But he is a good marchaunte that of euery thynge knoweth well clerely the trouthe and the propre vertue / lyke as the holy ghoost enseygneth vs / another maystre techeth vs too knowe the grete thynges fro the smale the precyouse fro the vyle / the swete from the bytter ¶ Of the goodes of fortune Ca. .lxiiii. THey calle the smalle goodes the goodes of fortune whiche dame fortune hath aboute her whele / alwaye taketh awaye and gyueth / and torneth that whiche is aboue to falle vnder These ben the precyouse stones that the fooles haue bought for rubyes for saphyrs and for emerawdes These ben also as Ieweles and yonge chyldren whiche god gyueth to vs for to solace vs with / and for to drawe our loue to hym By cause that he knoweth well that we been tendre feble and that we may not holde the sharpe wayes of penaunce / of anguysshe and of martyrdome / lyke as done the good knyghtes of god whiche conquere the royame of heuen by strengthe and take it by theyr prowesse and theyr good vertues Thenne that is not the grete good ne well ryghtful For yf that were the grete good and veray Then were foles the blessyd chyldren of god Ihesu Cryst whiche chosen pouerte shame and sharpnesse for to gyue and to shewe to vs ensaumple And refused the ioyes the honoures and the rychessys of this worlde / yf these goodes transytorye worldly and temporall ben veray good / thenne be not al the veray goodes in heuen Then is not god parfytelye good and happy by cause he wyll not vse suche goodes / Thenne god is not good ne naturall by cause he gyueth not these worldly goodes to his frendes / but he gyueth theym more largely to his enemyes / yf these were veray good / thenne were foles all the sayntes / al the good clerkys the wyse phylosophres that fledde fro suche worldly goodes despysed theym as dunge / yf these be veray good / thenne fayleth the holy scrypture that calleth them lyes and vanytees / nettes and grynnes of the deuyl / this is as trewe as the pater noster For these ben the engynes of the deuyll / by whiche he deceyueth the soules in a thousande maners / and byndeth theym and taketh and holdeth theym But the wyse marchaunte that is the wyse man / whome the holy ghoost enlumyneth by veray knowleche / that oueral knoweth and can decerne what euery thynge is worth / he seeth ryght well vnderstondeth that all the worlde is not a good morsell for too fylle the herte of one man / and that there is therin moche euyll and lytell good And therfore he beholdeth the euylles perylles that ben therin / and knoweth well that it is trouthe that is comunelye sayd / who that gyueth not that whiche he loueth / he taketh not whiche he desyreth Suche folke gyuen the worlde for to haue heuen / forsaketh ouerall rychesses for ioye / fylthe ordure for golde / and leue all for godes sake / rychesses delyces honoures / and bycome poore in this worlde for to wynne good and for to gete the rychesse of heuen This is the moost fayrest lyf moste sure that may be in this worlde There ben other that see that in many maners may one do his prouffyt his sauacyon with goodes temporall that he may haue without ouermoche to loue theym For god commaundeth not a man to leue al. They reteyne them / but lytel they preyse them They vse them but lytel they loue them / lyke as dyd Abraham Iob and Dauyd / many other whiche eschewed fledde the peryls And they do spyrytuell prouffyte with temporall goodes / wyll by heuen with theyr almesses and other good dedes They can bye out theyr synnes helpe theyr neyghboures They can the more loue god / drede doute hym for the perylles that they be in / and the more humble them selfe whan they se and consyder theyr synnes theyr defautes / whan in sharpe and strayte wayes of penaunce they dare not go / whan so lytel for goddes sake they wyl suffre gyue / whiche so moche suffred to saue them / and wolde .xxxii. yere in this worlde be poore for to enryche them in heuen They saue them selfe well but it is harde to do For it is a more lyght thynge to leue all the godes at ones / than to retayne them not to loue theym ¶ Of the godes of fortune whiche folowe here Ca. lxv THe meane or myddle of goodes ben the goodes of nature and of doctryne Of nature lyke as beaute of body / prowesse / force / or strengthe / vygour / lyghtnes / debonayrte / clere wytte clere engyne for to fynde / good memorye for to retayne well / good voyce for to synge well All these goodes aforesayd nature bryngeth theym in the natyuyte or byrth of a persone Doctryne clargy all other godes be goten by studye or by accustomaūce / lyke as ben good vertues / good maners / and other vertues But these be not yet veray good ryghtfull For they doo not that whiche is perfytely good For many a phylosophre / and grete clerkes Emperoures Kynges / and many other prynces and other grete lordes the whiche hath had many of these goodes ben dampned in hell pytte ¶ Also all these goodes hath our lorde gyuen to his enemyes as well as to his frendes To Sarasyns To Iewes To false crysten men lyke as he hath too good men Also this is not veray good that faylleth at nede / and that may be loste maulgre hym self And thought theuys may not take theym and robbe theym Yet the deth taketh them alwaye at the laste Also I saye that the veraye goodes aydeth alwaye and greuen neuer / but certeynlye suche goodes and suche graces forayne ben oft domage greue them that haue them / yf they vse them not well accordȳge to god For some auaunt them and ben proude and dyspyse the other / whan they to whome god hath gyuen suche graces and suche goodes as I haue tofore sayd and named / yf they vse them not well and Iustly accordynge to god / they shall bee in gretter tormente in helle And straytly they must acompte and yelde a rekenynge at the daye of dome / of that they haue done / and how they haue vsed and despended it Notwithstondynge they haue goten goodes that god hath lente to them for multeplyenge and encrees Here after is shewed of the goodes of grace Ca. .lxvi. NOw haue I shortly shewyd the tytell good and the meane good Now wyll I shewe to the whiche is the veray good ryghtfull parfyte This doeth he whiche hath the good with ryghte and vnderstondynge For withoute the whiche was neuer no good with ryght This good is called the grace of god and vertue charytee Grace by cause that she gyeueth lyf and helthe too the soule For withoute
is theyr synne Also it is whan god smyteth / chastyseth / or correcteth them to th ende they sholde knowe theyr synnes theyr defautes / and that to the ende they repent and amende them They conne hym no thanke but dyspyse hym saynge O what haue I trespaced / what wyll god do with me And thus they murmure ayenst god Thus dooth and say the foles For that the whiche sholde be tryacle and purgacōn of the soule it tourneth to them venȳ / the medycyne torneth to the deth After they be of so dyuers wyttes that they knowe no good doctryne But alway defēde theyr sentence what soeuer it be / in that wyse they fal oft errour and in false oppynyons / in heresyes and myscreaūce Blasphemye is also as sayth saynt Austyn whan one byleueth that whiche he ought not to byleue But especyally we call blasphemye whan one myssayeth of god or of his sayntes / or of his creatures or of his sacramentes that be made in holy chirche / this synne blasphemye is done in many maners as in the saynge in his mynde or thought / as done the heretykes / or whan it is sayd by couetyse of wynnyng As done the enchauntours or the sorceryers Or whan it is sayd by dyspyte as done these grete swerers / that sweren so vylaynously by god / by his blessyd moder and by all his sayntes / whiche is a moche horryble thynge to here and to herken Suche folke ben lyke an hounde enraged and wood that byte and knowe nothynge theyr mayster ne lorde This synne is so grete that god punyssheth it somtyme openlye lyke as we haue sayd tofore / whan we speke of the euyll and wycked people ¶ Of this