sayeth in the psalter Dirigat dn̄e ad te oratio mea sicut incensum inconspectu tuo That is to saye O thou my lorde dyrect myn orayson and prayer in thy syght in lykewyse as ensence Whan ensence is put vpon the coles of fyre it casteth a good odoure and smoke the whiche mounteth vnto heuen towarde god Also orayson prayer well made and embrased vpon the coles of deuocion is a good odour the whiche mounteth on hyghe before god the whiche maketh to haue grete rewarde in paradyse c. ¶ Gula. A. ¶ Examples of drynkynge whan men sholde serue god And fyrst example how a nonne the whiche ete letuse before that she serued god / and without makinge the sygne of the crosse was posseded of the deuyll lxvii IT is wryten in the dyalogue of saynt Gregory that a mayden entred in to a gardyn the whiche be helde and coueyted a letuse / she forgate to make the benedyccyon and sygne of the crosse ete glotonously the the sayd letuse / and incontynent was posseded of the deuyll and fell vnto the erthe in the sayd gardyn And as she was strongely tourmented it was shewed vnto a holy man named Equycius the whiche came to pray for her to socour her the whiche ye de thyder and entred in to the gardyn And the deuyll the whiche was in the sayd mayden began to crye by her mouthe and sayd What haue I done I sette me on a letuse she is come and hath eten me And the mā of god commaunded hym that he sholde departe that he had no more place in the seruaunt of god / and forthwith he departed without power to do her ony more euyll grefe c. B. ¶ Another example that euyll came vnto a conuers the whiche dranke wyne in the cyte without lycence / without makynge the sygne of the crosse lxvii THe dyscyple recyteth in his boke that it is wryten in a boke how a frere conuers was ryght greuously tourmented of the deuyl in a conuet The freres of y◠conuent arose them vp for they were layde / called theyr mayster saynt Domynycke the whiche was at that tyme in the hous / the whiche sent that he were brought vnto the chyrche And with grete payne .x. freres brought hym And in entrynge in to the chyrche with a grete blast he put out all the lampes in the chyrche that there were brennynge And as the deuyll tourmented hym in many maners saynt Domynycke sayd vnto the deuyll I the coniure from Ihesu cryst that thou thou tell wherfore thou tourmentest this frere here And whan and how thou art entred in to hȳ The whiche answered I tormente hym for he hath deserued it He dranke wyne yesterday in the cyte without hauynge lycence / and without makynge the token of the crosse And in drynkynge I entred in hym / that is he dranke me with the wyne After these thynges matynes were ronge And the deuyll sayd I may nomore tary here syth that these hoded folke aryse to prayse god And the deuyll departed fro the frere and left him as deed lyenge vpon the erthe And the freres bare him in to the fermoury Whan the mornynge came he arose all hole and wyst not what was comē vnto hym He the whiche wrote this myracle herde it tolde of one of those the whiche at that sayd time was presente there in the abbaye C. ¶ Another example of a smyth the whiche waked to drynke and to ete whan the other waked to serue god lxvii THe venerable Bede telleth in gestis angelorū in libro quīto how a smyth had of custome to drynke and to ete and to be dronken whan the other waked in the chyrche at seruyce And on a tyme there came vnto hym a sodeyne sekenes in the whiche he was warned to repent hym / to confesse and to do penaunce The whiche as dyspeyred began to crye that he myght not repent hym For in lykewyse as saynt Stephen sawe heuen open soo he sayd that he sawe hell apertly / and a place of tourmente the whiche was made redy nygh vnto the place where as were Pylate / cayphas / Iudas and the other the whiche made our lorde Ihesus to deye / and afterwarde tolde what the Iugement of hym was made / that he shold neuer haue hope of helthe for the grete contynuacyon of dronkenes that he had ledde And whan he had tolde this he deyed and was put from sepulture ecclesyastycall from all prayers c. ¶ This example here is good for those the whiche leseth the masses and the seruyces of the chyrche for to be waytynge in tauernes and potacyons by that that the sayd smyth wolde not wake at the sanctyfycacyons of the feestes in the seruyce of the chyrche / but dyspysed them In lykewyse god wolde that he were put at his dethe / and fcom the prayers of the chyrche and from sepulture ecclesyastycall / from all good and honour And by that that he sayd that the Iugement of hym was made and that he sawe the tourments the whiche was made redy vnto hym sholde vnderstande these dronken slouthfull people to go to sanctyfye and to honour god in solempnytees commaunded that the Iugement partyculer shall be made of those at theyr dethe and that they shall haue there punycyon after theyr deseruynge Vnde psal Tu reddes vnicuique iuxta opera sua And god suffred that he spake the sayd wordes to th ende that his semblables therby take example and hede D. ¶ Another example of a man that yede t◠playe and to drynke at the tauerne with his felawes whan he sholde wake in the seruyce of the chyrche lxvii THe dyscyple recyteth in his sermons this the whiche foloweth the whiche is also wryten in other bokes and sayeth that in the tyme of a deuoute bysshop named Cyryllus there was a yonge parent of the sayd bysshop Cyryllus named Ruffus dwelled with hym as a seruaunt And whan the bysshoppe sange masse the sayd Ruffus yode vnto tauernes to playe with his felawes So it befell that he was seke deyed After that he was deed the sayd cysshop requyred the people the whiche vnto hym were subgecte that they wolde make prayer for hym / for he loued hym moche was well loued of the people And one day after that the bysshop hadde songe for his soule as he was in deuocion and orayson the sayd deed body appered vnto hym all in fyre in grete tourment And he demaunded hȳ what he was He answered I am the soule of thy cosyn for whom thou prayest god in vayne for I am dampned eternally Than the sayd bysshop was ferefull and sayd Alas how hast thou deserued it the whiche hast lyued truely ynough / I wened that thou haddest be yet in Innocency vyrginal And he sayd It is soo / for I am yet vyrgyn But I am dampned for that that I had of custome in the mornynge
left VnÌ„ aug xxvj qÌ„re .vij Non obseruetis dies qui dicuÌ„tur egyptiaci / aut kalendas Ianuarij in quibus caÌ„delle et quedam coÌ„messationes / et ad inuicem dona donantur quasi in principio boni aÌ„ni facti augurio aut reliquas menses et tempora dies ve aut annos aut lune et mensis solisque cursus hora / et qui has quascuÌ„que diuinationes aut facta / aut auguria / aut tendit / aut contendit / aut conseÌ„tit obseruationibus / aut credit / aut ad eoruÌ„ domum vadit / aut in sua domo introducit vt interroget / sciat se cristianam fidem et baptismum preuaricasse / et paganum et apostatam et dei inimicum / iram dei in eternum incurre re nisi penitentia ecclesia emeÌ„datus deo rereconsilietur ¶ Example of a relygyous man and of a woman the whiche put faythe in the songe of a cuckowe / and yll came to them Quere .lx. c. d. All maner of mysbeleuynge people sholde drede temporall punycyon and eternall dampnacyon It is wryten deuteronomie .xi. Cauete ne forte decipiatur cor vestrum recedatis a domino seruiatisque dijs alienis et adoretis eos / iratusque dominus claudat celum et pluuie noÌ„ descendant / nec terra det germen suuÌ„ ê‘eatis velociter de terra optima quam dominus daturus est vobis Beware lest by aduenture your herte be deceyued and that ye ne departe you from the lorde / and that ye serue not vnto straunge goddes / that ye ne worshyp theym for drede that your lorde be not wrothe / and that he close not the heuens / and that the rayne descende not and the erthe ne gyue his fruyte / and that ye perysshe not hastely from the londe that almighty god sholde gyue vnto you They the whiche hath broken and froyssed this commaundement sholde not dyspayre theÌ„ but they ought for to do penaunce they shall be saued how greuous so euer the synnes ben the whiche they haue commytted ¶ Example in Theophyle whiche renyed god and he was saued by penaunce Quere .lviii. b. Another example of a relygyous the whiche was apostate and harlot she was saued by penaunce Quere .cxiiij. a. Also those the whiche desyreth to be saued sholde take the condycion of the pylgrym of paradyse the whiche ben wryten after .xlv. a. b. c. Also people incredibles sholde drede to be sent in to the fyre of hell there to be breÌ„t eternally / the whiche is a tourment moost cruell as it is wryteÌ„ afterwarde qÌ„re .xlix. b. ¶ Example of a preest prynce of the ydolles the whiche is in the fyre of hell Quere .lvij. a. A. ¶ Thyrdly all the artycles of the fayth ben here commaunded to beleue in lykewyse as the chyrche beleueth and holdeth .vii. ANathasius sayth Quicunque vult saluus esse ante omÌ„ia opê° est vt teneat catholicam fidem Quam nisi quisque integram inuiolataÌ„que seruauerit absque dubio ineternum peribit Euery persone the whiche wyll be saued it is requysyte before all thynges that he holde the faythe catholyke / the whiche yf euery one ne kepe hole without doubt he shal perysshe in perdurabylyte Al good catholykes sholde beleue in one onely god in trynyte as it is sayd before And who soo beleueth in god stedfastly it behoueth that he beleue in all his operacions / as in the creacyon of heuen and of ertth and in his sanctyfycacyons / as in the holy chyrche Wherfore the artycles of the faythe ben here commaunded the whiche dothe folowe ¶ Saynt Peter sayeth Credo in vnum deum Who so wyll beleue stedfastly In the faythe of crystyente Beleue in one god alonely Thre persones in vnyte ¶ Agayne saynt Peter sayth Patremâ—â— potentem And saynt Andrewe sayeth Et in iesum christum filium eius vnâ—â—â— dominum nostrum And saynt Barthylmewe sayeth Credo in spmÌ„ sanctum VnuÌ„ crede deum personis hunc fore tâ—num Sunt pater natê° neuma sacer deus vnus That is in the fader all puyssaunt And in the holy goost also And in Iesus his dere infaunt As crysten men sholde do ¶ Also saynt Andrewe sayth Creatoreâ— celi et terre And this onely god in trynyte The heuen the erthe and the see And all other thynges made hath he For the conforte