withipol neuer delite to vtter any lye Either speake not or speake truely What faulte so euer you maie doo let it not be defended with a faulse tale for that were to flee out of the smoke in to the fyre as to dooc a worse fault in clokyng an yll and in the meane season your soule suffreth a sore stroke This euer as you reade of this mattier haue minde of your selfe to take fruite of your readyng ¶ In consideracion also of all thre partes that is to saie bothe for the defence of your soules state and for the welth of your bodie and also for the worldly goodes sake vse in all your actes a certayne commendable wysedome neuer to bee none of these Busi medlars Leaue other mens faultes leaue correctyng that you haue noo power in leaue teachyng of that you knowâ— not Let the gospell be ordered by theym that bee admitted for doctours therof Lette the priestes be blamed of them that haue the rule of the order Let common cerominies and all olde customes alone Put euer your truste in the power and wil of god and obey to the consent of the church without quarellyng or resisting Goo you forthe your waie after the meke steppes of a true christen man Lette the world bluster and blowe as it wil bee you none of the blowers Scourge who will be you none of the scourges For beleue me soner shall the rodde than the childe that is beaten be cast into the fyre In eschewyng all meldlyng you shall saue your goodes you shall kepe your bodie from trauaile and by the same meanes you shal best prouide a sure buckelet for your soule For vnder the cloke of obedience chaunce what chaunce shall your soule is euer sure for takynge any hurte the iustice of god will kepe you harmelesse how some euer the tempest of enormyties ouerfloweth this worlde If you shulde be malaperte and presume to be a doer report me to you what may in this worlde happen to your vndoyng bothe in goodes and bodie and by the same trouble you shall be caste from the succoure of god who abideth not any presumpcion You fal into presumpcioÌ„ whan you grudg against your rulers thoughe they bee woorthy of all dispraises You presume whan you meddell with theim that be not vnder you You presume whan you take in hande to amende this or that where your part is not to speake And specially you bee presumptuous whan you dare crake that you knowe goddis will Leaue therefore my good Edmonde all maner of medlyng and praie to god to accepte your obedience Praie also bitterly that his wyll maie be fulfylled in this worlde amonge vs as the angels fulfill it in heauen Thus praie and meddyll no further For I assure you it is so to be done ¶ Many thinges might bee saied for these thre cares but to you I recken it enough this much that I haue here touched Yet one woorde or two more shall not bee superfluous For I wolde not haue you deceiued by any woorde that I haue here vsed As paraduenture you might be if I shoulde thus leaue you Seyng that I haue byd you first to care for your soule next to care for your bodie and thirdely to care for the goodes of this worlde More ouer I saied there bee goodes of the soule goodes of the bodie goodes of this life But lette these wordes be to you as not spoken in their exact and propre significacion For to speake truelye there is no care but one nor there be no goodes but of one We must haue a certaine slyghte regarde to our bodie and a slyghter regarde to the worlde but care we maie not for neither of these two You know that to care wer to take an inward weyghty thought the which must not bee taken but for a thynge of great worthynes and also of more suretie then is either our bodie or the worlde Onely our soule is the thynge to bee cared for and these small commodities with certaine pratie pleasures of the bodie and of the worlde can not truely be named goodes for in very dede they be not good For this worde Good includeth a dignitee in him that sauoureth of god and heauen so that those thynges be onely woorthy to be called goodes the whiche haue a perpetuitee and stedfastenes of godly substaunce Other thynges variable chaungeable flitteryng suche as maie bee taken frome vs maâ—ger our heade bee not worthy of this high name Neither the bodye nor yet fortune hath any goodes our spirite and mynde onely hath thynges that truely be called goodes the whiche be so constantly and surely ours that euer they remain with vs in spite of al chances and all our aduersaries Mercie piâ—ee deuocion mekenes sobrenes pacience faithfulnes charitee and suche other vertues bee the veraie true goodes the whiche we maie iusâ—ely recken ours and for them we shulde continually labour For these bee the substaunce that our soule muste haue to bee with them richely decked and garnisâ—hed that we maie haue our holy daie araie and our nupciall vesture accordynge to come to the great feaste that Christe saieth we shall ones bee called to All these faulse goodes of the bodies lustinges