Paradiso Thys day shalt thou be with me in paradyse it is than nother the longe tyme nor the short nor yet the penaunce that dothe put away or make lesse that payne of it selfe but the loue of god / for whose sake that penauÌ„ce is done and that loue may be in a persone feruente in shorte tyme as well as in longe / and all the penaunce that is done Grego probatio a mortis is nothynge but a profe of that loue / so as longe as we byde in this corruptyble sory bodye we must loue / and euer proue that loue by contynuall penaunce and good werkes forsakynge all synne For els is all the penaunce the workes voyde and loste But yet foloweth nat therof that we shulde desyre longe lyfe ne shorte but as he wyll For to gyue vnto god frely fully and holly our wyll / so that we haue no wyll but his is the greattest gyfte that we can gyue vnto god and the thynge that he chefely requireth desyreth of vs / for he doth nat desyre our affliction ne penauÌ„ce / but gyue me saith he thyne hert that suffyseth me Than so to gyue vnto him the thynge that he fyrst gaue frely vnto vs that is fre wyll is that thyng that may best auoyde or make lesse that payne And so to say thynke wyl that yf he wolde haue vs longer in payne / we shulde consent and wyll so to be / yet forther we shuld rather chuse desyre payne ê‘petuall after his wyl thaÌ„ ioy euerlastyng contrarye vnto his wyll And this wil may be had iÌ„ fewe yeres shore tyme. To wyll than Marcu trismâ—g ad Eâ—â—lâ— pium and to desyre to be with god / by longe or shorte payne or withoute any payne as beste shall please hys gracyous goodnes / is the best meane nexte remedy and moost sure waye to auoyde fle and to minysshe payne / and in that wyll without feare drede of deth / or rather dispysynge deth to tary byde / in euery thing to suffre his wyll pleasure / euer redy for dethe and lokynge euery houre for deth with ferueÌ„t desyre / and wysshe to be with hym and to abyde here / for nothynge but only for hym / so that he be as saynt Paule sayth all our lyfe / and deth for his sake be vnto vs lucre Phil. i. gaynes wynnynge and auauntage The pagane Cicero sayeth In Tus that a wyse man wyll neuer feare dethe The reason why is that deth by reason of vncertayne chauÌ„ces doth dayly and hourely fall happye sodenly come vnto euery sorte / degre and maner of ages / and also because of the shortnes of our lyfe dethe can nat be longe absent from vs. For as saynt Ambrose sayeth we may be in certente that yf we lyue very longe yet shall we dye shortly De bono mortis ca. i. ix For the longest of our lyues is very shorte / and specially yf we compare it vnto the longe life of eternite than is it nothynge nat so moche as one mote vnto the whole erthe / yet the commune people whan a yonge person departeth doth saye oh alas Vbi su it is pytie that such a ê‘son shuld dye thus and departe before his tyme / but hereunto he doth answere Before the tyme sayeth he / what tyme done they meane other that tyme that they wolde set and desyre or els that tyme that god hathe determyned and appoynted If they meane theyr tyme I wyll nat dispute ne reason with them But if they meane goddes tyme / than wyll I saye / that almyghtye god dothe nat gyue lyfe vnto any ê‘son for euer / as his owne thyng but rather dothe lende it As dette to be payde whaÌ„ so euer it shal be axed and nat at any certayne day appointed / and as the detter may vse the dette so lent whyle he hathe it / and yet hath no wronge although it be axed soner than he wolde or yet than he supposed So in lyke maner god hath lent euery person lyfe but he poynted no daye whan he wyll axe and haue it agayne / that he dyd bycause he wolde that man shulde be alway redy to paye whan so euer he were called vpon Howe than may any person complayne or grudge whaÌ„ so euer he is taken by deth / syth he receyued life by that condicyon yet syr sayd they / the credytour and lender is called harde that calleth for the dette before the borower haue any gaynes or profet therof / so done we thiÌ„ke that god dealeth hardely with the yonge persones / because he taketh theyr lyfe before they haue any pleasure thereof Hereto nowe saye I they done suppose by erroure that is nothynge trewe / that is that in this lyfe shulde be pleasure / whiche in very dede well consydered is contrarye that is to say displeasure payne miserie wo and dethe And therfore those persones that come to dethe in theyr youthe / ben moch bounde to thaÌ„ke our lorde that hath delyuered theÌ„ from those incommodytes and miseryes that