the worlde is wodenesse in theym that so moche be subtyll in fyndynge malyce for tengyne and deceyue other / bee it by strengthe or by plee or by barate And that ne thynke ne studye sauf to auaunce and enhaunce them self / and to greue other This wytte as sayth saynt Iames is the wytte of the deuyll / whiche alwaye payneth hym self to do harme to other But the veray wytte that the holy ghoost enseygneth and techeth to the frendes of our lorde is in knowynge without mysprysynge what euery thynge worthe / he sheweth that the worlde is vayne in beynge foule in valour / in louynge it and sauourynge it The rychessys been vyle and transytorye And the delytes ben bytter After he gyueth feelynge that the loue of god and vertues is a thynge veray precyous swete / veray for she fylleth the herte nouryssheth it She is precyous for one may bye god and all that he hath She is swete / for it is the manna that all thynges maketh swete / labour sorowe wepynges shames trybulacyons aduersytees martyrdomes and all paynes And all that one may thȳke to loue / it maketh it sauoure lyke sugre This is the wytte and the sapyēce wherof the scrypture sayth This is the sapyence oute of whiche groweth purete and veray conscyence ¶ Of the prowesse of the knyghtes of Ihesu Cryst Ca. lxix AFter I saye that vertues charyte gyueth very prowesse Thenne there is no prowesse by ryght but in the knyghtes of god whiche the holy ghoost adoubeth and armeth with vertues charyte In prowesse ben thre partyes Hardynes / strengthe / stedfastnesse There is none noble by ryght but yf he haue these .iii. thȳges / but yf he be hardy / prudent / entreprenaunt of grete thynges / and stronge puyssaunt for to pursue them and ferme stable to fynysshe theym But without wyt and without pourueyaunce no thynge auayleth none of these thre thynges For lyke as sayth the boke of the arte of chyualry Errour without batayle may not be amended For it is anone cōpared Folysshe entrepryse is where as lyeth lytell prouffyte / moche dyspence grete payne and peryll These ben thentrepryses of them that be called wyse and hardy in this worlde / that theyr bodyes and theyr soules putteth in synne / in peryll / and in payne for to gete a lytel lose and praysynge whiche is moche vayne / and lytell endureth ¶ But vertue dooth make a man of grete herte / and of wyse entrepryse / whan that she maketh a man the whiche is nothynge but erthe soo hardy / that he dare entrepryse for to conquere the realme of heuen / and to vaynquysshe all the deuylles of hell that ben so stronge ¶ This enterpryse is good wyse and moche prouffytable For there is therin lytel perylle / and lytell payne but there is glorye honour and prouffyte inestymable / perdurable without mesure / who hath no vertu hath no grete herte / but he is lyke hym that is aferde of nought Suche ben they that doubten the euylles the aduersytees / perylles / trybulacyons of the worlde And that haue drede to lese that / whiche they may not longe kepe ¶ They haue no grete herte that gyue it ouer for nought / lyke as done they that gyue theyr hertes for to loue the godes of fortune / whiche in trouthe ben ryght nought / but fylthe charge and ordure too the regarde of the goodes glorye perdurable ¶ Thenne suche people ben lyke a chylde / that loueth better an apple or a myrrour than a royame But vertu gyueth grete herte by ryght For vertue maketh them too conquere heuen / despyse the worlde / to bere grete dedes of penaunce And to supporte and gladly suffre all the euylles of the worlde and to endure theym for goddes sake And also for too withstonde and resyste all the assaultes of the deuyll Lyke as the wyse and prudente Seneke sayth / wepynges myschaunces / sorows trybulacōns / harmes shames / perylles / and all that whiche euyll fortune may menace and doo / haue noo more power ayenst vertu / than one drope of water sholde doo in the see / vertue maketh a man hardy as a lyon / stronge as an holyfaunte / ferme and durablee as the sonne whiche alwaye renneth and is neuer wery Thenne there is no prowesse ne strengthe but in vertues Of veray seygnorye whiche gyueth grace vertues .lxx THus is there none veray seygnory / but in vertues A grete lorde is he that knoweth all the worlde Suche a lorde gyueth too a man suche vertues and grace For he setteth a man in his ryght estate / in whiche he was fyrst sette in and made The man was made in suche honour and in suche seygnorye / that he was lorde ouer all creatures that were vnder heuen / to whome all thynges obeyed / and to whome no thynge myght noye ne greue / and this is the ryght estate to the man and to his seygnorye / but he lost this seygnorye by synne And myght not recouer it ageyne but by vertu But vertue setteth a man on hygh and setteth the worlde vnder feet and maketh hym too conuerse in heuen / vertue maketh a man by good ryght gretter lorde of the worlde / than the kynge is of his reame For of the goodes of the worlde he hath as moche as his herte desyreth / he hath his vsage and his sustenaunce / and as moche as he may haue for suffysaunce / and more suffysantlye than the kynge hath in his reame For all that the good hath and the euyll / al is his Therfore of all he doth his prouffyte and preyseth god and thanketh and loueth hym the more doubteth and serueth And in this he seeth knoweth that euery creature is made for to serue hym Also there is another seygnorye moche grete / withoute whome there is none by ryght lorde for he is emperour and lorde of hym self / that is of his body and or his herte / whiche he Iustyceth theym in good pees and dooth his wylle For his herte is so ioyned to the wyll of god / so that of all that / that god dooth he thanketh hym / and it playseth hym well And this is the seygnorye that vertue gyueth too hym that hath it Of this speketh Seneke and sayth as grete honour gyueth god to the / whan thou arte lorde and emperour of thy self and more whan a kynge / ha lorde god how many kynges emperours other grete lordes haue ben in the worlde and also barons / that haue citees / castellys / royames that haue not this seygnorye For they be not lordes of theyr hertes By cause that it tormenteth ofte / by wrath or by maletalente / or by couetyse / or by desyre that they may not accomplysshe ¶ Here is spoken of veray fraunchyse Ca. .xxi. AFter this I saye there is none that hath veray fraunchyse / yf he haue
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
one curseth that other And this is so grete a synne as the scrypture sayth that who curseth his neyghboure / he is cursed of god And saynt poule sayth that suche folke may not haue the realme of of god And Salomon sayth that theyr mouthes ben lyke as the potte that boyleth and casteth out on all sydes / and scaldeth them that ben about it After cometh the reproches whiche ben yet more synne that is whan a man reprocheth another of his synnes and his defautes / or of his folyes / his pouerte / his poore kynne / or other defautes that he hath in hym / he wexeth angry and synneth After cometh the menaces and thretenynges thenne begynne the medlynges and warres But aboue all the syÌ„nes the we haue here named / passeth the synne of them that by theyr wycked tonges areyse and moeue dyscordes deuysyons and euyll wyll amonge theym that ben frendes togyder / and that dystourbe and lete the peas accordes God hateth moche suche people as wytnesseth the scrypture ¶ Of the synne of murmure Ca. lvii AS we se that it happeth oft tyme that they that dare not answere ne chyde / begyn to murmure and too grunte with his teeth Therfore after the synne of chydynge we sette the synne of murmure / how moche this syÌ„ne is grete and how god taketh vengeaunce and correction of it we shall shewe For god oftymes hath taken vengeaunce on suche / lyke as the holy scrypture recordeth For / for this the erthe opened and swolowed in dathan and abyron / and they descended all quycke in to helle And for this synne god sente a fyre from heuen that brente chore and all his felowes / that is to wete .ii. hondred and .xl. thousande of the grettest that were in the hoost of our lorde in deserte For this synne loste the Iewes the londe of promyssyon whiche god had promysed So that of .vi. C. thousande that god hadde delyuered and put out of seruage of the kynge of Egypt pharao / and that had nourysshed theym .xl. yere in deserte with the manna of heuen Of all theym there entryd in to the holy londe of promyssyon but two persones onelye / whiche were named Caleph and Iosue / but all deyed with sorow in deserte This synne hath two braunches For somme murmure ayenst god / and somme ayenst man The synne of murmure ayenst man is in many maners lyke as seruauntes ayenste theyr lordes and maysters / and chamberers and women ayenst theyr ladyes and maystresses / chyldren ayenst fader moder The poore ayenst the ryche The vylaynes ayenst the nobles The laye peple ayenst the clerkes ayenst the prelates And the cloysterers ayenst thabbotees pryours and the offycers And this murmure groweth ageynst these persones of mobedyence / by cause that there is made to them ouer harde commauÌ„dementes / or of drede / or of inpacience by cause all thynges be not done ryghtfully / or of enuye / or of felonnye / by cause that one is auaunced more than another / and many other euyll rancours ¶ Murmure ayenst god hath many occasyons that is he that loste grace and pacience wolde be more thaÌ„ god For suche thynge as god hath made in erthe / yf he hath not made it after his wylle / anone he grutcheth ayenst god / and syngeth the deuyls pater noster For lyke as the holy ghoste enseygneth techeth his chosen to synge in theyr herte the swete songe of heuen / that is deogracias / of all that he hath made gyuen vs / of al that he sendeth vs. In lyke wyse the wycked spyryte maketh his dyscyples to synge the songe of helle That is murmure that alwaye shal dure in helle Certeyne suche a man is a moche fool and woode that wyll that god sholde gyue to hym acomptes of all that he hath made / yf he sende to hym pouerte or maladye or dere tyme / or yf he take fro one gyue to another / and all this be not done at his deuyse / anone he taketh ayenst god murmureth ayenst hym / can hym maugre / and what meruayle is it thoughe god auenge hym on suche folke whan they wolde take fro hym his seygnorye / his sapyence and his puyssaunce ¶ Of the synne perylle that is in rebellyon Ca. .lviii. EVyll thynge is it of murmure / but moche more euyll is it of rebellyon Rebellyon is a vyce that cometh fro the herte / whiche is harde / frowarde dyuers alwaye wyll that his wyll be done his sentence holden / he that wyll that other humble bowe to hyÌ„ / he wyll not bowe ne enclyne to no man This is an herte dyuers of whiche salamon sayth that he may not faylle of an euyll ende / and lyke as murmure is ayenst god and also it is ayenst man Ryght soois suche an herte rebell ayenst god and man This vyce hath .iiii. braunches / for suche an herte is frowarde rebell to beleue counceyle / and to accomplysshe and do the coÌ„mauÌ„dements of god and to suffre chastysynge / and to receyue doctryne Of this vyce thou haste herde in the chappytres of pryde ¶ Of the synne of blasphemy Ca. lix BLasphemy is as sayth saynt Austyn as moche as it groweth c. Seche all the condycynes in the chapytre of pryde tofore wryten in the rubrysshe of arrogaunce in the ende Now we haue shewed .x. maners of synne of the toÌ„ge / of whiche the fyrste is ydle wordes / the laste is blasphemy And this is that Salomon sayth / that the begyÌ„nynge of the euyll tonge is foly / and the ende shall be ouer euyll / here fynysshe thenne the deedly synnes and al the brauÌ„ches that dyscende of them And knowe ye for trouthe that who sholde well studye in this boke / he myght well prouffyte and lerne to knowe all maner of synnes / to confesse hymselfe well / for none may confesse his synnes well / yf he knowe theym not Now thou oughtest to knowe that he that redeth in this boke ought to thynke and take hede dylygently yf he be culpable of ony of these synnes aforesayd And yf he fynde hyÌ„ culpable of ony he ought to repente hym / anone to confesse hym dylygently / and to kepe hym to his power fro other synnes in whiche he is not culpaple / and also he ought to prayse thanke god humbly / to pray hym deuoutly that he wyl kepe hym by his swete grace ¶ How this lyfe is but dethe as it appereth Ca. lx 〈…〉 Furore consumor Heu infame Animam aâ—â—isimus Spes no bis â—â—lla GReuously dyeth he that hathe not lerned too deye / lerne thenne to dye yf thou shall conne lyue / for no man shall can lyue / that hath not lerned to dye / and he is by ryght called a caytyf that can not lyue ne that knoweth not to dye / yf thou wyll lyue frely and surelye lerne to deye
