shulde be prysonede And saye if he wyll my ioyrney spede I shall forgyue the trespas That done to my god was ¶ Sydrac answered truly thus Grete wel the kynge Boccus And say also to hym so god me saue That I wyll no forgyfnes haue Of nothyng that I haue don amys But yf god that in heuyn is On his god hath shoyd power as he dyd se What wyll he forgyue that me But say to hym yf it be his wyll That I shall his seruyse fulfyll In god of heuyn trust he shall And his commaundment do all Than his grace and mercy I shall hym shewe apertly ¶ Anon the messyngers went Unto the kynge that them had sent And told hym what answere they had The kynge was wroth and bad That he shuld other dayes nyne In pryson lye and there pyne Whan the .ix. day was come and go The kynge sent hym agayne vnto The same bodyes lesse nor more That he sent to hym before And he his answer on them layd As he had before sayd Whan the kynge sawe at the last That his ioyrne was ouer cast And that he was a comfortlese man That without hym nothyng can He set hym forth anon ryght And made hym all the ioy he myght Sydrac anon before the kynge ¶ Seyd syr by god of all thynge The werke that thou hast to do Shall neuer endyng come vnto But thou wylt trust in god of lyght That all thyng made of his myght And yf that thou wylt hym se Apertly I shall shew hym the ¶ The kynge sayd than with wordes grym ¶ Let it so be than shew me hym And he be so good as thou prechest I shall beleue as thou me techest ¶ Whan he that herd anon Sydrac And went from hym a lytel whyle bake And set on his knees at the last His syth vp to heuen dyd cast And this prayer made he Lord god full of pyte That heryst all that call the to And madest heuen and erth also And aungells full of claryte Of wisdom also for to be Lucyfer by his pryde had a fall For lorde wold he abyn of all And thou lorde hym castest downe Into hell that foule pryson Than madest of erth slym Adam our father and puttest hym in Of thy grace gost of lyf And madest Eue to be his wyf Lorde that werkyst so perfytly I besech the inwardly That thou thy grace downe me sende This wycked people for to amende So that I haue no blame And that they worshype thy holy name Whan he had made his oryson An aungell came from heuyn downe And Sydrac truly this certyfyed That god had herd all that he desyred And has grawnted the thy bone This kynge shalt thou conuert sone Thou shalt ouercome by goddes grace The deuyll and his wickyd trace God hath graunted the myght And his grace shall be thy lyght Thou shalt to morowe vpon a trowe Party of goddes myght hym showe How he the world fyrst began And why that he made man Of the commyng a goddes sonne That in erth shall with you wone And of the antecryst with all That the world ende shall An erthen pot thou cause to be fet And vpon thre stakys it set In the name of the Trynyte One god and persones thre Fyll that pot with water clere And than call the kynge the nere Goddes grace than shalt thou se And shewe it hym and so shall he The aungell anon went his way Sydrac markyd well what he dyd say And at that had great reioysynge Geuynge lawde to god for so cumfortynge ¶ He callyd the kynge and sayd syr Wyll ye se that you desyre ¶ He was full wrouth I wys And sayd shew we what a is Which is better that wyll I se Our god y t thou hast brent or he Sydrac thre stakys toke anon And set an erthen pot thereon Than with water it dyd fyll He lokyd therein with good wyll Than callyd the kynge hym to And sayd behold here in loo The kynge beheld and than sawe he The vmbre of the Trynyte That of myght is truly most Father and sonne and holygost In heuyn all they syttyng wore And the aungelles them before Syngyng all that there wone ¶ Lo quod the father to the sonne The sonne to the holygost also And the holygost vnto them two Whan the kynge had sene that syght He was full ioyfull and full lyght He thought that he was in heuyn His blessydnes coud he not tell y t he had syn He told Sydrac how he fared And sayd vnto hym that all they herde I beleue in thy god I wys And in all thyng that of hym is Or euer was or euer shall be But I pray the tell now me That I the better beleue theron How than ar they thre in one ¶ Syr he sayd I shall you sho On what maner ye shall hym knowe Syr yf ye vnderstand verely The sonne in the sky shynyng bryghtly Thre thynges ar there innate And noman can them separat One is the sonne properly That ye se vpon the say A nother is the claryte That it gyuys to you and me And the hete is the thyrd That wyde in the world is spred Be the sonne I vnderstande The father that all thyng hath in hande And