as longe as we byde in this corruptyble sory bodye we must loue / and euer proue that loue by contynuall penaunce and good werkes forsakynge all synne For els is all the penaunce the workes voyde and loste But yet foloweth nat therof that we shulde desyre longe lyfe ne shorte but as he wyll For to gyue vnto god frely fully and holly our wyll / so that we haue no wyll but his is the greattest gyfte that we can gyue vnto god and the thynge that he chefely requireth desyreth of vs / for he doth nat desyre our affliction ne penauÌ„ce / but gyue me saith he thyne hert that suffyseth me Than so to gyue vnto him the thynge that he fyrst gaue frely vnto vs that is fre wyll is that thyng that may best auoyde or make lesse that payne And so to say thynke wyl that yf he wolde haue vs longer in payne / we shulde consent and wyll so to be / yet forther we shuld rather chuse desyre payne ê‘petuall after his wyl thaÌ„ ioy euerlastyng contrarye vnto his wyll And this wil may be had iÌ„ fewe yeres short tyme. To wyll than Marcu trismeg ad Esclo pium and to desyre to be with god / by longe or shorte payne or withoute any payne as beste shall please hys gracyous goodnes / is the best meane nexte remedy and moost sure waye to auoyde fle and to minysshe payne / and in that wyll without feare drede of deth / or rather dispysynge deth to tary byde / in euery thing to suffre his wyll pleasure / euer redy for dethe and lokynge euery houre for deth with ferueÌ„t desyre / and wysshe to be with hym and to abyde here / for nothynge but only for hym / so that he be as saynt Paule sayth all our lyfe / and deth for his sake be vnto vs lucre Phil. i. gaynes wynnynge and auauntage In Tus The pagane Cicero sayeth that a wyse man wyll neuer feare dethe The reason why is that deth by reason of vncertayne chauÌ„ces doth dayly and hourely fall happye sodenly come vnto euery sorte / degre and maner of ages / and also because of the shortnes of our lyfe dethe can nat be longe absent from vs. For as saynt Ambrose sayeth we may be in certente that yf we lyue very longe yet shall we dye shortly De bono mortis ca. 1. ix For the longest of our lyues is very shorte / and specially yf we compare it vnto the longe life of eternite than is it nothynge nat so moche as one mote vnto the whole erthe / yet the commune people whan a yonge person departeth doth saye oh alas Vbi su it is pytie that such a ê‘son shuld dye thus and departe before his tyme / but hereunto he doth answere Before the tyme sayeth he / what tyme done they meane other that tyme that they wolde set and desyre or els that tyme that god hathe determyned and appoynted If they meane theyr tyme I wyll nat dispute ne reason with them But if they meane goddes tyme / than wyll I saye / that almyghtye god dothe nat gyue lyfe vnto any ê‘son for euer / as his owne thyng but rather dothe lende it As dette be payde whaÌ„ so euer it shal be axed and nat at any certayne day appointed / and as the detter may vse the dette so lent whyle he hathe it / and yet hath no wronge although it be axed soner than he wolde or yet than he supposed So in lyke maner god hath lent euery person lyfe but he poynted no daye whan he wyll axe and haue it agayne / that he dyd bycause he wolde that man shulde be alway redy to paye whan so euer he were called vpon Howe than may any person complayne or grudge whaÌ„ so euer he is taken by deth / syth he receyued life by that condicyon â–ª yet syr say they / the credytour and lender is called harde that calleth for the dette before the borower haue any gaynes or profet therof / so done we thiÌ„ke that god dealeth hardely with the yonge persones / because he taketh theyr lyfe before they haue any pleasure thereof Hereto nowe saye I they done suppose by erroure that is nothynge trewe / that is that in this lyfe shulde be pleasure / whiche in very dede well consydered is contrarye that is to say displeasure payne miserie wo and dethe And therfore those persones that come to dethe in theyr youthe / ben moch bounde to thaÌ„ke our lorde that hath delyuered theÌ„ from those incommodytes and miseryes that they shulde haue had and suffred in lenger lyuynge And here the coÌ„mune people suppose an other great errour that is / that longe lyfe shulde be good and pleasaunt where in dede longe lyfe taketh awaye all maner of goodes pleasures of this lyfe / that is to say the goodes of fortune / as landes possessyons golde syluer and other good es and cattell For age in longe life spendeth all / and getteth nothynge Cicero vbi sup It taketh away also the senses and wyttes of man / as hearynge syght smellynge tastynge and touchyng / with the other goodes of nature as youthe strength beaute and agilyte / nymlesse and quickenes And yet the goodes that ben more precyous and dere than al these that is to say memorye and remembraunce / reason vnderstandynge connynge and knowlege / maketh many tymes the wyll frowarde And doth rendre and make whole man bothe in soule and body full dull in deuocyon and in all maner of goodnes and vertue wherfore the wysman sayd Ec. vi b. Better is he and more happy that dyeth at the mothers wombe forthwith after his byrth / than is he the lyueth longe No person therfore of any age hath wroÌ„ge by deth for euery person by the lawe of synÌ„e is in the fyrste day of byrthe or rather in the fyrst day of lyfe mortall and subdued vnto deth / and in the fyrste daye of lyfe euery person begynneth to dye Augusti And therfore is it nat agayne the lawe for any persoÌ„ to dye at any tyme yonge or olde Let vs therfore good deuout chrystyanes put clene away and vtterly exyle this frayle and fals opinyon of deth / and let vs thynke verely and beleue / that in dethe is no wroÌ„ge but all ryght no payne but great pleasure In tus vbi sup all good nothyng euyll For as the oftsayde Cicero sayth howe may that thyng be vnto any person euyll and hurt that almyghty god hath ordayned vnto all persones indifferentlye / for theyr good and profet and as the ende of all euyles Good lorde thaÌ„ howe curragyously gladly shuld that iourney and voyage be interprysed taken / whiche ones made and finysshed no care newoo / no thought ne busynes / no turmoyle â–ª ne trouble no slryfe ne debate / no payne ne disease / no vexacyon ne
whan they se the rodde or whyppe Deth therfore is nat to be feared / nor dredde for any peyne that is therin Many done dye departe this lyfe nat onely as we sayd without peyne / but also with desyre and pleasure Which thyng we haue before Probacyon by reason proued by auctoryte / and good reason / wyll conclude the same For yf peyne be in dethe / that peyne muste nedely be / other in the body or in the soule But in the body at the poynte of dethe is no peyne For than ben all the senses and wyttes of the body wherby he shulde feale peyne or pleasure / gone and departed the bodye than in suche case as for fealynge peyne as whan it is full dede And as vnto the soule / deth is nat peynefull but rather pleasant and ioyfull / as a person that long had ben in prison / and then were sodenly loused and put at lyberte De bono mortis For as saynt Ambrose sayth The soule is in prison / whyle it is in the body therfore is it glad to be delyuered by deth And to saye trothe whan the poynt of deth approcheth and draweth nere bothe the partes in maner ben glad to deê‘te in souÌ„dre / that is to saye Marowse they cal in the couÌ„trâ— .ii. housbaÌ„d men that done tyll their laÌ„de together the soule from the body / the body from the soule / as by example of .ii. marowes or .ii. suche persones that muste nede labour bothe to gether vnto such an effecte / purpose / as can nat come to pas and be fulfylled by one of them alone / then at nyght or when theyr purpose is ended they ben gladde wher the tone is nat able theruÌ„to alone with out helpe to depart vnto theyr owne propre whomes logynges and places So is it of the soule and the body / that here as .ii. marowse or mates done labour to gether as in an exyle or straunge countrey for as saynt Paule sayth non habemê° hic ciuitatem manentem / we haue nat here sayth he any cytie or dwellynge place / and whan that labour of them bothe to gether hathe fulfylled the course of nature vnto the periode / poynt assygned of god / than done they gladly depart eueryche towarde his propre whome / that is the bodye vnto the erthe from whens it came Gene. iii. d. And the soule vnto heuyn / except it be letted with any synne which may neuer entre into heuen Thus haue we proued vnto you bothe hy auctoryte and by reason / that in deth is no peyne and so that no feare shulde be taken of any or for any suche peyne yet shall I go forther and proue the same by experyence Probacyon by experyence For lady experyence hath shewed oftymes / vnto many persones that in dethe is no peyne For some persones haue ben in traunce / that for the tyme haue had a large experyence of dethe / whan the body was so desolate of the soule / that the body felt nothynge ne any thynge perceyued by any of the senses or wyttes / and yet hath the soule in the same tyme sene / perceyued the state of heuen hell or any other place ii Cor. xii a. Saynt Paule was so in suche rapte / that he coulde nat tell him selfe whether the soule was in his bodye or nat And that was a large and nere experyence of dethe / but yet nother he ne any of those so takyn in trauÌ„ce or rapt / haue made any mencyon of any peyne in theyr rapte ergo there is no peyne in deth Swonynge also or talmynge / is in maner a dethe / syth the body for that tyme is destytute / and voyde of all the wyttes and some in suche swones talmes done expyre dye and departe this lyfe yet those that done suruyue / recouer lyue agayne / done euydently shewe what peyne they had or suffred / that so departed in theyr swone or talme / but they confesse / and say playnly they felte no maner of payne / but rather a greate ease of all peynes ergo in dethe is no peyne Some ê‘sones also haue expyred and dyed slepynge which I doubt nat shulde haue ben waked yf a pynne or a nedell had ben thraste or put through theyr eares or yf fyre had brent theyr fynger / ergo no peyne in deth Let vs yet go vnto a forther experyence of deth Io. xi d. Lazare brother to Magdalene and Martha as the Gospell sheweh was dede .iiii. dayes and yet reysed by our sauyour many haue ben reysed by myracle I knewe and spake with one suche my selfe But nothynge haue I herde / or redde of any peyne that any of them suffre in dethe / ergo no peyne in deth and so doth saynt Ambrose plainly / affyrm in a boke that he wrote of the goodnes and profyte of dethe Amb. de bonomor tis .ii. li. de Cain et Abel cap. x. The feare sayth he that the frayle persones haue of dethe / is rather by the opinyon that they conceyue of deth / then for the selfe deth Bycause they haue sene or herd tell of many great paynes syckenesses and passyons that many done suffre before theyr dethe / and that causeth theyr frayle flesshe to abhorre De bono mortis cap. viii and to lothe deth / bycause of those peynes and greues And specyally suche persones as haue a loue inordynate vnto the vayne pleasures of this present lyfe And those also that iÌ„ a whole body haue a sycke soule / foyled conscyence moste done they feare dethe that halte and ben faynte in the faythe And no meruayle thoughe suche maner of persons do feare In tusvbi sup drede deth For as the lerned Cicero sayth yf theyr lyfe had nothynge coÌ„myttes ne done / that were to be feared they shulde of dethe haue no drede wyse men done feare synne whiche is the acte / and dede of quycke and nat of dede persones We shulde sayth saynt Ambrose feare drede our life / the actes and dedes wherof De bono mortis de supra done appertayne and belonge vnto our selfe / and ben iÌ„ our owne power and at our owne will / nat feare dethe that is nother in our wyll ne power For whether we wyll or nat that is / wyll we nyll we expire / and dye / nedely we must De remedis fortuit coruÌ„ Cice. vbi supra Than as we sayd before as the wyse maÌ„ Seneke saythe / it is great foly to feare and drede that thynge / that by no meane maye be escaped ne auoyded And who so euer wyll remayne in suche feare or drede Cicero vbi sup shal neuer lyue in quietude and rest of mynde Wyse men sayeth Cicero / done nat feare dethe / but rather done they contemne dispyse dethe / set nought therby / which thynge doutbles doth moch auayle
