I counseyll the in herte and in wyll that thou flee all suche vanytees For though thou be lorde or lady husbonde man or wyfe thou mayst haue as stable an herte wyll as some relygyous that sytte in the cloystres But so the it is that the moost sykerest waye is to fle as relygyous do but for all may not be men or women of relygyon therfore of euery degre in the worlde god hath chosen his seruauntes What euer than thou be that wyt come to the loue of god begynne fyrst to do good dedes with a good wyll and a contynuell desyre After that desyre fulfyl thy wyll in dede with dyscrecyon that thou mayst contynue to thy lyues ende Whā thou hast begonne thynke in thyn herte that god hath gyue the suche grace to begynne that thynge to his worshyp thou mayst well do it yf thou wylt performe it in dede with the helpe of god After this poynte stande stably in wyll aske grace of perseueraunce and performe it in dede with a feruent spyryte And whan thou hast begonne dyscretly though it be trauaylous in the begynnynge all that trauayle be it in fastynges wakynges prayers or ony other ghoostly trauayle all shall be lyght to the shall torne the in so grete myrthe and ghoostly conforte that thou shalt sette lytell by the passynge Ioye and the vanytees of the worlde Stande than stably in wyll and in dede and god almyghty that hath begonne good werkes in the wyll norysshe the forth in all vertues defende the from thyn enemyes teche the to loue hym and kepe the in to his loue to thy lyues ende after this deth thou shalt not drede for thou shalt euer abyde in his kyngdome where that is no care ne drede but all Ioye conforte for euermore lastynge ¶ Now I haue shewed to the foure degrees of loue declared here fyue specyall vertues whiche as me thynketh be moost nedeful euery man for to haue that wyl trauayle in ghoostly werkes to al other maner men and women they be full spedefull to knowe whether they be relygyous or seculer And for as moche as many in the begynnynge haue full lytell sauour in deuoute prayers or in holy medytacōns some perauenture for tender age some for vnconnynge therfore to suche symple folke I wyll shewe a maner forme how by medytacyon they may be styred to deuocyon and what maner prayer shall be to theym nede full AB ¶ By what prayer or thought thou mayst be styred to deuocyon THan thou ordeynest the to praye or haue ony deuocyon founde to haue a preuy place from all maner noyse tyme of reste wtout ony lettynge Syt there or knele there as is moost to thyn ease Than be thou lorde or lady thynke wel thou hast a god that made the of nought whiche hath gyue to the thy ryght wyttes ryght lȳmes other worldely ease more than to some other as thou mayst se aldaye that lyue in grete dysease moche bodely myschyef Thynke also how synful thou art were not the kepynge of that good god thou sholdest fall in to all maner of synne by thȳ owne wretchednes than thou mayst thynke sothly as of thy self that there is none so synful as thou art Also yf thou haue ony vertue or grace of good lyuynge thynke it cometh of goddes sendynge nothynge of thy selfe Thynke also how longe how often god hath suffred the in synne he wolde not take the in to dampnacyon whan thou haddest deserued it but goodly hath abyden the tyll thou woldest leue synne torne to goodnes for loth hȳ were to forsake that he bought so dere with bytter paynes Also thou mayst thynke for he wolde not lese the he became man was borne of a mayde in pouerte trybulacyons all his lyfe he lyued after for thy loue deth he wolde suffre to saue the by his mercy ¶ In suche maner thou mayst thynke of his grete benefytes and for the more grace to gete to the compūccyon beholde with thy ghoostly eye his pyteous passyon ¶ A short medytacōn of the passyon of our lorde Ihesu cryste THou mayst here ymagyne in thy herte as yf thou sawe thy lorde take of his enemyes with many repreues despytes brought before a Iuge falsely there accused of many wycked men he answered ryght nought but mekely suffred theyr wordes They wolde nedes haue hȳ deed but fyrst to suffre paynes Beholde thā that good lorde cheuerynge quakynge all his body naked bounde to a pyler about hym standynge wicked men wtout ony reason sore scorgynge that blessyd body without ony pyte Se how they cesse not from theyr angry strokes tyll they se hym stande in his blood vp to his ancles from the toppe of his heed to the sole of his foot hole skynne they lefte none his flesshe they rased to the bones for werynes of them selfe they lefte hym almoost dede Loke than asyde vp on his blessyd moder se what sorow she made for her dere sone haue compassyon of her payne that laye there aswowne Torne agayne to thy lorde se howe they vnbynde hym how hastly they drawe hym forth to do hȳ more dysease A garlonde of thornes they put vpon his heed tyll the blood ran downe in to his eyen nose mouth eeres Than they kneled downe with scornes arose vp with repreue spette in his face See than how the blessyd lady beteth her breste draweth her clothes wryngeth her hondes I trowe thou wylt wepe for that pyteful syght ¶ Loke yet agayn to thy lorde se how they hurle hym forth to an hyghe hylle there to nayle hym hande foot vpon the rode tree Se than fyrst how fyersly they drawe of his clothes how mekely that he than wente to the crosse he spredeth his armes abrode but strayter with cordes they drewe forth his armes tyl the synewes the Ioyntes be all to broke than with full grete nayles they nayled his precyous hondes to the crosse In the same maner thou mayst se how greuously they drawe his dere worthy legges and nayled his feet downe to the tree Se than how they profered hym for to drynke bytter galle eysyll and kneled agayn before hym with many despytes Than herken to that good lorde how mekely he taketh leue of his gracyous moder and of his dere apostles betaketh them eyther to other as dere moder and sone Than with a grete voyce he cōmended his spyryte to his father in heuen and hanged downe that blessyd heed ryght forth vpon his brest Se also how soone after they perced his herte thrugh with a spere with full grete anger and ranne downe by his body medled blood water Than mayst thou haue full grete pyte beholdynge that good lady how for sorowe she synketh downe in her systers armes Take hede to the chere of his apostle saynt Iohan to the teres of Marye magdalene and of his other
¶ Rycharde Rolle hermyte of Hampull in his contemplacyons of the drede and loue of god with other dyuerse tytles as it sheweth in his table ¶ Opus Ricardi Rolle heremyte de Hampull q i obiit Anno christi M.CCC.xlix THis shorte epystle that foloweth is dyuyded in sondry maters eche mater by hymselfe in sondry tytles as this kalender sheweth And that thou mayst sone fynde what mater the pleaseth these tytles ben here in the Epystle marked with dyuerse lettres in maner of a table A ¶ How eche man sholde desyre to loue god B ¶ How men somtyme loued god how holy men somtyme were vysyted with swetnesse in the loue of almyghty god C ¶ What is drede how a man shold drede god D ¶ What is charyte how why thou shalt loue thy go ¶ Of foure degrees of loue in the fyrste ben fyue poyntes ¶ Ordeyned loue E ¶ The fyrst is that thou shalt loue thy flesshe onely that it be susteyned F ¶ The .ii. is thou shalt loue the worlde to no suê‘fluyte G ¶ The .iii. is thou shalt loue thy neyghbour for god H ¶ The fourth is thou shalt loue thy frende for his good lyuynge I ¶ The fyfth is thou shalt loue thyn enemye for the more drede ¶ In the seconde degre of loue ben thre poyntes ¶ Clene loue K ¶ The fyrst poynt is thou shalt loue no vyce with vertue L ¶ The seconde is thou shalt hate all euyll customes M ¶ The thyrde is thou shalt not sette lyght by synne be it neuer so lytell ¶ In the thyrde degree of loue be fyue poyntes ¶ Stedfast loue N ¶ The fyrst is thou shalt loue god with all thy desyre O ¶ The seconde is thou shalt in the begynnynge of thy werkes thynke on the worshyp drede of god P ¶ The thyrde is thou shalt do no synÌ„e vpon trust of other good dedes Q ¶ The fourth is thou shalt rule the discretly that thou fayle not for none feruent wyll R ¶ The fyfth is thou shalt not leue thy good lyuyÌ„ge for feynte herte ne for temptacyon ¶ In the fourth degre of loue ben .viii. poyntes ¶ Parfyte loue S ¶ How by encreace of vertues thou mayst come to perfeccyon T ¶ How good wyll is may be in dyuerse maners U ¶ What parfyte is in prayer and in what maner thou shalt praye X ¶ How thou mayst beware knowe of temptacyons wakynge or slepynge howe thou shalt with stande theym Y ¶ How thou shalt be pacyent what tyme pacyence is moost nedefull Z ¶ How perseueraunce is nedefull how thou mayst be perseueraunt AB ¶ By what prayer or thought thou mayst be styred to deuocyon ¶ Explicit tabula IN the begynnynge and endynge of all good werkes worshyp thankynge be to almyghty god maker byer of all maÌ„kynde begynner and ender of all goodnes without whose gyfte helpe no maner vertue is ne may be whether it be in thought wyll or dede than what euer we synfull creatures thynke or do speke or wryte that may tourne in to proufyte of mannes soule to god onely be the worshyp that sente al grace to vs no praysynge for of vs without hym cometh no thynge but fylthe synne Now than good god of his endeles myght plenteuous goodnes grauÌ„te me grace to thynke somwhat of his dere loue how he sholde be loued of that same loue some wordes to wryte whiche may to hym be worshyp to the wryter mede and proufytable to the reder Amen