Scala perfecc[i]onis

¶How men sholde doo that wanten the felyng of mekenes in affeccōn not dredyng tomoche therfore / Caplm xix. (Book 19)

NEuertheles yf thou may not fele this mekenes in thyn hert wyth affeccyon as thou woldest doo as thou maye meke thyself in wylle by reason / trowyng that it shold be so as I saye / though thou fele it not / And in that holde the a mo¦re wretche that thou may not fele sothfastly thyself as thou arte / And yf y^u doo so. though thy flesshe ryse there agayn. and wylle not assent to thy good will. be not tomoche adrad. but y^u▪ shalt bere & suffre the fals felyng of thy flessh̄ as a payne / &

then̄e thou shalt despise & repreue that felynge. & breke downe that risyng of thyn hert: as thou woldest be wel paid for to be troden & spourned vnd other mēnes fete. And soo by the grace of Ihū cryst thrugh stedfast thinkyng on the mekenes of his precyous māhede shalt thou moche abate the stirynges of pri¦de / And the vertue of mekenes y^t was fyrst in thy nakid wyll shal be turned in to felyng of affeccōn / wythout whiche ver∣tue eyther in true wyll or in felyng who so dispose hym to se¦rue god in cōtēplatyf lyf as the blynde he shal stōble: & he shal neuer come therto / The hyer he clim̄yth by bodely penaūce / & other vertues / & hath not this mekenes. the lower he falleth / For as saynt gregory sayth / * 1.1 He that can not perfytly despyse hymself / he foūde neuer yet y^• meke wysdom of our lord Ihū cryst

Notes

• * 1.1

  Greg▪