what auayleth the thus for to tempte the peple parde it is a greet foly for whenne thou hast broght ony to synne thy trespas is the gretter and consequently thou augmentest thyn owne payne To whom the fende answered Certeynly all that is trew but I knowe wele the mo folkes that I cause to synne the more I deferre the commyng of the daye of dome I drede that daye aboue all thinges and the hering thenne of that harde sentence Go ye wykked and cursed into the eternall fire whiche is made redy to the deuell and his angeles And therfore I do my power to prolonge the tyme of comyng of that sentence O goode lorde what cause of drede haue thies fendes and thies vnhappy synners thenÌ„e If thou wylt be assured in this orrible and dredefull Iourney Sowe nowe in thy lif the werkes of Mercy Pite and Iustice. O howe blessed and how happy shal he be that nowe entendeth to the poure langwysshyng nedy peple For in that harde Iourney our Lorde wil deliuere them therfore from alle daungier It is writenÌ„ in the Prouerbis of Salomon in the xj chapitre The mercifull man dothe greet good vnto his sowle doth also the digne fruites of penauÌ„ce For they that nowe sowe teres and lamentacions the rewarde therof shal come and bryng them into the lodgyng of Ioye and of gladnesse But ther be many that sowen nowe presently thorues and cokill wenyng to repe Inne good whete but ywys foles it wil not be so â— For as Thappostel seith ad Galathas in the vj chapitre Suche as a man hath sowen here suche shal he repe thenÌ„e for hym self And therfor seyth our Lorde by his prophete Ozie in his .x. Chapitre Ye haue sowen felony and haue reped Inyquite and he that hath sowen synne and euyll werkes he shal be repynÌ„ and Inned into the paynes of helle But he that hath sowen vertues and the good werkes of penaunce He shal repe and gadre the euerlasting glorye And all that haue doon wele shal rest in the Ioyes of heuen And thoes that haue doon synne and wykkednesse shal go and rest in the paynes of helle Certeynly their werkes folowe them As it is writen in Thappocalips the .xx. chapttre After their werkes menÌ„ shal be bothe saued and dampned It is redde in the. Gospel of seynt IohÌ„n the v. chapitre An howre shal come in the whiche all that be in Monumentes or tombes shal here the voys of our Lorde And they that haue doonÌ„ wele shal go in the ResurrectionÌ„ of lyf And they that haue doonÌ„ wykkedly shal go vnto the Iugement of dethe It is writon in the secunde chapitre of Thappocalips howe the Iuge shal sey I am he that ensercheth the hertes of persones and shal geue to euery of you his Reward after his werkes And as seith Abdeâ—s It shal be doon vnto the as thou hast doon To the same purpose is writon in Iheromye the .l. chapitre And thies be the wordees of the eternal Iuge vnto the euyl angell spekyng of the dampned synners yelde and do hym after his dedis and werkes And therfor if thou wilt haue a good heruest and habundaunce of frute sowe good werkes largely in the tyme of this present lif for he that soweth them now largely shal gadre them thenÌ„ habundantly And he that now soweth them sparingly shal thenÌ„ gadre them scarsely And he that soweth them with blissingis shal gadre them with greet Ioye gladnesse As it is writen in the secuÌ„de Epistle ad Corintheos in the ix chapitre For he that soweth his sedys in synne malediâ—cions semblably shal Inne gadre them And as it is writen in a Prouerbe The sede that man sowes in this pÌ„sent lif shal be his hous whenÌ„e the Iuge shal seye Come ye go ye The thirde thing why the dome of the Iuge shal be terrible Is to remembre how dampned sowles shal be by the mournyng sentence full of all sorowe eternally separated and departed from god and his seintes of paradys and put on the lifte hande vnto the fendes of helle Certeynly incontinent and without tariyng that this oâ—rible sentence shal be pronounced by the mouth of Ihesu crist The perpetul deueles shal be there arredied and redy for 〈◊〉 take and rauayne the sowles of the wretched synneâ—â— Whiche they shal lightly bryng vnto the euerlasting turmentis and paynes This may appere vnto vs by a figure in the boke ef Hester the vij chapitre of the mynestres of kyng Assuer Whiche were desirous and redy to take Amon. as it is conteyned in the same Chapitre How the worde was not all out of the mouth of the sayde kyng But that the mynestres hadde couered the visage of the same Amon. In like wyse the deueles in this hideous Iourney shal be more thenÌ„ redy to resceiue the sowles of thies wretched synners And this is writen in the lamentacions of Iheremy in the first chapitre All his persecutees haue taken hym IohÌ„n CrisostomÌ„ seyth in the booke of Repayryng of forfeiturs Remembre thies cruel and terrible turmentours that neuer may shewe mercy on ony body and ledeth downe the vnhappy synners vnto eueâ—lastyng tormentes And HughÌ„ of seint Uictour seith That the horrible minystres of helle shal be appareyled and arre died incontinent as the sentence is geuen to take the condempned vnto tormentes And thenÌ„e the wretched vnhappy caitiffes lamentably shal sey they haue caughÌ„t me like as a deuoryng lyonÌ„ lurkyngly hath taken his pray O what sorowe payne wherof may not be estemed in mannes mynde nor by tellyng pronounced Wherfor Seynt Bernard seyth in his Meditacions What thynkest thou What wepyng What waylyng and what sorowe shal be whenÌ„e the synners shal be expulsed out of the companye of Iust men and put from the sight of God and deliuered and cast vnto handes of the deuels to go with them into euerlastyng fire and vtterly banysshed from all the Ioyes of heuen to abide in the derkenesse there sufferyng paynes for their demerites after the quantite of their synnes And thenÌ„e the myserabile synners beyng in despeir of the RedempcionÌ„ shal entre into the lowest parties of the erthe in the handes of our lordes glayue there to remayn without seyng of ony light Of this payne of separacionÌ„ or departyng seyth also CrisostomÌ„ SomÌ„ foles wene and thynke to haue their wisshyng yf they may escape the geâ—â—â—ne of helle But as to me I seye that ther be other turmentes moche more greuous That is to seye to be estrauÌ„ged cast a wey from the grace of the souereigne glory and I deme that the banisshyng therfrom is the moost egre and greuous turment Wheruppon seyth Seynt Gregory He is greetly tormented that is constrayned to be put a parte from the presens of our lorde And I deme that it is the moost greuous thyng that may be and passeth all the gehennes of helle The same Seint Gregorye seyth of this worde of the Gospel of Seynt
