|b[Three_Middle_English_Sermons_from_the_Worcester_Chapter
|b_Manuscript_F._10,_ed._D._M._Grisdale._Leeds:_Titus_Wilson_of
|b_Kendal,_1939,_pp._1-80.]
|b{Note:_No_bybed_lines.}



|p1


                          FIRST SERMON
                            |r[f.8r]
                          HUGONIS LEGAT
                        in Passione Domini.

      |r<b> Accipiant repromissionem Vocati - Accipiant repromissionem
           Vocati. The help and the grace of Crist Iesu be wyth
           vs now and euere, amen.
      INTRODUCTIO THEMATIS ANTE ORATIONEM.
    5    I rede in Genesi, the firste book of holi write, 12, 16 &
      17 capitulis, čat God, thorw če he¨e loue čat He had in-to
      ée progenie and te posterite of Abraham, com on a tyme
      to his dwelling place & bad hym gon out of hys fadris hows
      & come in-to a contre čat he schulde schowe hym. This
      feithful man, aftur če commaundement of God, wandride forth
   10 with gret trauele & gret tene, til he com to the same contre
      where he cast hym to abyde, & tanne God Almi¨ti spak to him če
      secounde tyme and seyde, "Abraham," quod he, "for as muche
      as ču hast left čin owne lond & com in-to this vncnown contre for
      ée loue of me, y schal graunte by chartier to all thin eyres aftur če
   15 če plentwis lond of Chanaan to in-habite and to dwelle." Here
      was a faire promis, a faire bi-hest. żit forthirmore, whan this
      feithful man had afturward getyn a chyld of a serwand čat was
      clepid Ismael, God spak to hym če čridde tyme & seyde: "For
      as miche," quod he, "as tow hast wrowth mi wylle in alle thy
   20 werkys, thow schalt no lengur be clepyd Abraam, but čy name
      schal be Abraham, and, as y seyde če by-fore, to če & to thyn



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      eyres |r[f.8v] i ¨eue če for-seid lond čat y spake of, to hab & to
      hold in euerlastyng possessioun. For as whos seyth, i haue
      ordenid him & clepyd hym byfore al očur to receyue this bihest.
   25 And ter-for al this trauel & tene i ha mad te take from o
      cuntre to anočur, vt repromissionem accipiant vocati, 'čat tei
      mow take this biheste čat ben clepid' as for če beste, ffrelich &
      fullich aftur her deseruing. Accipiant 'let hem take' če lusti
      lond of Chanaan melke & methe wellyng, secundum repromis_sionem,
   30 'aftur mi bihest' they čat namlich and no nis sunt ad hoc
      vocati, '¨e, čey čat namlich & no nis ben i-clepud of me čerto.'
      Sic igitur accipiant repromissionem vocati, 'thus čerfor let hem
      take če biheste čat ben clepid.' Be this gode, trewe man
      Abram, ich vndurstonde at tis time vr blessid Lord Crist Iesu;
   35 to this holi Abram, to this blessid lord, come če he¨e fadur of
      Heuen čorw če gret loue čat He had to če posterite of man_kinde
      & bad hym com doun from his fadris hous, from his holi
      habitacyoun a-boue in-to če cuntre of this wrechid world, to
      suffre soru & care for mannis misdedis; he dud His commaunde_ment,
   40 lefte his fadris hous, če pierles place of Heuen, com doun
      in-to če careful cuntre of this worlde & ter suffred trauel & tene,
      ¨e, he was scornid, scorgid, at če laste was nailud op-on če cros
      éat hit was pite to bi-hold: čer God, če he¨e fadur of Heuen
      spake eft-sonis to him & seyde, "Mi derworth child Abram,"
   45 interpretatur excelsus seu eleuatus, 'Abram is as muche to mene as
      heyth or litt op hi¨e;' "Mi derworth sone, čat," quod he,
      "thus art haunsid & lift vp on če cros, for as muche as thou art
      come in-to če vnknowyn cuntrey of čys world, to suffre čis peyne
      & čes passioun for če loue of me & myne, y schal graunte bi če
   50 chartier of či passioun, writen wit če rede blod of či bodi, selid
      with če scharp nailis čat čurlith čin hondis & ti fet, indentid wit
      ée bittur spere čat persid thin herte, to alle če eirys of mankinde



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      éat kepith mi commaundementis & wirkyn mi wylle, če plentuvs
      lond of Chanaan, ¨e, če ioyfull place of Heuen, to in-habite & to
   55 dwelle world with-oute ende;" & sic repromissionem accipiant
      vocati, '& scho schul čey take če byheste čat buč clepid' to
      éat holi feste. Thus tanne, whan Crist čorw če bittur peynis
      éat he suffrid in his passioun had gete čat fayre child Ismael,
      éat precious tresour, mannis soule, of a seruant, ¨e, out of če
   60 bondage & te thraldom of če deuel, he was letoun doun of če cros
      & leid in his graue & his name was i-changid from Abram in-to
      Abraham; for he was no lengur clepid če fadur lift op-o če cros,
      but a fadur of miche peple; for Abraham interpretatur pater mul_tarum
      gentium, 'Abraham is as muche to say as a fadur of
   65 muche peple,' for čer Crist sauyd & bouth wyth his blod nawth
      on-lich o peple or tweyne, but al maner peple of če world, ¨e,
      almankynde, čat wolde sewe hys doctrine |r[f.8r] & performe
      his teching; & ter-for he was resonablych clepid če fadur of
      muche peple, fadur of almankinde. O čis wys, čanne, Crist
   70 dying o če cros, as Seint Poul berith witnes in če pistul of this
      same day, offerd vp him-self clene with-oute any spot or wemme,
      to clense owre consciens from wykyd werkys, to serue God in
      clennis of leuyng, to wasche a-way with his deth čat was wrowth
      vndur če Olde Testament, & vt repromissionem accipiant vocati,
   75 ¨e, & cheflich ' čat čey mouth take če byhest & te promissiun čat
      were clepid 'from če bigin[ni]ng to euerlastyng ioy & blis. Sacra
      morte dei superi rectoris olimpi - Accipiant - Purpureo claram
      Christi cum sanguine scriptam - repromissionem - Ante serena poli
      nostri seu lumina mundi - vocati. 'Thorw če delful deth of
   80 God, gouernour of all thyngys,' Accipiant 'lete hem take, write
      wyth če rede blod čat Crist sched for oure synnis,' repromis_sionem
      'če byheste.' 'Be-fore če makyng of heuenlich lithis,
      éat brithlich schynun in-to al če worlde,' vocati 'čei čat ben



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      i-clepid'. Thus tanne lethe hem take če byhest čat ben
   85 clepid. That ¨e may thenne, thorw če precius passioun of
      Crist, be clepid a-mong čese čat tus schal be sauid & reseyue this
      glorius biheste, ¨e schul lift vp or hertis hollich to God & with a
      mike spirit prey him vt dignetur vocare vos vocatione sua, secunda
      ad Tess. primo, ¨e, 'čat he wille of his gret grace clepe ¨ow in his
   90 calling' & numbur ¨ow a-mong hem čat ben predestinat from
      ée biginning. And e this preyer ¨e schal ha recomendit al če
      clergise, če knithhode & al če gode comenalte, with al čo čat
      ben went out of this world & e wey of saluacioun. For čese & for
      al očur čat ¨e očur i ben y-holde to prai fore at tis time & for
   95 grace čat is nedful boče to ¨ow & to me, y pray ¨ow seith with a
      deuowte herte a pater noster & an aue.

      INTRODUCTIO THEMATIS ANTE PARTIPATIONEM.

      <b> Accipiant repromissionem vocati vbi supra, lete hem take če
           biheste čat ben clepid as i seide be-fore. As Seint Jerom
           seyth in principio cosmographie ethici philosophi, God in
      biginning made a mater, a lumpe, with-outun schap, with-outun
    5 ani forme, where-in were conteinyd boče heuen & helle, erče &
      eire & al this worlde; owt of this statu, of this mas, he drowč če
      erče & printid hit ful of herbis & floures, če watir & te eire &
      fulfullid hem with fischis & foulis, če fir & te firmament, &
      fastnid hem with planetis & sterris, & ate laste that holi habi_taciun
   10 of heuene, & sette ther-inne ix orderis of angelis a-mong
      the which was tat glorius angel, čat glorius spirit lucifer, čat in
      bewte & brythnes passid alle očur; but, for as miche as he was
      proude of his passing brithnes & wolde not mekelich worschip
      God for his wondurful wirking as očur angelus dude, he fel down
   15 with his compani as depe in-to helle as he purposid him to han
      ben lift vp & enhythtid in heuene. To fulfulle čan če place of
      lucifer & his compani, čat was, as we saith, void & vacant in
      heuene, God in če bigining ordenid & |r[f.8v] disposid by pre_destinaciun
      in his owne wit a certeyn numbur čat schulde leue



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   20 vpon his lawis & wirkyn his wille, & hem he hath i-clepid be-fore
      al očur to fulfille this ioyful place. For as Seint Poul seyth, ad
      romanos 8=o=, quos predestinauit hos et vocauit, 'hem,' he seith, 'čat
      he hath ordeinid be predestinaciun to ben his trewe laborers & his
      trew seruauntus, hem he hath i-clepid to inhabite čis place.,
   25 And of hem schal če fadur sei to če at če dai of dome voca
      operarios, sone, 'clepe či laborers,' či seruantis, wher-to vt
      repromissionem accipiant vocati, 'čat tei mowe take če bihest of
      gladnes čat tus ben clepid trewe laborers.'

      TRIMEMBRIS PARTICIO THEMATIS PRO PROCESSU
      TOTIUS SERMONIS.

         For če processe of this sermon e these thre wordis may open_lich
   30 be schewid čre diuers thingus e mente latens hominis
      secretum suscipientis dinoscitur in acceptione. Alta dei dantis
      discretio cuncta librantis explicatur in promissione. Sed tandem
      qualitas vocitati facta videntis de[monstra]tur in vocacione. 'The
      preui wil of mannus receyuing schit with innes forth in his
   35 thouth is clirlich i-knowyn' in acceptione, is clirlich i-knowin ' in
      taking.' 'The hi¨e discreciun of God, če bihitht čat mannes
      merit for-¨etith nouth, is fullich openid' in repromissione, is
      fullich openid 'in be-hithting,' 'but če qualite at če laste & te
      condiciun of hym čat is clepid, being če werkis čat he hath
   40 wrouth, is hollich declarid' in vocacione, is hollich declarid 'in
      cleping'.'To hem čanne čat reseyue Cristis sonde goodly,
      Cristys biheste hertili, & his cleping louly, it schal be seid
      Accipiant repromissionem vocati, it schal be seid, 'let hem take
      ée biheste čat ben clepid.'

      PRIMUM MEMBRUM PRINCIPAlE.

      <b> I seyde firste & principalich, čat če preui wil of mannys res_seyuing
           schit with-inne forth in his towth is clirlich
           i-knowing in takynge. I rede e če storys of Rome, čat te
      grete Emperour Octauiani, whan he had i-subduid & maad subiet
    5 al the worlde, he het wryte certayn lawis in a parchemyn leef,



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      selit with is owne signet, & send hem with a messager to če cieteis
      of Cartage, & bad te messager čat he schulde take good hede &
      good a-visement, what chere & what contenaunce eueri mon
      made to his letteres e če resseyuing of his lawis. This messager,
   10 whan he had don this message, com a-¨eyn to če Emperour &
      seyde': 'my lord,' quod he, 'i ha bore ¨our letteres & ¨our lawis to
      če citey of Cartage aftur ¨our commaundement, & summe čer
      were čat stowlich withstood & for-suk hem, summe čat meklich
      took & resseyuid hem, & summe čat gladlich opnid & redde hem.'
   15 And čanne če Emperour, as a discrete domisman, het hange &
      drawe al hem čat stoulich with-stood his sondes, encresid hem in
      catell čat meklich resseyuid his lawis, & hem made chefteynis
      oueral če cite čat gladlich redden is letteris. Rith tus doth če
      hie Kinge of heuen & te Emperour of čis world, God Almithti; he
   20 send his soondis & his lawis from ¨ere to ¨ere, from day to dai,
      to če cite of this world, to če comente of mankinde; who trowis
      tow be his messager ? So God me helpe, iusticia 'če rithwesnes'
      of God. This mayde, this messager, summe tyme bringeth soon_dis
      of prosperite, summe time of aduersite, summe time of riches,
   25 summe time of pouerte, ¨e, summe time of on, summe time of
      a-nočur, as te he¨e wisdom of God ordeynith & disposith.
      These ben preui statutis, če rithful lawis of God, maad for hem
      éat be misdoers & rebellis a-¨ens his real power. E če reseyuing
      of čise soondus, čis messager, Goddus rithwesnes, takith good
   30 hede of eueri man & makith a |r[f.9r] trewe relatiun to God of če
      contenaunce & te chere čat is with-inne forth in his herte, for
      rith as it ferde be če citiers of Cartage, rith so it farith be al
      mankinde. Summe čer be čat stoulich with-stonde is sondis &
      his lawis, summe čat meklich & loulych taken hem, & summe
   35 čat gladlich rede & resseyue hem. PARTITIO TRIMEMBRIS
      To stoutlich with-stonden hem PRIMI PRINCIPALIS.
      makith stowte pride, to meklich taken hem makith lownes
      drede, & to gladlich rede & reseyue hem makith hi loue or mode.



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      PRIMUM MEMBRUM PRIMI PRINCIPALIS.

      <b> I sey first, čat summe čer be čat stoulich with-stonde Goddus
           sondis & his lawis & tat makith pride. Thou seist weel
           oftin timis, čat mani man, ¨if God Almithti sende him a
      litul tribulatiun, a litul siknes for his synnes, a-non rith he
    5 stoutlich & proudelich gruchith a-¨enus God & demith him in his
      herte vniust & vnrithwus to ponesch him o čus wise, & so often
      timis fallith in-to blasfemie & afturward in-to dispit, čorw če
      pompe & te pride of his hie herte. These maner of men, čat tus
      haue leuer breke & to-berste čan bowe & bende vor to resseyue
   10 če correctiuns & to soondis of God, schul at to laste, wil čei nil
      éei, delfullich be dryuen down withe če dredful dart of euerlasting
      deth; for God seith him-self e če Olde Testament, deuter. 17=0=,
      ` Whos euer wil nat for pride be obedient to myn ordinaunce &
      resseyue my dette, he schal be ded,' he seith, '& damnid be
   15 deuelis decre, čat he ches to be rulit by wil he lyuide e čis
      worlde; '& trulich, it is litul wondur čei čow dispise & set at
      nauth če statutes & te correctiuns of či souerens here on erč,
      éat tus grevuslich gruchith a-¨enust to lawis & to ordenaunce of
      God; was it neuer wirse i dar wel say for a souereyne to chastise
   20 his subiettes, čan it is rith now & tat boče e če spiritual side &
      eke če temperal ? For let a man now do neuer so euel, be neuer
      so wrechid, neuer so vnrithti of his lyuynge, we ¨et he wil take
      no chastisynge, no correctiun, he is so obstinat & so stiburne.
      This maner of folk, be čey neuer so miche schrewis, holt hem-self
   25 so parfit, so wise & so gret with God, that čei take hede of non
      očur man. And tei faste a day or tweyne, čei wene with here
      fasting to fle vp to heuene; & tey haue an olde quaier with a fewe
      custummes or a fewe statutis, čei teche & preich as boldlich as
      he čat hath go to scole al his life time. And litul wondiris, for,
   30 aftur če comen sawe, čer is non so bolde as is blind bayard.
      Summe for leudnes & for vnkuningnes preche če preuitise čat
      schuld not be rehersed in no congregaciun, but onlich in confes_siun.
      For God is for-bed čat i schulde crie ate cros al čat euer i



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      schulde finde writen e mi book. For ¨ef i dude i schul make al
   35 če world wondur vp-on mi bodi. And ter-for a clerke schulde
      haue it of kinde for to kepe cownsell. But tis peple čat tis
      prechith, čow čey vownd a bole-fot writen in hir book, trust it
      wel čer-to, čei wolde tel it forth, & tat is for no-thing ellus but
      wantyng of wit & of discreciun. And ter-for thei schulde not
   40 preche to hure pareschon, but onlich swiche thing as tei knowe
      skel vpon, as te 5 wittis, the 7 dedly synnes, če 10 comaunde_mentis
      & swich očur čat longen to here estat for to preche of.
      Očur čer ben |r[f.9v] čat for a preui pride in hir herte wil take no
      scripture but tat hem luste for to take, for in his geometrie
   45 ptolemee, in his astronomie & swiche očur čat parawntur knewe
      neuer če leeste conclusiun writin in hir bookis, for mani, manime
      seith, spekith of Robyn Hood čat schotte neuer in his bowe.
      Thus čei damne & deme očur mennis bokis, & all for čei drowe
      neuer če draugh of vndurstonding in non of hem alle. This
   50 pride & tis obstinacie makis mani man falle in-to heresie, for
      hit makith hem peruerte če texte of holy writ & wirkin aftur hir
      owne wille, & ter-for čei wilnot resseyue če teching of holichirch,
      but despise če lawis of oure Lord God, & Christes correctyuns
      set at rith nawth. Trowste tow čat tese maner of men be clepid
   55 to resseyue če bihest of če erytage of heuene ? & ¨ay, so God me
      help, čei whi so ? Quia hec est gens que non audiuit vocem domini
      dei sui nec accepit disciplinam, Jer. 7=o= -- 'For čis [is] a peple,' seith
      God Almithti be če proffit Jeromie, ' čat wolde not hure če vois
      of hire Lord God, no, nor resseyue his doctrine & his teching.'

      SECUNDUM MEMBRUM PRIMI PRINCIPALIS.

   60    I seide al-so čat summe čer be čat meklich takyn Goddis
      sondis & his lawes & tat makith drede. We knowin wel
      euerichon, čat ¨if če kinge wolde make an ordynaunce or a lawe
      to be resseyud in his reme vndur a certeyn peyne, mani men
      wolde meklich resseyue hit, more for drede of če peyne čat is
   65 put čer vp-on, čan for ani loue čat tei had to če makir. Thus



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      doč miche folk now a-dayes bi Cristes ordinaunces & Cristes
      lawes, for čei račur resseiue hem for drede of če peyne of helle,
      éat is ordeynid for hem čat despisen hem, čan for če lowe of
      owre Lord Iesu, čat ordeynid hem & made hem; but ¨et i sai,
   70 this maner of taking, čis maner of resseyuing, čow hit mith be
      betur, nis nauth euel, for hit let te for to do synne, it with_drawit
      če from či lustis, it for-bit te for to greue God & disposiz
      ée to hei¨er grace. For bi čis dredful resseyuing čat is callit
      timor seruilis, čat is callid 'drede of peyne,' če schalt come ad
   75 timorem filialem, ¨e, če schalt come to če drede čat is callid
      'drede onlich for lowe.' And tanne, če schalt resseyue & kepe
      ée commaundementis of God, nauth onlich for drede of peyne,
      but chiflich for drede of His wrath & lesing of His loue, & tat is
      ée hei¨est poynt of perfectiun čat tow maste haue in čis world.
   80 And ter-fore čaugh ¨e maynat ate firste come to čis hei¨e poynt
      of perfectiun, loke ¨e lowlich & meklich ate hardeste way, for
      drede of peyne resseyue what so euere God sond ¨ow, be it helče,
      be it heuines, be it welče, be it wo, being aftur če holi man
      Iob 2=o= capitulo; '¨ef we ha reseyuid good & gladnes of oure
   85 Lord, whi schulde we nauth as wel take turment & tene, sen we
      han deseruid hit ?' čey thanne, čat tus gon bi če gree of drede,
      cli[m]bing to če hei¨e degree of če loue of good, erunt vocati
      'schul be clepid,' wher-to vt accipiant repromissionem 'to
      take če promis of yoi & blis.'

      TERTIUM MEMBRUM PRIMI PRINCIPALIS.

      <b> I seide forthermor, čat summe čer be čat gladlich resseyue
           Goddis soondis & is lawes & tat makith loue. The grete
           philosophre Plutarcus seith, 8=o= memorabilium, čat ter is a
      tre in certeyn cuntreys čat is clepid palma, 'če palme tre,' of an
    5 očur spice & kinde čan any čat is her a-monge vs; če bodi of
      this tre, he seith, is smalliste ate ground, & a-¨enis te kynde of
      al očur maner of trees, euermore vpward |r[f.10r] encressis in
      gretnes, & to more čat te leist červpon, če more rithter it stond



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      vpward, so čat it noičer bowith ner bendith for ani maner of
   10 birdine čat it mai resseyue; ¨ef če wilte breke a bowth čis tre,
      če mayst not bowe it dounward, for čanne it wil sitte če fastir,
      but če moste drawe it vpward & tanne če schalt haue če maistry
      čroffe. And for čis cause & tis kinde, he seith it is clepid arbor
      victorie, it is clepid 'te tree of victorie.' This tree schuldiste ču
   15 be, & te dedist as te owest for te do. Al či luste, al či likinge, al
      či loue, al či herte, čat is vndurstonde be če bodi of če tre,
      schulde incresse vpward, schulde be holich in God, hoolich in
      heue[n]lich thingus & smal dunward, ¨e, dispising alle erčelich
      goodis & prosperities of čis world; & tanne schuldist ču gladlich
   20 take & willefullich resseyue al če birdons čat were leid vpon če,
      ¨e, al če tribulaciuns & deseses čat God Almithti sent te here e
      čis world, in encresinge of či merit & wasshinge a-way of či
      synnis; and more-ouer, euermore strenger & strenger & strenger,
      rise vpward toward him in loue & in charite, thonking him of his
   25 soondis čat he sendith the for či beste. Lete nauth če deuel
      breke a-doun če bowis of či goode dedis be no sotil deseit, no
      cursid temptatiun, but euermore prei God, čat he wol drawe hem
      vp to him & rule hem aftur is owne wille, & tanne, ¨ef če čis
      doest a-doun če deuil & ouercomest al his temptatiuns, ču schalt
   30 be clepid arbor victorie, ču schalt be clepid 'če tre of victorie.'
      And trulich me semith & it were wel avisid, ču were hi¨elich
      ihold to gladlich resseyue če lawis & te correct[i]uns of God & tat
      onlich for his loue; was he nat i-nailid hond & foot for či loue,
      was he nat i-stung to če herte with a scharpe spere for či loue,
   35 ¨e, deid he nauth on če cros ate laste & al for či loue ? Alas,
      vnkinde wrech, what woldist ču more ? Al čis he dide for či
      loue, & ¨it če maistnat finde it in čin herte for to loue him a-¨en;
      ¨it če kans finde it e čin herte for to loue a creature her' on erče
      onlich for his beute & for his fairenes, why kanst nat finde it e
   40 čin herte for to loue him, čat is, as Bede seith, pulcherrimus ipse



|p11


      mundum mente gerens, čat is, as čis clerk saith, 'če fayrest thing
      čat may be founde bering če forme & te schap of this world in
      his soule ? '¨if če kans loue a man for čin owne proffit & tin
      owne avauntage, whi kans nat loue him čat wil ¨e če for či loue
   45 če riche reem of heuene ? ¨e, ¨if ču kans forčurmore loue a
      bodi for is vertues & is goodnes, whi kanst nat loue him čat is,
      as Dauid seith, deus uirtutum, 'lord of alle vertues, & god of
      alle goodnes ? Thus tanne resun wil, čat ¨it če loue a čing čat
      is faire weel, čat is fairer betere as kinde constraineth če, loue
   50 God čat is fairest best, & tanne rulest to weele či loue; & te
      same ču schalt do in loue for profit & loue, for vertue, for trust
      wel čerto God is most profitable to če, most vertues & most loue
      hath i-schewid to če čan euer did ani očur man, as it may be
      schewid be certeyn signes. Aristotil seith, whan a man hath
   55 čat in presens, wheyčer in sith or in čouth, čat he passinglich
      louyth, ¨if he be malancoli he quakith, ¨if he be fleumatik he
      wexith pale, ¨if he be colerik he swet, & ¨if he be sangin he waxič
      rodi & reed; al čus passiuns & tus signes had Crist for če loue of
      čat faire child, čat bewtuvus creature, mannis soule, nauth with_stonding
   60 čat he loued vertueslich al če world wel; čis was & is
      te delicacies of Cristes fadir, če hi¨e lord of heue[n] while čat he
      wieldoth; & ter-for seith Virgile in buc. egloga 2=o=, |r[f.10v]
      formosum pastor coridon ar[d]ebat alexim, delicias domini. This
      vers bi gramer is construid o čis wis: Coridon, 'čat shepherd
   65 Coridon,' ardebat, i.e. ardenter amabat, 'brinyngliche louede'
      formosum alexim 'čat schaplich chil Alexis,' delicias 'če deli_cacies'
      domini. Be čis Coridon is vndurstonde Criste & be čis
      Alexis mannis soule. Quakid euer Criste, owre Coridon, for če
      loue of čis Alexis, ¨e, for soče he, whanne he was nailud hand &
   70 foot o če cros, če Iuwes tokin hit with his bodi čer vp-on &
      squatten it so ofte in-to če ground til hit wolde stonde rith vp bi
      himsilf. Aud terwith, alle če veynus & te sennus in Christis
      bodi to-barste, če bonus ratelyd to-gedur as tey wolde han falle
      from him & alle is flessh chencride for če grete peynus & te



