312We never eat too much/ Scholde more of hure mete · þan mesure take;
For-þi[1] sounde we be seie · & sike in no time,
and are always in health. Bute helþe haue we hir · til we henne passe.
To godus pay is our peple · in bettur point founde,
316Him to louen as hur lord · & like him to serue,
Þan fale oþir folk ben · þat fillen hure wombe,
& nimen more þan i-now · whan no ned were.
We make no medicine, nor need any. We maken no medisine · no no man prayen
320Wiþ ony haþelene help · to helyn oure bodius.
We han a sertaine somme · a-singned of ȝerus,
Whan we schulle lese þis lif · & laste no more;
For we mowe tellen our time · whan þe time fallus.
324For litil lengure a lud · liueþ þan an oþir;
But bi cominnge[2] of kynde · as heuene king demus,
We schal doute þe deþ · whan þe day fallus;
Bi an ordre of oure kinde · whan we holde waxen,
328We grow old and then die and got to heaven. Whan mihte lakken our limus · & lesen our hete,
We schulle for-leten oure lif · & leue þat þe soule
To him þat schop vs to schap · schal fare to blisse.
For no cold þat vs comeþ · in our kinde age,
332We use no fire. We ne faren to no fir · our fingrus to warme;
Of bodi hole we ben · & no bale fele.
We flee lusts. Ay we founden to fle · flechliche lustus;
We maken þorou mekenesse · alle manir þingus
336Þat mihte us soile wiþ sinne · sese in a while.
I rede þe,[3] riche emperour · ful raþe þat þou founde
To ouyr-comen enemis · þat arn þe[4] wiþ-inne;
For-þi[1] sounde we be seie · & sike in no time,
and are always in health. Bute helþe haue we hir · til we henne passe.
To godus pay is our peple · in bettur point founde,
316Him to louen as hur lord · & like him to serue,
Þan fale oþir folk ben · þat fillen hure wombe,
& nimen more þan i-now · whan no ned were.
We make no medicine, nor need any. We maken no medisine · no no man prayen
320Wiþ ony haþelene help · to helyn oure bodius.
We han a sertaine somme · a-singned of ȝerus,
Whan we schulle lese þis lif · & laste no more;
For we mowe tellen our time · whan þe time fallus.
324For litil lengure a lud · liueþ þan an oþir;
But bi cominnge[2] of kynde · as heuene king demus,
We schal doute þe deþ · whan þe day fallus;
Bi an ordre of oure kinde · whan we holde waxen,
328We grow old and then die and got to heaven. Whan mihte lakken our limus · & lesen our hete,
We schulle for-leten oure lif · & leue þat þe soule
To him þat schop vs to schap · schal fare to blisse.
For no cold þat vs comeþ · in our kinde age,
332We use no fire. We ne faren to no fir · our fingrus to warme;
Of bodi hole we ben · & no bale fele.
We flee lusts. Ay we founden to fle · flechliche lustus;
We maken þorou mekenesse · alle manir þingus
336Þat mihte us soile wiþ sinne · sese in a while.
I rede þe,[3] riche emperour · ful raþe þat þou founde
To ouyr-comen enemis · þat arn þe[4] wiþ-inne;
quia illicita est nobis. Nihil apid nos ventres producit. Ideo absque morbo sumus. Et dum viuimus semper fruimur corporum sanitate. Nullam facimus nobis medicinam. Nullum etiam adiutorium querimus pro nostrorum corporum sanitate. Et vno termino mortis vita nostra concluditur, quia plus altero vnus non viuit, sed secundum ordinem natiuitas cuiuslibet mortis terminus seperuenit. Ad ignem pro afflictione frigoris non sedemus. Nullum estum corpora nostra sentiunt; semper nudis corporibus ambulamus; corporis desideria non facimus. Omnia per patientam supportamus. Omnes inimicos nostros interiores occidimus, vt exteriores nullatenus timeamus. Levius enim capitur ciuitas quando ab interioribus et exterioribus
