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
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
borne of Marye That is to say that he was conceyued in the vyrgyn Mary And by the vertue of the holy goost and nothynge of man / and that the vyrgyn Marye abode alway vyrgyn tofore and after This artycle set in saynt Iames the more saynge Out conceptus est de spiritu sancto natus ex maria virgine ¶ The fourthe artycle pertayneth to the passyon of Ihesu cryst / that is to saye that he suffred vnder Pylate his passyon The whiche Pylate was prouoste and Iuge for the tyme in Iherusalem for the Romaynes And of hym was Ihesu cryst Iuged wrongfully at the request of the ryght felon Iewes and crucyfyed and deed and layde in the sepulcre dyscended in to hell This artycle made saynt Iohan theuāgelyst saynge Passus sub poncio pylato crucifixus mortuus et sepultus / descendit ad inferna ¶ The fyfth artycle is of the resurreccyon of Ihesu cryst That is to saye The thyrde daye he arose fro dethe This artycle made saynt Thomas saynge Tercia die resurrexit a mortuis ¶ The .vi. artycle is of the ascencyon of Ihesu cryst / That is to say He ascended vnto heuen and sytteth vpon the ryght syde of god the fader almyghty This artycle made saynt Iames the lasse sayng Ascendit ad celos sedet ad dextram dei patris omnipotentis ✿ ¶ The seuenth artycle is of the comynge of our sauyoure Ihesu cryst vnto the dome or Iugement That is to say From thens he is come for to Iuge the lyuynge and the deed This artycle made saynt Phelyp sayenge Inde venturus est iudicare viuos mortuos The .viii. artycle is to byleue in the persone of the holy goost This artycle made saynt bartylmewe sayenge Credo in spiritum sanctū ¶ The .ix. article is to byleue in the holy chirche of rome and in thordynaunces of holy chirche This artycle made saynt mathewe sayenge Sanctam ecclesiam catholicam ¶ The .x. is to byleue in the holy sacrament and by the same holy sacrament is made remyssyon of sȳnes to all them that receyue hym worthely Thys artycle made Saynt Symon sayenge Sanctorum cōmuniouem remissionem peccatorum The .xi artycle is of the generall resurreccyon in propre bodyes This artycle made saynt Iude broder of saynt Symon saynge Carnis resurreccionē The .xii. the last artycle is to byleue heuen to be lyfe pardurable This artycle composed and made saynt mathye saynge vitam eternam Amen ¶ Thus endeth the twelue artycles of the fayth ¶ Of the beest that saynt Iohan the euangelist sawe in thappocalyps capitulo xii THe holy appostle saynt Iohan the euangelist in the book of his reuelacions the whiche is callyd apocalips sayth that he sawe a beest whiche yssued oute of the see merueyllously desgysed and moche dredefull For the body of the beest was of a leoparde / the feet of a beex the throte of lyon / and he had .vii. heedes / and .x. hornes aboue and aboue the .x. hornes .x. crownes / and saynt Iohan sawe that this cruell beest hath power and myght too fyght ayenst saȳtes and to ouercome them / to conquere them this beest so cruell / so coūterfayted / so dyuers so dredefull / sygnyfyeth the deuyl that is full of sorow of bytternes The body of this beest was as sayeth saynt Iohan lyke to a liopard For in lyke wyse as the lyoparde hath dyuers coloures / In lyke wyse hath the deuyll dyuers maners of engyns for to deceyue and to drawe the people to synne The fete of the beest were of a beere For in lyke wyse as the bere hath the myght and strength in his fete and in his armes and holdeth ryght strongly / and byclyppeth faste that whiche he hath vnder his fete and embraceth with his armes In semblable wyse dooth the deuyll them that he embraceth and hath beten doune by synne The throte of the lyon was in hym for his grete cruelte The .vii. heedes of the sayd beest / ben the seuen chyef and pryncypall synnes / by the whiche synnes the deuyll draweth vnto hym as it were all the vnyuersall worlde For oftymes it happeneth that many persones fall in some throte of these seuen heedes That is for to vnderstande of the seuen deedly synnes And therfore sayth saynt Iohan the euangelyst that the sayd beest had power ayenst the sayntes / for in the erthe is none so holy a man that parfytelye may eschewe all the maners of synnes / that of these .vii. heedes / and of the .vii. deedly synnes descende / withoute specyall pryuylege and grace of god / lyke as it was in the virgyn mary / whiche neuer dyd synne / or in another saynt after the specyall grace that he had of god / lyke as the gloryous vyrgyn marye had specyall synguler grace of god aboue all other creatures The .x. hornes of the beest sygnefye the brekynge of the .x. commaundementes of the lawe of our lorde / whiche the deuyll pourchaceth as moche as he may that the creature breke theym / in lyke wyse as he purchaceth that the creature falle in the .vii. deedly synnes toforesayd / or in sōme of the braunches of theym The .x. crownes of the sayd beest sygnefyen the vyctoryes that the deuyll hath vpon the synners / by cause that he hath made theym for too breke the ten commaundements of the lawe of our lorde Herafter foloweth the deuysyon of the .vii. deedly synnes ca. xlii THe fyrst heed of the beest is pryde The seconde enuy The .iii. yre The .iiii. slouthe The .v. auaryce The .vi. glotonye The .vii. lecherye Oute of the .vii. synnes deedly descendeth all maner of synnes and therfore be they called chefe of vyces / for they ben chefe of all vyces and of all synnes be they deedly or venyall Eueryche of these seuē deedly synnes is departed in many partyes / and fyrste we shall speke of the synne of pryde This was the fyrste synne the begynnynge of all euyll whan the angell Lucyfer for his grete beaute and his grete vnderstondȳge he wolde haue ben aboue all other aungelles and wolde compare to god that so good and fayre had made hym / bycause he toke suche pryde in hym he fell from heuen in to helle and became a deuyll / and all his company with hȳ All proude men resemble this Lucyfer / whiche wyll be aboue the other / and be more praysed / more alowed / more enhaunced than the other / whiche ben better and of more value than they be This synne of pryde is ouer peryllous / for it blyndeth man and woman / so that they knowe not ne se not the peryll wherin they be by synne This is the ryght stronge wyne of the deuyll / the most especyall of the whiche he enyureth or maketh dronke the grete lordes and ladyes / the bourgeyses / the ryche / the noble and valyaunt persones / and generally all maner of people But in especyal the grete lordes and
wyselye / yf thou saye how shall it bee lerned I shall now telle to the. Thou oughtest to knowe that this lyf nys but deth For deth is a departynge / this knoweth euery man And therfore it is sayd of a man whan he deyeth that he departeth / whan he is deed he is departed This lyfnys no thynge but a departynge / ye truely a moche shorte departynge For all the lyf of a man yf he lyued a thousande yere / it is not onely a moment to the regarde of that other lyfe / whiche alway dureth In tourment or in Ioy pardurable This witnesseth to vs the kynges / the dukes / the erles / the prynces / and the emperoures whiche had somtyme the glorye of this worlde Now wepe they in hell / crye and howle / cratche and sayth alas / what auayleth vs our power / honour / noblesse / Ioye / beautees and all rychesses Soone is all this departed and fayled as a shadowe or smoke and moche faster fledde from vs than byrdes fleynge / or quarelles oute of a crosse bowe Thus departeth away our lyfe Now we were / and anone we ben deed / and all our lyfe was not a lytel moment Now be we in pardurable tormentes Our Ioye in wepynge Our carolles and feestes in sorowe Roobes / hoodes / feestes / dygnytees / games / rychesses / and all welthes ben fayled vs. Suche ben the songes of hell lyke as holy wryte recounteth For to shewe to vs that this lyfe is nothynge but a departynge / and this dethe is nothynge but a departynge / and to lyue is nothynge but to departe Thenne the lyuynge in this worlde is noo thynge but for to deye / and this is true as the pater noster For whan thou beganest for to lyue / anone thou begannest / for to deye / and for too approche vnto the dethe / and all thy yonge aege and thyn olde aege and all thy tyme the whiche is passed / the deth hath conquered and retayned Thou sayst that thou hast .xl. yere whiche is not trouthe the dethe hath theym And neuer shall he yelde them to the agayne Therfore the wytte of the worlde is but all folye And certayne the clerkys seynge / seen noo thynge at all / daye and nyght they done one thynge / the more they do the lasse they knowe / alwaye they deyen and can not deye / for nyght and daye thou deyest as I haue sayd to