This tretyse is of loue and spekyth of iiij of the most specyall louys that ben in the worlde and shewyth veryly and perfitely bi gret resons and causis, how the meruelous [and] bounteuous loue that our lord Ihesu cryste had to mannys soule excedyth to ferre alle other loues ... Whiche tretyse was translatid out of frenshe into englyshe, the yere of our lord M cccc lxxxxiij, by a persone that is vnperfight insuche werke ...

WHo sholde reioyce the hurte of other / or be sory of y^e we¦le of other / as enuyous fol¦ke done / yf they beholde bi the eye of ferme fayth / how grete charyte the swete Ih̄u very god & man shewed vs / not for his wele / but for y^e we¦le of other / whan he soo dere bough¦te vs from thinfernal pryson / whi¦che was wyth noo lityll raunson: whan he gaaf hymself for our sal¦uacyon / and all this made charyte For he reioyseth the wele of other And the sorow of other was mo¦re paynful to hym than his owne which̄e shewed well by his moost pyteous & paynfull deth that euer man suffred in erth. for the releef & comforte of other. This charyte was the gyfte that he lefte wyth his discyples at his departyng. as he saith in the gospel / By this shal all folkes knowe yf ye ben truely my dysciples / for thēne shall ye ha¦ue truly charite / & loue among you

Now dere suster remember well what marke he setteth vpon al his Wherfore yf ye wyl be one of his ye must be of that marke / as wol∣de our lorde I were one of the leest of theim· For god is ordener of lo¦ue / And in loue restyth hymselfe soo as saynt Ioh̄n sayth. ¶De∣us caritas est. &c. Now take gode hede by thyse ensamples that be soo open how good a thyng is humy∣lite of herte wyth true loue of Ih̄u cryst / For there is noo thyng vn∣der heuen that he loueth somoche / & yf ye haue that ye shall haue alle weles and god hymself. And yf ye fayle that ye shall fayle all that may torne to your wele / and as sa¦ynt poul sayth / Know ye not wel that where many folkes fyghte to¦gyder in grete oostes. that thoos y^t holde theym ferme togyder may not lightly be. dyscomfyted in noo wise And soo is it of the spyrituell ba¦tayll agaynst the fende. for he doeth all his force to dysceue & departe our hertes / and to take fro vs true loue & charyte / And assone as the hertes ben therfro departed / the fen∣de entreth & sleeth on euery parte For where a man gooth alone in a cumbrous waye and stumblith comunely he falleth / But and the¦re were many togyder / euery one myghte helpe other. For yf one stumble / a nother is redy to holde hym vppe or he falle / . And yf one of theym wexe wery. his felawe wyll helpe to lede hym.

¶This temptacōn is stumbling that makyth many to falle in the myre of synne: yf he

be not susteined by other with tru charyte / and soo sayth saynt grego¦rye. By thyse ensamples appereth it thenne / that who that is boundē wyth other in true charyte / & loue hath a mighty helpe ayenst tempta¦cōn / And who that is vnboūde by hatrede sone stynkith & ouerthrow¦eth· Beholde wel then̄e how moche is worth the alyaunce of true cha¦ryte & loue / that al good & godenes holdeth togyder / soo that none may perysshe that hath that / Moche lo∣ueth vs our swete lord Ih̄us / and claymeth of vs none other rewar¦de / but to loue him agayn / and this sholde noo man denye / for alway he maye fynde mater ynough in his herte yf he enserche well / In good hour are they born that can loue hī aryght. whyche almighty god gra¦unt vs soo to doo by his holy pyte