gloryous is the Royalme and how ought thy tabernacles to be beloued how grete is thy beaute how habundante is thy Resplendysshyng in thy cyte how merueylous is the bryght clerenesse therof and how souerayn is the swetnesse of thy celestyal coÌ„tree For this cause seythe Saynt Austyn in his book of free arbytremen te Soo grete is the beaute of Iustyce soo grete is the swetenesse of thyn eternall lyght That yf it were not expedyent to de lyte therin but one houre of the daye for to haue that Ioye oonly The in numerable dayes of this present lyfe full habundante of alle temporall goodes ought therfore resonable to be myspreysed forborne Now certeynly it is not vnresonably spoken nor withoute a grete grouÌ„de that better is to be one daye in that courte than a thousande in this world O celestyal Iherusalem O shynyng hous full of al bryghtnesse I wysshe my pilgrymage to reche vnto the and to be possessed in the by hym that made both the me And therfore seyth Saynt Bernarde in his thyrde book vppon the Gospell Missus est angelus Gabriel O how gloryous is the Royalme of heuen The kynges haue asseÌ„bled them in a mont that is to vnderstonde to loue prayse and gloryfye hym that is kynge aboue alle kynges and lorde ouer all lordes In the resplendysshynge contemplacion of whom the Iuste people shall shyne as the sonne in the Royame of theyr fader To this purpose seyth the Psalter thou shalt replenisshe me with gladnes in thy face Iob seyth also in the xxxiii chapitre His face shal be seen in gret Ioyeful gladnes All those shall beholde haue syghte of that moost swete Vysage that haue trewely serued our lorde sauyour Ihesu cryst in humylyte of herte in good labours vertuous werkes Isaye sayth in his .xxxiii. chapitre They shall see the kyng of kynges in his grete beaute O how blysfull O how aggreable O how swete how happy shall be the beholdyng of our sauyoure Ihesu cryste to those that haue ê‘fyghtly loued him Certeynly they shal mowe Ioyefully saye as is wryten in Abacuk the iii chapitre I shall reioyse me in our lord disporte me in Ihesu crist my god O how gretly shal those reioyse them that shal be fulfylled with the celestyall Ioyes what gladnesse shall they haue that shall be Illumyned with the vysyon of the resplendysshynge face of our lorde god The whiche Ioye gladnesse shall be permanent abydyng worlde without ende ¶ How the celestyal royalme is to be coÌ„mended for the goodnesse that is therin ¶ The seconde chapytre of the fourth parte the last pryncypall THe Royalme of heuen is secondly recoÌ„mended for thabondante goodnesse therof Saynt Austyn sayth in his book de Ciuitate dei That that god hathe ordeyned for those that he loueth maye not be oonly atteyned by hope without it be coÌ„pryseo with charyte soo it may will be atteyned the Rewardes of the happy sayntes can not be nombred nor estymed thabuÌ„dauÌ„ce therof is withoute ende is so precyous that it can not be suffycyentely preysed Of the suê‘habuÌ„dante ryche goodnesse of this celestyal Royalme is wryten in Deutronomi in the .viii. chapitre thus Our lorde god shall lede the in a good coÌ„tree whiche is Indewed with waters with fontayns with spryÌ„gis with feldes with montayns Out of the whiche shall come floodes ryueres He shall lede the also in to a londe where groweth whete barly vynes where growe fygues apples grayns olyfs oyle hony there without ony necessyte thou shalte ete thy brede with habundance of all good is Now certayn this is a right comodyous coÌ„tree fulfylled with swetenesse this is the contree to the whiche were sente the sones of Adam As is writen in the book of Iugys the .xviii. chapitre whiche sayd at theyr Retourne we haue seen a comodyous plentyfull contree right riche wyll ye not myspreyse it nor cesse we not but lete vs go take possessyon therof For there is no labour our lorde shall gyue vs a roome therin wherby we shall haue none necessyte nor lacke For there is no thyng that enoyeth and all good delectacyons be there Saynt Austyn saythe that the eternall beatytude we le be specyally in two thynges That is to wyte In the absence of all euyll and in the presence of all we le Now yf that wylt axe me what thynges be in heuen I can answere the none otherwyse but all thynge that is good is there and all thyng that is nought canne neuer come there And therfore sayth saynt Gregory There is noo good thynge desyred nor lacked there nother there is ony thynge within hit that hurteth or enoyeth It is wryten in the laste chapitre of thapocalyps They shall noo more haue honger nor thyrst nor the sonne nor the hetes shall no more hurt them for the lambe of god whiche sytteth in the myddle of the crone shall gouerne and bryng them to the fontayne of the water of lyfe And more is folowynge in the same chapitre he seyth Shewe me the flode the ryuere of the water of lyfe who hath thyrste come and drynke who wyll haue of that water of lyfe come and take it And he that hath of that water shall neuer be thyrsty as it is wryten in the gospel of saynt Iohan in the. iii chapitre O how happy and how blessyd is that contree where god shall be all thyng in all thyng and where is no pouerte nor lacke of ony thynge that is good This contree is the celestyall pasture wherin shall nede nothyng to be wysshed For in this pasture shall oure lorde beayte and fede his trewe louers whome he wyll beclyppe perpetually Therfore sayth oure lorde in Ezechyell the xxxiiii chapitre I shall put them in theyr coÌ„trees fede them in the montayns of Israhell Now certeynly the happy sayntes of heuen be wel fedde with knowleche of the souerayne trouthe whiche is to them a ful fructnouse pasture be it when they entre in contemplacoÌ„n of the dyuynyte or in consyderynge the grace of the humanyte And in bothe these they shal fynde cause to be sacyate and fed with delectacyons And they shall fele the fruyte of souerayn swetenesse as the Psalter sayth He hath gyuen the thy fyll of the fyne fatnesse of the floure of the whete The fatnesse of the floure of the whete is delectacion of swetenesse caused by the loue of god Of the whiche flour of whete by the same loue mote my soule be fulfylled and thenne I shall reste in the eternall Ioyouse surete alwayes wexynge grene and neuer to drye Here is now shewed how good is this contree where in the happy men shal be fed whiche is so fruyt full and plenteuous Certaynly this is the contree of lyfe In the whiche we must hope to see the goodnesse of our lord the Psalter sayth we shall all be fulfylled with the goodes of
felde It is wryten by Innocente in the boke of our myserable condycyons That humayn flesshe is the vessell of fylthe and a vessell of teeres a drye thought a stynkyng sacke The lyfe of the flesshe is laboure The concepcyon of the flesshe is but fylthe The ende therof is rotennesse And the byrthe is but vyle It was fyrst a sparme That is to saye The seed of man and now it is a stynkynge sacke and after fynally shall be wormes mete in the erthe Now wherfore sholde a man then be proude Saynt Bernard seyth in his book of Meditacyons wherfore sholde a man waxe proude sythen the concepcōn of man is in syn̄e And of all the byrthe in payne the lyfe in labour necessaryly all muste dye And after deth tourne to wormes and after wormes to fylthe stenche Loo thus fynally euery man is clerely conuerted torned out of all humanyte Consyder than the begynnyng of thy lyfe the myddle also the last ende And thou shalte fynde therin a ryghte grete occasyon and cause to meke and humble thy selfe Nowe what sayst that what thynkest that what rekenynge makest thou of thy selfe arte thou ought but powder of the erth It is wryten in the .xii. chapytre but more playnly in the iii. chapytre of the same Ecclesiastes The powdre recometh to the erthe that it come fro That is to wete to right a fowle roten erth full of wormes And therfore wryteth Iob in his .xvii. chapytre I haue sayd to rotennesse thou art my fader and my moder and I haue sayd to the wormes ye be my brethern my sustres It is redde in Ecclesiasticus in the xvii chapytre that euery man is erth and asshes and therof haue take theyr beyng And also it was sayd to a man Thou arte but powdre to powdre shalt retorne And as Aleyn amonysseth warneth the when thou shalte lye in the colde erth thou shalt torne to powdre wormes mete and from thensforth there shall no creature be in wyll to loke vpon the. For thy flesshe shall be more ranke in stynche than the flesshe of a roten hounde To this purpose sayth the holy man Saynt Bernarde what is a more vyle and slynkyng thynge than the careyne of man And what is a more odeous thynge to beholde thā a dede man The more delectable he hath been in his lyffe to the contrarye his loke shal be horryble after his dethe what shall it proufyte vs richesses delectacyons and worldely worshyppes The richesse defende vs not from dethe nor delectacōns from the wormes nor the worshippes from foule stynkynges O myghty god eternall in how myserable chaunce is man inclosed Certeyne my righte dere frende yf thou though ▪ test dylygently of the thynges afore sayd thou sholdest therby fynde a right grete occasyon to meke and humble thyselfe For the Remembraūce of dethe causeth humylyte in man It appereth well by the thrydde booke of Lrynges in the .xxi. chapytre of kynge Achab whiche when he herde by Hely the manassynge of dethe and that it approched hym He meked hȳ selfe in suche wyse that oure Lorde sayde to the forsayd Hely Seest thou not how Achab humbled hymselfe for me It is sayde also that some tyme whenne men made and created a pope there was brought before hym a pece of flax and therin set fyre sayeng this wordes folowynge Righte thus passeth the vayne glorye of this worlde Lyke to saye That as the fyre brenneth lyghtly the flaxe and conuerteth hit in to asshes Semblably the glorye of this worlde fayleth and passeth Isydory reporteth also That auncyently it was accustomed atte the coronacyon of the Emperour of Constantynoble Whenne he was sette in his moost glorye A masson sholde come before hym shewe hym thre or foure maner of marbell stones sayeng that he sholde chese of whiche of those he wolde haue his tombe made It is redde of Saynte Iohan the aumener that was some tyme patryarke of Alexander that hadde commaunded to make his Tombe and wolde in noo wyse hit sholde be fully fynysshed And ordeyned that in grete and solempne festes whenne he was in his hyghest honoure one sholde come vnto hym and saye that thy Tombe is not fully accomplysshed nor perfourmed gyue commaundementes that hit be fynysshed For thou knoweste not howe thou shalte dye nor whanne that theff wyll come whiche is to vnderstonde the fende That enforceth hym selfe alway to