,transcriber's ,note3 ,this text is intended for users whose text readers cannot use the real 7unicode_/utf-#h7 version of the file4 ,characters that could not be fully displayed have been unpacked and shown in brackets3 an1 en1 in1 on1 um1 un1 yn vowel printed with tilde or overline ,th initial ,thorn ,p paragraph symbol ,spelling and punctuation are unchanged unless otherwise noted4 ,errors and details are given at the end of the text4 ,p,the ,conuercyon of swerers4 ,illustration ,the frutefull sentence the noble werkes ,to our doctryne wryten in olde antyquyte ,by many gret ryght notable clerkes ,grounded on reason and hygh auctoryte ,dyde gyue vs example by good moralyte ,to folowe the trace of trouth and ryght wysnes ,leuynge our synne and mortall wrechednes ,by theyr wrytynge doth to vs appere ,the famous actes of many a champyon ,in the courte of fame renowned fayre and clere ,and some endyted theyr entencyon ,cloked in coloure harde in construccyon ,specyally poetes vnder cloudy fygures ,couered the trouthe of all theyr scryptures ,so hystoryagraphes all the worthy dedes ,of kynges and knyghtes dyde put in wrytynge ,to be in mende for theyr memoryall medes ,how sholde we now haue knowledgynge ,of thynges past _/ but by theyr endytynge ,wherfore we ought to prayse them doubteles ,that spent theyr tyme in suche good busynes4 ,amonge all other my good mayster ,lydgate ,the eloquent poete and monke of bury ,dyde bothe contryue and also translate ,many vertues bokes to be in memory ,touchynge the trouthe well and sentencyously ,but syth that his deth was intollerable ,i praye god rewarde hym in lyfe perdurable ,amonge all thynges nothynge so prouffytable ,as is scyence with the sentencyous scrypture ,for worldly rychesse is often transmutable ,as dayly dothe appere well in vre ,thet scyens a bydeth and is moost sure ,after pouerte to attayne grete rychesse ,scyens is cause of promocion doubtles ,i lytell or nought expert in poetrye ,remembrynge my youth so lyght and frayle ,purpose to compyle here full breuyatly ,a lytell treatyse wofull to bewayle ,the cruell swerers which do god assayle ,on euery syde his swete body to tere ,with terryble othes as often as they swere ,but all for drede plonged in neclygence ,my penne dothe quake to presume to endyte ,but hope at laste to recure this scyence ,exorteth me ryght hardely to wryte ,to deuoyde ydlenesse by good appetyte ,for ydlenesse the grete moder of synne ,euery vyce is redy to lette ynne ,i with the same ryght gretely infecte ,lykely to deye tyll grace by medecyne ,recured my sekenes my payne to abiecte ,commaundynge me by her hye power deuyne ,to drawe this treatyse for to enlumyne ,the reders therof by penytencyall pyte ,and to pardon me of theyr benygnyte ,ryght myghty prynces of euery crysten regyon ,i sende you gretynge moche hertly grace ,right wel to gouern vpright your dominion ,and all your lordes ,i greete in lyke cace ,by this my lettre your hertes to enbrace ,besechynge you to prynte it in your mynde ,how for your sake ,i toke on me mankynde ,and as a lambe moost mekely dyde enclyne ,to suffre the dethe for your redempcyon ,and ye my kynges whiche do nowe domyne ,ouer my comons in terrestryall mancyon ,by pryncely preemynence and ,iuredyccyon ,in your regall courtes do suffre me be rente ,and my tender body with blode all besprente ,without my grace ye maye nothynge preuayle ,though ye be kynges for to mayntene your see ,to be a kynge it may nothynge auayle ,buy yf my grace preserue his dygnyte ,beholde your seruauntes how they do tere me ,by cruell othes now vpon euery syde ,aboute the worlde launcynge my woundes wyde ,all the graces whiche ,i haue you shewed ,reuoule in mynde ryght ofte ententyfly ,beholde my body with blody droppes endewed ,within your realmes nowe torne so pyteously ,towsed and tugged with othes cruelly ,some my heed some myn armes and face ,some my herte do all to rente and race ,they newe agayne do hange me on the rode ,they tere my sydes and are nothynge dysmayde ,my woundes they open and deuoure my blode ,i god and man moost wofully arayde ,to you complayne it maye not be denayde ,ye nowe do tug me _/ ye tere me at the