assayed that waye theyrselfe ¶ Also eche resonable creature is lyghtned by knowynge of a sothefastnesse / yf he wyll hymselfe that is to saye that no man be not in wyl to lose the lyght of reason / for his owne loue and profyte ¶ Ther fore it is truely sayde / my sones doctryne is treue / whiche abode as a boot / to draweout soules of the tempest of the grete see / to lede them to the hauen of helthe ¶ And thus I sayd / I haue made an actual brydge of my sone / with his conuersauÌ„t beynge fyrste with men ¶ But whaÌ„ the actual brydge of the parfyte doctryne was taken fro you / thaÌ„ abode the brydge / and my doctryne with my myght / that am the fader / and the same doctryne ioyned and knytte with the wysoome of my sone / and with the mercy pyte of the holy ghost / this myght gyueth strengthe to theÌ„ that done folowe this waye / the weysdome of my sone gyueth to maÌ„ lyght that he maye knowe that sothefastnes in the waye / the holy ghost gyueth to hym loue / whiche loue putteth awaye / and dystroyeth the venym of his propre wyll / and maketh the loue of vertus onely to abyde ¶ Also he is the waye of sothefastnesse and lyfe actually or by doctryne / the whiche waye is the brydge / ledynge bryngynge you to the heyght of heuen ¶ Therfore it was sothely sayde / whan my sone sayd / I came downe fro my fader / and came downe in to the worlde / I leue that worlde agayne and I go to my fader that is to saye my fader sende me to you / ordeyned and made me youre brydge / that ye myght ascape ouer the floode / come to the lyfe that is euer durable ¶ He sayde also / and I shall come a gayne to you / I shall not leue you faderlesse chyldren / but I shall sende you comforte that is to say the holy ghost / as thoughe my sothefaste sone incarnate had sayne thus ¶ I shall go to my fader / shortly after come agayne to you / whaÌ„ the holy ghost cometh / whiche is the spyryte of comforte ¶ Whiche spyryte of coÌ„forte shall shewe you more clerely all thynge / coÌ„fyrme the way of sothefastnesse / that is the most parfyte doceryne that I haue gyuen you ¶ He sayde also / I shall come agayne to you / and so he dyd ¶ For the holy ghoste cometh not alone / for he cometh with the myghte of the fader / with the wysedome of the sone / and and with that mercy of the holy ghost ¶ Therfore thou may se that he came agayne not actually / but in vertu strengthynge the waye of doctryne whiche way maye neuer fayle / nor be taken fro them / that ben in wyll to folowe that doctryne ¶ For it is stroÌ„ge stable / for asmoche as it came fro me / the whiche am not chaungeable ¶ Therfore ye sholden myghtly folowe that waye of doctryne / withoute ony cloude / with the lyghte of very faythe / whiche is gyuen to you for a pryncypall vesture / in the sacrament of holy baptym ¶ Now doughter I haue declared shewed to that pleynly the actuall brydge and his doctryne / whiche is all one / the same with the brydge ¶ I haue sayde also that there were apostles / euangelystes / martyrs / coÌ„fessours / holy doctours / ordeyned set / as laÌ„terns in holy chyrche ¶ I haue shewed that also how my sone / after tyme the he came to me / that he came agayne to you / not by his bodyly presence / but in vertu that is to saye whan that the holy ghoste came vpon the apostles ¶ For in that bodyly presence he shal not come to you agayne / but in that laste daye of Iudgement / whaÌ„ he shall come with my maâ—â—ste / and with my dyuyne myght / to Iudge the quycke and the deed / and to yelde rewardes to the good / to rewarde them with greate gyftesin soule body for theyr labours / he shall yeldefull bytter penes / to all theym that wyckedly haue ledde theyr lyfe here iÌ„ this worlde ¶ Now doughter forthermore I wyll say to that / the I sothefastnesse made promyse to she we all to the / that is to shewe the theÌ„ that gone in that waye vnparfytely / and them also that gone parfytely / and them the gone in the most parfyte waye and how they go ¶ I haue shewed the also the wycked men / whiche with theyr wyckednesse drownen themselfe in the floode / and gone to euer lastynge derkenesse ¶ And now I speke to you that ben my dere chyldreÌ„ / that ye go by the brydge besely and not vnder the brydge / for that is not the waye of ryghtwysenesse / but rather it is the waye of pardycy on and vntruthe / and by that waye wycked men go / of the whiche men I shal speke here after ¶ Those beÌ„ synners / of the whiche / I praye you that ye praye to me besyly / and for the halthe and the faluacyon of theÌ„ ¶ I aske of you teeres and labours / that they may haue of me my grete mercy ¶ Than this soule was so fulfyl sed with all ghestly swetenesse / that she myght not refreyne herselfe / but as she slode in oure lordes prefence / she beganne to speke / sayde ¶ How this soule as she wondered on the greate mercy of oure lorde / she remembred her on the multytude of his grete benefytes O Mercy without ende / and euer beynge goodnesse / the whiche dydhyde the greate wyckednes of thy creatures ¶ Dere lorde I wolde not wondre yf thou dyd saye I shall not remeÌ„bre me of theyr wyckednes / whiche cometh oute of deedly synnes / and at the laste tournen to the agayne ¶ O thou inestymable mercy / I wyll ueuer wonder / yf thou saye the worde to them that comen out of synne / sythen thou dyd saye to vs / I wyll the ye praye to me for them / that dysplesen me with theyr syntul lyuyÌ„ge / that I maye gyue to theym mercy ¶ O most pleÌ„tuous mercy / whiche cometh of eteruyte euer beynge of the almyghty fader / whiche gouerneth the worlde w e his euerlastynge myghte ¶ Also we weren made formed in thy mercy / and we ben reformed by thy mercy / in the blode of thy sone / for thy amyable mercy kepeth vs. ¶ Lorde thy mercy made thy sone to sprede his armes on the cros / ther played dethe with lyfe / lyfe with dethe ¶ Than he sende vtterly the lyfe / whiche was the dethe of oure synnes / that dethe of oure synne / toke awaye the bodely lyfe / fro the meke lambe / that is thy dere sone ¶ O lorde who was ouercomen Lorde dethe was ouercomeÌ„ Lorde who was the cause Thy grete mercy was the cause ¶
/ that they dyd to theyr neyghbour / other dedes that they dyd in theyr wycked lyuynge for they wolde not leue theyr synne al shal be put in reprefe to theÌ„ than ¶ Also they shold be repreued of the crueltes / that they dyd to theyr neyghbours / of that synÌ„e of pryde / with loue of vncleÌ„nes / theyr auarice ¶ And whan they so that grete mercy whiche they myght haue had of me / theyr vndernymyÌ„ge shal be moche harder thaÌ„ the soule had in tyme of dethe ¶ For at that general dome that soule that body of suche shall be tourmented bothe togyder / for asmoche as the body was felowe with the souls / instrumeÌ„t to worke bothe good and yll / at theyr owne wyl ¶ Euery workyÌ„ge good or yl / is wrought by some maner of a maÌ„nes neyghbour ¶ Therfore doughter goodnes glory wtout ende is gyueÌ„ ryghtfully to my choseÌ„ soules / with theyr bodyes gloryfyed / gracyously they be rewarded for theyr labours / the whiche they had togyder body soule in my name ¶ In that same maner euerlastynge peyne shall be gyue to wycked men with body soule ¶ Bycause that body was instrument of euyll / therfore that peyne shall be made newe encreased in that syght of my sone / whan the soule the body shal come togyder / thaÌ„ shall the wretched sensualyte be repreued with his vncleÌ„nes / beholdyÌ„ge that humanyte of cryst / ioyned with that iyâ—e of cleÌ„nes of my godheed / and whaÌ„ they beholde your nature of Adaâ— / enhauÌ„sed aboue that courte of angels ¶ Also they shal se theÌ„selfe put downe in to the depenes of hell / beholdynge that largenes that mercy gyuen to them that be blyssed ¶ And whaÌ„ the blyssed soules receyue the fruyte of my sones blode / whiche sone is called the laÌ„be of god ¶ Also that blyssed soules do se all that peynes whiche they suffre in that worlde / ordeyned for that or nameÌ„tes of the bodyes / as a raye of golde is put vpoÌ„ a clothe / that is not by that vertu of that body / but onely by that pleÌ„tuous blys of that soule / whiche representeth to his body that fruyte of his trauayles / bycause that that body was assocyate to the soule to the excersyces of vertues ¶ Also that body shall be knowe outewardely / ryght as a myrrour representeth and sheweth the face of a man / ryghte so the fruyte of his labours shal be presented shewed in his hyghe body as it is sayde before ¶ And whaÌ„ al these other soules full of mysery derkenes beholde somoche dygnyte iÌ„ blyssed soules / of the whiche dygnite they be pryued and excluded / than theyr peyne coÌ„fusyon encreaseth / for the token of theyr wyckednesse synnes whiche they dyd / shall be shewed in theyr bodyes / with peynes tourmentours to theyr tourmeÌ„t ¶ Wherfore in that dredefull worde whiche they shal here / go ye to that fyre euerlastyÌ„ge thaÌ„ shal theyr bodyes with the soules go downe euer to abyde with that fendes wtoute ony remedy of hope ¶ There they shall sorowe togyder in theyr peynes / to the encrese of theyr peynes / theyr wretchydnes with al theyr fylthes / euery maÌ„ by hymselfe in dyuers wyses / after that theyr euyll werkes were dyuers in erthe ¶ A couetous maÌ„ with that fylthe of his auaryce / breÌ„nynge ther in that fyre with worldely substauÌ„ce / mhiche wyckedly falsely he purchased / loued in that worlde ¶ The cruell maÌ„ shall be tourmenteb with his cruelte / that vnclene maÌ„ with his vncleÌ„nes with his wretched coÌ„cupyssence ¶ An vnryghtful man with his vntruthe vnryghtfulnes ¶ The enuyous maÌ„ with his enuy ¶ An hatered maÌ„ with that hatered of his neyghbour ¶ And forthermore there shall be bâ—endeâ— vnordynate loue oâ—â—maÌ„nes loue / of the whiche â—alâ—e 〈◊〉 cometh all euyll ¶ And the 〈…〉 a passyâ—ge peyne intollerable / for asmoche â—s that synne was begynnyÌ„ge of all euyll moder to pryde / whiche is moder of all synÌ„es ¶ Wherfore euery soule body togyder / shall be punysshed togyder ¶ And thê° myserably they go to theyr ende / which go by that lower way of the flode / wyl not tourne to knowlege theyr owne defautes / aske mercy as I sayd before ¶ But so they gone to the gates of hell / for they haue folowed the techynge of that fende ¶ And he is theyr gate / and theyr entrynge to hell / as it is sayde before ¶ And in that coÌ„trary wyse my chosen chyldren whiche go vpon that brydge aboue / those go by that way of sothefastnes / that sothefastnes is to theÌ„ that gate of entryÌ„ge ¶ Therfore my sone whiche is my sothefastnes fayde / 〈◊〉 mâ—mdy come to my sader but by me ¶ He is that gate that waye by the whiche they passe ouâ—t that they may â—â—ntre to me / whiche am that peaseble see ¶ And so in that coÌ„trary / they that went by that way of pardycyon / whiche waye gyueth to them a deed water / so be peryshed loste ¶ To that perel that fende calleth â—tyrreth suche blynde soules fooles / by full peryllous teÌ„ptacyoÌ„s / false suggestyons whiche for blyndenes and lacke of grace do not parceyue / nor they take no hede / how they haue lost that lyght of very feythe / folowe that wyll the wordes of the fende as thoughe he spake to them and sayde ¶ Who so hathe thrust and desyreth water of dethe / let hem come to me / I shall gyue it to hym ¶ And here now moder and systren endeth the seconde parte of this orcharde / in the whiche we be taughte the waye to he uen ¶ And how we be ordeyned to labour in this worlde / euery man in his owne vyneyerde ¶ And of thre ladders whiche helpe a soule to the loue of god ¶ In this party also oure lorde speketh ful comfortably of his grete mercy / and of dyuersyte of synnes ¶ And how soules shall be repreued at the day of Iudgement ¶ And of the pryncypall tourmentes in hell / and of the ioyes of heuen ¶ Our lorde than graunt â—â— so feruently to labour / euery man in his owne vyneyerde / that bâ— the prayer of his blyssed moder / and by his grete mercy / that we maye gracyously scape that drefull daye of Iudgement / 〈◊〉 with his chosen chyldren / to entre in to the gates of blysse / the gloryous syght of hym euer to reioyce Ame◠¶ The .iii. boke Tertia ¶ The fyrste chapytre of the .iii. party / sheweth of that profyte of temptacyons / and how euery soule in that last ende of his lyfe shall tast and fele by knowynge â—â— he fully pas / what peyne or ioye he shall haue after he is passed ¶ Also how the fende catcheth soules budet the coloure of
made graunted of me to you / that ye take by theym youre dethe but youre lyfe ¶ There is nothynge so delectable to me / as is loue / therfore I aske nothyÌ„ge elles of you / but loue / that is loue of me / loue of youre neyghbours / the whiche maye be had and kepte in all tymes / all places / and in euery astate that a man is in / louynge and kepynge / to worshyp glory of my name all thynges ¶ Also knowes thou not how I sayd to the / that some passe forthe in this lyfe dysceyued with worldely goodes / not goynge with lyght / but couerynge them by vnordynate loue / louyÌ„ge creatures / and kepynge suche temporall goodes wtout me ¶ All suche I tolde the be so greately tourmented / that they be passyngely intollerable to themselfe ¶ And yf they with drawe not / and put away suche vnordynate loue in the maner before sayde / they passe very faste to endeles dampnacyon ¶ And now at the last I haue tolde the / what maner a man shall kepe most generally ¶ The fourte chapytre telleth whan oure lorde wolde shewe to this deuoute soule / that the thre grees of the brydge be fygured by the thre states of the soule ¶ Than he bad her lyfte vp herself aboue herselfe to beholde this sothefastnesse Also how this deuoute soule beholdynge in the myrrour of god sawe dyuers creatures go in dyuers wayes / of other maters / as is rrhersed in the kalendre Ca. iiii BIcause I sayde to the before how they sholde go that be in comyn charyte that is for to saye / they that kepe the counseyles mentally / and the coÌ„maudymeÌ„tes actually ¶ Now therfore I purpose to shewe to the of theÌ„ that haue begone to ascende vpon the ladder / and begynne to go in the waye of parfeccyon / that is in the obseruauÌ„ce of the commauÌ„dymentes and counseyles actually / wherin I shall shewe to the thre degrres and states of the soule / also thre degrees the whiche I put to the before in generall for the myghtes of the soule / of the whiche degrees / one is vnparfyte / an other parfyte / and the thyrde is founde most parfyte ¶ One is to me a hyred seruaunte / an other as a trewe seruaunte / and the thyrde is a well byloued sone / bycause he loueth me onely wtout ony other cause but onely for myselfe ¶ These ben those thre states the whiche must be in many creatures / and also they must be in one creature alone ¶ In one creature they muste be / whan suche a creature with parfyte besynesse / renneth by the same waye beforesayde / spendynge well his tyme ¶ So that he may with suche good vse of his tyme speÌ„dynge / come fro the drede of bondage / vnto the drede of fredome / and so at the laste come fro fre drede / vnto the chyldely drede that is to the loue of chast drede ¶ Lyft vp therfore thyselfe aboue thyselfe / and opeÌ„ thy eyes of vnderstondyÌ„ge beholde these pylgrymes strauÌ„gers how they pas forthe ¶ Some by the waye of couÌ„seyle vnparfytely gon / and some partytely holdynge vsynge the same waye ¶ Se and beholde clerely by theÌ„ / where is parfyte parfeccyoÌ„ / and also how greate the dysceyte is / that a soule receueth in herselfe / for the roote of her owne loue / is not yet put awaye fro her ¶ In what state that euer a man stondeth in / hym nedeth therfore to slee and dystroye his owne propre loue in hymselfe ¶ Than this soule brennynge in loue / and gredy in desyre beholdynge herselfe / sawe in the swete myrrour of the godheed creatures goynge in dyuers maners in dyuers wyses / atteynynge to the same ende / that they seken ¶ Also she sawe many that dyd begynne to ascende vp / bycause they felde them prycked of seruyle drede that is to saye dredynge theyr owne propre peyne they lefte of ¶ And some she sawe by excersyce of her fyrste callynge / come by ascencyon to the seconde gree / but sewe she sawe come to the most parfyte degre of parfeccyon ¶ How this deuoute soule beholdynge in the myrrour of god / sawe dyuers creatures / go in dyuers maners THan the goodnesse of god yeldynge satysfaccyon to the desyre of suche a deuoute soule / saâ—de thus ¶ Sees thou not these that with seruyle drede haue cyse fro the vomyte of deedly synnes / yf they ryse not with loue of vertu / seruyle drede is not suffycyent alone to gyue theym euerlastynge lyfe / but it be medled with holy drede and chaste / that is with my loue of vertu / for in loue holy chast drede / the lawe is sette ¶ The lawe of drede is the olde lawe / the whiche I gaue to Moyses / that was grounded onely in drede / bycause assone as they had synned in his dayes / anone they dydde suffre peyne therfore ¶ But the lawe of loue / is the newe lawe / gyuen of my very sothefast sone Ihesu / the whiche is grounded in charytable loue ¶ And yet the olde lawe is not broke for the newe / but rather fulfylled / so saythe my sothefaste sone Ihesu / I came not for to breke and vnlose the olde lawe / but for to fulfyll it ¶ He coupled knytte the lawe of drede / with the lawe of loue / the imparfeccyoÌ„ of the drede of peyne onely / was withdrawe fro it / onely by abydyÌ„ge the imparfeccyon of holy drede ¶ I call that holy drede / that wyll not of sende me / that am moste souerayne good / and that rather is aferde to offende me / than for ony peyne that it sholde haue for ony offence the whiâ—â— dothe ¶ And the lawe of imparâ—â—ccyon is made parfyte and holy / by the parfyte lawe of loue ¶ After â—â—me the breÌ„nynge chare of my onely â—othefast sone was come to the whiche brought with hym fere of my brennynge charyte in to mankynde / the peyne of hasty punyshment of synnes done iÌ„ this lyfe / was done away by the habundaunce of my mercy ¶ For creatures were not / nor be not punyshed anone as they hadde done offeÌ„ses agaynst me / as it was done in olde tyme in the lawe of Moyses / without ony interuall of tyme / but nowe mercyably / I abyde the repentaunce of mankynde ¶ Neuerthelesse synne shall not yet be vnpunyshed / for though it be not ameÌ„ded here / it shall be correcked in an other place / but yf it be worthely punyshed here / by dewe and parfyte coÌ„trycyoÌ„ ¶ As longe as a maÌ„ lyueth here / it is tyme of mercy to hym / after tyme he is deed / than is tyme of ryght wysenesse ¶ Therfore euery man shold now aryse fro seruyle drede / and besy hym for to come to my loue and holy drede / or els with out ony remedy he shall be drowned in
