pourchace and do so moche by deceyte fraude / that the ylke thynge that is weyed semeth to be more of weyghte thā it is The fourth manere for too synne in marchaundyse is to selle the derrer for the terme / herof we haue spoken tofore ¶ The fyfthe is to selle otherwyse than that mustre is and worse / lyke as these scryueners wrytars done that at the begynnynge shewe and wryte good letter / and after make werse and shende all ¶ The .vi. is in hydynge and concelynge the trouthe of the thynge that is solde / and so do these brokers and coorsers of hors The seuenth is to make pourchace that the ware or thynge that is solde seme moche better than it is / lyke as done the merciers and drapers that chesen and make the places derke where as they selle theyr clothe ware And in many other maners may men synne in marchandyse but it sholde be ouerlonge to saye here ¶ The nynthe braunche of auaryce Ca. .lxiii. THe .ix braunche of auaryce is in many mysteres or craftes In this synneth moche peple and in many maners lyke as done these commyn women / whiche for lytel wynnynge abandone and gyue them self al to synne Also these hazardours / bawdes kepars of forboden games many other whiche for temporell prouffyte abandone theym too dyshoneste vnthryfty craftes / whiche may not be done without synne as well of them that do it as they that susteyne it ¶ The .x. braunche of auaryce is in euyll playes and games / as the dyse at cardes tables or what someuer games that men play at for money or for gayne temporelle Suche maner playes in especyall of dyse and tables ben deffended and for boden by the decrees and lawe for many perylles that comen therof The fyrst is couetyse / the seconde ouer grete vsure as .xii. for .vi. and not at a moneth or thre dayes / The thyrde synne to multeplye lesynges vayne wordes / and that werse is grete blasphemyes of god and of his sayntes The angre and wrath that oftymes hath be taken too correcte and chastyse the other For somtyme theyr vysage hath be torned bacward behynde Somtyme sōme haue loste theyr eyen Somme theyr speche ¶ There was a knyght that sware by the eyen of god / anone the eyen of his heede sprange oute and fyll vpon the eschequer ¶ There was also an archer by cause he had all loste at playe / in despyte he drewe his bowe and shotte vp towarde god on hye / and on the morne whan he was sette ageyne at his play / the arowe fyll doune vpon the eschequyer all blody of blood and threste oute his eyen ¶ The fourth is euyl example that they whiche playe gyuen to other that beholde the playe ¶ The fyfthe is to lese the tyme whiche ought too be employed in good werkys many other wyse ¶ One thynge ought not to be forgeten / that is that he that wynneth at suche games may not / ne ought not in ony manere to reteyne his gayne / but he ought to gyue it all for goddes sake / but yf it were in suche manere that he played for another / or by deceyte or by force lyke as doeth he that maketh another to playe with hym by force In this manere he ought to rendre it to hym that hath loste In lyke wyse I saye of that whiche is wonne at tournoys These been the braūches of auaryce / there bē ynough of other but they appertayne more to clarkys than to laye men / and this book is made more for the laye men than for clerkys that knowe the scryptures ¶ One thynge ought ye too knowe that the auarycious man hath a deuyll to whome he serueth / whiche is called in the gospell māmona / and that deuyll maketh to his seruaunte syx commaundementes The fyrst is to kepe well that he hath / the seconde that in no wyse he mynysshe it The thyrde is that he encreace it alwaye be it daye or nyght / the fourth that he gyue noo thynge ne do almesse for goddes sake / ne curtosye to ony other The fyfthe that he ne lene ne gyue to the poore nedy ony thynge / ne put not in peryll Ieoparde that whiche he hath in his possessyon The .vi. that he refrayne hym self and restrayne his meyne fro mete and drynke for to spare his good ¶ Of the synne of lecherye whiche is loue dysordynatly .xlvii. THe .vi. heed of the beest of hell is lecherye / the whiche is outragyous loue and dysordynate in flesshely delytes Of this synne the deuyll deceyueth a mā in .vi. maners Lyke as sayth saynt Gregory Fyrst in folysshe false beholdynges After in folysshe and leude talkynges and wordes After in false touchynges After in false kyssynges After cometh the dede For fro folysshe beholdynge comynycacōn cometh speche / fro speche to touchȳge / fro touchynge to kyssynge / and fro kyssynge to the dede Thus subtylly bryngeth the deuyll that one to the other Fyrst this synne is deuyded in two maners For there is lechery of herte / and lecherye of body Lecherye of herte hath foure degrees For the spyryte of fornycacyon whiche is the fyre of lechery enbraceth the hert / and maketh fyrst to come the thoughtes / the fygures and the Imagynacyon of synne in the herte / and in consentynges / after the herte delyteth hym in folysshe thoughtes / and yet he delyteth how well that yet he wyll not do the dede / in his thought he abydeth / and this delyte is the seconde degree / whiche may be a deedly synne / so grete may the delyte be The thyrde degre is the consentȳge of the herte of reason and of wyll / and these consentynges concluded ben deedly synne in caas that the deed by dedly synne after the consentynge cometh the desyere / and grete brennynge of the flesshe that they haue to this synne / and do ne many synnes in the day in seynge the ladyes and the damoyselles rychely and fresshely apparayled / whiche ofte dysguyse and araye theym proudly for to make the foles and musardes to muse and beholde theym certes they synne moche greuously / for by theyr coueytyse / by theyr pryde by theyr cause peryssheth many soules / moche peple put to deth and to synne For thus as sayth the prouerbe / dame dator is the arblast to the tour For she hath not a membre in hyr body but it is a grynne of the deuyll As salamon sayth / wherof must be gyuen acomptes at the daye of Iugement of the soules whiche by thoccasyon and cause of them be dampned That is to vnderstonde whan they by occasyon and cause other to synne by theyr entysynge and labour Lecherye of the body is departed in to the lecherye of the eyen of the eerys of the mouth / of the handes / and of all the fyue wyttes of the body / and in especyall of
