affeccyoÌ„ of my charyte / and therefore she fyndeth in the mouthe of her soule peas / and suche peas that there maye none trouble her / bycause she hathe forsaken her owne seÌ„cyble wyl ¶ Al suche bryÌ„ge forthe vertues withoute peyne vpon theyr neyghbours / not for the peyne that they suffre is no peyne to other / but to a wyll mortyfyed it is no peyne / for wylfully and frely in my name and for my name she suffreth peyne / suche people do renne without neclygence / by the techynge and doctryne of my onely sothefastesone Thesu cryste crucyfyed / and let not theyr sournaye for no wronges that be done to them / nor for no parsecucyon / nor for no delectacyon that the worlde myghte gyue them / but all these they shold lyghtly ouerpas by ghostly strengthe and very parseueraunce / bycause theyr affeccyon is veryly â—â—me out of the affeccyon of charyâ—e / taslyÌ„ge that meet of helthe of soules / with very parfyte pasyence ¶ The whiche pasyence is a to ten that a soule loueth most parfytely and withoute lokynge of ony rewarde / for ys she loued me and her neyghboare for onye profyte or rewarde / she were vnpacyent / and she sholde ware slowe and dull in her iournaye / but that they loue me for me / bycause I am the moste souerayne good and worthy to beloued / and also they loue themselfe for me / and theyr neyghboure for me / that they sholden yelde laude and preÌ„synge to my name / and therfore they be pacyent and stroÌ„ge / and also parseueraunte for to suffre ¶ And now I shal declare to the of the workynge of the soule / after tyme it is asceÌ„ded the thyrde gre of that holy brydge THese ben the gloryous vertues grouÌ„ded iÌ„ very tharyte the whiche be abydyÌ„ge in the heyghte of the tree of that same charyte before sayd / that is pacyence / streÌ„gthe / and parseueraunce / whiche be crowned with the lyghte of blessyd feythe / with the whiche lyght they renne without derkenesse by the waye of truthe / and also be enhaunsed by holy desyre ¶ And therfore there maye no man hurtâ— that soule / nor the fende with allâ—is temptacyons / for he dredeth suche a soule that is brent in the furneys of charyte / nor also backebyters nor wronges and miuryes of men / and yet thoughe the worlde parsu her / he is aferde of suche a soule ¶ Thus by my endelesse goodnesse / suche a soule is made stronge and magnyfyed in the worlde before me / bycause of mekenesse in her owne syght / she is made lytle ¶ This is wel knowe in my seyntes whiche for my loue made them lytle by mekenesse iÌ„ this worlde / therfore I haue made theÌ„ grete iÌ„ my endeles lyf aboue ¶ And also iÌ„ my mysteryal body of that moder of holy chyrche / wher of theÌ„ is made coÌ„tynuall memory ¶ For iÌ„ me whiche am the boke of lyfe / theyr names be wryteÌ„ / also the worlde hathe theÌ„ in reuereÌ„ce / bycause they dyspysen the worlde ¶ All that lyuen yet in erthe of such coÌ„dicioÌ„ hyde not vertu for dredt but for mekenesse / yf theyr neyghbours haue nede of theyr seruyse / they hyde not theyr mynystracyon for drede of peyne / nor for that drede of losse of theyr owne ghostly comfort ¶ For in what maner of wyse they excercyse theyr lyfe and theyr tyme for my worshyp / they be glad ioyful and fynde peas and rest of soule ¶ Whiche is that ¶ In sothe bycause they chosen not for to serue after theyr owne maner / but after my maner / and therfore they charge asmoche the tyme of ghostly comfort / as they do the tyme of trybulacyons and of prosperyte / as they do of aduersyte / asmoche greueth theÌ„ that one as that other / for euer in all thyÌ„ges they fynde my wyll / they do besy them with all theyr desyre for to comforte them in all thynges / ouer all bothe in thoughte dede to seke worke after my wyl ¶ They se well aspy in the pryuyte of my dyuyne prouydence / that without me is made nought / that is to saye synne / and therfore they hate synne / wherfore they be so stedfaste stronge in ghostly strengthe iÌ„ theyr owne wyl / the they go myghtely by the waye in the way of truthe waxe not wery / but feythfully truly they seruen mynystreÌ„ to theyr neyghbours / takynge no hede to the ygnorauÌ„ce vnkyndenes of theyr neyghbours / nor thoughe a vycyous man saye to theÌ„ other whyle wroÌ„ge / repreue theyr good dedes / but moche rather they crye ghostly in my syghte / by holy prayer prayenge for them / hauyÌ„ge more pyte ruthe for the offence that is done to me / for that harme of theyr soules / th aÌ„ for theyr owne imuryes and wronges / al suche do saye with my chosen seruaunte seynt Paule Daledicimus et benedicimus c. we be cursed of men and sayde euyl of / but we blesse agayne / we suffre psecucyoÌ„s / but we bere it pasyently / we be blasphemed / we beseche praye / for we be made as or fayle of all this worlde / the whiche is cast out therof ¶ Sees thou not dere doughter and consyders thou not these swete tokeÌ„s / specyally aboue al to kens / the synguler vertu of pacyence in the whiche a soule sheweth well in sothefastnes / that she is rysen tro vn parfyte loue come in to ê‘fyte loue / folowynge suynge the swere vnde fouled laÌ„be my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / the whiche haÌ„gynge vpoÌ„ the cros fast helde with nayles of loue come not done fro that cros for all the