the worlde is wodenesse in theym that so moche be subtyll in fyndynge malyce for tengyne and deceyue other / bee it by strengthe or by plee or by barate And that ne thynke ne studye sauf to auaunce and enhaunce them self / and to greue other This wytte as sayth saynt Iames is the wytte of the deuyll / whiche alwaye payneth hym self to do harme to other But the veray wytte that the holy ghoost enseygneth and techeth to the frendes of our lorde is in knowynge without mysprysynge what euery thynge worthe / he sheweth that the worlde is vayne in beynge foule in valour / in louynge it and sauourynge it The rychessys been vyle and transytorye And the delytes ben bytter After he gyueth feelynge that the loue of god and vertues is a thynge veray precyous swete / veray for she fylleth the herte nouryssheth it She is precyous for one may bye god and all that he hath She is swete / for it is the manna that all thynges maketh swete / labour sorowe wepynges shames trybulacyons aduersytees martyrdomes and all paynes And all that one may thȳke to loue / it maketh it sauoure lyke sugre This is the wytte and the sapyēce wherof the scrypture sayth This is the sapyence oute of whiche groweth purete and veray conscyence ¶ Of the prowesse of the knyghtes of Ihesu Cryst Ca. lxix AFter I saye that vertues charyte gyueth very prowesse Thenne there is no prowesse by ryght but in the knyghtes of god whiche the holy ghoost adoubeth and armeth with vertues charyte In prowesse ben thre partyes Hardynes / strengthe / stedfastnesse There is none noble by ryght but yf he haue these .iii. thȳges / but yf he be hardy / prudent / entreprenaunt of grete thynges / and stronge puyssaunt for to pursue them and ferme stable to fynysshe theym But without wyt and without pourueyaunce no thynge auayleth none of these thre thynges For lyke as sayth the boke of the arte of chyualry Errour without batayle may not be amended For it is anone cōpared Folysshe entrepryse is where as lyeth lytell prouffyte / moche dyspence grete payne and peryll These ben thentrepryses of them that be called wyse and hardy in this worlde / that theyr bodyes and theyr soules putteth in synne / in peryll / and in payne for to gete a lytel lose and praysynge whiche is moche vayne / and lytell endureth ¶ But vertue dooth make a man of grete herte / and of wyse entrepryse / whan that she maketh a man the whiche is nothynge but erthe soo hardy / that he dare entrepryse for to conquere the realme of heuen / and to vaynquysshe all the deuylles of hell that ben so stronge ¶ This enterpryse is good wyse and moche prouffytable For there is therin lytel perylle / and lytell payne but there is glorye honour and prouffyte inestymable / perdurable without mesure / who hath no vertu hath no grete herte / but he is lyke hym that is aferde of nought Suche ben they that doubten the euylles the aduersytees / perylles / trybulacyons of the worlde And that haue drede to lese that / whiche they may not longe kepe ¶ They haue no grete herte that gyue it ouer for nought / lyke as done they that gyue theyr hertes for to loue the godes of fortune / whiche in trouthe ben ryght nought / but fylthe charge and ordure too the regarde of the goodes glorye perdurable ¶ Thenne suche people ben lyke a chylde / that loueth better an apple or a myrrour than a royame But vertu gyueth grete herte by ryght For vertue maketh them too conquere heuen / despyse the worlde / to bere grete dedes of penaunce And to supporte and gladly suffre all the euylles of the worlde and to endure theym for goddes sake And also for too withstonde and resyste all the assaultes of the deuyll Lyke as the wyse and prudente Seneke sayth / wepynges myschaunces / sorows trybulacōns / harmes shames / perylles / and all that whiche euyll fortune may menace and doo / haue noo more power ayenst vertu / than one drope of water sholde doo in the see / vertue maketh a man hardy as a lyon / stronge as an holyfaunte / ferme and durablee as the sonne whiche alwaye renneth and is neuer wery Thenne there is no prowesse ne strengthe but in vertues Of veray seygnorye whiche gyueth grace vertues .lxx THus is there none veray seygnory / but in vertues A grete lorde is he that knoweth all the worlde Suche a lorde gyueth too a man suche vertues and grace For he setteth a man in his ryght estate / in whiche he was fyrst sette in and made The man was made in suche honour and in suche seygnorye / that he was lorde ouer all creatures that were vnder heuen / to whome all thynges obeyed / and to whome no thynge myght noye ne greue / and this is the ryght estate to the man and to his seygnorye / but he lost this seygnorye by synne And myght not recouer it ageyne but by vertu But vertue setteth a man on hygh and setteth the worlde vnder feet and maketh hym too conuerse in heuen / vertue maketh a man by good ryght gretter lorde of the worlde / than the kynge is of his reame For of the goodes of the worlde he hath as moche as his herte desyreth / he hath his vsage and his sustenaunce / and as moche as he may haue for suffysaunce / and more suffysantlye than the kynge hath in his reame For all that the good hath and the euyll / al is his Therfore of all he doth his prouffyte and preyseth god and thanketh and loueth hym the more doubteth and serueth And in this he seeth knoweth that euery creature is made for to serue hym Also there is another seygnorye moche grete / withoute whome there is none by ryght lorde for he is emperour and lorde of hym self / that is of his body and or his herte / whiche he Iustyceth theym in good pees and dooth his wylle For his herte is so ioyned to the wyll of god / so that of all that / that god dooth he thanketh hym / and it playseth hym well And this is the seygnorye that vertue gyueth too hym that hath it Of this speketh Seneke and sayth as grete honour gyueth god to the / whan thou arte lorde and emperour of thy self and more whan a kynge / ha lorde god how many kynges emperours other grete lordes haue ben in the worlde and also barons / that haue citees / castellys / royames that haue not this seygnorye For they be not lordes of theyr hertes By cause that it tormenteth ofte / by wrath or by maletalente / or by couetyse / or by desyre that they may not accomplysshe ¶ Here is spoken of veray fraunchyse Ca. .xxi. AFter this I saye there is none that hath veray fraunchyse / yf he haue
gyuer gyueth ony gyft for his ê“ffyte / that is no gyft / but it is marchaundyse whan he beholdeth bounte receyued or seruyce / that is not a gyft / but it is bounte and curteysy / receyued to be rendred and yelded agayne But whan the gyftes is gyuen frely and lyberally without entencoÌ„n to haue prouffyte without drede without ony doute Thenne it is by ryght called gyfte / herof sayth the phylosophre that a gyft is a gyft gyuynge / agayne / or without to awayte ony rewarde but onely for to gete loue In this maner god gyueth to vs these gyftes purely for the loue that he hathe to vs / and for to gete our hertes and all our loue vnto hym Why they be called the giftes of the holy goost Ca. lxxxviii NOw for what cause ben they called gyftes of the holy goost and / not the gyftes of the fader and of the sonne / for all theyr werkes and theyr gyftes ben comyne To this purpos ben two reasons That one lyke as the werkes of puyssaunce and myght ben appropred to god the fader / and the werkes of sapyence to god the sone / ryght so ben the werkes of grace and of bounte appropred to the holy ghoost For bountes ben lyke as sayth saynt Denys / to spende and to gyue hym self For yf a man yeue that whiche coste hym nought / that is not grete bounte But by cause that the holy ghoost by these seuen gyftes expendeth gyueth hym self in our hertes lyke as sayth saynt Poule / lyke as it were by seuen stremes / and therfore ben they called proprely the gyftes of the holy ghoost For he is the fountayne and they ben the stremes ¶ That other is by cause that the holy ghoost is proprely the loue that is bytwene the fader and the sone and by cause that loue is the propre / the fyrst / and the pryncypall gyfte / that a man may yeue / Thenne with ryght in this gyftes ben gyuen all the other and with / out this gyftes none other is not called gyftes truly ne ryghtfully Therfore is the holy ghoost a gyfte / and gyuer For he gyueth hym self and is gyuen in eueryche of these .vii. gyftes / that he gyueth for to conferme our loue vnto his / so that it be feruent / fyne veray and clene ¶ Why there be .vii. gyftes no mo ne lasse Ca. lxxxix FOr ii thynges a man is saued for to fle the euyl / to do good / for to hate to fle the euyl causeth vs the gyfte of drede / the other .vi. gyftes cause vs to do good / the gyfte of drede is the vssher at the grete masse / that is to saye at the grete menace of the sentence of god / and of the paynes of hell / whiche is alway redy and apparaylled ageynst the synners / this is the watche of the castell that neuer slepeth This is the weder of the gardyn that wedeth and plucketh vp all euyll herbes This is the treasorer that kepeth the herte and all the goodes that be therin These be the other syxe gyftes that make vs to do all good dedes Now oughtest thou to knowe that lyke the clerenes of the sonne / whiche thou seest with thyn eyen / gyueth clerenes to the worlde / and vertue enuygoure and strength all the thynges that growe and come in to the worlde Ryght so dooth the holy gooost whiche enlumyneth in heuen and also in erthe all theym that ben in grace / men women and aungelles / and in lyke wyse as there be in heuen thre estates of aungelles as saynt Denys sayeth / of whome one is moost hye / that other meane or myddle / and the thyrde more lowe The moost hye ben lyke theym that ben of the kynges counceyle They be alway with god more nere to hym than the other and se hym and here hym in his secretes The meane or myddle ben as barons and bayllyes that gouerne loue and kepe all the reame and go and come / and lerne of theym of the counceyll that whiche they commaunde / and make it to done to other / the lowest ben lyke as seruauntes and offycers whiche haue theyr craftes / and dothe theyr offyces and messages as it is sayd to them By this maner and ensamble there ben thre estates of the chyldren of god in erth that the holy ghoost conduyteth as sayth saynt Poule The one estate is of them that be in the worlde lyue after the coÌ„maundementes of god of holy chyrche after that they here and beleue of theyr prelates The other estate is of theym that ben parfyte / that all haue theyr herte out of the worlde and of this mortall lyf / and haue theyr conuersacyon in heuen and theyr body in erthe and theyr herte with god The thyrde ben in the myddle estate whiche gouerne theym self well and other / and lyuen after the counceyll of the gospell / and not onelye after the commaundementes These thre maner of people techeth the holy ghoost / and ledeth gouerneth by these .vii. gyftes / departeth to them his graces / to eueryche after his benygne volente and wyll as sayth thappostle The two fyrst of these .vi. gyftes apperteyne to theÌ„ that ben of the fyrst estate The gyftes of scyence techeth theym / and the gyftes of pyte maketh them to werke The .ii. myddle apperteyne to them of the moyen estate The gyftes of counceyll gouerneth theym / and the gyftes of strengthe accomplyssheth the werkes The .ii. last apperteyne to them of the moost hye estate The gyftes of vnderstondynge enlumyneth them / and the gyftes of sapyence confermeth them and Ioyneth theym with god Another reason there is wherfore there ben .vii. gyftes / for the holy ghoost by his seuen gyftes wedeth / plucketh and taketh awaye the .vii. synnes and vyces fro the hertes of persones / and planteth there and nouryssheth vii vertues contrarye whiche make perfytely a man to be honoured These ben the goodes that the holy ghoost maketh in the hertes where as he descendeth by these seuen gyftes But tofore that I descende vnto the vertues whiche ben contrarye to the seuen deedly synnes I wyl shortly speke of seuen other vertues / of whiche thre ben called dyuyne / and the other foure ben called the foure cardynall vertues ¶ Of seuen vertues of whome there ben thre dyuyne / and foure cardynall Ca. lxxxx THe thre fyrst vertues dyuyne Saynt Poule the thappostle calleth them Fayth / hope / and charyte And they be called dyuyne by cause they be godly and ordeyne the herte to god / fayth lyke as saynt Austyn sayeth setteth vs vnder god / and maketh vs to knowe hym / and knowleche hym a lorde of whome we holde all that whiche we haue of good Hope sayth he enhaunceth vs to god / and maketh vs stronge and hardy and to enterpryse for the loue of god that / whiche passeth the vertue and
whiche cometh fro the erthe / ne also of the queyntyse or parementes that be in his heed Therfore sayth the wyse man in the scrypture Ne gloryfy that not in fayre robes And saynt Poule sayth that the women ought to araye theym with sobrenes and mesure That is to saye by mesure without outtrage / after that the state of the persone requyreth / certeynly it is not without oultrage whaÌ„ a persone hath for his body soo many gownes and robes that many poore men myght be susteyned of the surplus and of it whiche is ouermoche / yet yf they were gyuen at the laste for goddes loue / it sholde be somwhat / but they be gyuen to rybauldes whiche is soo grete synne Therfore ought to be kepte in suche thynges mesure and good ordenaunce / after that / that the state of the persone requyreth / as I haue sayd tofore ¶ The fyfthe degree of the vertue of sobrenes and of attemperaunce Ca. C.lx. THe syxt degre of sobrenes of attemperaunce is that eueriche kepe mesure in good maner where of Senecke sayeth / yâ— thou arte sobre or attemporate take good hede that the moeuynges of thyn herte of thy body be not foule ne disauenaunte For of the dysordynauÌ„ce of the herte cometh the dysordynaunce of the body / some be so chyldysshe of so nyce manere that they make theÌ„ selfe to be holden for a fole It appertayneth to a man of of value whiche is in grete and hye estate / that he be well ordeyned well amesured in al his dedes all his sayenges of fayre good countenaunce tofore all people so that none take euyl example of hym / that they be not holden for a fool For as a phylosopher sayth A childe of age a chylde of wyt of maners ben al one the scrypture sayeth that a chylde of an hondred yere shall be cursed That is to say that he that is of grete age / lyueth as a childe shall be cursed Whereof saynt Poule sayeth of hym selfe whan I was childe I dyde as a childe but whan I came to the age of a perfeyte man I lefte my chyldehode For who that holdeth a maÌ„ of age for a childe / he holdeth hym for a fool And therfore sayeth saynt poul Be not a childe of wytte / but in malyce be lytell as a childe whiche hath no malyce Now is it thenne a fayre thinge honest proufytable honourable / specyally to grete men of hy state to kepe mesure resonable in couÌ„tenaunce and in all his gouernaunce and that he be wel ordeyned ouer al tofore god and tofore the people And this is the .vi. degre of this tree ¶ The seuenth degree of the vertue of sobrenes and of attemperaunce Ca. Clxi. THe .vii. degre of the vertue of attemperaunce of sobrenes is to kepe mesure of ouermoche drynkynge etynge / for thoultrage of etynge drynkynge doth moche harme to the body and to the soule / lyke as I haue sayd tofore Therfor sayth our lorde in the gospell / take good hede that your hertes be not greued ne charged with glotonnye ne dronkennesse That is to saye that ye doo noo oultrage of etynge and drynkynge Sobrenes kepeth mesure in etynge and drynkyÌ„ge that he do none oultrage Of thoultrages that a persone doth in etynge and drynkynge I haue spoken tofore where as is treated of vyces / there as I spake of the synne of glotonnye / to whiche this vertue of sobrenes and of attemperaunce wherof I haue here spoken is contrarye specyally / wherof I wyl now nomore saye ¶ Now hast thou herde wherby this tree of sobrenes and attemperauÌ„ce groweth and prouffyteth / and yf thou wylt knowe the brauÌ„ches of this tree / byholde the other vertues