[L]Eue liberum arbitrium quaþ ich · ich leyue as ich hopeP

     Thou couþest telle and teche me · to charite ich leyue ·

     Thenne louh liberum arbitrium and ladde me forþ with tales

Til we comen in-to acontree / a contree cor hominis hit hyhte

Herber of alle pryuytees · and of holynesse

Euene in þe myddes · an ympe as hit were

Þat hihte ymago dei graciousliche hit growede

Thenne gan ich asken what hit hyhte · and he me sone tolde

Þe tree hihte trewe loue quaþ he · the trinite hit sette

Þorgh louely lokynge hit lyueþ · and launceþ vp blossemes

The wiche blosmes burnes · benygne speche callen

And þer-of comeþ a good frut · þe wich men · calle{þ}nN werkes

Of holynesse of hendynesse · of help hym þat neodeþ

The wiche is callid caritas cristes owene fode

And solaceþ alle soules · sorghful in purgatorie

Now certes ich seide · an sykede for ioye

Ich þonke þe a þowsend sythes · þat ȝe me hider kende

And suþþen þat ȝe foweche saue · to seye me what hit hihte

And he þonked me þo · bote þenne took** ich hede

Hit hadde shorieres to shoue hit vp · þre shides of o lengþe

And of o kynne colour · and o kynde as me þouhte

Alle þre yliche longe · and yliche large ·

Muche meruailede me · on what more thei growede

And efte askede of hym · of what wode þei were

Thees þre shoryeres quaþ he · þat bereþ vp þis plonte

Thei by-tokneþ trywely þe trinite of heuene

Thre persouns in-departable perpetuel were euere

Of o wyl of o whitLX · and here whitLX ich kepe

The frut of þis faire tree · fro þre wykkede wyndes

And fro fallyng of stok hit faille nouht of hus myghte

The wordle is a wykkede wynde · to hem þat wolde treuthe

Couetyse comeþ of þat whynde · and hit beteþ caritas

And for-freteþ þat frut · whitLX manye fayre syghtes

And whithLX þe ferste plaunke · ich palle hym doune potencia dei patris .

Þanne is flessh a feel wynde · in flouryng tyme

Þorgh lecherie and lustes so loude he gynneþ blowe

Þat hit norceþ nyce syȝtes · and som tyme wordes

And menye wykkede wormes · workes of synne

And al for-bit caritas to þe bare stalke

Thanne sette ich þe secunde plaunke sapiencia dei patris .

The wich is þe passion and penaunce · and þe parfytnesse of ihesus .

And þer-with ich warde hit oþerwyse · til hit wexe rype

Thenne foundeþ the feende · my frut to destruye

And leithe a laddere þer-to · of lesynges beþ þe ronges

With alle þe wyles þat he can · waggeþ þe roote

Þorw bak-byters and braweleres · and þorwe bolde chyderes

And shakeþ hit · newere / ne were hit vnder-shorede · sertes hit sholde nat stande

So þees lourdeines litheren þer-to · þat alle þe leues fallen

And feccheþ a-way this frut som tyme · by-fore boþe myn eyen

Thenne palle ich a-doune þe pouke · with þe þridde shoryere

The wiche is spiritus sanctus and soþ fastbyleyue / soþfast byleyue

And þat is grace of þe holy gost · and þus gat ich þe mastrye

Ich totide vp-on þat tree þo · and þenne tok ich hede

Wheþer þe frut wher faire · oþer foul to loken on

And þe frut was wonder fair · non fairer beo myghte

Ac in þre degrees hit grew · gret ferly me þouhte

And askede þo yf hit were · al of on kynde

Ȝe certes he seide · and sothliche þow leyue hit

Hit is al of o kynde · and þat shal ich prouen

Ac somme ar swettere þan some · and sannere wollen rotye

Men may seo on an appul treo meny tyme and ofte

Of okynne / o kynne apples · aren nat yliche grete

Ne of sywynge smale · ne of swetnesse swete

Tho þat sitten in þe sonne syde · somme aren rype

Swettour and saueriour · and also more grettoure ·

Than þat seilde hauen þe sonne · and sitten in þe north half**

And so hit fareþ sotthly · soone by oure kynde

Adam was as tree · and we aren as hus apples

Somme of ows sothfast · and somme variable

Somme litel and some large · like apples of kynde

As weddede men and wodewes · and ryȝth worthy maidenes

Þe wiche þe seynt espirit þe sonne of al heuene

Conforteþ hem in here continence · þat lyuen in contemplacion ·

As monkes and monyales men of holichurche

These hauen hete of þe holi gost as crop of treo þe sonne

Wedewes and wedeweres · þat here owen wil for-saken

And chast leden here lif · ys lyf of contemplacion

And more lykyng** to oure lorde þan lyue as kynde askeþ

And folwe þat þe flessh wole · and frut forþ brynge

That lettered men in here langage actiua uita callen

Ȝe syre ich seide · and sitthen þer aren bote to lyues

Þat oure lorde a-loweþ as lered men ous techeþ

That is actiua uita and uita contemplatiua .