cryenge of the Iewes / that dyd crye to hyÌ„ thus Descendae nunc de cruce ¶ c. Come he downe now fro the cros we shal byleue in hyÌ„ ¶ Nor also he wtdrewe hyÌ„ not nor came not downe fro the cros for no maner vnkyndenesse whiche was shewed of you / but abode vnder my ovedyeÌ„ce with suche pasyence / that his crye was not herde / by no maner grutchyÌ„ ge ¶ In the same wyse these welbyloued chyldreÌ„ / my deuoute seruauÌ„teâ— / se then folowen the doctryne ensample of my sothfast sone Ihesu And thoughe the worlde wold withdrawe theÌ„ for to loke backe warde / they wyl not / but onely loke forwarde in the myrroure of my very sothefastnes ¶ suche wyll not go out of the felde of batayle for the coote that is lefte at home / that is for theyr owne coote of plesaunce to creatures / and them dredynge rather than me / but with loue and delyte in me they dwel styl abydynge full ghostly drunke with the blode of my blessyd sone Ihesu in the felde of batayle / whiche blode my endeles charyte hathe reserued put it before you to be your shelde in batayle / whiche is
¶ Here begynneth the orcharde of Syon / in the whiche is conteyned the reuelacyons of seynt Katheryne of Sene / with ghostly fruytes precyous plantes for the helthe of mannes soule ¶ Ecce ancilla domini The prologue ¶ Marcus Cinilis a Bryxian wryteth an Epystle in latyn to a deuoute fader / Frere Paule Sauche / an Aragon / obseruaunt of the fcere prechers / in to the commendacyon of the dyalogys or reuelacyons of the blessed vyrgyn seynt Katheryne of Sene / of the whiche Epystle in sentence / here foloweth parte / traÌ„slated iÌ„ to englysshe AMonges many ylles of them that be professed to crystes relyâ—y on / one there is ferre out of of the waye of helthe that we were in stytute in / and greately to be reproued That men now a dayes and that relygyous do not regarde those holy workes / rules / doctrynes / that be necessary to theyr ghostly helthe / but take theÌ„ in vayne and as thynges of no valour / whiche they oughte dylygently to loke vpon / and to apply theÌ„ bothe nyghte and daye to worke and lyue after the same And those that be vayne superfluus / lytell sauour hauynge of the swete name and loue of Ihesu cryst / smally condusynge to helthe of soules / be moche set by and desyred / dayly had in hande as thynges moche beloued Doubtelesse it is a greate â—efaute a deedly blyndenesse of mynde yf they wolde lerne and folowe those techynges / wherby the soule and the mynde myght be lyghtned to spyryall and heuenly thynges / atteÌ„dynge lokynge to theyr ende that they be ordeyned vnto / they sholde full besyly serche and loke what waye and meanes sholde conduce them to it / and folowe the same But no man desyreth greately that good thynge / nor excheweth that yll / that he hathe no knowlege of who is so frowarde and vnkynde vnto hymselfe / that yf he knewe that heuenly Hierusalem and the ioye therin but onely after the maner / as the charyte of god hathe shewed it vnto our weyke vnderstondynge / by his owne wordes / by the doctryne of holy seyntes And agayn warde yf he wolde sadly ponder those ylles that be prepared for theÌ„ that shall be exyled fro thens / wolde he not lose hyÌ„selfe frome all erthely affeccyons / and full faste renne vnto it / and all thynges coÌ„trary and leâ—tynge / exchewe as dethe / as truly they be moche worse thaÌ„ dethe iÌ„ dede This haue I thoughte alwaye / but than most specyally appered manyfest vnto me / whan I toke on honde to rede the dyaloges of the holy vyrgyn seynt Katheryne of Sene / a meruaylous myrtour of holynesse Whome oure sauyoure Ihesu chose vnto his spouse / and induced her with many graces / after a synguler maner And for her moste feruent loue / profounde mekenesse / meruaylous pacyence / and wonderfull compassyon that she had / he impressed in her body the pryntes of his woundes / and preserued her loÌ„ge tyme in this lyfe / without bodyly sustenaunce Pope Pius the secunde / and Raymundus with dyuers other holy men / besyde the cronyculers / testyfy her holynesse / and wryte greate bookes of her lyfe / the actes that she hathe done / greately to the edyfyenge of crystes chyrche O meruaylous goodnes of god / that hath chosen so weyke a parson of woman kynde / to confounde the greate men of myghte and all theyr pusaunce what techynges be there set furthe to compounde and order the maners of men what preceptes be ther gyueÌ„ to chastyce and subdewe the bodyly affeccyons what counseyles haue we there shewed / to kepe vs vnder the bondes of reason No wher can maÌ„ more pleasauntly be alleâ— and drawen to the loue of god No where more terryble can he be made afered to coÌ„mytte synne No wher more profouÌ„dely the truthe is shewed without errour / nor the dygnyte of vertu more clerely opened / and the abhomynacyon of vyce more openly dyscouered There is the rule and lernynge of chastyte and clennesse to be conserued There is gadered togyder compendyously dyscyplyne of lowlynesse / and vertu to be noryshed and incresced There be opened secrete counseyles of god There is shewed the excellency of his prouydeÌ„ce There to them that be blynde by malyce or ygnoraunce / is restored the lyght of truthe And to them that haue knowlege of truthe / it is there