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Tho knew this emperour in dede,

That Criftes feith was for to drede,

And fende anone his letters out
And let do crien all aboute

Up pein of deth, that no man weive,
That he baptisme ne receive.
After his moder quene Eleine

He fende, and so betwene hem tweine
They treten, that the citee all

Was christned, and fhe forth with all.
This emperour, which hele hath found,

Withinne Rome anone let founde
Two churches, whiche he did make
For Peter and for Poules fake,
Of whom he hadde a vifion
And yaf therto poffeffion

Of lordship and of worldes good.
But how fo that his will was good
Toward the pope and his fraunchise,
Yet hath it proved otherwise
To fe the worching of the dede.
For in cronique thus I rede
Anone as he hath made the yefte
A vois was herde on high the lefte,
Of which all Rome was adradde
And faid: this day is venim fhadde
In holy chirche of temporall,
Which medleth with the spirituall.
And how it ftant of that degre
Yet a man may the sothe se,

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ut for to go there I began,
How charite may helpe a man
o bothe worldes, I have faide.
nd if thou have an ere laide,
ly fone, thou might understonde,
Echarite be take on honde,
"here folweth after mochel grace.
orthy if that thou wolt purchace
How that thou might envie flee,
cqueinte the with charite,
Whiche is the vertue fovereine.
My fader, I shall do my peine.
or this ensample whiche ye tolde
With all min herte I have witholde,
o that I fhall for evermore
Efcheue envie well the more.
And that I have er this misdo
ive me my penaunce er I go.
And over that to my matere
Of fhrifte, why we fitten here
n privete betwene us twey,
Now axeth, what there is I prey.
My gode fone, and for thy lore
I woll the telle, what is more,
So that thou fhalt the vices knowe.
For whan they be to the full knowe,
Thou might hem wel the better efchue.
And for this cause I thenke fue

Confeffor.

Amans.

Confeffor.

The forme bothe and the matere,
As now fuende thou fhalt here,
Which vice stant nexte after this.
And whan thou woft, how that it is,
As thou shalt here my devise,

Thou might thy felf the better avise.

Explicit liber fecundus.

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Incipit Liber Tercius.

Ira fuis paribus eft par furiis Acherontis,
Quo furor ad tempus nil pietatis habet.
Ira malencolicos animos perturbat, ut equo
Fure fui pondus nulla ftatera tenet,
Omnibus in caufis gravat ira fed inter amantes,
Illa magis facili forte gravamen agit.
Eft ubi vir difcors leviterque repugnat amori,
Sepe loco ludi fletus ad ora venit.

F thou the vices lift to knowe,

My fone, it hath nought be
unknowe

Fro firft, that men their

fwerdes grounde,

That there nis one upon this grounde

A vice foreine fro the lawe,
Wherof that many a good felawe
Hath be deftraught by fodein chaunce.
And yet to kinde no plefaunce

It doth, but where he most acheveth
His purpose moft to kinde he greveth
As he, whiche out of confcience

Is

enemy unto pacience.

And is by name one of the feven,

Whiche oft hath fet the world uneven,

J.

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Hic in tercio libro tractat fuper quinque fpeciebus ire, quarum prima malencolia dicitur, cuius vicium confeffor primo defcribens amanti fuper eodem confequen

ter opponit.

Amans.

And cleped is the cruel ire, Whofe herte is evermore on fire To speke amis and to do bothe, For his fervaunts ben ever wrothe. My gode fader, tell me this Confeffor. What thinge is ire? Sone, it is That in our english wrath is hote, Whiche hath his wordes ay fo hote, That all a mannes pacience

Amans.

Is fired of the violence.

For he with him hath ever five
Servaunts, that helpen him to strive.
The first of hem malencoly

Is cleped, whiche in compaignie
An hundred times in an houre
Woll as an angry befte loure,
And no man wot the cause why.
My fone, shrive the now forthy,
Haft thou be malencolien ?

Ye fader, by faint Julien.
But I untrewe wordes use

I

may me nought therof excufe.
And all maketh love well I wote,
Of which min herte is ever hote,
So that I brenne as dothe a glede
For wrathe, that I may nought spede.
And thus full oft a day for nought
Saufe onlich of min owne thought
I am fo with my felven wroth,
That how so that the game goth

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