bycause thy brethren and systers of myn vndefyled moders fraternyte haue prayed for the that by thy conuersacyon many sholde be conuerted and be the chyldren of god lyke as before innumerable were made the chyldren of the deuyll by thy wyckednes what more This vysyon vanysshed awaye It was also vnfayned for the woman afterwarde felte in her handes and fete the sorowe of crystes passyon and in other partes of her body Therfore she rose from synne toke her to penauÌ„ce and on the morowe after made her confessyon to saynt Domynyk to whome he enioyned in penaunce to saye the psalter of the blessyd vyrgyn Marye as she was wonte to doo and to be one of her fraternyte whyche she had not before in dede but onely in purpose and entent as it is afore sayd where it is to be noted how moche this sayd fraternyte is worth to them whiche haue it in dede syth it was soo grete valure to this woman hauynge it but in purpose whyles that she prayed deuoutely vnto this vyrgyn Marye the same blessyd lady appered to her with saynt Katheryne sayenge to her Doughter beholde take hede thou hast synned moche therfore thou must suffre grete penaunce for this cause take in penaunce euery daye thre dyscyplynes or thre correccyons wherof euery one shall be of .lv. strokes whiche make a penyteÌ„cyall psalter She sayd also it shall not alwaye nede to haue a rodde but prycke the with thy nayles or pynche thy flesshe in euery place Thou mayst at all tymes doo this penaunce ayenst euery wycked temptacyon and for to obteyne all goodnes and this is a royall preuy penaunce and naturall It may be called the quene of all penaunces This woman herde all these wordes and fulfylled them in dede And as she was thus dayly penytent vpon a tyme saynt Domynyk auauÌ„ced by the power of god sawe in the nyght a wonderfull thynge to all the worlde He perceyued that from the hous of this same Katheryne yssued out .lv. flodes from the membres of a lytell chylde whiche flodes descended to hell in whose comynge the soules there to be purged were gretely comforted O how grete and Ioyfull noyses made they than how many blessynges gaue they vnto this sayd Katheryne veryly the erth sounded agayne to theyr voyces for Ioye There were soules delyuered comforted made hole excluded from theyr paynes by the medytacyon that Katheryne had of crystes passyon in his chyldehode She was alwaye aboute to applye it to the comforte of all true crysten soules departed out of this worlde O meruaylous thynge After this saynt Domynyk sawe a man entre in to Katheryns chaumbre from .v. fountaynes of his body yssewed out .lv. woundes whiche nourysshed and watred all the chyrche mylytante and also this present worlde trees and plantes dyde burgyn byrdes and fysshes were quyckened true crysten people were bathed in those flodes O how grete swetenes was there and how grete worldly gladnes All creatures blessyd this woman Katheryne and prayed for her to almyghty god maker of all thynges And these two meruaylles were shewed for the fyrst fyfty and the seconde And where as this penytent Katheryne began the thyrde fyfty of her psalter Saynt Domynyk sawe a meruaylous grete gyaunt clerer than the lyght of whome yssewed out fyue fountaynes of the fyue fountaynes sprange fyfty flodes whiche neyther descended to therth nor to hell but meruayllously ascended togyder vnto heuen And by them all heuenly paradyse was watred Theyr swetenes was so grete that the aungelles and holy sayntes dyde drynke of theym gyuynge grete thankes to almyghty god whan saynt Domynyck sawe all these meruaylles as Thomas of the temple wryteth he meruaylled gretly why they sholde be shewed and done in the hous of so grete a synner To whome marye the vyrgyn appered and sayd O my frende Domynyk why doost thou meruayle in suche causes Knowest thou not I am a frende to all synners and that the mekenes of god is in me It was my wyll to shewe these vysyons to the of this my doughter that thou sholde preche them to the worlde for this entent that no crysten persone be theyr synnes neuer so grete sholde dyspayre in ony condycyon but alwaye trust in god and his mercy and namely they that wyll flee vnder my proteccyon with this woman Katheryne the holy vyrgyn and martyr saynt Katheryne socoured her very moche whiche alwaye she loued and serued with some prayer from her yonge aege for the congruence of the name More ouer the blessyd moder of god sayd O Domynyk thou haste sene these meruaylles Here now and preche that I soo holy and meke shall saye Shewe that I haue purchased of my sone to all suche as sayth my psalter and are of my fraternyte they shall haue the same excellence whiche the sayd Katheryne hath though they can not se it in this worlde lyke wyse as men can not se god his aungelles the deuylles neyther theyr merytes and vertues in this lyfe Also they can not se the vertue of a precyous stone nor of the sterres therfore the