vnfaythful / and with out fayth no man maye please the / and thus all my lyfe is dyspleasynge vnto the. ¶ A good lorde what shall I do for I want fayth of the / fere of the / loue of the / drede of the / but I want not the drede of the worlde / loue of the worlde / and shame of the worlde And thus the ymage of my soule is defauted made foule iÌ„ thy syght and is depreued thy grete vertues where by it sholde be made fayre and acceptable to the what shall I do than but tourne me to the aske mercy for that I haue spenbed my lyfe so myserably A than I maye calle my soule a synfull soule whiche is without drede of the wtout shame of synne vnderstandynge that after the ordre of thy ryghtwysnesse synne muste haue sorowe / than my soule ought to haue sorowe / and al my lyfe sholde he we pynge / who shal gyue teres ynough to myn eyen that I maye wepe ynough for my myserable lyuynge / and lamente that I euer haue spent so myserably my tyme which I can not now reuoke agayen / ne fruytfully recoÌ„pence but by sorowe for my synne ¶ Alas I haue loste the well of lyfe and of al true solace / and I haue delued in the olde stynkynge cysterne of synne / and the deceyuable water ther of whiche semeth in yâ— begyÌ„nynge swete and delectable / now it is tourned in to bytternesse / abhomynacyon / and grete sorowe ¶ O moost mercyfull lorde whiche arte the wel of pyte of grace frome whome the flode of celestyall glorye doth streme vpon all the heueÌ„ly courte Replenysshynge them with all pleasure delectacyons passynge yâ— possybylyte of mannes thynkynge / gyue me good lorde in this vale of my serye for the glorye of thy name the spyryte of compunccyon that I may bytterly wepe for my synnes and to be preuylegyate by thy grace neuer frome hens forward daÌ„pnably to affend the. ¶ O merueylous god how myserably is my soule / whiche only can not sorowe accordynge to the greuous offences that it hath done in this lyfe but also it is in maner benomen and deed / for it feleth not the grete goostly sorowes that it hath / wherby excepte it haue helpe by meane of penaunce it shal be broughte to the bytter paynes of euerlastynge deth A I may curse synne the whiche hath brought me so ferre frome the good lord / and so ferre fro my selfe that I haue loste my felyÌ„ge yâ— quyckenesse of my spyryte / and the goostyly taste of all sprytuall pleasure and delectacyons in vertue ¶ A myserable soule a synfull soule why arte thou so dulle so slowe to all good werkes whiche art to the pleasure of god / and to thy perpetuall promocyon and endlesse Ioye / perpetual blysse and hertely gladnesse / why arte thou so prompte and so redy to all wretchednesse and al werkes of abhomynable synnes whiche are to yâ— grete dyspleasure of almyghty god / and to thy grete payne and sorowe and dampnacyon bothe of soule of body Why arte thou so oblyuyous and forgetfull of fruytfull vertuous doctryne / and so retentyâ—e of euyll fpekynge and wordes Incytynge to synne Woo woo mayst thou be whiche leueste the waye of vertue chosest the waye of hyces / leuest the waye of saluacyoÌ„ and takest the waye of dampnacyon Thou haste lyfe and deth bothe layde before the / and whiche thou wylt thou mayste chose Louest thou not lyfe / hatest thou not deth louest thou not delectacyoÌ„ and pleasure / hatest not thou payne and sorowe Alas how vnhappy arte yâ— than whiche chosest the waye of synne / the waye of deth / yâ— waye of payne endlesse sorowe / and wylfully leuest yâ— waye of vertue whiche ledeth to lyâ—e Ioye and endlesse myrth with al yâ— herte can thynke or desyre consolacyon Thou rennes to bodely deth not only bodely wherby thy soule shall be departed frome thy body / but also the goostly syght of deth where thou shalt be for euer departed frome the face and clere vysyon of god whiche is yâ— lyfe to thy soule lyke as thy soule is lyfe to thy body / the paynes of fyre and the terryble syght of the deuylles shall not be so greuous vnto the / as the sondrynge frome thy lord god whiche full sure the thou shalte se hym in his glorye Wold not thou saye that suche a man were worthy sorowe and payne whiche wolde chose to go that way were it neuer so pleasauÌ„t there he knewe certaynly / yf he contynued therin that he shal be taken with theues robbed and put to the moost bytterest payne of deth Then I counseyll the by tymes leue the waye of synne / for the ende therof is endlesse sorowe / and the pleasure yâ— cometh therof be it neuer so grete it shall hastly passe And yf thou come to that ende thou shalt take thy leue also true as god is true frome all pleasures without ende Our lorde of his grete mercy offred to the eternall pleasure for a shorte temporall payne suffred accordynge to the ordenauÌ„ce of his wyl / yf thou wylt refuse so grete a lucre for so lytel a payment than thou arte an vnhappy marchaunt Then yf thou wylt not folowe the wyll of god in suffryÌ„ge of this payne / but wyll fulfyll thynowne wyll in takynge thy shorte synfull pleasures of this lyfe / arte not thou than worthy / by the ryghtwysenes of god to lose and be