contrycyon / that dayes Iourney hathe thre leges or miles from thens to walke The fyrst lege or myle is dolour of hert of that / that by his synne man hath deserued the gybet of hell The secōde myle is called dolour of herte of that / that he hathe loste the grete Ioye of paradyse The thyrde mile is dolour of herte grete dyspleasaunce of that / that a man hath offended god Certes these thre myles sholde be ryght anone gone vnto a good walker or goer Example / if a man were taken for ony euyl that he hath done / as yf he had ben takē in his thefte cōdempned vnto the deth men lede hym vnto the gybet / and that the kynge mette hym hym demaūded frende wheder do they lede the. And he answereth Syr they lede me to be hāged bycause I am a thefe Also I haue well deserued it for the euylles that I haue done And the kynge answered vnto the thefe I haue pyte of the / yf thou wylte promyse me that thou shalt do no more so as thou hast done in tymes paste that thou be sory of that thou haste deserued to be hanged I shall delyuer the. I byleue that he sholde be ryght Ioyefull So sholde he be anone at the fyrste myle And other example how a man ouercomen amonge theues the whiche haue robbed hym of his goodes / and is lefte poore And in that the kynge meteth hym hym demaunded Frynde how is it with the. And he answereth ryght yll for I haue ben robbed and haue loste all my good And the kynge say the vnto hym / frende be thou sory of that that thou hast lost thy goodes and I shall yelde it the yet more he sholde be more gladde than before That is to saye that the synner sholde be sorowfull of that / that he hath lost paradyse by his synnes Now may ye demaū de me saye / ye saye that coutrycyon yeldeth agayn all the goodes And I haue lost my vyrgynyte / how shall contrycyon yelde it me Frende I answere the that yf thou haue lost two grotes or two nobles and yf Iyelde vnto the agayne syxe thou haste well recouered thy losse Example a maser of marbyt the whiche is broken hath lost his beaute in his ancyente / but it may be in suche wyse made agayn that it shall be more dere than before by the golde the syluer wherwith it shall be anourned And so I say the that yf thou haue lost thy vyrgynyte the beaute of thy vyrgynyte ne may be recouered / but thou mayste so repayre it aourne it by so noble vertues that it shal be better more rycher than it was before Example of Magdaleyne and of Marie egypcyen the which them anourned so well and of so noble vertues so rychely that they were more worthy after thā before Be thou than sorowfull of that that thou hast lost thy vyrgynyte the goodes of grace paradyse shal be yelded vnto the as it is sayde And this is the sconde myle of this Iourney And other example / a clerke serued a bysshop the whiche sholde gyue hym a benefyce / but the sayd clerke lefte his seruyce of the bysshop / yode to serue an other mayster and loste the loue of the bysshop And than the bysshop sayd vnto the clerke / thou hast wrathed me / but yf thou wylte be sory thou shalte haue my loue as thou haddest before / I shall gyue the the benefyce the I haue promysed to gyue the / sholde not he be anone sory of that I by leue that yes And in lyke wyse is it yf thou wrath god by thy synne thou sholdest haue contricyon make thy peas And oure lorde shall gyue vnto the the realme of paradyse And this is the thyrde myle of this Iourney in the ende of that here sholdest thou make thy gyste rest the / but it suffyseth not to be sory of that / that thou hast euyll done and that thou hast deserued to be in hell ne of that / that thou haste lost paradyse / but for that / that thou haste loste the loue of god thy good lorde Example yf thou haste wrought with Peter and whan the euen tyde shall come thou goest vnto Iohn̄ to demaunde thy wages / Iohn̄ shall answere the. My frende he with whome the hast wrought shall paye the thy wages not I. Hast thou not herde saye / who so set the to werke let hym paye the. And in lyke wise may god saye at the deth of the man in Iudgement of hym / the which shall be repentaūt onely for the drede of hell and for the loue of paradyse to haue it all onely shall say my frende go thou in to hell and take there thy rewarde for thou leftest not for to do the euell for the loue of me / but witout more for the drede of hell / where our lorde shall saye / speke vnto hell that he helpe the and socoure the / yf he may / for I am not holden to helpe the at thy nede for thou ne haste done the good dedes that thou haste done for the loue of me / but thou hast done them for to haue paradyse all onely for