Vices and Virtues : a Soul's Confession of its Sins with Reason's Description of the Virtues : a middle-english dialogue of about 1200 A.D. Part I Text and Translation / edited by F. Holthausen

Of heuele [The first e corrected above u.] bafte^spache.

DETRACTIO hatte an oðer senne, ðe reaueð godes luue of mannes hierte, ðat is, euel bafte-spache. Hie me haueð ofte ȝemaked forȝielt aȝeanes godes forbode, ðe me forbett alle euele spaches, and ðus me undernemð: Sedens aduersus fratrem tuum loquebaris, 'Ðu sate,' ^{he seið}, 'aȝeanes ðine broðer, ðe ælche dai baðe clepieð to me, ðe am ȝure fader, and seggeð: pater noster. Aȝeanes him ðu spake ^god, bafte him euele, þat he it ne herde. Ðus ðu dedest, and ic was stille; and for ði ðu wendest þat ic ðe ware ilich, þat hit likede me swa swa hit dede ðe. Ac ðu scalt stonden tefore me a domesdaiȝe, and teforen all mankenne, ðar ic ðe scal undernemen mid ða ilche wordes ðe ðu ofte hafst ȝeherd for ðe te warnien, and ðus cweðen: Dilexisti maliciam super benignitatem. Ðat is: 'Ðu luuedest euelnesse mare ðanne godnesse, unrihtwisnesse more to spekene ðanne rihtwisnesse; for ði ðe scal god almihti forliesen, baðe lichame and saule. Ga awei fram me, ðu ȝewereȝede, forð mid te dieule!' Hwa is ðat nis ofdradd of ðese mu- [page 6] chele ðþunresleiȝ [a ç above re.] ðe cumþ ut of godes auȝene muðe? Nime ȝieme se ðe wile! Hu michel haht hit is godes forbod te brekene!