beautie fairenes strengthe helthe and also theâ—e triâ—ing goodes of fortune roiall houses large heritaunce greatte renies implementes costely apparaile golde syluer honour power frendshyp nobilitee and what you will els in this worlde All these vaine thinges bothe of bodie and fortune can make but a ragged garmente for our soule the whiche shall bee with extreme shame drawen frome the saied feast if it come to goddes presence with these beggarly ragges This saiyng good Withipol I speake to ease and comfort your minde for by this tale that is true you nowe learne that althoughe before I saied you shuld haue thre cates in this lyfe yet in dede you haue but one care the whiche is to care for the true goodes that be to be purchased for the soules welthy state Wherfore of your thre cares stryke of two if you will speake of ernest care Yet I will sticke a littell more with you in this poynte for fame I wolde you shoulde se a true marke wherby you maie gouerne and rule al your phantasies and opinions If your phantasie be well directed to the true marke you can not mysse of the right path to vertue the which bryngeth man thyther where he shall receiue the inestimable rewarde for his trauaile I saie your soule onely must bee cared for and this onely care muste be to gette and kepe the true goodes that bee onely the goodes of the minde Other goodes be not called proprely goodes You see howe these pratie commodities of the bodie and also these small gyftes of fortune maugre our heade be taken from vs as I can not escape alwaie sickenes I can not escape misfortunes I can not fle froÌ„ the cruell handes of tyrauntes I maie be cast into tortures I maie
riche and so studie to be orels thinke neuer of riches for otherwise you shal deceiue your selfe and do contrary to that waie that as well worldly wisedome as the trouthe of our faithe sheweth you But nowe here what I saie ¶ First and last myne owne good withipol remembre earnestely to haue in your mynde three certaine thynges the whiche be of suche valure that he that forgetteth either their dignitie and nature orels the degrees and order of theym he canne not please neither god nor himselfe nor the worlde I saie in all the course of your life there he thre thinges to bee loked so vpon that the fyrste of them must be fyrst of you regarded the seconde nextâ— after and the thirde in his place after the second Beware as of dedely poyson that you ruffil not than without care one before the other as to take the .iii. in the place of the firste or the secounde after the thyrde or both the seconde and the thirde before the first In this conclusion you shall as I haue saied both offend god and displease your selfe and also nothyng content the worlde Like as the most parte of men nowe a daies treaspasse all for the rechefulnes and negligence in not kepyng these .iii. thynges vnder the dignitee and degree accordyng as they ought to be obserued and kepte And what bee we my good Edmond if we be out of god des fauourâ— odious to our selfe and dispiteful to men Therfore againe I exhorte you to the entente you maie eschewe this abhominable condicion and growe to be admitted in the blessed noumbre of them that reste in the grace of god in the â—lennes of their conscience and in the fauour of the worlde to bee iudged a good a wise and an honeste man For this finall ende mine exhortacion is now that you in all your actes in the hole course of your life remembre these three thynges that I will reherse vnto you But I saie to you that you must not onely remembre these thre thynges but also specially haue in minde the degres of them so that euer the first of theim be cheifely in your thought aboue all other and than in his place put the seconde and let not the thyrde be regarded but as his place requireth that is whan you haue done with the first and also with the secounde There lieth more weighte and valure vpon the knoweyng and kepynge of this tale that I shall tel you then if I could shew you the waie within fewe monethes to bee a man of great power bothe in excedyng abundaunce of ryches and also in passing auctortie of rule Therfore as wel for the fruit that foloweth if you doo after mine exhortacion as for the infinite hurtes that you can not escape if you shoulde forget that I sai I warne and warne you a gayne here this lesson with a glad eare and print the same in your minde to execute with liuely diligence the effect of this cousail wherin is conteined your life and deathe your ioye and sorowe as wel in this world as in that shal be hereafter These .iii. thinges be the Soule the Bodye and the Substance of this world The first place hath by good reson the Soule seyng it is a thing immortall that is created and made after the figure and shape of almightye god The next seconde roume hath the Bodie as the case and sepulture of the soule and nereste seruaunt to the secretes of the