ê“fet In tusc vbi sup coÌ„fort strength any person whan so euer deth shall approche drawe nere and happe vnto hym / specyally if he be a feythfull christyane Cicero vbi sup â–ª For who so euer nat onely bycause deth is necessarye and can nat be auoyded / but also bycause that in deth is nothyng to be feared / doth dispyse set nought by deth / that person / sayeth he / shall for a surete haue a great succoure and helpe here to lyue quietly / and whan the tyme shall come to receyue dethe gladly / and after this present lyfe ioyfully to lyue / and blessedlye ⧠Note here howe great courage and conforte this pagane gyueth men to dispyse / and nothynge to feare dethe Well syr say you / this is soone sayd or soone spoken But yet is nat dethe so soone dispysed / ne so lyghtly set at nought For we se beholde many men / that shuld haue stronge hertes more boldnes than we women and such also that ben taken supposed for wyse well lerned men / that ben moche affrayde of deth Ah good systers / you muste consydre and call vnto mynde / that men ben made of the same metall that women ben / and that amonge them some ben as feynte herted as women / therfore take no hede vnto them Cicero iÌ„ tuscu vt supra For althoughe a bolde and hardye herte do moche helpe vnto the contempte and dispisynge of dethe / yet maye you by the examples and counsels of holy fathers / ingender make in your selfe a more stronge boldnes and hardynesse spirytuall therunto / specially by conforte and counsell of holy scripture / whiche as a phisicyon dothe cure the feynt and feble hertes withdraweth all vayne frutles cures and cares / and delyuereth the frayle herte / from the delectable poyson of all worldly flesshely pleasures / and so putteth awaye all feare and drede Vbi sup Reason also as they said Cicero saith doth nat lytle auayle vnto the coÌ„tempte of dethe whiche as it were by certayne preceptes or reules doth coÌ„firme / reyseup the feynt cowardouse herte But aboue beyonde all thinges whole and pure fayth stronge and stedfast hope and perfecte feruent charyte / done moste helpe thereunto For these do nat onely exyle exclude and putte awaye all feare and drede of dethe with the moost hyghe contempte therof / but also done ingendre and gette a feruent couetous desyre of dethe Philip. i. c. Saynt Paule vnto wytnes sayenge Cupio dissolui et essem cuÌ„ Christo / I couet sayeth he and desyre / to be dissolued and departed from this lyfe to be with Chryste / for faythe dothe teche assure and gyue certayne knowledge of an other lyfe to come after this lyfe which shall be more pleasauÌ„t without coÌ„paracyon than this lyfe is For to say trouth in this lyfe is no maner of pleasure Amb. lib. ii de CaiÌ„ St Abel Capi. x. Augusti Catho without some maner of passyon or payne goynge before or folowynge after And therfore saynt Augustyne sayet / it shulde rather be called a deth than a lyfe / contrarye this deth shulde be called lyfe / because it is the ende of all dethes that is to saye the ende of al myseryes / all sorowes all syckenesses all diseases all troubles / all paynes whiche in them selfe ben dethes Ambrosi s de b o o mortis capi-viii et Boetius de coosolatione .i. i. Cor. xv And also because it is nat onely the ende of all euylles / but also the begynnynge of all that is good as of all felicyte ioye gladites coÌ„forth and pleasure / of lyfe euerlastynge For as by this wretched lyfe is one passage vnto dethe / so by this dethe / is oure retourne vnto lyfe / for yf we shulde neuer expyre and dye / we shulde neuer ryse to lyfe agayne And yf we neuer ryse we shuld neuer be rewarded in our bodyes / for the great miseryes paynes that we done here suffre in them for the loue of god i. Cor. xv And if that were true / than were we as saynt Paule sayeth / in more myserable state and in wors case than any other people But our faythe doth make vs sure and certayne of resurrectioÌ„ where we say Carnis resurrectionem / that is to say I beleue the resurrexion of our flesshe and bodyes / as in our commune Crede Hope also doth helpe moche vnto the dispysyng of deth For whan a person hath full fayth that god maye and can do all that he wyll / that he is of suche goodnes that he dothe loue vs all than doth hope folowe that faythe / and so dothe verely trust and byleue to haue after or in the sayd resurrexion euerlastyng rewarde and that rewarde shall be good and pleasaunt ioyouse and confortable It shall be a great rewarde as moche as may be desyred or gyuen / it shal be all god hym selfe And this rewarde than muste nedely cause a great loue that is charyte very charyte / and loue dothe nat onely dispyse deth / but also causeth a feruent desyre therof Here some persones done saye syr / yf we were certen and sure of that rewarde after our deth / we shuld set lytle by deth and be content and glad to depart wherunto I saye that all we may be sure therof yf we wyll our selfe For our lorde hath frely gyuen vs that grace Augusti that we may wyll and so wyllynge disposynge our selfe therunto he may nat of iustyce / ne wyll of his goodnes withholde it from vs. Diuus Thoma i. sent That rewarde thaÌ„ he ordeyned and promysed vnto them that loue hym / done worke there after Well syr say you it is harde so well to worke in this lyfe / that we may come vnto that rewarde without payne after this lyfe and that payne is it / that feareth vs more than dothe the payne of deth / and causeth vs to be so lothe to dye and departe hens For we wolde lyue lenger to amende our lyfe and to do penaunce to auoyde or at the least to minysshe make lesse that payne Vnto this I saye true penaunce done for the loue of god / may as well in short tyme as in longe auoyde or minysshe that payne / as is euydent in hym that hange by our sauyour on the crosse vnto whom he sayde ♣ Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso Thys day shalt thou be with me in paradyse it is than nother the longe tyme nor the short nor yet the penaunce that dothe put away or make lesse that payne of it selfe but the loue of god / for whose sake that penauÌ„ce is done and that loue may be in a persone feruente in shorte tyme as well as in longe / and all the penaunce that is done Grego probatio a mortis is nothynge but a profe of that loue / so
¶ A dialoge or coÌ„municacion bytwene the curate or ghostly father the parochiane or ghostly chyld For a due preparacion vnto howselynge âšœ ¶ The werke for housholders with the golden pystle and Alphabete or a crosrowe called and A. B. C. INRI ¶ Vnto the deuoute reders in our lorde god moste swete sauyour Iesu Rychard whytford your pore bedeman of Syon Salutacyon WHere in a lytle werke the of late we send forth at the requeste of deuoute persones vnto housholders we dyd sette forthe / a breue and short forme of confessyon / heryng and perceyuyng that the sayde werke was thankfully and charitably receyued supposynge that so deuoute receyuers ben well exercised / and haue profyted therin we haue nowe here for your fourthere increase of vertue put forth vnto you a nother lesson howe / when you ben disposed mynded to receyue the holy sacrament of the aulter you shuld prepare ordre make your selfe redy spiritually apparele your selfe therunto For I acerteyne you ther is no ê‘sone in this worlde can tell you with how greate reuerence howe depe deuotion howe lowe and meke harte / with howe reuerente drede howe pure and cleane conscience with howe well adornate garnyshed appereled soule with howe firme stedfast fayth with howe hyghe stronge hope with howe ardente feruent in flamyng and burnyng charite any true Christian shulde accede approyche go vnto that honorable meruelouse and moste hyghe mystery where doubtles is presente the very naturall body / and soule flesshe blode of our lord sauyoure Iesu very god / very man in one ê‘sone very christ his humanytie and his diuinite The blessed trinite father sone holy ghost also our blessed lady saynte Mary with in numerable multitude and nowmbre / of gloryouse aungels and holy sayntes ben ther also present all how be it inuisible doyng therunto that holy sacrement due honour reuerence / and obeysaunce Hit is therfore muche conuenient / and necessarie that due and diligeÌ„t preparation / shulde be made therunto when so euer hit be receyued Not withstoÌ„dynge I do not requyre ne moue you to rede and recounte all that here is wryten / at euery tyme yet were it good so to do if you haue tyme but that hit maye lyke you to rede hit ones ouer and then to marke out suche places as beste done lyke you / and vse theÌ„ or parte of them as you haue tyme and leyser and thus fare you well in our Lorde who blesse you all Amen ¶ A dialoge or communicacion bytwene the curate or ghostly father and the parochiane or ghostly chylde For a due preparacion vnto how selyng ¶ The ghostly chylde Syr I thanke you for the charitable labours you toke with me wheÌ„ I was last with you And I haue accordynge vnto your coÌ„maundement called my houshold together and taught theym the same lesson that you then and before tyme. haue taught me And for the more suerty I haue caused all your sayd lessons to be set forth in prynt that other persones may haue as we haue edificacion therby ¶ The ghostly father ¶ Good ghostly chylde I am ryght glad of your so deuout mynde and good wyll to profet in vertue our lorde be praysed And I shal be glad as my duety to conforte you therin nowe that you haue a good fundation grownd therunto by that forme and maner of lyuyng and also if you by fraylte offende and fall therfrome by the remedy of the holy sacrament of confessyon I shall shewe you an ordre and a good waye or meane how you shuld prepare and make your selfe redy vnto the holy sacrameÌ„t of the aulter when you shall be communed or howseled For saynt Poule commauÌ„ded his disciples to proue i. Cor. xi and examen well them selfe in conscience byfore they shulde approyche or go vnto this holy sacrament For who so euer sayth he do receyue it vnworthely doth receyue hit vnto his owne