foure and thyrty dayes therto His dedes and his wyl also His regne is in Caprycorne And in Canser his myght is lorne ¶ The fourth planet is the sonne And yf you vnderstande conne It is the planet of great worshype Of kynges and of â—ordshype Kepar of erth we hym cal And by the sygnes he passyth al And in ech whan he comyth thore He dwelleth a moneth and no more That is borne in that he may euery yere Change his worke and his manere His regne so is in Aâ—yes And in Lybra he hym restes ¶ The fyfte planet venus is Planet of loue delyte and blys He that therin borne shal be Feble herte shal haue of vanyte But in foure hundreth and forthy dayes May he change al his wayes His worke and thought holly The .xii. sygnes goyth he by And in ech one of tho shal he Seuen and twenty dayes be In piscibus rayneth he stabely And doune he goyth in Gemyny ¶ The syxte planet Mercurius That arte and conyng geuyth vs By the .xii. sygnes lyeth his wayes Dwellyng in ech one seuentene dayes He that is borne in hym may Be two hundred and the fourth day Chaunge his corage and his thought And the workes that he wrought ¶ The mone the seuenth planet we say Planet of water and of waye By the .xii. sygnes she goyth also Dwellyng in ech one dayes two He that is borne in this planet In a moneth may he byete And chaunge his worke and wyl Be it good be it yl In Taurus comyth her regne vnto And abesses her in Scorpyo And al the world is not I wys So great as one planet is Saue the thre that lowest wone Uenus Mercurius and the mone ¶ The C.xlvij questyon ¶ Tel me now this ones yet ¶ How many maner of waters is it OF waters many maner there be Fyrst the water of the see That al other waters come fro Water of welles there is also That theyr hew and manere Foure tymes change in a yere Welles are spryngyng elles whore Foure dayes in the weke no more I stode theris that rennyth ay Al the weke saue saturdaye A stode is in the est see ryght Which rennyth euer on nyght And a daye it frosen is fast But on nyght may it not last Yet men may a welle fynde In the yles of the see of ynde That who so put a stafe therin As of a fyre it shuld bryn And it nothyng slekyn can But only the breyne of man Other welles are yet mo And who the water dronke of tho Of some good memory shuld he take And some forgetfulnesse shuld make Some amerous wyl make the men And some wyl bareyne make wymen Some wyl make yren and stele In the fyre to tempre we le A great wel yet is there one Standyng stylle as eny stone But who so makyth solace there by Anone it rennyth hastely Some waters are hote of kynde And some colde as men do fynde And the kynde of the ground causyth al this Where eny water rennyng is And al is at goddys wyl Both rennyng and stondyng styll ¶ The C.xlviij questyon ¶ Now wold I wyt of the see How many sees that there be SEes we fynde there are thre Wherof one hyght the see beter Al about the erth goyth she And is salt as men may se That other see the blacke see hyght And enuyrons that other ryght The thyrd is called the stynkyng see Therin may no man lyuyng be For the stynke that it cometh fro Enuyrous truly that other two And god hath made them so to be Of his wyl and his potence ¶ The C.xlix questyon ¶ Why hath god the world made al Rownde aboute as a balle THere are many skylles why But thre I fynde pryncypally For his owne lycknes is one There non ende ne is vpon For he ne had begynynge Nor neuer shal haue endynge And seke y e world neuer so w t trauayle miÌ„d No endyng shal men therin fynde Another sayl is comodyte Why it behoueth so to be For al the formes that thou knowst Rownde contaynes aldermost Now is it so at the begynyng That the world contaynes althyng Wherfore it behoued therto That it shuld rownde be also The thyrde cause is for the sky And I shal tel the how and why Late with war here fyll a canne And whan it is ful breke it than The wax shal be of that shapnes As was the canne more ne les Now is the saye rounde and fayre And conteyneth fyre and ayre Water and erth ferrest therfro And al behoueth rounde to be tho The round saye the fyre round maketh And ayre of fyre roundhed taketh Water within ayre also And erthe within all tho And bycause the skye as thou hast hard Is round and al are in hym sperd All behoueth them round tobe As thou ere on the waxe myght se ¶ The C.l. questyon ¶ Why is the mone colde of kynd And the sonne hote as we fynde The sonne is welle of hete And the mone of waters wete Now is that one drye and hote And that other moyst and wote The hete of the sonne doth spryng That in erthe is al thynge But with that hete may they not dure But yf they haue withal moysture And that the sonne heteth on daye lyght The mone keleth vpon nyght And geueth it moysture there vnto Therfore al thynges spryngeth so Shuld the sonne geue vs for aye His here bothe nyght and daye Man nor beast shuld lyue no throwe Ne nothyng shuld in erth growe And yf the keelth of the mone Shuld euer amonge vs wone And of the hete haue rygâ—t nought Shuld no leuyng thyng forthe be brought Therfore hath god ordayned so As the world hathe myster to ¶ The C.lj. questyon ¶ Now I praye the tel me this Whiche is the most thyng that is OF al thynge that thou most Goddes marcy is the most For no mouthe may speke I wys No harte thynke how great it is Unto tho that wyl it craue And desyreth it to haue It is greater than al erth may be Or al the water in the see It passyth al leues that sprynge Or herbes or eny other thynge Ye an hundreth thowsand folde It passys al that I haue tolde ¶ The C.lij. questyon ¶ Whether may grauel of erth mo be Or droppes of water of the see GRauel of the erth is wel more ThaÌ„ al water dropes y t euer wore For al that were or yet shal be Al they come of the see And for an handfuf of grauel Behouyth of droppes a gooddele For wel smaller is one hope Of grauel than a water drope And water may be no where But yf erth be vnder there And many myles may men gon Drye where no water is on And the see was neuer so depe a flete That deper ne is vnder erth grete And yf water vpon roche stande Under roche is erth molde or sande Now is the erth apperyng smal And wyde
his kynde lxviii Fedyth god al thyng that is in erth of his makyng lxix Fysshes foules and beastes haue they soules or no lxx They that shal be after the incarnacyon shall they lyue as lōge as we do now lxxi How long shal the world endure lxxii Lyue eny men mo out of the erth that we on go lxxiii Why are some men whyt some broune and some blake lxxiiii Wherof comyth felony lxxv Why are not al beastes of one colour lxxvi They that ete or drīke more thā nede do they wel or no. lxxvii Whiche is the best thyng and the worst of the man lxxviii Whether is a man more apter to conyng in etyng of hote metis or of colde lxxix How may aman fle felony wrathe and malencoly lxxx Is it better to haue hate of woman or loue lxxxi A man that is yonge how angeryth he for a lytel thyng lxxxii How may aman blamles be to loue a woman and hym not she lxxxiii Wherof comyth fattnesse in a mannys body lxxxiiii Shal aman chasten a woman with betyng whan she doth amys lxxxv What thyng is gelousy and wherof comyth it lxxxvi Shal aman loue his frend open to hym all the secretes of his mynde lxxxvii May aman do his profyt and labor not for it lxxxviii Shal men do almes dedes to pouer that haue nede lxxxix How shal he order hym selfe that is alday amonge the people lxxxx Is a rych man lesse worthy that hath lost his good or the pouer that hath encresed lxxxxi Wherof comyth the wicked custome of men or maner lxxxxii Seyng yron is so strong and harde wher with was fyrst made the hamer tonges and hyth lxxxxiii Do they amys that swere by theyr god what so he be lxxxxiiii Shal aman in althynges be chair of his body lxxxxv With whom shal aman loue to go and whos company shal he tie from lxxxxvi Which is better to haue of ryehes or to be pouer lxxxxvii Shal a mā honour a pouer mā as he do a rych mā lxxxxviii Delyght the pouer men in theyr pouerte as the ryche men do in theyr ryches lxxxxix Shal aman bost hym of that thyng that he doth c. Why are houndes raster in doyng of theyr kynd than other beastes are c.i. He that coueyteth another mannes wyfe doth he wel or yl c.ii. May not aman scape dethe by ryches myght or by some other meanes c.iii. Is it good to answere them that speke foly c.iiii. Whiche conyng of all is most greuoust to man c.v. They that labour for to wyn cānot why do they not leue c.vi Wherof may it come that men waxe foles and vnwyse c.vii. Is the soule and the body wo whan they shal depart c.viii Whiche shall aman take for the more a yong mā or an old c.ix Why rayneth it more in one yere than in another c.x. Why made not god man so that he myght not haue synned c.xi Is it good to haue entermetynges with all maner of men indyfferently c.xii. Why wold god this world make c.xiii How was this world made as it is nowe and how holdeth it as it is c.xiiii Is there any other than we that hathe the claryte or the lyght of the sonne c.xv. Howe longe is the worlde how brode and how thycke c.xvi Why shall god this world clene vndo c.xvii How are the fowles borne a hye that do flye c.xviii Whence cometh the rayne that falleth c.xix. Hayle stones wherof come they c.xx. Whereof come the tempestes c.xxi Wherof cometh the thonder c.xxii The wynde wherof comethe it c.xxiii How issueth the water out of the hylles whiche hylles seme to be dry c.xxiiii The water that is in the see why is it salte c.xxv. Wherof cometh the lyghtenyng c.xxvi The water that dothe ebbe and flowe wherof come they and whyther do they go c.xxvii Ware not hylles and roches made at the fyrste makynge of the worlde c.xxviii Shall euer so great a flode come eny more as was in the tyme of Noe. c.xxix Why dyd Noe take with hym into the arch venemous beastys as scorpion edder and snake c.xxx Wherof cometh golde c.xxxi How spryngeth some waters out of the erth hote c.xxxi Wherof cometh the Brymstone c.xxxii Wherof cometh carbouncles other precyous stones c.xxxiii How many landys be in the world c.xxxiiii May aman by drye lande go the world round about c.xxxv Myght a man sayle so longe that his shyp came vnrent to the turnyng of the fyrmament c.xxxvi Why made not god man to be euer yonge iolyfe and of powre ryche and of longe lyfe and at his deth to haue blys c.xxxvii Whiche are the aungels that receyuethe mannes sowle into heuen c.xxxviii Which is better of thes two good workes without chaslyte or wycked workes and chast to be c.xxxix What maketh the erthe quake c.xl. Wherof cometh the eclypse of the sonne and mone c.xli. Howe falle the sterres that men se fall and from whens come they all c.xlii How many heuyns are there c.xliii How hye is the heuyn aboue the erthe c.xliiii Of what myght is the fyrmament c.xlv. Of what myght are the planettis what be they called c.xlvi. How many maners of waters be there c.xlvii How many sees be there c.xlviii Why hathe god made the world rounde c.lxix Why is the mone colde and the sonne hote c.l. Whiche is the most thynge that is c.li Is there more grauel in erth or dropes of water in the see c.lii. Maye the grauell in erthe tolde be or dropes of water in the see c.liii How many sterres are on the skye c.liiii How many aungels dyd god make howe many be lefte and how many tell c.lv. Whiche are most of men beastes or fysshes c.lvi. Whiche is the delectablest place in all the world c.lvii Whiche is the most prowes in towne or forest c.lviii If a man haue an euyll wyfe or a wemme in any of his lymmes shall aman cast it in his tethe c.lix Shall men bothe worshyp men and do theyr wyll c.lx. Shall aman forget the seruyce of a good seruaunt that well hathe serued hym c.lxi May a man with holde hymselfe from a woman that he hath in kepyng that he commyt no lechery c.lxii Whiche is the greatest delyght that is c.lxiii Shal a man ought delyght hym with a woman c.lxiiii Whan two hoostes mete shall they streyght fyght c.lxv. Whiche of his membres myght a man worst forgo c.lxvi Who made the fyrst instrument that euer was and howe came it in his thought c.lxvii He that is dumbe defe and can not se what speche in his hert thynkethe he c.lxviii Why are some cloudes of the skye whyte some blacke c.lxix May no creature knowe goddes wyll or thought c.lxx. Shall aman worshyp god all day c.lxxi Wherof comethe bleryd eyen and why c.lxxii What people shall men worshyp in this world c.lxxiii Whiche is the largest man in the world c.lxxiiii Shall a pouer man put hymselfe at any tyme before a reche man c.lxxv
