[6-text p 633] right so / as fir is moore mighty / to destroyen erthely thynges / than any oother Element. right so Ire is myghty to destroyen alle spiritueel thynges [548] ¶ Looke /. how that fir of smale gleedes that been almoost dede vnder asshen wollen quike agayn / whan they been touched with brymstoon? / right so Ire wol eueremo quyken agayn / whan it is touched / by the pride that is couered in mannes herte / [549] ffor certes / fir ne may nat comen out of no thyng. but if it were first in the same thyng natureelly / as fir / is drawen out of flyntes with steel [550] And right so / as pride is ofte tyme matere of Ire /. right so is rancour/ norice and keper of Ire [551] Ther is [¶ Nota secun|dum Ysodorum] a maner tree as seith sein Ysidre / that whan men maken fire of thilke tree / and couere the coles of it with Asshen soothly / the fir of it wol lasten al a yeer or moore ‖. [552] And right so / fareth it of rancour/. whan it is [¶ exemplum] ones conceyued in the hertes of som men certein / it wol lasten perauenture / from oon Estre day vnto another Estre day / and moore /. [553] but certes / thilke man / is ful fer fro the mercy of god / in thilke while
[554] ¶ In this forseyde deueles fourneys / ther [¶ Of .iij. shrewes þat forgen alwey in the deueles fourneys] forgen .iij. shrewes ‖. Pride that ay bloweth and encreesseth the fir/ by chidynge and wikked wordes [555] ¶ Thanne stant Enuye / and holdeth the hoote Iren vpon the herte of man / with a peire of longe toonges / of long rancour [556] ¶ And thanne stant the synne of contumelie / or strif and cheeste / and batereth and forgeth / by vileyns repreuynges [557] ¶ Certes / this cursed synne anoyeth [folio 222b] bothe to the man hym self / and eek to his neighebore ¶ ffor soothly / almoost al the harm that any man dooth to his neighebore / comth of wratthe /. [558] for certes outrageous wratthe / dooth / al that euere / the deuel hym comaundeth /. for he ne spareth neither crist ne his sweete mooder/. [559] And in his out|rageous anger and Ire / allas / allas / ful many oon at that tyme / feeleth in his herte ful wikkedly /
