corn for the chaffe is light and mounteth high and the wind carrieth it about and so is lost and the corn which is heavy abideth low on the ground and is gathered up put in garners of the farmer and is kept for the common profit and the chaffe is burnt lost and devoured of beasts And in this wise are the proud people raised and enhansed through the entisement of the fiend of hell and then fall down by the moist rain of death which maketh them heavy and causeth them to tumble by the strength of their superbious blasts into the furnace everlasting and there to be burnt and devoured with the horrible beasts of hell Secondly said Lazarus I have seen in hell a floud frozen as ice wherein the envious men and women were plunged unto the navel and then suddenly came over them a right cold and a great wind that greeved and pained them right sore and when they would evite and eschue the wonderfull blasts of the wind they plunged into the water with great shouts and crys lamentable to hear These be the envious People ENvy is dolour and sorrow of the heart at the Felicity and prosperity of other the which sin is soveraignly cursed for that is it contrary to Charity that is soveraign head of all vertues whereby it is great sign of reprobation for by it the fiends know them that shall be damned as Charity is sign of salvation and whereby God knoweth who shall be saved Envious people be fellows unto the Devill For if so be that an envious man do win then he is very glad and if he lose he is evill angry with them Envious men be so infect and corrupt that good odors to them stinketh and sweet things unto them seem soure in like wise is the good name and prosperity of other but stinking things and soure to them be sweet the which be vices reproaches adversities and evil fortunes that they know or hear said of other The envious folk seek their wealth in the adversity of other as when of the harm of other they seek the good in reioycing them but with this they be not yet satisfied but of a new they be tormented for they have not such ioy without displeasure and affliction of the heart whereby they be tormented for hee that seeketh his wealth in the adversity of another is like to him that seeketh the fire in the bottome of a water or looketh for wool on an Vrchins back the which things be but follies and abusions Envy is but the goods and felicitys of this world for the cursed sinne of Envy may not ascend into Heaven It is a sinne difficil to heal for it taketh root and is fixed in the heart secretly wherefore it is hard and impossible to be done away by medicine wherefore with great pains is any made whole that is infected with it The envious mens tongues be likned unto a three-edged sword that hurteth and cutteth three manner of ways The first he hurteth and woundeth his own soul. The second him that he telleth his tale unto and thirdly hee slayeth him by whom he telleth his cursed tale Thus endeth Envy and followeth the History of Wrath. Wrath. THirdly said Lazarus I have seen in Hell a great Cave tenebrous and obscure full of tables like Butchers stalls or great butchery whereas irefull men and women were thorow pierced with trenching knives and sharpe glaives and with long spears pierced their bodys wherewith the most horrible and fearfull butchers of hell hewed and betrenched them with their glaves and knives impitiously without ceasing AS peace maketh the Conscience of a man to be the dwelling-place of God so cursed wrath maketh it the habitation of the Devil Wrath efisceth and leeseth the eye of reason for in a wrathfull man reason is banished there is nothing keepeth so much the image of God in man as sweetnesse peace love for Almighty God will be there where peace concord is but wrath chaseth them from man so that our Lord may hâ—ve no abiding the wrathfull man is like to a demoniack the which hath 〈◊〉 devil within him causing him to torment and strive with himself foaming at the mouth and gnashing with his teeth for the intollerable pain the enemy doth unto him In likâ— wise the wrathfull man is tormented by wrath doth oftentimes worse than the demoniack for without patience they beat the one with the other saying iniurys reproaches villanys give themselves to the devel body soul and say and do many unlawfull and domageable things By wrath somtime the Devill getteth an whole generation or all a country When wrath is set then commeth noyse and then vengeance that destroieth and loseth all the which hapneth sometime through one wrathfull man as an irefull does the which moveth putteth strife among other The fisher troubleth the water that the fish may not see his net to the end that they may go therein and be taken In like sort the Devil troubleth a man by wrath to the end that he know not the harm that he committed by his wrathfull heart courage FOurthly said Lazarus I have seen in hell an horrible hall dark and tenebrous wherein was a great multitude of serpents big and small wheras slothfull men and women were tormented with bitings and stingings of venemous worms the which peirced them thorow in divers parts of their bodies wounding them to the heart with unextinguishible pain Of Slothfull people SLoth is tristesse of spirituall goods that should be ordained to God wherfore they love to serve God as they ought to do with heart and mouth and by good operation who that will love God ought to know him to be the Redeemer and Saviour of all goodnesse that wee have had and received every