affeccyoÌ of my charyte / and therefore she fyndeth in the mouthe of her soule peas / and suche peas that there maye none trouble her / bycause she hathe forsaken her owne seÌcyble wyl ¶ Al suche bryÌge forthe vertues withoute peyne vpon theyr neyghbours / not for the peyne that they suffre is no peyne to other / but to a wyll mortyfyed it is no peyne / for wylfully and frely in my name and for my name she suffreth peyne / suche people do renne without neclygence / by the techynge and doctryne of my onely sothefastesone Thesu cryste crucyfyed / and let not theyr sournaye for no wronges that be done to them / nor for no parsecucyon / nor for no delectacyon that the worlde myghte gyue them / but all these they shold lyghtly ouerpas by ghostly strengthe and very parseueraunce / bycause theyr affeccyon is veryly ââme out of the affeccyon of charyâe / taslyÌge that meet of helthe of soules / with very parfyte pasyence ¶ The whiche pasyence is a to ten that a soule loueth most parfytely and withoute lokynge of ony rewarde / for ys she loued me and her neyghboare for onye profyte or rewarde / she were vnpacyent / and she sholde ware slowe and dull in her iournaye / but that they loue me for me / bycause I am the moste souerayne good and worthy to beloued / and also they loue themselfe for me / and theyr neyghboure for me / that they sholden yelde laude and preÌsynge to my name / and therfore they be pacyent and stroÌge / and also parseueraunte for to suffre ¶ And now I shal declare to the of the workynge of the soule / after tyme it is asceÌded the thyrde gre of that holy brydge THese ben the gloryous vertues grouÌded iÌ very tharyte the whiche be abydyÌge in the heyghte of the tree of that same charyte before sayd / that is pacyence / streÌgthe / and parseueraunce / whiche be crowned with the lyghte of blessyd feythe / with the whiche lyght they renne without derkenesse by the waye of truthe / and also be enhaunsed by holy desyre ¶ And therfore there maye no man hurtâ that soule / nor the fende with allâis temptacyons / for he dredeth suche a soule that is brent in the furneys of charyte / nor also backebyters nor wronges and miuryes of men / and yet thoughe the worlde parsu her / he is aferde of suche a soule ¶ Thus by my endelesse goodnesse / suche a soule is made stronge and magnyfyed in the worlde before me / bycause of mekenesse in her owne syght / she is made lytle ¶ This is wel knowe in my seyntes whiche for my loue made them lytle by mekenesse iÌ this worlde / therfore I haue made theÌ grete iÌ my endeles lyf aboue ¶ And also iÌ my mysteryal body of that moder of holy chyrche / wher of theÌ is made coÌtynuall memory ¶ For iÌ me whiche am the boke of lyfe / theyr names be wryteÌ / also the worlde hathe theÌ in reuereÌce / bycause they dyspysen the worlde ¶ All that lyuen yet in erthe of such coÌdicioÌ hyde not vertu for dredt but for mekenesse / yf theyr neyghbours haue nede of theyr seruyse / they hyde not theyr mynystracyon for drede of peyne / nor for that drede of losse of theyr owne ghostly comfort ¶ For in what maner of wyse they excercyse theyr lyfe and theyr tyme for my worshyp / they be glad ioyful and fynde peas and rest of soule ¶ Whiche is that ¶ In sothe bycause they chosen not for to serue after theyr owne maner / but after my maner / and therfore they charge asmoche the tyme of ghostly comfort / as they do the tyme of trybulacyons and of prosperyte / as they do of aduersyte / asmoche greueth theÌ that one as that other / for euer in all thyÌges they fynde my wyll / they do besy them with all theyr desyre for to comforte them in all thynges / ouer all bothe in thoughte dede to seke worke after my wyl ¶ They se well aspy in the pryuyte of my dyuyne prouydence / that without me is made nought / that is to saye synne / and therfore they hate synne / wherfore they be so stedfaste stronge in ghostly strengthe iÌ theyr owne wyl / the they go myghtely by the waye in the way of truthe waxe not wery / but feythfully truly they seruen mynystreÌ to theyr neyghbours / takynge no hede to the ygnorauÌce vnkyndenes of theyr neyghbours / nor thoughe a vycyous man saye to theÌ other whyle wroÌge / repreue theyr good dedes / but moche rather they crye ghostly in my syghte / by holy prayer prayenge for them / hauyÌge more pyte ruthe for the offence that is done to me / for that harme of theyr soules / th aÌ for theyr owne imuryes and wronges / al suche do saye with my chosen seruaunte seynt Paule Daledicimus et benedicimus c. we be cursed of men and sayde euyl of / but we blesse agayne / we suffre psecucyoÌs / but we bere it pasyently / we be blasphemed / we beseche praye / for we be made as or fayle of all this worlde / the whiche is cast out