he suffered when it was let fall into the morteis And think also of the dolours of his sorrowfull mother At high noon it behoveth to think what dolour he was in when he said my God my God wherefore hast thou left me And when he said I thirst they gave him vineger and gall mingled and how he abode the death after sighes made he gave up the ghost to God his father And how his mother had great sorrow also At Evensong it behoveth to think how Iesus had his side opened with a speare and how he hung dead on the Crosse full of wounds from the top of his head to the soles of his feet and he taken down and how his mother layed him on her lappe weeping At Complyne think how Iesus was wounded and layed in sepulture and kept of the Iewes to the end that he should not rise Clarkes and lay people ought to think on these or they go to Matins CHAP. XLIX The saying of a dead man Man look and see Take heed of me How thou shalt be When thou art dead Dry as a tree Worms shall eat thee Thy great beautie Shal be like lead The time hath been In my youth green That I was clean Of body as ye are But for mine eyne Now two holes been Of me is seen But bones all bare Now intend For to amend O Mortall creatures sayling in the waves of mysery Avail the sail of your conscience unpure Flee from the perills of this unstedfast wherry Drive to the haven of charity most sure And cast the anker of true confession Fastened with the great cable of contrition clean Wind up the marchandise of whole satisfaction Which of true customers shal be over seen And brought to the warehouse of perfection As perfect marchants of God by election CHAP. L. How every man and woman ought to cease of their sins at the sounding of a dreadfull horn HO ho you blind folk darkned in the cloud Of ignorant fumes thick and mystical Take heed of my horn toting all aloud With boystrous sounds and blastes Boreal Giving you warning of the iudgment finall The which dayly is ready to give sentence On perverse people replete with negligence Ho ho betime or that it be too late Cease while ye have space and portunate Leave your follies or death make you chekmate Cease your ignorant incredulitie Clense your thoughts of immundicity Cease of your pecuniall pensement The which defieth your entendement Ho ho people infect with negligence Cease your sins that manyfold cruelties Dread God your maker and rightwise sentence Cease your blindnesse of worldly vanities Lest he you smite with endlesse infirmities Cease your covetise gluttony and pride And cease your superfluous garments wide Cease of your oathes cease of your great swearing Cease of your pomp cease of your vain glory Cease of your hate cease of your blaspheming Cease of your malice cease of envy Cease of your wrath cease of your letchery Cease of your fraud cease of your deception Cease of your tongues making detraction Flee faint falshood fickle fuol and fell Flee fatall flatterers full of fairnesse Flee fair feigning fables of favell Flee folkes fellowship frequenting falsenesse Flee frantick facers fulfilled of frowardnesse Flee fooles fallacies flee fond fantasies Flee from fresh fables feigning flatteries Thus endeth the horner CHAP. LI. To know the fortunes and destinies of man born under the xii signes after Ptolomeus prince of Astronomy Prince of Astronomy Ptolomeus TO know under what planet a man or a woman is born it is needfull to wit that there is seven planets on the sky that is to say Sol Venus Mars Mercurius Iupiter Luna and Saturnus Of the seven planets is named the seven days of the week for every day hath his name of the planet reigning in the beginning of it The ancient Philosophers saith that Sol domineth the Sunday the cause is they say for the Sun among other planets is most worthy wherefore it taketh the worthyest day that is Sunday Luna domineth the first hour of Munday Mars the first hour of Tuesday Mercurius of Wensday Iupiter for Thursday Venus for Friday and Saturnus for Saturday The day naturall hath xxiv hours and every hour reigneth a planet It is to be noted that when a man will begin to reckon at Sunday he must reckon thus Sol Venus Mercurius Luna Saturnus Iupiter Mars And when the number is failed he must begin at the hour that he would know what planet reigneth The Munday he ought to begin at Luna the Tuesday at Mars the Wensday at Mercury the Thursday at Iupiter the Fryday at Venus the Saturday at Saturnus And ever when the numbers of the planets is failed he must begin by order as it is afore-said Also it is to be noted that the Greeks beginneth their day in the morning The Iewes at noon And the Christian-men at mid-night and there we ought to begin to reckon For at one of the clock on Sunday in the morning reigneth Sol at two reigneth Venus at three reigneth Mercurius at four reigneth Luna at five Saturnus at six Iupiter at seven Mars at eight begin againe at Sol at nine at Venus at ten Mercury and consequently of the other by order in order in every hour When a child is born it is to be known at what hour and if it be in the begining of the hour in