<County: Norfolk>
<Code: L4252>
<MS reference: Cambridge, St.John's College 202 (G.35)>
<Text: Scale of Perfection>


<Tranche 1>

<fol. 7r>trowende stedefastly yat it is ye beste to ye . be ye mercy of god for to traualyen jn
¶ And yow it be so yt yu mowe not komyn to ye fulled of yat here in yis lyf yt yu myttist
ben in ye begynnynges of yat and trosten sykerly for to hauen ye fulhed be ye
mercy of god in ye blisse of heuene for sothly yat is myn lyf J fele me so frele
and so wrecched and so fleschly . and so fer in trewe felynges fro . yat J speke &
haue spoken . yat J kan nout ellis but cryon mercy . and desyren after as J . may .
with an hope yat our~ lord wile bryngen me yer-to of hise grace in ye blisse of
heuene ¶ Do yu so or bettere . after god 3iueth ye grace ¶ ye felynges of yis lowenesse
schal poten out fro yin herte vnskilful beholdynge of oyere mennis mysleuynge and
demynge of oyer~ mennis dedis . and it schal dryuen ye onely to beholden ye self as
yer~ wer~ no man lyuende . but god and thow . and yu schalt demyn & helden ye self
mor~ vyl & a mor~ wrecche yan is any cr~atur~ yat berith lyf . yat onethis schalt
yu mounn suffren ye self for mykelhed of synne and filthe yt yu schalt felyn in ye
¶ yus behouyth ye for to felyn sumtyme if yu wile ben veryli meke ¶ for J
telle the sothly if yu wilt ben trewely meke . ye schal thynken a venyal synne
in ye self mor~ gr~uous and mor~ peyneful to ye . and gretter~ schal ben in
yin syth sum tyme . yanne grete dedely synnes of oyer~ men ¶ and yt is for
yis skil . yat ye yinges wilk poteth yin soule or lettith it most fro ye felynges
and knowynges of god . owyt to ben most greuous and peyneful to ye . but venyal
synne of yin self lettith ye mor~ fro ye felynges and ye knowynges of god
yanne any oyere mannis synne may don . be it neuere so mekil ¶ yanne semyth it
yt yu scholdest aryse in yin owen herte ageynis yin self for to haten and demyn
in yin self al maner of synne qwilk lettith . ye fro ye sytthe of god mor~ besyli
yanne ageyn ye fautes of any other men . For if yin herte be clene of yine
owen synnes . sothly ye synnes of alle other~ men scholen not deryn the ¶ kud
yerfor~ if yu wilt fynden reste here and in ye blisse of heuene vp ye conceyl of
on . of ye holy faderis seye ilke day qwat am J and deme yow no man
But now seye thow how may yis be sithyn it is a dede of charyte for to
vndurnemyn men of her~ defautis and for to demyn hem for her~ amendynge
it is a dede of mercy ¶ As vn-to yis J answer~ as me thinketh . yat to ye or to
any other qwich hath stat and ye purpos of lyf contemplatyf . it fallith not
for to leuyn ye kepynges of 3our self . and for to beholden and vndurnemy@ oyer~ men
of her~ defautis . but it wer~ in wol gret nede yat a man scholde perschen
but 3e vndurnemy@ hym but to men qwilk arn actyf and han souereynte
and cure ouer oyere as prelatis and curatis . and swilk oyer~ yat arn bounden be
her~ offys and be weye of charyte for to sen and sekyn and demy@ rythfully
oyere mennis defautis . nout of desyr and delyt for to chastisen hem . but onely
for nede with dred of god . and in hise name for loue of sauacyoun of here
soules ¶ Oyer~ men yat arn actyf and han non cur~ ouer oyer~ men he arn bounden
for to vndurnemyn other~ men be weye of charyte of her~ defautis onely yanne
<fol. 7v>qwanne ye synne is dedly and it may not wel be correctid be non oyere man and
qwanne he trowith yat ye synner~ schulde ben amendid be hise vndurnymynge
ellis it is better~ yat he cese ¶ yat . yis is soth it semith be sent Jon qwilke
hadde ye stat of ye lyf contemplatyf and sent petyr qwilk hadde ye stat of
actyf . qwanne our~ lord in hise laste soper with hise disciplis at ye preuy sterynges
