Wych ys contrayre to your offys.
ffor in the hand (yif yt be souht,)
Off a fool that kan ryght nowht,
Line 2712
A swerd ne sholdë nat be take,
Ryghtful doomys for to make;
And in the hand off men yrous,
To take a swerd ys peryllous.
Line 2716
ffor thys swerd (yiff ye takë hede,)
Was bryht brennyng as the glede
On euery part & euery syde,
With flawme perpetuelly tabyde,
Line 2720
To yow ytake, (take hed ther-to,)
Off Grace Dieu nat longe ago.
And cause why, of the brennyng,
Yiff ye lyst to have knowelichyng,
Line 2724
Was, that ye sholde, lyk your degre
Ben ay in love & charyte;
ffor loue brennyng in your desyr [Stowe folio 53a]
Ys shewyd by the bryghtë fyr;
Line 2728
And so to speke, in wordys fewe,
Ye sholde alway your syluen shewe
¶ Wyth cherysshyng ffyr of plesaunce; [Ignem veni mittere in terram; & quid volo nisi vt accendatur. (Luc. xii. 49.)]
ffor, yt wer a great meschaunce
Yff [[MSS. Off.]] Ire, in stede of charyte,
Line 2733
Brent your hertys, (as semeth me.)
Swych ragë ffyr (shortly to telle,)
Was kyndlyd ffyrst, and kam from helle,
Line 2736
And to your swerd, I dar Recorde,
Noon swych fyr may nat accorde.
'Now haue I told (ye sen yt wel,) [folio 43b]
Touchyng thys swerd euerydel;
Line 2740
Why ye yt bere, & skylë why. [prose cap xxix] [[St. & C.]]
ffor ye be porterys [Fr. Portier estes, se ni est aduis, Du Roiaulme de paradis. From Camb.: Porteres ye ben, as me thinketh, of the kyngdom of heuene.] verrayly [[St. & C.]]
Off the rewme of Paradys, [[St. & C.]]
Lych cherubin, prudent & wys. [[St. & C.]]
Line 2744
And the keyes ye han also [[St. & C.]]
To shette the gatys, & vndo; [[St. & C.]]
