The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

The ije. reule or supposicioun is this: Among suche now seid colouris and figuris of spechis and of writingis, summe ben these ij. now to be rehercid. Whane a man doith a deede bi a partie of him, (as bi his hond or his foot,) we vsen for to seie that his hond or his foot dooth thilk deede: not withstonding that in the speche of verri pure trouthe to be take withoute colour and figure, it is to be seid that the hond doith not the deede neither the foot dooth the deede, but the ful hool man doith the deede bi his hond or foot, as bi a parti of him seruyng to thilk deede; and ȝit bi cause the hool man doith the deede bi his hond or foot as a parti therto seruyng we vsen forto seie that his hond or foot dooth thilk deede. In lijk maner, whanne a man dooth a deede bi an other thing being an instrument forto therbi do the deede, (as is a spere forto ouerthrowe another [Possibly here also the word may have been intended to be written disjunctim.] man in iowsting, [iniowsting, MS.] or an hamer forto make a knyf in smythiyng,) we vsen forto seie that the in|strument doith the deede, (as that the spere throwith doun the other man, and that the hamer maketh the knyf), notwithstonding that in speche of pure trouthe to be take withoute colour or figure, it ouȝte be seid that oonli this man throwith doun bi his spere, as bi therto an instrument, the other man, and the smyth bi the hamer so makith the knyf; and the spere throwith not the other man doun, neither the hamer makith the knyf, for neuerneither of tho instrumentis hath the craft which is doon and bisett into the knyfis making. And ȝit bi cause that euereither of hem is an instrument to the doer of a deede, it is woned be seid that euereyther of these instrumentis dooth the deede which the man doith bi eny of hem.