The Assemble of Goddes Part 7

For he had so purueyde {that} vyce sholde haue {the} day

Soo as it happed at {that} felde they mete.

Frewyll vertu and vice as tripart.i.te.

Saaf vertu a litil before the felde had gete.

And ellis his aua{n}tage forsoth had be ful lyght Not for then encombred so was neuer wyght.

As vertu & his men were with the ranke wede That in {the} felde grew of sensualitees sede

But as soone as vyce of vertu had a syght.

He gan swage gonnes as he had be woode That heryng vertu co{m}maunded euery wyght To pauyce hym vnder the sygne of {the} rode.

And bad he{m} not drede but kepe styll where thy stode.

It was but a shour shold sone co{n}fou{n}de wherfore he co{m}mau{n}ded the{m} sta{n}d & kepe her grou{n}d

And whan vyce cam nerer to the felde.

He callyd sore for bowes & bad hem shote faste But vertu & hys meyny bare of with {the} sheld.

Of the blyssyd Trynyte ay tyll shot was past.

And wha{n} shot was done vyce cam forth at last.

Purposyng the felde wyth a.s.saute to wyn.

But v{er}tu kept it long he myght not ent{er} theryn.

All that tyme Frewyll stode & hym bethought.

To which he my{gh}t leue & what p{ar}t he wold take.

At last sensualite had hy{m} so fer brought.

That he sayd playnly he v{er}tu wold forsake.

And in vyce hys quarell all his power make.

Nota Iwis quod reason {that} is not for the beste.

Noforse sayd frewyll I wyll do as my lyst.

Vertu was full heuy when he see frewyll Take part with vyce but yet neuerthelesse.

He dyde that he myght the felde to kepe styll.

Tyll vyce with frewyll so sore gan hy{m} oppresse.

That he was constrayned clerely by duresse. Original has A lytyll tyne abacke to make abew retret. constranyed All thyng consydered hit was the best feet. instead of constrayned Fyrst to remembre how vyce parte was.

Ten ayen one strenger by lyklynesse.

And than how frewyll was with hym alas.

Whoo coude deme vertu but in heuynesse.

Moreouer to thynke how that slyper gra.s.se.

That of sensualyte hys onkynde seede grew.

Vnder foot in standyng encombred vertew

Yet notwitstondyng vertue his men all.

n.o.belly theym bare and faught myghtyly.

How be it {the} sleper gra.s.se made many of he{m} fall.

And from thense in maner departe sodenly.

That seyng vyce his hoost began to shout & cry.

And sayd on in Pluto name on & all is oure For this day shal Vyce be made a conquerour.

Thus Vertu was by myght of vyce & Frewyll Dryuen out of the feld it was the more pyte How by it yet Baptym kept his ground styll.

And {with} hym abode feyth hope & vnyte.

And konnynge also {with} a grete meyne.

Confessyon contrycyon were redy at her hond.

And Satysfaction Vyce to wythstond.

But al the tyme whyle Vertu was away.

A my{gh}ty conflycte kept they {with} Vycys rout.

And yet neuertheles for al that grete afray.

Hope stod vpryght & feyth wold neuer lout And euermor{e} sayd Baptym syres put no dout.

Vertu shal return & haue his entent.

This feld shal be ours or let me be shent.

And whyl thyse pety captey{n}s sustend th{us} {the} feld Wyth Vertu his reward come good p{er}seuerauns An hugy my{gh}ty hoost & whan he beheld.

How Vertu hym withdrew he toke dysplesau{n}s.

And wha{n} he to hy{m} cam he sayd ye shal your cha{n}s Take as it fallyth wherfore returne ye must. Original has Yet ones for your sake {with} Vyce shal I Iust. fallyrh instead of Alas that euer ye shold lese your honour. fallyth And therwyth also {the} hygh p{er}petuel crown.

Which is for you kept in the celestyal tour.

Wherfore be ye called chrystys champyon.

How is it that ye haue noo compa.s.syone.

On baptyme feyth & hope konnyng & vnite.

That sta{n}d so hard bestad & fyght as ye may see.

All the tresour erthely vnder {the} fyrmame{n}t That euer was made of G.o.ddys creacyon.

To reward theym euenly were not equyualent.

For her n.o.ble labour in his affleccyon.

Wherfore take vpon you your Iurisdyccyon Rescu yonder knyghtes & recontynu fyght.

And els a dew your crown for al your gret my{gh}t

Vith these & suche wordys as I haue you tolde By good perseueraunce vttred in this wyse.

Vertu hym remembred & gan to vexe bolde.

And sayd yeue trew knyghtis to rescu I auyse Let vs no lengar tary from this entrepryse.

Agayn to {the} felde soo Vertu retourned.

That caused he{m} be mery {that} lo{n}g afore had morned

Auaunt baner q{uo}d he in {the} name of Iesu And with {that} his people set vp a gret shoute.

And cryed with a loude voce a Vertu a Vertu.

Then began Vyce his hoost for to loke a boute.

But I trow p{er}seuerau{n}ce was not long withoute He bathed his swerd in his foos blood.

The boldest of hem all not ones hy{m} withstoode.

Constau{n}ce hym folowed & brought hy{m} his spere But when p{er}seuerau{n}ce saw Vyce on his stede.

No man coude hym let tyll he came there.

For to byd hym ryde I trow it was no nede.

All Vertu his oost prayed for his good spede.

Agayn Vyce he rode with his grete shaft.

And hym ouerthrew for all his sotyll craft.

That seyng Frewill came to conscyence.

And gan hym to repente {that} he with hym had be.

Prayeng hym of cou{n}sell for his grete offence.

That he agayn Vertu had made his arme.

What was best to doo to humylyte: Q{uo}d conscyence must {thou} go so he hym thyder sent Dysguysed {that} he were not knowen as he wente.

And whan he thyder came humylyte hym toke.