preserued for to defende errours There to them that be curyous in reasonynge / it is answered and satysfyed to theyr argumeÌ„tes To theÌ„ that be good and wyse / is shewed thynges worthy theyr knowlege And truly it is so plentefully / so holsomely / so holyly / prouyded all maner wayes / for mannes pylgrymage here in this lyfe / that after my Iudgement there can no erthely creature counseyle or prouyde more wysely for the helthe of maÌ„ / nor more surely Nor no meruayle / for very often and in maner whan she wolde she was rauyshed in spyryte vnto god / and so she was acustomed in extasy to haue reuelacyoÌ„s and dyologes bytwene cryste and her / and after to endyte them Wherfore I wyll not fere to saye and affyrme this / that there is no man of so paruerse and obstynate malyce / but yf he loke vpoÌ„ theÌ„ with good auysement not hastely nor enuyously not onely parceyuynge the wordes with his ere 's outwardely / but also the sence with his mynde inwardely he shall not repente hym / but fynde greate grace therby / and pleasure in his soule Who sholde not be greately moued meruaylynge moche / suche a yonge mayde of tender age / to be lyke in lernynge to noble clerkes / and to wâ—yte so profounde sentences / so depely drawe fro the well of the hye dyuyne wysedome / that it is harde for many to parceyue / excepte they haue meke lernynge and ghostly wysdome So thoughe that her gloryous and excellente holynesse sholde gyue none auctoryte to her doctryne and preceptes / yet frome what soeuer condyte they come out of / they bere moste sure testymony of themselfe without doubte / that they flowe out fro none other / but fro the godly funtayne sprynge of grace Nor they haue none other begyn nynge but that where vnto they enforce besyly to brynge the reder vnto / whiche is god hymselfe The bryghtnesse of the sonne / can procede from none other thynge / but frome the sonne So heuenly thyÌ„ges come not / but from heueÌ„ And that thynge that belongeth to god / hymselfe onely dothe knowe / they whome it pleaseth hyÌ„ to shewe it vnto Therfore all you that be louers of youre owne helthe not onely you but onely al you that haue lytell feythe and affeccyon to heueÌ„ly thynges / you that be ylecte snarled in the dysceyuable pleasures lustes of the flesshe the worlde yf you couet to haue eternall Ioye / come hyder fyll the vessels of youre hertes at this
mystery of them that be not obedyent / and of the excellent grace of them that be obedyent ¶ Ca. ij THe secuÌ„de chapyter is of theÌ„ that set somoche loue to obedyence / that it suffyseth not to them to obeye to the generall obedyence / as to the commaundymeÌ„tes of god / but yf they take be bounde to some specyall obedyeÌ„ce ¶ Also how a maÌ„ cometh and by what maner fro the generall obedyence to the specyall / and of the excellence of the relygyoÌ„ ¶ Also of the excellence of them that be vnder obedyence and be obedyent / and of the mysery of them that be inobedyent / whiche be in the state of relygyon ¶ How they that be very obedyent receyue an hundreth for one / and euer lastynge lyfe ¶ And what is vnderstonde by that one / what by that hundreth ¶ Ca. iij. THe thyrde chapyter is of the paruersyte / mysere / and labours of hym that is not obedyent / and of the myserable fruytes that come of inobedyeÌ„ce ¶ Of the Imparfeccyon of theÌ„ that be slowe or vnlusty in relygyon / all be it they kepe them fro deedly synne / and of the remedy how they maye come out of that vnlustynesse ¶ Of the excellence of obedyence / and of the goodes that obedyence gyueth to hyÌ„ that taketh it in sothefastnesse ¶ Ca. iiij THe fourthe chapyter is of dystynccyon of two maners of obedyence that is to saye of obedyence of relygyous folke / and of obedyence that is done to a certayne parsone out of relygyon for god ¶ How god rewardeth not after the trauayle of obedyence / nor after the lengthe of the ryme / but after the magnytude of charyte ¶ Also of the redynesse quyckenesse of them that be very obedyencers ¶ And of the myracles the whiche god sheweth of this vertu and of dyscrecyon in obedyence / and of the workes and rewarde of hym that is very obedyent ¶ Ca. v. THe fyfte chapyter of this last party is a repetycyoÌ„ of all the hole boke / how this deuoute soule yeldynge worshyppes and thankynges to god / made a prayer for all holy chyrche / for all the worlde ¶ And here is coÌ„mended the vertu of feythe / so is fulfylled yeâ—ude of this boke ¶ Here foloweth a prologue TO sustren I haue shewed you what ympes trees I haue founde and gadered to plante and to set in your ghostly orcharde ¶ The aleys of youre ghostly orcharde be full longe and brodâ— / wherin be many walkynge pathes / whiche shall lede you truly to what maner fruyte you lyste to fede you / in what party they be sette or plaÌ„ted ¶ But sustren lyke it to you to knowe that in gaderynge delectable fruyte / I fouÌ„de full bytter wedes / bytter and soure they be to taste / but profytable to knowe ¶ Suche wedes I purpose to set ymonge good fruyte not for fedyÌ„ge but to youre knowynge ¶ Taste you of them and knowe them / that ye maye beware yfony ghostly enemy profer you ony suche wedes ¶ Sauour you theÌ„ not for full fedynge / for than peryously they worke / and full ofte to