alle humane creatures be they neuer so ryche or puyssauÌ„t For deth is a comyne thynge spared noo body And alle be it she is cruwell and peruerse yet she kepeth egally one lawe in takyng as wel kynges prynces as poure folkes Thus geueth she grete cause to wepe yf it be welred taken that is wryten of her And therfore seyth Iob in the xx chapytre of his book of the riche fyers and orgulous man All though his pryde be inhauÌ„sed vnto the skye that his hede shold touche the clowdes yet in then de he shal torne to nough te be lyke a dong hyll And they that haue seen hym shall axe where is he now and noo thynge shal be fouÌ„de of hym nomoie thaÌ„ of a fleyng dreme passed in the nyghte Baruch in his .iii. chapytre demauÌ„deth where be nowe the prynces of the people the where woute to haue domynacion ouer the bestes and take recreacyon with houndes with hawkes of the ayer And assembled grete tresours of golde syluer where in men yeue theyr affiauÌ„ce and truste what is the ende of theym that were besy and dylygence here to forge golde and syluer to gadre and kepe it Certaynly theyr tyme is extermyned and they be descended in to hell now ben there other enhaunsed and lyue in theyr places And therfore saythe Prosper in his sentence where be the oratours not surmountable where be they that haue couenably disposed theyr fesâ—â— where beÌ„ also the palfreymen that kept the shynynge palfreys in theyr stables where ben the captayns of men of armes And where ben the lordes and tyrauntes Ben not they all consumed brought to powdre yes of theyr dayes And so shall be of oures Is not theffecte of lyfe altered in to wormes Beholde and loke in to theyr graues whether thou canste knowe there whiche is the lorde whiche is the seruauÌ„t whiche was the poure whiche was the riche Dysceuere yf thou can by knowleche the prysoner from the kyng the stronge from the weke the fayre from the fowle Crysostome seyth what hathe hit auayled them that haue lyued in lechery and in the voluptuousnesse of this presente lyfe tyll theyr laste dayes Auyse you now and beholde in theyr sepulcres and see yf thou canste aspye therin ony sygne of pryde yf thou canste haue ony knowleche of theyr rychesse or of theyr lecherye Axe where is become theyr ryche araye and theyr straunge dysguysed garmentes with theyr voluptuous and theyr nyce lookes And where be also now theyr grette companyes and grete nombre of seruauntes that folowen them where be now theyr laughynges theyr playnges And theyr outrageous gladnesses out of mesurable temperauÌ„ce where is all this become â–ª and whether is it passed Beholde dylygently fyrste the ende of one thynge then of that other and drawe the nere theyr sepultures And thou shalt fynde nothynge therin but oonly asshes and the remanauÌ„te stynkyng and fulle of wormes A remembre thy selfe what is th ende of all mortall men be it so that they haue passed the cours of theyr lyues in deÌ„lectable pleasures or elles in labour or in contynence of theyr flesshe yet all must dye Saynt Bernarde seyth in his meditacyons Tell me nowe where be the Amerouse people of this worlde that late were among vs. In trouthe there is nothyng lefte of them but asshes wormes Thynke thenne and remembre often tymes what thyng they be and what they haue ben here tofore Parde they haue be men as thou arte they haue eten and dronken lawhed made grete chere in theyr tymes And after in a momente they descended in to helle And theyr flesshe delyuered for wormes mete and theyr soule geuen in to helle There to be tormented by fyre vnto that the body shall come Ioyne ageyn there vnto And to be plonged togyder in thebrachementes or paynfull Iehennes sempyternall with them that haue ben there felawes in doyng synnes commyttyng vyces withoute repentaunce penaunce satysfaccyon O what hath it prouffyted theyr vayne glorye theyr short Ioye and the puyssauÌ„ce of this worlde the voluptuousnes of the flesshe the dysceyuable rychesse the grete nombre of theyr seruauÌ„tes the vnhappy coÌ„cupyscens where be theyr playes dysportes where is theyr bostynge and theyr worldly pryde The more they had theyr delectacyon and Ioyed ther in here the more shall be theyr payne and sorowe there And so after a grete voluptuous pleasyre they shall haue a myserable and a perpetuell paynfull sorowe And theyr beyng shall tourne them to ruyne and harde tourmentes Loo all that is comyn vnto them may happen vnto you Thou arte but a man and homo de humo That is to saye a man made of erthe thâ—â— arte of therthe thou lyuest of the erthe and to erthe shalte tourne agayne Of these forsayd amerouse people of this worlde lyuynge flesshely and not dâ—â—dyâ—â—ge deth whiche is theyr neyghbour speketh Saynte Bernard vnto the bretheren of the mounte of our lorde O ye myserable synners that suffyre the wretchednesse of this presente lyfe to retorne lede you from the ryghte waye And the meane tyme ye passe your dayes in makynge good chere ye are descendyng to hell beyng on lyue And thenne eueryche of you maye saye the anguysshes of sorowfull dethe haue enuyronned me And I haue founde my selfe in the peryll of hell These ben the myserable â—â—â—tures that this presente lyf dysceyueth Of whome is wryten in Iob the .xxi. chapytre These felowes whoo 's lyfe is inhaunsed in pompe and pryde be coÌ„forted by theyr rychesse They thynke that theyr seed shall abyde alwaye by the multytue of theyr frendes of theyr neyghbours theyr houses to be alwaye assured and in peas The rodde of god not to come vpon them theyr kyen to conceyue not to be bareyn thenâ—â—ece of them to grow not to be take from them they reioyce themselfe in Iapes dysportes they leue the harpe the tamboryn the organs all vanytees they contynue a whyle in the myrthe sodenly they descende in to hell O how gretly is he defrauded begyled O how folysshely is he mocked that for the flourynge vayn beaute of this worlde shall descende downe in to helle lose the dyade me of theternall glorye Sothly the riche man that by synÌ„e hath deserued the paynes of helle had ben better to haue lyued vertuously in grete nede pouerte all his lyfe than to haue gret haboÌ„dauÌ„ce of riches and atte laste for his synfull lyfe to be dampned Alas what proufyteth it thenne the grete tresours and hepes of golde syluer whan synners shall be sente in to lowe tenebres of helle there to be payned tormented euer lastyngly without seasynge My ryght dere broder frende what sayst that of the riche myghty people of this worlde Dye they not as well as other In good fayth me semeth they be noe thynge priuyleged for as it is wryten in the book of sapience the .vii. chapytre the
And yf thou axed me whiche creatures they be I answere the all and eueryche oon of them by them selfe For and the creatoure of alle thynges be offended all the good creatures shall haue hym in hate thath hath dyspleased hym For as Iob saythe in his twentyest Chapytre The heuens shall shew and lyfte vppe the euyll werkes of the synners and the erthe shall adresse hym agaynst them For oure lord shall call vnto hym the heuen aboue and the erthe be nethe to dyscerne his people And therfore sayth Crysostome vppon the Gospell of Saynte Mathewe There is noo thynge that we shall mowe remedye by answere that daye whenne the heuen and the erthe the sonne and the mone the nyghte and the daye and all the worlde shall bere wytenesse agaynste vs for oure synnes The refore saythe Saynte Gregory If thou axe me who shall accuse the I say to the all the worlde And that the creatures shall not oonly accuse the synners But also shal requyre the creatour of alle thynges to take vengeance on them for theyr synÌ„es To this purpose it is wryten in the book of Sapyence in the fyfthe chapitre He shall arme all creatures to take vengeance on his ennemyes And with hym shall fyght all the worlde agaynste those that haue ben Insensate that is to wyte ayenst synners All creatures seeng him that is maker of all thynges shall chase them to cause tourmentes to be gyuen vppon thoos that haue not be Iuste The fyfthe thynge that shall accuse the synners they shall be myserable persones that haue suffred soo many wronges For thenne they shall accuse thoos that haue done them wrong peyn and tourment At that tyme shall the worde of the ê“phete be verifyed whiche sayth I haue knowen well that our lorde wyll gyue Iugemente for the poore folkes that haue suffered wrong shal auenge the quarell of thoos that be Impotent for he that beholdeth the depe botoms of the sees sytteth aboue all the Cherubyns Seraphyns gooth aboue all the wyndes He is more terryble to be drad in his counselles and wylles than is the sones of men He shall Iuge thenÌ„e poore mennys cause that haue ben coÌ„stant And shall holde ayenst those that haue done them many anguysshes ThenÌ„e shall the fader of Orphans the Iuge of wydewes venge all wronges the pacyence of poore folkes shal not thenne perysshe The subgettes shall also accuse the felones neclygente prelates curates And therfore sayth saynt Bernarde vpon the Cantycles O how cruell oure lord shall be vpon the sones of men Certeyn the wretched synner shal say thenne all for nought to the monteyns Fall ye vpon vs and to the Rockes couer ye vs. They shall come thenÌ„e before the trybunall sete of Ihesu Cryste where shall be herde full greuous accusacions by thoos that haue payd theyr wages and boren theyr dispenses wrongfully theyr synnes shall not be defaced nor hydde of those that fraudelently haue blynded their doctours and confessours The vithyng that shall accuse synners shal be malyce and synne we rede in Iheremye the seconde chapitre Thy malyce shall accuse the thy refusyng shall blame the For the synnes shall thenne be bonden vnto the necke of synners To this purpose seyth Ozee in his xiii chapitre the iniquyte of Effraym is bounde togydre his synnes be not hyd we rede myn iniquytees be trussed leyde in myne necke and as the stolen good taken on the necke of a thef accuseth him semblably synÌ„e shal then accuse the wretched synner It is wryten also in the Prouerbys the fyfthe Chapytre Iniquytees shall take the felone synners there eueryche of them shall be taked and strayned with coordys of theyr synÌ„es And the Prophete seyth The coordys of my synnes haue enuyrouÌ„de goon rounde about me By the whiche coordys I saye also the wycked folkes by deuellys shall be drawen in to helle Certeynly they fall in to theyr nettes be taken by theyr baytes we red of the properte of an Archyn whiche that when he entreth in to a gardey ne he lodeth hym with apples stykynge on his pryckes And when the gardener comes he wold flee but he is thenne so laden that he can not away so he is there taken with all his apples Semblably falleth hit to