they shulde haue had and suffred in lenger lyuynge And here the coÌ„mune people suppose an other great errour that is / that longe lyfe shulde be good and pleasaunt where in dede longe lyfe taketh awaye all maner of goodes pleasures of this lyfe / that is to say the goodes of fortune / as landes possessyons golde syluer and other goodes and cattell For age in longe life spendeth all / and getteth nothynge It taketh away also the senses and wyttes of man / as hearynge Cicero vbi sup syght smellynge tastynge and touchyng / with the other goodes of nature as youthe strength beaute and agilyte / nymlesse and quickenes And yet the goodes that ben more precyous and dere than al these that is to say memorye and remembraunce / reason vnderstandynge connynge and knowlege / maketh many tymes the wyll frowarde And doth rendre and make whole man bothe in soule and body full dull in deuocyon and in all maner of goodnes and vertue wherfore the wysman sayd Ec. vi b. Better is he and more happy that dyeth at the mothers wombe forthwith after his byrth / than is he that lyueth longe No person therfore of any age hath wroÌ„ge by deth for euery person by the lawe of synÌ„e is in the fyrste day of byrthe or rather in the fyrst day of lyfe mortall and subdued vnto deth / and in the fyrste daye of lyfe euery person begynneth to dye Augusti And therfore is it nat agayne the lawe for any persoÌ„ to dye at any tyme yonge or olde Let vs therfore good deuout chrystyanes put clene away and vtterly exyle this frayle and fals opinyon of deth / and let vs thynke verely and beleue / that in dethe is no wroÌ„ge but all ryght no payne but great pleasure In tus vbi sup all good nothyng euyll For as the
our carnall parte / alway abhorre / feare naturally all though in some persones more / and some lesse For you may se in experyence / that some ê‘sones ben redy to swone or talme / yf they se an other ê‘sone sore wouÌ„ded / blede or put vnto great peynes / some done shake for feare / whaÌ„ they here tell howe some other persones shal be racked and streyned And some persones wyll abhorre to loke vpon the instrumentes or ingyns of tourmentrye as chyldren whan they se the rodde or whyppe Deth therfore is nat to be feared / nor dredde for any peyne that is therin Many done dye departe this lyfe nat onely as we sayd without peyne / but also with desyre and pleasure Which thyng we haue before Probacy on by reason proued by auctoryte / and good reason / wyll conclude the same For yf peyne be in dethe / that peyne muste nedely be / other in the body or in the soule But in the body at the poynte of dethe is no peyne For than ben all the senses and wyttes of the body wherby he shulde feale peyne or pleasure / gone and departed the bodye than in suche case as for fealynge peyne as whan it is full dede And as vnto the soule / deth is nat peynefull but rather pleasant and ioyfull / as a person that long had ben in prison / and then were sodenly loused and put at lyberte De bono mortis For as saynt Ambrose sayth The soule is in prison / whyle it is in the body therfore is it glad to be delyuered by deth And to saye trothe whan the poynt of deth approcheth and draweth nere bothe the partes in maner ben glad to deê‘te in souÌ„dre / that is to saye Marowse they cal in the couÌ„teâ— .ii. housbaÌ„d men that done tyll their laÌ„de together the soule from the body / the body from the soule / as by example of .ii. marowes or .ii. suche persones that muste nede labour bothe together vnto such an effecte / purpose / as can nat come to pas and be fulfylled by one of them alone / then at nyght or when theyr purpose is ended they ben gladde wher the tone is nat able theruÌ„to alone without helpe to depart vnto theyr owne propre whomes logynges and places So is it of the soule and the body / that here as .ii. marowse or mates done labour to gether as in an exyle or straunge countrey for as saynt Paule sayth non habemê° hic ciuitatem manentem / we haue nat here sayth he any cytie or dwellynge place / and whan that labour of them bothe to gether hathe fulfylled the course of nature vnto the periode / poynt assygned of god / than done they gladly depart eueryche towarde his propre whome / that is the bodye vnto the erthe from whens it came Gene. iii. d. And the soule vnto heuyn / except it be letted with any synne which may neuer entre into heuen Thus haue we proued vnto you bothe by auctoryte and by reason / that in deth is no peyne and so that no feare shulde be taken of any or for any suche peyne yet