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.

GENTYL GUOD.

Nou ich þe habbe al uolliche ysseawed þet ich leue. þet þer ne is non guod aryȝt worþssipuol: bote uirtue / and charyté. þet ys uayr loue of god. Þet þer ne is non oþer guod profitable. Þis ous wytnesseþ saynte paul. þet zayþ alsuo. 'Yef ich hedde zuo moche wyt ine. me / þet ich couþe alle clergyes. alle speches. and speke alse wel ase myȝte man / oþer angel. and ich couþe godes priuites / and his redes. and yef ich betoke my body to slaȝe. and yeue al þet ich habbe to þe poure. and dede by miracle þe helles lheape uram one stede / to anoþre. bote yef ich ne hedde þe uirtue of charité: al hit nere me naȝt worþ.' Nou nim hede þet zaynte paul þet me ssel wel yleue. ous heþ hyer ynemned / þe meste gentile

guodes / þet man may do / and þet mest were ywoned: to by worþ. and profiti. Þet byeþ þe porueyonces of bodye. and slaȝþe to þolye. helpe poure. to wende þane zenuolle. and connynge. an speches. and he zayþ þet alle þise guodes wyþ-oute charité : ne byeþ naȝt worþ. and yef þise guodes ne byeþ naȝt worþ : hou ssolde lesse guodes by worþ ? Þis þi-zelf þe myȝt yzy be skele þet hyer beuore me heþ yzed. zuo moche is worþ þe man: ase is worþ his land. þet is ase zoþ / ase pater noster. Huo þet wel onderstant. hou / and huer-by / þe man is worþ / Oþer naȝt / oþer zomdel / oþer more oþer lesse / and þet ne is non drede / þet / þet ne by charite / and þe loue of god. Vor huo þet mest heþ : mest is worþ. [typographic Fol. 27. a.] and huo þet lest heþ: lest is worþ. and huo þet naȝt [MS. naȝ] ne heþ : naȝt ne is worþ. Vor huo moche þe man het of timliche guodes / ase byeþ / gold / an zeluer. an richesses. oþer guodes gostliche. oþer kendeliche / ase byeþ / creft / and queyntyse. wyt / and clergye. strengþe / and prouesse. and oþre guodes. Hou ssel ich zygge þet hi doþ guod / þanne he ssel by þe more zoruollaker ydamned / uor þet he his benoteþ naȝt ariȝt. of þe guodes þet god him hedde ylend uor to winne. Efterward yef he deþ workes bodylyche / as doþ þise zuynkeres / and þise gememen. Oþer yef he deþ workes gostliche. ase byeþ uestinges. benes. ssrede þe poure. bere þe here. yef he is wyþ-oute charite: zoþ uor to zigge: hit ne is him naȝt worþ. Vor þeruore / þe more mede to-uore god him ne worþ þe raþre / yef he sterfþ wyþ-oute charite : y-damned ha worþ. Ac þe ilke þet heþ uirtue and charité guode/ of al þet god him zent ine þise wordle / of al he deþ his nyede. and of al he wynþ : grace of blysce.

Charité is a guod chapfare / þet oueral wynþ / and none time ne lyest. alle þe guode paneworþes hy bayþ. and deþ alneway his nyede. and naȝt uorþan: hy heþ alneway hire peny ayen / þet is þe loue of herte / þet is þe

godes peny / huer-mide me bayþ / alle þe guodes of þe wordle / and alneway ha blefþ uor euremo / ine þe purse. Loue heþ ine eche stede his zales. Charité wynþ ine eche þinge. and playntes. and hy heþ þe maystrie: ine alle batayles. Hi deþ / þet asemoche is worþ to onenen ueste enne day: ase to anoþren: al ane lenten. Hi deþ [MS. deȝ] / þet asemoche is worþ o peny to onen þet ha yefþ : ase to anoþren : an hondred pond. Zygge a pater noster: ase to anoþren a sautyer. and þet ne is uor non oþre skele : bote uor þet / þet zuo moche is worþ þe man / zuo moche byeþ worþ his workes. Vor þe more þet he heþ zoþe loue: þe more he wynþ eche daye. Loue is þe wyȝte ine þe balance zayþ saynt Michel. uor non oþer þing ne may weȝe : huanne me comþ to nime ech his ssepe : bote loue and charité. and þeruore ich zigge / þet þer ne is non guod profitable aperteliche / and a riȝt speke : bote uayr loue / and charité.