of seynt petyr to sent Jon . told sent Jon how Judas schulde betrayen hym
seynt Jon told it not to sent petyr as he asked but he torned hym . and
leyd hise hefd vp on crystis brest and was raueschid be loue in-to contemplacyoun
of goddes preuyteis . and so medfully to hy@ yat he for3at bothen Judas
and seynt petyr in tokeninges and in techynges of oyer~ men . qwilk wolden
ben contemplatyf yat he scholden don ye same ¶ Yanne sest yu her~ su@-qwat
yt yu schalt neyther demy@ oyere men ne conceyuen a3ens hem wilfully noon euil
suppoccyoun but yu schalt louen hem and worchepyn hem in yin herte swilk as
leden in yis werd actyf lyf . and suffren manie tribulacionis . and gret temptaconnis
. qwilk yu sittende in yin hows felest nout of . and he han wol mekel
dissese for her~ owen and oyer~ mennis sustenauns and manye of hem hadden
leuere to seruy@ god if he mytten as yu dost in bodely reste . and ne the les he in her~
werdely besynesse fle manye synnes in qwilke yu if yu wer~ in her~ stat scholdest
fallen inne . and he don manye gode dedis qwilk yu coudest not don . it is
no doute yat manye don yus qwilk he arn yu wost not And yerfor~ yow
schalt worschepyn hem alle . and setty@ hem in yin herte as yine souereynes al abouen
the . and cast ye dounn vnder her~ feet . yt yu be vylest and lowest in yin owen
syt . for it is no dred ne peryl to ye how mekil yu mayt lowen yin self benethen
alle other~ . yow it wer~ so yat in goddes syt yu haddest mor~ grace yan any
other . but it is peryl to ye for to eyne the . and liften ye self in yin yowt wilfully
abouen any oyer man . yow he wer~ ye most wreche or ye most synful caitif
yat is in erde . for our~ lord seyth <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> ¶ Qwo so heyne hym self he schal ben lowed . and qwo so lowe hymself
he schal ben eyned yis partye of mekenesse ye behouith for to han in yin
begynnynges and be yis & be grace schalt yu komen to ye fulhed of yat and of alle
oyer~ virtewis ¶ For qwo so haue on vertew . he hath alle . as mekil as yu hast of
mekenesse . so mykel hast yu of charyte . of patyence . and of other~ vertewis . yow
he ben not alle schewid outward ¶ Be yanne besy for to geten mekenesse &
hold it . for it is ye firste and ye laste of alle vertewis . it is first . for it is ground
as seynt austyn seyt . jf yu thinke for to biggen an hey hows of vertewis . ordeyn
ye first a dep ground of mekenesse . also it is last . for it is kepynges and sauynges
of alle vertewis as seynt grigorie seyt . he yt gadreth vertewis with-outen
mekenesse he is lyk to hym yat makith and betith poudur of epycerye in ye wynd
Do yu neuere so manye gode dedis . fast yu . or wake yu . or any oyer good werk do yu
if yu haue no mekenesse it is not yat yu dost NEuer~-ye-les if yu mayth nowt felen
<fol. 8r>yis mekenesse in yin herte With affectyoun as yu woldest do as yu mayt meke
ye self in wil be yin resoun trowende yat it schulde be so as J seye yow yu fele
it nout . and in yat holde ye a+mor~ wrecche . yt yu mayt not felen sothfastly as yu
art . and if yu do so thow ye fleysch rys yere-ageyn . and wile not sentin to yi@
wil . be not to mykel adred . but yu schalt beryn and suffron ye fals felynge
of yine flesch as a peyne . and yu schalt thow despycen and reprouy@ yt felynge
and brekyn dou@n yat rysynges of yine herte as yow yu scholdest ben wel payd
for to ben troden and spornid vndur euery ma@nis fot as a thynges qwich is outcasten
and so be grace of ihesu cryst schalt yu mekil abaten ye sterynges of pryde . and ye
vertew of mekenesse yat was first in ye naked wil schal be torned in-to ye felyng
of affeccyoun . with-outen qwilke vertew eyther in a trewe wil or in felynges .
