Studies in bibliography :: :: University of Virginia Library

[fol. 92v] Nunc autem, karissimi, ita est quod Deus et dyabolus nequeunt co-
habitare. Deus vellet habere templum cordis et eciam dyabolus. Ut ergo re-
cipiamus Cristum[51] et excludamus dyabolum, erigemus sibi templum in anima
quod ipsemet erexit merito passionis sue. Fundamentum huius templi erit
viua fides que ut firmius fundet; diuiditur in 12. lapides, scilicet in 12. articulos.
In isto fundamento scribitur iste versus, 'viua fides fundat set mortua nil tibi
donat',

*2 qwyk feyth growndyth ded ys euerchy owyt[52]

Super isto fundamento debent eleuari, sicut predixi, 4or. muri, scilicet 4or. virtutes
cardinales. Primus erit fortitudo, in quo scribitur iste versus, 'sta miles cristi quia
iam certamen inisti',

stond stefly Goddys kny3ht
4 for now art entryd into fy3ht

2us. muras erit temperancia, in quo scribitur iste versus, 'ammodo lasciuis ne des
tua corpora curis',

wytdraw the thou must
6 f[ro][53] al maner flesly lust

3us. murus erit iusticia reddere Deo, scilicet quod proprium (?) est proximo et tibi
ipsi, vbi scribitur iste versus, 'pelle procul fraudes iustas queras tibi laudes',

fle fraudys & falsnesse
8 & gete the a name of rythwysnesse

4us. murus erit prudencia naturalis, in quo scribitur iste versus, 'tanta mala caueas
que sunt bona prendere discas',

*10 fle euyl & tak good[54]

Tectum huius domus erit paciencia, | [fol. 93] ut predixi, in quo scribitur iste
versus, 'quidquid obest animo pacienter ferre memento',

qwat yt ys a3ens thyin herte
12 thynk pacyently to suffre [smerte][55]

Hostium huius templi erit bona consciencia, in quo scribitur, 'me claudat rite
quoniam s[um][56] ianua vite',

sper me wysly eerly & late
14 for of lyyf y am the gate

Ianitor erit racio qu[i] dicit ipse, 'menbra permutas hostis seeludo cateruas',

but 3yf you turne me ageyns[57] ryth
16 con spere wytowten the deuelys my3th

Et quia racio est ianitor cordis, ideo ut forcius resistat dyabolo, armabimus eum
spiritualiter a uirtute usque ad talos. Primo ergo armabimus eius pedes cum
sabatunnys of good affeccion & good thenkyng, quia per pedes intelliguntur af-
feeciones in scriptura. Quid scribitur in hac armatura iste versus, 'per pedum
cura affeccio sit tibi pura',

for thi feth [k] epyng[58]
18 loke thow haue clene thynkyng

Armabimus insuper eius tibias inferius cum greuys pacis et concordie vbi scribi-
tur iste versus, 'da finas ocras pacis concorda venustas',

armure grevys best
20 ys pes & rest

Armabimus genua cum poleynys humilitatis, quia quando homo wlt se humili-
are, primo flectit genua, vbi scribitur iste versus, 'genua cum curues, sic mentem
flectere debes',

as thy knes bowen
22 so be thou buxum

Armabimus crura cum cruschewys & voydein[59] of chastyte & clenes, vbi scribitur
iste versus, 'astringat crura lumborum cinccio pura',

thy lust restreynyng
24 be goostly gyrdyng

Virilia debent armari cum bractis croilorum ferreorum bryth of mayl timoris
pene, scilicet gehennalis, vbi scribitur hic versus, 'si retrahas membra, fugies
dyabolica septa',

thy lust 3yf you restreyne
26 thou schalt flen helle peyne

Ad armandum ergo corpus huius hominis spiritualis primo ponenda est lorica
pietatis, vnde versus, 'cum tibi lorica pietas probitatis amica',

loke thyn haburiun
28 be pyte & compacion

Super loricam primo debet poni vnum brestplate timor dei, vnde versus, 'pectore
dum sistit timor omnia feda refellit',

qwan drede of God ys wytynne
30 he dryuyt away al dedly synne

Huic pectorali debet ligari vnum pawns circa renes que erit sobrietala,[60] vnde
versus, 'llene fluant renes sibi sobria singula dones',

for thy reynys gyrdyng
32 be sobre in thy leuyng

Brachia debent armari cum vawnbras & rerebras bone operacionis et bone oc-
cupacionis, versus, 'actibus irriguis tua brachia pandere velis',

to goode werkys[61]
34 sprede bysyly thyn armes

Super manus debent poni seretece ferree clemencie, vnde versus, 'sit tibi larga
manus, Dominus reddet tibi munus',

doo almesdede
36 & Good schal 3elde the thy mede

Caput debet armari galea discrecionis, quia in capite vigent omnes sensus, vnde
versus, 'quod caput obumbrat[62] discrecio tollere curat',

discrecione dystrax yt
38 that thyn heed eyse syt

Super istam galeam debet poni vnum vmbreer bone prouidencie, vnde versus,
'actus principio finis semper memor esto',

in eny werk begynnyng
40 thynke wel on the endyng

Debet esse eciam isti galee supponi vnum ventayl perseu(er)ancie, vnde versus,
'perfer et obdura restat tibi vita | [fol. 93v] futura',

abyd in thyin good dede
42 & blys of heuene schal be thy mede

Super omnia ista proice vnum cotearmure of charite, vbi scribuntur duo
versus,

'en deitatis amor hominumque reciprocus ordor
scandit virtutes hanc suscipe suscepis omnes'.

[No English equivalent is given, and the text continues in Latin:] In uiam ad
defendendum se habebit ensem memorie dominice passionis; hunc enim ensem
timet dyabolus, quia cum isto interfectus fuit….

[51]

MS exemplum (canc.) Cristum.

[52]

Presumably the remains of something on the order of: qwyk feyth growndyth [ought] ded y[eue]s euer [n]ow[3]t.

[53]

MS for.

[54]

Perhaps only a tag, although given the customary handling, the scribe has probably garbled a couplet beyond recovery.

[55]

MS om.

[56]

MS sine.

[57]

MS quid (in the prose above), agyns (the last four letters expunged) geyns.

[58]

MS fe (canc.) lepyng. For the armourial terms in these and following sections, cf. the revelatory 'arming of the hero' passages at Gawain and the Green Knight 574–585, 605–610, 2016–19, or Lydgate, Troy Book 3:44–119.

[59]

The first term is MED quisseu n., and 'c'oilorum' in the next bit of prose a misrepre-
sentation of Latinised 'cuis(el)orum'. The second represents MED voider n., sense e, perhaps
to be emended as the scribe's misperception of anglicana long r.

[60]

Presumably for 'sobrietatis'.

[61]

The line has lost a stress, presumably the rhyme-word.

[62]

MS obumba (expunged) obumbrat.