pourchace and do so moche by deceyte fraude / that the ylke thynge that is weyed semeth to be more of weyghte thā it is The fourth manere for too synne in marchaundyse is to selle the derrer for the terme / herof we haue spoken tofore ¶ The fyfthe is to selle otherwyse than that mustre is and worse / lyke as these scryueners wrytars done that at the begynnynge shewe and wryte good letter / and after make werse and shende all ¶ The .vi. is in hydynge and concelynge the trouthe of the thynge that is solde / and so do these brokers and coorsers of hors The seuenth is to make pourchace that the ware or thynge that is solde seme moche better than it is / lyke as done the merciers and drapers that chesen and make the places derke where as they selle theyr clothe ware And in many other maners may men synne in marchandyse but it sholde be ouerlonge to saye here ¶ The nynthe braunche of auaryce Ca. .lxiii. THe .ix braunche of auaryce is in many mysteres or craftes In this synneth moche peple and in many maners lyke as done these commyn women / whiche for lytel wynnynge abandone and gyue them self al to synne Also these hazardours / bawdes kepars of forboden games many other whiche for temporell prouffyte abandone theym too dyshoneste vnthryfty craftes / whiche may not be done without synne as well of them that do it as they that susteyne it ¶ The .x. braunche of auaryce is in euyll playes and games / as the dyse at cardes tables or what someuer games that men play at for money or for gayne temporelle Suche maner playes in especyall of dyse and tables ben deffended and for boden by the decrees and lawe for many perylles that comen therof The fyrst is couetyse / the seconde ouer grete vsure as .xii. for .vi. and not at a moneth or thre dayes / The thyrde synne to multeplye lesynges vayne wordes / and that werse is grete blasphemyes of god and of his sayntes The angre and wrath that oftymes hath be taken too correcte and chastyse the other For somtyme theyr vysage hath be torned bacward behynde Somtyme sōme haue loste theyr eyen Somme theyr speche ¶ There was a knyght that sware by the eyen of god / anone the eyen of his heede sprange oute and fyll vpon the eschequer ¶ There was also an archer by cause he had all loste at playe / in despyte he drewe his bowe and shotte vp towarde god on hye / and on the morne whan he was sette ageyne at his play / the arowe fyll doune vpon the eschequyer all blody of blood and threste oute his eyen ¶ The fourth is euyl example that they whiche playe gyuen to other that beholde the playe ¶ The fyfthe is to lese the tyme whiche ought too be employed in good werkys many other wyse ¶ One thynge ought not to be forgeten / that is that he that wynneth at suche games may not / ne ought not in ony manere to reteyne his gayne / but he ought to gyue it all for goddes sake / but yf it were in suche manere that he played for another / or by deceyte or by force lyke as doeth he that maketh another to playe with hym by force In this manere he ought to rendre it to hym that hath loste In lyke wyse I saye of that whiche is wonne at tournoys These been the braūches of auaryce / there bē ynough of other but they appertayne more to clarkys than to laye men / and this book is made more for the laye men than for clerkys that knowe the scryptures ¶ One thynge ought ye too knowe that the auarycious man hath a deuyll to whome he serueth / whiche is called in the gospell māmona / and that deuyll maketh to his seruaunte syx commaundementes The fyrst is to kepe well that he hath / the seconde that in no wyse he mynysshe it The thyrde is that he encreace it alwaye be it daye or nyght / the fourth that he gyue noo thynge ne do almesse for goddes sake / ne curtosye to ony other The fyfthe that he ne lene ne gyue to the poore nedy ony thynge / ne put not in peryll Ieoparde that whiche he hath in his possessyon The .vi. that he refrayne hym self and restrayne his meyne fro mete and drynke for to spare his good ¶ Of the synne of lecherye whiche is loue dysordynatly .xlvii. THe .vi. heed of the beest of hell is lecherye / the whiche is outragyous loue and dysordynate in flesshely delytes Of this synne the deuyll deceyueth a mā in .vi. maners Lyke as sayth saynt Gregory Fyrst in folysshe false beholdynges After in folysshe and leude talkynges and wordes After in false touchynges After in false kyssynges After cometh the dede For fro folysshe beholdynge comynycacōn cometh speche / fro speche to touchȳge / fro touchynge to kyssynge / and fro kyssynge to the dede Thus subtylly bryngeth the deuyll that one to the other Fyrst this synne is deuyded in two maners For there is lechery of herte / and lecherye of body Lecherye of herte hath foure degrees For the spyryte of fornycacyon whiche is the fyre of lechery enbraceth the hert / and maketh fyrst to come the thoughtes / the fygures and the Imagynacyon of synne in the herte / and in consentynges / after the herte delyteth hym in folysshe thoughtes / and yet he delyteth how well that yet he wyll not do the dede / in his thought he abydeth / and this delyte is the seconde degree / whiche may be a deedly synne / so grete may the delyte be The thyrde degre is the consentȳge of the herte of reason and of wyll / and these consentynges concluded ben deedly synne in caas that the deed by dedly synne after the consentynge cometh the desyere / and grete brennynge of the flesshe that they haue to this synne / and do ne many synnes in the day in seynge the ladyes and the damoyselles rychely and fresshely apparayled / whiche ofte dysguyse and araye theym proudly for to make the foles and musardes to muse and beholde theym certes they synne moche greuously / for by theyr coueytyse / by theyr pryde by theyr cause peryssheth many soules / moche peple put to deth and to synne For thus as sayth the prouerbe / dame dator is the arblast to the tour For she hath not a membre in hyr body but it is a grynne of the deuyll As salamon sayth / wherof must be gyuen acomptes at the daye of Iugement of the soules whiche by thoccasyon and cause of them be dampned That is to vnderstonde whan they by occasyon and cause other to synne by theyr entysynge and labour Lecherye of the body is departed in to the lecherye of the eyen of the eerys of the mouth / of the handes / and of all the fyue wyttes of the body / and in especyall of