shulde be prysonede And saye if he wyll my ioyrney spede I shall forgyue the trespas That done to my god was ¶ Sydrac answered truly thus Grete wel the kynge Boccus And say also to hym so god me saue That I wyll no forgyfnes haue Of nothyng that I haue don amys But yf god that in heuyn is On his god hath shoyd power as he dyd se What wyll he forgyue that me But say to hym yf it be his wyll That I shall his seruyse fulfyll In god of heuyn trust he shall And his commaundment do all Than his grace and mercy I shall hym shewe apertly ¶ Anon the messyngers went Unto the kynge that them had sent And told hym what answere they had The kynge was wroth and bad That he shuld other dayes nyne In pryson lye and there pyne Whan the .ix. day was come and go The kynge sent hym agayne vnto The same bodyes lesse nor more That he sent to hym before And he his answer on them layd As he had before sayd Whan the kynge sawe at the last That his ioyrne was ouer cast And that he was a comfortlese man That without hym nothyng can He set hym forth anon ryght And made hym all the ioy he myght Sydrac anon before the kynge ¶ Seyd syr by god of all thynge The werke that thou hast to do Shall neuer endyng come vnto But thou wylt trust in god of lyght That all thyng made of his myght And yf that thou wylt hym se Apertly I shall shew hym the ¶ The kynge sayd than with wordes grym ¶ Let it so be than shew me hym And he be so good as thou prechest I shall beleue as thou me techest ¶ Whan he that herd anon Sydrac And went from hym a lytel whyle bake And set on his knees at the last His syth vp to heuen dyd cast And this prayer made he Lord god full of pyte That heryst all that call the to And madest heuen and erth also And aungells full of claryte Of wisdom also for to be Lucyfer by his pryde had a fall For lorde wold he abyn of all And thou lorde hym castest downe Into hell that foule pryson Than madest of erth slym Adam our father and puttest hym in Of thy grace gost of lyf And madest Eue to be his wyf Lorde that werkyst so perfytly I besech the inwardly That thou thy grace downe me sende This wycked people for to amende So that I haue no blame And that they worshype thy holy name Whan he had made his oryson An aungell came from heuyn downe And Sydrac truly this certyfyed That god had herd all that he desyred And has grawnted the thy bone This kynge shalt thou conuert sone Thou shalt ouercome by goddes grace The deuyll and his wickyd trace God hath graunted the myght And his grace shall be thy lyght Thou shalt to morowe vpon a trowe Party of goddes myght hym showe How he the world fyrst began And why that he made man Of the commyng a goddes sonne That in erth shall with you wone And of the antecryst with all That the world ende shall An erthen pot thou cause to be fet And vpon thre stakys it set In the name of the Trynyte One god and persones thre Fyll that pot with water clere And than call the kynge the nere Goddes grace than shalt thou se And shewe it hym and so shall he The aungell anon went his way Sydrac markyd well what he dyd say And at that had great reioysynge Geuynge lawde to god for so cumfortynge ¶ He callyd the kynge and sayd syr Wyll ye se that you desyre ¶ He was full wrouth I wys And sayd shew we what a is Which is better that wyll I se Our god y t thou hast brent or he Sydrac thre stakys toke anon And set an erthen pot thereon Than with water it dyd fyll He lokyd therein with good wyll Than callyd the kynge hym to And sayd behold here in loo The kynge beheld and than sawe he The vmbre of the Trynyte That of myght is truly most Father and sonne and holygost In heuyn all they syttyng wore And the aungelles them before Syngyng all that there wone ¶ Lo quod the father to the sonne The sonne to the holygost also And the holygost vnto them two Whan the kynge had sene that syght He was full ioyfull and full lyght He thought that he was in heuyn His blessydnes coud he not tell y t he had syn He told Sydrac how he fared And sayd vnto hym that all they herde I beleue in thy god I wys And in all thyng that of hym is Or euer was or euer shall be But I pray the tell now me That I the better beleue theron How than ar they thre in one ¶ Syr he sayd I shall you sho On what maner ye shall hym knowe Syr yf ye vnderstand verely The sonne in the sky shynyng bryghtly Thre thynges ar there innate And noman can them separat One is the sonne properly That ye se vpon the say A nother is the claryte That it gyuys to you and me And the hete is the thyrd That wyde in the world is spred Be the sonne I vnderstande The father that all thyng hath in hande And the sonne by the claryte For of the father come is he The holygost by the hete Thes ar the thre that I grete And all thre ar god but one As you may se the sonne vpon ¶ Boccus than is now in such gladnese That no man coud it exprese And on hye cryed and spake I beleue in thy god Sydrac Thre persones and one very god myghty To late I haue on hym be eued suerly The goddes that my fathers wore And my auncytors here before For sake I here for euer in say For his loue that all thyng may ¶ Whan the people that vnderstode They were for it ny wode And swore that Sydrac shuld dey For ofte that eny man cowd sey Sume wente mornyng alone And for the kynge made gret morne And sayd alas that he was borne Our kynge hath his wytte forlorne There withall they came hym to And sayd syr thou hast mysdo Full wroght than ar thy meyne All that to the trusty shuld be That thou hast a wich beleued And thy good god renayed That thy father and forgoars all Had full dere and dyd on call Now hast thou hym by thy assent Confoundyd and in fyre brent ¶ The kynge sayed vnto all them You wote neuer what ye mene Therfor I haue hym forsakyn And vnto a nother god me taken Longe I haue bene in the darke nyght I take me now to the sonne lyght Ye are of this thynge full lewde For Sydrac that had me shewed The vmbre of the trynyte And that our fathers and we Haue beleued in goddes fals bad And a feble lyfe haue we had But now haue I hym in mynde That may bothe lose and tynde In his lawe soth to say Than wyll I both lyue and
dey ¶ The people drew themself bake All that were angre with Sydrac They chose fouer men of the host That wysest were and coude most For to hold dysputacyon Ageyne Sydrac and his reson Thes fouer before the kynge went And sayd to hym with one assent This wich with his wichcraft lewdly Hath you mouyd gretly Syr let hym come forth now And we shall dyspute with hym before you ¶ So it come to pase at the last And to dyspute they began fast They shewed hym theyr fals lawe ¶ And he vndyd it on a rawe He destroyed with good reson All theyr fals and peruert opynyon Wrothe a way than gan they tourne For agayne hym cowd they not spourne Whan they ouercome wore And they myght do no more They went anon forth and fet Of starke venom a gobet And came to Sydrac there he stode And sayd thou seyst thy god is good Daryst thou in the name of hym Drynke this gobet of venym For if he be trew and strong also To the it can no velony do ¶ By god Sydrac that that you wene May not a vayl you a bene ¶ Uenom of adder nor of snake That eche in goddys name take May greue me ryght nought Gyue it hyther that ye haue brought ¶ The venom in his hande toke he That all the people about myght se Ye that to my god trust not to Anon shall se what he can do He dranke that venom anon ryght And was hole sownde and lyght All the people that there gadered was Had great wonder at that caas ¶ The kynge was full glad therefore And sayd to all that there wore Had Sydracis god not myghty byn He had brust that we had it syne And thes four that dyd hym spyte Thought he wold a be deed quyte ¶ Whan the deuyll was out lepyd Of his great god that he was in crepyd He and his felowes also In to other goddes dyd go And they all at the last Uppon the kynge a cry dyd cast And sayd Boccus thou had lost thy wyt To play now this folysh tyt To change thy old lawe And to trust in this withes sawe Us thou hast now forsakyn And to a wychcrafte the takyn And we shall forsake the None of vs thy frend wyll be Thy sacryfyce we shall forsake On thy goddes we shall do wrake All thy bestes we wyll slo And helpe ageyne the thy fo We shall also hast blyue Out of thy kyngdom the to dryue All thy chyldern sle we shall And other of thy kyne with all And thy self with soth to sey On euyl deth shall cause to dey But thou wilt slake all this And beleue styll in thy blys Reuoke all that thou hast sayd And all that thy hert is on layed And breke yender pot in two His wichcraft for to vndo And the water at the last Unto thy howndes thou cast Seyng that Sydrac doth not blynne This wo to bryng the in THe kynge all that wer thore Of this thyng wonderyd sore And a masyd were sumdele ¶ Sydrac that beheld full well And sayd syr dysmay ye noght On god of heuyn be thy thought Let the deuyll haue no intrese The with his engyn to refreshe For thou shalt se anon ryght That I shall destroy hym and his myght A betyll in his his hande he toke And to the false goddes he it shoke He stode and sayd all on hye In his name that is almyghty I shall you breke this uery day And the deuyll dryue away With his betyll he layd vpon And brake the ydols euerychone Whan the deuyll saw nomore That his dwellynge myght be thore He and all his company Began then from thens to hye And an hydyous cry they cast Whan the ydols were all to brast An erthquake dyd they make anone So that y e folke thought euerychone That the yerth sanke downe went Thunder and lyghtenyng also they sent Hayle and rayne also there wore That made the folke abasshed sore And the kynge of all the host Was abasshed all the moost ¶ Sydrac sawe the kynge in drede Anon he vnto hym dyd yede And sayd syr dyscomfort ye nought Goddys myght that all hath wroght Is stronger than the deuyl of hell And that thou shalt perseue well Therfore dred not but comfort the Ouer vs shall sone his grace be Downe came than an aungell bryght All abowt hym mych lyght ¶ And sayd Sydrac take with thyn handys The water that in the pot standys On the fouer corners of the how 's it cast As long as eny of it doth last In the name of the Trynyte Betokenyd of the stakys thre Bete together fast the two And the deuyll shall fle there fro ¶ Sydrac dyd as he hym bad And fayer wether anon they had An other aungel they sawe commyng Beryng aswerd all brennyng And smot the deuyll and hym dyd shent And thos ydols all to brent All the folke that there wore And wold not be conuertyd before Whan they had sene that syght They turned vnto god anon ryght ¶ Boccus the kynge whan he that sauh Alytel he began to lawgh In his hert he was full iocound And askyd Sydrac in that stound ¶ Leue Sydrac and tell now me What syngnyfy the stakes thre And the pot of erth also That thou the water dydyst put into And why thou so the water dyd cast And bet to gyther the stakes fast ¶ Syr he sayd the stakes thre Do sygnyfye the Trynytye Father and sonne and holygoost That ar one god as thou well knowest By the erthen pot I take This world that god of erth dyd make The thre Rakys the pot vp bar God it syngnyfyeth be thou well ware The water that in the pot was don Syngnyfyeth playnly goddys sonne That in this world shall borne be Of a fayr vyrgyn puer and fre And that sonne shall all with ryght Destroy the deuyll and his myght Uppon a crosse he shall be done And dye about the tyme of none In erth shall he buryed without fayl be And ryse vp within dayes thre Through that dede shall he call Adam and verely his frendes all Out of wo and of theyr mornfull care That now in the deuyllys handes are The water that I at the last About on the fouer corners dyd cast Betokenys fouer men that shall tho In fouer sydes of the world shall go That many a man shall suerly wyte Euery one his boke shall wryte By the whiche they confownde shall The deuyl and his power all The stakes that I together smot Made gret benne as ye it wot That was in tokyn of them tho That with goddys sonne shall go And shall his dyscypyls also be They shall preche the Trynyte And the noyse of them shall wende Ouer all to the worldes ende For they shall to the people preche And the ryght beleue them teche That man had better not be borne That it despysyth for he is forlorne And thos that ar in ryght beleue Goddys sonne shall