iudgement and condempnation And our sauyour hym selfe dothe shewe howe this holy sacrament shulde euer be ministred in the memorie and remembraunce of hym Luc. xxii Saynt Paule also how oft so euer you receyue the sacrament saythe he so oftymes shuld you represent and shewe the deth of Christ i. Cor. xi vnto the tyme he come vnto the last iudgement By these sayde auctorites confirmed by our mother the holy church with many holy doctours doth appere that two thynges shal be conuenient necessary vnto euery persone that shall receyue this holy sacramente That is to saye Fyrste due serche of conscience so that no maner of synne vnto knoweledge and remembrauÌ„ce remayne or be left therin The seconde that the persones so clered in conscieÌ„ce / shuld ordre appoynte them selfe vnto some maner of memorie by meditacyon or contemplacion / of our lorde / and sauyour Iesu / and of the actes of our saluation I wold therfore aduyse all maner of persons / that wheÌ„ they wyll accede approych vnto this holy mistery they fyrst be confessed if they coÌ„ueniently can haue a ghostly father / for although they know not theyr conscience charged with any mortall or deedly synne yet shall the approbacion of theyr ghostly father be vnto theym both confortable / and also suerty And for this parte / the forme of confession that we sett forthe in the other werke for housholders may serue you / hit is but lytle / and of lytle pryce / so maye the rather be ioyned hervnto and both bownden to gether and you more redely maye haue at hande that is referred froÌ„ the tone vnto the tother For the seconde parte that is meditation / muche necessarie for you at this tyme I wolde counseyle you the of destinate harte appoynted and wylfull purpose you shulde fyrste geder yourselfe vnto your selfe that is to say your soule harte mynde and wyll in as muche as you may with all force and diligence holly clerely from all cures cares charges and busynes of the worlde and frome all bodyly maters and all cogitatioÌ„s and thoughtes that by any meanes myght lett you hynder you in this exercise and so to compell your spirite to labor alone herin And then coÌ„mend your selfe wholy vnto our lorde thus In manus tuas domine commendo spiritum meuÌ„ redemisti me domine deus veritatis That is to saye âšœ good lorde god / I commende / byquethe / render / gyue / and bytake my spirite / my harte / my mynde / and soule / wholly vnto thy haÌ„des power and gouernaunce For thou good lorde the very god of trouthe haste redemed bought me And those persones that bene lerned maye saye this ympne The fyrst verse VEni creator spiritus mentes tuoruÌ„ visita imple superna gratia qÌ„ tu creasti pectora âšœ That is to meane Come vnto vs good lord god holy ghost creatour and maker of all the worlde with the father and the sone Visite and
and yet muche more kyndnes if he were not his frende but his enemye and foo and also to pay for his det / and delyueraūce no smal pryce but his owne blode his lyfe also this I saye were a maruelouse benefyte an excedyng kyndnes although he dyd no more But our lord sauyour dyd yet more for man For he dyd not onely delyuer hym fre and out of daunger but also rewarded hym made hym butyfelowe of all his goodes and heyre with hym of all his landes possessiōs brought hym vnto hyghe honoure dignite and degre he brought hym vnto the presens of his owne naturall father and there after his ascencion he toke possession for man / and so made hym his brother / and coenheritor of all that he had Loke well hereupon and consyder how great a rewarde this was and yet shall you se more added herevnto For many in this world haue ben made heyres and possession taken for thē and yet dyd they neuer inioy the same But our lord and sauyour when he had delyuered man in forme byfore shewed and had also put hym in possession therof ordeyned yet a forther meane to make mā surely to inioy the same and to haue the moost pleasaunt vse therof whiche was in sendyng downe the holy ghoste whiche accordynge vnto his promyse shuld instruct Ioh. xvi and teche his apostles disciples and by them all christianes the very trouth of all maner of thynges apperteynynge vnto mannes saluacion and shuld also subministre put into theyr hartes / and myndes to put the same in execucion and how and vnder what forme they shulde so do For as I suppose the apostles after the deth of Christe dyd neuer put any thyng in execuciō and vse that our sauyoure had byfore his deth or byfore his ascension committed vnto theyr power vnto the tyme they had receyued the holy ghost For althoughe they had commaūdement and power to preache the gospell and to baptyse and to ministre all other sacramentes to remit or forgyue and to withholde restrayne synne yet dyd not they execute or put in vse any thynge but only whē Christ was among them before his passion vnto the tyme they had receyued fully the holy ghoste at Pentecoste excepte only the election of saynt Mathie bycause the nombre of the apostles myght not be vnperfect So then they receyued fully the holy ghost not only for theym self but also for all other that by thē shulde byleue vnto the ende of the world Thē dyd they ministre the holy sacramentes and taught theyr disciples / by them all Christianes the due forme and maner therof whiche forme hathe euer sythe that tyme and euer shall cōtinue in Christes catholicall churche / what so euer theyse new heretykes say vnto the contrary In whiche holy sacramentes we haue not onely the person of our lord and sauyoure hym selfe but also the other two persons the father the holy ghost all one self and same essenciall god to remayne byde and dwell amonge vs vnto the worldes ende this gyfte and rewarde is moch to be noted / and maye well suffise for the fyfthe consyderacion of this entrepryse of the werke of remuneracion ¶ The syxte consyderacion of the werke of glorificacion YOu may well perceyue good deuout christians by that is sayd that our lord Iesu hath not onely redemed and bought vs dere but also most lyberally graciously rewarded vs dayly doth not onely forgyue our synnes and offenses at the fyrste askynge or mouynge but dothe also gyue vs great gyftes for small and dothe so multiplie here our merites that we may come yet vnto a greatter gyft and rewarde whiche is in vs his werke of glorificacion For after this lyfe he wyll make vs gloriouse gyue vs the same doweres that he hath now in hym selfe that is to say clarite or clerenes agilite or nimblenes subtilite or sklendernes and īmortalite so that we shall neuer dye ne suffre any damage This gyfte and werke is so noble and of so hygh honour dignite and degre that to intreate forther therof doth passe my pore wyt and therfore I praye you be cnotent for this syxth consyderacion of the werke of glorificacion ¶ The .vii. cosyderacion of the werke of fruicion YEt yet as though this were not ynough he wyll gyue more For many in this worlde haue full great honour / hygh dignites and excellente degrees yet haue but lytle ioy therwith but rather haue many greues many displeasures many incōmodites I trow I myght well say many necessites many miseries But our lorde wyll gyue vs the fruiciō of hym self that is to say to inioy hym and to be in his godly presens and to haue the very vse of hym selfe at all libertie and pleasure and there to se hym face to face as he is i. Corin. xiii d and so in hym to se and knowe what we wyll or cā desyre and also to haue the full possession of hym selfe and of all his and this also withoute any myxture of euyll greue or displeasure ¶ This gyft is aboue all the other byfore rehersed and maye therfore serue contēt you for this .vii. cōsyderaciō of the werke of fruicion ¶ The eight laste cosyderacion of the werke of sure perseueracion duraunce THese benefytes rewardes and gyftes of our lord ben very great many and excellent gyftes But yet your benygne lord most louyng sauyour is not cōtent to leue you without any thinge that he may gyue so that you may not possible aske desyre thinke or ymagyn any thyng more to be gyuen therfore he wyll vnto all his other gyftes adde gyue you the suerte and certente of perseueracion duraūce For if a person had as muche ioy as all heuē hathe and were not certeyne nem suerte to contynue therin that ioy were not fully perfecte For that thynge onely is perfecte vnto the whiche no thynge may be added / or put therunto but as longe as a person myght stonde in feere or doubt to lose that ioy or any parte therof he were not in full perfecte ioy And therfore wyll our louyng lord for the full perfection of your sayd ioy giue you there a suer and certeyne knowledge of all these ioyes to perceuer īdure and laste without minushynge or mutacion worlde without ende vnto the whiche ioy knowledge he bryng vs that bought vs our lorde god / moste swete sauyour Iesu vnto whom be glory due laude prayse / with the father and the holy ghost / one god in secula seculorum Amē ¶ An addicion vnto this foresayd meditacion I Was requyred of a good deuoute persone to ioyne these sayd cōsyderacions vnto .viii. notable dayes conteyned in scripture that is to say .vi. dayes of creacion and production or bryngyng forth of creatures the .vii. of reste / and the .viii. of eternite and so to shewe howe these werkes of our lorde may be
nowe of late I haue ben compelled by the charytable instance and request of dyuers deuout persones to wryte it agayne agayne And bycause that wrytynge vnto me is very tedyouse I thought better to put it in print / wherunto I was the rather moued / that I perceyued by the prynters you haue thankfully taken suche other poore labours as we before haue sende forth Rede this I pray you ones ouer after as you lyke it is but very short and therfore haue I not deuyded it into chapytours but only into .ii. partes In the fyrst parte wherof is intreated of the fere / or drede of deth to be excluded exiled and vtterly put awaye In the .ii. parte is put forth The dayly exercyse and experyence of deth ⧠Of the dayly exercyse of deth the fyrst parte whiche is of the feare or drede of deth / to be excluded exyled and to vtterly be put away REuerende Mother and good deuout sisters you haue many oftentymes with great instance requyred me to wryte vnto you some breue / or short lesson of deth and howe you shulde prepare and ordeyne your selfe dayly therunto This lesson is very short playne after saynt Augustine De teÌ„pore serm ii c. xxxix for he sayth the lest lesson and the best meane to dye well is well to lyue For who so well lyueth saythe he may nat euyll dye Then done we lerne to dye well / whan we lerne well to lyue / and that lesson can you teche me better thaÌ„ I you For you haue longer vsed the crafte and gyuen more dilygeÌ„ce therunto Notwithstandynge somwhat in parte to satisfye your deuout myndes somwhat / after our poore vnderstandynge shall we say But fyrst as semeth vnto me it is necessarye spedefull that we inforce and gyue dilygence to auoyde exclude exyle and put ferre away that chyldyssh vayne and folyssh feare and drede of deth that many persones haue for doubtles it is both vayne and folye to feare drede that thynge that by no meane may be auoyded yet some persones ben so afrayde