destroye soules And whye dyde the Pope the Emperour and the patryarke these thynges whiche where the men moost excellente in estate of all the worlde but onely to confesse and knowelege to themselfe that they were mortall and that they oughte not to enhaunse them selfe in pryde nor fortefye them in hope of longe lyfe wherby they sholde haue the more power in this vayne worldly glory but that they myght haue before hem thenne the Remembraunce of dethe to cause them to be the more humble in alle theyr werkes And therfore sayth the prophete Lino we alle people that men be comen and made of erthe And therfore they muste necessaryly dye It is also wryten in Ecclesyastes in the .xli. chapytre All thynges that be come of the erthe shall be conuerted agayne to the erthe wherof man is comen as it is well knowen And therfore seyth Iheremias the prophete in the .xxii. chapytre Erthe erthe erthe Now herken my wordes He called man thryes erthe by cause he maye soo be named in thie maners Fyrste he is erthe for he is made of the erthe Secondly his conuersacyon is in the erthe And fynally he retourneth in to the erthe Soo is he erthe in his creacyon in his conuersacyon and in his dethe He is erthe by his nature in his lyfe And in his sepulture he hath sanoured the erthe he hath lyked the erthe he hath desyred and coueyted the erthe The body of man is taken and doluen in the erthe And yet he forgeteth the celestyall thynges and pleteth for the terrestyall And geueth batayll for the erthe He goothe He cometh And tourneth abowte the erthe to haue the erthe And oftentymes in anguysshes payne and laboure now here now there And alle for the erthe and neuer seasynge tyll he hym selfe whiche is come from the erthe be retourned agayne to his fyrste moder That is to saye the erthe It maye be sayde as it is wryten in the iii. book of the Liynges in the seconde Chapytre Loo howe I departe and passe the comune waye of the vnyuersall erthe And for as moche as we be bounden with slyme of the erth doūge of the erthe and be right vyle thynge wherfore sholde we thenne be proude of oure selfe knowynge we be come from the erthe lyuyng in the erthe conuersyng in the erthe and fynally shall recourne in to the erth as euery day it appereth euydently vn to all people ¶ How Remembran̄ce of dethe maketh a man to dyspyse all thynges ¶ The seconde chapytre of this fyrste pryncypall parte REmēbraunce of dethe causeth
lorde Ihesu Cryste that naturally is now amyable meke as a lambe shall appere thâ—nne as a lyon right cruell gretely moued And therfore sayde Ozee in his .xiii. chapitre It may well be the wordes of our lord by the couetous glotons proude people at the day of Iugemente sayeng thus they haue fulfylled them selfe in theyr pastures arreysed vp theyr hertes forgeten me I wyll be to them as a lyonesse as a leoparde in the way of assyâ—yence I shall come ageynst them as a she bere which hath lost her whelpes and shall breke theyr Iugementis within shall destroy them lyke a lyon How myght one remembre a more cruell thyng then by thoos beestes Our lord shall say to the felons that shall be condaÌ„pned as is wryten in Ezechiell in the .vii. chapitre The conclusyon is come now cometh the ende vpon the I shall sende my furour in to that Certeynly syr as the fyre brennes the forestes the mystes breke vppon the molyteynes Semblably in that tempeste thou shalte then persecute thy synÌ„ers trouble them in thyne Ire And then thy wrath shall be chased lyke fyre and shall abasshe the people in thyn anger It is wryten in Isaye in the xxx chapitre The name of oure lorde shall come from right ferre his fersenesse shall be brennyng and greuous to bere his lyppes shall be fulfylled with Iudygnacyon and his tonge shall be lyke a deuouryng fyre and his spyryte shal be lyke a broke rennyng ouer the bryÌ„kes for to destroye people and to bryng them to no thyng Iob toke somtyme this furour in a vysyon whenne he sayd who shal be that lyuyng man that shall do so mykell with the that thou wylt defende me from helle hyde me tyll thy furour be paste Certeynly the furour of the Iuge shall be soo grete thenne that it can not be expressed by ony wordes nor thought by ony corages Derely all the Iugementes and sentences that haue ben ayenst vpon the humayne lynage sith the begynnyng of the worlde be but lyke a lityll flaÌ„me or a sparke in regarde to the furour of Ihesu Cryste whiche he shall excercyse in the laste daye of Iugement And how straytely shall he that is rysen debonayr past vp in to heuen retourne to doo Iugement and therfore sayth saynt Gregory in an Omely vpon the worde of saynt Iohan euangelyst that saynte Thomas one of the xii apostles called Dydymê° whiche is to saye longe doubtyng sayd thus My brethern and frendes ordre your lyf your werkis and your condycyons puruey for he that is rysen meke and amyable shall come harde strayâ—e at the day of Iugemet Certeynly at that day of examynacyon whiche is so gretely to be doubted he shall shewe hymselfe clerely among angeles archangeles and among the trones and domynacions among the pryncypals and potestates and all the skyes shall be moued and the erthe the other elementis in the fere and drede of his seruyce Set then afore your eyen this Iuge that is cause of so grete abasshemeÌ„t and fere drede him both now and herafter To th entent that wheuÌ„e he shall come ye shall not see hyÌ„ in fere but be wel assured he ought to be dred now to the ende that he shold not be doubted thenne Certeynly yf one of you hadde to saye or allege a cause ageyn your enmye and sholde to morow present you to my IugemeÌ„t perauenture ye wyll passe all the nyght without grete slepe remembryng your selfe in grete payne thought what thynges myght be alleged ayenst you what ye wolde answere to thobieccyons sholde drede gretely leest I sholde be sharpe vnto you and wolde fere lest it sholde â–ª be thought that ye were culpable wolde serche what I where and whether I sholde become Certeynly not longe after I haue be man I shal become wormes and after wormes powdre Now then yf the Iugement of hym that is but pouder is to be drad hadde in soo grete fere By what entencyon is it to be thoughte that fere muste be moost dredefull whiche is of the IugemeÌ„t of the moost grettest and hyghest mageste Alle these thynges sayd saynt Gregory in the chapitre aforsayd Yet is there somme thyng more concernyng the sayd sentence that is to wyte that there is no puyssaunce can resyste it And as it is wryten in the boke of Sapyence in the .xi. chapitre who shal be he that shal resyste the vertu of thyne arme Isaye also said in his xlvii chapitre I shall take vengeauÌ„ce on theym and no man shall resyste me Veryly none shall mowe resyste hit but edely alle muste appere there generally yf they wyll or not they shall abyde before the angelles the sentence of the souerayne Iuge whiche spake by Isaye hym selfe in the sayd chapitre to the synners that are to be condampned thus thy shame shall be knowen and the vylen reproche shall be seen wheruppon I wyll take vengeauÌ„ce and shall noo man mowe resyste hit Iob sayd in his .ix. chapitre God is he that in his wrathe no man may resyste And as it is wryten in the book of Hester the .xiii. chapitre Fayre lord god kyng omnypotent alle thynges be sette vnder thy Iurysdyccyon and is none that may resyste thy wyll Certeyn that haste made the skye the erthe and all that is conteyned in the circuyte of the worlde thou art lord of all thynges is none that may resyste thy wyl This is the grete myghty and puyssaunt lord of whose gretnesse myght there is noo nombre nor ende he shall drede none be they neuer so myghty It is wryten in the boke of Sapience in the vi chapitre Oure lord shall drede no body what so euer he be for he hath made both grete smale It is red in the Apocalyps in the .vi. chapitre Our lorde shall not drede the gretenesse of man what so euer he be The kynges of the erthe the prynces of the worlde the trybunes the riche the stronge all men aswell bonde as fre shall hyde them in the caues emong stones of the roches sayeng to the mounteynes falle vpon vs hyde vs from the face of hym that sytteth in the trone and the wrathe of the lambe for the grete day of Ire is come It is redde in the same Apocalyps in the xviii chapitre The kynges of the erthe shall wepe and they shall specyally complayne that haue made fornycacyon with Babylon and haue lyued in delectacyons whenÌ„e they shall see the smoke of his embrasynges and shall wyll them to be ferre for fere of the tourmentes Certayne as saynt Mathewe sayth in his .xxii. chapitre There shall be then grete trybulacoÌ„n so grete that sythens the begynnyng of the world tyll now was there neuer none lyke Secondly there is another thyng that agrogeth the sayd sentence That is to saye that there is no place there for
syÌ„ners to hyde them in as Saynt Ancelme sayd It shall be then a thyng impossible one to hide hyÌ„ And therfore he sayth in his .xxiiii. chapitre Ther shall no tenebres be there nor no shadowe of dethe that they may hyde those that haue done iniquyte Saynt Bernard sayd in one of his sermons That before the Iudicial chere of Ihesu cryst shall they stande all naked that haue stopped theyr ere 's to the voys of counseyll wherfore they shall here the voys of the IugemeÌ„t as it is before alledged My right dere brother frende drede this daye doubte cordyally the sayde Iuge lord that shall deme all thynges to the entent that thou mayste the more dylygently eschewe all synnes And it is red in an other place That in dredyng oure lorde it withdraweth euery man from euyll doyng There is yet an other thynge whiche agrogith this sentence there is no place to apele to ony other nor space for to flee To that purpose seyth the Psalter whether shall I goo bakwarde from thy spiryt how shall I flee bakwarde from thy face yf I mount vp in to the skye thou arte there yf I descende in to helle thou arte present there besydes me therfore sayth our lord of synners by Amos in the xix chapitre They shall flee and there shall be none saued of them yf they descende in to helle my hande shal pull them vp from thens yf they hyde them in the mouÌ„teyne of Carmele I shall seke them tyl I haue put them thens And yf they hyde them in the botom of the see I shal sende a dragon whiche shal deuour them And yf they go in to seruage amonges theyr enmyes I shal sende a swerde whiche shall slee them shall cast myn eye vpon them in wrath not in loue Iob sayth in his x. chapitre Our lord oughte to Iuge all thyngis is none that may escape his hondes Certeyly I see clerely the honde of our lorde almyghty wyll fynde vs ouer alle And therfore sayth the Auctour of the chare of the soule