1

Its thralldom.

Why submit?

nality moment

ary.

ished in hell.

in þy maidenhood, beyond what þey live, in addition to þe mir and grace in heaven which mou cannot name. Now pou art wedded and from so high estate alighted so low: from being in likeness of angels, from being Jesus Christs leman, from being a lady in heaven (fallen) into be fil of þe flesh, into be manner of life of a beast [Bona verba, katafryx], into pe ðralldom of a man, and into þe sorrows of þe world. Yea now! what fruit has it and for what purpose chiefly is it? All for þat, or partly for þat. Be now well assured, to cool by lust wið file of þi body, to have delight of þy fleshly will from mans intercourse, before God it is a nauseous þing to dink þereon, and to speak pereof is yet more nauseous. Consider, þen, of what sort is þat same þing and pat deed to be done. All þat foul Delight of car- delight is in fils ended, (in a moment,) as pou turnest þine hand. But þat loa some beast remains and lasts on; and be disgust at it long after. If it be illegitimate it haunte (pe doers) in an inward hell; for þat temporary If unlawful, pun- pleasure }ere is an endless pain except þey abandon it and bitterly atone for it on ear under direction of þeir confessor, unless þey scorn to do what þey dink wrong and ill to hear of. For when it is such, and by far more loaðsome pan any well-conditioned moux for shame may tell of, what make it loved among beastly men, except þeir great immorality which beareð þem as beasts to all þat pleases þem, as pough þey had not in þem any wit nor power of distinguishing be two, good and evil, as a man hað, nor what is comely and uncomely, any more pan beasts have, wið þeir dumb mouðs. Yea, even less ban beasts, for pese do þeir natural bidding widout wit, pough þey be restrained to one time of þe year. Many of þem keep to one mate, and after loss of þat will take to no oper. And man þat should have wit and do all þat he do according to its direction, followeð þat filð at every time: and takes one after anoþer, and what is worse, many togeder. See how pis immorality brings pee to be level, not only of witless beasts dumb and brokenbacked (prone), bent towards be ear; þee pat art in intellect created in þe image of God, and erected boð body and head towards heaven; because pou shouldest raise by heart towards pat place where pine heritage is;— take notice how his immorality make pee not only an

Compares

and women

beasts.

Carnality degrades.

men

to

liuen meiden ipi meidenhad ouer þat heo libben. teke þe libben, B. murhet te menske in heuene. þat mu ne mai nummnen Nu þu art iwedded. t of se heh se lahe iliht. of englene ilicneffe. of ih'u criftef leofmon. of leafdi in heuene; in to flesches fulde. in to beastes liflade. in to monnef þeowdom t in to worldes weane. Zei nu hwat frutt for hwuch þing meast hit is. al for þi. oder ane deale per fore. beo nu foð cnawef. for to kele þi luft wið fulde of þi licome. for to [Fol. 119c.] habbe delit of þi fleschliche wil of monnef imeane. for gode hit if wlateful þing for te penke pront for to speke perof; zet wlatefulre. loke penne hw[u]ch beo bat felue ping. t þat dede to donne. Al þat fule delit is wið fulde aleid as tu turnest pin hond. Ah pat laðliche beast leauet last ford. And te

[Fol. 119d.]