drede of hell / so than thou sholdest doo the good dedes for to gete the loue of god / and not for drede aboue all of thy dampnacyon And so go thou the thre myle aboue sayed / ye shall rest in the ende of the thyrde That is to saye that he shold be sory of that / that he hath deserued to haue hell and lost paradyse / but in especyal aboue all thynges sory of that / that he hath lost the loue of god by his synne A man sholde seke cōtrycyon entyerly so that he maye fynde it And after to haue the loue of god his creatour And not to do as dyd the man the which abode to confesse hym tyll vnto the dethe / than he cryed contrycyon contrycyon wheder are ye gone And soo he ne myght fynde it knowe thou that it was true Iustyce of god For saynt Gregory sayth It is good reason that god forgyte hym or her at the deth / the which in his lyfe en helth forgyteth god leueth Repent we than in as moche as we ben in good helth in lyfe god shall pardon vs with good wyll / and it is the fyrst Iourney THe seconde Iourney of paradyse is confessyon Fewe people can wel walke that Iourney without goynge out of the waye / And it is no meruayle / for how maye he be a good clerke the whiche ne goeth / but one tyme in the yere to the scole / and yet ryght well aduysed ne with grete payne may he be a good werke man that whiche hath his crafte The good clerke ryseth vp for to studye by nyghte / and in lyke wyse sholde we doo for to lerne this scyence And
in lyke wyse dyde the holy prophete Dauyd as it is sayd in the psalter Media necre surgebam I arose vp sayd he at mydnyght for to confesse my synnes / for to aduyse me whan I shall goo to confesse me That is ayenst those the whiche go to confession without aduyse The ryght entre of coÌ„fessyon is I coÌ„fesse me vnto god / vnto the vyrgyn Marye / vnto al the sayntes of paradyse / vnto you syr the whiche are in goddes stede vycayre This fyrst worde I confesse me closeth hell vnto the synner openeth vnto hym paradyse the whiche was shette vnto hym by his synne so hath peas with god and shetteth the mouth of the preest werof men rede vnto that purpose an example A Ryche man fader of the curate of the towne spake vilany vnto a poore man / the poore man ne myght venge hym presently / but taryed tyll that the ryche man yode vnto the feldes for to se his cornes al alone and the poreman the whiche se hym come toke the coultre of his ploughe slewe the ryche man And after he yode to lede his ploughe / noo man wyst who it sholde be Afterwarde a great whyle it hapned that the poore man had repentaunce of his mysdede yode to confesse hym to his curate the whiche was that sone of the sayd ryche man that he had slayne And as he ê¯fessed hym the curate apperceyued well that he had some synne in his conscyence that he durst not tell / wherfore he sayd to hyÌ„ My frende hardely tel all thy synnes / for there is none so great but that god may well pardon after that a maÌ„ hym requyre mercy / also in that the I may I shall helpe the I shall pardon ye. And than sayd the poore man Ha syr I am the cursed man the whiche hath murdred your fader so by suche maner / for that cause I coÌ„fesse vnto god and vnto you syr in requyrynge pardon and absolucyon Than the preest chauÌ„ged his blode for nature / but he ne made no semblaunt and pardoned vnto the good man with good herte the deth of his father / after ward the curate shewed vnto the poore man grete token of loue more by halfe than he was wonte in so moche that his wyfe apperceyued it well / so hym demaunded by many tymes what it was to saye that the curate cometh so often to se the / that he vnto the sheweth soo great token of loue And so oftentymes hym demauÌ„ded that he tolde her and compted the trough wherin he dyd as a fole Now it happened the he was wrothe wyth his wyfe and wolde bete her Than she escryed hym lepte in to the myddes of the strete sayd in cryenge out / out the thyfe the murdrer he wolde slee me as he hath done the fader of our curate And than the chyldren parentes of the deed man whan they herde that / that she had sayd they ranne all with pykes swerdes for to slee the poore man Whan he them apperceiued he lepte hastly vpon a mare that he had fledde And in fleynge he mette the curate comyÌ„ge on horsbacke the whiche came to warde the towne sayd vnto hym / my fayre sone how is it with the / wheder goost thou so hastly / the poore man tolde hym shortely the cause wherfore he fledde A sayd the curate my frende come downe frome thy mare anone lepe vpon my hors which goeth more swiftly to th ende that thou mayst escape fro my parentes