of our humanyte ¶ Saynt Mathewe sayth Sanctam ecclesiam catholicam In holy chyrche also beleue By stedfast faythe and deuocyon As nere as god grace the shall gyue Yf thou entende to haue saluacyon ¶ Agayne saynt Thomas sayth SctoÌ„ruÌ„ coÌ„munionem And saynt Symon Remissiomem peccatorum And beleue that all good crystyens Haue with the sayntes communyon Of all good dedes by the sacramentes And of theyr synnes remyssyon Saynt iude sayth Carnis resurreccioneÌ„ And whan the aungell his horne shal blowe All that ben deed shall appere Lye they in erthe neuer so lowe In body and soule enrere ¶ Saynt Mathewe sayth VitaÌ„ eternam And those the whiche hath lyued wele In to paradyse shall ascende The euyll also grete payne shall fele In hell euer withouten ende ¶ Saynt Iames the more sayth Qui coÌ„ceptus est de spiritu saÌ„c to natus ex maria virgine Beleue also by grete veryte In Ihesu crystes humanyte Conceyued of the spyryte holy And borne of the vyrgyn Mary ¶ Saynt Iohn sayth Passus sub poÌ„tio pylato crucifixus mortuê° et sepultus And saynt Thomas sayth Descendit ad in ferna After this he suffred gretely On the crosse for vs to deye And than buryed by Ioseph the good Streyght in to the helles he yood ¶ Also saynt Thomas sayth Vercia die resurrexit a mortuis And saynt Iames the lesse sayth Ascendit ad celos sedet ad dexteram dei patris oiÌ„potentis On the thyrde day he dyde aryse And in to heuen ye shall vnderstande He reascended in moost goodly wyse And sytteth on his faders ryght hande ¶ Saynt Phylyp sayth Inde venturus est iudicare viuos et mortuos He hath promysed as we rede On domes day to come agayne To Iuge the quycke and the dede Some to blysse and some to payne Hec est fides catholica quam nisi quisque fideliter firmiterque crediderit / saluê° esse non poterit Who so his soule thynketh to saue Entendynge here after to come to blysse Parfyte faythe must he haue In one artycle he may not mysse THe persone the whiche wyll be saued ought to be stedfast / stable / and immouable in the fayth for it is the foundement vpon the whiche men edifye the other vertues for to multyply them in goodes espyrytuelles and for to mounte in to paradyse Vnd ad collocenses .i. In fide sitis fundati stabiles et immobiles Be ye founded in the faythe stable and immouable ¶ Also we rede of a wyse man the whiche edyfyed his house vpon a stedfast stone / and the
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
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
had stolen his maysters fygges myght not receyue our lorde of saynt Thomas lxxxi B Fo. Clxxxi ¶ That a woman that wolde haue hāged her selfe was delyuered in herynge them rynge to a sacrynge lxv B Fo. Clvi ¶ That the deuyls kept an heretyke from brennynge / but whan the body of Iesu cryst was brought they myght noo longer kepe hym lix A Fo. Cxliiii ¶ Of a man that wolde not leue his synne came to receyue his creatour agaynst the defence of the preste Cii Q Fo. CCxx ¶ That a woman appered to a preste in sȳgynge masse lxxxx C Fo. Clxxxxvii ¶ Of the punycyon of some the whiche retourned vnto theyr glotonyes and synnes after Eester Cii T Fo. CCxxii ¶ Another example lxxix C Fo. Clxxxxv ¶ Of a man the which was delyuered fro the paynes of purgatory by the saynge of thre masses Cii V Fo. CCxxii ¶ Of a frere the whiche sholde haue be .xv. yeres in purgatory / he was delyuered by one masse Cii x Fo. CCxxii ¶ That one of the relygyous of saynt Gregory was delyuered fro purgatory by .xxx. masses lxxxii E Fo. Clxxxiiii Perditio bonorum ¶ Examples of them that deye in mortal syn̄e dampne themselfe / lose paradyse and al goode spyrytualles as vnto the soule ¶ In lykewyse as the water departeth fro the broken pot euen so dooth all the vertues of a man by mortall synne Cii Y. Fo. CCxxiii ¶ Another example that the aungell sayd to a vyrgyn / chaste / deuout / almesgyuer / and charytable that she myght not be saued but yf she had pacyēce / for the synne of yre reygned in her lxxxxix B Fo. CCx ¶ Of the doughter of a kynge a grete almesgyuer the which was dampned for one mortall synne lxxxxiii H Fo. CCiii ¶ That a woman a gyuer of almesse was dampned for the delyberacyon of wyl to do lechery C. A Fo. CCxiii ¶ Of a woman gyuer of almesse dāpned that slewe .ii. chyldren lxxxxii D Fo. CCi ¶ That a woman the which fasted excercysed her in oraysons good operacyons was dampned for kepynge of yre without wyll to pardon lxxviii D Fo. Clxxviii ¶ That a monke lost the breed celestyall after that he had done synne Ci. A Fo. CCxv ¶ That a yonge man the which had lyued lowably ynough in Innocence vyrgynall was dampned and lost by cōmytynge mortall synne lxvii D Fo. Clix ¶ That the sone of a ryche man that serued god in fastynges / orayson / in good operacyōs was dampned for kepynge yre in his herte wolde be auenged lxxix A Fo. Clxxviii ¶ That an erle was dampned for an herytage yll wtholdē though that he had done good operacyons lxxxii A Fo. Clxxxiii Finis iniquorum est peccatum ¶ Examples of mortal synne the whiche is the lyne wherby the deuylles holdeth synners ¶ That the deuylles helde a man bounden with a chayne and ledde hym with grete so lace Ioye Cii Z Fo. CCxxiii ¶ That saynt Bernarde sawe a synner that had a chayne about his necke the whiche had mo than an C. lynkes / at euery teere that he wept there fell a lynke lv A Fo. Cxxxvi ¶ That the deuyll sayd to a doctour that a man beynge in synne is so bounde that he ne may do ony operacyon the whiche to hȳ is merytoryous Cii Fo. CCxxiii ¶ That saynt Anthony sawe the worlde ful of the deuyls nettes Cii r Fo. Cxxiii ¶ That a monke sawe of ryche men hāged wtin the fyre of hell / hanged that is to say by the lyne of the deuyll lxxxiiii D Fo. Clxxxviii ¶ Of a woman dāpned bounde with chaynes in a basket lxxxx C Fo. Clxxxxvii ¶ Of some auarycyous vsurers hanged in the fyre of hell lxxxvi A Fo. Clxxxxi ¶ That foure men were hanged in hell for that / that they dyde possede vniustly an herytage lxxxi G Fo. Clxxxiii Mors bonorum ¶ Examples of some the whiche hath accōplysshed the wyll cōmaundement of god hath deyed of good dethe hath had consolacyon of god of his sayntes ¶ That a holy fader sawe at his dethe god his prophetes Ciii A Fo. CCxxiiii ¶ That the sayntes of paradyse and the angelles god came vnto the dethe of an holy fader Ciii B Fo. CCxxiiii ¶ That a woman sawe Ihesu cryst at her dethe Ciii C Fo. CCxxiiii ¶ That a frere shewed Iesu cryst with his fȳger in syngynge Ciii D Fo. CCxxiiii ¶ That a holy bysshop was cōforted with sayntes at his dethe Ciii E Fo. CCxxv ¶ That sayntes conforted an holy bysshop at his deche Ciii F Fo. CCxxv ¶ That saynt Peter conforted a mayden named Gelyne Ciii G Fo. CCxxv ¶ That a preste that fledde the company of a woman was conforted at the dethe of the sayntes of paradyse Ciiii. A Fo. CCxxv ¶ That by the good correccyon the whiche was done vnto a chylde he fynysshed well his dayes lxxiiii B Fo. Clxx ¶ That a frere went to heuen as swyftly as an arowe Ciiii. B Fo. CCxxvi ¶ Of the dethe of a pylgryme that was conforted of angelles of paradyse / of the dethe of a synner Ciiii. C Fo. CCxxvi ¶ That a knyght sawe the dethe of an yll man that the deuylles tourmented And also he sawe the dethe of a good man that angelles bare to heuen Ciiii. D Fo. CCxxvi ¶ Of an holy fader that deyed in the drede of god Ciiii. E Fo. CCxxvi ¶ Of a pryour relygyous the whiche sayd that he deyed lawfully / faythfully / amyably Ioyously Ciiii. F Fo. CCxxvii ¶ Examples of the inestymable Ioyes of paradyse xlvii b / c / d. Fo. Cxix ¶ Of a monke the which was chosen to be bysshop and he refused it / and after deyed well Ciiii. G Fo. CCxxvii ¶ Examples of the dethe of many holy persones of the whiche the byble maketh mencyon Ciiii. H Fo. CCxxvii Mors malorum ¶ Examples of some the whiche hath not wylled to accomplysshe the cōmaundementes of god they ben deed of euyll dethe in paynes and dolours ¶ That the deuyll drewe the soule from the body of a cursed riche man with a hoke a woman wydowe was conforted of our lady other vyrgyns Cv. A Fo. CCxxvii ¶ Of a monke ypocryte that eate secretely fayned to fast / and the dragon infernall deuoured hym Cv. C ¶ That the deuylles gate the soule of an ypocryte with an hoke Ciiii. C Fo. CCxxvi ¶ That a knyght sawe that the deuyls take a yll mannes soule Ciiii. D Fo. CCxxvi ¶ Another example Cvii D Fo. CCxxxi ¶ Another exāple lxxxxiii H Fo. CCiii ¶ That Cayn was cursed of god deyed impenytent lxxvi A Fo. Clxxiiii ¶ That the pyllars of sodom deyed impenytentes lxxxxv A Fo. CCv ¶ That Chore / Dathan / and Abyron impenytences descended all quycke in to the helles liiii H Fo. Cxxxix ¶ That Absolon impenytent deyed myscheuously lxx A Fo. Clxiii ¶ That the harlot Iesabell was caste by a
