corn for the chaffe is light and mounteth high and the wind carrieth it about and so is lost and the corn which is heavy abideth low on the ground and is gathered up put in garners of the farmer and is kept for the common profit and the chaffe is burnt lost and devoured of beasts And in this wise are the proud people raised and enhansed through the entisement of the fiend of hell and then fall down by the moist rain of death which maketh them heavy and causeth them to tumble by the strength of their superbious blasts into the furnace everlasting and there to be burnt and devoured with the horrible beasts of hell Secondly said Lazarus I have seen in hell a floud frozen as ice wherein the envious men and women were plunged unto the navel and then suddenly came over them a right cold and a great wind that greeved and pained them right sore and when they would evite and eschue the wonderfull blasts of the wind they plunged into the water with great shouts and crys lamentable to hear These be the envious People ENvy is dolour and sorrow of the heart at the Felicity and prosperity of other the which sin is soveraignly cursed for that is it contrary to Charity that is soveraign head of all vertues whereby it is great sign of reprobation for by it the fiends know them that shall be damned as Charity is sign of salvation and whereby God knoweth who shall be saved Envious people be fellows unto the Devill For if so be that an envious man do win then he is very glad and if he lose he is evill angry with them Envious men be so infect and corrupt that good odors to them stinketh and sweet things unto them seem soure in like wise is the good name and prosperity of other but stinking things and soure to them be sweet the which be vices reproaches adversities and evil fortunes that they know or hear said of other The envious folk seek their wealth in the adversity of other as when of the harm of other they seek the good in reioycing them but with this they be not yet satisfied but of a new they be tormented for they have not such ioy without displeasure and affliction of the heart whereby they be tormented for hee that seeketh his wealth in the adversity of another is like to him that seeketh the fire in the bottome of a water or looketh for wool on an Vrchins back the which things be but follies and abusions Envy is but the goods and felicitys of this world for the cursed sinne of Envy may not ascend into Heaven It is a sinne difficil to heal for it taketh root and is fixed in the heart secretly wherefore it is hard and impossible to be done away by medicine wherefore with great pains is any made whole that is infected with it The envious mens tongues be likned unto a three-edged sword that hurteth and cutteth three manner of ways The first he hurteth and woundeth his own soul. The second him that he telleth his tale unto and thirdly hee slayeth him by whom he telleth his cursed tale Thus endeth Envy and followeth the History of Wrath. Wrath. THirdly said Lazarus I have seen in Hell a great Cave tenebrous and obscure full of tables like Butchers stalls or great butchery whereas irefull men and women were thorow pierced with trenching knives and sharpe glaives and with long spears pierced their bodys wherewith the most horrible and fearfull butchers of hell hewed and betrenched them with their glaves and knives impitiously without ceasing AS peace maketh the Conscience of a man to be the dwelling-place of God so cursed wrath maketh it the habitation of the Devil Wrath efisceth and leeseth the eye of reason for in a wrathfull man reason is banished there is nothing keepeth so much the image of God in man as sweetnesse peace love for Almighty God will be there where peace concord is but wrath chaseth them from man so that our Lord may hâ—ve no abiding the wrathfull man is like to a demoniack the which hath 〈◊〉 devil within him causing him to torment and strive with himself foaming at the mouth and gnashing with his teeth for the intollerable pain the enemy doth unto him In likâ— wise the wrathfull man is tormented by wrath doth oftentimes worse than the demoniack for without patience they beat the one with the other saying iniurys reproaches villanys give themselves to the devel body soul and say and do many unlawfull and domageable things By wrath somtime the Devill getteth an whole generation or all a country When wrath is set then commeth noyse and then vengeance that destroieth and loseth all the which hapneth sometime through one wrathfull man as an irefull does the which moveth putteth strife among other The fisher troubleth the water that the fish may not see his net to the end that they may go therein and be taken In like sort the Devil troubleth a man by wrath to the end that he know not the harm that he committed by his wrathfull heart courage FOurthly said Lazarus I have seen in hell an horrible hall dark and tenebrous wherein was a great multitude of serpents big and small wheras slothfull men and women were tormented with bitings and stingings of venemous worms the which peirced them thorow in divers parts of their bodies wounding them to the heart with unextinguishible pain Of Slothfull people SLoth is tristesse of spirituall goods that should be ordained to God wherfore they love to serve God as they ought to do with heart and mouth and by good operation who that will love God ought to know him to be the Redeemer and Saviour of all goodnesse that wee have had and received every day knowledging our selves sinners Great folly it is when by sloth in the time of this breviate life we gather not goods for the life eternal But in these days many be slothfull to do well and diligent to do evill so that if they were diligent to do well as they be to do evill they were right happy also sloth is the beginner of sin and a great enemy to God for he letteth men and women to serve God and to know their maker and redeemer and sender of all goodnesse that they have here they be great fools that be so slothfull here in this little time of this short life that will gather no goods to bring the soul to everlasting life But now adays people be slothfull in doing of good and full diligent to evil and if they were as diligent to do good as evill they were full of grace Now hee that will think as after his death is not wise for then he shal have but the good deeds that he hath done in his life before then shall he sorrow and plain of the time that hee hath lost by sloth and shall sorrow that he did no good deeds when he had time and space