dethe / but by grace the soner it maye be remedyed ¶ But sustren thoughe my fruyte be gadered / yet a tyme I muste haue of settynge and of plantynge / ymoÌ„ge recreacyons to the parfeccyoÌ„ of my spyryte ¶ Greate laborer was I neuer bodyly nor ghostly / I had neuer greate strengthe myghtely to labour with spade nor with shouell ¶ Therfore nowe deuoute sustren helpe me with prayers / for I lacke cunnynge / agaynste my greate feblenesse / strengthe me with youre pyte ¶ Also haue me recommended in your ghostly excercyse to our blessyd lady / and salute her in my name with deuoute aues / hauyÌ„ge myÌ„de somtyme on her fyue ioyes / and sometyme on her fyue sorowes / whiche she had in erthe ¶ With this labour I charge you not / but as youre charyte styrreth you / with that vertu helpe me forthe / for hastely I go to labour / in purpose to parforme this fruytefull ghostly orcharde / as it shall be plesyÌ„ge to almyghty god to gyue lyghte to my soule / with trewe felyÌ„ge clere syghte ¶ Whiche Ihesu cryste for his moderly loue / graunte onely to his worshyp and to our ghostly lernynge / and conforte all to creacyon AmeÌ„ ¶ And here shal folowe the reuelayoÌ„s of the haÌ„demayde of cryste obedience In obedience ¶ Here begynneth the boke of dyuyne doctryne That is to saye of goddes techynge Gyuen by the persone of god the fader / to the intelleccyon of the gloryous vyrgyn seynt Katheryn of Seene / of the ordre of seynt Domynycke whiche was wryteÌ„ as she endyted iÌ„ her moder tongue / whaÌ„ she was in coÌ„teÌ„placyoÌ„ / rapt of spyryte / she herynge actualy And iÌ„ the same tyme / she tolde before many what our lorde god spake iÌ„ her ¶ And here foloweth the fyrst chapytre of this boke which is how the soule of this mayde was oned to god how that she made .iiii. petycyons to oure lorde in that tyme of contemplacyon / and of the answere of god / and of moche other doctryne / as it is specyfyed in the kalender before Capi. i. A Soule that is reysed vp with heuenly and ghostly desyres / affeccyoÌ„s to the worshyp of god / to the helthe of mantles soule / and with a greate desyre langoreth vertuously / inhabyted by the space of a longe tyme / full besyly laboreth in ghostly exercyse / and mekely abydeth in her inwarde beholdynge / to knowe herselfe / to that entent onely / that she myght better knowe in her selfe / the goodnes of god ¶ For as she well feleth by grace / after that knowynge the loue that loueth is knytte / ioyned with a loue / to that that is loued / and forceth and besyeth her to loue / and folowe that knowynge / and with contynual excercyse inhabyteth her / with the sothefastnes ¶ And for asmoche as a soule in no maner tasteth nor sauoureth somoche / it is iÌ„ no maner somoche lyghtned with knowynge of that sothefastnes / as it is by the meane of a meke coÌ„tynuall / of a deuoute prayer / founded and grounded in the knowynge of god / and or it selfe ¶ Therfore suche a prayer / oneth such a soule to god / sorowynge the sleppes of â—â—yite in his passyon / so by desyre / 〈◊〉 you / vnyon oâ—â—oue / the soule 〈…〉 an other than she 〈…〉 this semeth well of crystes wordes / whan he sayde Si â—s diligit me sermoneÌ„ meaÌ„ seruauit That is to say Who that loueth me shal kepe my worde ¶ Also he sayth in another place Qui diligit me diligetÌ„ a patrimed / ego diligaÌ„ eu / manifestabo illi meipsum / erit vnum mecum / et ego cumillo That is to saye He that loueth me / shall
/ that they dyd to theyr neyghbour / other dedes that they dyd in theyr wycked lyuynge for they wolde not leue theyr synne al shal be put in reprefe to theÌ„ than ¶ Also they shold be repreued of the crueltes / that they dyd to theyr neyghbours / of that synÌ„e of pryde / with loue of vncleÌ„nes / theyr auarice ¶ And whan they so that grete mercy whiche they myght haue had of me / theyr vndernymyÌ„ge shal be moche harder thaÌ„ the soule had in tyme of dethe ¶ For at that general dome that soule that body of suche shall be tourmented bothe togyder / for asmoche as the body was felowe with the souls / instrumeÌ„t to worke bothe good and yll / at theyr owne wyl ¶ Euery workyÌ„ge good or yl / is wrought by some maner of a maÌ„nes neyghbour ¶ Therfore doughter goodnes glory wtout ende is gyueÌ„ ryghtfully to my choseÌ„ soules / with theyr bodyes gloryfyed / gracyously they be rewarded for theyr labours / the whiche they had togyder body soule in my name ¶ In that same maner euerlastynge peyne shall be gyue to wycked men with body soule ¶ Bycause that body was instrument of euyll / therfore that peyne shall be made newe encreased in that syght of my sone / whan the soule the body shal come togyder / thaÌ„ shall the wretched sensualyte be repreued with his vncleÌ„nes / beholdyÌ„ge that humanyte of cryst / ioyned with that iyâ—e of cleÌ„nes of my godheed / and whaÌ„ they beholde your nature of Adaâ— / enhauÌ„sed aboue that courte of angels ¶ Also they shal se theÌ„selfe put downe in to the depenes of hell / beholdynge that largenes that mercy gyuen to them that be blyssed ¶ And whaÌ„ the blyssed soules receyue the fruyte of my sones blode / whiche sone is called the laÌ„be of god ¶ Also that blyssed soules do se all that peynes whiche they suffre in that worlde / ordeyned for that or