shadowyd vnder thy gracyous mantel off mercy: why?
ffor thow art / Refugium a Tribulacione. /
Here begynneth the ffirste Consolacion
And hope off hertes that ben oppressyd
With Eny Trybulacion. /
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[Stowe folio 292a] The ffyrste Consolacion that I ffynde, O blyssede
Lady, ys only in the / ffor who ys the verray hope off
hertes that ben oppressed, but only Thow? / ffor, so as
A Pylgrym or a passagour that kometh ffro fforeyne
Line 16539
Cuntres reioyseth whan he Resorteth to his restynge
place, wher he hopeth in pees and quyete to abyden /
Moche more I, that am oppressyd with Afflyccion off
my troubled soule, and al besett with drerynesse, whan
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I leffte vp myn hede out of the dyrke angles off
wrechchydnesse, I howe to Reioysshen and to be gladde
whan I Consydre, se, and verrayly beholde that thow
art the Restynge place off my verray hope, and the
ffynal terme off my desolacion // For I perceyue wel
that thow art the Mete and the Marke off alle labour,
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In whom the sovereyn hope off alle synfull restyth
Inne // But wheroff and in what wyse may I knowe
thys? / Haue nat my synnes made an Obstacle / and
reysed vp a wal betwyxe the and me? / ffor soth, yis /
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how may I thanne, sythen ther is so grete an Obstacle
sett atwen, knowen or verrayly wyten The secrete
pryvetes off thy benygne grace? / Sothly, I wote right
wel that I may nat / But al be yt so that ther be a
Closour and a wal which lette me that I may nat sen
Line 16558
nor Clerly beholden the lyght off thy mercyable grace //
yitt neuertheles I, as a wrechche, fferfully stonde be|
hynde the wallys, and with a ffull dredfull Eye looke
Inne by the wyndowes // Which ben the wyndowes
that I looke Inne by? // Trewly, the wyndowes and the
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Comfortable ffenestrallys, as yt semyth vnto me, ben
hooly Scriptures // The which ffull notably make
mencion off the grete swetnesse [Stowe folio 292b] Off thy mercyable
pyte // ffor by thylke agreable ffenestrallys beholdynge,
I se and Clerly Consydre the soote sugryd wordys
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which, by a specyal Inspyracion off the holy Gost, Thy
