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

¶ A short medytacion of the passyon of our lorde Ihesu cryste.

THou mayst here ymagyne in thy herte as yf þou sawe thy lorde take of his enemyes with many repreues & despytes / brought before a Iuge / falsely there accused of many wycked men / & he answered ryght nought but mekely suffred theyr wordes. They wolde nedes haue hym deed / but fyrst to suffre paynes. Beholde than that good lorde cheuerynge & quakynge all his body naked bounde to a pyler / about hym standynge wicked men without ony reason sore scorgynge þat blessyd body without ony pyte. Se how they cesse not from theyr angry strokes tyll they se hym stande in his blood vp to his ancles / from the toppe of his heed to the sole of his foot hole skynne they lefte none / his flesshe they rased to the bones / & for werynes of themselfe they lefte hym almoost dede. Loke than asyde vpon his blessyd moder / se what sorow she made for her dere sone / & haue compassyon of her payne that laye there aswowne. Torne agayne to thy lorde & se howe they vnbynde hym / how hastly they drawe hym forth to do hym more dysease. A garlonde of thornes they put vpon his heed tyll the blood ran downe in to his eyen / nose / mouth & eeres. Than they kneled downe with scornes, & arose vp with repreue & spette in his face. See than how þat blessyd lady beteth her breste / draweth her clothes / & wryngeth her hondes / & I trowe thou wylt wepe for that pyteful syght. ¶ Loke yet agayn to thy lorde & se how they hurle hym forth to an hyghe hylle there to nayle hym hande & foot vpon the rode tree. Se than fyrst how fyersly they drawe of his clothes & how mekely that he than wente to the crosse / he spredeth his armes abrode / but strayter with cordes they drewe forth his armes tyl the synewes & the Ioyntes be all to-broke / & than with full grete nayles they nayled his precyous hondes to the crosse. In the same maner thou mayst se how greuously they drawe his dereworthy legges and nayled his feet downe to the tree. Se than how they profered hym for to drynke bytter galle & eysyll / and kneled agayn before hym with many despytes. Than herken to that good lorde how mekely he taketh leue of his gracyous moder and of his dere apostle & betaketh them eyther to other as dere moder and sone. Than with a grete voyce he commended his spyryte to his father in heuen / and hanged downe that blessyd heed ryght forth vpon his brest. Se also how soone after they perced his herte thrugh with a spere with full grete anger, and ranne downe by his body medled blood & water. Than mayst thou haue full grete pyte beholdynge that good lady how for sorowe she synketh downe in her systers armes. Take hede to the chere of his apostle saynt Iohan, to the teres of Marye magdalene and of his other frendes / and I trowe amonge all these thou shalt haue com-

punccion & plente of teres. Whan there cometh suche deuocyon than is tyme that thou speke for thyn owne nede & for all other quycke or deed that trusten to thy prayer. Caste downe thy body to the grounde & lyfte vp thy herte on hye with dreedfull chere / than make thy mone & yf thou wylt thou mayst thynke thus & saye: A lord god almyghty blessyd mote thou be / þou madest me / thou boughtest me / thy suffraunce is full grete in me / þou woldest not take me in to dampnacyon that often I haue deserued / but thou hast kepte & saued me tyll I wolde forsake synne and torne hole to the. Now lorde with sorowfull herte I knowleche to thy godhede that falsely I haue spended and without proufyte all my wyttes and vertues whiche thou hast gyuen me in helpynge of my soule all the tyme of my lyfe in dyuerse vanytees / all the lymmes of my body in synne & superfluytees / the grace of my crystendom in pryde & other wretchydnesse. And sothly good lorde I haue loued other thynges moche more than the / & notwithstandynge my grete vnkyndenes euer thou hast nourysshed me and tenderly kepte me. Of thy grete suffraunce I had full lytell knowynge / of thy grete ryghtwysnes I had but lytell drede. I toke no hede to thanke þe for thy grete goodnes / but al my lyfe from daye to daye grete mater of wrath I haue shewed to þe thrugh myn owne wyckednes. herfore lorde I wote not what I shall saye to the but onely this worde in whiche I trust: God of thy grete mercy haue mercy on me / I wote well lorde all þat I haue cometh onely of þe / I wote well without the no thynge may be / but my synne & wretchydnes cometh all of me; wherfore lorde with meke herte I beseche thy grace do not to me as I haue deserued but after thy grete mercy / and sende me [þat] grace of thyn holy ghoost to lyghten myn herte / to comforte my spyryte / to stable me in the ryght waye to performe thy commaundementes / that I may haue perseueraunce in that I haue begonne & that I be nomore departed from the by my vnstablenes or by temptacyons of myn enemye. It is lorde yet ful worthy that I be chastysed for my wycked lyuynge with what rodde thy wyll is / welcome be thy sendynge. Pacyently good lorde sende me grace gladly to suffre thy chastysynge / comfort me amonge for thy grete grace / & whan thy wyll is withdrawe thy rodde & take me to thy mercy. Full bytter be these temptacyons & full greuous to suffre / & though they be dredefull I wote well hereafter they shall be medefull to my soule / but good lorde þou knowest well myn herte is ryght feble / moche is myn vnstablenes / my connynge is but lytell: therfore good lorde strength me / stable me & teche me / [&] as þou madest me & bought me so kepe & defende me / body & soule I take to the / no thynge after my wyll but as þou wylt lorde so mote it be. And now good Ihesu goddes sone knower of all thynge, helpe me in wycked thoughtes that I dysplease the not in ly[k]ynge ne in assentyng / efull often I haue dyspleased the in dyuerse thoughtes all ayenst thy wyll & moche to my lykynge, therfore it is thy ryghtwysnes that I be trauayled with other thoughtes at thyn ordynaunce & greuous to me / but curteys Ihesu whan thy wyl is put them awaye & take me in to thy grace. Iesu cryst goddes sone whiche stode styll before þe Iuge nothynge to hym answerynge / withdrawe my tongue tyll I thynke what & how I shall speke þat may be to thy worshyp. Ihesu goddes sone

whose hondes were bounde full sore for my loue / gouerne & wysshe myn hondes & al myn other lymmes that all my werkes may begynne & gracyously ende to thy moost pleasure. Also lorde þou seest well that many ther be that trust to my prayer for grace that ye shewe to me more than I am worthy / ye wote well lorde I am not suche as they wene, but though my prayer be vnworthy / take hede to theyr lownes & to theyr deuocion & what they desyre to your worshyp graunte it them for your goodnes. Graunte them & me & to all other for whom we be bounde to praye grace to loue all that is to your lykynge / and you to loue to your moost pleasynge / nothynge to desyre that sholde dysplease you, All maner temptacyons myghtely to withstande / all other vanytees for your loue to despyse / you good lorde euer to haue in mynde / and in your seruyce for to abyde to our lyues ende. And yf ye graunte vs ony thynge to doo that shall be to vs medefull / graunte parte to the soules whiche be departed from the body In the paynes of purgatorye abydynge your mercy Amen.

¶ In suche maner thou mayst praye in the begynnynge / & whan thou art well entred in to deuocyon thou shalt perauenture haue better felynge in prayers and in holy medytacyons otherwyse than I can saye or shewe. Good broder or syster praye than for me whiche by the techynge of almyghty god haue wryten to the these fewe wordes in helpynge of thy soule.