nameÌ„tes of the bodyes / as a raye of golde is put vpoÌ„ a clothe / that is not by that vertu of that body / but onely by that pleÌ„tuous blys of that soule / whiche representeth to his body that fruyte of his trauayles / bycause that that body was assocyate to the soule to the excersyces of vertues ¶ Also that body shall be knowe outewardely / ryght as a myrrour representeth and sheweth the face of a man / ryghte so the fruyte of his labours shal be presented shewed in his hyghe body as it is sayde before ¶ And whaÌ„ al these other soules full of mysery derkenes beholde somoche dygnyte iÌ„ blyssed soules / of the whiche dygnite they be pryued and excluded / than theyr peyne coÌ„fusyon encreaseth / for the token of theyr wyckednesse synnes whiche they dyd / shall be shewed in theyr bodyes / with peynes tourmentours to theyr tourmeÌ„t ¶ Wherfore in that dredefull worde whiche they shal here / go ye to that fyre euerlastyÌ„ge thaÌ„ shal theyr bodyes with the soules go downe euer to abyde with that fendes wtoute ony remedy of hope ¶ There they shall sorowe togyder in theyr peynes / to the encrese of theyr peynes / theyr wretchydnes with al theyr fylthes / euery maÌ„ by hymselfe in dyuers wyses / after that theyr euyll werkes were dyuers in erthe ¶ A couetous maÌ„ with that fylthe of his auaryce / breÌ„nynge ther in that fyre with worldely substauÌ„ce / mhiche wyckedly falsely he purchased / loued in that worlde ¶ The cruell maÌ„ shall be tourmenteb with his cruelte / that vnclene maÌ„ with his vncleÌ„nes with his wretched coÌ„cupyssence ¶ An vnryghtful man with his vntruthe vnryghtfulnes ¶ The enuyous maÌ„ with his enuy ¶ An hatered maÌ„ with that hatered of his neyghbour ¶ And forthermore there shall be bâ—endeâ— vnordynate loue oâ—â—maÌ„nes loue / of the whiche â—alâ—e 〈◊〉 cometh all euyll ¶ And the 〈…〉 a passyâ—ge peyne intollerable / for asmoche â—s that synne was begynnyÌ„ge of all euyll moder to pryde / whiche is moder of all synÌ„es ¶ Wherfore euery soule body togyder / shall be punysshed togyder ¶ And thê° myserably they go to theyr ende / which go by that lower way of the flode / wyl not tourne to knowlege theyr owne defautes / aske mercy as I sayd before ¶ But so they gone to the gates of hell / for they haue folowed the techynge of that fende ¶ And he is theyr gate / and theyr entrynge to hell / as it is sayde before ¶ And in that coÌ„trary wyse my chosen chyldren whiche go vpon that brydge aboue / those go by that way of sothefastnes / that sothefastnes is to theÌ„ that gate of entryÌ„ge ¶ Therfore my sone whiche is my sothefastnes fayde / 〈◊〉 mâ—mdy come to my sader but by me ¶ He is that gate that waye by the whiche they passe ouâ—t that they may â—â—ntre to me / whiche am that peaseble see ¶ And so in that coÌ„trary / they that went by that way of pardycyon / whiche waye gyueth to them a deed water / so be peryshed loste ¶ To that perel that fende calleth â—tyrreth suche blynde soules fooles / by full peryllous teÌ„ptacyoÌ„s / false suggestyons whiche for blyndenes and lacke of grace do not parceyue / nor they take no hede / how they haue lost that lyght of very feythe / folowe that wyll the wordes of the fende as thoughe he spake to them and sayde ¶ Who so hathe thrust and desyreth water of dethe / let hem come to me / I shall gyue it to hym ¶ And here now moder and systren endeth the seconde parte of this orcharde / in the whiche we be taughte the waye to he uen ¶ And how we be ordeyned to labour in this worlde / euery man in his owne vyneyerde ¶ And of thre ladders whiche helpe a soule to the loue of god ¶ In this party also oure lorde speketh ful comfortably of his grete mercy / and of dyuersyte of synnes ¶ And how soules shall be repreued at the day of Iudgement ¶ And of the pryncypall tourmentes in hell / and of the ioyes of heuen ¶ Our lorde than graunt â—â— so feruently to labour / euery man in his owne vyneyerde / that bâ— the prayer of his blyssed moder / and by his grete mercy / that we maye gracyously scape that drefull daye of Iudgement / 〈◊〉 with his chosen chyldren / to entre in to the gates of blysse / the gloryous syght of hym euer to reioyce Ame◠¶ The .iii. boke Tertia ¶ The fyrste chapytre of the .iii. party / sheweth of that profyte of temptacyons / and how euery soule in that last ende of his lyfe shall tast and fele by knowynge â—â— he fully pas / what peyne or ioye he shall haue after he is passed ¶ Also how the fende catcheth soules budet the coloure of