shall I go forther and proue the same by experyence Probacyon by experyence For lady experyence hath shewed oftymes / vnto many persones that in dethe is no peyne For some persones haue ben in traunce / that for the tyme haue had a large experyence of dethe / whan the body was so desolate of the soule / that the body felt nothynge ne any thynge perceyued by any of the senses or wyttes / and yet hath the soule in the same tyme sene / perceyued the state of heuen hell or any other place ii Cor. xii a. Saynt Paule was so in suche rapte / that he coulde nat tell him selfe whether the soule was in his bodye or nat And that was a large and nere experyence of dethe / but yet nother he ne any of those so takyn in trauÌ„ce or rapt / haue made any mencyon of any peyne in theyr rapte ergo there is no peyne in deth Swonynge also or talmynge / is in maner a dethe / syth the body for that tyme is destytute / and voyde of all the wyttes and some in suche swones talmes done expyre dye and departe this lyfe yet those that done suruyue / recouer lyue agayne / done euydently shewe what peyne they had or suffred / that so departed in theyr swone or talme / but they confesse / and say playnly they felte no maner of payne / but rather a greate ease of all peynes ergo in dethe is no peyne Some ê‘sones also haue expyred and dyed slepynge which I doubt nat shulde haue ben waked yf a pynne or a nedell had ben thraste or put through theyr eares or yf fyre had brent theyr fynger / ergo no peyne in deth Let vs yet go vnto a forther experyence of deth Io. xi d. Lazare brother to Magdalene and Martha as the Gospell sheweh was dede .iiii. dayes and yet reysed by our sauyour many haue ben reysed by myracle I knewe and spake with one suche my selfe But nothynge haue I herde / or redde of any peyne that any of them suffre in dethe / ergo no peyne in deth Amb. de bonomoâ—tis ii.li de Cain et Abel cap. x. and so doth saynt Ambrose plainly / affyrm in a boke that he wrote of the goodnes and profyte of dethe The feare sayth he that the frayle persones haue of dethe / is rather by the opinyon that they conceyue of deth / then for the selfe deth Bycause they haue sene or herd tell of many great paynes syckenesses and passyons that many done suffre before theyr dethe / and that causeth theyr frayle flesshe to abhorre De bona mortis cap. viii and to lothe deth / bycause of those peynes and greues And specyally suche persones as haue a loue inordynate vnto the vayne pleasures of this present lyfe And those also that iÌ„ a whole body haue a sycke soule / foyled conscyence moste done they feare dethe that halte and ben faynte in the faythe And no meruayle thoughe suche maner of persons do feare In tusvbi sup drede deth For as the lerned Cicero sayth yf theyr lyfe had nothynge coÌ„mytted ne done / that were to be feared they shulde of dethe haue no drede wyse men done feare synne whiche is the acte / and dede of quycke and nat of dede persones De bono mortis vt supra We shulde sayth saynt Ambrose feare drede our life / the actes and dedes wherof done appertayne and belonge vnto our selfe / and ben iÌ„ our owne power and at our owne will / nat feare dethe that is nother in our wyll ne power For whether we wyll or nat that is / wyll we nyll we expire / and dye / nedely we must De remedis forâ—u it coru
oftsayde Cicero sayth howe may that thyng be vnto any person euyll and hurt that almyghty god hath ordayned vnto all persones indifferentlye / for theyr good and profet and as the ende of all euyles Good lorde thaÌ„ howe curragyously gladly shuld that iourney and voyage be interprysed taken / whiche ones made and finysshed no care ne woo / no thought ne busynes / no turmoyle ne trouble no stryfe ne debate / no payne ne disease / no vexacyon ne displeasure may remayne ne folow but vnto them that well hope / shal wel happe / what tyme so euer they go But yet ben they most happye / and gracyouse that in state of saluacyon done dye and departe this lyfe in theyr youthe / and strength For vnto them immedyately after theyr deth must nedely folowe one of these twayne that is that they must go streyght way vnto heuyn or els vnto payne If they go vnto payne / than the soner they dye / the shorter tyme they lyue the lesse there and the shorter tyme shall be theyr payne And ouer that they shall haue the greattest comforde that any creature may haue beyng out of heuyn For the whiche comforde to be had any faythfull person wold be glad to suffre any maner of most cruell horryble payne or passyon