How that Iustyce Speketh Agayne the Sely Sowle

Capitulo xvi

What tyme that I had made this pytous crye, not fully yet parfourmed the mater of my hye compleynt, there roose vp soone a lady, and enterrupte me of my wordes and sayde to Saynt Mychael in this wyse:

`Syr Iuge, it is knowen thyng to yow & to al in this Court that repentaunce ne prayer may here no place haue ne none aduocate maye be receyued to plede, but only tho that were in Erthe bynethe by seruyse or by pension witholden for euer. Ne here ne may ther none be procured of newe. But it semeth that this present pylgrym that I here speke ageyne the lawe and customme of this Court wolde enforce hym selue with his pyteous crye to excyte and stere al this Courte to fauoure of his persone, to whiche thynge I may nought consente, namely syth hit soo is that in tyme of his rather lyf he had space and suffysaunt leyser ynow for to haue made prayers and pyteous lamentacyons, and for to haue enstablysshed procuratours that now myght in this present Court haue promotyd his mater.

`But now is hit to late to make suche purueaunce, and sykerly, though that I wold, and parauenture somme other, Dame Verite, which that I loue & is myn own suster, may not therto accorde ne consente.

`And yf I shold suffre such fauoure in^a my presence, sothly hit were vnto my self a greuous preiudyce, whiche that owe for to dressen the balaunce in whiche al merytes owen to be peysed, and after that to yelde euery wyht his Mercye by rygour of veray ryht wytnesse of good other euyl, ryght euen as he in dedely lyf deseruyd, wherfore in this tyme ne in this place no suche maner of compleyntes ne pledyng for parte oweth not to be herde.

`But only yf it so is that ony merytes and good dedes he hath enstoryd hym with, lete hym put it in the ryht bacyn [14v] of the balaunce, and in that other syde his accusour what that he hath of euyl in contrary, he shal also putte it to ben peysed on that other partye of the balaunce.'