'And, like as Aristotiles
writte, that mylk is nothyng elles
(as allë Philesophres telles)
Line 24444
but blood, by transmutacïoun
thorugh hete and lent [[lyte St.]] decoccïoun,
tourned away from his rednesse
to perfectioun of whytenesse;
Line 24448
and (to speke in wordës playn)
this nomorë forto sayn,
that a man that ys irous,
froward and malencolious,
Line 24452
hath but red blood: and that rednesse
may neuere tournë to whitenesse
(as clerkës sayn,) but yef so be
it be decoct by charyte,
Line 24456
that his malicious appetit
be itourned into whit,
thorugh perfectïoun of hete
of charyte, that ys most swete,
Line 24460
Than the smoke of fals envye,
the fume eke of maléncolye, [folio 303b] [[St. & C.]]
fleth away, in rednesse, [[6-syllable line] [[St. & C.]]
chaunged clene into whitenesse.
Line 24464
'and who that drynketh of this mylk—
mor sote and softe than any [[tha any C., than St.]] silk—
foryeveth (in a litel space)
ech offencë and trespace
Line 24468
that men ha gilt hym in his live; [[C. & St.]]
hym list no more ageyn to stryve.
'of such mylk, most of vertu,
gret plente haddë crist ihesu;
Line 24472
Shewed his brestis of pyte
whan he was hanged on a tre.
he suffred tho (it is no doute,)
the likour for to Renne aboute,
Line 24476
and for to shede it out yffere
than he was stonken [[stongen St.]] with a spere,
the syde of his humanyte,
on alle synful to ha pyte,
Line 24480
for to wasshe away our vyce.
