wyte his wyl God wottyth the thoughtes of ech one But his knoweth ryght none Saue the holy Trynyte For al one are they thre Somtyme wottyth man what god do wyl That is he that he sendyth vntyl By aungels to tel hym his thought Ellys none wote it nought ¶ The C.lxxj questyon ¶ Yet wold I wyte yf I may If aman shal worshype god alday EUery man shuld with ryght do so But theyr myght is not therto For the body is feble of myght And behouyth somtyme rest with ryght And but he rest may haue Longe may he not the lyfe saue Wherfore god honoure he may At serteyne howres of the day And in serteyne tyme he shal Trauayle to hold the lyfe with all And somtyme rest shal he take The body stronge with to make For after mete and drynke is rest To nature of the body best And whan he shal god worshype do Loke al his herte be therto For he that sayeth to god his bede And his thought be in other stede The tonge were as good be styll For it askys with no wyl Wherfore that god worshype shal Speke tonge herte thought and al ¶ The C.lxxij questyon ¶ Wherof may it be and why That eyne somtyme loke bleryly SOmtyme herys aman a thyng That is not to his lykyng Or a thyng of great pyte And he of tender herte be The herte mekys anone ryght And castyth wather to the syght So wepe the eyne also smert And al makyth the tendernes of the herte And of that herte shal seldom Euyl wyl of felnesse come And the eyne that wepe ofte Oldeth the herte and doth it softe For the hete that the herte felys With the teres greatly kelys But he that not wel 〈◊〉 wepe Great felnesse in his herte can kepe And of hard herte than is he And of no mercy nor pyte But he that to wepe is redy In hym is pyte and mercy ¶ The C.lxxiij questyon ¶ What maner of folke are mē hold to In this world worshype to do EUery man shal pryncypaly Worshype god that is on hy That hym made and shal vnmake Whan that talent wyl hym take His wyfe shal man worshype also For one body are they two His lorde also worshype he shal That he seruys and dwellyth with al Father and mother also shal he Worshype before al that be Yet shal he worshype for theyr mede That hym good doth with worde or dede Suster and brother and his kynde Unto worshype shuld he haue in mynde And euery man yf that he myght Ought he to worshype with ryght ¶ The C.lxxiiii questyon ¶ The largest man which is he That now in the world may be A Large man that haue shal Thoughe he the world seke al Shal he none fynde ne se That of his owne may large be For of no largenes told it is Aman to gyue that not is his For al the largesse that men telles Of god they are and no man elles And al that man is sent Of goddys loue it is hym lent For nakyd hyther is he brought And of hym selfe he hath nought And nakyd away shal he wende With hym he berys it not at the ende And yf it his owne were Than myght he it with hym bere And god hym lendyth good truly That he it spend worthely Hym selfe at mesure for to fede And helpe the pouer that hath nede And seyng he is bounde therto The pouer for to helpe also So may no man make his roos That it is largesse that he doos Wherfore wote I no large man That to hym selfe appropryat it can ¶ The C.lxxv questyon ¶ Shal a pouer man euery whore Put hym arych man before IF it be so that they tweye Go to gether by the weye The pouer man shal euer more Put the rych man before And at one table be they The pouer set hym not to hye For yf arycher come than he Hym behouyth to flyte his se And than better yt wore That he had set hym els whore But be they both in a batayle And shal theyr enymes assayle There the pouer with out drede Before the rych hym forth bede For a pouer may be also doughty As arych man of his body And with y t forth puttyng percaas he may Worshype more get than y e rych that day ¶ The C.lxxvj questyon ¶ Is a man in eny synne to ete Al thyng that he may gete UNto man god had such loue That he made to his behoue Fowle and fysshe in the see Beast and frute in erth to be And whan that he man had wrought And in to paradyse hym brought He made hym lorde of al thys Them to put in his seruys And for to vse them to his fode For god made al thynges good And seyng he gaue hym leue ther tyl He doth no synne me thynke with skyl That of al thyng etes At mesure whan he it gethes For what he etes with good wyl Ne may euer do hym yl Though it adder were or snake But yf he agayne herte it take Though it be the best men fynde It doth no good to his kynde ¶ The C.lxxvij questyon ¶ Shal aman another grete Alday whan he may hym mete AMan so ofte nought grete thou shal As thou hym metyst aday with al But yf thou in thy how 's be Among thy folke and thy meyne Gretyng shalt thou sey them thore Twyes vpon the day no more On morne whan thou comyst them amonge And on euyn at thy bede goynge And mete thou thy frende be the strete Ones in the day thou shalt hym grete And thou shalt say hym that gretyng After the tyme of your metyng At morne or euyn wether it be And yf that he fyrst grete the Grete hym agayne curtesly Men shal the say worshyp therby But thou hym shalt but onys grete On the day that thou hym ofte mete ¶ The C.lxxviij questyon ¶ How shal aman his chyldren ordre So that after repentyth not he IF you haue chyldren kepe them wel Tyl they be of age somedele And than yf thou haue them dere Cause them some crafte to lere That in nede myster can His conyng is esy to bere It wyl helpe and nothyng dere There is no tresure therto For tresure wyl a way go And whan the tresure is gon al Conyng a gayne it bryng shal Daunt them not whyle they are yonge But sharpe wordes of thy tonge Sey vnto them euer amonge So shal they drede to do wronge With thy chyldren do thou shal As men doth a grene wand with al It may be wrethen whyle it is grene How so men wyl without tene Were it drye sone wold it crake A withe therof shuld no man make So shuld men chyldren chastyse in youth Tyl that they some good couth For that yougth takyth comenly In age he shal fynde it redely ¶ The C.lxxix questyon ¶ Whether shal amā more loue haue tyl His wyfe or chyld with skyl AMan shal loue ouer al
his frende Al his trauayle shuld be here To saue the sowle that god hath dere And to do as that we fynde As the myre doth in his kynde By somers dayes he gaderys al That he in wynter by lyue shal He wyl not so long abyde That it come to the wynter tyde Euyn so shuld a man lere To tyl his sowle whyle he is here Abyde he tyl he hens fare Colde wynter he fyndys and care Wherfore shuld he so trauayle That it myght after hym a vayle ¶ The C. lxxxxv questyon ¶ Tel me now with out mys Which is the wickest thyng that is WIckydare thyng may none be Than wickyd man in pouste For the sowle that is in hym Is both myrke and dym And a wickyd mā myght se byn How darke his sowle is for synne So fowle a thyng shal he se it That he shuld forlese his wyt Wherfore is there no myrcknesse Agayne a man in wickydnesse ¶ The C. lxxxxvj questyon ¶ The good werkes and the yl That a man doth of his wyl Whether come they of god hym to Or of hym selfe that doth them so UNderstand you wel I wys That of god no euyl is Of hym is al holynesse And al fayrhed and goodnesse And for goodnes man he wrought To paradyse whan he hym brought He gaue hym wyt as was his wyl For to know both good and yl And whan aman had knowlegyng Of both than was at his chosyng Whether he wold take vnto And than began he euyl to do Whan that he the good lete Bytyng the appul that he dyd ete And sythen he myght do whether he wold And he wold vnto the wyckyd hym hold Of hym selfe euery dele it is That he dyd so amys To helpe he had an enymy And so hath both thou and I Thre we haue euery day Us to tempt al that they may Our owne flesshe the world the sende Ech one wold vs truly shend But we knowe among al this Which is better and which wors is Than is that wickydnes euery dele Of hym that doth it and myght do wele If a man were wel be thought To thanke hym that made hym of nought He shuld haue grace wel to do And wickydnes hold hym fro Wherfore of god comyth vs goodnes in And of our selfe euyl and synne ¶ The C. lxxxxvij questyon ¶ Where hydeth hym y e day fro nyght And the nyght fro the day lyght THat tyme that god the world dyght Of his word and of his myght The elements were myxt ech one And lyght on erth was none Than departyd them god asonder And ech one dyd set other vnder Than made he sonne and mone to lyght That one on day that other on nyght The sonne aboute goes euer more To lyght here and elles whore Whan he vs lyghteth it is day And nyght whan it is a way And whan he departyth vs fro About the erth behoueth hym to go And the erth that is so rounde Reues vs in that stounde The lyght that we had of hym And than is the nyght to vs dym But whan the sonne is aboute went And agayne is to vs sent Sone so as he shewes eny thyng We se it is in the dawyng And as he ryses ay and ay So waxes vs the clere day Thus departyth day and nyght By reson of the sonne lyght And euer whan comyth that one The other departyth anone ¶ The C. lxxxxviij questyon ¶ How hold the planetes them al On the sky that they ne falle WHan god had dyght y ◠fyrmamēt And stabled euery element On the sky vnder the heuen Made he planets seuen And he made vp on hye Al the sterres of the sky And ech planet ther he is In his owne spere goyth I wys The mone so is lowest of al The hyest Saturnus we call And al haue they theyr steryng A gayne the sky in his goyng And euer the hyer that they be The more to go hath he Some as a yere and some two In his spere about to go And some about to go also Haue but a moneth therto And al they are of kynde Of the fyrmament as we fynde Hauyng to gether a fastenyng So that there may be no partyng And so god hath ordayned them al That none may from other falle So may none falle from other wel Tyl god vndo the world al ech dele ¶ The C. lxxxxix questyon ¶ How may mē y t howres know aryght And the poyntes of day and nyght IN what lande thou be Thou mayst esely know and se Sone so the sonne thou se may That is apoynt of the day And whan the sonne to rest is gon Thou knowest that it is nyght anon And the nyght with the day Haue but foure and twenty howrs ay And euery howre hath no more But a thousand poyntes and foure score And this thyng may thou wel Be a candel prowe ech dele Be the day short or longe with sayl The therbe shal not mysse yf thou wyl Reckyn the day after as it is And the nyght as rekenyd is And ech an howre know thou may Whan it comyth and passyth away ¶ The CC. questyon ¶ Al the sterres vp on hy Turne they about on the sky TUrnyng are the sterres ay And as the sky goyth so go they And for the turnyng of the sky Is that they go so hastely But one ther is that semith nought Unto our syght that it goyth ought And yet is he euer steryng In a cyrcle about turnyng For ful in the ende stondyth he The one ende of the axeltre That the world al turnes on For that semyth his steryng none And be cause he the axeltre is by Turneth he so narowly And so semyth he therfore Euer in one stede as it wore Wherby shypmen on the see In what stede so they be Be nyght haue great knolegeyng By hym and by his shewyng And for that the shypmen al Lodys sterre they hym call ¶ The CC.j. questyon ¶ The holsomest stede which is it Of al the world after thy wyt HOlsomest stede vnto man Is ther he best gyde hym can That no sycknes by hym mete Ne none outrage of keelth ne hete Ne moch slepe ne ouer moch wakyng Of mete and drynke no outrage takyng In hote countre no hote mete Ne colde in colde shal he none ete And therfore who so hole wyl be Do as I shal teche the Ones ete on day and nyght And ones sporge the raynes in seuenyght And ones in a moneth let the blode And ones to purge hym in the yere is good Thus may he hym kepe in hele But of these men fynde not fele ¶ The CC.j. questyon ¶ Tel me for I am in dwere The dygnyest day of the yere OF al the yere the dygnyest day So is holden the Saturday Whan god had heuen and erth wroght And al thyng therin brought And al them wrought he tho In syxe dayes and no mo On the sondaye he began And the syxte daye made he man Whan that