brought to lyfe euerlastynge / also thou hase lefte many of theym in the state of grace ¶ O my dere swete doughter to these the syghte offendes may do no domage nor hurté / for by the gloryous syghte of me that they se by feythe and holde by loue / bycause in them is no venyme of deedly synnes / the derkenesse and theyr horryble syghte gyueth thē nother noyaunce nor drede / for they haue in thē no seruyle drede / but good holy drede / wherfore they nother drede nor fere of theyr dysceytes / bycause they do knowe theyr dysceytes with lyghte aboue kynde / and lyghte of vnderstondynge of holy wryte / and therfore they do not of them receyue nother derknesse nor trouble of the soule ¶ And thus they do passe gloryously bathed in the precyous blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryst / with honger of helthe of soules fully brenned in charyte of neyghboureheed / goynge by the gate of my sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / and so they entre in me and of my goodnesse / all be sette eche in his owne state / and to them is mesured of me of the affeccyon of charyte / after the mesure that they brynge with them ¶ Of the dethe of greate synners / and of theyr peynes in the ende or poynte of dethe DEre doughter the excelence of these be not so greate / but the cursed wycked wretches haue more mysery / of the whiche I haue tolde to the somewhat before / how dredeful and how derke is the dethe of theym as thou thynkes at the poynte of dethe as I sayde fendes accusen theym / shewynge to theym with grete drede and terryble derkenesse theyr proper lykenesse / for thou knowes wel it is so horryble / that a creature had leuer suffer all maner peynes in this worlde / thā for to se that syghte / and therto the prycke of cōseyence is renued that wretchedly freteth and turmenteth hym in his conseyence vnordynately / also delyces and his owne proper sensualyte whom he made his souerayne lady / and his seruaunte reason wretchedly accuseth hym / bycause he knoweth the truthe of that / that somtyme he knewe not / wherby he is come to greate confusyon in hymselfe of his erroure / for in his lyfe he lyued not to me as a trewe man / but as an vntrewe and vnfaytheful man / for his owne propre loue couered the clere syghte of holy feythe / that fende therfore vexeth hym than of mysbyleue / for to brynge hym to dyspayre ¶ O how harde a batayle is this to hym / for than he fyndeth his soule vnarmed / hauynge no maner armure of the affeccyō of charyte / for he is in all wyse depryued of charyte / and arayed with the deuyls armure / they haue not than the super naturall lyghte / nor yet the lyghte of cunnynge / bycause they vnderstonde it not / for the hornes of pryde wyll not suffer them to vnderstōde the swetenesse of cunnȳge / why maye they not do some maner of resystēs ī this batayle ¶ For certaynly they be not noryshed in hope / they hadde neuer hope nor confydence in me / nor of the blode of the whiche I haue made them mynysters / but onely in themselfe an in theyr states / and in delyces of the worlde ¶ And that wretched incarnate deuyll consydereth not / that of all that euer was cōmytted to hȳ / he sholde gyue rekenynge to me / now he seeth hymsefe naked without ony vertu / for on what syde that euer he turneth hym / he hereth nothȳge elles but reprefe shame / the vnryghtwysenesse that he vsed in his lyfe dyd accuse hym / therfore he dare none other aske of me / but ryghtewysenesse and one thynge I saye theyr confusyon and shame is somoche / that but they hadde it in vse by theyr lyfe for to hope in my mercy / they shold be brought to dyspayre / yf suche hope came by presūpcyon ¶ For he the offendeth in hope of mercy / maye not saye effectually that his hope is hope of mercy / but it is rather called presumpcyon of mercy ¶ Neuerthelesse yet he toke vpon hym the dede of mercy / for in the ende of dethe yf he knewe his defautes / and that he dyd dyscharge his conscyence by confessyon / put awaye presumpcyon of hope / than mercy abydeth / and of that mercy they may receyue hope yf they wyll for yf that were not there sholde none be / but that he sholde dyspeyre / and go to the dampnacyon of the fende ¶ This mercy maketh thē to hope in theyr lyfe of my mercy / thoughe than I gaue them none / leste that they hadde offended with my mercy / but is was gyuen to them onely for that they sholde extende thēselfe in my charyte / and in the consyderacyon of my goodnesse / and they do vse my mercy in the contrary / for with hope that they toke of my mercy in the cōtrary / for with hope that they toke of my mercy / they dyd offende me / and yet neuerthelesse yet I kepe them in hope of my mercy / that in the ende of the dethe they may haue somwhat for to lene to / and that they vtterly defayle not by vndernymynge offendes / and so fall to dyspeyre / for it is more dysplesaūce to me / more harme to thē this synne of dyspeyre than all other euylles and wyckednesses than they dydde euer before ¶ And the cause why that it is more harme to them / and to me greate dysplesaūce is this ¶ For all other synnes that they do is done with delectacyon for theyr owne proper sensualyte / for the whiche somtyme they sorowe / and they muste sorowe somoche therfore / that they maye wynne mercy therby ¶ But to the synne of dyspeyre they be not moued by freylte / for they fynde therin no maner of delectacyon / nor none other thȳge / but onely intollerable peyne / and in desperacyon they dyspyse my mercy / makynge theyr defaute the more by dyspysynge of my mercy my goodnesse ¶ And after tyme that they be fall in to this synne they repente them not / nor they haue no sorowe for the synne that is done to me / by that synne as they shold do / they sorowe for theyr owne harme / but nothȳge for the offence that they do to me / and so they receyue endelesse dampnacyon ¶ Thus thou maye se that this synne onely ledeth a mā to hell / and there he is bothe turmēted bothe for this and for other / he sholde haue had my mercy yf he had repented hym / and sorowed for the offence that is done to me ¶ And yf he had hoped in my mercy / for with out ony comparysō as I sayde my mercy is more than all the synnes that euer were done / and therfore it dyspleaseth me moche / that they putte theyr defautes more than my mercy
/ for this is that synne that shall not be forgyue / nother in this lyfe / nor in that other that is to saye it shal not be easyle punyshed / but greuously punyshed / and therfore in the poynte of dethe / namely after tyme that they haue thus wyckedly lyued / bycause dyspeyre dyspleaseth me very moche / I wyll that they hope thaÌ„ in my mercy / that is the cause why iÌ„ theyr lyfe / whan they dyd lyue cursedly / I haue made them vse that well by loued dysceyte / that is for to largely hope in my mercy / for whan they be so noryshed iÌ„ this hope / as soone as they come to this poynte of dethe / they be not ryghte gladde for to leue it / for that greate repreues and vndernymynges that they here of other as they wolde do / yf they were not noryshed therin / somoche hathe the depenesse of my endelesse charyte gyuen to theÌ„ ¶ But bycause they haue vsed it with derkenes of theyr owne proper loue / of the whiche cometh all suche defautes / they myghte not knowe it truly / and therfore it was arected to hym for greate presumpcyon / in asmoche as the swetenesse of the same mercy rested not iÌ„ theyr affeccyon / this is another vndernymynge that the conscyence repreueth them within / the syghte of fendes that also rebuketh them / that is that the tyme and largenesse of my mercy in whom they dyd hope / they sholde haue encreased it in charyte loue of vertu / and spende the tyme in vertu that I haue gyuen to them by loue / and they bothe with the tyme / also with the large hope of my mercy / wretchedly haue offended me ¶ O blynde wretche aboue al blynde / thou buryes and hydes the precyous ghostly Margaryte stone that I haue gyuen the / that thou sholde wynne ther on / thou as a presumptuos wretche wolde not do the wyll of me / but thou hydes that same be saunt vnder the erthe of thy owne mysruled loue / whiche now yeldeth the fruyte of dethe ¶ O wretche how moche is thy peyne that thou receyues now in thy ende / and thy wretchednesse be not nowe hydde to the / for the worme of conscyence slepeth not nowe / but freteth the peynfully ¶ Fendes also do crye and yelde to the thy mede / that they were wonte for to yelde to theyr seruauntes / that is shame reprefe that is in the poynte of dethe thou shall not ascape theyr hondes / they wyll that thou come to dyspeyre / and therfore they gyue the confusyon of conscyence / that at the laste they maye yelde to the suche as they haue for theÌ„selfe ¶ O wretche the dygnyte that I sette the in semeth in the shynynge / and all to thy endelesse shame / knowynge well that thou hase had it / and vsed it in derkenesse of synne ¶ Also he putteth before the the substauÌ„ce of holy chyrche / in the whiche thou was a thefe / for thou dyd robbe poore folke fro theyr dewte / and holy chyrche also ¶ Than thy conscyence representeth the same to the that that thou dyd spende ymoÌ„ge comune women / also therwith thou noryshed thy chyldren / thou made ryche thy kynne therwith / and as a gloton it spende in metes and drynkes / and arayment / housynge / and in syluer vessels / where thou sholde lyue vnder wylfull pouerte ¶ Conscyence also than representeth to the dyuyne seruyce / that thou lefte vnsayde / for the whiche thou toke no thought yf thou dyd fal iÌ„ to deedly synÌ„e / yf thou sayde it with thy mouthe / thy herte was fer fro me ¶ And also thy conscyence vndernymeth the thaÌ„ of thy subiectes / whom thou sholde haue noryshed with charyte truthe / shewynge theym ensample of good lyuynge / and chastyse them with the houndes of merry / and the rodde of ryghtwysenesse / but bycause thou dyd the contrary / thy conscyence vndernymneth the there in the syghte offendes ¶ And yf thou beynge prelate gaue prelaces or cure of soules to ony subiecte of thyne vnryght wysely / that is that thou sees not before how to whome after a well ruled conscyence thou sholde gyue theÌ„ / for thou sholde not gyue it to theym for no fayre wordes / nor for to please creatures / nor for gyftes / but onely for vertu and for my worshyppe and helthe of soules / and bycause thou does not thus / thou arte repreued there for the more peyne and confusyon / and there is putte before thy conscyence before the clere syghte of thy intelleccyoÌ„ / that whiche thou hase done ¶ And I wyll that thou knowe dere doughter that the colour of whyte is better knowe / nexte the colour of blacke / blacke nexte whyte / than one deê‘ted fro another ¶ Ryght so it happeth to these wretches / to them in specyall / to other iÌ„ general / for in the dethe where a wretched soule seeth more veryly his turmentes / and a ryghtwyse man his blessydnesse / there is bothe wycked lyuynge shewed / and also good lyuynge ¶ And it is not nedefull that ony man before that soule tell the wycked lyuynge therof / for his owne coÌ„scyence dothe that / bothe of vyces that he hathe done / and of vertues that he myght haue done ¶ Why vertues ¶ Certayne for his more confusyon / for yf vyce and vertu be nyghe togyder / by the vertu the vyce is better knowe / the more that it is knowe / that more is the shame / for the defaute the parfeccyoÌ„ of vertu is the more veryly knowe / for the whiche he hathe the more sorowe / bycause he seeth his lyuynge withoute vertu ¶ And I wyll also thou knowe / that in the knowlege whiche they haue iÌ„ vyce and vertu / they se clerely the good that sueth after vertu to a vertuous man / and also the peyne that foloweth to a synfull man ¶ This knowlege I gyue theÌ„ not / for they sholde fall to dyspeyre / but that they maye come to that parfyte knowlege of theÌ„selfe / to shamefastnesse of theyr defautes with hope / that bothe with knowlege shame they myghte repent theÌ„ of theyr defautes aske mekely my mercy ¶ A vertuous maÌ„ therby encreaseth in ioye in knowlege of my charyte / for he knoweth well that bothe grace and vertu was is begonÌ„e in hyÌ„ / by me by the doctrine of my charite / therfore in me he ioyeth with this very knowlege lyghte ¶ And so he tasteth receyueth swetely his ende Thus thou may se the one ioyeth iÌ„ gladnesse as a ryghtewyse maÌ„ that hathe lyued in feruent charyte / a wycked man by derkenesse is confounded in peyne ¶ To a ryghtewyse man nother derkenesse nor syghte of fendes fereth nor noyeth hym not / for it is synne alone that he receyueth drede
neyghboure for my name ¶ Also in the coÌ„trary wyse eche faute is done by some meane of a maÌ„nes neyghbour ¶ For he that loueth not me / he is not in charyte with his neyghbour / of this cometh al euylles wyckednesse / bycause the soule lacketh charyte / and hathe no loue to me nor to his neyghbour / in that he worketh no good / he dothe euyll fyrst to hyÌ„selfe / to his neyghbour / not to me / for he may not harme me / but for asmoche as I take it done to me / that is done to the neyghbour / therfore he harmeth hyÌ„selfe by the peryll of synne / whiche synne pryueth hym of grace / so he maye be no worse to hymselfe ¶ He offendeth his neyghbour whaÌ„ he yeldeth not dewe loue and affeccyon to his neyghbour / wherwith he sholde helpe hym That is to saye / with deuoute prayers holy desyres / whiche he sholde offre before me for his neyghbour ¶ This that I haue sayde nowe is the generall helpe coÌ„forte / whiche sholde be gyuen to eche reasonable creature ¶ Forthermore a partyculer ê“fyte is the / whiche is done to theÌ„ that ben nyghe to thy syghte / for ye be bounde the one to helpe the other in worde and good workyÌ„ge and in ensample gyuynge / and in all thyÌ„ges that the behoueth purely and clerely / and gyuynge counsayle as a maÌ„ wolde do to hymselfe / without ony passyon ¶ This dothe not he that hath no loue to his neyghbour Also thou sees well that he whiche dothe not so dothe his neyghbour a partyculer harme / and not onely iÌ„ that he harmeth hym / for asmoche as he dothe hym not the good that he myght / but coÌ„tynually harmeth hym / and that is in this maner / he dothe synne bothe actually in dede wylfully / or mayn tayneth it in the soule ¶ Synne is done myghtly inwardely in the soule / whaÌ„ a man conceyueth a pleasauÌ„ce in the soule of synne / an hate of vertue / whiche cometh of his propre sencyble loue / whiche loue hathe pryued hym the affeccyon of charyte / whiche charyte he oweth to yelde to me and to his neyghbour / and after he hathe conceyued / thus by meyntenynge / thaÌ„ bryngeth he forthe one thynge after another on his neyghbour / by dyuers maners as it pleaseth and lyketh his wycked sencyble wyll ¶ SoÌ„tyme he bryÌ„geth forthe bereth a cruelte generally petty culerly Generally whaÌ„ he seeth hyÌ„selfe and other creatures in perel of dethe damnacyoÌ„ for lacke of grace And therew t he is so cruell that for loue of vyces / for hate of vertues / he gyueth no coÌ„forte to hyÌ„self nor other but as a louer of cruelte / he streÌ„gheth more more his cruelte / that is to saye / not onely he sheweth no vertuouslyuyÌ„ge / but wyckedly takynge on hym the offyce offendes / withdraweth hymselfe and other fro vertues / and with al his myght he bryÌ„geth other creatures to vyces / this is the offyce of a wycked cruelte / for he maketh hymselfe an able instrument / to the pryuynge of euerlastyÌ„ge lyfe / to the gyuynge of euerlastynge dethe He vseth this bodyly cruelte with concupyscence / for not onely that he helpeth not his neyghbour / of of his owne good / but turmentyÌ„ge poore ê‘sones / takynge awaye theyr good Sometyme by extorcyon / or lordeshyp / sometyme by fraude / begylynge / or with dysceyte They raunsome them and take of theyr good theyr bodyes / whiche is moche worse ¶ O thou wretched cruelte / saythe oure lorde / thou shall be pryued of my mercy / but thou tourne agayne to venyuolence pyte with thy neyghbour Also sometyme this pleasauce of synne / and hatered of vertu / bryÌ„geth sory / wycked / and wrongefull wordes / wherewith ful ofte cometh â—â—â—slaughter And sometyme beestly dyshoneste / full of all fylthes / and stynkyÌ„ge wretchednesse / whiche vehemeth not onely one or two / but al those that cleueth tâ— hyÌ„ / draweth to hym by loue or by conuersacyon / be corrupted / or venymed ¶ Sometyme suche a man sheweth pryde to his neyghbour onely / in that he holdeth hymselfe in more reputacyon thaÌ„ his neyghbour / by his pryde he purposeth wronge to his neyghbour / dothe hym wronge yf he be a lorde / or a man of greate state / by cruelte or wroÌ„ge / he dysceyueth his neyghboure / and dystroyeth hym ¶ Loke here doughter / take hede what is sayd And fro this tyme forwarde sorowe for the offence that is done to me / wepe fore for suche as ben deed ghostly / that by holy prayers they maye come to lyfe Thou sees that in euery place / what wroÌ„ge is done to the neyghbour / that moche euyll is done to man / by the cause of man / so that a mannes neyghbour is meane to euyll Orels no synÌ„e shoulde be moued at all / pryue / nor aperte ¶ It is pryue / whaÌ„ it is not done to his neyghbour / that is dewe to his neyghbour ¶ It is opeÌ„ / whaÌ„ the vyces ben shewed opeÌ„ly Therfore it is sothe / that eche offence done to me / is by some meanes of a maÌ„nes neyghbour ¶ How that vertues ben wroughte in maÌ„ by some meane of his neyghbour And whiche vertues in maÌ„ ben so dyfferent Now I haue declared to the how al defautes comen by some meane of a mannes neyghbour And the cause is / for they haue no affeccyon of charyte / whiche charyte strengheth all vertues gyueth them lyfe / and coÌ„fyrmeth them in grace And so a maÌ„nes proper loue / whiche taketh the charyte loue of his neyghbour / is fundament grouÌ„de of all euylles ¶ All sclaunders / hatereddes / crueltes / all inconuenyentes / comen forthe of this wycked and venemous rote ¶ This styukyÌ„ge loue deedly hath wounded all the worlde / brought in a sekenes to the pryue body of oure holy moder the chyrche / and to the vnyuersal body of chrysteÌ„ relygyon ¶ For as I sayde to the / al vertues ben fouÌ„ded in a mannes charyte to his neyghbour / that charyte gaue lyfe to al vertues And sothly so it is For there maye no vertu be goteÌ„ with out that charyte That is to saye Vertu maye not begoteÌ„ / yf meryte of vertu maye not be goten ¶ For after tyme / a soule knoweth her self As it is sayde before ThaÌ„ the soule syndeth mekenes / and an hatered of his owne sensyble passyon Knowynge than / that the wycked lawe of the flesshe / how that it is annexed to his meÌ„bres whiche lawe euermore impugneth / and contraryeth the spyryte Therfore the spyryte aryseth agaynst the flesshe / with hate / dyspleasauÌ„ce / of the sensualyte / tredynge her downe / vnder the roote of reason The soule also fyndeth the affluence and the greate pleÌ„te of my goodnes / whan it hathe receyued my
the worlde / that were in perell of perysshynge / so that the Iugement of god myght be peased / and his wrothe aswaged that is to say with holy / contynuall / meke / and deuoute prayers ¶ Aster all this / the soule was compelled to ryse more feruent ly throwe an holy desyre / behelde her selfe in wardly iÌ„ the Dyuyne charyte / with the eye of intelleccyon ¶ In the whiche charyte / she sauoured tasted / how moche we beÌ„ bounde to loue / and seke / and to purchase the glory / and the preysynge of the name of god / for the helthe of all mennes soules ¶ And to the entent / she sawe thou seruauÌ„tes of god called and ordeyned and specyally to that the good lorde euer beynge sothefastnes / had chosen her a ghostly sader / whome she presented before the dyuyne goodnesse / prayenge god inwardly / the he shold veryly folowe the sothefastnes / and the he wolde shewe hym a lyghte of a specyall grace ¶ How a man maye not plese god / but he bere tryvulacyons / with the vertu of pasyence THan oure lorde god answerynge to the thyrde petycyon that is to saye to the perycyon / or desyre the whiche ryght mekely she asked of god for the helthe of soules / sayde to her thus ¶ My doughter I wyl that thy ghostly fader / the whiche thou hase nowe / parsue to my goodnesse / in ferueÌ„t desyre / and grete besynesse / for the helthe of all soules ¶ But he maye not haue that / nor thou / nor none other / but with pasyence in many parsecucyons ¶ Also but as I wyll grauÌ„t you / as I sayd to the before ¶ For ryght as ye des syre to se my worshyp iÌ„ holy chyrche so ye sholdeÌ„ desyre to loue 〈◊〉 suffre parsecucyons / with very greate pasyence ¶ By that I shall parceyue that â—e 〈◊〉 and my othe◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and desyren my 〈◊〉 in sothefastnesse / than be shall be to me a dere beloued sone / and he and suthe other shall rest them full merely vpon the brest of my onely begoten sone / of the whiche sone I haue made a brydge / the whiche shall receyue hym and althose that haue ta 〈…〉 loue / and they shal come 〈◊〉 to thâ—â— graâ—â— merry whiche they 〈…〉 and the one neyghbour to 〈◊〉 we other â—â— hymâ—â—â— be you sure and stedfaste in 〈◊〉 / and than drede you not / but ye shall ascende vpon this brydgs / euer after that to lyue in ioye / with all the holy company of heuen ¶ Here now moder and systreÌ„ eâ—deth the fyrste parte of your ghosty orcharde / the whiche treteth 〈◊〉 of mekenesse / dysccecyon / lone / charyte / holt desyres and of palyeÌ„ce ¶ These vertues feruently for them to la bour / for his moders loue he graunt vs all his dere blessynge Amen ¶ The seconde boke ¶ The fyrste chapytre of the seconde partye / maketh mencyon of a brydge how god made a brydge of his loue whan the waye of goynge to 〈◊〉 was broke by inobedyence of 〈◊〉 by the whiche brydge 〈…〉 people maye suer / passe ¶ Also how god iduced and 〈◊〉 this soule to beholde the greatenes of this brydge / that is to say / how it recheth fro the erthe to heueÌ„ And here after shat folo we of the same mater / as it is shewed in the kalender before Ca. i. DOughter bycause I dyd saye to the that I had made a brydge of my sone I wyl that it be vn knowen to you / the the waye of my be loued