A ¶ How eche man sholde desyre to loue god AMonge all creatures that euer god of his endeles myght made was there none that he so loued as he dyd mankynde whom he made euerlastynge blysse in stede of auÌ„gels whiche dyd fal from blysse downe in to helle But that good god loued so man that for as moche as man had forfeyted that blysse thorugh synne of Adam he of his plenteuous charyte became man to bye body and soule that was lost In what maner he bought vs euery crysten maÌ„ knoweth or sholde knowe that no lasse pryce but suffred his owne precyous body to be all to rente with bytter paynes of scorgyÌ„ge He suffred also a garlonde of sharpe thornes pressyd to his heed whiched percyd so the veynes that the blood ran doune in to his eyen nose mouth eeres Afterwarde vpon the crosse his bones were drawe out of Ioynte the veynes the senewes were borsten for strayte drawynge to the crosse he was nayled honde foot and so fayled the blood of kynd with bytter paynes of deth He betoke his spyryte to the fader of heueÌ„ and than suffred at the last his gloryous herte to be thorugh percyd with a shapre spere for to gyue his herte blood to bye man body and soule into Ioye without ende ¶ Yf god of his grete goodnes loued thus maÌ„ gyuynge hym ouer this wytte and reason and all other thynge that hym nedeth kyndely a man sholde nyght and daye with all his wyttes loue hym and feruentely desyre to conne loue suche a good god that all thynge made all thyÌ„ge gyueth and susteyneth Of this desyre there ben many men and women whiche haue full grete lykynge to speke of the loue of god and all daye askynge how they sholde loue god in what maner they sholde loue to his pleasaunce for his endeles goodnes To suche men women of that good wyll and that holy desyre I wyll shewe fyrste of holy men before this tyme how feruent some were in the loue of god Also in how hyghe a degree of loue some were vysyted in the swetenes of cryst But it may be so that it is full harde for the more partye of men women to come to so hyghe a degree of loue therfore after the shewynge of suche hyghe degrees of loue somwhat I wyll wryte to other of symple knowynge how they sholde loue god as that gracyous god wyll gyue me grace B ¶ How men somtyme loued god how holy men somtyme were vysyted with swetenes in the loue of almyghty god I Fynde rede of oure holy faders in olde tyme that for the loue of god they forsoke the worlde and all worldely thynges and lyued in wyldernes by grasse by rotes suche men were feruent in the loue of god But I trowe there ben but fewe or elles none that folowen them now for we fynde not by goddes lawe or heste that we sholde loue so For all be it they were kepte susteyned so it was moost by the myght and grace of god as no goodnes may be without hyÌ„ yet I trowe they lyued so moche by the strength of kynde that was in man tho dayes I wyll not couÌ„seyll the to lyue as they dyde for thou mayst by other maner lyuynge come to the loue of god as thou shalt se afterwarde ¶ I fynde also furthermore of other ful holy men of ryght late tyme whiche lyueden a ful holy lyfe
to god to thy souerayns what euer thou be as well in aduersyte as in prosperyte And yf thou put all thy wyll at goddes dysposycyon than shalt thou drede no maner of dremes for though they be dredefull sorowfull to thy syght be therfor not agast ne heuy but trustyngly put al togyder in to goddes honde he to ordeyne for the as he wyll Also though they be to thy syght glad confortable desyre them not ne byleue not in them but yf it be that they torne to the worshyp of god yf thou do thus by the grace of god thou shalt ouercome all temptacous slepynge Thus than slepynge wakynge yf thou withstande in the begynnynge the fals suggestyons of that wycked aūgell that is to saye wycked thoughtes peryllous ymagynacyons as I sayd before than thou shalt ouercome all temptacōns ¶ To this acordeth saynt Austyn sayth Yf we withstande the lust lykynge of vnclene thoughtes there sholde no synne reygne in our dedely bodyes Withstande than thoughtes be stronge ayenst temptacōns so thrugh that ghoostly strength thou shalt lyghtly come to the loue of god And for as moche as suche temptacyons other worldely trybulacyons fall oftentymes to goddes seruauutes in to grete mede of theyr soules so that they can suffre them mekely thanke god therfore I wyll shewe a fewe confortable wordes of the vertue of pacyence by the whiche thou mayst be styred for to suffre bodely and ghoostly dyseases gladly for the loue of god Y ¶ How thou shalt be pacyent what tyme pacyence is moost nedefull CHaryte whiche is moder keper of vertues is lost full often by Inpacyence To this acordeth saynt Gregorye sayth thus Men that be Inpacyent whan they wyll not suffre gladly