the. Yet in another maner I shall teche the this clergye / to th ende that thou knowe well to lyue and well to dye Now take hede vnderstonde the deth is no thynge but the deceuerynge of body soule / this knoweth well euery man vnderstondeth Now techeth vs Cathon the wyse man / lerne sayth he to deye To departe and deceuere oft thy soule and thy spyryte fro they body / lyke as dyd many of the grete phylosophres that soo moche hated this lyf despysed the worlde soo moche desyred to deye that they slewe them lelf by theyr owne agrement but it auaylled thym no thynge For they had not the grace ne the faythe of our lorde Ihesu Cryst But the holy men whiche loue god drede hym / of thre dethes haue they passed the tweyne For they ben deed as touchynge synnes / and deed as touchynge that worlde Now abyde they the last deth that is the thyrde / that is the deceuerauÌ„ce of soule and body Bytwene them heuen is but a lytel walle / for they passe it by thought and by desyre And thoughe the body is in this worlde on this syde / the herte and the spyryte is on that other syde in that other worlde / there where theyr conuersacion is in heuen / lyke as sayth saynt poule Theyr solace theyr Ioye / theyr consolacion is by thought on the ferther syde in heuen / where theyr conuersacion is lyke as sayth saynt Poule And therfore they hate theyr lyf whiche is but deth desyre the bodely deth For this damoysell bereth Ioye that is the deth that crowneth al the sayntes set them in Ioye infynyte Deth is to a good man ende of all his euyls / gate and entre of all goodes Dethe is the ryuer that departeth dethe and lyfe Dethe is on this syde lyfe / and on the other syde also But the wyse men of this worlde whiche ben on this syde of the ryuer of this worlde seen so clere And on that other syde they se nothynge And therfore ben they called in scrypture fooles and blynde For this dethe they call departynge And the dethe that is comune to good they call the ende And therfore they hate soo moche the dethe For they knowe not what it is / ne on that other syde of the ryuer they haue not conuersed / ne knowe nothynge what gooth therout Thenne yf thou wyll knowe what is good and what is euyll / yssue out of thy selfe / yssue out of the worlde / lerne to dye Dysseuer thy soule fro thy body by thought Sende thyn herte in to the other worlde That is in heuen / in hell / and in purgatory There shalte thou se what is good and what is euyll In hell thou shalte se mo sorowes and dyuers tourmentes than ony man may or can deuyse / or ony herte thynke / In purgatory also thou shalte se moo tourmentes than ony may endure In heuen thou shalt se more Ioye and glory than ony may desyre In hell shall be shewed and ensygned to the how god vengeth deedly synne Purgatory shall shewe and ensygne the how god purgeth deedly syÌ„ne In heuen thou shalt se clerely vertues good werkes how hyely they ben gouerned and rewarded And in the se thre thynges vnderstande how all that / that the behoueth to knowe to lyue well and deye well ¶ How men lyue dyenge in this worlde Ca. lxi Remembre frendes grete and small For to be redy whan dethe dothe call NOw beholde and take hede a lytell / and ennoye ne greue the not at these thre thynges Therfore to knowe and wyll to hate synne Forgete thy body one tyme in the daye go to hell lyuynge / to th ende that thou go not thyder at thy dethe Thus doone ofte the good men the wyse There thou shalte se all that the herte hateth / colde / hete / honger / thyrst / and dyuers tourmentes / as wepynges syghes / and waylynges / that the herte may not thynke ne â—onge deuyse / alway shall endure without ende / therfore is this payne by right called perdurable / which is alwaye dethe in lyuynge / and lyfe in dyenge / whan thou shalte se thenne that this one deedly synne muste nedes be so dere bought / thou haddest leuer be flayne al quycke tofore thou sholdest consente for to doo one onely synne After go to purgatorye / there shalt thou see the paynes of soules / whiche haue had very repentauÌ„ce of theyr synnes in this
worlde but they were not parfytely purged Now make they the remenaūte of theyr penaunce vnto they be clere and nette / lyke as they were at the tyme houre whan they were baptised / but this penaunce is moche horryble and harde / for all the payne that women euer suffred in trauayllynge delyuerynge of theyr thyldren / and also saynt bartylmewe suffryd to beflayne all quycke saynt stephen to be stoned with stones / saynt laurente saynt vyncent to be brente rosted vpon brennynge cooles All these martyrdoms and tormentes ne ben not but as a bayne in colde water after the wytnesse of scrypture to the regarde of tormentes of purgatorye where as the sowles brenne vntyll they be purged of all theyr synnes / lyke as golde syluer be purged fyned in the fyre / tyll no more be founde to be purged For this fyre of purgatorye is of suche nature / that all that they fynde in the soule is it of dede of worde and of thought that hath torned to ony synne lytell or grete / all is there brente and purged And also there ben punysshed and purged al the synnes venyal / whiche we calle lytel synnes whiche we ofte do Lyke as foule thoughtes / ydle wordes Iapes trufes lyes and all other vanytees so longe tyll the soule haue no more to be purged of / and that she be so clene so pure so nette and so worthy that she be sayntefyed for to entre in to heuen / where as none may entre but yf he be ryght fyne ryght clene ryght cleer This fyre dreden all they that to theyr power kepe theym fro deedly sȳne / and the kepe holyly theyr body theyrmouth theyr eerys theyr eyen / and all theyr fyue naturell wyttes fro all synnes And also lyuenas they sholde euery daye dye and come tofore the Iugement And by cause that none may lyue all withoute synne / lyke as sayth Salamon For seuen tymes in the daye falleth the ryght wysman And therfore by holy confessyon / by teerys by orysons by almesses other good dedes ought euery man to be relyeued / and putte a way fro synne and a mende his lyfe And to Iuge hym selfe of his sȳnes to the ende that he a byde more suerly the last Iugemente ¶ Also to lerne to knowe euyll / and to fle it and all synne grete and lytell And that he be thenne in the grete drede of god whiche is the begynnynge of all good and of good lyfe ¶ How we ought to lyue holyly lerne to do wel ca lxii NOw it suffyseth not to leue al sinnes and all euylles But that it be lerned too do good / and yf we lerne to gete the vertues / by the whiche we may cast and put a waye the vyces and all sȳnes with out whiche vertues no man may lyue well ne ryghtfully Then yf thou wylte lerne to lyue well after vertu lerne also to dye as I haue a fore sayd to the / deseuer thy spyryte fro thy body by thought and by desyere And go out of this worlde deynge / and go into the londe of lyuȳge where none shal dye ne wexe olde that is in heuen There is lerned to lyue well / and al wysedome and all curtesye For there may entre no vylayne There is the gloryous companye of god and of the gloryous virgyne his moder saynt marye of Angelles and of sayntes There surhabounde all goodes beautees Rychesses honoures strengthe lyghtnes scyence fraunchyse vertues wytte glorye and ioye perdurable There is no poynte of ypocresye ne of trycherye / ne of losengerye / ne of dyscorde / ne of enuye ne hungre ne thryst ne hete ne colde ne euyll ne sorowe ne drede of enemyes But alwaye feestes and ryall espousaylles songe and ioye withoute ende This ioye is so grete / that who that shall haue tasted one onely drop of the moost leste ioye that is there / he sholde be fyred soo entalented in the loue of god that all the ioye of this worlde sholde be vnto hym stenche and tormentes and rychesses dunge / honoures but fylthe vyletees And the desyre for too come thyder shall make hym an hondred thousand tyme more ardauntly to hate synne / and to loue vertues and to do well For loue is more stronge than drede / and then is the lyf fayre and honeste / whan a persone fleeth all euyls synnes And enforceth hym to do al the good that he may / not onely for fere to be dampned but for the desyre of the glorye perdurable and for the loue of god And for the grete clennesse that vertues haue and good lyf / and theym whome the loue of god ledeth / moche hastelyer soner and more ardauntly comen therto / and lasse costeth / than they that serue god for drede The hare renneth and soo doth the greyhounde That one for drede that other by desyre That one fleeth the other chaceth The holy man renneth to god lyke a greyhounde For he hath alwaye his eyen and his desyre too heuen where he seeth the pray that he chaceth / for that he forgeteth the goddes of this worlde / lyke as the gentyll hounde whā he