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Fyrst enteryde WYSDOME in a ryche purpull clothe of golde wyth a mantyll of the same ermynnyde wythin, hawynge abowt hys neke a ryall hood furred wyth ermyn, wpon hys hede a cheweler wyth browys, a berde of golde of sypres curlyed, a ryche imperyall crown þerwpon sett wyth precyus stonys and perlys, in hys leyfte honde a balle of golde wyth a cros þerwppon and in hys ryght honde a regall schepter, thus seyenge:

001  WYSDOM. Yff 3e wyll wet þe propyrte
002  Ande þe resun of my nayme imperyall,
003  I am clepyde of hem þat in erthe be
004  Euerlastynge Wysdom, to my nobley egalle;
005  Wyche name acordyt best in especyall
006  And most to me ys convenyent,
007  Allthow eche persone of þe Trinyte be wysdom eternall
008  And all thre on euerlastynge wysdome togedyr present.

009  Neuerþeles, forasmoche as wysdom ys propyrly
010  Applyede to þe Sune by resune,
011  And also yt fallyt to hym specyally
012  Bycause of hys hye generacyon,
013  Therfor þe belowyde Sone hathe þis sygnyficacyon
014  Custummaly Wysdom, now Gode, now man,
015  Spows of þe chyrche and wery patrone,
016  Wyffe of eche chose sowle. Thus Wysdom begane.

Here entrethe ANIMA as a mayde, in a wyght clothe of golde gysely purfyled wyth menyver, a mantyll of blake þerwppeon, a cheueler lyke to WYSDOM, wyth a ryche chappelet lasyde behynde hangynge down wyth to knottys of golde and syde tasselys,  knelynge down to WYSDOM, thus seyng:

017  ANIMA. Hanc amaui et exquisiui:
018  Fro my yougthe thys haue I sowte
019  To haue to my spowse most specyally,
020  For a louer of yowr schappe am I wrowte.
021  Aboue all hele and bewty þat euer was sowght
022  I haue louyde Wysdom as for my lyght,
023  For all goodnes wyth hym ys broughte.
024  In wysdom I was made all bewty bryghte.

025  Off yowr name þe hye felycyte
026  No creature knowyt full exposycyon.
027  WYSDAM. Sapiencia specialior est sole.
028  I am foundon lyghte wythowt comparyson,
029  Off sterrys aboue all þe dysposicyon,
030  Forsothe of lyght þe very bryghtnes,
031  Merowre of þe dyvyne domynacyon,
032  And þe image of hys goodnes.

033  Wysdom ys better þan all worldly precyosnes,
034  And all þat may dysyrde be
035  Ys not in comparyschon to my lyknes.
036  The lengthe of þe yerys in my ryght syde be
037  Ande in my lefte syde ryches, joy, and prosperyte.
038  Lo, þis ys þe worthynes of my name.
039  ANIMA. A, soueren Wysdom, yff yowur benygnyte
040  Wolde speke of loue, þat wer a game.

041  WYSDOM. Off my loue to speke, it ys myrable.
042  Beholde now, Sowll, wyth joyfull mynde,
043  How louely I am, how amyable,
044  To be halsyde and kyssyde of mankynde.
045  To all clene sowlys I am full hende
046  And euer present wer þat þey be;
047  I loue my lovers wythoutyn ende
048  That þer loue haue stedfast in me.
049  The prerogatyff of my loue ys so grett
050  þat wo tastyt þerof þe lest droppe sure
051  All lustys and lykyngys worldly xall lett;
052  They xall seme to hym fylthe and ordure.
053  They þat of þe hewy burthen of synne hathe cure
054  My loue dyschargethe and puryfyethe clene,
055  It strengtheth þe mynde, þe sowll makyt pure,
056  And yewyt wysdom to hem þat perfyghte bene.
057  Wo takyt me to spowse may veryly wene,
058  Yff aboue all thynge 3e loue me specyall,
059  That rest and tranqwykkyte he xall sene
060  And dey in sekyrnes of joy perpetuall.

061  The hye worthynes of my loue
062  Angell nor man can tell playnly.
063  Yt may be felt in experyens from aboue
064  But not spoke ne tolde as yt ys veryly.
065  The godly loue no creature can specyfye.
066  What wrech is that louyth not his love
067  þat louyt hys louers euer so tendyrly
068  That hys syght from them neuer can remowe?

069  ANIMA. O worthy spowse and soueren fayer,
070  O swete amyke, owr joy, owr blys!
071  To yowr loue wo doth repeyer,
072  All felycyte yn þat creature ys.
073  Wat may I yeue yow ageyn for þis,
074  O Creator, louer of yowr creature?
075  Though be owr freelte we do amys,
076  Yowr grett mercy euer sparyth reddure.

