Et ecclesiastici vi Verbum dulce multiplicat a micos et inimicos mittigat Swete wordes multiplieth frendes / and maketh soft the enemyes Example in Ihesu cryste the whiche neuer profered yll worde agaynste them the whiche wronged hym / persecuted and put vnto dethe / but bare all pacyently ¶ Fyftely pacyence in trybulacyon maketh god to enhabyte with the pacient Vnde psal Iuxta est dominê° his qui tribulato sunt corde Iterum psalmi Cum ipso sum in tribulatione Example in the lyfe of faders how as these deuylles in the gyse of beestes bette and tormented saint Anthony / god theym chased and hym ayded in his trybulacyon Than saynt Anthony sayd vnto god / wher were thou my lorde Ihesus / wherfore ne haddest thou comen at the begynnynge And god said vnto hym Anthony I was here / but I abode thy stryfe to se how thou woldest resyst And for as moche as thou haste wel resysted in pacyence I shal make to be renommed of the thorowe oute all the worlde ✿ ¶ Syxtely pacyence in trybulacyon maketh man vyctoryous and knyghte before the kynge celestyall dygne of more greate rewarde and prayse than he the whiche hathe vaynquysshed his enemyes / breketh the batayll and wynneth the iourneye Vnde prouerbiorum xvi Melior est paciens viro forti qui dominatur animo suo expugnatore vrbum ¶ Example how iob was pacyent whan he loste his goodes and his chyldren and he wrathed hym not but blessyd god Vnde iob i. Dominus dedit dominus abstulit sicut domino placuit ita factum est sit nomen domini benedictum ¶ Another example how the thre chyldren were pacyente in the furneys and therin blyssed god / as it is wryten danielis iii. And they ben dygne of prayse and of rewarde eternell It is wryten in the thyrde chapytre of the appocalypse He the which hathe vayÌ„quysshed shal be clothed in whyte clothes / and I shall not put out his name of the booke of lyfe And I shall confesse his name before my fader and before his aungelles Also it is wryten He the whiche hathe vaynquysshed in this wretchyd valeye of myserye I shall gyue vnto him in my kyngdome of heuen that he shall be with me in my throne And it is wryten in the seconde chapytre of the appocalypse Be faythfull and true tyll vnto the dethe and I shall gyue the the crowne of lyfe / He the whiche hathe vaynquysshed shall not be hurte of the seconde dethe And it is wryten in the fyrst chapytre of the epystles of saint Iamys Blissed be that man the whiche suffreth temptacyon / for whan he hathe be approued he shall take the crowne of lyfe that god hathe promysed vnto those the whiche loueth hym And yf it be so that the persone be vaynquysshed by tribulacyon he leseth the rewarde and the glorye of the good knyght pacyent Vnde prouerbiorum xix Qui impatiens est sustinebit damnum He the whiche is impacyent shal susteyne dommage and hurte ✿ ¶ Seuenthly the man pacyente the whiche is amonge his enemyes wronged and tormented deserueth to haue a crowne of glorye as the martyrs And the man or woman the whiche is impacyent in trybulacyon leseth the crowne the whiche was reteyned for hym or her yf they hadde well foughten agaynst the temptacyon of the deuyll Vnde ii ad thimoteum ii Qui certat in agone non coronabitur nisi qui legi time certauerit ¶ Eyghtely the man the whiche bereth and taketh pacyently the sekenesses and trybulacyons here byneth in this wretched valeye of mysery for his owne synnes and trangressyons after confessyon it shall serue hym of penaunce and of medecynes for to purge him and make hym clene of his iniquytes and trespasses The wyse man sayeth in the ecclesiastice Altissimus de terra creauit medicinam et vir prudens non abhorrebit illi Also the vertues ben better and parfayte in sekenes whan the man it bereth paciently vnde .ii. ad corin xii Virtus in infirmitate perficitur And those the whiche endureth the dethe wylfully for theyr owne synnes / and defautes after confession Whan they ben seke in theyr beddes or whan they ben hanged and made to deye as the good the fethe whiche was put to dethe whan that our lorde suffred his passyon It is ryghte grete penaunce moche merytoryous whaÌ„ it is borne pacyently And therfore god sayd of good ryght vnto the sayd thefe thou shalte this daye be with me in paradyse / Hodie mecuÌ„ eris in paradiso Vnde apo xiiii Beati mortui qui in domino moriuÌ„tur Blessyd be those that ben deed the whiche deyeth in our lorde / theyr dethe is moche precyous before god Vnde psal Preciosa est inconspectu domini mors sanctorum eius And vnto the contrari the dethe of synners impacyent is ryght yll Eccles xli O mors quam amara est memoria tua homini iniusto ¶ Nynethly pacyence in trybulacyon maketh to god in to paradyse / Vnde actuum xiiii Per multas tribulationes oportet nos intrare in regnum dei Also of those the whiche haue had of tribulacyons in this worlde it is wryten in the apocalypse that saynt Iohan sawe one tyme soo grete a hepe of people that a man ne myght nombre them the whiche praysed god And he demaunded of one of the auncyentes what these people were that were there Vnde apo vii Niqui amitti sunt stolis et albis qui sunt et vnde venerunt R. Hi sunt qui venerunt de tribulatione magna et lauauerunt stolas suas dealbaueruÌ„t eas in sanguine agni ideo suÌ„t ante thronum dei et seruiunt ei in templo eius et qui sedet in throno eius habitat super illos Withoute pacyence none ne cometh vnto perfeccyon / none ne hathe vyctorye / for who so leseth pacience he is vayÌ„quysshed / yf he haue pacyence he is gloryous The cuppe of golde suffreth many strokes and of fyre before that he come vnto the kynges table And the chalyce before that it be lyfte vp and set on the auiter for to synge masse Many greate strokes suffreth the tonne before that the wyne be put therin Moche is the robe of scarlet de foylled before that it be worne And vnto this may a man fynde as many of examples as there are of craftes within London In lyke maner before that thou goo before god thou oughtest to be well puryfyed and made clene from synne And to be precyous as the golde / harde as the yron it behoueth to haue pacyence in trybulacyon / that is the yate wherby the iuste persones entreth in to paradyse Hec porta domini iusti intrabunt in eaÌ„ vt dicit psalmista B ¶ Also pacyence in trybulacyon makethe a man to haue syxe vtylytees after vi propretees that the fyre hathe ¶ Primo the fyre shyneth and gyueth lyght / too dothe trybulacyon as sayeth Ysaye
grace of the gloryous vyrgin Mary of her dere sone Ihesus And after ended her dayes in good purpose c. F. ¶ Another example of a man that had made a vowe the whiche was dampned Also example of rauayne of the paynes of hell lxiii THe dyscyple recyteth in his prōtuary this the whiche foloweth the whiche is wryten in other bokes sayth that as man preched of the crosse a carle vsurer bought agayne a vowe that he made to Iherusalem / yode to the despensatour fraudelently gaue vnto hym for his sayd vowe .v. li. he myght well haue gyuen .xlviii. wtout to dysheryte his chyldren And as this sayd carle sate in the tauernes he sayd vnto other the whiche hadde made vowes Ye foles ye shall passe the see in peryll of your lyues / ye shall spende your substaunce I haue agayn bought my vowe for v.li And I shal abyde sure of my lyfe in my hous / also I shall haue as grete mede as you And on a nyght as he was in his bedde with his wyfe he herde in his myll moeuynge tempest as the wheles gryndynge / he sayd vnto his sone God se what is in the myll The chylde yode retorned anone by grete drede and horrour / of whome the mayster demaunded / what hast thou seen I haue had so grete fere at the myll dore that I durst not tary And he sayd / yf the deuyll be there yet shall I go se who it is Than he kest his clothes vpon his sholdres and yode vnto the myll / he was all naked sauf onely of the sayd vestement He opened the dore loked wtin and sawe to blacke horses / a blacke man by them the whiche sayd vnto the carle Haste the / lepe vpon this hors the whiche is to the brought The earle feered / the blacke man sayd Why taryest thou / caste downe thy vestement come There was a crosse on his garmēt He was dyspeyred at the voyce and callynge of the deuyll keste of his clothes and lept on the other hors and they were incōtynent brought in dyuers places of paynes / in the whiche the cursed sawe his fader his moder in many other that he had knowen And he sawe a knyght named He lye of the castell horste that sate strydlynge on a cowe / the backe towarde the hornes The whiche cowe ranne on the one syde and on the other / tourmented terrybly the sayd knyght in smytynge hym with her hornes in the backe And the carle demaunded hȳ wherfore he suffred suche payne He answered I haue taken away this cowe from a woman wydowe wtout mercy / therfore she me tourmēteth sore Afterwarde there was shewed vnto the carle a syege of fyre / it was tolde vnto hym Thou shalt retorne now vnto thy hous / after thre dayes thou shalte come agayne in to this place here / thou shalte take thy rewarde in this syege After these wordes the deuyl brought hym agayne in to his mylle / he founde his wyfe his meyny as halfe deed / vnto whome he tolde that that he had sene how it was comen vnto hym The preste was called for to confesse hym to styre him to confessyon and to haue contrycyon And he answered What prouffyteth me these wordes here I may not repent me / for I se that in vayne I sholde confesse me / I knowe that it is of necessyte to accomplysshe in me the thynge the whiche is dysposed And the cursed man deyed in suche wyse without receyuȳge the sacraments of the chyrche c. ¶ They the whiche chaungeth theyr vowes sholde take hede therin to make fraude as dyde the sayd man to mocke other / for punycyon and dampnacyon there foloweth Also the rauysshers sholde well note where punycyon dampnacyon foloweth to take to rauysshe the kyen or other godes from theyr neyghboures as was punysshed the sayd knyght named Helye Also people obstynate ben to be blamed For yf the sayd carle had repented hym confessed he had be saued / but for his obstynacyon he was dampned eternally c. G. ¶ Another exāple how a doctour that had vowed dyfferred to accomplysshe his vowe lost his syght lxiiii MEn fynde by wrytinge this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in the boke of his promptuary and sayeth that a doctour gretly lettred clerke after that he had vowed to entre in to the ordre of freres in the cyte of melanke / and that he vnto them had assygned the day he was withdrawen of his scolers and wente into another cyte to th ende that he sholde teche his scyence / that he ne se the sayd freres And on that day that he brake his promes he lost his syght abode thre dayes blynde At the last he reknowleged his synne recouered his syght entred in to the ordre / therin was deuout and ended his lyfe in good consummacyon H. ¶ Another example that it is peryll to dyfferre to do his vowe lxiii MEn fynde by wrytinge this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in the boke of his promptuary and sayeth that a yonge man named Iohan vowed that he wolde entre in to the ordre of Cysterciences / but he was replenysshed with slouthe repented hym And in stede of that vowe he made his pylgrymage vnto saynt in galyce Iames. And whā he had accomplysshed it he was receyued honorably of his parents And in his slepe he sawe hym ascyted before god / with whome was saynt Peter / saynt Poule / saynt Iames / saynt Iohan / the other And it semed hȳ that saynt Peter helde in his hande a fayre boke the whiche our lorde commaunded to open And he sawe that the name of the sayd Iohan was wryten in lettres of golde / how our lorde commaunded that it were scraped out Than saynt Iames fel prostrate before our lorde requyred hym that the name of his pylgryme were not put out / out lorde excused hym not Than our lorde reproched hardly vnto the sayd Iohn̄ with grete Indygnacyon that he had contempned to accomplysshe his vowe / he cōmaūded vnto saynt peter that he sholde scrape out his name And saynt Iames fell prostrate yet agayne before god / prayed hym that the name of his pylgrym were not effaced ne put out / in promyttynge for him that he wolde accomplysshe his vowe wtin .xv. dayes Than the sayd Iohan awoke fro slepe yelded thankes vnto sayd Iames / promysed that he sholde beginne before the terme And before the .xv. dayes he entred in to the ordre of cystercyences / and was so good afterwarde that he was abbot and bysshop of Valence where he dyde many myracles fynysshed his lyfe c. ¶ This example denoteth that those the whiche repente theym to haue vowed or that ne wyll accomplisshe theyr vowes ne shall be of
blaspheme / homycide / theft / fornycacyon / or ony mortall synne / he is bounde body and soule to receyue payne punycyon before god for his synnes And as yf he were bounde before the notaryes to pay ony somme of money / so that he shal neuer escape without hauyÌ„ge punycyon as it is sayd Dauyd the prophete sayth in the psalter the wordes of god Si iusticias meas ê“phana uerint ipit et mandata mea non custodieriÌ„t visitabo in virga iniquitate eoruÌ„ That is to say Yf the cursed inobedyentes haue taken in scorne my Iustyces and take no hede to my commaundementes / I shall vysyte in a rodde the inyquytees of them in strykynge theyr synnes Also a man sholde vnderstande after the scryptures that god punyssheth the synners for theyr Inobedyences cursednesses Quicqid patimur peccata nostra merueruÌ„t And yet they apperceyue not from whens procedeth suche punycyon / as it is declared before where is treated that they the whiche breketh the festes oen punysshed Quere ad numeruÌ„ xix A. Also god punyssheth the synnes in this worlde by famyne / warre / mortalyte By famyne for he maketh the cornes to fayle / apples / vynes other fruytes and laboures / by frost / myst / heet / ayre corrupt c. Vnde deutero xi Cauete ne forte decipiatur corvestruÌ„ et recedatis a domino et mandata eiê° / iracusque dnÌ„s claudat celum pluuio noÌ„ descendant / nec terra det germen suuÌ„ pere atisque velocitur c. ¶ Example how the sonnes of Iacob were punysshed by famyne / for that they solde theyr broder Ioseph and made theyr fader to beleue that a beest had deuoured hym / that beest was enuy VnÌ„ gene xxxvii Fera pissima deuorauit filium meum ioseph dicit iacob c. ¶ Another example wryten in the thyrde boke of kynges how grete drynesse famyne came vnto the people for the ydolatryes synnes the which reygned in the tyme of the cursed kyng Achab and of his wyfe Iesabell that made to sle the good man Naboth / and it was at the prayer of the prophete Helye VnÌ„ iacobi v. Multum valet deprecatio iusti assiduo / helyas erat homo passibilis similis nobis / et oratione orauit vt non pluerit suê‘ terraÌ„ / noÌ„ pluit annos tres et menses sex / et rursum orauit et celum dedit pluuiaÌ„ et terra dedit frutum suuÌ„ Secondly god punyssheth the synners inobedyentes by mortalyte / as he dyde vnto the people of Rome the whiche people after Eester went to play / to be dronke to excercyse lecheryes / synnes / euylles in suche maner that god wrothed hym agaynst the sayd people / made to come grete waters grete multytude of serpentes snakes the whiche deyed and enfected the ayre After there was so grete mortalyte that innumerable people deyed / many deyed in yanynge sodaynly After that saynt Gregory was pope that institued the ê“cessyon fast on saynt Markes day ¶ Another exampâ—e of the punycyon of some that retorned after ester to theyr ylles synnes Cu. t. Also of them that brake goddes commaundements lxiiii k ¶ Another example wryten in the last chapytre of the seconde boke of kynges how after that Dauyd had vyctory of his ennemyes he made to nombre his people by vayne glory god sent vnto hym the prophete Gad that sayd vnto hym that he sholde chose of thre ylle thyÌ„ges one whiche he wold / that is to haue vii yeres famyne honger in his lande / or .iii. moÌ„thes so stronge warre that he sholde fle before his aduersaries that sholde persecute hyÌ„ / or thre dayes of mortalytee in his people Than Dauyd sayd I am anguysshed harde beten on all sydes He toke mortalyte that was so grete that in iii dayes there dyed of his people .lxx. M. men by sekenes of pestelence And Dauyd sayd vnto god Ego suÌ„ q i peccaui ego iiqui egi Isti q i oues suÌ„t qid fecerÌ„t / vertatur obsecro manê° tuas coÌ„tra me coÌ„tra domuÌ„ meaÌ„ ¶ Another exaÌ„ple wryten in the boke of Moyses how the chyldreÌ„ of Israell had punycyon by mortalyte for theyr murmure c. Thyrdly god dooth punysshe the inobedyent sinners by warre as we haue by example how by the proude answere that kynge Roboam gaue vnto the people of Israell they raysed another kynge the sayd Roboam hadde warre all his lyfe Que. lxxxxix m. ¶ Another example wryten in the .xix. chapytre of the boke of Iuges that mo than .lx. M men were slayne in batayle of the people of Beniamyn for to punysshe them of the sinne of lechery that they commytted in the wyfe of Leuyte que lxxxâ—â— b For to be shorte god punyssheth the inobebyent sinners in many maners / for they beÌ„ bounde to punycyon by synne as it is sayd ¶ Example wryten in the thyrde boke of Ionas how god sent vnto the people of Nynyue that they sholde be dystroyed / they theyr cyte wtin xl dayes for theyr synÌ„es Adhuc xl dies et nyniue subuertetur c. They dyde penaunce god had mercy on theym The punycyon of synners is soÌ„tyme temporall transytorye And somtyme it is eternall The punycyon temporall is somtyme voluntary / as that the whiche is done by penaunce the whiche is merytoryous Somtyme it is done by constraynte as the theues the whiche ben punysshed hanged ayenst theyr wyll / this punycyon payne is not merytoryous VnÌ„ legitur ê™ oiÌ„s actê° meritoriê° oportet qd sit voluÌ„tate iÌ„peratê° But yf a thefe bere with good wyll the dethe suche payne for his owne synnes as that good thefe that was put to dethe whan our lorde deyed / suche payne dethe sholde serue for penauÌ„ce / the whiche is greter than to fast c. The good thefe sayd Illud luce xxii NaÌ„ digna tactis recipimê° morteÌ„ / hic auÌ„t nichil malifecit / and for that that god knewe and sawe his faythe / his contrycyon the dethe that he bare so wyllyngly for his synnes of good ryghte he sayd vnto him Hodie mecum ens in paradiso c. Of the punycyon eternall that the synners Inobedyentes shall haue it is wryten herafter Quere ad numerum xlix a. ¶ Examples shall be wryten towarde the ende of the boke Quere in penis inferni A. ¶ The coÌ„dycyons that the pylgryme of paradyse sholde haue touchynge that a man sholde apply his .v. wyttes of nature vpon the commaundementes of god / as a good pylgryme dooth on his way .xlv. IT is wryten in the .xix. cha of sayÌ„t mathew how a maÌ„ axed of cryst what good dedes he sholde do to gete eternall lyfe And he answered Yf thou wylt entre in to eternal lyfe kepe the coÌ„maundements Si vis ad vitaÌ„ ingredi serua maÌ„data For the obseruacion the coÌ„mauÌ„dements is the ryght way
yll came vnto hym He was also proude and lyft vp ouer puyssaunce humayne / as it is wryten in the .xvi. cha of the sayd Machabees And he was punysshed as he yode he and his army in grete pryde furour to sle them of Iherusalem / god vnto hym sent a cruell ryght stynkynge sekenes in the guttes so that he was borne in a lytter / and from that fell in to puddle of myre lyenge on the erthe Also he was so stynkynge that his seruauntes and his hoost were sore greued / hymselfe ne myght endure his owne styÌ„ke Also he was so seke that maugre in his heed he meked hyÌ„ and than deyed in dyspayre E. ¶ Another example of a man dampâ—â—d that had many benyfyces lxxxv SOme maysters wryteth this the whiche foloweth how the discyple reciteth in the boke of his promptuarye and sayeth that one of the grete maysters of Parys named in scyence was vysyted of the bysshop of paris and admonested at the houre of his dethe that he sholde leue resygne many benyfyces that he had vnlefully / that he sholde holde alonely one And he abode in his opynyon full of errour sayd I shal assay yf ony may be saued with many benefyces After his dethe he appered vnto that bysshop at the houre of tyerce as he was in orayson to praye vnto god And whan the sayd bysshop knewe that it was the sayd deed body he asked hym how it was with hym He answered I am dampned eternally wtout ony remyssyon And he demaunded the cause wherfore He answered for elacyon And the bysshop axed hym of the sayd opynyon He answered that the pluralyte of his benefyces helped hym not / but noyed hym And the sayd dampned him asked yf there were mo persones lyuynge in the worlde The bisshop answered / Why demaundest thou that / the whiche arte so grete a clerke that thou wenest that the worlde is so sone fynysshed He answered Certaynly syth that I deyed there is dyscended in to hell so grete multytude of soules dampned that I wolde skantly beleue that there had ben so many lyuynge in the worlde c. Vnto this purpose the prophete Ysaie sayth / that at the day of Iugement fewe of the people shall be saued in regarde of al sortes of the yll that shall be dampned And gyueth this symylytude of raysyns in the tyme of theyr rypenesse and of olyues in the tyme that they ben gadred Whan the grapes and the olyues haue ben assembled gadered there yâ— abydeth same lytel thynge in the vynes and olyues forgoten lefte And this lytell the whiche there abydeth is to compare by symylytude vnto the saued / and the grete multytude of the raysyns gadered vnto the dampned Vnderstande well this the whiche is here wryten Ysaie .xxiiii. Erunt in medio terre in medio pplorum quo modo si pauce oliue qÌ„ remaÌ„seruÌ„t excutiantur ex olera et raceÌ„m cuÌ„ fuerit finita viÌ„demia / huscm pauci boni saluati lenabuÌ„t voceÌ„ suaÌ„ atque laudabuÌ„t cuÌ„ glorificatus fuerit dnÌ„s c. ¶ This man dampned that had soo many benefyces denoteth that the couetyse of godes honour of the worlde deceyueth dampneth that people of the chyrche Or cupiditas et radix oiÌ„m maloruÌ„ .i. ad thy .vi. ca. F. ¶ Another example that none ought to be constytute in benefyce by prayers carnalles lxxxv MEn fynde by wrynge of anabbot whan he was in his dethe bedde he made all his monkes to come before hyÌ„ Vnto whome he requyred that whaÌ„ he sholde be deed that they shold chuse his neuew for to be abbot after hym The whiche was done And as the newe abbot walked in his gardyn by a well syde he herde a voyce that complayned ruthefully And the sayd yonge abbot coniured the sayd voyce in the name of god that he sholde tell hym what he was He answered I am the soule of thyn vncle that am here brent broyled mestemably in this fountayne / for that that I haue procured carnally that thou were abbot after me To whome the neuew sayd How may this be that thou brennest in a well so colde Than the voyce sayd Go in to the chyrche fetche the candelstyckes of copre cast theym in to this well and thou shalte se how I am brente Than he dyde it / and incontynent the sayd candelstyckes were molten as waxe within the fyre And whan the sayd yonge abbot sawe that he called all the monkes renounced vnto the dygnyte croyse / afterwarde the sayd voyce was no more herde ¶ By this example a man sholde vnderstande that those that whiche entreth so in benefyces entreth not not by the dore / that is Ihesu cryst as before is declared Vnde iohan .x. Qui non intrat per hostium in ouile ouium sed ascender ali unde ille fur est et latro G. ¶ Another example how a man seculer sholde not do the offyce of the preste in the chyrche lxxxv IT is wryten in the .xxv. chapytre of the seconde boke of paralipomenon how the kynge Ozyas lyft vp in pryde whan he was in puyssaunce regal / and dyspraysed his god Morouer he presumed to be worthy to do the offyce of prestes And he entred in to the temple of god and toke the ensencer for to do the offyce of a preste after as the custome was to do honour vnto god And the mayster of the prestes named Azarias entred in to the temple after with grete multytude of prestes stroÌ„ge The whiche resysted agaynst the sayd kynge / vnto whome they sayd that it was not his offyce to do suche thynge VnÌ„ .ii. pa. xxvi NoÌ„ est tui officu vt adoleas incensuÌ„ dnÌ„o / sed est sacerdotuÌ„ qui consecrati suÌ„t ad huiusmodi misteriuÌ„ / egredere de sctuÌ„ario ne conteÌ„pseris / qr noÌ„ reputabitur tibi ingliam hoc a dnÌ„o deo And for as moche as the prestes reprehended the kyÌ„ge therof / he thretened them in grete yre And incontynent before the prestes in the temple he was smyten with a lepry / was soo all his lyfe / dwelled in an hous separated from all other / where he deyed a roten lepre And for the sayd cause he was put out of the temple c. ¶ By this example after scrypture the seculer people sholde not presume to do the offyce of a preste / nor medle to gouerne the goosâ—ly thynges ne the chyrche For suche thynges dyspleaseth god H. ¶ Another example in Alchinê° / how lordes sholde not coÌ„stytute people of yl lyfe to be benefyced lxxxv IT is wryten in the .vii. cha of the fyrst boke of Machabees how kyÌ„ge Demetrius consiytuted in souerayne preste / that is bysshop a yll man warryour named Alchinus the whiche dyde many euylles / also he dyed mischeuously / and he reygned not longe in his bysshopryche / after that he had of eccysyons he began to dystroy