handis of god how be it ther is no man here that knowes whether he stonde in hate or loue and al thinges to come be in nowne certeynÌ„ To this purpose it is redde in Uitis patrum howe that an abbot called Agathon beyng in the article of deth And so liyng by the space of iij dayes without meuyng or openyng of his eyen His brethren seyng hym so liyng pusshed hym seiyng vnto hym Fadre abbot where art thou Atte last he answered I am in the presens of all folkes Wherfor they seide vnto hym Then thou dredest art aferde Vnto whom he answered Though I haue kept the commaundementes of our lord as vertuosly as to me was possible yet I am a man wot not whether my workes be agreable vnto hym for the domes of our lord be all other then the Iugementes of men and that is the cause of my drede I haue neeither hope ne wanhope before god Seint Austijn seyth That that we deme to be Iustice we le examyned before the deuine iustice is often inuistice And therfor it is writen in the Prouerbes of Salomon the xiiij chapitre Ther is oonÌ„ weye whiche semeth iust to a man but the ende therof ledeth hym to deth And forasmoche as this holy fadre Agathon counterpoisyng in his hert all thies thinges aforseyd al be it that he was right diligent to kepe the coÌ„maundementes of our lorde Yet alwey he dead ful sore the last day of Iugement It is also red in Uitis patrum howe ther was somtyme an auncient fadre whiche seide I drede iij thinges that is to seye First whenÌ„ my sowle shal depart out of my body seclide whenÌ„ she shal come before our lord The iij whenÌ„ she shal abide here the final sentence of the last day of iugement Lo see how many holy faders haue dead this last day of iugement for the nowne certeynÌ„ of the doutfull sentences that there shal be geuen Now certeynly it is a thing whichÌ„ of reason ought timerously to be drad It is writen in the Gospell of Seynt Mathewe in the vij chapitre by the wordes of our lorde Ihesu Crist. Many men shal sey to me Sir sir haue we not ê“phecied in thy name cast out the deuels of men doon many vertuoê° dedis ThenÌ„ he shal seye vnto them I knowe you not nor euer knewe you depart fro me If the prophetes thoes that haue chased out deuels thoes that haue doon miracles in the name of our lord be so put a bakke who shal then mowe be sure who shal conne liue here so holily but atte day of dome he ought to tremble fere Certeynly noonÌ„ for vppon the erthe is ther no body purely clene without filthe not a childe of oon day olde for it is bornÌ„ in original synne Therfor it is writen in Isay the lxiiij chapitre We be all made as a fowle cloth and we ought to drede al our werkis whichÌ„ shal be shewed befor vs atte dome al though we thinke them good vertuous iust Therfor seith Iob in his ix chapitre I haue dead al my werkis Semblably seint powle whichÌ„ was a delectable chosynÌ„ vessel al be it he was then ful clene in conscience in so moche he seide in the xxiij chapitre of Thactes of Apostoles I haue been conuersant wtth our lorde with al my myght in good conscience to this day And yet it is According wherto the same holy Apostle ferefull wrote in his first Pistle ad Corintheos the .iiij. chapitre seyde I fele not my self gilty in ony thyng that notwhithstondyng I fere yet by cause I am not iustified Seint Gregory seide The Iust men drede in al their werkes WhenÌ„ they wysely considere howe they must come afore the hyghe Iuge For as Thappostel writeth vnto the. Romaynes the xiiij chapitre We shal come all before the tribunal sete of Ihesu Crist. Alas thenÌ„e I wretched sinner what shal I seye or what shal I do whenÌ„e I shal come before so greet a Iuge wtthout goode werkes for my helpe The secunde thing whiche causeth this sentence to be terrible Is the harde lamentable and intollerabile vtterance of the seide sentence Whenne our lord Ihesu Crist shal seye Go ye fro me ye cursed peple To that purpose is writon in the. Gospel of seint Mathewe in the xxv Chapitre Whenne the sone of manÌ„ shal come in his mageste and al his angeles with hym ThenÌ„e he shal sitte in the hyghÌ„ iudicial sete al maner of peple shal assemble before hym And shal deuide the oonÌ„ from the other as the sheparde kepeth the shepe from the wolues Certeynly he ordeyneth setteth the shepe on his rigbt hande and the wolues on the lifte hande And thenÌ„ shal the kyng of glory seye to thoes that shal be an his right hande Come ye â—n with me that be blessed of my fadre and possesse the royalme of glorie that is enorned for you from the begynnyng of the worlde I haue been houngry and ye haue fedde me c. TheenÌ„e he shal seye to thoes on his lifte hande Departe fro me ye that be cursed and go into eternal fire Whiche is arredied for deueles And theruppon seith a wise man The wordes of the iuge in sentence ar but short as come ye and go ye For he shal seye to thoes that be reproued Go on your weye And to thoes that be iust come ye with me O how gracioê° shal the word of our lord IhÌ„uÌ„s Crist be whenÌ„e he shal seye come ye with me O how harde bitter and intollerable shal the pronownsyng of that worde be Departe ye fro me or go ye fro me Suerly Go ye fro me is a full sharpe worde And come ye with me is a full blessed worde Seynt Bernard seyth O hou cruel shal thoes wordes be Go ye fro me to them on the lifte hande spoken by the kyng of kyngis geuer of al lif which shal sey to other Come ye with me This is the cuttyng swerde with two edges issewed out of the mouth of the sone of man as it is writon in the first and the xix chapitre of the Apocalips Certeynly he shal thenÌ„e smyte the erthe with the Rodâ—e of this mouth and shal slee the felonous synner by his werkis As it is writen in Isaye the xj chapitre O how terribâ—â— a thyng shal be to here this voys Therfore seith Seynt Austyn vppon the Gospell of Seynt IohÌ„n Thoes that fill bakkewarde by oon worde of Ihesus Crist whenÌ„e he went towardes his passion What shal they do whenÌ„e they here the voys of the same Ihesus Crist whenÌ„e he shal Iuge all the worlde for certayne he shal braye like a lyon As Amos seide in his iij chapitre WhenÌ„e the lyon shal braye who is he that thenÌ„e shal not be a ferde Isaye in his v chapitre seith His braâ—yng shal be like a lyon Iheremie also seith in his xxv chapitre Our lorde shal braye
bitwix eternale dampnacion and perpetuale ioye and blys Forsake and renouÌ„ce your synnes and defende you from the fendes power whiche ye may surely do with contricion and in axing helpe and grace of our lord Iwys it is meruail that man whiche aboue all erthely thing is a creature raisonnable ensueth not the veray originale of raison but disprayseth forsaketh that that is most profitable eternally good for that that is mortale and moost harmful O good lord what vnhap causeth it and wherfore shulde we by out folye lose thoo sowles that thou hast bought so dere with thy moost precious blood Certainly the cause is lak of prudence good counseil grace cordiale remembraunce of the saide four last thingis O our redemptour almighty and merciful Ihesu graunte vs so thy grace that we may yet surely pourueye for our last thingis so cordyally frequente the remembraunce of thy godhede that it cause vs here after to repelle reuoque our synnes resiste our goostly enemy conforme vs in alle good werkes vnto thy blissed wil to thobteigning finally with the happy sainctes of thynÌ„ eternale glorie To whiche beinge vs the fader the soone the holy goost reigning in vnite sempiternally world withouten ende AMEN THis book is thus translated out of frenshe into our maternal tongue by the noble and vertuouse lord Anthoine Erle Ryuiers Lord Scales of the Isle of wight Defenseur and directeur of the câ—uses apostolique for our holy fader the Pope in this Royame of Englonde Vncle gouernour to my lorde prince of wales which book was deliuered to me william Caxton by my saide noble lorde Ryuiers on the day of purificacion of our blissid lady fallyng the tewsday the secunde day of the moneth of feuerer In the yeer of our lord M. CCCC lxxvijj for to be enprinted and so multiplied to goo abrood emonge the peple that therby more surely myght be remembred the four last thingis vndoubtably comyng And it is to be noted that sythen the tyme of the grete tribulacion and aduersite of my saide lord he hath been ful vertuously occupied as in goyng of pilgremagis to Seint Iames in Galice to Rome to Seint Bartylmew to Seint Andrew to Seint Mathew in the Royalme of Naples and to Seint Nicholas de Bar in Puyle and other diuerse holy places Also hath procured and goten of our holy fader the Pope a greet and a large Iudulgence and grace vnto the chapel of our lady of the pielle