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

Hou be mekenes & diuerse gode werkes is þe loue of god norisched in mony mennes hertes. Capitulo xiiio.

Hald þi werkes as nouȝt in þin owne siȝt, but only of þe Merci of him. Knowe mekely þi wrecchednes & þi frelte, and arette soþfastli al þi gode dedes to him in as muche as þei are gode, and in as muche as þei are vuel, not don wiþ al þe circumstaunce þat are nedful to a good dede, for defaute of discrecion, put hem to þi-self. And for þis mekenes schal al þi dedes turne in to a flaume of fuir, as stikkes leid vpon þe cole. And so schal þe gode dedes outward not hynder þi deuocion, but raþur mak hit more. Vre lord seiþ þus in holi writ: Ignis in altari meo semper ardebit & sacerdos surgens mane subiciet ligna ut ignis non extinguatur: þat is to say: «ffuir schal euer brenne in myn auter, and þe

prest risyng at morewe schal put vnder stikkes, þat hit go not out.» Þis fuir is loue & desyr to god in soule, þe wȝuche loue nedeþ to be norisched & kept be leying to of stikkes þat hit go not out. Þise stikkes are of diuerse matere: sum are of o tre, sum of an oþer. A mon þat is lettred & haþ vnderstandyng in holy writ, ȝif he haue þis fuir of deuocion in his herte, hit is good to him for to gedere him stikkes of holi .... writ & norissche þe fuir wiþ hem. Anoþur man vnlettred mai not so redili haue at his hand holy writ & doctors sawes, and þerfore hit nedeþ to him to do mony gode dedes outward to his euencristne & kendele þe fuir of loue wiþ hem. And so hit is good þat vche man in his degre do aftur he is disposed, þat he gete him stikkes of o þyng or of oþur, ouþur preiers or gode meditacions or redyng in holy writ, or gode bodili worchyng, for to norissche þe disyr of loue in his soule, þat hit ne be not slekked. For þe affeccion of loue is tendre, & liȝtli wol vanissch away, but ȝif hit beo wel kept and be gode dedes bodili or gostly beo continuely norissched.