that / the soule is deed For lyke as the body is deed withoute the soule So is the soule deed without the grace of god It is called vertue by cause it adourneth the soule with good werkes with good maners / it is called charyte bycause it Ioyneth the soule to god / also dooth all thynge as it were with god For charyte is nothynge elys but a dere vnyte / That is the perfeccyon and the beneurte to whiche we ought to entende Moche were deceyued the auncyente phylosophers that so curyously dysputeden enquyreden who was the souerayne good in this lyfe / and neuer coude they fynde ne knowe it / For some sette theyr stuyde and theyr wytin delytes of the body The other in rychessys the other in honeste but the grete phylosopher saynte Poule whiche was rauysshed vnto the thyrde heuen / and passed all the other phylosophers techeth vs by many reasons that the souerayne good in this lyfe and that the quene of vertues is for to loue god and to haue veray charyte in hym selfe For with out this good ne aualen all the other goodes ryght nought And who that hath this good of charyte he hathe all other goodes / and whan all other goodes shall fayle / this good shall not fayle and aboue all the grete goodes that ben this charyte is lady And thenne the gretest good the whiche is vnder heuen Is charyte And also after by cause that thou wylte and desyerest this good the whiche by ryght is called vertue / and that thou desyerest to loue it moost / and to seche it aboue all other goodes And I wyll yet shewe vnto the his valure it is acustomed for to deuyle thre maner of goodes in the worlde / that is to wyte goodes honourable godes delectable goodes prouffytable There be no mo goodes ne veray ne good ne fayre but these thre maners / and this seest thou openly of the worlde that none desyreth ne loueth ony thynge but that he wene that it be honourable or delectable or prouffytable The proude secheth thȳge honourable The couetous man seketh thynges prouffytable The delycious secheth thynges delectable And whan they sechen this thynge vaynlye Euery man ought to knowe that vertues haue these thre propretees For vertue is moche honourable and delectable and prouffytable ¶ What vertues been goodes honourable Ca. .lxvii. ALl vertues ben goodes honourable / this mayst thou see in this manere Syxe thynges been in this worlde moche desyred by cause that they seme moche honourable / that is to wyte beaulte wytte prowesse power fraunchyse and noblesse These ben .vi. fountaynes of vanyte Of vayne glorye cometh and sourdeth a plante Beaute is a thynge moche loued For it is a thȳge moche honourable / and neuerthelesse beaute that the eyen and the body se and loue / is a thynge fals couerte and vayne It is fals for he or she is noo thynge fayre But our eyen ben vayne and feble that see noo thynge but the skȳne wtoutforth Thenne who myght see as clere as a beest that is called a lynx whiche seth thorughe oute a walle he sholde clerely see that a fayre body nys but a whyte sacke ful of stynkynge dunge / lyke a dunghylle couerd with snowe or with grene grasse ¶ Also I saye to that the this beaulte is moche shorte not abydynge For it is sone faylled and anone passed as a fume or a smoke and as the flour of the felde or of the medowe Anone as the soule departeth fro the body / fayre well all the beaulte is faylled and gone Thenne the beaute that the body hath / the soule hath gyuen it too hym And therfore moche fooles ben they that for the beaute of the body gloryfye themselfe But the beaute of the soule is the ryght beaute / whiche alwaye encreaceth and neuer shall fayle This is the veray beaute by whiche the soule pleaseth god to the aungelles that seeth the herte This beaute rendreth gyueth to the soule graces vertues and loue of god For she reformeth reparaylleth and rendreth her ryght enprynte That is the ymage of her maker / which is beaute without cōparyson / and who best resembleth in getynge the vertues / in pluckynge vp and caste from hym all synnes / kepe his cōmaundemētes entyerly he is moost fayre Then the moost fayre thynge that is vnder god / is the soule whiche hath parfytly his ryght four me and his ryght clerete / coloure of floure / clerenes of the sonne / fygure of man / and pleasaūce of precyous stones And all that the eye of the body seeth of beaute is fylthe foule to the regarde of the soule / all that may be thoughte of beaulte may not be cōpared to the soule ¶ Of veray sapyence Ca. lxviii CLere wytte and clergye is a thynge moche honourable / and moche to be praysed But and thou wylte be wyse a ryght and lerne verey clergye / do so that thou haue veray good / that is grace and vertues That is the veray sapyence that enlumyneth the herte of a man / lyke as the sonne enlumyneth all the worlde This wytte passeth sourmounteth all the wytte of the worlde / lyke as the sonne passeth the clerenes of the mone / For the wyt of the worlde is but foly / lyke as the scrypture sayth / and chyldehode wodenes Foly is in them that so moche loueth the worlde and his beaute / and that can not knowe the day fro the nyght Ne Iuge betwene grete and lytell / and bytwene precyous and vyle They wene the mone to be the sonne For they wene that the honoure of the worlde be veraye glorye / and a lytell apple to be a grete mountayne / for they wene that the worlde be a grete thynge But to the regarde of heuen it ne is but pouerte They wene that a glasse be a saphyr And they wene that theyr strengthe theyr power be moche grete / whiche is more feble more frayle than is glasse ¶ Also I saye that this chyldehode of the wytte of the worlde is in them that so moche make them wyse for to kepe and ease the body and to be in delyces whiche lyuen as a chylde / that seche nothynge ellys but to do theyr propre wyll In suche people reason is deed and therfore they lyuen as beestys / for theyr wytte is al torned and corrupt / lyke as is the taste and sauour of a seeke man or of a woman grete with chylde / whiche fyndeth more sauour and appetyte in a soure apple than in brede made of whete / and more sauoure in a cool than in good metes Also these people may not byleue that there is more Ioye delyte in louynge god and to serue and to honoure hym / than in doynge the wyll of the caroyne of theyr body For they can not ryght fully Iuge betwene swete and bytter Also I saye that the wytte of
of body / lyke as we haue shewed afore And therfore sayth our lorde Ihesu cryste in the gospell / that blessed ben they that ben clene of herte For they shall see god This blessynge begynneth here / for they ben purged fro derknesses of errour / as to the vnderstondynge / and fro the spottes of synne / as to the wylle / and therfore they see god by fayth enlumyned of clerenes / whiche cometh of the gyfte of vnderstondynge by whiche a man knoweth his creatour / and all that apperteyneth to the helth of his soule / without slydinge / wtout doubtynge / and without wauerynge in the fayth of Ihesu Cryste where they be so Ioyned and fermly fouÌ„ded / that they may not departe theym for deth ne for to suffre ony tormente what someuer it be ¶ And therfore ben blessed they that be clene of hert in this mortall lyf For they haue the eyen of the herte / the vnderstondynge and the wyll soo clere and so clene that they see god and byleue hym by fayth ferme and certayne lyke as we haue sayd tofore ¶ wherof our Lorde sayd to saynt Thomas / by cause thou hast seen me / thou hast byleued me But they ben blessed that haue not seen me bodyly / and haue byleued me certeynly / but this blessynge shal be perfyght in the lyf perdurable / where he that is clene of hert whiche here seeth hym by fayth / that is alwaye derkly There in his glory shall se hym face to face all clerely as sayeth saynt Poule That is the blyssynge to aungelles and to sayntes whiche se hym in his precyous vysage / to knowe one god in thre persones / to beholde clerely in that myroure where all thynges