clerke was delyuered and a thefe conuerted hym Cxii IT is writen in the promptuary of the dyscyple that there was a clerke lecherous and vycyous the whiche as he wolde go to commyt his synne it befell that as he passed by a forest wherin there was hydde a thefe the whiche spared no persone but that he slewe hyÌ„ or dyspoyled him And whan the sayd thefe herde hym passe he sayd What arte thou that passest here by The clerke answered I am the poore seruaunt of Ihesu cryst for drede that he ne knewe what to answere Than the sayd thefe sayd I demaunde the what thou arte The clerke answered I am the indygne seruaunt of Ihesu cryst The thefe demaunded hym thyrdly / what arte thou And the clerke sayd agayne I am the vnprouffytable seruaunt of Ihesu cryst And the thefe thought vnto hym selfe / of whome arte thou seruaunte / and he sayd vnto the clerke For the loue of Ihesus goo thou in peas And the thefe in mummelynge sayd vnto hymselfe Ihesus Ihesus Ihesus And by the vertue power of the holy name Ihesus the thefe was conuerted And after that he neuer commytted theft ne homycyde In the mornynge he yode to confessyon and sayd that for heryng the name Ihesus he was conuerted / and the clerke in the namynge of Ihesus was preserued The whiche sayd blyssed be the name of Ihesus / for by the name of hym I shall absteyne me from synne F. ¶ Another exaÌ„ple how a relygyous was heled of the feuers by the vertue of the name Ihesus Cxii MEn fynde by wrytinge this that whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in the boke of his promptuary and sayeth that a frere mynour had herde many myracles of the name of Ihesus And as this sayd relygyous was tourmented of the euyll of feuers he wrote this name Ihesus within the water after dranke it incontynent the feuer left hym This thyng happened in Irlonde G. ¶ Another example how by the name of Ihesus a woman pardoned vnto her ennemyes Cxii IT is wryten in the boke of gyftes that a woman ne myght be apeased And her husbaÌ„de wrote in her forhede the name of Ihesus / in contynent she forgaue all H. ¶ Another example the one wolde not pardon for the loue of Ihesus Cxii THe dyscyple reciteth in his promptuary that there was a maÌ„ obstynate vnto whome men sayd on a tyme. Pardon thy rancoures / enmytees for the loue of Iesus He answered Neyther for god ne for the deuyll I ne may pardon them though that I sholde entre in to helle perpetually And a frere approched vnto hym with deuocion and wrote in his forhede with his fynger Ihesus nazarenus / and incontynent the synner began to wepe sayd For the loue of Ihesus I pardon all I. ¶ Another example how the temptacioÌ„ of the deuyll was taken away with the token of the crosse / in â—amynge the blyssed Ihesus Cix THe dyscyple recyteth in his sermons this the whiche foloweth the whiche is also wryten in other bokes sayth that the deuyll tempted a man his wyfe so terrybly that they wolde hange themself to th ende that they sholde euade the miseryes of this worlde And as they were heuy of theyr temptacyons of the deuyll that they ne myght slepe ne ete the one demaunded of the other the causes of theyr heuynesses And they sayd eche to other that they wolde hange theÌ„selfe And after that they appoynted theyr cordes for to hange them the woman counceyled her husbonde that they sholde drynke of good wyne that they had before theyr dethe to th ende that they myght deye the easelyer And so they agreed / as they wolde drynke made the sygne of the crosse in the name of Ihesus The deuyll fledde the temptacyons were taken awaye After contrycyon they dyde penaunce / and well they ended theyr dayes K ¶ Another example that in namynge the name of Ihesus the deuyll is repelled his temptacyons persuacions taken a way Cxii MEn fynde by wrytynge that the deuyll tempted often tymes a man the whiche by the counceyle of sages yode in orayson cal ed the name of Ihesus as soone as had perceyued the temptacion and sayd O swete Ihesu haue mercy on me helpe me forthwith the deuyll departed the temptacyon left hym L. ¶ Another example of a noble man the whiche pardoned the homycyde of his broder And the crucyfyx enclyned his heed in the chyrche Cxii THe dyscyple recyteth in his boke that it is wryten that a man slewe the broder of a noble man afterwarde fledde and left the countre And it befell that as the noble man yode through the countree with grete company of people wtout thynkynge on the sayd dede met in a felde the homycyde the whiche had slayne his broder He drewe his swerde hastely for to sle hym And the sayd homycyde fell prostrate vnto the erthe and cryed Right noble man haue mercy on me for the loue of Ihesus the whiche is pyteable hath redemed the worlde by his dethe Hastely the sayd noble man toke him to wepe and withdrewe his hande his swerde without strykynge hym And as he was reproued of his taryeng and foly of the people agayne he stretched out his hande for to smyte hym the whiche was prostrate / and the culpable demaunded pardon and remissyon of his mysdede in the name of Ihesus And secondly he withdrewe his handes Thyrdly he was blamed of his people for that he had not slayne hym And the vnhappy dredynge that dethe humbly requyred pardon agayne And the noble man of warre nobler of herte sayd I pardon the the dethe of my brodeâ— And without tarienge he herde rynge to a masse that day entred in to the chyrche And the tymes he bowed his knees before the crucyfyxe And an holy man that was in the chyrche sawe that the crucyfyxe enclyned the heed humbly at euery of the sayd times that the sayd noble man bowed the knees ThaÌ„ he that had seen alonely the sayd thinge called drewe asyde the sayd noble man and demaunded him what he was I am borne in the londe / and sayd a noble knyght And the holy man sayd Dere frende hyde thou nothynge fro me Wherin trustest thou moost to haue deserued vnto the dyuyne mercy Than the knyght sayd I am a synner and haue gyuen me to the worlde / and nothynge is aduysed in me but that suche a case happened me this day And he it vnto hym declared Also the holy man tolde vnto hym that that he had seen / exhorted hym to be pyteous / mercifull / and good Her Guillermê° dicit M. ¶ Another example how Ihesu cryst wolde not pardon one deed tyll that he had demaunded pardon of his broder that he had offended Cxii IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders that the prouyncyall of the prouyÌ„ce of Rome of the ordre of prechers admonested the treers that
was proude ouer humayne force .lxxxv. D. Fo. Clxxxix ¶ That the deuyll was seen vpon the trayne of a womans gowne pompeously aourned .lxv. D Fo. Clvii ¶ That it dyspleased vnto almyghty god the creatour that a certayne woman clothed and aourned her doughter pompeously gaye .lxxiii. F Fo. Clxx ¶ Of the cursed ryche man that was pompeously clothed .lxxxiiii. A Fo. Clxxvi ¶ That the kynge Cosdroe that was proude had the heed stryken of .lxvii. G Fo. Cxli ¶ Of an ypocryte the whiche fayned to faste and eate secretely and he was choked of a dragon infernall Cv. C Fo. CCxxv ¶ That the deuylles gate the soule from the myserable body of an ypocryte with an hoke Ciiii. C Fo. CCxxvi ¶ That Nychanor had his heed smyten of his ryght hande the whiche reysed hym proudely ayenst the prestes .lxix. A Fo. Clxii ¶ Of a womā dampned that aourned her heed .lxxx. C Fo. Clxxxxvii Humilitas contra superbiam ¶ Example that a holy nonne fayned to be a fole / and wasshed the pottes / wyped the dysshes / and dyde all thynges meke humble .lxi. C Fo. Clviii ¶ That humylyte kepeth a man from fallynge in to the laces and nettes of the deuyls of hell Cii r Fo. CCxxiii ¶ That the prynces the whiche prayed He lye humbly was not brent as the other the whiche spake proudely .lx. G Fo. CCxlvi ¶ Secundum preceptum Blasphemia ¶ Examples vpon the seconde commaundement of god OF a sone of a woman of ysrael that was stoned for his blaspheme .lxii. A Fo. Cxlix ¶ Of a childe of the aege of .v yeres blasphematour that the deuylles dyde drawe out from his faders lappe .lxxii. B Fo. C.xlix ¶ Of a player the whiche blasphemed the wombe of the vyrgyn Mary and yll came vnto hym .lxii. C Fo. Cl ¶ Of an erle blasphemer .lxii. D Fo. Cl ¶ Of one of the burgeys of Parys the whiche hadde his tongue bored thorowe for his blaspheme .lxii. E Fo. Cl ¶ Of a player blasphematour the whiche brake the armes of the ymage of the vyrgyn Marye / and he was strangled of the deuyll his mayster .lxii. F Fo. Cl ¶ Of a blasphematour that the deuyll dyde sle .lxii. G Fo. Cl ¶ Of a blynde knyght the whiche was enlumyned for that / that he strake a Iewe the whiche blasphemed the vyrgyn Mary moder of god .lxii. H Fo. Cli ¶ Of .ii. players to whome there came yll for blasphemynge .lxii. I Fo. Cli ¶ That there came yll vnto kinge Sennacheryb the whiche sente vnto kynge Ezechyas wordes blasphemynges agaynst almyghty god .lxii. K Fo. Cli ¶ That the kynge Nabugodonozor made a decrete that all people that blasphemed the god of Sydrac / Mysaac and Abdenago sholde perysshe his hous wasted .lvii. b Fo. Cxi ¶ That a dāpned woman was tourmēted for her blasphemes c lxxxx a. Fo. clxxxxvi ¶ That the deuyl bare away a tauerner that permytted to blaspheme to swere in his tauerne .lxxi. I Fo. Clxvi Periurium ¶ Example that a tauerner lost the vsage of speche for swerynge by the vyrgyn Mary moder of god .lxiii. A Fo. Cli ¶ Of chyldren the sware / and in playenge were drowned .lxiii. B Fo. Cli ¶ That the heed of a swerer was tourned that / that was before behynde / the cattes cryed on his graue .lxiii. C Fo. Clii ¶ That two marchaūtes sayd vnto theyr curate that they myght sell nothynge without lyenge swerynge lxxxxix K Fo. CCxii ¶ Other examples of swerynge ben wryten in the .viii. commaundement of god Quere lxxxxviii A / b / c. c. Fo. CCxix Vota ¶ Examples that a man sholde accomplysshe his vowes ¶ That the chyldren of ysrahel accomplysshed theyr vowes after that they had the vyctory on theyr enmyes lxili D Fo. Clii ¶ Of a vyrgyn that vowed chastyte after wolde be maryed .lxiii. E Fo. Clii ¶ Of a man the whiche had made a vowe the whiche was dampned Also example of extorcyon and of the paynes and tourmentes of hell .lxiii. F Fo. Clii ¶ Of a doctour the whiche had vowed the whiche lost his syght for that / that he accomplysshed not his vowe .lxiii. G Fo. Cliii ¶ That it is grete peryll to fayle to accomplysshe his vowe .lxiii. H Fo. Cliii ¶ That a preste the whiche wolde not accomplysshe his vowe defyned yll his dayes also of his Iugement and of his cruell punycyon .lxiii. I Fo. Cliii ¶ Another example Cxiii B Fo. CCxliii ¶ Of a chorle the whiche vowed to saynt Myghell a kowe and her calfe accomplysshed not his vowe .lxiii. K Fo. Cliiii ¶ That some Jewes made a folisshe vowe to sle saynt Poule .lxiii. L Fo. Cliiii ¶ That a woman was blynde for that / that she defayled to accomplysshe her vowe as she had promysed .lxiiii. G Fo. Clv ¶ Tertium preceptum Operatio ¶ Examples vpon the thyrde commaundement of god OF a man that Moyses made too stone for the / that he gadred wood on the day of the feest cōmaunded .lxiiii. A Fo. Cliiii ¶ That a woman was dyuynely punysshed for that she enclosed her felde on saynt Iohans day .lxiiii. B Fo. Cliiii ¶ Of a man the whiche wrought on the sonday .lxiiii. C Fo. Cliiii ¶ Of a man the whiche caryed hey on the sonday .lxiiii. D Fo. Clv ¶ Of a man that bare his wheet on the feest day .lxiiii. E Fo. Clv ¶ Of a carle that went to the ploughe on the holy daye .lxiiii. F. Fo. Clv ¶ Of two women the whiche baked theyr breed in the feest of sonday .lxiiii. G. Fo. Clv ¶ Of a woman that baked breed on the feest commaunded .lxiiii. I Fo. Clv ¶ That god sent punycyon to them that brake his commaundements .lxiiii. K Fo. Clv ¶ Of cordweyners the one kept the feestes the other not .lxiiii. L Fo. Clv ¶ Of a mowyer that ceased to mowe on the saserday at euensonge tyme and his felawes wolde not .lxiiii. M Fo. Clvi ¶ That byers sellers on the feestes ought to be reproued .lxiiii. N Fo. Clvi ¶ Example that yll came vnto a ryche mā that fledde the seruyce and the predycacyons and lepte on horsbacke and went vnto mondanitees whan they range to masse on the feestes .lxv. A Fo. Clvi ¶ Of a woman that wolde haue hāged her selfe / as she herde rynge too the sacrynge she sette her vpon her knees and so was delyuered lxv B Fo. Clvi ¶ That the deuyll bare a boke wherin was writen the synnes of men and women in especyall a complyn that saynt Austyn had forgoten .lxv. C Fo. Clvi ¶ That the deuylles were seen vpon the trayne of a womans gowne pompeously arayed in the chyrche .lxv. D Fo. Clvii ¶ That saynt Bryce sawe the deuyll the whiche wrote the yll wordes that were spoken in the chyrche .lxv. E Fo. Clvii ¶ That the deuyll gaue in charge to a woman to lette the oraysons of other in the chyrche by her Ianglynges .lxv. F
the whiche confessed restored lxxxvii F Fo. Clxxxxiii ¶ Of a man that restored to other and put hymselfe in good operacyons for that / that none of his parents frendes wolde put theyr lytell fynger in the fyre a whyle for the loue of hym lxxii A Fo. Clxvii ¶ Other examples of semblable mater that a man sholde restore to other do good operacyons wtout taryenge to his parents after his dethe lxxii c / d / e / f. Fo. Clxvii ¶ Of a riche man the whiche restored who sayd vnto his sone that he sholde holde his fȳger in the fyre tyll he had sayd one Auemaria lxxii B Fo. Clxxvii ¶ Of theues the whiche dyde make restytucyon lxxii H. I Fo. Clxxxv Excommunicatio ¶ Examples of excommunycacyon ¶ That a whyte lofe became blacke in the excōmunycacyon lxxxix A Fo. Clxxxxiiii ¶ That storkes left theyr nest that was in the hous of a man incontynent that he was excommunycate lxxxix B Fo. Clxxxxv ¶ That the sparowes that made noyse in a chyrche yode out incontynent that they were excōmunycate lxxxix C Fo. Clxxxxv ¶ That the floures of an apple tree fell dryed incontynent that the excōmunycacyon was drawen for a portos that was in the sayd apple tre lxxxix D Fo. Clxxxxv ¶ That a rauen became hydeous his feders fell fro him as soone as the bysshop had excommunycate for his rynge that the rauen had taken lxxxix E Fo. Clxxxxv ¶ That excommunycacyon cast Iustly or Iniustly is to drede as it appered in .ii. monkes that gelded thē selfe lxxxix f. Fo. Clxxxxv ¶ Of a preste the whiche was excommunycate the whiche deyed sodaynly as he wolde synge lxxxxiii D Fo. CCiii ¶ That the lyghtnynge consumed one excommunycate lxxxix G Fo. Clxxxxvi ¶ That a gardyn excommunycate wolde bere no fruyte tyll the tyme that it was assoyled lxxxix H Fo. Clxxxxvi Maledictio ¶ Examples of maledyccyon ¶ Of the maledyccion the whiche came vnto Adam for the brekȳge of the cōmaundement of god liiii A Fo. Cxxxiii ¶ That Cayn was cursed of god for that / that he slewe his broder Abell / also for that / that he tythed yll lxxvi A Fo. Clxxiiii ¶ Of a woman that cursed her .x. chyldren / they were incontynent punysshed dyuynely horrybly lxxiii E Fo. Clxx ¶ That Noe kest maledyccyō vpon his neuew the sone of Cham / for that / that the sayd Cham mocked the sayd noe lxx C. Fo. Clxiiii ¶ Of a fader his sone that cursed eche other in hell lxxi G Fo. Clxvi ¶ Of the maledyccyon of .iiii. monkes that slewe a beere lxxxix I Fo. Clxxxxviii ¶ Of the maledyccyon that saynt Machayre vttred vpon hym that brake the commaundements of god lvii A Fo. Cxl ¶ Of a lady the whiche cursed her chamberere lxxxxix B Fo. CCx ¶ That the sone of kynge Achab bare in this worlde the punycyon maledyccion of his faders synne lxxvi B Fo. Clxxvi Dyabolus ¶ Example of a man the whiche sayd vnto his seruaunt / vnhose me deuyll And incontynent the deuyll was redy began to vnhose hym lxxxxix C Fo. CCxi ¶ Of a man that sayd vnto his wyfe go in the deuylles name and the deuyll posseded her incontynent lxxxxix D Fo. CCxi ¶ That the deuyl serued to the carte of saynt Thybault lxxix D Fo. Clxxix ¶ That the deuyl strake a monke with a strawe in slepynge lxvi B Fo. Clviii ¶ Of an yll erle that the deuyll dyde bere away lxxxxix N Fo. CCxiii ¶ Another example Cx. A Fo. CCxxxv ¶ Of a woman impacyent that the deuyll bare away lxxxxix O Fo. CCxiii ¶ Of a man that the deuyl dyde drowne in a water lxxxxix P Fo. CCxiii ¶ That the deuyl bare away a tauerner in body and soule lxxi I Fo. Clxvi ¶ That the deuyll toke a man that had solde his soule lxxi K Fo. Clxvii ¶ Of a chylde that the deuyll dyde bere away lxx G Fo. Clxiiii ¶ Of a chorle that gaue vnto the deuyll that that he had to eate lxxxxvii H Fo. CCviii ¶ Of an aduocate that the deuyl dyde bere away lxxxi E Fo. Clxxxii ¶ That the deuyl wrote synnes within the chyrche lxv E Fo. Clvii ¶ That the deuyll bare a boke wryten of synnes lxv C. Fo. Clvi ¶ That the deuylles were vpon the tayle of a woman lxv D Fo. Clvi ¶ That the deuyll gaue a monke pytche to drynke lxvi C Fo. Clviii ¶ That the deuyll encharged a woman iiii thynges lxv F Fo. Clvii ¶ That the deuyll made a woman to renye her faythe to sle her chylde lx I Fo. cxlvii ¶ That the deuyll gaue a payre of shone to an olde woman for too put dyuysyon in a maryage lxxxxix E Fo. CCxi ¶ Other examples of decepcyons of the deuyl lviii B Fo. Cxliii Et. lx G Fo. Cxlvi ¶ That the deuylles vnburyed a synner in the chyrche lxix B Fo. Cxlii ¶ Septimum preceptum Luxuria ¶ Examples vpon the .vii. commaundement of god OF a woman dāpned that knewe lecherously one of her parētes dyde many synnes of whose mouthe yssued many todes venymous bestes in her confessyon lxxxx A Fo. Clxxxxvi ¶ Of the punycion of a curyal that habyted his god doughter lxxxx B Fo. Clxxxxvii ¶ Of a woman dampned for tyrynge and aornynge of her heed for shewynge of her pappes / for dauncynge / vnshamefull enbracementes lxxxx C Fo. Clxxxxvii ¶ That .xxiii. M men were brent with the fyre celestyall for the synne of lechery / Balaam gaue the counceyle lxxxx D Fo. Clxxxxviii ¶ That by the occasion of the lechery of Herode his Herodyen saynt Iohans heed was smyten of lxxvi E Fo. Clxxiiii ¶ That Absalon knewe his faders cōcubynes as it is wryten in the .xvi. chapytre of the seconde boke of kynges / soone after was slayne cruelly lxx A Fo. Clxiii ¶ Of a yonge man lecherous that conuerted hym Cxv. F Fo. CCxlvii Stuprum ¶ Examples of deflourynge of vyrgyns ¶ That a vyrgyn was corrupte with a yonge man and by malyce she imposed the synne vnto saynt Machayre the whiche was pacyent lxxxxi A Fo. Clxxxxxviii ¶ Of a knyght dampned and tourmented in hell the whiche toke the maydenheed of a vyrgyn lxxxx B. Fo. Clxxxxix ¶ That Ammon the sone of Dauyd was slayne of Absalon for that that he had deflored Thamar lxxxxi C Fo. Clxxxxix ¶ That a doughter was rauysshed in the daunce and vyoled / and after hanged her selfe lxviii F Fo. Clxii ¶ That Sychem the whiche deflored Dyne the doughter of Iacob was slayne his fader Emor c. lxxxxi D Fo. Clxxxxix ¶ Of hym the whiche enbraced the ketles the cawdrons of the kechyn wenynge to enbrace vyrgyns lxxxxi E Fo. Clxxxxix Concilium malum ¶ That an olde baude coūceyled yll a yonge woman lxxxxi F Fo. CC ¶ That Ionadab counceyled yll Ammon to deflour Thamar lxxxxi C. Fo. Clxxxxix ¶ That Balaam gaue yll
were seÌ„blable in merytes vnto saynt Pafuncius the holy fader Cxxiiii D Fo. CClix ¶ That a mynstrell was lyke in meryte to saynt Pafuncius Cxxiiii E Fo. CClix ¶ That a prouost his wyfe were semblables to aâ— hermyte Cxxiiii F Fo. CClx ¶ Examples of people obedyentes li. A / b c / d / e / f. c. Fo. Cxxvii ¶ Examples of people charitables lxxv A b / c. c. Fo. Clxxi ¶ Examples of people stedfast in ferme in the faythe lxi A / b. Fo. Cxlviii ¶ Example of a nonne the whiche fayned to be a fole lxi C Fo. Cxlviii Of a relygyous that ceased not to be in the orayson of the psalmody lxvi F Fo. Cxlviii ¶ Of vyrgynyte and chastyte lxxxxiiii a / b / c. Fo. CCiiii Et. xxxviii C. Fo. lxxxxi ¶ Of a frere that wanne .vii. crownes in one nyght to resyst in his thought to the deuylles temptacyon Cii A Fo. CCxvi ¶ Of a relygyous the whiche bywrapped his handes to th ende that he ne sholde touche his moder xxxvii F Fo. lxxxx ¶ Examples of the dethe of vertuous people Ciii a / b / c. c. Fo. CCxxiiii ¶ That a bysshop was .xl. yeres doynge penaunce ne ete but fruyte lviii d Fo. cxliii ¶ Of the fastynges abstynences of saynt Germayne Cxxiiii G Fo. CClx ¶ Of the austeryte of lyfe of two holy women Cxxiiii H / I / Fo. CClxi ¶ Of a monke vnto whome god sent euery day of good breed / and after that he had commytted synne he loste the sayd good breed Ci. A Fo. CCxv ¶ Another table HEre foloweth a table for to fyÌ„de lyghtly in generall all the maters wherof the examples of this boke treateth and speketh And fyrst Of obedyence li. A Fo. Cxxvii Of inobedyence liiii A Fo. Cxxx To here goddes worde lv A Fâ— Cxxxvi Primum preceptum exempla ¶ Examples of ydolatry lvii A Fo. Cxl Of apostasye lviii A Fo. Cxlii Of heretykes lix A Fo. Cxliiii Of people out of the faythe lx A Fo. Cxlv Of people in the faythe lxi A Fo. Cxlviii Of pryde QueÌ„ anÌ„ in priÌ„o pÌ„cepto ê‘ tabulaÌ„ Of humilyte ayenst pryde lxi C Fo. cxlviii Secundum preceptum exempla ¶ Examples of blaspheme lxii A. Fo. Cxlix Of periuryes lxiii A Fo. Cli Of vowes lxiii D Fo. Clii Tertium preceptum exempla ¶ Examples of them that hath wrought on the holy dayes lxiiii A Fo. Cliiii Of seruyce lxv A Fo. Clvi To slepe in the seruyce lxvi A Fo. Clviii Of slouthe Quere iÌ„ tercio pÌ„cepto ê‘ tabulaÌ„ Of orayson lxvi E Fo. Clviii Of fedyÌ„ge in seruyce tyme. lxvii A. Fo. clix To hunte on the feestes lxviii A Fo. Clxi To daunce on the feestes lxviii C Fo. Clxi To playe on the feestes lxii C / G. Fo. Cl. Et. lxvii D Fo. Clix Et. lxiii B Fo. Cli Of the chyrche lxix A Fo. Clxii Of sepultures lxix B Fo. Clxii Quartum preceptum exempla ¶ Examples of chyldren lxx A Fo. Clxiii Of correccyon lxxii A. Fo. Clxvii Et lxxi G Fo. Clxvi Of charyte lxxv A Fo Clxxi Quintum preceptum exempla ¶ Examples of homycyde that is vniustly done lxvi A Fo. Clxxiiii Of homycide doutful lxxviii A. Fo. clxxvii Of homycyde iustly done Cvi c. Fo. ccxxvi Of yre lxxviii D Fo. Clxxviii Of impacyence pacyence QueÌ„ ê‘tabulaÌ„ Of hate lxxix A Fo. Clxxviii Sextum preceptum exempla ¶ Examples of theft lxxx A Fo. Clxxx Of sacrylege lxxxii A Fo. Clxxxiii Of tythes lxxxiii A Fo. Clxxxv Of rapyne Quere iÌ„ sexto pÌ„cepto ê‘ tabulaÌ„ Of people to moche holdynge and vnmercyfull lxxxiiii A Fo. Clxxxvi Of mercy Quere iÌ„ sexto pÌ„cepto per tabulaÌ„ Of symony lxxxv A Fo. Clxxxviii Of vsury lxxxvi A Fo. Clxxxxi Of restytucyon lxxxviii A Fo. Clxxxxiii Of excoÌ„munycacyoÌ„ lxxxix A. Fo. clxxxxiiii Of maledyccyon Quere per tabulam Septimum preceptum exempla ¶ ExaÌ„ples of lechery lxxxx A. Fo. clxxxxvi Of defloracyon lxxxxi A. Fo. Clxxxxviii Of yll counceyle lxxxxi F Fo. CC Of aduoutry lxxxxii A Fo. CC Synne in maryage lxxxxiii A Fo. CCii Sacrylege as to lechery lxxxxiii d. Fo. cciii Of chastyte lxxxxiiii A Fo. CCiiii Of sodomye lxxxxv A Fo. CCv Octauum preceptum exempla Of fals wytnesse lxxxxvi A Fo. CCvi Of periuryes lxxxxvii A Fo. CCvii Of lyers lxxxxviii A Fo. CCix Of detractours lxxxxviii B Fo. CCix Of derysers lxvii f. Fo. clx .lxx. c. Fo. clxiii Of yll spekers lxxxxix A Fo. CCx Of yll herers lxxxxix I. L Fo. CCxii Nonum preceptuÌ„ exempla et decimuÌ„ Of yll thoughtes C. a / b / c. Fo. CCxiii Of good thoughtes Cii a / b / c. Fo. CCxvi Penitentia ¶ Examples of penaunce Quere ê‘ tabulaÌ„ Eucharistia ¶ Examples of the holy sacrament of the auter Cii D Fo. CCxvii Perditio bonorum ¶ Examples that the synners loseth the spyrytuall goodes Cii Y Fo. CCxxiii Finis iniquorum est pctmÌ„ ¶ Examples that the mortal synnes ben lynes or bondes Quere per tabulam Mors bonorum ¶ Examples of the dethe of good and Iust men Ciii A / b / c. Fo. CCxxiiii Mors malorum ¶ Examples of the dethe of euyll and vniust men Cv. A Fo. CCxxviii Iudicia dei ¶ Examples of the secrete Iugementes of god Cvi A / b / Fo. CCxxvi Iudicium ¶ Examples of the Iugement of euery man and woman Quere per tabulam Peni inferni ¶ Examples of the horryble paynes that ben in hell Cvii A Fo. CCxxx Iesus ¶ Examples that this name Ihesus dooth many goodnesses Cxii a / b / c / d Fo. CCxli Natiuitas christi ¶ Examples of the natyuyte of our lorde Ihesu cryst Cxiii a / b / c / d Fo. CCxliii Passio christi ¶ Examples of the passyon of our lorde Ihesu cryst Cxiiii A / b / c. Fo. CCxliiii Signum crucis ¶ Examples of the sygnes and token of the crosse Cxvi A / b / c. Fo. CCxlvii Aqua benedicta ¶ Examples of the vertues of the holy water Cxvii A / b. Fo. CCxlix Maria. ¶ Examples of the moost gloryous vyrgin Marye Cxviii A / b / c. Fo. CCl Innocentia ¶ Examples of people symples and innocentes Cxxiii A / b. Fo. CClvi Virtus ¶ Examples of people vertuous Quere ibi ante per tabulam ¶ Examples that a man sholde do of good dedes in his lyfe wtout abydynge his pareÌ„ts after his dethe lxxii a / b / c / d / e / f. Fo. Clxvii Finis The perambule and dyuysyon of this boke ¶ Here begynneth the perambule and dyuysion of this present boke called the floure of the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of god GOd the fader / the sone / and the holy goost the whiche is one seul god in trynyte whome it wyll lyke to gyue vnto vs his loue / his grace and his mercy And the it wolde please hyÌ„ to enlumyne the hertes and the thoughtes of synners the whiche wyllen repent them / correct / and amende And who so
shall studye this boke the whiche is named the floure of the commaundementes of god / for that it hath ben gadered amonge the bokes as the fayre vyolettes ben gadered amonge the rude and vyle herbes thorow out the feldes in likewyse as a man may se by auctorytees holy scryptures alleged assembled for to knowe that / that god wylleth and commaundeth to th ende for to go in to lyfe eternall And in lykewyse as the hony flyes gadren the swetenes of the lytell floures for to make the waxe or hony / or in lykewyse as men gadren the creame and the swetenes of the mylke for to haue the fatte and butter for to nourysshe the body Euen so hath ben gadered the floures and swetnesses of the holy scryptures for to nourysshe spyrytually the soules with vertues and goodes spyrytualles in accomplysshynge the wyll of god for to haue saluacyon / and to escape dampnacyon This boke treateth pryncypally thre thynges The fyrst declareth that all the ten commaundementes all the holy scryptures tenden and hangen to loue god and his neyghboure / and how god defendeth in these two thynges here all synne / and all euyll wordes / thoughtes / operacyons / and he commaundeth al vertues goodes espyritualles The seconde thynge wherof this boke treateth is of the .x. commaundementes / the whiche ben declared one after another by chapitres as they ben here before in the table The thyrde declareth some thynges moeuynge for to kepe the commaundements of god / and many thynges noysauntes vnto them the which breketh them Moreouer the condycyons of the pylgryme of paradyse / and of the rewarde eternall of them the whiche well or yll haue accomplysshed these commaundementes Creatures reasonable studye ye this boke / for it is moche prouffitable vnto all people as wel clerkes as seculyers / and plante ye and rote the commauÌ„dementes in your hertes as yf they were wryten in a boke and god shall gyue vnto you paradyse the whiche is a place replenysshed with Ioyes more swete than ony mylke or hony Legitur in libri moysi Audi israel precepta domini et eain corde quasi in libro scribe / et dabo tibi terram effluentem lac et mel c. B. ¶ Here foloweth the fyrst chapytre the whiche treateth in generall that it is coÌ„maunded to loue god with all his herte / his neyghbour as hymselfe i. c. YF thou wylt do thy saluacyon benygnely thou shalt obey vnto god vnto his commaundementes / as here after thou shalt here ¶ God gyueth vnto the two commaundementes so generalles that they comprehende vnder them all that / that thou sholdest do and fle for thy saluacyon In lykewyse as sayen the holy scryptures in many places VnÌ„ Mathei .xxii. Marci .xii. Luce .x. Et deuteronomii .vi. Diliges dominum deum tuuÌ„ ex toto corde tuo / et ex tota anima tua / et ex tota meÌ„te tua / ex tota virtute tua / hoc estmaximum primum mandatum SecunduÌ„ autem simile est huic Diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum In hus duobus mandatis vniuersa lex pendet et prophete That is to say It is commaunded the that thou loue thy lorde god with all thy herte / with all thy soule / with all thy thought / and with al thy strength / that is to vnderstande more than all thynges / and aboue al thynges This here is the gretest commaundement and the fyrst For it is of the dyleccyon vnto god the whiche comprehendeth the thre fyrst commaundementes and the thre vertues theologalles / the whiche ben faythe / hope / and charyte The seconde commaundement is semblable vnto that / for is dylection the whiche gyueth them charge that thou loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe This dyleccyon comprehendeth vnder it the seuen last commaundementes / all the werkes of mercy / and the foure vertues cardynalles the whiche ben Prudence / attempraunce / Iustyce / and force In these two commauÌ„dements before sayd to loue god and his neyghbour all the lawe hangeth the prophetes ¶ For to vnderstande ryght shortly all the fayth / all the .x. commaundementes of god / and all the scryptures of the auncyent testament and of the newe / and all that / that the prophetes and sayntes of paradyse hath spoken vnto vs and wryten for the helthe of our soules / it is a thynge certayne that all tendeth and hangeth in the ende and coÌ„clusyon for to loue god and his neyghbour as it is sayd Saynt Poule sayeth ad romanos .xiii. Dilectio ê“ximi malum non operatur / plenitudo legis est dilectio The dyleccoÌ„n of thy neyghbour dooth none yll / the fulfyllynge of the lawe is dyleccyon And therfore retayne wele in thy mynde these two commaundementes and them accomplysshe from poynt to poynt / in operacyon / in worde / and in thought / thou shalte do none yll / but thou shalt accomplysshe all goodnes / and thou shalt be saued C. ¶ The seconde chapytre assygneth .v. reasons wherfore a man shold loue god with all his herte aboue all thynges IT is wryten in the .xiiii. chapytre of the gospelles of saynt Iohn that our sauyour redemptour Ihesus sayd vnto his dysciples Qui habêª mandata mea seruat eaâ—le est qui diligit me That is to saye after the exposytoure He the whiche hathe my commaundements in the ere to here them and in the herte for to thynke them / and in the mouthe for to teche theym / and in the mynde and volunte to kepe theym and to accomplysshe in operacion / he it is whiche loueth me Many 〈…〉 shold moeue vs to loue god with all our hertes obey vnto his commaundementes more soner thaÌ„ to all thynges D. ¶ Fyrst it is good reasoÌ„ to loue hym with all our herte for the goodnes infynyte the whiche is in hym and the whiche of hym procedeth / the whiche is so grete that it is innombrable That is saye that he hath soo many that a manne can finde th ende Also it is good reason to loue hym / for he hath loued vs more than all the creatures that he hath made and create in this worlde / the whiche he hath all create for to serue vs. Whan god made create the heuen and the erthe / the sonne and the moone / the sterres / the fyrmament the elementes / and all the beestes eche of them in his kynde / and all the byrdes euery of theÌ„ in his gree / he them made for his honour for to serue vs and to gouerne / and without them wene may lyue Albeit of all the creatures that he hath create in this worlde hene hath made none vnto his semblauÌ„ce and vnto his ymage to be in his company eternally but man and woman and the aungelles And for as moche as he hath loued vs more than all the operacyons that he hath create and for the goodnes infynytethe
