vs. VnÌ„ pa. ad phi ii XpÌ„s factus eÌ„ ê“ nobis obediens deo patri vsque ad morteÌ„ morteÌ„ auÌ„t crucis And of the appostles it is wryten that incontynent that our lorde them called they were obedyent yode after him Vnde mat ix .iiii. Relictis oibê° secutisuÌ„t euÌ„ Also whaÌ„ the appostylles were reproued of the prynces of the preestes that they ne kepte theyr coÌ„maundement they answered illud actuuÌ„ iiii Obedire oportet ded magis quam hoiÌ„bus That is to saye that it behoueth to obeye vnto god more sooner than vnto the wyll of prynces / in lyke wyse sholde we do and we shall haue paradyse C. ¶ Another example of the obedyence of saynt Mor. lii IT is wryten in the legende of saint Mor howe saynt benoyst knewe in spyryte that the water of a ryuer bare awaye a chylde that was fallen in it / he called one of his dyscyples named Mor coÌ„maunded hym to renne after the chylde / whiche was obedyente yode aboue the water after it He founde hym brought hym by the heer hole and sounde And whan he was out of the water he loked behynde hym / he meruaylled apperceyued the myracle that he grauÌ„ted vnto the merytes of his mayster And saynt benoist sayd that it was by the obedyence of saynt Mor. D. ¶ Another example of a relygyous the whiche bounde a lyon lii IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders that an abbot coÌ„mauÌ„ded his relygyous y he sholde go seche hym a lion the whiche was a moche cruell beest / he theder yode by obedyence / he founde hym / bouÌ„de hyÌ„ ledde hym vnto the sayd abbot as a man wolde haue do a symple and swete beest / Whan he ranne after hym that he had sayd vnto hym Myn abbot hathe coÌ„mauÌ„ded me that I sholde bynde that and brynge that vnto hym Whan the sayd abbot sawe the beest wolde humble hym vnto his relygyous sayd vnto hym Baneur vnbynde hyÌ„ wherfore hast thou brought hym In this dede here all relygyous maye knowe that it is a grete thyng of the vertue of obedyence Also it is to be noted that the good abbot ne praysed his relygyous of drede of vayn glorye / but blamed hym for to meke hym E. ¶ Another example of a relygyous the whiche watered a drye busshe lii WRyten it is in the lyfe of faders how an abbot set a drye busshe coÌ„mauÌ„ded vnto his relygyous that he sholde water it euery day tyll that it bare fruyte And that he shold go seche of water in suche a fouÌ„tayne the whiche was so ferre of that whan he parted in the mornynge it was nyght whan he came agayne The sayd relygyous was obedient vnto his abbot / watered it by the space of thre yere euery daye And by his obedyence the logge waxed grene bare fruyte / was giuen to the freres saynge that they sholde ete of the fruyte of obedyence By this example it behoueth to vnderstonde that it is a grete thynge of the vertue of obedyence syth that a drye logge bare fruyte For it is a thyÌ„ge contrary vnto nature F. Another example of a religious wryter IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders that an abbot hadde a dyscyple named marc that he loued for his obedyence / he had of other dyscyples that were sory that the abbot loued better marc than them After that these other auÌ„cyentes herde this thynge they came vnto him to shewe how the freres that were with hym were sory / before that he vnto them confessed ony thynge ledde him into the chambres of euery of them called theÌ„ by theyr propre names / sayd vnto them brederne come ye forthe / for I haue to be besy with you / none of them ne wold come oute forthe After they yode vnto the dore of marc incontynente that the abbot had stryken called hym by his propre name he came forthe wtout taryeng the abbot entred demaunded what he made / he sayd that he wrote / had lefte his lettre imparfayte whan he herde hym call And the other auncyentes sayd vnto hym Truely we loue hym in the thynge that thou loueste hym / also god loueth hym for his obedyence This example denoteth that all good relygyous sholde obeye vnto theyr prelates redely without heuynes / or dilacyon / they shal haue praysyng before god the world G. ¶ Another example how obedyence ê“cedeth the other vertues in heuen IT is wryten in the life of faders how foure brederne came vnto the abbot pambo with robes of skinnes / euery of theÌ„ shewed the vertue that one of the other in the abscence of hym of the whiche men spake the one of them fasted moche / the other ne posseded nothynge / the thyrde had grete charite Of the .iiii. they said that he had be xxii yeres in grete obedyence The abbot pambo answered theym I saye you that the vertue of this here that hathe had obedyence is more grete than the other For euery of you hathe reteyned his propre wyll with the vertue the whiche possedeth / this here renounceth vnto his propre wyll maketh hymselfe seruauÌ„t of a straunge wyll Vnto a relygyous it apperteyneth greate rewarde / for at euery houre his wyll is broken Whan he is layde in his bedde we le at ease / also it behoueth that he aryse to go to matynes by obedyence / that his wyll be broke And also of the masse of other houres hym behoueth to leue all other wylles for to go theder And also these relygyous maye not go in no place without lycence / of the prelate / for they ben dyspoylled of theyr propre willes so that they ne haue neque velle neque nolie And therfore they ne may leue more grete thynge than theyr propre wylles c. Also it appereth that vnto a good religious obedyence it apperteyneth to haue greate rewarde in paradyse The whiche rewarde vnto them is kepte after the dethe Of the whiche speketh saynt poule in his epystle ad co quam oculos noÌ„ vidit nec auris audiuit nec iÌ„ cor hoiÌ„s asceÌ„dit qÌ„ preperauit deus diligentibus se H. ¶ Another example how relygyous obedience haue grete reward in paradise IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders that how a holi fader sawe in heuen iiii ordres of people The fyrst was of seke meÌ„ whiche yelde thankes vnto god in theyr sekenes The seconde was of men hospytalers that lodged the poore mynystred vnto them theyr necessites The thyrde ordre of people were solytayres that lyued wtout seynge ony persone The .iiii. ordre was of people submytte to obeye vnto the people spyrytuell for the loue of god This .iiii. ordre that was obeyssaunce had in heuen more grete merite rewarde than the other For these obedyentes haue crowne and ceptre of gold And the holy fader the whiche sawe these sayd
haste not thou departed tyll vnto this houre And he answered no / for thou hast not gyuen me leue And the auncient sayd / wherfore haste thou not waked me He answered I had drede to dystourbe the The sayd auncyent rose hym vp / said matynes and instructe his dyscyple / afterwarde gaue vnto hym leue for to slepe / as the sayd auncyent satte hym alone he was as in a traunce And he sawe an aungell the whiche shewed vnto hym a gloryous place and a syege in that place / vppon the sayd syege seuen crownes And the said auncyent asked hym the whiche shewed vnto hym that thynge in demaundynge vnto whom the sayd syege was and the crownes He answered vnto thy discyple / he hathe deserued to haue the place and the syege for the good conuersacyon of him / and he hathe deserued to haue the seuen crownes in this nyght And the sayd auncyent had meruayll / called his dyscyple and demaunded hym what he had done the said nyght He answered that he had nothyng done And the auncyent wende that by humylyte he ne wolde confesse vnto hym / sayd vnto hym I shall not be contente with the yf thou tell me not what thou hast done or thought this nyght And the sayd dyscyple doubted and thought that he sholde answere / and for that that the auncyente hadde commaunded hym to tell He answered I haue done none other thyng but that I haue thought seuen tymes was moche impugned in my thoughte that I sholde go my waye and that I sholde slepe before that thou had gyue me leue / but for that that thou haddest not gyue me leue I yode not but susteyned resysted tyl that thou were waked and that thou haddest gyuen me thy benedyccyon Whan the said auncyent herde these wordes he vnderstode that at all the tymes that he resysted in his thought as many tymes he deserued to haue crowne of god And therfore a maÌ„ sholde resyst vnto all yll thoughtes for to haue vyctorye agayne the deuyll / and for to haue rewarde in paradyse c. B. ¶ Another example how that a relygyous apostate the whiche repented hym it appereth that the wyll of a body is reputed for the dede Cii IT is wryten in libro cesarii that sâ—ynt bernarde had a monke the whiche lefte the habyte of his ordre by the admonycyon of the deuyll and toke to gouerne a parysshe And engendred a sone and a doughter on a concubyne Than it befel that after that he had dwelled there many yeres his abbot past by the parysshe wherin the sayd monke enhabyted / came to lodge in his house withoute that that he knewe ony thynge and without knowynge hym Albeit the monke knewe hym wele receyued hym also proprely as his owne fader / and vnto hym he admynystred vnto his compaygnons vnto theyr marys all haboundauntly in theyr necessytes Erly in the mornynge whan saynt bernarde had sayd matyns he was prepared to goo his waye And hadde not spoken vnto the monke for that that he was gone ryght erly vnto the chirche He sayd vnto the preestes sone Go and bere suche message vnto thy mayster / that chylde was dombe from his natyuyte the whiche was obeyssaunte at his coÌ„maundemente apperceyued in the vertue of the coÌ„maunder ranne vnto his fader and brought absolutely the wordes of saynt bernard and sayd The fader abbot coÌ„maundeth the suche thinges and suche Whan the fader herde the fyrst voyce of Ioye toke him to wepe and secondly and thyrdly made hym to repete the wordes And enquyred dylygently that that the abbot had done / vnto whome he sayd / he hathe done none other thinge to me but that he sayd vnto me Go and tell vnto thy fader these wordes Than the preest was coÌ„tryte of so greate and euydent myracle / came hastely vnto the holy man and felle prostrate at his fete in wepynge and said vnto hym My lorde fader I was your relygyous in suche wyse am I named and I departed at suche a tyme. Than I praye your good faderheed that I maye goo agayne with you vnto the monastery for god hathe vysyte myne herte in youre comynge vnto whome saynt bernarde answered sayd Abyde me here And whan I haue done my besynesses I shall come anone this waye / I shall lede the with me And the sayd monke dredde the dethe / the whiche he had not dredde before / and sayd My lorde I drede to deye in the space of this tyme. And he hym answered / Know thou for certayne that yf thou dye in suche condycyon purpose thou shalte be founde to be monke before god And so he departed Whan that abbot came he fouÌ„de hym deed newly buryed Than he coÌ„maunded that men sholde open his sepulcre And those the whiche present were demauÌ„ded what he wolde do He answered I wyll se yf he lye in the sepulcre as monke / or as clerke They answered we haue buryed hym as a clerke in habyte seculer Than the erthe was taken awaye and the monument open wherin he had be buryed And he appered before al in tonsure of monke And god was magnified of them all the whiche reputed and toke the wyll for the dede c. C. ¶ Another example how a thefe came vnto an hermyte in good wyll to amende hym / the whiche hermyte dysdeyned him wherfore euyll came vnto hym C.ii. THe dysciple reciteth in his sermoÌ„s that a thefe was moche sorowful of his synnes had good wyll to amende hym the whiche prayed an hermyte that he wolde receyue hym in to his felyshyp / for he purposed neuer to coÌ„myt tho synes and to serue god euermore And the hermyte ne wolde receyue hym / dyspraysed hyÌ„ in his herte and lete hym go without consolacion And as the thefe wolde haue made hym an hermytage a tree that he hewed fell vpon hym and slewe hym And in suche wyse he deyed in grete contrycyon of herte Than the sayd hermyte sawe that aungels came and bare the thefe in to heuen / was sory and sayd Wherfore make I my dwellynge here in this hermytage This man hath be a cursed thefe / and for his good wyll he is nowe mounted in to heuen And I haue be here soo longe I ne maye enter And in that coÌ„mocyon sayd I go in to the worlde I shall be a thefe / and in th ende I shall be saued / and as he excercysed hym to coÌ„myt theftes he was pursued of the people of the cite and in fleynge he fell and slewe hymselfe and the deuilles came the whiche toke the soule and bare it in to helle c. ¶ This example denoteth that by the contrycyon and good wyll that the sayd thefe had he was saued Also it is wryten ezechielis xviii / InquacuÌ„que die ingemuerit peccator oiÌ„m iniquitatum eius non recordabor And the sayd hermyte was dampned by that that he
god gouerned a chirche flâ—dde the famylyaryte of a woman / and wolde not that the woman of his house sholde admynystre ony thynge vnto hyÌ„ / And absteyned hym from all thynge vnlefull / also lyued of a holy lyfe Whan it came that he laboured at the dethe / that he ne myghte almoost speke he apperceyued that the sayd woman of his house put her hande vnto his nose for to knowe yf he were deed / his spyryte feruently came agayn began to saye Recede a me mulier ad huc igniculus viuit Departe thou fro me woman yet a lytell fyre lyueth take away the strawe Than the woman departed / And the vertue of his body all grewe / and with grete gladnes and Ioye he toke hyÌ„ to crye / ye ben welcome my lordes Wherfore haue ye wylled to come vnto one soo lytell your seruaunt I come I come / I yelde you thankes And for that the he repeted the said wordes his frendes were by hyÌ„ demaunded hym vnto whome he spake Vnto whome he sayd as in meruayllyng And se you not the appostles saynt peter and saynt poule the whiche ben here come / And he tourned towardes them began to saye I go I go And as he spake these wordes he yelde vp his spyryte B. ¶ Another example how a frere fled in to heuen as sone as an arowe Ciiii. THe dyscyple reciteth in his promptuarye that a frere of the ordre of prechers appered with grete Ioye after his dethe vnto another monke the whiche was his frende famylyer And as he was asked of his estate amonge other thyÌ„ges he sayd / that neuer arowe shotte oute of a grete bowe fledde so sone in to a place as my soule fledde before god whan to departed from the body For I had lyued fyfty yeres in the ordre to serue Ihesu crystâ— in good conuersacyon c. C. ¶ Another example of the dethe of a pylgrym the whiche was comforted of the aungelles of paradyse Cii i IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders of a holy man relygyous so moche loued of god that that the whyche he requyred in orayson vnto hym was graunted And he prayed god that he myghte se the soule of a synner of a iuste man how they ben drawen from theyr bodyes at theyr dethe And as he was in his oratorie ther entred a wulfe the whiche toke his vestyment with his mouthe drewe it Than the sayd frere rose hym vp yode after the sayd wulfe / the whiche ledde hym faste by a cyte lefte hym there by a monasterye In the whiche was a man that had a grete name and was reputed solytayre good of the worldy people but he was an ypocryte / the whiche was at deyenge And the fader the whiche was theder come behelde that men made vnto hym greate lyghtes of tapres lampes for his buryenge And at the houre of the sayd dethe he sawe the deuyll the whiche helde a brased hoke put it in his mouthe tormented hym longe sayde / In lyke wyse as this soule hathe not suffred me to reste one houre In lyke wyse ne shall I haue of mercye of it tyll that I haue seased it horrybly And he seaced it bare it awaye Afterwarde the said fader yode in to the cyte fouÌ„de a pylgrym seke / and layde on the erthe of whome no man toke hede / there was one daye to behold hym And whan the houre of dethe came he sawe saynt Myghell saynt gabryel the whiche dyscended by the sayd soule the one on the ryght hande the other on the lefte hande prayed the sayd soule that she wolde come forth of the body she came not forth so as she ne wolde leue her body And gabryell sayd vnto Myghell Take this soule that we maye be gone And myghel answered God vs hathe coÌ„maunded that it go forth without dolour And therfore we ne may take it forth by force And mighel cryed with a grete voyce vnto our lorde sayd vnto hym What wylte thou that we do with this soule / for she ne wyll come forth to go with vs. And a voyce came theder the whiche sayd I sende vnto you dauyd with his harpe / all those the whiche synge the salmodye of Iherusalem to th ende that at the swete songe she come forthe of the body And incontynent they dyscended by the sayd soule / at the swete songe she came forthe in to the hande of saynt mighell / they yode theyr waye with grete ioy D. ¶ Another example how a knyght sawe the dethe of an yll man And more ouer the dethe of a good man that the aungels bare in to heuen C.iiii IT is wryten in the boke of the dyscyple that a noble knight wolde entre in to relygyon The whiche sente hys seruaunt to tell vnto the abbot that he wold be relygyous in his abbay And gaue him in charge that he sholde saye that he was dombe / but redy to obey vnto al thynges And thought that yf he held not peas his tongue sholde lese hym al the good dedes that he sholde doo And that knyght there was receyued And men wende that he had be dombe And one tyme he yode with the abbot vnto a knight the whiche laboured vnto the dethe And he sawe that the deuylles drewe the soule oute of the body of hym the whiche deyed horrybly / he had pyte and wepte And as they came agayne frome thens another knight came vnto the abbot the whiche hym promysed that he wolde renounce the worlde and that he sholde be a monke And as he yode before the sayde abbot on an yll brydge for to proue the way he fell before the sayd abbot and was drowned And the sayd knyght sawe his soule in habyte of monke that the aungelles came to fetche to bere in to heuen he was all replenysshed with ioye And whan the abbot was in the cloystre he said vnto the knyght that he coÌ„maunded hym in the vertue of obedyence that he sholde tel hym yf he myght speke / wherfore at the dethe of the two sayd men he had in suche wyse coÌ„tempned / vnto whome the sayd knyghte sayd Thou hast done yll For agayne my purpose thou hast made me speke / but I shall tell it the. And he vnto hym recompted all by ordre how he had sene the soule of the one that the deuylles had taken horrybly from the body bare it awaye and that the aungelles hadde borne the other Than the abbot fell at his fete on knees c. And the sayd knyghte refused his promesses good dedes that he vnto him wolde do / but he wolde be enclosed in some place to th ende that he myght kepe his purpose that he had to kepe taciturnyte scylence E. ¶ Another example of a holy fader the whiche deyed in the drede of god Ciiii. IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders
that a holy fader was seke the whiche as he was sene to drede the dethe / the freres hym demaunded wherfore he dredde and he answered in this manere Brederne I haue kepte the coÌ„maundementes of god after my puyssaunce / but I am a man I knowe not yf my operacions hath pleased vnto god or naye And therfore I ne am sure tyll vnto that that I come vnto hym c. F. ¶ Another example of a pryour relygyous that sayd that he dyed lawfully faithfully / amyably and ioyously IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders that the pryour of a couent was in a greuous sekenes replenysshed with meruayllous pacyence And he sayd oftentymes one thynge the whiche is wryten in the cantycles with grete dolour of deuocion Dilectê° meê° michi ego illi donec aspiret di es iÌ„clinentur vmbre Also he sayd vnto his brederne .xv. dayes before his dethe that he sholde deye of that sekenes in the solempnyte of the feest of the vyrgyn Marye the whiche thynge was done For at the fyrste euen songe of the natyuyte of the vyrgyn Marye he deyed / was buryed that daye He had songe the last masse of the vyrgyn Marye And also of her he had made hys laste predycacyon Whan he sholde deye anone he made to assemble before hym his brederne vnto whome he sayd Knowe ye my brederne that I deye lawfully / amyably faythfully ioyously And expounded it in this wyse I deye lawfully For I deye in the fayth of Ihesu cryst of the sacramentes of the chirche Amyably / for I haue perseuered in the dyleccyon of god vnto myn aduyse syth that I entred in to the ordre And I haue studyed how I might best please hym Faythfully for I knowe wele that I go vnto god Ioyously for I go from one lande replenysshed with myserye vnto a good countree I passe from wepynges vnto Ioye sempyternell c. G. Another example of a monke the whiche was chosen to be bysshop he refused it and deyed wele Ciiii. IT is wryten in the promptuary of the dyscyple that Arnoldus sayeth that a monke of cleruaulx was chosen to be bysshop / the whiche refused it agaynst the wyll of his abbot / of the bysshop / sone after he deyed And he appered after his dethe vnto his famylyer / the whiche demaunded hym yf the dysobeyssauÌ„ce beforsayd had noyed hym He answered that nay and afterwarde sayd Yf I had taken the bysshopryche I hadde be dampned And sayd more ouer an horryble worde The estate of the chirche is come vnto that that she is not dygne to be gouerned but of yll bysshoppes c. H. ¶ Another example of the dethe of many holy persones of the whiche the Byble maketh mencyon Ciiii. THe holy scryptures maketh mencyon of the dethe of many holy faders that it sholde be longe thynge confuse for to wryte And for to be shorte who so wyll se in the byble lette hym studye in the chapytres the whiche foloweth here / Fyrst it is wryten of the dethe of abel genesis .iiii. cap. Of the dethe of abraham ge xxv of the dethe of Ysaac genesis .xxxv. of the dethe of iacob gene xlix of the dethe of Ioseph gene l. Of the dethe of Aaron numeri .xx. Of moyses the whiche deyed in the lande of Moab that oure lorde buryed / neuer man ne knewe his sepulcre In lyke wyse as it is wryten deuterono xxxiiii Of the dethe of dauid it is wryten primo paralipo xxix of the dethe of zacharie it is wryten secuÌ„do paralipo xxiiii of the deth of Thobye it is wryten thobie .xiiii. of the dethe of his sone it is wryten thobie vltimo / of the dethe of iob / it is wryten iob xlii of the dethe of mathathias .i. machabioruÌ„ ii of the dethe of saynt Iohan baptist mathei xiiii Of the dethe of the poore lazar begger that the auÌ„gelles bare in to AbrahaÌ„s bosome it is wryten luce xvi of the goode thefe the whiche deyed whan our lorde deyed it is wryten luce xxiiii of the dethe of saynt Steuen the whiche was stoned / it is wryten actuum .vii. c. ¶ Mors malorum A. ¶ Examples of those the whiche hathe not wylled to do the wyl of god ne to accoÌ„plysshe his coÌ„maundementes ben deed of an yll dethe in paynes dolours / fyrste example / how the deuyll drewe the soule of a cursed ryche man with a crochet and a woman wedowe was comforted of the vyrgyn marye and of the vyrgyns Cv. VYcent sayeth in the .viii. boke of the myrrour hystoryall that there was a ryche curate vycyous in a parysshe the whiche had vnder his cure a noble ryche man a poore woman wedowe / the whiche deyed in one tyme. Whan the sayd ryche man was seke he sente to seche the curate to vysyte hym to admynystre the sacramentes the whiche curate theder yode quykly and was moche more curyous to haue the said ryche man couched on feders in a fayre bedde couered with purple with precyous vestymentes / and aourned with golde with precyous stones And also he founde many seductoures the whiche gaue vnto hym consolacyons of flateryes / his wyfe / his chyldren / housholde the whiche lyed And in this thynge hangynge there came a messenger vnto the sayd curate froÌ„ the sayd wedowe strongly seke for to confesse her and to vysyte And the sayd prest the whiche put all his entente for to sowke the ryche synner ne answerde nothyng And a deacon the whiche was presente had pyte of the poore wedowe dredde that she sholde deye without receyuynge the sacramentes / spake vnto the curate the whiche answered by grete furoure O that thou arte of lytell counsayll the whiche wylt that we leue this noble man our patron for to go vnto the olde wedowe And the deacon answered Ne trouble you not / yf you coÌ„maunde me I shall vysyte her And the deacon yode theder by his coÌ„maundemeÌ„t And bare the body of Ihesu cryste The wedowe was gretely poore of worldly godes / but full of good operacyons ¶ She was prostrate vpon the erthe / and a lytel of strawe vnder her ¶ Whan the deacon was at the dore he was meruaylled rested him For he sawe there the vyrgin marye / and grete company of vyrgyns standynge by the wedowe / and marye chered her / vysyted and with a clothe wyped the swetynge from her vysage And whan the quene of heuen and the vyrgyns sawe the body of our lorde Ihesê° they yode on theyr knees and worshyppeth the sacramente / Whan they were redressed they assured affably the deacon that he sholde entre and the vyrgyn mary sayd that he sholde not drede And that he sholde confesse and admynystre the sayd wedowe so he dyde / And afterwarde he said of the psalmes to coÌ„maunde the soule with grete ioye to departe After came in to the hous of the sayd ryche man Whan
