twayne wolde denye to saye for me I thynke I shall fall in dyspayre for on whome to call after socour I wote not / and to put my selfe in prees as a poore naked best vnclothed of vertue and repleted with vyces naked of grace and in myn owne defaute and to come to the presence of the kynge of all kynges and vnpouruayed of all thynges that wolde accorde with his moost ryall and Imperyall estate I dare not take it vpon me I sholde be in suche drede fere I sholde not con ne dare not speke for my selfe for I haue prayed my good aungell to speke for me and he hath denyed it I haue called vpon Reason Drede and Conscyens they haue answered me full heuyly that they be loth to accuse me and exscuse me they can not / alledgeth many a grete resonable cause why that I can not saye nay to I haue called vpon my seruauntes whiche were take me to rewle and gouerne as I wolde answere for them / and they answere me ryght sorowfully saye yf they sholde saye ony good worde for me they sholde not saye trouth of me casteth to me that peryll that no body wolde gyue credence vnto them yf they wolde saye well on me but call theym flaterers fals dyssymulours and flaterers of synne Alas alas I haue heuyly dyspēded my longe lyfe that in all this longe tyme haue not purchased me One frende to speke for me had our lorde of his moost ample grace ordeyned me unmedyatly after my crystendome to haue dyed forth with I myght saye I had be borne in a gracyous houre But wolde it please your goodnes to speke for me and vnderstande whether I shall haue hardynes to make a byll to the blessyd lady and moost holy vyrgyn that euer was and she that dysdayneth not nor denyeth not sȳnard sȳners whan they call after grace Notwithstandynge her chastyte and her pure virgynyte excelleth all other virgyns Now good go your waye lette me wete how I shall spede for all this tyme I lyue in suche drede fere that me were better dye anone than lyue ony lenger in the drede that I am in And also I haue so grete drede fere of the ryghtwysnes of almyghty god that I am almoost deed for fere For reason drede conscyence sayd to me full shortly that the hyghe Iuge wolde not be percyall nor he wolde not be corrupte with good but he wyll mynyster to me Iustyce certaynly but and he atteyneth to mynystre to me Iustyce without fauour I wyll appele to his mercyes certaynly for other remedy is ther̄ none par de Origene our blessyd lady helpe Thyofull / syr Emery how sholde they haue done ne the moder of mercy had ben many another synner that her grace hath holpe She is quene of heuen lady of the worlde and empresse of hell / and saynge to her sone cryst Ihesu hath dyed suffred so tourmentous a deth in her owne syght to her grete socour and motherly compassyon I hope she wolde be loth that theke precyous passyon sholde be loste in ony creature that her blessyd sone suffred so pacyently ¶ The answere of fayth hope to the dyenge creature HAue ye none acqueyntaunce wyth our brother Charyte we meruayle that ye haue not spoken of hym in all this tyme / for and ye were Ioyned with vs twayne your message sholde be the more acceptably herde manyfolde ¶ The lamentable complaynt of the dyenge creature to fayth hope and charyte CErtaynly I haue but lytell deled with hym I was neuer conuersaunt with hym that me repenteth now / for I fele by you twayne that he may do moche in the hygh courte I haue more deled with ven geaunce than I haue with charyte / for I wolde haue ben auenged vpon euery man by my wyll whan the people had slayne my chyldren my kyn my frendes robbed spoyled my selfe certaynly I wolde haue ben a wroke ryght fayne and I had had power to my wyll but though my power were lytell certaynly I haue hated them and wylled them to haue ben done to as they haue done to me / and wel I wote that is not the ordre of charyte But now I hertely crye god mercy our blessed lady you holy charyte of the that myn enemyes here afore god oure blessed lady you thre I forgyue them all that they haue done agaynst me / wyl not be auenged thought I myght And I pray you holy charyte thoughe it were longe or I were acqueynted with you be not the lother to doo for me I sore repente me that I haue thus vnresonably vnwyttyngely absented me frome you hertely I crye you mercy / praye you of your charyte to put out of your mynde my presumptuous foly for certaynly I shall neuer do so more agayne but in euery thynge that I haue to do I shal desyre your fauoure socour and your counseyll and I vttery denyle desyre vengeaunce and neuer to dele with