Abraham was at the dore of his tabnacle he lyfte vp his eyen and sawe dyuynely thre aungels in semblaunce of thre persones the whiche de noteth the fader / the sone / and the holy goost / he ranne agaynst them and worshipped them in erthe and sayd Domine sun ueni gratiam in oculis tuis ne traÌ„seas seruum tuum sed afferam pauxillum aque et laueÌ„tur pedes vestri c. Tres vidit vnuÌ„ adorauit He sawe thre persones and worshypped one onely god in trynyte ¶ Vnto the example of Abraham we shall adoure and worshyppe one onely god in trynyte ¶ Another example wryten in the .xxiiij. chapytre of Exody that our lorde sayd vn-Moyses Mounte in too the mountayne thou and Aaron / and Madab / and Abyn / and thre score auncyent men of Israell ye shall worshyp a ferre of ¶ Another example in Exody that the chyldren of Israell vnderstode that god them vesited and regarded the tourmentes that Pharaon dyde vnto theym / than they fell prostrate on the erthe and worshypped hym Vnde exodi iiiâ— AudieÌ„tes filij israel ê™ deus eos visitaret et respiceret afflictionem eorum et adorauerunt prom in terram c. ¶ An other example wryten in the fyrste chapytre of the fyrst boke of kynges that a man named Helcana departed from his cyte on the dayes establysshed too th ende that he sholde worshyp doo sacryfyce vnto god ¶ Another example wryten in the .ix. chapytre of Neemie that after that the chyldren of Israell came agayne frome the captyuyte of Babylon they separated themselfe from people strauÌ„gers / and also put them in fastynges / they cladde them in sackes / they put erthe vpon theyr heedes and worshypped theyr lorde god ¶ Another example wryten in the fyrste chapytre of Iob that whan the sayd Iob had herde the wordes of the messengers the whiche came to tell hym that his goodes were lost and his sones slayne / he lyft hym vp and fell prostrate vnto the erthe and worshypped god sayd Nudus egressus suÌ„ de vtero matris mee / nudus reuerâ—ar illuc ¶ Another example wryten in the .vi. chapytre of Danyell the whiche was commaunded of kynge Dayre that none ne sholde demaunde ony thyÌ„ge of god ne of man by .xxx. dayes / but alonely of the sayd kynge Dayre And Danyell ne dyde nothynge bowed his knees thre tymes on a daye and worshypped his lorde god ¶ Another example wryten in the seconde chapytre of the euangelyst saynt Mathewe that whan the kynges that came fro the oryent entred in to the hous founde the chylde and the vyrgyn Mary his moder they yode on theyr knees worshypped hym ¶ Another example in the .x chapytre of the gospell of saynt Iohn that a man that had be blynde from his natyuyâ— was enlumyed of Ihesus and after woâ—shypped hym ¶ Another example wryte Mathei .viij. marci .j. that whan Iesuâ— descended from the mountayne a meselâ— a lepre came to hym and worshypped him and sayd Domine si vis potest me mundare My lorde yf thou wylte thou mayâ—â— hee le me ¶ Another example wryten Mâ—thei .xxviij. that whan the appostles camâ— to our lorde after that he was rysen they woâ—shypped hym ¶ Another example writeâ— in the .iiij. chapitre of the gospelles of saynâ— Mathewe that our lorde sayd vnto Sathan as he tempted hym Thou shalt woâ—shyppe thy lorde god DnÌ„m deum tuuâ— adorabis et illi soli seruies ¶ Another exaÌ„ple wryten in the .xxij. chapytre of the Apocalyps that after that saynt Iohan haâ— seen the reuelacyons of god he fell before fete of the aungell that had shewed theyr to hym to th ende that he myght worshyp hym And the aungell sayd / kepe the froâ— doynge yt. And afterwarde foloweth woâ—shyp god Thou shalt be ryght vnnaturaâ— to dysknowlege thy god the whiche is tâ—â— creatour of the heuen and of the erthe / gâ—uerneth all the worlde and purueyeth vnto all creatures all thynges as to them be necessarye Also thou sholdest be ydolatâ— to giue vnto the ydolles and straunge goâ—des the honoure the whiche apperteyneâ— vnto the fourmer and creatoure of vs all The scryptures sayeth that the name 〈◊〉 god is louable from the oryent tyll vnto occydent Vnde psalmê° Asolis ortu vsâ— ad occasum laudabile nomeÌ„ domini ¶ A so thou sholdest be without entendemenâ— and naturall reason for too thynke that stone or a symulacre hathe puyssaunce fâ— to gyue the helthe in thy sekenesse or paradyse at the ende of thy lyfe Also force or pâ—yssaunce procedeth of the creatour as it is wryten Iohannis .j. Omnia per ipsum fata sunt / et sine ipso factum est nichil And therfore beleue in one onely god in trinyte and yf thou therin be ferme and stedfast thou shalte be worthy to doo myracles as dyde a preste the whiche entred within the fyre for to approue the faythe and was not breÌ„t Quere .lxi. B. ¶ Another example how a good man stedfast in god requyred hym that a mountayne myght be remoeued chauÌ„ged frome one place in to another for to conferme the faythe / his request was herde Quere .lxj. a. Vnto this purpose it is wryten Mathei .xxj. Amen dico vobis si habueritis fidem et non hesitaueritis et si monti huic dixeritis tolle et iactare te iÌ„ mare fiet Certaynly I say you yf it be so that ye haue had faythe without doubtynge / that haue sayd vnto this mountayne take the away and caste the in to the see / it shal be doone C. ¶ Secondly it is defended to beleue in ydolles straunge goddes / in errours / and folysshe credences .vj. IT is wryten in the auncyent testament that god defendeth al yl operacions / thoughtes / and wordes of infydelyte the whiche these ydolatres speketh / thynketh agaynst the faythe Vnde exodi .xx. c. NoÌ„ habebis deos alienos coram me NoÌ„ facies tibi sculpile neque omnem similitudinem que est in celo desuper / et que in terra / nec oiÌ„a eorum que sunt in aquis sub terra non adorabis ea neque colles That is to lay Thou shalt not haue straunge goddes before me Thou ne shalt make ydoldes ne statues ne symylytudes what so euer it be in the skye on hye as the sonne and the mone that many haue worshypped vnfaythfully / nor in other thynges the whiche ben on the erthe of the thynges the whiche ben in / waters / ne vnder the erthe Thou ne shalt worshyp those thynges ne gyue vnto theym the dyuyne honour / that is that the whiche is wryten before ¶ One onely god with all thyn herte thou shalte serue / and in hym beleue Thou shalte loue hym with all thyn herte and also thou shalt honour hym Maledyccyon cometh on those the whiche wyll not beleue in god / and the whiche maketh ydolles vnto whome they
Obedyence is the ladder for to ascende in to heuen / and it is requysyte of necessyte of helthe In lykewyse as it is wryten in the begynnynge of the examplary where the examples of obedyence ben wryten Quere .li. A. G. ¶ Syxtely a man dooth honoure vnto his parentes and fader whan a man helpeth them by operacyon of body and of godes in theyr necessyte after theyr abylyte and puyssaunce Also it is wryten primo to hannes tercio Filioli mei non diligamus verbo neque lingua / sed opere et veritate My chyldren loue we not by worde ne by tongue / but in wecke and in trouthe Doo vnto thy fader and vnto thy moder in semblable maner as the haue doone vnto the in thyn infancy and chyldhode as it is sayd before Quere before in this sayd commauÌ„dement .xx. B. And saynt Ambrose recounteth in his boke exameron in the fyfth chapytre that the byrdes the whiche ben called storkes putteth theyr parentes as fader moder whan they ben fallen in aege into a nest and in dede theym nouryssheth and kepeth duely and dylygently there / and yf ony of the sayd olde foules haue loste theyr feders by aege or otherwyse / fauourably kyndely they couer theym and fayle them not vnto the tyme that they be deed In the the same maner by greter reason naturally and of the commaundement of almyghty god we sholde helpe / socour / and conforte our faders and moders other pareÌ„tes Be ye not as the enfantes of serpentes the whiche byteth and renteth the wombe of theyr moders / and sleeth them Example of a sone the whiche defaylled vnto fader and vnto moder / and he bare a tode thre yeres in his vysage Que. lxx B. Another example of two doughters the whiche put out theyr fader in his age lxxiii H ¶ Seuenthly men dothe honoure vnto theyr faders whaÌ„ they theÌ„ supporte in age feblenes / in sekenes / and haue no wytte / and yf they excede somwhat to pardonne them Wherof speketh saint poule ad gal vi Alter alterius onera portate et sic ad implebitis legem christi Bere ye the burdens or dedes one of another And so shall ye accomplysshe the lawe of Ihesu cryste Et legitur eccle tertio ca. Fili suscipe senectam patris tui et non contristes eum iÌ„ vita illius et si defecerit senâ—ê° veniam da illi Sone receyue the auncyente of thy fader / and be not wrothe with hym in his lyfe / and yf his wytte defayle pardon hym / Et legitur ad ephe iiii Estote autem inuicem benigni misericordes donantes inuicem sicut er deus in christo donauit vobis Be ye togyders benygne mercyful gyuynge togyders in lyke wyse as god hath gyuen vnto you in Ihesu chryste Examples how a man sholde bere honoure vnto his fader and moder and fyrste Example how the wyse salamon honoured hys moder It is wryten in the seconde chapytre of the thyrde boke of kynges howe the kynge Salamon sawe one tyme his moder Barsabe come vnto hym / and he rose vp and came to mete her and worshipped her / and set hym vpon his throne / and made his moder to sytte on his ryght syde by hym / in doynge her honoure in lyke wyse as a good childe sholde do vnto his moder Agayne tho children the whiche setteth fader and moder whan they ne may nothinge more do / not at the hye ende in doynge them honoure / but at the corner of the châ—neye And yf there be a boone it is gyuen vnto the fayre fader the whiche hathe no mo tethe Another example wryten in the fourth chapitre of the boke of thobie / how the auncyente thobye sayd vnto his sone / Whan god hathe taken my soule bery my body / and bere honour vnto thy moder all the dayes of thy lyfe And in lyke wyse sholde good chyldren do Another example It is wryten that whan the vyrgyn Marye departed Ihesus forgate her not / and theder made to come and be borne all the appostles And he hymselfe came theder for to do her honoure and seruyce c. And also set her on his ryghte hande in paradyse in doynge her honoure Wherof speketh the psalmyst the whiche sayeth Astitit regina a dextris tuis in vestitu deaurato circumdata varietate Another example of a man the whiche was fell and harde vnto his auncyente and his sone hym repreued and of good ryght For a man sholde bere honoure vnto his faders by coÌ„maundement of god Quere .lxxi. F. I ¶ The thynges mouyng for to honour theyr faders Ca. xxi IT is wryten ecclesia tertio Sicut qui thesaueim at / ita qui honorificat patrem suum In lykewyse as is he the whiche wexeth ryche In lyke wyse is he the whiche honoureth his fader his moder with due reuerence Many thynges there is the whiche sholde cause and stere the persones of this worlde to honoure theyr faders moders / of the whiche we shall tell iiii The fyrst is to haue honoure preyse as wele before god as the worlde and for to fle dyshonour For the wyse Salamon sayth in the ecclesiastes Gloria enim hominis ex honore patris sui et dedecus filij pater sine honore The glory of the man is of the honoure of his fader / and vnto the dyshonoure of the sone whan the fader is without honour / yf the fader haue honour or dyshonour in lykewyse hath the sone / and the good or the euyll of the fader redoundeth vpon the sone It was none honoure vnto Absolon for to make warre agaynst his fader Dauyd Also euyll came vnto hym Quere .lxx. A. The seconde thynge the whiche moeueth vs to honour our faders is to th ende to haue benedyccyon or blyssynge Wherof speketh the sage Ecclesiastic iii. Honora patrem tuum et subueniet tibi benedictio a deo / benedictio illius in nouissimo manet That is to say / honour thy fader that benedyccyon come vpon the from god And the benedyccyon of hym abydeth in the last ende ¶ Example in Ysaac the sone of Abraham the whiche had benedyccyon Quere .li. A. The two sones of Noe Sem and Iaphet the whiche honoured theyr fader had benedyccyon As it is wryten Genesis ix c Benedictus dominus deus sem sit chanaan seruus eius / dilatet deus iaphet et habitet in tabernaculis sem sitque chanaan seruus eius The thirde is of drede to haue maledyccyon / for it dooth dyscende vpon the chyldren the whiche wyll not honour theyr faders Wherof it is wryten Deuteronomie xxvii Maledictus qui noÌ„ honorat patrem suum et matrem suam / et dicet omÌ„is populus Amen He the whiche honoureth not his fader and moder shall be accursed / and all the people shall saye Amen ¶ Example of Cham the sone of Noe the which mocked his fader / and called his
auditum auertent ad fabulas autem conuertentur That is to saye Preche vnto synners and maynteyne thou it opportunatly / unportunately repreue / pray / blame in all pacyence and doctryne / the tyme shall come that they ne shall sustayne / that is they ne wyll haue holsome doctryne They shall assemble prechours and maysters for to tell theym pleasaunt thynges for to here / they shall take away the herynge whan a man shall speke of the trouthe / and they shall approche to here fables / toyes / and mockeryes It is a grete thynge vnto a fader curate or precher to shewe the worde of god to conuert a synner / and to put hym from the errour of his way / for he saueth his soule and couereth the multytude of his synnes Vnde iacobi v. Scire debet quoniam qui conuerti facerit percatorem ab errore vie sue / saluabit animam eius a morte / et cooperit multitudinem peccatorum ¶ Examples of many the whiche haue ben saued for theyr worde of god Quere in thexamplary And vnto the contrary it is a grete daunger vnto curates and superlatiues to lete the soules of theyr subgectes be loste by defaute of theyr shewynge of good doctyne / for they ben deputed as homycydes of theyr soules Vnde Ezechielis .iii. Si noÌ„ annunciaueritis impio neque locutus fueris vt auertatur a via sua impia / et ipse impiê° in iniquitate sua morietur sanguinem auteâ— eius de manu tua requiram c. Et legitur prouerbÌ„ xi Vbi non est gubernator populus curruet The people falleth where as is no gouernour / that is of capytayne or of mayster Also the curates the whiche precheth not ne correcteth theyr parysshens shall answere before god of all theyr synes Vnde iohannes chrisostomus dicit Vnusquisque enim christianus pro suo peccatored det rationem / sacerdos autem non tantum pro suis sed et pro omnium subditorum peccatis Also they ben called dombe dogges the whiche can not barke ne baye / that is they can not preche ne shewe the worde of god Vnde Ysaie .lvi. Canes muti non valatrare videntes vana dormientes et amaÌ„tes somnia c. ¶ Example that he that precheth the worde of god shall haue grete rewarde in paradise / and that many curates gooth vnto dampnacyon for that they gouerne them euyll Quere .lxvi. g. E. ¶ Fourthly the fader shold shewe good example vnto his chyldren Saynt Poule sayth Ad titum .ii. capi Inomnibê° teipsuÌ„ prebe exemplum bonorum operum / in doctrina / in integritate / in grauitate verbum sanum irreprehensibile vt is qui ex aduerso est vereatur nichil habens malum dicere de nobis Gyue thyselfe example of good operacyons in all thynges / in doctryne / in integryte / in grauyte / thy worde be hole with out reprofe to th ende that he the whiche is vnto the contrarye haue shame / and haue not ony euyll thynge to saye of vs. A man sholde note that the fader is deputed homicyde of his chylde spyrytually of dethe of gylte whan he dooth operacyons of syÌ„nes before hym / and that by his example he habandon hym vnto euyll and syntull werkes The blyssed man saynt gregory sayth in his pastoryall Scire debent prelati qd tot mortibus sunt digni / quot perditionis exempla ad subditos transmittunt Et legitur mathei xviii Ve homini per quem scandalum venit Wo vnto that man by whom sclaunder cometh ¶ Example of a man of his chylde the whiche cursed eche other in helle / and sayd by the I am dampned c. Quere in the examplary .lxxi. G. Also in this fourthe commaundemente a man sholde vnderstande that god there coÌ„maundeth that a man loue his neyghbour as hym selfe This dyleccyon is declared largely in the begynnynge of this presente boke Quere .ii. e. f. g. A. ¶ Here foloweth the werkes of mercy the whiche ben here commaunded to accomplysshe aneÌ„st our faders and neyghbours indygentes and nedy xxii ¶ Who so with god wyl make his accorde Whan he shall come vnto the Iugement The werkes of mercy coÌ„mauÌ„deth our lord The to accomplysshe vnto the Indygent SAynt Poule sayeth in his epystle that he wryteth .i. ad Thymotheum .iiij. capi Pietas ab omnia vtilis est promissionem habens vite que nunc est et future Pyte is prouffytable in al thynges hauynge promesse of the lyfe the whiche now is and of that for to come Also these scryptures sayeth Yf thou wylt be in the loue in the grace of god / and that thy case be well borne vnto the Iugement partyculer and generall the whiche shall be doone of the it behoueth that thou be mercyfull to gyue to lende vnto the poore indygent That is to vnderstande Yf ony of thy bredren crysten men be comen to pouerte thou shalte not harden thyn herte ne withdrawe thyn hande / but thou shalte labour and gyue vnto hym the lone in the thynge the whiche thou seest that he hath necessyte Vnde deuteronomie .xv. Si vnus de fratribus tuis ad paupertatem venerit non obdurabis cortuum nec contrahes manuum sed apecies eam pauperi et dabis mutuum quo eum in digeri prospexeris And yf thou do vnto hyÌ„ ony almesse and charyte thou shalte haue way and ouerture for to come surely before god For the gate of paradyse shal be opened vnto hym the whiche hath doone mercy and almesse / in lykewyse as men open the gates and make waye vnto hyÌ„ the whiche bryngeth a fayre present or gyft vnto a lorde / and yf he brynge nothynge men shytte the gates ayenst hym Vnde ecclesiastice xvi Omnis misericordia faciet vnicuique locum secundum meritum operum suorum et secundum intellectum peregrinationis illius All almesdedes and good operacyoÌ„s that the Iust hath doone shall appere vpoÌ„ hym before al at the Iugement Vnde Ezechielis .xviii. Iusticia iusti erit super eum The Iustyce of the Iust shall be vpon hym And the sage sayeth that in the ende of the man his operacyons shall be made open Vnde eccle xi In fine hominis denudatio operum illius Et legitur Ysaie .xxix. Erit vobis visio omnium sicut verba libri signati The vysyon of all thynges shall be vnto you in lykewyse as the wordes of the boke wryten / god shall call with hym the good people the whiche bereth vpon theym the werkes of mercy that they haue accoÌ„plysshed / the whiche he shall put on his ryght hande / and shall lede them with hym into paradyse And the euyll shall be put on the lyfte hande and sent vnto the fyre of helle It is wryten prouerbiorum .xxi. Qui obturat aurem suam ad clamorem pauperis clamabit ipse et non exaudietur He the whiche stoppeth his eeres vnto the clamours of the poore / he shall
they lese the Ioyes of paradyse as sayeth the scriptures VnÌ„ pau i. co vi Nolita errare qia neque fornicarii neque ydolis seruieÌ„tes neque adulteri neque moles neque masculoruÌ„ ê¯cubitores c. regnuÌ„ dei possidebuÌ„t Erre ye not for the fornycatours / ne the seruauÌ„tes vnto ydoles / ne these aduoultres / ne those the whiche coÌ„mitteth the synne of sodomye with masles c. ne shall possede the realme of god And he sayeth .v. ca. ad gal That the operacyons of the flesshe ben manyfest the whiche ben fornycacyon / vnclennes / vnchastyte / lecherye / it foloweth / those that do so shall not haue paradyse and he sayeth ad ephe v. Scitote iÌ„telligentes qmÌ„ oiÌ„s fornicator aut iÌ„mundê° aut auarê° quodeÌ„ ydolorum seruitê° noÌ„ habet hereditateÌ„ in regno christi That is to say vnderstonde you that euery fornycatoure / or vnclene / or auarycyous the whiche is seruytude of ydoles hathe not of herytage in the realme of Ihesu cryste Also these fornycatoures leseth god and the company of auÌ„gelles / and all the sayntes of heuen / and of all the thynges celestyall / spyrytuall / they lese theyr good renoÌ„me theyr vertues good operacyons / yf they deye impenytentes they lese the ioye / the he le the helthe of the soule Also by lecherye they feble theyr bodyes / engendre sekenes / corrupte the theyr blode / shorteth theyr lyfe / they lesse theyr rychesses theyr temporell godes they chase awaye sapyence / scyence / the gyftes of the holy ghost / they assocyate with deuylles with all maledyccyon / with the dampned of perdicyon / they put theyr soules in grete myserye dystresse / they bynde theyr soules to dethe of dampnacyon eternell / to be in the fyre in the paynes of helle without ony remyssyon / yf they in suche wyse deye without contrycyon confessyon satysfaccyon VnÌ„ ysodorus Ad penas tartari hominem libido perducit Lecherye brynge a man vnto the paynes of helle ¶ Example It is wryten in the seconde boke of kynges that Abner knew the concubynes of his fader Hysboreth within a lytell tyme after bothe twayne were slayne ¶ Also the prodygal man of whome it is wryten luce .xv. Who soo dyspendeth and vseth his substaunce in lyuinge lecherously yeueth example that lecherye dymynyssheth the rychesse and the godes of the meschaunt fornycatoure / for it is gyuen vnto harlottes and nouryture / And he lyueth delycyously whyle he hathe wherof Also the fornycatour maketh gyftes vnto promoters / offycyalles / deanes / payeth a grete amendes loseth to gayne for the occasyons of his lechery c. A. ¶ Of aduoutrye that god defendeth Capitulo xxxvi NOn adulterabis Thou shalt not coÌ„myt of rybauldyse Aduoutrye is coÌ„mytted whan the one of the partyes / or bothe twayne ben in the lyne of maryage / they coÌ„mytte lecherye with another than with theyr partye / and it is said aduoutre quasi ad alteriê° thoruÌ„ teÌ„dere vnÌ„ marci x. math xix QuicuÌ„que dimiserit vxoreÌ„ suaÌ„ aliaÌ„ duxerit adulteriuÌ„ coÌ„mittit suê‘ eaÌ„ Et si vxor dimiserit viruÌ„ suuÌ„ alii nupserit mechatur It is to knowe that men fynde by wrytynge that seuen mortall synnes maye folowe in brekynge his maryage ¶ The fyrst synne is fraccyon of the commaundement of god in two places / That is coueyte not the wyfe of thy neighboure exodi xx Non concupisces vxorem proximi tui And do thou not the synne in operacyon mathei v. Non machaberis ¶ The seconde synne is pariurye / for those that breketh theyr maryage transgresseth the fayth that they haue receyued in baptysme promysed vnto theyr party solemply in the face of the chirche before theyr preest frendes / the whiche is a grete synne as to breke the crysten fayth For it is wryten ad hebreos .xi. Quod sine fide iÌ„possibile eÌ„ placere deo It is impossyble to please god wtout faith the faith of a person is nothyÌ„ge worthe wtout doynge the operacyons as it is wryten iacobi .ii. Sicut eniÌ„ corpê° sine spuÌ„ mortuuÌ„ eÌ„ ita fides sine operibê° mor tua est iÌ„ semetipsa In lyke wyse as the body is deed whan it hathe no spyrite In lyke wyse the fayth is deed without operacyons Those that breketh the fayth gyuen in maryage ne byleue wele in god / by fayth operant wherfore they shall be condampned in to helle yf they deye impenytentes ¶ The thyrde is lyenge infydelyte / for those that breketh theyr maryage shewe them to be lyers infydeles to breke the loyalte of the body and of the goodes that they haue promysed to kepe the one with the other the whiche is a greate synne moche to be blamed For it is writen .iiii. ethicoruÌ„ ê™oeÌ„ meÌ„datiuÌ„ prauuÌ„ eÌ„et fugieÌ„duÌ„ sequitur Verax eÌ„ laudandê° / meÌ„dax vero vituperandê° Euery lye or lesynge is yll to be fledde / it foloweth that the true man is to be praysed the lyer to be shamed Et legitur ê“ .xxviii. Vir fidelis multuÌ„ laudabitur The man that kepeth loyalte on his party shall be moche lauded and praysed before god the worlde / shall haue retrybucyon in lyke wyse as it is wryten math .xxvi. Euge serue bone et fidelis qia suê‘ pauca â—uisti fidelis supra multa te ê¯stituaÌ„ itra iÌ„ gaudium diÌ„u tui O good faythfull seruaunt enioye the for thou haste ben faythfull of a lytell thinge I shall ordeyne the aboue a grete thinge / entre in to the ioye of thy lorde And vnto the contrary the persone a lyer infydele shall be dyffamed before god the worlde as we rede de villece luce .xvi. Qui diâ— famatus est apud dnÌ„m suuÌ„ quasi dissipasset bona ipsius And there foloweth damnacyon vnto those whiche deye impenitentes ¶ The .iiii. synne is thefte the whiche is whan ony man dothe vnto his neyghboure theuysshely / fraude / nuysaunce / treson / decepcyon secretely hydyngely agayne his wyll and it is done in suche wyse also whan ony is gyltye on his partye hydyngly and taketh possessyon saysyne of the body and of the flesshe the whiche vnto hym is vnyed by the sacrament of maryage / the whiche vnto hym is gyuen graunted of god and of the chirche / wherof it is wryten genÌ„ ii math xix Proptur hoc relinquet homo patreÌ„ et matre adherebit vxori sue erunt duo in carne vna That is to vnderstonde a man shall leue fader and moder for maryage / to drawe hym to his wyfe / and they shall be two in one flesshe / also they be not two / but one flesshe The thyng that god hathe comoincte man shall not departe it Vnde marci x. Itaque iaÌ„ non sunt duo sed vna caro