|p12


   75 desesis čat he suffride; his modur stode be-sedis seynge alle čese
      desesis, &, after Seint Bernard, seide čis wordis: "Mi dere child,"
      quod sche, "mi dere childe, ču čat art mi o suetnes, mi singuler
      ioye, če liff of mi soule & hollich mi solas, mak čat i mai die with
      če čat brouth če forth in-to čis world to čis schameful deth, ¨e,
   80 swete child," quod sche, "knowe či modur & ha ruthe & com_passiun
      vpon hire, & here hure preyer; for hite be-semith," sche
      seith, "a lovinge child to knowe & to comford is modur, čat is
      desolat & for-sakin." éus Crist tremelid for če loue of Alexis,
      bi-holding his modur he wax al so pale for his loue, whanne he
   85 had bled so miche blod čat čer was scarselich a drope biden in his
      boodi; forčurmore he swette, for his passiun was so peinywus,
      čat he swette water & blood in eueri membre čat he hadde; was
      he al so reed ? ¨e, for sothe, for he had so mani woundis, what with
      če bittir scorges, with če scharpe nailis & with če cruel spere,
   90 čat ter was left no hol place in his bodi, but al so rodi as rose ran
      on rede blood. This rednis & tis peyne durid so longe vp-on
      him, čat ate laste for veri loue čat he had to mannis soule, his
      herte to-barste & dide for če time. This sieth če meke mayde,
      čis bihilde his blessid moder & with a weping chere seyde, "alas,"
   95 quod sche, "mi derworth child, what hast tu doon, čat tus če
      Iuwes ha killid če o če cros ? że, alas ! " sche seith, "where is
      čat ilke ioye bi-come čat i hadde, whanne i lullid če in či cradil,
      whanne i fedde če with mi pappis, whanne i hoclid če on mi kne
      & kissid či lippus & ti mouth as a kinde modur schulde ? Al
  100 čis is a-goon & i am laft alone as a woful womman & a modur
      for-sakyn.' 'čis was a soruful lamentaciun of čat blessid ladi.
      Take hede, čanne, for Cristus sake, ču vnkinde wrech, & leerne
      of čis ladi to suffre disese & aduersite for če loue of Criste. For al
      čo čat so do, truste well čer-to, schal sue Cristis modir. Whidur ?
  105 Trulich to če kingdom of heuene, to be refreshed with če blisful
      feste of euerlasting murthe & ioye. For Crist schal seie čenne to
      is modur, "Modir, take in či seruauntes & mine, čat suffrede
      with če sorw & dessese ffor če loue of me, wher-to vt repromis_sionem
      accipiant vocati, 'čat tey mow take če biheste čat tus



|p13


  110 be clepid' to če feste. Qui feruore dei tulerant suspiria morbi --
      Accipiant -- jam super etheream fulgentis sidera claram -- repromis_sionem
      -- Sic ad festa poli venerande uirginis ore -- vocati 'čei čat
      suffere desese of siknes & of sorwe for če loue of God', Accipiant
      'lette hem take če blis čat is a-boue al če brith sterris,' in
  115 repromissionem 'in-to hir biheste. For čei čat of čat maidenis
      mouth,' |r[f.11r] čat is Goddis modir, sunt vocati 'ben i-clepid',
      e čis wise čanne, lete hem take če biheste čat ben clepid.

      SECUNDUM MEMBRUM PRINCIPALE.

         I seide če secunde time principaliche & a gredel schorter, čat če
      hi¨e discreciun of God, če bihiht' čat mannes merit for-¨eti[t]h
  120 nauth, is fullich opnid in bihithtinge. Thus auteres čat treten de
      picturis deorum tellen čat Apollo, deus sapientie, was peyntid
      with a bowe & an arwe in his on hond, an harpe in his očur & on is
      heuid a chapelet with grene lori leuis, in tokeninge čat bi his wit
      & bi his discreciun summe aftir hire deseruing he behatte peyne,
  125 summe grace & summe ioye. This Apollo, čat is God of wit &
      of dome, is Crist, Goddes sone of heuene, for he is če wisdom of
      če fadir, springing owt of če welle of glorius Godhede. The
      bowe & te arwe in his on hond is nočing ell but če streyte rith_fulnesse
      of ponesching of hem čat be rebellis & contrarius a-¨ens
  130 him; čat harpe in his očur hand is če    PARTIPARTIO TRI_MEMBRIS      mekenes & te melodie of is merci, to     SECUNDI
      comford hem čat loulich dreden him,      PRINCIPALIS.
      & te garlond of his heuid is his grace & his goodnes, to riallich
      rewardun al čo čat louen him; čus dide če grete Emperour
  135 Octauian čat i tolde ¨ow of langeer. For he het hange & drawe,
      as i seide čer, čo čat were rebel, encreside in catel čo čat were
      dredful, & hieliche enhaunside čo čat were louinge. Thes čre
      maner of činges, tanne, čat tis Apollo had, hath God be-hith to
      če čre maner of men čat i rithnow rehersid ¨ow on rowe. For
  140 to čo čat stowliche withstonde his customs & his correctiuns
      he hath be-hith če arwe of ponesching & of peyne, to čo čat



|p14


      meklich takyn hem če harpe of pite & of merci, & to hem čat
      gladlich resseyue hem če croun & te garlond of blis & of ioye.
      This is an hi¨e wit, a good discreciun of God, čis to reward eueri
  145 man aftir his deseruing.

      PRIMUM MEMBRUM SECUNDI PRINCIPALIS.

         I sei firste, čat to hem čat stoulich withstonde Goddis customs
      & is correctiuns he hath behith če arwe of ponesching & peyne.
      The grete clerk Virgilius, 6=to= eueydos, seith čat čowth a man had
      an hundred of mowčes & eueri mouth an hundrid of tunges &
  150 euery tonge wer maad of bras, ¨it he were nawth suffisaunt, he
      seith čis clerk, for to telle plenerlich če peynus čat ben in helle.
      For čer is nyth with-owten dai, peyne with-owte pyte, dispeir
      withouten hope & soru withowten ende; čis is a cruel arwe, čis
      is a careful ponesching; ¨e, God for his grete merci graunte vs
  155 neuer to come čer for to be woundid with čis arwe, neuer to be
      ponesched with čis peyne. For čis cruel arw & tis careful peyne
      is behith to hem čat ben stoud & proud & gruch a-¨ens če
      ordenaunce of God; čis is a sori biheste & alenge promis; čis
      schal sinful man take in reward of wikydnes as Salamon berith
  160 witnes, Ecc. 29=o=, seing o čis wise, peccator transgrediens man_datum
      Domini incidet in promissionem nequam; 'čat sinful
      man,' he seith, 'čat proudelich brekit če commaundement of
      God & stoulich withstond his couistoms & is correctiuns, schal
      falle in-to a wikkid biheste, ¨e, in-to če peyne čat is ordeynid, as
  165 i seide, for swich maner of men.'

             SECUNDUM MEMBRUM SECUNDI PRINCI(PALIS).

         I sey also, čat to hem čat meklich takyn Goddis costoms & his
      correctiuns he hač behith če harpe of pyte & of mercy. Whan
      Crist com doun from če hi¨e toure of heueue in-to če dunioun of
      čis wrechid world & was borun f |r[f.11v] čat meke mayde in-to
  170 če saluaciun of al mankinde, angelus of heuene with here harpes
      & here giternis sunge čis delicius dite & tis suete songe: "Ioye &



|p15


      blis," quod čey, "be to God čat reynith a-boue & in erthe pes &
      reste to men čat bun of soft wil." This was a mury melodi to
      man, ¨e, while čis songe was a-syngyng misericordia & veritas
  175 obuiauerunt sibi, 'mercy & rigoresnesse metten to-gedere,' &
      iusticia & pax osculate fuerunt '& rith-vuesnesse & pes kissid
      hem to-gedere.' For al če rigoresnes & te rithwuesnes čat God
      vside e če Olde Testament, be now i-changed in-to mekenes & to
      mercy to vs, čat ben vnder če Newe Testament ! For čat tyme
  180 was e¨e for e¨e, hond for hond, heuid for heuid, deth for deth,
      ¨e, hollich veniaunce with-owt ani mercy, but now, what so ču
      hab don, ha čou synned neuer so sore, trispasid neuer so gretlich,
      če schalt ha mercy withowte ani veuiaunce, & te wilt loulich
      askyn hit. This [is] a gret goodnes of God, a gracius chong
  185 for us čat aldai falle e sorwe & e synne. éer-for be čou nothing
      aferid, ha čou be neuer so wikkid a man, neuer so cursyd a leuer,
      ¨e, čow ču haddist done al so mech synne as al če men e če
      worlde mith do & a thousond-fold more, to aske hym for_¨iuenes;
      for truste wel čerto, ču schalt nauth be so redi to aske
  190 him, but he wil be miche more redy to ha ruthe & compassiun
      vp-on če & for-¨iue če či synne. And ter-for čer schuld melodie
      of no minstracie, no, noučer harpe nor luet, citole nor sautrie,
      fithele no simphonie, glade so gretlich čin herte as schulde čis
      harpe of Goddis mekenes & his mercy čat sow[n]it al in on acord
  195 & makis no maner of dyscrasie; sin he is čanne so meke & so
      merciable to če, be nouth ču stowt & proud a-¨ens him, but
      loulich take his customs, če ordenaunce of či souereynes, če
      statutes of holichirch & meklich suffre his correctiuns, čat is to
      sey, tribulaciuns & aduersite here e čis world, in parti of pen_aunces
  200 čat God Almithti sendith če, witte čow well for či beste;
      for ta al hem čat so don aftir his hi¨e wit & is hi¨e discreciun
      he hath behith grace. What grace ? Grace to rise out from his
      synne of disese čat stont as for his penance & come to če hie
      wey of parfitnesse of leuinge, and ter-for seith holy writ, 2=o=



|p16


  205 paralyp. 36=o=, Tu domine secundum bonitatem tuam promisisti
      penitentiam promissionis peccatorum, 'ču Lord,' he seith,
      'čeraftur či mercy & ti goodnes hast ¨iuen vs penaunce & behith
      vs grace of for-¨iuenes of oure synnes.'

      TERTIUM MEMBRUM SECUNDI PRINCIPALIS.

         I seide firčurmore, čat to hem čat gladlich resseyue Goddis
  210 customs & his correctiuns he hath be-hith če crowne of blis & of
      ioye. The hi¨e divin Dionisius in celesti Jerarchica capitulo 7=o=
      seith, čat a-mong al če jerarchies of al če 9 ordres of angelus, če
      jerarchie of cherubin, seraphin & trones is če hey¨ist & te neste
      God. And tese he seith, sin čei be nauth componid ex materia
  215 & forma, 'of mater & of forme,' noyčur ex genere & differentia,
      'of comen quidite |r[f.12r] & vniuersal qualite' as očur bestis ben,
      but onlich ex vsuali & yypostasi or ellus ex actu & potentia, onlich
      'of being & a power resseyuid withowte forč,' for to be hit is
      gret wundur how čei synge & make al čat meri melodie a-boute
  220 God čat tey make, with-oute ani pype or arteri material. For
      čei ben, as who seith in reward of erčelich činges, simple in
      composiciun & ¨et tey singe čis glorius songe, sanctus, sanctus,
      sanctus, dominus deus sabaoth, 'i-blessid be če fadur, i-blessid be
      če sone, i-blessid be če holigost, čat is o God in substaunce &
  225 lord of alle vertues.' To telle ¨ow how čis mith, it were to long
      atariing, for čei i stode here al čis twelue monthe i chain secur,
      i schulde nauth make summe of ¨ow clirlich to conseyuen it.
      But how čat euere it be, čis is a swete armonie, ¨e, wiel were him
      čat euere was borne of his moder, čat mithe come to čat place
  230 where čis melodie [is] maad, for čer is če loue of če apostoles,
      če senatorie of martires, če quiet of če confessors, če cumpanie of
      virgins, ¨e, al če glorius peple of če holi seyntes of heuene.
      A-mong hem is dawusyus, ¨e, nauth onlich in diatessaron, but
      al-so in diapente & eke in diapason. There is, contrarie to čat i
  235 seyde be-fore, day with-owten nith, pite with-owte peyne,
      sekernes with-owte dispeir, & ioie with-owte ende. A-boue al
      hem sit God in his Godhed, hauing če chapelet of lory leuis čat



|p17


      euermor ben grene, ¨e, holding in his hond če glorius crowne of
      liffe, čat euermore florescheth e ioye & in blis & neuermore fadith
  240 nor fallith a-wey. This crowne schal he take, čat gladlich
      resseyuith če correctiuns of God, ffor če hi¨e loue čat he hath
      him, as Seynt Iames berith witnes, iac. primo, where he seith,
      Beatus vir qui suffert temptationem: qui cum probatus fuerit,
      accipiet coronam vite, quam repromisit deus diligentibus se, 'j-bles_sid
  245 be čat man,' a seith čis apostil, 'čat gladlich suffereth tempt_aciun
      & disese for če loue of God; for whanne he is prouid be če
      iuggement at če day of dome, he schal take če crowne of life čat
      God Almithti be-hith to al čo čat louen him.' For swich maner
      of men were clepid from če beginning of če world, nauth for to
  250 haue her lust & her liking her e čis world, sed vt repromissionem
      accipiant vocati in an očur world, 'but for to take čis crowne,
      čis bihest, čei čat tus ben i-clepid' in an-očur world, čat is to
      seye, če blis of heuene. Postquam nostra dies fuerit consumpta
      perenne -- Accipiant -- Lumen celeste fulgens diodema serenum -- in
  255 repromissionem -- Inter sacra cheli gratulantis munera celi -- vocati.
      'Aftir čat oure daies for age ben i-endid,' Accipiant, 'let hem
      take če diodeme of lief with sterris faire i-peyntid,' in repromis_sionem
      'in-to hir biheste, čei čat a-mong če compani čat with če
      harpe of heuene ioifullich ben gladid,' sunt vocati, 'ben i-clepid,'
  260 & tus let hem take če bihest čat ben clepud. |r[f.12v].

      TERTIUM MEMBRUM PRINCIPALE.

      <b> I seyde če čridde time principalich & here i make an ende,
           čat te qualite at če laste & te condiciun of him čat is clepid,
           being če wirkis čat he hath wrouth, is hollich declarid in
      cleping. Whan Crist schal come at če dai of dome, al bleding
    5 as he was don on če cros, he schal be so steerne as doctors tellen
      and so ferful to biholde, čat al če world schal ben a-ferid in his
      presence; če angeles of heuene schul quake for drede, whan al
      maner of men schul be clepid be-fore če iugge, to ¨ilden a-cowntes
      of here lief-time. There will be an hard rekening, for eueri man



|p18


   10 schal se čer ¨e če glorius glas of Cristus owne face al če wirkis
      čat he hath wrowth while he wonid her e čis world; čat schal
      ben an hard clepinge, čat schal be an hidows calling, for eueri man
      schal be clepid čer aftir his deseruing. Thei čat ha stoutelich
      with-stonde Goddis soondes & his lawes schul be clepid as
   15 enimis to resseyue če arwe of ponesching & of peyne. Thei čat
      meklich ha taken hem schul be clepid as seruauntes to resseyue
      če harpe of pite & of mercy. And čei čat gladlich ha resseyuid
      hem schul be clepid as eires to resseyue če crowne of ioye & of
      blis.

      PARTIPARTIO TRIMEMBRIS TERTII PRINCIPALIS.

      <b> I sei first, čat čei čat ha stoulich withstonde Goddis soondis
           & his lawes schul be clepid as enmies to resseyue če arwe
           of ponesching & of peyne. Thei čat ha prowdlich broke
      če comaundementis of God & wold nat amende hem here e čis
    5 world schul arise čat day on Cristis lift side & he schal say to
      hem o čis manerwise: "For ¨e wolnat," he schal seye, "kepe
      mi comaundementis, leue opo mi lawis & wirkis čat was lifful to
      me, ¨e be nočing mi frendis but fullich min enmies; for whan i
      was hungri ¨e ¨af me no mete, whan i was čristi ¨e ¨af me no
   10 drinke, whan i was nakid ¨e ¨af me no cločis, nor whan i was
      disesid ¨e sokerid me nauth; & ter-fore ite, maledicti in ignem
      eternum, qui preparatus est diabolo & angelis eius, & ter-for 'go
      ¨e cursid men,' he schal sei, čat tus be clepid as min enmies &
      nočing as mi frendis 'in-to če euerlasting fyr of helle, čat is
   15 ordeynid to če deuil & to al is angelus;'" here schal be weyling,
      here schal be weping of hondes & ter-fore seith če prophet,
      Ysaie 22=o=, vocabit dominus in die illa ad fletum, & planctum,
      'God Almithti,' he seith, 'schal clepe čis maner of peple čat
      day, to weylyng & to weping.'

      SECUNDUM MEMBRUM TERTII PRINCIPALIS.

   20    I sey al-so, čat tey čat mekelich han take Goddis soondis &
      Goddis lawes schul be clepid as seruauntes to resseyue če harpe



|p19


      of pite & of mercy. Thow a seruaund čat is trewe & seruabil &
      dreful to greue or displesin his lord ha trespassid a-¨ens him &
      deseruid his wrath, ¨it, & he wil loulich & meklich aske him for_¨euenes,
   25 his [lord] wil for-¨iuet him & oftetimes clepe him to an
      hei¨er degre čan he was at čer bi-fore; rith tus it farith bi
      Crist & his seruauntes, for ha čei trisspassid neuer so sore, do
      neuer so muche synne as i seyde be-fore, ¨it & tey wil be soori &
      schrife hem throffe & aftirward aske him for-¨euenes, trist wiel
   30 čer-to he wil a-non rith for-¨iue hit hem, clepe hem to an hi¨er
      degre, an hei¨er perfecciun čan čei wer in to-for |r[f.13r]. Here
      če maist se čat confessiun is a gret preparatif to for-¨iuenes of
      či sinnes. And ter-for as sone as ču art defowlid with ani maner
      filče of sinne, go to a priest & with če trewe schrift of mouth
   35 wasch it clene a-way. Loke also čat ones e če ¨er at te leste
      wei ču go to či curat, či souereyne čat hač cure & keping of či
      soule, & schewe to him fullich & clirlich al čat euer čat ču hast
      doon čat ¨er, boče in general & eke in special, & tanne doost ču
      as a trewe seruaunt schulde. But loke čanne, ču čat art a
   40 curat or a souereyne or ell' boče, o če točur syde, whan če hast
      i-herd al če liff of či subiectes make hem neuer če worse chere,
      loue hem neuer če lesse, hindur hem neuer če more, for ¨if ču do,
      trist wel čer-to, ču art more abhominable e če sith of God, par_euenture,
      čan čei ben, for [čei] may be clepid to an hei¨er state of
   45 grace & perfectiun be če sorwing of on houre, čan euer were ču
      in al či liff-time, & her i schal telle ¨ow a litel tale čat i rede in
      alphabeto narrat[i]onum. I rede čer čat čer was onne a time a
      bischop & hadde a seruaunt, a cursid man & a wikkid leuer with
      alle. It happid čis man was sor syke & schulde be deed & tanne
   50 he had gret sorw in his herte of his wikkid leuing čer be-fore, &
      went to his lord če bischop & schrof him, & a-non afturward,
      scarselich če space of an hour čorw če preui sorwe čat he had
      for his [sinnes] with-in-forth deide. This bischop had so gret
      abhominatiun of čis for his wikkid leuing čat he wolde ley him



|p20


   55 in no place wher he wont for to walke, but in an old for-sakin
      chirche¨ord čat was with-owte če cite. It be-fel afturward in a
      may mornyng, maydenis of če cite went to če same place for to
      gadere floures & o čis mannes graue čei founde a faire lilie with
      certeyn wordes writen čer vpon. Thei woldenat pulle hit vp, as
   60 čei dude očur, but fette hure felawes to wonder her vp-on. Whan
      tiding her-of come to če bischop, he com to čis gra[u]e, lokid on
      čis lilie & redde čis verse writen on če leuis, vt florem flora me tristis
      candidat hora; če sentens of čis vers was čis: 'As white as kinde
      makis čis lilie en či sith, so whit makis mi sowle če sorw of on
   65 hour e če sith of God.' Here ču mayst se how čat confessiun,
      contriciun, čat is to sei, sorw of či sinne, waschet a-way al či
      wikkidnes & bringis če owt of deueles serueis; & ter-for seith
      Seint Poul, prima ad Cor. 7=o=, liber vocatus seruus Iesu Christi
      'če seruant of God,' he seith, 'o čis maner wise is i-maad fre
   70 & brouth owten of thraldom.'

      TERTIUM MEMBRUM TERTII PRINCIPALIS.

         I seide firčermore, čat čei čat gladlich ha resseyuid Goddis
      soondis & is lawes schul be clepid as eyres to resseyue če crowne
      of ioye and of blis. The hooli apostil Seint Peter, prima Petri
      3=o=, speking to al cristen men, seith čes wordes, Ad hoc vocati
   75 estis, vt bened[ic]tionem hereditate possideatis, '¨e beth clepid,'
      he seith, 'to čat entente,' ¨if hit so be čat ¨e ha trulich disposyd
      ¨our fadris tresour, čat is to sey če vertues čat God Almithti hač
      send ¨ow, & gladlich resseyuid his costoms & his correctiuns, 'to
      take če blessinge of blis as če rith eires of heueue.' This blessing
   80 was behith to swich maner of men e če be-ginninge of če world
      & ter-fore čei schul be clepid of Cristes mouth vt repromissionem
      accipiant vocati, ¨e, 'to take čis bihest,' čis crowne, čis blessing,
      'čat be clepid ' for če rith eires of heuene, as i seyde at če bi_ginninge.
      A plasmante manu terrarum nuper & orbis |r[f.13v] --
   85 Accipiant. Signum fractum signum cunctis benedictum -- in re_promissionem.
      Qui modo veraces regni celestis heredes -- sunt



|p21


      vocati. 'Of če hond čat formede heuene & erthe of nowth,'
      Accipiant 'lete hem take ' the blessing & te benefet čat čei ha
      longe i-south, in repromissionem 'in-to her bi-hest' čat to če
   90 holi eritage with Cristis blod i-bowth, sunt vocati 'ben i-clepid'
      and o čis wise lete hem take če bihest čat ben i-clepid.

      RECITATIO BREUIS TOTIUS MEI SERMONIS.