the brauÌ„ches of the vertue of mercy of almesse ca. Cxxxi The seuen brauÌ„ches of mercy on the lyfte syde and the fyrst braunche C. Cxxxii The seconde braunche Ca. C.xxxiii The thyrde braunche Ca. Cxxxiiii The fourthe braunche Ca. Cxxxv. The fyfte brauÌ„che of mercy Ca. Cxxxvi. The .vi brauÌ„che of mercy Ca. Cxxxvii The vii braunche of mercy Ca. Cxxxviii How a person ought to do almesse Ca. Cxxix Of the lyfe actyfe and of the lyfe coÌ„templatyfe ca Cxl Of the vertue of chastite the fyrste degre Ca. Cxli The seconde degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxlii She thyrde degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxliii The fourth degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxliiii The .v. degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxlv The vi degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxlvi The .vii. degree of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxlvii Of the fyrst estate of them that ben hole and chaste of body Ca. Cxlviii The seconde estate of them that ben corrupte Ca. Cxlix The thyrde estate and the fourth estate Ca. CL. The fyfthe estate of chastyte Ca. Cli. The .vi. estate of the vertue of vyrgynyte and chastyte Ca. Clii The seuenth estate of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cliii Of the gyfte of sapyence Ca. Cliiii Of the fyrst degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. Clv. Of the seconde degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. Clvi Of the .iii. degre of sobrenes of atteÌ„perauÌ„ce Ca. Clvii Of the .iiii. degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. Clviii The v. degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. Clx. The .vi degree of sobrenes of attemperauÌ„ce Ca. Clx. The .vii. degre of sobrenes of attemperauÌ„ce Ca. Clxi. Explicit Our fader that art in heueÌ„ sanctified be thy name thy kingdom come to vs / thy wyl be done in erth as in heuen / our dayly brede gyue vs to day for gyue vs our deâ—â— as we forgyue our deâ—â—s lede vs not in to teÌ„ptacoÌ„n but delyuer vs froÌ„ euyl ameÌ„ ¶ The fyue commaundementes of the chyrche ¶ The sondayes here thou masse and the â—estes of coÌ„maundement ¶ Of thy synnes thou the confesse at the leest one tyme of the yere ¶ And thy creatour thou shalte receyue / at Eester humbly ¶ These feestes thou shalte halowe / that ben gyuen the in coÌ„maundement ¶ The foure ymbres bigyles thou shalte feste 〈◊〉 the â—â—me entyerly ¶ Here after ben conteyned and declared the x coÌ„maundementes of the lawe whiche our lorde delyuered vnto Moyses the prophete for to preche to the people for to holde and kepe Capitulo primo FOr to haue and to come vnto the knowelege of the .x. commauÌ„demeÌ„tes of the lawe the whiche euery creature reasonable is holden for to kepe for to haue lyf pardurable It is to wete the syth that creacyon of humayne creature four lawes haue beÌ„ ¶ The fyrst lawe is called the lawe of nature Whiche is none other thynge but knowelege of good and euyll by the whiche we knowe that whiche we ought to ensyewe after reason / and also that whiche we ought to fle / that is to doo other that whiche we wolde after reason sholde be done to vs. And not to doo to other the / whiche we wolde after reason sholde not be done to vs. And this lawe gaue god to man to woman in his creacion / that same lawe euery creature reasonable ought to kepe / and by Ignoraunce not to be excused / syth they haue vnderstandynge of reason ¶ The ii lawe cometh of the deuyll to dystroye the lawe of nature aforesayd / and that is sayd lawe of concupyscence whiche was put in the creature reasonable by the syÌ„ne of Inobedyence / whiche was in our fyrst fader / for to fo he dysobeyed to god by synne / the body humayne was obeyssaunt to the soule and to reason entyerly / but as so ne as he had dysobeyed god / the body by concupyscence dysobeyed to reason Of whiche it happeth ofte / how be it that the creature by the fyrst lawe of nature knewe the good to be done / and the euyll to be eschewed Alwaye by concupyscence and folysshe plesaunce is lefte the ryght Iugement of reason / is enclyned to do the contrarye and this sayth saynt powle / that he founde a lawe in his membris / that is to wete the sayd lawe of concupyscence whiche gaynsayed to the lawe of reason whiche was in the soule / and of this lawe of concupyscence set by synÌ„e in the creature None escaped but onely Ihesu the glorious virgyÌ„ marie The .iii lawe is said the lawe wryton whiche was delyuerd for the creature / that by the lawe of concupyscence wolde enclyne hym ageynst the Iugement of reason to do euyll / to withdrawe hym to do synne for doubte of punycyon / thys lawe was delyuered to moyses and to the chyldren of Israhel The .iiii. lawe is sayd of loue and of grace whiche is none other thyng but to loue god his neyghboure And was delyuered by cause that the lawe of scrypture whiche for drede to be punysshed withdrewe the creature to do euyll was not suffycyente / for how well that it empesshed the dede / as touchynge the werke Neuertheles it empesshed not to the creature the wyll too do euyll / the whiche thynge is deedly synne / as oftentymes as it is concluded in the thyÌ„ge that sholde be as to the deed / and this .iiii. lawe of loue is in two commauÌ„dementes pryncypally comprysed The fyrst is this Thou shalte loue thy god with all thy herte / with all thy soule / with al thyn entendement / and with all thy myght The .ii. is that thou shalt loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe And these two commaundementes be so conioyned that the one may not be accomplysshed without that other ¶ Of the fyrst commaundement Ca. .ii. FOr to haue the knowelege of the sayd fyrst commaundement ought for to be knowen that .ii. thynges enclyne vs to loue god The fyrst is to here gladly for to speke of hym ofte / for naturally whan we here of ony persone sayd grete good / we ben enclyned to prayse loue hym / therfore to go oft to holy chyrche to predycacioÌ„s and sermons / is to a creature grete vtylyte prouffyte The seconde thynge is to thynke ofte and to haue in myÌ„de the grete benefaytes that a creature hath receyued / receyueth euery day of god / for naturally we ben enclyned to loue them that done vs good This loue of god is acquyred goten by these two thynges in a creature is kepte and multyplyed by .ii. other thynges Fyrst for to withdrawe take away his herte fro the loue of temporall goodes For the herte may not be parfyte in dyuers thynges / and therfore none may loue god and the wordly thynges togyder perfytly Secondly for to haue stedfast pacyeÌ„ce in trybulacoÌ„n to suffre it for the loue of god / for the
humylyte of that whiche they haue not done And fro suche a lesynge ought a creature moche for to kepe hȳ and for to be ware ryght gretely there of / for such humylyte is wycked For after the saynge of saynt Austyn Lyke as a creature ought not for to hele ne hyde in his confessyon that whiche he hath doone In lyke wyse ought he not for to saye that whiche he hathe not done ¶ Somtyme a creature lyeth in his owne dede for shame That is to wete whan he sayth some thynge whiche he weneth be true And in sayng it he auyseth hym and knoweth hym selfe that it is not so And neuerthelesse for shame he dare not withdrawe that he hathe sayd / accordynge vnto the trouthe ¶ And sometyme a creature lyeth for to haue some prouffyte therby / or for to escape some peryll Sometyme for to do prouffyte vnto an other Or to delyuer or kepe hym from some peryll or for to empesshe his prouffyte Or to lette his domage Also somtyme the creatures maketh lesynges or lyes or Iapes or playes / and for to gladde and enioye the people with whiche they are in companye with all ¶ And from all these lesynges after the sayenge of swete saynt Austȳ A creature ought all way to kepe hȳ fro makynge of lesynges For euery lesynge that a creature maketh is synne And the two fyrst ben deedly sȳnes / and the other by euyl custō may brynge a creature to deedly synne / after these .iiii. commaundementes aforesayd whiche defende to do euyll by werke and by worde folowe the other two whiche defende the wylle of lyberte to greue doo euyl to another The first deffendeth the wyl to hurte another in his godes teporall And that is this Thou shalt not coueyte the thynge of thy neyghboure Ayenst this commaundement mespryseth synneth a creature sōtyme mortally or deedly / that is to wete as ofte as by delyberacyon he coueyteth wolde haue the goodes of another and ayenst reason Somtyme venyally that is to wete whan he coueyteth the goodes of another But he wolde not haue them but by reason as for the prys that they be worthe / and by the good wyll of hym or them that owe them The seconde commaundement defendeth the wyll delybered or concluded to coueyte the wyf of another mā for to haue carnall companye with her For to haue the knowleche of the sayd commaundement it is to vnderstonde that in .iii. maners concupyscence carnall is in a creature Fyrst in the herte whan it is by consentynge delybered and concluded To this purpose sayth our sauyour Ihesu Cryst / that he that byholdeth a woman by carnall concupyscence / that is to say by a wyl concluded to haue hyr companye flesshly in his herte / he hath commysed fornycacyon / synneth deedly Secondly in the mouth in expressynge and declarynge the euyll desyre that is in the herte by consentynge the whiche consētynge is called deedly synne / thyrdly in werke whan the euyll purpose or consentynge is done in dede After it is to wete that .iiii. thynges pryncypally kepeth a creature fro fallynge into the synne of concupyscence ¶ The fyrst is to flee euyll companye all occasyons that gyuen moeuen cause of concupyscence As for to frequent and to se women oft and to here speke of them The .ii. is to put out not remembre in his herte the euyll thoughtes and the temptacyōs that come by the thynges that he hath seen and to chastyse his body and holde in penaunce afflyccyon The .iii. is to haue recours to god by deuout orysō and prayer whan flesshely temptacyon cometh in requyrynge deuoutly his helpe The fourthe is also in occupyenge hymselfe in good werkes accordynge to god And alway to fle ydlenes whiche is cause of all euyll Thus it appereth clerely by the cmaundementes aforesayd declared that the creature that loueth god hath of necessyte for to do thre thynges Fyrst that he adoure and worshyp but one god after the fyrst commaundement partyculer Secondly that the name of god he receyue not in vayne after the seconde commaundement Thyrdly that he honoure god after the thyrde commaundement In lyke wyse a creature that loueth his neyghboure hathe of necessyte to do .vii. thynges The fyrst is that he doo honoure and reuerence due after the .iiii. commaundemēt The seconde that he doo none euyll ne Iniurye by werke Fyrst as touchynge to his persone after the .v. cōmaundement Secondly as touchynge the persone to hym conioyned after the .vi. commaundement Thyrdly as touchynge to his godes after the .vii. cōmaundement Also do not ne bere domage by his worde after the .viii commaundement Ne also by thought and wyll concluded Fyrst whan he coueyteth his wyfe after the .ix. cōmaundement Secondly as touchynge to coueyt his thynges after the .x. commaundement The whiche god gyue vs grace to accomplysshe Amen ¶ Thus endeth the cōmaundementes of the crysten lawe whiche eche man ought to holde and kepe entyerly for to haue the lyf and glorye pardurable Deo gracias ¶ Here foloweth the twelue artycles of the fayth made by the .xii. apostles S. Peter S. Andrewe S. iames the more S. Iohan. S. Thomas S. iames the lesse ¶ These ben the .xii. articles of the crysten fayth whiche euery man ought too byleue fermely For otherwyse he may not be saued / yf he haue vnderstondynge reason in hymself and they ben .xii. artycles after the nombre of the twelue apostles / whiche establysshed theym to holde and kepe / of whome the fyrst apperteyneth to the fader The seconde to the sone / and the .iii. to the holy goste For this is foundement of the fayth to byleue in the holy trynyte That is in the fader / and in the sone / and in the holy ghoost one god in .iii. persones Al these artycles ben conteyned in the grete Credo and in the lytel credo / the whiche the .xii. apostles made / of whiche eche of theym made sette a clause of whome the fyrst is thys ¶ The fyrst artycle of the fayth capitulo .xi. S. Phylyppe S. Barthylmew S. Mathewe S. Symon S. Iude. S. Mathyas I Byleue in god fader all myght creatour or maker of heuen erthe / this article made saint peter sayenge Credo in deum patrem omnipotem creatorem celi terre The .ii. apperteyneth to the sone as touchynge his deyte / that he is god / and that is thys I byleue in our lorde / sone of the fader / and in this we ought for to byleue that he is semblable egall vnto the fader to all thynges the whiche apperteyne vnto the deyte / and is one thynge with the fader / sauf the persone whiche is other than the fader as touchynge thumanyte This artycle made saynt Andrewe saynge Et in Ihesum xp̄m filium eius vnicum dn̄m nostrum ¶ The .iii. artycle is of the cōcepcyon of cryst / and was conceyued of the holy goost