the sonne by the claryte For of the father come is he The holygost by the hete Thes ar the thre that I grete And all thre ar god but one As you may se the sonne vpon ¶ Boccus than is now in such gladnese That no man coud it exprese And on hye cryed and spake I beleue in thy god Sydrac Thre persones and one very god myghty To late I haue on hym be eued suerly The goddes that my fathers wore And my auncytors here before For sake I here for euer in say For his loue that all thyng may ¶ Whan the people that vnderstode They were for it ny wode And swore that Sydrac shuld dey For ofte that eny man cowd sey Sume wente mornyng alone And for the kynge made gret morne And sayd alas that he was borne Our kynge hath his wytte forlorne There withall they came hym to And sayd syr thou hast mysdo Full wroght than ar thy meyne All that to the trusty shuld be That thou hast a wich beleued And thy good god renayed That thy father and forgoars all Had full dere and dyd on call Now hast thou hym by thy assent Confoundyd and in fyre brent ¶ The kynge sayed vnto all them You wote neuer what ye mene Therfor I haue hym forsakyn And vnto a nother god me taken Longe I haue bene in the darke nyght I take me now to the sonne lyght Ye are of this thynge full lewde For Sydrac that had me shewed The vmbre of the trynyte And that our fathers and we Haue beleued in goddes fals bad And a feble lyfe haue we had But now haue I hym in mynde That may bothe lose and tynde In his lawe soth to say Than wyll I both lyue and
but a twynkelyng of an eye ¶ The .xxxvij. questyon ¶ Is god of great yeldyng to tho That ryght in his seruyce here go IN al the worlde ne is no man That maye thynke ne tell can The good the honour in many wyse That god gyueth man for his seruyse That in hym ttusteth and in his myght And his coÌ„maundment doth aryght And short coÌ„maundment ordenyd hath he Do good and lete euyl be His sonne shall he send here doune To dye for mannys saluacyon And tho that his seruyse haue in mynde In his blys they shall it fynde For he shall them worshype more Than eny aungel that is thore ¶ The .xxxviij. questyon ¶ The people that in y t tyme shal be Of goddys sonne whan come is he ¶ And after shall they comenly Beleue in hym stedfastly ALl shall they in hym theyr trewth ley His own folke that is to sey But all shall they gatherede be Of dyuers spech and sondre countre But they shall not euerychon Haue coÌ„maundment after one Thâ— coÌ„maundment as men shall se Of goddys sonne shall truly one be After hym his mynisters twelue Shall coÌ„maund that selue But they that come after tho That in stede of mynisters shall go They shall well beholde and fynde The feblenes of mannes kynde And lyghter commaundment for that skyl Shall they make the folke vntyl And eche nacyon shall wene that he Be better than any other be But of them shal be at the fyne As it dothe by a great gardyne Where in many trees standeth And eche of them frewte bereth The tre that best frewte berys Be they appulles or be they peres The plentuousest of berynge And of best sauour in etynge That tre shall the gardynere Most loue and serue in tyme of yere Aâ—so they that shall best byleue In goddes sone and theyr harte hym geue And best shall here in erthe do Whan tyme cometh there vnto They shall most worshypped be In heuen before the Trinite A myrrour that they shall beholde and se Full of ioy that of no tong may expressed be ¶ The .xxxix. question ¶ What coÌ„maundment by thy leue Shall goddes sone his folke geue IT shal be loue and abstynence And charyte and pacyence And that no man other do Than he wolde were done hym to God hymselfe for mannes loue Shall sende his sone from aboue And shall fele here abstynence And sufferaunce and pacyence And bytter deth at the last His folke out of payne to cast And who so beholde these fowre thynges All goodnes out of them sprynges For he that good loue hathe in god Loue in hymselfe is not all odde And he that hathe abstynence And charyte and pacyence And haueth the loue of god with all No doute he shall haue the lyfe eternall ¶ The .xl. questyon ¶ The blesfulest thynge after thy wyt And dygniest and fayrest whiche is it A Sowle that is good of man Of all thynges that I tell can Is the fayrest thynge that maye be For bryghter than the sonne is he And a worthyer thynge is there nought Of all that god in erthe hath wrought For of goddes owne onde it came Whan god blewe on Adam Therfore are aungels set therto To kepe it in all that they maye do ¶ Also the blysfullest it is For it is ordayned to that blys There neuer ende shal be Of ioye and blysse and game and