that he wolde heele hym / and at his retorne he sholde satysfye hym at his wyll After these wordes Ihesus demaunded of the mayster / whiche of them semeth vnto the that hath be moost nere vnto the seke man of the thre the whiche passed by hym He answered the Samarytan estraunger And god sayd vnto hym thou hast sayd truely / go and do thou in lykewyse Saynt AustyÌ„ sayth Omnem hominem oportet intellegi esse proximum quia nemo est cuÌ„ quo operandum sit male A man sholde vnderstande as it is sayd that euery man is our neyghbour For to moralyse vpon this euaÌ„gelyst a man sholde vnderstaÌ„de that whan a persone is baptysed he is replenysshed with al vertues and with goodes espyrytuelles as yf he descended from Iherusalem that is paradyse in to Iheryco that is in to the felde of batayle in this worlde the whiche is full of theues those ben synnes the whiche dyspoyleth hym of his good vertues stryketh hym with many mortall woundes that whiche ledeth hym vnto the dethe of hell / that is pryde auaryce / slouthe / enuy / glotony / yre / and lechery the whiche stryketh the soules whan they consent vnto them / and by the preest and deaken the whiche passed toke none hede ben vnderstande those the whiche haue no pyte ne compassyon of the pardycyon of soules / and by the Samarytan myserycordyous ben vnderstande these the whiche remedyeth vnto the helthe saluacyon of synners as after that Adam hadde synned and was fallen amonge the theues god hadde mercy the whiche hathe so moche done that he hath be heeled by the meryte of his passyon and by the holy sacramentes And our lorde as the SamarytaÌ„ made to put wyne and oyle in his wouÌ„des Vinum qui letificat cor hominis That is by confessyon the whiche clarifyeth the conscyence of synners / and the oyle that is the laste vnccyon the whiche heeleth the sekenesses corporelles and espyrytuelles in lykewise as sayth saynt Iames. And when the Samarytan put the seke man on the mare is Ihesu cryste the whiche bare our synÌ„es on his body at his passyon / and sayd vnto the mayster of the stable that he sholde heele the sayd seke body That is to vnderstande Ihesus gaue vnto saynt Peter the keyes of the realme of heuen and vnto prelates and pastures vnto whom he sayd Whan I shall come agayne in Iugement I shall pay you your salayres after as ye haue laboured After the sence morall Ihesus hath be our neyghbour / for he hath heled our gostly sekenesses as the samarytan dyde the corporelles And those the heleth the synners of theyr synne or socoureth those that haue nede ben sayd neyghbours A. ¶ Of the vertue of charyte the whiche extendeth in all the coÌ„maundementes of god .iiii. THe mayster of the sentences sayeth in his thyrde boke that charyte is in suche wyse dyffynyed Caritas eÌ„ dilectio qua diligitur deê° ê“pter se / et ê“ximus ê“pter deum Charyte is dyleccyon by the whiche god is loued for the goodnes infynyte the whiche is in hym / and the neyghbour is loued for the loue of god All the commaundementes of god tendeth for to loue god his neyghbour as it is sayd And charyte is none other thynge but to loue god and his neyghbour Soo charyte is commaunded by all the .x. commaundements and in euery of them Yf thou wylt haue of examples of charyte the shalte fynde in thexamplary Quere .lxxv. a. b Charite is so noble a vertue that it is cause moder of all good vertues / wtout it for nothynge seche we other vertues Vn. aug Caritas est causa mater oim virtutuÌ„ qÌ„ se disit frustra habentur cetera si auÌ„t ad sit habentur oiÌ„a Charyte is cause of vertues / for whan we faste / or whan we do almesse / or whaÌ„ we do ony good operacion god is the cause the same good dede is done for the charyte and loue of hym in obeyenge vnto his coÌ„maundementes / to th ende to be vnyed and coniunct with him that is that he dwell with vs we with hym Vnde .j. iohÌ„ iiij Deus caritas est qui manet in caritate in deo manet et deus in eo Et iohÌ„ xv Qui manet in me et ego in eo / hic fert fructuÌ„ multuÌ„ qr sine me nichil potestas facere Also whan we loue our neyghbour and that we do hyÌ„ good in his nede god is the cause for it is for his sake / therfore charyte is cause of vertues The which charyte is contemned in al the coÌ„maundementes of god Also charyte is moder of vertues / for in lykewyse as chyldreÌ„ procedeth of the moder haue theyr nourysshement and techynge / euen in lykewyse the vertues procedeth of charyte ben done for the loue of god / wherfore it is sayd the moder of vertues / in the thynge where charyte lacketh no goostly good is founde / where it is all goodnes there resteth Aug. Vbi est caricas quid est qd possit obesse / vbi auÌ„t non est qd est qd possit prodesset Without charyte we ne may walke after god VnÌ„ amb Si cut sine via nullus ê‘uenit quo tendit / ita sine caritate qÌ„ dicitur via noÌ„ possimus recte ire Also charyte is the fountayn of vertues VnÌ„fulgeÌ„tiê° epÌ„s dicit ê™ caritas est foÌ„s oiÌ„m vtutuÌ„et origo bonoruÌ„ munimeÌ„ egregium via qÌ„ ducit ad celuÌ„ in caritate qui aÌ„bulant nec errare poterit nec timere / ipÌ„a dirigit / ipÌ„a ê“tegit / ipsa ê‘ducit ad regnuÌ„ eternum Charyte is the fouÌ„tayne of all vertues for by it they ben aroused / growe / fructyfy / encrease It is the natyuyte of al goodnes the garnysshyÌ„ge of noblesse For by it maÌ„ is ryche full of goostly goodes / lyft vp in noblesse fast by god / it is the way that ledeth vnto heuen wtout it we ne may go thider He that walketh by charyte can not go out of the way ne drede Charyte adresseth / defendeth ledeth the ryght way Also charyte is the rote of al vertues In lykewyse as sayth saynt Austyn the wordes of the appostle .j. ad thy .vj. Sicut radix oiÌ„m maloruÌ„ est cupiditas / ita radix oiÌ„m bonorum est caritas The rote of the tre be it good or yll extende the humour / her bounte / or malyce by the braunches and boughes / and also maketh them to growe and to multyply after his nature And in lykewise as couetyse the whiche is rote of all euyll extendeth her malyce in all synnes / in lykewyse charyte the whiche is the rote of all goodnes and vertues extendeth her bounte and valour by al vertues and maketh them to growe / to multeplye / and to bere fayre floures / and good fruytes For the begynnynge / the cause
fere Grace newly therin is gyuen / and the auncyent therin is augmented By theffect of the sacrament of vnccyon well taken the venyall synnes ben forgoten / and the mortalles ben pardoned This sacrament gyueth medycine helth vnto the body and vnto the soule / perseueraunce in good operacyons / it multyplyeth and augmenteth grace goten and gyueth grace of newe / also it defendeth from the enemye Of this sacrament it is wryteÌ„ Iacobi .v. Infirmatur quis ex vobis inducat presbiteros ecclesie vt orent super eum vnguentes cum oleo sancto alleuiabir euÌ„ dominus a languoribus suis et si in peccatis sit dimittentur ei Yf ony of you be seke call for the prestes of the chyrche to th ende that they praye ouer hym in anoytinge hyÌ„ with the holy oyle and our lorde shall lyght hym of his laÌ„goures / that is of his sekenes And yf he be in synnes they ben forgyuen hym And the psalmyst in the persone of the synners sayth Miserere mei domine quoniam infirmus sum sana me domine quoniam conturbata sunt ossa mea Lorde haue mercy vpon me whiche am dyseased heleme / for all my bones ben troubled The sacrameÌ„t of ordre is of purete / clennes / scyence / prudence gyuen vnto preestes for to Instruct the people / for admynystre the sacramentes / to bynde and to vnbynde the syÌ„ners The sacrament of eucaristie that is the sacrament of the auter is god in fourme of breed and of wyne the whiche gyueth grace vnto all folke and lyfe eternal in lykewise as it is requysyte Vnde iohÌ„ .vi. Hec est panis de celo descendens / vt si quis ex ipso manducauerit non morietur Here is the brede descendynge from heuen to th ende that who so eteth of it shall not deye Iterum legitur in eodem capitulo Ego sum panis viuus qui de celo descendi / si quis manducauerit ex hoc pane viuet in eternum / panis quem ego dabo caro mea est pro mundi vita That is to say I am the breed of lyfe that am descended from heuen / who so eteth of this breed worthely in suche wise deyeth shall lyue in pardurabylite / and the breed that I gyue is my flesshe for the lyfe of the worlde ¶ Example that a vyrgin sawe a preest clere / fayre / and shynynge in grete glory as he songe masse queÌ„ lxxxxiiij a. ¶ Another example that a bysshop sawe vpon an ester day some men confessed the whiche were meruaylously whyte / and the other blacke lxxxxiiij c. It is a grete thynge to receyue his creatoure in the estate of grace for it is vnto the saluacyon of the soule And those the whiche receyueth it vnworthely it is to theyr dampnacyon Vnd. j. ad corin xi Qui enim manducat et bibit indigne iudicium sibi manducat et bibit ¶ Example Iudas receyued it vnworthely too his dampnacyoÌ„ ¶ Another example / two prestes receyued theyr maker vnworthely they were punysshed dyuynely .xxxvii. E ¶ Another exaÌ„ple of a preste fornycatoure the whiche deyed sodaynly as he wolde synge masse lxxxxiii D. ¶ The sacrament of maryage is the coniunccyon of man woman for to multyply the worlde / for to auoyde synne / and for to loue and prayse god in heueÌ„ and in the erthe Some kepeth theyr maryage and they shall haue in paradyse retrybucyon / and those the whiche breketh it shall haue punycion / in lykewyse as men shall fynde by the scryptures .xxxvi. a. And by examples lxxxxj a. b. The sacramentes beforesayd bereth in them grete effecte / for without them these synners ne may be vnbounde of synÌ„e nor saued / and therfore we sholde receyue them worthely and holyly The ben sayd holy also for by theym these synners ben sanctyfied in lyke wyse as we beleue c. ¶ Example that a curate sholde not tary to adminyster the sacramentes of the chyrche whan his parysshens ben seke and call for them C. ¶ It is wryten in the ende of the fyrste boke of the dialogue of saynt Gregory that a fader of an housholde was seke nygh vnto the dethe he sent to fetche the rectour of the parysshe a worshypfull preste named Seuerus the whiche was founde occupyed in cuttynge his vyne And the messengers sayd to him that theyr mayster prayed hiÌ„ that he wolde come ryght hastely to hym to the ende that he myght pray for hym / that he myght coÌ„fesse hym / that he myght do penauÌ„ce or he deyed The whiche preste sayd to the sayd messengers Go ye before I wyl come after you / he taryed a whyle or he departed to make an ende of a lytell thynge the whiche was lefte of his operacyon whan he had ended he put hym on the waâ— to goo vnto the sayd seke man / and in the way he founde the sayd messengers the whâ—che ranne towarde hym and vnto hyÌ„ say â–ª A preste why haste thou taryed soo longe trauayle the no more for he is departed whan he herde them say so he was moch sory / and so all wepynge he came to the sayâ— body that was deed and there he fell prostrate vnto the erthe in wepynge and waâ—lynge and saynge that he was homycydâ— of the sayd deed body And as he wept thâ— soule of the sayd deed man came agayne vâ—to the sayd body And whan they the whâ—che were present sawe that of grete Ioy and admyracyon that they hadde they tâ—ke them to wepe / the whiche hym demanded where he hadde ben and how he waâ— comen agayne He answered the deuyllâ— ledde me the whiche were as men ryght â—â—deous and blacke from whome yssued oâ— of theyr mouthe and nosethrylles fyre an flambe soo that myght not endure / and a they ledde me by derke places sodaynly fayre vysyon an aungell as a fayre youâ— man came agaynst them the whiche ledâ— me vnto whome he sayd BryÌ„ge hym agaâ—ne for the preest Seuerus hath be wepth our lorde hathe gyuen hym vnto hym 〈◊〉 his teeres Than the sayd man reuyued arâ—se vp sodaynly frome the erthe / confesse hym / dyde penaunce by seuen dayes / aâ— on the .viii. daye Ioyously he departed oâ— of this worlde After this example a preâ— sholde neuer deffer too admynyster the sâ—cramentes of the chyrche to ony personâ— that theym nedeth Also a persone shoâ—â— not tary to confesse hym / to corecte / and mende tyll he be nere his dethe / whan is veray aeged / and whan he may no loâ—ger prolouge ne delaye Audi scripturâ— Legitur ecclesiastici quinto Non tardes conuerti ad dominum et ne differas de die in diem subito enim veniet ira illius in teÌ„pore vindicte disê‘det te Et eccl xvij NoÌ„ demoreris in errore impiorum ante morteÌ„ confiteri c. Et ad romanos .xiiij. Abijciamus opera tenebrarum .i. opera peccati Et ysaie