the middest at the end If it be in the begining he shall hold of the same planet and of the other before If it be in the middest it shall hold of that only If it be born in the end it shall hold of the same and of that that commeth next after but neverthelesse the planet that it is born under ne shall not domineth other and that of the day shal be above it which is the cause that a child holdeth of divers planets and hath divers conditions He that is born under Sol shal be prudent and wise a great speaker and that which he praiseth hee holdeth vertuous in himself Who that is born under Venus is loved of every man good to God-ward and regular Who that is born under Mercurie is well bearded subtile milde veritable and is not most prudent Who that is born under Luna hath an high forehead ruddy merry visage shamefast and religious Who that is born under Saturn is hardy curteous of living is not avaricious Who that is born under Iupiter is hardy fair visage and ruddy chast and vagabond Who that is born under Mars is a great speaker a lyer a theef a deceiver big and ofred colour They that will know of this more evidently let them turn to the properties of the seven Planets afore rehearsed CHAP. LII A prologue of the Author upon the twelve signes I Considering the course of the Celestiall bodies and the puissance of the high God Omnipotent the which hath made the Sun to shine upon the good and evill that governeth all things contained in the firmament and on
be noysome and after labour it well and then sow good seeds In like wise a man should labour and cleanse his conscience of all his sins labour by holy meditations and sow vertues and good operations for to gather fruit of everlasting life Then sith that here before hath been spoken of vices rudely and lightly now it behoveth hereafter to speak of vertues in the third part of this present book the which shall be as a little garden pleasant full of trees flowers in the which the contemplative person may sport play by good ensignments gather sundry vertues and edify himself in good exercise wherewith his soul shall bee enormed and ordained after his spouse Iesus Christ when he shall come to visit and dwell with him In the beginning of the which part shall be the Orason dominicall of our Lord with the declaration the better to understand it and the said part shall contain six parts The first part shall be the declaration of the said prayer the second of the salutation Angelike that Gabriel made to Mary when shee conceived her child Iesus the third shall be of the twelve articles of our faith the iv shall be of the ten Commandements of the Law the v. shal be of the field of vertues For the first ye ought to know that by the orison of our Lord that is the Pater noster when wee say it wee demand of God suffisance of all things necessary for salute and help of our souls and of our bodys not only for us but for all other and for all this cause we ought to have the said orison in great contemplation say it with great devotion unto God And unto young people it should be taught and said to them for though they understand it not yet it profiteth them to have the kingdom of heaven and they say it in perfect love and charity In the Pater noster we ask seven petitions by each petition we may understand seven other things as the seven Sacraments of holy Church the seven gifts of the holy ghost the seven armours of iustice spirituall The seven vertues principall that wee should exercise The seven works of mercy bodily The seven works of mercy ghostly The seven deadly sinnes that we should dread The declaration is this Our father which art in heaven thy name be made holy In this petition we ask of God our Father to be his Sons for otherwise we cannot be called his Sons nor he our Father and that his name may be made by us more holy than any other thing wherefore we receive the Sacrament of baptism without that man may not be made the Son of God and to receive the vertue of meeknesse against pride and then to cloth the naked and help the needy both bodily and ghostly The second is thy kingdome come to us in this petition Insomuch the name of God may not be perfectly hallowed of us in this world we ask his realm in the which perfectly we shall hallow it for to that kingdome we be very heirs This petition is the sacrament of priesthood by the which we are taught to good works and the gift of the holy ghost is the gift of understanding for to understand and desire the kingdome of heaven and we arm us with the helm of largess against covetous The third petition is thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven for it is the perfect will of God that his will should be fulfilled that is his commandement by this petition we make obeisance to God in our hearts when we desire to do his will by this is understood the sacrament of marriage by the which we avoid fornication and the gift of counsell of the holy ghost for to order our obeysance veritably and so we arm us with the armour of salvation against Envy The fourth petition is our