----------------------------------------
-----------------  ,transcriber's ,note3
                                        
,obvious typographical errors have been 
corrected in       this text4 ,for a    
complete list1 please see the end of    
this document4                          
----------------------------------------
-----------------      ,,the ,,form ,,of
 ,,perfect ,,living ,,and ,,other       
,,prose ,,treatises4  by  ,,richard     
,,rolle1 ,,of ,,hampole1 ,a4,d4         
#acjj-acdi4  ,rendered into ,modern     
,english by ,geraldine ,e4 ,hodgson1    
,d4,litt41 ,lecturer in ,education in   
the ,university of ,bristol4            
,london3 ,thomas ,baker1 #gb1 ,newman   
,street1 ,w4 #aiaj4  ,printed ,by ,w4   
,c4 ,hemmons1 ,st4 ,stephen ,street1    
,bristol4     ,love is a life1 joining  
together the loving and the loved4      
,truth may be without love1 but it      
cannot help without it4  ,,richard      
,,rolle  7,the ,form of ,perfect        
,living1 ch4 x474     ,preface4   ,this 

book is not intended for those who are  
acquainted with ,anglo-,saxon and       
,middle ,english2 but for those who care
 for the thought1 specially the         
religious and devotional thought1 of our
 forefathers4 ,my one aim has been to   
make a portion of that thought          
accurately intelligible to modern       
readers1 with the greatest possible     
saving of trouble to them4 ,when ,i     
could use the old word or phrase1 with  
certainty of its being understood1 ,i   
have done so4 ,when ,i could not1 ,i    
have replaced it with the best modern   
equivalent ,i could find or invent4 ,in 
extenuation of the occasional use of    
,rolle's expression1 by their lone1 ,i  
may urge its expressiveness1 the absence
 of an equivalent1 and the fact that it 
may still be heard in remote places4    
,where possible1 ,i have retained the   
archaic order of the original ,text4    
,such irregular constructions1 as e4g41 
the use of a singular pronoun in the    
first half of a sentence1 and of a      

plural in the second half1 ,i have left 
unaltered2 for the meaning was perfectly
 clear4 ,in short1 ,i have endeavoured  
to make ,richard ,rolle as he was as    
significant as possible to ,english men 
and women of to-day as they are1 when   
they are not professed students of      
,english language4 ,in such an          
undertaking1 it is obvious that ,i must 
have presented endless vulnerable places
 to the learned4 ,i can only repeat that
 the book was never meant for them1 but 
for those who will perhaps forgive me if
 ,i describe them as specialists in     
religious thought rather than in        
,english ,language4  ,the rendering is  
made from the texts printed by          
,professor ,horstman in his ,library of 
,early ,english ,writers3 ,richard      
,rolle of ,hampole an ,english ,father  
of the ,church4  ,,geraldine ,e4        
,,hodgson4  ,the ,university1 ,bristol1 
,s4 ,mary ,magdalene1 #aiaj4            
,contents4                              
,,page4  ,preface                       

vii4  ,introduction                     
xi4  ,the ,form of ,perfect ,living     
#a  ,our ,daily ,work 7a ,mirror of     
,discipline74   7,from the ,arundel     
,,ms47                     #hc  ,on     
,grace4 7,from the ,arundel ,,ms47      
#afi  ,an ,epistle on ,charity          
#ahe  ,contrition                       
#aij  ,scraps from the ,arundel ,,ms4   
#aib     ,introduction4   ,richard      
,rolle of ,hampole is the earliest in   
time of our famous ,english ,mystics4   
,born in or about #acjj1 he died in     
#acdi1 seven years after ,mother ,julian
 of ,norwich was born4 ,walter ,hilton  
died in #acib4  ,an exhaustive account  
of ,rolle's life is given in ,vol4 ii4  
of ,professor ,horstman's ,edition of   
his works1 a book unfortunately out of  
print4 ,the main facts are recorded in a
 brief ,life appended to ,fr4 ,r4 ,hugh 
,benson's ,a ,book of the ,love of      
,,jesus4 ,therefore1 it will suffice to 
say here that ,richard ,rolle seems to  
have been born at ,thornton1 near       

,pickering1 in ,yorkshire1 in or about  
#acjj2 that1 finding the atmosphere of  
,oxford ,university uncongenial1 he left
 it1 and for some four years was        
supported1 as a hermit1 by the ,dalton  
,family4 ,by the end of that time1      
through prayer1 contemplation and       
self-denial1 he had attained the three  
stages of mystical life which he        
describes as calor1 dulcor1 canor2      
7heat1 sweetness1 melody47 ,the next    
period of his life was less easy4       
,having left the protection of the      
,daltons1 and being without those means 
of subsistence which are within the     
reach of priest or monk1 this hermit    
depended for his daily bread on other   
men's kindness4 ,not that he was a      
useless person3 apart from the utility  
of a life of ,prayer1 he could point to 
counsel and exhortation given2 to the   
existence of converts consequent upon   
his ministrations4 ,to add to his       
difficulties1 he preached a doctrine of 
high pure selflessness with which1 the  

average man1 in all times1 seems to have
 no abundant sympathy3 and to crown all 
he was endowed by nature with a         
sensitive temper4 ,his remarkable gifts 
forced him into public notice2 his cast 
of thought and his temperament were not 
calculated to win him ease or           
popularity4 ,professor ,horstman is     
peculiarly severe to those among his    
enemies and detractors who called       
themselves followers and disciples of   
,christ4 ,the insertion here of this    
painful passage would introduce a       
jarring note2 moreover1 the raked embers
 of past controversy seldom tend to the 
spiritual improvement of the present4   
,an interesting judgment by ,professor  
,horstman on ,rolle's place in mysticism
 is too long for quotation2 but the     
following sentence may be taken as the  
pith of it3--,his position as a mystic  
was mainly the result of the development
 of scholasticism4 ,the exuberant       
luxuriant growth of the brain in the    
system of ,scotus called forth the      

reaction of the heart1 and this reaction
 is embodied in ,richard ,rolle1 who as 
exclusively represents the side of      
feeling as ,scotus that of reason and   
logical consequence2 either lacking the 
corrective of the other element4  ,it is
 consoling to know that ,rolle's last   
years were passed in peace1 in a cell1  
near a monastery of ,cistercian nuns at 
,hampole1 where the nuns supported him1 
while he acted as their spiritual       
adviser4  ,in the book mentioned above1 
,fr4 ,hugh ,benson has translated some  
of ,richard ,rolle's ,poems1 and certain
 devotional ,meditations4 ,in this      
,volume1 four of his ,prose ,treatises  
have been selected from the rest of his 
works1 in the belief that they may      
supplement those parts of ,rolle's      
writings with which1 those who are      
interested in these phases of thought1  
are already familiar4  ,the first1 ,the 
,form of ,perfect ,living1 is a ,rule of
 ,life which he wrote for a nun of      
,anderby1 ,margaret ,kirkby1 of whom    

,professor ,horstman writes3 ,she seems 
to have been his good angel1 and perhaps
 helped to smooth down his ruffled      
spirits4 ,this friendship was           
lasting--it lasted to their lives' ends4
  ,this treatise was written of course  
to meet the requirements of the         
religious life4 ,it has seemed          
expedient1 because supplementary1 then1 
to put next to it his work on ,our      
,daily ,life1 which was meant for those 
who are in the world2 and which may give
 pause to some who might otherwise      
criticise the first hastily1 perhaps    
condemning it as unpractical1 or even   
objectionable in a world where1 after   
all1 men must eat and drink and live1   
and where some1 therefore must provide  
the necessary means4 ,most intensely    
practical is this second treatise1 and  
perhaps nowhere more so than when it    
meets the needs of those who are        
inclined to split straws over the       
definition of the word good4 ,what is a 
good action8--such people love to       

inquire1 and like jesting ,pilate1      
sometimes do not stay for an answer4    
,richard ,rolle has no manner of doubt  
about his reply4 ,an action must be good
 in itself1 i4e41 so he would tell us1  
pleasing to ,god in its own nature4 ,but
 the matter by no means ends there for  
him4 ,this good action must be          
performed1--and it is this which is1 now
 palpably1 now subtly1 hard--entirely   
for the sake of goodness1 without the   
slightest taint of self-seeking1 of     
vanity1 of secret satisfaction that we  
are not as other men are1 not even as   
this ,pharisee or this ,publican4  ,such
 a motive1 inspiring each person's whole
 work1 would surely go far to remove    
what is known as the ,social ,problem4  
,it would make many a house the dwelling
 of peace1 many a business-place an     
abode of honour4 ,if we could get back  
to ,richard ,rolle's simplicity and to  
his unmovable faith1 then1 his goal1    
even the acquisition of perfect love1   
might seem to all of us less            

distressingly remote4  ,the present     
rendering has been taken from the longer
 and more elaborate of the two ,,mss4   
containing the ,treatise4 ,the shorter  
form of his work ,on ,grace and the     
,epistle have been added in the hope    
that they may meet the need of all1     
contemplative or active as they may     
chance to be4  ,there is1 among his     
voluminous writings1 a curious and      
interesting ,revelation concerning      
,purgatory1 purporting to be a woman's  
dream about one1 ,margaret1 a soul in   
,purgatory4 ,amidst much natural horror1
 not however exceeding that described by
 ,dante1 there are many quaint          
side-lights thrown upon our forefathers'
 ways of thought2 as e4g41 when         
,margaret's soul is weighed in one      
scale1 against the fiend1 and a great   
long worm with him1 in the other2 the   
worm of conscience1 in fact4 ,but the   
work has not been included in this      
volume1 lest it should prove wholly     
unprofitable to a generation which if it

 be not readily disturbed by sin1 is    
easily and quickly shocked by crude     
suggestions concerning its possible     
consequences and reward4 ,they will find
 enough1 perhaps1 in the treatise on    
,daily ,work4  ,if any one should think 
that there1 and in one portion of the   
treatise on ,grace1 ,rolle has dwelt    
harshly on considerations of fear1      
rather than on those of love1 he must   
not make the mistake of concluding that 
these admonitions represent the whole of
 ,catholic teaching on the point4 ,men's
 temperaments differ1 and teachers1     
meeting these various tempers1 differ in
 their modes of helping them4 ,side by  
side with ,richard ,rolle may be put the
 words of ,s4 ,francis ,xavier1 in what 
is perhaps the most beautiful of        
,christian hymns3--      ,my ,,god1 ,i  
love ,thee2 not because       ,i hope   
for heaven thereby1     ,nor yet because
 who love ,thee not       ,are lost     
eternally4           4 4 4 4 4 4        
,not for the hope of gaining aught1     

,not seeking a reward2     ,but as      
,thyself hast loved me1       ,o        
ever-loving ,lord6  ,moreover1 no reader
 of the ,epistle on ,charity can        
entertain any doubt as to whether our   
,english ,mystic understood the mystery 
of limitless love4  ,it is no doubt1    
easy to complain1 as we read certain    
passages1 that ,richard ,rolle's        
recommendations are neither new nor     
original3 but if instead of dismissing  
them as familiar1 we tried to put them  
into practice1 we should perhaps have   
less leisure for idle criticism of      
others1 and ourselves be less evil and  
tiresome people4  ,on the other hand1   
the accusation may be brought that he   
proposes an impossibly high aim4 ,no    
doubt1 in such a pitch of devotion as is
 suggested1 e4g41 in ch4 viii4 of ,the  
,form of ,perfect ,living1 some may     
think they find extravagance3 but no    
doubt it was this same spirit which     
inspired ,,ss4 ,peter and ,paul1 and the
 other ,apostles2 which built up the    

,early ,church2 which made ,saints1     
,martyrs and ,confessors2 which         
suggested such apparently forlorn hopes 
as that of ,s4 ,augustine of            
,canterbury1 when1 to bring them the    
,gospel of ,,jesus ,christ1 he bearded  
the rough ,men of ,kent1 and 7according 
to ,robert of ,brunne7 reaped1 as his   
immediate reward1 a string of fishtails 
hung on his habit1 though later1 the    
conversion of these sturdy pagans4 ,it  
was doubtless1 too1 the spirit which    
inspired the best men and women in the  
,english ,church1 before they began to  
confuse the spheres of ,faith and       
,reason1 and to disregard ,s4 ,hilary's 
warning about the difficulty of         
expressing in human language that which 
is truly                                
incomprehensible1--incomprehensible in  
the old sense1 as in the ,athanasian    
,symbol1 ,immensus ,pater1 immensus     
,filius1 immensus ,spiritus sanctus2    
till1 indeed1 men forgot1 for all       
practical purposes that infinity        

transcends the grasp of finite minds 7in
 fact1 as well as in placidly accepted  
and then immediately neglected theory72 
and can be apprehended only1 and that   
imperfectly1 by the best aspirations of 
a heart1 set of fixed purpose on that   
high goal4  ,to the modern ,englishman1 
immersed in business anxieties1 imperial
 interests and domestic cares1 the      
invitation repeated so often by ,richard
 ,rolle1 to love ,,god supremely1 may   
seem incalculably unreal and remote1    
even though he might hesitate to confess
 it baldly4 ,but what if the ,englishman
 who so loved ,,god1 were also the      
greater ,englishman8 ,and what answer   
does history return to that plain       
question8  ,richard ,rolle1 ,professor  
,horstman does not hesitate to write was
 one of the most remarkable men of his  
time1 yea1 of history4 ,it is a strange 
and not very creditable fact that one of
 the greatest of ,englishmen has        
hitherto been doomed to oblivion4 ,in   
other cases1 the human beast first      

crucifies1 and then glorifies or deifies
 the nobler minds1 who swayed by the    
,spirit1 do not live as others live1 in 
quest of higher ideals by which to      
benefit the race2 he1 one of the noblest
 champions of humanity1 a hero1 a saint1
 a martyr in this cause has never had   
his resurrection yet--a forgotten brave4
 ,and yet1 he has rendered greater      
service to his country1 and to the world
 at large1 than all the great names of  
his time4 ,he rediscovered ,love1 the   
principle of ,christ4 ,he reinstalled   
feeling1 the spring of life which had   
been obliterated in the reign of        
scholasticism4 ,he re-opened the inner  
eye of man1 teaching contemplation in   
solitude1 an unworldly life in          
abnegation1 in chastity1 in charity4444 
,he broke the hard crust that had       
gathered round the heart of             
,christianity1 by formalism and         
exteriority1 and restored the free flow 
of spiritual life4  ,this passage1 to   
those who feel that there has been no   

age since the ,birth of ,christ when the
 great principles of religious life have
 been wholly lost1 and who remember that
 ,richard ,rolle lived in the age of    
,dante1 may seem overstated4 ,but it    
shews sufficiently at least1 and for    
that reason is quoted here1 what a great
 ,englishman he was1 and what a debt his
 unaware countrymen owe him2 a debt     
which they could pay in the way most    
grateful to him1 by listening to his    
words4  ,it may be remarked1 by the way1
 that ,rolle is not inclined to         
substitute individualism for the        
authority of the ,church2 a change which
 has been brought against some mystics4 
,there is immense emphasis laid1 all    
through his writings1 on the importance 
of conduct4 ,the penetrating analysis1  
in ch4 vi1 of ,the ,form of ,perfect    
,living1 of the possible sins humanity  
can commit on its journey through the   
wilderness of this world1 hardly leaves 
a corner of the heart unlighted2 lets   
not one possible shift1 twist or excuse 

of the human conscience go free4 ,but it
 all has the ,church as its immediate   
background2 the ,mystical ,body1 not the
 individual soul in isolation1 is       
everywhere taken for granted4 ,man lives
 not to himself nor dies to himself1    
even though he be ,richard ,rolle the   
hermit1 or ,margaret ,kirkby the        
recluse1 that is the plain teaching of  
these plain-speaking pages4 ,and all    
through them too is a tough common      
sense1 and an unusually alert power of  
observation2 and there is perhaps an    
element of that business capacity1 which
 some of the ,saints and ,mystics have  
shewn1 in his inclusion among sins of   
deed of beginning a thing that is above 
our might2 for in that there is not only
 pride1 but a kind of stupid incapacity 
surely4  ,it is quite possible that     
,rolle's tendency to repetition may tire
 any one who reads him straight on1 as  
the phrase is4 ,but it is doubtful      
whether that be the best means of       
approach4 ,if he be read in bits1 he    

will prove far more effective3 and his  
ability to hit the right nail on the    
head1 and to hit it wonderfully hard1   
may occasionally bring his words home to
 our immediate circumstances with an    
appositeness that may be more than a    
coincidence4  ,in the past1 the learned 
and ignorant alike have been guilty of  
the operation which may be described as 
cutting man up into parts3 i4e41 they   
have been inclined to treat him now as  
if he were all intellect1 then as if he 
were all feeling2 while to the will a   
kind of intermediate part has generally 
been allotted1 as if it were the        
handmaid instead of the master of the   
other two4 ,and there is still1 in some 
quarters1 a tendency to relegate the    
will and the feelings to an inferior    
plane1 if indeed they be allowed any    
place at all4 ,in other quarters1 the   
onslaught is made on intellect4 ,men are
 bidden to be humble1 to become as      
little children2 as if there were any   
humility in thinking incorrectly or not 

at all2 as if the odd1 though           
suppressed1 assumption that children    
have no intellects had any ground in    
fact4 ,it is surely a true apostrophe-- 
,,god6 ,thou art mind6 ,unto the        
master-mind1      ,mind should be       
precious4  ,the ,angelic ,doctor himself
 paid a tribute to the importance and   
special difficulties of intellect1 and  
also to the necessity of uniting it with
 will3--the martyrs had greater merit in
 faith1 not receding from the faith for 
persecutions2 and likewise men of       
learning have greater merit of faith1   
not#a receding from the faith for the   
reasons of philosophers or heretics     
alleged against it4 ,richard ,rolle1    
following on the same lines as ,s4      
,thomas ,aquinas1 has nothing of this   
spirit of division3 the whole being is  
what he would fain see offered to ,,god1
 whether it be so by ,margaret ,kirkby1 
or by those who are in the world1 for   
whom ,our ,daily ,work was written4 ,in 
the image of ,,god was man made1 and    

therefore ,,god suffices for all the    
needs of man's nature3 that1 at least   
seems to be the underlying idea when    
,rolle writes3--,,god is light and      
burning4 ,light clarifies our reason1   
burning kindles our will4 ,may we not   
say here too8--,what ,,god has joined   
together1 that let not man put asunder4 
,above all things1 ,rolle aims at a     
perfect balance1 culminating in a       
harmony ruled by one power1 and that the
 greatest in the world1 ,love4 ,real    
love1 he asks2 not the degraded things  
to which men give that great name1 as to
 every passing gust of feeling1 to every
 unworthy untamed emotion3 but the      
divine quality1 when to the lastingness1
 which he requires1 is also joined that 
which is the inner essence of ,love1    
viz41 sacrifice4 ,love is a life1 he    
writes1 joining together the loving and 
the loved4 ,and then he remembers the   
other great gift to men1 intellectual   
sincerity1 which has inspired all who   
follow ,truth along her star-paved way2 

and he gives to that its place and due3 
,truth may be without love3 but it      
cannot help without it4 ,even then1 the 
whole tale is not complete2 the way of  
the ,saints is not ,primrosed and hung  
with shade4 ,love1 with ,rolle1 is no   
easy sentimentality3 it involves        
definite sacrifice in more directions   
than one2 it demands thought1           
perseverance1 supernatural strength1    
natural strenuousness2 it is not a      
selfish enjoyment of a circumambient    
atmosphere wrapping humanity1 without   
responsibility or effort of its own3    
,love is a ,life4  ,love1 he writes1 is 
a perfection of learning2 virtue of     
prophecy2 fruit of truth2 help of       
sacraments2 establishing of wit and     
knowledge2 riches of pure men3 life of  
dying men4 ,so1 how good love is4 ,if we
 suffer to be slain2 if we give all that
 we have 7down7 to a beggar's staff3 if 
we know as much as men may know on      
earth1 all this is naught but ordained  
sorrow and torment4 ,then1 with that    

sound sense1 which is not the least     
element in the sum of his               
attractiveness1 he utters a subtle      
warning against that all too common sin1
 judging one another3 ,if thou wilt ask 
how good is he or she1 ask how much he  
or she loves3 and that no man can tell4 
,for ,i hold it folly to judge a man's  
heart1 that none knows save ,,god4      
,after this it cannot be necessary to   
say that ,rolle is a true mystic4 ,many1
 so he tells us in this same chapter x41
 ,many speak and do good1 and love not  
,,god4 ,but that will not suffice his   
exacting demands4 ,a man is not good    
until his interior disposition be all   
filled and taken up with pure love of   
,,god4 ,and as he analyses the          
,christian ,character1 there is a       
pleasant blunt directness about this    
holy man3--he that says he loves ,,god  
and will not do what is in him to shew  
love1 tell him that he lies4  ,it is    
possible that the alarming list of sins 
of the heart1 in chapter vi41 may give  

the heedless and even the heedful matter
 for grave thought1 as each one finds   
himself ejaculating with spontaneous    
fear--,who can tell how oft he          
offendeth8 ,cleanse thou me from my     
secret faults4  ,surely no one need fear
 that the outcome of a study of ,richard
 ,rolle will be effeminacy4 ,not that   
that indeed is the special temptation of
 the ,english3 a chill commonplace      
acquiescence in a convenient1 if        
baseless1 hope that somehow things will 
come all right1 is far more likely to   
lead them astray than any burning       
yearning to ,,god with a wonderful      
delight and certainty4 ,is not ,george  
,herbert's cry apposite still8      ,o  
,england1 full of sin1 but most of      
sloth6  ,nor can any one argue fairly   
that this absorption of the mystic is   
just selfish idleness4 ,it is1 so it    
seems1 as we read ,rolle's injunctions1 
of the nature of hard exacting toil4 ,no
 doubt1 there must be those who do the  
material work of the world2 who gain1   

among other things1 those goods which go
 to support the ,mystics4 ,but there    
will be no lack of such workers1 through
 the inroads of religion2 the broad ways
 of daily life are in no danger of      
contracting suddenly in to the path to  
the strait gate4 ,moreover1 natural life
 itself is a poor thing unsupported by  
an unseen stream of spiritual refection4
 ,here1 as elsewhere in the ordered     
economy of things1 two forms of life are
 found to be complementary4 ,it is true1
 as ,dr4 ,bigg once wrote3--,if ,society
 is to be permeated by religion1 there  
must be reservoirs of religion like     
those great storage places up among the 
hills which feed the pipes by which     
water is carried to every home in the   
city4 ,we shall need a special class of 
students of ,,god1 men and women whose  
primary and absorbing interest it is to 
work out the spiritual life in all its  
purity and integrity4#b ,it is indeed   
the idlest of criticism that condemns   
such people as slothful or selfish4     

,there is one charm in our own ,mystics 
which we may miss in ,s4 ,john of the   
,cross or ,s4 ,teresa for example2 viz41
 that with all their zeal1 there is also
 an amazing reality and simplicity down 
at the bottom of it1 which may seem to  
us not present in the rhapsodies of more
 southern lovers2 though in all         
probability such seeming is purely      
racial4 ,nevertheless1 we may be        
thankful if we find the antidote to our 
national prosaic ways in the sane zeal  
of others of our nation4  ,lastly1 as   
men read1 they may be overcome perhaps  
by despair4 ,this pure untainted        
selflessness of which ,richard ,rolle   
writes almost glibly1 how can it be     
possible here and now8 ,how can men and 
women1 fixed in and condemned to the    
dusty ways of common life1 unable as    
they are to leave the world even if they
 would1 how can they so much as dream of
 such unattainable heights8 ,is there no
 help for them in the often quoted lines
 of a later ,english ,mystic8--         