synne sayth god in the gospell / that it shall neuer be pardoned ne foryeuen in this worlde ne in that other / That is to saye vnnethe he shall be forgyuen / by cause that vnnethe he repenteth hym / or it may be perauenture that he shal neuer repente hym Of the .iiii. braunche whiche is ambicion Ca. .xx. THe fourth braūche of pryde is ambycyon That is an euyl desyre to amounte ryse hyghe This synne is the panne of helle in whiche the deuyll fryeth his frytours / This braunche stratcheth hym in many maners on the ryght syde on the lyfte syde For they that desyre to waxe hye and ryche wyll playse somme / therof growen many synnes / lyke as it were on the ryght syde That is to wete losangerye / flaterye seduction / adulacion / folyly geuynge / folyly despendynge / by cause they sholde ben holden large curtoys / vnto other they wyll noye and greue and therof comen and sourde the synnes on the lyfte syde As for to myssaye of hym whome he wyll gryeue for tenhaunce hym self / and gyue too that other blame And that wers is / that he desyreth the deth of hym / that holdeth that thynge for whiche he entendeth and desyreth / and of this braūche groweth stryues Treason / euyll counsayll / and conspyracyons ¶ The fyfthe braunce is vaynglorye capitulo xxi THe fyfth braunche of pryde is vaynglorye This is folysshe pleasure or vayne praysynge That is whan ony feleth in his herte a reioysynge of that / that is or weneth to be preysed of somme thynge that is in hȳ or weneth to haue And wolde be preysed or that / of whiche he ought to preyse god And by the vyane glorye taketh aweye fro god that whiche is his For of all maner goodes what someuer they be / he ought to haue that honoure the glorye And to vs the prouffyte Vaynglorye is the grete wynde that bereth doune the grete toures and the grete steples The grete castellys and the grete forteresses / and dryueth doune to therthe the grete forestys / and maketh the grete montaygnes to quake shake These ben the hye men and the moost valyauntes / the grete prynces and the grete lordes This is the peny of the deuyll by whiche he byeth all the fayre wares in the fayre of thys worlde markettes These ben good werkes And for bycause that there ben thre maners of goodes the whiche the man hath of god / and that the deuyll wyll bye theym with his peny Therfore this braunche departeth hym in thre bowes oute of whiche sourde soo many synnes the no clerke may nombre theym These .iiii. maners of goodes that the man hath of god ben the goodes of nature the goodes of fortune the goodes of grace The goodes of nature ben the goodes that a parsone hath by nature as towarde the body / or towarde the soule The goodes of the partye of the body ben helthe reaulte strengthe prowesse good faconde / good voys and lyghtnes of body The goodes of the partye of the soule been clere vnderstandynge / clere wytte to vnderstonde reteyne Subtyll engyne for to fynde good memorye and mynde vertues naturell by the whiche a man is more naturally curtoys than another or more large or more debonayr / or more attempred or more gracyous / or to be well ordeyned Of all these yeftes ought euery man to prayse thanke god / serue and honoure hym For fro god comen all these goodes that we may haue but the proude man selleth theym to the deuyll for the false money of vayn glorye And fyghteth ofte ageyn god with al the goodes than he hath lente to hym / whiche ben here aboue declared ¶ How many persones haue accustomed to synne oft by vaynglory in dyuers maner / euery man may Iuge in hym selfe In the goodes of fortune ben hyghnes / honoures rychesses / delyces and prosperytees / the whiche ben called in many maners For whan dame fortune hathe torned her whele And hath reysed a man hath set hym in the moost hyest degree of her whele as a wynde mylle dooth / and vnto the moost hyest mounte and come all the .xii. wyndes and blowe meruayllously with the wynde of vaynglorye For whan that he is soo hye reysed in prosperyte / he thynketh in his herte on his grete dygnyte After in his prosperyte After in his ryches After on the grete companye that foloweth hym After on the fayre meney that serueth hym After in his fayre manoyrs After on his fayre horse After on the plente of of his fayre robes After on thapparayle of his lodgynge in vessell and in beddes / and in other maner harneys that is fayre and noble After on the grete presentes and on the grete feestes that ben made to hym ouer all where he gooth After on his grete renoume his grete loos praysynge whiche fleeth all about / wherin he Ioyeth gloryfyeth the veray caytyf in his herte that he wote not where he is These ben the .xii. wyndes of vaynglory / that is to say / maners of temptacyons of vaynglory / whiche they haue that ben in this hye estate / or in the worlde / or in relygyon / or clerke / or lay man
that / the soule is deed For lyke as the body is deed withoute the soule So is the soule deed without the grace of god It is called vertue by cause it adourneth the soule with good werkes with good maners / it is called charyte bycause it Ioyneth the soule to god / also dooth all thynge as it were with god For charyte is nothynge elys but a dere vnyte / That is the perfeccyon and the beneurte to whiche we ought to entende Moche were deceyued the auncyente phylosophers that so curyously dysputeden enquyreden who was the souerayne good in this lyfe / and neuer coude they fynde ne knowe it / For some sette theyr stuyde and theyr wytin delytes of the body The other in rychessys the other in honeste but the grete phylosopher saynte Poule whiche was rauysshed vnto the thyrde heuen / and passed all the other phylosophers techeth vs by many reasons that the souerayne good in this lyfe and that the quene of vertues is for to loue god and to haue veray charyte in hym selfe For with out this good ne aualen all the other goodes ryght nought And who that hath this good of charyte he hathe all other goodes / and whan all other goodes shall fayle / this good shall not fayle and aboue all the grete goodes that ben this charyte is lady And thenne the gretest good the whiche is vnder heuen Is charyte And also after by cause that thou wylte and desyerest this good the whiche by ryght is called vertue / and that thou desyerest to loue it moost / and to seche it aboue all other goodes And I wyll yet shewe vnto the his valure it is acustomed for to deuyle thre maner of goodes in the worlde / that is to wyte goodes honourable godes delectable goodes prouffytable There be no mo goodes ne veray ne good ne fayre but these thre maners / and this seest thou openly of the worlde that none desyreth ne loueth ony thynge but that he wene that it be honourable or delectable or prouffytable The proude secheth thȳge honourable The couetous man seketh thynges prouffytable The delycious secheth thynges delectable And whan they sechen this thynge vaynlye Euery man ought to knowe that vertues haue these thre propretees For vertue is moche honourable and delectable and prouffytable ¶ What vertues been goodes honourable Ca. .lxvii. ALl vertues ben goodes honourable / this mayst thou see in this manere Syxe thynges been in this worlde moche desyred by cause that they seme moche honourable / that is to wyte beaulte wytte prowesse power fraunchyse and noblesse These ben .vi. fountaynes of vanyte Of vayne glorye cometh and sourdeth a plante Beaute is a thynge moche loued For it is a thȳge moche honourable / and neuerthelesse beaute that the eyen and the body se and loue / is a thynge fals couerte and vayne It is fals for he or she is noo thynge fayre But our eyen ben vayne and feble that see noo thynge but the skȳne wtoutforth Thenne who myght see as clere as a beest that is called a lynx whiche seth thorughe oute a walle he sholde clerely see that a fayre body nys but a whyte sacke ful of stynkynge dunge / lyke a dunghylle couerd with snowe or with grene grasse ¶ Also I saye to that