vpon a tree Whan a wynde it touches ought It fallyth vnto ground for nought The old man is in that caas A lytel ese whan that he has He fallyth a slepe quyte And that is greatly his delyte For feble reynes and heuy bonys That causyth hym to slepe for the nonys ¶ The CC.xxvj questyon ¶ If god had so great a mā wrought As al the world myght he ought Haue stond agayne god ryght Thrughe vertu of his myght HAd he made so great aman As any man recken can As al the world dale or doune Woode water feld or toune Agayne god had he no mayne More than an aunte hath hym agayne And yet a thowsand tymes lesse Than hath the aunte in his greatnesse For god with word euynly wrought Heuyn erth and al of nought And wold he byd them synke It shuld be don as thou coudest thynke Seyng he erth and henyn may vndo Euyn with his word also And is but apoynt of his myght Moch more than with ryght Is the remnaunt of his pouste Wherfore to hym may nothyng be ¶ The CC.xxvij questyon ¶ What shuld this word haue be how Had god not dyght it as it is now IT shuld haue be more ne lesse Than a fowle dale of darknesse Or as a darke pryson pyt And nothyng shuld haue aluted it The elements that we now calle Shud haue be troblyd to gether al And god shuld neuer thelesse in blys Haue byn and rought nothyng of this But for the creaturs sake That god wold afterward make The elementes claryfyed he Settyng ech one ther they shuld be And dyghtyd al thynges to mannys prow Also as that they are now ¶ The CC.xxviij questyon ¶ Wether the aūgels of goddys onde cā As dyd the sowle fyrst of Adam ADamys sowle so was wrought Of goddys flate but aungel nought They were of goddys worde alone He bad them be and they were echone But god blewe vpon Adam Goost of lyfe and he forth came Wherfore adam and his ospryng That stedfastly ouer al thyng Trust in god and beleue shal And his byddyng do with al Dygnyer before god shal be Than aungels be resons thre Fyrst he hathe lyfe that may not wonde Of the spririte of goddes onde And that was hygher to my thynkyng Than aungel that came ofspekyng Also aman has enemyes To tempte hym were he goth or lyes And aungel in no temptyng is Wherfore he may not do amys And he that the temptyng withstandis And cometh not in the deuyls handis He is more dignyer than he That in no temptyng may be The thyrd cause then is also That god hath set aungel therto To kepe man both fer and hende And fro al euyl hym to defende And from al encombrement But yf hym selfe therto assent And yf aungel mannys seruaunt be Than is agood man dygnyer than he ¶ The CC.xxix questyon ¶ Now wold I know I wys What thyng is heuynly paradyse HEuynly paradyse than is Nothyng but that same blys That a man hath of the syght Of goddys face that is so bryght For he that sees hym face to face He hath al maner of grace Ioy and delyte endlesse to be Helth fayrhed strenght and lewte Wyt and conyng with ryches also God for his myght send vs therto ¶ The CC.xxx. questyon ¶ The fayrest thyng in this world to se That god made which may it be AMan than is the fayrest thyng That is in erth af goddys makyng And the louelyest of vysage For he hym made after his ymage And for man made sonne and mone With al thynges that vnder wone And also as he wold make Al thynges for mannys sake Seruyse vnto man to do So wil he man to hym shal do ¶ The CC.xxxj questyon ¶ Whether oughtest thou to loue alday That loue the or that y e louest me say THou shalte loue that loueth the And that thou louest some lat be For thou louest some parauenture That of the take ful lytel cure And but thou loue with al shy meyne Hym that loueth the agayne Than wyl I saye thou louyst nought God that at his lykenes the wrought And who so loueth synne here He loueth the deuyl to haue to fere And he ne loueth here no man But to shende al that he can And to put hym in payne and wo Lo what wyse he loueth tho The good he hateth day and nyght But them to dere he hathe no myght For god defendes them with his myght And loueth al that loueth hym a ryght Therfore they that great loue hath the tyl Loue hym agayne for that is skyl ¶ The CC.xxvii questyon ¶ Which are the worthyest wordes y t be And gras and stones as thynketh the GOd gaue vnto thynges thre Moch vertu and potence And to mannes helpe eche one To worde to gras and to stone The worthyest word and most of myght For to saye day or nyght Is to worshyp heuen kyng And pray hym after good endyng For yf this word be worthely spoken It shal be hard fro erth to heuen Also grasses are there feele Made vnto mannys hee le But of so many is there one That may werst be forgone That is where to fode of man Worthyar grasse not I tel can Also are ther many stones Of great vertu for the nones But mylle stones are they tho That man may not wel forgo For the gryndyng of the corne They may werst be forborne And seyng al haues of them nede That with brede shal them fede Worthyest stone I them call Among other stones al ¶ The CC.xxxiij questyon ¶ Shalt thou thy counsel tel euery dele To thy frend that thou louest wel COunsel ought to be tolde To hym that thou al haue wolde Which is god and man elles For he wyl hele that thou telles If thou thy frend tel it vnto It may after befalle so That that frendshyp may ouer go And thy frende becomyth thy fo Than may thou say yf the lyste Now wottyth my foo that my frynd wyst Or yf thou thy frende it sey And wenyst he shal the not wrey And he tellys it preuely Unto another frend hym by And he the fourth as may welbe This may it not long be preuete For that many mouthes wote On some tonge it lyes ful hote Thus myght thou come in blame therfore Wherfore bettar vntolde it wore If thou a preuete haue wrought And thy herte may hele it nought Thynkyng it sadnes in the ryght Untyl thou haue told it to some wyght Go from the folke be the alone That no man here the make no mone And call it than thy selfe to As thou woldest to a nother do Whan thou hast told thy herte shal keel And no more anguyshe shalt thou fele If thou no wayes may it hold Tyl thou haue it a nother told Loke thou tel it to such one That thou may wel trust vpon That he wyl tel it on no syde For no wrath that may be tyde ¶ The CC.xxxiiij questyon ¶ Which are
shulde be prysonede And saye if he wyll my ioyrney spede I shall forgyue the trespas That done to my god was ¶ Sydrac answered truly thus Grete wel the kynge Boccus And say also to hym so god me saue That I wyll no forgyfnes haue Of nothyng that I haue don amys But yf god that in heuyn is On his god hath shoyd power as he dyd se What wyll he forgyue that me But say to hym yf it be his wyll That I shall his seruyse fulfyll In god of heuyn trust he shall And his commaundment do all Than his grace and mercy I shall hym shewe apertly ¶ Anon the messyngers went Unto the kynge that them had sent And told hym what answere they had The kynge was wroth and bad That he shuld other dayes nyne In pryson lye and there pyne Whan the .ix. day was come and go The kynge sent hym agayne vnto The same bodyes lesse nor more That he sent to hym before And he his answer on them layd As he had before sayd Whan the kynge sawe at the last That his ioyrne was ouer cast And that he was a comfortlese man That without hym nothyng can He set hym forth anon ryght And made hym all the ioy he myght Sydrac anon before the kynge ¶ Seyd syr by god of all thynge The werke that thou hast to do Shall neuer endyng come vnto But thou wylt trust in god of lyght That all thyng made of his myght And yf that thou wylt hym se Apertly I shall shew hym the ¶ The kynge sayd than with wordes grym ¶ Let it so be than shew me hym And he be so good as thou prechest I shall beleue as thou me techest ¶ Whan he that herd anon Sydrac And went from hym a lytel whyle bake And set on his knees at the last His syth vp to heuen dyd cast And this prayer made he Lord god full of pyte That heryst all that call the to And madest heuen and erth also And aungells full of claryte Of wisdom also for to be Lucyfer by his pryde had a fall For lorde wold he abyn of all And thou lorde hym castest downe Into hell that foule pryson Than madest of erth slym Adam our father and puttest hym in Of thy grace gost of lyf And madest Eue to be his wyf Lorde that werkyst so perfytly I besech the inwardly That thou thy grace downe me sende This wycked people for to amende So that I haue no blame And that they worshype thy holy name Whan he had made his oryson An aungell came from heuyn downe And Sydrac truly this certyfyed That god had herd all that he desyred And has grawnted the thy bone This kynge shalt thou conuert sone Thou shalt ouercome by goddes grace The deuyll and his wickyd trace God hath graunted the myght And his grace shall be thy lyght Thou shalt to morowe vpon a trowe Party of goddes myght hym showe How he the world fyrst began And why that he made man Of the commyng a goddes sonne That in erth shall with you wone And of the antecryst with all That the world ende shall An erthen pot thou cause to be fet And vpon thre stakys it set In the name of the Trynyte One god and persones thre Fyll that pot with water clere And than call the kynge the nere Goddes grace than shalt thou se And shewe it hym and so shall he The aungell anon went his way Sydrac markyd well what he dyd say And at that had great reioysynge Geuynge lawde to god for so cumfortynge ¶ He callyd the kynge and sayd syr Wyll ye se that you desyre ¶ He was full wrouth I wys And sayd shew we what a is Which is better that wyll I se Our god y t thou hast brent or he Sydrac thre stakys toke anon And set an erthen pot thereon Than with water it dyd fyll He lokyd therein with good wyll Than callyd the kynge hym to And sayd behold here in loo The kynge beheld and than sawe he The vmbre of the Trynyte That of myght is truly most Father and sonne and holygost In heuyn all they syttyng wore And the aungelles them before Syngyng all that there wone ¶ Lo quod the father to the sonne The sonne to the holygost also And the holygost vnto them two Whan the kynge had sene that syght He was full ioyfull and full lyght He thought that he was in heuyn His blessydnes coud he not tell y t he had syn He told Sydrac how he fared And sayd vnto hym that all they herde I beleue in thy god I wys And in all thyng that of hym is Or euer was or euer shall be But I pray the tell now me That I the better beleue theron How than ar they thre in one ¶ Syr he sayd I shall you sho On what maner ye shall hym knowe Syr yf ye vnderstand verely The sonne in the sky shynyng bryghtly Thre thynges ar there innate And noman can them separat One is the sonne properly That ye se vpon the say A nother is the claryte That it gyuys to you and me And the hete is the thyrd That wyde in the world is spred Be the sonne I vnderstande The father that all thyng hath in hande And the sonne by the claryte For of the father come is he The holygost by the hete Thes ar the thre that I grete And all thre ar god but one As you may se the sonne vpon ¶ Boccus than is now in such gladnese That no man coud it exprese And on hye cryed and spake I beleue in thy god Sydrac Thre persones and one very god myghty To late I haue on hym be eued suerly The goddes that my fathers wore And my auncytors here before For sake I here for euer in say For his loue that all thyng may ¶ Whan the people that vnderstode They were for it ny wode And swore that Sydrac shuld dey For ofte that eny man cowd sey Sume wente mornyng alone And for the kynge made gret morne And sayd alas that he was borne Our kynge hath his wytte forlorne There withall they came hym to And sayd syr thou hast mysdo Full wroght than ar thy meyne All that to the trusty shuld be That thou hast a wich beleued And thy good god renayed That thy father and forgoars all Had full dere and dyd on call Now hast thou hym by thy assent Confoundyd and in fyre brent ¶ The kynge sayed vnto all them You wote neuer what ye mene Therfor I haue hym forsakyn And vnto a nother god me taken Longe I haue bene in the darke nyght I take me now to the sonne lyght Ye are of this thynge full lewde For Sydrac that had me shewed The vmbre of the trynyte And that our fathers and we Haue beleued in goddes fals bad And a feble lyfe haue we had But now haue I hym in mynde That may bothe lose and tynde In his lawe soth to say Than wyll I both lyue and