cruell vengeaunce how god the creatour had Iuged punysshed the archebysshop Vdo And recounted by ordre all the dede in lykewyse as it is before wryten / how it was done And the same day one of the chapelayns of the sayd archebisshop named Brunet whaÌ„ he had made parfayte and accomplysshed his lygacyon coÌ„mysed by the prouynce sent his seruauntes before / he was oppressed greuously to slepe He auysed a tree wel shadowed derke descended from his hors teyed faste the rayne of his brydle vnto his arme slept Whan he was in rest he sawe in vysyon a gaderyÌ„ge of horrible blacke spyrites with busynes / trompets / tympanes / speres / glayues / axes / the whiche hasted theÌ„ to come vnto the place Whan they were altogyder there was one of theÌ„ prynce most horryble of stature And they made a chayre set hym in it And wtout longe tarienge an other multytude of spyrites as grete as the other appered cryenge / mockynge / and dauncynge / wherof one came hastely cryenge Gyue place / gyue place here is our pryÌ„ce Vdo that approcheth After this saynge the satalytes of Sathan ledde vnto theyr pryÌ„ce the soule of the cursed Vdo in semblaunce corporall hauynge a chayne of fyre strayte about his necke / agaynst whome Sathan arose salued hym by wordes peasybles in yll and treason Thou arte ryght welcome O prynce aydour delatatour of our realme / here we ben redy to yelde vnto the the rewarde equyualent for thy deseruynges / also vnto all our faythfull frendes And as Vdo helde his peas Sathan sayd to the presentes Our frende is ryght wery in his cominge hyder / therfore it pleaseth vnto vs that he be chered / gyue vnto than to ete / he refused it tourned his heed And his mynysters constrayned hym vyolently to ete of todes serpentes / after they made hym to drynke of the lycoure of sulphre / yet he spake not And Sathan commaunded him saynge Suche a prince be ledde to be bayned incontynent brought agayne And there was a welle not ferre of that had a coueringe on the mouthe Whan it was vncouered flambe deuourynge lept vp vnto the heuen The whiche wasted noc all onely the trees mountaynes stones / but the water beynge nere vnto it dryed coÌ„sumed The deuyls kest the soule of the sayd Vdo wtin the layd welle / afterwarde drewe hym out the whiche was all on fyre as yron enbrased reed / bare hym vnto theyr prynce / the whiche laughed sayd Hast thou not had a softe bayne as a prynce Than Vdo sawe hiÌ„selfe daÌ„pned And begaÌ„ to blaspheme say Sathan cursed be thou / thy felawes / thy subgectioÌ„ thy reame Cursed be god that hath created me Cursed be the erthe the whiche bare me Cursed be my parents that begate me and cursed be all creatures in heuen and in erthe Than all the deuylles with theyr pryÌ„ce clapped theyr handes sayd Truly this man here is worthy too dwell with vs / for he can wel our cantycle our offyce Than be he put to our pryncypall scole of the dampned to th ende that he se / here / lerne / fele / frothensforthe neuer to yssue Scantly had he ended his wordes that the deuylles toke that cursed soule kest it and plonged in to hell with so grete shoutes and noyse as yf the heuen and the erthe all the mountaynes of the worlde were moeued to smyte togyder Whan the chapelayne beforesayd had seen herde the sayd thynges he dredde hugely Than the prynce of derkenes shewed hym with the fynger sayd Take hede that the clerke the whiche beholdeth vs fle not the whiche hath ben euermore defensour / messager currour of his euylles Than in lykewyse as he hath ben encreaser of his synne so lete hym be partener of the vengeaunce / therfore be he plonged in the welle with his lorde Whan he had spoken that as the deuylles wolde rauysshe hym he enforced hym to fle and awok sodaynly / his hors was so aferde that he lepte hyder and thyder ranne drawynge the meschaunt man tyl that he was vnbounde of the rayne that was about his arme And with grete dyffyculte he lepte vpon his hors came to the cyte metropolytayne And whan he knewe that his lorde was deed he approued the vysyon to be true / recouÌ„ted al the thynges the whiche vnto hym were comen in the way / all that / that he hadde seen herde So they knewe the thynge to be veritable Whan the cytezyns had seen herde this terryble thynge they drewe the carayne of the body ferre fro the cite in a place full of fylthe And for the in the sayd place bestes infernalles were by wyse counceyle the cursed body was brent the asshes casten in to a water A thyÌ„ge meruaylous men tel that al the fysshes left the place yode in to the see and were there tyl god was apeased by fastynges letanyes Ten yeres after scantely came they agayne The demonstrâ—uÌ„ce of the sayd horryble thynge appereth on the whyte pauement where the sayd Vdo was beheded For the cruour of the effusyon of the blode enharded so strongly in the stones of the pauement that it semeth that the sayd blode be of thessence of the stones the whiche ben there yet And ouer that place where the decollacyon ben alway tapytes spred And whaÌ„ they synge Te deuÌ„ laudamê° vpon a bysshop chosen he is borne vnto the sayd place there they prosterne them in orayson to the ende that the bysshop that is chosen beholde the sayd thynge / also to kepe hyÌ„ that he perysshe not as dyde the other ¶ This thynge was done of our lorde to the terrour of bisshops yll prelates to th ende that they tremble to here the terryble Iugement the cruell vengeaunce of god ¶ This example denoteth many thynges Fyrst that the sayd Vdo vsed yll the scyence the counceyle that he had of the vyrgyn Mary Also those the whiche vse yll the scyence that they haue of god beÌ„ to punyshe and synne gretely VnÌ„ iacob iiii Scienti bonuÌ„ facere non facienti pctmÌ„ eÌ„ illi Also he vsed yll of the prelature of the goodes of the chyrche that god had gyuen vnto hym He sholde be the lyght of vertues of bounte / he was the sklaunder of the people / and the example of derkenesses and of synne Also he vsed his lyfe in lecheryes and was corrupter of vyrgynyte chastyte / therfore he was worthy of punycyon Also he wolde not correke hym and yet he was warned from god And for that he was so obstynate harded in synne replete of carnall pleasaunces that he wolde not correcke hyÌ„ of good ryght he was iuged punisshed in body in soule as it is sayd This here is the example of all
the aungell Syr whyder go we The aungell answered This waye ledeth vnto dethe And the soule sayd What is that than that the scrypture sayth Lata est via que ducit ad mortem et multi suÌ„t quuntrant per eaÌ„ That is to saye that the way the whiche is large ledeth vnto dethe and many there ben the whiche entre and go by that way The aungell sayd Of this speketh not the scrypture / but of the cursed waye of the worlde wherby men comen 〈◊〉 to this way And whan they were desceÌ„ded in to the sayd valey moche depe they sawe there of forges Than the aungell sayd vnto the soule The mayster of this valey is called Vulcain the whiche by his engin and falsenes hath casten many soules in to paynes and tourmentes Than sayd the soule vnto the aungell Syr shall I suffre this tormeÌ„t The aungell answered / ye / thou shalte suffre this tourment And whan the deuylles herde that worde they beset the soule about and toke it with theyr Instruments of yren that they helde / and sayd vnto the holy aungell none harme / and keste it in to a chymney full of fyre brennynge And began too blowe the fyre of theyr furneys in lykewyse as men blowe whan the yren is in the furneyse And so they tourmented the soules that whiche were there tyll that they came as to nothynge And whan they were so brent tourmented they toke the sayd soules with theyr Instrumentes of yren .xx. an hoÌ„dred or two hondred and layde them on an hepe vpon an anuelde of yren / and the deuylles the whiche were in other forges sayd Cast vnto vs these caytyues soules we shall yet tourment them agayne Than the deuilles kest them vnto them agayn the whiche werein the other forges And after that they hadde ben there stâ—ongly payned and tourmeÌ„ted they kest them vyolently vnto thosof the fyrst forges And before that they came to the grounde they were taken agayne and so they keste theym from one vnto another and tourmented tyll vnto that / that the skinnes / the flesshe / and the bones came as vnto nothynge Of this mater is wryten ProuerbioruÌ„ .ix. Parata sunt derisoribus supplicia / et mallei percutientes stultorum corporibus After that the caytyues soules were so tourmented as it is sayd they desyred the dethe but they myght not deye Vnto this purpose it is wryten Apocalipsis .ix. In diebus illis querent homines mortem et non inuenient eam / et desiderabunt mori et mors fugiet ab eis And whan the sayd soule had suffred longly these tourmentes the aungel came vnto her and toke her and had her out of the fyre where she was / and sayd vnto her How felest thou thy selfe now Remembre the that for as moche as thou hast done thy wyll and the delyte of thy body thou hast suffred soo grete tourmentes But the soule had not soo moche force that she myght answer one worde for the grete tourment that she had souffred Than the aungell sayd vnto the soule Illud psalmi Dominus mortificat et viuificat deducit ad inferos et reducit Comfort the / for our lorde quyckeneth and mortifyeth / ledeth in to helles and bryngeth agayne And al be it that the tourmentes that thou haste seen ben moche grete yet shalte thou se moche more greter from the whiche thou shalt be delyuered by the mercy of god And knowe thou that al those soules that thou hast seen here abydeth the Iugemente of god But those the whiche thou shalte se from hensforthe ben all redy Iuged Goo we now forwarde for thou arre not yet comen vnto the paynes of hell And the aungel touched her and heled as he hadde ben accustomed for to do c. G. ¶ Of the pytte of hell ¶ After that they entred in to a waye / and whan they were a lytell gone forwarde in spekynge one vnto the other there came to the soule sodayne horrour and colde intollerable stynke and derkenes more thycket than those before / trybulacyon and anguysshe so grete that it semed vnto the soule that all the foundementes of the erthe trembled vnder her fete and sayd vnto the aungell Syr wherfore is it that I ne may holde me on my fete as I haue acustomed to do And whan she had sayd this she ne myght remeue from the place for the grete feere that she had / and incontynent the aungell departed in suche maner that she myght noo morese hym / and forthwith she began to dyspayre For she founde that the whiche is wryten Ecclesiastes .ix. Nec opus / nec ratio / nec sapientia / nec scientia erunt apud inferos que tu ê“peras That is to say that in hell there ne is operacion / ne reason / ne wysdome / ne connyÌ„ge wherby man may ayde hym The caytyf soule was in lykewyse / for she might not helpe herselfe / the whiche herde terryble cryes and howlynges of soules / thonder so horryble that no man may thynke it ne tongue declare the horryble crye and the noyse that there was Vnto this purpose god speketh in the gospell Illud math .xxii .xxiii. Ibi erit fletus et stridor dentium Than the soule loked about her for to knowe yf she myght se the way wherby they were comen / and she sawe a grete square dyche in lykewyse as a cysterne And from that dyche yssued oute a pyler of flambe and of smoke togyders moche horryble and stynkynge And that pyler of fyre was so hygh that it stretched vnto the heuens And in that flambe there was grete multitude of soules and of deuylles togyders the whiche mounted with the sayd flambe in hyghe in lykewyse as lytel flambes And of tourmentes the whiche they suffred they came as vnto nothynge / and after that they fell agayne in to the dyche tyll vnto the botome Vnto the purpose of this sayeth the psalmyste Tu vero reduces me in puteuÌ„ interitus And whan the soule had beholden this she wolde haue drawen her abacke / but she ne myght lyft her fete from the grounde And whan she had assayed many tymes to remoeue her and that she might not she was moche ferefull / and of the grete wodenes that she hadde she tare and rent her chekes with her owne handes and nayles cryed Alas caytyfe wherfore may not I deye And the deuylles the whiche mounted with the sayd flambe herde the sayd soule in suche wyse crye soo they be set her about with theyr instrumentes of yron wherwith they tourmeÌ„ted the soules and sayd in this wyse Caytyfe soule worthy of payne and tourment from whens art thou comen hyder / thou ne hast yet nothynge felte ne suffred / thou shalt endure now that that thou arte worthy by the synnes that thou hast commytted From the whiche tourment thou ne mayst neuer departe ne within it deye / but euermore thou shalt lyue and brenne in tourment
hym And he spake vnto them on the gybet sayd / vnhange me for I am yet alyue They wende that it had be a fantasye And he the whiche hange agayne said / ne doubte you not / certainly I lyue yet by the grace of Ihesu cryste by the ayde of the vyrgyn Marye The whiche was vnhanged ledde in to the cyte / at whom the people meruaylled And the sayd knyght vnhanged demaunded the preest the sacrament of the aulter And in grete contrycyon of herte of teres he confessed hym after receyued the creatour More ouer the preest demauÌ„ded hym before the people that he sholde tell the cause wherfore god had done vnto hym suche grace to hange thre dayes without deyenge / he answerde / bycause that I dyde vnto god a lytell seruyce / that was / to saye euery daye fyue tymes pater noster / and fyue aue maria before that I dyde ony other thynge / in the honour of the passyon and of the fyue woundes of Ihesu cryste And one pater noster in the honoure of the sacramente of the hostye the whiche is the very body of Ihesu cryste that the people receyueth euery daye in requyrynge of god that in the ende of my dayes I myght receyue hym / the whiche thyng our lorde Ihesus gaue me by his mercy â–ª and that I ne myght deye tyl that I had receyued hym After that this said knight had sayd thus that he had true contrycyon of his synnes made confessyon receyued his creatour as it is sayd he deyed ended wele his dayes Wherfore it is a good thynge as to serue god to haue in remembraunce his blyssed passyon c. D. ¶ Another example the it toke wele vnto a man the whiche made memorye of the passyon of our lorde in his lyenge downe and rysynge from his bedde Cxiiii THe disciple recyteth in his sermoÌ„s that a maÌ„ was accustomed as oft tymes as he layde hym downe rose frome his bedde he prayed god that whan he shold dye he myght haue true confessyon said this tytle Iesê° nazarenê° rex iudeorum miserere mei / made the token of the crosse with his thombe vpon his heed / his face his brest in sayenge In noiÌ„e patris filii spuÌ„ssancti amen And god suffred that he deyed sodaynly / as the deuylles wold rauysshe hym there came a man shynynge clere the whiche chased them And as he ledde hym thorowe the derkenesses sodaynly he departed / there proceded grete light froÌ„ thens as he was wonte to make the crosses Afterwarde there came deuylles that wolde take hym / but they durste not for bycause of the crosses on hyÌ„ Than the sayd man bryght shynynge sodaynly appered vnto hym sayd Albeit that thou hast wele wonne to be Iuged condampmed after the exigence of thy syÌ„nes neuertheles the souerayne Iuge spareth the wylleth that thou retourne in to thy body for the deuocyon that thou haddeste towardes his passyon that thou caldeste his name tryumphall in the sayd tytle for the impressyon of the crosse And the sayd Iuge wylleth that thou confesse thy synnes that thou amende thy lyfe / so he dyde For after he lyued and ended wele his dayes By this example a man sholde vnderstonde that the crosse maketh the deuylles to drede / it chaseth them / it taketh awaye theyr force / setteth them at noughte c. E. ¶ Another example of a woman the whiche loued the passyon of Ihesu cryste the whiche deyed on the good fryday and was saued Cxiiii THe disciple recyteth in his sermoÌ„s that it is wryten that a noble woman matrone loued the passion of Ihesu cryste / and for the honour of hym of his passyon she toke afflyccyoÌ„ on her body on the frydaye / desyrynge to goo bare foted but bycause she was noble for to kepe honoure she yode not / but put bygge grauell in her shoes in the honoure reuerence of the passyon Also whan her husbande was out by ony dayes she laye not on no feder bedde And amonges the prayers that she made to god / she requyred hym that he wolde gyue her grace that she myghte dye on that daye in that houre that Ihesu cryste was crucefyed / to the ende that in the honoure of his passyon her body had afflyccyon on that day / so it happened For at the same hour she chylded a sone the whiche lyued after / but the sayd matrone deyed of the greate payne And as a frere precher the whiche had confessed her prepayre hym to syng the masse of requyem for her the saterday afterwarde the vygyle of eester / he was wery of the seruyce slepte And in slepynge she appered vnto hym sayd Thou shalt not synge masse of requyem for me / but thou shalte synge gloria in excelsis / for I am in the glorye of the sayntes of paradyse / Whan the sayd relygyous was waked he ne wolde put no fayth vnto his dreme / the pryour sente vnto hyÌ„ forthwith a messenger that he sholde synge for her masse of the daye The said relygyous wende to haue excused hym prayed that it were recoÌ„maunded vnto another but the pryour wolde not / sayd that in that daye he sholde synge the masse of the daye vnto the couent And it was done after the worde of the sayd matrone the whiche hadde appered in slepynge c. F. ¶ Another example that oraysons the whiche ben made in the remembrauÌ„ce of the crosse of the passyon of our lorde ihesus pleaseth hym moche Cxiiii THe disciple reciteth in his sermoÌ„s that it is wryten that an hermyte of a holy lyfe prayed god perseuerauntly that it wolde please hym to shewe vnto him what seruyce pleased hyÌ„ moost amongest all seruyces And for as moche as the orayson of one Iuste is moche worthe in lyke wyse as sayeth the scrypture MultuÌ„ valet deprecatio iusti assidua It befel one tyme that as the sayd hermyte was in hys lytell mansyon honoured god in praynge he herde the voyce of a poore man / he yode to se what he was / whan he sawe hym he meruaylled / for he was as a pore man all naked the whiche trembled for colde / bare a grete crosse on his sholdres / the sayd hermyte hym demaunded what he was / from whens he came / he answered I am come from heuen / am Ihesu cryste the sone of mary / Then the hermyte sayd O good Ihesus what doest thou here before me cursed synner / he answerd thou hast made me to come heder by thy prayers / thou haste prayed vnto me longly that I sholde shewe vnto the what seruyce I had agreable amonge al seruyces / and I am come to shewe it vnto ye. Seest thou this grete crosse that I bere vpon my sholders it is the seruyce the whiche vnto me is moost
dn̄i virtutū she sayd nothynge more but departed before the eyen of her sayd syster F. ¶ Another example how Ihesu cryste shewed vnto a yongman his handes and his syde perced Cxv. THe discyple recyteth in his promptuarye sayth that a yonge man lecherous in cursed entencyon entred in to a wodde in the whiche were of harlottes / the deuyll mette hym and demaunded hym whether he yode / he tolde hym hys entencyon / vnto whom the deuyl said go before me I shal paye the we le in tyme And as he entred more forwarde he met Ihesu cryst in habyte of a monke whiche demaūded hym in lyke wyse Wheder g◠ye my sone He answerde sayd vnto him ye be not my fader Vnto whome the monke sayd Certes thou arte my sone He answerd with indignacyon that he was not his sone And the monke opened his habyte shewed vnto hym his handes hys syde perced / in bledynge as men paynt the crucyfyxe Byleuest thou nowe that I am thy fader / the whiche cryed sayd / thou art my lorde my god Than Ihesu crist sayd vnto hym / goo thy wayes confesse the. For he that thou hast met before me is the deuyll the whiche abydeth the to th ende that he breke thy necke And as he yode forthe of the wodde with purpose to confesse hȳ the deuyll knewe hym not And he axed the deuyll whom he taryed after The deuyll answerd / certes it is not thou He that I tary fore was all ours And puyssaunce hathe be gyuen vnto me vpon hym / that I myght sle hym Thou arte another / the yongman vnderstode the grace mercy that god had done vnto hym entred in the cloyster confessed him / fyned his lyfe in goodnes c. G. ¶ Another example that Ihesu cryst reuoked a postate for to shewe hȳ his woundes Cxv. THe dyscyple recyteth in his promptuary that a yong man delycious entred in to relygyon / and for the harde lyfe the brede semed vnto hym blacke harde the wyne soure And he demaunded of his prelate lycence to retorne in to the worlde / vnto whom the pralate sayd Broder ye ne maye retourne for ye be profeste in this relygyon / but haue ye affiaūce in god requyre ye hym that ye may bere the burden with the other / he dyde so / but after he was tempted of the deuyll on newe / he chaūged his habyte yode in to the world And as he yode his waye Ihesus appyered vnto hȳ in semblaunce of a yongman and folowed hym by that waye he hasted hym in suche wyse as dyspeyred / knew not wheder he sholde go And Ihesus the whiche folowed hym cryed / tary me / and he ranne more strongly And Ihesus called hym by his name and sayd vnto hym Broder tary me and I shall go with the / The yongman wrathed hym the whiche was called broder monke had shame meruaylled that he called hȳ by his propre name Than he taryed / Ihesus asked hym wheder he yode He answered that he had lefte his relygyon that he sholde retourne in to the worlde Than he lyfte vp his vestyment and his armes And he sawe the bloode the whiche yssued oute of his syde perced sayd vnto hym Retourne in to thy monasterye / whan thou shalte fynde the brede to harde the other thynges greuous touche theym with my syde perced all shall be softe to the good to bere Than he retourned and lyued afterwarde holyly Vn̄ grego Si passio christi ad memoriam reducitur nichil est quod non equo animo tolleretur H. ¶ Another example of a thefe murde rer that repented hȳ made confessyon had penaūce a pat nr̄ to say before the crosse cxv THe disciple recyteth in his sermōs that it is wryten of an hermyte the whiche ledde a sharpe lyfe by longe tyme And one tyme a thefe came vnto him the whiche had dyspoyled the men by long tyme had goten many theftes / he repented hym / made confessyon / but he ne wolde haue but shorte penaunce And the hermyte charged hym that all tymes that he founde ony crosse in the waye that he sholde saye a pater noster knelyng on his knees The thefe sayd that he wolde do that penaunce with good wyll And after that he had taken his penaūce / that he was departed a lytell from the hermyte he sawe his enemyes that sought hym of whome he had slayne the parent Incontinent that he sawe them he toke hym to fle And as he fledde he sawe a crosse lyfte vp in the waye And he bowed the knees sayd his pater noster And how be it that he hadde ryght lytell to fle escape the dethe Neuerthelesse he had leuer to deye than to leue to do his penaunce that was enioyned to hym So he gaue his lyfe vnto god / and vnto hym recōmaunded his soule / prayed that he myght haue the sayd penaūce exceptable for al his synnes And as he was slayne of his enemyes in that place Than the hermyte sawe that the aūgelles toke the soule of the sayd thefe with grete Ioye they bare it in to heuen c. ¶ Signum crucis A. ¶ Examples of the crosse / fyrst how it was shewed to Constantyn / reysed a deed man heled a woman Cxvi IT is wryten in the hysto eccle / in the inuencyon of the crosse that maxence assembled an hoost of the empyre of Rome And the emperour Constantyn with hys armye came nere vnto the brydge of the water of Anubie for to fyght with the sayd maxence And as he fered / he lyfte vp his eyen towarde heuen sawe the sygne of the crosse resplendysshe in semblaunce of fyre / he sawe after the aungell that said to hym Constantyn thou shalt vaynquysshe by this sygne And the nyght folowynge oure lorde appered vnto hym with the sygne that he had sene in the skye cōmaunded hym that he sholde do make the fygure of the sayd sygne that he sholde haue ayde agaynst his enemyes Then constantyn was ioyous assured to haue vyctorye / made hym to be marked in the forhede with the sygne of the crosse And made to chaunge all his baners of warre in to the sygne of the crosse And requyred god that he myght haue vyctorye without effusion of blode And so was it done For maxence cōmaunded them of his shyppes to go sawe the postes of the sayd brydge He forgate the thynge that he had made to make ranne hastely agaynst constantyn with fewe folke / but he cōmaunded that the other sholde folowe hym Then he mounted on the sayd brydge / fell in to the water was drowned before his hoost wtoute ony myghte socoure hym And the ylle that he wolde haue done vnto constantyn came on him selfe Then the sayd constantyn was receyued
