University of Virginia Library

(Þe fend desayues) [OMITTED]
thurgh dremis þat þai se slepe(and);
and sum dremes gers he sothfast seme,
for þat men sal þarefter deme
and trow þat al dremes þat þai se
on þat wise soth sal funden be,
þan shewes he oþer vnsuthfast thinges,
and so in wrang trowth he men bringes.
And forþi þat none, alde ne-ȝing,
sall be desayued with swilk dremeing,
þarfore I tell, wha will tak ȝeme,
sex maners of dremis may men deme.
and twa maners may nane askape:
þat es with tome wambe if þai slape,
anoþer, ouer-full if þai be—
sum vanitese þan sal þai se
and sightes þat er noght sertayne,
and al es for þaire febill brayne.
þe thrid es desayt and gilri
of þe fende, oure fals enmy.
þe ferth es thoght of werk with hand
and illusiouns þarfore folowand.
þe fift er reuelaciouns of þe haligaste,
and þat es for oure (saul ese) maste.
þe sext es when men er (rau)iste
thurgh thoghtes bifore þat falles to Criste.
on þir maners, wha will tak kepe,
may men dreme when þat þai slepe.
and in so mekill it es worthy
þat men sold set þe les þam by
and trow nowþer til all ne sum,
for we wate noght whareof þai cum,
wheþer þai cum of þe haligaste
or of þe deuil þat deres vs maste;
bot whare men many dremes (ses),
þare er many vanitese.
wharfore men þat kindli wit (can),
right als þai cum so lattes þam [OMITTED]
and lattes þaire hert ay [OMITTED]
als þaire lifing es she [OMITTED]
What helpes to seme ha(li [OMITTED]
and þan oure conciens [OMITTED]?
turn þi hert to god ha(lli)
als it semes þou dose (þi bodi).
þou sal noght say [OMITTED]
þat al er haly þat [OMITTED]
and beres abite [OMITTED]
and with þe [OMITTED]
(ne þou sal noght wene þat al er ill)
(þat) werldly thinges tentes vntill
(& occu)pies þam with trauayle,
(fo)r defaut of fude þat þai noght faile;
Bot þai er haly in al degre,
lered or laude wheþer þai be,
þat werldly gudes can wele despise
and luf god euer on alkins wise,
and settes in god al þaire desyre
and þaire luf brinand als fire,
and couaites noght þat men ma neuyn
bot all anly þe blis of heuyn,
and hates sin with main and mode,
and seses noght of werkes gude,
and in þaire hert feles a swettnes
of þe life þat ay lastand es:
and haldes þam-self werst of all
and þe foulest þat may byfall,
and knawes wele þaire wrechidnes.
þis manere of lifing haly es;
and who so lifes in þis degre,
haly and blisced sal he be.
If þat þou will haue mede in heuyn
(and) be with Cristes apostels euyn,
(think) noght þan what þou forsakes,
(bo)t what þou despises and noght takes.
(þai) forsake so mekill and no les
(þat fo)lowes Criste here in mekenes,
(in char)ite and in pouert
(and in) parfite paciens of hert,
(als þai) mai couait in þaire thoght
[OMITTED] ane þat folowe him noght.
(& þar)fore luf god with gude will,
[OMITTED] (h)as he eghe þartill;
(with grete desir) wha to god tentes
(& offers) þaire praiers in his presence
(& sekes na comforth of) erthly thing
(bot þe blis of heuin) at his ending,
(Crist him reue s)all fro þe fende
(& his werkes) þat him suld shende,
(& als fro lu)stes and likinges
(of fless & blude þat in) him hinges,
(& mak him will na er)thely gude
[OMITTED] þaire mode
(& drede na sorow þat m)ay bifall
[OMITTED] all
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
þat þai be noght (in þat sesoune)
letted of þaire deuocioune.
Þus mai men se wha will tak ȝeme
how sum er better þan þai seme,
and also sum man wikked es
þat schewes semeing of halines.
And who so will þis lesson lere
and lif þarefter with gude chere,
thurgh help of god þan sal he be
als gude in saul, als forto se.