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 UERÞE HEAUED OF ÞE KUEADE BESTE OF HELLE.

Þet uerþe heaued / of þe wyckede beste / is onlusthede. Þet is onlosthede / and tyene to do wel. Þis zenne / his a to kuead rote / þet kest / uele kueade boȝes. Þis onlosthede / þet is sleuþe / makeþ þet man heþ / kueade aginnynge / and more kueade / amendinge / and to wors endinge. Kueade anginnynge / heþ þe sleuuolle: be zix zennes. Þe uerste is þonneliche. huanne þe man loueþ lite / and lheucliche oure lhord / þet he ssolde louye / bernindeliche. and þerof comþ / þet he is / fyeble and lheuc / to alle guodes / to done. Þe oþer is arȝnesse / þet is tyene / of herte / þet is þet bed / to þe dyeule / huerine / he him resteþ / and zayþ to þe manne / and to þe wyfmanne. 'Þu hest y-by / to zofte y-draȝe uorþ. þou art to fiebble / of compleccioun. Þou ne miȝt naȝt do / þe greate penonces. þou art to tendre. þou ssoldest by anhaste dyad.' and þeruore þe wrechche / him let ualle to done þe lostes / of his ulesse. Þe þridde is ydelnesse. þet is a zenne / þet deþ moche kuead / ase zayþ / þe wrytinge. Vor huanne þe dyeuel / uynt þane man ydel: he hine deþ / to worke. and deþ him uerst / þenche kuead. and efterward / to wylni uileynies / ribaudyes / lecheries / and his time lyese / and manye guodes / þet he miȝte do. huerof / he miȝte wynne paradis. Þe uerþe is / heuinesse. huanne þe man / is zuo heui / þat ne loueþ / bote to ligge / and resti / and slepe. oþerhuil hy byeþ / ynoȝ awaked / to nyedes / þet hi hedden leuere / lyese vour messen; þanne ane zuot / oþer ane slep. Þe vifte is / wyckednesse. þet is huanne þe man / liþ ine zenne / and yvelþ þe uondinges / of þe dyeule / and of his ulesse / þet him asayleþ / and be riȝte kueadnesse: nele arere þet heued to gode / be zorȝe / ne grede / harou be ssrifte. ne arere þe honden.

[typographic Fol. 9. a.] be satisfacioun. dedbote. Þe ilke anlikneþ / þane ssrewe / þet heþ leuere rotye / in a prison / uoul / and stinkinde : þanne to habbe / þe pyne of stapes / to cliue uor his outguoinge. Þe zixte / is litel wyl arȝnesse. Ine þise zenne / byeþ þo / þet habbeþ drede / of naȝt / þet ne dorre / naȝt aginne / wel to done. uor hi habbeþ drede þet god / ham wyle fayly / þet is þe drede / of þe meteres. þet habbeþ drede / of hare metinges. Þo anlikneþ þan / þet ne dar naȝt guo / ine þe peþe uor þane snegge / þet sseaweþ him his hornes. And to þe childe / þet ne dar naȝt guo his way / uor þe guos þet blauþ.

Þise byeþ þe zix vices / þet benymeþ þe manne / guod ginnynge. Vor oþre zix vices / ne may þe sleawolle habbe guod aginnynge / oþer amendement. Þet byeþ techches / of kuead seriont / þet makeþ / þet non guod man / ne ssel his onderuonge / in to his seruice / huanne he is sleuuol. ontrewe. onssriuel. uoryetinde. slak. and fallinde. Þe uerste vice is / ontreuþe. Vor huanne god / zet in eþe herte of man / guod wyl / wel to done : þanne comþ þe dyeuel / and hym zayþ / 'þou hitsselt wel / recouri / þou art yong / and strang / þou sselt libbe long.' and zuo he him / onwoneþ þe dyeuel wel uor to done. Efterward / comþ sleuþe. uor he / þet wel deþ / and deþ hit auerst: hit nis no wonder / þaȝ he hit do / sleuuolliche. Þet is a uice huerof al þe wordle is besmet. huo þet nimþ wel hede. Vor lite uolk þer byeþ / þet by diligent / ine þet hi byeþ / yhyealde to done / auorye god / and hire nixte.

Efter sleauþe / is uoryetinge. Vor huo þet ys sleauuol : ofte uoryet. Vor þise tuo zennes / of uoryetynge: hit yualþ ofte / þet he ne can him ssriue. Vor huanne þe man / is sleuuol / him to ssriue: he uoryet his lackes / and his zennes / þet is grat peril. Vor non ne may habbe / uoryeuenesse: wyþ-oute / zoþe ssrifte. þet berþ / uorþenchinge / of herte. beknaulechinge / of

mouþe / boȝsamnesse / ine dede / þet is amendinge: and dedbote. Þer ne ys non zuo guod man / þet yef he yzeȝe wel / his oȝene lackes / þet he ne ssolde uynde / ynoȝ uor to zigge eche daye / ine his ssrifþe. Ac sleuþe. and uoryetinge : blendeþ þe zeneȝeres. þet hi ne zyeþ naȝt ine þe boc / of hire inwytte.