whan they se the rodde or whyppe Deth therfore is nat to be feared / nor dredde for any peyne that is therin Many done dye departe this lyfe nat onely as we sayd without peyne / but also with desyre and pleasure Which thyng we haue before Probacyon by reason proued by auctoryte / and good reason / wyll conclude the same For yf peyne be in dethe / that peyne muste nedely be / other in the body or in the soule But in the body at the poynte of dethe is no peyne For than ben all the senses and wyttes of the body wherby he shulde feale peyne or pleasure / gone and departed the bodye than in suche case as for fealynge peyne as whan it is full dede And as vnto the soule / deth is nat peynefull but rather pleasant and ioyfull / as a person that long had ben in prison / and then were sodenly loused and put at lyberte De bono mortis For as saynt Ambrose sayth The soule is in prison / whyle it is in the body therfore is it glad to be delyuered by deth And to saye trothe whan the poynt of deth approcheth and draweth nere bothe the partes in maner ben glad to deê‘te in souÌ„dre / that is to saye Marowse they cal in the couÌ„trâ— .ii. housbaÌ„d men that done tyll their laÌ„de together the soule from the body / the body from the soule / as by example of .ii. marowes or .ii. suche persones that muste nede labour bothe to gether vnto such an effecte / purpose / as can nat come to pas and be fulfylled by one of them alone / then at nyght or when theyr purpose is ended they ben gladde wher the tone is nat able theruÌ„to alone with out helpe to depart vnto theyr owne propre whomes logynges and places So is it of the soule and the body / that here as .ii. marowse or mates done labour to gether as in an exyle or straunge countrey for as saynt Paule sayth non habemê° hic ciuitatem manentem / we haue nat here sayth he any cytie or dwellynge place / and whan that labour of them bothe to gether hathe fulfylled the course of nature vnto the periode / poynt assygned of god / than done they gladly depart eueryche towarde his propre whome / that is the bodye vnto the erthe from whens it came Gene. iii. d. And the soule vnto heuyn / except it be letted with any synne which may neuer entre into heuen Thus haue we proued vnto you bothe hy auctoryte and by reason / that in deth is no peyne and so that no feare shulde be taken of any or for any suche peyne yet shall I go forther and proue the same by experyence Probacyon by experyence For lady experyence hath shewed oftymes / vnto many persones that in dethe is no peyne For some persones haue ben in traunce / that for the tyme haue had a large experyence of dethe / whan the body was so desolate of the soule / that the body felt nothynge ne any thynge perceyued by any of the senses or wyttes / and yet hath the soule in the same tyme sene / perceyued the state of heuen hell or any other place ii Cor. xii a. Saynt Paule was so in suche rapte / that he coulde nat tell him selfe whether the soule was in his bodye or nat And that was a large and nere experyence of dethe / but yet nother he ne any of those so takyn in trauÌ„ce or rapt / haue made any mencyon of any peyne in theyr rapte ergo there is no peyne in deth Swonynge also or talmynge / is in maner a dethe / syth the body for that tyme is destytute / and voyde of all the wyttes and some in suche swones talmes done expyre dye and departe this lyfe yet those that done suruyue / recouer lyue agayne / done euydently shewe what peyne they had or suffred / that so departed in theyr swone or talme / but they confesse / and say playnly they felte no maner of payne / but rather a greate ease of all peynes ergo in dethe is no peyne Some ê‘sones also haue expyred and dyed slepynge which I doubt nat shulde haue ben waked yf a pynne or a nedell had ben thraste or put through theyr eares or yf fyre had brent theyr fynger / ergo no peyne in deth Let vs yet go vnto a forther experyence of deth Io. xi d. Lazare brother to Magdalene and Martha as the Gospell sheweh was dede .iiii. dayes and yet reysed by our sauyour many haue ben reysed by myracle I knewe and spake with one suche my selfe But nothynge haue I herde / or redde of any peyne that any of them suffre in dethe / ergo no peyne in deth and so doth saynt Ambrose plainly / affyrm in a boke that he wrote of the goodnes and profyte of dethe Amb. de bonomor tis .ii. li. de Cain et Abel cap. x. The feare sayth he that the frayle persones haue of dethe / is rather by the opinyon that they conceyue of deth / then for the selfe deth Bycause they haue sene or herd tell of many great paynes syckenesses and passyons that many done suffre before theyr dethe / and that causeth theyr frayle flesshe to abhorre De bono mortis cap. viii and to lothe deth / bycause of those peynes and greues And specyally suche persones as haue a loue inordynate vnto the vayne pleasures of this present lyfe And those also that iÌ„ a whole body haue a sycke soule / foyled conscyence moste done they feare dethe that halte and ben faynte in the faythe And no meruayle thoughe suche maner of persons do feare In tusvbi sup drede deth For as the lerned Cicero sayth yf theyr lyfe had nothynge coÌ„myttes ne done / that were to be feared they shulde of dethe haue no drede wyse men done feare synne whiche is the acte / and dede of quycke and nat of dede persones We shulde sayth saynt Ambrose feare drede our life / the actes and dedes wherof De bono mortis de supra done appertayne and belonge vnto our selfe / and ben iÌ„ our owne power and at our owne will / nat feare dethe that is nother in our wyll ne power For whether we wyll or nat that is / wyll we nyll we expire / and dye / nedely we must De remedis fortuit coruÌ„ Cice. vbi supra Than as we sayd before as the wyse maÌ„ Seneke saythe / it is great foly to feare and drede that thynge / that by no meane maye be escaped ne auoyded And who so euer wyll remayne in suche feare or drede Cicero vbi sup shal neuer lyue in quietude and rest of mynde Wyse men sayeth Cicero / done nat feare dethe / but rather done they contemne dispyse dethe / set nought therby / which thynge doutbles doth moch auayle
I may nowe at this tyme receyue this holy sacrifice of thy blessed body and blode with puryte of hart clenenes of conscience with the gracious fountayne of deuout swete teares with desyre drede with honour and reuerence / with mekenes of harte / and feruour of loue / with spirituall gladnes and heuenly ioy And yf it may please thy goodnes lorde let me be somwhat reysed vp in spirite I dare not say vnto the very felynge and perceyuynge but vnto some maner lytle smake or taste of the swetenes of thy godly mooste pleasaunt presence and vnto the deuocion of thy holy aungels and sayntes that here be now presente about the same / and that I maye with them fynally be there present where now they be Amen O Moost gentyll lorde mercyfull sauyour Iesu / I beseche the for this holy mystery of thy blessed body and blode wherwith we vnworthy wretches ben dayly fed in thy churche and dayly wasshed clensed sanctified and made hole / and so parteyners of thy moost hygh diuinity and godhed Graunt me lord and gyue me the precious garment of innocency with suche garnysshe of other garmētes therunto accordyng as best may please thy grace Wherwith apparelled / bawned / dressed I may as in my nupciall and weddynge clothyng in good and clene cōscience approche vnto thy presence So that this celestiall heuenly sacrament ryceyued may be vnto me helth and saluacion of soule and body / vnto lyue euerlastynge Amen GOod swete mayster moste hyghly lerned / and best expert phisicion lord Iesu my sauyour I beseche thy gentyll harte to cure and hele my infyrme / feble / syke hart frome all maner of langoures / diseases / and sykenesses / Palate is the rofe of the mouthe and so to refourme and season the palate of my soule and mynd that I neuer sauer fele ne taste any maner of swetenes but onely thy selfe For thou good lord arte the moost swete sauored bred / the moost white / pleasaunte and most noble and beste nourisshynge bread / the bread of all breades / the bread paynmayne of pleasure the bread of all fortitude and strength / the bread of all vnderstandynge and knowledge / the bread of all grace good wyll / the bread of lyfe that hast in thy selfe all maner of delectament and pleasure / gyuest lyfe vnto the world And of thy moost excellent charity doste euer contynually refresshe and fede vs with thyne owne selfe yet in thy selfe doste nothyng waste / minushe / ne faynte / or fayle Let my hart good lord therfore fede vpon the / spiritually eate and drynke the / be so fed of the / that my soule may be fully saciat and fylled of the swete sauyour and taste of the sauory swetenes of thy diuine presence GOod swete lorde / I beseche the come thy selfe / entre in to my hart make clene myne inward partes from all inquinamētes / and filthynes of mynd and of spirite Entre good lord into my soule / make me whole frome all synfull diseases Sanctifye clēse me now and at al tymes vnto thy selfe for thy selfe Be thou good lord thy selfe both the phisicion the medicin / the salue and the surgeon the helth and conseruaciō of both my body soule Put awaye from me good lord all the crafty assayles and the sleyghty wyles of myne enimies that they haue nothynge to do with me but that thou lord alone may occupy me wholly vnto thy selfe so that nothyng els haue any tyme power ouer me but that I alwaye preserued and defended by this blessyd sacramēt may go forth contynue profyte perseuerantly in the pathe and way of my profession / thy holy christiā religion with due obseruaūce reguler disciplines christiā maners and all due catholyke obedience perteynyng vnto the same And that I neuer consent ne lene vnto any of them that ben contrarious thereunto Amen Ex cano ne miss GOod blessyd lorde father omnipotent eterne euerlastynge god I moost entierly beseche thy goodnes to graunt me grace so worthely now to receyue this holy sacred body and blessyd blode of my swete sauyour Iesu Christe that I may therby deserue to haue full remission and forgyuenes of all my synnes and to be replete and fulfylled with thy holy spirit and to haue thy peace For thou alone art my lord thou only my god / and non other thou lorde the entiere and inward loue of my hart / the true quietude and sure rest of my mynde the whole desyre of my soule Whose gloryouse impery and gouernaunce remayneth perfectly abydeth cōtynueth and indureth for euermore world without ende Amen MI swete lord god Ex eodē father of heuyn the fountayne well and spryng of all bountie goodnes / that moued of thy moost pyteouse mercy woldest vouchesafe that thyn owne sonne our sauiour Iesu Christe shulde descende and come down for vs for our sake vnto this wretched worlde / and here take flesshe and bloode of the blessyd virgyn his mother Mary and therin for vs to susteyne suffre and bere our myseryes moost bytter passyon intollerable and greuous payns and moost cruell and mooste shamefull dethe I beseche the lord graūt me that grace that I may dayly worshype the gloryfy the / and with all the intēt and wyll of my hart I may laude prayse the. And that thou good lord neuer leue ne forsake me / thy pore and wretched seruaunt but of thy depe and great mercy thou clerely forgyue and forget all my synnes So that in clene hart and chast body I may be able to serue the alone / my lorde eterne / euerlastyng / lyuynge / and very God omnipotent Amen Myne owne swete lorde sauyour Iesu very essenciall sonne of almyghty God / that of thy profound depe mercy by the wyll of thy eterne father by the workynge of the holy ghost haste by thy passion and deth quyckened and redemed the world I beseche moost lowly thy holy grace / in the honour of this thy holy sacred body blessed blode whiche I vnworthy wretche presume to receyue for the welthe of my soule that thou wilt vouchsafe to perdō my boldenes and to delyuer me quyte from all iniquities / offenses / all maner of euyls whereby in any tymes I haue or may any tyme hereafter offend or displease thy gracious goodnes And thou good lord make me euer obedient vnto thy wyll and commaundement And that thou neuer suffre me swete lorde to be perpetually departed from the my swete lord sauyour Iesu Christe that with the father with the holy ghoste lyueste and reygnest very selfe same essenciall god / world without ende Amen O Souerayn lorde sauyour Iesu / although I most vnworthy wretche now here do accede presume approche vnto this worthy sacrament of thy mooste precyous body and bloode yet I beseche thy
Eccle. i b Eccle. i. b Prouer. xv The begynnynge of all wysdome is the drede of god and in al our lyfe after the wyse man shuld we be dredefull For he that dredeth god sayth he shal at his ende haue good passage For the drede of god causethe vs to fle and auoyde synne / and moche helpeth forthereth that euery good dede may be done with due circumstaunce / so be meritoryous The dredeful persone wyll suffre take peyne to please our lorde / and so shall the thynge that seamed very harde in the begynnyng wax in processe of tyme lyght / easy and pleasaūt for all peyne and trouble taken and vsed for the kyngdome of heuen / is of great cōforte and gladnes ¶ Vauntage VTilyte profyte or vauntage is to sell or to chaūge a thyng of small pryce for a thynge of great pryce Or contrary to bye for lytell that is moche worth The state of perfectyon in this lyfe is moche worthe / but heuen is more worth Math. xix ◠Our lorde sauyour therfore coūseyled / aduysed a person to forsake sel all his wordly goodes to come here vnto the lyfe of perfection And after he shulde also haue for them the treasure of heuen And yf a man haue no goodes to sell yet may he bye heuē for a cup of cold water Mathei x. d An happy bargayn maketh he that for loue alone doth bye our lord and sauyour Iesu that by his crosse bytter passyon deth bought all the worlde Here you maye se moche gaynes greate auauntage Who wyll now forsake this bargayne surely none that is wyse happy or gracious than gyue thy selfe man wholly for hym that gaue hym selfe wholly for the. ¶ Xp̄e Christe Xp̄e is a worde of the Greke tonge and wryten communely in Latyn with the Greke letters as thus Xp̄s Christ For this letter X with them is with vs Ch and this letter P with them is with vs R the other letters ben with vs and them in lyke both in forme and sownde Christe in our tonge is as moche to saye as a person oynted And bycause we in our baptisme be oynted we bē of Christe / called Christianes / so that we shuld of ryghte dedycate our lyfe wholy vnto Christe / he shulde be our very lyfe and our loue Christ shuld be our lesson our lernyng Christe also our medytacyon and communycacyō Christe alone our lucre / gaynes profyte and auauntage Christe our treasore / ryches / and our whole desyre Christe all our hope and truste For yf we put our trust or any thynge desyre but Christ we shall sure be deceyued / labour in vayne and neuer fynde rest Let christe therfore vnto euery christiāe be all fynally his meryte / rest reward ¶ ymnes Y Is a letter of the Greke tōge and neuer wrytē in Latyn / but yet it is wrytē in the Englyshe tonge and therfore done we wryte ymnes after the Englysshe