For God hath sent me now indede,
ȝow for to enforme his comaundment;
ȝow to teche God hath me sent,
His lawys of lyff that arn ful wyse;
Them to lern be dyligent,
ȝoure soulys may thei save at the last asyse.
The preceptes that taught xal be,
Be wretyn in these tablys tweyn:
In the fyrst ben wretyn thre,
That towche to God, this is serteyn.
In the secund tabyl be wretyn ful pleyn,
The tother vij. that towche mankende:
Herk now welle, man, what I xal seyn,
And prent thise lawys welle in thi mende.
Primum mandatum. "Non habebis Deos alienos."
The fyrst comaundement of God, as I ȝow say,
Of the fyrst tabyl forsothe is this,
Thou xalt have, neythyr nyght nore day,
Noon other God but the kyng of blysse.
Undyrstonde wele what menyth this,
Every man in his degré,
And sett nevyr ȝour hert amys,
Upon this werdlys vanyté.
ffor if thou sett thi love so sore
Upon ryches and werdly good,
Thi wurdly rycches thou takyst evermore
Evyn for thi God, as man ovyr wood;
Amend the, man, and chaunge thi mood,
Lese not thi sowle for werdlys welthe,
Only hym love whiche bodyly ffood
Doth ȝeve alle day, and gostly helthe.
