ayde of god and of the freres the whiche hathe made me to reknowlege I am comeÌ„ agayne And he abode in his place all hys lyf in wepynges and in wayllynges to do penaunce and loste the brede celestyall / laboured the tyme of his life for to haue his sustentacion This example denoteth many thinges The fyrst that god gyueth vnto his seruauntes rewarde / grace / glory in asmoche as he sente of brede vnto the monke The seconde is that by synne a man leseth the sayd rewarde and the grace of god all goodes For he loste the brede The thyrde is to instructe other a man saueth hymselfe as deed the sayd monke the whiche reknowleged his faute corrected hyÌ„ by that that he taught the sayd freres by penaunce he saued hymselfe c. B. ¶ Another example how a frere the whiche was tempted in his thought of the esperyte of fornycacyon god suffred that he sawe it in a foule woman C.i. IT is wryten in the lyfe of the faders that a holy man had nourysshed a man chylde in a forest The whiche whan he was growen he was tormented with the spyryte of fornycacyon And wolde go in to the worlde for cause of lechery whan the holy fader sawe that he was wrothe by two yeres reteyned hym by fayre wordes in comfortynge hyÌ„ In th ende he said that he was prycked that he ne myght no more bere it And the holy man sayd vnto hym Goo than in to the worlde and mary the thou mayst be saued Than the yonge man waxed Ioyous / but the holy man said vnto hym I demaunde the one thynge of grace the whiche is that thou go fyrst vnto a fouÌ„tayn in suche a forest / that thou fast there forty dayes in requyrynge the ayde of god that thou mayst chese a good woman For it is a greate cure wherof speketh the wyse eccle xxviii Multeris bone beatus vir More ouer the sayd holy man bad hyÌ„ take of brede as moche as he wolde / than he was obedyent And whan he hadde fasted .xx. dayes as he was in orayson he felt grete stenche The whiche as it creased by two houres with greate payne myght he bere it And there came vnto hym a right foule woman / blacke / vyle / lothsome / styÌ„kynge blered / full of scabbes / from whom the sayd stynche proceded / she came vnto the sayd yonge man / vnto whome she sayd Where arte thou my frende / by grete tyme I haue soughte the. I loue the moche I appetyte the aboue all men And the sayd yongman demauÌ„ded her What wylte thou ryght foule stynkynge intollerable / she sayd I wolde haue the to lye with me Than the sayd yongman spytte in her face sayd be it neuer so that I haue suche a loue so lothsome foule stynkynge And the sayd yongman demaunded her / what arte thou / from whens comest thou / and how do men cal the / and she answered I am the synne of lecherye And it is nowe two yeres that I ne cessed to seche the / it was whan thou feltyst fyrst the temptacyons of the flesshe And the said yongman sayd Yf I had wyst that the synne of lecherie had be so stynkynge so moche abhomynable I sholde not haue wylled to retorne in to the worlde And from nowe forth I shall kepe vnto god vyrgynyte And he retourned vnto the holy man / vnto whome he recompted the sayd vysyon And he sayd vnto hym / yf thou haddest abyden vnto forty dayes / mo grete thynges had be reueled vnto the. And the said yongman serued vnto god in vyrginyte dwelled in relygion c. ¶ Yf sortes of people lecherous sholde consider wele this example / how lecherye is stynkynge / vyle / abhomynable before god the ylle the whiche therof procedeth in th ende of the dayes / they sholde correcte theym as dyde the sayd yonge man c. C. ¶ Another example of a yong man the deuyl walked with bycause of his thoughtes that were yll C.i. MEn fynde by wrytynge here how that he dyscyple recyteth in hys sermons and sayth that one tyme a man hadde of yll thoughtes in walkynge / and forthwith the deuyll assocyate hymself with hym in semblaunce of a man and yode with hym And as they yode togyders the sayd man dred / entred in to a chirche that they founde he repented hym and yode to confessyon / for it was lente And whan he yode forthe of the chirche he fouÌ„de the deuyl at the yate / the whiche behelde those that came forthe of whome he demaunded his compaygnon And he sayd loo I am here the whiche came hether with the / goo we our waye And the deuyll answered hym thou arte not my felowe that came with me The deuyll knewe hym not for that / that he hadde confessed hym and that god had pardoned hym And by that confessyon effaceth the synnes and separeth from the deuyll Also yll thoughtes ben to drede / for the deuyll is not ferre of c. D. ¶ Another example how it behoueth to yelde accompt at the daye of Iugement of yll thoughtes Ci. IT is wryten in the epystyll of a bysshoppe named Cirulius how saynt Iherome areysed a deed man / the whiche tolde that whan his soule was seperate from the body it was borne before god in iugemente Also soone as a man may shytte the eye / and that all the synnes that he had done / spoken / and thought in all his lyfe appered clerely vnto the Iuge and before all / as yf they had be present so that there abode not the moost lytell thoughte / but that it appered clerely in lyke wyse as it had be thought c. ¶ Cogitatio bona A. ¶ Examples of thoughtes / and fyrste example that a frere wonne seuen crownes a nyght in resystyng agayne yll thoughtes and temptacyons the whiche came vnto hym Cii IT is wryten in the lyfe of the faders that an auÌ„cyent fader had a dyscyple proued And this said fader had of custome in the euentyde to teche his sayd dyscyple / and after to gyue vnto hym his benedyccyon / and than suffred him to slepe and it befel one daye that some relygyous came vnto the sayd auncient / and after that he had recomâ—orted them and instructe they departed After he came in the euentyde to teche his sayd dyscyple as he had accustomed to do And for as moche as he was wery he slepte And the sayd dyscyple susteyned wolde not slepe ne leue his said mayster tyll that he had had his benedyccyon and leue of hym that he was waked And the deuyll tempted hym in hys thought by seuen tymes that he sholde departe and that he sholde go to slepe / but he resysted vertuously vnto the said thoughtes / and neuer remeued And at mydnyght the auncyent awoke and fouÌ„de his sayd discyple by hym / vnto whom he said Sone
Ihesus ¶ The floure of the commaundementes of god with many examples and auctorytees extracte and drawen as well of holy scryptures as of other doctours and good auncient faders / the whiche is moche vtyle and prouffytable vnto all people ¶ The .x. commaundementes of the lawe ¶ Thou shalt worshyp one god onely And loue hym with thy herte perfytely ¶ God in vayne swere not wylfully Ne by nothynge that he made veryly ¶ The sonday kepe and halow holyly HeryÌ„ge gods seruyce on them deuoutly ¶ Fader and moder honour thou lowly And in theyr nede helpe them gladly ¶ Slee thou no man malycyously Nor to his dethe consent wytyngly ¶ Thou ne shalte commyt lechery But with thy wyfe in wedlocke onely ¶ Thy neyghbours goodes stele not falsly Nor nothynge withholde vntruely ¶ Fals wytnesse bere thou not slyly Nor fals recorde for none enuy ¶ Other mennes wyues take not flesshely Ne other women to knowe carnally ¶ Other mennes godes coueyt not lightly Nor holde from them vnryghtfully ¶ The fyue commaundementes of the chyrche ¶ The sondayes here thou masse and the festes of coÌ„maundement ¶ Of thy synnes thou the confesse at the leest one tyme of the yere ¶ And thy creatour thou shalte receyue / at Eester humbly ¶ These feestes thou shalte halowe / that ben gyuen the in coÌ„maundement ¶ The foure ymbres vigyles thou shalâ— faste / the lente entyerly INRI The prologue of the translatour IN the begynnynge of this lytell werke Almyghty god be my spede Indewe me lorde with some lytell sperke Of grace and connynge / my penne to lede So that in nothynge I excede Folowynge myn auctour / truely to endyght To thy laude and prayse in doynge this dede And of thy blyssed mod / lorde moost of might O maris stella / o sterre moost bryght Shynynge in the fyrmament or skye The whiche doost guyde the maryners by night And where thy helpe / sholde perysshe deye As thou in heuen / syttest ryght hye Praye for those / vnto thy blyssed son That this to rede wyll them applye For theyr rewarde / may haue saluacyon Vpon the payne / of eternall dampnacyon To lerne and knowe / the coÌ„maundements ten We all be bounde / without excusacyon And in especyall / we crysten men The day shall come / we knowe not when That vnto accompt / called we shall be For fere and drede / tremble shall we then And knowe not for helpe whyder to fle Wherfore in this worlde / blyssed is he That in herte lyueth pure and clene The deuyll / the worlde / our coÌ„scyence these thre Wyll cause our synnes / to be knowen sene And what soeuer our lyfe hath bene Good of yll / it shall appere Wyll we or nyll we / sooner than we wene Before god / his sayntes / his moder dere Wherfore whyles we ben lyuynge here Hauynge tyme / oportunyte / and space Serue we god / with herte entere Makynge petycyon vnto his grace In humble wyse / that in that place Where he is we may euer dwell Hauynge the fruycyon of his blyssed face And to be delyuered from the paynes of hell These doctours dyuyne / done preche and tell That ydlenes is a ryght peryllous vyce By the whiche our forne faders fell Example we haue of Salamon the wyse That whan he was besyed / about the deuyse Of goddes temple / and good operacyon And in other vertues hym dyde excercyse He was neuer ouercome by temptacyon But as soone as he had delectacyon In ydlenes / slouthe / and womans company Of wyll dysposed / by delyberacyon Renouncinge his faythe / commyted ydolatry Dauyd also lyued in aduoutry With Vryes wyfe / and caused to be slayne And ydlenes the rote / cause of all theyr foly / This story the byble reherceth playne Ryght many in noÌ„bre hath be knowen seyen That ydlenes hath brought vnto perdycyon By lawe and Iustyce / demed vnto payne For theyr demerytes / and transgressyon And to auoyde / the peryllous infeccyon Of ydlenes slouthe / other occasyoÌ„s of synne Hath boâ—ded me / vnder correccyon Out of frensshe / this mater to begyn Entendynge therby / no syluer for to wyn Ne yet none other temporall gayne But welthe of soules / escapynge the engyn Of the deuyll of hell / his snares / his chayne Who euer is besy / gladde / and fayne Soules to dystroye / whome god hath electe Who gyue vs grace / heuen to attayne Of my hole mynde / this is theffecte ¶ Explicit Tabula ¶ Here foloweth the table of this boke MAn reasonable call the ayde of god of the vyrgyn Mary for to enlumyne thin enteÌ„dement to knowe thy selfe That is to knowe what thou arte / what synnes reygne in the / how thou hast dysobeyed vnto god in brekynge his coÌ„maundementes Saynt Bernarde sayth that thou shalt be better more to alowe yf thou knowe thy selfe than yf thou knewe the cours of the sterres / the foundementes of the erthe the strengthes of herbes / the complexyons of men and that thou haddest knowlege of the thynges celestyalles infernalles Vnde bernardus Studo cognoscere teipsum qr multo melior et laudabilior eris si teipÌ„m cognoscas / quam si teiplum negleto cognosceris cursus syderum / fundamenta terraruÌ„ / vires herbarum / complexiones hominum / et haberos noticiam celestum et infernorum ¶ Many persones there ben throughout the worlde the whiche wyll not beleue of symple worde that they the whiche transgresse the commaundementes of god gone vnto dampnacion and pardycyon And they the whiche wyll not beleue it / study they seke they by this table theyr synnes as they ben declared in this boke / they shall fynde by the holy scrypture wytnesse of certayne by auctorytees that they lose paradyse desceÌ„de in to hell in the whiche they shall be eternally without euer to haue ayde ne socoures in ony maner ¶ And for to fynde lyghtly the maters wherof this boke speketh hym behoueth to loke what nombre lettre is marketh gooth in the nombre in the heyght of the margen / in those nombres lettres shall be founde that that a man demauÌ„deth ¶ The perambule dyuysyon of this boke in the nombre .i. lettre A. and the lefe .i. ¶ To loue god with all his herte his neyghbour as hymselfe .i. B Folio i Wherfor a maÌ„ sholde loue god with all his herte .i. C. Fo. i ¶ Aboue all thynges .i. D Folio ii ¶ More than worldly goodes i. E Fo. ii ¶ More than fader moder i. F Fo. iii ¶ More than his owne body .i. G Fo. iii More than all estates .i. h Fo iiii ExaÌ„ple .l. ii ¶ That the auarycyous loue the golde syluer more than god .ix. B Fo. xx ¶ That the glotoÌ„s loue theyr wombes more than god .ix. E Fo. xxi ¶ That this commaundemeÌ„t compryseth vnder it the thre fyrst