maner An ympne or ympnes is as moche to say as songe or songes / laude or prayse suche songes specyally as the churche doth vse in metres to laude prayse god / and so done the angelles and holy sayntes in heuen It becomethe therfore euery christyane to laude prayse our lord to be diligent in his seruyce And to consydre what differēce is betwene the seruyce of god / the seruyce of the flesshe / the world and the deuyll Who so doth synne is the bonde seruaūt of synne and so felowe vnto the deuyll / and in the same state for the tyme with hym Io. viii d And those that bē all worldly ben seruauntes vnto the worlde that is vnto auaryce whiche saynt Paule called the bondage thrall seruyce of ydolles Col. iii. a And the carnall persones ben thralles bond sernauntes vnto the flesshe so done they seruyce vnto deth for the flesshe is but wormes meate the corrupcion of the bodye / yet more stynkynge / and lothsom than of any brute beaste It is foode of infyrmyte / the lyfe of synne / the lodgynge place of fendes It is the enemy of the spirite / deformyth the soule / desteyneth blotteth christiāe disciplyne and all good maner behauyour hyndreth holdeth backe all maner of vertue And the flesshe is vnreasonable / so that by no meanes wyl it be corrected and vaynquesshed or ouercom but only by violence / cōsydre nowe what it is to do seruyce vnto suche a sorte And cōtrary the seruyce of god is the helthe of the body / the quietude and rest of the mynde / the conforte of conscience The prudence and wysdom of the spirite The promoter of vertue The beaute of the soule / and the lyfe of heuenly blysse a dulce swete and pleasaunte ympne ympne to serue god with / is with a louynge hart to laude prayse hym in euery tribulacyon ¶ Zachye ZAche cometh of the Ebrewe tonge and is by interpretacyon as moche to say as a persone Innocent / pure / clene and iuste or ryghtwyse And after some auctours a persone iustifyed and makynge hast / Zache was the propre name of a persone / that by the testymonye of the gospell for the great desyre he had to se our sauyour dyd clymbe in to a tree because he was of stature very lytle and that with great hast and gladnes descended and came downe at his commaundement to receyue hym into his house / where by our sauiour he was iustifyed and rendred apt vnto the way of saluacion This name Zache than dothe well frame and agre vnto euery faythfull christiane / that by his professyon shuld be Innocent / pure and clene / glad by fayth to se and knowe our lorde And redy with hast and diligēce to descende come downe frome the hyght of secular science and of all worldly state And to receyue hym in to the house of his soule by true kepynge of his worde commaundement / for vnto suche persons he promised to come with the father of heuē with thē to make his mansyō and dwellinge place And after therby to brynge thē to his owne celestiall paleyse / into the glory of eterne euerlastynge blysse Amen ¶ The conclusion LEt euery faythfull persone wryte this Alphabete A. B C. or crosrowe in the boke of his harte as in the boke of lyfe And euery daye / by day loke there vpon and vse the maners / effecte conteyned in the same For here ben but fewe wordes / and short lessons but in misterye they ben great and the very way and werkes of perfectiō / wherwith euery persō may outwardely be adorned and garnysshed with christiāe disciplyne / and good godly behauiour And inwardly moche / in the herte / in the mynde be quieted rested / cōueyed and browght or led vnto the grounde and begynnynge of all good perfectiō that is / that a persone shulde distruste
/ or els Benedicite after the coÌ„mune beuer The places of scyleÌ„ce ben the church and cloustre / the fraytour and the dortour / yf you be sclaundred / and do take occasyon at the defaute or offence of any ê‘son / then loke well vpon your selfe / whether you be in the same defaut soÌ„tyme your selfe / and than haue compassyon vpon your brother or syster If there be none suche defaut in you / thynke verely and beleue there may be / than do as in lyke you wolde be done vnto And thus as in a glas you may se and beholde your selfe Grudge nat ne complayne vpon any person for any maner cause / except you se and perceyue by large coniecture that you may profyte edyfy therby Nother deny nor afferme your mynde or oppynyon styfly or extremely but that your affyrmacyon denegatioÌ„ or doubt be euer powdered with salt / that is to say / wysdome / discrecyon and pacyence Vse nat in any wyse to mocke / checke or scorne / ne yet to laugh or smyle but ryght seldome And that alway to shewe reuereÌ„ce or louynge maner / lyght countenauÌ„ce or loude behauyour becommeth nat a sad person Let your coÌ„municacyon be shorte with fewe ê‘sones / alway of vertue lernyng / or good and chrystyane edyfycacyon / and euer with suche warenes that no persone in thynges doubtfull maye take any auctoryte of your wordes or sentence Lette all your pastyme be spended in bodely laboures / good and profytable or els godly in study / or that passeth all in holy and deuoute prayer So that the hert mynde be occupyed with the same you speke And whaÌ„ so euer that you praye for any certayne persons / remembre theyr degree state and condicyon For a forme ordre of your prayer / this may be good and a redy waye To folowe the ordre of the .vi. grammatycall cases The nominatyue / the genityue / the datyue / the accusatyue / the vocatyue and ablatyue The nominatyue that is fyrste to praye for your felfe / that you may haue ghostlye strengthe and constancye / that you nat fall in to any deedly offence by fraylte And the ii that you may haue right knowledge of god by fayth and of your selfe by due consyderacyon of your estate and condycyon / and of the lawes of god / for your condyte contynuaunce And thyrdly that you may haue grace and good wyl accordynge vnto the same strenthe knowledge / that hauyng vnto god a reuereÌ„de drede you neuer offeÌ„de hym iÌ„ thought / word nor dede but that ye may euer loue him for him selfe and all his creatures in due ordre for hym and in hym The seconde is the genityue case Then must you pray for your genitours / your progenitours and parentes / that is to saye / your fathers your mothers spirytuall and carnall as your ghostly fathers / or spirytuall soueraynes / your godfaders / your godmothers / youre naturall father and mother / your graundfathers and graundmothers / your brothers and systers / and all your kynne In the thyrde place is the datyue case There must you praye for your benefactours / good doers of whome you haue receyued any maner of gyftes spirytuall or temporall vnto the welth of your soule body In the fourth place is the accusatyue case where you shulde pray for your enemyes / such ê‘sons as by any meanes haue noyed / hurt or greued you / eyther ghostly or bodely / that is to saye / in your soule or maners by any suggestioÌ„ / intysynge / euyll counseyll or euyll example In your fame or good name / by detraccyon / bacbytynge or sclauÌ„deryng / or yet by familyer companye For a person comunely is reputed and supposed to be of suche condicyon / as they ben with whome he hath conuersacyon and companye And for them that haue hurt your body eyther by strokes or by any other occasion haue hyndred the state helthe therof And lykewyse of your goodes or possessyoÌ„s For all these maner of enemyes must you pray / that our lord god wolde forgyue them as you do / and as you forgyuen wolde be and that they may come to ryght charyte and peace The .v. case is called the vocatyue that is to saye the callyng case / where you conuenyently may call / crye and praye vnto our lorde for all maner of ê‘sones that ben out of the state of grace Eyther by infydelyte as turkes sarasyns and suche other / or els by erroure as all maner of heretykes / or els by any deedlye synne or offence to god Pray for al these maner of persones that they may come to the ryght waye of theyr saluacyon In the .vi. last place is the ablatyue case / where you must pray for all them that be taken out of this life / and that dyed or passed the same lyfe in charyte / and that nowe haue nede of prayer In the which you may kepe a forme of the same ordre that is before / that is to saye In stede of the nominatyue where you prayed for youre selfe you may nowe praye for all those that do byde in payne for any defaulte or offence done by your example or occasyon And for the genytyue in the seconde place / for your parentes and all youre kynne departed this lyfe And in the .iii. place for the datiue / pray for your benefactours passed And for the accusatyue in the iiii place / you may praye for them that lye in payne for any occasyon or any example that they gaue vnto you And in the .v. place / for the vocatyue Praye for all them that haue greatest paynes and leaste helpe here by the suffrage of prayers And for the ablatyue in the .vi. and last place Pray you for all soules in general And that you may be the more apte to pray / call thre thynges to your remeÌ„brauÌ„ce / that is to say what you haue ben / what you be and what you shal be Fyrst by reason of your body you were conceyued of the most fylthy abomynable mater of man / shamefull to be spoken / ferre more vyle then the sluch or slyme of the erth / after borne a synfull soule / purged onely by grace And nowe as vnto the bodye you ben a mucke hepe or donghyll more vyle then any vpon erthe / yf you remembre what doth yssue dayly come forth out of the meates ben yssewes of your body / your soule is daylye in some synne or at the least ful lyke to be What you shal be as vnto your body ye may se in experyeÌ„ce / wormes meate and erth agayne And what shall become of youre soule / no man in this worlde can assure you To remembre than the ioyes of heuen and paynes of hell / and that bothe be infynyte endles / and without rebate / but both euer encreasynge and neuer seasynge / neuer haue ease nor reste / but euer contynue and euerlastyng To remembre
nowe of late I haue ben compelled by the charytable instance and request of dyuers deuout persones to wryte it agayne agayne And bycause that wrytynge vnto me is very tedyouse I thought better to put it in print / wherunto I was the rather moued / that I perceyued by the prynters you haue thankfully taken suche other poore labours as we before haue sende forth Rede this I pray you ones ouer after as you lyke it is but very short and therfore haue I not deuyded it into chapytours but only into .ii. partes In the fyrst parte wherof is intreated of the fere / or drede of deth to be excluded exiled and vtterly put awaye In the .ii. parte is put forth The dayly exercyse and experyence of deth ⧠Of the dayly exercyse of deth the fyrst parte whiche is of the feare or drede of deth / to be excluded exyled and to vtterly be put away REuerende Mother and good deuout sisters you haue many oftentymes with great instance requyred me to wryte vnto you some breue / or short lesson of deth and howe you shulde prepare and ordeyne your selfe dayly therunto This lesson is very short playne after saynt Augustine De teÌ„pore serm ii c. xxxix for he sayth the lest lesson and the best meane to dye well is well to lyue For who so well lyueth saythe he may nat euyll dye Then done we lerne to dye well / whan we lerne well to lyue / and that lesson can you teche me better thaÌ„ I you For you haue longer vsed the crafte and gyuen more dilygeÌ„ce therunto Notwithstandynge somwhat in parte to satisfye your deuout myndes somwhat / after our poore vnderstandynge shall we say But fyrst as semeth vnto me it is necessarye spedefull that we inforce and gyue dilygence to auoyde exclude exyle and put ferre away that chyldyssh vayne and folyssh feare and drede of deth that many persones haue for doubtles it is both vayne and folye to feare drede that thynge that by no meane may be auoyded yet some persones ben so afrayde of deth / that they shrugge tremble and quake whan they here speke therof and renne or departe out of company / bycause they wyll nat here tell of dethe And to excuse theyr folye they take auctoryte of Aristotle the great Philosophour iii. EthicoruÌ„ ca. i. tra â–ª ii M. xxvi d. Mar. iiii d. L. xxii T ii Co. v. a. that sayth that of al terryble thynges deth is moste terryble / ouer that our sauyour byfore his passyon was afrayde of deth and naturally dyd abhorre it for the payne therof Saynt Paule sayth also / that we wolde nat be spoyled of our bodyes / and yet wolde we haue the clothynge of immortalyte vpon whiche / and apon lyke auctorytes they coÌ„clude that deth is peynfull and therfore to be feared and dred For declaracyon hereof you must vnderstande that the drede of deth may be taken .ii. wayes for .ii. causes / one for the payne that is in the departynge of the soule / and the body by deth And an other waye / or cause for the vncertente of the houre of deth and of the state of the ê‘son in that houre or tyme. This feare drede of deth shulde euery person haue euery houre But as vnto the fyrst feare that is for the drede of the payne in deth that feare is vayne For in deth is no payne or ryght lytle to be feared / as after we shall shewe Arystotle sayth in dede Vbi su that deth is terryble fearefull / but that is vnto them alone sayth he that doubt of any other lyfe after this present lyfe yet say they that euery man doth abhorre and lothe dethe Obiection and dothe what he can to auoyde deth / and to prolonge lyfe / and that is generall in all lyuynge thynges / Aunswere vnto that I say that nature dothe worke / and cause in all thynges the apperyte and desyre to be contynued and to endure and last for euer / and therunto dethe infors as muche as nature may / other in them selfe or in theyr frute and kynde But therof doth nat folowe that any peyne is in deth ne any feare or drede to be takyn therfore As by example of trees and frutes as well as of sensyble bestes The trees when they wexe olde don naturally put forth newe sprynges from the rote and the frutes when they be grene and yonge wyll nat departe from the tree nor the sedes from the herbe / or grayne excepte vyolence but when they ben full rype / then wyll they naturally of them selfe / and by them selfe departe without any vyolence So is it in man after a lyke maner that when the person is in nature yong grene lusty and stronge / and in the body conformyte / and lyke state of complexcyons deth is then horrible hugsum and fearefull vnto the persone bycause it is then vyolent But when the persone is full rype that is to say / worne by age or sekenes vnto the point of deth Then is nat deth vnto that person any thynge lothsome fearefull ne peyneful / but rather swete pleasant and desyrous and so sayth Arystotle in his boke of naturall philosophye Mors senum Phi. v. dulcis est Iuuenum vero violenta The dethe of aged persones sayth he is swete and pleasaunte / but the dethe of yonge persones is vyolent and greuous / yet say I that the feare is nat for the peyne of deth in departynge of the soule For then is no peyne / but all the peyne is in the sekenes disease / and affliccyon before dethe For the persones that as I sayde ben worne or wasted vnto the poynte done dye and departe this life nat only without sorowe or peyne but also with gladnes swetnes and pleasure And so sayth the same philosophour Arystotle in an other boke Aristot de vita morte Cicero i. Tusc And so dothe also an other greate philosophoure / and lerned Tullie And I dare well say that in dethe is lesse peyne vnto suche persones then is in the prycke of a pynne or nedyll vnto a whole persone The feare than that our saui-had before his passyon / was nat for the peyne of deth but it was of the fraylte of our nature in his carnall flesshely parte for the paynes that he knewe wel shulde precede / and go before dethe And the peyne doth our sensualyte / and our carnall parte / alway abhorre / feare naturally all though in some persones more / and some lesse For you may se in experyence / that some ê‘sones ben redy to swone or talme / yf they se an other ê‘sone sore wouÌ„ded / blede or put vnto great peynes / some done shake for feare / whaÌ„ they here tell howe some other persones shal be racked and streyned And some persones wyll abhorre to loke vpon the instrumentes or ingyns of tourmentrye as chyldren
