ffor mony a tyme ȝe cone me preye
Þer-of a lesson ow to seye;
Ȝoure dulnesse sum what to scharpe
Ȝe han me preyed for to carpe.
Line 12
ffor bisynes of worldli þing
To monye hit is a gret lettyng,
And eke ȝor owne frelete,
Þat makeþ ow ȝeore heui to be
Line 16
Of or-self and ȝoure liuinge,
Þorw þe ffendes entysynge.
Þerfore þis bok to ow I make
Ȝoure discumfort for to slake,
Line 20
Þat is cald "þe spore of loue,"
Þat stureþ or loue to god aboue.
Riht as þe spore makeþ hors to renne,
So schal þis bok sone god [MS. good] ou kenne,
Line 24
Þat is souereyn holynesse.
Ȝe schul fynde heer-in swetnesse:
Loke ȝe take herto good hede!
ffor I schal telle ȝou, as I rede.
Line 28
Þis may be ȝor halyday werk,
Hit wol a-vayle boþe lewed and clerk.
Of Meditacion of þi-self knowyng. [The poem begins with Chap. 3 of the Spec.]
Takeþ good hede, of alle þinge
Þis tweyne to loue, good þei wil þe bringe:
Line 32
Þe ffurste Is Meditacion,
Þe toþer is Contemplacion;
Þenk of þi-self þat is to say,
And on God, eueriche day.
Line 36
Þou maiȝt not loue God riȝt wel
But ȝif þou knowe him furst sumdel,
Ne þi-self neuer þe more.
Þat God is best wite wel þerfore;
Line 40
And wene not þi-self be best,
Al þi while þen hast þou lost.
Þi-self loke þat þou knowe,
ffor þat schal make þe Meke & lowe
Line 44
And able to knowe þe grete bounte
Of God þat sitteþ in Maieste.