,who aimeth at the sky     ,shoots      
higher much than he who means a tree4   
,for plain men and women1 the key to the
 problem may lie in the question put by 
,robert ,browning into the mouth of     
,innocent ,,xii43--      ,is this our   
ultimate stage1 or starting place       
,to try man's foot1 if it will creep or 
climb1      ',mid obstacles in seeming1 
points that prove      ,advantage for   
who vaults from low to high1      ,and  
makes the stumbling-block a             
stepping-stone8  ,even though the goal  
be not reached1 to have willed          
deliberately here the first step may    
prove to have been not wholly           
unavailing4  ,,footnotes3  #a ,quoted by
 ,fr4 ,joseph ,rickaby1 ,s4,j41 in      
,scholasticism1 p4 #aba4  #b ,wayside   
,sketches1 p4 #ace4     ,the ,form of   
,perfect ,living4     ,the ,form of     
,perfect ,living  by  ,richard ,rolle4  
,,chapter ,i4   ,in every sinful man and
 woman that is bound in deadly sin1 are 
three wretchednesses1 the which bring   

them to the death of hell4 ,the first   
is3 ,default of ghostly strength4 ,that 
they are so weak within their heart1    
that they can neither stand against the 
temptations of the fiend1 nor can they  
lift their will to yearn for the love of
 ,,god and follow thereto4 ,the second  
is3 ,use of fleshly desires3--for they  
have no will nor might to stand1 they   
fall into lusts and likings of this     
world2 and because they think them      
sweet1 they dwell in them still1 many   
till their lives' end1 and so they come 
to the third wretchedness4 ,the third   
is1 ,exchanging a lasting good for a    
passing delight3 as who say they give   
endless joy for a little joy of this    
life4 ,if they will turn them and rise  
to penance1 ,,god will ordain their     
dwelling with angels and with holy men4 
,but because they choose the vile sin of
 this world1 and have more delight in   
the filth of their flesh than in the    
fairness of heaven1 they lose both the  
world and heaven4 ,for he that hath not 

,,jesus ,christ loses all that he hath1 
and all that he is1 and all that he     
might get4 ,for he is not worthy of     
life1 nor to be fed with swine's-meat4  
,all creatures shall be stirred in ,his 
vengeance in the day of ,doom4 ,these   
wretchednesses that ,i have told you of 
are not only in worldly men and women1  
who use gluttony1 lust1 and other open  
sins3 but they are also in others who   
seem in penance and godly life4 ,for the
 devil that is enemy to all mankind1    
when he sees a man or a woman among a   
thousand1 turn wholly to ,,god1 and     
forsake all the vanities and riches that
 men who love this world covet1 and seek
 lasting joy1 a thousand wiles he has in
 what manner he may destroy them4 ,and  
when he can not bring them into such    
sins which might make all men wonder at 
them who knew them1 he beguiles many so 
privily that they cannot oftentimes feel
 the trap that has taken them4  ,some he
 takes with error that he puts them in4 
,some with singular wit1 when he makes  

them suppose that the thing that they   
say or do is best2 and therefore they   
will have no counsel of another who is  
better and abler than they2 and this is 
a foul stinking pride2 for such man     
would set his wit before all other4     
,some1 the devil deceives through       
,vain-glory1 that is idle joy2 when any 
have pride and delight in themselves1 of
 the penance that they suffer1 of good  
deeds that they do1 of any virtue that  
they have2 are glad when men praise     
them1 sorry when men blame them1 have   
envy of them who are spoken better of   
than they4 ,they consider themselves so 
glorious1 and so far surpassing the life
 that other men lead1 that they think   
that none should reprehend them in      
anything that they do or say2 and       
despise sinful men1 and others who will 
not do as they bid them4 ,how mayst thou
 find a sinfuller wretch than such a    
one8 ,and so much the worse is he       
because he knows not that he is evil1   
and is considered and honoured of men as

 wise and holy4 ,some are deceived by   
over-great lust and liking in meat and  
drink1 when they pass measure and come  
into excess1 and have delight therein2  
and they know not that they sin1 and    
therefore they amend them not1 and so   
they destroy virtues of soul4 ,some are 
destroyed with over-great abstinence of 
meat and drink and sleep4 ,that is often
 temptation of the devil1 for to make   
them fall in the midst of their work1 so
 that they bring it to no ending as they
 should have done1 had they known reason
 and had discretion2 and so they lose   
their merit for their frowardness4 ,this
 snare our enemy lays to take us with   
when we begin to hate wickedness1 and   
turn us to ,,god4 ,then many begin a    
thing that they can never more bring to 
an end3 then they suppose that they can 
do whatsoever their heart is set on4    
,but oftentimes they fall or ever they  
come midway2 and that thing which they  
supposed was for them is hindering to   
them4 ,for we have a long way to heaven1

 and as many good deeds as we do1 as    
many prayers as we make1 and as many    
good thoughts as we think in truth and  
hope and charity1 so many paces go we   
heavenwards4 ,then1 if we make us so    
weak and so feeble that we can neither  
work nor pray as we should do1 nor      
think1 are we not greatly to blame that 
fail when we had most need to be        
stalwart8 ,and well ,i wot that it is   
not ,,god',s will that we so do4 ,for   
the prophet says3 ,lord1 ,i shall keep  
my strength to ,thee1 so that he might  
sustain ,,god',s service till his       
death-day1 and not in a little and a    
short time waste it1 and then lie       
wailing and groaning by the wall4 ,and  
it is much more peril than men suppose4 
,for ,s4 ,jerome says that he makes an  
offering of robbery who outrageously    
torments his body by over-little meat or
 sleep4 ,and ,s4 ,bernard says3 ,fasting
 and waking hinder not spiritual goods1 
but help1 if they be done with          
discretion2 without that1 they are      

vices4 ,wherefore1 it is not good to    
torture ourselves so much1 and          
afterwards to have displeasure at our   
deed4 ,there have been many1 and are who
 suppose it is naught all that they do  
unless they be in so great abstinence   
and fasting that all men speak of them  
who know them4 ,but oftentimes it       
befalls that the more outward joy or    
wondering they have 7on account7 of the 
praising of men1 the less joy they have 
within of the love of ,,god4 ,by my     
judgment1 they should please ,,jesus    
,christ much more if they accepted for  
,his sake--in thanking and praising     
,him1 to sustain their body in ,his     
service and to withhold themselves from 
great speech of men--whatsoever ,,god   
sent them in time and place1 and gave   
themselves since entirely to the love   
and the praising of that ,lord ,,jesus  
,christ3 ,who will stalwartly be loved1 
and lastingly be served1 so that their  
holiness were more seen in ,,god',s eye 
than in man's4 ,for all the better thou 

art1 and the less speech thou hast of   
men1 the more is thy joy before ,,god4  
,ah6 how great it is to be worthy of    
love1 and to be not loved4 ,and what    
wretchedness it is1 to have the name and
 the habit of holiness1 and be not so2  
but to cover pride1 ire or envy under   
the clothes of ,christ's childhood4 ,a  
foul thing it is to have liking and     
delight in the words of men who can no  
more deem what we are in our soul than  
they wot what we think4 ,for ofttimes   
they say that he or she is in the higher
 degree that is in the lower2 and whom  
they say is in the lower1 is in the     
higher4 ,therefore ,i hold it to be but 
madness to be gladder or sorrier whether
 they say good or ill4 ,if we be trying 
to hide us from speech and praise of    
this world1 ,,god will shew to us ,his  
praise1 and our joy4 ,for that is ,his  
joy when we are strength-full to stand  
against the privy and open temptation of
 the devil1 and to seek nothing but the 
honour and praise of ,him1 and that we  

might entirely praise ,him4 ,and that   
ought to be our desire1 our prayer and  
our intent1 night and day1 that the fire
 of ,his love kindle our hearts1 and the
 sweetness of ,his grace be our comfort 
and our solace in weal and woe4 ,thou   
hast now heard a part how the fiend     
deceives1 with his subtle craft1        
unknowing men and women4 ,and if thou   
wilt do by good counsel and follow holy 
teaching1 as ,i hope that thou wilt1    
thou shall destroy his traps1 and burn  
in love's fire all the bands that he    
would bind thee with2 and all his malice
 shall turn thee to joy1 and him to more
 sorrow4 ,,god suffers him to tempt good
 men for their profit1 that they may be 
the higher crowned1 when they1 through  
,his help1 have overcome so cruel an    
enemy1 that oftentimes1 both in body and
 soul1 confounds many men4  ,in three   
manners1 the devil has power to be in a 
man4 ,in one manner1 hurting the good   
they have by nature1 as in dumb men1 and
 in others1 staining their thoughts4 ,in

 another manner1 snatching away the good
 that they have of grace3 and so he is  
in sinful men whom he has deceived      
through delight of the world and of     
their flesh1 and leads them with him to 
hell4 ,in the third manner1 he torments 
a man's body1 as we read that he has    
done 7to7 ,job4 ,but wit thee well1 if  
he beguile thee not within1 thou needst 
not dread what he may do to thee        
without1 for he may do no more than     
,,god gives him leave to do4            
,,chapter ,,ii4   ,because thou hast    
forsaken the solace and the joy of this 
world1 and taken thee to solitary life1 
for ,,god',s sake to suffer tribulation 
and anguish here1 and afterwards to come
 to that bliss which never more ceases1 
,i trow truly that the comfort of       
,,jesus ,christ1 and the sweetness of   
,his love1 with the fire of the ,holy   
,ghost1 that purges all sin1 shall be in
 thee1 and with thee1 leading thee and  
teaching thee how thou shalt think1 how 
thou shalt pray1 what thou shalt work1  

so that in a few years thou shalt have  
more delight to be by thy lone1 and to  
speak to thy ,love and thy ,spouse      
,,jesus ,christ1 ,who is high in heaven1
 than if thou wert lady here of a       
thousand worlds4 ,men suppose that we   
are in torture and in penance great2 but
 we have more joy and more very delight 
in a day than they have in the world all
 their life4 ,they see our body3 but    
they see not our heart where our solace 
is4 ,if they saw that1 many of them     
would forsake all that they have1 for to
 follow us4 ,therefore1 be comforted and
 stalwart1 and dread no annoy or        
anguish3 but fasten all thine intent in 
,,jesus1 that thy life be good and      
convenient2 and look that there be      
nothing in thee that should be          
displeasing to ,him that thou dost not  
soon amend it4 ,the state which thou art
 in1 which is solitude1 is most able of 
all other to revelation of the ,holy    
,ghost4 ,for when ,s4 ,john was in the  
,isle of ,patmos1 then ,,god shewed him 

,his secrets4 ,the goodness of ,,god it 
is that ,he comforts them wonderfully   
that have no comfort of the world1 if   
they give their heart entirely to ,him1 
and covet not nor seek but ,him3 then   
,he gives ,himself to them in sweetness 
and delight1 in burning of love1 and in 
joy and melody and dwells aye with them1
 in their soul1 so that the comfort of  
,him departs never from them4 ,and if   
they any time begin to err1 through     
ignorance or frailty2 soon ,he shews    
them the right way2 and all that they   
have need of1 ,he teaches them4 ,no man 
to such revelation and grace on the     
first day may come2 but through long    
travel and carefulness to love ,,jesus  
,christ1 as thou shall here-afterward4  
,nevertheless1 then he suffers them to  
be tempted in sore manners1 both waking 
and sleeping4 ,for aye the more         
temptations and the grievouser they     
stand against and overcome1 the more    
they shall joy in ,his love when they   
are passed4 ,waking1 they are sometimes 

tempted with foul thoughts1 vile lusts1 
wicked delights1 with pride1 ire1 envy1 
despair1 presumption and other many4    
,but their remedy shall be3 ,prayer3    
,weeping3 ,fasting3 ,waking4 ,these     
things1 if they be done with discretion1
 they put away sin and filth from the   
soul1 and make it clean to receive the  
love of ,,jesus ,christ1 ,who may not be
 loved1 but in cleanness4 ,also1        
sometimes the fiend tempts men and      
women1 who are solitary1 by their love  
in a quaint manner and a subtle3 he     
transfigures himself in the likeness of 
an angel of light1 and appears to them1 
and says he is one of ,,god',s angels   
come to comfort them1 and so he deceives
 fools4 ,but they that are wise and will
 not quickly trust to all spirits1 but  
ask counsel of knowing men1 he can not  
beguile them4 ,also1 ,i find written of 
a recluse1 that was a good woman1 to    
whom the ill-angel oft-times appeared in
 the form of a good angel1 and said that
 he was come to bring her to heaven4    

,wherefore1 she was right glad and      
joyful4 ,but nevertheless1 she told it  
to her ,shrift-father1 and he1 as a wise
 man and wary1 gave her this counsel4   
,when he comes1 he said1 bid him that he
 shew thee our ,lady1 ,s4 ,mary4 ,when  
he has done so1 say ,ave ,maria4 ,she   
did so4 ,the fiend said3 ,thou hast no  
need to see her2 my presence suffices to
 thee4 ,and she said by all means she   
would see her4 ,he saw that it behoved  
him either to do her will1 or she would 
despise him3 so quickly1 he brought     
forth the fairest woman that might be as
 to her sight1 and shewed to her4 ,and  
she set her on her knees and said1 ,ave 
,maria4 ,and so quickly all vanished    
away1 and for shame never after came he 
to her4 ,this ,i say not1 because ,i    
hope he shall have leave to tempt thee  
in this manner1 but because ,i will that
 thou beware1 if any such temptation    
befall thee sleeping or waking1 that    
thou trust not over quickly till thou   
knowest the truth4 ,more privily he     

transfigures himself into an angel of   
light--that commonly all men are tempted
 with--when he hides ill under the      
likeness of good4 ,and that is in two   
manners4 ,one is1 when he eggs us on to 
over-great ease and rest of body1 and   
softness to our flesh1 for need to      
sustain our nature4 ,for such thoughts  
he puts in us3 that unless we eat well1 
and drink well1 and sleep well1 and lie 
soft and sit warm1 we can not serve     
,,god1 nor last in the labour that we   
have begun4 ,but he thinks to bring us  
to over-great pleasure4 ,another is1    
when under the likeness of ghostly good1
 he entices us to sharp and over-great  
penance1 for to destroy ourselves2 and  
says thus3 ,thou wot'st well that he who
 suffers most penance for ,,god',s love1
 he shall have most meed4 ,therefore eat
 little1 and feeble meat2 and drink     
less1 the thinnest drink is good enough 
to thee4 ,reck not of sleep3 wear the   
hair-shirt and the habergeon4 ,all thing
 that is affliction for thy flesh1 do   

it2 so that there may be none that can  
pass thee in penance4 ,he that speaks   
thee thus1 is about to slay thee with   
over-great abstinence2 as he that said  
the other to slay thee with over-little4
 ,therefore1 if we will be rightly      
disposed1 it behoves us to set ourselves
 in a good mean1 and that we may destroy
 our vices and hold our flesh under1 and
 nevertheless that it should be stalwart
 in the service of ,,jesus ,christ4     
,also1 our enemy will not suffer us to  
be in rest when we sleep1 but then he is
 about to beguile us in many manners4   
,sometimes1 with ugly images1 for to    
make us afraid and to make us hateful of
 our state3 sometimes with fair images1 
fair sights and that seem comfortable2  
for to make us glad in vain1 and make us
 think we are better than we are4       
,sometimes1 tells us we are holy and    
good1 for to bring us into pride2       
sometimes says we are wicked and sinful 
for to make us fall into despair4 ,but  
,he ,who is ,ordainer of all things1    

suffers not that our sleep be without   
reward to us1 if we dress our life to   
,his ,will4 ,and wit thou well1 thou    
sinnest not sleeping1 if waking thou    
beest evermore without excess of meat   
and drink1 and without ill-thoughts4    
,but many a one the devil has deceived1 
through dreams1 when he has made them   
set their heart on them4 ,for he has    
shewn them some truth1 but afterwards   
beguiled them with one that was false4  
,therefore says the wise man that many  
cares follow dreams2 and they fell that 
hoped in them4 ,wherefore that thou     
beest not beguiled with them1 ,i will   
that thou wit that there are six manners
 of dreams4 ,two are1 that no man1 holy 
or other1 may escape3 they are1 if their
 stomach be over-empty or over-full2    
then many vanities1 in sore manners1    
befall them sleeping4 ,the third is of  
illusions of our enemy4 ,the fourth is1 
of thought before and of illusions      
following4 ,and the fifth through the   
revelation of the ,holy ,ghost1 that is 

done in many a manner4 ,the sixth is1 of
 thoughts before that are due to ,christ
 or ,holy ,church1 revelation coming    
after4 ,in thus many manners1 the image 
of dreams touches men when they sleep4  
,but so much the less shall we give     
faith to any dream1 because we can not  
wit which is truth1 which is false2     
which is of our enemy1 which is of the  
,holy ,ghost4 ,for where many dreams    
are1 there are many vanities4 ,and many 
they may make to err1 for they set up   
unwise men1 and so deceive them4        
,,chapter ,,iii4   ,i know that thy life
 is given to the service of ,,god4 ,then
 is it shame to thee1 unless thou beest 
as good1 or better1 within thy soul1 as 
thou art seeming in the sight of men4   
,turn therefore thy thoughts perfectly  
to ,,god1 as it seems that thou hast    
done thy body4 ,for ,i will not that    
thou shouldest ween that all are holy   
that have the habit of holiness1 and are
 not occupied with the world4 ,nor that 
all are ill who discourse of earthly    

business4 ,but they only are holy1 what 
state or degree they be in1 the which   
despise all earthly things1 that is to  
say1 love it not2 and burn in the love  
of ,,jesus ,christ2 and all their       
desires are set to the joy of heaven1   
and hate all sin1 and cease not from    
good works1 and feel a sweetness in     
their heart of the love without end3 and
 nevertheless1 they think themselves    
vilest of all1 and hold themselves      
wretchedest1 least and lowest4 ,this is 
holy men's life2 follow it and be holy4 
,and if thou wilt be in the ,apostles'  
reward1 think not what thou forsookest1 
but what thou despisest4 ,for they who  
follow ,,jesus ,christ in willing       
poverty1 and in meekness1 and in        
charity1 and in patience1 forsake as    
much as they can covet who follow ,him  
not4 ,and consider with how great and   
how good will thou presentest thy vows  
before ,him3 for on that ,he has set    
,his eyes1 and if thou with great desire
 offerest thy prayers1 with great       

fervour desirest to see ,him1 and       
seekest no earthly comfort1 but the     
savour of ,heaven1 and in contemplation 
thereof hast thy delight4 ,wonderfully  
,,jesus works in ,his lovers1 those whom
 he reaves from the pleasure of flesh   
and blood through tender love4 ,he makes
 them to will no earthly thing1 and     
makes them rise to the solace of ,him1  
and to forget vanities and fleshly loves
 of the world1 and to dread no sorrow   
that may fall3 to diminish over-great   
bodily ease3 to suffer for ,his love1   
seems to them joy2 and to be solitary   
they have great comfort3 so that they be
 not hindered of that devotion4 ,now    
mayst thou see that many are worse than 
they seem1 and many are better than they
 seem1 and namely among those that have 
the habit of holiness4 ,therefore force 
thyself1 in all that thou mayest1 that  
thou mayest be no worse than thou       
seemest4 ,and if thou wilt do as ,i     
teach thee in this short form of living1
 ,i hope1 through the grace of ,,god1   

that if men hold thee to be good1 thou  
shalt be well better4     ,,chapter     
,,iv4   ,at the beginning then1 bow thee
 entirely to thy ,lord ,,jesus ,christ4 
,that turning to ,,jesus is naught else 
but turning from all the covetousness   
and the liking and the occupations and  
business of worldly things and of       
fleshly lust and of vain love3 so that  
thy thought1 that was ever downward1    
burrowing in the earth1 whilst thou wert
 in the world1 now should be aye upward 
like fire2 seeking the highest place in 
heaven1 right to thy ,spouse1 where ,he 
sits in ,his bliss4 ,to ,him thou art   
turned1 when ,his grace illumines thine 
heart2 and forsakes all vices1 and      
conforms it to virtues and good manners1
 and to all manner of compliance and    
debonairness4 ,and that thou mayst last 
and grow in the goodness that thou hast 
begun without slowness1 and sorriness1  
and irking of thy life2 four things     
shalt thou have in thy thought1 till    
thou beest in perfect love4 ,for when   

thou art come thereto1 thy joy and      
desire will aye be burning in ,christ4  
,one is3 the measure of thy life here1  
that it is so short that scarcely is it 
anything4 ,for we live but in a         
point--that is the least thing that may 
be4 ,and soothly1 our life is less than 
a point1 if we liken it to the life that
 lasts aye4 ,another is3 uncertainty of 
our ending4 ,for we wot never when we   
shall die1 nor where we shall die1 nor  
how we shall die1 nor whither we shall  
go when we are dead2 and that ,,god     
wills that this be uncertain to us1 for 
,he wills that we be aye ready to die4  
,the third is3 that we shall answer     
before the righteous ,judge1 for all the
 time that we have been here1 how we    
have lived1 what our occupation has been
 and why1 and what good we might have   
done when we have been idle4 ,therefore 
said the prophet3 ,he has called thee   
times again1 that is every day ,he has  
lent us here for to spend in good use1  
and in penance1 and in ,,god',s service4