the this beaulte is moche shorte not abydynge For it is sone faylled and anone passed as a fume or a smoke and as the flour of the felde or of the medowe Anone as the soule departeth fro the body / fayre well all the beaulte is faylled and gone Thenne the beaute that the body hath / the soule hath gyuen it too hym And therfore moche fooles ben they that for the beaute of the body gloryfye themselfe But the beaute of the soule is the ryght beaute / whiche alwaye encreaceth and neuer shall fayle This is the veray beaute by whiche the soule pleaseth god to the aungelles that seeth the herte This beaute rendreth gyueth to the soule graces vertues and loue of god For she reformeth reparaylleth and rendreth her ryght enprynte That is the ymage of her maker / which is beaute without cōparyson / and who best resembleth in getynge the vertues / in pluckynge vp and caste from hym all synnes / kepe his cōmaundemētes entyerly he is moost fayre Then the moost fayre thynge that is vnder god / is the soule whiche hath parfytly his ryght four me and his ryght clerete / coloure of floure / clerenes of the sonne / fygure of man / and pleasaūce of precyous stones And all that the eye of the body seeth of beaute is fylthe foule to the regarde of the soule / all that may be thoughte of beaulte may not be cōpared to the soule ¶ Of veray sapyence Ca. lxviii CLere wytte and clergye is a thynge moche honourable / and moche to be praysed But and thou wylte be wyse a ryght and lerne verey clergye / do so that thou haue veray good / that is grace and vertues That is the veray sapyence that enlumyneth the herte of a man / lyke as the sonne enlumyneth all the worlde This wytte passeth sourmounteth all the wytte of the worlde / lyke as the sonne passeth the clerenes of the mone / For the wyt of the worlde is but foly / lyke as the scrypture sayth / and chyldehode wodenes Foly is in them that so moche loueth the worlde and his beaute / and that can not knowe the day fro the nyght Ne Iuge betwene grete and lytell / and bytwene precyous and vyle They wene the mone to be the sonne For they wene that the honoure of the worlde be veraye glorye / and a lytell apple to be a grete mountayne / for they wene that the worlde be a grete thynge But to the regarde of heuen it ne is but pouerte They wene that a glasse be a saphyr And they wene that theyr strengthe theyr power be moche grete / whiche is more feble more frayle than is glasse ¶ Also I saye that this chyldehode of the wytte of the worlde is in them that so moche make them wyse for to kepe and ease the body and to be in delyces whiche lyuen as a chylde / that seche nothynge ellys but to do theyr propre wyll In suche people reason is deed and therfore they lyuen as beestys / for theyr wytte is al torned and corrupt / lyke as is the taste and sauour of a seeke man or of a woman grete with chylde / whiche fyndeth more sauour and appetyte in a soure apple than in brede made of whete / and more sauoure in a cool than in good metes Also these people may not byleue that there is more Ioye delyte in louynge god and to serue and to honoure hym / than in doynge the wyll of the caroyne of theyr body For they can not ryght fully Iuge betwene swete and bytter Also I saye that the wytte of
the worlde is wodenesse in theym that so moche be subtyll in fyndynge malyce for tengyne and deceyue other / bee it by strengthe or by plee or by barate And that ne thynke ne studye sauf to auaunce and enhaunce them self / and to greue other This wytte as sayth saynt Iames is the wytte of the deuyll / whiche alwaye payneth hym self to do harme to other But the veray wytte that the holy ghoost enseygneth and techeth to the frendes of our lorde is in knowynge without mysprysynge what euery thynge worthe / he sheweth that the worlde is vayne in beynge foule in valour / in louynge it and sauourynge it The rychessys been vyle and transytorye And the delytes ben bytter After he gyueth feelynge that the loue of god and vertues is a thynge veray precyous swete / veray for she fylleth the herte nouryssheth it She is precyous for one may bye god and all that he hath She is swete / for it is the manna that all thynges maketh swete / labour sorowe wepynges shames trybulacyons aduersytees martyrdomes and all paynes And all that one may thȳke to loue / it maketh it sauoure lyke sugre This is the wytte and the sapyēce wherof the scrypture sayth This is the sapyence oute of whiche groweth purete and veray conscyence ¶ Of the prowesse of the knyghtes of Ihesu Cryst Ca. lxix AFter I saye that vertues charyte gyueth very prowesse Thenne there is no prowesse by ryght but in the knyghtes of god whiche the holy ghoost adoubeth and armeth with vertues charyte In prowesse ben thre partyes Hardynes / strengthe / stedfastnesse There is none noble by ryght but yf he haue these .iii. thȳges / but yf he be hardy / prudent / entreprenaunt of grete thynges / and stronge puyssaunt for to pursue them and ferme stable to fynysshe theym But without wyt and without pourueyaunce no thynge auayleth none of these thre thynges For lyke as sayth the boke of the arte of chyualry Errour without batayle may not be amended For it is anone cōpared Folysshe entrepryse is where as lyeth lytell prouffyte / moche dyspence grete payne and peryll These ben thentrepryses of them that be called wyse and hardy in this worlde / that theyr bodyes and theyr soules putteth in synne / in peryll / and in payne for to gete a lytel lose and praysynge whiche is moche vayne / and lytell endureth ¶ But vertue dooth make a man of grete herte / and of wyse entrepryse / whan that she maketh a man the whiche is nothynge but erthe soo hardy / that he dare entrepryse for to conquere the realme of heuen / and to vaynquysshe all the deuylles of hell that ben so stronge ¶ This enterpryse is good wyse and moche prouffytable For there is therin lytel perylle / and lytell payne but there is glorye honour and prouffyte inestymable / perdurable without mesure / who hath no vertu hath no grete herte / but he is lyke hym that is aferde of nought Suche ben they that doubten the euylles the aduersytees / perylles / trybulacyons of the worlde And that haue drede to lese that / whiche they may not longe kepe ¶ They haue no grete herte that gyue it ouer for nought / lyke as done they that gyue theyr hertes for to loue the godes of fortune / whiche in trouthe ben ryght nought / but fylthe charge and ordure too the regarde of the goodes glorye perdurable ¶ Thenne suche people ben lyke a chylde / that loueth better an apple or a myrrour than a royame But vertu gyueth grete herte by ryght For vertue maketh them too conquere heuen / despyse the worlde / to bere grete dedes of penaunce And to supporte and gladly suffre all the euylles of the worlde and to endure theym for goddes sake And also for too withstonde and resyste all the assaultes of the deuyll Lyke as the wyse and prudente Seneke sayth / wepynges myschaunces / sorows trybulacōns / harmes shames / perylles / and all that whiche euyll fortune may menace and doo / haue noo more power ayenst vertu / than one drope of water sholde doo in the see / vertue maketh a man hardy as a lyon / stronge as an holyfaunte / ferme and durablee as the sonne whiche alwaye renneth and is neuer wery Thenne there is no prowesse ne strengthe but in vertues Of veray seygnorye whiche gyueth grace vertues .lxx THus is there none veray seygnory / but in vertues A grete lorde is he that knoweth all the worlde Suche a lorde gyueth too a man suche vertues and grace For he setteth a man in his ryght estate / in whiche he was fyrst sette in and made The man was made in suche honour and in suche seygnorye / that he was lorde ouer all creatures that were vnder heuen / to whome all thynges obeyed / and to whome no thynge myght noye ne greue / and this is the ryght estate to the man and to his seygnorye / but he lost this seygnorye by synne And myght