knowlege of heuenly thynges must be moche ferther from them Notwith stoÌ„dynge they shall beholde this excellence after theyr deth Therfore Domynyk be of good comforte preche my psalter and my fraternyte for vnto all suche as hath them I haue purchased not onely to se this excellence but also to haue it eternally in possessyon what sholde I saye more Saynt Domynyck gaue thankes to almyghty god for his grete mercy And this Katheryne made herselfe a recluse she dystrybuted her goodes to the poore people whiche afterwarde was of so grete holynes that many very holy persones came vnto her bycause of her godly reuelacyons To whome appered our lorde Ihesu C. dayes fyfty before her departynge out of this lyfe shewynge the tyme of her deth whiche afterwarde departed out of this lyfe very holy Thre holy vyrgyns one named Iohanne an other Martha the thyrde Lucya sawe her soule departe from the body bryghter than the sonne bytwene the armes of her spouse cryst Her sepulture is in the chyrche of saynt IohnÌ„ lateranence All crysten people by this take hede of how grete vertue the psalter of our lady is with the remembraunce of crystes passyon it is alwaye in strength bothe in lyf and at the houre of deth Therfore let vs prayse and laude our lorde Ihesu and Marye his moder in theyr psalter to th entent we may deserue to haue the Ioyes of heuen here by grace after this lyfe by glorye â—Here endeth a deuoute medytacyon in sayenge deuoutly the psalter of our lady with dyuers ensamples Enprynted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the sonne By wynkynde worde Anno domini M. CCCCC viii the fourth daye of February
vengeaunce and to be our shelde and strength and so lette vs humbly with a meke herte take hym And yf ye fele ony dredes by ymagynacyon or temptacyon or for wordes that ye haue herde or redde in bookes by the whiche ye doubte of saluacyon than thynke on the wordes that cryste hymselfe taught to a man that doubted sayenge and askynge of our lorde who sholde be saued for he thoughte it was to harde to hymselfe for to esche we all the poyntes that ledde man to pardycyon And our lorde badde hym for to saye Credo in deum patrem omnipotentem creatorem celi et terre Et in iesum christū filium cius Byleue sayd our lorde Ihesu that god the fader is almyghty and that no thynge to hym is impossyble but that he may forgyue all synnes and redresse all wronges and brynge the soules to his blysse and thynke ferthermore that his myght and power may do all that his wysdome can and his goodnes wyl and therfore truste fully that by his goodnes he wyll saue you and brynge you to euerlastynge Ioye whan he seeth best tyme for he hath bought you full dere with his precyous blode and paynefull deth And I dare sauely saye that there is none so synfull a caytyf whiche is crystened or wolde be crystened this daye on the erthe all thoughe he were in the syght of god dampnable and in the syght of all creatures also ye and yet were Iuged to be dampned by all scrypture and he wolde for sake his synne and be contryte and aske god forgyuenes he sholde haue mercy and forgyuenes of hym yf it were so that he stode in that case or had a good mynde to stonde so in the tyme of deth he sholde be saued the myght mercy of god is so grete that it surmounteth all his lawes Iugementes and scryptures And so our lorde Ihesus sheweth vs by an example in the gospell of a woman that was founde in aduoutry and by Moyses lawe whiche was ordeyned by god y t she sholde be stoned to the deth But the myght and the wysdome of that blessyd lorde god was soo gretely shewed to the pharyzens whiche accused her that they so largely perceyued theyr synnes that they myght not for shame deme her but stale awaye out of the temple And our lorde Ihesu wolde not deme her but of his gracyous mercy forgaue her all her synnes And therfore be a man or woman neuer soo synfull and that they fele neuer soo many bodely and ghostly synnes alwaye rysynge and sterynge within them they sholde neuer the rather dyspayre of the mercy of god ne be dyscomforted For there as moche synne is there is shewed moche mercy and grace and the goodnes of god is knowen by the forgyuenes of the synne whan a body turneth hym there from and is very contryte but god forbede as I sayd before that ony creature be the more recheles or bolde to synne wylfully for in so moche the mercy of god is so large we ought to be the more besy and dylygent to loue and prayse hym Almyghty god werketh lyke a leche for a leche suffreth somtyme the deed flesshe to growe on hym that he hath in cure but afterwarde he taketh away the same and maketh the quycke flesshe to growe and soo he heleth the pacyent Ryght soo dooth our lorde Ihesu cryste maker of heuen and erth suffreth somtyme a man or a woman to fall in deedly synne but afterwarde of his grete mercy and pyte he putteth to his hande of grace for they that were