þe rightful man retourne aȝein from his rightwisnesse and to wirche
wikkednesse schal he lyue nay .
For aƚƚ þe goode werkes þat he haþ wrouȝt
ne schuln neuer ben in remembance For he schal deye in his synne
¶ And
vpon þilke Chapitre seiþ Seint Gregorii þus þat we schulde vnderstan-
de þis pincipally
165
þat whenne we doon deedly synne it is for nougħt þāne
to reherse or drawe in to memorie þe goode werkes þat we han wrougħt
byforne
¶ For certes in þe werkinge of dedly synne þer is no triste to
no good werk þat we han don toforne þat is to sayn as for to haue þer
by þe lyff pardurable in heuene
¶ But soþely þe
goode werkes þat men don whiles þat þey ben in dedly synne for as mo-
che as þey weren don in dedly synne þey may neuer quiken aȝein
¶ For
certes þing þat neuer haþ lyff may neuere quyke ¶ And naþeles al be it þt
þey ne auailen nougħt to han þe lyff pardurable ; ȝet auailen þey to a-
breggen of þe peyne of helle or elles to geten temperal richesse
170
¶ Or elles
þat god wol þe raþere enlumyne and lightne þe herte of þe synful mā
to han repentaūce .
and eek þey auaylen for to vsen a man to doon good
werke þat þe feende haue þe lesse power of his soule
¶ And þus þe curteyse
lord ihū cist ne wol þat no good werk be loste ¶ For in somwhat it schal
auayle
¶ But for as moche þe goode werkes þat men don whiles þey
ben in good lijf ben al mortefyed by synne folwynge ¶ And eek seþe-
nes aƚƚ þe goode werkes þat men doon whiles þey ben in dedly synne
ben outrely deede as for to haue þe lyff pardurable ;
wel may þat man
þat no good werk ne doþ Synge þilke newe freissche song . Iay tout pardu
moñ temps & moñ labour
175
¶ For certes synne byreueþ a man goodnesse
and nature and eek þe goodnesse of gace
¶ For soþe þe gace of þe holy
gost fareþ as fuyr þat may nouȝt ben ydel For fuyr fayleþ anon as
it forleseþ his wirchinge
þenne leseþ þe synful man þe goodnesse of gloxx
þat oonly is behigħt to goode men þat labouren and werken
¶ Wel may
he be sory þenne þat oweth aƚƚ his lyff to god as lange as he lyueth
haþ lyued and eek als . longe as he schal lyue þat no goodnesse ne haþ
to paye wiþ his dette to god to whom he oweþ aƚƚ his lyff
¶ For trusxx
wel he schal ȝiue acountes as saiþ seint Bernard of aƚƚ þe goodes þat
han ben ȝouen him in þis persent lyff / and how he haþ hem dispended
180
nougħt so moche þt þer schal nougħt perissche an heer of his heede
ne a moment of an houre ne schal not perissche of his tyme þat he ne
schal ȝiue of hit a rekenyng
¶ The .v.te þing þat oughte meue a man
to contricioū is remembance of þe passioū þat oure lord ihū cist suffred
for oure synnes