seeth his pray This is the way and the lyfe to the fyue good and true louers of god / to gentyll hertes that so moche loueth vertues and hateth sȳnes / that yf they were certayne / that they ne sholde ne myght knowe the sȳnes / ne that god sholde not auenge them / yet they wolde not deygne to do ne to consent to synne / but al theyr thought and payne of theyr herte is to kepe theym clene from all synnes And to apparayle them that be worthy to se and haue pardurably the glory of heuen / where as herte velanous entached with synne shall neuer entre / ne foole ne felonous ne proude man ¶ Of .iii. maner of spyrytuell goodes Ca. lxiii NOw haue I well shewed to that how one shol lerne to dye lede and vse good and holy lyfe / for to gete vertues so that a man knowe well euedently clennes / and what is synnes / what is almesse what is vertue Also that one knowe well and certaynely / and to Iuge what is euyl / and what is good / what is synne / and to can deuyse the veray good the grete good fro the lytell For a thynge not knowen is neyther hated ne desyred / therfore oughtest thou to knowe that the scryptures sayth that there ben some small thynges that be called the lytell good / and some the myddle good And some the grete good / and some veray good that is ryghtful to al the worlde is somtyme deceyued For they gyue the grete godes for the lytel / or the grete for the myddle For this worlde is as a fayre / where as be many folysshe marchaūtes / and fooles / that bye glasse for saphyres / and brasse for golde / bladders for lanternes
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
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
thynge that loue hath moost trauayle for / by moost payne is goten / ought to be moost loued / moost dere worthely kept / and this sapyence is moche necessary and prouffytable to all them that wyll go with god / For thus as sayth holy scrypture / by many trybulacyoÌ„s behoueth vs to entre in to the realme of heuen And this manyfesteth and sheweth to vs the lyues of sayntes / the whiche for to come to god haue so moche suffred and endured After it is to wete / that to thaccomplysshement of the sayd commaundement .iiii. thynges admonesteth the creature ¶ The fyrst is to haue in mynde contynually the goodes that the creature hathe receyued of god as sayd is tofore For whan the creature consydereth that he hath receyued of god body soule / all other godes that he hath / spyrytuall and temporall / the perylles also whiche he hath escaped The glory of heuen whiche he hath apparayled to vs. The creature humayne shall Iuge that he oweth to loue god with all his herte The .ii. reason is to haue in consyderacion the grete puyssaunce / excellence / nobles of god And with that the grete mysery pouerte of our self / by the whiche consyderacyon the creature shall Iuge / the whan he shall loue god with all his herte / he shall serue hym with all his myght / whiche yet he doth full lytel vnto the regarde of his grete excellence noblenesse and puyssaunce ¶ And therfore the creature humayne sholde alway the more for to enforce hym to loue / to serue / for to honour god ¶ The thyrde reason is to take away the loue and affeccyon of worldly thynges as sayd is to fore For where all the herte suffyseth not for to loue almyghty god suffycyently / consydered his grete excellence noblenes and puyssaunte magnyfycence as is tofore sayd / thenne he that putteth in his herte the loue of thyÌ„ges temporell / the whiche ben but stynkynge fylthe and ordure to the regarde of god / semeth well that he dooth to god grete velony / and in this case he loueth not god with all his herte after the sayd commauÌ„dement / for of so moch as the herte of the creature is set to loue other thynge than god of so moche it is lesse in god The fourth reason is to kepe hym selfe and to put from hym all synnes and in especyall deedly synne / for no creature beynge in deedly synne may loue god For by deedly synne the creature offendeth god and is pryued and out of grace / whiche thynge is contrary to his loue ¶ Of the fyrst commaundement of the law Ca. iii. WE ought thenne accordynge to the sayd fyrst commaundement to loue with all our herte The whiche thynge the creature dothe / whaÌ„ in all his werkes his entencyon is ryghtfull and after goddes wyll For the entencyon of the creature is suche vertu that he rendre his werkes operacyon after god good or euyll / and therfore what so euer werke that the creature do yf his entencion be euyl the operacyon and al the werke is without meryte / and conuerted fro it / in to do euyll / herof it is sayd in the gospell by our sauyour Ihesu cryst / yf thyn eye be euyll all thy body is derke That is to saye yf thyn entencyon be euyll / all thy werkes ben derke and in synne and wtout meryte And therfore it behoueth to rendre the werke of the creature good and merytorye and that his entencyon be ryghtfull accordynge to goddes wyll But bycause that for to rendre the werke of the creature good and merytoryous accordynge vnto god / suffyseth not onely good entencyon But it behoueth also to haue the ryghtfull entencion and good wylle lyke as it may appyere in hym / that wyll stele and take other mennys goodes for to nourysshe and fede the poure peple / For thentencyon of the wylle to gyue for goddes sake to the pore peple is good But the wylle to stele or take awaye other mennes goodes is euyll for to so do And therfore that dede shal be euyll / and may not be excused For by cause that an euyll werke for ony good entencyon may not be excused It is sayd after in the commaundement / that the creature ought to loue god with all his soule That is to saye that his wyll accorde in all his werkes to the wyll of god / this demaunde we of god whan we say our pater noster whan we praye god that his wyll be done in vs. ¶ Also by cause that yet for to accomplisshe the sayd commaundement / suffyse not onelye good entencyon and good wyl it is after sayd in the same commaundement / that the creature ought to loue his god with all his entendemeÌ„t and vnderstondynge That is to saye that in thentendement of the creature be no deedly synnes delybered by consentynge ne concluded For alle consentynges concluded in thynge that sholde be as touchynge the dede of deedly synne / though soo be that the dede be not done outward as touchynge the werke that ony thynge ensie we therof / yet it is deedly synne And the creature beynge in deedly syÌ„ne may not loue god as aboue is sayd Also by cause that yet for taccomplysshe the sayd commaundement suffyse not onelye good entencyon good wyll as touchynge the werkes withoutforth / that in thentendement of the creature groweth deedly synne by consentynge / but it behoueth that the creature put and employe all the strengthe and puyssaunce that he hath in good werkes and dedes Iuste and vertuous / that they be to thonoure and worshyp of almyghty god and to the saluacion of hym self and his neyghboure It is sayd afin the foresayd commaundement that the creature ouÈt for to loue his god with all his myght and with all his strengthe And therfore all they that put and employe all theyr myght and strengthe in the werkys of synne / done ageynst the sayd commaundemenet synne deedly Thus it appyereth clerely that for taccomplysshe the sayd fyrst commaundement pryncypall The creature ought to gyue vnto god entencyon / wyll / entendement and all his strength and good wyll by the maner that is aforesayd ¶ The seconde commaundement of the lawe is how eche man ought to loue his neghboure Ca. .iiii. FOr to haue knowleche of the seconde commaundement pryncypall aforsayd touchynge the loue of his neyghboure whome the creature ought to loue as hym self It is to wete that to the loue of our neyghbour four thynges ought to moue vs. Fyrst for by cause that we all ben chyldren of god by creacyon And naturally brethern and systers loue that one that other And thus we ben all members of Ihesu Cryst / whiche is our heed and one membre loueth another naturally Secondly to this ought to brynge vs the loue obeyssaunce that we owe to god as aforesayd is / whiche commaundeth vs to loue our neyghboure Thyrdly to