the synner that is all laden with synnes and at the grete daye of Iugemente he is with them taken and accused wherfore sayth the Psalter Our lorde shall be knowen in makynge his Iugementes handwerkes and the synner shall be taken Vpon the whiche sayth Crysostom Our owne thoughtes specially our werkes shal be afore our eyen shall accuse vs afore god And therfore sayth saynt Bernarde Our werkes and we shall speke togyder saye O myserable synner thou haste made vs we ben thy werkes we wyll not leue the but go with the to thy Iugemente It is red in Ezechiell the .xviii. chapitre Lyke as the Iustice of the right wys man shal be on and for hym Righte soo the felony of the felon shall rest vpon hym The Psalter sayth Here ye all people here and reteyne wel in your ere 's alle ye that dwellen in this worlde wherfore shall I not be dredefull in that euyll day That is to wyce the day of dome whiche shal not oonly be euyll to me But it shall be right euyll to euery synner where vnto he answereth hyÌ„selfe sayeng I shall drede thenne For the Iniquyte of my fete shall enuyron me The seuenth the last thyng that shall accuse synners shall be the tourmentes and Instrumentes of the passyon of Ihesu Cryste And also Ihesu Cryst hymself wherfore sayth saynt Iherom The crosse of Ihesu shall fyght ageynst the. Ihesu Cryst shall shew allegge his wouÌ„des ageyne the. And the trace of the sayd wouÌ„des shall speke ayenst the. The nayles shall complayne on the. As Saynt Austyn sayth in his treate of symboll â–ª ê‘auenture our lord hath kept in his body the trace of tokenes of his wouÌ„des to th entent that atte the day of dome he wyll she we them ageynst synners to theyr reproche And in vaynquyssyng them saye Lo here beholde the man that ye haue crucyfyed See here god and man in whom ye wolde haue noo byleue Loke vppon the wouÌ„des that ye haue made him knowlege the syde that ye haue wounded hurt whiche hath ben opened for you But ye haue not well entred therin Ihesu Cryste also then accusyng the synners shall say as Naum sayd in his thyrde chapitre I shall shewe thy de fautes afore thy face shall shewe to the people thy nakednesse to the reames thy shame Ozee in his seconde Chapitre sayth I shall manyfeste shew thy foly afore the eyen of thy louers that is noo man may drawe the out of my hondes O how desolute howe sorrowfull that the myserable synners shal be in the daye of the grete Iugement For thenne as
lorde Ihesu Cryste that naturally is now amyable meke as a lambe shall appere thâ—nne as a lyon right cruell gretely moued And therfore sayde Ozee in his .xiii. chapitre It may well be the wordes of our lord by the couetous glotons proude people at the day of Iugemente sayeng thus they haue fulfylled them selfe in theyr pastures arreysed vp theyr hertes forgeten me I wyll be to them as a lyonesse as a leoparde in the way of assyâ—yence I shall come ageynst them as a she bere which hath lost her whelpes and shall breke theyr Iugementis within shall destroy them lyke a lyon How myght one remembre a more cruell thyng then by thoos beestes Our lord shall say to the felons that shall be condaÌ„pned as is wryten in Ezechiell in the .vii. chapitre The conclusyon is come now cometh the ende vpon the I shall sende my furour in to that Certeynly syr as the fyre brennes the forestes the mystes breke vppon the molyteynes Semblably in that tempeste thou shalte then persecute thy synÌ„ers trouble them in thyne Ire And then thy wrath shall be chased lyke fyre and shall abasshe the people in thyn anger It is wryten in Isaye in the xxx chapitre The name of oure lorde shall come from right ferre his fersenesse shall be brennyng and greuous to bere his lyppes shall be fulfylled with Iudygnacyon and his tonge shall be lyke a deuouryng fyre and his spyryte shal be lyke a broke rennyng ouer the bryÌ„kes for to destroye people and to bryng them to no thyng Iob toke somtyme this furour in a vysyon whenne he sayd who shal be that lyuyng man that shall do so mykell with the that thou wylt defende me from helle hyde me tyll thy furour be paste Certeynly the furour of the Iuge shall be soo grete thenne that it can not be expressed by ony wordes nor thought by ony corages Derely all the Iugementes and sentences that haue ben ayenst vpon the humayne lynage sith the begynnyng of the worlde be but lyke a lityll flaÌ„me or a sparke in regarde to the furour of Ihesu Cryste whiche he shall excercyse in the laste daye of Iugement And how straytely shall he that is rysen debonayr past vp in to heuen retourne to doo Iugement and therfore sayth saynt Gregory in an Omely vpon the worde of saynt Iohan euangelyst that saynte Thomas one of the xii apostles called Dydymê° whiche is to saye longe doubtyng sayd thus My brethern and frendes ordre your lyf your werkis and your condycyons puruey for he that is rysen meke and amyable shall come harde strayâ—e at the day of Iugemet Certeynly at that day of examynacyon whiche is so gretely to be doubted he shall shewe hymselfe clerely among angeles archangeles and among the trones and domynacions among the pryncypals and potestates and all the skyes shall be moued and the erthe the other elementis in the fere and drede of his seruyce Set then afore your eyen this Iuge that is cause of so grete abasshemeÌ„t and fere drede him both now and herafter To th entent that wheuÌ„e he shall come ye shall not see hyÌ„ in fere but be wel assured he ought to be dred now to the ende that he shold not be doubted thenne Certeynly yf one of you hadde to saye or allege a cause ageyn your enmye and sholde to morow present you to my IugemeÌ„t perauenture ye wyll passe all the nyght without grete slepe remembryng your selfe in grete payne thought what thynges myght be alleged ayenst you what ye wolde answere to thobieccyons sholde drede gretely leest I sholde be sharpe vnto you and wolde fere lest it sholde â–ª be thought that ye were culpable wolde serche what I where and whether I sholde become Certeynly not longe after I haue be man I shal become wormes and after wormes powdre Now then yf the Iugement of hym that is but pouder is to be drad hadde in soo grete fere By what entencyon is it to be thoughte that fere muste be moost dredefull whiche is of the IugemeÌ„t of the moost grettest and hyghest mageste Alle these thynges sayd saynt Gregory in the chapitre aforsayd Yet is there somme thyng more concernyng the sayd sentence that is to wyte that there is no puyssaunce can resyste it And as it is wryten in the boke of Sapyence in the .xi. chapitre who shal be he that shal resyste the vertu of thyne arme Isaye also said in his xlvii chapitre I shall take vengeauÌ„ce on theym and no man shall resyste me Veryly none shall mowe resyste hit but edely alle muste appere there generally yf they wyll or not they shall abyde before the angelles the sentence of the souerayne Iuge whiche spake by Isaye hym selfe in the sayd chapitre to the synners that are to be condampned thus thy shame shall be knowen and the vylen reproche shall be seen wheruppon I wyll take vengeauÌ„ce and shall noo man mowe resyste hit Iob sayd in his .ix. chapitre God is he that in his wrathe no man may resyste And as it is wryten in the book of Hester the .xiii. chapitre Fayre lord god kyng omnypotent alle thynges be sette vnder thy Iurysdyccyon and is none that may resyste thy wyll Certeyn that haste made the skye the erthe and all that is conteyned in the circuyte of the worlde thou art lord of all thynges is none that may resyste thy wyl This is the grete myghty and puyssaunt lord of whose gretnesse myght there is noo nombre nor ende he shall drede none be they neuer so myghty It is wryten in the boke of Sapience in the vi chapitre Oure lord shall drede no body what so euer he be for he hath made both grete smale It is red in the Apocalyps in the .vi. chapitre Our lorde shall not drede the gretenesse of man what so euer he be The kynges of the erthe the prynces of the worlde the trybunes the riche the stronge all men aswell bonde as fre shall hyde them in the caues emong stones of the roches sayeng to the mounteynes falle vpon vs hyde vs from the face of hym that sytteth in the trone and the wrathe of the lambe for the grete day of Ire is come It is redde in the same Apocalyps in the xviii chapitre The kynges of the erthe shall wepe and they shall specyally complayne that haue made fornycacyon with Babylon and haue lyued in delectacyons whenÌ„e they shall see the smoke of his embrasynges and shall wyll them to be ferre for fere of the tourmentes Certayne as saynt Mathewe sayth in his .xxii. chapitre There shall be then grete trybulacoÌ„n so grete that sythens the begynnyng of the world tyll now was there neuer none lyke Secondly there is another thyng that agrogeth the sayd sentence That is to saye that there is no place there for
bouÌ„den honde fote Lo how the wretched synÌ„er descendyng in to helle shall be fulfylled with all tormentes It is wryten in Iob the .xv. chapitre of the daÌ„pned man how tribulacoÌ„n shal holde him anguys she shall enuyronÌ„e hym And in the .xiii. chapitre of Isaye How all mennys hertes shall be abasshed ferde for the sorowes torcyons that shal holde hym hauynge the payn that women suffre trauelyng of childe echo ne shall sorowe vpon his neyghbour theyr broyled faces shall affray eue riche other Therfor Baruch sayd in his .vi. chapitre Theyr faces be blacked with smoke for the faces of all synners shall be brought to the lykenesse of a rounde potte as it is wryten in Iohell the seconde chapitre Also it is sayde in Ecclesiastyco the .xlviii. chapitre The paynes of a woman trauelynge shall come vnto them The same also is wryten in Ozee the .xiii. chapitre Soo as it appereth there be many scorges fleyles in helle for to bete synners therwith Certeynly the dampned soule shall mowe saye with the Psalter The sorowes of deth haue compassed me the paynes of helle haue fouÌ„den me It sayth It hath compassed me for this cause For it is to hym a vestyment or coueryng of maledyccion whiche shal be both within hym withoute hym O what vestyment shall this be that shal be women with soo paynfull thredes those without nombre whiche can neuer be vndone nor taken away for with an inmortale stryng it shall be inseparably bounden vnto the synner This shall be a sore and a bytynge vestyment to be suffred This is the vestymente that is wryten of in Isaye in the .xiii. chapitre sayeng Thy vestyment shall be wormes The coÌ„syderacoÌ„n of these many folde paynes reuoked called Dauyd from synÌ„e caused hym to doo penauÌ„ce therfore he sayd to our lorde How many sorecribulacoÌ„ns hast that she wed me that coÌ„uerted hast reuyned me The consyderacoÌ„ns also of thise for said paynes