appetyte / the dylectacyon / and the accustomauÌ„ce to swere vaynely vnlefully / as a thynge ydle / vayne / and peruers Saynt Poule the appostle knewe the commaundementes of god / and neuertheles he sware as it is wryten in his epystles Vestis est michi deus By that it is to vnderstande that swerynge is lefull necessary whan by the same a man thynketh vnto that welfare of his neyghbour after the commaundement of god the whiche sayth Diliges proximuÌ„ tuuÌ„ sicut teipÌ„m And the psalme DnÌ„e quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo aut quis requiescat in monte sancto tuo Lorde who shall dwell in thy tabernacle / or who shal rest in holy mountayne The answer Qui iurat proximo suo et non decepit eum He the whiche swereth vnto his neyghbour deceyueth hym not shal mounte in to heuen c. Also the aungell that saynt Iohan sawe standinge on the see as it is wryten in the appocalyps Teuauit manum suaÌ„ ad celum iurauit per viuenteÌ„ in secula seculorum He lyft vp his hande sware by the lyuyÌ„ge in the worldes Also our lorde sayth in the gospel Amen / amen / dico vobis Also we rede that our lorde sware in the olde testament Iurauit dnÌ„o et noÌ„ penitebit euÌ„ agayne Iurauit dnÌ„s vitateÌ„ c. Our lorde sware true yet he commaunded in the olde lawe Redde dnÌ„o iurameÌ„ta tua c. Yelde thyn othes to our lorde By these foresayd auctorytees a maÌ„ may swere wtout synÌ„e at a nede And for that god sayth in the gospell that our worde sholde be / it is so / it is not so MathÌ„ v. Sit auÌ„t sermo vrÌ„ est / est / noÌ„ / noÌ„ / qd autem his abundaÌ„tiê° malo est The answer that the affyrmacyon or negacyon that is in the hert ought to be in the mouthe / but for that malyce is so growen that they wyll not beleue by syÌ„ple worde / and therfore god hathe put to prudently Quod amplius est malo est That the whiche is more than ynough is yll / not euyll vnto those the whiche swereth for the welfare of theyr neyghbour / but yll vnto those the whiche ne wyll beleue wtout swerynge / theyr incrudylyte is soÌ„tyme of payne and of culpe / and therfore he sayeth not malum Yll vnto hym the whiche hyÌ„ vseth moche in swerynge But he sayth a malo / from the euyll of hym the whiche otherwyse beleueth not / that is of his synÌ„e ne departeth from hym the whiche is somtyme payne / and somtime payne and gylte / thaÌ„ god defendeth the othe the whiche is yll He coÌ„maundeth to speke well in saynge Sit sermo vester est / est / non / non It is soo / it is not so / and he graunteth the swerynge the whiche is necessary Also whan a man wyl not beleue the trouthe but by swerynge / he the whiche swereth in good and Iust cause synÌ„eth not / but he sholde offende yf he sware not For it sholde befall soÌ„tyme that a good man sholde lese his good and Iust cause yf veryte were not approued by good men And therfore sayth saynt Austin Quisqis meru cuiuscuÌ„que potestatis veritatem ocultatiram dei super se prouocat quia magis timet hominem quam deum Yf ony hyde veryte by the drede of puyssauÌ„ce he prouoketh the yre of god vpon hym / for he dredeth the men more than god In suche wyse to swere by necessyte is no synne as it is sayd Also albeit that god hath defended othes inutyles / neuertheles by especyall he defeÌ„deth the swerynges the whiche ben made by the creatures to th eÌ„de that man ne do honour vnto creatures the whiche apperteyneth vnto the creatour Ne honorificeÌ„tia creatoris transferetur ad creaturas Or that man beleue not that ony dyuyne thynge be in hyÌ„ wherby reuerence vnto ought to be done And therfore after that god had said in the gos tild Mat. v. NoÌ„ iurare oiÌ„no Hastely 〈◊〉 putteth after Neque per celuÌ„ qr thronê° dâ— est / neque per terraÌ„ qr scabellum peduÌ„ eiê° ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ neque per hiero solimam qr ciuitas est regâ—magni neque per caput tuuÌ„ quia non potâ—â—vnum capillum tuuÌ„ facere albuÌ„ vel nigri Swere thou neuer aboue all thynge / neyther by the heuen for it is the throne of gâ—â—ne by the erthe for it is the stole of his feâ—ne by Iherusalem for it is the cyte of the grâ—te kinge / ne by thy heed for thou can not maâ—â— one of thy heere 's whyte ne blacke Also 〈◊〉 rede that saynt Iames defended that noâ— sholde swere AnÌ„ oiÌ„a frÌ„es mei nolite â—â—â—re The glose sayth that he defendeth not syÌ„ sweryÌ„ge / but he defendeth the wyll to â—â—re And therfore he sayd vygylaÌ„tly noâ—â— for the affeccyon wyll sholde not draâ—â— vs to swere / but the necessyte oportum te sholde drawe vs there vnto for the heltâ— and welfare of our neyghbours And thâ— that saynt Iames putteth Nec per celuÌ„ / 〈◊〉 per terraÌ„ / nec per quodcuÌ„que aliud iuramâ—tuÌ„iurare vetat Whan nede is to swere man sholde swere by god in callynge hyâ— to wytnesse / not by the creatures as it sayd In lyke wyse as the wyne is not yâ—â— of it selfe And all be it saynt Poule defedeth men to drynke superfluously / for it cureth dronkenes lechery Nolite iÌ„eâ—â—ri vino iÌ„ quo eÌ„ luxuria Ad eph v. Also sâ—â—rynge in superfluyte is defended All the thynges beforesayd ben expounded spâ—â—ken by saynt Austyn / by Inno. by mâ—ny other .xxii. q. i. NoÌ„ eÌ„ ê¯tra deipÌ„ceptuÌ„ iiii sequeÌ„tibê° SipctmÌ„ extra e. si epÌ„s Aâ— how be it that sweryÌ„ge is defended / notâ—â—â—dynge some ben except wherby a maÌ„â—â—swere whaÌ„ nede is / that is by the euangelyst the auter wherupon the body of cryst is concrate Also by the relykes of sayntes / by 〈◊〉 holy crosse Also a man may swerein the hâ—de of the bysshop lyke as it is wryten xâ—â— q. i. Si aliqua causa ca. Habemus B. ¶ What is requysyte for to swere lefully without ony synne .xiij. THre thinges ben requysyte or that a man swere without commyttynge ony synne That is to vnderstonde / veryte / iugement / iustice Vnde Hieremye .iiij. Iurabis viuit dominus in veritate et in iudicio in iusticia Et habetur .xxii. q. i. Et iura bunt Yf these these thre thynges defayle or ony of theym it is periury / as it is wryten .xxii. q. ii Animaduertendum ¶ The fyrst thynge the whiche is requysyte or that a man may swere without synne is veryte in the conscyence / that is that a man knowe the thynge stedfastly for to be soo as he it swereth For who so sholde thynke one thynge and swere another sholde be periured Or who so sholde beleue that ony thynge were true / and
with all Ioyes Ysaie xxiii Begem in decore suo videbuÌ„t It is wryten i. ad corin xiii Videmus nuÌ„c per speculuÌ„ et in enigmata / tuÌ„c autem facie ad faciem videbimê° Also in seynge hym clerely there they shall take parfyte delectacyon loue / and they shall loue hym so perfytely that they shall neuer leue hyÌ„ and they shall not go agaynst his wyll / in suche wyse that they shal haue sure holdynge Augustinus dicit Videbimus / amabimus / et laudabimus Also in beholdynge this fayre myroure the whiche is god they shall se all them of paradyse / and of hell / so they shall drawe take of the fountayne of scyence and sapyence soo strongely that they shall knowe the thynges past / present some to come And also they shall knowe all the persones of paradyse / those the whiche they neuer sawe as the other and theyr name / and what they were / and of what operacyons and merytes c. Too speke of this mater to moche forthe it is not good And for bycause that the wyse Salamon sayth prouerb xxv Sicut qui comedit mel multuÌ„ non est ei bonuÌ„ sic qui scrutator est maiestatis opprimetur a gloria In lykewise as it is not good vnto him that eteth moch hony / in lykewyse to hym the whiche is to enquyre of the mageste shall be put from the glory And sayd Poule that was rauisshed vntoo the thyrde heuen in paradyse as it is wryten ii ad corint xii Audiuit archana verba que non licet homini loqui And also he sayth ad ro xii Dico oiÌ„bus qui sunt intur vos non plus sapere quam oportet sapere / sed sapere ad sobrietateÌ„ et vnicuique sicut deê° diuisit mansuraÌ„ fidei I say vnto al them the whiche ben amonge you / ne sauour ye noo more than it nedeth to sauour / but sauour ye vnto sobrenes / vnto euery one as god hath deuysed the measure of the faythe And Cathon sayth Mitte archana dei celumque inquirere quid sit CuÌ„ sis mortalis que sunt mortalia cura That is to saye Leue to enquyre the secretes of god / as what thynge is the heuen / syth thou arte mortall haue in thyn herte those thynges that ben mortalles Also the saued shall haue Ioye vnder them to se the tourmentes paynes of hel from the whiche they shall be preserued kept / in suche wyse to haue passed auoyded the daunger of the worlde wherin they were whan they lyued Also they shal haue Ioye by them to be assocyate with so grete noble / amyable company / as in the company of aungelles sayntes of paradyse / the whiche shall be so fayre / clere / shynynge / a ourned / elegaunt / amyables / than there ne is tonge that it may declare ne entendemeÌ„t comprehende It is wryteÌ„ apo vii Vidit turbaÌ„ magnam quaÌ„ dinumerare nemo poterat ex omnibus tribubus populus et linguis etcetera Saynt Iohan in the appocalypse sayth I sawe a grete turbe or multytude of people the whiche no man might esteme ne nombre of all lygnages / peoples tongues Also more ouer we fynde that it is wryten in the gospell that they shall be semblables vnto aungelles VnÌ„ mar xii Cum a mortuis resurrexerint neque nubent / neque nubentur sed suÌ„t sicut angeli dei in celo Also the place of paradyse is soo fayre pure / clene / delectable that a man ne may take symylytude ne coÌ„parayson ne that entendemeÌ„t may comprehende / wherfore it is better to holde my peas than to speke vnduely The