what wylte thou riche man do that neuer shalt lyue surely whether shalte thou retraye the whether wylt thou torne thy body for thou arte not sure here nor ellys where fore and thou stye vp in to the skye or descende in to helle he that hath domynacoÌ„n is the cruell myghty kynge If thou go in to the see that kynge hath gouernauÌ„ce there thou shalt not mowe thenne goo no parte surely for thou shalt be fouÌ„de euery where Certeynly thou shalt haue noo place to flee to nother in thy dethe nor in thy lyfe O how well comprehended this Elezearus that sayd I wyll neyther flee quyk nor dede from the hondes of the almyghty As it is wryten in the seconde boke of Machabe the .vii. chapitre Lo by thyse our lordes sayenges it appereth in many maners that fynall Iugement is to be redoubted of all shall be for thaccusacoÌ„n of dyuerse thynges whiche must be vyolently suffred sustened born for the Iust Reason that must nedes be yelden syngulerly generally of alle thynges And for the diffynytyf sentence that shall be thenÌ„e pronouÌ„ced right horrybly by the Iust Iuge The remembrauÌ„ce then of these thynges dilygently contynued that is to saye of the fynal Iugement of the sentence that shall be gyuen there as it is sayd shall pÌ„serue defende not without reason euery man from fallyng in to synne eschewe to do euyll to the ende to come fynally to the glory with the happy sayntes of paradyse ¶ And thus endeth the seconde parte of this treatyse deuyded in four partyes ¶ Here begynneth the prologue of the thyrde parte of the foure laste thynges to come THe thirde of the four laste thynges wherof the remembrauÌ„ce preserueth from synÌ„e is helle or the infernall gehenne And therfore sayth Anastasye of saynt Anthony the heremyte whenÌ„e the deuyll tempted hym to ony synne he remeÌ„bred the paynes of helle due vnto synners â–ª wiche thought was so enprynted in his herte that fynally he therby vaynquysshed the deuyll and was delyuered from his temptacyons and rested free from all synne It is to be noted howe touchyng this mater present thre thynges are pryncypally to be consydered Fyrst the dyuerse nomynacyon of the paynfull places of helle Secondely the many folde afflyccions of th infernall mynystres Thirdely the strange dyuerse maners of the tormentes of helle of the whiche .iii. thynges the remembrauÌ„ce proufyteth gretely and withdraweth a man from fallynge to synne ¶ Howe helle is named by holy scrypture in dyuerse wyse ¶ The fyrst chapitre of the thirde part princypal IT is now fyrst to be Declared pryncypally the nomynacyon of the paynefull places of helle wherfore it is to be knowen that helle is a place full of fyre and is soo called de Infero infers That is to saye to bere in for the soules of synners be borne in to it for to suffre payne there eternally And therfore sayth Iob in his seuenthe chapitre He that shall descende in to helle shall not come agayne ne euer retourne vnto his house And also helle is oftentymes called gehenne of fyre The forsayd saynt Gregory in his fourth booke of his dyalogys sayde Certeynly it must be byleued that there is oonly but one fyre in the gehenne of helle but it tormenteth not all synners after one maner for euery maÌ„ shall haue payne after the quantyte of his gylte and trespace Isydorê° in the booke of souerayne goodnesse sayth that the fyre of the geheÌ„ne of helle shall shyne lyght to the dampned folkes in encreasyng of theyr paynes to th entent that they may see theyr owne sorowes it shal neyther light nor shyne to theyr consolacoÌ„n nor gyue them cause of ony reioysyng The payn of thoos that be dampned is doubled by sorow paynes that tormeÌ„teth the soule fyre that brenneth the body Of this fyre of helle speketh the Psalter sayeng The coles shall falle vpon synners whiche shall be cast in to the fyre hauyng no conforte in theyr myseryes our lord shall tormmente them with his Ire the fyre shall deuour them wherfore it is wryten in Isaye in the .ix. chapitre The people shall be as mete vnto the fyre it is also sayd to euery synner in Ezechyell in the .xxi. chapitre Thou shalt be fyres mete In Iheremy the .xv. chapitre seyth our lord to the dampned folkes thenbrasyng fyre inferyour shall broyll and brenne vpon you all this fyre is of that nature that perpetually it shall brenÌ„e and shall neuer haue nede to be renued It is wryten in Iob the .xx. chapitre The fyre whiche canne neuer be quenched shal vtterly deuour them O howe sore shall oure lorde venge hym thenne vpon the dampned synners As it is sayd in Ecclesiastico in the .vii. chapitre The flesshe of synners shall haue vengeance by fyre This fyre of the gehenne of helle is
of helle And what is a more Ioyefull blysse than celestyall glorye Saynt Bernard sayd in the same sermon These ben the four wheles of the chare wherof the Remembraunce bryngeth maÌ„nes soule to the euerlastyng glorye of paradyse These ben also iiii moeuynges that awake the spiryte of man to the ende that he disprayse alle worldly thynges retorne vnto his creatour maker Lo it is then both coÌ„uenyent proufytable that they be had contynuelly in remembrauÌ„ce therfore sayth the wyse man in the xxviii chapitre of Ecclesiasticê° Bere in thy mynde the last fynall thyng is loke alway perfyghtly vpon them to th entent that they may be surely fixed printed in thy memorie Now syn all this processe princypally soueraynly enforseth hymselfe tenduce euery crature to haue an assured mynde an hole remembrauÌ„ce of these iiii last thynges that they may cordyally be enprynted with in your hertes Therfor it is consonant accordyng yf it so may please that this present treatyse may be entytled and bere the name of the Cordyall ¶ Thus endeth the prologue of this booke named Cordyall Whiche treateth of the four last and fynall thynges that ben to come And here begynneth the fyrste parte of the sayd four last thynges THe fyrst parte of the four last thyÌ„ges wherof the remembraunce withdraweth a man fro synne is deth present or temporell And therfore seyth saynt Bernard in a bok called the Myrour of monkes The most souerayn phylosophye is to thynke all way on deth And he that beryth it in his mynde in what place so euer he go shall neuer synne Saynt Austyn sayth in his boke of exortacyons There is noo thyng that soo well reuoketh and calleth a man from synne as often RemembrauÌ„ce of dethe Certayn it is that thynge whiche causeth a man to be humble to dysprayse hymselfe and to do penaunce ¶ How RemembrauÌ„ce of dethe maketh a man to be humble meke ¶ The fyrst chapitre of the fyrst parte pryncypal I Say that recordyng the RemeÌ„brauÌ„ce of deth maketh a man to be meke humble hym selfe And therfor sayth Saynt Austyn in the book that he made of our lord A man knowyng himselfe to be mortall it shal put from hym all maner of pryde In very trouthe all our other thynges as well good as badde be incerteyne But of deth oonly we maye be well ensured And how be it that the hour therof to vs is hydde and incerteyn Yet alway she is approchyng shal surely come without longe taryeng And to this purpose sayth Ecclesiastics in his .xiiii. chapitre Bere well in remembrance that deth shal not tarye It is also wryten in Thoby that deth hasteth that there may no fleeng â—uayle Also by the comune lawe of nature euery man must paye his mortall trybute Saynt Bernarde sayth in a sermon O wretched man why doost thou not dyspose thy selfe to be redy at all houres thynke that thou arte now dede lyns thou knowest well that necessaryly it behoueth the to dye Remembre wel how thyn eyen shall tourne in thy hede the veynes breke in thy body thyn herte shal deuyde in two partes by the righte sharpe anguysshe and payne of deth Who is he thenne that ought not to drede make hyÌ„selfe humble whan he knoweth certaynely that he must retourne and become erthe Now truly there shall be none excepcyon of persones But al shall passe that waye For as it is wryten in the seconde booke of kynges Whe shall all dye and the erthe shall swolowe vs as it dooth water cast therupon whiche neuer retourneth We rede also that this worde Mors in latyn maye well so be called For it is a bytter morsell vnto all men in soo moche that no creature maye escape it And therfore it is sayd in the boke of dyspraysyng of the worlde Dethe cutteth doun and dystroyeth all thynges create and made in fleshe She bothe beteth doun the hye men lowe for the hath domynacion vpon worldly lyuyng thynges She regneth Imperyally ouer the nobles and dredeth no lyuyng creature for her power is comyn ouer prynces and dukes She taketh aswell the yonge as the olde And whan she smyteth she hath mercy of no creature Alle thynges create in flesshe peryssheth vnder her honde Nor ther be none so stronge but that the beteth them doun without rescuse And ther is no thynge beryng lyfe but that she destroyeth and wasteth it without ony escape And the neyther taketh mede allyaunce ne frendshyp What shall I shore saye euydently dethe spareth no body For neyther poore ne ryche shall mowe escape out of her cheyne Certaynly I vnderstande now that dethe is th ende of all worldely lyuynge thynges And therfore it is wryten in Ietha the Poete That deth taketh away and dooth anyntyse all quycke thynges Lo it is not sayde that the wyse Cathon and the good Socrates ben dede Whiche gyueth example that there is neyther scyence ne doctryne that may preserue one fro the ruynouse darte of deth It is writen in Ecclesiastes in the seconde chapitre Aswell dyeth the wyse man as the fole It is wryten in Isaye in the .xxxiii. chapitre Were are now become the lettred men where ben the prechers of the worde of god Where be they that were wont to teche the childern These questions implyed as moche as to saye they lyue not be goon paste in the comyn course with other dede of this worlde Now by cause Ietha named but only the two afore specyfyed I praye the telle me Where is now Hector of Troye where is become Iulius Cesar where is Alexander the grete where is Iudas Machabeê° where is the myghty Sampson where is Crassus the riche where to the fayre Absolon where is Galyen the physycyen Auycenne his felowe where is the wyse Salomon where is Arystocle the phylosopher where is Virgyle the right experte poete be not all these dede and passed out of this worlde as pylgryms and gestes departed hens in a right short space yes certaynly ther is not one lefte a lyue of them al their Ioyes were but vanytees and are fayled theyr dayes be consumed passed as the Psalter seyth man passed his dayes resemblyng a shadowe one tyme he is hole stroÌ„ge of all his membres on the morow seke leyde in the erthe And as Cathon sayth Our lyfe is gyuen vnto vs to be full of doubte and of fragylyte This appereth also clerely by a phylosophre named Secundus whom theÌ„perour Adryane questyoned with of that beyng thestate of man whiche answered as foloweth Man is subget vnto deth dost of the place where he is a voyager passyng semblably vnto a pece of snowe Also lyke a reed bery and lyke a newe apple by whiche thynge is euydencly shewed how frayle how sleder also how lytyll enduryÌ„ge is the lyfe of a man And not oonly the lyf of poure people But also the lyfe of
