fol. 85r (cont.)fol. 85r
Passus xvjus / xv[ij]us / quintus decimus / [septimus] decimus de visione vt supra . — — C
I am spes a spie quod heTT spere after a kniȝte .
Þat toek me a maundement  vp-on þe mont of synay .
To reule alle reumes þere-withT  I bere þe writ here .
C Is it aseled I seyde  may men se þi lettres .C
¶ Nay he seyde I seke hym  þat hath þe sel to kepe .
And þat is cros and cristendom  and criste þere-on to hange .
And whan it is aseled so  sathanas power schal last no lenger .T
And þus my lettre meneth TC
¶ Lat se þat lettreT quod I  we miȝte þe lawe knowe C
A pluckedLX forthe a patenteT  a pece of a harde roche .
Where-on wasT writen to wordes  on þis wise Iglosed .
Dilige deum et proximum . tuum &cetera .
Þis was þe tixte treweli  I toke ful gode gomeT .
Þe glose was gloriousliche I-writeT  with a gulte penne .
In hijs duobus pendet tota lex & prophetia .T
Is here alle þi lordes lawes quod I  ȝe lef meT he seyde .
And who-so wercheth after my witT  I wole vndertaken .
Schal neuere deuel hym dere  ne deth in soule greue .
For þouȝ I seye it my-selue  I haue saued with þis charme .
Of men and of wommen  many score thousendes .
¶ He seith soth seyde þis heraud  I haue I-founde it ofte .
Lo here in my lappe  þat leued ofT þat charme .
Iosue and Iudith  and Iudas machabeus .
AndT sexti thousand by-side forth  þat be nauȝt se{n}yne here .
fol. 85vfol. 85v
¶ Ȝoure wordes aren wonderful quod I þo  which of ȝow is treweste.
And lelest to leue on  for lif and for soule 
Abraham seyth þat he seyȝ  holi þe trinite 
Thre persones in parceles  departable fram other .
And alle thre but o god  þus abraham me tauȝte .
And hath saued þat bileuethT so  and sori for here synnes .
He can nauȝte segge þe somme  & summe aren in his lappe .
What neded it þanne  a newe lawe to bringeT .
Sitth þe furst sufficeth  to sauacioun and to blisse .
¶ And now cometh spes and speketh  þat hath aspied þe lawe .
And telleth nauȝt of þe trinite  þat toek hym his lettres .
To bileue and louye  in o lorde almiȝty .
And sitth riȝt as my-selue  so louye alle poeple .T
¶ And as we wenten þus in þe weye  wordynge to-gyderes .
Þan seye we a samaritan  sittende on a mule .
RydenT ful rapely  þe riȝt weye we ȝeden 
ComyndeT fram a contre  þat men called iherico .
To a iustes in iherusalem  he chased a-weye fast .
Bothe þe heraud and hope  and he mette at ones . id est christus .C
Where a man was I-wounded  and with theues taken .
ALX miȝte neyther steppe ne stande  ne stere foet ne handes .
Ne helpe hym-sulue sothly  for semiuif he semed .
And as naked as a nedle  and noen helpe aboute .T
¶ Faith had furst siȝt onT hym  ac he fleiȝ on-syde .
And nolde nauȝte neȝen hym  bi nyne londes lengthe .
¶ Hope cam hippynge after  þat hadde so ybosted .
How he with moyses maundement  had many man yholpe .
Ac whan he had siȝthe of þat segge  a-syde he gan hym drawe .
Dredfully by this day  a{d}s doke doth fram þe faukoun  .
¶ Ac so sone so þe samaritan  had siȝt of þis lede  .
He liȝtte a-doun of liard  and ladde hym in his handesT .
And with þatT weye he wente  his woundes to beholde .
fol. 86rfol. 86r
And parceyued inT his pous  he was in peril to deye .
And but ȝif he hadde recourereT  þe rathere  þat rise schulde he neuere .
And breyde to his boteles  and bothe he atamede .T
With wyne and with oyle  his woundes he waschede .
