Is it asseled I saide · may men se the lettres

¶ Nay he saied I seke hym · þat has þeal to kepe

And that is cros and cristendome · and crist þeron to hange

And whan it is asseled so · I woot wel the sothe

That luciferes lordship · last shal no langerT

¶ Lat se thy lettres quod I we miȝte the lawe knawe

Than plukked he forth a patente · a piece of an hard roche

Where-on were writen two wordes · on this wise yglosed

Dilige deum & proximum tuum & c

¶ This was the text trewely · I took ful goode yeme

The glose was gloriously writen · with a gilte penne

In hijs duobus mandatis tota lex pendet & prophete

¶ Ben here al thy lordes lawes quod I · ye leue me wille he saiede

Who-so wirches after þis write · I wyl vndirtaken

Shal neuer deuel hym dere · ne dette in saule greue

For thorugh I sey it my-selue · I haue saued with þis charme

Of men and wommen · may score thousandes

¶ He sayes soth sayed þe heraud · I haue founded it ofte

Lo here in my lappe · that leued on þat charme

Iosue and Iudith · and Iudas Machabeus

ye and sexti þousand biside forth ˜ þat be nouȝt seyn here

youre wordes be wondirful quod I · whiche of yow is trewest

And lelest to leue on · for life and for soule

Abraham sayes that he seighe holy the trinite

Thre persones in parcelle · departable fro other

And alle thre bot o god · thus abraham me taughte

And hath saued þat I bileued so · and sori for hir synne

He kan nouȝt saye þe somme ˜ and som aren in his lappe

What nedes it thanne · a newe lawe to bigynne

Sith the first suffise to saluacion and to blisse

¶ And now bicometh spes and spekes þat hase aspied the lawe

And telles nowght of þe Trinite · that took hym hise lettres

To bileue and louye in o lord almyghty

And sithen right as my-self · so louye alle pepile

¶ The mane that gaes with a staf · he semes in getter hel

Than he that gos with two staues · to sight of vs alle

And right so by the rode · reson me shewes

It is lighter to lewed men · a lesson to knowe

Than for to techen hem two · and to hard to lere the leste

It is ful hard for any man ˜ on abraham bileue

And waylawey wors yit ˜ for to loue a shrewe

It is lighter to leue ˜ in thre louely persones

Than for to loue and leue as wel lorelles as leles

¶ Ga thy gate quod I spes so me god helpe

Tha thatLX lernes thy lawe · wil litil while vsen it

And as we went thus in the waye · wordyng togidires

Than seigh we a samaritane sittyng on a Mule

Ridyng ful rapely · the riȝt way we yeden

Com fram a contre that men called Ierico

To a Iustes in {Islm}Iherusalem ˜ he chaced a-way faste

Bothe heraud and hope · and he met atones / at ones

Where a man was wounded · and with theues take

He myghte neither steppe ne stonde · ne stire foot ne handes

Ne helpe hym-self sotly · for semiuyf he semed

And as naked as a nedle · and non helpe aboute hym

¶ Faith had first sight of hym · and he fled on side

And walde nouȝt neighe hym · by nyne landes lengthe

Hope cam hippyng after · that had so ybosted

How he with moises mandement · had many men I-holpe

And whan he had sighte of that grome · asyde he gan hym drawe

dredfuly by this day · as doke doos fram the faukon

And so sone so the samaritane · had sight of this lede

He lighte adoun of liard · and hym in his hande

And to the wye he wente · hise woundes to biholde

And parceyued by his pouse · he was in peril to dye

And but if he had socur the rather · þat rise shulde he neuereT

With wyne and with oyle ˜ hise woundes he wasshed

Enbaumed hym and bonde his hed · and in his lappe he layde

And lad hym so forth on liard · to lex christi a graunge

Wel sex myle or seuene ˜ biside the new market

Herberwed hym at on ostrie · and to the ostiler called

And saide haue · kepe this man ˜ til I come fro the Iustes

And lo here siluer he saide · for salue to hise woundes

And he took hym two pens ˜ to liflode as it were

And saide what he spendes more · I make the good here after

For I may nouȝ lette quod that leode · and lyard he bistroode

And raped hym to Ierusalem warde · the right wey to ryde

¶ Faith folwed after faste · and fonded to mete hym

And spes spaklich hym spedde ˜ spede if he myghte

To ouer-take hym and talke til hym · er thay to towne come

¶ And whan I seigh this · I soiournd nouȝt ˜ bot shope me renne

And suwed that samaritan that was so ful of piete

And graunted hym to be his grome · graunt mercy he saide

And thy frend and thy felawe he saide · þou fyndest me at nede

¶ And I thanked hym tho · and sith I hym tolde

How that faith fleed away · and spes his felawe bothe