spyrytuall thynges For yf they were lette other by defaute of spyryte or by sekenesse of the body he that soo sholde take awaye from his body theffect of good werke The true desyre of his spyryte The good example to be shewed to his neyghbour the honour to God his maker He sholde doo sacrylege and be culpable of all this thynges ayenste God Yet sayth saynte Gregory in his Moralys in the one and therty chapitre By abstynence sholde the vyces of the flesshe be quenched Certaynely yet whenne we putte awaye our enemye we gryue our owne flesshe Secondely oure lorde shall aske vs yf we haue corrected oure body with the Rodde of dyscyplyne in refraynynge hit from Rebellyon and other vayne Iolytees Sayut Bernarde sayth vpon the Cantycles that the dysacustomynge of good werkes muste be chastysed holpen by the bytte of discyplyne He sayth also in a Pystle O how well good disposicyon yeldeth discyplyne to the state of the body and the habytacōn of the thoughtes abateth the slepe of the hede she ordeyneth the contynuaunce of the vysage she tempereth the tonge she refrayneth the throte she appeseth the Ire dresseth the goyng Thyrdely our lord shall aske yf we haue laboured our body in vertue in werkes of penaunce Therof sayth saynt Austyn in his book of Baptysyng of children That Adam was chased oute of Paradyse terrestre because that delycyous place it sholde sygnyfye that labour whiche is contrary to delyte shold be shewed vnto the tendre flesshe of the childern And therfore our bodyes may be called a laborȳg best which our lord hath sente vs to do accomplysse the werkes of penaunce Holde not the body then in yolenesse in an moche as thou knowest not how longe hit shall abyde with the. But perfourme the werkes of penaūce Lest perauenture he asketh it agayn that hath lence hit the. Crysostom sayth If thou haue borowed an Oxe or an Horse thou wylte anone sette hym a werke lest he be asked agayn of the on the morow why wylt not thou semblably do with thy body as thou wylt do w ▪ the Horse or Oxe Thus then norysshe dyscretely thy body whiche is lent the by Ihesu Cryst in suche wyse as thy nature may be susteyned the vyces ouercome thy body corrected by the rodde of discyplyne so as it may be obedyent resplendysshyng in Chastyte Instructe it to good labours so that hit chase away all ydlenesse fynally that thou mayste yelde our lord a good a Iust Rekenyng there of atte the daye of Iugement Thyrdely we muste yelde rekenyng of our next kynnesmen Fyrste the fader of the sone As is wryten in the fyrst boke of Lrynges in the seconde chapitre the thirde of Hely that was punysshed for his childeren because he knewe they dyde a mysse corrected not theyr defautes Therfor is also wryten in Salomon the nyne twenty chapytre Lerne and teche thy sone And to the same purpose sayd A wyse man If thou haue a sone correcte hym yf he synne lest by right thou abye not his trespace Secondely the Prelate shall gyue Rekenyng of his subgette or dyocesan For it is wryten in Ezechyell the eght and therty Chapitre My sone I haue sette the to be a beholder ouerseer of men in the hous of Ysrahell when thenne thou herest ony of the wordest of my mouth shew them on my behalfe That is to wyte If I saye to a felon O theff thou shalt dye an euyll deth And yf thou shewe not my sayeng to hym to th entent that he may amende hym yf he dye in that wyckednesse I shal aske of thy hāde his lyfe agayne Item the same Ezechyell sayth in his .xxxiii. chapytre Beholde and see how I am my selfe aboue all my other herdemen And I shall aske my bestayll of theyr hondes The lordes or Prynces Royall shall yelde rekenȳg accomptes of theyr subgettis As it appereth in the Book of Nombres in the .xxv. chapitre where the worldely Prynces are cōmaūded to be hanged on the galowes for the synne of theyr people because the people dyde fornycacyon with the doughters of Moab whiche they called theyr Sacryfyce As is redde in the sayde chapitre Suche thenne be the Prynces Prelates As is wryten in Iheremyas the fyue and twenty chapitre Howle ye herde men crye strongely cast vpon you asshes for your dayes be complete to th entent that ye be slayne and caste in the erthe as precyous vessels Beholde thenne these prelates of the chirche the prynces vnyuersall of the Erthe that be constytute aboue all other Loke how they gouerne by example How they instructe by wordes How they defende by dede the poore people that arne commytted to theyr gouernaūce Certeynly the prelates owen to teche theyr people and defende them wysely from the assawtes of Heretykes worse and more cursed thanne wolues and from theyr cautellys wylyer thanne foxes And the temporall Prynces owen to doo Iustyce vppon trespassours and defende theyr good subgettes And kepe wedowes orphanes wretched persones And not to gryue ony body by vnrightfull exaccyons or Iniust causes They may knowe what is wryten in the booke of Sapyence the .vi. Chapitre Howe there shall be a right harde Iugement to thoos that ben precellent aboue all other Certeynly mercy shall be graunted vnto the good poore man but the badde riche man shall suffre grete tourmēte O ye prelates of the chirche and ye prynces of the vnyuersall worlde these wordes ben addressed vnto you to th entent ye sholde lerne wysdome and not to fall therfrom and that ye enstructe gouerne and defende youre subgettes so well that ye may be sure atte the last daye of the righte harde Iugement where the gretest and strongest payns shall be to th offenders that haue ben myghtyest here Fourthly it behoued to yelde Rekenynge of all our wylles werkes And Anastasye saythe vpon the Symboll Quicunque vult saluus esse c. Howe atte the comynge of oure Lorde Ihesu Cryste alle mankynde shall arryse bodely and yelde Rekenynge of theyr propre werkes That is hit that is wryten by Thappostle in the seconde Pystle ad Coryncheos the fyfthe chapitre where he sayth It behoueth that we shewe vs alle manyfestely before the Iudycyall sete of Ihesu Cryst to the entente that eueryche resceyue there good or euyll accordyng to theyr merytes desertes It is redde in Ecclesiastes in the last chapitre Our lorde shall bryng vnto the Iugemente all thynges that be done And not oonly the grete greuous synnes but also those that we thynke belytyll or none The paas of a man semeth but a smale thynge Neuerthelesse it shall be Rekened for atte the fynall day of Iugement Therfore say the Iob in his .xiii. chapitre Syre thou hast welmarked my wayes my pathes haste beholden the Traces of my fete And after he seyth in the chapitre folowȳg Thou hast nombred al my steppes Item also
accordyng to theyr demerytes And whenne these two brethern came afore hym echone knewe other the wyse brother sayd O syr kyng our Iuge I complayne me gretly of this maÌ„ my brother for as we wente togydies in a way he beyng reputed a fole and I wyse yet neuerthelesse he wolde not beleue me no goo after me the good waye that I taught hym but hath made me to folowe hym in the euyll way wherin we were taken and so he is gylty of my dethe And to the corntarye the ignoraÌ„t fole sayd to the same kyng Syr I haue gretter cause strenger Reason to complayne me agaynst my brother for where he ought not to haue byleued me nor folowed me lyghtly in the waye whiche he knewe well was euyll dauÌ„gerous for he wolde not a folowed me I wold haue retourned ageyn and folowed hym whereby I sholde in noo wyse haue fallen in his daungere therfore he is verrey gylty of my deth whenÌ„e these wordes were hadde on eyther partye The kynge pronownsed gaue a sentence sayeng Thou fole thou woldest not trust thy wyse brother thou wyse haste folowed this fole in his euyll wayes wherfore ye bothe shal be hanged coÌ„dempned to dethe Semblably shall it be at the day of Iugement in the consuÌ„macoÌ„n of this worlde when by the almyghty power of god the soule of euery man woman shall retourne ageyn be reioyned to the yr owne bodyes apperyÌ„g before the hyghe Iuge to resceyue dome IugemeÌ„t of all thynges knowen forgoten for the folysshe body because it wold not folowe the couÌ„seyll of the wyse soule the wyse spyryte because it wolde not resyste but ensue the folysshe body they shal be both daÌ„pned togyder in the last extremyte of IugemeÌ„t For this cause the sentence of the Iuge is called a swerde with two edges as is writen in thapocalips in the fyrst chapitre For it shal stryke the wretched synner bothe in body soule It is wryten in the Gosspell of seynt Mathew in the .x. chapitre Drede hyÌ„ that shal mow lese pu◠〈…〉 the the body soule in 〈…〉 geheÌ„ne of helle The qualyte of the sayd Iuge yeldeth sheweth the sayde sentence to be dredefull dauÌ„geroê° CerteyÌ„ly it shal be ê“nouÌ„ced by a circuÌ„specte a right prudent Iuge whiche shal neuer fayle for euery thyng is notarily to hyÌ„ knoweÌ„ for god knoweth the hydde thyngis of the hert sercheth the werkes of men wherfor it is writeÌ„ ad Hebreos in the .iiii. chapitre Alle thyÌ„gis be opeÌ„ to his eyen for he loketh into the hertes As it is red in the fyrst book of Lrynges in the xvi chapitre Also it is red in Ecclesiastes the xxiii chapitre The eyen of our lorde be moche clerer thenÌ„e the sonne for they behold all the wayes of man the ê“fouÌ„de depnesse the hertes of men see alle the hydde thynges of the erthe And as Boece de consolacde sayth Grete curyosyte to do well is introducte vn 〈…〉 because all that we do is done afore hym that seeth all thynges Iheremy seith in his xxii chapitre Thyn eyen be open vpon all the wayes of the childern of Israell I shall yelde to eueryche of theym after his wayes after the fruyte of his admynystracions Certeynly the Iuge is gretely to be drad whiche loketh vpon al thynges bothe open shette all secrete thyngis to him knowen all derke thynges to hym is clere all dome thynges answere vnto hym all thoughtes speke to hym without voys al sylences coÌ„fesse them vnto him This sentence is to be gyuen by the Iust Iuge whiche wyll not beâ—owed he shall Iuge all the circuyte of the erthe the peple in equyte â–ª He grutcheth not attethe myght of ony body nor he excepteth no ê‘sone what soeuer they be nor he ne wyll be appeased then by ony gyftes It is wryten in Deutronomii in the .x. chapitre God is grete myghty terryble whiche wyll