porcyon that he ete put it before the chylde of the vyrgyn marye And it fortuned one daye that he fell in the water before his sayd moder / was drowned / she ranne to fetche people to drawe hym oute all dyscomforted and whan she came agayne / she founde hym where he yode oute of the water played hym with two apples He was demaunded how he came out / he answerd that the vyrgyn marye that he saluted / had drawen hym out had gyuen hym the two apples D. ¶ Another example how the vyrgyn marye ayded a woman to chylde in the see of the mounte of saynt myghell Cxx. VIncent sayth in the myrrour hystoryall in the fyrste partye of the eyght booke that a woman with chylde the tyme comen for to chylde put herselfe on the waye to the mouÌ„t of saynt myghell in one of the solempnytees with dyuers persones And whan they were on the sandes the sygnes appered that the see came The people had fere toke them for to crye inferinge the dethe / began for to renne towarde the mounte of saynt myghell The woman with chylde myght not flee / but abode in grete fere trauayll / wyst not what to do saue for to call the ayde of the vyrgyn marye saynt myghell And grete multytude of people lamented her on the ryuage of thâ— see cryenge towarde heuen for the helpe of the vyrgyn marye for to abredge the vyrgyn marye came to the ayde of the sayd woman / couered heâ— and was as in a sure place / kepte her from the water in suche maner that neuer droppe of water touched her / also she was delyuered of a sone in the myddes of the see / without hauynge fere / for she was well kepte Whan that the see was withdrawen / the vyrgyn marye shewed her the waye / And after the sayd woman came to the ryuage with her chylde / founde the people to whom she recounted the myracle c. E. ¶ Another example of a â—aynâ—er that the vyrgyn marye defended / and kepte from hauynge ylle Cxx THe disciple recyteth in his promptuarye of the vyrgyn marye that there was a paynter that paynted in a chirche the ymage of the deuyl the moost horryblest that he myghte / also paynted the ymage of our lady the moost fayrest and with the fayrest colours that he might fynde And the deuyll hym demauÌ„ded why he made that / and he answerde bycause it was soo as the payntynge shewed And then the deuyll by enuye made the tymbre to falle that he stode on bycause he sholde fall downe / as he began to fall the ymage of our lady paynted toke him by the hande so that he myght not fall / kepte hym frome the malyce of the dâ—uyll And the â—ynners wtdrewe them from yll doynge in beholdyÌ„g the sayd ymages / the one horryble and the other fayre â— F. ¶ Another example of the good honoure that the vyrgyn marye dydde vnto a thefe the whiche fasted the saterdayes in her honour and absteyned hym from ylle sayenge Cxx. IT is wryten in dyalogo cesarii As men saye that there was a thefe in a forest renoÌ„med ryght yll for that that he pylled slewe dyde many ylles with many compaignons And he fouÌ„de a monke precher in the waye vnto whom he sayd that he sholde sle him yf he yode not after him And in walkynge the sayd monke demauÌ„ded hym what he was / what operacyoÌ„ he dyde He answerde I am a thefe so gretely renoÌ„mâ—d the whiche hathe so to name And the sayd monke sayd vnto him / thou wakest moche dredest thou not the peryll of thy soule He answerd no / no more than a beest And the sayd monke asked hym what had ben his lyfe / he answerd whan I was a chylde I stryued with my felawes after I was a thefe / to be shorte I neuer dyde no good dede / but euer dyde ylle nowe am I the mayster of theues / and the monke sayd vnto hym Dredyst thou the paynes of helle the whiche ben made redy for the for thy cursed dedes / he answered Of the soule without doubte she is lost And the monke the whiche wolde conuerte hym sayd vnto hym Yf I shewe vnto the how thou shalte be saued wylte thou do it He sayd ye And the monke counsayled hyÌ„ that he sholde faste euery saterdaye in the honour of our lady / in doynge none ylle that daye / that the vyrgyn marye sholde be the meane that he shold be saued And the said thefe therto consented vowed He kepte that vowe letted his felowes also to do ylle And the people that his felowes toke on that daye he delyuered them in the honour of the vyrgyn marye Also on the saterday he ne armed hym ne bare staffe of defence And on a saterdaye his enemyes founde him and his felowes dysarmed for the saterdaye he was taken neuer wolde defende hym / albeit he had be more stronge Also he ne excused hyÌ„ Whan he was led in to the cyte and that he was knowen he was Iuged to be hanged How be it afterwarde the Iuges were moued with pite as men byleue by the vyrgyn marye and toke theyr counsayll togyders / wolde that he ne sholde deye But he said that he wolde nothynge soo / that he loued better that he sholde wepe his syÌ„nes here than in hell And the Iuges sayd to hym wylte thou be byhedede He answerde sayd I care not what the payne be so that I deye And they said vnto hym / wylt thou haue a preest He answerd ye ben al crysten men I confesse vnto you my synnes I ne dyd neuer no good deed c. but onely that I haue fasted the saterdayes there nedeth no preest Than he repented hym ryght bytterly in confessynge openly his synnes And bare and endured the payne dolour of the dethe wyllyngly for his syÌ„nes the whiche was vnto hym harde penaunce To be shorte he was byheded without the cite And the nyght folowynge the watche men watchynge in the cyte sawe in the place wher he was buryed lightes celestielles / fyue fayre matrones the whiche vnburyed hyÌ„ the whiche set his heed vpon his body the whiche there toke agayne / layde it honourably in a coffyn bare it in to the cyte vnto the chirche dore / of the whiche matrones there were foure the whiche bare the said coffyn hadde candelles in theyr handes / the .v. was more fayrer than the other the whiche yode by with candelles / Whan the gardiens of the chirche sawe that they dredde and wende it had ben a fantasye vnto whom one of them sayd Say vnto your bysshop that he burye honourably my seruauÌ„t in the chirche in suche place the whiche hathe be byheded without the cyte And yf he were neclygent that to do she menaceth hym More ouer she named the vyrgyn marye Whan the
Ihesus ¶ The floure of the commaundementes of god with many examples and auctorytees extracte and drawen as well of holy scryptures as of other doctours and good auncient faders / the whiche is moche vtyle and prouffytable vnto all people ¶ The .x. commaundementes of the lawe ¶ Thou shalt worshyp one god onely And loue hym with thy herte perfytely ¶ God in vayne swere not wylfully Ne by nothynge that he made veryly ¶ The sonday kepe and halow holyly HeryÌ„ge gods seruyce on them deuoutly ¶ Fader and moder honour thou lowly And in theyr nede helpe them gladly ¶ Slee thou no man malycyously Nor to his dethe consent wytyngly ¶ Thou ne shalte commyt lechery But with thy wyfe in wedlocke onely ¶ Thy neyghbours goodes stele not falsly Nor nothynge withholde vntruely ¶ Fals wytnesse bere thou not slyly Nor fals recorde for none enuy ¶ Other mennes wyues take not flesshely Ne other women to knowe carnally ¶ Other mennes godes coueyt not lightly Nor holde from them vnryghtfully ¶ The fyue commaundementes of the chyrche ¶ The sondayes here thou masse and the festes 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 vigyles thou shalâ— faste / the lente entyerly INRI The prologue of the translatour IN the begynnynge of this lytell werke Almyghty god be my spede Indewe me lorde with some lytell sperke Of grace and connynge / my penne to lede So that in nothynge I excede Folowynge myn auctour / truely to endyght To thy laude and prayse in doynge this dede And of thy blyssed mod / lorde moost of might O maris stella / o sterre moost bryght Shynynge in the fyrmament or skye The whiche doost guyde the maryners by night And where thy helpe / sholde perysshe deye As thou in heuen / syttest ryght hye Praye for those / vnto thy blyssed son That this to rede wyll them applye For theyr rewarde / may haue saluacyon Vpon the payne / of eternall dampnacyon To lerne and knowe / the coÌ„maundements ten We all be bounde / without excusacyon And in especyall / we crysten men The day shall come / we knowe not when That vnto accompt / called we shall be For fere and drede / tremble shall we then And knowe not for helpe whyder to fle Wherfore in this worlde / blyssed is he That in herte lyueth pure and clene The deuyll / the worlde / our coÌ„scyence these thre Wyll cause our synnes / to be knowen sene And what soeuer our lyfe hath bene Good of yll / it shall appere Wyll we or nyll we / sooner than we wene Before god / his sayntes / his moder dere Wherfore whyles we ben lyuynge here Hauynge tyme / oportunyte / and space Serue we god / with herte entere Makynge petycyon vnto his grace In humble wyse / that in that place Where he is we may euer dwell Hauynge the fruycyon of his blyssed face And to be delyuered from the paynes of hell These doctours dyuyne / done preche and tell That ydlenes is a ryght peryllous vyce By the whiche our forne faders fell Example we haue of Salamon the wyse That whan he was besyed / about the deuyse Of goddes temple / and good operacyon And in other vertues hym dyde excercyse He was neuer ouercome by temptacyon But as soone as he had delectacyon In ydlenes / slouthe / and womans company Of wyll dysposed / by delyberacyon Renouncinge his faythe / commyted ydolatry Dauyd also lyued in aduoutry With Vryes wyfe / and caused to be slayne And ydlenes the rote / cause of all theyr foly / This story the byble reherceth playne Ryght many in noÌ„bre hath be knowen seyen That ydlenes hath brought vnto perdycyon By lawe and Iustyce / demed vnto payne For theyr demerytes / and transgressyon And to auoyde / the peryllous infeccyon Of ydlenes slouthe / other occasyoÌ„s of synne Hath boâ—ded me / vnder correccyon Out of frensshe / this mater to begyn Entendynge therby / no syluer for to wyn Ne yet none other temporall gayne But welthe of soules / escapynge the engyn Of the deuyll of hell / his snares / his chayne Who euer is besy / gladde / and fayne Soules to dystroye / whome god hath electe Who gyue vs grace / heuen to attayne Of my hole mynde / this is theffecte ¶ Explicit Tabula ¶ Here foloweth the table of this boke MAn reasonable call the ayde of god of the vyrgyn Mary for to enlumyne thin enteÌ„dement to knowe thy selfe That is to knowe what thou arte / what synnes reygne in the / how thou hast dysobeyed vnto god in brekynge his coÌ„maundementes Saynt Bernarde sayth that thou shalt be better more to alowe yf thou knowe thy selfe than yf thou knewe the cours of the sterres / the foundementes of the erthe the strengthes of herbes / the complexyons of men and that thou haddest knowlege of the thynges celestyalles infernalles Vnde bernardus Studo cognoscere teipsum qr multo melior et laudabilior eris si teipÌ„m cognoscas / quam si teiplum negleto cognosceris cursus syderum / fundamenta terraruÌ„ / vires herbarum / complexiones hominum / et haberos noticiam celestum et infernorum ¶ Many persones there ben throughout the worlde the whiche wyll not beleue of symple worde that they the whiche transgresse the commaundementes of god gone vnto dampnacion and pardycyon And they the whiche wyll not beleue it / study they seke they by this table theyr synnes as they ben declared in this boke / they shall fynde by the holy scrypture wytnesse of certayne by auctorytees that they lose paradyse desceÌ„de in to hell in the whiche they shall be eternally without euer to haue ayde ne socoures in ony maner ¶ And for to fynde lyghtly the maters wherof this boke speketh hym behoueth to loke what nombre lettre is marketh gooth in the nombre in the heyght of the margen / in those nombres lettres shall be founde that that a man demauÌ„deth ¶ The perambule dyuysyon of this boke in the nombre .i. lettre A. and the lefe .i. ¶ To loue god with all his herte his neyghbour as hymselfe .i. B Folio i Wherfor a maÌ„ sholde loue god with all his herte .i. C. Fo. i ¶ Aboue all thynges .i. D Folio ii ¶ More than worldly goodes i. E Fo. ii ¶ More than fader moder i. F Fo. iii ¶ More than his owne body .i. G Fo. iii More than all estates .i. h Fo iiii ExaÌ„ple .l. ii ¶ That the auarycyous loue the golde syluer more than god .ix. B Fo. xx ¶ That the glotoÌ„s loue theyr wombes more than god .ix. E Fo. xxi ¶ That this commaundemeÌ„t compryseth vnder it the thre fyrst
Of penaunce .viii. B Fo. xviii ¶ A notable FOr to knowe / rede / or wryte the allegacyons of auctorytees of this boke a man sholde knowe that ouerall where he fyndeth math that is mathei / and where he fyndeth mar that is marci / luc that is luce / ioh that is iohannis / also he shal fynde ad rom̄ that is roma in epistola ad romanos Et .i. ad corī that is in prima epla ad corītheos / et primo ad thy that is in prima epla ad thymotheum / et ad gal that is ad gallathas / et ephe is ad epheseos / et phyl is ad philipēses / et thessal is ad thessalonicēses / et col is ad collocenses / et hebre is hebreos Also he shall fynde gen̄ that is genesis / etexo is exodi / et leui is leuitici et nu is numeri et deut is deutonomi / .i. vl ii re is primi libri regūl secundi libri regū ps vel psal that psalteru vel plalmi et eccle that is ecclesiastes et eccli that is ecclesiastici et sapīe is sapientie et prouer is prouerbiorum et ysa is Ysaie et the. is iheremye et ezchi is ezechielis dan̄ is danielis c. ¶ Here foloweth the table of the examplary of this boke MAn reasonable knowe thou that god hath gyuen vnto the ten commaundementes / the whiche thou sholdest put in thy herte and kepe them and accomplisshe vpon payne of dampnacyon eternall Yf thou hast broken ony of them / take hede of the examples semblables vnto that by this table for to se how it shall happen the yf thou put not in the correccyon amendement And for to fȳde those examples it behoueth to seche thorow the boke on hye in the margen the nombre of the leues that it marketh gooth on / and after the nombres of the maters with the a / b / c / in that nombre and lettre ye shall fȳde euery example ¶ Fyrst the examples of obedyence shall be wryten Secondy those of inobedyence After to here the worde of god Morouer the examples of euery cōmaundement in partyculer shal come afterwarde c. ¶ Obedyence ¶ Examples of obedyence ¶ Example that Abraham was obedyent vnto god .li. A Fo. Cxxvii ¶ That a monke kest his sone in to an ouē brennynge by obedyence and he was not brente .li. B. Fo. Cxxviii ¶ Of the obedyence of Noe .lii. c. Fo. Cxxviii ¶ Of the obedyēce of Ioseph .li. d. Fo. cxxviii ¶ Of the obedyence of yonge Thobye .li. E. Fo. Cxxix ¶ Of the obedyence of a man named Mathathyas .lii. A Fo. Cxxix ¶ Of the obedyence of Ihesus and of his appostles .lii. B Fo Cxxix ¶ Of the obedyence of saynt Mor that went on the water .lii. C Fo. Cxxix ¶ Of a relygyous the whiche dyde bynde a lyon .lii. D Fo. Cxxix ¶ Of a relygyous the whiche aroused a busshe .lii. E Fo. Cxxix ¶ Of the obedyence of a relygyous scryuener named Marke lii F. Fo. Cxxix ¶ That abstinence precedeth the other vertues in heuen .lii. G Fo. Cxxx ¶ That relygyous folke obedyentes haue grete rewarde in heuen .lii. H Fo. Cxxx ¶ Other examples .lv. f. g. Fo. Cxxxix ¶ Of a relygyous obedyent and of an obstynent .lii. I Fo. Cxxx ¶ Of an abbot the whiche called agayne his relygyous deed / and he came agayne was obebyent And of the gloryous Ioyes or paradyse liii A Fo. Cxxx ¶ That a serpent was obedyent to a frere gardyner Also of theft / to doo good vnto his ennemyes .liii. B Fo. Cxxxi ¶ Of hym the whiche commaunded vnto two dragons that they sholde kepe the dore of his hous .liii. C Fo. Cxxxi ¶ That the water of a streme was obedyent vnto a bysshop .liii. D Fo Cxxxi ¶ That the fyre that brent a hous obeyed to a frere that prayed .liii. E Fo. Cxxxi ¶ That the rayne touched not two freres in walkynge liii F Fo. Cxxxi ¶ Of the obedyence of a relygyous named Poule .liii. G Fo. Cxxxii ¶ Of a nother relygyous that bare flesshe all naked liii H Fo. Cxxxii Inobedientia ¶ Examples of inobedyence That Adam and Eue dysobeyed the commaundement of god .liiii. A. Fo. Cxxxiii ¶ That for the dysobeysaunce of the man of god a lyon strangled hym in the way as he rode .liiii. B Fo. Cxxxiii ¶ Of the dysobeysaunce of two nonnes the whiche demaunded of the pope that they might confesse eche other .liiii. C Fo. Cxxxiiii ¶ That the kynge Amalech resysted ayēst the wyl of almyghty god and euyl came vnto hym .liiii. D Fo. Cxxxiiii ¶ That kinge saul was dysobedyēt to god yll came to hym .liiii. E Fo. Cxxxiiii ¶ Of the inobedyence of kynge Pharao of his punycyon .liiii. F Fo. Cxxxiiii ¶ Of the inobedyence of the prophete Ionas .liiii. G Fo. Cxxxiiii ¶ That chore / dathan / and abyron and all theyr alyes descended in to hell by theyr inobedyences murmure Also that the chyldren of ysraell gadred of the manna agaynst the commaundement of wyl of the prophete Moyses .liiii. H. Fo. Cxxxv ¶ Of a frere that was punysshed dyuynely for bycause that he murmured agaynst god .liiii. I Fo. Cxxxv ¶ And a mā sholde note that all ydolatres appostates / heretykes / other synners the whiche ben dampned ben punysshed in hell pryuate from the realme of paradyse for theyr inobedyences Verbum dei ¶ Examples for herynge the worde of god the prechynges That a grete synner repented hym and was saued in herynge a predycacyon or sermon .lv. A. Fo. Cxxxvi That a relygious cōuerted in fewe wordes a man of yll conscyēce .lv. B. Fo. Cxxxvi ¶ Of a mayster dylycatyfe that wolde not here the worde of god ne do penaūce / he was cōuerted in fewe wordes .lv. C. fo cxxxvii ¶ Of an yll knyght that in his lyfe ne was confessed but ones at one onely predycacyon he correcked hymselfe was cōuerted vnto god .lv. D Fo. Cxxxvii ¶ Of an erle that conuerted hym un herynge the worde of god .lv. E Fo. Cxxxvii ¶ Of a chorle the whiche wolde not here the worde of god / and the crucyfyxe stopped his eeres vnto hym in tokenynge that he wolde not here the prayers that men made for hym .lv. F. Fo. Cxxxvii ¶ Of the parochyens of a curate the whi che wolde not here the sermons cōmaundementes of the chyrche .lvi. A Fo. Cxxxviii ¶ Example cōtrary lxxxxviii F Fo. CCx ¶ That a pastour was saued correked hȳ herynge a sermon .lvi. B Fo. Cxxxviii ¶ That to here the worde of god is moche prouffytable though that a persone retayne it not .lvi. C Fo. Cxxxviii ¶ That some freres slept in herynge the worde of god / herkenynge ydle wordes they were moche wakȳge .lvi. D Fo. Cxxxviii ¶ Example agaynst those the which fleeth the sermons .lvi. E Fo. Cxxxix ¶ How
the dede of a precher bare hym vnto the dethe / and that Ihesu cryst helped hym chased the deuyls .lvi. F. Fo. Cxxxix ¶ That a monke reknowleged his defawtes as he taught and shewed his other bredren Ci. A Fo. CCxv ¶ That he that precheth gods worde shall haue grete rewarde in heueÌ„ .lvi. G Fo. cxxxix ¶ That the deuyll myght not strangle a knyght for that / that he greted the vyrgyn Mary / and for beyenge in wyll to here a predycacyon was saued .lvi. H Fo. Cxxxix ¶ Of a ryche man the whiche fled the masse and the predycacyons and occupyed hymselfe in mondanytees and the deuyll bare hyÌ„ away .lxv. A Fo. Clvi ¶ Of a man the whiche gaue hymselfe vnto the deuyll to th ende that he sholde enryche hym / and after in a predycacyon he conuerted hym .lx. H Fo. Cxlvii ¶ That the commaundements of god shal be forgoten in the last generacyoÌ„ .lvi. I. fo cxl ¶ Of a ryche man that serued the deuyl .xl. yeres and at a predycacyon he dyde repent hym .lvi. K Fo. Cxl ¶ That an vsurer correcked hyÌ„ by the admonycyoÌ„ of his frendes .lxxxvii. f. Fo. Clxxxx. ii ¶ Of a monke that â—he deuyll drewe out of the chyrche whan the other dyde wake in orayson .lxv. G Fo. Cvii ¶ Of a lady the whiche herde often tymes the sermons and dyde not correcke her self And of her chamberer that desyred to here them lxxxxix B Fo. CCx ¶ Primum preceptum Idolatria ¶ Examples vpon the fyrst coÌ„maundement of god OF a preste prynce of ydolles that brent in heâ—l .lvii. A Fo. Cxl ¶ Of the ydolatry of kyÌ„ge Nabugodonozor whan he made .iii. chyldren to be put in the furneys of fyre .xlvii. B Fo. Cxl ¶ That Egeas ydolatre was slayne of the deuyll .lvii. C Fo. Cxli ¶ That Dyascorus the whiche slewe saynt Barbara was ydolatre and deyed myscheuously .lvii. E Fo. Cxli ¶ Of the dethe of Symon magus other enchauntours .lxvii. D Fo. Cxli ¶ That the prouost Tarquyn ydolatre dyed myscheuously .lvii. F Fo. Cxli ¶ That the kynge of Perce Cosdroe that wolde be worshypped as god had his heed smyten of .lvii. G Fo. Cxli ¶ Of the cursed dethe of Dacyen Valeryen ydolatres .lvii. H Fo. Cxlii ¶ Of the dethe of cursed kynge Yrace ydolatre .lvii. I Fo. Cxlii ¶ Of the dethe of the tyraunt Quyncyen ydolatre .lvii. K Fo. Cxlii ¶ Of the dethe of the cruell emperour Neron the whiche made to sle saynt Peter and saynt Poule .lvii. L Fo. Cxlii ¶ Of the dethe of Maxymyen the enemye of god .lvii. M Fo. Cxlii Apostasia ¶ Examples of people apostates ¶ That Iuâ—yan the apostate the whiche left the crystendome and persecuted the chyrche dyed myscheuously by the punycyon dyuyne .lviii. A Fo. Cxlii ¶ Of Theophyle the whiche was apostate renounced god / and the gloryous vyrgyn Marye / and worshypped the deuyll of hell and afterwarde was saued by coÌ„trycyon penaunce .lviii. B Fo. Cxliii ¶ Of a monke the whiche renyed god the creatour his baptym after was saued by penaunce .lviii. C Fo. Cxliii ¶ Of one the whiche renyed god of heuen for to escape the tourments and after was saued by penaunce .lxviii. D Fo. Cxliii ¶ That a crysten man lost the crowne of glory for that that he renounced vnto the crystendome and a paynym dyde wynne the same .lviii. E Fo. Cxliiii ¶ Of a man that gaue yll counceyle for to make the crysten men to th ende to renye the fayth and that counceyle redounded fyrst vpon hymselfe .lviii. F Fo. Cxliii ¶ Of a relygyous woman that was apostate and open harlot and after was saued by penaunce Cxiii A Fo. CCxliii ¶ How our lorde Ihesus appered vnto a relygyous the whiche lefte his ordre for to go in to the worlde Cxv. G Fo. CCxlvii ¶ That two relygyous were appost â—es / lecherous / and after reuerted and dyde penaunce lxxxxiii E Fo. CCiii Contra hereticos ¶ Examples to confounde heretykes ¶ That deuylles kepte an heretyke frome brennynge / but whan the body of Ihesu cryst was brought thyder they myght not kepe hym .lix. A Fo. Cxliiii ¶ That an heretyke was doÌ„be by the vertue of the faythe .lix. B Fo. Cxliiii ¶ That a cautelous heretyke was brent by a fole dyabolyke .lix. C Fo. Cxliiii ¶ That the bysshop of the heretykes fayned for to enlumyne gyue syght to a blynde man .lix. D Fo. Cxliiii ¶ That a symple bysshop vaynquysshed ouercame an heretyke a ryght grete phylozophre .lix. E Fo. Cxlv ¶ That by the pacience and good example of saynt Domynycke he conuerted an heretyke .lix. F Fo. Cxlv Contra fidem ¶ Example of mysbeleuynge people ¶ Of chermers that in the tyme of mast charmed hogges .lx. A Fo. Cxlv ¶ That the deuyll lyed to a noble man to put him in errour for to deceyue hym at the houre of his dethe .lx. B Fo. Cxlv ¶ Of a man that gaue his soule for a quarte of wyne / and the deuyll dyde bete hym a way .lxxi. K Fo. Clxvii ¶ That a woman in errour beleued in the songe of a Cuckowe .lx. C Fo. Cxlvi ¶ That a relygyous in errour beleued in the songe of a Cuckowe that he sholde haue lyued two and tweÌ„ty yeres / and he lyued but two yeres .lx. D Fo. Cxlvi ¶ That there is mo women dampned thaÌ„ men for theyr infydelyte .lx. E Fo Cxlvi ¶ That some prepayred the table vnto the deuylles to th ende that they sholde enryche them .lx. F Fo. Cxlvi ¶ That kynge Ochorias sent to seke counceyle of the deuyll and his messagers were brente with the fyre celestyall / and he deyed myscheuously .lx. G Fo. Cxlvi ¶ Of a man the whiche gaue hymselfe to the deuyll to th ende that he sholde enryche hym .lx. H Fo. Cxlvii ¶ Of a woman that renyed her faythe / slewe her chylde / and gaue herselfe to the deuyl after had mercy .lx. I Fo. Cxlvii Fides ¶ Examples of the faythe ¶ That a mountayne was put frome one place to another in conferminge the faythe catholyke .lxi. A Fo. Cxlviii ¶ Of a preste good catholyke the whiche entred wtin the fyre for to approue the faythe was not brent .lxi. B Fo. Cxlviii ¶ That Abraham many other obedyeÌ„ts had grete faythe in god as it is sayd in obedyence .li. A / b / c. c. Fo. Cxxvii Superbia ¶ Example of proude folke ¶ That Adam and Eue commytted pryde whan they appetyted to be as gods / in knowynge good and euyl .liiii. A Fo. Cxxxiii ¶ That yll came vnto the kynge Roboam to gyue proude answere vnto the chyldren of ysraell lxxxxix M Fo. CCxiii ¶ That the deuyll bare away in body in soule an erle proude / fyers / replete with synnes lxxxxix N Fo. CCxiii ¶ Of the pryde and blaspheme of the kynge Sennacheryb .lxii. K Fo. Cii ¶ Another example Cix F Fo. CCxxxv ¶ That the kynge Anthyochus