gle And god gaue coÌ„maundement to al thynge For to serue man his blyssynge Than is mannes sowle blysfulest tho And worthyest and fayrest also ¶ The .xlj questyon ¶ The fowlest y e ê‘elousest thynge to se And most wyckedest which may that be Wycked sowle of man I wysse Is the fowlest thyng that is So harde harted man is none And he a wycked sowle sawe one In the ryght lykenes of it That he ne shulde lese his wyt Also it is perelouse For it gothe to a velayne howse There parell is and moche wo Where it neuer shall come fro The most cursyd is it aye For goddes sone on domes daye Before all his aungels thore Shal curse it for euermore And of the payne that it shall to Aungels and Archangels also Shall haue bothe ioye and blysse For that it had done amys ¶ The .xlij. questyon ¶ The good sowles shal they ought For y e wyckyd sorow or take thought GOod men whan the wyckyd spyl Shalbe al of goddys wyl And whaÌ„ they y e dome haue sene Of them y t agayn god hath bene They shal be demt froÌ„ goddis face Which shulbe al theyr solace For the dome shal be ryghtwyse That god shal gyue his enemyes And whan they are in al theyr paynes A monge the other hell hownes The good sowles shal glade be Them in theyr paynes on to se As we haue game to beholde Fysshe swyme in the water colde ¶ The .xliij. questyon ¶ Whether is better so god y e saue Helth or syknes for to haue HElth of sowle is good to wynne To kepe it out of dedly synne For whan it is hole and fayre Of heuyn blys it shal be heyre And his dwellyng with god shal be For his laboure and dylygence If thou haddyst now a knyght That ware strong and stowt in fyght And ware hold bolde and hardy Hym thou woldyst holde the by And thou shuldyst in to fyght And ware he syke and of no myght No where woldyst thou with hym yede Wher thou shuldyst stonde in drede Lyke maner it is of sowles hele God wyl not with that sowle dele That feble is by the syknes of synne But he wyl therof blynne Ageyne the helth of the body To agood man saye I sykerly Is better hole than syke to be For in goodnes his helth vsyth he And they that lyue in synne and wo Sycknes is best for them tho Which for the payne of theyr sycknesse Shal they synne yet the lesse And withdrawe them therfro That in helth shuld not so do ¶ The .xliiij. questyon ¶ What poure is it y t wold I lere That god hath gyuen to sowle here GOd hath geuen sowle vnto Akyngdome for to rule also That yf he kepe it aryght His kynges sete shal be dyght Before god in heuen blys And god shal saye to hym this Come my dere sone to me The kyngdome that I behyght the Thou hast it so kepte in all thynge That thou art worthy to be a kyng Therfore shalte thou crowned be Before my fathers maieste The sowle for the kyng take I And for the kyngdome the body And the commaundment of eche good kyng In his land shuld be done aboue all thynge Therfore what so the sowle wyll The body shuld it do with skyll And but the body do also As the sowle counsaylethe hym to Bothe together they shuld be cast In fyre of hell at the last ¶ The .xlv questyon ¶ When goddes sone to y e erth is sent And agayne to heuen is went Shall he any gouernour leue here In this world the folke to
wysdom can Or els ware beast lyke to man Beastes and foules and fysshes al Haue no sowl ryghtly to cal If thou say as some men do Al that lyueth hath sowle ther to Trough which sowl the body sterys Etyth drynketh seyth and herys It is no sowle it is but an onde That god hath lent thē here we haue fonde For no good ne can they do But that man them noryssheth to Than haue they wyt of mannys techynge But of them selfe haue they nothynge If wyt of them selfe wore Theyr sowle ware of myght the more But theyr sowle that I a yeanyng cal Whan the body ded shal fall It faryth as an onde of thy mouth Whan it is gon no man it couth But vanysshys in the ayre awaye And no lengar ne dure may ¶ The .lxxj. questyon ¶ They y t in tyme of goddis sonne be Shal they lyue as longe as we OF body such as now are we But so great shal they not be And we are now of lengar lyfe Than shal be than man or wyfe For the world is now stalworthyare Than shal be than and myghtyare And the erth gyueth vs to More frute than it shal them do And the plenty that the erth yeldys Both in woddes and in feldys Is now of moch more myght Than it shal be than with ryght And the wyne is strongar now Than shal be than and to more prow Wherfore ought we by ryght nature Haue lengar lyfe and lengar to endure Than they that in thos dayes are And febleare so forth shal they fare For he that may than the people amonge Lyue a C. yere he lyueth longe And euer