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
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
the tauerner that sustayneth suche people dyshordonate ben parteyners of all theyr synnes that they do in theyr tauernes / And certayne yf a ê‘sone sayd as moche shame to his owne fader or to his moder / or to his knaue / as suche maner people do to theyr fader of heuen and to our lady to the sayntes they sholde be moche angrye / fynde and set other remedye than god dothe ¶ Of the synnes of the tonge Ca. l. WHo that wyll knowe and thynke of the synnes of the tongue / hym byhoueth to thynke and acounte to thynke what the tongue is fro whens she cometh and what harme euyll she doeth For it happeth that somtyme the worde is synne in him self / by cause it is euyl and happeth by cause that it is synne / men synne for as moche that she yssueth and cometh of an euyll herte And also it happeth that the worde is grete synne by cause it dooth euyll / how well that it be fayre and well polysshed ¶ Now thou oughtest to knowe that the euyll tongue is the tree that god curseth in the gospell / by cause he founde theron no thynge but leeuys By the leeuys ben vnderstonden in holy scrypture wordes And lyke as it sholde be a thynge dyffycile and herde to nombre the leeuys of trees Ryght so it is Impossyble to compte and nombre the synnes that growen of the tongue But we shal sette and put ten chyef brauÌ„ches whiche growen oute of this tree And these .x. braunches may thus be named / ydlenes / auauntynge / losange rye / detraction / lyes or lesynges Forswerynges / contencyons murmure / rebellyon and blasphemye ¶ Of the synne that ben in ydle wordes Ca. .li. THey that abandoÌ„ne theym to ydle wordes geten grete dommage and grete perylle / whiche they apperceyue not ¶ And also they lese the tyme whiche they may neuer recouere And lose also the good dedes that they sholde myght do vnto theyr owne salute helthe And lesen the ioye of heuen / and the tresour of theyr herte and replenysshe it of vanyte of synnes They discouer the potte the flyes entre therin They calle theym ydle wordes / but they ben not For they ben moche costyous damageous peryllous as they that auoyde fro the herte al goodnes / and replenysshe it whith vanyte For they shall rendre reason and yelde acompt of theym too god straytly at the day of Iugement / lyke as god sayth in the gospell This is not thenne a lytel thynge ne lytell ydlenes / whan it byhoueth to yelde reason and accomptes at the daye of dome vnto a lytel thought / and in so hye a court as is tofore god and all his sayntes In this ydle wordes men synneth in syxe maners There ben some vayne wordes of whiche some tongues be soo full that so moch speke a fore and after that they be lyke the clyket and the clappe of a mylle whiche may neuer reste and also somme wordes ben so curyous of theym that gladly heren tydynges tolde / that they ofte set theyr herte to the desease of them that here theym / so that the recounters ben ofte holden for fooles and lyars After comen the rehersayll and the fayre wordes / wherin is moche vaynglorye / in theym that can subtylly shewe and saye them for to make the herars to laughe / after been the truffes bourdes lyes full of fylthe of ordure and of synne whiche been callyd ydle wordes / but they be not / for they be peryllous greuable After ben Iapes / the esbatemens and playes not lefull / that saye somtyme vpon good men vpon them that wolde fayne do well / by cause that they myght withdrawe fro theyr herte the goodnes that they haue conceyued purpose to do These be not ydle wordes / for thou art lyke an homycyde yf thou withdrawe by they tongue a man or a woman or a chylde fro doynge well or fro doynge a good dede And god shall conne the as good thanke / as the kynge sholde doo too the / yf that thou haddeste slayne or mordred his owne sone or stolen away his treasoure ¶ Of the synne of auauntaunce Ca. lii AFter cometh the synne of auauntaynge whiche is moche grete / moche foule / falfe / moche vylanous / it is moche grete For the that auaunteth hymself is moche hateful to god for he taketh awaye his glory and also his Ioye Also as we haue sayd tofore / this is a moche false syÌ„ne / for his goodes of whiche he myght gete heuen he gyueth for a lytell wynde / and so it