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MORALITE.
Deere frendis, þis Emperour is the Fadir of hevene, þe whicℏ regnyd alway in hevene. The childe, þat was y-take, is aƚƚ mankynde, take by develis for þe synne of þe furst fadir Adam; the whicℏ mankynde was y-put in þe prison̛ of helle, and holdyn̛ in grete sorowe. The fadir wolde not bye him, scil. þe wordle, þe whicℏ is his fadir, in þe same maner, for by him he is sustenyd. The douȝter, þat is so faire, is þe godhede, when he come down̛ fro heuene to erthe, and ioyned̛ him to manhede, when he took̘ flessℏ and bloode in þe virgine marie; and so he made gostely matrimonye witℏ man̛, And he deliueryd vs vndir þis condicion̛, þat our soule shulde be his spouse; as witnessitℏ þe wordis of Osea, Desponsabo eam mihi, I shaƚƚ wedde hire to me. And so he lefte þe courte of heuene, and of angelis, and dwelte with vs here in þis wordle. but þe fadir, scil. þe wordle, grucchitℏ ayenst vs, And wold̛ not þat þe soule wer̛ þe spouse to crist, but þat we serue aƚƚ to it. And if þat we plese the wordle, Certenly we faƚƚ into þe gilder of þe devel, For aƚƚ þe wordle is sette in wickidnesse; And þerfore lat vs fle þe wordle, and take refute in criste, and by good Argument we shuƚƚ haue þe kyngdom̛ of heuene. Ad quod perducat &c.