therof ¶ Sees thou not dere doughter and consyders thou not these swete tokeÌs / specyally aboue al to kens / the synguler vertu of pacyence in the whiche a soule sheweth well in sothefastnes / that she is rysen tro vn parfyte loue come in to êfyte loue / folowynge suynge the swere vnde fouled laÌbe my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / the whiche haÌgynge vpoÌ the cros fast helde with nayles of loue come not done fro that cros for all the cryenge of the Iewes / that dyd crye to hyÌ thus Descendae nunc de cruce ¶ c. Come he downe now fro the cros we shal byleue in hyÌ Â¶ Nor also he wtdrewe hyÌ not nor came not downe fro the cros for no maner vnkyndenesse whiche was shewed of you / but abode vnder my ovedyeÌce with suche pasyence / that his crye was not herde / by no maner grutchyÌ ge ¶ In the same wyse these welbyloued chyldreÌ / my deuoute seruauÌteâ / se then folowen the doctryne ensample of my sothfast sone Ihesu And thoughe the worlde wold withdrawe theÌ for to loke backe warde / they wyl not / but onely loke forwarde in the myrroure of my very sothefastnes ¶ suche wyll not go out of the felde of batayle for the coote that is lefte at home / that is for theyr owne coote of plesaunce to creatures / and them dredynge rather than me / but with loue and delyte in me they dwel styl abydynge full ghostly drunke with the blode of my blessyd sone Ihesu in the felde of batayle / whiche blode my endeles charyte hathe reserued put it before you to be your shelde in batayle / whiche is
¶ Here begynneth the orcharde of Syon / in the whiche is conteyned the reuelacyons of seynt Katheryne of Sene / with ghostly fruytes precyous plantes for the helthe of mannes soule ¶ Ecce ancilla domini The prologue ¶ Marcus Cinilis a Bryxian wryteth an Epystle in latyn to a deuoute fader / Frere Paule Sauche / an Aragon / obseruaunt of the fcere prechers / in to the commendacyon of the dyalogys or reuelacyons of the blessed vyrgyn seynt Katheryne of Sene / of the whiche Epystle in sentence / here foloweth parte / traÌslated iÌ to englysshe AMonges many ylles of them that be professed to crystes relyây on / one there is ferre out of of the waye of helthe that we were in stytute in / and greately to be reproued That men now a dayes and that relygyous do not regarde those holy workes / rules / doctrynes / that be necessary to theyr ghostly helthe / but take theÌ in vayne and as thynges of no valour / whiche they oughte dylygently to loke vpon / and to apply theÌ bothe nyghte and daye to worke and lyue after the same And those that be vayne superfluus / lytell sauour hauynge of the swete name and loue of Ihesu cryst / smally condusynge to helthe of soules / be moche set by and desyred / dayly had in hande as thynges moche beloued Doubtelesse it is a greate âefaute a deedly blyndenesse of mynde yf they wolde lerne and folowe those techynges / wherby the soule and the mynde myght be lyghtned to spyryall and heuenly thynges / atteÌdynge lokynge to theyr ende that they be ordeyned vnto / they sholde full besyly serche and loke what waye and meanes sholde conduce them to it / and folowe the same But no man desyreth greately that good thynge / nor excheweth that yll / that he hathe no knowlege of who is so frowarde and vnkynde vnto hymselfe / that yf he knewe that heuenly Hierusalem and the ioye therin but onely after the maner / as the charyte of god hathe shewed it vnto our weyke vnderstondynge / by his owne wordes / by the doctryne of holy seyntes And agayn warde yf he wolde sadly ponder those ylles that be prepared for theÌ that shall be exyled fro thens / wolde he not lose hyÌselfe frome all erthely affeccyons / and full faste renne vnto it / and all thynges coÌtrary and leâtynge / exchewe as dethe / as truly they be moche worse thaÌ dethe iÌ dede This haue I thoughte alwaye / but than most specyally appered manyfest vnto me / whan I toke on honde to rede the dyaloges of the holy vyrgyn seynt Katheryne of Sene / a meruaylous myrtour of holynesse Whome oure sauyoure Ihesu chose vnto his spouse / and induced her with many graces / after a synguler maner And for her moste feruent loue / profounde mekenesse / meruaylous pacyence / and wonderfull compassyon that she had / he impressed in her body the pryntes of his woundes / and preserued her loÌge tyme in this lyfe / without bodyly sustenaunce Pope Pius the secunde / and Raymundus with dyuers other holy men / besyde the cronyculers / testyfy her holynesse / and wryte greate bookes of her lyfe / the actes that she hathe done / greately to the edyfyenge of crystes chyrche O meruaylous goodnes of god / that hath chosen so weyke a parson of woman kynde / to confounde the greate men of myghte and all theyr pusaunce