whiche floodes maye come oute frome the / that arte the parmanents peaseable see ¶ I thanke the fader / and endelesse thankynge be to the / that hase satysfyed to me of that I asked the / and of that I knewe not / whiche I asked not of the / and also bycause thou hase styrred me to wepe / and taught me mater of wepynge / for to offer in prayer / swete thyÌ„ges / delectable thynges / and longe desyres / before the with meke contynual prayer ¶ Now therfore I aske of the / that thou shewe mercy to the worlde / and to holy chyrche I praye the that thou fulfyll that thynge / whiche thou wolde I prayed for ¶ Wo be to me most wretche that am cause of all euyl / and yet can not sorowe it within my soule ¶ Good lorde tary no longer / but haue ruthe and pyte on all the worlde / bowe the lorde and fulfyll the desyre of thy seruaunte ¶ O what am I / thou arte he that makes bothe me and thy seruauntes for to crye to the after mercy / and therfore gracyously here the voyces of theÌ„ ¶ Thy sothefastnesse sayd thus / serche and ye shall fynde / knocke and it shall be opened to you / aske it shal be grauÌ„ted to you ¶ O endelesse fader / thy seruauntes crye to the for mercy ¶ Good fader answere them after theyr desyres / for I knowe well properly it longeth to the for to haue mercy and for to gyue mercy / and therfore thou maye not deny it / but thou muste nedes gyue mercy to them that aske it ¶ They knocke at the gate of thy sothefastnesse / for in thy onely sothefaste sone Ihesu they knocke thy meruaylous loue whiche thou hase to man / and so they crye at the gate / wherfore the fyre of thy charyte sholde not nor maye not wtholde / but that it muste nedes open the same gate to theÌ„ that knocke with parseueraunce ¶ Therfore endelesse fader / open the breestes / breke the harde hertes of thy creatures not for theÌ„ that do not knocke but do it for thy infynyte goodnesse / and for the loue of thy seruauntes / whiche for them do knocke at the gate ¶ Graunte thou endelesse fader theyr askyÌ„ge / whom thou sees stoÌ„de knockynge at the gate of thy goodnesse / and what do they aske good lorde ¶ Certayne the blode of this gate / that is the blode of thy onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / for in that blode / thou hase wasshed a waye the wyckednesse stynkyÌ„ge fylthe of synne / whiche came by the synne of Adam that is oure blode good lorde for of that blode thou hase made to vs a bathe / I knowe wel therfore thou maye not nor wyl not deny theÌ„ that aske the in parseueraunce ¶ Gyue therfore good lorde the fruyte of that blode to thy creatures / putte good lorde the pryce of that blode vpon that balaunce of thy sone / lest the fendes of hell lede awaye thy shepe with hym ¶ Thou art a veri good shepeherde that hase gyuen to vs a very trewe shepeherde / that is thy sone Ihesu / the whiche for thy obedyence gaue his lyfe for his shepe / of his blode made a bathe ¶ This is the blode that thy seruauÌ„tes do aske of the as hongry soules at thy gate by the whiche blode they aske that thou shewe mercy to the worlde / make holy chyrche smell swetely in swete smellynge floures of vertu / and deuoute and holy curates / with whose swete smell / they put awaye the stynkyÌ„ge smell of stynkynge floures ¶ Thou endelesse fader dyd saye / that for the loue whiche thou hase to thy reasonable creatures / for the prayers of thy seruauntes / that suffer moche labour for soules / thou wolde shewe mercy to the worlde / and araye holy chyrche worthyly / and so refresshe vs. ¶ Therfore delaye not / nor tary not endeles fader for to turne to synners thy eye of mercy but say to theÌ„ thus or that ye cryed to me for mercy / I herde you with my ere of mercy ¶ Open good lorde the gate of thy meruaylous charyte / the whiche thou hase graunted to vs by the grace of thy sone ¶ I knowe ryghte well good lorde that thou openes the gate or that we knocke ther at / for with the affecyon and loue that thou hase gyuen to thy seruauÌ„tes / they knotke to the crye / sekynge thy worshyp helthe of soules ¶ Therfore endelesse fader graunte theÌ„ breed of lyfe / that is the fruyte of thy blode of thy onely sone sothefaste Ihesu / whiche fruyte they aske of the / for ioye and worshyp of thy name and helthe of soules ¶ For it semeth and sothe it is that it is more ioye to the / worshyp for to saue soules of thy creatures / than for to suffer them obstynately in hardenesse of herte ¶ To the endeles fader al this is possyble / for thoughe thou made vs withoute vs / yet thou wyll not saue vs without vs. ¶ And therfore constrayne theyr wylles gracyously / dyspose theÌ„ for to desyre and wyll / that they wyll not ¶ This I aske the for thy infynyte mercy / thou hase made vs of noughth / therfore nowe to suche as we be / shewe mercy / refresshe the vessels that thou hase made and formed to the ymage and lykenesse of the / reforme them to grace / in the mercy in the blode of of thy ryght swete and well byloued sone Ihesu cryst ✚ LAVS DETVR DEO ¶ Nowe moder and systren here I haue made an ende of this the fyfte boke / in the whiche you may fynde ghostly / good / holy doctryne for the helthe of soules / with greate consolacyon comforte to youreselfe / with swete herbes and plantes of swete odour and smell In the whiche boke is made meÌ„cyon of the blessyd sacrament and of his vertues / with the reformacyoÌ„ of preestes and theyr subiectes / with many and dyuers maters / and ensamples of good lyuyÌ„ge / as is conteyned in the sayde boke Sexta ¶ The syxte boke ¶ The fyrst chapyter speketh of the syxte party / and it treateth moche of the prouydence of god / and fyrste of his prouydence generally / that is to say / how god prouyded man to be man / how he formed hym of noughte to his ymage and lykenesse ¶ And howe god prouyded man to sanacyon with incarnacyon of his sone / whan the gates of Paradyse were shyt for the synne of Adam ¶ And how he prouyded hymselfe / gyuynge hymselfe contynually to vs in the meet of the auter ¶ Also how god prouyded to gyue hope in his creatures / how he that moste parfytely hopeth / moste tasteth the prouydence of god ¶ And of other maters / suche as be rehersed to you before in the kalender Ca. i. benedictê° q