by seint stephens at west mestre for the relief helpe of cristen sowles passed out of this transitorie world whiche grace is of like vertue to thindulgence of Scala celi â–ª And not withstonding the greâ—t labours charges that he hath had in the seruice of the kyng of my said lord prince as wel in wales as in Englonde whichÌ„ hath be to him no litle thought besines bothe in spirite and in body as the fruit throof experimently sheweth Yet ouer that tenriche his vertuous disposicion he hath put him in deuoyr at all tymes whenÌ„ he might haue a leyser whiche was but startemele to translate diuerse bookes out of frenshÌ„ into englishÌ„ Emong other passid thurgh mynÌ„ honde the booke of the wise sayinges or dictes of philosophers the wise holsomÌ„ ê“uerbis of xpristime of pyse set in metre Ouer that hath made diuerse balades ayenst the seuen dedely synnes Furthermore it semeth that he conceiueth wel the mutabilite and the vnstablenes of this present lyf and that he desireth with a greet zele and spirituell loue our goostly helpe and perpetuel saluacion And that we shal abhorre and vtterely forsake thabhominable and dampnable synnes whiche comunely be vsed now a dayes as Pride periurye terrible swering thefte murdre and many other Wherfore he took vpon hym the translating of this present werke named Cordyale trusting that bothe the reders and the herers therof sholde knowe them self herafter the better and amende thair lyuyng or they departe and lose this tyme of grace to the recouure of their saluacion Whiche Translating in my Iugement is a noble a meritorious dede Wherfor he is worthy to be greetly comÌ„ended and also singulerly remembred with our goode prayers For certaynely as well the reders as the herers well conceyuyng in their hertes the forsayd foure last thinges may therby greetly be prouoqued and called from sinne to the greet plentiuouse mercy of our blissid saueâ—ur whiche mercy is aboue all his werkis And noman beyng contrite and confessed nedeth to fere thobteyning therof as in the preface of my saide lordes booke made by hym more playnly it appereth ThenÌ„e in obeying and folowyng my said lordes comandement In whiche I am bounden so to do for the manifolde benefetes and large rewardes of hym had and receyued of me vndeseruid I haue put me in deuoyr â—â—ccomplisshe his saide desire and comauÌ„dement whom I beseche almighty god to kepe and mayntene in his vertuous and laudâ—ble actes and wakis And sende hym thaccomplisshement of his noble and ioyous desire and playsirs in this worlde And after this short daungerous and transitory lyf euer lasting permanence in heuen Amen Whiche werke present I beganÌ„ the mornÌ„ after the saide Purificacion of our blissid Lady Whiche was the the daye of Seint Blase Bisshop and Martir And finisshed on the euen of thannunciacion of our said bilissid Lady fallyng on the wednesday the xxiiij daye of Marche In the xix yeer of Kyng Edwarde the fourthe
AL Ingratitude vtterly settyng apart we owe to calle to our myndes the manyfolde gyftes of grace with the benefaittis that our lorde of his moost plentiueuse bonte hath ymen vs wretches in this present transitoire lif Whiche Rememâ—braunce of right directly shulde induce vs to yuie his godhede therfore continuale and Immortale louingis thankis and in no wise to falle to thignorance or foryetefulnesse therof Emong whiche benefaittis and gyftes is granted vs fre arbitrement And therby with our good desertes supported and holpen by his moost digne mercy and grace we be enabled to be the children of euerlestyng saluacion to possesse the Ioyes of heuen whiche ar incompÌ„hensible and inestimably blisful and good And by cause we be so fraile and inconstante prone to falle feble and insufficiente of our self to resiste the frawdelente malice temptacion of our auncien ennemy the fiend Therfore he hath yiuen vs his mercy to be our Relief Raison to be our lanterne and RemembrauÌ„ce to ordre our guiding ThenÌ„e first of this precieux gyfte of mercy we may to our greet conforte verily truste to haue it at all tymes in this wâ—rldâ— whenÌ„e we deuely sue calle therfore But we must know for certayne that we can haue no capacite nor power to receiue hit after the saison of our bodyly lif here Secundly by Raison we owe in the moost extreme loue and drede to knowe and take hym as our creatour Redemptour and alle our willes to be subget vnto his playsir Thriddely we owe to remembre how we may guide vs for to stande in his grace Considering what we were what we be and what we shal be And for as moche as very prudence admonesteth techeth vs how the conclusion of euery thyng shulde be moost souerainely taken hede vnto Tâ—â—â—fore I aduise that this traitys here after ensuyng whiche is of foure last thinges be we le ouerred and seen And not oonly seen and red but also wele conceiued noted and often remembred And if perauenture we finde therin ony cause of grouge or elles ony mocion to blotte or rustâ— the clernesse of our goostly vndrestanding stirring vs to vnmesurable feer or ony other presumptueux sinistre or wyne concept Yet late vs take hit alweyes to the beste entent hauing no dispeir in our lordes mercy for it is infenite And knowe for trouthe that noon suche euil moeuing cometh but of thinstigacion of our goostly aduersaire whom we must vertuously resiste and catholiquely allewayes reste vppon the moost ferme piller of our faith which is the very assured shelde and moyen of our goostly â—â—â—the And to haue that grace in our necessite calle we for helpe vnto the holy goost that illumineth and techeth euery sowle for to kepe the wayes of saluacion to the enheriting of the eternal Ioye and glorie Amen THis present tretys is deuided in four principal parties Of the whiche euery parte conteyneth thre other singuler parties as in the maner folewyng is shewed The first principal parte is of the bodely deth And ther vnto belongeth thre other singuler parties The first of the thre is how remembrauÌ„ce of deth causeth a man to meke and humble hym self The seconde is how Remembrance of deth maketh hym to dispise alle vayne wordly thyngis The thirde is how Remembrance of deth causeth a man vnconstrayned to take vpon hym to do penanÌ„ce and taccepte it with glad herte The seconde principal parte is of the last day of Iugement and conteyneth in hym self thre other singuler parties The first of these thre is how accusacionÌ„ that shal be at the day of Iugement is thing to be dred The seconde is how the last day of Iugement is terrible and not without cause for ther must be gyuen a due rekenyng and acompt of euery thyng The thirde is how the terrible abiding of thextreme sentence causeth doubters to be had of the Iugemnt The thirde principal parte is of helle or of thinfernal Iehenne and conteyneth in it self thre other singuler parties The first of thoes iij is howe helle after holy scripture is named in diuerse and many wyses The secunde is howe they that descende into helle been punysshâ—d with many greet and sondry paynes The thirde is howe ther be many diuerse condicions of greuances in the paynes of helle The fourth principal part is the blilsful Ioyes of heuen ther vnto apperteyne thre other singuler parties The first of thoes thre is howe the Royalme of heuen is loued preysed and recommended for his beaute clernes and lyght The seconde is how the Royalme of heuen is praysed for the manyfolde goodnesses that be haboundaunt therin The thirde is how the celestial Royalme is to be lawded for the perpetuel infinite Ioye and gladnes therin Here after foloweâ— the prologue of the four last thinges MEmorare nouissima