what techynges be there set furthe to compounde and order the maners of men what preceptes be ther gyueÌ to chastyce and subdewe the bodyly affeccyons what counseyles haue we there shewed / to kepe vs vnder the bondes of reason No wher can maÌ more pleasauntly be alleâ and drawen to the loue of god No where more terryble can he be made afered to coÌmytte synne No wher more profouÌdely the truthe is shewed without errour / nor the dygnyte of vertu more clerely opened / and the abhomynacyon of vyce more openly dyscouered There is the rule and lernynge of chastyte and clennesse to be conserued There is gadered togyder compendyously dyscyplyne of lowlynesse / and vertu to be noryshed and incresced There be opened secrete counseyles of god There is shewed the excellency of his prouydeÌce There to them that be blynde by malyce or ygnoraunce / is restored the lyght of truthe And to them that haue knowlege of truthe / it is there preserued for to defende errours There to them that be curyous in reasonynge / it is answered and satysfyed to theyr argumeÌtes To theÌ that be good and wyse / is shewed thynges worthy theyr knowlege And truly it is so plentefully / so holsomely / so holyly / prouyded all maner wayes / for mannes pylgrymage here in this lyfe / that after my Iudgement there can no erthely creature counseyle or prouyde more wysely for the helthe of maÌ / nor more surely Nor no meruayle / for very often and in maner whan she wolde she was rauyshed in spyryte vnto god / and so she was acustomed in extasy to haue reuelacyoÌs and dyologes bytwene cryste and her / and after to endyte them Wherfore I wyll not fere to saye and affyrme this / that there is no man of so paruerse and obstynate malyce / but yf he loke vpoÌ theÌ with good auysement not hastely nor enuyously not onely parceyuynge the wordes with his ere 's outwardely / but also the sence with his mynde inwardely he shall not repente hym / but fynde greate grace therby / and pleasure in his soule Who sholde not be greately moued meruaylynge moche / suche a yonge mayde of tender age / to be lyke in lernynge to noble clerkes / and to wâyte so profounde sentences / so depely drawe fro the well of the hye dyuyne wysedome / that it is harde for many to parceyue / excepte they haue meke lernynge and ghostly wysdome So thoughe that her gloryous and excellente holynesse sholde gyue none auctoryte to her doctryne and preceptes / yet frome what soeuer condyte they come out of / they bere moste sure testymony of themselfe without doubte / that they flowe out fro none other / but fro the godly funtayne sprynge of grace Nor they haue none other begyn nynge but that where vnto they enforce besyly to brynge the reder vnto / whiche is god hymselfe The bryghtnesse of the sonne / can procede from none other thynge / but frome the sonne So heuenly thyÌges come not / but from heueÌ And that thynge that belongeth to god / hymselfe onely dothe knowe / they whome it pleaseth hyÌ to shewe it vnto Therfore all you that be louers of youre owne helthe not onely you but onely al you that haue lytell feythe and affeccyon to heueÌly thynges / you that be ylecte snarled in the dysceyuable pleasures lustes of the flesshe the worlde yf you couet to haue eternall Ioye / come hyder fyll the vessels of youre hertes at this
well / with the water of holsome doctryne Fede you here with the swete meet of ghostly counsayll that cometh fro heuen He that lacketh this ghostly syght / here maye receyue lyght He that is in sorowe or heuynesse / here maye haue comforte and consolacyoÌ He that is wery / here maye take reste He that is dull slowe / shall be quyckened made dylygent He that is weyke / here maye receyue strengthe He that is rude vnlerned / maye gette here lernyÌge holy maners And more ouer he that hath good syght in lernyÌge / a quyet myÌde / and is stroÌge / coÌstant / vertuous / yf he dryÌke of this wel / it shal not helpe onely to enorme hyÌ preserue hyÌ therin / but also it shal enlarge encrease hyÌ in all goodnesse I ony maÌ thynke that I saye or promyse other wyse than it is in dede / let hyÌ loke wel vpon this worke / and compare my sayenges vnto it / and yf he fynde not that I haue sayde moche lesse for the mater than I ought to do let hyÌ take me for a babbeler / and poynt me with his fynger / as a man of no fydelyte Let no man dysdayne it or set lesse by it / by reason of the rude style / or of the symple translacyon / for he that translated it / intended more the eloquence of maners thaÌ of wordes ¶ The eloquence of good lyfe oughte not to be contempned nor hated for lacke of eloquent speche This booke is not ordeyned for to delyte please the eeres the outwarde senses / but to instructe the soule / and to