the blestful reame of heuen lechery draweth a man to the derke dongeon of helle Yf lecheri asayleth you thynke what turmeÌ„t they suffre that hath be therto habandonÌ„ed horryble beÌ„ the paynes of helle wherfore pray god deuoutly wyth teres both nyght day whan ye awake of your fyrste slepe retorne ye do prayers for customably oryson surmouÌ„teth tharmes of the feÌ„de Oryson is the fyrst vertue agayn thasawtes of all euyll thoughtes Fulfyll not your appetyte by metes but chastise your bodies by fastyng for otherwyse it is harde to vaynquysshÌ„ the teÌ„ptacoÌ„n of the flesshÌ„ but by fastynge orysons for ouermoche delicacye in mete drynke enclineth the flesshÌ„ to vnclennesse The eyen beÌ„ the fyrst armes of vnclenÌ„esse The sight is y e fyrste couetyse of men or wymen Therfore wythdraw your eyen yf ye be nighe the serpent soo that ye be not hurt For yf ye be nygh y e fire though ye were of yren yet sholde ye be somtyme warme For that sinÌ„e hurteth gretly suche as beÌ„ fouÌ„den vayn Therfore ocupye you per fightly in good werkes gode thoughtes Chatyse your lodyes by rightful traueyle soo may ye prouffyte to yourself to other And be alwaye huÌ„ble to all folkes Yf ye kepe humylite ye shall haue glory for the more huÌ„ble ye be the more shall ye folow the hienes of glory Vse not to auauÌ„te you of your gode dedes so that ye bryng not yourself in pryde But rather obeye huÌ„ble yourself moost whan ye fele your herte meuyd to be rased wyth pryde Beware of hye mouÌ„tynge for fere of ouer lowe descendynge For pryde casted downe thangels out of heuen and made theim fendes in helle RemeÌ„bre ye of the humylite of our lorde whiche was obeysauÌ„t to his fader vnto the dethe Soo take ye perfightly thensaÌ„ple of hym Wyll ye be huÌ„ble Thenne haue alway shame in your hert of the remembrauÌ„ce of your sinnes And goo alway wyth huÌ„ble maners sobre vysage by sighyng wepiÌ„g in your hert swete shall be tho teres for grete sinÌ„es asken grete amendes Ouer all thynges make you sure of your synÌ„es For therin shall ye fynde mater ynouhÌ„ to make you pensif And in all your other siknesses trowbles be not sorowful But ye ought huÌ„bli to yelde god thankynges that hathe sent theim to you to th entent y t ye shold come the more clene before hym Haue alway attemperance in prosperyte pacyence in aduersitee Refrayne your Ire ouercome it by suffrauÌ„ce Suffre other pacyeÌ„tly whan they doo you wrong For by pacyence beyng stylle shall ye soone ouercom y e wrathfull Thinke what payne almyghty god suffred for you that was perced with nayles crowned wyth thornes and condempned to be crucified on the crosse This ought to gyue you a grete comfort to bere wyth pacyeÌ„ce all Iniurye And be not hasty to stryke theim that haue stryken you But suffre al suche thynges for the loue of god and he wyâ—â— gyue you a grete rewarde Yf ye haue displeysed ony man slepe not tyl ye haue accorded him with you agayn Yf ony man hath done against you yelde him not after his desert but wyth good herte pardon hym For wrath departeth man from god Be of good wyll to all folkes Yf your enmye haue ony mysauenture ye oughte not to reioyse it For ye may happe to fall in like peryll Wyth compleyners pleyne ye wyth theim that wepe wepe ye Be of charytable herte to all folkes and care not who prayseth you or blameth you For none may better know what ye ben than yourselfe Be simple clene of dyscrete manere soo that youre demeanyng offende not the voys of other wherby they may falle in sinne Flee the company of many folkes and specyally of theym that ben lighte to falle in synne Who desireth and haunteth the coÌ„panye of wyse folkes is wyse And a peryllous thyng is it to be conuersaunt amonge theym that ben euyll Vayne wordes foylen moche the soule Lete neuer thyng passe your mouth that shold offende the ere 's of the herers Fowle worde shall neuer be wythoute Iugement Take good kepe to your mouth soo that ye speke not but in tyme place couenable For euery creature shall yelde rekenynge of their wordes on the daye of Iugement Be not lighte