the vnto ¶ The .xxvij. questyon ¶ How may man wete that it so is That god made man to his lykenes WE fynde of antiquite In bokes y t somtyme had Noye That whan god of heuen kyng Had made beest and all thyng Thā sayde one of y e parsons thre That are in the Trinite Nowe althynge are made more and les Make we man to our lykenes And bycause he sayd make we Is to vnderstand that there ar thre And that he sayd is no lesynge Than are we lyke hym in makynge ¶ The .xxviij. questyon Sethen we of goddes lykenes be Why maye we not do as dyd he TO goddis lykenes are we dyght And therfore hathe be geuen vs might Aboue al other creature That he made here for to dure And for that likenes so know we All thynges that in erthe be We can labour worke and wynne And we knowe almes fro synne All creatures maye we take And our seruauntis of them make And al other thynges that ar nought Unto goddis lykenes wrought Haue no conynge ne myght therto To do thyngis that we do Ne commaunde vs they ne maye As we do them euery daye But thoughe we be of his lykenes We maye not neuertheles Be al so stronge and wyse as he For hys handworke all ar we He is maker of all thynge And we are of his makynge He is lord and we subiecte as a slaue And for the lykenes that we haue Yf that we do not yll Aungels nombre we shall fulfyll For other lykenes than his Were not worthy to that blys ¶ The .xxix. question ¶ Where becometh the blode all Of man whan he dye shall GOd made blode of water ryght And the body of erthe he dyght And as water in erthe synketh And the erthe the water drynketh For to mayntayne all thynge That waxeth and in erth sprynge Also mayntayneth trewly The blode that is in the body And whan the sowle departe shall The blode he bereth with hym all And whan the harte is fro hym sent The blode is into the water went And the body that is drye And rype may not longe lye That it ne drynketh the blode also As the erthe wyll the water do ¶ The .xxx. questyon ¶ Whan the fyre quenchyd is Whether becometh it tell me this OF the sonne the fyre is ryght Therof haueth he hete and lyght And he be quenchyd he shall go To the sonne there he came fro Thou seest the sonne that lyght maketh And hete also there it on taketh On nyght whan he fro vs is went All the hete that he to vs lent And thē lyght of hym also All dothe he take it hym vnto And ledeth with hym that he brought Fro hym departe ne maye it nought Also whan fyre is slaked here He withdraweth hym on the same manere Unto the nature for to go Of the sonne there he came fro ¶ The .xxxj. question ¶ Why dyeth not the body thore Whan he leseth halfe his blode more THoughe the blode be halfe aweye The body may not yet deye For the hete of the soule I wys That the blode by mayntayned is Departeth not so lyghtly And I shall tel the for why The lytell blode that there is lefte Maketh that the sowle fro hym is not refte For it maynteyneth the sowle styffely And the sowle the blode and the body The weke that in a candel is Whan it begynneth for to mys The fyre slaketh and is a waye Euynso it is here to saye Of the blode the weke I make And by the fyre the sowle I take Whan the blode awaye is all The sowle no lenger dwell shall But the blode comforteth hym so Except some other euyll it forthe do Dyeth he not so lyghtly But holdeth hym on lyue contynually ¶ The .xxxij. questyon ¶ Of what complexyon may it be The body and of what nature is he OF the nature of erth it is tolde And his complexyon is colde And than is he makyd yare Of the fowre elamentis that are Of the erthe is the flesshe And the blode of water nesshe Of ayre the sowle maked was And of fyre the hete he has Se thyn flesshe is of erthes kynde And blode of water as we fynde Bothe are they colde of kynde to fonde But sowle that is of goddis onde That ought to be clene and fayre And is hote of kynde of ayre That sowle abydeth in the blode And heteth it and doth it good And the blode heteth trewly All the lymmes of the body ¶ The .xxxiij. questyon ¶ Were sowles made at the fyrst for aye Or are they made yet euery daye ALl thyng that god thought to make al were at ons wroght That is to say at y e begynnyng That he befor sawe all thynge And one cōmaundmēt made he All that was and that shal be But I saye not that they were In the lykenes that they now are All thynges in hym ware enclosyd verely Untyll they come to theyr beyng apertly Than he shapyd theyr fygure Euerychon after theyr nature But he cōmaunded all to be At ones as we do se So at ones made he all thynge At his worde and his byddynge ¶ The xxxiiij questyon ¶ May they haue eny excusynge That of god know nothyng SUch as god knowe not here Nor hym to lerne wyll not endeuere At the daye of dome shall he Know them for none of his meyne And tho that byleue and wyll not do The werkes that belongeth them vnto That sympely them vnderstonde As symple men that are in londe Yf they dampned be therfore Turmentyd shuld they not be sore And they that haue good vnderstondyng Of god and do not his byddyng Fro payne they may them not defende But yf that they do here amende ¶ The .xxxv. questyon ¶ Shall aman ought els do But that god commaūdeth hym to GOd hathe kyndly made man To serue hym in all that he can And his commaundmēt to do And the deuyl to hate also And as we lordshyp wyl craue Of all thynges and theyr seruyce haue Euyn so wyll god on all wyse Aske and haue of vs seruyse And that we byleue on hym stedfastly And worshyp hym with our body And loue hym aboue all thynge For we are all of his makynge ¶ The .xxxvj. questyon ¶ How many worldes are of all And how do men them call THere are gostly worldes two And two bodely worldes also That one goostly heuen is There aungels are and all the blys And there the good generacyon Of Adam shall hereafter wone That other goostly than is hell There the deuyls in paynes dwell ¶ The two bodely is in our syght As sunne and mone daye and nyght And other thynges that we se That vs geueth claryte The tother trewly we can nat want The chefe thynge that we do enhaunte As the erthe that all thynge taketh And our wombe that nought forsaketh And fro the bodely that are Unto the goostly for to fare Whether it be lowe or hye Ne is it
body lowe or hye So the erth that we on go Is vnder ful of veynes also And open the hyde the veyne vpon The blode spryngeth out anon Euyn as wel vpon the crowne As on the fote beneth downe So the veynes that in the erth lye Haue water runnyng lowe and hye Up and doune to and fro As the veynes in erth go And there they the erth feble se Hye or lowe whether it be It brestyth out and rennyth there Hylle or dale whether it be ¶ The C.xxv questyon ¶ The water that is in the see Why is it salt tel you me IN the mydel of the world a see is Where the sonne euer brennyng is And by that brennyng hete Are the waters that shuld be swete Become bytter and salt also Which see renneth the other vnto Wherof al salt it is And y e hete of y e sonne makyth moche of this Ware it that the see styl stode And ware the water fresshe and good The stynke therof so great shuld be That al the fysshes in the see Shuld dye anon both great and smal And that ware vnto man great bale And on the land shuld be such stynke More than I can expresse or thynke Which shuld on lande so be here That it shulde al the people dere ¶ The C.xxvi questyon ¶ Wherof euer may it be The lyghtenyng that we here se CLowdes somtyme on the sky Renne to gether vp a hy With so great fyre and so kenne That fyre lyghtenyth them betwene And that is that we lyghtnyng call And somtyme downe wyl it fall Somtyme slekenys it a lofte In the cloude and that is ofte ¶ The C.xxvij questyon ¶ The waters that ebbe flow also Wherof come they whyter do they go ALl the waters that euer be Al they come out of the see And thyther agayne they go Unto the see wher they came fro The waters that fall in erth synkyth And as a spryng the erth them drynkyth And whan they are come thether In veynes gather they to gether And they that go in by one syde By another out they glyde The erth takyth and geuyth all The waters that are and on erth fall ¶ The C.xxviii questyon ¶ Hylles and roches ware they nought Made whan y e world was fyrst wrought FRom the fyrst tyme of adam Unto the tyme that Noe came Was neuer hyl ne rocke with al But as playne about as a ball Rayne fell than to erth none No tempest was nor storme But in the tyme of Noe For the great iniquyte And for the synne that adam wrought God sent astode that sesyd nought Xl. dayes and xl nyghtes Al the world destroyed he thore Saue them that in the arch wore And the course of the stode them among In his comyng was so strong That where it neysshe ground fonde It dyd fret away both erth and sonde Stone and rocke felde and towne Al was turned vp se downe But whan the flode began to slake And lytel stremes for to make Stones on hepes so with stode And turned no more for the flode And whan some with stode so Mo them gathered vnto The neysshe ground the water doth fret For no hardnes it doth let And afterward the sonnys hete With frost and snow to gether do mete Dryuyng the stones to gether harde And became rockes afterwarde Wherfore by the forsayd skyl That flode made both dale and hyll ¶ The C.xxix questyon ¶ Shal the dyluuy come eny more In the world that was before GOd hath hyght vnto man kynde As we in our bokes fynde That neuer shal come to destroy man Such a dyluuy as than ran But yf of synne man not amende A sharpe scourge he shal them sende That scourge is a swerd of wrake That one shal agayne a nother take And oâ—e shal a nother for do And destroye the world also ¶ The C.xxx questyon ¶ Whan Noe shuld to the arch go And of ech beastes toke w t hym two Why wold he euyl beastes take As scorpyons adder and snake NOe dyd them in the arch ley For two thynges that I shal the sey That one for the coÌ„maundment That god hym be the aungel sent And that durst he not breke For he sawe moch wreke Of ech one two god byd hym take For he wold not them al new make Wherfore his precept dyd he And of them came that now be ¶ That other was for mannys he le For but yf venemous beastes fele Ware dwellyng in ech countre So ful of venom the erth shuld be That it shuld enuenym al thynge As frute and corne that in erth dyd sprynge And so shuld no man therof ete But he dyed by that mete And the beastes ne lyue I wys But of the venym that in erth is And they clense the erth by kynde Of the venym they therin fynde And al theyr venym is truly Of the erth that they lyue by For take an adder for asay The venemost that men fynde may And in a vessel hym do That no erth come hym to With flesshe and bred kepe it thore Fyftene dayes and no more Al his venom shal be gon And hurte may he do none For venom in hym none doth abyde Except he on the erth do slyde ¶ The C.xxxj questyon ¶ Wherof euer comyth the gold That man so precyous doth hold THe myne of gold without mys In veynes of y e erth waxyng is And syluer also with metals mo Which the erth come fro But gold and syluer men fynde betwene The erth there it is pure and clene Men gather it and dyght it so With arte that they haue therto But there men it most fynde Is a lande by the west Inde In gyse of brasse men fynde there By the banke of the see euerywhere But euery man can not it dyght For to brynge it to the ryght ¶ The C.xxxi questyon ¶ Tel me now yf thou wote How out of y e erth spryng waters hot WAters that al hote so sprynge Haue it somwher in theyr reÌ„niÌ„g By brymstone hath his cours And not fare from his sours By y e hete of y â— kynd of brimstone The water becomyth warme anon And warme spryngeth out also And who so leyd his nose therto He shuld anon fele ful we le Sauoure of brymstone somdele ¶ The C.xxxii questyon ¶ Among al other tel me one Wherof comyth the brymstone QUycke brymstone that men call Cometh of lyghtenyng that doth fall Upon roches by the see Eyther on hylles whether it be And so hard downe are they cast With ayre aboue and wyndes blast That they fall the erth within And that erth they lye and â—ryâ— Which erth exâ—st hyght therby For it is brente so wondersly And that turneth to brymstone Which wellyth vp somtyme anon ¶ The C.xxxiij questyon ¶ Carboncles and other stones mo Wherof may come al tho OUt of Nygre that is a see Where cokyls are in great plente And hang to gether two and two
Openyng in the water hangyng so The rayne falleth from aboue And entres in them there they houe WhaÌ„ they haue receyued the rayne astound They close them and go to ground And at the ground lye they thore Wel a C. yere and more And they that are of that countre Whan they seke them in the see Theyr vysages to couar they begyn With netes blathers blowen thyn And in blacke sowe them also For the fysshe wyl fle them fro Than go they doune them to wyn And perlys fynde they them with in Whyte and rounde but neysshe they be But whan they come out of the see And the ayre haue them smyt vpon They become ryght hard anon But tho that are not in season Nor theyr tyme haue after they weÌ„te doune To be fulfylled by the ground They stynke as a pyllyd hownd The Carboncles come also Of cokyls as perles do But Carboncles of smal hayle fall And in fresshe water be they all They by the grounde wylbe Two hundred wynter wel or thre And they stynke and fare amys Whan theyr tyme not fulfylled is But al the rayne that doth fall Turne not to stones al The rayne that the fyrst day fallyth Of the mone in Ianuary that men callyth And the mone be in that sygne That vnto that thynge be dygne If that rayne in the cokyl go Perles shal come of tho And hayle that to fal is wone The eyght daye of the mone In feueryere and the mone be ryght In a sygne that Cancer hyght And the cokyls that hayle in take Carboncles therof they make But that rayne and hayle ech dele Fall ful seldome wyte you wel ¶ The C.xxxiiij questyon ¶ Of this world now tel me How many landes therein be LAnde but one is there none Who so al hole myght se there on But for departynge of the see That departyth them in thre Thre landes are that we call With out smale yles all But al are one lande to gethere fest And al vpon one grounde they rest And who so myght the lande be holde That no water let hym sholde Al hole and one he shulde it se And so made god it to be The water aboue in sonder it castys But vnder hole and fast it lastys ¶ The C.xxxv. questyon ¶ Myght eny man on drye lande wel Go y e world about euery dele IN erth no man myght go The world about to ne fro For he shuld fynde many lettynges And that of many thynges He shuld fynde wastenes ful great There nethere were drynke ne mere But wylde beastes many one Redy to tere hym as a bone Ware a hundreth men on one wrought And yf