depryued of this perpetuall Ioye pleasure thou canst not resonably saye nay For thou that wylt refuse so inestymable a Ioye for so lytell a pryce / than thou settest lytell therby / in that thou dysablest thy self to haue it ¶ And of very equyte thou whiche wylfully and syÌ„fully forsakest â—â—â—â—nal saluacyon / thou deseruest by the ryghtwysnesse of god to haue eternall payne and dampnacyon Then beholde vpon the ryght syde the mercy of god whiche is redy to gyue the perpetuall Ioye for a shorte vertuous payne And beholde vpon the lyfte hande the ryghtwysnesse of god whiche shall gyue the eternall payne for refusynge of eternal Ioye whiche thou forsokest for a shorte syÌ„ful pleasur / thaÌ„ beware what thou doost / he of his grete grace offereth the perpetuall Ioye And yf thou wylt so lyghtly refuse it / than he thryteth the with endelesse sorowe and payne that thou mayste not escape his handes / chose the now whether thou wylt for a lytel payne haue endelesse pleasure / or for a lytel symple solace haue endelesse payÌ„e and sorowe / and one thou muste nedes chose I counseyll the to take payne and leue pleasure / drawe the to the ryght hande that thou be not founde at the daye of dome amonge the damned people vpon the lyfte hande / leue vayne and synfull temporall Ioye for the ende therof is sorowe / yf thou lyuest after thy pselaunt desyres of thy flesshe it shall
¶ Complaynt of the soule Contâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Heu infame Furore consumor Spes nobis nulla Animam amiâ—â—mus ¶ Here begynneth a lamentable complayÌ„t that the soule maketh of the wretched lyfe of the body TEdet 〈◊〉 meaÌ„ vite me◠¶ My soule is wery of the lyfe For there I see no thynge but mater of sorowe myserye synne The parte of my lyfe passed is ful lamentable whaÌ„ I remembre it / the present parte suppressed myn herte with heuynesse for it is vnreformed And the grete losse of vertue in these two partes abhomynacyon of synne putteth me in gret fere of the thyrde parte the whiche is to come And yf my lyfe myght be prolonged many yeres only in vertuous vses / yet it myght not recompence for the manyfolde offences whiche I haue done in the present syghte of my lorde god and terryble Iuge of my lyfe whiche hateth no thynge but only synne Alas than my soule may be ful of sorowe whiche hath prouoked my lorde god / my moost tender louer to be wroth with me and to hate me more than I do a dog or a stynkynge carayne / for no thynge is so vyle so lothsome so stynkynge nor so abhomynable in the syght or smellynge of man / as synne in the syght or smellynge of god Alas alas that I sholde offeÌ„de my lorde god whiche hath made me of nought where he myght haue made me a stone or an vnreasonable beest / he hath made me to the ymage of hymselfe a reasonable creature / and whan I was loste redemed me with the precyous blood of his herte and suffred the moost bytterst deth for me / anâ— in an my lyfe he hath shewed grete kyndenesse vnto nie / and I haue shewed grete vnkyÌ„denâ—â—â—e agayen to hym / he loued me I not hym / for I wyll not do after the wyll of hym / but I sette my wyl afore his wyll / and the pleasure of myselfe afore the pleasure of hym / and in fulfyllynge my wyl I care not to dysplease hym And thus I se not by hym whiche hath made so moche of me he hath made heuen and erthe for me / and hath comen to this erth to teche me the way of saluacyon / and hath ordeyned for me yf I wolde loue hym the mestymable Ioye of his deuynyte and to receyue the eternall kyngedome of felycyte ¶ All these thynges I forgete / I ordre myselfe by my lewde neglygence and vnhappy lyuynge to lese the loue of my lorde god / the transcendynge Ioye of his kyngedome I ordre me by my wretched lyfe to euerlastynge payne / woo I be a vessell of deth of Ire and Indyngnacyon of god / he hath made my soule by the sacrament of baptyme a vessell of mercy and grace / and I haue defouled it with abhomynable synne / made it with out his Inmesurable mercy vessell of dampnacyon to be brente in the fyre of hell amonge the horryble fendes euer without endynge ¶ Alas what shall I do what shall I saye whiche haue erred thus ferre out of the way of vertue and is casted depe in to the pytte of synne A grete cause I haue of lamentacyon whiche am in this grete Ieoperdye of endlesse dampnacyon I am a waster and a dystroyer of my soule and body I destroye the goodes of nature / of grace / and of the worlde as a man that is worse than good in the syght of hym the whiche hath gyuen them to me to the entent that I sholde vse them vertuously And in the syghte of hym whiche shall moost bytterly punysshe hym I vse them vycyously I am closed in the derke cloudes of Ignoraunce / and reprouable neglygence of my lorde gâ—d / of myselfe and of vertuouse lyuynge All my lyfe is synfull / as a drye trâ—e barayne and ferre from all fruyte of vertue I thynke not on the dredfull Iugement of god / where I shall stande afore the terryble Iugement of cryst / and to rendre accompte for all the dydes that I haue done in my soule and