þe sone of Mon þat was so meke
Com þat tyme for to seke
And for to make saaf also
þat to perisching schulde ha go."
þis is þe tixt of þis gospel, [ 45]
As mon in Englisch tonge may tel.
IN þis holy teching heere
þis holy gospel good and clere
Scheweþ to vs and oþur mo
þat Jhesus wente to Jerico [ 50]
And hou þat Ȝacheus hedde longinge
To seo his lord, heuene-kynge.
þis Ȝachee vndurstonden is
'he þat is maad Rihtwys',
And bitokneþ þe pepul of gentes [ 55]
þat leeued in god bi heore ententes.
Jerico bitokneþ als
'þis wrecched world þat is fals':
ffor Jhesu wente ofte among
þis wrecched world ful of wrong. [ 60]
þouȝ þis ȝachee weore mon wys
And of þat lawe bar þe prys,
More bi feiþ vr lord souhte he
þen bi lawe, as fynde we;
And for he was in feiþ studefast, [ 65]
he deserued atte last
To resseyue þe benisoun
Of vr lord ful of renoun;
So ferforþ, þat vr lord so good
wolde him graunte wiþ mylde mood [ 70]
To come in to hous his
And reste þer as kyng of blis.
he ȝaf him þenne, as lord hende,
Euerlastinge hele wiþouten ende.
þe same wyse þis pepul al [ 75]
Of þe gentes, gret and smal,
vre lord bi lawe þei not kneuh,
But bi feiþ ful of vertu;
þerfore þei diseruet ryf
Of vr lord euerlastyng lyf. [ 80]
þis ilke Sicomours tre
In wȝuche clomb vp Ȝachee,
was ful hiȝ and feir to siht,
And swete in schadewe and muche in miht,
And als in fruites plenteuous, [ 85]
Most swettest and delicious.
And þis tre, so good and dere,
Mai wel be tokned here
To þat blessed Rode-treo
Of wȝuche we alle weore bouȝt freo. [ 90]
þis sicamour was feir and heiȝ,
I wol ȝou telle þe resun whi:
A ladder was þerof maked
whon crist was sprad þeron naked,
þat out of helle þat laddur rauhte, [ 95]
In to heiȝ heuene hit strauhte.
þat ilke wei wente ful euene
vr elder-ffadres to heiȝ heuene;
ffor hit was ful of honour
þat scholde so bere vr saueour. [ 100]
Swete in schade also hit was,
As ȝe may here in þis plas:
hit schadewede from þe hote fuire
Of helle, þat euermore schal duire,
þe prophetes and þe patriarkes alle [ 105]
þat Adam synne hedde mad falle.
Plentiuous in ffruit was þat treo—
Non oþur so plentiuous mihte beo;
þe fruit þat on þat treo greuȝ,
was Jhesu, ful of alle vertu. [ 110]
þe fruit on þat o treo, we fynde,
Brouhte forþ þo almonkynde
ffrom endeles pyne to blisse aboue,
Euer to wonen wiþ him in loue.
Ȝachee also bitokne may [ 115]
þis synful pepul boþe niht and day
þat for heore synnes mai haue no siht
Of god vr lord, kyng of miht.
But hose wole þe siht haue
Of god, his lord, þat may him saue, [ 120]
In to þis treo he most climbe
Of Sikamour, as I hit fynde:
þat is to seche folli to loue
vre lord god alle þing aboue;
þat is to say he moste forsake [ 125]
Alle synnes, in him so blake,
And beo boxum in alle þinges
To godus holy Biddynges,
And suffre wo in world here
ffor his loue þat bouht hym dere; [ 130]
In to þat tre þus may he wende
And seon his lord wiþouten ende.
Nou forþurmore me mot biholde,
As hit is in vr gospel tolde;
whon vr lord, blesset he be, [ 135]
Say þe feiþ of Sachee
he hiht him, as I ow telle,
In his hous þat day to dwelle;
þat was for he knoulechede clene
Al his trespas þer at ene, [ 140]
And graunted þer Jhesus bifore
fforto amende for euermore.
Jhesus coueyted not to abyde
In hous of treo, maad wiþ pride,
But in þe clene soule of mon, [ 145]
þer wolde he dwelle, þerfore he com.
þerfore I rede, we clanse vs,
þat we may resseyue him þus,