his sones lvii G Fo. Cxli ¶ That a thefe was saued by the vyrgyn Marye Cxx. Fo. CCiii ¶ That kynge Saull pylled the countree of Amalech agaynst the wyll of god yll came vnto hym liiii E Fo. Cxxxiiii ¶ That the deuyll posseded Lucrece that made saynt Beatryce to dye for to haue her herytage lxxvii A Fo. Clxxvi ¶ Of a woman daÌ„pned that was nourysshed of thynges yll goten lxxi H Fo. Clxvi ¶ That a seruaunt sawe his mayster ledde in to dyuers paynes for that the he had ben an oppressour and persecutour of the poore people Cvii D Fo. CCxxxi ¶ Another example lxxxii H Fo. Cixxxv Tenacitas et iÌ„misericordia ¶ Examples of people to moche holdyÌ„ge and vnmercyfull ¶ Of the cursed ryche man the had no pyte on the poore lazare the whiche dyed for honger lxxxiiii A Fo. Clxxxvi ¶ Of our Durant the whiche lyued wtout huyngepyte ne mercy vpon the poores indycentes lxxxiiii B Fo. Clxxxvii ¶ Of a ryche man vnmercyfull the fledde in the tyme of famyne for drede to gyue to do elmesse lxxxiiii C Fo. Clxxxviii ¶ That a monke sawe ryche men hanged in hell lxxx D Fo. Clxxxviii ¶ Of the dethe of a ryche man / aâ—d or a pore woman Cv. A Fo. CCxxvii ¶ That two men were lepres for that / that they had horroure and indygnacyon of lepres lxxxiiii F Fo. Clxxxvii ¶ Of a man the whiche gaue hymselfe vnto the deuyll to th ende that he sholde enryche hym lx H Fo. Cxlvii ¶ That the deuyll charged a woman to receyue poore folke on the day to put them out by nyght lxv F Fo. Clvii ¶ Of a carle the gaue vnto the deuyll that that that he had to ete whan ii clerkes demaunded almesse lxxxxvii H Fo. CCviii ¶ Of maryners the forsware them of fere to gyue almesse lxxxxvii F Fo. CCviii Misericordia ¶ That god sent xx s for one peny that was gyuen to a poore man lxxv D Fo. Clxxii ¶ Of a ma charytable that was drowned do y gâ— yâ— workes of mercy lv B Fo. Cxxxvi ¶ That Corneâ—ê° and saynt Eustace were conuerted for the almesdedes that they had done xâ—ii B Fo. Cl ¶ That a barly lofe the whiche a man kest furyously vnto a poore man prouffyted hyÌ„ moche xliii C Fo. Cii ¶ Other examples xxii e / f / g. Fo. li ¶ Of a man that was mercyfull voluptuous Cxxii D Fo CClvi ¶ That a relygyous gaue colwortes to a there that worde haue stolen liii B Fo. Cxxxi ¶ That an he myte fedde a thefe that stoâ—e his substaunce liii C Fo. Cxxxi Symonia ¶ Examples of people symonyakes ¶ Of Symon magus that wolde by the grace of the holy goost lxxxv A Fo. Clxxxviii ¶ Of the punycyon of Gyezy that was symonyake lxxxv B Fo. Clxxxviii ¶ Of the symonyake Hieroboam the solde the bysshopryches lxxxv C Fo. Clxxxviii ¶ That kynge Anthyochus was symoniake and also proude ouer the pussaunce humayne lxxxv D Fo. Clxxxix ¶ Of a man dampned that had many benefyces lxxxv E Fo. Clxxxix ¶ Another example contrary of a monke the whiche was chosen to be bysshop and he refused it / and after that he deyed well and was saued Ciiii. G Fo. CCxxvii ¶ That a man sholde not constytute ony man in benefyces by theyr prayers carnalles lxxxv F Fo. Clxxxix ¶ That a man seculer sholde not do the of fyce of a preste lxxxv G Fo. Clxxxix ¶ Example in Alchynus that lordes sholde not constytute people of euyll lyfe in benefyces lxxxv H Fo. Clxxxx ¶ That he that precheth shal haue grete rewarde in heuen / that fewe curates ben saued lvi G Fo. Cxxxix ¶ Of a man that was bysshop iniustly he dyed sodaynly lxxxv I Fo. Clxxxx ¶ That a chanon was accused of the patron of the chyrche lxxxv K Fo Clxxxx ¶ That a conuers wolde haue ben bysshop by the inductyon of the deuyll and he was hanged lxxxv L Fo. Clxxxx Vsura ¶ Examples of people vsurers ¶ Of the punycyon dampnacyon of an vsurer from whose wombe there proceded a tree lxxxvi A Fo. Clxxxxi ¶ Of an vsurer the whiche wolde not restore cryed at his dethe that he dyde brenne broyle lxxxvi B Fo. Clxxxxi ¶ Of the myscheuous dethe of an vsurer the whiche sayd in his sekenes that he dyde eate pence lxxxvi C Fo. Clxxxxi ¶ Of the horryble dethe of a meschaunte vsurer lxxxvi D Fo. Clxxxxi ¶ Of a womaÌ„ vsuresse that made to bury her money with her lxxxvi E Fo. Clxxxxi ¶ Of an vsurer the whiche demaunded ayde of his golde and syluer whan he was in deyenge lxxxvi F Fo. Clxxxxii ¶ Of an vsurer that coÌ„maunded his soule to the deuyll for that / that it wolde not abyde with his goodes lxxxvi G Fo. Clxxxxii ¶ Of an vsurer that wolde not restore and he was borne vpon an asse to the galowes and there buryed lxxxvii A Fo. Clxxxxii ¶ That the deuyll dyde sette hym vpon the cofre of an vsurer where as the money was put lxxxvii B Fo. Clxxxxii ¶ That a persone shold not pray for an vsurer deed lxxxvii C Fo. Clxxxxiii ¶ What befel of a chyrche made of vsuries extorcyons lxxxvii D Fo. Clxxxxiii ¶ Of an vsuret the whiche wolde not restore to other lxxxvii E Fo. Clxxxxiii ¶ Of an vsurer that confessed restored in his laste dayes lxxxvii F Fo. Clxxxxiii ¶ Of an vsurer the deuyls plucked out of his graue in the chyrche and drewe hym out by the fete lxix B Fo. Clxiii ¶ That a vsurer buried in a cloyster waked the monkes lxix C Fo. Clxiii Restitutio ¶ Examples of restytucyon ¶ Of one named Frederyk tourmented in hell for that he restored not the thynges yll goten lxxxviii A Fo. Clxxxxiii ¶ Of a chylde that was in paynes of purgatory for that that he hadde not restored the syluer borowed lxxxviii B Fo. Clxxxxiii ¶ Of a man tourmented in purgatory for the defaute of payenge syxe pence that he owed lxxxviii C Fo. Clxxxxiiii ¶ Of a relygious the was in the paynes of purgatory for an half peny that he owed vnto a feryman lxxxviii D Fo. Clxxxxiiii ¶ That two men were neclygeÌ„tes to restore and to pay as they had promysed / and the one was lepre the other stryken with the fyre of saynt Anthony lxxxxvii D Fo. CCviii ¶ That the deuylles dooth lette for to restore lxxxviii E Fo. Clxxxxiiii ¶ Of a fader his sone dampned the wolde not restore lxxiii A Fo. Clxviii ¶ Of vsurers the whiche wolde not restore lxxxvi a / b. Fo. Clxxxxi lxxxvii A. Fo xcii ¶ Of a player dampned that restored not his wynnynges lxvii D Fo. Clix ¶ That god gaue charge vnto a chylde that he sholde restore an hafpeny that he hadde stolen lxxx D Fo. Clxxxi ¶ Of an abbot that sent agayne the money gyuen to his monastery for that it was of yll acquysycyon lxxxvii F Fo. Clxxxxiii ¶ Of an vsurer
shall studye this boke the whiche is named the floure of the commaundementes of god / for that it hath ben gadered amonge the bokes as the fayre vyolettes ben gadered amonge the rude and vyle herbes thorow out the feldes in likewyse as a man may se by auctorytees holy scryptures alleged assembled for to knowe that / that god wylleth and commaundeth to th ende for to go in to lyfe eternall And in lykewyse as the hony flyes gadren the swetenes of the lytell floures for to make the waxe or hony / or in lykewyse as men gadren the creame and the swetenes of the mylke for to haue the fatte and butter for to nourysshe the body Euen so hath ben gadered the floures and swetnesses of the holy scryptures for to nourysshe spyrytually the soules with vertues and goodes spyrytualles in accomplysshynge the wyll of god for to haue saluacyon / and to escape dampnacyon This boke treateth pryncypally thre thynges The fyrst declareth that all the ten commaundementes all the holy scryptures tenden and hangen to loue god and his neyghboure / and how god defendeth in these two thynges here all synne / and all euyll wordes / thoughtes / operacyons / and he commaundeth al vertues goodes espyritualles The seconde thynge wherof this boke treateth is of the .x. commaundementes / the whiche ben declared one after another by chapitres as they ben here before in the table The thyrde declareth some thynges moeuynge for to kepe the commaundements of god / and many thynges noysauntes vnto them the which breketh them Moreouer the condycyons of the pylgryme of paradyse / and of the rewarde eternall of them the whiche well or yll haue accomplysshed these commaundementes Creatures reasonable studye ye this boke / for it is moche prouffitable vnto all people as wel clerkes as seculyers / and plante ye and rote the commauÌ„dementes in your hertes as yf they were wryten in a boke and god shall gyue vnto you paradyse the whiche is a place replenysshed with Ioyes more swete than ony mylke or hony Legitur in libri moysi Audi israel precepta domini et eain corde quasi in libro scribe / et dabo tibi terram effluentem lac et mel c. B. ¶ Here foloweth the fyrst chapytre the whiche treateth in generall that it is coÌ„maunded to loue god with all his herte / his neyghbour as hymselfe i. c. YF thou wylt do thy saluacyon benygnely thou shalt obey vnto god vnto his commaundementes / as here after thou shalt here ¶ God gyueth vnto the two commaundementes so generalles that they comprehende vnder them all that / that thou sholdest do and fle for thy saluacyon In lykewyse as sayen the holy scryptures in many places VnÌ„ Mathei .xxii. Marci .xii. Luce .x. Et deuteronomii .vi. Diliges dominum deum tuuÌ„ ex toto corde tuo / et ex tota anima tua / et ex tota meÌ„te tua / ex tota virtute tua / hoc estmaximum primum mandatum SecunduÌ„ autem simile est huic Diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum In hus duobus mandatis vniuersa lex pendet et prophete That is to say It is commaunded the that thou loue thy lorde god with all thy herte / with all thy soule / with all thy thought / and with al thy strength / that is to vnderstande more than all thynges / and aboue al thynges This here is the gretest commaundement and the fyrst For it is of the dyleccyon vnto god the whiche comprehendeth the thre fyrst commaundementes and the thre vertues theologalles / the whiche ben faythe / hope / and charyte The seconde commaundement is semblable vnto that / for is dylection the whiche gyueth them charge that thou loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe This dyleccyon comprehendeth vnder it the seuen last commaundementes / all the werkes of mercy / and the foure vertues cardynalles the whiche ben Prudence / attempraunce / Iustyce / and force In these two commauÌ„dements before sayd to loue god and his neyghbour all the lawe hangeth the prophetes ¶ For to vnderstande ryght shortly all the fayth / all the .x. commaundementes of god / and all the scryptures of the auncyent testament and of the newe / and all that / that the prophetes and sayntes of paradyse hath spoken vnto vs and wryten for the helthe of our soules / it is a thynge certayne that all tendeth and hangeth in the ende and coÌ„clusyon for to loue god and his neyghbour as it is sayd Saynt Poule sayeth ad romanos .xiii. Dilectio ê“ximi malum non operatur / plenitudo legis est dilectio The dyleccoÌ„n of thy neyghbour dooth none yll / the fulfyllynge of the lawe is dyleccyon And therfore retayne wele in thy mynde these two commaundementes and them accomplysshe from poynt to poynt / in operacyon / in worde / and in thought / thou shalte do none yll / but thou shalt accomplysshe all goodnes / and thou shalt be saued C. ¶ The seconde chapytre assygneth .v. reasons wherfore a man shold loue god with all his herte aboue all thynges IT is wryten in the .xiiii. chapytre of the gospelles of saynt Iohn that our sauyour redemptour Ihesus sayd vnto his dysciples Qui habêª mandata mea seruat eaâ—le est qui diligit me That is to saye after the exposytoure He the whiche hathe my commaundements in the ere to here them and in the herte for to thynke them / and in the mouthe for to teche theym / and in the mynde and volunte to kepe theym and to accomplysshe in operacion / he it is whiche loueth me Many 〈…〉 shold moeue vs to loue god with all our hertes obey vnto his commaundementes more soner thaÌ„ to all thynges D. ¶ Fyrst it is good reasoÌ„ to loue hym with all our herte for the goodnes infynyte the whiche is in hym and the whiche of hym procedeth / the whiche is so grete that it is innombrable That is saye that he hath soo many that a manne can finde th ende Also it is good reason to loue hym / for he hath loued vs more than all the creatures that he hath made and create in this worlde / the whiche he hath all create for to serue vs. Whan god made create the heuen and the erthe / the sonne and the moone / the sterres / the fyrmament the elementes / and all the beestes eche of them in his kynde / and all the byrdes euery of theÌ„ in his gree / he them made for his honour for to serue vs and to gouerne / and without them wene may lyue Albeit of all the creatures that he hath create in this worlde hene hath made none vnto his semblauÌ„ce and vnto his ymage to be in his company eternally but man and woman and the aungelles And for as moche as he hath loued vs more than all the operacyons that he hath create and for the goodnes infynytethe
lyue holyly in lykewyse as men sholde it behoueth to take the maners and condycions of men parfaytes the whiche here foloweth ¶ Here after foloweth the seuen vertues ¶ Who so wyll knowe the good in lyuyÌ„ge The .vii. vertues with theyr brauÌ„ches also As ye shall se here after folowynge In them ben reteyned with many other mo ¶ Fides Who that beleueth is obedyent Chaste / pure / clene / and confyaunt In desyre good and innocent Ferme in god / not varyaunt ¶ Spes The man esperaunt / is pacyent Hauynge Ioye in contemplacyon His synnes also / he dooth repent By contrycyon / and confessyon ¶ Caritas The charytable hath pyte Grace / peas / benygnyte Debonayrte / humylyte Pardon / clemence / lyberalyte ¶ Prudentia ¶ The prudent loueth god and dredeth Menynge always well and truely By good counceyle whan hym nedeth And dysposeth all thynge goodly ¶ Temperantia The man attemprate putteth dyscrecyon In mete / and drynke / and clothynge All thynges done by moderacyon Ne yet in speche is he excedynge ¶ Iusticia The Iust man hath equyte Cyrreccyon / with seueryte Lawe / iugement / and veryte Not sweruynge from fydelyte ¶ Fortitudo The man stronge is ferme and suffraunt Constaunt / pacient in bounte Grete in courage / perseueraunt Prompt and delygent in sayntyte ¶ The auctour ¶ Who so these vertues shall lerne conÌ„e And them accomplysshe in worde dede Vnto perfeccyon they shall come And haue heuen for theyr mede ¶ It wryten in .ix. ethicorum Virtuosorum beatissima est vita Et in scdo ethicorum dicitur quod virtus certior est et melior omni arte Item in eodem capitulo dicitur ê™ oiÌ„s virtus consistit in medio In oiÌ„bus medium est laudabile A. ¶ It is commauÌ„ded that we loue eche other in lykewyse as god hath loued vs iii. IT is wryten in the .v. chapitre of the gospelles of saynt Iohan that god sayd to his dyscyples Hoc est preceptum meum vt diligatis inuicem licut dilexi vos That is to say My coÌ„maundement is that ye loue eche other in lykewise as I haue loued you For to con expounde this dyleccyon a man ought to knowe that god hath loued vs in many maners / wherof we shall tell fyue B. ¶ Fyrst god hathe loued vs ryghtfully before that we loued hym / and not for his prouffyte ne for to haue our goodes / but of his benygnyte for to socoure vs and to saue vs. In lykewise sholde we loue our neyghbours before that they do vs good / and not for to haue theyr goodes / but for to socoure them in folowynge god Vnde .i. Iohannis .iiii. In hoc apparuit caritas dei noÌ„ quasi nos dilexerimus euÌ„ sed quoniam ipse prior disexi nos / et misit filium suum propiciatorem pro peccatis nostris C. ¶ Secondly god hath loued vs dyscretely For he hath loued the persones and the saluacion of soules and hath hated and persecuted the synnes / and repreued those the whiche dyde commytte them In lykewyse sholde we do For yf our neyghboure be entached or spotted with ony vyce we sholde hate his synne reprehende hym dyscretely Vnde paulus ad galath vi Si preoccupatus fuerit homo in aliquo delicto vos qui spirituales estis instruite in spuÌ„lenitatis considerans teipsum ne et tu temteris ¶ Example that softe correccyon prouffyteth more vnto euyll persones than sharpe Quere in the examplary .lxxiiii. a. ¶ Another example how saynt Iohan softly drewe a thefe from synne Quere .lxxii. e. Also dyleccyon ought to be without symulacion For who so loueth well chastyseth without fayntyse Vnde paulus ad ro xii Dilectione sine simulatione odientes malum adherentes bono Thou sholdest loue thy neyghbours in god / and after the vertue of equyte / and not in yll and synne These the whiche god loueth he chastyseth discretely Vnde apo iii. Ego quos amo arguo castigo dicit dominê° Et pau ii ad thymo iiii Argue obsecra increpa omni pacientia et doctrina ¶ A questyon Who soo sholde demaunde yf the loue of theues and pyllars were good the whiche loueth and susteyneth eche other / or of lechoures the whiche loueth theyr folysshe louers as them selfe The answere Suche loue is nothyÌ„ge worthe / for they loue not god / ne theyr neyghbour / ne theyr selfe They loue not god in brekynge his commaundementes / ne they loue not theyr neyghbour ne themselfe / for they dampne theym selfe Vnde psalmist Qui diligit iniquitatem odit animam suam He the whiche loueth iniquyte hateth his soule Et beatus iacobus dicit Peccatum cum consummatuÌ„ fuerit generat mortem Incontynente that synne is consummed done it engendreth the dethe That is to vnderstande that it mortyfyeth spyrytually the goodnes of the soule / by the dethe of gylte D. ¶ Thyrdly god vs hath loued fructuously / not onely in voyce but of worde / of operacions In lykewyse we sholde our neyghbour in doynge the operacyon For yf a poore man the whiche hath hunger thyrst all to frosen demauÌ„de the almes It shall not suffyse to say vnto hym A poore man thou hast hongre and arte frosen god helpe the. Saynt Iames sayeth in the .ii. chapytre of his epystle that fayth without operacyon is deed and nothynge worthe And saynt Iohan sayeth illud .i. Ioh. iii. Filioli non diligamus verbo neque lingua sed oê‘e et veritate Lytell chyldren / sones and doughters / loue not onely by tongue / and by worde / but by operacyon and veryte The tree the whiche ne hath but leues bereth no good fruyte is not good but for to brenne In lykewyse the persone the whiche ne hath but wordes without operacyons is nothynge worthe Our sauyour Ihesus fyrst dyde and after shewed it agayne by worde Capit ihesus facere et docere And in lykewyse sholde we do / for it is wryten iacobi .i. Estote factores verbi noÌ„ auditores tmÌ„ fallentes vosmetipÌ„os Be ye the doers of the wyll of god not alonely the herers deceyuynge your selfe The man that is Iustyfyed by the operacyon of the faythe not alonely by faythe Some ben frendes of the mouthe / some of the table / some of the purse / some of operacyon The frendes of the mouthe promiseth ynough / but they do nothynge in operacion A fructibê° coruÌ„ cognoscetis eos The frendes of the table loueth eche other whyles that barell of drinke the feest lasteth / sayeth well one of the other / but whan there is nomore meet nor drynke the loue defayleth sayen / it is a myscheuous man that hath all eten wasted VnÌ„ eccle vi Est amicê° socius mense noÌ„ permanebit in die necessitatis He is freÌ„de and felawe of the table he abydeth not in the daye of nede Et eccle xxxvii Est amicê° solo noiÌ„e
sancto sanctus eris cum ê‘uerso ê‘uerteris Ecclesiastisis .xxii. Cum stulto non multum loquaris et cum insensato non abieris serua te ab illo vt molestiam non habeas et non coinquineris in peccato illius deflete ab illo et inuenies requiem et non accidiaberis in stulticia illus Et ecclesiastisis .vii. Discede ab iuiquo et deficient mala abste ¶ Go awaye or departe thou from an yll persone And illys shall defayll in the. And saynt poule sayth Wyll thou not to commune with the operacioÌ„s infructucuses of derkenesses / but repreue them Vnde ad ephesios quinto Noli coÌ„munycare operibus infructuosis tenebrarum magis autem redarguite Also in lyke wyse a man sholde fle and eschewe the company of a woman irous / furous / and debatefull For she is ryghte malycyous yll / iniuryous without kepynge of ony secrete what so euer a man can do vnto her All confusyon / dystruccion / and irreuerence cometh and procedeth of her vnde ecclesia Non est caput nequiê° super caput colubri et non est ira super iram mulieris Sequitur mulieris ira irreuerentia et coÌ„fusio magna Et prouerbiorum .xxi. Melius est habitare in terra deserta / quam ê¯muliere rixoza et iracunda ¶ Example of a woman the whiche was angry and wrothe one tyme sharpely agayne her husbande / the whiche woman ne coude kepe his secrete And in her furour and ire sayd vnto hym Thou wenest to haue thre chyldreÌ„ of me / thou ne hast but one onely Quere .lxxi. a. ¶ The fourth remedye agayne the ire or hate of his neyghboure is to doo hym the good agayne the ylle / as to gyue hym to eate and to drynke whan he hathe hongre or thurst or other thynge in his necessyte And in so doynge thou shalt quenche the fyre of ire / and thou shalt embrace in hym the coles of charyte / and he shal be in thy loue / more ouer god shall gyue the retrybucyon Vnde ad romanos .xii. prouerbiorum .xxv. Si esurierit inimicus tuus ciba illum / si scicierit da eibibere / hoc enim faciens carbones ignis congregabis super caput eius et dominus reddet tibi / And god sayth in the gospel loue your enemyes / doo ye good by operacyon vnto theÌ„ the whiche haue hated you Blysse ye with mouthe those that curse you / and pray for your persecutoures the whiche wrongeth you and dyspyseth you And your reward shall be greate in heuen Vnde mathei v. et luce .vi. Diligite inimicos vestros benefacite his qui oderuÌ„t vos benedicite maledicentibus vobis / et orate pro persecutâ—ribus et calunniantibus vos et erit merces vestra multa in celo A man sholde note here that the vertue of pacyence is agayne the synne of ire / and therfore in all aduersytees / iniuryes / sekenesses / and fortunes It is the very and souerayne remedy as to bere pacyently A ¶ Of hate the whiche god defendeth Ca. xxvii IT is wryten leui xix Non oderis fratrem tuum in corde God made to tel vnto the chyldren of Israhell by his seruaunt Moyses Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy herte That is to vnderstonde by enuye in thynkynge yll vpon him / or in desyrynge the losse of his goodes / or herytages / or the yll and dyshonoure of his body / or the dampnacyon of his soule It is wryten in the same chapytre leuitici xix Non facies calunniam proximo tuo nec vi opprimes eum Thou ne shalte do noo dyspyte vnto thy neyghbour / and thou ne shalte chase hym by force Syth that god the coÌ„maundeth that thou loue thy neyghboure as thyselfe it foloweth wele that he the defendeth that thou hate him not / and that thou do vnto hym none yll / no more than thou woldest a man dyde vnto the / loue thy neyghbour / than thou hatest him not It is wryten zach viii Vnusquisque malum contra amicum suum ne cogitetis in cordibus vestris et iuramentuÌ„ men dax ne diligatis omnia sunt que odi / dicit dominus Euery of you or none of you ye thyÌ„ke none yl agayne your frende in your hertes / and loue ye not the othe of a lyar / god hateth these thynges Euery man the whiche dysobeyeth vnto god synneth mortally And euery man that whiche hateth his neyghbour dysobeyeth vnto god / than he sinneth mortally by the consequent he putteth hymself from paradyse and byndeth hym vnto dampnacyon B ¶ The synne of hate is to drede and to fle for many thynges wherof we shall tell fyue ¶ The fyrste is that for to hate his neyghbour in desyrynge his yll a man dysobeyeth vnto god the whiche is so greate synne / venim / and syknes vnto the soule that it chaseth from the hater charite and these other vertues letteth all his godes spyrytuall that it ne maye vnto hym proffyte as by symylytude sayenge that sekenes corporell chaseth the helthe of the body And letteth to drynke and to ete / And other good that it ne maye vnto hym profyte And also as sykenes is contrary vnto helthe and that thou ne mayst be hole / and seke togyders In lyke manere hate is contrarye vnto dyleccyon And enuye vnto charyte the whiche ne maye be togyders For the logycyans sayeth that two thynges the whiche ben contraryes opposytes the one vnto the other ne maye be ne abyde togyders but that the one chaseth the other Vnde duo opposita nunquam possunt simul esse in eodem subiecto Yt thou hate than thy neyghbour thou louest hym not Yf thou hast enuye or wrathe agaynst thy neyghboure or euen crysten thou arte oute of charyte And yf thou be out of the loue and of the charyte of thy neyghboure Thou arte oute of the loue and of the grace of god / thou ne louest neyther god nor thy neyghboure Vnde .i. iohannis .iiii. Si quis dixerit quoniam diligo deum et tratrem suum oderit mendax est That is to vnderstonde yf ony wyll saye that he loueth god hateth his euen crysten he is a false lyar Iterum in eodem capitulo Qui noÌ„ diligit fratrem suum quem videt deum quem non videt quomodo potest diligere He the whiche loueth not his broder euen cristen that he seeth / how may he loue god the whiche he seeth not / hene may do it for to gyue you in knowlege to vnderstonde clerely / yf thou hate thy neyghboure euen crysten / thou louest not our lorde ihesu cryst / and thou arte clene oute of grace and charyte / and thy vertues and thy godes spyrytualles ben departed frome the. Quia virtutes cum viciis remanere vel parmanere non possunt Then noo good spyrytuell resteth in the. And by the consequent thou ne mayst be in