yf a man had here leuyd Trustynge as god hathe hym instructed And his coÌ„maundmentes all hath wroght And from the ryght fayth erred nought Whan his lyfe in this world endys And his sowle from the body wendys Of aungels a great company Gaderys them with melody Untyl hym that his keper was Reioysyng greatly at that caas Takyng that sowle with play and songe And thankyng god euer amonge Untyl heuyn therwith they wende There to dwel without ende ¶ Another maner of ledyng is Yf aman haue done amys And wyll not his lawe fulfyll But hath all his lyfe done yll And ageyne that he dye shall He repentys hym of all And vnto god for mercy cryes Whan that sowle from the body flyes A good aungell it taketh in hast And delyuer it to a wycked gost at last And he shall it forth lede Payne to suffer for his mysdede But whan he hathe bete it all And sufferyd that he suffer shall Then the good aungell hym taketh away And ledethe hym to ioye for aye ¶ The thyrd maner yf man or wyfe In synne haue euer lad theyr lyfe And goddes byddyng wold not fulfyll But dyd all theyr hartes wyll Deuyls kepe that sowle anon Whan it is out of the body gon And bere it to the payne of helle Without ende therin to dwelle ¶ The .xx. questyon ¶ Now wolde I wyte whether wore Sowle or body made before Fyrst the body is made fulfayre Of fyre water erth and ayre And the fower complexyons that are In man of thes fower they are Whan the body is made also Goddys grace comyth therto And blowyth in hym the goost of lyfe And after of hym made a wyfe Lorde and Syr he made hym be Of all that he in erth myght se But whan he the appul chose Clothyng of grace than dyd he lose Which hym greuyd very sore As ye haue herde here before ¶ The .xxj. questyon ¶ Which spekyth knowe wolde I The sowle of man or body NO myght hath the body Of hym selfe syk erly To speke to goo ne ought els to do But that the sowle hym geuyth to Men se ofre it chaunsys That aman on ahorse ryd yse And hym gydeth to and fro The way that he wyll go And the horse so compellede Goyth as the man wyll hym lede On lyke maner hath the body no myght Of spekyng of goyng ne of syght Nor of nought that he do shall But of the sowle it comyth all The body is of erth wrought And shall rote away to nought Therfore is he of feble ar nature Than the sowle that euer shall endure And the body ne is nothynge Unto the sowle but an hythynge Thou seyste well whan the sowle is gon A sowle caryn is the body on That speke ne store ought may Whan the sowle is gon away And by cause all thyng of the sowle is Therfore goyth she fyrst to ioy or blys And than felyth the sowle euerydele That the body doyth yll or well ¶ The .xxiij. questyon ¶ The sowle that a goost is on And hath nother flesshe ne bone ¶ Ne noght takys ne gyuys hym fro How may it fele other wel or wo A Goost is the sowle the soth to sey And neuer more may it dey Ete ne drynke wyll it nought And it is as swyfte as thought Felt ne sene may it not be Nor no stede may it occupe But whan the lyfe cometh to ende And the sowle shall fro the body wende Yf he helde goddes commaundement A clothe of grace to hym shal be sent Haue he be wycked ouer all A clothe of sorowe come to hym shall Throughe whiche clothynge fele shal he Ioye or payne whether it be ¶ The .xxiij. questyon ¶ Who is more lord of the twey Sowle or body thou me say THe body the more lorde is That ledeth the sowle oft amys But the more parell shuld abyde The sowle yf that euyl betyde As yf there were now yong men tway Goynge in a parellous way And that one be bolde and hardy That other a coward that goeth hym by The coward thynketh as he goes Yf agayne vs come any fooes This hardy man shall me out bere So that me they shall not dere Thus goyth the cowarde hardely The hardy thynkyth what do shall I This is a coward that goyth by me Yf other than good come he wyll fle And I shall mys hym whan I haue nede Thus goyth the hardy man in drede All thus farys it wyturly Betwyx the sowle and the body The body says I wyll haue quyte All my wyll and my delyte Whan I am ded erth shall I be What than shall I recke what is of me ¶ The sowle says a felowe I lede That me beryth feble felowrede For if there come eny aduersyte I shall it fele and not be Thus is the sowl in peryll ay For that the body holdyth play ¶ The .xxiiij. questyon ¶ Where hath y e sowle I the rede In mannys body his wonnyng stede IN the body euerywhere Wonyth y e sowle if blode be there Blode is wessel for the sowle truly And of the blode is the body And where as blode raynyth nothyng There hath the sowle no dwellyng As in teth and heer also In nayles and in hyde therto Yf you say lyfe is in tho For they may fele who doth them wo Therto lyeth answere good For theyr rotys touchyth blode Pare them and clyp them who thou wylt And come theyr rotys not vntyl Shall they fele it neuer a dele Whether thou doyst them wo or we le ¶ The .xxv. questyon ¶ Why doth the sowle no lengar rest In the body than y e blode doth lest Lyke it faryth I the ensuer As fysshe in apond of water puer Yf aman a goter make The water of that ponde to slake The water reÌ„nith small small Untyl it be ronne out all Than lye the fysshe of that ponde Betynge them selfe ageyne the drye londe And whan the water is all awey Than most they nedys dey Of the sowle it fareth so Whan the blode it rennyth fro As the blode out yssueth treuly So doth the sowle there wex feble quyely And whan the blode is out euery dele The sowle no lenger lyketh wele In that body for to dwell But departeth al so suell For his nature hathe he lost tho As fysshe whan the water is therfro ¶ The .xxvj. questyon ¶ I praye the nowe that thou me saye How it is that â—he folkâ— so deye AMan dyeth on many wayes Summe whan that his dayes That god hym set fulfylled are Than it behoueth hym nedely to fare Somme of outrage that they do As of mete and drynke also And destroyeth theyr nature So that they maye not endure Understande that no man maye Ouer goddes terme leue one daye But with outrage maye he let The terme that god hym haue set Some dyeth in batayle and in fyght With staffe or swerde as falleth lyght And on many otherwyse also Mo than I can tell
the vnto ¶ The .xxvij. questyon ¶ How may man wete that it so is That god made man to his lykenes WE fynde of antiquite In bokes y t somtyme had Noye That whan god of heuen kyng Had made beest and all thyng Thā sayde one of y e parsons thre That are in the Trinite Nowe althynge are made more and les Make we man to our lykenes And bycause he sayd make we Is to vnderstand that there ar thre And that he sayd is no lesynge Than are we lyke hym in makynge ¶ The .xxviij. questyon Sethen we of goddes lykenes be Why maye we not do as dyd he TO goddis lykenes are we dyght And therfore hathe be geuen vs might Aboue al other creature That he made here for to dure And for that likenes so know we All thynges that in erthe be We can labour worke and wynne And we knowe almes fro synne All creatures maye we take And our seruauntis of them make And al other thynges that ar nought Unto goddis lykenes wrought Haue no conynge ne myght therto To do thyngis that we do Ne commaunde vs they ne maye As we do them euery daye But thoughe we be of his lykenes We maye not neuertheles Be al so stronge and wyse as he For hys handworke all ar we He is maker of all thynge And we are of his makynge He is lord and we subiecte as a slaue And for the lykenes that we haue Yf that we do not yll Aungels nombre we shall fulfyll For other lykenes than his Were not worthy to that blys ¶ The .xxix. question ¶ Where becometh the blode all Of man whan he dye shall GOd made blode of water ryght And the body of erthe he dyght And as water in erthe synketh And the erthe the water drynketh For to mayntayne all thynge That waxeth and in erth sprynge Also mayntayneth trewly The blode that is in the body And whan the sowle departe shall The blode he bereth with hym all And whan the harte is fro hym sent The blode is into the water went And the body that is drye And rype may not longe lye That it ne drynketh the blode also As the erthe wyll the water do ¶ The .xxx. questyon ¶ Whan the fyre quenchyd is Whether becometh it tell me this OF the sonne the fyre is ryght Therof haueth he hete and lyght And he be quenchyd he shall go To the sonne there he came fro Thou seest the sonne that lyght maketh And hete also there it on taketh On nyght whan he fro vs is went All the hete that he to vs lent And thē lyght of hym also All dothe he take it hym vnto And ledeth with hym that he brought Fro hym departe ne maye it nought Also whan fyre is slaked here He withdraweth hym on the same manere Unto the nature for to go Of the sonne there he came fro ¶ The .xxxj. question ¶ Why dyeth not the body thore Whan he leseth halfe his blode more THoughe the blode be halfe aweye The body may not yet deye For the hete of the soule I wys That the blode by mayntayned is Departeth not so lyghtly And I shall tel the for why The lytell blode that there is lefte Maketh that the sowle fro hym is not refte For it maynteyneth the sowle styffely And the sowle the blode and the body The weke that in a candel is Whan it begynneth for to mys The fyre slaketh and is a waye Euynso it is here to saye Of the blode the weke I make And by the fyre the sowle I take Whan the blode awaye is all The sowle no lenger dwell shall But the blode comforteth hym so Except some other euyll it forthe do Dyeth he not so lyghtly But holdeth hym on lyue contynually ¶ The .xxxij. questyon ¶ Of what complexyon may it be The body and of what nature is he OF the nature of erth it is tolde And his complexyon is colde And than is he makyd yare Of the fowre elamentis that are Of the erthe is the flesshe And the blode of water nesshe Of ayre the sowle maked was And of fyre the hete he has Se thyn flesshe is of erthes kynde And blode of water as we fynde Bothe are they colde of kynde to fonde But sowle that is of goddis onde That ought to be clene and fayre And is hote of kynde of ayre That sowle abydeth in the blode And heteth it and doth it good And the blode heteth trewly All the lymmes of the body ¶ The .xxxiij. questyon ¶ Were sowles made at the fyrst for aye Or are they made yet euery daye ALl thyng that god thought to make al were at ons wroght That is to say at y e begynnyng That he befor sawe all thynge And one cōmaundmēt made he All that was and that shal be But I saye not that they were In the lykenes that they now are All thynges in hym ware enclosyd verely Untyll they come to theyr beyng apertly Than he shapyd theyr fygure Euerychon after theyr nature But he cōmaunded all to be At ones as we do se So at ones made he all thynge At his worde and his byddynge ¶ The xxxiiij questyon ¶ May they haue eny excusynge That of god know nothyng SUch as god knowe not here Nor hym to lerne wyll not endeuere At the daye of dome shall he Know them for none of his meyne And tho that byleue and wyll not do The werkes that belongeth them vnto That sympely them vnderstonde As symple men that are in londe Yf they dampned be therfore Turmentyd shuld they not be sore And they that haue good vnderstondyng Of god and do not his byddyng Fro payne they may them not defende But yf that they do here amende ¶ The .xxxv. questyon ¶ Shall aman ought els do But that god commaūdeth hym to GOd hathe kyndly made man To serue hym in all that he can And his commaundmēt to do And the deuyl to hate also And as we lordshyp wyl craue Of all thynges and theyr seruyce haue Euyn so wyll god on all wyse Aske and haue of vs seruyse And that we byleue on hym stedfastly And worshyp hym with our body And loue hym aboue all thynge For we are all of his makynge ¶ The .xxxvj. questyon ¶ How many worldes are of all And how do men them call THere are gostly worldes two And two bodely worldes also That one goostly heuen is There aungels are and all the blys And there the good generacyon Of Adam shall hereafter wone That other goostly than is hell There the deuyls in paynes dwell ¶ The two bodely is in our syght As sunne and mone daye and nyght And other thynges that we se That vs geueth claryte The tother trewly we can nat want The chefe thynge that we do enhaunte As the erthe that all thynge taketh And our wombe that nought forsaketh And fro the bodely that are Unto the goostly for to fare Whether it be lowe or hye Ne is it
lere AFter that goddes sone vp shall stye Into his fathers companye His .xii. mynysters leue he shall That in erth hym companyd with all A holy hous amonge them all Shall they make that they shal call Goddes house and so shall it be For therin may men god se After them shall other come also That theyr commaundment shall do A whyle tyl it last maye And they shall fro daye to daye Wax ryche and of great myght And for theyr ryches anone ryght The lawe that goddes sone them lefte And his .xii. mynysters efte Febely than shall they it holde But for ryches shall all be solde And god shall then dystroye them tho For theyr synne and for theyr wo And than shall come great maystery Of the arte of astronomy And wyse men holde shall they be But coueytys shall shende all theyr gle ¶ The xlvj questyon ¶ Goddys how 's that thou hast tolde Who shal it kepe and haue in holde FOrsoth goddys sonne hym selue Shall amonge his dysciples twelue Commaunde one to kepe it ryght And stone of stonys shall he hyght He shall it kepe that it shall not spyll After maÌ„ shal succede maÌ„ according his wyl But after the tyme that goddys sonne Is come in erth for to wone A thowsand yere after than shal begynne In the worlde to sprynge synne Agaynst god and his lore And shal be wors than before After that men shall se Two great douues shal borne be That goddys lawe forther shall And myschefe destroye all That one douue shal be callyd mendar And that other amonester In the world they shal be bolde And pore men they shal be tolde The good shall loue them inwardly The wycked shal drede them wonderly And worshyp them with drede and sawe For they shal haue of them great awe Champyons they shal be stronge The faythe to holde and to fordo wronge Good kepars shall they be Of goddes house and his meyne ¶ The .xlvij. questyon ¶ He y t no good doth but holdeth hiÌ„ styll Whether dothe he good or yll HE that no good dothe nor yl dedys The lyfe of beast ryght he ledys And that doth yl for he do 〈◊〉 And he that of good wyâ— aâ—ynne And doth not there he maye it do He dothe yll and synne also ¶ As yf a man were honger sted And gladly wold of mete be fed And he by an orchyarde were goynge There he moche freute sawe hangynge And dyeth for faute of mete And of the freute wyl not ete He doth euyll and amys For his owne defawte it is ¶ The .xlviij. questyon ¶ Lordshyp whether shall it be Stoute and sterne or of petye LOrdshyp is goddes wyll Lawe and iustyce to fulfyll And yf myght Iustyce fynde Men shuld be of fysshes kynde The stronge shuld