She affirmed that he was myne owne but I knewe hym to be hers. For as sone as I came to the lyght of grace, whych thu haddest gyuē me, thā I knewe my glory to be changed, whan I sawe the dead chylde not to be myne. For the same whych was alyue (whom she had taken awaye) was myne owne. Betwene Iesus & synne is the chaunge so apparant. But here is a straunge thynge. Thys olde woman causeth me to kepe hym whych is dead, whom she reporteth to be myne, and so she wyll maynteyne. O Salomō, a full true iudge, thu hast hearde thys lamentable processe and ordayned to cōtent the partyes, that the chylde shulde be deuyded in two partes. The false woman agreyth, it shulde be so. But I remembrynge hym to be myne owne sonne, was rather contente to lese hym, than to se hys bodye parted in two peces. For true and perfyght loue is neuer contente with one halfe of that it doth loue. [Sidenote: 2[unclear]. Cor. 4.] [Sidenote: Sapi. 3.] [Sidenote: Gene. 6.] I had rather to wepe for my whole losse, than to recouer but one halfe. My mynde coulde not be satysfyed, if I had recouered one halfe without lyfe. Alas gyue her rather the chylde whych is alyue. Better it is for me to dye, than to se Iesus Christ dyuyded. But O my lorde, thu dedyst loke better to it than I. For thu seynge the anguysh that I ded suffer, & how I ded rather forsake my ryght, than to beholde suche cruelnesse Thu saydest, thys is the true mother and so caused them to gyue me my chylde agayne, for whom my harte was so sorowfull. O swete Iesus, I founde the after, to haue proued me if I ded loue the. Yea, I whych had lost the yet dedyst thu returne vnto me. Alas dost thu vouchesaue to come agayne to her, whych beynge lett with synne coulde not kepe the, my swete chylde, my sonne, my helper, my norysher, of whome I am a ryght humble creature. Do not permytt that euer I do leaue the agayne, for I do repent my selfe of the tyme passed. [Sidenote: Esa. 32.] [Sidenote: Psal. 118.] Now come my sensualyte with synnes of all qualytees, for thu hast no power to make me receyue the chylde whych is dead. The same that I haue is stronge ynough for to defende me, & he shall not permyt that thu take hym awaye from me. He is alredy more stronge than anye man is. Therfor I maye sleape and take rest neare hym. For all thynges wele consydered, he shall kepe me moche better than I coulde hym. Then as I thynke I maye take rest. O swete rest of the mother & the sonne togyther, my swete chylde. O my God, honoure & prayse be vnto the only, so that euery creature maye se how it hath pleased the to call me a mother, lesse than nothynge. The more that the thynge is straunge and harde to be done, the more ought thy goodnesse to haue prayse for it. And also I fynde my selfe more bounde vnto the than euer I ded for thys, that it pleaseth the to haue retayned me for thy syster. [Sidenote: Nume. 12.] [Sidenote: Deute. 5.]