in rekenyÌ„ge fyue or syxe sheuys of corne begyleth god of the halfe shefe / or agayne those the whiche paye nothynge of the newe fruytz eten in somer / as peres / ploÌ„mes / benes / pesen c.. It is writen eccle xxxv Bono animo redde gloriam deo et minuas primicias manuum tuaruÌ„ Yelde glorye vnto god by courage and mynysshe not the fyrst fruyte of the labours of thy handes The seconde is that a man sholde paye ioyousli without heuynes ne without hauing grutche therin agayne those vnto whome it semeth that they lese that that they gyue to the dysme / as yf they sholde caste it downe the water they offendeth gretely Audi scrypturas eccle xxxv In omni dato hylarem fac vultum tuum et in exultatione sanctifica decimas tuas Make thy vysage ioyous in euery gyfte / sanctyfye thy dysmes in exultacyon Et legitur ii ad co ix Hilarem enim datorem diligit deus / That is to saye that god loueth the gyuer ioyous ysodorus sayeth Qui cuÌ„ tristitia largitur remuneratioÌ„is noÌ„ ê‘cipit fructuÌ„ He the whiche gyueth enlargeth with heuines ne apperceyueth the fruyte of remuneracyon Also a man ne sholde let lese the dysmes nor the thynge that apperteyneth to god For it is wryten exo xiii Pruâ—â—◠〈◊〉 truguÌ„ tre tue deteres iÌ„ domuÌ„ dei tui 〈◊〉 fyrste cornes fruytes of the erthe y◠〈◊〉 bere them in to the house of thy lorde 〈◊〉 The thyrde condycyon that a man she 〈◊〉 haue for to paye wele his dysmes is that a man sholde paye of the best and not oâ— the worste / or that the whiche falleth vnto the tenth agayne those the whiche gyuen the corne eten troden or full of drake / or agayÌ„ those the whiche taketh for themselfe the good appelles and gyueth the yll / they offende gretely Audi scripturas Legitur numeri xviii OiÌ„a que aftertis ex decimis in donaria separabitis optima et electa erunt All those thynges the whiche ye offre in dismes and in gyftes ye shal depart the beste and they shall be chose agreables vnto god et legitur leui xxvii Quicqid decimum venerit sanctificabitur dnÌ„o noÌ„ elegitur bonuÌ„ nec maluÌ„ nec altero commutabitur Si quis mutauerit quod mutatum est et ê“ quo mutatuÌ„ est sanctifica domino Hec precepit dnÌ„s moysi What thynge so euer it be that cometh the tenth shall be sanctyfyed vnto the lorde / the good nor the yll be not chosen it shal not be chaunged in to another Yf ony chaunge it the thyÌ„ge the whiche is chaunged / and wherfore it is chaunged / santefye it vnto our lorde Our lorde hathe coÌ„mauÌ„ded these thynges here vnto moyse Et legitur eccle xxxv Noli afferre munera praua non enim suscipi et illa deus Offre thou not yll gyftes god ne shall take them Et legitur iuce .xi. Ve vobis phariseis qui decimatis mentam rutaÌ„ et oeÌ„ olus pÌ„teritis iuditiuÌ„ et caritateÌ„ dei Woo be to you pharysyens the whiche dysme the lytell yll herbes trespasse the charyte of god The fourth condycyon is that a man sholde paye without taryenge / nor to drawe backe tyll that a man be somoned / cyted or warned It is offence to tary to gyue vnto god that whiche apperteyneth vnto hym / or lende vnto hymselfe his dysmes tyll vnto another yere wtout spekyng vnto the curate It is wryten exodi xxii Decimas tuas pÌ„mitias noÌ„ tardabis of terre Thou sholdest not tary to offre thy dysmes / thy fyrst cornes fruyte C. ¶ We haue example in Cayn Abell of those that wele or yll paye theyr dysmes FroÌ„ the begynnynge of the worlde god coÌ„mauÌ„ded vnto oure forne faders that they sholde paye the tenth of theyr fruytes And for as moche as they had not vnto whom to pay it god coÌ„maunded that they sholde brenne it that they sholde make smoke the whiche sholde mounte in to heuen for to do vnto god honoure sacryfyce by obedyence / in reknowlegynge that the sayd goodes cometh of god Cayn Abel that were Adams sones made it But Abels was good for he dysmed we le / and there his smoke mounted in to the heuen and pleased god Cayn was wycked dysmed ylle / wherfore his smoke yede downewarde towarde the erth it pleased not to god Also his lande fructefyed not wele in fruytes labours and bare thystylles / drake / and darnell / thornes c. And for asmoche as Abell was gode and obedyent loued of god / that his lande fructefyed wele and that al goodes came vnto hym / cayn had enuye vpon hyÌ„ and slewe hym was accursed Vnde ge iiii Respexit dnÌ„s ad abelle et ad munera eius ad cayn autem et ad munera eius noÌ„ respexit Sequitur Nunc maledictê° eris super terram cuÌ„ operatus fueris eam noÌ„ dabit fructus suos vagus et ê“fugus eris super terram God loked vpon Abell and vpon his gyftes / for he made them we le / And he loked not vpon Cayn / nor vpon his goodes / for he gaue of the worste / and god sayd vnto hym Thou shalte be nowe accursed aboue the erthe whan thou shalt laboure it ne shall gyue her fruyte Also ye be cursed in dysmes and fyrste cornes and fruytes ¶ For ye haue frauded me of my parte that I haue witholden for myselfe Vnde michee iii. In dicimis primitus vos maledicti estis c. Glosa Quia fran dastis me parte mea The gyftes of god for to paye wele the dysmes ¶ Those the whiche paye wele the dysmes haue pryncypally .iiii. gyftes of god The fyrst habouÌ„daunce of fruytes / laboures and worldly goodes as sayeth the scryptures in many places Vnde malachie .iii. Inferet omneÌ„ decimam in horeuÌ„ meum et sit cibus iÌ„ domo mea probate me super hoc dicit dnÌ„s si non aparuero vobis catharactas celi et effundero vobis benedictioneÌ„ vsque ad abuÌ„ dantiam et increpabo pro vobis deuorantem Glosa Vermen vel virium aeris sequitur et non corrumpet fructuÌ„ terre vestre nec erit sterilis vinea in agro dicit dominus That is to saye bere al dysme into my garnier that that is to ete in my house / prouue me of this thynge sayeth god Yf I open not to you the thynges of heuen and yf I shedde not benedyccyon tyl vnto haboundaunce And I shal blame for you the deuourynge worme and vice of the ayre And he shal not corrupte the fruyte of your lande And the vyne shall not be barayne in the felde sayeth our lorde Example of a lorde the whiche payed wele his dysmes his vyne bare of fruyte two tymes in one yere quere in the exemplayre .lxxxiii. b. Et legitur
entred into the chirche herde preche that euery creature is taught to fle sȳne to loue god / by this prechynge he was edefyed And in beholdynge the creatures he sayd to hymselfe Suche a creature serueth vnto god obeyeth vnto hym The water in rennynge the byrdes in syngynge the herbes in rysynge vppe and growynge and in lyke wyse of other creatures And he sawe a toode one tyme and said / the creatoure myght haue create me as this tode yf he had wolde / I offende him contynuelly by synnes and am vnkynde For he hathe made me and create vnto his ymage for to haue beatytude and me hathe redemed by his passyō c. For to be shorte he conuerted hym and dyde penaunce / and was suffycyently instructe of a holy man and perseuered louably in the seruyce of god c. C. ¶ Another example That to here the worde of god it is prouffytable albeit that a man holde it not IT is wryten in the lyfe of the faders that a frere sayd vnto a goode fader abbot I haue axed questyons oftymes that they wolde tel me ammonycyon for the helthe of my soule And of all that that they tell me I reteyne nothynge The auncyente sayd vnto the frere I haue two vesselles voyde goo fetche me one and wasshe it with water / and afterwarde caste it and put the sayd potte in his place And the sayd frere dyde so one tyme two tymes / and the aūcyente sayd vnto hym Brynge me the two vesselles heder / whan that he hadde broughte them the auncyente sayd vnto hym / Whiche of the two pottes is moost moyst and also clene The frere sayd vnto hym It is that wherin I haue put my water that I haue wasshed Than the auncyent sayd vnto hym Sone in lyke wyse is it of the soule the whiche hereth often the worde of god / albeit that he reteyne nothynge of the thynges that he axeth / notwithstondynge he is more clene than he the whiche demaūdeth nothynge and also hereth not ony thynge D. ¶ Another example how some freres slepte in herynge the worde of god and in herynge the ydell wordes they were moche wakynge Ca. lvi IT is wryten in the lyfe of the faders that an aūcyent the whiche set him in hermytage for to pray vnto god that he wolde gyue hȳ grace that he slepte not whan men sholde speke of spyrytuell thynges And whan men sholde speke of detraccyon or of hate that he myght slepe incontynente that the ere 's ne token the venyme of that synne He sayd that the deuyll studyed hȳ to admoneste these men in ydell wordes for to impugne doctryne and thynge spyrytuell And he tolde this example Whan I spake some tyme vnto some freres of the vtylyte of soules / they slepte so profoūdely that they ne myght meue the eye lyd of theyr eyes And I wolde shewe that it was a thynge dyabolyke And I yode to speke thynges ydell And they were incontynent wakynge and enioyed theym and I toke me to wayle and to saye I spake tyll vnto nowe of thynges celestyall / and all your eyes were holden by grefe to slepe whan an ydell worde hathe be brought forth / ye haue be all prompte and redy to here For the whiche thynge I praye you ryght dere brethern that ye knowe that it is the werke of the cursed deuyll / take hede to your selfe and kepe you from slepynge whan ye do or here ony thynge spyrytuell c. By this example a man may vnderstonde that the deuyll bryngeth a slepe his seruauntes of drede that they ne here the worde of god / and that they ne sholde leue theyr synnes And also he waketh thēfor to here ylle / to th ende that they fall in to synne and dampnacyon c. E. ¶ Another example agayne those the whiche fleeth the sermons lvi IT is wryten that as saynt martyn yode frome towne to towne prechinge and doynge myracles one Cayment impotente fledde euermore before hym from towne to towne / and from cyte to cyte / and fered that he sholde hele hym / of drede that he ne loste to gete and to demaunde his liuynge In lyke wyse the rauysshers / the the uys / the lechoures / and synners fleeth the sermons and they ne wyll here them / of drede leste that they leue theyr synnes / they ne amende them c. F. ¶ Another example how the case of a prechoure was borne at the dethe / how Ihesu cryste ayded hym and chased awaye the deuylles lvi SOme maysters hathe wryten this the whiche foloweth howe the dyscyple recyteth in his prōtuarye and sayth that it was cōmaunded vnto a relygious preest of the ordre of the prechers that he sholde go to preche agayn the sarazyns / the crosse he theder yode and so deyed And he appered vnto one of his compaygnons the whiche axed hym of his estate He answered in this It semed me that my payne was to longe And whan that I deyed I ne sawe by me but the deuylles the which began to saye vnto me Thou keptest neuer wele thy professyon ne the obedyence that thou hast promysed vnto thyn abbot And also thou ne preched neuer vnto ony clerely thy lorde god And as the sayd deuylles preposed agaynst me dyuers thynges in the sayd manere and that there ne was persone the whiche answerde for me Ihesu cryste came and sayd Come after me / for thou haste preched me And incontynent all the company of deuylles departed as a smoke I folowed Ihesu cryste in to glorye and I ne felte ony other pain excepte the sayd fere c. G. ¶ Another example how he the whiche precheth the worde of god shal haue grete rewarde in heuen MEn fynde by wrytynge in some bokes / also the dyscyple it recyteth in his promptuarye that as a good preest precher approched vnto his dethe one of his good frendes made hym swere in our lorde that he sholde come to certefy hym of his estate .xxx. dayes after his dethe After that he was deed the said preest appered vnto hym as he had requyred hȳ in a meruayllous fayre chapel al replenysshed with ouches of golde that is to saye of Iewelles ryche / noble good and precyous / amonges the whiche there was one vpon the brest dyffered / was more fayr without comparyson than the other And as he enquyred of his estate / he sayd vnto hym that it was wele After he hym demaunded wherfore he was so cladde He answered I haue this vestyment for the grete zele and loue that I haue had vnto my neyghbours And as many as I haue conuerted of synners there are in my vesture of ouches And I haue receyued the ouche that thou seest on my brest / for that that I haue conuerted a synner of whom no man had ony hope of helthe And he asked hym of the estate of those the whiche haue cure and charge of soule and of people
cursed / he was nowe more cursed Whan she se that she was coÌ„fused / she toke her to flee And as she fled the deuyll ranne after her in semblaunce of her husbande in semblable habyte / on horsbacke / vnto whome he sayd And accursed whether goest thou She answered I fle before you Vnto whom the deuyl sayd / retourne anone vnto thy house For I promyse the I wyll bete the no more / nor do the yll And so she lepte behynde hyÌ„ vpon the horse / wende it had be her husbonde Whan they were before the house / the deuyll vanysshed awaye so that she wyst not where he was become And her husbaÌ„de came for to bete her Vnto whome she sayd How fledde I before you this daye / that ye haue brought me agayne Ye haue promysed to bete me noo more Whan he herde that she had fledde before him he began agayne to bete her And so bet her so moche / that she was as at the dethe And as she laye halfe deed in wouÌ„des sayd bryng me a confessour / vnto whom her husbande sayd / she wyl nowe confounde me and saye that I haue slayne her / defended that none sholde goo for the preest She ceased not to crye brynge me a confessoure In th ende one of her seruauÌ„tes wente pryuely to fetche the preest / the whiche came at nyght with the body of our lorde But her husbande locked the dore agaynst hym And as he was before the house the woman cryed vnto hym sayng My lorde at the leest here me thorowethe walle thus she cryed My lorde I confesse that I haue slayne my chylde / haue coÌ„mytted me vnto the deuyl in body soule / renyed the fayth of Ihesu cryste And in grete contrycyon of her synnes yelded vp her spyrite And incontyneÌ„t god the whiche is debonayre pardoned her all her synnes / receyued her to grace / made to bere her soule in to heuen by hys auÌ„gelles Her husbande se that the prest the presence by the permyssyon dyuyne And therfore these synners sholde haue the eye to requyre god the whiche is fader of pyte / mercye and forgyuenes c. ¶ Fides A. ¶ Examples of the faith / fyrst example how a mountayne was put from one place into another for to conferme the faith catholyque lxi SOme doctours hathe wryten this the whiche foloweth how the disciple recyteth in his sermons sayeth howe in the towne of a kynge infydele myscreaunte yl and peruers came .v. bysshoppes cristyens the whiche assembled them therefor to make a consystorye For one partye of the people of the towne were crystyens And by the counsayll of an infydele the sayd kynge made to come before hym the said bysshoppes vnto whome he sayd Nere to this cite there is a mountayne the letteth the the see cometh not nere / the whiche sholde be a grete good dede yf the sayd mountayne were taken awaye And I can not fynde the meane to make it to be take away And I haue vnderstonde that it is writen in your lawe that yf ony hathe fayth in your god as the sede of mustarde that he saye vnto a mountayne that it remeue in to another place that it shal be done incontynent for asmoche as ye be the maysters of the lawe I coÌ„mauÌ„de you that ye do make to be take awaye that mountayne frome thens it is / bytwene this suche a daye / or I shall make you to deye Than the sayd bysshoppes were sory in sayenge amonges them that better it was to deye than to make the sayd requeste vnto god for to obeye vnto the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of the sayd infydele / that he ne was dygne that men vnto him sholde obeyene do the sayd pleasure And as they waylled in awaytynge the dethe and the daye the houre that they sholde be trode vnderfote A good crystyen symple man shomaker demaunded the cause of theyr heuynesses Answere was gyuen as it is sayd that / that the kynge vnto them had spoken And the sayd shomaker sayd Alas and shal our pastours bysshoppes dye the whiche vnto vs precheth / techeth kepeth susteyneth our lawe And he yode to make request vnto god / said in this wyse My god / my lorde / my maister yf it be so that I haue fayth in the in lyke wyse as a sede of mustarde after that / that the scripture speketh I requyre the that the sayd mouÌ„tayne be chaunged in to another place / and that our bysshoppes ben kepte froÌ„ dethe And incontynent the sayd mouÌ„tayne was founde in another place than it was accustomed to be And the sayd bysshops were kepte frome dethe It is that the whiche is wryten mathei xxi Amen dico vobis sihabueritis fideÌ„ et non hesitaueritis / simoÌ„ti huic dixeritis tolle iactate mare cito fiet et oiÌ„a quecuÌ„que petieritis in oratione credentes accipietis c. B. ¶ Another example of a preest a good catholyque the whiche entred within the fyre for to approue the fayth / and he was not brente MEn fynde by wrytynge in the lyfe of faders this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye sayeth that there was a deuoute prest the whiche founde a grete doctoure heretyke of the manychees the whiche deceyued the symple people And for asmoche as that doctoure was stronge to tourne to take in wordes the deuoute preest sayd in herynge of all Lyght a greate fyre of wodde in the myddes of the place And entre we bothe within the flambe And he the whiche of vs bothe shal not be brent men shall byleue that he hathe the better fayth This thyng pleased vnto the people and forthwith a grete fyre was made Than the preest toke the heretyke and drewe hyÌ„ with hym for to entre into the fyre And the sayd heretyke sayd It shall not be soo but euery of vs syngulerly therm shall entre Thou shalte entre in to it fyrste sayd the heretyke / for thou hast fyrste imposed it And he blyssed hym and entred in the name of Ihesu cryst in the myddes of the flambe / was there halfe an houre / there yode on the one syde on the other And the fyre neuer hurte him Whan the good cristen people sawe that / they toke them to crye in grete admyracyon sayd Mirabiâ—is deê° iÌ„ saÌ„ctis suis That is to saye that god is meruaylous / that is in doinge meruayles in his sayntes Afterwarde they began to coÌ„strayne the heretyke that he sholde entre in to the fyre / he began to resyst to wtdrawe hymselfe Than the people toke hym and caste hym wtin the fyre And incontynent the flambe of the fyre beset hym aboute brente hym And yelded hym so half brent And the people cast oute of theyr cyte the sayd heretyke with confusyon / and said the seductoure brenneth lyuynge