the feble ete And great the small that they myght gete And lordshyp ought stowte to be And stalworthe and of potence With ryght and skyll the wycked to deme And peas amonge the folke to set clene Alytel goddes sone beforne A kyng shall in erthe be borne He shal be profyte or he dye And in his prophesye he shall saye Blesyd be they god vnto That deme and ryghtwysenes shal do Yf a wycked man be raynt And of his wyckednes be ataynt The lorde maye deme hym of his ryght And forgeue it of his myght But yf he afterward do amys Of the dome worthy he is ¶ The .xlix. questyon ¶ Shal any man good do His kynde and his frendes vnto YF thy kynde good men be And they haue defawte of the And haue lost by myschaunce The good that shuld them auaunce Thou shalt them helpe and good them do And geue them good counsayle also Yf they be of wycked lyfe Be it man or be it wyfe And they be in wretchydnesse Throughe theyr owne wyckednesse As some that are of euyl mode He dothe yll that dothe them good That men putteth in all is lorne In a purs that is al to torne What helpeth it wax for to take And a serge therof make And before aman it lyght That is blynde and hathe no syght To suche aman helpeth it nought That lyght before hym be brought Also it is lost for to shewe Any goodnes to a shrewe ¶ The .l. questyon Now I praye the tell me Gentylhed what maye that be GEntylry that is powre And ryches that aman hath here Of lande and rent and of fee And cometh of antiquite And that in coste hath to mayntayne For most ientyll is he counted certayne But some are ryche men of good And are churles kynd of blode A ryche man men call hym one But gentylman is he flone And he that ryche is wonderly A noble man of his body Curteys wyse and holden fre A great gentylman is he And though he be a poure man And amonge men bere hym can As of norture in boure and halle A gentylman men shal hym calle But of poure men we al came As of Eue and adam ¶ The .lj. questyon ¶ How may it be colde euery yere Whan the wether is fayre and clere THe wether whan that it is fayre The hete comyth downe from y e ayre And in to the erth he dryueth thore The hete that hetyd the erth before And so is hete al awaye On wynters dayes that is to say And whan the wether is trobelus and thike The hete may not downe lyght From the sonne by his myght So may it here be warme tolde And sumtyme in fayre wether colde ¶ The .lij. questyon ¶ May aman by eny trowe The goodmen froÌ„ the wyckyd knowe GOod men them selfe declare ryght For of vysage they are bryght And theyr eyen also are bryght And louely they are of syght For the good lyfe they are in And they are trewly out of syn And bycause they lyue so chastly Swete wordes haue they comenly The wycked of euyl wyll they be And lowrynge are they on to se Of stablenes haue they nothynge Out of mesure is theyr spekynge Smarte goynge they haue also And they are seldome in ro And the wyckednes of theyr harte In worde and warke they shewe all smarte ¶ The .liij. questyon ¶ The byleue that was here before Of false ydols that here wore Shal it euer raysed be So sterke as was in tyme of me CHyldren that shall come of the In god of heuen theyr byleue shal be And theyr chyldren yet also But they that shal come of them tho Shal turne vnto the wycked lawe That was before by olde sawe And they shal make a cyte Therin shall a towre be And that towre shal haue thore Foure and forty stages before And therin shal raygne a kynge Of al the worlde most masterlynge And an ymage he shall do dyght After his father and lyke hym ryght And all folke shall he make go to That ymage worshyp to do ¶ The .liiij. questyon ¶ Why was it not goddes wyl That maÌ„ leuyd not a weke with one fyl HOnger one of the paynes is For syn that
ware vnleel and stout The great flode scapyd Noe By the goodnesse of humilyte That hym made of nought also And at his wyl them shal for do Trustyng stedfastly that he Was euer and without end shal be And kepe wel the commaundment That his sonne whan he doune is sent Shal in erth gyue man vnto Towarde god and man also To do good and wyckydnes let be And couetys and enuy fle And take vnto hym pacyence With charyte and abstynence For who so hath thes thre I wys aleel man is he And after for his humilyte In heuyn may he crowned be With aungels before god of myght Wher euer is day with out nyght ¶ The .lxiij questyon ¶ Hardynes of man and drede Wherof come they I the rede BOldnes and drede of man Wherof they come tel I can They come of the complexcyon And I shal tel the areson Thou knouest y t mē made ware Of y e foure elementes that are Saue that god gaue hym goost And after aman hath in hym most Of wete of dryeth hete or colde Shal his complexcyon betolde And thes foure euen be Raynynge in man than shal he Be neyther coward ne hardy Lysten I shal tel the why If kelth not ouercome the hete Nor the drye ouercome the wete Equalyte than of hete kylth wete and dry The herte of man shal than lye For the euynhode of them tho And styre neyther to ne fro And yf the hete the kelthe ouer go And the hete the kylth also The body begynneth for to shake And the herte to styre and quake And for the hete is hardy anon And dredyth not that he lokyth on If the colde be mayster ouer the hete And ouer the drye be the wete The body waxeth colde at nede And the hert weke and ful of drede ¶ The .lxiiij. questyon ¶ Wherof may it be fall Man to haue meselry or scall SCall and meselry also Of the woman come they tho A woman that is hote of kynde And aman her in her floures fynde The floures are both hote and drye And the man than by her lye And gete a chylde perauenture That chylde shal be of nature Other be scalled or mesel The nature it is so fell That it in the woman takes Of a blode that it all makys Menstruum that blode we call That bredyth meselry or scall Which raygnyng in woman It is but foly to come to man But aman shal knowe his wyfe In entent to get a lyfe To worshype god that hym wrought And whan she is with chylde brought He shulde come ny her no more Untyl the chylde ware bore Nor fourty dayes shulde nought Such precept to Noe y e aungel brought ¶ The .lxv. questyon ¶ Ware althynges of goddys makynge Made at the fyrst begynnynge GOd made of his myght althynge At his worde and byddynge But al the creatures that he forth brought At one tyme made he them nought For it ware agayne kynde by my thought A thynge that of matter is wrought But yf the matter ware before Or that thynge of it made wore For longe is stone or tre Or the how 's made be Also fynde I many thynges yet As wormes comyng of mannys swet As lees and other wormes mo And some of mannys flesshe also And of mannys flesshe them fede As wormes that in handes brede Scarbode is of fylt a neet A worme that is so gret Of howndes come howndflees to And wormes of wyckyd ayre also And yf thes thynges latter be Than that that they come of thynkes me That god at the begynnynge Made not at ones al thynge And al thynges he made I wys Unto the lest worme that is ¶ The .lxvj. questyon ¶ Tel me now after thy wyt The frute in erth who norysshys yt AL the frute that in erth growes And al that man therin sowes Al noryshys god of his myght And for that hath he them dyght The foure elamentes to fynde Eche one noryssheth in his kynd The erthe sustayneth whā he to hym taketh The ayre noryssheth and it maketh The water it fedeth and grene it maketh Of fyre here and waxyng it taketh These foure make rype euery frute Wherof men suffyse theyr apetyte Ryght as who shuld sethe mete Foure thynges behoueth hym to gete Fyre and water ayre and vessele Or els is it not sodden we le ¶ The .lxvij. questyon ¶ The bestes that haue no wyte How wax they ragyous tel me it GOd made ech beste as we fynde And gaue ech wyt after his kynde And ech kynd hath knoulegynge After his wyte of some thynge And that wyte may sone away In maner as I shal the say Aman may rekyn and fynde sone The .xxvii. daye of the mone In tyme of Iune ryght esterly A sterre hym sheweth on the skye And be it nyght or be it daye Yf a beast it beholde maye Or the vmbre in water on nyght It shal waxe ragyous anone ryght And yf it man or beast than byte It shal become rageous streyte ¶ The .lxviii. questyon ¶ What beast is it that ye fynde That lengest leueth in his kynde AN Erne leueth longest as I trowe Of all the beastes that I knowe The erne euery daye wyl flye In to the ayre vp so hye Hygher than any man maye se And fresshe and newe becometh he And in longe lyfe he contynueth That so oft hym selfe renueth The adder also hath longe lyfe And vnder erth he dwellyth ryfe And vnder stonys and in brynkes The kelyth of the erth drynkys His hyde he newyth euery yere And becomyth yonge and fayre Be he not slayned with beast or man A thowsand yere wel lyue he can And whan a thowsand yere is gon Horne his hede growyth on And shortly after begynneth he A fayr dragon for to be But al they fare not so Some dye or they come therto And some are slayned here and there Or els al to fell they were ¶ The .lxix. questyon ¶ Fedyth god al thynge That is in erth of his makynge GOd made althyng good And to al he sendyth lyues fode Frute on erth and flesshe on lande And fysshe in water and on sande To mannys fode is ordenyd all And therby he lyue shall Beastes so are fed also Of that the erth comyth fro Fowles some in erth are fed And some in water theyr lyfe is led The fyssh lyueth by his mete And ech of them wyl other ete The worme in erth is fede also And thys sendyth god them vnto Unto al that he hath lyfe lent He hath mete to them sent ¶ The .lxx. questyon ¶ Fysshe fowle and beastes echone Haue they sowles or haue they none Ryghtly sowles for to sey Is such that it may neuer dey For yf the body do wel here The sowle shal be assocyat to aungel clere And that is callyd sowle of skyl That god gaue only man vntyl Wherfor euery other creature Is vnder man by ryght nature And for that shuld he Ouer al beastes mayster be Haue sowle that most
wysdom can Or els ware beast lyke to man Beastes and foules and fysshes al Haue no sowl ryghtly to cal If thou say as some men do Al that lyueth hath sowle ther to Trough which sowl the body sterys Etyth drynketh seyth and herys It is no sowle it is but an onde That god hath lent thē here we haue fonde For no good ne can they do But that man them noryssheth to Than haue they wyt of mannys techynge But of them selfe haue they nothynge If wyt of them selfe wore Theyr sowle ware of myght the more But theyr sowle that I a yeanyng cal Whan the body ded shal fall It faryth as an onde of thy mouth Whan it is gon no man it couth But vanysshys in the ayre awaye And no lengar ne dure may ¶ The .lxxj. questyon ¶ They y t in tyme of goddis sonne be Shal they lyue as longe as we OF body such as now are we But so great shal they not be And we are now of lengar lyfe Than shal be than man or wyfe For the world is now stalworthyare Than shal be than and myghtyare And the erth gyueth vs to More frute than it shal them do And the plenty that the erth yeldys Both in woddes and in feldys Is now of moch more myght Than it shal be than with ryght And the wyne is strongar now Than shal be than and to more prow Wherfore ought we by ryght nature Haue lengar lyfe and lengar to endure Than they that in thos dayes are And febleare so forth shal they fare For he that may than the people amonge Lyue a C. yere he lyueth longe And euer shal men dounwarde go Of lyfe and of strength also But in wyt wax they shal And in malyce with all And of theyr bodyes lessen shal Twyxen this and domys day ¶ The .lxxij. questyon ¶ Tel me now some ensure How longe this world shal endure NO man in erth may veryly The preuyte know of goddys secresy It is so great that wyte it ne can Nother beast aungel ne man Ne no thyng but it be he That with god be full preue And that he loueth alther most As his sone or the holy gost For they with hym are all one In godhed or els wote it none For euery erthely man wyl nought Tel to euery man his thought Ne his wyl in preuyte But yf he preuy with hym be Also reserueth god hym to Many thynges that he wyl do That he wyl of no kowlegynge Geue to man ne to nothynge But to his owne sone onely For he is next and most hym by And that tyme that goddes sone Shal in erthe a man here wone Men shal hym aske yf the worlde here Shal endure seuen thousand yere And anone answere he shall And saye ye and more withall For of the fathers preuyte Of the more shal none the wyser be We fynde wele that god of heuen Hath made planettes seuen The world to kepe by daye and nyght And to eueryone geueth that is his myght And euery one is assyngned to A thousand yere to kepe also And whan euery one haueth on this wyse A thousand yere done his seruyse Than shal euer god fulfyll The world longer at his wyll For as al planettes gouernours be Euenso gouerneth them he And for he is aboue all Wote none but he what shal befall ¶ The .lxxiij. questyon ¶ Leue ony men in the world mo Out of the erthe that we on go Syr yles are many in the see A thousand fourehōdred two ther be Some are inhabyted men withall And some not nor neuer