hym no more how someuer I be done to but take it in pacyence and thynke as me ought of rrght that worse than I haue ben done to I haue deserued to be done to / but that is not the worlde / for hym haue I serued and pleased and dyspleased almyghty god that is maker of al thynge and his holy begotensone that conceyued was of the holy goost and borne was of a pure chaste vyrgyn and dyed for our redempcyon whan I haue greuously offended and broken his commaundementes in all thynge knowynge that I dyde not well wherfore my peryll is the more Nor I haue not called after the blessed holy goost graces mercy socour her helpe whan I haue ben in places of peryll of deedly synne Nor I haue not called vpon that moost holy pure chaste and moost excellent vyrgyn and I haue be sought her of grace and she tourned her vysage frome me not for lacke of fayth but for me thoughe that her moost excellent charyte and chastyte muste of very ryght abhorre my synnes all thynge that I pleased the worlde with I knowe well that I dyspleased hym that ordeyned me with his precyous passyon And this I wote well deserueth a grete punysshemente than I haue it suffred and there as me lacked suffycyaunce and boldenes to come in the presence of theym that I haue so greuously offended / wyll it please your goodnes Faythe Hope and Charyte charytably to goo and stere and be meane for me to the mother of mercy and pyte that she wolde go forime to the gloryous trynyte and take you thre with her / for well I wote the gloryous trynyte wyll no thynge denye that she desyreth they vnderstande her perfyte charyte suche that euery creature that calleth after grace she hath pyte vpon theym haue they neuer so greuously offended I sholde fall in dyspayre I had not perfyte trust in her grace mercy pyte And so I haue
grete cause for to haue brought my Ioly soule in to grete bondage and in suche aduersyte withoute remedy that it passeth my power to ease hym or helpe hym nor the grete specyall truste that I haue in that moost blyssed good lady and in you holy Fayth Hope and Charyte ¶ How the sorowfull soule complayneth hym to the dyenge creature saynge thus HOw nyghe haste thou done with thy mayster the worlde / how nyghe be ye twayne departed vnderstandest thou not how vnsure he is / and at thy moost nede wyll fayle the / haste thou not syth afore this tyme in the tymes of thy grete aduersytees and troubles / what hath he eased or profyted the. Certayne but lytell or nought / for and he haue flatered or dyssymuled with the one daye or one houre he hathe lowred and grutched with the more than an hole yere therfore Haste thou not vnderstande hym afore in all this tyme / but hanged vpon hym alwayes as longe as thou myght est / and yet more lenger woldest thou yf that thou myghtest / but now the season and tyme is come that he wyll departe and go frome the / and what dystresse that euer thou arte in lytell wyl he fauour socour or helpe the / suche as thou thynkest be thy frendes wyll shewe the a fayned fououre tyll they knowe the certayne of thy ryches / and yf thou haue good they wyll cherysshe and fauour the for the season / and complayne and wayle thy deth And yet they wolde full fayne thou were ago be ryght gladde with thy deth and whan tyme thyne eyen be closed / thy herynge ago thy speche withdrawen may not speke / than shalte thou se what thy mayster the worlde wyll doo for the / seke thy cofers he wyll euery corner by the waye of lykelyhode that ony good is in / and lytell wyl they departe with to the than / lytell compassyon wyll they haue vpon thy poore soule / and they fynde lytell or nought in thy cofers what wyll they saye / thou thou than they wyll saye thou were a fole a waster thou cou dest not kepe / thou spendest more than than haddest thus wyll they saye by the / though they fynde moche thou shalte haue but lytell therof fare but lytell the better / and yf they fynde but lytell they wyll grudge with the saye the neuer a good worde / thynke theron by tymes be thyne owne frende / for thou can not loue thy selfe who wyll loue the / canst thou loue ony creature better than thy selfe / yf thou do soo in fayth thou arte not wyse / remembre what I saye now / for thou shalte fynde this true euery worde / and thoughe I speke thus greuously straytly vnto the meruayll not for it I am that shall abyde suffre and endure the paynes for thy defences Alas that euer I was cowpled with the / so haue I cause to saye / for I shall be punysshed without fauour for thy dedes / how hastely how sone I can