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He þat clennes more wil kepe,
within his hert to goddes wurschipe
(it) bus kepe on maners thre;
I sal þe tell how þat sall be.
(Ane) es waker thoght and stabill,
(þat) he to god be euermore abill.
(An)oþer es besines to ȝeme
(þi fiue) wittes als best will seme,
(so þat) ilkone in his degre
(be rewli)de als him aw to be
(& wickid) stiringe þat in þam es
(be closed cle)ne out of þi fless.
(Þe thrid es) forto be ay boune
(till honest oc)upaciowne
(in gude ded)es of charite,
(& þat þou neu)ermore ydel be,
[OMITTED] ght
[OMITTED] ght
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED] l..fing.
(Clennes of mouth bus keped) be
[OMITTED] (on) maners thre:
[OMITTED] (t)hoght
[OMITTED] (spe)ke oght,
[OMITTED] d
[OMITTED] nayd.
Anoþer es þis, (als I þe teche),
to be noght ouermekil (of speche);
for he þat mikell carpand is
sum tyme sall he say omis.
Þe thrid es þat þou for no thing,
ne for no mekenes, mak lesing
on þi-self ne on none els,
bot luke it be trew þat þou telles.
Clennes of werk with ald and ȝing
of thre thinges also has kepeing:
Ane es assiduele thoght of ded
þat maystris makes in mani a stede,
and on his paynes þat er so (fell)
and more þan any man mai tell;
for þus men heres þe wiseman say:
“vmthink þe, man, of þi last day,
how þou out of þis werld sal twin,
and þan, he says, þou sal noght syn”.
Anoþer: he þat clennes will kepe
byhoues fle all ill felaghschipe,
þat more ensampill will to him neuyn
to luf þe werld þan god of heuyn,
and more to luf esse of bodi
þan forto plese god almighty.
Þe thrid es right disrecioune
to ete and drink yn gude musoune,
þat it pas noght right ordinance
ne want of skilwis sustinance;
for both es demid to ane ending,
outrage, and ouer-mikell fasting;
for nowþer es till goddes pay—
þat will sum noght wene by no way.
if þou tak sustinance of swilk gude
als god þe sendes vnto þi fode,
and out-tak no maner of mete
þat cristen men vses fortill ette,
and vse mesure in ilkadele
and ett and drink: þan dose þou wele;
on þat maner did Crist him-selue
(in) erth here, and his apostels twelue.
Bot if þou in þi-seluen se
þat þou haue strenkith & stalworth be
in goddes seruise to pray and wake,
and þou will fast þan for goddes sake,
so þat þou no faintise fele
to serue god þan dose þou wele;
and if þou fast vntill þou fayle,
þou sins and it sal noght availe.
(For wit þou wele þat rightwi)snes
nowþer in etting ne fasting es,
bot if þou tak here with gude hert
illike both riches and pouert,
hunger, nede, catell to lese
als gladli als delices and dayntese;
if þou tak al þir ilyke wele,
and loue god euer of ilkadele,
and gruche noght for nokin thing,
þan ertou rightwis in lifing.