that ne let hym nought The open erth shuld lettynge be That swellyth and geuyth agayne the see And many lettynges other mo If he est and west wyl go And yf north and south go he Many other lettynges be For thre zones shal he fynde Where no man may lyue in one kynde One is hote and colde are two May no lyuyng thyng be in tho And goddys wyl it is also Shaâ— no man be myghty therto ¶ The C.xxxvj questyon ¶ Myght eny man sayle nyght day That had the wynde with hym ay ¶ So long y â— his shyppe came vnreÌ„t To the turnyng of the fyrmament A Man that in a shyppe wore Thoughe he sayled euer more Yet shuld he not come nere the sky And I shal tel the why The erth is rounde as a ball In the mydel and the sky ouer al Is alyke fer there fro And the water also Al about on the erth doth stande And thoughe a man toke vnderhande To sayle an hundred yere He shuld the sky be al so nere Whan that he from home went As whan his hundred yere ar spent ¶ The C.xxxvij questyon ¶ Why made not god man to be Ay yong ioylyfe and of pouste ¶ Rych and longe lyfe hym lent And at his deth to blys haue went HAd god made man on that manere As that thou tellyst here God as I thynke in my thought Had the deuyl great wrong wrought Which for a thought fel to hell And mo with hym than I can tel Shuld aman than be of longe lyfe Rych yonge and ioylyfe And haue here al his delyte And than fare to heuyn quyte Noman is worthy to come thore But yf he haue don wherfore God hath graunted vs vnto Be cause we shal here wel do Helth with out sycknesse Ioy and delyte and great rychesse And lyfe also without ende For the deth that men here to wende Than is it for to reken ryght No other but as a byâ—des flyght That flyeth here in yonder out And be a man neuer so stout Nor so yonge nor fayre to day To morow shal it al a way I wold not lyue a thowsand yere And al my delyte haue here And than vnto heuyn gon I had leuer be there a non For one delyte that is thore Is worth a thowsand here and more And therfore ware it moche scate Thether for to come so late ¶ The C.xxxviij questyon ¶ Whiche are the aungels tel me this That receyueth mannys soule to blys EChe man an aungel hath hym to To kepe hym that he not mys do And whan the soule at the ende Shal out fro the body wende And it vnto god be dere The aungel that was his kepare here Shal come with great melody And of aungels great company Receyuyng hym vnto mede And to ioye hym lede After the tyme that is to sey That goddys sonne shal dey But or he dey on the rode Al go to hel wycked and good But al alyke shal they nought Be payned but as they haue wrought And some shal be in fre pryson Tyl tyme of his passyon But whan the great dome shal be Men shal agre at wonder se Sowle and body to gether go And to gether fele ioye or wo And the sowle that to hel shal went The deuyl that hym holpe to shent Shal receyue hym and sey hym to Thou hast don as I bad the do Thou withstodyst not my wyl Nor my techyng vnto yl Wherfore shalt thou go with me Euer more in payne to be Thus shal they be receyuyd thycke Good with good and wicked with wicke ¶ The C.xxxix questyon ¶ I pray the mayster sey me now Which is better of the two ¶ Good werkes without chastyte Or werkes wickyd and chast to be GOod werkes wolde I chese Thoughe I chastyte forlese For be thou chast of thy body And thou worke wickydly What vertu than hast thou in the Percaas is than thy chastyte For sycknesse that thou may not dure Or for kelth of thy nature Or for age that thou may no more What meryt art thou worthy therfore And than for to go sle aman Or to robbe in wode or fen Or thy neyghbore to begyle sotelly Or his good to forlese falsly What is worth such chastyte Whan thou of othere hast no pyte But that vnchast lyfe ledys And
strekes hym with al In many stedes whare water is scante Is fownde of erth good plente Wherfore grauel of erth say we Are mo than water droppes be ¶ The C.liij. questyon ¶ May the grauel ought tolde be Or water droppes of the see ANd the word such a thowsand wore As it is and wel more And that it shuld last with all Such a thowsand as now shal Foure and twenty howres ryght Are in the daye and in the nyght And ech a noure for to rekyn Syxty poyntes are therein And thoughe it myght so befalle That in ech a poynt of all Were borne a thowsand men or mo And ful hore were ech of tho Yet shuld the dropes of the see Be mo than tho heres be And yet is gretnes of erth more Than al the dropes wore And goddys mercy most of al He that wyth hert to hym wyl call ¶ The C.liiij questyon ¶ Now wold I wyt vyturly How many sterres are on the sky IF al the men a lyue wore That haue be ded here before Sythen that adam was forlorne And al that euer shal be borne Betwyx vs and the world be gon Ware euery one borne anon So mykel folke there shuld not ware As sterres on the heuen are But for the heyght of the sky Ne may no man se them perfytly Al the sterres that ther be But some apertly may men se How aboue with the sky they go As it them beryth to and fro Whan some go doune some vp are went With meuyng of the fyrmament ¶ The C.lv. questyon ¶ Canst thou of aungels tel me ought How many god in heuyn wroght And how many be left therin And how many felle for synne GOd of his mercy and myght Of aungels .ix. ordres hath dyght And in ech order made he Many a legyon for to be And a legyon I wys Syxe thowsand and syxe hundreth is With fyfty and syxe therto And al hym worshype to do But there felle out of ech one Al so many as came to one And also many were they tho As halfedele the folke and mo That haue be borne and borne shal be And whan fulfylled is ech a se Of aungels that fel away Than shal it be domesday That god shal deme both good and yl And that shal be at goddys wyl ¶ The C.lvj. questyon ¶ Which are the most of beast or maÌ„ Or fowle or fysshe that swyme can BEastes are mo than men And fowles mo than beastes such ten And for ech afowle also A thowsand fysshes are and mo For therof is the most plente Of al creatures that be God made man of erth and slyme And best of hete he made hym Fysshes of water fowle of ayre And al that he made is fayre And yf god them al had wrought Of erth lyke as he dyd nought They shuld haue rysen al also At domesday as man shal do But for erth is in them none Wherfore to nought they turne ech one ¶ The C.lvij questyon ¶ Of al the world tel me yet The delectabelest stede which is it WHere amannys hert is fest And for to dwele were leuest There is the delectabelest stede To hym that he may on trede For were aman in acountre In the fayrest stede myght be And had al that he had nede Hym to clothe and to fede And his hert loued els whore No delyte had he thore But there aman louyth wel Though it be fowle euery dele There is his ioy and his solace More than in eny other place ¶ The C.lviij questyon ¶ Which is more prowes and best That in towne or in forest PRowes in towne as I wene Ne was euer worth abent It is no prowe it is folye And keytefnes and mysardry Some man to aman ful ryfe Wyl drawe vnto a man his knyfe That wold neuer do so And it ware betwyx them two But there are thynges thre That make hym hasty to be One therof is folye That makyth his hert skyp a hye Anothere that he hopyth wel That the folke elke adel Shal stert on hym and hym hold And let to do that he wold The thyrd for his braynes smale Are turned by wyne or ale And he that assayled is Holdyth hym styl in al this He dredyth that he shuld hym slo And lordâ—hype feryth he also The thyrd hedredyth his enemy For he wortyth not yf he be dowghty His owne lostes he feryth eke Which maketh his hert meke But ware they both in the forest There myght men know the best There shuld no men on them wonder No man put them in sonder Ne no baylyfe ware thereto drede But the boldar hym forth bede Wherfore prowes in towne as men tellys Nys but bost and nothyng ellys ¶ The C.lix questyon ¶ If aman haue an euyl wyfe Or be poure or of feble lyfe Or haue a wemme in a lym Shal a man vpbreyde it hym NO man ought othere vpbreyde For no lacke that on hym is leyde If he haue an euyl fere So god may send to hym here If he in pouerte fallen be So may perauenture to morow he For the whele of auenture No whyle wyl endure And yf he haue eny lacke Eyther on body or on backe Or eny of his lymmes al Upbreyd hym nought what so befal For he that sent hym that euery dele May send it to the ryght wele Wherfore ech man fayrely speke That of his spech god take no wreke ¶ The C.lx. questyon ¶ Shal men euery man worshype do And al theyr wyl do also AMan shuld al this do with skyl If that he myght come there tyl But no man may no man can Do the wyl of euery man Neuerthelesse do not amys Worshype euery man as he is And fulfyl euery mannys wyl That turne thy selfe vnto no yf Do with good chere that thou shalt do To them that prayes the vnto And for a lytel say not nay To do theyr wyl yf thou may That thou desyrest shalt thou fynde And ech man to serue the shal be mynde Thy honoure shal wyde wende Euery man shal holde the good and kynde Wherby may no yl of the tyde Thy good worde goyth so wyde ¶ The C.lxj. questyon ¶ Shal he ought forgotten be That to lykyng hath seruyd me IF aman do me seruyse Unto my wyl in al wyse I ought to forget it neuer more Thoughe the seruyse lytel wore For he that doth me lykynge He gyueth me inoughe of his thynge And I ought his helpe to be If he haue nede of me For euery man that doth a good dede Is worthy to haue wel his mede And the good wyl of such one Ought I euer to thynke vpon ¶ The C.lxij questyon ¶ May aman hym ought with holde From her that he hath in holde That he no lechery do Whan he hath great wyl therto FUl wel aman may holde hym styl And withstande his owne wyl Fro lechery yf that he wyl Though he great wyl haue thertyl Late hym cast in his thought How
ware vnleel and stout The great flode scapyd Noe By the goodnesse of humilyte That hym made of nought also And at his wyl them shal for do Trustyng stedfastly that he Was euer and without end shal be And kepe wel the commaundment That his sonne whan he doune is sent Shal in erth gyue man vnto Towarde god and man also To do good and wyckydnes let be And couetys and enuy fle And take vnto hym pacyence With charyte and abstynence For who so hath thes thre I wys aleel man is he And after for his humilyte In heuyn may he crowned be With aungels before god of myght Wher euer is day with out nyght ¶ The .lxiij questyon ¶ Hardynes of man and drede Wherof come they I the rede BOldnes and drede of man Wherof they come tel I can They come of the complexcyon And I shal tel the areson Thou knouest y t mē made ware Of y e foure elementes that are Saue that god gaue hym goost And after aman hath in hym most Of wete of dryeth hete or colde Shal his complexcyon betolde And thes foure euen be Raynynge in man than shal he Be neyther coward ne hardy Lysten I shal tel the why If kelth not ouercome the hete Nor the drye ouercome the wete Equalyte than of hete kylth wete and dry The herte of man shal than lye For the euynhode of them tho And styre neyther to ne fro And yf the hete the kelthe ouer go And the hete the kylth also The body begynneth for to shake And the herte to styre and quake And for the hete is hardy anon And dredyth not that he lokyth on If the colde be mayster ouer the hete And ouer the drye be the wete The body waxeth colde at nede And the hert weke and ful of drede ¶ The .lxiiij. questyon ¶ Wherof may it be fall Man to haue meselry or scall SCall and meselry also Of the woman come they tho A woman that is hote of kynde And aman her in her floures fynde The floures are both hote and drye And the man than by her lye And gete a chylde perauenture That chylde shal be of nature Other be scalled or mesel The nature it is so fell That it in the woman takes Of a blode that it all makys Menstruum that blode we call That bredyth meselry or scall Which raygnyng in woman It is but foly to come to man But aman shal knowe his wyfe In entent to get a lyfe To worshype god that hym wrought And whan she is with chylde brought He shulde come ny her no more Untyl the chylde ware bore Nor fourty dayes shulde nought Such precept to Noe y e aungel brought ¶ The .lxv. questyon ¶ Ware althynges of goddys makynge Made at the fyrst begynnynge GOd made of his myght althynge At his worde and byddynge But al the creatures that he forth brought At one tyme made he them nought For it ware agayne kynde by my thought A thynge that of matter is wrought But yf the matter ware before Or that thynge of it made wore For longe is stone or tre Or the how 's made be Also fynde I many thynges yet As wormes comyng of mannys swet As lees and other wormes mo And some of mannys flesshe also And of mannys flesshe them fede As wormes that in handes brede Scarbode is of fylt a neet A worme that is so gret Of howndes come howndflees to And wormes of wyckyd ayre also And yf thes thynges latter be Than that that they come of thynkes me That god at the begynnynge Made not at ones al thynge And al thynges he made I wys Unto the lest worme that is ¶ The .lxvj. questyon ¶ Tel me now after thy wyt The frute in erth who norysshys yt AL the frute that in erth growes And al that