60
That I wol stonde to correccioun
Vpon þis word we han assented soone
For as it semed it was for to done
To enden in som vertuous sentence
And for to ȝeue him space and audience
65
And bad oure host he schulde to him say
That alle we to telle his tale him pray
Our host hadde þe wordes for vs alle
Sir prest quod he now faire ȝow bifalle
Say what . ȝow lust and we wil gladly hiere
70
And wiþ þat word he said in þis manere
Telleþ quod he ȝour meditacioun
But hasteth ȝow þe sonne wol a doun
Beþ fructuous and þat / in litil space /
And to do wel ; God sende ȝow grace /
¶ Ier .6o. State super vias & videte et interrogate de semitis
antiquis que sit via bona et ambulate in ea et inuenietis
¶ refrigeriū aīabz vrīs st c.
Owre swete lord
god of heuen þat no man wil perische but
wol þat we comen alle to þe knowleche
of him and to þe blisful lif þat is pardurable
ammonestith vs by þe prophet Ieremye þat
saith in þis wise
¶ Stondeth vpon þe weyes and seeþ &/
axeþ of olde pathes þat is to sayn of old sentence which
is þe good way .
and ȝe schul fynde refresshyng for ȝoure
soules & c.
5
¶ Many ben þe wayes espirituels þat leden
folk to oure lord Ihū cist . and to þe regne of glorie .
Of
whiche weyes þer is a ful noble way and ful couenable
which may not faile to man ne to wōman þat þorugħ
synne haþ mysgon fro þe right way of Ierlm celestial
and þis wey is cleped penitence ¶ Of which mē schul-
den gladly herken and enquere wiþ al here herte
to wyte
what is penitence and whens it is cleped penitence and
in what maner and in how many maners been þe acci-
ones or workynges of penaunce
and how many spieces
ben of penitences & whiche þinges apperteynen and by-
houen to penitence . and whiche þinges destourben peni-
tence
10
¶ Seint ambrose saiþ þat penitence is þe pleynȳg