day knowledging our selves sinners Great folly it is when by sloth in the time of this breviate life we gather not goods for the life eternal But in these days many be slothfull to do well and diligent to do evill so that if they were diligent to do well as they be to do evill they were right happy also sloth is the beginner of sin and a great enemy to God for he letteth men and women to serve God and to know their maker and redeemer and sender of all goodnesse that they have here they be great fools that be so slothfull here in this little time of this short life that will gather no goods to bring the soul to everlasting life But now adays people be slothfull in doing of good and full diligent to evil and if they were as diligent to do good as evill they were full of grace Now hee that will think as after his death is not wise for then he shal have but the good deeds that he hath done in his life before then shall he sorrow and plain of the time that hee hath lost by sloth and shall sorrow that he did no good deeds when he had time and space
anxia forsitan ardet THe mortall man living in this world is well compared to a ship on the sea or on a perillous river bearing rich marchandise which if it come to the port where the marchant desireth he shall be happy and rich The ship as soon as it is entered into the sea unto the end of her voâ—age night and day is in perill to be drowned or taken with enemies for in the sea be perills without number Such is the body of man living in the world the marchandise that he beareth is his soul his vertues and good workes the port or haven is death paradise for the good to the which who that goeth thither is soveraignly rich the sea is the world full of sinnes for who that assaieth for to passe it is in perill to leese body soul and all his goods to be drowned in the sea of hell froÌ„ the which God keep us Amen CHAP. XIV Here followeth the field of vertues IN walking furthermore in the field of vertues in the way of health for to come to the tower of sapience it necessarily behoveth to love God for without the love of God none caÌ„ be saved anâ— who that will love him ought first to know him for of his knowledge one commeth to his love that is Charitie the soveraigne of all vertues They knowledge God and love him that keep his commandements they misknow him that do not so to whom in the great necessity of their deceasing and at the day of iudgment shall misknow them and say to them I know ye not nor wot not what ye be go ye cursed out of my company Knowledg we then God and love him and if we will do thus know we first our self by the knowledge of our self we shall come to the knowledge and love of God and the more wee know our self the better we shall know God and if we be ignorant of our self we shall have no knowledge of God To this purpose we must note one thing and know seaven The thing wee must note is this whosoever knoweth himself knoweth God and shall not be damned and who is knoweth not himself knoweth not God and shall not be saved understand of them that have wit and discretion with lawfull age of the which knowledge none is excused after he hath sinned deadly for to say that he was ignorant By this appeareth the ignorance of himself of God right perillous Deadly sin is beginning of all evill contrarily knowledge of God and of himself is soveraign science and vertue beginning of all goodnesse The seven things we ought to have been the xii articles of the faith which wee ought to beleeve stedfastly Also the petitions coÌ„tained in the Pater noster by the which we demand all things necessary for our health and that we ought to hope in him also the commandements of the Law and of the holy Church which ensigneth us what we should do and what we should not do and all things belonging to the same Also if we be in the grace of our Lord or not And howbeit we may not know it certainly neverthelesse wee may have some coniectures which be good to know and knowledge of GOD. Also knowledge of himselfe by the which things we may come to the true love and charitie of God to accomplish his commandements and merit in the realme of heaven wherein wee shall live perdurably Of the iii. first is enough said that is to know the twelve articles of the faith in the which lieth our faith and beleefe and the things that we ought to demand of God be contained in the Pater noster wherein our hope lyeth Also the ten commandements of the Law and of holy Church whereas charity is shewed in such as keep them by probation of the love of God and doe his commandements and good works Now will we speak of the other foure and first of the vocation in which we be which is the fourth thing that each man ought to know Each man ought to know his vocation the things belonging to the same be iust and honest for his health and rest of his conscience A good shepheard ought to know the art of sheep-keeping and to govern sheep and lead them into pastures and to heale them when they be sicke and sheere them in season to the intent through his default no damage come to his master In like wise hee that laboureth the corne to know what ground were good for every manner of graine and ought to till the earth and when time is to sow weed reape and thresh so that his Master may have no damage by him Semblably a Surgion ought to know how to comfort and heale such folkes as hee hath charge of without hiding of his art or Surgery Consequently a Marchant ought to know the utterance