Whi groweþ this frut in þre degrees · for a good skyle he seide

Her by-neoþe ich may nyme · yf ich neode habbe

Matrimonye a moiste frut þat multeplieþ þe peple

Thenne a-boue is abetere / a betere frut · ac boþe to ben goode ·

Wedewehode more worþier · þan wedlok as in heuene

Þanne is virginite more vertuous · and fairest as in heuene

For þat is euene with angeles · and angeles peer

Hit was þe furste frut · þat þe fader of heuene blessede

And bad hit be abat / a bat of erþe · aman / a man and a mayde

In menynge þat þe faireste þyng** þe furste þyng sholde honoure

And þe clennest creature · creatour ferste knowe

In kynges court and knyghtes þe clennest men and fairest

Shullen serue for þe lord selue so fareþ god almyghty

Maidenes and marteres · ministred hym her in erthe

And in heuene buth most pryue and next hym by reson

For þe fairest frut · by-fore hym as of eorthe

And swete whiþ-oute swellinge · sour worth hit neuere

This is a propre plente quaþ ich · and pryueliche hit bleweþ

And bryngeþ forþ faire frut · folke of alle nacion

Bothe parfit and inparfit · pure fayn ich wolde

A-saye what sauour hit hadde · ich seide þat tyme

Leue liberum arbitrium leet som lyf hit shake

A-non he het elde · an hih for to clymbe

And shaken hit sharply · þe ripen sholden falle

Elde clam to-warde þe crop · þan comsede hit to crie

He waggede wedewehod and hit wepte after

He meeuede matrimonye · hit made a foule noyse

For euere as elde hadde eny doun þe deuel was wel redy

And gederide hem alle to-gederis boþe grete and smale

Adam and abraham and ysaye þe prophete

Sampson and samuel and seynt · Iohan þe baptist

And bar hem forþ baldely · no body þo hym lette

And made of holy men hus horde in limbo doun inferni .

Ther is deornesse and drede and þe deuel maister

Þenne meouede hym mod in maiestate dei .

Þat libera uoluntas dei lauhte þe mydel shoriere

And hitte after þe fende · happe hou hit myghte

filius by þe faders wil · fleght with spiritus sanctus .

To ransake þe rageman and reue hym hus apples

Þat fyrst man deceyuede · thorgh frut and false by-heste

And þenne spake spiritus sanctus . in gabrielis mouthe

To þat mayde þat hihte marie meek þyng with-alle

Þat on Ihesus a Iustice sone · moste Iouken in hire chaumbre

Til plenitudo temporis tyme come were

That elde felde efte þat frut · oþer fulle to be rypy

Þat Ihesus sholde Iuste þer-fore · and Iugement of armes

Who sholde fecche þis frut · þe feend oþer Ihesus self

The maide myldeliche þo · þe messager hue answerede

And saide hendyliche to hym · loo me hus handmayde

For to worchen hus wil · with-oute eny synne Ecce ancilla domini & cetera .

And in þe wombe of þat wenche · he was fourty wokes

And man by-cam of þat mayde · to saue mankynde

Byg and a-bydynge · and blod in hus barn-hede

To hauen fouhten with þe feende · ar ful tyme come

Ac liberum arbitrium leche-crafte hym tauhte

Til plenitudo temporis hih tyme a-prochede

That suche a surgeyn · setthen yseye was þer neuere

Ne non so faithfol fysician for alle þat by-souhte

He lechede hem of here langoure · laȝars and blynde bothe

Ceci uident . claudi ambulant . leprosi mundantur .

And comune wymmen conuertede · and clansede hem of synne

And he lyft vp laȝar þat lay in hus tombe

Quatriduanus cold · quyke dude hym rome

Ac er he made þat miracle mestus cepit esse .

