1   O! hou good, and hou swete, Lord, is thi Spirit in vs; 2   therfore them that out erren in parties, thou chastisist; and of the whiche thingus thei synnen, thou warnest, and spekest to, that, the malice laft, thei leeuen in thee, Lord. 3   Forsothe tho olde dwelleris of thin holi lond, `the which thou grisedist; 4   for hateful werkis thei diden to thee, bi lechingus, and sacrifises vnri&yogh;twise; 5   and the sleeres of ther sonus, withoute mercy, and the eteres of the boweles of men, and the deuoureres of blod; and the fadris and modris, autoures of the soules vnholpen, leese thou woldist not fro thi myddel sacrament, 6   bi the hondis of ther fadris and modris; 7   that the wrthi pilgrimaging of the childer of God thei shulden parceyue, the whiche is a lond more cheere to thee of alle. 8   But and to these as to men thou sparedist, and sentist waspis, beforgoeres of thin ost, that `them litilmel thei shulden destro&yogh;en. 9   Not for thou were vnmy&yogh;ti in bataile to sogeten vnpitous men to ri&yogh;twis men, or bi cruel bestes, or bi hard wrd to destro&yogh;e togidere; 10   but bi parties demende, thou &yogh;aue place of penaunce, not vnknowende, for shreude is the nacioun of hem, and kindely the malice of them, and for the tho&yogh;t of them my&yogh;te not ben chaungid in to euermor. 11   The sed forsothe was cursid fro the bigynnyng. Ne dredende any man, for&yogh;yuenesse thou &yogh;eue to the synnes of them. 12   Who forsothe shal sey to thee, What madist thou? or who shal stonde a&yogh;en thi dom? or who in this si&yogh;te shal comen, veniere of wicke men? or who shal wijte to thee, if naciouns pershen, that thou hast mad? 13   Forsothe there is noon other

God than thou, to whom is cure of alle, that thou shewe, for not vnri&yogh;twisly thou demest dom. 14   Ne forsothe king ne tiraunt in thi si&yogh;te shul enserche of these thingus, that thou hast destro&yogh;ed. 15   Sithen thanne thou art ri&yogh;twis, alle thingis ri&yogh;twisly thou disposist; hym also, O! fader, that owith not to be punshid, condempnende, and straunge thou eymest fro thi vertue. 16   Forsothe thi vertue is the bigynnyng of ri&yogh;twisnesse; and for that, that of alle thou art lord, to alle thou makest thee to sparen. 17   Forsothe vertue shewist thou, that art not beleeued to ben in vertue ful endid; and hem that knowen not thee, in hardynesse thou ouerledist. 18   Thou forsothe, lordshipere of vertue, with pesiblenesse demest, and with gret reuerence disposist vs; forsothe ther vnderlith to thee, whan thou wilt, to moun. 19   Forsothe thou ta&yogh;tist thi puple bi suche werkis, for it behoueth to ben ri&yogh;twis, and manly; and thou madist thi sones of good hope, for demende thou &yogh;yuest place of penaunce in synnes. 20   If forsothe the enemys of thi seruauns, and due to deth, with so myche tentifnesse thou tormentedist, and deliueredest, &yogh;iuende time and place, bi the whiche thei my&yogh;ten be chaungid fro malice; 21   with hou myche diligence demest thou thi sones, to whos fadris and modris, othis and couenauntis thou &yogh;eue of goode behestes? 22   Thanne whan thou &yogh;iuest to vs discipline, oure enemys manyfold thou scourgist, that thi goodnesse demende, wee thenken; and whan of vs is demed, wee hope thi merci. 23   Wherfore and to them, that in ther lif vnwisly and vnri&yogh;tfulli lyueden, bi tho thingus, that thei herieden, thou &yogh;eue grettest tormentis. 24   Forsothe in the weie of errour lengere thei erreden, eymende goddis tho thingis that in bestes ben ouer veyne, liuende bi maner of vnwise &yogh;unge childer. 25   For that

as to vnwise childer thou &yogh;eue dom, in to scorn; 26   who forsothe with repreues and blamyngus ben not mendid, the wrthi dom of God ben expert `or feliden. 27   In these thingus forsothe that thei suffreden, heuyli thei beeren, in the whiche suffring thei endeyneden; bi tho thingis that thei wenden goddis, in hem whan thei weren distro&yogh;id, seende hym, whom sum tyme thei denyeden hem to han knowen, verre God thei knewen; for the whiche and the ende of the condempnyng of hem shal come on hem.

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