For sight of the sorwful man · þat robbed was with theues

haue hem excused quod he · hir helpe may litel auaille

May no medicyne on molde · the man to hele brynge

Neither faith ne fyne hope · so festred ben his woundes

With-outen þe blood of a barne ˜ born of a Maide

And he be bathed in the blood · baptized as it were

And þan plastred with penaunce · and passioun of þat baby

He scholde stonde and steppe · and stalworþ worth he neuer

Til he haue eten al þe barne · and his blood ydronken

For wente neuere wye in this world · þurȝ þat wildernesse

Thad he was ne was robbed or riflid · rade he ther or yede

saue faith and his felawe · spes and my-selue

And thy-self now · and swich as swen oure werkes

¶ For outlawes in the wode · and vndir bank lowted

And mowe eche man see · and good marke take

Who is bihynde and who bifore · and who ben on hors

For he haldes hym hardier on hors · than he that is at foote

For he seigh me that am Samaritan sewen faith and his felawe

On my capile that hatte Caro of mankynde I took it

He was vnhardy that harlot · and hid hym in inferno

And er thise dayes thre dayes · I dar vndir-take

That he worth fettred that felon · faste with cheynes

And neuer eft greue grome · þat goth this ilke gateT

¶ And than schal faith be forster here · and in this fryth

And kenne comune men þat knowen nouȝt the contree

Wiche is the wey that ich wente ˜ and wherforth to Ierusalem

And hope the hostilers man shal be ther the man lith to helynge

And al that fieble and feynte be · that faith may nouȝt teche

hope shal lede hym forth with loue · as his lettre hem telles

And herber hem and hel hem · thorugh holy chirche bileue

Til I haue salue for alle sike · and than shal I retorne

And come ayein by this contre · and conforte alle sike

That craues it or coueites it · and cries ther-after

For the barne was in Bethelem of a clen Maide

That schal with his blood saue · al that lyuen in faith

And foloweth the techyng of hope that is felawe

¶ A swete sire I saied tho · were shal I beleue

As faith and his felawe enformen bothe me

In thre persones departable · that perpetuel were euere

And al this bot o god · thus abraham me taughte

And hope afterward · he bad me to loue

O god with al my goode · and alle gomes after

Louye hem lik my-self · and oure lord abouen alle

¶ After abraham quod he ˜ that heraud of armes

Sette fast thy faith · and ferme bileue

And as hope highte the I hote þat thow louye

Thyn euene cristyne euermore · euene forth with thy selue

And if conscience carpe ther ayein · or kynde wit either

Or heretikes with argumentz · thyn honde thow hym shewe

For god is after an hande · yhere now and knowe it

¶ The fader was first a fist · with a fynger foldyng

Til hym loued and liste · to vnlosen his fynger

And profre it forth as with a paume · to what place it sholde

The paume is purly the honde · and profer forth the fyngers

To ministre and to make · þat myght of hand knowes

And bitoknes trewli · telle who-so it liked

The holy gost of heuen · he is as the paumeT

Saynte Marie a Maide and mankynde laughte

Qui conceptus est de spiritu sancto natus & c

The fader is þanne a a fyst ˜ with fynger to touche

Qui omnia traham ad meipsum / me ipsum & c

Alle that the paume parceyues ˜ profitable to fele

Thus aren thay alle but oon · as it an hand were

And thre sondry sightes · in oon shewynge

The paume for he puttes forth fyngres · and the fist bothe

Right so ridily reson it shewes

How he þat is holy gost · sire and sone preueth

And as the hande haldes harde ˜ and al thyng faste

Thorugh foure fyngres and a thombe · forth with þe palme

Right so the fader and the sone ˜ and saynt spirit the thride

Haldes al the wide worlde · with-Inn hem thre

Both welken and the wynde · water and erthe

Heuene and helle · and al that ther-Inne is

Thus it nedes no man trow non other

That thre thynges bilonges · in oure lord of heuene

And aren sereples by hem-self · a sondry were thay neuere

Na more than myn hande may moue withoute my fyngers

¶ And as my neef if fulhande · yfold to-giders

So is the fader a ful god · fourmeour and schipper

Tu fabricator omni & c

Al the myghte with hym is · in makyng of alle thynges

¶ The fyngres formen a ful hande · to purtrey or to paynten

Keruing and compassyng · as crist of the fyngres

Right so is the sone the science of the fader

And ful god as is the fader · no fiebler ne no better

¶ The pavme is purlich the hande · has power by hym-selue

Other-wise thanne he writhes þe fyst · or werkmanship of fyngres

