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 ...

THenne after thynke agayn yet. Lorde amonge thise cre¦atures· angell & man. there ben some of one parte & some of a nother. For some of theym for the¦yr synne fylle in to helle / And ye all pyteous hye kyng of heuen des¦cended from your hye throne in to your lityll preuy chāber. this was the wombe of the blessid virgyne / whan of hir it pleysed you humbli to be born / & to receyue the humayn flessh̄ / to suffre deth for the redemp¦cōn of all mankynde. wherof all be not parteners / but suche as be crys¦ten & liue wel therafter / & dey in y^e right fayth / But other may not clayme that. as Iewes & sarrazins

and all other mescreauntes & vn∣true crysten And good lorde ye mi¦yghte haue lete me deye wythoute baptesme / and thēne had I be caste wyth theym in to helle wythout en¦de / But this dyde ye not. but ma∣de me partener of your redempcōn by the grace that ye haue gyuē me to receyue baptesme wherby ye deli¦uerde me fro the snare of perdura∣ble deth / And yet had I then̄e noo thanke to yelde you. nor noughte haue deserued of on wele or grace nomore than they that deyed vn∣crystned: and descended in to helle wythout recouer / o mercyfull lorde Ih̄u howe moche am I bounden by this reason ouer all thing to gyue you that poore loue that can come of me / And after this thynke fur¦ther of tho that ben crystened how some of theym ben naturell fooles & wythout vnderstondyng. & how god hath gyuen you wythout yo∣ur deserte resonable vnderstonding ¶Also in like wyse some of hem ben lepers deef / & dombe / and ful of other foule siknesses. or lame or di¦fformed / And ye haue receyued of god without your desert your natu¦rel helth & right shape. wherof hūbli thanke him. And thynke thenne ferder that some there be that haue their helth & wel formed & resona∣ble vnderstondyng. & yet al the day¦es of their lif liue in grete pouerte and labour for theyr mete / drynke & clothes / and yet haue therof full scarse sustenaūce / And all other∣wyse hath our lorde pourueyed for you / for to haue delicyous metes & of all other sustenaūces grete lar∣gesse wythout your deserte / Behol¦de thēne fro the begynnyng of your lif in al tymes yf euer ye cowde fī¦de in you ony manere of wele lityl or moche: but that ye haue recey∣ued it of god by his specyall loue & grace that he hath gyuen to yow more than to many other / And wyth thise grete bountees that he hath giuen you / Remembre you of the grete harmes & daūgers that he hath defended you & deliuerd you from / & saye or thynke in this ma¦nere / Moost mercyfull lorde Ihesu I know well that I haue ofte syn¦ned dedely / both by wyll & dede. wher¦by ye myght by rightful Iugemēt haue condēpned me forthwyth in to helle without ende / And this di¦de ye not / but by your grete mercy hath spared me / & gyuen me leyser to doo penaūce. And by this on̄ly reison am I boūde to serue you / & lo¦ue you ouer all thyng / And whā ye shall haue in suche manere wel enserchid in your hert the grete gra¦ces & giftes that ye haue receyued of our lord Ih̄u cryst / Yf ye auyse you wel your lif & your dedes. and beholde what wele / what loue and

