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 VIFTE BENE OF ÞE HOLY PATER NOSTER.

Dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Ine þise bene we biddeþ oure uader of heuene / þet he ous wylle uoryeue / oure misdedes / ase we uoryeueþ to ham: þet ous mis-doþ. [typographic Fol. 34. b.] oþer habbeþ mis-do. þanne zigge we þus. 'Leue uader / uoryef ous oure dettes: ase we uoryeueþ oure dettours.' Oure dettes: byeþ oure zennes / þet we habbeþ ydo wexe ope oure zaulen. þet is þet beste wed of þe house. Þe zenuolle be one zenne dyadlich / þet zuo zone is y-pased / ase to þe loste / oþer ase to þe dede / is y-obliged to zuo ane greate gauelinge: þet he ne heþ miȝte to hit endi. þet is to þe pine of helle / þet is wyþ-oute ende. Efterward / he ssel to gode / þet he heþ ywreþed / zuo grat amendes: þet he ne heþ miȝte uor to yelde. Vor ine al his lyue þaȝ ha leuede an hondred year oþer more: he ne miȝte naȝt do uoluellinde penonce of one dyadliche zenne / yef god wolde usy to yelde dom. And þeruore hit behoueþ to yerne to þe cort of merci and bidde merci / and aksy uoryeuenesse. Vor be þe riȝte of þe cort of dom / þe zeneȝere ssolde by demd / and ycondemned to dyaþe eurelestinde. Þeruore oure guode mayster Iesu crist ous

tekþ zuo to oxi uoryeuenesse and quittinge huanne we biddeþ oure guode uader þet is zuete and milde / uor to yeuene: large and corteys / þet he ous uoryeue oure misdedes.

Ac nim wel hede hou þou bidde. 'Voryef ous oure misdedis / ase we uoryeueþ to ham: þet ous habbeþ misdo.' Vor yef we ne uoryeueþ to ham þet ous habbeþ misdo: god ne uoryefþ naȝt ous oure misdedes. ase he him-zelf zayþ ous / ine þe godspelle. Þanne he þet zayþ his pater noster / and heþ ine his herte hate / wreþe / oþer wyckedhede: he bit more aye him-zelue : þanne uor him-zelue. Vor he bit god / þet he ne uoryeue him naȝt / huanne he zayþ. 'uoryef me: ase ich uoryeue.' and uor þet at alle þe times þet þou zayst þi pater noster beuore god þet yziȝþ þine herte : þou sselt uoryeue þine wyckede wil / and keste out of þine herte: alle wreþe / and alle hate. and euelwyl. oþerlaker þi bene is more aye þe : þanne uor þe. Yef hit þe þingþ strang þing and kuead uor to uoryeuene / þin euel wyl to ham þet þe hatieþ / oþer þet þe kuead willeþ / huer he al misdeþ: þench þet god uoryaf his dyaþ to ham þet him dede aþe rode / þe uor to yeue uorbisne / uor to uoryeue to ham / þet þe habbeþ misdo / and more yet eft : ham guod do: yef hi habeþ nyede to þe. Vor ase he zayþ ine his spelle. Ne is hit naȝt grat þing ne grat ofseruinge aye god to do guod to ham þet ous doþ guod. ne to louie þo þet ous louyeþ ? Vor þet deþ þe paen / and þe sarasyn / and oþre zeneȝeres. Ac we þet byeþ godes children be byleaue and be grace / and we byeþ cristene ynemned of Iesu crist / and we byeþ eyrs mid him of þe heritage of paradys / of ous to uoryeue þe on to þe oþre / and louye oure uyendes. þet is to zigge hare persones. an bidde uor ham / and do ham guod yef hy habbeþ nyede and þou hit miȝt do. Vor þus he hit hat ine his spelle. Þanne ssolle we onlepiliche hatye þe zennes / and louie þe zaules. þet byeþ ymad

to þe anliknesse of oure lorde. Alsuo ase a leme of þe bodye / loueþ and uorberþ an oþer. yef o leme blecheþ [typographic Fol. 35. a.] an oþer be cas. þe oþer naȝt him awrecþ þeruore. We byeþ al o body ine Iesu crist / ase zayþ þe apostel. and þeruore we ssolle ech louye oþer / and naȝt hatie / ne harmi mid wrong / on / þe oþer. Huo þet oþerlaker deþ : he is manslaȝte / and him-zelue damneþ ase zayþ þe wrytinge. Zuych can zigge his pater noster : him were betere þet he were stille. uor he let his domesman: ayens him.

Ine þise bene þet we doþ to gode. we him bezecheþ one yefþe of þe holy gost / þet is y-cleped / þe yefþe / of connynge. þet makeþ þane man ine þoȝte and uol of wytte. þes gost him sseweþ huet he is. and ine huet peril he is. and huannes he comþ. and huyder he geþ. and þet he deþ. and þe misdede þet he heþ ydo. and hou moche / he heþ hyer ywonne. and hou moche he ssel. And huanne he yziȝt þet he ne heþ huermide endy: þanne him deþ þes gost wepe / and grede merci to god / and zigge. 'Lhord / uoryef me mine dettes. þet byeþ myne zennen. Vor ich am mochel ine dette ayen þe / and uor þe queades þet ich habbe ydo. and uor þe guodes þet ich habbe uoryete / and ylete to done. þet ich myȝte / and ssolde habbe ydo. And uor þo guodes þet þou me hest ydo. and þine greate guodnesses þet ich habbe eche daye onderuonge / huyche ich habbe kueadliche yvzed / and þe kueadliche yserued. And þeruore lhord ich ne habbe huer-of maki þe yeldinge: uoryef me þet ich þe ssel.' Huanne þes gost him heþ zuo alyȝt / þet he knauþ his defautes: and þanne him deþ keste out of þe herte alle wreþe / and alle hate / and al to uoryeue his euele ywyl / yef þer is eni. and yef þer ne is : he is ine wylle and ine porpos uor to uoryeuene mid herte / yef me him misdeþ. And þanne may he zigge wel. 'Vayre uader uoryef ous oure misdedes / ase we doþ to ham: þet ous habbeþ misdo.