not recouer it ageyne but by vertu But vertue setteth a man on hygh and setteth the worlde vnder feet and maketh hym too conuerse in heuen / vertue maketh a man by good ryght gretter lorde of the worlde / than the kynge is of his reame For of the goodes of the worlde he hath as moche as his herte desyreth / he hath his vsage and his sustenaunce / and as moche as he may haue for suffysaunce / and more suffysantlye than the kynge hath in his reame For all that the good hath and the euyll / al is his Therfore of all he doth his prouffyte and preyseth god and thanketh and loueth hym the more doubteth and serueth And in this he seeth knoweth that euery creature is made for to serue hym Also there is another seygnorye moche grete / withoute whome there is none by ryght lorde for he is emperour and lorde of hym self / that is of his body and or his herte / whiche he Iustyceth theym in good pees and dooth his wylle For his herte is so ioyned to the wyll of god / so that of all that / that god dooth he thanketh hym / and it playseth hym well And this is the seygnorye that vertue gyueth too hym that hath it Of this speketh Seneke and sayth as grete honour gyueth god to the / whan thou arte lorde and emperour of thy self and more whan a kynge / ha lorde god how many kynges emperours other grete lordes haue ben in the worlde and also barons / that haue citees / castellys / royames that haue not this seygnorye For they be not lordes of theyr hertes By cause that it tormenteth ofte / by wrath or by maletalente / or by couetyse / or by desyre that they may not accomplysshe ¶ Here is spoken of veray fraunchyse Ca. .xxi. AFter this I saye there is none that hath veray fraunchyse / yf he haue
the holy ghoost / the whiche arouseth and bewatâ—eth all the gardyn Now beholde the ryght grete curteysye of our lorde / the whiche came in to this worlde for to seche saue that whiche was loste / by cause that he knewe well our pouerte and our feblenesse / by whiche we may falle in to synne But by our self we may not releue vs ne yssue out of synne ne gete vertue / ne do none other good / but yf it be by the grace of god / or that it come of his yefte / therfore he cesseth not to excyte vs that we praye requyre hym these yeftes And promyseth moche to vs / that yf we requyre demaunde hym ony thynge that is good for vs / and that it be ryghtfull we shall haue it And yet the debonayre Ihesus doth vnto vs more of his curtosye For he is our aduocate that formeth for vs our requeste and our petycyon For we haue not the wytte yf he formed it not to vs. ¶ The petycion / the requeste or oryson that the swete Ihesus enformed and taughte vs with his blyssed mouth / is moche fayre / moche good / but shorte by cause we sholde reteyne it well That is the pater noster / wherin ben .vii. petycyons and requestys / by the whiche we requyre our good fader Ihesu Cryst / that he gyue vs the .vii. yeftes of the holy ghoost / that he delyuer vs fro the .vii. deedly synnes / that he take them awaye fro our hertes And in stede of the sayd synnes / that he by his grace wyll plante there and nourysshe the .vii. vertues / whiche brynge vs to the .vii. blessynges of perfeccion and of holy lyfe / by whiche we may haue the promysses that the debonayre Ihesu made promysed to his chosen people in the seuen wordes aforesayd ¶ Thenne our entencyon is with the ayde and grace of the holy ghoost to speke fyrst of the seuen petycions of the holy ghoost whiche ben conteyned in the holy pater noster ¶ After I purpose to saye of the yeftes of the holy ghoost After of the seuen vertues / ageynst the seuen deedly synnes ¶ The .vii. petycyons and requestes ben lyke as .vii. fayre maydens that neuer cease to drawe the lyuyÌ„ge waters out of seuen ryuers for to water and arouse these seuen trees that bere the fruyte of lyfe pardurable ¶ Of seuen petycyons and requestes that be conteyned in the Pater noster Ca. lxxvi Our fader that art in heueÌ„ sanctified be thy name thy kingdom come to vs / thy wyl be done in erth as in heuen / our dayly brede gyue vs to day forgyue vs our dett as we forgyue our detts lede vs not in to teÌ„ptacoÌ„n but delyuer vs froÌ„ euyl ameÌ„ AS a lytell chylde is sette to scole / at the begyÌ„nynge he lerneth his Pater noster Who the wyll lerne of this Clergye and knowe it / he must be lytell and humble as is a chylde For our good mayster Ihesu cryst techeth his scolers this clergye whiche is the moost prouffytable / and moost fayre that is What man or woman that this dotryne well knoweth / vnderstandeth well retayneth it For suche there be that wene well for to vnderstonde it / that no thynge knowe therof / by the barke or rynde wtout forth That is the lettre whiche is good But lytell is it worthe to the regarde of the marghe / of the godnes and of the grete substaunce whiche withinforth is soo swete It is moche shorte in wordes moche loÌ„ge in substauÌ„ce lyght to saye subtyll for to vnderstonde This prayer and oryson passeth surmounteth all other in thre thynges That is to wytte In shortnesse In dygnyte / and in prouffytablenesse ¶ The dygnyte is in that / that the ryght blessed sonne of god made it / too god the fader in shorte wordes God the holy ghoost touchynge his demaunde / he wyll that it be shorte in wordes / by cause that none excuse hym to lerne it and to conne it And also by cause that none sholde be greued to say it wyllyngly and ofte And for to shewe that god the fader hereth vs ryght soone / and graunteth it gladly whan we praye hym with good herte / so that it be not of longe ryotte ne of wordes polysshed ne rymed ¶ For swete saynt Gregory sayth Verayly for to werke is not to saye fayre and glosynge wordes with the mouthe / but too caste oute wepynges and depe syghes from the herte ¶ The valure and the prouffyte of this oryson or prayer is so grete / that it compryseth and encloseth in wordes moche shorte / all that whiche may be desyred of herte / and prayed and demauÌ„ded of mouthe That is to be delyuerd of al euylles / and replenysshed with all goodes ¶ Thus begynneth the holy pater noster Fader our that arte in heuen ¶ Beholde now how that our blyssed aduocate / our ryght good and blyssed mayster and souerayne our redeÌ„ptour and sauyour Ihesu cryste / the whiche is the sapyence wysdom of god the fader omnypotent / that knoweth al the vsages and al the lawes of his courte / techeth vs for to plete well / and to speke wysely / subtylly / and shortely But certaynly yf the fyrst worde that thou sayst Fader our that arte in heuen / yf that it be well vnderstanden well pursued he shall gyue to the all thy request and all thy demaunde ¶ For saynt Bernarde sayth that the orayson that begynneth by the ryght name of god the fader / gyueth to vs hope to Impetre and gete all our prayers and requestes This swete worde fader whiche maketh swete all the remanaunt / sheweth to the that / whiche thou oughtest to beleue and somoneth the to that / whiche thou oughtest to doo And these two thynges saueth the man whan he beleueth well and aryght And whan he dooth after that he ought to do / whan thou callest hym fader thou knowest that he is lorde of the house / that is of heuen and of erthe / and capytayne and begynnynge And fountayne of whome all creatures and al godes cometh This knowlegest thou in that / his puyssaunce myght ¶ After I say by cause that he is a fader / he is ordeyner gouerner / and purueyer of his meyny / and specyally of his chyldren / that is of the men of whome hymself hath created / made and fourmed to his semblaunce / in this thou knowlegest his sapyence / yet also syth that he is fader by nature by ryght / he loueth that whiche he hath made Lyke as sayth the boke of sapyence And he is debonayre and loueth and nouryssheth his chyldren / and dooth theyr prouffyte better than they can deuyse And he beteth and chastyseth them whan they mysdone or offende / for theyr prouffyte and welthe as a good fader / And gladly he receyueth and taketh theym vnto mercy