and therefore more dear Dispraising meats of light price Vsing other mens tables For lechery and licorousnesse For company that they may eat the more For to fulfill the better their appetite Here endeth the branches and small spraies of Gluttony and hereafter followeth the v. branches and spraies of Lechery as they follow and ensue one after another the which be these Lechery Immundicity not giving the debt abusing of his five wits and Superfluity out of the which branches issueth and groweth many other small branches and spraies to the number of xlv The which branches if they be fixed and set in the inward delight of a man or woman will make them grow to the eternall perdition both of body and soul. The first branch of Letchery Letchery Fornication With all women married and widdows With a maiden yet being a virgin With common women or them that are corrupt Adultery When a man companieth with other than his wife Or women with other than their husbands Or that they be both in marriage Excesse With man or woman of their linage With any men or women of their affinity Or that the one party be of religion The ii branch of Letchery Immundicity Of thought Long delectation of thinking of Letchery Giving consent to such delectation Inforcing him to accomplish his will by work Of body Pollution by night by too much eating and drinking By habitation or company of women Evill cogitation to accomplish such work Of both together Moving or touching the flesh by delectation Accomplishing work and of will naturally Or any wise not naturally The iii. branch of Letchery Not giving the debt For hate When they love other than their party When they know that they be not loved of their party Or they are despightfull and rigorous For to shew travelling For they fear the infernall pains For dread to have poverty For fear of labor that they have of nourishing For abomination Some have abomination in that they be accustomed Or for immundicity of the work WheÌ„ any dispraise or hate the company of his party The iv branch of Letchery Abusing thy five wits Exposing themselves in perill Sometime by reason of some persons And other times danger of the place And other seasons by reason of the time Not drawing from it Of the work when they know it is naught From the perill and know it is dangerous Or for they provoke to such work in perill Delighting them in it In the work and sin of the flesh Or desire and will to accomplish it Or in thought and memory to have done it The v. branch of Letchery Superfluity In clothing In Iewels rings signets and ouches In preciousness of gowns girdles and clothing In the composition or fashion newly gotten By delights By wantonnesse of children playing or being idle By delication of their body taking all their eases In doing all that the heart desireth By expence Spending largely for the praise of the world Giving where it appertaineth not to give For his delights hath spent too much of his goods Here endeth the branches of all the seven deadly sinnes as they be afore rehearsed with all the small branches Also shewing how three commeth of the great branches each by himself And out of them three groweth ix and in every branch hath small spraies springing out of them So there is no man or woman living but he sinneth venially as it is written Septies in die cadit jâ—stus Lo if the righteous man do sin seven times a day by veniall sinnes then we wretched sinners how oft do we sinne in a day God wot full often But yet for veniall sinne is many remedies Also for deadly sin is few remedies and but four specially as Confession Contrition Satisfaction and Penance But the first is thou must be sorry for the sinnes Secondly to make a meek confession Thirdly do satisfaction And fourthly perform thy penance adioyned by thy confessor for penance is debt that we must pay to God for sinne committed and therefore never look to have forgiveness of thy sinnes without repentance And sinne is perillous afore the Lord Iesus Christ for three manner of reasons The first hee giveth no warning when he smiteth thee The second for as he findeth thee so he will iudge thee The third when thou art dead remedy is past and gone CHAP. VIII Here followeth the pains of hell comminatories of sinnes to punish the sins as Lazarus recounted after that he was risen as he had seen in the parts infernall as it appeareth by these figures ensuing one after another OVr Saviour and redeemer Iesu Christ a little before his blessed passion being in Bethany entred into the house of a man named Simon for to take his corporall refection And as he was sitting at the table with his Apostles Disciples there being Lazarus brother to Mary Magdalen and Martha the which our Lord had raised from death to life the which thing Simon doubted and praied our Lord for to command Lazarus to shew afore the assistants what he had seen in the other world and our Lord gave him leave to speak And then the said Lazarus recounted how that he had seen in the parts infernal of hell many great and intollerable pains whereas sinfull men and women were pained First of pride and consequently of all the seven deadly sinnes each pain by himself FIrst said Lazarus I have seen in hell wheels right high set on an hill the which was to look on in maner of mils incessantly turning about by great impetuosity roaring and whirling as it were thunder And the wheles were fixed full of hookes and crampâ—irons of yron and steel and on them were hanged and turned the proud men and women for their pride with their Prince captain and master Lucifer PRide among all other sinnes is a king a captain and master and as a king hath a great company of people in the same maner hath pride a great company of vices And as a king keepeth that which is his in like wise doth pride keep the proud folke that be in his iurisdiction Great sign of reprobation it is to persevere long in pride Pride then is a sin that displeaseth God above all other sinnes as much as humility pleaseth him among vertues And there is no sinne that maketh a man more semblable to the Devill than pride doth For the proud man will not be as other men but he must be as the Pharisie with the devil And for that the proud man wil inhance himself above other men the devil doth with him as the Crow having a hard nut in her bil the which she may not crack she beareth it up a hie in the air and then letteth it fall upon a stone whereon it breaketh and then she descendeth and eateth it In like wise the devil raiseth the proud man and woman for to let them fall in the hard pains of hell As much difference is between pride and humility as the chaffe and the