moeued somtyme an heremyte for to take-vppon hym a right sharpe paynfull lyf whiche he ledde in his heremitage as it is red in Vitis patruÌ„ It was axed of hyÌ„ why he wolde so slee him selfe And he answered All the labour of my lyf is not suffycyent to be coÌ„pared to one of the dayes of tourmentes that be or deyned reserued for synners in tyme to come Beda sheweth vs in his wrytyng of Englond how that in the tyme of yonge ConstaÌ„tyne ther dyed a knyghte about the yeres of our lord .viii. C. and .vi. whiche knyght reuyued after for the paynes that he had seen he fledde in to an heremytage as it is red in Vitis patruÌ„ he made hyÌ„ a lityll hous by a Ryuyer syde In the whiche ryuyer he wolde renne oftentymes all clothed in the wynter tyme. wold suffre his clothes to frese vnto his fleshe thenne after he wolde lepe in to a bayn as hote as hit was possyble to hyÌ„ to suffre And this lyf he ledde vnto his deth And whenÌ„e folkes sawe hym do soo they blamed hym therfor he sayd to them Yf ye had seen that I haue seen ye wolde do as I do rather more Saynt Gregory sayth The vysyon of the paynes of helle is the moost excellente moeuyng that can be to penaunce and contricion The thyrde condycyon encreasyng the paynes of helle is the euerlastyngnesse therof It is wryten in the boke of Sapyence the .iiii. chapitre Oure lorde shall mocke them That is to vnderstonde synners after they shall fall from theyr worshyp among them that be sempyternally dede Saynte Mathew sayth the .xxv. chapitre They be those that shall goo in to tourmentes In Iudyth the xvi chapitre is red that our lord shall sende wormes of fyre ayenst theyr fleshe that they may breÌ„ne and yet lyue and fele the paynes for euer To that purpose speketh Isaye in his last Chapitre thê° Theyr wormes shal not dye nother theyr fyre quenche And therfore sayth our lord in Deutronomye in the .xxxii. chapitre The fyre is kyndeled with my furour and shall brenne in to the lowest parte of helle and that shall be perpetuelly and endelesly Isaye in his .xxxiii. chapitre sayth O whiche of vs shal mowe suffre and endure the deuourynge fyre who shall mowe be amonge those that shall be brente sempyternally In the xxxiii chapitre of the same Isaye is sayde The grouÌ„de where they dwelle shall be conuerted into brennynge pytche nyght and daye and shall not quenche and the smoke shall be from generacoÌ„n to generacoÌ„n vpon them duryng the world of worldes It is wryten in the Apocalyps in the .xx. chapitre The deuyll shal be sente in to the lake of fyre and sulpher and brymstone where the euyll beste and the false prophete shall be tormented nyghte and day in the worlde of worldes And he that shal not be fonden in the book of lyfe shall be sente in to the lake of fyre there for to dwelle in the shadowe of dethe where is none ordre but sempyternall horrour and sorowe It is wryten in Iob the .x. chapitre and also Saynt Gregory seyth in his Moralles a right horryble worde That is to wyte Thenne shall the myserable synners suffre a grete payne with a grete fere a grete flamme with a derkenesse and deth without deth an ende without fynysshyng for that dethe shall euer lyue and that ende shall begynne alwaye ageyne and that faute shall neuer fayle And a poete sheweth howe that myserable dethe can not dye nor fynysshe but semeth alle waye that it begynneth and reneweth wepynges and languysshynges Peter de bloys sayd in a pystle There shall be none order of ony maner of tormentes nother sparynge but endelesly the paynes shall renue begynne ageyn dethe can not dye there for it shall be alway ê‘manent and neuer cessyng to th entent that the condaÌ„pned soules may myserably alway encreace in theyr paynes and sorowes and be nourysshed in eternall dethe The Psalter sayth They be casten in to helle as shepe and dethe fedeth them Mowe thenne this synners haue theyr fedynge of deth what shal be their drynke Herkene what is wryten in Deutronomye in the .xxxii. chapitre the burgynge of the grape the vyne that they shall haue shall be aysell and galle of Dragons and the venym of the Adder called aspe whiche is incurable O wherewith shall the synners be nourysshed seest that not howe they be perpetually tourmented with the mooste cruell deth they shall lyue then in dyeng shall be dede lyuyng Saynte Bernard seyth in a boke that he sente vnto Pope Eugeny The bytynge worme the lyuyng dethe I grouge and secre gretely I drede to falle in to the handes of the dethe that euer lyueth and of the lyfe that neuer dyeth Saynte Gregory sayth That the felon synners shall dye of inmortall deth O good lord eternall why hast thou suffred me doo contrarye thy wyll werke myne owne sorow
why helpest thou not me out of synÌ„e wherby I myght escape this ê‘petuel deth O how happy o how blissed shal he be that shal not be fouled nor smonged with the fylthes of synne that hath not reioysshed him in the sensuale voluptacyons of this transytorye worlde nor in teÌ„porall vanytees Certeyn I am ferde that we myserable synners haue erred from the waye of lyfe that the lyght of Iustyce hath not shyned vpon vs we haue not folowed the wayes of oure lorde but haue taken the vnhappy wayes of Iniquyte perdycion It is wryten in Isaye the .xlix. chapitre we haue laboured in vayn for nought we haue wasted all oure strengthe what hath our pryde auayled vs what hath profyted our pompe the vanyte of the richesses of this worlde what be we amended by oure Iewelles or precyous garnementes by our delicioê° metes and drynkes oure glotonyes our laughynges ydle disportes now what auantageth vs all thynges wherin we haue vaynely vnproufytably dampnably spent oure tyme. Alas alas we haue lost passed our dayes without fruyte and may be lykened to werse then a dounghyll and all those thynges be paste but oure wretchednesse shall remayne to oure eternall tourmentes Oure lorde shall saye to euery dampned soule as is wryten in Iob in the .xx. chapitre He shall suffre tourmentes paynes after the multytude of his wycked operacyons and in the xviii chapitre of thapocalyps is wryteÌ„ As moche as he hath gloryfyed hym selfe in delytes pleases as moche tourment payne shal be yeuen him therfore to remayne therin eternally Now is it not a grete folye for the riche or vayne pleasyr of this world or ony other myserable thyng a man to submytte hym to perpetuall tormeÌ„t both of his body of his soule Iohan crysostom sayth in his book tytled of the reparacyon of defaultes what contynuauÌ„ce of lecherye space of delectacyons wylt thou compare to the sempyternall paynes Now take that thou lyue C. yere in delectacynns sette therto an other C. yet C. after that .x. hondred yf thou wylt yet what comparyson is this to theternyte Maye not all the tyme of oure bodely lyfe though we entended neuer so voluptuously be resembled vnto a dreme of the nyght in regarde of the sempyternall lyfe Is ther ony persone that ought wyl to haue one pleasant delectable nyght in diemes therfore to fynde the sempyternall paynes so chauÌ„ge for a pleasant dreme so lytyll enduryng to haue the paynes of helle whiche be ê‘petuel what shal we speke of this pleasyr or of those paynes The pleasyrs passe lyghtly awaye the paynes must remayne euerlastyngly Now take it that the tyme the space of the pleasyrs of the paynes were egale Is there ony that ought to be so mad or soo folysshe as to chese for to haue for one day of pleasyr here a day of dampnacyon in helle Remembre how that one houre of bodely sekenesse in this worlde putteth awaye alle pleasyr for the season Right so Remembraunce how the perpetuell paynes ought to resyst ayenst all synnes O how grete tourment and payne shall be to the daÌ„pned soules theyr euerlastynge dampnacyon and perpetuell deth is so harde so sore that I wote not how that I coude expresse hit greuousely Inowe for certeynly it can not suffycyentely be spoken conceyued in mynde nor comprehended in herte Nowe take we that there were a pece of metalle as grete as myghte be comprehended within the concauyte of the .viii. spere and euery M. yere there sholde be taken froÌ„ hit a lytyll pece lyke a grayn and so consequentely tyll it were all broughte to no thyng sholde not the eternyte be fynysshed by that tyme the dampned soules delyuered out of theyr paynes I answere and saye you nay for the perpetuyte shall be thenne but atte the begynnyng there can be no ê“porcion in a thynge Infynyte as Arystotyle the phylosophre sayth in his .viii. booke of his physykes Certaynly yf dampned soules myghten knowe vnderstande that they sholde be delyuered out of thyntollerable paynes of helle as soone as the sayd pece of metalle were soo wasted gone as is aboue sayd yet they myght haue hope of theyr Redempcyon ayenst that season and haue some maner of confort knowyng that theyr tourmentes sholde some tyme taken ende yet the yeres wolde be incomprehensyble and innumerable Nowe surely one of the grettest paynes is the desolacyon and defaulte of hope euer to be redemed and delyuered oute of theternall tourmentis For as it is wryten in Isay the .xxxiiii. chapitre The synner shall be in desolacyon tyme and worlde withouten ende It is wryten in the booke of Trenys the thirde chapitre Myn ende and myne hope in god is perysshed Iheremye in his xv chapitre asketh why is my sorowe made imê‘petuell and my woundes in desperacoÌ„n wherunto is answered in the .x. chapitre of the Prouerbys That whenne the felon synner is ones dede there is thenne none hope to be had Entende remeÌ„bre this all ye that be for geters of oure lorde leest that this moost cruell sorowfull place of helle swalowe you froÌ„ whens ye maye neuer be pulde oute Loo nowe ye maye see clerely how the wretched synner can not be redemed oute of helle wherfore my ryghte dere frendes I amoneste requyre you bere that remembrauÌ„ce well in youre myndes and conceyue well the Example of the pece of metalle aboue specyfyed And now telle me what thou felest and what thyn owne hert demeth and Iugeth in this mater I wene certaynly thy dyscrecyon wyll gyue therunto credence for trewe it is to trouth by Reason that must nedes applye Also bethynke the of the dyuerse prouynces of londes ymagine euery Regyon of them Consyder the sees the ryueres the poondes Enclose in thy mynde the circuyte of the worlde goo euery where therof Flee vp in to the ayer and thenne descende in to the lowest parte of therthe of all this thynke in thy mynde thou hast made an hole substance ymagyne extende how gret a thynge this shold be yf hit myght not be consumed by tracte of tyme thenne tell me what thou thynkest of thynfynyte paynes of synners whether sholde be longe endurynge the consumyng of the same substance or the relessyng of the perdurable paynes I â—â—owe thou wylt agre that there can no thynge be compared to a perpetuyte wherfore we ought all in our corages tymerousely to tremble fere it Now who is he that dredeth hit not who is he that abassheth not therof who is he that had not leuer abyde the consumyng of the forsayd substance than the tyme of eternyte Lete this sayde substance and this tyme of eternyte be couched vpon thyn herte and thou shalt fynde it a proufytable thyng gretely to thyne auantage For yf thou wylt not correcte and reuoke thy selfe from thy synnes by the loue that thou owest to