in the presence of moche people And whan the sayd sanctulus had stratche the necke sene the sworde / he sayd O saÌ„cte iohaÌ„nes suscype illuÌ„ And incontynent saynt Iohan vyolently held in the ayre the arme of the said hangman they all thanked god Some requyred the by his prayer the arme were heled He answered that he ne wolde praye for hym / but yf he wolde swere that he sholde neuer kyl crysten man And after that he had sworne sayd Put downe thy hande And it was taken away heled Than the lombardes wolde gyue vnto hym all the oxen kyen that they had pylled / but he them refused and requyred all the prysoners / they all were gyuen vnto hym So by his charyte he delyuered them all This example sholde moue vs to loue another / to put vs in daunger corporelly for to saue and to delyuer our neyghbours from yll from incoÌ„uenyence as dydde the sayd sanctulus the whiche delyuered the deken from dethe the prysoners from captyuyte D. ¶ Another example howe god sente a poore man .xx. s for one peny the he gaue IT is wryten in the booke of the discyple that peter damyen recouÌ„ted the a poore man fasted with his wyf the whiche had not but one peny for to by theyr diner he gaue his peny vnto a pore man as he yode vnto the market And after that as he was at his table that the brede was put vpon it there came in a man vnknowen hastely the whiche layde .xx. s in money vpon the sayd table in a clothe bouÌ„de said This here my lorde hathe sent you incontynent he departed And men presuppose that it was an aungell This example sholde moue vs to gyue almesse to the poore people For grete retrybucyon foloweth therof For one peny that the sayd man gaue god sente hym twelue score Al soo yf ony wyll haue vyctorye and to surmounte his enemyes / be he a gyuer of almesse And yf he wyll regne and to flee in to heuen also gyue he vnto the poore folk In lyke wyse as sayth the scrypture VnÌ„ poeta Vincit cuÌ„cta dare da sivis superare Per dare regnare poteris celosque volare c. E. ¶ Another example how the herte of a vyrgyn was cutte for the grete loue that she had vnto god lxxv THe discyple recyteth in his promp tuarie this example the whiche is wryten in many other bookes sayeth that a noble vyrgyn was .xiiii. yere moche deuoute vnto the vyrgyn Marye And by .vii. yeres euery daye she requyred her that it wolde please her to shewe vnto her her chylde And it befell as on a crystenmas daye she entred alone in to the chapelle bycause of orayson the vyrgin Marye appered vnto her holdynge a fayre sone betwene her armes sayd vnto her Take my sone and playe with hym And she toke hym with grete Ioye / reuerence deuocyon And the said chylde demauÌ„ded her / louest thou me And she answered / ye Whether sayd he louest thou me more than my clothes / and she sayd I loue you more than my herte / And the sayd chylde sayd How louest thou me more than thy herte The answer / I ne can tell it / but the same speke And incoÌ„tynent the herte of the said vyrgyn for the grete loue that she had to the sayd sone it brake in sondre And so deyed the sayd vyrgyn Than the chylde toke her soule soo grete songe melodye of aungelles was there to bere the sayd soule in to heuen / that the people ranne vnto the chapel the whicâ—e were replenysshed of meruayllous odoure And they founde the sayd vyrgyn deed And her herte cut wherin was wrytâ—n in lettres of god I loue the more than myself For thou haste create me redemed endowed c. After the scypture thys example we shold loue god more than our self vnÌ„ math Diliges dnÌ„m deuÌ„ tuuÌ„ ex toto corde tuo et ex tota aiÌ„a tua F. ¶ Another example of the charyte of hym the whiche dyd wyÌ„ne his broder the whiche was fallen in to fornycacion for to make hym selfe a synner / in doynge penaunce lxxv IT is wryten in the lyfe of the faders how two bredren yode to sell in the cyte that / that they had wrought And whan they were departed in that cyte / one of them fell in fornycacyon After that his broder came vnto hym and sayd Broder retourne we in to our habytable / he answered I may not retourne / he demaunded the cause And he sayd vnto hym After that thou departest fro me I was tempted I am fallen in to fornycacyon And his broder sayd that soo was he / but retourne we togyder do we penaunce with grete laboure god shal pardon vs our syÌ„ne Whan they were retourned they tolde it to the auncyentes The whiche gaue them in charge the maner how they sholde do penaunce and the one of them dyde penaunce / but for the other broder also as he was culpable to haue syÌ„ned In fewe dayes god shewed vnto one of the auÌ„cyentes that the synne of hyÌ„ the whiche hadde done fornycacyon vnto hym was pardoned by the greate charyte of the other the whiche had not synned / ¶ This example is greately to be noted / For for to socoure his broder the whiche was fallen in to the sinne of lecherye / and in to the bondes of the deuyll And in the waye of perdycyon daÌ„pnacyon eternell He made hymselfe a synner toke labour and penauÌ„ce for hym / that was charyte and grete socour dyd vnto his neyghbour In this thynge it appereth that he loued his brother as hymselfe / that he socoured hym in his necessyte as he wylled that a man sholde do vnto hym / and for the grete charyte the synne was pardoned c. G. ¶ Another example how one frere wtdrewe another from yll wyll / not by force but by charyte and pacyence lxxv IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders that a frere came one tyme vnto a grete auncyent and sayd vnto hym I haue a broder the whiche goeth on the one syde on the other without holdynge hym with me / therfore am I tormented And the auÌ„cyent sayd vnto hym Bere it pacyently Whan god shal se the labour of thy supportynge he shall call hym agayne vnto the ne wene thou not by austeryte that ony shall withdrawe hym from his entencyon / for one deuyll ne expelleth another deuyl / but by benygnyte thou shalt make hym come agayne vnto the. Our lorde draweth vnto hym many in cherynge theym And he recouÌ„ted to hym of two freres of the whiche the one was fallen in fornycacyon / the whiche woulde retourne vnto the worlde the other wepte said Broder I shal not suffre the to retourne be loste And for that that he wolde nothynge do / he wente to take couÌ„sayl of a grete
by couÌ„sayll of an olde woman she poysoned her And the fader had horrour of his synne lefte her Wherfore the doughter poysonned hym also And whan she had so slayn her fader moder she dyspayred thynkyÌ„g not to haue mercye tyll vnto that she herde preche that in contrycyon confessyon all synnes were pardonned Albeit thâ—t they were thâ— mooâ—t grâ—ce and fouâ—â— that man may speke / so mâ—che is greate the bâ—ounte grace of god Than the sayd doughter came to the precher for to confesse her / for her grete dysperacyon ne myghte declare all her synnes in confessyon And after that he had chered her she confessed truely her synnes with so many of teres of lamentacyons that it was meruayll / and sayd that she was worthy to haue all payne confusyon After that she had confessed her and that she had receyued penaunce salutarie she entred in to the chirche with her chamberere and fell prostrate in orayson wepte and lamented her synnes in so grete dolour haboundaunce of teres that she deyed in the place And afterward as her confessour preched desyred the people to praye for her he herde a voyce the whiche sayd that he and the people had more grete nede of grete haboundauÌ„ce of teres she had be puryfyed wasshed in lyke wyse as of newe baptyzed and so flewe in to heuen wtoute the paynes of purgatorye E. ¶ Another example how dauyd made to slee Vrye vniustely and commytted aduoutrye lxxvii IT is wryten in the .xi. chapitre of the seconde boke of kynges that dauyd behelde out at a wyndowe the wyfe of vrye as she wasshed her / for her beaute was tempted and deceyued For he her coueyted / loued and slepte with her And whan her husbande Vrye seruaunte of the sayd dauyd came from the warre to brynge tydynges to his mayster / dauyd sayd vnto hym that he sholde go to lye with his wyf And sent after hym vyande ryall / but the sayd Vrye wolde not lye with his wyf but excused hym honestly Afterwarde dauyd wrote agayne vnto his capitayne a pistyl by Vrye that in the place where the daunger of dethe sholde be he sholde put Vrye in batayl to th ende that he were slayne / so was it done And it foloweth incontynent in the .xii. chapitre the god sente nathan vnto dauyd vnto whom he sayd Answer me of a Iugement Two men were in one cyte one ryche one poore The ryche had oxen and shepe goodes habouÌ„dauÌ„tly / the poore ne had but one sheepe that he had bought and nourished And so moche he loued her that she ete of his brede and dranke of his cuppe slept in his bosome And it befell that a pylgrym came vnto the ryche the whiche spared his shepe yode to take the shepe of the sayd poore / prepayred of metes vnto hym / for the that he was come to hym Whan dauid herde these wordes here he was moche wrothe and sayd vnto Nathan God seeth For he the whiche hathe done this thynge is culpable of dethe / he shall yelde the shepe in foure double bycause he hathe done this thynge And Nathan sayd vnto hyÌ„ Thou art he the whiche hathe done this thinge god hathe made the kynge gyuen the of goodes that whiche hathe dyspysed his wordes Thou haste slayne Vrye by glayue / also hathe taken his wyfe for thyself For this thynge the glayue shall not departe from thy house God hathe sayd that he shall sende yll vpon the vpon thy house / shal take thy wyues before thyn eyes gyue theym vnto thy neyghbour the whiche shal slepe with those women Thou haste done thy synne secretely / I shall do all these thynges before all the people of Israhell And dauyd sayd vnto Nathan Peccaui dnÌ„o I haue synned vnto my lorde And incontynent as dauid had reknowleged his faute that he hadde sayd peccaui / Nathan sayd vnto hym God hathe translated thy synne thou shalte not deye / but thy sone that is proceded of the shall deye / and soo was it done as it is wryten in the sayd chapytre c. F. ¶ Another example how a knight was strongly tormented in purgatory for that that he vyoled the chircheyarde / hurte a man within it lxxvii IT is wryten in the legende of the deed that as a knyght was layde in hys bedde with his wyfe / the mone was clere the whiche entred by the holes / he meruaylled hym moche wherfore the man the whiche is reasonable obeyde not vnto his creatour / whan the creatures not reasonnables obeyed vnto hyÌ„ And began to missaye of a knyghte deed the whiche had be his pryue frende And the sayd knyght dede entred in spekynge these wordes in the chambre all sodaynly / vnto whom he said Frende haue thou none yll suspeccyon of me in ony thynges / but pardon me yf I haue ony thyng synned in the. And whan he demaunded hym of his estate he sayd vnto him I am tormented of dyuers paynes for that that I haue vyoled the chircheyarde hurte a man within it / hym dispoylled of his mauntelles hode / the whiche is vpon me more heuyer than a mouÌ„tayne And the said deed man prayed him that he wolde do make oraysons for hym Than he demauÌ„ded yf suche a preest sholde synge for hym The sayd deed answered nothynge / that is he spake no worde / but lyfte vp shoke his heed in lyke wyse as he them refused And afterwarde hym demauÌ„ded yf he wolde that suche an hermyte prayed for hym And he said I wyl wel that he praye for me And whan the sayd knyght had promysed it hym the deed said vnto hym And I saye the that this daye two yeres thou shalte deye And so was it done This example denoteth many thynges The fyrste is that one man shold not saye yll of another in as moche as the deed body repreued hym that spake yll of hym The seconde is that a man sholde kepe hyÌ„ to do to speke ylle in holy grounde in as moche as the deed body was in purgatori for that / that he had vyoled the sayd chirche yarde And also that a man ne sholde betene do none yll vnto his neyghbour / for punycyon foloweth in this worlde and in the other The thyrde thynge that the example denoteth is that the prayers oraysons of a good persone ben more soner exalted than those of synners in synne It is here vnderstonde by that that the deed loued the prayer of the hermyte more soner than of the other beforsayd How be it yll preestes empayre not the sacrament of the masse / but those the whiche accedeth vnworthely is vnto theyr dampnacyon G. ¶ Another example how the aungell shewed vnto tongdalus a valeye replenisshed with coles of fyre in the whiche were put the homycydes lxxvii MEn fynde by wrytynge that a man amed Tongdalus deyed
sayd chylde was wtholden and caried from glory alonely for siluer borowed / how shal these theues and pyllers entre the whiche wyll not restore / whan the sayd chylde had taken nothynge malycyously was caryed It is wryten i. ad corī vi Neque fures neque auari regnum dei possidebūt c. C. ¶ Another example of a man tourmented in the paynes of purgatorye for the defaute of .vi. penyes that he ought to a woman lxxxviii IT is wryten in the promptuary of the dyscyple that a man ought .vi pence to a wydowe / the whiche demaūded many tymes her payment And the sayd man dyed wtout payenge it / howbeit that he denyed not the debte After his dethe he apered to a deuout persone and prayed hym that he wolde paye the sayd .vi. pence / and that he was moche tourmented in purgatorye / endured as many strokes as she had made steppes for to axe hym the sayd money / yet sholde sustayne tyll that she were payed ¶ By this example it is to be noted that by the defaute to pay that that a man oweth he is letted to go in to paradyse / is bounde to punycyon D. ¶ Another example of a relygious that was in the paynes of purgatorye for an halfpeny that he owed vnto a feryman or passager lxxxviii IT is wryten in dyaloguo cesaru that a relygyous conuers of the ordre of Cysterciēcis was sent of his abbot for a besynes / he yode And whan he came to passe ouer that water he promysed to pay an halfpeny vnto the passager for his mede / the whiche he sholde haue sent vnto hym / he was neclygent to sende it Whan he came vnto his dethe he confessed him of the neclygence of the halfepeny not payed / for he cared not for so lytel a thynge After his dethe he had the sayd half-peny before his eyen the whiche halfpeny became so grete that it semed him that it was greter than all the worlde And whan he came vnto the Iugement of god there was founde none other thynge that letted the sayd relygyous to go to heuen And at the request of some saynt he was sent to his body confessed it restored was saued E. ¶ Another exāple how the deuyll letteth to restore lxxxviii SOme maysters wryteth this the whiche foloweth how the discyple reciteth in the boke of his promptuarye and sayeth that thre deuylles came vpon a tyme to a good holy hermyte Of whome he axed the names The fyrst sayd / close herte For whan ony hereth a sermon I close his herte that he seeth not ne repenteth his synnes The seconde sayth I am called closynge the mouthe For yf ony wolde confesse hym auoyde our gynnes I close his mouthein lettynge him that he ne may cōfesse hym The .iii sayd I am called close purs For I lette to restore the yll goten goodes / letteth to gyue vnto poore of theyr goodes / so I close the purse We ben assembled togyders to helpe eche other c. ¶ By this example it appereth that the deuyls letteth a man to repent hym / to cōfesse / to make restytucion And it behoueth to do the contrary to haue saluacyon c. F. ¶ Another example of an abbot that sente agayne money gyuen vnto the monastery / for that it was come of vsury cursed acquysycyon lxxxviii THe dyscyple reciteth in his boke that an vsurer left by testamēt a grete somme of money about a. M. vi C.li. vnto a monastery / wherof many grete possessyons were bought After the dethe of the abbot was chosen another of good conscyēce that was dyspleasaunt of the sayd money receyued What dyde he He solde his bestyall his moeuables immouables sent the money agayne to the executourse to th ende that they sholde restore to all those the whiche had ben dispoyled greued And for that / that the sayd executoures wolde not take it but sent it agayne to the monastery the good abbot was sory made the sayd money to be borne to the market before all the cytezyns the whiche were present / and to them sayd who so wyll take this money lete hym take it / that it is ours I renounce refuse it For I doubt not but that it be vniustly goten Whan that cytezyns sawe this thynge they were moche edyfyed of the dede toke counceyle amōge them chose people ryght faythfull the whiche yelded the sayd money pertyculerly to all those that had ben greued / of whome the sayd money was comen And in shorte tyme god restored vnto to the sayd monastery in double more of money thā they had restored And where they had but fewe goodes afterwarde in grete haboundaunce all was replenysshed A doctour named Wyllyam wytnesseth this to be verytable And that he sawe in the sayd monastery many of the relygyous sayntes doynge myracles replete with spyryte of prophecy ¶ Excommunicatio A. ¶ Examples of excōmunycacyon ayēst the theues synners And fyrst example how a whyte lofe became blacke moysty after that it was excommunyed and accursed lxxxix SOme maysters wryteth this the whiche foloweth how the discyple reciteth in the boke of his promptuarye and sayeth that there was an erle of Tholouse that sustayned receyued heretykes / and euery suche persone is accursed by sentence of ryght / ip̄o fctō / with the heretykes And an holy abbot was sente to the sayd erle to wtdrawe hym fro the sayd dede the whiche ne myght be cōuerted by worde ne dede to drede excōmunycacion Than the abbot sayd to the erle To th ende that you yours knowe by dedes how the soule is vndone that is bounde of excōmunycacyon I wyll that one brynge me a white lofe And than he sayd O breed albeit that thou ne haste deserued cursynge to th ende that the veryte of our faythe be shewed in the / the cursednes of the soule that dredeth not excōmunicaciō Excōmunico te I curse ye. And as soone as he had spoken the worde the sayd breed that was whyte became blacke / he made it to be cut in two partyes / and it appered also blacke wtin moysty corrupt Afterwarde he sayd to th ēde that ye knowe also the vertue of the absolucyon / he toke the sayd lofe absoyled it / the whiche became in his fyrst whytenes and beaute ¶ By this example a man may vnderstande that the soules of people excōmunyed or accursed ben in horryble foule estate that hath deserued to haue suche maledyccyon / whan the whyte breed became so vndone moysty / Yf a persone excōmunyed knewe the grete euyll and maledyccyon that is in it / the paynes the whiche ben to him prepayred in hell yf he deye in suche estate / he sholde loue better to lose all the worlde yf it were his / and that his body were as small as flesshe to pastees than to abyde in
the aungel sayd vnto them Yf ye ne brynge forthe the pryncypal vyces agaynst hym he ne shall perysshe for the small And the deuyll sayd Yf god be ryghfull this man shall not be saued / for it is wryten Yf ye be not conuerted do in lykewyse as one of my lytell ye shall not entre in to the kyngdome of heuen Vn̄ math xviii Nisi cōuersi et efficiamini sicut peruuli nō intrabitis in regnū celorum And the aūgel in excusynge hym sayd He had indulgence in his herte but the customaunce of men cōtynueth And the deuyll sayd In lykewyse as he toke yll by custome so shall he receyue vengeaunce by the souerayne Iuge And the aungell sayd that he was Iuged before god And than the aungell began to fyght the aduersaryes were confused And the deuyll sayd The seruaunt the whiche knoweth the wyll of his mayster and lorde and dooth it not shall be by many woūdes plages / as it is wryted Luce. xii Seruus sciens volū tatem domini sui et non faciens plagis vapulabitur multis And the aungell sayd What thȳge hath not this man accomplysshed of the wyll of his lorde And the deuyll sayd He hathe receyued gyftes of an euyll man And the aungel sayd He beleued that ech one had done penaunce And the ennemy sayd / he sholde haue proued the perceueraunce of penaunce before that he had taken the gyft The aungell sayd / go we before god / but the deuyll was vaynquysshed And the deuyll agayne came to fyght sayd Wene ye that the Iuge be veray god the whiche promysed that all synne that is not punysshed in this worlde shall be punysshed in perdurabylyte This man had a robe of an vsurer he was neuer punysshed / where is than the ryghtwysnes of god And the aungell sayd Holde thy peas / for thou knowest not the secrete Iugementes of god / euermore whan the soule wyll do penaunce the mercy of god is with hym And the deuyll answered / there ne is here noo place of penaunce Vnto whome the aungell sayd Thou knowest not the profundyte of the Iugementes of god And than the deuyl smote the sayd bysshop soo harde that after that he was restablysshed to lyfe the trace of the stroke abode styll And the deuyls toke one of the dampned that they tourmented in the fyre of hell kest hym agaynst the sayd bysshop in suche maner that he had the cheke the sholder brent Than the sayd bysshop knewe that it was that man the whiche had gyuen vnto him the sayd vestement And the aungell sayd vnto hym Yf thou haddest not take the gyft of this man the whiche is deed in synne this payne had not brente in the / thou hast this payne of bren̄ynge to suffre for that that thou receyued the gyft of the vestement of the sayd vsurer And the deuyll sayd Yet he resteth to passe by the strayte gate / wherby we may hȳ surmount / the deuyll sayd vnto the aungell God commaundeth to loue his neyghbour as hȳselfe And the aungel answered This man hath doone many good werkes vnto his neyghbours And the aduersarye sayd It suffyseth not yf he hath loued thē as him selfe Vnto whome the aungell sayd The fruyte of loue is also wel to be done / for god shall yelde vnto eueryche after his operacyons And the ennemy sayd But he shall be dampned for that / that he hath not accomplysshed the tokens of loue Than the company of the deuylles the whiche fought with the aungelles were vaynquysshed c. In th ende the sayd bisshop was brought agayne in to his owne body / his neyghbours wepte the whiche wende that he had ben deed After that he ouerlyued by somtyme and fyned his dayes in good reste / peas / and maners D. ¶ Another example of the Iugement horrible punycyon the whiche was done of an archebysshoppe that was named Vdo Cvi MEn fynde by wrytinge this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in the boke of his promptuary and sayeth that it is all knowen manyfest in the countre where is happened / how in the countree of Saxony there was an archebisshoppe Metropolytayne named Maydenburc founded of saynt Mauryce In that cyte studyed a scoler named Vdo the which had harde engyn and wytte / and myght nothynge lerne / and therfore was he beten moche tourmented of his maysters of the scole And on a tyme that he had be moche beten he went out of the scole and entred in to the chyrche of saynt Mauryce in the whiche he fell prostrate put him in grete deuocyon to requyre the debonayrte of the quene of heuen the ayde of saynt Mauryce for to enlumyne his entendement And as he was there in prayers he slept somwhat / vnto whome appered the moder of mercy and sayd vnto hym I haue herde thyn orayson I gyue vnto the not alonely the gyft of scyence / but with that thou shalte be archebisshop of my prynce Mauryce after that the archebysshop that is shal deye And yf thou gouerne well the chyrche thou shalte haue grete rewarde And yf thou do vnto the cōtrary thou shalt deye in body and in soule Whan these thynges were spoken the vyrgyn Mary departed And the yonge man arose vp yode to studye the lesson that he had accustomed And whan he came to speke and to dyspute he surmounted the other appered ryght sage experte in all scyence / and they all meruayled that herde him sayd How this mā here is enspyred in all scyences / is not this Vdo the whiche was beten yesterday as a beest / this daye he is approued to be euen as a phylozophre Two yeres afterwarde the archebysshop deyed / and Vdo was electe of all to be metropolitayne After that he was confermed put in honour he lyued well some lytel tyme. And for as moche as honoures chaunge the maners he was neclygent to perceuer to lyue after the counceyle of the vyrgyn Mary / and forgate his helthe Morouer he habandoned his body vnto voluptees / and wasted the goodes of his chyrche / vyoled not alonely the women seculers but those of relygyon And morouer the whiche is worse he suffred those of his dycc to commyt all vyces wtout ony drede / soo that his lyfe was in hate and vnto al detestable And many yeres after that the sayd archebysshop had broken the ayre by his synnes / in a nyght as he hadde in his bedde with hym an abesse relygyouse of the ordre of Cystercienses yssued of the castell ryall / he herde a voyce that vttred terrybly the wordes the whiche foloweth Fac finem ludo / qr lusisti satis voo That is to say Vdo make an ende of thy play / for thou hast played ynough These thynge herde Vdo had suspycyon that they were mockynges fayntyfes And in the mornynge in perseueringe he retorned vnto delyces / so that