that is to say surety of saluacyon SaÌ„ctus Thoma iiii sent di xv q. .iii. ar l. For all the soules beynge in payne ben coÌ„munely sure certayne of theyr saluacyon that whaÌ„ theyr penaunce is paste and theyr synnes purged / they knowe for certente they shal go into heuen vnto euerlastynge ioy and comfort But remembre that I sayde / they ben communely sure certayne of saluacyon For it may be the some one or fewe soules haue nat that knowledge / but that god for some specyall offence / and for a speciall payne punysshement therof doth hyde kepe that knowledge from them as we haue in the reuelacyons of our holy mother saynte Byrget And that payne is more alone thaÌ„ all the paynes of the other soules For that sure knowledge of saluacyon Live vi c. xxxix â— is vnto them a synguler confort in all paynes and dothe cause them to suffre the paynes with good wyll in the charyte of our lorde glad to suffre moche more at his gracyous wyll and pleasure If those that departe this lyfe go streyght vnto heuyn than ben they ferre more happye that from the miseryes of this wretched worlde they be come vnto the pleasaunt possession of so great vnspekeable ioye For you may be sure it is an excellente ioye to be there in companye with the pure virgynes the holy confessours / the gloryous martyrs / diuyne apostles sage patryarches / bryght shynynge aungels / and the virgyn mother our blessyd Lady and all these to se and beholde with our reuerende lord and souerayne sauyour Iesu Chryst / And all before the presence of the blessyd Trinyte / father son holy ghost there prayenge all for vs and lowly besechinge that hygh mageste eterne euerlasting god For al maÌ„kynd I thiÌ„ke verely beleue that any faithful christiane wold be glad to expire suffre dethe euery day newely / if it were possible oftimes in the day so he were sure that he therby myght atteyne come vnto the pleasure / why thaÌ„ nowe I speke with stomake why for shame shuld we as cowardes or chyldren fere drede deth specially sith deth is nothiÌ„g but like vnto a slepe For the old philosophours said that slepe was a very ymage of deth as one maÌ„ may knowe an other by his ymage althogh he had neuer se ne hiÌ„ before ii Mac. xii IohaÌ„ xi Iob. so may we know what deth is by the ymage which is slepe so is it called also iÌ„ scripture iÌ„ diuers places our sauiour him selfe said the lazarê° slept whaÌ„ he was ded / deth also is called a shadow / but you ê‘ceyue wel se that folkes beÌ„ nat afrayde of a shadow nor yet of step nother For oftimes we slepe with our feare or drede and without any payne or grefe / but rather with desyre and pleasure / why shulde we than feare dethe syth we so euydeÌ„tly done â—e perâ—eyue by the ymage howe lytle dethe is to be drede / let vs therfore put awaye this opinyonatyue feare and drede of dethe / and syth it dothe dayly approche wayte for vs let vs agayne with glad mynde and redye good wyll abyde and wayte for it and haue therof a thurst and a desyre / rather than any feare or drede howe be it of a suretye dethe is than lest feared and most desyred whan the lyfe of the persone / may at the tyme of deth be of sure and vnfayned godly frendes / conforted with the true testymonye and prayse of vertue / wherfore good deuoute chrystynes althoughe your reason lernynge be nat sufficyent to cause or to perswade you / vtterly to dispyse deth / yet let your well spente lyfe clere conscyence perfourme and so satisfie you that you be perswaded and verely beleue as a trothe euydent and opyn vnto you / that to lyue lenger were more miserye / that your lyfe hath be verey longe or rather ouerlonge If it had pleased our lorde before and erste to haue called you Thus now good Chrystianes let vs without any care of deth leaue the carnall mournynge and waylynge therof / vnto our suruyuyng frendes / that with lamentacyon / and shal inteere and burye our bodyes And let vs take an other maner of care and dilygence / to prepare apparell and to order our selfe vnto that thynge that we knowe well no persone shall auoyde nor escape / byleuynge and trustyng verely that he that made vs of nought / and whan we were lost wold so derely bye vs agayne / wyll nat suffre vs to dye But rather as I sayd before to chaunge this wretched lyfe for an other more precyous and ioyful / onely to be desyred All this hytherto haue I sayde to the intente that you shulde exyle exclude and put away ferre from you the commune feare full fantasye of the odious opinyon of deth / and somwhat to ingendre and bylde in you a contrarye opinyon A couetous desyre to be with our lorde Amen ⧠Nowe shall folowe the seconde parte of this interpryse / of the dayly exercyse and experyence of deth ⧠Of the exercyse and experyence of dethe The seconde parte of this interpryse FIrst you must knowe what is exercyse / and what is experynce / howe by them you may come vnto the knowledge of deth An exercyse than is an acte dede an vse of workynge or laborynge Than done you exercyse vertue Defini of exercice whan you put it vnto vse and workyng therof the exercyse of deth / is the acte and vse of the workyng therof Defini of experyence i. Meth. Experyence is a knowledge