ladyes in suche maner that they knowe not them self / ne se not theyr defautes / ne theyr folyes ne theyr sȳnes / This is the most peryllous malady of all other Truely he is in grete peryll to whome all treacle torneth to venȳ / lyke as doctryne chastysynge dooth to proude For the more men chastyse blame them of theyr defautes / so moche more be they angry and defende them Pryde is the fyrst doughter of the deuyl / and she that hath moste gretest parte in his herytage Pryde warreth ayēst god his goodnes all graces / and agaynst all the good werkes that ben in the man For pryde maketh of almesse synne / and of vertue vyce / and thus is pryde a theef to god / and with the goodes that one ought gete heuen / he maketh hym wyn hell This synne is the fyrste For it assauteth the knyghtes of our lorde / and that laste leueth theym For whan the knyghtes of our lorde haue ouercomen vaynquysshed all other vyces and synnes Thenne assaute theym moost strongly the synne of pryde and of vayne glory ¶ The braūches of the synne of pryde ben these Ca. xiiii THe synne of pryde deuydeth hym departeth in so many partyes that vneth they may be nombred But there ben in this synne .vii. pryncypal partyes / whiche ben as .vii. braunches that yssue growe of an euyll rote Of whiche the fyrst braunche is dysloyalte or vntrouthe The seconde dyspyte The thyrde is surquydrye whiche some call presumpcyon The .iiii. folchaste / whiche is called ambycyon The fyfthe vaynglorye The .vi. ypocrysye The .vii. euyll and foule shame of well doynge To these seuen partyes and braunches appertayne all the synnes that groweth of pryde But eueryche of these seuen braunches haue many smal bowes ¶ The fyrst braunche is dysloyalte or vntrouthe Ca. xv THe fyrst braunche of pryde is dysloyalte / whiche deuydeth hym in to thre braunches The fyrst is euyll The seconde is werse The thyrde is worste That one is vylaynous That other is wode The thyrde is renyenge Vylanous generall is in all sȳnes / for no synne is wtout vylonye But the vylony of whiche we speke here specyally that groweth of pryde is a partye of dysloyalte / whiche is called of clerkes Ingratytude that is vnkyndenes That is to say forgetynge of god and of his yeftes / that men thanke not our lorde ne yeue hym laude and praysynges therof But he forgeteth and rendreth euyll for good and velonye for curtesye This vylonye doth euery creature to our lorde god whan he forgeteth his goodnes grace and yeftes / and yeldeth not to hym therfore praysynges and thankes lyke as he ought to do But oftymes fyghteth in euyll custome and vsage ageynst the wyll of god This is moche grete vylony whā a persone receyueth grete bounte and goodnes / daygneth not ones to saye gramercy / yet is the vylonye greter whan one seeth / and whan he forgeteth But the slouthe is ouer grete whan a persone receyueth all waye the bountees rendreth alwaye euyll for good / who then bethought hym well and toke hede of the bountees and goodes that god hath gyuen and done to hym and doth contynuelly fro day to day / for he hath noo goodes / but god hath gyuen them to hym Ne goodes of nature / as beaute / helthe strengthe of body clere vnderstondynge and naturall wytte as of the party of the soule Ne goodes of fortune as rychesses / honoures / hautesses Ne goodes of grace / as ben vertues / grace / good werkes wel ought suche one to thanke god / honour doute loue hȳ with all his godes / for one bounte requyreth asketh another Of the .ii. bough of the fyrst braunche Ca. xvi THe seconde bough of dysloyalte that groweth of pryde is woodnes That man is holden for wode that is out of his wytte / in whome reason is gone departed Thenne he is a ryght grete fole and well may be sayd out of his wytte and wode that in good ernest wasteth destroyeth / and setteth in euyl vsage the godes that ben not his / but ben the godes of his lorde of whiche he must straytely count and gyue a rekenynge / that is to wete the tyme that he hath loste / and how he hath employed his tyme / and of the temporall goodes how he hath vsed them the whiche he had in kepynge / hath dyspended theym in folyes / in outrages / and in euyl vsages tofore the eyen of his lorde that is god Ne hath not pourueyed hym to rendre his accompt / knoweth well that he must reken wote not whan / ne the day / ne the houre Suche folye is called forcenery or woodnes Of this vyce and of this synne ben the grete proude men that vse ryght euyll the godes that god hath lent them ¶ Of the .iii. boughe of dysloyalte Ca. xvii THe thyrde boughe of dysloyalte that cometh of pryde is renyenge he is well renyed that the londe whiche he holdeth of his lorde putteth in the hande of his enemy / dooth to hȳ homage This synne doo all they the synne mortally For in asmoche as in thē is they do homage vnto the deuyll And become seruauntes caytyues of the enemye and rendre to hym all that they holden of god / bothe body and soule And all other thynges that they haue they put in the seruyce of the deuyll And how be it that suche folke saye and calle them crysten / they renye god by werke / and shewe that they ben not But in thre maners a man is callyd renegate or renyed / and fals crysten Or for by cause that he byleueth not that he ought lyke as dooth the bougre or the heretyke / and the apostata that renyeth his feythe Or by cause that they breke the feythe that they byleue / lyke as done they that ben pariured / and be lye theyr fayth Or by cause the beleue more thā they ought to do / lyke as done deuynours Sorciers / the charmerers whiche vse and werke by tharte of the deuyll / and all they that in suche euyll werkys byleue and sette theyr hope synne deedly For all these thynges ben ayenst the feythe / and therfore holy chirche for bedeth and deffendeth theym These been the maners of desloyaulte whiche is the fyrst braunche of pryde ¶ The seconde braunche of pryde capitulo .xviii. THe seconde braunche of Pryde is despyte / whiche is a moche grete synne / and how well that deedly synne be not wythout despyte of god / Yet alwey after that we here speke / in this despyte specyally may one synne in thre maners Or by cause that a persone preyseth not ryghtfully another in his herte lyke as he ought to do Or by cause he bereth not reuerence ne honour there as he ought to do or by cause he obeyeth not aryght theym to whome he ought to obeye ¶
Now thyÌ„ke ryght well dylygently in thyn herte how oft tymes thou hast mysprysed here in whiche thou haste in thyn herte / thyn owne self and other falsely praysed And the better dyspraysed dyspyted and the wors praysed / and how ofte thou haste dyspysed in thyn herte them that ben of more value than thou arte And how thou haste dyspysed them for some forayne grace that god hath gyuen to the Or for noblesse / or for beaute / or for prowesse / or for streÌ„gthe of body / or for lyghtnes Or for what soÌ„euer other good that it be / by the whiche thou haste praysed more thy selfe than thou oughtest to do / and the other thou haste lasse praysed than thou oughtest After thynke how many tymes thou hast borne lytell honoure and reuerence to theym that thou oughtest Fyrst to god to his swete moder and to all the aungelles sayntes of heuen For there is none but thou hast trespaced to by dyspyte or by Irreuerence In that thou hast oft tymes euyll kepte the feestes and holy dayes After thynke how many tymes thou hast serued euyll our lorde Ihesu cryst Or in that / that thou hast not not gladly herde his seruyce / ne sayd his houres / ne herde his sermons And whan thou wenest to here the masse in the chirche or the holy sermons thou Ianglest and bourdest tofore god and lettest other to do well / after thynke how thou haste many tymes done lytell honoure to the body of Ihesu cryst whan thou seest hym / or whan thou receyuest hym In this thou art not worthely apparaylled ne made redy by confessyon by repentaunce Or by aduenture that wers is thou hast receyued hym in deedly synne thy selfe wetynge The whiche thynge is a grete dyspyte vnto god as to crucyfy hyÌ„ After thynke how vnto thy swete felawe / to thy good keper thyn auÌ„gell whiche all way is with the / all way kepeth the / how many velanyes thou hast done to hym in so moche as thou hast commysed synne tofore hym / after thynke how oftyme thou hast be inobedyent to thy fader to thy moder and to theym to whome thou oughtest obbeye and bere honour Yf thou wylt in this maner recorde thy lyf thou shalte see that thou hast ofter synned in this maner of pryde whiche is called despyte / thaÌ„ thou canst recounte or telle / ¶ Of the .iii. braunche of pryde / that is arrogance Ca. xix THe thyrde braunche of pryde is arrogance whiche is callyd surquydrye or presumpcyon / that is to wete whan a man weneth more of hym self than he ought That is to saye that he weneth to be of more valure than he is worthe / or to knowe more / or to mow more than other Thys synne is the fortresse of the deuyll For he kepeth and nouryssheth all the grete synnes This synne sheweth hym in many maners by werke and by worde But namely he sheweth hyÌ„ in vi maners That is to wyte in syngularyte For the proude surquidrous that weneth to be more of valewe and power / and to knowe more than the other / daygneth not to do as thother doo whiche ben of more value than he is Also he wyll be synguler in his werkys This is the fyrst synne for whiche surquydrye sheweth hym in werke or by dede The seconde folye is enterpryse of grete dyspences of his owne or of other for to be preysed and renoumed And that he be holden the more large and the more curteyse The thyrde euyll that groweth of surquydrye is folysshe empryse of leude stryffe For thus sayth Salamon / emonge the proude men ben alwaye stryues and plees The .iiii. boughe of thys braunche by whiche the proude man sheweth the pryde of his herte is auauntynge / whiche is a moche foule synne to god and to the worlde / he that auauÌ„teth hym is lyke vnto the cuckow that can synge no thynge but of hym self / this synne is foule in hym / that by his owne mouthe auanteth hym / of his wytte or of parage / or of his werkys or of his prowessys But this synne double in theym that folowe and flatre these vauntours / and losengers / and suffre theym for to preyse theym and for to saye of theym that they durst not saye and for to lye and for to crye theyr oublyes The fyfthe tacke of this braunche is derysyon For that is the custom of the proude surquydrous / for it suffyseth not ynough to despyse the other in his herte / that hath not the grace that he weneth to haue / but he maketh his mockeryes / and derysyons And yet that werse is he scorneth and mocketh the good wyse men / and theym that he seeth be good and honeste / whiche is a moche grete synne and perylous For by theyr euyll tongues they lette moche peple to do well The .vi. boughe of this brauÌ„che is rebellyon That is whan a man is rebell to all theym that wolde hym good For yf one repreue the proude surquydrous he deffendeth hym / yf one chastyse hym anone he is angry / yf one couÌ„ceyll hym he byleueth it not but his owne wytte This is a peryllous maladye that may not suffre that he be touched to whome euery medycyne torneth to venym It is an euyll thynge to murmure / but moche werse is rebellyon / rebellyon is a vyce of the herte whiche is harde froward and dyuers / that wyll alwaye that his wyll be done and his sentence holden / and kepte wyll that all other bowe and enclyne to hym / and he shall not bowe ne humble hymself vnto noo maner persone ¶ This is the harde herte of the worde of salamon whiche may not fayle to come to an euyll ende / and lyke as murmure is ayenst god and ayeÌ„st man ryght so is suche an herte that is rebell ayenst god and ayenst men This synne and thys vyce whiche is called rebellyon departeth and deuydeth hym in to foure braunches Suche an herte is repugnante and rebell to byleue counceyle and to suffre chastysynge / and to receyue doctryne yf ony of theyr frendes wolde counceyle and shewe theyr prouffyte / or theyr defautes / he dayneth not to take hede there to ne here it But bycause that they haue spoken he wyll the more gladlyer do all the contrary And on the other partye they be moche rebell to the counceyles of our lorde / as to the counceyle of the holy gospelles / of the other holy scryptures / and sermons To whiche they be bounden to doo and to accomplysshe the wyll of god for to haue glory ê‘durable And the deuyll lyeth tofore them eyther Impotence / or youth or aege / or other euyll reasons / so that at the laste they may nothynge do After whan men repreue and chastyse theym / they defende theym as a bore so that they wyll not knowe theyr folyes / and so moche more as they excuse them / so moche more