shyneth / aungelles all the sayntes loketh therin / and meruayleth them / and taketh there theyr glory / and neuer may they be ful for to loke therin For there is all beaute / all bounte / all swetnes / fouÌ„tayne of lyfe pardurable / and all that whiche herte may wyll and desyre But yet I shall say a lytell For lyke as sayth the scrypture The eyen mortall may not beholde ne ere here ne herte of man thynke / what that god hath arayed and made redy to his frendes / that loueth / serueth / and kepe his commaundementes / and that kepe theÌ„ from synne Wherof saynt Ancelme sayth Soule sayth he lyft vp thyn entendement there aboue / and thynke as moche as thou mayst what we le / how grete and how moche delectable is that good whiche conteyneth in himselfe the Ioye and the delyte of all godes And not suche Ioy and suche delyte as is founden in creatures / but as moche more Ioye / as the creatoure and maker is more grete and more worthy / more excellent / than his creatures O sayth he thou faytour thou man that goest soo folyly for to seche dyuers goodes / to thy soule and to thy body Loue thou and seche one good / wherin ben all godes / and he shall suffysethe For the good that god hath graunted and gyuen to his frendes / that is hym selfe the whiche is the souerayne good of whom cometh and sourdeth all other goodes / as stremes / the whiche yssueth out of the quycke fountayne ¶ Certaynly right blyssed shal he be sayth saynt Austyn / the whiche without vylonye shall se the vysage dyscouered and the glory of god / and shal be transformed in to thymage of glory where as he shal see god as he is / the whyche syght is glorye crowne without ende / and all the rewarde and meryte of sayntes This shall be al the good of man This sayth mayster hughe of saynt vyctor The man that made all and formed For therfore wolde god by come man / whiche made in himself al men blessyd in body and in soule / by cause that the man sawe hym with the eyen with his body in humanite And that the soule sawe hym in his deyte so that he founde swetnes and delyte in his creatour maker / within and without within his deyte and with oute in his humanyte This shall be the Ioye of euery creature his Ioye his delyte lyfe perdurable of his blessyd vysyon That is the blessynge / that they attende whiche kepe clennes and chastyte of herte and of body ¶ Of the yefte of sapyence Ca. Cliiii THe last yeft the souerayne and the moost hye is the yeft of sapience or of wysedom whiche is a grace that the holy ghoost gyueth to the herte contemplatyf / by whiche he is esprysed of the loue of god that he desyereth ne secheth none other thynge but to see god / to haue hym / to delyte in hym / to loue hym / to honoure and serue hym / and dwelle with hym This is the somme of perfeccyon / and the ende of contemplacyon ¶ The gyfte of vnderstondynge of whiche we haue spoken tofore maketh god to be knowen and the thynges spyrytuell as by syght symple byholdynges But the gyfte of sapyence maketh to fele knowe god by taste / then sapyence is none other thynge but a sauery knowleche / whiche is with sauoure grete delyte of herte / for otherwyse knoweth not he the wyne that drynketh it in a fayre voyre or glasse / yf he drynke and taste it not sauour it Many phylosophres knewen god by scrypture and by the creatures / lyke as by a myrrour wherin they behelde by reason and by vnderstondynge his myght / his beaute / his wytte and his bouÌ„te / in that whiche they see the creatures that he hath made so grete so fayre and so well ordeyned Then they knewe hym / by symple byholdynge of vnderstondynge and natural reason But they neuer felte hym by taste of ryÈt loue ne by deuocyon Ryght soo ben there many crysten persones / clerkes and laye / whiche well knowe hym by fayth and by scrypture / but by cause they haue theyr taste dysordynate by synne / they may not fele hym nomore than the seke persone may fynde taste or souour in good mete ¶ The gyfte of sapyence whiche the holy ghoost putteth in a perfyght herte / purgeth and clenseth it fro all ordure of synne / lyfteth vp soo the spyryte of a man that he Ioyneth hym to god by ardaunt desyre of loue / soo that he is al with god / there he fyndeth hym / there he nouryssheth hym / there he fatteth hym / there he delyteth and resteth hyÌ„ / and there he slepeth There he forgeteth all his trauaylles / all his flesshely desyres and erthely / hym self / so that he remembreth no thynge but god whome he loueth aboue all thynges This is the laste degree of the laddre of perfeccyon that Iacob sawe in his slepe whiche touched heuen / by whiche auÌ„gellys mouÌ„ted descended / the degrees of this laddre ben the .vii. gyftes of the holy ghoost / of whiche we haue spoken tofore / by these .vii. degrees
humylyte of that whiche they haue not done And fro suche a lesynge ought a creature moche for to kepe hȳ and for to be ware ryght gretely there of / for such humylyte is wycked For after the saynge of saynt Austyn Lyke as a creature ought not for to hele ne hyde in his confessyon that whiche he hath doone In lyke wyse ought he not for to saye that whiche he hathe not done ¶ Somtyme a creature lyeth in his owne dede for shame That is to wete whan he sayth some thynge whiche he weneth be true And in sayng it he auyseth hym and knoweth hym selfe that it is not so And neuerthelesse for shame he dare not withdrawe that he hathe sayd / accordynge vnto the trouthe ¶ And sometyme a creature lyeth for to haue some prouffyte therby / or for to escape some peryll Sometyme for to do prouffyte vnto an other Or to delyuer or kepe hym from some peryll or for to empesshe his prouffyte Or to lette his domage Also somtyme the creatures maketh lesynges or lyes or Iapes or playes / and for to gladde and enioye the people with whiche they are in companye with all ¶ And from all these lesynges after the sayenge of swete saynt Austȳ A creature ought all way to kepe hȳ fro makynge of lesynges For euery lesynge that a creature maketh is synne And the two fyrst ben deedly sȳnes / and the other by euyl custō may brynge a creature to deedly synne / after these .iiii. commaundementes aforesayd whiche defende to do euyll by werke and by worde folowe the other two whiche defende the wylle of lyberte to greue doo euyl to another The first deffendeth the wyl to hurte another in his godes teporall And that is this Thou shalt not coueyte the thynge of thy neyghboure Ayenst this commaundement mespryseth synneth a creature sōtyme mortally or deedly / that is to wete as ofte as by delyberacyon he coueyteth wolde haue the goodes of another and ayenst reason Somtyme venyally that is to wete whan he coueyteth the goodes of another But he wolde not haue them but by reason as for the prys that they be worthe / and by the good wyll of hym or them that owe them The seconde commaundement defendeth the wyll delybered or concluded to coueyte the wyf of another mā for to haue carnall companye with her For to haue the knowleche of the sayd commaundement it is to vnderstonde that in .iii. maners concupyscence carnall is in a creature Fyrst in the herte whan it is by consentynge delybered and concluded