Companion to the English prose works of Richard Rolle : a selection / from the edition by Carl Horstman.

¶ Here it is to say of doubull [vertu in sensualite].

Wen Lya sagh þat Rachel here sister made gret ioy of þes two basterdese born of Bala her maydyne, ¶ scho cald forth here madyne Ȝelfa, to pute to hire hosband Iacob: þat scho moght mak ioy with here sister, hafand other two bastardes getyn of here mayden Ȝelfa. ¶ And þus it is semle in a mans saule forto be, þat fro þe tyme þat reson has refrened þe gret ianglyng of ymaginacion & has puttude here to be vndurloute to gode, & so to ber some frute in helpyng of here knawyng, reghtso þat þe affeccion refrene þe lust & þe þryste of þe sensualite & mak here to be vndurlout to gode, & so to bere some frut in helpyng of here felyng. ¶ Bot wat frut may scho bere, oght bot þat scho [lerne to] lyf a-temperely in eyse ynges, and paciently in vneyse ynges? ¶ þes are þe childer of Ȝelfa, Gad & Assere: Gad is abstinens, Assere is paciens. Gad is titter borne, & Assere latter, ¶ ffor first it nedes þat we be a-temperde in oureself with discret abstinence, þat after we bere outward deseys in strenght of paciens. ¶ Þes are þe childer þat Ȝelfa broght forth in sorow, for in abstinens & paciens þe sensualite es [punyst in þe flesch; bot þat at es sorow to þe sensualite] torne[s] to mekill comforthed & blise to þe affeccion: and þerfor it is þat wen Gade was borne, Lya cride & saide: «happele», & forþi is Gad cald «happenes» or «selenes»; ¶ and so it is wele sayd þat abstinens in þe sensualite is selines in þe affeccion, ¶ ffor why ay þe lesse þat þe sensualite is delited in here luste, þe more swetnes feles þe affeccion in here lufe. ¶ Also after wen Asser was borne, Lya sayd: «þis sall be for my blyse», & forþi was Asser calde in þe stori «blyssed»; and so it is wele sayde þat paciens in þe sensualite is

blise in þe affeccion, ¶ ffor wy ay þe more deseys þat þe sensualite suffurs, þe more blisede is þe saule in þe affeccion. ¶ And þus be abstinens & paciens we salnot only vndurstand a-temperaunce in mete & drynke & suffuryng of outwarde tribulacion, ¶ bot also of all maner fleshle, kyndle, and warldle delite, & all manere dyseys bodele or gastele, with-ine or with-outon, resonabull or vnresonabull, þat be any of oure wittes tourmentȝ or delites þe sensualite. On þis wis bers þe sensualite frut in help of affeccion, here layde. Mikell pese & rest is in þat saule þat nothere is dronkune in þe lu[st] of þe sensualite, ne grutche[s] in þe payne þarof; þe first of þes is getyn be Gade, & þe later be Asser. ¶ Here it is to wite þat firste was Rachel maydyn putte to þe husbande or þe madyn of Lya: and for þis skill, for trule, bot þe iangelyng of ymaginacion, þat is to say þe in-rennyng of vayn thoghtes, be ferst refrende, with-outon doute þe lust of þe sensualite maynote be atemperde; & þerfor wo-so will abstene hym fro fleshle & warldele luste, hym behose first seldome or neuer ynk any wayn thoght. ¶ And also neuer in þis lyf may a man perfitle despyse þe eyse of þe flesh & noght drede þe dyseyse, bot if he haf bisele behalden þe medes & paynes þat are to come. ¶ Bot here it is to wite how with þes fawer sons of þes two maydens þe cite of oure consciens is kepude wonderfule fro all temptacion. For ilk temptacion authere it ryses with-ine be þoght, or els with.outon be some of oure fife wittes. ¶ Bot with-ine sall Dan «deme» & dampne ill þoghtes be drede of payne, ¶ ande with-outon sall Gade putt agayne fals delites be vse of abstinens; Dan wakes with-in, & Gad with-outon. And also þare other two brethere helpys þame full mekill: ¶ Neptalym makis pes within with Dan, and Assere bydes Gad haf no drede of is enmyse. Dan flays þe hert with vgsomnes of hell, ¶ and Neptalym cherisses it with hetynges of hewenle blys. ¶ Also Assere helpes is brother with-owtōn, so þat þorou þam both þe cite wall is not brokune: Gad haldes oute eys, & Assere pursewes diseys. Asser sone desawes is enmy wen he brynges to mynde þe paciens of is fader(!) & þe hetyng of Neptalym, & þus oft-tyms ay þe moe enmys þat he has, þe more mater he has of ouercommyng. & þerfor it is þat wen he has owercommune his enmys, þat is to say þe aduersites of þe warld, sone he turnes hym to hys brothere Gad, to help to stroy his enmyse: & with-outon fayle fro he be common, sone þai turne bak & flene. ¶ Þere enmys of Gade are fleshle delites: bot trule fro þe tyme þat a man haf pacience in þe payne of his abstinence, fals delite fyndes no wonyng-place in hym.