sayd sacrament ¶ Also they sholde drede punycyon dampnacyon / for all mortell synne byndeth vnto dampnacyon H. ¶ Example of a man maryed moche deuoute / by the voluptuosyte of his flessh yode vnto his wyfe in other manere than nature ne techeth hym / therfore he was dampned in the ende of his dayes As it was after shewed by vysyon vnto his sone relygyous by his prayers and by the holy lyfe that he was of I. ¶ Another example that men fynde in wrytyng of a man maried that vsed his wyf dyshonestly as the sodomytes / moche dyspleased vnto his wyfe one tyme agayn her wyl cōmyt in her the synne of sodomy and incontynent after that he arose from his bedde to goo in to the chambres in the whiche his bowelles fell from hym dyscended by the foundement with grete torment than he began to crye / the people came of the doloure that he felte he tolde hys sayd synne / that god hym venged punysshed / my scheuously he deyed ¶ Another example of a man that knewe his wyfe on ester euen Que. lxxxxiii a. ¶ Another example how the chyldren of a man and of a woman ne myght haue baptysme for the synne that they commytted in maryage / Que. lxxxxiii b. Those that haue offended in theyr maryages make they true confessiō they shal haue mercye Que. viii.c. A. Of defloracion that god defendeth xxxvii NOn mechaberis kepe the from doynge lecherye in ony wyse what soo it be / he that dothe the werke of nature out of maryage deceyueth hymselfe ¶ A man cōmytteth defloracyon whan one of the partyes or bothe twayne ben vyrgins they cōmyt lecherye out of mariage In the auncyent testament she the whiche suffred that she were deflored was brent vn̄ le xxi Puella si depreheusa fuerit in stupro et violauerit nomē patris sui flāmis exuretur For that that sychem deflored dine the doughter of iacob / he his fader with them of his house were slayne as it is wryten ge xxxiiii He that defloreth a vyrgyne vnto her dothe dōmage inaprecyable / so that ther nys golde ne syluer ne ony thinge temporel of what valoure so euer it be that may be compared vnto the valoure of one soule contynent as a vyrgyn mayden Of whome it is wryten eccl xxvi Oīs pōderatio sclm cuiuslibet rei tp̄oralis cuiuscūque sit pōderis valoris nō e digna aīe cōtinēti Saynt ierome sayth that vnto these vyrgȳs is promysed fruite a. C. tymes / whan they be one tyme corrupte or brused they shal neuer recouer the sayd fruyte ne theyr vyrgynyte / no more than a man may repayre a lampe broken in peces how be it it is to be vnderstonde but that they maye be saued in doynge of penaunce / but they shall neuer be of the nombre of vyrgyns in paradyse ▪ they shal be of the nombre of those that haue done penaōce Vnto wedowes that haue wele kepte chastyte is promysed fruyte threscore tymes This sayeth saynt Iherome And vnto women maryed fruyte thyrtye tymes euery one shall haue after theyr deserte Also the harlot the whiche corrupteth a vyrgyn is cause of all the payllardises ylles that the sayd vyrgyn doth euer after / as he the whiche maketh a breche in the corne wele closed is cause that the said bestes entren in to the sayd corne there done of dōmage / for to satyffye of the said ylle the said harlot sholde close the breche vnto his power / that is to withdrawe the sayd woman from synne And after the droitm he her sholde marye with his goodes / or to take her in mariage yf she be not maried or he sholde entre in to a monastery for to do penaūce perpetuell ¶ Examples how ylle is comen vnto many the whiche haue dyspoylled vyrgyns of theyr maydenhede Fyrste how a knyghte was dampned for that / that he hadde deflored a vyrgyn Quere lxxxxi b. ¶ Another example how a vyrgin was rauysshed in the daunce and fyled after henge herselfe Que. lxviii f. Many other examples ben wryten in the examplayre / Quere lxxxxi a. b. c. B. ¶ Of inceste that god defendeth xxxvii NOn mechaberis Fle al synne of lecherye loue clene lyfe and pure / A man cōmytteth inceste whan the parties the whiche accomplysshen lecherye ben of lygnage / or of affynyte or vnder from the fyfte degre / or whan there is betwene thē gossiprede by the meane of the sacrament of baptysme or of confyrmacyon After the auncyent lawe those the whiche cōmytted this synne were put vnto deth vn̄ leui xx Qui dormierit cū nouerca sua cum muru sua vterque moriatur / quia scelus operati sunt sanguis eorū sit super eos He the whiche hathe slepte with his stepmoder / or with his syster in lawe / the one / the other shall deye / for they haue done synne / theyr blode be vpon them Also he the whiche hathe taken his syster the doughter of his fader or the doughter of his moder ben they slayne before the people vn̄ in dicto ca. Qui acceperit sororē suam filiam patris sui vel filiam matris sue c. Occidatur in cōspectu populi sui For this synne Ammon the sone of dauyd was slayne by the cōmaundement of his broder Absalon / for he had deflored theyr syster Thamar as it is wrytē ii regum xiii Also all malediccyon dyscendeth vpon them the whiche cōmytte thys synne as it is wryten deutero .xxviii. Maledictus qui dormit cū vxore patris sui et cū sorore sua filia patris sui vel matris sue et dicit omnis populus amen That man is accursed the whiche slepeth with the wyfe of his fader / with his syster the doughter of his moder And all the people shall saye amen so be it ¶ Also punycyon and dampnacyon foloweth vnto them the whiche knowe theyr gossyppes men or womē or god sones / or god doughters as we rede in the dyalogue of saint Gregorye that for the lecherye of a curyal the whiche corrupte a fayre doughter that he had holden on the fonte of baptysme he deyed sodaynly in the chirche before the people Que. post ad numerum lxxxx b. ¶ Another example of a woman dampned and terrybly tourmented the whiche had cōmytte lecherye with one of her kynnesmen Quere lxxx◠a. Yf thou haue offended in this vyce goo vnto penaunce Quere .viii. b. B. ¶ Of sacrylege as vnto lecherye that god defendeth Ca. xxxvii SAynt Bernarde sayeth Tangere qui gaudens meretricem qualiter audes Palmis pollutis regē palpare salutis Thou man of the chirche the whiche enioyest the to touche an harlot / how darest thou touche the kynge of helthe with thy handes soylled Thou arte sacryleged the whiche soyllyst the holy sacramente of ordres that thou haste receyued Sacrylege is cōmytte in
another woman / but worste of all aboue all these other is that the whiche is done agayn nature The synne agayne nature is coÌ„myt in many maners / the whiche synne is soo horryble detestable that men dare not wryte ne preche that that the scriptures telleth for cause / for many therin maye offende But in confessyon it sholde be declared by the synner yf the synner wyll saue his soule yf he be fallen in to suche syÌ„ne by atouchyÌ„ge vpon hymselfe / or with bestes / or in other maners agayne the ordonnaunce that god nature hathe put in suche case Those that comyt this synne after the faith sholde be put vnto dethe vnÌ„ leui xx Qui dormierit cuÌ„ masculo coitu feminco vterque operatê° est nefas morte moriatur sit saÌ„guis eoruÌ„ super eos seqitur Qui cuÌ„ tumeÌ„to et peccore coierit morte moriatur pecê° quoque occidite c. Also they haue maledyccyon as it is wryten deutero xxvii Maledictê° q i dormit cuÌ„ oiÌ„ iumeÌ„to et dicet oiÌ„s populê° ameÌ„ Sodomye was loste for this synne the whiche dyspleaseth vnto god that he made to fall .v. cytes That is to vnderstonde Sodome / go more / segor / boym / oleale And all this was for theyr cursed synnes / as it is wryten in gene xix Thou shalt fynde this exaÌ„ple wryten at length in the exemplayre quere lxxxv a. Another example of the warre slaughter that was made vpon the sodomites of Beniamin for the lechery that they coÌ„mytteÌ„ with the wyfe of leuite Que. lxxxxv b. Another example of a man that vsed his wyfe sodomytly lxxxxv c. Many other examples ben wryten in the exemplayre lxxxxv d.e.f. A. ¶ Of the vertue of chastyte the whiche is agayne the synne of lecherye Ca. xxxviii IT is wryten luce xii SiÌ„t luÌ„bi vestri pÌ„ciÌ„cti lucerne ardeÌ„tes iÌ„ manibê° vestris c. Let your rayns be gyrde with the gyrdyl of chastyte the lyghtes brenne in your handes by good operacyons God wyll that al persones men women lyue chastely chastyte maketh the soule fayre / whyte / pure clene / loued of god And of the soule chaste vyrgyn is wryten canÌ„ ii Sicut liliuÌ„ in t spinas sic amica mea iÌ„ter filias The lely is a fayre floure the whiche hathe .vi. leuys whyte the whiche sygnyfyeth the chastyte of the body / and hathe syxe granes with in gylte the whiche sygnyfyeth the chastyte and clennesse of the thought ¶ Of this chastyte and vyrgynyte speketh the sayge sapieÌ„tie iiii O quam pulcra est casta generatio cuÌ„ caritate immortalis eniÌ„ est memoria illiê° cmÌ„ apud deuÌ„ nota eÌ„ apud hoiÌ„es And this worde here is to be noted the whiche sayeth cuÌ„ caritate For the tooles vyrgyns the whiche haue not of oyle in theyr lampes the whiche sygnyfyed charyte were strongly closed / they entred not with the spouse with the vyrgyns sage in charite VnÌ„ math xxv Clausa est ianua Also the estate of vyrgynyte is fayre / whyte pure / and clene without ony spotte Vnto the whiche estate a man maye saye that there apperteyneth a whyte robe Of this estate it is wryten howe saynt Iohan lawe a grete hepe of people chastes and vyrgyns the whiche songe melodyously a newe longe / and vnto hym it was sayd illud apocalipsis xiiii Hi sunt qui cuÌ„ mulieribus noÌ„ sunt coinquitati virgines enim â—unt Hi sequuÌ„tur agnum quocunque ierit sequitur Si ne macuâ—a sunt ante thronum dei A whyte robe is more clene than another / the whiche ought to be kepte from soyllynge For the spotte therin is more foule than in another robe In lyke wyse chastyte vyrgynyte ought to be kepte from the soyllerye of lecherye Of the beaute of vyrgynyte is wryten canÌ„ ii