this loue ought to brynge vs the commynycacyon whiche is emonge creatures humayne For our lorde Ihesu cryste made vs all created / for vs all he hath suffryd paynfull deth And to vs all he hathe apparaylled the glorye and the beatytude of heuen / yf we lose it not by synne And naturally euery creature of one lykenes / of one fourme / and of one semblaunce loueth and ought to loue the other / lyke as we se in bestes and byrdes that eche loue other And hym that is to hym lyke his parayll And therfore euery creature that loueth not his neyghboure myspryseth not onely ayenst the lawe dyuyne / but also ayenst the lawe of nature The fourth thȳge that to this loue ought to brynge is the prouffyte that cometh therof For whan a creature loueth well another he desyreth his prouffyte his honour / his sauement / and purchaseth it gladly By these foure thynges aforesayd appereth clerely that we ought to loue our neyghboure as oure selfe / and this loue is in fyue thynges Fyrst whan one loueth his neyghboure truely / that is to say for the we le of hym / and that is in hym / and nothynge for his owne propre To the knowelege of whiche thynge is to wete amonge reasonable creatures / thre maners of loue ben founden ¶ Here is contayned how one ought to loue his neyghboure Ca. v. THe fyrste is whan a creature loueth an other creature for the prouffyte and vtilyte that he doothe vnto hym And this loue is not veray and parfyte For whan that the prouffyte fayleth / the loue fayleth also The seconde is whan a creature loueth an other creature for her beaute / and the pleasure and delyte that he taketh therin This loue is not veraye For she fayleth whan the pleasure or delyte dothe fade away and fayle The thyrde is whanne for the loue of our lorde all myghty and for the well of hym the creature loueth a nother creature And this loue is grete veray / accordynge to god Secōdly whan one loueth his neyghbour ordynatly that is to wete lasse than god Thus as the creature oweth to loue hym selfe lasse than god And this techeth vs our sauyoure Ihesu Cryste whan he sayth He that loueth fader or moder or his brother or sister or his chyldern or or ony other thynge more than me He is not worthy to haue me / how shall it be knowen Saynte Gregory enseygneth it to vs / that the werkes of without forth doon for a creature shewe the loue that one hath vnto hym withinforth For naturally one doth gladly whiche he weneth that it ought for to please or her that he loueth ¶ And also by this it apperyth clerly / that whan ony manere of creature leueth to do vnto the werkes The whiche accordynge to god he is holden and bounden For to doo other werkys contrary vnto the pleasure of the creature / thenne he loueth that creature more than he doth God And also in this doynge he myspreyseth a gaynst the two commaundementes aforesayd and also synneth dedly ¶ Thyrdly the loue a fore sayd is whā the creature loueth his neyghbour by dedys Also that is for to say not by wordes only / but also in fate and dede to procure in hym his profyte and to empresse let his domage with his power as he dothe to hym selfe ¶ Fourthly whan a creature loueth his neyghbour in tymes That is also for to be vnderstonde also well in the of his aduersyte and also in pouerte / as in the tyme of his rychesse / and also of his prosperyte For in especyall in the tyme of his aduersyte / and also of his pouerte the veray frende is proued ✿ ¶ And fyfthly whan the creature loueth his neyghbour holyly That is to say that the creature ought not to loue another for to drawe hym vnto synne / or for to be his felowe in euyll werkes As ben they that accompanye theym to robbe stele other mennes goodes / or do other euyll and wycked dedes For after reason thou sholdest not Iuge that thou oughtest doo suche thynges After the fyue thynges that euery creature ought to rendre vnto his neyghboure after the sayd seconde commaundement / is to wete that two thynges sheweth pryncypally the loue whan it is in the creatures ¶ The fyrst is for to haue pacyence and compassyon in myscheyf and in the aduersyte or pouerte of other For one excuseth and pardoneth gladly and lyghtly the defawte or offence of the persone that he loueth / and these be sygnes of grete loue The .ii. is humylyte whiche causeth pacyence For comynly whan a persone is proude he knoweth not his defautes But despyseth the other by presumpcyon / and may not supporte that defawtes that he Iugeth in theym But he is Impacyent And without forth he sheweth and manyfesteth ofte angre and dyspleasaunce But by cause that the sayd commaundement for to loue his neyghboure as hym selfe was by the Iewes and pharysees euyll vnderstonden / and may be and is yet by many other For they holde that they ought loue theym that loueth them / to hate them that hate theym / and for theyr neyghboure they vnderstode onelye theyr frendys ¶ It is to vnderstonde that whan loue or hate is in a creature .ii. thynges ben to be consydered / that is to wete the nature that he hath and the sȳne or defaute of hym / euery creature of god after his nature / ought for to be byloued / but his synne and defawte ought for to be dyspysed and hated ¶ And after this foresayd exposycyon ought for to be vnderstonden the commaundement that Ihesu cryst made to his appostles for to loue theyr enemyes For the nature humayne we ought to loue / and to do well to them that hate vs / and pray for them that do to vs euyll / and that persecute vs. But we owe alway to hate theyr sȳnes theyr defautes Neuerthelesse we may well / and it is lefull to vs to desyre the dystruccyon of a creature obstynate in euyl and in synnes / and that destroyeth holy chyrche / domageth and hurteth other For the desyre of this is to desyre the good of other / and nothynge the euyll / to the ende that he cease to do euyll / and perseuer in euyll And not onely for his dystruccyon Suche people whan they haue desyred after thentendement aforesayd ben called after thappostle the mynysters of god ¶ Here after foloweth the .x. commaundementes of the lawe pertyculer Ca. vi NOw it is to wete that these two pryncipall commaundementes aforesayd were gyuen to Moyses / whan god delyuered vnto him the lawe in .x. commaundementes partyculer The whiche commaundementes euery creature reasonable is bounden for to kepe / for to haue the lyfe and glory pardurable ¶ The thre fyrst haue regarde to the dyleccyon and loue of god accordynge vnto the pryncypall commaundement tofore sayd And the seuen other partyculer
But he is a good marchaunte that of euery thynge knoweth well clerely the trouthe and the propre vertue / lyke as the holy ghoost enseygneth vs / another maystre techeth vs too knowe the grete thynges fro the smale the precyouse fro the vyle / the swete from the bytter ¶ Of the goodes of fortune Ca. .lxiiii. THey calle the smalle goodes the goodes of fortune whiche dame fortune hath aboute her whele / alwaye taketh awaye and gyueth / and torneth that whiche is aboue to falle vnder These ben the precyouse stones that the fooles haue bought for rubyes for saphyrs and for emerawdes These ben also as Ieweles and yonge chyldren whiche god gyueth to vs for to solace vs with / and for to drawe our loue to hym By cause that he knoweth well that we been tendre feble and that we may not holde the sharpe wayes of penaunce / of anguysshe and of martyrdome / lyke as done the good knyghtes of god whiche conquere the royame of heuen by strengthe and take it by theyr prowesse and theyr good vertues Thenne that is not the grete good ne well ryghtful For yf that were the grete good and veray Then were foles the blessyd chyldren of god Ihesu Cryst whiche chosen pouerte shame and sharpnesse for to gyue and to shewe to vs ensaumple And refused the ioyes the honoures and the rychessys of this worlde / yf these goodes transytorye worldly and temporall ben veray good / thenne be not al the veray goodes in heuen Then is not god parfytelye good and happy by cause he wyll not vse suche goodes / Thenne god is not good ne naturall by cause he gyueth not these worldly goodes to his frendes / but he gyueth theym more largely to his enemyes / yf these were veray good / thenne were foles all the sayntes / al the good clerkys the wyse phylosophres that fledde fro suche worldly goodes despysed theym as dunge / yf these be veray good / thenne fayleth the holy scrypture that calleth them lyes and vanytees / nettes and grynnes of the deuyl / this is as trewe as the pater noster For these ben the engynes of the deuyll / by whiche he deceyueth the soules in a thousande maners / and byndeth theym and taketh and holdeth theym But the wyse marchaunte that is the wyse man / whome the holy ghoost enlumyneth by veray knowleche / that oueral knoweth and can decerne what euery thynge is worth / he seeth ryght well vnderstondeth that all the worlde is not a good morsell for too fylle the herte of one man / and that there is therin moche euyll and lytell good And therfore he beholdeth the euylles perylles that ben therin / and knoweth well that it is trouthe that is comunelye sayd / who that gyueth not that whiche he loueth / he taketh not whiche he desyreth Suche folke gyuen the worlde for to haue heuen / forsaketh ouerall rychesses for ioye / fylthe ordure for golde / and leue all for godes sake / rychesses delyces