University of Virginia Library

As a gret doctore sais til ws,
lat penance is rycht perolouse;
for ilke man, quha tent wil to,
is oblyst lang penance to do.
for of mankynd thru brukilnes,
quhyle saule is presente in þe flesch,
men cesis seldine for to syne. [OMITTED]
to spedful pennance to begyne,
bot drawis It erare in to lynth,
til of his body falȝeis strinth.
for-þi we se ful mony end
quhen þai na mycht has til [a]mend;
for sum with seknes ar ouretane
þat þar amendis ma mak nan;
& sum deis but repentance
on syndry wyse ma fal perchance.
þar-for gud ware to do
penance til men had space þare-to,
& nocht, quhen he mycht syne nomare,
as quhen for elde he has quhyt hare,
or quhen hym falȝeis heryng,
or perauenture als seyng,
& his tetht waxis ȝalou with-al,
& as a barne of his hewid hare fal,
& his and waxis stinkand,
& his handis als tremland,
for þe thryd fut hym worthis þen
haf a potent hym on to len,
& quhen þat he waxis wery,
quheþir he sit, or gang, or ly.
þare-for happyn man is he
þat, befor he þire taknis se,
penance to do here wil begyne,
& in gud lasare mend his syne.
for it [is] sad in þe decre
at seldine quhene has god pyte
of þame þat synnis Ithandly.
for-[þi] to cese is na foly;
for he þat cesis nocht to syne
til þat it lewis hyme,
sal nothyr haf thang no mede
til lef, quhen he ma do na dede.