spirite The thirde roume occupiethe the riches and goods of this world as y e necessary instrumeÌ„tes or toles for the bodie the whiche can not wante nor lacke such thinges Lette than the eie of your inward mind first and cheifly euer behold the first thing in you y â— is your Soule Next therto haue a respect to your body thirdly coÌ„sider y â— world care for your Soule as for your cheife iewel and onely trea sure Care for your Bodie for the soules sake Care for the worlde for the bodies sake Beware aboue all thinges that you go not backe warde as he doth that careth first to be a riche man next to be an helthy man and thirdely to be a good man where he shoulde doo cleane contrary fyrste to studie for goodnes nexte for helthe and then for welthe You see so great blindnes among men that some folke so careth for ryches that very litle they loke for the helthe of the bodie and nothyng at all they minde the state of the soule I saie to you some folkes doo thus I woulde to god I might not truely reporte that for the mooste parte all men in maner nowe a daies dooe no notherwise Loke vpon either the spiritual sort or the temporall and muche a doo you shall haue in the great swarming multitude of this blinde sort to finde out theim that first aboue all thinges care for their soule next for their bodie and thirdly for goodes of this world You shal se marchauntes spare no trauaile nor ieo pardie of the body to get these goodes They be to saie the trouth so occupied in the studie of this thirde thing that scante thei haue time to care for the second as for the first thei passe nothig thervpoÌ„ it semeth a thing lest in their thought where of conuenienci the same care studiâ— and thought that they gyue to the opteining of these worldly goodes thei shuld spende it all in the maintenaunce of the first thyng that is the Soule and the small littel regarde that they take for the fyrste shulde be bestowed for the thirde and more than thei doo thei shulde cherisshe the seconde ¶ The same confusion is with vs scholers for our first studi is to get promocion to get these goodes to liue welthily In this care we busily be occupied continually Somewhat more we cherisshe our bodies than dothe the marchant but our cherisshing is for the longer vse of these goodes not as it shulde be for the soules sake And as for the soule we haue as litel regard as other men haue although we speke therof more than paraduenture other men do This ouerthwarte confusion of these three thynges marrethe all And plainly I may sai that al mischeife cometh onely of this misorder that we put the cheife care of our studie to the thirde thyng and not to the fyrste as of duitâ—e we oughte to dooe the contrarye If my purpose were to shewe youe what other men do and not rather what I woulde haue you dooe I woulde further procede to expresse vnto you how farre out of square our life is nowe a daies and howe blessed a life we shulde haue in this transitorie world if the care of our soule were firste and cheifelye in mens myndes lyke as the care of the worldely substaunce occupieth oure hertes aboue all other thynges If it were as it oughte to be that in our phantasie reygned the studie for the Soule thanne shulde be here that celestiall
telled his men saiyng to his companion Loke now that after my deathe you lye not nor make noo faulse crakes that you haue won this game There with also he bekenyd to the geyler and saied I praie you beare witnes that I haue one man in this game more than my felowe hath ¶ In this wyse this philosopher plaied with death and shortly his quiete herte gaue a fouie checke mate to the tyrauntes crueltie he shewed hym selfe to be in spirite as farte aboue all kinges violent power as these mighty prynces think to haue a stronge dominyon ouer all theyr subiectes The frendes and familiars of this philosopher were veraie sorowfull bewailyng the losse of suche a man to whome what meane you quoth he why be you sad why mourne you for me Is hit not youre studye to knowe whether the soule of man be mortal or immortal The trouth of this harde question I now shall learne and nowe shall I see the trouth of all our doubtes of heuen and of god ¶ Thus talking with his frendes he came to the place of execucion and there a lyttell whyleste other were headded he stode styl in a musyng dumpte What thynke you nowe good Canius quoth one of his frendes Where vppon nowe muse you so ernestly Mary quoth he I haue determined with my self to marke wel whether in this short pange of death my soule shall perceiue and feele that he goeth out of my bodie This pointe I fully entende to take hede of and if I can I will surely brynge you and the rest of my felowes worde what I felte and what is the state of our soules ¶ Here was a wonderfull caulme stomacke in the middest of soo stormye a tempest this mans mynde was worthy of an euer lasting life that was not only to the