in my body O there I shall shewe an vnfruytful lyfe / and yf there be ony fruyte therin it is but fayned and false / or vnperfyte or corrupted and other it is full lytell pleased or elles vtterly dyspleased god And notwithstaÌ„dynge that euery man there shall be fedde after this lyfe with suche fruyte as that he hath brought sorth in this lyfe / than my fedynge is lyke to be full bytter vnto me ¶ O how sorowful I ought than to be / for except that I sorowe for my synne in this lyfe I am lyke for to be brought to grete sorowe after this lyfe ¶ O my synful soule O my myserable soule loke vpon thy selfe / see how thou arte brought in to the grete derkenesse of synne so depe that thou canste not see thy selfe Seest thou not how thou rennest in to vayne thoughtes vnlefull desyres ¶ RemeÌ„bre that al the tyme that thou lokest not vpon vertue is lost and thou shalt be shent therfore / as moche tyme that lesest than whiche myght tourne the to grete Ioye in tyme comynge / and now all shall tourne the to grete punysshement except thou lerne to amende and to spende the resydue of thy tyme. O howe aferde thou sholdest be to haue an vnfruytful lyfe / for the vnfruytful lyfe is a dampnable lyfe as almyÈty god whiche is very trouth sayth Euery tree whiche bryÌ„geth not forth good fruyte it shal be cutte downe caste in to the fyre ¶ A mercy god what shal I do than for I am so barayne so drye frome all deuocyon and moysture of contrycyon and grace that I am deapte and redye to the fyre ¶ A mercyfull lorde cutte me not downe by deth to suche tyme that my tree maye haue moysture thrugh thy grace brynge forthe some profytable fruytes of penaunce / all my dydes that I do arte not suffycyent to recompence for the mete and drynke that I receyue of yâ— to my bodely sustenaunce ¶ A where with shal I thaÌ„ recompence for my soule / my body / my wytte / my herynge / my seynge / my speche / my helth / my bodely power / my lyfe / and where with all shall I recompence for my synne / for that losse of grace whiche passeth these all / for none shall be brought to dampnacy on but suche as for lacke of grace are defouled with synne who so spendeth more in fedynge of a beest thaÌ„ it is worthe in themselfe is not that superfluous expence and vnproufytable And yet mercyful lorde the nourysshest dayly and haboundantly an vnproufytable worme stynkynge synner ¶ A good lorde thou woldest not that this wretche shall perysshe of whome thou doost so large expences and so tenderly kepest it Many good thou gyuest it vnasked / frome many euyll thynges he preserued it vnthanked of it / thou kepest me / thou ledest me / and protectest me frome many perylles / and
as an vnkynde wretche I remembre not this I do not calle in welth to the but in grete sorowe fere whan than that I am lyke to falle ¶ A good lorde a more or a greter wretche is there none in this worlde than I am / and a moost vnkynde katyf / a wretche / a worme / a vessell full of vnclennesse and abhomynacyon not worthy for to be called a man or a reasonable creature For I abuse that reason / that memorye / and that fredome of wyll whiche thou haste gyuen vnto me with all the gyftes all the benefetes of nature and of fortune / and so I am wors than a beest the whiche hath not the helpes and haue no reason for to dyrecte theyr lyfe to the honoure and the worshyppe of god as I haue / they haue no fredome of wyll for to chose the good to leue the euyl as I haue My reason is gyuen to me for to knowe my lorde god / for to knowe how I sholde lyue to the pleasure of hym and to thynke vpon yâ— lyfe that is to come / holyly for to ordre mysefe therto / and for to auoyde the grete tourmentes and the endlesse trybulacyon the whiche after this lyfe is ordeyned for synne ¶ A god mercy what grete derkenesse am I in / and my soule is iÌ„ maner made blynde yâ— goostely syghte is gone I loke not vp to my lord god with the syght of my soule / but all my thought / all my memorye / all my loue / and all the grete pleasure in my soule is downe warde / all is to vanytees of this erthe I am erthly iÌ„ my prayers / in me studye / in my labours in my medytacyons / and in all my conuersacyoÌ„ I may well thynke that these wordes are verefyed of me The prophete Y saye sayth Erthe erthe erthe here yâ— worde of god / for I am made of erthe / and hastely I shall tourne to erthe / and al my conuersacyon is but erthe I am reputed good lorde in the syght of the after my loue / yf I loue erthe I am erthe / yf I loue erthly thynges I am erthly / yf I loue goostly thynges I am goostly / and yf I loue the good lorde whiche arte very god than I am godly ¶ A good lorde I fere than that I am iÌ„ thy reputacyon but as vyle erthe For in the erthe and in the erthly thynges is euer my mynde I kepe it not vpon the good lorde / ne vpon yâ— holy orderynge of my soule I haue suffred my selfe by wretched custome so longe and so contynually for to renne frome the and frome actuall thoughtes of my soule and thynges whiche are prouffytable for to promote my soule in vertue and in good werkes Than