trybulacyous destroye the good dedes whiche they dyde whyle the soule was in peas reste sodaynly they destroye that ghoostly werke that they haue begonne by good auysement grete trauayle By these wordes it semeth that it is nedefull to kepe with vs the vertue of pacyēce yf we sholde come to the loue of god for without encreace of vertues we may not come to y◠loue ¶ To speke than of pacyence I rede that in prosperyte it is no vertue to be pacyent but what man is troubled with many aduersytees standeth stably hopynge in the mercy of god he hath the vertue of pacyēce ¶ In thre maner of wayes goddes seruaūtes haue nede to be pacyent in trybulacōns The fyrst is whan god chastyseth them with his rodde as with losse of worldely godes or ellys with bodely sykenes The seconde is whā our enemye the fende trauayleth vs with dyuerse temptacyons by the suffraūce of god The thyrde is whā our neyghbours do to vs wronge or despytes In eche of these thre our enemye besyeth hym to brynge vs oute of pacyence in eche of these we sholde ouercome hȳ yf we be pacyent As thus yf we suffre easely gladly the chastysynge of god without ony grutchynge Also yf we delyte vs not in the fals suggestyons of the fende assente in no maner to his wycked temptacyons Also yf we kepe vs sadly in charyte whā we suffre ony wronges or despytes of ony of our neyghbours thus we sholde ouercome that wycked fende with the vertue of pacyence I sayd as for the fyrst we shold ouercome the fende yf we suffre easely gladly the chastysynge of god without ony grutchynge this is good that we suffre for it is for grete loue whiche he hath to vs so grete mede that he wyll ordeyne for vs. ¶ To this purpose saȳt Austyn speketh sayth thus to eche mānes soule callynge the soule doughter and sayth thus Doughter yf thou wepe vnder thy fader wepe not with Indygnacōn ne for pryde for that thou suffrest is for medycyne to the for no payne it is a chastysynge no dampnacyon yf thou wylt not lese thyn herytage Put not from the that rodde take no hede to the sharpenes of that rodde but take good hede how well thou shalt be rewarded in thy faders testamēt These wordes may be remeued to euery crysten man woman as thus Yf our fader in heuē sholde chastyse vs with losse of goodes or with sykenes of body we sholde not grutche but we sholde be sory that we trespaced ayenste our fader take mekely his chastysynge euer aske mercy His chastysynge is helpe to our soules rules of grete penaūce his chastysynge is but a warnynge for loue not durynge for wrath we sholde not be put out frome the herytage of heuen it is nedefull we be boxum to our fader in heuen suffre lowely gladly his ryghtfull chastysynge for our greuous trespasynge that thrugh the vertue of pacyence we may come to that grete herytage that is to saye to the blysse of heuen to the whiche he ordeyned vs in his last testamēt that was whan he gafe for vs his herte blood vpon the crosse Thus we must suffre gladly the chastysynge of god without grutchynge This chastysynge as I sayd is somtyme in sykenes of body somtyme in losse of worldely goodes Yf thou be chastysed with sykenesse of body haue in thy mynde the wordes of the apostle whan he sayd thus All be it that our body outwarde be corrupted with sykenes our soule within is made newe more clene frome daye to daye Also yf we be chastysed with losse of goodes take hede to the pouerte of Iob where thou may haue a grete example of pacyēce for with grete thankynges to god he toke full mekely gladly grete pouerte sykenes many dyseases sayd Our lord gafe our lorde hath take awaye as it pleaseth hȳ so it is do blessyd be the name of that lorde Iesu Thus thou hast example to suffre gladly the chastysynge of god I sayd also as for the seconde we sholde ouercome the fende yf we delyte vs not in his fals suggestyons yf we assente in no maner to his wycked temptacyons ¶ In the last chapytre before thou hast how thou shalt be stronge stable ayenst all temptacyons Se now more openly why thou shalt gladly suffre tēptacyons without ony grutchynge One skylle is for yf thou suffre them not gladly but grutchest ayēst them than thou lettest them that sholde helpe the the whiche be good angels other sayntes helpest thyn enemyes whiche be wycked fendes for a greter confort is none to theym but whan they fynde a man heuy and grutchynge therfore suffre them gladly and aske helpe mercy of hym in whom all grace is and confort Also yf thou suffre suche temptacōns gladly and assentest not to them in lykynge ne in wyll than thou stoppest the fende that he dar not assayle the with other temptacōns for he dredth to be put out from the be ouercome whan he feleth the so stable so pacyent that is a grete drede to hym For whan he trauayleth a man with