XII

Grace in-nogh þe mon may haue,
Þat synneȝ þenne new, ȝif hym repente,
Bot with sorȝ & syt he mot hit craue,
& byde þe payne þer-to is bent,
Bot resoun of ryȝt þat con not raue,
Saueȝ euer more þe innossent;
Hit is a dom þat neuer god gaue,
Þat euer þe gyltleȝ schulde be schente.
Þe gyltyf may contryssyoun hente
& be þurȝ mercy to grace þryȝt;
Bot he to gyle þat neuer glente,
At in-oscente is saf & ryȝte.

Ryȝt þus I knaw wel in þis cas,
Two men to saue is god by skylle;
Þe ryȝt-wys man schal se hys face,
Þe harmleȝ haþel schal com hym tylle,
Þe sauter hyt satȝ þus in a pace:
“Lorde quo schal klymbe þy hyȝ hylleȝ
Oþer rest with-inne þy holy place?”
Hymself to on-sware he is not dylle;
“Hondelyngeȝ harme þat dyt not ille,
Þat is of hert boþe clene & lyȝt,
Þer schal hys step stable stylle,”
Þe innosent is ay saf by ryȝt.

The ryȝtwys man also sertayn
Aproche he schal þat proper pyle,
Þat takeȝ not her lyf in vayne
Ne glauereȝ her nieȝbor wyth no gyle;
Of þys ryȝt-wys saȝ salamon playn,
How kyntly oure con aquyle
By wayeȝ ful streȝt he con hym strayn,
& scheued hym þe rengne of god a whyle,
As quo says “lo ȝon louely yle,
Þou may hit wynne if þou be wyȝte,”
Bot hardyly with-oute peryle,
Þe innosent is ay saue by ryȝte!

An-ende ryȝtwys men, ȝet saytȝ a gome
Dauid in sauter, if euer ȝe seȝ hit,
“Lorde þy seruaunt draȝ neuer to dome,
For non lyuyunde to þe is Iustyfyet.”
For-þy to corte quen þou schal com,
Þer alle oure causeȝ schal be tryed,
Alegge þe ryȝt þou may be in-nome,
By þys ilke spech I haue asspyed;
Bot he on rode þat blody dyed,
Delfully þurȝ hondeȝ þryȝt
Gyue þe to passe when þou arte tryed
By innocens & not by ryȝte.

Ryȝt-wysly quo con rede,
He loke on bok & be awayed
How Ihesuc hym welke in are þede,
& burneȝ her barneȝ vnto hym brayde,
For happe & hele þat fro hym ȝede,
To touch her chylder þay fayr hym prayed.
His dessypeleȝ with blame let be hym bede,
& wyth her resouneȝ ful fele restayed;
Ihesuc þenne hem swetely sayde,
“Do way, let chylder vnto me tyȝt.
To suche is heuen-ryche arayed,”
Þe innocent is ay saf by ryȝt.