the whiche folowe the. Than the poore man lepte vpon the curates hors and fledde And that hangynge his frendes came the whiche folowed the good man the whiche sayd vnto hym A fals traytoure you haue wel hyd the murdre of your father he hath tolde it you in confessyon A fayre lordes sayd the curate ye haue wronge who hath tolde you suche thinge I knowe no thyÌ„ge / but I knowe wel that he is one of the good and well dysposed meÌ„ of this paryssheÌ„ And they answered velye / ye knowe it well / but ye haue euer more hydit vnto vs. And yet now hast thou taken vnto hym thy hors for to escape frome vs from our handes / and also ye haue taken his mare the preest excused hym euermore and also excused the poore man / so moche that they were wrothe with him in suche wyse that they slewe the sayd curate / so ye se wyll by thys example how this worde I confesse me closeth the mouthe of the preest Now ye shall here wherfore a man saith vnto god almyghty vnto the blessyd vyrgin Mary and vnto all sayntes The reason is suche Our lorde hathe two courtes / the one is of Iustice the other of mercy And the deuyll dare not lay hande on the synner tyll vnto suche tyme that he be delyuerd vnto hym And the deuyll cometh vnto the courte of Iustyce for to accuse the poore myserable synner And Iustyce answereth I byleue the not for thou arte a lier Than answereth the deuyll I haue good wytnesses dygne of fayth of credence without ony reprofe / that is to knowe all the trynyte of paradyse / the vyrgyn Marye all the holy sayntes / and his good auÌ„gell before whome he hath done his synnes / but for me they ne wyll come hyder / wherfore call ye theym your selfe / than whan Iustice calleth god / our lady / all the sayntes in wytnesse and the good auÌ„gell fouÌ„de it is that it is so as the deuyll sayth yf ye haue not ynoughe of wytnesses I cal his owne coÌ„scyence And I you praye that ye coÌ„iure hym that he saye trouth / than Iustice seeth by the counseyle of the synner that it is so And so is it truely I ne can excuse me Than sayth Iustyce vnto the synner syth that it is so the god / our lady / the sayntes / thy good auÌ„gel with thyn owne conscyence haue of accorde that thou haste done mortall synne / that in this synne thou arte deed with out repentaunce thou sholdest be dampned perdurably for the wytnesse that the deuyll bryngeth forth by suffycyent / it behoueth that I cast senteÌ„ce of dampnacyon vpon the pardurably / for god sayth by the prophete AiÌ„aque peccauerit ipÌ„a morietÌ„ That is to saye / that the soule the whiche hath synned shal dye shall be daÌ„pned So I ne knowe what counseyle to gyue but onely to appel vnto the courte of mercy / put the and al thy causes in her hande Than the synner sholde appel vnto the courte of mercy the whiche is in this prensent lyfe / he sholde go hastly to confesse hym And fyrst he ought to call the grace of god / for the enemy shall pursewe hym theder shall sende .iiii. aduocates shall make partye for to let this confessyon And euery man ought to
whiche is a grete folye And fyrste thou shalte praye for the chyrche for all the prelates of the chyrche for all prynces of the erth / for all the people the whiche is cōmytte vnto hym Afterwarde thou shalte praye for all those vnto whome thou arte holden And after for al creatures the which ben in trybulacyon soueraynly for those that ben departed and deed vnto whome we ben holden / thou sholdeste thynke on the euylles of thy selfe And on the glorye that thou woldest haue / and on the paynes that thou hast deserued And after on the houre of dethe and on the houre of Iudgment And go often vnto the chyrche and with good wyll / as soone as thou arte in the chyrche beholde the ymage of Iesu chryst where he is crucyfied / and after take holy water / and knele on thy knees and begyn to saye Veni creator spiritus mētes tuorū / or Pater noster / and after take thy sete in the chyrche the moost pryuy place that thou mayst And after thou shalte say pryme / houres / and the letany / in sayenge that for gete not the passyon of thy creatoure in sayenge thy houres / at euery masse that thou herest saye thy confiteor softely all the tymes that it shall be feest cōmaūded thou shalte be at the hye masse at the euensonge and thou sholdest cōmaunde the vnto the saynt of whome the feest shall be / the remenaunt of the feest employed in good werkes spyrytuall And thou wylte cōfesse the cōfesse the vnto a confessour the whiche hath scyence that he be a man of good conscyence / for yf he hath thought on his owne soule he shall haue thought of thyn / yf