hardning but then the Sun beginneth a little for to descend downward so man then goeth from youth toward age and beginneth to acquaint him with sadnesse for then he is xlii year After that then commeth August then we gather in our corn and also the fruits of the earth and then doth man his diligence to gather for to find himself withall in the time that he may neither get nor win and then after that vi yeers is he xlviii year old Then commeth September that wines be made and the fruits of trees be gathered And then therewithall he doth freshly beginne to garnish his house and make provision of needfull things for to live in winter which draweth very neer and then is man in his most ioyful couragious estate prosperous in wisdome purposing to gather and keep as much as should be sufficient for him in his old age when he may gather no more and these six years maketh him liv years And then commeth October that all is into the foresaid house gathered but corn and also other maner fruits And also the labourer soweth new seeds in the earth for the yeer to come And then he that soweth nought shall nought gather And then in these other six years a man shall take himself unto God for to do penance good works and then the benefits the yeer after his death he may gather and have spiritual profit and then is man full in the term lx year Then commeth November that the days are very short and the sun in manner giveth little heat the trees lose their leaves The fields that were green look hory and gray When all manner of herbs be hidde in the ground and then appeareth no flowers And then winter is come that a man hath understanding of age and hath lost his kindly heat strength His teeth begin to rot and also to chatter and then hath he no more hope of long life but desireth to come to the life everlasting and these six for this month maketh him lx and six years Then commeth December full of cold with frost and snow with great winds and stormy weather that a man may not labour nor nought do the sun is then at the lowest that it may desceÌ„d then the trees the earth is hid in snow then is it good to hold them nigh the fire to spend the goods that they gathered in summer For then beginneth mans hair to wax white gray his body crooked feeble then he loseth the perfect understaÌ„ding and that six years maketh him full lxxii year and if he live any more it is by his good guiding and dieting in his youth Howbeit it is possible that a man may live till he be an hundred yeers of age but there are but few that come thereto Wherefore I Shepheard said moreover that of living or dying the heavenly bodies may stirre a man both to good and evill without doubt of a surety but yet may a man withstand it by his own free will to do what he will himself good or bad evermore Above the which inclination is the might and will of God that longeth the life of man by his goodnesse or to take it short by his iustice Wherefore we will shew you of the bodies celestiall and of the nature and movings and this present book is named the Compost for it comprehendeth fully all the compost and more for the days hours moments and the new Moons and the eclipse of the Sun and Moon and of the sign that the Moon is in every day and this book was made for them that are no Clerks to bring them to great understanding And this Calender is divided into five parts The first of our signs of the compost and the Kalender The second is the tree of vices with the paines of hell The third is the way of health of man the tree of vertues The fourth is physick and governance of health The fift is Astrology and physnomy for to understand many deceivings and which they be by likelihood the which by nature are inclined and can do them as you shall read ere you come to the end For to have the Shepheards understanding of their Kalender ye should understand that the year is the measure of the time that the sunne passeth the twelve signs returning to his first point is divided into the twelve months As Ianuary February March and so forth to December So the sunne in these twelve months passeth by twelve signs one time The days of his entring into the signs in the Kalender and the days also when he parteth the yeer as the xii months into lii weeks three hundred sixty and five days and when bysext is it is threescore and vi one day is xxiv hours every hour lx minutes After these divisions yee must understand for every year three things The first speaketh of the Golden number The second of the letter dominicall And the third is the letter tabular in the which lyeth all the chief knowledge of this Kalender for the which letter and number to understand all that they would whether it be past or to come ye shall put three figures after the Kalender of the which the first shall shew the value and declaration of the two other and it is to be understâ—â—d that in four years there is one Bysâ—xt the which hath one day more than the other and also hath two letters dominicals signed in one of the foresaid figures and changeth the latter day of S. Matthew the which is vigill and is put with the day upon one letter by himself Also the letters Ferials of this Kalender be to be understood as they of the other kalenders before the which are the numbers and the other three after the letters ferials First for because the letters descendeth low is the golden number above the day of the new Moon And the which to be the hour and moments of the said month which when they are in service before noon of the day above there And when they are black service for afternoon of the same day in the places of the number betokeneth that number where it is The naturall day is to be understood from midnight to midnight xxiv houres and shall serve the said numbers for the letters Ferials xix yeer complete from the year that this Kalender was made one thousand four hundred fourescore and seventeen unto the yeer one thousand five hundred and sixteen In the which yeer shall begin all to serve this golden number and the other numbers after the letters ferials all in the manner as they be before for the other xix yeers And all the remnant of the compost and of the kalender is perpetual for the golden number so shall they be xxxviii yeers of the which yeers one thousand four hundred fourscore seventeen is the first The feasts of the kalender are in their daies of the which the solennall are in red storied in the unity