fauour no ê‘sone nor he resceyueth no gyftes Certaynly a pure a clene conscyence then shal be more worth then the purses full of syluer The habondauÌ„ce of rychesse shall not proufyte thenne nor ony thyng that longeth to riche people But oonly shal proufyte the werkes of Pyte of Iustyce It is wryten in Ezechiell in the .vii. chapitre Theyr mony shall be then theyr douÌ„ghylle neyther theyr golde nor theyr syluer shal mow delyuer them in the day of furour of our lord ThenÌ„e shal appere the fraude the falshed â–ª of this worlde vylenesse of all richesse O how swete a thyng how grete a Ioye shall it be thenÌ„e to those that haue hated this worlde how sorowfull bytter shal it be vnto them that haue had it in lust and delectacoÌ„n This sentence is also to be gyuen by the Iuge that wyll not be corrupt then by prayers nor appeased by desyres And as it is wryten in the Prouerbys of Salomon in the .vi. chapitre He wyll not obtempre then nor bowe to oni requestis what soeuer they be Crysostom sayth the angeles wyl not then intercede nor pray for the men for the Iuste Iuge wyll shew there no mysery corde but wyll yelde to eueryche after his meryt the merytes egally not bowyng Iustyce therfore sayth he by his ê“phete Ezechiel in the vii chapitre I shall do the right after thy wayes shal Iuge the after thy IugemeÌ„tâ— I shall make the knowe that I am thy lorde For that cause sayd Iob all dredefully I resyne alle my werkes knowyng the that ne wylt spare ony thyng the delynquentes or trespassours of all these thyÌ„ges speketh Saynt Bernarde in a pse whiche he made sayeng Certaynly our lord shall Iuge Iustly shall except no persone nor shall be corrupt by ony pryse nor gyftes Semblably he shall not bowe for ony maner of prayer O my right dere frende labour then dylygeÌ„tly to bere Iustyce thyder as thou shalt fynde no mysery corde For as it is wryten in the Prouerbys of SalomoÌ„ The riches shall not proufyte in the day of veÌ„geance but Iustyce shall cause thenne delyuerance from deth And yf the scolers that can not theyr lessoÌ„s drede gretly to be examyned of theyr mayster lest they sholde be egrely punysshed how moche sholde the synners drede then thextremye examynynge of the souerayne Iuge when they haue not studyed in the boke of Iustyce of trouth Certeynly in the apposayle is examyned all thynges that now be nought the vniuste synners shall be punysshed the seed of felons shall perishe to the contrary the Iuste people shall be then in the eternall memory shall not drede in ony wyse ony euyil accusacyon It is wryten in Ecclesyastyco the .xviii. chapitre Make redy Iustyce afore the Iugement This fynall senteÌ„ce shal be also gyuen by a Iuge cruelly moued whiche in noo wyse shall mowe be appeased For oure
bouÌ„den honde fote Lo how the wretched synÌ„er descendyng in to helle shall be fulfylled with all tormentes It is wryten in Iob the .xv. chapitre of the daÌ„pned man how tribulacoÌ„n shal holde him anguys she shall enuyronÌ„e hym And in the .xiii. chapitre of Isaye How all mennys hertes shall be abasshed ferde for the sorowes torcyons that shal holde hym hauynge the payn that women suffre trauelyng of childe echo ne shall sorowe vpon his neyghbour theyr broyled faces shall affray eue riche other Therfor Baruch sayd in his .vi. chapitre Theyr faces be blacked with smoke for the faces of all synners shall be brought to the lykenesse of a rounde potte as it is wryten in Iohell the seconde chapitre Also it is sayde in Ecclesiastyco the .xlviii. chapitre The paynes of a woman trauelynge shall come vnto them The same also is wryten in Ozee the .xiii. chapitre Soo as it appereth there be many scorges fleyles in helle for to bete synners therwith Certeynly the dampned soule shall mowe saye with the Psalter The sorowes of deth haue compassed me the paynes of helle haue fouÌ„den me It sayth It hath compassed me for this cause For it is to hym a vestyment or coueryng of maledyccion whiche shal be both within hym withoute hym O what vestyment shall this be that shal be women with soo paynfull thredes those without nombre whiche can neuer be vndone nor taken away for with an inmortale stryng it shall be inseparably bounden vnto the synner This shall be a sore and a bytynge vestyment to be suffred This is the vestymente that is wryten of in Isaye in the .xiii. chapitre sayeng Thy vestyment shall be wormes The coÌ„syderacoÌ„n of these many folde paynes reuoked called Dauyd from synÌ„e caused hym to doo penauÌ„ce therfore he sayd to our lorde How many sorecribulacoÌ„ns hast that she wed me that coÌ„uerted hast reuyned me The consyderacoÌ„ns also of thise for said paynes moeued somtyme an heremyte for to take-vppon hym a right sharpe paynfull lyf whiche he ledde in his heremitage as it is red in Vitis patruÌ„ It was axed of hyÌ„ why he wolde so slee him selfe And he answered All the labour of my lyf is not suffycyent to be coÌ„pared to one of the dayes of tourmentes that be or deyned reserued for synners in tyme to come Beda sheweth vs in his wrytyng of Englond how that in the tyme of yonge ConstaÌ„tyne ther dyed a knyghte about the yeres of our lord .viii. C. and .vi. whiche knyght reuyued after for the paynes that he had seen he fledde in to an heremytage as it is red in Vitis patruÌ„ he made hyÌ„ a lityll hous by a Ryuyer syde In the whiche ryuyer he wolde renne oftentymes all clothed in the wynter tyme. wold suffre his clothes to frese vnto his fleshe thenne after he wolde lepe in to a bayn as hote as hit was possyble to hyÌ„ to suffre And this lyf he ledde vnto his deth And whenÌ„e folkes sawe hym do soo they blamed hym therfor he sayd to them Yf ye had seen that I haue seen ye wolde do as I do rather more Saynt Gregory sayth The vysyon of the paynes of helle is the moost excellente moeuyng that can be to penaunce and contricion The thyrde condycyon encreasyng the paynes of helle is the euerlastyngnesse therof It is wryten in the boke of Sapyence the .iiii. chapitre Oure lorde shall mocke them That is to vnderstonde synners after they shall fall from theyr worshyp among them that be sempyternally dede Saynte Mathew sayth the .xxv. chapitre They be those that shall goo in to tourmentes In Iudyth the xvi chapitre is red that our lord shall sende wormes of fyre ayenst theyr fleshe that they may breÌ„ne and yet lyue and fele the paynes for euer To that purpose speketh Isaye in his last Chapitre thê° Theyr wormes shal not dye nother theyr fyre quenche And therfore sayth our lord in Deutronomye in the .xxxii. chapitre The fyre is kyndeled with my furour and shall brenne in to the lowest parte of helle and that shall be perpetuelly and endelesly Isaye in his .xxxiii. chapitre sayth O whiche of vs shal mowe suffre and endure the deuourynge fyre who shall mowe be amonge those that shall be brente sempyternally In the xxxiii chapitre of the same Isaye is sayde The grouÌ„de where they dwelle shall be conuerted into brennynge pytche nyght and daye and shall not quenche and the smoke shall be from generacoÌ„n to generacoÌ„n vpon them duryng the world of worldes It is wryten in the Apocalyps in the .xx. chapitre The deuyll shal be sente in to the lake of fyre and sulpher and brymstone where the euyll beste and the false prophete shall be tormented nyghte and day in the worlde of worldes And he that shal not be fonden in the book of lyfe shall be sente in to the lake of fyre there for to dwelle in the shadowe of dethe where is none ordre but sempyternall horrour and sorowe It is wryten in Iob the .x. chapitre and also Saynt Gregory seyth in his Moralles a right horryble worde That is to wyte Thenne shall the myserable synners suffre a grete payne with a grete fere a grete flamme with a derkenesse and deth without deth an ende without fynysshyng for that dethe shall euer lyue and that ende shall begynne alwaye ageyne and that faute shall neuer fayle And a poete sheweth howe that myserable dethe can not dye nor fynysshe but semeth alle waye that it begynneth and reneweth wepynges and languysshynges Peter de bloys sayd in a pystle There shall be none order of ony maner of tormentes nother sparynge but endelesly the paynes shall renue begynne ageyn dethe can not dye there for it shall be alway ê‘manent and neuer cessyng to th entent that the condaÌ„pned soules may myserably alway encreace in theyr paynes and sorowes and be nourysshed in eternall dethe The Psalter sayth They be casten in to helle as shepe and dethe fedeth them Mowe thenne this synners haue theyr fedynge of deth what shal be their drynke Herkene what is wryten in Deutronomye in the .xxxii. chapitre the burgynge of the grape the vyne that they shall haue shall be aysell and galle of Dragons and the venym of the Adder called aspe whiche is incurable O wherewith shall the synners be nourysshed seest that not howe they be perpetually tourmented with the mooste cruell deth they shall lyue then in dyeng shall be dede lyuyng Saynte Bernard seyth in a boke that he sente vnto Pope Eugeny The bytynge worme the lyuyng dethe I grouge and secre gretely I drede to falle in to the handes of the dethe that euer lyueth and of the lyfe that neuer dyeth Saynte Gregory sayth That the felon synners shall dye of inmortall deth O good lord eternall why hast thou suffred me doo contrarye thy wyll werke myne owne sorow