 ,if we waste it in earthly love and in 
vanities1 full grievously must we be    
condemned and punished2 for that is one 
of the greatest sorrows that may be3    
unless we try manfully in the love of   
,,god1 and do good to all that we may1  
while our short time lasts4 ,and every  
time that we think not on ,god we may   
count it as the thing that we have lost4
 ,the fourth is3 that we think how great
 the joy is that they have who last in  
,,god',s love to their ending4 ,for they
 shall be brethren and fellows with     
angels and holy men1 loving and         
thanking1 praising and seeing the ,king 
of ,joy in the beauty and in the shining
 of ,his majesty4 ,the which sight shall
 be reward and food1 and all delights   
that any creature may think1 and more   
than any can tell1 to all ,his lovers1  
without end4 ,it is much easier to come 
to that bliss than to describe it4 ,also
 think what pain and what sorrow and    
tormenting they shall have who love not 
,,god above all things that one sees in 

this world1 but defile their body in the
 pleasures and lusts of this life1 in   
pride and greed and other sins2 they    
shall burn in the fire of hell with the 
devil whom they served1 as long as ,,god
 is in heaven with ,his servants1 that  
is evermore4     ,,chapter ,v4   ,i will
 that thou beest aye climbing to        
,,jesus-ward1 and increasing thy love   
and thy service to ,him2 not as fools   
do2 they begin in the highest degree and
 come down to the lowest4 ,i say not    
that if thou hast begun unreasonable    
abstinence that thou hold it2 but for   
many who were burning at the beginning  
and able to 7capable of7 the love of    
,,jesus ,christ1 through over-great     
penance they have hindered themselves1  
and made themselves so feeble that they 
cannot love ,,god as they should4 ,in   
the which love that thou mayest wax aye 
more and more is my coveting and my     
admonition4 ,i consider thee never of   
the less merit if thou beest not in so  
great abstinence2 but if thou set all   

thy thought how thou mayest love thy    
,spouse ,,jesus ,christ more than thou  
hast done1 then dare ,i say that thy    
reward is waxing not waning4            
,,chapter ,,vi4   ,wherefore1 that thou 
may'st be rightly disposed both for thy 
soul and thy body1 thou shalt understand
 four things4 ,the first thing is3 what 
thing defiles a man4 ,the second thing3 
what makes him clean4 ,the third3 what  
holds him in cleanness4 ,the fourth3    
what thing draws him for to ordain his  
will entirely at ,,god',s will4 ,for the
 first1 wit thou that we sin in three   
things that make us foul3 that is with  
heart and mouth and deed4 ,the sins of  
the heart are these3 ,ill-thought3 ill  
delight3 assent to sin3 desire of ill2  
wicked will3 ill suspicion3 undevotion3 
if thou lettest thine heart any time be 
idle1 without occupation of the love1 of
 the praising of ,,god3 ill dread3 ill  
love3 error3 fleshly affection to thy   
friends or to other that thou lovest3   
joy in any man's ill-faring1 whether    

they be enemy or none3 contempt of poor 
or sinful men3 to honour rich men for   
their riches3 unsuitable joy in any     
world's vanity3 sorrow of the world3    
impatience3 perplexity1 that is doubt   
what to do and what not1 for every man  
ought to be secure 7about7 what he shall
 do and what he shall leave3 obstinacy  
in ill3 annoyance 7at having7 to do     
good3 sorrow that he did no more ill1 or
 that he did not have that pleasure or  
that will of his flesh which he might   
have done3 unstableness of thought3 pain
 at penance3 hypocrisy3 love to please  
men3 dread to displease them3 shame of  
good deed3 joy of ill deed3 singular    
wit3 desire for honour or dignity1 or to
 be holden better than another1 or      
richer1 or fairer1 or more to be        
dreaded3 vain glory of any good of      
nature1 of happening1 or of grace3 shame
 of poor friends3 pride of rich or of   
gentle kin1 for all we alike are free   
before ,,god',s face1 unless our deeds  
make any better or worse than another1  

in spite of good counsel and of good    
teaching4 ,the sins of the mouth are    
these3 to swear oftentimes3 forswearing3
 slander of ,christ or of any of ,his   
,saints2 to name ,his name without      
reverence2 gainsaying and strife against
 truthfulness2 murmuring against ,,god  
for any anguish or trouble or           
tribulation that may befall on earth3 to
 say ,,god',s ,service undevoutly and   
without reverence3 backbiting2          
flattering3 lying3 abusing3 cursing3    
defaming3 quarrelling3 threatening3     
sowing of discord3 treason3             
false-witness3 ill counsel3 scorn3      
unbuxomness in speech3 to turn good     
deeds to ill3 to make them be holden ill
 who do them3 7we ought to wrap up our  
neighbours' deeds in the best not the   
worst72 exciting any man to ire3        
reprehending in another what one does   
one's self3 vain speech3 much speech3   
foul speech3 to speak idle words3 or to 
speak words not needful3 praising3      
polishing of words3 defending sin3      

shouting with laughter3 making grimaces 
at any man3 to sing secular songs and to
 love them3 to praise ill-deeds3 to sing
 more for the glory of men than of      
,,god4 ,the sins of deed are these3     
gluttony3 lechery3 drunkenness3 simony3 
witch-craft3 breaking of the holy-days3 
sacrilege3 to receive ,,god',s ,body in 
deadly sin3 breaking of vows3 apostacy3 
dissipation in ,,god',s service3 to set 
example of ill deeds3 to hurt any man in
 his body1 or in his goods1 or in his   
fame3 theft3 rapine3 usury3 deceit3     
selling of righteousness3 to hearken    
ill3 to give to harlots3 to withhold    
necessaries from the body1 or to give it
 to excess3 to begin a thing that is    
above our might3 custom to sin3 falling 
often into sin3 feigning of more good   
than we have3 for to seem holier1 more  
learned and wiser than we are3 to hold  
office that we do not suffice to3 or to 
hold one that cannot be held without    
sin3 to lead dances3 to bring up new    
fashions3 to be rebellious against one's

 ,sovereign3 to insult those who are    
less3 to sin in sight1 in hearing1 in   
smelling1 in touching1 in handling1 in  
swallowing3 in means3 in signs3 in      
beggings3 writings4 ,to receive the     
circumstances1 that is to say time1     
place1 manner1 number1 person1 dwelling1
 knowledge1 age1 that makes thee sin    
more or less4 ,to desire a sin or to be 
tempted3 to constrain one to sin4 ,other
 many sins there are of omission1 that  
is1 of leaving good undone3 when men    
leave the good they should do4 ,not     
thinking about ,,god1 nor dreading1 nor 
praising ,him1 nor thanking ,him for    
,his gifts3 to do not all that one does 
for love of ,,god3 to sorrow not for    
one's sins as one should do3 not to     
dispose one's self to receive grace4    
,and if one have taken grace1 not to use
 it as one ought2 not to keep it3 to    
turn not to the inspiration of ,,god3 to
 conform not one's will to ,,god',s     
will3 to give not attention to one's    
prayers1 but mutter on and never reck   

save that they be said2 to do           
negligently what one was bound by vow to
 do1 or by command1 or else enjoined in 
penance3 to draw out at length what     
should be done soon3 having no joy at   
one's neighbour's profit as at one's    
own2 not sorrowing at his ill-faring3   
standing not against temptations3       
forgiving not those who have done one   
harm3 keeping not faith with one's      
neighbour as one would that he did to   
one's self3 and yielding not a good deed
 for another if one can4 ,amending not  
those sins before one's eyes3 not       
appeasing strifes3 not teaching them    
that are unlearned3 not comforting them 
that are in sorrow1 or in sickness1 or  
in poverty1 or in penance1 or in prison4
 ,these sins1 and many others make men  
foul4 ,the things that cleanse us of    
that filth1 are three1 against these    
three manners of sins4 ,the first is3   
sorrow of heart against the sin of      
thought3 and that it behoves 7thee to7  
be so perfect that thou beest in full   

will never to sin more4 ,and that thou  
mayest have sorrow for all thy sins4    
,and that all joy and solace1 except of 
,,god and in ,,god1 be put out of thine 
heart4 ,the second is3 shrift of mouth2 
against the sin of mouth4 ,and that     
shall be hasty1 without delaying4       
,naked1 without excusing4 ,whole1       
without parting4 ,also 7not7 for to tell
 one sin to one priest and another to   
another4 ,say all that thou wottest to  
one1 or else thy shrift is not worth4   
,the ,third is1 ,satisfaction2 that has 
three parts1 ,fasting1 ,prayer1 and     
,alms-,deed4 ,not only to give poor men 
meat and drink3 but to forgive them that
 do thee wrong and pray for them3 and   
inform them who are at the point to     
perish what they shall do4 ,for the     
third thing1 thou shalt wit that        
cleanness behoves to be kept in heart1  
in mouth and in work4 ,cleanness of     
heart1 three things keep3 one is1       
watchful thought and stable about ,,god4
 ,another is1 care to keep thy five     

wits1 so that all the wicked stirrings  
of them be closed out of the flesh4 ,the
 third1 honest and profitable           
occupation4 ,also1 cleanness of mouth1  
three things keep3 one is that thou     
should'st bethink thee before thou      
speakest4 ,another is that thou beest   
not of great but of little speech2 and  
specially ever till thine heart be      
established in the love of ,,jesus      
,christ3 so that men think thou ever    
lookest on ,him1 whether thou speakest  
or not4 ,but such a grace may'st thou   
not have on the first day3 but with long
 travel and great care to love ,him from
 habit1 so that the eye of thine heart  
be aye upward1 shalt thou come thereto4 
,the third1 that thou for nothing1 not  
even for meekness1 shalt lie to any man4
 ,for every lie is sin and ill3 and not 
,,god',s will4 ,thou needest not tell   
all the truth always1 unless thou       
willest4 ,but hate all lies4 ,if thou   
sayest a thing of thyself that seems to 
thy praise1 but thou sayst it to the    

praise of ,,god and help of another1    
thou dost not unwisely for thou speakest
 truth4 ,but if thou will have aught    
private1 tell it to none but such a one 
that thou beest secure that it should   
not be shewed 7disclosed7 but only to   
the praise of ,,god1 of whom is all     
goodness1 and who makes some better than
 others1 and gives them special grace1  
not only for themselves1 but also for   
them that will do well after their      
example4 ,cleanness of work1 three      
things keep4 ,one is3 a careful thought 
of death3 for the wise man says2        
,bethink thee of thy last ending1 and   
thou shalt not sin4 ,the second3 flee   
from ill fellowship1 that gives more    
example to love the world than ,,god1   
earth than heaven1 filth of body than   
cleanness of soul4 ,the third is3       
temperance and discretion in meat and   
drink3 that it be neither to excess1 nor
 beneath suitable sustenance for thy    
body4 ,for both come to one end3 excess 
and over-great fasting3 for neither is  

,,god',s will--and that many will not   
suppose1 for anything one may say4 ,if  
you take sustenance of such good as     
,,god sends for the time and the day1   
whatever it be1 ,i take out no manner of
 meat that ,christian men use2 with     
measure and discretion1 thou dost well2 
for so did ,christ and ,his ,apostles4  
,if you leave many meats that men have1 
not despising the meat that ,,god has   
made for man's help1 but because thou   
thinkest thou hast no need thereof1 thou
 dost well3 if thou seest that thou art 
stalwart to serve ,,god1 and that it    
breaks not thy stomach4 ,for if thou    
hast broken it with over-great          
abstinence1 appetite for meat is reft   
from thee3 and often shalt thou be in   
tremblings1 as if thou wert ready to    
give up the ghost4 ,and wit thou well1  
thou didst sin that deed4 ,and thou     
may'st not wit soon whether thine       
abstinence be against thee1 or with     
thee4 ,for the time thou art going1 ,i  
counsel thee that thou should'st eat    

better and more1 as it comes1 that thou 
beest not beguiled4 ,and afterward1 when
 thou hast proved many things1 and      
overcome many temptations1 and knowest  
better thyself and ,,god than thou      
didst1 then if thou seest that it be to 
be done1 thou mayst take to greater     
abstinence4 ,and meanwhile thou mayst do
 privy penance which all men need not   
know4 ,righteousness is not all in      
fasting or in eating4 ,but thou art     
righteous1 if contempt and praise1      
poverty and riches1 hunger and need or  
delights and dainties be all alike to   
thee4 ,if thou takest these with love of
 ,,god1 ,i hold thee blessed and high   
before ,,jesus4 ,men who come to thee1  
they love thee because they see thy     
great abstinence1 and because they see  
thee enclosed3 but ,i may not love thee 
so lightly for anything ,i see thee do  
without1 but if thy will be conformed   
entirely to ,,god',s will4 ,and set not 
by their praise and blame1 and never    
give thou heed if they speak less good  

of thee than they did2 but that thou    
shouldest be more burning in ,,god',s   
love than thou wert4 ,for one thing ,i  
warn thee3 ,i hope that ,,god has no    
perfect servant in earth without enemies
 of some men--,for only wretchedness has
 no enemy4 ,for to draw us that we      
conform our will to ,,god',s will3 are  
three things4 ,one is1 example of holy  
men and women1 who were intent1 night   
and day1 to serve ,,god1 and dread ,him 
and love ,him4 ,if we follow them on    
earth1 we must be with them in heaven4  
,another is the goodness of our ,lord1  
which despises none1 but gladly receives
 all that come to ,his mercy3 and ,he is
 homelier to them than brother or       
sister1 or any friend that they most    
love1 or most trust in4 ,the third is   
the wonderful joy of the kingdom of     
heaven1 which is more than tongue may   
tell1 or heart may think1 or eye may    
see1 or ear may hear4 ,it is so great   
that1 as in hell nothing might live for 
great pain but that the might of ,,god  

suffers them not to die2 so the joy in  
the sight of ,,jesus in ,his ,,god-head 
is so great that they must die of joy1  
if it were not for ,his goodness1 who   
wills that ,his lovers should be living 
aye in bliss3 also ,his righteousness   
wills that all who loved ,him not1 be   
aye living in fire1 which is horrible to
 any man that thinks3 look then what it 
is to feel4 ,but they who will not think
 of it and dread it now1 they shall     
suffer it evermore4 ,now hast thou heard
 how thou mayst dispose thy life1 and   
rule it to ,,god',s will4 ,but ,i wot   
well that thou desirest to hear some    
special point of the love of ,,jesus    
,christ1 and of contemplative life1     
which thou hast taken to thee in all    
men's sight4 7,according7 ,as ,i have   
grace and knowledge1 ,i will teach thee4
     ,,chapter ,,vii4   ,amore langueo4 
,these two words are written in the     
,book of ,love1 that is called the ,song
 of ,love1 or the ,song of ,songs4 ,for 
he that loves greatly1 lists often to   

sing of his love1 for joy that he or she
 has when they think on that they love1 
specially if their love be true and     
loving4 ,and this is the ,english of    
these two words3 ,i languish for love4  
,separate men on earth have separate    
gifts and graces of ,,god1 but the      
special gift of those who lead the      
solitary life1 is for to love ,,jesus   
,christ4 ,thou sayest to me1 ',all men  
love ,him who keep ,his commandments4'  
,that is ,truth4 ,but all men who keep  
,his bidding keep not also ,his         
,counsel4 ,and all that do ,his ,counsel
 are not all fulfilled by the sweetness 
of ,his love1 nor feel the fire of      
burning love of heart4 ,therefore1 the  
diversity of love makes the diversity of
 holiness and of need4 ,in heaven1 the  
angels who are most burning in love1 are
 nearest to ,,god4 ,also1 men and women 
that have most of ,,god',s love1 whether
 they do penance or none2 they shall be 
in the highest degree in heaven3 they   
who love ,him less1 in the lower order4 

,if thou lovest ,him much1 great joy and
 sweetness and burning thou feelest in  
,his love1 that is thy comfort and      
strength night and day4 ,if thy love be 
not burning in ,him3 little is thy      
delight4 ,for ,him may no man feel in   
joy and sweetness1 unless they be clean 
and filled with ,his love2 and thereto  
shalt thou come with great travail in   
prayer and thanking1 having such        
meditations as are all on the love and  
the praising of ,,god4 ,and when thou   
art at thy meal1 ever love ,,god in thy 
thought1 at each moment1 and say thus in
 thine heart3 ,loved be ,thou1 ,king3   
and thanked be ,thou1 ,king1 and blessed
 be ,thou1 ,king1 ,,jesu all my joying1 
of all ,thy good gifts3 ,who for me     
spilt ,thy blood1 and died on the rood4 
,do ,thou give me grace to sing the song
 of ,thy praise4 ,and think it not only 
whiles thou eatest1 but both before and 
after1 and ever when thou prayest or    
speakest4 ,or if thou hast other        
thoughts1 that thou hast more sweetness 

in and devotion than in those that ,i   
teach thee1 thou may'st think them4 ,for
 ,i hope that ,,god will put such       
thoughts in thine heart1 as ,he is      
pleased with1 and as thou art ordained  
for4 ,when thou prayest1 look not how   
much thou sayest1 but how well3 that the
 love of thine heart be aye upward1 and 
thy thought on what thou sayst as much  
as thou canst4 ,if thou beest in prayers
 and meditations all the day1 ,i wot    
well that thou must wax greatly in the  
love of ,,jesus ,christ1 and feel much  
of delight1 and within short time4      
,,chapter ,,viii4   ,three degrees of   
love ,i shall tell thee1 for ,i would   
that thou mightest win to the highest4  
,the first degree is called             
,insuperable4 ,the second ,inseparable4 
,the third is1 ,singular4 ,thy love is  
,insuperable1 when nothing that is      
contrary to ,,god',s love overcomes it3 
but it is stalwart against all          
temptations2 and stable1 whether thou   
beest in ease or in anguish1 or in      

health or in sickness3 so that men think
 that thou wouldest not1 even to have   
all the world without end1 make ,,god   
angry at any time3 and thou wert liefer1
 if so it should be1 to suffer all the  
pain and woe that might come to any     
creature1 before thou wouldst do the    
thing that should displease ,him4 ,in   
this manner shall thy love be           
,insuperable that nothing can bring it  
down1 but it may aye spring on high4    
,blessed is he or she who is in this    
degree3 but yet are they blesseder who  
might hold to this degree and turn to   
the other1 that is to ,inseparable4     
,inseparable is thy love1 when all thine
 heart1 and thy thought1 and thy might  
is so wholly1 so entirely and so        
perfectly fastened1 set and established 
in ,,jesus ,christ1 that thy thought    
comes never from ,him1 never departs    
from ,him1 sleeping excepted3 and as    
soon as thou awakest1 thine heart is on 
,him1 saying ,ave ,maria1 or ,gloria    
,tibi1 ,domine1 or ,pater ,noster1 or   

,miserere mei1 ,,deus1 if thou hast been
 tempted in thy sleep2 or thinking on   
,his love and ,his praise as thou didst 
waking4 ,when thou canst at no time     
forget ,him1 waking or sleeping1 whatso 
thou dost or sayst1 then is thy love    
,inseparable4 ,full great grace have    
they that be in this degree of love4    
,and methinks that thou1 who hast       
nothing else to do but for to love      
,,god1 mayst come thereunto if any may  
get it4  ,the third degree is highest   
and most wondrous to win4 ,that is      
called ,singular1 for it has no peer4   
,singular love is when all comfort and  
solace is closed out of thine heart1 but
 of ,,jesus ,christ alone4 ,other joy it
 delights not in4 ,for the sweetness of 
,him in this degree is so comforting1   
and lasting in ,his love1 so burning and
 gladdening1 that he or she who is in   
this degree can as well feel the fire of
 love burning in their soul1 as thou    
canst feel thy finger burn if thou      
puttest it in the fire4 ,but that fire1 

if it be hot1 is so delectable and so   
wonderful1 that ,i cannot tell it4      
,then1 thy soul is loving ,,jesus1      
thinking of ,,jesus1 desiring ,,jesus2  
in covetousness of ,him breathing2 to   
,him singing3 of ,him burning2 in ,him  
resting4 ,then the song of praise and of
 love has come4 ,then1 thy thought turns
 into song and into melody4 ,then it    
behoves thee to sing the psalms which   
before thou said'st4 ,then must thou be 
long over a few psalms4 ,then1 thou wilt
 think death sweeter than honey1 for    
then thou art full of sighs to see ,him 
whom thou lovest4 ,then mayst thou      
boldly say ,i languish for love4 ,then  
mayst thou say ,i sleep1 and my heart   
wakes4  ,in the first degree1 men may   
say ,i languish for love1 or ,i long in 
love4 ,and in the second degree also3   
for languishing is when men fail for    
sickness1 and they who are in these two 
degrees fail from all the covetousness  
of this world1 and from lust and liking 
of sinful life1 and set their will and  

their heart to the love of              
,,god--therefore they may say ,i        
languish for love1 and much more that   
are in the second degree than in the    
first4 ,but the soul that is in the     
third degree is all burning fire1 and   
like the nightingale that loves song and
 melody1 and fails for great love3 so   
that the soul is only comforted in      
praising and loving ,,god2 and till     
,death come1 is singing ghostly to      
,,jesus1 and in ,,jesus1 and ,,jesus2   
not crying bodily with the mouth--of    
that manner of singing ,i speak not1 for
 both good and evil have that song4 ,and
 this manner of song have none unless   
they be in this third degree of love3 to
 the which degree it is impossible to   
come1 but in a great multitude of love4 
,therefore1 if thou wilt wot what kind  
of joy that song has1 ,i tell thee1 that
 no man wots1 save he or she who feels  
it1 who has it1 and who loves ,,god     
singing therewith4 ,one thing tell ,i   
thee1 it is of heaven1 and ,,god gives  

it to whom ,he will1 but not without    
great grace coming before4 ,who has it1 
he thinks all the song and all the      
minstrelsy of earth naught but sorrow   
and woe 7compared7 thereto4 ,in         
sovereign rest shall they be who get it4
 ,wanderers and brawlers1 and keepers of
 comers and goers early and late night  
and day1 or any who are seized with any 
sin witfully and willingly1 or who have 
delight in any earthly thing1 they are  
also farther therefrom than heaven is   
from earth4 ,in the first degree1 are   
many3 in the second degree are full few2
 but in the third degree are scarcely   
any3 for aye the greater is the         
perfection the fewer followers it has4  
,in the first degree1 men are likened to
 the stars1 in the second to the moon1  
in the third to the sun4 ,therefore says
 ,s4 ,paul3 ,others of the sun1 others  
of the moon1 others of the stars1 so it 
is of the lovers of ,,god4 ,in this     
third degree1 if thou mayst win thereto1
 thou shalt know of more joy than ,i    

have told thee yet4 ,and among other    
affections and songs1 thou mayst1 in thy
 longing1 sing this in thine heart to   
thy ,lord ,,jesus1 when thou dost covet 
,his coming and thy going3 ,when wilt   
,thou come to comfort me3 and bring me  
out of care1 and give me ,thee1 ,whom ,i
 may see1 having evermore8 ,my heart    
when shall it burst8 for love then      
languished ,i no more4 ,for love my     
thought has fast1 and ,i am fain to fare
 away4 ,i stand still mourning for the  
loveliest of lore2 444#c is             
love-longing2 it draws me to my day2    
,the brand of sweet burning for it holds
 me aye3 ,from place and from playing3  
till ,i may get sight of my sweet ,one1 
,who never wends away4 ,in wealth be our
 waking1 without hurt or night4 ,my love
 is everlasting1 and longs unto that    
sight4     ,,chapter ,,ix4   ,if thou   
wilt be well with ,,god1 and have grace 
to rule thy life1 and come to the joy of
 love3 this name ,,jesus1 fasten it so  
fast in thy heart that it come never out

 of thy thought4 ,and when thou speakest
 to ,him1 and through custom sayst1     
,,jesus1 it shall be in thine ear1 joy2 
in thy mouth1 honey2 and in thine heart1
 melody3 for men shall think joy to hear
 that name be named1 sweetness to speak 
it1 mirth and song to think it4 ,if thou
 thinkest 7on7 ,,jesus continually1 and 
holdest it firmly1 it purges thy sin1   
and kindles thine heart2 it clarifies   
thy soul1 it removes anger and does away
 slowness4 ,it wounds in love and       
fulfils charity4 ,it chases the devil1  
and puts out dread4 ,it opens heaven1   
and makes a contemplative man4 ,have    
,,jesus in mind1 for that puts all vices
 and phantoms out from the lover4 ,and  
often hail ,mary1 both day and night4   
,much love and joy shalt thou feel1 if  
thou wilt do after this teaching4 ,thou 
need'st not covet greatly many books3   
hold love in thine heart and work1 and  
thou hast all that we can say or write3 
for fulness of the law is charity3 on   
that hangs everything4     ,,chapter ,x4