T'ota pulchra is amica mea et macula non est in te ¶ Example is the blyssed vyrgyn marye the whiche is the example of virginite and of all chastyte the whiche was all fayre without ony spotte for neuer origynal synne / venyel / ne mor tell ne entred in to her Also chastyte is a treasour inaprecyable Wherof it is wryten ecclesa xxvi Omnis ponderatio scêª cuilibet rei temporalis cuiuscunque sit ponderis valoris non est digna anime continenti There is neyther golde ne syluer ne precyous stone ne other thynge corporell / of what valour and pryce so euer it be / that is to be compared vnto onesoule chaste contynente as a vyrgyn mayden ¶ Example men rede in the legende of saynt bernarde that there was a fayre man the whiche came to lodge in an ynne / and in the nyght he began to crye / a these theues these theues / for his hostesse came to hym in the nyght for to haue had his company / thre tymes in suche wyse he cryed / wherfore the people rose vp whiche fouÌ„de no theues And in the mornynge his dyscyples hym demaunded the cause of his crye He them answerde that his hostesse wolde haue stolen from hym his precyous treasour of vyrgynyte Of this treasour of chastite that a man sholde loue it is wryten math xiii Simile est regnum celorum thesauro abicondito in agro Thesaurum in agro est castitas in corde c. A treasour the whiche is hydde in a poore place / as the body the whiche is frayll to synne ought be kepte the theues stele it not A loule contynent as a vyrgyn ought wele to be kepte it eme ylle thoughtes / or she shall lese her sayd treasoure Quia augusimus dicit Nichil prodest virginitas corporis vbi operatur corruptio mentis Also to lyue chastely and to kepe vyrgynyte in our corruptyble bodyes the whiche of it selfe is lecherous is not a lyfe erthely nor terryenne / but it is a lyfe angelike Vnde therono In seimone de assumptione beate marie ait sic Bene angelus ad virginem mittitur quia angelis semper eÌ„ cognata virginitas profecto ait Incarne preter carnem viuere non eÌ„ terrena vita sed angelica Wherfore you vyrgyns / and men and women the whiche loueth chastyte beware of exces of metes drynkes for that prouoketh lecheryes / And for asmoche as those and they the whiche kepeth vyrgynyte and chastyte ledeth a lyfe angelyke / they shall be semblables vnto aungelles VnÌ„ math xxii In resurrectione noÌ„ nubent neque nubeÌ„tur sed eruÌ„t sicut angeli dei in celo Also these auÌ„gelles kepeth the vyrgyns and the people chaste by grete curyosyte In lyke wyse as saynt Cecyle sayd vnto valeryan Vnde legitur in legenda cecile AngeluÌ„ dei habeo amatorem qui nimio zelo custodit corpus meuÌ„ c. Also the soule chaste vyrgyn the which hathe stedfast fayth in god is the espouse of Ihesu cryste wherof it is wryten .ii. ad co xi DespoÌ„di eniÌ„
answerde I kepe the hogges here that hathe ben charmed that the wulues cruell beestes ne deuoure them And to th ende the men put to fayth vnto the sayd charmours and that they abyde in theyr erroures I kepe them in all dylygence B. ¶ Another example how a deuyll lyed vnto a noble man / put hym in erroure wenynge to deceyue hyÌ„ in his dethe lx SOme maysters hathe wryten this the whiche foloweth howe the disciple reciteth in his proÌ„tuarye sayth that a man noble and puyssauÌ„t with his people passed thorowe a forest by nyght And he herde the voyce of a woman syngynge in lyke wyse as she had be nere by hym / he sayd vnto his seruauntes / is there ony of you that wyll se this woman the whiche syngeth And they ne wolde go they sayd vnto hym that they ne wolde go He theder yode all alone and founde her vnder a tree The whiche was also as a blacke nonne the whiche songe holdyng the handes towarde heuen And the sayd noble asked her what she dyde there She answered I prayse here my god / he byleued that she was one of the holy women He prayed her in saynge I praye the tell me what thinge is to come vnto me She answerd thou haste done many ylles yet shal doo And after that thou haste ouercome thyn enemyes / thou shalte passe the see thou shalte go in to the vyage of Iherusalem / And thou shalte receyue the crosse and so shalte thou deye in the seruyce of thy lorde Ihesu crist Whan he had herde these wordes he departed with grete Ioye And as it was tolde hym he vaynquysshed his enmyes And in awaytynge to goo ouer the see he fell in to a greuous sekenesse Than his frendes and the physicyens prayed hyÌ„ that he wolde confesse hym repente him of his synnes to receyue the sacramentes for the peryll of dethe He ne wolde in no manere And sayd that he ne sholde die yet And as the physyens meruaylled theÌ„ of this thynge they called his broder carnall the whiche was a grete clerke / tolde hym the peryl of dethe that he sholde warne hym of his helthe Whan the sayd clerke had argued the seke He answerde Thou art also a fole as these other / for I knowe wele that I shall not deye nowe And the clerke in wepynge hym demaunded how he knewe it Than he declared vnto hym that that the sayd woman had sayd vnto hym in the wodde And the clerke was stryken of dolour in herte / said vnto hym my dere broder it was the deuyll the whiche lyed vnto the the whiche watcheth the and taryeth to haue the to dysceyue the nowe at thy dethe Repente the thynke of thy helth receyue the sacramentes And without taryenge he repented hym demaunded the preest requyred pardon / confessed his synnes / the erroure wherin he was / establysshed his testamente / toke the body of our lorde / was anoynted in good estate he deyed And so men byleue that he was delyuered from the malyce of deuylles And the sayd clerke broder of the deed knewe the bounte of Ihesu cryst / entred in to relygyon in to the ordre of prechers And lefte in the worlde many of goodes c. C. ¶ Another example how a woman in erroure byleued in a byrde the whiche is called a cuckowe lx MEn fynde by wrytynge this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye sayth that a woman was seke tyll vnto the dethe / her doughter sayd vnto her My moder sende to seche the preest confesse thy synnes Vnto whome the moder sayd What nedeth it I shal be hole to morowe And whan the doughter sawe how she empayred she made the neyghbours to come theder / warned her to confesse Vnto whome she sayd I shall not dye before .xii. yeres for that cokow tolde it me In th ende she was dombe in suche peryll And her doughter made the preest to come with the body of god And the preest demauÌ„ded her yf she wolde ony thinge confesse / she sayd alonely cokow cokowe And soo the preest retourned / she so deyed c. D. ¶ Another example how a relygyous in erroure byleued that he sholde lyue xxii yere / he ne lyued but two yere lx THe dyscyple reciteth in his promptuarye how that a relygyous coÌ„uers herde synge a byrde the whiche is called a cokowe He nombred the tymes that she sange without ceasynge / he founde .xxii. the whiche he couÌ„ted for as many of yeres as he sholde lyue in this worlde And said for certayne puttynge to fayth that he sholde lyue yet .xxii. yeres More ouer he sayd wherfore shall I make me leue in relygyon so longe tyme. I shall retorne in to the worlde xx yeres And I shall repente me the other two yeres the whiche ben yet to come but our lorde Ihesus the hateth all deuyninges dysposed it otherwyse / for he lyued but .ii. yere / was deceyued Saynt poule saith in his epystylles It is vnpossyble to please god without stedfast fayth Sine fide iÌ„ possibile eÌ„ placere deo And therfore menne sholde put to of fayth in suche thynges incredybles E. ¶ Another example how that there is mo of women than of men dampned THe dyscyple recyteth in his promptuary that one deuyne conuerted vnto the fayth coniured one tyme the deuyll that he sholde shewe hym of the whiche was more eyther of men or of women dampned The deuyll answerde that mo of women And the deuyne sayd How may that be / for there ben many vsureres / rauysshers / players / rybauldes / blasphematoures c. The deuyll answerde It is as I haue sayd And the deuyn constrayned hyÌ„ to tell the cause He answerde that it was for the sorceryes / deuynynges / how the lyghtly they falsed theyr fayth catholyque Eue our fyrste moder byleued more soner vnto the deuyll the whiche spake by the serpent than vnto god the whiche defended that they ne sholde eate of the tree of â—ience of good of yll And by that these women the whiche byleue to lyghtly go agayne the fayth coÌ„maundementes of god And by that they go vnto dampnacyon F. ¶ Another example how some prepayred the table vnto deuylles bycause that they wolde enryche lx THe dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye sayeth that as saynt germayn yode to lodge in an ynne / he sawe that after souper men prepayred agayn the table he meruayled And he demauÌ„ded vnto whome men prepayred suche thynges His hostesse tolde him that good thynges saâ— there by nyght / to th ende that they sholde enryche them in temporall goodes And the holy man waked by nyght Whan the deuylles were come in manes lykenes / and that they were set at the table / the holy man suffred not that they yode cut of the house yode to wake them of the house and
gospellys And in many other bokes that iudas solde our sauyour redemptour iesu crist vnto the iewes for .xxx. penyes vnto whome he sayd he that I kysse take and bynde hym for he it is and after that he had lyuered hym vnto them betaken by the sayd tokeÌ„ repented hym And yelded vnto them the sayd pence More ouer he despeired haÌ„ge hym selfe and estrangled Than the princes of the prestes and the couÌ„seil of the iewys sought the wayes the meanes to make hym to daye by enuie and coursednes For they se the miracles predicacions that he made And the worlde wente after hyÌ„ They sawe that he was iuste and good that he reproued them of theire synnes And therfore they sought false wytnes for to accuse hym / but they founde none they accused hym of .iiii. thynges The fyrste was that they sayd that they had a lawe after the whiche he sholde deye The secoÌ„de that he deceyued / moued the people vnto yll The thyrde that he deffended to paye the tribute vnto cesar The .iiii. that he dide agayne the maieste in as moche as he sayd hym selfe to be god Of the thre laste thynges pylate knewe wel that they lyed they sayd it by enuie Vnde mat xxvii Sciebat eniÌ„ ê™ per inuidiaÌ„ tradidissent euÌ„ And therfore pylate restyde at the fyrste and sayd vnto them Syth that I haue a lawe after the whiche he sholde dye theÌ„ iuge ye hyÌ„ after your law Than they answerd hym that it was not lefull vnto them that they sholde put ony man vnto dethe For to be shorte in the mater Pylate ne fouÌ„de cause of dethe in Ihesus And for to satysfye vnto the Iewes sayd that he shold be punysshed for his fautes And made hym to be bounde vnto a pyller to be beten and so moche was he broken that al his body was in blode woundes And soo betoke hym vnto the Iewes / but yet were they not coÌ„tent they crowned hym with thornes and put it downe with staues / cryed vnto Pylate that they might crucefye him And by cause that he sayd that he ne founde in hym cause to make hym deye / they cryed SaÌ„guis eiê° suê‘ nos et suê‘ filios nostros That is to saye His blode be vpon vs vpon oure chyldren And soo it was done For afterwarde