prepayreth theym ouer deyntely To suche sauour delectacion vnto superfluyte there is synne / but yf ony haue honger and that he eteth and also delyteth in the meet it is noo synne / for it is a thynge naturall that behoueth vnto al bestes Yf ony also prepayre the meet in suche maner intencyon that he may ete it after the coÌ„plexyon and faculte of hym / for otherwyse he ne may ete it / he it also may do without synne Vnde au Vtantur diuites coÌ„suetudine iÌ„firmitatis sue sed doleaÌ„t se aliter noÌ„ posse melius eiÌ„ facereÌ„t si aliter possent Also those the whiche hath vowed not to ete egges on the fryday / or flesshe on the wednesday syÌ„neth as vnto the fraccyon of the vowe and as vnto glotony Also the excesse of meet drynke is defended that is to vnderstande whan a man eteth too moche of breed and of meet that nature be greued / or that a man vomet / or whan a man taketh so moche of drynke that a man becometh dronke and that the entendement be troubled / or to excede in drynke and mete togyders A doctour named de vrimaria sayth QuicuÌ„que inebriatur vel excedit mensuram in commedendo vel bibeÌ„do et hoc facit preposito intentione / talis peccat mortaliter tociens quotiens / sed si sit ignoranter et siue preposito vel si causa euenerit aut ex fragilitate sumeÌ„tis tunc peccat venialiter That is to saye What soeuer man that maketh hymselfe dronke or excedeth the measure in etinge or drynkynge and dooth it with intency on and purpose synneth mortally by as many oftymes as it happeneth And yf he do it ygnourantly and without purpose disposed or yf it happen by fraylte he synneth venyally And nother doctour named hermaÌ„num beleueth that whan ony taketh so moche of drynke and meet vnto superfluyte from than forthe that it greue nature be it by vometynge or not / and that of it that whiche he hath superfluyte and haboundaunce many poore people had ben susteyned the whiche peraduenture hadde therof necessyte / he beleueth that it is mortall synne Qr contra caritatem ê“ximi This synne is called surfyt the whiche is whan men eteth of the meet eschauffed warme before that it be baked / soden / or rosted ynough / the whiche dooth euyll / or to ete so moche mete that it ne may bake in the dygestyon naturall the whiche causethe corporal infyrmytees and spyrytualles / and maketh men surfytous to deye as sayth the sage Vnde eccle xxxvii Propter crapulam multi obierunt qui autem abstinens est aduciet vitam And the gospell sayth that these persones sholde kepe theyr hertes that they be not greued in surfytes and dronkennes Vnde luce xxi Attendite autem vobis ne forte grauenter corda vestra in crapula et ebrietate Et psal dicit Tanquam potens crapulatus a vino A maÌ„ surfyteth also by ouermoche dryÌ„ke / whan he taketh so moche that his herte is drouned Also the excesse of drynke wasteth the mynde / breketh the wytte and the thought / confoundeth the entendement it moueth vnto lecherye / it noyeth too speke well and implyeth the wordes / corrupteth the blode / derketh the syght / perturbeth the vaynes / taketh the strength from the synewes / maketh the eeres deef / troubleth the guttes / subuerteth the person / moysteth the brayne / letteth the slepe / weyketh all the meÌ„bres / shorteth the lyfe / letteth prayer / the vertue and all good operacyons Vnde legitur eccle xxxi Vinum multum potatuÌ„ irrationem et iram et ruinas multas facit ebrietas animositas imprudentis offensio minorans virtutem et faciens vulnera c Also the sage Salamon sayth that the Ioy of the body and of the soule is whan a man drynketh of wyne moderately without excesse / sobre drynkynge is helthe of the body and of the soule Vnde eccle xxxi Exultacio amime et corporis vinum modere potatum / sanitas corporis et anime sobrius potus And saynt Poule sayth that these dronken people shall not possede the realme of paradyse yf they deye impenytentes Vnde .i. ad Corinth vi Neque fures / neê™ auari / neque ebriosi / regnuÌ„ dei possidebunt And of hym the whiche constreyneth ony to dryÌ„ke to excesse saynt Augustyn sayeth Qui alium cogit vt plus bibat quam opus sit vt bibendo inebriet / melius esset illi vt carnem suam cum gladio vulneraret quam animam eius per ebrietatem occideret that is to say that he the whiche constreyneth ony to dryÌ„ke more than he shold to th ende that in dryÌ„kinge he be dronken / better it were for him that he made a wounde in his body with a swerde than he sholde sle his soule by drokennesse Note well that the synne of dronkennesse noyeth and harmeth in many maners vnto them the whiche it commytteth Quere ad numerum .xliiii. b. c.d.e.f.g.h.i.k ¶ Examples how mani ben come vnto an euyll conclusyon by glotony ¶ Fyrst how grete euyll came vnto Adam for bytynge of the apple c. Quere in the examplarye liiii A. ¶ Another example wryten in the .xii. chapytres of Iudyth the whiche with wyne made Holofernes dronke / and in his dronkennes smote of his heed ¶ Another example how punycyon dyuyne / sekenes / and dethe came vnto the cursed kynge Balthasar in a grete dyner that he had made vnto the grete lordes of his courte in lykewyse as it is wryten Danielis .v. ca. ¶ Another example how Amon the sone of Dauyd the whiche dyspoyled his syster Thamar was slayne at a grete dyner by his broder Absalon / in lykewyse as it is wryten in the .xiii. chapytre of the seconde boke of kynges ¶ Another example how the sones of Iob his doughters were slayne at a grete dyner of theyr oldest broder / in lykewyse as it is wryten in the .xvi. chapytre of the sayd Iob. ¶ Another example how the prynces of the Phelystyns feested togiders and made a grete dyner / and Sampson the stroÌ„ge pulled downe the hous vpon them / and there were thre thousande persones slayne in lykewyse as it is wryten in the .xvi. chapytre of the boke of Iuges ¶ Another example how saynt Iohan baptyst was beheeded and his heed was borne vnto kyng Herode as he was makynge a grete dyner in lykewyse as it is wryten in the .xiiii. chapytre of the gospelles of saynt Mathewe ¶ Another example of filius prodegê° that wasted his substaunce in glotonyes and lecheryes / in lykewyse as it is wryten in the xv chapytre of the gospels of saynt Luke ¶ Another example of a pylgryme the whiche solde his goune for to drynke wyne / euyll came vnto him Quere in thexamplary lxxxxiii G. ¶ Another example that yll came vnto a man named Vodo the which yode to ete and drynke at the
tauerne whaÌ„ he sholde haue gone vnto the chyrche Quere in thexamplary .lxvii. E. ¶ Many other examples of glotons shall be founde in the thyrde commaundement of thexamplary Quere ê‘ tabulam .lxvii. a.b.c.d.e. B. ¶ Of fastynge and abstinence that god commaundeth xxxix IT is wryten GenÌ„ iii. ca. De ligno scieÌ„tie boni et mali / ne comedas Incontynent that Adam was fourmed god him defended that he sholde not ete of the fruyte of the tree of scyence bothe good euyll He dysobeyed vnto the sayd commaundement and euyll came vnto hym / in lykewyse as it is wryten in the examplary Quere liiii a. Also god wyll that we fast and do abstynence in some dayes that the chyrche determyneth vs. Fastynge is instytued for the helthe of our soules / in lykewyse as sayeth the scryptures Vnde hiero Ieiunio et oratione sanande sunt passiones corporis et pestes mentis The passions of the body / and the pestelence of the thought ben heled by fastynge and prayer And Ysodorus sayeth Abstinentia enim carnem superat / luxuriam refrenat / et alia vicia calcat AbstyneÌ„ce surmouÌ„teth the flesshe / refreyneth lechery / and fouleth the other vyces A man may not well ouercome the temptacions but by fastynges abstynences Vnde Ysidorus Non potes teÌ„ptationes viÌ„cere nisi ieiunus insisteris Also fastyng lyfteth our thought vp vnto god in deuocyon and contemplacyon / and also augmenteth the vertues the rewarde eternall / in lykewyse as sayth the preface of lenten Qui corporali ieiunio vicia coÌ„primis / menteÌ„ eleuas / vtuteÌ„ largiaris premia c. Also abstynence fastyng ben moche prouffytable in lykewyse as it appereth by many storyes of the byble It is writen in the .xiii. chapytre of the boke of Iuges how the aungell of god appered vnto the wyfe of MaÌ„ne brehaigne vnto whome he commauÌ„ded that she ne sholde drynke wyne ne sydre and that she sholde not eete ony vnclene thynge and that she sholde haue a sone / and so it was done And she conceyued Sampson the stronge Another hystory is wryten in the .xx. chapytre of the boke of Iuges that after that the chyldren of Ysrael had fasted and wept they fought with the sones of Beniamyn and they had victory Another hystory how the prophete Helye dyde grete abstyneÌ„ces whan he demauÌ„ded of a woman wydowe a lytell of water to drynke a shyuer of breed / the sayd wydowe gaue it hym / and her mele or floure multyplyed / as it is wryten in the .xxii. chapytre of the thyrde boke of kynges And it it wryten in the .xix. chapytre of the sayd boke how the aungel of god brought vnto hyÌ„ breed and water after that he had moche fasted and trauayled Another history wryten in the .xxi. chapytre of the .iii. boke of kyÌ„ges that after that kynge Achab had made Naboth to be slayne he was manassed and thretened and knowleged his defaute / he cutte his vestementes / ware the hayre / fasted / and slepte vpon a sacke / and god atteÌ„pred his payne and sentence c. Another hystory wryten in the thyrde chapytre of the prophete Ionas that whan those of the cite of Nynyue herde that theyr cyte sholde be subuerted that they sholde be punysshed for theyr synnes / they fasted al grete and lytell / and they clothed them with sackes / chauÌ„ged theyr cursed wayes / and god had pyte on them / and dyde not vnto theym the euyll that he wolde haue done vnto them c. Another hystory wryten in the fourthe boke of Iudyth that after that the chyldren of Ysraell had herde the terryble puyssaunce of Holofernes they fasted and prayed god they had vyctory Another hystory wryten in the fourthe chapytre of Hester how before that Hester made request vnto the kynge for some people the whiche sholde be slayne she sayd vnto a man Mardocheus that he sholde go vnto the sayd people to make theym pray for her / and that by thre dayes they ne sholde ete ne drynke / and that she and her seruauÌ„tes sholde fast / so it was accoÌ„plyshed and her request vnto her was grauÌ„ted c. Another hystory wryten in the fyrst chapyter of danyell how danyell and his company Ananias / azarias / mysaell also abstened them to ete of metes of the kynge and to drynke of the wyne / and god gaue vnto the thre chyldren scyence in all bokes / and vnto danyell he gaue entendement of visions of dremes c. Another example wryten in the thyrde chapytre of the gospelles of saynt Mathewe how the mete of saynt Iohan baptyst was greshoppes and wylde hony / and he neyther dranke wine ne sydre / and was so full of grete abstynences holynes that it is wryten of hyÌ„ Internatos mulierum non surrexit maior iohanne baptista A question / who soo demaundeth what fastyng dayes the chyrche commaundeth to faste / and what people ben bounde to faste them The answere The chyrche commaundeth fastynge vnto all those and them the whiche may do it by helthe of theyr bodyes / the fourtymes of the yere / that is the ymbre dayes / and the vygylles of the feestes the whiche foloweth That is to vnderstande / the vygyll of crystmas / of whytsontyde saynt Iohan baptyst / saynt Laurence / the assumpcion of our lady / the vygyll of saynt Peter saynt poule / saynt Andrew / saynt Symon saynt Iude / saynt Mathew / the day of saynt Marke / but it yf come vpon the sonday the fastyng and processyon shal be on the monday after Also the custome is now to fast all the vygylles of the feestes of our lady / and in many places the thre dayes of the crosse c. Also the quarantyne of the lenten is of commaundement of the chyrche to faste / in lykewyse as sayeth these doctours Alijs diebus ieiunare remedium at premiuÌ„ est / in quadragesima non ieiuna re peccatum est alio tempore qui ieiunat accipiet indulgentiaÌ„ / iÌ„ quadragesima q i potest et non ieiunat sentiet penaÌ„ ¶ A questyon / A man may demaunde in what aege a persone is bounde to faste the lenten Saynt Thomas answereth ii.ii q. xlvii Et dicit quaÌ„diu aliquis stat in statu augmenti non tenetur ad oiÌ„a ieiunia / scilicet ad finem tercij septeÌ„nij i.xxi yeres And after the sayd saynt Thomas sayth / it is conuenable that euery persone vnder the sayd aege of .xxi. yeres excercyse hym to fast the moost that he may doo / as he of xiiii yeres sholde faste more than he of .x. yeres And howbeit that a man ne may fast all / yet he sholde enforce hym to do euery of them after his puyssaunce We rede in the .xxiiij. chapytre of Exodi how Moyses fasted .xl. dayes whan he receyued the lawe and the commaundements of god Also we rede in the thyrde boke of
/ and thy rote from the erthe of those that ben lyuynge ¶ Example how a relygyous man sayd at his dethe that all those the whiche had troubled and supposed agaynst hym had enforced them to slee hym Quere lxxxxix A. Thou man or woman obeye vnto the commaundemente of god the whiche the defendeth here all euyll wordes to th ende that thou be of the nombre of the saued / and thou shalte possede the Ioyes of paradyse the whiche ben promysed vnto the obedyentes in lykewyse as it is wryten in the ende of this boke Quere xlvii A. Also kepe the from the bryngynge forthe of euyll wordes / of drede to be sent vnto the fyre of hell the whiche is a tourmeÌ„t moche cruell for theym the whiche thyder shall be sent / in lykewyse as it is declared in the ende of this boke Que. xlix b ¶ ExaÌ„ple of a woman the whiche had the vpper parte of her body brente in the chyrche after her dethe for her cursed language Quere in the examplarye lxxxxix F. A. ¶ Of lyenge that god defendeth IT is wryten leuitici xix Non mentiemini nec decipiet vnusquisque proximum suum Ye shall not lye / ne none of you shall deceyue your neyghbour The wyse Salamon requyred of god two thinges before that he deyed the which ben that vanyte and lyenge wordes were ferre frome hym Vnde prouerb xxx VanitateÌ„ et verba mendacia longe fac a me It behoueth to se what lyenge is Saynt Austyn sayth Mendacium est falsa significatio vocis cuÌ„ inteÌ„tione fallendi Lyenge is a false sygnyfycacyon of voyce with intencyon to deceyue In this dystynccyon there ben two thyÌ„ges That is to vnderstande a false thynge and to tell a lye Dicere falsuÌ„ est aliqid esse quod non est ita non distinccio vtruÌ„ intendat dicere veruÌ„ vel falsuÌ„ To say a false thyÌ„ge is to say some thynge to be so the whiche is not / as whan a man speketh it without regardynge the intencyon to speke true or false Et mentiri est contra mentem iri To lye is to go agaynst the thought after thethymologisement of the worde Is qui mentitur coÌ„tra id quod animo sentit loquitur voluntate falleÌ„di He the whiche lyeth speketh agaynst that / that he hath in his courage with intencyon to deceyue In lykewyse in the dyffynycyon of lyenge is comprysed to speke a false thynge / and to tell a lesynge / therfore there is dyffereÌ„ce betwene lyenge saynge a false thynge For euery persone that lyeth speketh not a false thinge SoÌ„tyme he sayth trouth albeit that he wene to speke a false thinge / vnto the contrary euery persone the speketh a false thynge lyeth not For he weneth soÌ„tyme to saye all bet it that he say false So euery persone the whiche lyeth deceyueth euermore by wyll / albeit that he be deceyued in the trouthe of the dede / therfore he the whiche lyeth sinneth alway For the tongue culpable ne maketh / but the thought culpable / as it is wryten .xxii. q. ii Homines He that speketh a false thynge synneth not alwaye mortally Somtyme he speketh a false thynge with intencyon to deceyue the whiche is mortall synne And in lyenge he speketh somtyme a false thynge that he weneth to be true / whaÌ„ after his saynge he enquyreth dilygently of the dede / repenteth hyÌ„ whan he hath apperceyued his falsenes it is but venyall synne / as it is wryten .xxii. q. ii Homines For to haue examples of lyers it behoueth to take them the whiche beÌ„ periured / for they ben lyers and periurers toder ¶ Example how a deuyll lyed vnto a noble man and put hym in errour for to deceyueth hym at his dethe .lx. B. ¶ Another example how two marchauntes tolde vnto theyr curate that they ne coude sel ony thynge without lyenge Quere lxxxxix B. ¶ For to knowe the maners of lyenge a man sholde vnderstande the saynt Austyn assygneth .viii. kyndes ¶ The fyrst kynde of lyeng is whan a man maketh a lye ayeÌ„st the fayth / or agaynst the doctryne of holy relygyon / as who sholde say that Ihesus is not borne of the vyrgyn Mary / or that he hath not suffred dethe and passyon for to redeme vs c. To speke suche wordes by reason disposed it is mortall synne case reserued / it is the chefe of all lyenges The seconde kynde of lyenge that is after the gretest synne / is whan a man maketh a lye for to hurt or hyÌ„der ony persone vniustly so that suche lyenge ne ê“uffyteth vnto no creature / but noyeth vnto some / as too saye euyll of his neyghbour by detraccyon in forgynge false lesynges for to take frome hym his goodes / and his good renoune as it sholde be too accuse hym or wytnesse agaynst hym vniustly of theft or of ony cryme Those the whiche in suche wyse lyeth synneth mortally ryght gretely / and may be deputed homycydes / or theues after the lye or lesynge as it is sayd before The thyrde kynde after moost gretest synne / is whan a man maketh a lye for to ayde vnto some and to noye vnto another in cause of money / goodes or herytages as to wytnes vniustly with ony for to make another too lese his money / suche lesynge is mortall synne The fourth kynde is whan a man maketh a lye by delyberaci for to deceyue ony persone in lechery or auaryce / it is also mortall synne The fyfth is made by couetyse for to please vnto ony persone by flatery / and this flatery is made in thre maners The fyrst is grauntynge vnto ony persone some goodnes that he hath not / as to say thou art wyse / thou art fayre thou arte myghty / and that he were not so The seconde is in approuynge the euyll that some cursed ê‘sone hath done / as yf he hath beten / or pylled his neyghbour c. to say that he hath well done and to prayse hym of the sayd euyll / these two flateryes here ben .ii. mortal synnes / but the last is wors more grete synne than the fyrst .xxii. q. ii PrimuÌ„ xlvi di sunt noÌ„ nulli And the prophete ysaie saythin v. ca. Ve qui dicitis maluÌ„ bonum et bonum maluÌ„ / ponentes tenebras in luceÌ„ et lucem in tenebras / ponentes amaruÌ„ in dulce et dulce in amarum Maledyccion or wo be vnto you the whiche say the yll to be good and the good to be yl / puttynge derkenes to be lyght and lyght to be derkenes / puttynge soure to be swete and swete to be soure / suche flaterers ben called fals wytnesses The thyrde flatery is to prayse ony persone to hyghly of ony good dede for to please hyÌ„ / this last flatery is venyall synne The syxte kynde of lyenge is whan the lesynge or lye noyeth not vnto ony and profyteth vnto some for to auoyde the
diffamatus est apud dn̄m suum quasi dissipasset bona ipsius / There was a man the whiche was dyffamed anenst his lorde for he dispended and wasted his goodes Whan a persone dysobeyeth vnto god in synnynge mortally / he wasteth and dystroyeth the good vertues and goodes spyrytuell of his soule / or whan he purchaseth of worldly godes vniustely / or whan he putteth them forth prodygally in cursed langayges / or whan he ne dysposeth the goodes vnto the poores / as he sholde / he is dyffamed anenste god his lorde the whiche hym shal rebuke at the daye of iugemente shall saye vnto hym illud mat xxv Ite maledicti in ignem eternum esuriui et non dedistis michi māducare c. I haue had hongre and ye haue not gyuen me to eate c. Many sȳnes regneth the whiche dyffameth the persones the whiche them cōmytteth in like wyse as the experyence techeth it vs. A man knoweth openly that the synne of lechery is a dyshonour before the people in the coūtree where it is commytted / and infame vnto those the whiche doo it and reproche vnto the lygnee the whiche of it procedeth Example the synne of the sodomytes dyffamed them before god and the worlde ineternum and dyshonoureth theyr londe countree Also it is a reproche vnto theyr lignee and vnto all those the whiche folowe them in cōmyttynge theyr synne legi eccl xli Cū semīe pctōrum assiduitas opprobrii erit That is to say With the sede of sȳners accustomaunce of reproche shal be It is a thynge manyfeste that whan a mayden breketh her virginite / or a wyfe her mariage they dōmage theyr chyldrē whiche bereth the rebukes of theyr synnes and crymes / And those chyldren ben pryued of goodes and heritages of bothe the fader and also of the moder / and frome holy ordres / and frome all dygnyte yf he be not dyspensed with of our holy fader the pope c. Also the synne of thefte dyffameth moche the theuys / whā they ben hanged and strangled for theyr theftes Soo dothe pariurynge whan it maketh to pylle and to infame the pariurers Soo dothe murdre the whiche maketh the homycyde to be beheded In lyke wyse sorcerye / heresye / and the synne agayne nature the whiche maketh to brēne these sorcyeres / heretykes and sodomites For to be shorte many other synnes there ben these yll knaues to beten thorowe out the stretes / or to cut theyr ere 's / or to be enprysonned / to clȳme / or to preche / wherby they ben noted / dyshonoured / and dyffamed Example how filius prodigus was dyffamed for his glotonnye and lecherye / as it is wryten in the gospelles of saynt luke in the .xv. chapitre Another example of a sone the whiche hadde in his foreheed a tode .xiiii. yere ouer all the coūtree of fraūce by punycyon dyuyne for that that he defaylled vnto his fader and moder Quere lxx b. Another example in the proude amā the whiche wolde be honoured and that al men sholde bowe them before hym and to be worshipped / and he was soo dyffamed that he was hanged as it is wryten in the thyrde booke of Hester Mortell synne noyeth moche whan it taketh awaye the good renōmee of the persone the whiche is better and more precyous than golde or syluer / as it is writen prouer xx ca. Melius est nomen bonum quam diuitie multe super aurum et argentum gratia bona Et legi tur eccle vii Melius est nomen bonum quam preciosa vnguenta Et augustinus dicit Crudelis est qui famam suam negligit He is ryght cruell the whiche dysprayseth his good renōmee And whan a man by prayseth his good renōmee / it is a token that he is fallen in to the profoūdyte of sȳnes And that he is posseded of the deuyll / the whiche hym holdeth in his bandes / for it is wryten prouerbiorum xviii Impius cum in profundo peccatorum venerit contemnit sed sequitur enim ignominia opprobrium Also it shal be grete dyshonour vnto the synners at the iugemente whan all the synnes shall be sene and knowen apertly in them and vpon theym of all the worlde as yf they were paynted and wryten vpon theyr bodyes It is wryten luce viii Non enim est occultū quod non manyfestetur nec absconditum quod nō cognoscatur et in palam veniat That is for to saye that at the iugemente there hathe not ben synne done so hydyngly or secretely but that it shall be shewed and knowen and that it shall come in aperte before all A man shall knowe appertly the synnes of one and of other as a man knoweth in a greate hepe of people that suche one is clothed in graye / or in blacke / or in whyte / For these synners shall bere vpon theym theyr confusyon and theyr synnes as it is wryten ezechielis xliiii Peccatores portabunt confusionem suam et scelera sua q̄ fecerunt Et ezechiel xviii Iustitia iusti erit super eum et impietas impii super eū erit et cetera E. ¶ Fourthly inobedyence the whiche is mortall synne noyeth For it aueugleth and derketh the inwarde eyes of the soule ca. xliiii QVi odit fratrem suū in tenebris est et in tenebris ambulat nescit quo eat quoniā tenebre obce cauerūt oculos eius vt dicitur ioh i. c. He the whiche synneth mortally by dylectacyon and delyberacyō as he the whiche hathe his broder or neighboure not wyllynge to socoure hym in his necessyte / or in desyrynge his ylle / his ruyne / his dyffame / the losse of his goodes or herytages / or the ylle of his body / or the dāpnacyon of his soule agayne that the whiche is wryten ad ro xiii Dilige proximū tuum sicut teipsum That synner or hater is in derkenesse and walketh in derkenes and knoweth not wheder he gothe For the derkenes hathe put oute his eyen within forth of his soule The reason is so abused and made derke by hate or other mortall synne that the synner is bestyall withoute dyscernynge the good that he leseth and the yll the whiche is in hym / the whiche shal come vnto hym yf he perseuer in suche estate vn̄ dauid in psal Homo cum in honore esset nō intellexit comparatus est iumentis insipientibus et similis factus est illis By mortall synne the soule is blynded and reason made derke as a beest the whiche ne dyscerneth betwene the good and the ylle the whiche a man ledeth to sle and he perceyueth it not Example the sage salamon sayeth in the .vii. chapitre of his prouerbes that he sawe by the wyndowe of hys house a yongman walkynge by a waye / whan he came vnto a tornynge backe there was a woman acurned and appareylled with the habyte of a strompet for to take the soules the whiche came to her / and
ende that the symple people the whiche knowe no laten them may vnderstonde And yf ony saye that there are of examples the whiche ne ben holy scryptures I confesse it wele But I saye that they ben vysyons or myracles that some persones credybles hathe sene ryally / or knowen by experyence the whiche hath be put in wrytynge For asmoche as they haue consonance to approue the holy scryptures c. And for that that many examples ben put in the booke of the dyscyple it is not for to alegge it as holy personne / or holy scrypture / but for that / that it was a greate clerke the whiche founde the sayd examples in bookes the whiche we haue not studyed c. ¶ Obedientia A. ¶ Examples of those the whiche hathe obeyed to the wyll of god and of theyr superyours And fyrst example how AbrahaÌ„ was obedyent vnto god Ca. li. IT is wryten in the .xvii. chapytre of gene how Abraham was obedyent vnto god whan he hyÌ„ commaunded the cyrcumsycion the whiche was a thynge moche harde and cruell Also he was obedyente whan god sayd vnto hym that he shold leue his frendes and his countree Egredere deterra tua et de cognatione tua c For his obedyence god appered vnto him in an euenynge and sayd vnto hym It is I that hathe made the heuen and the erthe c. I am appered vnto the for that / that thou dredest my name And therfore I shall gyue the benedyccyon and vnto thy lynce Agayne god sayd vnto hym Beholde the erthe on the one syde and on the other I shall gyue the all the countrees that thou beholdest vnto the and vnto thy lygnee / More ouer god said vnto hym Beholde the sterres of the skye nombre them Than Abraham sayd that there were soo many that he ne myght nombre them And god sayd vnto hym In lyke wyse shall be thy sede vpon the erthe Of the and of thy wyfe shall come forthe a sone the whiche shal haue my benedyccyon and those of his lygnee Abraham and his wyfe Sarra were auncyent / that wende lytell to haue had lygnee bycause of theyr aege After that the said Abraham hadde a sone named ysaac the whiche he loued so moche that he nese hym halfe / for that that he had but hym legytyme / and for that that he had hym in his aege Also for that that god vnto hym hadde promysed benedyccyon More ouer for that that he was of greate beaute and full of bouÌ„te Also it is wryten in the .xvii. chapytre of genese how god wolde assaye Abraham and he appered vnto hym and sayd vnto hym Abraham thou ne mayste haue no mo chyldren I haue gyuen the one the whiche thou louest moche I wyll that thou go in to a mouÌ„tayne that I shall shewe the and that thou make vnto me sacrefyce of thy sone The manere to make sacrefyce in that tyme there was that they had a lambe or a gote and dyde cut his throte and brente hym / the whiche thynge was coÌ„maunded vnto Abraham Than Abraham wolde obeye vnto god albeit that in his herte he was ryght pyteous to slee his sone for the loue that he hadde vnto hym And he toke hym and his asse and two of his seruauntes and so yede vnto the sayd place that god vnto hym had coÌ„maunded How be it that they had the space of thre dayes Iourney to walke Whan they came vnto the fote of the sayd mountayne / the sayd Abraham lefte his asse and hys two seruauntes and yede he and his sone And toke a burden of wodde / a swerde of fyre And in goynge vp the sayd mountayne Ysaac demaunded of his fader where the sayd sacrefyce was He answered that god sholde prouyde And whan they were at the place Abraham sayd vnto his sone in wepynge that god hym hadde coÌ„maunded that he sholde make sacrefyce of hym Than the sone the whiche was good and benyngne answered in wyllynge to obeye vnto god and vnto his sayd fader ¶ My swete and amiable fader it is reason that I submytte me and obeye vnto you / and that the wyll of god be accomplysshed / Than they began for to wepÌ„e And Ysaac sayd vnto his fader Alas my fader wherfore had ye not tolde me / to th ende that I had sayd farewell my moder I pray you my fader that ye recoÌ„maunde me vnto her / And also I praye you that ye bynde me / for that that I am yonge and stronge and that ye be auncyent and feble / to th ende that whaÌ„ ye shall come for to sleeme that I ne doo vnto you thynge the whiche is not good / Than Abraham with grete teres bounde his handes And lefte hym on hye vppon the fagotte of byllettes / drewe his swerde for to stryke of his heed And whan he had lyfte vp his stroke for to stryke the aungell cryed and sayd Abraham / abraham stryke not thy chylde / nowe god knoweth that thou dredest him And Abraham cast his syghte asyde and sawe a lambe by hyÌ„ amonge the thornes the whiche was teyde by the hornes in the sayd thornes He thanked god with grete ioy c. And toke the sayd lambe and made sacrefice in steed of his sone / in lyke wyse as it is writen in gene .xxii. ca. This example oughte to moue vs for to obeye vnto god and vnto fader / and vnto moder Yf Abraham were obedyent vnto so cruell a coÌ„maundement as to slee his chylde / by more stronge reason we sholde obeye vnto thynges the whiche ben light to do c. Obedyence is certayne lyfe and waye for to go vnto lyfe eternell And also as Adam was forclosed from the realme of paradyse by inobence In lyke wyse Abraham hathe had beatytude and lyfe eternell by obedyence Also obedyence is the laddre by the whiche men mouuÌ„t on hye in to paradyse / in lyke wyse as men maye se by fygure For it is wryten howe Iacob sawe in his slepe a laddre the whiche touched the heuen with the one ende / by the whiche the aungelles ascended and dyscended Ihesus was there intremedled Vnde gene .xxviii. Iacob vâ—dit in soÌ„nis scalam stantem super terram atm cacumen illius tangens celum angelos quo que dei ascendentes et descendentes per eaÌ„ et dominus innixum scale dicentem sibi ego sum deus Abraham c. This laddre is obedyence For withoute obeynge vnto the commaundementes of god a man ne maye mounte in to paradyse as sayeth the gospell Vnde mathei .xix. Si vis ad vitaÌ„ ingredi serua mandata That is to saye / Yt thou wylte entre in to lyfe eternell kepe the coÌ„maundementes of our lorde Ihesu cryste The staues of this laddre ben the ten commaundementes / vnto the whiche a man sholde obeye redely without dylacyon deuoutly without dysdeyne / wyllyngly without contradyccyon / ioyously without heuynes / vertuously without