   ,but now1 thou mayst ask me and say1 
,thou speakest so much of love2 tell    
me--,what is love1 and where is love4   
,and how ,i shall love ,,god verily4    
,and how that ,i may know that ,i love  
,him4 ,and in what state ,i may most    
love ,him4 ,these are hard questions to 
teach1 to a feeble man and fleshly as ,i
 am4 ,but nevertheless therefore1 ,i    
shall not delay that ,i shall not shew  
my wit1 and as ,i think it may be4 ,for 
,i hope in the help of ,,jesus1 who is  
the well of love and peace and          
sweetness4 ,thy first asking is3 ,what  
is love8 ,and ,i answer3 ,love is a     
burning yearning after ,,god1 with a    
wonderful delight and certainty4 ,,god  
is light and burning4 ,light clarifies  
our reason2 burning kindles our will1   
that we desire naught but ,him4 ,love is
 a life1 joining together the loving and
 the loved4 ,for meekness makes us sweet
 to ,,god4 ,purity joins us to ,,god4   
,love makes us one with ,,god4 ,love is 
the beauty of all virtues4 ,love is the 

thing through which ,,god loves us1 and 
we ,him1 and each one of us loves       
others4 ,love is the desire of the      
heart1 aye thinking on that it loves2   
and when it has that it loves1 then it  
joys and nothing can make it sorry4     
7,love is yearning between two1 with    
lastingness of thoughts47 ,love is a    
stirring of the soul for to love ,,god  
for ,himself1 and all other things for  
,,god2 the which love1 when it is       
ordained in ,,god1 it does away all     
inordinate love in anything that is not 
good4 ,but all deadly sin is inordinate 
love for a thing that is naught3 then   
love puts out all deadly sin4 ,love is a
 virtue which is the rightest affection 
of man's soul4 ,truth may be without    
love3 but it cannot help without it4    
,love is a perfection of learning1      
virtue of prophecy1 fruit of truth1 help
 of sacraments1 establishing of wit and 
knowledge2 riches of pure men2 life of  
dying men4 ,so1 how good love is4 ,if we
 suffer to be slain2 if we give all that

 we have1 7down7 to a beggar's staff2 if
 we know as much as men may know on     
earth1 all this is naught but ordained  
sorrow and torment4 ,if thou wilt ask   
how good is he or she1 ask how much he  
or she loves2 and that no man can tell4 
,for ,i hold it folly to judge a man's  
heart2 that none knows save ,,god4 ,love
 is a righteous turning from all earthly
 things1 and is joined to ,,god1 without
 departing1 and kindled with the fire of
 the ,holy ,ghost3 far from defiling1   
far from corruption1 bound to no vice of
 this life4 ,high above all fleshly     
lusts1 aye ready and greedy for the     
contemplation of ,,god4 ,in all things  
not overcome4 ,the sum of all good      
affections4 ,health of good manners2    
goal of the commandments of ,,god2 death
 of sins2 life of virtues4 ,virtue      
whilst fighting lasts1 crown of         
over-comers4 ,mirth#d to holy thoughts4 
,without that1 no man may please ,,god2 
with that1 no man sins4 ,for if we love 
,,god in all our heart1 there is nothing

 in us through which we serve sin4 ,very
 love cleanses the soul1 and delivers it
 from the pain of hell1 and from the    
foul service of sin1 and from the ugly  
fellowship of the devils2 and 7out7 of  
the fiend's son1 makes ,,god',s son1 and
 partner of the heritage of heaven4 ,we 
shall force ourselves to clothe us in   
love1 as iron or coal does in the fire1 
as the air does in the sun1 as the wool 
does in the dye4 ,the coal so clothes   
itself in fire that it is fire4 ,the air
 so clothes itself in the sun that it is
 light4 ,and the wool so substantially  
takes the dye that it is like it4 ,in   
this manner shall a true lover of       
,,jesus ,christ do3 his heart shall so  
burn in love1 that it shall be turned   
into the fire of love1 and be as it were
 all fire2 and he shall so shine in     
virtues that no part of him shall be    
murky in vices4  ,the second asking is3 
,where is love8 ,and the answer3 love is
 in thine heart1 and in the will of man2
 not in his hand1 nor in his mouth3 that

 is to say1 not in his work1 but in his 
soul1 ,for many speak good and do good1 
and love not ,,god3 as hypocrites1 who  
suffer great penance1 and seem holy in  
man's sight4 ,but because they seek     
praise and honour of men1 and favour1   
they have lost their meed3 and in the   
sight of ,,god1 they are devil's sons1  
and ravishing wolves4 ,but if a man give
 alms-deed1 and take him to poverty and 
do penance1 it is a sign that he loves  
,,god3 but therefore loves he ,him not1 
save when he forsakes the world only for
 ,,god',s love1 and sets all his thought
 on ,,god1 and loves all men as himself3
 and all the good deeds that he may do1 
he does them with intent to please      
,,jesus ,christ1 and to come to the rest
 of heaven4 ,then he loves ,,god3 and   
that love is in his soul1 and so his    
deeds shew without4 ,if thou speakest   
good and doest good1 men suppose that   
thou lovest good3 therefore look well   
that thy thought be in ,god1 or else    
thou deceivest thyself1 and deceivest   

men4 ,nothing that ,i do without        
7outside7 proves that ,i love ,,god4    
,for a wicked man might do as much      
penance in body1 as much waking and     
fasting as ,i do4 ,how may ,i then ween 
that ,i love1 or hold myself better1 on 
account of that which any man may do8   
,certainly1 my heart1 whether it loves  
my ,,god or not1 wots no one but ,,god1 
for nought that they may see me do4     
,wherefore1 love is in will verily1 not 
in work1 but in a sign of love4 ,for he 
that says he loves ,,god1 and will not  
do what is in him to shew love1 tell him
 that he lies4 ,love will not be idle1  
it is working some good evermore4 ,if it
 cease working1 wit thou that it cools  
and goes away4  ,the third asking is3   
,how shall ,i verily love ,,god8 ,i     
answer2 ,very love is to love ,him with 
all thy might1 stalwartly3 in all thine 
heart1 wisely3 in all thy soul1 devoutly
 and sweetly4 ,stalwartly can no man    
love ,him save he be stalwart4 ,he is   
stalwart1 who is meek2 for all ghostly  

strength comes of meekness2--on whom    
rests the ,holy ,ghost8 in a meek soul4 
,meekness governs us and keeps us in all
 our temptations1 so that they overcome 
us not4 ,but the devil deceives many    
that are meek1 through tribulations1 and
 reproofs1 and back-bitings994 ,but if  
thou beest wroth for any anguish of this
 world1 or for any word that men say of 
thee1 or for aught that men say to thee1
 thou art not meek1 nor mayst thou love 
,,god stalwartly4 ,for love is stalwart 
as death1 which slays every living thing
 on earth1 and hard as hell that spares 
not them that are dead4 ,and he who     
loves ,,god perfectly grieves ,him not1 
whatever shame or anguish he may suffer2
 but he has delight and covets that he  
might be worthy for to suffer torment   
and pain for ,christ's love3 and he has 
joy that men reprove him and speak ill  
of him4 ,like a dead man1 what so men do
 or say1 he answers not4 ,right-so1     
whoso loves ,,god perfectly1 they are   
not stirred for any word that man may   

say4 ,for he or she cannot love1 that   
cannot suffer pain or anger for their   
friend's love4 ,for whoso loves1 they   
have no pain4 ,proud men or women love  
not stalwartly1 for they are so weak1   
and they fall at every stirring of the  
wind that is temptation4 ,they seek a   
higher place than ,christ2 for they will
 have their will done1 whether it be    
with right or with wrong3 and ,christ   
wills that nothing but well be done1 and
 without harm to other men4 ,but who is 
verily meek1 they will not have their   
will in this world1 but that they may   
have it in the other fully4 ,in nothing 
may men sooner overcome the devil than  
in ,meekness1 which he much hates4 ,for 
he may wake1 and fast and suffer pain   
more than any other creature may3 but   
meekness and love may he not have4      
,also1 it behoves thee to love ,,god    
wisely1 and that thou canst not do save 
thou beest wise4 ,thou art wise1 when   
thou art poor without desire of this    
world1 and despisest thyself for love of

 ,christ3 and expendest all thy wit and 
all thy might in ,his service4 ,for some
 who seem wise are most fools1 for all  
their wisdom they spill in covetousness 
and care about the world4 ,if thou      
sawest a man have precious stones       
wherewith he might buy a kingdom1 if he 
gave them for an apple1 as a child will 
do1 rightly mightest thou say that he   
was not wise but a great fool4 ,just so1
 if we will1 we have precious stones3   
,poverty and penance and ghostly        
travail1 with the which we may buy the  
kingdom of heaven4 ,for1 if thou lovest 
poverty and despisest riches and        
delights of this world1 and holdest     
thyself vile and poor1 and thinkest thou
 hast naught of thyself save sin3 for   
this poverty1 thou shalt have riches    
without end4 ,and if thou hast sorrow   
for thy sins1 and because thou art so   
long in exile out of thy country1 and   
forsakest the solace of this life3 thou 
shalt have for this sorrow the joy of   
heaven4 ,and if thou beest in travail1  

and punishest thy body reasonably and   
wisely1 by wakings1 fastings1 and in    
prayers and meditations1 and sufferest  
heat and cold1 hunger and thirst1       
privation and anguish for the love of   
,,jesus ,christ2 for this travail thou  
shalt come to rest that lasts aye1 and  
sit on a settle of joy with angels4 ,but
 some there are who love not wisely1    
like children who love an apple1 more   
than a castle4 ,so do many2 they give   
the joy of heaven for a little delight  
of their flesh1 that is not worth a     
plum4 ,now canst thou see1 that whoso   
will love wisely1 it behoves him to love
 lasting things1 lastingly2 and passing 
things1 passingly2 so that his heart be 
settled and fastened on nothing but     
,,god4 ,and if thou wilt love ,,jesus   
verily1 thou shalt not only love ,him   
stalwartly and wisely1 but also devoutly
 and sweetly4 ,sweet love is when thy   
body is chaste and thy thought clean4   
,devout love is2 when thou offerest thy 
prayers and thy thoughts to ,,god with  

ghostly joy1 and burning heart in the   
heat of the ,holy ,ghost2 so that men   
think that thy soul is as it were       
drunken for delight and solace of the   
sweetness of ,,jesus2 and thy heart     
conceivest so much of ,,god',s help that
 men think thou mayst never be departed 
from ,him3 and then thou comest into    
such rest and peace in soul1 and quiet1 
without thoughts of vanity1 7or7 of     
vices1 as if thou wert in silence and   
sleep1 and set in ,noe's ship1 so that  
nothing may hinder thee from devotion   
and sweet love4 ,for thou hast gotten   
,his love3 all thy life1 until death    
come1 in joy and comfort3 and thou art  
verily ,christ's lover3 and he rests in 
peace whose place is made in peace4     
,the fourth asking was3 how thou        
mightest know that thou wast in love and
 charity4 ,i answer3 that no man wots on
 earth that they are in charity2 save it
 be through any privilege or special    
grace that ,,god has given to any man or
 woman3 that all others may not take    

example by4 ,holy men and women trow    
that they have truth and hope and       
charity3 and in that do as well as they 
may1 and hope certainly that they shall 
be safe2 they wot it not so quickly2 for
 if they wish1 their merit were the     
less4 ,and ,solomon says it is so with  
righteous men and wise men1 and that    
their works are in ,,god',s hand4 ,and  
nevertheless1 a man wots not whether he 
be worthy hatred or love2 but all is    
reserved uncertain for another world4   
,nevertheless1 if any had grace that he 
might win to the third degree of love1  
which is called ,singular1 he should    
know that he was in love4 ,but in such  
manner were the knowing1 that he might  
never bear himself the higher1 nor be in
 less care to love ,,god2 but so much   
the more that he is secure of love1 will
 he be busy to love ,him and dread ,him1
 ,who has made him so1 and done that    
goodness to ,him2 and he that is so     
high1 he will not hold himself worthier 
than the sinfullest man that goes on    

earth4 ,also seven experiments are      
there1 that a man be in charity4 ,the   
first is2 when all covetousness of      
earthly things is quenched in him4 ,for 
whereso covetousness is1 is no love of  
,christ4 ,then1 if he have no           
covetousness1 sign is that he has love4 
,the second is1 burning yearning for    
heaven4 ,for when men have felt aught of
 that savour1 the more they love1 the   
more they covet3 and he that has not    
felt1 he desires not4 ,therefore1 when  
anyone is given so much1 till he love   
thereof 7so7 that he can find no joy in 
his life3 token has he that he is in    
charity4 ,the third is2 if his tongue be
 changed1 that was wont to speak of     
earth2 now speaks of ,,god1 and of the  
life that lasts aye4 ,the fourth is3    
exercise of ghostly profit4 ,as if any  
man or woman give themselves entirely to
 ,,god',s services1 and meddle with no  
earthly business4 ,the fifth is3 when   
the thing that is hard of itself seems  
light for to do2 the which love makes4  

,for as ,austin says3 ,love it is which 
brings the far thing near-to-hand1 and  
the impossible to the openly possible4  
,the sixth is3 hardness of thought to   
suffer all anguish and hurt that        
comes--without this1 all the other      
suffices not4 ,for whatso befalls him   
shall not make a righteous man sorry4   
,for he who is righteous1 hates naught  
but sin2 he loves naught but ,,god1     
before ,,god3 he dreads naught but to   
anger ,,god4 ,the seventh is3           
delectability in soul1 when he is in    
tribulation1 and makes praise to ,,god  
in the anger that he suffers4 ,and this 
shews well that he loves ,,god1 when no 
sorrow can bring him down4 ,for many    
love ,,god while they are at ease2 and  
in adversity they grumble1 and fall into
 so great sorriness1 that scarcely may  
any man comfort them3 and so slander    
they ,,god1 striving and fighting       
against ,his judgments4 ,and that is    
caitiff praise that any wealth of the   
world makes3 but that praise is of great

 price that no violence of sorrow can do
 away4  ,the fifth asking was3 ,in what 
state men may most love ,,god8 ,i       
answer1 in such state as it be that men 
are in most rest of body and soul1 and  
least occupied with any needs or        
business of this world4 ,for the thought
 of the love of ,,jesus ,christ1 and of 
the joy that lasts aye1 seeks outward   
rest1 so that it be not hindered by     
comers and goers1 and occupation of     
worldly things2 and it seeks within     
great silence from the annoyances of    
desires1 and of vanities1 and of earthly
 thoughts4 ,and especially1 all who love
 contemplative life they seek rest in   
body and soul4 ,for a great ,doctor     
says3 ,they are ,,god',s throne who     
dwell still in one place1 and are not   
running about1 but in sweetness of      
,christ's love are fixed4 ,and ,i have  
loved for to sit3 for no penance1 nor   
fantasy1 nor that ,i wished men to talk 
of me1 nor for no such thing3 but only  
because ,i knew that ,i loved ,,god     

more1 and longer lasted within the      
comfort of love3 than going1 or         
standing1 or kneeling4 ,for sitting am  
,i in most rest1 and my heart most      
upward4 ,but therefore1 peradventure1 it
 is not best that another should sit1 as
 ,i did and will do to my death1 save he
 were disposed in his soul1 as ,i was4  
,,chapter ,,xi4   ,seven gifts of the   
,holy ,ghost are in men and women who   
are ordained to the joy of heaven and   
lead their life in this world           
righteously4 ,these they are3 ,wisdom3  
,understanding3 ,counsel3 ,strength3    
,knowledge3 ,pity and the ,fear of      
,,god4 ,begin we at ,counsel1 for       
thereof is most need at the beginning of
 our works1 which we dislike not        
afterwards4 ,with these seven gifts1 the
 ,holy ,ghost touches separate men      
separately4 ,counsel is doing away with 
the world's riches1 delights1 and all   
things with which men may be ensnared in
 thought or deed3 and therewith 7i4e4   
,counsel7 be drawn inwardly to          

contemplation of ,,god4 ,understanding  
is1 to know what is for to do1 and what 
to leave 7undone73 and that which shall 
be given1 to give it to them that have  
need1 not to others that have no need4  
,wisdom is forgetting of earthly things1
 and thinking of heaven1 with discretion
 in all men's deeds4 ,in this gift1     
shines contemplation1 that is1 as ,s4   
,austen says ,a ghostly death of fleshly
 affection through the joy of a raised  
thought4 ,strength is2 enduring to      
fulfil good purpose1 that it be not     
left1 neither for weal nor for woe4     
,pity is3 that a man be mild3 and       
gainsay no holy ,writ when it smites his
 sins1 whether he understand it or not2 
but with all his might that he purge the
 vileness of sin1 in himself and in     
others4 ,knowledge is that 7which7 makes
 a man in good hope1 not making him     
quake for his righteousness1 but        
sorrowing for his sin2 and that a man   
gather earthly good only to the honour  
of ,,god1 and to other men's advantage  

more than to his own4 ,the ,fear of ,god
 is3 that we turn not again to our sin  
for any egging on3 and then is fear     
perfect in us and holy1 when we dread to
 anger ,,god in the least sin that we   
can know1 and flee it as poison4        
,,chapter ,,xii4   ,two lives there are 
that ,christian men live4 ,one is called
 ,active life1 for it is more in bodily 
work4 ,another1 contemplative life1 for 
it is in more ghostly sweetness4 ,active
 life is greatly outward1 and in more   
travail and in more peril1 because of   
the temptations that are in the world4  
,contemplative life is largely inward1  
therefore it is more enduring and more  
certain1 restfuller1 more delectable1   
lovelier and more rewarding4 ,for1 it   
has joy in ,,god',s love1 and savour in 
the life that lasts aye1 in this present
 time1 if it be rightly led4 ,and that  
feeling of joy in the love of ,,jesus   
passes all other merits in earth4 ,for  
it is so hard to come to1 because of the
 frailty of our flesh1 and the many     

temptations that we are beset with1     
which hinder us night and day3 all other
 things that come are light in regard   
thereof2 for that may no man deserve1   
but only it is given of ,,god',s        
goodness to them who verily give        
themselves to contemplation and to quiet
 for ,christ's love4 ,to men and women  
who betake themselves to active life1   
two things befall4 ,one3 to appoint     
their household in fear and in the love 
of ,,god1 and to find them in           
necessaries1 and themselves keep        
,,god',s commandments entirely4 ,doing  
to their neighbours as they will that   
they do to them4 ,another is that they  
do1 so far as they can1 the seven works 
of mercy4 ,the which are3 to feed the   
hungry3 to give the thirsty a drink2 to 
clothe the naked3 to harbour them that  
have no housing3 to visit the sick1 to  
comfort them that are in prison2 to bury
 dead men4  ,all that can and who have  
property1 they may not be quit with one 
or two of these2 but it behoves them to 

do them all1 if they will on ,dooms-,day
 have the benison that ,,jesus shall    
give to all who do them4 ,or else they  
may dread the malison that all men have 
who will not do them1 when they had     
goods to do them with4  ,contemplative  
life has two parts3 a lower and a       
higher4 ,the lower part is meditation of
 holy writing1 that is ,,god',s word1   
and in other good thoughts and sweet    
that men have of the grace of ,,god1    
about the love of ,,jesus ,christ1 and  
also in praising ,,god in psalms and    
hymns and in prayers4 ,the higher part  
of contemplation is beholding and       
yearning after the things of heaven1 and
 joy in the ,holy ,ghost3 that men have 
oft1 although it be so that they be not 
praying with the mouth1 but only        
thinking of ,,god1 and of the beauty of 
angels1 and of holy souls4 ,then may ,i 
say that contemplation is a wonderful   
joy of ,,god',s love2 the which joy is  
praising ,,god1 that cannot be told2 and
 that wonderful praising is in the soul3

 and for abundance of joy and sweetness1
 it ascends into the mouth2 so that the 
heart and the tongue agree in one1 and  
body and soul joy1 living in ,,god4 ,a  
man or woman that is appointed to       
contemplative life1 first ,,god inspires
 them to forsake this world1 and all the
 vanity and covetousness and vile lust  
thereof4 ,afterwards ,he leads them by  
their lone and speaks to their heart1   
and as the prophet says ,he gives them  
to suck of the sweetness of the         
beginning of love3 and then ,he sets    
them in the will to give themselves     
wholly to prayers and meditations and   
tears4 ,afterwards1 when they have      
suffered many temptations1 and when the 
foul annoyances of thoughts that are    
idle1 and of vanities which will        
encumber those who cannot destroy them1 
are passing away1 ,he makes them gather 
up their heart to them and fasten it    
only in ,him1 and opens to the eye of   
their souls the gates of heaven3 and    
then the fire of love verily lies in    

their heart1 and burns therein1 and     
makes it clean from all earthly filth1  
and afterwards they are contemplative   
men1 and ravished in love4 ,for         
contemplation is a sight2 and they see  
into ,heaven with their ghostly eye4    
,but thou shalt wit that no man has     
perfect sight of heaven1 whilst they are
 living bodily here4 ,but as soon as    
they die1 they are brought before ,,god1
 and see ,him face to face1 and eye to  
eye1 and dwell with ,him without end4   
,for ,him they sought1 and ,him they    
coveted1 and ,him they loved1 with all  
their might4  ,lo1 ,margaret1 ,i have   
told thee shortly the ,form of ,living1 
and how thou mayst come to perfection1  
and to love ,him whom thou hast taken   
thee to4 ,if it do thee good and profit 
to thee1 thank ,,god1 and pray for me4  
,the grace of ,,jesus ,christ be with   
thee1 and keep thee4 ,amen4  ,here      
endeth ,the ,form of ,perfect ,living4  
,,footnotes3  #c ,the text is imperfect 
here4  #d ,two ,,mss4 substitute arms   

for mirth4     ,our ,daily ,work4  7,a  
,mirror of ,discipline47     ,our ,daily
 ,work4  7,a ,mirror of ,discipline47   
,three things are needful to every man2 
to increase his reward1 through ,,god',s
 grace helping1 ,who shall lead him4    
,the first2 that man be in honest work1 
without losing of his time4 ,the second2
 that he do his work with a freedom of  
spirit1 in place and in time1 as work   
falls to each4 ,the third2 that his     
outward bearing1 wheresoever he come1 be
 so honest and fair1 that praise is     
7given7 to ,,god1 a stirring up of good 
to all who see him1 as the ,apostle     
bids3 ,omnia in vobis honesti et        
secundum ordinem fiant1 that is ,that ye
 do3 be it done honestly and in order4  
,,first ,,part ,,of ,,the ,,book4   ,at 
the first3 man shall look that he lose  
not his short time1 nor spend it        
wrongly1 nor in idleness let it pass    
away4 ,,god has lent man his time1 to   
serve ,,god in1 and to gather grace with
 good works1 to buy heaven with4 ,not   

only this short time flies from us1 but 
also the time of our life1 as the wise  
man says3 ,our life-time passes away4   
,and ,s4 ,gregory says3--,our life is   
like a man in a ship2 sit he1 stand he1 
sleep he1 wake he1 ever he gets         
thitherward where the ship is driving   
with the force of the weather4 ,so we1  
in this short time1 whatsoever we do1 we
 drive ever to our end4 ,and our enemy1 
,death1 follows us ever at our back1    
with a sharp spear to stick us through1 
therefore says ,seneca1 life flies1     
death follows4 ,and ,s4 ,augustine says 
,life is nothing else but a swift       
running to death4 ,therefore1 there is  
naught to tell by1 how long man lives3  
save how well4 ,yet this short life is  
uncertain3 wherefore says ,job3--,i know
 not how long ,i may endure1 and whether
 after a short space my ,maker may take 
me away4 ,and ,s4 ,gregory says3 ,i wot 
not the time ,i shall dwell1 nor when ,i
 shall be taken hence and led to doom4  
,and ,s4 ,jerome says3--,nothing so much

 beguiles man1 as that he knows not the 
time of his life1 that to him is        
uncertain4 ,and yet hopes he for long   
life for himself1 as if he might1 at his
 will1 drive ,death back4 ,thus was the 
rich man deceived of whom speaks the    
,gospel of ,s4 ,luke xvi4 ,therefore    
saith the psalm3 if riches increase1 set
 not your heart upon them4 ,for riches  
fail and last not with man1 but glide   
away like a phantom4 ,but when men have 
got goods together1 with right1 or with 
wrong and poor men's curses1 then       
suddenly1 they go from their goods1 or  
else their goods from them4 ,and ,holy  
,writ says ,the world passeth away and  
the lust thereof4 ,a man that is fallen 
in the water1 and through the force of  
the water is borne forth and torn from  
the ground2 if he may get anything that 
has good fastening like a root or a     
stake1 he may hinder the water from     
carrying him away2 but by anything that 
fleets as he does himself1 he cannot    
fasten himself3 and soothly1 willy      

nilly1 in this life1 as if in water1 we 
are ever passing with the goods of this 
world2 and there is naught in this world
 to fasten by1 so that we shall not     
pass3 for the ,wise ,man saith1 ,we     
shall all die1 and like water slip away 
into the ,earth4 ,and therefore ,job    
speaks1 as if he said ,riches and       
friends had ,i many1 but they all could 
not hinder me from going forth and not  
coming again4 ,and by what path1 man    
shall go1 the prophet shews3 ,all flesh 
is grass1 and all the glory of it as the
 flower of the field4 ,man's flesh is as
 hay1 and all his joy and splendour as  
the flower of the meadow4 ,hay is first 
green grass1 and soon after brings forth
 flowers3 and a while after1 the flowers
 dry and fall2 after it is mown down    
with the scythe1 and dried and taken to 
a house to be beasts' food4 ,thus it    
befalls man3 in his childhood he springs
 and grows as the grass does2 after1 he 
comes to manhood and flowers in fairness
 and strength and wit and having of     

goods2 afterwards3 he draws to age1 and 
then his flowers fall1 that are his     
virtue1 fairness1 strength1 wit and     
other power2 afterwards1 he is stricken 
down with the scythe of ,death1         
afterwards taken to a house to beasts'  
food1 that is1 dug into the earth to    
feed worms4 ,therefore says the holy    
man2 when a man dies1 he shall dwell    
with serpents and beasts4 ,a dead man is
 so disgusting to the world1 that one   
cannot let him be in his house three    
days together2 but bears him forth1 that
 he harm none with the odour4           
,therefore1 it is now time to work2 for 
in the time to come there is no time to 
work1 but to receive rewards for deeds  
done erewhile4 ,and this the angel      
affirms with oath and says1 ,for the    
angel has sworn that there will be no   
further time4 ,do we then as the        
,apostle says3 ,while we have time1 let 
us work good to all4 ,and as the        
,apostle counsels us1 he did himself3   
for from the first hour of the day until

 the fifth1 he worked with his hands to 
win his food3 and from the fifth to the 
tenth1 he preached to the people3 from  
the tenth to even he served the poor and
 pilgrims with such goods as he had2 by 
night he was praying1 and thus spent he 
his time4  ,in three ways1 man loses his
 time3 in idleness2 or in works that no 
good comes of2 or in good works1 but not
 ordained as they should be4 ,against   
idleness1 ,solomon says--,idleness      
teaches much evil2 and ,holy ,writ says 
,whoso followeth idleness1 is most      
foolish4 ,a great fool he is who        
forbears not from the thing that harms  
him4 ,more fool he is1 because he wins  
himself no reward3 most fool he is1     
because he wins himself pain4 ,therefore
 ,,god blames the idle3 and says ,why   
standest thou all the day idle8         
,idleness wastes the goods that are     
prudently gotten1 and entices the fiend 
to the house3 for as by good works the  
fiend is hindered from entering man's   
heart1 so idleness draws him thereto4   