of punchinge prof longe per after. Aut te unseli horlinges T. has here an unlaheliche hit haunteð in inwarde helle for þat hwilende erasure. luft endeles pine bute zif ha hit leauen t hit on eorðe under schrift bitterliche beten. forhohe for to don hit þat te punched uuel of t eil for ta heren. for hwen hit if þullich t muche dale laðluker þen eni welitohe mud for schome mahe feggen. hwat make hit iluued bituhhe beaftliche men bute hare muchele unþeaw þat bered as beastes to al pat ham lufte as tah ha nefden wit in ham ne tweire schead as mon haue ba of god t of uuel. of cumelicht of uncumelich na mare þen beastes pat dumbe neb habbeð. Ah leaffe pen beastes zet. for þeos do wit pah ha beon in a time of þe zer. make. ne nule after þat lure neauer nimen oðer. And mon þat schulde haue witt do al þat he dude after hire wiflinge. wilnunge, B. folheð þat fulde in eauer euch time. t nimeð an after an. t monie pat if wurse; monie to Gederef. loke hu þis unþeaw ne euene pe nawt ane to witlese beaftes dumbe t broke rugget ibuhe toward te eorde. þe þat art iwit iwraht to godef ilicneffe. t iriht ba bodi up t heaued toward heuene. for þi þat tu fchuldest þin herte heouen piderward as tin heritage if. t eorde forhohien. Nim zeme hu þis þin, B. unþeaw ne makeð þe nawt ane euening ne ilich him ah [Fol. 120a.]

hare cunde wiðute bute, B. Moni halt him til an

don, B.

ture of the flesh.

make one "lower than a beast."

the prudence of a match.

strong language.

The animal na- equal and like to bem, beasts, but do much more odiously, and what is more to be guarded against, þee, þat misshapest þyself, wilfully and purposely, into þeir nature; þat forfeitest so high a destiny, þe virtue and fitness of maidenhoods grace, for so foul a file as was above exposed. WhoCarnal pleasures soever, from being an angel, alighted to become lower þan a beast, for recompense so loa some, see how þey speed. Nay, þou wilt say, as for þat filx, it is nought, but a mans She argues for vigour is word much, and I need his help for maintenance and food; of a womans and mans commerce worldly weal arises, and a progeny of fair children þat must give joy to þeir parents. Now bus hast pou said, and inkest þat pou sayest sood. But I will shew þat þis is all made smoo He replies by wip falsehood. But first of all, now, whatsoever weal or win come out of it, it is all too dear bought, for which pou soilest þyself and surrenderest pine own dear body to be so given up to ill usage, and dealt wip so shamefully, wip so irrecoverable a loss as pe grace of maidenhood is; and made prolific also for worldly profit. Wo word þat barter, to give away for any temporary weal maidenhood, which is Loss of virginity queen of heaven, since as of his loss pere is no recovery, so every value is valueless in comparison of it. pou sayest þat a wife had much comfort of her husband, when þey are well consorted, and each is well content wip þe oper. Yea. But tis rarely seen on earð. Be it, however, so: wherein is þeir comfort and delight for þe most part but in þe filð of þe flesh or worldly vanity, which turns all to sorrow and care in þe end. Not only in þe end, but ever and Married folk have anon; for many þings shall anger and vex þem, and make þem careful and sorry, and sigh for each opers ills. Many þings shall separate and divide þem which annoy loving persons and be dint of dead at þe end sever one from þe oper. So it cannot but be þat þat vigour must end in misery, and be greater was þeir satisfaction toge der be sorer is pe sorrow at parting. Wherefore woe is þem, since, as St. Austin said, as to what is tied wiþ excess of affection to any early object, the delight is bought for ever wip a double dole of bitterness, and a false joy wip many a sore pain. But well is she pat loved God: for she can never

irreparable.

Happiness of wedlock denied.

differences.

St. Austin on earthly joys.

gleadied, B. hauest iseid, B.

[Fol. 120b].

beare, B. for

ahne dere.