et ineternum non peccabis Ecclesiastici septimo capitulo Ecclesiasticus saith in his seuenth chapiter thise wordes folowyng Bere wel in thy mynde the last thingis and thou shalt neuer fal in synne Also Seynt Austyn saith in his book of meditacions That man ought rather haue in fere and eschewe thabhominacionÌ„ filthe of synne than ony other crueltees of thinfernal turmentis Lo thenÌ„e how the knowlege of these four last thinges and frequentyng the memorye and remembraunce of them calleth us from synne and draweth us to vertu and conformeth vs to alle good werkis Wherfor by the helpe of the deuyne inspiracion I haue purposed to reherse and saye a lytyl of these four thingis As which they be and what they be And also to declare somwhat of euery of them singulerly by them self precyously and dignely by seyngis and auctoritees of seyntis and generally by examples and seyngis of auctorised clerkis It is to be noted that after the seyng of seyntes men seye comynly ther be foure the last thnigis And whiche they be it apperith clerly by the wordes of seynt Bernard in a sermon Where he seyth in al thi werkes haue remembraunce of thy last thingis Whiche be four That is to wete first Deth bodely Seconde The day of Iugement Thirde The peynes of helle Fourth The glorie of heuen O what thinge is more horrible than deth What thing is more dredefull and terrible than the day of Iugement What thing is more importable to be suffred than the gehenne and peynes of helle And what is a more Ioyefull blysse than celestial glorie Seint Bernard seyde in the same sermone These ben the four wheles of the chare wherof the remembrance bryngeth mannes sowle to the euerlasting glorie of paradys These ben also foure moeuynges that awake the spiryte of man to that ende that he disprayse all worldly thinges and retorne vnto his creatour and maker Lo it is thenÌ„ bothe conuenient and prouffitable that they be had contynuelly in remembraunce And therfor seyth the. Wise man in the xxviij chapitre of Ecclesiasticus Bere in thy mynde the last and final thinges And
shal be hastely caste into the erthe vnder the fete of other For this cause seyth Seynt Iherome in a pistle that he sent vnto Cypryane Remembre the wele of thy dethe and thou shalt not synne He thenÌ„ that alweye bereth in Remembraunce howe he must dye disprayseth easely alle thinges present disposyng hym self f to alle good thynges that be to come Certeynly Esau. consyderyng howe dethe was nyghe vnto hym dispraysed lyghtly alle worldly thynges It is writen in Genesis in the fyue and twenty Chapitre Lo beholde I dye and what shal proufite me alle thoes thinges that I am bornÌ„ vnto Isidore also aduertising hym self of the shortenesse of this prrsent lif whiche is so sone passed that all that menÌ„ seme to haue in possessionÌ„ here shal be lefte sodenly by deth exorted euery man to disprayse suche thynges Sayng if thou wilt be in rest and peas desyre no thyng of this world and so thou shal be quiete in thy corage if thou put from the all desyres and corious besynesses of this present lyf Set a part all thing that may distourbe and lette thy good purpose be thou dede to the world and the world to the. and as though thou were dede beholde the vayne glorye of this world And as a man passed disseuer and depart the from the voluptuousnesse of this worlde And as a man fynysshed haue this worlde in no cheerte And as a man passed out of this worlde purge the of all maner of filthes And also whyleâ—thou art a lyue disprayse all that thou mayst not haue when thou art dede Senek seyth that ther may not thing profite the so moche in that temperance and dyspraysyng of all worldly thinges as shal do to thenke often of the short enduring and the incerteynte of this present lyf Thenne my ryght dere frende Remembre often in thy corage how thou must dye It is redde in a book made of the gyft of drede Howe long a go ther was ryght a wyse philosophre that hoolly abandoned hym to the vanytees of this world Whiche in a tyme herd red of the long lyf of Auncient fadres and of eueriche of them was seyde in the ende he is dede As is wreton in Genesis in the fyfth chapitre Thenne he thought in hym self that semblably deth shulde happen vnto hym as it did vnto those for he was right olde And hastely he entred into religyonÌ„ and toke thordre of ffrere prechours and was after made master of Theologye in Parys And from that daye forth lyved a full holy lyf O howe we le hadde this man before his eyen the wordes of Ecclesiastes in the enleuenth chapitre Seiyng That man whiche hadde lyued many yeres alweye gladde and Ioyefull hÌ„e ought to remembre wele his last dayes and the comyng of the tenebrouse tyme. For thenne it shal be but vanyte to argue of thinges past for his remedye Certeynly atte daye of dethe appereth vanyte of vanytees and howe all thinges shal be thenne vayne and noght For this cause it is writen in Ecclesiastes in the thirde Chapitre Alle thingys here be restyng vndre vanyte and trewe it is alle thynges of this worlde and eueriche of them be vayne For our lyf and euery worldly creature is but vanyte And therfor seyth the Prophete That vnyuersally euery lyuyng manÌ„ is vanyte Thou wenest to lyue longe and many yeres to possesse delicyously thy temporall goodes Certeyne my right dere frende It shal be all other wyse For man is made semblable vnto vanyte and his dayes passe as a shadowe Beholde nowe and see howe thy dayes shal be but short and an other shal come and take thy possessions To this purpose seith Chaton Promitte neuer to thy self that thou shalt haue longe space of lyff For in what place so euer thou entre dethe foloweth alwey the shadowe of thy body And therfor if thou loke vppon the wordes that be seyde And also conceyue dilygently in thy herte that shal be shewed the hereafter thou shuldest rather sey thyes wordes than other wyse I go now to my dethe and trust to lyue after by a longe space Al be it perauenture this is the last day of my lyf The holy and blessed man Seynt Luke seith in his xij chapitre O thou foole this nyght thy soule shal be axed of the and be certeyn that the disposicionÌ„ of thy tabernacules is but light As is wreton in the seconde epistle of seynt Petre. in the first chapitre Thynke thenÌ„e that thou art dede when thou knowest necessarily that after a nombre of yeres thou art certeyn to dye Therfor disprayse al transitory thynges that must be hastly lefte as is to sey without ony tariyng though it to be lothe vnto the. The poete telleth that wysdom rentis of londes possession of richesse the makyng of walled townes the byldyng of houses the glorious maner of lyuyng at the table as well in plesant drynkes as in delicious metes the feire softe beddes we le hangyd and dressed the white table clothes the bright burnyssed cuppes the riche garmentis contrary to good maner the greet flokkes or herdis of beestis The greet contreies of arable londes the vyneyerdes plenteuously sette with vynes and the Ioye and the loue of his propre childeren Yet shal all this be relynquysshed passe and be lost and no thyng be founde therof herafter By thies thinges may be seen that in this present lyf is no thing stable nor permanent whiche ought to cause drede Therfore writeth Ecclesiastes in the secunde Chapitre I haue greetly exalted my werkes I haue edified me fayre houses I haue planted vynes I haue made gardynes Wherin I haue graffed of alle maner of trees I haue also caste poondes and stagnes and haue sette trees in the forest I haue hadde seruauntes and chamberers and greet companye in my housholde more than euer hadde ony afore me in Iherusalem I haue hadde greet flokkes of shepe and droues of beestes I haue assembled for me golde and siluer and gadred the tresure of kynges and of the prouynces my neighbours And also haue herde afore me syngers bothe men and women and many delectacions of the children of men And haue doonÌ„ so moche that I haue surmounted in richesse alle that haue been before me in Iherusalem Wysedome also hath alweyes perseuered in me and all that euer myn eyen haue desired I haue not denyed them nor defended but that they haue vsed alle voluptuousnesse they haue hadde no delectacion But in suche thinges that I hadde ordeyned them And whenÌ„ that I turned me behelde wel al thies thinges the werkes that my handes hadde wrought loked vppon the labour that I hadde many tymes swette in al for noght I perceyued then knewe we le that al my werkes were but vainte affliction of spirite And that vndre the sonne in this world was no thing permanent nor sure Now in trougth al thinges passe here like a shadowe