doth folowe the Crede ¶ The fyrste article CRedo in deuÌ„ patrem omnipotentem Saynte Peter creatorem celi et terre ✿ I byleue vpoÌ„ god the father almyghty maker of heuen of erth This terme In deum / is diuersly Englysshed some done saye / in to god some inwardly in god / some perfytly in god But the mooste commune vse of the countrey of the vnlerned people / is to saye I byleue vpon god and vpon his fayth / but all dothe meane in effecte / that the persone hath perfyte faythe and byleue in god / and vnto god ¶ The seconde article Saynte Andrew ¶ Et in Iesum Christum filiuÌ„ eius vnicum dominum nostrum ✿ And I also byleue perfytely vpon our lorde Iesu Christe his onely begoteÌ„ sone that is to say the only begoten sone of the sayd father ¶ The thyrde article Saynte Iohan. ¶ Qui coÌ„ceptus est de spuÌ„ sctoÌ„ natê° ex maria virgine ✿ And also I byleue perfytly the our sayd lorde Iesu was conceyued of the holy ghost borne of our lady saynt Mary she remaynyng abydyng euer euer a virgine ¶ The fourth article ¶ Passus sub pontio Pilato / crucifixus mortuus et sepultus Saynte Iames the more ✿ And also I perfytly byleue that our sayde lorde Iesu dyd suffre his passion was crucified deed and buried vnder the power and iugement of a man called by propre name Poncius / and by his seconde or surename Pylate ¶ The fyfth artycle ¶ Descendit ad inferna Saynte thomas of Iude. tertia die resurrexit a mortuis ✿ And I byleue perfytely also / that our sayd lorde Iesu after his sayde passyon and dethe / descended and wente downe vnto the lowe places of hell / and brought forthe froÌ„ thense our fyrste father Adam and all that were there with hym / and that vpoÌ„ the thyrde day after his deth he dyde aryse from deth / and all the bondes therof vnto lyfe euerlastynge ¶ The syxth artycle Saynte Iames / the lesse ¶ Ascendit ad celos sedet ad dexteram dei patris oiÌ„potentis ✿ And also I byleue perfytly that our sayd lorde Iesu dyd ascende and stye vp vnto the hyghest heuens and ther doth syt vpon the ryght hande of god the father oiÌ„potent and almyghty ¶ The seuenth article Saynte Philipe ¶ Iude veÌ„turus est iudicare viuos et mortuos And I also ê‘fytely byleue that he wyll come these agayne in to this worlde to iuge all persones quycke and deed ¶ The .viii. article Saynte Bartelmewe ¶ Credo in spiritum sanctum ✿ I byleue perfytly also vpoÌ„ the holy ghost the spirite of the father and of the sone with them both the same selfe god ¶ The .ix. article Saynte Mathewe ¶ Sanctam ecclesiam catholicaÌ„ ✿ I also byleue that the churche of Christe is and was / and euermore shal be holy faythfull / therefore I do gyue fayth and credeÌ„ce vnto the same and vnto the determinacions therof ¶ The .x. article ¶ Sanctorum communionem Saynte Symon remissioneÌ„ peccatorum ✿ I byleue also the communioÌ„ of sayntes that is to say / I byleue that all the workes and good dedes of all good holy persones / ben and shal be coÌ„mune so that euery faythfull Christian hath shall haue part with other And also I byleue the remisson of synnes that is to say / that all maner of synnes may and shal be forgyuen / if forgyuenes be duely desyred and axed ¶ The .xi. article ¶ Carnis resurrectionem Saynte Iude called also saint Tadeus ✿ I also byleue the resurrection of our flesshe / that is to saye / I byleue that all maner of persones shall aryse at the daye of dome in soule body with the same flesshe blode and bones that they were borne with and dyed with ¶ The .xii. article Saynte Mathie ¶ Et vitam eternam Amen ✿ And I also byleue euerlastyng lyfe that is to say that after the generall resurrection all maner et persones / as well good as euyll dampned or saued / shall coÌ„tynue in lyfe euerlastynge eyther in ioye or payne neuer departe therfroÌ„ This worde Amen is declared before in the ende of the Pater noster ¶ This maner of the Pater noster Aue and Crede I wold