University of Virginia Library

Bot for þat I haue sined maste
ogaynes þe giftes of þe hali gaste,
couaytand here more reches
þan he me gaf of his gudenes
or þan he vowched safe me to send,
and wrangwisli his gudes despend
and honord him noght for þaire sake,
þarefore, of þis amendes to make,
messes sungen of saint spirite
may tittest saue me out of site.
and þarfore, sir, sothli I say
of saint spirite þou sang to-day;
al-if þine office ordand ware
for cristen saules als þou said are,
þou toke with gude deuocioune
of saint spirite ane orisoune,
and þat ilk orisoun sertaine
aleged me more of my paine
þan al þe oþer þat þou sayd,
for till all saules war þai puruaid;
And sen þat helpid me allane
more þan all þe oþer ilkane,
of saint spirit I say þou sang—
if þou me wites þou has þe wrang”.
(Þe prior asked) þan þ(is thing):
for how mani saules a prest may s(ing)
in a tyme and in a stede,
wheþer it be for quik or ded,
and ilkone haue in lyke gudenes
and in like merite of þat mes.
Þe voice answerd and gan say
þat a preste anely on a day
for all saules may sing and rede
and ilkone of his mes haue mede,
thurgh vertu of þe sacrament;
“þat proue I þe, if þou tak tent.
Ihesus Crist with Iewes uoice
was anes offerd on þe croyce,
and þare he died and gaf þe gaste
vntill his fader of mightes maste
for saluacioune of all man-kin,
and noght anly for a man sin:
right so þe preste in ilka mes
offers Criste right als he es
in hale godhede, als clerkes mai ken,
in mendment of all cristen men;
and so in a mes may be tane
al cristen saules als wele als ane,
and plainli mai (it) part þam till.
þat proue I þe bi proper skill.
Ful grete deference may men fele
bitwene spiritual thing and tem(porele);
for temporal thing, þat þou sese here,
if it be parted in places sere,
in þe ma partyes þat it es
it-self leues ay wele þe (les),
þat es for porcion partes þarfra;
als if þat þou an appell ta
and parte it into many hend,
with þi-self sall litell lend.
On þe toþer side þou vnder(stand)
þat spiritual thing es ay (wexand);
þarto I may gude liknes (ma):
þis orisoune if þat þ(ou ta),
þe pater noster, and (teche it þen)
here on þis molde to (mani men),
when it vnto all te(ched es),
in itself it es noght (þe les),
bot to knawing [OMITTED]
when mo it (sais þan ane or twa).
so er messes [OMITTED]
þat ordand [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED] it es in þat degre
[OMITTED] wham so it ordand es,
(þaire) merit may noght be þe les,
(b)ot mare ioy sall þai haue þat tide
þat oþer er helped þam biside”.