Why speak ye not? why be ye now so studious? Is there anything that hath chanced you amiss? I am your father: tell me what it is. MEL. Alas, now your dream, which ye have expressed, Hath made me all pensive and sore abashed. DAN. I pray you, dear daughter, now tell me why? MEL. Sir, I know the cause of your vision, And what your dreadful dream doth signify. DAN. Thereof would I fain now have knowlition. MEL. Alas, dear father, alas, what have I done? Offended God as a wretch unworthy! DAN. Wherein? despair not; God is full of mercy.
MEL. Then on my knees now I fall down, And of God chiefly asking forgiveness; And next of you; for into oblivion I have put your doctrine and lessons doubtless. DAN. Fear not, daughter, I am not merciless; I trust ye have not so greatly offended, But that right well it may be amended. MEL. Ye have fostered me up full lovingly In virtuous discipline, which is the right path To all grace and virtue; which doth signify By your dream the fair, pleasant, wholesome bath: The foul pit, whereof ye dreamed, which hath Destroyed so many, betokeneth vice and sin, In which, alas, I had almost fallen in. The prick-eared cur and the foul bitch, Which made herself so smooth and fair to see, Betokeneth an old quean, a bawdy witch, Called Celestina, that woe might she be! Which with her fair words aye so persuaded me, That she had almost brought me hereunto, To fulfil the foul lust of Calisto. DAN. Alas, dear daughter, I taught you a lesson, Which way ye should attain unto virtue: That was every morning to say an orison, Praying God for grace all vice to eschew. MEL. O dear father, that lesson I have kept true; Which preserved me, for though I did consent In mind, yet had he never his intent. DAN. The virtue of that prayer, I see well one thing, Hath preserved you from the shame of that sin; But because ye were somewhat consenting, Ye have offended God greatly therein; Wherefore, daughter, ye must now begin Humbly to beseech God of His mercy For to forgive you your sin and misery. MEL. O blessed Lord, and father celestial, Whose infinite mercy no tongue can express, Though I be a sinner, wretch of wretches all, Yet of thy great mercy grant me forgiveness. Full sore I repent, my sin I confess: Intending henceforth never to offend more: Now humbly I beseech thy mercy therefore. DAN. Now that is well said, mine own fair daughter; Stand up therefore, for I know verily, That God is good and merciful ever To all sinners which will ask mercy, And be repentant and in will clearly To sin no more. He of His great goodness Will grant them therefore His grace and forgiveness. Lo, here ye may see, what a thing it is To bring up young people virtuously, In good custom; for grace doth never miss To them that use good prayers daily, Which hath preserved this maid undoubtedly, And kept her from actual deed of shame: Brought her to grace: preserved her good name. Wherefore, ye virgins and fair maidens all, Unto this example now take good heed; Serve God daily; the sooner ye shall To honesty and goodness no doubt proceed; And God shall send you ever his grace at need To withstand all evil temptations, That shall come to you by any occasions. And ye, fathers, mothers, and other, which be Rulers of young folks, your charge is doubtless To bring them up virtuously, and to see Them occupied still in some good business; Not in idle pastime or unthriftiness, But to teach them some art, craft, or learning, Whereby to be able to get their living. The bringers-up of youth in this region Have done great harm because of their negligence, Not putting them to learning nor occupations: So, when they have no craft nor science, And come to man's state, ye see the experience, That many of them compelled be To beg or steal by very necessity. But if there be therefore any remedy, The heads and rulers must first be diligent To make good laws, and execute them straitly, Upon such masters that be negligent. Alas! we make no laws, but punishment, When men have offended. But laws evermore Would be made to prevent the cause before. If the cause of the mischiefs were seen before, Which by conjecture to fall be most likely, And good laws and ordinance made therefore To put away the cause, that were best remedy. What is the cause, that there be so many Thefts and robberies? It is because men be Driven thereto by need and poverty. And what is the very cause of that need? Because they labour not for their living; And truth is, they cannot well labour indeed, Because in youth of their idle upbringing. But this thing shall never come to reforming, But the world continually shall be nought, As long as young people be evil up-brought.