good Thoby sayth in his .xiii. chapy Beatus ero si fueriÌ„t reliquie seminis mei ad videnduÌ„ claritatem iherusaleÌ„ I shall be blyssed vpon the relykes of my sede whan they shall se the clerenes of Iherusalem / that is paradyse And in the sayd place of paradise the whiche is pure clene there shal no persone entre yf he be not well purged made clene from all spotte of synne / as it is wryten apoca xxi Non intrabit aliquid coinq i natuÌ„ et faciens mendatiuÌ„ et abhominationem Also the saued shall haue Ioye moche meruaylous in themselfe that they shall se themselfe so fayre / bryght / and shynynge Also of that that they shall be so swyft / subtylles / immortalles / and impassybles c. Also they shal be in the place of peas / bounte / beaute / loue / honoure / lyfe / lyght / franchyse / suerte / swetenes / rychesse / helthe / concorde dysporte / wysdome / rest / glory / Ioye / gladnesse / they shall haue peas without warre ne dyuisyon VnÌ„ ysaie xxii Sedebit pplus meus in pulchritudine pacis in tabernaculis fiducie in requie opulenta My people shall sytte in the beaute of peas / in the tabernacles of fyaunce / in rest / habondaunt in goodes They shal haue bounte without ony malice / synne / cryme / ne blame Quia cuÌ„ suÌ„mo bono non potest intrare maluÌ„ Also they shall haue beaute wtout foulenesse Quia iusti florebunt sicut sol in regno prÌ„is eorum vt legitur mathÌ„ xiii And the prophete Ysaie sayth Ysaie xxx Eret lux lune sicut lux solis / et lux solis septeÌ„plicitur sicut lux septem dieruÌ„ The Iust shall flourysshe as the sonne in the realme of theyr fader That is to vnderstande that after the Iugement that lyght of the moone shall be as clere as the sonne is nowe / and the sonne shal be seuen tymes clerer than it is at this tyme / wherfore the Iust shall be moche clere and fayre And saynt Poule sayeth ad philip iii. SaluatoreÌ„ expectamê° dnÌ„m nrÌ„m ihesuÌ„ xpÌ„m qui reformabit corpê° humilitatis nostre coÌ„figuratuÌ„ corpori claritatis sue We abyde the sauyour our lorde Iesu cryst the whiche shal reforme the body of our humylyte confygured vnto the body of his clerenes Also they shall haue strength without debylyte or feblenes Quia mutabuÌ„t fortitudineÌ„ in fortitudineÌ„ diuinaÌ„ VnÌ„ psal DnÌ„s fortitudople bis sue The saued shall chaunge theyr streÌ„gthe in to strength dyuyne Also our lorde is the strength of his people They shall be so stronge that al that they wyll do god vnto them shall gyue the puyssaunce / so that they shall be as all puyssauntes / but they wyl nothyÌ„ge do but that it please vnto god Also they shal haue perfyte Dyleccyon the one with the other without hate / enuy / rancoure / ne yll wyll so that theyr sayd loue shall be so confermed togyders that they shall enioy theÌ„ of the good dedes of theyr neyghbours as yf it were vnto themselfe It is an excelleÌ„t goodnes as to be assocyate with so amyable a company to be of suche fraternyte amyte the whiche is
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
serued god for the grace of him And how the persecusyons were ceased by the puyssaunce of god And I prayed hym that he wolde tell me how he was comen theder And in wepynge sayd vnto me I was a bysshop / of the myscreauntes I had of persecusyons tormentes And for asmoche as I ne myght bere the sayd tormentes I renyed god dyde sacrefyce vnto the fals goddes After that I reknowleged my synne gaue me in to this hermytage to deye do penauÌ„ce And it is .xlix. yere syth that I haue ben here in confessyon prayer that god me wolde pardon my synne I haue lyued of the fruyte of this tree the god hathe gyuen me And I haue not had of consolacyon of my sayd synne tyll vnto / xlviii yeres In this yere here I haue had consolacyon Whan he had sayd these wordes here / he rose vp and yode oute / there was in prayer a longe space of tyme. And whan his orayson was ended he came vnto me / and whan I behelde hym I had fere / for he was as tyre And he sayd vnto me drede not god hathe sente the heder to th ende that thou bery my body And whaÌ„ he had spoken these wordes / he stretched out his handes and so deyed And I dyspoylled my robe I cutte the halfe / with the one partye I couered wrapped / beryed the holy body and with the other half I couered my body And incontynent the sayd tree waxed drye And his habytable fell downe Than I wepte strongly prayed god that he wolde lende me the sayde palme And how in that place I sholde perseuer the remenauÌ„t of my lyfe And I knewe that it was not the wyll of god I retourned in to the worlde and shewed this thyÌ„ge Many thynges be to consyder in thys example ¶ Fyrste a man sholde vnderstoÌ„de that yf the sayd bysshop had not repented hym correcte and amende he hadde be dampned ¶ Secondly a man sholde consyder the by penaunce he was saued Thyrdly it is to consyder the greate austeryte of lyfe / as to ete but one fruyte / and not to lye in bedde / ne to haue of clothynge ne coÌ„solacyon of persone / to be so longe tyme as is .xlviii. yeres without hauynge reuelacyon ne consolacyon of his synne c. E. ¶ How a crysten man loste the crowne of glorye by that that he renounced the crystendome And a paynym wanne it lviii THe disciple saith in his sermons that it is wryten how one tyme .xl. cristyens were take of the myscreauÌ„tes The whiche crystyens were put in the tyme of wynter in a tonne of colde water there to suffre martyrdome And as they were in the sayd torment a paynyme sawe by the suffraunce of god .xl. aungelles the whiche helde .xl. crownes ouer theyr hedes And in the ende one of the sayd crystyens sayd that he renounced vnto the crystendome by suche condycyon that men sholde take hym oute from the vessell And incontynente that he was taken out one of the sayd auÌ„gelles flewe in to heuen with one crowne And the sayd paynym the whiche sawe this thyng sayd And I byleue in hym for whom these here suffre payne And he was put wtin the sayd tonne of water to suffre And he the whiche was taken oute demauÌ„ded hyÌ„ who it was the whiche conuerted hym so soone Than he tolde hym by ordre that / that he had sene So he that whiche ne perseuered as the other loste the crowne of glorye all be it that he had wele begonne And the paynym the whiche perseuered with that other had the crowne eternell For to be saued it suffyseth not to begyn we le / but it behoueth to perseuer Vnde mathei decimo Qui perseuerauerit vsque iÌ„ finem hic saluus erit Saynt bernarde sayeth I we ne that it is a good lyfe to suffre yll / and to do good operacyons And soo to perseuer tyll vnto the dethe F. ¶ Another example of a man that gaue yl counsayll for to make martyr the crystiens make them renye theyr faith / that couÌ„sayll redounded fyrste vpon hym lviii THe dyscyple recyteth in his promtuarye how a mayster werker gaue folysshe counsayll vnto a tyrant called Valeryen the whiche dyde do make a grete bulle of brasse holowe within / that the crystyens were put in that bulle and of fyre vnder for to torment them And sayd the theyr voyces sholde resounde not as men but they sholde belowe as bulles The tyrant dyde do make it / but of the ordonauÌ„ce dyuyne the sayd werker the whiche had gyuen the counsayl there was fyrst punysshed put in by the sayd Valeryen for to here his voyce how he sholde belowe and braye So the cursed counsayll that he gaue came fyrste vnto hym before other as reason was after god and the scryptures Vnde eccle xxvii Qui fodit foueaÌ„ vt noceat proximo in illam decidet Et qui statuit lapidem proximo offendet in co et q laqueuÌ„ alio ponit peribit in illo facienti ne quissimuÌ„ consilium suê‘ illud deuoluetur et non agnoscet Vnde veniat illi Et dauid in psal LacuÌ„ aparuit et effodit eum et iÌ„ cidit in foueam quam fecit ¶ Exempla contra hereticos A ¶ Examples to confouÌ„de heretykes / fyrste example how the deuylles kepte froÌ„ brennynge an heretyke / but whan the hosty was there they myght not kepe hym c. MEn fynde by wrytynge in some bokes Also the dyscyple recyteth it in his promptuarye and sayeth / that as an heretyke the whiche sholde be brenned / the Whan he was caste in the fyre he cryed / Helpe me / ayde me And incontynent the deuylles drewe hym oute of the fyre And he therin was cast agayne / and the deuylles drewe hym oute agayne And in this hangynge the good catholyckes dysputed of the fayth And a good predycatour said vnto the bysshoppe Make the body of Ihesu cryst to be brought Whan it was broughte the sayd heretyke was caste in the fyre as before He cryed helpe me And the deuylles answerde appertly / we ne may for a more grete mayster than we is comen / so was he brente / they ne myght resyste agayne god almyghty Quia non erit impossibile apud deum omne verbum Vt dicitur luce i. ca. Also god is the strength of all his people that sayth dauid Vnde psal Dominus fortitudo plebis sue c. B. ¶ Another example how an heretyke was dombe by the vertue of the fayth lix IT is wryten in the promptuary by the dyscyple this that foloweth / There was a faythfull deuout crysten man albeit that he was an ydiot And an herytyke mocked hym of the fayth that he helde And wende to haue beten hym downe / but the said faythfull crysten man put hym in oraison And lyfte vp his eyes and sayd before all vnto the heretyke I coÌ„maunde in
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