not grace verue Then yf thou wylte knowe what is veray fraūchyse of a man of a woman by ryght Thou oughtest to vnderstonde that a man hath .iii. maner of fraunchyses One of nature / another of grace / and the thyrde of glorye The fyrst is free wyll by whiche a man may chese do frely good or euyll This fraunchyse holdeth euery man of god so frely that no man may do it wronge / ne all the deuylles of helle may not enforce a man ayenste his wyll to do a synne without his accorde and consentemente For yf a man dyd euyll ayenst his wyll / he sholde haue therof no synne / for as moche as he in no wyse myght eschewe it / lyke as sayth saynt austyn This fredom and fraūchyse hath euery man But this fredō is not in chyldren / ne in wood men / ne in fooles / by cause they haue not the vsage of reason by whiche they can chese the good from the euyll A man putteth awaye from hym this fraunchyse in grete partye whā he synneth deedly For he selleth hymself vnto the deuyll for the delyte of his synne And yeldeth hym self vnto hym and bycometh his seruaunt by synne so that he may not caste hym self out / ne put hym fro his wyll / for he hath deserued the deth of helle / yf the grace of god helpe hym not The seconde fraunchyse is suche that the wyse man hath in this worlde / whome god hath fraunchysed by grace and by vertues from the seruyce of the deuyll / and fro synne / that they bee not bonde to golde ne to syluer / ne to temporall godes of this worlde ne to theyr bodyes whiche is caroyn / ne to godes of fortune / whiche the deth may soone take awaye / but they haue theyr hertes lyft vp and gyuen to god / so that they preyse noo thynge the goodes of the worlde / ne the honours / ne the vanytes / ne kynge / ne duke / ne meschaunce ne pouerte / ne shame / ne deth For they ben now deed to the worlde / and haue the herte soo deceuered taken awaye fro the loue of the worlde / that they desyre the deth lyke as the werkman his payment of his Iourney or dayes labour / and the labourer his hyre / and also lyke as they that ben in the torment and in the fortune of the see / desyre to come to port salue And lyke as the prysonner desyreth good delyueraunce / and as the pylgrym desyreth to come ageyne in to his contreye And yf they be parfytelye free in this worlde lyke as a creature may be / thenne fere they ne doubte they no thynge but god / ben in gret pees of herte For they haue then theyr herte in god and ben in heuen by desyre And this fraunchyse cometh of grace and of vertue But yet all this fraunchyse nys but seruytude vnto the regarde of the thyrde fraunchyse that they haue that been in glorye They be verayly free For they be verayly delyuerd fro all perylles and fro all tormentes / fro fere of deth and of deth / fro the grynnes and empesshements of the worlde fro myserye / fro pouerte / and fro all payne of herte of body wtout retornynge / of whiche thynge there is none fre in this worlde / how parfyte that he be ¶ Of veray noblesse Ca. .lxxii. THey that shall haue the seconde fraunchyse of whiche I haue spoken shal come to grete noblesse The veray noblesse cometh of gentyll herte Certeyne none herte is gentyll but yf he loue god There is no noblesse but to serue and loue god and to kepe hym fro all synnes and from the seruage of the deuyll Ne there is no vylanye but to angre god by synne Ther is no man by ryght gentyl / ne noble of the gentylnesse of his body For as touchynge the body we ben all sonnes of one moder That is of the erthe and of sylthe of whiche we al haue taken flesshe and blood Of this parte there is none gentyll ne free But our swete fader Ihesu Cryst whiche is kynge of heuen that fourmed the body of the erthe and created the soule to his ymage and semblaunce / and all in lyke wyse as it is of the carnall fader / that is moche glad and ioyous whan his sone resembleth hym Ryght so is it of our fader Ihesu Cryst For by the holy scrypture / and by his messagers he techeth vs / that we sholde payne our self to resemble hym And therfore he sent to vs his blessed sone Ihesu Cryst in to therthe for to brynge gyue to vs the veray exemplayre / by whiche we may be reformed to his ymage and semblaunce lyke as they that dwelle in the hye cytee of heuen That been the aungellys and the sayntes of heuen / where eueryche is of soo moche more hye and more noble As more proprely he bereth this fayre ymage therfore the holy men in this worlde payne hem self to knowe god / and to loue hym with all theyr herte / and purge theym clense and kepe them from all synnes For of soo moche as the herte of a creature is more pure and more clene without synne / of so moche he seeth more clerely more euydently the precious face of Ihesu cryst / and of so moche he loueth more ardauntly / of soo moche he resembleth more proprelye And by that he hath the more gretter glorye And this is the veray noblesse that god hath gyuen vs. ¶ And therfore sayth ryght well Saynt Iohan the appostle and euangelyst / that then̄e we shall be the sonnes of god / and we shall resemble hym proprely / whan we shall see hym euydently lyke as he is This shall be in his glorye / whan we shall be in heuen For no man seeth so dyscouerd ne so clerely the beaute of god / lyke as sayth saynt poule But thenne we shall see hym face to face proprely and clerely whan we shal be in glorye in his Ioyous companye ¶ The veray noblesse of a man thenne begynneth by grace and by vertues / that is parfyght glorye This noblesse maketh the holy ghoost in the hertes that he purgeth and enlumyneth in trouthe and in parfyte charyte These ben the grettest goodes that god hath doone to aungellys lyke as saynt Denys sayth by whiche they resēble theyr maker Thus werketh the holy ghoost by grace and by vertue in the hertes of good men / by whiche they be reformed to thymage and too the semblaunce of theyr maker Ihesu Cryst as moche as it may be in this mortall lyf For they reyse theym self soo in god / and enbrace theym self so with the loue of god And all theyr entendement / al theyr entencyon / theyr wyll / theyr memorye is all conuerted to god And this loue and this enbracement and desyre whiche encreaceth Ioyneth and vnyeth so the herte to god / that they may noo
therin plāted These ympes ben the vertues whiche the holy goost bydeweth with his grace The blyssed sone of god / whiche is the veraye sonne / by the vertue of his clerenes maketh them to growe on hye / and prouffyte These thre thynges be necessarye to all thynges that growe in erthe / that is to wete / erthe conuenable / humoure nourysshable / and heet reasonable / without these thre thȳges spyrytually may not the ympes of vertues growe ne brynge forth fruyte These thre thynges maketh the grace of the holy ghoost in the herte of the persone / maketh to wexe grene / to flourysshe to fructyfye / it maketh hym as a gardyn moche delectable full of good and precyous trees But in lyke wyse as god planted in paradys terrester plente of good trees and of fruyte And in the myddle he planted a tree whiche was called the tree of lyfe By cause that his fruyte had strengthe and vertue to kepe lyfe to theym that sholde ete of it without deyenge / and without euer to haue ony maladye or sykenesses Ryght so dooth he spyrytually in the herte of a persone The grete gardyner / the whiche is god the fader For he planted the trees of vertues And in the myddle he sette the tree of lyf That is Ihesu cryst / whiche sayth in the gospell / who that eteth my flesshe and drynketh my blood hathe lyf perdurable This tree enuerdureth embelyssheth by his vertu all the whiche is in paradys By the vertu of this tree growen and flourysshen fructefyeth all the other trees In this tree is all good / as moche as there is This tree is to be preysed and to be loued for many thynges For the rote / for the fruyt / for the stocke for the floure / for the odour for the leef / and for his fayre shadowe The rote of this tree is the ryght grete loue and the oultrageous charyte of god the fader / of whiche he loued vs so moche / that for to bye ageyne his euyll seruaunte / he gaf his ryght blessed sone and delyuerd hym to deth and to tormente Of this rote speketh the prophete sayth thus That a rodde shall yssue of the rote of Iesse This worde is as moche to saye as embracer of loue The stocke of this precyous tree / is the precyous flesshe of Ihesu Cryst The herte of this tree / that was the holy soule in whiche was the precyous marghe of the sapyence of god The barke of the tree was the fayr conuersacion without forth The droppynges of this tree and the body / weren thre precyous thynges and of ryght grete vertu / whiche yssued and dropped out of the preyous membres of Ihesu cryst that were the water / the teres the swete and the blode The leuys of this tree weren the precyous and holy wordes of Ihesu Cryst whiche heleden all maladyes The floures were the holy thoughtes of Ihesu Cryste whiche were fayre / honest and berynge fruyt The fruyt weren the twelue apostles / whiche fled all the worlde and nourysshed it with theyr holy doctryne / by theyr examples / by theyr good werkys / and with theyr benefaytes The braunche of this tree in one sens / ben all the chosen that euer were / and that ben / and that euer shall ben For lyke as our sauyour Ihesu Cryste sayd to his appostles I am sayd he the vygne / and ye ben the braunches ¶ In another sens / his braunches were his fayre vertues / his gloryouse exemples / whiche he shewed by werke / taught theym with his mouth These were the parfyte vertues and full of veray beneuerte and blyssednesse / whiche Ihesu Cryst shewed to his pryue frendes to the xii appostes / whome he ledde in to the moūtayne / and there he satte as sayth the gospell / his dyscyples were aboute hym And thenne the debonayr Ihesus opened his mouth and sayd Blessed be the poore of spyryte / for the reame of heuen is theyres Blessed be the debonayr for they shall be lordes of the erthe Blessed be they that wepen For they shall be comforted Blessed be they that haue hongre and thurst for Iustyce / for they shall be ful fedde Blessed be the mercyfull / for they shall fynde mercy Blessed be they that be clene of herte / for they shall see god Blessed be the peasyble / for they shal be called the sones of god ¶ These ben the seuen braunches of lyf of the blessed sone of god Ihesu Cryste In the shadowe of this tree ought the synne / good herte to shadowe hym / ought to se and beholde these fayre braunches / whiche bere the fruyte of lyf perdurable In these braunches and in these seuen wordes is enclosed all hyenesse / all perfection of grace / of vertu and of blessednesse / as moche as may be had in this worlde / to haue and atteyne in that other For these be seuen rules of holy lyf whiche Ihesu Cryst taughte to his chyldern This is the veray phylosophye that the maystre of angellys enseygned vnto his dyscyples ¶ In these wordes is enclosed all the somme of the veray perfeccyon of the newe lawe of loue and of swetenes And it is well sayd newe .. For it may well waxe olde / lyke as dyde tholde lawe to the Iewes And bycause that the soule was waxen olde by synne / it is made youge agayn and becomen newe by these wordes aforesayd It is veray newe and dysguysed fro the other lawes / lawe is sayd bycause it is bounden But the other byndeth and this vnbyndeth The other lawe chargeth / and this lawe dyschargeth The other lawes menaceth and thre teneth This lawe promyseth In other lawes is plee / in this newe lawe is peas In other lawes is drede / in this newe lawe is loue The other lawes haue maledyccyon / and cursynge / this newe lawe hath benedyccyon blyssynge ¶ Thenne is this newe lawe all full of beneurte and blyssednes And therfore ben blyssed all they that kepe it and accomplysshe it This sayth Salamon For all they that kepe it well wynneth the tree of lyfe pardurable Then these .vii. wordes abouesayd whiche god sayd ben called blyssynges For they make a man to be blyssed as moche as he may be in this present lyfe / and yet more blyssed in that other Now hast thou herde what the tree of lyfe is / whiche is in the myddle of paradyce the whiche god planted in the holy soule In the shadowe of this tree groweth and prouffyteth the fruyte The tree of vertues whiche god the fader the whiche is the grete gardyner planted and sette in this gardyn / and dyde bedewe it with the fountayne of grace / the whiche maketh it for to wexe grene / growe and to prouffyte / and holdeth it in vertue and in lyfe This foresayd fountayne is departed in to seuen ryuers These ben the seuen gyftes of