to speke afore grete folkes but yf ye be questyoned or commauÌ„ded Full herde it is wyth moche speche a man to kepe hym wythout some offense Be not hasty to Iuge the lif of other folkes Detraccyon is grete synne cause of endles daÌ„pnacyon Whan ye be meuyd to Iuge other folkes thynke thenne on your owne synnes And thenne shall ye fynÌ„de lityll cause to Iuge other yf ye take good kepe of youreselfe Or who that spekyth euyll of other or who that ben gladde to here euyll they ben parteners to bothe offences Be not lighte of byleue to euery bodyes sayeng Nor speke none vntrue thynge For euery lesyng is a synÌ„e â— The vntrue tongue sayth his owne wylle Dauyd sayth god shall destroy al those that vse lesynges Promyse not that thyng that ye may not do For moche be ye to be blamyd yf ye yelde not that thyng that ye promised Lete not your worde be contrary to your thought for noo thyng may be hydde from god for he seeth knoweth al Good lif is alway cause of Ioye Yf ye liue well ye nede neuer to be in sorow Yf ye be vertuous auaunt not therof wherby ye maye lese it Neuertheles whan ye doo or thynke ony euyll shewe it anone by confession thenÌ„ shall ye be sauid For synne groweth from lityll to gâ—ete And yf it be shewed by confession it is soone made of grete lityll Slouth noyeth moche to good werkes Necligence slaketh the courage quencheth the light of conmyge Vyces ouercometh sone the slouthfull persones· Take kepe to this to th entent that ye ben not founden vayn For yf slouth hath a lityll entree it wyll lightly growe tomoche Yf ye be good vertuous theÌ„ne shall ye be gloryfied Beware whan ye doo ony thyng well that ye coueyte not the preyse of folkes wherby ye may lese the grete rewarde that ye sholde haue of god Lese noo tyme but that ye do alway some good nor coueyte not to knowe of other thus â— that they wolde be loâ—he ye knewe Whan folkes speke to you herken them redely and speke by deliberacyon For in some thynge is th ende gretter than the beginnyng In whiche the speker hathe more grete honour and better shold be the last worde than the fyrst Demeane yourselfe to euery body soo that ye offende not the wylle of god Grete payne shal haue the cruel persones and suche as therto consenten Wherfore consente ye to noo synne But whan ye ben moued soone retorne your hertes sâ—o that ye be not eÌ„uenemyd therwith Be not ouersharpe to your seruates but doo soo that they haue delite
ouer all is necessary prouffitable y e remeÌ„braunce of the paynful meke suffrauÌ„ce of our lorde IhÌ„u cryst It coÌ„forteth in all tribulacoÌ„n It surmounteth all temptacyon It deliuereth from all trystesse It takyth awaye all vayne gladnesse And of dyspayres makyth deliueraunce and is the sure true hope of pardone It is the rule of obedyence and the example of pacyence and sure medicyne agayn all euyll And of all true weles the very rote ¶ There were sixe mayster togyder and one askyd to a nother what thyng they shold say of god began to speke of trybulacoÌ„n The fyrst master sayd yf ony thinge were more noble than tribulacion to ony creature liuyng in this world god rader wold haue gyueÌ„ it to his sone therfore he gaaf hiÌ„ more to suffre therof thaÌ„ to ony other creature y t euer was or shall be ¶ The .ij master said y t yf ony creature were as clene fro sinÌ„e as he was at thour that he was cristened â–ª might liue xxx yere withoute bodely mete also that god had gyueÌ„ him grace to speke with thaÌ„gel in thayre soo as he dyde to mary magdalenÌ„ yet myght he not dysserne in this lif soo grete merite as some decerne in auersite by pacyeÌ„ce beryng ¶ The thyrde master sayd yf the moder of god all the sayntes that ben in hâ—â—â—en prayed for a creature they myght not gete hym soo grete meryte as he shold gete bi beryng pacieÌ„tly aduersite ¶ The fourth mayster sayd that our lorde IhÌ„u cryst henge on the crosse halfe a day therfore honour we the crosse· But I saye that we oughte by more grete reison honour tribulacion than the crosse For our lord suffryd that more than thyrty yere in erthe ¶ The fythe