strengthe of man Charyte / sayth saynt Austyn Ioyneth vs to god For charyte is none other thynge but chyere vnyte / that is / dere one hede / for she maketh the herte and god all one as sayth saynt Poule Fayth byholdeth in god souerayn vnyte hope beholdeth in god souerayn hyenesse / and charyte souerayn bounte These .iii. vertues ben deuyded by .iii. degres of loue / for for .iii. thynges a man is loued One is by cause that one hath herde or hereth grete good of hym Or by cause that he hath receyued grete good of hym Or by cause he entendeth to haue grete good of hym These iii. maners of loue ben in these .iii. vertues Loue of fayth hereth and werketh / loue of hope feleth the sauour and requyreth it / loue of charyte taketh seeth it / tasteth holdeth it ¶ Of the foure cardynall vertues / by whiche a man ought to gouerne hym Ca. lxxxxi OF the foure cardynall vertues speken moche the auÌ„cieÌ„t phylosophres but the holy ghost gyueth theÌ„ ensygneth them better an hondred tymes as sayth Salamon in the boke of sapyence The fyrste of these foure vertues is prudence the seconde attempraunce / the thyrde strength / and the fourthe Iustyce These .iiii. vertues ben called cardynalles / by cause they ben the moost pryÌ„cypall amonge the vertues of whiche the auncyent phylosophers speketh For by these .iiii. vertues a man gouerneth hym selfe in this worlde Lyke as the pope gouerneth al holy chyrche by his cardynalles PrudeÌ„ce kepeth a man that he be not deceyued by none engyne of the ennemy AtteÌ„praunce kepeth a man that he be not corrupt by none euyll loue Strength kepeth hym that he be not vaynquysshed ne ouercome by wrath / or by drede / or by sorowe This is that holdeth a man in good estate toward hymselfe Iustyce setteth a man in ryght estate anenste hymselfe and other / for Iustyce rendreth to eche man the whiche is his These ben the .iiii. toures at .iiii. corners of the hous of the good man that maketh it stronge / sure good Prudence garnyssheth it towarde the eest by purueyaunce for al perylles Attempraunce garnyssheth it towarde the southe ageynst the euyll heetes Srengthe garnyssheth it towarde the northe for the euyll coldes Iustyce garnyssheth it towarde the west ayenst the euyll raynes ¶ Yet agayne of the foure cardynall vertues as here foloweth Ca. lxxxxii THese .iiii. vertues haue dyuers offyces / ben moche dyuers in theyr werkes / lyke as sayth an auÌ„cyent phylosophre named Plato in his boke that he made of these .iiii. vertues / deuydeth them moche subtylly / sayth that prudence hath .iii offyces For by this vertue all that whiche a man doth sayth / thynketh is ordeyned all and ledde by lyne / rule / and reason and in all his werkes he pourueyeth / that he vse theym after thordynaunce of god that all seeth and Iugeth A grete lorde sholde he be as me semeth that sholde haue this onely / vertue / and by these thre thynges sholde gouerne hym ¶ Of the vertue of attemperaunce lxxxxiii THe vertue of attemperauÌ„ce hath .iii. offyces for the herte that hath this vertue wyll not ne coueyteth not to do a thynge of whiche he ought to repente In noo thynges he breketh not the lawe dysmesurably / but putteh hym self alwaye vnder the yoke of reason And no thynges doubteth of all the couetyses of the worlde That is to saye / who hath this vertue he kepeth hym that he be not corrupt by the thre thynges that foulen shamen the worlde ¶ Of the vertue of strength Ca. lxxxxiiii THe vertue of strength hath also .iii offyces / for a man that hath this vertue in his hert he lyft hyÌ„ vpon hye aboue the perylles of this worlde and no thynge doubteth he sauf vylonye and synne / he bereth aduersyte and prosperyte / and suffreth without to bowe on the ryght syde ne on the lyfte syde Moche good sholde be the knyght of god that in these thre thynges sholde be well proued These .iii. vertues armen / ordeyne / adourne a man as touchynge the thre partes of the herte whiche ben called / reason / loue / vygour Prudence kepeth the reason that it be not deceyued Attempraunce kepeth the loue / that it be not corrupte Strength kepeth the vygoure or myght that it be not ouercome ¶ Of the vertue of Iustyce Ca. lxxxxv IVstyce maketh a man to lyue ordynatly amonge the other For lyke as Plato sayth the phylosophre This is the vertue that maketh that a man dooth vnto euery man the whiche he oweth to do For he rendreth reuerence honoure vnto them that be aboue hym Frendshyp pease and concorde to them that ben lyke to hym / grace and pyte to them that ben vnder hym By these .iiii. vertues sayth the sayd phylosophre / that a man is theÌ„ worthy that he be gouernoure of hymselfe / and after of other In these .iiii. vertues studyed the auncyent phylosophres whiche dyspysed all the worlde for to acquyre and gete vertue wysdome / and therfore were they called phylosophres / whiche is as moche to say as loue of sapyence ¶ O good god how sholde this confounde vs and make vs aferde that they that were paynyms without law wryten and nothynge knewe of the veray grace ne of the gyftes of the holy goost / and neuertheles they styed vp in to the mountayne of perfeccyon of lyuynge by force by theyr propre vertue / and dayned not to take hede of the worlde / ne to do euyll / ne to consent to synne / we that ben crysten men that haue the veray fayth / knowe the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god / haue the grace of the holy goost / yf we wyll our syÌ„nes cause it not / that we may more prouffyte for our helth anenst god in a day / thaÌ„ they myght in a yere / we defoule vs / lye here beneth as a swyne in a mire / in the ordure of this worlde / and synne in the fylthe and donge of delyces of this worlde Therfore sayth saynt Poule that the paynym that is without lawe shall Iuge vs at the daye of Iugement / that haue had here the lawe / we neyther holde ne kepe it / and by cause they had not ryÈt fayth ne the grace of the holy ghoost ne no vertue ne quycke ne very fayth / they may not well knowe how these vertues be good and fayre / for as moche dyfference as is bytwene a brennynge cole / and a deed cole / and a lyuynge man and a deed man Soo moche dyfference is there bytwene vertue that is without charyte / vertue that is with charyte / whiche is the bounte / the valure and the lyf of other vertues / wherof saynt Austyn sayth whan he speketh of these .iiii. vertues / he deuydeth theym by .iiii. maner of loues and by .iiii. thynges that veray loue
doth / and sayth that the vertue prudence is the loue of herte / whiche veryly and wysely refuseth al that whiche may greue and ennoye hym / and cheseth al that whiche may ayde to haue that whiche he loueth / that is god / the vertue of attemperaunce is the loue of herte by whiche he gyueth hym self entyerly and without corruptyon to that whiche he loueth / that is god The vertue of strength is the loue of the herte / by whiche a man serueth onely that whiche he loueth / that is god / and for hym setteth a man all other thynges vnder his fote / despyseth them Thenne the vertue of Iustyce setteth a man in his ryght estate / that is aboue all thynges / and vnder god / without these .iiii. vertues / there is none that may mounte in to the moūtayne of perfectyon / for who that wyl moūte soo hye / hym byhoueth / that alther fyrste he haue prudence whiche maketh a man to despyse the worlde / and that he haue with it the vertue of strengthe / the whiche gyueth to hym grete herte stronge and stable courage to enpryse to pursue grete thynges / on the other partye that he haue the vertue of attempraunce / by cause that he be not ouer charged ne euyll caryed / and that he haue with hym the vertue of Iustyce that may lede hym by the ryght path / and by a good Iust way that he be without synne / and that he shewe to hym how by holy werkes he oweth to conquere the reame of heuen / lyke as god dyde to Iacob / as sayth