nowe I can not without grete payne and without grete laboure for to fyxe my mynde ony tyme or space vpon the or vpon the holy dyreccyon and orderynge of my soule / and I of a frowarde and of an obdurate wyll in wretchednes enforces not neyther care not myselfe for to take parte agaynst this myserable Inclynacyon of myselfe / and so it goeth al downewarde with me I come not vpwarde to the neyther I wyll not gretely applye myselfe for to come to the by actuall medytacyon and by parfyte loue of the. I slepe I dreme and yâ— I shall fynde whan the sharpe paynes of dethe shall come for to open the eye of my soule / for than I shall clerely se how vaynely and how synfully and how wretchedly and how vnhappy and how myserably and how vngracyously that I haue myspended the tyme of this lyfe / yâ— whiche tyme is gyuen vnto me onely bycause that I sholde spende it fruytfully in good and in vertuouse lyuâ—ge vnto the grete honour and to the grete worshyp of our sauyour Cryst Ihesu and vnto the promocyoÌ„ of my soule in the glorye of eternall lyfe and of the heuenly felycyte / and also for to auoyde eternall dampnacyon whiche is ordeyned by yâ— ryghtwysnesse of almyÈty god to the Inordynate lyuers of this lyfe / the whiche consume the goodes that they haue receyned of god to theyr eternall reproue / sorowe and / payne for to receyue of almyghty god fynally perpetuall dampnacyon VEdet animam meam vite mee ¶ I am wery of my lyfe It is so full of Ignoraunce and of neclygence / so ful of vnhappy desyres and of synful wordes so full of forgetfulnesse and so full of euyll thoughtes / so full of vnfruytful dydes and werkes and so full of vnprouffytable heuynesse / and so ful vnlawful saddenesse and so full of vayne Ioyes and synfull dylectacyons with foule wretched and myserable pleasures / also it is full of paynes with vnpacyence of proude desyres and with a ful couetous mynde / with al these myseryes I see how yâ— my self is but a course a rennynge to dethe / and now I am more nerer it than whan as I laste spake of it The deth cometh shortely / the lyfe gooth awaye full fastely and full swyftely / at yâ— houre of deth I am lyke to be called for to rendre accomptes of my lyfe / and I am vnprouyded and vnware for to coÌ„tente the Iuge of my lyfe / and than I shall be moost full of sorowe and payne lamente or complayne the tyme yâ— euer I came in to this lyfe / whiche so neclygeÌ„tly hath loste the profyte of this A good lorde I am ashamed abasshed of my lyfe in yâ— syghte of the good lorde whiche all thynge seth clerly / nothynge maye be hydde frome the. ¶ Sythen it is so that shame is feere of rebuke and reproue / and there is no rebuke whiche that I drede so moche as I do the rebuke of the good lorde / wherfore I am moost ashamed of my synful lyfe in the syghte of the / and thus I am ashamed to lyue / and yet I am aferde to dye For yf I may auoyde by the grete mercy of god the tormentes of eternall dampnacyon / yet I fere yâ— I shall bere with me in to purgatory the gylte of many synnes / I shall paye by grete payne / the duyte of many oblygacyons / grauÌ„t me good lorde perfyte fere of yâ— For whan I shall not fere by deth to come to the / for thy fere maketh soules to declyne and fâ—ee frome synne ¶ A good lorde yf I had thy fere perfytly I sholde be more a dredde ony thynge to thynke or to desyre synfully in the syght of the / than I am to do synne in the syght of man The synfull mocyons of my mynde are so abhomynable in the beholdynge of the as the dyde of shamefull synne in the syght of man than yf I fered yâ— I sholde be apunysshed and ashamed to thynke ony thynge dyspleasynge to yâ— I waute these fere of the / and why / for I haue not perfyte fayth of the. A than I am
brynge the to endelesse and paynfull dethe / yf thy flesshe lyue after thy soule / and thy soule after god / than thou shalt lyue eternally ¶ A my seke vnstable soule / dulle soule / myserable synfull soule / thou wold haue helth / strength / loue / power thou wold be moche made of / haue rychesse / fredom frēdshyp / thou wolde be wtout fere wtout heuynesse / thou wolde be swyfte / lyght / ympossyble / why sekest thou the goddes in the regyon of dethe they are not here they are only there where is very lyfe / and no lyfe may be called very lyfe but only that lyfe whiche is eternall lyfe / for there deth hath no power ony thynge to mynysshe thy lyfe or ony thynge that apperteyneth to that lyfe / for frome y◠lyfe dethe is perpetuelly exyled whiche maketh this lyfe no lyfe / and all thynge to vanysshe awaye whiche perteyneth to this lyfe ¶ A my soule loue that lyfe that lorde aboue all thynge whiche shall gyue the that Ioyful lyf that blessed lyfe perdurable and eternal lyuynge what hast thou in this mortal lyf but laboure werynesse sorow and payne / with these thou begynnest lyfe / with these thou cōtynuest thy lyfe / with these thou shalt ende thy lyfe / that pleasures are shortly passynge / the sorowes and paynes are longe abydynge / and all erthly Ioyes are medled with myserye of synne / thou thynkest