Sens. Nay! that shall I never do; for, to-day
I shall thy fellow be, look thou never so high.
And, therefore, hardely be somewhat fellow-like;
Leave thy haut conceits, and take a meetly way.
For shame of the world, man! let us not stick
At a matter of right nought, and traverse here all day.
Have me in few words, man! and hark what I say:
Meddle thou in no point that belongeth to me,
And I shall promise thee never to meddle with thee.
And, standing the nonage of this gentleman,
On my peril take no care therefore.
I shall demean it as well as I can
Till he be passed forty years and more;
And Reason then, if ye will undershore
His crooked old age, when lusty youth is spent,
Then take upon you: I hold me content.
For, trust ye me! the very truth is this:
This man is put in his own liberty;
And, certainly, the free choice is his
Whether he will be governed by thee or by me.
Let us, therefore, put it to his own jeopardy,
And therein stand to his arbitrament
To which of us twain he had liefer assent.
Rea. Nay, sir, not so! I know his frailty;
The body is disposed for to fall
Rather to the worse than the better part;
But it be holpen by power supernal.
Sens. Yet, Reason! when thou hast said all,
If thou see him not take his own way,
Call me cut when thou meetest me another day.
Rea. For certain yet, according to mine office,
I must advertise and counsel him, at the least,
To haunt virtue and 'schew all vice;
And therein assist him to the uttermost;
And if he will algates be a beast,
And take none heed to my lore and doctrine,
The peril and hurt shall be his, not mine.
Inno. Sirs! I shall answer for this man, as yet
That he is maiden for all such folly
As should disdain nature, or dishonour it.
Brought up with me, full well and tenderly,
Wherefore I dare the surelier testify
For Innocency, that he is yet virgin,
Both for deed and eke consent of sin.
And longer will not I be of his acquaintance
Than he is virtuous, and of good living;
For, fleshly lust and worldly pleasance
Is, with Innocency, nothing according.
But, if his behaviour and daily demeaning
Be of such draught as reason will allow,
I shall him favour and love, as I do now.
Sens. Well spoken and wisely! now have ye all done?
Or, have ye ought else to this man to say?