University of Virginia Library

At þe biginnig enterely
turn þe to god almighty.
and þat es to mene on þis wise:
turn þe fro al couatise
and fro liking and bisines
both of þe werld and of þi fless,
so þat þi hert, þat was dounward
whils þi hert in þe erth was harde,
be vpward now als fire ful euyn,
sekeand þe heghest place in heuyn,
til þi spous whare he beldes in blis,
and ȝeren to won with him & his.
þi hert to god wele turned es
when it forsakes sins more and les
and fleis al felischippes of schrewes,
and confouroms it to gude thewes
and to debonerte and mekenes,
and in goddes loueing lastand es,
and es noght with nonkins strife,
ne irkes noght with hardnes of life.

Bot foure thinges bus him haue in thoght
þat to parfite luf will be broght.
Ane es, of þis life þe mesure,
þat so schort time mai endure,
þat vnnethes es oght forto tell,
for als in a point here we dwell—
þat es þe leste thing þat mai be;
ȝit es oure life wele les to se,
if þat we haue rewarde alway
vnto þat life þat lastes ay.
Anoþer es þe vnsertainte
of oure ending when it sal be;
for we wate neuer when we sal deghe
ne what dole þat we þan sal drighe,
ne we wate neuer into what stede
þat we sal turn when we er dede;
god will lat vs no sertaine se
for þat we suld ay redy be
(in) what e [OMITTED] we [OMITTED]
þus suld a man ay think in thoght.
Þe thrid, þat we acount sal ȝelde
of al oure dedes in ȝowth and elde
bifor Ihesu, þe domes-man dere,
and of al þe time þat we had here,
and what oure bisines has bene.
for þare sal all þe soth be sene;
al euil dedes þat we here hid
sal þare plainly be knawen & kyd,
and what gude werkes we might haue wroght
when we war ydell and did noght.
þarfore þe prophet sais sertayne:
“Lorde, þou has calde þe time ogayne,
to wreghe vs of oure wikkednes
in al oure lifing more and les”.
for ilkaday þat god has send
in his seruise forto despend,
in wikked werkes if we it waste,
þarfore in bale we mun be braste
and by it dere on domesday,
bot if we mend it whils we may;
and al þe time we waste to noght
whils god es al-out of oure thoght.
þarfore on him we suld think ay,
and also on þat dredeful day.
Þe ferth thing folowand es þis:
forto think what ioy and blis
þat þaire hertes er to rauiste
þat lendes in þe luf of Criste
lastandly ai whils þai lif,
and al þaire hertes vnto him gif;
for þai sal be, als clerkes ken,
breþer with angels and hali men,
in heuyn whare þai sall plainly se
god in his grete maieste.
þat sight ouer all es souerayn blis,
and þareof sal þai neuer mis;
it sal be to þam mete and drink
and all þat þai will efter think.
þare sal be more ioy þam omell
þan ani man with tong mai tell;
and to þat welth wele mai þai win
þat here will kepe þam clene of sin.
Also to think with gude entent
what sorow and care and hard turment
þat þai sal haue withowten ende,
þe sinfull þat to hell sall wende,
(þat lufed noght god whils) þai liued here
bot filed þaire thoght with folies sere,
als pride and ire and oþer syn.
þarfore in bale-fire sal þai brin,
þat es in þe fire of hell,
with deuils þat þarein sal dwell;
for þai sal dwell ay with þe fende
right als gudemen with god sal lende.
Þarfore luf god, als I said are,
with all þi might and main euermare;
and lat þi luf ay in him stand
and more and more ay be waxand,
and bigin þi luf so lawe
þat þou may ai god better knawe,
and set þi luf so sad in him
þat þou may euermore upward clim;
and noght bigin so highe thurgh ruse
and cum dounward, als sum men dose
þat ouer-grete penance wil bigin
þat þai may noght til ending win,
wharfore þai fail in goddes seruise—
wha wirkes þus þai er noght wise.
þi merit mai be neuer þe les
if þou do noght so grete destrese
vnto þi fles, at ger it faile;
bot kepe þe klene, es my counsaile,
and vmthink þe at morn and none
to luf god more þan þou has done;
þan sal þi luf be more and more,
and þi mede ay waxand þarfore.