hem an ordre of þer wilful beggyng, bi men þat han no nede; and herbi schulde men hope to sitt hye in heuen, for, as þei lien falsly, crist beggid [CC. inserts 'not.'] þus. ¶ þe þridde of þes vertues is contraried bi freres, siþen it is no charite to falsly passe crist. for crist seiþ to hijs cosyns þat by hijs manhed he had [[Matt. xx. 23.]] no power to ȝyue hem leue to sit on hijs riȝt [omitted CC.] side, but to þe godhed in hijs fadure is propred þis power; but freres seyn opunly by letteres of here fraternite þat þei ȝyuen þer breþeren leue to haue part of þer blis; and þis myȝt þei not do but if þei ȝouen men leue to sitt on þe riȝt hond of crist as if þei passed him. & þis sownes not charite but luciferes pride.
[Capitulum 6m.]
[page 127] Bvt siþ cloþinge of þis loue is myche loued of god, & more worþe to man þan al þis worldes richessis, man schuld ful bisily knowe propirtees of þis loue. but poule, þat was rauesched vnto þe þrid heuen, & herde derne wordes of god, [[2 Cor. xii. 2.]] þat ben not here leful vs forto speke, telliþ sixtene propirtes [[1 Cor. xiii. 4.]] þat suen þis charite. þe first is þat charite is patient of wronges. for al oure charite mut be ensaumpled of crist; but crist was so patient, as seynt petre seiþ, þat whan he was [[1 Peter ii. 23.]] mys-said he cursid not aȝen, ne when he suffrid wronges he manassid not aȝen. O what charite haþ he to suffre wronge for cristis loue þat wol not suffre a liȝt word, but ȝeld a worse aȝen? ¶ þe secounde propirte is þis: þat charite is benyngne. for it is not ynow to suffre, for so don þefis, but do good in soule aȝenus yuel suffrid; for þat is good loue of þe fire of charite, & is clepid benignite by propirte of word. and here-fore clerkis seyn þat þer ben þree lawes; þe first is lawe of oure good [omitted Q.] god to do good for yuyl; þe toþure is lawe of þe worlde, to do good for good & yuel for yuel, as mannus maner is; þe þrid is þe deuelis lawe, to do yuel for good, & þis is maner of men whan þei ben turned to deuelis. þe