sone is broken / by the inobedyence trespas of Adam / in somoche the no maÌ„ myght come to euerlastyÌ„ge lyfe ¶ And to me they gaueÌ„ no thaÌ„kynges / as they sholden haue done / and had no parte of the greate goodnesse / for the whiche recoysynge of blysse / I made theÌ„ and formed theÌ„ to my ymage and lykenesse ¶ And for they hsd not the goodnes / whiche I ordeyned for them / my sothefastnes was not fulfylled / whiche sothefastesse is this / that I made that same man / for he sholde haue euer lastynge lyfe with me ¶ And for he sholde sauour thst my euer be yÌ„ge goodnesse sweternesse / hethrowe his offence dyd trespas agaynst my coÌ„mauÌ„dymeÌ„t / and so that sothefastnesse was not fulfylled ¶ And this myschefe befel / bycause the foresayde synne had shutte vp heuen / and closed the gate of my mercy ¶ This same synne hathe gendren / and but gyned full pryckynge thornes / full many trybulacyons / with mfynyte grefes ¶ This creature founde anone a rebellyon agaynste hymselfe and was made contrary to me / his flesshe made a batayle agaynste the spyryte / and there he lost the noble state of innosency / and became as an vnreasonable best ¶ Eche other creature was to hym rebell / where before that / they sholden haue obeyed to hym / yshe had kepte that innosency in hym / in the whiche I had made hym ¶ But sythen he kepte hym not styll in that state / but trespased agaynste my obedyence / therfore he deserued euer lastynge dethe in soule and in body ¶ Also of trespasse and synne / same forthe an vny uetsall flode / the whiche smote hym alwaye with his waters / and multyplyed many greuaunces ¶ Also the peple bare many grete labours on themselfe of the worlde / of the deuyl in dyuers and many maners withouten noÌ„bre / for the whiche they wereÌ„ perysshed ¶ For no man myghte asceÌ„de to the euer beyÌ„gelyfe / though he had be the most ryghfullest lyuer at that tyme. ¶ Wherfore I desyred to ordeyne a remedy agaynste your suylles / and now I haue gyueÌ„ you a brydge of my owne sone / the whan you wyll passe ouer that ftode / ye sholden not perysthe / whiche flode is a meruaplous feruent see of this wretched lyfe ¶ Doughter sees thou not / how moche my creature is beholden to me / and how moche he is blynded with the vnstedfastnesse of hymselfe / in wyll to slee his soule / not in wyll to take the remedy that is ordeyned and gyueÌ„ to hym of me How god induced and styrred this deuoute soule / to beholde the grete nesse of this holy brydge that is to saye how it recheth fro erthe to heuen OPen noowe the eyes of thy ghostly intelleccyon / and thou shall se deedly men by dyuers maners made blyÌ„de with ygnorauÌ„ce ¶ Thou shall se imparfyte men / and parfyte men / the whiche folowen me in sothefastnesse / that thou may sorowe for the dampnacyon of wretches / and for theyr ygneraunce / and that thou maye ioye for the parfeccyon of my well beloued chyldren ¶ And thou shall se moreouer the dyuers maners whiche some meÌ„ holdeÌ„ / what way they kepeÌ„ that gone in lyghte / the maners of them that gone in derkenes ¶ But fyrste I wyll that thou loke the
oned with desyre of loue / for he hath arey sed hymselfe / folowynge and parsuynge the loue / whiche my sone shewed on the crosse ¶ Wherfore my sothefastnesse sayde trewly whā I sayd I shall drawe all thynges to me / yf I be exalted aboue that is to saye whan the herte of man is drawen / the myghtes of the soule bē drawen / all his werkes / or dedes sholden be drawen ¶ Also these wordes the whiche I shall drawe to me / ben vn derstonden in an other maner / as thus ¶ All thynges that ben made formed to the seruyce of man / they ben made to helpe the reasonable creatures / but a reasonable creature is not made for them that ben not reasonable but onely for me / and he serue me with all his affeccyon / and with his herte ¶ Also whan a man is drawen vp / thou maye well parceyue that al thynges ben drawen vp / for all thynges ben made for hym ¶ Therfore it was spedefull the that holy brydge sholde be exalted / and that it sholde haue in it ladders that ye myght the more lyghtly passe ouer the brydge ¶ How this brydge is walled with stones / the whiche betokē very vertues ¶ Also vpō this brydge is a shoppe ordeyned / wher meet shall be gyuen to wayegoers O His worthy brydge is walled with stone / that grete reyne shold not let waygoers ¶ Those stones bē sothefast vertues / but those stones were not leyd / nor the wall made / before my sones passyon ¶ They weren so greately letted before / that no man myght come to the ende / for by al the vertuous wayes that he went heuē was not vnto that tyme vndone with the keye of his precyous blode and the reyne of ryghtwysenesse / wolde suffre no mā to passe ¶ But after his passyō the stones were set and layde vpon the body of my holy sone / he made vp the wall of stones and medled it with chalke / and forged formed it vp with his precyous blode that is to saye the blode is medled with the chalke / strengthed of the godheed / and with the greate fyre of charyte ¶ The stones of vertues ben sette vpon the brydge by my myghte / for there is no vertu / but that it is preued in hym / vertues haue lyfe of hym ¶ Therfore no man maye haue suche vertues / the whiche sholden gyue the lyfe of grace / but they come of hym that is to saye he muste receyue his doctryne / folowe his steppes ¶ For he made vp the wall / and parformed the vertues / and he plāted them as stones of lyfe / with his holy blode / that all faythefull mē myghtē passe frely vpon that holy brydge / withoutē drede of ony grete reyne / by the ryght wysenesse of the godheed / for he is couered with the large mercy / whiche came downe frome heuen / in the incarnacyon of my beloued sone / whiche heuen was made opē with the keye of his blode ¶ And so ye sholden beholde the brydge / made and couered with the grete mercy ¶ On the whiche brydge / the vyrydary of my holy chyrche / stonteth in batayle fyghteth ¶ Whiche chyrche hathe breed of lyfe / and gyueth the drynke that is mynystred that is the holy blode that by that / my creatures whiche ben pylgrymes gone in the waye / faylen not in the way ¶ And of my charite / dayly I fedde you with the precyous body and blode of my very parfyte sone / whiche is bothe god mā / by the mynystracyon of my ghostly seruauntes ¶ Forthermore whā a man is passed ouer the brydge / thā cometh be to the gate / whiche gate is that same brydge / by the whiche gate / all ye must entre ¶ Therfore my sone sayde / I am the waye of sothefastnes and lyfe ¶ Who that goeth by me / goeth not in derkenesse / but by lyght ¶ Also he sayde in an other place / there maye no man come to my fader / but by mene / and that is sothe ¶ And yf thou remembre the well / I shewed the why he sayde thus I am the waye of sothefastnesse / and lyfe so he is ¶ And nowe I haue shewed the whiche is the waye / in lykenesse of a brydge ¶ He sayde also / I am the treuthe / or the sothefastnesse / and that is sothe ¶ For he is coupled to me / whiche am all sothefastnesse / and he that foldweth hym gothe in sothefastnesse ¶ He is also lyfe / he that foloweth this sothefastnesse / gothe in to lyfe / he maye not peresshe in derkenesse that foloweth hym / for he is the very lyghte of treuthe / and fer fro all vntreuthe for he dyscryed with his treuthe / the vntreuthe ¶ And the losynge of the fende / whiche he affyrmed with false suggestyon to Eue / the whiche losse brake the heuenly waye / and sothefastnesse made it newe agayne with his gloryous blode ¶ They that folowen his waye / bē the chyldren of sothefastnesse / for they done folowe sothefastnes ¶ And whā they passe ouer by the gate of sothefastnesse / thā comen they to me / the whiche am the peaseable see / oned to the foresayde gate and waye that is to saye oned with my dere beloued sone / the whiche is the euer beynge sothefastnes ¶ And he the goeth out fro this way holdeth hym by the brynke of this stode / whiche way is not walled vp with stones / but all with water ¶ And for asmoche as water hathe no sustentacyon / nor berynge vp / therfore by that waye no man may passe ouer that floode with lyfe / but nedes he must be drowned ¶ So by the wretchydnesse and the lykekynges of the worlde / and the states fulfylled and done / for the desyre of them / the stones of lyfe b̄e not sette vp / but rather whan theyr desyre affeccyō is set on a mysse gouerned loue as onely / or pryncypally ī creatures or in other thynges that bē bayne / and holden them and louen them without me / than al those thȳges ben lyke to the rennynge water for as the water renneth / so rēneth the man that so setteth his loue all be it throwe his blyndenesse suche thynges semen to hym good not bayne ¶ He that slydeth forthe with a swyfte course of water / agaynste the ende of his dethe / wolde holde a backe / and kepe hymselfe well that is to saye he wolde saue his lyfe / all suche creatures / thynges whiche he loueth / that they sholden not passe awaye ¶ But anone they faylen passen away / other by dethe / or by my ryghtwyse ordynaunce / so that all thynges ben taken away fro them / before the syghte of other creatures ¶ And they ben the men that gone out of the waye / gone to the waye
Thy mercy gaue lyfe / thy mercy gaue lyght / by whiche mercy / thy goodnes is knowen in euery creature / in synfull men in vnryghtful mē ¶ Thy mercy shyned in the hyghnes of heuē as in thy seyntes yf I speke of thy erthe / thy mercy is ther al plētuous ¶ That mercy shyneth ī the derkenesse of hell / not yeldȳge somoche peyne to thē the ben dampned / as they bē worthy / with thy mercy thou dyd swage / refresshe thy ryghtwysenes ¶ Of thy mercy thou hase wasshed vs ī thy blode / of the same mercy thou was cōuersaūt w e mē ¶ O lorde how greate mercy it is of somoche loue ¶ O lorde was it not suffycyent to the to be incarnate / but yet moreouer thou wolde suffre the dethe ¶ Whether than that dethe was not suffycyent bycause thou went downe in to hell / takynge fro thens holy faders / that thy mercy sothefastnesse sholde be shewed in them / but moreouer thy sothsastnes dothe gyue to them / that seruē the in truthe goodes that maye not be spoken ¶ Thou dyscended to hell / bycause thou wolde delyuer them fro peyne and mysery the whiche hadden serned the thou yelded to thē the fruyte of theyr labours ¶ Yet gracyous lorde as me semeth thy mercy constreyned the to gyue to man moore larger gystes that is to saye gyuynge the to man in to meet / the we feble wretches sholden receyue comforte and solace / that vncunnynge men sholden not forgo the memory of thy benefytes ¶ Therfore whan thou gyues euery daye that sacrament to men / thou shewed the as cryst in thy holy sacrament of the auter / in the ghostly body of the holy chyrche ¶ Lorde who wroughte all this Thy mercy lorde wrought it ¶ O greate mercy / my herte is full replete / thȳkynge on the. ¶ For ī what party I tourne me / thȳke on the / I fynde no other thynge / thā the brode see of thy greate mercy ¶ O holy fader / haue pyte spare my ygnoraūce / bycause I presume to speke thus before thy ymage / neuertheles the loue of thy mercy hath◠me a wretche excused / before thy be nygnyte ¶ Whā this soule had opened her herte by spekynge to the mercy of god / thā she asked mekely the she myght haue knowlege of the that our lorde promysed her before ¶ Than oure lorde beganne to speke agayne and sayde ¶ Dere doughter thou hase shewed / and tolde to me of my greate mercy / for I sayde to the that the sholde se that mercy / thou shall haue taste in the wordes the werē sayde before to the that is to saye I sayd I wolde shewe the whiche they bē / for whom I praye you / to praye to me ¶ Neuerthelesse doughter knowe it for certayne / the my mercy is to you moche more plētuous / thā thou sees it ¶ For thy syghte is fynyts / vnpar fyte ¶ Also cōparyson maye not be made / bytwyxe thy seȳge my and merci / but as it were bitwyxe a dede fynyte / a dede ifynyte ¶ I wolde that thou sholde taste this greate mercy / and also moreouer that thou tast or knowe the dygnyte of man / that thou maye knowe more openly the cruelte and vntruthe of wycked mē the whiche gone by the waye of derkenesse ¶ Open the eyes of thy intelleccyon / and beholde them that wylfully drownē themselfe / not goynge by the very sure pathe waye of the brydge ¶ And se into how moche vnworthynesse they ben fallen / by theyr owne synnes and defautes ¶ The syrste cause of theyr vnworthynesse is / that they become seke / the is whā they haue synned deedly in theyr hertes and wylles / and than after that / they parformē it in dede / and losen the lyfe of grace ¶ As a deed man whiche hathe no wytte / nor maye not moue hymselfe / but he be moued of another ¶ In the same maner / they that ben sleen in the wycked stood / of the worldely mys gouerned loue / ben deed as to grace ¶ And bycause they bē deed / theyr myndes haue forgoten the grete benefyte of my large mercy ¶ Also theyr eyes of intelleccyon seen not / nor knowen not my sothefastnesse / for his wytte and felynge is deed / for his intelleccyō putteth nothȳge before hymselte / but his owne wyll with the loue of his owne propre sen sualyte / therfore his wyll is deed / as fro my reasonable wyll / for his wyll loueth not / but thynges that ben deed ¶ And throwe these thre dyuers myghtes of the soule / al his werkes actuall and mentall / ben vtterly departed and dyuyded as froony grace / and as by hymselfe / he maye not be defended fro his enemy es / but he be holpē throwe my good nesse ¶ But forthermore sothe it is as ofte as he hathe ryghte frechoys whyle he is ī deedly body asketh my helpe / heshall haue it / but by hymselfe he maye neuer haue it ¶ For to hymselfe is made vnportable / there he coueteth to be made lorde ouer all thynge ¶ Therfore that that is noughte / hathe the maystre and lordeshyp ouer hym / and that is synne ¶ Synne is nought of hȳselfe / all suche as ben nought / ben the seruauntes of synne ¶ I made theym fayre trees of loue / with the lyfe of spercyall grace / the whiche grace they dyden receyue in the holy baptym ¶ But nowe they waxen roten trees / for they ben deed as I haue sayde besore ¶ And this deed tree fastneth his rootes / in the hyghnesse of pryde / the whiche pryde nourysheth venym / of the loue of his propre sensualyte ¶ And the bytternesse within / is impasyence / and all these comē of indyscrecyon / or lacke of wytte ¶ These foure pryncypall vyces done slee vtterly the soules of them of the whiche I haue tolde the before how they bē the trees of dethe for they haue no lyfe of grace ¶ Also within that tree the worme of conscyēce is nourysshed / whiche worme as longe as a man lyueth in deedly synne / that man is made blynde throwe his owne propre loue / therfore he feleth bu lytle of the fretynge / or bytynge of he worme ¶ Also the fruytes of this wycked tree bē deedly fruytes / for of the roote of pryde / they drawe oute the moysture of the tree ¶ And the wretched soule is al clothed / and couered with greate vnkyndenesse / of the whiche vnkyndenesse / there romen all other euylles wyckedues ¶ Yf she wolde gladly with thankynges receyue the benefyres the whiche ben gyuen her / than sholde she knowe me / and whā that she knewe me verely / than she sholde knowe herselfe ryght parfytely / and so she sholde styll abyde and dwell in my loue But as a blynded wretche / she putteth
herselfe to the greate floode / no regarde takynge / nor hede / how slyper how swyfte the water is / and how it abydeth no creature ¶ The .iiii. chapytre is how the fruyte of this tree is asmoche dyuers / as is the dyuersyte of synnes ¶ And here he sheweth fyrste of the fiesshly synne / and the fruyte of some trees is auaryce ¶ And of some comen vnryghtwysenesse / and specyally of suche meÌ„ that haue the state of domynacyon / and so forthe of other synnes / as is made meÌ„cyon before to you in the kalendre Ca. iiii OVre lorde here speketh to this mayde / and saythe thus ¶ Without doubte there ben as dyuers euyl fruytes of this tree / whiche bryngen dethe / as be dyuers kyndes of synnes ¶ Thou may se some kynde of vnreasenable beestes / and those ben lykened to suche men that lyuen vncleÌ„ly / whiche done with theyr body and soule / as a sowe that waloweth in a stynkynge myre / and that is whan suche wretches defoulen theÌ„ selfe / in the fylthe of flesshly synne ¶ O wretched / foule / and full of synnes / where hase thou lefte thy dygnyte thou became a dere beloued syster of angels / thou arte made as an vnreasonable beest / in somoche in so many myseres that not onely thou shall not be suffred of me in that fylthe / the whiche am al pure clene ¶ But also those fendes / to whome thou arte become as a frende / bounde / maye not se nor suffre somoche vnclenesse be done in theyr syght ¶ Ther is no synne so abhomynable / nor no syune that someche taketh fro the soule the lyght of intelleccyoÌ„ / or of ghostly vnderstoÌ„dyÌ„ge / as this wretched synne of flesshly lust ¶ Phuosophers haddeÌ„ knowlege of this / but not throwe the lyght of grace / for they hadden not the grace / but onely nature gaue them that lyght / the suche synne blynded and stopped theyr eyen of intelleccyon ¶ And therfore to the entent / that they myghten the more lyghtly gyue them to theyr study / many of them were nyght wel content / and dyden abstayne theÌ„ fro that synne ¶ They toke on theÌ„ abstyneÌ„ce / and they vyden dyspyse ryches / that the besynesse aboute ryches sholde not let them fro theyr study ¶ Thus done not the wycked crysten men / nor he that loseth grace throwe his synÌ„es ¶ How the fruyte of some trees is auaryce / of the euyll that cometh of that synne THe fruyte of some other men / ben erthely fâ—uytes / and those ben couetous men / mysse kepers of theyr good / whiche done as a molle / whiche is alwaye nourysshed in the erthe tyl she dye ¶ And whaÌ„ the cruell dethe cometh / thaÌ„ is ther no remedy ¶ They with theyr greate desyre of erthely goodes / dythysen my goodnes / sellen them to the worlde ¶ They beÌ„ vsurers to theyr neyghbours / for they haue suche myÌ„de on theyr goodes / y they forgoten me theyr neyghbours ¶ For they dydeÌ„ loue me / they sholdeÌ„ not be so cruell to themselfe ¶ But they sholden haue pyte mercy / and worke vertuously to theÌ„selfe / and serue theyr neyghbour charytably ¶ O what wyckednesse and euyll cometh oute of this wycked synÌ„e / how many maÌ„ slaughters / theues / rauyners / with many vnlawfull lucres and crueltes of dethe / that comen out of this synne ¶ Also the vnryghtwysenes of theÌ„ sleeth the soule of theyr neyghbour / and makeÌ„ the soule not lady / but seruaunte of rychesse that is to saye she putteth behynde / the kepynge of my preceptes ¶ Suche a soule loueth not other thynges / but onely his propre profyte / that vyce cometh of pryde / and that vyce noryssheth pryde / that one cometh of the other / for this vyce bereth euermore with hym / a mannes extollynge / his owne reputacyon / and anone it falleth in to an other vyce / and so he falleth fro euyll in to more euyll / by that wretched pryde / whiche is full of euyll wyll / and it is a greate fyre / smytynge out a smoke of vayne glory / and vahyte of the herte / and reioyseth hym of good that is not his ¶ It is also a rote that hathe many braunches / of the whiche a mannes owne excellence / is the pryncypall braunche ¶ And that is whaÌ„ a maÌ„ holdeth hymselfe more worthy / more cunnynge than he is ¶ Of suche reputacyon / cometh vnordynate desyre that is to saye desyre to be more worthy and at more reputacyon thaÌ„ his neyghbour / shewynge forthe an herâ—e fened / not trewe nor fre / but double ¶ For he feneth the one in the monye / and hathe an other in the herte / hydeth the trewethe maketh lyes / for his owne profyte ¶ Also of this rote of pryde / cometh a wycked braunche of enuy / and the is a worme / whiche is alwaye fyghtynge and fretyÌ„ge / suffreth them neuer to holde them plesed / nor to be gladde for theyr owne profyte / nor for the profyte of theyr neyghbours ¶ How shall this wycked kynde of suche synners / the ben set in so greate mysery / do ony sacryfyce to poore men / with the substauÌ„ce of theyr good whan they taken awaye other mennes goodes ¶ Howe shall a man bryÌ„ge forthe a clene soule fro ynclennesse / whan they putten the soule in vnclennesse / for sometyme they ben become so beestly / that they dreden not to take theyr owne doughters / or other of theyr kynne / but with theÌ„ they falleÌ„ in to moche wretchednesse and fylthe / neuerthelesse my mercy abydeth and supporteth theym ¶ And I bydde not that the erthe sholde swalowe them / but I abyde and suffre them to amende theyr lyues ¶ How shall they be able than to put theyr lyues for helthe of soules / whan they done not the substauÌ„ce of theyr owne helthe ¶ O wycked vyces full of mysery / whiche draweth downe the heuen of the soule ¶ I call the soule heuen / for I made the soule an heuen / in the whiche I ordeyned me to abyde by grace / reue rende me in her ¶ And for loue I made me a bydynge place in her / nowe she is gone fro me / as a voutrer louynge herselfe / and other creatures more than me and not onely that but more ouer she maketh a god of herselfe / and parsueth me with dyuers synnes ¶ And all this she dothe / for she bethynketh her not / of that greate benefyte that I dyd for her / whan I shedde my bloode for mankynde / by my endeles charyte ¶ How vnryghtfulnes is the fruyte of some mennes teeres / the whiche stonden in the state of dampnacyon OTher there ben whiche bereÌ„ theÌ„selfe full hyghe by theyr lordeshyp / in the whiche hyghenesse / they vsen moche vnryghtwysenesse agaynste me / agaynst