death studious of knowladg but also in the selfe death founde occasion of learnyng It was not possible for any mans minde to continue his studie longer or to a further pointe than this noble philosopher dyd ¶ This storie and certaine other like maken me often to reson with my selfe what a strength of knowladge is in mans braine to serche and to finde by hym selfe the truth if he enforce his wittes to learne For this Canius and many other were not taught of Christe as we nowe be they had not the rules of faith the which shewe the vndoubtfulle waie to come to the perfytte knowladge of all priuie misteries they were not comforted with the preachyng of goddis son to set lyttell by this life as we now be Thei wer not plucked to conceiue a loue of vertue aboue nature as the holy scripture draweth vs from this world to the beholding of an other place where vertue receiuethe hic crowne Wherfore to me it is noo smalle cause of maruailyng whan I here suche ensaumples of naturall men that by them selfe coulde in suche a maner ryse aboue theyr nature in settynge lyttell by that thyng that naturally euery creature mooste abhorreth and feareth for deathe is the thing that in this worlde by nature is made mooste doubtfull most terrible most heynous and moste worthy to be feared to be eschewed and by all meanes waies gynnes or craft to be escaped To here than a naturall man without the teachyng of god to ryse vp in his phantasie aboue nature to iudge of deathe farre other wise then nature teacheth him to dispise the duraunce in this lyfe whan he knoweth no certainetie of none other world to vse the streÌ„gth and myghte of the spirite againste the puisant power of all tyrantes It semethe to me a wonderfulle thynge and more wonderfull the same shulde be if I sawe not written in holi scripture how that from the fyrste creacion of Adam the goodnes of god hath bene so great towarde mankynde that he hathe gyuen vs alwaie sufficiente grace to knowe the righte to see the hye maiestee of vertue to finde out the true dignitee of the soule to perceiue the vanite of this present life and fynally to vnderstande where in standethe the pleasure of god and wherein standeth his displeasure Euer by goddis mere goodnes man knewe what was well to bee done and what was contrarie yuell to be done It is a lawe written in the herte of man with the finger of god in our creacion to be enduced by reasonne to praise alwaie vertue and to thinke synne woorthy of dispraise The minde of man hath a grace to se further than the bodye syghte can attaine to the mynde of man feleth more subtilly than our fyue wittes can aproche to the losse of bloudde or of brethe is a smal trifull in the mindes consideracion whan the mynde vsethe his owne cleare sighte and is not blynded with the darkenesse of the bodie the whiche stombleth at euerie strawe in this worlde Euery mote choketh a worldely man Euerie littel sounde maketh a worldly man trimble and shake I call a worldely man him that giueth al â—is care to vse his wittes in this worlde that creapeth vppon suche thynges as be lene harde felte tasted and sinelte that clymeth not in no consideracion aboue the mist of this valey The moste parte of men euer haue bene of this weake sorte and yet styll the moste part of men is the same This worlde euer hath his multitude that honoureth worshyppeth and magnifieth nothyng beside this shorte life and those thynges that pertaine to this life Yet againe euer hath there bene some and styll there bee some that playe the philosophers the whiche studied to know the dignities and woorthynesses of euerye thing howe muche it shuld be estemed valuied or regarded of vs the whiche laboreth to picke out in euerye thynge what is good and what is naught Men of this sorte be called spirituall men For you must know that a taillour a shomaker a carpenter a bote man without both lernyng and orders maie be spirituall whan a maister of arte a doctour of diuinitee a deanâ— a bishop both with his cunning and dignities maie be temporall seyng the true diffinicion of a spiritual man is to be one in whom the mynde and spirite cheifelye ruleth Like wise the temporall man is he in whom this present time of this traunsitorie lyfe hath mooste rome Thus I saie spirituall men haue euer sene the trouth to ponder and valure euery thyng in this worlde accordingly And as to the temporall mynde nothyng semeth sweter than to lyue here so the spirituall minde fyndeth swetenes in deathe by the whiche this lyfe endeth For lyke as the prince of this world neuer agreeth with god nor yet the bodie with the soule nor the erthe with heauen soo he that studieth for this time hath cleane contrarie opinions to him that foloweth the spirite And as the temporall man saieth it is a pleasaunte thynge to lyue here and a bytter thyng it is to die so the spirituall man thynkethe it a better tyme to induce the space of this lyfe and muche ioy he