roote ,yet ,i to you am chefe refuyte and boote ,wherfore ye kynges reygnynge in renowne ,refourme your seruauntes in your courte abused ,to good example of euery maner towne ,so that theyr othes whiche they longe haue vsed ,on payne and punysshement be holly refused ,meke as a ,lambe ,i suffre theyr grete wronge ,i maye take vengeaunce thoughe ,i tary longe ,i do forbere ,i wolde haue you amende ,and graunte you mercy and ye wyll it take ,o my swete brederne why do ye offende ,agayne to tere me whiche deyed for your sake ,lo se my kyndenes and frome synne awake ,i dyde redeme you from the deuylles chayne ,and spyte of me ye wyll to hym agayne ,made ,i not heuen the moost gloryous mansyon ,in whiche ,i wolde be gladde to haue you in ,now come swete bretherne to myn habytacyon ,alas good brederne with your mortall synne ,why flee ye from me _/ to torne agayne begynne ,i wrought you ,i bought you ye can it not denye ,yet to the deuyll ye go nowe wyllyngly ,decoration ,illustration ,see ,me ,be 7kynde ,p ,agayne ,my payne ,reteyne 7in mynde ,p ,my swete bloode ,on the roode ,dyde the good 7my broder ,p ,my face ryght red ,myn armes spred ,my woundes bled 7thynke none oder ,p ,beholde thou my syde ,wounded so ryght wyde ,bledynge sore that tyde 7all for thyn owne sake ,p ,thus for the ,i smerted ,why arte thou harde herted ,be by me conuerted 7 thy swerynge aslake ,p ,tere me nowe no more ,my woundes are sore ,leue swerynge therfore 7and come to my grace ,p ,i am redy ,to graunte mercy ,to the truely 7for thy trespace ,p ,come nowe nere ,my frende dere ,and appere 7before me ,p ,i so ,in wo ,dyde go 7se se ,p ,i ,crye ,hy 7the ,decoration ,vnto me dere broder my loue and my herte ,turmente me no more with thyn othes grete ,come vnto my ,ioye and agayne reuerte ,from the deuylles snare and his sutyl net ,beware of the worlde all aboute the set ,thy flesshe is redy by concupyscence ,to burne thy herte with cursed vyolence ,thoughe these thre enmyes do sore the assayle ,vpon euery syde with daungerous iniquite ,but yf thou lyst _/ they may nothynge preuayle ,nor yet subdue the with all theyr extremyte ,to do good or yll _/ all is at thy lyberte ,i do graunte the grace thyn enemyes to subdue ,swete broder accepte it theyr power to extue ,and ye kynges and prynces of hye noblenes ,with dukes and lordes of euery dygnyte ,indued with manhode wysdome and ryches ,ouer the comons hauynge the soueraynte ,correcte them whiche so do tere me ,by cruell othes without repentaunce ,amende be tyme lest ,i take vengeaunce ,exodi vicesimo _/ non accipies nomen dei tui in vannum ,vnto the man ,i gaue commaundement ,not to take the name of thy god vaynfully ,as not to swere but at tyme conuenyent ,before a ,iuge to bere recorde truely ,namynge my name with reuerence mekely ,vnto the ,iuge than there in presence ,by my name to gyue to the good credence ,a my brederne yf that ,i be wrothe ,it is for cause ye falsly by me swere ,ye knowe yourselfe that ,i am very trothe ,thet wrongfully ye do me rente and tere ye neyther loue me nor my ,iustyce fere ,and yf ye dyde ye wolde full gentylly ,obeye my byddynge well and perfytely ,the worldly kynges hauynge the soueraynte ye do well obey without resystence ye dare not take theyr names in vanyte ,but with grete honoure and eke reuerence ,than my name more hye of magnyfycence ye ought more to drede whiche am kynge of all ,bothe god and man and reygne celestyall ,no erthely man loueth you so well ,as ,i do _/ which mekely dyde enclyne ,for to redeme you from the fendes of hell ,takynge your kynde by my godhede dyuyne you were the fendes ,i dyde make you myne ,for you swete bretherne ,i was on the rode ,gyuynge my body my herte and my blode ,than why do ye in euery maner of place ,with cruell othes tere my body and herte ,my sydes and woundes it is a pyteous cace ,alas swete brederne ,i wolde you conuerte ,for to take vengeaunce ye do me coherte ,from the hous of swerers shall not be absent ,the plage of ,iustyce to take punysshement ,p,vnde4 ,ecclesiastici 4xxxiii4 ,vir multum iurans implebitur iniquitate et non discedet a domo eius plaga4 ,a man moche swerynge with grete iniquite ,shall be replete