whiche be conteyned in this boke / thou shalte fynde oueral this vertue For as I haue sayd tofore / this vertue is suche that it setteth mesure in al thynges The vertue of whiche I haue spoken tofore ben braunches of this vertue / for it sheweth it self in all the other / wherfore I wyl sette none other braunches but the vertues toforesayd ¶ This tree bereth moche fayre fruyt That is pees of the herte lyke as I haue tofore shewed For he that hath this vertue / he hath hys herte dysseuered fro the loue of the worde is Ioyned to God by charyte / that is the dere loue of god whiche putteth al other thynges in oblyuyon / whiche 〈◊〉 not ordeyned to god And 〈◊〉 suche manere the herte reâ—â—eth in god / where he hath all his comforte and his Ioye that he thynketh on none other delyte Suche comforte and delyte setteth the holy ghoost in the her that is parfyte in the vertue of sobrenes and of attemperaunce / whiche cometh of the gyfte of sapyence / lyke as I haue sayd tofore Certaynly who that myght haue suche pees of the herte / and fele that he rested in god whiche is the ende and the accomplysshement and the suÌ„me of all good desyres he sholde be well blessed in this worlde and in that other For then sholde he wynne that blessynge that god promyseth in the gospel to theym that kepe this pees entyerly without brekynge whan he sayth / blessed be the peasyble For they shall be called the sones of god They be peasyble sayth saynt Austyn that ordeyne and setten all the moeuynges of the herte / vnder the seygnorye of ryght reason of the spyryte / they ben called by ryght the sones of god / for they bere the semblaunce of theyr fader / whiche god of pees and of loue soo sayth saynt Poule Thenne pees and loue of god is the thynge that moost pleaseth god and maketh a man resonable to god / and the contrarye to the deuyl whiche is enemy of god Also they ben called the sones of god For they folowe theyr fader more nyghe than the other For pees and loue folowe theÌ„ more nyghe than ony other vertue ¶ Also they say theyr houres to theyr fader Ihesu cryst For god came not in to thys worlde but for to make peas bytwene god and man / bytwene man and aungell / bytwene man and hym self / for whan he was borne the aungellys songen for the pease that God had brought in to the erthe Gloria in excelsis deo in terra c. and therfore that the peasyble people seche no thynge / purchace but pees as moche as they may / to wardâ— god / theyr neghboure / and themselfe / they be called speâ—yally the sones of god / for they do the werkes of theyr fader Therfore thenne bycause they be the sones of god / ben they blyssed in this worlde by specyall grace / but this blyssynge shall be blyssed whan they shall be in peasyble possessyon of therytage of god theyr fader / that is of the reame of heuen / where they shal be in sure peas / and in perfyte peas / where all theyr desyres shall be accomplysshed There shal not mowe be euyll / ne sorowe / ne aduersyte / ne defaulte / but haboundaunre of all goodes / and plente of Ioye glorye without ende That shall be pees honourable / pees delectable / pees perdurable / and pees whiche surmounteth all wytte as sayeth saynt Poule And syth this peas passeth all wytte / and sence it passeth all wordes For herte may not thinke ne tongue deuyse / neere here the pees and the glorye that god kepethe to his frendes therfore I can not saye that thyng that may be suffysauÌ„t to the lawde preysyÌ„ge therof / wherof now I wyll say nomore But here I shal fynysshe make an ende of my matere to the praysynge and lawde of oure lorde To whome be gyuen all honour / whiche brynge vs in to his companye / there / where as is lyfe perdurable without ende AMEN FINIS THis boke was coÌ„pyled made at the request of kynge Phylyp of FrauÌ„ce in the yere of thyÌ„carnacioÌ„ of our lorde M.CC.lxxix translated or reduced / oute of Frensshe into englysshe / by me wyllyaÌ„ Caxton at requeste of a marchauÌ„t mercer of London whiche InstauÌ„tly requyred me to 〈…〉 for the we le of alle theâ— that shalle rede or here it / as for a specyall 〈…〉 to knowe all vyces and braunches 〈◊〉 them / and also an vertues by whiche well vnderstonden and seen may dyrecte a parsone to euerlastynge blysse / whiche boke is callyd in frensshe / le lyure Royall that is to saye thâ—â—…yall boke / or a boke for a kynge For the holy scrypture calleth euery man a kynge / whiche wysely and parfytly can gouerne and dyrecte hyÌ„self after vertue / and this boke sheweth and enseygneth it se bubtylly / so shortly / so perceyuyngly and so parfyghtly / that for the shorte comprehencyon of the noble clergye and of the ryght grete substaunce / whiche is comprysed therin It may and ought to be called well by ryght and quycke reason aboue all other bookes in frensshe or in englysshe / the boke ryall or the boke for a kynge / and also by cause that it was made and ordeyned at request of that ryght noble kynge Phelyp le bele kynge of FrauÌ„ce / ought it to be called Ryall / as tofore is sayd / whyche translacyon or reducynge out of frensshe in to englysshe was achyeued / fynysshed accomplysshed the .xiii. day of Septembre in the yere of thyncarnacyon of our lorde M. CCCCC .vii. The .xxii. yere of the reygne of kynge Henry the seuenth ¶ Here endeth the boke called the ryoall Enprynted at London in fletestrete at the sygne of the sonne by Wynkyn de worde wynkyn de worde
ladyes in suche maner that they knowe not them self / ne se not theyr defautes / ne theyr folyes ne theyr sȳnes / This is the most peryllous malady of all other Truely he is in grete peryll to whome all treacle torneth to venȳ / lyke as doctryne chastysynge dooth to proude For the more men chastyse blame them of theyr defautes / so moche more be they angry and defende them Pryde is the fyrst doughter of the deuyl / and she that hath moste gretest parte in his herytage Pryde warreth ayēst god his goodnes all graces / and agaynst all the good werkes that ben in the man For pryde maketh of almesse synne / and of vertue vyce / and thus is pryde a theef to god / and with the goodes that one ought gete heuen / he maketh hym wyn hell This synne is the fyrste For it assauteth the knyghtes of our lorde / and that laste leueth theym For whan the knyghtes of our lorde haue ouercomen vaynquysshed all other vyces and synnes Thenne assaute theym moost strongly the synne of pryde and of vayne glory ¶ The braūches of the synne of pryde ben these Ca. xiiii THe synne of pryde deuydeth hym departeth in so many partyes that vneth they may be nombred But there ben in this synne .vii. pryncypal partyes / whiche ben as .vii. braunches that yssue growe of an euyll rote Of whiche the fyrst braunche is dysloyalte or vntrouthe The seconde dyspyte The thyrde is surquydrye whiche some call presumpcyon The .iiii. folchaste / whiche is called ambycyon The fyfthe vaynglorye The .vi. ypocrysye The .vii. euyll and foule shame of well doynge To these seuen partyes and braunches appertayne all the synnes that groweth of pryde But eueryche of these seuen braunches haue many smal bowes ¶ The fyrst braunche is dysloyalte or vntrouthe Ca. xv THe fyrst braunche of pryde is dysloyalte / whiche deuydeth hym in to thre braunches The fyrst is euyll The seconde is werse The thyrde is worste That one is vylaynous That other is wode The thyrde is renyenge Vylanous generall is in all sȳnes / for no synne is wtout vylonye But the vylony of whiche we speke here specyally that groweth of pryde is a partye of dysloyalte / whiche is called of clerkes Ingratytude that is vnkyndenes That is to say forgetynge of god and of his yeftes / that men thanke not our lorde ne yeue hym laude and praysynges therof But he forgeteth and rendreth euyll for good and velonye for curtesye This vylonye doth euery creature to our lorde god whan he forgeteth his goodnes grace and yeftes / and yeldeth not to hym therfore praysynges and thankes lyke as he ought to do But oftymes fyghteth in euyll custome and vsage ageynst the wyll of god This is moche grete vylony whā a persone receyueth grete bounte and goodnes / daygneth not ones to saye gramercy / yet is the vylonye greter whan one seeth / and whan he forgeteth But the slouthe is ouer grete whan a persone receyueth all waye the bountees rendreth alwaye euyll for good / who then bethought hym well and toke hede of the bountees and goodes that god hath gyuen and done to hym and doth contynuelly fro day to day / for he hath noo goodes / but god hath gyuen them to hym Ne goodes of nature / as beaute / helthe strengthe of body clere vnderstondynge and naturall wytte as of the party of the soule Ne goodes of fortune as rychesses / honoures / hautesses Ne goodes of grace / as ben vertues / grace / good werkes wel ought suche one to thanke god / honour doute loue hȳ with all his godes / for one bounte requyreth asketh another Of the .ii. bough of the fyrst braunche Ca. xvi THe seconde bough of dysloyalte that groweth of pryde is woodnes That man is holden for wode that is out of his wytte / in whome reason is gone departed Thenne he is a ryght grete fole and well may be sayd out of his wytte and wode that in good ernest wasteth destroyeth / and setteth in euyl vsage the godes that ben not his / but ben the godes of his lorde of whiche he must straytely count and gyue a rekenynge / that is to wete the tyme that he hath loste / and how he hath employed his tyme / and of the temporall goodes how he hath vsed them the whiche he had in kepynge / hath dyspended theym in folyes / in outrages / and in euyl vsages tofore the eyen of his lorde that is god Ne hath not pourueyed hym to rendre his accompt / knoweth well that he must reken wote not whan / ne the day / ne the houre Suche folye is called forcenery or woodnes Of this vyce and of this synne ben the grete proude men that vse ryght euyll the godes that god hath lent them ¶ Of the .iii. boughe of dysloyalte Ca. xvii THe thyrde boughe of dysloyalte that cometh of pryde is renyenge he is well renyed that the londe whiche he holdeth of his lorde putteth in the hande of his enemy / dooth to hȳ homage This synne doo all they the synne mortally For in asmoche as in thē is they do homage vnto the deuyll And become seruauntes caytyues of the enemye and rendre to hym all that they holden of god / bothe body and soule And all other thynges that they haue they put in the seruyce of the deuyll And how be it that suche folke saye and calle them crysten / they renye god by werke / and shewe that they ben not But in thre maners a man is callyd renegate or renyed / and fals crysten Or for by cause that he byleueth not that he ought lyke as dooth the bougre or the heretyke / and the apostata that renyeth his feythe Or by cause that they breke the feythe that they byleue / lyke as done they that ben pariured / and be lye theyr fayth Or by cause the beleue more thā they ought to do / lyke as done deuynours Sorciers / the charmerers whiche vse and werke by tharte of the deuyll / and all they that in suche euyll werkys byleue and sette theyr hope synne deedly For all these thynges ben ayenst the feythe / and therfore holy chirche for bedeth and deffendeth theym These been the maners of desloyaulte whiche is the fyrst braunche of pryde ¶ The seconde braunche of pryde capitulo .xviii. THe seconde braunche of Pryde is despyte / whiche is a moche grete synne / and how well that deedly synne be not wythout despyte of god / Yet alwey after that we here speke / in this despyte specyally may one synne in thre maners Or by cause that a persone preyseth not ryghtfully another in his herte lyke as he ought to do Or by cause he bereth not reuerence ne honour there as he ought to do or by cause he obeyeth not aryght theym to whome he ought to obeye ¶
to destroye yf he may / thother ben also lyke theerys of corne that floure wel and prouffyte wel to god and to the worlde And theym the fende cryeth to destroye and to shame too his power The other been perfyte in grete estate and do moche good to god to the worlde For to bete doune theyr good loos and renoume for to mynisshe theyr good dedes / the enuyous dresseth all hys engynes For as moche gretter as the goodnes is So moche more sorow he hath This synne is soo perylous that vnneth may one that vseth it come a ryght to veray repentaunce For this synne is contrary to the holy goost / whiche is fountayne of all goodnesses And god sayth in the gospell Who that synneth ayenst the holy ghoost he shall neuer haue forgyuenes ne mercy in this worlde ne in the other For he synneth of his propre malyce And it ought holy for to be vnderstande that there is noo synne how grete it be / but that god forgyueth and pardoneth in this worlde yf a persone repenteth with good herte But vnneth it happeth that ony repente of this synne For suche one warreth with his power the grace of the holy goost / in that / that he warreth the spyrytuell good of another In lykewyse as the Iewes warred agaynst our lorde Ihesu cryste for the good that he dyde ¶ And ye ought to knowe that there be .vi. synnes specyally agaynst the holy goost That is to wete presumpcyon the whiche enlargeth ouer moche to synne / and prayseth lytell the Iustyce of our lorde / and ouer moche to truste in his mercy / therfore moche people synne in hope The .ii. synne ageynst the holy goost is dyspayre whiche benȳmeth and taketh awaye frome god his mercy Lyke as presumpcyon taketh frome hym his Iustyce The .iii. is obstynacyon This is hardenes of herte Whan one is so enharded in his synne and in his malyce / that he may not be humbled ne meked ne bowe and wyll not repent hym ne amende The fourthe synne agaynst the holy goste is dyspyte of penaunce That is whan a man purposeth in his herte / that he shall neuer repente hym of his synne The fyfth is to warre agaynst the grace of the holy goost in an other The syxth is to warre agaynst the trouthe in ernest wetyngly / and in especyall the trouthe of the Crysten faythe ¶ All these foresayd synnes ben ageynst the bounte and goodnes of the holy ghoost / and they ben soo grete that vnnethe they come too veray repentaunce And therfore ben they vnnethe forgyuen pardoned ¶ The .iii. heed of the beest of helle is Ire or wrath Ca. .xxv. THe thyrde heed of the beest is Ire But thou owest to knowe that there is an yre whiche is vertuous / that the good men haue ayenste thys synne / whiche geten the vertues ayenste the vyces There is another Ire whiche is a moche grete vyce / that is felonnye of herte / oute of whome yssueth many braūche And in especyal foure warres that the felons haue ¶ Of the fyrst warre of the synne of yre / whiche is suche Ca. .xxvi THe fyrst warre of the synne of yre / is to hym self for whan Ire surmounteth the man / she tourmenteth the soule and the body so moche that the man may not slepe ne reste Somtyme yre taketh awaye the etynge and drynkynge / and maketh one falle in a feuer or in so grete heuynesse or malancolye / or despayr that he taketh the deth This is a fyre that wasteth all the goodes of the how 's ¶ The second warre that the felon hath that is to god For yre and felonnye surmounte and fyre somtyme all the people / by aduersyte temporalle / or by maladye and sekenesse / or by dethe of frendys Or by ony manere of meschaunce that his wylle is not done that he grutcheth and murmureth ayenst god our lorde sayth maugre / and in despyte of god and of all hys Sayntes And swereth and blasphemeth ayenst god and his blyssed sayntes The thyrde warre of Ire that the felon hath that is vnto theym that ben vnder hym / that is to his wyf and to his meyne and breketh pottes and cuppes lyke as he were oute of his wytte / so is he The fourth warre is withoutforth to his neyghboure by dwellers aboute hym and of this braunche growe .vi. bowes For whan Ire ryseth bytwene two men / there is then stryfe dyscorde / wordes / vylonyes / wronges And after rancour whiche dwellyth in the herte / after cometh hate medlynge and bataylle / after desyre for tauenge hym / after other whyle homycyde manslaughter After cometh ofte mortalle warre emonge the frendes / out of whiche yssuen ofte euyll in dyuers maners / and many that may not be amended For whan there is warre bytwene two hye grete men it happeth ofte that many men be slayne whiche neuer had blamed ne trespaced / monasteryes chyrches ben broken vp / and throwen doune / and ben somtyme brente townes destroyed and brent Abbayes and grete pryoryes destroyed / men women chyldren dysheryted and put to pouerte / robberyes / women maryed / and maydens defouled and corrupt / and ouer many other euylles that ben doo for that cause And al this be they bounde to rendre and to make amendes / al they by whome so many myscheues and harmes haue be done And all they that haue be in theyr helpe in suche wycked and euyll werkes / therfore they be in grete peryll of dampnacyon / and ferre frome theyr saluacyon For they may not amende ne rendre the domages that they haue done / they behoue to restore or to be forlore ¶ Of the synne of slouthe the whiche is sayd accyde Ca. xxvii THe fourthe heed of the beest of hell is slouthe / the whiche is called of clerkes accydye This sȳne is greuous to do wel This sȳne is an ouer yll rote casteth out many euyll braunches For this synne causeth a man to come vnto euyll amendemente / and more euyll begynnynge / and ouer euyll endynge The slowe persone hath euyll begynnynge by .vi. maners synnes The fyrst vyce is fayntnes / that is whan a man loueth lytyl and fayntly our lorde / whome he oweth to loue ardauntly / and this happeth whan he is flawe latchous and slowfull to do well The seconde vyce of slouthe is tendrenesse / that is the bedde wherin the deuyll resteth hym and sayth to the man or woman Thou hast be euer tenderly nourysshed thou arte of ouer feble complexyon Thou mayst not do grete penaūces / thou arte ouer tendre thou sholdest anone be deed / and for this the caytyf suffreth to be cherysshed / and to do all the eases and the delyte of his body The thyrde vyce is ydlenesse This is a synne of whome cometh many euyls as the holy scrypture sayth For whan the deuyll fyndeth a man ydle he putteth him anone in his werkes