mayster sayd rather than to leue the leest rewarde that myght be goten by pacyent suffryng of trybulacion he had as leue forbere the sight of god vnto the day of dome An holy man say the y â— nonÌ„ is worthi to haue tribulacoÌ„n but suche as desire it gladly TribulacoÌ„n quenchith the sinnes tribulacoÌ„n arrayeth the persone to know y e secretê of god tribulacoÌ„n makith a man to know hiÌ„self other multiplieth y e vertues preuith hiÌ„ as gold in the furnays of god charite this doth tribulacoÌ„n TribulacoÌ„n bieth ayeÌ„ the time loste the creature eÌ„belissheth with innocense makyth hiÌ„ able to receyue al the weles that god giueth to his freÌ„des it is the tresour y t none may be coÌ„parid to trybulacyon vneth the creature to gode And that is the most certeyn wele that is ¶ Now askyth the sixte mayster wherfore we suffre soo enuyously trybulacyon And it is answerde for thre causes The fyrst is for we haue lityll loue to god The seconde for we thynke lityll of the rewarde that god wyll gyue vs therfore The thyrde for this that we thynke full lityll of the sufferaunce that our lorde Ihesu cryst suffred for vs Praysed maye he be of hys grete bountee Amen ¶ Thus endeth this present boke whiche treateth fyrst of the gloryous passion of our Sauyour and of the compascyon that his blessyd moder had therof And also sheweth in a nother treatyse folowyng wherfore we ought to loue our sauyour more than ony other thynge ¶ Also sheweth a nother treatise moche prouffytable for reformacyon of soules defoyled wyth ony of the vij dedely synnes ¶ ItmÌ„ a nother treatyse shewynge the signes of goostly loue ¶ ItmÌ„ a treatise of the vertues of the brauÌ„ches of the appultree whiche is expowned morally as is before expressyd ¶ Also folowiÌ„g is declared wherby men maye seke the loue of our lorde Ihesu cryst ¶ And the last treatyse of this forsayd boke spekyth to exhorte the persone to eschewe and haue in coÌ„tempte all euyll thoughtes And to reduce theymself in all poyntes â—o good werkes vnder the hope of dyuyne grace
¶ This tretyse is of loue and spekyth of iiij of the most specyall louys that ben in the worlde and shewyth veryly and perfitely bi gret resons and Causis how the meruelous bounteuous loue that our lord Ihesu cryste had to mannys soule excedyth to ferre alle other loues as apperith well by the paynfull passion and tormētis y t he suffryd for the redempcyon therof so that alle louis y t euyr were or euyr shal be arne not to be lyke nyd to the lest parte of y e loue that was in hym whiche tretyse was translatid out of frenshe Into englyshe the yere of our lord Mcccclxxxxiij by a persone that is vnper fight in suche werke wherfor he hūbly byseche the lernyd reders wyth pacyens to correcte it where they fynde nede And they alle other redders of their charyte to pray for the soule of the sayde translatour ¶ Canticū beate marie de dolore suo in passione filii sui plenitudo legis est dilectio The apostel seinte poule seyth the fulfyllyng of the lawe ys loue Seynte gregory seyth̄ ¶ Quicquid precipitur in sola caritate solidatur All thys that ys comaunded in y e olde lawe and in the newe is on̄ly in loue cōfermed for thys seyth seynt austyn ¶ Habe caritatē et quicquid vis Haue ye charite and do what ye wyll so it Agree wyth charite and all shall turne to your we le As seynt Ambrose seyth after that same effecte in contrary wordys ¶ Qui non habet caritatem omne bonū quod habet amittit who that hath no charyte he leseth alle the weles that he hath or ony thyng that man doth wythoute loue is not acceptable to god of thys seyth seynte poule ¶ Si linguis hominn̄ loquar et angelorum Itē si tradidero corpus meū ita vt ardeā et si distribuero ōnes facultates meas in cibos pauperrum caritatem autē nō habuero nichil michi prodest Though that I coude speke wyth tongue of angell man And that I shuld do neuer so moche penaūce and yelde my body to the fyre to be brente and gyf alle my good to fede poore folkes If I hadde not wyth thys loue in god and to alle folkes for god all thys shuld no thynge profyte