the body / colde / hete / nor yet no greate boystyous metes ¶ WheÌ„se cometh all this trowes thou ¶ Certayne fro my prouydence that I haue ê“uided for hyÌ„ / take the charge of hyÌ„ vpon me / iÌ„ asmoche as he hath fully forsake hyÌ„selfe / thê° dere doughter thou maye se in howmoche delyces my poore seruauÌ„tes enhabyte ¶ A shorte repecycyon of the foresayde dyuyne prouydence NOwe haue I tolde that the lest ê‘ty of my prouydeÌ„ce in euery creature / in all maner of people / shewynge that the fro the begynnyÌ„ge whaÌ„ I made that worlde also creatures / gyuyÌ„ge theÌ„ beyÌ„ge to the ymage lykenesse of me / vnto the laste daye I vse and haue do do what that euer I do with prudence / so to ordeyne prouyde for youre helthe / for I desyre nothyÌ„ge of you / but youre holynes / al thyÌ„ge that is gyueÌ„ to you whiche is of my substauce beynge / is gyueÌ„ to you onely for the same ende / that I myght vse in you my prouydeÌ„ce / this is not knoweÌ„ with wycked worldely meÌ„ / whiche haue put fro them the lyghte / by the whiche they sholde se this / also I haue tolde that bycause they knowe it not / they be sclauÌ„dred in me / neuerthelesse with pacyence I suffer theÌ„ / abydynge euer vnto the laste euer prouidyÌ„ge to theÌ„ for theyr nedes / as well to syÌ„ners as to ryght wyse meÌ„ / bothe in spyrytuall teÌ„porall thyÌ„ges ¶ Also I tolde that of the imparfeccyon of ryches / that in what wretchednesse they be broughte in / whiche haue ryches in possessyoÌ„ by vnordynate loue / also I tolde the of the excelleÌ„ce of pouerte of ryches / that the quene of pouerte gyueth to a soule which hath choseÌ„ her for her spouse / felyshypped with that suster of vylyte / of the which vylyte with obedieÌ„ce togyder / I shall tell the afterwarde ¶ Also there I shewed to the / howmoche pourte pleaseth me / how dere it is to me / how that I ê“uyde to it meruaylously with my ê“uydeÌ„ce ¶ Al this haue I tolde that for the coÌ„meÌ„dacyon of this vertu of pouerte / also for the coÌ„meÌ„dacyon of ê‘fyte feythe / with the whiche feythe a soule cometh to this the most ê‘fyte most excelleÌ„t state of pouerte / that she myght encrese in feythe hope / that also she myght sorowfully knocke at the gate of my mercy ¶ Therfore dere doughter thynke this in thy soule with quycke feythe / that I shall vtterly fulfyll thy desyre / also the desyre of my seruauntes / thoughe they suffer moche vnto the laste ende of theyr dethe ¶ But be not dysconforted / be glad ioyful in me that am thy defender coÌ„forter / lo doughter now haue I satysfyed thy desyre of my prouydeÌ„ce / of the whiche thou prayed me that I sholde prouyde for that necessites of my creatures / thus thou knowes hase well sene / that I am no dyspyser of very holy desyres ¶ How this soule whaÌ„ she gaue worshyp thankynge to go / she prayed that he wolde speke to her of the vertu of obedyence THaÌ„ that soule had suche delyte in that very holy pouerte / rapte by loue as a druÌ„keÌ„ soule in the endelesse magnyfycence and transformed in the depenesse of his meruaylous prouydeÌ„ce so ferforth that she beyÌ„ge in the vessell of the body / wened that she hadde be without the body / by rauyshynge of the fyre of his charyte made iÌ„ her / she behelde stydfastly with the eye of her intelleccyon iÌ„ his dyuyne maieste / sayenge thus to the endelesse fader ¶ O endelesse fader / o blessed fayrenes / o endelesse wysdome / o endeles goodnes / o endeles myldenes / o worthy hope / o refute and refressher of synners / o meruaylous largenesse / o endeles infynyte good / o all wounded in loue / me semeth that thou hase nede of vs wretched creatures / for thy speche sheweth as thou couthe not lyue without vs / not withstoÌ„dinge thou arte endelesse lyfe of whome all thyÌ„ges taken lyfe / without whom may no thynge lyue / why arte thou so wounded in the loue of thy reasonable creatures / they forsake the and thou serches them / they fle fro the / and thou comes nyghte to theym / more nerer thou myghe neuer come / than for to seÌ„de thy onely sothefast sone Ihesu to take oure flesshe vpon hym ¶ O good lorde what shall I saye what shall I speke / all my spekynge is to the no spekynge / therfore I shal say thus as a chylde dothe / a / a / a / for I can none other speke / the tongue of my body is suche that it shall haue ende / and therfore it can not expresse the affeccyon of the soule / whiche desyreth iÌ„fynytely / me semeth that I may saye as the blessed apostell seynt Paule sayde that was thus ¶ The eye may not se / the ere maye not here / nor in to the herte maye nor ascende suche thyÌ„ges / as I haue sene ¶ And what hase thou sene wretched soule ¶ I haue sene the pryuytes of god / whiche is vnsefull a man to speke ¶ What shall I than saye ¶ Certayne I maye nothyÌ„ge saye worthyly / thus abydynge iÌ„ my bodyly wyttes / butone thyÌ„ge I saye to the soule thou hase tasted sene the depenesse of the endelesse prouydence of god / therfore blessed fader withou ende I thaÌ„ke the of thy greate goodnesse shewed to me most wretche vnworthy grace / bycause I