riche Rewarde hit moeueth a man from alle the passyons of his pleasyrs and Voluntarely to ryse vppe in Batayll ayenst them encendynge to haue vyctorye vppon his fyrst delectable vayne pleasante thoughtes Abacuk saythe desyrousely in his .iii. Chapytre Rottynnesse wyll entre in to my bones and sprynge vnder me in my lyfe by cause I sholde rest me the day of trybulacyon Beholde here my righte dere frendes howe fructuouse and howe hoolsome is the Remembraunce of the Infernalle paynes The psalter sayth Synners they be transported in to helle Wherfore by good medytacyons euery man in his lyfe entende to the resystence of that daungere Or ellys they muste lyuynge dye perpetually It is redde How he is eâ—reâ—sely happy that beholdeth the deâ—â—â—enebres That is to saye To regystre in his herte the Infernale tourmentes and that with a contynuall RemembrauÌ„ce in contemplacyon to frequente that sure memory Now me thynketh I haue suffysantely shewed you the manyfolde maners of the dyuerse paynes of Helle and howe vayllable and to what proufyte groweth the memoryale Remembraunce therof O mortall man what errour what folye and what faute is in the whenne it lyeth in thy free arbytrement to haue Ioyes euerlastyng and wyllyngly castest thy selfe in to the Infernall tourmentes and paynes from whens none may retourne but brenne there in fyre worlde without ende ¶ And thus endeth the thyrde parte of this treatyse dyuyded in four partyes ¶ And here begynneth the ê“logue vpon the .iiii. parte of the .iiii. last thyngis whiche be for to come THis thirde parte of the four laste thynges whiche be for to come wherof soueraynely the Remembraunce withdraweth a man from synne Is the mynde of the euerlastynge celestyall glorye And yf a man refrayne hymselfe from mourder of from ony crymynale cause for fece of losynge of his honour or temporale goodes how moche more ought he refreyne drede eschewe all synfull operacoÌ„ns wherby he myghte lese the moost blysfull sempyternall Ioyes saynte Austyn sayth in a boke of his confessyons There is a Ioye whiche is not to be gyuen to the felon synners but to those that of theyr free wyll loue and worshyppe the lorde god and thou thy selfe arte that Ioye For this cause it is wryten in the fyrste Pystle ad Coryntheos the .vi. chapitre The felon synners shall not possesse the kyngdome of heuen but shall confusedly be put therfroÌ„ as the vyle glotons and dyshonest folkes be chased out of theÌ„perour his courte and not suffre to sytte among kynges and prynces at theyr excellente and solempne tables And Cassydore sayth that euery man is putte cast from the deyte after the quantyte of his synnes And certeynly his castynge fro is mesured after the delectacoÌ„ns that he hath had in them Now sholde not thenÌ„e euery creature eschewe to do synne haue it in abhomynacyon as a mortall thyng knowyng that therby is lost the celestyall eternall glorye O what shall I poore wretche bareyn of know seche saye â–ª or how shall I talke of this glorye incoÌ„prehensyble Certeynely there was neuer eye that sawe nor ere that herde nor here that thought the Ioye that god hath ordeyned for those that he loueth As is writen in the fyrst Pystle ad Coryntheos the .ii. chapitre Therfor what shal I now more saye or wryte in this werke I am as one born blynde that dysputeth in colours hauynge no coÌ„fydence to myn owne ê“per wyste But there for I must referre myself to the testymonyes of scriptures by the whiche I wyll speke It is to be noted how albe it in the heuenly glory there be innumerable thyngis playnly approuyng the Ioye felycite therof Yet I wyll specyally shewe how it is to be rocomeded for .iii. thyÌ„ges The fyst for the soue rayne excellent clerenesse therof Secondly for the moste habundauÌ„ce of the goodnesses that be therin And thirdely for the moost blyssull Ioye therof ê‘durably enduryng the beaute therof nor the clernesse can not be mesured the Infynyte goodnesse can not be estemed nor theternall Ioye can not be compared nor sufficieÌ„tly praysed Of these .iii. thynges I shall treate breefly by order in this last part ¶ Thus endeth the prologue of the forthe the last part of this book ¶ How the Royalme kyngdome of heuen is praysed for his beaute clerenesse ¶ The fyrst chapitre of the fourth parte and the last pryncypall FIrst the kyngdome of heuen is to be recommended for the souerayn beaute clerenesse therof as it is wryten in the boke of Sapience the .v. chapitre wherin it is called the Royalme of beaute The Psalter sayth Lord I haue loued the beaute of thyn hous It is also wryten in Thoby the. xiii chapitre I shal be happy yf the Relyques of my sedes may see the dernesse of Iherusalem wherof the gates be made of Saphyres emerawdes other precyoê° stones The cyrcuyte of the walles with fayre bryght stones all the places paued with fyne golde It is wryten in Thapocalips the xxi chapitre That cyte was made of fyne golde pure clene as glasse The fondement of walles enourned with all precyous stones The twelue gates shall haue twelue Margarytes And the stretes of the cyte shall be of fyne golde shynyng as bryghte as glasse The temple is not yet spoken of â–ª Certeynly almyghty god is the temple therof and the Lambe is the lyght The forsavd Cyte hath noo nede of the Sonne nor of the Mone to lyght hit with all For the clerenesse of oure Lorde shall Illumyne hit and the Lambe shall be the lanterne and the peple shall mowe walke by that clerenesse It is also redde in the .xxii. Chapitre of Thapocalyps It shall neuer be nyghte there wherfore there nedeth no candell nor lanterne nor lyght of the sonne For the bryghtnesse of our lorde shall lyght and Illumyne them enduryngly worlde withouten ende whiche sayeng may well accorde with that that is wryten in Isaye the .lx. chapitre Thou shalt haue thenne noo nede of the shynyng of the sonne nor Resplendysshyng of the mone For oure lorde shall lyghte Illumyne the sempyternally In trouth he is a glas without ony spot a light Illumynyng euerlastyngly As it is wryten in the boke of Sapyence the .vii. chapitre Also oure lorde shall be the Resplendysshynge of glorye As is wryten to the Hebreos in the first chapytre whiche resplendysshyng shall be an hole lyght Abacuk in his .iii. chapitre sayth of this resplendysshyng all the sayntes shall take in the Royame of heuen clerenesse and sempyternall lyght wherwith all they shall reioyse them incessantely in grete felycyte It is also wryten in the book of Iugys the .v. chapitre Those that loue the shall shyne and resplende as the sonne doth in his rysyng Also is writen in the book of Sapyence the .iii. Chapitre How those that be Iuste shall shyne in theyr faders Royalme lyke the sonne O lorde sempyternall grouÌ„de of all vertu how good and how
thyn hous Now what be the goodes that sayntes shalle be fulfylled with but oonly the grace of the Incomprehensyble glorye Saynt Bernard sayth in a sermon of the Dedycacyon The resonable soule made after the ymage of God may well be occupyed with al other thyngis but it may not be all fulfylled Certeynly she coÌ„prehendyng god may not be fulfylled with lesse thynge than god we shal not oonly be fulfylled with this vnrecytable glory but also we shall be dronken assotted theron It is redde in Iheremye the .xxxi. chapitre I shall make dronke the soules of the preestes of grace that shal be at the grete soupper whiche is ordeyned for good folkes He shall sette and admynystre them mete of glorye and gyue them drynk of merueyloê° Ioye swetenes Then it shal be sayd to those that shal ete there As is wryten in the Cantycles the .v. chapitre My right dere frendes Ete and drynke and make you dronken In Isaye the .xxix. chapitre also it wryten Make you dronken but not with wyne wher with thenÌ„e shall they make them dronken with Ioye and with gladnesse and with felycyte and with many maners of the celestyall glorye O good lord god eternall how swetly shal thy good and newe seruauntes be dronken with the plenteuousnes of thyne house with the voluptuousnesse of the. For in the is the fontayne of lyfe the fontayne of beatytude and of glorye permanent and neuer fayllyng Certeynly all swetenesse belongeth to thyne house It is the house of our lord the cyte of god whiche is full of all rychesses resplendysshed with all goodes Therfore seyth Isay in his xxiii chapitre Thyn eyn shal see Iherusalem full habundant of alle goodes The grete multytude of the copyous habundance of the thynges before sayde of this cyte sholde not holy satysfye to calle vs thyder but also right specyally the restfull multytude of this peas wherin those that be happy shall delyte them enherytyng the contree aboue specifyed The same Isaye sayth in his lv chapitre ye shal passe out in Ioye shall be brought in to peas O how grete shall the habuÌ„dance of this peas be in Iherusalem wherin it shall remayne perpetuelly without ony waire Isay yet sayth in the .ix. .xxxii. chapitres My peple shall be in the beaute of peas in the tabernacles of confydence in the riche habundance of reste Also Thobye sayth in the .xiii. chapitre O Iherusalem cyte of god happely blyssed be thoso that loue the and reioyse them in thy peas It is in Ezechyell the .xiii. chapitre The sayntes see in the vysyon of peas there is Ioye peas with peas whiche is soo precyous that it surmouÌ„teth and is by yonde all humayne vnderstandyng Now thenÌ„e he that wyl be particypable of soo grete a Ioye peas with the sayntes eternally an hyghe in heuen he must lerne now to suffre humbly and haue pacyence here a lowe in erthe For as it is wryten in a book called Aurora drawen oute of the Byble By suffrance is wonnen that moost noble rest ther is none so wyse that can reioyse that peas but oonly it is hadde by trauayll and suffryng of trybulacoÌ„ns and paynes pacyently in this mortall worlde c. ¶ How the Royalme of heuen is praysed and landed for the Ioye blysse that is therin euerlastyngly ¶ The thyrde chapitre of the fourthe parte and the last pryncypall THyrdely the Royalme and kyngdome of god is to be recoÌ„mended for grete Ioye gladnesse that is therin eternally enduryng there vpon sayth Saynt Gregory in an Omelye who hath that tonge