13

at ye laste to a blisful endynge. Here ſu mē moūn be repremp'd pat ſepne.
it is bett to pِmke and to preie, and yei knowe not what god ſepty. That is
Worde is brēmynge i pīrgith i makith clene ye felthis of ſynes. And ye
ſwetnesſe of preieris to reyſe ye ſonle to god, and to caſte oute alle pe lettіg
of gte. Bīnne ſepne yei wil pimke friste, pat yei moūn stable her hertis w
pmkynge. But it yul be pe lenger of yei come to pſeacion, but if yei begyne
ſerſte ſtedſaſtly w prepynge. And per w yei moūn be broute to hōly pimkyge,
and pom a mā may not hane all his desire on ye ſerſte nap. Hymbe houyth
for to a bide goddis wil. And al wep beſy hyn selfe i prepynge, and do gladly
al pat god biddith hyn. I ſle i for ſake al po pimks y god for biddith hyn
to do. And if he be beſy and ſtedſaſte in p[is] maner of prepynge i al rithful
coneitynge god wil grāuite hyn ius aſkynge. Off meditacion.

I. vii

Tis a blisful meditacion, to pimke on crِiſt paffion. And ofte to pimke on his deth.
And of pe man of lins deynge, and of lins p[ey]nes. Vilenpes ſpettynge i lins
ſace i betyngis y he toke wilfully for vs. How he ſufferd gopnge i prechys.
ſclāndrynge. A zens ſepnge, gret witſtondynge. Hnnger yzefte i colde. Hete
and manp op p[en]aunce doyge. chidynge eurſp[eng]is w manp false acuſp[eng]is.
Ther for no mā pimke h[em]p to be a folwer of lins lord i come to endelesſe bliffe,
be yo ſame wepe[s] y he dede. Who ſo ſeith y he lonyth crِiſte i deſirith y he xild
be his lede i his chenentpn. He minſte nedis goo y wepe y he zede, ſfor
elles ſothly he ſaplith of pat wepe y ledith mā to h[em]p. But i ſepe to pe.
pon yalte not folowe hyn i pe wepe y he zede bp bodyl gopnge, ne be pe
ſote ſteppynge, but be denoute prepynge i p[ſi]ſte charite w al man of
holy ly[uy]nge, god ſeith to pe be jerenne pe [a]phete. Be p[im]ke pe on myn
p[one]ite i of m[yp] paſſyn onte of p[is] Wozlde to myn bleſſid fadir. i y[hy]alte
ſpnde my p[ey]nes more bit[te]. yan was eu[en] ony w[or]mod eſel of galle, th[ey]ſſe
ben p[im]kynges i m[ā]nys ſonle y[con]fuiſidith pe deu[pl] i all his ſleyztis. And
it quenchith al fleſchely temptaconis, and it k[yp]ndelieth pe ſne of lony be
pe w[or]kynge of pe holigoſte i m[ā]nys ſonle. And clarefith i p[ir]gith
hyn pat was ſonle be fore. And i trowe ſothly y p[is] meditacion is

