The Six Masters
Ms. Royal 17.A.xxv
(T)He friste maistir seyde þat if eni þinge hadde be bettir to eny mannis lyuynge in þis world þan tribulacioun, god wolde haue ȝeue it to his sone; but for he say wel þer was no þinge better þan it, þerfore he ȝaf it to him, and made him to suffre moost tribulacioun in þis wrecchid worlde, more þan dide euere eny man or euere schal. (T)he secunde maistir seide þat if þer were eny man in þis world that myȝte be with-oute spot of synne as oure lorde Ihesu Crist was, and myȝte lyue here þritti ȝeer and it were possible with-oute mete and drinke, and were also so deuout in preynge þat he myȝte speke with aungelis in þe eir as dide Marie Maudeleyn, ȝit myȝte he not deserue in that lijf so greet mede as a man deserueþ in sufferyng of a litil tribulacioun. (T)he þridde maister seyde that if it so were þat the modir of god and alle þe halewis of heuene preieden alle for oo man, ȝit schulde þei not gete him so myche meede ne so greet as he schulde gete hym-silf bi meeknes in suffringe of a litil tribulacioun. (T)he fourþe maistir seide: We worschipe þe cros for oure lord Ihesu Crist hyng ther-upon bodili, but I seye we schulde raþer and by more riȝt and resoun haue in mynde þe tribulacioun þat he suffride ther-upon for oure gyltis and trespasis. (T)he fifþe maistir seide: I hadde leuere be of myȝte, of strenkþe and of power to suffre þe leste peyne of tribulacioun þat oure lorde Ihesu Crist suffride here in erþe wiþ meeknes in herte, þan þe meede or the reward of alle worldly goodis, for as seint Petir seiþ þat noon ys worþi to haue tribulacioun but þo that desyren [it] with clene herte and wiþ-oute errour; for tribulacioun quenchiþ synne, and it lerneþ a man to knowe þe priuytees of god, and tribulacioun makiþ a man to knowe hym-silf and his euen-cristin, and it multiplieþ vertues in a man, and purgith hym and clensith hym lijk as fier dooþ golde; and what man that meekli in herte suffriþ tribulacioun, god is with-inne hym and berith þat heuy charge of tribulacioun wiþ hym; also tribulacioun beyeþ aȝen the tyme þat is lost, and holdiþ a man in þe wey of riȝtwisnes; and of alle þe ȝiftis þat god ȝeueþ vnto man, tribulacioun is þe moost worþi ȝifte, also it is [a] tresour to þe which no man may make comparisoun; and tribulacioun ioyneþ a mannis soule vnto god. Now axiþ þe sixte maistir whi we suffren tribulacioun with so euel wil; and it is answerid þer-to & seyd þus: for þre thingis. The firste is for we haue litil loue to oure lord Ihesu Crist. The secunde is for þat we thenke litil of þe greete meede and profite þat comeþ þerof. The þirdde is þat we þenke ful litil or nouȝt of þe bittir paynes and þe greete passioun þat oure lord Ihesu Crist suffride for us in redempcioun of oure synnes, and to bringe us to his blis that neuer schal haue ende. AMEN.— —