he be suche as I tell the obey vnto hym in all goodnes as vnto the vycare of god be thou not ydle at no tyme ne yet arrest the before thy dore in the strete ne yet in thy windowe / be thou more often alone than in company And as vnto fastynge made by good dyscrecyon thou shalte knowe that it is moche good that wtout discrecyon it is nothynge worth vnto hym the whiche fasteth / ne yet almesdede without dyscrecyon is noo thynge worthe And in lyke wyse as a lampe wtout oyle ne may haue lyght / euen so is fastynge almesdede wtout dyscrecyon / thou sholdest knowe that the substaūce that thou drawest in to thy body thou oughtest to gyue it for the loue of god vnto the poore / and with that it behoueth to eschewe fro synne / or that sholde be the fast of the deuyll the whiche alway fasteth euermore doeth yll thou ne shalte ete but two tymes on the daye yf thou be not seke / ete thou neuer tyll that thou hast sayd benedicite before / and after graces / and speke but lytell at thy dyner yf it be not of god yf thou speke there ydle wordes than repente the. And speke thou neuer wordes of an other that thou woldest not that a man sholde speke of the. Thou sholdest speke at thy dyner or thynke of som good thynge to th ende that thy soule maye fede as wel as thy body / whan thou hast sayd graces thou shalte goo into thy chambre there thou shalte saye noon And afterwarde thou shalte studye some good mater or exāple / speke as lytell as thou mayst in ony place where so thou be for a man ne may lytell speke wtout synne Go in to the towne as lytell as thou mayst And whan thou haste there to do / yf men areson the speke in brefe humbly and retourne in to thy hous as soone as thou mayst / ete but litel oute of thy hous be thou pyteous vpon the poore people yf thou wylte that god take the in good gree that he haue pyte on the gyue often for the loue of god after thy power that thou haste Yf thou haue ony thynge to do whiche toucheth the do it by the counseyle of a good persone And also thinke that y◠ne mayst nothynge hyd from god ne kepe / but that he seeth all that thou shalte do and saye Ordeyne so well thy conscience that whā thou shalte be seke that thou ne hast no cause but for to thynke on thy creatour And towarde the euentyde thou shalte saye euensonge vygylles of the deed yf thou can them passe not the daye but that thou thynke one tyme of the daye on thy cōscyence in recordynge thy synnes for to holde the in humylite thou shalte knele and salewe the holy trynyte / thou shalte say at the leest thre tymes the pater noster / after salue the vyrgyn Marye and recōmaunde the vnto god vnto the virgyn Marye and make some good prayer vnto thy good aūgell that he be thoughtfull to kepe the / after blesse the take holy water laye the downe slepe in some good thought Be thou often in orayson be it of mouth or of herte saye thynges brennynge to haue deuocyon Thre thynges there ben the whiche ayedethe to haue deuocyon The fyrste is puryte of conscyence / in lykewyse that whan ony wolde pray a grete lorde he sholde take hede that whan he cometh before hym the nothynge appere vnto hym that shall dysplease the lord And so is it who so wyl go in orayson he ought to eschewe that he ne haue ony spotte of syn̄e in hym the whiche sholde dysplease vnto god the whiche seeth the hertes of all the other Than saynt Bernarde sayth that all the tymes that we go in orayson we entre in to the courte of heuen in the whiche the kynge of glory is Also aourned with mayny aūgelles of princes celestyalles and of the gloryus quene of heuen So we sholde appere in grete reuerence in grete fere in grete humilyte and in grete puryte in grete clēnes of herte / to th ende that nothynge appere in vs that sholde dysplease vnto so grete a lorde as vnto god / for saynt Iohan sayth that whan thou makeste orayson make that thou be suche as thou ought to be the whiche hath to speke with god / purge than thy consyence of all thynges vnto thy power meke the / afterwarde make vnto god request or elles thou shalt not be exalted The seconde is that he oughte to seke a place secrete that he ne be seene to th ende that he ne be troubled And that the wynde of vayne glory ne take frō him the fruyte of his orayson Example we haue in Iesu chyrst the whiche enlonged hym wente ferre frō his dyscyples whā he wolde praye in the gardyn of olyuete / moyses the whiche assended in to the moūtayne And also the aūgell foūde Marye alone whan he saluted her / saynt Fraūcys had of custome that whan he wolde praye god he yode serre of in to a wood that his felowes ne myght here