Hit soffiseþ to me proue myn owne doyng
Line 1245
And of oþur mennes entremete noþing".
SEint Gregori ek, þe grete clerk, [Gregorius quoque in epistola ad Innocentium Africae praefectum de ejus libris sic ait: Quod expositionem sancti Iob vobis transmitti voluistis, vestro studio congaudemus, sed si delicioso cupitis pabulo saginari, beati Augustini compatrio|tae vestri opuscula legite et ad comparationem illius similaginis nostrum furfurem non quaeretis.]
Comendeþ seint Austines werk
Wiþ al his wit verreylike
In a pistel þat he sent to Aufrike
Line 1250
To Innocent, þat prefecte was þere,
And seiþ forsoþe on þis manere:
"We beoþ riht glad of ȝor moode,
Þat ȝe to vs senden for goode
For þe exposicioun of Jobs lyf;
Line 1255
But, so mote we euer þryf!
Ȝif þat ȝe coueyte to beo fed
Wiþ dilicious foodus to ȝor hed,
Tac hede of þe werk þon
Of seint Austin, ȝor contre mon,
Line 1260
And to þe compar(i)soun of his whete flour
Secheþ not or bren — hit were errour".
IN his registre he seiþ also [Idem quoque in registro sic ait: Legitur, quod beatus Augustinus nec cum sorore habitare consensit dicens: quae cum sorore mea sunt, sorores meae non sunt. docti ergo viri cautela magna nobis debet esse instructio.]
Of seint Austin þis word wel þro:
Þat wiþ his suster wolde he not dwelle,
Line 1265
"Þerfore he wolde sey ful welle:
Þulke wymmen þat wiþ my suster be
Sustres beo þei nouht to me.
Þe cautel of þis mon so wys
Schulde beo ensaumple to vre auys".
Line 1270
SEint Ambrose in his preface [In prae|fatione quoque Ambrosiana sic legitur: Magnificentiam tuam in mortificatione Au|gustini adoramus tua (in omnibus) operante virtute, ut nullis promissis blandimento|rum fallacium vir tuo ignitus spiritu vinceretur, quia eum ita omni genere pietatis imbueras, ut ipse tibi ara et sacrificium et sacerdos esset et templum.]
Of seint Austin seiþ in þat place:
"Þi mihtinesse we worschupeþ, lord,
Boþe in dede and in word
And of þe stablyng of seint Austin
Line 1275
Þorwh þin owne vertu diuin,
Þat was so wiþ þe holigost
Enspiret — riht wel þou wost —
Þat ouercome miht he not be
Wiþ no falles of vanite;
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For wiþ al maner of pite,
Of mekenes and of charite
Þou him foundedest on good wyse,
Þat he was to þe auter and sacrifice
And also temple and eke prest —
Line 1285
His doynge to þe was honest".
ÞE clerk seint Prosper [Beatus igitur Prosper in tertio libro de vita contemplativa sic de eo dicit: Sanctus Au|gustinus episcopus acer ingenio, suavis eloquio, saecularis literaturae peritus, in ecclesiasticis laboribus operosus, in quotidianis disputationibus clarus, in omni sua actione compositus, in quaestionibus solvendis acutus, in convincen|dis haereticis circumspectus, in expositione fidei nostrae catholicus, in expla|nandis scripturis canonicis cautus.]
Seiþ in his þridde bok þer
Þat he made her in his lyf
Of þe lyf contemplatyf,
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On þis maner, hose lokeþ hit:
"Seint Austin was a bisschop of scharp wit,
Softe mon in spekynge,
And in seculer lettrure cunnynge,
In holichirche werk and fulle werkere, [Ms. and st. a?]
Line 1295
And in eueriday disputisouns clere,
And in alle his doynges
Manerliche of alle þinges,
To assoyle questions he was scharp,
To ouercome heretykes wise of carp,
Line 1300
And riht trewe" — as Prosper seiþ —
"In exposicion of þe feiþ,
And wondur war in expleyting