that we speke of here must nedely be had by experyence / and experyence by exercyse and vse So that yf you wyll haue the actyue knowledge of dethe / by the arte and crafte therof you must begynne fyrste at exercyse and vse And yet can no man put a thynge vnto exercyse / without some introduction and leadynge therunto / other by techynge studye or naturall disposicyon you muste than knowe fyrst what the thing is that you shall put in exercyse / and so to haue experyence and knowledge therof that is to say you must knowe what dethe is / or what is ment by this terme or worde dethe For the selfe terme deth dothe signifye / and is taken dyuersly iÌ„ dyuers maners Somtyme dethe is taken called a chaunge of lyfe So the coÌ„mune people done often vse it as whan they say of a deed person / he is nat deed say they out he hathe chaunged his lyfe / and so dothe saynte Ambrose say as we shewed before De bono mortis And yet chaunge of lyfe is called deth in dyuers other maners As whan a person dothe fall by synne froÌ„ good lyfe vnto the state of damnacyon or contrary / whan he doth aryse by grace from synne vnto the state of saluacyon Ro. vi â— Saynt Paule dothe shewe bothe vnto the Romaynes / as whaÌ„ he sayeth that in our baptysme we ben buryed with Chryst vnto deth from synne / and we byleue we shall aryse agayne with Chryste vnto a newe lyfe of grace Rom. i. â— And for the tother parte he sayeth that occasyon hathe deceyued the frayle person / and so hathe slayne hym brought him to deth This chaunge of life is Augusti that spirytuall dethe / that as saynt Augustyne sayeth doth departe god from the soule For god is the lyfe of the soule / whan god than is by synÌ„e departed there from the soule is deed And this is the deth onely to be feared abhorred / as the worste dethe of all dethes / and yet to saye trouthe there is none other dethe euyll / except onely that dethe that must nebely folowe this deth / that is to say the deth of both body and soule eterne and euerlastyng damnacyon The other maner of dethe that I spake of / that is the chauÌ„ge of euyll lyfe vnto good / and of the whiche as I sayde saynt Paule wrote vnto the Romanes Rom. vi is a good deth / whiche you and euery faythfull persone haue exercysed and oft put in vse by reason of the holy sacramentes And whan nede shal requyre ben redy so to do / whan I speke here of euyll lyfe to be chauÌ„ged I meane nat the state onely of mortall or deedly synne For many persones that ofte done vse the sacrameÌ„tes / done lyue without any deedly synne / but I meane the lyfe spotted with any vyce or synne Mercu. trismeg For a great clerke sayeth Omne donuÌ„ nostruÌ„ mixtum est cuÌ„ malo Euery thinge good that is ours / doth appertayne vnto vs is mixed or myngled with euyll So that our whole lyfe is euer mixed coupled cumbred with some vise euyll / which natwithstandynge may by the grace of the sacramentes be dayly purged and so our life chauÌ„ged / and we therby haue the exercyse vse experyence of this deth But yet is there an other maner of deth called of lerned meÌ„ meditatio mortis / that is to meane the meditacion that is to saye the cogytacyon thought and remembraunce / the busynes tractacyon or intreatye mencyon disputacyon of dethe Tota vita philosophorum meditatio mortis est All the whole lyfe of philosophers and wyse men saye they is the coÌ„mentacyon remembraunce mencyon or disputacyon of deth / oft mencyon remeÌ„braunce / oft disputacyon and discussyon of any thyng doth cause it to be the better knowen Cicero Macer libro i. de somno SipioÌ„is Eras in Euchr. And men coÌ„munely wyll make oft mencion speke and talke often of that thyng wherunto they haue desyre loue or haue good mynde and affection And coÌ„trarye they wyl nat here tell of that thyng that they hate and loue nat and so is it of many persones that wyll nat here speke ne any mencyon made of deth And yf by chaunce any mencyon be made of dethe agayne theyr myndes and wylles / they wyll lyfte vp the hande and blesse them or els murmure out softly some supersticyous prayers as though they harde speke of the deuyll / or of some abhomynable cruell dede And certaynly it is no meruayle thoughe suche persones be affrayde to dye and lothe therunto / because they be nat acquoynted with deth nor be exercysed therin But as in case a person that longe tyme had layne fetred in prysone / coulde nat for lacke of exercyse go faste ne renne whan he were newly put vnto lyberte / so these maner of persones wrapped in the worlde / fetred in the flesshe / can nat quyckely and couragyouslye for lacke of experyence walke the way of deth whiche natwithstaÌ„dyng they must nedely trede / passe whether they wyll or no. Lacke I say of exercyse vse and experyence / causeth these persones to feare and drede dethe As by example chyldren and some women or such ê‘sones neuer had experieÌ„ce ne knowledge of a bugge that is a personage that in playe dothe represent the deuyll at the fyrst syght / ben moche affrayde therof in so moche that some ê‘sones haue ben in ieoê‘dye to lose theyr wytte reasoÌ„ therby But whaÌ„ they afterward haue knowledge what it was by vse haue experieÌ„ce therof they ben than nothyng affrayde therof but rather done take pleasure ther in So is it of them that haue nat the experieÌ„ce of deth / bycause they will nat take but rather wyll they fle / auoyde / the vse exercise therof But yf they knewe what / how great profet there is in the exercyse / meditacyon oft recorde remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of dethe they wolde nat fle nor auoyde it but rather with studye diligence gyue applye them selfe dayly therunto Ec. i. d. Psalmê° xxxviii The wysemaÌ„ saith Fili memorare nouissima tua c. In al thy werkes sone sayth he remembre thy laste ende / and thou shalte neuer offende god The prophete therfore prayde vnto our lorde sayenge Notum fac mihi domine finem meum Good lorde sayeth he let me haue knowledge of my last ende as though he sayd Good lorde gyue me grace that by the dayly exercyse and meditacyoÌ„ of deth I may haue an experyence and knowledge of my last ende euermore to be redy therunto / accordyng vnto thy wyll pleasure Nothyng is more valyaunt to expell and put awaye synne from the soule nor yet more profytable to replenyssh garnysshe the soule with good vertues then is the dayly exercyse meditacyon of dethe But howe to put apply
So that whan so euer naturall dethe shall approche / you shall than nat as a woman or chyld but as a very man / as a stronge and myghty champyon thus surely armed / stande styfly without feare or drede and lytle care / or rather set nought by deth / but vtterly dispyse dethe as euery houre and tyme redy therunto An other exercyse of dethe But nowe we shall lede you forth vnto an other exercyse of dethe more hygh excellent thaÌ„ this / so to haue experyeÌ„ce of the deth / that more proprely is called dethe / wherby you shall nat onely without fere or drede dispyse deth but also as an hongrye ê‘son you shall haue an auidiouse gredye appetite to thurst wyssh for deth And with a feruent mynde and flamynge desyre / you shall langour mourne and longe for deth Sayenge with saynt Paule Phi. i. â— Cupio dissolui et esse cum Christo I couete wysshe wyll to be dissolued from this presente lyfe and to be with Chryst In this exercyse you shall nat onely haue the experience / and the full arte scyence connyng and knowledge of dethe / but also the very practyse of dethe / so that you shall euery day whan you wyll be as verely deed / accordynge vnto the very definicyon of dethe For deth after all auctours proprely taken is The definicioÌ„ determinacion of dethe A departynge in sondre / of the soule and the bodye To departe than the soule from the body and to rendre and put eyther vnto his propre and naturall place / is the very practyse of deth The propre and naturall place or whome of the soule is heuyn Wherof saint Paule sayth Heb. xiii c. Non habemus hic ciuitatem manentem sed aliam inquirimus we haue here sayeth he no dwellyng place / but we do seke and serche for an other place Gen. iii. c And the naturall place of the body is the earth / for thens it came and thyder it muste agayne / whaÌ„ so euer than the soule by dilygent study is occupyed wholly in heueÌ„ly thynges / and the body lefte without the senses or wyttes / that is without hearyng seynge smellynge tastynge and touchyng / than is that person as deed But that a person for the state of this lyfe may be in suche case / the philosophours done shew determyne Tullie sayeth Plato Cicero in tusc i. quest Fieri potest vt oculis et auribus apertis nihil videamus neque audiamê° It may come to passe sayeth he that thoughe our eyes eares be opyn yet shall we nother se nor here Many a holy person as saynt Katheryne of Sene and dyuers other hath ben so depe in contemplacion that the body for the tyme was with out the senses so that whan they were prycked with pynnes or nedles they nothynge felte So than this exercyse standeth al in contemplacyon which thing who dayly vseth shall be so experte and practysed in deth / that whan so euer it shall approche and come it shall be no new thyng vnto the ê‘son For betwyxt naturall deth and this deth of contemplacyon is lytle difference For as the person that exspireth and departeth this lyfe / dothe leaue and forsake all this worlde and all the care of kynne or frendes / as father mother syster and brother neyghboure / the whole pleasure of all So doth the person that is deed in coÌ„templacyon for that tyme / leaue the body as a lumpe of claye without any mynde care or thoughte therupon / or vpon any other bodely or worldly thyng / wherfore whaÌ„ dethe coÌ„meth as I sayd before it shall nother be newe nor straunge vnto the person that hath ben dayly exercised therin / that had so large experyence therof and often practysed the same But as you haue herde of .ii. marouwse that for tyllynge of theyr lande done laboure sore all day together and at nyght theyr labours fynished and ended / done thankefully and gladly eche departe froÌ„ other vnto theyr owne whomes howses or dwelling places so doubtles done the body and the soule whan theyr labours ben accomplysshed and at an ende / and the due tyme commen / they done gladly and ioyfully departe eche vnto his propre whome / the body vnto his naturall place the erthe And the soule as a prisoner newly losed and put vnto lyberte / doth ren streyght forth hyr redye race / hyr knowen cours / hyr tryed and ofte troden path and her well vsed way vnto her propre and naturall place / that is heuyn But here nowe you wyll are of me / in what maner of contemplacion you may best put this deth in exercyse / and so to haue the said experyence / and practyse of dethe wherunto I answere that althoughe you can teche me that lesson better than I you I wyll sende you vnto the lytle werke that I deuysed vnto youre coÌ„munyon or howselynge For to wryte and setforth all that here agayne shuld be superfluous Specyally syth this werke is so lytle that you may with small coste ioyne or bynde it with that werke And therfore haue I caused it to be prynted of the same volume And yet because you shal nat fynde the ende of this lytle werke all naked and bare / we shall make you a breue and shorte remembraunce of these thynges that there ben sayd in effecte althoughe nat after that same ordre The order of this deth coÌ„templacion Fyrst thaÌ„ purposynge at that tyme to haue the very experyence and practyse of deth / remeÌ„bre depely from wheÌ„s you came For you were nat ne be of your selfe Than remembre that whan you had a beynge / what you were / a filthy lumpe of slymy erth / and yet agayne whan that slymye clay was fourmed and framed vp with your soule / and you a reasonable creature / therunto a creature most noble except aungell / yet were you but an hethen hounde / vnto the tyme you receyued the grace of baptisme Than remeÌ„bre whan where howe and of whom / and by whome you had all that you nowe haue all that you euer shall haue that is or shall be good / and you shal fynde by reason and perceyue that you hadde neuer / ne haue or shall haue any thynge of your selfe but euyll For whan you were nothynge you had a begynnynge in your mothers wombe / and that by synfull generacyon with ful fylthy and lothesum mater / thus you se whan where and howe that is whaÌ„ you were nat you had beyng where in your mothers wombe / howe by synfull concepcyon Of whome thaÌ„ had you al of our lorde god alone And by whome what meane Certenly by the meane of our lorde sauyour Iesu Chryste the seconde person in Trinite very essencyall god one / and the same selfe substaunce and nature with the father and the holy ghost Se well beholde and consydre who
