Envy. Reason, quod a? no, so I trow!
He will that disdain;
But where hath Covetise been many a day?
Sens. He dwelt with a priest, as I heard say;
For he loveth well
Men of the church, and they him also;
And lawyers eke, when they may tend thereto,
Will follow his counsel.
Envy. So men say there, as I dwell.
But, Sensuality! canst thou tell,
Now in this case,
What were best for us to do?
Sens. Marry! I hold it best that we go
Hereby, to some place,
And semble together all our company;
To hear their minds, by and by,
And every man's opinion
What shall be best for to do.
Envy. By my troth, and be it so!
I hold it well done.
[Then they go forth and Reason and Man come in.
Rea. Sir! I have ofttimes you advised
To live virtuously, and showed you the way;
And that notwithstanding ye have me despised,
And followed Sensuality many a day.
Will ye so continue? yea, or nay?
If ever ye purpose yourself to amend,
It is time; for your life draweth fast to th' end.
Man. I cannot continue though I would;
For Age hath wained me clean therefro.
And yet, Reason! when ye me told
Of this gear, many day ago,
I thought little I should have come hereto,
But had of your words great scorn and disdain.
Would God that my life were to begin again!
Rea. Speak not thereof! that may not be.
A thing done cannot be called again;
But the thing that most feareth me,
On your behalf, I tell you plain,
Is that ye would in nowise abstain
From sinful lusts, as I willed you to do
Till now that age compelleth you thereto.
Man. That is full true, without feigning;
As long as mine appetite did endure
I followed my lusts in everything;
Which now, by the course and law of nature,
And not of my policy or good endeavour,
Is taken from me for evermore:
And so can I deserve no meed therefore.