MORALITEE.
DEre frendes, this Emperoure is þe fadir of hevene; The dowter is þe soule, I-made to his owne similitude; Cornelius is the devil, that deseyuid̛ hir, & [leaf 190, back, col. 1] slow hir childe, and̛ made al mankynde in subieccion̛. Now god̛ haviþe iij. scochens, scil. [the] powere, the whiche is the scochon̛ of the fadir; he hathe wisdome, þe which is þe scochon of the sone; and̛ he hathe goodnesse, the wiche is the scochon̛ of the holy gost. Þes iij. sheldes god̛ hathe sette in a place ordeynid̛ þerfor̛, scil. mankynde, whenne that he made him to his owne likenesse. For the firste man̛ Adam̛ hadde lordshipe ouer alle the bestes of the Erthe, and̛ ther is the shelde of the fadir, scil. power̛; þe secounde hadde connyng & knowleche of al thinges vpon̛ erþe, and̛ þere was the shelde of the sone, scil. wisdome; and̛ þe firste man̛ was formid̛ in grace, and̛ love of gode & of þe neyboure, and̛ þere was the shelde of the holye goste, scil. grace. Now þe wickid̛ sprite, þe devil, willynge in his wickid̛ obstinacye [to] fite a-yenst god̛, he come, and̛ towchid̛ not the shelde of the fadir, & seide not, Si comederitis, eritis sicut dii potentes, he seyde not, ye shul be myȝty as godis, yf ye ete of hit; Ne he towchid̛ not the shelde of the holy gost, seiyng, Eritis boni vel amantes, yf ye Ete, ye shul be good̛ or lovyng̘ but he towchid̛ the shelde of the sone, seiynge, Si comederitis, de fructu illo eritis sicut dii, scientes bonum et malum, þis is to seye, yf ye ete of that frute, ye shalle be as god̛ is, knowinge goode & eville. And̛ þere for̛, sithe he towchid̛ the shelde of þe sone, þe sone, scil. Criste, was sent by the Emperour, his fadir, to fite withe the devil. & þe virgine þat armid̛ him was the virgine of virginis, scil. owre lady seint Marie, of the whiche he toke armure, scil. man kynde; & þerin̛ he fawȝt with the devil, & his membris, and̛ with suffring of v. sore woundes he wan̛ the victorye of hem; and̛ browte the damyselle, þe soule of Adam, vnto