with just governaunce, proceden from thilke profit;
sithen, by counsayle of myne inwitte, me thought the firste painted
thinges malice and yvel meninge, withouten any good avayling to
any people, and of tyrannye purposed. And so, for pure sorowe,
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and of my medlinge and badde infame that I was in ronne, tho
[the] teres [that] lasshed out of myne eyen were thus awaye
wasshe, than the under-hidde malice and the rancour of purposing
envye, forncast and imagined in distruccion of mokil people,
shewed so openly, that, had I ben blind, with myne hondes al the
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circumstaunce I might wel have feled.
Now than tho persones that suche thinges have cast to redresse,
for wrathe of my first medlinge, shopen me to dwelle in this pynande
prison, til Lachases my threed no lenger wolde twyne. And
ever I was sought, if me liste to have grace of my lyfe and
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frenesse of that prison, I shulde openly confesse how pees might
ben enduced to enden al the firste rancours. It was fully
supposed my knowing to be ful in tho maters. Than, lady,
I thought that every man that, by any waye of right, rightfully
don, may helpe any comune †wele to ben saved; whiche thing to
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kepe above al thinges I am holde to mayntayne, and namely in
distroying of a wrong; al shulde I therthrough enpeche myn
owne fere, if he were gilty and to do misdeed assentaunt. And
mayster ne frend may nought avayle to the soule of him that
in falsnesse deyeth; and also that I nere desyred wrathe of the
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people ne indignacion of the worthy, for nothinge that ever I
wrought or did, in any doing my-selfe els, but in the mayntenaunce
of these foresayd errours and in hydinge of the privitees therof.
And that al the peoples hertes, holdinge on the errours syde,
weren blinde and of elde so ferforth begyled, that debat and
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stryf they maynteyned, and in distruccion on that other syde;
by whiche cause the pees, that moste in comunaltee shulde be
desyred, was in poynte to be broken and adnulled. Also the citee
of London, that is to me so dere and swete, in whiche I was forth
growen; (and more kyndely love have I to that place than to any
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other in erthe, as every kyndely creature hath ful appetyte to that
place of his kyndly engendrure, and to wilne reste and pees
in that stede to abyde); thilke pees shulde thus there have ben
broken, and of al wyse it is commended and desyred. For knowe
thing it is, al men that desyren to comen to the perfit pees
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everlasting must the pees by god commended bothe mayntayne and
kepe. This pees by angels voyce was confirmed, our god entringe
in this worlde. This, as for his Testament, he lefte to al his
frendes, whanne he retourned to the place from whence he cam;
this his apostel amonesteth to holden, without whiche man perfitly
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may have non insight. Also this god, by his coming, made not
pees alone betwene hevenly and erthly bodyes, but also amonge
us on erthe so he pees confirmed, that in one heed of love oon
body we shulde perfourme. Also I remembre me wel how the
name of Athenes was rather after the god of pees than of batayle,
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shewinge that pees moste is necessarie to comunaltees and citees.
I than, so styred by al these wayes toforn nempned, declared
certayne poyntes in this wyse. Firste, that thilke persones
that hadden me drawen to their purposes, and me not weting the
privy entent of their meninge, drawen also the feeble-witted
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people, that have non insight of gubernatif prudence, to clamure
and to crye on maters that they styred; and under poyntes for
comune avauntage they enbolded the passif to take in the
actives doinge; and also styred innocentes of conning to crye
after thinges, whiche (quod they) may not stande but we ben
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executours of tho maters, and auctoritè of execucion by comen
eleccion to us be delivered. And that muste entre by strength of
your mayntenaunce. For we out of suche degree put, oppression
of these olde hindrers shal agayn surmounten, and putten you in
such subjeccion, that in endelesse wo ye shul complayne.
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The governementes (quod they) of your citè, lefte in the handes
of torcencious citezins, shal bringe in pestilence and distruccion
to you, good men; and therfore let us have the comune administracion
to abate suche yvels. Also
