¶ Here spak the autour.
NOw sues that man his lordes counsail
That al to the contrary dos trauail?
Line 536
How may he socour seke of ihesu meknes,
That settes him-self to mekel vpon heghnes?
Ther-for drede he may that so wil him bere
Of a foul falling doun with lucifere.
Line 540
Neuer-the-lees a riche man with his riȝtwisnes,
And he loue ay god wele in hertly meknes,
He may wele saue his saule with fast fleyng of synne, [folio 12]
And with werkes of mercy the Ioye of heuen wynne.
¶ How ihesus mot with the fende.
NOw here how thi lord mette [the fend] for thi riȝt,
Atte last for thi loue put him to fiȝt.
Line 546
When the godhede was hid in the mankynd
And the fende in him no synne myȝt fynde,
Line 548
He tempted him with thre thinges that made adam dede. [548-563 added.]
"If thou be goddes sone," he said, "make of stones brede."
"Noght only thurgh brede," quad ihesu crist, "leues man,
Line 551
Bot thurgh ich word that comes of goddes wysdam."
The fend sette crist on the temple & bad him lepe doun, [MS. don]
Goddes aungeles to kepe him suld be redy & boun,
If he were goddes sone, in handes thai suld him bere,
So at no ston suld he stumble ne nothing suld him dere.
"Writen," quad ihesu crist, "in haly writ y rede:
Line 557
Thou suld not tempte god thi lord, when thou has no nede."
The fend shewid him al the warld & saide: "this gif y the,
If thou wil bowe doun to the ground & so adour me."
"Writen it is," quad ihesu crist, "thi god sal thou adoure,
Line 561
And only sal thou serue him with so mekil honoure.
Go, satanas," quad ihesu crist, "for the am y noȝt ferd."
