e and enquyre how y'e cytees or townes ben gouerned/ whiche
apperteyneth to be kept and defended by the knyghtes. And first hit
apperteyneth that the kepars of the cyte be dilygente. besy. clere
seeynge and louers of the comyn prouffit & wele/ as well in the tyme of
pees as in the tyme of warre/ They ought allewaye to goo in the cyte and
enquyre of all thynges and ought rapporte to the gouernours of the cyte
suche thynge as they fynde and knowe And suche thynge as apperteyneth
and to the seuerte of the same/ and to den[=o]nce and telle the defaultes
and paryls that ther bee/ And yf hit be in tyme of warre they ought not
to open the yates by nyght to no man/ And suche men as ben put in this
office/ ought to be of good renome. & fame, trewe. and of good
conscience/ In suche maner that they loue them of the Cyte or town/ And
that they put to no man ony blame or vilanye with out cause by enuye.
Couetyse ne by hate/ but they ought to be sory and heuy whan they see
that ony man shold be complayned on for ony cause. For hit happeth ofte
tymes that diuerce officers accuse the good peple fraudulently/ To
thende that they myght haue a thanke & be preysed and to abide stille in
theyr offices And trewly hit is a grete and hye maner of malyse to be in
will to doo euyll and diffame other wyth oute cause to gete glorie to
hymself Also the kepars and officers of cytees ought to be suche that
they suffre no wronges ne vylonyes to fore the Iuges and gouernours of
cytees wyth out cause to be doon to them that ben Innocents/ but they
ought to haue theyr eyen and regarde vnto hym/ that knoweth the hertes
and thoughtes of alle men/ And they ought to drede & doubte hym wyth
oute whos grace theyr wacche and kepynge is nought And that promyseth to
them that doubte hym shall be ewrous & happy/ And by hym ben alle
thynges accomplisshid in good/ Hit is founden in the historyes of rome
that Temperour Frederik the seconde dide do make a gate of marble of
meruayllous werke and entayll in the cyte of capnane vpon the watre that
renneth aboute the same/ and vpon this yate he made an ymage lyke
hymself sittynge in his mageste/ and two Iuges whiche were sette/ one on
the right side and that other on the lifte side. And vpon the sercle
aboue the hede of the Iuge on y'e ryght side was wreton/ Alle they entre
seurly that will liue purely/ And vpon the sercle of the Iuge on the
lifte side was wreton/ The vntrewe man ought to doubte/ to doo thynge
that he be pu