riche Rewarde hit moeueth a man from alle the passyons of his pleasyrs and Voluntarely to ryse vppe in Batayll ayenst them encendynge to haue vyctorye vppon his fyrst delectable vayne pleasante thoughtes Abacuk saythe desyrousely in his .iii. Chapytre Rottynnesse wyll entre in to my bones and sprynge vnder me in my lyfe by cause I sholde rest me the day of trybulacyon Beholde here my righte dere frendes howe fructuouse and howe hoolsome is the Remembraunce of the Infernalle paynes The psalter sayth Synners they be transported in to helle Wherfore by good medytacyons euery man in his lyfe entende to the resystence of that daungere Or ellys they muste lyuynge dye perpetually It is redde How he is eâ—reâ—sely happy that beholdeth the deâ—â—â—enebres That is to saye To regystre in his herte the Infernale tourmentes and that with a contynuall RemembrauÌ„ce in contemplacyon to frequente that sure memory Now me thynketh I haue suffysantely shewed you the manyfolde maners of the dyuerse paynes of Helle and howe vayllable and to what proufyte groweth the memoryale Remembraunce therof O mortall man what errour what folye and what faute is in the whenne it lyeth in thy free arbytrement to haue Ioyes euerlastyng and wyllyngly castest thy selfe in to the Infernall tourmentes and paynes from whens none may retourne but brenne there in fyre worlde without ende ¶ And thus endeth the thyrde parte of this treatyse dyuyded in four partyes ¶ And here begynneth the ê“logue vpon the .iiii. parte of the .iiii. last thyngis whiche be for to come THis thirde parte of the four laste thynges whiche be for to come wherof soueraynely the Remembraunce withdraweth a man from synne Is the mynde of the euerlastynge celestyall glorye And yf a man refrayne hymselfe from mourder of from ony crymynale cause for fece of losynge of his honour or temporale goodes how moche more ought he refreyne drede eschewe all synfull operacoÌ„ns wherby he myghte lese the moost blysfull sempyternall Ioyes saynte Austyn sayth in a boke of his confessyons There is a Ioye whiche is not to be gyuen to the felon synners but to those that of theyr free wyll loue and worshyppe the lorde god and thou thy selfe arte that Ioye For this cause it is wryten in the fyrste Pystle ad Coryntheos the .vi. chapitre The felon synners shall not possesse the kyngdome of heuen but shall confusedly be put therfroÌ„ as the vyle glotons and dyshonest folkes be chased out of theÌ„perour his courte and not suffre to sytte among kynges and prynces at theyr excellente and solempne tables And Cassydore sayth that euery man is putte cast from the deyte after the quantyte of his synnes And certeynly his castynge fro is mesured after the delectacoÌ„ns that he hath had in them Now sholde not thenÌ„e euery creature eschewe to do synne haue it in abhomynacyon as a mortall thyng knowyng that therby is lost the celestyall eternall glorye O what shall I poore wretche bareyn of know seche saye â–ª or how shall I talke of this glorye incoÌ„prehensyble Certeynely there was neuer eye that sawe nor ere that herde nor here that thought the Ioye that god hath ordeyned for those that he loueth As is writen in the fyrst Pystle ad Coryntheos the .ii. chapitre Therfor what shal I now more saye or wryte in this werke I am as one born blynde that dysputeth in colours hauynge no coÌ„fydence to myn owne ê“per wyste But there for I must referre myself to the testymonyes of scriptures by the whiche I wyll speke It is to be noted how albe it in the heuenly glory there be innumerable thyngis playnly approuyng the Ioye felycite therof Yet I wyll specyally shewe how it is to be rocomeded for .iii. thyÌ„ges The fyst for the soue rayne excellent clerenesse therof Secondly for the moste habundauÌ„ce of the goodnesses that be therin And thirdely for the moost blyssull Ioye therof ê‘durably enduryng the beaute therof nor the clernesse can not be mesured the Infynyte goodnesse can not be estemed nor theternall Ioye can not be compared nor sufficieÌ„tly praysed Of these .iii. thynges I shall treate breefly by order in this last part ¶ Thus endeth the prologue of the forthe the last part of this book ¶ How the Royalme kyngdome of heuen is praysed for his beaute clerenesse ¶ The fyrst chapitre of the fourth parte and the last pryncypall FIrst the kyngdome of heuen is to be recommended for the souerayn beaute clerenesse therof as it is wryten in the boke of Sapience the .v. chapitre wherin it is called the Royalme of beaute The Psalter sayth Lord I haue loued the beaute of thyn hous It is also wryten in Thoby the. xiii chapitre I shal be happy yf the Relyques of my sedes may see the dernesse of Iherusalem wherof the gates be made of Saphyres emerawdes other precyoê° stones The cyrcuyte of the walles with fayre bryght stones all the places paued with fyne golde It is wryten in Thapocalips the xxi chapitre That cyte was made of fyne golde pure clene as glasse The fondement of walles enourned with all precyous stones The twelue gates shall haue twelue Margarytes And the stretes of the cyte shall be of fyne golde shynyng as bryghte as glasse The temple is not yet spoken of â–ª Certeynly almyghty god is the temple therof and the Lambe is the lyght The forsavd Cyte hath noo nede of the Sonne nor of the Mone to lyght hit with all For the clerenesse of oure Lorde shall Illumyne hit and the Lambe shall be the lanterne and the peple shall mowe walke by that clerenesse It is also redde in the .xxii. Chapitre of Thapocalyps It shall neuer be nyghte there wherfore there nedeth no candell nor lanterne nor lyght of the sonne For the bryghtnesse of our lorde shall lyght and Illumyne them enduryngly worlde withouten ende whiche sayeng may well accorde with that that is wryten in Isaye the .lx. chapitre Thou shalt haue thenne noo nede of the shynyng of the sonne nor Resplendysshyng of the mone For oure lorde shall lyghte Illumyne the sempyternally In trouth he is a glas without ony spot a light Illumynyng euerlastyngly As it is wryten in the boke of Sapyence the .vii. chapitre Also oure lorde shall be the Resplendysshynge of glorye As is wryten to the Hebreos in the first chapytre whiche resplendysshyng shall be an hole lyght Abacuk in his .iii. chapitre sayth of this resplendysshyng all the sayntes shall take in the Royame of heuen clerenesse and sempyternall lyght wherwith all they shall reioyse them incessantely in grete felycyte It is also wryten in the book of Iugys the .v. chapitre Those that loue the shall shyne and resplende as the sonne doth in his rysyng Also is writen in the book of Sapyence the .iii. Chapitre How those that be Iuste shall shyne in theyr faders Royalme lyke the sonne O lorde sempyternall grouÌ„de of all vertu how good and how
thyn hous Now what be the goodes that sayntes shalle be fulfylled with but oonly the grace of the Incomprehensyble glorye Saynt Bernard sayth in a sermon of the Dedycacyon The resonable soule made after the ymage of God may well be occupyed with al other thyngis but it may not be all fulfylled Certeynly she coÌ„prehendyng god may not be fulfylled with lesse thynge than god we shal not oonly be fulfylled with this vnrecytable glory but also we shall be dronken assotted theron It is redde in Iheremye the .xxxi. chapitre I shall make dronke the soules of the preestes of grace that shal be at the grete soupper whiche is ordeyned for good folkes He shall sette and admynystre them mete of glorye and gyue them drynk of merueyloê° Ioye swetenes Then it shal be sayd to those that shal ete there As is wryten in the Cantycles the .v. chapitre My right dere frendes Ete and drynke and make you dronken In Isaye the .xxix. chapitre also it wryten Make you dronken but not with wyne wher with thenÌ„e shall they make them dronken with Ioye and with gladnesse and with felycyte and with many maners of the celestyall glorye O good lord god eternall how swetly shal thy good and newe seruauntes be dronken with the plenteuousnes of thyne house with the voluptuousnesse of the. For in the is the fontayne of lyfe the fontayne of beatytude and of glorye permanent and neuer fayllyng Certeynly all swetenesse belongeth to thyne house It is the house of our lord the cyte of god whiche is full of all rychesses resplendysshed with all goodes Therfore seyth Isay in his xxiii chapitre Thyn eyn shal see Iherusalem full habundant of alle goodes The grete multytude of the copyous habundance of the thynges before sayde of this cyte sholde not holy satysfye to calle vs thyder but also right specyally the restfull multytude of this peas wherin those that be happy shall delyte them enherytyng the contree aboue specifyed The same Isaye sayth in his lv chapitre ye shal passe out in Ioye shall be brought in to peas O how grete shall the habuÌ„dance of this peas be in Iherusalem wherin it shall remayne perpetuelly without ony waire Isay yet sayth in the .ix. .xxxii. chapitres My peple shall be in the beaute of peas in the tabernacles of confydence in the riche habundance of reste Also Thobye sayth in the .xiii. chapitre O Iherusalem cyte of god happely blyssed be thoso that loue the and reioyse them in thy peas It is in Ezechyell the .xiii. chapitre The sayntes see in the vysyon of peas there is Ioye peas with peas whiche is soo precyous that it surmouÌ„teth and is by yonde all humayne vnderstandyng Now thenÌ„e he that wyl be particypable of soo grete a Ioye peas with the sayntes eternally an hyghe in heuen he must lerne now to suffre humbly and haue pacyence here a lowe in erthe For as it is wryten in a book called Aurora drawen oute of the Byble By suffrance is wonnen that moost noble rest ther is none so wyse that can reioyse that peas but oonly it is hadde by trauayll and suffryng of trybulacoÌ„ns and paynes pacyently in this mortall worlde c. ¶ How the Royalme of heuen is praysed and landed for the Ioye blysse that is therin euerlastyngly ¶ The thyrde chapitre of the fourthe parte and the last pryncypall THyrdely the Royalme and kyngdome of god is to be recoÌ„mended for grete Ioye gladnesse that is therin eternally enduryng there vpon sayth Saynt Gregory in an Omelye who hath that tonge that can suffysantely declare and expresse the Ioyes of that souerayne Cyte Or who hath conuenably the vnderstondyng to comprehende how grete those Ioyes be to the companyes of Angellys and to the happy soules And how Inestymable is that moost blysfull eternall Ioye and glorye in beholdynge the vysage of oure lorde god hauynge noo maner of trouble nefere of dethe but lyue in reioysyng them of that moost precyous gyfte of grace whiche shall euer be permanent and without corrupcyon Certayn that Royalme the cyte of our lorde must be vnderstonde Iherusalem whiche Iherusalem is moost bonteuousely plenteuously and blyssedly edyfyed O cyte of cytees whiche is soo habundantely full of blysfull Ioyes to the happy soules loued be yu. It is wryten in Isaye the last chapitre Reioyse you with Iherusalem disporte you in her to the ende that ye may know and be fulfylled fedde with the pappe of consolacyon and that ye may be habundant in all maners with the delectacoÌ„ns of that glorye Of the whiche inmesurable felycyte and glory of that noble Cyte speketh Saynt Austyn in his boke of the cyte of our lorde sayeng O how grete shall the felicite be there where shal be nother payne nor harme nor we le nor good thyng hydde but entendynge hooly vnto the louynges and praysynges of our lord It is wryten in Isaye in the lxiiii chapitre There was neuer eye that sawe withoute the that Ioye whiche that haste ordeyned to them that abyde the nor more grete gladnesse can be than that thou wylt gyue those that thou louest whiche they shall possesse perpetuelly It is red in the same Isaye the .xxx. Chapitre They shal come in to syon and all louynges and sempyternall Ioyes vpon theyr hedes The Psalter saythe Our lord hath knowen the dayes of those that be pure not smouged and theyr herytage shall be perpetuell It is wryten in Thobye the .xiii. chapytre Lorde thou arte right gretely eternall thy Royalme is in alle worldes Saynt Austyne sayth in his book of the Cyte of our lord we shal be vnderstandyng shal see preyse loue on t lorde This shall be in then de whiche is withouten ende Now what sholde we desyre to be our ende but to serche seke the wayes to atteyne the comyng in to that royame wherin Ioyes haue none ende whiche royame is the royame of all the worldes and certaynely thy power and lordshyppe is vppon all generacyons Thoby sayth in his xiii Chapitre Blessyd be oure Lorde whiche hathe soo hyghe reysed Iherusalem to the entente that his royame be aboue in the worlde of worldes O how gloryous is the Royame where in the blyssed sayntes reioy se them with Ihesu Cryste and they cladde as in whyte aulbes folowe alwayes the lambe Now of this worlde to come speketh saynt Austyn in his boke of the debate by twix vertues vyces sayeng The loue of this prelence worlde is departed from me for there is no creature but he must nedys fynysshe dye here Hit all other wyse of the loue of the worlde that is to come In the whiche all be soo vyuyfyed that they can neuer dye after therin And therin is none aduersyte noo trouble none anguysshe no payne no dysease ennoyng nor werynesse but therin reygnen sempyter nall Ioyes The Psalter sayth The Iuste folkes eten and drynken