         And ču wil schortelich bere a-way če mater of čis sermon,
      take hede ! This sermon is deuidid in-to čre principalis & ech of
      če principalis in-to čre parties, & bi-twixte singuleres of ech of
   95 če parties is a maner sequele & a maner folwing o čis maner wise.
      Summe čer be čat stowlich with-stonde Goddis soondis & his
      lawes as it was seit e če firste partie of če firste principal, & to
      hem he hath behith če arwe of poneschinge & of peyne, as it was
      seit e če firste parte of če secunde principal, & ter-fore čei be
  100 clepid as enmies, as it was seit o če firste of če čridde principal.
      Očur čer ben čat meklich take Goddis soondis & is lawes, as it
      was seit e če secunde of če firste principal, & to hem he hač
      behith če harpe of pite & of merci, as it was seit in če secunde
      part of če secunde principal, for čei be clepid as seruauntes, as hit
  105 was seit e če secunde parte of če čridde principal. The čridde
      čer ben čat gladlich resseyue Goddis soondis & his lawes, as was
      seit in če čridde parte of če firste principal; & to hem he hath
      behith če crowne of ioye & of blis, as it was seit e če čridde parte
      of če secunde principal, & ter-fore čei be clepid as eires, as it was
  110 seit e če črid parte of če čridde principal. So čanne, to resseyue
      Cristes soondis & his lawes, čat we may take če crowne of ioye &
      of blis & be clepid as eires of če eritage of heuene, he graunt boče
      ¨ow & me čat for vs alle with scharpe čorne was crowned vp-o
      če rode tre, qui cum patre & spiritu sancto viuit & regnat deus
  115 per omnia secula seculorum Amen. In nomine patris & filii &
      spiritus sancti amen.



|p22


      SECOND SERMON
      |r[f.42r]

      <b> [L]iberauit nos -- ad gal. 4=o= & in epistola presentis
           dominice. The helpe & če grace of Almyghty
           God, thorw če be-sekyng of Hys blissyd modyr &
      maydyn Mary, be wyght vs att owr begynnynge, help vs & sped
    5 vs in hour varkys wyrkyng & bryng vs to a good endyng, Amen.
         Crysten peple, thier wordis čat I af take to speke of at this
      tyem, čay er če wordis of Seynt Powl, wryten in če pistell of čis
      day, & er thus myche to say in englice tong to your vndir_stondyng,
      'He as deliueryd očur ell He as mad fre.' I rede in
   10 haly wryte, I sey noght at I red in ouidie, noyčer in oras. Vor
      če last tyme čat I was her ich was blamyd of som men word,
      be-cause čat I began my sermon wyt a poysy. And ter-vorn, I
      say čat I red in haly wryt, in če secund book of haly wryt, čat [I]
      suppoise be sufficiant inowgh of autoritee, čat wen če childyr of
   15 čat Israel wer in če land of Egipt, ondyr če bondag & če seruice
      of Kyng Pharoo, či wer so truwold & so dysesyd wyt gret wykes
      & hunger also, čat či mad fro day to day gret sorw and hee
      lamentaciun wyth-all; and wat trowste čay dede ? či geddyr
      tham to-gedyr diuers tyms & sayd & cride to God, hertlyche
   20 prayng Hym, čat He wald of Hys hy grace & gret godnesse rew
      & haue compassioun o-pon thame & deliuer thame out of thar
      myscheue & če dises čat čay war in, &, as I find thare, God
      Almyghty hard gracyusly če praer of če peple, com to Hys
      seruaunt Moyses & sed to hym on thys wyse -- vidi afflict[i]onem
   25 populi mei in egypto & clamorem eius audiui & sciens dolorem
      eius descendi vt libarem exod. 3=o= capitulo. 'Ich ha seen,' a sed



|p23


      God Almyghty, 'ich wot truly če afflicoun of & če dises of my
      peple čat es in Egyp, & hard če cry & če praur čat či haaf mad
      to me, & for be-cause čat I know če sorw čat čay haue, ich am
   30 com doune to deliuer hem out of če mischef čat čei beyn in.'
      Be čis Kyng Pharoo I vndirstond no-thyng ell at this tyem bot
      hour gastlyche enmy, če deuel of hell, čis kursyd i¨e, čis wyckyd
      Pharoo; drede hač hold a gret hep of odyr [in] hys seruice, & čat
      rithe a long tyme e če lond of Egypt. Egyptus interpretatur
   35 tenebre siue angustia -- 'Egypt es als mych to sey as dyrknes or
      disese.' Is a man in dirknes or dises wan he es in dedly synne ?
      że, wor-soče, vor rythe as a man čat es in a dyrk presune may
      not see če brynnyng bemes čat stretchč out če material sunne
      če chynyč to čis world, ryth so a man čat es in dedly synne es
   40 vnable to rysseue če bemes of grace čat spryngs fro če sunn of
      ryghtwesnes, čat es Crist is-selfe, tyl it be so čat he haue
      a-mendid hym. & truliche, sirs, & we loke wel a-bout, I trew čer
      be bot ryght few of vs all, bot čat he as ben čis ¨er be-for in
      Egypt, ¨e, e čis derknes and tys sorw of synne. Vor let eueriche
   45 of vs all enserche wel hys owne consciens, & loke vor he hanat
      prowd in rameunt, in beryng, or ell en any vertu čat God haue
      sent hym; vor a hanat be enmyus to hys ney¨bour, to his
      broder, whan a as be better čan he, ¨e, vor an hanat trespasyd
      en čowth, in word or ell in dede, & hardelyche i dowtnat tyr off
   50 vs all, bot ¨if a ha be gilty e som o česer and go vndyr če
      bondage oč thys kyng Pharao, ¨e, vndyr če seruice of če deuell
      of hell. Bot how schall we do čan čer we war deliuerid out of čis
      sory Egypt or čis dyrknes of synne, ¨e, of čis bondag of Pharoo,
      oč čis seruice of če deuel oč hell ? Trulyche I red čat we do
   55 rythe als če childyr of Israel dede, gedder vs to-gedre ryght als
      we be now at thys tyme & pray to God artliche & mekeliche,
      čat He wyll of Hys hy goodnes bryng vs owt of this myschiefe
      & dises čat we be in. & what shal bien hour priour ? Lat vs
      take če same prayour čat holy chirke makis in a certen tym of



|p24


   60 če ¨er & es this -- O Oriens sol iusticie & splendor lucis eterne
      veni & libera sedentes in tenebris & vmbra mortis -- 'A ču spryng_yng
      sunne & rulur of as rith-wyssness, Crist, Godesson, čat artte
      bewtee & bryghnes of euerlastyng lyght of če Vader of heuen,
      cum ¨e, cum tan & deliuer & lythne vs čat sitten her e če
   65 dyrknes & vmbre of sorw & sinne.' & hardelych, ¨ef ye čus pray
      wit a good entent, ye shal be myche če suner deliuerid out of
      čis seruice of ¨our gostlych enmy; vor yf a man be in disese, ¨e,
      wedyr it be erdlych or gostlyche, preyour is on of če soueranest
      thyng of al če warld to deliuer hym out trof. Vor ¨e se wel, čay
   70 a man haf trespasyd an-¨ans an ertlyche lord neuer so myche,
      ¨yt, and če lord be meke & merciable of hymself & he pray to
      hym, a wyll vor¨yuyt hym. Sotheliche ryght tus it fars be
      Crist, čat es mekest & merciablest lord of all thys vorld. What
      man čat as trespast a-¨ense Hym, čat will aske Hym grace, or
   75 es in any deses & wil pray to Hym of help, o-non He es redy to
      her hym & to deliuer hym owt trofe. Vor He seith Hym-selfe
      en če sauter-booke by če haly profit Dauid, In tribulatione
      inuocasti me, & liberaui te, Pmo. 80 -- 'čow man,' a seith Crist,
      'ter-vor be-cause čat e če deses ču hast clepyd to me & preyd
   80 me oč help, ich af herd te graciuslyche & broght te out trofe';
      as who seyth, what tyme ču wilt clepe to me či desese, ich am
      redy to help če. And ter-vorn I consell ¨ow, čat ¨e lyft hup
      ¨our hertys to thys lord & prayez hym as byddeč če apostell
      Seint Poll, 2da ad thess., 3=o=, whor he saith o čis wyes,
   85 Orate vt sermo Dei currat & clarificetur & vt liberemur ab impor_tunis
      & malis; |r[f.42v] '¨e schul praye,' seyth Seint Powl, 'čat če
      word oč God may go vorth & clerliche be declaryd, & tat we may
      be deliuerid vrom all importune enmyes & all euel čyngis 'čat tis
      kursid kyng' Pharao, če deuel of helle, be wykkyd syggestiun
   90 hath browth vs ynne. And e čis prayer, ¨e schul ha recomendid
      če vnite & te tranquilite of al holichirche, vr holy vader če Pope,
      Bonif. te 9, al his cardinals & al očer statis & degres vrom če



|p25


      heyest to če lowest, čat be growndid & apreuyd e če rithful
      lawes of holy chirche, & specialiche vor vr wurschipful vader &
   95 prelat oč čis place, & čo čat be soget to hym, boče o če spiritual
      side & o če temperal. O če točer party, ¨e schul ha recomendid
      to ¨ur preyours če pes & te prosperite oč čis rem, vr lige lord te
      kyng, al očer lordis & gouerners of čis rem, with al če gode
      comeners, & specialiche vor če trewe cristen peple & comeners
  100 oč čis toun, čat God vor His miche myth kepe hem & defende
      hem from al maner enmyes, boče bodiliche & gostiliche, &
      incresse hem in hir gret godnes & hir vertuesnesse o leuyng.' że
      schul, mor-ouer, pray vor al če sowles čat byen in purgatorie,
      čat ly čer & abyde če mercy of God, čat tey may čorwth ¨ur
  105 prayours če sunner be releued & browth owt oč če grete peynes
      čat tey liggen inne. Vor čes & al očer, & for grace čat is nedful
      boče to ¨ow & to me, to ¨ow, čat ¨e may dewowthliche her če
      word o God, & to me, čat i may tell sum crafte wher čorw ¨e may
      deliuere ¨our sowles owt oč če seruise o dedli sinne, I pray ¨e
  110 seyth with a good entente a pater noster & an aue.


      INTRODUCTIO.

         Liberauit vbi supra, 'He hat deliuered as I seyde be-fore.'
      And I schulde openliche declare ¨ow to what entente Seynt
      Poul seyde čis word', i most tel ¨ow sumwhat če effecte oč če
      pistol oč čis same day. & ter-vor, ¨e schul vndirstonde čat
  115 Genesis, te virste book of holi writ, makis mynde be a long
      prosses, how čat a good rithwus man, čat was clepid Abraham,
      hadde of twey wommen twey children, čow a hadde oč če
      čridde mony mo; če ton was getyn of a seruaunt, of an hand_mayde
      & te točer of a vre womman, čat is to seye of his owne
  120 wyf, če whiche was fre & no seruaunt. éis same prossese
      rehercis če a-postil e če bygynnyng oč če pistil oč čis day, wher
      a seith o čis wyse: Abraham duos filios habuit, vnum de ancilla,
      & vnum de libera, 'Abraham,' a seith, ' had twey sones, on of a
      seruaunt, a-nočer of a vre womman,' & a morellizith če same oč
  125 čis maner wyse. Be čis twey wommen, a seith, ben vndirstond



|p26


      če twey testamentis; če olde is likenid to če seruaunt & te newe,
      če whiche is likenid to če vre womman, to če wyf. ée olde with
      al her children, as Iwwes & očer čat bien soget to hir, is vndir
      bondage, is vndir seruise; vor as te comyn glose seyč e če same
  130 place, rith as te olde testement be-hatte onliche peynis o če to
      seyde & temperal godes o če točer: rith so če peple čat was
      bownde čerto;; seruid onliche vor drede o peynis o če to seide,
      and for loue o temperal godes o če točer. But če newe teste_ment,
      če whiche is owr' modir;; čat is to seie holichirche, čat is
  135 growndid in heuene, wher Crist čat is heued troffe specialiche
      abideč;; is fre with al her' children & al her meyne, as wittenessis
      wel če pistil o čis same day, seynge o čis wyse, illa que sursum
      est irusalim, libera est; que est mater nostra; 'čat irusalim, čat
      holi-chirche,' a seyč, 'čat is aboue in heuene, če whiche is owr
  140 modir;; is fre vrom al maner seruise, vrom al maner bondage, &
      we also for because oč her.' And ter-vorn, vor Cristis sake, syn
      we be čus fre ¨orw holichirche čat is vr modir;; lette vs be no
      maner o wey mak vr-silf bonde be vallyng e dedli synne; vor
      hardeliche who čat euere is e dedly synne, vor če tyme čat a
  145 his terynne;; a nis nat fre, a nis nat sone of holichirche, but a his
      soget & seruaunt to synne. Vor Crist seič Hymsilf e če gospel
      I=o= 8, 'Whos tat euere doč sinne: liuis nat fre but a his soget, he
      is seruaunt oč če same synne.' Loke červor, čat te lese nat tyn
      eritage: čat is to seye če blis of heuene, čat is ordeynid to če be
  150 čy modir' seide, be vallyng' e dedli synne čorw če deuelis
      suggestiun; vor be če wel sikir' & te do;; če schalt neuer cum
      čere, but te schalt lese it. Vor če nart nat te child o če
      vrewomman, no če child of holy-chirche, but te child oč če
      seruaunt, če child of synne, & swychoun' schal neuer chalange
  155 eritage e če kyngdoum of heuene. Vor Seynt Poul seith e če
      pistil oč čis day: non enim heres erit filius ancille cum filio
      libere, 'če sone,' a seith Seynt Poul, 'oč če seruaunt, če sone of
      synne schal neuer chalange eritage e če blis of heuene, čat is
      ordeynid to če sone o vertu & of holileuyng'. And ter-vor



|p27


  160 perauntur, čey it so be čat we haue [bien] al čis ¨er' be-fore e
      deuelis seruise, e če dirknis & sorwe of synne; ¨it let vs go e čis holi
      tyme o lente to vr gostliche vadir' & schriue vs of al vr misdidis,
      be sori & repentaunt of hem;; & kast vs neuer aftirwarde vor to
      synne more;; & hardeliche i schal now dur boldeliche sey čanne
  165 of vs alle, če [wordes] tat be writen e če pistil o čis day & be
      čese: itaque, fratres, non sumus ancille filii, sed libere. 'Vor,
      brečeren, we be nat now če children oč če seruaunt, če children
      of synne, but we be če children of holichirche,' ¨e, Cristes owne
      children; vor we ha vor-sake al vr synne & al |r[f.43r] vr wretch_idnes
  170 čat we wer' ynne: & ¨eue vs onliche to vertues & clennes
      o leuyng', & tervorn we be now owt of al manner bondage &
      ha vul liberte & vul vredom. But how come we to čis fredom?
      Trowste;; truliche, no-čyng be vr-silf, vor nad Crist deid o če
      cros vor to mak vs fre;; čei we had e-leuyd neuer so vertuisliche,
  175 do neuer so miche penaunce, neuer so gret almisdede;; what
      truliche, ¨it we schuld neuer ha cum to čis fredom čat we now
      haue, ¨if čat we wyel do. & tervorn, to delyuere vs owt of al
      maner čraldum oč če deuel;; Crist com in-to čis world & stied
      vp-o če cros o good vriday, & ter suffride His owne blesside herte
  180 to be perschid & črillid čorw-owt with a scharp sper' & so offrid
      vp His precius blod to če Vader' of heuene & deliuerd vs
      from al maner subiectiun & seruise of če deuel, as wittnesis wel
      Seynt Ion, apoc 5, wer a seyč: 'čow hast bowth vs, Lord,' seyt
      Seynt Ion, '& payd raunsum vor vs, ¨e what: truliche čyn owne
  185 precius blod & no-čyng' ell, & ter-with če hast mad vs fre &
      deliuerd vs from al maner čraldum.' And o čis wyse čus tanne,
      i seye, 'He hath deliuerd', ¨e, o čis wyse 'He hath maad fre';
      and e čis sentens is tis word liberauit takyn e če pistil oč čis
      same day.
  190    But her' a man mythte couenabeliche aske čre questiuns, če



|p28


      virste mythte be, who hač deliuerd? če secunde, whom a hath
      deliuered? & če čridde, be a hath deliuerd? As to če virste,
      wher' it is askit, who hath deliuered? and answereth Seynt
      Poul e če pistil oč čis same day;; and seit čat it was --
  195    A leche oč če lasours lawfulliche y-leuyd,
         A mayster of maydenhede to mercy y-meuyd,
         że, a prince pesable of pes pertliche y-preuyd,
      whan a seyth čat liberauit, whan a seit it was Crist čat 'hač
      deliuerid'.
  200    To če secunde, wher' it is asked whom a hač deliuerid, an_swerč
      če same e če same place;; & seith čat it wer, -- 
      louers in lust longyng',    ł whan a seit Christus
      men in mischif mornyng',    ł nos liberauit, whan a seith
      and peple in prisoun peris_schyng', ł 'Crist hath deliuerid vs.'
  205    
      And to če čridde, wher it is asked wher-be a hath deliuerid;;
      answert also Seynt Poul e če same pistil & seith
      Bi lithnes, ł whan a seit Christus nos libenter liberauit, whan
      Bi mekenes, ł a seith, 'Crist čorw fredum hač deliuered vs,'
  210 & bi priuines, vor če lithnes of His beryng', če mekenes of His
      dyyng' and te priuines of His a-rysyng', wher čat fredum čat
      wer deliuered by. Now čanne, vor to ioyne eche partie with
      očer & to gadder owt če principals oč čis schort colaciun, i sei
      virst -- čat Crist leche oč če lasours lawfulliche yleuyd, čat
  215 Crist louers in lust longyng' be lithnes hač ilerid & liberauit,
      čat Crist mayster of maydenhede to mercy e-meuid;; I sey also
      men in mischif mornyng' mekenes hač be-meuyd, prince
      pesable of pes pertlich epreuyd;; peple in prisoun perisschyng'
      be preueynes hač i-plesid & liberauit, & I sey virčermor' &
  220 liberauit.

      PRIMUM MEMBRUM.

         Virst i say, & for me virst principal, čat Crist, leche oč če
      lasours lawfulliche eleuyd;; louers in lust longyng' be lithnes hač



|p29


      e-lerid & liberauit, čat hie fesician & deliuerer of al maner syknes.
      Crist, Godessone, whan a was her' walkyng' e če wildirnes oč
  225 čis world, a-mong' če senatorie & cumpany of His twelue
      a-postolus, a dede gret cures and vndirful with-al, vor a made
      blynd men to se, lame men to go, deve men to here, dummen to
      speke;; & as te gospel makeč mynd Luc 17=mo=, as a wante in-to a
      castelward;; čer cum ten lepres & stode a bit vrom Hym & cride to
  230 Hym & seid: "Iesu, ču comandur: ¨e, ču deliuerur of al maner
      sores, ha mercy vp-on vs & deliuere vs owt oč če vowl siknes čat
      we wayment vndir'." And as it is wreyten čer, a bad hem go &
      schewe hem to prestus, & euen as tey wer' goyng' čei wer' helid
      & deliuered owt oč če vowl velče čat was grownded vpon hem.
  235 Be čis leprus men ich vndirstonde a tis tyme;; al maner o volk
      čat liggen her e čis world e če siknes & te sorw of dedli synne;
      vor trist wel čerto: ¨if če be e če scabbe;; e če lepur o dedli
      synne;; če art more vowler' & mor horrible e če sith o God;;
      čanne euer was any mesel čat euer was maad her' be-fore. But
  240 what schalt do čanne? ée schalt crie to God as tey dede &
      aske Hym of help & of grace, ¨e, & sey to Hym če same wordis
      čat te profit Dauid seith e če sawterbook, whan a was in his
      desese: Intende anime mee & libera eam, p=mo= 68. 'Lord God,
      take hede,' če schalt seye, 'to me sowle & be-hold how vowl it is
  245 be-spottid with če lepur in-to če scabbe of synne & deliuere it
      from al če vilče & vnclennes čat is trinne.' And če hast čus i-do,
      go to čy priste, to či gostliche fadir', & schrife to hym of al či
      misdedis and be sori & repentaunt of hem & hardeliche če
      schalt a-non-rith be deliuered vrom čis vicius lepir' of dedli
  250 synne. & truliche me semeth, čat i may wil clepe čis lepur vicius,
      vor a-mang al maner siknes tat ben;; it is on če most wikkyd,
      vor' čre schrewid condiciuns čat it hath.
      It is first če floratif of fairnes,
      It is also infectif for' fell[n]is,
  255 & it is firčermor' coruptif of clernes.
      Vor hardeliche, be a man neuer so vair;; it wil a-non-rith defade
      hym of al his bewte;; vor it is so fel of hym-silf;; čat it wele
      infecte al če peple čat is ter abowt; vor be a man neuer so gret a



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      chaunter, haue he neuer so cler voys, ¨it, & tis disese cum vp-on
  260 hym;; it wil make hym a-non-rith for to lese it. Be če virst it
      may be-takene -- Excesse in etyng' & dryngkyng', be če secunde
       -- Euel speche & bakbityng', and be če čridde -- Wikkid
      doctryne & falsnis of techyng.
         Virst, i sey, čis lepur is defloratif of fairnes & |r[f.43v] ter-bi it
  265 be-tokeneč excesse in etyng' & dryngkynge. A gret clerk & est
      Joh. Saresburi. in suo policraticon libro 8, capitulo 7, & a leyth for
      hym pompeium trogum -- čis clerk seyth čer vndir' če autorite
      o troge, čat te wikkid tiraunt Dionisius, čat was kyng' o
      Sicilie, was in his ¨ungage as fair' of face, as bewtewus o bodi &
  270 as lusti vor to loke vpon: as any man mythte a-wher be maad be
      če operatiun & te wurkis o kynde. But afterwarde, whan a ¨af
      hym to lustis & likyngis of his flesch, to delices o mete & drynk
      & to mysrule čat sueč čer-of;; a-non rith a lost al če flowres of his
      fair-hede;; al če helče of his body;; & in-to gret siknes & strong'
  275 disese & a-mong al očer;; a lost če sithte o boče his e¨en. Vor
      as tis clerk seith e če same place;; čer is nočyng' e če world čat so
      sone wil make a man val in-to siknes and to lese his sith;; as
      wil čis fowle vis o glotene, čat is to seye, excesse o mete & drynk.
      And ter-vro' vor Cristis sake, be-war' o čis vis & tis synne &
  280 specialiche e čis holi tyme o lente; & tak hede how many men
      it makis podagre, how many volk it makis falle in-to če dropesie,
      & many očer siknes brynkis vp-o men & o wommen ar čei
      be-war' črof: & tanne, haue čei neuer so meche gold, haue čei
      neuer so meche siluer;; ¨it oftyn tymes, for be-cause čat tey ben
  285 vncurable;; čei die čorw če wielens oč če same siknes. & harde_liche,
      mor'-ouer, ¨if čei die with-owte repentauns;; i dar bolde_liche
      seie, čei schal be demid ate day o dome to euerlastyng' deč.
      Vor čei it be so, čat gold & siluer may očer while help a man or a
      womman her e čis world, be medyng' to fisicians, & so bryng'
  290 hym owt of siknes;; trist wel čer-to, it schal nat help čere;; vor
      če fisicians tat be čere;; couyte noyčer gold no siluer as tey doun
      her'. And ter-vorn, seith če profit Ezechiel, ezech. 7=mo=,



|p31


      argentum eorum & aurum eorum non valebit liberare eos in die
      furoris domini: (& subdit) animam suam non saturabunt, & ventres
  295 eorum non implebuntur; 'če gold & te siluer,' a seith če profit,
      'o čis glotuns čat tus ha lyued al hir, lif-dayes e lust & lykynge
      of hir' vlesch, truliche ate day o dome, whan Crist schal deme
      eueriche man rithwusliche;; schal nočyng' help hym', schal
      nočyng stonde hem e stede;; vor čei schal vynde no fisicians ter,
  300 čat wil reseyue it of hem, no, nor hir' sowles schal nat be
      fulfild of meri desires, nor hir belies of lust,' delices o mete &
      drynke as tey wer while čei wer' hir'. But what truliche čei
      schal haue e stede o čese? E če sowle euerlastyng' sorwe;; & e
      če bodi euerlastyng' peyne & turment čat neuer schal haue
  305 ende. Her' če maist wel se čat tis is a wikkid vis & a kursid,
      čat nat onliche defowlič a man or a womman her e čis world &
      brynggis hym to bodiliche deč;; but also it defowlič hym e če
      sichte o God;; & brynggis hym her'-afterward to euerlastynge
      deč. Vor čer is no lepur' e če world čat semyč so vowl & so
  310 orrible in owr sichte;; as doč a glotun e če sičte of God; vor it
      bryngis nat onliche a man or a womman in-to dedli synne;; but
      it makis hym valle in-to manie. It makis hym virst valle into
      slowče, vor whan his beli is so vul o mete & drynke čat a may no
      mor;; a-non he is sluggi, a-non he is slepi, ¨e, a-non he is weri to
  315 serue God, or to do ani očer good work čat mythte profit hym to
      bodi or to sowle. It makis hym also valle in-to lecherie, vor
      whan he is ouercome with swich maner excesse;; resun is exilid;;
      & he is rulid onliche be sensualite;; čat techič hym to desir'
      nawth ell;; but lust & likyng' čat longeč to če vlesch. Truliche,
  320 he čat tus doč, he is fowl defigured & defadid of his fairnes, vor
      čo a schon be-for mor clerliche e če sith o God, be brithnes &
      clennes o leuyng', čan doč če sunne e če somer mornyng';; now
      a stynkeč mor' vowlir' čan doč any lepur e če world be če quiter
      & scabbe o dedli synne, and tus vor' a hač maad his sowle čat
  325 was so clene & so vre;; soget & seruaunt to če strumpet of synne.
      And tervorn, čese men čat tus do;; may seye of hir' owne sowle