one substaÌ„ce one essencyall god Se nowe I saye and take hede where and with whome you be And here knelynge or rather lyenge downe prostrate vpoÌ„ your face remayne byde dwell here styll / here expyre dye starke deed / vtterly that no soule ne spiryte be lefte or byde in youre body / but all for the tyme so ferre departed / nat onely from all thynges of the world but also from the selfe body that there lyenge as a luÌ„pe of cley be lefte without any senses or wyttes of heryng seynge smellynge tastyng or touchynges So done we rede as I sayde before of saynt Ambrose Aug. li. confes saynt Katheryne of Shene with diuers other This is nowe the moost hyghe poynte of this exercyse and practyse of dethe after the verye definicyon of deth Whiche as I sade is called a departynge of the soule from the bodye For in this dethe for that tyme youre soule is departed from youre body so that you be nat than youre selfe but deed clene froÌ„ your selfe For as the yren lyenge in the fyre / is by similytude al fyre so ben you al one with god Qui adheret deo / vnus spiritê° est â— Cor. vi â— Who so euer sayeth saynt Paule dothe cleue and stycke faste vnto our lorde is with hym one spiryte So ben you than that same thyng that you shall be / with our lorde hereafter that is al one with hym / dwellynge and abydynge in hym and he in you so al diuyne godly Say nowe good deuout soule yf you can thynke or suppose in conscyence that any faythfull christyane vsynge this exercise and so hauynge so large experyence practyse of deth / may haue fele or perceyue any notable payne in dethe / syth nowe in this deth so oftymes exercysed the bodye prycked with pynnes or nedyles feleth no payne at all Or howe may any horrour drede or feare troble or moue that person / that is in suche place with suche company and in such case as before we haue shewed yet saye you syr the deuyll wyll be present at my dethe / what than saye I so peraduenture / he wyll be at this dayly exercyse For so done we rede in the lyues and collacyons of the holy fathers / but that hathe alway ben and euer shall be vnto his coÌ„fusyon / rebuke and hurte / and vnto your triumphe glorye prayse But yet you saye that the syght of that greslye ghost can nat be without great feare wherunto I saye agayne that although the syght of hym be of it selfe horryble vgly fearefull / yet ben there dyuers coÌ„fortes redy at hande to helpe One is that may be sure he can nat hurt you An other is Ex tâ—â— diue Brigit li. vi ca. lxxxxiii â–ª the presence of the holy sayntes your sayde fryndes that wyll restrayne his power and malicyous wyll For they ben moche more valeant and myghty than he is And doubt you nat they wyll al be preste and redy there at the tyme about you / nat feyned but as faithfull frendes with whome well acquoynted and fully knowen / you ben nowe and of longe tyme haue ben very familyer and whomely Truste you surely in them for they wyll nat deceyue you For yf they dyd they were nat faithful / but rather feyned frendes For a very frende sayth the wyseman loueth at all tymes and euer is proued in necessyte or nede at dethe is most nede For although good loue and faythfull freÌ„dshyppe / be well proued in all the lyfe tyme yet is it better proued at the tyme of dethe / and best of all after deth For than coÌ„munely feyned freÌ„des done sone forget But these frendes wyll neuer forget you For as they nowe in your helth done dayly conforte and defeÌ„d you in all temtacyoÌ„s so wyl they at your deth delyuer you out of all daungers / afterwarde wyl they deduce lede coÌ„uey cary or bere you vp vnto the place coÌ„pany before rehersed And yet haue you no meruayle though in the meane tyme they suffre you to be troubled grudged with the opinyon of dethe with the drede of the vgly syght For they done so suffre for your welth meryte that you therby may be exercised with deth and so to be euer redy for it For dethe only semeth euyll and onely is feared by opinyon nat of any other ryght cause For deth of it selfe is very good to be loked wayted for receyued of all ê‘soÌ„s specially thus exercysed / nat onely without feare or drede of payne / but also as we sayd before with feruent desyre great ioy gladnes as the fynall conclusyon and laste ende of all miseryes sorowes and all euyls as the begynnynge of all welthe goodnes that is to saye of euerlastynge helthe and saluacyon in the blysse of heuyn Whyther he brynge vs that bought vs our lorde most swete sauyour Iesu Chryst that lyueth and reigneth with god the father / and with god the holy ghost world without ende Amen ⧠Thus after our poore abilyte haue made an ende of this poore labour of the dayly exercyse experyence and practyse of dethe * WHan I had wrytten vp this lytle werke redye to the pryntyng / it pleased a wyse and well lerned man to take the laboure to rede it ouer and to shewe his iudgement and mynde in dyuers thinges and places And amonge other because I had made mencyon in it / of raptes or transes vnto the whyche in bede very fewe ê‘sons done duely attayne or clymbe come so hye / he aduysed me to warne the deuoute reders therof / that they gyue nat to lyght credence to all suche persones For many of them haue disceyued manye men that were full holy and deuoute For those may sonest be deceyued in such persons because they euer suppose the beste in euery persone without suspicyon of euyll in any person And they ben moost glad to here that our lorde shulde so visyte and comforte hys people But yet such persones may also in them selfe be disceyued dyuersly For some such persons that were simple and very deuout haue ben disceyued by a wycked spiryte / that to illude and mocke them / hath traÌ„sfygured and shewed hym selfe as an angel of lyght / and hath shewed vnto the persones many thynges full good and godly / and some thinges to come after the forme of prophecy that haue truely coÌ„men to passe in effecte and all to cause them to gyue faythe and credence vnto other thynges vnlaufull and false But to wryte here howe such a spiryte shulde be knowen from an angel or a good spiryte it shuld be a longe werke and also superfluus syth who so euer haue mynde to se that matter / may haue it well and playnly set forth and declared in englysshe by a lerned maÌ„ a bacheler of diuinyte / one of our deuout bretherne lately departed whome Iesu
¶ A dialoge or coÌ„municacion bytwene the curate or ghostly father the parochiane or ghostly chyld For a due preparacion vnto howselynge âšœ ¶ The werke for housholders with the golden pystle and Alphabete or a crosrowe called and A. B. C. INRI ¶ Vnto the deuoute reders in our lorde god moste swete sauyour Iesu Rychard whytford your pore bedeman of Syon Salutacyon WHere in a lytle werke the of late we send forth at the requeste of deuoute persones vnto housholders we dyd sette forthe / a breue and short forme of confessyon / heryng and perceyuyng that the sayde werke was thankfully and charitably receyued supposynge that so deuoute receyuers ben well exercised / and haue profyted therin we haue nowe here for your fourthere increase of vertue put forth vnto you a nother lesson howe / when you ben disposed mynded to receyue the holy sacrament of the aulter you shuld prepare ordre make your selfe redy spiritually apparele your selfe therunto For I acerteyne you ther is no ê‘sone in this worlde can tell you with how greate reuerence howe depe deuotion howe lowe and meke harte / with howe reuerente drede howe pure and cleane conscience with howe well adornate garnyshed appereled soule with howe firme stedfast fayth with howe hyghe stronge hope with howe ardente feruent in flamyng and burnyng charite any true Christian shulde accede approyche go vnto that honorable meruelouse and moste hyghe mystery where doubtles is presente the very naturall body / and soule flesshe blode of our lord sauyoure Iesu very god / very man in one ê‘sone very christ his humanytie and his diuinite The blessed trinite father sone holy ghost also our blessed lady saynte Mary with in numerable multitude and nowmbre / of gloryouse aungels and holy sayntes ben ther also present all how be it inuisible doyng therunto that holy sacrement due honour reuerence / and obeysaunce Hit is therfore muche conuenient / and necessarie that due and diligeÌ„t preparation / shulde be made therunto when so euer hit be receyued Not withstoÌ„dynge I do not requyre ne moue you to rede and recounte all that here is wryten / at euery tyme yet were it good so to do if you haue tyme but that hit maye lyke you to rede hit ones ouer and then to marke out suche places as beste done lyke you / and vse theÌ„ or parte of them as you haue tyme and leyser and thus fare you well in our Lorde who blesse you all Amen ¶ A dialoge or communicacion bytwene the curate or ghostly father and the parochiane or ghostly chylde For a due preparacion vnto how selyng ¶ The ghostly chylde Syr I thanke you for the charitable labours you toke with me wheÌ„ I was last with you And I haue accordynge vnto your coÌ„maundement called my houshold together and taught theym the same lesson that you then and before tyme. haue taught me And for the more suerty I haue caused all your sayd lessons to be set forth in prynt that other persones may haue as we haue edificacion therby ¶ The ghostly father ¶ Good ghostly chylde I am ryght glad of your so deuout mynde and good wyll to profet in vertue our lorde be praysed And I shal be glad as my duety to conforte you therin nowe that you haue a good fundation grownd therunto by that forme and maner of lyuyng and also if you by fraylte offende and fall therfrome by the remedy of the holy sacrament of confessyon I shall shewe you an ordre and a good waye or meane how you shuld prepare and make your selfe redy vnto the holy sacrameÌ„t of the aulter when you shall be communed or howseled For saynt Poule commauÌ„ded his disciples to proue i. Cor. xi and examen well them selfe in conscience byfore they shulde approyche or go vnto this holy sacrament For who so euer sayth he do receyue it vnworthely doth receyue hit vnto his owne iudgement and condempnation And our sauyour hym selfe dothe shewe howe this holy sacrament shulde euer be ministred in the memorie and remembraunce of hym Luc. xxii Saynt Paule also how oft so euer you receyue the sacrament saythe he so oftymes shuld you represent and shewe the deth of Christ i. Cor. xi vnto the tyme he come vnto the last iudgement By these sayde auctorites confirmed by our mother the holy church with many holy doctours doth appere that two thynges shal be conuenient necessary vnto euery persone that shall receyue this holy sacramente That is to saye Fyrste due serche of conscience so that no maner of synne vnto knoweledge and remembrauÌ„ce remayne or be left therin The seconde that the persones so clered in conscieÌ„ce / shuld ordre appoynte them selfe vnto some maner of memorie by meditacyon or contemplacion / of our lorde / and sauyour Iesu / and of the actes of our saluation I wold therfore aduyse all maner of persons / that wheÌ„ they wyll accede approych vnto this holy mistery they fyrst be confessed if they coÌ„ueniently can haue a ghostly father / for although they know not theyr conscience charged with any mortall or deedly synne yet shall the approbacion of theyr ghostly father be vnto theym both confortable / and also suerty And for this parte / the forme of confession that we sett forthe in the other werke for housholders may serue you / hit is but lytle / and of lytle pryce / so maye the rather be ioyned hervnto and both bownden to gether and you more redely maye haue at hande that is referred froÌ„ the tone vnto the tother For the seconde parte that is meditation / muche necessarie for you at this tyme I wolde counseyle you the of destinate harte appoynted and wylfull purpose you shulde fyrste geder yourselfe vnto your selfe that is to say your soule harte mynde and wyll in as muche as you may with all force and diligence holly clerely from all cures cares charges and busynes of the worlde and frome all bodyly maters and all cogitatioÌ„s and thoughtes that by any meanes myght lett you hynder you in this exercise and so to compell your spirite to labor alone herin And then coÌ„mend your selfe wholy vnto our lorde thus In manus tuas domine commendo spiritum meuÌ„ redemisti me domine deus veritatis That is to saye âšœ good lorde god / I commende / byquethe / render / gyue / and bytake my spirite / my harte / my mynde / and soule / wholly vnto thy haÌ„des power and gouernaunce For thou good lorde the very god of trouthe haste redemed bought me And those persones that bene lerned maye saye this ympne The fyrst verse VEni creator spiritus mentes tuoruÌ„ visita imple superna gratia qÌ„ tu creasti pectora âšœ That is to meane Come vnto vs good lord god holy ghost creatour and maker of all the worlde with the father and the sone Visite and
instruction vnto vs which thyng I was loth vnto bothe bycause I lacked abilite thervnto and also bycause this werke whiche I intēded to be short shuld be therby inlarged Notwithstondyng bycause this werke is so diuided ī particles that as we sayd euery person may take what he wyll accordynge vnto his leyser and deuocion therfore we shall sumwhat to satesfye say our mynde ¶ Of the fyrste cosyderacion and of the fyrst day of creaciō THe fyrst consyderaciō was of the power of god in creacion and productiō of all creatures Gene. i. And we rede in the begynnyng of scripture that almyghty god in the begynnynge made heuen and erth spirituall corporall or bodyly creatures resonable and vnresonable creatures And that he made also the lyght / dyuided that lyght frō darknes And the lyght he called the day and the darknes he called the nyght and this was the werke of the fyrst day of creacion whiche in vs may teche vs how our lorde hath made in euery person an heuen an erth a spirituall partie and an erthly partie and made in vs also the lyght of vnderstandynge and reason / wherby we shulde diuide in our dayly werkes the spirite frō the fleshe the soule from the body / whiche is done by contemplacion or meditaciō after the fourme beforesayd That is to saye that in euery daye of our lyue we shulde somtyme be as well actyue as contemplatyue / and this for the fyrste daye ¶ Of the seconde cōsyderacion / of the seconde day of creacion THe seconde consyderacion was of the wysdom of god in orderyng and guydynge of his creatures And in the seconde day of creacion our lord god made the fyrmament or the skye and so dyuided the waters that were vnder the firmamēt from them that were aboue the firmamēt and called that firmament heuyn Note here that almyghty god made two heuyns / the tone vpon the fyrste day aboue / and the tother the seconde daye / and byneth to diuide as is sayde waters Loke now groūdely vppon this order of the creatures Some be aboue / and some bynethe The hygher heuyn spirituall to rule / order / and guyde the lower heuen temporall and erthely / And the spirituall creatures to rule the bodyly creatures And so those that be vnder and bynethe to be subdued / obedient / ordered in all thynges by thē that be aboue The same order shuld be kepte in vs / not onely euery person in hym selfe but also eueryche vnto other For almyghty god made in man / not onely as is sayde an heuyn hys soule but also an erthe / his body So that the whole man of soule body dothe bere the towme and place of this firmament / whose office and duety is to dyuide the water that is bynethe apperteynynge vnto the sensualite from the water that is aboue called aqua sapientie salutaris the water of helthfull wysdom and of saluatiō Eccl xv A That is to say that mā shuld euer deuyde and departe vice from vertu erthly conuersaciō from heuēly exercise vayne and voyde cogitacion from fructuouse and profytable meditacion and this for the seconde daye ¶ Of the thyrde consyderacion / and of the thyrde day of creacion THe thyrd cōsyderaciō was of the bountie and goodenes loue and liberalitie of god / whiche doth appere in the vtilitie and profyte of the creatures And in the thyrd day of creaciō / our lorde god cōmaunded the waters that were vnder the sayd firmament called heuyn to gader hepe them selfe together into one place and that the drye erthe yet bareyn shulde appere / and whiche thynge done the erth that then was drye and bareyn he called and named to be erthe tyllable / and apte / or disposed to be tylled And the congregacions and hepes of waters he called the see or sees And then he commaundeth the sayd erthe to bryng forth fruite In the vtilitie profyte wherof dyd apere the boūtie goodnes remembred byfore in this thyrde consyderacion But