is a moche foule synne For all the worlde holdeth hym for a fole / for a vylayne / and for nyce / and this braunche hath .v. leues There be v. maners of vauÌ„tours That one is of tyme past This is the synne of them that so gladly remembre theyr werkes and theyr prowesses / and that whiche they wene to haue done well / or sayd well That other is of tyme present / that is the synne of them that no thynge do gladly ne payne them to do well / ne to say well whan they ben not seen ne herde They in doynge or in saynge / or in syngynge auaunt them self and sell for nought all that they haue done To this man appertayneth the syÌ„ne of them that so auaunt and boost them of the good that they haue / or of that whiche thy wene to haue of theyr noblesse or of theyr rychesse They ben lyke to the Cuckowe / that can not synge but of hym selfe ¶ The thyrde is of them that ben surquydrous and that thynke and say in themselfe I shall auenge me herof I shall make hylles and valayes The fourthe is more subtyll / that is of them that dare not prayse themselfe for shame But all that euer the other dothe and say they blame and dyspyse lyke as noo were worth / but that whiche they can do or saye ¶ The fyfthe is yet more subtyll / that is of theym that wyll whan that men preyse theym / and they dare not saye it openly they make it all contrarye and make theym self humble and saye that they be no thynge worth and synners thre tymes wers thaÌ„ they be / by cause they wolde be preysed and for that men sholde holde theym for well humble meke Alas sayth Saynt Bernarde that this is a sorouful auauntynge They make theym self deuylles by cause they sholde be reputed for auÌ„gellys / and fayne themself to be euyll / to th ende that men sholde repute theym for good But certeynly a man sholde not more angre them than to saye ye saye trouthe To this apperteyneth the synne that seketh the aduocates for to preyse them / and to crye theyr oublyes / by whos mouth they speke more hardely ¶ Of euyll sayenge of other Ca. liii THe losangers ben nouryces of the deuyl that gyue souke to the chyldren and make
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 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
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
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
and to pardon / whan they haue trespaced or offended / and retorne to hym by grete repentaunce And by this we knowe his boūte and his grete debonayrte ¶ Now I haue shewed to the thenne this worde / whan thou sayst / Fader his puyssaunce / his sapyence / his bounte / and his debonayrte On that other parte he remembreth thy selfe / thy noblesse / thy beaute / and thy rychesse ¶ Of more grete noblesse ne mayst thou not be sone Ne vnto so grete a kynge Ne vnto so myghty and puyssaunt an Emperoure as is god For more greter ryches mayst thou not haue / than to be heyre of all that he hath / More grete beaute mayst thou not haue than to resemble hym by right The whiche beaute is so grete that it passeth the beaute of man and of aungelles Thenne this worde fader remembreth the that thou arte his sone / bycause that thou paynest thy selfe to resemble hym / as a good sone ought to resemble his fader and to ensue thy good fader / in all good vertues and in all good werkes That is to saye that thou be wyse / and noble / vygorous / stronge / and puyssaunt to do well / to kepe the from all synnes / and strongely resyst ayenst the temptacyons of the fende And that thou be wyse / and aduysed / large / curteyse / swete / debonayre / clene without velony / and without synne / lyke as is thy fader our lorde Ihesu cryste And that thou hate synne and fylth and all euyll / as dooth thy good fader Ihesu cryste / so that thou forsake hym not This worde thenne fader remembreth the all the tymes that thou sayest it / that yf thou be his good true sone thou oughtest to resemble hym by nature / by commaundement by ryght For thou owest to hym loue / honoure / reuerence and drede / seruyce / and obedience Now thynke than whan thou sayest thy pater noster / that thou be vnto hȳ a good sone and true yf thou wylte that he be vnto the a good fader swete and debonayre / It is sayd to a knyght thynke whos sone thou arte / for to gyue to hym the greter courage / whan he entreth