.v. Iniquitates sue capiunt impium et funibus peccatorum suorum vnusquisque constringitur The iniquytes happen the synner And euery one is constrayned by the cordes of his synnes And saynt Austyn sayeth in his confessionayr Ligatus eram non ferro alieno sed ferra mea voluntate / I was boūde not with straūge yron / but by my thought harde as yron B. ¶ Another example how a relygyous cōuerted in fewe wordes a man of grosse conscyence lv MEn fynde by wrytynge in the promptuarye of the dyscyple and of other bookes that a ryche man puyssaunt had a wyfe deuoute / he hymselfe lyued seculerly withoute deuocyon it befell that a relygyous the whiche passed the countree yode vnto theyr house / they syttynge at the table / the wyfe prayed the relygyous that he wolde saye before her husbande some good exhortacyon / he answered so shall I do yf he wyll Than the husbande sayd I shall here it with good wyl so that it be shorte And he sayd So shall I doo but vnderstonde it wele and put it in effecte I saye that it is wryten mathei xii Oīa quecūque vultis vt vobis faciant hoīes vos eadē facite illis That is to saye The good that thou wylt that men do to the / do it vnto thy neyghboure Yf thou kepe these wordes here without forgetynge theym that thou accomplysshe theym thou shalte be saued Than he began to thynke that he wolde kepe them he dyde it / afterwarde somtyme as he passed by a way he founde a mylle that he had made to dystroy he recorded hym of the wordes of the sayd relygyous / he sente his procurour to compounde with hym vnto whome it apperteyned Semblably these other that he had offended / he them appaysed and satysfied them vnto his power It befell also that he founde a poore man in the waye as he came agayne he ledde hym in to his house he refresshed hym made hym to sytte by hym at the table / and gaue him of his metes After souper he brought hym for to slepe in a place where he and his wyfe slepte that was nere the yates of the dore whan the poore man had a lytell whyle slepte he had thurst For he had taken good refeccyon not accustomed whan he had not to drȳke he cryed importunatly that he was tormented by grete thurste / for asmoche as the housholde slepte was in a place on the syde ferre of the hoste all only he herde hȳ crye the whiche was moued vnto mercye he rose hym vp demaunded hym what he neded / he sayd vnto him My lorde I lese by thurste Than the mayster wolde haue brought hym of water of the cysterne And as he drewe he felle within it and was drowned ¶ Afterwarde longe tyme whan the seruaūtes sought hym they foūde hym within the sayd cysterne / the whiche had aboute his necke a cercle of golde in the whiche there was in wrytynge that his soule was borne in to heuen before that his body was colde after that he was deed / By this man the whiche was conuerted from ylle vnto good for to here one goode worde it is to vnderstonde that it is a grete thynge to preche to shewe the worde of god And for that that he restored the thynges yll done and that he was mercyful it is to vnderstonde that he had contrycyon and purpose to lyue wele that he chaunged the ylle in to good And by that that men foūde the lettre of golde wryten and that he was saued It is to vnderstonde that he deyed in good consummacyon as very repentaunte and good catholyque C. ¶ Another example of a mayster delycatife the whiche ne wolde here the worde of god ne do of penaūce was conuerted in fewe wordes lv IT is wryten in the boke of drede of a mayster delycatyf / the whiche refused so moche the estate of penaūce that hene wolde goo vnto sermons And also hene wolde here speke worde of god leste that he were moued to entre in to relygyō And it befell one tyme that a precher of hys parentage came to vysyte him in his house And whan he was in his chambre he dreded that he came to hym to preche / vnto whome he sayd Frere wherfore are ye come / yf ye wyll speke vnto me of god I care not of it / and yf ye speke of other besynesses ye are welcome And he sayd vnto hym mayster I haue to speke with you of other thynges / and sythe that ye wyll not here speke of god I purpose not to speke vnto you of hym / but by your leue and lycence Than he receyued hym to speke of other besynesses And after that these rumours were fyned whan the frere wolde go sayd vnto hym Mayster gyue me leue to speke one worde of god / with grete dyffyculte he graunted it hym And the sayd frere sayd to hym Mayster I pray you that whan ye be layde this night in your bedde that ye remembre you of the bedde that these slouthfull men and women haue in helle the whiche ne do of penaunce in this worlde And the sayd man sayd vnto hym What bedde haue they / and the sayd frere sayd / The prophete Ysaye sayeth in the .xiiii. chapytre Subter te sternetur tinea et operi mentum tuum erunt vermes ¶ Th◠〈◊〉 as moche for to saye that thy fyre shall 〈◊〉 strewed vnder the with mouthes and thy couerture shall be wormes ¶ After these wordes the sayd frere departed And the sayd maister thought so moche of the said worde of the bedde of helle that all the nyghte he ne myght slepe And the sayd worde had so grete effecte so moche vaylled it vnto hym that within a ryght lytell tyme after he entred in to relygyon and corrected hym Wherfore it is a grete thynge to here the worde of god D. ¶ Another example of an yll knyghte the whiche in his lyfe was confest but one tyme / and at one sule predycacyon he corrected hymselfe and conuerted lv MEn fynde by wrytynge in the sermons of the dyscyple and many other bookes of a knyghte replenysshed with many synnes The whiche the deuyll hadde so strongly blynded his herte that in al his lyfe he hadde not be confessed but one tyme. And it befell that he came reuerently vnto the chirche on the daye of pentecoste / and not for bycause of deuocyon / that he hadde vnto our lorde Ihesu cryste nor vnto his sayntes / but to the entent for to shewe himselfe For vpon that daye he hadde be clothed with .ix. vestymentes the whiche were ryght precyous And on the sayd daye he herde speke vnto prosne the preest of the sayd parysshe the whiche shewed of the solempnyte and vertue of the holy ghost And whan the said knyght herde that vnto those what so euer they were eyther men or women the whiche
haue coÌ„mytted synne that wolde repente them that god sholde sende the holy ghost the whiche sholde make clene theyr hartes and al synnes And afterwarde sholde enhabyte in them Incontynent that the preest had spoken this thynge the sayd knyght yode in to a place secrete to praye vnto god and sayd O lorde god I am a synner / I haue goten many of synnes / of the whiche I sorowe and repente me gretely I pray the by thy grete mercy that thou sende me on this daye the holy ghoost the whiche shall make me clene and enlumyne myn herte And incontynent god exalted hym sent vnto hym the holy ghost the whiche made clene his herte by verey contrycyon and after by pure confessyon And so the holy gost came vnto hym and abode with hym and after synned he no more mortally and dyde penaunce dygne and satisfaccyon and ended his lyf in good consoÌ„macyon This example denoteth that it is a grete thyng to here the worde of god / for all benedyecyon and saluacyon procedeth of it Another example it is wryten in the dede of the appostles that as saynt peter preched the holy ghost dyscended vpon all those that herde the worde of god VnÌ„ actuuÌ„ .x. Adhuc loqueÌ„te petro cecidit spiritussaÌ„ctus super oeÌ„s q i audiebant vbuÌ„ dei E. ¶ Another example of a counte the whiche coÌ„uerted hyÌ„ in heryÌ„ge the worde of god IT is wryten in the sermons of the dyscyple in other bookes that there was an erle lecherous / proude / malycyous the whiche lyued longly in many synnes and so it befel one tyme that he entred in to the chirche there herde a sermon And whan he herde preche that / that is wryten eze .xviii. In quacuÌ„que hora iÌ„gemuerit pctoÌ„r oiÌ„m iÌ„iqitatuÌ„ eiê° noÌ„ recordabor That is to say / in what houre the synner shall wayle wepe hys synnes I shall not remembre of al his iniquytes He toke this auctoryte in hymselfe he repented hyÌ„ bytterly requyred of god his grace his mercy that he wolde pardon hym his synnes / confessed sayd that he ne wolde do more other thynge tyll vnto the dethe than to serue god / he lefte the worlde / he entred in to relygion and there serued god deuoutely And after his dethe men founde in wrytynge vpon his sepulture in lettres of golde the wordes of the psalmyste Misit dnÌ„s vbuÌ„ suuÌ„ sanauâ—t epos That is to saye that our lorde sente his wordes heled hym / that is that he conuerted hym from ylle in good by the herynge of the worde of god therfore it is a grete thynge as to preche to teche ¶ Another exaÌ„ple of a carle the whiche wolde not here the worde of god / the crucyfyxe stopped hys ere 's in sygnefyenge that he ne wolde here the prayers that men made for hym MAyster Iaques of Vitre sayth in his booke that there was a carlysshe man that wolde neuer in his lyfe here the worde of god / whan the preest began for to preche he yode out of the chirche wente in to the chircheyarde to talke to detracte with other carles the whiche was repreued many tymes of his sayd preest for that that he the other letted to speke the worde of god / but he ne corrected hyÌ„ abode in his obstinacyon The whiche was afterwarde seke greuously / called his sayd preest confessed hym for drede of dethe / not for the charyte of god / ne for his helthe / of the sayd sekenes shortely he deyed And whan his body was borne vnto the chirch and that the sayd preest and clergye songe the dyryge the offyce of the deed bodyes the ymage of the crucifixe stopped his ere 's with the fyngers of his handes taken from the crrosse before all the people Than as all they meruaylled to se that / the preest sayd vnto the people Knowe ye what token this is here They answered that naye And the sayd preest sayd Ye shal vnderstonde that the soule of this carle whose body lyeth here is nowe betwene the handes of the deuylles For in lykewyse as he stopped hys ere 's that he herde not the worde of god / In lyke wyse god closeth his ere 's that he ne here the prayers oraysons that we make for hym And the sayd preest defended vnto al the presence that they ne sholde pray more for hys soule Than they ceased to praye for hym And his body was taken from the holy place and was buryed in a felde For as for the soule of one dampned a man sholde not praye Quia in inferno nulla est redemptio After that a persone is iuged and sente vnto the paynes of hell for to suffre payne / he shall neuer come agayne vnto lyghte ne neuer shall he haue mercy Wherfore it behoueth no more praye for it Vnde gregoriê° vndecimo Quis quis ad inferna mala tolleraÌ„da semel decenderit nequaquam vlterius miaÌ„ parcentis liberat quos semel in locis penalibus iustitia iudicantis damnat A. ¶ Another example of the paroyssyens of a curate the whiche ne wolde here the predycacyon and the coÌ„maundementes of the chirche IT is wryteÌ„ how a curate reproued many tymes his paroyssyens for that that they yede in to the chircheyarde whan he preched and made his antetyme Also whan ony other made predycacyon / for asmoche as he knewe not how to remedie it for the helthe of theyr soules For they dyuysed of theyr occupacyons seculers in the sayd chircheyarde whan he diuysed of feestes / fastynges And other coÌ„maundentes of the chirche What dyde he / he made to brynge hym a lytell stole in the myddes of them in the chircheyarde and soo set hym downe / and behelde theym there And he herde theyr langayges And whan he ennoyde them they demauÌ„ded what he dyde there He answerde Vbi sunt ciues ibi debet esse episcopus That is to say That the bysshop sholde be where his cytezyns ben Also a curate sholde be where his paroyssyens is / you are here / wherfore I sholde be with you And for asmoche that at the fyrst tyme they correcte them not / yet theder dyde he goo afterwarde the seconde time And whan it came vnto the thyrde tyme they all had so grete shame that afterwarde they yede theder no more And soo he correcte them / vnto them it prouffyted more than all the langayges that he had spoken to them before And therfore whan a man maye not correcte his paroyssyens in one manere hym behoueth to assaye in another B. ¶ Another example how a herdeman was saued correcte hymselfe by the herynge of one predycacyon lvi THe dysciple recyteth in his tromptuary how that a pastour or herd man yede late vnto the chirche vnto masse sermons for the kepynge of his bestyall And one tyme he passed by a cite
aege of fyue yeres And one daye as his fader helde hyÌ„ in his lappe / in lykewyse as many vnto saynt Gregorye it wytnessed the whiche were presente The sayd chylde sawe come to hym the yll spyrytes that ben the deuylles his eyes wepte / he cryed vnto his fader / Helpe me defende me And in cryenge he declyned his face and hydde hym in the bosome of his fader the whiche was abasshed to se hym in suche wyse tremble and crye demaundynge what he sawe The chylde sayd the blacke men of moryenne ben come the whiche wyll bere me awaye And as he blasphemed the name of the maieste he yelded vp his spyryte Saint Gregory sayeth vpon this example that al lytell chyldren the whiche speke yll a man shold not byleue that they entre all in the realme of heuen For vnto some lytel chyldren the sayd realme is closed by theyr parentes / yf they ben yll nourysshed Vnde gregoriê° Omnes paruulos qui iam loqui possunt regna celestia ingredi credendum non est quia nonnullis paruulis regni celestis aditus a parentibus clauditur si male nutriantur After the scrypture euery persone is bounde to holde and to kepe the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of god in that aege that he may them comprehende Statim enim cum quis sit capax precepti dei tenetur ad eius noticiam et obseruantiaÌ„ distinctione xvii Some ben more aduysed and sage in the aege of fyue yeres than the other ne ben at .x. And by that that incontynente that the persone maye dyscerne that he dothe good or ylle And that he hathe dyscrecion for to vnderstonde the coÌ„maundementes of oure blessyd lorde Ihesu cryste clerely / He sholde accomplysshe them for that / that they ben of necessyte of helthe c. C. ¶ Of a player the whiche blasphemed the wombe of the vyrgyn Marye and yll came vnto hym IT is wryten in the boke of myracles of cleruaulx of two players after that that the one had loste he wrathyd hym had enuye vpon hym the whiche had won And for to satysfye vnto his wrathe / he began to refrayne and saye / holde thy peas Thou ne sholdest say yll And incontinent he blasphemed god And after swore by the vyrgyn Marye to swere by her wombe And forthwith a voyce from heuen was herde the whiche sayd I haue susteyned forborne myne iniurye / but the iniurye of my moder I ne may forbere in no wyse / And â—orthwith this blasphematoure was stryken vpon the table inuysybly of a wouÌ„de vysyble and apperynge in gaspynge yelde vp his spyryte Cesar sayth that this is true This example sholde drawe backe al persones from blasphemynge god and the vyrgyn Marye For syth that the said man was in suche wyse punisshed in this worlde cruelly It is to presuppose that he is dampned punysshed horrybly c. It is wryten ecclesiastici xxiii Vir multum iurans replebit iniquitate et noÌ„ discedet a domo eius plaga That is to say a man swerynge moche is fulfylled with iniquite And the plage shall not departe frome his house c. D. ¶ Another example of an erle blasphematoure MEn fynde by wrytinge this the whiche foloweth how the discyple recyteth in his promptuarye / sayeth that an erle brought for the suche blaspheme ayenste god that he sayd the wolde god or not he sholde haue agayne his londe / incontynent he fell from his hors vpon the whiche he was / was tormented horrybly And after that the knyghtes had lyft hym vp agayne he felle / in shewynge the payn of his blaspheme and whan he was broughte agayne in to his house he was strongly tormented in the fete in the thyes / He dyspraysed confessyon in suche wyse deyed myscheuously foure monthes after Also in the sayd boke of the dyscyple is wryten of rybauldes the whiche dyuyded a heÌ„ne And afterwarde by wantoÌ„nes sayd / neyther saynt Peter ne Ihesu cryste ne can make it hole agayne And forthwith they were lepres These examples here sholde drawe backe all persones to brynge forth wordes blasphemynge god / for punycyon and dampnacyon foloweth E. Another example of a burgeis of paris that had his lippes perced for blasphemyÌ„ge IT is wryten in the legende of saint Lowys that one of the cytezyns of parys blasphemed our lorde Ihesu crist / but the sayd saynt lowys kynge of frauÌ„ce made his lyppes to be perced with a hote yroÌ„ by punycyon for to gyue example vnto other And bycause some pryÌ„ces reproued hym for this thynge He answerde theym I wolde with good wyll susteyne in my lyppes that payne vnbesemynge whyles that I shall lyue so that this vyce were out of my realme that no man sholde offende more Vnto the example of saynt Lowys men sholde reprehende and punysshe the blasphematours / for it is a synne the whiche displeaseth moche vnto god and vnto his sayntes And those the whiche wyll go into paradyse with them sholde correcte theÌ„ of that vyce F. ¶ Another example of a dyse player that was a blasphemer the whiche brake the armes of the ymage of the vyrgyn Marye / and he was posseded of the deuyll lxii IT is wryten in the myracles of the vyrgyn Marye that some men played at the dyse before the yates of the chirche of the vyrgyne Marye of the monastery of doul And the one of them was wrothe for that that he had loste / and began to blaspheme the vyrgyn Marye / and to speke foully agayne her And in th ende he tourned him towarde the ymage of the vyrgyn Marye the whiche was in stone vpon the yate of the sayd chirche / and in his wrathe keste agayne that a stone and brake the armes of the ymage And incontynent the blode sprange oute of it fresshely And the blasphematoure was posseded of the deuyll was tormented expyred his dayes G. ¶ Another example of a dyse player blasphematoure that the deuyll slewe lxii SOme maysters hathe wryten this the whiche foloweth how the dysciple recyteth in his promptuarye / sayeth that it happened in the realme of Frise in patria laÌ„ditie of a dyse player blasphematour / thefe the whiche vsed his lyfe in suche thynges And one tyme among other to abrege the matere after that he hadde coÌ„mytte thefte yode vnto the tauerne to playe at the cardes with his compaygnons and for asmoche as he lost he blasphemed horrybly god and the vyrgin Marye And incontynent the deuyll came vnto hym to whome he gaue suche a stroke vpon the hede that al the ioynctes from the membres of his body were dysceuered and departed and he dyed horrybly Than his compaygnons fledde the whiche denounced the dede vnto his fader / and that he sholde goo to fetche his sone in a sack And as the said fader theder yode to fetche hym / he yode thorowe the chircheyarde And one of his neyghbours deed seuen yere
afore rose hyÌ„ vp and came to mete with hym the whiche he knewe and demaunded hym Acte not thou suche one deed of late / he answered yes I am sente frome god to tell the that thou burye not thy sone in this chircheyarde with vs for his soule is damned and borne into helle for his synnes And god hathe suffred that the deuyl hathe kylled hym Goo in to suche a place where he is / thou shalte fynde hym by suche tokens that all his membres ben departed frome his body / the whiche ben all stynkynge / burye hym in a place prophane / so was it done This example denoteth thre thynges The fyrst is that the sayd blasphematour deyed myscheuously / was punysshed corporally for his synnes The seconde that his soule is buryed in helle with the dampned of perdycyon in paynes and tormentes The thyrde denoteth that the body of one dampned the whiche is deed many festly in mortall synne sholde not be buryed in holy grounde with the good crysten men that be in paradyse H. ¶ Another example of a knyght with one eye the whiche was enlumyned for that that he smote a Iewe that blasphemed the vyrgyn Mary lxii MEn fynde by wrytyÌ„ge this that foloweth / how the dysciple recyteth in his boke of a knyght with one eye the whiche with good wyll herde the masse of the vyrgyn Mary And on a tyme as he herde salue sctaÌ„ pareÌ„s he kneled on his knees WhaÌ„ 〈◊〉 Iewe sawe hym he began to mocke hym blasphemed the vyrgin Mary The sayd knyght ne myght bere the iniury that he dyde vnto our lady / but gaue hym a buffet entred into the chyrche herde masse deuoutly And the meane tyme the Iewe yede to coÌ„playne vnto the Iuge / he ne myght tell other token of hym but that he had but one eye Whan the people came forthe from masse â—he sayd knyght abode dredde The vyrgyn Mary enlumyned hym commaunâ—ed hym that he sholde go forth hardely WhaÌ„â—he Iewe sawe hym he sayd / yf this maÌ„ had â—ot two eyen I sholde say that he were culpaâ—le And the knyght sayd It iâ— I that smote the loue of her that hath restored myn eye / for whome I haue prepared to spende my body my goodes Whan the myracle was seen knowen grete praysyÌ„ges was there gyuen vnto the vyrgyn Mary / the knyght alowed c. H. ¶ Another example of two players at the dyse vnto whome there came yll for swerynge and blasphemynge lxii IT is wryten in the boke of hony flyes that in a towne of the partyes of Champayne a Iewe played with a crysten man And after that the sayd Iewe had lost many penyes he was moeued by impacyence In th ende he recouered his losse wrothe hym ayenst our lorde Ihesus blasphemed and cursed And as he gadred the dyse for to cast them his hande closed vpon the dyse wtout beynge in power to helpe hymselfe And thaÌ„ne by cursed furour he was enbrased enforced hym to smyte the table wheron he had played with the sayd seke haÌ„de Agayn he blasphemed vntruely Ihesu cryst his moder forthwith he torned the eyen ouerthwart fell to the erthe all deed And the crysten man that played with hym for feere loste his wytte / laÌ„guysshed afterwarde ended his dayes by cruell dethe c. ¶ By this example a man may se clere that yl cometh vnto players blasphemers Also the dethe is euyl as vnto the body / it is to presuppose that it is ryght cruell terryble as vnto the soule For in the fyre of hell they ben so moche tormented that they haue dethe wtout deyeng without endynge defaute without defaylynge And euermore in dyeÌ„ge they shal lyue / And neuer dye they may not K. ¶ Another example how yll came vnto kyÌ„ge Semacheryb the whiche sent wordes blasphemynges agaynst god vnto Ezechyas lxii IT is wryten in the .xxxvi. chapytre of the boke of Ysaie how kynge semacherib was meruaylously proude for his grete puyssaunce of people of armes of rychesses / the whiche toke many townes castelles / after came to besyege Iherusalem / kynge Ezechias was within Vnto the whiche Ezechias he sent that he sholde delyuer the towne and to say vnto hym by grete pryde elacion What is he of al the goddes of these landes here the whiche hath power to delyuer his lande and his people fro my hande / as yf he wolde say that none had power to resyst agaynst hym who is so grete the shall delyuer Iherusalem fro myn hande And whan ezechyas herde his wordes here / he cut his clothes and clothed hym in a sacke / yede vnto the hous of god / sent Elyachym and the auncyent prestes clothed with sackes vnto the prophete Ysaie to tell the proude wordes ful of blaspheme agaynst god that the kyÌ„ge Sennacheryb seÌ„t / that he was besyeged c. And the prophete Ysaie sayd vnto the messageres Illud Ysaie .xxxvii. Hec dicitis dnÌ„o vestro / ne timeatis a facie verborum que audistis quibus blasphema uerunt pueri regis assirioruÌ„ Ecce ego dabo ei spiritum et audiet nuncium reuertetur ad terram suam et corruere eum faciaÌ„ gladio in terra sua c. Say to your mayster that he drede not the wordes of the sayd kyÌ„ge For to abredge this mater it is wryten in the sayd boke of Ysaie that the aungel of god strake and slewe .lxxxv. thousande meÌ„ of armes of the sayd kynge Sennacheryb And those of Iherusalem came in the mornynge and founde the sayd deed bodyes / the sayd kynge Sennacheryb fledde in to the cyte of Nynyue And it was done that as he prayed his god in the temple his two sones drewe theyr swerdes slewe hym in the sayd temple / so he was punysshed of his pryde And the sayd Ezechyas the which clad hym with a sacke / the whiche humbled hym was delyuered It is that / that the gospell of mathew speketh .xxiii. OiÌ„s qui se exaltat humiliabitur / et qui se humiliat exaltabitur ¶ Periurium A. ¶ Example how a tauerner lost the vse or spekynge / for swerynge and blasphemynge lxiii THe dyscyple reciteth in his boke that it is wryten how in the toune of Cluny there was a tauerneâ— yll of foule lyfe For whan the people that yede to dryÌ„ke in his tauerne payed not his wyll he blamed get the vyrgin Mary spake many vylayne wordes So it happened that a man tolde hyÌ„ that he had well payed him that that he ought hâ—â— Than the sayd tauerner sware by the tongue of our lady that he lyed that he had nothiÌ„g payed hym And incontynent by the punâ—cyon dyuyne his tongue lept fro his mouth and he lost the vse of spekynge / dyed horybly for the vyle wordes that he had sayd of god / of saynt Mary B.