honoures / and bycome poore in this worlde for to wynne good and for to gete the rychesse of heuen This is the moost fayrest lyf moste sure that may be in this worlde There ben other that see that in many maners may one do his prouffyt his sauacyon with goodes temporall that he may haue without ouermoche to loue theym For god commaundeth not a man to leue al. They reteyne them / but lytel they preyse them They vse them but lytel they loue them / lyke as dyd Abraham Iob and Dauyd / many other whiche eschewed fledde the peryls And they do spyrytuell prouffyte with temporall goodes / wyll by heuen with theyr almesses and other good dedes They can bye out theyr synnes helpe theyr neyghboures They can the more loue god / drede doute hym for the perylles that they be in / and the more humble them selfe whan they se and consyder theyr synnes theyr defautes / whan in sharpe and strayte wayes of penaunce they dare not go / whan so lytel for goddes sake they wyl suffre gyue / whiche so moche suffred to saue them / and wolde .xxxii. yere in this worlde be poore for to enryche them in heuen They saue them selfe well but it is harde to do For it is a more lyght thynge to leue all the godes at ones / than to retayne them not to loue theym ¶ Of the godes of fortune whiche folowe here Ca. lxv THe meane or myddle of goodes ben the goodes of nature and of doctryne Of nature lyke as beaute of body / prowesse / force / or strengthe / vygour / lyghtnes / debonayrte / clere wytte clere engyne for to fynde / good memorye for to retayne well / good voyce for to synge well All these goodes aforesayd nature bryngeth theym in the natyuyte or byrth of a persone Doctryne clargy all other godes be goten by studye or by accustomaūce / lyke as ben good vertues / good maners / and other vertues But these be not yet veray good ryghtfull For they doo not that whiche is perfytely good For many a phylosophre / and grete clerkes Emperoures Kynges / and many other prynces and other grete lordes the whiche hath had many of these goodes ben dampned in hell pytte ¶ Also all these goodes hath our lorde gyuen to his enemyes as well as to his frendes To Sarasyns To Iewes To false crysten men lyke as he hath too good men Also this is not veray good that faylleth at nede / and that may be loste maulgre hym self And thought theuys may not take theym and robbe theym Yet the deth taketh them alwaye at the laste Also I saye that the veraye goodes aydeth alwaye and greuen neuer / but certeynlye suche goodes and suche graces forayne ben oft domage greue them that haue them / yf they vse them not well accordȳge to god For some auaunt them and ben proude and dyspyse the other / whan they to whome god hath gyuen suche graces and suche goodes as I haue tofore sayd and named / yf they vse them not well and Iustly accordynge to god / they shall bee in gretter tormente in helle And straytly they must acompte and yelde a rekenynge at the daye of dome / of that they haue done / and how they haue vsed and despended it Notwithstondynge they haue goten goodes that god hath lente to them for multeplyenge and encrees Here after is shewed of the goodes of grace Ca. .lxvi. NOw haue I shortly shewyd the tytell good and the meane good Now wyll I shewe to the whiche is the veray good ryghtfull parfyte This doeth he whiche hath the good with ryghte and vnderstondynge For withoute the whiche was neuer no good with ryght This good is called the grace of god and vertue charytee Grace by cause that she gyeueth lyf and helthe too the soule For withoute
that / the soule is deed For lyke as the body is deed withoute the soule So is the soule deed without the grace of god It is called vertue by cause it adourneth the soule with good werkes with good maners / it is called charyte bycause it Ioyneth the soule to god / also dooth all thynge as it were with god For charyte is nothynge elys but a dere vnyte / That is the perfeccyon and the beneurte to whiche we ought to entende Moche were deceyued the auncyente phylosophers that so curyously dysputeden enquyreden who was the souerayne good in this lyfe / and neuer coude they fynde ne knowe it / For some sette theyr stuyde and theyr wytin delytes of the body The other in rychessys the other in honeste but the grete phylosopher saynte Poule whiche was rauysshed vnto the thyrde heuen / and passed all the other phylosophers techeth vs by many reasons that the souerayne good in this lyfe and that the quene of vertues is for to loue god and to haue veray charyte in hym selfe For with out this good ne aualen all the other goodes ryght nought And who that hath this good of charyte he hathe all other goodes / and whan all other goodes shall fayle / this good shall not fayle and aboue all the grete goodes that ben this charyte is lady And thenne the gretest good the whiche is vnder heuen Is charyte And also after by cause that thou wylte and desyerest this good the whiche by ryght is called vertue / and that thou desyerest to loue it moost / and to seche it aboue all other goodes And I wyll yet shewe vnto the his valure it is acustomed for to deuyle thre maner of goodes in the worlde / that is to wyte goodes honourable godes delectable goodes prouffytable There be no mo goodes ne veray ne good ne fayre but these thre maners / and this seest thou openly of the worlde that none desyreth ne loueth ony thynge but that he wene that it be honourable or delectable or prouffytable The proude secheth thȳge honourable The couetous man seketh thynges prouffytable The delycious secheth thynges delectable And whan they sechen this thynge vaynlye Euery man ought to knowe that vertues haue these thre propretees For vertue is moche honourable and delectable and prouffytable ¶ What vertues been goodes honourable Ca. .lxvii. ALl vertues ben goodes honourable / this mayst thou see in this manere Syxe thynges been in this worlde moche desyred by cause that they seme moche honourable / that is to wyte beaulte wytte prowesse power fraunchyse and noblesse These ben .vi. fountaynes of vanyte Of vayne glorye cometh and sourdeth a plante Beaute is a thynge moche loued For it is a thȳge moche honourable / and neuerthelesse beaute that the eyen and the body se and loue / is a thynge fals couerte and vayne It is fals for he or she is noo thynge fayre But our eyen ben vayne and feble that see noo thynge but the skȳne wtoutforth Thenne who myght see as clere as a beest that is called a lynx whiche seth thorughe oute a walle he sholde clerely see that a fayre body nys but a whyte sacke ful of stynkynge dunge / lyke a dunghylle couerd with snowe or with grene grasse ¶ Also I saye to that the this beaulte is moche shorte not abydynge For it is sone faylled and anone passed as a fume or a smoke and as the flour of the felde or of the medowe Anone as the soule departeth fro the body / fayre well all the beaulte is faylled and gone Thenne the beaute that the body hath / the soule hath gyuen it too hym And therfore moche fooles ben they that for the beaute of the body gloryfye themselfe But the beaute of the soule is the ryght beaute / whiche alwaye encreaceth and neuer shall fayle This is the veray beaute by whiche the soule pleaseth god to the aungelles that seeth the herte This beaute rendreth gyueth to the soule graces vertues and loue of god For she reformeth reparaylleth and rendreth her ryght enprynte That is the ymage of her maker / which is beaute without cōparyson / and who best resembleth in getynge the vertues / in pluckynge vp and caste from hym all synnes / kepe his cōmaundemētes entyerly he is moost fayre Then the moost fayre thynge that is vnder god / is the soule whiche hath parfytly his ryght four me and his ryght clerete / coloure of floure / clerenes of the sonne / fygure of man / and pleasaūce of precyous stones And all that the eye of the body seeth of beaute is fylthe foule to the regarde of the soule / all that may be thoughte of beaulte may not be cōpared to the soule ¶ Of veray sapyence Ca. lxviii CLere wytte and clergye is a thynge moche honourable / and moche to be praysed But and thou wylte be wyse a ryght and lerne verey clergye / do so that thou haue veray good / that is grace and vertues That is the veray sapyence that enlumyneth the herte of a man / lyke as the sonne enlumyneth all the worlde This wytte passeth sourmounteth all the wytte of the worlde / lyke as the sonne passeth the clerenes of the mone / For the wyt of the worlde is but foly / lyke as the scrypture sayth / and chyldehode wodenes Foly is in them that so moche loueth the worlde and his beaute / and that can not knowe the day fro the nyght Ne Iuge betwene grete and lytell / and bytwene precyous and vyle They wene the mone to be the sonne For they wene that the honoure of the worlde be veraye glorye / and a lytell apple to be a grete mountayne / for they wene that the worlde be a grete thynge But to the regarde of heuen it ne is but pouerte They wene that a glasse be a saphyr And they wene that theyr strengthe theyr power be moche grete / whiche is more feble more frayle than is glasse ¶ Also I saye that this chyldehode of the wytte of the worlde is in them that so moche make them wyse for to kepe and ease the body and to be in delyces whiche lyuen as a chylde / that seche nothynge ellys but to do theyr propre wyll In suche people reason is deed and therfore they lyuen as beestys / for theyr wytte is al torned and corrupt / lyke as is the taste and sauour of a seeke man or of a woman grete with chylde / whiche fyndeth more sauour and appetyte in a soure apple than in brede made of whete / and more sauoure in a cool than in good metes Also these people may not byleue that there is more Ioye delyte in louynge god and to serue and to honoure hym / than in doynge the wyll of the caroyne of theyr body For they can not ryght fully Iuge betwene swete and bytter Also I saye that the wytte of