daily bread give us this day Here we ask of God to be sustained with materiall bread for our bodies and spirituall bread for our souls that is the bread of life the body of Iesus Christ the which wee receive by faith in mind of his passion The gift of the holy ghost is strength to be faithfull in our belief take we the sword of patience against the sinne of ire and visit the sick men bodily and use vertue of temperance against wrath The fift petition is forgive us our sinnes as we forgive all men for trust well he that will not forgive for the love of God God will never forgive him his sinnes And these three petitions following we ask of God to be delivered from all evill as of the sin that we have done deadly and by these wee ask of God to be assoiled and to give us pardon by his mercy by the which we understand the sacrament of penance and forgiveness of sinne the holy ghosts gift is science for to understand the works of mercy and to escape sin And so clothe us with lightnes against covetise comfort poor prisoners and give good counsell to them that ask and need it and take the vertue of faith against covetise The vi petition is suffer us not to be overcome in temptation by the second evill that is done but it may happen and we fall by the way of temptation Here we ask of God to be stedfast in the faith that we may gladly do good works in the vertue of hope and strength to do good deeds and to withstand temptation to the which profiteth to us the sacrament of confirmation which giveth to us the knowledge of God by the vertue of verity The gift of the holy ghost so take we the spear of soberness against gluttony comfort Pilgrims by vertue of hope The vii petition is to deliver us from evill Amen The third evill is evill of pain that sinners may have if they serve not God by this petition we ask that we may be delivered from all pains and saved in Paradice unto this say we all Amen By these we ask so it be done as we desire By the which we receive the sacrament of the latter annointing which giveth us the sure way of salvation the gift of the holy ghost is dread of iudgements of God and gird us with the girdle of chastity against letchery and bury we them that be dead bodily and pray for our enemies ghostly get in us the vertue of charity and eschue the sin of letchery Thus endeth the Salutary science of the garden of vertues CHAP. X. Hereafter followeth another declaration of the Pater noster OVr Father right marvellous in his creation sweet and loving rich of all goods that be in heaven mirror of trinity crown of iocundity and treasure of felicity Holy be thy name and sweet as hony in our mouth thou art the melodious harp that causeth devotion to sound in our ears and to have it continually by the desire of our hearts Thy realm come to us in the which we shall be
heart by knowledge of God In the mouth by confession and praysings to him in worke by exercising of his commandements and good works and the which sheweth them that so doth to have true faith and life that is to say to save theÌ„ And how will that faith in heart be good in the mouth also neverthelesse the best is that which lyeth in good works one doth and is the same faith that lyeth in the heart and mouth for there is but one faith one God And this same Creed ought to be had and known of every man and womaÌ„ having age competent understanding of reason and ought for to say it both in the morning in the evening every day devoutly for it is of right great devotion Therefore a good christian man assoon as he riseth from his bed and is arrayed and clothed kneeleth beside his bed or other where and first blesseth him with the sign of the cross and then saith Credo in deum or I beleeve in God the father almighty as is above said Then after the Pater noster to God and to our Lady the Ave Maria and afterward recommends him to his good Angel in making praier to him saying My good Angell I require thee to keep and govern me In like wise when he goeth to rest at night And so at the least twice in the day at the morrow and in the evening CHAP. XII Fourthly In the book of Jesus is the ten Commandements of the Law that God gave to Moses on the Mount of Sinai for to preach and to teach the people One God only thou shalt love and worship perfectly By God in vain thou shalt not swear nor by that he made truly The Sundays thou shalt keep in serving God devoutly Father and Mother thou shalt honor and shalt live longly Manslayer thou shalt not be indeed willingly Letcherous thou shalt not be of thy body ne consentingly No mans good shalt thou not steal nor withhold falsely False witnesse thou shalt not hear in any wise lyingly The work of the flesh desire but in marriage only The goods of other covet not to have them uniustly Fourthly the said commandements ought to be observed accomplished upon pain of everlasting damnation of body and soul of them have the usage of reasoâ— or without the knowledge of them convenable we may not eschue and fly the sins nor have knowledge of them nor confesse us veritably of our sins