deedly wounded thorough synne he heleth them and wassheth away theyr synnes with the water of his well of mercy maketh in them quycke vertues to growe wherby he gyueth to theym euerlastynge lyfe Our lorde god is also lyke a gardyner for a gardyner suffreth somtyme wycked wedes to growe in his gardyn and whan the erth thorugh moysture of rayne wexeth tender he taketh pulleth awaye the wedes bothe rote rynde So in lyke wyse dooth our lorde Ihesu cryst he suffreth somtyme in his gardyn whiche is mannes soule wycked dedes of synne to growe but whan the herte of man wexeth tender by mekenes and moysture of contrycyon he than taketh away all the synnes bothe rote and rynde and planteth and setteth in his gardyn herbes and fruytes of good vertues and watreth them with the dewe of his blessyd goodnes wherby the soule of man shall come to euerlastynge Ioye and reste Now than sythen our lorde god is so good so pyteous and soo mercyfull to synners that wylfully offendeth hym by cōmyttynge of horryble synnes moche more he is mercyfull and hath pyte and compassyon of a soule that thorughe trouble and temptacyons falleth to synne for almyghty god suffreth often tymes the soule of man for to be tempted and vexed in withstandynge temptacyons wherof it deserueth the more meryte And therfore be ye not doubtefull nor heuy for it shall neuertourne you to peryll ne daunger but to grete proufyte For therby ye shall wynne the crowne of glorye and the palme of vyctorye whiche shall be gyuen to you for withstandynge of suche temptacyons to the fende it shall tourne to shame and confusyon and though it semeth to you somtyme that ye fele dyscorde bytwene god and you be not therfore recreaunt ne dyscomforted For almyghty god sayth by his prophete I saye A lytell whyle I haue forsaken and hydde my face from the but I shall call the to me agayne by my mafolde mercyes whiche euer shall endure ¶ The fyfte chapytre ANd therfore grutche not agaynst the wyll of god ne meruayle not of these temptacyons for the more that a man or a woman be tempted in this maner or in ony other agaynst theyr wyll and they withstande it that is to saye not wyllyngly consentynge therto but mekely suffreth the same the more they shall encreace in vertues to the proufyte of theyr soules in the syght of god thoughe it be hydde from them for perauenture whan ye be sharpely tempted ye thynke ye be to dull and neglygent in ghoostly excercyse thorughe wyckednes of your spyryte that is sore trauayled and vexed wherby ye thynke that ye haue a wyll consented to suche temptacyons as ye be tempted with but it is not so for ye shall vnderstonde that euery man and woman hath two wylles a good wyll and an euyll the euyll wyll cometh of sensualyte the whiche is euer inclynynge downwarde to synne and the good wyll cometh of grace whiche alwaye styreth the soule vp warde to all goodnes and therfore whan reason cometh to you ye haue alwaye a good wyll to do well as myscontent with all euyl thoughtes sterynges that ye fele and putteth your wyll onely to the wyll of god though ye thrugh suche wycked thoughtes sterynges by vyolence and sharpnes be enclyned to sensualyte yet ye do it not ne consent therto but it is the sensualyte that dooth it in you and your good
comforte our strength our helpe and our soules helth I wys syster this is our spouse whome ye desyre to loue and please the gretenes of his vertues ne the multytude of his Ioyes whiche spredeth to all them that be in the courte of heuen noo herte can thynke nor tonge tell for the blessydnes of his presence can can neyther be sayd nor wryten Ioye ye therâ—ore in our lorde cryst Ihesu cryst for he hath bought you full dere to brynge you to that blysse and therfore saye to hym O holy god in whome is all goodnes whose pyte and mercy made the to descende from the hygh trone downe in to this wretched worlde the valay of woo and wepynge and here to take our nature and in that nature thou suffrest payne and passyon with cruell sharpe deth to brynge our soules to thy kyngdome Therfore mercyfull lorde forgyue me all my synnes that I haue done thought and sayd Gloryous trinite sende me clennes of herte purete of soule restore me with thy holy vertues strength me with thy myght that I alway may withstande the fende and all euyll temptacyons O good lorde coÌ„forte me with thy holy ghoost and fulfyll me with perfyte grace and charyte that I may from hens forth lyue vertuously And loue the with all my herte with all my myght and with all my soule so that I neuer offende the but euer to folowe thy pleasures in wyll worde thought and dede now graunte me this good lorde that arte infynyte whiche eternally shall endure And now good syster yf ye doo thus I hope it shall do you grete ease And thoughe ye fynde noo maner of comforte swetnes nor deuocyon whan ye wolde be not therfore dyscomforted but suffre it mekely for ryght many there be that