Vaspasien beseged the cite of Iherusalem And they were so affamysshed that a woman ete her owne chylde And they ete theyr treasoures wenynge for to bere them awaye And whan the cyte was taken / some deyed of hongre / some other with the swerde / other take prysoners sold And men gaue .xxx. for a penye And one of those accused them the they hadde eaten theyr treasours So euery man yode to sle his prysoners for to haue theyr moneye so theyr chyldren had for to doo Whan men ledde Ihesus to crucefye the women of Iherusalem wepte Vnto whom Ihesus said wepe ye not vpon me / but vpon your chyldren For the dayes shall come that the wombes shal be blyssed the whiche hathe not borne / the pappes the whiche hathe not gyuen souke The Iewes were homycydes the cause of the dethe of our lorde the whiche was Iuged vniustely condampned of Pylate to be crucefyed / so suffred dethe passyon / had in his body fyue thousande CCCClxxvi woundes for oure redempcyon Pylate the whiche Iuged hyÌ„ abode not vnpunysshed / deyed myscheuously For afterwarde the Emperour cesar wolde make hym to deye as he was in pryson he dyspayred hym slewe hymself with a knyfe And for as moche as he slewe hymselfe Cesar made a stone to be hanged aboute his necke to caste him in to tybre the whiche ranne by the cyte of rome And incontynente the deuylles cursed spyrytes there made suche a lyghtenyÌ„ge tempest for the reason of suche a cursed body that man ne woman ne myght dure / ne bote / ne shyppes durste not theron go And whan the romaynes sawe suche tempest they made hym to be drawen out cast in to the ryuer of Rosne A. ¶ Another example how Lucrece made to slee saynt Beatryce lxxvii IT is wryten in the legende of saynt Beatrice that a cursed man named lucrece coueyted to haue the heritage of beatryce And to th ende that he myght come to his entencyon accused her that she was crystyenne And made her to be slayne by martyrdome but he abode not vnpunysshed For whan he had taken the possessioÌ„ of the sayd herytage he reioysed hym and made a dynere And a lytell chylde at the pappe cryed Lucrece thou hast slayne beatryce and possedeth her herytage And thou arte gyuen in to the possessyon of the deuyll And incontynent Lucrece gaped / the deuyll entred in hym the whiche tormented him thre houres and after slewe him So it appereth that homycydes theues couetous ben punysshed in this worlde or in the other / or in bothe B. ¶ Another example of a man that slewe his fader and his moder / whan he was dronken lxxvii MEn fynde by wrytynge this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye sayeth that as a dronken man came from the tauerne he mette his fader the whiche blamed hym and repreued of his exces of drynke / And then incontynent he drewe oute his swerde and slewe his sayd fader And as his moder herde the bruyte the clamour she ranne theder a grete pace / and he dyd slee her as he hadde done his beforsayd fader Incontynente the neyghbours came oute and toke hym / and ledde hym into a pryson And in the mornynge there was grete meruayle of that that he had done C. ¶ Another example of a seruaunt that seruyd wele his maister in youth / whan he was dronke slewe hym lxxvii THe dyscyple reciteth in his promptuarye of a man that serued a kynge ryght faythfully And whan he was yong he gouerned hyÌ„ wele moche pleased his seruyce vnto his mayster And he was seÌ„t vnto a dyner at the whiche he became droÌ„ken slewe the kynge his sones ¶ Also whan we faste the vyces flee from vs and make our seruyce agreable vnto god our kynge And whan we be dronken we slee all our vertues / the kyng that is our soule reason And the sones they ben his fyue wyttes with the whiche we sholde gouerne our bodyes / do meritoryous dedes D. ¶ Another example of a doughter the whiche slewe her fader her moder / and after hadde mercy by contrycion and confessyon lxxvii THe disciple reciteth in his proÌ„ptuarye that Peter sayeth in his seconde boke de amore that a knyghte had a fayre doughter the whiche synned with her and her moder knewe that they synned togyder by euydent sygnes / of the whiche men aduerted her / but they ne wolde sclauÌ„dre for the confusyon Whan the mayde vnderstode that her moder knewe her syÌ„ne /
that whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in the boke of his promptuary and sayeth that the moder of the duke of burgoyne bought of a preste a ryght fayre gardyn planted with fayre trees And for as moche as the sayd gardyn bare no fruyte the lady demauÌ„ded the cause And it was sayd vnto her / whan the preste songe masse on the sonday in the fruyte tyme the yonge men left the masse the chyrche yode to gader the fruytes and brake the hedges After that they had ben repreued warned too resyst them that they ne wolde obey he cursed the gardyn that it bare nomore fruyte Thaâ—â—he duchesse made to absoyle the sayd gardyn by the preste The whiche commaunded with that that it sholde bere fruyte as it was accustomed / in lykewyse it was doone Vnto purpose of this example it is wryten marci xi ê™ dnÌ„s maledixit ficulnee / statim aruit Our lorde Ihesus hath giuen his puyssaunce vnto prestes to bynde vnbynde Vnde math xvi QuodcuÌ„que ligaueris suê‘ terram erit ligatuÌ„ etin celis c. Of good ryght the gardyn bare noo fruyte / for it was a curste And after that it was assoyled the yre of god was taken away / it fructyfyed Syth that the sayd gardyn that had not offended was pryued from fruyte from all goodnes by more grete reason a persone excommunyed is pryued c. ¶ Malediccio I. ¶ Examples of maledyccion And fyrst exaÌ„ple of foure monkes the whiche slew a bere lxxxix IT is wryten in the dyalogue of saynt Gregory how a good relygyous named Florentius requyred god that he wolde sende hym some coÌ„solacyon for to kepe his bestes And whan he yode forthe of his oratory he founde a bere The whiche whan he bowed his wyst that he was sort of god / coÌ„mytted his bestes to the sayd bere to kepe as pastour sayd Kepe my bestes that come ayeÌ„ alway at vi of the clocke The bere was obedyent and dyde so / came somtime at syxe or at noone after the commaundement of his mayster in the tyme of his yonge aege And it befell that .iiii. monkes had enuy on the sayd Florentiê° for that theyr mayster dide not lyke myracle slewe the sayd bere as he kept the bestes Whan the beere came not agayne to the hous at the houre acustomed Florentiê° was sory in awaytynge for hym And yode in the euentyde to the feldes and founde hyÌ„ deed by the shepe Whan he was enfourmed of the case / that he knewe how the monkes had slayne hym he bewayled the beere / the malice of his bredreÌ„ And in his wrathe cursed the homycydes of the beere / sayd I hope in god that those the whiche hath slayne my beere that dyde none yll shall haue vengeauÌ„ce in this lyfe And forthw t that sayd monkes were smyten with cruell sekenes / scêª morbo elephaÌ„tico theyr membres styÌ„kynge so deyed Wherof Florentiê° was ferefull wrothe / for he reputed hymself homycyde / for that his his orayson was exalted of god He wepte theyr dethe al the tyme of his lyfe / to th ende that a simple man ne shold presume to curse here after c. ¶ This example denoteth two thynges The fyrst that punycyon and maledycyon came vpon the four monkes for that they slewe the sayd bere by enuy The seconde that a man sholde more soner requyre saluacyon benedyccyon for his ennemyes than maledyccyon in as the sayd Florentiê° was wrothe to haue requyred maledyccyon on the monkes c. ¶ Septimum preceptum ¶ Luxuria A. ¶ Examples of people that commytted lechery And first of a woman dampned that knewe lecherously one of her kynnesmeÌ„ dyde many other synnes / of whom yssued two todes and bestes in confessyÌ„ge her lxxxix MEn fynde by wrytinge this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in the boke of his promptuary and sayeth the two freres yode to preche in the countre about Of the whiche the one was auÌ„cyent penytencer of the pope The other was yonge / innocent / debonayre came vnto the castell of a noble woman synner She confessed her vnto the penytencer / at euery synne that she tolde the yonge frere sawe a tode or a beest yssue of her mouthe that lept ranne out of the chyrche And at the laste as she wolde confesse a grete synne a dragon put out his heed / albeit he drewe it in agayne / for she had shame for to confesse it / and all the sayd todes beestes came agayne in to her mouthe And after that the sayd freres were gone the yonge frere recouÌ„ted it vnto the penytencer Than the sayd penytencer was wrothe came agayne for to warne her to confesse her entyerly / and founde her deed They put them in fastynges oraysons And on the thyrde day the sayd woman appered vnto them in a terryble vysyon For she bestrode a ryght terryble dragon / had two cruel serpentes that enbraced / gyrded / stynged / and bote with theyr tethe her brestes And had on her eyes two foule todes / from her mouthe yssued fyre sulphre right stynkynge Her handes were deuoured of two dogges that bote them Her ere 's were replete with arowes of fyre Her hede was full of venymous lysardes that bote her sore And whan the freres sawe this woman for drede they fell vnto the erthe Vnto whome she sayd Frendes of god drede you not I am the ryght cursed woman synner that ye confessed before yesterdaye I made a confessyon faynt not entyer / for I hyd one synne that I had coÌ„mytted with my cosyn And the penitencer coniured her in the name of god almyghty that she sholde tell the causes of the paynes that she had And she answered The lysardes the whiche punysshe me in the heed is for the aournementes that I bare The todes the whiche punysshe me in the eyen is for the lokynges vnleful The arowes of myn eeres is for the herynge of folysshe wordes The fyry sulphre punyssheth my mouthe for the blasphemes / detraccyons / songes / vayne wordes kyssynges that I made For the enbracynges atouchynges vnlefull that I made the serpentes tourmenteth my brestes The dogges byteth my handes for that I haue gyuen to heÌ„ that that I sholde haue gyuen vnto the poore Also for that I haue aourned them with rynges Iewelles And I ryde this dragon for the pryde that I had in rydyÌ„ge lyftynge me vp in clothynges garmentes aboue other / for the lecherous thynkynges I am brent intollerably in the membres femynyne with the thyghes knees / and legges And soodaynly the forsayd dragon terribly tourmented her bare her in to helle / neuer after she appered ¶ By this example is denoted many thynges / pryncypally how the sayd womeÌ„ the whiche bereth on theyr hedes vndue aournementes / that maketh enbracementes shamefull vnlefull / vpon
