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.

HOU ME SSEL TO-DELE ÞE ZEUE BOȜES OF PREDE.

Þis zenne him to-delþ / and spret / ine zuo uele deles / þet onneaþe / me may hise telle. Ac zeuen principals doles / þer byeþ. þet byeþ / ase zeue boȝes / þet guoþ out / and byeþ y-bore / of ane wyckede rote.

Þanne / þe uerste boȝ of prede: is / ontreuþe. þe oþer: onworþhede. þe þridde: ouerweninge. þet we [me?] clepeþ / presumcion. þe uerþe folebayrie. þet we [me?] clepieþ / ambicion. þe vifte: ydele blisse. þe zixte: ypocrisie. þe zeuende: wyckede drede. To þise zeue diȝtinges / belongeþ alle þe zennes / þet byþ y-bore of prede. Ac ech of þise zeue boȝes / heþ uele smale tuyegges.

Þe uerste boȝ of prede / þet is / ontreuþe. hehim to-delþ / in þri little boȝes. huer-of þe uerste / is kuead. þo oþer : worse. þe þridde / alþerworst. þe on is voulhede. þe oþer: wodhede. þe þridde: renoyrye. Voulhede : generalliche / is ine eche zenne. vor no zenne / ne is / wyþ-oute uoulhede. and zuo beginneþ / alle

zennes / be voulhede. Ac þe uoulhede / þet we spekeþ of hier specialiche / þet comþ of prede. and is a manyere / of ontreuþe: is a vice / þet is y-cleped / ine clergie: ingratitude / þet is uoryeti nge of god / and of his guodes. þet me ne þonkeþ him naȝt/ ase me ssolde do. ne him ne yeldeþ þonkes / of his guodes / þet he ous heþ ydo.

Vor-zoþe he is wel vileyn / and ontrewe / auoreye his lhord / þet alle guod / him heþ y-do. and him ne þonkeþ / ac uoryet: and yelt him / kuead uor guod. and vileynye / uor corteysye. Þe ilke vileynye / deþ man to god / huanne he / ne beþengþ him naȝt / of þe guodes / þet God him heþ y-do / and him deþ alneway. and naȝt him þonkeþ / ac raþre him / ofte werreþ / ine þet / þet he useþ kueadliche / and aye godes wil.

Þet is wel grat vileynie / ase me þingþ / þet grat guod- nesses / onderuangþ / and ne dayneþ naȝt / to zigge: grat þank. And yet hit is more grat: huanne / me him uorzaȝþ / oþer huanne / me him uoryet. ac þe ilke / is to grat: huanne echedaye / onderuangþ þe guodnesses: and echedaye / yelt kuead / uor guod.

Þe ilke / þet þanne wel þengþ / and ofte lokede / to þe guodes / þet god him heþ ido / and deþ alneway: and þet no guod / he ne heþ: þet god ne heþ / hit him y-yeve. ne guodes of kende: ase uayrhede. and helþe. an strengþe of bodye. an sleȝþe. and naturel wyt / auoreye þe zaule. ne guodes of auenture. ase richesses. worssipe. and heȝnesse. ne guodes of grace. ase byþ uirtues. and guode workes. wel ssolde he þonki god: of alle his guode. vor guodnesse : oþer akseþ.

Þe oþer / ontreuþe. þet comþ of prede: is wodhede. me halt ane man wod. þet is out of his wytte / ine huam : skele is miswent. þanne wext ariȝt / þe ilke fol. [typographic Fol. 5. a.] and miswent. and wel yzed / wod. þet wytindeliche / and hardiliche / þe guodes / þet ne byeþ naȝt his. ake byeþ. his lhordes guodes. huer-of / him behoueþ / straitliche / yelde rekeninge / and scele. Þet is to

wytene / þe guodes / of suo grat pris / and þe timliche guodes / þet he heþ / ine lokinge. þe uirtues of þe bodie / and þe þoȝtes / and þe consenteinens / and þe willes of þe zaule / wasteþ / and despendeþ / ine folyes / and ine outrages / to-uore þe eȝen / of his lhorde, an him ne poruayþ / of his rekeninge. and wel wot / þet rekeni him behoueþ. and ne wot / huanne. ne þane day. ne þe oure. Zuych folie / is wel y-cleped / onwytbede. Of zuiche vices / byeþ uolle / þe greate proude men / þet useþ kueadliche / þe greate guodes / þet god ham heþ ylend.

Þe þridde ontreuþe þet comþ of prede: ys renayrie. He ys wel renay / þet / þet land þet he halt of his lhorde / deþ in-to þe hond of his uyende. and deþ him manhode. Zuych zenne makeþ ech þet zeneȝeþ dyadliche. uor þanne alzo moche ase of him is he deþ manhode to þe dyeule / and becomþ his þrel. and him yelt al þet he halt of god / and bodi / and zaule. and oþre guodes. þet he deþ to þe seruice of. þe dyeule. And alþaȝ he by be his zigginge cristen: he renayþ be dede / and sseweþ þet he ne is naȝt. Ac specialliche ine þri man- eres is man ycleped reney. and uals cristen. oþer uor þet he ne belefþ / þet he ssolde / ase deþ þe bougre: and þe heretike / and þe apostate. þet reneyeþ hire bileaue. Oþer uor þet he agelt þe byleaue þet he bylefþ. Alsuo doþ þe uorzuorene. and þe leȝers of þe byleaue. Oþer belefþ more þanne he ssolde. ase doþ þe deuines / and þe wichen / and þe charmeresses þet workeþ be þe dyeules crefte. and alle þo þet ine zuyche þinges yleueþ and doþ hire hope: zeneȝeþ dyadliche. Vor alIe zuiche þinges byeþ aye þe byleaue. and þeruore his uorbyet holy cherche. Þise byeþ þe manieres of on-treuþe / þet is þe uerste boȝ of prede.