anxia forsitan ardet THe mortall man living in this world is well compared to a ship on the sea or on a perillous river bearing rich marchandise which if it come to the port where the marchant desireth he shall be happy and rich The ship as soon as it is entered into the sea unto the end of her voâ—age night and day is in perill to be drowned or taken with enemies for in the sea be perills without number Such is the body of man living in the world the marchandise that he beareth is his soul his vertues and good workes the port or haven is death paradise for the good to the which who that goeth thither is soveraignly rich the sea is the world full of sinnes for who that assaieth for to passe it is in perill to leese body soul and all his goods to be drowned in the sea of hell froÌ„ the which God keep us Amen CHAP. XIV Here followeth the field of vertues IN walking furthermore in the field of vertues in the way of health for to come to the tower of sapience it necessarily behoveth to love God for without the love of God none caÌ„ be saved anâ— who that will love him ought first to know him for of his knowledge one commeth to his love that is Charitie the soveraigne of all vertues They knowledge God and love him that keep his commandements they misknow him that do not so to whom in the great necessity of their deceasing and at the day of iudgment shall misknow them and say to them I know ye not nor wot not what ye be go ye cursed out of my company Knowledg we then God and love him and if we will do thus know we first our self by the knowledge of our self we shall come to the knowledge and love of God and the more wee know our self the better we shall know God and if we be ignorant of our self we shall have no knowledge of God To this purpose we must note one thing and know seaven The thing wee must note is this whosoever knoweth himself knoweth God and shall not be damned and who is knoweth not himself knoweth not God and shall not be saved understand of them that have wit and discretion with lawfull age of the which knowledge none is excused after he hath sinned deadly for to say that he was ignorant By this appeareth the ignorance of himself of God right perillous Deadly sin is beginning of all evill contrarily knowledge of God and of himself is soveraign science and vertue beginning of all goodnesse The seven things we ought to have been the xii articles of the faith which wee ought to beleeve stedfastly Also the petitions coÌ„tained in the Pater noster by the which we demand all things necessary for our health and that we ought to hope in him also the commandements of the Law and of the holy Church which ensigneth us what we should do and what we should not do and all things belonging to the same Also if we be in the grace of our Lord or not And howbeit we may not know it certainly neverthelesse wee may have some coniectures which be good to know and knowledge of GOD. Also knowledge of himselfe by the which things we may come to the true love and charitie of God to accomplish his commandements and merit in the realme of heaven wherein wee shall live perdurably Of the iii. first is enough said that is to know the twelve articles of the faith in the which lieth our faith and beleefe and the things that we ought to demand of God be contained in the Pater noster wherein our hope lyeth Also the ten commandements of the Law and of holy Church whereas charity is shewed in such as keep them by probation of the love of God and doe his commandements and good works Now will we speak of the other foure and first of the vocation in which we be which is the fourth thing that each man ought to know Each man ought to know his vocation the things belonging to the same be iust and honest for his health and rest of his conscience A good shepheard ought to know the art of sheep-keeping and to govern sheep and lead them into pastures and to heale them when they be sicke and sheere them in season to the intent through his default no damage come to his master In like wise hee that laboureth the corne to know what ground were good for every manner of graine and ought to till the earth and when time is to sow weed reape and thresh so that his Master may have no damage by him Semblably a Surgion ought to know how to comfort and heale such folkes as hee hath charge of without hiding of his art or Surgery Consequently a Marchant ought to know the utterance of his marchandise to others with no more fraud than he would himself should have Also an Advocate or a Proctor ought to know the rites and customes of places that by their fault Iustice be not perverted A Iudge also ought to know both the parties heard who hath right and who hath wrong and iudge equally after true Iustice. Also a Priest or a religious man ought to know their orders and keep them and above all things ought to know the law of God and teach them unto the ignorant And thus of all other vocations For all them as know not their vocation be not worthy to be and live in peril of their soules for their ignorance The fift that all men ought to know is if he have discretion and understanding to know if he be in the grace of God or not And how it be right difficile for God only knoweth it neverthelesse we may have coniectures that sheweth it and sufficient for Shepheards and lay people to know if they be in the love of the Lord if they have coniecture to be in it therefore there ought none to repute themselves iust but ought to humble themselves ask him mercy as maketh sinners become and none other Principally we ought to know this science when we will receive the body of Iesus Christ. For who that receiveth his grace and goodnes receiveth his salvation and who that receiveth him otherwise receiveth everlasting damnation of the which thing every man is iudge in himself of his owne conscience and none other The coniectures whereby we may know if that we be in the grace of God or not The first coniecture is when we do travel for to clense our conscience of our faults by penance as much as if we laboured to get some great good that wee be not culpable of any deadly sin done or in will to doe nor in any sentence then it is good coniecturing to be in the grace of God The second coniecture that sheweth in like wise to be in the grace of God is when we bee more prompt and ready to good observing and keeping the