man therin sowes Al noryshys god of his myght And for that hath he them dyght The foure elamentes to fynde Eche one noryssheth in his kynd The erthe sustayneth whā he to hym taketh The ayre noryssheth and it maketh The water it fedeth and grene it maketh Of fyre here and waxyng it taketh These foure make rype euery frute Wherof men suffyse theyr apetyte Ryght as who shuld sethe mete Foure thynges behoueth hym to gete Fyre and water ayre and vessele Or els is it not sodden we le ¶ The .lxvij. questyon ¶ The bestes that haue no wyte How wax they ragyous tel me it GOd made ech beste as we fynde And gaue ech wyt after his kynde And ech kynd hath knoulegynge After his wyte of some thynge And that wyte may sone away In maner as I shal the say Aman may rekyn and fynde sone The .xxvii. daye of the mone In tyme of Iune ryght esterly A sterre hym sheweth on the skye And be it nyght or be it daye Yf a beast it beholde maye Or the vmbre in water on nyght It shal waxe ragyous anone ryght And yf it man or beast than byte It shal become rageous streyte ¶ The .lxviii. questyon ¶ What beast is it that ye fynde That lengest leueth in his kynde AN Erne leueth longest as I trowe Of all the beastes that I knowe The erne euery daye wyl flye In to the ayre vp so hye Hygher than any man maye se And fresshe and newe becometh he And in longe lyfe he contynueth That so oft hym selfe renueth The adder also hath longe lyfe And vnder erth he dwellyth ryfe And vnder stonys and in brynkes The kelyth of the erth drynkys His hyde he newyth euery yere And becomyth yonge and fayre Be he not slayned with beast or man A thowsand yere wel lyue he can And whan a thowsand yere is gon Horne his hede growyth on And shortly after begynneth he A fayr dragon for to be But al they fare not so Some dye or they come therto And some are slayned here and there Or els al to fell they were ¶ The .lxix. questyon ¶ Fedyth god al thynge That is in erth of his makynge GOd made althyng good And to al he sendyth lyues fode Frute on erth and flesshe on lande And fysshe in water and on sande To mannys fode is ordenyd all And therby he lyue shall Beastes so are fed also Of that the erth comyth fro Fowles some in erth are fed And some in water theyr lyfe is led The fyssh lyueth by his mete And ech of them wyl other ete The worme in erth is fede also And thys sendyth god them vnto Unto al that he hath lyfe lent He hath mete to them sent ¶ The .lxx. questyon ¶ Fysshe fowle and beastes echone Haue they sowles or haue they none Ryghtly sowles for to sey Is such that it may neuer dey For yf the body do wel here The sowle shal be assocyat to aungel clere And that is callyd sowle of skyl That god gaue only man vntyl Wherfor euery other creature Is vnder man by ryght nature And for that shuld he Ouer al beastes mayster be Haue sowle that most
But euer the more he may wyn The more care is he in Wherfore it is good in trauayl stronge Thoughe a man wyn to rest among ¶ The C.vij questyon ¶ On what maner may it ryse That men wax soles and vnwyse ON many maners cometh it to That men foles wax also Some are symple as foles borne Some by euyl theyr wyttes haue lorne And some by lesyng of theyr blode Some for theyr braynes wax al wode Some of wickyd humours begyn And some for the hete that they haue be in Some by cause theyr hert is of feble myght And some for euyl syght on nyght And some that wake ouer fast That dryeth the braynes at the last And many maners are there mo That workes vnto man great wo ¶ The C.viij questyon ¶ Is the sowle or the body wo Whan one shal depart another fro FOr soth it greuyth them fulsore And ful mornyng are therefore Felyng great angâ—ysshe and wo Whan that one partyth the other fro And yf it at theyr wyl wore They depart wold neuer more If a yong man toke awyfe That he louyd as his lyfe And she hym more than althynge Who so betwyx them made departynge Departyng them agayne theyr wyl That shuld plese them both ful yll So is it betwyx the sowle and the body They are spoused to gether inwardly And so great loue together holde That they neuer depart wolde And yf they febely haue wrought Sythen they together ware brought Than chely is the sorow al Whan that they depart shal For the body rottyh awaye The sowle goyth to payne for aye Than it is no wonder that they be wroth And dredyng of thyr departyng both ¶ The C.ix. questyon ¶ Whether shal men hold the more A old man or a yong man that wore UNto neyther shal men holde There both are for fooles tolde For yf the yong a foole is And he be instructed amys The hote nature wyl in hym glowe And humours as a lowe Which hetyth his hert and his blode And makyth hym iolyfe and wode And whyle that hete lasteth so A short rede shuld he assent to But an old fool yf there be one That hath lytel hete or none And he be tangeled with iolyte A ryght kynde fool is he For his tyme he had before And now wold haue one more And that iolynesse men in hym fynde Is of force and of no kynde And so is he ioylyfe amys For he sheweth more than in hym is As he that flesshe wold sethe kyndly With the claryte of the sonne verely But to such fooles olde Shal no wyseman hym holde ¶ The C.x. questyon ¶ Why raynys it in one yere more Than in a nother and wherfore SOmtyme that it raynyth so In one yere more than in a nother do Fyrst of goddys wyl I it fet And than of gouernal that he hath set As of mouyng a the planetys And of the sygnes that them metys After as they meue lowe or hye Make they the yeres were or drye And al comyth of goddys wyl Rayne it snewe it or be it styl ¶ The C.xi. questyon ¶ Why hath not god maÌ„ so wrought That he ne had synned nought IF god had man fyrst so dyght That he after ne synned myght Of meryt ware no man worthy For no goodnes of his body Al the meryt agayne shuld go Unto god there it came fro And of goddys blys no man worthy wore But he deseruyd it had before And ware man made on such manere That he myght no synne do here His goodnes of hym lefe ware nought But his that hym so hath wrought For of that that the behouyth nede Arte thou worthy to haue no mede But the man that of his wyl May do both good and yl And doth the good worthy he is For to come vnto that blys That god hath ordayned hym vnto And that the deuyl shuld also Shame hym that god had man ordayned To haue the blys that he of myscaryed By the werkes of his owne wyl The good to take and fle the yl ¶ The C.xii. questyon ¶ Is it good to haue entormetyng Agayne euery man of althyng AMan shal clyme on a tre That he thynketh esyest be The frute for to come vnto If he wyl his profyt do And he that on the sonne beme wyl clyme He may breke his necke some tyme For he that clymeth ouer hye May happe somtyme to wrye Euyn so it faryth with mannys demenar That entermetyth a boue his powar Late them that are rych and fers Entyrmet them with theyr pers And the pouer whare they fare With such other as they are But sometyme the pouer is pert perde To stryue with the rych in his pouerte But with the rych to entyrmet He may lose and nothyng gete And yf that it so befall That arych hym to cownsel call Entyrmete hym of no more Than that he is called fore Late rych with the rych man Do the best that they can And worke they good worke they yl Euer the pouer hold hym styl With his lyke about he go And entyrmete hym as with the Whare he shal haue drede none To hurte his hede agayne astone ¶ The C.xiii. questyon ¶ Tel me now for what sake That god wold y t world make GOd made y e world as was his wyl The palays of heuyn to fulfyl Of the which aungels fel out before For the pryde they in wore And for that the trynyte Was not worshypped as it shuld be Than made he man that blysse to wyn That aungel had lost by synne But al tho that here are wrought Shal not to that blys be brought None but tho that are worthy For the good dedes of theyr body ¶ The C.xiiii questyon ¶ How was the world made as it is And how holdys it tel me this WHan aungel had don amys And was fal out of blys God coÌ„maunded there vnto Be made the world it was so Fyre ayre theÌ„ hyest drew truly For they ware lyghtest sykerly Erth and water doune them drest And the water vpon the erth doth rest And al foure by and by Ware hangyng in the mydel of the sky And fastenyng haue they none But of goddys myght a lone God made the world of the lykenesse Of an egge more ny lesse Be the shelle take I shal The fyrmament that closyth al Be the whyte the water take I That is betwene the erth and the sky Be the yolke that is innermest Take I the erth that is lowest And whan the yolke is sodde harde Awhyt is in the mydwarde Wherby I take hel For it is fortherest from the shel And so is hel heuyn fro Ferrest put in sorow and wo And echone is as thou mayst se There god them ordayned fyrst to be ¶ The C.xv. questyon ¶ Is eny other folke than we That of the sonne hath the claryte Dyuers other the world are in And fer from vs they byn Under vs they are loo That theyr fete agayne
owrs go And who so al the world myght se In one sonne both be we But somtyme whan here is nyght Than haue they the day lyght And here somtyme shynyth the sonne Whan that they none se cone For whan the sonne to rest goyth thore Halfe pryme is it to vs and more And the roundnesse I wys Of the world makyth this Our somer and our wynter also Is both on vs and them vnto But after the sonne drawyth to endyng Whan here is erly than there is mornyng And in other placys mo Of the word it faryth so That some haue somer very hot There other haue wynter cold and wot And god hath of the sonne I wys Made the way that makyth al this ¶ The C.xvj. questyon ¶ How longe may the world be And how brode and thyke is he HE that the world beholdyth all It is rownd as a ball And for his roundnes it behoue thanede That al one lyke be long and brede Bud the thycknes also Is euyn wyth them two And in caas it ware al playne lande As the palme of my hande Aman shuld euery daye Go certayne myles by the waye And shuld haue no lettyng Of water ne no nother thyng The world for to thorow fare He shuld not come there His purpose throughe to go By a thowsand dayes without mo And that same shal he fynd that doth yede The thycknes as wel as the brede ¶ The C.xvij questyon ¶ Why shal god clene also The folke of this world vndo GOd shal thys world destroye I wys For a better than it is For ware it now that here stode A rych palays and a good And the man that it longyd to Another how 's had also Wel sympler and lesse worthy And it fortuned than chaunceably That of the palays fel awalle And lose therof the stones and al And that walle myght he not make But he wold the stones take Of the lytel how 's besyde I trow there shuld no nother betyde But he wold his paleys dyght As shortly as he myght And of his how 's haue lytel care But that his palays fulfylled ware He ware a fole that wold chese The better for the wors to lese So faryth god I warne the wele For of his palays fel agreat dele And of this world no nother careth he But that his palays fulfylled be ¶ The C.xviij. questyon ¶ The fowles that in the ayre flye How are they borne on loft a hye THe thycknesse of the ayre ahye Is the chefe cause truly That the fowles a lofte are borne Els ware theyr flyght forlorne The ayre is thycke and moyst also And wyl dysclose and close agayne to And whan the fowle is a lofte His wynges styreth he ofte With the warpyng of his wynge He doth the ayre a sondre mynge Which waxeth thycke and he is lyght And that hym holdyth in his flyght And that the ayre is thycke aboue Aman may wel proue Who so in his hande wyl take A yarde and it smertly shake It shal bowe in the shakyng And that doth no nother thyng But thycknes of the ayre withstandys The yard in shakyng of thy handys And so it withstandyth the fowles al In theyr fleyng that they ne fall ¶ The C.xix questyon ¶ Among al other tel me yet The rayne y t fallyth whens comith it BAyne is water of the see And with blast of wynde mountys he And whan the wynde is on hye The sonne that is hote kyndly Draweth the water fast hym to The wynde puttyth fast after also As that men may se somtyme A dew lyeng tyl halfe the pryme But whan the sonne his hete yeldys That dew in towne and in feldys He takyth vp and draweth fast And cometh to the ayre at the last And is there thyckened in cloude Than comyth wynde and blowyth lowde And beryth it in the ayre euerywhore Tyl it be waxen thycke and more Than begynneth it to be heuy sone Aod may not longe a boue wone But fallyth in rayne hastely And whan the rayne is doune clenly The cloude becomyth whyte and fayre Which is a the keelth of the ayre And that wastyth the sonne there nere And so becomyth the sky clere ¶ The C.xx questyon ¶ Hayle stones that fal also From whence and wherof come the OF water gathered vnder y e sky And of kylth of the ayre on hy As whan a cloude is but thyn Lytel poure hauyng hym in And aboue in the ayre flye Wyndes that are colde and drye And whan that cloud shuld in droppes fall With coldnesse are they frosen all And that y t shuld haue fall rayne to ground They fall than in stones round ¶ The C.xxj. questyon ¶ Wherof are the tempestes al That somtyme among vs fall IN that yere that somer is cold And the moysture manyfold That is in the ayre holdyth styl And may not clensyd be at wyl But gatheryth fast and holdyth thore And in wynter encresyth to more Than be fallyth in some partye That the erth cleueth for drye The spered wyndes than come out And spred them al about In to the ayre theyr waye they take And therof great tempest make ¶ The C.xxii. questyon ¶ Tel me now for it is wonder Wherof cometh the thounder ' RIse out of the erth arecke truly As a smoke men may se perfitely And exalacyons they hyght Which ascende in to the ayre ryght Hote and drye are some of tho And some hote and moyst also Whan they al the hyest are Of the ayre the wynd that is thare He that that is hote and drye May the hastlyar vp a hye And whan the wete cometh thore For moysture gatheryth wynd sore And waxyth colde therby And thyckeneth also wonderly And than is it in sondre cast And cloudes made with wyndes blast And the exalacyon that is drye Is cast a mong the cloudes hye From one to another as a balle But at the last out it shal And whan he brekyth it asonder Anoyse it makyth that we call the thonder For drye among the wete wyl nought Dwel whan the wete pressys hym ought And by ensample thou mayst se On what maner it may be Let a man his handful holde Of whet or syluer which he wolde The more he the hande togethtr prest The more wyl it out threst And so it is to vnderstande Of the tother before hande ¶ The C.xiij. questyon ¶ The wynde y t blowyth by lād see Wherof euer may it be I Haue tolde here before Evalacyons what they wore And he that is hote and drye As I sayd wyl vp a hye Now whan it comyth clowdes amonge If the clowdes be thycke and stronge They cast that exalacyon To and fro vp and doune And be cause it is drye at the last It turneth in to wyndes blast And ware that exalacyon hote It turneth in to rayne wote ¶ The C.xxiiij questyon ¶ How yssueth water of hylles hye That semed rather to be drye ALso as the veynes lye In mannys