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      če wordes čat i vynde writen in holi writ, primo machab., 2=o=,
      que erat [libera], facta est ancilla, & pulchritudo nostra, &
      c[l]aritas nostra desolata est; 'owr' sowle,' čey may sei, 'čat was
  330 fre be vertues & clennes;; is now be če tiraunt & te kursid vis of
      glotenie maad seruaunt to če deuel, & so vr vairnes & vr
      brithnes hač for-sake vs & is al vanesschid a-way vrom vs.'
      Alas, her is a sori chong, vor to chonge a čyng' čat is of so hi
      pris;; vor a čyng' čat is rith nawth, čis synne, i sei.
  335    Also glotenie makis a man or a womman nat onliche blynd
      bodiliche;; but also gostliche. Vor it bryngis him, as we se wel,
      a-non-rith in-to drunkunhede;; & tanne i sei he is blynd. éow a
      now se čre candeles, ¨e, čre mones čer a-nočer man seth but on,
      ¨it i seye he is blynd. How truliche, a maynat se what is good
  340 & what is euel, for al his witis be vulliche e-stoppid boče
      with-owt & with-inne;; he is so dullid & dreyent e deliciuste o
      mete & drynke. I pray če, is nat tis a grete blendnes, čynkiste,
      whan a man hač sete ate nale-hows or ate tauerne alday;; ¨e, nat
      onliche alday;; but also meche oč če nith terto;; & ate laste cumč
  345 hom as drunke as a dosel, a chit his. wyf, repreuič his children,
      bet his meyne, ¨e, vnneče a kan go to bedde;; but as a his browth
      terto with his seruauntis hondis? But, perauentur, čis man or
      čis womman čat tus doč, wil sey -- "Ser, whi may nat i ete &
      drynke i-now & be at festis with-owten trespas, syn God
  350 Amythte made feste to viue čowsynd, as te gospel makis mynde
      čat was red tis day?" Truliche, her-to ich answar če & sei čat
      te maist lawfulliche i-now & with-owten synne be at festis, ¨e če
      miserabiliche ete či mete & drynke no more čan wil be |r[f.44r.)
      suffisiaunt to norsche či kynde. Vor Crist, e čat feste čat te
  355 gospel oč čis day makis mynd of, vedde viue čowsund of folk
      with twei vissches & fi barli-loues, & hardeliche her i trow was
      but litel excesse. Vor čer was nobodi čat we rede of čat fil in
      ani glotenie or ani očer disese be-cause oč čis feste, & ¨it eueri



|p33


      man hač i-now & miche mete left after; but for to declare ¨e how
  360 & o what maner, it wold aske a longe processe, & also it is but litel
      to če purpos a tis tyme;; & tervor i pas ouer. Lokis čanne vor
      Cristis sake, čow ¨e ha ben gilti her' be-for' e čis synne or in ani
      očer, ¨it cast ¨e vor to come owt troffe: & ha good trust & good
      hope in Crist, čat a wil deliuere ¨ow vrom čis seruise & tis
  365 bondage oč če deuel. Vor Seynt Poul seyth ad ebr.: Quia
      ergo pueri communicauerunt carni & sanguini;; & ipse similiter
      participauit eisdem: vt per mortem destrueret eum qui habebat
      mortis imperium, id est diabolum: & liberaret eos qui timore
      mortis per totam vitam obnoxii erant seruituti. ée comen glose
  370 declarič čis texst o čis wyse & i pray ¨e takis good hede, vor it
      is a perlus texst but a man take če glose čer-with;; 'Vor be_cause,'
      a seith Seynt Poul as te comen glose declareč, 'čat men
      be maad of flesch & blod & as be čem kyndeliche disposid to
      valle e lustis & likyngis čat longe to če vlesch;; Crist took flesch
  375 & blod with hem, to distre¨e by His deč;; hym čat was autur o
      deč, čat is to sey, če deuel of helle;; & deliuere hem čat for drede
      o bodiliche deč, ¨e, vor drede o lakkyng o mete & drynke,' as
      te comen glose seič, čat is cause ofte-tymes of bodiliche deč;;
      'wer sogectis & črall bi al hir lyf-tyme to če deuelis seruise, te če
  380 vis & te synne oč sori glotenie.' Her' čanne, če maist wel se
      čat tir' is no defawte but ¨if it be o či side, vor Crist is goodliche
      & graciusliche inow on His side, ¨if it so be čat te wilt amende
      če & aske Hym o for¨euenes. And tervorn vor Cristis passiun,
      whan če art aty mete, whan če art aty soper, whan če art at ani
  385 feste, ¨e, whan če art at ani gossibbis intorn, as ich chot wel
      nedis te most ouerwhille be če cowrs oč če world now-a-dayes;;
      čenk on Hym čat is aboue čyn heued, čat schal deme če ate day
      o dome, how a hač His swerd redi ydrawyn to smyte če čerwith
      whan če lest wost, ¨if a vynde če gilti e čis foul synne. And
  390 her-bi ich chil tel če an open sawmple čat Macrobius tellis super
      sompn[i]um Scipionis, libro primo, & is tis. éis clerk tellis čer,



|p34


      čat tis kyng' Dionisius of whom i spak be-for, made a vrende
      of his, čat supposede čat a hadde ihad al če felicite oč čis world;;
      sate on a certeyn day ate mete in his halle e če rialiste aray & te
  395 most delicius seruise;; čat a cowde ordeyne e čis world; and
      aboue his heuid;; a let honge a nakyd swerd bi a litel twyn čred
      & če poynt donward, euermor redi vor to valle o čis man. & for
      drede oč čis kene swerd čat hyng' euen a-boue hym ' a took non
      hede, nor no lust hadde in al čat grete aray. Ryč tus, whan če
  400 art at či mete, be če grete, be če smal;; čenk how čis swer'
      hongis ouer čyn heued, čenk how čat Crist, ¨if če valle e čis
      synne ' wil take veniauns vp-on če;; & tat te nere nost how sone.
      & hardelich, če schalt tanne no nise lust haue e no swich
      deliciuste o mete & drynke. Lef či sittyng' ate a nale-hous;
  405 lef či goyng' to če tauerne;; & tak hede what te gret clerk,
      valerius maximus in de dictis & factis memorialibus libro
      9, capitulo primo, seič oč čis synne. 'What čyng';; a seith čis
      clerk, 'i pray če, is mor' styngkyng' & mor wikkid čan is tis
      vicius lepur of glotenie? It distreyez vertu, it lettis victories
  410 of enmyes, it turneč gloriuste in-to sclawnder', ¨e, it ouercumč
      boče strenčes oč če bodi & ek oč če sowle, čat te nost ner',' a
      seith, 'wheičer it be wurs vor to be take with enmyes or ell to
      be ouercome with čis vis.' Syn čanne ¨e se wel, čat tis vis is so
      wikkid & so perlus, vor' Cristis sake kep ¨e čer-vorn as miche as
  415 ¨e may, ¨if ¨e to abstinence, ¨if ¨e to clene rule oč ¨ursilf, & tei
      ¨e ha ben e čis synne be-for' čis tyme;; for-sake it & be
      namor' e wil to val čreinne her'-afterward. & tanne i schal mow
      truliche sey o ¨ow če wordes čat Seint Poul seith ad rom. 6, & be
      čese -- nunc autem liberati a peccato, serui autem facti Deo;;
  420 habetis fructum vestrum in sanctificationem, finem vero vitam
      eternam. 'Now ¨if ¨e čus do, ¨e be deliuered & clensid vrom
      čis fowl lepur' o glotenie, ¨e, & ¨e be made godesowne seruauntis,
      godesowne children; & tervorn al ¨ur fruit her turnyč fulliche
      in-to holines & ¨ur ende stretchid in-to euerlastyng' lyf', ¨e,
  425 euene in-to če blisse of heuene.



|p35


      SECUNDUM MEMBRUM.

         I seyde also, čat tis lepur' is infectif for felnis, & ter-be it
      be-tokenith euel speche & bakbytyng. ée worči clerk Seynt
      Tomas, 2=da= 2=de=, Q.73, seith čat bakbityng' & detracciun is so
      wikkid of hym-silf čat it infectis nat onliche hym čat doč it &
  430 makis hym synne dedliche;; but also hym čat herit it;; ¨if it so
      be čat a ha lust trynne |r[f.44v] & be wil payed ter-with. 'Vor
      i cannat seye,' seyth Seint Gregori, 'vor he be mor, dampnable
      čat is bakbiter hym-silf;; or ell he čat heryč hym.' Lord God,
      vor čer be ani swich maner o men now-a-day;; ¨e truliche, i drede
  435 me al to manie. Vor če schalt se now, ¨if a man be ani čyng
      vertuus toward for to čryue or to cum to ani očer estat;; a-non
      očer kurside schrewes haue enuye čer-to, a-non čey be abowte
      with al če craftis čat čei can to lette his good name; ¨e, čei go to
      his frendes preuiliche & ter, vnder a vals colour, a vals confessiun,
  440 al-to rende hym, al-to terre hym, in as miche as in hem is, a_kursid
      helle-howndes as tei ben;; ¨e, čis man or čis womman
      čat tus doč, trist wel čer-to, but ¨if he a-mende hym če sunner;;
      schal be črowin down to če brennyng veir' of helle;; & ter abide
      world with-owtyn ende with če deuel hym-silf, čat is fader of
  445 lying' & fals bakbityng'; nor a schal neuer be deliuerid owt oč
      če styngkyng' pich & te brynnyng' brymstoun, čat a schal
      continualiche be turmentid inne. Vor a seith če wisman
      Salamon sap. primo; liberabit maledicum a labiis suis; quoniam
      renum illius testis est deus;; & cordis eorum scrutator est verus;; &
  450 lingue illius auditor. 'He čat is so kursid a bakbiter with his
      lippis, so wikkid a spekir' with his tunge, Crist schal neuer
      deliuere hym, nor ha rewče vp-on hym, vor He is witnes of al
      his schrewid čowtis, ensercher of al če priuites of his herte, ¨e,
      & he [hydič] hym neuer so williche in halkes & in hernes;;
  455 ¨it God Amythte herič his tunge, whan a spekith a-mys.'
         Her' če maist wel se, čat tis is a wikkid vis & a kursid;; ¨e, it
      is wirse, as Seynt Tomas preuith wel čer i leyd hym be-for',



|p36


      to ben a bakbiter čane to ben a čef. Vor a čif doč nawth ell to
      a man;; but takis away his riches;; but a bakbiter takis a-wey
  460 mannes good name;; čat is better to če čan al če tresur e če
      world;; as wittnessis wel če wisman Salamon Ecc. 4I, wher a
      seith o čis wyse: "Take hede," a seith, "of či good name; vor
      čat proffit če more čan al če tresur & al če riches čat is e čis
      world." Whi so? "Vor či riches," a seith, "schal abide but
  465 a whil; but či good name schal lest in eternum;; či good name
      schal lest ' euermore'." And truliche docturs holde, & special_iche
      Seint Tomas put it for a conclusiun;; čat rith as te art holde
      to restore a-¨en čyng' čat če hast stolyn, rith so če art holde to
      restore a-¨en a mannes name in as miche as te maist, whan če
  470 hast payred it, or truliche čat dedli synne of bakbityng nis nat
      for-¨iue če. It farit be čese wikkid spekers, be čis deuelis
      children;; rith as it farith be grete wyndes & grete tempestis. We
      se wil čat tei čer stonde a litil spryng' in a place whoyčer it be of
      an ok, of ani očer tre;; & a ha noyčer fruit nor bowes vp-on hym;;
  475 b[l]owe če wynde neuer so blist, haile it neuer so harde, čundre
      it neuer so oribiliche;; we[l] a stont stille, a nis nočyng greuid nor
      disesid with hem. But an tis be a vair tre, vul of fruit, bewtewus
      of bowes, loueliche al abowte & lusti of leuis;; če sowčrenwynd
      schakis hym o če to side, če norčynwynd blastis hym o če točer;;
  480 ¨e, he is so vor'-puffid & so vorblowyn;; čat vnneče a may kepe
      his bowes hole to-gedder: but ¨it, tei it be so čat a lest ouer_while
      a bow or a tweyene;; ¨it for če most part, & a be wel rotid',
      če rotis abide euermor stedvastliche e če grownde, but ¨if če
      wynde be če greter. Truliche rith tus a farith be čis kursid
  485 peple. & tey se a man čat is but a wretche, čat is but vnčrifti,
      hač noyčer fruit nor leues vp-on hym, is nat able to come to non
      estat, no degre of wrschepe her-afterward;; hym čei pas ouer,
      hym čei speke nere a word of -- & why? čei wot wil inow a may
      nat be miche wors čan a his. But, an tey se a-nočer čat
  490 bigynnyč to floressche with če flowres o vertu, bigynnyč to



|p37


      bryng' vorth fruit of good doctryne, ¨e, bigynnyč for to take če
      bowes of estat & of wrschepe;; at hym čey puf & blowe with al
      če myth in hir bodi, vor to bryng hym downe, & tey mythte; čei
      fantesie vals lesyngis, vals talis vp-on him & sowe him preuiliche
  495 a-bowte in eueri mannes er, boče of his frendis;; & also of his
      enmyes; ¨e, he is so vor'-rent o če to side & so vor-puld o če
      točer, vnneče a mai stonde stedvastliche with-owte vallyng'.
      But ¨it, hardeliche & a be wel set;; God Amythte schal deliuere
      hym ate laste, vor Salamon seič sap. 2: filius dei suscipiet illum,
  500 & liberabit eum de manu contrariorum, 'Crist, Godessone,' a seit
      čis wisman, 'schal take hym ate laste & deliuere hym from al his
      enmyes, from al čis kursid bakbiters.' And červorn, what-euer
      čei speke, what-euer čey iangle oč če, ¨it caste te vor to do as
      wel as te cans be ani wey e če world: vor če most confusiun čat
  505 mai be to čyn enmie is for to se če do wel. And loke be no
      maner o wey, vor be-cause of hem čat woxy vnčrifti, čat te wex
      nat tersites, vor čat schal be a grete gladnis to hem. Seneca
      tellis, čat ter was on a tyme a tal ¨ungman & a črifti & com to a
      filisofr' & seide: "Sir, how schal i do? I leue as vertuisliche
  510 as i can & as wel lerne, & ¨it i maynat be i pes;; men ha so grete
      enmie to me, & so miche euel speke om me. Vor čei sey i ler'
      nat as i schul do: whan i schulde be at scole čei sei ich am
      čennis, ¨e, i čynme to iustes & trifold, čei sei, čat neuer schal do
      me good no wrschepe." I va sei nat čat men sei čus o me, but
  515 i speke čis e če ¨ungmannes persuntat, "& ter-vorn i pray če,"
      a seith, "til me how i schulde leue, so čat no man speke euel om
      me." And tis filisofr, answerd & seith, "Selp me God," a seith,
      "i can no nočer; but, ¨if če ha lyued wel |r[f.45r] her' be-for';; i rede
      če go & do rith betere and ate laste čei wil wexe wery &
  520 leue al her euel speche of če." čis ¨ungman wente vorth & dide
      as a bad hym, but what? Truliche it was neuer če bet;; but
      račer če wors. A cum to hym če secunde tyme & a hadde če
      same answard čat a had befor'. We, it was neuer če bet, but a
      com to hym če črid tyme & tan čis filisofr' seid to hym: "Tru_liche,"



|p38


  525 a seith, "syn če maist nat lyue e pes bi vertu & goodnes,
      i can no mor' sey to če but sis tersites, be swich a lord, swich an
      vnčrifti man as tersites was, & tanne hardeliche čer wil no man
      haue enme to če." But for al čat, i consel če, what tat euere
      men speke, do neuer če wors but račer lyue če mor' vertuisliche,
  530 as tis filisofr' bad če virste tyme & te secunde; & tanne harde_liche
      ate laste, če schalt verilich be či vertu & ty goodnes
      ouercome hem;; & make hem behold vals schrewis & swich
      vnčrifti gromes as tei be; and be nat tersites, be nat vnčrifti be
      no maner o wey, vor če most ioie čat tyn enmi may haue;; is
  535 whan a syth če do amis. éanne ¨if če čus dost;; če schalt mow
      sei of či-silf če wordes čat be writyn in holi writ, ecc=ti=. 5I=o=, a
      lingua coinquinata, & a verbo mendacii liberasti me: 'Lord God,
      i čonke če with al myn herte, vor če hast deliuerid me vrom če
      tunge fowlid with wikkid speche & from če vals lesyng' oč čis
  540 bakbiters & sette me saliche now e quiet & e reste.' Syn čanne
      če sest wel čat tis is so gret a synne, vor Cristis sake leue it;
      stond nat in halkis nor in hyrnes, bi day nor bi nith, demyng' či
      ne¨ebours & demyng' či brečerin, iuggyng' či souerein; but go
      and ocupi če abowte sum očer good ocupatiun. żif če be a man
  545 oč če world, ocupi če a-bowte bodiliche trauaile or ell a-bowte
      sum očer čyng' čat longis to če; ¨if če be a man of holi chirche;; go
      bid či bedis, sey či sawter or el ocupi če a-bowte sum očer holi
      contemplaciun. But perauntur, če seist to me -- "Sir', me
      tunge is for' če most part so drie & so weri whan i sei ani čyng',
  550 čat i mai nat bidde me bedis, i-make no praours, no i mai nat
      dur' ani while e seyng of my sawter." A vundir čyng' a-bowte
      cawtil of če deuel.' Whan če schalt serue God, a-non rith če
      tunge is drie; but it is nat weri vor' to stonde al day, ¨e, vrom
      morn til euen, vrom midday to midnyth, iuggyng' či ne¨ebours,
  555 demyng či brečerin & ti souereyne čat is a-bowte če. I speke
      noyčer of Richarde, nor of Robert, nor of William, nor of Dan
      Ion; & tervorin no man ha me su[s]pect čat i speke of hym;; but
      ¨if it be swich an vnčrifti man čat be gilti e čis same synne čat i
      speke of: vor wite he wel;; of him i speke & of no očer. éis



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  560 tanne is a vowl scabbe, čis is a vowl lepir'; vor as i seide befor,
      it nat onliche infectis hym čat doč it, but also hym čat herith it,
      ¨if a be consentynt čer-to, & so makis hym boče valle e dedli
      synne. żif it infectis, vir'čermor, al a congregaciun, it makis
      eueri man at bat with očer, it mak čat noman trist to his felew;;
  565 but eueri man čer čis synne is reynyng';; hač očer su[s]pect. Wilte
      her how orrible čis synne is e če seith o God & how hiliche a
      punscheč it, bi a litel tale? & i pray če, take hede;; vor it is rith
      a notable tale, as me semis, & specialiche vor men o religiun. I
      rede čat ter was in an hows of religiun swich on as tis is -- God
  570 saue --  or swich a-nočer, an holi man with al čat was sexteyn of
      če place, vor comenliche sexteyns, sowsexteyns, fretereres & swich
      očer men čat longis to če chirche be seit in heur contemplaciun
      čan be če očer. éis holi man was wunt, after midnyth, whan
      če couent was go vro matyns;; vor to go in-to če quier;; and ter
  575 bien in his prayours tweyn owres or čre;; liggyng' in his longe
      veyne. And as a com on a certeyn nith vor to ha go to his
      prayours as a was wunt to do;; a seith a man as blake as ani pich
      in al če world, syttyng' in a se & a stretch owt his tunge, čat
      brente as brith as ani veir';; euen vrom his mowč down to če
  580 erče, & with a scher' čat a hadde in his hond, a began ate nečer
      ende;; & clippid a-wey euche meel euen til a com to če mouth &
      whan a was ter;; čis tunge sodeynliche wax as long' as it was;; &
      a clippid rith as a dide be-fore. & tus a was o-cupied a long' tyme
      with alle, čat it was doel & ruthe to be-holde hym. éis holi man
  585 hač miche vunder' what tis schuld mene: & ate laste a took a
      good herte & spak to hym: "I charge če," a seith, "e če vertu
      of če blessid trinite, vadir' & sone & holigost, čat če tel me
      or ell, ¨if če maistnat spek to me;; mak me sum syne what če art
      & whi če sist her' e swich a-ray!" & he answerd & seith;
  590 "Ich was," a seith, "sum tyme a bročer of čine, dwellyng' e če



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      same place; and, for be-cause čat ich was a misspekir', a bak_biter
      & sueč ofte-tymes če sed of detractiun a-mong mi brečerin;;
      ich am punschid e če same membir' čat i trespasid with, čat is mi
      tunge, & schal be čre hundrid wynter her'-afterward, as sum
  595 bokes seie. że, & ter is no vir' e čis world be če čridpart so hot;;
      as is tis čat te seist o mi tunge, & euery clip čat i clippe is now
      mor' greuis to me čan it wold ha be sume tyme & a man had
      stekid me to če herte;; čat is če grettiste peyne čat a man may
      haue her' e čis world." čis was an |r[f.45v] hi punschyng' & an
  600 hard. & tervorn, vor če passiun of Crist, čenke čronne, let it
      synke in-to čyn herte;; & tak hede how disese čis leper of bak_bityng'
      is to če, in čat it bryngič če e dedli synne, how infectif it
      is to men čat ben a-bowte če; & tei če ha ben gilti čer-inne her'
      be-for;; ¨it be sori čroffe;; & aske God Amythte of help & o grace;;
  605 & hardeliche a wil help če & deliuere če owt of čat fowl siknes.
      Vor holiwrith seič, Tob. 4: ab omni peccato & a morte liberat, &
      non patietur animam ire in tenebras, 'Crist,' a seith, 'deliuered a
      man from al maner synne & gostliche deth, ¨if it so be čat wil
      kast hym to amende & pray Hym of help; nor a schal nat
  610 suffr' his sowle go into če dirknes, in-to če peynes of helle, but
      a schal bryng' hym to lithnes, ¨e, to če ioie čat neuer schal haue
      ende.'