we requyre in the thre fyrst petycyons of the holy pater noster / whan we saye Sanctificetur nomen we shewe to our good fader curteysly our pryncypall desyre / whiche we ought alwaye to haue That is that his gloryous name be sanctyfyed / and that it be confermed in vs. Thenne whan we say Sanctificetur nomen tuū we shewe to our good fader Ihesu cryst curteysly our desyre That is to saye Syr this is our souerayne desyre This requyre we aboue all thynges that thy blyssed name be sanctyfyed in vs. That is thy good renoume / thy knowlege / thy faythe be confermed in vs. In this fyrst petycyon we requyre the fyrst the pryncypall gyft of the holy ghoost That is the gyft of sapyence whiche maketh stedfast and confermeth the herte in god / and Ioyneth hym so to hym that he may not be dysioyned ne deceuered Sapyence is sayd of sauoure and for to sauour / for whan a man receyueth this gyft / he tasteth and assauoureth and feleth the swetenes of god / lyke as is felte the swetenes of good wyne by the taste better than by syght But to this that thou vnderstande better what it is to say Thy name be sanctyfyed Thou oughtest for to knowe that this worde Saynt is as moche to say as pure / as golde / as erthe / as dyed in blode / as confermed In these fyue maners is sanctyfyed the holy ghoost of sapyence in the herte of a man Fyrst he clenseth and purgeth lyke as the fyre fyneth and purgeth the golde and the syluer / after he taketh it awaye fro the erthe / that is fro all carnall affeccions / maketh all to bycome lothely that whiche he was wonte to loue / lyke as the water is hated to hym that is lykorous to the good wyne After he haloweth hym self all to the seruyce of god For he leueth all charges / and putteth hym self all to thynke on god and to loue serue and honoure hym / lyke as the chirche and the monasterye is halowed to the seruyce of god Soo that he ought none other thynge doo but to serue and honoure god After he dyeth hym self in blode For he putteth hym self in one so stronge and ardant loue in soo swete loue of Ihesu Cryst / of deuocyon / that whan he thynketh on hym on his passyon / he is as he were all dronke of that precyous blood that Ihesu Cryst shedde for hym in his holy passyon lyke as is a soppe of hote brede / whā it is put in wyne This is a newe bapteme For to dye to baptyse is all one After he confermeth hym in god so strongelye / that nothynge may dysseuere ne desioyne hym Nowe thenne / wyll thou to saye this worde / thy name bee sanctyfyed in vs. That is to saye gyue to vs yefte of sapyence by whiche we maye be soo fyned as is the golde / and the syluer in the fornays / and clensed fro all ordures of synne / by whiche we be dronken of his loue and that al other loues be to vs bytter by whiche we be soo gyuen to the and vnto thy seruyce / that we neuer retche of none other charge / too th ende that we be not onelye wesshen fro all synnes / but dyed in grayne / renewed and rebaptysed in the precyous bloode of Ihesu Cryst by deuocyon of feruent loue to this that the blyssed name of our good fader Ihesu cryste be so confermed in vs / that he be our good fader / and we his sones / his seruauntes / as veray obedyent vnto to all his commaūdemementes / and in suche maner / that nothynge what someuer it be / may come ne happen to dysioyne this fastnes ne this grace Moche is grete the grace of god whā the wyll of the creature humayne is so rooted in god and confermed that it may not wagge ne moeue for no temptacyon Moche greter a thynge it is / whan one is soo affermed in the loue of god and so dronken in his swetnes that noo solace / ne no comforte / ne noo pleasaunce may not be had but in hym / and then is the herte parfytely cōfermed in god / whan the memory is so fastned and Ioyned to hym / that it may not thynke on no thynge but on hym And this requyre we whan we say Sanctificetur nomen tuum This is to say Syr thy name be sanctyfyed in vs. ¶ Here is the seconde petycyon and request of the holy pater noster Ca. lxxx ADueniat regnū tuum This is the seconde petycyon request of the holy pater noster / where we pray requyre / that the realme of heuen come to vs / be wtin vs. Our lorde sayth in the gospel to his disciples The reame of is in you vnderstonde well how this may be / whan god gyueth to a persone in his herte the spyryte of vnderstandynge Thus as the sonne taketh away the darkenes of the nyght And dooth waste the cloudes and the mystes in the mornynge Ryght soo wasteth this spyryte and dothe take awaye all the derknesses of the herte / and sheweth hym all his synnes and defaultes grete and small / lyke as the rayes of the sonne sheweth the motes and the duste that is in the hous ¶ Also this spyryte of vnderstondynge sheweth on that other parte / not onelye that whiche is within hym / but that whiche is vnder hym / helle / and that whiche is aboue hym / heuen / and that whiche is aboute hym / all the fayre creatures / whiche all preysen god wytnessen how god is fayre / good / wyse / puyssant swete / and grete And who that seeth moost clere the creatures / is moost desyrynge to see god / but lete hym consydere that he is not pure ne worthy to see hym Thenne the good herte / trewe and deuoute chauffeth hym / and is angry with hym self Thenne he begȳneth to entre in to his herte and to examyn hym And there he fyndeth soo many synnes / vyces / pouertees / defautes / troublynges of herte and of thoughtes euyll wyll / that he is angry with hym selfe by grete contrycyon and dyspleasyr that he hath of his synnes And thenne he begynneth to clense his herte and purge hym of al ordures of synne by bytter repentaunce / and by deuoute confessyon / and after by sharpe and condygne penaunce But whan he hath longe ledde this lyf / and hath caste oute al his synnes by veray confessyon Thenne he fyndeth pease reste and consolacion And fereth soo moche god to falle ageyne to synne / that hym semeth that all the worlde be to hym helle to the regarde of this clerenesse and this pease that that he fyndeth in his herte And this demaunde we of god whan we saye Adueniat regnum tuum / that is to saye Fayre fader plese it to the that the holy ghoost wyll enlumyne in vs the herte / and clense and