synne is but lytell / wolde god thou woldest call it to mynde how greuous it is in the syght of the grete Iuge of the worlde a ▪ myghty god remembre how greuously he hath punysshed syn̄e / grete parte of the aungelles he caste out of heuen for synne whiche are of all creatures moost excellent in naturall perfeccyon ¶ O how shalt thou thynke thā that he shal spare the whiche arte synfull / for thou arte no thynge so precyous ī nature as the leest aungell whiche was loste and dampned for synne / thy body is but a dounghylle and a sacke of stynkynge myste / than truste thou that yf thou wylt not leue synne thou shalte perysshe with them / for the ryghtwysnesse of god wyll punysshe synne / ryght they shall perysshe frome y◠perpetual pleasure glorye of god whiche wyll not leue synne / all we are exyled frome paradyse for synne / all the worlde was drowned excepte .viii. persones in y◠tyme of Noes floode for synne the fyue cytees of whiche one was Sodome Gomorre were distroyed with fyre and brymstone sanke downe for synne / the Egipcyans were drowned in the rede see for synne / the chyldren of Israel were kylled a grete nombre in deserte for synne / now all the .xii. trybus are in captyuyte for syn̄e / translacyons of kyngdomes Empyres fro man to man is for synne / batayles / pestylence / and hungre in comyn plages of god contynually in some parte of the worlde or vpon the people is for synne and fynally all desyre of synne shall cease frome all pleasure and tourne to vnremedyable paynes and synners shall be put with synners in euerlastynge woo there as they shal neuer tourne to Ioy or pleasure agayne ¶ A wretched soule why sorowest not thou for synne / seeste thou not how my lorde loued the and hated synne whiche wolde suffre the moost paynfull deth to delyuer the frome synne / lerne to loue thy louer but thou hatest thy louer / for whā thou doeste syūe thou doeste playnely that is ī to make hym to suffre deth agayne thou louest syn̄e whiche is the moost gretest enemy for it shal brynge the except thou leue it to endlesse horryble payne thou set test lytell by synne a wolde god our lorde myght set so lytell ther by / for than thou sholde be delyuered frome grete fereheuynesse payne whiche thou haste deserued for syn̄e but wo sholde I be good lorde for euery transgressyō of thy cōmaundement for yf there come none other therof dysobedyence it dyshonoured the / a how sholde I saye that synne is lytell for I can not truely saye that the dyshonour of y◠is lytell / a how I boūde to honour the thou desyrest it not for al that thou haste done to me but that I shold honour do to y◠I receyue thy benefetes thou mayst no thynge receyue of me but honour / thou gyuest my goodnesse this may growe I may gyue to y◠no goodes wherby thou mayste be the better for my goodnesse may not growe I maye gyue to y◠honour this may not growe in y◠but in me / whan thyn honour groweth in me than thy goodnesse in me / al the prouffytes of my dydes in to me and none to the / for I may by dydes no thȳge make the to better / but I may make me y◠better by thy grace ī y◠I do honour to y◠A dere lorde how wo sholde I than be to dishonour the / I may do no more dyshonour to the thā to do syn̄e whiche can not be done in mynde in wyll ne dyde but in the clere syght of the / a how woo sholde I than be to do syn̄e ther by for to dyshonoure the whiche arte my lorde and my god / my maker my redemer preseruer / and fynally wolde brȳge me to se thy glorye to haue with the honour in eternyte A how shall I saye y◠synne is lytell sythen y◠syn̄e dyshonoured y◠/ no thynge sholde be more shamfull sorowfull in me than for to do ony dyde to dyshonoure the. Alas how may I fynde in my herte to to dyshonoure y◠whiche haue none helpe but only of the ¶ O wretched myserable soule why remembrest thou not the trouthe of god / for thou knowest it wel y◠it is Impossyble that he sholde make ony lye / thou knoweste well that he promysed no thynge but that it shal be fulfylled for the power is so grete that no thynge may lette hym / than thou knowest veryly that thou shalte appere afore hym and acompte all thy lyfe / and of all that thou haste receyued of hym / what sayest thou arte thou redy to thy rekenynge / canste thou shewe that thou hast wel expended and well vsed all the goodes that thou haste receyued of god / haste not thou vaynly loste and vaynly suffred for to be loste many of these gyftes of our lorde god / and many thou haste expended that thou haste to reasō for to laye cōforte the at thyn acompte but that thou arte worthy to be dampned for them ¶ Alas sythē thou canste not gyue a good rekenynge of thy tyme expended / why wylt not thou amende the / by the wyl spendynge of thy lyfe to come for to procure the fauoure of this ryghtwyse Iuge / he is redy of his ryght grete mercy to take one daye well spended for a yere ¶ O than sythen he is thus kynde to the
