Introduction God is able to get good from bad, since its action is naturally merciful. Quotation of the Easter hymn: O felix culpa (here attributed to Gregory the Great). Key point of the introduction: "Ordinavit enim deus malum reproborum ad quadruplex bonum electorum".  First part To contemplate the glory of Christ (as the three apostles) needs to renunce to all heartly things ("Moraliter: qui desiderat in beatitudine Christum glorificatum videre, mundum et omnia terrena debet relinquere"; X.F). The sermon presents a subdivision of the three reasons why "debemus ergo mundum et omnia terrena transitoria spernere et relinquere, quia habent: 1) Infidelitatem in acquirendo; 2) Instabilitatem in retinendo; 3) Anxietatem in reliquendo" (X.G). 1.1. To acquire richness, people deceive parents, friends, relatives, and neighbours. Manual workers deceive people, and citizens become rich by means of usury and frauds («Sic etiam hodie mechanici seipsos in laboribus suis depiciunt, cives et burgenses per usuram et mendatia divitias acquirunt»). Particular emphasis is on usuary, saying that now Christians are worse than Jews: «Et specialter ibi notat usuram, que ut pro dolor valde communis est Christiano et Iudeo, plus hodie Chrstiani quam Iudei usuram rapiunt. Nam iudeus de libra denarium vel duos per septimanam sumpsit, tu autem false Christiane vix in solido contentaris, et usuram nomine census baptizas» (X.G). Not only the one who does, but the city that accepts this behaviour is condemned. Brief discussion about usury and its exceptions. 1.2. About the instability of earthly good, the sermon refers to the Wheel of fortune, with quite an extensive comment that quotes at lenght Boethius, some didactic verses, and a symbolic anthropomorfic/theriomorphic symbol of fortune (X.I) 1.3. Sorrows in leaving things (at the moment of death). Among other quotations, this idea is explained quoting a passage of Aristotle Poetica, which presents fabulose the reply of an old palace to a poet that interrogated it about the destiny of the people that lived there in joy and splendour.
Second part

Introduction All things created by God have a purpose (reference to Aristotle’s De caelo), and the purpose of human beings is to know and love God (reference to Augustine); all virtuous actions bring human beings closer to the knowledge of God, but this is especially true with fasting.
Divisio (see above) 1) First part: two types of fasting: a) temporal fasting, i.e. abstinence from food; b) spiritual fasting, i.e. abstinence from vices. Three definitions of temporal fasting (references to Thomas Aquinas): 1. “Natural fasting”, i.e. be fasting before eating (not a virtue, because it is common to everyone); 2. “Moral fasting”, i.e. “abstinence” [scil. from excessive food], connected to the cardinal virtue of temperance: ieiunium est parsimonie virtus abstinentiaque ciborum (quote from Isidore of Seville, Etym. VI, 19, 65). 3. “Fasting for the remission of sins”, imposed by the Church, following the model of Jesus’ fasting during the forty days in the desert. 2) Second part: seven quaestiones: 1. Are we all required to fast during Lent? If we talk about “moral fasting” (cf. supra), it’s the natural law that requires us to fast (reference to Thomas Aquinas), because excessive food cause diseases and death to human beings. Praise of the past, when people lived with few resources: Felix nimium prior etas! / Contenta fidelibus arvis / nec inerti perdita luxu / facilique, sera solebat / ieiunia solvere glande (quote from Boethius, Philosophiae consolatio II, 5, 1-5). Eating soberly keeps one healthy and predisposes him to virtue. If we talk about “fasting for the remission of sins” (cf. supra) - i.e. “abstain from meat, eat only once a day at the ninth hour” -, then anyone who can do so must fast, starting from the years of discernment (i.e. when you become able to distinguish good from evil) in the periods established by the Church, such as Lent. 2. Is not fasting a mortal sin? Yes, it is: whoever disobeys his superior sins; the Church is the “presidente de’ cristiani” (= president of Christians), consequently its precepts must be respected, except in case of necessity - i.e. in case of illness, poverty, old age, or pregnancy -, because “necessity has no law”. 3. Is it a sin to fast on Sunday? Yes, because it is against Christian custom. 4. What time should we eat? At the ninth hour (motivation: expulsion of Adam from Paradise or death of Christ). Anticipating a little is not a sin. 5. Does drinking [wine] in the evening break the fast? No, but without eating bread. 6. Can one be exempt from fasting? Yes, if there is an obvious reason (illness, old age, etc.); in case of doubtful reason, it’s necessary to ask the priest for advice. 7. Does fasting bring merit? Yes, it brings three merits (obedience to the Church, fight against vice, less punishment in life or in Purgatory). 3) Third part: five fruits (i.e. advantages) of fasting, shown by five wounds on the body of Jesus: 1. Right hand = “inhibition”; 2. Left hand = “enlightenment of the intellect”: 3. Right foot = “appeasement”; 4. Left foot = “victory over three enemies: a. over “evil spirits”; b. over “corporal enemies”; c. over difficulties; 5. Chest = “glorification”.

