How the Sowle Was Beden to Answere to this Iugement

Capitulo xiiii

O gloryous Ihesu, so grete drede thenne and heuynesse had thorugh percyd my herte, soo that I ne wyst what to do ne saye. But when I saw myn wardeyn holde hym self stille, me dredde moche more. He sayde to me thenne that I shold for my self answere to these artycles of myn accusement. And yf I couthe or myght defende my cause, for to me properly it was appertynent. Other elles yf I couthe nought ne durste nought in myne owne persone, I shold clepe me somme aduocate that for me myght speke in the Court.

And when I herd hym speken of an aduocate, I gan to bythenke to me yf euer I had seruyd ony seynt whiche at this dystresse wold take my cause on honde. For wel I wist that aduocates be not so nyce for to pleden ony mannys cause withouten that it be deseruyd, other elles that they stonde in hope to be rewarded after. But as for so powre a man as I there wold none aduocate pleden without wages paid byfore in honde, for pledours in worldly courtes hauen tonges lyke to the languet of the balaunce that draweth hym alwey to the more peysaunt party that better wyl rewarden. But neuertheles, the aduocates of Heuene, when I had al assayd, I fond al of another condycyon, for surely I fond them for the porest most redy for to speke

But thenne I bethought me that no thyng had I to yeuen myne aduocate, ne I ne had in my lyf no seynt seruid in specyal, to whom by counseyl of Iob I myght torne my self to prayen to taken my quarel on hond after these wordes ad aliquem sanctorum conuertere¹². Thenne of heuynesse that tho distressyd me I made this compleynt: