gyuer gyueth ony gyft for his ê“ffyte / that is no gyft / but it is marchaundyse whan he beholdeth bounte receyued or seruyce / that is not a gyft / but it is bounte and curteysy / receyued to be rendred and yelded agayne But whan the gyftes is gyuen frely and lyberally without entencoÌ„n to haue prouffyte without drede without ony doute Thenne it is by ryght called gyfte / herof sayth the phylosophre that a gyft is a gyft gyuynge / agayne / or without to awayte ony rewarde but onely for to gete loue In this maner god gyueth to vs these gyftes purely for the loue that he hathe to vs / and for to gete our hertes and all our loue vnto hym Why they be called the giftes of the holy goost Ca. lxxxviii NOw for what cause ben they called gyftes of the holy goost and / not the gyftes of the fader and of the sonne / for all theyr werkes and theyr gyftes ben comyne To this purpos ben two reasons That one lyke as the werkes of puyssaunce and myght ben appropred to god the fader / and the werkes of sapyence to god the sone / ryght so ben the werkes of grace and of bounte appropred to the holy ghoost For bountes ben lyke as sayth saynt Denys / to spende and to gyue hym self For yf a man yeue that whiche coste hym nought / that is not grete bounte But by cause that the holy ghoost by these seuen gyftes expendeth gyueth hym self in our hertes lyke as sayth saynt Poule / lyke as it were by seuen stremes / and therfore ben they called proprely the gyftes of the holy ghoost For he is the fountayne and they ben the stremes ¶ That other is by cause that the holy ghoost is proprely the loue that is bytwene the fader and the sone and by cause that loue is the propre / the fyrst / and the pryncypall gyfte / that a man may yeue / Thenne with ryght in this gyftes ben gyuen all the other and with / out this gyftes none other is not called gyftes truly ne ryghtfully Therfore is the holy ghoost a gyfte / and gyuer For he gyueth hym self and is gyuen in eueryche of these .vii. gyftes / that he gyueth for to conferme our loue vnto his / so that it be feruent / fyne veray and clene ¶ Why there be .vii. gyftes no mo ne lasse Ca. lxxxix FOr ii thynges a man is saued for to fle the euyl / to do good / for to hate to fle the euyl causeth vs the gyfte of drede / the other .vi. gyftes cause vs to do good / the gyfte of drede is the vssher at the grete masse / that is to saye at the grete menace of the sentence of god / and of the paynes of hell / whiche is alway redy and apparaylled ageynst the synners / this is the watche of the castell that neuer slepeth This is the weder of the gardyn that wedeth and plucketh vp all euyll herbes This is the treasorer that kepeth the herte and all the goodes that be therin These be the other syxe gyftes that make vs to do all good dedes Now oughtest thou to knowe that lyke the clerenes of the sonne / whiche thou seest with thyn eyen / gyueth clerenes to the worlde / and vertue enuygoure and strength all the thynges that growe and come in to the worlde Ryght so dooth the holy gooost whiche enlumyneth in heuen and also in erthe all theym that ben in grace / men women and aungelles / and in lyke wyse as there be in heuen thre estates of aungelles as saynt Denys sayeth / of whome one is moost hye / that other meane or myddle / and the thyrde more lowe The moost hye ben lyke theym that ben of the kynges counceyle They be alway with god more nere to hym than the other and se hym and here hym in his secretes The meane or myddle ben as barons and bayllyes that gouerne loue and kepe all the reame and go and come / and lerne of theym of the counceyll that whiche they commaunde / and make it to done to other / the lowest ben lyke as seruauntes and offycers whiche haue theyr craftes / and dothe theyr offyces and messages as it is sayd to them By this maner and ensamble there ben thre estates of the chyldren of god in erth that the holy ghoost conduyteth as sayth saynt Poule The one estate is of them that be in the worlde lyue after the coÌ„maundementes of god of holy chyrche after that they here and beleue of theyr prelates The other estate is of theym that ben parfyte / that all haue theyr herte out of the worlde and of this mortall lyf / and haue theyr conuersacyon in heuen and theyr body in erthe and theyr herte with god The thyrde ben in the myddle estate whiche gouerne theym self well and other / and lyuen after the counceyll of the gospell / and not onelye after the commaundementes These thre maner of people techeth the holy ghoost / and ledeth gouerneth by these .vii. gyftes / departeth to them his graces / to eueryche after his benygne volente and wyll as sayth thappostle The two fyrst of these .vi. gyftes apperteyne to theÌ„ that ben of the fyrst estate The gyftes of scyence techeth theym / and the gyftes of pyte maketh them to werke The .ii. myddle apperteyne to them of the moyen estate The gyftes of counceyll gouerneth theym / and the gyftes of strengthe accomplyssheth the werkes The .ii. last apperteyne to them of the moost hye estate The gyftes of vnderstondynge enlumyneth them / and the gyftes of sapyence confermeth them and Ioyneth theym with god Another reason there is wherfore there ben .vii. gyftes / for the holy ghoost by his seuen gyftes wedeth / plucketh and taketh awaye the .vii. synnes and vyces fro the hertes of persones / and planteth there and nouryssheth vii vertues contrarye whiche make perfytely a man to be honoured These ben the goodes that the holy ghoost maketh in the hertes where as he descendeth by these seuen gyftes But tofore that I descende vnto the vertues whiche ben contrarye to the seuen deedly synnes I wyl shortly speke of seuen other vertues / of whiche thre ben called dyuyne / and the other foure ben called the foure cardynall vertues ¶ Of seuen vertues of whome there ben thre dyuyne / and foure cardynall Ca. lxxxx THe thre fyrst vertues dyuyne Saynt Poule the thappostle calleth them Fayth / hope / and charyte And they be called dyuyne by cause they be godly and ordeyne the herte to god / fayth lyke as saynt Austyn sayeth setteth vs vnder god / and maketh vs to knowe hym / and knowleche hym a lorde of whome we holde all that whiche we haue of good Hope sayth he enhaunceth vs to god / and maketh vs stronge and hardy and to enterpryse for the loue of god that / whiche passeth the vertue and
disciplynes and by other penauÌ„ces Ellys the fyre of lecherye may not wel be quenched / who that wyll take a cyte or a castel he ought as moche as he may to take a waye and wythdrawe fro it al the vytaylles / al metes / and the water for to enfamysshe theÌ„ For after that the castel is infamyned and all vytaylle is take fro it It may not longe be holdem ne kept ayenst his aduersarye Ryght so the castel of the bely / which is the fortresse of the flesshe / may not holde ayenst the spyryte whan it is enfamyned by fastynges / by abstynences by other penaunces ¶ Also the estate of relygyon ought too be withdrawen fro the worlde that they that ben in suche estate ne fele ne retche no thynge of worldly thynges / for they ought to be deed to the worlde and lyue with god as sayth saynt Poule For lyke as he that is deed bodyly hath loste all his wyttes bodyly / as seeynge / spekynge / tastynge herynge and smellynge Ryght so owen the relygyouse to be deed as to the worlde that they fele nothynge that apperteyneth to synne / soo that they may veryly saye the worde that saynt Poule thappostle sayth of hym self For worlde sayd he is crucyfyed to me / and I to the worlde Thappostle wolde saye that lyke as the worlde helde hym for foule and for abhomynable lyke as one were hanged Ryght so had he the worlde for foule and for abhomynable / as to hym that is hanged or crucyfyed for his trespace In lyke wyse doth he that is in suche estate dooth â—lee the worlde and hate it That is to say the couetyse and shrewdnesse of the worlde / that he fele noo thynge by loue ne by desyre / soo that his conuersacyon be in heuen / as saynt Poule sayth of hym self / of theym that ben in the state of perfeccyon Our conuersacyon is in heuen For yf the body is in erthe the herte is in heuen by loue and by desyre ¶ A good relygyouse persone ought to haue no propre in erthe / but he ought to make his tresour in heuen / lyke as sayth our lorde in the gospel Yf thou sayth he wylt be perfyght / go and selle all that thou hast and gyue it to poore And thou shalt haue thy tresour in heuen whiche neuer shal faylle The tresoure of a relygyouse man is veray wylfull pouerte For the veray pouerte of the spyryte and of wylle is the money of whyche the royalme of heuen is bought / wherof our lorde Ihesu Cryste sayth in the gospell Blessed be the poore of spyryte / for the realme of heuen is theyrs Certayne who that is poore of spyryte / that is of the wyll of god / he secheth not in this worlde only delyces / ne rychesses / ne honoures / but put all in forgetynge In suche wyse ought to do good relygyous people / that wyll mouÌ„te vp into the mountayne of perfeccyon Wherof the auÌ„gelles sayd to Loth whan he was gone out of the cyte of Sodome / reste ne tary not thou nyghe the place that thou hast lefte / but saue thy selfe in the mountayne For he that is gone out of the conuersacyon of the worlde ought not to holde hym nyghe the worlde by his wyll ne by his desyre But ought to withdrawe hym as nyghe as he may And to entende to his helth wtout lokynge backewarde or behynde hym That is to say / that he sette not agayne his herte to the worlde The wyfe of Loth ageynst the coÌ„maundement of the aungell behelde the cyte fro whens she came out whiche brenned / and therfore she was torned to an ymage of salte The wyfe of Loth sygnyfyeth them that after they haue left the worlde / and be entred into relygyon / retorne agayne backewarde by wyl and by desyre / whiche haue the body in the cloyster / but the herte in the worlde They ben lyke thymage of salte / whiche hath but the lykenes and semblaunce of a man / and is harde and colde as a stone Ryght so ben suche people colde of the loue of god / harde without humoure of pyte and of deuocyon / and they retche nothynge but of the habyte of theyr relygyon / and nothynge of the obseruauÌ„ces and werkes The ymage the whiche was of salte sygnyfyeth in scrypture wytte and descrecyon For in lyke wyse and semblably as salte gyueth sauour vnto the mete Ryght so ought euery relygyous persone to haue wyt and dyscrecyon in his dedes / and in his wordes This ymage thenne of salte ought to gyue wytte and vnderstandynge and example to them that ben in relygyon / after retorne to that whiche they haue left And therfore sayth our lorde in the gospel to his dyscyples Remembre you of the wyfe of Loth. That is to saye Beholde ye not that whiche ye haue left for the loue of me / leest ye lese the lyfe of grace / lyke as the wyfe of Loth loste the lyfe of the body bycause she loked to the place whiche she had left / wherof our lorde sayth in the gospell / who that putteth his hande to the ploughe and loketh behyÌ„de hym / is not worthy to the kyngdome of heuen For lyke as he that ledeth the ploughe seeth alwaye tofore hyÌ„ to lede streyght and to conduyte ryght his plough Ryght soo ought he to do that putteth his hande to the ploughe of penaunce or of relygyon alway he ought to haue the eyen of his hert tofore That is to say his vnderstandynge and his wyll to that whiche is tofore hym / and not behynde That is the goodes perdurable whiche ought to be tofore the hert and not to the goodes temporell / whiche ought to be behynde ¶ Thus dyde saynt Poule whiche sayd that he had forgoten that whiche was behynde hym That is the worlde and all the couetyse of the worlde whiche he praysed at nought And went alway tofore hym For he had alway his entencyon and his desyres to god But many men of relygyon setteth the ploughe tofore the eyen For many folke there ben and that is theyr domage / that more secheth and frequenteth the thyÌ„ges bodely and worldly than the thynges spyrytuell or goostly They put that tofore whiche sholde be behynde / that ben the goodes temporall tofore the goodes perdurable / spyrytuell Such relygyous ê‘sones ben in moche grete peryl of theyr daÌ„pnacyon For they haue nought but the habyte of theyr relygyon By the example of Saynt Poule / the good relygyouse persones forgete the worlde / and leue it byhynde them / the goodes perdurable they haue tofore theyr eyen / and gone tofore alwaye fro vertue to vertue / tyll they come to the montayne of Ioye perdurable / where they shall see god clerely / and shall loue hym perfyghtly and shall adoure hym perdurably This is the beneurte or the gyfte of vnderstondynge / whiche ledeth theym that kepen clennesse of herte and
veray meke and humble obeyeth generally ouerall and in al places / where he byleueth that it playseth god / and in all thynges lyke as doth the asse of the mylle / that as gladly bereth barly as whete / and lede as golde / whete to a poore man as to a ryche man ¶ Also the veray meke is made stronge For he chaungeth his strength with the strength of god / lyke as sayth the prophete Isaye and therfore there is no thynge but the veray humble may well bere For god bereth hym and his dedes Thenne he obeyeth vygorously and perseuerauntly For he is neuer nomore wery than the sonne is / that god ledeth and conduyteth / and the lenger it lyueth the more groweth her force and her vygour Now mayst thou see clerely how humylyte techeth the well parfytely to serue obeye god Of the techynge and doctryne of our lorde Ca. C v. OVr sauyour Ihesu cryste the grete mayster of humylyte and mekenes whan he had preched and fedde his people / and heled the seke men and lame Thenne he fledde awaye fro the people in to the mountayne / for to be in oryson for to ensygne and gyue vs an example to flee the praysynge and laudynge of the worlde and therfore the true humble herte lyke as he payneth to do wel whaÌ„ he obeyeth Ryght soo he payneth hym to fle the praysynge of the worlde / and to hyde hym for to kepe hym fro the wynde of vaynglory And to fyxe hym in the shadow of the roche / lyke as Ysaye the prophete sayth fro the tempest of euyll tonges This roche is Ihesu Cryst hym self whiche is the refuge and the charyte to humble and meke To this roche that is our sauyour Ihesu cryst fleeth the humble and debonayre herte charged with thornes / lyke as is the yrchyn / that is to say of sharpenesse of penaunce This is the douehous in to whiche fleeth for refuge the doues of our lorde / that ben the meke humble and symple hertes flee thyder to refuge for the foules of proy or rauayne / the whiche ben the deuylles whiche alwaye seche to dampne the soules whan an humble herte hathe done so moche that he is entred in to this roche as the doue in to a doue hous / that is whan he remembreth well the lyfe of Ihesu cryste / and his blyssed passyon / thenne he forgeteth all his sorowes / and prayseth lytell all that the worlde hath and is worthe / and may be of value a good herte that hath assayed this / desyreth no thynge soo moche as to be forgoten to the worlde The worlde is to hyÌ„ a grete burden and charge / and moche besynes / for as the wyse man sayth The good man is neuer more sure than whan he is alone without company and felaushyppe / ne more in werkes than whan he is ydle / for he is than with .ii. of his best frendes / that is with god and with his owne self ¶ There a deuout contemplatyfe herte treateth of his grete quarelles and complayntes by the whiche all other werkes and operacyons semeth to hym truffes nought / al vanytees There he acompteth with god / and god with hym by holy thoughtes by feruent desyres Thenne he feleth the grete swetnes of consolacions comforte that god gyueth to them that drede hym / loue hym / lyke as Dauyd the prophete sayth in the psaulter Thenne al langages and al wordes ennoye greue hym / yf they be not of god / to god / or for god Thus begynneth the soule to loue solytude scylence And thenne cometh to hym in his hert an holy shamefestnes whiche is one of the fayr doughters of humylyte / for al in lyke wyse as a damoysel that loueth paramours with grete shamefastnes whan she is apperceyued she hereth that it is spoken of In lyke wyse the humble persone and deuoute whan he hereth that one speketh of hym / of his spyrytuel goodes that god hath done to hym / and no thynge lasse doth he / than the mayde doth which is ardantly surprysed of loue / for what someuer the world say to hym / it is knowen Neuertheles he secheth his corners hydles lyke as he that requyreth none other thynge / but to be rauysshed in god lyke as was saynt Poule ¶ Of the pryuyte that god hath to an holy soule ca. C vi OF this acqueyntaunce and of thys preuyte thys holy soule begynneth to haue of god / bytwene hyr an holy pryde For whan the holy soule is rauysshed vnto heuen / she beholdeth the erthe fro ferre / lyke as sayth Ysaye the prophete / there seeth it soo lytel to the regarde of the gretenes of heuen / so foule to the regarde of that grete beaute / so troublous to the regarde of that grete clerenesse / soo wyde to the regarde of that grete plente Thene he dyspreyseth and dyspyseth certaynly all the rychesses of the worlde / beautees / honoures / and noblesses ThenÌ„e it semeth to hym that it is but a playe of chyldren that playe in the waye / and moche trauayle theym selfe and wynne nothynge It semeth that all is but wyÌ„de and dremes as sayth Salamon Thenne he begynneth to deye to the worlde / and lyue to god as sayth saynt Poule TheÌ„ne is the soule so poore of spyryte that it hath nought For god hath his spyryte taken from hym and rauysshed it and replenysshed with his gyftes / as he dyde to thappostles on whytsonday Thenne the holy ghoste gyueth to hym so grete an hert / that the prosperyte ne aduersyte of the worlde he prayseth noo thynge at all / with this he gyueth to hym so holy and so ferme a coÌ„scyence / that he awayteth hardely the dethe / and he hath in god so grete faythe / and hope / that there is nothyÌ„ge but he dare entrepryse it for the loue of god / for he hath that faythe of whiche god speketh in the gospell / whiche is lykened to mustarde sede / by whiche he may commaunde to roches and mountaynes / they shall obey to hym Of the coÌ„parysoÌ„s of mustarde sede to the loue of god C.vii THe sede of mustarde is moche lytell / but it is moche stronge and sharpe And it is hote in the fourthe degree as the physycyens sayeth by the heet is vnderstanden loue The fyrste degre of loue as sayth Bernarde / is whan a man feleth nothynge of loue but of hyÌ„self / of his owne ê“ffyte The .ii. is whan he begyÌ„neth to loue god The .iii. is whan he loueth best god / and loueth hym proprely for his bounte The fourth is whan he is soo esprysed with this holy loue / that he ne loueth hym self ne none other thynge but god / or for god / or with god And vnto this loue bryngeth him veray humylyte ¶ Now mayst thou see clerely that the poore of spyryte ben blessed For they be
they do al to theyr power that / whiche the herte comaundeth them / and the eyen ensygnen them In this vnderstonde we the vertue of obedyence of whiche we haue spoken tofore / whiche ought for to be apparaylled and aourned in loue and in charyte as lyke as sayth saynt Peter the appostle Also that one membre helpeth that other / and serueth that other without daunger or peryll / without contradyccion and without auaryce And herin we vnderstande the vertue / the whiche is called charyte / of whiche a man then̄e helpeth and socoureth an other gladly with the power the god hath gyuen hym / or he ensygneth or counceyleth with the wytte that he hath Or he gyueth and departeth largely for the loue of god the goodes and rychesses that he hath Thenne is sayd of hym that he is moche charytable / and thus commaundeth to vs saynt Peter / that the graces that almyghty god hath gyuen vnto vs / that we admynyster theym vnto our neyghboures and prochanes wherof Tullius the phylosophre sayth / we ought to fele al that whiche is in the worlde and groweth and encreaseth / all is made for to serue man And the men be made the one to ayde and helpe the other For the one is engendred of the other Lete vs then̄e do that for whiche we be borne and the whiche nature ensygneth and sheweth vs / and seche we all the comune prouffyte For thus as sayth the holy appostle saynt Poule / we ben all membres of one onely body All the membres feleth and drawe to theym that whiche is done to eueryche / be it good / or be it euyll be it Ioye / be it anguysshe / whan one smyteth the fote the mouthe sayth ye greue and hurte me ¶ By this we vnderstonde and knowe the vertue of veraye pyte / the whiche we ought to haue comynly / whiche hath two offyces as sayth saynt Poule That is to wete to Ioye for the good that other do and haue And to sorowe for the euyls that other fele make ¶ Also yf a membre be seke or hurte / al the other helpe it to th ende that may be garysshed and holy In this vnderstonde we the vertue of Iustyce and of correcyon / without the whiche the body of the holy chirche may not endure For the roten membres defoule the other that ben hole / who that wyll thenne chastyse his brother and his neyghboure / and repreue and punysshe his subgette / late hym take hede at hym self / whan that a membre is seke or hurte / the herte hath grete compassyon / and feleth grete sorowe And that is for the grete loue that he hath to it / he sette honde to / moche swetely and ofte ¶ And lyke as sayth Seneke / lyke as all the membres of the body aydeth and bere vp eche other Ryght so ought euery man for to supporte his neyzboure / and to correcte and plucke awaye the woundes of synnes that ben in his herte ¶ Fyrst there ought for to be layed therto the oynementes and thenplaystres of swete admonycyons ¶ Also yf this be nought worthe there must be layed therto the sharpe poudres and poynaunte of harde reprehencyon And yf that helpe not / thenne lete come the swerde to dysseuere / or for to excommynye hym / or to bannysshe hym out of the contreye or to withdrawe fro hym Also the membres honoure and kepe that one that other / and do worshyp lyke as sayth saynt Poule / we owe to bere and do reuerence one to another / and specyally they that haue grete nede to be supported These ben the moost folysshe moost feble Them ought men moost to supporte Thenne the wyse men sage beren and supporten alwaye the fooles and the feble / lyke as the bones bereth the flesshe / and as the pyler bereth the hous This is ayēst myssayers / that so gladly cryen and sayen the deffaultes and the synnes that they se in other Also that one membre deffendeth that other at nede put hȳ tofore to saue that other / for at nede is seen who is a frende / whan that one fote slydeth / the other helpeth it anone Whan that one wolde smyte the heed / the hande putteth hym tofore In that vnderstande we parfyte and pure amyte / wherof god sayth in the gospell Who may do greter amyte or frendshyp / than to sette his lyfe for his frende This frendshyp sheweth to vs Ihesu cryste the veray frende / whiche for vs set his soule and his body to dethe shamefull And the dyde he to gyue to vs example / lyke as sayth saynt Peter / also saynt Iames / that god hath sette his soule for vs. And ryght so ought we to sette our soules for our brethren and for our neyghboures / yf we be aryght the membres of the body of Ihesu cryste / whiche is our heed Who that hath this vertue aryght I shall say appertly that he is well blyssed This is the vertue that our good mayster Ihesu cryst ensygneth vs whan he fayth in the gospell / blyssed be the debonayre For they shall possede the lande of theym that lyueth in glorye without ende ¶ Now vnderstande well this blyssynge that the debonayre hathe in this worlde For the parfyte debonayr ben now in possessyon of the erthe That is to vnderstonde in iii. maners Fyrste of the erthe of lyuynge people That is god hym selfe / whiche is the herytage of theym that lyue pardurably that is of the sayntes and of good people in lyke wyse as the erth is habytacyon of beestes and of men And bycause that god hymselfe is the erthe of lyuynge men / he hath the debonayres in his possessyon For they doo nothynge but that whiche pleaseth god Therfore it is ryght that they haue god in theyr possessyon Lyke as Dauyd the prophete sayeth in his psaulter The debonayres sayth he shal haue the erthe in possessyon in herytage And also they shall haue delectacyons in multytude of peas And the holy man saynt Austyn sayth the no man shall haue god in his possessyon / but the fyrst he shal be in his Also the debonayr haue in this worlde the londe of theyr herte in possessyon For they be by ryght lordes of theyr herte The felone is not lorde of his herte / and the debonayre hath the mystrye of his herte and of his euyll maners ¶ And Salamon sayth that he is more valyaunte / that maystryeth well his herte than he that taketh a stronge castell and cyte ¶ Also the debonayre ben lordes of therthe / that is of worldly goodes For yf they lese them they shal neuer be troubled ne angry therfore But they that ben angry whan they lose worldly goodes / be not lordes of theym ne of theyr hertes But ben seruauntes therto / and therfore it is ryght and reason that they that haue here the goodes temporell and spyrytuell / haue in them self theyr possessyon of the
And Saynt Iherome sayth that to the couetous mā faylleth that whyche he hath and that whyche he hath not ¶ Now thynke thenne whan thou woldest praye god / for to demaunde wysely dylygently and perseuerauntly And he shalle gyue vnto the all that shal be nedeful to the prouffyte and helthe of thy soule The thyrd thynge that ought to be in prayer / is deuocyon of herte that is to lyfte vp the herte to god wythout thȳkyng no wher ellys wherof our lord sayth whan thou wylt praye to god entre within thyn hert and close the dore wpon the that is to for say put out all thoughtes seculer flesshely foule wycked worldly and vylaynous And thus praye thy fader of heuen in hyddles in thy hert / that the herte thynke on none other thynge but on that whyche it ought to thynke saynt ysodore sayth that thēne we praye god truly whan we thynke nowher ellys ¶ And Saȳt Austyn sayth what auaylleth to moeue the mouth and the lyppes / whan the herte sayth not a worde As grete dyfference as is bytwene the chaffe and the corne and the brenne and the floure of whete so grete dyfference is bytwene the prayer and deuocyon of the herte God is not a ghoote to be fedde wyth leues God cursyd the tre wheron he fonde no thynge but leues Ryght so the prayer whiche is alle in leues of wordes wythoute deuocyon of hert / pleaseth noo thynge to god but it dyspleaseth hym he torneth hys eere For he wyl not vnderstonde suche langage who that prayeth god wythoute deuocyon vnto hym / it semeth that he mocketh and scorneth our lorde god lyke as he that wyll mocke scorne with a deef man and with a dombe man the whiche canne not speke that meueth his lyppes onely as he spacke / no thynge sayth To suche people god maketh a deef ere / but the prayer that cometh fro the depnes of the herte / that hereth our lorde as he sayth in the gpspell God is a spyryte / therfore who wyll praye god and haue his requeste graunted / hym byhoueth that he praye in spyryte and in trouthe Dauyd the prophete enseygneth and techeth vs in the psaulter to prayer to god deuoutely whan he sayth / lorde myn oryson be adressyd tofore the lyke to thensence Thensence whan it is vpon the fyre it smelleth swetely Ryght so doth the prayer that cometh fro the herte brennynge in loue of god smelleth moche swetely tofore god / otherwyse the prayer may not be enhaunced tofore god yf it come not fro the herte / lyke as a messager whiche bryngeth no letters / ne hath no knowleche / entreth not gladly tofore the kynge Oryson or prayer without deuocyon is as a messager without letters / who suche message sendeth to the courte / he doth euyl his erandes who thenne wyll praye god veryly / he ought to crye to god fro the depthe of his herte / as dyd Dauyd / whiche sayd in the plaulter / lorde god here my voys For I crye to the fro the depnesse of my herte The feruour of loue is the crye fro the depnesse of the herte / this sayth saynt Austyn Suche a voys and suche a crye pleseth moche to god / and not the noyse of wordes polysshed / wherof saynt Gregorye sayth that veryly to praye to god / is in the teres and bewayllynges of conpunccyon of herte This crye chaseth awaye the theues / that ben the deuyll les whiche lye in awayte for to trouble robbe vs. And therfore ought we ofte to crye and praye vnto god that he wyll kepe deffende vs fro the theuys of helle Thus ought we strongely to crye vnto god ageynst the fyre of couetyse / or of lecherye / that he gyue to vs the water of teres for to quenche suche fyre that it enflamme not our hertes Also we ought to crye too god ageynst the euyll thoughtes that come ofte to the herte / that the herte and the soule perysshe not by consentynge Therfore cryed Dauyd to god sayd Lorde saue me / and kepe me fro the perylle of waters the / whiche ben now entred in to my herte / and the dyscyples of our lorde whan they sawe the tempest of the see vpon theym they cryed sayenge lorde saue vs for we ben in grete perylle And for these thre thynges that I haue here sayd one ought ofte to crye to god that he saue vs fro these thre perylles / that is to wete fro the theues of helle / and fro the fyre of couetyse / fro the flodes of euyl thoughtes of temptacyon Now oughtest thou to knowe / that in all tymes / and in al places may a persone praye to god But he ought specyall and moost deuoutely ought he to praye in the chirche on the sondayes and in festes whiche ben stablysshed for to praye to god to preyse honour hym / and therfore then they seace and ought to cease al persones fro bodyly werkes and temporall / for the better tentende to praye to god and honoure hym / and to spyrytuell werkys God commaunded so straytly to kepe the sabotte daye in the olde lawe that he made a man to be stoned tofore the people by cause he had gadred a fewe styckes on the sabotte daye what shal god do thenne of them that do the grete synnes on the sondayes and the festes / and waste the tyme in vanyte and in folyes / and yet werse done they on the sondayes / on the festes and on solempne dayes than they do on other dayes Certeynly they shall be more punysshed and dampned in that other worlde / than the Iewes that brake theyr sabot daye For the sonday is more holy thā the sabot So ben the pryncypall feestes whiche ben establysshed in holy chyrche for to serue god / and to honoure and thanke hym of his goodnes and bountees that he hathe done to vs / and dothe euery day / lyke as holy chyrche remembreth In suche a feest as is crystmas / that is of his natyuyte / how he was borne of the vyrgyn Marye At Ester how he arose from dethe to lyfe At the ascencyon how he styed vp in to heuen At whytsontyde how he sēt the holy goost vpon thappostles After there ben establysshed to kepe the feestes of sayntes for to prayse and worshyp god and his sayntes / to remembre the holy myracles that he dyde for to conferme our faythe And therfore we ought to kepe the feestes of sayntes / to pray thē deuoutly to ayde and socoure vs vnto our lorde / whiche hath so moche honoured theym in heuen in glory and in erthe / and therfore they synne greuously that kepe not theyr feestes For they do ageynst the commaundement of god and of holy chyrche But here some may say to me Fayre syr a man may not all daye praye to god ne be at the monastery / ne in the chyrche / what harme is it
yf I go play and dysporte me / as longe as I playe I thynke none harme To that I shall answere All the tyme that thou employest in folysshe playes and in vanytees / and in werke the whiche is not ordeyned in ony maner vnto god thou lesest it For thou oughtest to knowe that al the tyme that thou thynkest not on god / thou oughtest for to accompte for loste / this sayeth the scrypture That is for to vnderstande whan thou thynkest on vanyte / and in thynge that is not in ony maner ordeyned vnto god And certaynly he leseth a grete thynge that leseth his tyme This sayth Seneke / for he leseth the goodes that he myght doin as moche as he soo loseth in worldly playes playes and in vanytees / and that is not without synne for to despende the tyme in euyll vsage For god requyreth rekenynge at the daye of Iugement / this sayth saynt Ancelme / and therfore ought one alwaye well to employe his tyme as longe as he lyueth in this worlde And the tyme is shorte as sayth the scrypture Ne no man knoweth how longe tyme he hath to lyue / ne no man knoweth whan he shal deye / ne how he shal passe out of this worlde who then wyll kepe the holy dayes as he oweth he ought to kepe hym fro doynge that desplayseth god and his sayntes / and well to employe his tyme in god / in prayenge hym / praysynge / and gyuynge hym thankes of his goodes / and to here the sermons and put them in eure and to entende to other good werkys and nedes that ben accordynge to god ¶ Also whan a man is in the chirche he ought to conteyne hym moche honestlye / and do reuerence to god and to his sayntes deuoutelye For the chirche is ordeyned for to pray god and his sayntes / not for to Iangle ne for to lawghe / ne for to Iape / ne for to speke ydle wordes ne for to talke too other of seculer thynges For our Lorde sayth My how 's is the hous of prayer And therfore a man ought not to doo none other thynge therin / than it for whiche it was establysshed / this sayth saynt Austyn / he that shall come tofore the kynge in his chambre for to empetre / and gete ony grace he ought well to kepe hym fro sayenge of ony thynge that sholde dysplese the kynge Moche more ought he to be ware that cometh in too the chirche whiche is the chambre and the hous of god / what he sayth and dooth tofore god and his aungelles / and that specyally that sholde dysplease hym Thenne god wyll not that a man sholde make of his hous a market ne an halle For he hym self chaced and droof out of his temple with good scourges them that bought and solde therin Also he wyl not the ony plee sholde be made therin / ne noyse ne no seculer nede / but he wyll that we sholde entende to praye god deuoutely and prayse And thanke hym of all his benefaytes There ought a man to calle ageyn his herte to hym self and put awaye all worldly werkys and all euyl thoughtes / and thynke on his creatour / on the bountees that god hath done to hym / and dooth euery daye / and to remembre his synnes and his deffaultes / and to humble hym self tofore god / and to requyre hym of pardon and grace to kepe hym from synne / to haue perseueraunce in good werkes vnto the ende ¶ Also in the chirche ought the grete lordes and the grete layes to forgete all theyr glory / theyr rychesse / theyr power / theyr dygnite / theyr hyenesse / and theyr puyssaunce / and ought to thynke that they be tofore theyr Iuge / whiche shall straytely examyne theym / and rekenne straytely of the goodes that he hath done to theym / of the dygnytees and estates that he hath sette them in / and how they haue vsed theym and he shall rewarde theym after theyr deserte Therfore ought they moche to humble theym to god / not to gloryfye them of theyr hyenesse / ne of theyr fayre araye / ne of theyr ryche robes They may take example of kynge Dauyd / whiche forgate his dygnyte whan he prayed tofore god / and despysed hym self so moche that he sayd to our lorde Ihesu Cryste I am sayd he a lytyll worme and not a man In this Dauyd knowleched his lytelnes / his pouerte / and his deffaultes / and made hȳ nought For lyke as a worme is lytell nought / and groweth naked of the erthe / al in lyke wyse is man of hȳ self a vyle thynge / for whan that he entreth in to this worlde he bryngeth nothynge / ne nothynge shall bere away / al naked he entred / and so he shall go hens / wherof saynt Bernarde sayth / what is a man but foule sperme / a sacke full of donge / and meet to wormes / he is moche foule and made of foule sede in his concepcyon / a foule sacke full of donge in his lyfe / and meete to wormes after his dethe ¶ Also the grete ladyes that ben soo arayed with golde and syluer / with precyous stones / robes ought in the chyrche tofore god well to take example of the good quene Hester / whiche toke of her precyous vestymentes and robes whan she came for to pray god / and humbled herself / and knowleged her pouerte and her defautes tofore god / and sayd to hym / lorde thou knowest that I hate the synne of pryde / and the glorye of vestymentes and of Iewelles whiche me behoueth to sette doune fro my heed / in grete abhomynacion of them / that in suche thynges trusteth / delyteth / gloryfyeth / weere theym for to shewe them to please the fooles God hath not to do with suche parementes in his chyrche / but of a clene conscyence and of an humble herte ¶ Saynt Poule ensygneth techeth ryght well how the women ought to araye them whan they come to praye god / he sayth that they ought to haue honeste habyte without ony outrage / that is to vnderstonde after that it appertayneth to the estate of a persone For that the whiche is outrage in one persone / is not outrage in an other / some is conuenyent to a quene whiche is not conuenyent to a burgeys wyf / or another symple woman Also thappostle techeth that the women of what estate that they be / that they sholde be symple of beholdynge / and regarde / and humble / that is to vnderstande that they sholde be symple / humble and shamefaste / and not afronted / ne openly shewe her vysage / as done these comyu women / whiche gone with theyr necke stratched out as an herte in the launde / and loke a syde or a trauers as an hors of prys Also he wyl that they be not curyous for to araye theyr heed with golde ne syluer ne with precyous stones
the brauÌ„ches of the vertue of mercy of almesse ca. Cxxxi The seuen brauÌ„ches of mercy on the lyfte syde and the fyrst braunche C. Cxxxii The seconde braunche Ca. C.xxxiii The thyrde braunche Ca. Cxxxiiii The fourthe braunche Ca. Cxxxv. The fyfte brauÌ„che of mercy Ca. Cxxxvi. The .vi brauÌ„che of mercy Ca. Cxxxvii The vii braunche of mercy Ca. Cxxxviii How a person ought to do almesse Ca. Cxxix Of the lyfe actyfe and of the lyfe coÌ„templatyfe ca Cxl Of the vertue of chastite the fyrste degre Ca. Cxli The seconde degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxlii She thyrde degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxliii The fourth degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxliiii The .v. degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxlv The vi degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxlvi The .vii. degree of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxlvii Of the fyrst estate of them that ben hole and chaste of body Ca. Cxlviii The seconde estate of them that ben corrupte Ca. Cxlix The thyrde estate and the fourth estate Ca. CL. The fyfthe estate of chastyte Ca. Cli. The .vi. estate of the vertue of vyrgynyte and chastyte Ca. Clii The seuenth estate of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cliii Of the gyfte of sapyence Ca. Cliiii Of the fyrst degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. Clv. Of the seconde degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. Clvi Of the .iii. degre of sobrenes of atteÌ„perauÌ„ce Ca. Clvii Of the .iiii. degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. Clviii The v. degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. Clx. The .vi degree of sobrenes of attemperauÌ„ce Ca. Clx. The .vii. degre of sobrenes of attemperauÌ„ce Ca. Clxi. Explicit Our fader that art in heueÌ„ sanctified be thy name thy kingdom come to vs / thy wyl be done in erth as in heuen / our dayly brede gyue vs to day for gyue vs our deâ—â— as we forgyue our deâ—â—s lede vs not in to teÌ„ptacoÌ„n but delyuer vs froÌ„ euyl ameÌ„ ¶ The fyue commaundementes of the chyrche ¶ The sondayes here thou masse and the â—estes of coÌ„maundement ¶ Of thy synnes thou the confesse at the leest one tyme of the yere ¶ And thy creatour thou shalte receyue / at Eester humbly ¶ These feestes thou shalte halowe / that ben gyuen the in coÌ„maundement ¶ The foure ymbres bigyles thou shalte feste 〈◊〉 the â—â—me entyerly ¶ Here after ben conteyned and declared the x coÌ„maundementes of the lawe whiche our lorde delyuered vnto Moyses the prophete for to preche to the people for to holde and kepe Capitulo primo FOr to haue and to come vnto the knowelege of the .x. commauÌ„demeÌ„tes of the lawe the whiche euery creature reasonable is holden for to kepe for to haue lyf pardurable It is to wete the syth that creacyon of humayne creature four lawes haue beÌ„ ¶ The fyrst lawe is called the lawe of nature Whiche is none other thynge but knowelege of good and euyll by the whiche we knowe that whiche we ought to ensyewe after reason / and also that whiche we ought to fle / that is to doo other that whiche we wolde after reason sholde be done to vs. And not to doo to other the / whiche we wolde after reason sholde not be done to vs. And this lawe gaue god to man to woman in his creacion / that same lawe euery creature reasonable ought to kepe / and by Ignoraunce not to be excused / syth they haue vnderstandynge of reason ¶ The ii lawe cometh of the deuyll to dystroye the lawe of nature aforesayd / and that is sayd lawe of concupyscence whiche was put in the creature reasonable by the syÌ„ne of Inobedyence / whiche was in our fyrst fader / for to fo he dysobeyed to god by synne / the body humayne was obeyssaunt to the soule and to reason entyerly / but as so ne as he had dysobeyed god / the body by concupyscence dysobeyed to reason Of whiche it happeth ofte / how be it that the creature by the fyrst lawe of nature knewe the good to be done / and the euyll to be eschewed Alwaye by concupyscence and folysshe plesaunce is lefte the ryght Iugement of reason / is enclyned to do the contrarye and this sayth saynt powle / that he founde a lawe in his membris / that is to wete the sayd lawe of concupyscence whiche gaynsayed to the lawe of reason whiche was in the soule / and of this lawe of concupyscence set by synÌ„e in the creature None escaped but onely Ihesu the glorious virgyÌ„ marie The .iii lawe is said the lawe wryton whiche was delyuerd for the creature / that by the lawe of concupyscence wolde enclyne hym ageynst the Iugement of reason to do euyll / to withdrawe hym to do synne for doubte of punycyon / thys lawe was delyuered to moyses and to the chyldren of Israhel The .iiii. lawe is sayd of loue and of grace whiche is none other thyng but to loue god his neyghboure And was delyuered by cause that the lawe of scrypture whiche for drede to be punysshed withdrewe the creature to do euyll was not suffycyente / for how well that it empesshed the dede / as touchynge the werke Neuertheles it empesshed not to the creature the wyll too do euyll / the whiche thynge is deedly synne / as oftentymes as it is concluded in the thyÌ„ge that sholde be as to the deed / and this .iiii. lawe of loue is in two commauÌ„dementes pryncypally comprysed The fyrst is this Thou shalte loue thy god with all thy herte / with all thy soule / with al thyn entendement / and with all thy myght The .ii. is that thou shalt loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe And these two commaundementes be so conioyned that the one may not be accomplysshed without that other ¶ Of the fyrst commaundement Ca. .ii. FOr to haue the knowelege of the sayd fyrst commaundement ought for to be knowen that .ii. thynges enclyne vs to loue god The fyrst is to here gladly for to speke of hym ofte / for naturally whan we here of ony persone sayd grete good / we ben enclyned to prayse loue hym / therfore to go oft to holy chyrche to predycacioÌ„s and sermons / is to a creature grete vtylyte prouffyte The seconde thynge is to thynke ofte and to haue in myÌ„de the grete benefaytes that a creature hath receyued / receyueth euery day of god / for naturally we ben enclyned to loue them that done vs good This loue of god is acquyred goten by these two thynges in a creature is kepte and multyplyed by .ii. other thynges Fyrst for to withdrawe take away his herte fro the loue of temporall goodes For the herte may not be parfyte in dyuers thynges / and therfore none may loue god and the wordly thynges togyder perfytly Secondly for to haue stedfast pacyeÌ„ce in trybulacoÌ„n to suffre it for the loue of god / for the
humylyte of that whiche they haue not done And fro suche a lesynge ought a creature moche for to kepe hȳ and for to be ware ryght gretely there of / for such humylyte is wycked For after the saynge of saynt Austyn Lyke as a creature ought not for to hele ne hyde in his confessyon that whiche he hath doone In lyke wyse ought he not for to saye that whiche he hathe not done ¶ Somtyme a creature lyeth in his owne dede for shame That is to wete whan he sayth some thynge whiche he weneth be true And in sayng it he auyseth hym and knoweth hym selfe that it is not so And neuerthelesse for shame he dare not withdrawe that he hathe sayd / accordynge vnto the trouthe ¶ And sometyme a creature lyeth for to haue some prouffyte therby / or for to escape some peryll Sometyme for to do prouffyte vnto an other Or to delyuer or kepe hym from some peryll or for to empesshe his prouffyte Or to lette his domage Also somtyme the creatures maketh lesynges or lyes or Iapes or playes / and for to gladde and enioye the people with whiche they are in companye with all ¶ And from all these lesynges after the sayenge of swete saynt Austȳ A creature ought all way to kepe hȳ fro makynge of lesynges For euery lesynge that a creature maketh is synne And the two fyrst ben deedly sȳnes / and the other by euyl custō may brynge a creature to deedly synne / after these .iiii. commaundementes aforesayd whiche defende to do euyll by werke and by worde folowe the other two whiche defende the wylle of lyberte to greue doo euyl to another The first deffendeth the wyl to hurte another in his godes teporall And that is this Thou shalt not coueyte the thynge of thy neyghboure Ayenst this commaundement mespryseth synneth a creature sōtyme mortally or deedly / that is to wete as ofte as by delyberacyon he coueyteth wolde haue the goodes of another and ayenst reason Somtyme venyally that is to wete whan he coueyteth the goodes of another But he wolde not haue them but by reason as for the prys that they be worthe / and by the good wyll of hym or them that owe them The seconde commaundement defendeth the wyll delybered or concluded to coueyte the wyf of another mā for to haue carnall companye with her For to haue the knowleche of the sayd commaundement it is to vnderstonde that in .iii. maners concupyscence carnall is in a creature Fyrst in the herte whan it is by consentynge delybered and concluded To this purpose sayth our sauyour Ihesu Cryst / that he that byholdeth a woman by carnall concupyscence / that is to say by a wyl concluded to haue hyr companye flesshly in his herte / he hath commysed fornycacyon / synneth deedly Secondly in the mouth in expressynge and declarynge the euyll desyre that is in the herte by consentynge the whiche consētynge is called deedly synne / thyrdly in werke whan the euyll purpose or consentynge is done in dede After it is to wete that .iiii. thynges pryncypally kepeth a creature fro fallynge into the synne of concupyscence ¶ The fyrst is to flee euyll companye all occasyons that gyuen moeuen cause of concupyscence As for to frequent and to se women oft and to here speke of them The .ii. is to put out not remembre in his herte the euyll thoughtes and the temptacyōs that come by the thynges that he hath seen and to chastyse his body and holde in penaunce afflyccyon The .iii. is to haue recours to god by deuout orysō and prayer whan flesshely temptacyon cometh in requyrynge deuoutly his helpe The fourthe is also in occupyenge hymselfe in good werkes accordynge to god And alway to fle ydlenes whiche is cause of all euyll Thus it appereth clerely by the cmaundementes aforesayd declared that the creature that loueth god hath of necessyte for to do thre thynges Fyrst that he adoure and worshyp but one god after the fyrst commaundement partyculer Secondly that the name of god he receyue not in vayne after the seconde commaundement Thyrdly that he honoure god after the thyrde commaundement In lyke wyse a creature that loueth his neyghboure hathe of necessyte to do .vii. thynges The fyrst is that he doo honoure and reuerence due after the .iiii. commaundemēt The seconde that he doo none euyll ne Iniurye by werke Fyrst as touchynge to his persone after the .v. cōmaundement Secondly as touchynge the persone to hym conioyned after the .vi. commaundement Thyrdly as touchynge to his godes after the .vii. cōmaundement Also do not ne bere domage by his worde after the .viii commaundement Ne also by thought and wyll concluded Fyrst whan he coueyteth his wyfe after the .ix. cōmaundement Secondly as touchynge to coueyt his thynges after the .x. commaundement The whiche god gyue vs grace to accomplysshe Amen ¶ Thus endeth the cōmaundementes of the crysten lawe whiche eche man ought to holde and kepe entyerly for to haue the lyf and glorye pardurable Deo gracias ¶ Here foloweth the twelue artycles of the fayth made by the .xii. apostles S. Peter S. Andrewe S. iames the more S. Iohan. S. Thomas S. iames the lesse ¶ These ben the .xii. articles of the crysten fayth whiche euery man ought too byleue fermely For otherwyse he may not be saued / yf he haue vnderstondynge reason in hymself and they ben .xii. artycles after the nombre of the twelue apostles / whiche establysshed theym to holde and kepe / of whome the fyrst apperteyneth to the fader The seconde to the sone / and the .iii. to the holy goste For this is foundement of the fayth to byleue in the holy trynyte That is in the fader / and in the sone / and in the holy ghoost one god in .iii. persones Al these artycles ben conteyned in the grete Credo and in the lytel credo / the whiche the .xii. apostles made / of whiche eche of theym made sette a clause of whome the fyrst is thys ¶ The fyrst artycle of the fayth capitulo .xi. S. Phylyppe S. Barthylmew S. Mathewe S. Symon S. Iude. S. Mathyas I Byleue in god fader all myght creatour or maker of heuen erthe / this article made saint peter sayenge Credo in deum patrem omnipotem creatorem celi terre The .ii. apperteyneth to the sone as touchynge his deyte / that he is god / and that is thys I byleue in our lorde / sone of the fader / and in this we ought for to byleue that he is semblable egall vnto the fader to all thynges the whiche apperteyne vnto the deyte / and is one thynge with the fader / sauf the persone whiche is other than the fader as touchynge thumanyte This artycle made saynt Andrewe saynge Et in Ihesum xp̄m filium eius vnicum dn̄m nostrum ¶ The .iii. artycle is of the cōcepcyon of cryst / and was conceyued of the holy goost
theym slepe in theyr synnes by theyr fayre syngynge They enoynte the waye of helle with the hony of flaterye by cause that the synners sholde go it the more hardely This synne is departed in to fyue partyes that ben lyke as fyue leues on this braunche The fyrst is of these flaterers / the whan they see that he or they / that they see dyspose theym too saye well or to doo well / anone they shewe and telle it to hym / by cause that he sholde haue therof vayne glorye / But his defautes they shall neuer say ne tell hym The seconde synne is that the lytell good that the chyldren do they double it That is to saye / that them that they prayse and fede by slatery / they encrease it and double it / and adioust therto so moche that it is more lesynge than trouth and therfore ben they called false wytnes in holy scrypture The thyrde synne is whan they make a man or a woman to vnderstande that he hath in hyÌ„ many good vertues and moche grace / where as he hath none And therfore holy scrypture calleth suche flaterers enchauntours for they enchaunte so moche the man or woman / that they beleue theÌ„ better than them selfe that they beleue better that they here than the whiche they se / that they say to them better that they knowe and fele The .iiii. synne is whan they synge alway the placebo of flatery That is to saye my lorde or my lady ye say trouthe / my lorde dothe well tourneth all thynge by flaterye what someuer he doth or sayth be it good or euyll / and therfore ben they called Ecko That is the soune that redoundeth in hye mountaynes and wodes and accordeth alway to that whiche is cryed and sayd / be it true be it false The fyfth ben the flaterers that defendeth excuseth and couer the vyces and the synnes of them that wyll flater and prayse / and therfore ben they called in wrytynge tayles / for they couer the ordures and synnes of the ryche men for some teÌ„porall good / and therfore ben they lykened in scrypture to the tayle of a foxe / for theyr flatery barate trechery ¶ Of losangery and flatery THe losengyers and myssayers ben of one scole These ben the .ii. seraynes other wyse called mermaydens / of whiche we fynde in the boke of the nature of bestes / whiche is a monster of these whiche is callyd serayns / whiche hath the body of a woman the taylle of a fysshe / and vngles or clawes of an egle / they lynge so swetely that they make the maronners to slepe / after they deuoure theym These ben the losengyers and flaterers whiche by theyr fayre speche make men to slepe in theyr synnes There ben somme serpentes whiche haue the name of serayns / that renne more swyftely thaÌ„ aâ—â—hors / and somtyme they flee / and theyr venym is soo stronge that tryacle may not auayle ayenst it For sooner cometh the deth thaÌ„ the bytynge of the serpentis selâ—â— These ben the myssaryers of whome Salamon sayth / that they byte in trayson lyke a serpent / with this been slayne thre at ones That is he that sayth it / he 〈…〉 it / and he of whome is myssayd This is the ryght cruell beest that is callyd hate / whiche fynyssheth destroyeth / and bryngeth out of the erth the bodyes of the dede men and eteth theym These ben they that byte and ere the goodmen of relygyon that ben in the worlde Suche manere peple ben more cruell than is helle whiche deuoureth the wycked / but these peple renne vpon the good and beuoureth theym Suche maner peple resemblen these â—e / whiche whan she hath pygges gladly wyll byte a man clad with whyt clothes They ben lyke the huppe whiche maketh his nest in the ordure of a man and there testeth hym / and lyke the dorre or waspe that flee the floutes / and louen dunge and ordure this braunche hath fyue leues The fyrst is whan they contryue the lesynges and euyll for to hurte blame and defame other The seconde is whan they haue herde the blame and harme they saye it forth and reporte it too the peple and adiust anâ—re of them self therin The thyrde is whan they quenche and sette atte nought all the good dedes the whiche that a man hath done / and make it to be holden for euyll They ete the man al hole / the other ete it not all But they byte hym and bere away a pyece This is the fourth leef of this braunche / whiche is proprely called detraccyon For he alway withdraweth cutteth of a pyece of good that he hereth spoken of other For whaÌ„ ony good is spoken of ony other tofore hym / alway he contryueth some thyÌ„ge to say to his reproche / and gyueth therto a but / as thus / he is ryght a good man and I loue hym well / but there ben suche defautes in hym / certaynely I am sory therfore This is the scorpyon whiche blandissheth with his face and prycketh with his tayle The fyfth is whan he peruerteth and tourneth all to the wers party / and the good in to euyll And for that cause he is a false Iuge vntrue also ¶ Of the synne to say lesynges Ca. liiii LEsynge falseth a man / lyke as one falsed the kyÌ„ges seale / or the bulles of the pope / and bycause that suche men false the money and bereth forthe false letters he shall be Iuged at the day of day of dome as a false man The lyer is amonge the good true men as the false peny amonge the good / and as the chaffe amonge the corne The lyer is lyke to the deuyll whiche is his fader / lyke as god sayth in the gospell / for he is a lyer / and the fader of lesynges / lyke as he that forged the fyrste lesynge And yet he forgeth and techeth them forth all day The deuyl sheweth hym in many maners and in many fourmes / and transfygureth hym selfe in many guyses for to deceyue the people Ryght so dothe the lyer Then is he lyke the plouer that lyueth of the wynde and of the ayre / and hath nothynge in his entrayles but wynde And also to euery coloure that he seeth he chaungeth his sonne In this braunche ben thre bowes / for there is one maner lesynge brennynge / another pleasaunt / and another noyenge / and in al thre is synne For lyke as sayth saynt Austyn / how well he that lyeth / and with his lesynge dooth good and prouffyte to another / neuertheles he dooth his owne hurte and wroÌ„ge / thenne these lyes ardaunt ben synnes But the lyes pleasaunt ben more greter synne / lyke as ben the lyes of losengyers / of flaterers / of mynstrelles / of truffars whiche that sayen these bourdes lesynge / and derysyons for to solace the folke and to make them laughe / and it is no doute for to
not grace verue Then yf thou wylte knowe what is veray fraūchyse of a man of a woman by ryght Thou oughtest to vnderstonde that a man hath .iii. maner of fraunchyses One of nature / another of grace / and the thyrde of glorye The fyrst is free wyll by whiche a man may chese do frely good or euyll This fraunchyse holdeth euery man of god so frely that no man may do it wronge / ne all the deuylles of helle may not enforce a man ayenste his wyll to do a synne without his accorde and consentemente For yf a man dyd euyll ayenst his wyll / he sholde haue therof no synne / for as moche as he in no wyse myght eschewe it / lyke as sayth saynt austyn This fredom and fraūchyse hath euery man But this fredō is not in chyldren / ne in wood men / ne in fooles / by cause they haue not the vsage of reason by whiche they can chese the good from the euyll A man putteth awaye from hym this fraunchyse in grete partye whā he synneth deedly For he selleth hymself vnto the deuyll for the delyte of his synne And yeldeth hym self vnto hym and bycometh his seruaunt by synne so that he may not caste hym self out / ne put hym fro his wyll / for he hath deserued the deth of helle / yf the grace of god helpe hym not The seconde fraunchyse is suche that the wyse man hath in this worlde / whome god hath fraunchysed by grace and by vertues from the seruyce of the deuyll / and fro synne / that they bee not bonde to golde ne to syluer / ne to temporall godes of this worlde ne to theyr bodyes whiche is caroyn / ne to godes of fortune / whiche the deth may soone take awaye / but they haue theyr hertes lyft vp and gyuen to god / so that they preyse noo thynge the goodes of the worlde / ne the honours / ne the vanytes / ne kynge / ne duke / ne meschaunce ne pouerte / ne shame / ne deth For they ben now deed to the worlde / and haue the herte soo deceuered taken awaye fro the loue of the worlde / that they desyre the deth lyke as the werkman his payment of his Iourney or dayes labour / and the labourer his hyre / and also lyke as they that ben in the torment and in the fortune of the see / desyre to come to port salue And lyke as the prysonner desyreth good delyueraunce / and as the pylgrym desyreth to come ageyne in to his contreye And yf they be parfytelye free in this worlde lyke as a creature may be / thenne fere they ne doubte they no thynge but god / ben in gret pees of herte For they haue then theyr herte in god and ben in heuen by desyre And this fraunchyse cometh of grace and of vertue But yet all this fraunchyse nys but seruytude vnto the regarde of the thyrde fraunchyse that they haue that been in glorye They be verayly free For they be verayly delyuerd fro all perylles and fro all tormentes / fro fere of deth and of deth / fro the grynnes and empesshements of the worlde fro myserye / fro pouerte / and fro all payne of herte of body wtout retornynge / of whiche thynge there is none fre in this worlde / how parfyte that he be ¶ Of veray noblesse Ca. .lxxii. THey that shall haue the seconde fraunchyse of whiche I haue spoken shal come to grete noblesse The veray noblesse cometh of gentyll herte Certeyne none herte is gentyll but yf he loue god There is no noblesse but to serue and loue god and to kepe hym fro all synnes and from the seruage of the deuyll Ne there is no vylanye but to angre god by synne Ther is no man by ryght gentyl / ne noble of the gentylnesse of his body For as touchynge the body we ben all sonnes of one moder That is of the erthe and of sylthe of whiche we al haue taken flesshe and blood Of this parte there is none gentyll ne free But our swete fader Ihesu Cryst whiche is kynge of heuen that fourmed the body of the erthe and created the soule to his ymage and semblaunce / and all in lyke wyse as it is of the carnall fader / that is moche glad and ioyous whan his sone resembleth hym Ryght so is it of our fader Ihesu Cryst For by the holy scrypture / and by his messagers he techeth vs / that we sholde payne our self to resemble hym And therfore he sent to vs his blessed sone Ihesu Cryst in to therthe for to brynge gyue to vs the veray exemplayre / by whiche we may be reformed to his ymage and semblaunce lyke as they that dwelle in the hye cytee of heuen That been the aungellys and the sayntes of heuen / where eueryche is of soo moche more hye and more noble As more proprely he bereth this fayre ymage therfore the holy men in this worlde payne hem self to knowe god / and to loue hym with all theyr herte / and purge theym clense and kepe them from all synnes For of soo moche as the herte of a creature is more pure and more clene without synne / of so moche he seeth more clerely more euydently the precious face of Ihesu cryst / and of so moche he loueth more ardauntly / of soo moche he resembleth more proprelye And by that he hath the more gretter glorye And this is the veray noblesse that god hath gyuen vs. ¶ And therfore sayth ryght well Saynt Iohan the appostle and euangelyst / that then̄e we shall be the sonnes of god / and we shall resemble hym proprely / whan we shall see hym euydently lyke as he is This shall be in his glorye / whan we shall be in heuen For no man seeth so dyscouerd ne so clerely the beaute of god / lyke as sayth saynt poule But thenne we shall see hym face to face proprely and clerely whan we shal be in glorye in his Ioyous companye ¶ The veray noblesse of a man thenne begynneth by grace and by vertues / that is parfyght glorye This noblesse maketh the holy ghoost in the hertes that he purgeth and enlumyneth in trouthe and in parfyte charyte These ben the grettest goodes that god hath doone to aungellys lyke as saynt Denys sayth by whiche they resēble theyr maker Thus werketh the holy ghoost by grace and by vertue in the hertes of good men / by whiche they be reformed to thymage and too the semblaunce of theyr maker Ihesu Cryst as moche as it may be in this mortall lyf For they reyse theym self soo in god / and enbrace theym self so with the loue of god And all theyr entendement / al theyr entencyon / theyr wyll / theyr memorye is all conuerted to god And this loue and this enbracement and desyre whiche encreaceth Ioyneth and vnyeth so the herte to god / that they may noo
therin plāted These ympes ben the vertues whiche the holy goost bydeweth with his grace The blyssed sone of god / whiche is the veraye sonne / by the vertue of his clerenes maketh them to growe on hye / and prouffyte These thre thynges be necessarye to all thynges that growe in erthe / that is to wete / erthe conuenable / humoure nourysshable / and heet reasonable / without these thre thȳges spyrytually may not the ympes of vertues growe ne brynge forth fruyte These thre thynges maketh the grace of the holy ghoost in the herte of the persone / maketh to wexe grene / to flourysshe to fructyfye / it maketh hym as a gardyn moche delectable full of good and precyous trees But in lyke wyse as god planted in paradys terrester plente of good trees and of fruyte And in the myddle he planted a tree whiche was called the tree of lyfe By cause that his fruyte had strengthe and vertue to kepe lyfe to theym that sholde ete of it without deyenge / and without euer to haue ony maladye or sykenesses Ryght so dooth he spyrytually in the herte of a persone The grete gardyner / the whiche is god the fader For he planted the trees of vertues And in the myddle he sette the tree of lyf That is Ihesu cryst / whiche sayth in the gospell / who that eteth my flesshe and drynketh my blood hathe lyf perdurable This tree enuerdureth embelyssheth by his vertu all the whiche is in paradys By the vertu of this tree growen and flourysshen fructefyeth all the other trees In this tree is all good / as moche as there is This tree is to be preysed and to be loued for many thynges For the rote / for the fruyt / for the stocke for the floure / for the odour for the leef / and for his fayre shadowe The rote of this tree is the ryght grete loue and the oultrageous charyte of god the fader / of whiche he loued vs so moche / that for to bye ageyne his euyll seruaunte / he gaf his ryght blessed sone and delyuerd hym to deth and to tormente Of this rote speketh the prophete sayth thus That a rodde shall yssue of the rote of Iesse This worde is as moche to saye as embracer of loue The stocke of this precyous tree / is the precyous flesshe of Ihesu Cryst The herte of this tree / that was the holy soule in whiche was the precyous marghe of the sapyence of god The barke of the tree was the fayr conuersacion without forth The droppynges of this tree and the body / weren thre precyous thynges and of ryght grete vertu / whiche yssued and dropped out of the preyous membres of Ihesu cryst that were the water / the teres the swete and the blode The leuys of this tree weren the precyous and holy wordes of Ihesu Cryst whiche heleden all maladyes The floures were the holy thoughtes of Ihesu Cryste whiche were fayre / honest and berynge fruyt The fruyt weren the twelue apostles / whiche fled all the worlde and nourysshed it with theyr holy doctryne / by theyr examples / by theyr good werkys / and with theyr benefaytes The braunche of this tree in one sens / ben all the chosen that euer were / and that ben / and that euer shall ben For lyke as our sauyour Ihesu Cryste sayd to his appostles I am sayd he the vygne / and ye ben the braunches ¶ In another sens / his braunches were his fayre vertues / his gloryouse exemples / whiche he shewed by werke / taught theym with his mouth These were the parfyte vertues and full of veray beneuerte and blyssednesse / whiche Ihesu Cryst shewed to his pryue frendes to the xii appostes / whome he ledde in to the moūtayne / and there he satte as sayth the gospell / his dyscyples were aboute hym And thenne the debonayr Ihesus opened his mouth and sayd Blessed be the poore of spyryte / for the reame of heuen is theyres Blessed be the debonayr for they shall be lordes of the erthe Blessed be they that wepen For they shall be comforted Blessed be they that haue hongre and thurst for Iustyce / for they shall be ful fedde Blessed be the mercyfull / for they shall fynde mercy Blessed be they that be clene of herte / for they shall see god Blessed be the peasyble / for they shal be called the sones of god ¶ These ben the seuen braunches of lyf of the blessed sone of god Ihesu Cryste In the shadowe of this tree ought the synne / good herte to shadowe hym / ought to se and beholde these fayre braunches / whiche bere the fruyte of lyf perdurable In these braunches and in these seuen wordes is enclosed all hyenesse / all perfection of grace / of vertu and of blessednesse / as moche as may be had in this worlde / to haue and atteyne in that other For these be seuen rules of holy lyf whiche Ihesu Cryst taughte to his chyldern This is the veray phylosophye that the maystre of angellys enseygned vnto his dyscyples ¶ In these wordes is enclosed all the somme of the veray perfeccyon of the newe lawe of loue and of swetenes And it is well sayd newe .. For it may well waxe olde / lyke as dyde tholde lawe to the Iewes And bycause that the soule was waxen olde by synne / it is made youge agayn and becomen newe by these wordes aforesayd It is veray newe and dysguysed fro the other lawes / lawe is sayd bycause it is bounden But the other byndeth and this vnbyndeth The other lawe chargeth / and this lawe dyschargeth The other lawes menaceth and thre teneth This lawe promyseth In other lawes is plee / in this newe lawe is peas In other lawes is drede / in this newe lawe is loue The other lawes haue maledyccyon / and cursynge / this newe lawe hath benedyccyon blyssynge ¶ Thenne is this newe lawe all full of beneurte and blyssednes And therfore ben blyssed all they that kepe it and accomplysshe it This sayth Salamon For all they that kepe it well wynneth the tree of lyfe pardurable Then these .vii. wordes abouesayd whiche god sayd ben called blyssynges For they make a man to be blyssed as moche as he may be in this present lyfe / and yet more blyssed in that other Now hast thou herde what the tree of lyfe is / whiche is in the myddle of paradyce the whiche god planted in the holy soule In the shadowe of this tree groweth and prouffyteth the fruyte The tree of vertues whiche god the fader the whiche is the grete gardyner planted and sette in this gardyn / and dyde bedewe it with the fountayne of grace / the whiche maketh it for to wexe grene / growe and to prouffyte / and holdeth it in vertue and in lyfe This foresayd fountayne is departed in to seuen ryuers These ben the seuen gyftes of
the holy ghoost / the whiche arouseth and bewatâ—eth all the gardyn Now beholde the ryght grete curteysye of our lorde / the whiche came in to this worlde for to seche saue that whiche was loste / by cause that he knewe well our pouerte and our feblenesse / by whiche we may falle in to synne But by our self we may not releue vs ne yssue out of synne ne gete vertue / ne do none other good / but yf it be by the grace of god / or that it come of his yefte / therfore he cesseth not to excyte vs that we praye requyre hym these yeftes And promyseth moche to vs / that yf we requyre demaunde hym ony thynge that is good for vs / and that it be ryghtfull we shall haue it And yet the debonayre Ihesus doth vnto vs more of his curtosye For he is our aduocate that formeth for vs our requeste and our petycyon For we haue not the wytte yf he formed it not to vs. ¶ The petycion / the requeste or oryson that the swete Ihesus enformed and taughte vs with his blyssed mouth / is moche fayre / moche good / but shorte by cause we sholde reteyne it well That is the pater noster / wherin ben .vii. petycyons and requestys / by the whiche we requyre our good fader Ihesu Cryst / that he gyue vs the .vii. yeftes of the holy ghoost / that he delyuer vs fro the .vii. deedly synnes / that he take them awaye fro our hertes And in stede of the sayd synnes / that he by his grace wyll plante there and nourysshe the .vii. vertues / whiche brynge vs to the .vii. blessynges of perfeccion and of holy lyfe / by whiche we may haue the promysses that the debonayre Ihesu made promysed to his chosen people in the seuen wordes aforesayd ¶ Thenne our entencyon is with the ayde and grace of the holy ghoost to speke fyrst of the seuen petycions of the holy ghoost whiche ben conteyned in the holy pater noster ¶ After I purpose to saye of the yeftes of the holy ghoost After of the seuen vertues / ageynst the seuen deedly synnes ¶ The .vii. petycyons and requestes ben lyke as .vii. fayre maydens that neuer cease to drawe the lyuyÌ„ge waters out of seuen ryuers for to water and arouse these seuen trees that bere the fruyte of lyfe pardurable ¶ Of seuen petycyons and requestes that be conteyned in the Pater noster Ca. lxxvi Our fader that art in heueÌ„ sanctified be thy name thy kingdom come to vs / thy wyl be done in erth as in heuen / our dayly brede gyue vs to day forgyue vs our dett as we forgyue our detts lede vs not in to teÌ„ptacoÌ„n but delyuer vs froÌ„ euyl ameÌ„ AS a lytell chylde is sette to scole / at the begyÌ„nynge he lerneth his Pater noster Who the wyll lerne of this Clergye and knowe it / he must be lytell and humble as is a chylde For our good mayster Ihesu cryst techeth his scolers this clergye whiche is the moost prouffytable / and moost fayre that is What man or woman that this dotryne well knoweth / vnderstandeth well retayneth it For suche there be that wene well for to vnderstonde it / that no thynge knowe therof / by the barke or rynde wtout forth That is the lettre whiche is good But lytell is it worthe to the regarde of the marghe / of the godnes and of the grete substaunce whiche withinforth is soo swete It is moche shorte in wordes moche loÌ„ge in substauÌ„ce lyght to saye subtyll for to vnderstonde This prayer and oryson passeth surmounteth all other in thre thynges That is to wytte In shortnesse In dygnyte / and in prouffytablenesse ¶ The dygnyte is in that / that the ryght blessed sonne of god made it / too god the fader in shorte wordes God the holy ghoost touchynge his demaunde / he wyll that it be shorte in wordes / by cause that none excuse hym to lerne it and to conne it And also by cause that none sholde be greued to say it wyllyngly and ofte And for to shewe that god the fader hereth vs ryght soone / and graunteth it gladly whan we praye hym with good herte / so that it be not of longe ryotte ne of wordes polysshed ne rymed ¶ For swete saynt Gregory sayth Verayly for to werke is not to saye fayre and glosynge wordes with the mouthe / but too caste oute wepynges and depe syghes from the herte ¶ The valure and the prouffyte of this oryson or prayer is so grete / that it compryseth and encloseth in wordes moche shorte / all that whiche may be desyred of herte / and prayed and demauÌ„ded of mouthe That is to be delyuerd of al euylles / and replenysshed with all goodes ¶ Thus begynneth the holy pater noster Fader our that arte in heuen ¶ Beholde now how that our blyssed aduocate / our ryght good and blyssed mayster and souerayne our redeÌ„ptour and sauyour Ihesu cryste / the whiche is the sapyence wysdom of god the fader omnypotent / that knoweth al the vsages and al the lawes of his courte / techeth vs for to plete well / and to speke wysely / subtylly / and shortely But certaynly yf the fyrst worde that thou sayst Fader our that arte in heuen / yf that it be well vnderstanden well pursued he shall gyue to the all thy request and all thy demaunde ¶ For saynt Bernarde sayth that the orayson that begynneth by the ryght name of god the fader / gyueth to vs hope to Impetre and gete all our prayers and requestes This swete worde fader whiche maketh swete all the remanaunt / sheweth to the that / whiche thou oughtest to beleue and somoneth the to that / whiche thou oughtest to doo And these two thynges saueth the man whan he beleueth well and aryght And whan he dooth after that he ought to do / whan thou callest hym fader thou knowest that he is lorde of the house / that is of heuen and of erthe / and capytayne and begynnynge And fountayne of whome all creatures and al godes cometh This knowlegest thou in that / his puyssaunce myght ¶ After I say by cause that he is a fader / he is ordeyner gouerner / and purueyer of his meyny / and specyally of his chyldren / that is of the men of whome hymself hath created / made and fourmed to his semblaunce / in this thou knowlegest his sapyence / yet also syth that he is fader by nature by ryght / he loueth that whiche he hath made Lyke as sayth the boke of sapyence And he is debonayre and loueth and nouryssheth his chyldren / and dooth theyr prouffyte better than they can deuyse And he beteth and chastyseth them whan they mysdone or offende / for theyr prouffyte and welthe as a good fader / And gladly he receyueth and taketh theym vnto mercy
that he is in heuen I saye that he is / and that he is in heuen ¶ It is founden in holy scrypture in two bokes of the lawe that god appyered to Moyses the prophete in a moūtayne sayd to hym Go thou in to Egipte saye to kynge Pharao on my behalue that he delyuer my people the chyldren of Israhell from the seruage wherin he holdeth theym Syr sayd Moyses yf it be demaunded of me how ye bee named what shall I saye I am that I am / sayd god Thus shall thou saye to the chylderen of Israhell He that is sendeth me to you Now sayen the holy and good clerkys / that amonge all the hye names of our lordes this name is the fyrst and moost propre And that moost aryght techeth vs what god is For all his other names / eyther they speke of his bounte / or of his excellence / or of his sapyence / or of his puyssaunce / or that he is suche or suche That is the ryght good / the ryght wyse / the ryght fayre / the ryght puyssaunt / many other wordes as ben sayd of hym to his loenge praysynge / and the whiche say nothynge of the beynge of god But we that ben grosse and rude to speke of so hye a thȳge / speke of god / lyke as one speketh and deuyseth of a man of whome he knoweth not the name Thus as it is sayd / he is a kynge / he is a duke / he is an erle / he is so grete / he is so fayre / he is so ryche / he is so large And many of suche propryetees and accydents How and by what maner one may knowe what he is / what maner man But he sayth not his propre name a ryght ¶ But thus as we speke of god / we fynde many fayre and swete wordes The whiche sheweth vnto vs some thynge of hym / But there ne is no worde so propre / as this same worde here folowynge qui est whiche soo proprely is shewed to vs and so subtylly / in as moche as our entendement may stratche and compryse For our blyssed lorde Ihesu cryste is he that is onely Lyke as Iob sayth / he is onely for to say ryght For he is onely pardurable without begynnynge and without endynge But this may not be sayd of none other thynge ¶ After he is very trouthe / veryte For he is waye and trouthe All maner thynges that ben created and that ben creatures / ben vayne and vanytees As the wyse kynge Salamon sayth / And be as nothynge vnto the regarde of hym And to nought shall they come / fro whens they came yf that he witholde and sustayne theym not And also preserue and kepe theym by his vertue / yet also he is onelye establement and stedfastnesse For he is alwaye hym self / and in one self poynte withoute trouble without to chaunge hym / without to moeue hymn ony maner / this sayth saynt Iames. All other thynges ben moeuable in somme manere of theyr nature Thenne is he proprely called / that is For he is verayly withoute vanyte / establysshement without begynnynge / withoute ende / without he was and without he shall be / for in hym is no departynge Now oughtest thou here vnderstonde that he is And that there is no thynge that may better be knowen than this / that god is And therfore I counceyll the that thou muse not tenquyre ferther For thou mayst sone erre go out of the waye / late it suffyse to the that thou saye Fader our the whiche arte in heuen ¶ Trouth it is that he is oueral present in erthe in heuen / in see / and in helle lyke as he is in heuen But it is sayd that he is in heuen by cause that he is more seen there / more knowen / more byloued / and more honoured ¶ After I saye that the debonayr Ihesus is in persones spyrytuell and dououte That is in the holy hertes / that ben hye / clensed / clene and purged from all synne as is the heuen For in suche hertes is he seen / knowen / honoured and loued ¶ Now hast thou herde these .iiii. wordes Pater noster quies in celis The fyrst worde somoneth the to honour god The seconde to loue god The thyrde to redoubte god For how well he be fader and oure / alwaye he is Iuste and not meuable The fourth worde somoneth the to engyne thy self to hym and to encorage and enforce the / for syth he is so hye thou arte so lowe / yf thou be not hardy and vygorous to vaynquysshe al sȳnes / to resyste al the temptacons of the enemye / to kepe hooly his cōmaūdemētes thou shalte not come in to the glorye of heuen The fyrst worde abouesayd sheweth to vs the lengthe of his eternyte The seconde the largesse of his charyte The thyrde the depnesse of his veryte and trouthe And the fourth the hyenesse of his mageste / who someuer shall haue these foure thynges attayned wtout doute he shal be blessed How Sctificetur nomen tuū is expowned Ca. lxxix NOw hast thou herde the prologue of the holy Pater noster whiche is lyke vnto an entre in to a towne A lorde god who the wel coude all this songe / he sholde fynde therin many swete notes For it is no doubte that in the prayer and songe spyrytuell whiche the sapyence of god made / he that taught the byrdes to synge / hath many notes and wordes subtyll swere in his holy songe and prayer of the holy Pater noster / how well that it conteyneth lytell letter In this songe excellente oryson ben the seuen petycyons requestes of the holy Pater noster whiche gete and Impetre the seuen gyftes of the holy ghoost / whiche put awaye and destroye the seuen vyces capytall of the herte those ben the seuen deedly synnes And they plante / and nourysshe the .vii. vertues / by the whiche one may come to the seuen blessynges Of these vii petycions and requestes The thre fyrst make a man holy as moche as he may be in this worlde The .iiii. after maketh hym parfytly Iuste All the holynesse of a man that is made to thymage of the holy Trynyte after thre thynges that ben in the soule / that is to wete / memorye entendement and wyll is in thre thynges In this that the soule be parfytely purged / and the wyll parfytely enlumyned / and the vnderstandynge parfytely confermed in god / with god in the memory And the more the soule receyueth of god these thre thynges / the more habundauntly and more proprely she approcheth more too his ryght grete beaute naturall That is to the semblaūce of the fader / and of the sone / of the holy goost That is whan god the fader confermeth vnto hym his memory God the sone enlumyneth to hym his vnderstandynge God the holy ghoost purgeth in hym his wyll These thre gyftes
herte ¶ But now vnderstonde and beholde that this that God gyueth vnto the poore of spyryte is the heuen / and to the debonayre the erthe / where shal be the auarycyous men thenne and the felons / but in the tormentes of helle ¶ Of the seuen gyftes of the holy ghoost / and fyrst of the gyfte of scyence Ca. C.x. THe fyrst gyfte of the holy ghoost is the gyfte of scyence / whiche maketh a man humble dredefull The seconde maketh hym swete and pyteous The thyrde maketh hym clere sceynge / and connynge / and therfore it is called the gyfte of scyence For it maketh a man wyse and connynge in mesure in all thynges / whan this gyfte descendeth in to the herte of a persone / he extyrpeth and casteth out the rote and the synne of yre and of felonnye whiche troubleth the herte / and maketh a man lyke as he were fro hym self so that he seeth no thynge ne for hym self ne for to conduyte other But this gyfte enlumyneth the herte on al partes so that he may not be deceyued of ony persone / lyke as the gyfte of pyte maketh the man Innocent / soo that he wyll none deceyue / wherof saynt Iohan sayth in thappocalyps in spyryte / that the holy man that was all full of this espyryte / was all full of eyen tofore and after And an aungell shewed to Zacharye the prophete a stone wherin were seuen eyen These ben the eyen that the good men haue / for they see clere within theyr herte and all aboute them That is to saye vnder and aboue / on the ryght syde and on the lyft syde This gyfte of scyence is maystre of the werkes / and that is to saye of vertues of the soule For he maketh all Iuste to a poynte by lyne rule plombe / he taketh fyrst his bounde and his poynte / and that is that the wyse man sayth In all that thou begynnest / beholde the ende / to what ende thou shall come / after he holdeth the lyne For he goeth by ryght waye afore by ryght entencyon After he maketh all by rule For he maketh it all playne and by mesure For he loueth the comyne waye of good people without to fynde noueltees After he preueth his syght and his werkes by plombe For he taketh hede that his body enclyne not towarde the ryght syde by prosperyte ne to the lyft syde by aduersyte This gyfte of sapyence is lyke to the pryour of a cloystre of the soule / whiche kepeth thordre / maketh it to be kept oueral / Fyrst in the herte after in other offyces in this herte ben .ii. sydes .ii. thȳges / the vnderstōdynge the wyl / the reason affecion whā these two sydes and these two thynges accordeth togyder / they make moche swete melodye and moche fayre seruyce That is to wete whan the wyll / wyll all that whiche the vnderstondynge ensygneth to god / and that affeccyon feleth all that whiche reason vnderstandeth / yf they vnderstande well in these .ii. sydes whiche ben in the soule / whan and how they ought to accorde In one syde ben .iiii. lockes / and in that other syde .iiii. for reson hath foure offyces That is to enquire / to Iuge / to remembre and to shewe that whiche they vnderstande by worde This gyft ensygneth the reason that whiche he ought to lerne and enquyre / and in what ordre / and in what maner / and what ende / and this is a moche grete craft For the mysprysynge in these thynges is moche peryllous / it behoueth to vnderstonde the reason / and to lerne that whiche is necessarye / prouffytable / and honeste / and for to withdrawe fro the contrarye O god how a creature leseth his tyme / and dyspences for to lerne thynges that ben of no value / but vaynglory and synne But the holy ghoost by this gyft ensygneth lyghtly and maketh a man to lerne ordynatly that / whiche is moost necessarye to the prouffyte of the soule And that ledeth hym moost ryght vnto the loue of god for the helthe and the prouffyte of his soule / and to helpe his neyghboure Also it behoueth the reason well to enquyre the trouthe of the thȳges And also how he ought for to beleue Well to beleue is whan a man beleueth symply / and stedfastly all that whiche god sayth commaundeth without ouer moche to enquyre / and without to enserche the counceyles of god and the profounndnesse of his Iugementes the heyght of his magnyfycenciall magesty / and the reasons of his holy Sacramentes / Well to beleue is whan one beleueth not ouer hastely / ne ouer late / ne to eueryche / ne to none / for that one and other is vyce as sayth seneke After good enquyrynge cometh wel to Iuge For to Iuge well it apperteyneth that one afferme no thȳge to the tyme that he hath enquyred the trouthe of the thynge / that he be well encerteyned / and that he entremete not to Iuge that whiche apperteyneth no thynge to hym / lyke as ben the secrete thynges and hydde / thentencyons of hertes / the thinges that may not be torned on the ryght syde ne on the lyfte syde / that yet they be vnderstonde to the better parte Of whiche the spyryte by this gyfte maketh the reason to Iuge well / and to knowe the ryght / and to determyne bytwene good thynges and euyll thynges bytwene the lytel thynges and the grete thynges / for he must prayse euery thynge after his valure Also this spyryte maketh the reason to remembre For he remembreth a man all that is nedefull to hym / lyke as god sayth in the gospel The thynges that ben passed he must remembre and brynge ageyne to memorye The thynges that ben present he must vnderstonde remembre and ordeyne The thynges that ben to come he must purueye fore ordeyne and aduyse These ben the seuen partyes of the vertue of prudence / after that whiche the phylosophre sayth Also he maketh the reason for to speke by mesure and be stylle gladly / and not to speke tyll it be nede Soo that the worde be tofore well aduysed and well thought or it come to the tongue And that the worde be wayed and poysed as good money preued lyke as Salamon sayth ¶ Soo that the worde be accordynge vnto god and without synne of good mater and of good fourme That is that it haue not ouermoche / ne ouer lytel And that it be well employed For good money ne a good worde ought not to be gyuen for nought ¶ Herof sayth god in the gospell that we sholde not caste the precyous stones tofore hogges and swyne That is to vnderstonde the precyous wordes of our lorde god before them / and to suche persones that sette them selfe not to werke for theyr helthe But lyueth in the ordure of theyr synnes Therfore holy scrypture calleth them hogges This gyfte aforesayd ordeyneth and accordeth
ryght syde on the lyft syde On the ryght syde ben the werkes of mercy whiche touche the soule They ben the spyrytuell werkes of mercy / on the lyft syde ben the bodyly werkes of mercy whiche apperteyne to the body / on the ryght syde be vii brauÌ„ches The fyrst is to gyue good counceyll to them that haue nede / onely for the loue of god purely / not for to coueyte other thynge temporel therfore / as done these aduocates men of lawe that taken with bothe handes / of that one partye of that other And gyuen ofte tymes many euyll couÌ„seylles for to haue money / or for gyftes / or for drede / or for fauour of ryche men / but they haue god tofore theyr eyen / and counceyle the synners for to leue theyr synnes and saue theym Or they that ben out of synne / for to kepe theym to th ende that they fall not therto agayne Lyke as confessoures ought for to doo / and the prelates / and the good men in what someuer estate they be / they done the fyrst werke of mercy spyrytuell / this is the fyrste braunche of the ryght syde The seconde braunche is to teche and ensygne them that a man hath to gouetne As a prelate his subgettes whome he ought to fede with good doctryne and with good ensample In lykewyse ought the mayster do to his dyscyples in doctryne / in scyence / in good maners Also the faders the moders theyr chyldren in suche wyse that they kepe them fro synne vices / that they vse them to do well / kepe theÌ„ fro lyenge / fro sweryÌ„ge / fro euyll playes and games / and fro yll company / specyally the chyldre of grete lordes and of ryche men ought to be best enformed in good maners For the chyldren wyl alway holde theyr fyrst forme And therfore they ought to be enformed to do well ¶ The thyrde braunche is to reprehende chastyse the fooles and the wycked people of theyr folyes / and this appertayneth specyally to the prelates and to the prynces whiche ought to chastyse theyr subgettes / whan they knows that they be wycked For whan they suffre the synnes where they myght amende them / and wyll not so / they ben partyners Ne no prynce ne prelate ought not to suffre ony wyckednes in a maÌ„ about hym yf he may knowe it For yf he haue about hyÌ„ euyll and wycked meyne and yf he knoweth it or supposeth / yf he remedy it not It is a sygne that he is no good man / for it is comyngly sayd / suche lorde suche meyne / after the lorde the meyne folowe And many and often tymes it happeneth the lorde or mayster is defamed and shamed by his euyll meyne / therfore / ne for hauoyre / ne for fauoure / ne for famylyaryte of persones a lorde ought not to doubte to take awaye the synnes that ben about hym For he ought to doute more god and to loue hym / than ony man mortall Me ought to loue the persones and hate the synnes / euery prynce prelate / lorde ought to knowe that ygnouraunce in this parte shal not excuse theÌ„ For they be bounden to knowe how theyr people gouerne them in theyr houses and in theyr offyces / ought tenquyre by good men and true / and the loue god drede hym For they shall not be quyte at the day of Iugement for to say that they knowe not therof ¶ The fourthe braunche of mercy is for to comforte the seke men them that be in trybulacion or in aduersyte or malady to helpe them to theyr power / to comforte theym by good wordes that they fall not in dyspayre or dyscomforte and that theyr herte fayle them not Thus coÌ„maundeth saynt Poule the sayth Comforte them that be feble of herte And Salamon sayth that he that is in dysease of herte shall be gladde Ioyous for to here a good worde Also as he hymselfe sayth / lyke as a persone delyteth hym taketh pleasure in good odoures / in lykewyse deliteth the soule in grete swetenes of good councell in the good wordes of a veraye frende That is that he loueth also well in aduersyte as in prosperyte For at nede it is seen who is a frende / in aduersyte is the good true frende proued / thou oughtest to knowe the .iiii. thynges comforte moche a man / that is in aduersyte / in trybulacyon or in malady The fyrst thynge is to thynke on the paynes of helle / whiche ben so moche harde / sharpe / and horryble / that it ne is but a shadowe and an enoyntynge all that that may be suffred in this worlde as to the regarde of the paynes of hell / wherof the holy saynt Austyn sayth vnto our lorde O good lorde brenne me here / and hewe me all in pyeces / rather than thou dampne me perdurably Also saynt Austyn sayth that the tourmentes of saynt Barthylmewe whiche was flayne all quycke Of saynt lawrence and of saynt Vyncent whiche were brente rosted and layde on gredyrons / of saynt Steuen which was stoned to deth Al these tormentes ne ben but a bayne to the regarde of the paynes of purgatorye And therfore the rodde of chastysement of our lorde must be suffred for teschewe the perdurable payne of hell God sheweth grete semblauÌ„ce of loue to them / to whome he sendeth the aduersytees temporell / for he sayth I chastyse theÌ„ that I loue / note this ensauÌ„ple The oxe that shal be slayne shal be well kepte made fatte / but he that shall be kepte lyue / is put to the yocke for to labour the erthe A grete sygne of loue sheweth the kynge grete honoure doth he to hym / to whome he sendeth his cuppe to drynke of The cuppe of our lorde of whiche he dranke ben the trybulacyons thaduersytees the myschyeues of this worlde This is the fyrst sawce / with whiche one ought to ete suche mete that is to thynke on the paynes of helle This is a sawce of vynaygre / whiche taketh awaye the sauour of wyne of the delyces of this worlde Lyke as the vynaygre taketh away the sauour of good wyne The seconde thynge that moche comforteth in suffrynge pacyently trybulacion / is to thynke on the rewarde of heuen that one geteth for lyke as sayth saynt Gregorye / that allegeth asswageth moche the payne the trauaylle / whan a persone hath an hope to haue grete rewarde grete prouffyte The thyrde thynge is to thynke on the passyon of Ihesu cryst / whiche suffred deth for to redeme vs fro the paynes of helle / there is no thynge that soo moche allegeth the paynes the trybulacions of this worlde / this is well sygnefyed to vs in holy scrypture / there where as the chyldren of Israhel came to a water / that was so bytter that they myÈt not
And yet he wyll also that they haue in the chirche theyr hedes couerd / soo that no man be styred by theym to euyll / ne synne not in beholdynge of theym / but they ought to be arayed as deuoute and good women / whiche shewe the bounte of theyr herte by good werkys / and therfore sayth saynt Ambrose / who wyll be herde in prayer / he ought to take awaye fro hym al sygne of pryde / and ought to enclyne hym to god with his herte by veray confessyon / and by penaūce in profounde humylyte / for to moeue god to doo hym mercy For as he sayth proude habyte geteth no thynge of god / but it gyueth cause to Iuge euyll of hym the weereth it ¶ Now I haue shewed to the thre thynges that ought to be in prayer / fayth / hope and deuocyon But to that / that prayer may be perfyghtly agreable and playsaunte to god and worthy to be enhaunced and herde / it behoueth foure thynges That is that it haue .ii. wynges whiche bere it tofore god These two wynges ben almesses and fastynges / or other penaunces / wherof the aungell sayd to Thobye Prayer is good whan it hath in hym self fastynge and almesse / without these two wynges the prayer may not flee to god For as sayth saynt Ambrose / good lyf maketh the prayer to flee to god But synne letteth it and with draweth it ageyn / wherof thou oughtest to wete that in two maners is prayer lette / lyke as sayth saynt Ysodore One is by cause a mā kepeth hym not fro synne and fro doynge euyll And for that a persone wyll not forgyue the euyll wylle that he hath to another persone For in lyke wyse as the oynemētes wyll not hele the wounde / as longe as the yron is wythī Ryght so auaylleth not ne prouffyteth noo thynge the prayer to hym that sayth it as he hath euyl wylle to another And therfore sayth the prophete / lete vs lyfte vp our hertes our handes to god He lyfteth vp his hert his hādes to god that lyfteth vp his prayers by good werkes And thappostle sayth that he that lyfteth vp his pure handes to god in prayer lyfteth vp in pure clene conscyence without synne For god enhaūceth not the prayer that cometh of a conscyence full of ordure and of synne wherof he sayth by the prophete whan ye shal multeplye your prayers I shal not here them / for your handes be all blody ful of synne who ben they that haue theyr hādes blody but they that dystresse the pour peple which ben vnder them take awaye fro them their good by force they haue the handes ful of blood of the blood of pour peple for they take a way fro them their lyf / their sustenaūce by couetyse by theyr rauyne do grete oultrages etē the morsellys ful of synne wherfore they shal paye the scotte in that other worlde For the scripture sayth that god requyreth the blood of the pour peple For they must gyue a rekenyng or sytte therfore and therfore who wyl be enhaūced herde of god in his prayers late hym not come tofore God the swerde drawen Ne the hādes blody ne wyth voyde handes That is to say in wyll to synne ne spotted of vntrouthe ne voyde of good werkes For thus sayth our lord in the gospel Thou shalt not come tofore me with voyde handes / he cometh with empty handes tofore god that cometh to praye and requyre hym withoute makyng present of good werkes / for to hym he shytteth and closeth his yate that requyreth hym and bryngeth no thynge / herof haue we example in the gospell / whiche sayth that the yate was shytte to the folysshe vyrgyns that had none oyle in theyr lampes / god sayd to them I knowe you not For god knoweth none but them that haue theyr lampes ful of oylle that is to saye them that haue the herte full of pyte and of grace purged and clene of all synnes and shewe it by good werkes Suche people hereth god gladly and openeth to them his yate / and receyueth gladly theyr prayers Now saye I thenne that prayer lyke as it rested on four pylers as it is sayd tofore / and is moche playsaunt to god For it geteth lyghtly of god all that it hath nede be it in body or in soule as sayth the scrypture / wherof saynt Iames sayth that moche auaylleth the besy prayere of a ryghtwyse man For it auaylleth to hele al maladyes of body of soule / and sayth yet that prayer that cometh of fayth heleth the seke persone / yf he be in synne it shall be perdonned The holy scrypture sayth that Moyses the prophete vaynquysshed Amalech and his hoost / not by bataylle / but by holy prayers For as it is sayd of an holy man Moche more auaylleth the prayer of a saynte than the fyghtynge of many thousand synnars The prayer of a good man perceth heuen Thenne shall he ouercome his enemyes in erthe A good olde and deuoute woman geteth more soone a good requeste of god in glorye in prayenge hym deuoutely / than a thousande knyghtes may gete of londe in longe tyme by force of armes / and therfore it is good to praye and requyre god with the orysons of good folke / and specyally of couentes of relygyous people / whiche ben assēbled for to serue god for to praye nyght daye deuoutely for al theyr benefactours For the prayer is moche worthe towarde our lorde For lyke as sayth the scrypture More auayleth more may doo towarde god the prayer of many good persones than ony can expresse or say For as it is sayd of an holy man It may not be but the prayers of many good persones togyder be herde of god and graunted The prayes and requestes of all the hole couent togyder / is sooner passed and herde of thabbot / than the request and prayer of one monke alone In lyke wyse hereth god more soone the request of theym that ben assembled for to serue hym And therfore sayth god in the gospell / yf twayne of you accorde togyder to aske and requyre me All that they requyre my fader of heuē I shall do it ¶ Now haue I spoken of seuen degrees of the tree of the vertue of chastyte / by whiche this vertue groweth mounteth / prouffyteth Now behoueth to saye of the braunches of this tree whiche ben seuen / after the .vii. estates of the people the ben in this worlde ¶ Of the fyrst estate of them that ben entyer and chaste of body Ca. C.xlviii THe fyrst estate of the worlde is of them that ben hole chast of body / haue kept theyr maydenhede / but neuertheles they be not bounden to this / but that they may be maryed In suche estate ought a persone to kepe chastyte that is clennes purete of hert of body / wherfore the
hyÌ„ ought not be do lecherye of maryage ne none other synne / for the reuerence of the holy place and he that hath noo regarde in suche holy place to do suche werke he synneth for reason of the place For suche thynge is synne in one place and in one tyme / that is not in another The .iiii. estate is of theym that haue be in maryage / but the deth hath deceuerd them that one fro that other And he or she that is abyden ought to kepe lyue chastly as longe as he or she is in the state of wydowhede This is an estate the whiche saynt Poule preyseth moche / and sayth to the wydowes / that he or she is good that holdeth hym in suche estate / and yf it playse not theÌ„ they may marye theym For better is to marye than to brenne them / for yf he brenÌ„e so that he consente to synne he synneth / for he put his herte therto by wyll by dysyre to the fyre of lechery and better it were and more auaylle to hym to marye / than to brenne hym self in the fyre / that is to vnderstonde of them that ben in the state of symple wydohede not them that ben in thestate bouÌ„den by vowe they may not marye without deedly synne after theyr vowe but neuertheles yf the vowe be symple and that it be pryuely made without solempnyte / how be it that they synne deedly that after theyr auowe marye them / neuertheles they may abyde in theyr maryage / yf ther be none other lettynge And is bounden to do penaunce of the vowe broken / but whan the vowe is solempne / or by the hande of a prelate / or by professyon of relygyon / or by holy ordre that he hath recyued / as subdeken / deken or preest Thenne the maryage is none / but they must deceuere departe that soo ben assembled by maryage for they may not be laufully in suche estate / to byholde the state of wydowhede / ought to moeue the example of the turtle for lyke as sayth the boke of nature of beestes Neuer after the turtle hath lost his make she shall neuer accompanye her with another / but is solytarye fleeth the companye of other Thre thynges apperteyne moche to them that ben in the state of wydowhede The fyrst is to hyde her self to be secretlye in her house / not to syewe suspecyous felawshyp / herof haue we a fayre example of Iudyth whiche was a wydowe / and was a moche fayre woman yonge of whiche it is sayd in the holy scrypture / that she helde her self in her chambre cloos with her maydens / wherfore saynt Poule repreueth the yonge womeÌ„ wydowes that were ydle and curyous for to goo and come and Iape and ouermoche speke / but closely and secretely ought they to be in theyr lodgynge and entende to do good werkes / lyke as saynt Poul enseygneth theÌ„ The .ii. thyng is to enteÌ„de to praye god gladly to yelde hym thaÌ„kynges of hys benefaytes And to be in the chyrche in grete deuocyon in grete repeÌ„taunce of theyr synnes in teres wepyng As it is sayd in scrypture by saint luke that the good wydowe which was named Anne departed not out of the temple but serued god nyght day in prayer / in fastyÌ„ges in other penauÌ„ces The .iii. thyng is sharpnesse of metes Saynt poul saith that a wydowe that ledeth hir lyf in delices is deed by synne for lyke as saith saynt bernard chastyte peryssheth in delices / in lyke wyse as he perissheth in the water that is so moche vnder in depnesse that he leseth his breeth No maÌ„ may haue his heed in the water that is to say / his herte longe in the delyces of thys world but that he lose hys lyf That is the grace of the holy god by whyche the soule lyueth in god In suche estate also apperteyneth humble habyte not proude ne curyous After the exaÌ„ple of Iudith whyche lefte hir ryche robes hir ryche parementis whaÌ„ hir lord husbond was dede took the habyte of wydowhede symple huÌ„ble whyche was more sygne of wepyng of sorowe than of Ioye ne of vayn glorye by cause she loued the vertu of chastyte that she wold kepe alle hir lyf she clad hir with heyre fasted eueryday