ony thynge vnryghtfull. ¶ Beware of ydelnes the whiche is moder of
all synne & vnclennesse / so that by your offyce that ye be called
to / or by prayer / redynge / wrytynge / sewynge / or other
handewerkes doynge / ye may make your bodyes dayly wery &
crucyfyed. And therby make your spyrytes the more quycke and apte
to the seruyce of our lorde in confusyon of your enemye and
encreace of glorye. ¶ Beware to be Inquysytyf / or to muse on
hyghe maters and subtyll. And leue them to worldely people /
and to clerkes / for otymes the letter may hurte you Thynke euer
[that] ye had leuer dye than ones to passe the clausures or boûdes
of your monasterye. Yf ye haue a faythfull & a Iuste frende / to
whom ye may open [the] secretes of your herte / than ye haue a
grete tresour / for oftymes one shall be deceyued & seldome can
iuge the trouth in his owne maters so well as other. Knowe your
owne synnes & wayle them & medle [with] none other. Beware euer of
detraccion & flee it as it were a venemous serpent / [that] the
speker therof be your contenaûce & departynge from them may be
ashamed / & therwith lothe for euer so to speke or do. Moreouer yf
ye wyll see your spouse Ihesu cryst in your mynde by contemplacõn
euer kepe your sylence. For saynt Ierom sawe many in Egypt amonge
holy faders that .vij. yeres togyder spake not owne worde / but
only to god & to his saynt. Yf the caas be so [that] ye must
speke / lete it be in all peas & charyte & [with] fewe wordes.
Remembrynge [that] your spouse loueth no voyde claterynge / but
wolde be [with] you alone in all quyetnesse in your soules.
Wherfore be ye aferde to dysplease hym or to dryue hym out from
you [with] stryues or debate / sclaundres / othes / and suche
other / ¶ Saynt Iames coûselleth eche man to refrayne his tonge /
sayenge that lyf & deth ben in the power of [the] same tonge /
wrytynge thus. Who that refrayneth his tonge he shalbe blessyd in