Enbaumed hym and bonde his hede  and in his lappe hym leyde  .
And ladde hym so forth on liarde  to lex christi a graunge .
Wel six mile or seuene  by-syde þe newe market .
Herberwed hym at an hostrie  and þe hostelere called .
And seyde haue kepe þis man  til I come fro þe iustes .
And lo here siluer he seide  for salue to his woundes .
And he toke hym to pans  to liflode as it were 
And seyde what he speneth more  I make þe gode here-after .
For I may nauȝt lette quod þat lede  and liard he bi-strideth .
And raped hym to Ierusalem-warde  þe riȝte weye to ride .
¶ Faith folweth after faste  and fonded to mete hym .
And spes sparklicheT hym spedde  spede ȝif he miȝte .
To ouere-take hym & talke to hym  ar þei to tounne come .
¶ And whan I seiȝ þis I souiorned nauȝte  but schope me to renne .
And sewed þeT samaritan  þat was so ful of pite .
And graunted hym to ben his go{r}me  graunt mercy he seyde .
Ac þi frende and þi felaw quod he  þow fyndest me at nede .
¶ And I thanked hym þo  and sitth I hym tolde .
How þat faith fleȝ away  and spes his felawe bothe .
For siȝte of þe soreful man  þat robbed was with theues .
¶ Haue hem excused quod he  here helpe may litel auayle .
May no medecyn vnderT molde  þe man to hele brynge .
Neither feith ne fyne hope  so festred ben his woundes  .
With-oute þe blode of a barne  borne of a mayde .
And beT bathed in þat blode  baptized as it were  .
And þanne plastered with penaunce  and þeT passion of þat baby .
He schulde stande and steppe  ac stalworth worth he neuere .
Til he haue eten al þe barne  and his blode y-dronken .
For wente neuere wiȝt in þis worlde  þoruȝ þat wildernesse .
fol. 86vfol. 86v
Þat he ne was robbed neT rifled  rod he there otherT ȝede .
Saue faith and his felawe  spes and my-selue .
And þi-selue nowe  and suche þatT sewen oure werkes .
¶ For outlawe is inT þe wode  and vnder banke lotyeth .
And may vche man se  and gode merke taketh .T
Ho is bihynde and ho bifore  and ho ben an horse .
For he halt hym hardier an horse  þan he þat is a-fote .T
For he seithT me þat am samaritan  sewen faith and his felawe .
On my capil þat hatte caro  of man-kende I toke it .
He was vn harlotT  & hud hym in inferno .
Ac ar þis day thre dayes  I dar vndertaken .
Þat he worth fettred þat feloun  fast with cheynes .
And neuere eft greue gome  þat goth þis ilke gate .
O mors ero mors tua . &cetera .T
¶ A swete sire I seide þo  whether I schal bileue .
As faith and his felawe  enformed me bothe .
In thre persones departable  þat perpetuel were euere .
And al thre but o god  þus abraham me tauȝte .
And hope afterwarde  he bad me to louye .
O god with al my goed  and alle gomes after .
Louye hem like my-suluen  ac oure lorde a-boue alle .
¶ After abraham quod he  þat heraud of armes .
Sette faste þi faith  and ferme bileue 
And as hope behiȝtT þe  I hote þat þow louye .
Þine euene-cristene euermore  euen-forth with thi-selue .
And if consience carpe þere-aȝeine  or kende wit other .
Or eritikes with argumentz  þi hande þow hem schewe .
For god is after an hande  I-here now and knowe it .
¶ Þe fader was furst as a fust  with o fynger folden .T
Til hym leuedT and luste  to vnlosen his fynger .
And proferedT it forth as with a paume  to what place it schulde .
Þe paume is puirliche þe hande  & profereth forth þe fyngeres .
To minstre and to make  þat miȝt of honde knoweth .
fol. 87rfol. 87r
And bitokneth treweli telle ho-so liketh .
Þe holy goste of heuene  he is as þe paume .
Þe fyngeres þat fre ben  to folde and to serue .