we requyre in the thre fyrst petycyons of the holy pater noster / whan we saye Sanctificetur nomen we shewe to our good fader curteysly our pryncypall desyre / whiche we ought alwaye to haue That is that his gloryous name be sanctyfyed / and that it be confermed in vs. Thenne whan we say Sanctificetur nomen tuū we shewe to our good fader Ihesu cryst curteysly our desyre That is to saye Syr this is our souerayne desyre This requyre we aboue all thynges that thy blyssed name be sanctyfyed in vs. That is thy good renoume / thy knowlege / thy faythe be confermed in vs. In this fyrst petycyon we requyre the fyrst the pryncypall gyft of the holy ghoost That is the gyft of sapyence whiche maketh stedfast and confermeth the herte in god / and Ioyneth hym so to hym that he may not be dysioyned ne deceuered Sapyence is sayd of sauoure and for to sauour / for whan a man receyueth this gyft / he tasteth and assauoureth and feleth the swetenes of god / lyke as is felte the swetenes of good wyne by the taste better than by syght But to this that thou vnderstande better what it is to say Thy name be sanctyfyed Thou oughtest for to knowe that this worde Saynt is as moche to say as pure / as golde / as erthe / as dyed in blode / as confermed In these fyue maners is sanctyfyed the holy ghoost of sapyence in the herte of a man Fyrst he clenseth and purgeth lyke as the fyre fyneth and purgeth the golde and the syluer / after he taketh it awaye fro the erthe / that is fro all carnall affeccions / maketh all to bycome lothely that whiche he was wonte to loue / lyke as the water is hated to hym that is lykorous to the good wyne After he haloweth hym self all to the seruyce of god For he leueth all charges / and putteth hym self all to thynke on god and to loue serue and honoure hym / lyke as the chirche and the monasterye is halowed to the seruyce of god Soo that he ought none other thynge doo but to serue and honoure god After he dyeth hym self in blode For he putteth hym self in one so stronge and ardant loue in soo swete loue of Ihesu Cryst / of deuocyon / that whan he thynketh on hym on his passyon / he is as he were all dronke of that precyous blood that Ihesu Cryst shedde for hym in his holy passyon lyke as is a soppe of hote brede / whā it is put in wyne This is a newe bapteme For to dye to baptyse is all one After he confermeth hym in god so strongelye / that nothynge may dysseuere ne desioyne hym Nowe thenne / wyll thou to saye this worde / thy name bee sanctyfyed in vs. That is to saye gyue to vs yefte of sapyence by whiche we maye be soo fyned as is the golde / and the syluer in the fornays / and clensed fro all ordures of synne / by whiche we be dronken of his loue and that al other loues be to vs bytter by whiche we be soo gyuen to the and vnto thy seruyce / that we neuer retche of none other charge / too th ende that we be not onelye wesshen fro all synnes / but dyed in grayne / renewed and rebaptysed in the precyous bloode of Ihesu Cryst by deuocyon of feruent loue to this that the blyssed name of our good fader Ihesu cryste be so confermed in vs / that he be our good fader / and we his sones / his seruauntes / as veray obedyent vnto to all his commaūdemementes / and in suche maner / that nothynge what someuer it be / may come ne happen to dysioyne this fastnes ne this grace Moche is grete the grace of god whā the wyll of the creature humayne is so rooted in god and confermed that it may not wagge ne moeue for no temptacyon Moche greter a thynge it is / whan one is soo affermed in the loue of god and so dronken in his swetnes that noo solace / ne no comforte / ne noo pleasaunce may not be had but in hym / and then is the herte parfytely cōfermed in god / whan the memory is so fastned and Ioyned to hym / that it may not thynke on no thynge but on hym And this requyre we whan we say Sanctificetur nomen tuum This is to say Syr thy name be sanctyfyed in vs. ¶ Here is the seconde petycyon and request of the holy pater noster Ca. lxxx ADueniat regnū tuum This is the seconde petycyon request of the holy pater noster / where we pray requyre / that the realme of heuen come to vs / be wtin vs. Our lorde sayth in the gospel to his disciples The reame of is in you vnderstonde well how this may be / whan god gyueth to a persone in his herte the spyryte of vnderstandynge Thus as the sonne taketh away the darkenes of the nyght And dooth waste the cloudes and the mystes in the mornynge Ryght soo wasteth this spyryte and dothe take awaye all the derknesses of the herte / and sheweth hym all his synnes and defaultes grete and small / lyke as the rayes of the sonne sheweth the motes and the duste that is in the hous ¶ Also this spyryte of vnderstondynge sheweth on that other parte / not onelye that whiche is within hym / but that whiche is vnder hym / helle / and that whiche is aboue hym / heuen / and that whiche is aboute hym / all the fayre creatures / whiche all preysen god wytnessen how god is fayre / good / wyse / puyssant swete / and grete And who that seeth moost clere the creatures / is moost desyrynge to see god / but lete hym consydere that he is not pure ne worthy to see hym Thenne the good herte / trewe and deuoute chauffeth hym / and is angry with hym self Thenne he begȳneth to entre in to his herte and to examyn hym And there he fyndeth soo many synnes / vyces / pouertees / defautes / troublynges of herte and of thoughtes euyll wyll / that he is angry with hym selfe by grete contrycyon and dyspleasyr that he hath of his synnes And thenne he begynneth to clense his herte and purge hym of al ordures of synne by bytter repentaunce / and by deuoute confessyon / and after by sharpe and condygne penaunce But whan he hath longe ledde this lyf / and hath caste oute al his synnes by veray confessyon Thenne he fyndeth pease reste and consolacion And fereth soo moche god to falle ageyne to synne / that hym semeth that all the worlde be to hym helle to the regarde of this clerenesse and this pease that that he fyndeth in his herte And this demaunde we of god whan we saye Adueniat regnum tuum / that is to saye Fayre fader plese it to the that the holy ghoost wyll enlumyne in vs the herte / and clense and
treasoure that he myght leue to vs. For he gaue hym selfe to vs as the moost fayrest Iewel that he myght gyue to vs. And we ought deuoutly / clenly / reuerently kepe hym without synne / of this breed of auÌ„gelles we ought euery daye to vse for the loue of hyÌ„ / and in mynde of his holy passyon / he is verely ours For noo maner thynge may he taken away frome vs ayenst the wyll of ours / that is of hymselfe / we doo call our breed cotydyan / the whiche is for to saye of euery day / that is for to vnderstande the cotydyan dystrybucyon the whiche he gyueth to his preestes relygious people eche day whiche done his seruyses and synge his masses and his houres / that is to all good crysten men and wymmen that euery daye by veray loue deuoutely make remenbraunce of the dolorous passyon of Ihesu Cryste that he suffred for vs ¶ The groos of the prouende of this brede of aungellys we take in haruest / that is in heuen whan we shall see the swete Ihesu Cryst dyscouerd / in his ryght grete beaule lyke as he is Therfore is it sayd cotydyan / that euery daye is to vs necessarye And euery one ought to take the holy sacrament of the aulter lyke as done the preestys / whiche ben therto ordeyned ¶ Or otherwyse euery good crysten man or woman ought to take hym by ryght fayth This brede is ryght precyous / ryght noble and ryght well arayed This is meteryall in whiche ben all maner of