of his marchandise to others with no more fraud than he would himself should have Also an Advocate or a Proctor ought to know the rites and customes of places that by their fault Iustice be not perverted A Iudge also ought to know both the parties heard who hath right and who hath wrong and iudge equally after true Iustice. Also a Priest or a religious man ought to know their orders and keep them and above all things ought to know the law of God and teach them unto the ignorant And thus of all other vocations For all them as know not their vocation be not worthy to be and live in peril of their soules for their ignorance The fift that all men ought to know is if he have discretion and understanding to know if he be in the grace of God or not And how it be right difficile for God only knoweth it neverthelesse we may have coniectures that sheweth it and sufficient for Shepheards and lay people to know if they be in the love of the Lord if they have coniecture to be in it therefore there ought none to repute themselves iust but ought to humble themselves ask him mercy as maketh sinners become and none other Principally we ought to know this science when we will receive the body of Iesus Christ. For who that receiveth his grace and goodnes receiveth his salvation and who that receiveth him otherwise receiveth everlasting damnation of the which thing every man is iudge in himself of his owne conscience and none other The coniectures whereby we may know if that we be in the grace of God or not The first coniecture is when we do travel for to clense our conscience of our faults by penance as much as if we laboured to get some great good that wee be not culpable of any deadly sin done or in will to doe nor in any sentence then it is good coniecturing to be in the grace of God The second coniecture that sheweth in like wise to be in the grace of God is when we bee more prompt and ready to good observing and keeping the
purpose of living and dying the said shepheard saith the thing that we desire most in this world is to live long and the thing that wee most fear is to dye soon thus he travailed his understanding and made great diligence to know and to do things possible and requisite for to live long whole and ioyfully which this present compost and Kalender of Shepheards sheweth and teacheth Wherefore we will shew you of the bodies celestiall and of their nature and movings and this present book is named the compost for it comprehendeth fully all the compost and more for the daies hours and moments and the new Moons and the Eclipse of the Sunne and the Moon and the signs that the Moon is in every day and this book was made for them that be no Clarks to bring them to great understanding He said also that the desire to live long was in his soul the which alway lasteth wherefore hee would that his desire was accomplished after death as afore He said sith the soul dieth not and in her is the desire to live long it should be an infallible pain not to live after death as afore for he that liveth not after his corporal death shall not have that that he hath desired that is to wit to live long should abide in eternal pain if his desire were not accomplished So concluded the said Shepheard necessary things for him and other to know and do that which appertaineth to live after death as afore And truth it is that he which liveth but the life of this world only though hee lived an hundred year he lived not properly long but he should live long that at the end of this present life should begin the life eternall that is to say the life everlasting in heaven So a man ought to perform his life in this world corporally that he may live spiritually without end For as hee said one shall live everlasting without dying and when he hath the perdurable life hee shall bee perfect And also by this point and none otherwise shall be accomplished the desire of long living in this world The foresaid Shepheard also knowledged that the life of this world was soon past and gone wherefore this Shepheard thought that lxxii years in this vale of wretched misery is but a little and a small term of life to the everlasting the which never shall have ending And therefore he saith he that offereth himself here to live vertuously in this world after this life he shall receive the sweet life that is sure and lasteth ever without end For though a man lived here an C. yeer and more it is but a little term to the life to come Therefore saith this shepheard I will live soberly with these small temporal goods that Iesus hath lent me and ever to exile the desire of worldly riches and worldly worship For they that labour for it and have love to their goods and vain worships oft it parteth man from the heavenly treasure It shutteth mans heart that God may not enter and buildeth man a place of no rest in the low land of darknesse CHAP. II. Hereafter followeth another Prologue of the Master Shepheard that sheweth and proveth the Authors Prologue true that is before rehearsed and so the shepheards dispute one with another but this that followeth the Master shepheard saith to the other of the division of this Kalender Here beginneth the Master Shepheard IT is to be understood that there be in the year four quarters that are called Ver Aestas Autumnus and Hyems These de the four seasons of the year as Prime-time is the spring of the year as February March and April these three months Then commeth Summer as May Iune and Iuly and these