Bytokneth sothly þe sone  þat sent was til erthe .
AndT touched and tasted  and techynge of þe paume .
Seinte marie a maydenT  and man-kende lauȝte . —
Qui conceptus est de spiritu sancto . &cetera .
Þe fader is þanne as fusteT  with fynger to thoucheT .
Quia omnia traham ad me ipsum &cetera .
Alle þat þe paume perceyueth  profitable to fele .
Þus ar þei alle but one  as it a fustT were .
And thre sundry siȝtes  in oen inT schewynge .P
Þe paume for þe paumeT putT forthe  fyngres and þe fuste bothe .
Riȝt so redely  resoun it scheweth  
How he þat is holy goste  sire and sone proueth .
And as þe hande halte harde  and al thynge faste .
Thoruȝ foure fyngres and a thumbe  forth with þe paume .
Riȝt so þe fader and þe sone  and seint spiriȝt þe thridde .
Halt al þe wyde worlde  withT hem thre .
Bothe wolkne and þe wynde  water and erthe .
Heuene and helle  and alle þat þere is Inne .
Þus it nedeth no manTtoT trowen non other
Þat thre thynges bylongeth  in oure lorde of heuene .
And aren surleps bi hem-sulue  a-sondry were neuere .T
Namore þan may an handT  meue with-outen fyngres .
¶ And as my fust is ful honde  I-folde to-gyderes .
So is þe fader a ful god  formeoure and scheppere .
Tu fabricator omnium &cetera .
And alle þe miȝte myd hym is  in makynge of thynges .
¶ Þe fyngres formeth a ful honde  to purtreye or peynten  .
Keruynge orT cumpassyngeisT crafte of þe fyngres .
Riȝt so is þe sone  þe science of þe fader .
And ful god as is þe fader  no feblere ne no bettere .
Þe paume is puirliche þe hande  hath powere bi hym-selue .
Other-wise þan þe writenT fuste  or werkman-schepe of fyngres .
fol. 87vfol. 87v
For þe paume hath powere  to pultT oute þe ioyntesT .
And to vnfolde þe fust  for hym it bilongeth .T
And receyue þat þe fyngres recheth  and refuse bothe .T
Whan he feleth þe fustand þe fyngres wille .
So is þe holy gost god  nother gretter ne lasse .
Þan is þe sire orT þe sone  and in þe same miȝte .
And alle ar þei but o god  as is myn hande and my fyngres  .
Vnfolden or folden  my fust and my paume .
Al is itT but an hande  how so I turne it .C
Ac who is herte in þe honde  euene in þe myddes .
He may reseyue riȝt nauȝt  reson it scheweth  .
For þe fyngres þat folde schulde  & þe fust make  .
For peyne of þe paume  power hem faileth .
To cluche or to clawe  to cluppe or to holde .
¶ Were þe myddel of myn hand  ymaymed other ypersed .T
I schulde reseyue riȝt nauȝt  of þat I reche miȝte .
Ac þouȝ my thombe and my fyngres  bothe were to-swolle .
And þe myddel of myn hande  with-oute male-ese .
In many kynne maneres  I miȝte my-sulue helpe .
Bothe meue and amende  þouȝ alle my fyngres oke  .
By this kile / [s]kile he seydeT  I se an euydence 
Þat ho-so synneth in þe seynt spiriȝt  assoyled worth he neuere .
Nother here ne elles-where  as I herde telle .
Qui peccat in spiritu sancto numquam &cetera . .T
For he priketh god as in þe paume  þat peccat in spiritu sancto
For god þe fader is as a fust  þe sone is as a fynger  .
Þe holy goste of heuene  is as it were þe paume .
So ho-so synneth a-ȝeynes þeT seynt spirit  it semeth þat he greuethC
God þat he gripeth with  and wolde his grace quenche .
For to a torche or to a tapereT  þe trinite is likned
As wex and a weyke  were twyned to-gyderes —
And þanne a fere flawmendeT  forth ouȝtLX of bothe .
