Meditacion of þe Soule.
Of þi soule ȝit þenke þow
What staat hit is Inne now,
Line 88
And what þou hast don her-bi-foren—
Or elles þou maiȝt sone be loren.
Þenk hou muche wikkednesse
Þou hast don, and [left] [om.] goodnesse,
Line 92
How luitel good þow hast wrouȝt,
Þi tyme hast spendet aboute nouȝt;
Of werk and word þat is gon
And of þi tyme schal leue riht non
Line 96
Þat þou ne schalt ȝelde ful streit acounte,
Þou nost hou muche hit wol amounte.
Ȝif þou weore bounde for to telle [exemplum]
In þe séé þe smale grauelle,
Line 100
Or sterres in þe ffirmament,
Þow heddest gret neode, verrement,
fforto a-vise þe wonder wel!
So most þou rikene eueridel
Line 104
Werk, and word, and þouȝtes alle,
Þat ben wel mo þen grauel smalle;
And of þi tyme þat is past.
Þerof þou maiȝt ben sore agast
Line 108
To þenke þus what þi soule haþ ben!
What hit is now, is good to sen.
So chaungeable is þi soule, my frende,
Þat nouȝt þe pleset adai to þe ende;
Line 112
Now art þow sori, now art þow glad,
Now art in hope, now art adrad;
Ȝit wilnest þow þing þat neuer ne was.
Þou art more frele þen is þe glas: [vv. 116-121 wanting in the Spec.]
Line 116
Wiþ-oute touche hit lasteþ ay,
Þi soule is frelore atte assay:
Þorw siht wiþ-oute & þouȝt wiþ-Inne
Hit may be broken, wiþ dedly synne.
Line 120
Þerto assentest þou lihtly,
And for to be fondet þou art redi,
And forte wiþ-stonde hastou no miȝt,
But þorw þe grace of god almiht,
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