077  A, soueren Wysdom, sanctus sanctorum,
078  Wat may I yeue to yowr most plesaunce?
079  WYSDOM. Fili, prebe michi cor tuum.
080  I aske not ellys of all þi substance.
081  Thy clene hert, þi meke obeysance,
082  Yeue me þat and I am contente.
083  ANIMA. A, soueren joy, my hertys affyance,
084  The fervowre of my loue to yow I present.

085  That mekyt my herte, yowr loue so ferwent.
086  Teche me þe scolys of yowr dyvynyte.
087  WYSDOM. Dysyer not to sauour in cunnynge to excellent
088  But drede and conforme yowr wyll to me.
089  For yt ys þe heelfull dyscyplyne þat in Wysdam may be,
090  The drede of God, þat ys begynnynge.
091  The wedys of synne yt makyt to flee,
092  And swete wertuus herbys in þe sowll sprynge.

093  ANIMA. O endles Wysdom, how may I haue knowynge
094  Off þi Godhede incomprehensyble?
095  WYSDOM. By knowynge of yowrsylff 3e may haue felynge
096  Wat Gode ys in yowr sowle sensyble.
097  The more knowynge of yowr selff passyble,
098  þe more veryly 3e xall God knowe.
099  ANIMA. O soueren Auctoure most credyble,
100  Yowr lessun I attende, as I owe,

101  I þat represent here þe sowll of man.
102  Wat ys a sowll, wyll 3e declare?
103  WYSDOM. Yt ys þe ymage of Gode þat all began;
104  And not only ymage, but hys lyknes 3e are.
105  Off all creaturys þe fayrest 3e ware
106  Into þe tyme of Adamys offence.
107  ANIMA. Lorde, sythe we thy sowlys yet nowt wer þer,
108  Wy of þe fyrst man bye we þe vyolence?

109  WYSDOM. For euery creature þat hath ben or xall
110  Was in natur of þe fyrst man, Adame,
111  Off hym takynge þe fylthe of synne orygynall,
112  For of hym all greaturys cam.
113  Than by hym of reson 3e haue blame
114  And be made of brondys of helle.
115  Wen 3e be bore fyrst of yowr dame,
116  3e may in no wyse in hewyn dwell,

117  For 3e be dysvyguryde be hys synne,
118  Ande dammyde to derknes from Godys syghte.
119  ANIMA. How dothe grace þan ageyn begynne?
120  Wat reformythe þe sowll to hys fyrst lyght?
121  WYSDOM. Wysdam, þat was Gode and man ryght,
122  Made a full sethe to þe Fadyr of hewyn
123  By þe dredfull dethe of hym was dyght,
124  Off whyche dethe spronge þe sacramentys sevyn,

125  Wyche sacramentys all synne wasche awey:
126  Fyrst, baptem clensythe synne orygynall
127  And reformyt þe sowll in feythe verray
128  To þe gloryus lyknes of Gode eternall
129  Ande makyt yt as fayer and as celestyall
130  As yt neuer dyffowlyde had be,
131  Ande ys Crystys own specyall,
132  Hys restynge place, hs plesant see.

133  ANIMA. In a sowll watt thyngys be
134  By wyche he hathe hys very knowynge?
135  WYSDOM. Tweyn partyes: þe on, sensualyte,
136  Wyche ys clepyde þe flechly felynge.
137  The fyve owtewarde wyttys to hym be serwynge.
138  Wan þey be not rewlyde ordynatly
139  The sensualyte þan, wythowte lesynge,
140  Ys made þe ymage of synne then of hys foly.

141  The other parte, þat ys clepyde resone,
142  Ande þat ys þe ymage of God propyrly,
143  For by þat þe sowll of Gode hathe cognycyon
144  And be þat hym serwyt and louevyt duly.
145  Be þe neyther parte of reson he knowyt dyscretly
146  All erthely thynges how þey xall be vsyde,
147  Wat suffysyth to hys myghtys bodely,
148  Ande wat nedyt not to be refusyde.

149  Thes tweyn do sygnyfye
150  Yowr dysgysynge and yowr aray,
151  Blake and wyght, fowll and fayer vereyly,
152  Euery sowll here, þis ys no nay,
153  Blake by sterynge of synne þat cummyth all-day,
154  Wyche felynge cummythe of sensualyte,
155  Ande wyght by knowenge of reson veray
156  Off þe blyssyde infenyt Deyte.

157  Thus a sowle ys bothe fowlle and fayer:
158  Fowll as a best be felynge of synne,
159  Fayer as a angell, of hewyn þe ayer,
160  By knowynge of Gode by hys reson wythin.
161  ANIMA. Than may I sey thus and begynne
162  Wyth fyve prudent vyrgyns of my reme--
163  Thow be þe fyve wyttys of my sowll wythinne--:
164  "Nigra sum sed formosa, filia Jerusalem."