comforte the inwarde senses It conteyneth no preceptes of eloquence / but it is ful of heuenly speche and of vertuous doctryne Therfore let not the lytell bytternesse of the outwarde huske / kepe you fro the plesaunt tastynge of the swete kernell within that is let not the symplenesse of the style / nor laboure of redynge kepe you fro the swete doctryne ghostly comforte that ye maye haue in this booke / whiche promyseth truthe sheweth it clerely It she with heueÌly thynges bryngeth theÌ forthe habuÌdantly It grauÌteth eternall Ioye / to all theÌ that wyll worke after it parseuerantly whiche our lorde graunte vs to do In whome all ye reders / fare ye well ¶ Another prologue RElygyous moder and deuoute sustren / called chosen besâây to labour at the house of Syon / in the blessed vyneyerde of our holy sauyoure / his parfyte rule whiche hymselfe endyted / to kepe coÌtynually vnto oure lyues ende / vnder the gouernaunce of oure blessed lady / her seruyce onely to rede to synge / as her specyall seruauÌtes and doughtren ¶ And she youre moste souerayne lady chese Abbes of her holy couent / I synfull vnworthy to bere ony name to the worshyp of that holy saueoure / and at the reuerence of his gloryous moder / to youre ghostly recreacyon / with helpe of youre prayes compelled by charyte for ghostly affeceycyon / purpose to wryte to you after my symple selynge / the relelacyons of oure lorde to his chosen mayde Katheryne of Sene / this boke of reuelacyons as for youre ghostly comforte to you I call it a fructyferous orcharde ¶ This orcharde by goddes grace / my wyll is to deupde in to seueÌ partes / and eche parte in to fyue chapyters / as ye maye se and rede in the kalender folowynge ¶ In this orcharde whan ye wyll be conforted / ye maye walke and se bothe fruytes and herbes / and all be it that some fruytes or herbes seme to some sharpe / harde or bytter / yet to purgynge of yeâoule they be ful spedefull and profytable / whan they be dyscretely take and receyued by counseyle ¶ Therfore relygyous sustren / in this ghostly orcharde at reasonable tyme ordeyned / I wyll that you dysporte you and walke aboute where you wyll with youre mynde and reason / in what alaye you lyke / and namely there ye fauouren best / as ye be dysposed ¶ You may chose of .xxxv. aleys in whiche you wyll walke that is to saye of .xxxv. chapyters / one tyme iÌ one / another tyme in another / but fyrste my counsayle is / clerely to assaye and serche the hole orcharde / and taste of suche fruyte and herbes reasonable after your affeccyon and what you lyketh beest / afterwarde chewe it well and ete therof for helthe of youre soule ¶ And now sustren I ceaseÌ of this prologue / and in the maner of a kalender here I wyll shewe vnto you / the ordynauÌce of this orcharde / in tyme comynge by goddes grace / as it pleaseth hyÌ of his mercy to graunte me bodyly hele and tyme of lyfe / to plate it and set it with suche fruytes and herbes / as oure lorde shewed to the foresayde mayde in her contemplacyon / whan her body was rauyshed fro all bodyly felynge / as wytnesseth her clerkes and all her dyscyples ¶ And for as moche as I sayde before that this booke sholde be deâpded in to .vii. partes / and eche parte in to .v. chapyters ¶ Here therfore I begyÌnne the kalender / and commeÌde me to youre prayers ¶ The chapyters of the fyrste parte Capitulum primum THe fyrst chapyter of this fyrste parte / sheweth how the soule of this mayde is oneâ to god / how whan that soule was lytte vp in to coÌtemplacyon made foure petycyons to oure lorde ¶ Also how the desyre of this soule encreased / whyle the necessyte of the worlde was shewed to her of oure lorde ¶ Also how the workes of a man in the worlde suffyse not to punysshe his synne iÌ purgatory / nor to be rewarded in blysse / without contynuall affeccyon of charyte ¶ Also how desyre and contrycyon of a mannes herte maketh satysfaccyon for his synne and for the peyne of his synne / whan he trauayleth for his owne soule and for all other mennes soules / sometyme it maketh satysfaccyon for the synne / and not for the peyne Ca. ij THe secunde chapyter is how eche vertu and defaute is by some maner or meane of a mannes neyghbour ¶ Also how vertues be wroughte in man by some meane of his neyghboure ¶ Also why there is somoche dyffereÌce in vertues the whiche be put in creatures ¶ Also how vertues be proued streÌgthed of theyr contraryes ¶ Ca. iij. THe thyrde chapyter treateth of the vertu of dyscrecyon / fyrste how a soule shall not put his affeccyoÌ nor effectuall workynge in penaunce pryncypally / but in vertues / and how dyscrecyon cometh of mekenesse / and how dyscrecyon yeldeth to eche creature that loÌgeth to hym ¶ Also oure lorde god sheweth here a symplytude / how that charyte / mekenesse / and dyscrecyon be oned togyder / to the whiche lykenes a soule conformeth her asmoche as she maye ¶ Also how the bodyly penaunce and other bodyly excercysesholde be take for an