and from his mancyon ,the plage of vengeaunce shall not cessed be ,wherefore ye brederne full of abusyon ,take ye good hede to this dyscrypcyon ,come nowe to me and axe forgyuenes ,and be penytente and haue it douteles ,augustinus4 ,non potest male mori qui bene vixit et vix bene moritur qui male vixit4 ,who in this worlde lyueth well and ryghtwysly ,sall deye well by ryght good knowlegynge ,who in this worlde lyueth yll and wrongfully ,shall hardly scape to haue good endynge ,i do graunte mercy but no tyme enlongynge ,wherfore good brederne whyles that ye haue space ,amend your lyfe and come vnto my grace ,my wordes my prelates vnto you do preche ,for to conuerte you from your wretchednes ,but lytell auaylleth you nowe for to teche ,the worlde hathe cast you in such blyndnes ,lyke vnto stones your hertes hathe hardnes ,that my swete wordes may not reconsyle ,your hertes harde with mortall synne so vyle ,wo worthe your hertes so planted in pryde ,wo worthe your wrath and mortall enuye ,wo worthe slouth that dothe with you abyde ,wo worthe also inmesurable glotony ,wo worthe your tedyus synne of lechery ,wo worthe you whome ,i gaue free wyll ,wo worthe couetyse that dothe your soulse spyll ,wo worthe shorte ,ioye cause of payne eternall ,wo worthe you that be so peruerted ,wo worthe your pleasures in the synnes mortall ,wo worthe you for whome ,i sore smerted ,wo worthe you euer but ye be conuerted ,wo worthe you whose makynge ,i repente ,wo worthe your horryble synne so vyolent ,wo worthe you whiche do me forsake ,wo worthe you whiche wyllyngely offende ,wo worthe your swerynge whiche dothe not aslake ,wo worthe you whiche wyll nothynge amende ,wo worthe vyce that dothe on you attende ,wo worthe your grete vnkyndenes to me ,wo worthe your hertes withouten pyte ,wo worthe your falshode and your doublenesse ,wo worthe also your corrupte ,iugement ,wo worthe delyte in worldely rychesse ,wo worthe bebate without extynguyshment ,wo worthe your wordes so moche impacyent ,wo worthe you vnto whome ,i dyde bote ,and wo worthe you that tere me at the rote ,blessyd be ye that loue humylyte ,blessyd be ye that loue trouthe and pacyence ,blessyd be ye folowynge werkes of equyte ,blessyd be ye that loue well abstynence ,blessyd be ye vyrgyns of excellence ,blessyd be ye which loue well vertue ,blessyd be ye whiche do the worlde eschue ,blessyd be ye that heuenly ,ioye do loue ,blessyd be ye in vertuous gouernaunce ,blessyd be ye whiche do pleasures reproue ,blessyd be ye that consyder my greuaunce ,blessyd be ye whiche do take repentaunce ,blessyd be ye remembrynge my passyon ,blessyd be ye makynge petycyon ,blessyd be ye folowynge my trace ,blessyd be ye louynge trybulacyon ,blessyd be ye not wyllynge to trespace ,blessyd be ye of my castycacyon ,blessyd be ye of good operacyon ,blessyd be ye vnto me ryght kynde ,blessyd be you whiche haue me in your mynde ,blessyd be ye leuynge yll company ,blessyd be ye hauntynge the vertuous ,blessyd be ye that my name magnefy ,blessyd be ye techynge the vycyous ,blessyd be ye good and relygyous ,blessyd be ye in the lyfe temperall ,whiche applye yourselfe to ,ioye celestyall ,the brytyll worlde ryght often transmutable ,who wyll in it his lyfe in tyme well spende ,shall ,ioye attayne after inestymable ,for in the worlde he must fyrst condyscende4 ,to take grete payne as his power wyll extende ,agaynst the worlde the flesshe and the deuyll ,by my grete grace for to withstande theyr euyll ,for who can be a gretter fole than he ,that spendeth his tyme to hym vncertayne ,for a breuyat pleasure of worldly vanyte ,than after that to haue eternall payne ,who of the worlde delyteth and is fayne ,shall after sorowe and cry ve ve ,in an other worlde quante sunt tenebre ,who is wyser than he that wyll applye ,in the worlde to take payne by due dylygence ,after shorte payne to come to grete glorye ,whiche is eterne moost hye of excellence ,where he shall se my grete magnyfycence ,with many aungelles whiche for theyr solace ,insacyately do beholde my face ,regarde no ,ioye of the erthly consystory ,for lyke as ,phebus dothe the snowe relente ,so passeth the ,ioyes of the worlde transytory ,tyme renneth