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600 		'More haf I of joye and blysse hereinne,
Of ladyschyp gret and lyves blom,
Than alle the wyyes in the worlde myght wynne
By the way of ryght to aske dome.
Whether welnygh now I con bygynne-
In eventyde into the vyne I come-
Fyrst of my hyre my Lorde con mynne:
I was payed anon of al and sum.
Yet other ther werne that toke more tom,
That swange and swat for long yore,
Thay yet of hyre nothynk thay nom,
Paraunter noght schal to-yere more.'

Then more I meled and sayde apert:
"Me thynk thy tale unresounable.
Goddes ryght is redy and evermore rert,
Other Holy Wryt is bot a fable.
In Sautre is sayd a verce overte
That spekes a poynt determynable:
"Thou quytes uchon as hys desserte,
Thou hyghe kyng ay pretermynable."
Now he that stod the long day stable,
And thou to payment com hym byfore,
Thenne the lasse in werke to take more able,
And ever the lenger, the less, the more.'




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600 		'More joy and bliss I now possess
Of queenly rank and high degree,
Than all the world could e'er profess
If justice were their only plea.
Though I came late, yet, nonetheless,
My Lord that evening welcomed me
And did my coming richly bless,
Rewarding me most generously.
Yet there were others, I could see,
Who laboured long and hardship bore,
But they could not rewarded be
Perhaps not for a whole year more.'

Then I spoke up, and more I said,
"Your tale flouts reason every way,
God's grace is quick, His power widespread,
Or Holy Writ is mere hearsay.
In Psalter may this verse be read;
It makes a point none can gainsay:
"For his deserts each man you fed,
High King, who o'er the world holds sway !"
If one man worked throughout the day
And you came and were paid before,
The less the work, the more the pay,
For so much less, that much the more.'



More have I of joy and bliss here, of queenly rank and flowering of life than all the people in the world might win, if they seek a reward by way of justice. And, though I began only [a short time ago], at eventide to the vine I came. My Lord remembered my wages first [and] I was paid at once and in full, yet there were others who had given more time than I, who had toiled and sweated long enough, yet they have had none of their wages and perhaps will not for [a] year more.'

'Then I said more, and spoke plainly, 'I think your story [is] unreasonable. God's justice is quick, and always supreme or Holy Writ is merely a fable. In the Psalter speaks a verse plain to see, that makes a definite point, "You reward everyone according to his deserts, you high King, ever supreme in judgement." Now if [a man] had been steadfast throughout the long day and you came to payment before him then they who have done less work are entitled to take more and however much less so much the more.'

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