'ffor off the body (trustë me)
The Eyen, no verray eyen be,
But lyk to glas, (I dar wel seyn),
Wher-thorgh the clerë soule ys seyn,
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And outward (wyth hys bemys bryht)
Yiveth ther-to clernesse and lyht.
ffor the sowle, (who taketh hede,)
Off bodyly eyen hath no nede,
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No mor than, in semblable caas,
The bryhtë sonne hath off the glas,
Nouther byforn, nouther be-hynde. [Stowe folio 171a]
'And conceyue also in thy mynde,
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That Eyen wych ben espyrytual,
Wyth-oute spectácle or ffenestral,
Sen off hem syllf mor parfytly,
fferther perce, & mor clerly,
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Than whan [[Whan that St.]] the bodyly dyrknesse,
The gostly eyë doth oppresse.
ffor gostly Eyen sen wel the bet,
Whan yt ys so they be nat let
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Wyth bodyly Eyen that ben outward,
And han to no-thyng ther reward,
But to thynges off veynglorye,
That be passynge & transytórye,
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Dyrked wyth a worldly skye.
'And whylom blyndë [[blynde St., blynd C.]] was Tobye
Off bodyly eyen, as wyth-oute;
But inwardly (yt ys no doute)
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He was nat blynded off hys syht,
But hadde hys eyen cler & bryht;
I mene, the Eyen off hys mynde;
ffor by tho Eyen (as I ffynde)
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He tauhte hys sone, & clerly tolde [folio 150b]
The weyë that he sholdë holde
In hys passagë, & nouht erre.
Hys Eyen wer cler as any sterre,
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Off hys mynde, wych made hym se;
And ellys yt myghte neuere ha be,
Off hys inward inspeccyoun,
To yove him swych instruccyoun [[Informacion St., with Instruccion in margin.]]
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