that can suffysantely declare and expresse the Ioyes of that souerayne Cyte Or who hath conuenably the vnderstondyng to comprehende how grete those Ioyes be to the companyes of Angellys and to the happy soules And how Inestymable is that moost blysfull eternall Ioye and glorye in beholdynge the vysage of oure lorde god hauynge noo maner of trouble nefere of dethe but lyue in reioysyng them of that moost precyous gyfte of grace whiche shall euer be permanent and without corrupcyon Certayn that Royalme the cyte of our lorde must be vnderstonde Iherusalem whiche Iherusalem is moost bonteuousely plenteuously and blyssedly edyfyed O cyte of cytees whiche is soo habundantely full of blysfull Ioyes to the happy soules loued be yu. It is wryten in Isaye the last chapitre Reioyse you with Iherusalem disporte you in her to the ende that ye may know and be fulfylled fedde with the pappe of consolacyon and that ye may be habundant in all maners with the delectacoÌ„ns of that glorye Of the whiche inmesurable felycyte and glory of that noble Cyte speketh Saynt Austyn in his boke of the cyte of our lorde sayeng O how grete shall the felicite be there where shal be nother payne nor harme nor we le nor good thyng hydde but entendynge hooly vnto the louynges and praysynges of our lord It is wryten in Isaye in the lxiiii chapitre There was neuer eye that sawe withoute the that Ioye whiche that haste ordeyned to them that abyde the nor more grete gladnesse can be than that thou wylt gyue those that thou louest whiche they shall possesse perpetuelly It is red in the same Isaye the .xxx. Chapitre They shal come in to syon and all louynges and sempyternall Ioyes vpon theyr hedes The Psalter saythe Our lord hath knowen the dayes of those that be pure not smouged and theyr herytage shall be perpetuell It is wryten in Thobye the .xiii. chapytre Lorde thou arte right gretely eternall thy Royalme is in alle worldes Saynt Austyne sayth in his book of the Cyte of our lord we shal be vnderstandyng shal see preyse loue on t lorde This shall be in then de whiche is withouten ende Now what sholde we desyre to be our ende but to serche seke the wayes to atteyne the comyng in to that royame wherin Ioyes haue none ende whiche royame is the royame of all the worldes and certaynely thy power and lordshyppe is vppon all generacyons Thoby sayth in his xiii Chapitre Blessyd be oure Lorde whiche hathe soo hyghe reysed Iherusalem to the entente that his royame be aboue in the worlde of worldes O how gloryous is the Royame where in the blyssed sayntes reioy se them with Ihesu Cryste and they cladde as in whyte aulbes folowe alwayes the lambe Now of this worlde to come speketh saynt Austyn in his boke of the debate by twix vertues vyces sayeng The loue of this prelence worlde is departed from me for there is no creature but he must nedys fynysshe dye here Hit all other wyse of the loue of the worlde that is to come In the whiche all be soo vyuyfyed that they can neuer dye after therin And therin is none aduersyte noo trouble none anguysshe no payne no dysease ennoyng nor werynesse but therin reygnen sempyter nall Ioyes The Psalter sayth The Iuste folkes eten and drynken
to the maroneis by the delectacyon that they haue to theyr owen proufyte for wynnynge of temporall goodes therupon Semblably the stormes frostes and reynes to the labourers of therte for theyr wynnynge the woundes and strokes to the good knyghtes and champyons for theyr honour and auantage yf all these be thoughte easy moche more payne ought to be taken without felyng ony grouge for the recouer of the celestyall blysse whiche is ordeyned for the Rewarde of them that wyll deserue hit Take none hede of thy paynfull lyfe here but beholde wheder it wyll lede the. Take Regarde to the pleasant lyfe here but Remembre how soone it wyll faylle the. Trewely ye maye wel thynke that the royalme of heuen is no thynge appertinent vnto slud gardes nor the eternall beatytude ordeyned to recheles and yo le folkes As Pope Lyon sayd in a sermon And the Gospell of Saynt Mathewe sayth the .xi. Chapitre The Royalme of heuen is wonnen in suffrynge of force and vyolence in this worlde And it may well be byleued for Ihesu Cryste sayde that suffryng vyolence geteth it A Potte sayde Your lyuynge muste be sharpe youre laboure paynfull and your clothynge greuous and soo muste alle your other thynges be here yf ye wyll be lodged there aboue in heuen This may appere manyfestly vnto you Also in the Actes of the Apostles the .xiiii. chapitre is wryten How our entre in to heuen muste be by many trybulacyons O how well was it vnderstonde by Saynt Austyn That one maye not entre the blysse of heuen but by trybulacyon and payne in this worlde For he sayd A my soule yf we sholde alwayes supporte and susteyne tourmentes and paynes here and also suffre by a longe space the gehenne of helle to th ende that we myght there by surely see our lorde Ihesu Cryste in his glorye and be accompanyed with his sayntes Now were it not an excellente dygne thynge to haue soo grete a we le as to be partyners to soo parfayte a glorye Petrede bloys sayde My membres faylle me by age and be enfebled by fastynges and broken with labours and I melte with teeres of myn eyen But yf all my brayn and the mary of my boones were conuerted in to teeres yet were it not suffysant passyon in this present tyme in comparyson to atteyne therby the glorye to come whiche shall be shewed vnto vs. If a man knewe what thynge he is and what it is of hym and of god he wolde thynke that suffryng of thousand dethes for his sake were but as noo thynge Beholde nowe howe good and how proufytable it is to suffre penaunce for our lordes sake Susteyne it then gladly endure it benygnely takynge an exāple by morderers theuys cōdempned to dethe whiche wolde gretely reioyse them selfe yf they myght by the hyttyng of of one of theyr ere 's haue theyr lyues saued Reioyse your self semblably in grete gladnesse for in doynge of a lytyll penaūce here ye maye escape exclude the dethe of your soules wynne the eternall Ioye Thenne thou man that art mortall suffre for to atteyne the lyfe that to perpetuell suche payne as thou woldest endure for to saue thy selfe temporall whiche is in incertayne of lytyll enduryng To this purpose it is wryten in Ecclesiastico the .vi. chapitre Thou shalte a lytyll laboure and here in this worlde is the lytlenesse of penaunce and thou shalt soone ete and drynke the generacyon therof that is to vnderstonde the fruytes of the glorye whiche be engendred with the labour of penaunce It is writen in the boke of Sapyence the .iii. chapitre yt that be wery of a lytyll yet dyspose you well and your Remuneracion rewarde shall be right grete Saynte Effram sayd My right dere and beloued brethern the labour of our instytucyon is but lytyll and the rest is grete our afflyccyon dureth not longe but oure Retrybucyon that is to wyte the delytes of paradyse The Ioye and gladnesse there shall endure worlde withouten ende The wyse man sayde in Ecclesyastes the laste Chapitre Beholde howe lytyll I haue laboured and I haue founde for me grete Reste By the Reasons aboue wryten it appereth manyfestely that though our labours here be but lytyll and good our Rewardes in heuen maye be grete and many for the Ioyes there are Impossyble to be comprehended or declared by vs for there was neuer erthely herte that coude ymagine the pleasers therof nor to ony comparyson eye coude see nor ere here the delectacyons melodyes and swetnesses that be there and the goodnesses Iwys can not here dyrectely be sauoured nor felte but it may well be surely thought that all that euer is felte delectable or good in this present worlde is but as the resplendysshynge and a shadowe of the goodnesse of heuen whiche we ought to take as an allec tyfe desyryng to come to the orygynall rote ther of and to haue parte of that moost precyous blysse whiche is our enherytance Now in concludynge fynally it may appere by grete euydence and Inuynsyble reasons that the four last thynges aboue alledged whiche is to wyte the bodely dethe the day of Iugement the gehenne of helle the glorye of peradyse defenden and withdrawen from synne in many maners suche as haue the same four last thynges withouten oblyuyon in a contynuale Remembraunce Where by they acceyne and edytye theyr soules to remayne eternally in the moost gloryous blys of heuen And whenne ony falle to synne it is by cause they haue not the sayde four thynges cordyally emprynted in theyr myndes And alas nor the suffrance of our lorde There be to fewe that consyder and poyse the sayde four laste thynges Many there be that thynke to lyue longe and to repente them in theyr age and there by appeyse the Iuge and flee the danger of helle And in that hope lyue in delectacyons and ydlenesse And yet after they thynke so possede heuen eternally O what presumptuous folye is hit to beleue and trust therto That argumēt cōcludeth not but mocketh and deceyueth all suche as haue hope or confydence therin Therfore doo penaunce to youre saluacyon or ye shall peryshe and dye in youre synnes to your dampnacyon It is wryten in Ecclesyastes in the seconde chapitre If we doo noo penaunce we shall falle in the hondes of onre lorde and not in to the hōdes of man Alas now who is he that suffysantely bewayleth his synnes that hath good pacyence with his enmye that hath compassyon vpon the poore people relyeueth them in theyr necessytees that duely mynystred Iustyce and that for noo vayne glorye ne lucie of the worlde wyll offende his cōscience Our generacyon is soo wretchyd and soo frayle that our hertes can not addresse to the we le but rather to the harme we fauoure and delyte worldely thynges and seke not after Ihesu Cryste we loue vyces we flee vertues and lye and reste in our owen synnes as beestes doo in theyr owen dounge
