thing̘, And euer withstonditℏ synne, takitℏ
his power, scil. reson̛ and vndirstonding̘, And sucℏ a
flesℏ þat woƚƚ not be obedient to þe spirite, he
makitℏ to be prisonid in þe prison̛ of penaunce, til
tyme þat he woƚƚ obey vnto reson̛. Thenne þe
Emperour is to come hom̛ fro þe holy lond̛, scil.
crist comitℏ to a synner, scil. puttitℏ him in þe
mynde of a synner. Thenne þe synner thenkitℏ on him, And
crietℏ for grace; And as ofte tyme as he hatℏ hope þat
he hatℏ grace, he is bolde to synne ayen; But a-yenst suche a
man spekitℏ scripture, and seitℏ
þus, Maledictus homo qui peccat in
spe, Cursid be þe man̛ þat synnitℏ in
hope. And so þe soule ofte tyme enclinetℏ to it, And
latitℏ it go out of þe prison̛, trustyng̘; and
þerfore wasshitℏ of aƚƚ þe filthe, and
clensitℏ it with goode vertuys, and makitℏ it go vpon̛ þe hors of charite, & to ryde
in goode werkis, þat he meete with god in þe day of pask.
But ofte tyme þe synner trespassitℏ by þe way, in
þe hooly tyme, And an hynde arisitℏ vp, scil.
dilectacion̛ of synne, and aƚƚ þe wittys rennytℏ
after, Thorow werkyng̘ of synfuƚƚ werkys; And houndys, scil.
shrewde thowtys, euermor̛ berkith, and entisitℏ so,
þat a man, scil. þe flesℏ, and þe soule
stonditℏ and abiditℏ stille, and livitℏ to-geder
withoute ony vertu. Thenne þe flesℏ seitℏ þat,
and what doitℏ he but stiritℏ þe soule, whicℏ is
þe spouse of crist, vnto synne. But þe soule, þat
is so lovid and weddid to god, woƚƚ not leeve god, ne graunt to
synne; And þerfore þe wrecchid flesh ofte tyme
spoiletℏ a man of his clothing̘, scil. of goode vertuys; And
then he hongitℏ him vpon an oke, scil. wordly love, by þe
heire, scil. by Ivel, and be wrong̘ couetise, tiƚƚ tyme
þat ther come an Erle, scil. a prechour, or a discrete
confessour, in þe forest of þis wordle, for to hunte
thorowe [leaf 202, back, col. 1]
prechyng̘ and goode
conseilyng̘, berkyng̘ and shewing̘ of holy scripture; and
so he bringitℏ þe lady, scil. þe soule of man̛,
to his house, scil. hooly chirche, to norissh his dowter, scil.
conscience, in werkis of mercy. This Erle hatℏ a lampe, scil. a
confessour or a prechour, And bifor̛ the ye of his herte þe
lampe of hooly scripture, yn þe whicℏ he seitℏ
knowlyching̘ of þe soule, and vertuys in serving̘. The
stiward, þat askid hire of synne, is pryde of life, þe
whicℏ is stiward̛ of þe wordle, by þe whicℏ
many ben deceyvid;