shall There are some that men in dwell Of our lykenes euery dell And of hyth but hanfulls thre And berdes hangyng to theyr kne Theyr here downe to theyr helys is Of flesshe they fede both of goose and gryce Theyr beastes are small euerychone A speche they haue by them alone ¶ A nother yle is by the see And therin are smal meyne A spanne longe are they and nomore And all of fysshe lyue they thore In the water are they be lyght And vp on londe they are on nyght ¶ Yet there other yles be With men al so great as we With one eye in the front no more And vs with two they drede ful sore They ete flesshe and with the fellys Clothe they them and with nothynge ellys ¶ Yet there is a nother also The folke that longeth therto Are tayled ryght as shepe eche one And then lyue by fysshe alone ¶ Yet is there one of oure shapnesse But they are moche lesse And they are euer in fyght and were Agayne a great maner of fowle is there In colde wynter tho fowles great Take they and hold them for theyr mete ¶ A nother is there yet nere hand There is a maner foule dweland Thoughe they were in fyre brought Brenne ne shuld theyr fethers nought ¶ A nother folke is there feyre and sounde That haue vysage lyke a hounde ¶ Yet is there folke in a countre And feble and lene they be On sonne and on the mone they byleue And sacryfyce to them they geue But when they wyl sacrifyce make Sum wyl his best frendis take And praye hym company hym bere At the sacrifyce he shal do there Than shal he cause to be made a fyre And when it brenneth ful shyere Than shal he crye that al may here For loue of the sonne so dere Or the mone whether it be Or an ymage made of tre Lepe I in this fyre al hote For my meryte wel I wote Thus hym selfe there he brenneth And the deuyl his soule wynneth And tho that bere hym company Anone shal do the same foly The tother folke aboute bydene Syt tyl they be brenned ful clene And than shal they theyr asshes take And relykes shal they therof make ¶ Another lande there is also That sacryfyce the deuyl vnto Of theyr bodyes and are ful blythe They cause to be made a sharpe sythe In lykenes of a hors sho And that shal haue haftes two By the heere than shall he hanged be Hye on lofte that men may se The sythe in his necke shal men laye The haftes in his handes twey And he shal crye as a man in a rage For the loue of his ymage That is my god this shal I do And kerue his owne necke in two The hede hangeth styll on hye The body falleth hastely That body shal be with honoure takyn And done out all that is therin And salted as they wyl it haue And by that ymage do it graue Upon the graue shal wryten be His owne name and howe that he Made to that ymage sacryfyce And on what daye and in what wyse ¶ Another maner is there yet Of folke that are of lytell wyt Whan they sacrafyce shuld make A hye tree they do take And do styke it in a place With many about makyng solas And aboute that same tre Foure swerdis naked shal set be The poyntes vpward
body lowe or hye So the erth that we on go Is vnder ful of veynes also And open the hyde the veyne vpon The blode spryngeth out anon Euyn as wel vpon the crowne As on the fote beneth downe So the veynes that in the erth lye Haue water runnyng lowe and hye Up and doune to and fro As the veynes in erth go And there they the erth feble se Hye or lowe whether it be It brestyth out and rennyth there Hylle or dale whether it be ¶ The C.xxv questyon ¶ The water that is in the see Why is it salt tel you me IN the mydel of the world a see is Where the sonne euer brennyng is And by that brennyng hete Are the waters that shuld be swete Become bytter and salt also Which see renneth the other vnto Wherof al salt it is And y e hete of y e sonne makyth moche of this Ware it that the see styl stode And ware the water fresshe and good The stynke therof so great shuld be That al the fysshes in the see Shuld dye anon both great and smal And that ware vnto man great bale And on the land shuld be such stynke More than I can expresse or thynke Which shuld on lande so be here That it shulde al the people dere ¶ The C.xxvi questyon ¶ Wherof euer may it be The lyghtenyng that we here se CLowdes somtyme on the sky Renne to gether vp a hy With so great fyre and so kenne That fyre lyghtenyth them betwene And that is that we lyghtnyng call And somtyme downe wyl it fall Somtyme slekenys it a lofte In the cloude and that is ofte ¶ The C.xxvij questyon ¶ The waters that ebbe flow also Wherof come they whyter do they go ALl the waters that euer be Al they come out of the see And thyther agayne they go Unto the see wher they came fro The waters that fall in erth synkyth And as a spryng the erth them drynkyth And whan they are come thether In veynes gather they to gether And they that go in by one syde By another out they glyde The erth takyth and geuyth all The waters that are and on erth fall ¶ The C.xxviii questyon ¶ Hylles and roches ware they nought Made whan y e world was fyrst wrought FRom the fyrst tyme of adam Unto the tyme that Noe came Was neuer hyl ne rocke with al But as playne about as a ball Rayne fell than to erth none No tempest was nor storme But in the tyme of Noe For the great iniquyte And for the synne that adam wrought God sent astode that sesyd nought Xl. dayes and xl nyghtes Al the world destroyed he thore Saue them that in the arch wore And the course of the stode them among In his comyng was so strong That where it neysshe ground fonde It dyd fret away both erth and sonde Stone and rocke felde and towne Al was turned vp se downe But whan the flode began to slake And lytel stremes for to make Stones on hepes so with stode And turned no more for the flode And whan some with stode so Mo them gathered vnto The neysshe ground the water doth fret For no hardnes it doth let And afterward the sonnys hete With frost and snow to gether do mete Dryuyng the stones to gether harde And became rockes afterwarde Wherfore by the forsayd skyl That flode made both dale and hyll ¶ The C.xxix questyon ¶ Shal the dyluuy come eny more In the world that was before GOd hath hyght vnto man kynde As we in our bokes fynde That neuer shal come to destroy man Such a dyluuy as than ran But yf of synne man not amende A sharpe scourge he shal them sende That scourge is a swerd of wrake That one shal agayne a nother take And oâ—e shal a nother for do And destroye the world also ¶ The C.xxx questyon ¶ Whan Noe shuld to the arch go And of ech beastes toke w t hym two Why wold he euyl beastes take As scorpyons adder and snake NOe dyd them in the arch ley For two thynges that I shal the sey That one for the coÌ„maundment That god hym be the aungel sent And that durst he not breke For he sawe moch wreke Of ech one two god byd hym take For he wold not them al new make Wherfore his precept dyd he And of them came that now be ¶ That other was for mannys he le For but yf venemous beastes fele Ware dwellyng in ech countre So ful of venom the erth shuld be That it shuld enuenym al thynge As frute and corne that in erth dyd sprynge And so shuld no man therof ete But he dyed by that mete And the beastes ne lyue I wys But of the venym that in erth is And they clense the erth by kynde Of the venym they therin fynde And al theyr venym is truly Of the erth that they lyue by For take an adder for asay The venemost that men fynde may And in a vessel hym do That no erth come hym to With flesshe and bred kepe it thore Fyftene dayes and no more Al his venom shal be gon And hurte may he do none For venom in hym none doth abyde Except he on the erth do slyde ¶ The C.xxxj questyon ¶ Wherof euer comyth the gold That man so precyous doth hold THe myne of gold without mys In veynes of y e erth waxyng is And syluer also with metals mo Which the erth come fro But gold and syluer men fynde betwene The erth there it is pure and clene Men gather it and dyght it so With arte that they haue therto But there men it most fynde Is a lande by the west Inde In gyse of brasse men fynde there By the banke of the see euerywhere But euery man can not it dyght For to brynge it to the ryght ¶ The C.xxxi questyon ¶ Tel me now yf thou wote How out of y e erth spryng waters hot WAters that al hote so sprynge Haue it somwher in theyr reÌ„niÌ„g By brymstone hath his cours And not fare from his sours By y e hete of y â— kynd of brimstone The water becomyth warme anon And warme spryngeth out also And who so leyd his nose therto He shuld anon fele ful we le Sauoure of brymstone somdele ¶ The C.xxxii questyon ¶ Among al other tel me one Wherof comyth the brymstone QUycke brymstone that men call Cometh of lyghtenyng that doth fall Upon roches by the see Eyther on hylles whether it be And so hard downe are they cast With ayre aboue and wyndes blast That they fall the erth within And that erth they lye and â—ryâ— Which erth exâ—st hyght therby For it is brente so wondersly And that turneth to brymstone Which wellyth vp somtyme anon ¶ The C.xxxiij questyon ¶ Carboncles and other stones mo Wherof may come al tho OUt of Nygre that is a see Where cokyls are in great plente And hang to gether two and two
Openyng in the water hangyng so The rayne falleth from aboue And entres in them there they houe WhaÌ„ they haue receyued the rayne astound They close them and go to ground And at the ground lye they thore Wel a C. yere and more And they that are of that countre Whan they seke them in the see Theyr vysages to couar they begyn With netes blathers blowen thyn And in blacke sowe them also For the fysshe wyl fle them fro Than go they doune them to wyn And perlys fynde they them with in Whyte and rounde but neysshe they be But whan they come out of the see And the ayre haue them smyt vpon They become ryght hard anon But tho that are not in season Nor theyr tyme haue after they weÌ„te doune To be fulfylled by the ground They stynke as a pyllyd hownd The Carboncles come also Of cokyls as perles do But Carboncles of smal hayle fall And in fresshe water be they all They by the grounde wylbe Two hundred wynter wel or thre And they stynke and fare amys Whan theyr tyme not fulfylled is But al the rayne that doth fall Turne not to stones al The rayne that the fyrst day fallyth Of the mone in Ianuary that men callyth And the mone be in that sygne That vnto that thynge be dygne If that rayne in the cokyl go Perles shal come of tho And hayle that to fal is wone The eyght daye of the mone In feueryere and the mone be ryght In a sygne that Cancer hyght And the cokyls that hayle in take Carboncles therof they make But that rayne and hayle ech dele Fall ful seldome wyte you wel ¶ The C.xxxiiij questyon ¶ Of this world now tel me How many landes therein be LAnde but one is there none Who so al hole myght se there on But for departynge of the see That departyth them in thre Thre landes are that we call With out smale yles all But al are one lande to gethere fest And al vpon one grounde they rest And who so myght the lande be holde That no water let hym sholde Al hole and one he shulde it se And so made god it to be The water aboue in sonder it castys But vnder hole and fast it lastys ¶ The C.xxxv. questyon ¶ Myght eny man on drye lande wel Go y e world about euery dele IN erth no man myght go The world about to ne fro For he shuld fynde many lettynges And that of many thynges He shuld fynde wastenes ful great There nethere were drynke ne mere But wylde beastes many one Redy to tere hym as a bone Ware a hundreth men on one wrought And yf that ne let hym nought The open erth shuld lettynge be That swellyth and geuyth agayne the see And many lettynges other mo If he est and west wyl go And yf north and south go he Many other lettynges be For thre zones shal he fynde Where no man may lyue in one kynde One is hote and colde are two May no lyuyng thyng be in tho And goddys wyl it is also Shaâ— no man be myghty therto ¶ The C.xxxvj questyon ¶ Myght eny man sayle nyght day That had the wynde with hym ay ¶ So long y â— his shyppe came vnreÌ„t To the turnyng of the fyrmament A Man that in a shyppe wore Thoughe he sayled euer more Yet shuld he not come nere the sky And I shal tel the why The erth is rounde as a ball In the mydel and the sky ouer al Is alyke fer there fro And the water also Al about on the erth doth stande And thoughe a man toke vnderhande To sayle an hundred yere He shuld the sky be al so nere Whan that he from home went As whan his hundred yere ar spent ¶ The C.xxxvij questyon ¶ Why made not god man to be Ay yong ioylyfe and of pouste ¶ Rych and longe lyfe hym lent And at his deth to blys haue went HAd god made man on that manere As that thou tellyst here God as I thynke in my thought Had the deuyl great wrong wrought Which for a thought fel to hell And mo with hym than I can tel Shuld aman than be of longe lyfe Rych yonge and ioylyfe And haue here al his delyte And than fare to heuyn quyte Noman is worthy to come thore But yf he haue don wherfore God hath graunted vs vnto Be cause we shal here wel do Helth with out sycknesse Ioy and delyte and great rychesse And lyfe also without ende For the deth that men here to wende Than is it for to reken ryght No other but as a byâ—des flyght That flyeth here in yonder out And be a man neuer so stout Nor so yonge nor fayre to day To morow shal it al a way I wold not lyue a thowsand yere And al my delyte haue here And than vnto heuyn gon I had leuer be there a non For one delyte that is thore Is worth a thowsand here and more And therfore ware it moche scate Thether for to come so late ¶ The C.xxxviij questyon ¶ Whiche are the aungels tel me this That receyueth mannys soule to blys EChe man an aungel hath hym to To kepe hym that he not mys do And whan the soule at the ende Shal out fro the body wende And it vnto god be dere The aungel that was his kepare here Shal come with great melody And of aungels great company Receyuyng hym vnto mede And to ioye hym lede After the tyme that is to sey That goddys sonne shal dey But or he dey on the rode Al go to hel wycked and good But al alyke shal they nought Be payned but as they haue wrought And some shal be in fre pryson Tyl tyme of his passyon But whan the great dome shal be Men shal agre at wonder se Sowle and body to gether go And to gether fele ioye or wo And the sowle that to hel shal went The deuyl that hym holpe to shent Shal receyue hym and sey hym to Thou hast don as I bad the do Thou withstodyst not my wyl Nor my techyng vnto yl Wherfore shalt thou go with me Euer more in payne to be Thus shal they be receyuyd thycke Good with good and wicked with wicke ¶ The C.xxxix questyon ¶ I pray the mayster sey me now Which is better of the two ¶ Good werkes without chastyte Or werkes wickyd and chast to be GOod werkes wolde I chese Thoughe I chastyte forlese For be thou chast of thy body And thou worke wickydly What vertu than hast thou in the Percaas is than thy chastyte For sycknesse that thou may not dure Or for kelth of thy nature Or for age that thou may no more What meryt art thou worthy therfore And than for to go sle aman Or to robbe in wode or fen Or thy neyghbore to begyle sotelly Or his good to forlese falsly What is worth such chastyte Whan thou of othere hast no pyte But that vnchast lyfe ledys And
foure and thyrty dayes therto His dedes and his wyl also His regne is in Caprycorne And in Canser his myght is lorne ¶ The fourth planet is the sonne And yf you vnderstande conne It is the planet of great worshype Of kynges and of â—ordshype Kepar of erth we hym cal And by the sygnes he passyth al And in ech whan he comyth thore He dwelleth a moneth and no more That is borne in that he may euery yere Change his worke and his manere His regne so is in Aâ—yes And in Lybra he hym restes ¶ The fyfte planet venus is Planet of loue delyte and blys He that therin borne shal be Feble herte shal haue of vanyte But in foure hundreth and forthy dayes May he change al his wayes His worke and thought holly The .xii. sygnes goyth he by And in ech one of tho shal he Seuen and twenty dayes be In piscibus rayneth he stabely And doune he goyth in Gemyny ¶ The syxte planet Mercurius That arte and conyng geuyth vs By the .xii. sygnes lyeth his wayes Dwellyng in ech one seuentene dayes He that is borne in hym may Be two hundred and the fourth day Chaunge his corage and his thought And the workes that he wrought ¶ The mone the seuenth planet we say Planet of water and of waye By the .xii. sygnes she goyth also Dwellyng in ech one dayes two He that is borne in this planet In a moneth may he byete And chaunge his worke and wyl Be it good be it yl In Taurus comyth her regne vnto And abesses her in Scorpyo And al the world is not I wys So great as one planet is Saue the thre that lowest wone Uenus Mercurius and the mone ¶ The C.xlvij questyon ¶ Tel me now this ones yet ¶ How many maner of waters is it OF waters many maner there be Fyrst the water of the see That al other waters come fro Water of welles there is also That theyr hew and manere Foure tymes change in a yere Welles are spryngyng elles whore Foure dayes in the weke no more I stode theris that rennyth ay Al the weke saue saturdaye A stode is in the est see ryght Which rennyth euer on nyght And a daye it frosen is fast But on nyght may it not last Yet men may a welle fynde In the yles of the see of ynde That who so put a stafe therin As of a fyre it shuld bryn And it nothyng slekyn can But only the breyne of man Other welles are yet mo And who the water dronke of tho Of some good memory shuld he take And some forgetfulnesse shuld make Some amerous wyl make the men And some wyl bareyne make wymen Some wyl make yren and stele In the fyre to tempre we le A great wel yet is there one Standyng stylle as eny stone But who so makyth solace there by Anone it rennyth hastely Some waters are hote of kynde And some colde as men do fynde And the kynde of the ground causyth al this Where eny water rennyng is And al is at goddys wyl Both rennyng and stondyng styll ¶ The C.xlviij questyon ¶ Now wold I wyt of the see How many sees that there be SEes we fynde there are thre Wherof one hyght the see beter Al about the erth goyth she And is salt as men may se That other see the blacke see hyght And enuyrons that other ryght The thyrd is called the stynkyng see Therin may no man lyuyng be For the stynke that it cometh fro Enuyrous truly that other two And god hath made them so to be Of his wyl and his potence ¶ The C.xlix questyon ¶ Why hath god the world made al Rownde aboute as a balle THere are many skylles why But thre I fynde pryncypally For his owne lycknes is one There non ende ne is vpon For he ne had begynynge Nor neuer shal haue endynge And seke y e world neuer so w t trauayle miÌ„d No endyng shal men therin fynde Another sayl is comodyte Why it behoueth so to be For al the formes that thou knowst Rownde contaynes aldermost Now is it so at the begynyng That the world contaynes althyng Wherfore it behoued therto That it shuld rownde be also The thyrde cause is for the sky And I shal tel the how and why Late with war here fyll a canne And whan it is ful breke it than The wax shal be of that shapnes As was the canne more ne les Now is the saye rounde and fayre And conteyneth fyre and ayre Water and erth ferrest therfro And al behoueth rounde to be tho The round saye the fyre round maketh And ayre of fyre roundhed taketh Water within ayre also And erthe within all tho And bycause the skye as thou hast hard Is round and al are in hym sperd All behoueth them round tobe As thou ere on the waxe myght se ¶ The C.l. questyon ¶ Why is the mone colde of kynd And the sonne hote as we fynde The sonne is welle of hete And the mone of waters wete Now is that one drye and hote And that other moyst and wote The hete of the sonne doth spryng That in erthe is al thynge But with that hete may they not dure But yf they haue withal moysture And that the sonne heteth on daye lyght The mone keleth vpon nyght And geueth it moysture there vnto Therfore al thynges spryngeth so Shuld the sonne geue vs for aye His here bothe nyght and daye Man nor beast shuld lyue no throwe Ne nothyng shuld in erth growe And yf the keelth of the mone Shuld euer amonge vs wone And of the hete haue rygâ—t nought Shuld no leuyng thyng forthe be brought Therfore hath god ordayned so As the world hathe myster to ¶ The C.lj. questyon ¶ Now I praye the tel me this Whiche is the most thyng that is OF al thynge that thou most Goddes marcy is the most For no mouthe may speke I wys No harte thynke how great it is Unto tho that wyl it craue And desyreth it to haue It is greater than al erth may be Or al the water in the see It passyth al leues that sprynge Or herbes or eny other thynge Ye an hundreth thowsand folde It passys al that I haue tolde ¶ The C.lij. questyon ¶ Whether may grauel of erth mo be Or droppes of water of the see GRauel of the erth is wel more ThaÌ„ al water dropes y t euer wore For al that were or yet shal be Al they come of the see And for an handfuf of grauel Behouyth of droppes a gooddele For wel smaller is one hope Of grauel than a water drope And water may be no where But yf erth be vnder there And many myles may men gon Drye where no water is on And the see was neuer so depe a flete That deper ne is vnder erth grete And yf water vpon roche stande Under roche is erth molde or sande Now is the erth apperyng smal And wyde
wymen of most profyte For man to haue to his delyte UNtyl sowle profytes none But amanys wyfe alone But of the body yf thou sey In the yere are sesons twey After which aman loke shal What woman he shal dele with al In wynter whan the ayre is colde And his keelth yeldes manyfolde A yong woman and broune also Profytes than man vnto For broune woman is of hote onde And of hote guttes fonde And her hete hetys man also And great profyt doys hym to In somer whan the ayre is hote And heteth both drye and wote Than is a yong whyte woman Best vnto profyt of man For she is colde of kynde to fele And man of great hete may she kele But an olde woman doth no profyte Unto man nother broune ne whyte For yl onde aboute she beres And moyst guttes that greatly deres She makys aman pure heuy And greuyth euery dele his body And doth chaunge his fayre colour Wherfore in her is no socour ¶ The CC.xxxv questyon ¶ The quakyng that aman is in Somtyme wherof may it begyn QUakyng that sometyme lyghtly Falles aman in his body Cometh of flemes that are colde That the moysture in his body holde For they ouer come of theyr â—ouste Al the colers that in hym be Whan the colers haue al in welde A great keelth in man they yelde That cold reykes forth ther with Unto synnes veynes and ech lyght Which causyth hym to quake begyn And the body shake within As the blast of a colde ayre wyl make A thynne clothyd man for to shake ¶ The CC.xxxvi questyon ¶ Whan aman seyth a thynge Whether geuyth the eye out in seyng Or it receyuyth inward therto The shape that it sees also NOthyng may come out owhore But there that it went in before Nor eye may nothyng geue outward But that it fyrst receyuyd inward Wherfore vnderstand a ryght Thre thynges go to the syght Fyrst that thyng that thou shalte se That other that it coloured be For of al thynges is seen nothyng But only the colouryng The thyrd are bemes of the syght Which vpon that thyng shal lyght That shal be seen and after this Moysture that in the eyne is Drawes vnto hym the shapyng And the facyon of that thyng And that shape yeldes it the branes vnto And the braynes to the herte also The herte sendys it to hym at the last And in memory holdes fast And for that sendyng wyl the herte Thynke a nother tyme ful smerte Of the thyng eyen had somwhore Seen truly therbefore ¶ The CC.xxxvij questyon ¶ How may aman spekyng be Be hym alone and say we AMan is made more ne lesse But after goddys owne lycknesse And also as in the godhed be Rekened ryghtly persons thre So there are in euery man Thre thynges that I reken can Body sowle and the wyt Thes thre are together knyt The tong an instrument is ryght To speke the sowle geuyth myght The wyttes gouern aboue al What so the tong speke shal And seyng euery man hath thes thre In spech may he wel say we ¶ The CC.xxxviij questyon ¶ May with takyng from the see It in any thyng amenysshed be THyng that men alday of take Behouyth to menysshe and slake Now is no water of al that be Fresshe nor salt but of the see And euery day men takys therto Both man and beast and fowle also And al that is taken euery day Ageyne to the see ne may There goyth of it to wast somdele As euery man may wyt wel But the erth yeldes waters her fro That vnto the see go And the see restores eft Of al that men hath it reft And it is so long and wyde And so greatly depe and syde That men may aperceue nothyng That therof goys to wastyng ¶ The CC.xxxix questyon ¶ Whether shal man loue one or other Chyld of the suster or of the brother BOth ought thou for to loue them euin After goddys ryght of heuyn But after the worldys lawe Some man were leuer to hym drawe The brothers chylde and loue hym more Than the susters harken wherfore The chyld takys matter of the wyfe And of the father shape and lyfe And shape of al thyng I wys Is worthyare than the matter is Wherfore that some men wyl sey The brothers chyld is nere of twey But gyle is on that other syde As men hath wyst it ofte betyde My brothers wyfe may be a wyle And may do her husbond gyle And wyt on hym achyld lyghtly That he no more gat than I But achyld that my suster bare Therof am I suer and ware That that behouyth to be kynne of nede But of my brothers chyld is drede ¶ The CC.xl. questyon ¶ Tel me now yf that thou can The peryloust thynges that are in man FOure colours hath man hym in That of foure complexcyons begyn The fyrst is blode that may not mysse That other blacke coloure I wysse The thyrd is fleme whyte on to se And yelow coloure the fourth is he And want aman of thes thre His body were deed anon And ech one behouys to be At his seson in his pouste And yf any lacke them al Out of tyme that they shuld in hym fall In sycknes the body falles Perylous wherfore men them calles And ech one hath his power In dyuers quarters of the yere Thre thynges the fyrst quarter ches Capricorne Aquarius and pisses And of flemes haue they myght And wete and colde is theyr ryght In December they begynne And in mydel of March they blynne Which is the coldest tyme of al For that is that we wynter call ¶ The seconde quarter next therby Haue Aries Taurus Gemini Blode in man haue they myght to And are hote and moyst also In March is theyr begynyng And in Iune is theyr endyng Uer hyght that seson that I mene Al thynges therin waxe grene ¶ The thyrd quarter hath hym vnto Cancer Leo and Uirgo And they are both hote and drye Of yelow colours is theyr maystrye In Iune is theyr begynyng ay And in September they wend away Which is the somer tyde The meryest tyme that men abyde ¶ The fourth hath sygnes thus Libra Scorpio Sagittarius They are both colde and drye And of blacke colour haue sygnorye Who 's begynyng is in September And theyr partyng in December And who so thes foure tymes obserues And his kynd wel in them gydes Fro perelles myght he kepe hym longe And in he le holde his lymmes stronge ¶ The .xlj. questyon ¶ Of al the flesshes y e men may get Which is the holsomest to ete THe flesshe that is of most substance And geuyth man most sustynaunce That flesshe is the holsomest And vnto mannys norysshyng best But who so a good stomacke myght get That myght wel dygest his mete To hym is best though it be grete Flesshe of bugle and of nete For great myght to man they geue But sycke men wyl they greue For a sycke man is feble ryght And