chyldren sholde loue theyr fader deed and quycke A beest loueth naturelly her fruyte semblables Eccle. xiii OmÌ„e animal diligit simile sibi And those the whiche loue not theyr faders parentes ben gretely vnnaturell / worse than a dombe beest / therfore they ben worthy of punycyon / the whiche they shall haue yf they correcte them not whyles that they ben lyuinge in this worlde B. ¶ Another example how the nature of byrdes techeth vs to thynke and remembre our parentes lxxi WRyten it is in the boke of Ysydore of the nature of byrdes that the nature of cranes is suche that they withdrawe them from mete endure hoÌ„gre / to the ende that they puruaye vnto theyr lytel byrdes And after that theyr lytel cranes maye fle take proye yf theyr parentes haue necessyte / afflyccyon and lennes they haue coÌ„passyon gadre them in to a neste / nouryssheth them whyles that they haue conualescence / do good the one vnto the other In lyke wyse done the good chyldren vnto theyr parentes These lytel grypes ne done not so vnto theyr parentes of whome the naturyens saye that after that theyr parentes haue longely laboured to nourysshe them / to go to gete them mete in many places / that they haue kepte themselfe frome mete for to gyue it vnto them After that those lytel grypes be grete to fle and haue puyssaunce Than they bete with theyr wynges theyr parentes / Also they ne gyue them to ete of theyr proye / but with theyr bylle and with theyr wyÌ„ges they bete them out of theyr nest The yll chyldren done in lyke wyse vnto theyr parentes c. C. ¶ Another example of a doughter the whiche nourysshed her moder the whiche was enclosed in a toure / with the mylke of her brestes lxxi VAlerian recyteth that for the synnes that a noble woman had coÌ„mytted she was iuged vnto the dethe / but the Iuge ne wolde punysshe her openly / for the honoure of her parentes And she was enclosed in a pryson to th ende that she sholde deye for hongre And her doughter the whiche was maryed vysyted her moder euery daye by the leue of the Iuge in suche wyse that she was serched before that she entred for to se yf she bare ony thynge to be eten And the said doughter gaue vnto her / her pappes to souke nourysshed her And at the laste the Iuge knewe of it wherfore he was moued with pyte gaue the moder vnto the doughter c. D. ¶ Another example of the chylde that bote of his faders nose lxxi IT is wryten in many bokes this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in his boke and sayeth that there was a fader the whiche ledde his sone with hym in to tauernes playes And he lerned that in suche maner that whan he was grete he ne myght kepe hym from playnge and vsynge the tauernes / after was a thefe Fyrste vnto his fader / after vnto his neyghbours / was so cursed that hys fader delyuered hyÌ„ two tymes from hangynge in gyuyÌ„ge grete money And thirdly for a thefte was ledde vnto the galowes And there requyred that he myghte kysse his fader / from whome he bote the nose with his tethe And as the sone was rebuked of that he answered I haue done wele and iustely / for he is cause that I am hanged in asmoche as he correct me not in youthe of my fautes / for yf he had correcte me I had not be here This example denoteth that the sage sayth ê“uer xxix Puer q i dimittitur voluÌ„tati â—ue coÌ„fudit matreÌ„ suaÌ„ iÌ„mo patreÌ„ oeÌ„s cognatos c. The chylde the whiche is suffred to do his owne wyll confoundeth his moder / also his fader and al his kynnesmen And therfore a man sholde punysshe him correct in youthe Men plye bende the rodde whyles that it is yonge / so dothe men a chylde And who so taryeth tyl they be growen men / he ne may ayde hyÌ„ Yf the sayd fader had correct hys chylde he hadde not byte of his nose nor be hanged / he that wele loueth wele chastiseth E. ¶ Another example of hym whose berde grewe after he was hanged lxxi THe dyscyple recyteth in his boke sayeth that there was a cursed chyld inobedyent vnto fader and moder the whiche slewe his felowe / for his demerytes was hanged in his yonge aege And with in thre dayes after that he was hanged a grete gray berde grewe vpon hym so moche that it came tyll vnto his gyrdyll wherof the people meruayled And afterwarde it was reueled vnto a holy man al the dede of it the whiche sayd that he shold haue lyued in as grete aege as the sayd berde shewed yf he had be obedyent vnto fader moder And all suche chyldren abrydge theyr lyues / ben in the waye of dampnacyon yf they haue not grete bytter repentauÌ„ce c. Et legitur in psalmi Subito defecerunt propter iniquitatem â—uam F. ¶ Another example of a man the whiche was fell harde vnto his fader hys yonge sone repreued hym lxxi THe dyscyple recyteth in his promptuary that there was a man yll vnnaturell vnto his fader auncyent / For he made hym to lye in the stable with hys shepe And gaue vnto hym a vyle vesture the remenaunte wherof men couered the horses The sayd auncyent had gyuen vnto hym his herytage for to lyfte him vp in grete estate Now it happened that the sone of the sayd felon was heuy displeased to se his grandfader soo entreated And for this thynge he came vnto his fader / and demaunded hym suche another couerture of hors as his sayd grandfader had And his fader asked hym what he wolde do with it And the chylde answerde I shall kepe it tyll that thou be auncyente / than I shall clothe that with it in lyke wyse as thou doest thy fader my grandfader the whiche begate the nourysshed the / lefte vnto the his herytage c. Legitur mathei xv et marci vii Honora patreÌ„ tuuÌ„ matreÌ„ tuaÌ„ qui maledixerit patri vel matri morte moriatur The holy scrypture procedeth of the mouth of god coÌ„maundeth that men honoure theyr fader and theyr moder And he sayth vnto the chyldren that do the contrary That is they the whiche curse theyr faders or moders / or the whiche theym dyshonoure or defayle in necessyte that they deye of deth And it is to vnderstonde not of dethe corporell alonely / but of dampnacion and dethe eternell the whiche is dethe withoute dyenge yf they deye without correccyon amendement G. ¶ Another example how a fader his sone cursed eche other in hell Also of a gode sone that blyssed his fader in heuen lxxi THe dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye sayeth howe a holy man desyred to se the paynes
the collocucyons of the faders in lyke wyse as recyteth the dyscyple sayeth that after that a holy abbot named iohan hadde done many myracles there was brought vnto hym a man the whiche had the deuyl in the body And the sayd Iohan was strongly requyred of many that he sholde chase the deuyll from the sayd man And for to be shorte that sayd Iohan coÌ„maunded vnto the deuyll from god that he sholde go oute The whiche deuyll answered that he wolde not / that he ne sholde go out for hym And vpoÌ„ his wordes there arryued a goode symple man yll clothed the whiche bare his tythe vnto the preest the whiche herde how the deuyll answered that he ne sholde go oute for the sayd abbot / that whiche symple man sayd to the deuyll And wherfore ne goest thou oute so thou shalt I coÌ„maunde the from god that thou go oute Than the deuyll yode oute the whiche sayd that he ne was gone forthe for the sayd Iohan / but that he was constrayned by god to go forthe for the bounte of the sayd symple man than the good abbot was a meruaylled the whiche demauÌ„ded of the symple man of what lyfe he was And how be it that he drewe backe to tell it / he answerd that he payed well his tythes incontynent that they were deu And them put vnto prouffyte and payed them Ioyously of the beste / and bare them vnto the person or vnto the vycayr I go vnto the chirche sayd he euery daye And yf I maye there I here euery daye masse I kepe wele the feestes the commaundementes of god / at the begyÌ„nyng of my yonge aege I had wyll to be relygyous for that that my fader hadde no more chyldren but me / they ne wolde that I were relygyous to th ende that to possede theyr herytage I obeyed vnto them they maried me vnto a good woman / we kepe wele our maryage togyder And yf she deyed I haue yet the wyll to be relygyous / it is not yet chaunged There is the life that I am of Than the sayd Iohan fel on knees before hym and requyred hym that he wolde praye for him c. In this example is to be noted that a good symple man labourer is somtyme more nerer vnto god more holy persone digne to do myracles than ne ben the grete bysshoppes doctours prelates Whan the daye of Iugement shall come god ne shall demaunde hast thou be doctour or mayster in suche scyence or in suche / but he shall demaunde hast thou done the werkes of mercy / hast thou payed thy dysmes / hast thou obeyed vnto the chirche c. D. ¶ Another example of those the whiche take of dysmes lxxxiii MEn fynde by wrytynge how saint renobert the whiche was the seconde bysshop of bayeux sawe one tyme that a man toke a iauel of corne out of a shefe of dysme for to gyue it vnto his hors / and saynt renobert badde hym leue it / but he wolde not / wherfore his hors enraged c ¶ Tenatitas A. ¶ Other examples of people to moche holdynge vnmercyfull And fyrst example of the cursed ryche man lxxxiiii IT is wryten in the .xi. chapytre of the gospelles of sayÌ„t luc that ther was a ryche man clothed with purple with precyous vestymentes / that whiche ete dranke euery daye delycyously And ther was a lazar full of woundes the whiche let hym before the yate of the sayd ryche / whiche demaunded the croÌ„mes that fell from his table but he gaue hyÌ„ none but set dogges on hyÌ„ they lycked his fete So he deyed and the ryche man also / the poore man wente to heuen the ryche man to helle The yll ryche lyft vp his eyen as he was in torment sawe Abraham a ferre of the lepre in his bosome He made two requestes of the whiche he was denyed The fyrst was of one droppe of water The seconde to goo tell vnto his brederne that they myghte correcte them c. This ryche man is an exaÌ„ple vnto all cursed ryche men the whiche vse yll of theyr rychesses / this poore is example of all good poores that haue pacyence in aduersite The riche was dampned for many thynges pryncypally for foure The fyrste is bycause he was wtout mercy / for he lete the poore deye for hongre at his gate CupieÌ„s saturari de micis qÌ„ cadebant de meÌ„sa diuitis And therfore god sent hym in to the fyre of hell wtout pite / shall say to hym at the daye of Iugement I haue had hongre thurst thou hast not gyuen me mete nor drynke Et ideo Ite maledicu iÌ„ igneÌ„ eternuÌ„ math .xv. The seconde for bycause he appetyted the honours of the worlde And he was proude in herte And therfore the gospel sayeth sygnantly that he was clothed in purple with precyous vestymentes the whiche denoteth vaynglorye Induebatur pupura et bysso The thyrde that he was moche lykorous and that he nourysshed his bely with metes made dylycatyuely the whiche draweth vnto lechery / maketh the man vnmercyfull And therfore sayth the gospell Expulebatur cotidie splendide He lyued after the wyll of the body the whiche ledeth vnto dampnacyoÌ„ VnÌ„ ad roma viii Si scdm carnem vixeritis monemini He ne lyued in this worlde buâ— .xl. yeres to lyue delyciously / and he is in the fyre of hell fro the tyme of Moyses two M. yeres past in so grete pouerte that he ne myght haue one droppe of water / so was it vnto hym a ryght cursed market from the kechyn The fourth is that he declyned not frome euyll wordes the whiche comynly he spake in dynynge And therfore sygnauntly he playned that he was tourmented in the toÌ„gue whan he demaunded a droppe of water What prouffyted vnto that man the rychesses / honoures / and meetes whan he is dampned The rychesses delyuereth hym not from dethe The metes kepeth not his body from wormes / and the honours from stynke Vnde bernardê° O diuites quid ê“sant vobis diuitie / quid epule / quid honores diuitie non liberabunt vos a morte / epule a verme / honores a fetore ¶ Et poeta dicit Quid tuÌ„c the sauri / qid aceruê° ê“derit auri Quando pctoÌ„res / mittuntur in inferiores Malet preterite / ê™ in omni tempore vite Pauper vixisset / quam diuitias habuisset Et math .xvi. Quid prodest homini si munduÌ„ vniuersum lucretur / anime vero sue detrimentum patiatur This saued begger is the example of all good poore folke He is blyssed in as moche as he had pacyeÌ„ce in pouerte VnÌ„ luce vi Beati pauperes quia vestruÌ„ est regnum dei Also he is blyssed in as moche as he had pacience in honger and thurst whan he coueyted to haue of the crommes Vnde luce vi Beati qui esuritis qr satura bimini Et
