DCXVII.
Penitencia perfecta delet peccata et nichil
formidat.
Cesarius tellis how som̛ tyme þer was a blak monk̘ þat feƚƚ in apostasye, & syne he was a Premonstracence & went oute; and at þe laste he was a monk̘ of Ceustus. And evur he gaff hym̛ vnto luste & lykyng of his bodie, & vnto oþer innumerable vices. So at þe laste, as God wold̛, he tuke þe ordur & habett of Ceustus ordur, and onone he shrafe hym̛ and tuke his penance. And he did̛ his penance trewlie, in wepyngis, prayer, & fastyng, & in aƚƚ oþer thyngys. So at þe laste he feƚƚ seke and was bown̛ to dye, & evur he contynewid̛ in syngyng, prayers-saying, and wurshippyng our Lady vnto þe stounde of dead̛. And in presens of his abbot & his brethyr he said̛ on̛ þis maner of wyse; "Wurshupfuƚƚ brethur, I, a synner & a penytent, ye beryng me wytnes, covettis of almyghtie God to hafe a space to make a clere confession̛, & to do verray penans for my synnys. And if God wyƚƚ graunt me lyfe, I am̛ redie to make a sethe, and for to vnder-go aƚƚ maner of turment, and aƚƚ maner of hard̛ thyng & labur; ffor nothyng is hard̛ nor inpossible vnto hym̛ þat is verray penytent." And þus, emang þies wurdis, with a grete compunccion̛ & a grete forthynkyng, he gaff vp vnto God a gude sawle; and þer was sene com̛ vnto hym̛ aungels, whilk þat bare his sawle into hevyn̛ with a grete myrtℏ & a ioy.
- ...Penitencia magis unum quam alium attenuat. Supra de apostata, ij.
- ...Penitere facit hominem cogitacio penarum. Supra de delicijs et de inferno, i.