of auaryce many bowes whiche been moche grete deedly syn̄e The fyrst is vsure The seconde thefte The thyrde raueyne The .iiii. chalenge The fyfthe sacrylege The .vi. Symonye The .vii. malygnytees The viii marchandyse The .ix. in wycked craftes The .x. in euyll wycked playes / and eueryche of these bowes departeth hym in to many maners ¶ Of dyuers maner spyces of vsure Ca. .xxxv. THe fyrst bough of vsure departeth hym in to .vii twygges For there is one maner of vsurers lenynge openly whiche lene theyr monye for other mony And aboue the catell they take and leueye theyr gayne / or in money / or in hors / or in whete or in wyn or in fruyt of therthe / whiche they take in gayne withoute to rekene the fruytes in payement And yet that werse is / they wyll rekene two tymes in the yere or thryes for too areyse theyr vsures / and wyll yet haue bountees or rewardes aboue for euery terme / thus be they holpen aboue that they lene pryncypally Suche people ben vsurers couched vylaynous But there ben other maner vsurers lenynge curtoys whiche lene theyr monye withoute makynge of ony couenaunte Neuerthelesse they entende to haue prouffyte and rewardes therfore / in money or in catayll / or in golde or in syluer / or in yeftes or in presents / or in robes or in ton̄es of wyne or in fatte swyne or in seruyces Or in labour of horses or of oxen or asses or of cartes or waynes Or of prebendes for theyr chyldren / or in other thynges / and in all these and suche thynges is vsure / whan it is lente for occasyon to haue somme prouffyte This is the fyrst maner of vsure / that leneth his good wyckedly shrewdly ¶ The seconde Ca. xxxvi THe seconde maner of vsure is in them that lente not the money in theyr owne persone But that whiche theyr faders or theyr moders / theyr wyues / or theyr husbondes / or theyr predecessours haue goten by vsure they retayne it / and wyll not rendre it ne yelde it a gayne The thyrde maner of vsure is in them that daygne not ne wyll not lenne by theyr owne hande / but they make theyr seruauntes and other people to lenne for thē theyr money / tho ben the maysters vsurers ¶ Of these synnes be not quyte the grete and hye lordes that kepe sustayne the Iewes and lombardes of pyemoūt other places / whiche dystroye the contraye / and they take the rewardes and grete gyftes somtyme the raunsones or redempcyons / whiche ben the catayle and cheuyssaunce of the poore people The fourthe maner is in theym that lene other mennes money / or that borowe it with lytell coste Suche people ben dyscyples of vsurers whiche lerne this foule and wycked stynkynge crafte The fyfthe maner is in marchaūdyse / whan ony selleth ony maner thynge what someuer be for more than it is worthe for the abydynge of the terme than he wolde do for redy money and that more is the vntrue seller and wycked whan he seeth the people more at grete myschefe / thenne he shall sell his waare the more derer / ye twyes or thtyes more than it is worthe Suche maner people doo ouer moche harme For / for theyr longe terme they doo destroye and appourysshe the knyghtes and other hye men the whiche folowe the assembles / the warres and the tournoyes that they delyuer to theym theyr londes and theyr herytages in gayge and wedde / and so lyenge in gayge they deye neuer quytte ne paye The other synnen in byenge the thynges as corn wyn or other thynges lasse the halfe than it is worth for the money that they paye tofore hande / and after they selle the same thre or foure tymes more dere than the thynge was solde delyuerd to theȳ fore Other marchauntes bye the thynges whā they be at no prys and good chepe / as whete in haruest wyn in the vynyerde or other marchandyse / for to selle ageyn in the tyme whan they shall be more dere The other bye theyr whete in the stalkys and erys and the wyn in the flourynge whan they shewe fayr forth / by suche couenaunte that they haue theyr achate sauf theyr mesure The .vi. maner is of theym that delyuer theyr money to marchauntes in suche wyse that they shall be felowes parte in the gayne / and no thynge in the losse Or that delyuer theyr beestes to halues / soo that they be as yron That is to saye that yf they deye or perysshe he that taketh theym to halues shall sette put other beestys in theyr place / of so moche as grete of valure prys as were-they that ben deed or perysshed at his propre charge / dyspence The .vii. maner is of theym that put and sette theyr nexte neyghbours in theyr werke and labour / by cause that they haue lente theim golde or syluer or corne or hath done to theym ony curtosye or frendshyp / and whan they see theym poure and nedy / then̄e make they with theym bargaynes for theyr auayle / and for the money that they delyuer to the poure man / or for a lytyl corne that they selle to hym well dere and for more than it is worthe in market He wyll haue of hȳ syxe peny worth werke or labour for two pens These ben the bowes that growe out of the euyll braunche of vsure ¶ Of thefte Ca. xxxvii THe seconde braunche of auaryce is theft / this is to take or retayne other mennes thynge wrongfully without knowelege or ayenst the wyll of hym that oweth it And this synne may be done in foure maners / after foure maners of theues For there ben some theues openly Some couertly / some priuely / and some felawly The comyn and open theues ben they that stele in suche wyse that there is Iustyce done on them whan they ben taken And of them ben dyuers maners / as well on these as on the londe The couert theues ben they that take away secretely and couertly grete thynges small thynges by theyr barate / treason / or by subtyll wytte and engynne The preuy theues ben they that take awaey no thynge from straungers / but of theyr neyghbours / and knowen / and of them ben bothe grete and small as / the vntrue receyuour / shryues / prouostes / exchetours / bayllyues / sergyauntes / and other suche as taketh the amēdes / and restrayne the rentes to theyr lordes / and acoūt moche in costes and dyspences and lasse receytes and rētes Thus done the grete offycers whiche ben in the houses of the grete lordes and ryche men that maketh grete coostes and dyspences / and gyue largely the goodes of theyr lordes and maysters without theyr knowynge ageynst theyr wyll In this synne synneth the wyfe the whiche causeth by her synne that the chylde the whiche that she knowerh ryght well that she hathe hadde it of
another man than of her propre husbande / enheryteth and hathe the herytage where as he hathe noo ryght therto ¶ In this synne also synneth the wyf that taketh awaye the goodes of hir husbonde / for to dyspende and put it to euyll vsage ¶ That other theef is the lytell theef that taketh awaye out of the how 's the breed or wyne other thynges / or fro theyr neyghboure theyr capons or hennys / or the fruyt oute of theyr gardyns or other thynges Suche ben they that reteyne the thynges that they haue founden and knowen well to whome they belonge / and therfore they sholde not reteyne theym But they ought to do by the counceyll of holy chirche / or by the counceyl of theyr confessour The theuys the ben felowes ben they that parteth theyr thefte / or by composycyon or by yefte or by achate or by other manere ¶ Also they that consente to the thefte / or counceylleth or that commaundeth it to be done Also they that counceylle the theuys or deffende theym or sustayne them in theyr malyce / or receyue theÌ„ in to theyr hous or in to theyr londe / or the gadre togyder the thefte Also the wycked Iustyses that suffre theym for yeftes / or by prayers or by ony other euyll reasons and wyll not ne dare not do Iustyce ¶ The thyrde braunche of the synne of Auaryce is rauyne as foloweth Ca. .xxxviii. THe thyrde brauÌ„che of auaryce is Rauyne whiche hath many bowes The fyrst is an euyll executour of testamentes Suche people robbe theim that ben dede whiche is ouer grete an vntrouthe ¶ The seconde is in wycked euyll lordes / be they knyghtes or other lordes or bourgeyses whiche ete and fle the poore peple by tayllees / by aydes Imposycyons amendes or by other maner / whiche seche purchace that whiche may greue theyr subgettis / and accomplysshe theyr euyll wyll / and they ought to kepe deffende them In this syÌ„ne ben the grete prynces the barons / whiche by theyr myght taken awaye fro the poore other that they may subdue theyr castellys theyr rentes and theyr baronnyes And also other ryche men that take awaye by strengthe fro theyr propre neyghburs londes vygnes and other thynges And taken on all sydes soo that noo thynge may escape theym ¶ The thyrde ben robbours of euyll hostryes or Innes whiche robbe the pylgrymes the marchauntes and other that passe and walke by the countrey ¶ The fourth is in theym that wyll not paye that they owe. And that reteyne wrongfully and wythout cause the hyre or wages of theyr seruauntes or of theym that doo theyr werke ¶ The fyfthe is in these grete prelates that pylle theyr subgettes / and that raunson theym by ouer grete procuracions / or by other exactions extorcions that they do in many maners ¶ These ben the wulues that destroy the sheep that they sholde kepe ¶ The syxte thefte is in bayllyes Shyreues bedellys sergeauÌ„tes and other offycyers / whiche doo the grete rauyne and extorcions vpon the poore peple and bye the grete herytages / and so moche there is of other maner of rauyne whiche sholde be ouerlonge to reherce here But the moost grete parte is conteyned in the thynge aboue sayd ¶ Of the synne of chalenge Ca. .xxxix. THe fourth of Auaryce is chalenge / that is to renne on another wrongfully To this synne aperteyneth all barate trycherye and falsnesse that happeth in plees In the clargye hath dame auaryce many scolers in especyall seuen maner of people that studye therin Of .vii. maners of the synne of chalenge Ca. xl THe fyrst ben the false pledours that make the false partycyons and demaundes / and seche false Iuges / and the false wytnesses / and the false aduocates And false letters for to trouble other / and trauayle the people wrongfully in the spyrytuell courte / or in the teÌ„porall courte ¶ The seconde ben they that put awaye set at nought that is ryght And seketh barates and delayes for too take awaye frome other theyr chyuaunce ¶ The thyrde ben the false and vntrue wytnesses For they make the false vnryght maryages weddyÌ„ges They take away the herytages They doo so moche harme and domages that none may amende it / and all this they do for theyr grete couetyse ¶ The fourthe ben the false aduocates that sustayne the euyll causes all wetynge / and empesshe and lette the good people / for the hyre and the gyftes that they take on bothe sydes And they make oft the good causes to be loste / and the quarelles of good men and maketh of ryght wronge / and of wroÌ„ge ryght by theyr wyckednes and couetyse lyke as they that ben maysters of the barate of the trechery ¶ The fyfth ben the false notaryes that make false letters and Instrumentes / and falseth the seales / and maketh false lybelles and many other vntrouthes ¶ The .vi. thefte doone the false and vntrue Iuges whiche entende and ben more fauourable ayenst reason more to one partye / than to an other / for gyftes for promysses for ê“pryetces or for loue / or for hate / or for drede / or for fauour / yf that they delaye the causes and the quarylles wrongfully and make men to do grete costes and dyspences / and taken grete yeftes and somtyme of bothe partyes / and sellen Iustyce / or they leue to do Iustyce / and done to poore peple so grete domages and hurte that they may not ne can not amende ne repayre The .vii. ben the euyll accessours whiche gyuen euyll counceylle to Iuges / and causen that the causes and quarellys be loste by the offyces and seruyces that they haue All these persones tofore sayd ben bounden and holden to rendre yelde agayn all the whiche they haue thus had and taken euyl of other and also all the costes and domages that the other haue had and suffred for theym ¶ The .v. braunche of auaryce is sacrylege Ca. .xli. THe fyfth braunche of Auaryce is sacrylege / whaÌ„ one breketh or hurteth or treateth vylaynously the holy and blessyd thynges or the persones of holy chirche or ellys the holy places / whiche been appropred or longynge to the seruyce of god / and this doeth the synne of couetyse in many maners Fyrst whan one treateth vylaynsly the body of our lorde / lyke as done the heretykes the Sorciers or wytches / and the wycked preestes for wynnynge / in lyke wyse saye I of thother sacramentes Also whaÌ„ one breketh taketh awaye or treateth vylaynsly the sayntuaryes / the crosses / the chalyces / the cresme the corporalles / that halowed vestymentes and other thynges mysteryes of the chirche Also whan one brenneth and destroyeth chirches / or holy places / or chirchyerdes or howses of relygyon / or whan ony drawe out theym the beÌ„ fledde for refuge or socour in to monasteryes or chyrcheyardes for theyr suerte or warraunt ¶ Also whan