,and ,seneca says3 he lives not to      
himself who lives for his stomach and   
the ease of his flesh whenever he can4  
,for ,job says ,man is born to labour4  
,to work was man bound after he had     
sinned1 through ,,god',s bidding1 ,who  
said to him3 ,in the sweat of thy face  
shalt thou eat thy bread1 till thou     
returnest unto the ground from whence   
thou wast taken2 because from the ground
 thou art1 and into the ground thou     
shalt go4 ,thou shalt work stalwartly   
and not faintly1 for ,he bids thee work1
 with sweat of thy face1 even till thou 
returnest to the earth2 that is1 all thy
 life time that thou losest no time in  
idleness4 ,idleness smites a man as if  
he were in a paralysis1 and makes his   
limbs dry that he cannot work4          
,therefore says the ,psalmist3 ,they    
have hands and handle not2 feet have    
they but they walk not2 mouths have they
 but they speak not2 eyes have they and 
see not2 ears have they and hear not2   
for their limbs are so bound in sin1    

that to all good things1 they are as    
dead2 and to evil1 they are easy4       
,idleness is nurse to all vices1 and    
makes a man reckless about not doing    
what he is bound to do4 ,and when the   
fiend finds a man idle1 he puts in his  
heart foul thoughts of fleshly filth1   
and other follies that may bring him to 
sin2 afterwards1 he eggs him on to do   
them indeed1 and thus he does against   
the ,apostle's bidding3 ,will not to    
give place to the devil4 ,the idle man  
makes himself unworthy to dwell in any  
place but hell4 ,in heaven he cannot    
dwell2 for heaven is full reward to     
those who here spend their time in works
 that they hope are pleasing to ,christ4
 ,in purgatory the idle may not dwell2  
for there only the good are purged in   
that cleansing fire1 till they be as    
clean of sin as when they were          
christened3 therefore saith the         
,psalm-wright3--,in labore hominum non  
sunt et cum hominibus non               
flagellabuntur3 that is thus for to say2

 ,the idle work not with men2 therefore 
in purgatory they shall not be pained   
with those men who are on the way to    
heaven4#e  ,great shame it is to be idle
 in this time of grace1 in the which we 
are hired to work2 and if we work as we 
ought1 great reward awaits us4 ,,god    
gives us an example of work1 by         
,himself1 as the ,apostle says3 ,he     
emptied ,himself1 and took upon ,him the
 form of a servant1 and was made in the 
likeness of men2 and being found in     
fashion as a man1 he humbled ,himself1  
and became obedient unto death1 even the
 death of the cross3 wherefore ,,god    
hath also highly exalted ,him1 and given
 ,him a name which is above every name1 
that at the name of ,,jesus1 every knee 
should bow1 of things in heaven1 and    
things in earth1 and things under the   
earth2 and that every tongue should     
confess that ,,jesus ,christ is ,lord1  
to the glory of ,,god the ,father4      
,over-proud then1 and over-delicate is  
the servant1 who rests in battle1 and   

sees ,his ,lord assailed and            
evil-wounded by ,his enemies4 ,also1 we 
ought to work in this time of grace2 for
 we are ,,god',s bought thralls1 with   
the price of ,his dear-worthy ,blood1 to
 work in ,his vine-yard3 and yet ,he    
doth promise us reward1 if we do with   
good-will that which1 as a debt1 we     
ought to do4 ,to ,his private friends1  
before the time of grace1 ,,god promised
 only earthly goods1 if they did well2  
to us the bliss of ,heaven1 if we do    
well4 ,it was long after1 before they   
might come thereto2 for they went to    
hell and abode there1 some a thousand   
years1 some two1 some three1 before they
 came to heaven4 ,but now may men in a  
little time win heaven1 as1 if any die  
soon after he is christened1 or if he   
have done full penance for his misdeeds2
 or be martyred for ,,god',s love4 ,the 
time of supper that the gospel of ,s4   
,luke speaks of1 to the which ,,god bade
 ,his servants call all that were       
bidden1 is the time of grace2 which is  

now1 in the which all is ready2 so that 
there is naught else to do but wash and 
go to meat1 that is cleanse them of all 
their sins that they have done since    
they were born4 ,what losing of time it 
is to travail about things that no      
profit comes of4 ,man ought to travail  
only to the worship of ,,god1 and his   
soul-health4 ,thou shalt not deem the   
man has lived long though he go with a  
staff stooping1 and be grey-haired2 but 
deem him so old as he has lived well4   
,therefore answered ,barlaham to        
,josaphath1 his disciple1 when he asked 
him how old he was3 ,i am1 quoth he1 of 
#de years4 ,master1 quoth ,josaphath1   
methinks thou art of #fj years and more4
 ,then said ,barlaham1 ,since ,i was    
born has been #fj years2 but those years
 that ,i spent in idleness and sin      
before ,i took me to this life1 ,i hold 
as years of death4 ,but all those ,i    
call years of life that ,i have served  
,,jesus ,christ my ,lord in1 through    
,his dear-worthy grace4 ,whoso would    

bethink himself what time steals from   
him in long eating and drinking1 in     
excess and useless works1 idle speech1  
and idle and foul thoughts1 useless     
jests and other vanities that men       
delight them in1 he may soothly         
understand that though he be old in     
years1 that he has lived little time in 
the manner that he ought to have lived2 
for he lived not to his profit1 nor won 
him reward1 but peradventure pain for   
losing time4  ,it were a wonderful thing
 if the man who gives himself to        
business of the world more than he need1
 had no hindrance in prayer1 in rest of 
heart1 in soothfastness of words1 in    
perfection of good works1 in love to    
,,god and all ,christian men4           
,therefore1 holy men1 before now1 who   
knew their hindrances1 they fled the    
world with all its vanities1 as if it   
had been accursed2 for it seemed to them
 that they could not live a righteous   
life therein2 and therefore went they   
into the wilderness1 where they trowed  

to serve ,,god in peace4 ,therefore says
 ,seneca1 ,i have become more           
avaricious1 and more cruel1 and more    
inhuman because ,i was among men4       
,three manners of occupations there are3
 as1 various and much brawling2 raking  
about2 and much caring about earthly    
things4 ,against much brawling1 ,solomon
 says ,the beginning of strife is as    
when one letteth out water4 ,let the    
water out1 that is1 let the tongue fleet
 out in quarrelling4 ,but to the        
knowledge of ,,god or of himself may no 
one come1 who lets his heart fleet out  
with much useless speech3 for he makes a
 way in himself for the fiend4          
,therefore ,solomon likens such to a    
city without a wall3 ,he that hath no   
rule over his own spirit is like a city 
that is broken down and without walls4  
,and because so much hindrance of good  
is in much speech1 the philosopher binds
 his disciples with silence 7during7    
their first five years4 ,also1 ,abbot   
,agathon bore a stone in his mouth for  

three years to teach him to hold still4 
,against those who are ever raking about
 to feed their wits with vanities and   
lusts is the teaching of the angel1 who 
taught holy ,abbot ,arsenius and        
said3--,arsenius1 flee the world and its
 yearnings3 keep thee in rest1 bridle   
thy tongue1 that it fleet not out in    
quarrelling nor idle speech4 ,where     
these three are is a way to ,,god1 and  
withdrawing from evil4 ,it tells of an  
,abbot who 7for7 fully #bj years sat in 
his school1 and never lifted up his head
 to see the school-roof4 ,against those 
who care over-much about worldly goods1 
,solomon says this3--,vain is their     
hope1 and their labour without fruit1   
because they can carry away nothing of  
all their labour4 ,this is seen every   
day1 by the dead1 who1 be they never so 
rich bear with them but a winding cloth4
  ,the third manner of men are they that
 have a liking to do good1 but because  
they do it not in the manner they should
 do it in1 they lose their reward2 for  

when good intent fails in any deed1 the 
reward that should fall to the good work
 fails4 ,and that may be in four ways2  
first1 for the wickedness of the        
working2 as the offering of ,cain1 that 
though he offered to ,,god of the fruit 
that was new1 ,,god would not look      
thereon3 but to the offering of ,abel   
his brother1 ,,god looked4 ,therefore   
says ,s4 ,gregory3 ,by the heart's will 
of him that offers is the gift received 
of ,,god or rejected3 and ,,god was not 
pleased with ,abel for the offering1 but
 pleased with the offering for ,abel1   
who in all his works was true and good2 
but to ,cain and to his offering ,,god  
would not look1 for he who made the     
offering displeased ,,god greatly4 ,and 
why our offering1 or what we do that is 
in its nature good1 displeases ,,god1   
the prophet says3--,when ye make many   
prayers1 ,i will not hear3 because your 
hands are full of blood4 ,the second    
that reaves away a man's reward for his 
good deed1 is vanity1 which stirs man to

 do the good because he would be        
praised4 ,for vain-glory makes evil of  
good3 as if alms-deed that is good in   
nature be done for praising1 it wins    
only sin4 ,the third that snatches a    
reward from a good deed is boasting by  
him that does the good deed1 as the     
,pharisee did1 of whom ,,god said to the
 folk that stood before ,him1 ,soothly1 
this man has lost his reward for all his
 good deed4 ,needful it is therefore    
that a man do what good he can1 and do  
not pride himself thereof in thought or 
in word2 for he has not the doing of a  
good deed of himself1 nor of his own    
desiring4 ,the fourth that snatches from
 a man his reward for a good deed 7is7  
when he does it with the intent to be   
holden better than others1 or to lessen 
the good deed of others1 or to outdo it 
if he can4 ,of such1 ,s4 ,gregory tells 
a tale in his dialogues3 ,that once on a
 time the holy ,bishop ,fortunatus1     
chased the fiend out of a man in one    
evening2 and the fiend1 when he was     

chased out1 put on the likeness of a    
pilgrim1 and went through the city where
 the ,bishop lived1 weeping and yelling 
like a poor wretch1 who was anxious for 
lodging that night1 and thus he said2   
,lo1 what your ,bishop1 whom ye consider
 so good1 has done to me3 he came to the
 house where ,i had taken my lodging1   
and put me out by force3 and now like a 
poor wretch1 of lodging am ,i desirous2 
over all1 ,i seek lodging1 and none will
 have ruth on me4 ,a man of that city   
who heard him1 took him into his house1 
and set him by the fire and eased him1  
as he wished4 ,when the man had inquired
 of him of far-off things1 as men do to 
pilgrims1 the fiend leaped at the child 
in the cradle1 and wrung its neck in    
two1 and cast it into the fire1 and     
vanished away4 ,of this ,s4 ,gregory    
speaks and says1 ,many deeds seem good1 
and are not good1 because they are not  
done with a good will4 ,and this man    
harboured the pilgrim for no pity of    
him1 but because he spake evil of the   

,bishop1 and in order that he 7the man7 
should be held better and of more pity  
than the ,bishop4 ,yet a good deed is   
lost1 if a man covet by it to have of   
man1 riches1 or position1 or honours or 
any worldly good4 ,yet through sin      
defiling1 the good deed is lost2 and    
here-unto accords ,holy ,writ that says1
 who sinneth in one thing1 loses many   
good things1 which is1 he that in a     
deadly thing sins1 he loses many goods1 
save he amend him with shrift1 and do   
penance therefor4     ,,second ,,part   
,,of ,,the ,,book4   ,the second part of
 this book teaches man to do his good   
work with freedom of spirit1 in place   
and in time1 as falls to each work3 not 
compelled thereto1 nor to do it with    
anger1 nor with a dead heart4 ,for ,holy
 ,writ says3 ,,god loves a cheerful     
giver1 or ,,god loves him who gives ,him
 aught with a glad heart3 and certainly 
the works that turn out to the praise of
 ,god1 and the health of man's soul1    
like prayers and holy thoughts1 and a   

clear mind about ,,god1 and ,,god',s    
deeds2 these and others like them will  
allow of little rest1 if they be well   
7done74 ,prayer is a sacrifice that     
greatly pleases ,,god1 if it be made in 
the manner it ought to be3 therefore    
,,god asks it of us as a debt1 when ,he 
says this3--,,god created the peoples   
for ,his praise and ,his glory2 and the 
,sacrifice of praise shall honour ,me4  
,and the ,apostle1 we ought always to   
pray and not to faint4 ,therefore1 it   
behoves man ever to pray and never to   
fail4 ,he is ever praying1 who is doing 
good4 ,and certainly men of religion are
 bound to worship ,,god with prayer1 and
 men of ,holy ,church2 for they live by 
alms and tenths3 for all the world      
labours to bring them what they need    
close at hand1 so that they may serve   
,,god in rest1 and with their holy      
prayers make reconciliation between     
,,god and man4 ,and also maidens and    
widows who have taken the oath of       
chastity1 all these1 more than others1  

are bound to pray4 ,he that will please 
,,god with prayer will offer it to ,,god
 with a free will and loving heart1 and 
will prepare himself before1 as ,solomon
 counsels3 ,before prayer1 prepare thy  
soul1 and be not as one that tempteth   
,,god4 ,he tempts ,,god who yearns not  
to win that for which he prays3 or      
despairs to speed well therein2 and who 
makes sin and evil life3 such a man     
thinks not he loves4 ,of such ,s4       
,gregory speaks3--,what wonder if       
tardily our prayers are heard by the    
,lord1 when we tardily or not at all    
hear the ,lord when ,he commands8 ,and  
,isidore3--,he cannot have assured      
confidence in his prayers who even thus 
far in the commands of ,,god is         
slothful1 and whom the remembrance of   
sinful doing delights4 ,whoever will    
speed of his prayer1 let him do what    
good he can2 flee sin1 call his heart   
from the world1 and keep it at home as  
the ,gospel teaches2 ,when thou prayest1
 enter into thy closet1 and shut thy    

door1 and pray to thy ,father4 ,enter1  
he says1 thy bed1 that is1 call thine   
heart home1 and then fasten thy door2   
i4e41 hold thy wits in thee1 that none  
go out4 ,for it is but folly to pray to 
,,god to come to us1 poor needy         
wretches1 to give us alms of ,his       
dear-worthy grace1 and not abide ,his   
coming1 but turn our back on ,him4 ,s4  
,isidore says that the soul must be     
cleansed from the stain of sin1 and the 
heart be withdrawn from the provocations
 of the world1 in order that prayer may 
rise without hindrance to ,,god4 ,for   
far is that man from ,,god1 pray he     
never so much1 whose prayers are mixed  
with worldly thoughts3 therefore says   
the ,psalm ,be still1 and see that ,i am
 ,,god4 ,this ought to stir us up to    
pray with great dread and consideration 
for we speak with ,almighty-,,god1 when 
we are naught but unworthy wretches4    
,for so did ,abraham1 ,,god',s private  
friend1 who said3--,i speak to my ,lord 
which am but dust and ashes4 ,and       

,isidore says3--we ought to pray with   
sighings and tears1 and remembrance of  
our grimly sins1 and of the many pains  
and bitter we shall endure for them1    
unless we amend us1 and ,he have pity on
 us4 ,also1 he who prays shall hope to  
speed well in that for which he prays2  
for ,christ ,himself said1 ,all things  
are possible to the believing3 therefore
 we shall pray to ,,god as to our       
,father in that for which we pray1 if we
 love ,him as our ,father1 and be ,his  
children4 ,for ,he says to all ,his4444 
,he says#f ,whatsoever ye shall ask the 
,father in ,my ,name1 ,he shall give it 
to you4 ,there are six things to know in
 prayer3 first1 how a man shall prepare 
himself before4 ,the second1 to whom he 
shall pray3 the third1 for whom he shall
 pray3 the fourth1 what he shall ask in 
prayer3 the fifth1 what hinders prayer3 
the sixth1 what might and virtue prayer 
is of4 ,the first is written already1   
and begins at1 ,before prayer1 prepare  
thy soul1 and lasts as far as here4 ,the

 second1 to whom shalt thou pray8       
,soothly1 before all others1 to ,,god   
,almighty1 as the prophet bids1 ,be     
subject to ,,god and pray to ,him4 ,and 
in the ,gospel1 ,,god says1 ,thou shalt 
adore the ,lord thy ,,god4 ,saints we   
honour and pray to1 not as givers of    
goodness1 but as ,,god',s friends to    
help us to win from ,him that we pray   
after4 ,therefore1 let us believe in    
,,god with all our heart1 and certain   
hope1 and perfect charity3 our ,lord    
,,god is to be loved4 ,the third1 for   
whom shall men pray8 ,a great clerk     
says1 ,every ,christian man is a living 
member of ,holy ,church1 therefore is he
 bound to pray for all1 but specially   
for men of ,holy ,church1 as the ,pope1 
,cardinals1 ,bishops1 all who have cure 
of men's souls3 also for our foes and   
our friends2 and all who are in deadly  
sin1 that they1 through grace1 may rise3
 for all who are in ,purgatory1 whom    
,,god',s mercy awaits2 and after1 all   
who have occupations1 both quick and    

dead4 ,and ,s4 ,gregory says that he who
 prays for all1 the sooner shall be     
heard and sped of his prayer3 and ,s4   
,ambrose2 ,if thou prayest for all1 all 
will pray for thee4 ,and ,s4 ,jerome2   
,necessity binds a man to pray for      
himself1 but charity of brotherhood     
stirs him to pray for all3 and charity1 
more than necessity1 stirs ,,god to     
hear4 ,the fourth1 what shall men ask in
 prayer8 ,certainly1 grace in this life1
 and endless joy in the other2 for so   
,,god teaches us and says3 ,seek first  
the kingdom of ,,god and ,his justice1  
and all these things shall be added unto
 you4 ,,god is debtor to those who are  
righteous1 to find them what they need  
of earthly goods3 for righteousness     
makes men ,,god',s children1 and a      
father by his nature is bound to find   
for his children4 ,earthly goods are not
 to be asked in prayer1 for they have   
done harm to many1 therefore ,solomon   
says ,how long1 ye fools1 will ye desire
 those things which are hurtful to you8 

,therefore1 every man should ask of     
,,god with fear1 that he ask and pray   
his ,lord that if ,he see that his      
prayer be necessary and reasonable1 that
 ,he will fulfil it3 and if it be not   
necessary and reasonable1 that ,he will 
withdraw it2 for what may help and what 
may harm1 the ,leech knows better than  
the sick man4 ,but one of these two     
shall we trust to have through prayer2  
either1 that we pray for1 or that which 
is better for us4 ,the fifth1 what      
hinders our prayer from being heard by  
,god8 ,six things3 the first is the sin 
of him who prays2 as ,,god says through 
the prophet1 when ye make many prayers1 
,i will not hear2 because your hands are
 full of blood4 ,and ,david3 ,if ,i have
 looked upon iniquity with my heart1 the
 ,lord will not hear4 ,and the prophet2 
,our sins have hid ,his face from us4   
,and the ,gospel3 ,because we know ,,god
 does not hear ,sinners4 ,the second is 
the unworthiness of that for which men  
pray1 and that ,,god1 through the       

prophet1 forbids them to pray for3 ,pray
 not for this people1 neither lift up   
7praise7 nor prayer for them2 for ,i    
will not hear4 ,it tells in the life of 
the holy ,fathers that one who was bound
 in sin came to the holy ,abbot1 ,s4    
,anthony1 and said1 holy ,father1 have  
mercy on me and pray for me3 to whom the
 holy ,abbot said2 ,i will have no mercy
 on thee1 unless thou helpest thyself   
and leavest thy sin4 ,the third is foul 
and idle thoughts1 that hinder us from  
thinking on our prayers4 ,of such false 
prayers1 ,god says through ,his prophet3
 ,this people honour ,,me with their    
lips1 but their heart is far from ,,me4 
,it is great wickedness of us unworthy  
wretches that when we speak with prayer 
to ,almighty ,,god1 we also unwittingly 
hearken not to what we say4 ,soothly1   
great displeasure we do to ,,god when we
 pray ,him to hear our prayer1 and we   
will not hear it ourselves3 but it is   
worse to waste our time in foul and idle
 thoughts4 ,abraham1 when he made a     

sacrifice to ,,god1 fowls of the air    
lighted thereon1 and would have defiled 
it2 and he cleared those birds away1 so 
that none durst come nigh it1 till all  
the time were passed1 and the sacrifice 
made4 ,let us do so with these flying   
thoughts1 which defile the sacrifice of 
our prayer4 ,this sacrifice is agreeable
 to ,,god1 when it comes from a clean   
and loving heart4 ,,god bids3 send      
prayer to ,,me1 and ,i shall send grace 
to thee2 and whatso thou dost for ,,me1 
,i forget it not4 ,the fourth1 that     
hinders our prayer from being heard1 is 
hardness of heart2 and that is in two   
manners2 first hardness of heart against
 the poor2 and thereof the prophet says 
who shuts his ear to the cry of the     
poor1 he may call and ,i will not hear  
him4 ,the other is the hardness of those
 who will not forgive to those who have 
misdone them3 to such1 ,solomon         
says3--,forgive thy neighbour who has   
injured thee while he prays to thee1 and
 thy sins shall be forgiven4 ,and the   