incarnate / with very deedly flesshe as ye haue ¶ Also other there weren / the whiche dydeÌ„ folowe crystes techyÌ„ge suffrynge creatures as ye ben reasonable and deedly / with stryfe of the ftesshe agaynste the spyryte / as seynt Paule was / and full many seyntes the whiche weren trauayled with many passyons ¶ Whiche passyoÌ„s weren suffred of my goodnesse / for that encrese of grace vertues in theyr soules ¶ And they weren borne in synne / as ye ben / nouryshed with the same meet / and as I was god than / so I am god nowe ¶ For my myghte was not made lesse / nor it maye not be made lesse ¶ Also I wyll / I can / and I maye / gyue my helpe to all that ben of wyll to aske to haue helpe of me ¶ A man desyreth to be holpeÌ„ of me / whaÌ„ he gothe oute of that floode / and goeth vpon the brydge / folowynge the waye of my fothefastnesse / that is the waye of my beloued sone ¶ Wherfore the Iewes / and wycked crysten men / sholden haue no excusacyoÌ„ / for they ben repreued ¶ I shewed theÌ„ contynually the sothefastnesse / and they woldeÌ„ not receyue it ¶ And for that yf they dyspose them not whaÌ„ they haue tyme / all suche shall abyde / be condempned in the seconde repreuynge / whiche shall be in the laste tyme / wher my ryghtwysenes shall crye ¶ Ye that ben deed / aryse you vp and come to youre Iudgement that is to saye you that ben deed to grace / and deed to bodyly dethe aryse ye vp and come ye with youre vnryghtwysenesse / false Iudgementes / and with the lyght of very feythe / whiche is quenched in you / whiche lyghte was brennynge in the tyme of holy baptyÌ„ ¶ This lyghte was quenched with thy pryde / and with the vanyte of thy herte / whiche pryde and vanyte / thou hase nouryshed with thy propre loue / and with thy owne extollyÌ„ge / throwe thy propre repuytacyon ¶ Wherfore by thy owne propre wyll / thou hase rennen throw the floode of delytes / folowynge the wyÌ„cked greuous temptacyons of the fende / and thy frele flesshe ¶ To the whiche perell / thy owne wycked wyll hathe lad that / by a lower waye / in to the floode that is rennynge ¶ And thus the fende the peryllous floode / hathe brought the to euerlastynge derkenesse and tourment ¶ The fyfte chapytre is of the seconde vndermynynge / in the whiche vnryghtwysenes ben repreued / bothe in specyall and in generall ¶ Also of foure pryncypall tourmeÌ„tes of them that ben dampned / whiche all other tourmeÌ„tes folowe / and in specyall of the foule syghte of the fende ¶ Also of the thyrde reprefe in the daye of dome ¶ Also of the Ioye of them that ben saued blyssed / as is rehersed iÌ„ the kalendre Ca. v. OVre lorde god dyd shewe to this mayde of the secoÌ„de vndermynynge / and dyd saye to her thus ¶ Dere doughter this secoÌ„de vnderminyÌ„ge is whan the soule cometh to the last ende of this lyfe / where is the remedy / for it is come to the extremytes of the dethe / where the worme of coÌ„scyence hathe lyfe ¶ And now in the tyme of dethe / for in asmoche as he seeth that he may scape not fro my haÌ„des / than he begynneth to se this worme ¶ Therfore the soule freteth herselfe with ful greate reprefe and vndermynyge / beholdyÌ„ge that clerly throwe her owne defaures / she entreth in to peynes iÌ„tollerable ¶ Yet yf this soule had that lyght of grace with the whiche she myght knowe what euyll she hadde done / wolde sorowe therfore / not pryÌ„cypally for drede of helpenes / but for she hathe offended my euer beynge goodnesse thaÌ„ myght she fynde mercy ¶ But yf the tyme of dethe passeth forthe without lyght of grace / onely with the worme of consyence / withouteÌ„ hope of meryte / of my sones bloode shedde for her / or yf she sorowe more for her owne harme wylfully / than for me / she gothe thaÌ„ to euerlastyÌ„ge dampnacyon ¶ And than shall she myserably / and wretchydly be punysshed / and cas vnder the fete of yeâ—als Iudgement of vnryghtwysenesse ¶ And not onely of vnryghtewysenesse of fals Iudgementes generally iÌ„ all her werkes / but moche more sharpely she shal be put vnder the fete of vnryghtwysenesse and of fals IudgemeÌ„t in specyall / whiche she vsed in her last ende / and that is in demynge fals wenyÌ„ge / that her mysery and synne was more than my mercy ¶ That is the greatest synne / whiche shal not be releshed in this worlde nor after / yf she dye so ther with / for by her owne wyll / she dyspysed and forsoke my mercy / for that is more greuous to me / than al the synnes that she dyd ¶ Wherfore the dyspyracyoÌ„ of Iudas / was more dysplesaunce and greuaunce to my sone / thaÌ„ his betrayÌ„ge ¶ Also they ben made blynde in this false dome / wher they dydeÌ„ thynke that theyr trespases weren more / thaÌ„ my mercy / that is so large / whiche may not be nouÌ„bred / therfore they ben tourmented with fendes ¶ Also they beÌ„ repreued of vnryghtwysenesse / and that is whan they sorowe more for theyr penes and harmes / than for my offences ¶ Ther they done vnryghtwysenesse / for they yelden to me that is not myne / nor to theÌ„ that longeth to them ¶ They sholden yelde to me loue / with contrycyoÌ„ of herte / they sholden yelde to me / and offre vp to me bytternesse of soule / sorowe for offences done to me / but they done the contrary / gyuynge to themselfe the loue sorowe for theyr peynes that they abyden ¶ They done also vnryghtwysenes / as thou sees / therfore whan they haue put behynde my mercy / they sholden be tourmeÌ„ted for bothe ¶ For I of my ryghtwysenesse haue ordeyned theÌ„ to be tourmented / of my mynysters the fendes / with the seruauÌ„te of theyr sensualyte / and with the cruell spyryte of the fende / to whome they beÌ„ made sogettes and seruauntes / as they of theyr ê“pre sensualyte dydeÌ„ offeÌ„de me / my ryghtwysenes hathe sende them to be tourmented ryght sharpely / for they dydeÌ„ wretchydly ¶ Of foure pryncypall tourmentes of them that ben dampned / and of the foule syght of the fende My doughter no tongue suffyseth not to tell the grete peynes of suche wretched soules / as these thre pryncypall vyces deseruen and sholden haue that is to saye a mannes owne propre loue of the whiche loue cometh forthe the seconde that is to saye the extollyÌ„ge / and reputacyon of hymselfe ¶ And of that reputacyon cometh forthe the thyrde that is to saye pryde / with false iustyfyenge themselfe / with cruelte / and with other vnclene and wycked synnes / whiche done folow here after ¶ So I sayde to the / y they
some goodnes / also this boke maketh mencyon of a vysyoÌ„ that this blyssed vyrgyn had with dyuers and many maters / as it is rehersed before iÌ„ the kalender Caâ— i THe fende a mynystre ordeyned of my ryghtwysenesse to tourment soules / whiche greuously offende me ¶ And I ordeyned theym in this lyfe / that they sholde tempte and do greate greuaunce to my creatures ¶ Not for my creatures sholden be ouercome / but forthey sholden ouercome the fende / and that they sholde receyue of me the glory of vyctory / throwe the vertu that is pryued in them ¶ And therfore no maÌ„ shall drede the temptacyons of the fende / for ony batayle that shall befall hyÌ„ ¶ For I haue ordeyned meÌ„ to be stronge / and I haue gyueÌ„ theÌ„ the strengthe of a wyll / the whiche is made myghty in the blode of my sone / whiche wyll no fende nor creature maye remoue / for youre wyl is toyned to you of me with a fre chose therfore ye maye kepe that wyll at your owne choyse as you lyke and releshe it yf ye wyll ¶ That wyll is an armure / whiche ye put in the hoÌ„de of youre aduersary ¶ And but that ye take hede / it is a swerde wherwith he smyteth you / and sometyme sleeth you ¶ Neuerthelesse yf a man take not this sharpe swerde of his wyll in to the hondes of the fende that is to saye that he assente not to his temptacyons and greuaunces / he shall neuer be hurte with deedly synne throwe ony temptacyoÌ„s / but rather those teÌ„ptacyoÌ„s shall strengthe hyÌ„ so that he opeÌ„ his eye of intelleccyon to beholde my charyte / whiche charyte suffreth you to be tempted onely / that ye sholde come to the rewarde that is ordeyned for vertu ¶ No man may attayne to vertues / but throw the knowynge of me / and of hymselfe / whiche knowynge is most parfytely had in the tyme of temptacyons ¶ For than a man knoweth hymselfe / that he is nought of hym selfe whan he maye not remoue and put awaye the peynes and greuaunces the whiche he desyred to voyde ¶ And than he knoweth me also in his propre wyll / for his wyl is made stronge of my goodnes / for asmohce as he coÌ„senteth not to suche wycked thoughtes ¶ More ouer the eye of his intelleccyon seeth that my charyte suffreth those thoughtes / for that fende is feble of hymselfe / he maye do nought / but iÌ„ asmoche as I suffre and withdrawe my honde ¶ I suffre hym not for hatered that I haue to you / but for grete loue / not for ye sholde be ouercome of hyÌ„ / but that ye sholde ouercome hym / that ye maye therby come to the parfyte knowlege of me / and of youreselfe ¶ Also that vertu maye haue experyence therby / for vertu hathe no experyence / but by his contraryte ¶ Therfore beholde well and se that the fendes be but my mynystres / other to tourment the that be dapned in hell / other to tourmente men in this worlde for excersyce in vertues / and experyence in the soule ¶ And yet theyr entent is for no excersyce in vertues / nor for experyence / for they haue not somoche charyte / but to that entent / that they wolde take awaye frome them vertues / and that maye they not / but ye wyll ¶ Sees thou not doughter how moche is the foly of deedly men whiche make them so feble / so that I haue fulfylled them with so grete strengthe / they put themselfe iÌ„ to the hondes power of fendes ¶ And therfore I wyl that thou knowe / that at the ende of theyr dethe / for asmoche as they made themselfe soget to the power of the fende / without constrenynge / for the fende maye not compel them / but wylfully they put theÌ„selfe in to the power of the fende / therfore at the last ende whaÌ„ they come to deth / they abyde not other iudgement / but with that wycked domynacyoÌ„ / they deme themselfe by wyckednesse of theyr conseyence ¶ And so without ony hope they pas forth to euerlastynge peynes of hell / and hell is streyned of theÌ„ with hatered and or euer that they come to hell / here they haue take it for theyr hyre and rewarde / this thou maye se by ensamble of a ryghtfull man ¶ As ryghtfull men whiche lyued in charyte / and dye in loue whan the ende or dethe cometh / yâ— they haue lyued partyâ—â—ly in this lyfe in vertu / and be made lyght and bryght with the lyght of feythe with crylte shewth the cye of parfyte hope / the good and that profyte of the blode of the holy lambe my sone whiche I haue ordeyned to them / than that goodnesse they coll and clyppe with armes of loue / and â—â—reyne me to them in the laste ende â—theyr lyues / with hausynges of loue / whiche am the most souerayne euerlastynge loue ¶ Than in this maner suche men taste the euerlastynge lyfe / or they leue the heuy but then of theyr body that is to saye or the soule be departed fro the body ¶ Other ther be the lyued in comune charyte / that were not in so grete parfeccyon / and whan they came to the tyme of dethe / they dyd trust to my mercy with the lyght of feyth hope / whiche lyght the parfyte soules had as I haue sayde before ¶ But yet they haue not the lyght of teythe nor hope so parfytely / as parfyte soules haue / but they haue lyght and hope vnparfyte ¶ And all be it they be vnparfyte / yet they haue my mercy whan they knowe and knowlege that my mercy is more and larger than theyr synnes ¶ But wycked men worke in the coÌ„trary / they se and beholde theyr abydyÌ„ge place of peyne without ony hope / that they take wtoute my charyte / as I sayde before ¶ Wherfore nother of these twayne abyde other Iudgement / but whaÌ„ they sholde pas / eueryone knoweth the place and abydynge whyder they sholde go / or they be departed fro the body that is to saye they the sholde be daÌ„pned knowe theyr place with peyne without charyte with hatered and dyspyracyon ¶ They also that ben partyte and shal go to blys knowe theyr abydyÌ„ge in blys with the lyght of feythe / and with loue / and with truste of the vertu of the holy blode shedynge / of the holy meke lambe of my sone ¶ And other that be vnparfyte with truste on mercy and with the lyght of feythe / passe forthe to the place of purgatory / wher they shall be purged and made parfyte / and so to obtayne the blysse of heueÌ„ ¶ How that the fende alwaye catcheth soules vnder the coloure of some goodnesse / and how they that gone by the grete floode and not by the brydge be dysceyued and go to losse TAke thou hede nowehowe I haue tolde the / howe the
fende calleth and styrreth men to the water of dethe that is to saye to the water that blȳdeth them with worldly delyces and hyghe states / catcheth them with a false hoke of delectacyon vnder colour of good / for otherwyse he maye not haue them / for they wolden not suffre themselfe to be takē nor dysceyued / yf they dydynot fele no goodnesse in thēselfe ¶ For a soule of his owne nature / euer desyreth goodnes / but yet sothe it is that a soule sometyme is blynded throwe his owne loue / and thā he knoweth not the venym / nor the dysceyte of the fende / and no dyscrecyon he hathe to knowe that very goodnesse / nor what is profytable to the soule nor to the body ¶ Therfore the fende whan he seeth a man so blynded throwe his owne propre loue / he putteth to hym dyuers states vnder dyuers colours of some profyte or of some vertu or goodnes ¶ And that he putteth to euery man after his state / and after the pryncypall vyces / in the whiche he knoweth euery man after his dysposycyon more redy to fall ¶ Some false suggesty on s he putteh to a relygyous mā / an other thyngehe putteth to prelates / an other to seculers / an other to lordes / and an other to seruauntes / to euery man after the degre of dyuers states ¶ This I haue rehersed and tolde the of them / the whiche drownen themselfe in the floode of the water of dethe / hauynge no rewarde but onely to themselfe that is to saye louyge themselfe / taken no hede of offences done to me / and of suche men I haue tolde the theyrende ¶ And now forthermore I wyl she we the / how they dysceyuen thēselfe ¶ The cause in general is / for whan wylfully they wolden fle fro peynes / they fallen in to peynes ¶ For it semeth to thē / that it a full greate labour to folowe me that is to saye to go by the waye of the brydge of my sone / therfore they drawen abacke for drede of the thorne / that is for drede of sharpenesse / and that is for they ben vtterly blynded / by the whiche they seen not / nor knowen not the waye of my sothefastnesse / as thou dyd knowe / whan I shewed it the in the begynnȳge of thy lyfe / whan thou dyd praye to me / that I sholde gyue mercy to all the worlde and to drawe them fro derkenesse of deedly syn̄es ¶ Thou knowes wel that at that tyme / I shewed me to the in a fygure of a tree / of the whiche tree thou sauoured begynnȳge nor endȳge / but onely thou dyd parceyue that the roote of that tree was ioyned with the erthe / and that was the dyuyne nature was knyt with the nature of youre hamanyte ¶ In the fote of the tree yf thou haue good mynde / there was a thorne / fro the whiche thorne / all that dyden loue theyr owne sensualyte / dydē drawe themselfe fer awaye fro the thorne / and stedden in hast to an hyll / ther was a pot / in the whiche hyll I shewed the by a fygure / all the delyces vanytes of the worlde ¶ In the pot it semed as ther had be where / but there was none / therfore thou sawe well that many soules dyden perysshe therin for hongre ¶ Some that knowen the perelles of the worlde / dyden retourne agayne to the tree / wenten myghtly by the thorne that is to saye some tokē a purpose of good wyll / to take a waye of sharpenesse / whiche purpose of sharpenesse / or it be parformed / is suche a thorne whiche semeth to a man sholde be folowed / to go in to the waye of sothefastnesse ¶ And yet on the one party the conscyence grutcheth / on the other party that sensualyte grutcheth ¶ Neuerthelesse anone as a man with hatered and dysplesaunce of hymselfe / taketh a purpose myghtely / sayth thus in his herte / I wyl folowe my lorde crucyfyed / than sodeynly that purpose breketh the throwe that is to saye the good wyll dothe awaye the sharpenesse / and than shall he fyude a wonderfull swetenesse / as I haue declared to the before / some man more / and some man lesse / after the dysposycyon and besynes of dyuers men ¶ Thou knowes at that tyme howe I sayde to the / that youre lorde was vnmouable / sothe it is / for I am not chaunged ¶ I withdrawe me fro no creature that wyll come to me / I haue shewed the sothefastnesse to all / and I haue shewed me to them and made me vysyble / where I was and am inuysyble ¶ What is it to loue ony thynge wtoute me / they knowen not me / nor themselfe / bycause they were made blyde / throwe a cloude of vnordynate loue and of desyre ¶ Sees yu. not how moche they ben dysceyued / for they had moche rather to be perysched in the greate see / than to passe throwe a lytle sharpenesse ¶ And there maye none passe oute of this lyfe without the cros / saue they that gone by the hyghest waye / and yet they passen not wtout some peyne / but that peyne is to them a refresshynge ¶ And for asmoche as the worlde for syn̄e bryngeth you forthe thornes breres / as I tolde the before / and renneth throwe a stoode the is a see wtout rest / therfore I haue ordeyned / and gyuen to you a sure brydge / wherby ye maye passe fro that worlde you wyll ¶ To this tyme I haue shewed the / how that suche men dysceyuē themselfe with an vnordynate drede / how I am poure lorde god / whiche am not chaūged ¶ And that I take no hede to the parsones / but to the holy desyres of the parsones / and this I haue shewed the in a fygure of a tree ¶ How the world for syn̄es brought forthe thornes and breres / yet some there ben that ben not noyed with them / all be it the no man maye come to blysse / wtoute some peyne here suffred or he passe NOw I am purposed to shewe the whiche they ben that be harmed of the thornes and breres / and whiche not ¶ And for asmoche as to this tyme I haue shewed to the dampnacyō of suche men and my goodnesse and I tolde the how they ben dysceyued of theyr owne propre sensualyte ¶ Nowe therfore I wyll shewe to the / how they ben hurte of thornes onely ¶ Soth it is / no mā that is comen in to this lyfe lyueth forthe with bodyly labour or ghostly ¶ My seruauntes bere grete bodyly labours / theyr soules be ful fre fro that trauayle / for they fele no trauayle / that is for theyr wyll holy accordeth with my wyll ¶ And the wyl it is / that maketh mē haue peyne / they beren bothe bodyly peyne and ghostly as I sayde before whiche begynne to
