[6-text p 680] techinges of orisouns. [1039] ȝe schul vnderstonde þat orisouns or prayeres is for to seyn a pitous wil of herte þat redresseþ in god and expressith it by word outward to remembre harmes and to haue þinges espirituel & [folio 284b] durable and som tyme temporel þinges of whiche orisouns of þe orisoun of þe pater noster haþ oure lord ihū crist enclosed most þinges [1040] ¶ Certis it is priuileged of þre þinges in his dignite . . . . . [no gap] þan any oþer prayer. For ihū crist himself maked it. [1041] and it is schort for it schulde be coud þe more lightly. and forto wiþholde it þe more esily in herte and helpe himselfe þe oftere with þe orisoun [1042] and for a man schulde be þe lasse wery to say it. and for a man may not excuse him to lerne it. it is so schort and so easy and for it comprehendith in it self alle goode prayeres [1043] ¶ The exposicioun of þis holy praier þat is so excellent and so digne. I bitake to þese maystres of theology. saue þus moche wol I sayn whan þou prayest/ þat god schulde forȝiue þe þy gultes as þou forȝiuest hem þat þey gulten to þe; be ful wel war. þat þou be not out of charite. [1044] þis holy orisoun amenisith eek venial synne. and þerfore it appendith specially to penitence.
[1045] þis praier moste be trewely sayd and in verray faith. and þat men pray to god ordinatly and dis|cretly & deuoutly and alway a man schulde putte his wille to be subiect/ to þe wille of god [1046] ¶ þis orisoun moste eek be sayd wiþ greet humblesse and ful pure honestly and nouȝt to þe annoyaunce of eny man or womman ¶ It most eek be continued with þe werkis of charite. [1047] hit auaylith agayns þe vices of þe soule / as seiþ seint Ierom ¶ By fastyng ben saued þe vices of þe soule.
[1048] ¶ After þis þou schalt vnderstonde þat bodily peyne stant in wakyng. for ihū crist saith ¶ wakith and prayeth þat ȝe ne entre not/ in to
