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.

RIȜTUOLNESSE.

Riȝtuolnesse [Ms. Þiȝtuolnesse.] . makeþ þane man ordeneliche libbe amang oþren. Vor ase zayþ platon. þis is þe uirtue / þet makeþ þet þe man a-yens echen deþ þet he ssel do. Vor hi yelt reuerence to ham þet byeþ a-boue. loue to

ham þet byeþ bezide. grace to ham þet byeþ beneþe. Be þise uour uirtues ydo / is þe man worþi þet he by gouernour uerst of him-zelue. and efterward of oþren. Ine þise uour uirtues ham studede þe yealde filozofes þet al þe wordle onworþede / and uorlete / uor uirtue to zeche and wysdom. and þeruore hi were y-cleped: fllosofes. Vor filozofé is ase moche worþ : ase loue of wysdome. A. god hou hit ssolde ous ssende and astonie / huanne þo þet weren paenes / and wyþ-out laȝe y-write þet naȝt ne couþe of þe zoþe grace of god / ne of þe holy gost: ne wenden. hi cliuen in to þa helle of perfeccion of liue be strengþe be hire oȝene uirtue / and ne daynede naȝt to loki ope þa wordle. And we þet byeþ cristene / and habbet þe zoþe beleaue and conne þe hestes of god and habbeþ þe grace of þe holy gost. [typographic Fol. 38. b.] Yef we yzeȝe þet we miȝte more ine one daye profiti / þanne hi ne moȝe ine one yere y-hol / we waleweþ ase zuyn hyer beneþe / ine þise wose of þise wordle. Þeruore zayþ sanynte paul / þet þe payens þet byeþ wyþ-oute laȝe / and doþ þe laȝe. ate daye of dome : hi ssolle ous deme / þet habbet þe laȝe / and naȝt hise doþ. Ac uor þan þet hi ne hedden naȝt riȝte byleue / ne þane holy gost / ne none uirtue. ne lyf / ne zoþe beknawynge: hi ne [MS. no] moȝe y-wyte hou moche þet hi weren uayre / uor ase moche ase þer is be-tuene dyad col / and quyk / man dyad / and man libbinde: ase moche þer is be-tuene uirtue þet is wyþ-oute charité / þet is þe guodnesse / and þe worþ / and þet lyf of þe oþre uirtues. Huer-of saynt austin huanne he specþ of þise uour uirtues / he his to-delþ be uour maneres of loue. and be uour þinges þet zoþ loue makeþ. Þanne he zayþ / þet þe uirtue of prudence : is þe loue of herte. þet wyslyche uorlet / al þet him may derie: and chyest al þet him may helpe. and habbe þet he loueþ / þet is god. þe uirtue of temperance is þe loue of þe herte / huerby he him yefþ

y-holliche and wyþoute corrupcion to þet ha loueþ / þet is to god. Þe uirtue of strengþe / is þe loue of herte / huer-by he þoleþ strongliche alle þinges þet moȝe come / uor þet he loueþ. Iustice / is þe loue of herte / huer-by he serueþ onlepiliche and wyþ-oute more / to þet he loueþ. þet is to god. and uor zuo moche deþ onder uot alle oþre þinges. Þanne dom zet man / ine his riȝte stat. þet is aboue alle þinges / and onder god. Wyþ-oute þise uour uirtues non ne may cliue in-to þe helle of perfeccion. Vor huo þet wyle zuo heȝe clyue / him behoueþ ate uerste þet he habbe prudence / þet him makie to onworþi þe wordle / and strengþe þermide / þet him yeue grat herte / of grat þing to onderuonge. and uolȝi. Of oþerhalf þet he habbe temperance / uor þet he ne by to moche y-charged. and riȝtuolnesse þer-mide / þet is þe riȝte peþ. and him ssewy godes riche. ase god dede to Iacob. ase zayþ þe boc of wysdome. Huo þet þise uour uirtues miȝte zuo habbe / he ssolde by wel perfect / and yblissed ine þise wordle / and more ine þe oþre. Vor he ssolde by ine payse of herte. and ine blisse gostlych / naȝt ne ssolde him faily / ac wexe ine god þet he ssolde habbe ine him / ine huam he him ssolde lyky.

Nou we ayen comeþ to oure kende. and bidde we mid al oure herte / þane holy gost / þet tekþ þe hertes. þet he by oure auocat / and ous teche to sseawy hou he be þise zeue yefþes : bestrepeþ þe zeue zennes of oure herten. and he zette / and norissy þe zeue uirtues.