coÌ„syder wei that thou arte a fulfyller of holy desyres / I desyre the that yet a lytell thou vouche safe to speke to me of the vertu of obedyence / and of his greate excellence / as thou endeles fader behyght me / that I maye also be rapte in loue with that vertu / and that I maye neuer be departed nor pass awaye fro thy obedyence / therfore endeless fader I beseche the for thy infynyte goodnesse tell me som what of the parfeccyon of vertues / and where I may fynde it / and what is the cause why it is taken awaye fro me / and what thynge it is that gyueth it to me / a token that I maye knowe whyder that I haue it or not And here now moder and sustren endeth your .vi. booke / in the whiche you may fynde ghostly fruytes and herbes ryght many with grete vertues and odyferous smelles / ryghte plesaunte and profytable for the infyrmytes sekenesse of that soule / also dyuers maters and ensamples of good and holy lyuyÌ„ge / with the parfyte maner of fysshyÌ„ge of soules / with other mo Septima ¶ The seuenth boke ¶ The fyrste chapyter of the seueÌ„th party / and the chapyters of this party speke of the vertu of obedyence / fyrste how odedyence is had / and what is that thynge / whiche putteth obedyence fro
large benefyces which thou hase gyue me of the doctryne of thy endelesse sothefastnes / the whiche is a specyall grace aboue the generall grace that thou gyues to other creatures / who gaue al this ¶ Certayne thou thy selfe / wherfore good lorde endelesse trynyte gyue me a lyghte of thy grace / that with the same lyghte I may gyue the thaÌ„kynges / araye me with the endelesse truthe / that I maye feythfully renne with parfeccyoÌ„ iÌ„ this deedly way with very obedyence and with the lyghte of holy feythe / with the whiche lyghte me semeth thou hase made me now lately ghostly drunke / Ioye and euerlastynge worshyp be to the withoute ende AMEN ¶ Lenuoye of Dane Iames the translater NOw reuerende moder and deuoute sustre youre orcharde is plaÌ„ted sette / at my symple deuyse apparayled / with the helpe and grace of oure mercyfull lorde / by the gracyous prayer of his blessed moder / youre pryncypall and gloryous abbes In this orcharde you may dysporte you in oportune tyme. Helthefull fruytes and herbes ye may fynde there full delectable to the soule Serche there than besyly the swetenesse of the fruyte / that ye maye fynde them / taste them well in wardely that ye maye sauour them / whan ye sauour them chewe them well with a feruent desyre / that ye maye be well fedde with them ghostly / to declare you more openly my entent / I saye to you agayne / serche this ghostly meet with bosy and ofte redynge / taste you then with medyacyon and in warde thynkyÌ„ge after medyacyon / sauour them well and chewe them well in youre soules with deuoute prayer / that ye maye ascende by lyghte of coÌ„templacyon to holy deshres and parfyte loue of god euer lastyÌ„ge Querite inuenietis pulsate et aperietur vobis And whan ye be thus fulfylled with grace and suche ghostly desyres / stretche forthe yours charyte / and put forthe youre holy desyres / to the helpe and conforte of that synfull creature whiche beganne this worke / and in youre deuoute prayers haue my helper recoÌ„mended your broder Dane Iames / whiche for the moste parte hathe labored it to the ende of this ghostly orcharde yfony fruyte or herbe be mys sette or planted / I coÌ„mytte all defautes or erroures to the correccyon of better lettered clerkes / of trewe felynge faders And for my neclygence ygnoraunce as am woÌ„te to saye so I nowe wryte A Ihesu mercy Amen ¶ Euery good thynge the more it be communycate and dysparsed abrode / the more fruyte and profyte cometh therof / as it is shewed in the gospell whete yf it be caste abrode on the erthe / it bryngeth forte moche fruyte / and wher it is layde vp togyder / it bryngeth for the nothynge / but corrupteth / norysheth / geÌ„dreth vermyne The phylosopher also sayth Good the more comyn it be / the more godly it is Therfore yf worldly ryches / gyuen and dysparsed abrode where nede is / for the loue of god / shall be rewarded / as he say the hymselfe / an hundreth folde here in this lyfe / and with euer lastynge ioye here after Moche more ghostli tresure coÌ„munycate spred abrode / wher of iÌ„ these dayes is moche nede / shall be rewarded moche more largely bothe here and in heuen This consyderynge a ryghte worshypfull and deuoute geÌ„tylmaÌ„ / mayster Rycharde Sutton esquyer / stewarde of the holy monastery of Syon / fyndynge this ghostely tresure these dyologes and reuelacyons of the newe seraphy call spouse of cryste seynt Katheryne of Sene / in a corner by it selfe / wyllynge of his greate charyte it sholde come to lyghte / that many relygyous and deuoute soules myght be releued and haue coÌ„forte therby / he hathe caused at his greate coste / this booke to be prynted / trustige that moche fruyte shall come therof / to all the shal rede or here of it / desyrynge none other thige therfore / but onely the rewarde of god theyr deuoute prayers / for helthe of his soule ¶ And thus â—â—deth this booke / Imprynted at London / in Flete strete / at the sygne of the sonne / by me wynkyn de worde The yere of oure lorde M. CCCCC .xix. and the .xxviii. daye of SepteÌ„ber