whiche is a grete folye And fyrste thou shalte praye for the chyrche for all the prelates of the chyrche for all prynces of the erth / for all the people the whiche is cōmytte vnto hym Afterwarde thou shalte praye for all those vnto whome thou arte holden And after for al creatures the which ben in trybulacyon soueraynly for those that ben departed and deed vnto whome we ben holden / thou sholdeste thynke on the euylles of thy selfe And on the glorye that thou woldest haue / and on the paynes that thou hast deserued And after on the houre of dethe and on the houre of Iudgment And go often vnto the chyrche and with good wyll / as soone as thou arte in the chyrche beholde the ymage of Iesu chryst where he is crucyfied / and after take holy water / and knele on thy knees and begyn to saye Veni creator spiritus mētes tuorū / or Pater noster / and after take thy sete in the chyrche the moost pryuy place that thou mayst And after thou shalte say pryme / houres / and the letany / in sayenge that for gete not the passyon of thy creatoure in sayenge thy houres / at euery masse that thou herest saye thy confiteor softely all the tymes that it shall be feest cōmaūded thou shalte be at the hye masse at the euensonge and thou sholdest cōmaunde the vnto the saynt of whome the feest shall be / the remenaunt of the feest employed in good werkes spyrytuall And thou wylte cōfesse the cōfesse the vnto a confessour the whiche hath scyence that he be a man of good conscyence / for yf he hath thought on his owne soule he shall haue thought of thyn / yf he be suche as I tell the obey vnto hym in all goodnes as vnto the vycare of god be thou not ydle at no tyme ne yet arrest the before thy dore in the strete ne yet in thy windowe / be thou more often alone than in company And as vnto fastynge made by good dyscrecyon thou shalte knowe that it is moche good that wtout discrecyon it is nothynge worth vnto hym the whiche fasteth / ne yet almesdede without dyscrecyon is noo thynge worthe And in lyke wyse as a lampe wtout oyle ne may haue lyght / euen so is fastynge almesdede wtout dyscrecyon / thou sholdest knowe that the substaūce that thou drawest in to thy body thou oughtest to gyue it for the loue of god vnto the poore / and with that it behoueth to eschewe fro synne / or that sholde be the fast of the deuyll the whiche alway fasteth euermore doeth yll thou ne shalte ete but two tymes on the daye yf thou be not seke / ete thou neuer tyll that thou hast sayd benedicite before / and after graces / and speke but lytell at thy dyner yf it be not of god yf thou speke there ydle wordes than repente the. And speke thou neuer wordes of an other that thou woldest not that a man sholde speke of the. Thou sholdest speke at thy dyner or thynke of som good thynge to th ende that thy soule maye fede as wel as thy body / whan thou hast sayd graces thou shalte goo into thy chambre there thou shalte saye noon And afterwarde thou shalte studye some good mater or exāple / speke as lytell as thou mayst in ony place where so thou be for a man ne may lytell speke wtout synne Go in to the towne as lytell as thou mayst And whan thou haste there to do / yf men areson the speke in brefe humbly and retourne in to thy hous as soone as thou mayst / ete but litel oute of thy hous be thou pyteous vpon the poore people yf thou wylte that god take the in good gree that he haue pyte on the gyue often for the loue of god after thy power that thou haste Yf thou haue ony thynge to do whiche toucheth the do it by the counseyle of a good persone And also thinke that y◠ne mayst nothynge hyd from god ne kepe / but that he seeth all that thou shalte do and saye Ordeyne so well thy conscience that whā thou shalte be seke that thou ne hast no cause but for to thynke on thy creatour And towarde the euentyde thou shalte saye euensonge vygylles of the deed yf thou can them passe not the daye but that thou thynke one tyme of the daye on thy cōscyence in recordynge thy synnes for to holde the in humylite thou shalte knele and salewe the holy trynyte / thou shalte say at the leest thre tymes the pater noster / after salue the vyrgyn Marye and recōmaunde the vnto god vnto the virgyn Marye and make some good prayer vnto thy good aūgell that he be thoughtfull to kepe the / after blesse the take holy water laye the downe slepe in some good thought Be thou often in orayson be it of mouth or of herte saye thynges brennynge to haue deuocyon Thre thynges there ben the whiche ayedethe to haue deuocyon The fyrste is puryte of conscyence / in lykewyse that whan ony wolde pray