fayre that hym god hath wrought At his owne lykenes to be And that so fayre a thyng to se Shulde be kepte clenly also That no fylth ne came ther to Were it now syr that a kynge Gaue me a robe of his clothynge Ful clene I wold it kepe and bryght And worshype it at al my myght For moch worshype to me it were A kyngys clothyng for to bere Euyn so shuld it with vs befall Of goddys clothyng are we all And yf we thynke to hold it clene Our fowle wyl that was so kene Shal twyne away and passe for nought And kendele no more in our thought The more that men a fyre leys in The more and hotter wyl it bryne And it wyl not leue brynnynge But men it sleken with some thynge Euyn so brenneth lechery In man that geueth hym to foly And yf he wyl that it be layde Thynke on god as I haue sayd Also shal in his thought be What mede cometh of chastyte And yf he be tane in synne What payne shal his soule be in And thus maye he kele shortly His brennyng wyl y t was so outragyously ¶ The C.lxiij questyon ¶ The grettyst delyte that is Which is it tel me this I Fynde there are delytes two Bodely and goostly also The bodely wyl not last That men doth there on is a waye cast It fareth as the candel lyght That now brenneth ferly bryght Now than is it out quyte So fareth bodely delyte Goostly delyte is on other wyse As delyte in god and his seruyse And tho that delyte them therin For to kepe them out of synne Wyte you wel that they tho In the payne of the wo That they suffer theyr sowle to saue Ful great delyte therin they haue And who so is therin brought That delyte ne keelyth nought It waxeth ay from lesse to more Euer vntyl aman come thore There no ende may be Which is before the Trynyte And there shal his delyte betolde More than here a thowsand folde Wherfore the most delyte that is Is to delyte in god I wys ¶ The C.lxiiij questyon ¶ Tel me now yf that aman Shal ought delyt hym with a womaÌ„ DElyte with wymen are there twye And which they are I shal the seye That one is goostly with chast lyfe As aman with his owne wyfe Flesshely knowe her wel he may Chyldren to wyne to goddys pay And fro that tyme that he Wotyth that she with chylde be He shal hym hold from her holly Tyl it be borne of her body This is delyte of chastyte That dygne and honest ought to be Bodely delyte there is also That no tyme hath reward vnto But euery tyme that wyl hym takys His flesâ—hly lust he not forsakys And that is purly lyfe of beast That nother is good ne honest And such a delyte with woman Shuld no man haue that good can ¶ The C.lxv. questyon ¶ If one hoost a nother mete Shal he anon on hym shete CUm an hoost w t al theyr mayne And another come them agayne Smyte anoÌ„e ne shal they nought Theyr cheueteyne shal haue forthought And be wel aduysed and wyse And ouer se his enymes And yf he haue hope in his mode That his partye may be good He shal ordeyne his folke wysely And be vygorus and hardy And his enemes assayle As it fallyth to batayle And yf he aperceuyng is That the feblear syde be his He shal comfort his folke ycke dele And make good vysage and bere hym wele And fare aâ— he had no awe And in al that hym with drawe Holdyng them fast to gether so That none outraye other fro Yf his fleynge may not auayle But that other hym assayle Uygorously he than withstande And harte his folke to be doand The feble syde parchaunce so may With lytel scathe scape away ¶ The C.lxvj. questyon ¶ Which membres of the man are tho That he worste myght forgo AMan myght no lym forbere But yf it hym greatly dere And some one myght he worse for go Than he myght other two For thoughe he forgo fote and hand Eere and eyen thoughe hym wante Yet maye he be ful hote of herte And leue many daye in quarte But ware teethe and tonge forgon Good lyfe after had he none For tho are the most hardely That helpe to sustayne the body The tonge the mete turneth al Under the tethe that chewe it shal And the tonge is made also Unto god worshyp to do The teethe gryndeth the mete small That the body leueth withall And for that aman may nought Without these be forth brought Therfore tothe and tonge are tho That aman may worst forgo ¶ The C.lxvij questyon ¶ The fyrst instrument who made it And how came it in his wyt OF the chyldren of Noe Iaphet the yongest of the thre He contryued it and wrought As god it sent in his thought And of the sounde he it toke Of trees that the wynde shoke And also of waters soune That ran harde from hylles doune Some soune was lowe and some hye And therof founde he melody An instrument he made anone That melody to worke vpon ¶ The C.lxviii questyon ¶ He that is dome defte may not se What spech in his hert thynkeh he A Man that is borne to day Doum and defe that se ne may No langage ne may lere For that he may nought here Than behouyth hym of kynde Nedly in his heâ—te haue mynde Of the spech that Adam spake Or he goddys precept brake That is ebru that god gaue man Fyrst whan he to speke began For yf a tree a frute here Be it appul be it pere The frute must take kynde and hewe Of the rote that it on grewe But the kynde of the tree Sal chaunge yf it imped be And but aman haue impyng Of langage through some lernyng The fyrst speche haue he shal That man was fyrst lernyd with al ¶ The C.lxix questyon ¶ Why are some cloudes of the sky Whyte and some blake there by CLoudes somtyme are ryght thyn For lytel water that there is in Than comys the lyght of the day And the sonne that shynes ay Which geuyth on the cloude lyght And the cloude that is of lytel myght Is throughe shyned ther with al Wherby whyte he shewe hym shal For throughe water may men se If that it not depe be The cloude that blake is to our syght Is thycke of water and of myght And for the thycknes that he haas May no lyght there thorow paas Wherfore holdys it odrye Not ful mykel vp on hye And be cause it is thycke and lowe Behouyth it blake to vs to showe ¶ The C.lxx. questyon ¶ May no creature that god wrought Wyte goddys wyl nor his thought GOd made neuer creature Aungel ne man nor other fygure That myght wyte goddys thought Nor his wyl tyl it was wrought Whan he eny thyng wyl do He says be made and it is so But or he it in werke fulfyl There may no man
yf they nought ne do As they other tech vnto Fouly they them selfe spyl And the candel lyke they are vntyl That lyghtes me and the ryghtwel But hym selfe wastes euery dele ¶ The CC.xvij questyon ¶ How is a man somtyme iolyfe And lyght of body al his lyfe SOmtyme begynneth iolyfte In mannys body to styre and be And that comyth ryght kyndly Of a yong blode in the body That of his mother toke it than Or he to the world came But than after his beryng Gatheryth he of mete in fedyng Anew blode and that steryth hym Somtyme in euery a lyme And the yong blode therwith Steryth in to ech a lyght The herte reuerdysse with al As that it of kynde shal So come in iolynyte Ey to that blode so steryng be But whan it begynnes to sesse The herte quyckly hath relesse Of iolynyte and fallyth thore In a sadnes as it was before ¶ The CC.xviij questyon ¶ May man achyld not get ryfe Ech tyme that he touches his wyfe IN this world man is none That myght get his wyfe vpon Achyld ech tyme ay That he with her lay Ne so ofte may no woman Conceyue of the seed of man Achyld forth for to brynge As he myght get it in pleyeng For she is coldar of nature And keelth to seed is no norture A lecherous man somtyme also That goyth tha◠worke moch vnto And trauayles hym euer ryght Of his reynes he lesyth myght Than is the seed feble and veyne And to engendure has no meyne As a woman seuen chaumbres has And in eche of tho parcas May she conceyue a chyld no mo And yet hathe she ynoughe of tho And were aman of suche powere To gete one whan he came her nere At eche tyme where shuld that wyfe Spere so many in her lyfe Also yf there be goten one The mother sperys vp an one And no more conceyueth she Untyl that same borne be ¶ The CC.xix questyon ¶ What is it and how gathers it so Mannys kynd whan it goth hym fro AMannes kynd that goth hym fro Gathers out of euery lym For when aman aboute his mynd With woman to done his kynd The hete of hym and the great wyl That he has his dede to fulfyl Causeth his body to swete witin Blode inward fro euery lym And that blode becometh al whyte And to the stones goth al tyte And from thens it issueth so Whan it comyth there vnto Another cause than is frotyng Of man to wyfe with great lykyng Longe rest also a cause is why And ful fellyng of the body From aman somtyme one of tho Doth it slepyng go hym fro But body trauaylyng and fastyng Wyl come to hym no such thyng ¶ The CC.xx. questyon ¶ Is aman bounde therto To loue his chyldren good them do AMan shal loue ouer al thyng God that is of heuyn kyng And hym selfe after that And his chyldren that he gat For they are fruyte of his body And for that ought he to loue them truly But he shal not loue them so Folyshly as many do For some are theyr chyldren louyng More than them selfe in some thyng For yf thou leue now for no synne Worldly goodes for to wynne And caryst not wher thou it take Theyr chyldren with rych to make In also moch thou louest them more Than thy selfe harken wherfore Thy wrong takyng makyth the That thou shalt dampned be And me thynke he louys yl That his sowle therfore wyl spyl Wherfore of thy labor dylygently Shalt thou fynde them mete truly And somwhat thou lerne them shal That they may after lyue with al And whan they can it let them go And purchase them with other mo ¶ The CC.xxi questyon ¶ Enchaunmentyng and socery Uayle they ought or are they foly THe body may they somdele vayle But to y e soule they do great trauayle And he that them worke shal Thre thynges most haue with al Fyrst behouyth hym to knowe a ryght The howres poyntes of day and nyght For go he ought there agayne Al his labour is in vayne The tother is he most of nede Geue great fayth vnto the dede And haue stedfast in his thought That the deuyl shal fayle hym nought Yet most he know astronomy Which shal helpe hym a great party But want he eny of thes thre His worke is nought but vanyte ¶ The CC.xxij questyon ¶ Which is the wightest beast y ◠is And most of sauyour tel me this HOunde is the wyghtest beast of al And the trewest on to call Lyghter no beast renne ne can Nor none louyngare to man And the sauourest is he Saue yf it the myre be For of al beastes the myre I wys Sauours most after that it is ¶ The CC.xxiij questyon ¶ Whether of the two may be Hyer the lande or the see LAnde is hyer of the two Els shuld the see it ouer go Lete a wessel with water fylle Euyn by the brynke standyng styll Yet shal the brynkes y e water hold But were it more vp it wold Renne ouer the vessel quyckly And there spyl truly Eueyn so it fareth by the see But yf the erth myght hyare be The see shuld it ouer renne That al the world shuld wel kenne ¶ The CC.xxiiij questyon ¶ Wherof snayles come wyt I wold And why they to the gras them hold OF the hete and the swote Come they of gras that is hote And for moysture hold they them so Unto the gras as that they do And al be it lothly to syght It is a worme of moch myght For who so knoueth wel the kynde Of great vertu he may it fynde Be encombred the brest of man That he his breth nought drawe can Who so toke the snayles than And fryed them wel in a panne With oyle of olyue where men it get And with hony gaue it hym to ete Tene dayes at euen and morowe It shuld delyuer hym of that sorowe And yf a whyte spote were In his eye the syght to dere And toke snayles and them dyd brynne Of that that is them with in And whan it is brent to cole also The tender parte so moch do thereto Of a roste leke and so moch yet Ofybenus a tree as men call it And bray it al to gether wel And after sarce it euery dele And vse it twyes or thryes a day The whyte spote shal go a way ¶ The CC.xxv questyon ¶ How slepe thes old men also As thes yong chyldren do CHyldren yong slepe for the grennesse Of theyr branes and the swetnesse For tender and lyght it ought to be As is the floure vpon a tre If a wynde theron blowe truly It fallyth of lyghtly Also is it of a chyld I wys Whan it of mete fellyd is An ayre smyteth there vpon Wherby it enclynes vpon one And slepes than and restes so Which is norysshyng there vnto An old man also slepe wyl As a chyld but by other skyl For feblenes of braynes slepys he As a rype appul