now muste we in lyke maner commaūde by reason all the water of our voluptuous disposicions and viciouse appetites to be gathered and heped into one place that is the worlde leue all those disposicions vnto worldly persones and vnto infidels viciouse and synfull people And lett our bodyly werkes appere synles And although they be yet baren yet maye they be apt by the meane of the sacrament of penaunce to be tylled / and brynge forth the fruitful werkes of vertu grace And thus an ende of this thyrde day ¶ Of the fourth consyderacion / the fourth day of creacion THe fourth cōsideraciō was of the werke of our iustificacion And in the fourthe daye our lorde made the son and the mone / and the sterres / to dyuide the daye and the nyght / the tymes houres / dayes and yeres / and to gyue lyght vnto the erthe The son doth signifie our sauiour Iesu the very sonne of iustice / the mone doth signifie the catholike churche of Christe that taketh lyghte of the sayd sonne our sauyour and so don the sterres also by whō the holy doctours preachers and curates ben signified For these done illumine and gyue lyghte of grace vnto the erthly synfull people / that by theyr ministracion of the blessed sacramentes ben iustified and made apte persones vnto saluacion / and so is the fourthe day applyed and sped ¶ Of the fyft consyderacion and the fyft day of creacion THe fyft consyderacion was of the werke of remuneraciō or rewarde whiche rewarde euery person shall haue accordyng vnto his werkes And in the fyft day our lord made fysshes and foules the fysshys to byde in the see the foules in the ayre By the fysshes euyll werkes bē sygnified and also euyll wordes and thoughtes Mathei xii c For of them sayd our sauiour accountes muste be rendred and made vnto eueryche due reward gyuen And these do remayne in the see of the synfull world / and shall be rewarded there after in payne And the good werkes wordes thoughtes that ben sygnifyed by the byrdes of the ayer / done dwell and abyde in heuenly conuersacion and shal be rewarded in ioy and blysse and let this stand for the fyft day ¶ Of the syxt consyderacion and the syxt day of creacion THe syxt consyderacion was of the werke of gloryficaciō And in the syxte daye our lorde made man after vnto his owne ymage / similitude / and lykenes And surely that was vnto man a great glory an excellent honour and dignitie / vnto the whiche no man may atteyne and come / but he onely that alone dyd ascende vnto heuyn / our lord sauyoure Iesu Ioh. iii. b In the whiche saynge you muste vnderstande Christe and his mēbres all faythfull people that ben lyke vnto hym and done folowe his stepes And thus an ende of the syxt day of creacion ¶ Of the seuenth consyderacion / and of the
seuenth day of cessacion reste and pausacion THe .vii. consyderacion was of the werk of fruicioÌ„ that is to say / a ioyfull vse at ful pleasur / holly reioysyng and inioyeng our lorde And in the .vii. day wheÌ„ our lord had made all thynges perfect he ceased and rested and wrought no more but sanctified halowed that day And so after our glorificacion we shal no more merite but rest in our lord and sanctifie hym / laude / prayse / and loue hym / and in hym as is sayd haue all ioy / pleasure i. Cor. ii aboue that any eye maye se any eare may heare any mouth maye speake or any harte maye thynke ¶ Of the .viii. consyderacion / and of the .viii. day of eternite THe .viii. and last coÌ„syderaon was of perseueracion duraunce or suerty of these ioyes And the day of eternite is the day of all perfection wherin the ende and begynnynge be ioyned For that day was before all creatures / without beginnyng and that day shall contynue after all dayes wtout endyng Amen ¶ Thus haue we after our poore vnderstandyng performed this deuout request and yet was not the person coÌ„tent / but that nedely we shuld ioyne vnto these two eyghtes the thyrde .viii. of the .viii. beatitudes of the gospell sayng vnto me the reders be not bound but at theyr pleasure they maye as is sayd take what they wyll ¶ Of the .viii. beatitudes or blessed states of perfection Math. v OVr lorde and sauyour Iesu dyd set forthe in the gospell viii perfections or .viii. states or fourmes of perfection whiche he taught and betoke vnto his disciples by theym vnto vs. And vnto euery perfectioÌ„ or state he assigned appoynted a propre reward as you shall perceyue by ordre ¶ Of the fyrst beatitude THe fyrste beatitude that is the fyrste state of perfectioÌ„ of lyuynge is in latyne thus âšœ Beati pauperes spiritu The Englysshe wherof is The poore in spirite or of spirite bene blessed That is to meane that all suche persones as for the loue of god do lytle set by worldly ryches as to haue any loue or trust vnto theÌ„ but onely as may be necessary for theyr state and degree ben blessed This beatitude or state of perfectioÌ„ may be referred vnto the fyrst consyderacion of the benefyte of creacioÌ„ wherin the myghty power of God was consydered whiche thynge well coÌ„sydered / euery person may lyghtely and sone perceyue he hath no thynge of hym selfe ne any thynge that he maye call properly his owne but that all thynges as in very propertie done apperteyne vnto god and ben here but only lent vnto man wherof to gyue accounte and so may he be reasonably moued to gyue freely vnto god that is his owne and to retayne no thynge in propertie but all to be coÌ„mune in tyme of nede vnto the neyghbour accordynge vnto the wyll and coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of god and this is called pouertie of spirite In them also that haue ryches as lordes and not seruauÌ„tes therof and this is the fyrst and moost lowe degree or state of perfection / whiche notwitstondynge doth conteyne many degrees In the hygest degree wherof done religiouse persones lyue yf they kepe theyr promyse and vowe duely The rewarde of this beatitude / doth folowe Quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum For the realme and kyngdome of heuens dothe apperteyne and bylonge vnto theÌ„ They that is such persons pore in spirite for god haue here now the property and possession as it may be had in this lyfe of the heuyns after this lyfe they be sure therof For as I sayd there ben two heuens One aboue where God and his sayntes bene And an other bynethe that is the firmament and all thynges conteyned theryn The pore in spirite shall haue the possession of bothe For in this lyfe he hath all that is nedefull prouyded by our lorde a speciall grace to be content with his ordinauÌ„ce and after this myserable lyfe he shall haue the full property and possessioÌ„ of the very laude of euerlastyng lyfe Amen ¶ Of the seconde beatitude THe seconde beatitude and state of perfect lyfe / is âšœ Beati mites Blessed ben the mylde That is to meane / the such ê‘sones as be myld / soft sober curteyse geÌ„tyll restfull pacieÌ„t that in good can vaynquysh euyll Ro. xii d for the tyme can wyll gyue place vnto rebuks checks wylde rughe cruell behauioure ben in this state degre of perfection / whiche degree may be referred vnto the seconde coÌ„syderacion whiche was of the werke of gouernaunce the standeth in the consyderacioÌ„ of the wysedom and knowledge of god / whiche deply coÌ„sydered may lyghtely bryng downe the hyghe proude mynde of any persone so that he shall euidently perceyue that in coÌ„paracion vnto that wysedom he is but a very fole hathe neyther wysedom ne lernyng And so shall he begyn to bere a lowe sayle to be mylde and to chuse rather to be gouerned ruled than to rule or gouerne for that appertaynethe chiefely vnto myldenes The rewarde wherof dothe folowe QuoniaÌ„ ipsi possidebunt terraÌ„ That is for they shall possede or haue possession of the erth This terme the erth is takeÌ„ dyuersly One waye for the element that bereth bryngeth forth trees fruytes and graynes In an other maner it is takeÌ„ for the body of man whereof was sayd vnto Adam Gene. iii. erthe thou arte and to erth shalt thou go In a thyrde waye it is takeÌ„ for heuyn the land of life Psalm xxvi and of all these erthes shall the myld haue possessioÌ„ For the mylde persone desyreth no more of this worlde but the sufficient susttentacioÌ„ of the body and so doth he order his body by that sufficiently that he is lorde of all the passions and mocioÌ„s thereof and dothe constrayne the flesshe to serue the spirite the body to be duely subiect / subdued and in all obedient vnto the soule And finally he shall haue full and whole possession of the land that flowed mylke and hony Exo. iii. b that is the lande of lyfe euerlastynge Amen ¶ Of the thyrde beatytude THe thyrde beatitude or state of perfecte lyuynge / is âšœ Beati qui lugent Those persones that done mourne ben blessed This terme mournynge dothe betoken a sorowfull behauyour in coÌ„tenaunce in wordes in araye and suche other lyke behauyoures As in sadde and sorowfull lokes chere and countenaunce in wepynge waylynge / cryenge / complaynynge / wryngynge of handes / tearynge of heares or of clothes chauÌ„ge of araye / as you may se in funerales or buryalles Somtyme caused for the losse of goodes Somtyme of honours / dignities / degrees And somtyme for the losse or dethe of frendes And somtyme althoughe moste seldome for the offence of god ieopardy of soules And also for the feruent desyre of heuyn And this degree or state doth excede both the tother For as it is
necessarye for the mylde persone to be poore in spirite so is it lykewyse necessarye for the persone that mourneth for our lord to be bothe poore and myld And therfore this beatitude may be well referred vnto the thyrde consyderacion which was of the bountie of our lorde god whiche bountie dothe apperteyne vnto the holy ghost the thyrde persone and conclusion or knot of the holy trinite The rewarde of this beatitude and degree of perfection is set forth thus âšœ QuoniaÌ„ ipsi consolabuntur That is for they shall be conforted and haue consolacion Consolacion is a coÌ„fort had of other persons specially in wordes wherby the waylynge person is releued of his sorowe and put in good hope of ioy ease or pleasure Whiche consolacion these maner of mourners shall haue in two maners One in this worlde by the assuraunce of clene conscience voyde of all despayre And after in blysse eterne amoÌ„ge the holy citizens sayntes of heuyn Amen ¶ Of the fourth beatitude of perfecte lyuyng THe fourth beatitude state of perfectioÌ„ is in the gospell âšœ Beati q i esuriuÌ„t et sitiuÌ„t iusticiaÌ„ Blessed be those persons that done hunger thurst iustice That is to meane those persones that feruently don couet desyre iustice ben blessed Iustice is a vertu that doth render gyue to euery person that is ryght he worthy to haue That is vnto god loue drede vnto the parentes and souerayns honour obedience vnto the neyghboure that is frende beneficiall thankes and kyndnes and vnto the enemye that noyeth pacience sufferance and euery persone vnto him selfe due gard and kepynge of the soule due correction of the body / vnto bothe the continuall exercise of vertue good maners and holy conuersacioÌ„ This beatitude may be referred vnto the fourth consyderacioÌ„ whiche was of the werke of iustificacion For the persone of suche hunger thurst ferueÌ„t desyre of iustice shal be sure to be iustyfyed That is / to be made by iustice apte and mete for the heuenly blysse The rewarde of the whiche beatitude doth folowe accordyng âšœ Quoniam ipsi saturabuntur That is for they shall be saturate satiate full fed habundantly contented fulfylled here in this lyfe by the visitacion ordenauÌ„ce / and comfort of our lord Psal xvi And after as the prophete saythe whan his glory shall appere in ioye blysse euerlastynge Amen ¶ Of the fyfte beatitude and state of perfecte lyuynge THe fyfte beatitude state of perfection is âšœ Beati misericordes Eccle. xxx d That is the persons mercifull ben blessed Mercifull I say vnto them selfe / by due reformacion of them selfe Mercyfull vnto the neyghbour by due releuing of misery / and this beatitude maye be referred vnto the .v. coÌ„sideracion which was of the werke or benefite of remuneracioÌ„ or rewarde For as a great gyfte is worse and more than loste vpon the vnkynde person that doth forget it so is it well speÌ„t vpon the kynde that doth remembre it / duely doth thankes therfore And the greatest thanke that can be gyuen vnto our lorde is to be mercifull / and to releue hym in his / for so dothe he accepte that is done for his sake Math. xxv And therfore the rewarde dothe folowe QuoniaÌ„ ipsi misericordiam coÌ„sequeÌ„tur For they shall optayne get mercy here in this lyfe of all theyr synnes / after be rewarded ferre more and aboue theyr deseruynge / more thaÌ„ they loked for / or than they coulde by any meane requyre or desyre / inioye eterne euerlastynge Amen ¶ The syxte beatitude or state of perfecte lyfe THe .vi. beatitude is âšœ Beati muÌ„do corde That is / those persoÌ„s that ben of clene herte beÌ„ blessed That is to meane / such as don kepe theyr coÌ„scieÌ„ce clene vndefowled / or vnspotted / the soule wtout synne For suche persoÌ„s don here lyue the lyfe of auÌ„gels therfore this beatitude or state may be referred vnto the .vi. coÌ„sideracioÌ„ / whiche was of the werke of glorificacioÌ„ And the rewarde is QuoniaÌ„ ipsi deuÌ„ videbuÌ„t For they shall se god The clene hart clere coÌ„scieÌ„ce doeth see god here in this lyfe by whole and full fourmed fayth / by stroÌ„ge hope ferueÌ„t charite / and he doeth se him self by due discusse by diligeÌ„t examinacioÌ„ and serche by due custody and garde of him self And he doth se his neyghbour by loue kyndenes / mercy / pyte i. Cor. xiii And after this lyfe he shal se our lord / face to face as he is with hym be glorified in soule body / world without ende Amen ¶ Of the seuenth beatitude or state of perfecte lyuynge THe seuenth beatitude state of perfection / is âšœ Beati pacifici Blessed be the peacefull That is to meane that suche persons as don make peace / ben blessed Our lorde and sauiour made peace betwyxt god man / he was very peace of hym selfe / and he made also peace bytwene man man Those persons thaÌ„ that done make peace bytwyxte god and theÌ„ self by penaunce due recoÌ„siliacioÌ„ that don make and kepe peace in theÌ„ selfe by due orderyng of the body vnto the soule and bytwyxte them and theyr neyghbours / by the exercyse of pacience / and betwyxte neyghboure neyghbour by charitable kyndenes neyghbourly loue Those I say be of this beatitude / and theyr reward foloweth QmÌ„ filii dei vocabuÌ„tur For they shall be called the chyldreÌ„ of god And this beatitude maye be referred vnto the .vii. consyderacion / whiche was of the werke benefite of fruicion For in that they be the chyldren of god they ben heyres and coheneritours vnto our sauyour and therby shal haue the possession of all heuyn the full fruicion of the deitie godhede to vse at pleasure reioice inioye the same in blysse euerlastynge Amen ¶ Of the .viii. beatitude or blessed state of perfect lyuynge THe eyght beatitude is âšœ Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iusticiam That is those persones that don suffer ê‘secucioÌ„ for iustice ben blessed It is a great perfection as before is sayd feruently to desyre and to loue iustice but to fuffre trouble to bere daunger for iustice is ferre more perfection For alway to suffre euyll is of more perfection thaÌ„ is to do good I meane to suffre euyll for iustice and for the loue of god for els many ê‘sons may suffre payne euyll by theyr own deseruynge and agaynst theyr wyll And many do suffre take greate payne labour to do euyll And these ben not blessyd but rather the contrary The reward of this beatitude doth folow QmÌ„ ipsorum est regnuÌ„ celoruÌ„ That is for the kyngdome of heuyn is theyrs or dothe apperteyn vnto them This rewarde is two tymes named / assigned / or appoynted in these states or beatitudes that is to say fyrst last And therfore may coÌ„ueniently