to kepe goddes worde It is our maister Christe that byddethe vs loue oure ennemies to dooe well with theim that haten vs to praye for theym that persecute vs. Chryste thus commandeth vs to th entent he wolde clense and rydde vs from hatred from doyng iniuries from beyng myndefull of displeasures to haue vs pure from hate rancour angre and grudging he commandeth vs to loue without excepcion as well our foo as our frende He wolde haue vs of our charitie in god to loue man after the ensaumple of god the which wolde haue all men indifferently to be saued and come to the lyghte of trouthe lyke as his sonne shynethe ouer the good and euylle his rayne fallethe as well vpon the vniust as vpon the iuste so wolde Christe haue vs indifferentely sprede our affections to all men after the free lyberalle distribucion of charitie For and if you be in this case that some persones ye loue some you hate some you nother loue nor hate somme you loue so so in a meane facion somme you loue veraie ernestly by this inequalitie of louyng learne that you be fare from perfecte charitie with god the whiche perfecte charitie indifferentely louethe all men for goddes sake the good sort of men as his dere frendes the euyll sorte as theim of whome maie be made dere frendes In charitie is no knowladge of any difference betwene ryche and poore betwene maister and seruant betwene bond and free betwene faithfull and vntrue betwene male and female betwene kinne and no kinne the charitable spirite lokethe vpon mans symple nature the whiche in all men is lyke and one thyng wherof he conceiueth in his mynde one indifferente contemplacion of all and at all seasons he is well mynded euer well dysposed to doo all men good with whome is neyther englyshe nor scottisshe aquayntaunce nor straunger but with hym one is all and in all Chryste Iesus alone whome and whose crosse he knoweth and nothynge elles Thus by our Charitie with god we learne what is our dueitie towarde man But here in louynge your neyghbours and bretherne loke you deceiue not your selfe for hit is not inoughe to loue youre neyghbour but ye muste in the ordre and rule of charitie loue hym that is onelye or chyefely to loue hym for goddes sake There bee fyue waies noted of louynge one of vs an other of the whiche numbre one waie is praised thre be vtterly dispraysed and one neyther praysed nor dispraised Fyrste I maie loue my neyghbour for goddis sake as euery good vertuous man loueth euery man Seconde I maie loue my neyghbour of a naturall affection bycause he is my sonne or brother or kynsman Thirdly I maie loue for vainglorye as if I loke by my neyghbour to be worshypped or aduaunced to honour Fourthly I maie loue for couetousnes as whan I cheryshe and flatter a ryche manne for his goodes whan I make muche of them that haue done me pleasures and may do me mo The fifte waie I maie loue for my sensuall luste as when I loue to fare delicately or elles when I madde or dote vppon women The fyrst waie to loue my neighbour for the loue I beare to god is onely worthy to bee praysed The seconde waie naturally deserueth neyther praise nor dispraise The thyrde the fourthe and the fyfte to loue for glory aduantage or plesure all thre be stark naught Therfore syster oute with your loue and consydre welle in what waie your herte is gyuen to loue pour neyghbour Charitie hath but one way of louing a man truly an well that is onely for goddes sake To conclude nowe this mattier the whiche of him selfe is in sight lette vs knytte vppe charitie with this generall knotte that man is made absolute and perfecte in all vertues through this one vertue of Charitie But whan I saie all vertues loke that you vnderstand what is ment in the name of vertue or elles this generalle clause maie deceyue you Wherfore you must learne that the body hath his propre vertues and the soule lyke wyse hath his owne aparte frome the other The vertues of the bodie bee as to faste to watche to goo on pylgremage to trauaille with hande and fote for to helpe theyr neyghbours to distribute your goodes in almes dedes to buylde vp churches wherein the people maie here the worde of god and come together to praier to punyshe the fleshe with roughe heer to slepe vpon the harde grounde to socour the nedy to ayde the miserable and other suche actes bodilye men dooe for the loue and honour of god The vertues of the soule be of a nother sorte as mekenes pacience abstinence hope faithe charitie pitye mercy and other lyke Nowe if it so bee that of some infirmitee I can not faste nor watche for lacke of money I can not do any almes for lacke of bodily strengthe I canne not traueyle if suche necessarie and true consideracions make vs wante the vertues of the bodie we bee without blame and had excused before god the whiche beholdethe the secrete and priuie cause of oure defaulte But in the vertues of our soule we haue no maner of