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

How medled lyf longeþ speciali to prelates of holichirche & also to worldly lordes þat rule oþer men. Capitulo iiiio.

ÞE þridde lyf, þat is medlet, longeþ speciali to men of holy churche, as to prelates and to oþur curates, þe wȝuche han cure & souereynte ouer oþur men for to kepe & rule hem, boþe heore bodies & principali here soules, in fulfillyng of þe dedes of merci, bodily & gostly. To þise men hit longeþ sum-tyme to vse werkes of actyf lyf, in help & in sustinaunce of hem-self & of her soiettes & of oþure also, and sum-tyme [forto] leue al bisynes outward and ȝiue hem for a tyme to preyers, meditacions, redynges of holi writ, & to oþer gostly ocupacions, after þei fele hem disposed. Also hit longeþ generali to sum temporal men þe wȝuche han souereynte wiþ muche hauyng of worldly godes, and also han as hit were a lordschipe ouer oþur men to gouerne & susteyne hem, as a fader haþ ouer his children, a Maister ouer his seruauntes, and a lord ouer his tenauntes; þe wȝuche men also han receyued of þe ȝift of vr lord grace of deuocion, & in parti sauour of gostli ocupacion. To þise also longeþ þis medled lyf, þat is boþe actyf & contemplatyf. For ȝif þise men stondynge þe charge & þe bond þat þei han take, wolde leue vtturly þe bisynes of þe world, þe wȝuche ouȝte skilfulli be vsed [in] fulfillyng of heor charge, and hol[i] ȝeue hem to lyf contemplatyf, þei do

not wel, for þei kepe not þe ordre of charite. For charite, as þou knowest, liþ boþe in loue of god & of þin euen-cristne, and þerfore hit is resonable þat he þat haþ charite vse boþe in worchinge, now þat on now þat oþur. For he þat for þe loue of god in contemplacion leueþ þe loue of his euen-cristen [& doþ not to hem] as him ouȝte whon he is bounden þerto, he fulfilleþ not charite. Also on þe contrarie wyse who so haþ so gret reward to werkes of actyf lyf & to bisynes of þe world þat for loue of his euencristen he leueþ gostli ocupacion vtterliche, aftur god haþ disposed him þerto, he fulfilleþ not fulli charite. Þis is þe seying of seynt Gregore.