Balaam is wryteÌ„ in the byble in the .xxii. .xxiii. chapytre of the boke of nombres In the begynnynge of his lyfe he was good prophecyed the comynge of our redempcyon For he sayd that a sterre sholde go out of Iacob Orietur stella ex iacob / the whiche denoteth the blyssed vyrgyn Mary c. Also he had suche gyft of god that those that he blyssed were blyst / and those that he cursed were curst And for that the Balaac made warre with the chyldren of ysrael / and that he might not surmount them he sent to seche the prophete Balaam for to curse the sayd people of ysraell And for the grete honours and rychesses that the kyÌ„ge Balaac made to offre hym / he was peruerted ouercome so strongly that he demaunded of god by two tymes that he myght go to curse the sayd people And god not so accorded For his request was vniust yll in two maners Primo For that he wolde curse the people the good had blyssed Secundo for to to haue golde / syluer / and honoures worldly Vnde marci xxii dicit dnÌ„s Noâ— ire cum eis / neque maledicas populo qr bnÌ„dictus est And after that Balaam had excused him to the messagers of the kinge / he was yet so gretely desyred ouercome for worldly honours that he lept vpon his asse for to goo speke with the kynge But the asse yode backewarde wolde not go his way / yede ouerthwarte the feldes drewe him amonge breres thornes He bette hym / but for nothynge he wolde go forwarde And by the vertue of god the asse spake hym demauÌ„ded Wherfore smytest thou me He answered Thou hast deserued it / thou mockest with me And Balaam aduysed the aungell the helde a swerde all naked Than Balaam worshypped hym vpon the erthe hastely And the auÌ„gell hym demaunded wherfore he hadde beten thyrdely his asse I am come for to persecute the. And yf thyn asse had not gone backe agaynst thy wyl I had slayne the / he had lyued And Balaam sayd I haue synned I knewe not that thou was agaynst me And yf it dysplease the that I thyder go I shall retorne And the aungell sayd vnto hym Go with these messagers / and kepe the that thou speke nothynge but that that I shall coÌ„maundethe Than Balaam yode And whaÌ„ he was in the cyte the kynge sent vnto hyÌ„ gyftes prynces / was receyued in grete honoure For to be shorte Balaam made to edyfy by thre tymes auters / in thre places for to do sacryfyce to god of lambes bulles to knowe yf god sholde consent more soner in one place than in another for to curse the people of Israell But god that is not varyable consented nomore in one place than in another Afterwarde for to obey to the kinge Balaam counceyled hyÌ„ how he sholde make to commyt fornycacyon in the men of armes of ysraell wherby god sholde be wrothe with them ryght cruelly punysshe them And the maner of the counceyle was that they prepayre all the fayre maydens of the cyte assyeged of the ysraelytes / that those fayre women sholde holde them at theyr dores / theyr ydols by them And that whan the cyte were take the meÌ„ of armes wolde go to the fayre women And so god wrothed ayeÌ„st theÌ„ The yll couÌ„cell of the sayd Balaam was done the synne accoÌ„plysshed And god the creatour wrothed hym agaynst the sayd chyldren of ysrael in suche maner that fyre celestyall descended vpon them the whiche breÌ„ned .xxiii. M. In lykewyse as expoundeth Haymo vpon the wordes of saynt Poule the whiche ben wryten .i. ad coriÌ„ x. Neque fornicemur sicut quidam eorum fornicati sunt et cecideruÌ„t vno die viginti tria milia And yet of the aboue sayd chyldren there was yet a thousande of the prynces the whiche were hanged by the commaundemeÌ„t of god of Moyses as it is wryten numeri .xxv. And the Ire of god was appeased by that the one of the chyldren of Ysraell named Fynees rose vp and slewe in the zele of god of Iustyce a man and a womaÌ„ in coÌ„myttynge fornycicaon c. All this sayd punycyon and this synne was by the counceyle of the cursed prophete BalaaÌ„ the whiche requyred of god that he myght deye as the Iuste men Vnde numeri .xxiii. Moriatur aiÌ„a mea morte iustoruÌ„ / et fiant nouissima mea horuÌ„ similia He wolde deye well / but he wolde not lyue well And therfore his request was not Iuste for to haue well wtout deseruynge it .. ¶ Stuprum A. ¶ Examples of deflouringe of vyrgyns And fyrst Example how a vyrgyn was corrupt of a yonge man / by malyce imposed the synne vpon saynt Machaire that was pacyent lxxxxi IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders how the deuyll tempted a vyrgin the whiche was defloured And whan she was grete her frendes asked her of whome she had conâ—eyued And she answered This solytarye hath slept with me And her frendes men of the strete toke Machayre / hanged pottes kettilles about his necke / ledde him betynge through the stretes And so moche they Iniuryed hym / bette oppressed that he was in lykewyse as halfe deed / he bare all pacyently And a seculer man that had mynystred vnto hym his necessytees was also rebuked in saynge vnto hym Thou sayd that he was an holy man / he hathe defloured our doughter For to be shorte they wolde not leue to bete the sayd Machayre tyll that the sayd man had pledged that he sholde nourysshe the doughter And after that he was pledged Machayre sayd vnto hymselfe I fynde a woman it behoueth me to nourysshe her And he put hyÌ„selfe to werke nyght and day made baskettes And the pryce that they were solde for he made to be born vnto the sayd woman / he bare all pacyeÌ„tly And whan the sayd woman sholde chylde she was sore seke / so longly to trauayle that it was meruayle And she was demaunded the cause wherfore she chylded not She answered It is for that / that I falsely hath imposed the synne vnto the solytary the whiche is innocent / suche a yonge man hath commytted the dede Whan the man pledge of Machayre herde the case he bare tydynges that the woman myght not childe for the false cryme that she had imposed that all the people came vnto hym to crye hym mercy to do penaunce Whan Machayre herde these tydyÌ„ges here to fle vain glory he abode not tyll the people came vnto hym for to gloryfye hym / he fledde in to another place solytarye c. ¶ By the sayd doughter the whiche was punysshed for that that she had imposed the sayd synne by lyenge vpon saynt Machayre is for to vnderstonde that lyers and yll sayers shall be punysshed of god And that theyr lesynges shall be dyscouered and shewed
synne of lechery grete yll cometh For a lytell to haue the coÌ„pany of the sayd doughter only grete murdres debates proceded wtout the daunger of the losse of soules E. ¶ Another example of him that kyssed and enbraced the ketles of the kechyn wenyÌ„ge to enbrace vyrgyns lxxxxii IT is wryten in the somme of vertues vyces how the prouost of the towne of Rome made on a tyme to take the vyrgyns for that they beleued in the crysten fayth And the sayd prouost made them to kepte in the kechyn to th ende that he myght ynough enbrace them And as by nyght he entred with them in the sayd kechyn he was assotted in his myÌ„de in suche wyse that he thought to enbrace them / he enbraced the ketylles and the pottes of the kechyn kyssed them And so moche he enbraced kyssed them that he was fylled of lechery was as blacke as coles Afterwarde he yode to his seruauÌ„tes the whiche taryed hym wtout not knowyÌ„ge that he was soyled and affoled And whan they sawe him so blacke they wende that he had be chaunged to a deuyll So they bette hym after they fledde left hym And as he meruayled by hymselfe what it was / he yode vnto themperour to th ende that he sholde make queremony And they fledde al as from the face of the deuyll bette hyÌ„ And whan he had vnderstande of other what it was he went home wasshed hym And after made to brynge the sayd vyrgyns before hym commaunded to dispoyle them that he might ynough beholde theyr beaute but by goddes power theyr clothes helde so fast to theyr bodyes that by no force none myght dyspoyle them And so god kept them from defame fro the fylthe of lechery / the sayd prouost was shamed And therfore they that wyll lyue chastely sholde requyre the helpe of god as the vyrgyns dyde that god kept ¶ Consilium malum F. ¶ Example how an olde bawde couÌ„ceyled yll deceyued a yonge womaÌ„ lxxxxi THe dyscyple recyteth in the boke of his promptuarye of a man that had to go to Rome Whan he departed he left the gouernyng of his hous vnto his wyfe the whiche was yonge fayre chaste And as she gouerned her wysely a yonge man behelde her beaute / coueyted to haue her by folysshe loue / her desyred by hym and by other But he was dyspysed / she set nought by all his gyftes And on a tyme an olde baude hym demaunded the cause why he languysshed wepte He to her declared the cause of the sayd loue / she hym promysed that she sholde make hym to haue her And for too do that she made a lytell bytche that she had to ere mustarde confycte with breed for to make it wepe And she yode vnto the hous of that sayd yonge woman / the whiche receyued her benygnety in wenyÌ„ge that she was a good woman And the yonge woman demaunded of the olde the cause wherfore the whelpe that she had brought wept so And she toke her to wepe saynge This lytel bytche whelpe was my doughter ryght chaste ryght fayre that god hath chaunged in to a lytell bytche / it deputed for to wepe so for that she had lete a yonge man deye that languysshed of her loue And the yonge woman declared vnto the olde that suche a yonge man had requyred her in lykewyse as it is sayd And the olde sayd / beholde how god hath done in you grete mercy / ye may knowe it by the wouÌ„de that he hath made vnto my doughter And take hede that there ne come vnto you seÌ„blable thynge And by the causes of that sayd olde woman the yonge wyfe consented her vnto the loue of the yonge man coÌ„mytted the synne with hym c. The sayd olde bawde lecherouse in thought but dyspised by her foulenesse was wors than that deuyl / so ben these other bawdes / for where the deuyll myght do nothynge by his temptacyons the sayd olde bawdes there worketh as dyde the beforesayd And for that that they haue the maners condycyons of the deuyl the whiche ne counceyleth but euyll they shall go with hâ—â— in to dampnacion and perdycyon eternally c. ¶ Adulterium A. ¶ Examples of aduouterers And fyrst example of a woman dampned the whiche vsed her lyfe in lecheries glotonyes and her husbande was vnto the contrary the whiche lyued sobrely lxxxxii IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders that there was a man that besyly laboured his lande / he was attemperate / softe / of good maners / weyke / and sekely of his body holden in his bedde by langoure lyued grete tyme / he kept tacyturnyte scylence in suche maner that they the whiche knewe him not had wende that he had be dombe And his wyfe was vnto the contrary / for her wordes moeued vnto all persones and vnto all purpose that a man had spoken as her body had be a tongue Noyses sourded vp often tymes amonge many for her And she abode in dronkenes with lecherous men / soo moche was she gyuen vnto synne that fewe men of the strete myght escape her lechery In her body she had neuer dolour ne sekenesse It befell on a time that her husbande dyed / forthw t the ayre was moeued by thre dayes so moche that it rayned on his bedde and thonders wyndes were so stronge that he abode vnburyed those thre dayes And the sayd woman was vnto the contrary / for after that she had lyued longe time she deyed it was fayre weder / clere / peasyble And they had a fayre doughter that consydered the lyfe of her fader that of her moder for to chuse whiche she myght take / and to beleue that that she had seen with her owne eyen / or to beleue that that she had herde tell of clerkes Than she slepte there came before her as a grete man of body of loke terryble the whiche sayd vnto her Come to se thy fader thy moder afterwarde chuse to lyue of whyder thou wylte And ledde her in to a grete felde ful of many floures in paradise of dyuers fruytes / and of dyuers trees of beautees inenarrables the whiche a maÌ„ ne may recompte And she sawe her fader in Ioye and spake vnto hym and desyred to dwell in that place there with hym Than he that ledde her toke her by the hande and sayd that she sholde come to se her moder / and ledde her in to hell the whiche is a place moche lowe / dymbe derke full of brennynge fyre stynkinge as sulphre / and there knewe she her moder in the sayd lowe place / plonged in the fyre vp to the necke the whiche cryed wepte / strayned and grynded her teche of rage and of anguysshe / had wormes aboute her necke the whiche bote her And as she lyft her eyen