delyces and all good sauours lyke as sayth the boke of sapyence This is none erthely mete that ought to be gyuen to raskayll / but to hertes gentyll and noble whiche ben purged clensed fro all ordure of synne by veray repentauÌ„ce / by deuoute confessyon / and by entyer satysfaccion and penaunce ✿ ¶ Of the vertue of this brede of aungellys sayth saynt mathe we theuangelyst / and calleth it brede sursubstancyall That is to saye / that it passeth and surmounteth all substaunce and all creatures of praysynge and of vertue / of all dygnytees / and in all maners of valure Nor none may better name it ne descryue it ne more suffysauÌ„tlye than to calle it / brede sursubstancyall ¶ It is sayd that a mete is substaÌ„cyous / whaÌ„ there is therin ynough of substaunce and of nourysshynge And for soo moche more as it is nourysshynge / so moche more it is sayd that it is substancyall ¶ And by cause that in this precyous brede of Aungellys is more of nourysshynge of vertue / and of good than euer may be thought and sayd is not sayd onelye that it is substancyous bytwene ony vnderstondynge supposynge / but it is sayd sursubstancious This brede requyre we at our good fader Ihesu Cryst and we praye hym that he wyl gyue it to vs in this day that is in this present mortall lyfe / to th ende that we may make a good Iourneye / and abyde more gladly our rewarde / that is in the ende of our lyfe the glorye pardurable of heuen ¶ Here foloweth the .v. petycyon request of the holy pater noster Ca. lxxxiii DImitte nobis debita nrÌ„a sicut et nos dimittimê° debitoribus nrÌ„is In this request petycyon we requyre and demaunde our good fader of heuen / that he wyl pardone forgyue vs our syÌ„nes our trespaces / lyke as we forgyue them that haue trespasced to vs / or that trespace to vs Thenne we saye thus Fayre fader quyte to vs our dettes lyke as we quyte our detters Our dettes be our synnes whiche we haue encreased vpon our soules This is the best and moost dere wedde that we may fyne / wherof the synner for one deedly synne whiche is soone passed as too the delyte / or as touchynge the dede is bounden to so grete vsure that he hath no power to paye ne to fynysshe / that is the payne of helle whiche is without ende ¶ After he oweth vnto god whom he hath dyspleased so grete amendes that he hath noo power for to paye it For in all his lyfe yf he lyued an hondred yere or more he myght ne coude not make suffysaunâ— penaunce For one deedly synne onely / yf god wolde vse his ryght full Iustyce / it sholde neuer be forgyuen to the ¶ And therfore it byhoueth that in bytter and grete repentaunce the wycked synner retorne vnto the mercy of the debonayr and blessed lorde Ihesu Cryste And that he cry hym mercy and demaunde pardon foryeuenes ¶ For by the ryght of the courte of Iustyce / the synner shal be Iuged condempned vnto deth perdurable And therfore our good fader Ihesu Cryst whiche is softe and debonayr for to foryeue and pardone / large and curtoys for to yeue / we praye hym that he wyll pardone and foryeue to vs our synnes and trespaces But thynke and consyder well how thou prayest For thou sayest pardone to vs our syÌ„nes as we ê‘don other God shall not foryeue ne pardone to vs / as he hym self sayth in the gospel yf we forgyue not and pardone to other that haue trespaced to vs. Thenne he that sayth his Pater noster yf he kepe in his herte rancour felonnye he prayeth more ayenst hym self than for hym self For he prayeth to god that he forgyue hym not his synnes / whan he sayth forgyue me lyke as I forgyue / and therfore all the tymes that thou shalt saye thy Pater noster tofore god the seeth thyn herte Thou oughtest to forgyue all euyll talentes and cast out of thyn herte all Ire and al rancour Otherwyse thy prayer is more ayenst the than with the / yf it seme to the an harde thynge and greuous to forgyue and pardone to theym that hate the / and that wyll the euyll or that haue moche trespaced to the / or myssayed Thynke that god pardoned his deth to theym that crucefyed hym / for to gyue to the an exaumple for to forgyue / and more yet for to praye for them that haue trespaced to the that god forgyue them / and more yet for to do well and good to theym / to helpe theym yf they haue nede For as he sayth in the gospell / that it is not a grete thynge ne grete meryte ayenst god to doo good to theym / that do vs good / ne to loue theym that loue vs. For so done the paynyms and the Sarasyns Iewes and other synners But we that ben the chyldren of god by fayth by grace and ben named crysten of our blessed Lorde Ihesu Cryst and ben heyres with hym of the herytage of heuen ought for to forgyue eche other And also ought for to loue our enemyes That is to saye theyr persones praye for theym and to doo good to theym yf they haue nede For so comauÌ„deth god in the gospell Thenne we ought onely hate the synnes and to loue theyr soules Lyke as the membres of
that is to Ihesu Cryste to whome thou oughtest to do well / tofore thy deth in almesse for the loue of hym to the poore people For that whiche is done to the poore people is done to Ihesu cryst lyke as he sayth in the gospell Thenne the almesse that is done in a mannes lyf and in his hele / is moche more auaylable / than that whiche is done after his deth / lyke as the lanterne that is borne before a man conduyteth and ledeth hym better and more surely / than that whiche is borne byhynde his backe / and therfore admonesteth vs saynt Poule / that we do wel as longe as we haue the tyme that god hath lente vs whan a ryche man or lorde is comynge vnto a cyte or toun / he sendeth his messagers tofore his herbours for to take his lodgynge / for to make redy prouysyon ageynst his comynge or ellys the lorde his people sholde be euyll pourueyed The good herbegeour and messager that taketh the lodgynge and maketh all thynge redy to ryche men in the glorye perdurable ben the almesse other good dedes that they do in theyr lyues whiche ben represented by the aungelles tofore god The almesses that ben done after the deth / ben lyke as the slowe seruauntes that comen late to the lodgynge / soo that the lorde is somtyme euyll pourueyed euyll herberowed The thyrde condycyon that ought to be in almesse / is that one ought gyue gladly largely / after that he may forbere at his ease / wherof the wyse man sayth / gyue to god after that he hath gyuen to the. And Thobye sayth also / after thy power be pyteous and mercyfull / yf thou haue moche gyue largely and gladly / and yf thou haue lytell departe of that lytell with a good wyll / and euery man ought to gyue after his estate / and after that god hath gyuen hym It is redde of a kynge / of whome a poore man axed a peny he answerd / that so lytell a gyfte apperteyned not to hȳ that was a kynge / of alysaunder it is redde that he gaue a cyte to one of his seruaūt And the seruaūt thought the gyfte ouer grete and wolde haue refused it ¶ Then alysaunder sayd to hym I haue no regarde what is conuenyent to the for to take / but to me what I ought to gyue The fourth condycyon is that the almesse be doone in humylyte in deuocyon / to th ende that there be noo vaynglorye therin / ne to the poore people to whome the almesse is gyuen / be not dyspysed / ne for almesse done with other mennes godes / ne to gyue for to synne / ne for to haue presumpcyon therby to be saued Some people there ben that whan they do almesse they wyll that euery body knowe it But the scrypture sayth that almesse sholde be doone in the bosome of the poore For as sayeth saynt Gregory It ne suffyseth onely to a good man that he se of whome he attendeth his rewarde / and therfore sayeth our lorde in the gospell / whan thou shall gyue thyn almes sayth he / lete not thy lyfte hande knowe what thy ryght hande dooth / so that thyn almesse be hydde / for to eschewe the loos and praysynge of the worlde / and thy fader of heuen whiche seeth in hydde place shall rewarde and yelde it to the. That is to say whan thou shalte do thyn almesse / kepe the well that vaynglory whiche is vnderstonden by the lyfte honde be not medled therwith / but do thyn almesse in true entencyon / that is vnderstonden by the ryght hande I say not but that one ought to doo good werkes sometyme openly tofore the people for too gyue good ensaumple wherof god may be praysed For ryght so sayth god in the gospel / that we sholde do good werkes tofore the people / bycause that god sholde be gloryfyed and praysed / not for the praysinge of the people as dothe the Ypocrytes A good seruaunt ought to be ashamed to serue his lorde tofore the people / for to honoure hȳ Wherof god sayth / who that shall haue shame of me tofore the people / shal haue shame tofore thaūgels / I shall haue shame to se hȳ This is good ageynst