bycause thy brethren and systers of myn vndefyled moders fraternyte haue prayed for the that by thy conuersacyon many sholde be conuerted and be the chyldren of god lyke as before innumerable were made the chyldren of the deuyll by thy wyckednes what more This vysyon vanysshed awaye It was also vnfayned for the woman afterwarde felte in her handes and fete the sorowe of crystes passyon and in other partes of her body Therfore she rose from synne toke her to penauÌ„ce and on the morowe after made her confessyon to saynt Domynyk to whome he enioyned in penaunce to saye the psalter of the blessyd vyrgyn Marye as she was wonte to doo and to be one of her fraternyte whyche she had not before in dede but onely in purpose and entent as it is afore sayd where it is to be noted how moche this sayd fraternyte is worth to them whiche haue it in dede syth it was soo grete valure to this woman hauynge it but in purpose whyles that she prayed deuoutely vnto this vyrgyn Marye the same blessyd lady appered to her with saynt Katheryne sayenge to her Doughter beholde take hede thou hast synned moche therfore thou must suffre grete penaunce for this cause take in penaunce euery daye thre dyscyplynes or thre correccyons wherof euery one shall be of .lv. strokes whiche make a penyteÌ„cyall psalter She sayd also it shall not alwaye nede to haue a rodde but prycke the with thy nayles or pynche thy flesshe in euery place Thou mayst at all tymes doo this penaunce ayenst euery wycked temptacyon and for to obteyne all goodnes and this is a royall preuy penaunce and naturall It may be called the quene of all penaunces This woman herde all these wordes and fulfylled them in dede And as she was thus dayly penytent vpon a tyme saynt Domynyk auauÌ„ced by the power of god sawe in the nyght a wonderfull thynge to all the worlde He perceyued that from the hous of this same Katheryne yssued out .lv. flodes from the membres of a lytell chylde whiche flodes descended to hell in whose comynge the soules there to be purged were gretely comforted O how grete and Ioyfull noyses made they than how many blessynges gaue they vnto this sayd Katheryne veryly the erth sounded agayne to theyr voyces for Ioye There were soules delyuered comforted made hole excluded from theyr paynes by the medytacyon that Katheryne had of crystes passyon in his chyldehode She was alwaye aboute to applye it to the comforte of all true crysten soules departed out of this worlde O meruaylous thynge After this saynt Domynyk sawe a man entre in to Katheryns chaumbre from .v. fountaynes of his body yssewed out .lv. woundes whiche nourysshed and watred all the chyrche mylytante and also this present worlde trees and plantes dyde burgyn byrdes and fysshes were quyckened true crysten people were bathed in those flodes O how grete swetenes was there and how grete worldly gladnes All creatures blessyd this woman Katheryne and prayed for her to almyghty god maker of all thynges And these two meruaylles were shewed for the fyrst fyfty and the seconde And where as this penytent Katheryne began the thyrde fyfty of her psalter Saynt Domynyk sawe a meruaylous grete gyaunt clerer than the lyght of whome yssewed out fyue fountaynes of the fyue fountaynes sprange fyfty flodes whiche neyther descended to therth nor to hell but meruayllously ascended togyder vnto heuen And by them all heuenly paradyse was watred Theyr swetenes was so grete that the aungelles and holy sayntes dyde drynke of theym gyuynge grete thankes to almyghty god whan saynt Domynyck sawe all these meruaylles as Thomas of the temple wryteth he meruaylled gretly why they sholde be shewed and done in the hous of so grete a synner To whome marye the vyrgyn appered and sayd O my frende Domynyk why doost thou meruayle in suche causes Knowest thou not I am a frende to all synners and that the mekenes of god is in me It was my wyll to shewe these vysyons to the of this my doughter that thou sholde preche them to the worlde for this entent that no crysten persone be theyr synnes neuer so grete sholde dyspayre in ony condycyon but alwaye trust in god and his mercy and namely they that wyll flee vnder my proteccyon with this woman Katheryne the holy vyrgyn and martyr saynt Katheryne socoured her very moche whiche alwaye she loued and serued with some prayer from