lorde how well dranke we yester euen the good wyne / and how good mete ete we Thenne after this be wepeth the gloton his synnes and sayth Alas sayth he I wende well this nyght to haue dyed / the wyne yester euen was ouer stronge / myn heed aketh I shal not be eased tyll I haue dronken This god of the wombe of glotonye is ouer euyll For fyrst he becometh a tauerner goer / and frequenteth tauernes / after he playeth at the dyse / and after he selleth his good away / after he becometh a rybaude / an holyer and letchour / and at the laste he hangeth on the galowes This is the salary and scotte that is ofte payde for the synne of glotonye This synne is departed after saynt Gregory in to .v. braūches For there is synne in fyue maners in etynge drynkȳge therfore some drynke tofore tyme / or wtout reasō or mesure / or ouer ardauntly or ouer plentyuously or ouer curyously Thenne the braunche of this synne is to eete tofore tyme. Ouer moche to ete is a foule thynge to a man that hath aege dyscrecyon whan he may not abyde a due houre for to ete and drynke By grete excesse of glotony it happeth ofte that a man that is hole and stronge of bo drynketh and eteth without cause reasonable tofore tyme ordeyned / and that he cometh to the meet as dothe a dombe beest And moche sȳne and maladyes bodely happen oft by the customes / therof it cometh that this gloton sayth that he may not faste ne doo penaunce For he sayth he hath an euyll heed and an euyll herte also And certaynly he sayth trouthe / and for to breke the fastynge dayes and vygylles commaunded is ryght a grete sȳne For he dampneth hym selfe / and also wyll haue company with hym / and withdraweth and letteth them to doo well And ledeth them vnto hell For he maketh theym to breke theyr fastes / to doo glotony / whiche they wolde kepe yf it were not the euyll company and felaushyp For these glotons and these lechoures amonge all other euylles that they do / done a synne that is proprely the crafte of the deuyll / that is whan they lette and withdrawe all them that they may fro well doynge / and mocke and scorne all them that loue to do wel ¶ These glotons say that they may not faste / but they lyen falsely For lytell loue of god causeth theym to say so For yf they loued as moche the veray glory of heuen as they do the vayne glory of the worlde For lyke as they faste for theyr worldy occupacyon and temporall goodes often vnto the nyght as well myght they faste vnto noone for the loue of god yf that they loued hym And yf that they dyde desyred theyr saluacyon But they be lyke vnto the chylde that all day wyll haue breed in his honde And trouthe it is the lyke as one synneth by etynge and drynkynge ouer erly Ryght so one synneth by ouer late souper These people that so moche loue to wake by nyght and wast the tyme in ydlenes / and go late to bedde / and aryse late synneth in many maners Fyrst in this that they waste lose the tyme and torne it / whan they make of the nyght the daye and of they daye the nyght God curseth suche people by the prophete For men ought on the day to do good occupye hym in good and holy werkes And in the nyght to prayse god / and to praye hym deuoutly / and to yelde hȳ thankȳges of his gyftes But they that then lye in theyr beddes whan they sholde be vp and rysen must nedes slepe whan they sholde praye to god and worshyp hym / and here the seruyce of our lorde / and thus lese all the tyme / and the daye and the nyght Also in these grete wakynges ben commysed many synnes / as play at the chesse at tables at the dyse / and is there spoken many folysshe wordes and corrupte / of whiche many synnes folowe ensyewe And also the caytyues waste theyr bodyes theyr tyme / theyr soule / theyr wytte / and theyr good The .ii. braunche of glotony is to ete and drynke outragyously and without mesure These that so done ben lyke vnto a gulfe that swaloweth all / in lyke wyse as an abysme It is ouer grete wysdome to kepe mesure in etynge and drynkynge Also it is grete helthe for moche people dye ofte tofore theyr tyme by outragyous etynge / and drynkynge / and by suche excesses and suche outrages comen and sourdeth many maladyes and sekenesses But he the wyll knowe and take this mesure / he ought to knowe that there be many maners for to lyue in the worlde Some lyueth after the flesshe and after the eases of the body Some after theyr Iolyte Other after theyr Ypocrysye Other after physyke Other after theyr honeste Other after that theyr synne requyreth Other after theyr spyryte / and after the loue of god ¶ They that lyue after the flesshe as saynt Poule sayth sleeth theyr soules / for they make of theyr bely theyr god They retayne neyther reason ne mesure / and therfore they shall haue in that other worlde payne and tourment without mesure ¶ They that lyue after theyr Iolyte wyll holde company with foles / suche folke can not / may not / ne wyll not holde ne kepe measure ne reason They that lyue after Ypocrysye ben they that ben marters to the deuyll Suche Ypocrytes haue two mesures For the ii deuylles that tourmenteth thypocryte ben moche contrary that one to that other / the one sayth ete ynough that thou mayst be fayre and fatte The other sayth thou shalte not / but thou shalte faste so that thou be pale and lene / to th ende that the worlde holde the for a good man And that it may appere that thou doost moche penaunce Now it behoueth that the Ypocryte haue two mesures / one lytell and another grete / of the whiche they vse the lytell mesure tofore the people / and the grete mesure they vse so that no man seeth them / they retayne not the true mesure that ben auarycyous In suche maner as the mouthe wyll / whiche is lady of the house / and commaundour Thenne bytwene the bely and the mouthe of the gloton ben thre dysputacyons The bely sayth I wolde be full / the mouth sayth I wyll not be ful the bely sayth to hȳ I wyll that thou ete take ynough and dyspende largely The mouthe sayth I shall not I wyll that thou restrayne the. And what shall the sory caytyf do whiche is seruaunt to his two euyll lordes Two mesures maken the peas The mesure of the bely in an other mannes hous good and large / and the mesure of his mouth in his owne hous soroufull and ouerscars ¶ They that lyuen after physyke kepen the mesure of ypocras / whiche is lytel and streyte / and it happeth ofte
that he the lyueth by physyke deyeth ¶ They that lyuen after honeste they kepe and holde the mesure of rayson / lyuen honourably in the worlde For they eren in tyme and houre And taken in gree and at worth that whiche they haue curioyslye clenly and gladlye They that lyue after that theyr synne requyreth kepe suche mesure as is charged to theym in penaunce They that lyue after the spyryte ben they that for the loue of god rule and gouerne them self lyke as the holy goost ensygneth and techeth theym to holde and kepe mesure reason ordre They haue the lordshyp and seygnorye ouer theyr body whiche is so dysciplyned and endoctryned by penaunce and so wel chaâ—â—ysed that he demaundeth none ouâ—trage and doeth that whiche the spyryte commaundeth and withoute contradyction Now mayst thou see by that whiche we haue here sayd that the deuyll hath many engynes for to take the peple by theyr throtes and by theyr â—â—…tony For fyrst he sheweth to theym the wynes and the 〈◊〉 whiche ben fayre and delyeyouses / lyke as he dyd to Eue the apple / and yf it be not worthe he sayth to hyÌ„ 〈◊〉 drynke lyke as dyd suche one / thou must nedes 〈…〉 companye wylte thou that men mocke and scorne 〈…〉 wylte thou ben holden a popelarde Or he sayth 〈…〉 thou must nedys kepe the helthe of thy body / who hath 〈…〉 hath no thynge Be not an homycyde of thy self Thou owest to thy body his sustenauÌ„ce Or he sayth to 〈…〉 otherwyse Beholde and consydere the good that thou dooste / what thou mayst do Thou etest not for the delytes of the body / but for to serue god Thou oughtest to kepe thy strength to god lyke as dauyd the prophete sayth Of these reasons abouesayd be somtyme attayned deceyued the moost wyse men The thyrde brauÌ„che of this vyce is to renne take ouer gredely the mete / lyke as the dogge dothe the carayne / how moche greter is the gredenes so moche greter is the synne For lyke as it is not synne to haue the rychesses Iustly goten truely but not ouer moche to loue theÌ„ / ne to vse them euyll / ryght soo it is not syÌ„ne to ete But that it be not ouer gredely ne ouer disordynatly All maner metes ben good vnto good people to them that by reason / by measure vseth theym without ony excesse without outrage / and alway we ought too prayse god rendre thankynges to god of his goodnes of his gyftes / by the swetenes of the meet we ought to thynke on the swetnes of god / of that celestyall / swete mete of glory pardurable whiche fylleth accomplyssheth the desyre of the herte Therfore men rede in houses of relygyon at mete by cause that whan the body taketh his refeccyon on that one parte / that the soule sholde take his spyrytuall mete refeccyon on that other parte The .iiii. braunche of this synne of glotony is of them the ouer nobly wyll ete drynke / whiche dyspende waste that wherof an C. poore men myght be well fed Suche people syÌ„ne dyuersly Fyrst in grete despences that they make After in that / that they vse ouer grete gredynes delyte than vayne glory that they haue But this is not onely thexces of the throte / but it is for pryde / for the praysynge of the world that they seke soo dere metes multyply soo many meases wherof oft tymes growe many syÌ„nes The .v. brauÌ„che of glotony is the curyosyte of glotons / that thynke on none other thynge but for to delyte theym in metes / they ben ê“prelye lycherous whiche seche not sauf onely the delytes of theyr throte mouth In .iii. thynges namely lyeth the synne of suche people Fyrst in the grete charge that they haue in pourchasynge and in arayenge theyr metes After in the glorye and in the grete playsyr that they haue in seynge and beholdynge theym / and that they may recounte what dylygence they put to that / that the metes ben well arayed / and that eueryche haue his ryght propre sawce / how they may of one thynge make dyuers messes dysguysed for the delycyousnesse of the mouthe / and whan the messys or the metes comen in one after another / thenne be sayd the bourdes for entremesses and thus goeth the tyme / and the caytyss forgete theym self and reason slepeth and thynketh no thynge of the deth / ne on the synnes that they do / theyr stomacke cryeth and sayth Dame throte ye slee me I am soo full that I am lyke to breke Thenne the lychorous tongue answereth though thou sholdest to brest I shal not suffre this lycorous mete escape me / after the lycorousnes of meete cometh vaynglorye that is to remeÌ„bre it Thenne desyre wysshe they that they had as longe a necke as a crane / as grete a bely as a cowe that they myght yet deuoure and swalowe more mete Now hast thou herde the synnes that comen of glotonye and of lycourousnesse / and by cause that these synnes sourden and comen ofte in the tauerne whiche is fouÌ„tayne of synne Therfore I wyll a lytell touche the synnes that ben made and done in the tauerne The tauerne is the scole of the deuyll where as his dyscyples studye / and his propre chapel where as his seruyce is done / and that is the place where he sheweth doeth his myracles bothe daye and nyght / suche as appertey-come to shewe his vertues to make his myracles lyke as ye may se in many places / the blynde for to se / the lame and croked to be redressed / to madde men theyr wyt to dombe men speche / and to deefe men theyr herynge But the deuyll in the tauerne dooth all the contrary / for the tauerne is his chapel / as is aforesayd where men doth to hym seruyce / for whan the man gooth to the tauerne he gooth all ryght / and whan he retorneth he hath neyther fote ne hande / by whiche he may hymselfe bere ne sustayne And whan he gooth thyder he speketh well / hereth vnderstandeth / and whan he retorneth he hath loste all this / lyke as he that hath neyther wytte ne reason ne memorye in hym selfe Suche ben the myracles that the deuyll maketh in the tauerne / and what lesson is sayd in the tauerne I shall saye to you There is redde / lerned / herde and seen all fylthe and ordure of synne / that is to wete / glotonye / lechery / swerynge / forswerynge / lyenge / myssaynge / renyenge god his saynces / mysherkenynge / brawlynge and many other syÌ„nes Thenne sourdeth and cometh stryues / homycydes / or manslaughter / there is lerned to steele / to hange / the tauerne is a fosse pytte of theues / and also it is the fortresse of the deuyll for to warre ayenst god and his sayntes /
the tauerner that sustayneth suche people dyshordonate ben parteyners of all theyr synnes that they do in theyr tauernes / And certayne yf a ê‘sone sayd as moche shame to his owne fader or to his moder / or to his knaue / as suche maner people do to theyr fader of heuen and to our lady to the sayntes they sholde be moche angrye / fynde and set other remedye than god dothe ¶ Of the synnes of the tonge Ca. l. WHo that wyll knowe and thynke of the synnes of the tongue / hym byhoueth to thynke and acounte to thynke what the tongue is fro whens she cometh and what harme euyll she doeth For it happeth that somtyme the worde is synne in him self / by cause it is euyl and happeth by cause that it is synne / men synne for as moche that she yssueth and cometh of an euyll herte And also it happeth that the worde is grete synne by cause it dooth euyll / how well that it be fayre and well polysshed ¶ Now thou oughtest to knowe that the euyll tongue is the tree that god curseth in the gospell / by cause he founde theron no thynge but leeuys By the leeuys ben vnderstonden in holy scrypture wordes And lyke as it sholde be a thynge dyffycile and herde to nombre the leeuys of trees Ryght so it is Impossyble to compte and nombre the synnes that growen of the tongue But we shal sette and put ten chyef brauÌ„ches whiche growen oute of this tree And these .x. braunches may thus be named / ydlenes / auauntynge / losange rye / detraction / lyes or lesynges Forswerynges / contencyons murmure / rebellyon and blasphemye ¶ Of the synne that ben in ydle wordes Ca. .li. THey that abandoÌ„ne theym to ydle wordes geten grete dommage and grete perylle / whiche they apperceyue not ¶ And also they lese the tyme whiche they may neuer recouere And lose also the good dedes that they sholde myght do vnto theyr owne salute helthe And lesen the ioye of heuen / and the tresour of theyr herte and replenysshe it of vanyte of synnes They discouer the potte the flyes entre therin They calle theym ydle wordes / but they ben not For they ben moche costyous damageous peryllous as they that auoyde fro the herte al goodnes / and replenysshe it whith vanyte For they shall rendre reason and yelde acompt of theym too god straytly at the day of Iugement / lyke as god sayth in the gospell This is not thenne a lytel thynge ne lytell ydlenes / whan it byhoueth to yelde reason and accomptes at the daye of dome vnto a lytel thought / and in so hye a court as is tofore god and all his sayntes In this ydle wordes men synneth in syxe maners There ben some vayne wordes of whiche some tongues be soo full that so moch speke a fore and after that they be lyke the clyket and the clappe of a mylle whiche may neuer reste and also somme wordes ben so curyous of theym that gladly heren tydynges tolde / that they ofte set theyr herte to the desease of them that here theym / so that the recounters ben ofte holden for fooles and lyars After comen the rehersayll and the fayre wordes / wherin is moche vaynglorye / in theym that can subtylly shewe and saye them for to make the herars to laughe / after been the truffes bourdes lyes full of fylthe of ordure and of synne whiche been callyd ydle wordes / but they be not / for they be peryllous greuable After ben Iapes / the esbatemens and playes not lefull / that saye somtyme vpon good men vpon them that wolde fayne do well / by cause that they myght withdrawe fro theyr herte the goodnes that they haue conceyued purpose to do These be not ydle wordes / for thou art lyke an homycyde yf thou withdrawe by they tongue a man or a woman or a chylde fro doynge well or fro doynge a good dede And god shall conne the as good thanke / as the kynge sholde doo too the / yf that thou haddeste slayne or mordred his owne sone or stolen away his treasoure ¶ Of the synne of auauntaunce Ca. lii AFter cometh the synne of auauntaynge whiche is moche grete / moche foule / falfe / moche vylanous / it is moche grete For the that auaunteth hymself is moche hateful to god for he taketh awaye his glory and also his Ioye Also as we haue sayd tofore / this is a moche false syÌ„ne / for his goodes of whiche he myght gete heuen he gyueth for a lytell wynde / and so it is a moche foule synne For all the worlde holdeth hym for a fole / for a vylayne / and for nyce / and this braunche hath .v. leues There be v. maners of vauÌ„tours That one is of tyme past This is the synne of them that so gladly remembre theyr werkes and theyr prowesses / and that whiche they wene to haue done well / or sayd well That other is of tyme present / that is the synne of them that no thynge do gladly ne payne them to do well / ne to say well whan they ben not seen ne herde They in doynge or in saynge / or in syngynge auaunt them self and sell for nought all that they haue done To this man appertayneth the syÌ„ne of them that so auaunt and boost them of the good that they haue / or of that whiche thy wene to haue of theyr noblesse or of theyr rychesse They ben lyke to the Cuckowe / that can not synge but of hym selfe ¶ The thyrde is of them that ben surquydrous and that thynke and say in themselfe I shall auenge me herof I shall make hylles and valayes The fourthe is more subtyll / that is of them that dare not prayse themselfe for shame But all that euer the other dothe and say they blame and dyspyse lyke as noo were worth / but that whiche they can do or saye ¶ The fyfthe is yet more subtyll / that is of theym that wyll whan that men preyse theym / and they dare not saye it openly they make it all contrarye and make theym self humble and saye that they be no thynge worth and synners thre tymes wers thaÌ„ they be / by cause they wolde be preysed and for that men sholde holde theym for well humble meke Alas sayth Saynt Bernarde that this is a sorouful auauntynge They make theym self deuylles by cause they sholde be reputed for auÌ„gellys / and fayne themself to be euyll / to th ende that men sholde repute theym for good But certeynly a man sholde not more angre them than to saye ye saye trouthe To this apperteyneth the synne that seketh the aduocates for to preyse them / and to crye theyr oublyes / by whos mouth they speke more hardely ¶ Of euyll sayenge of other Ca. liii THe losangers ben nouryces of the deuyl that gyue souke to the chyldren and make
