 |
| And to fastyng apperteyneth foure thingis / 977 largenes to | |||
| poure folk / gladnes in herte spirytuel / not be angryd ne to | |||
| be anoyed ne to grucche for he fastith / And also resonable | |||
| houre for to ete by mesure / That is to saye that a man shold | |||
| not ete in vntyme ne sitte the lenger at his table for he fas | |||
| tith / 978 Thenne shalt thou vnderstande that bodily peyne ston | |||
| deth in disciplyne or techyng by worde or by wrytyng / or | |||
| by ensample / Also in weryng of heir / or of stamyn / or of | |||
| an habergeon on her naked flesh for cristis sake / & that suche | |||
| maner penauncis / 979 ne make not thy herte bitter or angry ne | |||
| anoyed of thy self / For better is to caste a way thyn heyr | |||
| than to caste a wey the swetenes of our lord Ihesu Crist . | |||
| 980 And therfore saith saynt Poule / Clothe you as they that | |||
| ben chosen of god in herte / of mysericorde . debonairte . suf- | |||
| fraunce and suche maner of clothyng / in whiche Ihesu crist | |||
| is more apaid than in an heyr or habergeon / 981 than is disci- | |||
| plyne eke in knockyng of thy breste / in scourgyng with | |||
| yerdis . in knelyng . in tribulacions . 982 in suffryng paciently | |||
| wrongis that be do to hym / and eke in pacient suffryng of | |||
| maladyes / or lesynges / of worldly catel / or wyf . or chylde . | |||
| or other frendis / 983 Thenne shalt thou vnderstande whiche | |||
| thinges distourblen penaunce / And this is in thre ma- | |||
| ners that is drede / shame / and wanhope that is desperacion | |||
| 984 And for to speke of drede / for whiche he weneth he may suf | |||
| fre no penaunce / 985 ther ayenst is remedye for to thynke that | |||
| bodely penaunce is but short atte regarde of helle / that is | |||
| cruel and so longe that it lastyth withouten ende . 986 Now | |||
| ayenst shame that a man hath to shryue hym / Sholde a | |||
| 987 man thynke by way of reson / that he hath not be a shamed | |||