of deth / that they shrugge tremble and quake whan they here speke therof and renne or departe out of company / bycause they wyll nat here tell of dethe And to excuse theyr folye they take auctoryte of Aristotle the great Philosophour iii. EthicoruÌ„ ca. i. tra â–ª ii M. xxvi d. Mar. iiii d. L. xxii T ii Co. v. a. that sayth that of al terryble thynges deth is moste terryble / ouer that our sauyour byfore his passyon was afrayde of deth and naturally dyd abhorre it for the payne therof Saynt Paule sayth also / that we wolde nat be spoyled of our bodyes / and yet wolde we haue the clothynge of immortalyte vpon whiche / and apon lyke auctorytes they coÌ„clude that deth is peynfull and therfore to be feared and dred For declaracyon hereof you must vnderstande that the drede of deth may be taken .ii. wayes for .ii. causes / one for the payne that is in the departynge of the soule / and the body by deth And an other waye / or cause for the vncertente of the houre of deth and of the state of the ê‘son in that houre or tyme. This feare drede of deth shulde euery person haue euery houre But as vnto the fyrst feare that is for the drede of the payne in deth that feare is vayne For in deth is no payne or ryght lytle to be feared / as after we shall shewe Arystotle sayth in dede Vbi su that deth is terryble fearefull / but that is vnto them alone sayth he that doubt of any other lyfe after this present lyfe yet say they that euery man doth abhorre and lothe dethe Obiection and dothe what he can to auoyde deth / and to prolonge lyfe / and that is generall in all lyuynge thynges / Aunswere vnto that I say that nature dothe worke / and cause in all thynges the apperyte and desyre to be contynued and to endure and last for euer / and therunto dethe infors as muche as nature may / other in them selfe or in theyr frute and kynde But therof doth nat folowe that any peyne is in deth ne any feare or drede to be takyn therfore As by example of trees and frutes as well as of sensyble bestes The trees when they wexe olde don naturally put forth newe sprynges from the rote and the frutes when they be grene and yonge wyll nat departe from the tree nor the sedes from the herbe / or grayne excepte vyolence but when they ben full rype / then wyll they naturally of them selfe / and by them selfe departe without any vyolence So is it in man after a lyke maner that when the person is in nature yong grene lusty and stronge / and in the body conformyte / and lyke state of complexcyons deth is then horrible hugsum and fearefull vnto the persone bycause it is then vyolent But when the persone is full rype that is to say / worne by age or sekenes vnto the point of deth Then is nat deth vnto that person any thynge lothsome fearefull ne peyneful / but rather swete pleasant and desyrous and so sayth Arystotle in his boke of naturall philosophye Mors senum Phi. v. dulcis est Iuuenum vero violenta The dethe of aged persones sayth he is swete and pleasaunte / but the dethe of yonge persones is vyolent and greuous / yet say I that the feare is nat for the peyne of deth in departynge of the soule For then is no peyne / but all the peyne is in the sekenes disease / and affliccyon before dethe For the persones that as I sayde ben worne or wasted vnto the poynte done dye and departe this life nat only without sorowe or peyne but also with gladnes swetnes and pleasure And so sayth the same philosophour Arystotle in an other boke Aristot de vita morte Cicero i. Tusc And so dothe also an other greate philosophoure / and lerned Tullie And I dare well say that in dethe is lesse peyne vnto suche persones then is in the prycke of a pynne or nedyll vnto a whole persone The feare than that our saui-had before his passyon / was nat for the peyne of deth but it was of the fraylte of our nature in his carnall flesshely parte for the paynes that he knewe wel shulde precede / and go before dethe And the peyne doth our sensualyte / and our carnall parte / alway abhorre / feare naturally all though in some persones more / and some lesse For you may se in experyence / that some ê‘sones ben redy to swone or talme / yf they se an other ê‘sone sore wouÌ„ded / blede or put vnto great peynes / some done shake for feare / whaÌ„ they here tell howe some other persones shal be racked and streyned And some persones wyll abhorre to loke vpon the instrumentes or ingyns of tourmentrye as chyldren
displeasure may remayne ne folow but vnto them that well hope / shal wel happe / what tyme so euer they go But yet ben they most happye / and gracyouse that in state of saluacyon done dye and departe this lyfe in theyr youthe / and strength For vnto them immedyately after theyr deth must nedely folowe one of these twayne that is that they must go streyght way vnto heuyn or els vnto payne If they go vnto payne / than the soner they dye / the shorter tyme they lyue the lesse there and the shorter tyme shall be theyr payne And ouer that they shall haue the greattest comforde that any creature may haue beyng out of heuyn For the whiche comforde to be had any faythfull person wold be glad to suffre any maner of most cruell horryble payne or passyon that is to say surety of saluacyon SaÌ„ctus Thoma iiii sent di xv q. .iii. ar l. For all the soules beynge in payne ben coÌ„munely sure certayne of theyr saluacyon that whaÌ„ theyr penaunce is paste and theyr synnes purged / they knowe for certente they shal go into heuen vnto euerlastynge ioy and comfort But remembre that I sayde / they ben communely sure certayne of saluacyon For it may be that some one or fewe soules haue nat that knowledge / but that god for some specyall offence / and for a speciall payne punysshement therof doth hyde kepe that knowledge from them as we haue in the reuelacyons of our holy mother saynte Byrget And that payne is more alone thaÌ„ all the paynes of the other soules For that sure knowledge of saluacyon Live vi c. xxxix r. is vnto them a synguler confort in all paynes and dothe cause them to suffre the paynes with good wyll in the charyte of our lorde glad to suffre moche more at his gracyous wyll and pleasure If those that departe this lyfe go streyght vnto heuyn than ben they ferre more happye that from the miseryes of this wretched worlde they be come vnto the pleasaunt possession of so great vnspekeable ioye For you may be sure it is an excellente ioye to be there in companye with the pure virgynes the holy confessours / the gloryous martyrs / diuyne apostles sage patryarches / bryght shynynge aungels / and the virgyn mother our blessyd Lady and all these to se and beholde with our reuerende lord and souerayne sauyour Iesu Chryst / And all before the presence of the blessyd Trinyte / father son holy ghost there prayenge all for vs and lowly besechinge the hygh mageste eterne euerlasting god For al maÌ„kynd I thiÌ„ke verely beleue that any faithful christiane wold be glad to expire suffre dethe euery day newely / if it were possible oftimes in the day so he were sure that he therby myght atteyne come vnto the pleasure / why thaÌ„ nowe I speke with stomake why for shame shuld we as cowardes or chyldren fere drede deth specially sith deth is nothiÌ„g but like vnto a slepe For the old philosophours said that slepe was a very ymage of deth as one maÌ„ may knowe an other by his ymage althogh he had neuer se ne hiÌ„ before ii Mac. xii IohaÌ„ xi Iob. so may we know what deth is by the ymage which is slepe so is it called also iÌ„ scripture iÌ„ diuers places our sauiour him selfe said the lazarê° slept whaÌ„ he was ded / deth also is called a shadow / but your ê‘ceyue wel se that folkes beÌ„ nat afrayde of a shadow nor yet of step nother For oftimes we slepe with our feare or drede and without any payne or grefe / but rather with desyre and pleasure / why shulde we than feare deth syth we so euydeÌ„tly done se perceyue by the ymage howe lytle dethe is to be drede / let vs therfore put awaye this opinyonatyue feare and drede of dethe / and syth it dothe dayly approche wayte for vs let vs agayne with glad mynde and redye good wyll abyde and wayte for it and haue therof a thurst and a desyre / rather than any feare or drede howe be it of a suretye dethe is than lest feared and most desyred whan the lyfe of the persone / may at the tyme of deth be of sure and vnfayned godly frendes / conforted with the true testymonye and prayse of vertue / wherfore good deuoute chrystynes althoughe your reason lernynge be nat sufficyent to cause or to perswade you / vtterly to dispyse deth / yet let your well spente lyfe clere conscyence perfourme and so satisfie you that you be perswaded and verely beleue as a trothe euydent and opyn vnto you / that to lyue lenger were more miserye / that your lyfe hath be verey longe or rather ouerlonge If it had pleased our lorde before and erste to haue called you Thus now good Chrystianes let vs without any care of deth leaue the carnall mournynge and waylynge therof / vnto our suruyuyng frendes / that with lamentacyon / and shal inteere and burye our bodyes And let vs take an other maner of care and dilygence / to prepare apparell and to order our selfe vnto that thynge that we knowe well no persone shall auoyde nor escape / byleuynge and trustyng verely that he that made vs of nought / and whan we were lost wold so derely bye vs agayne / wyll nat suffre vs to dye But rather as I sayd before to chaunge this wretched lyfe for an other more precyous and ioyful / onely to be desyred All this hytherto haue I sayde to the intente that you shulde exyle exclude and put away ferre from you the commune feare full fantasye of the odious opinyon of deth / and somwhat to ingendre and bylde in you a contrarye opinyon A couetous desyre to be with our lorde Amen ⧠Nowe shall folowe the seconde parte of this interpryse / of the dayly exercyse and experyence of deth ⧠Of the exercyse and experyence of dethe The seconde parte of this interpryse FIrst you must knowe what is exercyse / and what is experynce / howe by them you may come vnto the knowledge of deth An exercyse than is an acte dede an vse of workynge or laborynge Than done you exercyse vertue Defini of exercice whan you put it vnto vse and workyng therof the exercyse of deth / is the acte and vse of the workyng therof Defini of experyence 1. Meth. Experyence is a knowledge that without any maister or techer is founde out and gotyn by exercyse and vse Ibidem And by many experyences sayeth Aristotle arte / crafte or connynge is ingendred and gotyn so the experieÌ„ce as he sayth doth apê‘tayne by long proprely vnto singulare ê‘sones art craft or coÌ„nyng vnto al ê‘soÌ„es And although that artcraft or connyng that is called speculatyue may be had by lerning of a techer or by dylygent studye / yet this arte or craft