wherefore the ignorance of the common by desire affection or other malice excuseth not them that know them not but accuseth and condemneth them and therfore our Lord commandeth them to be had in meditation in their houses and without in sleeping and in waking and in all works And thus we beholden and bound to keep them so that he which never heard speak of them and thinketh not to do evill if he trespasse in one willingly and dieth soon after he should be damned perdurably By this it appeareth that ignorance of the commandements be perillous wherefore each man and women study for to know them learn theÌ„ such as thou must give a reckoning for as your children servants other The five Commandements of the Church FIftly in the book of Iesus been the five Commandements of the holy Church which ought to be kept of all them that have usage of reason after as they be of power And it is said after that they be of power for if the man or woman that may not confesse them or receive at Easter or keep the holy day commanded or that at the fast of obligation when they have will to do them and bee lawfully letted sinne not But every man and woman keep them that Avarice Sloth or desire to see many pleasures as dances plaies or iuglers or dispraising of our mother holy Church be not cause they trespasse the commandement to the end they run not in damnatiâ—â— from the which keep us for the mercy of God Amen Here is to be noted that the transgression of the Commandements of holy Church obligeth deadly sinne and by continuance eternall damnation as doth the obligation of the commandements of the Law of whom is spoken before For they that hear the Priests reading the commandements in the Church on the Sundays in the parochial service time and accomplisheth the said Commandements heareth God and doth his will but all that mispraiseth the Priest and doth not their commandements after the ordinance of the Church mispraiseth God and sinneth mortally CHAP. XIII Hereafter followeth of the man in the Ship that sheweth the unstablenesse of the world Qui finem attendit Foelix qui bene vivit Ergo quisquis ades precor hic sta perlege pensa Mortem praemetuens veniam pete cortere plara De reliquis cautus bene fac te crimine serva Foelix qui potuit tam tutum tangere portum Sed miser est quicunque sub peste gehenne Vive mori presto munda sub mente quietis Semita non virtus Deus optimus anchora portus GOd guide me right that once I might Come to the port of peace Mine exchange make and return take That mine enemies may cease One me followed would me have shallowed In the gulf dangerous With worldly glosse he doth me tosse Among the waves perillous On rases hollow some do me follow Enemies me to take A great number do smite me under I doubt I shall not esâ—ape The fiend with woe the world also My flesh doth me trouble In wake and sleep to me they creep Thus encreaseth my sorrow double They bid me not spare but buy their ware As all worldly vanity They say hope among for to live long Thus do they cumber me The world doth smile me to beguile And so doth the other two Now must I seek some me to keep To save me from my foe I have found one even God alone I need none other aid That by his might put them to flight And made them all afraid He spake to me full courteously And profered me full fair If I do well with him to dwell In heaven to be his heir Versus NOs sumus in hoc mundo sicut navis super mare Semper est in periculo semper timet accubare Praevigilanti nos oportet remigare Ne bibamus de poculo dirae mortis amarae Esto homo res fragilis curis oppressa labore Mortis judicii barathri perplexa timore Si virtus sola tutam dat ducere vitam Virtus sola potest aeternam condere famam Foelicem merita faciunt non copia rerum Grandia non ditant ditat bene grandibus uti Discite nunc mortalis quam sint mortalia vana Praecessere patres matres magnique parentes Nos sequimur paribus ad mortem passibus imus Vnde superbimus in terram terra redimus Super non fueram nec ero post tempore pauco Millia nunc putrium quorum jam multa voluptas Perdita fama silet anima
men and night walkers quarell pickers mockers and scoffers and these men of Mars cause war murther and battle they will gladly be Smiths or workers of Iron light fingers and lyars and great swearers of oathes in vengeable wise and a great surmiser and crafty he is red and angry with black hair and little eies he shall be a great walker and a maker of swords knives and shedder of mans bloud a letcher a speaker of ribaldry red bearded round visage and good to be a barber and letter of bloud and to draw teeth and is perillous of his hands and he wil be rich of other mens goods And of the body of man Mars keepeth the gall and the reines Of the noble planet Sol. THe sun is a planet of great renown and king of all the planets the sun nourisheth every age yet he is hot and dry of nature and the planet Saturn is to him full contrary for he is ever cold and the noble planet of the sun is hot and giveth all light for when it is above the earth it is day Sol significat hominem