and reioysen them in the presens of our lord delycynge them in gladnesse And alle sorowe waylynges fleeth from them It is wryten in Thapocalyps the .xxi. chapitre Our lorde shall drye the teeres of theyr eyen Moreouer there shal be then no wepyng sayeng sorowe nor dethe for all that shall be passed before Isaye sayth in his .xxv. chapitre Our lorde shall take awaye the teeres of euery face shall take away the repreuys of his people in euery londe then the folkes shall saye Here is oure lorde god whome we haue abyden whiche shall saue vs we haue susteyned and suffred for hym And therfore we reioyse vs with and by hym in saluacyon O how grete shall be that Ioyeful gladnesse to those that shall be gloryfyed not oonly in loule but also in body It is writen in Isaye the .lxi. chapitre They shall be double possessed in theyr londe And in the Prouerbis the laste chapitre is wryten Alle his famylyare husholde seruauÌ„tes shall be cladde double That is to wyte with two aulbes that one is the body whiche they now possede tho ther the soule they shal not oonly haue Ioye of theyr owne proper good werkis but also syngulerly of the merytes of the happy sayntes Our lord sayth in Iheremye the xxxiii chapitre I shall enhabyte them assuredly they shall be my people I shall be theyr god and shall gyne them an herte and a soule â–ª not oonly by the vnyte of substance but by the boside of charyce Beholde me righte dere frendes yf the soule of a martyr of a confessour of a virgyn youres be allones ConsequeÌ„tly it semeth that ye shal reioyse you in their Ioyes that your soules shall be semblable vnto the apostles or ony other sayntes Saynt Gregory saythe how charyte shall be so plenteuously there that that wyll whiche he hath not for hym selfe he shal reioyse in seeng an other to haue it Certeynly those merueylous and manyfolde Ioyes can neuer entre mannes herte here and there euery hert shal be replenysshed and fulfylled with them For wtin and without aboue and benethen and in euery parte the happy soules shall merueylously reioy se them In the Inwarde parte by the purenesse of theyr conscyences In the outward parte by the gloryfyeng of theyr bodyes In the lower parte by the renouelyng beautees of the heuens and of the creatures there In the hyghest parte by the clere and vysyble syghte of our lorde god And in alle other partes by the Ioyefull delectable coÌ„panye of all the sayntes of heuen Now trewely there is no man that can ymagyne or thynke the gretenesse of the Ioyes that be there I ne can telle the reioysyng of the InhabytaÌ„tes in henen reygnynge there amonge the angelles of our lord god perpetuelly It is writen in the Gospell of Sayn te Mathewe in the .xxv. chapitre Entre thou in to the Ioye of thy lorde entre thy selfe in to that Ioye and with all thyne herte entre therin Of those Inmesurable quantytees of the celestial Ioyes speketh Saynt Bernarde in his book of Medytacyons Theyr gladnes hath all thyng in possessyon therin all festynges be possessyd and the men accompanyed with angelles shall remayne there perpetuelly withoute hauyng ony maner fleshly Infyrmyte There is infynyte Ioyousnes ther is sempyternall beatytude after the one is there to receyue it he shall remayne therin ê‘durably there is reste without labour peas and frenshyp without enuye quietenes surete without dangere the moost pleasant swe tenesse in the vysyon of our lord god Saynt Bernarde sayth The Ioyes swetenesse of that contree is soo grete that yf a man were therin but oonly the space of an hour all the Ioyes delectacyons of this presente lyfe myght comparabyly by Reason be myspraysed al Ioyes swecenes beautees that coude be thought had here be but paynes bytternesses fylthes in regarde of those righte as the myght bouÌ„te of our lorde god excedeth surmouÌ„theth alle other worldly thyngis O good lorde god what haue I wylled to haue in this er the when in heueÌ„ al thynges sholde be moche more desyred than ony power here golde sylner or ony precyoê° stones Now what shall I more say of this contree holy Cyte of Iherusalem where in the stretes is songen Incessantly Alleluya with Ioyouse swete melodyous tunes As is wryten in Thoby the .xiii. chapitre It is red also in Isay the .li. chapitre xlll Ioye gladnes shall be founden in the contree with accyons of graces voyces of louynges all shall saye in his Temple louyng honour and glorye be to the lorde And therfore the voys of gladnes and helthe shal sowne in the tabernacles of Iuste folkes In the Cyte of our lorde sowne contynuelly thorgons of the sayntes whiche haue vtterly forgeten the trybulacoÌ„ns paynes labours wretchednesses of this worlde vsynge in enioyeng the celestyall blysse O how swetely how pleasantly and howe clerely synge those in delasol that before haue wepte in gammoth in are Of this Cyte speketh Saynt Austyne in his book of medytacyons sayeng O cyte whiche is a celestyall house and a sure contrâ—e conteynynge all thynge that maye cause delect acyon There is thynhabytyng of rest The people is there without murmour or grouge O how many gloryous thynges be sayde of this Cyte the Inhabytacyon of our lorde is in the as in a thynge enioyenge alle good thynges There is peas pyte bounte clerenes lyght vertu honeste glorye reste louynge loue good concorde Ioye swetences blys and perdurable lyfe Of all those and the perdurable lyfe shal the happy soules be certayne and sure withoute ony lesyng therof Isaye sayth in his .xxxii. chapitre There shall be surete for euer Ezechyell sayth in his .xxxviii. chapitre They shall inhabyte fermely in eternyte withoute ony maner of fere It is redde in the Prouerbes of Salomon in the fyrste Chapitre He that hath well herkened shall reste without fere and enioye in habundance Saynte Austyn sayth That the eternall surete enourneth and fulfylleth the beatytudes of alle the celestyall goodnesses where yf that sempyternyte sholde faylle alle the other celestyall goodnesses be they neuer soo swete sholde be the lesse to be praysed Saynte Iohan sayth in his xviii chapitre In assurynge vs there is noo man that shalle bereue you your Ioye O hous of our lorde Cyte of the grete kynge how Innumerable and how grete be thyne eternall Ioyes with the manyfold gladnesses of those happy soules that be enhabyted with the. Now surely lord they be well blyssed that be Inhabyted in thyn hous in louynge the durynge the worlde of worldes who is he hauyng an hole Remembraunce that is soo Ignorant that he thynketh not that alle the companye of heuen loueth the not dyuynely in heuen The assurance of this perpetrell celestyale Ioye and gladnesse maye be vnderstonde in that that it is compared vnto the olyfe tree As Ozee sayth
in his .xiiii. chapitre His glorye shall be lyke an olyfe tree whiche is contynueth grene wynter and somer Of this eternall glorye sayth also Iohan Crysostom in his boke of the Reparacion of the falle of man How grete shall the voluptuoulnesse be how grete shall the Ioye and gladnesse be to the soule to be with Ihesu criste recoâ—â—ned to his proper generacyon and assuredly and vndoubtely to beholde and see our lord The gretenesse nor the quantyte of that Ioyeful blys can not be tolde nor recyted For one reioyseth hym not oonly of that we le and pleaser that he vseth and hath presently in oeure but moche more by cause he maye be sure Those Ioyes pleasers and blys shall neuer admynyshe nor ende Loo who is he that shall be partyner to that Ioye whiche is endeles Certayne it is ordeyned for folkes lordes and other shall reioyse them in the glorye of our lorde that haue folowed his traces in this worlde wherby they shall reygne with hym gloryfyed worshypped and crowned eternally in heuen O my right welbeloued brethern how gretely shall ye reioyse you yf ye be transported vnto that eternall glorye Certayne ye shall saye thenÌ„e in cryeng and syngynge as it is wryten in Isaye the .lxi. chapitre I gladde and Ioyefull shall reioyse me in oure lorde and my soule shall be mery in my god by cause he hath cladde me with the vestyment of saluacyon Of trouthe as it is wryten in Iob the xxii chapitre Thou shalt be habundant thenne in the delectacyon of the moost myghty lorde and shalt lyfte vp thyn eyen towarde god and the lyghte shall shyne in thy wayes Of this lyght is wryten in Ecclesyastyco the .xi. chapitre It is a delectable lyght to see the sonne That is to vnderstonde Ihesu Cryste whiche to knowe and beholde perdurably passeth and surmouÌ„teth all the Ioyes of this worlde is no meruayll for that knowleche and vysyon is the fode glorye and lyfe sempyter nall of the happy sayntes Saynt Iohan sayth in his .xviii. chapitre the eternall lyfe is this to know the sool veray god and Ihesu Cryste whome thou sendest downe in to this erthe for oure redempcyon Now thenne he that maye obteyne and come to that blysfull knowleche after dyuyne lecture to see god face to face that shall be the moost excellente Ioye and a spryngyng of all Ioyefull gladnesses saynte Bernard sayth in his sermon Verayly that is a trewe and a souerayne Ioye whiche is coÌ„ceyued and had not oonly by one creature but also by the creatour and maker of all creatures whiche Ioye thou shalte haue when he shall shewe the his face wherfor the ê“phete de syryngly sayd Lorde I requyre the lete me see thy gracyous face full of all Ioye and gladnesse Alas my delectacyon is prolon ged from me tyll I may haue that grete wele and tyll I maye be drawen vnto god