the boke of sapyence / who that thus may haue these .iiii. vertues he shall be well parfyte and blyssed in this worlde and more in that other / for he shal be in peas of herte and in Ioy spyrytuell / and nothynge shall fayle hym / but he shall habounde in the grace of god that he shall haue with hym / in whome he shall delyte ¶ Here after foloweth how a man may take awaye put from hym the seuen deedly synnes and gete the vertues Ca. lxxxxvi NOw lete vs come ageyne to our mater / and pray we with all our herte to the holy goost / that he wyll enspyre and ensygne our hertes / that he be our aduocate / and teche vs to shewe how he by the seuen gyftes of the holy goost he plucke out and take away the seuen deedly sȳnes fro our hertes / and that he therin wyll vouchesauf to plant the seuen vertues ¶ Of the gyfte of holy drede the whiche maketh a man Iust Ca. lxxxxvii THe gyftes of drede is the fyrst of the gyftes / for he casteth out of the herte all the synnes lyke as we haue sayd tofore But proprely this gyfte of drede plucketh oute / taketh awaye and destroyeth the rote of pryde / and planteth there in his place the plante of humylyte Now beholde and vnderstonde well how the synner that holdeth hym and slepeth in his synne / is lyke to a rybaulde that slepeth and is dronke / and hath all lost at tauerne / and is all naked and so poore that he hath no thynge but he feleth no thynge ne complayneth not / but weneth that he be a moche grete lorde But whan he hath slepte and cometh ageyne to him self / and that he is out of his dronkennesse Thenne feleth he his harme and knoweth his folye Now complayneth he his losse and his domage This is the fyrst good that the holy ghoost doth to a synner whan he vysyteth hym For he gyueth to hym agayn his wytte and his mynde / and bryngeth hym ageyne to knowe hym self So that he aduertyseth and seeth what goodes he hath loste / and in what pouerte and in what perylle he hath be for his synne / lyke as dyd the sone of the good man / whiche wasted and dyspended his herytage in dyssolucyon and rybauldrye In suche confusyon and myserye he became that hym byhoued to kepe the swyne and fede them / and to lyue of theyr releef and mete / lyke as our Lorde Ihesu Cryst sheweth vs by example in the gospell Yet also the synner as sayth Salamon is lyke to hym that slepeth in the myddle of the see / and is in grete peryll tormente / he feleth no thynge ne hath no fere therof But whan the holy ghoost awaketh hym he felyth seeth his perylle / begynneth to haue drede of hym self ¶ Yet also the synner is lyke to hym that is in pryson feterydin yrons / is in boltes and hath many kepars / lyke as saynt Peter was in the prysone of kynge Herode And the caytyf synner thynketh no thynge on the prouoste / ne on the Iustyce / ne on the galowes that tarye for hym / but he slepeth and dremeth that he goeth to a weddynge and to a feste But the grace of the holy ghoost is lyke to the aungell that awoke saynt Peter / delyured hym fro the hande of kynge Herode For the grace of the holy ghoost awaketh the synner and delyuerth hym from the hande and fro the puyssaunce of the deuyl of helle / yet also the synner is lyke to hym that weneth to be stronge and hole / and he hath the dethe vnder his teeth For he hath the humours euyl and corrupte within the body / thenne dyeth he within a moneth / that wende to haue lyued .xl. yere Lyke as sayth Elyuans in the verses whiche speken of the deth and sayen thus Go ye awaye ye whystelers and gapars / for suche be couerde vnder theyr clothes / that wene to be hole and fatte that shall not lyue vnto marche ¶ But the holy ghost is lyke vnto a good physycyen that sheweth to hym his maladye and sekenesse / and moeueth fro hym his humours and gyueth vnto hym a bytter drynke whiche heleth hȳ a rendreth to hym his lyfe / ryght so troubleth our lorde the synner by bytter contrycyon whan he helyth him fro his synnes by the bytter drynke lyke as sayth the prophete in his psaulter / and fereth hym / bryngeth hym ageyne to knowe hym self / lyke as dyd Adam our fyrst fader / whan he hydde hym emonge the trees of paradys terrestre And thenne sayd god to hym Adam where art thou Thre other demaundes made god by his aungell to the chamberyer of holy Abraham whiche was named agar whan she fledde fro her lady The aungell sayd Agar from whens comest thou / whyder goest thou / what doost thou These thre questyons or demaūdes maketh the holy ghoost vnto the myserable synner / whan he awaketh hym out of his synnes / where as he was aslepe / and he reyseth hym / and openeth vnto him the eyen and the syght of his herte / gyueth to hym agayne his wyt and his vnderstondynge / the whiche was loste in the slogardye of synne Where arte thou sayth he / that is to say Beholde thou poore and myserable caytyf
And yet he wyll also that they haue in the chirche theyr hedes couerd / soo that no man be styred by theym to euyll / ne synne not in beholdynge of theym / but they ought to be arayed as deuoute and good women / whiche shewe the bounte of theyr herte by good werkys / and therfore sayth saynt Ambrose / who wyll be herde in prayer / he ought to take awaye fro hym al sygne of pryde / and ought to enclyne hym to god with his herte by veray confessyon / and by penaūce in profounde humylyte / for to moeue god to doo hym mercy For as he sayth proude habyte geteth no thynge of god / but it gyueth cause to Iuge euyll of hym the weereth it ¶ Now I haue shewed to the thre thynges that ought to be in prayer / fayth / hope and deuocyon But to that / that prayer may be perfyghtly agreable and playsaunte to god and worthy to be enhaunced and herde / it behoueth foure thynges That is that it haue .ii. wynges whiche bere it tofore god These two wynges ben almesses and fastynges / or other penaunces / wherof the aungell sayd to Thobye Prayer is good whan it hath in hym self fastynge and almesse / without these two wynges the prayer may not flee to god For as sayth saynt Ambrose / good lyf maketh the prayer to flee to god But synne letteth it and with draweth it ageyn / wherof thou oughtest to wete that in two maners is prayer lette / lyke as sayth saynt Ysodore One is by cause a mā kepeth hym not fro synne and fro doynge euyll And for that a persone wyll not forgyue the euyll wylle that he hath to another persone For in lyke wyse as the oynemētes wyll not hele the wounde / as longe as the yron is wythī Ryght so auaylleth not ne prouffyteth noo thynge the prayer to hym that sayth it as he hath euyl wylle to another And therfore sayth the prophete / lete vs lyfte vp our hertes our handes to god He lyfteth vp his hert his hādes to god that lyfteth vp his prayers by good werkes And thappostle sayth that he that lyfteth vp his pure handes to god in prayer lyfteth vp in pure clene conscyence without synne For god enhaūceth not the prayer that cometh of a conscyence full of ordure and of synne wherof he sayth by the prophete whan ye shal multeplye your prayers I shal not here them / for your handes be all blody ful of synne who ben they that haue theyr hādes blody but they that dystresse the pour peple which ben vnder them take awaye fro them their good by force they haue the handes ful of blood of the blood of pour peple for they take a way fro them their lyf / their sustenaūce by couetyse by theyr rauyne do grete oultrages etē the morsellys ful of synne wherfore they shal paye the scotte in that other worlde For the scripture sayth that god requyreth the blood of the pour peple For they must gyue a rekenyng or sytte therfore and therfore who wyl be enhaūced herde of god in his prayers late hym not come tofore God the swerde drawen Ne the hādes blody ne wyth voyde handes That is to say in wyll to synne ne spotted of vntrouthe ne voyde of good werkes For thus sayth our lord in the gospel Thou shalt not come tofore me with voyde handes / he cometh with empty handes tofore god that cometh to