habentem colorem inter croceum nigrum id est fuscum tectum cum rubore brevis statuere crispum crinem pulchri corporis capillos parum rubeos occulos aliquantulum croceos mixtam habet naturam cum planeta qui cum eo fuerit dum modo digniorem habeat locum ejus insequitur naturam and when the earth doth shadow the Sun it is night much be we people bound to laud God for that noble planet for he comforteth both man and beast fish and all foules that flieth in the ayr all things is glad of the Sun the red Rose and faire flowers after that the Sun goeth far into the West they close themselves Of his properties AL men and women that be born under the Sun shall be very fair amiable of face and their skin shal be right white tender and well coloured in the visage with a little rednesse and they shall have a pleasure in their own beauty they shall shew their lives as they were good and holy but they shall be secret hypocrites if they give them to religion they shal be fortunate to great promotions they shal be clean and good of faith and shal be governors of other people and if they be never so poor yet shall they love hawking and hunting with hounds and hawkes and reioyce to see it the children that is born under the Sun shall desire honor and science and shal sing very pleasantly and they shal be of good courage and diligent and shall desire Lordship above other people they shall give wise iudgements and their words shall sound all sweetly and he beare any office he shall be liberall and he shal be subtile in feats of war and many shall seek to him for counsell he shal have profit by women and he shal be in service with Lords and by them shall have advantage for his wisedome his signe shall be in the face he shal be of small stature with crispe haire and bald on the head he will seldome be angry and of all the members in a mans body the Sun keepeth the heart as the most mighty planet above all other Venus significat hominem album trahentem ad nigredinem pulchri corporis capillorum habentem parvam maxillam pulchros oculos pulchrum faciem multos capillos habentem ad album confectum rubore crassum benevolentem NExt after the Sun reigneth the gentle planet Venus it is a planet feminine and shee is lady over all lovers this planet is moist and cold of nature and her two signes is Taurus and Libra and in them she hath all her ioy and pleasance she causeth ioy and specially among yong folk for greatly she reigneth on them and on all men that be iealous and on women also for iealousie is but love inordinate as when a man or woman loveth more fervently than they should for such would never be from the sight of their lovers for if they be they soon suspect them and fear to be beguiled There is no man that loveth a woman by carnall affection but it is by the influence of Venus and few men escape out of her danger This planet Venus runneth in twelve months over the twelve signes Of her properties WHat man or woman that is born under Venus shall be a gay lover pleasant delitious most commonly they have black eies little browes red lips and cheeks with a smiling cheer they shall love the voyce of trumpets clarions with other minstralsie they shal be pleasant singers with sweet voice full of wanton toyes plaies and scoffings they shal greatly delight in dancing in gambols in leaping and springing and will use playing at the chesse and at the cards and tables and desire oft to commune of lust and love and covet of sweet meats and drinks as wine and be oft drunken and oft desire lechery and the beholding of fair women and the women of men in like wise and use dead fleshly lusts oftentimes they will desire fair cloaths of gay colour and fine with rings of vanity and all vain pleasure of the world with fair and rich clothes and pearles pretious stones they shall love flowers with sweet smels yet shal they be of good faith and they shall love other aswel as themselves they shall be liberall to their friends they shall have few enemies if they be brown they shal be well proportioned of body if they swear it is true ye may beleeve them and Venus governeth the thighs of man Of the fair Planet Mercury Mercurius significat hominem non multum album neque nigrum habentem colorem frontem elevatum longam faciem nasum longum barbam in maxillis oculos pulchros non ex toto nigros longosque digitos atque perfectum magistrum NExt under Venus is the fair planet Mercury and it is masculine next above the moon and there is no planet lower than Mercury saving only the moon This Mercury is very full dry of nature and his principall signs be these Gemini is the first that reigns in the armes and hands of man or woman and the other signe is Virgo that governeth the navell and stomack of man This planet is Lord of speech in like wise as the Sun is Lord of light This planet Mercury passeth and circueth the xii signes in CCCxxxviii dayes Hereafter is shewed the disposition of the children that be born under the planet Mercury of what condition they shal be as Doctors of Astronomy doe discusse Of his properties WHo is born under Mercury shal be subtile of wit and shal be a devout person to God and have good conscience shal be very crafty in many sciences he with his wisedom labor shal get him many friends and lovers she hal ever follow resort to them that be of good maners and shal be fortunate on sea in marchandise he