a grete lorde he sholde take hede that whan he cometh before hym the nothynge appere vnto hym that shall dysplease the lord And so is it who so wyl go in orayson he ought to eschewe that he ne haue ony spotte of syn̄e in hym the whiche sholde dysplease vnto god the whiche seeth the hertes of all the other Than saynt Bernarde sayth that all the tymes that we go in orayson we entre in to the courte of heuen in the whiche the kynge of glory is Also aourned with mayny aūgelles of princes celestyalles and of the gloryus quene of heuen So we sholde appere in grete reuerence in grete fere in grete humilyte and in grete puryte in grete clēnes of herte / to th ende that nothynge appere in vs that sholde dysplease vnto so grete a lorde as vnto god / for saynt Iohan sayth that whan thou makeste orayson make that thou be suche as thou ought to be the whiche hath to speke with god / purge than thy consyence of all thynges vnto thy power meke the / afterwarde make vnto god request or elles thou shalt not be exalted The seconde is that he oughte to seke a place secrete that he ne be seene to th ende that he ne be troubled And that the wynde of vayne glory ne take frō him the fruyte of his orayson Example we haue in Iesu chyrst the whiche enlonged hym wente ferre frō his dyscyples whā he wolde praye in the gardyn of olyuete / moyses the whiche assended in to the moūtayne And also the aūgell foūde Marye alone whan he saluted her / saynt Fraūcys had of custome that whan he wolde praye god he yode serre of in to a wood that his felowes ne myght here
hym vnto his good renome Now may some saye I am yōge I ám ledde by coyntyse wantonesse as moche as I may / I haue shende my selfe in the chyrche in many other stedes places before men / women so moche that many hath synned by my folysshe coūtenaunce / werof I haue be culpable by many an yll example or by my draught how may I with drawe them from synne / for I ne knowe them all And also yf I sholde retourne towardes them parauenture they sholde be enflambed in suche maner that I shold retourne vnto synne or that themselfe there myght fall agayne more strongely And therfore me semeth that it sholde be grete peryll to retourne towardes them / and what shall I there doo than / ye sholde take from synne those or them that ye haue made to synne / that is the moost sure best / but yf ye may not put you in payne to with drawe other / to yelde them vnto god for to put them in the place of those that thou hast taken from hym / so shalte thou appease him For yf ye haue taken from a man fyue shyllynges / it is not of necessyte that I yelde vnto hym agayne the selfe fyue shyllynges yf I ne may fynde it / but it behoueth that ye yelde vnto hym other fyue shyllynges And for as moche as thou knowest not how many people thou haste drawen vnto synne / therfore thou sholdest put the in payne by good examples by good doctrynes to retracte withdrawe as many people as thou hast made to synne / yf thou ne mayst mo conuerte vnto god elles yf thou ne mayste conuerte the people by wordes or examples at the leest praye for them often in goodnes Example yf a kynge made a noble dyner made to crye ouer all that who so sholde haue brynge the gretest company shold be best welcome also sholde haue the moost fayrest gyfte / euery man sholde paye him to come to dyner to brynge the moost of people of his cōpany that he myght for to haue of the kynge the moost fayrest gyfte And in lyke wyse is it of god for our lord hath made a crye ouer all the worlde by his messengers that be the apostles / the prophetes / the doctours / by the predycacyons that he the whiche shall brynge the the most fayrest cōpany vnto dyner that is to knowe moost soules vnto paradyse by his examples doctryne he shall be moost best beloued vnto whome god shall do moost grete honour And also in so doynge thou shalte do honour vnto god yf thou payne the so to do praye often god in sayenge ¶ Syr / or lorde wylte thou by thy grace enlumyn my herte myn vnderstādȳge that I may haue euery day remēbraūce of thy passyon gyue me knowlege in what maner I may lyue for to drawe mooste soules vnto the. And also that I may lyue vnto thy praysȳge by the whiche it maye be vnto the saluacyon of my soule and of many other Also who so hath wretched an other it behoueth to appease hym / to crye hym mercy to aske pardon / and also thou sholdest restore the good renome good fame vnto hym to whome thou hast done yll by thy cursed speche And yf it were so that ony had taken ony goodes temporall by ony cursednes the whiche worldly goodes temporal the worlde