<County: Lancashire>
<Code: L0021a>
<MS reference: Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawlinson A 389>
<Text: Rolle, Ego Dormio>


<fol. 77r><lat>Ego dormio & cor meum vigilat .</lat> Þe þat lyste luf held þine ere
and here of luf. Jn þe sang of luf J fynde it writen þat J
haue sett at þe begynnynge of my wrytynge . J slepe and
my hert wakes . mykell luf he shewes ; þat neuere is irke to luf .
bot ay standande . sistande . gangande . or any other dede doande os
ay his luf thynkand and oft-sithe þer-of dremand . For-yi þat J
luf þe J wogh þe þat J myght haue þe as J wilde noght tille me
bot till my lard J wille be comer~ and messager~ to bryng ye till
his bed þat has made þe and boght þe criste þe kynges sonn of
heuen for he will wed þe if þou wille luf hym . he askes þe
na mare . bot þi luf . And my wille þou dose ; if þou luf hym .
Crist couaytes yi fairehede in saule þat you gþf hym halely
þi hert . and J preche noght ellys ; bot þat þou do his will and
afforce þe day & nyght to lefe alle fleschely luf and al likyng
þat lett<ill><1 letter><ill>s þe to luf ihesu crist verrayly . for J-whils þi hert is hel
dande to luf of any bodyly thþng ; þou may not parfitly be cuipilde
wit god. ¶ Jn heuen er ix ordirs of aungels yat are conteyd
in thre Jerarchies þe lagheste Jerarchy contenys aungels archan
gels . vertu3 þe myddes Jerarchi contenys <lat>Potestates . Principa
tus . dominacones</lat>. Þe heghest Jerarchi þat next is til god contenys
tronys Cherubyn and Saraphyn . þe laghest ordir is aungels
þe heghest Seraphyn . And þat ordir þat lest is bryght ; is seuen
sa bryght as is þis sonn . And as þou sees þe sonn bryghter~ yan
ye candel . þe candel bryghter~ þan þe mone . þe mone bryghter
þan þe sternys . Alswa are þe orders of aungels in heuen ilkane
brighter þan other fra aungels tille seraphyn . þis J say to
kyndel yi hert to couayte ye felawschyp of aungels . for alle
þat are gode and haly when þei . passe of þis werld salle be
takyn in till yire orders . som til ye lawest ; þat has lufed
god mykel . som to þe myddes . þat has loued god mare . other~
til þe heghest ; þat mast lufes god . and brennandest er~ in is
lufe Seraphyn . is at saye brynnande tille whilke ordir~ þai er
receyfede . yat leste couaytes inn þis werld and mast swetnes
felys in god and brennand hertis han in lufe . ¶ Tille þe J
wryte þis specialy for J hope in þe mare gudnes yan in ani
<fol. 77v>other yat þu wille gyf þi thoght to fulfille in dede þat þou sees is
profitable for~ yi saule . and yat lyf gþf þe tille ; in þe whilke þou
may halelþeste offer þi hert tille ihesu cryst and leste be in bysy
nes of þis werld For~ if þou wille stabilly luf god & brennandly
whiles þou lyfes here with-outehn doute þi setyll es ordaned
for þe ful hegh and ioyfull before þe face of god ymanges
haly aungels . For in ye self degres þare proude deuyls felle
downe er meke men and wymmen cristes doufys sett in-to haf
rest and ioye with-outen ende for a littul schort penaunce
& trauaile þat yei hafe suffrede for goddes luf . ¶ ye thynke
now perauenture harde to gyf þi hert fra alle erthly thynge
fra ydil speche . fra al fleschely luf . and ga by þine ane to wake
& pray . and yinke þe ioye of heuen & to haue compassion of þe
passion of ihesu crist and to ymagyn ye pyne of helle þat is
ordeyned for synful+men . Bot witterly fra þat you be vsed þer
in ; þe wil þinke it lighter & swetter yen euer ye dyd any erth
ly solace . / Also sone as þi hert is toched wit ye swetnes of heue
þe wil litel liste þe myrth of yis werlde . and when you felys
ioye in Cristes luf ; ye wil lathe wit ye ioye & ye comford of erth
ly gammyn . For alle þe melodye . alle þe ryches alle þe delites
þat alle þe men in þis world kan ordeyne or thynke ; semes
& es bot noy & angyr~ til a mannys herte . þat verrayly is bren
nand in þe luf of god . for he has myrth & melodie of aungel
sange as you may wil wyit . Jf you lefe alle thynge þat þe
liste fleschely & haue na thowght of þi syb frendys bot for
sake alle for goddes luf . and anely gyf þi herte to couayte god
des luf and to paye him . mare ioye þou schal fynde in hym
þan J kan thynke howe myght J yan wryte hit J wat na
uer if many men be in swilke luf for ay ye hegher yat yi
lyfe es ; þe faer folowers it has here . For many thynges
drawes men fra goddes luf yat þou may here & see . yat god
comfortes his lufers mare yan þei wene þat lufes hym
noght . For of we seme in penance wit-outen ; we salle haue
ful mykel ioye within . if we ordeyne vs wysely to goddes
seruys and set in hym alle oure thoghtes & forsake vanite .