the men of the worlde helde euery of them a glasse in theyr hande whan the sone shyneth euery man sholde se the sone in his glasse / it ne is but one sonne Also it ne is but one god the whiche is verytably in all the hostyes consecrate Sythe that the hostye is the very body of Ihesu cryst the sone of god celestyall borne of the vyrgyn marye a man sholde receyue hym honourably holyly / him behoueth to purge his conscyence of synne Vnde paulus Expurgate vetus fermentuÌ„ vt sitis noua coÌ„spersio That is to saye Take awaye the olde leuayne / that is synne to th ende that ye be newely spryncled Et legitur ad romanos .xiiii. Abiiciamus opera tenebraruÌ„ induamur arma lucis Put we out the operacyons of derkenesses tho ben of synnes And put we oute the armes of lyghte tho ben of vertues and charyte c. Men put not of wyne in a foule vessell to th ende that it be not loste / ne of roses / ne of fayre floures in the trough before the hogges to the ende that they ne be soylled ne wasted also a man ne sholde put the precyous body of Ihesu cryste in a body fulfylled with synnes c. vnde mathei .vii. Neque mittatis margaritas ante porcos ne forte coÌ„culceÌ„t eas pedibê° suis IteÌ„ in codeÌ„ capitulo No lite setmÌ„ dare canibê° Whan a lorde temporell cometh to lodge in thy house / thou makest it clene / prepayrest it and takest awaye all immuÌ„dicites thynges fylthy vnclene In lyke wyse sholdest thou doo whan thou wylte receyue thy creatoure / For yf thou receyue hym in mortall synne vnworthely that is vnto thy dampnacion Thou receyuest hym the whiche shall iuge the condempne the. Vnde pauiê° i co xi ca. Qui eniÌ„ maÌ„ducat bibit iÌ„digne iuditiuÌ„ sibi maÌ„ducat et bibit sequitur Reê° erit corporis saÌ„guinis dnÌ„i And therfore proue wele thy conscyence to knowe yf it be wele made clene by confession before that thou receyue thy creatoure VnÌ„ i. ad co v. Probat auÌ„t seipsuÌ„ homo sic de pane illo edat et de calice bibat The good and the ylle receyue hym / but dyfferently For the good receyueth hym vnto theyr saluacion And the yll vnto theyr dampnacyon SumuÌ„t boni sumuÌ„t mali sorte tameÌ„ inequali vite vel iÌ„teritê° Â¶ Example that iudas the whiche receyued his creatour in mortal synne And incontynent that he had receyued hym the deuyl entred in to his body And he had more grete puyssaunce in hym than before VnÌ„ iohaÌ„nis xiii CuÌ„ iesê° intiÌ„xisset paneÌ„ dedit iude post bucellaÌ„ tuÌ„c introiuit iÌ„ illuÌ„ sathanas c. And incontynent iudas rose him vp yode vnto the Iewes for to take delyuer oure lorde the whiche was grete maledyccyon for hym VnÌ„ luce xxii Te homini illi ê‘ queÌ„ filiê° hominis tradetur Our lorde sayd vnto his dyscyples I haue châ—se you twelue one of you is a deuil Vnde ioh vi Ego vos duodeciÌ„ elegi et vnê° ex vobis diabolê° est That was iudas that our lorde called the deuyl / he was his dysciple And for his couetyse to haue xxx pence he was peruerted he was traytour thefe / fayntyf betoke and delyuered his owne mayster in the handes of his enmyes the whiche was innocent iuste for to put hym vnto dethe And therfore in the ende and conclusyon all maladyccyon / daÌ„nacyon / perdycyon / came vpon the said iudas Vnde mathei xxvi Meliê° esset illisi natê° noÌ„ fuisset homo ille Quia dixit Quid vultis michi dare et ego eum vobis tradaÌ„ Et legitur mathei xvii Peccaui tradens saÌ„guineÌ„ iustuÌ„ Sequitur Proiectis argeÌ„teis in teÌ„plo recessit abieno laque se suspeÌ„dit It had be better vnto hym that he had neuer be borne / for he hanged hym selfe / his entraylles fel out of his bely / and is dampned legitur actuum i. De iuda qui suspensus crepuit mediê° diffusa suÌ„t oiÌ„a viscera eius By his synne he slewe hymselfe as it is said / was deposed of his prelature of his offyce sent into helle in to the place that he had deserued to haue And another had his sayd prelature And in lykewyse shall it be done of the ylle the whiche folowe his lyfe / his maners condycions Legitur in actibê° apostoloruÌ„ Fiat habitatio eius desserta episcopatuÌ„ eius accipiet alter Et dauid iÌ„ psal FiaÌ„t dies eiê° pauci et episcopatuÌ„ eius accipiat alter c. F. ¶ Another example of a woman the whiche toke her to laughe as saynt Gregorye admynystred vnto her on Ester day Cii IT is wryten in the legende of saint Gregorye / that on an ester day as the sayd saynt Gregorye admynystred the people / whan he came vnto a woman that he sayd / corpus dnÌ„i nostri iesu christi c. she began to laughe Whan saynt gregory sawe the sayd thinge he withdrewe his hande and put the hostye on the aulter And after that the other were admynystred he called the sayd woman demaunded her wherfore she had laughed She answered I laughe for that that thou hast sayd that thys lytel porcion of brede that thou woldest gyue me that it is the body of Ihesu cryste / Than the holy man made a sermon vnto the people / warned them to go in orayson and to praye that it wolde please vnto god to shewe the trouthe of this thynge and for to take awaye the erroure from the sayd woman And whan the orayson was accomplysshed saynt gregorye yode vnto the aulter the sayd hostye appered vysybly before all to be corporell in flesshe and the partye of the lytell fynger was blody / Than saynt gregorye sayd vnto the woman From now forth byleue thou truely the wordes of god Panis queÌ„ ego dabo raro mea est pro mundi vita That is for to saye The brede that I shall gyue vnto the it is my flesshe for the lyfe and redemcyon of the worlde After that at the prayer of the sayd saynt and people the hostie came agayne in symylytude of brede / and the sayde woman was confermed / and byleued in the sacrament c. God wyll that the hostye appere vnto vs in lykenes of brede for two causes The fyrst is to haue retrybucyon to byleue that that we se not The seconde bycause it sholde be vnto vs cruelte to ete vncouth mete / as rawe flesshe therfore we sholde byleue without doubte in the consecrate hostye c. G. ¶ Another example of a cursed preest that receyued the hostye wrongfully Cii THe dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye and sayeth that as a seculer preest sange one tyme masse / another stondynge by sawe in the patent in the tyme to receyue not the lykenes of
so bytterly He answered sayd that one of the thynges wherfore he al the dampned sorowe moost fore is that that they haue loste consumed the tyme of grace vnprouffytably in synnynge / where in an houre by repentaunce they myght haue goten grace and escaped the tormentes wherin they be and shal be eternally By this example these synners sholde vnderstonde that it is the moost grete good dede that may be in them as to be in the state of grace wele confessed / repentaunte of theyr synnes Also by that that this soule wepte in helle is vnto the purpose of that that the euangylles saye that the dampned wepe in hel Vnde mathei .viii. Et luce .xiiii. Ibi erit fletâ—s et stridor dentiuÌ„ Vnto this purpose tongdalus the whiche sawe the tormentes of helle afterwarde was brought agayne tolde that he sawe in helle a torment of an yzy ponde where the soules the whiche therin were tormented cryed so horrybly that they were herde vnto heuen And after where the sayd tongdalus spake of the pytte of helle he herde grete cryes and howlinges of soules thondre so horryble that no man ne myght thynke ne tongue declare the horryble crye and the noyse the whiche was in the sayd torment c. C. ¶ Another exaÌ„ple of two men the whiche were in paynes whan saynt taurayn areysed them Cviii IT is wryten in the legende of saint taurayn the tydynges were brought vnto a ryght honourable man that his sone and his squyere were deed And for to abredge the matere saynt taurayne areysed the sayd sone The whiche yode incontynent on knees before saynt taurayne requyred hym to be baptysed And after that he was baptysed sayd vnto his fader Halas fader thou knowest what myserable lyfe we lede what paynes those susteyne the whiche ben semblables vnto vs And what glorye is vnto those the whiche loue and serue vnto that god the whiche is to be honoured of man CertayÌ„ly I haue sene hym to be in the company of aungelles and to praye vnto god for vs. And whan the sayd sone areyâ—ed had spoken these wordes many other vnto his fader he yode on knees before saynt tauryn caused hym to baptyze him And also his wyfe moder of the sayd reysed And for to be shorte in that daye soo many of grete lordes as of lytell people a thousande two hondred persones were baptyzed And afterwarde at the request of the sayd sone areysed sayÌ„t tauryn areysed also afterwarde the squyer the whiche wytnessed that he was in grete paynes whan a messengere came to tell him of the souerayne maister that he were brought agayne taken vnto sayÌ„t tauryn And this said squyer areysed sayd vnto the said sone He the whiche hathe brought me agayne heder coÌ„maundeth the that thou dispose the to retourne vnto hym And incontynent a feuer toke hym / after the coÌ„mauÌ„dement deyed D. ¶ Another example of .iii. deed men areysed the whiche recompted of the paynes of purgatorye and of helle / how they were in iugement before god Cviii IT is wryten in the epystyll of the holy bysshop named sirillus that by the merytes of saint Iherome the whiche appered vnto saynt eusebe thre deed bodyes were areysed for to take awaye a grete erroure the whiche regned in the tyme amonge the grekes that it came in the latyns of the heretykes that sayd that the ylle persones ne sholde haue of tormentes in helle tyl vnto the daye of Iugement that the body the soule shold be remyt togyders The thre deed bodyes that were areysed lyued .xx. dayes / the whiche were demaunded why they wepte so sore And the one of them sayd vnto hyÌ„ that asked it Yf thou knewe the paynes the whiche before yesterday I endured thou sholdest haue euermore cause to wepe he was requyred to tell what paynes he hadde endured and suffred within helle / He sayd that the dampned those in purgatorye haue so grete paynes that yf a persone sholde endure in this worlde all the paynes / tormentes / afflyccions that a man may thynke / that ne sholde be but consolacyon to endure al that / in regarde of the leest payne of purgatorye / or of helle Also he sayd / yf ony lyuynge had felte the experyence of the dolour the whiche is in helle or in purgatorye / that he sholde loue better to endure tyll vnto th ende of the worlde without ony remedy togyders all the paynes and tormentes that all the men women hath endured one after another syth Adam vnto nowe / than to be tormented one daye in the leest