shal men dounwarde go Of lyfe and of strength also But in wyt wax they shal And in malyce with all And of theyr bodyes lessen shal Twyxen this and domys day ¶ The .lxxij. questyon ¶ Tel me now some ensure How longe this world shal endure NO man in erth may veryly The preuyte know of goddys secresy It is so great that wyte it ne can Nother beast aungel ne man Ne no thyng but it be he That with god be full preue And that he loueth alther most As his sone or the holy gost For they with hym are all one In godhed or els wote it none For euery erthely man wyl nought Tel to euery man his thought Ne his wyl in preuyte But yf he preuy with hym be Also reserueth god hym to Many thynges that he wyl do That he wyl of no kowlegynge Geue to man ne to nothynge But to his owne sone onely For he is next and most hym by And that tyme that goddes sone Shal in erthe a man here wone Men shal hym aske yf the worlde here Shal endure seuen thousand yere And anone answere he shall And saye ye and more withall For of the fathers preuyte Of the more shal none the wyser be We fynde wele that god of heuen Hath made planettes seuen The world to kepe by daye and nyght And to eueryone geueth that is his myght And euery one is assyngned to A thousand yere to kepe also And whan euery one haueth on this wyse A thousand yere done his seruyse Than shal euer god fulfyll The world longer at his wyll For as al planettes gouernours be Euenso gouerneth them he And for he is aboue all Wote none but he what shal befall ¶ The .lxxiij. questyon ¶ Leue ony men in the world mo Out of the erthe that we on go Syr yles are many in the see A thousand fourehōdred two ther be Some are inhabyted men withall And some not nor neuer shall There are some that men in dwell Of our lykenes euery dell And of hyth but hanfulls thre And berdes hangyng to theyr kne Theyr here downe to theyr helys is Of flesshe they fede both of goose and gryce Theyr beastes are small euerychone A speche they haue by them alone ¶ A nother yle is by the see And therin are smal meyne A spanne longe are they and nomore And all of fysshe lyue they thore In the water are they be lyght And vp on londe they are on nyght ¶ Yet there other yles be With men al so great as we With one eye in the front no more And vs with two they drede ful sore They ete flesshe and with the fellys Clothe they them and with nothynge ellys ¶ Yet there is a nother also The folke that longeth therto Are tayled ryght as shepe eche one And then lyue by fysshe alone ¶ Yet is there one of oure shapnesse But they are moche lesse And they are euer in fyght and were Agayne a great maner of fowle is there In colde wynter tho fowles great Take they and hold them for theyr mete ¶ A nother is there yet nere hand There is a maner foule dweland Thoughe they were in fyre brought Brenne ne shuld theyr fethers nought ¶ A nother folke is there feyre and sounde That haue vysage lyke a hounde ¶ Yet is there folke in a countre And feble and lene they be On sonne and on the mone they byleue And sacryfyce to them they geue But when they wyl sacrifyce make Sum wyl his best frendis take And praye hym company hym bere At the sacrifyce he shal do there Than shal he cause to be made a fyre And when it brenneth ful shyere Than shal he crye that al may here For loue of the sonne so dere Or the mone whether it be Or an ymage made of tre Lepe I in this fyre al hote For my meryte wel I wote Thus hym selfe there he brenneth And the deuyl his soule wynneth And tho that bere hym company Anone shal do the same foly The tother folke aboute bydene Syt tyl they be brenned ful clene And than shal they theyr asshes take And relykes shal they therof make ¶ Another lande there is also That sacryfyce the deuyl vnto Of theyr bodyes and are ful blythe They cause to be made a sharpe sythe In lykenes of a hors sho And that shal haue haftes two By the heere than shall he hanged be Hye on lofte that men may se The sythe in his necke shal men laye The haftes in his handes twey And he shal crye as a man in a rage For the loue of his ymage That is my god this shal I do And kerue his owne necke in two The hede hangeth styll on hye The body falleth hastely That body shal be with honoure takyn And done out all that is therin And salted as they wyl it haue And by that ymage do it graue Upon the graue shal wryten be His owne name and howe that he Made to that ymage sacryfyce And on what daye and in what wyse ¶ Another maner is there yet Of folke that are of lytell wyt Whan they sacrafyce shuld make A hye tree they do take And do styke it in a place With many about makyng solas And aboute that same tre Foure swerdis naked shal set be The poyntes vpward