the soule in asmoche as with a very trewe wyll / they ben conformed and made lyke to me / therfore it is to them greate coÌ„forte ioye / to suffre peyne for me ¶ The seruauntes of the worlde ben tourmented / bothe within and without and specyally within / for the greate drede they haue to lose theyr temporall goodes / and also for loue / desyrynge that they maye not haue ¶ Other maner vexacyons that they haue besyde these / ben two pryÌ„cypall causes / that is drede of losynge / loue of wynnyÌ„ge / whiche thy tongue is not suffycyent / nor yet able to tell ¶ Sees thou not now therfore the in this lyfe ryghtwysemen beÌ„ at more ease in soule thaÌ„ synners me thyÌ„ke thou sholde for thou hase nowe seen the lyuynge and the endynge of bothe ¶ How a drede that is bouÌ„den / or a seruyle drede ben not suffycyent to obtayne euerlastyÌ„ge lyfe / and how with excercyse of this drede a man may come to the excercyse of vertues NNw I haue sayde to the and declared / that there be some the whiche felen them tourmented of worldely try bulacyons / and I wyll that it be so / that a soule maye knowe her imparfeccyoÌ„ and ende / also to knowe that this wretched lyfe / that worldely vanyce is vnparfyte and traÌ„sytory ¶ This a soule maye knowe by this token / whan she desyreth inwardely me / that am her ende by suche inwardely desyre / a soule begynneth fyrst to put awaye the cloude that hathe longe blynded her fro the clere syghte of vertu ¶ And than by seruyle drede of trybulacyons / she begynneth to come out of the floode that she had loÌ„ge be dreÌ„ched in / castyÌ„ge out fro her the venym / with the hate that she was poysoned with / the whiche was cast out of the scorpyon in the lykenesse of golde / and so was receyued vnmanerly / and nothynge manerly / wherfore it was tourned to them that dyd receyue it / in to venyÌ„ ¶ They knowyÌ„ge this begyÌ„nynge gracyously to aryse / towarde the hauen begyn to set theyr pases / cleâ—ynge fyrste to the same brydge / of the whiche I spake of before ¶ Neuerthelesse it is not ynoughe onely for to go to this brydge with seruyle drede / for that drede dothe nothyÌ„ge ellys but purgeth a soule fro deedly synÌ„es / but it fulfylleth not her with vertues grouÌ„ded iÌ„ loue ¶ And therfore it is not ynoughe onely in seruyle dride to wynue euerlastynge lyfe / but yf the fete be sette vpon the tyrste steppe of the brydge / that is desyre and affeccyon / the whiche be e the fete of the soule / bryngyÌ„ge her in to affeccyon of my very sothefastnesse / of the whiche as I sayde before / I haue made a brydge ¶ This is the ladder / vpon the whiche I wolde ye sholde step vp / for my very sone hath made ladders to step vpon ¶ Neuerthelesse sothe it is / that this is a generall rysynge / whiche comynly worldely men do vse / that is for to ryse fyrste for drede of peyne ¶ And also bycause that ofte tymes aduersytes of this worlde bryngeth them in to greate heuynesse / and therfore a man begynneth to be dyspysed with them ¶ And yf they vse this drede with lyght of trewe feythe / doubte not but they shall come to the loue of vertu ¶ There ben some that gone out so dull so slugyshly out of this depe floode of worldely loue / that ofte tymes they fallen therin agayne ¶ For after tyme they come to the haueÌ„ of that stoode / by comynge agaynst them of contrary wyndes / the ben ouertyrued agayne by the reawes of the see / vnto the cloudy vallaye of derkenesse of the wretchydnesse of this lyfe ¶ And thoughe ther come a happy wynde / they wyll not in no wyse quyckely step vpon the fyrste degre / that is affeccyon and loue of vertu to ghostly delyces / but as meÌ„ the were made dull / slugyshly they gone forthe / I doubte not but that with suche a myse ruled plesaunce / they shal tourne backewarde ¶ Also yf the wynde or tempest blowe by vnpasyence / they wyll tourne theyr backes / bycause they hate not verely synne / onely for the offence done to me / but onely fro drede of peyne / the whiche peyne foloweth them / as them semeth ¶ This is no parfyte rysynge / for all vertues rysynge go forthe with parseuerauÌ„ce / without whome / no man maye come to the effecte and spede of his desyre / that is to that ende for whome he brgan / to the whiche he shal neuer come with out parseueraunce / and therfore that his desyre maye be fulfylled / parseuerauÌ„ce is ryght nedeful ¶ I sayd also to the that suche tournen them after dyuers styrrynges / that fall to theÌ„ / other by impugnynge of theyr owne sensualyte within themselfe agaynst the spyryte / or els by tournynge of theyr affeccyons / by vnordynate loue to all creatures without me / or els by vnpasyence of wroÌ„ges that ghey do suffre / other offendes / or of dyuers outwarde batayles / and other whyle by styrrynge chastysynge or vexynge of ghostly enemyes / that they myght brynge them the soner in to shame and confusyoÌ„ / sayenge thus to theÌ„ ¶ The good thynge the whiche thou hase begonne / shall be to the no profyte / for thy synnes and defautes be more than those ¶ This the enemy dothe / for he sholde leue of / cees of suche vertues and desyres / that he hathe begonne ¶ Otherwyse also he teÌ„pteth hym with to moche delyte and delectacyon of his good dedes / that is with the hope that he receyueth of my mercy / sayenge thus to hym ¶ Why wyll thou laboure and vexe thyselfe / be glad and ioyfull in this lyfe / thynkynge that at the last thou shall haue mercy ¶ In this wyse and in many other sotell dyuers maners of temptacyons wretchydly they gone abacke / and in no wyse they ben parseuerauÌ„t and stydfast ¶ And the cause of al this is nothyÌ„ge elles / but that the roote of her owne propre loue is not fully put awaye ¶ And therfore they ben not stable and abydyÌ„ge / but with ryght grete presumpcyon they receyuen mercy by the hope that theyr enemy hathe put them in ¶ Not for they sholde worthely receyue my mercy / but that vncuÌ„nyngly as presumptuous people they shold trust therin / the whiche mercy is euery day offended by theÌ„ ¶ I gyue not my mercy to theÌ„ / they for to offende it by presumpcyoÌ„ / but bycause they sholden defende them therby fro wycked desyres of fendes fro the mysruled and dysordynate confusyon / and shame of the soule ¶ But they done the contrary / for with the arme of my mercy / they offenden me / and that is bycause they vse not / nor haue not in excersyce / theyr fyrst
the trespas of negacyon or denyenge / the whiche he dyd to my sone / he wepte full bytterly ¶ Yet neuertheles his we pynge was vnparfyte / so it was vnto the asceÌ„cyon ¶ And after tyme my sothefast sone came to me in his manhod / than Peter and all other dyscyples dyd hyde theÌ„ in an house / abydyÌ„ge there mekely the comyÌ„ge of the holy ghoste / as my sothefaste sone dyd promyse before to theym ¶ And all that tyme they for fere abode in an house reclused ¶ For euer the soule dredeth vnto the tyme it come to the very loue ¶ But they were parseuerauntly abydynge in holy wakynge / and in meke and coÌ„tynuall prayer / vnto the tyme that the holy ghoste came and fulfylled them with plentuousnes of graces ¶ And whan they were fulfylled with that greate grace / than they caste awaye dredes / and so they folowed the steppes of my sothefast sone / in prechyÌ„ge his passyoÌ„ ouer all ¶ In the same wyse asoule that desyreth to come to this ê‘feccyoÌ„ before sayd / after tyme she hathe synned deedly / is gracyously arysen / knowynge herselfe foule wretched / for drede of peyne she begynneth for to wepe ¶ And after that she aryseth fro the drede beholdeth my mercy where she fyndeth delectacyon profyte / yet it is vnparfyte ¶ Therfore lyke as it was done to Peter / to the dyscyples that were closed in / so shall it be do to suche a deuoute soule that is rysen out of synne and cometh to my mercy ¶ That is to saye / after fourty dayes I shal make her to come to parfeccyon ¶ That is after these two states / otherwhyle I shal withdrawe me fro suche a soule not by grace / but by felynge ¶ And so shewed well my sothefaste sone Ihesu / whan he sayde to his dyscyples thus ¶ I shall go / and come to you ¶ What that euer he sayde partyculerly to his dyscyples / it was sayde generally and comynly to all / bothe to them that be now on lyue / to theÌ„ that be to come ¶ Namely to them that sholde come to hym / he sayde thus ¶ I shall go / and come agayne to you / and so it was ¶ For he came vpon his dyscyples / whan the holy ghost came to them ¶ The holy ghost came not alone / but with my myghte and power he came / and with the wysedome of my sothefast sone Ihesu / the whiche is one with me ¶ And with the myldenes mekenes of the same holy ghoste that cometh fro me fro my sone / in the same wyse I saye to the. ¶ Whan a soule ryseth fro her imê‘feccyoÌ„ / I with drawe me fro her by felyÌ„ge / takyÌ„ge awaye the coÌ„forte that she had ¶ For whan she was in deedly synne / she wente awaye fro me / and I dyd wtdrawe me thaÌ„ frome her synne / bycause than she had shyt agaynst me the gate of her desyre / by the whiche the sonne of grace sholde go shyne throwe ¶ This is no defaute of the sonne / but of the creature that shyt the gate of desyre agaynst the that sonne and whan she knoweth herselfe and her owne derkenesse / than she openeth the wyndowes by holy confessyon / castynge out therby the fylthe of synÌ„e ¶ And thaÌ„ I come agayne in to that soule by grace / but yet I withdrawe me fro her by felyÌ„ge as I sayde and not fro grace ¶ This I do bycause she sholde waxe lowe and meke / and that she sholde excersyce herselfe / in sekynge me truly ¶ And also that she sholde be veryly proued in the holy lyght of feythe / so for to come to wysdome ¶ Than yf she veryly / without lokynge of ony rewarde loue me with the lyghte of lyfely and quycke feythe / and with holy hate of herselfe / she is ioyful in the tyme of labour / and demeth her 〈◊〉 vnworthy rest / and quyetnesse of soule ¶ This is the seconde thynge of the thre / of whome I tolde the before / for thoughe she fele me withdrawe / she wyl not therfore go back warde / but rather she vseth mekely her ghostly laboure / stondynge stydfastly and abydynge enclosed in the house of her owne knowlege ¶ And therfore she abydeth with a quycke feythe / the comyÌ„ge of the holy ghost that is I my selfe the whiche am the fyre of very charite ¶ How abydeth she ¶ Truly not with ydlenes / but with bodyly wakynge / and contynuall prayenge / and not onely with bodyly wakynge / but with intellectuall wakynge ¶ For that eye of vnderstondynge or Intelleccyon is not shytte but it is open and waketh with the lyght of feythe / dystryenge the thoughtes of the herte with holy hate / wakynge in the affeccyon of my charyte / and knowynge that I desyre no thyÌ„ge elles / but her holynes ¶ And that is well certyfyed and made opeÌ„ynoughe / in the blode of my sothefast sone Ihesu ¶ After tyme the eye of intelleccyon waketh thus in knowlege of her selfe and me / she prayeth coÌ„tynually / offerynge to me prayer with a good wyll an holy ¶ This is the contynuall prayer / and also she vseth her in actuall prayer / that is in suche prayers as be ordeyned by holy chyrche ¶ Thus is a soule occupyed that is departed fro imparfeccyon / and is come to parfeccyon ¶ And bycause she sholde come therto / therfore I went fro her / not put tynge awaye grace fro her / but felynge ¶ I withdrawe me fro her / that she sholde knowe her owne defautes ¶ And in that she knoweth herselfe pryued fro ghostly coÌ„forte / she feleth peyne and fyndeth herself feble / not stronge for to stonde nor stydfast ¶ By that she fyndeth the rote of ghostly loue in her owne selfe and therfore she fyndeth iÌ„ them mater of knowlege / and in reysynge vp herselfe aboue herselfe / ascendynge vpon the sete of her conscyence / therfore to ly in wayte that suche felyÌ„ge is not suffred to passe without rebukynge of the conscyence / in dystryenge of the roote of theyr owne loue with ioyfull hate and with the loue of vertu ¶ How he that loueth god vnparfytely / loueth his neyghbour vnparfytely / and of the tokens of his vnparfyte loue I wyll also that thou knowe / that all suche vnê‘fyte loue / and parfyte loue is soughte in me / by meane and medyacyon of creatures ¶ They that be symple knowe this well that louen oftetymes me and seken me iÌ„ creatures ¶ Neuerthelesse yf a maÌ„ receyue purely loue of me / without beholdynge of ony creature / thaÌ„ doubteles he sholde receyue purely and drynke the loue of his neyghboure / as a maÌ„ drynketh of a vessell / whiche is tylled in a wel whan it is drawe oute / and the lycour is drunke that was therin / than is the vessell voyde ¶ And yf a man drynke of that vessell whyle it
that fende speketh by theyr tongues / for to let deuoute prayers ¶ Of all these dysceytes she sholde set no store / but contynu in deuoute prayers / and ouerpasse suche dysceytes / by vertu of parseuerauÌ„ce ¶ O how swete is it to suche a soule and how plesaunte and lykynge to me / holy prayer excersysed in the hose of her owne knowlege / and also in the knowlege of me / openyÌ„ge the eye of vnderstondynge / with the lyght of very feythe / with the habuÌ„daunte affeccyon of my pure charyte / the whiche charyte is made to you vysyble of my vysyble onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / whan he made it opeÌ„ in his blode / the which blode maketh a soule ghostly drunke / and arayeth it ryally with the fyre of dyuyne charyte / and gyueth to her the blyssed ghostly meet of the sacrament of the auter / the whiche is kepte for the tresoure of oure moder the holy chyrche / for to be mynystred to you by the hondes of a preest my vyker / the whiche kepeth the kaye of the same blessyd body flesshe blode of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu very god and very man ¶ This blessyd ghostly mete is ryghte comfortable to a deuoute receyuer after the gretenesse of his desyre in what wyse that euer he receyue it / whether it be sacramentally or vertuously ¶ He taketh it sacramentally whan he receyueth the blessyd hoste of the auter / and he receyueth it vertuously and ghostly that taketh it by desyre / hauyÌ„ge mynde of that blessyd blode whiche was shed for the rauÌ„some of maÌ„kyÌ„de ¶ Suche one is ghostly drunke with the mystery of that sacrameÌ„t / and also it is brenned fulfylled with holy desyre / with the charyte bothe of me and also of his neyghbour ¶ Where getteth a soule this ¶ Truly f the house of his owne knowlege / and with ryght deuoute prayer / in the whiche she hathe lost her imparfeccyon / lyke as the dyscyples and Peter loste theyr imparfeyccyon abydynge and stondynge wtinforthe in deuoute prayer and holy wakynge and wanne the parfeccyoÌ„ ¶ Wherwith trowes thou ¶ Truly with parseuerauÌ„ce knyte with holy feythe ¶ Neuerthelesse vnderstonde not so / that a soule wynneth onely suche brennynge of loue by longe vocall prayer / as many soules vsen / whose prayer is rather in wordes than in affeccyon / the whiche setten theyr entent to nothynge elles / but to say many psalmes and many pater nosters / and whan they haue fulfylled the nombre sette / they thyÌ„ke thaÌ„ they haue done ynoughe ¶ It semeth that al suche setten theyr entent and theyr affeccyon onely in vocal prayer / and so sholde they not do / for yf they do in no other wyse / they wynne full lytle fruyte / and to me all sothe it is but lytle worthe ¶ Now thou askes me paraueÌ„ture and sayes / sholde therfore suche vocall prayer be lefte / syth it is so that all be not able to meÌ„tall prayer ¶ To this I answere and say naye / for I knowe well lyke as a soule is fyrste vnparfyte soner than it be parfyte / lykewyse her prayer is fyrst vnparfyte ¶ She shold also eschewe ydlenesse / thoughe she be parfyte vse vocall prayers / that is whaÌ„ she speketh or prayeth so / she sholde enforce her in all her myght for to reyse vp herselfe ghostly into mentall affeccyon / with generall consyderacyon of her synnes / in the mynde of my blessyd sone Ihesu / wher is fouÌ„de largenesse of my charyte / and remyssyon of synnes / and that muste be done in this wyse / that as ofte as she consydereth herselfe bothe in generall in comune wyse her owne defautes / so oft she must iwardely knowe my excellent goodnes / and so procede in ghostly excersyce with very mekenesse ¶ I wyll not that she thyÌ„ke vpon her synnes ê‘tyculerly and specyally / but generally / lest the soule be fyled by mynde of suche fylthy partyculer synnes ¶ I sayde also the I wolde that she had nother coÌ„syderacyon of her synnes in in generall / nor in specyall / wtout consyderacyon and mynde of the bloode shedde by my sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / and of my large mercy lest she fall into dyspayre / for yf the knowlege of her and consyderacyoÌ„ of her sysies were not medled with the mynde of the bytter passyon of my sone Ihesu / and also of my mercy / often tymes she sholde dwell styll in that shame and confusyon / and so to go to endeles dampnacyon with the same confusyon / and with that fende that hathe so lad her vnder the colour of contrycyon / and very dysplesauÌ„ce of her synnes ¶ This is one of the moste sotell dysceytes that the wycked fende sheweth to my seruauntes / and therfore for your profyte / and that ye myght eschewe the dysceyte of the wycked fende / and that ye maye be ryghte plesaunte to me / ye muste alwaye sprede oute youre hertes abrode to affeccyon besyre with very mekenesse in to the see of my greate myghty mercy / for thou knowes well the pryde of the fende maye not suffre a meke soule / nor his confusyon and shame may not suffre the brede and the largenesse of my goodnesse and mercy / wherin suche a meke soule hopeth feythefully and truly / therfore thou dyd well / and as my wyll was that thou sholde do / whaÌ„ thou dyd auoyde the fro that fende / whiche was aboute to throwe that downe by confusyon and shame / sayenge to the that thy lyuynge was nothynge plesynge to me / that nor thou folowed nor vertuous lyuynge after my entent and after my wyll the whiche wyll is not hydde fro hym that desyreth to haue it and lyue ther after ¶ And bycause that lyfte vp thyselfe in to my mercy sayde thus with mekenesse / I knowlege to my maker / that euer vnto this tyme I haue lyued in derkenesse / so lad my lyfe / but yet I shall hyde me in the swete blessyd wouÌ„des of my lorde Ihesu / wasshe me in his blode / so shall I waste awaye my wyckednesse / ioye iÌ„ my maker / and than thou knowes well the fende fledde fro the / neuertheles he came yet efte sones to the with an other sotel temptacyon that is he was aboute to reyse the on hyghe by pryde sayenge thus to the beholde thou arte parfyte / and god is well plesed with the / now the nedeth no more to wayle for thy synÌ„es ¶ ThaÌ„ by the lyghte of my grace / thou went in the waye of mekenesse / whaÌ„ thou an swered to that fende thus ¶ O what wretche am I / seynt IohnÌ„ baptyst synned neuer / and was halowed in his moders wombe / and yet lyued in ryghte greate penaunce / and I the moste wretched of all lyuynge / haue done ryghte greate synnes / and yet neuer began to knowe with very contrycyon waylynge what god