his stomacke is of no myght Wherfore moton is best hym to And yong chykens are good also For tendernes that men in them fynde And greatly chargeth not the kynde For a sycke man may suffer no dele Of that a hole man may ryght wel ¶ The CC.xlij questyon ¶ The mete that aman shal lyue by How departys it in his body SUstenaunce that aman take shal Gaderys vnto the stomacke al And with drynke synkes therin And than to seth wyl it begyn And whan it is soden wel And dygested euery dele In fyue partes deuyded it is And euery party goys vnto his The fyrst parte wylbe fall To be clenest and purest of al And that parte also smerte Drawes hym lyghtly vnto the herte That other part drawes hym also The braynes eyen and hede vnto The thyrd vnto the lymes shal And vnto the blode with al The fourth goyth there it is not spylt To the longes to the lyuer and to the milte The fyfte than is as brene of al Which wyl vnto the guttes fall And men cast it out therby That it helpyth not the body And dryuke departys also in man As I of mete to tel began ¶ The CC.xliij questyon ¶ How shal aman of his throte wyn Abone or a thorne styckyng therin By bred or lycour takyn fully And swelowed inward hastely And yf it synke not And wyl not throughe the throt Take of rawe flesshe a mossel And with a smale threde bynd it wel That mossel swalow with spede But in thy hande hold the threde Tyl it is doune hold fast And it shal that bone out cast If the thred breke do it efte Unto that it be out refte ¶ The CC.xliiij questyon ¶ The mucke that euery mā goyth fro Tel me why it styncketh so STynkyng is it for causes twey And which they are I shal sey That one for speryng of the body So y t none ayre may come therby I shal the set ensample how If a man toke ryght now A pece of flesshe neuer so fayre And spered it there it had no ayre And it lye hote sone shalt thou se That it shuld stynckyng be For the humours is another skyl That the stomacke draw hym vntyl Which ful byttar are and soure Salt and of euyl sauoure With the mete they mynge them al Whan so aman ete shal Great stench the mete of them takys Wherby as aman lyes it smakys ¶ The CC.xlv questyon ¶ Tel me now I praye the this Why mannys vryne so salt is BE thre thynges comys it to Why that it is salt also One is be cause aman that it drynkes In hym throughe the mete it synkes And stepes therin out to get Al the salt that was in the mete A nother cause also truly Is for the swote of the body The body swetys inward for hete And kyndly salte is the swete And that swet mengeles with the pyss◠Wherfore as salt it is The thyrd cause for the hete with in To seeth and boyle that wyl not blyn In the body both swete and drynke Or they may to the blader synke And for thes causes thre Behoueth vryne salt to be ¶ The CC.xlvj questyon ¶ Wherof euer wormes brede In man and how that they fede WOrmes are truly there brede And in mannys body fede Of the mucke of grossy metes That a man or woman etes And of the selfe lyue they wel Of the venomousest dele For as the adder and the pode And other wormes that in erth wode Fedyth the erth them verely Of the venom that therin doth ly Also thes wormes that in vs lye Clenses vs of great party Of euyls that shuld in vs make Uenemous metes that we take Neuerthelesse hurte they do There men hath them long also ¶ The CC.xlvij questyon ¶ How many craftes which are tho That man myght werst for go CRaftes foure in erth ere That men myght not wel for bere One is smyth another wryght That to men many thynges dyght The thyrd arte so is sowyng And the fourth so is weuyng After the tyme that made was adam Was smythyng the fyrst arte that cam Wherfore is it lorde of al For nothyng that to man shal fall Of werkyng lomes to worke with al That it through smythes handes ne shal Wryghtyng is also a conyng That myght not be foreborne be my iugyng For as for the yron steres the tre So most the tre helpe to the yron be For with out tre may no man wel Lyght nothyng with yron and stele Of sowyng as the world hathe nede With sowyng is dyght mannys wede Though man in lether shuld be clade Yet were it with out sowyng bade Also clouth is made ryght none But yf weuyng be there on Other many craftes there are But thes foure be the fyrst that ware And of al they are the best And to mannys lyfe of the surest ¶ The CC.lxviij questyon ¶ Whether shal ī heuyn haue more blys Chyldren that neuer dyd amys Or they that for god of theyr wyl Toke the good and left the yl CHyldren yong that dyd no synne Great ioy shal in heuyn wynne Ye theyr ioy shal be moch more Thā they here haue dōe therfore But he that is of age perfyte And knoweth thys worldes delyte And myght take al to his behoue And leuyth al for goddys loue Takyng penaunce on his body There he myght lyue esely An hundreth fold shal be his blys More than eny chyldes I wys For as achyld no yl can do So can it no good therto Mede is not ordayned alto tho That wickyd dedes are kept fro But that do of theyr wyl good dede To them so is ordayned mede ¶ The CC.xlix questyon ¶ How may aman on what manere Ouer come y e wyl of this world here HE may wyl ouer come euery dele And that lyghtly and we le If athyng fall in his thought That he wotyth good is nought And he haue therto great wyl It in dede to fulfylle Turne thy thought in that temptyng And begyn to thynke on other thyng Thy fyrst thought shal fal the fro And that wycked wyl thou shalt forgo But holde thou theron thy thought sore Thou delytes more and more And kyndeles euer as a glede Unto that thou come to dede And than falles thou in synne For thy thought coude not blynne But pyne the al that thou may For to turne thy thought away Anone shal it in the kele And no more therof shalt thou fele ¶ The CC.xlix questyon ¶ Tho that to paradise or helle go Shal they euer come out therfro AL that are in paradise Wold gladly out that be thou wyse But the soules that are in helle Wolde neuer out but styl there dwelle And I shal tel the for why Yf a lorde dwellyd here by And had dwellyng in a cete Two seruauntes of his meyne That one serued hym so aryght That the lord wardayne hym hyght Sone wold he haue his lord come agayne The tother were a wycked
sake ¶ The CCC.xviij questyon ¶ Came fro y t other world euer eni thiÌ„ng That of helle or heuyn told tydyng MAny haue come ageyne here Good men that with god were The folke to counsel and telle Both of heuyn and of helle Y t ware good men here before Of whom that we yet haue lore They wrote in bokes what was wrought By cause men shulde for get it nought The great ioy that is in heuen That no tong in erth may reken And the great payne of helle That they haue that therin dwelle This told adamys sonne Abel Seth and Enocke also wel Noe and Melchysedech also And other prophytes set therto Throughe goddys coÌ„maundment They are hyther ageyne sent That is to say theyr techyng Throughe which we haue knolegeyng Of heuyn and helle both Wel is he that they roth ¶ The CCC.xix questyon ¶ Shal aman eny thyng sey Whan he shal to slepe hym ley AMan that beleuyth in god aryght And kepyth his wyl at his myght WhaÌ„ he to slepe doth lay hiÌ„ doune He shal say this oryson Lord god of myght most To the be take I my goost Thou kepe it lord and it defende From encombrance of the fende From hym lord thou me clere That he me neuer dere Haue mercy on me heuyn kyng And graunt me lord my askyng And than slepe he hardely With out drede of thy enemy ¶ The CCC.xx. questyon ¶ Of al batayle that is in lande Which is the strongest to withstande BAtayle strongar wor I nought Whan that I haue al be thought Than is temptacyon of the deuyl None that doth aman more euyl Other batayls sees some day But the deuyls fondyng lastyth ay Slepe man or wake he where so he be That batayle may he euyl fle And be he neuer so stedfast Yet wyl the deuyl hym cast a cast And man may not fle of the stede But with fastyng or some holyhede And be cause that warre is euer on one Therfore strengar wot I none ¶ The CCC.xxj questyon ¶ How lyeth a chyld tel me this ¶ In the mothers wombe whan it is A chyld throughe goddys grace Hath in the mothers wombe aspace In a chambyr one of the seuen Of the matryce that of men be callen And the fystes soth to saye Lye be fore the eyen twaye And great ioy they haue and reioysyng There they lye and lykyng And they wold neuer more Come in other stede than thore But whan they are here comen And the ayre of this worlde haue taken Than wold they not be there agayne ¶ The CCC.xxij questyon ¶ Tel me now of wynes tyte Why some is rede and some whyte NOe was the fyrst man That euer vyne to plant began Fourthy plantes he gathered and fette That ware in fourthy dayes sette Euery day two in erth he dyght One on day a nother on nyght Tho that the day ware sette vpon Unto the sonne on it shon For hete of sonne that shon than Of goddys grace tho rede becam And that in erth on nyght dyd lay Whan the sonne was a way For nyghtes keelth that felle theron Be came whyte euerychone Wherfore are the red hottar wele Than the whyte agreat dele ¶ The CCC.xxiij questyon ¶ Haue foules beastes eny spekyng Or vnderstandyng of eny thyng OF beast or foule shalt thou none fynde That hath language in his kynde Of al beastes men recken can Hath none language but man Foules and beastes crye by dene But they wot neuer what they mene Whan that one makyth a crye That other herys redely And cryeth ageyne by and by But what they mene wot not they Al that euer they cry and do Of kynd is and vsage also Which kynde hath god them dyght For man shal ouer them haue myght ¶ The CCCxxiiij questyon ¶ Whether helpeth the sowle more That aman doth here before Or that men after do for hym Whan that he is deed and dym BOth helpes man in nede But both are not of one mede For yf a man goyng be In a daâ—knesse there he may not se And a â—anthorne go hym before Therof hath he lyght wel more Than thoughe be hynd folowed two For for them myght he mysgo Also a man that doth good here As long as he may hym selfe stere Therof hath the sowle more mede Than for such two after dede Many men haue that rede To do for them whan they are deed Whan hym selfe may haue it no more The lesse thanke he is worthy therfore Wold he for goddys loue it dele Whyle that he ware in hele Than went before hym the lyght To lede hym the wey a ryght ¶ The CCC.xxv questyon ¶ Fysshes that swym here and thore In water slepe they neuer more FIsshes that are in the see Or in ryuer whether it be Haue theyr eyen bryght within And to and fro they euer swym It is not of theyr kynd the ryght That they slepe other day or nyght If they be wery they wyl rest A whyle where them thynketh best And yf they felt the ayre also As we or foules or beastes do That aboue erth wone Of kynd shuld they slepe ful sone ¶ The CCC.xxvj questyon ¶ Of al that in the world be The fayrest foule which thynketh the IF al the foules y t god hath wrought Wore in to one place brought And stode al vpon a flocke The fayrest of al were the cocke And he hath thynges thre That in none other may men se On his hede he beryth a crowne And spore vpon his shanke downe And god hath geuen hym the myght To know the howrs of day and nyght The cocke is gelous ouer his wyfe And oft for her makyth stryfe And he shuld haue defaut of mete Or his wyfe yf he myght ought gete And yf he dwelled in felde also Or in wod as other do Al the foules that before hym wore Reuerence shuld here them thore And for his fayrnesse haue of hym awe Than is he fayrest with lawe ¶ The CCC.xxvii questyon ¶ Which is the fayrest beast that is And that aman myght not mys HOrs is the fayrest beast in lande Stalworthyest and made to hande With horses oft lordes gete Lande and lyfe drynke and mete Horses in harow and in ploughe In cart and euerywhore good I noughe Horses bere men to and fro There they on fote myght not go Wherfore is he best and fayrest And vnto mannys behoue the best ¶ The CCC.xxviij questyon ¶ Tel me now yet thynges mo The fayrest horses which are tho HOrses in the world are many one But not al shapen after one He that wel shapen shal be Behouyth to haue this properte Foure thynges long behouyth hym to And foure thynges short also And foure thynges large somedele Than is he horse shapen ful wele Longe shankes and longe hals Long tayle and long rybbes al 's Foure short thynges is no lake Hede ere 's pastors and backe Foure large thynges come there nest Mouth nostrels croupe and brest And