the yeftes and all the good that a man doth / or that he can gete / is for to put awaye and destroye pryde and all synnes and euylles And therfore whan god hath gyuen to a man this that he hath requyred of god in the .vi. requestes aforesayd Thenne certaynlye it is of veray nede that god delyuer hym from the puyssaunce of the fende / fro all his engynes and from all his temptacyons And therfore cometh at the laste this petycyon and requeste as the ryergarde whiche sayth thus Sed libera nos a malo a men / that is to saye Fayre fader Ihesu Cryste delyuer vs fro all euyll / fro all synnes and fro all perylles passed / present / and to come And fro all thengynes of the fende our enemye / that we lose not by pryde the goodes that thou hast gyuen to vs. ¶ In this requeste we praye to god that he gyue to vs the yefte of holy drede By the whiche we may be delyueryd fro the fende and from his temptacyons / and fro all manere of euyll / that is fro all perylles and fro al synnes in this worlde and in that other amen So be it as we haue sayd / so moche is it to saye this worde amen ¶ Now hast thou herde the seuen petycyons and requestys / that god made with his blessed mouthe for to enseygne and teche vs to lerne all that whiche we may and ought to praye demaunde for the body and for the soule and for this worlde and for that other And all is conteyned and comprysed in the holy Pater noster Now kepe the well that thou saye it aryght with herte and with mouthe For grete good shall come to the therof / yf thou so do ¶ Thus endeth the seuen petycyons of the holy Pater noster ¶ Of the .vii. gyftes of the holy goost Ca. lxxxvi AFter the petycyons and requestes that ben conteyned in the holy pater noster Vs behoueth to speke in grete reuereÌ„ce of so hy a mater as of the holy gyftes of the holy ghoost / lyke as he hym selfe of his grace shall ensygne and teche vs. And we shall say fyrst whiche ben the gyftes of the holy ghoost ¶ After wherfore they be called gyftes / and wherfore they be called of the holy goost After wherfore they be seuen gyftes of the holy ghoost ne moo ne lasse Also we shall say of the goodes that the gyftes of the holy goost do Custome it is / reason and curteysy / that a hye man / ryche / valyaunt / and noble / whan he wyll go to his spouse that he loueth with all his herte / that he bete to her of his Iewelles ¶ Ysaye the prophete saw in his spyryte the gloryous espousaylles that were made in the bely of the blyssed vyrgyn Mary / whan the blyssed sone of god espoused her / and toke in her our blode our flesshe / our humanite our nature So recounteth to vs the sayd prophete of the Iewelles the fayre gyftes that he brought with hym for to gyue to vs his espouse and to her parentes And sayth thus the sayd prophete moch curteysly Fro the rote of Iesse shall yssue a rodde the shall bere the floure of nazareth That is to say / out of the grete charyte / and fro the grete enbracynge or brennynge of the loue of god shall come to vs a rodde whiche shall bâ—re the floure of floures For nazareth is as moche for to say as floure And Iesse is as moche to say as enbracyÌ„ge or brennynge And vpoÌ„ this floure shall rest the holy goost the spyryte of sapyence of vnderstondynge / the spyryte of strength and of counceyle / the spyryte of scyence and of pyte / the spyryte of the drede of god These ben the graces of whiche he was all full fro the houre that he was conceyued in the precyous bely of his moder lyke as the grete se is full of water / and is well and fouÌ„tayne of all the fresshe waters and salte / of whiche he arouseth and watreth all the worlde Ryght so was he as sayth saynt Iohan theuangelyst so full of grace / of veryte or trouthe the of his plante we take all These .vii. spyrytes these seuen gyftes we take them and receyue in the holy baptesme But thus as the graces corporell whiche god gyueth to chyldren / in wytte / in bounte / in strengthe / and in other graces / whiche he gyueth at his playser to eueryche he sheweth hym lytyll / lyke as a chylde groweth and cometh forth Ryght so is it in spyrytuell graces / after that / that eueryche prouffyteth and groweth in good werkes / and gyueth all his herte / all his thought to god / after that / god gyueth to hym more of his graces / that sheweth the same gyftes by werkes / somme in one / other in / other / at the playsyre of the holy ghoost as sayth saynt Poule the appostle Then in our begyÌ„nynge these graces and these vertues ben lowe / and ryse on heyght That is fro the spyryte and yefte of drede vnto the gyftes of sapyence For holy drede is the begynnynge of sapyeÌ„ce Lyke as Dauyd sayth Salamon But in Ihesu Cryste weren alwaye all the graces and al the vertues plenerly without ony mesure And therfore the prophete setteth them in descendynge eche gyftes after the ordre of his dygnyte / lyke as the petycyons requestes of the holy Pater noster ben sette forthe after the ordre of theyr dygnyte / the hyetofore / and the lower after ¶ Why they be called gyftes / for thre reasons Ca. .lxxxvii. SVche maner graces haue to name gyftes / for .iii. thynges for thre reasons Fyrst for theyr dygnyte for theyr valour / yf a man at the courte of the kynge gyue a robe to a chylde / or to a poore man a dysshe of weyght This is noo thynge that ought to be called the gyfte of a kynge Therfore calleth saynt Iames thappostle all the other temporall goodes that god gyueth / not a gyft / but lytell gyftes whiche ben moeuable and passyÌ„ge But these graces abouesayd he called them gyftes parfyte For god gyueth them to no creature / but that he gyueth hyÌ„ hym selfe ✿ ¶ The seconde reason is bycause that the other graces and the other gyftes he leneth theym to vs for to vse them in this present lyfe But the seuen gyftes tofore sayd ben veray gyftes by ryght without reprysynge and reprehendynge / for whan all the other gyftes shall fayle / these .vii. gyftes shall alwaye abyde in theyr ferme estate Thenne they be soo proprely oures that we maye not lese theym ageynst our propre wyll / lyke as we may lese the other The thyrde reason and the pryncypall is / that the selfe gyftes be purely for loue And thou knowest well that a gyft leseth the name of gyfte whan it is not gyuen purely for loue For whan the