haue vsed rede vpoÌ„ the boke at euery mele / or at the leeste ones a day with a lowde voyce as I sayde that all the persones presente may here it And yet forther I wolde aduyse counseyle all other housholders to se as I do knowe / and proue / that euery persone in theyr house / all that ben vnder theyr gouernaunce and charge can say the same and therfore they muste take the laboure to here them theym selfe and wher nede is to teche them For many that ben aged and can not say wyll be abasshed to lerne it openly and yet if they here it dayly redde after the maner shewed before they shall by vse and custome lerne it very well And some other persones there bene that can saye ryght well / both vpon the boke and without but yet amonge them some bene dullaâ—des and slouthfull and some negligente and careles / and so done they not saye it but in tyme forgete it / as in maner they hade neuer lerned it I pray you therfore good deuoute housholders do as I do take the payne to here them your selfe at the leestâ— ones a weke let none escape you / olde nor yong It shall byleue me be vnto you a great discharge of conscience and not without merite greate rewarde And charge them straytly vnder payne of punysshement / that they say it euery day thre tymes at the leest / that is to saye / in the mornynge / at none or myddaye / at nyght Than must you teche them to knowe by ordre the preceptes or coÌ„maundementes of god the names of the .vii. priÌ„cipall synnes of theyr .v. wyttes as thus The coÌ„maundementes of god ben .x. in noÌ„bre The fyrst that we shall haue no straunge ne other godes but one alone and hym to loue honoure drede aboue all thynges The seconde we may not take the name of god in vayne therfore we may not vse to swere The thyrde we must kepe our holy day with close mynde vnto god reuerende deuocion and therfore we may do no bodely or worldly labours for lucre therin The fourth we muste with reuerende and due lowly maner do honoure vnto our parentes that is to say vnto our fathers and mothers and we shall haue by the promyse of god longe lyfe therfore The .v. we shall not slee or kyll any persone neyther in dede nor yet in wyll or mynde nor yet may we hate any persone in harte For who so euer so doth i. Ioh. iii. is an homicide and maÌ„sleer The .vi. we maye do no lechery The .vii. we may
god muste also loue his neyghboure The .vi. precepte The syxthe coÌ„maundemeÌ„t is that no lechery be done / whiche is not mente onely for the vnlawful dede but also for all maner of prouocacion therunto / as wanton and lyght behauyours in kyssynge clyppynge and vnclene touchynge Math. v d. a lyght loke or caste of the syghte with a desyre and consente of harte vnto the dede dothe breke this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t Moche more than doth rybauldy breke it and suche maner as before is sayd The olde prouerbe sayth Who so wyll none euyll do shulde do nothynge that longeth therto The ghostly enemy dothe deceyue many persones by the preteÌ„ce and coloure of matrymony in pryuate-secrete contractes Contractes For many men whan they cane not obteyne theyr vnclene desyre of the woman wyll promyse mariage thervpoÌ„ make a contracte promyse and gyue faythe and trouth eche vnto other saynge Here I take the. N. vnto my wyfe and therto plyght the my trouth And she agayne vnto him in lyke maner And after the done / they suppose they may lawfully vse theyr vnclene behauyoure / somtyme the acte dede doth followe vnto the great offeÌ„ce of god theyr owne soules It is a greate ieopardy therfore to make any suche contractes specially amonge them selfe secretely alone without recordes whiche must be two at the leest For many tymes after the vnlawfull pleasure is paste discorde dothe fall bytwene the parties eyther bycause that as the coÌ„mune prouerbe sayth hote loue is sone colde ii ReguÌ„ xiii c or els by the meanes of theyr frendes or by some couetyse to haue a better mariage they or one of them done denye the contracte so vnlawfully done mary otherwyse and lyue in aduoutry all theyr lyfe tyme. And bycause the churche cane not openly knowe the thyng that was spoken and done in priuyte they bene thought and supposed so to lyue as lawfully in mariage wher in dede before god they done lyue as noughty packes in dampnable aduoutry and vnlawfull lechery and all theyr chyldren bastardes before God all though they seme otherwyse vnto the worlde Warne therfore your folkes ther be no such blynde bargaynes in youre house or gouernaunce ¶ The .vii. coÌ„maundement