the holy ghoost / the whiche arouseth and bewatâ—eth all the gardyn Now beholde the ryght grete curteysye of our lorde / the whiche came in to this worlde for to seche saue that whiche was loste / by cause that he knewe well our pouerte and our feblenesse / by whiche we may falle in to synne But by our self we may not releue vs ne yssue out of synne ne gete vertue / ne do none other good / but yf it be by the grace of god / or that it come of his yefte / therfore he cesseth not to excyte vs that we praye requyre hym these yeftes And promyseth moche to vs / that yf we requyre demaunde hym ony thynge that is good for vs / and that it be ryghtfull we shall haue it And yet the debonayre Ihesus doth vnto vs more of his curtosye For he is our aduocate that formeth for vs our requeste and our petycyon For we haue not the wytte yf he formed it not to vs. ¶ The petycion / the requeste or oryson that the swete Ihesus enformed and taughte vs with his blyssed mouth / is moche fayre / moche good / but shorte by cause we sholde reteyne it well That is the pater noster / wherin ben .vii. petycyons and requestys / by the whiche we requyre our good fader Ihesu Cryst / that he gyue vs the .vii. yeftes of the holy ghoost / that he delyuer vs fro the .vii. deedly synnes / that he take them awaye fro our hertes And in stede of the sayd synnes / that he by his grace wyll plante there and nourysshe the .vii. vertues / whiche brynge vs to the .vii. blessynges of perfeccion and of holy lyfe / by whiche we may haue the promysses that the debonayre Ihesu made promysed to his chosen people in the seuen wordes aforesayd ¶ Thenne our entencyon is with the ayde and grace of the holy ghoost to speke fyrst of the seuen petycions of the holy ghoost whiche ben conteyned in the holy pater noster ¶ After I purpose to saye of the yeftes of the holy ghoost After of the seuen vertues / ageynst the seuen deedly synnes ¶ The .vii. petycyons and requestes ben lyke as .vii. fayre maydens that neuer cease to drawe the lyuyÌ„ge waters out of seuen ryuers for to water and arouse these seuen trees that bere the fruyte of lyfe pardurable ¶ Of seuen petycyons and requestes that be conteyned in the Pater noster Ca. lxxvi Our fader that art in heueÌ„ sanctified be thy name thy kingdom come to vs / thy wyl be done in erth as in heuen / our dayly brede gyue vs to day forgyue vs our dett as we forgyue our detts lede vs not in to teÌ„ptacoÌ„n but delyuer vs froÌ„ euyl ameÌ„ AS a lytell chylde is sette to scole / at the begyÌ„nynge he lerneth his Pater noster Who the wyll lerne of this Clergye and knowe it / he must be lytell and humble as is a chylde For our good mayster Ihesu cryst techeth his scolers this clergye whiche is the moost prouffytable / and moost fayre that is What man or woman that this dotryne well knoweth / vnderstandeth well retayneth it For suche there be that wene well for to vnderstonde it / that no thynge knowe therof / by the barke or rynde wtout forth That is the lettre whiche is good But lytell is it worthe to the regarde of the marghe / of the godnes and of the grete substaunce whiche withinforth is soo swete It is moche shorte in wordes moche loÌ„ge in substauÌ„ce lyght to saye subtyll for to vnderstonde This prayer and oryson passeth surmounteth all other in thre thynges That is to wytte In shortnesse In dygnyte / and in prouffytablenesse ¶ The dygnyte is in that / that the ryght blessed sonne of god made it / too god the fader in shorte wordes God the holy ghoost touchynge his demaunde / he wyll that it be shorte in wordes / by cause that none excuse hym to lerne it and to conne it And also by cause that none sholde be greued to say it wyllyngly and ofte And for to shewe that god the fader hereth vs ryght soone / and graunteth it gladly whan we praye hym with good herte / so that it be not of longe ryotte ne of wordes polysshed ne rymed ¶ For swete saynt Gregory sayth Verayly for to werke is not to saye fayre and glosynge wordes with the mouthe / but too caste oute wepynges and depe syghes from the herte ¶ The valure and the prouffyte of this oryson or prayer is so grete / that it compryseth and encloseth in wordes moche shorte / all that whiche may be desyred of herte / and prayed and demauÌ„ded of mouthe That is to be delyuerd of al euylles / and replenysshed with all goodes ¶ Thus begynneth the holy pater noster Fader our that arte in heuen ¶ Beholde now how that our blyssed aduocate / our ryght good and blyssed mayster and souerayne our redeÌ„ptour and sauyour Ihesu cryste / the whiche is the sapyence wysdom of god the fader omnypotent / that knoweth al the vsages and al the lawes of his courte / techeth vs for to plete well / and to speke wysely / subtylly / and shortely But certaynly yf the fyrst worde that thou sayst Fader our that arte in heuen / yf that it be well vnderstanden well pursued he shall gyue to the all thy request and all thy demaunde ¶ For saynt Bernarde sayth that the orayson that begynneth by the ryght name of god the fader / gyueth to vs hope to Impetre and gete all our prayers and requestes This swete worde fader whiche maketh swete all the remanaunt / sheweth to the that / whiche thou oughtest to beleue and somoneth the to that / whiche thou oughtest to doo And these two thynges saueth the man whan he beleueth well and aryght And whan he dooth after that he ought to do / whan thou callest hym fader thou knowest that he is lorde of the house / that is of heuen and of erthe / and capytayne and begynnynge And fountayne of whome all creatures and al godes cometh This knowlegest thou in that / his puyssaunce myght ¶ After I say by cause that he is a fader / he is ordeyner gouerner / and purueyer of his meyny / and specyally of his chyldren / that is of the men of whome hymself hath created / made and fourmed to his semblaunce / in this thou knowlegest his sapyence / yet also syth that he is fader by nature by ryght / he loueth that whiche he hath made Lyke as sayth the boke of sapyence And he is debonayre and loueth and nouryssheth his chyldren / and dooth theyr prouffyte better than they can deuyse And he beteth and chastyseth them whan they mysdone or offende / for theyr prouffyte and welthe as a good fader / And gladly he receyueth and taketh theym vnto mercy
that he is in heuen I saye that he is / and that he is in heuen ¶ It is founden in holy scrypture in two bokes of the lawe that god appyered to Moyses the prophete in a moūtayne sayd to hym Go thou in to Egipte saye to kynge Pharao on my behalue that he delyuer my people the chyldren of Israhell from the seruage wherin he holdeth theym Syr sayd Moyses yf it be demaunded of me how ye bee named what shall I saye I am that I am / sayd god Thus shall thou saye to the chylderen of Israhell He that is sendeth me to you Now sayen the holy and good clerkys / that amonge all the hye names of our lordes this name is the fyrst and moost propre And that moost aryght techeth vs what god is For all his other names / eyther they speke of his bounte / or of his excellence / or of his sapyence / or of his puyssaunce / or that he is suche or suche That is the ryght good / the ryght wyse / the ryght fayre / the ryght puyssaunt / many other wordes as ben sayd of hym to his loenge praysynge / and the whiche say nothynge of the beynge of god But we that ben grosse and rude to speke of so hye a thȳge / speke of god / lyke as one speketh and deuyseth of a man of whome he knoweth not the name Thus as it is sayd / he is a kynge / he is a duke / he is an erle / he is so grete / he is so fayre / he is so ryche / he is so large And many of suche propryetees and accydents How and by what maner one may knowe what he is / what maner man But he sayth not his propre name a ryght ¶ But thus as we speke of god / we fynde many fayre and swete wordes The whiche sheweth vnto vs some thynge of hym / But there ne is no worde so propre / as this same worde here folowynge qui est whiche soo proprely is shewed to vs and so subtylly / in as moche as our entendement may stratche and compryse For our blyssed lorde Ihesu cryste is he that is onely Lyke as Iob sayth / he is onely for to say ryght For he is onely pardurable without begynnynge and without endynge But this may not be sayd of none other thynge ¶ After he is very trouthe / veryte For he is waye and trouthe All maner thynges that ben created and that ben creatures / ben vayne and vanytees As the wyse kynge Salamon sayth / And be as nothynge vnto the regarde of hym And to nought shall they come / fro whens they came yf that he witholde and sustayne theym not And also preserue and kepe theym by his vertue / yet also he is onelye establement and stedfastnesse For he is alwaye hym self / and in one self poynte withoute trouble without to chaunge hym / without to moeue hymn ony maner / this sayth saynt Iames. All other thynges ben moeuable in somme manere of theyr nature Thenne is he proprely called / that is For he is verayly withoute vanyte / establysshement without begynnynge / withoute ende / without he was and without he shall be / for in hym is no departynge Now oughtest thou here vnderstonde that he is And that there is no thynge that may better be knowen than this / that god is And therfore I counceyll the that thou muse not tenquyre ferther For thou mayst sone erre go out of the waye / late it suffyse to the that thou saye Fader our the whiche arte in heuen ¶ Trouth it is that he is oueral present in erthe in heuen / in see / and in helle lyke as he is in heuen But it is sayd that he is in heuen by cause that he is more seen there / more knowen / more byloued / and more honoured ¶ After I saye that the debonayr Ihesus is in persones spyrytuell and dououte That is in the holy hertes / that ben hye / clensed / clene and purged from all synne as is the heuen For in suche hertes is he seen / knowen / honoured and loued ¶ Now hast thou herde these .iiii. wordes Pater noster quies in celis The fyrst worde somoneth the to honour god The seconde to loue god The thyrde to redoubte god For how well he be fader and oure / alwaye he is Iuste and not meuable The fourth worde somoneth the to engyne thy self to hym and to encorage and enforce the / for syth he is so hye thou arte so lowe / yf thou be not hardy and vygorous to vaynquysshe al sȳnes / to resyste al the temptacons of the enemye / to kepe hooly his cōmaūdemētes thou shalte not come in to the glorye of heuen The fyrst worde abouesayd sheweth to vs the lengthe of his eternyte The seconde the largesse of his charyte The thyrde the depnesse of his veryte and trouthe And the fourth the hyenesse of his mageste / who someuer shall haue these foure thynges attayned wtout doute he shal be blessed How Sctificetur nomen tuū is expowned Ca. lxxix NOw hast thou herde the prologue of the holy Pater noster whiche is lyke vnto an entre in to a towne A lorde god who the wel coude all this songe / he sholde fynde therin many swete notes For it is no doubte that in the prayer and songe spyrytuell whiche the sapyence of god made / he that taught the byrdes to synge / hath many notes and wordes subtyll swere in his holy songe and prayer of the holy Pater noster / how well that it conteyneth lytell letter In this songe excellente oryson ben the seuen petycyons requestes of the holy Pater noster whiche gete and Impetre the seuen gyftes of the holy ghoost / whiche put awaye and destroye the seuen vyces capytall of the herte those ben the seuen deedly synnes And they plante / and nourysshe the .vii. vertues / by the whiche one may come to the seuen blessynges Of these vii petycions and requestes The thre fyrst make a man holy as moche as he may be in this worlde The .iiii. after maketh hym parfytly Iuste All the holynesse of a man that is made to thymage of the holy Trynyte after thre thynges that ben in the soule / that is to wete / memorye entendement and wyll is in thre thynges In this that the soule be parfytely purged / and the wyll parfytely enlumyned / and the vnderstandynge parfytely confermed in god / with god in the memory And the more the soule receyueth of god these thre thynges / the more habundauntly and more proprely she approcheth more too his ryght grete beaute naturall That is to the semblaūce of the fader / and of the sone / of the holy goost That is whan god the fader confermeth vnto hym his memory God the sone enlumyneth to hym his vnderstandynge God the holy ghoost purgeth in hym his wyll These thre gyftes