stryue with themselfe as though they wolde haue swete deuocyon by maystry And I saye you for trouth so wyll it not be had but by mekenes moche sooner it may be goten And that is as thus that a man holde and thynke hymselfe vnworthy to haue ony swetnes or comforte offre hymselfe lowly to the wyll of god and put his wyll fully to the wyll and mercy of that blessyd lorde for a man sholde not desyre to haue that swetnes deuocyon for his owne comforte and pleasaunce but purely and onely entendynge to please god and to folowe his wyll and than it suffyseth vnto vs whether we haue it or noo some also weneth that and they haue not suche swetnes deuocyon that they be out of grace but certaynly some there be that in them selfe feleth noo swetnes nor deuocyon that be in more grace then the other that feleth it for they haue many comfortes and better it were mekenes without felynge than felynge without mekenes Therfore syster suffre mekely and pacyently what euer falleth vnto you euer haue a good wyll to do that may be moost pleasynge to god and whan ony dyscomforte cometh by temptacyon or ymagynacyon of your enemy haue the wordes in your mynde that ofte is sayd in this wrytynge before whiche is that a good wyll shall be excepted for a dede for and ye desyre to be vertuous and to loue and please god it is excepted as for dede before our lorde god yf you so folowe it with your myght and power as whan reason cometh to you with a desyrefull wyll to lyue and doo well and yf ye ony tyme fele comforte swetnes and after fele these temptacyons as ye dyde before yet be ye not dyscomforted therfore ne thynke therupon Say not alas it is comen agayne it wyll neuer away from me And by the meane of your owne ymagynacyon fall agayne in dyscomforte doo not soo but comforte you in god be gladde that the fende hath enuy vnto you for whyle the lyfe is in the body he wyll alwaye trouble and tary the seruauÌ„tes of god he is so fully sette ayenst them with al malyce to dysease and dyscomforte theym in all the dyuerse maners that he can or may Saynt Augustyne sayth y e in many maner wayes temptacyons be hadde by the whiche the serpent adder enemye to all mankynde tourmenteth mannes soule And saynt Gregorye sayth that there is noo thynge in the worlde whiche we ought to be soo syker of god as whan we gaue these tourmentes and troubles And yf a man saye that bodely turmentes be medeful and not ghoostly turmentes he sayth not ryght for doubtles the ghoostly tourmentes be more greuous and paynefull that come ayenst mannes wyll than be bodyly tourmentes and soo moche more be they nedefull and therfore many men doo dyshonour to god that sayth with full aduysement that the fende in this world may more turment than god may gyue meryte wherfore truly there is no thyÌ„ge more medefull charytable nor more godly than for to strength and comforte the soule that the fende soo troubleth for who so comforteth them that be dyssolate and in sorowe the lorde of comforte Ihesu cryste our lorde and god wyll comforte them without ende in the blysse of heuen the whiche lorde thorugh the myght and meryte of his paynefull passyon and precyous blode hath put downe y e power of y e fondes hath grauÌ„ted to crysten soules the vyctory ouer them to the worstyp of all the hole trynyte fader sone and holy ghoost that lyueth reyneth withouten ende Amen ¶ Here endeth y e remedy ayenst the troubles of temptacyons ¶ Here begynneth a deuoute medytacyoÌ„ in sayenge deuoutly y e psalter of our lady w t dyuers ensamples THe gloryous mayster IohnÌ„ of the mouÌ„te in his moryall telleth whiche also I fouÌ„de in y e boke of frere Thomas of the temple In the tyme y e moost blessyd Domynyck the noble fader and leder moost famouse of y e ordre of prechers preched throughout the worlde in many regyons and exhorted incessauÌ„tly y e people to the laude and prayse of y e blessyd marye vyrgyn vndefyled to her angelyke coÌ„fraternyte It fortuned hym to preche at Rome in the audyence of the grete prelates of the worlde and shewed by fygures and examples this blessyd vyrgyn to be saluted moost specyally by her psalter All they meruaylled of thaffluence of his wordes They were astonyed at the grete wonders To whome he sayd O faythfull and true lordes and other true louers of the fayth here this synguler holsome sayenge to you all that ye may veryly knowe those thynges whiche I haue spoken to be true Take the psalter of this blessyd vyrgyne and in sayenge it call deuoutely vnto your remembraunce the passyon of cryste Thus I shewe vnto you that ye shall haue in experyence the spyryte of god bothe in sayenge and in forgyuynge Truely soo greate a flambe may not stonde in ony place without makynge hote Neyther soo grete lyghte without gyuynge lyght nor soo godly a medycyne without the vertue of makynge hole What sholde I saye more all the people gaue audyence and in maner astonyed they meruaylled of