deuylles in the forme that I haue sene theym I sholde chose more sooner to put me in the fyre than to beholde them afterwarde the quene of heuen and of mercy came the whiche chased awaye the deuylles And whan I se her I conceyued esperaunce / for the grete ioye that I hadde I haue laughed and blyssed the houre that I entred in to relygyon and the vyrgyn mary Whan he had spoken these wordes he deyed debonayrly c. A. ¶ Another example how the vysyon of the deuyll is horryble Cix IT is wryten in some bokes this the whiche foloweth that the dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye and sayeth that the abbot of saynt agathe came vnto coleyne with one of his monkes a conuers with a woman demonyacle And whan the abbot asked the deuyl of some thynges he ne wolde anâ—wer The abbot sayd afterwarde I coniure the by hym that I haue trayted in the masse that thou answer me And incontynent the deuyll answerd vnto tho thynges that men demaunded hyÌ„ After the abbot coniured hym that he sholde go forthe of the woman The deuyll answerde And wheder shall I go The abbot sayd I haue opened my mouthe to the ende that thou ther entre The deuyl sayd I ne maye there entre / for this daye the ryght hault god there entred Than the abbot sayd Lepe vpon my two fyngers / my thombe that nexte it The deuyll answered I wyll not for thou hast this daye trayeted the ryght hault with them And he sayd vnto hym that he sholde go forth The deuyll sayd the ryght haulte ne wyll it not / I shall be yet two yeres in her / than she shall be delyuered And soo was it done / Than the monke the conuers prayed the abbot that he wolde shewe hymself vnto them in forme naturell And he fyrste refused it afterwarde he wolde it sayd vnto the deuyll I coÌ„maunde the in the vertue of Ihesu cryst that thou appyere vnto vs in thy naturall kynde And the deuyl said And wyll ye not departe yf ye se me not / and the abbot sayd naye Than the deuyll shewed hymselfe so horryble within the body of the woman that it was meruayll to se / his eyes sparcled as a furnayse embrased in fyre smokynge Whan the sayd monke conuers sawe that they fell vnto the erthe as deed for fere / thou abbot had also fallen yf he had not coÌ„mauÌ„ded the deuyll to take his fyrste forme The whiche thynges he dide the deuyll sayd Thou neuer coÌ„mauÌ„ded me soo folysshe a thynge / knowe thou for certayne that yf thou haddest not receyued this daye the dyuyne thynges / none of you ne had reported vâ—to ony man that the I haue shewed / wenest thou that a man may seme lyue / naye In th ende the monke the conuers were reuyued by colde water c. B. ¶ Another example how a man consydered yf after a hondreth thousande yeres the dampned sholde be delyuered froÌ„ helle Cix THe dysciple reciteth in his promptuarye and sayeth that as a man moche seculer delycatyf thought one tyme vnto hymself yf after a hondred thousande yeres the soules of the dampned sholde be delyuered frome paynes And his thought answered hym that naye And after a hondred thousande yeres naye And yf after as many of yeres as there are of droppes of water in the see naye And in thynkynge suche thynges he was moche troubled And as he was ferfull he began to vnderstonde to apperceyue that the louers of the worlde acursed in derkenes the whiche renne in paynes eternelles for a lytell of tyme that they lyue in this worlde in ioyes transytoryes in the wyll of the flesshe A man sholde here vnderstande that whan the synners deye impenytentes / obstynate / abyde in theyr synnes theym bere with them with takynge awaye the gylte of the sayd synnes by contrycyon penaunce ne without askynge ony grace ne mercy of as moche as whan they lyue in this worlde that they haue the tyme the place that to doo And for as moche as the soule is eternell and immortal the whiche shall be sente in to the fyre of helle there for to abyde / and that she shall haue with her euermore synne the whiche is the matere of the fyre that it shall brenne In lyke wyse the soule shall euermore suffre payne and euermore shall brenne with the sayd fyre the whiche neuer shall haue mercy nor grace c. C. ¶ Another example that it enioyed vnto a persone to be in a good bedde wtoute departynge Cix IT is wryten in the promptuary of the dyscyple that the bysshop of marseylle sayd vnto hymselfe Whan I was a louer of the worlde / had gyuen me vnto worldly vanytes I began to thynke one tyme of the eternyte of the paynes of helle And I sayd in my herte Yf thou were establed to lye the euermore in a bedde softe delycatyf in suche manere that thou sholdest not departe for ony occasyon soo euer it sholde be / with greate payne sholdest thou susteyne that How mayst thou than lye brenne in suche payne eternell / intollerable in helle yf it falle that thou be theder sente By this occasyon I lefte all and made me monke c. D. ¶ Another example how a yongman made hym relygyous for to thynke yf his fayre membres sholde be the pasture and the matere of the fyre of helle Cix IT is wryten in some bookes this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye and sayeth that one tyme as mayster iordayn persewaded a yonge man noble fayre of membres that he sholde entre in to the ordre of prechers / he founde hym that he was not prompte that to do And he sayd vnto hyÌ„ in the ende of the wordes I praye the that thou do it incontynent for the loue of god or beholde thy handes and the other fayre membres / what doÌ„mage shall that be yf so fayre membres shall be the pasture of the fyre eternell And he dyde it For for this thynge he entred in to the ordre and so contemned hymselfe for the loue of god ¶ Rapina E. ¶ Another example of the punycyon of a knyghte the whiche toke awaye the cowe of a woman wedowe Cix SOme maysters hathe wryten this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in his boke of sermons and sayth that one tyme a knyght toke away the cowe of a woman wedowe / as she wepte and prayed hym to restore it for to nourysshe her chyldren The knyghte answered Yf I toke her not another after me sholde come the whiche shold take her After her dethe by the suffraunce of god the sayd knyght was sene that fyrste many grete deuylles hedeous and blacke hyÌ„ tormented ryghte cruelly and horrybly / specyally one amongest all the other ceassed not to bete hym to torment hyÌ„ with out beynge wery / or without leuyng hym
gyue praysynges vnto our lorde of his mercy And the aungell touched her comforted her c. D. ¶ Of the ouen with the flambe ¶ Afterwarde they yode another waye / whan they were gone longely by derkenes they sawe an hous moche hygh the whiche was rounde as an ouen In the sayd hous there was well a thousande wyndowes / from the whiche yssued fyre strong / sharpe moche hote Whan the soule sawe the sayd hous she had grete feere sayd vnto the auÌ„gell A syr we approche to the gates of dethe Alas caytyfe who shall delyuer me fro this tourment The aungell answered From the fyre the whiche yssueth out by these wyndowes thou shalt be delyuered / but in to the hous it behoueth to entre Whan they were approched they sawe wtin the sayd hous in the myddes of the fyre grete multytude of deuylles the whiche helde axes / knyues / hachettes other instrumentes of yron sharpe for to tourment the soules that were there of the whiche soules there was grete multytude Than sayd the soule vnto the aungel Syr I pray the yf it please the that thou delyuer me fro this tourment / in all the other where thou shalt lede me I graunte me to be there tourmented And the aungell sayd This tourment is greter than al those that thou hast seen / but yet shalte thou se greter Now entre here for the deuils tary for the as dogges enraged Than the soule began to quake and to tremble of the grete feere that she had prayed the aungell moche that he wolde make hym to passe the sayd tourment / but it vayled hym nothynge And whan the deuylles herde that she was graunted vnto theÌ„ for to tourment they toke her with theyr instruments tormented her sharpely The mayster of this hous had to name Phisternus His hous was ful of fyre brennynge in the whiche soules strayned theyr tethe and wayled for the grete doloures that the suffred And there were men women / not al onely of people of the worâ—de / but also of relygyon There was this soule tourmented the whiche sayd that she had wel deserued that that she had suffred But whan it pleased god she founde herselfe out of the sayd tourmeÌ„t she wyst not in what maner Thâ—n she aduysed her aungell by her to whome she sayd A syr where is the worde that the prophete Dauyd speâ—â—th Mia dnÌ„i plena est terra That is to say The erthe is full of the mercy of god Than the aungell answered and sayd By those wordes many soules ben deceyued God is ryghtwyse though that he be full of mercy / many synÌ„es he vengeth and punissheth / also he pardoneth Yf god pardoned all the synnes wherfore sholde the man be Iust And yf a man ne dredde the torments wherfore sholde he drede to do synÌ„e his wyll And what sholde it nede that these synners sholde repente theym and confesse them of theyr synnes yf they ne drede god God by his grete mercy spareth the synners in theyr lyfe and tarieth them for that they sholde do penaunce But yf they ben obstynate in theyr synnes wyll not reuerte he theym punyssheth for theyr synnes after theyr dethe And god soÌ„tyme taketh awaye the goodes temporelles from the Iust for to punysshe them temporally of some outrages that they haue done / and also to th ende that they enpryde them not But he kepeth vnto them the goodes perdurables of his glory E. ¶ Of the cruell beest of the ysy ponde ¶ After the aungell ledde the soule in to another place wherin they sawe a beest moche meruaylous the whiche had two fete two wynges the necke ryght longe And his neb and his nayles were as yren / and from his sayd neb yssued a flambe a fyre by ryght grete sharpenes force And the sayd beest was vpon a ponde full of stronge yse The whiche beest deuoured the soules within his wombe in such maner that they became as vnto nothynge by the tourmentes that they suffred Afterwarde he put theym out of his wombe wtin the yse of the sayd ponde And there were they tourmented of newe tourment And all the soules the whiche into the ponde descended were in throwes in lykewyse as women with childe And not alonely the women / but also the men as the women And within theyr belyes they felte the sharpe bytynges that the serpentes made / of the whiche they were engryped And there were the caytyues soules tourmented And whan the tyme came approched that they sholde chylde they cryed so horrybly that they fylled hell of noyse and of howlynges Than they chylded serpentes as well the men as the women And the sayd serpentes yssued not onely by the membres wherby the women chylde naturally But also by the armes / the fete / and all the other membres yssued out the horryble beestes the whiche hadde hedes of fyre brennynge moche sharpe / wherwith they tourmented ryght cruelly the sayd soules from whens they yssued And the sayd beestes hadde horryble tayles and nedles about theyr tayles made as they were crochettes and hokes made as yf they were crochettes And whan they yssued from the sayd caytyues soules yf they myght not drawe theyr tayles after them for the hokes they retorned they nebbes smote the soules gnawed them vnto the synewes and bones / and of the grete payne and tourment that they suffred they keste so grete and horryble cryes that they were herde vnto the heuen Morouer the sayd soules were replenysshed of dyuers maners of beestes on theyr membres the whiche dyde them ete and gnawe vnto the bones And they had tonges the whiche fastened wtin the sayd soules tyll vnto the lyghtes This payne sustayne the fals monkes / chanons / the false nonnes these other benefyced of holy chyrche the whiche haue not well kepte theyr bodyes from euyll doyenge / ne theyr mouthes from euyll saynge spekynge Also those the whiche hath vsed lechery susteyne this payne tourment And for that / that thou arte culpable it behoueth the to sustayne this sayd tourment Whan the deuylles herde this worde they toke the sayd soule gaue it vnto the sayd beest to torment and to deuoure And whan she was in tourmeÌ„t as the other soules and that she was engriped with serpentes as the other / and whan the tyme came that she sholde chylde the aungell came vnto her touched her / and she was incontynent hole / and sayd vnto her / come after me F. ¶ Of the valey of smythes ¶ Afterwarde they yode in to another way moche horryble dyseasefull full of so grete derkenes that they had no lyght but of the clerenes of the aungell And it semed that they descended from a ryght hygh mountayne in to a grete and depe valey And the more that they yode the lesse hadde the soule of esperaunce for to retorne vnto lyfe Than the soule sayd vnto
loue of god Another presented the clothes wherwith he had clothed the â—oores Another the werkes of mercye that he had done to the poores that he had lodged And the said man the whiche sawe the said thynges thoughte vnto hymselfe Thou haste done more of the werkes of mercye than those here Now thou shalt haue wele before this Iuge So whan it came vnto his course the Iuge ne demaunâ—ed hyÌ„ how many werkes of mercy hast thou done / but he hym demauÌ„ded / what delyces what voluptuosytees hast thou wtdrawen from the for the loue of me And he helde his peas / for he had euermore lyued in delyces And the Iuge sayd vnto hym / hast thou not sene that I haue sayd in the gospel math vii Arcta eÌ„ via qÌ„ ducit ad vitaÌ„ / that is to saye strayte is the waye that ledeth vnto life / that is vnto the realme of heuen and incontynent the sayd man torned hyÌ„ vnto the vyrgy maryâ— / vnto the sayntes that he had serued moost specyall / râ—quyred them that they wolde praye for hym / that in tyme to come he sholde amende his lyf purposed to weyke his body in fâ—stynges abstynences to serue god in tyme comynge And it was so done For at the prayer of the vyrgyn marye of sayntes he came to lyfe agayne / weyked his body all the dayes of his lyfe lyued in grete abstynences / was more mercyful vnto the poore than he ne had be fyned his dayes in good consuÌ„macyon c. E. ¶ Another example of a relygyous that whiche was in his dethe in Iugement before god the vyrgyn marye the sayÌ„tes of paradyse dyde ayde hym Cxxii THe disciple recyteth in his sermoÌ„s that there was a yonge frere relygyous in the realme of englond in the coueâ—â— of bery ryght deuoute the whiche relygyous was seke to the dethe / in the presence of the suppryour of fyue of his bredern he shytte his eyes with his hande with full mouthe began to laugh Vnto whom the said suppryour said Wherfore laugh ye / he sayd That oure kynge saynt Edmonde martyris come / here all the hous is replenysshed with aungelles And he laughed agayne more ententyfly sayd / Our lady is come salute we her And after that that they had all sayd salue regina c. The seke man sayd O how agreably hathe the vyrgyn marye taken this salutacyon in reioysyng made laughyng After that the sayd seke frere adressed his eyen towardes the dore And his coloure chaunged said vnto them Now is Ihesu cryste comen to iuge me His membres were as deed / he trembled so that he swet out of mesure And as he was constytute before the Iuge in all drede he sayd somtyme ye / naye And somtyme he prayed the vyrgyn marye that she ne wolde departe froÌ„ hym / sometyme he reproued all his accusers / amonges other he began to saye / O Ihesus gyâ—e me this lytel Vnto whoÌ„ the suppryoure sayd What is that dere broder / these lytell synnes ben they compted amonges the grete And he sayd ryght greuously Alas ye And the sayd suppryour warned hym that he sholde not dyspeyre for our lorde is mercyfull The sayd seke answered with a Ioyous face It is a thynge verytable that he is full of mercye / and I yelde thankes vnto the blyssed vyrgyn marye â— vnto the sayntes the whiche assyst with her the whiche hathe made intercession faythfully for me vnto Ihesu crist And after a lytell of tyme he deyed and rested in peas c. ¶ Innocentiâ— â–ª A. ¶ Examples of people Innocentes fyrste example Of a chylde innocente the whiche kepte the ordre of the myneurs relygyous ne wolde touche no moneye / deyed wele Cxxiii IT is wryten in the boke of hony bees that there was a childe the whiche was borne of honest parentes / whan he was fyue yere olde / that he had sene the ordre of the freres myneurs he requyred of his parentes that he myght receyue the habyte / as they estymed that his wordes were childysshe / they knewe after verytably that the chylde toke hym to kepe the customes of the freres myneurs / for he yode barefoted gyrde with a harde corde kepte hymselfe in all maners to touche syluer or golde And in this thynge there happened a meruayllous case For there came marchauntes to lodge in his faders hous the whiche meruayled them to se suche a chylde in suche habyte / to knowe yf he touched no moneye one of them caste a peny in to the cuppe wherin they dranke secretely / with a lytell wyne gaue the cuppe vnto the chylde to dryÌ„ke / whiche as he had dronke sawe the peny he began to crye horrybly / caste away the cuppe / sayd with eyen eleuate God all puyssauÌ„t thou hast knowen that I not knowen hath violed myn ordre Afterwarde he trembled and was pale as tendynge to the dethe Whan his fader sawe that he ranne for the preest that absoyled hym / shortly the dolour passed / The sayd chylde on the holy dayes gadred chyldren taught them theyr paturnoster / aue maria And yf he sawe in theym that they were proude or vycyous he repreued them / in byddynge theym serue god In the conuocacyons of this chylde the auncyentes ranne with the lytell chylde / and also delyted them ryght moche in his prudence and in his answers documentes Whan he sawe his fader that swore or was dronke he had compassyon in wepynge sayd vnto hym Fader our preest sayth in the chirche that those the whiche do those thynges ne shall possede paradyse And in a solempnyte he repreued his moder in wepyng afore her pewe felawes bycause she was pompously arayed / sayd My moder ryght dere fle the precyous clothynges that thou deserue not the paynes eternelles And without taryeng by the wordes of the chylde his moder had horrour of suche clothes / wolde no more vse theym / The maners the gestes of that chylde shewed the perfeccyon of vertues / the grace of god beynge in hym The chylde had not yet seuen yeres accomplysshed whan he deyed Whan dethe approched he confessed hym requyred of the preest the sacrament of the aulter / but the preest denyed it hym for his youthe And the chylde with grete grace of orayson stratched oute his handes vnto the heuen sayd My lorde Ihesu cryste thou hast knowen that my souerayne desyre is to haue ye. I haue demaunded the / also I haue done that that I sholde do And I hope that I shal not be voyde of thy presence These thynges spoken the chylde cherid his parentes wepynge that present were theym prouoked to lyue better And amoÌ„ges these wordes of exhortacyon / of orayson of laudynge he yelded his spirite vnto god
me consented vnto theyr wordes / saynt Iherome arryued more clere than the sōne with grete multytude of aūgels the whiche came vnto myn ayde And the said saynt Iherome blamed them / they departed with grete howlynges and clamours c. For to abrydge this mater the sayd areysed sayd that his soule was borne before god in iugemente in lyke wyse as a man may shyrte the eye / but how ne of whom he ne knewe More ouer he said all the synnes that he had done / spoken / thought in all his lyfe appered clerely vnto the iuge before al in lyke wyse as they had ben present / so that there ne abode the moost lytell thought but that it appered / so it had be thought Also he sayd that he was replenysshed with so grete fere that meruayll it was And that grete multitude of deuylles were there present the whiche wytnesse the ylles that we haue done in declarynge the place / the maner and the tyme the ylles that men spoke agaynst vs / we ne maye agayne saye them in noo maner For the iuge knoweth and seeth al Also the iustes and presentes it sene and knowe Alas what shal I saye / we ne abyde more than the sentence to be broughte forth agayne vs. For all the presents crye vnto the iuge that we ben dygne of tormentes And almoost noo good dede appered wherin we hadde esperaunce to haue the mercye of god And whan he ne resysted more as to bryngforth the sentence the whiche is iustely gyuen agayne the synners the blyssed saynt Iherome was present Also were presente saynt Iohan baptyst saint peter / and grete multytude of aungelles the whiche requyred of the Iuge that our sentence were yet dyfferred a lytell of tyme for the reuerence and deuocyon that we had made vnto the sayd saynt Iherome / And for to destroye the errour the whiche regned in the worlde And he was accorded vnto the sayd saynt Iherome that that he requyred The whiche ledde vs with hȳ And shewed vs the glorye of the blyssed soules and the paynes of helle and of purgatorye / to th ende that we myghte wytnes certayne that thynge that we haue sene The whiche thynges be not here wryten for bycause of shortnes And wolde that we were put within the paynes of purgatorie to th ende that we sholde proue the experyence of the paynes the whiche there ben in the whiche we were put For to abrydge the sayd saynt Iherome vs cōmaunded that we sholde come agayne in to our bodyes And that we sholde wytnes that that we had sene / and vs promysed that on the .xx daye yf we dyde dygne penaunce of the synnes that we had cōmytted that we sholde deye agayne with saynt Eusebe the whiche sholde deye on the said daye we sholde haue glorye And so our soules were in contynent within theyr bodyes c. E. ¶ Another example how a deuyl said that the soule of the erle Guyllaume was in horryble payne Cviii. IT is wryten in dialogo cesarii this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in his boke sayeth that as a knyght was at the dethe in his bedde all alone the deuyll appered vnto hym vysybly in forme and semblaunce of a she ape the whiche had the hornes of a gote And whan he se hȳ there in suche wyse he had fere and hym demaunded what art thou what sekest thou He answered I am a deuyll the whiche am come for to fetche thy soule Vnto whome the sayd knyghte sayd departe thou fro me cursed there / I haue cōmaūded it vnto Ihesu cryste that I haue receyued in the sacrament And the deuyll sayd Varlet yf thou wylte doo me homage I shall yelde vnto the helthe and I shall enryche the aboue all thy parents And the knyght hym demaunded where ben thy tresours He answered treasours infynyte ben hydde nere vnto thy courte / And the sayd knyght asked hym / tell me where is the soule of the erle guyllaume the whiche is lately deed He answered It is in helle in soo grete fyre that yf the moost grete mountayne were there it sholde be consumed in lesse of tyme than to close the eye And that payne there is but a bayne of mylke in the regarde of the daye of Iugement where he shall receyue the payne And he asked hym of another man And he answered he hath be .xxxi. yeres in paynes / but a monke and a mynchen hath delyuered hym by good dedes And agayne he demaunded the deuyl From whens camest thou whan thou came to me He answered I my felowes were at the dethe of an abbesse awaytynge her soule And the knyght hym demaunded How many ben ye He answered that the moost grete forest of the worlde hathe not so many of leues as we were And the knyght demaunded hym What haue ye done He answered Alas nothynge / she was a good relygyous / saynt Myghell came theder the whiche bete vs departed in like wyse as departeth the poudre before the wynde / he was axed yf he were at the dethe of suche an abbot He answered that there is not so moche of grauell in the see as ther was of deuylles / but we ne dyde nothynge / for the vyllaynes monkes the whiche there were groned as hogges ne wolde let vs to approche And the sayd knyght sayd how dare ye go vnto the dethe of so holy a man And the deuyl sayd I was at the dethe of the sone of god / set me on the arme of the crosse / wherfore dare I not than go vnto the dethe of suche a man c. F. ¶ Another example how a relygyous wolde more sooner entre in to a fyre than to beholde the deuyll Cviii THe dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye sayeth that one tyme a relygyous came vnto the dethe the whiche cryed horrybly / cursed be the houre that euer I was relygyous / and after helde his peas And within a lytell whyle afterwarde he began to laugh with a Ioyous face said Naye But blessed be the tyme that I entred in to the ordre And blyssed be the gloryous moder of Ihesu cryste that I loue and agayne helde his peas The freres the whiche were by hym and herde these wordes wepte and prayed for hym Two houres after he sayd vnto a frere the whiche was by hym / call my bredern For god hathe exalted theyr prayers And he said vnto them whan they were entred My bredren ye were troubled of the fyrste worde I sayd vnto you / but the cause of the worde was for that that the deuylles horryble appered vnto me / the whiche wolde rauysshe my soule And for the drede I was rauysshed out of my selfe cursed the houre that I entred in to relygyon I tell you that yf a grete fyre were here melled with brymstone / and that I had to chose to put me within it or elles to beholde agayne the