hym self hurte of a wounde / and in peryll of deth / and he renneth moche sone to the physycyen that is seke / and that hath euyll humours in his body for to haue helthe and guaryson / and is moche glad and Ioyous whā he may purge them and clense them and therfore the thyrde degre of humylyte is for to confesse deuoutelye ofte his trespaces and to be wayle his synnes gladly in grete contrycyon and repentaunce and to purge his herte fro all synnes But there ben somme that knowe well theyr defautes and fele theym and ben well sorowfull for theym but they wyll not for ony thynge / that noo man sholde knowe them .. Therfore is the fourth degre of humylyte holden for vyle and dyspytous / but there ben yet some that well knowe fele and tell theyr defautes / saye well and Iuge I am wycked a synner and suche and suche But yf another sayd to them Certaynly that is trouthe that thou sayst they sholde be dyspleased and wexe strongely angry Therfore is the fyfth degre of humylyte to here gladly trouthe spoken of hym self / and that one say to hȳ his defautes And this is the saynt Bernarde sayth that the veray humble wolde be holden for vyle and wolde not be praysed that he is humble Therfore is the .vi. degre of humylyte whan a man suffreth in pacyence that he be foule treated and as a persone dyspysed Lyke as dyde the good kynge Dauyd the whiche suffred swetely a seruaunt named Semey whiche threwe at hym stones / and sayd to hym grete velonyes / and all that he knewe of euyll and harme Yet there is a degree in whiche there is some of this perfeccyon and of this vertue of humylyte That is wyll certaynly and desyre of herte without fayntyse to be reputed for vyle / and be holden symple fouly to be treated That is a ryght pouerte of spyryte humylyte of herte Moche loued this pouerte in this present worlde the ryche kynge of heuen Ihesu cryst Moche loued he it whan he bought it so dere / whiche wolde and vouched sauf to be borne in a stable horyble and abhomynable with an oxe and an asse / wolde haue .xxxii. yere in pouerte The swete Ihesu cryste loued moche humylyte / whan he hym self that neuer dyde synne / he that neuer had defaute fought and came amonge the theues That was betwene the sones of Adam or formest fader and the swete Ihesu ceyste cladde hym with clothes of a synner and malefactoure / bycause he was fouly treated Thenne he sayde the nyght of his cene or souper to his appostles with grete desyre I haue desyred this pasque That is to saye this deth / this shame and this departynge More hye may not this trees mounte in humylyte And who shall be reysed vnto this degre of humylyte / without doubte he shall be well blessed in this worlde in that other For he that sayth this is god / may not lye For he is the perfyte and souerayne veryte whiche sayth with his blessed mouthe in the gospell / blessed ben they that be poore of spyryte / and how that is he techeth and sheweth to vs whan he sayth / lerne of me and not of other to be meke humble of herte / as I am / and ye shal fynde reste to your soules This reste this blessednes none knowe it but they that lerne it Then yf thou wylte knowe what it is / do payne with all thy herte soo moche to vaynquysshe thy self / that thou be mounted in to the seuenth degre of humylyte Thenne mayst thou gadre of the fruyte and ete of the tree of lyf / lyke as it is sayd in thapocalyps ¶ Of the rote of the vertue of humylyte Ca. C. OF the rote of humylyte growe .vii. braunches For this vertue sheweth hym in seuen maners Fyrst honourynge god / in praysynge other In adourynge prayenge god In louynge pouerte I gladly seruynge In fleynge praysynge / and hym self trustynge al in god The veray meke humble honoureth God in thre maners For he byleueth hym symply / he prayseth hym truly and he prayeth hym deuoutelye / he honoureth hym fyrst in that / that he byleueth hym symply and stedfastly of all that / whiche is sayd in holy scrypture / lyke as a lytell chylde beleueth his mayster / and of this reason hath our fayth meryte Thenne who beleueth well / it dooth hym grete honoure / lyke as he dooth grete honoure to a man whan he beleueth hym vpon his sȳple worde And this is the begynnynge of well doynge / whiche is necessarye to all them that wyll saue them self / as sayth saynt Poule That is to beleue god on his symple worde / that all is true what someuer is sayd of hym onely / without to seke other reason or to requyre other profe Therfore ben the heretykes and proude men dampned For they wolde not beleue god without good wedde That is for to vnderstande / yf that they se not quycke reason in all that whiche god sayth / but to the quycke reason they holden theym / lyke as the vsurer holdeth hym on his pledge or wedde that wyll truste no persone by his symple worde And herof ben comen all the euyll heresyes and vnbeleues For the proude aungelles that wolde compare theyr wytte to the sapyence of Ihesu Cryst / dayned not to beleue that god sayd / but yf he shewed to them quycke reasons or good open myracle But we that kepe the veray faythe beleue an hondred folde better / this that he sayth that may not lye / that is god / than we doo the myracles ne reason / ne that whiche we se God sayth that euery persone shall be Iuged after his werkes / god sayeth that of euery ydle worde / vs behoueth to gyue accomptes at the daye of Iugement But the meke and the humble that this hereth and beleueth and dredeth and doubteth doothe payne to kepe his herte / and soo his mouthe / and all his werkes shall not be Iuged ¶ After the veraye humble dooth prayse god truly for all the goodes and benefayts that he hath done to hym / and that he dooth to hym dayly that he yet shall doo / after lyke as we haue shewed afore in the trayte of pryde The humble persone is lyke a poore man / whiche of a lytell almesse hath grete Ioye / thanketh with all his herte his benefactour Thenne whan the humble seeth nothynge in hym / by whiche he is worthy to haue good or brede or other thȳge of whiche he vseth he knoweth seeth / vnderstondeth / byleueth / doubteth not of all that god sendeth / yeueth and leneth hym / and bycause that the veray humble draweth nothynge to hȳ self of the goodes of his lorde / whiche passen by his honde / therfore is he a trewe seruaunte as saynt bernarde sayth After the veray humble adoureth god prayeth hym deuoutely