that we speke of here must nedely be had by experyence / and experyence by exercyse and vse So that yf you wyll haue the actyue knowledge of dethe / by the arte and crafte therof you must begynne fyrste at exercyse and vse And yet can no man put a thynge vnto exercyse / without some introduction and leadynge therunto / other by techynge studye or naturall disposicyon you muste than knowe fyrst what the thing is that you shall put in exercyse / and so to haue experyence and knowledge therof that is to say you must knowe what dethe is / or what is ment by this terme or worde dethe For the selfe terme deth dothe signifye / and is taken dyuersly iÌ„ dyuers maners Somtyme dethe is taken called a chaunge of lyfe So the coÌ„mune people done often vse it as whan they say of a deed person / he is nat deed say they out he hathe chaunged his lyfe / and so dothe saynte Ambrose say as we shewed before De bono mortis And yet chaunge of lyfe is called deth in dyuers other maners As whan a person dothe fall by synne froÌ„ good lyfe vnto the state of damnacyon or contrary / whan he doth aryse by grace from synne vnto the state of saluacyon Ro. vi â— Saynt Paule dothe shewe bothe vnto the Romaynes / as whaÌ„ he sayeth that in our baptysme we ben buryed with Chryst vnto deth from synne / and we byleue we shall aryse agayne with Chryste vnto a newe lyfe of grace Rom. i. â— And for the tother parte he sayeth that occasyon hathe deceyued the frayle person / and so hathe slayne hym brought him to deth This chaunge of life is Augusti that spirytuall dethe / that as saynt Augustyne sayeth doth departe god from the soule For god is the lyfe of the soule / whan god than is by synÌ„e departed there from the soule is deed And this is the deth onely to be feared abhorred / as the worste dethe of all dethes / and yet to saye trouthe there is none other dethe euyll / except onely that dethe that must nebely folowe this deth / that is to say the deth of both body and soule eterne and euerlastyng damnacyon The other maner of dethe that I spake of / that is the chauÌ„ge of euyll lyfe vnto good / and of the whiche as I sayde saynt Paule wrote vnto the Romanes Rom. vi is a good deth / whiche you and euery faythfull persone haue exercysed and oft put in vse by reason of the holy sacramentes And whan nede shal requyre ben redy so to do / whan I speke here of euyll lyfe to be chauÌ„ged I meane nat the state onely of mortall or deedly synne For many persones that ofte done vse the sacrameÌ„tes / done lyue without any deedly synne / but I meane the lyfe spotted with any vyce or synne Mercu. trismeg For a great clerke sayeth Omne donuÌ„ nostruÌ„ mixtum est cuÌ„ malo Euery thinge good that is ours / doth appertayne vnto vs is mixed or myngled with euyll So that our whole lyfe is euer mixed coupled cumbred with some vise euyll / which natwithstandynge may by the grace of the sacramentes be dayly purged and so our life chauÌ„ged / and we therby haue the exercyse vse experyence of this deth But yet is there an other maner of deth called of lerned meÌ„ meditatio mortis / that is to meane the meditacion that is to saye the cogytacyon thought and remembraunce / the busynes tractacyon or intreatye mencyon disputacyon of dethe Tota vita philosophorum meditatio mortis est All the whole lyfe of philosophers and wyse men saye they is the coÌ„mentacyon remembraunce mencyon or disputacyon of deth / oft mencyon remeÌ„braunce / oft disputacyon and discussyon of any thyng doth cause it to be the better knowen Cicero Macer libro i. de somno SipioÌ„is Eras in Euchr. And men coÌ„munely wyll make oft mencion speke and talke often of that thyng wherunto they haue desyre loue or haue good mynde and affection And coÌ„trarye they wyl nat here tell of that thyng that they hate and loue nat and so is it of many persones that wyll nat here speke ne any mencyon made of deth And yf by chaunce any mencyon be made of dethe agayne theyr myndes and wylles / they wyll lyfte vp the hande and blesse them or els murmure out softly some supersticyous prayers as though they harde speke of the deuyll / or of some abhomynable cruell dede And certaynly it is no meruayle thoughe suche persones be affrayde to dye and lothe therunto / because they be nat acquoynted with deth nor be exercysed therin But as in case a person that longe tyme had layne fetred in prysone / coulde nat for lacke of exercyse go faste ne renne whan he were newly put vnto lyberte / so these maner of persones wrapped in the worlde / fetred in the flesshe / can nat quyckely and couragyouslye for lacke of experyence walke the way of deth whiche natwithstaÌ„dyng they must nedely trede / passe whether they wyll or no. Lacke I say of exercyse vse and experyence / causeth these persones to feare and drede dethe As by example chyldren and some women or such ê‘sones neuer had experieÌ„ce ne knowledge of a bugge that is a personage that in playe dothe represent the deuyll at the fyrst syght / ben moche affrayde therof in so moche that some ê‘sones haue ben in ieoê‘dye to lose theyr wytte reasoÌ„ therby But whaÌ„ they afterward haue knowledge what it was by vse haue experieÌ„ce therof they ben than nothyng affrayde therof but rather done take pleasure ther in So is it of them that haue nat the experieÌ„ce of deth / bycause they will nat take but rather wyll they fle / auoyde / the vse exercise therof But yf they knewe what / how great profet there is in the exercyse / meditacyon oft recorde remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of dethe they wolde nat fle nor auoyde it but rather with studye diligence gyue applye them selfe dayly therunto Ec. i. d. Psalmê° xxxviii The wysemaÌ„ saith Fili memorare nouissima tua c. In al thy werkes sone sayth he remembre thy laste ende / and thou shalte neuer offende god The prophete therfore prayde vnto our lorde sayenge Notum fac mihi domine finem meum Good lorde sayeth he let me haue knowledge of my last ende as though he sayd Good lorde gyue me grace that by the dayly exercyse and meditacyoÌ„ of deth I may haue an experyence and knowledge of my last ende euermore to be redy therunto / accordyng vnto thy wyll pleasure Nothyng is more valyaunt to expell and put awaye synne from the soule nor yet more profytable to replenyssh garnysshe the soule with good vertues then is the dayly exercyse meditacyon of dethe But howe to put apply
them selfe vnto that exercyse all ê‘sones can nat tell For many that fayne wolde haue and vse the meditacyon and exercyse of deth haue nat the way ne knowe any fourme or fassyon therof And yet ben there dyuers fourmes and wayes therof and all good For some persones One maner of exercyse of dethe Tho. done go no forther but to remembre and thynke that deth is the payne of synÌ„e inflycted iudged appoynted by almyghtye god vnto our fyrst parentes and therfore due ryght vnto all theyr posteryte folowers and of sprynge so that no man after them dyd euer escape deth / ne neuer man shall vnto the day of generall iudgement therfore sure it is that we must dye but whan or howe we can nat tell To haue therfore a dayly exercyse of deth I shall set you here .ii. fourmes of this exercyse An other fourme or maner of the exercyse of dethe The fyrste fourme is this that in some conuenyent tyme of the day or nyght appoynted and chosen for this exercyse you shall ymagyne call vnto remembraunce and so set forth before the eyes syght of your soule howe you haue sene or herde of a person that hathe ben condemned by iudgement vnto bodely dethe as to be brent hanged or heded or suche other Than saye or thynke vnto your selfe what and if I were in suche case as that person was I knowe well and knowledge vnto our lorde that I haue deserued more cruel dethe for euery deedly synne is worthy more payne / than any worldly payne or els yf you were in suche case as you haue dremed in your slepe or herde of dremyng / that you shulde forthwith go vnto the execucyon of deth without remedye howe than wolde I do / or howe shulde I then or were bouÌ„de to do for the saluacion of my soule / or yf euer you haue sene or herde of the maner of them that ben nere vnto theyr passage / lye drawyng vpon vnto deth And the people about some wepynge mournyng / some cryenge and callynge vpon the sycke / to remeÌ„bre our lorde god and our moste swete sauyour Iesu Christ / our blessyd lady with other holy sayntes And remembre howe that sycke is than coÌ„bred with syckenes and payne so that he can do lytle for hym selfe / all weke feble infirme And howe than the ghostly enemye the deuyll wolde prese and come in before you with a foule sorte of vgsum souldiours / assayle you in many soÌ„dry wyse / lay before you the multytude of your synnes all your omyssyons of suche good dedes as you might haue done / wherof you were neglygent and all to brynge you vnto dispeyre of your saluacyon that you shulde leaue your faythe / and haue no hope ne trust of mercy ThaÌ„ remeÌ„bre what coÌ„fort it shulde be vnto you at that tyme / that you had prepared made redy before hande for all these maters / howe oftymes you had sene in your soule all this conclusyon howe often you had reasynge vp your frayle hert dispysed deth and nothyng set therby / how you had apointed / to beleue that iÌ„ deth is none euyll but great good / and that you thaÌ„ shuld make an ende of al mysery shortly coÌ„e vnto a better state ThaÌ„ begyn to say vnto your selfe I wil now iÌ„ helth study exercise my selfe with this fourme specially how I shal answere the lothly best that feÌ„de I wyl now iÌ„ this tyme pÌ„sent for the tyme of deth that nedely shall coÌ„e / left vp my haÌ„des hert vnto my lord / besech him of grace succour / thaÌ„ wil I besech the good blessed lady mother of mercy my good angel with my holy patroÌ„s there namyng such saintes as you haue in most synguler deuocyon all the holy sayntes of heuen to be there pÌ„sent with me to ayde confort to streÌ„gth me agayne that cruel best And as vnto my synÌ„es say you I haue gadred them al togeder as ferre as I can remeÌ„bre brought theÌ„ vnto the ston there to be polysshed rubbed scoured that stone is the holy sacrament of penaunce that by the merytes of Chrystes precyous blode / hathe wasshed awaye my synne For I knowe well that one drope alone of that most holy sacred blod were sufficyent and ynoughe / and ferre more than ynoughe / to wasshe and clense all the synne of the worlde / and yet shed he all his blode euery drope And therfore nowe at this tyme for and in stede of that tyme I put the precyous blode with his bytter passyon and his most cruel / and shamefull deth / bytwene me all the synnes that euer I dyd in thought worde or dede betwexe me and his wrath and displeasure And hauynge full fayth and trust vnto his promyse that is that he wyll gracyously receyue all penytentes vnto mercy I now for then boldly prouoke the and deffye the most cruell and false fende and I straytely charge that in his holy blessed name Iesu that if you haue any thinge to lay vnto my charge shewe it nowe tell it out For thou shalt nother confouÌ„de ne feare me / nor yet disconforde me therwith / but rather do me great pleasure to put me in remembraunce ⧠If I haue forgoten to confesse any thynge worthy penaunce / that I may nowe vnto thy confusyon / shewe it and with the wyll at the lest desyre of perfect contricyon and with indignacyon I may cast it at thy face amonge all the other synnes that euer I dyd by any meanes / whiche synnes I vtterly forsake as nothynge appertaynynge vnto me For I am gracyously bathed wasshed and clensed in the precyous blode of my souerayne sauyour Iesu Chryst And therfore I bequethe and commytte all my synne vnto the cruell best / the auctor begynner of all synne with the to remayne from wheÌ„s it came and whether it shall / in the with the eternally to be punysshed And than leauyng him there turne vnto our lorde god vnto our swete sauyour Iesu And as yf you were than at the poynt of deth / are hym hertely forgyuenes of all your offenses / and beseche his goodnes of mercy and grace pray the sayntes as I sayd before to pray for you and than yf you be goynge vnto rest whiche tyme is most conuenyent for this exercise blesse you thus In manus tuas coÌ„mendo spirituÌ„ meum redemisti me domine deus veritatis In nomine patris filii spiritus saÌ„cti Amen Makynge a crosse with a holy candell yf you haue it present after the maner that you haue / iÌ„ your boke for housholders And thus do .iii. tymes together / and so go vnto reste as you shulde go vnto your grace This exercyse good deuout soules is nat to be dispysed / for by dayly vse and custome / it shall ingeÌ„dre and bylde in you a great boldnes and hardynes