three months every hearb grain and tree is in his kind in his most strength and fairnesse even at the highest Then commeth Autumne as August September and October then all these fruits waxe ripe and be gathered and housed Then commeth November December and Ianuary and these three months be the Winter the time of little profit We Shepheards say that the age of man is lxxii years and that we liken but to one whole year for evermore we take six years to every month as Ianuary or February so forth for as the year changeth by the twelve months into twelve sundry manners so doth a man change himself twelve times in his life by twelve ages and every age lasteth six year if so be that he live to lxxii for three times six maketh eighteen and six times six maketh xxxvi And then is man at the best and also at the highest and twelve times six maketh lxxii and that is the age of a man Thus must ye reckon for every month six year or else it may be understood by the four quarters and seasons of the year So man is divided into four parts as to youth strength wisedome and age He to be xviii yeer yong xviii yeer strong xviii yeer in wisdome and the fourth xviii yeer to go to the full age of lxxii And now to shew you how man changeth xii times as the xii months do TAke the first six yeer of Ianuary the which is for no vertue nor strength in that season nothing on the earth groweth So man after he is born till he be six year of age is without wit strength or cunning and may do nothing that profiteth Then commeth February and then the days begin to wax in length and the Sunne more hotter then the fields begin to waxe green So the other six yeers till he come to twelve the child beginneth to grow bigger serve and learn such as is taught him Then commeth March in the which the laborer soweth the earth planteth trees edifieth houses the child in these six yeers waxeth big to learn doctrin science and to be fair honest for then he is xviii years of age Then commeth Aprill that the earth and the trees are covered in green and flowers and in every part goods increase abundantly then commeth the child to gather the sweet flowers of hardinesse but then beware that the cold winds stormes of vices beat not down the flowers of good manners that he should bring man to honor for then he is xxiiii yeer old Then commeth May that is both fair and pleasant for then birds sing in woods and Forrests night and day the Sunne shineth hot and as then is man most ioyfull and pleasant and of livelier strength and seeketh plaies sports and lusty pastime for then he is full xxx years Then cometh Iune and then is the sunne highest in his meridional he may ascend no higher in his station his glimering golden beams ripēs the corn and when a man is xxxvi year he may ascend no more for then hath nature given him beauty and strength at the full and ripeneth the seeds of perfect understanding Then commeth Iuly that our fruits been set a sunning and our corn a
and therefore more dear Dispraising meats of light price Vsing other mens tables For lechery and licorousnesse For company that they may eat the more For to fulfill the better their appetite Here endeth the branches and small spraies of Gluttony and hereafter followeth the v. branches and spraies of Lechery as they follow and ensue one after another the which be these Lechery Immundicity not giving the debt abusing of his five wits and Superfluity out of the which branches issueth and groweth many other small branches and spraies to the number of xlv The which branches if they be fixed and set in the inward delight of a man or woman will make them grow to the eternall perdition both of body and soul. The first branch of Letchery Letchery Fornication With all women married and widdows With a maiden yet being a virgin With common women or them that are corrupt Adultery When a man companieth with other than his wife Or women with other than their husbands Or that they be both in marriage Excesse With man or woman of their linage With any men or women of their affinity Or that the one party be of religion The ii branch of Letchery Immundicity Of thought Long delectation of thinking of Letchery Giving consent to such delectation Inforcing him to accomplish his will by work Of body Pollution by night by too much eating and drinking By habitation or company of women Evill cogitation to accomplish such work Of both together Moving or touching the flesh by delectation Accomplishing work and of will naturally Or any wise not naturally The iii. branch of Letchery Not giving the debt For hate When they love other than their party When they know that they be not loved of their party Or they are despightfull and rigorous For to shew travelling For they fear the infernall pains For dread to have poverty For fear of labor that they have of nourishing For abomination Some have abomination in that they be accustomed Or for immundicity of the work WheÌ„ any dispraise or hate the company of his party The iv branch of Letchery Abusing thy five wits Exposing themselves in perill Sometime by reason of some persons And other times danger of the place And other seasons by reason of the time Not drawing from it Of the work when they know it is naught From the perill and know it is dangerous Or for they provoke to such work in perill Delighting them in it In the work and sin of the flesh Or desire and will to accomplish it Or in thought and memory to have done it The v. branch of Letchery Superfluity