so humbled and voyde of theyr spyryte / that theyr spyryte is al mynuysshed / for god hath it al / and the holy ghoost hath replenysshed the hous of his herte / and is there lorde / enhaunceth them that ben poore of spyryte These ben the veray meke and humble / whome he maketh to regne in heuen by holy hope and by holy conscyence / and therfore sayth our lorde in the gospel / that the royame of heuen is theyres Not onely by promesse / but by fyne certeynte / lyke as they that begane somtyme to receyue the fruytes and the rentes how they sholde be blessed in that other worlde That may no man knowe vnto the tyme that he be there For the herte of a mortal man may not thynke it / ne expresse with mouthe / ne also here it with his ecrys ¶ Of the gyftes of holy drede of pyte Ca. Cviii. THe fyrst gyfte of the holy ghoost maketh the herte humble dredefull and to doubte god and hate all synnes / and therfore it is named the gyftes of drede ¶ The seconde gyfte of pyte maketh the herte swete debonayre and pyteous And therfore is it named the gyfte of pyte And that is proprely a dewe and a traycle ayenst the venym of felonnye / and in especyall ayenste the venym of the synne of enuye / of whiche we haue spoken tofore For this gyfte of pyte taketh awaye plucketh of the herte the rote of enuye / there heleth it parfyghtely Thenne the herte that receyueth this gyft / and feleth in hym a dewe / whiche maketh hym to germyn a swete rote / and ryght well attempred / that is good loue / oute of whiche groweth a fayre tree berynge grete fruyte / that is a fayre vertue and good that is called in latyn māsuetudo That is to say swetenes and debonayrte of herte / whiche maketh a man swete / debonayr / charytable / and amyable For this vertue maketh a man to loue his neyghbour parfytely / hym selfe after god This tree hath vii degrees by whiche he moūteth on heyght These .vii. degrees sheweth to vs saynt Poule / there where he admonesteth and prayeth that we doo payne to that / that we be all one in god The fyrst reason is that we haue al one herte / the hye and the lowe / the poore and the ryche That is that we haue all one fader in heuen That is god whiche made vs all comunely to his ymage and semblaunce And bycause that all we haue one creatoure and maker whiche made vs all of one mater and of one fourme / to one ende / that is that we be all in hym and with hym Lyke as he sayth in the gospel It is moche grete reason that we loue eche other / for the beestes / and the byrdes loueth his semblable The seconde reason is that we be all crysten baptysed in the sacrament of baptym poore and ryche That is that we be all wasshen with the precyous blode of Ihesu cryste And we were redemed with one maner money / and as moche cost that one as that other Moche thenne owe we to loue eche other to honoure for god hath moche loued vs and praysed vs / hath made vs of grete dygnyte The thyrde reasō is bycause we haue all one fayth and ben bounden all to one lawe whiche all is accomplysshed / Lyke as saynt Poule sayeth in this worde / Loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe Of this det is no man quyte for ony thynge that he can do / this det oweth eche man to other / and who that moost rendreth moost oweth ¶ The fourth reason is that we haue all one mayster and one lorde that is god of whome he holde all body and soule / and all that we haue / he made vs all and fourmed / hath vs all redemed of a lyke pryce / he shall Iuge vs all / and rewarde largely to all them that shall haue kepte and holden his commaundementes / that haue loued eche other truely The fyfthe reason is bycause that we be all felawes in the hoost of our lorde / And we be all his knyghtes and souldyours / whiche we all abyde one rewarde / that is the glory perdurable / and loue and cōpany of all sayntes ¶ The .vi. reason is that we lyue all of one speryte spyrytually / lyke as we lyue of one ayre corporally By this spyryte we ben all sones of god by adopcyon That is by aduoery / and sones of holy chyrche / brethren germayne of fader and moder / a spyrytuell fraternyte / whiche is better worthe than a carnall fraternyte / lyke as the speryte is of more value than the body ¶ The seuenth reason is bycause that we ben all membres of one body / of whiche Ihesu cryste is the hede / and we ben the membres the whiche lyueth all of one meet That is of the precyous flesshe and blode of our sauyour Ihesu cryste / the whiche so moche loueth vs / and vs holdeth so dere and well be loued / that he gyueth vnto vs his ryght precyous blode for too drynke / and his dygne and precyous flesshe for to ete Therfore remembreth vs so oft saynt Poule this loue whiche he sheweth vnto vs. For a more quicker reason ne more fayrer example may he not shewe vnto vs of veray amyte and frendshyp / yf so be that thou thynke well and stedfastly on these toforesayd reasons Thou shalte fynde .vii. degrees of amytye and frendshyppes the whiche cometh of the gyftes of pyte ¶ Of .vii. maners of spyrytuell loue Ca. Cix OF this stocke and oute of this rote growen vii braunches For this vertue sheweth hȳ in seuen maners lyke as loue is knowen / whiche is emonge the membres of a body in vii maners Fyrst the one of the membres kepeth and countregardeth the other / that it do to hym none euyll / ne that it faylle hym not / ne that it doo hym none harme ne domage to his power / and herin we vnderstonde our Innocency whiche we ought to kepe eche anenst other For this commaundement is wryton in the herte of euery persone That is that thou do to another after god that / whiche thou woldest that he dyd to the and that thou sholdest not do to another / otherwyse thā thou woldest sholde not be doone to the. Ne the thy ryght honde sholde smyte the lyft honde Also that one membre suffre swetely that other that it doo to it no harme / ne no vengeaunce ne wrathe But yf that one membre haue harme or hurte / that other membres fele it And in this vnderstonde we parfyght debonayrte whiche hath iii. degrees The fyrst is that he reuenge hym not The seconde that he reteyne not wrathe ne yre The thyrde that he ne fele no moeuynge of hate ne yre towarde his neyghboure for ony thynge that he doth ¶ Also the membres obeyen al to theyr souerayn For