And as wex and wyke  and warmeT fere to-gyderes .
Fostren forth a flawme  and a faire leye  .
So doth þe sire and þe sone  and al-so spiritus sanctus .
fol. 88rfol. 88r
Fostren forth amonges folk  loue and bileue .
Þat alkynne cristene  clensedeT of synnes .
And as þow seste somtyme  sodeyneliche a torche .
Þe blase þere-of I-blowe oute  ȝet brenneth þe weke .
With-oute leye or liȝte  þat þe macche brenneth .
So is the holy gost god  and grace with-oute mercy .
To alle vnkende creatures  þat coueyte to destruye .
Lel loue other lif þat oure lorde schupte .T
¶ Ac hewe fuyr andT flint  foure hundreth wynter .
But þow haue taccheT to take it  with tunder or broches .
Al þi labour is lost  and al þi longe trauaile .
For may no fuire flaume make  faile it his kende .
So is þe holy gost god  and grace with-oute mercy .
To alle vnkende creatures  crist hym-selue witnesseth .
Amen dico vobis nescio vos  &cetera .
¶ Be vnkende to þin euencristene  and alle þat þow canste bidden .
Delen and do penaunce  daye and niȝt euere .
And purchase al þe pardoun  of paemploen and rome .
And indulgences Inowe  and be ingratT to þi kynne .
Þe holy gost hereth þe nauȝte  ne helpe may þe be resoun .
For vnkendenesse qwenche hemT  þat he can nauȝt schine .
Ne brenne ne blase clere  for blowyng of vnkendenesse  .
Powel þe apostel  proueth where I lye  .
Si linguis hominum loquar .
For-thi beth war ȝe wise men  þat with þe worlde deleth .
Þat riche ben and reson knoweth  rewleth wel ȝoure soule .
Beth nauȝt vnkende I consel ȝow  to ȝoure euen-cristene .
For many of ȝow riche men  be my soule men telleth  .
Ȝe brennethT but ȝe blaseth nauȝte  &T þat is a blinde bekne .
Non omnis qui dicit domine domine  intrabit &cetera .
¶ Diues deyed Idampned  for his vnkendenesse 
Of his mete and moneT  to men þat it nedede .
Vche a riche I rede  rewarde at hym take .
And gyueth ȝoure gode to þat god  þat grace of ariseth .
fol. 88vfol. 88v
For þat ben vnkende to hise  hope I non other .
But þei dwelle þere diues is  dayes with-outen ende 
Þus is vnkendenesse þe contrarie  þat quencheth as it were .
Þe grace of þe holy goste  godes owene kendeLX .
For þat kende deth  vnkende fordoth as þese cursed theues  .
Vnkende cristene men  for coueytise and enuye .
Sleth a man for his mebles  with mouthe or with handes  .
For þat þe holy gost hath to kepe  þo harlotes destruyeth  .
Þe whiche is lif and loue  þe leye of mannes body .
For euery maner goed man  may be lickned to a torche .
Or elles to a taper  to reuerence þe trinite .
And ho-so morthereth a goed man  me thenketh be myn in-witt .
He fordoth þe leuest liȝt  þat oure lorde louyeth .
¶ Ac ȝut in many mo maneres  men offenden þe holy gost .
Ac þis is þe worste wise  þat any wiȝt miȝte  .
SynegenLX aȝeyne þe seint spiriȝt  assente to destruye .
For coueytise of any kynnes thynge  þat crist dere bouȝte .
How miȝte he aske mercy  or any mercy hym helpe  .T
Þat wickedlich and wilfulliche  wolde mercy anynte .
Innocense is next god  and niȝt and daye it crieth  .
Veniance veniance  for-ȝyue be it neuere .
Þat schentT and schedde oure blode  for-schupte vs as it semedT .
Vindica sanguinem iustorum  .
Þus veniance veniance  verrey charite asketh .
And sitthe holy cherche and charite  chargeth þis so sore  .
Leue I neuere þat oure lorde  wil loue þat charite lakketh .