each hath his as afore is said also to know the transgressions of all these aforesaid things how many times in each we have transgressed for many times we have offended God and who that taketh heed shall find omissions and offences without number the which known we ought to doubt and eschue and do penance And thus it is as I know man is christian and shepheard CHAP. XVI The ballad of a wise man I Know that God hath turned me And made me to his owne likenesse I know that he hath given to me truly Soul and body wit and knowledge ywis I know that by right wise true ballance After my deeds iudged shall I be I know much but I wot not the variance To understand whereof commeth my folly I know full well that I shall die And yet my life amend not I. I know in what poverty Borne a child this earth above I know that God hath lent to me Abundance of goods to my behove I know that riches can me not save And with me I shall beare none away I know the more good I have The lother I shal be to die I know all this faithfully And yet my life amend not I. I know that I have passed Great part of my days with ioy and pleasance I know that I have gathered Sinnes and also doe little penance I know that by ignorance To excuse me there is no art I know that once shal be When my soule shall depart That I shall wish that I had mended me I know there is no remedy And therefore my life amend will I. CHAP. XVI Here followeth the ballad of the woman Shepheard the which Ballad is very necessary and profitable to look upon IN considering my poor humanity Above the earth born with great weeping I consider my fragility My heart is overprest with sinning I consider death will come verily To take my life but the hour wot not I. I consider the devill doth watch me The world and the flesh on me warreth straitly I consider that mine enemies they be three That would deliver me from death to death I consider the many tribulations Of this world whereof the life is not clean I consider an hundered thousand passions That we poor creatures daily fall in I consider the longer I live the worse I am Wherefore my conscience cryeth out on me I consider for sin some be damned as the book saith Which shall ever be delivered from death to death I consider that worms shall eat My sorrowfull bodie this is credible I consider that sinners shall be At the iudgment of God most dreadable O Iesus Christ above all things delectable Have mercy on me at the dreadfull day That shall be so marvellous and doutable Which my poor soul greatly doth fraie In you that I put my trust and faith To save me that I go not from death CHAP. XVII The song of death to all Christian people Though my picture be not to your pleasance And if ye think that it be dreadable Take in worth for surely in substance The sight of it may to you be profitable There is no way also more doubtable Therefore learn know your self and see Look how I am and thus shall you be And take heed of thy self in adventure read I For Adams apple we must all die Alas worldly people behold my manner Sometime I lived with beauteous visage Mine eine be gone I have two holes here I am meat for wormes in this passage Take heed of wealth while ye have the usage For as I am thou shalt come to dust Holed as a thimble what shall thee advance Nought but good deeds thou maist me trust All with my likenesse ye must dance The time that I was in this world living I was honored of low and hie But I kept not my conscience clean from sinning Therefore now I doe it dear abye Lo what availeth covetise pride and envy They be the brands that doe bren in hell Trust not to your friends when ye be dead read I Nor your executors for few doe well But doe for thy self ere ever thou die And remember while thou art living That God blessed all things without nay Except sin as accordeth writing The devill cannot claim thee but by sin I say Amend therefore betime and go the right way I would that I might have but an houre or two To doe penance in or halfe a day But while I lived I did none doe But now my debts I doe truely pay Thou man I doe give better counsell to thee If that thou wilt doe after it Then ever any was shewed to me Thou art half warned thinke on thy pit And choose of two wayes which thou wilt flie To ioy or pain one of the two In weal or woe for ever to sit Now at thine owne choice thou maist go For God hath given thee free will Now choose thee whether thou wilt do good or ill CHAP. XVIII Hereafter followeth the ten Commandements of the devill WHo so will doe my commandements And keep them well and sure Shall have in hell great torments That evermore shall endure Thou shalt not feare God nor think of his goodnes To damne thy soule blaspheme God and his saints Evermore thine owne will be fast doing Deceive men and women and ever be swearing Be drunken hardly upon the holy day And cause other to sin if thou may Father nor mother look thou love nor dread Nor helpe them never though they have need Hate thy neighbour and hurt him by envie Murder and shed mans bloud hardly Forgive no man but be all vengeable Be lecherous indeed and in touching delectable Breake thy wedlocke and spare not And to deceive other by falshood care not The goods of other thou shalt hold falsly And yeeld it no more though they speak curteously Company often with women and tempt them to sin Desire thy neighbors wife and his goods to be thine Do thus hardly and care not therefore And thou shalt dwell with me in hell evermore Thou shalt ly in frost and fire with sicknes hunger And in a thousand peeces thou shalt be torne asunder Yet shalt thou die ever and never be dead Thy meat shaâ—be toads and thy drink boyling lead Take no thought for the bloud that God for thee shed And to my kingdome thou shalt be straight led Here followeth the reward of them that keep these commandements aforesaid IN hell is great mourning Great trouble of crying Or thunder and noyse roaring With great plenty of wild fire Beating with great stroakes like guns With great frost and water runing And after that a bitter wind comes Which goeth through the soules with ire There is both thirst and hunger Fiends with hookes pulleth their flesh They fight and curse and each other redeem With the sight of the devils dreadable There is shame and confusion Rumor of conscience for evill living They curse themselves with great crying In stinke and smoake evermore lying With other