great eyen falleth wele Than is he shapen wel euery a dele ¶ The CCC xxjx questyon ¶ Whiche are y e beastes so god y e saue That most vnderstandyng haue BEastes y t of vnderstandyng be Most of al other are thre Ape bere and hounde also Thes wylbe buxum man vnto Mannys techyng wyl they lere And vnderstand that they stere Whan Noe in the arch was in the flode Thes thre beastes nexte hym stode And of al the last went hym fro For none vnderstode so moch as tho ¶ The CCC.xxx questyon ¶ Whan goddys sonne shal borne be By what tokyn shal men it se TOkyns many shal be falle Whan goddys sonne lorde of all Shal be borne of her that hethes Ouer al the world shal than be pees Agreat sterâ—e shal shewe that day That al the worlde wel se may Asercle of gold purpred with al About the sonne shewe hym shal A welle of oyle in great tokenyng Out of the erth than shal spryng And a descrypcyon shal taken be Ouer al the world in euery countre A dombe beast as that we fynd That day shal speke agayne kynd Beast foule and fysshe also That day shal be in rest and ro And the deuyls in helle dwellyng Shal be ful sory and mornyng The eyghtene day after he is borne He shal be circumcised and shorne And that in tokenyng be shal That he is god and man with al ¶ The CCC.xxx questoon ¶ Tel me now as shal be falle What sygnyfye tho tokyns al PEas shal be ouer al For he is peas that man come shal The sterre that shal shew frelye His godhed shal sygnyfye About the sonne the golden thyng Shal betoken that he is kyng The purpre shal be token also Of the passyon that he shal to The welle of oyle showyth byturly That he shal be welle of mercy The descrypcyon that shal taken be Tokenes that ouer al lorde is he The doume be ast spekyng tokenes al 's That they that in the law were fals And were but as beastes told Shal turne to hym and of hym hold Beast and foule shal be in blys And they wot goddys sonne he is And the deuyls shal be sory For they drede hym wonderly That he is that shal breke helle And take away that with hym dwelle ¶ The CCC.xxxj questyon ¶ Whan he is borne achyid shal he Be conyng more thaÌ„ another shal be SOne as he borne is he can More than eny other man For thoughe he be thaÌ„ a yonglyng The godhed in hym wot althyng The sonne of the trynyte The fathers wysdome truly So is sperd in hym only Wherfore shal he know wel more Than eny after or before Neuerthelesse for al that he can He wyl fulfyl the kynd of man In al thynges that falles hym to Saue synne that shal he neuer do ¶ The CCC.xxxij questyon ¶ Whan he is borne as that we tel Wher shal he in hoost dwelle WIth his mother whyle he is yong So shal be his dwellyng In to Egype she lede hym shall And ther a whyle dwele hym with al After agayne shal he go Unto the lande that he came fro And begynne the folke to tech And openly for to prech And al his lyfe shal be so As he teches there vnto To many synne he shal forgeue Such as vpon hym wyl beleue And cold water them crysten in In forgeuenesse of theyr synne For water as that men wel wot Sâ—eckenes the fyre that is hot It clenses fylth and makyth clene And that is drye it makyth grene And it sleckeneth also thyrste Unto man that drynke lyst Wherfore in water baptyse shal he For vertu of thes myghtes thre Fyrst it sleckenes hete of synne And clenses fylthe that man is in And drye sowles grene shal he make Throughe the baptyme that they shal take And in this lyfe shal he dwelle Ey to he dey and breke helle ¶ The CCC.xxxiiij questyon ¶ Yet wold I wyt more of the Shal goddys sonne afayre man be A Shal with ryght of nature Be the fayrest creature That euer was and euer shal be Shal none be so fayre as he And it is ryght that he be fayre That of heuyn is sonne and heyre And he shal vpon an hylle His dyscyples shewe hym tyl And he shal seme to theyr syght As it were the sonne lyght And his clothes whyte of hewe As it were newe fallen snewe Therfore is no man alyue That his fayrhed may descryue ¶ The CCC.xxxv questyon ¶ Tel yet yf that thou can me sey Why it was that he wold dey FOr obedyence and for loue Heuyn to dyght to our behoue For obedyent shal he be Unto the deeth vpon the tre So that that was forlorne Throughe the tre ther beforne Shuld be wonne agayne also Throughe the tre that he shal to And for loue of man kynde That his seruyse wyl haue in mynde He had leuer deeth take Than he wold man kynde forsake His deeth shal aman agayne bye To reue the deuyl of his maystery The father shal to the sonne geue Poure for his seruaunts y t he wil here leue ¶ The CCC.xxxvj questyon ¶ Who shal him slo and by what rede And how long shal he be dede A Maner of folke shal hym slo That hyght Iewes and none but tho Afalse counsele take they shal And afalse wyttnesse with al To brynge hym to the deeth also And knyghtes shal to deeth hym do In graue shal he be nyghtes two The whyls shal the godhed go To helle to fete al hyse And the thyrde day shal he aryse To paradyse than wend shal he Fourty dayes there to be In which tyme he shal bodely Ten tymes shew hym openly Fyrst he shal hym shew I sey To hym that hym in graue shal ley After to his mother dere For to glade her mornyng chere After he shal hym shew also The Mary Magdalene vnto And her synnes forgyue shal he The fourth tyme to maryes thre The fyfte to peter south to seye The syxte tyme to pylgryms twey That to a castel shal with hym wende And thore shal he with them send And the seuenth tyme in a halle Among his dyscypyls al There shal he byd them grope and se Wyturly that he it be The eyghtene day to one that shal Grope his woundes and handes with al And to aful worthy hylle The nynth day shal he shew them tyl The tenth among the people openly Whan he ascendyth to heuyn on hye ¶ The CCC.xxxvij questyon ¶ Shal he ascende to heuyn so hye Alone with out companye AL tho that with hym ryse shal To heuyn shal ascend hym with al And in that lyknesse shal he fare That he was in before his care But whan he is vp on hye Aboue the cloudes by the sky In that lyknesse he shal be thore That he dyd in hym shew before Unto his dyscypyls two Oo an hylle whare they shal go ¶ The CCC.xxxviij questyon Shal goddys sonne that hym is
dere Ony hous in erth haue here IN erth a how 's shal he haue That man afterward shal saue And that shal his spouse be For al shal be on it and he By the sacrament of his body That he shal make solempnelye Unto his apostyls at the mete And ech one shal therof ete And that sacrament that I the tel Shal in his how 's deuoutly dwelle And al of good conuersacyon Shal come vnto saluacyon Throughe the vertu and the myght Of that sacrament so dyght And al tho that are outfous And are spered out of that hous In payne of helle shal be shent But they come to amendment ¶ The CCC.xxxix questyon ¶ Shal his body euer dwellyng be In erth that men may it se HIs body shal euer be dwellyng In erth to the worldys endyng Upon a day as he shal His apostyls soupe with al He shal take the bred and blysse And say ete my body this ysse Than shal he take the cuppe in handys That with wyne before hym standys And blesse it and say them vnto Haue drynke this my blode also The selfe blode is it that I here make That shal be shed for mannys sake And throughe the vertu and the myght Of his word is there anon ryght His very body god and man As that he to say began And yf that sacrament ne wore His flesshe only and no more With out blod therto wrought His very body ware it nought Flesshe in leuyng man to be Without blode can no man se And there shal his dyscypyls take Myght that sacrament to make With word he shal them lerne thore That hym selfe sayd before And that body shal dwellyng be So that men eche day may it se ¶ The CCC.xl questyon Shal euery man haue myght therto His body for to make also NAy shal none haue therto myght But that therto are ordayned right That of his holy hous shal be Kepers and haue the dyngnyte And thoughe that keper bere hym yl And wyl not fulfyl goddes wyl Neuerthewors is that flesshe and blode Ne neuer the better thoughe he be good And who so taketh it worthely His sowle hele he taketh therby And he that vnworthely it taketh His owne dampnacyon he maketh For he taketh not goddes body But bread he taketh al onely The godhed that there was in God takes it to hym for his syn For so worthy a thyng as he In a foule vessel wyl not be And no more enpeyre ne can That same body a wicked man Than is enpeyred the sonnys lyght Of a warderobe that here is dyght ¶ The CCC.xlj questyon ¶ Tho that haue myght therto That body for to make also Shal they before the trynyte More than other worshypped be NO man shal there worshypped be For honour nor for dygnyte But with god he shal be dere After as he hath don here Thoughe goddys how 's wold hym chose Her kepar to bynd and lose His worshyp shal be neuer the more But yf he haue don wherfore And do he not aryght also As hym be comyth for to do He shal haue blame and payne withal Wel more than a nother shal For he that is made a hyrdar Of goddys how 's to be kepar His shepe must he kepe wel and know And by his owne lyfe them showe How that they theyr lyfe shal lede And them kepe from mysdede Wherfore yf he mysdo So moch more payne shal he go to ¶ The CCC.xlij questyon ¶ Why shal they euery day be wone To make the body of goddys sonne FOr thre thynges pryncypaly Shal a preest make goddys body For god and for hym selfe also And for the folke that se therto He that it sees hath mede therfore And that it takes moch more But he that receyuyth it vnworthely Hym selfe he dampneth suerly And the body ne doth it nought But hym that lewdly hath wrought In paradyse appyls many one Made god and wicked none And for an appyl that Adam dyd ete Was he out of that place bete And that was not for that That the appul was nought that he ate But for that that goddys bode brake he That hym defended had that thre So shal fare that Sacrament It shal cause no man be shent Agayne the deuyl strength shal it make Loke he be clene that it shal take ¶ The CCC.xliij questyon ¶ Tel me now what thyng is synne That many shal be lorne in SInne forsoth is ryght nought For that god neuer wrought God of heuyn made al thyng And al was good of his makyng And for his werkes good wore Synne is none of them therfore And for he made it not sothely In substance it is nought truly ¶ The CCC.xliiij questyon ¶ By what syngne shal men se Whan goddes sone shal dede be AT his dethe shal befall Syngnes many one withall For the sonne shal lese his lyght And become darke as the nyght The erthe euerydele shal quake That to folke great drede shal make Dede bodyes shal ryse hym with al The thyrd day when he ryse shal An astronomer then shal be In the boest and say shal he By the derkenes that he shal fynd That than dyes god of kynd ¶ The CCC.xlv questyon ¶ When goddes sone in erth shal dwel Of what vertue shal men hym tel OF moche vertu shal he be By his workes that men shal se Of his vertue he shal with ryght Ouercome the deuyl and his might His Glotony couetyse and pryde That the deuyl had spred wyde And al his myght dystroy he shal That he Adam begyled withal Fro feuere and other euyls fele Many men than shal he hele With fyue loues and fysshes two Fyue thowsand shal h◠fede and mo And .xij. lepys men shal fylle Of the relefe there that shal be stylle The prynce of his apostyls shal he Saue goyng vpon the see He shal cōmaund the wynd to lyth And it shal be styl also swyth To blynd shal he geue syght The croked ofte to go ryght Awoman that shal with heer grete And with her teres waysshe his fete And with her heer them wype and drye He shal forgeue her her folye A deed man that in graue hath leyn Foure dayes he shal areyse ageyne One of his dyscypyls shal bere A swerd and reue amannys ere The ere in his hand shal he take And agayne it hole make◠Al the prynces in helle that are Shal he cause to quake and eke care Whan he theyr gates shal come vnto And cōmaund them that they vndo That his are shal he take thore And sende them to blys for euer more ¶ The CCC.xlvj questyon ¶ Shal his dyscypyls ought also Do myracles as he shal do HIs dyscypyls throughe his grace Shal to many sycke do solace For he shal euer by them be They shal speke and worke shal he Many one with theyr techyng To goddys lawe shal they bryng A wicked man that tyme shal be And say that goddys sonne is he And begyn to ascend a hye