      TERTIUM MEMBRUM

         I seide firčermor, čat tis lepir is coruptif of clernes, & ter-bi
      it bitokenid wikkid doctrin & falsnis of techyng'. ée holi
  615 doctur & te gret clerk, Seint Austin, de ciuitate dei, libro 18,
      capitulo 5I, seith, čat fals techers as lollardes & swich očer čat
      be now a-daies čat be takyn vor cristen men;; make an orrible
      noise & a grews e čis eris o godemen;; whan čei stond vp & preche
      čing', be če contrarie to hir' feith. & whi trowste? ée sist wil,
  620 an harpe, as long, as it is in a-cord & of tune;; so longe it is
      delicius & lusti to če heryng', but whan it is owt of tune & o
      streng discordis from an-očer, a-non-rith it is grews & disese to



|p41


      če heryng'. Truliche rith tus it farith be čem, as long' as tei
      teche wel, as long' as tei preche če rithful lawes of holichirche;;
  625 & discorde nat e če feith vrom očer good cristynmen, so longe
      čei make a meri melodie e če symple peples heryng'. But a-non
      as tei ben infect with če stynkinge lepir of errours & erisies,
      discordis from če feith of holichirche, vor-sake če lawis čat
      Crist hač ordeynid & sueč hir' own wil;; & a-non hir' vois is
  630 chongid from goodnes into schrewidnes, ¨e, a-non al hir
      merče & hir' melodie is turnid into murnyng' & mischief; vor
      wher-oč če virste suid fredum oč če blisse of heuene, oč če
      secunde suid bondage of euerlastyng peynis of helle. To čis
      maner of peple čat tus prechith, spekis Crist Hym-silf be če
  635 profit Ieremie, Jer. 34, sayng oč čis wise, & i pray ¨e takis hede
      to čis autorite, vor as me semeč it myth neuer be bet verified;;
      čan it may be now adaies. Vos non audistis me, vt predicaretis
      libertatem vnusquisque fratri suo: (& subdit) ecce ego predico
      libertatem, ait Deus, ad gladium, ad pestem & famem: & dabo vos
  640 in commotionem cunctis regnis terre. 'Vor be-cause čat ¨e
      woldnat her' mi lawes nor mi doctryn,' a seith Crist, 'vor to
      preche to ¨our brečerin how čei schuld go to če liberte of če blis
      of heuene, lo, i preche to ¨ow vredum,' a seith. 'What truliche?
      Nat te vredum of če blis of heuene, but če vredum of če swerd:
  645 vor i tel ¨e sekirlich, ¨e schul ha batile, ¨e schul ha pestilens, ¨e
      schul haue hunger, ¨e, ¨e schul be in-to hatrede & abominaciun
      to al če kyngdomes of če world.' And i pray če, loke vor it
      stonde nat tus with vs now adaies! ée sist wel what bataile &
      what werr we haue among' vr-silf, čat God for' His miche mercy
  650 cesse it whan a seič His tyme: what pestilens also, what scarse_nes
      of good, vor čer is no man almest, now pouer, now reche;; but
      a playnyth hym of good. że, & al maner remis haue vs in
      hatrede & dispit & holde vs če wirst peple & te valsist vundir
      sunne; and čis, trist wil čerto, is for vr wikkidnes & vr mislevyng'



|p42


  655 & tis kursid errours & erisies čat be maynteynid a-mong' vs.
      Ich schul tel če a gret hep of hem, but for' taryng' o tyme i pas
      ouer. And ter-vorn, whan swich maner o peple cumč to če to
      teche če or to preche če, her' hem nawth, but her' hem čat ha
      cler' voys, ¨e, čat preche če feith & te rithful lawes of holi
  660 chirche, lest te be infect with čis fowl lepir' of herisie; and tan,
      ¨if če čus dost, be če wil siker, ate day o dome, whan čei schal be
      damnid to če pit of helle;; ču čat art rithful e če feič schalt be
      deliuerid from hem & browth to če blisse of heuene. Vor a
      seith holi writ, sap. 10, hec iustum a pereuntibus liberavit, 'čis
  665 feith & čat is wisdum, schal deliuerie a rithwus man vrom čis
      wikkid peple čat peresschen' vor hir vals opiniuns.' And ter_vorn,
      ha če neuer so vowle hir' be-for' be infect with čis lepir;;
      ¨e, wheyčer it ha ben in glotenie, in bakbityng' or ell e wikkid
      techyng';; ¨it turne a¨en & set ti loue e Crist, longe & desir as a
  670 louer after his blisse;; vor al swich, He, as a passyng' leche be-hith
      of His blessid birče, hač helid & deliuerid, as witnessis wel če
      proffit Dauid;; seynge o čis wise: misit de celo & liberauit ps. 56.
      'če Kynge of blis hač sent His sone from heuene to be born of a
      blessid mayde, če whiche hač helid & deliuerid hem' čat wer e
  675 siknes, čat louede Him & desirede after Him.
         A softenes of a soueryn to sogectis a hač e-schewid;; in čat
      a hač i-sent vrom a mownte of maieste mythtiliche e-mayntenid,
      in čat a hač i-sent from heuene;; |r[f.46r] but sike men from hir'
      sorines suerliche a hač e-sauid;; in čat a hač sent from heuene &
  680 deliuerid;; čus tanne i seie He hač deliuerid.

      SECUNDUM PRINCIPALE.

         I seide če secunde tyme principaliche & a gredel schortir';; čat
      Crist, maister of maydenhede to mercy e-meuid;; men in mischief
      murnyng' be mekenes hač be-meuid & liberauit. ée flour & te
      fairnes of al clene maydenes, Crist Iesu;; seyng' če mischif & te
  685 disese čat wer' browth inne be čat venemus serpent, če deuel of
      helle;; com down vrom če hi se of heuene, to cunforte vs with His



|p43


      goodnes & bryng' vs owt of sorwe;; ¨e, a was born of clene mayde,
      to teche vs how we schul leue e chastite & clennes, and after_ward
      lowliche suffrid če deč, to informe vs how we schule be
  690 lowlich & meke, & so deliuerid vs owt of seruise & br[o]wth vs owt
      of čraldum. Vor a seith Seint Poul, ad heb 7, it was semeliche to
      vs to ha swich a bisschep, swich a deliuerer', čat schuld make
      sacrifise, ¨e, offre vp His owne blod to če vadir' of heuene vor
      mannes sake;; čat was innocent & meke, chast & clene, partid
  695 from al maner synne;; & a-boue al če creaturs & te aungelis of
      heuene. A certeyn doctur čat was but late seič hir', čat it
      be-semid Crist to be chast & meke;; specialiche vor twey
      propertes čat tese twey vertues haue: če virste, a seith, clennis;;
      makis a man or a womman bewtwus of brithede in bodiliche
  700 beholdyng', če secunde, mekenes;; makis a man or a womman
      gracius & gostliche in godenis o leuyng. ée virste i sey, clennes,
      makis etc.

      PRIMUM MEMBRUM.

         ée gret clerk Tullius, 2 reth., tel če, čat ter was on a tyme a
      peyntur, čat was clepid Zeusis;; & a schuld make an ymage of a
  705 mayde in a certeyn temple, with-owten vowlnes or defawte,
      čat schuld be so lusti & so vair' čat eueri man schuld ha likyng'
      to wurschepe it & loke čer vpon. And what trowste a dide?
      Vor be-cause čat a supposide wel, čat kynde had nat spendid al
      hir riches & hir bewte in o body, a wente & ches owt viue če
  710 vaireste maydenes čat a kowde vynde in any place, to loke
      vp-on hem while a peyntid čis ymage & after certyn pointis of
      echone of hem, a made it with-owten fawte to ani mannes sichte.
      Of če virste a toke če liknes of če e¨en, čat wer as cler as ani
      cristal & as brith as bemis of če sunne. Of če secunde a toke če
  715 liknes of če lippis, čat wer as rodi [as] a rose;; & as delicius as ani
      honikombis. Of če čridde a toke če liknes of če nose, čat was
      noyčer to longe nor' to schort, but schapen & figurid in a good
      mene. Of če vowrče a toke če liknes of če eren čat wer' with_owt 



|p44


      vilče;; & of če vifte a tooke če liknes of če hondis čat wer'
  720 boče onest & clene. éis Zeusis, čis peyntur schal tow be & te
      wil leue e clennis; vor če schalt peynt če of a mayde y-mage,
      ¨e, če image of chastite e če temple of či sowle, & how schalt te
      do? če schalt take čese viue maydenes čat is nawth ell but ti
      v wittes & looke wher-inne ech of hem is fairest;; & ter-after
  725 peynt čis damsel of chastite. What schalt take of če virste?
      Truliche če brithnes of hir e¨en. Loke, wher-so-euer če go,
      wher-so-euer če be, kep če e¨en vrom vlesliche desires, vor če
      sith oftetymes is chif cause čat a man or a womman valč e če
      synne of lechiri. And ter-vor let hem be as cler as ani cristal,
  730 let hem nat defowle with non vuliful luste; vor & te make hem
      to fre in biholdyng' e chirche or e chepynge, of fair men, vair
      wumman;; hardeliche če schalt nat refreyne hem vrom swich
      vnclene sichtis a-nočer tyme whan če woldest. Vor holi writ
      seith, deu' 15, non auertes ab eis oculos tuos, quando dimiseris eos
  735 liberos: 'če schalt nat turne a-wey čen e¨en,' a seith, 'vrom
      swich vnclene desires whan če woldist aftetyme če hast maad
      hem to vre & ¨euen hem to miche liberte;; Of če secunde če
      schalt take če lippis, če mowth. Loke če, spek no rebaldri,
      spek no-čyng čat may inclyne a man or a wumman to če synne of
  740 lecheriward, but al čat euere cumč owt of či mowč, let it awne
      euermor to chastite & clennis of leuyng'. że, če schalt abstene
      če also vrom hote metis, hote drynkis, but it so be;; čat te haue
      need to hem, vor čese intise a man or a wumman to valle ofte_tymes
      e čis synne. Of če čridde če schalt take če nose. Loke
  745 če, ha no luste or no likynge e smellyng' of hote spiceri, hote erbis
      or ani očer čat mithte stir če to vlesliche lustis & likyngis of če
      bodi. Of če vowrče če schalt take če eryn. Loke, whan če
      herist ani man or wumman speke of harlotri, speke of vnclennis;;
      turne awey čyn eryn vrom hem & her hem talke of holines,
  750 speke če word of God & tanne hardeliche če schalt make či



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      sowle vre vrom al maner vnclennes. Vor God Almičti seič
      Him-silf be če profit Ezech., Ezech. 3, audies ex ore meo verbum,
      & tu animam tuam liberasti,' če schalt her' me word,' a seith
      God Almičti, & non očer wretchidnes, non očer vnčrift, '&
  755 tanne če hast deliuerid ti sowle & mad it fre vrom al maner
      synne.' Of če vifte & te laste če schalt take če hondis; ley non
      hond o man nor o womman be wey of vnclennes, vor as seit če
      wisman Sal., ecc, 13, 'whos čat euere towchič pich;; but te mor
      |r[f.46v] wundir be;; a schal be defowlid čer-with.' Truliche rit
  760 so, ¨if a man towche a wumman or a wumman a man, harde_liche
      but te mor grace of God be, a schal be defowlid with sum
      vnclenne čowč vor če same tyme. & ter-vorn tanne, ¨if če čus
      peynte čis swete maide, čis fair damsel;; we hardeliche it wil be
      a loueliche ymage boče e Godis sič & eke e mannes. But če
  765 most, tanne, also kepe it wil; how schalt te kipe it? A man, če
      wost wil, čat hač miche tresur', a wil gladliche drawe him trewe
      mennis cumpany & to no nevis; so schal tow do, če schalt drawe
      to swiche men čat če knowist wel be good of conuersaciun &
      clene of levinge, & to non vnčrifti volk čat levin al e lustis & e
  770 likyngis of hir' vlesch. And it be so, perauntur, as Gode fforbede
      it schulde, čat te defowle čis ymage of chastite, ¨it be sori
      čroffe, ¨e, go to če prest & schrif če & a-cuse či-silf čere &
      noman ell. Donat as many men do now-a-dai! Vor many
      men, whan čei cum to schrifte wher' čei schulde a-cuse hem_silf.
  775 'čei ex-cuse hem-silf & a-cuse očer volk;; vor čei sei, "Sir,
      ich ha synnid e pride, ich ha synnid e glotenie, ¨e, ich ha synnid
      e lecheri, but truliche it was nočynge defawte but al če defawte
      was o če wummannis sied." And a lieč falsliche, it is nočynge
      so, but it is his owne wretchidnes & his owne vnčrift. And
  780 tervor, as seič če wisman, prouer.12=o=, os iustorum liberabit eos,
      'če trewe schritte of mowč of swich men čat truliche schriue
      hem-silf;; schal deliuere hem & make hem vre vrom al maner
      bondage of synne.'



|p46


      SECUNDUM MEMBRUM.

         ée secunde i sei, mekenes etc. I rede e kyng' Alisaundir' lif,
  785 čat whan a hadde ouercome miche of al če world, a com to
      paradis, & ter was ¨iuen hym a geme of precius ston čat hadde
      čis kynde. As longe as it was clene of it-silf, hade a man leid in
      balunse neuer so miche gold, it wold a-non rit ha weyid it a_dounn,
      but & it hadde be sprenglid with a litil erče, a litil večere
  790 of a brid wold a weyid mor čan čat. Truliche, čis geme hač
      God Almythte ¨iue če, čat is nawč ell či sowle, če whiche is mor'
      riche & mor precius čan ani perl or precius ston e čis world.
      éis sowle, as longe as it is in his owne degre, čat is to seie, e
      mekenes & paciens as it schulde be;; it weie dounn & ouercome al
  795 maner grevauns, al maner disese čat ani man wil do čerto, but,
      & it be a litil sprenglid with če powdir' of pride;; with če leste
      word čat a man spekis;; če leste činge čat a bodi doč čerto;;
      schal greve it & disese it. And ter-vorn, vor Cristis sake, take
      čis vertu of mekenes to če & hardeliche Crist wil wiel rewarde
  800 če červor' in an očer place. Vor Seint Peter seič, prima pe. 5,
      `ču čat art a ¨ungman,' a seith, `be meke & lowliche to čin
      elders, schwe mekenes & godnis to či ne¨ebours, vor Crist
      wičstont prowde men & ¨ifis grace to meke men;; ¨e, be meke &
      lowliche,' a seith, `e Cristis seruise & hardeliche a wil enhaunce
  805 če ate dai o dome, whan a schal come & visite a mankynde.'
      że, čis vertu disposič a man to al maner grace, to al maner good
      leuinge, vor it mak him euermor e quiet & in ese & so lusti to
      serue his God. Take hede of Crist Him-silf & loke how meke &
      lowliche He was. Vor, as seit če profit Isa., Isa. 53, `whan a
  810 was led to His passiun, to His deč-ward, a was as meke as ani
      lomb, nor' a neuer grutchid, nor spake word a-¨ens hem.' że,
      whan a was nailid an hie o če cros, čat al če world mičte gawr
      vp-on His bodi;; behold how lowliche & how goodliche a spak to
      His modir' čat was ter present, as witnessis wel če gospel Io. 19,
  815 whan a seide "Wumman." Quoč a "Wumman," vor as
      docturus sei, a wuste wel inow če more mildeliche a had spoke to



|p47


      hir';; če more disese sche schulde have had; ¨e, & a had i-seič
      "Modir";; a wuste wel hir' herte schuld ha broke a-tow vor
      veri sorwe, & tervorn a seide "Wumman." Quod a " Wum_man,
  820 take hede & bihold how či derworče sone, ¨e, či derworče
      child is for-flageld & forbetyn, how He is fastnid boče hond &
      foot to če cros with gret nailes & scha[r]pe, & how His heuid is
      črillid čorw-owt felle prikkynge čornes: ¨e, bihold how Ich am
      vor-buffet & for-bete, how al če veynis & te synwes e mi bodi ben
  825 al to-crais & al to-brokyn, ¨e, loke vor ani man e čis world mith
      suffr' so grete peyne as I do." & as seič če devowt clerk, Seint
      Bernard, His modir' vor sorwe čat sche took of čis speche, wil
      down in a swown & ter wold ha deid, nat sche ben hold vp with
      očer wommens hondis. But as sone, a seith čis clerk, as sche
  830 took herte to hir';; sche answerde a-¨en & seid, "Alas, alas,
      mi owne der' child, alas, mi owne swete sone, whi suffirs tow al
      čis mischif & al čese peynis for' mannis sake, sin če mithtist
      with a word, with o comawndement;; ha restorid him a-¨en
      with-owtyn deč ? że, alas, mi blessid child, wher schal i haue
  835 ani cumfort or ani refresschinge whan ču art ago, vor al če ioie &
      če blisse čat ich hadde e čis world goč a-wey e či deying'."
      Her' was a rewful mone, ¨e, a rewful lamentaciun of so blessid
      a mayde. But tanne, as seit čis clerk, Crist answerde a-¨en &
      clepid hir' Modir' & seide, "Now Modir'," a seič, "gode Modir',
  840 be nočinge desamaied nor' disesid for Me, vor' I go streith to če
      vadir' of heuene;; nor' be nat aferit who schal cumfort če &
      do če solas hir' whan Ich am ago;; vor I schal leue her' wič če
      Ion, Myn owne der' bročere, čat schal rule če & loke to če as to
      his owne modir'." |r[f.47r].
  845    Truliche hir' was a pitewus condicciun & a ruliche, ¨e, hir' was
      a gret mekenes & a gret goodnes schewid e Crist, čat a wold suffr'
      so hidewus o deč vor mannes saluaciun. And tervorn, vor če
      loue o God, take hede čroffe & do ter-after; lef al če pride & te
      pompe of čis world & ber če mekeliche boče to God & to man.
  850 Vor al swich maner of men wer' deliuerid vrom bondage of če



|p48


      deuel be Cristis deč, & tei schal ate laste go to blisse čat neuer
      schal haue ende, as witnessis wel če profit Isaie, Isa. 35, wer a
      seith o čis wise: Qui liberati fuerunt, & redempti a Domino;;
      venient in Syon cum letitia sempiterna super caput eorum: (&
  855 subdit) gaudeum et letitiam optinebunt ' & fugiet dolor & gemitus --
      `al meke men & gode men,' a seič če profit, 'čat ben deliuerid
      from če seruise of če deuel be Cristis passiun, schal come in-to
      Syon, čat is to seie, in-to če blisse of heuene with murče & ioie,
      & te crowne of euerlastyng' gladnis schal be set on hir heuedis,
  860 ¨e, čei schal gete ioie & blisse, & murnyng' & sorwe schal vle awei
      vrom hem.' Vor as seič če proffit Dauid, Ps. 36, Clamauerunt
      iusti, & Dominus exaudiuit eos; ex omnibus tribulationibus
      eorum liberauit eos -- 'čese ričwus men,' a seith če proffit Dauid,
      `¨e, čese meke men ha cried to God Almičty & He hač herd
  865 hem & graciusliche deliuerid hem vrom če trubulaciun & te
      mischif čat tei wer' inne.'
      Siknes of hir' synne sorfulliche was i-schewid,
      Cristis owne kyndenes clerliche was declarid,
      But goodenes of če Godhede graciusliche was grauntid,
  870 In čat čat tat čei cride to God,
      In čat tat herde hem,
      In čat tat a hač deliuerid hem & o čis wise I sei He hač deliuerid.

      TERTIUM PRINCIPALE.

         I seide če čridde tyme principaliche, & i pray ¨ow čynkid nat
      to longe, vor it is but a weri schort word, čat Crist prince etc.
  875 A gret clerk & est orosius de ormesta mundi libro 6 -- čis clerk
      tellis čere čat whan Iulius Cesar was sclawyn of his enmies e če
      Capitolie of Rome, če worči Emperour Octouianus wente after_ward
      & slow & ouercom al čo čat had don him to deč, & so
      made pes & reste čorwowt al če remis of če world. Be čis
  880 Octouian ich vndirstonde a tis tyme owr Kyng' & owr Emperour,
      Crist, Godessone of heuene. Vor, He, whan Iulius Cesar, ¨e, vr
      virst vadir' Adam, was slawyn gostliche e če meri place of
      Paradys be če deuelis suggestiun;; com longe tyme afterwarde



|p49


      in-to čis world, & ter set vp His owne baner, whan a strečte His
  885 bodi o če cros & črew doun mannis enmy, če deuel of helle, &
      hadde če victorie of him, & so made loue & pes be-twix God &
      man, be-twix man & aungelis, ¨e, & be-twix man & man. Vor,
      as seič če gospel Luc. 2, aungelis sang čat tyme a meri song.
      What was tat ? " Ioie & blisse be to če vadir of heuene, čat hač
  890 sent down His owne sone to a-¨en-bi mankynde, ¨e, & reste &
      pes be in erče to čem čat ben of good wil." Lo! How a seič of
      good wil, vor eueri man schul cast him to lyue with očer euermor
      e loue & charite --  vor čis is a vertu čat makis a man most
      acceptable to his God of ani očer. Vor, as docturs seie & Seint
  895 Poul acordis with če same, čow a man ha neuer so gret feič,
      neuer so miche mekenes, ¨e, neuer so hi perfectiun, but a ha
      charite čerwith, ¨it it schal neuer proffit him, but ¨if it be
      onliche to mitagaciun of his peynes. Trowstenat čat Crist was
      e gret charite, ¨if a man schulde so sei, & gret loue hadde to
  900 man, whan a schedde vor him His owne blod, & in His vp-resyng'
      deliuerid him owt of če prisun of synne & browth him in če wey
      toward če blisse of heuene ? Take hede čan, vor Cristis sake,
      to čis vertu;; & printe it e čin herte. Vor, as seič Seint Ambrose
      in his exameron de opere 3 diei, charite is tat čing' čat knittič vs
  905 to God, makis vs euene with aungelis;; & bringis vs to euer_lastyng'
      blisse. Her ich hade cast to ha told ¨ow how ¨e schuld
      ha desired charite, how ¨e schuld ha gotin it;; & how ¨e schuld ha
      kept it, but, for' be-cause čat vr' ¨ungiste bročer declarid it to
      ¨ow so wel & so openliche čis dei seuenič;; červorn i pas ouer &
  910 drawe to an hende-ward. Be čis vertu, čan, i sei charite;; eueri
      creatur schal be deliuerid from čraldum of synne, as witnessis
      wel Seint Poul, ad ro. 8, wher' a seith, Creatura liberabitur a
      seru[i]tute cor[r] uptionis, in libertatem gloriefiliorum Dei. ' Eueri
      cristen creatur,' seič Seint Poul, `čat had čis vertu of charite,'
  915 as wil če comen glose e če same;; `schal be deliuerid vrom al
      maner coruptiun & seruise of synne;; & a schal be browth in-to
      liberte of euerlastyng' ioie;; čat is ordeynid for Cristis owne
      children;; że, hardeliche, & tat is an hege liberte & a gret



|p50


      ioie, vor it is so miche;; čat no tunge mai telle it, no herte mai
  920 čenk it, no, nor' no wit mai comprehend it; & tervorn, Crist, čat
      is prince of pes & lord of al če world, to bring vs to čis ioie;;
      bowth vs o če cros & deliuerid vs owt of al maner bondage, as
      witnessis wel če proffit Ier., Ier. 3I, seyng o čis wise, Dominus
      redimit & liberauit: `Vr' Lord God,' a seič če profit, `hač
  925 bowth vs, ¨e, & deliuerid vs owt of če prisun čat we wer' perisch_yng
      inne.'
         A rulur of al remis rialiche araied is Crist, in čat a his a lord,
      čorw riches of His rawnsum ričliche a hač vs raisid, in čat a hač
      ebowt vs, & mor-ouer, with če cristal of charite a hač vs crownid,
  930 in čat a hač deliuerid vs; čus tanne i sei He hač deliuerid. Of
      al hem, čanne, čat tus duč as ich ha seid ¨ow -- virst kepiz čem
      of če lepir' of glotenie, bakbiting & falsnis of techyng'; če
      secunde tyme kepiz hem e če fairnes-hede of clennis & mekenes,
      & če črid tyme vsiz če nobil vertu o loue & of charite;; -- i schal
  935 mow truliche sei če wordis tat be writen e če sawterbook & beč
      čese -- adiuuabit eos Dominus, & liberabit eos; & saluabit eos,
      quia sperauerunt in eo. Ps. 36. `Vr, Lord God schal help hem
      be če ličnes of His beryng' as for če virst, deliuerid hem be če
      mekenes of His diyng' as for če secunde, & for čei ha louid Him
  940 & trowid in Him;; a schal saue hym |r[f.47v] be če preuinis of His
      vprisyng' as for če čridde. że, wher' schal He saue hem ?
      Truliche e če blisse of heuene, wher is lith with-owten dirknes,
      murče with-owt sorwe & ioie with-owten ende. To če whiche
      ioie & whiche blis He bringe boče ¨ow & me;; čat for če saluaciun
  945 of mankynde sched His blod o če rode tre, Qui cum patre etc.


      THIRD SERMON.