vs yf we haue corrected our body with the Rodde of discipline in refraynyng hit from Rebellion and other vayne Iolitees Seint Bernard sayth vppon the. Canticles That the disacustumyng of good werkes must be chastised and holpen by the bytte of discipline He seyth also in a. Pistle O how wele good disposicion yeldeth discipline to the state of the body and the habitacion of the thoughtes abateth the slepe of the hede she ordeyneth the continuaunce of the visage she tempereth the tonge she refrayneth the throte she appeseth the Ire and dresseth the goyng Thirdely our Lorde shal aske if we haue laboured our body in vertu and in werkes of penaunce Therof seyth Seynt Austyn in his book of Baptisyng of children That Adam was chased out of Paradys terrestre because that delicious place it shulde signifye that labour which is contrary to delite shulde be shewed vnto the tendre flesshe of the children And therfore our bodyes may be called a laboryng best whiche our Lorde hath lent vs to do and accomplisshe the werkys of penaunce Holde not the body then in Idelnesse in as moche as thou knowest not how longe it shal abyde with the. But perfourme the werkes of penaunce Lest perauenture he asketh hit ageyn that hath lent hit the. Crisostom sayth Iff thou haue borowed an Oxe or an Horse thou wilt a none sette hym a werke leest he be asked ageyn of the on the morowe Why wilt not thou semblably do wyth thy body as thou wylt do wyth the Horse or Oxe Thus then norisshe discretely thy body whiche is lent the by Ihesu Criste in suche wyse as thy nature may be sustened and the vices ouercome and thy body corrected by the Rodde of discipline so as it may be obedyent and Resplendisshyng in Chastite Instructe hit to good laboures so that it chase aweye alle Idelnesse and fynally that thou mayste yelde our Lorde a good and a Iuste Rekenyng therof at the daye of Iugement Thirdely we muste yelde Rekenyng of our next kynnesmen First the Fadre of the Sone As is writen in the first booke of Kynges in the secunde Chapitre and the thirde of Hely that was punysshed for his children because he knewe they dyd a mysse and corrected not their defautes Therfore is also writon in Salomon the Nyne and twenty Chapitre Lerne and teche thy Sone And to the same purpose seyde A wyse man Iff thou haue a sone correcte hym yf he synne lest by right thou abye not his trespace Secundly the Prelate shal geue Rekenyng of his subgette or diocesanÌ„ For it is writin in Ezechiell the eghÌ„t and therty Chapitre My sone I haue sette the to be a beholder and ouerseer of men in the Hous of Irahell Whenne thenÌ„ thou herest ony of the wordes of my mouthe shewe them on my behalf That is to wyte Iff I seye to a felon O theff thou shalt dye an euyll dethe And yf thou shewe not my seiyng to hym to th entent that he may amende hym If he dye in that wykkednesse I shal aske of thy hande his lyf ageyn Item the same Ezechiel seyth in his thre and therty Chapitre Beholde and see howe I am my self a boue alle my other herdemenÌ„ And I shal aske my bestayll of their handes The Lordes or Princes Roiall shal yelde Rekenyng and accomptes of their subgettes As it appereth in the. Booke of Nombres in the fyue and twenty Chapitre Where the worldly princes ar commaunded to be hanged on the galowes for the synne of their peple be cause the peple dyd fornicacionÌ„ with the doughters of Moab Whithe they called their Sacrifice As is redde in the seyd Chapitre Suche then be the princes and prelates As is writen in Iheremyas the fyue and twenty Chapitre Howle ye herde menÌ„ and crye strongely and cast vppon you asshes for youre dayes be complete to th entent that ye be slayne and cast in the erthe as precious vessels Beholde thenÌ„e thies Prelates of the Chyrche and the Princes vniuersall of the Erthe that be constitute aboue alle other â—oke howe they gouerne by example Howe they instructe by wordes Howe they defende by dede the poure peple that arne comitted to their gouernaunce Certeynly the Prelates owen to teche their peple and defende them wysely from the assawtes of Heretikes worse and more cursed than wolues and from their cawtellys wylyer than foxes And the temporall Princes owenÌ„ to do Iustice vppon trespassours and defende their good subgettes and kepe Wedewes Orphanes and wretched persones And not to greue ony body by vnrightfull exactions or Iniust causes They may knowe what is writen in the. Booke of Sapiens the Syxthe Chapitre How there shal be a right hard Iugement to thoes that been precellent a boue alle other Certeynly mercy shal be graunted vnto the good poure man But the badde riche man shal suffre greet turmente O ye prelates of the Chirche and ye Princes of the vniuersall worlde thies wordes been addressed vnto you to th entent ye shulde lerne wysedomÌ„ and not to fall therefrom and that ye enstructe gouerne and defende your subgettes so we le that ye may be sure atte the last daye of the right harde Iugement where the grettest and strongest paynes shall be to th offenders that haue been myghtiest here Fourthly it behoued to yelde Rekenyng of alle our willes and werkes And Anastasye sayth vppon the Symboll Quicunque wlt saluns esse c. How atte comyng of our Lorde Ihesus Criste alle mankende shal arrise bodely and yelde Rekenyng of their propre werkes That is hit that is writen by Thappostle in the secunde Pistle ad Corintheos the fyfth Chapitre Where he seyth It behoueth that we shewe vs alle manyfestly before the Iudiciall sete of Ihesu Crist to th entent that eueriche resceyue there good or euyll accordyng to their merites and desertes It is redde in Ecclesiastes in the last Chapitre Our lorde shal beyng vnto the Iugement all thinges that be doon And not oonly the greet greuous synnes but also thoes that we thinke be litle or none The paas of a man semeth but a smale thyng Neuerthelesse it shall be Rekened for at the fynall daye of Iugement Ther for seyth Iob. in his thertenth Chapitre Sire thou hast wele marked my weyes and my pathes and hast beholdyn the Traces of my fete And after he seyth in the Chapitre folowyng Thou hast nombred all my steppes Item also it is wreton in Ecclesiasticus the seuententh Chapitre His eyen behold incessauntly alle the weyes off men As to seye he will Rewarde alle that they doonÌ„ accordyngly therafter We Rede in Uitis patrum an example of an Angell that somtyme nombred alle the paaces of an Heremyte Whiche paas is a lesse thing than an Idle worde Therfore seyth Seynt Mathewe in his twelfth Chapitre That men shal yelde Rekenyng and Reason at the daye of dome of euery Idle worde that they haue seyde It is wreten in the.
