§ 55. Now comth Slouthe, that wol nat suffre noon hardnesse ne no penaunce.
For soothly, Slouthe is so tendre, and so delicat, as seith Salomon, that
he wol nat suffre noon hardnesse ne penaunce, and therfore he shendeth al
that he dooth. / Agayns [614] this roten-herted sinne of Accidie and
Slouthe sholde men exercise hem-self to doon gode werkes, and manly and
vertuously cacchen corage wel to doon; thinkinge that oure lord Iesu Crist
quyteth every good dede, be it never so lyte. / Usage of labour is a greet
thing; for it maketh, as seith seint Bernard, the laborer to have stronge
armes and harde sinwes; and Slouthe maketh hem feble and tendre. /690
Thanne comth drede to biginne to werke any gode werkes; for certes, he that
is enclyned to sinne, him thinketh it is so greet an empryse for to
undertake to doon werkes of goodnesse, / and casteth in his herte that the
circumstaunces of goodnesse been so grevouse and so chargeaunt for to
suffre, that he dar nat undertake to do werkes of goodnesse, as seith seint
Gregorie. /