derkenesse of my soule / my soule is made bynome Impotente to all perfyte dedes of vertue / not only it wanted wyll / but in maner it wanteth power to do well / what hath made me this feblenesse but only synne what hath made in me suche synne but only a croked and frowarde wyll A wretched dysposycyoÌ„ of my soule of the whiche I am cause myselfe / therfore myn Impotensy / Indisposycyon to holy perfyte lyuynge is none excuse to me / for this myselfe hath made me by longe custome in lyuyÌ„ge ¶ A good lorde an vnkynde soule am I to the. I can not dyssymyle to the / for no thynge I may withdrawe from the syght of the / of a chylde thou hast gyuen me power to lyue vertuously and to please the not for thyn auayle but for myn auayle for the endlesse promocyon Ioyefull reward to be receyued of the / thou haste called me / and yet thou contynuest it by good thoughtes / by good counseyle / by holy prechynges / by vertuous examples / by grete gyftes / callynge to me for to come to the. And I as a wretche repell the all the gyftes yâ— thou gyuest me I abuse to the dyspleasure of the and to the grete accusacyoÌ„ and without thy mercy to the grete dampnacyoÌ„ of me I desyre sodayne sorowes and paynes to come vpoÌ„ me there thou haste gyuen to me this respyte tyme of grete delyberacyon to auoyde the paynful doungen of helle and to come to the Ioyfull Empyre of thy glorye there euerlastyngely for to dwell with the I attende it not wherfore I deserue hastely for to be caste downe by the paynfull blastes of the grete horryble tempestes of deth I knowe wel yâ— I may not here alwaye abyde / yet my mynde / and my loue is more here than there yâ— I muste alwaye abyde ¶ A merueylous god a grete blyndnesse is in me that I sholde desyre for to abyde in yâ— same place of myserye there as I wel knowe yâ— I may not abyde than for to be in the place of blysse and of myrth and grete felycyte there as I may come yf I wyll and for euer abyde / god hathe made me a reasonable creature for to chose yâ— beste lyfe / and I make myselfe an vnreasonable creature for to chose the worste lyfe / I loue yâ— I sholde not loue / and I hate that I sholde loue / and thus both my mynde my wyl I abuse vnto my grete hurte whiche thou haste gyuen me to myn helpe / yf I shold complayne vpon myselfe all that I can reduce to my mynde of myne owne wretchednesse vnkyndnesse to god / remembryÌ„ge the grete benefeytes gyftes yâ— I haue receyued of hym / and how gentyll a lorde he hath ben to me without my deseruynge certaynly all the wretchednesse dyscoÌ„mendacyon that I can saye of myselfe is to lytell in regarde of yâ— grete dyscoÌ„mendacyon and blame whiche I haue deserued / my wretched dysposycyoÌ„ is more redy to do euyll than my memorye many moo yf they were knytte togyder with me are able to receyue I fele myselfe full of wretchednesse I am prone and all redy to all euyll / elles dulle slowe to all goodnesse A sythen I myght here or see my defautes shewed afore me lyke as thy be I shold abhorte with myselfe lyke as with a toode or a serpent A what drede sholde my herte vnbrace of that terryble Iugement whiche must be gyuen of myselfe at the houre of deth where yâ— moost ryght wyse Iuge hymselfe shall accuse me / myn owne conscyence shal wytnesse agaynst me how I haue mysused my soule and lytel heded the valoure therof whiche was bought with the precyouse blood of cryste very god and man creatour and maker of the vnyuersal worlde lorde of heuen and erthe to whose name all creatures shal do obedyence I shal gyue accomptes how I haue abused my mynde my wyll my body all my fyue wyttes my tonge my beaute my helth my strength connynge vertue / how I haue mysordred myselfe my soule and body the euyll mocyoâ—s both of soule and body how I haue not done yâ— was in me to represse them but rather to kepe / them to werke them All these good lorde I forgete of all these I shall gyue a strayte accomptes Also of mete drynke / golde syluer clothes / of all these whiche had ben vnder my tuycion / as chyldren seruauntes / of the euyll dedes that I haue done / and of all the good dedes whiche I myght haue done / for slouth sloggysshenes of myselfe I haue lefte them vndone of al the tyme yâ— I haue receyued sytheÌ„ I had vse of reasoÌ„ ¶ A dere lord what shal I do at yâ— dredful houre of rekenynge where as shall be shewed ryghtwysnesse wtout grace yf I now laboure not for grace ¶ O what shall I do drye tree that I am and brynge forth no good fruyte in yâ— chirche of god / but rather sewed fruyte by many euyll wordes euyll werkes and euyll examples I am an vnproufytable tree apte worthy to be caste in to endelesse fyre ¶ A what shall I do that daye whan I shall gyue acompte of all yâ— tyme gyuen to me of our lorde how I haue spende it to yâ— honoure of hym I may saye nothyÌ„ge is myn owne for I must gyue a strayte rekenynge of all that I haue I am but as a bayly a mynystre vnder god and taken charge well to spende his goodes dere lorde gyue me grace amoÌ„ge al temporal myrth ofte to remembre the bytternesse of the dredeful accompte that I may that day receyue yâ— kyngedome of endelesse Ioye and mercy â—Edet animam meam vite mee ¶ A dere lorde seynge the myspendynge of my lyfe I am wery of my