Þe world, my flesch—heo ne stunteþ neuere,
Wiþ-outen eny Meþ on me heo foþ, [H. voth]
Swiþe gret harm heo me doþ.
Line 896
Gret parlement heo habbeþ I-nome.
Þe fend furst is [H. is formest] forþ I-come,
Wiþ þreo hostes he deþ me gret wo:
Wiþ pruide, & wraþþe, & sleuþe also.
Line 900
Þe world me haþ wiþ two hostes bi-stonde:
Þat is wiþ couetyse and Onde.
And my fflesch me fondeþ to spille
Wiþ Glotenye and wiþ vuel [H. foule, Fr. fou delit] wille.
Gret wraþþe [H. fyȝht; Fr. Grant damage (al. Bataile) m'ont esmu] heo habbeþ to me I-nome;
I am as campion ouer-come [Fr. Champium sui ja recru.] ;
But þou me helpe, Mayde Marie,
Ichabbe I-lore þe Maystrie . . . . . [2 vv. om., cf. H.:
Thow that art to alle febulle leche,Thow let me of thy dyches cleche,Fr.
Tu que fiebles redrescez,Fai me poser au fossez,Ou li chastel est estableE charite rest conestable.] Þer þe Castel is faste & stable, And Charite is Constable."
Of þis castel ichabbe a luitel told,
Ac more me miȝte a þousend-fold:
Line 912
ffor alle þe godschupus þat in þe world is
Out of þis Castel I-comen is.
Þorw þis laddre God, heuene d[r]ihte, [H. God Allmyȝht]
ffrom heuene in to eorþe alihte
Line 916
And nom of hire his Monhede,
Þorw whom [r. whom?] he wrey [Fr. covri] his Godhede.
Þis is þe ȝard þat bereþ þe flour,
Þat [H. The] Maiden þat bar hire creatour.
Line 920
And þus þe "child is I-boren to vs,
And such a Sone I-ȝeue to vs."
And nis he "wonderful" þerfore,
Whon he is þus for vs I-bore?
Line 924
So muche wonder nis of no þinge
As two kuynden to-geder bringe,
And þat eiþer kuynde wiþ-alle
Habbe þat wole to heom bi-falle,
Line 928
Þat neuer nouþer ne wonte no wiht,
Ac þat eiþer habbe al his riht.
Þat Is Ihesu, Godes sone,
Þat from heuene to eorþe wolde come
Line 932
To sauȝten his sustren þat were to-boren,