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
gyuer gyueth ony gyft for his ê“ffyte / that is no gyft / but it is marchaundyse whan he beholdeth bounte receyued or seruyce / that is not a gyft / but it is bounte and curteysy / receyued to be rendred and yelded agayne But whan the gyftes is gyuen frely and lyberally without entencoÌ„n to haue prouffyte without drede without ony doute Thenne it is by ryght called gyfte / herof sayth the phylosophre that a gyft is a gyft gyuynge / agayne / or without to awayte ony rewarde but onely for to gete loue In this maner god gyueth to vs these gyftes purely for the loue that he hathe to vs / and for to gete our hertes and all our loue vnto hym Why they be called the giftes of the holy goost Ca. lxxxviii NOw for what cause ben they called gyftes of the holy goost and / not the gyftes of the fader and of the sonne / for all theyr werkes and theyr gyftes ben comyne To this purpos ben two reasons That one lyke as the werkes of puyssaunce and myght ben appropred to god the fader / and the werkes of sapyence to god the sone / ryght so ben the werkes of grace and of bounte appropred to the holy ghoost For bountes ben lyke as sayth saynt Denys / to spende and to gyue hym self For yf a man yeue that whiche coste hym nought / that is not grete bounte But by cause that the holy ghoost by these seuen gyftes expendeth gyueth hym self in our hertes lyke as sayth saynt Poule / lyke as it were by seuen stremes / and therfore ben they called proprely the gyftes of the holy ghoost For he is the fountayne and they ben the stremes ¶ That other is by cause that the holy ghoost is proprely the loue that is bytwene the fader and the sone and by cause that loue is the propre / the fyrst / and the pryncypall gyfte / that a man may yeue / Thenne with ryght in this gyftes ben gyuen all the other and with / out this gyftes none other is not called gyftes truly ne ryghtfully Therfore is the holy ghoost a gyfte / and gyuer For he gyueth hym self and is gyuen in eueryche of these .vii. gyftes / that he gyueth for to conferme our loue vnto his / so that it be feruent / fyne veray and clene ¶ Why there be .vii. gyftes no mo ne lasse Ca. lxxxix FOr ii thynges a man is saued for to fle the euyl / to do good / for to hate to fle the euyl causeth vs the gyfte of drede / the other .vi. gyftes cause vs to do good / the gyfte of drede is the vssher at the grete masse / that is to saye at the grete menace of the sentence of god / and of the paynes of hell / whiche is alway redy and apparaylled ageynst the synners / this is the watche of the castell that neuer slepeth This is the weder of the gardyn that wedeth and plucketh vp all euyll herbes This is the treasorer that kepeth the herte and all the goodes that be therin These be the other syxe gyftes that make vs to do all good dedes Now oughtest thou to knowe that lyke the clerenes of the sonne / whiche thou seest with thyn eyen / gyueth clerenes to the worlde / and vertue enuygoure and strength all the thynges that growe and come in to the worlde Ryght so dooth the holy gooost whiche enlumyneth in heuen and also in erthe all theym that ben in grace / men women and aungelles / and in lyke wyse as there be in heuen thre estates of aungelles as saynt Denys sayeth / of whome one is moost hye / that other meane or myddle / and the thyrde more lowe The moost hye ben lyke theym that ben of the kynges counceyle They be alway with god more nere to hym than the other and se hym and here hym in his secretes The meane or myddle ben as barons and bayllyes that gouerne loue and kepe all the reame and go and come / and lerne of theym of the counceyll that whiche they commaunde / and make it to done to other / the lowest ben lyke as seruauntes and offycers whiche haue theyr craftes / and dothe theyr offyces and messages as it is sayd to them By this maner and ensamble there ben thre estates of the chyldren of god in erth that the holy ghoost conduyteth as sayth saynt Poule The one estate is of them that be in the worlde lyue after the coÌ„maundementes of god of holy chyrche after that they here and beleue of theyr prelates The other estate is of theym that ben parfyte / that all haue theyr herte out of the worlde and of this mortall lyf / and haue theyr conuersacyon in heuen and theyr body in erthe and theyr herte with god The thyrde ben in the myddle estate whiche gouerne theym self well and other / and lyuen after the counceyll of the gospell / and not onelye after the commaundementes These thre maner of people techeth the holy ghoost / and ledeth gouerneth by these .vii. gyftes / departeth to them his graces / to eueryche after his benygne volente and wyll as sayth thappostle The two fyrst of these .vi. gyftes apperteyne to theÌ„ that ben of the fyrst estate The gyftes of scyence techeth theym / and the gyftes of pyte maketh them to werke The .ii. myddle apperteyne to them of the moyen estate The gyftes of counceyll gouerneth theym / and the gyftes of strengthe accomplyssheth the werkes The .ii. last apperteyne to them of the moost hye estate The gyftes of vnderstondynge enlumyneth them / and the gyftes of sapyence confermeth them and Ioyneth theym with god Another reason there is wherfore there ben .vii. gyftes / for the holy ghoost by his seuen gyftes wedeth / plucketh and taketh awaye the .vii. synnes and vyces fro the hertes of persones / and planteth there and nouryssheth vii vertues contrarye whiche make perfytely a man to be honoured These ben the goodes that the holy ghoost maketh in the hertes where as he descendeth by these seuen gyftes But tofore that I descende vnto the vertues whiche ben contrarye to the seuen deedly synnes I wyl shortly speke of seuen other vertues / of whiche thre ben called dyuyne / and the other foure ben called the foure cardynall vertues ¶ Of seuen vertues of whome there ben thre dyuyne / and foure cardynall Ca. lxxxx THe thre fyrst vertues dyuyne Saynt Poule the thappostle calleth them Fayth / hope / and charyte And they be called dyuyne by cause they be godly and ordeyne the herte to god / fayth lyke as saynt Austyn sayeth setteth vs vnder god / and maketh vs to knowe hym / and knowleche hym a lorde of whome we holde all that whiche we haue of good Hope sayth he enhaunceth vs to god / and maketh vs stronge and hardy and to enterpryse for the loue of god that / whiche passeth the vertue and
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
so humbled and voyde of theyr spyryte / that theyr spyryte is al mynuysshed / for god hath it al / and the holy ghoost hath replenysshed the hous of his herte / and is there lorde / enhaunceth them that ben poore of spyryte These ben the veray meke and humble / whome he maketh to regne in heuen by holy hope and by holy conscyence / and therfore sayth our lorde in the gospel / that the royame of heuen is theyres Not onely by promesse / but by fyne certeynte / lyke as they that begane somtyme to receyue the fruytes and the rentes how they sholde be blessed in that other worlde That may no man knowe vnto the tyme that he be there For the herte of a mortal man may not thynke it / ne expresse with mouthe / ne also here it with his ecrys ¶ Of the gyftes of holy drede of pyte Ca. Cviii. THe fyrst gyfte of the holy ghoost maketh the herte humble dredefull and to doubte god and hate all synnes / and therfore it is named the gyftes of drede ¶ The seconde gyfte of pyte maketh the herte swete debonayre and pyteous And therfore is it named the gyfte of pyte And that is proprely a dewe and a traycle ayenst the venym of felonnye / and in especyall ayenste the venym of the synne of enuye / of whiche we haue spoken tofore For this gyfte of pyte taketh awaye plucketh of the herte the rote of enuye / there heleth it parfyghtely Thenne the herte that receyueth this gyft / and feleth in hym a dewe / whiche maketh hym to germyn a swete rote / and ryght well attempred / that is good loue / oute of whiche groweth a fayre tree berynge grete fruyte / that is a fayre vertue and good that is called in latyn māsuetudo That is to say swetenes and debonayrte of herte / whiche maketh a man swete / debonayr / charytable / and amyable For this vertue maketh a man to loue his neyghbour parfytely / hym selfe after god This tree hath vii degrees by whiche he moūteth on heyght These .vii. degrees sheweth to vs saynt Poule / there where he admonesteth and prayeth that we doo payne to that / that we be all one in god The fyrst reason is that we haue al one herte / the hye and the lowe / the poore and the ryche That is that we haue all one fader in heuen That is god whiche made vs all comunely to his ymage and semblaunce And bycause that all we haue one creatoure and maker whiche made vs all of one mater and of one fourme / to one ende / that is that we be all in hym and with hym Lyke as he sayth in the gospel It is moche grete reason that we loue eche other / for the beestes / and the byrdes loueth his semblable The seconde reason is that we be all crysten baptysed in the sacrament of baptym poore and ryche That is that we be all wasshen with the precyous blode of Ihesu cryste And we were redemed with one maner money / and as moche cost that one as that other Moche thenne owe we to loue eche other to honoure for god hath moche loued vs and praysed vs / hath made vs of grete dygnyte The thyrde reasō is bycause we haue all one fayth and ben bounden all to one lawe whiche all is accomplysshed / Lyke as saynt Poule sayeth in this worde / Loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe Of this det is no man quyte for ony thynge that he can do / this det oweth eche man to other / and who that moost rendreth moost oweth ¶ The fourth reason is that we haue all one mayster and one lorde that is god of whome he holde all body and soule / and all that we haue / he made vs all and fourmed / hath vs all redemed of a lyke pryce / he shall Iuge vs all / and rewarde largely to all them that shall haue kepte and holden his commaundementes / that haue loued eche other truely The fyfthe reason is bycause that we be all felawes in the hoost of our lorde / And we be all his knyghtes and souldyours / whiche we all abyde one rewarde / that is the glory perdurable / and loue and cōpany of all sayntes ¶ The .vi. reason is that we lyue all of one speryte spyrytually / lyke as we lyue of one ayre corporally By this spyryte we ben all sones of god by adopcyon That is by aduoery / and sones of holy chyrche / brethren germayne of fader and moder / a spyrytuell fraternyte / whiche is better worthe than a carnall fraternyte / lyke as the speryte is of more value than the body ¶ The seuenth reason is bycause that we ben all membres of one body / of whiche Ihesu cryste is the hede / and we ben the membres the whiche lyueth all of one meet That is of the precyous flesshe and blode of our sauyour Ihesu cryste / the whiche so moche loueth vs / and vs holdeth so dere and well be loued / that he gyueth vnto vs his ryght precyous blode for too drynke / and his dygne and precyous flesshe for to ete Therfore remembreth vs so oft saynt Poule this loue whiche he sheweth vnto vs. For a more quicker reason ne more fayrer example may he not shewe vnto vs of veray amyte and frendshyp / yf so be that thou thynke well and stedfastly on these toforesayd reasons Thou shalte fynde .vii. degrees of amytye and frendshyppes the whiche cometh of the gyftes of pyte ¶ Of .vii. maners of spyrytuell loue Ca. Cix OF this stocke and oute of this rote growen vii braunches For this vertue sheweth hȳ in seuen maners lyke as loue is knowen / whiche is emonge the membres of a body in vii maners Fyrst the one of the membres kepeth and countregardeth the other / that it do to hym none euyll / ne that it faylle hym not / ne that it doo hym none harme ne domage to his power / and herin we vnderstonde our Innocency whiche we ought to kepe eche anenst other For this commaundement is wryton in the herte of euery persone That is that thou do to another after god that / whiche thou woldest that he dyd to the and that thou sholdest not do to another / otherwyse thā thou woldest sholde not be doone to the. Ne the thy ryght honde sholde smyte the lyft honde Also that one membre suffre swetely that other that it doo to it no harme / ne no vengeaunce ne wrathe But yf that one membre haue harme or hurte / that other membres fele it And in this vnderstonde we parfyght debonayrte whiche hath iii. degrees The fyrst is that he reuenge hym not The seconde that he reteyne not wrathe ne yre The thyrde that he ne fele no moeuynge of hate ne yre towarde his neyghboure for ony thynge that he doth ¶ Also the membres obeyen al to theyr souerayn For
