For they to-gider may nought dwelle. For as the water of the welle Of fire abateth the malice, Right fo vertu fordoth the vice. Ayein envie is charite, Whiche is the moder of pite, That maketh a mannes herte tender, In him, that is inclined therto. That though he might him self releve, He bereth him felven the grevaunce, Wherof, my fone, for thin efe Hic ponit confeffor exemplum de virtute charitatis contra invi- I diam et narrat de finde it writ of Conftantin, Conftantino Elene fi- The worthy emperour of Rome, lio, qui cum imperii Such infortunes to him come, Romani dignitatem obtinuerat, a morbo Whan he was in his lufty age, lepre infectus, medici pro fanitate recupe- The lepre caught in his visage randa ipfum in fan guine puerorum maf- And fo forth over all aboute, culorum balneare propofuerant,fed cum That he ne mighte riden oute. › left he bothe shield and spere, s he that might him nought beftere, They wolde him bath in childes blood age. For as they fain, that fhulde affuage And tolden her opinion To themperour. And he anone There was inough to wepe and crie innumera multitudo matrum cum filiis huiufmodi medicine caufa in circuitu palacii affuiffet imperatorque eorum gemitus et clamores percepiffet, charitate motus ingemifcens fic ait: Overe eft ipfe dominus, qui fe facit fervum pietatis. Et his dictis ftatum fuum cunctipotentis medele committens, fui ipfius morbum pocius quam infancium mortem benignius elegit,unde ipfe, qui antea paganus et leprofus extiterat, ex unda baptifmatis renatus utriufque materie tam corporis quam anime divino miraculo confecutus eft falutem. But netheles they moten bowe, And The But were hem liefe or were hem loth, The women and the children both Into the paleis forth be brought With many a fory hertes thought Of hem, whiche of her body bore The children hadde, and fo forlore Within a while shulden fe. The moders wepe in her degre many of hem a fwoune falle, yonge babies crieden alle. This noife arose, this lorde it herde And loked out, and how it ferde He figh, and as who faith abraide Out of his flepe and thus he saide : O thou divine purveaunce, Which every man in the balaunce Of kinde haft formed to be liche, The pouer is bore as is the riche And dieth in the fame wife, Upon the fole, upon the wife Sikneffe and hele enter comune, May none efcheue that fortune, Which kinde in her lawe hath fette. Her ftrengthe and beaute ben besette To every man aliche free, That she preferreth no degree As in the difpoficion Of bodely complexion. And eke of foule refonable The pouer childe is bore as able To fome pouerte and diftreffe. The world yeveth nought his yeftes here. But certes he hath great matere The men, that ben of his femblaunce. And thus this worthy lord as tho Be fpilt by cause of him alone. And put him out of aventure Alonly into goddes cure And faith: who that woll maister be He mot be fervaunt to pite. So ferforth he was overcome With charite, that he hath nome Of women and of children both, any grein. |