Remedium contra peccatum Gule.
Agayns Glotonye is the remedie abstinence, as seith
Galien; but that holde I nat meritorie, if he do it oonly for the
heele of his body. Seint Augustyn wole that abstinence be doon
for vertu and with pacience.
"Abstinence," he seith,
"is litel worth but if a man have good wil therto, and but
it be enforced by pacience and by charitee, and that men doon it
for Godes sake, and in hope to have the blisse of hevene."
The felawes of abstinence been attemperaunce, that holdeth
the meene in alle thynges; eek shame, that eschueth alle
deshonestee; suffisance, that seketh no riche metes ne drynkes,
ne dooth no fors of to outrageous apparailynge of mete;
mesure also, that restreyneth by resoun the deslavee appetit
of etynge; sobrenesse also, that restreyneth the outrage of
drynke;
sparynge also, that restreyneth the delicaat
ese to sitte longe at his mete and softely, wherfore some folk
stonden of hir owene wyl to eten at the lasse leyser.