that / the soule is deed For lyke as the body is deed withoute the soule So is the soule deed without the grace of god It is called vertue by cause it adourneth the soule with good werkes with good maners / it is called charyte bycause it Ioyneth the soule to god / also dooth all thynge as it were with god For charyte is nothynge elys but a dere vnyte / That is the perfeccyon and the beneurte to whiche we ought to entende Moche were deceyued the auncyente phylosophers that so curyously dysputeden enquyreden who was the souerayne good in this lyfe / and neuer coude they fynde ne knowe it / For some sette theyr stuyde and theyr wytin delytes of the body The other in rychessys the other in honeste but the grete phylosopher saynte Poule whiche was rauysshed vnto the thyrde heuen / and passed all the other phylosophers techeth vs by many reasons that the souerayne good in this lyfe and that the quene of vertues is for to loue god and to haue veray charyte in hym selfe For with out this good ne aualen all the other goodes ryght nought And who that hath this good of charyte he hathe all other goodes / and whan all other goodes shall fayle / this good shall not fayle and aboue all the grete goodes that ben this charyte is lady And thenne the gretest good the whiche is vnder heuen Is charyte And also after by cause that thou wylte and desyerest this good the whiche by ryght is called vertue / and that thou desyerest to loue it moost / and to seche it aboue all other goodes And I wyll yet shewe vnto the his valure it is acustomed for to deuyle thre maner of goodes in the worlde / that is to wyte goodes honourable godes delectable goodes prouffytable There be no mo goodes ne veray ne good ne fayre but these thre maners / and this seest thou openly of the worlde that none desyreth ne loueth ony thynge but that he wene that it be honourable or delectable or prouffytable The proude secheth thȳge honourable The couetous man seketh thynges prouffytable The delycious secheth thynges delectable And whan they sechen this thynge vaynlye Euery man ought to knowe that vertues haue these thre propretees For vertue is moche honourable and delectable and prouffytable ¶ What vertues been goodes honourable Ca. .lxvii. ALl vertues ben goodes honourable / this mayst thou see in this manere Syxe thynges been in this worlde moche desyred by cause that they seme moche honourable / that is to wyte beaulte wytte prowesse power fraunchyse and noblesse These ben .vi. fountaynes of vanyte Of vayne glorye cometh and sourdeth a plante Beaute is a thynge moche loued For it is a thȳge moche honourable / and neuerthelesse beaute that the eyen and the body se and loue / is a thynge fals couerte and vayne It is fals for he or she is noo thynge fayre But our eyen ben vayne and feble that see noo thynge but the skȳne wtoutforth Thenne who myght see as clere as a beest that is called a lynx whiche seth thorughe oute a walle he sholde clerely see that a fayre body nys but a whyte sacke ful of stynkynge dunge / lyke a dunghylle couerd with snowe or with grene grasse ¶ Also I saye to that the this beaulte is moche shorte not abydynge For it is sone faylled and anone passed as a fume or a smoke and as the flour of the felde or of the medowe Anone as the soule departeth fro the body / fayre well all the beaulte is faylled and gone Thenne the beaute that the body hath / the soule hath gyuen it too hym And therfore moche fooles ben they that for the beaute of the body gloryfye themselfe But the beaute of the soule is the ryght beaute / whiche alwaye encreaceth and neuer shall fayle This is the veray beaute by whiche the soule pleaseth god to the aungelles that seeth the herte This beaute rendreth gyueth to the soule graces vertues and loue of god For she reformeth reparaylleth and rendreth her ryght enprynte That is the ymage of her maker / which is beaute without cōparyson / and who best resembleth in getynge the vertues / in pluckynge vp and caste from hym all synnes / kepe his cōmaundemētes entyerly he is moost fayre Then the moost fayre thynge that is vnder god / is the soule whiche hath parfytly his ryght four me and his ryght clerete / coloure of floure / clerenes of the sonne / fygure of man / and pleasaūce of precyous stones And all that the eye of the body seeth of beaute is fylthe foule to the regarde of the soule / all that may be thoughte of beaulte may not be cōpared to the soule ¶ Of veray sapyence Ca. lxviii CLere wytte and clergye is a thynge moche honourable / and moche to be praysed But and thou wylte be wyse a ryght and lerne verey clergye / do so that thou haue veray good / that is grace and vertues That is the veray sapyence that enlumyneth the herte of a man / lyke as the sonne enlumyneth all the worlde This wytte passeth sourmounteth all the wytte of the worlde / lyke as the sonne passeth the clerenes of the mone / For the wyt of the worlde is but foly / lyke as the scrypture sayth / and chyldehode wodenes Foly is in them that so moche loueth the worlde and his beaute / and that can not knowe the day fro the nyght Ne Iuge betwene grete and lytell / and bytwene precyous and vyle They wene the mone to be the sonne For they wene that the honoure of the worlde be veraye glorye / and a lytell apple to be a grete mountayne / for they wene that the worlde be a grete thynge But to the regarde of heuen it ne is but pouerte They wene that a glasse be a saphyr And they wene that theyr strengthe theyr power be moche grete / whiche is more feble more frayle than is glasse ¶ Also I saye that this chyldehode of the wytte of the worlde is in them that so moche make them wyse for to kepe and ease the body and to be in delyces whiche lyuen as a chylde / that seche nothynge ellys but to do theyr propre wyll In suche people reason is deed and therfore they lyuen as beestys / for theyr wytte is al torned and corrupt / lyke as is the taste and sauour of a seeke man or of a woman grete with chylde / whiche fyndeth more sauour and appetyte in a soure apple than in brede made of whete / and more sauoure in a cool than in good metes Also these people may not byleue that there is more Ioye delyte in louynge god and to serue and to honoure hym / than in doynge the wyll of the caroyne of theyr body For they can not ryght fully Iuge betwene swete and bytter Also I saye that the wytte of
/ it appereth moche precyous But whan a man hath holdeth them / anone they be lost / become truffes and dremes Thynke on the delyte of the last yere / and of thy dreme to nyght / thou shalte se that all is one / anone they passe anone they come agayne / in no maner may they fulfyll the herte of a man And yf in a droppe be as moche swetenes / that it is the swetenesse of all the foūtayne Then is that a delectable good And therfore the wyse holy men in all that they sawe in this worlde / sauoured of the delectable goodes of the worlde preyseden god / and moost desyred the loue of hym / and the more that they sawe the droppes swete / the more they desyred to come to the foūtayne celestyal And therfore it is wel knowen that the more that one forgeteth the droppe / the more he loueth the fountayne / the reuerse The more that one loueth the droppe the more he hateth the fountayne and forgeteth it And the more that the swetenesse of the worlde pleaseth to a creature whiche he so moche desyreth / the lasse hathe he of the swetenesse of god Therfore the gode men take the lasse of the swetenesse of the worlde as moche as they may and wyll not vse the flesshly delytes ne the deduytes that comen by the fyue wyttes bodyly A good lorde god how moche ben they fooles / and more than beestes / that knowe well that the body of a man is the moost foule thynge that may be / that the soule of a man is the moost noble thynge / the moost precyous and the moost noble creature that may be Therfore they sholde not wene that the goodes that come of the body be more delectable and swete / than they of the spyryte / whiche ben veray good / pure / and perdurable / and may fulfyl the herte and replenysshe it Suche godes gyueth god to a man in this worlde / whā he gyueth to hym pease of herte and vyctorye ayenst his synnes and ayenst thenemyes of helle And gyueth to hym glorye of conscyence and apeasyble herte / whan he replenyssheth the herte with loue spyrytuell Ioye Of suche Ioye ne of suche delyte / no semblaunce ne no comparyson may be foūden in the ioyes of the worlde ne ben not but drops to the regarde of the foūtayne of swetenesse that is Ihesu Cryst This is the fountayne of swetenes of whiche our lorde speketh in the gospell / who that shall drynke of the water that I shall gyue hym he shall become a lyuynge foūtayne whiche shall make hym lepe in to the lyfe pardurable This is the fountayne of Ioye / of swetenes / and of charyte / the whiche may fylle and replynysshe the herte And none other thynge what someuer it be / may not fyll it ¶ Of this fountayne hath tasted Dauyd the prophete whiche sayth in his psaulter O lorde god how moche is the multytude of thy grece swetenes / whiche thou kepest to thy seruauntes and departest to thy frendes And certayne who had well tasted and sauoured this swetenes that god hath gyuen to his frendes / he sholde dyspyse all the delyces and all the Ioyes of this worlde / and sholde chese retayne the spyrytuall Ioye And sholde do lyke as they that bulte the meele and deceuereth the floure fro the bren and grous / and as they that make oyle / that take the clere pure fatte / and leue the grosse matere For Ioye of the herte that cometh of god to loue / to serue / and honoure hym whiche is veray Ioye parfyte / lyke as sayth the prouerbe That none hath parfyte Ioye yf it come not of loue And therfore this Ioye is called oyle in holy scrypture / lyke as our lorde sayth by the prophete I shall gyue sayth he oyle of Ioye for wepynge This is Ioye of herte pure and veray for wepynge of penaunce Of this oyle ben enoynted they that god hath made kynges and lordes of the worlde and of them selfe And then̄e is a man parfyte crysten whan that he is enoynted with holy cresme For of crysme is sayd cryste / and of Cryst is sayd crysten / that is of Ihesu cryste And who that is enoynted of suche oyntemente / the whiche is of Ioye and loue of god / he lyueth in god / and god in hym Lyke as the holy appostle sayth And this is thenne the lyf of a crysten / that is to speke ryght / the lyf of a man / this is a good lyf and blyssednes that crysten men ought to seche and desyre for to gete the lyf perdurable / ye knowe moche wel that he is not in lyf / but in langoure / that alwaye lyueth in payne / in thought and in anguysshe This is no thynge but now wepe / and anone laughe Now is at ease / now is he at mysease / now is he in angre / now is he in pease / now in Ioye / now in sorowe Thenne who that wyll lede a good lyf / and lyue Iustly without synne / seche he that he haue the veray good / thenne he shal haue lyf honourable / delectable and prouffytable And thenne he shal lyue as a man resonable That is to saye holyly / ordynatly / wysely Ioyously meryly Meryly without angre / wysely without erroure / and. Ioyously without sorowe / and this lyf hath one by grace and by vertue / and none otherwyse ¶ Here after is spoken of vertues in especyal Ca. lxxv NOw I haue shewyd to the generally here tofore the dygnyte and the valure of the vertue of charyte / and wherfore one ought to gete it For grete prouffyt cometh for to haue it / as Ioye / honoure / and glorye perdurable But by cause men knowe not the thynge so wel in generall as they do in specyall Therfore is myn entencyon to speke of vertues in especyall / in suche manere that eueryche that wyll studye in this boke may ordeyne his lyf by vertue and by good werkes For otherwyse lytell sholde auaylle to knowe the good yf he do it not For lyke as sayth saynt Iames the appostle / who the knoweth the good doth it not / he synneth mysdoth / he is a fooll That knoweth the ryght way / and ernestly go out of it The holy scrypture sayth thus The wyse man or wyse woman hath a fayre gardyn full of verdure and fayre trees / and of good fruytes / wherof god sayth in the boke of loue to the holy soule My syster / my frende thou arte a gardyn enclosed of two closures That is of the grace of god and of aungelles This gardyn planted the grete gardyner That is god the fader whan that he admolysshed and made softe the herte of the creature humayne / and made it swete and treatable lyke waxe chaufed And as good erthe well arayed and cultyued / and worthy that good ympes sholde be