qwo so dispose hy@ to seruen god in contemplatyf lyf . as ye blynde he schal stomblen
. and neuere schal komen yerto ye heyer~ he clymbith be bodely penauns and
oyere vertewis and haue not yis ye lower~ he fallith ¶ For as seynt grigorie
seyth . he yt kan not perfytly despicen him self . he fond 3et neuere ye meke wisdam
of our~ lord ihesu . Ypocrites ne heretikes felen not yis mekenesse neyther
neyther in good wil . ne i@ affeccyoun . but wol drye and wol colde arn her~ hertis
and her~ renis fro ye softe felynges of yis vertew / / And in so mykel ye ferthir~
he arn fro yat yat he weny@ for to hauen it he gnauen vpon ye drye bark wtowten
. but ye swete kyrnele of yat in ye inly sauour moun he not komyn to / /
¶ He schewen outward mekenesse in habite in holy speche in lowely berynge . and as
it semith in manye gr~te bodely dedis and in gostly vertewis . but notheles in ye
wil and ye affectioun of her~ herte qwer~ mekenesse scholde pryncepaly ben . it is
but feyned for he demyn despycen and setty@ at noht alle other~ men . yat wile
not don as he don or techen . he holden hem eyther folis be vnkonnyng or blended
of fleschly leuynge . and yerfor~ lesten he hem self vp-on hey in her~ owen
sithe abouen alle other~ . wenende yat he leuy@ bettere yanne other~ . and yat he
han onely ye sothfastnesse of good lyuinge . and singler grace of god . bothen in
knowynge . and in gostly felynge pasende oyere men . and of yis syth in hemself
ryseth a+gret delyt in her~ hertis . in ye qwilk he worchepy@ and preysen hemself
as yer~ wer~ non but he . he preysen and thanken god with her~ lippes but
in her~ hertis he stelyn as theuis ye worchepe and ye thankynges fro god . and
settyn it in hem self . and so he han noyther mekenesse in wil no in felynge
¶ A fleschly caytif or a synner~ qwilk fallith al day . and he is sory yat he dothn
so . you he hath not mekenesse in affeccyoun he hath it in a good wil . but an
heretyk or an ypocryt hath neyther . for he han ye condicioun of ye pharyse . ye
qwilk cometh as our~ lord seyth in ye gospel with ye pupplycan to ye temple for
to preye . and qwanne he kam he preyed not ne asked not of god . for hym youte
he hadde non nede . but he gan to thanken god . and seyde yus . Lord J thank
the yat yu 3iuest me grace mor~ yanne anoyer yt J am nout as oyere men arn . robbouris .


<Tranche 2>

<fol. 32r>lest perlyous . and yerfor~ yow schalt not arysen ageyns ye ground of yis
synne . as yu schalt ageyns alle other~ synnes . for ye ground of yis
synne is onely nede qwich may not ben askaped but if yu wilt
don werse . and slen ye nede as many folis don . qwich slen ye yef
and sparen ye trewe man . yat is to seyne he scholdon slen ye vnskilful
lust and ye wilful lykynges and sparen and kepen ye bodely kynde
but ageyn alle other~ synnes yow schalt arysen for to destroyen not
onely ye dedly synnes . and ye gr~te venyal synnis . but also ageyns ye
ground of hem as mekil as yu mayt ¶ See be yis skil yu mayt not leuyn
with-outen mete & drynk . but yu mayt leue with-outen leccherye if
yow wilt . and neuere but ye bettere . and yerfor~ schalt yu not flen ye dede
of yat onely . qwich is dedly synne . but ye wilful lykynges of yat in yin
herte . qwich is venyal synne with-outen dede . and som tyme it is
dedly . but also yu schalt traualyen ageyns ye ground of yat . for to destroyen
ye felyng and ye rysynges of fleschly steryngis .