praye and requyre hym withoute makyng present of good werkes / for to hym he shytteth and closeth his yate that requyreth hym and bryngeth no thynge / herof haue we example in the gospell / whiche sayth that the yate was shytte to the folysshe vyrgyns that had none oyle in theyr lampes / god sayd to them I knowe you not For god knoweth none but them that haue theyr lampes ful of oylle that is to saye them that haue the herte full of pyte and of grace purged and clene of all synnes and shewe it by good werkes Suche people hereth god gladly and openeth to them his yate / and receyueth gladly theyr prayers Now saye I thenne that prayer lyke as it rested on four pylers as it is sayd tofore / and is moche playsaunt to god For it geteth lyghtly of god all that it hath nede be it in body or in soule as sayth the scrypture / wherof saynt Iames sayth that moche auaylleth the besy prayere of a ryghtwyse man For it auaylleth to hele al maladyes of body of soule / and sayth yet that prayer that cometh of fayth heleth the seke persone / yf he be in synne it shall be perdonned The holy scrypture sayth that Moyses the prophete vaynquysshed Amalech and his hoost / not by bataylle / but by holy prayers For as it is sayd of an holy man Moche more auaylleth the prayer of a saynte than the fyghtynge of many thousand synnars The prayer of a good man perceth heuen Thenne shall he ouercome his enemyes in erthe A good olde and deuoute woman geteth more soone a good requeste of god in glorye in prayenge hym deuoutely / than a thousande knyghtes may gete of londe in longe tyme by force of armes / and therfore it is good to praye and requyre god with the orysons of good folke / and specyally of couentes of relygyous people / whiche ben assēbled for to serue god for to praye nyght daye deuoutely for al theyr benefactours For the prayer is moche worthe towarde our lorde For lyke as sayth the scrypture More auayleth more may doo towarde god the prayer of many good persones than ony can expresse or say For as it is sayd of an holy man It may not be but the prayers of many good persones togyder be herde of god and graunted The prayes and requestes of all the hole couent togyder / is sooner passed and herde of thabbot / than the request and prayer of one monke alone In lyke wyse hereth god more soone the request of theym that ben assembled for to serue hym And therfore sayth god in the gospell / yf twayne of you accorde togyder to aske and requyre me All that they requyre my fader of heuē I shall do it ¶ Now haue I spoken of seuen degrees of the tree of the vertue of chastyte / by whiche this vertue groweth mounteth / prouffyteth Now behoueth to saye of the braunches of this tree whiche ben seuen / after the .vii. estates of the people the ben in this worlde ¶ Of the fyrst estate of them that ben entyer and chaste of body Ca. C.xlviii THe fyrst estate of the worlde is of them that ben hole chast of body / haue kept theyr maydenhede / but neuertheles they be not bounden to this / but that they may be maryed In suche estate ought a persone to kepe chastyte that is clennes purete of hert of body / wherfore the
the deuyl may not take a waye for it kepeth the yates of the castel / wherim the tresour is enclosed The yates of the castel of the hert where the tresour of vyrgynyte is in ben the wittes of the body These yates kepē the drede of god that they be not opened to the enemye of helle / by vayn curyosyte of seȳge or of heeryng / or of smellyng of spekyng or tastyng / or goyng in euyl companye For curiosyte of seynge or of herynge the vanytees of the world ben waye and cause of the synne of lecherye / wherof is sayd in the scrypture that Dyna doughter of Iacob whan she went musyng by curyosyte to see the women of the contre / where anone she was rauysshed and corrupte of the sone of the lorde of the toune / and therfore who wyl kepe vyrgynyte / hȳ byhoueth moche to withdrawe and kepe his .v. wyttes bodyly fro al vayn curyosyte / and this ought be done by holy drede / for a persone oweth alwaye to drede to angre god This is the sence of the .v. vyrgynes of whome our lorde sayth in the gospell / whan he sayd that the royame of heuen is lyke to .x. vyrgynes / of whome fyue were wyse / and the other fyue were fooles He calleth here the royame of heuen holy chirche / whiche is bynethe in this worlde / wherin ben alwaye good and euyll / foles wyse / whiche ben membres of holy chirche / by the fayth that they haue receyued in baptesme The fyue wyse vyrgyns sygnefye them that kepe and gouerne well the fyue wyttes of the body of whiche we haue spoken The fyue vyrgynes foles sygnefye them that folysshly kepe them The .v. leef is sharpenes of the lyf of penaunce For who wyll kepe vyrgynyte / he muste moche chastyse his flesshe and subdue it by penaunce / and that the body do the wyll of the soule by fastynge / by wakynge in prayers / other penaūce Sharpnesse of lyf is lyke a stronge hedge for to kepe the gardyn of the herte / that the euyll beestes assaylle it not / that ben the fendes of helle to th ende that they may not entre / whiche entende studye for to stele and take awaye the tresour of vyrgynyte / therfore ought this tresour to be well enclosed and wel kepte that it be not loste For who that leseth it may neuer recouer it no more than the lampe that is broken may not be made hole ageyn ¶ The .vi. leef of vyrgynyte is perseueraūce that is to haue ferme purpoos to kepe well that is promysed to god / wherof Saynt Austyn sayth in the boke of vyrgynyte and adresseth his wordes to the vyrgyns sayenge Folowe ye the lambe sayth he / that is Ihesu Cryste / in kepynge stronglye that whiche ye haue auowed to god Doo ardauntly as moche ye may / that the we le of vyrgynyte perysshe not in you For ye may not do that thynge / by whiche vyrgynyte may be recouerd / yf it were loste / lyke as we haue shewde by ensaumple of the lampe / and saynt Bernarde Sayth / estudye ye to the vertue of perseueraunce / for she onely wynneth and geteth the crowne of glorye The syxthe leef aforsayd enbelyssheth and maketh moche fayre the lylye of vyrgynyte / but it byhoueth to haue withinforth thre graynes of golde / whiche sygnefyen .iii. maners to loue god For vyrgynyte without loue is lyke as a lampe without oyle / wherfore the fooles vyrgyns by cause they fylled not theyr lampes of this oylle / were shette out fro the weddynge / and the wyse vyrgyns that fylled theyr lampes of this oyle entred in to the weddynge with the spouse The thre maners for to loue god whiche ben sygnefyed by the thre graynes of the lylye / saynt Austyn enseygneth them whan he sayth thus Thou shalt loue god with all thyn entendement without errour / with al thy wylle without gaynsayenge and with all thy mynde withoute forgetynge In suche maner is thymage of god parfayte in a man after .iii. dygnytees that ben in the lyf That is to wete / entendement memorye / and wyll / whan these .iii. thynges ben wel ordeyned to god / thenne ben the thre graynes of golde of the lyly / of the golde of charyte whiche gyueth bounte / beaute / and valure of all vertue For wythout this golde noo vertue is tofore god neyther fayre ne precyouse Otherwyse sayth saynt Bernard of the manere to loue god and sayth thus O thou that arte a crysten man / lerne how thou oughtest to loue god / lerne to loue hym wysely / swetely and strongely / wysely that thou be not deceyued by nycete Swetely that thou be not moeued by prosperyte Strongely that thou be not ouercomen by aduersyte In this maner is fayre the flour delys of vyrgynyte / whan she is suche as is sayd tofore / and this is the seconde reason by whiche thestate of vyrgynyte ought moche to be preysed for her beaute the thyrde reason wherfore thestate of vyrgynyte ought moche to be preysed is for her bounte and for the prouffyt that cometh of it For vyrgynyte is a tresour of soo grete value that it may not be preysed / wherof the scrypture