Clannesse who-so kyndly cowþe comende,
& rekken vp alle þe resoune3 þat ho by ri3t aske3,
Fayre forme3 my3t he fynde in forþering his speche;
& in þe contrare, kark and combraunce huge.

For wonder wroth in the wy3 þat wro3t alle þinges
Wyth þe freke þat in fylþe fol3es hym after,
As renke3 of relygioun, þat reden & syngen,
And aprochen to hys presens, and preste3 arn called.

Thay teen vnto his temmple & temen to hym seluen
Rekenly wyth reuerence þay rechene his auter,
þay hondel þer his aune body and vsen hit boþe;
If þay in clannes be clos þay cleche gret mede.
(Cleanness, Vv. 1-12)

For Clopyngel in þe compas of his clene Rose,
Þer he expoune3 a speche to hym þat spede wolde
Of a lady to be loued: 'Loke to hir sone
Of wich beryng þat ho be, and wych ho best louyes,

& be ry3t such in vch a bor3e of body and of dedes,
& fol3 þe fet of þat fere þat þou fre haldes;
& if þou wyrkkes on þis wyse, þa3 ho wyk were,
Hir schal lyke þat layk þat lyknes hir tylle.'

If þou wyl dele drwrye wyth Dry3tyn þenne,
And lelly louy þy Lorde and His leef worþe,
Þenne confourme þe to Kryst, and þe clene make,
Þat euer is polyced als playn as þe perle seluen.

For, loke, fro fyrst þat He ly3e withinne þe lel mayden,
By how comly a kest He watz clos þere,
When venkkyst wat3 no vergynyté, ne vyolence maked,
Bot much clener wat3 hir corse, God kynned þerinne.
Cleanness, Vv. 1057-72)

Cleanness! Whoever could praise that rightly and could
reckon up all the arguments that is rightly needs might
find beautiful forms for expressng waht he says; and
enormous trouble and difficulty when he comes to its
opposite.
For he who made all things is extraordinarily angry
with the man who follows after him in filth - such
as religious men who speak and sing at services,
and approach his presence - they are called priests.

They go to his temple and are bound to his service;
they draw near to his altar with due reverence, and
both handle and receive his own body. If they are
enclosed in cleanness they obtain a great reward.
 

For so Clopinel advises in the course of his pure Rose
where he sets out a speech to someone who wants to
succeed, about a lady to be loved: look at her first to
see how she behaves herself, and what she likes best.

And by just such observations of person and actions
everywhere, follow the footsteps of that lovely one
whom you believe to be good. And if you proceed in
this way, even if she is difficult, that behaviour which resembles her own will please her.
And if then you will be in love with God, and loyally
love your God and become his lover, then model your-
self on Christ who is always polished as spotless as
the pearl itself, and make yourself clean.

For notice how, from the time that he descended into
the faitful virgin, by what a beautiful device he was
enclosed there, when no virginity was overcome, no
violence was committed; but her body was much purer
since God was conceived in it.

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