payne that is in helle or in purgatorye And therfore yf ye axe me what the cause is wherfore I wepe It is for that that I knowlege me to haue synned ayenst god / and that iustely he punyssheth the syÌ„ners Wherfore I wepe to haue deserued suche punycyon Afterwarde he was axed wherin dyffereth the paynes / and tormentes of purgatorye / and those of helle He answered that they ne dyffere as vnto the qualyte quantyte of paynes they ben of one self gretenes / but they differe in asmoche as the paynes of helle haue none ende And also the dampned shal haue augmentacyon of tormentes in Iugement whan they shall there be tormented in body and in soule And the paynes of purgatorye shal haue an ende For whaÌ„ the penaunce is accomplysshed / those of purgatorye ben delyuered Also he was asked yf those the whiche ben in purgatory and in helle haue egalle tormentes or dyuers He answered that the one haue more greate tormentes and dyuers than the other after the quantyte and gretenes of synnes that they haue coÌ„mytted And also the dampned albeit that they ben in a place of paynes / yet fele they more grete tormentes the one than the other / after the quantyte / and qualytees of synnes that they haue commytted For in the persone where there is more of matere of synne / and more strongly the fyre hym taketh breÌ„neth more cruelly Also he was demauÌ„ded how he bare the dede whan the soulâ— yssued out frome the body He answered / Whan myne houre of dethe came in place where I was he fouÌ„de so many of deuylles that a man ne myghte nombre theÌ„ for the grete multytude the whiche were so horrybles to beholde that a man ne can thynke more grete payne than it is Ony man had leuer caste hymselfe more soner in a fyre flambynge and brennynge than to beholde them with the eye / the whiche deuylles came vnto me brought agayn vnto my mynde all the cursed operacyons that I had done agayne god esmouynge that I ne had more of esperaunce of the dyuyne mercy the whiche I haue gretely offended And certes knowe ye that yf the mercy of god ne had ayded me I ne might haue resysted vnto them For whan my spyryte was destytute of all force lytel and lytell I
bysshop herde the sayd thynge sawe the hede to be taken vnto the body dredde called the clergy buryed hym honourably / not as a thefe but as a martyr the whiche endured the dethe for his synnes After that the sayd dede was knowen al the men of the prouyÌ„ce fasted the saterdaye in the honour of the vyrgyn marye G. ¶ Another example how a thefe beheded ne myght deye wtout confessyon for that that he had fasted the saterdayes in the honour of the gloryous vyrgyn marye Cxx. IT is wryten in the promptuarye of the myracles of our lady that a thefe the whiche pylled a poore woman he founde that she fasted the saterday from her enfance / demaunded her the cause / She answerde that those the whiche fast the saterdayes in the honour of the blyssed vyrgyn marye ne sholde deye wtoute true penauÌ„ce And the said thefe toke this thynge agreably fasted them In th ende he had the heed stryken of / the whiche cryed confessyon confessyon / those the whiche present were meruaylled gote him a preest for to confesse hym After that the heed had be put agayne vnto the body that he had made true confessyon he sayd I had this gyfte of grace to confesse me by the gloryous vyrgyn marye for the whiche I fasted the saterdayes The deuylles were about me but they ne myght nothynge do vnto me for the presence of the vyrgyn Marye ben fledde for the holy confessyon WhaÌ„ he had spoken these wordes he deyed c. H. ¶ Another example how the vyrgyn marye ayded vnto a thefe in his dethe bycause he had fasted on the saterdaye cxx IT is wryten in the promptuary oâ— the dyscyple that ther was a grete thefe that neuer had done good dede / but onely that he had faste a saterday and made to synge a masse to th ende that the vyrgyn marye sholde conuerte hym before his dethe And the sayd masse faste were so moche agreable vnto the vyrgyn mâ—rye that she appered vnto the sayd thefe vnto whome she sayd I haue prayed my sone Ihesu cryste for the that thou sholdest conuerte the and also repente the of thy synnes He hathe gyuen vnto the suche grace that before thy dethe thou shalte speke fyue wordes that shall delyuer thy synnes Afterward this thefe was taken holden in bandes / on the thyrde daye was ledde to be hanged / in the way god gaue vnto hym grete contrycyon / in that true contrycyoÌ„ he sayd the .v. wordes folowynge Deus ê“pitius esto michi peccatori that is to say God be mercyfull vnto me synner I. ¶ Another example how a thefe hanged myght not deye wtout receyuynge of his ryghtes thrughe our lady Cxx. IT is wryten in the promptuary of the myracles of oure lady / that there was a thef that fasted only brede and water the vygylles of the feestes of oure lady / And whan he yode in theft he saluted her prayed her that he ne sholde deye in mortall synne And it befel that he was taken and hanged / but he ne might deye by thre dayes He called those that whiche passed by prayed theym that they wolde brynge a preest vnto hym / that whiche came with the Iuge with the people / he was vnhanged / vnto whom he said that the vyrgyn marye susteyned hym on the gybet / so was lette go / lyued after holyly c. K. ¶ Another example how a thefe was brused myght not deye without confession / for he hadde fasted the vygyles of our lady Cxx. IT is wryten in the promptuary of the myracles of our lady that thre bredern were dysheryted of a knyght castyllan And after that they watched the wayes in the nexte woddes dyde many ylles And that knyght toke two that he made to hange The thyrde dredde confessed hym vnto a relygyous the whiche warned hym to cease of doynge yll He answerde I ne maye cease tyl that I haue stryken the knight with swerde or arowe that hath slayÌ„ my bredern More ouer he sayd he wolde fast brede water the foure euens of our lady / to th ende he deyed not without confessyon The relygyous sayd that it was wel done to faste / but it shold not prouffyte yf he ceased not his syÌ„ne He yode forth and after was taken of the knyght that broke al his membres And as he was ful of wouÌ„des he sayd he shold not deye tyll he were confessed receyued his creâ—tour Than whan he had his ryghtes he deyed c. A. ¶ Another exaÌ„ple of a monke dyspenser the whiche was dronke vnto whom the enemye appered for to slee hym / And the vyrgyn marye kepte hym Cxxi IT is wryten in the promptuary in the myracles of our lady that in an abbaye there was a dyspenser the loued perfytely the vyrgyn marye Soo it happened one tyme that he was so dronke that he reled in the cloystre ne myght fynde the way to the chirche Than the deuyl came vnto hym in lykenes of an horryble bolle whiche wolde haue stryken hym with his hornes / but a ryght fayre damoysell put her bytwene them holdyÌ„ge a rodde in her hande / rebuked hym put hym forth ryght strongly for that that he wolde doo ylle vnto her seruaunt / hym coÌ„maunded that he sholde go his waye Than he departed the vyrgyn And the said monke put him selfe in the waye agayne for to go vnto the chirche And the enmye appered vnto hyÌ„ in semblaunce of a dogge enraged that wolde lepe in his face And the fayre vyrgyn came yet agayne put her betwene them the whiche deuyll fledde all confused / and the monke entred in to the monastery Than the enmye came in semblaunce of a lyon enraged the whiche wolde deuoure hym / but the blyssed vyrgyn forgate not her frende came before that the enmye greued hyÌ„ stroke him harde with her rodde / commaunded hym to come no more agayne And the enmye departed all confused / the vyrgyn toke the monke by the hande ledde hym in to the dortour layde him in hys bedde / put his pelowe vnder hys heed / made the token of the crosse vpon hym And whan the monke awoke he was wele Our lady coÌ„mauÌ„ded hym that he sholde confesse him accoÌ„plysshe his penauÌ„ce And that afterwarde he sholde kepe him from fallynge agayne in to synne And the monke her demauÌ„ded what she was / she answerde I am the moder of Ihesu crist And whan he herde that he fell vnto her fete yelded vnto her graces / she mouÌ„ted in to heuen B. ¶ Another example how the vyrgyne Marye delyuered frome dampnacyon a clerke lecherous Cxxi THe dysciple reciteth in the myracles of our lady that there was a vicious clerke that had alonely this goode dede that he sayd deuoutly the matyns of our lady And one daye as he passed thorowe a
beatissimaeÌ„ vita The lyf is right blyssed of the vertuous Et legi iÌ„ .ii. ethicoruÌ„ Virtus certior eÌ„ et melior oiÌ„ arte Vertue is more certeyne better than all art crafte And one ought here to note that one sholde not be to Iuste / nor to vniuste for to fle the inconuenyentes that therafter may folowe / but one ought to take the meane For it is wryten in .ii. ethico ê™ oiÌ„s virtus coÌ„sistit iÌ„ medio in oiÌ„bus medium est laudabile c. B. ¶ Another example that four vertues were in foure hermytes cxxiiii IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders the foure hermytes werâ— in one house / the whiche hermytes one tyme enquyred eche other of theyr vertues for to shewe the moost specyall One sayd that he was so humble that it semed hym that none was wors than he in all the worlde The other sayd that he was pacyente The thyrde sayd â— he herde gladly speke of god The fourth sayd that he prayed gladly And with one assent prayed god to gyue them knowlege whâ—che was moost agreable to hyÌ„ / they herde a voyce that sayd to them The fyrst hath take me / the seconde holdeth me / the thyrde byndeth me / the fourth bereth me wher he wyll c. C. ¶ Another example of the excercyte of fyue sreres Cxxiiii THe dysâ—yple recyteâ—â— in his promptuarye sayth that an abbot had .v. freres / whiche he coÌ„maunded to tell theyr vertues The fyrste sayd I haue made generall confessyon euery daye this ten yere The seconde sayd I haue studyed to haue good entencyon in orayson euery daye by xx yeres The thyrde sayd I haue ben meserycordyous asmoche as I myghte .xxx. yeres The fourth sayd I haue troubled no persone by .xl. yeres / haue susteyned al thynges pacyently The .v. sayd I haue sought dyspreysynge by .l. yeres and haue founde none semblable to me in humylyte Then the abbot prayed god that he wolde shewe whiche oâ— them were the beste and a voyce sayd to hym The fyrst gyueth hyÌ„ selfe to our lorde The seconde fyÌ„deth our lord The .iii bereth our lorde The .iiii. byeth our lorde The .v. vaynquyssheth oure lorde c. D. ¶ Another example how a man and his wyfe werâ— in lyke in meryte vnto saynt pafuncius Cxxiiii IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders that a holy fader named pafuncius requyred of god that he wolde shewe vnto hym vpon the erthe vnto whom he shold be semblable And a voyce came vnto hyÌ„ the whiche sayd Knowe thou that thou art lyke vnto the fyrste man of suche a strete nexte Whan pafuncius herde these wordes he yode to knocke at the dore of his house And the man ranne before hym as he had of custome to receyue his gestes / and wasshed his fete set hym to dyner And betwene the metes pafuncius requyred his hoost what his dedes were / what he studyed vnto what operacyons he excersysed hym in He answerde hym of