To this purpose sayth our sauyour Ihesu Cryst / that he that byholdeth a woman by carnall concupyscence / that is to say by a wyl concluded to haue hyr companye flesshly in his herte / he hath commysed fornycacyon / synneth deedly Secondly in the mouth in expressynge and declarynge the euyll desyre that is in the herte by consentynge the whiche consētynge is called deedly synne / thyrdly in werke whan the euyll purpose or consentynge is done in dede After it is to wete that .iiii. thynges pryncypally kepeth a creature fro fallynge into the synne of concupyscence ¶ The fyrst is to flee euyll companye all occasyons that gyuen moeuen cause of concupyscence As for to frequent and to se women oft and to here speke of them The .ii. is to put out not remembre in his herte the euyll thoughtes and the temptacyōs that come by the thynges that he hath seen and to chastyse his body and holde in penaunce afflyccyon The .iii. is to haue recours to god by deuout orysō and prayer whan flesshely temptacyon cometh in requyrynge deuoutly his helpe The fourthe is also in occupyenge hymselfe in good werkes accordynge to god And alway to fle ydlenes whiche is cause of all euyll Thus it appereth clerely by the cmaundementes aforesayd declared that the creature that loueth god hath of necessyte for to do thre thynges Fyrst that he adoure and worshyp but one god after the fyrst commaundement partyculer Secondly that the name of god he receyue not in vayne after the seconde commaundement Thyrdly that he honoure god after the thyrde commaundement In lyke wyse a creature that loueth his neyghboure hathe of necessyte to do .vii. thynges The fyrst is that he doo honoure and reuerence due after the .iiii. commaundemēt The seconde that he doo none euyll ne Iniurye by werke Fyrst as touchynge to his persone after the .v. cōmaundement Secondly as touchynge the persone to hym conioyned after the .vi. commaundement Thyrdly as touchynge to his godes after the .vii. cōmaundement Also do not ne bere domage by his worde after the .viii commaundement Ne also by thought and wyll concluded Fyrst whan he coueyteth his wyfe after the .ix. cōmaundement Secondly as touchynge to coueyt his thynges after the .x. commaundement The whiche god gyue vs grace to accomplysshe Amen ¶ Thus endeth the cōmaundementes of the crysten lawe whiche eche man ought to holde and kepe entyerly for to haue the lyf and glorye pardurable Deo gracias ¶ Here foloweth the twelue artycles of the fayth made by the .xii. apostles S. Peter S. Andrewe S. iames the more S. Iohan. S. Thomas S. iames the lesse ¶ These ben the .xii. articles of the crysten fayth whiche euery man ought too byleue fermely For otherwyse he may not be saued / yf he haue vnderstondynge reason in hymself and they ben .xii. artycles after the nombre of the twelue apostles / whiche establysshed theym to holde and kepe / of whome the fyrst apperteyneth to the fader The seconde to the sone / and the .iii. to the holy goste For this is foundement of the fayth to byleue in the holy trynyte That is in the fader / and in the sone / and in the holy ghoost one god in .iii. persones Al these artycles ben conteyned in the grete Credo and in the lytel credo / the whiche the .xii. apostles made / of whiche eche of theym made sette a clause of whome the fyrst is thys ¶ The fyrst artycle of the fayth capitulo .xi. S. Phylyppe S. Barthylmew S. Mathewe S. Symon S. Iude. S. Mathyas I Byleue in god fader all myght creatour or maker of heuen erthe / this article made saint peter sayenge Credo in deum patrem omnipotem creatorem celi terre The .ii. apperteyneth to the sone as touchynge his deyte / that he is god / and that is thys I byleue in our lorde / sone of the fader / and in this we ought for to byleue that he is semblable egall vnto the fader to all thynges the whiche apperteyne vnto the deyte / and is one thynge with the fader / sauf the persone whiche is other than the fader as touchynge thumanyte This artycle made saynt Andrewe saynge Et in Ihesum xp̄m filium eius vnicum dn̄m nostrum ¶ The .iii. artycle is of the cōcepcyon of cryst / and was conceyued of the holy goost
worlde but they were not parfytely purged Now make they the remenaūte of theyr penaunce vnto they be clere and nette / lyke as they were at the tyme houre whan they were baptised / but this penaunce is moche horryble and harde / for all the payne that women euer suffred in trauayllynge delyuerynge of theyr thyldren / and also saynt bartylmewe suffryd to beflayne all quycke saynt stephen to be stoned with stones / saynt laurente saynt vyncent to be brente rosted vpon brennynge cooles All these martyrdoms and tormentes ne ben not but as a bayne in colde water after the wytnesse of scrypture to the regarde of tormentes of purgatorye where as the sowles brenne vntyll they be purged of all theyr synnes / lyke as golde syluer be purged fyned in the fyre / tyll no more be founde to be purged For this fyre of purgatorye is of suche nature / that all that they fynde in the soule is it of dede of worde and of thought that hath torned to ony synne lytell or grete / all is there brente and purged And also there ben punysshed and purged al the synnes venyal / whiche we calle lytel synnes whiche we ofte do Lyke as foule thoughtes / ydle wordes Iapes trufes lyes and all other vanytees so longe tyll the soule haue no more to be purged of / and that she be so clene so pure so nette and so worthy that she be sayntefyed for to entre in to heuen / where as none may entre but yf he be ryght fyne ryght clene ryght cleer This fyre dreden all they that to theyr power kepe theym fro deedly sȳne / and the kepe holyly theyr body theyrmouth theyr eerys theyr eyen / and all theyr fyue naturell wyttes fro all synnes And also lyuenas they sholde euery daye dye and come tofore the Iugement And by cause that none may lyue all withoute synne / lyke as sayth Salamon For seuen tymes in the daye falleth the ryght wysman And therfore by holy confessyon / by teerys by orysons by almesses other good dedes ought euery man to be relyeued / and putte a way fro synne and a mende his lyfe And to Iuge hym selfe of his sȳnes to the ende that he a byde more suerly the last Iugemente ¶ Also to lerne to knowe euyll / and to fle it and all synne grete and lytell And that he be thenne in the grete drede of god whiche is the begynnynge of all good and of good lyfe ¶ How we ought to lyue holyly lerne to do wel ca lxii NOw it suffyseth not to leue al sinnes and all euylles But that it be lerned too do good / and yf we lerne to gete the vertues / by the whiche we may cast and put a waye the vyces and all sȳnes with out whiche vertues no man may lyue well ne ryghtfully Then yf thou wylte lerne to lyue well after vertu lerne also to dye as I haue a fore sayd to the / deseuer thy spyryte fro thy body by thought and by desyere And go out of this worlde deynge / and go into the londe of lyuȳge where none shal dye ne wexe olde that is in heuen There is lerned to lyue well / and al wysedome and all curtesye For there may entre no vylayne There is the gloryous companye of god and of the gloryous virgyne his moder