the holy ghoost / the whiche arouseth and bewatâ—eth all the gardyn Now beholde the ryght grete curteysye of our lorde / the whiche came in to this worlde for to seche saue that whiche was loste / by cause that he knewe well our pouerte and our feblenesse / by whiche we may falle in to synne But by our self we may not releue vs ne yssue out of synne ne gete vertue / ne do none other good / but yf it be by the grace of god / or that it come of his yefte / therfore he cesseth not to excyte vs that we praye requyre hym these yeftes And promyseth moche to vs / that yf we requyre demaunde hym ony thynge that is good for vs / and that it be ryghtfull we shall haue it And yet the debonayre Ihesus doth vnto vs more of his curtosye For he is our aduocate that formeth for vs our requeste and our petycyon For we haue not the wytte yf he formed it not to vs. ¶ The petycion / the requeste or oryson that the swete Ihesus enformed and taughte vs with his blyssed mouth / is moche fayre / moche good / but shorte by cause we sholde reteyne it well That is the pater noster / wherin ben .vii. petycyons and requestys / by the whiche we requyre our good fader Ihesu Cryst / that he gyue vs the .vii. yeftes of the holy ghoost / that he delyuer vs fro the .vii. deedly synnes / that he take them awaye fro our hertes And in stede of the sayd synnes / that he by his grace wyll plante there and nourysshe the .vii. vertues / whiche brynge vs to the .vii. blessynges of perfeccion and of holy lyfe / by whiche we may haue the promysses that the debonayre Ihesu made promysed to his chosen people in the seuen wordes aforesayd ¶ Thenne our entencyon is with the ayde and grace of the holy ghoost to speke fyrst of the seuen petycions of the holy ghoost whiche ben conteyned in the holy pater noster ¶ After I purpose to saye of the yeftes of the holy ghoost After of the seuen vertues / ageynst the seuen deedly synnes ¶ The .vii. petycyons and requestes ben lyke as .vii. fayre maydens that neuer cease to drawe the lyuyÌ„ge waters out of seuen ryuers for to water and arouse these seuen trees that bere the fruyte of lyfe pardurable ¶ Of seuen petycyons and requestes that be conteyned in the Pater noster Ca. lxxvi Our fader that art in heueÌ„ sanctified be thy name thy kingdom come to vs / thy wyl be done in erth as in heuen / our dayly brede gyue vs to day forgyue vs our dett as we forgyue our detts lede vs not in to teÌ„ptacoÌ„n but delyuer vs froÌ„ euyl ameÌ„ AS a lytell chylde is sette to scole / at the begyÌ„nynge he lerneth his Pater noster Who the wyll lerne of this Clergye and knowe it / he must be lytell and humble as is a chylde For our good mayster Ihesu cryst techeth his scolers this clergye whiche is the moost prouffytable / and moost fayre that is What man or woman that this dotryne well knoweth / vnderstandeth well retayneth it For suche there be that wene well for to vnderstonde it / that no thynge knowe therof / by the barke or rynde wtout forth That is the lettre whiche is good But lytell is it worthe to the regarde of the marghe / of the godnes and of the grete substaunce whiche withinforth is soo swete It is moche shorte in wordes moche loÌ„ge in substauÌ„ce lyght to saye subtyll for to vnderstonde This prayer and oryson passeth surmounteth all other in thre thynges That is to wytte In shortnesse In dygnyte / and in prouffytablenesse ¶ The dygnyte is in that / that the ryght blessed sonne of god made it / too god the fader in shorte wordes God the holy ghoost touchynge his demaunde / he wyll that it be shorte in wordes / by cause that none excuse hym to lerne it and to conne it And also by cause that none sholde be greued to say it wyllyngly and ofte And for to shewe that god the fader hereth vs ryght soone / and graunteth it gladly whan we praye hym with good herte / so that it be not of longe ryotte ne of wordes polysshed ne rymed ¶ For swete saynt Gregory sayth Verayly for to werke is not to saye fayre and glosynge wordes with the mouthe / but too caste oute wepynges and depe syghes from the herte ¶ The valure and the prouffyte of this oryson or prayer is so grete / that it compryseth and encloseth in wordes moche shorte / all that whiche may be desyred of herte / and prayed and demauÌ„ded of mouthe That is to be delyuerd of al euylles / and replenysshed with all goodes ¶ Thus begynneth the holy pater noster Fader our that arte in heuen ¶ Beholde now how that our blyssed aduocate / our ryght good and blyssed mayster and souerayne our redeÌ„ptour and sauyour Ihesu cryste / the whiche is the sapyence wysdom of god the fader omnypotent / that knoweth al the vsages and al the lawes of his courte / techeth vs for to plete well / and to speke wysely / subtylly / and shortely But certaynly yf the fyrst worde that thou sayst Fader our that arte in heuen / yf that it be well vnderstanden well pursued he shall gyue to the all thy request and all thy demaunde ¶ For saynt Bernarde sayth that the orayson that begynneth by the ryght name of god the fader / gyueth to vs hope to Impetre and gete all our prayers and requestes This swete worde fader whiche maketh swete all the remanaunt / sheweth to the that / whiche thou oughtest to beleue and somoneth the to that / whiche thou oughtest to doo And these two thynges saueth the man whan he beleueth well and aryght And whan he dooth after that he ought to do / whan thou callest hym fader thou knowest that he is lorde of the house / that is of heuen and of erthe / and capytayne and begynnynge And fountayne of whome all creatures and al godes cometh This knowlegest thou in that / his puyssaunce myght ¶ After I say by cause that he is a fader / he is ordeyner gouerner / and purueyer of his meyny / and specyally of his chyldren / that is of the men of whome hymself hath created / made and fourmed to his semblaunce / in this thou knowlegest his sapyence / yet also syth that he is fader by nature by ryght / he loueth that whiche he hath made Lyke as sayth the boke of sapyence And he is debonayre and loueth and nouryssheth his chyldren / and dooth theyr prouffyte better than they can deuyse And he beteth and chastyseth them whan they mysdone or offende / for theyr prouffyte and welthe as a good fader / And gladly he receyueth and taketh theym vnto mercy
strengthe of man Charyte / sayth saynt Austyn Ioyneth vs to god For charyte is none other thynge but chyere vnyte / that is / dere one hede / for she maketh the herte and god all one as sayth saynt Poule Fayth byholdeth in god souerayn vnyte hope beholdeth in god souerayn hyenesse / and charyte souerayn bounte These .iii. vertues ben deuyded by .iii. degres of loue / for for .iii. thynges a man is loued One is by cause that one hath herde or hereth grete good of hym Or by cause that he hath receyued grete good of hym Or by cause he entendeth to haue grete good of hym These iii. maners of loue ben in these .iii. vertues Loue of fayth hereth and werketh / loue of hope feleth the sauour and requyreth it / loue of charyte taketh seeth it / tasteth holdeth it ¶ Of the foure cardynall vertues / by whiche a man ought to gouerne hym Ca. lxxxxi OF the foure cardynall vertues speken moche the auÌ„cieÌ„t phylosophres but the holy ghost gyueth theÌ„ ensygneth them better an hondred tymes as sayth Salamon in the boke of sapyence The fyrste of these foure vertues is prudence the seconde attempraunce / the thyrde strength / and the fourthe Iustyce These .iiii. vertues ben called cardynalles / by cause they ben the moost pryÌ„cypall amonge the vertues of whiche the auncyent phylosophers speketh For by these .iiii. vertues a man gouerneth hym selfe in this worlde Lyke as the pope gouerneth al holy chyrche by his cardynalles PrudeÌ„ce kepeth a man that he be not deceyued by none engyne of the ennemy AtteÌ„praunce kepeth a man that he be not corrupt by none euyll loue Strength kepeth hym that he be not vaynquysshed ne ouercome by wrath / or by drede / or by sorowe This is that holdeth a man in good estate toward hymselfe Iustyce setteth a man in ryght estate anenste hymselfe and other / for Iustyce rendreth to eche man the whiche is his These ben the .iiii. toures at .iiii. corners of the hous of the good man that maketh it stronge / sure good Prudence garnyssheth it towarde the eest by purueyaunce for al perylles Attempraunce garnyssheth it towarde the southe ageynst the euyll heetes Srengthe garnyssheth it towarde the northe for the euyll coldes Iustyce garnyssheth it towarde the west ayenst the euyll raynes ¶ Yet agayne of the foure cardynall vertues as here foloweth Ca. lxxxxii THese .iiii. vertues haue dyuers offyces / ben moche dyuers in theyr werkes / lyke as sayth an auÌ„cyent phylosophre named Plato in his boke that he made of these .iiii. vertues / deuydeth them moche subtylly / sayth that prudence hath .iii offyces For by this vertue all that whiche a man doth sayth / thynketh is ordeyned all and ledde by lyne / rule / and reason and in all his werkes he pourueyeth / that he vse theym after thordynaunce of god that all seeth and Iugeth A grete lorde sholde he be as me semeth that sholde haue this onely / vertue / and by these thre thynges sholde gouerne hym ¶ Of the vertue of attemperaunce lxxxxiii THe vertue of attemperauÌ„ce hath .iii. offyces for the herte that hath this vertue wyll not ne coueyteth not to do a thynge of whiche he ought to repente In noo thynges he breketh not the lawe dysmesurably / but putteh hym self alwaye vnder the yoke of reason And no thynges doubteth of all the couetyses of the worlde That is to saye / who hath this vertue he kepeth hym that he be not corrupt by the thre thynges that foulen shamen the worlde ¶ Of the vertue of strength Ca. lxxxxiiii THe vertue of strength hath also .iii offyces / for a man that hath this vertue in his hert he lyft hyÌ„ vpon hye aboue the perylles of this worlde and no thynge doubteth he sauf vylonye and synne / he bereth aduersyte and prosperyte / and suffreth without to bowe on the ryght syde ne on the lyfte syde Moche good sholde be the knyght of god that in these thre thynges sholde be well proued These .iii. vertues armen / ordeyne / adourne a man as touchynge the thre partes of the herte whiche ben called / reason / loue / vygour Prudence kepeth the reason that it be not deceyued Attempraunce kepeth the loue / that it be not corrupte Strength kepeth the vygoure or myght that it be not ouercome ¶ Of the vertue of Iustyce Ca. lxxxxv IVstyce maketh a man to lyue ordynatly amonge the other For lyke as Plato sayth the phylosophre This is the vertue that maketh that a man dooth vnto euery man the whiche he oweth to do For he rendreth reuerence honoure vnto them that be aboue hym Frendshyp pease and concorde to them that ben lyke to hym / grace and pyte to them that ben vnder hym By these .iiii. vertues sayth the sayd phylosophre / that a man is theÌ„ worthy that he be gouernoure of hymselfe / and after of other In these .iiii. vertues studyed the auncyent phylosophres whiche dyspysed all the worlde for to acquyre and gete vertue wysdome / and therfore were they called phylosophres / whiche is as moche to say as loue of sapyence ¶ O good god how sholde this confounde vs and make vs aferde that they that were paynyms without law wryten and nothynge knewe of the veray grace ne of the gyftes of the holy goost / and neuertheles they styed vp in to the mountayne of perfeccyon of lyuynge by force by theyr propre vertue / and dayned not to take hede of the worlde / ne to do euyll / ne to consent to synne / we that ben crysten men that haue the veray fayth / knowe the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god / haue the grace of the holy goost / yf we wyll our syÌ„nes cause it not / that we may more prouffyte for our helth anenst god in a day / thaÌ„ they myght in a yere / we defoule vs / lye here beneth as a swyne in a mire / in the ordure of this worlde / and synne in the fylthe and donge of delyces of this worlde Therfore sayth saynt Poule that the paynym that is without lawe shall Iuge vs at the daye of Iugement / that haue had here the lawe / we neyther holde ne kepe it / and by cause they had not ryÈt fayth ne the grace of the holy ghoost ne no vertue ne quycke ne very fayth / they may not well knowe how these vertues be good and fayre / for as moche dyfference as is bytwene a brennynge cole / and a deed cole / and a lyuynge man and a deed man Soo moche dyfference is there bytwene vertue that is without charyte / vertue that is with charyte / whiche is the bounte / the valure and the lyf of other vertues / wherof saynt Austyn sayth whan he speketh of these .iiii. vertues / he deuydeth theym by .iiii. maner of loues and by .iiii. thynges that veray loue
doth / and sayth that the vertue prudence is the loue of herte / whiche veryly and wysely refuseth al that whiche may greue and ennoye hym / and cheseth al that whiche may ayde to haue that whiche he loueth / that is god / the vertue of attemperaunce is the loue of herte by whiche he gyueth hym self entyerly and without corruptyon to that whiche he loueth / that is god The vertue of strength is the loue of the herte / by whiche a man serueth onely that whiche he loueth / that is god / and for hym setteth a man all other thynges vnder his fote / despyseth them Thenne the vertue of Iustyce setteth a man in his ryght estate / that is aboue all thynges / and vnder god / without these .iiii. vertues / there is none that may mounte in to the moūtayne of perfectyon / for who that wyl moūte soo hye / hym byhoueth / that alther fyrste he haue prudence whiche maketh a man to despyse the worlde / and that he haue with it the vertue of strengthe / the whiche gyueth to hym grete herte stronge and stable courage to enpryse to pursue grete thynges / on the other partye that he haue the vertue of attempraunce / by cause that he be not ouer charged ne euyll caryed / and that he haue with hym the vertue of Iustyce that may lede hym by the ryght path / and by a good Iust way that he be without synne / and that he shewe to hym how by holy werkes he oweth to conquere the reame of heuen / lyke as god dyde to Iacob / as sayth the boke of sapyence / who that thus may haue these .iiii. vertues he shall be well parfyte and blyssed in this worlde and more in that other / for he shal be in peas of herte and in Ioy spyrytuell / and nothynge shall fayle hym / but he shall habounde in the grace of god that he shall haue with hym / in whome he shall delyte ¶ Here after foloweth how a man may take awaye put from hym the seuen deedly synnes and gete the vertues Ca. lxxxxvi NOw lete vs come ageyne to our mater / and pray we with all our herte to the holy goost / that he wyll enspyre and ensygne our hertes / that he be our aduocate / and teche vs to shewe how he by the seuen gyftes of the holy goost he plucke out and take away the seuen deedly sȳnes fro our hertes / and that he therin wyll vouchesauf to plant the seuen vertues ¶ Of the gyfte of holy drede the whiche maketh a man Iust Ca. lxxxxvii THe gyftes of drede is the fyrst of the gyftes / for he casteth out of the herte all the synnes lyke as we haue sayd tofore But proprely this gyfte of drede plucketh oute / taketh awaye and destroyeth the rote of pryde / and planteth there in his place the plante of humylyte Now beholde and vnderstonde well how the synner that holdeth hym and slepeth in his synne / is lyke to a rybaulde that slepeth and is dronke / and hath all lost at tauerne / and is all naked and so poore that he hath no thynge but he feleth no thynge ne complayneth not / but weneth that he be a moche grete lorde But whan he hath slepte and cometh ageyne to him self / and that he is out of his dronkennesse Thenne feleth he his harme and knoweth his folye Now complayneth he his losse and his domage This is the fyrst good that the holy ghoost doth to a synner whan he vysyteth hym For he gyueth to hym agayn his wytte and his mynde / and bryngeth hym ageyne to knowe hym self So that he aduertyseth and seeth what goodes he hath loste / and in what pouerte and in what perylle he hath be for his synne / lyke as dyd the sone of the good man / whiche wasted and dyspended his herytage in dyssolucyon and rybauldrye In suche confusyon and myserye he became that hym byhoued to kepe the swyne and fede them / and to lyue of theyr releef and mete / lyke as our Lorde Ihesu Cryst sheweth vs by example in the gospell Yet also the synner as sayth Salamon is lyke to hym that slepeth in the myddle of the see / and is in grete peryll tormente / he feleth no thynge ne hath no fere therof But whan the holy ghoost awaketh hym he felyth seeth his perylle / begynneth to haue drede of hym self ¶ Yet also the synner is lyke to hym that is in pryson feterydin yrons / is in boltes and hath many kepars / lyke as saynt Peter was in the prysone of kynge Herode And the caytyf synner thynketh no thynge on the prouoste / ne on the Iustyce / ne on the galowes that tarye for hym / but he slepeth and dremeth that he goeth to a weddynge and to a feste But the grace of the holy ghoost is lyke to the aungell that awoke saynt Peter / delyured hym fro the hande of kynge Herode For the grace of the holy ghoost awaketh the synner and delyuerth hym from the hande and fro the puyssaunce of the deuyl of helle / yet also the synner is lyke to hym that weneth to be stronge and hole / and he hath the dethe vnder his teeth For he hath the humours euyl and corrupte within the body / thenne dyeth he within a moneth / that wende to haue lyued .xl. yere Lyke as sayth Elyuans in the verses whiche speken of the deth and sayen thus Go ye awaye ye whystelers and gapars / for suche be couerde vnder theyr clothes / that wene to be hole and fatte that shall not lyue vnto marche ¶ But the holy ghost is lyke vnto a good physycyen that sheweth to hym his maladye and sekenesse / and moeueth fro hym his humours and gyueth vnto hym a bytter drynke whiche heleth hȳ a rendreth to hym his lyfe / ryght so troubleth our lorde the synner by bytter contrycyon whan he helyth him fro his synnes by the bytter drynke lyke as sayth the prophete in his psaulter / and fereth hym / bryngeth hym ageyne to knowe hym self / lyke as dyd Adam our fyrst fader / whan he hydde hym emonge the trees of paradys terrestre And thenne sayd god to hym Adam where art thou Thre other demaundes made god by his aungell to the chamberyer of holy Abraham whiche was named agar whan she fledde fro her lady The aungell sayd Agar from whens comest thou / whyder goest thou / what doost thou These thre questyons or demaūdes maketh the holy ghoost vnto the myserable synner / whan he awaketh hym out of his synnes / where as he was aslepe / and he reyseth hym / and openeth vnto him the eyen and the syght of his herte / gyueth to hym agayne his wyt and his vnderstondynge / the whiche was loste in the slogardye of synne Where arte thou sayth he / that is to say Beholde thou poore and myserable caytyf
