Moral.
¶ By this Emperoure is vnderstande the fader of heuen / and [by] this mayden is vnderstande the soule of man, with whome many deuylles desyren to renne / and to dysceyue her thorugh theyr temptacyons / but she withstandeth theym myghtly, and ouercometh hym / and whan he hath done his power / and may not spede, than [he] maketh the thre balles of golde / and casteth them before her, in the thre ages of man / that is to saye / in youth, in manhode, and in olde age. In youth he casteth the balle of lechery before her, that is to saye, the desyre of flesshe / neuerthelesse for al this balle often tymes man ouercometh the deuyll by confessyon, contrycyon, penaunce, and satysfaccyon. The seconde balle is the balle of pryde, the whiche the deuyll casteth to man in his manhode / that is to saye, in his myddell age / but this balle man oftentymes ouercometh, as he dyde the fyrste. But late hym beware of ye thyrde balle, whiche is the balle of couetyse, that the deuyll casteth vnto man in his olde age, that is full dredefull. For but yf a man may ouercome this balle with this other two, than he shall lese his honoure, that is to saye, ye kyngedome of heuen. For whan man brenneth in couetyse, he thynketh not on goostly rychesse, for euer his herte is sette in worldly goodes, and recketh not of prayers, ne of almes dedes / and thus leseth he his herytage, tó the whiche God hathe bought hym with his precyous blode. Unto ye whiche Ihesus brynge you and me, and alle mankynde! Amen.