her yonge aege for the congruence of the name More ouer the blessyd moder of god sayd O Domynyk thou haste sene these meruaylles Here now and preche that I soo holy and meke shall saye Shewe that I haue purchased of my sone to all suche as sayth my psalter and are of my fraternyte they shall haue the same excellence whiche the sayd Katheryne hath though they can not se it in this worlde lyke wyse as men can not se god his aungelles the deuylles neyther theyr merytes and vertues in this lyfe Also they can not se the vertue of a precyous stone nor of the sterres therfore the knowlege of heuenly thynges must be moche ferther from them Notwith stoÌ„dynge they shall beholde this excellence after theyr deth Therfore Domynyk be of good comforte preche my psalter and my fraternyte for vnto all suche as hath them I haue purchased not onely to se this excellence but also to haue it eternally in possessyon what sholde I saye more Saynt Domynyck gaue thankes to almyghty god for his grete mercy And this Katheryne made herselfe a recluse she dystrybuted her goodes to the poore people whiche afterwarde was of so grete holynes that many very holy persones came vnto her bycause of her godly reuelacyons To whome appered our lorde Ihesu C. dayes fyfty before her departynge out of this lyfe shewynge the tyme of her deth whiche afterwarde departed out of this lyfe very holy Thre holy vyrgyns one named Iohanne an other Martha the thyrde Lucya sawe her soule departe from the body bryghter than the sonne bytwene the armes of her spouse cryst Her sepulture is in the chyrche of saynt IohnÌ„ lateranence All crysten people by this take hede of how grete vertue the psalter of our lady is with the remembraunce of crystes passyon it is alwaye in strength bothe in lyf and at the houre of deth Therfore let vs prayse and laude our lorde Ihesu and Marye his moder in theyr psalter to th entent we may deserue to haue the Ioyes of heuen here by grace after this lyfe by glorye â—Here endeth a deuoute medytacyon in sayenge deuoutly the psalter of our lady with dyuers ensamples Enprynted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the sonne By wynkynde worde Anno domini M. CCCCC viii the fourth daye of February
¶ The remedy ayenst the troubles of temptacyons â—Here after foloweth foure proufytable thynges to haue in mynde whiche hath be taken out of y e thyrde chapiter of a deuoute treatyse and a fourme of lyuinge that the dyscrete vertuous Richard hampole wrote to a deuoute an holy persone for grete loue THe fyrst mesure of thy lyf whiche is so shorte that vnnethes it is ony thynge for we lyue here but in a poynte that is the leest thynge y t may be And for to saye sothe our lyfe is lesse than a poynte yf we sholde lyken it to the lyfe euerlastynge An other thynge is the vncertaynte of our endynge for we wote not whan we shall dye nor how we shall dye nor whether we shall goo whan we be deed And the wyll of god is that it be to vs vncertayne for he wylleth that we be alwaye redy to dye the thyrde is y t we shall answere before the ryght wyse Iuge of all the tyme y t we haue ben here how we haue lyued what our occupacyon hath be and what good we myght haue done whan we haue ben ydle Therfore y e prophete sayd he hath called the tyme ayenst me that is for euery day he hath lente vs here to spende in good vse as in penauÌ„ce and in goddes seruyce And yf we waste it in erthly loue and vanytees full greuously must we be demed and punysshed Therfore it is one of the moost sorowes y t may be to vs but yf we enforce vs to the contrary set our herte to the loue of god And doo good to all that we may in y e shorte whyle that our tyme lasteth For eche tyme y t we thynke not of god we may couÌ„te it as loste The fourth is that we thynke how moche the Ioye is that they shall haue whiche contynueth in the loue of god to theyr endynge for they shall be bretherne felowes with auÌ„gelles seynge the kynge of Ioye in his beauty and shynynge maieste the whiche shall be to them aboue all the delytes that ony creature may thynke Than to remembre the grete and intollerable sorowe payne turmentes whiche they shal haue that loueth not god aboue all thynge as we may se in this worlde many of that dysposycyon whiche set all theyr pleasure in lust and lykynge of this lyf as in pryde couetyse and