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

Þat nedful worldli werkes kundel gostli desyres, proued be bodili ensaumple. Capitulo duodecimo.

HIt may fal sum-tyme þat þe more troubled þat þou hast ben outward wiþ actyf werkes, þe more brennyng desyr þou schalt haue to god, & þe more cler siȝt of gostly þinges be grace of vre lord in deuocion whon þou comest þerto. For hit fareþ þer-bi as ȝif þou hedde a luite Cole and þou wolde make a fir þer-wiþ & make hit brenne. Þou woldest furst lei þerto stikkes and ouerhule þe cole, and þouȝ hit seme for a tyme þat þou schuldest sleke þe cole wiþ stikkes, neuerþeles whon þou hast beden a while & aftur þat i-blowen a while, anon

springeþ out a gret flaume of fuire, ffor þe stikkes are turned in to fuire. Riht so hit is gostli; þi wille & þi desyre þat þou hast to god, hit is as hit were a luitel cole of fire in þi soule, ffor hit ȝiueþ to þe sumwhat of gostli hete & of gostli liȝt; but hit is ful luitel, ffor ofte hit waxeþ cold & turneþ to fleschli rest, & sum-tyme in to idelnes. Þerfore hit is good þat þou put þerto stikkes, þat are goode werkes of actyf lyf. And ȝif so be þat þise werkes as hit semeþ for a tyme lette þi desyr þat hit may not be so clene ne so feruent as þou wolde, be not ouer-dredful þerfore, but a-byd & suffre a while, & go blowh at þe fuire, þat is, ffurst do þi werkes and go þen al-[one] to þi preyers & þi meditacions, and lift vp þin herte to god and prei him of his godnes þat he wole accepte þi werkes þat þou dost to his plesaunce.