¶ Another example of some chyldren the whiche sware / and in swerynge they were drowned lxâ—â—â— IT is wryten in a boke that is called mariall how a good woman instructe her chylde to salue the vyrgyn Mary The whiche as he ye de with other chyldren to playe they sware and stryued by a water side The water flowed vp the whiche drowned them al in blasphemynge / reserued hym before sayd that our lady toke from the water set hym on her lappe / conforted hym and saued c. ¶ By these examples a man shold vnderstande that swerynges ben to fle / that it is grete synne case too swere vaynely And to name in suche wyse god his sayntes vnlefully Legit ecclesiastice .xxiii. In rationi non assuescat os tuum / multus eâ—â—casus in illa sequitur nominatio dei non sit assidua in ore tuo neque in omnibus factoruÌ„ admiscearis quoniam non eris immunis ab illis / quia omne iuramentum requitet a te C. ¶ Another example how the heed of a swerer torned that that was behynde before / and the cattes cryed vpon his graue after his dethe lxiii MEn fynde by wrytyÌ„ge this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in the boke of his promptuary and sayth that a yonge man wrothed hym moshe / for that that he had lost at the playenge at the tenes Therfore he began to swere and to dyspyte god and the vyrgin Mary And incontinent his heed was tourned that / that was behynde before / and his tongue lepte out of his mouthe more than halfe a fote / and thre dayes after he deyed / and was buryed in an abbaye But euery nyght there came so grete multytude of cattes the whiche made there so grete tempest that the moÌ„kes ne myght take no rest / and this dured longe tyme / soo longe that fynally it behoueth to put hym out of the chyrcheyarde / â—kest hym in a dyche ¶ Vota D. ¶ Examples how a man sholde accomplysshe his vowes And fyrste example how the chyldren of ysraell accomplysshed theyr vowes after that they had vyctory lxiii IT is wryten in the byble in the boke of Iudyth that whan the chyldren of Israell were besyeged of holofernes / that they felt grete necessyte they made vowes vnto god for to go in to Iherusalem for to make gyftes oblacyon yf it pleased hym to delyuer them And it is wryten in .xvi. chapytre that after that they had vyctory that Holofernes was slayne all they yode in to Iherusalem to worshyp god fulfyll theyr vowes E. ¶ Another example of a vyrgyn that vowed chastyte after wolde be wedded lxiii SOme maysters hathe wryten this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in the boke of his promptuary / and sayth how a vyrgyn serued faythfully in chastyte the vyrgyn Mary / bounde herselfe by vowe to serue her her sone Iesu cryst in chastyte vnto her dethe And the deuyll of hell had enuy of her good operacions the whiche moeued the courage of a ryche man in her loue for her beaute / dyde so moche that he demaunded her in maryage / offred worldly glory / honour / rychesses / euery day he ceased not by flateryes and promesses to drawe her soo to consent what more The sayd vyrgyn was so wery of the temptacyons of the ennemy that she fell and consented to mary with the sayd ryche mortall man / left the espouse of the kynge eternall the whiche is Ihesu cryst the goodes perpetualles for to haue that godes transytoryes The day of the weddynwas constytute and set And the nyght precedent the day that the weddynge sholde be as she rested in the hous of her parentes / she sawe in her dreme as she slept that she was rauysshed vpon the mouthe of a well / from the whiche proceded so moche stynke that it semed vnto her that the worlde was infect and vndone And also kest so grete clowdes of smoke that she thought that all the clerenes of the worlde was dryuen away / all boyled of serpentes wormes of soules tourmented And as she meruayled her of the horryble clamours of those the whiche were wtin the tourmentes she sawe sodaynly go forth of the sayd well of these moryens of fyre they ben deuylles the whiche toke wtout dyffereÌ„ce the soules deputed to the tourments them plunged kest wtin it And as they drewe the sayd vyrgyn amonge the other for to be plonged there she loked on the one syde on the other as despayred yf there were ony ayde sawe a ferre of her auncyent lady the gloryous vyrgyn Mary that torned to her the backe And the whiche was for that she might not drawe her backe In th ende she coÌ„uerted vnto her with al her herte / called her name and sayd O lady thynke on thy handemayden constytute in so grete bytter necessyte And she approched more nere sayd vnto her What art thou And she answered I am thyn handmayden / I haue be euermore deuout in thy seruyce in thy memory And she sayd / it is not so / thou art not myn / for thou hast dyspised me and my sone / thou arte his that thou hast chosen / thynke on hym and he wyll delyuer yt. And she ne myght bere the wordes sayd O lady ferre of is he fro me / fro my herte / fro my mynde / delyuer thou thyn handmaydeÌ„ and deferre it not O dnÌ„a iam absorbet me ê“funduÌ„ / iam vrget suê‘ me puteê° os suum And she excused her for to ayde her that the ennemyes drewe her without gyuynge vnto her dylacion The moder of pyte Mary the moder of god approched vnto her / touched with her honde toke her / incontynent the enmyes fledde ferre of / durst nomore loke whan they sawe the helpe of the moder of god Than she spake conforted her benygnely sayd Here ben the fruytes of the flesshe / the rewarde of volupt Thou knowest not that thou gyuest the to be cast in this deluge of tourment / fle it now syth that thou hast seen thexperyence / drawe the with all thyn herte and with al thy might to recouer grace to serue me in tyme to come chastely / I shall helpe the by my prayers Than the vyrgyn Mary departed yelded the soule / so she awoke The frendes of the ryche man were there the whiche demaunded what the man sholde do And she answered / mynystres of dethe departe ye ferre of / in grete indygnacyon she put them backe The parentes all were troubled / vnto whome to al togyder she tolde all the thynge before sayd And they left her fre whan they had herde that that she had shewed / she retorned vnto her fyrst purpose And with all her force she excercysed her in penaunce wepynge for to recouer
that she prepared a corde a place to hange her selfe / as she made an ende of that she had begon she harde ryngynge to a sacrynge / than she bowed her knees put her in orayson for she had lerned to doo it in her youthe / sayd My lorde Ihesus sone of the lyuynge god haue mercy on me And incontynent the beme the corde brake / and the deuylles fledde and sayd The vertue of the presence of Ihesu cryst hath delyuered the from the dethe presente and eternall C. ¶ Another example how the deuyll bare a boke wherin was wryten the synÌ„es of men and women / and in especyall a complyn that saynt Austyn had forgoten lxv IT is wryten in the legende of saynt Austyn that as the sayd saynt Austyn studyed he sawe the deuyl go before hym berynge a boke on his sholdre And than he coniured hyÌ„ that he wolde shewe that the whiche was wryten in it And he aÌ„swered that they were the synnes of men that he gadered in all places put theym there Than saynt Austyn commaunded hym that yf he had ony of his synnes in wrytinge that he sholde gyue them incontynent vnto hym to rede And he shewed him the place where he was / fouÌ„de nothynge in wrytinge but that he hadde ones forgoten to say complyn Than he coÌ„maunded the deuyl that he sholde tary there he entred in to the chyrche and sayd complyn deuoutly made an ende of his oraysons accustomed And aftercame vnto the deuyll whome he commaunded that he vnto hym sholde shewe agayn the chapytre where the sayd complyn was wryten And he torned and retorned the sayd place / in conclusyon he founde the sayd place voyde where it before was wryten Than the sayd deuyll was wrothe sayd that he had fouly mocked hyÌ„ / and that he repented that he had shewed him hâ—s sayd boke c ¶ By this example men sholde vnderstande that they the whiche forgeteth or leueth to say theyr seruyce that the deuyll dooth not forgete theyr neclygence D. ¶ Another example how deuyls were sene vpon a womans trayne pompyously clothed lxv CEsarius dicit It is recyted in the boke of the discyple how cesar sheweth in his wrytynges that as a deuoute preste keste holy water on the sonday vpon the people at the chyrche dore / there aryued a matron be sene aorned of dyuers aornementes as a pecocke And the sayd preste sawe grete multytude of deuyls the whiche were vpon her trayne the whiche was longe the sayd deuylles were lytell as dormyse blacke as ethyopyens / scornynge with theyr mouthes / strykynge with theyr handes / lepynge as fysshes do enclosed in the nette Whan the preest sawe them he called the people adiured the deuylles that they sholde not fle The woman was afrayed and stode styll And the good Iust man obtayned in orayson that the people myght se the vysyon Than the womaÌ„ vnderstode that she was so beset about with deuylles for the pryde of her clothyÌ„ge retorned in to her hous chaunged her clothynge ¶ This vysyon was occasyon of humylyte as wel to other women as to her E. ¶ Another example how saynt Bryce sawe the deuyl wryte in the chyrche the euyl wordes that were sayd lxv MEn fynde by wrytynge this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in his promptuary and sayeth how as saynt Bryce helped saynt Martyn to synge he sawe the deuyll that wrote the yll wordes that two persones spake in the chyrche And whan al his parchemyn was wryten he drewe it with his tethe to length it / the whiche escaped hym strake his hede agaynst the wall / and the sayd saynt Bryce began to laugh And whan the masse was ended saynt Martyn demaunded hym the cause wherfore he laughed Than he tolde vnto hym the dede And in th ende conclusyon the sayd saynt Martyn knewe that the sayd thynge was verytable Wherfore it foloweth that euyll wordes ben to fle / in especyall in the chyrche F. ¶ Another example how the deuyll encharged a woman for to do four thynges lxv MEn fynde wryten in the legende of the deed folke that a doctoure telleth that as a womaÌ„ wydow despayred her lest she sholde be in pouerte the deuyl appered vnto her and sayd vnto her that he wolde make her ryche yf that she wolde do after his wyl / and she accorded therto And he gaue her in charge soure thynges The fyrst was that she sholde make to do fornycacyon with people of the chyrche that she sholde receyue in to her hous The seconde that she sholde receyue on the day the poore people for to lodge / and that in the nyght she sholde put theym out without doynge them ony good The thyrde is that she sholde lette other of theyr prayers by her Ianglynge and talkynge The fourthe was that she sholde not confesse her in none of the thinges before sayd And in the ende whan her dethe approched her sone warned her that she sholde coÌ„fesse her Vnto whome she discouered her dede / and sayd that she myght not confesse her and that her confessyon ne sholde nothynge preuayle And her sone began to wepe and warned her to repente too confesse her in promysynge her that he wolde doo penaunce for her Than she had bytter contrycyon and purpose to confesse her and to amende / sent for to seche the preste by her sayd sone / but or euer that the preste came the deuyls came vnto her / for the grete horrour of them she deyed Than the sone confessed the synne of his moder vnto the preste / dyde .vii. yere penaunce And whan it was accomplysshed his sayd moder appered vnto hym thanked hyÌ„ of her delyueraunce saluacyon / that by hym she was saued ¶ This example denoteth pryncypally thre thynges The fyrst is that the deuyll counceyleth vs to do yll / to leue the good to brynge vs to dampnacyon The seconde that a man sholde correcke amende hym by contrycycyon confession how grete so euer the syÌ„nes be that a man hath commytted / he shall haue grace and mercy The thyrde is that the penaunce good operacyons that a man dooth for one that is dede auayleth to delyuer hyÌ„ fro the paynes of purgatory c. G. ¶ Another example of a monke that the deuyll drewe out of the chyrche whan yâ— other prayed lxv SAynt Gregory telleth in the seconde boke of his dyalogue that an abbot named Pompeianê° myght not correcke one of his monkes that in the tyme that the other waked in orayson he went out of the chryche yede vnto vanytees The whiche abbot wrote the case vnto saynt Benet to th eÌ„de that he sholde correcke hyÌ„ Than the sayd saynt Benet yode vnto the monastery and sawe vysybly the deuyll in lykenes of a blacke man that drewe out the sayd monke by the plytes of his vestement And for as moche as
sayeth in the psalter Dirigat dn̄e ad te oratio mea sicut incensum inconspectu tuo That is to saye O thou my lorde dyrect myn orayson and prayer in thy syght in lykewyse as ensence Whan ensence is put vpon the coles of fyre it casteth a good odoure and smoke the whiche mounteth vnto heuen towarde god Also orayson prayer well made and embrased vpon the coles of deuocion is a good odour the whiche mounteth on hyghe before god the whiche maketh to haue grete rewarde in paradyse c. ¶ Gula. A. ¶ Examples of drynkynge whan men sholde serue god And fyrst example how a nonne the whiche ete letuse before that she serued god / and without makinge the sygne of the crosse was posseded of the deuyll lxvii IT is wryten in the dyalogue of saynt Gregory that a mayden entred in to a gardyn the whiche be helde and coueyted a letuse / she forgate to make the benedyccyon and sygne of the crosse ete glotonously the the sayd letuse / and incontynent was posseded of the deuyll and fell vnto the erthe in the sayd gardyn And as she was strongely tourmented it was shewed vnto a holy man named Equycius the whiche came to pray for her to socour her the whiche ye de thyder and entred in to the gardyn And the deuyll the whiche was in the sayd mayden began to crye by her mouthe and sayd What haue I done I sette me on a letuse she is come and hath eten me And the mā of god commaunded hym that he sholde departe that he had no more place in the seruaunt of god / and forthwith he departed without power to do her ony more euyll grefe c. B. ¶ Another example that euyll came vnto a conuers the whiche dranke wyne in the cyte without lycence / without makynge the sygne of the crosse lxvii THe dyscyple recyteth in his boke that it is wryten in a boke how a frere conuers was ryght greuously tourmented of the deuyl in a conuet The freres of y◠conuent arose them vp for they were layde / called theyr mayster saynt Domynycke the whiche was at that tyme in the hous / the whiche sent that he were brought vnto the chyrche And with grete payne .x. freres brought hym And in entrynge in to the chyrche with a grete blast he put out all the lampes in the chyrche that there were brennynge And as the deuyll tourmented hym in many maners saynt Domynycke sayd vnto the deuyll I the coniure from Ihesu cryst that thou thou tell wherfore thou tourmentest this frere here And whan and how thou art entred in to hȳ The whiche answered I tormente hym for he hath deserued it He dranke wyne yesterday in the cyte without hauynge lycence / and without makynge the token of the crosse And in drynkynge I entred in hym / that is he dranke me with the wyne After these thynges matynes were ronge And the deuyll sayd I may nomore tary here syth that these hoded folke aryse to prayse god And the deuyll departed fro the frere and left him as deed lyenge vpon the erthe And the freres bare him in to the fermoury Whan the mornynge came he arose all hole and wyst not what was comē vnto hym He the whiche wrote this myracle herde it tolde of one of those the whiche at that sayd time was presente there in the abbaye C. ¶ Another example of a smyth the whiche waked to drynke and to ete whan the other waked to serue god lxvii THe venerable Bede telleth in gestis angelorū in libro quīto how a smyth had of custome to drynke and to ete and to be dronken whan the other waked in the chyrche at seruyce And on a tyme there came vnto hym a sodeyne sekenes in the whiche he was warned to repent hym / to confesse and to do penaunce The whiche as dyspeyred began to crye that he myght not repent hym For in lykewyse as saynt Stephen sawe heuen open soo he sayd that he sawe hell apertly / and a place of tourmente the whiche was made redy nygh vnto the place where as were Pylate / cayphas / Iudas and the other the whiche made our lorde Ihesus to deye / and afterwarde tolde what the Iugement of hym was made / that he shold neuer haue hope of helthe for the grete contynuacyon of dronkenes that he had ledde And whan he had tolde this he deyed and was put from sepulture ecclesyastycall from all prayers c. ¶ This example here is good for those the whiche leseth the masses and the seruyces of the chyrche for to be waytynge in tauernes and potacyons by that that the sayd smyth wolde not wake at the sanctyfycacyons of the feestes in the seruyce of the chyrche / but dyspysed them In lykewyse god wolde that he were put at his dethe / and fcom the prayers of the chyrche and from sepulture ecclesyastycall / from all good and honour And by that that he sayd that the Iugement of hym was made and that he sawe the tourments the whiche was made redy vnto hym sholde vnderstande these dronken slouthfull people to go to sanctyfye and to honour god in solempnytees commaunded that the Iugement partyculer shall be made of those at theyr dethe and that they shall haue there punycyon after theyr deseruynge Vnde psal Tu reddes vnicuique iuxta opera sua And god suffred that he spake the sayd wordes to th ende that his semblables therby take example and hede D. ¶ Another example of a man that yede t◠playe and to drynke at the tauerne with his felawes whan he sholde wake in the seruyce of the chyrche lxvii THe dyscyple recyteth in his sermons this the whiche foloweth the whiche is also wryten in other bokes and sayeth that in the tyme of a deuoute bysshop named Cyryllus there was a yonge parent of the sayd bysshop Cyryllus named Ruffus dwelled with hym as a seruaunt And whan the bysshoppe sange masse the sayd Ruffus yode vnto tauernes to playe with his felawes So it befell that he was seke deyed After that he was deed the sayd cysshop requyred the people the whiche vnto hym were subgecte that they wolde make prayer for hym / for he loued hym moche was well loued of the people And one day after that the bysshop hadde songe for his soule as he was in deuocion and orayson the sayd deed body appered vnto hym all in fyre in grete tourment And he demaunded hȳ what he was He answered I am the soule of thy cosyn for whom thou prayest god in vayne for I am dampned eternally Than the sayd bysshop was ferefull and sayd Alas how hast thou deserued it the whiche hast lyued truely ynough / I wened that thou haddest be yet in Innocency vyrginal And he sayd It is soo / for I am yet vyrgyn But I am dampned for that that I had of custome in the mornynge
ne myght endure them of the horrour that they had to se them in suche horrybly to tremble / they departed them thorowe out the world vacabondes And ouer all where they yode euery man behelde them And two of them were heled a sone and a doughter by the merytes of saynt steuen in the presence of saint Austin This example sheweth that all chyldren sholde drede to offende theyr faders moders that maledyccyon dampnacyon come not vnto them Also faders moders ne sholde curse theyr chyldren / but sholde desyre that they haue benedyccyon and saluacion / yf they ben as forsaken they sholde punysshe them correcte sagely and dyscretely F. ¶ Another example that it displeaseth vnto god that a woman aourned her doughter and clothed pompously lxxvi THe dyscyple recyteth in his booke that a fader a moder had a doughter the whiche serued god deuoutely vnto the example of her moder purposed to abyde in virginite And the fader coÌ„mauÌ„ded vnto the moder that she shold aourne her doughter after the course of the worlde the whiche dredde her husband and clothed her doughter pompously seculerly and aourned her face her heere Than the aungell by the coÌ„maundement of god appered vnto her moder and sayd vnto her Wherfore haste thou more dredde thy husbande than god to aourne thy doughter / to take her frome Ihesu cryste for to put her in to the worlde For this thynge thou shalt dye within four wekes / thou shalt be dampned yf thou repente the not with in the sayd tyme. And more ouer within the sayd tyme all thy chyldren shall deye / And this daye thy handes shall begyn to drye in payn for that that thou hast aourned the heere of thy doughter Than the sayd woman dyde true penaunce and all happened in lyke wyse as the other had sayd vnto her For she deyed and her chyldren within the sayd terme / also her handes dryed c. Those and they the whiche ben culpable sholde loke vpon this take example for to correcte them amende to the ende that oure lorde Ihesu cryste be not wrothe agaynst them / and that they haue not punycyon c. ¶ Correctio A. ¶ Examples of correccyon And fyrste example how swete correccyon more profyteth vnto the yll than sharpe lxxiiii IT is wryten in the lyfe of the faders in many other bokes that as saynt Machayre walked one tyme by the countree he sayd vnto his dyscyple that he sholde go acore And as he yode he met with the prest of the ydoles the whiche bare a grete staff the dyscyple sayd vnto hyÌ„ wheder goest thou deuyll that thou arte And the sayd preest wrathed hym agaynst hym for his harde wordes / bette hym soo moche that he lefte hym as for halfe deed After the sayd preest yode his waye And as he yode his way he met the sayd Machayre whiche sayd vnto hym Thou arte a saue walker / thou be saued And the preest meruaylled sayd vnto hym What haste thou sene of goodnesse in me the wiche salutest me in suche wyse And he sayd I haue beholde that thou labourest strongly in walkynge And the preest sayd vnto hym that in his salutacyon he hathe had composycyon / he knewe the he was the seruaunt of god that he had mette a cursed monke that had iniuried him and that for his iniuryes he had strongly beten hym For to be short by the swete wordes of the sayd Machayre the sayd preest yode with hym / conuerted hymselfe / and was relygyous / many paynyms coÌ„uerted them by the example of the sayd preest And here the sayd Machayre sayd that a proude worde an yll conuerteth somtyme the good vnto the yll And a humble worde good somtyme draweth the yll to do good Vnto this purpose it is wryten ê“uer xv ê™ respoÌ„â—io mol is fraÌ„git iraÌ„ / sermo durus excitat furoreÌ„ Et eccle vi Dulce vbuÌ„ inimicos mitigat et amoreÌ„ multiplicat B. ¶ Another example of the good correccyon that was done vnto a chylde lxxiiii THe dysciple recyteth in his promptuarye that a fayre sone noble / was gyuen of his parentes in to a monasterye of the blacke ordre / for to be discyplyned regulerly in good maners / the whiche was instructe of the pryour correcte by wordes / somtyme by rodde / in so good maner that he refrayned hym from all thynges infancybles vnnefull / that he was informed in all goodnes And the sayd chylde toke the sayd correccyon humbly And in lyke wyse grewe he in good perfeccyon tyll vnto the aege of .xx. yeres so deyed / And after his dethe appered the soule of hym vnto the pryour so clere fayre that the chambre was all replenysshed with lyght he sayd Pryour I yelde vnto the thankes of the correccyon that thou hast put in me I am not fallen by lytell by lytell in to synne by the whiche I had be dampned / and by the I am saued c. C. ¶ Another example of the correccyon of two relygyous of the whiche the abbot corrected the one spared the other lxxiiii IT is writen in the boke of the sermons of the dyscyple how there was two freres in a monasterye / of the whiche the one was gracious agreable vnto his abbot and vnto the other relygyous / therfore he was spared was not punysshed of his necligences And the other was not agreable And he was punysshed incontynent that he dyde a faute So they deyed bothe twayne And he the whiche was gracyous appered vnto his abbot after his de dethe and sayd vnto hym that he was in grete paynes And his sayd abbot demauÌ„ded hym Where is the cursed the whiche commytted more of neclygences than thou And he sayd O fader he is not cursed / for he is in the clere vysyon of god For the neclygences that he coÌ„mytted were incontynent punisshed And by that that the satisfaccyon of his synnes is made / but for that that thou sparedest me in my neclygences for my gracyousnes I am nowe tormented in purgatorye And therfore my fader I requyre the praye vnto god for me And that ye recoÌ„maunde me vnto myn other bretherne in theyr messes to the ende that ye delyuer me from the greate paynes wherin I am By this example a man sholde vnderstonde that these synners the which ben ofte tymes punysshed corrected or those the whiche gone often vnto confessyon do penaunce ben more sooner saued than those the whiche be not repreued / and the whiche go not vnto confession but one tyme in the yere c. D. ¶ Another example how a man sholde correcte hym whan a man is warned THe discyple reciteth in his sermoÌ„s and sayeth that a good relygyous conceplatyf was rauysshed in iugemente the whiche sawe an erle accused before god also a grete prelate agayne whome god was