moste pfiztable to mā yat is turnyd newe to criste. per for þ mankende
of crist in wich eúp māmste nedis iopen hym yme. And also hane for,
we. Noie for a goodnesse þ god hath schemd to hym in his azen bping
sozelke in schame in herte for his false leuyng/ to pe cōtempla-
cion of ye godhed may the new come. But he forsake fle schel y
lust/ þe made gostely as ye brenyge loue pat he hath set in god
sum yei ben pat ymbyn besyly of ye we pat seynt/ anget
han in henen. And longe and despynge w all her myth aftir þ
noie. And pis pinge is ptrinct to cōtemplacon opir men þ ben
þ puke on pe wicthydnesse of felthe. And of feblennesse as of mā
ups coddion. And dispynge in her poiztis of ye woodnesse of me.
yat for vamte of ymgis þ he may see. for sakith pe iоies of henen.
Dyer mē þ ben þ disposyn hem to no pinge ells. but to priepe her
maker in for to lone hym. As meche as it is possible for a synful mā,
to yes meditacon cometh no man til he hane tramahd mekil in po þ
ben seyde be for en. As meditacons I may seie to ye. But wiche onld
moste pfizte ye. for sothe I knowe not for pine imiere wil þ yme af
fescon may I not see. but I troive sekely pat po meditacons in pm
þyngis þ god wil pire in pm soule. ben most plesynge on to hym.  
ſekereste were vn to pe blive of henen. If þ diſpise techeres of trew
doitrine of suche as yei ſynde in ſcripture and þ prie ſinne to come
to þ purpos of holynesse al be yme ſelfe. And for sakith consel in
techynge of wíſe mē. Wite þ wil þ arte vnable to come to ye lo
upnge in knowynge of god. for folis seyne. god almyzty tanzte
yo men as jhōn in iames in suche opir for to ben holp in to lone ly
a boup all pinge. Why yulde he not as wel teche me. as he did
hym. I anſwere to ye for þ arte not suche as yei were. for pon
prie ſinumpſt of pi ſelfe to come to holynesse. in here þ arte p[ronde
and ſterne. and yo opir ſemt in þ ſpeſt of. were impide in meke
in aftid no pinge of god. but cimynge of his lawe in knowynge

18

of his selfe and himself not euer but wisdom of his own. And then to him be his gite. For we would take ye lesson of god lemping in ye hours of his. Youth is the time most sweetnesse is, and then it is the greatest comfort. You be moste fitable to ye. But to make you out the sweetnesse is teres. It is fitable then also thenye. Of love and of redynge. L.

If it were come to be fitable alone of god be Christ our Saviour of all times and to be led to dispise erdely ymging. But he be duly get and be given for to make it stand by holy writ. And namely in place of god speith moste of god lempnge. And techith us to take ye cause of yeende. And where he speakith moste of god and contemplatyp of us. And have sentens and fofil of holy writ asigne to such me of wit he han vsid longe time to dispute suche materis. And he it fiteth to amain to be trewe longe to god. Also in thy time we may know him the lonyth vs. And paine of his depth vs. to know what we sayne in what we sayne and to wite what we ontyn to do. And what we would fole ye fotalte of our enemies be vtu of alone be schewid to vs. But who no counte of prepynge ne of fanour of wrychip ne of wypnynge stane vs to ye cimynge of sciptue. But only for to lyne ye better in teche it upon me. And of his owre intent be fore to plese god. And we may alone hym ye more. And we techyn gladly all that be not cimynge not for us we would be holden wise. But we would zene frely for him to him pat nede as god hath zonyn to vs. But we schuld not preche to be holden wise. For lesse harme it is to vs to holden our cimynge than to schew it to ye people for to have prepyng. Of this berith ye apperet witnesse. The seith of this wise. In myn herte have I hane read in word of him. I would not prime to ye. But is for to sey in veyne schewyng of myn wit for preyd or prepyng or for false flaterynge. We cause of our speynge unfe of the ground of holy men prepyng of god and medification of ye hereris. But ye scripture may be fulfilled in vs. But who he seith prepyng of god alwey be in myn mouth. And pat is algate