he be good of al dedys His synne doth no man dere But al one he shal hym bere And god alone he synneth to And that may he sone fordo With almes dede or other thyng But he that is of wickyd beryng And of wickyd dedes blynne ne can He synneth both to god and man And lyghter is it for to wynne Forgyfnes of god of synne Than of god and man both For the mo that are to hym wrought The more labour pees to make For the better caas than wold I it take For to leue chastyte Than wickyd worke and chast to be ¶ The C.xl. questyon ¶ What thyng may it euer make Erth dyn y t doth the erth quake EXalacyons hote and drye That are drawen vp ryght hye And there with cloudes dryuen fast And hard downe to erth cast Which in to the cleft of the erth go As the cloudes shones them fro Comyth than hote wether and rayne Which spereth y e cleftes of the erth agayne The exalacyons dwel therin Spered and may not out wynne To and fro they moue them thore But out may they no whore And yf the exalacyon be Gathered ther great quantyte So hard meue them they shal That the erth quakyth with al And somtyme more somtyme lesse After as it is of mykelnesse ¶ The C.xli. questyon ¶ Tel me now yf thou cone Wherof is y e eclyps of sonne mone OF y ◠mone is eclyps no dowte In ful mone or there about whā y e ful mone stādithe south The sonne is than north A shadow of the erth ryseth sone Ascendyng vp a boue the mone And houeth long whyle of the nyght Betwyx her and the sonnys lyght For lyght hath the mone none But that the sonne her smyteth on And so the mone her lyght leues For the shadowe it reues But as she goys and her pace makys Fro the shadow lyght she takys Eclyps of the sonne comenly Is in the new mone or there by Whan the mone is new ryght She is darke with out lyght And that tyme the sonne and she Be one syde of the sky shal be And the sonne beme as it is wone Shuld lyght doune on the mone But yf the mone vnder alyne fall Lyne of eclyps that we call Lyght she taketh nought anon Unto she before be gon But vnto that she there shal houe Be twyx vs and the sonne aboue Her derknes ronnyth from our syght Moch of the sonnys lyght This is the kyndest eclyps to se That may of the sonne be Other eclyps thre we fynde Of the sonne agaynst kynde One came in tyme of Noe Agayne that the dyluny shuld be Another shal be in soth to sey I◠tyme that goddys sonne dey And in the byrth shal be the thryde Of the antechryst as shal be kydde ¶ The C.xlij. questyon ¶ Sterres that men se fall How fall they frō whēs cōe they all UNderstand syr vyturly That no sterres fall fro the sky But I shal tel the what it may be That the folke so fallyng se It is a fyre that is abydyng In the hyest of the ayre brennyng Next to the spere of fyre And whan the nyght somtyme is shyre Sparcles of that fyre clere That moch hane of theyr matere Falle and perce the ayre on nyght And come so vnto our syght And semyth as it were a sterre That by the sky dyd slyde there For a sparkel comyng from so hye Unto a sterre is ful lykely ¶ The .xliij. questyon ¶ Tel me now or we further fare How many heuens that there are WE lay y t there are heuens thre Wherof the one is that we se Turnyng about and is the sky And that heuen is bodyly And to our syght it is blew As it ware of asur hewe The tother heuyn of to tel Is there good aungels dwel That is goostly and is al Of hew as it ware crystal The thyrd is goddys se Where he sytteth in maieste Therin is moch blys And of the gold of hew it is Of seuen heuyns also we tel For seuen planetes that therin dwel But ryghtly of heuens to lere So are no mo but thes thre here ¶ The C.xliiii questyon ¶ Tel me now how hye the heuyn Aboue the erth is for to neuen SO hye is heuyn the erth fro That yf it were now also That a stone in heuyn wore And weyed a hundreth stone and more And it shuld from heuyn fall Unto ground among vs all It shuld be seuen yere Or it to ground came here And neuer thelesse so fare they are That a good sowle shuld fare Fro erth in to heuen stye In the twynkelyng of an eye ¶ The C.xlv questyon ¶ The fyrmament that we ouer vs se Of what myght may it be WHo so knowe it al aryght The firmamēt is of great might Euer abought it turneth aye And resteth neuer nyght nor day For this world had no festenyng Ne ware his aboute turnyng Ware it that it styl stode There nys man ne fysshe in flode Foule ne beast ne nothyng here That lyfe hath that ought myght stere All that euer we stere or go Or flyt other to or fro Al together is vs lent Of the turnyng of the fyrmament Therfore may thou se Iwys That