>>23093454; )
>>23093536Lo, herkneth alle men and wommen þat liveth: we been alle y-born of o womman, and of o blood y-comen. Thogh oon man be blak and another whit, thogh oon speke in heigh tonge and another in lowe, yet alle been children of Adam, and of Eve al so.
In tyme ful auncien, oure eldres first y-rosen out of þe lond of Affrik, and wente y-wandrynge aboute þe erthe. And as þe sonne smoot hem with hete, and þe wyndes chaunged her skyn, so was her semblaunce al-lyk to þe lond þat they y-dwelled inne. Natheless, þo chaungynges ben but in þe skyn — þe soule is oon.
Þe clerkes and leches of this day han looked ynto þe flesch of man, and founden þat þe difference bitwixe folk of diverse hewe is but a litel mote — not worth þe mesure of an ey-lash. For sothe, man is al o kynde, and o makynge.
Wite ye wel: þat thing which men clepen "race" is but a name withoute sothnesse. Hit was y-maked in daies of pride and lordshipe, whanne oon wolde be maister and another y-bounde. Þus was fals wit used for greet wrong.
But God hath y-maked alle men y-lyk in herte and in witte: with reson for to thinke, with love for to cherisshen, and with hondes for to werken. Noman is mo worthi for þe colour of his skin, ne for þe tunge he speketh.
And so seith þe lawe of kynde, and þe lawe of Crist: Alle men been y-maked y-liche, and no wight sholde waxe riche by þe sorwe of his brother.
Wendeth þanne forth as bretheren, for þe erthe is oure commune herbergage, and to þe dust shul we alle torne. Þe sothnesse of oure oonhede shal be as light in derknesse, and as oyle upon woundes.
Amen.