the fift and the midst is there as the longest day hath 15. houres and an half and the pole is raised over the orizon xlv degrees and 23. minutes of which the largenesse dureth unto there as the longest day hath 15. houres and xlv minutes which largenesse containeth of earth CCxii mile The seventh climate at the end of the sixt and the midst is there as the longest day hath xvi houres and the pole is raised 48. degrees and xl minutes the latitude extendeth unto there as the longest day hath 16. hours and 15. minutes and the pole is raised fifty degrees and an half and the largenesse of the earth containeth 186. mile A marvellous consideration of the great understanding of shepheards IF case were after the length of the climates one might goe about the earth from Orient to Occident to his first place some shepheards say that this compasse may almost bee made Saying that if a man went this compasse in 12. naturall dayes going regularly toward Occident and began now at midday he should passe every day naturall the twelfth part of the circuit of the earth and be 20. degrees whereof it behoveth that the Sun make a course about the earth and 30. degrees further or he be returned on the morrow at the meridian of the said man and so the said man should have his day and night of 26. houres and should bee further by the twelfth part of a naturall day than if he rested him wherefore it followeth of necessity that in twelve naturall days the sayd man should only have but 11. dayes and 11. nights and somewhat lesse and that the Sun should light him but eleven times resconce eleven times for eleven dayes and eleven nights every day night of 26. hours make 12. naturall dayes each day of 24. houres In like manner it behoveth that another man should make this course going toward Orient have his day and night shorter than a naturall day by 2. houres then his day and night should bee but of 22. hours then if he made this course in like space to wit in twelve days and somewhat more Thus if John made the course toward occident and Peter toward orient and that Robert abode them at the place whence they departed the one as soon as the other and they meet at Robert both together Peter would say he had 2 dayes and 2. nights more than John and Robert who had rested a day lesse than Peter and a day more than John howbeit they have made this course in 12. naturall dayes or an hundred or in 10. yeers all is one This is a pleasant consideration among shepheards how John and Peter arive one self day put case it were on sunday John would say it is Saturday Peter would say munday and Robert would say Sunday CHAP. XXXVIII Of the Pomell of the skies a star named the star of the North neare the pole Artike called Septentrionall AFter the abovesaid things here will we speak of some stars in particular And first of them that shepheards call the pomell of the skies or star of the North wherefore we ought to know that we see sensibly the sky turne from Orient to Occident by the diurnall moving that is of the first mobile which is made on two points opposites which be the poles of the sky of the which one we see and it is the pole Artike and the other wee see not which is the pole Antartike or of midday which is alway hid under the earth By the pole Artike which is the star most approched which shepheards call the pomell of the sky the which they say is the highest and most stedfast from us by the which they have the knowledge they have of other stars and parts of the sky The stars which be by the said pomell goe never under the earth of the which be the stars which make the Chariot and divers other but they who be far from it goe sometime under earth as the Sun the Moon and other planets Vnder this pomell directly is the angle of the earth in the place where-against the sun is at the houre of midnight Of Andromeda a star fixed Aries is a signe hot and dry that governeth the head of man the face and the regions Babylon Percy and Araby And signifieth small trees and under him at the 16. degree riseth a star fixed named Andromeda that shepheards figureth a maid in her hair upon the brink of the sea set to be devoured of the monster of the sea but Perseus son of Jupiter fought with his sword against the said monster and slew it and so the said Andromeda was delivered They that be born under her constellation be in danger of prison or to die in prison but if a good planet take regard they scape both death and prison Aries is the exaltation of the Sun at the 20. degree and Aries is the house of Mars with Scorpio where he is most Of Perseus a star fixeâ— Lord of the sphere Taurus hath the trees plants and impes and governeth of man the neck and the throat bol the regions Ethiopy Egypt and the country about and under the 22. degree riseth a star fixed of the first magnitude that shepheards call Perseus son of Jupiter that smot off the head of Meduse who made al them to die that beheld her and by no manner they might eschue it Shepheards say that when Mars is conioyned with this star they that be born under the constellation shall have their heads smitten off if God shape not remedy and sometime they call this star Lord of the sword and figure him a man naked with a sword in one hand and in the other the head of Meduse and looketh on it And Taurus is the exaltation of the moon in the third degree Of Orison a star fixed and his fellows Gemini signifieth large good courage wit beauty clergy and governeth of man the shoulders armes and hands and the regions Iugen Armony Carthage and hath the small trees and under the 18. degree riseth a star fixed named Orison and with it 36. other stars and is figured a man armed in maile and a sword girt about him and signifieth great Captains They that be born under the constellation be in danger to be slain by treason if good fortune be not with them Gemini and Virgo be the houses of Mercury but Virgo is it in which he ioyeth most and Gemini in the third degree is the exaltation of the Dragons head Of Alhabor a star fixed Cancer domineth the long and equall Trees and of the body of man the brain the heart the stomack the side the lights and the lungs The Regions Armony the little and the Region of Orient And there riseth under it in the eight degree a star fixed which Shepheards call Alhabor that is to say the great dog and they say they that be born under the constellation and that be in the ascending or the middest of the sky it
