"Wyth-oute hys lyht, ther wer no day."
Line 9608
Grace dieu:
Quod Gracë dieu: 'answere me;
How maystow parceyue or se,
Or in any wyse espye
Hys bryhte bemys thorgh a skye?'
Line 9612
The pylgrym:
"Ryht so," quod I, "as thorgh a verre,
Men sen hys bemys shyne a-ferre,
Or as men sen off ffyr the lyht,
Thorgh a lanterne cler & bryht."
Line 9616
Grace dieu:
Quod Gracë dieu a-noon to me:
'What thow hast sayd, tak hed,' quod she,
'And vnderstond ffyrst in thy syht,
By the sonne that shyneth bryht,
Line 9620
Thy soulë cler, in espécyal,
Wyth-Inne thy body wych ys mortal.
Off thys mater we haue an honde, [Stowe folio 170b]
Ther-by thy soule I vnderstonde.
Line 9624
'Thy body (yiff thow kanst espye)
Vs dyrk, as ys a clowdy skye;
And lyk also (who kan dyscerne)
To a smoky, blak lanterne.
Line 9628
And nat for-thy (I dar expresse)
Men may sen, thorgh the bryhtnesse
Off the soule (yt ys no doute),
And the clernesse, fer wyth-oute.
Line 9632
Clerkys recorde yt in ther skolys;
And other wene, that be but ffolys,
In ther foltyssh fals demyng,
That al the cler enlwmynyng
Line 9636
Wher-off that porë skyë (lo,) [[sky loo St.]]
Wher-wyth the sowle ys shrowdyd so,
Eclypsyd off hys fayr bryhtnesse.
And ne were the gret dyrknesse
Line 9640
Off thys skye (who loke a-ryht), [folio 150a]
The sowle sholde han so cler a syht
At o look, fro the oryent
To sen in-to the occident.
Line 9644