herte ¶ But now vnderstonde and beholde that this that God gyueth vnto the poore of spyryte is the heuen / and to the debonayre the erthe / where shal be the auarycyous men thenne and the felons / but in the tormentes of helle ¶ Of the seuen gyftes of the holy ghoost / and fyrst of the gyfte of scyence Ca. C.x. THe fyrst gyfte of the holy ghoost is the gyfte of scyence / whiche maketh a man humble dredefull The seconde maketh hym swete and pyteous The thyrde maketh hym clere sceynge / and connynge / and therfore it is called the gyfte of scyence For it maketh a man wyse and connynge in mesure in all thynges / whan this gyfte descendeth in to the herte of a persone / he extyrpeth and casteth out the rote and the synne of yre and of felonnye whiche troubleth the herte / and maketh a man lyke as he were fro hym self so that he seeth no thynge ne for hym self ne for to conduyte other But this gyfte enlumyneth the herte on al partes so that he may not be deceyued of ony persone / lyke as the gyfte of pyte maketh the man Innocent / soo that he wyll none deceyue / wherof saynt Iohan sayth in thappocalyps in spyryte / that the holy man that was all full of this espyryte / was all full of eyen tofore and after And an aungell shewed to Zacharye the prophete a stone wherin were seuen eyen These ben the eyen that the good men haue / for they see clere within theyr herte and all aboute them That is to saye vnder and aboue / on the ryght syde and on the lyft syde This gyfte of scyence is maystre of the werkes / and that is to saye of vertues of the soule For he maketh all Iuste to a poynte by lyne rule plombe / he taketh fyrst his bounde and his poynte / and that is that the wyse man sayth In all that thou begynnest / beholde the ende / to what ende thou shall come / after he holdeth the lyne For he goeth by ryght waye afore by ryght entencyon After he maketh all by rule For he maketh it all playne and by mesure For he loueth the comyne waye of good people without to fynde noueltees After he preueth his syght and his werkes by plombe For he taketh hede that his body enclyne not towarde the ryght syde by prosperyte ne to the lyft syde by aduersyte This gyfte of sapyence is lyke to the pryour of a cloystre of the soule / whiche kepeth thordre / maketh it to be kept oueral / Fyrst in the herte after in other offyces in this herte ben .ii. sydes .ii. thȳges / the vnderstōdynge the wyl / the reason affecion whā these two sydes and these two thynges accordeth togyder / they make moche swete melodye and moche fayre seruyce That is to wete whan the wyll / wyll all that whiche the vnderstondynge ensygneth to god / and that affeccyon feleth all that whiche reason vnderstandeth / yf they vnderstande well in these .ii. sydes whiche ben in the soule / whan and how they ought to accorde In one syde ben .iiii. lockes / and in that other syde .iiii. for reson hath foure offyces That is to enquire / to Iuge / to remembre and to shewe that whiche they vnderstande by worde This gyft ensygneth the reason that whiche he ought to lerne and enquyre / and in what ordre / and in what maner / and what ende / and this is a moche grete craft For the mysprysynge in these thynges is moche peryllous / it behoueth to vnderstonde the reason / and to lerne that whiche is necessarye / prouffytable / and honeste / and for to withdrawe fro the contrarye O god how a creature leseth his tyme / and dyspences for to lerne thynges that ben of no value / but vaynglory and synne But the holy ghoost by this gyft ensygneth lyghtly and maketh a man to lerne ordynatly that / whiche is moost necessarye to the prouffyte of the soule And that ledeth hym moost ryght vnto the loue of god for the helthe and the prouffyte of his soule / and to helpe his neyghboure Also it behoueth the reason well to enquyre the trouthe of the thȳges And also how he ought for to beleue Well to beleue is whan a man beleueth symply / and stedfastly all that whiche god sayth commaundeth without ouer moche to enquyre / and without to enserche the counceyles of god and the profounndnesse of his Iugementes the heyght of his magnyfycenciall magesty / and the reasons of his holy Sacramentes / Well to beleue is whan one beleueth not ouer hastely / ne ouer late / ne to eueryche / ne to none / for that one and other is vyce as sayth seneke After good enquyrynge cometh wel to Iuge For to Iuge well it apperteyneth that one afferme no thȳge to the tyme that he hath enquyred the trouthe of the thynge / that he be well encerteyned / and that he entremete not to Iuge that whiche apperteyneth no thynge to hym / lyke as ben the secrete thynges and hydde / thentencyons of hertes / the thinges that may not be torned on the ryght syde ne on the lyfte syde / that yet they be vnderstonde to the better parte Of whiche the spyryte by this gyfte maketh the reason to Iuge well / and to knowe the ryght / and to determyne bytwene good thynges and euyll thynges bytwene the lytel thynges and the grete thynges / for he must prayse euery thynge after his valure Also this spyryte maketh the reason to remembre For he remembreth a man all that is nedefull to hym / lyke as god sayth in the gospel The thynges that ben passed he must remembre and brynge ageyne to memorye The thynges that ben present he must vnderstonde remembre and ordeyne The thynges that ben to come he must purueye fore ordeyne and aduyse These ben the seuen partyes of the vertue of prudence / after that whiche the phylosophre sayth Also he maketh the reason for to speke by mesure and be stylle gladly / and not to speke tyll it be nede Soo that the worde be tofore well aduysed and well thought or it come to the tongue And that the worde be wayed and poysed as good money preued lyke as Salamon sayth ¶ Soo that the worde be accordynge vnto god and without synne of good mater and of good fourme That is that it haue not ouermoche / ne ouer lytel And that it be well employed For good money ne a good worde ought not to be gyuen for nought ¶ Herof sayth god in the gospell that we sholde not caste the precyous stones tofore hogges and swyne That is to vnderstonde the precyous wordes of our lorde god before them / and to suche persones that sette them selfe not to werke for theyr helthe But lyueth in the ordure of theyr synnes Therfore holy scrypture calleth them hogges This gyfte aforesayd ordeyneth and accordeth
