¶ But al the tyme whyle Vertu was away.
¶ A myghty conflycte kept they with Vycys rout.
¶ And yet neuertheles for al that grete afray.
¶ Hope stod vpryght & feyth wold neuer lout
¶ And euermore sayd Baptym syres put no dout.
¶ Vertu shal return & haue his entent.
¶ This feld shal be ours or let me be shent.
¶ And whyl thyse pety capteyns sustend thus the feld
¶ Wyth Vertu his reward come good perseuerauns
¶ An hugy myghty hoost & whan he beheld.
¶ How Vertu hym withdrew he toke dysplesauns.
¶ And whan he to hym cam he sayd ye shal your chans
¶ Take as it fallyth wherfore returne ye must.
¶ Yet ones for your sake with Vyce shal I Iust.
¶ Alas that euer ye shold lese your honour.
¶ And therwyth also the hygh perpetuel crown.
¶ Which is for you kept in the celestyal tour.
¶ Wherfore be ye called chrystys champyon.
¶ How is it that ye haue noo compassyone.
¶ On baptyme feyth & hope konnyng & vnite.
¶ That stand so hard bestad & fyght as ye may see.
¶ All the tresour erthely vnder the fyrmament
¶ That euer was made of goddys creacyon.
¶ To reward theym euenly were not equyualent.
¶ For her noble labour in his affleccyon.
¶ Wherfore take vpon you your Iurisdyccyon
¶ Rescu yonder knyghtes & recontynu fyght.
¶ And els a dew your crown for al your gret myght
¶ Vith these & suche wordys as I haue you tolde
¶ By good perseueraunce vttred in this wyse.
¶ Vertu hym remembred & gan to vexe bolde.
¶ And sayd yeue trew knyghtis to rescu I auyse
¶ Let vs no lengar tary from this entrepryse.
¶ Agayn to the felde soo Vertu retourned.
¶ That caused hem be mery that long afore had morned
¶ Auaunt baner quod he in the name of Iesu
¶ And with that his people set vp a gret shoute.
¶ And cryed with a loude voce a Vertu a Vertu.
¶ Then began Vyce his hoost for to loke a boute.
¶ But I trow perseueraunce was not long withoute
¶ He bathed his swerd in his foos blood.
¶ The boldest of hem all not ones hym withstoode.
¶ Constaunce hym folowed & brought hym his spere
¶ But when perseueraunce saw Vyce on his stede.
¶ No man coude hym let tyll he came there.
¶ For to byd hym ryde I trow it was no nede.
¶ All Vertu his oost prayed for his good spede.
¶ Agayn Vyce he rode with his grete shaft.
¶ And hym ouerthrew for all his sotyll craft.
¶ That seyng Frewill came to conscyence.
¶ And gan hym to repente that he with hym had be.
¶ Prayeng hym of counsell for his grete offence.
¶ That he agayn Vertu had made his arme.
¶ What was best to doo to humylyte:
¶ Quod conscyence must thou go so he hym thyder sent
¶ Dysguysed that he were not knowen as he wente.
¶ And whan he thyder came humylyte hym toke.
¶ 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 daunce.
¶ And at the last he went forthe to penaunce.
¶ But now for to tel you when Vyce was ouerthrow
¶ 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 hym met.
¶ With Vyce his rewarde he cam theym for to fet