For the pavme hase power · to put out al the ioyntes

And to vnfold the folden Neue · as the fyngers wille

To is the holy goost god · nouther gretter ne lasse

Than is the sire and the sone · and in the same myghte

And alle aren thay but o god · as is myn hande and fynggers

vnfolden or folden · my fyst and my pavme

Al is bot on hande · euene in the myddesT

For the fyngers that folde shulde · ande the Neeue make

For peyne of the loofe · power hem failles

To clenche or to clawe · or clippe or to holde

¶ Were the mydel of myn hande · ymayheymed or yperissed

I scholde receyue right nouȝt · and of þat I reche myghte

As though my thombe and my fyngers bothe were to-schirnerd

And the mydel of myn honde · with-oute male-ese

In many kynnes maners I myghte my-selue helpe

Bothe moeue and amende · though alle my fyngers oke

By this {kyl} skyl my-thynketh · I se auidence

That who-so synnes in saynt spirit ˜ assoilled worth he neuere

Neither here ne elleswhere · as I herde telle

Qui peccat in spiritu sancto & c

For he prikes god {as} is as a fyst · the sone is as the fynger

The holy gost of heuene is as it were the pavme

So who-so synnes in the seynt spirit · it semeth þat he greues

God þat he gripes with · and wolde his grace quenche

¶ And to a torche or to a tapere the Trinite is ylikned

As wax and a weke · were twyned to-gidires

And thanne a fire flaumyng · forthe oute of bothe

And as wax and weke · and hote fir togiders

Fostren forth a flaumbe · and a fair loweT

So doos the sire and the sone ˜ and also spiritus sanctus

Brynges forth amonges folk · loue and bileue

That alkynne cristen · clensees of synnes

And as thow seest some tyme · sodeynliche a torche

The blase ther-of yblow out · yet bernnes the weke

With-oute lowe or lighte · þat þe macche brennes

So is the holy goost god · and grace with-owten mercye

To alle vnkynde creatures · that coueite to destruye

Lele loue other lif · that oure lord shapte

¶ And as a glowyng glede · ne gladeth nauȝt thise werkmen

That werchen and waken · in wynters nyghtes

As doos a kex or a candel · þat caught has fire and blaseth

namore doth sire ne sone · ne saynt spirit togiders

Graunte no grace ne forgyfnees of synnes

Til the holy gost gynne to glowe and to blase

So that the holy goost glowes bot as a glede

Til that lele loue ligge on hym and blowe

And than flaumes he as fir on fader and on filius

And meltees hir myghte o mercye · as men may se in wynter

Iseyokels in euesynges · thurȝ het of sonne

Melteth in a minute while ˜ to myst and to water

So grace of the holy goost · the grete myghte of the trinite

Meltes to mercye to merciable and to non other

¶ And as wax with-outen more · on a warme glede

Wol brennen and blasen · be thay to-geddires

And solacen hem þat mow se þat sitten in dirknes

So wol the fader foryeue folk of mylde hertes

That reufullich repenten · and restitucon make

In as muche as thay mowen amenden and payen

And if it suffizes nout for asseith · that in swich wille deyeth

Merci for his meknesse · wol make good the remenaunt

And as the weke and fire · wol make a warme flaumde

For to myrthe men with · that in merke sitten

So wol crist of his curteisie · and men crie hem mercye

Bothe for-gyue and foryete · and yet bidde for vs

To the fader of heuen foryeuenesse to haue

¶ And hewe fire at a flynt · forure hundreth wynter

But thow haue towe to take it with tondure or broches

Al thy labour is lost · and al thy longe trauaille

For may no fir flaumbe make ˜ faille it is kynde

So is the holy goost god · and grace with-outen mercye

To alle vnkynde creatures · criste hym-self witnesseth

Amen dico vobis nescio vos~

¶ Be vnkynde to thyn euene cristen · and al þat þou kanst bidden

Delen or do penaunce · day & night euere

And purchace al the pardon · of Pampilon and Rome

And indulgences ynowe · and be ingratis to þy kynde

The holy gost heres þe nouȝt · ne helpe may the by reson

For vnkyndenes quenches hym · þat he kan nouȝt shyne

Ne brenne ne blase clere · for blowyng of vnkyndenesse

Poule the apostel proueth where I lye

Si linguis hominum loquare & c

¶ For-thy ware ye wise men that with the worlde deleth

That riche ben and reson knoweth · reule wel youre saule

Beth naught vnkynde I counseil yow to youre euene cristne

For many of yow riche men · by my soule men telles

ye brenne but ye blasen nouȝt · þat is an vnkynde beken

Non omnis qui dicit domine domine & cT

Diues deyed dampned · for his vnkyndenesse

Of his mete and his monei · to men þat it nedes

Ech a riche I rede reward at hym take