this time shal be furious incontinent angry and soon appeased she is nimble serviceable wise ioyous and shall suffer many perilles if any person do her any service she will recompence them wel she shall be labouring and take great pain unto xxx year and then she shall have rest she shall have many sons she must be wedded at xiv year honours and gifts shall follow her she shal have wounds and be whole thereof and shal have perill of waters and shal be hurt in a secret place she shall be bitten of a dog and shal live lxx year after nature The days of Jupiter Venus and Luna to them been right good and the days of Mars right evill and aswell the man as the woman shal have good fortunes and victory over their enemies Of the sign of Leo. AS wee read he that is born under the sign of Leo from mid Iuly to mid August shal be fain and hardy he shall speak openly and shall be mercifull he shall weep with the weepers and shal be arrogant in words he shall have a perill in certain time and at xxx year he shal be awaited to be damaged but he shall eschue that perril his benefites shall be in great he shall be honoured of good folk and obtain his enterprise he shall have goods by temporal services he shall be ingrate to theeves and shal be great and puissant he shall have charge of the commonalty and as much as he leeseth he shall win hee shall come to dignity and shall â—e amiable he shall take fortune of three wives hee will goe often on pilgrimages and suffer pain oâ— the sight hee shall fall from high and be fearful of water he shall find hid money at viii year of age he shall be sick also he shal be in perill and doubt of some great Lord and at xxxvi year he shal be bitten of a dog and be whole with great pain and shall live lxxxiv year after nature The woman that shal be born in this time shall be a great lyer fair well spoken mercifull pleasant and may not suffer ne see men weep she shall be meek her first husband shall not live long she shall have pain in her stomake she shal be awaited of her neighbours at xvii year and live to great riches she shall have children of three men she shall be amiable and have the blouddy flixe and shall be bitten of a dogge she shall fall from high and live lxxvii year after nature The days of Mercury Sol and Mars to them be right good the daies of Saturn been contrary and as wel the man as the woman shal be hardy great quarrellers and mercifull Of the sign of Virgo OF the sign of Virgo I find that hee which is born from mid August to mid September shall gladly commend his wife he shal be a great house-houlder ingenious he shal be solycitous to his work he shall be shamefaced of great courage and all that he seeth he shall covet in his understanding he will be soon angry and surmount his enemies Scarcely shall he be a while with his first wife he shal be fortunate at xxxi year he will not hide that that he hath and shal be in perill of water he shal have a wound with iron and shall live lxx year after nature The woman then born shall be shamefaced ingenious will take pain and ought to be wed at xxii year she shall not be long with her first husband Her second husband shall be of long life and shall have much good by another woman she shall fall from high her life shall be in perill and shal die shortly she shall suffer dolour at x. year if she escape those dolours she shall live lxx year after nature she shall bring forth vertuous fruit and every thing shall favour her she shall reioyce in divers fortunes The daies of Mercury and of Sol shal be right good for them and the daies of Mars shall be contrary And as well the man as woman shall suffer many temptations so that with great pain they many resist them they shall delight to live in chastitie but they shall suffer much wheresoever it be Of the sign of Libra AMong planets Libra ought to be remembred for he that is born from mid September to mid October shal be right mightily praised and honored in the service of Captains he shall gâ—e in unknown places and shall get in strange lands he shall keep well his own if he make not relevation by drink he will not keep his promise he shall be envied by silver and other goods he shal be married and goe from his wife he shall speak quickly and shall have no domage among his neighbours he shall have under his might the goods of dead folk and shall have some sign in his members Oxen horse and other beasts shal be given to him he shall have domage and iniury he shall be enriched by women and experyment evill fortunes many shall aske counsaile of him He shall live lxx year after nature The woman that is born in this time shall be amyable and of great courage she will anounce the death of her enemyes and shall go in places unknown she shall be debonair and merry reioyce by her husband if she be not wedded at xiii years he shall not be chast and shall have no sons by her first husband she shall goe many pilgrimages after xxx year she shall prosper better and have great honour and praise then after she shall be greevously sick and shall be brent in the feet about xii year of age and shall live lx year after nature The days of Venus of Luna for them been right good and the days of Mercury contrary And aswel the man as the woman shall be in doubt unto the death and there is doubt in the end Of the sign of Scorpio WEe read that he which is born in the sign of Scorpius from mid October to mid November shall have good fortune he shall be a great fornicatour the first wife that hee shall have in marriage shall become too religious he will serve gladly to Images he shall suffer pain in his privy members at the age of xv year he shall be hardy as a Lyon and amiable of forme many faculties shall be given to him hee shall be a great goer in visiting divers countries for to know the customes and statutes of many Cities and shall have victory over all his enemys they may not hinder him in no manner of wise hee shall have money by his wife and shall suffer divers dolours of the stomake he shall be merry and love the company of merry folk In his right shoulder shal be a sign by sweet words adulations he shall be deceived he will often say one thing and doe another he shall have a wound with iron he shall be bitten of a dog or of some other beast he shall be in doubt and have divers enemies at the age of