of moche myght it is ¶ The C.xlvi questyon ¶ Tel me now of what myght The planetes are what they hyght PLanettes gouerneth al thyng That lyueth or hath in erth waxyng And eche planet of his kynde To norysshe and geue his mynd Of the chylde eche alyke Whyle the mother go therwith quyke Ech one than shapyth his Of euery lyme that in hym is And of planetes are but seuen Who 's names I shal to the reken ¶ Saturnus the fyrst we cal He is hyest of them al Most and strongest is he And he passyth in his countre The .xii. sygnes be one and one And he dwellyth in ech one Or he passe halfe thre yere And his planet of power The man that is borne therin And he dounward go to begyn Dounward shal he go of myght with al And yf he regne regne he shal And this planet regnyth of power Onys in a thyrty yere And his regne and his myght Is in a sygne that Lybra hyght And dounward he rest takes To a sygne hyght aries ¶ The secounde planet is Iupyter He is not from vs so fer Of great ryches planet is it Of marchaundyse and of great wyt And among men of good loos And be the .xii. sygnes he goos Dwellyng in ech one A yere or he about haue gon The man borne in hym that is Of .xii. yere best of state he is I wys In canser he regnes harde In Caprycorne he goyth dounwarde ¶ The thyrde planet Mars is hyght Planet of warre and fyght And of blode spyllyng there men dey By the .xii. sygnes lyeth his wey And in ech one truly dwellyth Fourty dayes or he passyth He that is borne in that planet Within a yere may he byete And
heuyn blys That nothyng here haue don amys ¶ The C.lxxxvij questyon ¶ Do men the rych honour ech one And vnto the pouer eyhgt none In the other world also As men here in this do ARych man more honour shal haue In other world than he can craue And the pouer more shame suffer Than eny man here and greatter The rych there shal honour fynde And the pouer set behynde But they haue no man there dere After as he was rych here Understand now yf thou can Al the ryches of the man Is the sowle that hym is in And yf it be clene out of synne It is noble and rych Hym shal aungels of make mych And worshyp do to hym truly For the goodnes that he is rych by The pouer sowle that synful is Shal nother haue honour ne blys The aungels turne theyr face therfro For it for pouert goyth to wo Worshyp gettyth it ryght none Ware it rych it had good wone But his ryches was al spent And from hym clenely it went Whan he goddys precept forsoke And to deedly synne hym toke Therfore after as his ryches wore Is he worthy to be honoured thore ¶ The C.lxxxviij questyon ¶ Shal the father bere eny bourthyn For his sonne or his sonne for hym THe father of the sonne shal bere No burthen that hym may dere Ne the sonne not charged is With that the father doth amys Ech man of his owne synne Is charged that he deyes in But for the sonne the father may Be charged oft and euery day As yf that the sonne mysdo And the father wote that it be so And chastyse hym not of his synne But sufferyth hym to be therin He synnes al so wel as he And for hym charged shal be The sonne for his dede doyng And the father for his sufferyng But the father is charged nought Of that that the sonne wrought But that he myght a hym corrected If he had to hym ought seyed But by sufferaunce ther is he in nede Charged for his sonnys mysdede ¶ The C.lxxxix questyon ¶ They that slee men and vndo Take they theyr synne them vnto NAy synne y t one man hath wrought May charge a nother nought No man with ryght may other slo For no mysdede ne for no wo But yf it by lordshyp be That of god hath the pouste Iustyce for to do the ryght Therto is hym geuen myght And yf aman for wrath or hate Sle another in the gate The synne of the ded chargys hym nought Hym that hym to ded brought But what he dyd euyl or wele Shal cleue by hymselfe euery dele Nought than may be of godys mercy That he that ys slayne wrongfully May of som synne releasyd be For the sharp dede that he Agaynst ryght was brought vnto And he that hym slew also Encresyth his synne where he goyth By also many as he sleyth For greatter synne nought tel I can Than wylfully to slee a man ¶ The C. lxxxx questyon ¶ Which is most sorow thynkyth the That thou heryst or doest se SIght of eye wyl more dere Than that a man here 's with ere For that a man sees with eye That may be no flatery For he sees al the dede doyng And al the sorowe of that thyng That moste go ryght nere the herte And doth it aldermost smert For olde men say and it is newes That eyne ne se herte ne rewes But that a man is told vnto He wottyth neuer yf it be so And though he trow he say aryght Yet