saynt marye of Angelles and of sayntes There surhabounde all goodes beautees Rychesses honoures strengthe lyghtnes scyence fraunchyse vertues wytte glorye and ioye perdurable There is no poynte of ypocresye ne of trycherye / ne of losengerye / ne of dyscorde / ne of enuye ne hungre ne thryst ne hete ne colde ne euyll ne sorowe ne drede of enemyes But alwaye feestes and ryall espousaylles songe and ioye withoute ende This ioye is so grete / that who that shall haue tasted one onely drop of the moost leste ioye that is there / he sholde be fyred soo entalented in the loue of god that all the ioye of this worlde sholde be vnto hym stenche and tormentes and rychesses dunge / honoures but fylthe vyletees And the desyre for too come thyder shall make hym an hondred thousand tyme more ardauntly to hate synne / and to loue vertues and to do well For loue is more stronge than drede / and then is the lyf fayre and honeste / whan a persone fleeth all euyls synnes And enforceth hym to do al the good that he may / not onely for fere to be dampned but for the desyre of the glorye perdurable and for the loue of god And for the grete clennesse that vertues haue and good lyf / and theym whome the loue of god ledeth / moche hastelyer soner and more ardauntly comen therto / and lasse costeth / than they that serue god for drede The hare renneth and soo doth the greyhounde That one for drede that other by desyre That one fleeth the other chaceth The holy man renneth to god lyke a greyhounde For he hath alwaye his eyen and his desyre too heuen where he seeth the pray that he chaceth / for that he forgeteth the goddes of this worlde / lyke as the gentyll hounde whā he seeth his pray This is the way and the lyfe to the fyue good and true louers of god / to gentyll hertes that so moche loueth vertues and hateth sȳnes / that yf they were certayne / that they ne sholde ne myght knowe the sȳnes / ne that god sholde not auenge them / yet they wolde not deygne to do ne to consent to synne / but al theyr thought and payne of theyr herte is to kepe theym clene from all synnes And to apparayle them that be worthy to se and haue pardurably the glory of heuen / where as herte velanous entached with synne shall neuer entre / ne foole ne felonous ne proude man ¶ Of .iii. maner of spyrytuell goodes Ca. lxiii NOw haue I well shewed to that how one shol lerne to dye lede and vse good and holy lyfe / for to gete vertues so that a man knowe well euedently clennes / and what is synnes / what is almesse what is vertue Also that one knowe well and certaynely / and to Iuge what is euyl / and what is good / what is synne / and to can deuyse the veray good the grete good fro the lytell For a thynge not knowen is neyther hated ne desyred / therfore oughtest thou to knowe that the scryptures sayth that there ben some small thynges that be called the lytell good / and some the myddle good And some the grete good / and some veray good that is ryghtful to al the worlde is somtyme deceyued For they gyue the grete godes for the lytel / or the grete for the myddle For this worlde is as a fayre / where as be many folysshe marchaūtes / and fooles / that bye glasse for saphyres / and brasse for golde / bladders for lanternes
strengthe of man Charyte / sayth saynt Austyn Ioyneth vs to god For charyte is none other thynge but chyere vnyte / that is / dere one hede / for she maketh the herte and god all one as sayth saynt Poule Fayth byholdeth in god souerayn vnyte hope beholdeth in god souerayn hyenesse / and charyte souerayn bounte These .iii. vertues ben deuyded by .iii. degres of loue / for for .iii. thynges a man is loued One is by cause that one hath herde or hereth grete good of hym Or by cause that he hath receyued grete good of hym Or by cause he entendeth to haue grete good of hym These iii. maners of loue ben in these .iii. vertues Loue of fayth hereth and werketh / loue of hope feleth the sauour and requyreth it / loue of charyte taketh seeth it / tasteth holdeth it ¶ Of the foure cardynall vertues / by whiche a man ought to gouerne hym Ca. lxxxxi OF the foure cardynall vertues speken moche the auÌ„cieÌ„t phylosophres but the holy ghost gyueth theÌ„ ensygneth them better an hondred tymes as sayth Salamon in the boke of sapyence The fyrste of these foure vertues is prudence the seconde attempraunce / the thyrde strength / and the fourthe Iustyce These .iiii. vertues ben called cardynalles / by cause they ben the moost pryÌ„cypall amonge the vertues of whiche the auncyent phylosophers speketh For by these .iiii. vertues a man gouerneth hym selfe in this worlde Lyke as the pope gouerneth al holy chyrche by his cardynalles PrudeÌ„ce kepeth a man that he be not deceyued by none engyne of the ennemy AtteÌ„praunce kepeth a man that he be not corrupt by none euyll loue Strength kepeth hym that he be not vaynquysshed ne ouercome by wrath / or by drede / or by sorowe This is that holdeth a man in good estate toward hymselfe Iustyce setteth a man in ryght estate anenste hymselfe and other / for Iustyce rendreth to eche man the whiche is his These ben the .iiii. toures at .iiii. corners of the hous of the good man that maketh it stronge / sure good Prudence garnyssheth it towarde the eest by purueyaunce for al perylles Attempraunce garnyssheth it towarde the southe ageynst the euyll heetes Srengthe garnyssheth it towarde the northe for the euyll coldes Iustyce garnyssheth it towarde the west ayenst the euyll raynes ¶ Yet agayne of the foure cardynall vertues as here foloweth Ca. lxxxxii THese .iiii. vertues haue dyuers offyces / ben moche dyuers in theyr werkes / lyke as sayth an auÌ„cyent phylosophre named Plato in his boke that he made of these .iiii. vertues / deuydeth them moche subtylly / sayth that prudence hath .iii offyces For by this vertue all that whiche a man doth sayth / thynketh is ordeyned all and ledde by lyne / rule / and reason and in all his werkes he pourueyeth / that he vse theym after thordynaunce of god that all seeth and Iugeth A grete lorde sholde he be as me semeth that sholde haue this onely / vertue / and by these thre thynges sholde gouerne hym ¶ Of the vertue of attemperaunce lxxxxiii THe vertue of attemperauÌ„ce hath .iii. offyces for the herte that hath this vertue wyll not ne coueyteth not to do a thynge of whiche he ought to repente In noo thynges he breketh not the lawe dysmesurably / but putteh hym self alwaye vnder the yoke of reason And no thynges doubteth of all the couetyses of the worlde That is to saye / who hath this vertue he kepeth hym that he be not corrupt by the thre thynges that foulen shamen the worlde ¶ Of the vertue of strength Ca. lxxxxiiii THe vertue of strength hath also .iii offyces / for a man that hath this vertue in his hert he lyft hyÌ„ vpon hye aboue the perylles of this worlde and no thynge doubteth he sauf vylonye and synne / he bereth aduersyte and prosperyte / and suffreth without to bowe on the ryght syde ne on the lyfte syde Moche good sholde be the knyght of god that in these thre thynges sholde be well proued These .iii. vertues armen / ordeyne / adourne a man as touchynge the thre partes of the