So that whan so euer naturall dethe shall approche / you shall than nat as a woman or chyld but as a very man / as a stronge and myghty champyon thus surely armed / stande styfly without feare or drede and lytle care / or rather set nought by deth / but vtterly dispyse dethe as euery houre and tyme redy therunto An other exercyse of dethe But nowe we shall lede you forth vnto an other exercyse of dethe more hygh excellent thaÌ„ this / so to haue experyeÌ„ce of the deth / that more proprely is called dethe / wherby you shall nat onely without fere or drede dispyse deth but also as an hongrye ê‘son you shall haue an auidiouse gredye appetite to thurst wyssh for deth And with a feruent mynde and flamynge desyre / you shall langour mourne and longe for deth Sayenge with saynt Paule Phi. i. â— Cupio dissolui et esse cum Christo I couete wysshe wyll to be dissolued from this presente lyfe and to be with Chryst In this exercyse you shall nat onely haue the experience / and the full arte scyence connyng and knowledge of dethe / but also the very practyse of dethe / so that you shall euery day whan you wyll be as verely deed / accordynge vnto the very definicyon of dethe For deth after all auctours proprely taken is The definicioÌ„ determinacion of dethe A departynge in sondre / of the soule and the bodye To departe than the soule from the body and to rendre and put eyther vnto his propre and naturall place / is the very practyse of deth The propre and naturall place or whome of the soule is heuyn Wherof saint Paule sayth Heb. xiii c. Non habemus hic ciuitatem manentem sed aliam inquirimus we haue here sayeth he no dwellyng place / but we do seke and serche for an other place Gen. iii. c And the naturall place of the body is the earth / for thens it came and thyder it muste agayne / whaÌ„ so euer than the soule by dilygent study is occupyed wholly in heueÌ„ly thynges / and the body lefte without the senses or wyttes / that is without hearyng seynge smellynge tastynge and touchyng / than is that person as deed But that a person for the state of this lyfe may be in suche case / the philosophours done shew determyne Tullie sayeth Plato Cicero in tusc i. quest Fieri potest vt oculis et auribus apertis nihil videamus neque audiamê° It may come to passe sayeth he that thoughe our eyes eares be opyn yet shall we nother se nor here Many a holy person as saynt Katheryne of Sene and dyuers other hath ben so depe in contemplacion that the body for the tyme was with out the senses so that whan they were prycked with pynnes or nedles they nothynge felte So than this exercyse standeth al in contemplacyon which thing who dayly vseth shall be so experte and practysed in deth / that whan so euer it shall approche and come it shall be no new thyng vnto the ê‘son For betwyxt naturall deth and this deth of contemplacyon is lytle difference For as the person that exspireth and departeth this lyfe / dothe leaue and forsake all this worlde and all the care of kynne or frendes / as father mother syster and brother neyghboure / the whole pleasure of all So doth the person that is deed in coÌ„templacyon for that tyme / leaue the body as a lumpe of claye without any mynde care or thoughte therupon / or vpon any other bodely or worldly thyng / wherfore whaÌ„ dethe coÌ„meth as I sayd before it shall nother be newe nor straunge vnto the person that hath ben dayly exercised therin / that had so large experyence therof and often practysed the same But as you haue herde of .ii. marouwse that for tyllynge of theyr lande done laboure sore all day together and at nyght theyr labours fynished and ended / done thankefully and gladly eche departe froÌ„ other vnto theyr owne whomes howses or dwelling places so doubtles done the body and the soule whan theyr labours ben accomplysshed and at an ende / and the due tyme commen / they done gladly and ioyfully departe eche vnto his propre whome / the body vnto his naturall place the erthe And the soule as a prisoner newly losed and put vnto lyberte / doth ren streyght forth hyr redye race / hyr knowen cours / hyr tryed and ofte troden path and her well vsed way vnto her propre and naturall place / that is heuyn But here nowe you wyll are of me / in what maner of contemplacion you may best put this deth in exercyse / and so to haue the said experyence / and practyse of dethe wherunto I answere that althoughe you can teche me that lesson better than I you I wyll sende you vnto the lytle werke that I deuysed vnto youre coÌ„munyon or howselynge For to wryte and setforth all that here agayne shuld be superfluous Specyally syth this werke is so lytle that you may with small coste ioyne or bynde it with that werke And therfore haue I caused it to be prynted of the same volume And yet because you shal nat fynde the ende of this lytle werke all naked and bare / we shall make you a breue and shorte remembraunce of these thynges that there ben sayd in effecte althoughe nat after that same ordre The order of this deth coÌ„templacion Fyrst thaÌ„ purposynge at that tyme to haue the very experyence and practyse of deth / remeÌ„bre depely from wheÌ„s you came For you were nat ne be of your selfe Than remembre that whan you had a beynge / what you were / a filthy lumpe of slymy erth / and yet agayne whan that slymye clay was fourmed and framed vp with your soule / and you a reasonable creature / therunto a creature most noble except aungell / yet were you but an hethen hounde / vnto the tyme you receyued the grace of baptisme Than remeÌ„bre whan where howe and of whom / and by whome you had all that you nowe haue all that you euer shall haue that is or shall be good / and you shal fynde by reason and perceyue that you hadde neuer / ne haue or shall haue any thynge of your selfe but euyll For whan you were nothynge you had a begynnynge in your mothers wombe / and that by synfull generacyon with ful fylthy and lothesum mater / thus you se whan where and howe that is whaÌ„ you were nat you had beyng where in your mothers wombe / howe by synfull concepcyon Of whome thaÌ„ had you al of our lorde god alone And by whome what meane Certenly by the meane of our lorde sauyour Iesu Chryste the seconde person in Trinite very essencyall god one / and the same selfe substaunce and nature with the father and the holy ghost Se well beholde and consydre who
one substaÌ„ce one essencyall god Se nowe I saye and take hede where and with whome you be And here knelynge or rather lyenge downe prostrate vpoÌ„ your face remayne byde dwell here styll / here expyre dye starke deed / vtterly that no soule ne spiryte be lefte or byde in youre body / but all for the tyme so ferre departed / nat onely from all thynges of the world but also from the selfe body that there lyenge as a luÌ„pe of cley be lefte without any senses or wyttes of heryng seynge smellynge tastyng or touchynges So done we rede as I sayde before of saynt Ambrose Aug. li. confes saynt Katheryne of Shene with diuers other This is nowe the moost hyghe poynte of this exercyse and practyse of dethe after the verye definicyon of deth Whiche as I sade is called a departynge of the soule from the bodye For in this dethe for that tyme youre soule is departed from youre body so that you be nat than youre selfe but deed clene froÌ„ your selfe For as the yren lyenge in the fyre / is by similytude al fyre so ben you al one with god Qui adheret deo / vnus spiritê° est â— Cor. vi â— Who so euer sayeth saynt Paule dothe cleue and stycke faste vnto our lorde is with hym one spiryte So ben you than that same thyng that you shall be / with our lorde hereafter that is al one with hym / dwellynge and abydynge in hym and he in you so al diuyne godly Say nowe good deuout soule yf you can thynke or suppose in conscyence that any faythfull christyane vsynge this exercise and so hauynge so large experyence practyse of deth / may haue fele or perceyue any notable payne in dethe / syth nowe in this deth so oftymes exercysed the bodye prycked with pynnes or nedyles feleth no payne at all Or howe may any horrour drede or feare troble or moue that person / that is in suche place with suche company and in such case as before we haue shewed yet saye you syr the deuyll wyll be present at my dethe / what than saye I so peraduenture / he wyll be at this dayly exercyse For so done we rede in the lyues and collacyons of the holy fathers / but that hathe alway ben and euer shall be vnto his coÌ„fusyon / rebuke and hurte / and vnto your triumphe glorye prayse But yet you saye that the syght of that greslye ghost can nat be without great feare wherunto I saye agayne that although the syght of hym be of it selfe horryble vgly fearefull / yet ben there dyuers coÌ„fortes redy at hande to helpe One is that may be sure he can nat hurt you An other is Ex tâ—â— diue Brigit li. vi ca. lxxxxiii â–ª the presence of the holy sayntes your sayde fryndes that wyll restrayne his power and malicyous wyll For they ben moche more valeant and myghty than he is And doubt you nat they wyll al be preste and redy there at the tyme about you / nat feyned but as faithfull frendes with whome well acquoynted and fully knowen / you ben nowe and of longe tyme haue ben very familyer and whomely Truste you surely in them for they wyll nat deceyue you For yf they dyd they were nat faithful / but rather feyned frendes For a very frende sayth the wyseman loueth at all tymes and euer is proued in necessyte or nede at dethe is most nede For although good loue and faythfull freÌ„dshyppe / be well proued in all the lyfe tyme yet is it better proued at the tyme of dethe / and best of all after deth For than coÌ„munely feyned freÌ„des done sone forget But these frendes wyll neuer forget you For as they nowe in your helth done dayly conforte and defeÌ„d you in all temtacyoÌ„s so wyl they at your deth delyuer you out of all daungers / afterwarde wyl they deduce lede coÌ„uey cary or bere you vp vnto the place coÌ„pany before rehersed And yet haue you no meruayle though in the meane tyme they suffre you to be troubled grudged with the opinyon of dethe with the drede of the vgly syght