¶ Gyf alle yine entente to vnderstonde yis wrytyng . if
<fol. 78r>þou haue set yi desire to luf god . here þere thre degres of luf :
swa þat þou may ryse fra ane til a-nother tille þou be at þe
hegheste for J ne wil not hil fra þe yat J hope ma torne ye
tille halynes ¶ Þe first degre of luf es : when a man haldes
þe ten commaundementes and kepes hem fra þe seuen dedly
synnes and is stabul in þe trouthe of haly kirke . and when
a man wille noght for any erthly thynge wreth god . bot
trewly standes in his seruice . and lastes yare-in tille his lyfes
ende ¶ yis degree of lufe by-houes ilke man haue þat wille
be safe . for na man maye come tille heuen : bot if he luf god
and his neghbur with-outen pryde . ire and any bakbytyng~
and with-outen alle other wennymouse synnes as slawnes
glotery and lichery and couaytys . for yere vices slaes þe
saule & makes hit to depart fra god yat es lyfe of ye saule
And when a wreched man or wommon es departed fra god .
we saye he is ded . for he is slayne fra god with-outen wham
na creature may lyf . Als a man poysunde in a swete morsell
takes venym yat slas his body . Swa dos a synful wreche in
likyng and lust destroyes his saule and brynges hit tille dede
with-outen ende . Men yinke hit swete to synne . bot yaire
hire þat is ordayned for þaim ; es bitterer & galle . sowrer
þan atter wers yan alle ye wa þat man can thynk in
erthe ¶ Alle perisches & passes yat we with eghe see . hit
wanys in till wrechedhede þe wele of yis worlde Robys
& riches rotes in ye dyche . pryde & payntynge slake salle in
sorowe . Delytes and drorys . stynke sall ful sone ; yaire
gold & yaire tresoure drawes yaim til dede . Alle þe wykked
of þis werlde dryues til a dale . yat yai may see þaire sorowynge .
yare wa es alle þe rabel . Bot he may synge of solas yat lufed
ihesu cryst when alle ye wrecches fra wele falles in-tille helle .
¶ Bot when þou has wel lyfed in ye commaundementes of
god . and styffely keped þe fra alle dedly synnes . and payde+tille
criste in yat degre . vmthynke þe yat you wil mare luf god
& do better~ with yi saule and bycome parfite & þan enters þou
in-tille þe tother degre of luf . þat es to forsake alle þe worlde
and þi fader and yi moder & alle yi kyn & folowe crist in po
<fol. 79v>uerte . ¶ Jn þis degree you schalle stody howe clene you may be in
herte and howe chaste in body . and gyf þe tille mekenes suf
fryng & bosumnes and loke how faire þou maþ make þi saule
in vertuese and hate alle vices . swa þat þi lyfe be gastely noght
fleschely neuer-mare spekand ille of yine neghbur ny gyf ane
ille word for a-nother . bot alle þat men says ille or gode . suf
fir hit debonerly . in yi hert withouten stirryng of wreth .
And yan schal you be in reste within and lightly come in-to
gastely lyfe . þat you salle fynde swetter þan any erthely thyng~
¶ Parfite lyfe and gastely es : to despise ye erth . couayte ye ioye
of heuen . and destroye thurgh goddes grace alle wikked desir~s
of ye flesche and forgete þe solace and likyng of þi kynredyne
and luf yaim noght bot in god whethire þa dye or lyf be por~
or rþche . be hale or seke . in wa or in wele . thank þou ay god
and bles hym in alle his werkes ; for his domes are so priue .