in to the tournoyenge / here seest thou how this fyrst worde whan thou sayest fader / how swete it is / and how it admonesteth the / that thou be valyaunte and noble and techeth the what thou sholdest be ¶ Wherfore thou sayst fader oure / and not fader myn Ca. lxxvii NOw demaunde I of the wherfore that thou sayest fader oure / and thou sayest not fader myn ¶ And vnto whome thou accompaniest the / whan thou sayest gyue to vs not gyue to me None ought to saye fader our / but he that is his sone by nature withoute hegynnynge and withoute endynge That is the blessed sone of god Ihesu Cryst But we ben not his sones by nature / but in as moche as we be made to his ymage and to his semblaunce So ben the sarasyns and the Iewes / we ben his sones by grace and by adopcyon Adopcyon is a worde of lawe For the lawe of the Emperours whan an hye man hath no chyldren / he may chese the sone of a poore man yf he wyl / and make of hym his sone and his hayre yf he wyll by adopcyon This is by aduoerye And by that he shall be his herytyer and his heyre and haue his herytage ¶ This grace hath gyuen to vs the sone of god the fader withoute our deserte / lyke as saynt Poule sayth / whan he made vs come to baptesme / where as we were poore and naked / and all sones of wrathe and of helle ¶ Thenne whan we saye fader our / and we saye gyue to vs / we accompany with vs all our bretherin by adopcyon / the whiche ben sones and chyldren of our moder the holy chyrche / the fayth that they receyued in baptysme ¶ Now we shewe thenne by this worde ours the larges and the curteysye of god our fader / whiche gyueth more gladly ynough than lytell to many than to one / wherof saynt Gregory sayth / that the prayer that is comyn is moche worthe and prouffytable In lyke wyse as the cādel is better employed and is more prouffytable that serueth and lyghteth many men / than that whiche serueth lyghteth but one man alone This worde fader our admonesteth vs to yelde thankynges with al our hertes of this grace whiche god hath done to vs / by whiche we ben his sones and his heyres / and that moche ardauntly we ought to loue our broder and fader Ihesu cryst whiche hath accompanyed vs with hym to this grace This worde our admonesteth that we kepe in our hertes the holy ghoost whiche is our wytnesse of this adopcyon ✿ ¶ And lyke as it were a gage or wedde This sayth the appostle saynt Poule By whome we be sure / that we shall haue the herytage of our fader our lorde Ihesu cryst / that is the glory of our fader of heuen This worde fader our techeth vs and sayth that we ben al brethren / bothe grete and small / poore and ryche / hygh and lowe / of one fader and of one moder That is of god and of holy chyrch And that no man ought for to dyspyse / ne myspryse an an other / but to loue hym as his owne broder / and that one ought to ayde and helpe an other / lyke as the membres do of one selfe body And also we ought to pray the one for that other lyke as sayd the blyssed appostle swete saynt Iames. And in this our prouffyte is moche grete / For whan that thou sayest thy prayers in comyn / thou hast parte in all the comynalte of our moder holy chyrche ¶ And for one Pater noster that thou sayest / thou wynnest more than an hondred thousand This worde our techeth vs to hate thre thynges in especyall Pryde Hate / and Auaryce Pryde putteth a man oute of companye / whā he wyll be aboue al other people Hate putteth hym oute of company For whan he hateth and warreth one / he warreth all the other Auaryce putteth hym out of companye For he wyll not hym self / ne that his thynges comyne with other And therfore suche people haue no parte ne cōpanye in the holy pater noster This worde our / sheweth that god is oures / yf it be not in our deffaulte / yf we wyll The fader the sone and the holy ghoost That is yf we kepe his commaundementes lyke as the gospell sayth ¶ Why we saye / qui es in celis Ca. lxxviii AS that I saye / qui es in celis / that is to saye / whiche art in heuen I saye two thynges / lyke as I shall saye The kynge is at parys I saye two thynges / that he is a kynge and that he is at parys Ryght so whā I saye
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
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
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