other Lordshipps that been under the obedience of the Catholike Church The second nation is of Greeks HOrace complaineth speaking of this nation of Greece for the vexation that it hath had in times past The Greeks have the Patriark of Constantinople Arch-bishops and Abbots to the spiritualty and to the temporalty Emperours Dukes and Earles They be now but of smal number for Agariens and Turks have taken the greatest part of Greece the which part obeyeth not the catholike Church for their errour They been condemned by the Church for that they say Spiritus Sanctus non procedit a filio The third Nation is of Armenians WE read that the Nation of Armenians is nigh Antioch they use all one language in the divine service and in holy scripture as who should sing English in the Church and both the men and women understand all They have their Primate which they call Catholike to whom they obey as to the king in great devotion and reverence They fast the Lent and eate no fish and they drink no wine and eat flesh on the Saturday The fourth Nation is of Georgians THis Nation is called Georgians of St. George of whom they bear the Image in battaile and he is their Patron They been in the parts Oriential and been strong and delicious half Persians and half Assyrians and they speak foul and foolish language and make their sacraments as the Greeks The preists have their crownes round raised on their heads and the clarkes have them square When they goe to the holy Sepulcher they pay no tribute to the Sarazins they enter into Ierusalem their standards displaid for the Sarazins feareth them the women use armors as the men When they write to the Soldan incontinent that which they demand is granted them The fift Nation is of Assuriens I Find also by writing that the Nation of Suriens hath taken the name of a citie named Sur the which is the most eminent and most upholden among all other cities and townes of the countrey of Surrey These people for their vulgar and common speech speaketh the language Sarazionis their holy scriptures divinities and offices of the service in the Greek They have the Bishops keep constitutions of the Greeks and obey them in all things They sacrifice with raised bread and have opinions of the Greekes as the Latines There be some Christian men in the holy land that ensueth them and been called Samaritans which were converted in the time of the Apostles but they be not perfect Christian men The sixt Nation is of Mororabins SOmetime were wont to bee a Nation of people in the country of Affrick and Spain called Mororabiens but now they been but few They bee called Mororabiens for that in many things they held the use in Christian men being in Araby they use the language of Latin in the divine offices sacred things and obey to the Church and to the Prelates of the Latines They confesse them in the language Azymonien or in Latin They bin different to the Latines for that in their divine offices they have the hours to long And for the day is divided in xxiv hours of night and day so many offices hours Psalmes and all other Orizons have they along the which they say not after the custome of the Latines for that that the Latins say in the begining they say in the end or in the middst Some divideth the holy sacraments in vii parts and other in x. This is a right devout nation they conioyn no persons by mariage but if they be born in their own countrey and land the strangers be not received in mariage And when a man leeseth his wife by death he will never be wedded againe but live in chastity The cause of so great diversity among Christian men was for that in time past the Christians were let and not constrained to celebrate councell general For this cause there arose divers heretikes in many parts For there was none that might remedy it The seventh Nation is of Prester Johns land in Indie THen is the land of Indie whereof Prester Iohn is For his might is so great that it exceedeth all christendom This Prester Iohn hath under him lxx kings the which do to him obeisance and homage and when hee rideth about his country hee maketh to be borne afore him a Crosse of wood And when he will go to battaile he maketh two to be borne before him one of gold and the other of precious stones and in that land is the body of St. Thomas the Apostle buryed in a Tombe of stone and one of his hands is out of the Tombe and that hand every body may see that goeth thether The eight Nation is of Jacobites FOllowing after the Nation of Iacobits the which been named St. Iames the disciple of Alexander the Patriarck These Iacobites have taken and occupied a great part of Asia in the parts Occidentall and the land of Mambre that is in Egypt and the Land of Ethiopians unto Indie with more then xx