in the way / a carte passed ouer hym slewe hym and brake the sayd staffe wherby the money and the malyce was knowen The deed man was reysed by the meryte of saynt Nycholas / the Iewe conuerted hym the whiche had his money c. A man sholde vnderstande here that the crysten man was periured that his cautele excused not his synne For god that knoweth all toke the thynge after the trouthe not after the malyce cautele Legitur math .x. Nichil occultuÌ„ est quod noÌ„ sciatur / neque abscoÌ„dituÌ„ quod noÌ„ manifestetur There is nothynge so hyd but that it shall be knowen / ne nothyÌ„ge hydde but that it shal be shewed The synnes hydeth them in tyme / also appere in tyme. Vnde catho TeÌ„poribê° pctaÌ„ latent et tê‘e parent B. ¶ Another example how those the whiche kept the tombe of Ihesu cryst toke money for to wytnesse fals that the dyscyples had stole his body by nyght lxxxxvi IT is wryten mathei vltiÌ„o that whaÌ„ Ihesu cryst arose the gardyens of the tombe had suche fere that they were as deed Pre tiÌ„ore auÌ„teiê° exterriti suÌ„t custodes fctiÌ„ suÌ„t c. And the maryes the whiche yode vnto the tombe there founde an aungell that had the face as lyghtnynge his clothes whyte as snowe the whiche sayd vnto them Drede ye not I knowe that ye seke Ihesus crucyfyed / he is not here / he is rysen / go ye and tell it vnto the dyscyples Whan the maryes were parted some of the gardyens of the tombe yode in to the cyte of Iherusalem denounced vnto the prynces of the prestes the thynges that whiche had ben done / how Ihesus was rysen And they assembled with the auncients and toke counceyle to gyue grete some of money vnto the knyghtes the whiche kept the tombe for to say wytnes that the dyscyples of Ihesus came by night as they slept stale from them his body And yf the presedent here speke of it we shall persuade hyÌ„ of this thynge / we shall do so moche that ye shall be sure wtout harme And the knyghtes toke the money wytnessed falsly as they had ben taught And this thynge was dyuulgued is yet amonge the Iewes / wherby they ben without faythe beleue not in Ihesus And by the sayd wytnesses the people is without beleue descende in to hell in perdycyon c. And shall descende tyl vnto the tyme of Antechryst that they shall knowe that they haue ben deceyued / than they shal repent them be saued / in lykewyse as the scrypture sayth In diebus illis saluabitur iuda / israel habitabit coÌ„fidenter c. A maÌ„ may than knowe clerely that by fals wytnessyÌ„ge beforesayd innumerable people is gone gooth to perdycyon dampnacyon Also it happeneth somtyme that by fals wytnessynge of some a good man leseth his herytage his good cause / wherby dampnacyon c foloweth / not all only to the fals wytnesses but also to those the whiche shal possede the sayd herytage vniustly that is not theyrs and knowe it well it wtholde wtout restoryng C. ¶ Another example of fals wytnessynge that two auncyents made agaynst Susanne yll came to them lxxxxvi IT is wryten in the .xiii. chapytre of the boke of Danyell that two auncyent prestes in the tyme coueyted to coÌ„myt lechery with the fayre Susanne watched her toke her on a tyme al alone in her gardyn vnder the fote of an apple tre / vnto whome they sayd Lothe dores of the gardyn ben shytte noo persone ne may se vs / wherfore consent thou vnto vs that we may haue thy company / yf thou wylt not we shal make fals wytnes ayenst the that a yonge man hath had thy company Than Susanne wayled was sory sayd Anguysshes ben to me on all partes Yf I do this that ye saye dethe is vnto my soule Si eniÌ„ hoc egero mors michi est And yf I obey not vnto you I shall not escape your handes that is your fals wytnessynge the dethe corporall For in that tyme the women the whiche commyted lechery were stoned and slayne And Susanne sayd Better it is to me wtout operacyon to fall in your handes than to synÌ„e before god Than she toke her to cry for helpe And also the sayd anncyentes cryed agaynst her And the seruauntes ranne vnto the crye After the euery of them had tolde theyr case / for to be shorte the sayd Susanne was put in Iustyce / the whiche wept lokynge to heuen had her herte and her trust in god / the whiche leueth not his seruauntes Than the auncyeÌ„ts put theyr handes on her heed before all the people shewed that they sawe the sayd Susanne commyt the sayd synne of lechery with a yong man that was stronger than they fledde The people beleued that the sayd auncyentes sayd true for they were Iuges So they coÌ„dampned the sayd Susanne vnto dethe Than she cryed vnto god by a grete voyce sayd God eternall the knowest the thynges hydde all thynges before that they ben made / thou knowest that they haue borne fals witnesse agaynst me â— I deye And so it is that I haue nothyÌ„ge done of the thynges that those here hath coÌ„posed malycyously agaynst me And god exalted her orayson For as men ledde her vnto the dethe yâ— holy goost spake by the mouthe of a lytell chylde named Danyell sayd with an hye voyce I am clene of this blode And the people hym demaunded who it was the whiche spake He answered sayd to them The foles of Israel the whiche hath Iuged codampned Susanne vnto the dethe hath not knowen veryte Retorne lyghtly vnto Iugement / for they haue spoken fals wytnessynge agaynst her Than they retorned hastely / the sayd fals wytnessers were separate and conuaynquisshed to haue made fals wytnessyngr For the one of them sayd that he had seen them coÌ„mytte the sayd synne vnder an holyn tree And the other sayd vnder a plomÌ„e tree The people blyssed god the whiche saueth those that truste in hym / they toke the two fals auncyent prestes the whiche were Iuged vnto dethe slayne as reason was For saynt Ysydore sayth IudiciuÌ„ qd aliis imponis spÌ„e portabis Et pauiê° ad romanos .ii. In quo eiÌ„ iudicas alteruÌ„ teipÌ„m condeÌ„nas eadeÌ„ eniÌ„ agis qÌ„ iudicas The sayd Iuges had iuged Susanne vnto dethe for the synne of lechery And for that it was rounde that they were culpables of the sayd â—ynÌ„e they also condempned theymselfe to bere to haue suche payne And therfore of good right they were slayne Also our lorde sayth in the gospelles of saynt mathewe .vii. iuce vi Nolite iudicare scêª iniuste non iudicamini in quo eiÌ„ iudicio iudicaueritis iudi bimini IteruÌ„ in eodeÌ„ loco Nolite
brede / but of a chylde / the whiche whan the preest wolde haue receyued him he tourned his face and resysted with his fete his handes that he shold not entre in to the mouthe of the sayd preest And this deuoute man sawe this thynge not alonely one tyme but many Vnto whome the cursed preest one tyme amonges other sayd All tymes whan I take the body of Ihesu cryste I take it with so grete dyffyculte that I meruayll therof And the deuoute man sayd vnto hyÌ„ I couÌ„sayll the that thou correcte the / and I haue sene that of the. Than the preest corrected hym And as he songe afterwarde the sayd deuoute man sawe the chylde the whiche ioyned the handes / assembled the fete and entred in to the mouthe of the preest hastely and easely c. By this example a man may vnderstonde that god dwelleth not ne yet wyll dwell by grace with the synners in the synne / but wyll dwell and enhabite with the good the whiche ben in the estate of grace And therfore euery man sholde correcte hymselfe amende c. H. ¶ Another example of a chylde of .ix. yeres the whiche was admynystred at his dethe Cii THe dyscyple recyteth in his boke sayeth that as a yonge chylde seke replenysshed with the holy ghost requyred that the body of Ihesu cryste shold be brought vnto hym And as his frendes refrayned it he cryed strongly Gyue me the body of our lorde / giue me the body of our lorde Whan this thynge was spoken vnto the preest he answered That it was no sure thynge to gyue the body of Ihesu crist vnto suche a chyld the whiche knewe not what it was And the preest toke an hosty vnsacred bare it vnto hym sayd Here is the body of our lorde And god inspyred the chylde for to dystroye the falsnes and infydelyte of many the whiche vse theym yll And answered Wherfore wylte thou deceyue me this is not the body of our lorde that ye offre me Than the preest was meruaylled of this thynge ymagyned that this chylde was enspyred dyuynely / yode to fetche vnto hym the holy coÌ„munyon / that chylde receyued it enough deuoutly I. ¶ Another example how that a horse / an oxe / an asse knewe Ihesu cryst with in the sacrament dyde hym honour Cii IT is wryten in the promptuary of the dyscyple that a deuoute bysshop an herytyke stroue togyders of the veryte of the body of Ihesu cryste And for to proue this thynge they put of otes in a vessel put the eucharystye vpon the otes by cautell And afterwarde ledde theder a horse an oxe an asse the whiche ne touched vnto the prouende / but bowed the knees and worshypped our lorde In lykewyse as yf they had vsed of reason Whan the said heretyke had sene that he conuerted hym after was faythfull / vnto purpose of this example it is wryten ysaie .i. Cognouit bos possessoreÌ„ suuÌ„ asinê° pÌ„sepe dnÌ„i sui israhell auÌ„t me noÌ„ cognouit