dysposed And the acursed deyed so withoute receyuynge the sacramentes of the churche c. B. ¶ Another example that a knyght deyed / and after was brought agayne in to his body / the whiche recompted of a brydge ryght strayte vpon a water by the whiche hym behoueth to passe Cx. IT is wryten in the dyalogue of saint gregorye that a knyght deyed and within a lytell after came agayn in to his body the whiche told that he had sene a bridge vnder the whiche brydge ranne a water stynkynge darke And on the other syde of the brydge there was medowes smellȳge swete aourned with all floures And in those medowes were assembled of people clothed in whyte the whiche were fulfylled of swetnes odour of the sayd floures And at the sayd brydge there was suche probacyon that whan ony of the vniust there passed he fell in to the blacke water stynkynge / the iuste passed tyll vnto the place delectable And the sayd knyght sawe there withoute the brydge a man named peter bounde with grete weyght of yron / And he demaunded wherfore he suffred suche payne Answer was gyuen that whan men gaue hym ony for to do vengeaunce he desyred it more to do by cruelte than by obedyence Also the said knight sayd that he sawe a pylgrym the whiche passed vpon the brydge all ouer of also grete auctoryte as he had lyued in the worlde clenely he sawe another named steuen the whiche as he passed the sayd brydge his fote slode in suche wyse that he than fell of the sayd brydge in lyke as halfe And thenne some men ryght blacke lyfte them vp from the sayd water the whiche drewe hym downwarde by the thyes And some men ryght fayre clothed in whyte toke hym by the armes they drewe him vpward / as this stryfe was the sayd knyght was put agaȳ in to his body And he ne knewe whiche of them sholde vaynquysshe / but saynt Gregorye sayth that it is to vnderstande that the ylles that he had done stroue agayne the almesdedes And by the other the whithe drewe hym downwarde appered that he had not parfytely resisted vnto the sȳnes of the flesshe This exāple ought to drawe all persones to lyue clenely / purely / holyly to th ende that they may passe the sayd brydge vnto the place delectable without fallynge in to the torment beforsaid And the synners sholde also correcte theym of yll and to do penaunce / or they shall falle of the sayd brydge in to the sayd water / wherin they shall be punysshed A. ¶ Another example of the vysyon of Tongdalus the whiche suffred many paynes in purgatorye sawe of the tormentes of helle after was brought agayne in to his body Cxi IN the yeres of our lorde a thousande .xlix. There was a man named Tongdalus in a cyte of the lande of Irlōde This sayd tongdalus was noble of lynage / a fayre man yonge of age / curteys of all goodnes of grete honour He was grete and ryght appert of the arte of chyualrye Also he was wele spekynge / and good in dysportynge / of asmoche more as he trusted in his beaute his force of asmoche the lesse was it vnto hym of the helthe of his soule And yf ony man sayd ony thynge to hym for the helthe of his soule he was greuid with hȳ / he dyspyted the holy chirche / he ne daygned to beholde the poores in theyr indygence More ouer he gaue that that was his in playes for to haue the preyse of the worlde many he hadde of frendes and of compaygnyons And it came one daye that he sat at table with one of his compaygnyons for to eate And incontynent that he had taken of the mete he deyed of dethe sodayne and the body fel vnto the erthe / In lyke wyse as it neuer hadde hadde soule The seruaūtes ranne vnto hym / the meete was taken awaye / wepynges / and lamentacyons were made / men range the belles The people was moche ameruaylled of the dethe the whiche had taken this noble man so sodaynly He dyed the wednesday about the houre of none And from that houre tyll vnto the saterdaye at none he abode so the body wtout buryenge for that that in the left partye he had a lytel of hete And on the saterdaye at none the soule came agayne vnto the body And so by the space of an houre he behelde those the whiche were by hym / vnto whom he made a token that he wolde haue the body of god And after that he had receyued it he began to prayse god to yelde vnto hym graces and sayd Syr all puyssaūt more grete is thy mercy than all my synnes And afterwarde said this worde the whiche is writen in the psalter That is to saye How many trybulacions and ylles hast thou shewed vnto me / and I beynge conuerted thou hast quyckened me And hast brought me agayne from the depnesse of the erthe And incontynente that he hadde spoken tho wordes he departed / and gaue vnto the poores that that he had and promysed aboue all thynges to leue the lyfe that he hadde before ledde / and al that he hadde sene and suffred he recompted it vnto vs and sayd Whan my soule yssued out of my body she knewe sawe the synnes that she had done And soo began she to doubte But she knewe not what it was that she sholde doo And she wolde rentre within my body / but she myghte not / But she ne durste goo oute / for she dredde her synnes of al partes / she ne had trust in nothynge but vnto the grete mercye of god And so began to wepe to tremble / and she knewe not what she sholde do / anone after / she sawe come vnto her soo grete nombre and multytude of deuylles that all the house stretes places of the cyte were full the whiche enuyrōned her on all partes / the whiche deuylles sayd Singe we vnto this soule the songe of dethe / that we vnto her sholde synge / for she is the doughter of the dethe pardurable and the vyande of the fyre extynguyble ennemye of the lyght and frende of derkenesses And afterwarde and agayne her they grynned and whetted theyr tethe sayd vnto her Vnhappy soule here is the people that thou haste chosen with whome thou shalte entre in to helle in pardurabylyte / Thou haste ben a nouryce of sclaundre / a louer of dyscorde that we loue Wherfore arte thou not proude / wherfore ne knowest thou not thy lecherye / where is thy vanite and vayne gladnes / where ben thy laughynges ryght vntempred / where is thy force wherin thou trustedest so moche Wherfore ne shyttest thou not the eye / wherfore ne tryppest thou with thy fote Wherfore ne thynkest thou the greate malyce that thou were wonte to doo in vanytees and synnes And as these forsayd deuylles sayde these wordes
I loked towarde the heuen and sawe a ferre of a lyght â—â—scende in lyke wyse as it hadde ben a sterre ryght clere and shynynge In the whiche I hadde esperaunce that ther was some ayde that god sente vnto me And as it approched vnto me I apperceyued wel that it was the aungell of god the whiche had kepte me in thys worlde And whan he approched vnto me he also greted me swetely sayd God the salue Tongdalus ¶ And whan I sawe soo fayre a yongman the whiche greted me so swetely by my propre name / by grete Ioye I answered Alas my lorde the dolours of helle hathe besette me aboute And the panges of dethe hathe occupyed me / as it is wryten Dolores inferni circumdederunt me preoccupauerÌ„t me laquei mortis And the aungell answered Thou callest me nowe lorde and I haue be euermore with the / but Iuge thou not that I were dygne of suche grete honour The soule answerd Syr I neuer se the before And the aungel sayd From the houre that thou were borne I haue euermore be with the in all places where thou were And thou ne woldest neuer bileue my couÌ„sayll Than the aungell lyfte vp his hande amonges the deuylles shewed vnto hym one the whiche dyde vnto hym wors than the other sayd vnto hym that is he the whiche couÌ„saylled the whiche thou byleued and dyde his wyll / but be thou sure that thou shalt haue the mercye of god / thou shalt suffre a lytel of tormentes that thou hast deserued Come thou after me / and that that I shall shewe the so kepe thou it put thou it in thy memorye / for thou shalt retourne agayne within thy body / Whan the soule hadde herde this she was moche ferefull she approched vnto the aungell Whan the deuylles herde this worde they were madde For they sawe that they ne had of puyssaunce to doo yll vnto the soule anâ— blasphemed god in sayng that he was not ryghtfull / for he yelded not vnto euery man after his deserte And of the grete woodnes wherof they were ful they bet eche other And they departed frome thens sorye and heuye as enraged Than the aungell sayd vnto the sayd soule Come after me A syr thou goest before / these deuylles shall take me behynde shall lede me in to helle The aungell answerde / Haue thou no fere for we haue more grete ayde than they ne haue Si deus ê“ nobis qis coÌ„tra nos Yf god be for vs there is none that maye noye vs. It is wryten by the prophete dauid CadeÌ„t a latere tuo mille et deceÌ„ millia a dextris tuis ad te auÌ„t non appropiÌ„quabit veruÌ„tameÌ„ occulis tuis coÌ„siderabis et retributioneÌ„ pctoÌ„rum videbis / That is to saye a thousande shall falle on thy left syde / ten thousande on thy right side Certaynly they shal not approche vnto the. Albeit thou shalt consyder by thyn eyes thou shalte see the retrybucyon of thy synnes And whan he had sayd these wordes they yode forthe B. ¶ Of the valeye WHan they were gone longlye togyders by so grete derkenesses that they had no lyght / but that the whiche proceded of the aungell / they came in to a valeye moche horryble / the whiche was ryght depe and ful of brennynge coles And aboue that valeye there was a couerynge of yron brennynge of thyknes syxe fadome the whiche was more hote than that whiche brente vnderneth From thens yssued soo grete strenche the whiche greued more the soule than all that that he had before suffred Aboue the sayd couerynge dyscended many chetyues soules the whiche there were fryed as a man fryeth bacon in the panne And afterwarde they were strayned thorowe the coueryng as waxe / fell and dyscended in to the welle of the sayd valeye / vpon the brennynge coles where they were tormeÌ„ted of a newe torment / thus sayd the aungell This payne suffreth those the whiche haue kylled faders or moders / or other people by delyberacyon or dede and after this tormente they shall be ledde in to more grete but thou ne shalt suffre this said torment albeit that thou hast wele deserued it C. ¶ Of the beest horryble AFter they entred in to a way moche horryble croked harde And whan they had gone longe in derkenes / the soule sawe a ferre a beest moche horrible ferefull of the gretenes incredyble / more grete than all the mountaynes that he had before seen She had the eyen as grete fyres brennyÌ„ge / had the mouthe so grete that it semed vnto hym that there myght well entre .x. M. men of armes There yssued out of his mouthe fyre inextynguyble / stynke incomparable Grete multytude of soules entred by the mouthe in to the wombe of the sayd beest the whiche soules cryed horrybly of tormentes that they were in And before the sayd beest there was grete multytude of deuyls the whiche bette and tourmented the sayd soules after put them within the sayd beest And whan the soule had longe beholden the sayd beest she was moche ferefull sayd to the aungell Syr wherfore approche we vnto this tourment The aungell answered We may not go by other way / for none escapeth this tourment but those that god hath chosen to be in his coÌ„pany This beest that thou seest is called Acherons the whiche tourmenteth all the auarycyous Of this beest it is wryten Absorbebit fluuiuÌ„ et non mirabitur / habet fuditiam ê™ influat iordanis in os eius That is to say He shall swalowe a streme or water it shall be no meruayle / also haue affyaunce that the water of Iordan renneth yet through her mouthe And whan they had spoken this they came before the sayd beest / the aungell departed and left the soule amonge the deuylles And incontynent the deuylles beset her about and there tourmented her with grete tourmentes as woode dogges And afterwarde they ledde her with them in to the wombe of the sayd beest Therin she suffred many bytynges of dogges / of beres / of lyons / of serpentes / of other beestes that she had neuer seen ne knowen before / there had of grete tourmentes of deuylles / brennynge of fyre / sharpenes of sulphre / derkenesse woundes / to plundge / to crye / and grete habondaunce of dysease and of trybulacyon There was the sayd soule accused of her syÌ„nes that she had committed And for the grete heuynes wherof she was full she strake her selfe on the chekes tare them with the nayles of her owne handes / wende there to be daÌ„pned pardurably And anone she fouÌ„de her selfe out of the sayd beest / but she wyst not how she came out / she was layde ferre of moche feble Afterwarde wtin a whyle of tyme she opened her eyen sawe her aungel by her Than had she grete Ioye albeit that she was moche tourmented / began to
hym to crye that he sholde cast strongly / that the deuylles fledde so hastely that they stroue who sholde fyrste goo forth that for haste one fell ouer another Than the sayd gardyen more strongly caste the holy water So the sykeman was delyuered of the deuylles / the whiche wende to deceyue hym for to dampne hym Vnto this purpose a man shold vnderstonde that the holy water is moche dygne prouffytable For it putteth awaye synnes venyelles / chaseth awaye the deuylles fantasyes dyabolyques / therfore many hathe of custome to haue of holy water by theyr beddes / and also to caste holywater at theyr lyenge downe / arysynge / whan they ben syke to th ende that they ben puryfyed / made clene kepte from temptacyons fantasyes dyabolyques as it is sayd Vnde dauyd in psalmo Asperges me dnÌ„e ysopo muÌ„dabor lauabis me suê‘ niueÌ„ dealbabor That is to saye O thou lorde thou shalte besprynkyl me with the holywater stykâ— I shal be made clene / thou shalt wasshe me / and I shall be more whyte than the snowe / yet agayne sayeth dauyd Thou hast in lykewyse troubled the heedes of the dragons tho ben of the deaylles in the waters IteruÌ„ psal Cotribuiasti capita drachonuÌ„ in aquis c. Item it is good to sprynkyll with holy water a woman whan she trauaylleth of chylde Also whan a man receyueth the holy water deuoutly it dysposeth the persones to deuocyon to do wele For to be short it is a grete thynge as to receyue the holy water And those that refuse it or fle it / they ne ben good catholyques / for they done in lyke wyse as dyd the deuylles that fledde from the house of the syke man for the holy water c. B. ¶ Another example how the deuyl ne myghte entre in to the mouthe of a dronkenman for a droppe of holy water that therin fell Cxviii THe dyscyple reciteth in his promptuarye sayeth that a dronke n man mette in his waye a demonyacle And the sayd dronkenman sayd vnto the deuyll entre in to me leue this man And the said deuyl answerd I may not / wherfore said the dronkenman For thou haste ben thys daye in the chirche one droppe of holywater is fallen in thy mouthe c. C. ¶ Another example that as a knyght bespryncled hym with holy water the deuyll cryed touche me not Cxviii ARnoldus recounteth in his boke sayeth that as a knyght strong in armes wolde approche vnto a place where a mayden demonyacle lay the deuyl began to crye Here is my frende come And as he was entred sayd Go ye backe lette my frende approche Thou deuyll thou arte a fole / wherfore tormentest thou this mayde innocent / come with me vnto the turneymentes And the deuyll answerd and sayd I shall go with the with good wyll / yf thou suffre me that I entre in to thy body or that I be in the sadell or brydell / or in ony partye of thy body And the knyghte had compassyon of the noble mayde / and said yf thou wylte go forth of this mayde I shall grauÌ„te the one partye of my mauÌ„tell by suche condycyon that thou hurt me not / that thou shalte departe incontynente that I shall tell the. And he promysed hyÌ„ Than he yode forth of the mayde / yode in to the oylet hole of the mauntell From that houre so moche of glorye came vnto the knyght that those that he wolde he them surmounted and wasted those that he wolde he toke And one daye as the knyght prayed longely the deuyll sayd vnto hym / thou murmurest to moche And as he spryÌ„cled hym with holy water he sayd vnto hym / take hede that thou touche me not And one tyme whan the knyght yode vnto a place where a man preched of the holy crosse the deuyl said what doest thou here The knighte answerd I wyll leue the serue god And the deuyl sayd what thynge hathe dyspleased the in me I neuer hurte the / but I haue enryched the thou arte become moche gloryous And the knyght sayd departe thou and come thou no more again to me I coÌ„maunde the in the name of ihesus Than the deuyll lefte hym the knight marked hym with the crosse / and serued Ihesu cryste two yeres beyonde the see / whan he was comen agayne he made to edefye an hospytall / in the whiche he admynystred vnto syke bodyes theyr necessytees wele defyned his dayes c. D. ¶ Another example that whan a synner obstynate had dronke of holy water / he repented hym confessed chaunged hym from yll vnto good Cxviii THe dysciple reciteth in his promptuarye that a knyght dyde many ylles and in th ende fell seke hys preest warned hym to confesse hym / to receyue the sacramentes as a good catholyque / and he ne myght enclyne hym neyther by prayers ne by menaces And reputed his wordes vayne / that he ne forced ne cared And as he demaunded of water for to drynke the preest yode to blysse the water wtout that that the seke body knewe ony thynge of it and gaue it hym to drynke Whan he had dronke incontynente by the ayde of the holy ghost he cryed vnto the preest in requyryng hym that he were confest And he confessed hym purely he was admynystred ended his dayes wele ¶ Maria. A. ¶ Examples of the vyrgyn Marye / fyrst example how the vyrgyn Marye delyuered an abbot many other from peryll of dethe for to saye this responce Felix namque Cxvâ—ii VIncent sayeth in the .xviii. booke of the myrroure hystoryall in the lxxxix chapitre That an abbot with many other were in the myddest of the see of Brytayne in so grete tempest of tyme oppressed that they all dyspeyred of lyfe / soo the some called saynt Nycholas vnto theyr ayde / the other saint Andrewe And euery of them called the saynt that moost famylyerly he called vnto his necessyte And whan the abbot sawe that none of theym called the blyssed vyrgyn marye moder of mercy that hathe puyssaunce aboue the heuen the erthe he sayd Brederne what do ye to call ony sayntes leue the moder of god that hathe puyssaunce aboue all tho sayntes the ye call I saye not that ye do yll / but cal we all with one voyce the moder of mercy Than all togyders called reclamed the blyssed vyrgyn Marye And the sayd abbot the whiche had not ete in two dayes in two nyghtes but one apple / the whiche was at lowe that he ne myght syghe / he sange with his monkes this responce Helix naÌ„que And the verse Ora ê“ populo And before that they had ended theyr songe deuocyon / there arryued a grete lyghte in the heyghte of the maste as a tapre the whiche chased awaye all the derkenesses of the nyght
enlumyned the presence / al the tempest so ceased at the coÌ„maundement of the quene of heuen had greate transquylyte And ryght anone after the daye clere fayre shone / the shyppe applyed it selfe vnto the lande wher as they entented And so had they ayde of the vyrgyn Marye By this example by many other a man sholde knowe that all persones the whiche serue the vyrgyn marye her â—equyre by deuocyon with good herte / they haue ayde and socours in al necessytees that they fynde themself in / be it in erthe or in the see / be it at the dethe or in the lyfe And by that that the abbot sayd vnto his compaygnons that they sholde cal the ayde of the vyrgyn Marye more soner than all the sayntes of paradyse / he spake it of good ryght For she is more noble dygne / and holy of the creatures that god create euer Vnde scryptura dicit Sicut sol luci dior est quam luna et luna quam syderibê° sic maria dignior eÌ„ creaturis oiÌ„bus She is more digne than the aungelles / for she is moder of the kynge of aungelles VnÌ„ aÌ„ IpsuÌ„ regeÌ„ angelorum sola virgo lactabat And she ledde a lyfe auÌ„gelyke more then auÌ„gelyke Vnde hieronimus In carne preter carneÌ„ viuere noÌ„ terrena vita eÌ„ sed angelica Also she lyued withoute ony synne in her body corruptyble VnÌ„ caÌ„t iiii Tota pulcra es amica mea macule non est in te / She is more dynge than the prophetes / for they prophetysed of her Vnde scriptura Prophete pÌ„dicaueruÌ„t christuÌ„ nasciturum de virgine maria Vnde ysaye vii Ecce virgo coÌ„cipiet pariet filiuÌ„ She is more digne than the appostles / for she is moder of the kynge of the appostles / â— she is theyr maystres the whiche taughte them Quomodo coÌ„cepit de spuÌ„ sctoÌ„ peperit sine dolore Also she was more ferme in the fayth at the passyon than the appostles VnÌ„ scriptura Beata qÌ„ credidit qmÌ„ ê‘ficientur ea qÌ„ dicca eraÌ„t ei a dnÌ„o She is more dygne than the martyrs For she suffred in the soule at the passyon more of dolour than all the martyrs Vnde luce â— Et tuaÌ„ ipsiê° aiÌ„am ê‘traÌ„sibit gladius Also she was more dygne than the confessours for she was sanctifyed in the wombe of her moder / put in to the temple to serue god in the age of thre yere that the confessours hathe not done Also she is more dygne shan the women vnde luce i. ca. BnÌ„dicta tu iÌ„ mulieribê° Et cant ii Sicut liliuÌ„ iÌ„ter spinassic amica mea inter filias B ¶ Another example how salue regina vayleth moche to deye wele Cxviii THe dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye of the vyrgyn marye that as a chanoyne regulyer laboured vnto the dethe he dredde that the whiche is writen ecclesiastices none Nescit homo vtruÌ„ amore vel odio dignus sit Albeit he dyspeyred hym not And the vyrgin marye appered vnto hym in forme vysyble / in swete wordes sayd vnto hyÌ„ Drede thou not thou shalte not be dampned But in lykewyse as thou hast honoured me oftymes with this antem Salue regina In lykewyse shalt thou be crowned by me in the realme of my sone Whan he had recompted this thynge ioyously vnto his bredern he deyed c. C. ¶ Another example how the vyrgyÌ„ marye appesed the thondres tempestes of the tyme for to saye salue regina Cxviii IT is wryten in the boke cesarii that a preest had of custome to say at al his houres this anteÌ„ Salue regina And one tyme as he walked thorowe the feldes that he yode to vysyte a recluse the whiche was by the chirche grete thondres and horryble tempestes sourded vp that he loste his force to walke And in th ende by grete labour he entred in to the chirche fell prostrate before the aulter requyred the vyrgyn Marye to appese the sayd tempest And there appered vnto hym a woman with vysage of a vyrgyn replenysshed with grete beaute that sayd vnto hym For asmoche as thou sayest syngest oftymes this antem Salue regina mater miÌ„e the tempeste shal hurte nor fere the no more whan she hadde spoken these wordes she vanysshed awaye / he vnderstode that it was the vyrgyn marye Another example of salue regina wryten in the promptuary of the dyscyple It happened one tyme that in two townes the freres of the ordre of prechers were by nyght so tormented with fantasyes yllusyons dyabolyques that it neded that one of them muste watche and kepe by nyght those that slepte rested And they dydde put all theyr esperaunces in the ayde of the vyrgyn marye / made solemnel professyon after complyn in syngynge Salue regyna / incontynent all was appesed / by these examples here it behoueth to vnderstonde that the sayd antem pleaseth vnto our lady Also marie is quene of heuen of the aungelles / sayntes of paradyse of whome we synge regina celi letare Also marye is the quene of all quenes Also marye is quene of mercye in lyke wyse as notyfyeth this anteÌ„ Salue regina Also this quene is dygne / noble / holy / blyssed / fayre pure / clene / clere / gyuyng lyght / shynyng that she surmounteth al creatures in bouÌ„te / / dignyte / clarte / therfore is she lyfte vp set by god her sone VnÌ„ psal Astitit regina a dextris tuis iÌ„ vestitu deaurato circuÌ„data varietate / It is good to loue serue honour this vyrgyn the whiche is soo grete a lady / for that that she requyreth is done / that that she refuseth is not done Loue we than the vyrgyn Marye / serue we honour we her / in kepynge her feestes wele shall come vnto vs. D. ¶ Another example how the vyrgin Marye restored the hande of Iohan Damascene that made salue sctaÌ„ pareÌ„s Cxvii THe dyscyple reciteth in his promptuarye that at rome there was a valyauÌ„t doctour named Iohan damascene The whiche had of enmyes that accused hyÌ„ falsly that he had wryten with his proprehande of lettres agayne the empyre and romayns Soo it happened that he was led before the emperour / the whiche made his hande to be cut of / whiche thynge he bare paciently And afterwarde he considered that our lady had none introyte propre as some other saintes / that it was not an honest thynge that she that was quene of heuen had not also well a propre introite as the other Then he made salue sctaÌ„ parens then whan he had made it he doubted lest he sholde forgete it / incontynent called his clerke for to gyue hym his ynkorne / remembred not that he had his hande cutte so he reched forth the stompt for to take the peÌ„ne /