And wepte water with hus eyen · the whi whiten fewe

Ac þoo þat seyen þat selcouth · seyden þat tyme

Þat he was god oþer godes sone for þat grete wonder

And somme Iewes seiden · whithLX sorserie he wrouhte

And þorwe þe myghte of mahon and þorw mysbyleyue demonium habes .

Thanne sathan is ȝoure saueyour quaþ ihesus and haþ sauede ȝow ofte

Ac ich sauede ȝow sondry tymes · also ich fedde ȝowe

With fisshes and with fyf loues · fyfe þousend at ones

And þer-of lefte baskettes ful of broke mete

Broke bred to beren hit · a-wey hoo-so wolde

Vnkynde and vnknowing** quaþ crist . and with a rop smot hem

And ouere-turnede in þe temple · here tables and here stalles

And drof hem out alle þat þer bowten aLX solde

And seide þis is an hous · of orisouns and of holynesse

And whenne þat my wil is ich wolde hit ouer-throwe

And er þre dayes after · edefye hit newe

The Iewes tolden þe Iustice · hou þat ihesus seyde

Ac þe ouerturnyg** / ouerturny[n]g** of þe temple by-tokned þe resureccion

Enuye and vuel wil ȝorn in þe Iewes

And porsuede hem pryueliche and for pans hym bouhte

Ne forte tumultus fieret in populo .

Of Iudas þe Iewe iesus owene disciple

This by-fil on afryday / a fryday · a litel by-fore paske

Þat Iudas and Iewes ihesus thei mette

Aue rabbi quaþ þat ribaud · and right til hym he ȝede

And custe ihesus to be knowe þer-by · and kauhte of þe Iewes

Thanne ihesus to Iudas · and to þe Iewes seyde

Falsnesse ich fynde · in þy faire speche

And kene care in thi cossyns · and combraunce to þe selue

Thow shalt be myrour to menye men to deceyue

Wo to hem þat þyn wiles vsen to þe wordles ende

Ve homini illi per quem scandalum uenit .

Sitthe ich by treson am take and to ȝoure Iewes

Suffrieþ myne apostles in pees and in pees gangen

Thus Iewes to þe Iustices ihesus thei ladden

WhithLX muche noyse þat nyght · ner frentik ich awakede

In Inwit and in alle whittes · after liberum arbitrium .

Ich waitede wyterly · ac ne wiste weder heo wente

And þanne mette ich whiþ aman / a man · on mydlentens soneday

As hor as an haweþorn · and abraam he hihte

Of wennes ert þow quaþ ich · and hendeliche hym grette

Ich am with faiþ quaþ þat freek** · hit falleþ nat me to lye

And herande of armes · er eny lawe were

What is hus conysaunce quaþ ich · in hus cote armure

Þre persones in o pensel quath he departable fram oþer

O speche and o spirit · spryngeþ out of alle

Of o wit of on wil were neuere a-twynne

And sondry to seo vpon solus deus he hoteþ

Siþthen thei ben surlepees quaþ ich · thei han sondry names

That is soþ saide he · þe syre hatte pater . {??? .}

And þe secunde is a sone · of þe syre {???} filius .

The þridde is þat halt al · a þyng by hym-selue

Holigost is hus name an he is in alle

This is meerk þyng** for me quaþ ich · and for meny oþer

How o lorde myghte lyue aN þre · ich leyue hit nat ich seide

Muse nat to muche þer-on quaþ faith tyl þow more knowe

Ac looke þow leyue hit leelly al þy lyf-tyme

That þre by-longeþ to on lorde þat lygaunce cleymeþ

Mighte and mene to seo hus owen Mighte

Of hym-self and of hus seruaunt · and suffreþ hem boþe

God þat gynnynge hadde neuere · bote þo hym good þouhte

Sente forth hus sone · as for seruaunt þat tyme

To okupien hym here · til issue were spronge

The wiche aren children of charite · and holichurche þe moder

Patriarkes and prophetes and apostles were þe children

And crist and cristendome · and cristene holichurche

By-tokeneþ þe trinite and trywe by-leyue

O god almyghty þat man made and wrouhte

Semblable to hym-self er eny synne were

A þre he is þer he is · and here-of bereþ whittnesseLX

Þe werkes þat hym-self wrouhte · and þis wordle boþe

Celi enarrant gloriam dei & opera manuum euis annunciat firmamentum .

That he is þre persones departable · ich proue hit by man-kynde

And o · god almyghty yf alle men beo of adam .

Eue was of adam and out of hym ydrawe

And abel of hem boþe and alle þre o kynde

As theese þre þat ich carpe of adam and eue .

