¶ Whan Vertu & Vyce be her ambassatours.
¶ Knew of this answere they stood in gret doute.
Neuertheles they seyd they wold endure tho shours
¶ And make an ende shortly of that they went 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.
¶ For he had so purueyde that vyce sholde haue the day
¶ Soo as it happed at that felde they mete.
¶ Frewyll vertu and vice as tripartite.
¶ Saaf vertu a litil before the felde had gete.
¶ And ellis his auantage forsoth had be ful lyght
¶ Not for then encombred so was neuer wyght.
¶ As vertu & his men were with the ranke wede
¶ That in the felde grew of sensualitees sede
¶ But as soone as vyce of vertu had a syght.
¶ He gan swage gonnes as he had be woode
¶ That heryng vertu commaunded euery wyght
¶ To pauyce hym vnder the sygne of the rode.
¶ And bad hem not drede but kepe styll where thy stode.
¶ It was but a shour shold sone confounde
¶ wherfore he commaunded them stand & kepe her ground
¶ And whan vyce cam nerer to the felde.
¶ He callyd sore for bowes & bad hem shote faste
¶ But vertu & hys meyny bare of with the sheld.
¶ Of the blyssyd Trynyte ay tyll shot was past.
¶ And whan shot was done vyce cam forth at last.
¶ Purposyng the felde wyth assaute to wyn.
¶ But vertu kept it long he myght not enter theryn.
¶ All that tyme Frewyll stode & hym bethought.
¶ To which he myght leue & what part he wold take.
¶ At last sensualite had hym so fer brought.
¶ That he sayd playnly he vertu wold forsake.
¶ And in vyce hys quarell all his power make.
Nota Iwis quod reason that is not for the beste.
¶ Noforse sayd frewyll I wyll do as my lyst.
¶ Vertu was full heuy when he see frewyll
¶ Take part with vyce but yet neuerthelesse.
¶ He dyde that he myght the felde to kepe styll.
¶ Tyll vyce with frewyll so sore gan hym oppresse.
¶ That he was constrayned clerely by duresse.
¶ A lytyll tyne abacke to make abew retret.
¶ All thyng consydered hit was the best feet.
¶ Fyrst to remembre how vyce parte was.
¶ Ten ayen one strenger by lyklynesse.
¶ And than how frewyll was with hym alas.
¶ Whoo coude deme vertu but in heuynesse.
¶ Moreouer to thynke how that slyper grasse.
¶ That of sensualyte hys onkynde seede grew.
¶ Vnder foot in standyng encombred vertew
¶ Yet notwithstondyng vertue his men all.
¶ Nobelly theym bare and faught myghtyly.
¶ How be it the sleper grasse made many of hem fall.
¶ And from thense in maner departe sodenly.
¶ That seyng vyce his hoost began to shout & cry.
¶ And sayd on in Pluto name on & all is oure·
¶ For this day shal Vyce be made a conquerour.
¶ Thus Vertu was by myght of vyce & Frewyll
¶ Dryuen out of the feld it was the more pyte·
¶ How by it yet Baptym kept his ground styll.
¶ And with hym abode feyth hope & vnyte.
¶ And konnynge also with a grete meyne.
¶ Confessyon contrycyon were redy at her hond.
¶ And Satysfaction Vyce to wythstond.