Part 8 (1/2)

A token & bad hym go to conffessyon.

And shew hym his mater with a peteous loke Whiche done he hym sent to contrycyon.

And fro thensforthe to satysfaccyon.

Thus fro poost to pyler was he made to dau{n}ce.

And at the last he went forthe to penau{n}ce.

But now for to tel you whe{n} Vyce was ou{er}throw A gret part of his oost about hym gan resorte.

But he was so febyll {that} he coude noman know.

And whan they se {that} they knew no comforte.

But caryed hym away be a preuy porte.

And as they caryed dyspeyre with hy{m} met.

With Vyce his rewarde he cam theym for to fet

Then came there downe goodly ladyes tweyn.

From the hyghe heuen aboue the fyrmamente.

And sayd the gret Alpha & Oo moost souereyn.

For that n.o.bell tryumphe had hem thyder sent.

One of hem to dryue Vyce to grete tormente.

With a fyry strong {that} she bare in her hande.

And so he dede dyspere & all his hole bande.

The name of this lady was called Prestyence.

She neuer left Vyce ne none {that} wolde hy{m} folow.

Tyll they were co{m}mytted by {the} dyuyne sentence.

All to payne perpetuell & Infynyte sorow.

Right wysnes went to se {that} noma{n} shold he{m} borow.

Th{us} al entreted sharpely were they tyll Cerber{us} Had hem beshut within his gates tenebr{us}.

And all {the} whyle {that} Prestye{n}ce {with} her scorge smert To rewarde Vyce gan her thus occupy.

With all his hole bende after her desert.

That other gloryo{us} lady {that} came fro heue{n} on hy.

Hauyng in her honde the palme of vyctory.

Came downe to Vertu & toke hym to {that} p{re}sent.

Sayeng thus that Alpha & Oo hath hym sent.

And as ferre as I ryght coude vnderstonde That ladyes name was Predestynacyon.

Vertu & his oost she blessyd with her honde.

And in heuyn graunted hem habytacyon.

Whereto eche of hem reseruyd was a crowne.

She sayd in token that they enherytours.

Of the glory were & gracious conquerours.

Wych done the ladyes ayen to gyder met And towarde heuen vp they gan to fly Embraced in armes as they had ben knyt.

Togyd{er} {with} a gyrdyl but so sodenly.

As {the}y wer{e} vanysshyd saw I neu{er} thy{n}g {with} ey.

And anone Vertu wyth al his company.

Kneled dou{n}n & tha{n}ked G.o.d of {that} vyctory.

Yet had I forget whan Vyce was ouerthrow.

To haue told you hou many of Vycys hoost.

Gan to seke pease & darked dou{n}n ful low.