Now cometh the twisting of counseil, thurgh which a man is defamed; certes scarce may he restore that damage. Now cometh menace, that is an open foly; for he that ofte menaceth, he threttith more than he may parfourme ful ofte tyme. Now cometh idele wordes, that is withoute profyt of him that spekith tho wordes, and eek of him that herkeneth tho wordes; or elles ydele wordes ben tho that ben needeles, or withouten entent of naturel profyt. And al be it that ydile wordes ben som tyme venial synne, yit shulde men doute them for we shuln yive rekenynge of them bifore God. Now comith jangeling, that may nought be withoute synne; and, as saith Salomon it is a signe of apert folie. And therefore a philosophre saide, whan men askid him how men shulde plese the people, and he answerde, do many good werkes, and spek fewe jangeles. After this cometh the synne of japers, that ben the develes apes, for thay maken folk to laughen at here japes or japerie, as folk doon at the gaudes of an ape; suche japes Saint Paul forbiddeth. Loke how that vertuous and holy wordes conforten them that travailen in the service of Crist, right so conforten the vilens wordes and knakkis and japeries them that traveyle in the service of the devyl. These ben the synnes that cometh of ire, and of other synnes many mo.

Remedium Contra Iram

Remedye agayns ire, is a vertue that men clepe mansuetude, that is deboneirté; and eek another vertue that men clepe pacience or sufferaunce. Debonaireté withdrawith and restreineth the stiringes and the movynges of mannys corrage in his herte, in such manere, that thai skippe not out by anger nor by ire. Suffraunce suffrith swetely al the annoyaunce and the wronges that men doon to man outward. Seint Jerom saith thus of debonairté, that it do non harm to no wight, nor saith; nor for noon harm that men doon nor sayn, he chafeth not agayns his resoun. This vertu cometh som tyme of nature; for, as saith the philosopher, man is a quik thing by nature, debonaire and tretable by goodnesse; but whan debonaireté is enformed of grace, than is it the more worth.

Pacience that is another remedie agains ire, is a vertu that suffreth swetely every mannes goodnes, and in not wroth for noon harm that is doon to him. The philosopher saith, that pacience is thilke vertue that suffrith deboneirly alle the outrages of adversité and every wickid word. This vertue makith a man lik to God, and makith him Goddes oune dere child, as saith Crist. This vertu destroyeth thin enemy. And therfore saith the wise man, if thou wolt venquisch thin enemy lerne to suffre. And shou shalt understonde, that man suffrith foure maners of grevaunces in out-ward thinges, agains whiche he moot have foure maners of patience. The firste grevaunce is of wicked wordes. Thilke suffred Jhesu Crist, withoute grucching, ful paciently, whan the Jewes despised him and reproved him ful ofte. Suffre thou therfore paciently, for the wise man saith, if thou strive with a fool, though the fool be wroth, or though he laughhe, thou shalt have no rest. That other grevaunce out-ward is to have damage of thi catel. Ther agayn suffred Crist ful paciently, whan he was despoylid of al that he had in his lif, and that was but his clothis. The thridde grevaunce is a man to have harm in his body. That suffrede Crist ful paciently in al his passioun. The ferthe grevaunce is in outrageous labour in werkis; wherfore I say, that folk that maken there servauntz to travaile too grevously, or out of tyme, as on holy dayes, sothely thay doon greet synne. Here against suffrede Crist ful paciently, and taughte us pacience, whan he bar upon his blisful shulder the cros upon which he shulde suffre despitous deth. Here may men lerne to be pacient; for certes, nought oonly cristen men ben pacient for the love of Jhesu Crist, and for guerdoun of the blisful life that is durable, but the olde paynymes, that never were cristen, comaundedin and useden the vertu of pacience. A philosopher upon a tyme, that wolde have bete his disciple for his grete trespas, for which he was gretly moved, and brought a yerde to scourge the child, and whan the child saw the yerde, he sayde to his maister, “what thenke ye to do?” “I wolde bete the,” quoth the maister, “for thi correccioun.” “Forsothe,” quoth the child, “ye oughte first correcte yoursilf, that have lest al youre pacience for the gilt of a child.” “Forsothe,” quoth the maister al wepyng, “thou saist soth; have thou the yerde, my deere sone, and correcte me for myn impacience.” Of pacience cometh obedience, thurgh which a man is obedient to Crist, and to alle them to which he oughte to be obedient in Crist. And understonde wel, that obedience is parfyt, whan a man doth gladly and hastily with good herte utterly al that he sholde do. Obedience is generally to parforme the doctrine of God, and of his soveraignes, to whiche he oughte to ben obeissant in alle righteousness.