But yis traualys ageyns ye ground of leccherye schal be gostly as
be preyeris . and gostly vertewis . and nout bodely be no bodely
penaunse . For wite yu wel yow yu wake or faste . and scorge ye self
and do al yat yu kan . yu schalt neuere han yat clennesse and yat chaste
with-outen ye 3ifte and ye grace of mekenesse . yu schuldest mown
rather~ slen ye self . yanne yu scholdest slen fleschly sterynges and felyngis
of bistis of leccherye . eyther in yin herte or in yin flesch be
any bodely penaunse . but be ye grace of ihesu in a meke soule . ye ground
may ben stoppid and destroyed and ye sprynges may ben dryed . and
yat is very chaste in body and in soule . on ye same manere may ben
seyd in pryde and in coueytise and in swich other~ ¶ For yu myttest
lyuen yow yu wer~ neyther proud ne coueytous . and yerfor~ yu schalt
destroyen alle ye felynges of hem as mekil as yu myt but in glotonye
yow schalt rysen and smyten awey ye vnskilful sterynges and sauen
hool ye ground . and yerfor~ ha yat rysith ageyns ye felynges of flescly
lykyng of mete and drynk mor~ felly and mor~ schapply yanne agey@
ye felynges and ye sterynges of pryde . qwich for he semen fayre arn not
reprouid lytly . or of enuye fro coueytise and leccherye . J seye yat he is
half blynd . for he seth not 3et gostly vnclennesse as of pryde and
enuye . how ful it is in goddis syt . J hope if a man mytte sen With
hise gostly eye . how ful pryde and coueytise arn in ye syt of god and
how contrarie to hym . he scholden mor~ lothen a sterynges of pryde and
ye veyn lykynges of yat . and also he scholden mor~ vggen and arysen
ageyns an euyl wil of enuye . or fro to hise euene cristene . yan
many a lykynges or sterynges eyther of glotonye or leccherye ¶ Neuereyeles
<fol. 32v>alle men wenyn nout so for comounly men arn mor~ arw for to felen a
sterynges of a fleschly synne and han for yat mor~ sorwe & mor~ heuynesse
. yan for gret lykynges in veyn-glorye or oyer~ gostly synnes but he
arn not wyse for if he wilen vndurstonden holy wryt and doctouris
sawis yer-of he scholen fynden as J seye . qwich J ne may ne wile
reherse now
J wile not excusen hem yat fallen in lykyngis of glotonye and
leccherye yat he synnen nout . for J wot wel yat alle ye specis of
hem arn synne mor~ or lesse after ye mesur~ of ye lust . and wilful
lykynges with oyere cercumstauncis of hem but J . wolde yat yu knewest &
chargest ilk a synne as it is mor~ . ye mor~ as arn alle gostly synnes lesse
ye lesse as arn alle fleschly synnes . and 3et schalt yow neueretheles
haten and flen alle boyen bodely . and goslty . vpen yin myth . for wete yu
wel yat fleschly desyres . and vnskilful lykynges in mete and drynk
or any lykynges . yat longeth to ye body pasende resonable nede yow he
ben not ay grete synnes in-to hym yat is in charyte ¶ Neueretheles
to a soule yat desyreth clennesse and gostly felynge of god . he arn
ful heuy peyneful and bitter and mekel for to achewen . for ye spyrit
may nout felen hise kyndely sawor with-jnnen til ye flesch hath
mekil lost of hise listy sawor with-outen and yerfor~ if yow wilt
komen to clennesse of herte ye behouith ageynstonden vnskilful steringes
of fleschly desyres . but ageyns ye ground yu schalt not arysen as J haue
seyd be-for . ye ground of of yis nede as kendly hunger . qwich yu schalt
nedynges felen and tenden yere-to in tyme and helpyn yin self ageyn
yat be medecyne of mete as yu woldest helpen ye self resonnabely
ageyns a bodely siknesse yt yu myttist ye mor~ frely seruen god bodely
and gostly .