Theodorus whiche sone after sodenly began to crye with a lowde voyce saiyng I yelde louyng thankis and grace to god my creatour for nowe that dragon whiche shulde haue deuoured me is driuen and chased away fro me by your good and deuoute prayers and orisons Also Seint Gregorie telleth an example in the fourthe boook of his Dyalogis that how in the partes of Anchone in a monastery called Congolathon be fell somtime that there was therin a monk which was taken for a very holy man meruelously wele disposed towarde god But whenÌ„e his brethren went that he hadde fasted he was accustumed secretely to ete And whenÌ„e he was atte the batayl of deth he called generally for alle his brethren saiyng vnto them I am deliuered nowe vnto a dragon to be deuoureed whiche with his taill hath knytte to gydre my fete also my kneys putteth his hede into my mouth draweth my sowle out of my body and after he hadde saide thoes wordes he dyed forth withall It may seme thies wordes be for the condempned sinners which ben writen in Iheremy in the lj chapitre He hath eten me like a dragon This dragon is hideous and greet and hath vij hedes x hornes in the same as it is writen in the Apocalips in the xij chapitre Ther hath been a greet bataile in the skye so that seint Michiel his angell hath fought with the dragon his angell whichÌ„ might not resist sith their rowmes in heuen coude not be fouÌ„de but were cast downÌ„ and so the dragon auncient serpent whichÌ„ is called the deuilÌ„ sathan enforceth him self to make warre vpon the uniuersalÌ„ world here And for that cause is it red in the same chapitre That harme come to the erthe and to the see for the deuill is descended emong you with alÌ„ his greet furious anger This deuil hath a meruelous greet hate vnto alÌ„ good peple which disposeth them to take possession in the rowme of heuen from whens he was put out chased into theternal paines and the more that the day of â—ome approcheth the more tempteth he more cursedly more forseth him self to do euil in distroyng of sowles O how greet is the wikkidnesse and the malice of this deuilÌ„ of hell Wherof Seint Bernard talketh in a prose saiyng O how felonows shal thenÌ„ this tormeÌ„tours be which shal paine tourmente synners how terrible shal their vengeance be in vengyng vices wretchednes sinnes Certeinly their cruel malice is yet augmented in diuerse maners First because they be so innumerable and of so diuerse soortes The Psalter saith Why be thoes so multiplied that tourmenteth me and ther be many that dresse them ayenst me And as it is writen in Iob in the xix Chapitre They haue asseged my Tabernacle about me It is writen in Uitis patrum That ther was a good Auncient Man that sawe the deuill enuyronyng the Peple and were as thik as beis that make hony Wherfore it is saide also in the Psawter They haue compassed me as beis be cause they be many of grete myght as Thappostle witnessith in his pistle ad the epheseos in the vj chapitre wher he calleth them princes potestates gouernours of the world be cause they be subtil myghty to noy sowles The psalter seith The strong haue sought my sowle this strength is vndrestonde by the deueles It is redde also of the strength in Iob the xlj chapitre There is no myght vppon the erthe to be compared with that that hath doon so that it dredeth no man sauf hym that seith all thing from aboue is king ouer all the children of pride the deueles shal ernstfully exorcise their might in pride to the pumisson of synners them shal cruelly tourmente It is writen in Ecclesiastico the xxxix chapitre Ther be spirites that be ordeyned to take vengeaunce hath confermed the tormentes in their furour enduringly till the consummacion of the worlde Iob seith in his xvj chapitre He hath compassed me with his fperis hath not spared me but hath hurte my reynes he hath cast my bowell to the erthe and geuen me woundes vppon wounde this come shuldering ayenst me like a gyand Thirdely the malice and cruelte of the deuell is comforted is more greuous be cause they ar neuer wery of tormenting As it is writen in the book of Daniel in the iij chapitre The mynistres shal not seasse in sturryng the fires of the fourneis to the causing of paynes Therfore said a wise man that there be tormentours whiche be more to be lothed then serpentes and they be blakke and defourmed and will not be beten downe And they be neuer wery to do harme but newly encreasen their malice al way redy and boyling desirously to put soules to payne and incessantly they excersise their cruelte more and more And it is saide to all sinners in Deutronomy in the xxviij chapitre Thou shalt serue for thynÌ„ enemy whenne our lord shal sende the naked vnto him in honger and thirste and in alle pouerte And theâ—â—e shal thy sore woundes enereace perpetuelly O how greet shal the paynes be there to dampned folkes whiche shal last continuelly in anguishÌ„ and miserie without intermission lacking peas or reste It is red of the sinners in Ezechiel in the vij chapitre That whenÌ„e they shal fele thâ—es anguisshiâ—ê° paine they shal desire and requirâ— to haue peas but thenÌ„e they gete nonÌ„ for they shal hâ—ue conturbacion and sorowe vpon sorowe It is writen in Thapocalips the xiiij chapitre That thoes that haue been bâ—estly shal therfore haue no rest by daye nor nyght ThenÌ„ mowe the sinners we le say as it is writen in Isay in the xxxviij chapitre I shal not see our lord god in the kuyng lond nor I shal no more beholde ony man that is inhabitour of rest Semblable as it is writen in Iheremye the xlv chapitre Alas I am vnhappy for oure lord hath addid in me sorowe to sorowe for I can finde no reste Sorowe shal be thenÌ„e cast at his hede and alle Iniquite shal descende vpon him Now by thies thingis aboue said it manifestly appereth how suche as descendeth into hell be punisshed with many diuerse payneeâ— therfor me thinkith dere brethren how it shold be often in your remeÌ„brauÌ„ce to defende you from fallyng to sinne whereby ye shulde lâ—se the companye of the â—â—â—py and blisshed seinâ—eeâ— and the celestiale glorie whiche is perourable and shal dure world withouten ende ¶ How there be many condicions of tormentes encreasyng the peynes of Helle ¶ The thirde chapitre of the thirde part principal NOw resteth to declare the thirde parte of this matier whiche is in shewyng the condicion of thinfernale tourmentes whiche be full diuerse Certeyne there be sondery condicions that specially encreace by occasions the peynes of helle ¶ The first is bitternesse wepyng grindyng of teeth compleynyng the perpetuell dethe peynfull languissing in despaire
and that with a continuale remembraunce in contemplacion to frequente that sure memory Now me thinketh I haue suffisantly shewed you the manifolde maniers of the diuerse paynes of helle and how vaillable and to what proufite groweth the memoriale Remembraunce therof O mortal man wt haerrour what folie and what faulte is in the whenÌ„e it lyeth in thy fre arbitrement to haue Ioyes euerlesting and willyngly castist thy self into the infernale tormentes and peynes from whens noon may retorne but brenne there in fire worlde without ende And thus endeth the thirde parte of this tretys deuided in four parties partie of the foure last thingis whiche be forto come And here beginneth the prologue vppon the fourth â—His thirde part of the four last thingis which be forto come wherof soueraynely the Remembraunce withdrawith a man from synne Is the mynde of the euerlesting celestiale Glorie And if a man refreygne hym self from mourdeur or from ony criminale cause for fere of losyng of his honour or temporale goodes how moche more ought he refreygne drede eschewe alle sinnefull operacions wherby he myght lese the moost blisful sempiternale Ioyes Seint Austyn saith in a book of his confessions There is a Ioye whiche is not to be gyuen to the felon sinners but to those that of their fre will loue and worshippe the lord god and thou thy self art that Ioye For this cause it is writen in the first Epistle ad Corintheos the vj chapitre The felon synners shal not possesse the KyngdomÌ„ of heuen but shal confusedly be put therefrom as the vile glotons and dishonneste folkes be chased out of themperour his courte and not suffre to sitte emong kingis princes at their excellent and solemne tables And Callidore seith that euery man is put cast from the deite after the quantite of his synnes And certeynly his casting fro is mesured after the delectacions that he hath had in them Now shulde not thenne euery creature eschewe to do sinne and haue hit in abhomynacion as a mortale thing knowyng that therby is lost the celestiale eternale Glorie O what shal I poure wretche barein of knowlych saye or