gether as I love you, for if ye love
as I loved, then are ye My disciples." He that is meek soothfastly, or
would be meek, can love his fellow-Christians: and none save he.

Contrition.

Richard Hermit rehearses a ... tale of perfect contrition that the same
clerk Cesarius tells. He tells that a scholar at Paris had done full
many sins of which he was ashamed to shrive him. At the last, great
sorrow of heart overcame his shame, and when he was ready to shrive him
to the Prior of the Abbey of S. Victor, so great contrition was in his
heart, sighing in his breast, sobbing in his throat that he could not
bring one word forth. Then the Prior said to him, "Go and write thy
sins." He did so and came again to the Prior, and gave him what he had
written, for still he could not shrive himself with his mouth. The Prior
saw the sins were so great, that with the scholar's leave, he shewed
them to the Abbot to have his counsel. The Abbot took the writing
wherein they were written, and looked thereon. He found nothing written,
and said to the Prior, "What can here be read where naught is written?"
Then saw the Prior and wondered greatly, and said "Wit ye that his sins
were here written, and I read them: but now I see that GOD has seen his
contrition and has forgiven him all his sins." This the Abbot and the
Prior told the scholar, and he, with great Joy, thanked GOD.

Scraps from the Arundel MS.

Sinful man look up and see, how
ruefully I hung on rood;
And of my penance have pity with sorrowful
heart and dreary mood:
All this, man, I suffered for thee: My flesh
was riven, all spilt My blood;
Lift up thine heart, call thou on Me, forsake
thy sin: have mercy, GOD.

* * * * *

Think oft with sore heart of thy foul sins,
Think oft of hell-woe, of heaven-kingdom's
wins;[9]
Think of thine own death, of GOD'S death
on rood,
The grim doom of Doom's-day have thou oft
in mood:
Think how false is this world, and what its
reward,
Think what, for His good death, thou owest
thy Lord.

RICHARD ROLLE.

FOOTNOTES:

[9] Wins = joys.

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