de muchel etilukert mare to witen þat forfchuppef te pe, B. self willest waldef in to hare cunde. pat leofed penne se þe, B. heh þing þe mihtet te biheoue of meidenhadef menske for fe ful fulde as if ifcheawet pruppe. Hwafe of engel lihteð to iwurden lahere þen a beast. for se laðli chaffere; loke hu ha fpede. Nai pu wult feggen for pat fulde nif hit nawt. Ah monnef elne if muche wur. t me beheoue hif help to fluttunget to fode. Of wift weref Gederinge weorldef wele awakened t ftreon of feire children pat gladien muchel þe ealdren. Nu þu haueft ifeid tus punched pat tu feggef for. Ah Jchulle fcheawen hit alwid falschipe ifmeet. Ah on alre earft nu hwat weole oder B. omits nu. hwat wunne fe per eauer of cume; to deore hit beo aboht. pat tu þefelf fuleft fore. t zeueft þin ahne dere bodi to tuken fwa to wundre. t fare wið se schomliche wir fwuch uncouerlich lure af meidenhadef menske if. t temede bade for worldliche bizeate. wa wurde pat chaffere for eni hwilende weole fullen meidenhad awei þat cwen if of þe, B. heuene for al fwa as of þif lure nis nan acoueringe; al fwa if euch wurð unwurd her toward. þu feist þat muche confort haue wif of hire were pat beod wel iedered t eider if allef weif paied of oder. zea. Ah hit if felt fene on eorde. Beo nu þah swuch. hare confort t hare delit hwerin if hit al meast bute iflesches fulde oder in weorldef uanite þat wurðeð al to forhe t to care on ende. nawt ane on ende; ah eauer umbehwile. for moni ping fchal ham wra den t grement makie to carient for hare oðref uuel forhen t fiken. Moni þing ham fchal twinnen t tweinen þat la def leouie men. t deades dunt on ende eider fram ober. Swa þat ne bed hit nauef weis þat tat elne ne schal enden in earme. t eauer fe hare murde wef mare toGederef; fe pe forhe if farre at te twinninge. wa if him forpi as feint Austin seið þat if wid to muche luue to eni eor liche ping iteiet. for eauer beð þat fwete aboht wið twa dale of bittre. t a falf wunne wið moni far tene. Ah soð, B. wel hire pat luued godd. for him ne mai ha nanes weis

pe, B.

ipaiet, B.

buten, B.

þe, B. sar, B.

[Fol. 120c.]

laðis, B.

Opposes himself to the prudential argument.

spouses love.

wives.

have leisure for

lose him any wise, except she play false to him and quit his love. But she will find him ever sweeter and more savoury from age to age, for ever and ever.

Thou spakest above of a mans help towards subsistence and food. See now! little needst pou care about þine own living, a meek maiden as pou art and his dear leman who is lord of all þings, nor doubt but he is easily able and gladly will find þee abundantly all þat þou hast need of. And bough pou hadst want, or sufferedst any distress for Christ tries his his precious love, as oper women do for a mans, for þy welfare he permits it to try wheder bou be true, and he is preparing by reward, many times greater, in heaven. Under a man's protection pou shalt be sore vexed for his and þe worlds love, which are box deceptive, and must lie awake in many a care not only for þyself as Gods spouse must, but for many opers, and often as well for pe detested as þe Worries of house- dear; and be more worried þan any drudge in þe house, or any hired hind, and take pine own share often wip misery, and bitterly purchase it. Little do blessed spouses of God know of þee here, þat in so sweet ease wiþout such trouble Spouses of Christ in spiritual grace and in rest of heart love þe true love, and spiritual ease. in his only service lead þeir life. Tis well enough wiþ þem here and far different elsewhere. All þe worlds weal is rife enough for þem. þey have of it all þat þey much desire. Whatsoever God sees will be of advantage to þem. Nor may any worldly mishap bereave þem of þeir weal, for þey are rich and wealdy wipin in þe heart. All þe delicacy and all be ease is on ear as he oþer þings of earð, godless and impaired (have þeir possessors never so much of pose external worldly advantages), for þey are always alarmed about losing þem, and yet itch after much more: Wealth is hard bey gain it wið grief, þey watch over it wið fear, þey quit causes anxiety. it wid sorrow. pey toil to acquire it, þey acquire to lose it, þey lose it to sorrow over it. pus it is þe worlds wheel þat whirled þem about. pieves steal it from þem. Rievers rob it from þem. þeir superior lords punish and enrage þem. pe mod fretted pe clopes, and plague slayed pe cattle, and bough none of bese pings make weal to perish, whenever þere is much, þe more þere is, þe more is þat which wasted it. And I know not why men say

to keep, and