how shall I talke of this Glorie incomprehensible Certeynely their was neuer Eye that sawe nor Ere that herde nor Herte that thought the Ioye that god hath ordeygned for those that he loueth As is writen in the first Epistle ad corintheos the secunde chapitre Therfore what shal I now more saye or write in this werk I am as oon bornÌ„ blinde that disputeth in colours hauing no confidence to mynÌ„ owen propre witte But therfore I muste referre my self to the testimonies of scriptures by the whiche I wole speke It is to be noted how albe it in the heuenly glorie there be innumerable thingis playnely approuing the ioye and felicite therof Yet I wole specially shewe how it is to be recomended for thre thingis The first for the souerayne and excellente clernesse therof Secundly for the the moost habundance of the goodnesses that be therin And thirdely for the most blisful Ioye therof perdurably enduring The beaute therof nor the clernesse can not be mesured The infenite goodnesse can not be estemed Nor theâ—ernale Ioye can not be compared nor sufficiently prased Of these iij thingeâ— I shal traite beâ—â—fly by ordre in this last parte Thus endeth the prologue of the fourth and the last parte of this book How the Royalme and kingdom of heuen is praysed for his beaute and clernesse fIrst the kingdomÌ„ of heuen is to be recomÌ„ended for the souerayne beaute clernesse therof as it is writen in the book of Sapience the v chapitre wherin it is callid the royame of Beaute The Psalter saith Lord I haue loued the beaute of thynÌ„ hous It is also writen in Thoby the xiij chapitre I shal be happy yf the Reliques of my sedes may see the clernesse of Irlm wherof the gates be made of Saphires and emerawdes and other precious stones The circuite of the walles with faire brighte stones and all the places paued with fyn gold It is writen in the Apocalips the xxj chapitre That cite was made of fyn gold pure and clene as glas The fondement of walles enourned with alle precious stones The twelue gates shal haue twelue Margarites the stretes of the Cite shal be of fynÌ„ gold shinyng as bryghte as glas The tempell is not yet spoken of Certaynely almyghty God is the tempell therof and the Lambe is the light The forsaide Cite hath no nede of the Sonne nor of the Mone to lighte hit with all For the clerenesse of oure Lord shall Illumine hit and the Lambe shal be the lanterne and the peple shal mowe walke by that clerenesse It is also redde in the xxij Chapitre of Thapocalips It shall neuer be nyght there Wherfore there nedeth no candell nor lanterne nor light of the sonne For the bryghtnesse of our lord shal lighte and illumine them enduringly world withouten ende Whiche saiyng may wel accorde with that that is writen in Isaye the lx chapitre Thou shalt haue thenns no nede of the shynyng of the sonne nor resplendisshing of the mone For our lorde shal lighte and illumme the sempiternally In trouth he is a glas without ony spot and a light illumining euerlastingly As it is writen in the book of Sapiens the vij chapitre Also our lorde shal be the rsplendisshing of glorie As is writen to the Hebreos in the first chapitre Whiche resplendisshing shal be an hooll light Abacuk in his thirde chapitre saith of this resplendisshing alle the seintes shal take in the royalme of heuen clernesse and sempiternal light wherwith all they shal reioyse them incessantly in greet felicite It is also writen in the boook of Iugis the v chapitre Those that loue the shal shine and resplende as the sonne doth in his rising Also is writen in the book of Sapiens the third chapitre How thoes that be Iuste shal shine in their sâ—dees Royalme like the sonÌ„e O lorde sempiternal grond of all vertu how good and how glorieuse is thy royalme and how ought thy tabernacles to be beloued how greet is thy beaute how habundante is thy Resplendisshing in thy ciâ—e how meruyleuse is the brighte clernesse therof and how souerayne is the swetenesse of thy celestyal contraye For this cause saith Seint Austyn in his book of freâ—â—â—â—trement So greet is the beaute of Iustice. so greet is the swetenesse of thynÌ„ eternal light That yf it were not expedient to delite therin but oonÌ„ our of a daye forto haue that Ioye oonly The innumerable dayes of this present lif full habundante of alle temporall goodes ought therfore raisonable to be mispreised and forborne Nowe certeynely it is not vnraisonably spoken nor without a a greet gronde that better is to be oonÌ„ daye in that courte than a. M. in this world O celestial Ihrlm O shinyng hous ful of all brightnesse
Mathewe the xvj chapitre He shal be cutte and sent into the eternall fire Certeynly the gehenne of helle is a thing in tollerable and noonÌ„ canÌ„ comprehende how intolleraâ—le it is Neuertheles yf there were a M gehennes in helle ther is noonÌ„ so lamentable payne as to be exempte from the honour of the blessed glory of heuen and to be hated of our rede mour Ihesu Crist maker of al thingis For as seint Austyn seith The wikked reproued shal leuer sustene alle the turmentes of helle then to beholde the rightfull iuges face angred with them Iohel seith in his secunde chapitre The erthe hath trembled for his face and meuyng of his eyen the sonne the mone haue derked the sterres haue withdrawen their shynyng the peple haue been turmented beholdyng his visage Certeynly synners shal thenÌ„e perisshe before his face thorowe the greet sorowe they shal haue of them self And whenÌ„e they shal see hym turnyng his visage from them it shal meue them to myserably And thenne the Iuge egrely shal saye as is writon in Iheremye the .xviij. chapitre In the daye of therâ— perdicion I shal shewe them my bakke and not my face O what shal be that seperacion O how bitter and sorowful shal it be to the synner to departe fro the face of our lorde WhenÌ„e he shal horribly sey I tell you I knowe you not And therfor seyth a wise man The departing of frendys is right sorowful But the seperacion of the body and the sowle from the presens of the deite is the moost sorowful thing For all this thinges aforseyd and many other whiche infenitely myght be rehersed for breefnesse of tyme I passe them ouer But yet awake ye awake ye my dere frendes and lifte vppe your hedes abhorryng and fering that tymerous and dredeful day of Iugement For as Sophomas in his first chapitre seyth The daye of our lorde approcheth nygh and shal not tary It is writon in Isaye in the xiij chapitre Sorow ye crye for the daye of our lorde is nyghÌ„ Slepe not thenÌ„e For ye knowe not the daye ne the hour as is writon in the. Gospel of seint Mathewe the xxv chapitre It is also writon vnto the Tessalonyes in the last chapitre of the first epistle My brethren ye knewe wele that the daye of our lorde shal come by nyght as a thef and whenne menÌ„ shal thynke them self assuredly in peas He shal come sodenly and take them in a mortall default Wherfor my brethren Rest not in the synne of wretchednesse Leest that daye supprise you not sodenly as a thef Surely we be all the children of daye and the sones of light Then let vs not slepe as other do But let vs awake and be sobre as it is writon in the same chapitre It is writen in the Gospel of seint Luke in the one and twenty chapitre Geue attendaunce in your self Lest perauenture your hertes be fulfilled with gloteny drunkshippe and in other vayne werkes of this present lif And lest that the forseide daungerous daye fall not sodeynly vnto you whiche shal fall vniuersally to all thoes that shal be vppon the erthe Be ye thenÌ„e in your prayers so that at al tymes ye may be the more digne and able to flee all the daungers that be to come whenÌ„e ye shal be afore the sone of man As it is writon in the same chapitre for a trougth There shal be thenÌ„e tremblyng fere and sorowe intollerable And therfore seide Iohell in his secunde chapitre Our lordes daye shal be greet right terrible And who shal be he that shal mowe sustene or suffix it Isaye seid also in his ij chapitre they shal entre into the cauernes emonges stones and hid places of the erthe for drede of our lordes face of the glory of his mageste WhenÌ„ he shal arise to smyte punisshe the erthe And as it is redde in Abacuk in the thirde chapitre In his fersnes he shal trede downÌ„ the erthe the peple shal be abasshed of his furour Isaye in his x chapitre seith What shal ye do in the day of visitacion and of calamite comyng from ferre parties to whom shal ye renne to haue socour helpe Certeynly the synner shal haue thenÌ„ no refuge solace nor socours And therfor seid Ancelme in his boke of meditacions On the right hande shal synnes be accusing the wretched synner on the lifte hand infenite nombre of deueles vndrenethe the confusion