her desyre ¶ Of the dyfference of the foresayde holy teres THan sayde the ryghte swete sothefastnesse of god to her O ryght well byloued and dere doughter / doughter thou askes and desyres to knowe of me the dyfferēce in kynde of teres / and of theyr fruytes / and I haue not dyspysed thy desyre ¶ Opē therfore the eye of thy intelleccyon / and I shall shewe that by the thre states of the soule before sayde vnparfyte teres graūted and set in drede ¶ But I shall fyrste tell that of the teres of wycked men / and these fyrst teres / be teres of dampnacyō ¶ The seconde maner of teres be teres of drede / of suche that ryse fro syn̄e for drede of peyne / for drede they wepe ¶ The thyrde maner of teres be teres of thē that after tyme they be rysen fro synne / they begynne to taste me / so with swetenesse they wepe and begynne to serue me ¶ But bycause theyr loue is vnparfye / therfore theyr wepynge is vnparfyte / as I shall tell the afterwarde ¶ The fourthe maner of teres be of them that become to parfeccyon in charyte of theyr neyghbours / louynge me wtout ony maner beholdynge of them selfe / suche wepe and theyr wepȳge is parfyte ¶ The fyfte maner of teres / is oned knytte with the fourthe before / castynge out teres of swetenesse / the whiche is a vertuous wepynge / as I shall tell the afterwarde ¶ I shall also tell the of brennynge teres without wepynge of the eye / for to satysfy to thē that ofte tymes desyre teres and maye none haue ¶ And I wyll that thou knowe that al these dyuers states maye be in one soule by rysynge vp fro drede vnparfyte loue / and comynge to parfyte charyte / and to the state of vnyon ¶ How there be fyue maner of teres NOw I shall begynne to tell of these fyue maner of teres / fyrste shortely of the teres of wycked men / whose loue is without me vnornately sette ¶ At the begȳnynge I wyl that thou knowe / that al teres come out of the herte / for there is no membre in a mannes body / that wyll somoche shewe and satysfy the entent of the herte / as wyl the eye ¶ Yf the herte haue sorowe / the eye sheweth it / yf it be a sencyble sorowe / the eyes do shede hertely teres / the whiche teres in a wycked man ben deedly teres and teres of dethe / bycause of his vnordynate loue / and affeccyō that he hathe wherfore his wepynge is no thȳge plesynge to me / neuerthelesse then greatenesse of the trespas wepynge is iesse or more after the meture and quātyte of his vnordynate loue ¶ All suche vnordynate louers and wycked lyuers thoughe they wepe theyr teres be teres of dethe ¶ Now shall I tell the of those teres that do begynne to gyue lyfe / that is or suche that knowe theyr owne synnes / and for drede of payne they wepe ¶ These be teres of the herte and sencyble teres / that is bycause they be not yet come to the parfyte hate of synne / but for offence that they haue done to me / they arysen with a maner hertely sorowe for drede of peyne / the whiche peyne foloweth after the trespas done ¶ Therfore the eye wepeth / bycause he satysfyeth the sorowe of the herte / after this that the louie hathe excersysed her in vertu / she begynneth to leue that drede / for she knoweth well / the drede is not suffycyent ynoughe to graūte her the blysse of heuen / as I haue tolde the in the seconde state of the soule before ¶ And therfore she aryseth with loue for to knowe herselfe and my goodnes in her / and so begynneth to presume of hope in my mercy / ī the whiche the herte releth gladnesse medled with sorowe of synne hope of my merci togyder ¶ Thā begȳneth the eye to wepe / that moche wepynge gothe out of the well of the herte / bycause it is not yet come to parfeccyō / oft tymes she casteth out sencyble teres / the whiche be called teres of ghostly loue as thus whā the soule desyreth ghostly comfortes by meane or medyacyon of ony creature whom he loueth ghostly / whan she is pryued of that she loueth / or of inwarde comfortes or out warde / than yf temptacyons folowe or parsecucyons of men / than the herte anone hathe a sorowe / and than the eye the whiche feleth that sorowe peyne of the herte / begȳneth to wepe by tēdernesse / and that is bycause theyr owne wyll is not yet fully forsake ¶ Suche teres be called sencyble teres of ghostly loue / or of ghostly cōpassyon ¶ But whan a soule excercyseth and vseth herselfe in the lyghte of her owne knowlege / she conceyueth a maner of dysplesaunce parfyte hate in herselfe / of the whiched yf plesaunce and hate / she draweth out very knowlege of my goodnesse / with the fyre of loue / and begynneth to owne herselfe / and to conforme her wyll to my wyll / and so she begynneth to fele ioye compassyon / ioye in herselfe by affeccyon of loue / and compassyon vpon her neyghboure ¶ For than the eye whiche wyll alwaye satysfy to the herte / wepeth for hertely loue in me / and for compassyō of the offence that is done to me / bothe for the offence that her neyghbour dothe to me / and for her owne trespas / and not for the peyne that she or they be worthy for to haue for theyr trespas / but for the offence that is done to me ¶ Thā suche a soule delyteth with longynge desyre for to receyue ghostly meet and meet of comforte vpon the table of the blessyd cros that is the passyon of my sone Ihesu cryst / conformynge herselfe with meke pasyence / to the vndefouled lambe my onely sone Ihesu cryst / of whome I haue made the a brydge / as it is rehersed before to the. ¶ After tyme that she hathe thus swetely walked by the foresayde brydge / suynge the doctryne of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryst / suffrȳge with very swete pasyence all maner peyne heuynesse for her soule he le / and not onely that she suffre pasyently / but gladly for my name to suffre parsecucyon / syth it so is that she hathe hym that she suffreth fore ¶ Than suche a soule cometh to so greate a loue tranquyllyte of herselfe / that her tongue is not suffycyent for to tell it ¶ Than she resteth in me that am the very peaseable see / her herte is oned in me by affeccyon of loue / and so by the felynge of my endeles god heed / the eye begynneth to wepe teres of swetenesse / the whiche teres be as a maner of mylke / that norysheth the soule with very pasyence ¶ All suche
the grouÌ„d that is for to saye that the braunches of deedly synnes do not tourne to none other thynges / but to the erthe of euery frayle vnordynate substaunce of the worlde / and they do not loke after none other thynge / but in what wyse they maye be noryshed vnsacyably of the erthe / for they ben neuer fulfylled ¶ They be vnsacyable / and vntollerable to theÌ„ selfe / and therfore it is requysyte ryghte coÌ„uenyent / that euer they be vnquyet and vnrestfull / sythen they desyre suche a thynge that neuer maye fulfyll theÌ„ / as I haue sayde ¶ This is the cause whiche maye not be fulfylled / for they desyre euer a thynge that hathe ende / and yet they themselfe be endeles as to theyr beynge for theyr beynge hathe neuer ende / thoughe they ende anendes grace / by the cause of deedly synnes ¶ And for bycause a maÌ„ is set put aboue all create thyÌ„ges / and not vntreate thynges be aboue hym / therfore he maye not be fulfylled nor stonde in quyetnesse / but in a thynge that is greater than hymselfe / and that is no other / but I god euerlastynge ¶ And therfore I alone may fulfyll them / for bycause he is depryued frome me for his synÌ„e that he hathe done he stoÌ„deth coÌ„tynually in peyne and tourmeÌ„t / after the whiche peyne foloweth wepynges and welynges ¶ How suche worldely wepers ben smyten with foure maner wyndes ANd whan that the wyndes come they smyte the tree of the propre sensualyte / where he made all his begyÌ„nynge ¶ Of these foure wyndes other it is a wynde of prosperyte / or a wynde of aduersyte / or of drede / or of conscyence / these be the foure wyndes ¶ The wynde of prosperyte norysheth pryde / with grete presumpcyon / with magnyfyenge of hyÌ„selfe and lytle regarde on his neyghbour ¶ Yf he be a lorde / the wynde of prosperyte norysheth this pryde with moche vnryghtwysenesse and vanyte of herte / and with vncleÌ„nes of body and of soule / with his propre reputacyon / and with many other defautes whiche do folowe after them whiche thy tongue myghte not tell ¶ Whether this wyÌ„de of prosperyte is not corrupte in hymselfe no / nor this wynde nor that other / but the pryncypall rote of the tree is corrupted / where throwe that rote maketh all thyÌ„ges corrupte whiche cometh fro that rote ¶ For I that sende all thynges by my gyfte with abuÌ„daunce am all souerayne god / what euer it be in this wyÌ„de of prosperyte / wherfore waylyÌ„ge foloweth / for his herte is not fulfylled / for he desyreth that he maye not haue / and so whan he maye not haue that he wolde / than he hathe peyne / and that peyne he wayleth ¶ Now I haue sayde to the that the eye wyll make a saute to the herte ¶ After this there cometh a wyÌ„de of seruage drede / in the whiche wynde a man maketh hym afrayde with his owne shadowe or derkenes dredynge to lose that that he loueth / or he dredeth to lose his owne lyfe / or of his chyldren / or the lyfe of other creatures / or he dredeth to lose his owne state / or the state of his freÌ„des and all for his owne loue / or for worshyppe / or for ryches ¶ Here this drede hathe not his delyte in pease / for he hathe not that that he wolde redy ordeyned after my wyll / therfore that drede of seruage foloweth hym / and is made tymorate and the seruaunte of the wretchydful synne / and bycause he maye beholde as is the thynge that he serueth and that is synne whiche is nought / therfore he is come to nought / after the wyÌ„de of drede hathe smyten hym ¶ And after this anone thaÌ„ cometh the wyÌ„de of trybulacyon and of aduersyte of that same that he dredde / taketh fro hym pryueth hym of that he had / sometyme in a partyculer thynge / sometyme iÌ„ a generall thyÌ„ge ¶ Generally is whaÌ„ he is pryued of the lyfe for by the streÌ„gthe of the dethe he is pryued of all thyÌ„ges ¶ Sometyme also the wynde of aduersyte is partyculer / whiche somtyme taketh fro hym one thynge / and sometyme an other thynge / sometyme it taketh a waye of his helthe / or of his chyldreÌ„ or of his ryches / or of states or of worshyppes / after that I se that it be nedefull for youre helthe whiche am a softe leche / therfore I gaue theÌ„ to you ¶ And for asmoche as youre freyite it vtterly corrupte and with out ony knowynge / it dystroyeth the fruyte of pasyence / and therfore inpasyence dothe bryÌ„ge fourthe sclauÌ„ders and grutchynges / hateredes / and dysplesauÌ„ces / agaynst me and my curates / they haue receyued in to dethe that I haue gyue them in to lyfe / after the mesure that they had of loue ¶ Now it is come to the waylynge of inpasyence that tourmenteth / and the whiche dryeth vp the soule and sleeth it / and taketh awaye the grace of lyfe / and dryeth vp and consumeth the body / and maketh hym blynde bodyly and ghostly / and pryueth hym of all delytes / and taketh awaye all hope / for he is pryued of that thynge / wherin he had delyte / wherin he set his affeccyon / hope / feythe / so that euer he soroweth and wayleth ¶ And not onely his teres make to hym so many inconuenyentes / but his vnordynate desyre and the sorowe of his herte / for if his herte were ordynate had the lyfe of grace / than were his teres ordynate / and sholde constrayne me euerlastynge god / to do hym mercy ¶ But why sayde I that this was and is the tere of dethe For to the messanger whiche sheweth you the dethe or the lyfe that sholde be in the soule ¶ Forthermore I sayde that there came the wynde of conscyence / and that maketh the goodnes of my godheed / for whaÌ„ I haue ê“ued theÌ„ with ê“speryte / to that entent that I sholde withdrawe the fro theyr propre loue / throwe my loue ¶ Also whan I ê“ued theÌ„ with drede / that throwe iÌ„portunyte they sholde sette theyr loue to loue me with vertu ¶ Also after tyme I haue preued them with trybulacyoÌ„ that they sholde knowe theyr freylte / and the lytle stablenesse of the worlde to some / there al this ê“fyteth not / I gyue a prycke or a remors of conscyencè / for I loue more thaÌ„ can be spoken / and that remors I gyue them / for they sholde aryse for to open theyr mouthe / and caste out the rotten fylthe of theyr synnes by holy coÌ„fessyoÌ„ ¶ But they as obstynate ryghtfully renreued of me throwe theyr owne wyckednesse whiche wolde iÌ„ no wyse receyue my grace / fle fro that prycke remors of conscyence and lede it all aboute with wretchydfull delectacyoÌ„s and with dysplesauÌ„ce of me and of theyr neyghbours / and
vnreuerence myne for as I sayde ye gyuen them no reuerence to themselfe for theyrselfe / but for the auctoryte that I haue gyuen to theÌ„ / and therfore they sholde not be offeÌ„ded / for whaÌ„ they offende them / they offende me and them ¶ I haue forbyd them for to touche my crystes / the is my anoynted people / with handes of vyolence ¶ There oughte no temporall man to excuse hym and saye I do theÌ„ no wronge nor I am not enuyous to oure moder the holy chyrche / thoughe I punyshe the defautes of euyll curates ¶ Here suche one lyeth saythe not sothe / for he maye not se / he is so blyÌ„ded in his owne loue yet though he se he feyneth hymselfe blynde / for to couer the prycke of his conscyence ¶ For whaÌ„ that euer they parsu them / they parsu me / and so they do me wroÌ„ge / for ryghte as the reuerence is myne / so is al that harme myne / bothe scornes / repreues / harmes / shames also blames ¶ Al those I arecte to me that be done to them / for I haue forbyd theÌ„ warned theÌ„ / not for to touche iÌ„ vyolence by worde nor dede my mynysters / I sholde punyshe them whan they offeÌ„de / not they ¶ Thus thaÌ„ what that euer they be in lyuynge / the reuerence of them sholde neuer be mynyshed / for whaÌ„ they mynesh it / they offende me / therfore this synne is more greuous than ony other synne ¶ And thoughe they be wycked in lyuyÌ„ge done many wyckednesses / of whose wyckednes it shal be sayde in an other place / yet yf to them be done reuerence onely for me / it is arected to me not to theÌ„ ¶ But now thre pryncypall causes ther be / why that synne of vnreuerence is more greuous synne than ony other ¶ One is / for that reuerence whiche is done to them is done to me ¶ Another is / for they breke my byddynge / in that I forbade theÌ„ not for to touche theÌ„ vyoleÌ„tly / by the whiche vnreuerent touchyÌ„ge / they dyspyse my blode / whiche they haue take of holy baptym / for they dysobeye / doynge that thynge that is forbyd theym ¶ And therfore they be rebell to this blode / for they haue sette reuerence asyde / be rysen with greate parsecucyon / so they be stynkynge membres / cut awaye fro that mysteryall body of holy chyrche / as longe as they dwell obstynate in that rebellyon with that vnreuerence / withoute ony doubte they renne to endelesse dampnacyoÌ„ ¶ Neuerthelesse yf they meke theÌ„ lowe theÌ„ and knowlege theyr defautes / they shall receyue mercy and forgyuenesse ¶ Another cause is why that theyr synnes be more greuous thaÌ„ other / for it is a synne that is done of theyr owne malyce with a vysement / for to knowe wel that with good coÌ„scyence / they must not do as they done / and therfore in theyr doynge they offende greuously / whiche offence is a maner of cursed pryde / wtout bodyly delectacyoÌ„ / for it wasleth bothe body soule / the soule is consumed / for it is pryued fro grace / often tymes the worme of conscyence freteth suche folke ¶ Also the bodyly substauÌ„ce is coÌ„sumed in the seruyce of the fende / theyr bodyes be as deed beestes / thus this synne is properly aneÌ„des me / for it is done without ony coloure of his owne profyte / and with malyce and the smoke of pryde / whiche pryde spryngeth out of sencyble loue / of that wyeked drede that Pylate hadde / that for drede of losynge of his lordeshyppe / he dyd slee my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / so done all suche ¶ All other synnes that they done be done of ygnorauÌ„ce or symplynes / but this cursed synne is done by malyce / for he knoweth the euyll that he dothe / it is all done of vnordynate dylectacyon and plesaunce that they haue to that synne / orelles of some maner of profyte that they fynde iÌ„ that synne / and so the offender / dampneth / and hurteth / his owne soule / me / and his neyghboure ¶ Me he hurteth offeÌ„deth / for he yeldeth no thaÌ„kes to me his maker ¶ His neyghbour he offendeth and hurteth / for he yeldeth not to hyÌ„ loue of charyte ¶ Also he offendeth hurteth hymselfe / thoughe he do it not by actuall smytynge / the whiche offence dyspleaseth me / for that harme that I se iÌ„ hyÌ„ ¶ And thus as I haue sayde without ony mene / this offence is onely done to me ¶ All other synnes haue some coloure / for they be done with some coloure with a mene / for I haue sayd in another place that euery synne euery vertu was done by medyacyon mene of neyghbourheed / for synne is the cause of the pryuacyon of the loue of god of thy neyghboure ¶ Therfore they that offeÌ„de theyr neyghbours offende me by mene of them ¶ But ymonge al my creatures that haue reson wtin theÌ„ / I haue chosen my mynysters as I haue told the whiche be called my anoynted people for to mynystre the body and blode of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / that is knytte oned to the flesshe of youre maÌ„heed with my dyuyne nature ¶ And so suche mynystres whan they consecrate that blessyd body blode / stonden in the parsone of my onely sone Ihesu ¶ Thus thou maye se and knowe the offence whiche is done to my mynysters / is done to my sothefaste sone Ihesu / yf it be done to hyÌ„ / it muste be done to me / for he I be oned togyder ¶ All suche wretches that parsu my mynysters / they parsu that precyous blode / pryue theÌ„selfe fro that tresour and fruyte of that precyous blode / wherby thou maye knowe that the offence so done to me is more greuous than ony other synne ¶ For yf all the synnes that euer they dyd stode vp on that one syde of them / this synne alone vpon that other syde / this synne sholde more greue me than all other synnes ¶ Thus than for to gyue the cause to sorowe and haue compassyon of my offence / and of dampnacyon of suche myserable wretches / I haue declared the how and in what wyse I am offended / that throwe the sorowe and bytternesse bothe of thyselfe and also of other of my seruauntes by my goodnesse mercy / suche wretches maye be knowen in theyr owne derkenesse / so put out fro the body of holy chyrche / orelles the soner maye be recounseyled to grace / for I fynde no maner persone that soroweth veryly of the parsecucyon whiche is done to my precyoê° blode / I fynde ynowe that contynually do smyte me with arowes of vnordynate loue and seruyle drede / with theyr owne propre reputacyon / as thoughe they were blyÌ„defelde / dyd arecte to theyr owne
And the worste of all is / that they with the goodes of holy chyrche araye theyr concubynes / as an husbande wolde aray his wyfe / so these incarnate deuylles of holy chyrche goodes aray theyr deuylles / that is theyr coÌ„cubynes / with whome they lyue vnclenly wyckedly / and wtout shame they make them go stonde come iÌ„ to that chyrche / whyles they be at the auter ¶ They take no thought thoughe theyr wretched deuylles do come to theyr hondes with other chyldren of holy chyrche / for to offre as other folke done ¶ O ye fendes / and yet more than fendes / ye sholde at the ofâ—e hyde youre synnes in the syghte of youre subiectes / for yf ye hyde it / that offeÌ„ce is to me alone / the harme to yourselfe ¶ But nowe ye do euyl to your neyghbours for to gyue theÌ„ suche ensamples of cursed lyuyÌ„ge / throwe youre ensample / they fall in to the same synnes or greter ¶ This also is another wyckednesse that they vse / they aryse erly by the morowe / with a defouled soule and a corrupte body that hathe layen all nyghte in deedly synÌ„e / they go and saye masse ¶ O deuylles tabernacle / where is the watche of the nyghte that sholde be waked with deuocyon dyuyne seruyce / where is contynual prayer and deuoute in the whiche thou sholde dyspose the aneÌ„des tyme / for the mystery that thou sholde do on the morowe / with knowlege of thyselfe to knowe thyselfe vnworthy to that offyce / also with knowlege of me / for of my goodnesse I haue made the a mynyster / not by thy deseruynge and merytes / but for my goodnesse I haue ordeyned the a mynyster for to mynystre to my creatures the sacrameÌ„tes of holy chyrche ¶ How the synÌ„e agaynst kynde reyneth in some of the foresayde mynysters / and of a fayre vysyon whiche the soule hadde vpon this mater DEre doughter I make the knowe that I requyre so greate purete of you and of them in this blessyd sacrament / as maye be hadde to man in this lyfe / and therfore asmoche as you maye on youre syde and on theyr syde / eche of you sholde contynually with all youre myghte wynne suche purete / and thynke yf it were possyble an anâ—els kynde to be puryfyed to that mystery it were ryghte necessary / but it is not possyble / they nede not to be puryfyed / for in them maye neuer fall the venym of synne ¶ This I saye the that thou maye knowe what cleÌ„nesse and purere I requyre bothe of you and of them in this worshypful sacrament / and namely of them that be my mynysters / but they do the contrary / for al they be vnclene / and no onely of vnclennes and freylte to the whiche ye be prone and redy of youre owne freyle nature ¶ But they wretches be so vnclene / that they do the wycked synÌ„e agaynst kynde / and as blynde fooles of theyr intelleccyon they knowe not the fylthe stynkynge wretchednesse that they be in ¶ And it dyspleaseth not onely me that am endelesse purete / the whiche synne is so abhomynable to me / that for the synne by my Iudgement fyue Cetees were ouer tourned / for I myghte not suffre the vyle stynke of that cursed synne nâ— longer / it dysplesed me somoche not onely me as I sayde but it dyspleseth deuylles not bycause the euyll dothe dysplease theÌ„ / that god sholde please them but bycause theyr nature was