in to the herte / lyke as sayth the prophete Many grete wyse men haue be taken and ouercomen by this / that they kepte not well the yates And yf thou wylte haue example of this matere / thynke that no man was more stronge than Samposon Ne more holy than Dauyd the prophete Ne more wyse thaÌ„ Salamon And neuertheles they fylle and were all deceyued by women Certaynly yf they had well kepte theyr yates of theyr fyue wyttes corporell / the fende had not taken so grete fortresses For as saynt Gregorye sayth The toure of the herte may not be taken yf it be not opened too the hoost of the deuyll / wherfore the auncyent phylosophres fledde in to ferre places / in desertes / by cause they myght not see / ne here / ne fele thynges delectable / by whiche theyr strengthe and vertue sholde wâ—x feble / ne by whiche they myght lese theyr chastyte ¶ Other phylosophres there were that by cause they sholde not be lette to thynke on theyr phylosophres put out theyr eyen by cause they sholde see no thynge that myÈt drawe theym fro contemplacyon Then the bodyly wyttes ben lyke an hors that renneth without bytte or brydle whiche maketh his lorde to ouerthrowe or falle But the chaste herte holdeth hym by the rayne by the brydle of reason ¶ Of the .iiii. degree of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxliiii THe fourth degre of the vertue of chastyte / is sharpnesse of penaunce / too subdue his flesshe whiche is rebelle / make it subget to the spyryte / lyke as sayth saynt Poule For he that wyll quenche the fyre of lecherye he ought to take awaye the ryse fagotte / and al tho thynges that make it to brenne and that nourysshe the fyre These ben the delyces and the eases of the body whiche quyckene and lyghten the fyre of lecherye corrumpeth chastyte / wherof saynt Bernard sayth that chastyte peryssheth in delyces And therfore who that wyll kepe hym fro brennynge / he ought to take awaye by abstynence / and by sharpnesse of penaunce of his body all the occasyons that may quyckene the fyre of lecherye / wherof the scrypture sayth that the chyldren that were nourysshed with grosse metes wolde not vse delycyouse metes / and were saued in the fournays of babylone / by whiche is vnderstonden the synne of lecherye / whiche is quenched by abstynence and by sharpnes of penaunce But the fatte metes delycyouses / and the stronge wynes enflame and nourysshe this synne of lechery in lyse wyse as oylle and grece alyght and enflammeth the fyre / and enforce it to brenne ¶ Of the .v. degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. C.xlv THe fyfth degree of the vertue of chastyte / is to flee euyll companye and the occasyons of synne Moche people haue fallen to synne by euyll company / whiche otherwyse had ne not fallen / lyke as the leuayne corrupteth the paste and drawe it to sauoure Ryght so the euyll company corrupteth the fame and renomee of the persone An apple roten yf it be amonge the souÌ„de and hole / corrupteth the good apples yf it lye amonge them A brennynge cole anone setteth on fyre an heep of coles whan it is layde amonge them Wherof Dauyd sayth in the psaulter / with the holy thou shalte be holy and with the shrewes thou shalte be peruerted ¶ Thus thenne yf thou wylte kepe chastyte and clennes / folowe the company of the good For yf thou loue the company of euyll shrewes / thou shalt be euyll as they be For who that loueth the company of a fole / it behoueth that he be lyke to him / as to that scripture sayth Thus behoueth it to flee all the occasyons of synne As to speke secretly with a woman / in suspecyous place one alone to one For suche thynges gyuen occasyon to synne / whan there is place and tyme / wherof we rede in the boke of kynges / that Amon whiche was the sone of Dauyd / whan he had his syster Thamar in his chamber he corrupted and defouled her The lady of Ioseph whan she founde hym alone she wolde haue made hym to synne with her But he fledde as a wyse man left her with his mantell ¶ Therfore sayth the holy appostle saynt Poule Fle ye fro the synne of fornycacyon / that is for to say / all the occasyons that may brynge or lede a persone vnto the synne of lechery For a man may not better ouercome the synne of lecherye ne kepe chastyte than by fleynge the companyes and the occasyons of this synne wherof the aungell sayd to loth that he sholde yssue departe fro the cytee of Sodome / from all the marches For it suffysed not to leue the euyl companye ne the synne / but that he sholde leue the marches of synne It is sayd that so longe gooth the pete to water / that at the laste it breketh And the gnat fleeth soo longe at the flamme of the candel / that at laste it brenneth In lyke wyse may one seke thoccasyons of synne / that he falleth therin who so wyl then kepe hyÌ„ wel fro suche fyre / that he brenne not / he ought to wtdrawe hym fro it The syxthe degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxlvi THe syxthe degree of the vertue of chastyte / is the one be wel occupyed wel sette a werke of good werkys and honeste For the deuyll whiche slepeth not / whan he fyndeth a man ydle and slowe to do well / put hym self to laboure and maketh hym falle lyghtly in to synne / wherof the scrypture sayth / that ydlenesse / that is to saye neclygence and slouthe for to do good / is maystresse of many euylles / and that is enemye of the soule ¶ And therfore sayth Saynt Poule Ne gyue thou no place to the deuyll That is to saye ne be thou not ydle / that the fende fynde not place to tempte the. For who that is ydle to do good werkes / he gyueth roume and place to the deuyll for to tempte hym Therfor sayth Saynt Gregory doo all waye somme good werkes a and operacyon that the deuyll fynde the not ydle For he is lyghtly taken of the fende / that occupyeth not hymself alway in somme werkes For he that is ydle may not longe kepe hym fro fallyÌ„ge in to synne Of this sayth the prophete / that the cause of the synne of Sodome the cyte was plente of breed wyne / ydlenes That is to vnderstonde that they ete dranke / and dyde nothyÌ„ge And therfore they fell in to synne soo horryble that it ought not to be named Ryght so do moche people that lese theyr tyme / employe it in vanytees and in outrages of mete drinke and leude games / in Iolytees of leude songes / of dauÌ„ces / of playes not lefull / and other deduytes And in suche vanytees they waste theyr tyme / and therfore they fall often