of helle whichÌ„ is greetly to be dowted ouer this the pÌ„sens of the wrothfull iuge and without al the worlde brennyg and within this the consciences glowyng This ought to be remembred Alas the miserable synners taken in that trappe whyther shal they flee It shal be thenÌ„e impossible to hide them It shal be an intollerable dredeful thing to appere in that daye The seyd sentence is more fereful and daungerous be cause it iugeth not oonly the body but also it condempneth the sowle To that purpose is ther red an example how that ther was somtyme ij brethrenÌ„ wherof the oonÌ„ was a fole ignorant and the other was wise whichÌ„ went to gedres in a weye and as they walked they come atte last to a forked wey whiche ledde to sondry places Wherof the oonÌ„ was fayer and pleasaunt and the other sharpe no thing inhabited And whenÌ„ the fole sawe the faier delectable weye he seid Brother go we this weye ThenÌ„e the wise brother answered I knowe wel that this wey whiche thou wilt lede vs is fayer delectable but natheleâ— in the ende it wil bryng us to right an euell logyng And therfor I counseil that we take the other wey For al be hit that it be sharpe and not inhabited finally it wil being vs to right a good honest harberoughÌ„ and full of rest Wherunto the fole answered I wil rather trust mynÌ„ eye in that I see than thynÌ„ in that thou seest not And so sette hym â—orthe in the softe and delectabile weye Which thing the wyse brother seyng that he cowde not make hym relinquisshe his purpose folowed hym And whenÌ„e they hadde goonÌ„ to gydre a litle space they fortuned anonÌ„ to be taken with soldeours whiche disseuerd them and put them into diuerse prisones Nowe it happened that the kyng of that contree comaunded on a day that all prisoners shulde be brought afore hym that he myght iuge them according to their demerites And whenÌ„e thies two brethrenÌ„ came afor hym and echeonÌ„ knewe other the wyse brother seyde O sir kyng and our Iuge I compleyne me greetly of this man my brother for as we went to gydres in a weye he beyng reputed a fole and I wys Yet neuer theles he wolde not beleue me nor go after me the good weye that I toughÌ„t hym but hath made me to folowe hym in the euyll weye wherin we were taken and so he is gylty of my dethe And to the contrarye the ignorant fole
seide to the same kyng Sir I haue gretter cause and strenger Reason to compleynÌ„ me ageynst my brother for where he ought not to haue beleued me nor folowed me lightly in the weye whichÌ„ he knewe wele was euyll and daungerous for he wolde not a folowed me I wolde haue retourned ageyn folowed hym whereby I shulde in no wyse haue fallen in this daungier and therfore he is verrey gylty of my dethe WhenÌ„e thies wordes were hadde on eyther partye The kyng pronounsed gaf a sentence seiyng Thou fole thou woldest not truste thy wyse brother and thou wyse hast folowed this fole in his euyl weyes wherfore ye bothe shal be hanged condempned to dethe Semblably shal it be at the daye of Iugement in the consummacion of this worlde whenÌ„ by the almyghty power of god the sowle of euery man woman shal retourne ageyn be reioyned to their owne bodyes appering before the hyghe Iuge to resceiue dome iugement of al thinges knowen forgotin for the folisshÌ„ body because it wolde not folowe the counseil of the wise sowle And the wyse spirit because it wolde not resiste but ensieu the folisshÌ„ body they shal be bothe dampned to gydre in the last extremite of iugement For this cause the sentence of the Iuge is called a swerde with two edges as is writen in thapocalips in the first chapitre For it shal strike the wretched synner bothe in body sowle It is writen in the gospel of seint Mathew in the x chapitre Drede him that shal mowe lese put bothe the body the fowle in the gehenÌ„e of hell The qualite of the saide iuge yeldeth sheweth the said sentence to be dredeful dauÌ„gerous Certeinly it shal be pronouÌ„ced by a circumspect a right prudent iuge whichÌ„ shal neuer faile for euery thing is notarily to him knowen for god knoweth the hidde thingis of the herte sercheth the werkis of men Wherfor it is writen ad hebreos in the iiij chapitre All thinges be opynÌ„ to his eyen for he lokith into the hertes as it is redde in the first book of Kingis in the xvj chapitre Also it is redde in ecclesiastico the xxiij chapitre The eyen of our lorde be moche clerer then the sonÌ„e for they beholde all the wayes of man the profouÌ„de depnesse the hertes of men see all the hidde thingis of the erthe And as Boece de consolacione saith Greet curiosite to do wel is introducte vnto vs because al that we do is doon afore him that seeth all thingis Iheremy seith in his xxij chapitre Thyn eyen be open vpon all the wayes of the children of Israhel I shal yelde to euerich of them after his wayes and after the fruite of his administracions Certeinly the Iuge is greetly to be dâ—ad whiche loketh vpon all thingis bothe opynÌ„ shette and al secreet thingis to hym knowen alle derke thingis to him be clere all domÌ„ thingis answere vnto hym and all thoughtes speke to hym without voys and all silences confesse them vnto hym This sentence is to be geuen by the Iust Iuge whiche wâ—l not be bowed and he shal Iuge al the circuite of the erthe and the peple in equite He gruggith not atte the myght of ony body nor he excepteth no persone what so euer they be nor he ne wel be appesed then by ony gyftes It is writen in deutronomij in the x chapitre God is greet mighty terrible whiche wil fauour no ê‘sone nor he resceiueth no giftes Certeynly a pure and a clene conscience thenÌ„e shal be more worthe then the purses ful of siluer The habondance of riches shal not proufite thenÌ„e nor ony thing that longeth to riche peple But only shal proufitâ— the werkis of Pite and of Iustice. It is writen in Ezechiel in the vij chapitre Their mony shal be thenÌ„e their donghil neither their golde nor their selues shal mowe deliuere them in the day of furour of our lorde ThenÌ„ shal appere the frawde and the falshâ—de of this worlde the vilenesse of al richesse O how swete a thing and how greet a Ioye shal it be thenÌ„ to thoes that haue hated this worlde and how sorowful bitter shal it be vnto them that haue had it in lust in delectacion This sentence is also to be geuen by the iuge that wil not be corrupte thenÌ„ by prayers nor appesed by desires And as it is writen in the Prouerbis of Salomon in the vj chapitre He wil not obtempee then nor bowe to ony requestes what so eâ— they be Crisostom seith the angeles wil not thenÌ„ intercede nor pray for the men for the iust iuge wil shewe there no misericorde but wil yelde to euerichÌ„ after his merites demeritis egally not bowyng iustice And therfore seith he by his prophete Ezechiel in the vij chapitre I shal do the right after thy weyes shal iuge the after thy iugementes and I shal make the knowe that I am thy lord For the cause seid Iob al dredefully Irefine al my werkes knowyng that thou ne wilt spare ony thing the delinqueÌ„tes or trespassours Of all thies thinges speketh Seint Bernard in a prose which he made saiyng Certeinly our lord shal iuge iustely shal except no ê‘sone nor shal be corrupt by ony prise nor gyftes Semblably he shal not bowe for ony man of praier O my right dere frende labour then diligently to bere iustice thyder as thou shalt fynde no misericorde For as it is writen in the Prouerbis of salomon The richesse shal not proufite in the day of vengeance but iustice shal cause thenÌ„ deliuerance from dethe And if the scolers that can not their lessous drede greetly to be examined of their maister left they shulde be egrely punisshed how moche shulde the sinnerâ— drede thenÌ„ thextremie examining of the soueraygnÌ„ iuge whenÌ„ they haue not studied in the book of iustice of trouthe Certeinly in the apposaile is examined al thingis that now be nought the vniust synners shal be punisshed the seed of felons shal perish and to the contrary the iust peple shal be thenÌ„ in the eternale memory and shal not drede in ony wise ony euil accusacion It is writen in Ecclesiastico the xviij chapitre Make redy Iustice afore the Iugement This final sentence shal be also geuen by a iuge cruelly moued whiche in no wise shal mowe be appeased For our lord Ihesus Crist that naturally is now amyable meke as a lambe shal appere thenÌ„e as a lyon right cruel greetly moued And therfore saith Ozee in his xiij chapitre It may wel be the wordes of our lord by the couetous gletons prowde peple at the day of iugement saiyng thus They haue fulfillled them self in their pastures and arreised vppe their hertes and forgotynÌ„ me I wole be to them as a lionesse as a leoparde in the weye of assirience I shal come ageynst