ysopus a tale or a fable / of a lytell hounde and of an asse / whiche asse sawe the hounde that as oftymes as his lorde came home / he ranne ageynst hym and lepe vpon his necke / and the lorde played with hym and made hym grete feste / and the asse thought sayenge More ought my lorde to make to me feste whiche serue hym all daye / than to his dogge whiche serueth of no thynge It was not longe after that this asse sawe his lorde come to his hous And he ranne ageynst hym / and caste his .ii. fore feet aboute his necke / and began strongly to lycke and fawne hym The seruauntes of the lorde whiche sawe this / ranne with grete staues and beten ryght well the asse And of that / of whiche the asse had supposed to haue had grace / honour / and prouffyte / he had shame and domage ¶ By suche fables the wyse men were wonte tenseygne teche them self by suche ensaumple And by this ensaumple he sheweth / that no man sholde desyre suche graces as he may not attayne ne come to / and the same techeth Salamon sayenge Sone caste not thyn eyen to rychesses That is to the graces that thou mayst not atteyne Therfore he hath grete nede of dyscrescyon that he see of whome he taketh ensaumple ¶ Also it is necessyte that a man see clerely on his lyft syde / and that is the fyfthe degre For one ought to beholde the fooles and the shrewes whiche ben as on the lyft syde / for they be on the werse syde To them ought one to take hede / fyrste by cause that a man sholde haue pyte and compassyon Also that one sholde not ensyewe theyr foly ne theyr predycyon / soo as the wyse Salamon sayth I passed sayd he by the vyneyarde of the slouthfull foole / and sawe that it was full of thornes and nettles / and by this ensaumple I haue lerned wytte and prouydence Also that one loue moost god by whome he is quyte of suche synnes and of suche perylles But hym behoueth on this syde to kepe dyscrecyon and equyte For whan I se a foole and a synner I ought to haue pyte and compassyon / and not to make of hym mockerye ne derysyon I ought alway to hate the synne / and loue the persone / moche I ought to kepe me that I wyll no grefe ne harme in my herte to no persone / ne to condempne hym Ne compare my selfe to an other that is soo euyll For he is this day euyl that shall be to morowe good / and suche is this day good / that to morowe shall be euyll Also I ought as moche as I may without mysdoynge vnto other enploye my selfe / humble and condescende in werkes and in wordes for to wynne hym to god / and to withdrawe hym fro synne For lyke as sayth Seneke saynt Gregory We may not better releue them that ben fallen / than by that whiche is aforefayd / and lete vs not wyll our self how that it be enclyne towarde them ¶ The .vi. degree of the vertue of equyte Ca. Ca. xiiii THe .vi. degree of the vertue of equyte is that .vi. eye that the wyse man hath That is that he se clerely behynde the nette and the engyns of the deuyll / whiche ben to vs as behynde vs. For the fende seeth vs / and we may not se hym ¶ The fende our ennemye that is the deuyll / whiche is moche stronge / wyse / subtyll and besy for to deceyue vs. For he ceaseth neuer day ne night / but alway is in a wayte for to deceyue vs by his false crafte / and by his engynnes that he vseth in moo than a thousande maners And lyke as sayth saynt Austyn The deuylles see moche subtylly the state of a man and his manere / and his complexyon and to what synne / to what vyce he is moost enclyned / by nature or by custome / and to that parte wherto a man enclyneth hym self Therto the deuyll assaylleth moost strongely The coleryke man to wrath and yre The sanguyn man to Iolyte and to lecherye The fleumatyke to glotonnye and to slouthe / and the malencolyke to enuye and heuynesse And therfore euery man ought to deffende and kepe hym fro that parte where he seeth that his hous is moost feble And ayenst this vyce and this synne ought one to fyght and resyste moost / of whiche he is moost assaylled And how moche more he shall resyste strongely ayenste all synnes Soo moche more meryte shall he haue in paradyse or in heuen / and vnderstonde well that the enemye of helle spareth no persone For he is hardy and aygre / as he that assaylleth our lorde Ihesu Cryst in temptynge hym Knowest thou sayth our lorde to Iob / in how many guyses the fende desguyseth hym / and in how many maners Lyke as he sholde saye No man knoweth but I onely For lyke as sayth saynt Denys All the aungelys the good and the euyll / and all the spyrytes of men ben lyke as a myrrour spyrytuell Then lyke as a myrrour receyueth all the fourmes and then pryntes that comen tofore hym Rygh soo doth a spyryte of a man / be it in slepynge be it in wakynge Now then take a myrrour set it ayenst another Anone al the formes that ben in that one / thou shalt see in that other ¶ In suche it is sayd that the deuyll sheweth to a man suche fygures suche fourmes as he wyll that god suffreth hym And the soule receyueth maulgre hym self somtyme in thought and in ymagynacyon / lyke ayenste my wyll / me byhoueth to loke / se and receyue in the syghte of myn eye the fourme that cometh before me Now it is a ryght grete grace of god and a ryght grete gyfte of the holy goost to vnderstande well all the languages of the deuyll / and to knowe al his temptacyons / and all his engynes For lyke as sayth the holy saynt Bernarde It is ouer subtyll a thynge for to knowe and dyscusse bytwene the thoughtes that the herte cōceyueth and bryngeth forthe / and them that the deuyll planteth And the fende sheweth to a man how the synnes ben pleasaunt and delectable / lyghtly may a dyscrete man and reasonable knowe this But whan the fende cometh to tempte one in guyse of an aungell sheweth to hym good for to drawe hym to euyll Thenne is the tēptacyon moste stronge And therfore sayth saynt Iohan that one ought not to beleue al spyrytes / but they ought to preue and well examyn theym tofore that one beleue them / to consyder yf they be of the parte of god Ryght so dooth they that haue theyr confessoures good and holy men / wyse and well approued in theyr fayte To whiche confessoures they that confesse them / sheweth often theyr thoughtes whiche come vnto theyr herte / bothe the good and euyll For lyke as Salamon sayth Blyssed be they that
drynke Then shewed god to Moyses a staffe of tree / sayd to hym that he sholde put it in to the water that was so bytter And whan he had put it therin / it was all swete The bytter water ben the trybulacyons of the worlde The staffe of the tree that made it swete / that is the crosse on whiche the debonayre Ihesu cryste was hanged on for vs. For who that remembreth well this sorowe that he suffred on the crosse There is no payne ne aduersyte / ne tribulacion temporall / but it it is swete and lyght to suffre The fourth thynge is to thynke on the spyrytuall godes that the trybulacyons dooth to them that suffreth them pacyently For the trybulacyons proueth the knyght of god A knyght knoweth not well his strengthe / vnto the tyme that he hath ben in batayle in prees Wherof saynt Poule sayth / that the pacyence proueth a man / and an aungel of heuen sayd to Thoby / by cause that thou were pleasaunte to god It behoueth that temptacyon shall proue the. ¶ Also trybulacyon purgeth the soule as the fyre purgeth the golde in the forneys / and as the flayle the corne whan it beteth it And as the hamer the yron / as sayth saynt Gregory Also trybulacyons ben the medycynes of the maladyes of synne For lyke as sayth the holy scrypture The greuous malady maketh a man sobre whome sȳne hath made dronke oftymes Wherof saynt Gregory sayth Lete it not be harde to the that thou suffre dysease on thy body whan thou arte guarysshed of the malady of synne within forth Also by trybulacyons is won the crowne of glory / whan one hath good pacyence Wher of saynt Iames sayth / blyssed is that man that suffreth temptacions / that is aduersyte trybulacyon / lyke as a good knyght that suffreth the strokes / for whan he shall be well assayed proued / he shall haue the croune of glory These .iiii. remembraūces aforsayd comforte moche thē that ben in trybulacion The .v. spyrytuell braunche of mercy is to pardone his maltalente euyl wyll to euery body For lyke as saynt Gregory sayth / who gyueth his pens or his almesse to the poore and pardoneth not his euyll wyll / his almesse is nothynge worth For god receyueth not the gyfte as longe as the felonnye is in the herte / for god weyeth / preyseth / and taketh the gyfte after his wyll And therfore our lorde sayth in the gospel ¶ Yf that we forgyue not eche other / our fader of heuen shall not forgyue vs our synnes Thenne he that wyl not pardonne and forgyue sayth ageynst hym self / as ofte as he sayth the pater noster / for he prayeth that god pardonne hym / lyke as he pardonneth his euyll wyll to other It is sayd of themperour theodose / that he helde it for a grete shame / yf one dyd to hym vylonye or Iniurye that prayed hym to forgyue hym / and whan he was moost angry / then he forgaue moost sonnest For he had lyuer drawe to hym people by debonayrte and by loue / thenne by drede ¶ The .vi. braunche of this vertue is to haue in the herte pyte and compassyon of the synnars / and of them that be in trybulacyon or in pouerte / or in aduersyte For that one membre ought to bere the maladye of that other wherof saynt Poule sayth / who that is seke / and I am seke with hym And saynt Gregory sayth / that so moche is a man more parfayt / as he feleth more in hym self the sorowe of another ¶ The .vii. braunche of mysyry corde is to praye for the synnar / and for his enemyes / and for all trespasses For soo commaundeth our lorde Ihesu Cryste in the gospell Praye ye sayd he for theym that done to you euyll / and so shal ye ben the sones of your fader whiche is in heuen / as who sholde saye / otherwyse ye ben not the sones of god / and thenne ye haue nothynge in his herytage ¶ Now is it then̄e grete almesse and grete prouffyte for the soule to praye for the synners / for Mekenes rote Mercy and pyte atrēpaūce Iustyce Compassyon Prudēce Force Forgiuenes Faythe Hope Charyte his enmyes / and for all them whiche ben departed out of this presente lyfe These ben the seuen braunches of mercy of this tree on the ryghte syde ¶ Here after foloweth the seuen braūches of mercy vpon the lyfte syde Ca. C.xxxii LYke as this tree of mercy hath seuen braunches on the ryght syde / so ben there seuen braunches on the lyfte syde These ben the seuen werkes of mercy corporell / whiche holdeth the body / lyke as the other beholdeth the soule too foresayd ¶ The fyrst braunche is to fede the hungry the nedy and the myseased / this admonesteth vs the holy scrypture in many places Fyrst Thobye whiche sayd to his sone Ete thy brede with the nedy the poore that deye for hungre and Salamon sayth / yf thyn enemye haue hūgre gyue hym to ete / yf he haue thyrst gyue to him drynke Also our lorde sayth in the gospel / whā thou shalte make a grete dyner / calle the poore people / the blynde / the lame the Impotent and thou shalte be blessed For they may not yelde it to the ageyn But god shal yelde to the in the resurreccyon generalle / an hondred folde double This is ageynste ryche men that done grete oultrages of mete / for bobaunce / pryde / vaynglorye of the worlde haue no pyte on the poore people But they ought to haue grete drede that they falle not in meschyef / lyke as it byfell to the ryche gloton / of whome god sayth in the gospel / whiche ete euery daye delycyously / and suffred the poore Lazare deye for hungre at his yate But as to the deth of that one of that other was a grete chaunge For Lazare was borne with aūgellys in to Abrahams bosome / the ryche man auarycyous gloton had his sepulture in helle / where he desyred to haue one drope of water for to refresshe his tongue Alas yf all the water of the see had ronne ouer his tongue / it sholde not haue ben coled in that fyre perdurable of helle whiche may not be quenched Therfore it is good to fede the poore peopell For there by may one escape fro the paynes of helle / and wynne the glorye of heuen / lyke as sayth holy scrypture / wherof our lorde Ihesu Cryste shal saye at the daye of Iugement Come ye blessed of my fader in to the royame of heuen whiche is redy to you For whan I had hungre And thyrste ye gaue to me to Eete and to drynke For that whiche that ye dyd to the leste of my poore people / ye dyd it to me ¶ The seconde braunche of mercy .. Cxxxiii THe seconde braunche of mercy is to clothe the poore naked people That is