,gospel says3 ,as thou standest praying1
 forgive if thou hast aught against any1
 and your ,father which is in heaven    
will forgive your sins4 ,the fifth1 that
 hinders our prayer from being heard1 is
 little yearning after the things that  
men pray for3 and ,s4 ,augustine says3  
,,god stores this up for thee1 that with
 thy whole heart it may be desired2 for 
,he will not to give to ,thee hastily1  
that so thou mayst learn great things   
greatly to desire4 ,and ,s4 ,gregory    
says3 if with our mouth we pray after   
the bliss of heaven1 and do not yearn   
for it in our heart1 we are crying      
still4 ,the sixth1 that hinders our     
prayer2 is foul and idle speech1 that we
 fill our lips with2 for if thou givest 
a great lord drink in a slutty cup1 were
 the drink never so good1 he would feel 
disgust therewith1 and bid throw it     
away1 were his thirst never so sore3 so 
,,god does with a prayer that comes from
 a foul mouth2 ,he esteems it not1 but  
turns therefrom4 ,therefore says ,s4    

,gregory3 ,the more our lips are defiled
 with foolish talking1 so much the less 
are they heard by ,,god in prayer4 ,the 
sixth1 what might and virtue prayer is  
of4 ,men who were before this age1 who  
kept themselves in soothfastness1 and   
spoke nothing idle1 won from ,,god what 
they prayed for3 and that was shewn to a
 holy hermit ,florentius1 who dwelt in a
 wilderness unknown of men4 ,so much    
vermin was there about this hermitage1  
that none durst come thither by a long  
way4 ,a deacon was in that land1 who    
heard of this hermit1 and he came at the
 last to the place where this hermit was
 dwelling2 but he saw so much vermin    
about that he durst not come near3 but  
cried out for help in fear4 ,the holy   
man came out to know who it was that    
cried2 and he saw a man standing there1 
and inquired what he would have4 ,and   
the deacon said2 holy ,father1 ,i have  
sought thee from far1 and now ,i have   
found thee1 ,i should have joy enough if
 ,i might come to thee1 but ,i cannot   

for these venomous beasts that are here 
so many4 ,when the holy man heard this1 
he fell down on his knees1 and prayed   
,,god that ,he would destroy those      
worms3 and all soon a grisly storm arose
 with a thunder1 and slew all the worms4
 ,then said the hermit to our ,lord2    
,lord1 these beasts lie here so thickly1
 that ,i cannot come to him nor he to   
me1 save we be poisoned by them4 ,lo1   
,lord1 they lie here dead1 but who shall
 lift them away8 ,at his word1 many     
birds came1 and carried them all clean  
away4 ,hereof speaks ,s4                
,gregory3--,because ,,god',s servants   
withdraw themselves from the world and  
its works1 uselessly they cannot speak3 
so they bind them to silence that they  
dare say no word save it be teaching    
others or praising ,,god3 and therefore1
 when they ask ,,god aught1 ,he grants  
it at once4 ,but we1 woful wretches1 who
 deal with the world1 that chatter all  
the day like magpies2 now lie1 now      
twist1 now speak evil1 now quarrel1 now 

backbite1 now swear great oaths1 these  
defile our prayer and hinder it1 that it
 is not heard2 for our mouth is as far  
from praying ,,god1 as it is near the   
world with idle speech4 ,prayer is so   
mightful if it have its right1 that it  
masters the fiend1 and hinders him from 
doing his will4 ,for so it did the fiend
 whom ,julian the ,emperor commanded to 
go to the other side of the world to    
bring him tidings how it was there4     
,when he had flown ten days' journey    
thitherward1 he came over the place that
 ,publius the hermit dwelled in1 who was
 praying at that time4 ,and his prayer  
overtook the fiend1 and held him there  
fast fully ten days--for all that time1 
the hermit was in prayer3 and when he   
ceased1 the fiend turned back1 for he   
could no further go1 since prayer       
hindered him4  ,when thou hast gathered 
home thine heart and its wits1 and hast 
destroyed the things that might hinder  
thee from praying1 and won to that      
devotion which ,,god sends to thee      

through ,his dear-worthy grace1 quickly 
rise from thy bed at the bell-ringing3  
and if no bell be there1 let the cock be
 thy bell3 if there be neither cock nor 
bell1 let ,,god',s love wake thee1 for  
that most pleases ,,god4 ,and zeal1     
rooted in love1 wakens before both cock 
and bell1 and has washed her face with  
sweet love-tears2 and her soul within   
has joy in ,,god with devotion1 and     
liking1 and bidding ,him good-morning1  
and with other heavenly gladness which  
,,god sends to ,his lovers4 ,blessed are
 they above others whom ,,god wakens1   
for they have many joys while others    
sleep1 for they find that gladness      
before them1 rise they never so soon2   
for ,,god ,himself thus says3 he that   
early wakens to ,,me1 he shall find ,,me
 to speak with him1 and shall rejoice   
himself in ,,me1 and have ,,me at his   
will4 ,be then a waker1 and rise        
quickly1 and thank heartily thy ,lord   
,,god1 for the rest thou hast had1 and  
for the care of angels4 ,since a knight 

has great liking to be called to come   
and speak with the king1 when he knows  
it is for his great profit3 with greater
 reason1 ought ,,god',s knight1 that is 
every ,christian man1 to be ready at the
 calling of his ,lord1 ,who calls him   
for his great profit1 and for nothing   
else4 ,soberly1 rise thou with a good   
cheer1 and think that thou hearest ,,god
 call thee with these words3 ,arise ,my 
love1 ,my fair one1 and come and shew   
,me thy face3 ,i yearn that the voice of
 thy prayer may ring in ,mine ears4     
,think in thy rising1 how that night    
many men perished in life1 and some in  
soul1 and some in body and soul3 some   
burned1 some drowned1 some suddenly dead
 without repentance or shrift1 and their
 souls drawn by fiends to hell2 some    
fallen into deadly sin1 as lust1        
gluttony1 theft1 envy1 manslaughter1 and
 other several sins4 ,and from all these
 perils1 thy good ,,god hath delivered  
thee1 of ,his goodness not of thy       
desert4 ,what hast thou done to ,,god   

that ,he should care for thee so1 and   
suffer so many others to be lost8 and   
peradventure thou hast done worse than  
they have done4 ,if thou lookest well at
 what ,,god has done for thee though    
thou hast not served ,him1 thou mayst   
find that ,,god is as busy to do thee   
profit as if ,he had naught else to do1 
and as if ,he had forgotten this whole  
world1 and thought only on thee4 ,when  
thou hast this thought1 lift up thine   
heart to ,,god and say3--,i thank ,thee1
 dear-worthy ,lord1 with all my heart1  
,who hast thus cared this night for me1 
a so unworthy wretch1 and hast suffered 
me that with life and health ,i thus    
abide this day4 ,i thank ,thee1 ,lord1  
for this great good1 and many others    
that ,thou hast done to me1 a so unkind 
and unworthy wretch1 more than all      
others3 that ,thou shewest me such      
kindness against my evil deeds4 ,and put
 thyself and all thy friends in ,,god',s
 hands1 and say thus3 ,into ,thy        
dear-worthy hands1 my ,lord1 ,i yield my

 soul and body1 and all my friends1     
kindred and stranger3 and all who have  
done me good bodily or ghostly1 and all 
who have received ,christianity3 that   
,thou1 for the love of ,thy ,mother1    
that dear-worthy ,maiden1 and the       
beseeching of ,thy ,saints defend us    
this day or this night from all perils  
of body and soul1 and from all deadly   
sins1 from temptation of the devil1 and 
sudden death1 and from the pains of     
hell1 and make us dread them4 ,do ,thou 
hallow our hearts with grace of ,thy    
,holy ,ghost1 and make us1 whatsoever we
 do here1 do ,thy will1 that we never   
separate from ,thee1 dear ,lord4 ,amen4 
,when thou hast done1 go to the ,church 
or ,oratory3 and if thou canst win to   
none1 make thy chamber thy ,church4 ,in 
the church is most devotion to pray1 for
 then is ,,god on the altar to hear     
those that to ,him pray1 and grant them 
what they ask or what is better3 and in 
presence of ,saints1 and in worship of  
churches that are hallowed1 protection  

of angels who are there to serve their  
,lord and thee--for their office is to  
receive thy prayer1 and bear it to      
,,god1 and bring thee grace from ,him1  
as ,s4 ,bernard says3 ,rise then        
quickly1 at ,,god',s call1 and put all  
heaviness from thee1 and answer thy     
,lord with the words which ,samuel said 
to ,,god ,who called him in the night3  
',speak ,lord1 for ,thy servant         
heareth4'  ,for eight things we ought to
 wake and ever be doing good3 this short
 life3 the strait way we have to go3 our
 good deeds that are so few3 our sins   
that are so many3 death that we are sure
 of and wot not when3 the strait and so 
hard doom of ,doom's-day1 for every idle
 thought shall be shewed there1 then    
shall every foul word and sinful work be
 greatly pressed1 for ,,god says ,for   
every careless word1 etc43 and ,s4      
,anselm1 what wilt thou do in that day  
when all the time expended is required  
of thee2 how it has been laid out by    
thee1 even to the minutest thought4 ,the

 seventh thing is the strong pain of    
hell3 the eighth1 is the joy of heaven4 
,after thine uprising1 pray for the     
souls that are in pain of ,purgatory1   
and think that thou hearest them cry on 
thee the words of ,job3 ,have mercy on  
me1 have mercy on me1 my friends1 for   
the hand of ,,god is laid upon me1 and  
help them with ,de ,profundis1 and      
,absolve4 ,after1 greet our ,lady1 with 
,salve ,regina1 on thy knees4 ,go then  
to the ,church1 and bid thy vain        
thoughts and business of the world keep 
outside thereof3 and at thine incoming1 
say to thy soul1 ,enter thou into the   
joy of thy ,lord1 and thou shalt hear   
,his ,voice1 and behold ,his temple4    
,holy ,church is the entrance and gate  
of ,heaven4 ,after1 fall down before the
 ,cross1 and honour ,him because ,he was
 slain on the ,cross1 and say ,we adore 
,thee1 ,o ,christ1 and bless ,thee1     
because by ,thy holy ,cross ,thou didst 
redeem the world4 ,and then before thou 
uprisest1 have in thy mind how hotly    

,his love burned1 ,that died for thee on
 the ,cross4 ,after1 begin thy matins1  
but first cross thy lips and say ,o     
,lord1 open my lips3 i4e41 ,lord1 open  
my lips that all night have been shut   
from praising ,thee1 and ,i cannot open 
them1 except ,thou help me4 ,and then   
say1 ,,deus in adjutorium1 with these   
words1 pour out thine heart before ,,god
 and say2 ,lord1 as my ,doom's-,man1    
before ,thee ,i stand3 do ,thou avenge  
me of my foes1 which hinder me from     
serving ,thee1 and they assail me keenly
 so that ,i be soon overcome unless     
,thou dost help me4 ,and at ,gloria     
,patri1 bow down and say with thine     
heart1 ,lord1 of ,thy blessing1 ,i      
beseech ,thee4 ,turn thee to the angels 
who stand about to thy comfort and help1
 and as thy wardens to keep thee from   
thy foes1 and thus say to them ,venite  
exultemus1 ,domino4 ,afterwards1 cast   
thine eye on somewhat1 and keep it there
 while thou makest thy prayers1 for this
 helps much to the stabling of thine    

heart2 and paint there1 thy ,lord1 as   
,he was on the cross2 think on ,his feet
 and hands that were nailed to the tree2
 and on the wide wound in ,his side1    
through the which way is made to thee1  
to win ,his heart2 thank thy ,lord      
thereof1 and love ,him therefor3 for    
these1 they who thither may win1 find   
treasure of love4 ,think thou seest ,his
 wounds streaming of blood1 and falling 
down on the earth2 and fall thou down   
and lick up that blood sweetly1 with    
tears kissing the earth1 with           
remembrance for that rich treasure1     
which for thy sins was shed1 and say    
thus with thine heart3--,why lieth this 
blood here as if lost1 and ,i perish for
 thirst8 ,why drink ,i not of this rich 
payment that my ,lord gives me to drink 
and cool my tongue1 and hear what ,,god 
says to me3 ,he who is thirsty1 let him 
come and drink4 ,thou shalt taste and   
see how pleasant the ,lord is2 how      
sweet1 how mild1 how merciful4 ,with    
such meditations1 angels come to thy    

soul1 and ,,god is there1 and says to   
,his lover3--,what wouldest thou that ,i
 should do for thee8 and thou dost      
answer2 ,lord it is enough for me1 a    
sinful wretch and outcast of ,thy       
people1 to praise ,thee and love ,thee1 
if ,i could1 for so ,i well ought4 ,if  
thou canst win to such thinkings in thy 
prayers1 thou shalt have such joys that 
it shall be a pain to thee to think of  
aught else4 ,s4 ,bernard1 for the liking
 that he had for such stirrings desired 
that matins-time might last till        
,dooms-day4 ,think1 when thou standest  
or kneelest in prayer1 that thou seest  
,,jesus ,christ come with angels and    
holy ,saints on each side1 and angels   
carrying before ,him basketsfull of help
 which is left from the feasts of       
,saints who dwell with ,,god in heaven3 
that ,,god bade them gather up to help  
the poor with1 that naught might be     
lost4 ,this help is meat to us poor     
wretches1 who would perish in default of
 it1 unless ,,god had pity on us4 ,think

 thou hearest ,,god cry3 ,whoso has need
 of meat1 put forth thine hand1 and     
have4 ,and bow thou with thine head to  
,,god1 and lament thy poverty to ,him   
and say ,there is no bread in mine      
house2 and also say1 ,lord1 so long     
meatless have ,i been1 that ,i die of   
hunger save ,thou takest pity on me2 and
 naught can hold my life in me1 save    
meat that ,thou givest4 ,stir thyself up
 with such recollections1 and by others 
that may kindle thy devotion and raise  
it to ,him1 even until thou thinkest    
thou hearest ,him say to thee1 ,open thy
 mouth wide1 and ,i will fill it4 ,and  
then1 through ,,god',s grace1 shalt thou
 feel something of that heavenly food   
that feeds all ,hallows1 that thou      
mayest with liking sing the ,maiden's   
,song1 that is ,,god',s ,mother's1      
,magnificat anima mea dominum et        
exultavit spiritus meus in ,,deo        
salutari meo4 ,when ,,god1 through ,his 
grace1 sends thee such likings1 turn    
thou kindly to the angels who stand     

before thee1 and to them say3 ,i pray   
you as my keepers whom ,,god has sent to
 me1 that ye thank your good ,lord for  
me4 ,and turn thou then to the altar1   
where ,,god truly is1 and say1 ,truly1  
,o ,,god1 great is ,thy mercy towards   
me1 that is1 ,soothly ,lord1 great is   
,thy mercy that ,thou shewest to me4    
,with such love-stirrings1 ,,god comes  
to ,his lovers3 and waits not till the  
prayer be made1 but presses in to the   
midst1 and softens the languishing soul1
 with a bedewing of heavenly sweetness3 
and tears and sighings are messengers of
 ,,god',s coming4 ,blessed are they who 
thus mourn and languish to ,,god1 for   
they shall never separate from ,,god1   
but have ,him ever at their will4  ,how 
,,god comes to ,his lovers2 and how     
sometimes ,he departs from them4 ,,god1 
when ,he comes to ,his lovers gives them
 to taste how sweet ,he is2 and before  
they can fully feel1 ,he goes from them1
 and1 as an ,eagle1 spreads ,his wings1 
and rises above them1 as if ,he said3   

,some part mayst thou feel how sweet ,i 
am3 but if ye will feel this sweetness  
to the full1 fly up after ,me1 and lift 
your hearts up to ,me1 where ,i am      
sitting on ,my ,father's right hand1 and
 there ye shall be fulfilled in joy of  
,me4 ,,god comes to ,his lovers to      
comfort them2 he departs from them so   
that they should humble themselves1 and 
that they should not over-much pride    
themselves for the joy that they have of
 ,his coming3 for if thy spouse were aye
 with thee1 thou wouldest esteem thyself
 over well and despise others3 and if   
,he were aye with thee thou wouldest    
impute it to nature and not to ,grace4  
,therefore1 through ,his grace1 ,he     
comes when ,he will1 and to whom ,he    
will1 and departs when ,he will3 so that
 ,his long dwelling makes one not more  
unworthy2 but that after ,his departing1
 ,he be more yearned for and sought with
 zealous love and sighings and tears4   
,but beware thou1 ,,god',s lover1 though
 thy ,spouse withdraw ,himself from thee

 for a while1 ,he sees all thy deeds1   
and thou canst hide nothing from ,him3  
and if ,he wit thou lovest any but ,him1
 unless it be for love of ,him1 or if   
thou makest any love-semblance to other 
than ,him1 so soon ,he departs from     
thee4 ,jealous is thy ,spouse1 delicate1
 noble and rich2 seven times brighter   
than the sun2 in fairness and might all 
others ,he surpasses1 and what so ,he   
wills is done in heaven and earth and   
hell4 ,if ,he sees any stain of filth in
 one who should be ,his dear1 ,he turns 
from him soon1 for uncleanness can ,he  
see none4 ,therefore1 be thou chaste1   
shame-full1 and mild of heart1 and with 
love-longing yearn for ,him above all   
things4 ,and when ,,god withdraws this  
heavenly likeness and sweetness from    
thee1 as sometimes need be in this      
deadly life1 give not thyself to fleshly
 lusts and likings of the world2 but to 
prayer and meditation1 reading of ,holy 
,writ1 or honest work4 ,and ever mourn  
thou after thy love1 as a young child   

who misses his ,mother4 ,for he that1   
after such knowing of ,,god and tasting 
of ,his sweetness1 turns him back and   
gives him to sin1 he has no defence for 
his sin against ,,god4 ,an unhappy      
chance it is and full of care to love   
the fellowship of ,,god and of ,his     
angels and ,saints and to serve the     
fiend and follow his counsel with lusts 
and likings and works of sin3 that heart
 which was hallowed through the ,holy   
,ghost to be ,,god',s temple1 that was  
raised here above his nature to have    
heavenly likings and joy with ,,god1 all
 soon makes itself loathly and foul with
 foul thoughts3 those ears that heard   
the words that it is allowable to speak 
to none1 open themselves to hear        
back-bitings and lyings and other idle  
speech2 those eyes that just now were   
baptized with tears1 open themselves to 
see vanities3 that tongue that just now 
spake to ,,god in prayer1 all soon with 
that dirty tongue1 forswears1 backbites1
 and speaks foul words4 ,pray we to     

,,god that of ,his goodness ,he keep us 
from these vices4 ,of ,,god',s coming   
men may know by this that ,s4 ,bernard  
says3 ,when thou art stirred of man in  
outer or inner spirit to care for       
righteousness and stand up for it1 to be
 meek and patient1 to love thy brothers 
in ,,god1 to be buxom to thy superiors1 
to love chastity and cleanness in body  
and soul1 token is it that ,almighty    
,,god comes to visit thy soul4 ,if thou 
takest godly chastening from thy friend 
for thy sin1 or words that stir thee to 
virtues and good ways1 this makes way   
for and token of ,,god',s coming4 ,then 
if thou puttest from thee slowness and  
heaviness1 and with a love-yearning     
likest such words2 then dear-worthy     
,,god thy ,lord hastes ,him to thee1 for
 the desire that ,,god has to thee2     
kindles thy desires to have likings for 
such words1 and makes thee bitterly     
repent thy sin and amend thy life4 ,for1
 at ,his incoming1 ,he wakens the soul1 
stirs it and softens it1 and washes its 

wounds with wine1 and softens them with 
oil2 that is1 stirs it to repent        
bitterly what it has misdone1 and       
softens it with hope of mercy and       
forgiveness of sins4 ,he rives sin up by
 the roots1 as a gardener does evil     
weeds1 and grafts good trees1 and sows  
good seed1 where the weeds grew4 ,so    
does ,,god1 who is called a gardener    
while ,he is in man's soul3 ,he rives up
 sins by the roots1 and grafts in that  
soul virtues and good ways3 what was dry
 ,he bedews it with grace3 what was     
black and mirk1 ,he makes it white3 what
 was bound1 ,he looses3 what was cold1  
,he makes warm with love4 ,by these     
stirrings1 mayst thou know thy ,lord is 
come2 by stirring of thy heart1         
destroying of vices1 withdrawing from   
lusts1 amending of life1 repenting      
misdeeds1 beginning of a new man in     
,,god1 every day more and more4 ,and by 
this mayst thou wit1 when ,he goes from 
thee2 the gladness wanes1 slow thou     
waxest dry and heavy1 as a stone2 love  

cools in thee like a pot that had been  
welded1 and the fire was withdrawn      
therefrom4 ,but then needs the soul to  
mourn sorely until ,he come again4 ,if  
foul thoughts egg thee on to leave the  
,lord thy ,,god1 say this ,whose is this
 image and superscription8 if he says   
,caesar's1 that is the prince of this   
world1 that is the fiend of hell1 say to
 him1 ,go again thou foul fiend with thy
 false money3 bear it again with thee to
 hell2 for my gates are shut1 and my    
,lord dwells herein1 therefore have ,i  
no time to deal with thee4 ,think on    
that holy greeting that ,gabriel made to
 that maiden1 ,mary in ,nazareth1 how   
joyful she was in body and soul in that 
time2 through that quieting1 with her   
assent1 she was fulfilled of grace1 so  
that she won might and power1 in heaven1
 and earth1 and hell2 and on her hangs  
all the world's health and restoring of 
those that fell4 ,think on the birth of 
her ,child1 how she bare ,him without   
sorrow and grief that all other women   

have naturally in time of birth2 and she
 clean maiden after4 ,think when ,he was
 born1 they laid ,him in a crib before  
an ox and an ass1 other cradle had ,he  
none4 ,there was none to serve ,him with
 the light of torches as men do before  
great lords3 therefore there came a fire
 from heaven that lighted the house ,he 
was in1 and ,bethlehem2 and angels came 
from heaven to sing the child asleep    
with a merry voice4 ,think how ,three   
,kings came from far lands through      
knowing of a star1 and offered ,him     
gold1 incense and myrrh3 think how      
sweetly the child smiled on them1 and   
with ,his lovely eyes sweetly looked on 
them4 ,think how poorly ,his ,mother was
 clad when the ,kings kneeled before    
her3 for on her she had but a white     
smock as the clerks say1 more to cover  
herself with than for shewing of pride4 
,think how ,his ,mother came with ,him  
to the ,temple to make her offering of  
cleansing1 and bowed to fulfil the ,law 
as if they were sinful4 ,think how the  

old priest ,symeon took the ,child in   
his arms1 and blessed ,,god3 for there1 
through the stirring of the ,holy       
,ghost1 he saw the ,saviour of all this 
world between ,his hands1 and prayed    
that he might pass out of this world1   
for mine eyes have seen ,him ,who saves 
the folk4 ,think of that sorrow ,his    
,mother had when she missed ,him and    
sought ,him three days1 and then found  
,him among the ,masters1 hearing and    
inquiring of points of the ,law4 ,think 
how ,he came to be christened of ,s4    
,john3 how the ,holy ,ghost lighted then
 on ,him in the likeness of a ,dove1 the
 ,father there with voice recorded that 
,he was ,his ,son4 ,think how ,he       
hallowed wedlock in the house of the    
,ruler of the ,feast1 and there1 to show
 that ,he was ,almighty ,,god changed   
water into wine4 ,in the wilderness1 how
 he fasted #dj days without meat2 how   
,he overcame the fiend that tempted ,him
 with three3 with gluttony1 and         
covetousness1 and vain-glory1 and of the