And geueth youre good to þat god · þat grace of ariseth

For thay þat ben vnkynde to hise · hope I non other

But thay schul dwel ther diues is · dayes with-outen ende

Thus is vnkyndenesse the contrarie · that quencheth as it were

The grace of the holy gost · goddis owne kynde

For þat kynde doos vnkynde for-doth ˜ as thise cursed theues

vnkynde cristyne men · for coueitise and enuye

Sleth a man for hise moebles · with mouthe or with hondes

For þat þe haly gaest hase to kepe · tho harlotes destroieth

The whiche is þe lif and loue · the leye of mannes body

For euery maner good man · may be likned to a torche

Or elles to a taper · to reuerence the Trinite

And who-so morthreth a good man · ne thynket by myn Inwit

He fordoos the leuest light · that oure lord louees

And yet in many mo maners ; men offende the holy goost

And this is the worst wisse that anny wight myghte

Synnen ayein seint spirit · assenten to destruye

For coueitise of any thyng · that criste dere boughteT

That wikkedlich · and wilfulliche wolde mercy aniente

¶ Innocens is nex god · and nyght and day it cryeth.

vengeance vengeaunce ˜ forgyuen be it neuere

That schent vs and shad oure blood · forshapte vs as it were

vindicta sanguinem iustorum & c

¶ Thus vengeaunce vengeaunce verray charite askes

And sit holy chirche and charite · charges this so sore

Leue I neuere that oure lord · wol loue that charite hattes

Ne haue pite for any prayer · ther that he pleynes

¶ I pose I had synned so · and shulde nouȝt deye

And now am sory that I so · the seint spirit agylte

Confesse me and crye his grace god that al made

And myldlich his mercy axe · myȝt I nought be saued

¶ Thus saied the samaritan so wel thow myghte repente

That rightwisnesse thorugh repentaunce ; to reuthe myghte torne

And it is bot seldom seyen · the sothnesse bereth witnesse

Any creature that is coupabile · a-fore a kynges Iustices

Be raunceoned for his repentaunce · ther al reson hym dampnees

For ther þat partie pursuees · the pepile his so huge

That the kynge may do no mercye · til bothe men acorde

And neither haue equite · as holy writ telles

¶*** Nuncquam dimittitur peccatum & c

¶*** Thus it farees by swich folk · that falsly al hir lyues

yuel lyuen and leten nought · til lif hem forsakeT

Gode hope sholde · to wanhopope turneth

Nouȝt of the non power of god · that he ne is myghtful

To amende al that amys is · and his mercy gretter

Than alle oure wikked werkes · as holy writ telles

Misericordia eius super omnia opera eius ~

¶*** And er his rightfulnesse to reuthe torne · som restitucoun biho

His sorwe is satisfaccion for hym ˜ that may nought paie

¶*** Thre thynges that ben that doon a man by strengthe

For to fleen his owen hous · as holy writ sheweth

That oon is a wikked wif · that wol nouȝt be chastied

hir feer flieth fro hir · for fere of hir tonge

And if hous be vnhilled · and rayne in hise bedde

He seketh al aboute · til he ligge drye

And whan smoke or smolder smyt in his sighte

It doth hym wors than his wif · or wete to slepe

For smoke and smolder · smytes his eighen

Til he be blereighed or blynde · and hoos in the throte

Coughees and curseth · that crist yeue hym sorwe

That schul brynge Inne better wode · or blow it til it brende

¶*** This thre that I telle of · be thus vndirstonde

The wiffe is oure wikked flessh · þat wol nouȝ be chastied

For kynde cleueth on hym euere to contrarie þe soule

And though it falle it fynt skylles · that frelite is maad

And that is lightly foryeuen ˜ and foryeten bothe

To man that mercy asketh · and amende thynketh

¶*** The rayne that rayneth · there we reste sholde

Ben siknesse and sorwes · that we suffren ofte

As poule the apostel to the pepile taughte

Virtus In infirmitate & c

And though that men make muche dole in angre

And in-pacient in hir penaunce · pure resone knoweth

That thay han cause to contrarie · by kynde of hir sikenesse

And lightlich oure lord · at hir lyues ende

Haue mercy on swich men · that yuel may suffree

¶ And the smoke and the smolder · that smyt in oure eighen

Is coueitise and vnkyndenesse · that quenches goddes mercy

For vnkyndenesse is the contrarie ˜ of alkynns resoun

For ther nys sik ne sory · ne non so muche werche

That he ne may louye and hym like · and leue of his herte

Good wille and good word · bothe wisshen and willen

Alle manere men mercy ˜ and forgyfnesse

And louye hem liche hym-self · and his lif amende

I may no langer lette quod he · and harde priked

And wente away as wynde · and ther-with I awaked