sayth that noo thynge is worthy to be compared to a chaste herte / of the chastyte of vyrgynyte / for vyrgynyte aboue all other estates bereth the moost grettest fruyt the moost grettes proffyt They that ben in maryage and kepe it well as they ought to do haue the .xxx. folde fruyt They that ben in wydowhede haue the .xl. folde fruyt But they that kepe vyrgynyte haue the hondred folde fruyt For lyke as our lorde sayth in the gospel that the seed that falleth in good lande maketh fruyt .xxx. folde .xl. folde / and an hondred folde These .iii. nombres xxx.lx an hondred apperteyne to .iii. estates toforesayd The nōbre of .xxx. whiche is of .x. thre tymes whiche maken .xxx. apperteyneth to thestate of maryage / where ought to be kept the .x. commaundementes of the lawe in the faythe of the holy trynyte The nombre of .lx. is more grete and is of x.vi tymes For .vi. tymes .x. maken .lx. and apperteyneth to thestate of wydowhede For in such estate ought to be kept the precepts / thē ought to be done the .vii. werkes of mercy of whiche we haue spoken tofore / but the nōbre of an hondred whiche is moost grete moost perfyte for it representeth a fygure rounde / whiche is moost parfyght moost fayr emonge the other fygures For lyke as the rounde fygure / the ende retorneth to his begynnyng maketh it roūde lyke a crowne Ryght so the nombre of an C. ioyneth the ende to the begȳnyng For .x. tymes .x. maken an hōdred which sygnefyeth the crowne that the wyse vyrgyns hadde / and how be it that in that state of maryage / in the state of wydowhede may be wonne the crowne of
nature techeth vs that one ought to ete and drynke lytyl and sobrely For nature is susteyned with lytell mete / and by ouermoche mete is ofte beten doune The holy scrypture enseygneth sobrenes in many maners by many examples / lyke as they may see that connen vnderstonde scrypture / and byholden the lyues of sayntes ¶ Also euery creature techeth to vs sobrenes For in all nature god hath sette a ryght mesure whiche alwaye holdeth the moyen bytwene ouermoche and ouer lytell / after that whiche reason enlumyneth enseygneth by the grace of god For in these temporall goodes / that whiche is ouermoche to one / is lytel to another / that whiche sholde be oultrage to a poore maÌ„ sholde be lytel oftymes to a ryche man / but sobrenes atteÌ„perauÌ„ce setten oueral mesure As well in spyrytuel goodes as in fastynges in wakynges and in other werkes of vertues / whyche been done and made for the Loue of god And For the helthe of the Soule as moche as Reason wyl The vertue of attemperaunce is of sobrenes This vertue kepeth mesure resonable / not onely in etynge drynkynge but in al vertues / lyke as sayth Saynt Bernard For this vertue setteth all thoughtes and al the menynges of the herte / and all the wyttes of the body vnder the lordshyp of ryght reason / as sayth Tullyus the wyse man / so that reason enlumyned by gyfte of sapyence / holdeth in pees the lordshyp of the herte and of the body And this is the ende and thentencyon of all vertues that the herte and the body be wel ordeyned to god / soo that god onely be lorde souerayn in suche manere that all be in his obedyence And this maketh sobre the loue of god whiche putteth hym with all the herte to the wyl of god wherof Saynt Austyn sayth / that the vertue of attemperaunce and of sobrenes is a loue whiche kepeth hym in entyernesse without corrupcyon / and withdraweth vs fro the loue of the worde / whiche troubleth the herte and putteth it to dysease / and taketh fro hyÌ„ ryght knowlech of god and of hym self / lyke as a persone seeth not clerely in water troubled But the loue of god whiche is pure and clene / and is departed fro all erthely loue and fro carnall affeccyon setteth the herte in pease For it setteth it in his propre place That is in god / there he resteth / there he is in pees Ne he hath no pees ne Ioye ne reste but in god wherof our lorde sayth in the gospel / ye shal be oppressed in this worlde / but in me ye shal fynde pees / saynt Austyn sayd to god / lorde myn herte may not be in pees / vnto the tyme it reste in the / suche loue cometh not of an erthly hert / ne of the maryce of this worlde but it descendeth fro that hye roche vpoÌ„ whiche it sette and fouÌ„ded the grete cyte of heuen of holy chirche / that is Ihesu cryste / whiche al is sette founded fermly by true fayth that ben the holy hertes of good men Fro this hye roche descendeth that fountayne of loue in to the herte that is well purged and taken awaye fro the loue of the worlde This welle is so clere that he knoweth hym self and his maker / lyke as one seeth hyÌ„ self in a fountayne wel clere and clene / vpon this fountayne he resteth and the herte â—ast by / after the trauayll of good werkes So as we rede of our lorde Ihesu cryst / that whan he had so moche gone that he was wery / he sat doune and â—ested hym vpon the welle This is the fountayne vpon whiche a good herte that wyll saue hym self / resteth hym in the loue of god This fountayne is so swete that he that drynketh therof forgeteth all other swetenes and all other sauour and therfor it is soo swete and good to drynke / for of so moche as the fountayne feleth better the erthe so moche is it more holsom and better to drynke This is the fountayne of wytte of sauour For he that drynketh therof he knoweth / feleth sauoureth the grete swetenes that is in god / that is the souerayn wytte of man / to knowe wel his maker / and to loue hym / drede hym / serue honoure hym with all his herte For without this phylosophye / al other wytte nys but folye Suche wytte setteth the holy ghoost in the herte / whan he gyueth the gyfte of sapyence / whiche fedeth nourissheth the herte with spyrytuell Ioye maketh it dronke with his holy loue / that is the wytte whiche the holy ghoost setteth in the herte that is wel purged clensed fro al ordure of synne lyke as tofore is sayd This spyrytuell wytte that cometh of the parfyght loue of god maketh the herte sobre attempred in al thynges by mesure / so that the herte that is in suche estate is in pees lyke as it may be in this mortall lyf For in this worlde none may lyue without tournoyes bataylle of temptacyon / whiche god sendeth for to preue his knyghtes / by cause they can vse the armes of vertue For other wyse they myght not be good knightes / yf they were not preued how they can resyste to temptacyons And men be woned to make tournoyes in tyme of pease / but whaÌ„ a good knyght hath ouercomeÌ„ the tournoye / he retorneth home to his hous / there he resteth hyÌ„ at his ease Ryght so doth the good herte whan he hath wel foughten ouercomen the tournoye of temptacyons wel strongly resysted them Then he cometh ageyn to hym self resteth in god / whiche comforteth hym after his trauayl whiche he hath resysted ageynst the synnes / so that he forgeteth there al his trauaylle / thynketh on no thynge but on god in whome he fyndeth all that he desyreth This is the fruyt that the tree of sobrenes bereth whiche cometh of the gyft of sapyence / lyke as I haue shewed tofore Sobrenes nys none other thynge / but to kepe ryght mesure in al thynges / in .vii. maners ought a persone to kepe mesure / whiche ben lyke to seuen degrees by whiche groweth prouffyteth the tree of sobrenesse ¶ Of the fyrst degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. Clv. THe fyrst degree of sobrenes is that a man ought to set mesure in his vnderstondynge Specyally in the poyntes of the artycles of the fayth / he passeth me sure whiche wyll seche reason natural / in that whiche is aboue reason / aboue the vnderstondynge of a man / as done the heretykes and myscreauÌ„tes whiche wyl mesure theyr fayth after theyr vnderstondynge but they ought to mesure rheyr vnderstondynge reason / vnto the mesure of the fayth / as done good crysten men Therfore sayth saynt poule / that one shold not be wise more thaÌ„ fayth bereth but by sobrenes after the mesure of