et populê° meê° noÌ„ intellexit That is to saye The oxe hathe kowen his possessour And the asse the crache of his mayster Certaynly Israhell hathe not knowen me / my people hathe not vnderstonde me That is to vnderstoÌ„de that the beestes irreasonables knowen theyr mayster And the men reasonables ne knowe theyr god lorde master c. K. ¶ Another example of the hors of a Iewe the whiche knewe Ihesucryst in the sacrament of the eucarystye Cii THe dyscyple reciteth in his promptuarye that as a good preest bare the body of Ihesu crist for to admynystre vnto a seke body he met a Iewe vpon a fayre hors / the said hors bowed the knees before the body of Ihesu cryst And the iewe ne myght make hym to passe for the strykynge with the sporres tyll that the body of Ihesucryst was paste And a voyce froÌ„ heuen was harde Know thy creatoure that thou denyest to be borne of the vyrgyn marye And whan the Iewe sawe that he repented hym byleued in Ihesu cryste and receyued baptysme Also thou infydele whan thou seest these examples here thou sholdest byleue stedfastly in the holy sacrament to worshyp it and to conuerte the vnto god as dyde the Iewe. c. L. ¶ Another example of a woman the whiche put the body of Ihesu cryst before the hogges Cii THe dyscyple recyteth in his booke and sayeth that in the tyme that alberte regned in his bysshopryche a woman came vnto hym to confesse that the deuyll ne wolde suffre that she sholde byleue in the sacrament of the aulter that it was the body of Ihesu crist put it before hogges For all the hogges bowed the knees worshypped the sacrament And the cursed woman wolde se the experyence put the body of Ihesu cryst vpon the broche rost it afterwarde with fyre as roste And afterwarde the droppes of blode began to drop / This thyÌ„ge done she was not yet content She toke the body of Ihesu cryst buryed it in the erthe / moche of blode yssued aboue the pitte / in lyke wyse as in boyllynge out of the erthe At this thynge the sayd woman repented her byleued the very body of Ihesu crist to be in the sacrament of the aulter confessed this thynge vnto the sayd bysshop her syÌ„ne / and receyued perpetuall penaunce of hym This example sholde withdrawe al vnfaithfull from errour / sholde worshyp theyr creatour / or they shall be wors than hogges the whiche yode on knees Be ye not so incredule and without byleue as was the sayd woman the whiche wolde nothynge byleue tyll that she hadde sene the experyence of the dede c. T. ¶ Another example of a mayden the whiche shedde the body of Ihesu crist vpon the cabysshe and cole wortes Cii THe dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye saith that it happened in the yle of saynt Iames that a mayden seculer was posseded of the deuyl And a prest demaunded of the deuyll the whiche was in her wherfore he tormented her so cruelly and so longly the sayd woman He answered by the mouthe of the mayden / she had well deserued it And the preest demauÌ„ded hym wherfore He answered for that that she hathe layde the ryght hye god on the cabysshe herbes And bycause that he vnderstode not this thynge that the deuyll ne wolde expounde it to hym He demaunded of the woman yf she had vnderstonde that that the deuyll had spoken that she wolde expounde it to hym / incontynent she confessed her synne and said Whan I was yonge I entred in to a lytell gardyn to gadre cabysshe herbes that the lytel wormes ete And I loged a woman tourmented on nyght vnto whom I expounded the doÌ„mage of my gardyn that these lytell wormes ete my cabysshe herbes She answered that she sholde teche me a good medecyne Take the body of Ihesu crist and afterwarde breke
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
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
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
without lyght / conforte ne helpe And froÌ„ now forth thou ne mayst haue mercy For thou art comen vnto the gates of dethe / and thou shalte be borne streyght in to the tourments of hell He that hath brought the hyder hath deceyued the / now lete hym delyuer the from our handes yf he can / for thou shalt se hym nomore And they sayd the one vnto the other Wherfore tary we so longe that we ne ne gyue this soule vnto Lucyfer for to deuour it / and so they thretened it of dethe pardurable And these deuylles aboue sayd were blacke as coles with horryble lokes / and theyr eyen were as the lampes brennynge And theyr tethe as whyte as the snowe / they hadde tayles lyke as scorpyons / and theyr clawes of yren and grete large wynges And whan they hadde sayd these wordes the holy aungell appered vnto the sayd soule and sayd vnto her Enioye ye doughter of lyght for thou shalte haue mercy and not Iugement Thou shalt se of grete tourmentes and paynes / but thou shalte suffre none Come than after me I shall shewe vnto the the ryght cursed ennemye of humayne lygnage Those the whiche ben there haue no lyght and they shall not se the / but thou shalte se them well and theyr tourmentes H. ¶ Of the prynces of derkenes and of theyr cursed felawes the whiche ben in paynes ¶ After these thynges spoken and seen the the soule approched vnto hym and sawe the prynce of derkenes in the botome of helle and what and how grete tourmentes she sawe there the entendement ne may comprehende it / and a man ne may expresse it ne declare That is to say yf he had an hondred hedes / and that euery heed hadde an hondred tongues yet they might not recompte the paynes of hell There was one the ryght worste deuyll the whiche was more greter than all the beestes thâ—t he had seen before The whiche was blacke as a rauen He hadde the fourme of the body of a man from the fete vnto the heed excepte that he hadde wel a thousande handes And he had a tayle well an C. cubytes longe / and .x. of gretenes And he hadde nayles of yren grete and longe as well on the fete as on the handes longer greter than the speres of knyghtes His nebbe was moche longe and grete His tayle was right longe and sharpe all full of pryckles sharpe poynted for to greue and tourment the myserables soules And that moost horryble deuyll laye vpon a gredyron of yren / vnder the whiche there was grete habundaunce of brennynge soles Also there was grete multytude of deuylles the whiche blewe and kyndeled the fyre About that ennemy there were so many deuylles and of cursed myserable soules that no man myght beleue that of all the worlde from the begynnynge myght be yssued and brought forthe soo many soules And that deuyl was bounde by euery Ioynture of al his membres with grete chaynes of yren and of copre brennynge And of the grete tourment and vehement woodnesse wherof he was full he tourned hym from the one syde vnto the other / and stretched out his handes in the multytude of the sayd soules and toke them and streyned them in lykewyse as men may do a clustre of grapes in theyr handes for to make the wyne come forthe And in suche maner he strayned theÌ„ that he eyther brake theyr heedes / or theyr fete / or handes / or some other membres Afterwarde he syghed and blewe and dysperpeled the sayd soules in to many of the tourmentes of the fyre of hell And incontynent that pytte or welle wherof we haue before spoken kest stynke horryble flambe And whan that cruell beest drewe agayne vnto hym his brethe all the sayd soulles that he hadde shedde with flambes and sulphre fell and entred in to his mouthe / the whiche he deuoured And whan some soules escaped hym by aduenture bytwene his handes he smote them with his tayle And that deuyll the whiche in suche wyse tourmented the soules horrybly was tourmented aboue all other Than the aungell sayd vnto the soule This deuyl that thou seest here is called Lucyfer the whiche is the fyrste creature that god made the whiche was in the delyces of paradyse before that he descended from heuen / and yf he were not bouÌ„de he wolde do many euylles and perturbacyoÌ„s And they the whiche thou seest the whiche ben with him there are a partye of the aungelles of derkenesse And the other partye ben men women the whiche ben descended from Adam the whiche ben all redy Iuged the whiche abyde many the whiche haue renyed Ihesu cryst / or dooth the operacyons of them the whiche renye hym Here ben the yll prelates and prynces of whome it is wryten sapientie .vi. Potentes potenter tormenta patieÌ„tur / fortioribus auteÌ„ fortior instat cruciatio That is to say that those that ben myghty in dygnyte and in power shall suffre tourmentes with grete puyssauÌ„ce That is where as they haue myscheuously vsed the puyssaunce that god hath gyuen vnto them All the other tourmentes that thou hast seen al be it that they ben ryght grete yet are they nothynge to compte in regarde of this here And the soule sayd Certes syr thou sayest true / for I am more greued and tourmented to se alonely the tourment and to fele the stynke the whiche is there than all the tourmentes that I haue suffred hyder to Wherfore I pray the yf it please the that thou take me from hens Also I se many of my felawes that I loued moche and helde theyr company moche dere where as I haue now grete horrour for to se them And certaynly I vnderstande and knowe that yf the grete grace and mercy of god were not my socour that I haue deserued for my synnes to be punysshed and tourmented eternally as they ben And the aungell sayd vnto hym O my blyssed come and conuerte the in thy rest / for god hath done well vnto the / thou shalt not suffre these tourments here And thou shalt se them no more yf thou forgete not the thynges that thou hast seen / and yf thou deserue them not agayne The soule of the sayd Tongdalus sawe many other tourmentes / and of the Ioyes of the saued the whiche hath be left bycause of shortnes for they ben moche longe to recounte and wryte ¶ By the scriptures and examples before sayd it dooth appere that the synners inobedyentes vnto god sholde correcke theÌ„ and amende whyles that they lyue in this worlde yf that they wyll escape and eschue the inestymable tourmentes of hell and gete the realme and the glory eternall Vnto the whiche glory we may goo cum illo qui est benedictus in infinita secula seculorum Amen ¶ Ihesus A. ¶ Examples that the name of Ihesus dooth many goodnesses And how it delyuered a man fro many perylles tourmentes Cxii IT is wryten in