clerkis singen thus, al the lay peple in the proces|sioun knelen doun and knocken her brestis and summe fallen so doun that her brestis and mouthis touchen the grounde. And more compunccioun, more deuocioun, and louȝer submissioun thei myȝten not neither couthen araie forto bisette vpon Crist him silf, if he were in stide of the crosse so discouered. Wher|fore the secunde premysse of this present xiiije. argu|ment is trewe.
The xve. argument is this: To what euer thing men offren in louȝist wise, comyng toward it bi creping, and whos feet thei kissen in deuoutist maner thei kunnen, thilk thing thei taken for her soue|reynest and hiȝest Lord. Forwhi ellis it wolde folewe that ther yn thei diden vnaccordingli and vnsemeli, and so therfore reprouabili and in such wise that it were worthi be forbodun. But so it is, that to the crosse in Good Fridai men comen in louȝest wise creping on alle her knees, and to this crosse in so lowȝe and deuout maner thei offren, and the feet of thilk crosse thei in deuoutist maner kissen. Wher|fore thei [Without doubt either this or the following thei should be can|celled.] in these deedis the same crosse for her worthiest Lord thei taken; or ellis thei ouȝten not so creepe, offre, and kisse, and ouȝten be weerned forto so do.
Miche neede is forto assoile these thre laste prin|cipal argumentis, that is to seie, the xiije., [thrittenthe, MS. (later hand, and on an erasure).] xiiije., and xve., for upon the deedis and gouernauncis of whiche these thre laste principal argumentis maken mensioun alle the seid wijters han greet abhomina|cioun; and thei ben out of eese, whanne thai seen tho dedis and gouernauncis doon; and whanne thei musten nedis for drede do tho deedis and gover|nauncis,
