if often fa of arise be confessione ;
& if þou schriue þe oft er þan ones
of sinne of whiche þou hast bue schryuen it is þe more merite & as seiþe
seint Austine ; þou schalte haue þe more lyhtly relesinge & þe grace of god
boþe of sinne & of peyne ;
An certes ones aȝere att þe lest weye it is law-
ful for to bue houselde ; for soþely ones al þinges renouellen ;
955
¶ þe þredde parte of penitence is sa-
tisfaccione ; & þat stant generaly in almes & in bodely peyne ;
Nowe bien þere þrey manere of almes ; conticion of hert þat a man opē-
neþ him self to god ; Anoþere ; is to haue pete of þe defaute of his neyh-
bors ¶ þe þred is in ȝeueinge good counsel & cōfort gostly & bodelye
where men haue nede ; & namely in sustinance of mannes foode ;
&
take kepe þat a man haþe nede of þes þinges generaly ; he haþe nede of
foode of cloþinge of herboruhe ; he haþe nede of charitable conselyg~
& avisetinge in prison ; & maladye ; & sepulture of his dede bodye ;
& if
þou maiste not viset þe nedefoƚƚ wiþ þi persone ; viset him wiþ messages
& þi ȝeftes ;
þes bien þe general almes & werkes of charite of hem þat haþ
Temperel riches or discrecion in counselinge ¶ Of þes werkes schalt þu
here of þe daie of dome ;
960
þes almos schal þou done of þine owen propre-
þinges ; And hastely & piuely if þou maiste
¶ Bot naþeles if þou maye
nouht done hit piuelye þou schalt nouht for bere to done almos ner adel
þouhe men it see ; So þat it be nouht ydo for þe þonke of þe werlde ; bot
onely to haue þe þonke of our lorde ihū crist
¶ For as wittenesse seint
Mathewe .9. A Cite maie not bue hidde þat is on a mowntan sette ; Ne
men lyhten not a lanterne ; & put it vnder a buscheƚƚ ; bot men setteþ
it on a candelstik to lyhten þe men in þe house ;
Riht so schal ȝoure liht
a forne men þat þei maie seen ȝoure goode werkes ; and glorifien ȝour
fader þat is in heuen
¶ Nowe as to speke of bodely peine it stant ī
preyer in wakeinges in fastinge & in vertuus techeinge of orisons
965
¶ Ȝe schol vnder stonde þat orisons or preyers is for to seye a pytous
wil of hert þat redresseþ in god & expresseþ be worde outewarde to re-
mawe harmes ; & to haue þinges espirituel & durable ; & som tyme tē-
peral þinges of whiche orisones ; certez in þe orsones of þe pat er nrer haþe
ihū criste enclosed most þinges ;
Certes it is piueleged of þrey þinges
in his dignite For whiche it is more digne þan any oþere preyer ; For
þat ihū criste him self maked it ;
& it is schorte for it scholde be koude
more lihtlye & for to wiþe holde it more esily in herte ; & helpen hem-
self þoffter wiþ þorison ;
And for aman schold be þe lasse were to sey
it ; And for a man may nouht excusen him to leren it for it is so schort
& so Esye & for it comperhendiþ in it selfe al goode preyers
¶ þe exposicioū
of þis holy preyer þat is so excellent & digne .I. betake to þes May-
stres of Theologie saue þus muche wil .I. seyne ; þat whan þu preyest .
þat god schold forȝeuen þe þi giltes as þou forȝeuest ham þt agilten þe
be ful wil ; war þat þou be not oute of charite