lyfe I myselfe am greuous to myselfe my burthen is grete is lyght to my body / but it is heuy to my soule / it is so grete yâ— it is lyke to presse me downe from heuen vnto the pytte of hell excepte specyall grace and helpe of my sauyoure ¶ O my mercyfull lorde sende me teeres yâ— may lament daye nyght my myserable lyfe wasshe awaye the fylth of so longe gaderynge of my soule I am woo whan I remembre so longe as I haue ben in this lyfe so wretched / and my wretchednes dayly greueth me / my mynde is all occupyed iÌ„ vanytees and my wyll in frowardnesse / my mouth in shrewednes my body in ydelnesse / my werkes in wretchednes A who shal gyue to myn eyen a welle of teeres yâ— I may coÌ„tynually wepe wayle my woful lyfe my neclygent lyfe / my vnwyse folysshe lyfe I lyue not as a reasonable creature oughte to lyue reformyÌ„ge my soule body and my werkes to my lorde whiche hath ordeyned me in this lyfe yâ— by my werkes well ordered to
hym I shold come to his lyfe whiche lyfe onely ought to be called very lyfe / for that onely is lyfe whiche can not be ended by dethe not the lyfe where we dayly renne to deth / yâ— lyfe onely is helth whiche can not be brokeÌ„ with sekenesse / that onely is Ioy whiche can not be Interrupted with sorowe and that only is perfyte blysse whiche can not be melde with myserye of payne or synne ¶ O thou blynde asse why openst thou not thyn eyen for to see the dyffrence bytwyxte lyfe deth / vertue / and vices / sekenesse helth / felycyte myserye / laboure thou wretche for to aryse whiche lyest ouercharged with olde synnes / putte feere to feere / wepynge to wepynge / excepte thou aplyest thyselfe wylfully to sorowe / yâ— ryght wysnesse of god shall magre thyn hede brynge the to sorowe A chose than the lesse sorowe to auoyde the more sorowe / the temporall sorowe to auoyed the eternall sorowe Remembrest not thou yâ— he shall Iuge the whome thou hast made by many folde offences thyn aduersarye / to whome thou hast done dyspyte and rebuke brekynge his coÌ„maundement afore his owne face ¶ A god mercy I ought to be sory in remeÌ„brynge his kyndenesse to me and myne Ingratytude vnkyndenesse to hym / and the more kyndenesse he shewed to me the more kynde I ought for to be to hym / and more I am bounde by yâ— lawe of kyndnesse for to please hym / the more my synne is Yf I dysplease hym awo ought I than to be for lyke as kyndenesse is dayly more and more / for yâ— lenger that he spared me the more kyndenesse he shewed vnto me / so by the cyrcumstaunce of vnkyndenesse / the more greuous is the synne in me what shall I saye to this Iuge sythen yâ— onely myn owne kyndenesse is able to conuycte me whiche so oftentymes calleth me for to amende my lyfe Inwardely Inspyracyon / and many a thought yâ— whiche he putteth in my mynde contrarye vnto myn owne wretched dysposycyon And outwarde he called me by prechynge / and by moche good counseylynge / by redynge / by example gyuyÌ„ge of suche whiche hath lesse wytte than I / lesse power to good werkes than I / god hath gyuen to me more precyous gyftes helpe to do well / and yet I do worse or not so well / am not I than worthy afore that ryghtwyse Iuge to haue grete punysshement / he that is now moost pacyent to me yf I amende not my lyfe shall be moost felle / and angrye with me ¶ And he whiche now is moost lyberall to me / than shall be moost harde to me / and he whiche now is moost meke to me than shal be moost fellest / now moost mercyfull / than moost rygorous and strayte in Iugement / I may not â—lee this Iugement / alwaye I am and shall be vnder his hande Now I am vnder the ryght hande of mercy / than shall I be vnder the heuy haÌ„de of his ryghtwysnesse woo es me woo is me whome haue I offended / whome I haue not atteÌ„ded / whome I haue prouoked to be wroth with me ¶ Alas wretched what haue I done I haue dyshonoured my lorde god I haue prouoked almyÈty god to take vengeauÌ„ce on me yf his hande of mercy had not reteyned yâ— swerde of vengeauÌ„ce I sholde haue perysshed longe afore this for many tymes I haue deserued dampnacyon / but vnto this tyme he hath deferred yâ— sentence / and euer abydeth whan I amende and come to reconsylyacyon ¶ O wretched synner why remembre not I of this lyfe yâ— vncertayne is and for the tyme of this lyfe the grete kyndnesse in god and gratytude / how after this lyfe none shall be taken to grace whiche wyll not amende in this tyme and space I byleue as I were inmortall I fere not what shall falle / and myn olde lyfe customes hath so tyed me yâ— without specyall helpe of my lorde god I can not lose me Helpe me good lorde frome these daÌ„gers of dygnacyon wrath of these I am benomen / my power is nought without supportacyon helpe of thy mercy ¶ A what anguysshe shall be in me yf I do so vnhappely gyde me to see the terryble daye where he whiche hathe moost loued me / moost done and moost suffred for me shall accuse me where he shall laye his wouÌ„des agaynst me / his crosse / his spere crowne of thornes shall testefye agaynst me / my good auÌ„gell whiche hath so holsomly at many