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.

NOBLESSE.

Hvo þet þanoþrene urydom huer-of ich habbe yspeke myȝte habbe : to greate noblesse hit ssolde come. Þe zoþe noblesse / comþ of þe gentyle herte. Vorzoþe non herte ne is gentyl : bote he louie god. þanne þer ne is non noblesse: bote to serui god an louye. ne vyleynye: bote ine þe contrarie. þet is god to wreþi / and to do zenne. Non ne ys ariȝt gentyl / ne noble / of þe gentilesse of þe bodye. Vor ase to þe bodye : alle we byeþ children of one moder. þet is of erþe: and of wose. huer-of we nome alle : uless and blod. of þo zide : non ne is ariȝt gentil / ne vri. Ac oure riȝte uader / is kyng of heuene / þet made þet body of þe erþe. and ssop þe zaule to his anlycnesse an to his fourme. An al ase hit is of þe uader ulesslich þet mochel is bliþe / huanne his children him byeþ ylych. al-zuo hit is of oure uader gostlich / þet be wrytinges / an be his zondes / ne let naȝt ous to somony / and bidde / þet we zette payne : to by him ilich. and þeruore he ous zente his blissede zone Ihesu crist in-to erþe / uor to brenge ous þe zoþe uorbisne / huer-by we byeþ yssape to his ymage / and to his uayrhede / ase byeþ þo þet wonyeþ ine his

heȝe cité of heuene. Þet byeþ þe angles / and þe halȝen of paradis / huer ech is þe more heȝ / and þe more noble / þe more propreliche þet he berþ þe ilke uayre ymage. And þeruore þe holy man ine þise wordle deþ al his herte / and al his payne to knawe god / and louye. And of hire herte: alle zenne to waynye. Vor þe more þet þe herte is clene / and þe uayrer : zuo moche he yzyȝþ þe face of Iesu crist þe more openliche. and þe more þet he his yzyȝþ openliche : þe more he him loueþ þe stranglaker. þe more he him likneþ propreliche. And þet is þe zoþe noblesse / þet makeþ ous godes zones. And þeruore zayþ riȝt wel saynd ion þe apostel. uor þanne we ssolle by godes children. and we ssolle by him ylich propreliche huanne we him ssolle yzy / ase he ys openliche. þet ssel by ine his blysse : huanne we ssolle by ine paradys. uor hyer ne zyþ non / onwryȝe þe uayrhede of god / bote ase hit by ine ane ssewere. ase zayþ sainte pauel. Vor þanne we him ssolle yzy face to face clyerlyche.

Þe zoþe noblesse þanne of man begynþ hyer be grace / and be uirtue. and is uolueld ine blysse. Þise noblesse makeþ þe holy gost ine herte þet he clenzeþ ine clennesse / and alyȝt ine zoþnesse. and uoluelþ ine charité. þise byeþ þe þri greteste guodes: þet god yefþ þe angles. ase zayþ saint denys. huer-by hy byeþ yliche to hare sseppere. And þus workeþ þe holy gost ine þe herten of guode men be grace / and be uirtue / huer- by hy byeþ ymad to þe ymage / and to þe anlycnesse of god / ase hit may byine þise lyue. uor he his arereþ zuo ine god / and his beclepþ zuo ine his loue / þet al hare [typographic Fol. 26. b.] wyl / and al hare onderstondinge is / þet is ....þet is hare beþenchinge þet is ywent ine god. þis loue and þis wylnynge / þet ioyneþ / and oneþ zuo þe herte to god : þet he ne may oþer þing wylny: oþer þanne god wyle. uor hi ne habbeþ betuene god and ham: bote onlepi wyl. aud þanne to þe ymage / and to þe anliknesse

of god. ase me may habbe in erþe. and þet is þe gratteste noblesse / and þe heȝeste gentilesse / þet me may to hopye: and cliue. A. god / hou hy byeþ uer uram þise heȝnesse / þo þet makeþ ham zuo quaynte of þe ilke poure noblesse þet hi habbeþ of hare moder þe erþe / þet berþ and norysseþ azewel þe hogges : ase hy deþ þe kinges. and hy ham yelpeþ of hare gentyleté / uor þet hy weneþ by of gentile woze. and þe ilke kenrede: hy conne riȝt wel telle. And þe oþre zyde hy ne lokeþ naȝt / huer-of ham comþ þe zoþe noblesse / and þe gentil kenrede. Hy ssolden loki to hare zoþe uorbysne Ihesu crist / þet mest louede / and worssipede his moder: þanne eure dede eny oþer man. and alneway huanne me him zede. 'sire : þi moder / and þi cosyn / þe akseþ.' He ansuerede. 'huo ys my moder / and huo byeþ myne cosynes? huo þet deþ þe wyl of myne uader of heuene: he is my broþer / and my zoster / and my moder.' Vor þis is þe noble zyde / and þe gentyl kende / þer-of comþ / and wext ine herte : zoþe blisse / ase of þe oþren ydele noblesse: wext prede / and ydele blisse.