defence if it bee soo that we lacke any of theim For they haue noo necessitie nor constraynte of any thyng but all be frely vnder the election and choyce of oure free will And whan it is generally said that charitie maketh a man absolute and perfecte in all vertues ye must vnderstande in all the vertues of the soule the whiche be very vertues to speake and to name the truthe Whereby the bodye can haue of hym selfe no vertue nor nothyng can be done of the bodie worthy of praise onles the acte bee coupled and ioyned with the vertues of the mynde But contrarye the soule is perfecte in his vertues without all assistence and helpe of the body Then boldelye we maie saie that from charitie cometh all vertues and none other worke there is of charitie than to make and bringe forth in vs vertue It is holy scriptures testimony that charitie can not bee ydle Alwaie than a charitable spirite is doyng and what so euer he dothe hit muste nedes bee a good worke For what can come frome the loue of god but it shall sauer and smelle of god the whiche sauour is this onelye thynge that geuethe to mans acte all thâ— goodnes Nowe then my entierly beloued syster to obserue and keepe this mooste precious and mooste holy charitie with god you shall in fewe woordes haue a shorte rule The beste waie to kepe you frome fallynge out of charitie with god is neuer to suffre your christen neighbour to slepe in a displeasure with you and agayne that you neuer slepe in a dyspleasure with your chrysten neyghbour Remembre we all be knytte in a faste kynrede vnder one father in heuen the whiche commaundethe vs to loue together as bretherne and systerne without regarde of hyghe or lowe poore or ryche whether your neighbour
rotte in fetters I maie lose all my substaunce by water by fier by theues or by other violente robberie Against these chaunces noo man can resist no care nor thought preuailethe to assure vs either of oure bodies or of suche goodes Wherfore learne you that I saie before god we haue noo goodes but onely the goodes of the spirite and minde the whiche goodes as I haue saied be so sure ours that thei can not be taken from vs but with our owne will consentyng to the losse of theim In this spirituall possession euery man is an inuinsible emperour We maie despise all vyolence of prynces all worldely chaunces touchyng the kepyng of vertue maâ—ger the hole power of the dyuell and all his retinue Hereof learne and marke mine Edmonde wherin you maie be hurted that your care maie the better bee bestowed For to care where you have no hurt it is nedeles or not to care where you bee hurted is a blynde ignorance We be hurted whan we lose any part of gods fauour we lose gods fauour whaÌ„ we lose any goodes of the miÌ„d we lose the goodes of the mind whaÌ„ we either reioice of the hauing bodili worldly goodes or make sorow of the lacking the same We be not hurted whan god continuethe his fauour whan we decaie not in the strengthes of minde we decaie not in the strengthes of minde whan we bee not ouercome neither with the gladnes of the bodies and worldes prosperitee nor with bewaieling of their aduersitee Thus you se noâ—her in the goodes of the bodie nor in the goodes of the world you can other take or escape hurte it is onely the vertue of your mind wherin you muste serche whether you be saufe or hurted Now whan you knowe the place of your hurt know also what maie do you hurt that you maie bee more charie of your hurter You se ones the place wherin you maie be hurted is your secrete mynde a veraie sure place For it is not fyre nor water nor thefe that can come there it is noo prynces sworde that can perce into this place it is no mislucke of fortune that can light vpon your spirite fynally there is noo dyuell of helle that can fasten a stroke vpon you to dooe you in this place any hurt This shulde be a great gladnesse vnto you to consider in how stronge a towre you bee frome all hurte but see than againe who it is that maie hurte you For surely you can not bee hurted but of one in whome is power to do hurt this is your owne freewill This will of yours and nothyng elles hath power to hurte you Se shortly in ensaumple howe your landes bee taken from you you be spoyled of your goodes fyre burneth vp your house you bee haled to prison you be beten you bee torne with whippes you bee drawen vpon the rackes you lye in chaines you come forthe to open shame you suffer colde you be gnawen with hunger and thirst fynally you be putte to deathe What of all this yet I can not saie that you be hurted I se that with al this the fauour and grace of god maie continue with you as it dyd with the holy martyres And also before Christis passion holly Job suffred all this and was not hurted This is a greatte comfort for you to se that nothing can hurt you but onely your owne self This is the high grace of god that so hath made man to bee ouer all a myghty conquerour