gyueth better and by more stronger reason the good spyrytuall the god gyueth they sholde well better by restored And thou mayst demaunde how a man maye that restore Where that a man ne may one worde brought forth drawe backe but that it abydethe spoke I graunte me vnto that / but thou ne shalte neuer be quite tyll vnto that / that with all thy puyssaunce in all maners that thou cannest and mayst thou hym haste restored / and that thou hast sayd vnto all those vnto all them the whiche by the cause hathe synned or shall synne in that thynge saye that thou hast lyed / that thou hast made them so to byleue And for those thou ne knowest the whiche it may byleue thou arte holden in the chyrches to pronounce it in sayenge that the wordes that thou hast sayd vpon suche a person be not true / and that thou ne knowest neuer ne yet sawest but good in hym and that cursedly thou haste pronounced it ayenst hym / and that it ne was but for to blame hym and soo shalte thou haue the fyrste lege or myle The seconde myle is to wepe and to complayne his synnes / or to do almysdede or penaunce / or other good dedes for to haue pardon soueraynly for the loue of god And that ought to be done by the counseyle of his good confessour And the thyrde myle is to pardon vnto those the whiche hath yll sayd vnto you or mysoone Now may some saye how maye I pardon hym the whiche hath done me domage without cause reason And yet also they haue mocked me before the stretes / yet I ne dyde neuer dyspleasure vnto them Example yf there were aman that ought vnto the kynge a thousande pounde / the kynge helde hym in pryson sayd vnto hym / yf thou paye me not thou shalt be hanged / and he had not wherof to pay And yf the kynge wolde saye vnto hym suche a man there is that oweth the .v. shelynges / I shall gyue to the that thou oweste me I shall let the go quyte thou shalte be my ryght welbeloued / yf thou do it not thou shalte paye me that thou oweste me / or I shall make the to be hanged wtout remedy / sholdest anone do it I byleue that yes And yf he dyd it not men wolde saye that he were a foole In lyke wyse is hit spyritually to speke / we ben gretly indetted ayenst the grete kynge that is vnto god And it behoueth that we payē vnto hym that that we owe hym / or we shall be hanged on the gybet of hell / but yf the kynge wyll do vnto vs grace sayenge pardon all that that men hathe mysdone vnto you / certes we therto sholde well accorde for we haue a hundred thousande tymes more mysdone vnto god than man hath done vnto vs. And therfore shold we with ryght good wyll pardon so haue ye herde the thre Iourneys the whiche it behoueth to haue to entre in to paradyse whā the synner hathe so moche done by the grace of god that is that he be in the estate of grace than sholde he kepe hym aboue all thinges to fall agayne to th ende that he maye the better kepe hym he sholde take in hym a maner of lyuȳge how he wyll lyue / also to absteyne hym from synne / in lyke wyse as he maye wel knowe that whan he doeth synne that it displeaseth god And so he pleaseth the deuyll the
hȳ And of that haue we an example of oure selfe / yf a man hath to speke with an other he speketh vnto hym more gladly whan he fyndeth hymselfe all alone The thyrde thynge is that he sholde at that houre cast out of his herte all dremes thoughtes afterwarde to be all in orayson The .iiij. thynge that he oughte to haue with all his herte grete entende to praye the holy ghost that he gyue vnto hym grace of deuocyon / for orayson without deuocyon hath no sauour / put than payne to houe it do that / that in the is god shall ende it And yf god gyue the grace for to worsshyp hym menynge the payne that thou there shalt take wepe / for teeres ben as ryght good wyne of the whiche the soule deuoute wexeth dronke vnto god in orayson in suche maner that he ne can refuse hym in that thynge that he demaūdeth / in lykewyse as it appereth by saynt Peter / and by magdaleyn the which wepte god gaue vnto them that that they demaūded that was pardon of theyr synnes Teres ben of ryght grete profyte and of ryght grete vertue / for one only tere maye gete of god that that all the aūgelles in heuen ne all the saintes of paradyse ne may do that is to knowe whan the synner wepeth for his propre synnes wherof it is wryten in the psalter that the moost pleasaūt sacyfyce that the synner may make vnto god is that he be contryte repentaūte that he hūble hym before god in wepynge / for whan the tere of the synner repentaunt is offred vnto god with humble herte deuoute it thrughe perceth the heuen by her vertue