a daye the poore lyke as he had be acustomed / and whan he had supposed to haue gyuen water to a seke man that was there / as sone as he torned hym / he that was in lykenes of the poore man vanysshed / none knewe where he bycam / wherof he moche meruaylled And the nyght after our lorde aperyed to hym sayd that he had on other dayes receyued hym in his membres / but on the daye he receyued hyÌ„ in his propre persone Also hospytalyte is better more worth than abstynence or ony other labour / wherof is fouÌ„de in vytis patrum that in egypte was an holy fader whiche receyued all them that passed forth by that had nede / gaf to them suche as he had It happed that a man of moche grete abstynence was herberowed in his lodynge / whiche wolde faste / wolde not ete at the prayer of the good man that had receyued hym Thenne the good man that had lodged hym sayd to hym / late vs goo fayre brother vnder that tree there without / and praye we to our lorde Ihecu Cryste that this tree enclyne and bowe doune at the prayer of hym that best pleaseth god / and whan they had made ther prayers / the tre enclyned doune to hym that receyued the poore people / not to hym that made the grete abstynences there ben many moo fayre examples of the hospytalyte but it sholde be ouer longe a thynge to reherce ¶ The .vi. braunche of mercy Ca. C.xxxvii THe .vi. brauÌ„che of mercy is to vysyte coÌ„forte ayde them that be in pryson and in holde / theym to delyuer yf they may To do this admonesteth vs thappostle Poule that sayth RemeÌ„bre ye them that ben in pryson / lyke as ye were bounde with them / that is to say that ye vesyte / conforte and helpe them Lyke as ye wolde that ye were conforted / vesyted holpen yf ye were bounde in pryson as they be Thus dyde Thobye that went to them that were in pryson and comforted them with good wordes And SalamoÌ„ sayth in his prouerbes Delyuer thou theym sayth he the men lede to deye In suche wyse delyuered Danyell Susanna fro dethe And our lorde delyuered the woman that had be taken in aduoutry / whiche sholde haue be stoned to dethe after the lawe / not for bycause that Iustyce shold not be done vpoÌ„ malefactours But in suche dede fayt he taught the Iuges what they sholde be / and how they ought to Iuge other / wherof in this ensample he ensygneth foure thynges that euery Iuge ought for to haue kepe in Iugement The fyrst thynge is grete delyberaon / and grete auysemente of counceyle good and hole / Wherof Iob sayth The cause that I knewe not I enserched it and requyred it dylygently / and this is to vnderstande in that / whiche our lorde Ihesu cryst whan the Iewes hadde accused the woman / he wrote in the erthe with his fynger / he that is without synne of you throw the fyrste stone For to stone the woman And by the scrypture made with the fynger we vnderstonde dyscrecyon and grete delyberacyon The seconde thynge is good entencyon that he bowe not ne enclyne more on that one party than on that other / ne for prayer ne for gyft / ne for fauour / ne for loue / ne for hate / and this is to vnderstande in that whan Ihesu cryste wrote he helde hym styll in the place The thyrde thynge is good lyfe and to kepe hym well from synne For he that Iugeth other ought to be of good lyfe / of good conscyence / lyue Iustly For yf he be other / he ought to haue grete drede of the IugemeÌ„t of god / whiche sayth in the gospell / that suche Iugement as ye doo to other / shall be doone to you And saynt Poule sayth thus of euyll Iuges In that thou Iugest other thou condempnest thy selfe / for thou doost that for whiche thou Iugest other Wherfore our lorde sayd whan he arose fro wrytynge / he of you that is without synne caste on her the fyrst stone / whaÌ„ they herde this senteÌ„ce / they departed went away all ashamed / the one after an other wtout takynge leue / for they were greter synners than the woman / whome they wolde haue stoned The fourthe thynge is to haue pyte compassyon / that the Iuge ought to haue on hym that he shall Iuge / for he ought more to enclyne by humanyte and mercy than to enhardy hym by rygoure to doo Iustyce For Iustyce without mercy is cruelte / and mercy without Iustyce is leudnesse And therfore that one of these two vertues holdeth ofte company with that other in holy scrypture But alway sayth the scrypture / that mercy surmounteth Iustyce And saynt Iohan with the golden mouthe sayth / that at the daye of Iugement / that it shall be more of value to rendre reason of doynge mercy than of the rygoure and cruelte of Iustyce And the holy man saynt Iames sayeth that Iugement without mercy shall be done to hym that hath doo no mercy And therfore our lorde after that he was relyeued he enclyned hym towarde therth / and after delyuerd the woman / for the Iuge ought to enclyne by pyte and compassyon to hym / whome he ought to Iuge / and haue grete drede / and also agyenst his wyll ought he to Iuge the other For yf he Iuge wyckedly he shall be Iuged at the daye of Iugement Now is it grete almesse to vysyte the prysoners / and them to rede me delyuer that may And therfore our lorde Ihesu Cryst wolde descende in to helle for to delyuer the soules of sayntes that were there ¶ The .vii. braunche of mercy Ca. Cxxxviii THe seuenth brauÌ„che of mercy is to burye the deed bodyes Of this werke is moche preysed in holy scrpture Thobye / whiche buryed the deed bodyes and lefte his mete And our lorde praysed Marye Magdalene for the oynemente that she shedde on his heed / wherof he sayd that she had doone it in sygnefyaunce of his sepulture Also Ioseph demaunded the body of our lorde / buryed it moche dylygently The other were ryÈt besy of theyr sepulture / and had grete bewayllynge and grete deuocyon to the holynesse / good / and holy lyf / of theyr faders / and therfore they wolde be buryed with them Of whome Iacob sayd to his sone Ioseph Burye me not in egypt / but with my faders / and therfore it is good to be buryed amonge good relygyous meÌ„ for to haue theyr prayers nature ought to moeue a man to this good werke / and vertuous operacyon Wherof it is redde of the nature of beestes the the dolphyns whan they se a dolphyn deed / they assemble theym togyder / bere hym to the botom of the se / and there bury hym Yf nature / pyte moeue styre the Iewes sarasyns /
other myscreauntes to do this / moche more ought pyte compassyon to moue the crysten men to do this / whiche by our faythe see that the bodyes be reysed rewarded with the soules And therfore who that loueth the soule of his neyghboure he ought to loue the body / doo bury it whan it is deed with all humanyte and mercy that he may ¶ Now hast thou herde the braunches of the tre of mercy ¶ These ben werkes of mercy corporell and spyrytuell ¶ Here after is sayd how almesse ought to be done Ca. Cxxxix IT is soo that there is moche people that lese theyr almesse and theyr other good dedes whiche they do / bycause they do theym not as they ought to do Therfore I wyll shewe here shortly how almesse ought to be done / and how it is prouffytable pleasaunt to god Fyrst I wyll shewe shortely how a persone ought to do almes / wherof he sholde doo almesse For a mā must doo it of his owne good not of an other mannes / and of suche good that is well and truely goten God setteth nothynge of none euyll gyfte Almesse whiche is made of thefte / or of takynge awaye of other mennes good / of rauyne / or of vsure / or of other euyll goten good pleaseth nothynge to god Wherof the holy scrypture saythe Thou shalte not make sacrefyce ne oblacyon vnto god of heuen / of oxen / nor of shepe / ne of thynge wherin is ony spotte of synne For god hath grete abhomynaciō of suche sacrefyse The wyse man sayth that who that doth sacrefyse to god of the catayll or godes of the poore man He dooth lyke to hym that sleeth the sone tofore the eyen of his fader And saynt Austyn sayth what gyfte is that / whiche the one taketh gladly / and that other wepeth And therfore ought euery man take hede wherof he dooth his almesse ¶ Also he ought to take hede of whome he dooth it wherof the scrypture sayth / Beware to whome thou shalte doo good / do well to the good That is to hym that thou wenest that he be good And gyue noo thynge to the wycked for cause of theyr wyckednesse Lyke as they do whiche gyue to rybauldes to menestrellys for theyr wyckednesse / whiche is a grete synne as saye the sayntes / but who that gyueth to them not for euyll / but for pyte and compassyon for theyr pouerte / or of theyr wyues / or of theyr chyldrē yf they haue ony / or of theyr faders or moders / or for ony other good cause or reason / as for to withdrawe thē fro synne he dooth well ¶ Thenne the almesse ought to be gyuen vnto the poore / more to theym that be veray poore of herte and of wyll whiche haue lefte for goddes sake that whiche they had / moche more thanne to other that be not poore with theyr wyll / but somtyme of pure necessyte And somme there be trewauntes and sloufull for to doo ony good / and myght gete theyr lyuynge yf they wolde ¶ And somme there be that by fayntyse she we somme hurtes and be faytours of theym self that deceyue the worlde To suche ought a man not to gyue his almesse / but it ought to be gyuen to the poore orphanes / to shamefast people to to poore wydowes / to the dyseased and lame / and vnto seke poore people where as it is nede / and whan one may do it And yf a man is bounden to gyue to straungers / he is moche more bounde without comparyson to his fader moder more than to ony other For nature ensygneth it / and god commaūdeth it ¶ It is redde of the storkes / that they nourysshe fader moder whan they be olde and may not purchase theyr meet Thenne nature techeth that one ought to do good to his fader moder / and therfore it is well ryght and reason that myschefe fall to all them that do euyl to theyr faders as it oftyme happeth Also a persone ought to take hede how he ought to do almesse and the maner of gyuynge For .iii. condycions ought to be had in gyuȳge almesse The fyrst is that a man ought to gyue gladly and with good herte For god hath more regarde to the hert than to the handes Wherof god in his sacryfyce as saynt Gregory sayth / be holdeth not onely the thynge that is gyuen / but with what herte Lyke as it appereth well in the gospell of the poore woman that had nomore but two mytes whiche she offred in the temple And our lorde sayd / that she had offred more than all the other whiche had offred grete thinges / for more pleaseth somtyme to god a peny that a poore man gyueth gladly for goddes sake / than yf a ryche man had gyuen an hondred marke in syluer with grutchynge And therfore sayth the wyse man in the scrypture Make alwaye good chere he sayth in all thy gyftes And saynt Poule sayth that god loueth moche the gyuer that is gladde and curteys There ben some people ryght ryche / and be so rude velaynous to the poore / that whan they demaunde theym almesse they answere to theym so vylaynously and so churlysshely / that they do call theym truauntes / and vagabundes / and say vnto them mo than an hondred reproches and vylonnyes Suche almesse pleseth not god and therfore sayth the wyse man in holy scrypture Enclyne and bowe thyn eere to the poore man without heuynesse and answer hym swetelye ¶ The seconde thynge that apperteyneth to do almesse / is that it be done anone and hastelye wherof Salamon sayth saye thou not to thy frende / goo and come ageyn to morne / and thenne I shall gyue to the / whan thou mayst gyue anone And also god sayth / withdrawe not longe thy gyfte fro the poore and fro theym that be nedy That is to saye / make thou not hym abyde / whan thou mayst gyue forthwith This is ageynste many ryche men whiche make poore men to crye after theym / that haue to doo with theym And soo moche delaye them / that they must ofte praye requyre theym tofore that they wyll ony thynge doo They selle ouer dere theyr bounte curtosye / that they do to them for lyke as seneque sayth / nothynge is so dere bought as that whiche is requyred and the prouerbe sayth that it is ouer dere bought that is demaūded Thus sholde euery man hastely do for his soule / as longe as he is alyue and hole / wherof the wyse man sayth Fayre sone sayth he do well to thy self yf thou haue wherof / offre to god worthy offrynges as longe as thou lyuest For the deth shall not tarye but that she cometh ¶ And in another place he sayth do well to thy frende tofore thy deth / that is to thy soule / to whome thou oughtest to do well tofore thy deth / as to thy true frende /
degrees / the brauÌ„ches / the fruyte the spyrytuell good that cometh therof in this worlde and in that other Of the fruyte of this tree sayth Dauyd to vs in the psaulter in this wyse Blyssed is he that entendeth to the nedy to the poore That is to say that he abyde not so longe tyll the poore demaunde hym / but that he gyue without askynge Ne he hath no herte to gyue that gyueth not wtout askynge / he dooth wel that gyueth to the pore but he dooth moche better that gyueth wtout demaundyÌ„ge And therfore sayth Dauyd the prophete / blyssed is he that entendeth to the poore / wherfore is he blyssed / he sayth after in the sayd place / that god shall delyuer hym in the euyl daye fro his ennemyes That shall be at the daye of dome whiche shall be harde and euyll to them that shall be dampned bycause they haue not fulfylled the werkes of mercy ¶ Thenne shall the Iuge say to them at that day Goo ye cursed in to the fyre of hell with the deuylles to be dampned / whan I had honger and thyrst ye gaue to me neyther meet ne drynke I haue be seke and ye vesyted not me I was naked and ye clothed me not And therfore they shall be delyuered to theyr enemyes / that ben the deuylles of hell / and they that haue ben pyteous and that haue entended to the poore people shall be delyuerd that daye and sholde be put in the possessyon of heuen Lyke as our lorde sayth in the gospell For he shall saye vnto them that haue done and accomplysshed the werkes of mercy Come ye blessed of my fader Receyue ye take ye the kyngdome of heuen whiche that I haue made redy for you syth the begynnynge of the worlde For that whiche ye haue done to the poore / ye haue done to me Grete honoure shall god doo to them / whan he shall thanke theym of the werkes of mercy / and shal gyue to them the glorye perdurable And therfore sayth he in the gospell Blessed ben the mercyfull For they shall haue mercy / by cause they haue enlonged the lyf of the poore people by theyr almesse / and therfore they that haue had pyte of the membres of Ihesu Cryst / and haue susteyned them in this worlde / and haue comforted and ayded them in theyr aduersytees It is wel reason that he do to them mercy whiche delyuerth fro al aduersytes and fro all myserye / and so shall he do whan he shall gyue to them the lyf perburable / wherto mercy shall lede them and herberowe theym ¶ Of the lyf actyf of the lyf contemplatyf Ca. Cxl. THe holy scrypture wytnesseth enseygneth to vs .ii. maners of wele and goodes / by whiche a persone cometh to the lyf perdurable / the fyrst is called the lyf actyf / by cause it is in labour of good werkes / and maketh a man to entende to the proufyte of hym self and of his neyghbour The seconde is called conteÌ„platyf / by cause it is in reste of good werkes / and ne entendeth to noo thynge but to loue and to knowe god Thenne