         Christus semetipsum optulit Deo, Christus etc. ad Heb. 9no.
      The help & te grace of Almičty God, čorwth če besechyng' of
      His blisside modir, Marie, be with vs at owr' bygynnyng, help



|p51


      vs & spede vs in vr' forth-leuyng' and bryng vs al to a good
    5 endyng', amen.
         Cristen peple, čes wordes čat ich ha take to prech of at tis
      tyme, čei be če wordes of Seint Poul, writen e če pistel o čis day
      & tus miche to seie on engliss tunge to ¨our vndirstondyng',
      `Crist hath offred Him-silf to God, Crist etc.' A gret clerk &
   10 est Dionisius super valerium maximum de dictis & factis memorali_bus
      libro primo, primo capitulo, & te text emplieth če same -- 
      čis clerk seič čere, čat it was sum tyme če maner a-mong' če
      romaynes, whan čei had any gret čyng' for to do čat čei dredde
      miche of, čei wolde make befor' certeyn sacrifices & oblatiuns to
   15 hir' goddes & to hir' mawmetes, čorw če whiche, as seič če
      clerk, čei hopedoun to spede wel in hir' nedes čat tei hadde for
      to do;; & also for' to bryng hem wurschipefulliche to a good ende.
      Rith o če same wyse, seres, we ha now at tis tyme a gret acte &
      a perlus for' to do, čat is forto schewe into lorne če word o God.
   20 Wher,-for i counsel vs, čat we make an offryng' as te romannes
      dede ar' we go čerto, čat we may bryng it to swiche ende;; čat
      it be wrschipe to God & profit to vr sowles. But wher'-of schal
      čis offryng' be mad ? Truliche, best is, čat we make it as i rede
      it was mad e če olde testement, Leuiti. 2=o= capitulo, wher' i fynde
   25 čat God bad Moyses, čat a schul chard[g]e če children of Irael
      to offr' vp to ym če cleir' flowr' & te tus o če corn temprid with
      oyle, with salt & encense sprenklid ter a-mong. For sekirliche
      ¨if owr' offryng', whiche is nat ell but owr' prayour čat we schuld
      make at tis tyme, schuld be acceptable to God, it be-houed to be
   30 make rith o čis wise, wirst o če flowr oč če corn, noyčer oč če
      holis nor' of če brun as many men mak it, but oč če clene flowr';
      for' če prayour oč tes ypocrites & tes lollardes make be nočyng'
      oč če flowr' oč če corn;; but oč če holis & oč če brun, for čei be
      nočyng' in hir' herte inward;; but onliche with-owt-forth in hir'
   35 lyppis & hir' cher'. éerfor', i sei, it schal be maad o če white



|p52


      flowr' čat is e čyn herte; for bifor' če makst če prayer če schalt
      left vp če herte to God, & čenke how wikked & synful ču art;;
      & how good & gracius He is, & dispose če čerwith to ben e
      charyte with čyn emkristen;; čan pray Him to graunte čy bone
   40 čat ču askyst. For Crist seič Him-silf e če gospel Math. 5=o=,
      vade prius reconciliari fratri tuo;; & tunc veniens offeres munus
      tuum -- 'go,' a seith Crist, `& first be e charite and at on with či
      bročer, čat is for to seie with čyn emkristun;; & afterward cum &
      offr' vp čy prayer' to God;; & ¨if če čus dost;; trist wel čerto,
   45 it schal ben acceptable to Him. éis offryng' most also be
      tempred with oyle. Oyle, as seič Rabanus, de naturis rerum
      libro 19, capitulo 6, be-tokenez charite & mercy & it hath čis
      properte, čat with what čyng' euere it be meynd;; it wil euermor'
      ben a-boue. éerfor če schalt tempre če prayer with čis oyle.
   50 Loke, whan če prayest, če be e ful loue & charite, hauyng' rewth
      & mercy & compassiun o či pouer ne¨ebours, & be e ful wil, ¨if it
      wer' e či powir;; to releue hem & to hape hem & čan schal či
      prayer be euermor' goyng' vp-ward, ¨e, e so miche;; čat it schal
      persche če heuen & entr' be-for če presence o God & al če blessid
   55 company čat is ter. For, as Alesaunder nekham super talia,
      libro x, capitulo 4, to eueri good deuociun & good prayer če
      entry of heuene is open, nor it schal neuer be let in any place,
      seith čis clerk;; tyl it come be-for' če presence & te sithte oč če
      hie iugge of heuene. But ¨it vs nedeth anočer čyng' & tat is
   60 salt. Isider' in his ethimologiis, libro 16, capitulo 2=o=, seith čat
      salt wil make a man ha gret lust & apetit to drynke, & ¨if it be
      spreynd on a čyng', it wil kipe it fro felče & corupciun. éerfor
      če schalt sprinkle čyn offryng' with čis salt. What is tat for to
      seie ? ée schal take to če beternes & sorwe o penaunce & con_triciun,
   65 če whiche ben vndirstonde be salt. & take hede how
      fowle če hast be al čis ¨er' befor' e če dongel o dedly synne, how
      vnkynde če hast be to či God & how wikkydliche offended Him,
      & let tis salt čus synke in-to či sowle, & hardeliche it wil clense
      če fro al maner o felče & corupciun oč synne, and make če also
   70 euer mor' & mor' to thirst & to desir' after če loue & te swetnes o



|p53


      či God. że, & He schal čan seie to če ! čat a seith e če gospel,
      Iohn 7, si quis sitit, veniat ad me & bibat, `whos-euer,' a schal seie
      Crist čanne, `čat tus thirstez after me loue & my swetnes;; let
      him come to Me & I schal refresch him with če drenke of euer_lastyng
   75 ' ioie & blis.' But o čyng ¨it vs wantis of vr offryng' &
      tat is sens. Papias in verbo tus seith čat sens, ¨if it be cast e če
      fer;; it wil a-non-rith clerliche brenne, & te swete sauer' čroff wil
      clense če eir al abowte fro al maner wikkyd spirites. Be čis
      sense i vndirstonde nočyng' ell but trewe schrift o mowth, čat
   80 vs nedeth for' to haue & specialiche a¨ens tis holi tyme of
      Estron, e če whiche we schul resseyue vr' blessid Sauyour.
      żerforn, let vs take čis noble sauer' o confessiun, & clense če
      fowle eir' of vr consience from al maner filthe o dedli synne: &
      tanne hardeliche we schul brenne as cler' as euer dede any sens
   85 e če loue & te sithte of owr God. éus terfor, e čis offryng & e
      čis prayer', whan ¨e haue arayed it o čis maner wyse;; ¨e schal ha
      recomended al če states of holi chirche, vr holi fadir če Pope,
      Boniface če nynthe, al his cardinal[es], erchebisschap[es] &
      bysschapes, abbotes, priars & al očer degres of holi-chirche, &
   90 specialiche vr noble fader & prelat o čis place, & al čo čat ben
      soget to him, |r[f.48r] boče o reglers & o seclers. O če točer side
      ¨e schal ha recomended to ¨our prayer' če pes & te tranquilite
      of čis rem, vr lege lord te kyng', al očer lordes & comeners, &
      specialiche če comeners o čis town. Mor,-over', ¨e schal praye
   95 for' al če sowles čat ben in purgatorie, čat God for' His miche
      mercy wil releue hem sunner' for' ¨our praiours o če grete
      peynes čat čei ben inne. For čis & for al očer, čat ¨e or i be hold
      to pray for at tis tyme & for grace čat is nedful boče to ¨ow &
      to me;; i pray ¨ow deuowliche a pater noster and an aue.
  100    Christus etc. vbi supra. Crist etc. as i seide be-for'. Prudentius
      seič in sua Sicomachia, & holi writ hač če same in Genesi be a
      gret processe, čat God Amythte bad neuer Abraham make any
      offryng til a hadde ouercome če fowr' kyngis, če whiche wer'



|p54


      grete enmyes to al his kynrede, but a-non as a hadde ouercome
  105 hem, God bad him ofr' vp to Him his owne sone, Isaac, čat a louede
      best of any čyng' e čis world. Truliche, seres, rith tus most we
      do, & we schuld make an offryng' plessyng' to God;; we most virst
      ouercome čis fowr' kynges, čis fowr stronge geauntes. But,
      for, as miche as Plynie seith, čat a man, whan he is browth first
  110 e čis world, is mor' vnmythte & mor' lethi čan any očer beste,
      čerfor' we ha gret ned to be wel armet & strongliche, ¨e, & to ha
      good helpe a¨ens we go to čis batayle. éerfor', a¨ens če first
      kynge, čat is for to seie pride;; let vs arme vs wel with mekenes &
      paciens & lowliche ber' vs boče to God & to man;; & hardeliche we
  115 schal ouercome him & ha če beter of him. A¨ens če secunde
      kynge, čat is glotenie, to če whiche be ioyned tweyn očer
      schrewes, slowthe & lechery, let vs take with vs abstinence of
      mete & drynke, fastyng', good rulyng' of vr-silf, & no dowte we
      schul put him ate wurs. A¨ens te čridde kyng', be če whiche is
  120 vndirstonde enuey, with whom cumth a wiked Teraunt, wrathče,
      & with pese hardeliche we schull cast hym doun & ha če beter of
      hym. As te fowrthe kyng', be če whiche i vnderstonde nočyng'
      ell but couetise, čat is worst of hem al, we most ha with vs
      meserablenes, spend če good čat God hač sent vs e good vse,
  125 with good descreciun, parte it with vr pouer ne¨ebours čat ha
      no good to leue by, & coueyte no mor' čan suffisauntliche wil
      fynd vs vr lyuelode;; & tanne, triste wel čerto, we schal kast doun
      čis enmye & ha če victorie of him. And whan we ha čus
      ouercome vr' enmyes, ¨e, čes fowr' kyngis, čes fowr' terauntes
  130 with al her' retynu;; čan let vs offr' vp vr sone, let vs lene al vr'
      herte & al vr' loue to God Almithty: for He dede miche mor'
      for vr loue, whan a offred vp His owne sone, čat a loued best of
      any čyng', to die for mankynd, as witnessis wel Crist Him-silf e
      če gospel Iohannis. 3=o=, wher a seith sic Deus dilexit mundum;;
  135 vt Filium suum vnigenitum daret -- `God,' a seith, `loued so
      miche če world, ¨e, a loued so miche mankynde;; čat a wold ¨e
      His owne sone, čat a wold make His owne derworth child offr'



|p55


      vp Him-silf o če cros for če loue of mankynde.' And čerfor
      o čis wise, onliche for owr' loue, Crist hath offred Him-silf to
  140 God, as I seith be-for.'
         But, for as miche as in eueri offryng' may resonabeliche be
      asked čre questiuns, čat is to seie, who offred, what a offred, &
      to whom a offred;; čerfor, to čes čre ich answer' [in] a rewe be če
      čre wordes čat ben e me tyme.

      DIVISIO SERMONIS.

  145    As to če firste, wher' it is asked who offred;; iche answer' &
      seie, a kyng' o mercy & goodnesse, če preste o perfectiun & holi_nes,
      & te ambassiatour o trowthe & sothnesse, če whiche ben
      vndirstonde e če firste worde o my tyme, whan i sei `Crist.' To
      če secunde questiun, whan it is asked what a offred;; ich answer'
  150 & seie čat a offred raunsom for' owr redempciun, sacrifise for
      owr' purgaciun, & letters for owr' reconciliaciun, & tese ben
      vndirstonde e če secunde worde o my tyme, whan i seie `He
      offred Him-silf.' As to če čride questiun, whan it is asked to
      whom a offred;; ich answer' & seie;; to vr' special lord & emperour,
  155 to vr' curius maker' & creatur, & to vr gracius fader & sauyur,
      & čese ben vndirstonde e če črid word o me tyme, whan i sei
      `God'. Now, seres, for to gader' al čese to-geder & ioyne eche
      partie with očer, i sei firste, čat Crist, kyng o mercy & goode_nesse,
      hač offred Him-silf raunsum for vr redempciun;; to God,
  160 čat is vr special lord & emperour. I sei also čat Crist, prest of
      perfectiun & holinesse, hač offred Him-silfun sacrifise for owr
      purgaciun to God, čat is vr curius maker' & creatur;; & i seide
      firčrmor', čat Crist, embassiatur o trewthe & sothnesse, hač
      offred Him-siluen as a letter for' owr' reconciliatiun to God, čat
  165 is owr' gracius fader & sauiour.
         Firste, čat Crist, kyng' o mercy & goodnesse etc. The holi
      doctur Seint Ambrosse seith in his exameron de opere vti. diei
      čat aftur Good had maad man & put him e če delicius place o
      Paradys.' He ¨af him če cler' well o wyt & o wisdom, če florys_schyng'



|p56


  170 flowres of innocens & bewte, & te schenyng towres o
      clennes & chastite, čorwth če whiche, as seith čis clerk, a mythte
      boldliche ha fowthte a¨ens his enmye;; & also mithteliche haue
      ouercome če ferful ostis o če deuels temtaciuns. For mannes
      sowle mith truliche ha seid čanne of him-silf, čat is writen Esaie
  175 XXVII capitulo, ciuitas munita & obcessa ` i '-- myth mannes
      sowle ha seide tanne -- 'am a cite defended & be-seget ', ¨e, i_be-seget
      al abowte o če deuel & of his knythtes, but i-strenčed &
      defended be če vertuus wepenes čat God hač ¨ynme, nor me
      nedeth neuere to ben afered, for God Him-silf is my constable &
  180 my defendur'. But a-non, as he had broke če comaundement o
      God, a made a sori chong', for a tuk to him e če stede o čese;; lust
      & lykenge of his fless, brennyngbrond o stynkynge lecherie;; &
      te prykkynge čornes o wračče & enuye, če which browthten
      him in-to če dyrke prison of euerlastynge dampnaciun. But
  185 who was tanne oč so gret power' or so gret myth to paye raun_som,
      for to [haue] deliuerid mannes sowle of čis prison ? Truliche
      no man, no womman, nor non očer creatur' in al čis world but God
      Him-selue. For, & te take good hede, če art o litil power' or ell
      o non, to help či-silf or any očer man. & terfor' seith holi writ,
  190 sapien. 6=to=, data est uobis a Domino potestas, `¨e, al če power,'
      seith holi writ, '& al če myth čat we haue e čis world;; we haue
      it nočynge of vr-silf, but it is ¨yuen vs onliche of vr Lord God.'
      |r[f.48v] For tak consideraciun, seith Seint Ambrose, & loke in-to
      če beryels o dede men, & ter če schalt wil perseyue;; čat ter schal
  195 nawth leue o či bodi but stynkyng' dust & rotun bones. A say
      also čer, weičer ču maist knowe who was pouere & who was
      riche, or who was lethi or who was strong', & truliche, seith čis
      clerk, i dar' wel seie če schalt nat perseyue čer any defference
      be-twyx a begger & a kyng;; nor be-twyx a maister & his knaue.
  200 For ču, čer-for, wer vnmythti to bryng' či-silf owte o čis sori
      prison, Crist, čat is če mithtieste kyng' of al če world, hauyng
      ate laste rewthe & pit[i] vp-on de;; payed raunson for če to če
      fader of heuene, whan a offred vp Him-silf o če cros a Godfridai



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      & browth te owt of če deueles bondes & of če hauy veteres of
  205 Adammes synne, as witnessis wel Seint Poul, ad eph. 5, wer a
      seith, Christus dilexit nos, & tradidit semetipsum pro nobis
      oblationem & hostiam Deo -- 'Crist,' seith Seint Poul, `loued vs
      so miche;; čat a offred vp His owne bodi in raunson, to bryng
      vs fro čis sori prison to če kyngdom of euer-lastyng' ioie.' &
  210 ter-for her' Crist schewid wil čat a was a gracius kynge & a kynde
      to His sogectes. For' če maner, as seith Aris. of a good kynge is,
      ¨if any of his peple be tak prison, to paye raunsom for' him &
      merciable deliuere him fro če prison & te disese čat he is inne.
      But her, perchaunce, če wilt aske me, how i proue čat Crist was
  215 a kyng': čat i proue boče be autorite & be propertes & con_diciuns
      čat longe to a kynge, & first be autorite. We rede e če
      gospel Marci 15=mo=, čat whenne če Iuwes had nailed Crist boče
      hond & fot o če cros, & set on His heued a scharp crowne o
      prikkynge čornes;; če prestes & te doctors o če lawe seide
  220 a-monst hem-silf, let Crist, če kyng' of Irael, deliuere now Him_silf
      & kum doun o če cros;; & we schul trowe in Him & bileue čat
      Hi is very Godessone of heuene. éus, ter-for, be čis autorite &
      be many očer čat ben in holi writ, čat wer' long' now to reherce,
      may we wil se čat Crist was a kyng'. This also we may se
  225 openliche be propertes & condiciuns čat perteyne to a kyng.
      ére condiciuns i rede a-monge al očer čer ben, če whiche euery
      good man bihoueth for to haue. ée first is, as seith Aris. in
      secretis secretorum, čat his wyt & his wisdom be knowe in diuers
      cuntreys, čat his enmyes because čerof;; mai če mor' take hede
  230 of him & also če mor drede him. For as seith Apuleius in de
      deo socratis capitulo 3=o=, čow a man be gentyl o blod, we[l] čat te
      seyst [a] hath of his fader & of his modir', čow a be ryche;; čat a
      hath of fortune, čow a be now fair' & ¨ong';; we[l] a litil while če
      seyst her-after a schal be old & al defaded, but, and a be wis,
  235 čan hardeliche, seyth čis clerk, ču boče praysest him & dredest



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      him;; for čat is nat of če ¨ifte of fortune, noyčer of his fadres
      eritage, nor' chongable for non age. But what maner o wisdom
      schuld tis be ? Truliche, čis schuld be čat wisdom čat Arestotle
      spekis of, libro primo magnarum moralium ethicorum. ée
  240 wisdom, seith čis clerk čer, čat a man schulde haue;; it schulde
      be a-bowte čynges čat wer euerlastyng' & perteynynge to God.
      éerfor čis wisdom nedez euery good kyng' to haue & nat onliche
      eche kyng, but also euery cristenman; for euery cristenman e
      čis world hath a ryche tresur & a perlus to kepe;; čat is to seie,
  245 his owne sowle, če whiche is te fayrest tresur' čat euer God made
      vp-on erthe. For as seith Auicen, 6 naturalis, man passis al
      očer bestis onliche be his sowle, e če whiche is printyd &
      peyntyd če liknes & te forme of his owne maker', of his owne
      creatur. Wher'-for če castel & te rem čat so noble a tresur is
  250 inne;; sikyrliche as me čyngis, hač gret nede o strong' defens &
      also o wis gouernaile. éerfor to rule wisliche če rem of vr bodi
      & kepe deyntiliche če tresur of vr sowle;; i rede we do after če
      counsel of Seint Ambrose in de bono mortis, wher a seith re_linquamus
      quecunque terrena sunt etc. `let vs for'-sake,' seith čis
  255 doctur, 'al erliche čynges,' & lift vr sowle fro če stynkynge
      dingel o lustes o čis world, čat vr enmy, če deuel of helle, be
      a-ferd for vr wise gouernayle to entr' vr' rem & chalange če
      precius tresur' of vr' sowle. & tanne, when we go owt o čis
      world;; vr' sowle schal fle vp to heuene & se čere his Creatur' &
  260 His Godhede, mor' clerer' čan dede any egle če schynyng sunne
      o čis world. For as seith Isider' in his ethimologiis, libro 12,
      capitulo 7=o=, če egle hač čis properte, a wil fle a-boue al očer
      briddes & a wile also loke openliche o če sunne whan a schynez
      clerest & neuer twynkle with his e¨en: rith so schal mannes sowle
  265 do, ¨if a kepe it with če wyt & reson čat God hath ¨euen him,
      i-teche it to dispice če deuel & al hese & loue his God aboue al
      očer čynges. For hardeliche, ¨if he čus be ruled & tus in_formed;;
      a schal neuer be take with no grene of enmye, nor with
      no lyme o coueytese, but a schal fle vp with če vethres o god
  270 lyuyng', & abyde continuelliche e če presens & te sythte of his



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      God. że, & we schal čanne truliche inow seie of vr' sowle, čat is
      writen e če sawterboke ps. CXXIII. anima nostra sicut passer'
      erepta est de laqueo venantium: `vr sowle is deliuerid of če grene,
      oč če snar' čat te deuels temptaciuns had telt for' him;; & a is
  275 flown vp as any sparwe in-to če kyngdom of heuen,' & ter
      ioiffulliche abidez e če presence o God, as His dir' child & His
      owne derlynge. Ther'for for' Cristessake let vs kepe wel čis
      tresur', for truliche & we lese čis;; we schul be cast owt of če
      kyngdom, čat Crist, vr kyng', hač ordeined for vs. że, & we
  280 schul čanne seie čat is writen in holi writ trenorum 5=o=, cecidit
      corona capitis nostri: ve nobis, quia peccauimus, 'če crowne of
      vr' hed is fallen doun' & we be mad o kynges wretchis, ¨e, &, alas,
      'al is for we ha synned ' e misgouernynge |r[f.49r] čat tresur čat
      God tuk vs for to kepe. But ¨it, perauntur čei so be čat be če
  285 dartes o dedli synne we ha maad be-for čis tyme wr sowle
      prison to če deuel, ¨it let vs offr' vp če raunsom o schrifte
      & contriciun a¨ens tis holi tyme of Estron to Crist, Godessone
      of heuen, če whiche is vr special kyng' & vr emperur. For če
      maner was sum tyme & ¨it vsed e many place, ¨if a seruaunt or
  290 a grom of a lord had take a prison;; če raunsum čat schuld be
      payd for him schuld nat be payd to če seruaunt;; but to če lord
      or to če maister oč če seruaunt. Ryth o če same wise offr' we
      vp čis schrifte, čis raunsum, but nat to deuel čat hath čis
      prison;; but to vr principal maister & lord, čat is Crist Him-selue.
  295 ¨e, & tis raunsom most be o pure gold; gold, as seith clerkes, it
      wil gladliche take no corupciun, but it wil kepe it-silf euermor'
      clene &, čei it be cast e če ver', it wil onliche purifie & clense
      it-self & nawth brene. O če maner o metel most te raunsum of
      či schrifte bi; če schalt first open & clerliche tell al če synnes
  300 čat te hast doun, with al če circumstaunces čat long' to čam &
      specialiche now e čis holi tyme o penaunce, for', as Seint Austyn,
      now is tyme of schrifte. éerfor schryue če now, abit tis clerk, of
      al čat te hast trespased in word or e dede, be day or be nythte,