For they done so suffre for your welth meryte that you therby may be exercised with deth and so to be euer redy for it For dethe only semeth euyll and onely is feared by opinyon nat of any other ryght cause For deth of it selfe is very good to be loked wayted for receyued of all ê‘soÌ„s specially thus exercysed / nat onely without feare or drede of payne / but also as we sayd before with feruent desyre great ioy gladnes as the fynall conclusyon and laste ende of all miseryes sorowes and all euyls as the begynnynge of all welthe goodnes that is to saye of euerlastynge helthe and saluacyon in the blysse of heuyn Whyther he brynge vs that bought vs our lorde most swete sauyour Iesu Chryst that lyueth and reigneth with god the father / and with god the holy ghost world without ende Amen ⧠Thus after our poore abilyte haue made an ende of this poore labour of the dayly exercyse experyence and practyse of dethe * WHan I had wrytten vp this lytle werke redye to the pryntyng / it pleased a wyse and well lerned man to take the laboure to rede it ouer and to shewe his iudgement and mynde in dyuers thinges and places And amonge other because I had made mencyon in it / of raptes or transes vnto the whyche in bede very fewe ê‘sons done duely attayne or clymbe come so hye / he aduysed me to warne the deuoute reders therof / that they gyue nat to lyght credence to all suche persones For many of them haue disceyued manye men that were full holy and deuoute For those may sonest be deceyued in such persons because they euer suppose the beste in euery persone without suspicyon of euyll in any person And they ben moost glad to here that our lorde shulde so visyte and comforte hys people But yet such persones may also in them selfe be disceyued dyuersly For some such persons that were simple and very deuout haue ben disceyued by a wycked spiryte / that to illude and mocke them / hath traÌ„sfygured and shewed hym selfe as an angel of lyght / and hath shewed vnto the persones many thynges full good and godly / and some thinges to come after the forme of prophecy that haue truely coÌ„men to passe in effecte and all to cause them to gyue faythe and credence vnto other thynges vnlaufull and false But to wryte here howe such a spiryte shulde be knowen from an angel or a good spiryte it shuld be a longe werke and also superfluus syth who so euer haue mynde to se that matter / may haue it well and playnly set forth and declared in englysshe by a lerned maÌ„ a bacheler of diuinyte / one of our deuout bretherne lately departed whome Iesu
/ and they put to shame and rebuke All this haue we spokeÌ„ for the kepynge of the seconde precepte or coÌ„maundement The thyrde pÌ„cepte ¶ Nowe for the thyrde commaundement I praye you gyue good example in your owne selfe and thaÌ„ teche all yours howe they shulde kepe duely the holy day that is to say in asmoche as conuenientely maye be to be voyde of all maner of worldly bodyly laboures I sayde in asmoche as coÌ„ueniently may be For people must haue meat drynke / the houses muste be appareyled / beastes muste be cured and loked vnto And very vnfayned necessite or nede dothe excuse in coÌ„science The holy daye is ordeyned of god and the churche onely for the seruice of god The due place of the seruyce is the churche vnto all theÌ„ that may conueniently come thervnto And to them that may not / euery honest place of good lawfull occupacion is theyr churche For God is there presente where he is duely and deuoutly serued Take the payn therfore whaÌ„ you may to go forth your selfe / and cal your folkes to followe And whaÌ„ you ben at the churche do nothyng els but that you came for and loke oft tymes vpon them that bene vnder youre charge that all they be occupyed lyke at the leest vnto deuoute christians Mathei xxi For the churche as our sauyour saythe is a place of prayer not of claterynge and talkyng And charge them also to kepe theyr syght in the churche cloce vpoÌ„ theyr bokes or bedes And whyle they ben yong / let them vse euer to knele / stande or syte / neuer to walke in the churche And let them here the masse quyckly deuotly / moche parte knelynge But at the gospell / at the preface / and at the Pater noster teche theÌ„ to stande and to make curtesy at this worde Iesus as the preste dothe Thus in the fore noone let the tyme be spente all in the seruys of god And than in the after noone muste you appoynte them theyr pastyme with great diligence and strayte commaundement Fyrste that in no wyse they vse such vanities as communely ben vsed that is to say / berebaytynge and bulbaytynge foteball tenesplaynge / bowlyng nor these vnlawfull games of cardynge dycynge closshynge / with suche other vnthryfty pastymes or rather losetimes wherin for a suerty the holy day maye rather be brokeÌ„ than if they weÌ„t to the ploughe or carte vpoÌ„ Ester day so it were not done by coÌ„tempte or dispisynge of the commaundement of the lawe ne for vnreasonable couetyse loue of worldly goodes For synne dothe alwaye more defoule and breke the holy daye than doth any bodely werke or occupacion Therfore let them beware of the tauerne alehouse / for drede of dronkennes or of glotony of suspecte places / or wantoÌ„ company for fere of vncleÌ„nes / or lechery / whiche thynges bene vnto youth moste peryllous / of great daunger ieopardy of corrupcion Assigne you therfore and appoynte you them the maner of theyr disportes honeste euer and lawfull for a resonable recreacioÌ„ / and asmoche as conuenieÌ„tly may be lett the sexes be departed in all theyr disportes that is to saye the kyndes meÌ„ by them selfe / and the women by them selfe And also appointe the tyme or space that they be not for any disportes from the seruyce of god Appoynte theÌ„ also the place that you may call or sende for them whan case requyreth For if ther be a sermone any tyme of the daye let them be ther presente all that bene not occupyed in nedefull and lawfull busynes / all other layde a parte let them euer kepe the preachynges rather thaÌ„ the masse if by case they maye not here both To bye and sell or bargayne vpon the holy daye / is vnlaufull excepte it be for very nede Charyte vnto the poore and nedy neyghboures doth lawfully excuse bodely or worldly labours vpon the holy day Loke well you neyther do ne saye wylfully and by deliberacioÌ„ vpon the holy daye any thynge that you knowe in coÌ„science shulde be contrary vnto the honoure of god and thaÌ„ done you iustely kepe your holy daye A very good sure pastyme vpon the holy daye is to rede or to here this boke or suche other good englyshe bokes and gather therunto as many persones as you can For I tell you there shulde be no tyme loste ne mysspente vpon the holy daye Lett this poore lesson nowe coÌ„tente you for these thre coÌ„maundementes of the fyrst table whiche as I sayd done apperteyne belonge vnto almyghty God hym selfe A nother shorte lesson shall we set forth for the commaundementes of the seconde table The .iiii. precepte And fyrste the due reuerende honoure to be done of the chyldren vnto the parentes that is to saye / vnto theyr fathers and mothers Teche your chyldren therfore to aske blessynge euery nyghte knelynge before they go to reste vnder this fourme âšœ Father I beseche you of blessynge for charite or thus Mother I beseche you of charite gyue me your blessynge Than let the father or mother hold vp both the handes and ioynyng them bothe to gether loke vp reuerently deuoutly vnto the heuen and say thus Our lorde god blesse you chylde therwith make a crosse with the ryght hande ouer the chylde / sayng In nomine patris et filii spuÌ„s sancti Amen And if any chylde be styffe harted / stubburne and frowarde and wyl not thus aske blessynge if it be within age let it surely be whysked with a good rodde and be coÌ„pelled thervnto by force And if the persones be of forther age paste suche correction yet wyll be obstynate let theÌ„ haue suche sharpe greuous punysshement as conuenyently maye be deuysed as to fyt at dyner alone and by theÌ„ selfe at a stole in the mydle of the hal / with onely browne breade water and euery persone by ordre / to rebuke them as they wold rebuke a thefe or a traytour Deute xxi d. For in the olde lawe suche chyldreÌ„ were brought before the hole townshype that is to saye the people of the cyte or of that towne there were they stoned vnto deth And certeynly I wold not aduyse ne counseyle any parentes to kepe suche a chylde in theyr house without great affliction and punysshement And therefore I thynke it were moche conuenieÌ„te for ther pareÌ„tes oft tymes to shewe vnto theyr chyldreÌ„ what commodyties and profytes and what perylles ieopardies done folowe the honoure and dishonoure of the pareÌ„tes accordyng vnto holy scripture Some wherof I haue here set forth as is coÌ„teyned in the boke of the wyse man called Ecclesiasticê° Ecclesi iii. â— in the thyrde chapitre Those persones saythe he that bene the chyldren of Christe / ben also the chyldren of his church all suche as thoughe it were by naturall disposicion ben gyuen applyed of that godly disposicion vnto obedience and loue All you therfore that ben
desyre and consente of harte vnto the dede dothe breke this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t Moche more than doth rybauldy breke it and suche maner as befor is sayd The olde prouerbe sayth Who so wyll none euyll do shulde do nothynge that longeth therto The ghostly enemy dothe deceyue many persones by the preteÌ„ce and coloure of matrymony in pryuate-secrete contractes Contractes For many men whan they cane not obteyne theyr vnclene desyre of the woman wyll promyse mariage thervpoÌ„ make a contracte promyse and gyue faythe and trouth eche vnto other saynge Here I take the. N. vnto my wyfe and therto plyght the my trouth And she agayne vnto him in lyke maner And after that done / they suppose they may lawfully vse theyr vnclene behauyoure / somtyme the acte dede doth followe vnto the great offeÌ„ce of god theyr owne soules It is a greate ieopardy therfore to make any suche contractes specially amonge them selfe secretely alone without recordes whiche must be two at the leest For many tymes after the vnlawfull pleasure is paste discorde dothe fall bytwene the parties eyther bycause that as the coÌ„mune prouerbe sayth hote loue is sonecolde ii ReguÌ„ xiii c or els by the meanes of theyr frendes or by some couetyse to haue a better mariage they or one of them done denye the contracte so vnlawfully done mary otherwyse and lyue in aduoutry all theyr lyfe tyme. And bycause the churche cane not openly knowe the thyng that was spoken and done in priuyte they bene thought and supposed so to lyue as lawfully in mariage wher in dede before god they done lyue as noughty packes in dampnable aduoutry and vnlawfull lechery and all theyr chyldren bastardes before God all though they seme otherwyse vnto the worlde Warne therfore your folkes ther be no such blynde bargaynes in youre house or gouernaunce ¶ The .vii. coÌ„maundement is do not thefte Herin correcte your yong persones betyme The .vii. precepte For the chylde that begynneth to pyke at a pynne or a poynte wyll after pyke a peny or a pouÌ„de And so go forth from an apple