mystery of them that be not obedyent / and of the excellent grace of them that be obedyent ¶ Ca. ij THe secuÌde chapyter is of theÌ that set somoche loue to obedyence / that it suffyseth not to them to obeye to the generall obedyence / as to the commaundymeÌtes of god / but yf they take be bounde to some specyall obedyeÌce ¶ Also how a maÌ cometh and by what maner fro the generall obedyence to the specyall / and of the excellence of the relygyoÌ Â¶ Also of the excellence of them that be vnder obedyence and be obedyent / and of the mysery of them that be inobedyent / whiche be in the state of relygyon ¶ How they that be very obedyent receyue an hundreth for one / and euer lastynge lyfe ¶ And what is vnderstonde by that one / what by that hundreth ¶ Ca. iij. THe thyrde chapyter is of the paruersyte / mysere / and labours of hym that is not obedyent / and of the myserable fruytes that come of inobedyeÌce ¶ Of the Imparfeccyon of theÌ that be slowe or vnlusty in relygyon / all be it they kepe them fro deedly synne / and of the remedy how they maye come out of that vnlustynesse ¶ Of the excellence of obedyence / and of the goodes that obedyence gyueth to hyÌ that taketh it in sothefastnesse ¶ Ca. iiij THe fourthe chapyter is of dystynccyon of two maners of obedyence that is to saye of obedyence of relygyous folke / and of obedyence that is done to a certayne parsone out of relygyon for god ¶ How god rewardeth not after the trauayle of obedyence / nor after the lengthe of the ryme / but after the magnytude of charyte ¶ Also of the redynesse quyckenesse of them that be very obedyencers ¶ And of the myracles the whiche god sheweth of this vertu and of dyscrecyon in obedyence / and of the workes and rewarde of hym that is very obedyent ¶ Ca. v. THe fyfte chapyter of this last party is a repetycyoÌ of all the hole boke / how this deuoute soule yeldynge worshyppes and thankynges to god / made a prayer for all holy chyrche / for all the worlde ¶ And here is coÌmended the vertu of feythe / so is fulfylled yeâude of this boke ¶ Here foloweth a prologue TO sustren I haue shewed you what ympes trees I haue founde and gadered to plante and to set in your ghostly orcharde ¶ The aleys of youre ghostly orcharde be full longe and brodâ / wherin be many walkynge pathes / whiche shall lede you truly to what maner fruyte you lyste to fede you / in what party they be sette or plaÌted ¶ But sustren lyke it to you to knowe that in gaderynge delectable fruyte / I fouÌde full bytter wedes / bytter and soure they be to taste / but profytable to knowe ¶ Suche wedes I purpose to set ymonge good fruyte not for fedyÌge but to youre knowynge ¶ Taste you of them and knowe them / that ye maye beware yfony ghostly enemy profer you ony suche wedes ¶ Sauour you theÌ not for full fedynge / for than peryously they worke / and full ofte to dethe / but by grace the soner it maye be remedyed ¶ But sustren thoughe my fruyte be gadered / yet a tyme I muste haue of settynge and of plantynge / ymoÌge recreacyons to the parfeccyoÌ of my spyryte ¶ Greate laborer was I neuer bodyly nor ghostly / I had neuer greate strengthe myghtely to labour with spade nor with shouell ¶ Therfore nowe deuoute sustren helpe me with prayers / for I lacke cunnynge / agaynste my greate feblenesse / strengthe me with youre pyte ¶ Also haue me recommended in your ghostly excercyse to our blessyd lady / and salute her in my name with deuoute aues / hauyÌge myÌde somtyme on her fyue ioyes / and sometyme on her fyue sorowes / whiche she had in erthe ¶ With this labour I charge you not / but as youre charyte styrreth you / with that vertu helpe me forthe / for hastely I go to labour / in purpose to parforme this fruytefull ghostly orcharde / as it shall be plesyÌge to almyghty god to gyue lyghte to my soule / with trewe felyÌge clere syghte ¶ Whiche Ihesu cryste for his moderly loue / graunte onely to his worshyp and to our ghostly lernynge / and conforte all to creacyon AmeÌ Â¶ And here shal folowe the reuelayoÌs of the haÌdemayde of cryste obedience In obedience ¶ Here begynneth the boke of dyuyne doctryne That is to saye of goddes techynge Gyuen by the persone of god the fader / to the intelleccyon of the gloryous vyrgyn seynt Katheryn of Seene / of the ordre of seynt Domynycke whiche was wryteÌ as she endyted iÌ her moder tongue / whaÌ she was in coÌteÌplacyoÌ / rapt of spyryte / she herynge actualy And iÌ the same tyme / she tolde before many what our lorde god spake iÌ her ¶ And here foloweth the