Introduction Craftsmanship (ars) fixes the defects of nature (candle, stairway, ship...). There are three periods in history: ante legem, sub legem, tempus gratie. The law is like a craftsmanship (ars) that corrects the defects of [postlapsarian] nature and a figure of grace. References to the thema: Christ comes in the latest phase of history and the ship connects first with the Virgin Mary (allegory) and then with penance (moral interpretation): “vel navis designat penitentiam que nos de periculis mundi in sero huius temporis potest deducere ad portum salutis” (3K). - Two quaestiones (quaestio), connected with the two interpretations. Access to divine mercy. Christ is the source, yet the Virgin Mary is “quasi singularem imperatircem”. On the cross, Christ entrusted John to his mother, she is the only one who kept the faith, so to her he entrusted the Church (i.e. the ship): “ideo nunc habeas curam de ea cum filio quem tibi committo, ut navis ecclesie tua misericordia gubernetur” (3L). The divine mercy is received in the Church, through the Virgin. Is penance in extremis salvific? Penance needs to be true, that in extremis is risky since free will and deliberate conscience can be absent: “debet esse voluntaria et propter deum”, while there is the risk that it is motivated only by fear of eternal pain (“propter timorem pene”). It is also difficult to change nature (as an Ethiopian or a leopard do not change colour...). Yet, true penance is always salvific, also at the last moment (exemplum of Manasseh, 2 Chronicles 33). During this life, nobody should despair – but for this reason, no one has to postpone repentance. - Divisio  - First part  Necessity to watch (symbolized by the disciples working during the night on the boat) to protect oneself from the persecutor, i.e. the devil. Four vigils during the night symbolize different types of good works connected with different symbolic birds: first, the works of contrition and penance - brief discussion on confession, with the exemplum of the peacock; second, works of sanctification (comparison with the sparrow); third, works of compassion and mercy (associated with the crane); works of devotion (Ego dormio et cor meum vigilat; Ct 5), is the contemplation, exemplified by the nightingale (philomena). - Second part Importance of the presence of Christ, pilot (gubernator) of ship that has to cross the dangerous sea of this world. In the Gospel, he invites to trust him: Confidite, ego sum, nolite timere”. Three types of people need to trust him. incipientes quos informat ne pereant proficientes quis confortat ut compleant perfecti quos conservat ut permaneant [3S] 2.1. The beginners are those who begins the penance by putting the boat on the sea. Yet, as soon as one wants to make penitence, he is assaulted by pirates, symbol of pleasure (“obviat pyrata infernalis vento voluptatis”): depending on his character, they cause bad thoughts, stop him, capture him (3S). Long exemplum of Ulysses and Circe, referring to Boethius. In the moral interpretation, the transformation in beasts is connected with social sins, while Ulysses symbolizes the person who wins through the power of reason and by smelling the flower given to him by the queen of Troy - i.e. Christ which is given to a person by the Virgin Mary - and begins to do penance (3T). 2.2. Those half way are in the middle of the ocean and can be affected by sloth, lose the initial energy and relax too much, thinking that is natural to eat, drink, sleep, and make themselves comfortable – i.e. a relaxation in the ascetic effort. Sloth and laziness are the wind against, which is sent by the devil. Reference to the fable of the sirens mentioned by poets (“de quo in fabulis poetarum recitatur..”; 3V]), first in general, and then in connection with Ulysses “ut recitat Alexander in cincillario poesis” (?). Interpretation: syrens (the devil) want to move someone away from the commitment to navigation; Ulysses closing the ears of his fellows means to control the five senses; the mast of the ship is the Cross (3X). 2.3. The perfect people must be careful, since the perils increase getting close to the port, particularly the storms. Particularly dangerous is the spiritual pride and the poison of vainglory as well as to trust in oneself and in its merits (merit), for instance by recalling the good works done, while instead one has to trust only in Christ. The nautical imagery is prolonged with the story of the sea monster that becomes like a island, on which the sailors land, tying their ship to it and when they kindle a fire to cook, the monster awakes and sinks dragging them with itself. The monster symbolizes the world, due to its instability (instabilitas) and its being covered in mud by sins; the perfecti sometime stop to worry about the world, trust to much in themselves, and are suddenly overwhelmed by it (3Y). - Third part Miracles of Christ and his curative nature (he is compared with plants such as the pomegranate and with gems). In the Gospel, the people is cured by touching his garment. He has a triple garment (symbolism of clothes): 3.1. Purplish (purpurea), symbolo of the blood of his Passion - several biblical references – which can be touched by means of meditation. 3.2. Golden, i.e. the splendour of his virtues, which can be touched through imitation (imitatio). 3.3. The third garment of Christ was the womb of the Virgin Mary, which is ‘multicolour’: “istud vestimentum est stragulatum, vulgariter: gestryffelt” [note the vernacular expression]. Biblical reference: “Stragulatam vestem fecit sibi; bissus et purpura indumentum eius” (Proverbs 31:22). This leads to a Marian ending of the sermon, where each colour of the womb is connected with a virtue: plauenus = patience (which needs to be lined with joy: “istud vestimentum nihil valet nisi infuteratum, illa fuderatura est letitia ut leta sit patientia”; 3Z); candid = virginity; purplish = love (caritas)