Realms The children of that Country bee circumcised and baptised with an hot yron for they have printed the Character of the Crosse on their foreheads and on other parts of the body as on the armes and the brest they shrive them onely to God and not to the preists In this Province the Indians and Agarenoriens say that Iesus Christ hath only but the nature divine Some among them speaketh the language of Calde and Araby and divers other that speaketh other languages after the diversities of nations They were condemned at the councell of Calcedony The ninth Nation is of Nescoriens OF Nescorianus that was of Constantinople hath bin made this name Nescoriens These Nescorians putteth in Iesus Christ two persons one divine and another humain and they deny our Lady to be the mother of God but they say well Iesus to be man they speak the language of Caldee and sacrifice the body of Iesus Christ with raised bread They inhabit in Tartary and in great Inde they be in great number their countrey containeth almost as much as Almaigne and Italy The tenth Nation of Moroniens RObust is the Nation of Moronyens called of an heretick of Morone They put in Iesus Christ one understanding and one will they inhabit in Libia in the province of Venice and be a great number they use specially bows and arrowes and they have bells Their Bishopes have rings Miters and Crosses as the Lattines they use the letter of Caldee in their divine scriptures and in their vulgar speech they use the letter of Araby They have been under the obedience and lordship of the most holy and sacred Church Romain their Patriark was at the general councell of saint Iohn de Latran celebrate at Rome under Pope Innocent the third but since then they be returned They were first condemned at the councel of Constantinople and since been returned to the obedience of the Romain Church and yet returned againe to their false and evill opinions wherein they persevere CHAP. LV. Here beginneth a few proverbs THese proverbs be good to mark The which followeth in this book Be thou never so great a clark Disdaine not on them to look The first is man be content As God hath set thee in degree Each man may not have land and rent It were not convenient so to bee If thou have not worldly goods at will Therefore care nothing by the rede of me Do well and Gods commandement fulfill For every man may not a goldsmith be He that hath a penny in his purse If he the right way of Gods law hold He shall come to heaven as soon I wusse As a King that weareth on a crown of gold Also there is of men full many a score And each of then doth keep well his wife Which never had a noble in store And yet they live a full merry life And also another forget it nat Keep your own home as doth a mouse For I tell you the devil is a wily cat He will spye you in another mans house And in especiall God to please Desire thou never none other mans thing Remember that many fingers is wel at ease That never ware on no gay gold ring And this I tell you for good and all Remember it you that be wise That man or woman hath a great fall The which slide down and do never rise And one also forget not behind That man or woman is likely good to be That banisheth malice out of their mind And sleepeth every night in charity I read you work by good counsell For that man is worthy to have care That hath twise faln into a well And yet the third time cannot beware Say that a fryer told you this He is wise that doth forsake sin Then may we come to heavens blisse God give us grace that place to winne O Ye Clerkes famous and eloquent Cunning is caught by reading and exercise Of noble matters full excâ—llent And remembreth what Salomon saith the wise That praiseth businesse and idlenesse doth dispise And saith he that many books doth read and see It is full likely wisdome have shall hee Remember Clearks dayly doth their diligence Into our corrupt speech matters to translate Yet between French and English is great difference Their langing in reading is douse and delicate In their mother tongue they be so fortunate They have the Bible and the Apocalipse of divinitie With other noble books that now in English be And remember readers where ever ye go That Honey is sweet but cunning is sweeter Caton the great Cleark sometimes said so How gold is good and learning much better Yet many full good be that never knew letter And yet vertuous none can be of living But first of Preists and Clerks they must have learning Wherefore with patience I you all desire Beware of the rising of false heresie Let every perfect faith set your hearts afire And the chaffe from the corn cleane out to try They that beleeveth amisse be worthy to die And he is the greatest fool in this world iwis That thinketh no mans wit so good as his Thus endeth the Shepheards Kalender Drawn into English to Gods reverence And for profit and pleasure shall Clerks to cheer Plainly shewed to their intelligence Ours is done now readers do your diligence And remember that the Printer saith to you this He that liveth well may not die amiss FINIS