wymen of most profyte For man to haue to his delyte UNtyl sowle profytes none But amanys wyfe alone But of the body yf thou sey In the yere are sesons twey After which aman loke shal What woman he shal dele with al In wynter whan the ayre is colde And his keelth yeldes manyfolde A yong woman and broune also Profytes than man vnto For broune woman is of hote onde And of hote guttes fonde And her hete hetys man also And great profyt doys hym to In somer whan the ayre is hote And heteth both drye and wote Than is a yong whyte woman Best vnto profyt of man For she is colde of kynde to fele And man of great hete may she kele But an olde woman doth no profyte Unto man nother broune ne whyte For yl onde aboute she beres And moyst guttes that greatly deres She makys aman pure heuy And greuyth euery dele his body And doth chaunge his fayre colour Wherfore in her is no socour ¶ The CC.xxxv questyon ¶ The quakyng that aman is in Somtyme wherof may it begyn QUakyng that sometyme lyghtly Falles aman in his body Cometh of flemes that are colde That the moysture in his body holde For they ouer come of theyr â—ouste Al the colers that in hym be Whan the colers haue al in welde A great keelth in man they yelde That cold reykes forth ther with Unto synnes veynes and ech lyght Which causyth hym to quake begyn And the body shake within As the blast of a colde ayre wyl make A thynne clothyd man for to shake ¶ The CC.xxxvi questyon ¶ Whan aman seyth a thynge Whether geuyth the eye out in seyng Or it receyuyth inward therto The shape that it sees also NOthyng may come out owhore But there that it went in before Nor eye may nothyng geue outward But that it fyrst receyuyd inward Wherfore vnderstand a ryght Thre thynges go to the syght Fyrst that thyng that thou shalte se That other that it coloured be For of al thynges is seen nothyng But only the colouryng The thyrd are bemes of the syght Which vpon that thyng shal lyght That shal be seen and after this Moysture that in the eyne is Drawes vnto hym the shapyng And the facyon of that thyng And that shape yeldes it the branes vnto And the braynes to the herte also The herte sendys it to hym at the last And in memory holdes fast And for that sendyng wyl the herte Thynke a nother tyme ful smerte Of the thyng eyen had somwhore Seen truly therbefore ¶ The CC.xxxvij questyon ¶ How may aman spekyng be Be hym alone and say we AMan is made more ne lesse But after goddys owne lycknesse And also as in the godhed be Rekened ryghtly persons thre So there are in euery man Thre thynges that I reken can Body sowle and the wyt Thes thre are together knyt The tong an instrument is ryght To speke the sowle geuyth myght The wyttes gouern aboue al What so the tong speke shal And seyng euery man hath thes thre In spech may he wel say we ¶ The CC.xxxviij questyon ¶ May with takyng from the see It in any thyng amenysshed be THyng that men alday of take Behouyth to menysshe and slake Now is no water of al that be Fresshe nor salt but of the see And euery day men takys therto Both man and beast and fowle also And al that is taken euery day Ageyne to the see ne may There goyth of it to wast somdele As euery man may wyt wel But the erth yeldes waters her fro That vnto the see go And the see restores eft Of al that men hath it reft And it is so long and wyde And so greatly depe and syde That men may aperceue nothyng That therof goys to wastyng ¶ The CC.xxxix questyon ¶ Whether shal man loue one or other Chyld of the suster or of the brother BOth ought thou for to loue them euin After goddys ryght of heuyn But after the worldys lawe Some man were leuer to hym drawe The brothers chylde and loue hym more Than the susters harken wherfore The chyld takys matter of the wyfe And of the father shape and lyfe And shape of al thyng I wys Is worthyare than the matter is Wherfore that some men wyl sey The brothers chyld is nere of twey But gyle is on that other syde As men hath wyst it ofte betyde My brothers wyfe may be a wyle And may do her husbond gyle And wyt on hym achyld lyghtly That he no more gat than I But achyld that my suster bare Therof am I suer and ware That that behouyth to be kynne of nede But of my brothers chyld is drede ¶ The CC.xl. questyon ¶ Tel me now yf that thou can The peryloust thynges that are in man FOure colours hath man hym in That of foure complexcyons begyn The fyrst is blode that may not mysse That other blacke coloure I wysse The thyrd is fleme whyte on to se And yelow coloure the fourth is he And want aman of thes thre His body were deed anon And ech one behouys to be At his seson in his pouste And yf any lacke them al Out of tyme that they shuld in hym fall In sycknes the body falles Perylous wherfore men them calles And ech one hath his power In dyuers quarters of the yere Thre thynges the fyrst quarter ches Capricorne Aquarius and pisses And of flemes haue they myght And wete and colde is theyr ryght In December they begynne And in mydel of March they blynne Which is the coldest tyme of al For that is that we wynter call ¶ The seconde quarter next therby Haue Aries Taurus Gemini Blode in man haue they myght to And are hote and moyst also In March is theyr begynyng And in Iune is theyr endyng Uer hyght that seson that I mene Al thynges therin waxe grene ¶ The thyrd quarter hath hym vnto Cancer Leo and Uirgo And they are both hote and drye Of yelow colours is theyr maystrye In Iune is theyr begynyng ay And in September they wend away Which is the somer tyde The meryest tyme that men abyde ¶ The fourth hath sygnes thus Libra Scorpio Sagittarius They are both colde and drye And of blacke colour haue sygnorye Who 's begynyng is in September And theyr partyng in December And who so thes foure tymes obserues And his kynd wel in them gydes Fro perelles myght he kepe hym longe And in he le holde his lymmes stronge ¶ The .xlj. questyon ¶ Of al the flesshes y e men may get Which is the holsomest to ete THe flesshe that is of most substance And geuyth man most sustynaunce That flesshe is the holsomest And vnto mannys norysshyng best But who so a good stomacke myght get That myght wel dygest his mete To hym is best though it be grete Flesshe of bugle and of nete For great myght to man they geue But sycke men wyl they greue For a sycke man is feble ryght And
that man is knowen by If it be fayre and semely A fayre man men wyl hym call And leue his other lymmes all And in a fayre vysage and whyte Hath aman moch delyte Wherfore in al the man not lyeth truly So cōly a lym as is a fayre vysage verely ¶ The CCC.viij questyon ¶ How shal aman lede hys lyfe That fyndes ama hauntyng his wife Fynde thou aman with thy wyfe Loke thou make w t hym no stryfe Preuely thou go thy way And nothyng vnto them say But afterward thou say her to That she no more do so Say she doth here selfe shame For in her lyeth al the blame There wold no man her come tyl But it were by her wyl Wherfore chastyse her courtesly And loke how she wyl do there by And she wyl not do after thy lore Of that vpbreyd her no more If thou smyte on the man a non Whan thou comest hym fyrst vpon And begyn to fyght also The deuyl procurys there vnto One of you may lyghtly the other slo And so encresyth sone thy wo Therfore thoughe it greues the sore Better the lasse scathe than the more ¶ The CCC.ix. questyon Shal men for tene or for lesyng Blame god of heuen in ony thyng GOd of heuen is so wyse That in hym no blame lyse But thākyng worshyp honour As to hym that is our creatour And yf thou for thy foly Fal in any malencoly Blame thou god therfore nothyng Blame the and thyne vnconyng Haue thou not as thy wyl wore Why shalt thou blame god therfore Thoughe thou pray god send me It may not at thy wyl be But yf thou trauayle for to lyue God shal helpe the for to thryue Were aman a water in That depe ware and coud swym And he cryed on god fast And ware perysshed at the last For defaute of steryng That he wold helpe hym selfe nothyng Wherfore blame god no man shuld He wold haue holpe yf hym selfe wold ¶ The CCC.x questyon ¶ Which is the sauourest thynge Of al that are at thy wenynge OF al thynges that euer be Is there none so sauoure Unto man beast and foule also As slepe is whan tyme is therto There nis nother mete ne drynke That sauoryth aman I thynke As slepe whan aman wold fayne No delyte is there agayne With out slepe may nothyng thryue Of al that euer are a lyue For that ordayned god the nyght Therein to rest and slepe euery wyght Slepe norysshes mannys kynde And beastes as that men fynde Man beast ne foule is none So iolyfe nor so wel be gone Hold hym fro slepe agayne his wyl Thou mayst hym sone spyl And cause hym to lese both flesshe and blode Be he neuer so totter and wode Wherfore is slepe sykerly The sauorest thyng that I wot truly ¶ The CCC.xj questyon ¶ Of what maner of what bounte Ought kynges and lordes to be LOrdes kinges ought ryght wel To be trewe as eny stele In worde ī werke to their myght And with iustyce deme a ryght Uyse them wel also to be Curteys meke and of pyte And to mysdoars neuerthelesse Stout to deme theyr wickydnesse For he may neuer god wel plese Nor his lordshyp in honour with ese That sparyth wickednesse to shent And god is not there with content They ought also to be doughty Wygrous and fers of theyr body Large and geuyng courtesly Theyr state may they maynteyne ther by To pouer they ought be mercyable And vnto the rych stable And aboue al thyng To worke the wyl of heuyn kyng For he hath them lordes set Good to do and yī to let ¶ The CCC.xij questyon ¶ Swete that cometh of the body How comes it wherof and why Swete kyndly cometh comenly Of wicked blod in the body That steryth somtyme and hath no roo And other humours hym mynges to And whan they to gether take Great hete in the body they make And that hete that is within Maketh the body as it shuld brynne And that body that is so hote Anon castes out the swote The kynd clensys ther with all But ouer moch hurte shall ¶ The CCC.xiij questyon ¶ Which are the best hewes that ere Of clothyng men for to were BEst hewes that may be To mannys clothyng are thre That are rede whyte and grene And for thes causes I it mene The red supposys regalyte And is colour of dygnyte It geuyth the werer moch blys And to the sonne lyckened it is Whyte wede is a worthy thyng And of aungels it is clothyng Hyt makyth hym mylde that it weryth And hewe of the mone it beryth Grene is a precyons colour And shuld be hold in honour Of al other most is it borne For gras tre and also corne And al that waxyth in erth by dene Al is it clad in grene And that most thynges are clad with al Dygnyest hewe men hold shal ¶ The CCC.xiiij questyon ¶ Seyng men grene a good hew call Which is the grenest thyng of al THe grenest thyng is water I wene For waters make al thyng grene And ware not of water the moystyng Shuld no grene thyng spryng Grasses that on hylles are standyng There no water is rennyng With rayne and dewes of the ayre Waxe they both grene and fayre And seyng grennesse is by watrys myght Than is it grenest with ryght ¶ The CCC.xv. questyon ¶ Tel me now so haue thou blys Which is the fattest thyng that is FAttest thyng that is of kynde Than is erth that men fynde For trees and al othere thynge Of the fatnesse of erth sprynge And ware fattnesse of the erth no whore Shuld they neuer spryng more Of the fatnesse of erth comyth al That they spryng and waxe with al Of erth take they theyr nature And els myght they not endure ¶ The CCC.xvj questyon ¶ Whether is bettar at the deth day Repentaunce or hope of blys for ay BOth are good soth to say Unto man whan he shal deye Repentaunce is good to haue But good hope shal aman more saue For euery man that deye shal May not repent hym of al For thy behouyth hym nedly Trust hym al in goddys mercy But he that in no hope is For to come to heuyn blys Shal he neuer come therin Be he neuer so clene of synne But he that hath al his trust That god is of mercy most That trust shal saue hym at the last Whan other shal be out cast ¶ The CCC.xvij questyon ¶ Shal men greue make euyl chere For aman that deyes here By kynde men wepe and make care Whan theyr frendes fro them fare Neuerthelesse the man that ay Hath kept goddys law I say Of his deeth no sorow is For he goyth vnto blys There to be for euer more Hym shuld no man sorow sore But he that in god trustes nought Nor his cōmaundment hath not wrought And dyeth so in that entent And is so to helle went For hym is sorow to make That he such lyfe wold not for