yat na creature may comprehende þaim . and oftsith sum men
has þaire likyng and þaire wele in þis world . and hell in
þe tothir . and sum men es in pyne & persecucioun & anguys in yis
lyfe : and has heuen til yaire mede for-thy if yi frendes be
ay in es and hele & in welth of yis werlde : you & þai bathe
maye þe mare drede yat yhe lose noght þe ioie with-outen
ende . Jf þai be in penaunce . in sekenes or if yei lyf ryght
wysly yai maþ traþste in god to come to his blisse . For-þi in
þis degree of luf you salle sa by filde in grace of þe haly gast
þat you sal noght haue sorowe ne gratyng bot for gastely
thynge and for yi synnes and other mennys and aftir þe luf
of ihesu crist and in thynkyng of his passion and þat J wille þat
þou hafe mykel mynde of for hit will kyndel þi hert to set
at noght alle ye gudes of þis werlde and alle þe ioye & to
desire brennandly þe light of heuen with aungels and haloghys .
¶ And when yi hert is ordayned halely to þe seruice of god &
alle werldes thoght is putt oute : þan wille ye liste stele be
yi nane to thynk of crist and to be in mykel prayng for tho
row gode thoghtes and haly prayers . yi hert salle be made
brennande in þe luf of ihesu crist . and þan salle þou fele swet
<fol. 79r>nes and gastely ioye bathe in prayinge and in thynkyng And when
þou arte be yi nane gyf þe mikel to say ye psalmes of ye sawter
and pater noster . and aues And take not tent þat you say manþ . bot
þat you say hom wele . and in alle þe deuocioun yat you may.
lyftande vp thy thoght til heuen . Bettir hit is to say seuen
psalmes in desyr of cristes luf hafand yi hert on þi praying .
þan seuen hundred suffrande yi thoght to pas in vanitees of
bodily thynge . what gode hopes þou may com yer-of if you lat
þi tonge blabir on ye boke and þi hert rynn a-boute in sere ste
des in ye werld whare hit will . For-thy set yi thoght in crist
and he salle refe it tille hym and halde hit fra ye venym of
werldes bysynes . And J pray ye as you couaytes to be goddes
lufer . yat you lufe þis name Jhesu . and thynk hit in þi herte
swa þat þou forgete hit neuer wharsomm þou be and witterly
J hete ˆ [þe] þou salle fynde mykelle ioye & comfort þerin . and for ye
luf yat þou lufes ihesu sa tendirly and sa specialy you salle be
filde full of grace in erth . and be cristes der~ mayden & spouse
in heuen . For na thynge sa mekill pays god as verray luf of
his name ihesu . Jf þou lufe hit ryght and lastandly & neuer let
for na thynge þat men may saþe or do ; þou salle be raysed
in-tille a hegher lyfe þan you can couayte . His godenes es sa
mekill . yat yare we inwardly aske hym of ane : he wille
gyf vs thre . sa wele payed he es when we set alle oure
hert to luf hym . ¶ Jn yis degre of luf you salle ouercom
yi thre enmþs . ye werld . ye deuel and yi flesche . bot neuer
þe latter you schal hafe ay fightyng whils þou lyfes and
ay til þou dye by-houes þe be bysy to stande & to falle noght
in ille delyte ne in ille thoght or in ille worde or in ille werk
for-þi grete augh þi gernynge to be yat you luf crist verraily .
yi flesche salle you ouer-com thurgh haldyng of yi mayden
hede for goddes luf anely . or if þou be na maydun thurgh
chast lyfynge in thoght and in dede and thurgh discrete ab
stinence and resonable seruyse . þe werld salle þou ouer-com
þorow couaytyng of cristes luf & thynkynge of his swete
name and desire til heuen . for als sonn as you feles sauowr
<fol. 79v> in ihesu ye wille thynke alle þe werlde noght bot vanite and noye
for mennys saules . you wil noght couayte þan to be ryche to
haue many mantils and faire . many kirtils many dreurise bot
alle þou wil set at noght and despise alle . and take na mare
yan þe nedes . þe wille thynke twa mantils or ane j-nogh ;
yat nowe has fyfe or sex . for-yi gyf somm til crist yat gas na
ked and pore . and hald noght til ye alle / yat wate noght yi
lyfe tille yay be halfe gane . / ye deuyl is ouercommen when you
standes stabilly agayns alle his fandynges in sothfaste chari
te ande mekenes . And thynke on me þat J be noght for-geten .
in þi prayeres þat is a-boute-warde þat you were . dere with
criste whas mercy me nedys . J wille þat þou be neuer Jdel
for be ay other spekand of god or wirkand some notabul warke
or thynkand in hym and principally yat yi thoght be ay hafand
hym in mynde . And thynk oft yis of his passioun.