he was not there He answered thou lyest He is gone vnto suche a chambre to th ende that he here not the clamoures of the poores And now fro the party of our lorde I cyte hym that he appere before god / and that he come to yelde reason of all the goodes temporelles that vnto hym hath be taken The ryche man was hastely seke vnto the dethe / than his frendes parentes came to vysyte hym to moue hym vnto penaunce coÌ„fessyon / the whiche he wolde not here / and sayd vnto them I am cyted vnto the Iugement of god / vnto whome I haue appered and am there Iuged vnto the dethe eternall without ony hope of helthe For in lykewyse as I ne haue excercysed mercy ne had coÌ„passyon on the poores of Ihesu cryst / also wtout ony mercy am I sentenced / and so the accursed deyed / lost his lyfe / his bâ—dy / his goodes and his soule D. ¶ Another example how a monke saw ryche men haÌ„ged in the fyre of hell lxxxiiii IT is wryten in the dyalogue of saynt Gregory that a monke desired to go in to an hermytage / before that he demaunded lyceÌ„ce to go thyder he was seke deyed and was ledde in to hell / but anone he was brought agayne put in to his body And he remembred hym to haue seen the tourmentes of helle and innombrable places full of fyre And within those flambes of fyre he sawe some ryche men hanged / the whiche he had seen knowen in his countree / were stroÌ„gely tourmented And as he was ledde to be put within the sayd fyre there a ryued an aungell fro whome proceded grete clerenes the whiche defended that he ne were put in the fyre The whiche sayd vnto hyÌ„ retorne in to thy body and take good hede wysely from hensforthe whyles thou lyuest that thou come not hyder After this voyce he retourned in to his body / lytell and lytell came in to conualescence And afterwarde put hym in so moche fastynges / wakinges oraysons / good operacyons the meruayle it was / for the tourmentes that he had seen that the synners sustayne c. ¶ This example sholde moue cursed ryche men to restore the thynges euyll goten c. E. ¶ Example how two men were lepres for that they dyspysed lepres lxxxiiii THe dyscyple recyteth in the boke of sermons that there was a preste the whiche had in so grete horrour the lepres that he herde theyr coÌ„fessyon through a wall himselfe was lepre ¶ Also it is wryten of a seruaunt the whiche had in soo grete horroure the lepres that he wolde not bere theÌ„ ne to gyue the almesse / and he hymselfe became lepre ¶ Simonia A. ¶ Examples of people the whiche haue ben symonyakes And fyrst example of Symon magus lxxxv IT is wryten in the dede of the appostles that the fals and dysloyal symon magus offred grete somme of money vnto the apostles wenynge by that to gete the grace of the holy goost that he sawe in them And vnderstode that yf he myght haue the grace that he sholde sell it vnto other sholde receyue grete fynaunces But in fygure of all those the whiche selleth or byeth thyÌ„ges spyrytualles he his money were accursed of god by the mouthe of saynt Peter VnÌ„ actuuÌ„ .vii. Pecunia tua tecum sit in perditioÌ„e That is to say Thy money be with the in perdicion And for that he was the fyrst in the newe testament that wolde bye spyrytuall thynges this espece of theft is named in al holy chirche symony for bycause of the cursed symon fygure of all the dampned symonyakes B. ¶ Another example of the punycyon of Gyezy that was symonyake lxxxv IT is wryten .iiii. reguÌ„ .v. ca. how the prophete Helyseus gaue helthe of the sekenes of lepry to a ryche maÌ„ named Naaman the whiche offred grete gyftes vnto the sayd prophete after that he was hole But for none erthly thynge he wolde nothynge take Also he knewe that it was symony to sell the grace of the holy goost And the dyscyple of the sayd prophete named Giezy was coueytous ranne after Naaman of whome he demaunded money clothinge And for to be shorte he toke two talentes of syluer / two vestementes for the grace that his mayster had done to hym The whiche thynge dyspleased vnto god his mayster And whan the euentyde came the sayd prophete demauÌ„ded of Giezy fro whens he came He answered Thy seruaunt hath ben nowhere And the ê“phete sayd My hert was that thou were gone after Naaman that thou hast takeÌ„ syluer clothes for to bye oxen shepe / and for to haue seruauntes maydens c. For as moche as thou hast done this thinge the lepry of Naanam shal drawe to the to thy sede in perdurabylyte Lepra naamaÌ„ tibi adhereat et semini tuo in seÌ„piternuÌ„ And so was it done For he was incontynent mesel / so he was punysshed for his symony ¶ This example shold wtdrawe eche persone to bye or sell spyrytuall thynges / for it is a grete synne that taryeth not vnpunysshed C. ¶ Another example of the symonyake Hieroboam the whiche solde bysshopryches lxxxv IT is wryten .iii. reguÌ„ .xiii. ca. how kinge Hieroboam toke money for to constytute the persones to be souerayne bysshoppes Also it was ydolatry and for that / that he was a symonyary a grete synner for these causes he deyed myscheuyously and he and all his was put doune / degraded / and effaced VnÌ„ .iii. reguÌ„ .xiii. QuicuÌ„que eiÌ„ volebat implebat manuÌ„ hieroboaÌ„ / fiebat sacerdos excellorum et ê“pter haÌ„c causaÌ„ peccauit domus hieroboaÌ„ et euersa est et deleta de superficie terre c. Yf the vendycyon of the prestehode of ydolles was in suche wise venged of god that the sayd Hieroboam was so punisshed put doune as it is sayd / it foloweth wel that they the whiche selleth the true prestehode shall be cruelly punysshed / for suche people ben theues VnÌ„ iohan x. Qui noÌ„ intrat per hostiuÌ„ iÌ„ ouile ouiuÌ„ / sed asceÌ„dit aliuÌ„de ille fur eâ—t et latro Also they ben sacryleges For the thefte that they done is by vendicyon of holy thinges SacrilegiuÌ„ dicitur quasi sacruÌ„ledeÌ„s vel sacruÌ„ violaÌ„s It shold be a defe thiÌ„ge to say that he is sacrylege that steleth a chalyce that he is none that steleth the hole chirche Also he that selleth a chyrche is a thefe / symonyake sacrylege / wherby he commytteth grete synne Vnto whome it behoueth satysfaccyon vnto hym that is culpable / that desyreth to be saued D. ¶ Another example how kyÌ„ge Anthiochus was symonyake and proude ouer puyssaunce humayne lxxxv IT is wryten in the .iiii. chapytre of the seconde boke of Machabees / how the kynge Anthiochus solde vnto Ialon the dygnyte to be souerayne bysshop / also
vp often her heed / kest in the mouthe of the woman fyre sulphre WhaÌ„ they sawe that they had so grete fere horrour that they fledde cryed to make men to caste agayne the erthe hastely / and that it was the deuyll the whiche punysshed the body and mocked it The messager retourned hastely the whiche recounted what he had sene c. ¶ What prouffyted it vnto the sayd vsuryesse to gete the sayd golde and syluer whaÌ„ her soule is tourmented and damned It is wryten mathei xvi ca. Quid prodest homini si vniuersum munduÌ„â—ucretur anime vero sue detrimentuÌ„ patiatur She gote / posseded / and bare awaye the thynge wherby she is pryued from paradyse / and is in hell tourmented In lykewyse as it is to presuppose for to consyder her lyfe her dethe / and that was founde after that she was buryed c. F. ¶ Another example of an vsurer the whiche demaunded helpe of his golde / of his syluer / and treasoure whan as he laye at the poynte of dethe / with the which he was tourmented lxxxvi IT is wryten in the boke of examples of an vsurer that as he laboured in the later days of his dethe was prayed of his treÌ„des that â—e wolde confesse hym and to restore the vsuryes brought vnto hym the preste by two or thre tymes But at euery time he sayd / abyde tyll to morowe / and after that I shall do it And at the last after that he had be strongly warned to be confessed / that he had sayd tary tyll to morowe / whan the preste was gone he made to brynge before hym all his golde and syluer / and sayd to it My golde and my syluer I neuer ceased to laboure to take payne for the tyl vnto now And therfore socoure me now at this nede And one tyme there was herde a voyce the whiche sayd Go in to the place where thou sholdest go and we shall goo after the. And incontynent he deyed / and grete thonder tempest came thyder / the sayd golde and syluer vanysshed that it was not knowen where it became And afterwarde by the suffraunce of god the soule of the sayd vsurer appered vnto a holy man as he was in orayson the whiche sayd vnto hym that he was dampned / and that euery day he was perforced to drynke of the sayd golde and syluer the whiche was in the sayd fyre molten brennynge decourauÌ„t / wherby men may say vnto this purpose that the whiche is wryten Sapienc xi Per qÌ„ peccat hoÌ„ / per hec et torquetur In lykewyse as the sayd vsurer had offended in getynge kepynge the sayd good also of it he was tourmented ¶ By this example a man may knowe that these auarycyous ben wel abused to wene that theyr golde and syluer shall socoure them sooner than god at dethe or in sekenesse / or that it shal put them in paradyse delyuer fro hel by that they haue loued / serued / and trusted in the golde and the syluer more than in god they shall be Iuged and condampned by theyr golde in hell punysshed and tourmeÌ„ted c. G. ¶ Another example of an vsurer the whiche commaunded his soule vnto the deuyll for that it wolde not abyde no more with his goodes lxxxvi THe dyscyple recyteth in his sermons how Hubert sayth in the treatyse of the triple drede that as an vsurer laboured in his laste days he made to be brought before him his vessell of golde and of syluer as cuppes c. And spake vnto his soule them vnto it promysed many other goodes as feldes / houses / herytages c. that it sholde abyde yet in the worlde with his body And as he sayd these wordes the doloure of the sekenes gryped hym / than he sayd For as moche as thou wylt abyde no more with me I commaunde the vnto the deuyll And in saynge these wordes he deyed / ended his dayes euyll as ryght was For he requyred not the helpe of god / but it was of his godes the whiche fayled hym at his gretest nede A. ¶ Another example of an vsurer the whiche wolde not restore / and he was borne vpon an asse vnto the galowes there was buryed lxxxvii MEn fynde in wrytynge this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in his promptuary and sayth that a man an vsurer wolde not restore howbeit that he was warned often And whan he was in his dethe bedde he demaunded the sacramentes of the chyrche of his preest / the whiche wolde not gyue him them yf he wolde not restore / but he wolde not And whan he was at the poynte of dethe the sayd preste was called for to recommaunde the soule vnto the aungelles of god / yet agayne he ne wolde restore Than the preste sayd I recommauÌ„de hym vnto all the deuylles of hell / went fro him Whan he was deed his frendes requyred the sayd preste to bury hym in some corner of the chyrchyarde for to saue theyr honour The whiche thynge he ne wolde consent / for that in his lyfe he wolde not consent to restore And the sayd preste had an asse that serued for nothinge but to bere to fro the chyrche the bokes other thynges for the layd preste / therfore he ne knewe none other way Than the frendes of the sayd vsurer prayed the preste that the body myght be layde vpon the asse and to lete hym go where he wolde / where the sayd asse rested the body to be there buryed And they wened that the sayde asse wolde haue borne hym to the chyrche or vnto the house of the preste / for that he was acustomed to go to none other place This thynge was acorded of the preste of all / the sayd carayne was layde vpon the asse / the whiche bare hym all ryght without declynynge on ony syde vnder the galowes And there he shaked hym so sore that he made hym to fall before all the people / there he was buryed cuÌ„ patribê° suis It was no reason that he were in holy erthe with good crystyens / for he had not lyued an holy lyfe in obeyeng vnto god And by that the scripture approued sayth that vsurers manyfestes ought to be pryued from sepulture ecclesyastycall yf they deye correccyon amendement and without restytucyon made to other Vt habetur extra de vsuris capitulo Quia in omnibus etcetera B. ¶ Another example how the ennemy the deuyll sette hym vpon the coffre where the money was of an vsurer lxxxvii THe dyscyple recyteth in his proÌ„ptuary how an vsurer gaue in kepyÌ„ge his money in an abbay and a relygyous sawe the deuyl the whiche sette hym on the cofre vnto whome he demaunded what he dyde there vpon the sayd cofre And he answered I kepe my money Than whan the abbot herde hym speke it he sent agayne the sayd money and
the deuyll yode his waye fro that place c. C. ¶ Another example how a man sholde not pray for an vsurer deed lxxxvii MEn fynde by wrytinge this that whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in the boke of his promptuary and sayeth that a preste prayed for his fader the whiche had ben an vsurer / and in syngȳge his hādes trembled And saynt Bernarde prayed god that he wolde shewe what the sygnyfyed And an aungell appered to him and sayd It is grete foly to pray for an vsurer the whiche is dampned And the blyssed saynt Bernarde defended vnto the preste that he sholde synge nomore for his fader / And after that he hadde ceased to pray for his sayd fader his handes ceased and trembled no more D. ¶ Another example what became of a chyrche the whiche was made of vsuries extorcyons lxxxvii THe dysciple recyteth in his promptuary that after that a mā had do make a chyrche of vsuryes extorcyons he made the bysshop to come for to dedycate it And as the bysshop accompanyed with his clerkes dyde dedycate it he sawe behynde the auter the deuyl in habyte of a bysshop beynge in a chayre the whiche sayd vnto the bysshop Wherfore consecratest thou my chyrche Cease the. This chyrche apperteyneth vnto me of good ryght / for is is edyfyed of vsuryes rapynes Than as the bysshop the clerkes fledde the deuyll dystroyed the sayd chyrche with grete daūsynge An almesdede or ony thynge that a man gyueth vnto god or vnto his chirche / or vnto ony of his sayntes of paradyse sholde be of good acquysycyon of good berynge wtout beynge made of thefte extorcyon or vsury c. or it shal not be agreable vnto god He wyll not that a man take away the goodes fro ony for to brynge them vnto hym As the scrypture sayth in many places Vn̄ eccl xxxiii Dona iniquorū nō a probat altissimus / nec recipit oblationē īi quorum Et michee ca. i Intulistis de rapinis claudum et languidū munus / nō quid suscipiam dn̄o debile qr rex magnus ego sum dicit dn̄s c. E. ¶ Another example of an vsurer that wolde not restore lxxxvii IT is wryten in the boke of the gyft of drede how a preste gaue warninge of thre thȳges vnto an vsurer that deyed The fyrst was that he sholde repent hym The secōde that he sholde confesse hym The thyrde that he sholde make full restytucion after his puyssaunce And the sayd vsurer sayd I am content to do the two fyrst thynges / but the thyrde how sholde I do it / for there sholde nothynge be left vnto me / ne vnto my chyldren And the preste sayd Without these .iii thynges thou mayst not be saued / as sayth the sages the scryptures And he answered I wyll proue yf it be true / for I wyll nothynge restore And so he deyed cursedly / dred more the pouerte temporall than dampnacyon eternall F. ¶ Another example of an vsurer the confessed hym / made restytucyon in the ende of his dayes lxxxvii MEn fynde in wrytynge this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in his promptuary and sayth that an vsurer fell in grete sekenes the whiche was warned by his frendes to confesse hȳ and to receyue all the sacramentes And he sayd What shall it serue me that haue soo moche deferred to confesse and amende And the frēdes sayd A man sholde euermore cōfesse hym / for peraduenture god shall gyue you his grace And the confessour was called / vnto whom the vsurer sayd My fader espyrytuall I wyll confesse me with good wyll But I haue commytted so many synnes / and therin am so bewrapped that I can not tell how I may escape Vnto whome the confessour sayd Dyspayre ye not / but confesse you / for confessyon wel made hath suche vertue that all synnes there ben pardoned Than he confessed hym / god gaue vnto hym suche grace that he repented hym wepte so strongely his synnes that with payne myght he speke by force of wepinge He made an entyer confessyon / restored the sayd vsuryes and thynges yl goten after the counceyle of the confessour / and ended well his lyfe and his dayes ¶ Restitucio A. ¶ Examples of restytucyon And fyrst example of a man named Fryderyke tormented in purgatory for that he had not restored yll goten godes lxxxviii MEn fynde by wrytinge this that whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in the boke of his promptuary and sayeth that after that a knyght was deed he appered vnto a citezyn his neyghbour in suche maner that smoke flambe yssued fro his nosethrylles / he was couered with shepe skȳnes / bare a plotte of erthe vpon his sholdres Vnto whome the cytezyn sayd Ar ye Fryderyke And he sayd / ye Fro whens come ye / what betokeneth the thynges that I se He answered I am in grete paynes for that I haue taken away shepe skynnes from a wydowe the whiche I fele now brennȳge Also I haue drawen vnto me iniustly the party of a felde that weyeth sore / bruseth my sholders But yf my chyldrē restore my paynes shall be lyght / so he departed And whā the sones of the sayd knyght herde these wordes of theyr fader they loued better that he sholde abyde in payne than restore the sayd thynges ¶ This example denoteth that the sayd Fryderycke had contrycyon confessyon / but he dyde no satysfaccōn And therfor he was in purgatory And by that / that the sayd chyldren wold not restore it is to note that one ought not to tary for his parents too do good after his dethe / but do it hȳselfe B. ¶ Another example of a childe that was in the paynes of purgatory / for that he restored not money borowed lxxxviii MEn fynde by wrytynge this that whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in his promptuary sayth that a duchesses sone of .ix. yere olde was seke shrone hym deyed And after his dethe he appered to his moder / sayd that he was in grete payne in purgatory for that that he had not payed the debtes borowed of the seruauntes of his sayd moder for to go play And that at his dethe he remembred not to pay them or make to be payed And the sayd chylde requyred his moder that she wolde paye the sayd debtes / that his payne sholde haue ende so that they be payed The whiche sayd that with good wyll she wolde pay theym And she made inquysycyon of the sayd seruauntes And made them al to be payde the whiche had sende to her sayd sone And incontinent that they were all payed the chylde appered to his moder agayne in grete clerete Vnto whome he sayd that he was delyuered from payne put in grete felycyte c. ¶ By this example a man sholde vnderstāde that him behoueth to be pure clene for to go in to paradyse Whan the
the dede / after he ameÌ„ded hym and correcked his euyll lyfe H. ¶ Another example how two aduouteresses bette eche other in the departyÌ„ge of a pyece of lynnen clothe that was gyuen to them lxxxxii ESope sayth in his boke that two harlottes maryed habandoned them with a man of auctoryte that gouerned hym not wysely ne holyly After that he had synned with the sayd women / with the one more than with the other he gaue vnto them a pyce of lynnen clothe to departe betwene them for theyr hyre And whan they were in the strete there was noyse betwene them to departe the sayd clothe And the one of them sayd that she sholde haue more than the other / for she had ben there longer They reuyled eche other called harlottes as they were And theyr husbandes the whiche knewe nothynge of the cause of them came to defende eche of them theyr wyfe bette eche other strongly And as they were in suche debate there came one Quidam that departed theym / and sayd Syrs it is no mater here but to departe from hens It apperteyneth well that wyse men here them speke / soo they deparded And the sayd lynnen clothe was put in hande sequestred tyll the sayd mater be dyscussed in iugement c. ¶ By this example a man sholde vnderstande that the mater of them that coÌ„mytteth lechery shall be dyscussed and iuged before god yf it be not effaced by penauÌ„ce And in lykewyse as the sayd women were defamed before the worlde opeÌ„ly shewed theyr synne / al the synnes of al syÌ„ners openly shall be shewed in Iugement before all And that that the sayd harlot sayd that she sholde haue more than the other for that she had beÌ„ there longer denoteth that so moche more as a persone hath done of synnes hath loÌ„gest abyden in them shall haue in hell the mo tormentes / vnto hym shall be gyuen more punycion than he that hath done but one synÌ„e anone past VnÌ„ apoc xviii QuantuÌ„ glorificauit se pctoÌ„r in pctoÌ„ suo et iÌ„ delicus taÌ„tum date illi tormentuÌ„ luctuÌ„ I. ¶ Another example how a quene rode vpon Arystotle that was wyse and a grete clerke lxxxxii THe dyscyple recyteth in his proÌ„ptuary that Iames de vitre sayâ—h that Arystotle taught kynge Alexander that he sholde refuse to accede oft tymes vnto his wife the whiche was ryght fayre that his courage ne were letted to puruey vnto the charge of the comune that he had And Alexander vnto hym obeyed Whan the quene knewe it she was full of sorowe began to drawe Arystotle vnto her loue / for she passed by hym oft tymes all alone barefoted her heere 's vntressed hangynge doune to th ende that she myght drawe hym to her loue In th ende Arystotle was tempted began to desyre her carnally / the whiche sayd I ne wyll do it in no maner what so euer it be yf I se not in the some tokens of loue that thou tempt me not Than come in to my chambre rampyÌ„ge with fete and with handes as an hors in beryÌ„ge me I shall knowe yf thou mockest with me And whan he consented vnto the condycioÌ„ she denounced this thynge vnto Alexander / the whiche hyd hyÌ„ toke Arystotle as he bare the quene And as he wolde haue slayne hym Arystotle sayd in excusynge hyÌ„ Yf it be soo happened vnto a wyse auncyent that is to me that hath be so deceyued of a woman thou mayst well se and knowe that I haue well taught the / how may it come vnto the that arte yonge Whan the kynge herde these wordes he spared made an ende of that / that he hadde begonne after his doctryne etc. ¶ By this example here a man sholde vnderstande that the moost wisest ben as soone deceyued by lechery as the symple people Also it is to be noted that the sayd Arystotle hadde offended before god and was culpable as and yf he hadde accomplysshed the sayd lechery / for he had broken the commauÌ„dement of god NoÌ„ concupisces vxorem proximi tui c. K. ¶ Another example of a woman aduoutresse that bare an hote yron lxxxxii IT is wryten in the somme of penaunce that a woman maryed aduoutres was susspeccioned of her husbande / the whiche yode vnto confessyon to wepe her synnes / after her confessyon bare an yren al reed before her husbande for too shewe that she was clene pure And after that she had doone the sayd myracle she enpryded her assured retourned vnto her sysie as before And ones her sayd husbande apperceyued her with the sayd synne / hete secretely the sayd yron put it in the place where it was And afterwarde sayd vnto his wyfe Gyue me suche an yron / where is it Than she ranne to take it with her handes she brenned them c. ¶ By this example is denoted that by the vertue of confessyon her synnes were effaced pardoned dyde myracle / for to retorne vnto synne she lost all and was wors than before Peccatum in matrimonio quere exempla .xxxvi. e. f. g. h. i. A. ¶ Examples that in the solempnytees a man sholde abstayne from operacion of maryage lxxxxiii THe dyscyple recyteth in his sermoÌ„s of a man that a man knewe his wyfe the vygyll of Eester The whiche whan the preste put the body of god in his mouthe on Eester day it lept out And as the sayd man sawe that he was confessed / he repented hym / confest / was houseled B. ¶ Another example how the chyldren of a maÌ„ of his wyfe ne myght haue baptysme for the synne that they commytted n maryage lxxxxiii ALso men fynde by wrytynge that a man a wyfe contempned not honestly in the operacion of maryage And they had thre chyldren the whiche coude not haue baptysme And for to fynde remedy counceyle they yode vnto an holy bysshop to confesse theym Vnto whome they sayd that theyr chyldren might neuer haue baptysme And he axed them one after another / eche of them by theyr selfe yf they made ony dyssolucion or dyshoneste in the operacyon of maryage And they answered the one after the other / ye / thus thus Than the sayd bysshop sayd vnto them that it was the cause wherfore theyr chyldren had not baptysme for doynge that synne ¶ And therfore a man sholde conteÌ„pne honestly in maryage / to accede the one with the other / or to make lygnage / or for too yelde the debte of maryage on her party / or for to fle auoyde synne C. ¶ Another example how a woman chylded .ix. chyldren at a burden lxxxxiii SOme maysters wryteth this the whiche foloweth how the discyple reciteth in the boke of his promptuarye and sayeth that there was a clerke a good chylde approued of good maners the whiche coÌ„uerted all vnto the prayse of our lady By the whiche he was
He brought in the pylgryme / wasshed his fete / applyed vnto his supper / all that that to hym was necessary And as they toke theyr refeccion the sones of the cyte chyâ—dren of the deuyl came cryenge to the auncient that he sholde delyuer the man that was entred in to his hous for to knowe hym lecherously And the auncyent yode vnto them sayd My bredren do not this yll here / for I haue lodged hym / cease you of this foly I haue a doughter vyrgyn he hath a wyfe I shall brynge them vnto you to th ende that ye accoÌ„plisshe your lechery I pray you do not this synÌ„e agaynst nature in man But for that they ne wolde obey vnto the auncyent in noo maner The pylgrym betoke them his wife the whiche abused commytted so strongly theyr lechery all the nyght in the sayd woman that in the mornynge she came to deye at the dore where her husbande was Whan he fouÌ„de her deed he charged her vpoÌ„ his asse bare her in to his hous / and afterwarde brake her body in .xii. pyeces bare them in to all the endes partyes of Israell tolde vnto them the case sayd that they sholde make IugemeÌ„t sentence Than .xl. M. men on fote of the chyldren of Israell assâ—mbled them made recenser to vnderstande of Leuyte husbonde of the deed woman as the dede was done And after that he had agayne recounted all the people of Israell of one accorde wyll sayd that they sholde neuer entre in to theyr houses tyll the synners were punysshed They constytued people for to brynge them vytayles And sent messagers in to the cyte of Gabaa to aske them wherfore they had coÌ„mytted so grete synne / that they sholde betake theÌ„ those the whiche had coÌ„mytted the synÌ„e for to take away the yll from Israell Those of the cyte wolde not / made theyr alyaunce for to defende them But to be shorte grete warre was made for that synne And they moued theÌ„ in suche maner that grete murdre was made on bothe partyes But in conclusyon all the harlottes all those the whiche susteyned in theyr quarell were slayne degraded In the fyrst batayle there was .xxii. thousande men In the seconde .xxv. M. an hondred men At the thyrde whan the towne of the sayd harlottes sodomytes was taken there was .xviii. M. slayne .v. M. of them the whiche fledde After that as they proceded ferther they slewe two thousande / and brenned al the townes / stretes / houses of the sayd sodomytes Also they slewe bestes people the whiche were in them / by the wyll of god / as it is wryten in the .xix. .xx. chapytre of the sayd boke of Iuges ¶ By this example men may se that grete occysyons came for the horryble abhomynable synne that was commytted in the sayd woman And not al onely were punysshed those the whiche had commytted the sayd synÌ„e but with that all the consenters and alyes and al that the whiche vnto them apperteyned was wasted And so it appereth that grete multitude of bodyes / of goodes / of soules yode vnto perdycion for synne coÌ„mytted in a woman c. C. ¶ Another example of a man the vsed his wyfe sodomytly lxxxxv THe dyscyple recyteth in his proÌ„ptuary that a man knewe his wyfe sodomytly And moche it displeased vnto his wyfe Anâ— on a tyme agaynst her wyll he coÌ„mytted in her the sayd synne And incontynent after he arose from his bedde for to go in to the chambres in the whiche his guttes fell from hym descended by the foundemeÌ„t with grete tourment Than he toke hym to crye The people came / of dolour that he felte shewed his synne / that god venged hym / and he stanke myscheuously deyed c. as reason was to commytte so horryble synne in his owne wyfe / to soyle the holy sacrament of maryage D. ¶ Another example how a sodomytike deyed impenytent dyspeyred him / the whiche sayd that he sawe hell / the tormentes the deuyls lxxxxv ALso the discyple reciteth in his promptuary that a Sodomytyke was stryken of god / whan he came to the dethe he was warned to repent him / to confesse receyue the sacramentes of the chyrche And in dyspayre he answered Wherfore shal I call on me the ayde dyuyne I se now late the tourmentes in hell the deuylles presents apparayled to rauysshe me And as the people present bad hym make the sygne of the crosse the myscheuous deyed in lykewise as he had gyuen no force / and he tourned his face / closed his eyen / and with a grete and horryble clamoure he yelded his goost and deyed c. E. ¶ Another example how a woman Sodomytyke was vnburyed and drawen horrybly lxxxxv SOme maysters wryteth this the whiche foloweth how the discyple reciteth in the boke of his promptuarye and sayeth that a woman culpable of the synne of sodomye deyed was buryed And the nyght folowynge a sowe ryght blacke with seuen blacke hogges were seen openly wrote dyggynge the erthe from her pytte brake membre after membre of the sayd woman / and drewe the guttes alonge brake them Whan this was done the sayd sowe her pygges departed theym and kest grete stynke F. ¶ Another example how the deuyls haue horrour of that synne lxxxxv ALso it is wryten in the boke of hony bees that a woman sodomytike layde her in her bedde / and whan she synned in herself she herde the deuyll betwene her the walle the whiche cryed fy / fy / fy And whan she herde the deuyl in suche wyse cry she had fere / yode vnto confessyon / dyde penauÌ„ce more than she had charge ¶ By these examples it appereth that the synne of lechery is a synne that moche dyspleaseth vnto god the whiche maketh to haue grete punycion dampnacyon eternall And therfore euery persone sholde wtdrawe to doo the sayd thynge obey to god for to gete paradyse escape punycyon eternall ¶ Octauum preceptum ¶ Testimonium A. ¶ Examples of fals wytnesses And fyrste example of a crysten man that forsware hym cautelously on the awter of saynt Nycholas lxxxxvi IT is wryten in the legende of saynt Nycolas that a Iewe lent money vnto a crysteÌ„ man Whan the terme came that he sholde yelde the money the crysten man sayd that he had yelde it vnto hyÌ„ And for that the Iewe ne might proue it he gaue it hym vpon his othe yf he wolde swere vpon the auter of saynt Nycolas Than the crysten man put the sayd money wtin his staffe clouen perced craftely And whaÌ„ he was redy to swere he toke his sayd staffe vnto the Iewe whyles that he sholde swere And so sware surely that he had takeÌ„ hym the sayd money His malyce shall be dyscouered For as he yode in to his hous he slepte
