When he was aght dayes old, with a culter of stone
Thai karf his tendre membre away—that bi the lagh was don:
Line 640
This penance of that child that was so worthi
Miȝt make asseth for synne of mannes lechery. [639-42 added.]
Al the body aboute with brising & beting
Was punysched ynogh for synne of touching.
Line 644
His hende nayled to the crosse al for thi sake
May for synne of thin hend asseth ynogh make.
His fete nayled thurg [MS. thurd] with yrne nayles
Made asseth for al thi wikkid trauayles.
Line 648
He prayed for man til his fader hyngand an the croys
With bittir teres, & ȝeld the gast with a gret voys.
He was both god & man ful verraily,
That so ȝelded the gast lyueand the body:
Line 652
ffor saule goos neuer fro the body be the cours of kynde
Whyl thou may in the body fyue wittes fynde;
Bot god strenghed his body to suffre more reddure
Than euer myȝt haue suffred any other creature.
Line 656
His hert that was clouen thurgh with a sharp spere,
That may make asseth for al synne that may dere;
His hert-blode & clene water was ther-out broȝt,
To wasch away al enuy & al ille thoȝt.
Line 660
This of ful gret mercy is sette on comon broche,
And the welle of pite springes out of this roche.
If thou wil forsake synne & cry mercy,
Thou sal neuer faile ther-of, certaynly;
Line 664
How that thou may synne with any lymme that is thine,
A lymme of crist is punysched to thi medicine.—
When god thus suffred dede, as we rede in boke,
Line 667
The sunne sone with-drogh his liȝt, and the erthe whoke, [= quoke]
And the vail of the temple euen brast in two,
And the harde stones swiftly cleue also;
Many a man rose than that were before dede,
And al bare thei wittenes of his godhede. [vv. 667-672 added.]
Line 672
¶ Of the sorowe of oure lady.
WHat sorowe hopes thou then hade his modur mary,
When thing that has no reson for him was so sary!