thynges humbles For he loued better that his goode dedes were hydde than publysshed And the sayd pafuncius said vnto hym that it was reueled vnto hym of god that he was dygne to be in the companye of monkes / Than his thought was yet more humble sayd that he ne was culpable of fewe good dedes / but syth that the worde of god hathe be spoken vnto the from hym a man may nothynge hyde I shall tell than what I haue done amonge many the whiche ben in vsâ—ge Thyrty yeres ben now accomplysshed that I haue had consentemente with my wyfe to kepe chastyte contynence / thaâ— none of vs hathe had ado with other I haue had thre sones of her / that hath because wherfore I haue knowen her to haue lygnee I neuer cease to receyue gestes / in refusynge noo body but gyuynge them theyr necessytees I haue sytte in iugement I haue not accepted the persone of my sone agayne Iustyce The fruytes of labours of other neuer entred in to my house In all noyses I haue put peas / no persones toke neuer my seruauÌ„tes in culpe / nor my beestes neuer hurt the fruytes of another I neuer defended to laboure in my felde those that wolde sawe therin / also I neuer toke of the better for to harme the worste / nor neuer suffred the riche to ouergo the poore I haue studyed all my lyfe that I ne sholde wrathe no man Yf I haue had Iugement to do yet haue I not condampned persone but I haue studied me to make peas The instytucyon of my lyfe hathe be in these thynges by the grace gyfte of god Whan pafuÌ„cius hadde herde these wordes here he kissed his heed blyssed hym BnÌ„dicat tibi duÌ„s ex syon vt videas bona que fecisti in iherusalem Thou haste wel conuenably done these thynges beforsayd / but there faylleth one souerayne good dede / that is that thou leue all / that thou folowe the true sapyence of god / the whiche thou ne mayst come to yf thou abiecte not thyselfe deny thyself as the gospell telleth Nisi abneges temet ipsuÌ„ et tollas cruceÌ„ tuaÌ„ sequaris xpÌ„m Whan the sayd man had herde these wordes here without taryenge wtout to ordre ony of the thynges of his house folowed the man of god yode with hym in to deserte In the whiche he gaue vnto him the ordre of conuersacyon spyrytuel taught hym the excercytes of the parfyte studyentes he gaue hymselfe vnto the scyence secrete c. E. ¶ Another example that a mynstrell was semblable in meryte vnto saynt pafuncius Cxxiiii IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders the one tyme saynt pafuncius requyred of god that he wolde shewe him vnto whome he were semblable in the worlde The answere was gyuen vnto hym that he was semblable vnto a mynstrel that sought his lyuynge in suche a towne Than he was abasshed of the answer in dylygence yode vnto the towne to seche the man And whan he had fouÌ„de hym he asked hyÌ„ moche what holy thynges relygyeuses he had done / how he had ledde his lyfe / He answerde that he hadde be a man synner of cursed lyfe It is not longe tyme syth that I was a thefe / haue put me to mayntene this excercitude myscheuous pafuÌ„cyus asked hym yf amonges the theftes yf he had ony good operacions He answered I ne fele me culpable of no good dede but as I was amonges the theuys there was taken a vyrgyn consecrate vnto god that my felawes wolde deflore / I put me in the medle and toke her awaye fro them / by nyght ledde her in to the strete of her house withoute hauynge ony atouchement dyshonest And in another tyme I founde a woman of honeste forme strayed in hermytage I demaunded her fro whens / or wherfor / or how she was come in to that place And
she answerde ne demaunded me not I vnhappy wyfe and questyon me not of those causes / but and it please the to haue me for mayde / lede me where thou wylt I woman peruerse yll haue had a good husbande / the whiche is oftentymes beten traylled put in torments / is kepte in a dongeon bycause of dettes that he oweth We haue had thre sones togyder that are also withdrawen for bycause of the sayd dette And I right vnhappy that am sought for to be put in seÌ„blable paynes / fle frome place to place / of pouerte myserye am all abyden / and yet haue I ben thre dayes without etyng Whan I herde the sayd woman I had pyte / ledde her in to our denne gaue her to ete / for she deâ—ed for hongre I gaue her also thre hondreth shelyÌ„ges for to delyuer her out of payne seruytude / her husbande her sones Whan the said woman had the money she yode in to the cyte delyuerd them from paynes Then pafuÌ„cius sayd that he neuer dyde suche thynges God hathe shewed me of the that thou hast not lesse of meryte towardes hym than I therfore dysprayse not thy soule that shal haue suche meryte Whan the mynstrell herde these wordes of pafuncius he caste awaye his pypes wente with hym into his hermytage / chaunged his songe seculer in to spyrytuell / excercysed hym in fastynges / oraysons / afflyccyons / to lyue straytly And at the ende oâ— thre yeres he yelded vp his spyryte vnto god c. F. Another example that a prouost his wyf were seÌ„blables to an hermyte cxxiiii IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders that an hermyte was full of grete abstinences so that he ete but rotes pouertees / made requeste to god that it pleased hym to shewe yf there were ony man in the worlde that were of strayter lyf than he Then god reueled hym that he sholde go se the lyfe of the prouost of suche a towne Thâ—rmyte yode And whan he approched the said towne he fouÌ„de the prouost on a fayre hors clothe with fayre clothes / in his company many ryders notable folk / so he was moche abasshed 〈◊〉 se soo greate pompes Tolde to the prouost how god coÌ„maunded hym to se his lyfe And the prouost badde hym go to his wyfe whiche sholde shewe hym theyr lyues Then he yode to her the whiche shewed hym the state of the house And she made to preprayre vnto dynere of precious metes as she had accustomed And whan they were sette at dyner men brought the fyrst metes of good vyandes before them And incontynente that they had be set vpon the table they were borne awaye agayne wtout ony thynge etyng of chem After men brought the seconde metes / the thyrde / euery of thyem better than other / were borne awaye without ony thynge etynge The hermyte seynge so good mete taken awaye fro before hyÌ„ demaunded them / but it was tolde hym that he sholde lyue that daye after the life of theym And at the laste men broughte of musty brede all knawâ—n with myse And the wyfe of the prouost ete a lytell / she ne ete of other / but al was gyuen dystrybuted vnto the poore After whan that euen tyde came to go to bedde the wyfe of the prouost sayd vnto the hermyte that they sholde goo to bedde togyder / the hermyte wolde not / but the wyfe sayd vnto hym that he shold / and that it behoued that he sawe how they lyued Than whan they were layde warme the hermyte was tempted of the synne of the flesshe to haue so fayre a woman by hym wolde haue delte with her Than she said / vp vp ryse we do we as we haue accustomed my husbande and I And whan they were vp they yode in to a tubbe of colde water that was by the beddes syde And they were there so longe that they trembled of colde Afterwarde they yode to bedde / whan they were hote agayne thâ— hermyte was tempted of lecherye / wolde haue had her company Than retourned they agayne in to the tubbe of colâ—â— water All the nyghte ne cessed they to do so And the hermyte seynge that sayd vnto hymselfe that they ledde a more straytter lyfe than he ferre / that it was reasoÌ„ that they had more grete meryte than he And the prouost that was so wele clothed was also a man of good Iustyce to punysshe the malefactours to yelde vnto euery man that the whiche was his c. G. ¶ Of fastynges / and abstynences of saynt Germayn Cxxiiii IT is wryten the saynt germain was noble / for he was duke of Burgundye / after was bysshop He tormented his body by .xxx. yere soo that he ne ete of brede of whete / ne yet dranke of wine but two tymes in the yere that is to saye at crystenmas Eester And it was medled soo moche with water that it ne had but a lytell taste of wyne Also in the .xxx. yeres he ne ete of pese ne of benes / ne salte for to haue sauour in his mouthe For his refeccyoÌ„ he ete fyrste of the asshes / after of barly brede In wynter ne yet in somer he had none other clothynge but onely the heere his robe his rochet that is his habite the whiche he ne put of / but onely whan he gaue it vnto ony poore / or that he ne brake it / His bedde was of asshes besen with heere with a sack / he ne had neuer vnder his heed ne vnder his sholdres feder / but waylled bare the relyques of his sayntes aboute his necke He ne vngyrded hym but seldom That that he bare of abstynence in this present lyfe was aboue man And after he dyde so many of myracles that yf the merytes ne had proceded men wolde hane wende that it had be a fantasye c. H. ¶ Of the greate austeryte of two women Cxxiiii IT is wryten in the boke of hony bees that there was a woman in the partyes of barbaÌ„ce recluse in a lytell tabernacle that ware nexte vnto her flesshe an haubergon of mayle / aboue the said haubergon she hadde an heere made of hogges brystilles the whiche prycked her flesshe thorowe the maylles of the sayd haubergon She laye vpon the erthe naked among the stones / ete thre tymes alonely in the weke And she put of asshes in her brede and ne ete but by weyght mesure I. ¶ Another example Cxxiiii THe disciple reciteth in his sermoÌ„s that a vyrgyn was in her hermytage .xxxviii. yeres the whiche dwelled in a dytche serued god deuoutely And she neuer ete in the sayd hermytage but herbes fruytes rotes / in all that tyme she ne sawe noo man And afterwarde two hermytes passed by her entred into the dytche there they fouÌ„de her dâ—ed put her in sepulcre c. By these examples of this boke a man may knowe by experyence that it is yll taken vnto synners dysobeyssauÌ„tes vnto god / that it is wele taken vnto the obedyentes And therfore thou the whiche art in this worlde lyuynge myrre thy selfe in the example of thy neyghbour knowe thou that it shall take the in lyke wyse as it is done vnto hym yf thou dysobey vnto god Whan thou hast sene thy neyghbour fall in to an ylle passage that it is inconuenyente of body or of soule / or to fall in to helle by his foly thou sholdest kepe the for to do as he dyde / or thou shâ—lte not be wyse / but thou sholdest lerne the maners condycyons of those the whiche hathe lyued holyly vertuously in obeyeng vnto the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of god to th ende to go with hym in to the glorye of paradyse vnto thâ— whiche we may go cuÌ„ illo qui est benedictê° iÌ„ secula seculoruÌ„ amen ¶ Here endeth the booke intytuled the floure of the coÌ„maundementes of god with many examples auctorytes extrâ—cte as wel of the holy scryptures as of other doctours good auncyent faders the whiche is moche prouffytable vtyle vnto all people / lately translated out of Frensshe in to Englysshe in the yeres of our lorde M. CCCCCix Enprynted at London in Flete strete at the sygne of the sonne by Wynkynde Worde The secoÌ„de yere of the reygne of oure moost naturell souerayne lorde kynge Henry the eyght of that name Fynysshed the yere of oure lorde M. CCCCC.x the .xiiii. daye of Septembre wynkyn de worde