 wonder men had of ,his preaching1 for  
all the words ,he spake to them were    
full of grace4 ,how ,he healed the sick1
 raised the dead1 gave sight to the     
blind1 speech to the dumb1 health to the
 leper1 with touching of ,his hands3 and
 many other sicknesses that were in     
their nature incurable1 ,he healed      
through the might of ,his words1 for ,he
 could do more than ,nature4 ,how ,he   
was weary of much going2 rested ,him at 
the well2 and then ,he bade give ,him   
water to drink for ,he thirsted sore4   
,then1 open thine heart with sore       
sighings1 and think on the passion and  
pains that ,,jesus ,christ suffered1 as 
they are written before on the xviii    
leaf4#g  ,he may ask grace of ,,god1 and
 certainly trust to speed1 who here     
stirs himself up with good works1 and   
with devotion and likings3 flavours them
 so that they may be savoury to his dear
 ,lord4 ,works of penance1 as fasting1  
waking1 hard fighting1 forbearing of    
fleshly lusts1 prayers1 alms-deed1 and  

other things that we do with devotion   
and likings in ,,god1 it behoves that so
 they be done with a glad heart1 and    
with a freedom of spirit4 ,devotion is a
 worthy affection that ,,god sends to   
the heart to gladden it with3 but       
unworthy is he to have this gift1 that  
will make no dwelling-place in his heart
 for it4 ,we seek with our belief what  
is above us1 but it savours us not1 for 
we are so full of earth that we have    
lost our taste4 ,why do so many men feel
 the stirrings that the fiend forges1   
and suffer his enemy so often to        
overthrow him8 ,i see nothing that does 
this1 save lack of grace4 ,among all    
other 7things7 ,i trow we grieve ,,god  
most1 because we will not labour to win 
this grace of ,,god3 and ,,god promises 
,his grace to all that will to receive1 
if that their vessel be clean and empty 
to receive it in4 ,but ,s4 ,bernard     
says3 ,the heart that is loaded with    
covetousness of the world1 it can have  
neither devotion nor liking in ,,god2   

for soothfastness and vanity1 a lasting 
and a failing thing1 a ghostly thing and
 a bodily cannot be brought together at 
any time4 ,so worthy a thing is the     
comfort of ,,god that it will not rest  
in a breast where other comfort is4 ,so 
delicious is the liking in ,him1 that   
with no other liking can it accord4     
,whoso yearns after other comfort to    
glad himself with1 witnesses against    
himself that he withstands ,,god',s     
grace3 unless it be honest comfort      
betimes that he may thereby glad his    
nature with1 and better serve ,,god4    
,after thou hast spent thy time in      
prayers1 and holy thoughts and good     
works1 in ,,god',s holy dread1 prepare  
thyself for food to strengthen thy      
nature which would else fail4 ,and to   
this intent shall every ,christian man  
clothe and feed his body2 that it may   
the better serve his ,lord1 in          
whatsoever he does4 ,in the morning1    
thou shalt go to thy meat1 with         
soberness and measure2 care for thy self

 in thy meat-time2 and after meat1 make 
thou praising to thy ,lord that ,he has 
fed thee1 and also before meat1 and for 
all the good deeds that ,he has done to 
thee4 ,first1 or ever thou goest to     
meat1 thou shalt mourn as holy ,job did1
 who thus says1 ,before ,i eat ,i sigh1 
because my nature is made weak and      
feeble for ,adam's sin2 and every day   
needs bodily meat to uphold the nature  
that else would fail in a little time4  
,and1 as it tells in the life of the    
holy ,fathers2 ,isidore that holy man1  
when he ate1 he wept sore and said1 ,i  
am ashamed of myself for ,i live by     
beastly meat as other beasts do that    
have no reason by nature2 and ,i1       
,,god',s reasonable creature1 made like 
to ,himself1 that should have dwelt in  
,paradise1 and there have been fed with 
heavenly food4 ,when thou findest       
delight or savour in meat and drink1    
think on the heavenly ,saints whom all  
likings pass by1 and we be never        
satisfied till we feel thereof4 ,men of 

religion hear lessons of holy men's     
lives at their meat1 so that as the body
 is fed with bodily food1 so the soul be
 fed with holy words4 ,man's body is as 
a burning furnace1 and specially in the 
young2 and delicious and hot meats and  
drinks make that fire to burn hotter3   
therefore says ,s4 ,john3--,plenty in   
time of youth is double fire4 ,therefore
 all that kindles sin in the flesh is to
 be fled from4 ,the wise man says1 ,if  
thou wilt abate the flame1 abate the    
brands4 ,and ,s4 ,john2 ,flesh-meat and 
wine are kindling of fleshly stirrings4 
,and ,s4 ,austin2 the flesh is as a wild
 colt1 which is to be tamed with bridle 
and hunger4 ,and ,solomon2 ,rod and     
burden fall to the ass1 that betokens   
our flesh4 ,wisely should a man consider
 the meat that comes before him1 and    
take of them in such measure that they  
grieve him not1 but that through them1  
he may serve ,,god better4 ,therefore   
,s4 ,john bids3--,ever when thou eatest1
 ever hunger thou1 that after meat thou 

mayst read and pray and serve ,,god     
better4  ,holy men who have been before 
us enjoyed strong sharp meat1 more to   
abate hunger than for pleasure4 ,some   
lived by grass1 some by roots1 some by  
spices and herbs and fruit that the     
earth bore2 and in whatso they ate they 
destroyed all taste that might stir them
 to pleasure4 ,also1 ,s4 ,germanus mixed
 ashes with his bread1 that he should   
feel no pleasure in his meat-time4      
,other sauce than hunger1 they took     
none4 ,s4 ,gregory says3 bread made of  
bran and water1 with cold or other      
simple pottage is good food to the      
well-taught stomach1 with sauce of      
,,god',s love if he have it therewith3  
without this sauce1 no sustenance has   
savour that man enjoys4 ,some eat no    
meat before the night2 some only every  
other day2 some fast three days         
together4 ,machari fasted all the       
,lenten-tide1 save ,sundays1 and ate    
naught but raw leaves4 ,some take no    
heed when they eat1 nor what they eat1  

flesh or fish3 all tasted alike to them1
 so that afterwards1 they wist not what 
they ate4 ,some1 when they were set down
 to meat1 and meat was brought before   
them1 they forgot to eat1 for so they   
spent the day and the night in holy     
speech1 that they thought of naught     
else1 till the undern-tide#h of the     
second day1 so that the brethren came to
 them and asked why they could not eat3 
and then1 for the first time1 thought   
they of meat1 and they ate then as they 
thought good1 in ,,god',s holy fear4    
,when thou art set to thy meat1 make    
before thee a cross on the board with   
five crumbs to stir thee up to think on 
,him who died for thee on the ,cross2   
and think1 here lies ,his head that was 
crowned with thorns1 there ,his hands1  
there ,his feet that were nailed full   
fast2 there was ,his sweet side that was
 opened with the spear1 from which came 
both blood and water to heal my dirty   
wounds4 ,when thou hast so done if thou 
canst1 take part of thy bread and of thy

 fish1 and lay it by itself1 and say    
thus quietly in thine heart1 ,lord1 what
 wilt ,thou give me for this pittance ,i
 make to ,thee8 how many tears1 how many
 love-yearnings and longings after      
,thee8 how many comforts of the ,holy   
,ghost1 how many stirrings to good      
things1 how many lookings towards me    
with ,thy lovely eyes8 ,lord1 wilt ,thou
 for this meat that the poor hungry man 
shall have for ,thy sake1 give me the   
love of ,thee8 ,when thou hast eaten    
what thou thinkest good1 thank thy ,lord
 that ,he hath fed thee4 ,after meat1 be
 thou worthy1 and keep thee from much   
speech and idle games1 and hold thy wits
 inward in fear of ,,god4 ,seemly it is 
to man1 and pleasing to ,,god1 that his 
bearing be more honourable and temperate
 after meat than before3 that no taking 
of excess be seen in him1 that the flesh
 may serve the soul better in reading1  
praying and other ghostly works1 that   
may help to good things4 ,then          
,even-song say1 with the devotion that  

,,god sends thee1 in ,church or         
,oratory1 or wheresoever thou mayst say 
it best1 away from the noise and throng 
of the world4 ,after1 if thou needest1  
go sup3 and short be thy supper time3 so
 in measure take thou meat and drink    
that it be no burden nor grievance to   
thy nature1 nor hindrance to serve thy  
,lord2 or in time of rest reave from    
thee thy sleep2 or the fiend defile thee
 with foul temptations in thy sleep1 as 
he often does him who goes to bed with a
 full stomach4 ,every man eat1 as ,s4   
,john says1 according as he is strong or
 old1 or according as his body is       
greater or less1 or whole or sick2 take 
what is needful for sustenance of       
nature1 and not as pleasure asks4 ,after
 supper1 go to the ,church or other     
place1 where thou mayst be most at rest1
 and say thy ,compline1 for in this time
 as ,s4 ,ambrose saith1 birds in their  
language praise their ,lord1 and thank  
,him after their kind1 for the goods ,he
 has sent them4 ,call thou then on thy  

,,god and say ,converte nos ,,deus      
salutaris noster1 as if he said1 ,lord1 
,i have been this day hindered by the   
world1 that has greatly hindered me from
 serving ,thee2 through temptation of   
the fiend and of my flesh oft this day  
have ,i done amiss2 therefore1 my ,lord1
 turn me now from the world1 and from   
all that may hinder me from praising    
,thee with a pure heart and with all my 
wits1 so that they be intent on ,thee to
 work ,thy will1 ,and then1 say forth   
thy ,compline1 and after1 other prayers 
with the devotion that ,,god sends thee4
 ,and after1 before thou goest to bed1  
hold a chapter with thine heart1 and ask
 it in what things it is better than it 
was4 ,hast thou shriven thee of that sin
 that thou didst then and there8 of the 
words that thou spakest there8 of that  
evil will that was in thee then8 of that
 wrong that thou didst and saidst there 
to him8 of that handling8 of that blame8
 of that foul thought8 of that thing    
left undone that thou should'st have    

done8 art thou willing to leave off such
 vices8 ,what temptations withstood'st  
thou this day8 in what art thou meeker  
than thou wast8 in what more chaste1    
more sober1 more patient1 more          
temperate1 more loving thy ,,god in thy 
brother1 or more liking in ,,god hast   
thou than thou hadst8 ,hast left that   
sin that thou1 through habit1 fallest   
into so oft8 and other many vices that  
thou hast done and pleased the fiend    
with3 and grieved thy good ,,god1 and   
hast barred thyself against the grace   
that should help thee4 ,and then1 with a
 repenting of those sins that bite thy  
conscience1 knock on thy breast and say 
a ,pater noster with ,ave ,maria1 on thy
 knees1 and soon in the morning shrive  
thee of those sins4 ,and if thou doest  
thus1 ,i hope the fiend shall be afeared
 to tempt thee1 for thou art under      
,,god',s ward1 whilst thou bearest thee 
thus4 ,after this reckoning1            
where-through thy soul is raised to a   
blessed hope to the ,father of mercy1   

and thy flesh waxes heavy1 go to thy    
rest3 for if thou hinderest thy flesh of
 its necessity1 and work it beyond its  
might1 faintly will it help thee1 or    
hinder thee withal4 ,and or ever thou   
goest to rest commit thyself and thy    
friends into ,,god',s hands1 who for us 
was nailed to the tree1 and beseech     
,him1 for ,his mercy1 that ,he guard    
thee from all perils of body and soul1  
and arm thee with the token of the      
cross2 for where the fiend sees this    
mark soon he flies4 ,of this mark1 it is
 written in the life of ,s4 ,edmund3    
that as he went one time alone1 a child 
appeared to him who was wonderfully     
fair1 and said1 ,hail1 my friend1 whom  
,i love in ,,god4 ,s4 ,edmund was       
surprised at this greeting1 and the     
child said to him1 knowest thou me not8 
,and ,s4 ,edmund said to the child1 ,how
 should ,i know thee8 ,i never saw thee 
before4 ,and the child said to him1     
,when thou didst learn in school1 ,i sat
 ever by thy side2 and ever since ,i    

have been with thee1 wheresoever thou   
hast dwelt2 for so my ,lord has fastened
 me to thee1 that ,i might never part   
from thee1 such is my ,lord's will4 ,but
 behold on my forehead1 and read what   
thou seest there4 ,he looked as he told 
him1 and with heavenly letters1 these   
four words1 he saw there written1       
,,jesus ,nazarenus ,rex iudeorum4 ,then 
said the child1 ,this is my ,lord's     
name1 thou seest thus written4 ,this    
name ,i will that thou have in mind1 and
 print it in thy soul1 and cross thy    
front with this name2 before thou goest 
to sleep2 and from harassings of the    
fiend1 it shall protect thee that night1
 and from sudden death1 and all who thus
 by night cross themselves therewith4   
,and when he had spoken these words1 he 
vanished away4 ,carry some holy thoughts
 to bed with thee1 and say thy prayers1 
till sleep fall on thee4 ,to have soft  
sleep and sweet1 a sovereign help is    
measure and soberness in meat and drink3
 with recollection of ,,god',s law and  

,holy ,writ2 as ,,god says through the  
prophet1 ,keep ,my law and ,my counsel1 
and if thou sleepest thou shalt not be  
afraid2 if thou dost rest thy sleep     
shall be sweet4 ,and ever1 as thou      
wakenest1 lift thine heart to ,,god1    
with some holy thought1 and rise and    
pray to thy ,lord that ,he grant release
 from pains to the dead1 and grace to   
the living1 and life without end4 ,if   
temptation of lust stir thee in bed1    
think that thy good ,lord hung on the   
,rood for thee2 think on ,his five      
wounds that streamed down of blood3     
think that ,his bed was the hard knotty 
tree1 and instead of a pillow ,he had a 
crown of thorns4 ,and say then1 with    
sore sighing1 till thy desire cool1 ,my 
dear-worthy ,lord hanged on the ,rood   
for me2 and ,i lie in this soft bed1 and
 welter me in sin1 like a foul swine    
that loves but filth4 ,rise then        
quickly1 and hold thee with prayers1    
love-sighings and tears4 ,of three      
points beware4 ,the first1 that the     

devotions thou hast through grace       
stirring1 be not known of others3 hide  
them1 so far as thou mayest with will   
and deed for fear of vain glory4 ,the   
second1 that thou thinkest not it is in 
thy power to have such devotions and    
stirrings when thou wilt3 but only      
through ,,god',s grace when ,he will    
send them4 ,the third1 that thou        
thinkest not over-well of thyself for   
such stirrings2 nor thinkest thou art   
therefore dear to ,,god2 nor deem       
another more unworthy who does not as   
thou dost2 but when thou hast done all  
well1 think soothly by thyself1 and     
grant it in words2 ,it is nothing worth 
,i do1 ,lord3 for ,i am but a useless   
thrall4 ,if thou wilt lose no reward1   
deem none other1 but hold thyself most  
unworthy2 for if thou fastest or prayest
 more than another1 perchance another   
surpasses thee in meekness1 and patience
 and loving4 ,therefore think of what   
thou lackest1 and not only of what thou 
hast4 ,nevertheless1 ,,god wills that   

thou should'st think on those graces and
 goods ,he has done for thee1 to stir   
thee up to know thyself indebted to ,him
 for them1 and serve ,him and love ,him 
the more2 or if thou beest in grief to  
glad thee with4 ,sometimes1 it falls out
 that in ,,god',s doom1 one is better   
whom men deem evil than some that men   
deem good4 ,many are worthy without and 
unclean within4 ,some worldly and       
dissolute1 and ,,god',s private friends 
within4 ,and some1 in man's sight bear  
themselves like angels2 and in ,,god',s 
sight1 they stink as sinful wretches4   
,and some seem sinful to men's doom1 and
 are full dear to ,,god ,almighty1 for  
their inward bearing is heavenly in     
,,god',s bright sight4 ,therefore1 judge
 we none other save ourselves4 ,and pray
 we for ourselves and all others to     
,,jesus ,christ1 ,mary's ,son1 ,who for 
us was nailed on the ,rood1 that whoso  
is bound in deadly sin1 ,he loose them2 
and they who are in good life1 that ,he 
grant them end therein4  ,two messengers

 are come to thee to bring thee tidings4
 ,the one is called ,fear1 who comes    
from hell to warn thee of thy danger3   
the other is called ,hope that comes    
from ,heaven to tell thee of bliss thou 
shalt have if thou doest well4 ,fear    
says he saw so many betortured in hell1 
that if all the wits of men were in one1
 he could not tell them3 of gluttons1   
unchaste1 robbers1 thieves1 rich men    
with their servants who harmed the poor3
 judges who would not give judgment     
except for reward3 treasurers who by    
subtilty maintained injustice3 deemsters
 who condemned loyal men and delivered  
stark thieves2 workmen who worked       
dishonestly and took full hire2 tillers 
of the soil who tilled badly2 prelates1 
with the care of men's souls1 who       
neither punished nor taught them2 of all
 sorts of men who have wrongly wrought2 
then ,i saw that every one bought it    
bitterly4 ,for there ,i saw want of all 
good1 and plenty of pain and sorrow2 as 
hot fire burning ever1 brimstone        

stinking3 grisly devils like dragons    
gaping ever2 hunger and thirst for ever 
lasting1 adders and toads gnawing on the
 sinful4 ,such sorrow and yelling and   
gnashing of teeth1 ,i heard there1 that 
nearly1 for fear1 ,i lost my wits4 ,such
 mirkness there was1 that ,i could grip 
it2 and so bitter was the smoke that it 
made the woe-ful wretches shed glowing  
tears2 and bitterly ,i heard them ban   
the day when they were born4 ,now1 they 
long to die1 and cannot4 ,death1 which1 
sometime they hated1 were liefer to them
 now than all the good of this world4   
,and therefore ,i warn thee that thou   
amend thee of thy sins with shrift and  
penance1 and have a steadfast will to   
leave them for ever3 a seat ,i saw made 
for thee in hell of burning fire1 where 
devils should pain thee ever unendingly4
  ,that other messenger1 who is called  
,hope says he is come from ,heaven to   
tell thee of that untellable great joy  
that rules ,,god',s friends2 to tell    
thereof as it is may no earthly man     

speak though his tongue were of steel4  
,for there is a gracious fellowship of  
all ,,god',s friends1 orders of angels1 
and of holy saints1 and ,almighty ,,god 
above1 ,who gladdens them all4 ,of all  
goodness1 ,i saw plenty2 beauty and     
riches that last for ever2 honour and   
power that never shall fail2 wisdom and 
love and everlasting joy4 ,then ,i heard
 melody and song of bright angels4 ,so  
worthy is that joy and so great withal1 
that whoso might taste of it a blessed  
drop1 he should be so ravished in liking
 of ,,god1 and such yearning he should  
have to win thither1 that all joys of   
the world were pain to him4 ,with so    
great a love he should be overtaken in  
yearning to win to that bliss1 that by a
 hundred times it should more stir him  
to love virtue and flee sin than any    
fear he might have of the pain of hell4 
,and ,i tell thee for sooth1 if thou    
wilt leave sin1 and do ,,god',s bidding1
 and love ,him as thou oughtest1 a rich 
and a fair seat ,,god has made for thee 

wherein thou shalt dwell with ,him      
unendingly4     ,,third ,,part ,,of     
,,the ,,book4   ,the third and the last 
part of this book teaches a man to bear 
himself1 wheresoever he comes1 and      
whatsoever he does3 that it be to the   
praise of ,,god1 and an example of good 
to all who see him3 for thus the        
,apostle counsels3 ,let everything be   
done honestly and in order2 that is all 
that ye do1 look ye do it honestly and  
orderly4 ,then at the first1 let every  
lover of ,,god see that ye yearn not to 
mingle with the world1 that hinders and 
deceives all who deal with it1 and      
hinders them from the many good deeds   
they might do4 ,and the man who will    
nowhere rest but aye rake about2 their  
eyes see many things1 that the eye sends
 to the heart1 and such come not out    
easily when they are once imprinted4 ,s4
 ,bernard complains of the harms that he
 felt in the world whilst he was        
therein1 and says the world surrounded  
me and weighed me down3 that is ,the    

world has besieged me on every side2 and
 through the gates of my five wits it   
shot at me and wounded me full sore2 and
 through the wounds1 death presses in1  
to slay my sorry soul4 ,mine eyes look1 
and my thought changes and kindles me in
 sin4 ,mine ears hear and my heart bows 
me thereto4 ,i smell with my nose1 and  
it pleases my thoughts4 ,with my mouth  
,i speak1 and in my speech ,i please or 
beguile others3 and with a little       
over-soft feeling1 lust kindles in my   
flesh2 and the fiend1 my foe1 whom ,i   
cannot see1 stands ever against me with 
his bow bent4 ,therefore1 if necessity  
make man to go into this world1 where   
are so many stirrings to sin1 with great
 fear shall he go1 as into a battle to  
fight his foes4 ,it needs he be well    
armed against the arrows of his foe1    
that severely shoots at him2 and the    
more may he dread him because he cannot 
see him3 with foot-traps and snares is  
the way set full4 ,therefore1 let him   
who shall go forth1 arm him with        

,,god',s holy fear4 ,,god warned ,his   
disciples to be wary in the world when  
,he said thus3 ,soothly the world shall 
withstand you with temptations4         
,therefore1 if thou must go out1 for    
thine own profit or that of others1     
colour not thy going with any false hue1
 to feign for thyself an occasion to    
dally with the world1 for pleasure or   
command1 or to be known with praise     
before others4444  ,and therefore they  
make a show with words and feign as they
 can1 to be holden holy of all who see  
them1 that give themselves to dalliance 
with the world1 more than needs1 as to  
buying1 selling or quarrelling about    
earthly things4 ,and all their outward  
bearing so accords with the world that  
,david says3 ,they have mixed themselves
 with the peoples2 they partake of their
 works3 that is1 they mingle them with  
the folk of the world1 who have no      
knowledge of ,,god1 and such works as   
they see them do1 such works they do4   
,therefore1 when thou needest to go     

forth1 cross thyself with the holy name 
of ,,jesus1 ,mary's ,son1 who died on   
the ,rood for thee1 for then thou art   
more secure1 whithersoever thou goest1  
as ,s4 ,austin said to his brother1 when
 they went forth4 ,and ,s4 ,john says3  
,whitherso thou goest1 and whatsoever   
thou doest1 thy forehead and thy breast 
mark thou with the cross2 for there is  
no other mark the fiend so greatly      
dreads4 ,see that thine outer-clothing  
be not over-loathsome1 nor over-curious1
 in shape nor in hue4 ,keep thy limbs to
 their business1 to which they were     
made1 and do not cast thine eyes about  
like a child2 flourish not thine hands1 
and leap not with thy feet4 ,when the   
heart of man is out of ward1 the limbs  
sometimes fail in their office4 ,and1 as
 thou orderest thine outward bearing    
when thou goest forth1 also look thou   
that thou beest devout within1 and      
specially in praying to and praising the
 ,lord4 ,if in going out1 thou canst not
 rest in saying thy prayers1 go the     

softlier4 ,many things hinder thee in   
toiling to pray2 weariness of limbs2 men
 thou meetest who speak to thee2 then   
thy five wits fleet out of ward1 and    
then the devotion of him who prays1     
cools4 ,when walking thou hast said thy 
prayers that thou art bound to say1 lift
 up thy heart to ,,god1 and pray to ,him
 in thy thoughts in a blessed           
recollection3 think on the good things  
,,god has done for thee1 and shall do if
 thou truly servest ,him3 think on ,his 
biddings and do them indeed according to
 thy might1 for so ,,god bids thee when 
,he thus says3--,the words which ,i     
command thee shall be in thine heart1   
and thou shalt relate them to thy sons3 
and thou shall meditate on them1 sitting
 in thine house1 and walking on thy     
journey1 sleeping and arising4 ,or in   
working1 tell fair tales to thy fellows1
 or something from ,holy ,writ that may 
soften your way1 or glad you in ,,god4  
,and sometimes say the ,seven ,psalms   
for the quick and the dead1 that ,,god  

give grace to the quick and rest to the 
dead4 ,when thou comest to the town to  
ease thy body1 seek where thou mayst    
most worthily dwell for thy condition   
and in most peace3 and where thou mayst 
most profit to thyself and others4 ,let 
flesh-lust and vanity entice thee to no 
place3 but inquire where any is who most
 loves ,,god1 and thither draw thou4    
,seek not where thou mayst be fed best1 
for there peradventure are many         
stirrings to sin4 ,harbour thee with no 
woman unless thou knowest good of them  
for a long time4 ,when thou art come to 
the house thou shalt rest in1 hold thy  
wits inward in ,,god',s holy fear2 so   
that thine outer bearing be so ruled    
with grace that thou mayst stir to good 
all whom thou seest1 and through        
,,god',s grace destroy mirkness of sin1 
and so fulfil ,,god',s teaching1 who    
says thus1 ,so let your light shine     
before men1 that they seeing your good  
works may glorify your ,father ,who is  
in heaven4 ,and ,s4 ,gregory says3      

