Informacio Alredi Abbatis monasterij de Rieualle ad sororem suam inclusam: translata de latino in anglicum per Thomas N. [in Englische Studien 7 (1884)]

(Capitulum I.)

Nou let heere here and vnderstonde ententyflyche myne wordes, what-euere heo beo þat haþ fursake þis wordle and ychose solytarye lyf, desyryngge to ben yhud & not yseye, and wyllyngge as a deed body to þis wordle wyþ Crist to be buryed in a caue. And in þe begynnyng, why þu schalt preferre solitarye lyf beforn lyvynge in felaschepe of men, bysilyche tak hede. | Þe apostel seiþ: [ 5] Virgo prudens cogitat que domini sunt &c.: A wys mayden studeþ and þenkeþ on þynges þat beþ to godward, hou þat heo may plese god, þat heo be holi in body and in soule. | Þys vertu, þat is to seye of maydenhood or chastite, hit is a wylful sacryfyse and an offryngge to god vre and liberal, to þe whyche no lawe dryfþ, no nyede constreyneþ, non heste bynt. And þerfore Crist seiþ in [ 10] þe gospel: Qui potest capere capiat: Who þat may take þys vertu, he seiþ, let hym take. Lord, who may? Certayn, he alone to whom (god) haþ inspired schuch a wil and yȝyue power to performe. | Þerfore þu mayden, toforn alle

þyng wyþ alle þe deuocioun of þyn herte comende þy gode purpos to hym þat haþ enspired hit to þe, wyt most tenty preyere besechyngge þat þat whuche is in∣possible [ 15] to þe be kynde, be maad lyȝt to (þe) þorou his grace. | Be-þenk þe hou precious a tresoor in hou freel a vessel þu berst aboute, and what mede, what blysse, what coroune chastyte, duelyche ikept, ministreþ; and also vurþermore, what peyne, what confusioun, what dampnacioun hit brenkþ, ȝif hit be lost. | And what may be moor precious þanne þis tresour? wiþ þe whuche heuene is [ 20] ibouȝt, angeles beþ delyted, of þe whuche Crist is coueytous, and by þe whyche god is idrawe to loue, and also forto ȝeue, what ȝyfte? I dar seye baldeliche, hym-self and al þat euere is his. | Wherfore þe swetnesse of þy maydenhood, al vp to heuene smytyngge is swete sauour, makþ þat vre verrey kyng haþ coueytise of þy fayrnesse: and þat is þyn owne lord, almyti god. | Behold now [ 25] whuche a spouse þu hast ychose, whyche a vrend þu hast ygete. Iwys, he is fair in schap before alle þat euere were born, fayrere þen þe sunne and passyngge wit-outen mesure al fayrnesse of þe sterres. His breþ is swettere þan eny hony, and his heritage is aboue hony & al swetnesse. Longitudo dierum in dextera eius, & in sinistra eius diuicie & gloria: Lengþe of euere-lastyngge dayes in his [ 30] ryȝt hand, and in his left hand al rychesse and blisse. He haþ ichose þe to his wyf; but he nel not corounne Þe, er þu be asaid. | Þe boc seyþ: Qui non est temptatus, non est probatus: He þat is not itempted, he nys not asaid. Now maydenhood is gold, þy celle is a furnays, þe blowere to melte þys gold is þe deuel, fuyr is temptacioun; a maydenes flesche is as hit where a vessel off irþe [ 35] wherin gold is iput to ben asayd; wherfore, ȝif þis vessel to-berste þorou gret fuyr of temptacioun, þe gold is ischad out, and schal neuere þis vessel of no crafty man be maad aȝeyn as hit was.