other synnes they shall brenne in the fyre of helle with the deuyll whome they serued as longe as god is in heuen with his seruauntes that lasteth euer ¶ Here foloweth and enseweth a souerayne notable sentence to comforte a persone that is in temptacyon OUr mercyfull lorde god cryst Ihesu chastyseth his chyldren and suffreth them to be tempted for many proufytable causes to theyr soules helth therfore sholde noo man nor woman be heuy or sory for ony temptacyon For as saynt Iames the appostle techeth vs we sholde haue very greate Ioye whan we be tempted with dyuers temptacyons for as the golde is pured and purged by the fyre and a knyght in batayle is proued good ryght so is a man by temptacyon proued for good but yf he suffre hymselfe to be ouercome that is to saye but he consent therto by delyberacyon For sothely whan a man is sharpely tempted he may than haue hope of grace vertue and it is necessary for a man moche to be troubled with temptacyons for euery vertue is proued by his contrarye Our enemy the fende is besy daye and nyght to tary and trauayle good men and women with dyuers temptacyons in doubtes of the fayth and dredes of saluacyon and other many moo in dyuers maners and specyally now in these dayes he is full besy to deceyue many soules and therfore wysely rule you to withstande his vyolent sterynges of temptacyon for all that take ye noo dredes of his assawtes ne haue ye ony doubte of his erroures ne dyspytes nor of his false leasynges or fantasyes or ony maner of trauayle of that foule fende whether ye here hym se hym or thynke of hym take noo hede therof for all be maters of grete mede and noo synne in noo wyse be they neuer soo troublous or full of anguysshes whyles it cometh of the malyce of the fende or of euyll dysposycyon of mannes nature or compleccyon And therfore all suche trauayle men ought not to charge but suffre mekely and abyde pacyently tyll god doo remedy therto And for as moche as they be maters of grete mede none ought to stryue there agaynst nor meruayle of them ne seke the cause nor thynke by what skyll he is soo trauaylled for the more that a man laboureth in sechynge and thynkynge of suche anguysshes the more depely he falleth in to errours and therfore in as moche as mannes thought is often vayne and dyuers and none ende hath it ought not to be forced or be taken hede of ne a man sholde not angre hymselfe therwith ne blame ne impute it to his owne defaute that he is so troubled for suche trauaylles ben paynefull but not synfull in soo moche as they be gretely agaynst his wyll Saynt Augustyne sayth that euery synne lyeth in wylfull wyll And what that is agaynst mannes wyll is noo synne And the holy doctour ysodore de summo bono sayth that the fende tempteth a man noo more than god gyueth hym leue therfore let vs haue alway a good wyll to wyll well and doo well and god wyll kepe vs and gyue vs the vyctory so the fende shall be confouÌ„ded fayth hope is grouÌ„de of all perfeccyon and rote of all vertue and therfore our olde enemy the fende is full besy with all his sleyghtes to drawe the soule downe therfro And it happeth somtyme that the fende tempteth and trauaylleth a ryght wyse soule so sharpely that it is ouerlayde with care and dryuen to dyspayre and yet all that tyme though the soule perceyue it not it dwelleth styll in the drede and loue of god and all that trauayle is to theyr grete mede afore god for our lorde of his endles mercy arrecteth not to y e soule that synne whiche hymselfe suffreth the fende to werke in the soule without the consente or wyll of the sayd selfe soule But whan we wylfully doo ayenst the wyll of god with delyberacyon than we coÌ„mytte synne actually But whan we be drawen with wycked vyolence or vyle thoughtes turmented with dyspayre ayenst our wyll thorugh the fendes vyolent temptynge we suffre payne but we do no synne yet the sely soules knowlege is hydde by that turment ¶ The seconde chapytre _â—Ut yet ryght often the temptynge of the fende that maketh the soule to erre in fayth and foule fantasye in dyspayre semeth to the selfe soule grete synne but it is not soo For all holy doctours sayth that fayth and hope be vertues of mannes wyll wherfore who so wolde ryght wysly byleue in this lyf he is in ryght byleue before god and lyke wyse who so wolde here