not saye ¶ How vnauysedly and how vnredyly thou purueyest for me I wote neuer how sholde ony other creature haue compassyon vpon me whan thou haste not that syght that thou were fyrste fourmed a creature I haue alwayes be with the and neuer frome the and in the aege of thyne Innocencye was kepte full vertuously to my grete comforte And in thy myddle age was kepte full vycyously and synfully to my grete sorowe / and in thyne olde age lytell or noughte remembred thy wretched lyuynge Alas Alas Alas that euer thou I were coupled togyder for the season hasteth faste that I must goo to paynes for thy mysrewle and endure payne whether it be eternall or for a longe season I wore not what remedy thy worldely frendes wyll fynde to ease me I am in grete drede I trowe they wyll haue but lytell compassyon on me that am thy poore soule / but gyue theyr attendaunce for to bery the rychely and worshypfully and make thy houses clenly and to make thy purse emptye and lytel compassyon or remembraunce wyl they haue vpon the and me certaynly but lette me brenne eternally but yf the mercyes of hym that is almyghty by the meanes of his moost holy mother that pure chast mayden that helpeth euery synner that calleth after grace whan there is none other remedy Now farwell body thou shalte to erth and ly and rotte and wormes shall ete the and I shall to paynes longe or elles eternally mercy blessed lady that bare cryste Ihesu our redemptour for in none other helpe I assure me ¶ The lamentable lamentacyon of the dyenge body to the soule ALas sely soule the tourmentes and the paynes of myne offences shall ye suffre I am soo sory there can no tunge tell the sorowe that I endure that haue brought you in suche bondage peryll daunger aduersyte without remedy nor the hyghe and myghty mercyes of almyghty god whose mercyes can not be had but by the meanes of his blessed holy mother and yf she that is soo chaste so pure and soo holy wolde abhomyn the abhomynacyon of our synnes what shal I do I haue desyred fayth hope charyte to be my aduocates to her that bare oure lorde Ihesu cryste And whan I am answered agayne suche answere as I haue I shall lette you wete ¶ How the dyenge creature complayned hym to fayth hope and charyte saynge thus OYe holy fayth hope charyte where haue ye ben so longe I haue lyued in grete drede how haue ye spedde haue ye ben with the quene of heuen lady of the worlde and empresse of hell that moost gloryous pure and chaste vyrgyn that bare the sone of god that sholde redeme all mankynde / how wyll her chastyte her pure vyrgynyte receyue me that am a synner and suffre me to come to her presence and putte a supplycacyon to her moost gloryous hygh and excellent prynce that I haue so greuously offended her blessyd sone and her / wyll she not abhorre ne dysdayne to looke on me that am of all synners the moost horyble and abhomynable / and haue soo done that I can not without her moost haboundaunt grace fynde a meane how to make a syght / but I haue herde saye of olde antyquyte that she is soo mercyable and so gracyous to synners whan they call after grace and haue holpen soo many synners that of ryght must haue perysshed neher grace had be But what comforte ye haue of her moost haboundaunt grace I praye you lette me wete / for certaynly I lyue in grete dyspayre / for here hath be with me sythen that ye wente my soule complayned that he muste perysshe eternally in my defaute and cryeth and wayleth the tyme that euer he was coupled with suche an vngracyous body that soo hath rewled hym / I can not gyue hym no comforte whithout you thre ¶ The answere of fayth hope and charyte to the
all other whome it hath and shall lyke you to call to your fayth me semeth I ought not / for as moche as in me lyeth to see that thynge myscarye whiche you haue soo precyously redemed bought as derely as ye bought me and with the same flesshe and blode that ye toke of me your humble creature and handmayden ¶ The thyrde conderacyon AN other is this I and euery your other creatures before youre partye bowed to sue meanes to honoure to worshyppe to gloryfye you in that we can or may / but so it is that in Iustyfyenge of this synner grete honoure and glory shal be to you and to your sayntes for your scrypture sayth Gaudiū est angelis dei super vno peccatore penitenciam agenti That is to saye Ioye and gladnes is to your aungelles the conuersyon of one synner contryte penytent and in another place your scrypture sayth Magis gaudium est super peccatore penitenciam agenti quaui super nona