they do al to theyr power that / whiche the herte comaundeth them / and the eyen ensygnen them In this vnderstonde we the vertue of obedyence of whiche we haue spoken tofore / whiche ought for to be apparaylled and aourned in loue and in charyte as lyke as sayth saynt Peter the appostle Also that one membre helpeth that other / and serueth that other without daunger or peryll / without contradyccion and without auaryce And herin we vnderstande the vertue / the whiche is called charyte / of whiche a man then̄e helpeth and socoureth an other gladly with the power the god hath gyuen hym / or he ensygneth or counceyleth with the wytte that he hath Or he gyueth and departeth largely for the loue of god the goodes and rychesses that he hath Thenne is sayd of hym that he is moche charytable / and thus commaundeth to vs saynt Peter / that the graces that almyghty god hath gyuen vnto vs / that we admynyster theym vnto our neyghboures and prochanes wherof Tullius the phylosophre sayth / we ought to fele al that whiche is in the worlde and groweth and encreaseth / all is made for to serue man And the men be made the one to ayde and helpe the other For the one is engendred of the other Lete vs then̄e do that for whiche we be borne and the whiche nature ensygneth and sheweth vs / and seche we all the comune prouffyte For thus as sayth the holy appostle saynt Poule / we ben all membres of one onely body All the membres feleth and drawe to theym that whiche is done to eueryche / be it good / or be it euyll be it Ioye / be it anguysshe / whan one smyteth the fote the mouthe sayth ye greue and hurte me ¶ By this we vnderstonde and knowe the vertue of veraye pyte / the whiche we ought to haue comynly / whiche hath two offyces as sayth saynt Poule That is to wete to Ioye for the good that other do and haue And to sorowe for the euyls that other fele make ¶ Also yf a membre be seke or hurte / al the other helpe it to th ende that may be garysshed and holy In this vnderstonde we the vertue of Iustyce and of correcyon / without the whiche the body of the holy chirche may not endure For the roten membres defoule the other that ben hole / who that wyll thenne chastyse his brother and his neyghboure / and repreue and punysshe his subgette / late hym take hede at hym self / whan that a membre is seke or hurte / the herte hath grete compassyon / and feleth grete sorowe And that is for the grete loue that he hath to it / he sette honde to / moche swetely and ofte ¶ And lyke as sayth Seneke / lyke as all the membres of the body aydeth and bere vp eche other Ryght so ought euery man for to supporte his neyzboure / and to correcte and plucke awaye the woundes of synnes that ben in his herte ¶ Fyrst there ought for to be layed therto the oynementes and thenplaystres of swete admonycyons ¶ Also yf this be nought worthe there must be layed therto the sharpe poudres and poynaunte of harde reprehencyon And yf that helpe not / thenne lete come the swerde to dysseuere / or for to excommynye hym / or to bannysshe hym out of the contreye or to withdrawe fro hym Also the membres honoure and kepe that one that other / and do worshyp lyke as sayth saynt Poule / we owe to bere and do reuerence one to another / and specyally they that haue grete nede to be supported These ben the moost folysshe moost feble Them ought men moost to supporte Thenne the wyse men sage beren and supporten alwaye the fooles and the feble / lyke as the bones bereth the flesshe / and as the pyler bereth the hous This is ayēst myssayers / that so gladly cryen and sayen the deffaultes and the synnes that they se in other Also that one membre deffendeth that other at nede put hȳ tofore to saue that other / for at nede is seen who is a frende / whan that one fote slydeth / the other helpeth it anone Whan that one wolde smyte the heed / the hande putteth hym tofore In that vnderstande we parfyte and pure amyte / wherof god sayth in the gospell Who may do greter amyte or frendshyp / than to sette his lyfe for his frende This frendshyp sheweth to vs Ihesu cryste the veray frende / whiche for vs set his soule and his body to dethe shamefull And the dyde he to gyue to vs example / lyke as sayth saynt Peter / also saynt Iames / that god hath sette his soule for vs. And ryght so ought we to sette our soules for our brethren and for our neyghboures / yf we be aryght the membres of the body of Ihesu cryste / whiche is our heed Who that hath this vertue aryght I shall say appertly that he is well blyssed This is the vertue that our good mayster Ihesu cryst ensygneth vs whan he fayth in the gospell / blyssed be the debonayre For they shall possede the lande of theym that lyueth in glorye without ende ¶ Now vnderstande well this blyssynge that the debonayre hathe in this worlde For the parfyte debonayr ben now in possessyon of the erthe That is to vnderstonde in iii. maners Fyrste of the erthe of lyuynge people That is god hym selfe / whiche is the herytage of theym that lyue pardurably that is of the sayntes and of good people in lyke wyse as the erth is habytacyon of beestes and of men And bycause that god hymselfe is the erthe of lyuynge men / he hath the debonayres in his possessyon For they doo nothynge but that whiche pleaseth god Therfore it is ryght that they haue god in theyr possessyon Lyke as Dauyd the prophete sayeth in his psaulter The debonayres sayth he shal haue the erthe in possessyon in herytage And also they shall haue delectacyons in multytude of peas And the holy man saynt Austyn sayth the no man shall haue god in his possessyon / but the fyrst he shal be in his Also the debonayr haue in this worlde the londe of theyr herte in possessyon For they be by ryght lordes of theyr herte The felone is not lorde of his herte / and the debonayre hath the mystrye of his herte and of his euyll maners ¶ And Salamon sayth that he is more valyaunte / that maystryeth well his herte than he that taketh a stronge castell and cyte ¶ Also the debonayre ben lordes of therthe / that is of worldly goodes For yf they lese them they shal neuer be troubled ne angry therfore But they that ben angry whan they lose worldly goodes / be not lordes of theym ne of theyr hertes But ben seruauntes therto / and therfore it is ryght and reason that they that haue here the goodes temporell and spyrytuell / haue in them self theyr possessyon of the