thynke ne study to depely in ony one thynge but fully ordre them by some dyscrete persone as afore I sayd and thoughe it come in theyr mynde that they sholde be in Ieopardye or peryll vtterly to be lost they sholde take no hede of suche sterynges or thoughtes for it neuer may tourne them to daunger of theyr soules Almyghty god sayth in the gospell yf the entent of a mannes purpose be good the dede is good The thyrde remedye is this that for as moche as the fende laboureth to make a man dredefull and sorye a man agayne ought to the honour of god and confusyon of the fende to strength hymselfe and be mery though it be ayenst his herte and drede noo thynge the fendes malyce For the lesse gladnes that he feleth in hymselfe the more meryte he shall haue whan he so enforceth hymselfe to be mery to the honour of god and in spyte of his ghoostly enemy the deuyll For as holy wryte sayth the holy appostles wente awaye mery gladde whan the Iues enemyes of god had shamefully beten them Also a man ought to be gladde for thre causes whan the fende tempteth and turmenteth hym The fyrst is that he is troubled by the enemy of god The seconde is by suche temptacyons and turmentes the fende sheweth playnly that he is his enemye and euery man ought to be gladde that goddes enemy is his enemy And the thyrde is that by suche turmentes a man is not onely released of the paynes in purgatorye but also it maketh hym to wyn̄e euerlastynge blysse Our lorde Ihesu sayth in the gospell blessyd be they that suffreth persecucyon for ryght wysnes for they shall haue the kyngdome of heuen ¶ The seuenth chapytre ALso it is to vnderstonde that our olde enemy the fende is ofte tymes aboute to begyle mannes soule in dyuers and many maners somtyme he styreth man vnder colour of goodnes to deceyue hym whan he is well dysposed and specyally in thre thynges whiche I wyll speke of One is that though a creature be it man or woman be neuer so well ne soo ofte shryuen yet the fende maketh them byleue they are not well shryuen and that he dooth to brynge the soule in heuynes and so anoyeth troubleth the poore soule that he maketh hym to forgete what he wolde saye therby maketh hym out of rest tyll he be newly shryuen agayne But this doth he not for that he wolde that ony were often and well shryuen but fully to lette and trouble hym and to make hym byleue that he were blynded by synne and out of grace wherfore he myght not make hymselfe clene The seconde whyle and colour that the fende maketh to withdrawe goodnes is that whan a man or a woman by deuout sterynges of thoughtes haue felynges of contemplacyon and medytacyon as perauenture some solytarye persones hath and he maketh them to thynke that to holde kepe that medytacyons is to theyr moost proufyte to th entent they sholde leue theyr dyuyne seruyce that they be bounde to and bryngeth them in suche a combraunce that they wote not whyche waye is best to them to take and all this he dooth vtterly to deceyue them and cause them to be vnquyet to doo ony of theym bothe The thyrde crafte or wyle that he tempteth with is whan a man or a woman gyueth them to honest dysporte to strength them selfe ayenst his false wyles to the comforte of theyr owne soule than wyll the fende cause theym to haue a conscyence therof and putteth in to theyr myndes that all suche dysportes is but synne and vanyte And many tymes bryngeth in to theyr myndes agayne the synnes that they before had done and were confessed of And all that dooth he to brynge them in to heuynes and dyscomforte to th entent he myght brynge theym to dyspayre Neuertheles there be good remedyes in these temptacyons for as vnto the last where the fende putteth them in a fere whan they dyspose them to honest dysporte And also whan they be neuer so clene shryuen alwaye putteth them in a doubte that they haue not shryuen them well or elles that there is yet some synne in theym that they perceyue not but for all these fantasyes they oughte to take noo fere nor thought but verayly thynke that it is by suggestyon of theyr ghostly enemy that wolde lette theym from rest and peas of theyr soules and though it be so somtyme that by the meane of suche fantasyes and troubles they forgete some thynge of theyr charge whiche they ought for to haue sayd lette hym than be confessed yf he may and yf he may not conuenyently