deryth it nothyng the syght For the herte thynketh as it wold It is not perchaunce as it is tolde And thus conforteth he vyturly Al the wyttes of the body Syght of eye is bodely And heryng of ere is goostly Ryght as the wynde so is heryng That is herde and sene nothyng Wherfore more sorow is to se Than to here what so it be ¶ The C. lxxxxj questyon ¶ Myght men eny folke synde That etyth other agayne kynde HE that trauayles day and nyght To hurte his neyghbor with vnryght To lese his good that he wan With trauayle or craft that he can And that he shuld his lyfe with lede For to clothe hym with and to fede Me thynke he byteth hym very sore And eteth hym as that it wore Yet is there another manere Aman to ete another here Yf he a lesyng on hym lye Wherfore he hathe great vylonye Or sayth of hym euyl behynd his backe Or before men maketh of hym alacke He eteth hym without methe Thoughe he not byte hym with his tethe And he that sleeth aman also And hath no cause ther vnto Or for gyft that hym is hyght Forsothe he than hym eteth ryght And more maners theâ—e is of mete That aman may another ete ¶ The C. lxxxxij questyon ¶ Which is the worst thyng of thes thre Morder thefte or a slanderer to be TO be a slanderer is a wycked lyfe For he maketh ofte great stryfe He is aboute day and nyght To make debate vnto his myght And so may he by wickyd rede Be encheson a man to be deed Wherfore it is great folye To haue such one in company Theft also is great synne For he that wyl neuer blynne To stele his neyghbor fro That he hath byde for moch wo And so doth he agayne hym dryue In wo and trauayl to lyue Or to begge for euer more Loke what synne he doys thore But the most synne of al tho Is man to murdre and slo For he destroyeth that stature That god made after his fygure And reues lyfe ther it shuld be And goddys seruyse so lettyth he Mannys lycknes slo shal he nought Ne none but god that hym hath wrought ¶ The C. lxxxxiij questyon ¶ Forgeuyth god with good chere Al the synnes that a man doth here IF al the droppes in the see And grasses that in erth may he And al the leues men can neuen And al the sterres of heuen And al the fysshes that swyme can And al the heres of beast and man Ware al on one synne brought The tenthdele ne were they nought Of the mercy of god of heuen For that may no man sume ne reken Had aman done al the synne That al this world durst begyn And he had sorow in herte therfore And wold leue and do no more God wold on hym haue mercy And forgeue it hym redely Admyttyng hym among his meyne And of his turnyng glade be But he that leuyth not his synne Ne nought therof wyl blynne Nother mercy wyl craue He is worthy none to haue For who so askys vnworthely It may be denyed iustly ¶ The C. lxxxxiiij questyon ¶ Why trauaylys aman so In this world as men do FOr two thynges pryncypaly The one to susteyne the body The other that it strong be To serue god in Trynyte As in prayer and almesdede For tho wyl the sowle fede And to gather haue in mynde To leue his chyldren and
vpon a tree Whan a wynde it touches ought It fallyth vnto ground for nought The old man is in that caas A lytel ese whan that he has He fallyth a slepe quyte And that is greatly his delyte For feble reynes and heuy bonys That causyth hym to slepe for the nonys ¶ The CC.xxvj questyon ¶ If god had so great a mā wrought As al the world myght he ought Haue stond agayne god ryght Thrughe vertu of his myght HAd he made so great aman As any man recken can As al the world dale or doune Woode water feld or toune Agayne god had he no mayne More than an aunte hath hym agayne And yet a thowsand tymes lesse Than hath the aunte in his greatnesse For god with word euynly wrought Heuyn erth and al of nought And wold he byd them synke It shuld be don as thou coudest thynke Seyng he erth and henyn may vndo Euyn with his word also And is but apoynt of his myght Moch more than with ryght Is the remnaunt of his pouste Wherfore to hym may nothyng be ¶ The CC.xxvij questyon ¶ What shuld this word haue be how Had god not dyght it as it is now IT shuld haue be more ne lesse Than a fowle dale of darknesse Or as a darke pryson pyt And nothyng shuld haue aluted it The elements that we now calle Shud haue be troblyd to gether al And god shuld neuer thelesse in blys Haue byn and rought nothyng of this But for the creaturs sake That god wold afterward make The elementes claryfyed he Settyng ech one ther they shuld be And dyghtyd al thynges to mannys prow Also as that they are now ¶ The CC.xxviij questyon ¶ Wether the aūgels of goddys onde cā As dyd the sowle fyrst of Adam ADamys sowle so