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To vertu as the kinges Sone；
For every man his oghne wone 3260
After the lust of his assay
The vice or vertu chese may。
Thus stonden alle men franchised；
Bot in astat thei ben divised；
To some worschipe and richesse；
To some poverte and distresse；
On lordeth and an other serveth；
Bot yit as every man deserveth
The world yifth noght his yiftes hiere。
Bot certes he hath gret matiere 3270
To ben of good condicioun；
Which hath in his subjeccioun
The men that ben of his semblance。〃
And ek he tok a remembrance
How he that made lawe of kinde
Wolde every man to lawe binde；
And bad a man； such as he wolde
Toward himself； riht such he scholde
Toward an other don also。
And thus this worthi lord as tho 3280
Sette in balance his oghne astat
And with himself stod in debat；
And thoghte hou that it was noght good
To se so mochel mannes blod
Be spilt for cause of him alone。
He sih also the grete mone；
Of that the Modres were unglade；
And of the wo the children made；
Wherof that al his herte tendreth；
And such pite withinne engendreth； 3290
That him was levere forto chese
His oghne bodi forto lese；
Than se so gret a moerdre wroght
Upon the blod which gulteth noght。
Thus for the pite which he tok
Alle othre leches he forsok；
And put him out of aventure
Al only into goddes cure；
And seith； 〃Who that woll maister be；
He mot be servant to pite。〃 3300
So ferforth he was overcome
With charite； that he hath nome
His conseil and hise officers；
And bad unto hise tresorers
That thei his tresour al aboute
Departe among the povere route
Of wommen and of children bothe；
Wherof thei mihte hem fede and clothe
And saufli tornen hom ayein
Withoute lost of eny grein。 3310
Thurgh charite thus he despendeth
His good； wherof that he amendeth
The povere poeple； and contrevaileth
The harm； that he hem so travaileth：
And thus the woful nyhtes sorwe
To joie is torned on the morwe；
Al was thonkinge； al was blessinge；
Which erst was wepinge and cursinge；
Thes wommen gon hom glade ynowh；
Echon for joie on other lowh； 3320
And preiden for this lordes hele；
Which hath relessed the querele；
And hath his oghne will forsake
In charite for goddes sake。
Bot now hierafter thou schalt hiere
What god hath wroght in this matiere；
As he which doth al equite。
To him that wroghte charite
He was ayeinward charitous；
And to pite he was pitous： 3330
For it was nevere knowe yit
That charite goth unaquit。
The nyht； whan he was leid to slepe；
The hihe god； which wolde him kepe；
Seint Peter and seint Poul him sende；
Be whom he wolde his lepre amende。
Thei tuo to him slepende appiere
Fro god； and seide in this manere：
〃O Constantin； for thou hast served
Pite； thou hast pite deserved： 3340
Forthi thou schalt such pite have
That god thurgh pite woll thee save。
So schalt thou double hele finde；
Ferst for thi bodiliche kinde；
And for thi wofull Soule also；
Thou schalt ben hol of bothe tuo。
And for thou schalt thee noght despeire；
Thi lepre schal nomore empeire
Til thou wolt sende therupon
Unto the Mont of Celion； 3350
Wher that Silvestre and his clergie
Togedre duelle in compaignie
For drede of thee； which many day
Hast ben a fo to Cristes lay；
And hast destruid to mochel schame
The prechours of his holy name。
Bot now thou hast somdiel appesed
Thi god； and with good dede plesed；
That thou thi pite hast bewared
Upon the blod which thou hast spared。 3360
Forthi to thi salvacion
Thou schalt have enformacioun；
Such as Silvestre schal the teche：
The nedeth of non other leche。〃
This Emperour； which al this herde；
〃Grant merci lordes；〃 he ansuerde；
〃I wol do so as ye me seie。
Bot of o thing I wolde preie：
What schal I telle unto Silvestre
Or of youre name or of youre estre？〃 3370
And thei him tolden what thei hihte；
And forth withal out of his sihte
Thei passen up into the hevene。
And he awok out of his swevene；
And clepeth； and men come anon：
He tolde his drem； and therupon
In such a wise as he hem telleth
The Mont wher that Silvestre duelleth
Thei have in alle haste soght；
And founde he was and with hem broght 3380
To themperour； which to him tolde
His swevene and elles what he wolde。
And whan Silvestre hath herd the king；
He was riht joiful of this thing；
And him began with al his wit
To techen upon holi writ
Ferst how mankinde was forlore；
And how the hihe god therfore
His Sone sende from above；
Which bore was for mannes love； 3390
And after of his oghne chois
He tok his deth upon the crois；
And how in grave he was beloke；
And how that he hath helle broke；
And tok hem out that were him lieve；
And forto make ous full believe
That he was verrai goddes Sone；
Ayein the kinde of mannes wone
Fro dethe he ros the thridde day；
And whanne he wolde； as he wel may； 3400
He styh up to his fader evene
With fleissh and blod into the hevene；
And riht so in the same forme
In fleissh and blod he schal reforme；
Whan time comth； the qwike and dede
At thilke woful dai of drede；
Where every man schal take his dom；
Als wel the Maister as the grom。
The mihti kinges retenue
That dai may stonde of no value 3410
With worldes strengthe to defende；
For every man mot thanne entende
To stonde upon his oghne dedes
And leve alle othre mennes nedes。
That dai mai no consail availe；
The pledour and the plee schal faile；
The sentence of that ilke day
Mai non appell sette in delay；
Ther mai no gold the Jugge plie；
That he ne schal the sothe trie 3420
And setten every man upriht；
Als wel the plowman as the kniht：
The lewed man； the grete clerk
Schal stonde upon his oghne werk；
And such as he is founde tho；
Such schal he be for everemo。
Ther mai no peine be relessed；
Ther mai no joie ben encressed；
Bot endeles； as thei have do；
He schal receive on of the tuo。 3430
And thus Silvestre with his sawe
The ground of al the newe lawe
With gret devocion he precheth；
Fro point to point and pleinly techeth
Unto this hethen Emperour；
And seith； the hihe creatour
Hath underfonge his charite；
Of that he wroghte such pite；
Whan he the children hadde on honde。
Thus whan this lord hath understonde 3440
Of al this thing how that it ferde；
Unto Silvestre he thanne ansuerde；
With al his hole herte and seith
That he is redi to the feith。
And so the vessel which for blod
Was mad； Silvestre； ther it stod；
With clene water of the welle
In alle haste he let do felle；
And sette Constantin therinne
Al naked up unto the chinne。 3450
And in the while it was begunne；
A liht； as thogh it were a Sunne；
Fro hevene into the place com
Wher that he tok his cristendom；
And evere among the holi tales
Lich as thei weren fisshes skales
Ther fellen from him now and eft；
Til that ther was nothing beleft
Of al his grete maladie。
For he that wolde him purefie； 3460
The hihe god hath mad him clene；
So that ther lefte nothing sene；
He hath him clensed bothe tuo；
The bodi and the Soule also。
Tho knew this Emperour in dede
That Cristes feith was forto drede；
And sende anon hise lettres oute
And let do crien al aboute；
Up peine of deth that noman weyve
That he baptesme ne receive： 3470
After his Moder qweene Hele