is he ydle of werkes without forth / and lyke as he were in a dreme / or heuely a slepe / but he is awaked withinforthe for to thynke vpon god / and for to loue hym And for the loue that he hay e to god / he put all other thynges in forgetynge / lyke as he were all rauysshed and fyxed in god / and desyreth for to be dysceuered fro the mortall body / for to be alway with Ihesu cryste The fyrst lyfe / is the felde of good werkes where the knyghtes of god assaye and preue them The seconde reste theym with all myghty god in the chambre of clene conscyence The fyrst entendeth for to fede god with the meet of good werkes The seconde entendeth for to be fedde and fulfylled of god by veray comfort spyrytuell ¶ Of the fyrste is sygnyfyed by Martha whiche was besy to fede our lorde / as it is sayd in the gospell The seconde is sygnyfyed by Mary magdaleyn whiche sate at the fete of Ihesu cryst / herde his wordes The fyrst is a way and entre to the seconde For noo persone may come to the lyfe contemplatyf / yf he be not fyrst proued well in the lyf actyf Lyke as sayth saynt Gregory The gyftes and the vertues wherof we haue spoken tofore / appertayneth to the fyrst lyfe / whiche is called actyf The two last gyftes of whiche we shall speke / by the helpe ayde of the holy goost / that is to wete the gyfte of vnderstandynge and of the gyft of wysdome and sapyence appertayneth to the seconde lyfe / whiche is called contemplatyf This lyfe hath two thynges lyke as we haue tofore touched / that is to wete in the ryght knowlege of god and in parfyte loue The gyft of vnderstandynge ledeth to perfeccyon of ryght knowlege The gyft of sapyence ledeth to perfeccyon of loue We shall saye fyrst of the gyft of vnderstandynge after that the holy goost shall teche and ensygne vs. This gyft that is called the gyft of vnderstondynge ne is none other thynge after the sayntes and the doctours / but a lyght and a clerenes of grace the whiche the holy goost sendeth in to the hert by vnderstoÌ„dynge a man is lyft vp to knowe his maker and the thyÌ„ges spyrytuell whiche may not be seen bodely And all the thâ—ges that apperteyneth to the helthe of the soule / and to naturall reason to whiche the vnderstondynge of a maÌ„ by hym selfe may not come This gyfte is called lyghte / for it purgeth the vnderstondynge of a man fro the derkenes of Ignouraunce / and fro the spottes and fyfth of synne For lyke as the bodely â—yght taketh away the derkenes / and maketh the bodely thynges to be seen clerely Ryght so this spuÌ„â—ll lyght purgeth the vnderstondyÌ„ge of a man / to that whiche he may see clerely and knowe certeynly / as a man may knowe in this mortal lyf god his maker / and the spyrytuell creatures / lyke as ben the aungellys and the soules and the thynges that apperteyne to the helthe of soules That ben the artycles of the feyth of whiche we haue spoken tofore This knowleche is not but in conscyence wel purged / pure and clene For lyke as sore eyen charged with fylthe may not beholde the clere lyght Ryght so the vnderstondynge of a man / whan it is of hym self may not beholde / ne knowe spyrytuell thynges / yf it be not wel purged fro al tatches of errour and of fylthe of synne / by veray fayth whiche purgeth the hertes as the scrypture sayth But the gyfte of the holy ghoost of whiche we speke here perfourmeth this purgacyon at the hert so that the holy soule whiche is purged enlumyned with this lyght of vnderstondynge may see and knowe god / and all that whiche is to hym necessarye
in to the herte / lyke as sayth the prophete Many grete wyse men haue be taken and ouercomen by this / that they kepte not well the yates And yf thou wylte haue example of this matere / thynke that no man was more stronge than Samposon Ne more holy than Dauyd the prophete Ne more wyse thaÌ„ Salamon And neuertheles they fylle and were all deceyued by women Certaynly yf they had well kepte theyr yates of theyr fyue wyttes corporell / the fende had not taken so grete fortresses For as saynt Gregorye sayth The toure of the herte may not be taken yf it be not opened too the hoost of the deuyll / wherfore the auncyent phylosophres fledde in to ferre places / in desertes / by cause they myght not see / ne here / ne fele thynges delectable / by whiche theyr strengthe and vertue sholde wâ—x feble / ne by whiche they myght lese theyr chastyte ¶ Other phylosophres there were that by cause they sholde not be lette to thynke on theyr phylosophres put out theyr eyen by cause they sholde see no thynge that myÈt drawe theym fro contemplacyon Then the bodyly wyttes ben lyke an hors that renneth without bytte or brydle whiche maketh his lorde to ouerthrowe or falle But the chaste herte holdeth hym by the rayne by the brydle of reason ¶ Of the .iiii. degree of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxliiii THe fourth degre of the vertue of chastyte / is sharpnesse of penaunce / too subdue his flesshe whiche is rebelle / make it subget to the spyryte / lyke as sayth saynt Poule For he that wyll quenche the fyre of lecherye he ought to take awaye the ryse fagotte / and al tho thynges that make it to brenne and that nourysshe the fyre These ben the delyces and the eases of the body whiche quyckene and lyghten the fyre of lecherye corrumpeth chastyte / wherof saynt Bernard sayth that chastyte peryssheth in delyces And therfore who that wyll kepe hym fro brennynge / he ought to take awaye by abstynence / and by sharpnesse of penaunce of his body all the occasyons that may quyckene the fyre of lecherye / wherof the scrypture sayth that the chyldren that were nourysshed with grosse metes wolde not vse delycyouse metes / and were saued in the fournays of babylone / by whiche is vnderstonden the synne of lecherye / whiche is quenched by abstynence and by sharpnes of penaunce But the fatte metes delycyouses / and the stronge wynes enflame and nourysshe this synne of lechery in lyse wyse as oylle and grece alyght and enflammeth the fyre / and enforce it to brenne ¶ Of the .v. degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. C.xlv THe fyfth degree of the vertue of chastyte / is to flee euyll companye and the occasyons of synne Moche people haue fallen to synne by euyll company / whiche otherwyse had ne not fallen / lyke as the leuayne corrupteth the paste and drawe it to sauoure Ryght so the euyll company corrupteth the fame and renomee of the persone An apple roten yf it be amonge the souÌ„de and hole / corrupteth the good apples yf it lye amonge them A brennynge cole anone setteth on fyre an heep of coles whan it is layde amonge them Wherof Dauyd sayth in the psaulter / with the holy thou shalte be holy and with the shrewes thou shalte be peruerted ¶ Thus thenne yf thou wylte kepe chastyte and clennes / folowe the company of the good For yf thou loue the company of euyll shrewes / thou shalt be euyll as they be For who that loueth the company of a fole / it behoueth that he be lyke to him / as to that scripture sayth Thus behoueth it to flee all the occasyons of synne As to speke secretly with a woman / in suspecyous place one alone to one For suche thynges gyuen occasyon to synne / whan there is place and tyme / wherof we rede in the boke of kynges / that Amon whiche was the sone of Dauyd / whan he had his syster Thamar in his chamber he corrupted and defouled her The lady of Ioseph whan she founde hym alone she wolde haue made hym to synne with her But he fledde as a wyse man left her with his mantell ¶ Therfore sayth the holy appostle saynt Poule Fle ye fro the synne of fornycacyon / that is for to say / all the occasyons that may brynge or lede a persone vnto the synne of lechery For a man may not better ouercome the synne of lecherye ne kepe chastyte than by fleynge the companyes and the occasyons of this synne wherof the aungell sayd to loth that he sholde yssue departe fro the cytee of Sodome / from all the marches For it suffysed not to leue the euyl companye ne the synne / but that he sholde leue the marches of synne It is sayd that so longe gooth the pete to water / that at the laste it breketh And the gnat fleeth soo longe at the flamme of the candel / that at laste it brenneth In lyke wyse may one seke thoccasyons of synne / that he falleth therin who so wyl then kepe hyÌ„ wel fro suche fyre / that he brenne not / he ought to wtdrawe hym fro it The syxthe degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxlvi THe syxthe degree of the vertue of chastyte / is the one be wel occupyed wel sette a werke of good werkys and honeste For the deuyll whiche slepeth not / whan he fyndeth a man ydle and slowe to do well / put hym self to laboure and maketh hym falle lyghtly in to synne / wherof the scrypture sayth / that ydlenesse / that is to saye neclygence and slouthe for to do good / is maystresse of many euylles / and that is enemye of the soule ¶ And therfore sayth Saynt Poule Ne gyue thou no place to the deuyll That is to saye ne be thou not ydle / that the fende fynde not place to tempte the. For who that is ydle to do good werkes / he gyueth roume and place to the deuyll for to tempte hym Therfor sayth Saynt Gregory doo all waye somme good werkes a and operacyon that the deuyll fynde the not ydle For he is lyghtly taken of the fende / that occupyeth not hymself alway in somme werkes For he that is ydle may not longe kepe hym fro fallyÌ„ge in to synne Of this sayth the prophete / that the cause of the synne of Sodome the cyte was plente of breed wyne / ydlenes That is to vnderstonde that they ete dranke / and dyde nothyÌ„ge And therfore they fell in to synne soo horryble that it ought not to be named Ryght so do moche people that lese theyr tyme / employe it in vanytees and in outrages of mete drinke and leude games / in Iolytees of leude songes / of dauÌ„ces / of playes not lefull / and other deduytes And in suche vanytees they waste theyr tyme / and therfore they fall often
of good lyf Also Also the people of holy chirche ought too be pure clene of all fylthe of synne / and ought to be moche holy / by cause they clense and sayntefye and halowe other For lyke as sayth Saynt Gregorye The honde that is foule and fylthy may not wel take awaye the fylthe fro other And the scrypture saith he that is foule may not clense another That is to vnderstonde as touchynge his meryte / for the sacrament that is made and mynystred by the honde of an euyl mynystre is of no lasse value to hym ne werse ne he is no lasse myghty ne vertuouse to halowe them that receyue it / than yf they sholde receyue it by the honde of a good mynystre For the euyll of the mynystre appayreth not the sacrament / ne his bounte neyther / and also amende it not But alwaye the euyl of the mynystre may empayre other people by euyl example / and also he may by his bounte edefye theym by example of good lyf / therfore they that sayntefye clense other / in that they mynystre the sacramentes of holy chirche ought to be more holy and more clene than the other For yf they be euyll they shal be more punysshed than the other This is the syxthe estate in whiche oughte to be kepte the vertue of chastyte The seuenth estate of the vertue of chasttyte Ca. Cliii THe seuenth estate in whiche ought to be kept the vertue of chastyte of herte and of body / is the estate of relygyon For they that ben in that state haue promysed to god and auowed that they shal lyue chastly Then they be holden bouÌ„den by suche auowe that they may neuer marye after that they ben professed And yf they maÌ„rye after that they be professyd the maryage shall be none ¶ And therfore ought they to sette grete payne and dylygence in kepynge well theyr chastyte / and for theyr estate / whiche is the state of holynesse and of perfeccyon For of so moche as the state is more holy of so moche is the synne of them more grete and more foule And also as the spotte is more grete and foule and more apparaunt in a whyte robe than in another cloth And who falleth fro moost hye hurteth hym moost greuously / and for to vaynquysshe theyr aduersarye that is the deuyll / whiche moche payneth hym to tempte / and to make falle in to synne them of relygyon / and more he Ioyeth whan he may ouercome one of relygyon / than many of other people For lyke as the auÌ„gellys of heuen haue grete Ioye of the synnar whan he repenteth hym and doth penaunce and confessyon of his synnes ¶ Ryght so emoyeth the deuyl whan they may ouercome a good man and make hym to fall in to synne And whan he is in grete estate and parfyght soo moche hath the fende more Ioye whan he may deceyue hym / lyke as the fyssher hath more grete Ioye to take the grete fysshes that the smale ¶ We rede in the boke of the lyues of faders that an holy man recounted how he was bycomen a monke / and sayd that he had be sone of a paynem sarazyn whiche was preest of thydolles And whaÌ„ he was a chylde on a tyme whan he entred into the temple with his fader / he hydde hym / and there he sawe a grete deuyll that satte in a chayer and many deuylles aboute hym ¶ And thenne came one of his prynces and adoured hym ¶ Thenne he that Satte in the trone demaunded hym fro whens he came / and he answerede and sayd vnto is lorde that he Came frome the erthe / and that he had moeued purchaced many warres and many euylles soo that moche people were deed moche bloode shed The mayster deuyll demaunded of hym in how longe tyme he had done this / he ansuerd in .xxx. dayes / and the mayster sayd hast thou be so longe tyme out for to do soo lyte Then he commaunded anone that he sholde be beten and euyl treated After hym came another deuyll whiche adoured hym as dyd the fyrste and the mayster demauÌ„ded hym fro whens he came / and he answerd that he came fro the see / where he had made many grete tempests by which many shyppes were broken / and moche people drowned The mayster asked of hyÌ„ in how longe tyme he had done it / he ansuerd in twenty dayes Anone the maystre commaunded that he sholde be beten as that other was tofore / by cause he had no nomore harme in so longe tyme. After came the thyrde deuyll of whome the maystre asked fro whens he came and he sayd that he came fro a cyte / where as he had ben and meued stryfe debate and had purchaced medlynges that moche people were slayn / and also he had slayn the husbonde of a weddynge The mayster deuyl asked hym in how longe tyme he had done it / and he ansuerd in .x. dayes Thenne he commaunded that he also sholde be beten Atte laste came another deuyl whiche adoured the maystre deuyl / the prynce of the deuylles demaunded of hyÌ„ fro whens comest thou / he ansuerd that he cam fro an hermyte / where he had abyden .xl. yere for to teÌ„pte hyÌ„ whiche was a monke in the syÌ„ne of lecherye / he had so moche laboured that nyÈt he had ourcomen hyÌ„ had made hym to falle in the syÌ„ne of lecherye Thenne the maystre deuyll in braced kyssed hym / sette a crowne on his heed / made hym to sytte by hym / and sayd that he had done a grete thynge and a grete prowesse ¶ Now sayd the good maÌ„ the monke that he had seen thys and herde it thought that it was a grete thynge to be a monke for thys cause and vysyon he was bycom crysten a monke In these wordes a forsayd may appyere that the deuylles haue grete Ioye whan they maye make a man of relygyon to falle in to synne for after that a maÌ„ is in relygyon he is lyke to hym that is entred into a felde of batayl for to fyght ayenst the deuyl and all hys temptacyons / whan our Lord wold be tempted of the deuyll he went in to deserte For the deserte of relygyon is a felde of temptacyon Relygyon is called deserte For lyke as deserte is a place sharpe and drye and ferre fro people So ought to be the state of relygyoÌ„ sharpe of holy and parfyght lyf which is a stronge helpe a stronge armure ayenst the fendes of helle Sharpnes of penaunce is the remedye ayenst lecherye For who that wyl quenche the fyre of lecherye in hym self he ouÈt to take a waye withdrawe fro hym al the flesshly delytes eases / and soulaces of this world For al relygyouse people ought to take away and cutte fro his flesshe fro al his body al delytes worldly eases by fastynges / by wakynges by deuoute wepynges by