somtyme angels nature / and therfore that nature escheweth to se that actuall cursed synne / thoughe it so were that the fende thre we fyrst an arowe to them enuenymed with the venym of concupyssence ¶ But whan they come to the dort of that cursed synne / than he gothe his way for the cause that I haue tolde the / for yf thou remembre the I towe the how that cursed synne somtyme before the incarnacyon myslyked me / for all the worlde was corrupte thaÌ„ therof ¶ And thaÌ„ thou lyfted vp thy selfe aboue thy selfe with holy desyre where I shewed the all the worlde / and iÌ„ that syghte thou sawe that almoste euery parsone was corrupte with that wretched synne / and thou knowes well that it was so greate a peyne to the for to se it / for to smell the stynke of that synne in thy soule / that the semed it shold be thy dethe / for thou dyd se no place wher thou other of my seruauÌ„tes myght stoÌ„de for corrupcyoÌ„ / that this lepre sholde not defoule you / nor to enfecte you ¶ Thou dyd se no place where thou myghte stoÌ„de nother ymonge small nor greate / yonge nor olde / clerkes nor relygyous / prelates nor subiectes / lordes nor seruauntes / but all these were defouled bothe body and soule of this cursed synne ¶ This I shewed the thaÌ„ in generall / I tell the not what they be in specyall / for whose vnryghtwysenesse / I withholde yet my ryghtwysenesse / for I coÌ„mauÌ„de not stones to oppresse theÌ„ / nor the erthe to deuoure them / nor beestes to dystroy them / nor fendes for to bere them awaye bothe body and soule ¶ But I fynde wayes for to shewe theÌ„ mercy yf they wyll amende theÌ„ and for intercessoures bytwene me and them / I sende my seruauÌ„tes suche as be vndefouled in that cursed synne / and in all other deedly synnes / for to praye for them to me / otherwhyle I shall shewe them suche wretched synnes for to make them more besy aboute theyr soule he le / with the more coÌ„passyon for to offre theÌ„ to me by prayer / for it is a ryght cursed synÌ„e ¶ I shewed the but one sparcle of the styÌ„ke of that synne / thou was broughte to suche a plyte / that thou myght no loÌ„ger suffre to bere it / therfore thou sayde thus to me ¶ O endeles fader haue mercy vpon me on thy creatures / orelles take my soule out of my body / for I maye nomore / therfore refresshe me endeles fader / and shewe me in what place I thy seruauÌ„tes maye rest vs / that this lepre noye vs not / nor take away fro vs purete bothe of body of soule ¶ I answered the thus tourned to the the eye of my pyte and sayde and yet saye ¶ Doughter youre reste is in gyuynge to my holy name ioye and praysynge / and besy you in that ye can and maye for to throwe encens to me of contynuall prayer / for these wretches that haue put themselfe in somoche wretchednesse makynge theÌ„selfe vnworthy to be my mynysters / 〈◊〉 that cursed synne ¶ The place there ye sholde stonde / is cryste crucyfyed my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / there sholde ye dwell / hyde you in that holes of his wouÌ„des / namely in the grete wouÌ„de of his syde / in the whiche wouÌ„de by affeccyon of loue ye sholde be
wretchednesse they fall with them in synne / yf thou haue mynde ther of thou kewe suche a creature / for thou dyd se her with thy eyes / to whom suche a thȳge befell / suche a wrethed preest is wtout a hounde of conscyence in hymselfe / for he aspyeth nothynge his owne defautes / nor barketh not / in correckynge of the defautes of his subiectes / but rather he strangleth his owne conscyence in himselfe and other / also I ordeyned suche curates for to synge and rede dyuyne seruyce / they lerne for to worke malycyous thynges / and for to charme and enchaūte deuyls / for to make womē to come to thē by dysceyte of the fende aboute mydnyghte ¶ Ordeyned I the for to spende thy wakynge in the nyghte in suche wyse ¶ Naye certayne / but for to spende the nyghte in holy wakynge / prayer by good dysposycyon / on the morowe thou maye go to masse gyue the people swete smell of vertu / and not the stynkynge fylthe of vyces ¶ Thou arte putte in the state of an angell / that thou maye be conuersaunte with angels by holy medyacyons in this lyue / and at the laste come to me with thē to taste in euer lastynge blysse / and thou delytes the to be a deuyll / and to be conuersaūte with hym or that thou dye ¶ But I knowe well the hornes of thy pryde hathe smyten the clere shynȳge perle of holy feythe within the eye of thy intelleccyon / and so thou hase loste thy syghte / and therfore thou sees not in howmoche wretchednesse thou dwelles in / and thou byleues not that euery synne shall be punyshed / and euery good dede shall be rewarded / for yf thou beleued it in sothe / thou wolde not do as thou does / nor suche conuersacyō thou wolde not shewe / but whan that euer thou herde that name of synne named / thou wolde haue abhomynacyon therof ¶ But bycause thou parsues his wyll / hȳ / and his workes / thou hase greate delyte therof ¶ Thou arte blȳde / and yet thou arte more than blynde / I wolde that thou wolde aske of that deuyll that thou serues what mede he wyll gyuey e / for the seruyce that thou does to hym / I knowe well he wyll gyue the to answere saye that he wyll gyue the suche fruyte as he hathe / for he maye gyue the none other / but suche cruell turmentes fyre in the whiche he brenneth euer hymselfe / in whome he fell for his pryde fro the heyghte of heuen / and thou erthely angell falles fro the heyght of thy preestly dygnyte by thy hygh pryde / and fro thy trefour of vertu / in to the pouerte of many wretchednesses / and but yf thou amende the here / thou shall descende ī to the depenesse of hell ¶ Thou hase made the worlde and thyselfe / thy god thy lorde / beholde to the worlde with all his delyces / that thou in this lyfe hase receyued of hȳ / and also to thy owne propre sensualyte / wherwith thou hase vsed worldely thynges / wher I sette the in state of preestheed for to dyspyse them / say therfore to thē / that for the they muste gyue a rekenȳge before me the souerayne Iudge ¶ They sholde answere than and saye that they maye not helpe the / and so sholde they tryffe the forthe and saye that thou thyselfe shall reken or gyue acompte / and not they ¶ Lo thus thou maye conceyue se that before me and all the worlde thou shall be a shamed / all this thou can not se for as I sayde to the the hornes of thy pryde hathe blynded the / but thou shall se them at the ende of thy dethe / where thou can not with al thy myght fynde no remedy / but onely in my mercy / thrystynge in that swete blode that thou was made my mynyster of / that blode shal neuer be take awaye fro the / nor fro none other yf thou wyll truste therin in my mercy ¶ Yf there sholde neuer none be so greate a foole nor so blynde as thou arte / for to abyde of repentaunce to the laste houre / yet sholde they thȳke in that laste houre on my mercy / for a man that than is founde that he hathe lyued wyckedly / is accused of fendes / of the worlde / and of his owne freylte / for he wyll not than glose hȳ nor stater hym / nor shewe hym thā no maner delectacyon / but bytternesse / nor make hym than parfyte / but vnparfyte / nor shewe hym than lyght for derkenes / as he was wōte by his lyfe / but he sheweth hym the truthe as he is / the hounde of conscyence that somtyme was feble for to barke / than myghtely he barketh rebuketh hym of his synne / that it is aboute to brynge the soule in to dyspeyre / though no creature sholde fal therto ¶ But than shold a creature so rebuked with greate thryste receyue my sones blode / not withstondynge all his defautes that he hathe done / for withoute ony comparyson / my mercy is more that they receyue in that blode / than all the synnes that ony creature myght do in that worlde / neuerthelesse I sayde there sholde none prolonge the tyme nor tary so longe / but repente hȳ euer as he synneth / for harde it is than for hym to be founde vnarmed ymōge his enemyes in the felde of batayle ¶ Of many other defautes whiche be in wycked mynysters DEre doughter these wretches of whom I haue tolde the haue in this no consyderacyon for yf they hadde they wolde neuer fal in to so many defautes no ther they nor other but they wolde lyue ryghte vertuously / and rather the wolde chose to dye / than for to offende me in ony wyse wylfully / and defoule so the face of theyr soules / for to mynyshe the dygnyte and worthynesse wherin I haue sette them / but moche rather they wolde encres theyr dygnyte in the fayrenesse of vertu not for the dygnyte of a preest maye encrese by vertu nor lessed by his defautes / but vertues be cōnyxed to the dygnyte of preestheed / as ornamentes the whiche do araye that dygnyte of preestheed / and yet all togyder is but one dygnyte aboue the pure fayrenesse of the soule / whiche the soule hadde at the begynnynge / whan that I made and formed her to the lykenesse and symylytude of me ¶ At the begynnȳge they knowe ryghte well the vertu of my goodnesse / the fayrenes dygnyte of thē / for pryde and pure loue dyd blynde felde them not than / nor they take not awaye fro them the lyghte of reason / for the tyme they dyd not knowe suche thynges to theyr harme / but they dyd loue me and helthe of soules ¶ But suche wretches recke not to go fro vyce to vyce / tyll they fall in the dytche / for they do lacke lyghte
bothe cōsyēce fre choyse togyder / knewe well ynoughe by lyght of ītelleccyō / who was his frende who was his enemy ¶ To the frēde that is to vertuous and holy thoughtes of the herte they gaue loue affeccyon of loue / excercysynge thē with greate ghostly besynesse ¶ And to the enemy that is to vyces shrewde thoughtes / they gaue hate dysplesaunce / and with the swerde of loue / hate / and with the lyght of reason / and the hōde of fre choyse / they smyte myghtely theyr enemyes / so that afterwarde in the poynt of of dethe / the conscyence freteth not hȳselfe / for he hathe made good kepynge / and so stōdeth ī peas / neuertheles a soule of mekenesse vndernymeth hymselfe in the tyme of dethe / for that tyme he knoweth clerely the tresour of his tyme / and the precyous ghostly stones of vertu / consderȳge than the he hathe excercysed that tyme ryghtely tell / yet that is no peyne that tourmenteth hym / but it is a peyne that impugneth hym / for it maketh the soule to gader all hole in to herselfe / puttynge before her the blode of the meke and vndefouled lābe my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / and he turneth hȳ not to his vertues that he hathe vsed before / for he wyl not nor he may not hope in his vertues / but onely in that blode / ī the whiche he fyndeth my mercy / and as he hathe lyued in his lyfe / hauȳge mȳde of my blode so in his dethe / he shall be fulfylled with the same / made drunke ther with / and he forsaketh than hȳselfe in that blode ¶ Fendes maye not than vndernyme hym of synnes / for the malyce of them he ouercame in his lyfe with wysedome / yet they came for to se hym / yf they myght thā ony thynge wynne / and of them cometh in a mānes dethe horryble syghtes to make hym afrayde with theyr foule lokynge / and with many dyuers fantases ¶ But bycause in the soule is no venyme of syn̄e / theyr lokȳge shall in no wyse make thē afrayde / as they shall make suche afrayde the haue lyued in the worlde wyckedly ¶ Whan the fendes do se that suche a soule is entred in to crystes blode with feruent charyte they maye not suffre that / but they stonde all a fer throwynge to the soule dattes / yet theyr batayle / theyr warre / theyr greate cryes maye not noye it / bycause the soule begynneth to taste endelesse lyfe in heuen / for with the eye of intellecyon / he hathe the clere lyght of holy feythe / that is me that am his infynyte good / whiche he hopeth to haue of grace not of dewte but in the vertu of my sones blode shed in his passyon / and therfore the same soule spredeth out his armes of hope / and with the hōdes of loue clyppeth that bolde to hȳ / entrynge in to the possessyon therof / or than he be therin ¶ Howmoche galdnes trowes thou receyueth than a soule that seeth hymselfe parfytely come to this peas / for he tasteth of the good of angels kynde / and ryghte as he lyued in charytable fraternyte with his neyghboure / ryght so he than receyueth the good of all trewe tasters fo charyte / eche of thē with other / generally all suche as do passe oute of this worlde so swetely / receyuen this thynge ¶ But my mynysters of whome I tolde / the whiche dyd lyue as angels ī erthe / they receyue of it moche more / for ī this lyfe they dyd lyue with more knowlege and with more honger of my worshyp helthe of soules ¶ I saye not that they do receyue onely of the lyghte of vertu purely whiche generally al maye haue but these had the lyghte of of cunnynge added to the lyght of vertuous lyuynge / the whiche is a lyghte aboue kynde / by the whiche cunnynge they knowe more of my truthe / and he that moche knoweth moche loueth / he the moche loueth more receyueth Your mede is mesured to you after the mesure of loue / for one that hathe no cūnynge this is not comunely sayde of all but of certayne specyall folke / and yet they receyue more worthynesse by state of theyr preestheed / for properly to them it is gyuen for to hōger soules for my worshyp thoughe it longeth to all in generall for all sholde stōde in the dewe loue of charyte of neyghbourheed ¶ But these that be my mynysters / is gyuen mynystracyon of my sones precyous blode and geuernaunce of soules / all suche that be so besy with affeccyon of vertu / sholde receyue more thā other ¶ O how blessyd be theyr soules whā they come to the poynt of dethe / for they were shewers and defenders of the feythe for theyr neyghbours ¶ Also they haue incorporate the same feythe in the pythe of theyr soules / with the whiche feythe they se theyr places in me ¶ The hope also that they lyuen with / hopynge in my prouydence / losynge the hope of theyr owne truste / that is not hopynge in theyr owne proper conceyte / by the whiche losse of theyr owne truste / they sette no ordynate affeccyon in no maner creature / nor in no maner create thȳge / for they do lyue ryght poore wylfully / wherfore that same blessyd hope they dyd extende to me with greate delyte ¶ The herte also of them whiche is a vessell of loue that bare my name aboute with ryght feruent and brennynge charyte / techynge and prechynge bothe with ensample of good and holy lyuynge and doctryne to his neyghboure / aryseth with meruaylous loue / and clyppeth me with affeccyon of loue that am his ende / bryngynge to me the Margaryte stone of ryghtewysenesse / for euer he bare that precyous ghostly stone before hym / doynge to euery creature ryghtwysenesse / and yeldynge his dewte dyscretely / and therfore he yeldeth to me with very mekenesse ryghtwysenesse / he yeldeth also ioy presȳge to my name / to hymselfe he yeldeth indygnacyon / holdynge hymselfe vnworthy to receyue so greate grace ¶ His conscyence also yeldeth to me good wytnesse / I yelde to hym the corowne of ryghtewysenesse arayed and set with Margaryte stones of vertu / that is of the fruyte that his charyte drewe out of vertu ¶ O erthely angell all this is good to the / for thou was neuer vnkynde of the benefytes that thou receyued of me / nor thou was neuer ygnoraūte nor neclygent / but besyly with very lyghte thou hadde the eye of thy intelleccyon open vpon thy subiectes / and as a trewe and a māly shepeherde thou folowes the doctryne of the very shepeherde Ihesu cryste my onely sothefaste sone and lambe / and therfore thou goes by hym all bathed in his blode with the flocke of thy beestes / whome by thy holy lyuynge and techȳge many of them thou base
THan that soule all breÌ„nynge in loue / and ghostly drunke / was wonderly wounded in herte of so greate bytternesse / and so feruent in loue and langorynge / vertuously turned her all hole to the souerayne endelesse goodnesse of good / sayde thus ¶ O endelesse god / one lyghte aboue all other lyghtes / of whom cometh all lyghtes / and fyre passyÌ„ge all fyres / for thou arte that fyre that brennes and wastes not / but thou consumes all synne / and the propre loue that thou fyndes iÌ„ a soule / and yet thou does not waste it playnly / but thou fyghtes agaynste it with vnsacyable loue / for thoughe thou dyd fyll it / yet is it not full / but euer it desyreth more and more of thy louely fyre ¶ O souerayne endeles and good he styrred the or moued the infynyte god so for to illumyne me thy creature / that thou shall haue ende with the lyghte of thy truthe ¶ Thou thy selfe arte that same fyre / and cause of loue / for euer he is loue that moued the and moueth yet / to make vs of noughte to the ymage and lykenesse of the / and for to do vs mercy O goodnesse aboue all goodnesse / thou arte onely he that arte moste souerayne good / and yet neuerthelesse thou hase gyuen thy onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryste to vs / for to be coÌ„uersaunte ymonge vs that be ful of siynkynge and vyle synnes derkenesse ¶ Who was the causer of this ¶ Certayne loue / for thou loued vs or that we were ¶ O good god and euerlastyÌ„ge in magnyfysence / thou made thyselfe lowe lytell to make vs mykell ¶ On what syde that euer I turne me I fynde none other than the depenesse and fyre of thy most swete charyte / whether I shal be that wretche that shall yelde thaÌ„kynges to thy feruent charyte and loue that thou hase shewed and yet shewes to vs / that is so greate brennyÌ„ge loue in specyal / aboue comune loue and charyte that thou shewes to creatures ¶ Nay but thou alone swete and louely fader arte he that shall take thankynge of thy endeles goodnesse for me / that is that the affeccyon of thy charyte alone shall yelde thankynges to the / for I am she that am noughte / and yf I sayd I were oughte of myselfe I sholde ly on myselfe / and I sholde be called the lyenge doughter of the fende / the whiche is fader of lesynges ¶ For thou onely arte he that is / and therfore beynge / and all grace that thou hase sette ordeyned aboue beynge / I haue of the / for that that I haue / thou gyues me of thy propre loue / not of dewte ¶ O ryghte swete fader / whan that mankynde laye seke for the synne and trespas of Adam / thou sende it to thy leche / that is thy onely sothefaste / swete / and well beloued sone Ihesu cryste ¶ In the same wyse whaÌ„ I lay seke as now by the sekenesse of neclygence and of moche ygnoraunce / than thou moste swete and well byloued leche endelesse god gyues me ryght swete and bytter medycynes that I myghte therby be delyuered / and to ryse out of my sekenesse ¶ Swete thou arte to me / for with thy swetenesse and with thy charyte / thou shewed the to me / also thou arte to me aboue all the swetenesse that euer was / for thou hase yllumyned the eye of my intelleccyon with lyghte of holy feythe / in the whiche lyghte as it was lykynge to thy endelesse gooodnesse for to shewe me / I knewe the greate excellence and grace whiche thou hase gyuen to mankynde / mynystrynge to them by thy mynysters all god and all man / that is the blessyd sacrament in the mysteryall body of holy chyrche ¶ And also I haue knowe the dygnyte of thy mynysters / by whose hondes thou hase ordeyned thy body to be mynystred to vs / I desyred that thou wolde satysty my desyre whiche I asked of that / and thou hase fulfylled that and moche more / enformynge me of thyÌ„ges that I couthe not aske / wherby I knowe veryly that the herte of a man can not aske somoche desyre / but that thou of thy greate mercy gyues hym more ¶ And so I knowe well that thou arte he that arte infynyte and endeles good / and we be they that be vyle corrupcyoÌ„ noughte of oure selfe / but thou arte infynyte and euerlastynge / and we be fynyte and mutable ¶ Thou gyues that thynge the whiche a reasonable creature maye not nor can not desyre in that wyse / as thou can and maye and wyll satysfy a soule / and fulfyll it of those thynges that it asketh not nor in that wyse so swetely and so ryghte plesauntely / as thou gyues it to hym ¶ And therfore I haue receyued lyghte in the magnyfysence of thy charyte / for to se that loue the whiche thou hase shewed to mankynde / and specyally to thy mynysters whiche be thy anointed people / and sholde be erthely angels in this lyfe ¶ Thou hase shewed the blessydnesse and vertu of thy anoynted specyall mynysters / that lyue as breÌ„nynge lanterns / with the ghostly precyous Margaryte stone of ryghtewysenesse in holy chyrche ¶ And by theym I haue the better knowlege of the defaute of suche that lyue wretchedly / by whome for the offence of the / and harme that is done to all the worlde / I haue conceyued a sorowe in my soule / bycause they do so moche harme to the worlde / and so to be myrrours of wretchednesse / there as they sholde be myrrours of vertu ¶ And also for asmoche as thou hase made the open to me most wretche / whiche am the cause and instrument of the defautes of many people / and thou hase complayned the to me of theyr wyckednesse / and I fynde in myselfe a meruaylous and greate and passynge sorowe of bytternesse ¶ Thou that arte a meruaylous parfyte louer / thou hase also shewed the to me bothe swete medycynable / and also bytter / wherby I myghte aryse hole fro the sekenesse of ygnoraunce and neclygence / and with ryghte parfyte besynesse / also with feruent desyre of loue / that I myghte renu me to the / bothe knowynge thy goodnesse and myselfe / and also the offences whiche be done to the of men / and specyally of thy mynysters / that I myght therfore casâ— water of teeres on me wretche for my wretchednesse / wyâ—ynge the fruyte of suche teeres / by knowlege of thy infynyte goodnesse / and also vpon these deed folke / that do lyue also wretchedly / for whom I wolde endelesse fader meruaylous fyre loue of charyte that my desyre be neuer wery for to desyre thy worshyp and helthe of soules / and that my eyes neuer cese to wepe ¶ But now swete fader I aske the of grace that I may haue two floodes of teeres the