what kyndnesse ye haue yelded to hym that hath shewed you soo gre¦te loue & done somoche for you with out your deserte. Perauenture ye shall well perceyue in your selfe y^t noo thyng in regarde haue ye yel∣den to hym. but oonly syn̄e / and yf ye may fynde there ony wele. it is soo lityll. that it is as noo thynge ayenst soo many graces & benefay¦tes as he hath lente & gyuen you & whan thyse thynges ye haue well remembred & well torned & retor∣ned / thēne with a hole mynde speke or thynke hūbly & deuoutly in you¦re herte towarde hym My swete lor¦de Ih̄u cryst I perceyue wel that so¦me Rent am I boūden to yeue yow for so many boūtees & weles as ye haue gyuen me And I know wel that though I hadde a thousande worldes in my power for to gyue you. noo thyng shold that encrease you. For your glory & ryches is so grete & infenite. that there may no thyng encrease it / for ye haue nede of noothyng / & therfore good lord I wote well / that ye aske of me no more than may be foūde in my po¦wer / This is to knowe. that I lo∣ue you / & serue you with al my sou¦le / wyth all my hert. & wyth all my power. But this may I not haue but of your gyfte. for I haue noo thyng of myself / but sin̄e & malice / And it were to grete a wronge & vnkyndnes to yelde you sin̄e & ma¦lice for your grete boūtee & swetnes¦se that ye haue shewed me / & truely than behoueth me to haue it of you For there is noo wele nor good∣nes but it cometh of you But how shal I haue it of you / not by byēge for I haue noo good to gyue you but of your owne. for ye are lorde of all thīg / & haue power ouer al / ¶Ha good lord thēne behoueth it me to gete it by hūble & fayr pray∣er. And yf I pray to you ye may ryghtfully refuse it. for this that I am a wretchyd sin̄er And yet mer¦cyful lorde I know wel that tho∣ugh I had in me the sin̄es & maly∣ces of all creatures / whiche sholde be ouermoche. yet were all my vyle wretchydnesse lityll in comparison of your grete boūte Wherfore almi¦ighty god al merciful & piteous / I beseche you that your grete boūtee be not wythdraw by my wretchid¦nesse Syth it is soo good lord that I yelde me to you / & come to yow wyth grete drede & dyspayr for my grete wretch̄ydnesse / but yet wyth grete sure hope of you for your me¦rueylous mercy & boūtee / and sith ye axe of me nomore for all y^e we¦les & graces that I haue receyued of you / but that I sholde loue you o¦uer all thyng / and this may I not haue but oonly of you & of youre gyfte / Wherfore moost mercyfull

lorde swete Ihesu I beseche you. for that loue that made you descende frō heuen. & to be come man for mā and to suffre soo cruel & harde deth for loue of the redempcōn of man. That it may pleyse you tern tow∣arde me: & graūt me of your grace that I may yelde you my lityll po∣or loue ayenst the grete merueylo¦us & mercyful loue ye haue shewed vnto me / Soo that my poor herte rest on noo creature by vayne & de¦ceyuable loue cōtrary to your wyll & pleysure / As verely as I know well that noo thynge is to be belo¦uyd / But for bountee or beaute that they haue receyued of you / And moost gracyous lorde for y^e paynfull pascōn that ye deyned to suffre for my syn̄es / ye that neuer dyde syn̄e / I require & hūbly beseche you. that ye graūt me very sorowe & true repentaūce for my sinnes in this lif / soo that I be not by theim deliuerde to eternall payne / And dere suster whan ye shall thus ha∣ue spoken to the sone. tourne yow thēne to his blessid moder. & say or thynke. O moost blessid glorious virgyn mary & moder of our lorde Ih̄u cryst / for that swete loue that was betwene you & your dere sone whan ye soo swetly enbrased hym thē same that is the kyng of glori And wyth your breste gaaf hym sowke / and many a swete kisse ga¦ue and Receyued of hym / I requy¦re & hūbly beseche you / that ye pur∣chace me that grace of your dere chylde truly to loue him. And my prayer soo to auaūce / that I maye atteyne his blessid loue / And I be¦seche you moder of mercy / for that grete sorow that was in your herte whan ye saw your dere sone wyth out gylte suffre soo harde & cruel de¦the: for me synfull & all other syn̄∣ners. that it wyll pleyse you to be meane for vs to gete vs his grace of true repentaūce for our syn̄es / he¦re in th̄is wretchyd & short lyf: so y^t we may to his pleysure peasible de¦parte▪ & come Ioyfully to y^e presen¦ce of your dere sone & you / there to contynue wythout ende / Amen /