and lyghtly haue his confessour than lette hym haue a full wyll and purpose to be confessed as soone as he can possyble And in the meane tyme crye god mercy and with a contryte herte aske forgyuenes for his synnes and than trust fully it is forgyuen hym for a man is not soo redy to aske forgyuenes and mercy but our mercyfull lorde of his grete goodnes is moche more redy to forgyue theym And as to the seconde temptacyon wherby the fende wolde lette a man from his dyuyne seruyce that he is bounde vnto vtterly temptynge hym to leue it than ought he to be the more dylygent deuoutly reuerently with good aduysement to saye it yf it be so he say alone his seruyce he may whan good thoughtes come or that it wyll please god with swetenes or some hye vysytacyon of the holy ghoost to vysyte and touche hym than shall it be but well done for to stynte of his seruyce attende to that medytacyon for a tyme and after to saye forth soo that his seruyce that he is bounde vnto be not lefte vnsayd or vndone and in thus doynge it shall be but lytell lettynge to his seruyce and he shall fynde grete comforte and ease therin For though it lette hym for the tyme it shall well further hym to the quyckenes of his soule an other tyme. The thyrde temptacyon is this whan a man in due tyme gyueth hymselfe to honest company dysporte for the strength and comforte of his soule and the fende putteth in his mynde his synnes to fore done And that he synneth in vayne spendynge the tyme for all suche temptacōns gyue ye no charge for it is the ghostly enemy that so tempteth and troubleth you For neuertheles ye may be sure that all thynge whiche is truly grounded in god pleaseth his goodnes no thynge offendeth hym wherfore all goddes seruauntes must grounde them fastely in god and do by the coūseyle of holy chyrche and yf they soo doo they shall neuer be deceyued and therfore a man that hath ben sore troubled wel done it is to take hym to dysporte in dyspyte of the fende and put awaye all other fantasyes and at tyme conuenyent to aske god mercy of his offences and to praye vnto hym for grace ¶ The eyght chapytre ALso the fende is full besy to
meue men women to tender conscience and to brynge them in suche erroures and maketh them wene somtyme whan they do euyll they do noo synne And somtyme that is well done they thynke it synne and maketh a venyall synne as greuous as a deedly And somtyme also the fende encombreth them so gretely that what soeuer they do or loue vndone they be so sore bytten in conscyence that they can no whyle togyder haue ony rest in them selfe And all this the cruell enemy dooth by the meane of puttynge them in a false drede and blynde conscyence that he bryngeth them to but the remedy of these and all other temptacyons is to be gouerned by theyr confessour or some other dyscrete persone and fully put them to theyr rule as afore is sayd and no thynge folowe theyr owne blynde conscyence For yf they folowe theyr owne conscyence it were a grete pryde in that he wolde holde his owne wytte better than the true counseyle of holy chyrche For a man that so wyll doo must nedes fall in grete errours and in to the fendes handes And yf suche an errour of cōscyence made to you by your ghostly enemy make you thynke that other men fele not that ye fele And for that cause they can not gyue you good counseyle or remedye And therfore ye nedes must folowe youre owne fantasyes yet for all this charge not your herte therwith but put away all suche errours of cōscyence as fast as they come to mynde and let them not tarye ne sinke in your soule And yf ony persone wyll saye that they may not ne can not put theym awaye they saye not truly for who so is in very wyll to doo away ony suche false suggestyon tofore god it is put awaye though they haue in them neuer soo false demynges and therfore haue ye neuer so many of them ayenst the wyll of his conscyence he nedeth not to drede them For out of doubte almyghty god wyll comforte hym or he dye and the lenger tyme that he suffreth suche vexacyon and trouble the more is he thankefull in the syght of god ¶ The nynth chapytre ALso though the fende put in you ony thought of dyspayre or make you to thynke that in the houre of deth ye shall haue suche euyll thoughtes and greuous sterynges and that ye than shall be but lost yet for all that