¶ This done Morpleus departed away. ¶ Fro Vertu to the palayse retorny{ n}g agayn. ¶ None hym aspyed that I dare well say. ¶ In whych tyme Vertu dyde his besy payn ¶ People to reyse his quarell to maynteyn. ¶ Ymagynacyon was his messengere. ¶ He went to warne people both fer & nere.
¶ And bad hem come in all hast they myght ¶ For to strength Vertu for wyth out fayll. ¶ He sayd he shold haue long or it were nyght. ¶ Wyth Vyce to do a myghty strong batayl. ¶ Of vngracyo{ us} gestes he bryngyth a gret tayll ¶ Wherfore it behouyth to help at this nede. ¶ And after this shal Vertu rewar yo{ re} mede
¶ Whan ymagynacyon had gone his cyrcuyte ¶ To Vertue & frendis thus all about. ¶ Wythin short tyme many men of myght ¶ Gadered to Vertu in all that they myght. ¶ They hym comforted & bad hy{ m} put no doute. ¶ His vtter enmy Vyce to ouerthrowe. ¶ Thoughe he { with} hy{ m} brou{ gh}t neuer so gret arow Original has h instead of ¶ And whan Vertu se the sustau{ n}ce of his oost he ¶ He prayed all the comons to the feld hem hye ¶ Wyth her pety capteyns both lest and moste ¶ And wyth his capteyns shold folow redely. ¶ For he sayd he knew well { that} vyce was ful nye. ¶ And who myght fyrst of { the} feld recouer { the} ce{ n}tre ¶ Wold kepe out { that} other he shuld not esely e{ n}tre
¶ Then sent he forth Baptym to { the} feld before ¶ And prayed hym hartely it to ouerse· ¶ That no maner trayn nor coltrop therin wor{ e} Original has ¶ To noy nor hurt hym nor his meyne. cotlrop ¶ And whan he thyder came he began to se. instead of ¶ How Vyce his purseua[u]nt cryme orygynall. coltrop ¶ Was entred before and had seased vp all.
¶ But as sone as herof Baptym had a syght. ¶ He fled fast away and left the feld alone. ¶ And anone Baptym entred wyth his myght. ¶ Serchyng al about where this crym{ e} had gon{ e} ¶ But the feld was clene defaut fou{ n}d he none. ¶ Then came Vertu after with his gret oste. ¶ And his myghty capteyns both lest and most
¶ But to enfourme you how he thyder came. ¶ And what maner capteins he to { the} feld brou{ gh}t ¶ Hymselfe sekerly was the fyrst man. ¶ Of all his grete host { that} thyderwarde sought. ¶ Syttyng in a chare { that} rychely was wrought. ¶ Wyth golde and peerles & gemmes precyous. ¶ Crowned with laurer as lord vyctoryous.