except the festes / and yet was she fayr yonge / ryche wyse But the bounte of hir hert and loue of chastyte maad hyr to do it / thus ouÈt he or she to lyue that wyl kepe chastyte in suche estate / and thys is the fourth braunche of thys tree ¶ The fyfthe braunche of the vertue of chastyte and of vyrgynyte Capitulo C.li. THe fyfthe braunche of chastyte and of vyrgynyte is the fyfthe estate whiche is in theÌ„ that kepe and haue alwaye kepte and yet alwaye kepe purpose to kepe all theyr lyf theyr body hole without corrupcyon for the loue of god This estate is moche to be praysed for his dygnyte / for his beaute / and for his bounte For this estate hath he that kepeth hym semblable to auÌ„gellys of heuen as sayen the sayntes But moche more haue the vyrgyns of glorye and of meryte than the aungellys For the aungellys lyuen without flesshe / but the vyrgynes haue vyctorye ouer theyr flesshe that is rethy propre body And that is a grete meruaylle / that they kepe so feble a castel as is the body / ageynst so stronge an aduersarye as is the deuyll / that secheth al thengynes that he may to take the castell for to robbe the tresour of vyrgynyte This is the tresour / of whiche our lorde speketh in the gospell whan he sayth / that the royame of heuen is lyke to tresour that hyd in a felde The tresour hydde in the felde is vyrgynyte hyd in the body whiche is lyke a felde / whiche ought by penaunce to be eered / laboured sowen by labour of good werkes This tresour is semblable to the royalme of heuen For the lyf of vyrgynes is lyke the lyf of heuen / that is the lyf of auÌ„gellys wherof our lorde sayth in the gospel / that in the resurreccyon general shal be no maryages as ben in this worlde / but they shal be as auÌ„gellys in heuen Also I saye that this estate is for to be praysed for his beaulte For it is the moost fayre estate that is in erthe except vyrgynyte clenly kept wherof Salamon sayth in his boke of sapyence in meruayllynge hyÌ„self O sayth he how fayre chaste is generacyon with clerenes charyte / he sayd well / chaste with clerenes For theÌ„ne is fayr chastyte vyrginyte / whaÌ„ it is clere by good lyf honeste lyke as the clere soÌ„ne maketh the fayre day In lyke wyse the clerenes of grace of good lyf maketh the vyrgynyte fayre plesauÌ„t to good wherof Saynt Iherome saith / that moche fayr clere is vyrgynyte
of body / lyke as we haue shewed afore And therfore sayth our lorde Ihesu cryste in the gospell / that blessed ben they that ben clene of herte For they shall see god This blessynge begynneth here / for they ben purged fro derknesses of errour / as to the vnderstondynge / and fro the spottes of synne / as to the wylle / and therfore they see god by fayth enlumyned of clerenes / whiche cometh of the gyfte of vnderstondynge by whiche a man knoweth his creatour / and all that apperteyneth to the helth of his soule / without slydinge / wtout doubtynge / and without wauerynge in the fayth of Ihesu Cryste where they be so Ioyned and fermly fouÌ„ded / that they may not departe theym for deth ne for to suffre ony tormente what someuer it be ¶ And therfore ben blessed they that be clene of hert in this mortall lyf For they haue the eyen of the herte / the vnderstondynge and the wyll soo clere and so clene that they see god and byleue hym by fayth ferme and certayne lyke as we haue sayd tofore ¶ wherof our Lorde sayd to saynt Thomas / by cause thou hast seen me / thou hast byleued me But they ben blessed that haue not seen me bodyly / and haue byleued me certeynly / but this blessynge shal be perfyght in the lyf perdurable / where he that is clene of hert whiche here seeth hym by fayth / that is alwaye derkly There in his glory shall se hym face to face all clerely as sayeth saynt Poule That is the blyssynge to aungelles and to sayntes whiche se hym in his precyous vysage / to knowe one god in thre persones / to beholde clerely in that myroure where all thynges shyneth / aungelles all the sayntes loketh therin / and meruayleth them / and taketh there theyr glory / and neuer may they be ful for to loke therin For there is all beaute / all bounte / all swetnes / fouÌ„tayne of lyfe pardurable / and all that whiche herte may wyll and desyre But yet I shall say a lytell For lyke as sayth the scrypture The eyen mortall may not beholde ne ere here ne herte of man thynke / what that god hath arayed and made redy to his frendes / that loueth / serueth / and kepe his commaundementes / and that kepe theÌ„ from synne Wherof saynt Ancelme sayth Soule sayth he lyft vp thyn entendement there aboue / and thynke as moche as thou mayst what we le / how grete and how moche delectable is that good whiche conteyneth in himselfe the Ioye and the delyte of all godes And not suche Ioy and suche delyte as is founden in creatures / but as moche more Ioye / as the creatoure and maker is more grete and more worthy / more excellent / than his creatures O sayth he thou faytour thou man that goest soo folyly for to seche dyuers goodes / to thy soule and to thy body Loue thou and seche one good / wherin ben all godes / and he shall suffysethe For the good that god hath graunted and gyuen to his frendes / that is hym selfe the whiche is the souerayne good of whom cometh and sourdeth all other goodes / as stremes / the whiche yssueth out of the quycke fountayne ¶ Certaynly right blyssed shal he be sayth saynt Austyn / the whiche without vylonye shall se the vysage dyscouered and the glory of god / and shal be transformed in to thymage of glory where as he shal see god as he is / the whyche syght is glorye crowne without ende / and all the rewarde and meryte of sayntes This shall be al the good of man This sayth mayster hughe of saynt vyctor The man that made all and formed For therfore wolde god by come man / whiche made in himself al men blessyd in body and in soule / by cause that the man sawe hym with the eyen with his body in humanite And that the soule sawe hym in his deyte so that he founde swetnes and delyte in his creatour maker / within and without within his deyte and with oute in his humanyte This shall be the Ioye of euery creature his Ioye his delyte lyfe perdurable of his blessyd vysyon That is the blessynge / that they attende whiche kepe clennes and chastyte of herte and of body ¶ Of the yefte of sapyence Ca. Cliiii THe last yeft the souerayne and the moost hye is the yeft of sapience or of wysedom whiche is a grace that the holy ghoost gyueth to the herte contemplatyf / by whiche he is esprysed of the loue of god that he desyereth ne secheth none other thynge but to see god / to haue hym / to delyte in hym / to loue hym / to honoure and serue hym / and dwelle with hym This is the somme of perfeccyon / and the ende of contemplacyon ¶ The gyfte of vnderstondynge of whiche we haue spoken tofore maketh god to be knowen and the thynges spyrytuell as by syght symple byholdynges But the gyfte of sapyence maketh to fele knowe god by taste / then sapyence is none other thynge but a sauery knowleche / whiche is with sauoure grete delyte of herte / for otherwyse knoweth not he the wyne that drynketh it in a fayre voyre or glasse / yf he drynke and taste it not sauour it Many phylosophres knewen god by scrypture and by the creatures / lyke as by a myrrour wherin they behelde by reason and by vnderstondynge his myght / his beaute / his wytte and his bouÌ„te / in that whiche they see the creatures that he hath made so grete so fayre and so well ordeyned Then they knewe hym / by symple byholdynge of vnderstondynge and natural reason But they neuer felte hym by taste of ryÈt loue ne by deuocyon Ryght soo ben there many crysten persones / clerkes and laye / whiche well knowe hym by fayth and by scrypture / but by cause they haue theyr taste dysordynate by synne / they may not fele hym nomore than the seke persone may fynde taste or souour in good mete ¶ The gyfte of sapyence whiche the holy ghoost putteth in a perfyght herte / purgeth and clenseth it fro all ordure of synne / lyfteth vp soo the spyryte of a man that he Ioyneth hym to god by ardaunt desyre of loue / soo that he is al with god / there he fyndeth hym / there he nouryssheth hym / there he fatteth hym / there he delyteth and resteth hyÌ„ / and there he slepeth There he forgeteth all his trauaylles / all his flesshely desyres and erthely / hym self / so that he remembreth no thynge but god whome he loueth aboue all thynges This is the laste degree of the laddre of perfeccyon that Iacob sawe in his slepe whiche touched heuen / by whiche auÌ„gellys mouÌ„ted descended / the degrees of this laddre ben the .vii. gyftes of the holy ghoost / of whiche we haue spoken tofore / by these .vii. degrees
moūten the aūgellys / these ben they that lede the lyf of aūgellys in erthe by purete clen̄esse of conscyence / whiche haue the herte in heuen by veray desyre holy cōuersacion Whan they prouffyte fro vertue to vertue / tyl they se god clerely and loue hym parfytely But whan they be mounted to the laste degree / somtyme / behoueth it to them to descēde by humylyte For of as moche as a good man is more parfyte / of soo moche he is more humble / lasse preyseth hym selfe Thenne is a good man and a perfyte / ought for to be lyke a tree the whiche is charged laden with fruyte For the more that the tree is charged and laden with fruyte / the more he enclyneth boweth to the erthe In a nother maner may be vnderstonden that the aungelys descenden for the good men that lede the lyfe of aungelys in erthe by theyr holy lyfe whā they be moūted in to the souerayne degre of contemplacion where the yeft of sapyence lede them so that they be ioyned to god that they forget al that whiche is vnder god for the grete swetensse that the herte feleth Whiche is so rauysshed in god whiche passeth all other delytes Soo that it byhoueth them ofte to descende froo this swetenes such rest and fro suche delyte that they fele of the cōforte of god whiche haue yeue them to souke in suche swete contemplacion / where they that ben perfyte ought to entende ¶ Another reason there is wherof it byhoueth too descende froo the hye degre of contemplacion where the spyryte of sapience hath ledde hȳ For the corrupsyon of the flesshe of the body of the creature humayne is so grete that the spyryte may not in this mortall lyfe longe abyde in so hye estate of contemplacion ne fele that grete swetenesse / whiche passeth all the grete delytes the whiche may be felte in this worlde / lyke as they knowe whiche haue proued it / wherof the countrepoys of the flesshe is so heuy / that it draweth doune the spyryte wyll it or nyll it And therfore this grete swetenesse that the herte contemplatyf feleth by the gyft of sapyence in this mortall lyfe / ne is but as a lytell taste by which one may assauour and fele how god is swete and sauoury But whan he shall come to that grete tauerne / where the tonne is / and shall be sette a broche / that is in the lyfe pardurable / there where god of peas / of loue / of Ioy of solace / and of all swetnes shall be abandoned to euery persone in suche wyse / that all shall be fylled / lyke as Dauyd sayth in his psaulter For all the desyres of the herte shall be accomplysshed whan god shall make dyscende vpō his frendes a flode of peas / lyke as sayth the prophete / wherof they shall so moche drynke / that they shall be all dronke Of this dronkenesse speketh Dauyd in his psaulter and sayth thus Of the glory of paradyse shall all be dronken sayth the prophete to god / of the grete plante that is in your hous And ye shall gyue them drynke of your swetenes and of your delyces For with you is the fountayne of the lyfe pardurable / the whiche fayleth not That is god hym selfe whiche is the fountayne of lyfe that may not deye / wherof sourdeth descendeth vpon all the sayntes that ben and shall be in heuen a flode of Ioy / of delyte and of peas / so grete / that all they that drynketh therof ben all dronken That is the peas and the blyssȳge that shall be in the worlde that is to come For whiche Ioye to wynne and to haue / one ought to lyue sobrely in this worlde as sayth saynt Austyn For none ne drynketh in this ryuer / ne is not dronke of the plante of Ioy but yf he kepe sobrenes This is the vertue that the gyft of sapyēce planteth in the herte / ageynst the outrage of glotony For sapyence ensygneth sobrenesse as Salamō sayth / whiche sayth in this wyse Sobrenes is a tree moche precyous and good / for it kepeth the helthe of the soule and of the body as scrypture sayth / and of the oultrage of glotonnye / of etynge / of drynkynge comen many maladyes and of tyme the deth For of ouermoche etynge and drynkynge deyen many folke and ofte the deth taketh theym sodeynlye / lyke as one taketh the fysshe with an hoke / that is too saye the morsel in the mouthe This vertue of sobrenes ought one to kepe aboue al thynges For the goodes that it dooth to hym that well kepeth it Fyrst sobrenes kepeth to reason and to vnderstondynge his fredome and fraunchyse / so that it putteth taketh awaye dronkenesse For he that is dronken is so surprysed of wyne / that he leseth reason and vnderstondynge is lyke as he were drowned in ale or wyne And whan he weneth to drynke the wyne / the wyne drynketh hym The seconde good that sobrenes dooth / is that it delyuerth a man fro ouer foull seruytude / that is fro the seruytude of the bely For the glotons they that ben oultragous of wyne and metes maken of theyr bely theyr god as sayth Saynt Poule Certaynly he putteth hymself in grete fylthe / and in foule seruytude / that serueth so foule a lorde as is his bely / out of whiche may no thynge yssue but fylthe and stynkynge ordure But sobrenes kepeth a man in his seygnorye For the spyryte ought to haue seynorye vpon the body And the body ought to serue the soule / lyke as the chambryere that serueth her maystresse / and sobrete kepeth this ordre The thyrde good that sobrenes dooth / is that he kepe well the yate of the castell ageynst the oost of the deuyll / that is the mouthe whiche is maystre yate of the castel of the herte / whiche the deuyl asseylleth maketh warre to vs as moche as he may But sobrenes deffendeth the yate thentre / that is the mouthe And whā the yate of the mouth is open / thoost of sȳnes entren lyghtly And for nought fyghteth he ayenst other synnes that reteyneth not his tongue / who hathe this vertue of sobrenes he hath the lordshyp of his body / lyke as man maystryeth the hors by the brydle Sobrenes hath the fyrst bataylle in thoost of the vertues and kepeth deffendeth the other vertues / wherewith the deuyl tempted fyrst Adam our fyrst fader and Eue our fyrst moder that was towarde the mouthe that they sholde ete of the fruyt whiche god had deffended / the deuyll ouercame them whan they consentyd to the temptacyon For to kepe sobrenes nature enseygneth vs and the holy scrypture Nature techeth vs. Foremonge beestes a man hath the leste mouth after his dody Also a man hath his membres double / as two eyen / two ere 's / but he hath but one mouthe / and therfore