wayes perseuered in me and alle that euer myne eyen haue desyred I haue not denyed them not defended but that they haue vsed all voluptuousnesse and they haue had noo delectacyon but in suche thynges that I had ordeyned them when that I tourned me behelde well all these thynges and the werkes that my handes had wrought loked vpon the labour that I had many tymes swette in all for noughte I perceyued then and knewe well that all my werkes were but vanyte and affeccyon of spyryte And that vnder the sonne in this worlde was noo thyng permanent nor sure Now in trouth all thyÌ„ges passe here lyke a shadowe Therfore seyth Iohan de garlandia That al thyng of this world that was is shal be perysseth in the moment of an houre what proufyteth than to haue ben to be nowe or to be herafter Certeyne thyse be thre thynges blowyng without flours For all thyngis that were be or shal be haue a finyssynge The worlde passeth the concupyscens therof also And therfore it is sayd wherfore taketh a wyseman thought for to gete tresoure whiche is sone loste And saynt Bernarde sayth in his book of medytacoÌ„ns wherfore maketh ony man tresour here of ryches sythen with out delay bothe that that is assembled he that gadereth hit passen be loste togyder O thou man what anayll entendes that to haue in this worlde whenne the fruyte is but ruynouse the ende deth My cordyall good frende now wolde god that thou woldest vnderstonde well these thynges suerly ordeyne for thy laste thyÌ„ges Petre de bloys sayth in a pystle that the dysceyuable vayn glorye of this worlde begyleth all thoos that loueth hit For all that euer it promytteth in tyme to come or pretendeth in tyme present fayleth and cometh to nought as water cast vpon the erthe Beholde then how frayle how disceyuable and how vayn is the worlde the Ioye therof that we desyre so mekell O the fole wherfore dispysest thou not lightely thooâ—â—â—â—nges that thou seest 〈◊〉 shortly fayle passe Lrnowest thou not howe the worlde is right noughte and furyous And that in languyssyng it perysseth by the gleyue of the right cruell deth hit is a trouth that none argument can serue to the contrarye wherfore and by thise thynges afore rehersed it appereth manyfestely how Remembraunce of deth sholde cause dispisyng of all worldly thynges and withdrawynge a man from fallyng to synne ¶ How RemeÌ„brauÌ„ce of deth maketh a man to take vpon hym penauÌ„ce ¶ The thryd chapytre of the fyrste pryncypall parte FOlowyng thorder before let It is now to enquere diligeÌ„tly how remeÌ„braunce of deth causeth a man to do penauÌ„ce gladly to accepte it This appereth clerely by Ionas the ê“phete in the iiâ— chapitre spekyng of them of Nynyue whiche dyde penauÌ„ce for fere of deth wherfore saynt Iohan Baptyste enduceth men also to do penauÌ„ce As Saynt Luke wryteth in his .iii. chapitre sayenge Do ye the dygne fruytes of penaunce And he sayth afterwarde The axe is sette to the rote of the tree Whiche sygnyfyeth the thretenynges of deth And therfore sayth Saynte Ambrose vpon Luke Alas lorde yf I haue not bewayled my synnes Alas lorde yf I haue not rysen atte myd nyght to confesse me to the. Alas yf I haue begyled my neyghbour Alas yf I haue alwaye sayde trouthe The axe is redy sette to the rote Euery man therfore thenne do penaunce deserue the fruyte of grace For here cometh the lord to aske the fruyte of our lyf For this cause Iob consyderynge the shortnesse of this presente lyfe had leuer and chase to haue repentauÌ„ce presently than afterwarde wherby sholde growe no fruyte The same Iob sayde in his .x. chapytre shall not my short dayes breefly fynysshe yes in trouthe The lyfe present is right shorte Alas then a lytyll whyle lete me coÌ„playne and bewayle my sorowe a fore my departyng in to the tenebrous derkenesse of dethe with out retornyng And it is also sayd in Iob the xiiii chapytre That mannes dayes be breef It is wryten in the fyrst pystle ad Corintheos in the evii chapytre the tyme is breef were it not better then now breefly to susteyne a lytyll payne then afterward when it cannot profyt to repent without profyt bewayle it infynytely Saynt Austyn seyth the better is a lityl bytternesse in the mouthe then eternally to suffre payn in al the hole body of man Also he seyth in a sermon that the lyfe of euery man froÌ„ his youthe to his age is but short though AdaÌ„ lyued yet sholde this day dye what sholde it auaÌ„taged him to haue lyued so longe sothly lytyll or noughte but he myght sey the tyme of my lyf is past And also sayth a wyse man what sholde it profyte a man to lyue CC. yeres when at his deth he shal thynke all his lyfe is passed as wynde And saynt Austyn sayth vpon the Psalter If thou haddest lyued sens Aoam was chased oute of paradyse terrestre tyll nowe and that thou sholdeste dye this daye thou sholdest thynke thy lyfe not longe whiche so soone sholde passe Now how longe soo euer a mannes lyfe be take that it maye be lengthed asmoche more to cause many yeres yet it shall fayle and vanysshe as the shynynge of the morowe sonne And the same Saynte Austyn seyth in an Omely that we be more frayle brotyll then though we were made of glasse For al be it that glasse is brotyll yet yf it be well kept it may endure right longe But mannes lyfe be it neuer so well and dilygently kept it may not longe endure Therfore it is wryten to the Hebrues in the .ix. chapitre It is establysshed and ordeyned euery creature ones to dye And Senek sayth in his book of remedyes ayenst fortune That our lyfe is but a pylgremage when one hath longe walked he must fynally retorne This necessite to dye shortnesse of the lyfe of man was wel consydered by the paynym Xerses Of whom saynt Iherom wrote in a pystle to Elyodorê° sayng that this puyssaÌ„t kyng xerses whiche subuerted the monteyns couored the sees beynge ones in right hye place loked vpon the Infynyte multytude of his hoost tendrely wepte by cause he knew that none of thoos whom he behelde sholde lyue ouer an C. yeres It is a thyng right necessary in the worlde that mannes lyfe be not longe lastynge And as Balam sayth It is lykened to a tree hauyng .ii. wormes fretynge in the rote the one blak the other white in the symylytude of the day the nyght whiche Incessantely gnawe the rote of the tree of lyfe Saynt Austyn vpon the sayng of Saynte Iohan in his .iii. chapitre treatyng vpon this questyon Quid est vita nostra c This lyfe is a doubtfull lyfe a blynde lyfe a nedy lyfe humours make hit to bolne sorowes make hit feble hete dryeth hit eyer dysposeth hit to sekenesse
syÌ„ners to hyde them in as Saynt Ancelme sayd It shall be then a thyng impossible one to hide hyÌ„ And therfore he sayth in his .xxiiii. chapitre Ther shall no tenebres be there nor no shadowe of dethe that they may hyde those that haue done iniquyte Saynt Bernard sayd in one of his sermons That before the Iudicial chere of Ihesu cryst shall they stande all naked that haue stopped theyr ere 's to the voys of counseyll wherfore they shall here the voys of the IugemeÌ„t as it is before alledged My right dere brother frende drede this daye doubte cordyally the sayde Iuge lord that shall deme all thynges to the entent that thou mayste the more dylygently eschewe all synnes And it is red in an other place That in dredyng oure lorde it withdraweth euery man from euyll doyng There is yet an other thynge whiche agrogith this sentence there is no place to apele to ony other nor space for to flee To that purpose seyth the Psalter whether shall I goo bakwarde from thy spiryt how shall I flee bakwarde from thy face yf I mount vp in to the skye thou arte there yf I descende in to helle thou arte present there besydes me therfore sayth our lord of synners by Amos in the xix chapitre They shall flee and there shall be none saued of them yf they descende in to helle my hande shal pull them vp from thens yf they hyde them in the mouÌ„teyne of Carmele I shall seke them tyl I haue put them thens And yf they hyde them in the botom of the see I shal sende a dragon whiche shal deuour them And yf they go in to seruage amonges theyr enmyes I shal sende a swerde whiche shall slee them shall cast myn eye vpon them in wrath not in loue Iob sayth in his x. chapitre Our lord oughte to Iuge all thyngis is none that may escape his hondes Certeyly I see clerely the honde of our lorde almyghty wyll fynde vs ouer alle And therfore sayth the Auctour of the chare of the soule what wylte thou riche man do that neuer shalt lyue surely whether shalte thou retraye the whether wylt thou torne thy body for thou arte not sure here nor ellys where fore and thou stye vp in to the skye or descende in to helle he that hath domynacoÌ„n is the cruell myghty kynge If thou go in to the see that kynge hath gouernauÌ„ce there thou shalt not mowe thenne goo no parte surely for thou shalt be fouÌ„de euery where Certeynly thou shalt haue noo place to flee to nother in thy dethe nor in thy lyfe O how well comprehended this Elezearus that sayd I wyll neyther flee quyk nor dede from the hondes of the almyghty As it is wryten in the seconde boke of Machabe the .vii. chapitre Lo by thyse our lordes sayenges it appereth in many maners that fynall Iugement is to be redoubted of all shall be for thaccusacoÌ„n of dyuerse thynges whiche must be vyolently suffred sustened born for the Iust Reason that must nedes be yelden syngulerly generally of alle thynges And for the diffynytyf sentence that shall be thenÌ„e pronouÌ„ced right horrybly by the Iust Iuge The remembrauÌ„ce then of these thynges dilygently contynued that is to saye of the fynal Iugement of the sentence that shall be gyuen there as it is sayd shall pÌ„serue defende not without reason euery man from fallyng in to synne eschewe to do euyll to the ende to come fynally to the glory with the happy sayntes of paradyse ¶ And thus endeth the seconde parte of this treatyse deuyded in four partyes ¶ Here begynneth the prologue of the thyrde parte of the foure laste thynges to come THe thirde of the four laste thynges wherof the remembrauÌ„ce preserueth from synÌ„e is helle or the infernall gehenne And therfore sayth Anastasye of saynt Anthony the heremyte whenÌ„e the deuyll tempted hym to ony synne he remeÌ„bred the paynes of helle due vnto synners â–ª wiche thought was so enprynted in his herte that fynally he therby vaynquysshed the deuyll and was delyuered from his temptacyons and rested free from all synne It is to be noted howe touchyng this mater present thre thynges are pryncypally to be consydered Fyrst the dyuerse nomynacyon of the paynfull places of helle Secondely the many folde afflyccions of th infernall mynystres Thirdely the strange dyuerse maners of the tormentes of helle of the whiche .iii. thynges the remembrauÌ„ce proufyteth gretely and withdraweth a man from fallynge to synne ¶ Howe helle is named by holy scrypture in dyuerse wyse ¶ The fyrst chapitre of the thirde part princypal IT is now fyrst to be Declared pryncypally the nomynacyon of the paynefull places of helle wherfore it is to be knowen that helle is a place full of fyre and is soo called de Infero infers That is to saye to bere in for the soules of synners be borne in to it for to suffre payne there eternally And therfore sayth Iob in his seuenthe chapitre He that shall descende in to helle shall not come agayne ne euer retourne vnto his house And also helle is oftentymes called gehenne of fyre The forsayd saynt Gregory in his fourth booke of his dyalogys sayde Certeynly it must be byleued that there is oonly but one fyre in the gehenne of helle but it tormenteth not all synners after one maner for euery maÌ„ shall haue payne after the quantyte of his gylte and trespace Isydorê° in the booke of souerayne goodnesse sayth that the fyre of the geheÌ„ne of helle shall shyne lyght to the dampned folkes in encreasyng of theyr paynes to th entent that they may see theyr owne sorowes it shal neyther light nor shyne to theyr consolacoÌ„n nor gyue them cause of ony reioysyng The payn of thoos that be dampned is doubled by sorow paynes that tormeÌ„teth the soule fyre that brenneth the body Of this fyre of helle speketh the Psalter sayeng The coles shall falle vpon synners whiche shall be cast in to the fyre hauyng no conforte in theyr myseryes our lord shall tormmente them with his Ire the fyre shall deuour them wherfore it is wryten in Isaye in the .ix. chapitre The people shall be as mete vnto the fyre it is also sayd to euery synner in Ezechyell in the .xxi. chapitre Thou shalt be fyres mete In Iheremy the .xv. chapitre seyth our lord to the dampned folkes thenbrasyng fyre inferyour shall broyll and brenne vpon you all this fyre is of that nature that perpetually it shall brenÌ„e and shall neuer haue nede to be renued It is wryten in Iob the .xx. chapitre The fyre whiche canne neuer be quenched shal vtterly deuour them O howe sore shall oure lorde venge hym thenne vpon the dampned synners As it is sayd in Ecclesiastico in the .vii. chapitre The flesshe of synners shall haue vengeance by fyre This fyre of the gehenne of helle is
