Dan Michel's Ayenbite of Inwyt : or, Remorse of conscience : Richard Morris's transcription now newly collated with the unique manuscript British Museum MS. Arundel 57, volume 1, text / by Pamela Gradon.

ÞE ZIXTE STAPE OF PROUESSE.

Þe zixte stape of prouesse / hi clepieþ / magnificence. þise uirtue hi descriueþ þous. Magnificence is hi ziggeþ of heȝe nyede y-blissede bleuinge. Þise uirtue oure greate filosofe Iesu crist clepeþ / perseuerance. be huam þe guode godes knyȝt þoleþ þe kuedes / and ylest al to þe ende ine þo heȝe waye of perfeccion þet he heþ ynome. Of þise uirtue zayþ zaynte paul. þet alle þe uirtues yerneþ : ac þis wynþ þet zuord. alle hy viȝteþ : [typographic Fol. 52. b.] ac þis heþ þe uictorie and þe coroune. Alle wercheþ : ac þis berþ away þane ssepe aneuen. Vor ase zayþ oure lhord. huo þet blefþ al to þe ende : he ssel by borȝe / and non Oþer. More uorþ ne couþen þe filosofes lede þe uirtue of prowesse. Ac þe deciplis of oure mayster Iesu crist / guoþ ynoȝ more uorþ. Vor ase zayþ salomon. huanne hi habbeþ al asummed / þanne uerst ham þingþ / þet hit is al to aginne. Þe uirtue and þe

prouesse of þe filozofes wes al uor þe uices to ouercome / and to zeche þe uirtues. Ac þe prouesse of halȝen uor to ouercome þe uices and þe uirtues to zeche. and þerto principalliche uor to healde riȝtuolnesse / an treuþe auoreye Iesu crist. He ne is naȝt riȝtuol / þet ne yelt þet ha ssel : be his miȝte. And uor zoþe mochel is riȝtuol þing / and sceluol / þet ich yeue mi lif / and mi dyeaþ / uor him þet his lif and his dyeaþ / yaf uor ous. And asemoche ase he is worþ betere þanne ich : zuo moche ich am yeldinde be riȝte riȝtuolnesse. ase zayþ saynt anselm. Þise riȝtuolnesse 'ich may wylny / ac ich / ne non oþer / ne moȝe hier hit yelde / ne uolliche hit paye' / ase we habbeþ be-uore y-zed. And þeruore is þe zeuende stape of þise uirtue / þe ilke þet oure mayster Iesu crist deþ þerto / huerto þe filozofes ne miȝte come / þo he zede. 'yblessed byeþ þo: þet habbeþ honger and þorst of riȝtuolnesse.' Þanne byeþ þo ariȝt y-blissed / þet þe zix stapes of prowesse byeþ ycliue / and habbeþ honger / and þorst / and grat wyl þe zeuende stape / be hare myȝte cliue.