ginta nomen iustis That is to saye and to sygnyfye that more Ioye and honour is to god in reconsylynge a synner that is in full and assured purpose to perseuer in grace than in grete multytude of other ryghtwys that neuer offended ¶ Wherfore my lorde as I am bounde to honour and gloryfye you so am I bounde in maner to make instaūce for reconsylynge of this your creature in the whiche thynge ye shal be gretely honoured and gloryfyed these be the thynges that moueth me to instaūce and solycyt his causes and to submytte me for hym ¶ The fourth consyderacyon FOrthermore I se in hym grete abylyte and lykelyhode to se that creature that may serue you honoure and gloryfye you for he is entyerly dyspleased with hym selfe that he hath soo greuously synned and offended your grace and he is ryght heuy and contryte therfore and he remembreth hym many sythes of his olde synnes not as delytynge ne hauynge pleasure in theym but to his shame and grete remors and he hath theym in perfyte hatred in so moche that he wolde not offende agayne in the leest of theym for all the worlde he hathe fastened his entente and purpose to be here after all of other demeanynge thrugh your helpe and grace and he wyll gladly do penaunce for that he hath trespassed and he lowly submytteth hym selfe to the correccyon of youre chirche and wylfully assenteth to paye the fynaūce and suffre the penaunce atttaxed by your chirche and to do satyffaccion as is for his freylte possyble And where as he sayth hym selfe not of abylyte ne power to do satysfaccyon as hym oweth in that behalfe he putteth hym selfe holy in your grace and remytteth hym to your grete mercy and to the meryte of your passyon whiche counteruayleth and preuayleth all the penaunce and satysfaccyon that myght be possyble for to be done by all the worlde from Adam tyll to the laste creature that shall be borne ¶ And he pyteously cryeth to me and besecheth me to enterpose my merytes betwene your Iugement and hym to offre in sacryfyce for hym the sobbynge and syghynges the sorowfull and lamentable terys that I wepte for you in your tender age and chyldhode whan Symeon prophecyed to me your passyon / and whan I had lost you in Iherusalem and the sorowes that I suffred for you in tyme of your paynefull and greuous passyon whan the swerde of sorowe perysshed my herte And certes I am ryght wyll content and gladde so to do And I beseche you soo to accepte my merytes for his / as he goodly desyreth and to set my sorowes teres of pyte in place of his penaunce and contrycyon ¶ Forthermore it myght lyke you to consyder the grete labour besynes of Fayth Hope and Charyte and namely for charyte whiche sueth for hym contynually and neuer is ydell but besy to labour for hym / and she cleueth and calleth for me for hym incessauntly to se the expeccyon of his causes / and she vndertaketh for his aberynge well ye wote that her desyre and prayer maye not be voyde ne frustratte but she must be gracyously herde in all her goodly requestes and desyres She hath also receyued fayth and hope on her partye for this seke creature and hath professed to kepe your fayth inuyolably and hope hath put hym in ful assuraunce of your mercy / for thoughe it soo be that he se not in hym selfe wherof he may truste to reioyse your pardon / yet she sheweth hym that in you is soo greate promptues of mercy and contynuall costome that you be wonte and vsed alwaye to forgyue and haue of naturall proprete for to be mercyable to all synners that it maketh hym bolde to fasten the anker of his hope in you trusteth fynally to make a vyage in the porte of your mercy ¶ The conclusyon of our ladyes supplycacyon NOw my lorde syth all the good abylytes dysposicōns vnto grace be in this creature by your suffraunce / there is no more to doo but that ye let descende your grace to the vessell so dysposed and that you vouchesaufe to suffre hym reioyse your pardon and reconsyle hym to your chirche and make hym a membre therof the soner and spedlyer for this my prayer and request I you beseche my moost dere lorde and sone who me it hathe lyked you alwaye to here gracyously and neuer suffre to departe boteles of petycyon for whiche be to you and to your moost honourably and drad father with the holy goost your egall pere euerlastynge Ioye honour and glory Amen ¶ Here endeth a lytell treatyse of the dyenge creature Enprynted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the sonne by wynkyn de worde Anno dn̄i M. CCCCC vii Sis humilis Victus sum Superbos punio Wynkyn de Worde