vnto an oxe and from a pere to a purse or an horse so froÌ„ the smal thynges vnto the greate Whan you take any chyld therfore with the mayner be it neuer so lytle a thynge pay truely at the fyrste tyme and the seconde tyme and prycke the pynnes or the poyntes vpon the cappe or shulder in open syght let all the house wonder vpon theÌ„ and crye all here is the thefe this is the thefe se se the thefe And if they meÌ„de not therby let theÌ„ be so brought through the open stretes with shame ynoughe cruell punysshement For better is it that the chylde wepte in youth and suffre shame and rebuke than herafter the father mother frendes shuld wepe for sorowe and shame at his hangyng and shamfull deth And let euery persone beware of thefte For all other synnes with contricyon / confessyon and penaunce / may be forgyueÌ„ clerely but thefte and all goodes vnlawfully goteÌ„ / can neuer be forgyueÌ„ vnto the tyme that restitucioÌ„ be made that is to saye vnto the tyme those goodes / or the valure of them be restored if the persones in any wyse maye be able therunto Lett euery persone poÌ„der well and wey what vauÌ„tage it is to stele or pyke syth besyde the payne certaynely to be suffred in hell the same goodes in valure must be restored agayne Small goodes truly goteÌ„ done growe and encrease vnto the greate conforte of the persones-And contrary euyll goteÌ„ goodes lyghtly come as they saye and lyghtly go all wast vnto nought with the disconfort of the parties / great combraunce of conscience Se than that all goodes be well goten amonge you The .viii precepte ¶ Of the .viii. coÌ„maundemeÌ„t you haue before some remeÌ„braunce in the lessons of sweryng lyeng The .ix. precepte ¶ The .ix. coÌ„maundemeÌ„t is that no persone shall desyre in mynde nor wyshe that the wedded make of any other persone were lawfully theyr weded make The .x. precepte ¶ And the .x. commaundemeÌ„t is in lyke maner of the goodes For so shulde the parties haue incommodite losse displeasure or disconforte The dedes of these two coÌ„maundementes were forboden of god in the .vi. and .vii. coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes here nowe bene the wylles and desyres forbodeÌ„ That thyng than that no man maye lawfully wyll may no maÌ„ do lawfully Let them therfore beware that do not onely wyll and desyre in mynde / but also done secretely pryuely / and craftely laboure to take theyr neyghboures fermes or his house as they saye ouer his heed or to entyce and get away theyr seruauÌ„tes or any other goodes profytable for the parties For though suche thynges maye seme vnto the worlde lawfull surely they be not without the great offence of god / as contrary vnto his commaundemeÌ„tes And thus an ende of the .x. commaundementes Of the seuen priÌ„cipall synnes ¶ yet muste you haue a lesson to teche your folkes to beware of the seueÌ„ pryncipall synnes whiche ben coÌ„munely called the .vii. deedly synnes but in dede they do call them wronge for they bene not alway deedly synÌ„es Therfore they shuld be called capitall or principall synnes and not deedly synnes These bene theyr names by ordre after our diuisioÌ„ Pryde / Enuy / Wrath Couetyse / Glotony / Slouth / and Lechery Thus don we ordre theÌ„ / accordynge vnto our thre ghostly enemyes / the deuyll / the worlde the flesshe For Pryde Enuy and Wrath done apperteyne and belong vnto the deuyll as chefe mouer of theÌ„ And couetyse dothe apperteyne vnto the worlde as chefe mouer therof And glottony / slouth / and lechery done belonge vnto the flesshe / as theyr chefe mouer whiche thre we done put vnder this ordre bycause that glotony is a great occasyon of slouth For as the prouerbe sayth Whan the bely is full the bones wolde haue reste The full fedde glotton is apte vnto no good werke or laboure but rather all disposed vnto sluggysshenes and slouth And those two betwene them done styre and ê“uoke most vnto lechery The .v. wyttes ¶ Teche them also to knowe the names of the fyue wyttes and to put the fyrste fynger of the ryght hande vnto the instrumentes of the same wyttes that is to say vnto the eare the eye the nose the mouth and than to ioyne clappe both the handes togeder saynge thus Herynge seynge smellynge tastynge and touchynge The .vii. werkes of mercy ¶ It shal be also well done to teche theÌ„ the .vii. workes of mercy which you shuld after your power set forth in werke as you teche theÌ„ in voyce That is to fede the huÌ„gry To gyue drynke vnto the thursty To cloth the naked Herborow or lodge the wayfarynge folkes / or them that haue nede of lodgynge Visite the sycke Redeme the prysoner And bury the deed Here is now an ende hereof A fourme of
/ by many rebukes mocked hym / and whan he coÌ„playned of thurst / they gaue hym eysell gall And whan he had haÌ„ged ther so paynfully the space of thre houres he with lowde crye commendyng his spirite and soule vnto the father of heuen / expired dyed And yet after his departynge to be sure of his deth one of the sowdyours made a wounde in his syde thraste hym vnto the harte with a spere ¶ Sepulture that is to saye the buryinge whan Iosephe ab Aramathie had asked of Pylate his blessed body / he toke hym downe at complyn tyme and buried hym in a newe graue or tombe that he had made for hym selfe ¶ Resurrection / that was whaÌ„ the thyrde daye after he dyd aryse in a gloryous body and soule and appered fyrst vnto our blessed lady his mother than vnto Mary magdalene and after vnto the thre Maries / than vnto saynte Peter and after that vnto two of his disciples at Emaus And the same nyght vnto ten of the Apostles whan all theyr dores and wyndowes were faste shut and closed vp Thus you maye perceyue he dyd appere .v. tymes that same daye of his resurrection ¶ Ascencion / that was whaÌ„ he in many sondry wyses by many apperynges had sufficiently proued assured his gloryous resurrection by the space of .xl. dayes than in the presence of his mother his apostles and in the preseÌ„ce of many other disciples men women he dyd meruelously ascende and stye vp into heuen ¶ The MissioÌ„ or sendyng of the holy ghost that was whan the .x. day after the sayd meruelouse asceÌ„sion accordyng vnto his promyse he sent downe the holy ghost vnto his blessed mother / his apostles disciples wherby they were all fulfylled with grace confyrmed theryn as the fyrste churche of christe and so hath coÌ„tynued / and doth shall coÌ„tynue iÌ„ the churche vnto the ende of the worlde Amen ¶ you now wyll thynke this table ouer loÌ„g for a dayly exercise but you muste remeÌ„bre that the selfe table is conteyned in the fyrst wordes of euery artycle and the resydue is a breue declaracion of the same therfore I shall be contente to set it out alone in selfe wordes whiche ben in noÌ„mbre .xl. ¶ Thus. ¶ Incarnation / Natiuite / Circumcision / Epyphani / Presentation / Egypte / DisputacioÌ„ / HumiliacioÌ„ / EducacioÌ„ / Baptysme / Wildernes / Faste TeÌ„ptacioÌ„ / Victory / ElectioÌ„ / Preachyng / Teachyng / Laboures / Miracles / Maundy / Ministery / ConsecracioÌ„ / SermoÌ„ / Agonye / Betraynge / Takynge / Bisshopes / Pylate / Herode / Pylate agayne / ExaminacioÌ„ / Flagellacion / Coronacion / Condemnation / Fatigation / CrucifixioÌ„ / Sepulture / Resurrection / Ascention / Mission ¶ The ende ¶ Nowe you may se this table is not long but may easely be had by harte and if it so be and dayly vsed I dare well say the persones shall fynde conforte therin bothe to exclude vyce / also to encrease in vertu grace And yet forthermore to coÌ„tynue therin vnto theyr conforte ioye euerlastyng whervnto he bryng vs that bought vs our lord god and most swete sauioure Iesu who guyde you kepe you all Amen ¶ The housholder ¶ Thus haue I nowe in dischargynge of my coscience done fulfylled the cownsell byddynge of my ghostly father that taught me thys lesson whiche cownsell was that I shulde call you all byfore me as well my wyfe and chyldren as myne other seruauntes men / women and chyldren and to teche you thys sayd and same lesson that he taught me Now I pray you all and charge you to do your deuoyr and diligence to followe it and vse it ¶ Also he delyuered vnto me an other prety lesson whiche was not his owne werke but of his translation as foloweth and bad me also teche it you ¶ A breue or shorte monycioÌ„ or counseyle of the cure and gouernaunce of a housholde accordyng vnto policy TakeÌ„ out of a pystle of a great lerned maÌ„ called Bernarde Siluestre put amonge the werkes of saynt Bernarde for bycause that many done iudge and thynke hit was his owne werke Set forth by the same brother FIrste good deuoute christians / take moste hede and gyue moste diligeÌ„ce to ordre your selfe and all youres vnto our lorde accordyng vnto the poore lesson that goeth before / and than se well vnto the substaunce / and guydyng of your house / and goodes Se fyrst that peace be in the house / and that you agre all together / for els all your goodes wyll sone goo to naught Than after the commune prouerbe cut your thoÌ„ges after or accordynge vnto your ledder Spende accordynge vnto your gaynes / gettynges / or reÌ„tes / and not aboue It is also good policy / to haue one yeres rente / or a yeres gaynes in store for chauÌ„ces whiche is not coÌ„trary vnto christianite where extreme or very streyte nede / is not perceyued in the neyghbour A negligeÌ„t or rechles ê‘sone may soone set on fyre destroye great substauÌ„ce Haue therfore a good eye / and garde vnto the diligence of your seruauÌ„tes for vnder theÌ„ your goodes may soone mynushe / and be wasted before you knowe / beware or haue knowlege therof / If your goodes begynne to waste better is lesse rebuke for you to absteyne withdrawe your charges / than to fall in to nedynes / or daunger An olde prouerbe Qui plus expeÌ„dit quam reruÌ„ copia tendit NoÌ„ admiretur si paupertate grauetur That is âšœ Who so done spende beyonde theyr faculte / No meruayle thoughe with nede they greued be ¶ It is therfore a great prouideÌ„ce good foresyght ofteÌ„ to couÌ„te / coÌ„pare your goodes and your gaynes with your expenses OfteÌ„ to ouerse your goodes shal be necessary For your beastes maye take hurte for defaute of fode all though they nothynge aske ne coÌ„playne Aristoti iÌ„ Econo The stepp of the husbaÌ„de maketh a fatte donghyll And the eye of the mayster a fatte horse that is to meane that the presence of the mayster in euery corner / is moche profytable Sumptuous costly weddynges or brydales beÌ„ damage / without honoure ExpeÌ„ses done vpoÌ„ warre ben more honorable than profytable Better is to suffre some wronge to bye peace than to make warre or to kepe warre Coste made vpoÌ„ prodigall persones is clerely loste Coste made vpon kynne frendes is resonable Fede your housholde seruauÌ„tes with honest commune fare / without delicates For the seruaunte that is made a glotoÌ„ shall neuer after mende his maners Glotony is vyle fylthy and stynkyng and wyll make the negligeÌ„t and careles persone soone roten shorte lyued Ecclesi xxxi Meane fedyng with scarcite is vnto the diligent persone / pleasaunte and profytable vpon the holydayes hyghe feastes gyue your housholde plenty of meate but seldome fewe delicates For the vse of delicate fode / wyll soone marre a good