| | For as it semed it was forto done | |
| | To enden in som vertuous sentence | |
| | And forto yeue hym place and audience | |
| 65 | And bad to our ost he sholde to hym sey | |
| | That alle we to telle his tale hym preye | |
| | Our oste hadde the wordis for vs alle | |
| | Sir preest quod he now fair moot you befalle | |
| | Saith what ye list and we shul gladly here | |
| 70 | And with that word he sayde in this manere | |
| | Tellith quod he your meditacion | |
| | But hastith you the sonne wol a doun | |
| | Beth fructuous and that in litil space | |
| | And to do wel god sende you his grace | |
| | ¶ Here endith the Parsons prolog . | |
|
|
| | ¶ And here begynneth his tale . | |
| 1 | O | Vr swete lord god of heuene that noman wil perisshe | |
| | but wil that we comen alle to the knowleching of him | |
| | and to the blisful lyf that is pardurable 2 Amonesheth vs | |
| | by the prophete Ieremye that saith in this wyse / 3 Stondeth | |
| | vpon the weyes / And see and axe ye of olde pathis That | |
| | is to seye of olde sentencis Whiche is good weye / 4 And | |
| | walketh in that weye And that is refresshyng for your | |
| | sowlis / 5 Many ben the weyes spirituel that leden folk to our | |
| | lord Ihesu Crist And to the regne of glorye / 6 Of whiche | |
| | weyes / ther is a ful noble weye and wel couenable whiche | |
| | may not faylle to man ne to woman that thurgh synne hath | |
| | mysgoon fro the right weye of Iherusalem celestial / 7 And | |
| | this wey is cleped penitence / Of whiche man sholde gladly | |
| | herkne and enquyre wyth al his herte 8 to wete / what is | |
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