tymes counseylled me / I haue repelled lytell sette by his couÌ„seyl this he shall witnesse agaynst me / ll deuylles whiche haue tempted me to synne there shay â— accuse me / and there reherse yâ— wordes of my professyon there shall he shewe openly all my synÌ„es in what thynge yâ— I haue synned / in what place tyme / how I dyd synÌ„e / and what thynge not only that I haue done euyl but what good werkes that I haue lefte vndone whiche I ought to haue All the creatures of god of whome I haue receyued ony benefyte or profyte shall accuse me / for thy haue serued me by cause I sholde serue god and that I haue deceyued theym done yâ— was in me to robbe theym of theyr labours / yâ— heuen / the erth / the sonne what mynde of man sholde not drede this terryble Iugement / who sholde not drede yâ— presence of the eternall Iuge where all synnes shall be brought clerly in our syght those thynges whiche we dyd with grete deâ—ecracyon shall be layde afore vs to our grete sorowe confusyon detestacyoÌ„ The Iuge shal be aboue vs whole haÌ„des we shall not escape / the helle vnder vs the fendes redy to drawe vs thyder / the Iuge angered wtout forth / yâ— conscyence bytynge tourmeÌ„tynge withinforth / sythen the ryghtwyse man scarsely shall be saued / the wretched synner so vnbelapped with wretchednesse where shall become whom feere of dampnacyon remorse of conscyeÌ„ce shall shake make hym to cry for woo A wo may I than be whiche haue so many maters in me to bryÌ„ge me to yâ— woo / it shal be Impossyble that daye to hyde me / it shall be to terryble ferefull that daye to shewe me / nedesly I must appere / and by myselfe wtout ony procuratour and answere for all yâ— I haue done here / not onely for myn owne dedes but for all perteynyÌ„ge to my care Iurysdyccyon where ony defaute hath ben there I ought to haue helpe ¶ O how shall I answere for many whiche am not able to answere for myselfe O my charge is grete my remembrauÌ„ce is lytell / my harmes do multyplye I seke no helpe I renne to deth all vndysposed / my mynde is not with me I am not with my selfe I seke more for your aduauntage than for myselfe my burden I shall onely bere for myselfe Now myght I make it lyghter but I enlarge it make it heuyer my selfe / but now aryse thou synner see how woo is thy sauyoure Cryst Ihesu / he is called the lambe of god by whom thou arte redemed his merytes are suffycyent though yâ— synÌ„es be neuer so greuous call for helpe thou shalt not be shent / leue thy synnes chauÌ„ge thyne entente purpose to do well / chauÌ„ge false pleasures in to paynfull solace in to sorowe / loke vp dispeyre not for thou shalt haue helpe ynough / truste on hyÌ„ whome thou dredest / leue thy synne flee to hym thou shalt haue socoure in al thy nedes / renne agayne to hym frome whome yâ— haste ronÌ„en Crye vpoÌ„ hyÌ„ inportunely whom thou haste offended moost greuously / and of his grete mercy he may wyll of all other helpe yâ— moost redely / meke ê¯fessyoÌ„ excludeth disperacyon for ther shall none be daÌ„pned but only for synnes not truly coÌ„fessed I mene of suche whiche as haue receyued the baptysme of cryste A Ihesu for thy holy name is as moche to say by Interpretacyon as the sauyour of synners / by his medyacyon Ihesu yâ— holy name be verefyed of yâ— in sauyÌ„ge of a grete synner / whiche haue ben by presuÌ„ptuous wyll dysobedyent vnto Ihesu / forgete my pryde ordyne it not to deth / but wasshe my soule frome synne with those stremes of the blood whiche ranne frome the fouÌ„tayne of yâ— ryght syde Now behold swete Ihesu with thyne eyen of pyte these synÌ„ers whiche calleth that swete name that comfortable name of the / the name to synners of moost delectacyon / the name of blyssed hope / the name of saluacyon / and conuersacyon What is Ihesu but oure sauyoure and redemptour / wherfore Ihesus for thy bytter passyon be to me Ihesus / thou haste made me nowe saue me / thou haste redemed me frome dampnacyon now delyuer me than of thy goodnesse and now suftre not me to perysshe for my wretchednes / suffre not wretchednes to lese iÌ„ me that thyn Infynyte goodnesse that thou hast gyueÌ„ to me / take to the good lord yâ— whiche is thyn and remeue frome wretchednesse for yâ— is myn ¶ Now Ihesu / Ihesu haue mercy vpon me this tyme of mercyfulnesse that I may escape the terryble Iugement in the tyme of ryghtwysnesse / take me good lorde in to thy large bosom of mercy it shall be not lesse good lorde / for the more thou receyuest the more it is / than thy mercy is large ynough whatsoeuer we do amysse we calle hertely this bosoÌ„ is than redy Admytte vs moost louely Ihesu amonge the nombre of thyn electe chyldreÌ„ that with them we maye euerlastyngly laude the / and our profyte fruycyon and glorye in the amonge all those whiche â—oue thy name Ihesu to whome be honoure and glorye by Infynyte duracoÌ„n of eternyte Amen ¶ Here endeth a lamentable complayÌ„t that yâ— soule maketh of yâ— wretched lyfe of the body Enprynted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the sonne / by wynkynde worde W C Wykyn de Worde