herte whiche ben called / reason / loue / vygour Prudence kepeth the reason that it be not deceyued Attempraunce kepeth the loue / that it be not corrupte Strength kepeth the vygoure or myght that it be not ouercome ¶ Of the vertue of Iustyce Ca. lxxxxv IVstyce maketh a man to lyue ordynatly amonge the other For lyke as Plato sayth the phylosophre This is the vertue that maketh that a man dooth vnto euery man the whiche he oweth to do For he rendreth reuerence honoure vnto them that be aboue hym Frendshyp pease and concorde to them that ben lyke to hym / grace and pyte to them that ben vnder hym By these .iiii. vertues sayth the sayd phylosophre / that a man is theÌ„ worthy that he be gouernoure of hymselfe / and after of other In these .iiii. vertues studyed the auncyent phylosophres whiche dyspysed all the worlde for to acquyre and gete vertue wysdome / and therfore were they called phylosophres / whiche is as moche to say as loue of sapyence ¶ O good god how sholde this confounde vs and make vs aferde that they that were paynyms without law wryten and nothynge knewe of the veray grace ne of the gyftes of the holy goost / and neuertheles they styed vp in to the mountayne of perfeccyon of lyuynge by force by theyr propre vertue / and dayned not to take hede of the worlde / ne to do euyll / ne to consent to synne / we that ben crysten men that haue the veray fayth / knowe the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god / haue the grace of the holy goost / yf we wyll our syÌ„nes cause it not / that we may more prouffyte for our helth anenst god in a day / thaÌ„ they myght in a yere / we defoule vs / lye here beneth as a swyne in a mire / in the ordure of this worlde / and synne in the fylthe and donge of delyces of this worlde Therfore sayth saynt Poule that the paynym that is without lawe shall Iuge vs at the daye of Iugement / that haue had here the lawe / we neyther holde ne kepe it / and by cause they had not ryÈt fayth ne the grace of the holy ghoost ne no vertue ne quycke ne very fayth / they may not well knowe how these vertues be good and fayre / for as moche dyfference as is bytwene a brennynge cole / and a deed cole / and a lyuynge man and a deed man Soo moche dyfference is there bytwene vertue that is without charyte / vertue that is with charyte / whiche is the bounte / the valure and the lyf of other vertues / wherof saynt Austyn sayth whan he speketh of these .iiii. vertues / he deuydeth theym by .iiii. maner of loues and by .iiii. thynges that veray loue
of hymselfe veray Iugement in bytter contrycyon of herte / and in veray confessyon of mouth / and satysfaccyon penaunce of veraye Iustyce / he Iugeth hym selfe as a these and putteth hym verely on the gybet of penaunce without fayntyse wtout ypocrysye ¶ How a man ought to hate pryde Ca. C.iii. HE that hateth pryde / he loueth pouerte / and setteth his herte lowe in humylyte / therfore all they that ben veraye humble loueth pouerte / ben poore of speryte The veray humble persone loueth pouerte for thre reasons / that is to wete / for the perylles that ben in gouernaunce of rychesses / for the goodes that ben in good and veray pouerte / and for by cause that god loueth soo moche pouerte / as whan he was here in this worlde he loued it / yet loueth / and all them that loue it / lyke as holy scrypture wytnesseth it / wherof Ihesu cryste sayth by Dauyd in his psaulter / that god hereth the prayers / and desyres of poore men / pourueyeth to them mete swetely in good sauour For he is theyr refuge and theyr sauyour Iob sayth that god is the fader of the poore / hath gyuen to them power to Iuge the other And our lorde at the begȳnynge of his fayre sermon sayth that blyssed be the poore / and then he accursed the ryche that haue here theyr heuen But the veray heuen celestyall he hathe gyuen to the poore / so that they may gyue it sell it / and the worlde wyll not beleue that god say trouthe / ne that pouerte be blyssed But god sayth thus in the gospell / fayr fader I praye the thanke the / that the hast hyd these thynges fro the wyse / and hast manyfested and shewed it to the humble and meke The humble and poore of spyryte seen god / here hym wel and byleue hym well / and louen better an hondred folde theyr pouerte / than the couetous man loueth his rychessys In threthynges sheweth a man that he loueth pouerte / whā he loueth and holdeth gladly the companye of the poore / and loueth them and holdeth them companye / lyke as Ihesu Cryste dyd as longe as he was in this worlde for naturally the lambes flee fro the wulues and withdrawe fro them / and the chyldren withdrawe them and flee the companye of grete people / and the humble and meke people withdrawe them gladly fro the proude people The lyf of a poore persone is lytel and poore / for he requyreth not ne axeth precyous metes ne oultrageous vesture ne clothynge / ne he secheth no bobaunce / ne no pryde / in robes ne in rydynge / ne in householde / ne in meyne ne in feeste ne in companye And it suffyseth to the veray poore that he haue onelye his sustenaunce The veray poore persone suffreth in pacyence hungre and thryste / colde and hete / lothynges and vylonnyes many bytter trybulacyons for the loue of Ihesu Cryst and of his passyon And all these the euyll poore man doth suffreth ayenst his wyll The veray humble and the veray poore suffreth gladly all euyls all aduersytes for the loue of god / yet ageyne it is the custome of a poore man / that yf he haue no thynge / and may gete ne wynne no thynge / he is not ashamed to aske and demaunde / and the veray humble beggeth all daye and requyreth the prayers and the orysons of good people and of the frendes of god / and the veray humble trusteth more in theyr ayde / than he doth in his owne good dedes ¶ Of dyuers estates of pryde Ca. C.iiii. DRyde loueth the hye place aboue Humylyte loueth the lowe place bynethe This is the dyamonde of the noble nature that dayneth not to sytte in golde / but in poore metall as in yron / in lyke wyse as is the sheef of wheet beten / the grayn is vnder and the chaffe is aboue But our lorde shall sell his whete at the day of dome al wynewed as sayth the gospell / and he shall caste the chaffe in to the fyre of hell / and the grayne in to the garner of heuen / how moche more the golde is fyne and pure / soo moche more is it heuy / and the more it weyeth the sooner it gooth doune to the botom / and the more that a man is meke hūble / the more loueth he the lowe place / lyke as dyde Ihesu cryste and his swete moder whiche gaue to vs ensample to serue and to obeye Not onely to the gretest but to the leest And how moche more the seruyce is vyle dyspysable so moche gladly dooth it the humble and meke Therfore our lorde Ihesu cryst taught his appostles to wasshe the fete by humylyte Thenne humylyte is proprely moder of obedience / and nouryssheth it / ensygneth kepeth it that it be not corrupt by vaynglory / by heuynes ne by murmure / ne by propre wyt / ne by propre wyll / ne by aduersyte / ne by ony other maner / it is to wete that there be .vii. adournementes of obedyence The fyrst the one obeye anone prestly / gladly / sȳply / purely / generally / vyly / vygorously The humble is poore tofore his eyen naked / hath not to do for hym selfe / therfore he is alway redy / as the morones in the see in theyr shyppes the anone as they here the voyce of the gouernour / they obey vnto hym renne as they were enraged The humble obeyth gladly / that the paynes / the perylles / and the deth he receyueth to his power with grete ioye for the loue that he hath to obedyence Therfore sayd Dauyd the prophete in the psaulter / that he loued better the commaundementes that god made / than he dyd golde ne syluer / ne precyous stones The humble obeye al symply / as doth the hors / or the sheep / whome the shepeherde ledeth where as he wyl / and that neuer sayth / wherfore go I more here than there For one of the moost honest doughters that humylyte hath is holy symplesse The humble is ryght true to god / lyke as is a ryght good wyfe to her husbonde / whiche wyll to no man obeye folyly / but to her husbonde onely And therfore none obeyeth so Iustly ne in so good entencyon as doth the veray humble / whiche hateth not / but for to playse the worlde / and desyreth noo thynge but to plese god After the veray humble is ryght vygorous / ryghe swyfte open / whan he bereth the vertue of obedyence and the loue of god and doth it to his prelate But whan his owne wyl bereth hym and ledeth Thenne he is heuy and slowe to do well / lyke vnto the sterre named saturnus that renneth as moche in one daye with the fyrmament / whan the fyrmament ledeth her / as she doeth in .xxx. yere in her propre cours Also the
degrees / the brauÌ„ches / the fruyte the spyrytuell good that cometh therof in this worlde and in that other Of the fruyte of this tree sayth Dauyd to vs in the psaulter in this wyse Blyssed is he that entendeth to the nedy to the poore That is to say that he abyde not so longe tyll the poore demaunde hym / but that he gyue without askynge Ne he hath no herte to gyue that gyueth not wtout askynge / he dooth wel that gyueth to the pore but he dooth moche better that gyueth wtout demaundyÌ„ge And therfore sayth Dauyd the prophete / blyssed is he that entendeth to the poore / wherfore is he blyssed / he sayth after in the sayd place / that god shall delyuer hym in the euyl daye fro his ennemyes That shall be at the daye of dome whiche shall be harde and euyll to them that shall be dampned bycause they haue not fulfylled the werkes of mercy ¶ Thenne shall the Iuge say to them at that day Goo ye cursed in to the fyre of hell with the deuylles to be dampned / whan I had honger and thyrst ye gaue to me neyther meet ne drynke I haue be seke and ye vesyted not me I was naked and ye clothed me not And therfore they shall be delyuered to theyr enemyes / that ben the deuylles of hell / and they that haue ben pyteous and that haue entended to the poore people shall be delyuerd that daye and sholde be put in the possessyon of heuen Lyke as our lorde sayth in the gospell For he shall saye vnto them that haue done and accomplysshed the werkes of mercy Come ye blessed of my fader Receyue ye take ye the kyngdome of heuen whiche that I haue made redy for you syth the begynnynge of the worlde For that whiche ye haue done to the poore / ye haue done to me Grete honoure shall god doo to them / whan he shall thanke theym of the werkes of mercy / and shal gyue to them the glorye perdurable And therfore sayth he in the gospell Blessed ben the mercyfull For they shall haue mercy / by cause they haue enlonged the lyf of the poore people by theyr almesse / and therfore they that haue had pyte of the membres of Ihesu Cryst / and haue susteyned them in this worlde / and haue comforted and ayded them in theyr aduersytees It is wel reason that he do to them mercy whiche delyuerth fro al aduersytes and fro all myserye / and so shall he do whan he shall gyue to them the lyf perburable / wherto mercy shall lede them and herberowe theym ¶ Of the lyf actyf of the lyf contemplatyf Ca. Cxl. THe holy scrypture wytnesseth enseygneth to vs .ii. maners of wele and goodes / by whiche a persone cometh to the lyf perdurable / the fyrst is called the lyf actyf / by cause it is in labour of good werkes / and maketh a man to entende to the proufyte of hym self and of his neyghbour The seconde is called conteÌ„platyf / by cause it is in reste of good werkes / and ne entendeth to noo thynge but to loue and to knowe god Thenne is he ydle of werkes without forth / and lyke as he were in a dreme / or heuely a slepe / but he is awaked withinforthe for to thynke vpon god / and for to loue hym And for the loue that he hay e to god / he put all other thynges in forgetynge / lyke as he were all rauysshed and fyxed in god / and desyreth for to be dysceuered fro the mortall body / for to be alway with Ihesu cryste The fyrst lyfe / is the felde of good werkes where the knyghtes of god assaye and preue them The seconde reste theym with all myghty god in the chambre of clene conscyence The fyrst entendeth for to fede god with the meet of good werkes The seconde entendeth for to be fedde and fulfylled of god by veray comfort spyrytuell ¶ Of the fyrste is sygnyfyed by Martha whiche was besy to fede our lorde / as it is sayd in the gospell The seconde is sygnyfyed by Mary magdaleyn whiche sate at the fete of Ihesu cryst / herde his wordes The fyrst is a way and entre to the seconde For noo persone may come to the lyfe contemplatyf / yf he be not fyrst proued well in the lyf actyf Lyke as sayth saynt Gregory The gyftes and the vertues wherof we haue spoken tofore / appertayneth to the fyrst lyfe / whiche is called actyf The two last gyftes of whiche we shall speke / by the helpe ayde of the holy goost / that is to wete the gyfte of vnderstandynge and of the gyft of wysdome and sapyence appertayneth to the seconde lyfe / whiche is called contemplatyf This lyfe hath two thynges lyke as we haue tofore touched / that is to wete in the ryght knowlege of god and in parfyte loue The gyft of vnderstandynge ledeth to perfeccyon of ryght knowlege The gyft of sapyence ledeth to perfeccyon of loue We shall saye fyrst of the gyft of vnderstandynge after that the holy goost shall teche and ensygne vs. This gyft that is called the gyft of vnderstondynge ne is none other thynge after the sayntes and the doctours / but a lyght and a clerenes of grace the whiche the holy goost sendeth in to the hert by vnderstoÌ„dynge a man is lyft vp to knowe his maker and the thyÌ„ges spyrytuell whiche may not be seen bodely And all the thâ—ges that apperteyneth to the helthe of the soule / and to naturall reason to whiche the vnderstondynge of a maÌ„ by hym selfe may not come This gyfte is called lyghte / for it purgeth the vnderstondynge of a man fro the derkenes of Ignouraunce / and fro the spottes and fyfth of synne For lyke as the bodely â—yght taketh away the derkenes / and maketh the bodely thynges to be seen clerely Ryght so this spuÌ„â—ll lyght purgeth the vnderstondyÌ„ge of a man / to that whiche he may see clerely and knowe certeynly / as a man may knowe in this mortal lyf god his maker / and the spyrytuell creatures / lyke as ben the aungellys and the soules and the thynges that apperteyne to the helthe of soules That ben the artycles of the feyth of whiche we haue spoken tofore This knowleche is not but in conscyence wel purged / pure and clene For lyke as sore eyen charged with fylthe may not beholde the clere lyght Ryght so the vnderstondynge of a man / whan it is of hym self may not beholde / ne knowe spyrytuell thynges / yf it be not wel purged fro al tatches of errour and of fylthe of synne / by veray fayth whiche purgeth the hertes as the scrypture sayth But the gyfte of the holy ghoost of whiche we speke here perfourmeth this purgacyon at the hert so that the holy soule whiche is purged enlumyned with this lyght of vnderstondynge may see and knowe god / and all that whiche is to hym necessarye