to saye that he that may sholde gyue to theym clothynge hosen and shoon Thus taught Thobye his sones whan he sayd Couer the naked whith thy gowne and Ysaye the prophete sayth / whan thou shalt see the poore naked couere hele hym For suche werke saynt Peter reysed that good woman named Dorcas For she clothed the poore people as the scrypture sayth Herof hast thou a fayre example of saynt Martyn as I haue sayd tofore The gowne or vesture or what someuer almesse one gyueth to the poore / is a memoryall to them that praye for hym that hath gyuen it And is represented to god of his aungellys ¶ The thyrde braunche of mercy Ca. Cxxxiiii THe thyrde braunche of mercy is to lene to the poore people at theyr nede / and to forgyue vnto theym the dette that they owe whan they may not paye ne rendre For it is not onely almesse to gyue / but it is grete almesse to lene without vsure / and ony prouffyte and without euyll entencyon / but purely for goddes loue In lyke wyse ought a man to pardone and quyte his dette / whan the dettour is poore and may not paye it / this is that whiche god commaundeth in the olde lawe / where he sayth / yf one of thy bredren fall in pouerte thou shalte not enhard thy herte / ne withdrawe not thy hande fro hȳ But thou shalt open it to the poore / and shalte lene to hym that wher of he hath nede And our lorde sayth in the gospell / lene sayth he to hym that hath nede / and that requyreth the without hope of wynnynge ony temporall thynge / and god shall rendre to the an hondred folde double in glory This mater is ageynst the vsurers that wyll alway haue more than they lene / in money or in seruyces / or in other thynges But god commaundeth to lene to the poore nedy purely for his loue / and he shall rendre to the an C double / and to the poore man to whome man to whome thou hast lent / or that oweth to the / or that may not pay to the / thou oughtest to forgyue and pardon hym For so commaundeth to the god in the gospell / sayth thus / yf ye forgyue not eche other / god shal not forgyue you and herof sheweth god an ensample of an euyll seruaunt to whom his lorde had pardoned his dette / and bycause he wolde not pardone hym that ought to hym / the lorde repeled the curteysy and bounte that he had done to hym / and dyde do dystrayne and helde hym tyll he had rēdred all that he ought Ryght so shall our lorde doo / yf we forgyue not eche other ¶ The fourth braunche of mercy Capitulo C.xxxv. THe .iiii. braunche of mercy is to vesyte / cōforte / to ayde the seke people / that is a werke that moche pleseth to god / and more thenne trauaylle / or fastynge / or other bodely penaunce / wherof we fynde in vitas patrum / that an hermyte demmaunded of one of the auncyent faders / the whiche was of moost grettest meryte / of hym that fasted .vi. dayes in the weke and trauaylled and laboured with his handes / or of hym that serued the seke malades The good fader answered that he that fasted and trauaylled thoughe he henge by the nosethrylles myght not compare to hym that serued the seke people This werke auaylleth moche to eschewe synne / and is a grete remedye ageynst synne And therfore sayth Iob vysyte thy semblable / that ben the seke men that ben semblable to the in nature For they be men as thou arte / and yf thou so do / god shall kepe the fro synne for to do suche a good werke And holy saynt Iawes sayth that it is a relygyon holy and clene tofore god to vysyte the orphanes / the seke and poore men / the wydowes and theym that ben in trybulacyon / wherof is counted of a moche grete synnar whiche wente euer the see vnto the yle of roodes / and put hym self in an hospytal for to awayte serue the seke people / it haped on a tyme that he had grete abhomynacyon of a seke man of whome he wesshe the feet Anone all ageyn his herte he dranke of that water his full draught And whan he had dronken / he felt a ryght swete and good smellynge odour / and this was a grete token and sygne that his synnes were pardonned by this good werke Also by this werke is goten grete perfecyon of holy lyf / wherof the wyse man sayth in holy scrypture / be thou not ennoyed to vysyte the seke people For by that thou shalt be confermed in the loue of god Also therby is goten grete rewarde as is sayd in the gospell wherof is tolde the a lady named Marye whiche was a moche holy woman conuerted her husbonde so moche / that they left all that they hadde / and went to the mesel hous for to serue the seke creatures / by whiche they came too grete perfeccyon After it was shewed to the same Mary / that her husbonde that had ben her felawe in humylyte for to serue the seke men and women / sholde be her felawe in the glory of heuen Of the same our lorde gyueth vs ensample in the gospell that he touched the seke people and heled them The seruaunt ought not to haue dysdayne ne shame to vesyte the seke people ne to serue theym / whan the lorde of heuen came in to this worlde for to serue vesyte them Of whome he toke the fourme and semblaunce of his seruaunt This sayth saynt Poule for to serue vs that were seke by synne ¶ The .v. braunce of mercy Ca. C.xxxvi THe fyfth braunche of mercy is to her borowe the way farȳge man / the poore people / the pylgrymes that haue noo lodgynge This is one of the werkes of mercy that pleaseth moche god / as it appereth by ensamples of holy scrypture Fyrst Abraham receyued oft tymes the aungelles of heuen in semblaunce of poore pylgrymes / and they promysed to hym that his wyfe Sara whiche was olde and barayne sholde conceyue a sone And Loth by cause that he receyued the poore and seke men and kepte hospytalyte / he receyued the aungelles the whiche kepte and delyuered hym from the peryll of Sodome and gomor And therfore sayth the appostle saynt Poule Lete vs not leue hospytalyte / for therby many good mē haue ben moche playsaunt to god and in his loue and in his grace / for they receyued aungellys in stede of the poore It is not meruaylle yf suche people receyue aungellys For they receyue our lorde lyke as he sayth in the gospel For who receyueth theym receyuen hym as he sayth / that whiche is done to the poore is done to hym / wherof saynt Gregory recounteth of a good man whiche was moche pyteous gladly receyued the poore people into his hous / he receyued on
degrees / the brauÌ„ches / the fruyte the spyrytuell good that cometh therof in this worlde and in that other Of the fruyte of this tree sayth Dauyd to vs in the psaulter in this wyse Blyssed is he that entendeth to the nedy to the poore That is to say that he abyde not so longe tyll the poore demaunde hym / but that he gyue without askynge Ne he hath no herte to gyue that gyueth not wtout askynge / he dooth wel that gyueth to the pore but he dooth moche better that gyueth wtout demaundyÌ„ge And therfore sayth Dauyd the prophete / blyssed is he that entendeth to the poore / wherfore is he blyssed / he sayth after in the sayd place / that god shall delyuer hym in the euyl daye fro his ennemyes That shall be at the daye of dome whiche shall be harde and euyll to them that shall be dampned bycause they haue not fulfylled the werkes of mercy ¶ Thenne shall the Iuge say to them at that day Goo ye cursed in to the fyre of hell with the deuylles to be dampned / whan I had honger and thyrst ye gaue to me neyther meet ne drynke I haue be seke and ye vesyted not me I was naked and ye clothed me not And therfore they shall be delyuered to theyr enemyes / that ben the deuylles of hell / and they that haue ben pyteous and that haue entended to the poore people shall be delyuerd that daye and sholde be put in the possessyon of heuen Lyke as our lorde sayth in the gospell For he shall saye vnto them that haue done and accomplysshed the werkes of mercy Come ye blessed of my fader Receyue ye take ye the kyngdome of heuen whiche that I haue made redy for you syth the begynnynge of the worlde For that whiche ye haue done to the poore / ye haue done to me Grete honoure shall god doo to them / whan he shall thanke theym of the werkes of mercy / and shal gyue to them the glorye perdurable And therfore sayth he in the gospell Blessed ben the mercyfull For they shall haue mercy / by cause they haue enlonged the lyf of the poore people by theyr almesse / and therfore they that haue had pyte of the membres of Ihesu Cryst / and haue susteyned them in this worlde / and haue comforted and ayded them in theyr aduersytees It is wel reason that he do to them mercy whiche delyuerth fro al aduersytes and fro all myserye / and so shall he do whan he shall gyue to them the lyf perburable / wherto mercy shall lede them and herberowe theym ¶ Of the lyf actyf of the lyf contemplatyf Ca. Cxl. THe holy scrypture wytnesseth enseygneth to vs .ii. maners of wele and goodes / by whiche a persone cometh to the lyf perdurable / the fyrst is called the lyf actyf / by cause it is in labour of good werkes / and maketh a man to entende to the proufyte of hym self and of his neyghbour The seconde is called conteÌ„platyf / by cause it is in reste of good werkes / and ne entendeth to noo thynge but to loue and to knowe god Thenne is he ydle of werkes without forth / and lyke as he were in a dreme / or heuely a slepe / but he is awaked withinforthe for to thynke vpon god / and for to loue hym And for the loue that he hay e to god / he put all other thynges in forgetynge / lyke as he were all rauysshed and fyxed in god / and desyreth for to be dysceuered fro the mortall body / for to be alway with Ihesu cryste The fyrst lyfe / is the felde of good werkes where the knyghtes of god assaye and preue them The seconde reste theym with all myghty god in the chambre of clene conscyence The fyrst entendeth for to fede god with the meet of good werkes The seconde entendeth for to be fedde and fulfylled of god by veray comfort spyrytuell ¶ Of the fyrste is sygnyfyed by Martha whiche was besy to fede our lorde / as it is sayd in the gospell The seconde is sygnyfyed by Mary magdaleyn whiche sate at the fete of Ihesu cryst / herde his wordes The fyrst is a way and entre to the seconde For noo persone may come to the lyfe contemplatyf / yf he be not fyrst proued well in the lyf actyf Lyke as sayth saynt Gregory The gyftes and the vertues wherof we haue spoken tofore / appertayneth to the fyrst lyfe / whiche is called actyf The two last gyftes of whiche we shall speke / by the helpe ayde of the holy goost / that is to wete the gyfte of vnderstandynge and of the gyft of wysdome and sapyence appertayneth to the seconde lyfe / whiche is called contemplatyf This lyfe hath two thynges lyke as we haue tofore touched / that is to wete in the ryght knowlege of god and in parfyte loue The gyft of vnderstandynge ledeth to perfeccyon of ryght knowlege The gyft of sapyence ledeth to perfeccyon of loue We shall saye fyrst of the gyft of vnderstandynge after that the holy goost shall teche and ensygne vs. This gyft that is called the gyft of vnderstondynge ne is none other thynge after the sayntes and the doctours / but a lyght and a clerenes of grace the whiche the holy goost sendeth in to the hert by vnderstoÌ„dynge a man is lyft vp to knowe his maker and the thyÌ„ges spyrytuell whiche may not be seen bodely And all the thâ—ges that apperteyneth to the helthe of the soule / and to naturall reason to whiche the vnderstondynge of a maÌ„ by hym selfe may not come This gyfte is called lyghte / for it purgeth the vnderstondynge of a man fro the derkenes of Ignouraunce / and fro the spottes and fyfth of synne For lyke as the bodely â—yght taketh away the derkenes / and maketh the bodely thynges to be seen clerely Ryght so this spuÌ„â—ll lyght purgeth the vnderstondyÌ„ge of a man / to that whiche he may see clerely and knowe certeynly / as a man may knowe in this mortal lyf god his maker / and the spyrytuell creatures / lyke as ben the aungellys and the soules and the thynges that apperteyne to the helthe of soules That ben the artycles of the feyth of whiche we haue spoken tofore This knowleche is not but in conscyence wel purged / pure and clene For lyke as sore eyen charged with fylthe may not beholde the clere lyght Ryght so the vnderstondynge of a man / whan it is of hym self may not beholde / ne knowe spyrytuell thynges / yf it be not wel purged fro al tatches of errour and of fylthe of synne / by veray fayth whiche purgeth the hertes as the scrypture sayth But the gyfte of the holy ghoost of whiche we speke here perfourmeth this purgacyon at the hert so that the holy soule whiche is purged enlumyned with this lyght of vnderstondynge may see and knowe god / and all that whiche is to hym necessarye
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