many bokes that as saynt Patryke preched in Irlonde he prayd god deuoutly that he wolde shewe hym some token by the whiche the wycked yll men myght haue feere and also repente theym And sodaynly a ryght grete hole or pyt appered / and it was reueled vnto hym that the place of purgatory was there In the whiche place yf ony wolde descende he sholde haue none other payne Many the whiche herde this thynge therin entred the whiche came neuer agayne And a man named Nycolas the whiche hadde commytted many synnes there descended too th ende that he myght repente hym of his synnes And he founde first an oratory and whyte monkes the whiche sayd vnto him Be thou stedfast and coÌ„staunt For it behoueth the to sustayne many temptacyons And he theym demaunded what remedy he myght haue agaynst the sayd temptacyons They answered whan thou felest thyselfe tourmented with paynes crye hastely O iesu christe adiuua me That is to say O Ihesu cryst helpe me And whaÌ„ that he was departed froÌ„ them the deuylles ranne sodaynly vpon hyÌ„ in lykewyse as wylde beestes famysshed And as they dyde in this wyse vnto him he recorded hym of his counceyle and sayd O iesu christe adiuua me And incontynent he ne wyst where the beestes became He yode ferdermore and founde a ryght grete fyre / in to the whiche the deuylles kest hym And incontynent that he hadde sayd Iesu christe adiuua me / forthwith the fyre was put out and quenched He walked yet ferder sawe a welle ryght depe from the whiche yssued smoke and grete clamour of soules the whiche were tourmented And whaÌ„ the deuylles hadde casten hym within it he cryed Iesu christe adiuua me That is too saye Ihesu cryst helpe me / forthwith he was delyuered At the last he sawe a brydge that was ryght narowe and strayte And there he hadde grete terroure / the whiche brydge hym behoued too passe / but he myght not And he sette one of his fete vpon the brydge and sayd Iesu christe adiuua me And soo he sayd at euery steppe tyll that he had passed the brydge on the other syde And whaÌ„ that he was past he came vnto a fayre medowe wherin grewe many fayre and delectable floures / of the which floures and me dowe proceded good odoures and smelles And afterwarde he came agayne vnto lyfe and .xxx. dayes passed he came vnto paradyse by the inuocacyon of our blyssed sauyour and redemptour Ihesu cryst ¶ Vnto the example of the abouesayd man the whiche was delyuered from all tourmentes paynes incontynent that he hadde called the helpe of Ihesus In lykewyse thou man woman call deuoutly the name of the blyssed lambe Ihesus in all aduersytees / fortunes tourmentes / losses / temptacyons / sekenesses / necessytees / anguisshes / perylles / infyrmytees / and thyÌ„ges doubtables and well shall come vnto the. This name Ihesus is interprete sauyour Iesus iÌ„terpretatur saâ—uator For by the meryte of his passyon he saued al â—he worlde He brake hell / saued delyuered all the good persones the whiche were in the lymbe of the holy faders opened paradyse vnto all good crystyens Also Ihesus is the kynge of kynges / the Iuge of Iuges / and of all grete and lytell It is he that gyueth Ioy and beatytude eternal vnto the good / and that punyssheth and damneth the euyll Ihesus is holy and debonayre vnto the good / also he is terryble and â—ruell vnto the euyll And therfore sayth the psalmyst SanctuÌ„ et terribile nomen eius initium sapientie timor domini Also the name of Ihesus is in excelleÌ„ce aboue all other VnÌ„ paul ad phyl VocatuÌ„ est nomen eius super oeÌ„ nomen Also the name of Ihesus is loued and dredde aboue all names / and in namynge hym all creatures reasonables sholde bowe the knee / be it in paradyse / in this worlde / or in hell VnÌ„ paul ad phi In nomine iesu omne genu flectatur celestrium / terrestrium / et infernorum The men and women of this worlde call hym in theyr besynesses and necessytees / and the deuylles of hell drede hym For to be shorte the name of Ihesus ought to be loued / honoured / called / dredde / and redouted / for it is replenysshed with bounte / beaute / and holynes infinyte inenarrable That is the whiche passeth all entendementes c. B. ¶ Another example how the deuyl was chased from a woman in the name of Ihesus Cxii MEn fynde by wrytynge this the whiche foloweth how the dycyple recyteth in the boke of his promptuary sayth that a womaÌ„ demonyacle was on a tyme brought vnto saynt Bernarde vnto th ende that he sholde hele her And the deuyll before many the whiche were presente sayd O that I wolde goo oute with good wyll from my lytell lambe here My lorde wyll not that I go out And saynt Bernarde sayd Whiche is that lorde He answered The creatour of all And saynt Bernarde sayd Sawest thou hym euer And the deuyl sayd I haue seen him in glory And the saynt sayd Thyder thou woldest retorne And he sayd in mockynge The houre is to late for to go thyder Than saynt Bernarde commaunded hym in the name of Ihesu cryst that he sholde go out And the deuyll sayd O name terryble thou me constraynest to goo forthe / and incontynent he wente oute and the woman was heled of her infyrmytee c. C. ¶ Another example how that the name of Ihesus vaynquyssheth the teÌ„ptacyons of the deuyll Cxii THe dyscyple recyteth in his sermons this the whiche foloweth the whiche is also wryten in other bokes sayth that a man was meke and had of custome that euery tyme that the deuyll gaue vnto hyÌ„ ony temptacyons he yode vnto prayer and called god in sayâ—ge Iesu dulcis miserere mei Swete Ihesus haue mercy on me and helpe me And forthwith the deuyll departed from hym ¶ And on a tyme a holy fader herde that the deuyll sayd that the deuylles were repelled by the vertue of this worde Ihesus D. ¶ Another example how the name of Ihesus gyueth many vertues Cxii SOme maysters wryteth this the whiche foloweth how the discyple reciteth in the boke of his promptuarye and sayeth that a yonge man moche deuoute and Innocent made orayson and prayer in demaundynge that he myght haue the loue of god And the aungell of god gaue vnto hym a lytell scrolle wryten in this maner Iesu christe fili dei viui propitius esto michi pctoÌ„ri And sayd vnto hym Open thy mouthe and eate this wrytynge / by the vertue wherof the deuylles shall be vaynquysshed / the heuens ben opened / the synnes beÌ„ taken away / the trynyte is drawen to / and the aungelles serueth him deuoutly Whan the yonge man had eten the sayd wrytynge he had in hym all tho thynges as he was enformed E. ¶ Another example how by the name of Ihesus a
she had accustomed / of the whiche enfant she demaunded / yf he coude his aue maria The whiche answered Saye it vnto me before / whan she sayd benedictê° fructus ventris tui / the chylde sayd I am he / he vanysshed out of her syght Than the sayd woman cryed in enioyenge her / come agayn chylde ryght dere / ryght swete / and ryght welbeloued And so ceased not to calle by xxx dayes / the .xxx. daye Ihesus came the whiche sayd I the whiche am called am comen vnto the / nowe thou shalte come after me shall regne with me / that whiche in enioyenge herself deyed debonayrly Another example lxxxxiiii b. quere aÌ„te ¶ Passio christi A. ¶ Examples of the passyon of our sauyour redemptour Ihesus And fyrste example of a grete synner the whiche bare vnto his dethe sekenes for his syÌ„nes in the remembraunce of the passyon of oure lorde Ihesu cryste Cxiiii THe disciple reciteth in his sermoÌ„s sayeth that a grete synner was constytute vnto the dethe / he toke his sykenes in reparcussyon of his synnes as he sayd It is good reason that I endure yl in all my membres that whiche hathe offended god by synne And in suche anguisshe he gaue hym to thynke on the passyon of our lorde Ihesus That is to vnderstond yf he endured in his heed heere it was of good ryght / for he had aourned his said heere offended god the whiche for to redeme hym had endured the crowne of thornes And also his eyes the whiche hadde made the fals lokes were derked suffred that was of good ryghte For oure lorde endured for to redeme hym that his eyen were bended with a kerchyef / hys face stryken buffeted And yf his body that whiche had coÌ„mytte the lecheryes pleasauÌ„ces carnalles and synnes suffred it was good reason For our lorde endured for to redeme hym that his body was rente beten hewen And also his mouthe the whiche had spoken yll wordes dronken to exces suffred payne it was of good ryghte For oure lorde endured for to redeme hym to drynke vynagre gall And so of the other membres as the handes that whiche had done of cursed operacyons And the fete the whiche walked yll wayes he bare the said sekenes wyllyngly for his owne sinnes in thynkynge that god had had the fete the handes perced endured dethe for to redeme hym And it is not to doubte but that he had helth with the good thefe whan his soule parted frome this worlde c. This here is a grete example to instructe al persones for to do penaunce as dyde the said man whan they shall come vnto the bedde of dethe For yf they take paciently the said sekenes the dethe for theyr owne syÌ„nes in sayng that they haue wele deserued punycyon theyr meÌ„bres that haue offended god as it is sayd in the example Suche punycyon corporell by sykenes shal serue for penaunce for the synnes coÌ„mytte after confessyon / shal be agreable vnto god sayÌ„t gregorye sayeth Si passio christi ad memorieÌ„ reducitur nihil eÌ„ quod noÌ„ equo aiÌ„o telleretur Yf the passyon of Ihesu cryst be broughte vnto mynde / that is to vnderstonde that he hathe endured for to redeme the frome hel with moche paynes There is none aduersyte so harde but that thou shalt endure it with good courage Yf the kynge bere a greate maste for the loue of the / thou sholdest bere for the loue of hym a strawe The good thefe that was hanged on the right hande of Ihesu cryste bare the dethe agreably and blamed the yll thefe vnde luce .xxii. Nos quideÌ„ iuste naÌ„ digna factis recipimê° morteÌ„ hic vero scilicet xpuÌ„s nichil mali gessit He sayd that he receyued the dethe Iustely / that he hadde wele deserued it for his propre dedes In so sayenge he confessed that he was a synner and that he toke it wyllyngly in gre by penaunce punycyoÌ„ for his owne synnes / so he had confessyon dyde penaunce It is gretter penaunce to endure the dethe for his synnes / than it is to faste to saye oraysons Also whan a man confesseth openly in iugement his synne as dyde the good thefe / it is more grete thynge than to confesse it vnto one onely / but the custome is to be absoyled of hym the whiche hathe auctoryte God absoylled the sayd thefe gaue vnto hym pardon of his synnes in consyderynge the grete contrycyon / confessyon / fayth that he had in sayenge vnto the yll thefe NoÌ„ times deuÌ„ et memeÌ„to mei duÌ„ veneris in regnuÌ„ tuuÌ„ Also it was grete penaunce as it is sayd that he toke the dethe for the punycyon of his synnes And therfore of good ryght god sayd vnto hym Thou shalt be with me this daye in paradyse Hodie mecumeris in paradyso Before that a man dieth hym behoueth to demauÌ„de grace and pardon For it sholde be to late after the dethe VnÌ„ eccle xviii Ante laÌ„goreÌ„ adhibe medicinaÌ„ et ante iuditiuÌ„ iÌ„terroga te ipsuÌ„ et in coÌ„spectu dei iÌ„uenies ê“pitiationeÌ„ That is to vnderstonde / take medecyne / that is penaunce before that thou fal in to langour in helle aske thy conscyence before that the Iugement be made of ye. And thou shalt fynde of debonayrte mercy before god and saynt gregorye sayth Qui tpÌ„s ageÌ„di peniteÌ„tiaÌ„ ê‘dit frustra ante ianuaÌ„ paradisi cuÌ„pÌ„cibus venit He the whiche leseth the tyme to do penaunce / cometh as voyde for nought before the yate of paradyse with prayers to demaunde lyfe eternell c. B. ¶ Another example of the swetnes of the passyon that a man hadde that sayd fyue tymes pater noster Cxiiii THe dyscyple recyteth in his booke of sermons sayth that there was a man the whiche loued moche god for the reuerence of the fyue wouÌ„des of Ihesu crist he sayd euery daye fyue pater nosters / one tyme our lorde appered to hyÌ„ and gaue hym fyue meruayllous swetnesses / soo that he studyed alonely for to serue god / And he prouffyted gretely in good operacions vertues / in th ende he fyned wel his dayes / yode in to paradyse c. C. ¶ Another example of a knyght the whiche ne myght deye on the gybet for that that he sayd euery daye thre pater nosters in the honour of the passyon of Ihesus Cxiiii IT is wryten in the dyalogue cesarii that a knight was accused vnto the emperour that he dyspoyled wasted his lande the whiche knighte was taken hanged by the coÌ„maundemente of the sayd emperour / on the thyrde daye the cosyn of the sayd knighte hanged passed therby with his seruauÌ„t the whiche had coÌ„passyon of hym / for he was a fayre man a noble approched vnto the gybet for to vnhange hym to burye
vowed vyrgynyte kepte it in all estates / wherfore thou arte floure of vyrgynyte / vnto this vyrgynyte is appropryed these wordes Elores mei fructê° honoris honestatis that is to say My floures ben fruytes of honour of honeste as the floure delys the rose / the violet / thâ— gelofre The said floures haue in them foure thynges that is in the vyrgyn marye Primo they haue beaute to beholde / odour to smell / they decore them that bere them / auaylleth vnto the medecynynge c. Semblably the virgyn marye is the moost fayrest rose of all the women as sayd is Sicut liliuÌ„ Also her sone was the moost fayrest of all the men / Vnde psal Speciosê° forma pÌ„filiis hoiÌ„m She was fayre wtoute foulenes / she dyde neuer mortall synne / nor venyell VnÌ„ caÌ„t ii.i. Tota pulcra es amica mea macula noÌ„ eÌ„ in te Et alibie Pulcra facie sed pulchrior fide SecuÌ„do she had the odour of good renoÌ„mee VnÌ„ BeataÌ„ inedicent oeÌ„s generationes illud Nardê° mea dedit odoreÌ„ suauitatis c. Tertio she decoreth them that serue her / the place where is her remembraunce Quarto she is of valour apprecyable for to helpe in all necessytees c. The vyrgyns the whiche kepe vyrgynyte ben of the housholde of the vyrgyn marye / shall haue retrybucyon an hondreth double And yf they corrupt virgynyte they lese the sayd treasour / shall not be of the nombre of vyrgyns Also the vyâ—gyn marye is more fayre than the wyues For she was maryed vnto Ioseph conceyued not of him / but of the holy ghost luce i. Spiritê° sctuÌ„s suê‘ueniet iÌ„ te virtê° altissimi obuÌ„brabit tibi Also she bare the sone of god gaue hyÌ„ souke / abode vyrgyn after chyldynge / in chyldynge / before childynge Virgo ante ê‘tuÌ„ virgo iÌ„ ê‘tuÌ„ et virgo post ê‘tuÌ„ virgo iÌ„uiolata ê‘maÌ„â—isti She was the veray moder of Iheâ—us for thre thynges Prima bycause that the body of our lorde toke humanyte in the wombe of the vyrgyn marye moost pure clene Secunda he had place rest in her precyous wombe Tertia he had nourysshyng of her body / by that she is the moder of the sone of god Also she is moder of the kynge of aungelles sayntes of paradyse She is moder of the kynge of kynges the whiche gouerneth the heuen the erth RegeÌ„ q i celuÌ„ terraÌ„que regit She is moder of the lorde of lordes / of the â—uge of Iuges and mayster of all She is moder of grace of mercy VnÌ„ hymnê° Maria matur gratie matur miÌ„e c. She is moder of grace / for she encreaseth theym in goodnes that are in the estate of grace / also vnto synners / for she hathe pite compassyon and prayeth for them She â—ydeth agayne the enmye Tu nos ab hoste ê“tege And also she heâ—peth at the dethe Et hora mortis suscipe Also she is moder nouryssher of orphelyns / beggers wedowes / her sone nouryssheth all the worlde / therfore a man may say that she is blyssed amonges the women maryed / aboue all those the whiche hathe wele kepte maryage BnÌ„dictatu iâ— mulieribê° Loue we than marye / serue marye / honour we her / kepe we her feltes all good shall come vnto vs. Also the vyrgyn marye is more blyssed than the wedowes She was wedowe .xiiii. yere / she gouerned her chastely purely so that neuer man ne synned in her / neyther by sight nor otherwyse / yet was she the moost fayre woman of the worlde as sayd is She was so full of grace of bounte that the grace of her enlumyned those that behelde her so that they had no wyll to synne nor do ylle And therfore men maye saye BnÌ„dictatu iÌ„ mulieribê° .i. intur oes mulieres Et bâ—nedictê° fructê° veÌ„tris tui The fruyte of the wombe of the vyrgyn marye is right blyssed / for all goodnes of it is proceded By the sone that she bare peas was made by the inobedyence of Adam of eue Also by the fruyte the whiche is yssued oute of the wombe of the vyrgyn marye paradyse hathe be opened to all good loyal crystyeÌ„s And the yates of helle hathe be broken the holy soules taken out put in to paradyse Also by the greate myracles by the grete thynges that the sone of the vyrgin sayd dyde saynt marcelle said vnto our lorde illud luce xi Beatê° veÌ„ter qui te portauit et vbera qÌ„ suxisti The wombe and pappes of the vyrgyn marye were ryght blissed / whan they had borne gyuen souke so precyous fruyte as the sone of god / Ihesus is enterpreted sauyour redemptour of all the worlde / in lyke wyse as it is sayd / the whiche brynge vâ— vnto his blysse Amen A. ¶ Another example of hym that knewe no good but aue maria Cxx. MEn fynde by wrytynge that a maÌ„ of armes renouÌ„ced vnto all yll / made hym relygyous of the ordre of chartreux the whiche in his lyfe ne myght lerne no good thynge but these two wordes aue maria / but he said them right deuoutly of herte of mouthe togyder / of tyme he repeted them / so vsed his lyfe After his departynge there â—prange frome hys graue a fayre flourdelys whyte And on the leues of the floure was wryten in lettres of golde aue maria The people meruayled of this thynge For to be shorte it was fouÌ„de that the sayd flouredelys proceded from his mouthe / that it was for that that he had honoured the vyrgyn marye with those wordes aue maria B. ¶ Another example of hym that whiche kneled at the name of our lady Cxx. IT is wryten that there was a relygyous that loued soo moche the vyrgyn marye that whan hâ— herde her name spoken of he kneled downe / wrote it wiâ—h gold azure or yelowe At the laste he was seke / another relygyous that laye nere vnto his bedde herde on a nyghte how the vyrgyn marye with grete lyght company of aungelles came to fetche hym sayd vnto hyÌ„ for as moche as thou hast wryten my name / had it in so grete reuerence I shall make thyn to be wryten in the boke of lyf so he deyed c. C. ¶ Another example of the moder the whiâ—he taught vnto her chylde to salue the vyrgyn marye Cxx. MEn fynde by wrytynge that a goode moder taught wele her chylde / lerned hym to salue the vyrgyn marye to go euery daye on his knees to saye aue maria before her ymage that was in her chambre The sayd chylde was so accustomed loued so moche the vyrgyn marye that whan he was beten he yode to complayne hym to the sayd ymage / and also he bare often a party of his
she answerde ne demaunded me not I vnhappy wyfe and questyon me not of those causes / but and it please the to haue me for mayde / lede me where thou wylt I woman peruerse yll haue had a good husbande / the whiche is oftentymes beten traylled put in torments / is kepte in a dongeon bycause of dettes that he oweth We haue had thre sones togyder that are also withdrawen for bycause of the sayd dette And I right vnhappy that am sought for to be put in seÌ„blable paynes / fle frome place to place / of pouerte myserye am all abyden / and yet haue I ben thre dayes without etyng Whan I herde the sayd woman I had pyte / ledde her in to our denne gaue her to ete / for she deâ—ed for hongre I gaue her also thre hondreth shelyÌ„ges for to delyuer her out of payne seruytude / her husbande her sones Whan the said woman had the money she yode in to the cyte delyuerd them from paynes Then pafuÌ„cius sayd that he neuer dyde suche thynges God hathe shewed me of the that thou hast not lesse of meryte towardes hym than I therfore dysprayse not thy soule that shal haue suche meryte Whan the mynstrell herde these wordes of pafuncius he caste awaye his pypes wente with hym into his hermytage / chaunged his songe seculer in to spyrytuell / excercysed hym in fastynges / oraysons / afflyccyons / to lyue straytly And at the ende oâ— thre yeres he yelded vp his spyryte vnto god c. F. Another example that a prouost his wyf were seÌ„blables to an hermyte cxxiiii IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders that an hermyte was full of grete abstinences so that he ete but rotes pouertees / made requeste to god that it pleased hym to shewe yf there were ony man in the worlde that were of strayter lyf than he Then god reueled hym that he sholde go se the lyfe of the prouost of suche a towne Thâ—rmyte yode And whan he approched the said towne he fouÌ„de the prouost on a fayre hors clothe with fayre clothes / in his company many ryders notable folk / so he was moche abasshed 〈◊〉 se soo greate pompes Tolde to the prouost how god coÌ„maunded hym to se his lyfe And the prouost badde hym go to his wyfe whiche sholde shewe hym theyr lyues Then he yode to her the whiche shewed hym the state of the house And she made to preprayre vnto dynere of precious metes as she had accustomed And whan they were sette at dyner men brought the fyrst metes of good vyandes before them And incontynente that they had be set vpon the table they were borne awaye agayne wtout ony thynge etyng of chem After men brought the seconde metes / the thyrde / euery of thyem better than other / were borne awaye without ony thynge etynge The hermyte seynge so good mete taken awaye fro before hyÌ„ demaunded them / but it was tolde hym that he sholde lyue that daye after the life of theym And at the laste men broughte of musty brede all knawâ—n with myse And the wyfe of the prouost ete a lytell / she ne ete of other / but al was gyuen dystrybuted vnto the poore After whan that euen tyde came to go to bedde the wyfe of the prouost sayd vnto the hermyte that they sholde goo to bedde togyder / the hermyte wolde not / but the wyfe sayd vnto hym that he shold / and that it behoued that he sawe how they lyued Than whan they were layde warme the hermyte was tempted of the synne of the flesshe to haue so fayre a woman by hym wolde haue delte with her Than she said / vp vp ryse we do we as we haue accustomed my husbande and I And whan they were vp they yode in to a tubbe of colde water that was by the beddes syde And they were there so longe that they trembled of colde Afterwarde they yode to bedde / whan they were hote agayne thâ— hermyte was tempted of lecherye / wolde haue had her company Than retourned they agayne in to the tubbe of colâ—â— water All the nyghte ne cessed they to do so And the hermyte seynge that sayd vnto hymselfe that they ledde a more straytter lyfe than he ferre / that it was reasoÌ„ that they had more grete meryte than he And the prouost that was so wele clothed was also a man of good Iustyce to punysshe the malefactours to yelde vnto euery man that the whiche was his c. G. ¶ Of fastynges / and abstynences of saynt Germayn Cxxiiii IT is wryten the saynt germain was noble / for he was duke of Burgundye / after was bysshop He tormented his body by .xxx. yere soo that he ne ete of brede of whete / ne yet dranke of wine but two tymes in the yere that is to saye at crystenmas Eester And it was medled soo moche with water that it ne had but a lytell taste of wyne Also in the .xxx. yeres he ne ete of pese ne of benes / ne salte for to haue sauour in his mouthe For his refeccyoÌ„ he ete fyrste of the asshes / after of barly brede In wynter ne yet in somer he had none other clothynge but onely the heere his robe his rochet that is his habite the whiche he ne put of / but onely whan he gaue it vnto ony poore / or that he ne brake it / His bedde was of asshes besen with heere with a sack / he ne had neuer vnder his heed ne vnder his sholdres feder / but waylled bare the relyques of his sayntes aboute his necke He ne vngyrded hym but seldom That that he bare of abstynence in this present lyfe was aboue man And after he dyde so many of myracles that yf the merytes ne had proceded men wolde hane wende that it had be a fantasye c. H. ¶ Of the greate austeryte of two women Cxxiiii IT is wryten in the boke of hony bees that there was a woman in the partyes of barbaÌ„ce recluse in a lytell tabernacle that ware nexte vnto her flesshe an haubergon of mayle / aboue the said haubergon she hadde an heere made of hogges brystilles the whiche prycked her flesshe thorowe the maylles of the sayd haubergon She laye vpon the erthe naked among the stones / ete thre tymes alonely in the weke And she put of asshes in her brede and ne ete but by weyght mesure I. ¶ Another example Cxxiiii THe disciple reciteth in his sermoÌ„s that a vyrgyn was in her hermytage .xxxviii. yeres the whiche dwelled in a dytche serued god deuoutely And she neuer ete in the sayd hermytage but herbes fruytes rotes / in all that tyme she ne sawe noo man And afterwarde two hermytes passed by her entred into the dytche there they fouÌ„de her dâ—ed put her in sepulcre c. By these examples of this boke a man may knowe by experyence that it is yll taken vnto synners dysobeyssauÌ„tes vnto god / that it is wele taken vnto the obedyentes And therfore thou the whiche art in this worlde lyuynge myrre thy selfe in the example of thy neyghbour knowe thou that it shall take the in lyke wyse as it is done vnto hym yf thou dysobey vnto god Whan thou hast sene thy neyghbour fall in to an ylle passage that it is inconuenyente of body or of soule / or to fall in to helle by his foly thou sholdest kepe the for to do as he dyde / or thou shâ—lte not be wyse / but thou sholdest lerne the maners condycyons of those the whiche hathe lyued holyly vertuously in obeyeng vnto the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of god to th ende to go with hym in to the glorye of paradyse vnto thâ— whiche we may go cuÌ„ illo qui est benedictê° iÌ„ secula seculoruÌ„ amen ¶ Here endeth the booke intytuled the floure of the coÌ„maundementes of god with many examples auctorytes extrâ—cte as wel of the holy scryptures as of other doctours good auncyent faders the whiche is moche prouffytable vtyle vnto all people / lately translated out of Frensshe in to Englysshe in the yeres of our lorde M. CCCCCix Enprynted at London in Flete strete at the sygne of the sonne by Wynkynde Worde The secoÌ„de yere of the reygne of oure moost naturell souerayne lorde kynge Henry the eyght of that name Fynysshed the yere of oure lorde M. CCCCC.x the .xiiii. daye of Septembre wynkyn de worde