But he is a good marchaunte that of euery thynge knoweth well clerely the trouthe and the propre vertue / lyke as the holy ghoost enseygneth vs / another maystre techeth vs too knowe the grete thynges fro the smale the precyouse fro the vyle / the swete from the bytter ¶ Of the goodes of fortune Ca. .lxiiii. THey calle the smalle goodes the goodes of fortune whiche dame fortune hath aboute her whele / alwaye taketh awaye and gyueth / and torneth that whiche is aboue to falle vnder These ben the precyouse stones that the fooles haue bought for rubyes for saphyrs and for emerawdes These ben also as Ieweles and yonge chyldren whiche god gyueth to vs for to solace vs with / and for to drawe our loue to hym By cause that he knoweth well that we been tendre feble and that we may not holde the sharpe wayes of penaunce / of anguysshe and of martyrdome / lyke as done the good knyghtes of god whiche conquere the royame of heuen by strengthe and take it by theyr prowesse and theyr good vertues Thenne that is not the grete good ne well ryghtful For yf that were the grete good and veray Then were foles the blessyd chyldren of god Ihesu Cryst whiche chosen pouerte shame and sharpnesse for to gyue and to shewe to vs ensaumple And refused the ioyes the honoures and the rychessys of this worlde / yf these goodes transytorye worldly and temporall ben veray good / thenne be not al the veray goodes in heuen Then is not god parfytelye good and happy by cause he wyll not vse suche goodes / Thenne god is not good ne naturall by cause he gyueth not these worldly goodes to his frendes / but he gyueth theym more largely to his enemyes / yf these were veray good / thenne were foles all the sayntes / al the good clerkys the wyse phylosophres that fledde fro suche worldly goodes despysed theym as dunge / yf these be veray good / thenne fayleth the holy scrypture that calleth them lyes and vanytees / nettes and grynnes of the deuyl / this is as trewe as the pater noster For these ben the engynes of the deuyll / by whiche he deceyueth the soules in a thousande maners / and byndeth theym and taketh and holdeth theym But the wyse marchaunte that is the wyse man / whome the holy ghoost enlumyneth by veray knowleche / that oueral knoweth and can decerne what euery thynge is worth / he seeth ryght well vnderstondeth that all the worlde is not a good morsell for too fylle the herte of one man / and that there is therin moche euyll and lytell good And therfore he beholdeth the euylles perylles that ben therin / and knoweth well that it is trouthe that is comunelye sayd / who that gyueth not that whiche he loueth / he taketh not whiche he desyreth Suche folke gyuen the worlde for to haue heuen / forsaketh ouerall rychesses for ioye / fylthe ordure for golde / and leue all for godes sake / rychesses delyces honoures / and bycome poore in this worlde for to wynne good and for to gete the rychesse of heuen This is the moost fayrest lyf moste sure that may be in this worlde There ben other that see that in many maners may one do his prouffyt his sauacyon with goodes temporall that he may haue without ouermoche to loue theym For god commaundeth not a man to leue al. They reteyne them / but lytel they preyse them They vse them but lytel they loue them / lyke as dyd Abraham Iob and Dauyd / many other whiche eschewed fledde the peryls And they do spyrytuell prouffyte with temporall goodes / wyll by heuen with theyr almesses and other good dedes They can bye out theyr synnes helpe theyr neyghboures They can the more loue god / drede doute hym for the perylles that they be in / and the more humble them selfe whan they se and consyder theyr synnes theyr defautes / whan in sharpe and strayte wayes of penaunce they dare not go / whan so lytel for goddes sake they wyl suffre gyue / whiche so moche suffred to saue them / and wolde .xxxii. yere in this worlde be poore for to enryche them in heuen They saue them selfe well but it is harde to do For it is a more lyght thynge to leue all the godes at ones / than to retayne them not to loue theym ¶ Of the godes of fortune whiche folowe here Ca. lxv THe meane or myddle of goodes ben the goodes of nature and of doctryne Of nature lyke as beaute of body / prowesse / force / or strengthe / vygour / lyghtnes / debonayrte / clere wytte clere engyne for to fynde / good memorye for to retayne well / good voyce for to synge well All these goodes aforesayd nature bryngeth theym in the natyuyte or byrth of a persone Doctryne clargy all other godes be goten by studye or by accustomaūce / lyke as ben good vertues / good maners / and other vertues But these be not yet veray good ryghtfull For they doo not that whiche is perfytely good For many a phylosophre / and grete clerkes Emperoures Kynges / and many other prynces and other grete lordes the whiche hath had many of these goodes ben dampned in hell pytte ¶ Also all these goodes hath our lorde gyuen to his enemyes as well as to his frendes To Sarasyns To Iewes To false crysten men lyke as he hath too good men Also this is not veray good that faylleth at nede / and that may be loste maulgre hym self And thought theuys may not take theym and robbe theym Yet the deth taketh them alwaye at the laste Also I saye that the veraye goodes aydeth alwaye and greuen neuer / but certeynlye suche goodes and suche graces forayne ben oft domage greue them that haue them / yf they vse them not well accordȳge to god For some auaunt them and ben proude and dyspyse the other / whan they to whome god hath gyuen suche graces and suche goodes as I haue tofore sayd and named / yf they vse them not well and Iustly accordynge to god / they shall bee in gretter tormente in helle And straytly they must acompte and yelde a rekenynge at the daye of dome / of that they haue done / and how they haue vsed and despended it Notwithstondynge they haue goten goodes that god hath lente to them for multeplyenge and encrees Here after is shewed of the goodes of grace Ca. .lxvi. NOw haue I shortly shewyd the tytell good and the meane good Now wyll I shewe to the whiche is the veray good ryghtfull parfyte This doeth he whiche hath the good with ryghte and vnderstondynge For withoute the whiche was neuer no good with ryght This good is called the grace of god and vertue charytee Grace by cause that she gyeueth lyf and helthe too the soule For withoute