Ne haue pite for eny preyere  þere þat he pleyneth .
¶ I pose I had syneged so  and schuld nouȝ deye  .
And nouȝtT am sori þatT so  þe seint spiriȝt I agulte .
Confesse me and crie his grace  god þat al made .
And myldelich his mercy aske  miȝt I nauȝt be I-saued .
¶ Ȝus seyde þe samaritan  so þow miȝtestT repente .
Þat riȝtwisenesse toT repentance  to reuthe miȝte turne  .
Ac it is but selden I-seye  þere sothenesse bereth witnesse .
fol. 89rfol. 89r
Eny creature beT coupble / coup[a]bleby-for a kynges iustice .
Be raunsouned for hisT  þere al resoun hym dampneth .
For þere þat partie pursueth  þe peelT is so huge .
Þat þe kynge may do no mercy  til bothe men acorde .
And eyther haue equite  as holy writt telleth .
Numquam dimittitur peccatum &cetera .
Þus it fareth bi suche folke  þat falsliche al here lyue .T
Euele lyuen and leten nouȝt  til lif hem forsake  .
Drede of desperacioundryueth a-weye þanne grace .T
Þat mercy in her mynde  may nauȝt þanne falle .
Goed hope þat helpe schulde  to wanhope turneth .
Nouȝt of þe nounper of god  þat he ne is miȝtful .
To amende al þat amys is  and his mercy grettere .
Þanne al oure wicked werkes  as holy writt telleth .
Misericordia dominiT super omnia opera eius .
Ac ar his riȝtwisnesse to reuthe turne  sum restitucion by-houeth .T
¶ Thre thynges there ben  þat dothT a man be strengthe .
Forto flen his owene hous  as holy writt scheweth .
Þat on is a wicked wif  þat wil nauȝt be chasted  .
Hire fere fleth hireT  for fere of hire tonge .
And if his hous be vnheled  and reyne on his bedde .
He seketh and seketh til he slepe drie .
¶ And whanne smoke and smolder  smitte in his siȝte  .
It doth hym wors þan his wif  or wete to slepe .
For smoke and smolder  smertethT his eyȝes  .
Til heT blereneyed or blinde  and cowȝhe in þe throteT .
HeT kouȝeth and corseth  þat crist ȝeue hym sorwe .
Þat schuld brynge in bettere wode  or blowen it til it brende .
¶ Þise thre þat I telle of  þus benT vnderstonde .
Þe wif is oure wikked flesche  wilT nauȝt be chasted .
For kende cleueth on hym euere  to contrarie þe soule .
And þow it falle it fynt skiles  þat frelte it made .
And þat is liȝtlych for-ȝyue  and for-ȝete bothe .
To man þat mercy asketh  and amende thenketh .
fol. 89vfol. 89v
¶ Þe reyne þat reyneth þere we rest schulde  
Ben siknesses and otherT sorwes  þat we suffren ouȝteT  .
As poule þe apostel  to þe poeple tauȝte .
Virtus in infirmitate perficitur .
And þouȝ þat men make muche  doel in here angre .
And be inpacient in here penaunce  puir resoun knoweth .
Þat þei han resounT to contrarie  by kynde of here sikenesse .
And liȝtliche oure lorde  at here liues ende .
Hath mercy on suche men  þat so euele may suffre .
¶ Ac þe smoke and þe smolder  þat smitte in oure eyȝes .
ÞatT coueitise and vnkendenesse  quenchethT godes mercy .
For vnkendenesse is þe contrarie  of alle kynne resoun .
For þere nis sike ne sori  ne none so muche wrecche .
Þat he ne may louye and hym like  and lene of his herte  .
Goed wille goedT worde  both wischen and wilnenT .
Alle maner men  mercy and forȝeuenesse 
And louye hem lich hym-sulue  and his lif amende .
I may no lenger lette quod he  and liard he prikede .
And went a-way as wynde  and þere-with I wakede .
passus xvus
fostren forth amonges folkC
n ijus