whiche floodes maye come oute frome the / that arte the parmanents peaseable see ¶ I thanke the fader / and endelesse thankynge be to the / that hase satysfyed to me of that I asked the / and of that I knewe not / whiche I asked not of the / and also bycause thou hase styrred me to wepe / and taught me mater of wepynge / for to offer in prayer / swete thyÌ„ges / delectable thynges / and longe desyres / before the with meke contynual prayer ¶ Now therfore I aske of the / that thou shewe mercy to the worlde / and to holy chyrche I praye the that thou fulfyll that thynge / whiche thou wolde I prayed for ¶ Wo be to me most wretche that am cause of all euyl / and yet can not sorowe it within my soule ¶ Good lorde tary no longer / but haue ruthe and pyte on all the worlde / bowe the lorde and fulfyll the desyre of thy seruaunte ¶ O what am I / thou arte he that makes bothe me and thy seruauntes for to crye to the after mercy / and therfore gracyously here the voyces of theÌ„ ¶ Thy sothefastnesse sayd thus / serche and ye shall fynde / knocke and it shall be opened to you / aske it shal be grauÌ„ted to you ¶ O endelesse fader / thy seruauntes crye to the for mercy ¶ Good fader answere them after theyr desyres / for I knowe well properly it longeth to the for to haue mercy and for to gyue mercy / and therfore thou maye not deny it / but thou muste nedes gyue mercy to them that aske it ¶ They knocke at the gate of thy sothefastnesse / for in thy onely sothefaste sone Ihesu they knocke thy meruaylous loue whiche thou hase to man / and so they crye at the gate / wherfore the fyre of thy charyte sholde not nor maye not wtholde / but that it muste nedes open the same gate to theÌ„ that knocke with parseueraunce ¶ Therfore endelesse fader / open the breestes / breke the harde hertes of thy creatures not for theÌ„ that do not knocke but do it for thy infynyte goodnesse / and for the loue of thy seruauntes / whiche for them do knocke at the gate ¶ Graunte thou endelesse fader theyr askyÌ„ge / whom thou sees stoÌ„de knockynge at the gate of thy goodnesse / and what do they aske good lorde ¶ Certayne the blode of this gate / that is the blode of thy onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / for in that blode / thou hase wasshed a waye the wyckednesse stynkyÌ„ge fylthe of synne / whiche came by the synne of Adam that is oure blode good lorde for of that blode thou hase made to vs a bathe / I knowe wel therfore thou maye not nor wyl not deny theÌ„ that aske the in parseueraunce ¶ Gyue therfore good lorde the fruyte of that blode to thy creatures / putte good lorde the pryce of that blode vpon that balaunce of thy sone / lest the fendes of hell lede awaye thy shepe with hym ¶ Thou art a veri good shepeherde that hase gyuen to vs a very trewe shepeherde / that is thy sone Ihesu / the whiche for thy obedyence gaue his lyfe for his shepe / of his blode made a bathe ¶ This is the blode that thy seruauÌ„tes do aske of the as hongry soules at thy gate by the whiche blode they aske that thou shewe mercy to the worlde / make holy chyrche smell swetely in swete smellynge floures of vertu / and deuoute and holy curates / with whose swete smell / they put awaye the stynkyÌ„ge smell of stynkynge floures ¶ Thou endelesse fader dyd saye / that for the loue whiche thou hase to thy reasonable creatures / for the prayers of thy seruauntes / that suffer moche labour for soules / thou wolde shewe mercy to the worlde / and araye holy chyrche worthyly / and so refresshe vs. ¶ Therfore delaye not / nor tary not endeles fader for to turne to synners thy eye of mercy but say to theÌ„ thus or that ye cryed to me for mercy / I herde you with my ere of mercy ¶ Open good lorde the gate of thy meruaylous charyte / the whiche thou hase graunted to vs by the grace of thy sone ¶ I knowe ryghte well good lorde that thou openes the gate or that we knocke ther at / for with the affecyon and loue that thou hase gyuen to thy seruauÌ„tes / they knotke to the crye / sekynge thy worshyp helthe of soules ¶ Therfore endelesse fader graunte theÌ„ breed of lyfe / that is the fruyte of thy blode of thy onely sone sothefaste Ihesu / whiche fruyte they aske of the / for ioye and worshyp of thy name and helthe of soules ¶ For it semeth and sothe it is that it is more ioye to the / worshyp for to saue soules of thy creatures / than for to suffer them obstynately in hardenesse of herte ¶ To the endeles fader al this is possyble / for thoughe thou made vs withoute vs / yet thou wyll not saue vs without vs. ¶ And therfore constrayne theyr wylles gracyously / dyspose theÌ„ for to desyre and wyll / that they wyll not ¶ This I aske the for thy infynyte mercy / thou hase made vs of noughth / therfore nowe to suche as we be / shewe mercy / refresshe the vessels that thou hase made and formed to the ymage and lykenesse of the / reforme them to grace / in the mercy in the blode of of thy ryght swete and well byloued sone Ihesu cryst ✚ LAVS DETVR DEO ¶ Nowe moder and systren here I haue made an ende of this the fyfte boke / in the whiche you may fynde ghostly / good / holy doctryne for the helthe of soules / with greate consolacyon comforte to youreselfe / with swete herbes and plantes of swete odour and smell In the whiche boke is made meÌ„cyon of the blessyd sacrament and of his vertues / with the reformacyoÌ„ of preestes and theyr subiectes / with many and dyuers maters / and ensamples of good lyuyÌ„ge / as is conteyned in the sayde boke Sexta ¶ The syxte boke ¶ The fyrst chapyter speketh of the syxte party / and it treateth moche of the prouydence of god / and fyrste of his prouydence generally / that is to say / how god prouyded man to be man / how he formed hym of noughte to his ymage and lykenesse ¶ And howe god prouyded man to sanacyon with incarnacyon of his sone / whan the gates of Paradyse were shyt for the synne of Adam ¶ And how he prouyded hymselfe / gyuynge hymselfe contynually to vs in the meet of the auter ¶ Also how god prouyded to gyue hope in his creatures / how he that moste parfytely hopeth / moste tasteth the prouydence of god ¶ And of other maters / suche as be rehersed to you before in the kalender Ca. i. benedictê° q
theyr chyldren / or of theyr other frendes they charge them not / but rather they beholden they in as my enemyes ¶ And whan they se them tourmeÌ„ted / they dyscorde iÌ„ not hyÌ„ge fro my wyll / for theyr desyres be fullfylled / the desyre of soules in blysse is to se and beholde my worshyp fullfylled in you / that yet be walkers in the way / the whiche be strauÌ„gers pylgrymes / goynge fast to the ende of dethe ¶ All your soules helthe / they that be in blysse done couer / for the desyre that they haue to my worshyp ¶ Therfore they pray alway for you whose desyre is fulfylled of my party / so that ye wtstoÌ„de not my mercy / for tomoche ignoraunce blyndenesse ¶ Forthermore those soules that be in blys / desyre to take agayne theyr bodyes for encrese of blys / that they sholde haue / whaÌ„ that soule the body come togyder / but that desyre noyeth the not / though they haue not theyr desyre / iÌ„ acte or in dede ¶ But they ioye with a ghostly desyre of knowynge / they fele tast ioyenge of that sykernes / whiche they haue of theyr desyre / that shall be fulfylled ¶ Therfore thoughe they haue not theyr desyre in acte / it noyeth theym not / for thoughe they haue it not / theyr blys faylâ—â— not / therfore the lacke of theyr 〈◊〉 / causeth theÌ„ no peyne ¶ And â—â—â—nke you not that the body gyueth 〈◊〉 blys to the soule after the resurâ—â—â—â—on ¶ It is not so / for yf it were â—o / â—â—dâ—s 〈◊〉 wolde folowe / that in to yeâ—yme they had agayne theyr bodyâ—â—â— they sholde haue in partyte blys 〈…〉 may not be / for they lacke no â—â—yon ¶ Wherfore there is no 〈…〉 man that bryngeth blys to his 〈◊〉 / but the soule shall gyue blys to 〈…〉 y. ¶ ThaÌ„ shall the soule gyue 〈◊〉 yeweher habuÌ„daunce of newe 〈◊〉 in the daye of IudgemeÌ„t so 〈◊〉 â—â—othynge of her owne flesshe 〈…〉 iefte / whan the soule deâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—ody by dethe ¶ Ryght 〈…〉 is made vndeedly / and al 〈…〉 in engthed in me / so shall 〈…〉 be made in the same vnyon 〈◊〉 â—oly ¶ And all the heuynesse â—â—rosyte of the body shal awaye and shall be made sotell and lyghte ¶ Wherfore thou shall vnderstonde that euery body gloryfyed / maye passe throwe the stonen walles ¶ Nother fyre nor water maye noye them / that is not by the vertu of the body / but by that vertu of thou soule ¶ Whiche soule is properly myne / gyueÌ„ to the body by grace / by loue / throwe the whiche grace loue / I formed theÌ„ / made theÌ„ to my ymage lykenes ¶ The eye of thy intelleccyon suffyseth not to se / nor thy ere 's to here / nor toÌ„gue to tell / nor maÌ„nes herte to thyÌ„ke / the grete goodnes other blys / whiche is inestimable ¶ O doughter what grete ioy haue they / whiche euer beholde me that am all good ¶ O how moche solace they shall haue / whan they shal be gloryfyed in theyr bodyes ¶ Whiche solace al be it they sholden not haue in to the daye of dome yet sholde the soules haue no peyne for that lacke of theyr bodyes / for that blyssed heed of the soule fayleth not / for she is euer full of blys in herselfe / to the whiche blys / she shall come with the body / as I haue sayde before ¶ I tolde the of the goodnes that maye not be thought / the whiche a body gloryfyed shal haue in the humanyte gloryfyed of my dere sone / whiche humanyte gyueth to you clerely a sykernes of your resurreccyoÌ„ ¶ Ther they ioy make theÌ„ glad in his wouÌ„des / whiche wouÌ„des cese not to cry euery day mercy for you to me that am the fader ¶ All blyssed soules be coÌ„forted with hym in ioye and gladnes / eye with eye / and with honde / and with all that hole body of my onely sone ¶ All ye sholde be confyrmed in me a bydynge / so ye sholde dwell in hym / for he is all one with me ¶ The eye of your body as I sayde / shall haue gladnes iÌ„ the humanyte gloryfyed of my sone ¶ And this is the cause / for theyr lyues ended in the loue of my charyte ¶ And therfore with that charyte they ben parseuer auÌ„te / abydâ— euerlastyÌ„gely ¶ Not so that they may do ony good / but they Ioye in that loue whiche they had that is to say for they maye not haue ony merytory dede in excersyce ¶ For here in this lyfe onely / meÌ„ synne do merytory dedes as theÌ„ lyke at theyr owne wyâ— with theyr fre choyse ¶ They that abyde iÌ„ blys / abyde not the dyuyne dome with drede / but with ioye ¶ The face of my sone shall not be seen drede full to theÌ„ nor ful of hate / for asmoche as theyr lyfe ended in my loue / in the benyuoleÌ„ce of theyr neyghbours ¶ Thou shall also vnderstonde / that there shall no chauÌ„gyÌ„ge of face be iÌ„ hyÌ„ to theyr syght / wha he cometh to Iudge in my maieste / but in theÌ„ that shall be â—udged of hyÌ„ / to theÌ„ ther shall be dredefull chauÌ„gynge of lokyÌ„ge ¶ He shal appere to that soules that shall be dapned with ryghtwysenes hatered / to theÌ„ that shall be saued / with mercy loue ¶ ThaÌ„ after the generall IudgemeÌ„t the peyne of dampned soules shall encrese DOughter I haue tolde that of the dygnyte of ryghtfull men / by the whiche thou maye know that more lyghtly / the mysery of theÌ„ that be dampned ¶ This is an other peyne to theyr myseryes / for to beholde somoche blys of ryghtful meÌ„ / whiche beholdynge is to theÌ„ encrese of peynes / as it is to ryghtfull meÌ„ the daÌ„pnacyon of them that be dampned / an addycyon of gladnes of my goodnes / for lyghte is better knowe for derkenes / and derkenes for lyghte ¶ Therfore the syght of seyntes shall be to them peyne / and with peyne they adyde the laste daye of Iudgement / for they se well therby grete encrese of peyne to them / so it shal be ¶ For whaÌ„ it shall be sayde to theÌ„ with an hortyble voyce / Aryse ye that be deed come to the Iudgement / than shall the soule go agayne to the body ¶ And in ryghtfull meÌ„ the body shall be gloryfyed / of theÌ„ that shal be daÌ„pned the body shall be tourmented wtout ende ¶ And grete stryues shall be ymonge them / and repreues in beholdynge of my sothefastnes / and of blyssed seyntes ¶ And thaÌ„ the worme of conscyence freteth that marowz of that tree that is the soule / and the vtter rynde of the tree that is the body / the holy blode that was shed for theym they shold vndernyme ¶ Also theyr dedes of mercy teÌ„poral spyrytual / they sholde repreue
chaungynge that they began / for to aryse with drede fro peyne / fro manyfolde pryckynges of trybulacyons / and fro wretchydnesse of deedly synnes ¶ And therfore by cause they withdrawe them out fro this depenesse none otherwyse / therfore they maye not attayne for to come to the loue of vertues / nor they maye wynne no parseuerauÌ„ce ¶ A soule is euer mouyÌ„ge / and therfore yf it go not forth by vertues / it must nedes go backe warde in vyces / to stonde styll the maye it not all suche may neuer profyte in vertu / as loÌ„ge as they atteyne not the loue therof / but they must nedes go styll backewarde ¶ The .iii. chapytre telleth / how this soule fell in a mournynge for the blyndenesse of them whiche were drowned in the floode before sayde Also how the grees beÌ„ fygured in the forsayd brydge / that is to saye in goddes sone / betokeneth the very .iii. myghtes of the soule / and of other maters / as is wryten before in the kalender Ca. iii. THan this deuoute soule anguysshed by grete desyre and coueted to knowe her imparfeccyoÌ„ / bothe of herselfe and of other / hauynge ruthe pyte vpon the blyndenesse of suche wretchyd creatures ¶ And whan she had longe beholden the goodnes of god / that in what state ony creature reasonable stoÌ„deth in / yf he wyl hymselfe / he maye wynne wayes of sanacyon / and not be let ¶ For all thynge may be to hym for excersyce and experyence of vertu ¶ Yet neuertheles by theyr owne propre loue and vnordynate affeccyon / they go backewarde and wyll not amende them / but rather walke in the water of the falne floode beforesayde / so as she semed / they went fyrste to hell ¶ And many of them that dyd begyÌ„n to go / went fast back warde / whan she had herde by the goodnes of god / the was his pleasure to shewe her of hym selfe / the cause of all this by the whiche she was brought in to greate sorowe / thaÌ„ she set stydfastly her eye of vnderstondynge to the endelesse fader of lyght / and sayde thê° Â¶ O meruaylous loue of goodnesse / grete dysceyte is ymonge thy creatures / I wolde yf it were plesyÌ„ge to thi endeles goodnes / knowe more largely and dyffusely the thre degrees / fygured in the body of thy onely begoten sone / and what maner men maye holde and kepe / that they maye come parfytely out of the floode / and to go vertuously in the waye of thy truthe / and also who be they that ascende vpon the ladder ¶ How thre degrees ben fygured in the foresayd brydge that is to say in goddes sone / be to keneth the thre myghtes of the soule Than the meruaylous goodnes of god / beholdyÌ„ge the desyre ghostly hongre of that soule / with the eye of his mercy / answered sayde thus ¶ Ryght well byloued doughter / I am no dyspyser of holy desyres / but rather a deuoute receyuer of holy desyres / and therfore I wyll declare to the / all that thou does aske of me ¶ Thou does aske thre degrees to be declared to the / and also I shall tell the what maner of wyse they sholde haue theÌ„ that comen out of this floode / wyl ascende vpon this brydge ¶ And thoughe I tolde the before the dysceyte and blyndenesse of man / and how he tasteth in maner in this worlde the ernest of hell / and how they receyue euerlastynge dampnacyon / as the beuyls martyrres / whose maner of lyuynge is rehersed before / the whiche I tolde the toke of the wycked werkes of fendes / wher also I tolde the by what maner wyse they maye wtdrawe theÌ„ fro suche maner lyuynge yf they wyll ¶ Neuerthelesse to till fyll thy desyre / I shall declare to the them more largely ¶ Thou knowes ryght well / that all maner of wylles be grouÌ„ded in a mannes propre loue / the which loue is a maner of a cloude / that taketh awaye the lyght of reason / that is the lyght of very feythe / whiche the reason kepeth wtin her / and that one may not be lost without the other ¶ At the begynnynge whan I made mannes soule I made it to the ymage lykenesse of me / gyuynge to her mynde / understondynge and wyll ¶ But the worthyer party of the soule is intelleccyon or vnderstondynge / for vnderstondynge is moued of affeccyoÌ„ / and vnderstondynge moueth affeccyon ¶ The mouynge or styrrynge of loue that is to saye of affeccyon / enformeth the mynde and teeheth it how that it sholde not forgete the benefytes receyued of me / by the whiche mynde / the loue is made bely nothynge slowe nor dull / and the loue or the affeccyon of loue / maketh the mynde kynde and nothynge vnkynde ¶ And thus one myghte or power of the soule / is helpynge and contrybutory to an other / and so is the soule fed in the lyfe of grace ¶ A sâ—nle may by no maner of way lyue without loue / but euer it must loue some thynge / for of loue it is made ¶ And therfore I sayde to the yf thou haue good remembraunce that affeccyon of loue is moued or styrred by vnderstondynge / as thoughe he sayde thus ¶ I wyll loue / for the meet that I vse / is loue ¶ ThaÌ„ efte sones she felynge herselfe styrred by the effecte and spede of loue / anone she aryseth as thoughe loue sayde thus yf thou wyll loue well / that thou askes I shall gyue ye. ¶ And anone with that she arysethe vp / and beholdeth so greate worthynesse of me and vnworthynese of the soule / in the whiche vnworthynes / she is fall by her owne synnes ¶ And how by the worthynesse of theyr owne beynge / she tasteth my vncreate charyte and meruaylous goodnesse / by the whiche I made her / and in beholdynge of her owne wretchydnes she fyndeth and tasteth my mercy / for by my mercy I haue drawe her out of derkenesse / lende her a tyme space of amedement / thaÌ„ is affeccyon noryshed in loue / openynge the mouthe of her holy desyre / by the whiche sheeteth deuoureth by dysplesauÌ„ce hate her propre sensualyte with very mekenes parfyte pasyence / the whiche she hathe wonne by the hate of herselfe ¶ After tyme therfore vertues be coÌ„ceyued / whether a soule worke with them parfytely or vnparfytely / as she vseth parfeccyon / or vnê‘feccyoÌ„ in herselfe / as I shall tell the afterwarde ¶ Yf it so be that the outwarde felynge of affeccyoÌ„ moue herselfe so / that the eye of her vnderstondyÌ„ge onely e loue outewarde sensyble thynges / than the affeccyon moueth herselfe / and onely putteth before the eye of vnderstoÌ„dynge with her owne propre loue worldely and traÌ„sytory vanytes / with dysplesaunce of vertu and loue of vyces / wherby she draweth to her bothe pryde and vnpasyence ¶ And so the mynde is with