them the leue to lye / by cause they wolde not be reputed ypocrytes And therfore sayth saynt Gregory / that who that doth his werkys openly that the entencyon be ryght to god withinforth And that doo it to please god onelye Also who that wyll do almesse he ought not to despyse the poore to whome he doth almesse Therfore sayeth the prophete / ne despyse not thy flesshe That the poor man whiche is semblable to the / and of suche nature of flesshe blode as thou arte / of suche fylthe There be some people that despyse the poore deyne not to speke to them / yf they speke / they speke rudely and proudely Thus dyd not Iob that sayd / that he neuer despysed them that passed by / for ony thynge that they dyd / but gaf to them clothynge and mete Also there were holy men as wel kynges other many grete lordes that were not ashamed to serue the poore men / how wel that some there be that do almesse to the poore / but they haue theym in desdayn in despyte / and yf they were veray humble / they sholde loue better the companye of poore men that ben good / whiche ben poore for the loue of god / and may edefye them wel by ensaumple / by worde / than many of the ryche men that ben about them / where as is in thē but flaterye / couetyse / vanyte / done them moche harme by euyll counceyll / and lette theym for to doo many good dedes Also there ben somme people that do almes ynough / but neuertheles they leue not to doo grete synnes / suche almesses shal not saue them For yf they deye in that estate / theyr almesse shall neuer kepe theym fro dampnacyon Then suche maner people ben lyke to thē that make theyr how 's on that one syde / and depesshe and throwe it downe on that other syde And therfore scrypture sayth / yf thou wylt plese to god / haue fyrst pyte and mercy on thyn owne soule / for who that is euyll and vntrue to hym selfe / shall neuer be good to an other And therfore sayth saynt Austyn / who that wyl ordynately doo almesse / he ought tofore to loue more his soule than another or ony other thynge except god / none sholde saye that he were pyteous ne mercyfull that had not pyte of his owne soule poore seke / how wel that he had pyte on others Also I say not that he is pyteous ne mercyful that hath no pyte on his owne soule / whan he knoweth that it is seke to the dethe by deedly sȳne Now haue I shewed to the ynough of mercy / 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
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
the faythe that god hath gyuen to vs / and Salamon sayth to his sone / fayre sone sayth he put in thy wytte measure / that is to say / be thou not of thyn owne propre wyt so fyxed in thy presumpcyon / but that thou bowe and enclyne the for to beleue in good councell / and thou leue thyn owne wytte for to obeye to hym that is more wyse than thou arte / and in especyall in the artycles of the faythe a man ought to leue his owne wytte his vnderstandynge to bowe and enclyne / and also put hym selfe in seruyce of the fayth / as sayth saynt Poule / not for to enserche ne enquyre naturall reason there where is none / as dooth the malancolyous men whiche ben lyke to hym that secheth muskles amōge frosshes / or that seketh heer in the egge / or vnder the hyde ¶ The .ii. degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. C.lvi. THe seconde degree of sobrenes of mesure / is the one put mesure in thappetyte / and in the desyre of his wyll so that he lete not the rayne of the brydle ouer moche at large that he renne not after the desyre of his flesshe / ne to the couetise of the worlde wherof the wyse mā sayth in the scrypture Ne ensyewe not sayeth he thy couetyses ne the desyres of thy body / ne of thy flesshe and beware / and kepe the that thou accomplysshe not thy wylle For yf thou doost to thyn herte his desyres thou shalte make Ioye to the fendes of hell lyke as he that dooth to his aduersarye a gaynst whom he must fyght whan he yeldeth hym vaynquysshed to hym he yeldeth hȳ ouer comen of the deuyll that consenteth to euyll desyres / there fore sayeth saynt Peter the appostle I conioure you as straungers and pylgrymes / that ye make abstynence of flesshely desyres / and kepe you wel / for they make theyr batayle / and warre ageynst the soule He that is a pylgryme and a straunger is out of his londe and coūtree And is in the countre where as be many theues robbers that espyeth the pylgrymes and lyeth in a wayte in the wayes wherfore he ought to kepe hym well that he falle not in theyr hondes / and thynke how he may go surely All the good men in this worlde ben straungers and pylgryms They be straungers / for they be out of theyr countrey / that is heuen / whiche is the herytage to good men They be pylgryms / for they thȳke not but to perfourme theyr Iourneys / tyll they come to theyr herytage / that is the cyte of heuen / whiche the good pylgrymes seke as sayth saynt Poule / whiche haue not / ne entende not / ne wyll not haue ony herytage in this worlde Suche pilgryms as wyll goo surely / se that they put them selfe in good cōpany / and in sure conduyte The good company whiche ledeth the ryght way and conduyteth surely is fayth and loue Fayth sheweth the way to pylgrymes And loue bereth hym so that the way greueth hym not or lytell / who that hath suche company hath no care ne retcheth of theues whiche awayteth the wayes They ben the deuylles whiche taketh and robbeth all them that gooth not in suche company Tho ben they that wyll here done the wyl of theyr body / and accomplysshe theyr desyres / and brȳgeth them self in the nette of the deuylles of helle Fayth and the loue of our lorde Ihesu cryste withdraweth the herte fro euyll thoughtes and frome euyll desyres that they consent not therto / lyke as one holdeth the hawke by the gesses / to th ende that he fle not at his wyll And yf he be not retayred by the gesses of fayth and loue / he fleeth peryllously / so that he perysshe and falleth oft in the nette of the fouler of hell / that is the deuyll whiche ne secheth ne entendeth but for to take good men Therfore the good men and wyse ought to restrayne theyr wyll theyr euyll desyres / by sobrenes and attempraūce / wherof the wyse Seneke sayth / yf thou wylt gete the vertue of sobrenes and of attempraunce / thou must put fro the and take awaye thy desyres / and set a brydle afore thy couetyses For lyke as a man holdeth an hors by the brydle that he go not at his wyll Ryght so ought one to retayne his herte / his desyres / and his wyl / by the brydle of sobrenesse and of attemperaunce / that he abandone hym not ne gyue hymselfe all ouer to the vanyte and to the couetyse of the worlde ¶ The thyrde degre of sobrenes and of the vertue of attemperaunce Ca. C.lvii THe thyrde degree of the vertue of sobrenes / of attēpraūce is to set kepe mesure in wordes / wherof Salamon sayth / that the wyse and well attēpred mesureth his worde As saynt Iherom sayth that by the poyntes of wordes is the lyfe porued That is to say / after the wordes may one knowe the wytte the foly of a man / lyke as an hog or a swyne is knowē by the tonge / yf he be hole or mesell And therfore sayth the wyse man in the scrypture / that the wordes of a wyse man be peysed in a balaunce / that is to say / that a wyse man ought to peyse his wordes in the balaunce of reason / and of dyscrescyon / that he be not reprehended There ben some people that may not be styll ne kepe theym fro spekynge / be it trewe or be it lesynge / whiche ben lyke to a water mylle without skluys / that alway tourneth after the cours of the water For they haue as many wordes as water at mylle But the wyse men set the skluis of dyscrecyon for to retayne the water fro folysshe wordes that they passe not the mylle of the tongue And therefore sayeth the wyse man in the scrypture Retayne thy wordes in the skluys of discrecion For lyke as sayth salamon who suffreth the water to haue his cours at wyll it is ofte cause of plee of stryfe and of many euyllys that comen of an euyll tongue / lyke as I haue sayd tofore in in the traytye of vyces / where as I haue spoken of the synne of the tongue Therfore sayeth the wyse man in scrypture Put sayth he thy wordes in the balaunce / and a good brydell and good keper to thy mouth And take hede that thou falle not by thy tongue tofore thy enemies whiche lyen in a wayte for to espye the who that peyseth not his wordes in the balaunce of discrescyon / reteyneth not his tongue by the brydel of reason / whiche oweth to withdrawe his tongue fro folysshe wordes he falleth lyghtly in to the handes of his ennemyes They ben the deuylles of hell whiche euery day nyght awayteth and espyeth vs / whan thenemyes whiche warreth the castel fynde the gate open / they entre lyghtly Ryght so the deuylles whiche