lorde make cause vs to be rewarded with thy holy sayntes in eterne euerlastynge glory and ioy âšœ Saluum fac populum tuuÌ„ domine / et benedic hereditati tue et rege eos et extolle illos vsque ineternum We beseche the good lorde make thy people saued soules gyue blessynge to thyne heneretaunce And rule good lord and gouerne theÌ„ And excolle inhaunce magnifye good lord and make them honorable vnto the ende of the world âšœ Per singulos dies bnÌ„dicimê° te / et laudamus nomeÌ„ tuuÌ„ in sclm in seculum seculi We done god lord blysse honour the euery day by day / done laude and prayse thy holy name from tyme to tyme / and from age vnto age for euermore âšœ Dignare domine die isto sine peccato nos custodire Vouchesafe good lord to kepe vs this day / and all our lyfe tyme from synne and trespas âšœ Miserere nrÌ„i dnÌ„e miserere nrÌ„i Haue mercye good lorde vpon vs / haue mercye âšœ Fiat miÌ„a tua dnÌ„e super nos / quemadmoduÌ„ sperauimus in te Let thy mercye / lorde / lyght on vs / as we haue had euer perfecte hope and trust in the. âšœ In te domine speraui / non confundar in eternum I haue alway hoped and perfectely trusted inwardly in the. I beseche the lorde I neuer be coÌ„founded disapoynted ne deceyued Thus endeth that swete prayer / your Te deum ¶ Prayers vnto the ende of masse O Moost benigne lord sauyour moost hyghest preste very Bysshope Iesu Christe / that woldest vouchesafe to offre thyne owne selfe most pure lambe / most immaculate / moost clene and vnspotted hoost in sacrifice vnto the father of heuyn vpon the aultre of the crosse for vs wretched synners And also that woldest gyue leue with vs perpetually thyne owne very flesshe for our spirituall fode and thyne owne precyous blode for our spirituall drynke / I beseche the for the sake of all thy sorowfull woundes for the effusion and shedynge of thy moost precyous blode for the vertue of thy most innocent deth and moost specially for that excellent meruelouse and vnspekeable charity thou had vnto vs wherby thou woldest vouchsafe to washe vs fylthy vnworthy wrethes in thyne owne holy sacred blode I beseche the haue mercy pytie on me forgyue me all my synnes neglygences all offences don eyther by coÌ„mission or omissioÌ„ that is to meane all suche offeÌ„ces as I dyd myght not laufully nor shulde haue don / also all that I myght or shuld haue don / dyd not And sythe good lord amonge all thyne other great mercyfull benefytes thou woldest vouchsafe onely of thy liberall goodnes without any deseruynge of me to call me vnworthy wrethe to the grace of thy fayth and to be one of thy sorte now also forther to receyue me this mistery holy sacrameÌ„t I beseche the lord teache me inspyre my soule to order me selfe thereunto with suche reuereÌ„ce drede and with suche feruour deuocion with suche loue charyte as may be acceptable to thy grace shall come or byseme my state and degre so increace in vertue by the receyuing herof in the same degre as maye be also to the edificacioÌ„ of all persons And I beseche the suffre me neuer to dout of this holy sacrameÌ„t but euermore to ê‘ceyue vnderstande holde beleue thynke speke after the true fayth of thy catholyke church Let good lord thy holy spirite come vnto me and entre into my hart there without wordes or noyse secretly speke vnto my soule / to instructe tell and teache me the very truthe of all that hyghe mystery / for I know well it is very ê“funde hyghe / excepte thy graciouse doctrine ferre aboue my capacite vnderstandyng Wherfore swete sauyour Iesu I now here fully and wholy without any forther discusse or reasonynge moost lowly submyt my selfe vnto thy mercy Besechynge the same / that I may with clene harte and pure coÌ„scieÌ„ce accede approche although vnworthy theruÌ„to And that thou good lord for the swetenes of thy holy harte woldeste vouchesafe to delyuer my synfull soule from all doubt and daunger of synne / and to mundify / purge / and clense my frayle mynde frome all vayne / all vnclene / all noyouse and vnfruitfull cogitacions and thoughtes And to conforte and strenght my faynt and feble hart with the grace of constancy and perseuerauÌ„ce / so that my soule may be made in thy loue and charity the worthy habitacle dwellyng place of thyne hyghe maiesty not onely now at this tyme but also in all tymes vnto the ende of my lyfe And after euer vnto the ende of the worlde Amen O Mooste swete louer of all mankynde lorde and sauyour Iesu / I beseche the for all the whole vertue of thy bytter passioÌ„ / put away from me the spirite of elacion and pryde of enuy and detraction of yre wrathe malyce impacience and of all other morbes diseases and pestilences of the soule And plante good lorde and grounde in my hart and mynd very true mekenes / charity and pacience innocency and the loue of pouerty / due temperaunce / pure chastity / with all suche other vertues / medicynes / and preseruatyues vnto the soule Mortifie good lord and sle in me all libidinouse and vnclene mocions / all carnall desyres and inordinate affectioÌ„s And kyndle lorde and quyken in me the feruour and loue of all vertues and of the perpetuall excercyse and workynge of them / with constant perseueraunce / so that in this tyme and all tymes in body and soule purifyed cleÌ„sed I may worthely receyue this holy sacrament Vnto the high mistery whereof I knowe well do so coÌ„fesse / graunt / knowledge here before thy gloryous face I am vnworthy very moch vnworthy most vnworthy Not only for my great habominable synnes many many neglygences but also for great dulnes wante of deuocion But not witstandyng I know as well agayne so do I beleue in harte and mynde so do knowledge in mouth worde / that thou my lorde god art omnipoteÌ„t almyghty so mayst therfor by thy power infinite if it so please thy grace make me worthy and acceptable For thou alone good lord mayste canst iustifye a synner and of the vyle fylthy wretche make a clene and pleasant person Therfore gracious lord I beseche thy worthy maiesty for thyne almyghty power whiche I firmly stedfastly beleue and for thyne infinite endles wysedom whiche I boldly coÌ„fesse for thyne excellent bounty goodnes wherin I fully hope trust And for all these togyther as one frame me make me worthy and acceptable vnto thy godly presence and grauÌ„t me thyne vnworthy lewde wretched seruauÌ„t of all my synnes very true coÌ„tricioÌ„ due coÌ„punction pure deuocioÌ„ and the feruent flame of thy loue / that
mercyful goodenes it neuer be vnto me condempnacion and iudgement but vnto the profyte and auayle of the eterne and euerlastyng saluacion and helthe of both my soule body Amen O Moost benygne louynge lorde how vyle how wretched and vnworthy am I to receyue so worthy a lorde so royall a prynce so myghty a kynge so noble an Emperour into so pore a coysshe not worthy to be called an house so ferre out of good garnysshe and due apparell Surely moche and very moche and moost vnworthy am I thereunto But gracious lord I beseche thy goodnes that perfectly hast create and made all this worlde of nought with payne infinyte repayred our mortalyte Create and make now in me a newe hart and repayre or rather new frame agayne and facion my hous adorne / appareyll garnylshe / and dresse or fornisshe it so as best may become or beseme thy maiesty / and best maye please thy gentyll hart And of thy moost large and lyberall bouÌ„tye vouchsafe good lord to receyue my wyll mynde / intent / and desyre whiche as here before thy goodly presence I affirme confesse is to receyue the worthely accordynge vnto thy wyll and pleasure / vnto the whiche I wholly yelde / recoÌ„mende / betake my selfe harte / mynd / and wyll / soule body Not onely nowe for this present tyme but also for all tymes for euermore Amen ¶ A lytle before your coÌ„mumon / a prayer O Lyuely flesshe and blood of my louynge lorde Iesu / the reuyuer quyckener of my dethe O precyouse foode immortall / the nouryssher standerde of my lyfe O very matter of my beatitude blessednes O fulfyller and whole contentacion of all my desyres I beseche thy goodnes so worke in me thy grace that by the receyuynge of this glorious sacramente I may be transformed chaunged in to the lord thy selfe / and that I may lyue in the / repause rest in the / loue the lorde alone / and that I maye thynke vpon the alone / thou alone to be sole obiecte spirituall of all my wyttes / the is to say / that I may haue no maner of delectacion nor pleasure to herkeÌ„ or here any thynge but onely the. Nor any thynge to se or beholde but the alone Nothynge to smell but onely thy spirite / nothynge to taste but onely thy swetenes ne euer any thyng to touch with pleasure but the lord alone Be thou good lord alone the whole boke of all my study lernynge and the table of all my fode or fedynge The bed also or the couche of all my rest slepynge And be thou good lord the closet arcke chest coffer casket of all my Iuels treasure ryches Let good lord all my who le fayth beleue be in the alone All my full hope truste in the onely And in the also alone all myne affectioÌ„ loue desyre In the lorde the ê‘fecte tranquilyte rest of all my hart mynd And fynally good lord let the whole traÌ„sformacioÌ„ full exchaunge of bothe my soule bodye be all in the. Se the the more often here by thy grace I receyue the in this blessyd sacramente the more fully and surely I maye in euerlastyng blysse possede and wholy inioye the my swete lorde Iesu that with god the father with the holy ghost dost lyue reigne very god for euermore Amen âšœ Domine secundum actum meum noli me iudicare c. Good lorde do not iudge me after or accordynge vnto myne acte workynge or dede For nothynge haue I done worthy and acceptable in thy coÌ„specte and syght And therfore I most lowly beseche thy maiestye that thou lorde god woldest put away myne iniquite and wyckednes Wasshe and clense me lorde god from hensfort from myne vnryghtwysnes and all defautes make me clene frome all my synne trespas For I haue trespassed and synned vnto the good lord alone And therfor as I sayd byfore I beseche thy maiesty that thou very God wylt put awaye myne iniquite and wyckednes / supply lord all thynges that myght by any meanes promote me vnto this holy mystery Amen HAyle very god very man / and blessyd euer must thou be Ex canone moost holy flesshe sacred blod of Christe my sauyour Iesu / vnto me aboue all thinges moost hygh swetenes / moost delectable pleasure and mooste syngular comfort Be good lord vnto me both gyde and way / fode / and lyfe vnto the remedy of euerlastyng lyfe AmeÌ„ âšœ In nomine patris / et filii âšœ / et spiritus sancti Amen And so receyue our lorde âšœ TAke good hede howe ye take in the hoste For many done full rudely behaue them selfe therin Some done catche the hoost snatche it out of the prestes hande with theyr tethe hastely and so gnaw chewe it as coÌ„mune meat but do not you so Come therunto reuerently and dredefully and with sobrenes Whan the preeste dothe put the hooste into your mouthe open it well and take the hooste vpoÌ„ your tonge and holde it styll a whyle and than it wyll relent / so you may fold it in your mouthe with your tongue and receyue it down with as litle brusur of your tethe as you conueniently maye And yf by chaunce the hooste do stycke and cleue vnto the roufe of your mouth be not troubled therwith but take pacience and fuffre a lytle whyle thaÌ„ may you lyghtely remoue it with your tongue / without any daunger Than with good deliberacion take the chales drynke after the custome whiche custume is in many places to staÌ„d vp to drynke whiche thynge surely I do prayse very moche for that is done in signe and token that no reuerence shuld be done nor gyueÌ„ vnto the drynke for it is no parte of the sacrament And it is not requyred that you shuld drynke any thynge at all thereunto for that drynke is taken onely to brynge downe the hooste wholy and clene into the stomake and therefore it forseth not what lycour you drynke but that the custume is for the honour of the sacrament to drynke wyne For the loue of our lord good deuoute christians I beseche you take no hede vnto these new heretykes that done moue the symple people to requyre to haue to receyue the sacrament in bothe fourmes kyndnes that is to saye / of bread and wyne as the prest doth But good people I praye you beleue stedfastly that in the last parte that you maye perceyue of the hooste sacred is the very quycke body soule of our sauyour Iesu god and man And a quycke body you knowe well is not without both quyck flesshe quyck blode so that in receyuynge that sacred hoost or any part thereof you verely receyue both the body soule / all the quycke flesshe and all the quyck blode of our sauyour Iesu and the very selfe same flesshe and blode that was
