And Ravisshe, lyk a champyon,
Line 452
The noble hihe hevenly place,
By vertu only & by grace.
ffor vertu doth to a man assure
Thyng denyed by nature. [folio 9a]
Line 456
1Thys to seyne, who lyst lere,
That vertu makyth a man conquere
The hih hevene in many wyse,
To wych kynde may not suffyse
Line 460
To cleymë ther pocession,
But she be guyded by Reson,
Wych to vertu ys maystresse,
To lede hyr also, and to dresse
Line 464
In hyr pylgrymage Ryght
Above the sterrys cler & bryht.1 [1_1 Verba translatoris.]
ffor other weye koude I not se,
To entre by in that cyte;
Line 468
ffor cherubyn, erly and late,
Ay awaytynge at the gate,
Was redy euer, and ther stood,
Whos swerd was bloudyd with the blood
Line 472
Off Crystys holy passyon
Whan he made our Redempcion,
Mankynde to restore a-gayn.
The wych wey, whan I hadde seyn,
Line 476
I was a-stonyd in my syht.
But I was coumfortyd a-noon Ryht,
Whan I sawh the swerd mad blont
Off cherubin, the wych was wont
Line 480
To brenne as any flawmbe [[flawmbe St., flawnlbe C.]] bryht.
But now, the sharpnesse & the [[the St., om. C.]] lyht
Was queynte, to do no more vengaunce,
By vertu off crystys gret suffravnce,
Line 484
Wych schal no more for man be whet. [[4 lines blank in MS. for an Illumination.]]
[prose cap:line v:10] And ther I sawh a smal wyket [folio 9b]
Ioynynge evene vp-on the gate;
And ther stood on, erly & late,
Line 488
Lenynge, as I kovde espye,
Wych power [[power St., powder C.]] hadde, & maystrye