gloryous is the Royalme and how ought thy tabernacles to be beloued how grete is thy beaute how habundante is thy Resplendysshyng in thy cyte how merueylous is the bryght clerenesse therof and how souerayn is the swetnesse of thy celestyal coÌ„tree For this cause seythe Saynt Austyn in his book of free arbytremen te Soo grete is the beaute of Iustyce soo grete is the swetenesse of thyn eternall lyght That yf it were not expedyent to de lyte therin but one houre of the daye for to haue that Ioye oonly The in numerable dayes of this present lyfe full habundante of alle temporall goodes ought therfore resonable to be myspreysed forborne Now certeynly it is not vnresonably spoken nor withoute a grete grouÌ„de that better is to be one daye in that courte than a thousande in this world O celestyal Iherusalem O shynyng hous full of al bryghtnesse I wysshe my pilgrymage to reche vnto the and to be possessed in the by hym that made both the me And therfore seyth Saynt Bernarde in his thyrde book vppon the Gospell Missus est angelus Gabriel O how gloryous is the Royalme of heuen The kynges haue asseÌ„bled them in a mont that is to vnderstonde to loue prayse and gloryfye hym that is kynge aboue alle kynges and lorde ouer all lordes In the resplendysshynge contemplacion of whom the Iuste people shall shyne as the sonne in the Royame of theyr fader To this purpose seyth the Psalter thou shalt replenisshe me with gladnes in thy face Iob seyth also in the xxxiii chapitre His face shal be seen in gret Ioyeful gladnes All those shall beholde haue syghte of that moost swete Vysage that haue trewely serued our lorde sauyour Ihesu cryst in humylyte of herte in good labours vertuous werkes Isaye sayth in his .xxxiii. chapitre They shall see the kyng of kynges in his grete beaute O how blysfull O how aggreable O how swete how happy shall be the beholdyng of our sauyoure Ihesu cryste to those that haue ê‘fyghtly loued him Certeynly they shal mowe Ioyefully saye as is wryten in Abacuk the iii chapitre I shall reioyse me in our lord disporte me in Ihesu crist my god O how gretly shal those reioyse them that shal be fulfylled with the celestyall Ioyes what gladnesse shall they haue that shall be Illumyned with the vysyon of the resplendysshynge face of our lorde god The whiche Ioye gladnesse shall be permanent abydyng worlde without ende ¶ How the celestyal royalme is to be coÌ„mended for the goodnesse that is therin ¶ The seconde chapytre of the fourth parte the last pryncypall THe Royalme of heuen is secondly recoÌ„mended for thabondante goodnesse therof Saynt Austyn sayth in his book de Ciuitate dei That that god hathe ordeyned for those that he loueth maye not be oonly atteyned by hope without it be coÌ„pryseo with charyte soo it may will be atteyned the Rewardes of the happy sayntes can not be nombred nor estymed thabuÌ„dauÌ„ce therof is withoute ende is so precyous that it can not be suffycyentely preysed Of the suê‘habuÌ„dante ryche goodnesse of this celestyal Royalme is wryten in Deutronomi in the .viii. chapitre thus Our lorde god shall lede the in a good coÌ„tree whiche is Indewed with waters with fontayns with spryÌ„gis with feldes with montayns Out of the whiche shall come floodes ryueres He shall lede the also in to a londe where groweth whete barly vynes where growe fygues apples grayns olyfs oyle hony there without ony necessyte thou shalte ete thy brede with habundance of all good is Now certayn this is a right comodyous coÌ„tree fulfylled with swetenesse this is the contree to the whiche were sente the sones of Adam As is writen in the book of Iugys the .xviii. chapitre whiche sayd at theyr Retourne we haue seen a comodyous plentyfull contree right riche wyll ye not myspreyse it nor cesse we not but lete vs go take possessyon therof For there is no labour our lorde shall gyue vs a roome therin wherby we shall haue none necessyte nor lacke For there is no thyng that enoyeth and all good delectacyons be there Saynt Austyn saythe that the eternall beatytude we le be specyally in two thynges That is to wyte In the absence of all euyll and in the presence of all we le Now yf that wylt axe me what thynges be in heuen I can answere the none otherwyse but all thynge that is good is there and all thyng that is nought canne neuer come there And therfore sayth saynt Gregory There is noo good thynge desyred nor lacked there nother there is ony thynge within hit that hurteth or enoyeth It is wryten in the laste chapitre of thapocalyps They shall noo more haue honger nor thyrst nor the sonne nor the hetes shall no more hurt them for the lambe of god whiche sytteth in the myddle of the crone shall gouerne and bryng them to the fontayne of the water of lyfe And more is folowynge in the same chapitre he seyth Shewe me the flode the ryuere of the water of lyfe who hath thyrste come and drynke who wyll haue of that water of lyfe come and take it And he that hath of that water shall neuer be thyrsty as it is wryten in the gospel of saynt Iohan in the. iii chapitre O how happy and how blessyd is that contree where god shall be all thyng in all thyng and where is no pouerte nor lacke of ony thynge that is good This contree is the celestyall pasture wherin shall nede nothyng to be wysshed For in this pasture shall oure lorde beayte and fede his trewe louers whome he wyll beclyppe perpetually Therfore sayth oure lorde in Ezechyell the xxxiiii chapitre I shall put them in theyr coÌ„trees fede them in the montayns of Israhell Now certeynly the happy sayntes of heuen be wel fedde with knowleche of the souerayne trouthe whiche is to them a ful fructnouse pasture be it when they entre in contemplacoÌ„n of the dyuynyte or in consyderynge the grace of the humanyte And in bothe these they shal fynde cause to be sacyate and fed with delectacyons And they shall fele the fruyte of souerayn swetenesse as the Psalter sayth He hath gyuen the thy fyll of the fyne fatnesse of the floure of the whete The fatnesse of the floure of the whete is delectacion of swetenesse caused by the loue of god Of the whiche flour of whete by the same loue mote my soule be fulfylled and thenne I shall reste in the eternall Ioyouse surete alwayes wexynge grene and neuer to drye Here is now shewed how good is this contree where in the happy men shal be fed whiche is so fruyt full and plenteuous Certaynly this is the contree of lyfe In the whiche we must hope to see the goodnesse of our lord the Psalter sayth we shall all be fulfylled with the goodes of
and reioysen them in the presens of our lord delycynge them in gladnesse And alle sorowe waylynges fleeth from them It is wryten in Thapocalyps the .xxi. chapitre Our lorde shall drye the teeres of theyr eyen Moreouer there shal be then no wepyng sayeng sorowe nor dethe for all that shall be passed before Isaye sayth in his .xxv. chapitre Our lorde shall take awaye the teeres of euery face shall take away the repreuys of his people in euery londe then the folkes shall saye Here is oure lorde god whome we haue abyden whiche shall saue vs we haue susteyned and suffred for hym And therfore we reioyse vs with and by hym in saluacyon O how grete shall be that Ioyeful gladnesse to those that shall be gloryfyed not oonly in loule but also in body It is writen in Isaye the .lxi. chapitre They shall be double possessed in theyr londe And in the Prouerbis the laste chapitre is wryten Alle his famylyare husholde seruauÌ„tes shall be cladde double That is to wyte with two aulbes that one is the body whiche they now possede tho ther the soule they shal not oonly haue Ioye of theyr owne proper good werkis but also syngulerly of the merytes of the happy sayntes Our lord sayth in Iheremye the xxxiii chapitre I shall enhabyte them assuredly they shall be my people I shall be theyr god and shall gyne them an herte and a soule â–ª not oonly by the vnyte of substance but by the boside of charyce Beholde me righte dere frendes yf the soule of a martyr of a confessour of a virgyn youres be allones ConsequeÌ„tly it semeth that ye shal reioyse you in their Ioyes that your soules shall be semblable vnto the apostles or ony other sayntes Saynt Gregory saythe how charyte shall be so plenteuously there that that wyll whiche he hath not for hym selfe he shal reioyse in seeng an other to haue it Certeynly those merueylous and manyfolde Ioyes can neuer entre mannes herte here and there euery hert shal be replenysshed and fulfylled with them For wtin and without aboue and benethen and in euery parte the happy soules shall merueylously reioy se them In the Inwarde parte by the purenesse of theyr conscyences In the outward parte by the gloryfyeng of theyr bodyes In the lower parte by the renouelyng beautees of the heuens and of the creatures there In the hyghest parte by the clere and vysyble syghte of our lorde god And in alle other partes by the Ioyefull delectable coÌ„panye of all the sayntes of heuen Now trewely there is no man that can ymagyne or thynke the gretenesse of the Ioyes that be there I ne can telle the reioysyng of the InhabytaÌ„tes in henen reygnynge there amonge the angelles of our lord god perpetuelly It is writen in the Gospell of Sayn te Mathewe in the .xxv. chapitre Entre thou in to the Ioye of thy lorde