,neither is it greatly praiseworthy to  
be good with the good1 but to be good   
with the evil2 for even as it is of more
 heinous guilt not to be good among the 
good1 so is it of unwearied honour to   
have stood for the good among the evil4 
,keep well thine eyes when thou art come
 to harbour1 from all things that may   
kindle sin and make thine eyes forward1 
as ,job did1 who said ,i make a covenant
 with mine eyes lest ,i should think    
upon a maid4 ,after sight1 comes        
thought1 and thereafter deed1 and       
therefore said the prophet ,jeremiah1   
,mine eye hath laid waste my soul4 ,when
 so holy a prophet lamented him of his  
eyesight1 sorely may another complain   
who oft sins therewith4 ,augustine3     
,shameless eye is the messenger of      
shameless heart4 ,gregory3 ,it is not   
lawful to look after that which it is   
not lawful to desire4 ,david3 ,turn away
 mine eyes that they may not see vanity4
 ,look also that thou hearest nothing   
that may stir thee to sin1 as unclean   

words1 backbiting1 false judgments1     
great oaths1 controversy1 striving and  
other such vices4 ,also at thy meat1    
bear thyself orderly1 and hold thee in  
measure1 and seek after no dainties1 but
 be pleased with common meats4 ,consider
 in speaking1 to whom1 what1 when1 how1 
of whom1 and where3 and have thyself so 
orderly that thou beest not like other  
worldly men1 but fulfil the ,apostle's  
words2 ,be not conformed to this world1 
because your conversation is in heaven4 
,though our body be in this world as a  
clot of earth1 it is needful that our   
spirit which was bought with the        
dear-worthy blood of ,,god ,almighty be 
with mind and will in heaven1 not soil  
itself here with sin1 as swine do in a  
ditch4 ,and whatsoever thou doest1 and  
wheresoever thou comest1 do as the      
,apostle teaches3 ,shew thyself to all  
men as an example of good works1 for    
through a good example ,,god is         
worshipped and praised1 men are helped  
and taught and strengthened in their    

belief4 ,bear thee so that men who dwell
 with you may say of you as was said of 
the ,apostles ,paul and ,barnabas1 ,the 
gods are made like men1 and have come   
down to us4 ,,deo gracias4  ,,footnotes3
  #e ,rolle's free rendering of the     
,latin is added here from the ,thornton 
,,ms4 ,it does not occur in the ,arundel
 ,,ms4  #f ,the ,,ms4 is defective4  #g 
,on the #ahth leaf of the ,,ms4         
containing ,our ,daily ,work begins     
,richard ,rolle's ,meditations on the   
,passion4 ,a rendering of this is given 
in ,fr4 ,r4 ,h4 ,benson's ,a ,book of   
the ,love of ,,jesus4  #h ,a meat-time  
between sunrise and noon1 or between    
noon and sunset4     ,on ,grace4     ,on
 ,grace4   ,three degrees of grace there
 are4 ,the first ,,god gives to all     
creatures1 to uphold them with2 and this
 is called ,,god',s help freely given to
 all creatures2 and without this gift of
 grace1 creatures cannot do1 nor last in
 their kind2 for as water is made hot   
through fire and becomes cold again if  

the fire be withdrawn1 so1 as ,s4       
,austin says1 ,all creatures that are   
made of naught1 so are they worth naught
 in a little time1 unless ,,god upholds 
them with ,his grace4 ,therefore says   
the ,apostle ,through the grace of      
,,god1 ,i am what ,i am4 ,as if he said1
 ,that ,i live1 that ,i feel1 that ,i   
speak or hear or see1 and all that ,i   
am3 all this ,i have only through       
,,god',s grace4 ,the second degree of   
grace is more special3 that ,,god gives 
freely to every man who is a good and   
reasonable creature3 and this grace     
stands ever at the gates of our hearts1 
and knocks on our free-will1 and bids it
 let it in4 ,this1 ,,god says that ,he  
does3 ,behold1 ,i stand at the door     
knocking1 that is1 ,i stand at the door 
of thine heart and knock2 let ,me in4   
,and this grace is given freely to man  
before he deserves it4 ,then let every  
man make himself worthy and ready to    
receive ,his gift of the ,holy ,ghost1  
,who ever stirs man's free-will to good1

 and calls it from evil4 ,two things are
 needful to the health of man's soul4   
,the first is this grace that ,i speak  
of3 the second1 is man's free-will      
according thereto4 ,and without these   
two1 no man can do thoroughly what he   
ought1 that should help him to health of
 his soul2 for neither free-will1       
without this grace stirring1 nor this   
grace without free-will assenting1 can  
do aught that pleases ,,god4 ,therefore1
 says ,s4 ,austin1 ,he ,who made thee   
without thee1 will not justify thee     
without thee2 that is1 ,he ,who made    
thee without thee1 will not make thee   
righteous1 save thou helpest thereunto4 
,and though the free-will of man cannot 
make the grace of ,,god in man1         
nevertheless1 let man do what is in him1
 and prepare himself1 that he may be    
ready and able to receive the grace1    
when it comes4 ,if thou wert in a mirk  
house one day1 and doors and windows    
shut3 if thou wouldest not let the sun  
come in1 who was to blame if the house  

were mirk4 ,also blame none save        
thyself1 if thy grace be less4 ,for ,s4 
,anselm says1 ,man lacks not this grace1
 for ,,god gives it to him2 but he has  
it not1 because he does not make himself
 ready to receive this grace as he      
should4 ,,god is not stingy of ,his     
grace1 for ,he has enough thereof2 for  
though ,he deal it out never so far1 and
 to so many1 ,he never has the less2 for
 ,he only wants clean vessels1 to put   
,his grace in4 ,therefore says ,s4      
,austin2 ,,god by vast freedom and      
abundance fills all creatures according 
to their capacity3 that is1 ,,god       
through ,his great freedom of ,his great
 grace fulfils all creatures according  
as they are able to receive ,his grace4 
,if man opened his heart to this grace  
when ,,god sends it to him1 he would    
shew it in works2 for the ,apostle1 when
 he had won it1 said1 ,his grace in me  
was not in vain1 that is the grace that 
,,god has given me1 is not useless in   
me2 for he enjoyed it ever in work4 ,we 

unite with ,,god in ,his grace1 as      
merchants do together3 for ,,god sets   
,his grace against our work2 but for    
,his grace and ,his death1 ,he wills 7to
 have7 naught but our praising and      
thanking1 and ,he wills that man should 
have all the profit that may arise      
thereof4 ,but they try to reave from    
,,god1 ,his part1 who would be praised  
of men for good deeds4 ,against them1   
,,god says1 ,i will not give ,my glory  
to another2 that is1 ,praising and      
worship that belong to ,me1 ,i will give
 to no other4 ,thou shalt understand1   
that free-will of man is to turn freely 
to good or ill4 ,three states there are 
of man2 before sin1 after man's sin1 and
 after man is confirmed1 that is1 after 
man is departed out of this deadly life1
 and come to that joy that shall never  
end4 ,in the first place1 before man    
sinned1 was man's will so free1 that he 
could sin or not sin3 in his free-will  
it was1 to do good or ill4 ,in the last 
state1 that is confirmed1 shall man sin 

no more4 ,in the second state1 in which 
he may sin1 and may not but sin1 man's  
will is free to ill1 till it be         
strengthened with grace3 and when grace 
leads the will1 then it is free to work 
the good4 ,before man sinned1 no        
hindering had he from doing good1 nor no
 need to do ill3 but now has sin joined 
with our flesh1 and bred what ,s4 ,paul 
calls the law of the flesh1 so that it  
is master of the flesh1 and withstands  
,,god',s law in all that it can4 ,this  
hinders our will from assenting to good2
 and stirs it to ill so that it may not 
work good1 unless grace helps and       
accustoms him away from sin4 ,every man 
before he sins1 has a free will to do   
good or ill1 but when he is bound to the
 fiend1 through works of sin1 he may    
through no power of himself come out of 
his bonds3 and then he fares like a ship
 that in a tempest has lost all that    
could help it1 and is cast from wave to 
wave whither the tempest drives it4     
,right so1 a man who lacks ,,god',s     

grace1 because he be fallen into deadly 
sin1 he does not what he would1 but aye 
wavers from hand to hand1 at the fiend's
 will1 and unless ,,god give him grace  
to rise out of his sin1 he shall be in  
sin to his life's end1 and after1 be    
lost body and soul1 and damned to       
endless pain4 ,if the folk or the common
 people choose them a king1 and he be   
confirmed in his kingdom1 he be never so
 ill to them1 they can do naught to him1
 unless it be through some other1 who   
has more power than he3 and so1 it      
behoves them suffer1 do he them never so
 much ill4 ,right so1 man before he     
sins1 has a free will to choose whether 
he will be under ,,god or the fiend2 and
 when1 with his will1 he chooses to     
serve the fiend1 he cannot after1 when  
he would1 come out of his bonds4 ,and   
therefore1 worldly men who are bound in 
sin say to them who counsel them to     
amend their lives1 fain would we rise1  
but we cannot4 ,no1 they cannot through 
might of themselves1 but through        

,,god',s grace helping them they can4   
,the third grace is most special2 for it
 is given only to those who receive the 
second grace2 and with their free-will  
fulfil it in deed1 and can say as ,s4   
,paul said1 ,the grace of ,,god was not 
in vain in me4 ,and ,s4 ,austin says2   
,,god1 working with us1 fulfils that    
which ,he1 through grace stirring1 began
 in us4 ,for neither without ,his       
helping can we do good to ourselves1 nor
 please ,him3 as ,,god says ,himself    
without ,me1 thou canst no nothing4     
,,god',s grace stirring1 goes before    
good will1 and stirs it to do the good  
and leave the ill4  ,grace1 when it     
comes first to visit man's soul1 wakens 
him as out of a slumbering and inquires 
of him with those sharp words3 ,where   
art thou8 ,whence comest thou8 ,whither 
shalt thou8 ,first he says1 ,where art  
thou8 as if he said1 ,bethink thee1     
unhappy wretch1 how foul thou art cast  
down1 and what peril thou art in4 ,for1 
for thy sin thou art fallen into the    

enemy's hands1 who above all things dost
 covet to work thy woe2 and naught may  
deliver thee out of the foe's hands1 but
 ,almighty ,,god1 thy good ,lord1 ,whom 
thou hast forsaken4 ,after he says3     
,whence comest thou8 as if he said1 thou
 wretch1 behold how thou hast wasted thy
 life in sin2 thou comest from the      
fiend's tavern--,where are all the goods
 that ,,god has given thee to help thee 
with1 and to worship ,him8 ,sorrily hast
 thou lost them4 ,thy ,lord made thee   
rich1 and thou art become a poor wretch4
 ,after1 he inquires1 ,whither wendest  
thou8 ,woeful wretch thou wendest to the
 woeful doom1 that ,,god dooms men to2  
for as thou hast served so shalt thou be
 judged4 ,so awful shalt thou see ,,god 
there1 that thou shalt for fear be out  
of thy wits2 and to the mountains and   
hills thou shalt cry with a grisly      
noise1 and pray them to fall on thee and
 hide thee1 that thou see ,him not4     
,woeful wretch1 thou wendest to hell1 if
 thou dost forth as thou hast begun1    

where thou shalt find fire so hot and so
 raging1 that all the water in the sea1 
though it ran through it1 should not    
slake a spark thereof4 ,and because thou
 stinkest here to ,,god1 for thy foul   
sin1 there thou shalt feel everlasting  
stink3 and because thou lovedst mirkness
 here1 for aye to be in sin1 there shalt
 thou feel such thick mirkness that thou
 canst grip it2 and because here thou   
didst rest thyself in sin against       
,,god',s will1 there shalt thou shed    
more tears than there are motes in a    
sunbeam4 ,thou shalt suffer pain ever   
after pain1 ever to renew thy woe4      
,when ,,god',s grace has stirred man and
 wakened him with these three1 and has  
made him to know the peril he is in1    
then he conceives a terror of ,,god',s  
awful doom3 and therethrough1 he begins 
to repent whatever he did ill1 and      
covets to amend himself through ,,god',s
 grace1 that stirs him to flee ill and  
give himself to good3 and then comes    
grace following1 to help the goodwill of

 man to fulfil it in deed4 ,for though  
man have a good will to do the good1    
through grace before stirring the good  
will1 yet can he not do indeed without  
,,god',s grace following and helping3   
and this the ,apostle affirms of himself
 when he says2 ,but not ,i1 but the     
grace of ,,god in me2 that is1 the good 
which ,i do is naught1 but ,,god',s     
grace does it with me2 as if he had     
said1 ,i can do no good1 unless ,,god',s
 grace help me4 ,,god',s will is also a 
handmaiden to grace1 to work all her    
will4 ,,god',s grace1 wherever it be1   
will not be useless1 but ever working   
and growing more and more1 to increase  
thy reward4 ,therefore do we as the     
,apostle counsels us1 ,we exhort you1   
brethren1 that ye receive not the grace 
of ,,god in vain2 that is1 ,i pray you  
and bid you1 my brothers in ,,god1 that 
ye receive not ,,god',s grace in vain4  
,he receives ,,god',s grace in vain1    
that enjoys it not in good1 when ,,god  
sends it to him2 and therefore perhaps1 

he shall never after win thereto4       
,isidore tells of a little fly that is  
called ,saura1 and this fly betokens    
grace stirring beforehand4 ,this kind of
 fly is said to be the enemy of all     
venomous worms1 so that when he sees any
 worm 7going7 toward man to sting him   
when he sleeps in the wilderness2 he    
flies before to the man1 and lights upon
 his face1 and bites him a little2 and  
therethrough he wakes before the beast  
comes to sting him4 ,by this ,saura is  
understood grace that ,,god sends to man
 against the temptations of the fiend1  
who often stings venomously3 it cries   
unto thee1 as the ,apostle says2 ,awake1
 thou that sleepest1 and rise from the  
dead1 and ,christ shall give thee light4
 ,but the unthankful act against this   
grace1 and ruin it3 as ,virgil did with 
this little fly that saved him from     
death4 ,he lay asleep1 and an adder came
 toward him3 but this fly ,saura flew   
before1 and lighted on his forehead1 and
 pricked him a little1 and therewith he 

wakened2 also the adder came2 but this  
,virgil1 in his waking1 felt his        
forehead smart1 and smote himself on the
 face2 and so he slew the fly1 and so   
repaid him for his service1 who saved   
his life4 ,therefore do thou not ruin   
,,god',s grace when it comes to thee1 to
 warn thee of harm and stir thee to     
good4 ,glad ought man to be of ,,god',s 
grace1 when ,,god sends it to him1 and  
to take care full warily of so rich a   
gift3 for grace is earnest-money of that
 lasting joy which is to come1 as the   
,apostle says3 the grace of ,,god is    
eternal life2 that is1 ,,god',s grace is
 like a help and way to everlasting     
life4 ,therefore1 ,he sets grace before 
us as the way that leads to everlasting 
joy3 and also a pledge1 if we keep it   
well1 to make in us certainty of endless
 joy2 as the ,apostle says1 ,who gave us
 ,his ,spirit as a pledge in our bodies1
 that is ,,god has given us the ,holy   
,ghost as pledge of endless joy4 ,hold  
we then this heavenly pledge2 and enjoy 

we it well in work2 for it is well for  
us in this life1 if ,,god',s grace lead 
us2 and when grace leaves us1 we fail of
 that welfare4 ,therefore1 through help 
of grace let us destroy in ourselves    
everything that is against grace1 be it 
less or more1 that our reason says is   
against ,,god',s will1 that is1 all that
 is sin1 or may stir to sin3 and let us 
have repentance in our heart1 shrift in 
mouth1 and withstanding1 with will never
 to turn again4     ,an ,epistle on     
,charity4     ,on ,charity4       ,by   
what tokens thou shalt know if thou     
lovest thine enemy3      and what       
example thou shalt take from ,christ to 
love him4   ,and if thou beest not      
stirred against the person by anger or  
fell outward cheer1 and have no privy   
hate in thine heart for to despise him1 
or judge him1 or for to set him at      
naught3 and the more shame and villany  
he does to thee in word or in deed1 the 
more pity and compassion thou hast of   
him as thou wouldest have of a man who  

was out of his mind1 and thou thinkest  
thou canst not find in thine heart to   
hate him1 for love is so good in itself1
 but prayest for him1 and helpest him1  
and desirest his amending1 not only with
 thy mouth as hypocrites do1 but with   
thy affection of love in thine heart1   
then hast thou perfect charity to thy   
fellow-,christian4 ,this charity had ,s4
 ,stephen1 perfectly1 when he prayed for
 them who stoned him to death4 ,this    
charity1 ,christ counselled to all who  
would be ,his perfect followers1 when   
,he said thus3 ,love your enemies1 do   
good to them that hate you1 pray for    
those who persecute and calumniate you4 
,and therefore1 if thou wilt follow     
,christ1 be like ,him in power4 ,learn  
to love thine enemies1 and sinful men1  
for all those are thy                   
fellow-,christians4 ,look and bethink   
thee how ,christ loved ,judas1 who was  
both ,his bodily enemy and a sinful     
caitiff3 how goodly ,christ was to him2 
how benign2 how courteous2 how humble to

 him whom ,he knew to be damnable2 and  
nevertheless1 ,he chose him for ,his    
,apostle1 and sent him to preach with   
the other ,apostles2 ,he gave him power 
to work miracles3 ,he shewed to him the 
same good cheer in word and deed2 also  
with ,his precious ,body2 and preached  
to him as ,he did to the other          
,apostles3 ,he condemned him not openly1
 nor abused1 nor despised him1 nor ever 
spake evil of him3 and yet even though  
,he had done all that1 ,he would but    
have said the truth6 ,and above all1    
when ,judas took ,him1 ,he kissed him   
and called him ,his friend4 ,all this   
charity1 ,christ shewed to ,judas whom  
,he knew to be damnable4 ,in no manner  
of feigning or flattering1 but in       
soothfastness of good love and clean    
charity4 ,for though it were truth that 
,judas was unworthy to have any gift of 
,,god1 or any sign of love1 because of  
his wickedness2 nevertheless1 it was    
worthy and reasonable that our ,lord    
should appear as ,he is4  ,he is love   

and goodness1 and therefore it belongs  
to ,him to shew love and goodness to all
 ,his creatures1 as ,he did to ,judas4  
,follow after1 somewhat if thou canst2  
for though thou beest shut in a house   
with thy body1 nevertheless in thine    
heart1 where the place of love is1 thou 
shalt be able to have part of such a    
love to thy fellow ,christians as ,i    
speak of4 ,whoso deems himself to be a  
perfect follower of ,,jesus ,christ's   
teaching and living1 as some men deem   
that they be1 inasmuch as one teaches   
and preaches1 and is poor in worldly    
goods as ,christ was1 and cannot follow 
,christ in ,his love and charity1 to    
love his fellow-,christians1 every man1 
good and ill1 friends and foes1 without 
feigning1 flattering1 despising in      
heart1 angriness and melancholious      
reproving1 soothly1 he beguiles himself3
 the dearer he deems himself to be1 the 
further he is4 ,for ,christ said to     
those who would be ,his followers1 thus3
 ,this is ,my commandment1 that ye love 

mutually as ,i have loved you4  ,this is
 ,my bidding1 that ye love together as  
,i love you1 for if ye love as ,i loved1
 then are ye ,my disciples4 ,he that is 
meek soothfastly1 or would be meek1 can 
love his fellow-,christians3 and none   
save he4     ,contrition4   ,richard    
,hermit rehearses a 444 tale of perfect 
contrition that the same clerk ,cesarius
 tells4 ,he tells that a scholar at     
,paris had done full many sins of which 
he was ashamed to shrive him4 ,at the   
last1 great sorrow of heart overcame his
 shame1 and when he was ready to shrive 
him to the ,prior of the ,abbey of ,s4  
,victor1 so great contrition was in his 
heart1 sighing in his breast1 sobbing in
 his throat that he could not bring one 
word forth4 ,then the ,prior said to    
him1 ,go and write thy sins4 ,he did so 
and came again to the ,prior1 and gave  
him what he had written1 for still he   
could not shrive himself with his mouth4
 ,the ,prior saw the sins were so great1
 that with the scholar's leave1 he      

shewed them to the ,abbot to have his   
counsel4 ,the ,abbot took the writing   
wherein they were written1 and looked   
thereon4 ,he found nothing written1 and 
said to the ,prior1 ,what can here be   
read where naught is written8 ,then saw 
the ,prior and wondered greatly1 and    
said ,wit ye that his sins were here    
written1 and ,i read them3 but now ,i   
see that ,,god has seen his contrition  
and has forgiven him all his sins4 ,this
 the ,abbot and the ,prior told the     
scholar1 and he1 with great ,joy1       
thanked ,,god4     ,scraps from the     
,arundel ,,ms4       ,sinful man look up
 and see1 how         ruefully ,i hung  
on rood2     ,and of my penance have    
pity with sorrowful         heart and   
dreary mood3     ,all this1 man1 ,i     
suffered for thee3 ,my flesh         was
 riven1 all spilt ,my blood2     ,lift  
up thine heart1 call thou on ,me1       
forsake         thy sin3 have mercy1    
,,god4           99     99     99     99
     99      ,think oft with sore heart 

of thy foul sins1     ,think oft of     
hell-woe1 of heaven-kingdom's           
wins2#i     ,think of thine own death1  
of ,,god',s death         on rood1      
,the grim doom of ,doom's-day have thou 
oft         in mood3     ,think how     
false is this world1 and what its       
reward1     ,think what1 for ,his good  
death1 thou owest         thy ,lord4    
,,richard ,,rolle4  ,,footnotes3  #i    
,wins  joys4                            
----------------------------------------
----------------------    ,transcriber's
 ,notes3                                
,page #af3 ,the speech that starts on   
this page with                ,thou     
wot'st4444 has no closing quotes 7sic7  
,page #ei3 ,the speech that starts on   
this page with ,for           not       
many4444 has no closing quotes 7sic7    
,page #aae3 ,closing quotes following   
idle speech removed4        ,page #abd3 
,the speech that starts on this page    
with ,why          lieth this blood4444 
has no closing quotes 7sic7             

,page #ada3 ,closing quote added after  
444 serve ,,god               better4   
,page #aee3 ,the speech that starts on  
this page with to tell      thereof4444 
has no closing quotes 7sic7             
,page #agg3 ,single closing quote       
following wretch amended        to      
double quotes                           
,unless noted above1 punctuation has    
been retained as it is       in the     
original book4 ,inconsistent spelling   
and hyphenation      has been retained4 
----------------------------------------
----------------------