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      čat te maiste tak ate day o dome če tresur' of euerlastyng' ioie.
  305 ée most also clense & purifie če schrifte e če. Wer, ¨e what fer ?
      E če ver' of charite. Whan če cumst to confessiun ! če schalt
      ben e charite with čyn emcristen, tel nat ti ne¨ebours dedes, but
      acuse či-silf to či gostiliche fader & no man ell; for many foke
      čer ben, & te mor rewth is, whan čei come to schrifte čei tel
  310 nočyng' her owne dedes ! but onliche acuse her' ne¨ebours &
      sey, "Sir', y may nat loue my ne¨ebour, he is a-bowth euermo
      to take my good fro me, euery dai he pundis my bestes & wher'
      čat euer a comth;; a speke al če harme čat a can sey by me."
      éat is a wikkid schrifte & a kursid, for hardeliche čis schrifte is
  315 nočer pur' ne clene. A gret clerk et est Asterlodotus in suo cal_chidion
      libro, capitulo 2=o=, capitulo 3=o= -- čis clerk seith, čat ¨if
      man wolde priueliche ponysse his enmye;; a schal take an ymage
      o wex with očer certeyn čynges čat a rehercis čere & hold so
      long' a¨ens če ver' til al če substans čroff wer' almest consumed
  320 & molte awey, & rith as tis ymage malt a-¨ens te ver, so schuld
      če fless of his enmy vaness a-way, čat te schal nočyng leue but
      te very skyn & te bar bones. Rith tus schalt tow hold te
      schrifte a-¨ens te ver', ¨e, če schalt hold it e če brennyng' loue
      o či God & tyn emkrysten, molt a-wei al fals accussaciuns, al fals
  325 bakbityngis o či ne¨ebours, & til nočyng' but te bar' bones o
      čyn owne mysdedes, & tan schriueste če sumwhat as te oweste
      for to do. The schalt, mor'-ouer, whan če schriueste te, go to
      him čat hath cure o či sowle, as to či paro prest, či person or či
      pentauncer', & to no ronners ouer cuntreys. For, trest wel čerto,
  330 čei ha no powr for če most part to a-soyle če; & ter-for, če mor
      harm is, čei by-gyle fowle hem-silf & te boče. For čese it be
      čat Seynt Peter speke of, secunda petri 3=o=, venient in nouissimis
      diebus in deceptione illusores, iuxta proprias concupiscentias
      ambulantes;; ` čer schal come,' seit Seint Peter, 'e če laste dayes,



|p61


  335 glosers & deseyuers oč če peple, goyng abowte onliche for hir'
      owne profit & hir' owne coueytise.' For we se now alday, čei a
      man had slawe his fader or his modir', ¨e, or do če grettyste
      synne in al čis world, we[l] for a peny or tweyn a schuld be boče
      schreyue & soyled. éerfor i rede we schreue vs nat to no swiche;;
  340 for truliche & we do, we fowle by-gylt vr-silf;; but let vs go to him
      čat hath cur' & kypyng' of vs, & schryue vs to him e če same
      forme as ich ha seith ¨e be-for';; & tanne hardeliche it schal ben a
      suffisaunt & an acceptable raunsum to Crist, to deliuere vr'
      sowle owt of prison. For Seint Ion seith, prima Io., primo,
  345 si confitiamur peccata nostra, fidelis est & iustus, vt demittat
      nobis peccata nostra, & emundet nos ab omni iniquitate: ` ¨if we
      schriue vs,' seith Seint Ion, ` wil & clyrliche as we owthte for to
      do, če hie iustise of heuen is so rithwus, so trewe & so gracius,
      čat a wil for-¨yue vs al vr wikkydnes & al vr synne čat we ha
  350 doun,' ¨e, & mak vs mor clonner;; čan we wer čat day čat we first
      wer' browth in-to čis world. And truliche me semez, ¨if če loke
      wel a-bowte;; če hast gret cause to a-ray wil & clenliche čis
      schrifte & tis raunsum čat če schalt paye & offr' vp for či synne,
      for' al če precius stones;; ne al če gret richess o čis world;; be nat
  355 oč so miche valur' as is onliche mannes sowle. Tak hede o
      Crist, & ter če maist wil i-se, čat nat wytstondyng a was kyng'
      of heuene & erthe & al čis world & no ned hadde to či sowle, ¨it,
      what dide a onliche of His owne goodnesse ? A payd raunsum for
      it, nočer gold no siluer;; but Is owne precius blod, to bryng' it fro
  360 če prison of euerlastyng' dampnaciun. Whan a čus had idon '
      a toke če čis tresur' to kepe & ¨af če boče armur' & wepene
      mithtiliche for to defende it, ¨e, če armur of Cristendom &
      feith;; & te wepene oč če ten comaundementis; for' hardeliche,
      ¨if če be armed with čis armour & wel vithte with čis maner of
  365 wepene;; trest to, če schal kepe surliche i-now če riche tresur' oč
      či sowle. éis was an hy wit o Crist, čus to stren¨the če castel
      čat His tresur was inne, ¨e, with-owten dowte, čis was a wise
      prince. For let a man reherce če lesson čat He hath tawth
      him, čat is, če lesson o Cristes owne passiun, how a was scorget



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  370 fro če tot oč če hed to če sole oč če foot, how a was nailed
      beterliche o če rode tre & how a was stunge to če herte with a
      scharpe sper', & hardeliche čer schal no deuel, nor no wikkid
      spiryt be so bold to abyde, |r[f.49v] but for fer' o čis wise lesson
      fle fast a-way, boče fro čis kyng', čat is Crist, & also from any
  375 čat bereth His leuery. For' as seith holi writ 3 Reg. timuerunt
      regem, videntes sapientiam Dei esse in illo, `čei dredde,' seith
      holi writ, čat is to seie če deuel & al his, `when čei se Crist, vr
      kyng e so ryal a powr';; & te wisdom oč če fader of heuene
      spryngyng' within Him.' Wher'-for čis condiciun & tis
  380 properte, čat is wisdom;; may we wil se čat Crist is a glorius
      kyng', ¨e, passyng e wisdome al očer čat ben in erthe.
         ée secunde properte & condiciun čat a kyng' haue is as seith
      Aris. in secretis secretorum, čat a be clenliche cločed & paliche
      arayd, čat a may e če sith of his peple aper če mor' amyable &
  385 te mor' glorius. I rede e če stories o Rome, čat sum-tyme, ¨if a
      kyng or a knyth or any očer man had don a gret victorie or ell
      any očer gret bonchef to če cite;; whan a com hom;; a schuld ha be
      set in a schynyng' char', & cločed in a riche robe, prented ful o
      perles, with safires & deamaundes deyntliche i-browden, & al če
  390 peple schuld meryliche mete him;; & do him al če wurschepe čat
      his worčynesse askede; ¨e, & tis was tat tyme če grettesste
      wursc[h]epe čat any man e čis world myth haue. For, as seith
      Esider in his ethim. libro 18, capitulo 2, čis garnement čat a
      schal haue on was o purpur;; & it was doun to če vot, in tokene
  395 čat whos-euere had it on, wer a powr, wer a riche, a schuld be
      hyliche wurschepd & gretliche dred a-mong' če comen peple &
      also a keper & a ruler o če pees;; čat no disese wil with-inne e če
      cite. Her may we wel se, čat clene cločyng' & honest doth a
      man miche wurschepe as to če world-ward. For we may se now
  400 alday, čat, be it neuer so pouer a man, & a haue on a gay gowne
      of selk or ell a pair' o curel bedes hongyng abowte his nekk, euery
      man is fain to make him cher & also for to be mek & lowliche to
      him;; & ter-for', seith petidoctrinal, men of-tymes be mor'
      wurschepd for hir' gay cločes čat tey haue on;; čan be for hem_silf.
  405 éer-for, syn če sest wel čat worldliche cločyng' maad of



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      her' or o wlle of vnresonable bestes doč a man so miche worschepe
      e čis world: trest wel čerto, če gostliche cločyng' čat a man
      schuld haue be vertuus leuyng' of him-silf;; schal do him a
      čowsynfold mor wurschipe in an očer world. Wher' it a wil do;;
  410 -- a schal come vorth e če presence o his God & al če holi
      aungeles čat ben in heuene; but how schal we cloč vs with good
      leuyng' ? Truliche we schal vp-on vs če garnement & te mantel
      of mekenes & paciens, for čis disposez a man mest to al očer
      vertuus & to če wisdom o knowlachyng' of his God. For we
  415 rede in holi writ, sapien. 7=mo=, čat Salamon, whan a told how a
      man schuld tak wit & wisdom to knowlachyng' of his God;; a
      toke considerasiun of sorwe & wretchednes o mankynde;; &
      mekeliche seide -- sum quidem & ego mortalis homo etc: 'ich am
      a dedliche man,' seith Salamon, 'lich al očer o če kynde of him
  420 čat first was formed o če erthe; & e my modres wombe was a
      wowl lu [m]pe of fles, nyne mončes congeled togeder' e my modres
      blod. & be če norschyng of slep ate last was browth forth into
      če wretchid vorld & sorliche wepte, as al očer don. & tus with
      miche kar' & miche sorwe lyue vorth a-mong očer men.' éis
  425 considoraciun & tis mekenes schuld euery cristenman haue.
      First čenke how wretchidliche a was browth in-to čis world,
      how a schal be her' but awhile, & whan a goith hennys a not
      whider a schal go, & hardeliche čis, a way oč comyng to hy wit
      o perfit leuyng & despysyng o čis world. Seint Ierom seič in
  430 a pistel čat a makis ad Paulinum, čat hy lythliche dispisez al
      worldliche čynge;; čat čenkis euermor čat a schal dye, but ¨it, a
      seič čis doctur, čer be vewe čat wil čenk čer vp-on. We se
      wel, čat če pekok whan a lokeč abowte on his fair vetherus;; his
      vndirliche prowd & miche ioie makis of hem, but whan a lokez
  435 doun & seith če vowlne[s] of feet;; čan a take gret sorw to him &
      wext hegeliche a-schamed of him-silf. Truliche rič tus schuld
      eche man e čis world do, whan a hath be-hold če gaie večerus o
      myrthe & prosperite o čis world;; čan let him take hede of his
      feet, čat is to seie his endyngday;; če whiche is nat onliche



|p64


  440 wretchid;; but also perlus, ¨e, so perlus, čat but a ber him če beter,
      a schal be dampned to euerlastyng' peyne. éer-for, ¨if a čus do '
      hardeliche a schal put awey al maner occasiun o pride, nor a
      schal neuer synne, no do no gret trespas a-¨ens his God; for holi
      writ seič Ecc=ci= 7=mo=, in omnibus operibus tuis memorare nouissima
  445 tua, & in eternum non peccabis: `in al či wurkes,' seith holi
      writ, `ha mynd o či last ende;; & hardeliche če schal neuer do
      synne no trespas gretliche e čis world.' Loke čer-for, whan če
      schalt make če offryng', čat is to sei, whan če schalt do any dede
      o charite, as visite folk čat byn syk & sory, help če pouere with
  450 any almesdede, haue on čis garnement, čis mantel o mekenes,
      ¨e, & tuk it ner' to če, & hardeliche če good dedes čat te payest
      for raunsum o či synnes schule be miche če mor acceptable to
      či God. For as tellis Lucanus, libro primo de bello ciuili, čer
      was a certeyn peple čat wer' clepid Gabini & tis peple, whan čei
  455 schuld offr', wer' euer mor' tukked vp;; &, as seith če comentur
      o če same texst;; če cause was tis. Ones tei mad her offryng, &
      her enmyes fil vpon hem & took a-wai al hir offryng fro hem;
      čis peple, Gabini, wer wrot čer-with & tei tukked vp her' clothes
      & fawth with am longe & ate last gat a-¨ens al hir' offryng '
  460 & be-cause hir'-of, euermor after, whan čei schuld offr', čei vsede
      for to tukk vp her' cločes. Rith tus schuld we do whan we
      make vr offryng' to če fader of heuene; as whan we praye, whan
      we vaste or whan we do any očer good dede, let vs tukk vp vr
      cločes ner' vs, čat vr enmyes cum nat vp-on vs & take vr'
  465 offryng' from vs. What is tis to seie ? Let vs nat sprede vr'
      good dedes to wyde; whan we vaste, tel it nat to al če world,
      when we do almesdede, ¨yue it [nat] in open place for če nones
      to be praysyd of očer men, as do čis lollardes & tis fals ypocrites
      čat be now-aday, but let vs gyrt hem ner' vs, kepe hem preue
  470 |r[f.50r] be-twyx God & vs, as byde Crist Him-silf e če gospel
      Mathei. VI=o=, tu autem cum oraueris, intra in cubiculum tuum, &
      clauso hostio, ora patrem tuum: `whan če prayest', abit Crist,
      'or dost any očer good dede;; go in-to či chaumber;; '¨e, wheičer



|p65


      it be e cherche or i towne or in any očer place;; go in-to či
  475 chaumber' oč čin herte, bee wil e čin owne herte čat no man wyt
      čroff but God & ti-silf, & tan abyt či vadir of heuene;; & harde_liche
      a wil graunte te či bone čat tow askest. & hardeliche, ¨if
      we čus do;; vr enmy, če deuel, schal ner take a-way vr offryng'
      from vs. But & we lat če cločes of vr good dedes sprede to
  480 wyde, hold te fowlest with-in vs & schewe če vairest owtwarde
      as many volk do;; trest wel vr' offryng' nor vr raunsom schal nat
      ben acceptable to God, for če deuel hath be-nomt vs with če
      swerd o vayn glorie & te dart of ypocrisie. I rede e če storie o
      Irusalim, & Egesippus rehercez če same in his Cronycle, libro 3=o=,
  485 čat when Titus & Vespasianus had so longe be-seged o če cite o
      Irusalim, čat te peple with-in-forč had al-mest no mor likur to
      staunche with hir' čyrst;; Iosephus, čat was če grettest clerk
      a-mongs tem, let honge owt o če wall cločes, as schetes, blanketes
      & swich očer, for to ha maad hem čat be-seged te cite suppose
  490 čat tey had had water inow with-in hem & so be čis cawtel to ha
      maad hem turn hem a-¨en ! & lett fulliche hir' sege oč če cite.
      Lord, for any men hong owt tes wete cločes now-aday ! ¨e,
      vor'-soče God Amythty a-mend it, i trowe neuer so miche. For
      we se now so miche folk & specialiche čes lollardes, čay go
  495 barfot, čei gon openhed, ¨e, čei wassche sočylike hir' cločes
      with-owten with teres of hir' e¨en ! čat miche oč če peple is fowle
      blynded & deseyuyd bi hem. For čei wene čat tei haue plente
      inow with-in hem oč če water of holi leuyng';; & truliche it is
      nočyng' so. For čer was a lollard at Oxanfort but awhile agon;;
  500 čat for,-suk al his errours & al his misleuyng';; & turnyd a¨en to
      če leuyng' of očer good cristenmen, & tan a told certeyn rytes &
      doyng' of hem, ¨e, so cursed & so oreble to her';; čat, e good
      feyth, ich am greuyse for to telle hem, & ich am sikir' & ¨e wste
      tey wer';; ¨e wuld hold če erče veriliche a-cursed ter čei wente ! &
  505 ha merueyle e ¨our herte čat God Amythty takis nat open
      veniaunce vp-on hem;; & kast hem doun in-to helle al quik.
      čer-for, ¨if any swich come to ¨ow to preche or to teche ¨e;; for'



|p66


      Cristis sake, her' him nawth, but put him away fro ¨e, as biddeč
      Crist e če gospel Math. 7=o=, attendite a falsis prophetis, qui
  510 veniunt ad vos in uestimentis ouium, intrinsicus autem sunt lupi
      rapaces. `Take non hede,' abyt Crist, `of false profites, ¨e, valse
      lollardes, čat cum to ¨ow e cločyng' o mekenes & holi leuyng' for
      to teche or to preche ¨ow;; for hardeliche,' a seith Crist, 'čei be
      with-in-forth mor cruwel čan any wlues, ¨e, & mor cursedde čan
  515 any hondes.' But doč forth as ¨e ha doun ¨it heder-to-for; i
      blesse God, it is seide in očer cuntreys čat ¨it ¨e ha wel holde
      swich maner oč men owt o čis toun. & ter-for, i dowt nat
      troffe, ¨e spede če beter in al ¨our doyng';; że, & ha miche če
      mor' worschipe e čis world, & also gret čonk o God Almithte.
  520 Her' čerefor we may wel se, čat tis maner o peple hath nat on
      če cločyng' of veri mekenes & good leuyng', for hardeliche čei
      če go to-ragged & to-rent & schewe owt-ward;; it is nočyng' in
      her herte; for' mor' prowder' men, nor enuyvs men čan čei be
      with-inne;; be čer none in čis world. ées do nočyng' after če
  525 doctrine & te lore o Crist. For whan Crist, Godessone of
      heuene, com in-to čis world & cločid Him e če cločyng of man_kynde;;
      rith as His cločyng was lowliche & symple, so was He če
      most mekeste man čat euere was browth forth e čis world; e so
      miche, čat wha [n] a was led to His passiun-ward.' He neuer
  530 gretched, no neuer spak word a-¨en, as wytnessis Seint Poul ad
      philipenses 2=o=, wher a seith factus est obediens vsque ad mortem,
      '¨e, a was euermor meke,' seith Seint Poul, '& obedient til a cum
      to če deth,' til a com euen to passiun čat a suffred for vs. ées
      was a cločyng' o gret mekenes, ¨e, & also o gret clennes, for it
  535 was maad of a clene maydenes fless & of hir' blod. żit Crist
      had ouer čis a-nočer cločyng' o rithwesnes, čat is His godhede,
      če whiche is mor' brith & mor schynyng' čan euer was any sunne
      bem or any očer lyth maad e čis world;; ¨e, it is so brith, as
      doctours seie ! čat ter may no erliche man loke čron with his
  540 bodiliche e¨en: it is also amiable e če syth oč če blessid cumpany



|p67


      čat is in heuene. For as seith Dauid e če sawter-boke, psalmo
      106=o=, videbunt recti, & letabuntur: `rithwus men,' a seith če
      profit, `schul se čis blessid sauyur, čis blessid kyng ' e če garne_ment
      of His godhede;; `& tan čei schul make miche ioie & miche
  545 blis, `¨e, mor čan any may telle e čis world. Syn čan it is so,
      čat Crist cločyng' is so rial & so amiable e če sith of His peple;;
      semis wel be čis properte & tis condiciun, čat Crist is a kyng'
      passyng' al očer.
         če črid condiciun, i sei, čat a kyng' schuld ha, is, as seith
  550 Dio[ni]sius super valerium maximum libro primo, capitulo 3=o=,
      čat a schuld račer suffr če deth of him-silf;; čan se his rem or his
      peple destryed with enmyes. A gret clerk & est Ioh. Sales_buriensis
      in suo policraticon, libro 4=o= capitulo 3=o=--čis clerk tellis
      čat on a tyme it happed čat a certeyn peple, če whiche wer
  555 cleped Dorenses, schuld hold a day o batayle a¨ens te volk of
      Athene & tei wente & asked hir' mawmetes & hir' goddes how
      čei spede e če bataile, & tei answard hem & seide čat tei schuld
      ha če betere, but ¨it it wer so čat tei kilde če kyng' of Athene,
      če whiche was a¨ens |r[f.50v] hem. And as sone as te kyng' of
  560 Athene, čat cleped Codrus, herd o čis maner o doyng', what
      trowst a dide ? Whan če day of bataile com, a put a-way al his
      riche aray & cločed him in a gromes garnement & e če same aray,
      for a wold be det, wente into če tentes of his enmyes, & ter a-non_rith
      was al to-hakked & to-hewen amongste hem. But a-non
  565 as te Dorenses perseyued čat it was če kyng' of Athene;; čei made
      miche sorwe & wente a-way fro če bataile. & o čis wise wer'
      če volk of Atene deliuerid of hir enmyes, be če deth of hir kyng',
      čat wilfulliche offrd him-silf to deye for če saluaciun of his
      peple. Be čis peple o Dorens i vndirstonde nočyng' ell at tis
  570 tyme but te deuel & his ostes, čat werred strongliche a¨ens te
      peple of Atene, čat is to seie, al mankynde. For hardeliche če
      deuel was so prowd & so sikir', as him semede to haue had te
      victori of mankynde;; čat he neuer was aferd to vith with man,



|p68


      soposyng' čat a schuld takyn him prisoun & kast him into če
  575 pit of euerlastyng' dampnaciun. But te gode kyng' Codrus,
      čat is vr blessid sauiur, Crist Iesu, seyng če pride & te power oč
      če deuel, consideryng' also če lownes & te lethines o mankynde;;
      what dide a ? A cast of his riche aray;; ¨e, & com doun fro če
      precius paleis of His hie heuene & cločed Him e če symple wede o
  580 mankynde & so wente forth in-to če tentes of His enmyes, in-to
      če temples oč če Iwes, čat wer' če most enmyes čat euer a hadde;
      & ter wilfulliche offred Him-silf to hem, to suffr' če deth for če
      saluaciun of His peple, as witnessis wel če apostel Poul, 2=o=. ad
      cor. 5, wher' a seith, Christus pro omnibus mortuus est: ` Crist, '
  585 seith Seint Poul, `deide nat onliche for o man;; but for al men,'
      for al His peple;; & hardeliche če most orrible deth čat euer če
      Iuwes kowd cast or be-čenke for' Him. For čei bownde His
      hondes be-hynde Him, as te passiun makez mynde & led Him to
      Pilat, & tere buffat Him & scorged Hym;; čat it was rewe for any
  590 man e čis world to a be-holdenyt. Afterward, čei set on His
      heued a fel garlond o prykkyng' čornes & črist it so vast on His
      heued, čat te blod boče stert owt at His eren & at His e¨en.
      čis was a cruel dede & an vnkynde, čis for to var' wyth Him čat
      neuer had trespassed a-¨ens hem. żit hem semede čis was nat
  595 inow;; but tei wente & leit te cros on His bak, čat a schulde be
      henged on, & e čis maner wise;; let Him čorw če cite o Irusalim,
      toward te Mount of Caluery, wher čei cast for to do Him to če
      deth. & as seith a deuowt clerk & est Willi[l]m[u]s Haugustaldensis
      in suis meditacionibus, whan Crist was čorw če cite o Irusalim to
  600 His deth-ward;; če children & te me[n] čat wer e če cite cast
      podayle & dryt oč če stret at His heued;; & dede Him al če
      schame & te vilny čat tei cowd čenke e če world for to Him.
      Hir we mai wel se čat tis was a gret vnstabelnesse oč če Iuwes
      čus vilensliche to var' with Him;; čat tei had o če next Sunday
  605 befor' resyued so rialiche & do so miche wurschipe, in so miche;;



|p69


      čat tey had strawed flowres & as te gospel seith, Math. XXI=mo=,
      leyd doun her' cločes e če way čer a schuld ride. But a-non as
      tat blessid lady, Cristes owne moder, seith her' derworth sone,
      čat sche loued passyngliche of any-čyng' e čis world, so felliche
  610 i-bownde, so crueliche i-despised & so schamfulliche e-defowled
      with felče o če strete;; sche wente to Him, seith čis clerk, &
      with her'-zelu sche wyped a-way če felče fro His face. & Crist
      loked a¨en vp-on hir' čat same tyme so myldeliche & so vair';;
      čat ter was neuer čyng' e čis world čat wente so ner & so
  615 greuuslich to hir' herte as tat dide, in so miche čat sche vil a-doun
      a-swoun a-mong' al če peple čat wer čer present. Alas,
      blessid lady, a seith čis clerk čanne, what herte or what mynde
      haddestow, whan če se či derworthe child čus fowl e-var' with,
      čus kursidliche e-scorned & tus enuivsliche e-dampned to če
  620 deth;; Truliche čer was neuer no womman čat be a čowsynd
      part had so miche sorwe fo[r] hir' child as tow haddeste for' čyn.
      & for-soče, me semeč, it was litel wundir', for a seith Arestotel,
      euery wumman hath it o kynde to loue mor' specialiche če child
      čan doth če vadir', & ¨if sche se it in any disese;; to mak mor'
  625 sorwe vor it čan any očer bodi. But tis blessid ladi had boče
      sorwe kyndeliche as očer wummen haue;; & also sorwe aboue
      kynde čat passed očer wummens sorwe, in as miche as hir' child,
      čat sche was tus disesed for';; was lord & kyng' aboue al kynd_liche
      čyngis čat ben e čis world: čis was a gret disese & a gret
  630 sorwe, boče to Crist & to His modir'. But ¨it te Iuwes wer nat
      conteyned hir'-with, but tei dede mor'; for čei mad Him to go [to]
      če hie hil o Caluerye;; & ter offr' vp Him-silf to če vader of heuene,
      in raunsom & sacrifise for mannes redemptiun. & hardeliche čer
      lakked nočyng' e čis sacrifise čat longed to be čer; for' čer was
  635 boče harpyng' & syngyng', as te maner is for to be at offryng',
      mor delicius čan sun was any herd be-for', ¨e, hardeliche
      Orpheus nor' Amphion, čat wer' če best harpurs čat euer wer';;
      mad neuer so delicius a melody as ter was herd. But who



|p70


      harpid čer ? Truliche Crist Him-silf and non očer; what was
  640 harpe ? Nočyng' ell but His owne precius bodi. éis harpe
      was wrafte so hie whan it was nailed o če rode tre;; čat al če
      strengis o če harpe, ¨e, al če synwes & al če veynes e Cristes
      bodi;; al to-rayssched & to-brak at tones. Let tis sink in-to
      čyn herte whan če art tempted to any synne, & harpe o čis
  645 harpe;; & hardeliche če deuel wil leue of his temptaciun, for a
      wil nat abide čere, čat te swetnes & te melodi is mad o čis harpe.
      Nicomake seith, as rehercez bois libro primo sue musice,
      capitulo XXI=mo=, čat whan musyk was firste vownde;; čere wer
      but fowr' strengis e če harpe; če [virst] was clepid Ypate, če
  650 secunde Parypate, če črid was cleped Lychanos & te vowrče
      Mese. Had Crist čes fowr' strengis in His harpe ? że, vor_sotha
      a had -- če virst streng' in His rith arm, če secunde in His
      left arm, |r[f.51r] če črid streng' in His rith leg', & te vowrče in
      His left leg. Wyth čis strengis Crist, for a wulde be vyr herd,
  655 wente vp on to an hy hil, on to če hil o Caluerye, & ter tempred
      His harpe & song' so hie čerto;; čat a was herd boče to heuene &
      to helle & te al če world ouer; e so miche čat ate laste ende of
      His song', rith whan a schuld die, whan a seith consummatum
      est, ¨e, when a seith, čat al če trauaile & te disese čat a had
  660 suffred e čis world for mankynde wer browth to an ende;; če
      erthe quaked, če stones ran togeder' & brak echon očer, & te
      men čat wer dede be-for', as witnessis wel če gospel Math.
      XXVII, a-ros vp of hir broxels, & after Cristes arysyng' comen
      in-to če cite o Irusalim, & ter wer' sen to a gret hepe o peple.
  665 éus ter-for we mai wil se čat tis was a kyng' of hi mercy &
      goodness, čat o čis wise wold suffr' če deth for če saluaciun of
      His peple. Wher-for y mai couenabliche conclude of Him bi
      čis condiciun, čat is to deie for His peple, čat He is a noble