byleue hym noo thynge but answere that ye haue fully put your truste in god and therfore for all his temptacions by the grete power of almyghty god and merytes of his passyon thynke verayly it shall be to you noo peryll of soule but tourne to the shame and confusyon of your ghostly enemye and yf ony creature man or woman speke to you sharpe or dyscomfortable wordes take it mekely and pacyently thynke that perauenture it is done by the temptacyon of the fende to trouble and lette you or that it is a chastysynge of god for some worde or dede that ye haue done contrarye to his wyll for our lorde god dooth lyke a kynde moder for a louynge moder that is wyse and well taught her selfe she wolde that her chyldren were vertuously and well nortured and yf she may knowe ony of theym with a defaute she wyll gyue theym a knocke on the heed and yf the defaute be more she wyll gyue hym a buffet on the cheke and yf he doo a grete faute she wyll sharpely lasshe hym with a rodde and thus dooth god that is our louynge fader from whome all vertue and goodnes cometh he wyll that his specyall chosen chyldren be vertuously and well taught in theyr soules and yf they doo a defaute he wyll knocke them on theyr hedes with some wordes of dyscomforte and dyspleasure and yf they doo a greter faute he wyll gyue them a buffet with grete sharpenes in sondry maners after the dyuerse condycyon of the defautes and yf they doo a moche greter trespas than he chastyseth theym moche more sharpely And all this our blessyd lord doth for the specyall loue he hath vnto vs for as he sayth hymselfe them that he loueth them he chastyseth Now truly and we toke good hede of these wordes we wolde be gladder of his chastysynge than of all this worldes cherysshynge and yf we so dyde all dysease and trouble sholde tourne vs to comforte and Ioye but it is full harde thus to doo in the tyme of sharpe heuynes whan a soule standeth naked from all ghoostly and bodely comforte to take and fynde Ioye in dysease al be it they that be in suche inwarde dures they must seke in all wayes how they may comforte themselfe in god and thynke and trust fully that god sente neuer suche chastysynge but that he wolde in longe tyme or in shorte sende comforte wherby they sholde be brought out of these heuynes For the prophete sayth many be the trybulacyons of ryght wysmen and all suche god shall delyuer and though ye fele somtymes sterynges of desyres of suche vnkyndly euyll thoughtes comforte you euer in the goodnes of god and in the paynefull passyon that his manhode suffreth for you for the fende tempteth many of the seruauntes of god to dysperacyon and drede of saluacyon as well worldely men as other ghoostly lyuers puttynge in worldely mennes myndes the greuousnesse of theyr synnes and to the ghoostly lyuers he putteth drede strayte conscyence in many more sondry wyses than I can tell and full gracyously god hathe comforted theym and brought theym out of theyr errours and now I am styred and moued for to tell you of one of them whiche was a squyer that hyght Iohn̄ holmes A narracyon This squyer that I haue named had ben a grete synfull man and soo at the last thorugh the beholdynge of his grete synnes And by the temptacyon of the fende he fell in to dyspayre soo depely and greuously that he had nygh loste his mynde And thus he was troubled forty dayes that he myght neyther slepe ne ete but wasted awaye and was in the poynte to destroye hymselfe but that blessyd gracyous lorde that is soo full of mercy and pyte wolde not haue hym loste And vpon a day as he walked in a wood alone an aungell came to hym in fourme of a man and saluted the squyer full goodly and talked with hym in full curteys maner sayenge vnto hym man thou semest to haue grete heuynes and sorowe tell me I praye the the cause of thy dysease Nay sayd the squyer it is not to be tolde to the. yes hardely sayd the aungell thou wotest not how well I may helpe and remoue thy dysease For a man beynge in dyscomforte sholde alwaye dyscouer his heuynes to some creature that myght ease hym for thorugh good counseyle he myght recouer comforte and he le or in some wyse haue remedye The squyer answered the aungell agayne and sayd that he wyste well he neyther coude ne myght helpe hym And therfore he wolde not tell it to hym This sady squyer wenynge alway