noght se blood Blede, but hym rewe. _Audivi arcana verba quæ non licet homini loqui._ "Ac my rightwisnesse and right Shul rulen al helle, And mercy al mankynde 12880 Bifore me in hevene. For I were an unkynde kyng, But I my kynde helpe, And nameliche at swich a nede. Ther nedes help bihoveth. _Non intres in judicium cum servo tuo._ = "Thus by lawe," quod oure Lord, "Lede I wole fro hennes Tho that me lovede 12890 And leved in my comynge. And for thi lesynge, Lucifer, That thow leighe til Eve, Thow shalt abyen it bittre;"-- And bond hym with cheynes. Astroth and al the route Hidden hem in hernes; They dorste noght loke on oure Lord, The boldeste of hem alle, But leten hym lede forth whom hym liked, 12900 And lete whom hym liste. {394} Manye hundred of aungeles Harpeden and songen, _Culpat caro, purgat caro, Regnat Deus Dei caro._ Thanne pipede Pees Of Poesie a note, _Clarior est solito post maxima nebula Phoebus, = Post inimicitias, etc._ 12910 "After sharpe shoures," quod Pees, "Moost shene is the sonne; Is no weder warmer Than after watry cloudes; Ne no love levere, Ne lever frendes, Than after werre and wo, Whan Love and Pees ben maistres. Was nevere werre in this world, Ne wikkednesse so kene, 12920 That ne Love, and hym liste, To laughynge ne broughte, And pees thorugh pacience Alle perils stoppeth." "Trewes," quod Truthe; "Thow tellest us sooth, by Jhesus! Clippe we in covenaunt, And ech of us clippe oother." "And leteth no peple," quod Pees, "Perceyve that we chidde. 12930 For inpossible is no thyng To hym that is almyghty."