entre thy selfe in to that Ioye and with all thyne herte entre therin Of those Inmesurable quantytees of the celestial Ioyes speketh Saynt Bernarde in his book of Medytacyons Theyr gladnes hath all thyng in possessyon therin all festynges be possessyd and the men accompanyed with angelles shall remayne there perpetuelly withoute hauyng ony maner fleshly Infyrmyte There is infynyte Ioyousnes ther is sempyternall beatytude after the one is there to receyue it he shall remayne therin ê‘durably there is reste without labour peas and frenshyp without enuye quietenes surete without dangere the moost pleasant swe tenesse in the vysyon of our lord god Saynt Bernarde sayth The Ioyes swetenesse of that contree is soo grete that yf a man were therin but oonly the space of an hour all the Ioyes delectacyons of this presente lyfe myght comparabyly by Reason be myspraysed al Ioyes swecenes beautees that coude be thought had here be but paynes bytternesses fylthes in regarde of those righte as the myght bouÌ„te of our lorde god excedeth surmouÌ„theth alle other worldly thyngis O good lorde god what haue I wylled to haue in this er the when in heueÌ„ al thynges sholde be moche more desyred than ony power here golde sylner or ony precyoê° stones Now what shall I more say of this contree holy Cyte of Iherusalem where in the stretes is songen Incessantly Alleluya with Ioyouse swete melodyous tunes As is wryten in Thoby the .xiii. chapitre It is red also in Isay the .li. chapitre xlll Ioye gladnes shall be founden in the contree with accyons of graces voyces of louynges all shall saye in his Temple louyng honour and glorye be to the lorde And therfore the voys of gladnes and helthe shal sowne in the tabernacles of Iuste folkes In the Cyte of our lorde sowne contynuelly thorgons of the sayntes whiche haue vtterly forgeten the trybulacoÌ„ns paynes labours wretchednesses of this worlde vsynge in enioyeng the celestyall blysse O how swetely how pleasantly and howe clerely synge those in delasol that before haue wepte in gammoth in are Of this Cyte speketh Saynt Austyne in his book of medytacyons sayeng O cyte whiche is a celestyall house and a sure contrâ—e conteynynge all thynge that maye cause delect acyon There is thynhabytyng of rest The people is there without murmour or grouge O how many gloryous thynges be sayde of this Cyte the Inhabytacyon of our lorde is in the as in a thynge enioyenge alle good thynges There is peas pyte bounte clerenes lyght vertu honeste glorye reste louynge loue good concorde Ioye swetences blys and perdurable lyfe Of all those and the perdurable lyfe shal the happy soules be certayne and sure withoute ony lesyng therof Isaye sayth in his .xxxii. chapitre There shall be surete for euer Ezechyell sayth in his .xxxviii. chapitre They shall inhabyte fermely in eternyte withoute ony maner of fere It is redde in the Prouerbes of Salomon in the fyrste Chapitre He that hath well herkened shall reste without fere and enioye in habundance Saynte Austyn sayth That the eternall surete enourneth and fulfylleth the beatytudes of alle the celestyall goodnesses where yf that sempyternyte sholde faylle alle the other celestyall goodnesses be they neuer soo swete sholde be the lesse to be praysed Saynte Iohan sayth in his xviii chapitre In assurynge vs there is noo man that shalle bereue you your Ioye O hous of our lorde Cyte of the grete kynge how Innumerable and how grete be thyne eternall Ioyes with the manyfold gladnesses of those happy soules that be enhabyted with the. Now surely lord they be well blyssed that be Inhabyted in thyn hous in louynge the durynge the worlde of worldes who is he hauyng an hole Remembraunce that is soo Ignorant that he thynketh not that alle the companye of heuen loueth the not dyuynely in heuen The assurance of this perpetrell celestyale Ioye and gladnesse maye be vnderstonde in that that it is compared vnto the olyfe tree As Ozee sayth
and therin rote myserably Our lorde lokoth vppon the sone of man and beholdeth yf there be ony axinge grace or in good dysposycyon but well away he seeth to fewe Inclyned therto and many dysposed to the contrarye in all synne and wretchednesse where by is to be drad that the myserable tyme of this worlde is nyghe comen whiche Mycheas prophecyed of in his .vii. Chapitre sayeng Holynesse is perysshed in the erthe and amonge the men is there none that is ryght wyse O Remembre well how euery man almoost now a dayes seketh for his owen particuler cause and lucre the shedyng of blode and the wrongynge of other what shall I more saye fewe there be that wyll entende to ony good perfeccyon nor open theyr eyen for theyr saluacoÌ„n so be they blynded in theyr malycyous folye O cursed malyce vnhappy folye wherby the lyfe is voluntarely loste and the dethe wonne the we le despysed and the harme accepted our lorde dyspleased and the fende obeyed Now thenne my right dere brethern and frendes stryke not of your hedes with your owne swerdes as to saye lete not your owen dedes be your destruccion perpetuall Ryse out of synne loke vp and remembre you what oyfference is betwix eternale dampnacyon and perpetuale Ioye and blysse Forsake renounce your synnes and defende you from the fendes power whiche ye may surely do with contrycyon and in axinge helpe and grace of our lorde Iwys it is meruayll that man whiche aboue all erthly thynge is a creature resonable ensueth not the verayorygynall of reason but dysprayseth forsaketh that that is moost proufytable eternally good for that that is mortale and moost harmefull O good lorde what vnhap causeth it and werfore sholde we by oure folye lose tho soules that thou hast bought so dere with thy moost precyous bloode Certaynely the cause is lacke of prudence good counseyll grace and cordyall Remembraunce of the sayde four laste thynges O our Redemptour almyghty and mercyfull Ihesu graunte vs soo thy grace that we may yet surely purueye for our last thynges and soo cordyally frequente the Remembraunce of thy godhede that it cause vs here after to repelle and reuoque oure synnes Resyste our goostely enemye and conforme vs in alle good werkes vnto thy blessyd wyll to the obteynynge fynally with the happy sayntes of thyne eternall glorye To whiche bryng vs the fader and the sone and the holy goost reygnyng in vnyte sempyternally worlde withouten ende AMEN THis boke is thus translated oute of frenshe in to our maternall tonge by the noble and vertuouse lorde Anthonie Erle Ryuyres Lorde Scales and of the Isle of wyght De fensour and dyrectour of the â—uses Apostolyque for oure holy fader the Pope in this Royame of Englonde Vncle and gouernour to my lord prynce of Wales whiche boke was delyuered to me wyllyam Caxton by my sayd noble lord Ryueires on the daye of puryfycacyon of our blessyd lady fallyng the tewsdaye the seconde daye of the moneth of Feuerer In the yere of oure lorde a. M. CCCC and .lxxviii. for to be enprynted and soo multyplyed to goo abrood amonge the people that therby more surely myght be Remembred the four laste thynges vndoubtably comynge And it is to be uoted that sythen the tyme of the grete tribulacoÌ„n and aduersyte of my sayde lorde he hath ben full vertuously occupyed as in goÌ„ynge of pylgremages to Saynt Iames in in Galyce to Rome to Saynte Barthylme we to Saynte Andrewe to Saynt Mathewe in the Royalme of Naples and to Saynte Nycholas de Bar in Puyle and other dyuerse holy places Also he hath procured and goten of our holy fader the Pope a grete and a large Indulgence and grace vnto the chapell of oure lady of the Pyewe by Saynte Stephens atte Westmestre for the relyef and helpe of crysten soules passed out of this traÌ„sytorye worlde whiche grace is of lyke vertue to thindulgence of Scala celi And not withston dyng the grete labours and chargis that he hath hadde in the seruyce of the kynge and of my sayde lorde prynce as well in wales as in England whiche hath be to hym noo lytyll thought and besynes bothe in spyryte and in body as the fruyt therof experymently sheweth yet ouer that tenriche his vertuous dysposycyon he hath pnt hym in deuoyr atte all tymes whenÌ„e he myght haue a leyser whiche was but starmele to translate dyuerse bookes out of frenshe in to englyshe Amonge other passyd thorugh myn honde the booke of the wyse sayenges or dystes of phylosophers and the wyse and holsom prouerbys of xprystene the pyse sette in metre Ouer that hath made dyuerse balades ayenst the seuen dedely synnes Furthermore it semeth that he conceyueth well the mutabylyte and the vnstablenesse of this presente lyfe and that he desyreth with a grete zele and spyrytuell loue our goostly helpe and perpetuell saluacyon And that we shall abhorre and vtterly forsake the abhomynable and dampnable synnes whiche comunely be vsed now a dayes as Pryde periurye terryble sweryng thefte murder and many other Wherfore be toke vppon hym the translatynge of this presente werke named Cordyall trustynge that bothe the reders and the herers there of sholde knowe themselfe herafter the better and amende theyr lyuynge or they departe and lose this tyme of grace to the recouer of theyr saluacyon Whiche Translatynge in my Iugemente is a noble and a merytoryous dede wherfore he is worthy to be gretely commended and also syngulerly Remembred with our good prayers For certaynely as well the reders as the herers well conceyuyng in theyr hertes the forsayde foure laste thynges maye there by gretly be prouoqued and called from synne to the grete and plenteuous mercy of our blyssed sauyour whiche mercy is aboue alle his werkes And noo man beynge contryte and confessed nedeth to fere the obteynynge therof as in the preface of my sayde lordes booke made by hym more playnly it appereth Thenne in obeynge and folowynge my sayde lordes commaundemente In whiche I am bounded soo to doo for the manyfolde benefetes and large rewardes of hym hadde and receyued of me vndeserued I haue putte me in deuoyr taccomplysshe his sayd desyre and com maundemente whome I beseche almyghty god to kepe and mayntene in his vertuous and laudable actes and werkes And sende hym thaccomplyssnemente of his noble and Ioyous delyres and pleasers in this worlde And after this shorte daungerous and transytory lyfe euerlastynge permanence in heuen Amen Whiche werke presente I began the morne aiter the sayd Puryfycacyon of oure blyssed Lady Whiche was the daye of Saynt Blase Bysshop and Martyr And fynysshed on the euen of the Annuncyacyon of oure sayde blessyd Lady fallyng on the wennesdaye the four twenty daye of Marche In the .xix. yere of hynge Edwarde the fourthe ¶ Enprynted atte westmystre Anno vss ¶ RegistruÌ„ quaternon abcdefghiklm Memorare nouissima c. Memorare nouissima c.