fast tyll worldly lyfe be spente ,consyder this in your entendemente ,blessed be they that my worde do here ,and kepe it well1 for they are to me dere ,therfore good brederne your hertes enclyne ,to loue and drede me that am omnipotent ,bothe god and man in ,ioye celestyne ,beholde my body all to torne and rente ,with your spytefull othes cruell and vyolent ,i loue you ye hate me ye are to harde herted ,i helpe you ye tere me lo how for you ,i smerted ,mercy and peace dyde make an vnyte ,bytwene you and me but trouthe ryghtwysnesse ,do nowe complayne byddynge my godheed se ,how that ye breke the lege of sothfastnesse ,they tell me that by ,iustyce doubtelesse ,i must take vengeaunce vpon you sykerly ,that by your swerynge1 agayne me crucefye ,for at the request of good mercy and peace ,i haue forborne you longe and many a daye ,thet more and more your synnes do encrease ,wherfore my ,iustyce wyll no more delaye ,but take vengeaunce for all your proude araye ,i warne you ofte ye are nothynge the better ,but ye amende my vengenaunce shall be gretter ,p ,contra iuratores christi in celo crucifigentes4 per bernardum dicit dominus4 ,nonne satis pro te vulneratus sum8 nonne satis pro te afflictus sum8 desine amplius peccare4 quia magis aggrauat vulnus peccati quam vulnus lateris mei4 ,am not ,i wounded for the suffycyent ,haue ,i not for the ynoughe afflyccyon ,leue more to synne by good amendement ,the wounde of synne to me is more passyon ,than the wounde of my syde for thy redempcyon ,thoughe ,i do spare ,i shall you desteny ,but ye amende to brenne eternally ,with my blody woundes ,i dyde your chartre seale ,why do you tere it _/ why do ye breke it so ,syth it to you is the eternall heale ,and the releace of euerlastynge wo ,beholde this lettre with the prynte also ,of myn owne seale by perfyte portrature ,prynte it in mynde and ye shall helthe recure ,and ye kynges and lordes of renowne ,exorte your seruauntes theyr swerynge to cease ,come vnto me and cast your synne adowne ,and ,i my vengeaunce shall truely releace ,with grace and plente _/ ,i shall you encrace ,and brynge you whiche reuolue inwardly ,this is my complaynte to eternall glory4 ,,amen4 ,p,the ,auctour as foloweth4 ,p,go lytell treatyse deuoyde of eloquence ,tremblynge for dreade to approche the maieste ,of our souereynge lord surmountynge in excellence ,put under the wynge of his benygnyte ,submyttynge the to his mercyfull pytie4 ,and beseche hys grace to pardon thy rudnesse ,whych of late was made to eschewe ydlenesse4 ,p,thus endeth the conuersyon of swerers1 made and compyled by ,stephen ,hawys1 groome of the chambre of our souerigne lorde ,kyng ,henry the seuenth4 ,enprynted at ,london1 in ,fletestrete1 at the sygne of the ,sonne1 by ,wynken de ,worde1 ,prynter vnto the moost excellent prynses1 my lady the kynges graundame1 the yere of our ,lord a ,,mcccccix4 the first yere of the reigne of our souerayne lord kyng ,henry the ,,viii4 ,illustration3 ,printer's symbol 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,errors and ,irregularities ,thet scyens a bydeth and is moost sure spacing unchanged ,reuoule in mynde ryght ofte ententyfly error for ,reuolue8 ,dyde go 7se se open parenthesis missing ,wo worthe bebate without extynguyshment error for debate8 ,for lyke as ,phebus dothe the snowe relente text reads ,phehus ,and the releace of euerlastynge wo initial ,a invisible ,put under the wynge of his benygnyte initial u in original ,unusual letters or letterforms ,capital ,u_/,v is shown as ,v for consistency1 although the letterform is closer to ,u4 ,thorn ,th appears several times at the beginning of lines1 and once in an abbreviation2 th is used everywhere else4 ,a series of lines on page ,a4iiii4 verso1 starting with ye neyther loue me nor my ,iustyce fere1 have initial lower-case y4 ,the first of these may have been necessary to avoid collision with the ,th of theprevious line4 ,in verse1 nasal abbreviations such as an and en appear only in lines with large initial drop caps4 ,other abbreviations--mainly in the ,latin passages--are shown in brackets3 qui1 christi4 ,the word shown as thou was printed as u directly above thorn 7not y74