offered vpon the crosse for our redemption And so don you receyue the same that the prest in the masse dothe receyue at the aulter and he none other neyther more or lesse than you do but that he doth there consecrate receyue in bothe the fourmes because he doth there represent the persone of Christe and doth there ministre make that oblacion sacrifice offerynge not for hym selfe alone but for all Christianes as Christe dyd Not witstondyng yf the same preste shulde an other tyme out of masse be communed houseled as you be he shuld receyue as you do and none other than you do ¶ And thus I pray you be content for this mater and forthwith after your communioÌ„ do not you as many do renne forthe make haste vnto brekefaste or dyner or vnto bodyly recreacioÌ„ but rather gyue some thankes vnto our lord as becommeth a good Christian ¶ A prayer to be sayd immediately after your communioÌ„ and houselynge IN moost huÌ„ble Ex missale moost lowly and most harty louynge maner / with moost due reuerence I thanke the good lorde moost holy father eterne euerlastynge God that by the bountye of thy mercyfull grace woldest vouchsafe thus to refresshe and fede me with the brede of lyfe the holy sacred body precyous blode of thy sonne our lorde god sauyour Iesu Christe And I beseche thyne infinite pyteouse goodnes that this most high and holy sacrament of our saluacion that I most vnworthy wretche and moost vyle caytife haue nowe receyued come neuer hereafter in iudgement condempnacion vnto me for myne euyll merites deseruynges but rather good lorde it may come vnto the profyte and comforte of my body and vnto the saluacion and helthe of my soule vnto the lyfe euerlastyng Amen ¶ An other prayer for the same tyme. MOost swete lord sauyour Iesu I beseche thy grace for the vertue in the honour of thy moost holy body and blessyd blode whiche althoughe moche vnworthy I haue here now receyued graunt and gyue me the inwarde swetenes of thy charitie / who le vnfayned loue of all good persoÌ„s spirituall myght and strengthe in all temptacions purity of harte clennes of coÌ„science and in all my conuersacyon of lyfe suche Christiane disciplyne / good maners / behauyours as may auoyd all actyue sklaunder occasion gyueÌ„ And also to be vnto all ê‘sons exaÌ„ple of good edificacioÌ„ So that by thy gracyouse guydynge and gouernaunce I maye go forwarde and increace in thy religion with perseuerant constancy accordynge vnto that state degre that thou good lord haste called me vnto Amen ¶ A deuoute prayer / moche vsed vnto this sacrament with the Englysshe after the Latine ¶ The Antheme O Sacrum conuiuium in quo Christus sumitur recolitur memoria passionis eius mens inpletur gracia Et future glorie nobis pignus datur Alleluia ¶ That is to meane O Meruelouse solempne and holy sacred feest in that whiche feest our lord and sauiour Christe is receyued The memory and remembraunce of his passion is renewed called vnto mynde Our soule / harte / and mynde is replete and fulfylled with grace and comfort And the pledge and ernest token of the glory ande euerlastynge ioye blysse to come is vnto vs gyueÌ„ and delyuered ¶ Alleluya ¶ This Ebrew worde Alleluya of foure sillables in sowne and speakynge is as moche to meane as though you sayd in Englyssh All you people that ben here presente laude prayse your creatour and maker ¶ The versicle âšœ Panem de celo prestitisti eis Thou hast gyueÌ„ good lord vnto thy people this breade frome heuyn ¶ The responde or answere âšœ Omne delectamentum in se habentem Alleluya And this breade hathe in it selfe all delectament and pleasure ¶ Oremus âšœ Praye we or lett vs praye ¶ The collecte DEus qui nobis sub sacramento mirabili passionis tue memoriaÌ„ reliquisti tribue quesumus ita nos corporis sanguinis tui sacra misteria venerari vt redemptionis tue fructum in nobis iugiter sentiamus / qui viuis et regnas deus Per omnia secula seculorum Amen ¶ That is to meane GOod lorde sauyour Iesu the vnder this meruelous sacrament hast left vnto vs the memory remembraunce of thy passion Graunt vnto vs we beseche the so to honour worshyppe the holy sacred misteryes of thy blessyd bodye blode that we therby may coÌ„tynually vnderstande perceyue and fele in vs / the fruite / effecte / the profyte / and auayle of thy redemptyon lorde / that lyuest and reignest with god the father / in the vnitie of the holy ghost very selfe same essenciall god by all worldes of worldes Amen ¶ A lesson for your masse tyme whan you be not communed or houseled YOu muste nowe remembre that as is sayd before euery preste in the masse dothe represent and vse the person / and offyce of Christe / and doth in the same masse make oblacioÌ„ and offer the holy sacrament / not for hym selfe alone / but also for all faythfull Chrystians And therfor euery deuoute louer of Christ in clene lyue / couetynge / desyrynge / and wysshynge with feruoure of hart and mynde / to receyue there with the preste in euery masse the same sacramente shall doutles receyue a greate effecte and vertue therof Wherfore it may be for you moche meritoryous / profytable so in the masse tyme / and specially towarde the Agnus to prepare / ordeyne / and dyspose your selfe / with affectioÌ„ of hart / with desyre deuocioÌ„ of mynd with the charyte loue of all your whole soule vnto your lorde sauyour as thoughe you shuld at the same masse be actually coÌ„muned and houseled with the preste ¶ A prayer for the same purpose O Moost swete lord and sauyour Iesu Oratio doctoris Nydar pro communione spirituali thou knowest wel that I moche do couete and with all my harte / haue greate desyre now to receyue this blessed sacrament And wolde to god that accordyng vnto my wysshe and desyre I were vnto thy pleasure in thy syght so well disposed in my soule that now at this tyme / and euery day And if it myght coÌ„uenieÌ„tly be many tymes in the day I myght be able worthely to receyue it But lord Thou knowest what I am thou dost se and beholde my hart / my hole desyre of mynde soule / is openly sprade and knoweÌ„ before thy face / yet good lord I beseche the gracyous bountie and infinite goodnes graunt me this one peticyon / that is / that I maye nowe at this tyme / and in euery masse receyue spiritually in to my soule / some effecte vertue of this maruelouse misterie And so to be parteyner of the same / that my hart maye perceyue fele the swetenes of thy godly preseÌ„ce And that my soule all enflamed fyered with desyre and deuocion / may
ê‘don mayster Wyllyam Bonde / in his boke called the Pylgremage of perfeccyon in the .vii. chapyter of the secoÌ„de boke and in the thyrde and .iiii. chapyters of the thyrde boke in the .iii. dayes iourney Some other ê‘sons ben deceyued onely by the corrupcyon of fantasye whiche causeth them to thynke and beleue verely that suche thynges as by onely ymagynacyon come vnto theyr myndes ben verely spoken vnto them / as some done thynke that the crowe or other byrde dothe saye or synge certayne wordes or that the bell or bellys done rynge and saye after theyr ymagynacyon And of this sorte ben many persones moche different accordynge to the disease of the hede / as the fantasye is more or lesse corrupted And yet some of theÌ„ wyll shewe many meruaylous thynges that they beleue verely for true which in dede were neuer true But these persones done coÌ„munelye shewe nothynge that is greatly euyll nor yet any greate good / but that men may fone discerne and perceyue for fantasyes ymagynacyon / except the persones were some preuey synners And than wyl the wycked speryte be redye to put hym selfe in prease / and with that corrupcyoÌ„ to helpe forth vnto illusyon But yet ben other deceyuers thoughe none of this sorte / but of a more deuelisshe sorte very ypocrytes that feyne them selfe to haue reuelacyons knowe well they haue none suche but that to deceyue the people seme in a transe or rapt / whan they wyll as we rede of Dauid i. â—eg xxi d. that feyned him selfe madde and in a rage vpon a certayne tyme For a good purpose to saue his selfe And so playde his pagyant that he frothed or fomed at the mouthe / raged as thoughe he had ben furyous and madde in dede And so done these wretches the disceyuynge of many persones wilfully and of purpose But howe to be ware of suche wretches and ypocrytes surely it is very harde For as to gyue ouerlyght credence to suche persones is agaynst wysdome so vtterly to coÌ„dempne theÌ„ or to dispyse them / is peryllous agaynste vertue Wysdome is therfore to proue well the spiryte before yet do I nowe ymagyn what many persons wyll say hereunto that is that this exercyse is a mater ouer hyghe / and excedynge the wyttes and vnderstandyng of symple vnlerned people And so is the tother worke also / wherunto I do sende them in this worke that is to say / the disposicyon and ordynaunce vnto coÌ„minyon or houselynge Wherunto I saye agayne that bothe the workes ben so deuyded into such partes that euery person may take what he wyll accordynge to his state and condicyon Rede the werke ones ouer and than chose / for I thynke there ben but fewe persones but that they may lyghtly vnderstande and vse one of those exercyses And as a great lerned man sayd of a werke that he had sende forthe althoughe this werke were so deuysed Cicero de orato ê‘fecto that fewe persones myght attayne to the full heyght and clere vnderstandynge therof yet shulde no person dispayre ne be discouraged thereby For as a prycke or marke is set in a butte for all men to shute at althoughe none hytte the prycke Those that done shute nere ben nat wtout prayse i. Cor. ix d. And saynt Paule sayeth whan there is a glayue set vp for renners all or many done renne / but one catcheth the glayue alone / and yet is it nother shame ne rebuke to wynne the seconde or the thyrde game But here in our caÌ„pe none that dothe assaye to renne / shal be without a synglar rewarde i. Cor. iii. c. For as the same apostle sayeth euery person shall receyue his propre wages or rewarde acccordyng to his labour and deseruynge And many tymes it may here fortune and come to passe / that those that come laste shal be fyrst and best rewarded Math. xx b. So sayeth our sauyour in the gospell Erunt primi nouissimi et nouissimi primi In this campe / the fyrst shal be last and the last shall in rewarde be fyrst The respect and weyght of this labour standeth nat in the bodely exercyse of the outwarde werke / but in the infors and dilygence of the wyll / put therunto your good wyll and dilygence to do what you can And thoughe it be but very very lytle that you spede or do in this exercyse that lytle lytle thoughe it be neuer so lytle yet shall it be greatly rewarded And peradueÌ„ture moch more meryte and rewarde shall the dull persone haue by that infors dilygeÌ„ce and good wyll than shall the lerned and quycke wytted persons that more lyghtly and with lesse labour done spede in this mater Let no person therfore dispayre ne take discomforte with any dulnesse For the poete sayeth Labor improbus omnia vincit Importune labour doth ouercoÌ„e all thynges And yet though some persons can by no meanes fall vnto the hyghest exercise of this lessoÌ„ let theÌ„ fall vnto prayer / and be sory that they can nat flye so hygh makyng protestacyon / and call our lorde to wytnesse / that fayne gladly they wolde do what beste myght please his goodnes / And let them there coÌ„mytte recommende betake and bequeth them selfe body and soule vnto his handes at that tyme as they intende to do at the houre of dethe And beseche his grace / that this recommendacyon bequeste may stande / and of hym be receyued for that tyme / and therwith let them saye In manns tuas c. as is beforesayd Some ê‘sones euery yere ones at the least and some .iiii. tymes that euery quarter ones / done make theyr funeralles / that is / all the solempnyte of theyr buryalles with Dirige and masse / offre theyr masse peny them selfe And after that / make a feast dele almes as thoughe they were than deed in dede buryed / also whiche custome I prayse very moch And yf that were done euery moneth ones or euery weke / or yet euery daye of them that haue abilyte and tyme therunto I wolde thynke iudge it a deuoute and meritoryous obseruaunce For those persones that by any of these / or lyke meanes done so prepare make them selfe redy to dethe may be sure neuer to dye sodenly For many persones ben sore affrayde of soden dethe / done ful hartely make prayer that they neuer dye sodenly Let them vse this maner / or some one of these formes and maner of exercyses / they may be sure of theyr prayer / that is neuer to dye sodeÌ„ly Study therfore good deuout soules to be redy at euery houre / and pray vnto our lorde Phi. i. c that you may haue the wyll that saynt Paule had whaÌ„ he sayde I couet and desyre / to be dyssolued and to departe this lyfe / and to be with Chryst Whether he brynge vs all that made vs. Amen ⧠The olde wretche youre assured beademan of Syon Rycharde Whytford
preuy frō your audytour me thynketh it shulde be a greate suretye for you to make euery day ones your sayd accoūte by your selfe The cōmune prouerbe is that ofte rekenynge holdeth lōg fellawshype I wold aduyse you therfore to spēde some tyme ther vpō at nyght after all your occupaciōs before your bed there knele downe ther begynne to remēbre wheder ye wēte what ye dyd īmediatly after your morowe exercise in what company ye were what was there your behauiour and demanour ī werke worde or thought and so go forth vnto euery place / tyme cōpany as brekefaste / dyner / soupper / or drynkynge / where you fynde or perceyue any thyng that was good / vertuous / and profytable / ascribe and apply that vnto our lorde god gyue vnto him all the glory laude prayse therof / for he alone is the gyuer of all goodnes / so ouer passe that thynge lyghtly And where ye remēbre of any speciall thynge done / sayd / or thought amysse / stycke byde thervpō / bulte it as they say tourne it vp so downe / try the weyght daunger therof with all the maner and circumstaunce of the same So may ye knowe the quātytie therof that is to say howe greate a synne or howe lyttell it is / howe be it none offence cane be lyttell that doth offēde god surely euery synne is offence done vnto god although it seme to be done vnto mā For as the loue of god doth begyn̄e at the loue of the neyghbour For he the loueth nat his neyghbour i. Ioh. ii whō he may se with his bodyly eye or syght sayth saynt Iohn̄ howe may he loue god whome he cā nat so se so in lyke maner the offence of the neyghbour is forth with the offence of god Consyder therfore vnto whome the trespas is done so that consyderacion with the other qualyties and quantyties of the synne shall bryng you vnto a basshemēt therof and to be sory therfore or at the leest to wyll or wysshe that ye had nat so done Thā mekely crye god mercy / and aske hym forgyuenes therof with very pourpose and mynde to be confessyd therof at due tyme and to take and do penaunce therfore And I dare assure you that this maner of accoumpte rekenynge though your synne were neuer so greate shall saue you frō the ieopardy of dānaciō / which is no lytell grace goodnes of God Thanke hym than lowly therfore and so blesse your selfe as you dyd in the morning / and your bedde also / go therevnto and so cōmytte your selfe all hole body and soule vnto the protection / custody and kepyng of our lorde who gyue you good nyght and good reste Amen It shall be ryght well also that ye cal vpon suche holy sayntes as you haue speciall deuocion vnto vnder this fourme or some other lyke Blessed lady Mary mother of god alway vgin I beseche the pray for me for all Christians Holy angell of god what so euer thou be that arte deputed and appoynted vnto my custody I submyttynge me with most lowly obedience beseche the to pray for me for all the worlde Saynt Michaell saynt Gabriell saynt Raphaell with all holy angels archāgels I beseche you pray for me for all people Saynt Iohn̄ baptyste and all holy patriarkes and prophetes I beseche you pray for me for all christendome Saynt Peter saynte Paule saynte Iohn̄ the euangeliste and all holy apostles euāgelistes I beseche you pray for me for all the worlde and you also all disciples of our lorde and holy Innocentes Saynte Stephan and all holy martyres Saynte Augustine / and all holy confessours / all religious persones and heremites Saynt Katheryne / saynt Margarete saynte Barbara and all holy virgines I beseche you praye for me / and for all persones And fynally all you holy sayntes of heuē of euery degre and state where you be I beseche you all in generall / and eueryche in speciall / praye for me all mākynde Here may you brynge in the patrones of your churches or dioces and suche as you haue as I sayd synguler deuotion vnto And here an ende as vnto your selfe ¶ The persone for the housholde Syr / this werke is good for religious persones / and for suche persones as bene solytary and done lye alone by thē selfe / but we done lye .ii. or .iii. somtyme together / and yet in one chambre dyuers beddes so many in company / if we shulde vse these thynges in p̄sence of our fellowes some wold laugh vs to scorne moke vs. ¶ The housholder O bone Iesu O good lorde Iesu what here I nowe I dar well say there bene but fewe persones in Englande but they wolde byde some daunger or rebuke for pleasure of theyr kynge or prynce and many for theyr mayster or maistres or theyr soueraynes and some for theyr frendes and fellowes specially where great gaynes shulde growe therby vnto thē selfe And for the pleasure of God our father and of our swete sauyoure Iesu our brother shulde we be abasshed to take daūger bere a poore mocke or scorne that neuer shall woūde our flesshe ne yet tere our skyn̄e for the pleasure of our pereles prynce kynge of kynges / lorde of all lordes Fye for shame that any christian shulde be so cowardous Ventre vpon it go forth withall In .ix. dayes as they saye the daūger shal be past / fere nothinge Euery begynnyng is harde and of greate diffyculte Omne principium difficile Labor īprobus oīa vincit But īportune labour doth vayn quysshe ouercome all thynges I tell you this dayly exercise by custome and vse shall seme very shorte and swete profytable and pleasaunt Rede it or here it ouer ones or twyse at the leest before you caste it awaye How be it we thynke it nat sufficiēt nor ynough for vs to lyue well our selfe but the all other christians also lyue the better for vs and by our example specially those that we haue ī charge gouernaunce that is to saye our chylder and seruaūtes And me semeth it shuld also be a good pastyme and moche meritorious for you that cane rede to gather your felowes about you on the holy day specially the yonge sorte and rede to them this pore lesson For therin be suche thynges as bothe you and they bene bounde to knowe or can say that is the Pater noster the Aue maria and the Crede / with suche other thynges as done folowe I wold therfore you shuld begynne with them by tyme in youth as sone as they cā speke For it is an olde saynge Quod noua testa capit inueterata sapit The pot or vessell shall euer sauour or smell of the thynge wherew t it is fyrste seasoned And your englysshe prouerbe saythe / that the yong cocke croweth as he doth here and lerne of the olde