fyrst chapytre of this boke which is how the soule of this mayde was oned to god how that she made .iiii. petycyons to oure lorde in that tyme of contemplacyon / and of the answere of god / and of moche other doctryne / as it is specyfyed in the kalender before Capi. i. A Soule that is reysed vp with heuenly and ghostly desyres / affeccyoÌs to the worshyp of god / to the helthe of mantles soule / and with a greate desyre langoreth vertuously / inhabyted by the space of a longe tyme / full besyly laboreth in ghostly exercyse / and mekely abydeth in her inwarde beholdynge / to knowe herselfe / to that entent onely / that she myght better knowe in her selfe / the goodnes of god ¶ For as she well feleth by grace / after that knowynge the loue that loueth is knytte / ioyned with a loue / to that that is loued / and forceth and besyeth her to loue / and folowe that knowynge / and with contynual excercyse inhabyteth her / with the sothefastnes ¶ And for asmoche as a soule in no maner tasteth nor sauoureth somoche / it is iÌ no maner somoche lyghtned with knowynge of that sothefastnes / as it is by the meane of a meke coÌtynuall / of a deuoute prayer / founded and grounded in the knowynge of god / and or it selfe ¶ Therfore suche a prayer / oneth such a soule to god / sorowynge the sleppes of ââyite in his passyon / so by desyre / ãâã you / vnyon oââoue / the soule ãâ¦ã an other than she ãâ¦ã this semeth well of crystes wordes / whan he sayde Si âs diligit me sermoneÌ meaÌ seruauit That is to say Who that loueth me shal kepe my worde ¶ Also he sayth in another place Qui diligit me diligetÌ a patrimed / ego diligaÌ eu / manifestabo illi meipsum / erit vnum mecum / et ego cumillo That is to saye He that loueth me / shall
/ that they dyd to theyr neyghbour / other dedes that they dyd in theyr wycked lyuynge for they wolde not leue theyr synne al shal be put in reprefe to theÌ than ¶ Also they shold be repreued of the crueltes / that they dyd to theyr neyghbours / of that synÌe of pryde / with loue of vncleÌnes / theyr auarice ¶ And whan they so that grete mercy whiche they myght haue had of me / theyr vndernymyÌge shal be moche harder thaÌ the soule had in tyme of dethe ¶ For at that general dome that soule that body of suche shall be tourmented bothe togyder / for asmoche as the body was felowe with the souls / instrumeÌt to worke bothe good and yll / at theyr owne wyl ¶ Euery workyÌge good or yl / is wrought by some maner of a maÌnes neyghbour ¶ Therfore doughter goodnes glory wtout ende is gyueÌ ryghtfully to my choseÌ soules / with theyr bodyes gloryfyed / gracyously they be rewarded for theyr labours / the whiche they had togyder body soule in my name ¶ In that same maner euerlastynge peyne shall be gyue to wycked men with body soule ¶ Bycause that body was instrument of euyll / therfore that peyne shall be made newe encreased in that syght of my sone / whan the soule the body shal come togyder / thaÌ shall the wretched sensualyte be repreued with his vncleÌnes / beholdyÌge that humanyte of cryst / ioyned with that iyâe of cleÌnes of my godheed / and whaÌ they beholde your nature of Adaâ / enhauÌsed aboue that courte of angels ¶ Also they shal se theÌselfe put downe in to the depenes of hell / beholdynge that largenes that mercy gyuen to them that be blyssed ¶ And whaÌ the blyssed soules receyue the fruyte of my sones blode / whiche sone is called the laÌbe of god ¶ Also that blyssed soules do se all that peynes whiche they suffre in that worlde / ordeyned for that or nameÌtes of the bodyes / as a raye of golde is put vpoÌ a clothe / that is not by that vertu of that body / but onely by that pleÌtuous blys of that soule / whiche representeth to his body that fruyte of his trauayles / bycause that that body was assocyate to the soule to the excersyces of vertues ¶ Also that body shall be knowe outewardely / ryght as a myrrour representeth and sheweth the face of a man / ryghte so the fruyte of his labours shal be presented shewed in his hyghe body as it is sayde before ¶ And whaÌ al these other soules full of mysery derkenes beholde somoche dygnyte iÌ blyssed soules / of the whiche dygnite they be pryued and excluded / than theyr peyne coÌfusyon encreaseth / for the token of theyr wyckednesse synnes whiche they dyd / shall be shewed in theyr bodyes / with peynes tourmentours to theyr tourmeÌt ¶ Wherfore in that dredefull worde whiche they shal here / go ye to that fyre euerlastyÌge thaÌ shal theyr bodyes with the soules go downe euer to abyde with that fendes wtoute ony remedy of hope ¶ There they shall sorowe togyder in theyr peynes / to the encrese of theyr peynes / theyr wretchydnes with al theyr fylthes / euery maÌ by hymselfe in dyuers wyses / after that theyr euyll werkes were dyuers in erthe ¶ A couetous maÌ with that fylthe of his auaryce / breÌnynge ther in that fyre with worldely substauÌce / mhiche wyckedly falsely he purchased / loued in that worlde ¶ The cruell maÌ shall be tourmenteb with his cruelte / that vnclene maÌ with his vncleÌnes with his wretched coÌcupyssence ¶ An vnryghtful man with his vntruthe vnryghtfulnes ¶ The enuyous maÌ with his enuy ¶ An hatered maÌ with that hatered of his neyghbour ¶ And forthermore there shall be bâendeâ vnordynate loue oââmaÌnes loue / of the whiche âalâe ãâã cometh all euyll ¶ And the ãâ¦ã a passyâge peyne intollerable / for asmoche âs that synne was begynnyÌge of all euyll moder to pryde / whiche is moder of all synÌes ¶ Wherfore euery soule body togyder / shall be punysshed togyder ¶ And thê° myserably they go to theyr ende / which go by that lower way of the flode / wyl not tourne to knowlege theyr owne defautes / aske mercy as I sayd before ¶ But so they gone to the gates of hell / for they haue folowed the techynge of that fende ¶ And he is theyr gate / and theyr entrynge to hell / as it is sayde before ¶ And in that coÌtrary wyse my chosen chyldren whiche go vpon that brydge aboue / those go by that way of sothefastnes / that sothefastnes is to theÌ that gate of entryÌge ¶ Therfore my sone whiche is my sothefastnes fayde / ãâã mâmdy come to my sader but by me ¶ He is that gate that waye by the whiche they passe ouât that they may âântre to me / whiche am that peaseble see ¶ And so in that coÌtrary / they that went by that way of pardycyon / whiche waye gyueth to them a deed water / so be peryshed loste ¶ To that perel that fende calleth âtyrreth suche blynde soules fooles / by full peryllous teÌptacyoÌs / false suggestyons whiche for blyndenes and lacke of grace do not parceyue / nor they take no hede / how they haue lost that lyght of very feythe / folowe that wyll the wordes of the fende as thoughe he spake to them and sayde ¶ Who so hathe thrust and desyreth water of dethe / let hem come to me / I shall gyue it to hym ¶ And here now moder and systren endeth the seconde parte of this orcharde / in the whiche we be taughte the waye to he uen ¶ And how we be ordeyned to labour in this worlde / euery man in his owne vyneyerde ¶ And of thre ladders whiche helpe a soule to the loue of god ¶ In this party also oure lorde speketh ful comfortably of his grete mercy / and of dyuersyte of synnes ¶ And how soules shall be repreued at the day of Iudgement ¶ And of the pryncypall tourmentes in hell / and of the ioyes of heuen ¶ Our lorde than graunt ââ so feruently to labour / euery man in his owne vyneyerde / that bâ the prayer of his blyssed moder / and by his grete mercy / that we maye gracyously scape that drefull daye of Iudgement / ãâã with his chosen chyldren / to entre in to the gates of blysse / the gloryous syght of hym euer to reioyce Ameâ ¶ The .iii. boke Tertia ¶ The fyrste chapytre of the .iii. party / sheweth of that profyte of temptacyons / and how euery soule in that last ende of his lyfe shall tast and fele by knowynge ââ he fully pas / what peyne or ioye he shall haue after he is passed ¶ Also how the fende catcheth soules budet the coloure of
some goodnes / also this boke maketh mencyon of a vysyoÌ that this blyssed vyrgyn had with dyuers and many maters / as it is rehersed before iÌ the kalender Caâ i THe fende a mynystre ordeyned of my ryghtwysenesse to tourment soules / whiche greuously offende me ¶ And I ordeyned theym in this lyfe / that they sholde tempte and do greate greuaunce to my creatures ¶ Not for my creatures sholden be ouercome / but forthey sholden ouercome the fende / and that they sholde receyue of me the glory of vyctory / throwe the vertu that is pryued in them ¶ And therfore no maÌ shall drede the temptacyons of the fende / for ony batayle that shall befall hyÌ Â¶ For I haue ordeyned meÌ to be stronge / and I haue gyueÌ theÌ the strengthe of a wyll / the whiche is made myghty in the blode of my sone / whiche wyll no fende nor creature maye remoue / for youre wyl is toyned to you of me with a fre chose therfore ye maye kepe that wyll at your owne choyse as you lyke and releshe it yf ye wyll ¶ That wyll is an armure / whiche ye put in the hoÌde of youre aduersary ¶ And but that ye take hede / it is a swerde wherwith he smyteth you / and sometyme sleeth you ¶ Neuerthelesse yf a man take not this sharpe swerde of his wyll in to the hondes of the fende that is to saye that he assente not to his temptacyons and greuaunces / he shall neuer be hurte with deedly synne throwe ony temptacyoÌs / but rather those teÌptacyoÌs shall strengthe hyÌ so that he opeÌ his eye of intelleccyon to beholde my charyte / whiche charyte suffreth you to be tempted onely / that ye sholde come to the rewarde that is ordeyned for vertu ¶ No man may attayne to vertues / but throw the knowynge of me / and of hymselfe / whiche knowynge is most parfytely had in the tyme of temptacyons ¶ For than a man knoweth hymselfe / that he is nought of hym selfe whan he maye not remoue and put awaye the peynes and greuaunces the whiche he desyred to voyde ¶ And than he knoweth me also in his propre wyll / for his wyl is made stronge of my goodnes / for asmohce as he coÌsenteth not to suche wycked thoughtes ¶ More ouer the eye of his intelleccyon seeth that my charyte suffreth those thoughtes / for that fende is feble of hymselfe / he maye do nought / but iÌ asmoche as I suffre and withdrawe my honde ¶ I suffre hym not for hatered that I haue to you / but for grete loue / not for ye sholde be ouercome of hyÌ / but that ye sholde ouercome hym / that ye maye therby come to the parfyte knowlege of me / and of youreselfe ¶ Also that vertu maye haue experyence therby / for vertu hathe no experyence / but by his contraryte ¶ Therfore beholde well and se that the fendes be but my mynystres / other to tourment the that be dapned in hell / other to tourmente men in this worlde for excersyce in vertues / and experyence in the soule ¶ And yet theyr entent is for no excersyce in vertues / nor for experyence / for they haue not somoche charyte / but to that entent / that they wolde take awaye frome them vertues / and that maye they not / but ye wyll ¶ Sees thou not doughter how moche is the foly of deedly men whiche make them so feble / so that I haue fulfylled them with so grete strengthe / they put themselfe iÌ to the hondes power of fendes ¶ And therfore I wyl that thou knowe / that at the ende of theyr dethe / for asmoche as they made themselfe soget to the power of the fende / without constrenynge / for the fende maye not compel them / but wylfully they put theÌselfe in to the power of the fende / therfore at the last ende whaÌ they come to deth / they abyde not other iudgement / but with that wycked domynacyoÌ / they deme themselfe by wyckednesse of theyr conseyence ¶ And so without ony hope they pas forth to euerlastynge peynes of hell / and hell is streyned of theÌ with hatered and or euer that they come to hell / here they haue take it for theyr hyre and rewarde / this thou maye se by ensamble of a ryghtfull man ¶ As ryghtfull men whiche lyued in charyte / and dye in loue whan the ende or dethe cometh / yâ they haue lyued partyââly in this lyfe in vertu / and be made lyght and bryght with the lyght of feythe with crylte shewth the cye of parfyte hope / the good and that profyte of the blode of the holy lambe my sone whiche I haue ordeyned to them / than that goodnesse they coll and clyppe with armes of loue / and ââreyne me to them in the laste ende âtheyr lyues / with hausynges of loue / whiche am the most souerayne euerlastynge loue ¶ Than in this maner suche men taste the euerlastynge lyfe / or they leue the heuy but then of theyr body that is to saye or the soule be departed fro the body ¶ Other ther be the lyued in comune charyte / that were not in so grete parfeccyon / and whan they came to the tyme of dethe / they dyd trust to my mercy with the lyght of feyth hope / whiche lyght the parfyte soules had as I haue sayde before ¶ But yet they haue not the lyght of teythe nor hope so parfytely / as parfyte soules haue / but they haue lyght and hope vnparfyte ¶ And all be it they be vnparfyte / yet they haue my mercy whan they knowe and knowlege that my mercy is more and larger than theyr synnes ¶ But wycked men worke in the coÌtrary / they se and beholde theyr abydyÌge place of peyne without ony hope / that they take wtoute my charyte / as I sayde before ¶ Wherfore nother of these twayne abyde other Iudgement / but whaÌ they sholde pas / eueryone knoweth the place and abydynge whyder they sholde go / or they be departed fro the body that is to saye they the sholde be daÌpned knowe theyr place with peyne without charyte with hatered and dyspyracyon ¶ They also that ben partyte and shal go to blys knowe theyr abydyÌge in blys with the lyght of feythe / and with loue / and with truste of the vertu of the holy blode shedynge / of the holy meke lambe of my sone ¶ And other that be vnparfyte with truste on mercy and with the lyght of feythe / passe forthe to the place of purgatory / wher they shall be purged and made parfyte / and so to obtayne the blysse of heueÌ Â¶ How that the fende alwaye catcheth soules vnder the coloure of some goodnesse / and how they that gone by the grete floode and not by the brydge be dysceyued and go to losse TAke thou hede nowehowe I haue tolde the / howe the