is do not thefte Herin correcte your yong persones betyme The .vii. precepte For the chylde that begynneth to â—yke at a pynne or a poynte wyll after pyke a peny or a pouÌ„de And so go forth from an apple vnto an oxe and from a pere to a purse or an horse so froÌ„ the smal thynges vnto the greate Whan you take any chyld therfore with the mayner be it neuer so lytle a thynge pay truely at the fyrste tyme and the seconde tyme and prycke the pynnes or the poyntes vpon the cappe or shulder in open syght let all the house wonder vpon theÌ„ and crye all here is the thefe this is the thefe se se the thefe And if they meÌ„de not therby let theÌ„ be so brought through the open stretes with shame ynoughe cruell punysshement For better is it that the chylde wepte in youth and suffre shame and rebuke than herafter the father mother frendes shuld wepe for sorowe and shame at his hangyng and shamfull deth And let euery persone beware of thefte For all other synnes with contricyon / confessyon and penaunce / may be forgyueÌ„ clerely but thefte and all goodes vnlawfully goteÌ„ / can neuer be forgyueÌ„ vnto the tyme that restitucioÌ„ be made that is to saye vnto the tyme those goodes / or the valure of them be restored if the persones in any wyse maye be able therunto Lett euery persone poÌ„der well and wey what vauÌ„tage it is to stele or pyke syth besyde the payne certaynely to be suffred in hell the same goodes in valure must be restored agayne Small goodes truly goteÌ„ done growe and encrease vnto the greate conforte of the persones And contrary euyll goteÌ„ goodes lyghtly come as they saye and lyghtly go all wast vnto nought with the disconfort of the parties / great combraunce of conscience Se than that all goodes be well goten amonge you ¶ Of the .viii. The. viii precepte coÌ„maundemeÌ„t you haue before some remeÌ„braunce in the lessons of sweryng lyeng ¶ The .ix. The .ix. precepte coÌ„maundemeÌ„t is that no persone shall desyre in mynde nor wyshe that the wedded make of any other persone were lawfully theyr weded make The .x. precepte ¶ And the .x. commaundemeÌ„t is in lyke maner of the goodes For so shulde the parties haue incommodite losse displeasure or disconforte The dedes of these two coÌ„maundementes were forboden of god in the .vi. and .vii. coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes here nowe bene the wylles and desyres forbodeÌ„ That thyng than that no man maye lawfully wyll may no maÌ„ do lawfully Let them therfore beware that do not onely wyll and desyre in mynde / but also done secretely pryuely / and craftely laboure to take theyr neyghboures fermes or his house as they saye ouer his heed or to entyce and get away theyr seruauÌ„tes or any other goodes profytable for the parties For though suche thynges maye seme vnto the worlde lawfull surely they be not without the great offence of god / as contrary vnto his commaundemeÌ„tes And thus an ende of the .x. commaundementes Of the seuen priÌ„cipall synnes ¶ yet muste you haue a lesson to teche your folkes to beware of the seueÌ„ pryncipall synnes whiche ben coÌ„munely called the .vii. deedly synnes but in dede they do call them wronge for they bene not alway deedly synÌ„es Therfore they shuld be called capitall or principall synnes and not deedly synnes These bene theyr names by ordre after our diuisioÌ„ Pryde / Enuy / Wrath Couetyse / Glotony / Slouth / and Lechery Thus don we ordre theÌ„ / accordynge vnto our thre ghostly enemyes / the deuyll / the worlde the flesshe For Pryde Enuy and Wrath done apperteyne and belong vnto the deuyll as chefe mouer of theÌ„ And couetyse dothe apperteyne vnto the worlde as chefe mouer therof And glottony / slouth / and lechery done belonge vnto the flesshe / as theyr chefe mouer whiche thre we done put vnder this ordre bycause that glotony is a great occasyon of slouth For as the prouerbe sayth Whan the bely is full the bones wolde haue reste The full fedde glotton is apte vnto no good werke or laboure but rather all disposed vnto sluggysshenes and slouth And those two betwene them done styre and ê“uoke most vnto lechery The .v. wyttes ¶ Teche them also to knowe the names of the fyue wyttes and to put the fyrste fynger of the ryght hande vnto the instrumentes of the same wyttes that is to say vnto the eare the eye the nose the mouth and than to ioyne clappe both the handes togeder saynge thus Herynge seynge smellynge tastynge and touchynge The .vii. werkes of mercy ¶ It shal be also well done to teche theÌ„ the .vii. workes of mercy