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A Stanzaic Life of Christ

Compiled from Higden's Polychronicon and the Legenda Aurea

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357

Item habet vim concordatiuam

The thrid vertue þat luf has
Euen & euen he brennes in fer,
thogh wrath be & manas,
luf maystres hom in meke maner.

Inclinatiuam, quia inclinat superiora inferioribus, Eleuatiuam, quia eleuat inferiores superioribus, concordatiuam, quia concordat equalia equalibus. Dionisius.

Thes thre maners of strenght luf has
In seche men as the Holy Gost
fulfilles þrugh his grace,
ffyrst he abates all hor bost.
To wynne hom to grete mekenes
& forsakyng of hor wille,
Noȝt takyng honour ne heghnes
bot Goddes plesaunce to fulfille.
Also þe Holy Gost is Aye
vp-hevyng as fir is in kynd,
& also, as I con say
A litell befor as ȝe mone fynd,
ffor þe Holy Gost vp-heues
Mennes hertes forto dys[yr]e
heuenly blis, þer-by hit preues
þat verray luf is heuenly fir.
All men þat entres with-inne,
ichon to oþer he mas der,
trew to be & neuer mor twynne,
As by ensaumple men may ler
Of maters þat men movn mynne,
þat all tourment with hert enter
Sufferd, er þai wolden synne,
ffull stydfastly in this world her,
And þat suffrauns most nede be
by vertue of þe Holy Gost,
þat with so stabull charite
In myschef to luf hym most.

358

Quare spiritus sanctus pocius apparuit in lingua quam in alio membro iijx est ratio, vnde patet vt supra.

de iijo.
Now whi þe Holy Gost to-day
Appert in tonges helder her
þen in oþer membres, I shall say
thre causes conable & cler.
The fyrst, for monnus tong is ay
As helle fir cruell & fere,
fflaumyng for to make Afray,
non othre membre in þat maner,
fful hard for to rule oryȝt
þer monnes hert wer oght vnstable,
& hit maystret is thurgh myȝt
A membre wonder prophetabull.