And abel heer essue · aren bote on in man-hede

Matrimonie with-oute moillere is nat muche to preyse

The bible bereþ witnesse · a book of þe olde lawe

That a-corsed alle couples · þat no kynde forth brouhte

Maledictus sit homo qui non reliquit semen in israel .

And a man with-oute a make myghte nat welle of kynde

Multeplie ne more ouer with-oute a make louye

Ne with-oute a sowere be suche seede · þis we seen alle

Now goo we to god-hede in god fader of heuene

Was þe sone in hym-selue in a simile as eue .

Was wanne god wolde · out of þe weye y-drawe

And as abel of adam and of hus wif eue .

Sprang forth and spak · a spir of hem tweyene

So out of þe syre and of þe sone · the seynt espirit of bothe

Ys and ay weren and worth with-outen ende

And as þre persones palpable · is pureliche bote o man-kynde

The wiche is man and hus make · and moillere isLX issue

So is god godessone in þre persones þe trinite

In matrimonie aren þre · and of .o. man cam alle þre

And to godhede goþ þre · and of o god is alle þre

Loo treys encountre treys quaþ he · in godhede and in manhede

Hauest þow seyen þis ich seide · alle þre and o god

In a somer ich seyh hym quaþ he · as ich sat in my porche

WereLX god cam goynge a þre · ryght by my gate

Tres uidit et unum adorauit .

Ich ros vp and reuerencede god · and ryght fayre hym grette

Wesh here feet and wypede hem · and after þei eten

And what ich þouhte and my wif he ous wel tolde

He by-hihte ous issue and heir · in oure olde age

Ful triwe tokne by-twyne ous is · wat tyme þat ich mete hym

Hou he fondede me ferst my faire sone ysaac

To make sacrifice of hym he het me hym to honoure

Ich with-sat nat hus heste · ich hope and by-leyue

Wher ich walke in þis wordle he wol hit me a-lowe

Ich circumsysede my sone · and al-so for hus sake

My-self and my meyne · and alle þat maule were

Bledden blod for þat lordes loue ich hope to blesse þe tyme

Myn affiaunce and my feith · is ferm hus byleyue

For hym-self seide ich sholde haue · and myn issue boþe

Lond and lordshup ynow · and lyf with-outen ende

To me and to myn issue more he by-hihte

Mercy for oure mysdedes · as meny tymes

As we wilnede and wolde · with mouth and herte asken

And sitthen he sende me to sayn · and seide þat ich sholde

Worshupen hym with wyn and with bred boþe

At ones on an auter · in worshup of þe trinite .

And make sacrifice so · som-what hit by-tokneþ

Ich leyue þatþilke / þat þilke lorde thenke · a newe lawe to make

Fiet unum ouile et unus pastor .P

Thus haue ich beo hus heraude · her and in helle

And comforted menye carful þere þat after hus comyng** loken

For-thi ich seke hym he seide for seynt Iohan þe baptist

Seide þat he seih hym her þat sholde ioye ous alle ecce agnus dei .

Thenne hadde ich wonder of hus wordes · and of hus wide cloþes

For in hus bosom he bar a þyng** · and þat he blessede ofte

And ich loked in hus lappe a lazar lay þer-ynne ·

With patriarkes and prophetes pleiynge to-gederes

What waytest þow quaþ faiht and what woldest þow haue

Ich wolde wyte quaþ ich þo · what is in þy lappe

Loo quaþ he and leet me seo · lord mercy ich seide

This is apresent / a present of muche prys · what pryns shal hit haue

Hit is a preciouse present quaþ he · ac þe pouke hit haþ attachede

And me þer-wiþ quaþ þe wye · may no wed ous quite

Ne no bern beo oure borghe · ne brynge ous out of daunger

Fro þe poukes poundfalde no maynprise may ous fecche

Til he come þat ich carpe of · crist is hus name

Þat shal delyuery ous som day out of þe deueles powere

And betere wed for ous wagen · þan alle we beon worthi

And þat is lif for lyf oþir ligge þus euere

Longynge in my lappe þus · til such a lord ous fecche

Alas ich seide þat synne · so longe shal lette

The myght of godes mercy · þat myghte ous alle amende

And wepte for hus wordes with þat ich seyh an oþer

Rappliche renne · þe righte wey we wente

And ich fraynede hym furst fro wennes he come

What he hihte and woder he wolde · and wyghtliche he ous tolde