|p71


      kyng' & a merciable, ¨e, & also truliche verefie onym če wordes
  670 tat i took to my virst principal, čat Crist kyng' etc. And of al
      čese čre condiciuns spekis Seint Poul primo ad Corynth, primo,
      wher' a seyth o čis wise. Christus factus est pro nobis sapientia,
      & sanctificatio, & redemptio -- 'Crist,' seith Seint Poul, 'was
      mad for vs wisdom,' & tat is for če virste properte, wher' i prouede
  675 čat bi wisdom Crist was a kyng' passyng' al očer; a was also
      maad for' vs `holinesse', as for če secunde properte, wher' i
      prouede čat Crist was a glorius kyng' be če cločyng' o clennes &
      holi leuyng'; mor'-ouer, a was maad for' vs 'raunsom &
      redemptiun ' as for če last condiciun, wher i proued čat Crist, as
  680 a merciable kyng', offred vp Him-silf to če deth for redemptiun
      of His peple. Wher-for i may truliche reherce of Him če word
      tat i took to mi prechyng';; čat for če saluaciun o mankynde
      Crist hath offred etc.;; as i seide ate be-gynnyng'.
         I seid če secunde tyme & a gredel schorter, čat Crist, prest
  685 etc'. As witnessis wel Seint Poul ad hebr. 5=o=, euery prest &
      prelat čat is chosyn be če peple;; is ordeyned for to ben a media_tur
      be-twyxst te peple & God & to offr sacrifise for' hir' synnes;;
      ¨e, & also mekeliche to haue ruthe vp-on hem čat err' & do
      amys;; for He is, as seyth Seint Poul, ' dedliche & synful as tei
  690 ben;; červor euery prest & euery man o religiun, čat is as it
      wer' a prest o perfectiun & holinesse, čat schuld make or reseyue
      čis sacrifise, čat is to sei če holi sacrament o Cristes owne bodi,
      hath gret nede to be clene in his sow[l]e & haue his herte fulliche
      to God-ward, for it is maad o če preciust čyng' čat may be e čis
  695 world; it is noyčer i-maad o kow nor of oxe, o schep nor, o swyn, as
      it [was] maad in olde tyme;; but it is maad o Cristes owne fless &
      His blood, čat a took o če mekenes o mayde Marie for purgaciun
      o mannes synnes. éerfor ču čat schalt make čis sacrifise, loke
      če ha čyn herte holliche to God, put it nat away in očer ocu_paciuns,
  700 drench it nat e če dich o dedlich synne, as glotenie &
      lechery & swiche očer. For truliche & te do;; čyn offryng', či



|p72


      sacrifise, schal nat be acceptable to God;; but it schal račer be
      cause o či dampnaciun čan anyčyng' ell. As seith Seint Poul
      primo ad cor., XI=o=, Quicumque manducaverit panem, & biberit
  705 calicem Domini indigne, reus erit corporis & sanguinis Domini,
      `whos-euere,' seith Seint Poul, `et tis bred or drynkis čis drynk,
      ¨e, reseyuyč čis sacrament owt o clenleuyng', nač his herte to
      Godward as him owte for to haue, a schal be gilte o Cristes fless &
      His blod,' & torw čis gilt, but a mend him če sunner;; a schal deie
  710 gostliche & be cast doun to če prisun of euerlastyng peyne.
      Wher'-vor' i red če, what-euer če be čat schalt offr' čis sacra_ment
      or ell reseyue it;; & specialiche ču čat art a prest;; loke čyn
      herte be fulliche set for to loue God & to dred Him, & put it nat
      a-way abowte očer worldlich čynges, for' sikir'-liche & te do it
  715 is an euel synne. For', as seith Valerius Maximus, libro primo
      capitulo 4, whan če emperur o Rome, Iulius Cesar, whan a had
      ouercome če gret Pompeye čat was on če gretteste man oč če
      cite, a com hom to Rome & offred to his goddes;; to his mawmetes
      an oxe, & whan če oxe was opened;; čer was non herte vownd
  720 in him, and čat was a syne, as če glose seith e če same place,
      čat te emperour schuld nat longe lyue afterward. & nomor
      a dide, for a litel while after as to regard a was sclawyn a-mong'
      če senaturs e če capitolie o Rome. Rith o čis same wise harde_liche
      schal he be seruid, what man euer it be, čat set nat his
  725 herte e če loue of his God whan a makis his offryngis, & special_iche
      čis blessid sacrament;; vor a schal be slawn e če kursed
      capitolie of helle a-mong' če schrewid senaturs oč če deuels
      lordschipe. But ¨it, whos tat schuld make suffisaunt čis
      offryng';; him neded for to ha tweyn maner oč offryngis čat i
  730 red of in holi writ. ée virst is an offryng' & a sacrifise o rithwus
      demyng', & tis perteinez specialiche to prelatis & to souereyns
      čat haue sogectis vndernečem for to rule & to kepe; wher,-of
      speked Dauid e če sawterbok, p=s= 4, wher' a seith sacrificate
      sacrificium iustitie, 'offr' vp,' abit tis profit Dauid, ¨e prelatis &
  735 ¨e souereyns, ¨e, boče spiritual & temperal, for i speke o boče,



|p73


      `an offryng' to God o rithwusnes' or ell o rithwus demyng'.
      Lord God ! For souereynes make čis offryng' now-a-day;;
      truliche i dred me nat alle, vor ich am ferd a gret hepe of hem be
      croked, tat tey may nat stonde euen vp-ryth for to make čis
  740 offryng'. What trowes te makis a souereyn or' a iugge croked ?
      Truliche gret ¨iftes o gold or o siluer or any očer riches, or ell tis
      glosers čat kum pik a straw from his berd, schake of če dust of
      his cločes oft-tyme čer non is; čis mak him čat a maynat stonde
      vprith for to ¨eue a rithwus dom, ¨e, čes make his sensualite,
  745 čat is |r[f.51v] as it wer an handmayde, to ben aboue resoun čat
      schuld be chef lady. Vor of-ten tymes čei make him dime after
      sensualite & onliche after carnal affectiun;; & nočyng after
      resun. éus is a vowl abusiun & a vowl errour e kende, čat te
      handmayde schal čus ha lordschipe ouer hir owne lady. Pris_cian
  750 techith in maiori libro primo capitulo de positione sill[ab]a_rum,
      čat ¨if a sillable end in `s' če next sillab čat cumth after e
      če same word schal nat begynne with `r.' & ter-for seith če olde
      autor' Florencius in suo libello lectione 5=ta=, čat tei err' vowle e
      gramer;; čat sei `Israel ' & nawt `Irael '; ¨if it be so, seith čis
  755 autor', čat tei write it with `z', as tei do `Esrom ' & `Bosra ' &
      a gret hep of očer čat he rehercis čere. Be čis `s' y vnder_stonde
      nočyng' ell but sensualite, & be čis `r' mannes resun, če
      whiche schuld evin be preferrid be-for' sensualite & ner cum
      after. Vor ¨if a souereyne or a iugge put sensualite & carnel
  760 affectiun befor r[e]sun;; trist wil čerto, a schal err' as fowl e kynde
      & e rithwus demyng';; as doth če točer e gramer'. But & a schal
      be a rithwus demer;; it be-houede virst, čat a wer a good leuer
      himsilf, vor ell a schal ben afered to corecte his soget whan a
      doth amys;; or ell for to ¨eue any rithwus dome in any cause
  765 čat towcheč is sogectis, lest tat a wil reproue him of his owne
      mysdedes & of his owne mysleuyng'. For, as tellis Auenet e a



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      fable oč če crabbe, čer wer' on a tyme, a seič, twey crabbes,
      an older' & a ¨unger, & as te crabbe went be-for' če olde a went
      al croked & al bakward as a crabbe doth & ta[n] če olde reproued
  770 him & bad him go rith forth, & seit it was a fowl sichte to se him
      go so as a dide. & tanne če ¨unge preide him to go forth be-for'
      him & tel him how a schuld do;; & he wold go after him. & so
      če olde crabbe went forth be-for' him, & ¨if če ¨unge ded euel,
      če olde ded miche worse. éus often-tyme it fareč be prelates & be
  775 souereynes čat ha sogectis for to rule. Vor a-non, ¨if [on] o čam
      do amys;; čei wil alto-bost him & al chide him & bid him a-mend
      his goyng' & go rithliche e če wey o godleuyng', but, and his
      soget wuld bid him go be-for' & teche him, ¨e, reherse his doyng'
      & his maner o leuyng';; a schuld se čat a went wurs čan he;; & be
  780 an vndridpart mor' wurs were in his leuyng'. éervor', let euery
      prelat & euery souereyne virst loke čat a be e clen lyff to-ward
      him-silf, rule wil his sogectis čat a hath be-net him, & teche
      hem & dem hem as te lawe o God askeč;; and tan schal a
      stonde vp-rith & nočyng' crokyd;; ¨e, & offr' to God če sacrifise
  785 of holi leuyng' & also of rithwus demyng'.
         če secunde offryng' is an offryng' o good workyng' & tis per_tenez
      to sogectis & to me[n] čat be o low statis. O čis [s]pekez
      če wisman Salamon, Ecc=ti= 14=o=, wher a seith benefac tecum, &
      dignas offeres oblationes, 'do wil,' a seith Salamon, 'with či-silf,
  790 ¨e, wurk wel e vertuus leuyng', & tanne schal te offr' to God
      wurči offryng' & acceptable.' Seint Austen seith de ciuitate
      Dei, libro XIX, capitulo 4=o=, čat a mannes sowle e so miche is te
      lest soget & seruisable to his God;; čat he is ocupied e vayn
      čowttes & e swwch maner čyngis čat be nat plesyng' to God.
  795 éervor ču čat art a soget & specialiche a man of holi chirche,
      ocupi če abowte swich čyngis čat mow be plesyng' to God; loke
      on holi writ, take če bible e čyn hond & get te čere a rule o
      rithwus leuyng'; lerne čer how če schal plese če God & be
      obedient to či prelat, & tan schalt te offr' vp a good sacrifise & a



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  800 plesyng' to či God. But i dred me če tyme is cum čat Seint
      Poul spekis of ad Timoth. 4, erit enim tempus, cum a veritate
      auditum auertent, ad fabulas autem conuertentur: `čer schal be a
      tyme,' seiz Seint Poul, `whan men schul turne awei hir' eres fro
      če trewče & onliche conuert hem [to] folies & to fables,' & sočliche
  805 it semeč wel čat tis tyme is com. Vor cum now to a man of holi
      chirche;; ¨e, a seculer or a regler, čat owth for to cunne his bible,
      & comen with him in holi writ, or ell in Austyn or Ierom or any
      očer, & truliche vor a gret hep če schalt wel perseyue čat a can
      rith nawt tron, & te cause is for a seit neuere; but aske him če
  810 fables o Piramus & Tisbe or Iphis or Pante;; & hardeliche če
      schalt se it čat a can hem as wel as his pater noster. éis is a
      wowl doyng' in holi chirche, ¨e, čis makis holi chirche e so litel
      reputaciun as it is; vor čis peple offr' nat to God hir' virst frutes
      as biddis Crist Him-silf, Exodi XXXIII, primitias frugum
  815 terre tue offeres in domo domini: 'če frutes o či corn,' abit Crist,
      `čat growyth o či ground;; offre it in-to Godes howes,' čat is for
      to seie, look first Crist lawes how če schalt rule či consience,
      how če schalt kepe če owt of dedli sinne & o čis maner o wise
      offr up če virst frutes o či wurkyng' to God. & whan če art tus
  820 wel saddid in holi writ, čanne če maiste te beter loke posies &
      fables & swich maner čyngis; vor' i tel če wel it is ful perlus for a
      ¨ung man to loke oft-tyme swich maner čyngis but ¨if it so čat
      a be če beter groundied in holi scriptur. ée schalt also be
      obedient to či prelat & to či souereyne čat is aboue če, do as abit
  825 te, deme nat his workes nor' his doyngis; for truliche & te do;;
      če trespasyd greuusliche a-¨ens God, as witnessez wel če lawe
      of holi chirche XXI distinctione capitulo submittitur. Crist also
      techeč če openliche e če gospel how če schalt |r[f.52r] do, Math.
      XXIII, wer' a seith o čis wise -- quecumque dixerint vobis,
  830 facite;; secundum autem opera eorum nolite facere: " do as
      tei bidde če," abit Crist, "& ¨if čei be good men;; do as tei do;;
      ¨if čei be nawth, do nočyng after hir' workyng'." But many
      čer be, boče lered & lewed, čat nat onliche deme hir soueyne



|p76


      h[e]r' in erthe, but also oft-tyme čei deme & gruche a-¨ens hir
  835 God; vor let God Amythte send hem a litel tribulaciun, a litel
      aduersite, as tak a-way hir' good from hem, send hem bodiliche
      siknes or ell any očer maner disese, ¨e, anon čei grucche a-¨ens
      God, a-non čei deme God & sey 'whi send God me al čis tribula_ciun,
      al čis sorwe ? truliche i trespased neuer so miche a-¨ens Him;;
  840 čat ich was worči to ha so miche diseses & aduersite e čis world;;
      éis peple tris[t] wel čerto, but tei amend hir', čei wil be demed
      ate dredful dai o dome to če dep pit of helle. & truliche me
      merveilez sore čat men dred no mor helle now-a-daies tan čei
      do, vor i dowtnat, & tey west veriliche what peyne & what sorwe
  845 wer' čer;; čei wold dred it mor', a čowsendpart mor' čanne čei do;
      vor hardeliche čer be gretter peynes ter čan any tunge may telle,
      ¨e, čer is non man now leuyng' čat mith writ or čenk če peynes
      čat be čere. Vor a seith Virgilie, 6 eneidos, čow it wer' so čat a
      had an hundred tunges & an hundred mowčes, ¨e, and vois wer'
  850 as strong & as durable as any orn;; żit, a seith čis poet, a schuld
      nat be suffisaunt to telle al če peynes tat ben in helle. Syn čan
      a poet & a paynem vond be resun čat te peyne of helle be so gret
      & so greuus;; miche mor' ču, čat art a cristenman, schuld ben
      afered;; & dred če gret peynes tat ben čer, ¨e, & be če sacrifise o
  855 good workyng' auoyden a-way fro če čat če cum nat a-mongst
      tem. éervor, for to deliuere če fro čis prisun & tese peynes;;
      Crist, as a good prest, offred vp Him-silf in sacrifise for pur_gaciun
      o či synne: wer y may truliche reherce of Him če wordes
      tat i toke to my secunde principal;; čat Crist, prest etc; & o
  860 čese twey maner offryng' spekis holi writ Exodi XXII=o=, wher' a
      seith, decimas tuas & primitias tuas non tardabis offerr' Domino,
      'če schalt nat tarie,' bit holi writ, 'to offr' to či Lord God;; če
      tičes of rithwus demyng' as for če virste, nor be nat slow to
      offr' to God če virste frutes o či good workyng' as for če secunde.
  865 Vor boče čese, & te loke wel a-bowte;; če schalt fynde čat Crist



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      fulfilde in His owne person; wher' waster a mor' rithwus iugge
      or a beter wurker' čan Crist was ? Truliche, as te gospel makis
      mynde e diuers place;; e čis world was neuer non swiche; but, for
      as miche as tis was nat inow for' mannes redempciun;; a offred
  870 Him-silf wilfulliche to če vader of heuene vor purgaciun of vr
      synne. Wher i may rithwusliche reherce če word čat i toke to
      my time;; čat Crist etc;; as i seide be-for,.
         I seide also če črid tyme, & i pray ¨e čenk nat to longe, vor it is
      but a very schort word, čat Crist am[bas]siatur etc. We se wel
  875 be comen experiens, čat ¨if any of vs ha to do with a gret lord;;
      hath ned to send hym a letter be swich a message čat a surposez
      be most likyng' to him, čat a mow sped če beter in his ned čat a
      hath for to do; rith o če same wyse, mankynde, whan a was
      dampned to euerlastyng prison, hath ned to send a messager to če
  880 hie lord of heuene, čat a wold be goodliche & gracius to him.
      But who was best to be čis ambassiatur & tis messager ? Truliche
      če lordes owne sone, Crist Him-silf, vor He schulde [be] most
      acceptable to ym of any očer. éis messager neuer recused it nor
      deneyd it, but mekeliche & wilfulliche offred vp čis letter, čat
  885 was His owne bodi, to če vader of heuene. że, čis letter & tis
      charter was gayliche writen with diuers letters, vor če vi vo¨els
      e čis letter wer' Cristes vi wondes čat a suffred o če cros, whan a
      was nailed terto, če consonauntes wer' očer wondes čat Cristes
      bodi was fulfild with, whan a was betyn & scorget abowte te
  890 piler'. éis was a precius letter & comfortable to mankynd, ¨e,
      čis was noyčer writ ne capias as men mak now-a-dayes. Vor'
      we se now-alday, & truliche a gret sorwe it may be to vs, čat a
      vals tyraunt & a kursed iourour oč če cuntrey, ¨e, an oppressor
      oč če pouer peple, schal get him a writ or a capias to disese his
  895 pouer ne¨ebours tat ben a-bowt him,& teyth čat ha non;; ¨it a wil
      cum o če kyng' behalue or sum očer grete lordes name, hardeliche



|p78


      whan čei wot rith nawth troff;; & or while a-bowt mydnyth with
      fors of armes, with bowes ybent & arwes true, with gisarmes
      in hir' hond & swordes edrawe, & blow owt ho[r]nes vpon him;;
  900 čat al če world may vnder up-on his bodi, tak owt a pouer o
      man of his hows, make his wif & his children runne abowte e če
      cuntrey, barfot & barleggid abowt če dirk mydnyth, čat wo is
      hem čat er war' čei bare e čis world. éis is a kursed
      dede & an orrible, čus a kristenman to var with a-nočer. I may
  905 rithfulliche like čis wikked men, čes deuels children, to če lion;
      vor as seith Marcial totus, li. primo epigramatum epigramate
      XXIII=o=, če lion, whan a is an-hungred, a wil nat gladliche tak a
      litel beste as an har' or a konyng' or a swich anočer;; but a wil
      take a grete beste & a vat, čat a may wel slake his hunger vp-on.
  910 Ryth tus far' čes maner o men; & tey haue a pouere ne¨ebour
      be-side hem, čat hath nat scarseliche a peny or an halpeny in al
      čis world to [s]pende;; him čei lat pas ouer, him čei lat go vorč, vor
      čei wot wil inow |r[f.52v] čei schal but litel good wyn of him; but
      & ter be any bi hem čat is any čing črifti, or hath any good for
  915 to lese, on him čei go with al če wiles oč če lawe to tull him & to
      disese him, & but ¨if čei may haue his good o čis maner o wyse;;
      če wil haue it be very tyrrauntri & be veri maistri. Her' ¨e wel
      se čat tis a kursed peple, vor' hardeliche al če disese čat cumis e
      čis lond, as resyng' oč če peple, pestilens, derče & erče-quakes;;
  920 cum for' hir' cursidnes & hir' mysleuyng'. Had we any erče_quakes
      late e čis lond ? ¨e, for'-soče. In erče-quakes com[un]_liche
      hie čyngis, as steples & mownteyns, val virst adoun. Was
      ter any hi hil e čis lond ? ¨e, hi hil Olimpe, čat var če crowne vor
      če heyeste hil in al Ynglond;; with a litel erče-quake, with a litel
  925 whap o če wynd was kast heuedlyng'. Očer hill, also Sichyn,
      čat wer' čan he as Pelion & Ossan, Otris & Pyndis, če topetes
      of hem wer' smyt doun & kast in-to če valeis. éer-vor', for



|p79


      Cristes sake, ¨e čat tus wikkydliche ha take pouer menns good
      fro hem & tus vnlawfulliche disesed hem;; kast to amend ¨ow,
  930 lest' ter valle an erče-quake a-mong če valeis;; a-mong' če comen
      peple as hath doun a-mong če hill. Vor hardeliche, & tir do,
      but God help it;; al Ynglond wil be destreid;; & merueyle ¨e
      nawth, seres, čat i speke so miche to ¨ow as i do;; vor' truliche i
      se nat tis o myn owne heued, vor' ich was in a certeyn place
  935 with-in čis six wokkis wher' čis mater was somynd boče e
      g[e]neral & e special a-mong grete men čat longid to če kyng'
      & rith preue of his consel, & ter ich was preid and e-charged
      boče čat y schuld preche to ¨e čis same mater whan i prechid next
      her'. Vor, as it was seid tere, čer is no maner doyng' in Engelond
  940 čat greueč wors če kyng čan čat doč, as me sopose ¨e schal
      knowe with-in a schort while her'-after.
         éer-vor, vor če loue o God, ¨e čat be gilti o swich maner
      čingis amend ¨ow, čenk how miche sorwe & how miche grete
      peynes, as i told ¨ow, to swich mys-doers & mys-leuers is
  945 ordeyned, čenke o če točer side, how miche murče & ioie is
      ordeyned to čem čat be god men, ¨e, mor' ioie & blis čan any
      tunge mai tell or any herte čenke. Vor', as seyth Alanus in
      suo anticlaudiano, čer is euermor' mirče with-owte sorwe,
      brithenes with-owte cloude, pes with-owte hadride & riste with_owte
  950 trauaile.
         éervor', let euer-mor' ¨our wil & ¨our loue be hederward,
      turnit for' nočyng' bakward. Vor' a seith Statius, 7. thebaidos,
      men wer' wunt to ben armed al be-for' & nočyng' be-hynd; ryth
      so let vs euermor' set vr' herte vor-ward to čis ioie & tis blis &
  955 nočyng' bakward to lustis o čis wurld. For' čat čer we wer
      be-for' bonde & exilde;; Crist hač reconciled vs & mad vs'
      fre. Wher'-vor i may resonabliche reherce of Him če word
      čat i toke to my črid principal;; čat Crist ambassiatur etc. For
      čes čr[e] principales it is writen in holi writ Ysaie XXXIII,



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  960 Dominus rex noster, Dominus iudex noster, Dominus legifer
      noster, 'vr Lord,' seith čis profit Ysaie, čat is to sey Crist, 'is
      vr' kyng,' as to če virst principal, wher' i proued čat Crist was a
      kyng' boče be wysdome, be clene cločyng' & also be kendenes
      a¨ens His rem & His peple. 'Crist is also vr' iugge,' as to če
  965 secunde principal, wher' i seide čat Crist was a iugge & a prest of
      perffectiun & holines, be če offryng' o rithwus demyng' & also o
      good workyng'. 'Crist is fer[č]ermor' vr man o lawe,' as to če
      črid principal, wher' i seide čat Crist, as a good man o lawe, as
      a good ambassiatur, offr' vp letters for to bryng' vs to čat ioie
  970 & tat blis, čat quod oculus non vidit, auris non audiuit;; nec cor
      hominis ascendit,' ¨e, čat neuere bodiliche e¨e se, nor' mannes
      er' herde, nor' any herte myth čenke.' To čis ioie & tat blis He
      vs brynge;; čat for' če saluaciun of al mankynde offr' Him-silf to
      če vader' of heuene, Qui cum p. & s. s. v. & r. D. p. o. s.
  975 seculorum. Amen. In nomine p. & f. & s. s. Amen.