my sauyour I shall shede teeres nyghte and daye Certaynly the vysyon by the whiche our lorde is seen face to face is in the thyrde heuen and yf it myght be sayd it is the paradyse of thousande heuens wherin the fontayne of clere water is seen by the happy lyfe Isaye sayth in his .lx. chapitre Thou shalt see then the face of our lorde and shalte be habundant in delectacyons and Ioyes sempyternally O how good arte thou lorde of Israell to them that haue rightfull hertes whiche wyll gyue them soo grete soo ryche and soo pleasante Ioyes My right dere brethern ye here gladly speke of these delectacyons and Ioyes and take pleaser therin Neuerthelesse ye ought not to be Ignorant to vnderstonde that the blessyd sayntes come neuer to these Ioyes but by grete paynes and labours Saynt Gregory seyth in his Omely The gretenesse of the rewardes gyueth me corage and my labours oughte not to fere me for one maye neuer atteyne to the grete rewardes but by grete labours That noble prechour Saynte Poull in the seconde Pystle to Tymothe the seconde Chapitre sayth How that there shall be none crowned but suche as haue manfully foughted Verely euery man shall receyue his Rewardes whiche shall be after his labours There be dyuerse that wyll not lyue well and yet they desyre to dye well They maye knowe the dethe of sayntes is full precyous in the presens of our lorde they maye knowe also when our lord hath gyuen reste to his soules they shall dwelle in his herytage permanentely by cause they haue be those that alwayes haue folowed hym in resystynge temptacyons Many of you wolde regne with Ihesu Cryste but ye wyll suffre noo thynge for his sake Balaam ariolus was suche one for in consyderynge the castell of the childern of Israhell he entended the hauyng of the eternall beatytude and sayde in hymselfe Dye my soule as Iuste folkes dye and be my laste thynges semblable vnto theyrs he delyted gretely theyr gloryous ende but he grouged to take theyr labours and paynes where by they hadde deserued the glorye eternall O god lorde Ihesu we wolde gladdely regne with the. Neuertheles we wyll not labour nor be partycypable to thy suffrances Thou chaseste myserye and pouerte and we haue taken vs vnto voluptuousnesses and delectacyons Thou hast taken vpon the and suffred bytternesses and sharpenesses to thy body and we haue chosen and folowed oure sensuale pleasyrs Saynte Bernarde sayde The sone of god is borne to whoo 's wyll was graunted alle that myght please hym He chose to be borne in the moost greuous tyme the blessyd lityll babe borne of a poore moder vnnethe hauynge clothes to wrappe and couer it in the crybbe Certeinly Ihesu Cryste whiche neuer is deceyued chace that the moost molested greued his fleshe Loo thenne it is best swettest and moste profytable to chese the bardeste payne in this worlde And who soo euer amonesteth or techeth otherwyse one ought to beware of hym and gyue hym lityll credence It was ones promysed by Isaye a lityll childe that coude repreue the euyll and chese the good The euyl was the voluptuous pleaser of the body the good was the payne and afflyccion therof A trouthe this childe is the sone of god whiche chose thaffliccoÌ„ns and repreued forsoke the voluptuoê° pleasers As sainte Bernard sayd O righte dere childe thou haste chosen from thy begynnyng here corporal affliccions in suffrance hast entred into thy glory whiche was properly thyne owen and we lyuyng in delectacions wolde entre in to that glorie wherin we be but strangers and not dygne to come thyder but by thy grace There agaynst speketh Saynte Austyn sayeng If it haue behoued Ihesu criste lorde and kynge whose name is aboue all names to haue suffred therby hath entred in to his eternall glorie what hope or trust shall we haue to come thyder without suffrance syther we be strangers and can ha ue none entre there but by hym O how folyshe and how hard herted we be truste in reioysyng vs in
and therin rote myserably Our lorde lokoth vppon the sone of man and beholdeth yf there be ony axinge grace or in good dysposycyon but well away he seeth to fewe Inclyned therto and many dysposed to the contrarye in all synne and wretchednesse where by is to be drad that the myserable tyme of this worlde is nyghe comen whiche Mycheas prophecyed of in his .vii. Chapitre sayeng Holynesse is perysshed in the erthe and amonge the men is there none that is ryght wyse O Remembre well how euery man almoost now a dayes seketh for his owen particuler cause and lucre the shedyng of blode and the wrongynge of other what shall I more saye fewe there be that wyll entende to ony good perfeccyon nor open theyr eyen for theyr saluacoÌ„n so be they blynded in theyr malycyous folye O cursed malyce vnhappy folye wherby the lyfe is voluntarely loste and the dethe wonne the we le despysed and the harme accepted our lorde dyspleased and the fende obeyed Now thenne my right dere brethern and frendes stryke not of your hedes with your owne swerdes as to saye lete not your owen dedes be your destruccion perpetuall Ryse out of synne loke vp and remembre you what oyfference is betwix eternale dampnacyon and perpetuale Ioye and blysse Forsake renounce your synnes and defende you from the fendes power whiche ye may surely do with contrycyon and in axinge helpe and grace of our lorde Iwys it is meruayll that man whiche aboue all erthly thynge is a creature resonable ensueth not the verayorygynall of reason but dysprayseth forsaketh that that is moost proufytable eternally good for that that is mortale and moost harmefull O good lorde what vnhap causeth it and werfore sholde we by oure folye lose tho soules that thou hast bought so dere with thy moost precyous bloode Certaynely the cause is lacke of prudence good counseyll grace and cordyall Remembraunce of the sayde four laste thynges O our Redemptour almyghty and mercyfull Ihesu graunte vs soo thy grace that we may yet surely purueye for our last thynges and soo cordyally frequente the Remembraunce of thy godhede that it cause vs here after to repelle and reuoque oure synnes Resyste our goostely enemye and conforme vs in alle good werkes vnto thy blessyd wyll to the obteynynge fynally with the happy sayntes of thyne eternall glorye To whiche bryng vs the fader and the sone and the holy goost reygnyng in vnyte sempyternally worlde withouten ende AMEN THis boke is thus translated oute of frenshe in to our maternall tonge by the noble and vertuouse lorde Anthonie Erle Ryuyres Lorde Scales and of the Isle of wyght De fensour and dyrectour of the â—uses Apostolyque for oure holy fader the Pope in this Royame of Englonde Vncle and gouernour to my lord prynce of Wales whiche boke was delyuered to me wyllyam Caxton by my sayd noble lord Ryueires on the daye of puryfycacyon of our blessyd lady fallyng the tewsdaye the seconde daye of the moneth of Feuerer In the yere of oure lorde a. M. CCCC and .lxxviii. for to be enprynted and soo multyplyed to goo abrood amonge the people that therby more surely myght be Remembred the four laste thynges vndoubtably comynge And it is to be uoted that sythen the tyme of the grete tribulacoÌ„n and aduersyte of my sayde lorde he hath ben full vertuously occupyed as in goÌ„ynge of pylgremages to Saynt Iames in in Galyce to Rome to Saynte Barthylme we to Saynte Andrewe to Saynt Mathewe in the Royalme of Naples and to Saynte Nycholas de Bar in Puyle and other dyuerse holy places Also he hath procured and goten of our holy fader the Pope a grete and a large Indulgence and grace vnto the chapell of oure lady of the Pyewe by Saynte Stephens atte Westmestre for the relyef and helpe of crysten soules passed out of this traÌ„sytorye worlde whiche grace is of lyke vertue to thindulgence of Scala celi And not withston dyng the grete labours and chargis that he hath hadde in the seruyce of the kynge and of my sayde lorde prynce as well in wales as in England whiche hath be to hym noo lytyll thought and besynes bothe in spyryte and in body as the fruyt therof experymently sheweth yet ouer that tenriche his vertuous dysposycyon he hath pnt hym in deuoyr atte all tymes whenÌ„e he myght haue a leyser whiche was but starmele to translate dyuerse bookes out of frenshe in to englyshe Amonge other passyd thorugh myn honde the booke of the wyse sayenges or dystes of phylosophers and the wyse and holsom prouerbys of xprystene the pyse sette in metre Ouer that hath made dyuerse balades ayenst the seuen dedely synnes Furthermore it semeth that he conceyueth well the mutabylyte and the vnstablenesse of this presente lyfe and that he desyreth with a grete zele and spyrytuell loue our goostly helpe and perpetuell saluacyon And that we shall abhorre and vtterly forsake the abhomynable and dampnable synnes whiche comunely be vsed now a dayes as Pryde periurye terryble sweryng thefte murder and many other Wherfore be toke vppon hym the translatynge of this presente werke named Cordyall trustynge that bothe the reders and the herers there of sholde knowe themselfe herafter the better and amende theyr lyuynge or they departe and lose this tyme of grace to the recouer of theyr saluacyon Whiche Translatynge in my Iugemente is a noble and a merytoryous dede wherfore he is worthy to be gretely commended and also syngulerly Remembred with our good prayers For certaynely as well the reders as the herers well conceyuyng in theyr hertes the forsayde foure laste thynges maye there by gretly be prouoqued and called from synne to the grete and plenteuous mercy of our blyssed sauyour whiche mercy is aboue alle his werkes And noo man beynge contryte and confessed nedeth to fere the obteynynge therof as in the preface of my sayde lordes booke made by hym more playnly it appereth Thenne in obeynge and folowynge my sayde lordes commaundemente In whiche I am bounded soo to doo for the manyfolde benefetes and large rewardes of hym hadde and receyued of me vndeserued I haue putte me in deuoyr taccomplysshe his sayd desyre and com maundemente whome I beseche almyghty god to kepe and mayntene in his vertuous and laudable actes and werkes And sende hym thaccomplyssnemente of his noble and Ioyous delyres and pleasers in this worlde And after this shorte daungerous and transytory lyfe euerlastynge permanence in heuen Amen Whiche werke presente I began the morne aiter the sayd Puryfycacyon of oure blyssed Lady Whiche was the daye of Saynt Blase Bysshop and Martyr And fynysshed on the euen of the Annuncyacyon of oure sayde blessyd Lady fallyng on the wennesdaye the four twenty daye of Marche In the .xix. yere of hynge Edwarde the fourthe ¶ Enprynted atte westmystre Anno vss ¶ RegistruÌ„ quaternon abcdefghiklm Memorare nouissima c. Memorare nouissima c.