for as seyth the holi abbot moyses All the penaūce that we suffer and other good werkes that we do or cause to be doon ne be but Instrumentis for to aredy the herte that loue may more sone growe ther in wyth holy deuocon̄ and thys may ye see be ensample If a nedill sowyd not nor sherid clipped not who wold hold them in ther hādys mē loue not suche thyngis for them self but for the welys that men do wyth hem So is it of the werkys of penaūce they be not to be be loued for them self only but for y e holy loue that growyth in the herte of mā be their helpe and be their procreacyon and that Ihū criste more sooner sendeth hys grace maketh the herte clene and of clere syght whiche none may haue that be ocupyed and ouyr corians aboute worldy vanyteys and carnall loue for thys that the loue of the world derkyth y e eyē of y e thought that it may not knowe god nor gyue no conforte in beholdyng hym specyally that is full of ioye clere loue of herte as saint bernarde seyth Do seyth he ij thynges oon is thys all that ye do of we le do it specyally for the loue of god or for the loue of your neyghbour in god In alle your dedys haue one of these ij entētes or bothe for the secunde cometh of the fyrste and who hath hys herte enclerde of thys specyall loue no well is doon in heuene nor in erthe but he is partner therof as seyth saynt powle ¶ Omnia mūda mūdis quoinquinatis autē nihil mundū To folkes of clene harte belongeth all clennesse And tho folkes of fowle harte no clene thyng belōgeth For thys ouyr alle other thynges be coryous to kepe your harte clene in the loue of our lorde Ihū cryst and no thynge desyre in thys world but only the loue of god and tho thynges that helpyth yow toward hym loue no thynge for them self thus as mete and drynke man or woman or other thynges necessary y t helpyth yow to your leuyng and to be sustyned in y e seruyse of our lorde jhū cryste For thus spekyth saynt Austyn to our lorde sayng ¶ Minus te amat q̄ aliquod p̄ter te amat quod propter te non amat This is to sey ye loue god lesse thanne ony other thynge that ye loue wythoute hym yf ye loue it not for hym loue shall be put in the balannce of saynt myghel and they that moste hath loued most shall be glorifyed in heuene and not they that haue led hardeste lyf lengeste penaunce but tho that most haue loued augustinus ¶ Non diuturnitas temporū nō vniuerositas bonorum operū auget meritū Sed maior caritas maiorque volūtas auget meritum This encreseth not chefly the meryte to be longe in good lyf to do many good werkys But grettest charyte and best wyll encreseth the meryte loue is the Cenycyall of paradys for is grete fredom for he wythholdyth no thynge but geueth all that he hath and hym self also as saynt poule seyth ¶ Caritas nō querit que sua sūt Charyte desyreth not that is hys owne and ryght marueylously loueth the swete god charite for he makith hytte hys chambyrleyn hys coūsellour hys spouse fro whom he may hide no thinge that he wyll do of thought that he hath in hys herte as he seyd to abraham in genysis ¶ Nūquit celare potero abrahā que gesturus sum Shuld I seyde our lord hyde from abraham ony thyng that j may do naye in no maner so dere is loue wyth hym that he makyth it hys felaw and yet wyll j sey more y e god makyth it hys mayster for thys that he doth all that loue hym comaundyth Shall I mow preue thys ye wythowte fayle be these wordys For here spekyth he that was the man of the world that most loued god in hys tyme in y e booke of Nombrys ¶ Diuisi iuxta verbū tuū nō dicit preces I had thought seyd our lorde to moyses to auenged me on thys people But ye sey me that j shuld not your worde be ther warant Men sey that loue byndeth ye for trouth Loue bonde the allmyghty god so fermely that he myght no thyng do but as loue gaf hym leue now preue we thys marueyle ¶ Comune nō est qui consurgat et teneat te Lord seyd I saye wyll ye stryke A wee may sey alas ther is non that holdeth yow as he ought For yf ony loued you ryh̄t he myght holde yow and lette yow that ye wold not do it ¶ In gene si ad loth