Scala perfecc[i]onis

¶What is propirly the ymage of synne / & what comyth oute therof / Caplm lv (Book 55)

NOw haue I tolde the a lityll of this ymage how it is nought / Neuertheles yf it be fer fro thy knowing how it myght be an ymage / for nought is but nought. but so mig¦hte y^u not liʒtly vndstonde it. I shall telle y^e more opēly of thys ymage as me thynketh / This ymage is a fals mysruled lo∣ue vnto thyself / Out fro this comen all maner of synnes by seuen Ryuers / whyche arne thyse / Pryde. Enuye. Ire. Accidie. Couetise. Glotenye. and Lecherie / Loo this is somwhat that thou maye fele / By one of thyse ryuers ren̄eth out al maner of syn̄e and putteth the oute of charyte yf it be dedely syn̄e / or

it letteth the feruour of charyte yf it be venyall / ••ow may y^u grope that this ymage is not nought / but it is moche of bad for it is a grete sprynge of loue vnto thyself wyth suche vii ryuers as I haue said / But now sayst thou how may this be soth / I haue forsaken the worlde / and I am stoken in an hou¦se / I medle wyth no man / I chyde not / I stryue not / I neyther bye ne selle / I ne haue noo worldly besynes but by the mercy of god / I kepe me chaste and wythholde me fro delytes / And ouer this I praye I wake / I traueyle bodily and ghostly as I maye / How shold thenne this ymage be soo moche in me as thou spekest of / As to this I answere & graunt to the / that I hope thou doost all thise werkes & moo therto▪ and yet may it be soth as I saye / Thou art besye vpon thy myght for to sto¦ppe the ryuers wythoutē / but the sprynge wythin on happe y^u leuest hole / Thou arte like to a man the whiche had in his yerde a stinkyng welle wyth many rennynges fro it. He yede & he stopped the rennynges and lefte the sprynge hole / and wē¦de all had be syker / but the water sprange vp at the groūde of the welle / and stode stylle somoche that it corrupted all the fa¦yrnes of his garden / and yet ren̄eth noo water out / ••yght so maye it be wyth the / If it be soo that thou hast by grace stop¦ped the ryuers of this ymage wythoute / somoche it is well / but be ware of the sprynge within / Sothly but yf thou stop¦pe & clense that as moche as thou maye it wyll corrupte all y^e floures of the gardyne of thy soule / shewe they neuer so fayr outwarde in syghte of men / But now sayst y^u. wherby shal I knowe that the grounde is stopped / yf I traueylle aboute it / As vnto this I shall telle by assaye how thou shalte knowe thys ymage yf it be in the / and how moche it is in y^e and ther¦by shalt thou wyte how moche it is stopped & how lityl also in the / And asmoche as pryde is the pryncipall Ryuer I shall telle the therof fyrst /