sake ¶ The CCC.xviij questyon ¶ Came fro y t other world euer eni thiÌ„ng That of helle or heuyn told tydyng MAny haue come ageyne here Good men that with god were The folke to counsel and telle Both of heuyn and of helle Y t ware good men here before Of whom that we yet haue lore They wrote in bokes what was wrought By cause men shulde for get it nought The great ioy that is in heuen That no tong in erth may reken And the great payne of helle That they haue that therin dwelle This told adamys sonne Abel Seth and Enocke also wel Noe and Melchysedech also And other prophytes set therto Throughe goddys coÌ„maundment They are hyther ageyne sent That is to say theyr techyng Throughe which we haue knolegeyng Of heuyn and helle both Wel is he that they roth ¶ The CCC.xix questyon ¶ Shal aman eny thyng sey Whan he shal to slepe hym ley AMan that beleuyth in god aryght And kepyth his wyl at his myght WhaÌ„ he to slepe doth lay hiÌ„ doune He shal say this oryson Lord god of myght most To the be take I my goost Thou kepe it lord and it defende From encombrance of the fende From hym lord thou me clere That he me neuer dere Haue mercy on me heuyn kyng And graunt me lord my askyng And than slepe he hardely With out drede of thy enemy ¶ The CCC.xx. questyon ¶ Of al batayle that is in lande Which is the strongest to withstande BAtayle strongar wor I nought Whan that I haue al be thought Than is temptacyon of the deuyl None that doth aman more euyl Other batayls sees some day But the deuyls fondyng lastyth ay Slepe man or wake he where so he be That batayle may he euyl fle And be he neuer so stedfast Yet wyl the deuyl hym cast a cast And man may not fle of the stede But with fastyng or some holyhede And be cause that warre is euer on one Therfore strengar wot I none ¶ The CCC.xxj questyon ¶ How lyeth a chyld tel me this ¶ In the mothers wombe whan it is A chyld throughe goddys grace Hath in the mothers wombe aspace In a chambyr one of the seuen Of the matryce that of men be callen And the fystes soth to saye Lye be fore the eyen twaye And great ioy they haue and reioysyng There they lye and lykyng And they wold neuer more Come in other stede than thore But whan they are here comen And the ayre of this worlde haue taken Than wold they not be there agayne ¶ The CCC.xxij questyon ¶ Tel me now of wynes tyte Why some is rede and some whyte NOe was the fyrst man That euer vyne to plant began Fourthy plantes he gathered and fette That ware in fourthy dayes sette Euery day two in erth he dyght One on day a nother on nyght Tho that the day ware sette vpon Unto the sonne on it shon For hete of sonne that shon than Of goddys grace tho rede becam And that in erth on nyght dyd lay Whan the sonne was a way For nyghtes keelth that felle theron Be came whyte euerychone Wherfore are the red hottar wele Than the whyte agreat dele ¶ The CCC.xxiij questyon ¶ Haue foules beastes eny spekyng Or vnderstandyng of eny thyng OF beast or foule shalt thou none fynde That hath language in his kynde Of al beastes men recken can Hath none language but man Foules and beastes crye by dene But they wot neuer what they mene Whan that one makyth a crye That other herys redely And cryeth ageyne by and by But what they mene wot not they Al that euer they cry and do Of kynd is and vsage also Which kynde hath god them dyght For man shal ouer them haue myght ¶ The CCCxxiiij questyon ¶ Whether helpeth the sowle more That aman doth here before Or that men after do for hym Whan that he is deed and dym BOth helpes man in nede But both are not of one mede For yf a man goyng be In a daâ—knesse there he may not se And a â—anthorne go hym before Therof hath he lyght wel more Than thoughe be hynd folowed two For for them myght he mysgo Also a man that doth good here As long as he may hym selfe stere Therof hath the sowle more mede Than for such two after dede Many men haue that rede To do for them whan they are deed Whan hym selfe may haue it no more The lesse thanke he is worthy therfore Wold he for goddys loue it dele Whyle that he ware in hele Than went before hym the lyght To lede hym the wey a ryght ¶ The CCC.xxv questyon ¶ Fysshes that swym here and thore In water slepe they neuer more FIsshes that are in the see Or in ryuer whether it be Haue theyr eyen bryght within And to and fro they euer swym It is not of theyr kynd the ryght That they slepe other day or nyght If they be wery they wyl rest A whyle where them thynketh best And yf they felt the ayre also As we or foules or beastes do That aboue erth wone Of kynd shuld they slepe ful sone ¶ The CCC.xxvj questyon ¶ Of al that in the world be The fayrest foule which thynketh the IF al the foules y t god hath wrought Wore in to one place brought And stode al vpon a flocke The fayrest of al were the cocke And he hath thynges thre That in none other may men se On his hede he beryth a crowne And spore vpon his shanke downe And god hath geuen hym the myght To know the howrs of day and nyght The cocke is gelous ouer his wyfe And oft for her makyth stryfe And he shuld haue defaut of mete Or his wyfe yf he myght ought gete And yf he dwelled in felde also Or in wod as other do Al the foules that before hym wore Reuerence shuld here them thore And for his fayrnesse haue of hym awe Than is he fayrest with lawe ¶ The CCC.xxvii questyon ¶ Which is the fayrest beast that is And that aman myght not mys HOrs is the fayrest beast in lande Stalworthyest and made to hande With horses oft lordes gete Lande and lyfe drynke and mete Horses in harow and in ploughe In cart and euerywhore good I noughe Horses bere men to and fro There they on fote myght not go Wherfore is he best and fayrest And vnto mannys behoue the best ¶ The CCC.xxviij questyon ¶ Tel me now yet thynges mo The fayrest horses which are tho HOrses in the world are many one But not al shapen after one He that wel shapen shal be Behouyth to haue this properte Foure thynges long behouyth hym to And foure thynges short also And foure thynges large somedele Than is he horse shapen ful wele Longe shankes and longe hals Long tayle and long rybbes al 's Foure short thynges is no lake Hede ere 's pastors and backe Foure large thynges come there nest Mouth nostrels croupe and brest And
Shal his mynystres with hym be In the dome to here and se HIs mynysters shal be thore Tho that with hym walked before And al that lyued after hys â—ore And ke pars of his hous wore And al that lyue in chastyte Or that ded for his loue shal be Al shal they be of his wylte Synful wreches for to spylle For that shal they be there present To here and se the iugement The CCC.lvij questyon ¶ How shal he the dome do And what shal he say them to GOod departed shal he se Fro the wicked that there shal be Than shal he to the good say Ye in erth stode by me ay I houngred sore and ye me fedde I thursted and ye me drynke bede I was nakyd and ye me clad In sycknesse I helpe of you had I lay in pryson and myght not se Thether ye came to vyset me And by cause ye dyd this gladly Come to my fathers ioy heuynly And ye that of me not rought But al that ye lyked wrought With the deuyl and his ye go Unto payne for euer and od For ye nothyng dyd me fore Whan ye in your lykyng wore This shal euery man here and se Why he shal saued or dampnyd be ¶ The CCC.lviij questyon ¶ Sal euery man than know wele That he hath don here euery adele AL that euer aman hath wrought Good and yl in dede or thought Al shal on hym wryten be That al the world may it se But yf eny ware of repentaunce That toke his shryft here and penaunce Of his mysded with harte contryte That synne for geuen is al tyte The good than thanke god shal thore That they of such lyfe wore Wherfore that they shulde than wende To the blys with out ende And the wicked shal se eft What goodnesse they haue left And what wickednesse they toke Whan that they the good forsoke Ful â–ª sory be they than in thought But al shal avayle them nought For they shal anon be shent With the deuyl in tourment ¶ The CCC.lix questyon ¶ Whan al is don that dome so harde What shal be don afterwarde AFterwarde the deuyl shal Take tho that shal with hym al And wend to helle for euer more The wicked men to payne thore Goddys sonne shal his take That here dyd wel for his sake And lede them to his fathers blys Where euer I lyke ioy is And al shal theyr blys be That they euer god shal se And neuer more shal deye For yf they shuld chose one of tweye They shuld leuer in helle be God euery day in blys to se Than be in heuyn and se hym nought For that ware nought worth them thought ¶ The CCC.lx questyon ¶ What shal than betyde and who Of this world where we are now AS water it fyrst fordyd also Shal it fyre than fordo Al to gether shal it brynne Shal nothyng beleft therin The elementes shal than slake Of theyr fygure and a newe take Sonne and mone shal bryghter be Seuen tymes than men now them se Erth water fyre and ayre They shal be than thre tymes so fayre Than they euer ware before And so shal be left euer more Al trauayls in erth shal blynne Shal no payne after be therin ¶ The CCC.lxj questyon Shal the good haue leue ther tyl For to do al that they wyl THe good shal than be of that wyl To do but good and nothyng yl For than shal they ech thyng do That theyr wyl standyth vnto And in what stede they wold they wore Anon as thought they shal be thore And other worke shal they haue none But goddys vysage to se vpon And thanke hym that of al lord is That they are come to that hlys ¶ The CCC.lxij questyon ¶ Shal they than remember ought Of wickednesse y t they here wrought REmember them they shal euery dele Of that they wrought here yl and wel And great ioy haue they shal That they the wickednesse ouer came al As a knyght is blyth and glad That a stronge batayle hath had And hath bore the prayse away From al his enymyes that day Great ioy it is his frendes vnto That he that day bare hym so And al so sory are they tho That for theyr synne go than to wo ¶ Here ende the questyons ¶ The ende of the hystory Sydracke god yeld it the The techyng y t thou hast teched me From darknesse thou hast me brought Unto lyght that fayleth nought Now than wot I moch thyng That after Iesus haue great longyng And now wot I what god may do To lyfe and vnto soule also Wherfore it is good now Upon what maner and how That we shal our toure fulfyl Wherto we fyrst had great wyl For that was the cause why we Came fyrst vnto this countre FOr thy the kyng Boccus anon Toke hors and worthed there vpon And his mayster Sydracke before And al his folke be gan to raye thore They came in to the in comyng Of Garabys lande the kyng There they began the toure to dyght That sanke from them euery nyght The kyng caused to be brought lyme stone And caused masons to come anon And Sydracke the kynge present Deuysed them the foundament In the name of the Trynyte One god and persons thre Boldly ther vpon they wrought And y t shuld hurt them found they nought And in dayes syxe and twenty Was the toure made vp fully And al thyng that therto shuld After the kyng it ordayne wold ¶ Whan that Garaab it herde Of the toune how it farede How it was to ende brought He was ful sory in his thought And foule abasshed he was also For he perseuyd it shuld hym vndo In harte myght haue no rest He counselyd hym what was best A messynger anon he sent That vnto kyng Boccus went And prayed hym purcharyte Of hym to haue mercy and pyte Kynge Boccus answered and spake By the counsel of Sydracke That yf Garaab wyl a good man be And beleue in the Trynyte That may both dampne and saue That he shal of hym mercy haue And Garaab sent to hym agayne That what he wyl I shal do fayne Kyng Garaab caused to be broken anon His false ydols euerychone And trusted in god of heuyn lyght Seruyng hym with al his myght And many landes there mo Causyd Boccus to serue god tho But whan kynge Boccus was deed And Sydracke than was there no rede But anon they god forsoke And to theyr false ydols they toke Throughe entysement of the wicked goost Now he that is of myght most Saue vs fro his wycked wyles For many one that shrew begyles And bryng vs into that blys Wherof that none ende is AMEN PRay we now with al our myght Unto god of heuen lyght That he geue vs grace so to do That we heuen may come vnto That we shal al to I wâ—â—â— And that Hughe of caumpedenâ— That this boke hath throughe sought And vnto Englysshe tyme brought Lyue in ioye without synne And that he god is loue here wynne So that he at his lyues ende Unto the blesse of heuen wende FINIS ¶ Thus endeth the hystory and questyoÌ„s of kynge Boccus and Sydracke Prynted at London by Thomas Godfray At the coste and charge of dan Robert Saltwode moÌ„ke of faynt Austens at Cantorbury ¶ Cum priuilegio regali