The Assemble of Goddes Part 6

But forth to relese al the remenaunt Original has Of pety capteins that wyth Vertu were rrmenaunt Moderate dyet and wysdom auenant instead of Euen weyght and mesure ware of contagyo{us} ge{re} remenaunt Loth to offend and louyng ay to lere Original has Worshyp and profyte {with} myrth in maner ann instead Thyse pety capteyns wyth Vertu were in fere of and

Comons hem folowed a grete mult.i.tude But in came pyson to that other syde I trow there was not brefely to conclude.

The .x. man that batayl to abyde.

Yet neuertheles I shal not from you hyde.

what maner people they were & of what secte As nere as my wyt therto wyll me derect.

There were n.o.ble and famous doctours.

Example yeuers of lyuyng gracyous.

Perpetuel prestes and dyscrete confessours.

Of holy scrypture declarers fructuous.

Rebukers of syn & myscheues odyous.

Fysshers of soules & louers of clennes.

Dyspysers of veyn and worldly rychesse.

Peasyble prelatys Iustycyal gouernours.

Founders of chyrches wyth mercyfull peres.

Reformers of wrong of her progenytours On peynfull pore pyteous compa.s.syoners well menyng marchau{n}tes {with} trew artefecers Vyrgyns pure and also Innocentes Hooly matrones {with} chast contynence

Pylgrymes & palmers {with} trew laborers Holy heremytes G.o.ddys solycytours Monesteryal monkes & well dysposed freres Chanons and nonnes feyth p{ro}fessoures Of worldly people trew coniugatours.

Louers of Cryst Confounders of yll.

And all that to G.o.dward yeue her good wyll

Mayntenours of ryghte verey penytentes.

Dystroyers of errour causers of vnyte.

Trew actyf lyuers that set her ententis The dedis to performe of mercy and pyte Contemplatyf people that desyre to be.

Salytary seruauntis vnto G.o.d alone.

Rather the{n} to habou{n}d in rychesses echone.

Thyse wyth many mo than I reherce can were come thyder redy that batayl to abyde.

And take such part as fyl to Vertu than Vyce to ouerco[m]e they hoped for al his pride Original has Al though he had more people on his syde uoerco[m]e For the men that Vertu had were ful sure. instead of To trust on at nede & connyng in armure ouerco[m]e

Macrocosme was the name of the feld where this grete batayll was set for to be In the myddys therof stode co{n}syence & beheld whyche of hem shold be brought to captyuyte Of that n.o.ble tryu{m}ph Iuge wold he be Synderesys sate hy{m} wythin closed as a park {with} his table in his honde her dedys to marke.

To come in to the feld were hygh wayes .v.

Fre to both partyes large brode and wyde Vertu wold not tari but highed hy{m} thyd{er} bliue Lest he were by vyce deceyued at that tyde Long out of the feld loth was he to abyde In auenture that he out of it were kept.

For tha{n} wold he haue thou{gh}t he had{e} to long slept

In this mene tyme whyle Vertu th{us} p{ro}ceded For hy{m} & his people the feld for to wynne.

He charged euery man by grace to be guyded And al that euer myght {the} feld to enter ynne.

In all that season went orygynal synne.

To let Vyce know how Baptym {with} his hoste.

Had entred Macrocosme & serched euery cooste

A sayd Vyce I se well it is tyme.

Baners to dysplay & standardes to auaunce.

Al most to long haddest {thou} taryed cryme.

To let vs haue knolege of this purueyaunce.

yet I trow I shal lerne hem a new daunce.

Wherfore I commaund you al {with}out delaye Toward the felde draw in all the hast ye may

Than sayd {the} G.o.d Pluto {that} al men my{gh}t here Vyce I the charge as thou wylt eschew.

Our heuyous Indy{n}gnacyo{n} {thou} draw not arere But put {the} forth boldly to ouerthrowe Vertu.

In fayth quod Attropos & I shal after sew / For yf he escape oure hondys this day.

I tell you my seruyse haue lost for ay.

Forth than rode Vyce {with} al his hole strength On his stede serpentyne as i told you byfore.

The ost that hy{m} folowed was of a grete le{n}gth.

Amo{n}g who{m} were penou{n}s & g[u]yt{er}s mani a scor{e} The next Of hys pety capteynes he made many a kni{gh}t line is For they shuld not fle but manly {with} him fight missing from the He doubed Falshod with Dyssymylacyon. original Symony Vsury Wrong and Rybawdy. The missing line reads: Malyce Deceyt Lye wythout Extorcyon. But as he went thederward Periury Dyffydence and Apostasy. I shall tell you more Wyth boldnes in yl to bere hym company.

Thyse .xiiii. knyghtes made vyce that daye.

To wyn her spores they sayd they wold a.s.say

In lyke wyse Vertu doubed on his syde: Of pety capteyns other fourtene.

Whyche made her auou wyth hym to abyde: Her spores wold they wy{n} {that} day shold it be sen{e} Original has Thyse wore her names yf it be as I wene Hor instead Feyth Hope & Mercy Trouth & also Ryght. of Her {with} Resystence of wronge a full hardy wyghte

Confessyon Contrycyon wyth Satysfaction Verrey drede of G.o.d Performy{n}g of penau{n}ce Perfeccyon Connyng and Good dyspocision And all knyt to Vertu they were by alyauns Wherfore to hym they made a.s.suraunce.

That feld to kepe as long as they myght.

And in his quarel agayn Vyce to fyght.

The lord of Macrocosme & rewler of {the} fee Was called Frewyll chaunger of the chau{n}ce: To whome Vertu sent emba.s.satours thre Reson dyscresyon & good reme{m}brau{n}ce.

And prayed hy{m} be fauorable his honoure to e{n}ha{n}s For but he had his fauour at {the} poynt of nede He stood in gret doute he coude not lightly spede.

In lyke wyse Vyce emba.s.satours thre.

For his party vnto Frewyll sent.

Temptacyon foly & sensualyte.

Prayng hy{m} of fauour that he wolde a.s.sent.

To hy{m} as he wolde at his co{m}maundement.

Haue hy{m} eftsones whan he lyst to call.

On hy{m} for ony thy{n}g {that} afterward myght fall.

Answere yaue he none to neyther party.

Saue oonli he sayd {the} batayll wolde he se To wete whiche of hy{m} shold haue {the} vyctory.

Hit hy{n}g in his balau{n}ce {the} ambyguyte.

He sayd he wolde not restrayne his lyberte.

Whan he come where sorow shold awake.

Than it shold be know what part he wyl take

Whan Vertu & Vyce be her amba.s.satours.

Knew of this answere they stood in gret doute.

Neuertheles they seyd they wold e{n}dure tho shours And make an ende shortly of {that} they we{n}t aboute.

Soo forth came Vyce {with} all his grete route.

Er he came at {the} felde he sent yet priuely.

Sensualyte before in maner of a spy.

Whiche sewe {the} felde {with} his vnkynde seede.

That caused Vertu after mykyll woo to feele For therof grewe nought but all oonly weede.

Whiche made the grounde as sleper as an yele.

He went ayene to vice & tolde hym euery dele.

How he had done and bad hym come a way.