moūteth tyl vnto the throne of the mageste dyuyne / there ne is aungell the whiche it may ne dare holde tyll vnto that that it be come before the face of god / that it hath goten that that he wyl for his soules helth / for the orayson the whiche is made in wepynge as sayth saynt Austyn thrughe perseth the herte of our lorde Iesu cryst moueth him vnto pyty entreateth enclyneth to loue hym chaungeth the sentence of Iudge recordeth the synner perfytely vnto god The .vj. is that he ought to regarde the estate of this presēt mysery where there is soo many perelles that there is none the whiche maye it accompte / for man is euermore in temptacyon of the fleshe of worldly vanitees / and of the begylynge of of thyn enemy / other in stepinge or in wakynge / or in spekynge But he sholde thynke that the worlde the flesshe ne vayn quysshe but theyr frendes / therfore sholde he wel kepe hym that he ne be frende of the worlde ne of the flesshe / for all those that loue the worlde and the flesshe ben the enemyes of god as sayth saȳt Iames. Meruayle it is how the worlde may be Ioyous who so well regardeth the peryll of this worlde / for the worlde is a Iayle wherin we ben in pryson for our synnes / we ne knowe whan we shall goo out of it wheder we shall be saued or dampned Now sholde it be agrete nouelte yf the these sholde synge or laughe whan men lede hym to be hanged / but yet ben we well more out of wycte and more abused than suche theues for we renne all vnto the gybet of hell vnto dampnacyon perdurable all daunsynge and makynge feest / for we ben in lyke wyse as a vessel in the hye see with all the sayle stretched hysed with wynde at wyll we go euery daye on grete Iourneys to warde hell or paradyse / for we ne knowe yet in what parte we shall aryue so all in slepynge / in walkynge / in drynkynge / in etynge in playenge / in singynge euermore we goo for warde wtout arestynge as people the whiche ben of the see And therfore who soo well beholdeth this worlde the grete peryll he sholde haue better cause to wepe than to laughe / for yf the synner beholde the heuen he seeth the coūtree herytage eternal where as is perfyte felycyte from the whiche he is yet ferre of by his synnes And for as moche he hath good cause to wepe And yf he beholde the erthe he seeth the mater wherof he hathe be made and where vnto he shall retourne at the houre whan he shall departe from this worlde / that is in th ende of this lyfe And yf he loke vnder the erthe he seeth hel the whiche is redy to engloute hym with mouthe open / and to tour ment for his synnes And yf he loke on the ryght hande he seeth the prosperitees the rychesses wherof all the worlde it is abused deceyued drawne vnto dampna eyon And yf he loke on the lyfte hāde he seeth the ylles trybulacyons that the cursed done vnto the good And yf he loke behynde him he seeth the tyme that he hath lost in vanytees in thoughtes that he sholde haue dispended in good werkes And yf he loke before hym he seeth the deth whiche cometh / yet ne knoweth whā he shall dye / ne of what deth / ne in what place / ne ī what estate And yf he loke within hym he seeth his cōscyence ful of synnes / his wytte his body full of cursed maners / enclyned in cursed customes And yf he loke wtout hym he fyndeth hymselfe enuyroned beset aboute with soo many perylles / ne knoweth how he shall escape And also he seeth knoweth the dure harde sentēce of the ryghtfull Iudge that he shall also caste at the daye of Iudgement vpon the synners of the whiche he is one of the nombre yf he amende not his conscyence We sholde put our ende in teres in penaūce / we sholde call the holy ghost in oraysons that he be vnto vs in ayde that he defend vs frō all our syn̄es from all our myseryes The .vij. thynge is to regarde the estate wherin he shal be at the deth whan all our membres haue loste all theyr force strength / the soule goynge forth frome the body shall se our lorde out of measure wroth with hym for his synnes / yf he ne be than truely penytent repentaūt of all his defautes / vnder he shal se hel open for to engloute hym / his sȳnes he shall se on his ryght hande that whiche shall accuse hym the enemies on the lefte hande that which wolde bere hȳ awaye horryble shall crye vpon hym Thȳke than often on these thynges wtout ende and I knowe well yf thou vnderstode them that thou sholdest despyse lyghtly all the vanytees of the worlde shall drawe that vnto deuocyon / for the vanytees wordely shall more greue at the deth than ne do ayde than there no ne maye ayde ne socour / ne frendes / ne parentes / ne fader / ne