resonable hour for to ete by mesure, that is to sayn, a man shulde not ete in untyme, nor sitte the lenger at his mele, for he fastith.

Thanne shal thou understonde, that bodily peyne stant in discipline, or teching, by word, or by writyng, or by ensample. Also in weryng of heires or of cloth or of haberjeouns on their naked fleish for Cristes sake, and suche maner penaunce; but ware thee wel that such maner penaunce of thyn fleissh make nought thin herte bitter or angry, or anoyed of thiself; for better is to cast away thin hayre than for to caste away the swetnes of oure Lord Jhesu Crist. And therfore seith seint Poule, clothe yow, as thay that be chosen of God in herte, of misericorde, debonaireté, sufferaunce, and such maner of clothing, of the which Jhesu Crist is more appayed than of haires or of hauberkis.

Than is discipline eek in knokkyng on the brest, in scourgyng with yerdes, in knelynges, in tribulaciouns, in suffring paciently wronges that ben doon to him and eek in pacient sufferaunce of maledies, or losyng of worldly catel, or of wif, or of child, or of othir frendes.

Thanne shalt thou understonde whiche thinges destourben penaunce, and this is in foure thinges; that is drede, shame, hope, and wanhope, that is, desperacioun. And for to speke first of drede, for which he weneth that he may suffre no penaunce, ther agayns is remedye for to thinke that bodily penaunce is but short and litel compared with the peyne of helle, that is so cruel and so long, that it lastith withouten ende.

Now agains the shame that a man hath to shryve him, and namely these ypocrites, that wolde be holde so parfyt that thay have no neede to shryve them; agayns that shame shulde a man thinke, that by way of resoun he that hath not ben ashamed to do foule thinges, certis him oughte not be ashamed to doon faire thinges and goode thinges, and that is confessioun. A man sholde eek thinke, that God seeth and knoweth, alle thy thoughtes, and thy werkes; to him may no thing be hyd nor covered. Men shulde eek remembre them of the shame that is to come at the day of doom, to them that be nought penitent and shriven in this present lif; for alle the creatures in heven and in erthe, and in helle, shuln seen apertly al that they hydith in this world.

Now for to speke of them that be so negligent and slowe to shryve them; it stant in tuo maneres. That oon is, that he hopith for to lyve longe, and for to purchace moche riches for his delyt, and thanne he wol shrive him; and, as he saith, he may, as him semith, tymely y-nough come to shrifte; another is, of the presumption that he hath in Cristes mercy. Agains the firste vice, he shal thinke that oure lif is in no sureness, and eek that al the riches in this world be in adventure, and passen as a shadowe on the wal; and, as saith seint Gregory, that it apperteyneth to the grete rightwisnes of God, that never shal the peyne stynte of them, that never wolde withdrawe them fro synne willingly, but ay continue in synne; for thilke perpetuel wille to doon synne shul thay have perpetuel peyne.

Wanhope is in tuo maneres. The firste wanhope is, in the mercy of Crist; that other is, that thay thinke thay mighte nought longe persever in goodnesse. The firste wanhope cometh of that he demyth that he hath synned so highly and so ofte, and so longe layn in synne, that he shal not be saved. Certis ayens that cursed wanhope shulde he thenke, that the passioun of Jhesu Crist is more strong for to unbynde, than synne is strong for to bynde. Agains the secounde wanhope he shal thinke, that as ofte as he fallith, he may arise agayn by penitence; and though he never so longe have leyn in synne, the mercy of Crist is alway redy to receyve him to mercy. Agains the wanhope that he demeth or he thinketh he shulde not longe persevere in goodnesse, he shal thinke that the feeblenes of the devel may no thing doon, except men wol suffre him; and eek he shal have strengthe of the help of God, and of al holy chirche, and of the proteccioun of aungels, if him list.

Thanne shal men understonde, what is the fruyt of penaunce; and after the word of Jhesu Crist, it is the endeles blisse of heven, where joye hath no contrarieté of wo nor of penaunce nor grevance; where alle harmes be passed of this present lif; where is safety fro the peyne of helle; where is the blisfulle companie that rejoysen them evermore everych of otheres joye; where the body of man, that whilom was foule