that can take no hurt but of him selfe Wherfore I truste you will liue euer safe and sounde For I will not thinke that euer you will be so mad as to hurte your selfe Than for these trifles of the bodye and worlde take noo care it is neither the seconde thing nor the thyrde thyng that can be so vnto you that in either of theim you can bee hurted Marie take hede lest by the displeasures done in the second and in the thyrde you of madnes take occasion to be hurted and willingly hurt your selfe in the fyrste thynge the which only is the place where you maie bee hurted And none besyde your owne will hath power to hurt you there as if in the tyme of the losse of worldly goodes you wyll fret in anger you will dispise god you wil curs ban you wil enforce to be auenged you crie out in fury madnes now take you thought and care for surely you be hurted and your cheife iewel hath a great losse For god withdraweth frome your soule a greatte parte of his grace so that this hurte you do to your owne selfe by this frowardnes Likewise whilest your bodie is tourmented either with sicknes or otherwise if you therfore forsake pacience and swell in wrothe you be than hurted in dede but of none other person beside your selfe onely Thus you maie take from the seconde and 〈◊〉 thyrde in the whiche two you can not be hurted an occasion to hurte your selfe and to haue therof a great cause of a sore and an earneste care for the peryll that your soule therby falleth in ¶ To confirme you the faster in these right opinions I wolde you reade the littell boke of Epictetus intitled his Enchiridion wel translated into latine by Angelus Policiane But to saie the trouthe the worke is soo briefely and darkely writen that without a comment or a good maister you shall not perceiue the frute of the text I am in minde if I maie haue thereto letsure to translate the comment of Simplicius upon the saied worke and than shal you finde such swetnes in that boke that I beeleue it wil rauishe you in to an higher contemplacion than a gret sort of our religious men come to And one thing beleue me my good Withipoll that in readyng of these olde substanciall workes the whiche I haue named vnto you shall beside the perfection of knowladge gendre a certaine iudgemente in you that you shall neuer take delite nor pleasure in the trifles and vaine inuencions that men nowe a daies write to the inquietyng of al good order by reason that the most part of men that reade these newe flitteryng workes lacke perfecte iudgement to descriue a weighty senteÌ„ce frome a lyghte clause the whiche iudgement can not bee gotten but by a long exercisyng of our wittes with the best sorte of writters And to me it is a pitefull thing to beholde the folishe dreames of these yong clerkes in mens handes and to se these noble olde workes of the holy fathers and philosophers lye vntouched Where if these newe writers speake any thyng well it is piked out of these aunciente bokes But what so euer these petie clerkes pike out nowe a daies for the mooste parte it is defaced and broughte out of good facion with their yuell handelyng ¶ I will nowe make an ende it is sufficient to a willyng minde suche as I trust is in you to haue with a frendes fynger the waie appointed where you muste
conceiueth by the riddaunce of the soule from the heauy burden of this bodie ¶ Of these contrarye opinyons you shall lesse maruaile whan we haue a littell considered the thyng it selfe what shoulde be death the whiche one parte of vs soo muche feareth and an other sort setteth so littel by the same and so by a short processe you shall see whether the saied Canius bee more woorthy of praise for his littell regardyng the deadly punishement than is frances Philip that within fewe yeres passed was put to execucion with vs for treason the whiche died soo cowardely in soo great panges of feare that he semed extracte from his wittes scant for quakyng and trimbling the wreche could speake one worde The fewe wordes that he coulde with muche stutterynge sounde were onely in the declaracion of his dispraieâ— nor nothynge was sene nor harde of hym but weâ—yng lamentyng wryngyng of his handes with banninge the houre and daie of his byrthe continually sighing as though his hert shuld haue burste for sorowe The difference of these affectes wil here after be I thynke plainer to you whan we haue a littel more spoken in this mattier For nowe good JohnÌ„ I will crepe a littel nygher to your desyre the which you haue of learnyng the waie to die well ¶ THIS DIYNGE well is in effecte to die gladly For who soo euer dieth gladlie he departeth froÌ„ this lyfe in a sure hope to lyue againe beynge nowe wery of this worlde but nother this hope of the lyfe to come nor this werynes of the lyfe presente can make in any man a glad herte to die Oneles he be one that hath lyued well here For in deathe there can be no gladnes excepte there bee