(Chap. xi of _The Form of Perfect Living_; ed. Horstmann, vol. i,
p. 196.)
Þe seuene gyftes of þe Haly Gaste, þat ere gyfene to men and wymmene þat
er ordaynede to þe ioye of heuene, and ledys theire lyfe in this worlde
reghtwysely. Thire are thay:—Wysdome, {55} Undyrstandynge, Counsayle,
Strenghe, Connynge, Peté, the Drede of God. Begynne we at Consaile, for
þareof es myster at the begynnynge of oure werkes, þat vs myslyke noghte
aftyrwarde. With thire seuene gyftes þe Haly Gaste teches sere mene
serely. {60}
Consaile es doynge awaye of worldes reches, and of all delytes of
all thyngeȝ þat mane may be tagyld with, in thoghte or dede, and
þa_r_with drawynge intill contemplacyone of Gode.
Undyrstandynge es to knawe whate es to doo, and whate {65} es to lefe,
and þat that sall be gyffene, to gyffe it to thaym þat has nede, noghte
till oþer þat has na myster.
Wysedome es forgetynge of erthely thynges and thynkynge of heuen, with
discrecyone of all men_s_ dedys. In þis gyfte schynes contemplacyone,
þat es, Saynt Austyne says, a gastely {70} dede of fleschely
affeccyones, thurghe þe ioye of a raysede thoghte.
Strenghe es lastynge to fullfill gude purpose, þat it be noghte lefte,
for wele ne for waa.
Peté es þat a man be mylde, and gaynesay noghte Haly {75} Writte whene
it smyttes his synnys, whethire he vndyrstand it or noghte; bot in all
his myghte purge he þe vilté of syne in hyme and oþer.
Connynge es þat makes a man of gude <hope>, noghte ruysand hyme of
his reghtewysnes, bot sorowand of his {80} synnys, and þat man gedyrs
erthely gude anely to the honour of God, and prow to oþer mene þane
hymselfe.
The Drede of God es þat we turne noghte agayne till oure syne thurghe
any ill eggyng. And þa_n_ es drede perfite in vs and gastely, when we
drede to wrethe God in þe leste syne {85} þat we kane knawe, and flese
it als venyme.
[Foot-note: 60 teches] towches _Cambridge MS. DD. 5. 64_.]
[Foot-note: 63 þar] þat _MS. Thornton_.]
[Foot-note: 69 mens] _so Cambridge MS. DD. 5. 64_ = mene _MS. Thornton_.]
[Foot-note: 79 hope] _from Cambridge MS. DD. 5. 64: om. MS. Thornton_.]
[Foot-note: 84 þan] _Cambridge MS. DD. 5. 64_: þen _MS. Arundel 507_: þat
_MS. Thornton_.]
V