forgyuenes ¶ Couetyse In couetyse also I haue synned bycause I haue not bene contente with the goodes state and degre of lyuynge that god hath sente me where it is moche better than I haue deserued or am worthy but I haue coueyted and desyred / wysshed wylled studyed laboured to haue more if any be vnlawfully goten or so with holden make playne cōfessyon therof as the mater requyreth Thus by this synne of couetyse haue I broken the vii commaundement of our lorde and the tenth and otherwyse dyuersly offended in couetyse I beseche his grace of mercy and forgyuenes ¶ Glotony ¶ I haue also synned in glotony in takynge meate drynke vndiscretely / and aboue that nature dyde requyre haue pycked out chosen somtyme by sensuall appetyte the delycate swete and plesaunt meates and drynkes rather for pleasure thā for nede / and taken therof suche superfluyte at some tymes that I haue ben therby sycke or diseased or at the leste ben the more dull bothe in body soule vnto all maner of vertue good exercises loke here whether you haue broken any fastes commaunded by the law or ben dronke or taken any notable surfet after meat commonly I haue bene more redy to passe the tyme in bodyly disportes and ydlenes thā in labours I crye god mercy ¶ Slouth ¶ I haue bē also moche slouthfull and neglygent to serue God both vpon the holy day and other dayes also and I haue ben yrke wery thought the tyme of prayer longe come late therunto make haste therin and ouer passed the seruyce of god without due reuerence more by course and custome than by any good remembraunce or deuocion and also I haue not ben diligēte to apply my selfe vnto suche bodyly labours as I haue had in charge sometyme haue not done the labours at all or els full sleyghtly done them and spent the tyme after myne owne appetyte full vnfruytfully sometyme in wantonnes somtyme in very ydlenes I crye god mercy ¶ Lechery ¶ By the meanes of these two foule synnes of glotony slouth / I haue bene the more redy vnto the thyrde synne of the flesshe that is to say lechery for I haue not bene so chaste in soule body as the state / degre maner of my lyuyng doth requyre not so diligent ready to put awaye vnclene thoughtes or mociōs of the body as I shulde be / but rather folowed thē at sōtymes wyllfully suffred them to hange vpon me taken in them delectacion and pleasure for the tyme. And whan I haue ben in p̄sence of cōpany I haue not alway ordered my selfe in chaste maner in my lokes or syghtes countenaunce and behauyour wordes dedes but many tymes haue ben full lyght to take or to gyue occasyon I crye god mercy Here must you remēbre sute or prouocaciō vnto vnclēnes done or suffred on your behalfe as ī wordes wrytyngs sygnes tokens messages kyssynge clyppyng touchyng or other more fylthy and vnlawfull behauyoure / done in dede or in full consente And so shewe euery thynge with the due circumstances of the tyme place and persones not namynge the persones but shewynge the states or degrees of thē as whether they he maried or vnmaried c. Thus by this foule synne of lechery haue I brokē the .vi. also .ix. commaundemēt of god and by many other meanes as well in this synne as in all the other of these .vii. pryncipall synnes haue I greuously offended my lorde god brokē his cōmaundementes not fulfylled the workes of mercy vnto my power and mysvsed my fyue wyttes in herynge seynge smellyng tastynge and touchynge For the whiche for all other as our lord knoweth me gylty and I wolde confesse knowlege if they came to mynde I beseche his gracious goodnes of mercy forgyuenes And you my ghostly father of penaunce and absolucion Et precor sanctam Mariam omnes sanctos dei vos orare pro me Whiche is to meane vnto the vnlerned And I beseche the blessed lady saynte Mary all the holy cōpany of heuen you also my ghostly father to pray for me And whan you haue taken your penaunce and haue ben assoyled than say you vnto the preste Syr / and it please you this is my penaunce and than reherse the same ones or twyse your selfe / that you may the more surely bere it in mynde For I assure you it is ieopardeous after lerned men to forget the penaunce And thus an ende therof ¶ yet dyd I promyse in the begynnynge / to set forthe here a forther exercise whiche I thynke shulde be good and profytable for all persones For the cōmune prouerbe is that a great benefyte or gyfte is worse than loste vpon suche vnkynde persones that done not remēbre it ne gyue due thankes therfore It shuld become therfore euery faythfull christian to haue euer in mynde the greate and excellēt benefyte of our saluacion And therfore haue I deuysed here a shorte table that dothe in some conteyne the hole lyfe of our sauyoure Iesu that suche persones as wyll can it by harte and haue it ready in mynde may lyghtly ordre lay vp as it were treasure in a cheste or cofre all suche maters of the gospell that done appertayne vnto the actes of our sauyour as bene preached where they ben presente or that they don here any good communycacions or redynges And also ouer this / they shall haue two greate profytes hereby one is that no remedy maye better ne soner chace awaye all temptacions put the ghostly enemyes to flyght than this remēbraunce The seconde is that nothynge in this worlde may rather ne more spedefully moue a dull harte vnto deuotion vnto contynuaūce of vertue than this exercise I beseche you all therfore in visceribus Iesu christi that is to say for the tender loue of our lord god and most swete sauyour Iesu gyue some laboure and diligence thervnto and dayly vse the same It is but shorte and therfore may it soone be had by harte And it is very swete pleasaunt and profytable and therfore shulde be receyued with god wyll and diligence ¶ The selfe table of remembraunce ¶ The Incarnacion that is whan after the salutacion gretyng of the angell Gabriell our sauyoure was conceyued perfite mā very god in the wombe of our blessed lady Mary euer virgine ¶ The Natiuite that is the blessed byrth of our sauiour whan he was borne in Bethleē of the same blessed lady without any payne she euer remaynyng virgine ¶ The Circumcision / whan he fyrste shedde his precyous blode for our redempcion ¶ The Epyphany / whan he was shewed and openly declared vnto the hoole worlde by the thre kynges to be very god and very man the sauyoure of the worlde ¶ The Presentacion / that is whan he was brought vnto the temple with oblacion or offrynge accordyng vnto the lawe and also the purificacion or churchynge of our Lady ¶ The
/ by many rebukes mocked hym / and whan he coÌ„playned of thurst / they gaue hym eysell gall And whan he had haÌ„ged ther so paynfully the space of thre houres he with lowde crye commendyng his spirite and soule vnto the father of heuen / expired dyed And yet after his departynge to be sure of his deth one of the sowdyours made a wounde in his syde thraste hym vnto the harte with a spere ¶ Sepulture that is to saye the buryinge whan Iosephe ab Aramathie had asked of Pylate his blessed body / he toke hym downe at complyn tyme and buried hym in a newe graue or tombe that he had made for hym selfe ¶ Resurrection / that was whaÌ„ the thyrde daye after he dyd aryse in a gloryous body and soule and appered fyrst vnto our blessed lady his mother than vnto Mary magdalene and after vnto the thre Maries / than vnto saynte Peter and after that vnto two of his disciples at Emaus And the same nyght vnto ten of the Apostles whan all theyr dores and wyndowes were faste shut and closed vp Thus you maye perceyue he dyd appere .v. tymes that same daye of his resurrection ¶ Ascencion / that was whaÌ„ he in many sondry wyses by many apperynges had sufficiently proued assured his gloryous resurrection by the space of .xl. dayes than in the presence of his mother his apostles and in the preseÌ„ce of many other disciples men women he dyd meruelously ascende and stye vp into heuen ¶ The MissioÌ„ or sendyng of the holy ghost that was whan the .x. day after the sayd meruelouse asceÌ„sion accordyng vnto his promyse he sent downe the holy ghost vnto his blessed mother / his apostles disciples wherby they were all fulfylled with grace confyrmed theryn as the fyrste churche of christe and so hath coÌ„tynued / and doth shall coÌ„tynue iÌ„ the churche vnto the ende of the worlde Amen ¶ you now wyll thynke this table ouer loÌ„g for a dayly exercise but you muste remeÌ„bre that the selfe table is conteyned in the fyrst wordes of euery artycle and the resydue is a breue declaracion of the same therfore I shall be contente to set it out alone in selfe wordes whiche ben in noÌ„mbre .xl. ¶ Thus. ¶ Incarnation / Natiuite / Circumcision / Epyphani / Presentation / Egypte / DisputacioÌ„ / HumiliacioÌ„ / EducacioÌ„ / Baptysme / Wildernes / Faste TeÌ„ptacioÌ„ / Victory / ElectioÌ„ / Preachyng / Teachyng / Laboures / Miracles / Maundy / Ministery / ConsecracioÌ„ / SermoÌ„ / Agonye / Betraynge / Takynge / Bisshopes / Pylate / Herode / Pylate agayne / ExaminacioÌ„ / Flagellacion / Coronacion / Condemnation / Fatigation / CrucifixioÌ„ / Sepulture / Resurrection / Ascention / Mission ¶ The ende ¶ Nowe you may se this table is not long but may easely be had by harte and if it so be and dayly vsed I dare well say the persones shall fynde conforte therin bothe to exclude vyce / also to encrease in vertu grace And yet forthermore to coÌ„tynue therin vnto theyr conforte ioye euerlastyng whervnto he bryng vs that bought vs our lord god and most swete sauioure Iesu who guyde you kepe you all Amen ¶ The housholder ¶ Thus haue I nowe in dischargynge of my coscience done fulfylled the cownsell byddynge of my ghostly father that taught me thys lesson whiche cownsell was that I shulde call you all byfore me as well my wyfe and chyldren as myne other seruauntes men / women and chyldren and to teche you thys sayd and same lesson that he taught me Now I pray you all and charge you to do your deuoyr and diligence to followe it and vse it ¶ Also he delyuered vnto me an other prety lesson whiche was not his owne werke but of his translation as foloweth and bad me also teche it you ¶ A breue or shorte monycioÌ„ or counseyle of the cure and gouernaunce of a housholde accordyng vnto policy TakeÌ„ out of a pystle of a great lerned maÌ„ called Bernarde Siluestre put amonge the werkes of saynt Bernarde for bycause that many done iudge and thynke hit was his owne werke Set forth by the same brother FIrste good deuoute christians / take moste hede and gyue moste diligeÌ„ce to ordre your selfe and all youres vnto our lorde accordyng vnto the poore lesson that goeth before / and than se well vnto the substaunce / and guydyng of your house / and goodes Se fyrst that peace be in the house / and that you agre all together / for els all your goodes wyll sone goo to naught Than after the commune prouerbe cut your thoÌ„ges after or accordynge vnto your ledder Spende accordynge vnto your gaynes / gettynges / or reÌ„tes / and not aboue It is also good policy / to haue one yeres rente / or a yeres gaynes in store for chauÌ„ces whiche is not coÌ„trary vnto christianite where extreme or very streyte nede / is not perceyued in the neyghbour A negligeÌ„t or rechles ê‘sone may soone set on fyre destroye great substauÌ„ce Haue therfore a good eye / and garde vnto the diligence of your seruauÌ„tes for vnder theÌ„ your goodes may soone mynushe / and be wasted before you knowe / beware or haue knowlege therof / If your goodes begynne to waste better is lesse rebuke for you to absteyne withdrawe your charges / than to fall in to nedynes / or daunger An olde prouerbe Qui plus expeÌ„dit quam reruÌ„ copia tendit NoÌ„ admiretur si paupertate grauetur That is âšœ Who so done spende beyonde theyr faculte / No meruayle thoughe with nede they greued be ¶ It is therfore a great prouideÌ„ce good foresyght ofteÌ„ to couÌ„te / coÌ„pare your goodes and your gaynes with your expenses OfteÌ„ to ouerse your goodes shal be necessary For your beastes maye take hurte for defaute of fode all though they nothynge aske ne coÌ„playne Aristoti iÌ„ Econo The stepp of the husbaÌ„de maketh a fatte donghyll And the eye of the mayster a fatte horse that is to meane that the presence of the mayster in euery corner / is moche profytable Sumptuous costly weddynges or brydales beÌ„ damage / without honoure ExpeÌ„ses done vpoÌ„ warre ben more honorable than profytable Better is to suffre some wronge to bye peace than to make warre or to kepe warre Coste made vpoÌ„ prodigall persones is clerely loste Coste made vpon kynne frendes is resonable Fede your housholde seruauÌ„tes with honest commune fare / without delicates For the seruaunte that is made a glotoÌ„ shall neuer after mende his maners Glotony is vyle fylthy and stynkyng and wyll make the negligeÌ„t and careles persone soone roten shorte lyued Ecclesi xxxi Meane fedyng with scarcite is vnto the diligent persone / pleasaunte and profytable vpon the holydayes hyghe feastes gyue your housholde plenty of meate but seldome fewe delicates For the vse of delicate fode / wyll soone marre a good