here in this world Here endeth Sloth and followeth the History of Covetise FIftly said Lazarus I have seen in the infernall parts a great number of wide cauldrons and kettles full of boyling lead and Oyle with other hot metals molten in the which were plunged and dipped the covetous men and women for to fulfill and replenish them of their insatiate covetise The Covetous Men and Women COvetise is a great sin and wicked in the sight of God For the covetous man imagineth more to get a peny than the love of God and had rather lose God than one half penny for oftentimes for a little thing he lieth and forsweareth himself and sinneth deadly The faith hope and charity that should be in God the covetous man putteth in his riches First faith for he beleeveth to have such things the which be necessary for him sooner for his goods than by the gift of God as if that God might not help him or as if that God had no solicitude of his servants Also the covetous man hath hope to have the more ioy and consolations by his riches than God may give them And aâ—so the covetous man setteth all his heart on his goods and not on God and thus the Covetous man and woman have their charity in their rich chests coffers and bags The covetous man hath his heart more on his goods than on God there as is the heart there is their love and love is charity and so covetous men have their hearts on their goods The Covetous man sinneth gathering his goods and in using it evill and in loving it overmuch and sometimes better than he doth God the covetous man is taken in the net of the devil by the which he looseth everlasting life for small temporall goods as the bird doth go into the pitfall for a worm and loseth his life and as the mouse is taken in a fall or trap and loseth his life for a little bakon The covetous men and women bee like curs or dogs the which do keep cartion and when their bellies be full they lye down by it and keep away the birds that they may not eat but dieth for hunger for fault that the curres have too much In like wise the covetous men with-hold the goods that poor men may get none and letteth them dye for hunger and holdeth them in their subiection and the devill holdeth the rich men in his subiection that doth the poor men wrong Thus endeth the pain for the Covetous men Here followeth the vi pain of Hell THe vi pain said Lazarus that I have seen in Hel is in a vale a floud foul and stinking at the brim in which was a table with towels right dishonestly whereas gluttons be fed with toades and other venemous beasts and had to drink of the water of the said floud THe throat is the gate of the body of man so when enemies will take the castle if they may win the gate they will lightly have all the castle So when the devill may win the throat of a man by gluttony easily he will have the reâ—nant and enter into the body accompanied of sins for the gluttons consent unto al vices And for this cause it were necessary to have a good guard at the gate that the devil enter not For wheÌ„ one holdeth a horse by the bridle he may lead him where he will so doth the devill the gluttenous man where him list The servant that is over easily nourished rebelleth oft against his master the belly over filled with meat drink is rebell to the soul so that it wil do no good operations By gluttony many be dead which might have lived longer so they have bin homicides of themselves for excess of too much eating and drinking corrupteth the bodies and engendereth sicknesses the which often abridgeth and shortneth the lives And they that nourish well the flesh prepare meats for worms and so the glutton is cook of worms A man of worship would be ashamed for to be a cook of a great Lord more ashamed should he be to be a cook for worms They that live after the desire of the flesh live after the rule of the Swine in eating without measure like an unreasonable beast This is the hogge as it were an Abbot over gluttonous people of whom they hold their order and regule whereby they bee constrained to keep them in their cloister that is in the Tavern and Ale-houses And like wise as the hog their Abbot lyeth in a rotten dunghill or in the miry puddle so do they alwaies lie in the stinking infection of gluttony till they be drunken and without wit The vii pain said Lazarus I have seen a field ful of deep wells replenished with fire and sulphur whereout issued smoak thick and contagious wherein all lecherous persons were tormented incessantly with devils OF all the vii deadly sinnes Letchery pleaseth most unto the Devill for it filleth and corrupteth both the body and the soul together and by Letchery the Devil winneth two souls at once and many letcherous persons wil avant themselves and say that they may not have their full desire and lust of that sinne Letcherous men and women bee more deformed and ougly than the devill in the superaboundance of that sinne He is a foolish marchant that makes a bargain of the which hee knoweth right well that hee shall lose thereby and repent him of his bargain again In like manner of wise each Letcherous man hath great pain and spendeth his goods and his understanding to fulfil and accomplish his lusts delights and after repenteth him of his expence and yet the worst is he is in daunger of his soul till he be repentant and do sufficient penance The letcherous men and women living bee tormented with three infernall pains as heat stink and remorse of their Conscience For they be hot by concupiscence they be stinking by their immundicity for such sinne is all stinking and maculateth the body and soul where all other sinnes file but the soul. Also they be not without remorse of conscience for the offence they have done to God Letchery is the pit of the devill wherein he maketh sinners to fall to the which many helpeth the devil to cast themselves in it when willingly they go to the brimme knowing that the devill will cast them in good it is not to hearken to women better it is not to behold them and much better it is not to touch them To this sinne belongeth foul words villain songs dishonest touchings the which abhorreth not bawds harlots whores and such as frequenteth and persevereth in the same Thus endeth the seven deadly sinnes figured each by himself like as Lazarus had seen in the parts infernall CHAP. IX Hereafter followeth the third part of the Kalender and Compost of Shepheards salutary Science and Garden of vertues WHo that will have on a peece of earth great abundance of fruit first they ought to take away all things that