Sthan we felyn not oure ovne prepſtinge ne ſpeke no pinge yf is azenſ
his woſchip rith as þe ſeift þe loueris of yis world ben ſtronge in woſdly
ymgis in wſe. Pith ſo pei ben ſooli in pe ſizte of god. Pith ſo pe loueris
of god ben ſul inypzty in goſtly werks. And in woſdely lustis in deſuirs or
for to defende ony woſdly cauſis pei ben rith theſe to ou come. And it is
no wondir for god dwellith in hem. And ſemte John berith witneſſe in ſei
th. Who ſo louyth me he yal kepe my woſde in my fadir yail loue hym.
And we ſchal cume and make oure diuellrynge w hym. Drewe of god and
of his enyn cristen zene a ma powre to wſtonde eirſ dedely ſyme. And to
distroie a nentis hym ſelſe maſſe and prowd of all pe demyhs in helle.
for god w outpn ma ne ma w outpn god may not be loupſ as bede ſeith
in his omely. yis byddynge we hane of god. pat who ſo louyth hye muſt
nedis loue lys brodir. If þe wilt wete whep þe louYST god or noon you
mayſt knowyn be certeypne tokenes whichc þe mayſt ſynde in yme ſelſe.
pe ferſte tokene is. Whan þe ſyndyſt no dedly ſyme in yme ſonle. for
if þe lone god in al yme herte per ſchal no ymg be ſonelpn in pe to ſeume
w deſuirs of ſyne. An op tokyn is. Whan a ma ſparith not hym
ſelſe for pe lone þe he hathe to god. But he þe louyth god more pan hye ſelf
he wolde for his lone ſuffre almaner of peyne. ze for sothe dethe it is
cume to hye. The chrid tokyn of lone is þa ma lone not to meche pe
worlde. ne worldly ymge for pei turne wiongfully ye or dere of lone
þe lone yis world þe god bydpth hye dyſpise. And ſemt John ſeith. Ayle.
ze lone yis woſle ne doo ymgis þe be þjn but who lone god a bomyn
al ymge in his broper as hye ſelſe. he is mayde pe ſone of god in eire
of endelesſe blyſe. a tokyn of very lone of lys brodir is yis. pat he
blamyd hye teche hi corzette hi in pumſche hym for eirſ ſpne. for it is
no lone but hate to ſuffre wicrid maneris and vites not a mendid.
who ſo louyth god in his bropir hathe fulfilſed al pe lawe. And he is
depeſd a pſizte ma. pei ben pſizte in lone god in m charite þe ben redy
to ſuffre deth for lys lawe. pe lone of god makith a ma pſizte in for to be

occupied alwey to holy werkis. And it maith hym myztyt in stronge to w stonde in oour cume al his emmys. Of demielle of y g. L. F.

BE yese neyne degres, þ ben touchid be fore a mā may cume to demielle of ponzt be whiche god is, seyne. I speke of pat demielle ye whiche may be had in pis life. How is demielle had here, sith iche holyp ma is, defoulid w venyal spynne. But whan a mā hath defoulid lys feet w pondir of ye herbe, wasche hem a wey wel w onte watr. And yal yel be clene. Bith so if pi soule be foulid w pondir of spynne, wasche it clene w pe watr þ fallith onte of pme epne for soz of pme spynne. And yan arte þ made pure in ye sizte of god. Who may sepe I am w ontyn spynne.

As who sepe no man in pis life. Ffor ob seith if I were waschþ w watr of life þ is verreipenance. Yan yal þ be made clene of al my felthis þ hane done be fore. What demielle may a mā hane in pis life. Ffor sothe ful gret and preisable. If ze wil vse rithfullyp ye ftiðýmg of holyp lesson of oracón and meditatón as it is seid be fore. And ponz it be so. þ pe spynne tyme vennallyþ. Ffor þe hool eutent þat he fettith to god it is don a wey frô hyn gracionfly.

Brenynge lone in charite þ is dwellynge in a mā distroicthal ye ruiste spynnes, and quenchith all peynes þ ben ordeynþd þ fore As watr quenchith ye fyer.

The vtn of a purgyd soule is to hane eu more al ye ponzt fastnýd in god and lys, mende stedfasthy is rep spyd bp to god. Ffor ponz he speke nev so meche w men of pis wozlde. eu lys mende is in god fullý. And per is no pinge þ may lett hym fro þ ponzt þ he pmyth so blisfullyp. To þ soule þ is purgyd clene. per is no pinge bittr. no pinge scharpe. no pinge harde. But all is softe. And al it swete. Ffor of demielle of rith songis of endeles glorie.

And spechis of al man swetnesse of comfortis and of gladnesse. Ofte it is zonyn to holyp mē of almyztp god so grett ioie in his life. þ it semýth to he to here songe in melodie of angelis of henyn. In pis state a mā may know þ he is in charite, ze for soth whiche he yal nev lose. Zit nev ye lesse suche a mā lenýth in grett drede for temptacóns of ye fende þ myste falle to hym. And also for offendýnge of ye lone of god. Here I spaze