was wrought Of goddys flate but aungel nought They were of goddys worde alone He bad them be and they were echone But god blewe vpon Adam Goost of lyfe and he forth came Wherfore adam and his ospryng That stedfastly ouer al thyng Trust in god and beleue shal And his byddyng do with al Dygnyer before god shal be Than aungels be resons thre Fyrst he hathe lyfe that may not wonde Of the spririte of goddes onde And that was hygher to my thynkyng Than aungel that came ofspekyng Also aman has enemyes To tempte hym were he goth or lyes And aungel in no temptyng is Wherfore he may not do amys And he that the temptyng withstandis And cometh not in the deuyls handis He is more dignyer than he That in no temptyng may be The thyrd cause then is also That god hath set aungel therto To kepe man both fer and hende And fro al euyl hym to defende And from al encombrement But yf hym selfe therto assent And yf aungel mannys seruaunt be Than is agood man dygnyer than he ¶ The CC.xxix questyon ¶ Now wold I know I wys What thyng is heuynly paradyse HEuynly paradyse than is Nothyng but that same blys That a man hath of the syght Of goddys face that is so bryght For he that sees hym face to face He hath al maner of grace Ioy and delyte endlesse to be Helth fayrhed strenght and lewte Wyt and conyng with ryches also God for his myght send vs therto ¶ The CC.xxx. questyon ¶ The fayrest thyng in this world to se That god made which may it be AMan than is the fayrest thyng That is in erth af goddys makyng And the louelyest of vysage For he hym made after his ymage And for man made sonne and mone With al thynges that vnder wone And also as he wold make Al thynges for mannys sake Seruyse vnto man to do So wil he man to hym shal do ¶ The CC.xxxj questyon ¶ Whether oughtest thou to loue alday That loue the or that y e louest me say THou shalte loue that loueth the And that thou louest some lat be For thou louest some parauenture That of the take ful lytel cure And but thou loue with al shy meyne Hym that loueth the agayne Than wyl I saye thou louyst nought God that at his lykenes the wrought And who so loueth synne here He loueth the deuyl to haue to fere And he ne loueth here no man But to shende al that he can And to put hym in payne and wo Lo what wyse he loueth tho The good he hateth day and nyght But them to dere he hathe no myght For god defendes them with his myght And loueth al that loueth hym a ryght Therfore they that great loue hath the tyl Loue hym agayne for that is skyl ¶ The CC.xxvii questyon ¶ Which are the worthyest wordes y t be And gras and stones as thynketh the GOd gaue vnto thynges thre Moch vertu and potence And to mannes helpe eche one To worde to gras and to stone The worthyest word and most of myght For to saye day or nyght Is to worshyp heuen kyng And pray hym after good endyng For yf this word be worthely spoken It shal be hard fro erth to heuen Also grasses are there feele Made vnto mannys hee le But of so many is there one That may werst be forgone That is where to fode of man Worthyar grasse not I tel can Also are ther many stones Of great vertu for the nones But mylle stones are they tho That man may not wel forgo For the gryndyng of the corne They may werst be forborne And seyng al haues of them nede That with brede shal them fede Worthyest stone I them call Among other stones al ¶ The CC.xxxiij questyon ¶ Shalt thou thy counsel tel euery dele To thy frend that thou louest wel COunsel ought to be tolde To hym that thou al haue wolde Which is god and man elles For he wyl hele that thou telles If thou thy frend tel it vnto It may after befalle so That that frendshyp may ouer go And thy frende becomyth thy fo Than may thou say yf the lyste Now wottyth my foo that my frynd wyst Or yf thou thy frende it sey And wenyst he shal the not wrey And he tellys it preuely Unto another frend hym by And he the fourth as may welbe This may it not long be preuete For that many mouthes wote On some tonge it lyes ful hote Thus myght thou come in blame therfore Wherfore bettar vntolde it wore If thou a preuete haue wrought And thy herte may hele it nought Thynkyng it sadnes in the ryght Untyl thou haue told it to some wyght Go from the folke be the alone That no man here the make no mone And call it than thy selfe to As thou woldest to a nother do Whan thou hast told thy herte shal keel And no more anguyshe shalt thou fele If thou no wayes may it hold Tyl thou haue it a nother told Loke thou tel it to such one That thou may wel trust vpon That he wyl tel it on no syde For no wrath that may be tyde ¶ The CC.xxxiiij questyon ¶ Which are