a fulle truste of opteyning the rewarde of vertue partely by the truste and faith of a good mynde partely by the mercie of god that fulfilleth euer our insufficiencie yf we bryng ought with vs woorthy of his fauour For goddis grace supplieth where our power lacketh if it soo bee that our soules appere before hym in an apparelle mete for his presence the whiche apparell requireth a perfecte faith and an ernest will of doing well all though we haue not alwaie done wel The mercie of god neuer failethe hym that fully trusteth in it But a ful truste canne not bee withoute the strength of charitee the whiche euer burneth in the loue of doynge good and faith can not be perfect oneles there bee good workes the whiche maie stur vp and quycken in vs faithe to take a beeleue that by Christis actes our final demerites maie grow to be perfect Thus a cherefull hert be sette with faith hope and charitee taketh no pensifulnes in the remembraunce of death but rather it reioyseth to remembre that by death it shall passe to lyfe neuer more to die Wherfore to die well euer is to die gladly either to be ridde from the bondes of this prison or to optaine the lybertee of heauen bothe waies commeth from a good lyfe passed so that surely no man can die well that lyueth not well for euer death is a sorowfull thyng to the euyl lyuer bycause he hath nothing to lay before the mercie of god whervpon he maie take hope and truste to be made worthy of the sure lyfe in the whiche deathe medleth not Nowe than yf we can gether what maie let vs to be gladde of deathe and what wyll bring vs to a desire of diyng gladdely we shall by the same picke out the waie to die well For in my minde these .ii. be alwais one to die well and to die gladly ¶ The glad desire of diyng is letted cheifely by two thynges one by the feare of death the tother by the loue of this lyfe The tone of these foloweth the tother For he that loueth this lyfe feareth to die and he that feareth to die loueth this lyfe Yet we maie speake of eche parte by him selfe and fyrste let vs assaie the greatteste the whiche is the feare of death than next after we will come to the tother the whiche is the loue of this life If these two blockes bee taken out of our stomackes we shall fynde an easy and a plaine waâ— to the ende of our purpose For who someuer nother feareth to die nor loueth to tarie in this lyfe he is redie alwaie to die gladly But to performe my promisse let me saie some what of the saied feare and loue ¶ Fyrste and cheifely the feare of death taketh awaie all gladnes of diyng and therby after myne opinion no man that dieth fearefully can die well soo that to learne the waie of diyng well we must learne the waie to die without feare And yet how I shulde proue that death is not to be feared I can not well tel seyng the hole power of nature sheweth that of all thynges death is most fearefull and to reason againste nature it were paraduenture not soo harde as vaine For what can reason preuaile if nature resistâ— It is a thing to farre aboue mans power to striue or to wrastell with nature hir strengthe passeth the myght of our will what helpe some euer we take of reason or of auctoritee nother counsaile nor coÌ„maundment hath place where nature dothe hir vtter mooste It is none excuâ—e to saie that men feare death bycause they be loth to leaue the commoditees of this lyfe or bycause they feare the thretenynges of purgatorie and of hell or elles bycause they thynke vpon the sore peynefull panges the whiche be in the tyme of death Naie these thinges make not cheifely the feare of diyng it maie well be that of suche thynges the feare is increased and made more ful but there is a feare before and beside all these thinges the whiche feare nature I saie giueth as it is well sene in yong children that haue no remembraunce nother of this life nor of the dedely panges nor of heauen purgatorie or helle Whan we in sporte threten to caste theim headling out at some hye windowe they quake trimble and waxe pale shewynge plaine and euident tokens of a naturall feare towarde deathe And thoughe by learnyng or by a curragious minde somme few amongest vs seme lyttell or nothyng to be moued with deathe yet the ensaumple of these fewe can not take awaie the trouth that nature in all the reste worketh For howe many be there that onely to eschew death suffre al wretchednes al beggarie all peyne in pycking vp crommes of nourisshement to abide a while in this lyght And the more shamfully that men for the moste parte feare to die the greater proffe there is that suche extreme poyntes of feare against all shame shulde not in soo many daiely appere whan death approcheth onles by nature some iuste feare were of the same For as the exceasse of feare cometh by weakenes of herte and lacke of stomacke the whiche is worthy to be rebuked for shamefull cowardnes so there is a meane measure of feare nâ— death