Here bygynnes þe ferth part þat es of purgatory.
Many spekes, and in buke redes
Line 2692
Of purgatory, but fon it dredes;
For many wate noght what it es,
Þarfor þai drede it wele þe les.
Bot if þai knew wele what it ware,
Line 2696
Or trowed, þai walde drede it þe mare.
And forthy þat sum has na knawyng
Of purgatory ne undirstandyng,
Þarfor I wille now speke aparty,
Line 2700
In þis buke of purgatory.
And first shew yhow what it es,
And whare it es, als þe buke wittenes;
And whatkyn payns er þar-in,
Line 2704
And whilk saules gas þeder, and for what syn;
And alswa what thyng es mast certayn,
Þat þam mught help and slake þair payn.
Of þir sex poyntes I wil spek and rede,
Line 2708
And swa I sal þis ferth part spede.
Purgatory es nathyng elles
Bot a clensyng sted þar saules duelles,
Þat has synned, and had contricyon,
Line 2712
And er in þe way of salvacion,
And er noght parfytly clensed here
Of al veniel syns sere.
Bot þar byhoves þam payne fele,
Line 2716
Til þai be clensed parfytely and wele
Of alkyn syn þat þai ever wroght,
In worde, in dede, in wille or thoght.
For swa pured and fyned never gold was,
Line 2720
Als þai sal be, ar þai þethen pas.
Wharfor þe payn þat þe saul þar hentes
Er mare bitter þan alle þe tourmentes
Þat alle þe marters in erthe tholed,
Line 2724
Sen God was for us boght and sold.
For þe lest payn of þe payns þar sere
Es mare þan es þe mast payn here,