For wete yu wel qwat man or wymman schal ben occupyed
gostly in thouttis vnskilfully peyne of honger wilfully taken or
bodly seknesse in ye stomak or in y~ hefd or in oyer party of ye body for defaute
of good reulynges of hym self be to mekil fastynges or in any oyer
wise schal mekil lettyn ye spiryt and mykel hyndr~n hym fro ye
knowyng and beholdynges of gostly thinges but if he haue ye
mor~ grace for yow it be so yat bodely peyne eyther of penaunce
or of sekennesse or ellis bodely occupacyoun som tyme lettith ye
feruour of loue to god in deuocyoun . but often encresith it sothly
J hope neuertheles yat it letteth ye feruour of loue in contemplacyoun
wilk may not ben had ne felid sadly but in gret reste of body
and of soule . yerfor~ do yu skilfully yat longeth to ye . and kep yin
bodely kynde vp resoun . and suffre god yanne sendy@ qwat he
<fol. 33r>wile be it hele or in sekenesse tak it gladly and grucche not ageyn
god wilfully
Do yanne as j seye tak yine mete as it cometh and ordeyne
for it if nede be vp resoun . and tak it gladly as for nede .
but be war of lust yat cometh with nede eschewe to mekel
as wel as to lytel . and qwanne yu hast don and it comith to
yin mende bityng of conscyence . yat yu hast eyther~ eten to
mekil or to litel . and begynneth for to taryen ye and drawen the
to ouer mekil bitternesse . lift vp ye desyr of yin herte to yine
gode lord Jhesu . and knowe ye self for a wrecche . and for a best
ask of hym for3iuenesse be hise mercy . & qwanne yow hast don
yus . ye schortlyer~ . ye leuere lef of yanne . and tarye no lenger~ wt
al ne stryue not to mekil as yow woldest destroyen it witterly
for it is not worth for to don . so yu schalt neuere bryngen it so
abouten . but redely ordeyne ye to som oyer occupacyoun bodely or
gostly . after yow felist ye disposid . yat yu myttest profyten mor~ in
oyere vertewis . as mekenesse and charite . for wite yu wel he
yat hath in hise desyr and in hise traualye non oyer reward to
non oyer thynges . but to mekenesse and charyte . ay crauende after
hem . how he mytte han hem . he schal in yat desyr with werkynge
folwynge after profyt . and waxen in alle other~ vertewis
as in chaste abstynence . and swilk oyer~ . yow he haue but lytel
reward to hem in a+3er . yanne he scholde with-outen yis desyr in
seuene profyten yow he stryue with glotonye leccherye and swich
oyer~ continewly . and bete hym self with skorgis ilke a+day fro morwen
til euesonges tyme
Gete to ye yanne mekenesse and charyte . and if yow wilt
traualyen swynk besyli . for to hauen hem .yow schalt
mown han Jnow for to done . and getynges of hem and if yow
mowe geten hem he scholen reulen ye . and mesur~n the ful
preuyly how yow schalt eten and drynken and socour~n al yine
bodely nede . yat yer~ schal no man witen it . but if yu wilt . &
yat schal not ben in dewer ne angrynesse and heuynesse ne
in lust ne in lycnesse but in a pes of a glad consciense with
a glad restfulnesse . J speke feryer~ yanne J youte for to a spoken