In clothing In Iewels rings signets and ouches In preciousness of gowns girdles and clothing In the composition or fashion newly gotten By delights By wantonnesse of children playing or being idle By delication of their body taking all their eases In doing all that the heart desireth By expence Spending largely for the praise of the world Giving where it appertaineth not to give For his delights hath spent too much of his goods Here endeth the branches of all the seven deadly sinnes as they be afore rehearsed with all the small branches Also shewing how three commeth of the great branches each by himself And out of them three groweth ix and in every branch hath small spraies springing out of them So there is no man or woman living but he sinneth venially as it is written Septies in die cadit jâ—stus Lo if the righteous man do sin seven times a day by veniall sinnes then we wretched sinners how oft do we sinne in a day God wot full often But yet for veniall sinne is many remedies Also for deadly sin is few remedies and but four specially as Confession Contrition Satisfaction and Penance But the first is thou must be sorry for the sinnes Secondly to make a meek confession Thirdly do satisfaction And fourthly perform thy penance adioyned by thy confessor for penance is debt that we must pay to God for sinne committed and therefore never look to have forgiveness of thy sinnes without repentance And sinne is perillous afore the Lord Iesus Christ for three manner of reasons The first hee giveth no warning when he smiteth thee The second for as he findeth thee so he will iudge thee The third when thou art dead remedy is past and gone CHAP. VIII Here followeth the pains of hell comminatories of sinnes to punish the sins as Lazarus recounted after that he was risen as he had seen in the parts infernall as it appeareth by these figures ensuing one after another OVr Saviour and redeemer Iesu Christ a little before his blessed passion being in Bethany entred into the house of a man named Simon for to take his corporall refection And as he was sitting at the table with his Apostles Disciples there being Lazarus brother to Mary Magdalen and Martha the which our Lord had raised from death to life the which thing Simon doubted and praied our Lord for to command Lazarus to shew afore the assistants what he had seen in the other world and our Lord gave him leave to speak And then the said Lazarus recounted how that he had seen in the parts infernal of hell many great and intollerable pains whereas sinfull men and women were pained First of pride and consequently of all the seven deadly sinnes each pain by himself FIrst said Lazarus I have seen in hell wheels right high set on an hill the which was to look on in maner of mils incessantly turning about by great impetuosity roaring and whirling as it were thunder And the wheles were fixed full of hookes and crampâ—irons of yron and steel and on them were hanged and turned the proud men and women for their pride with their Prince captain and master Lucifer PRide among all other sinnes is a king a captain and master and as a king hath a great company of people in the same maner hath pride a great company of vices And as a king keepeth that which is his in like wise doth pride keep the proud folke that be in his iurisdiction Great sign of reprobation it is to persevere long in pride Pride then is a sin that displeaseth God above all other sinnes as much as humility pleaseth him among vertues And there is no sinne that maketh a man more semblable to the Devill than pride doth For the proud man will not be as other men but he must be as the Pharisie with the devil And for that the proud man wil inhance himself above other men the devil doth with him as the Crow having a hard nut in her bil the which she may not crack she beareth it up a hie in the air and then letteth it fall upon a stone whereon it breaketh and then she descendeth and eateth it In like wise the devil raiseth the proud man and woman for to let them fall in the hard pains of hell As much difference is between pride and humility as the chaffe and the
ever in ioy and rest without trouble and sure never to lose it Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven as to love all that thou lovest and to hate all that thou hatest and that wee keep evermore thy commandements Our daily bread give us to day that is to say bread of doctrin bread of penance and bread for our bodily sustentation And forgive us all our sins that we have done against thee against our neighbours and against our self Semblably as we forgive other that have offended us by words in our bodies or our goods And suffer not that we be overcome in temptation that is to say as by the devill the world and the flesh But deliver us from all evill works ready done and also them for to come Here followeth the History of the Pater noster row OVR Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy name Let thy kingdome come Thy will be done as well in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive our trespassers And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evill For thine is the kingdome and the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen IN the story here before sheweth the simple people how this holy praier the Pater noster should be said to God the father to God the son God the holy Ghost to none other The which praier containeth and taketh all that be rightfully asked of God our Lord Iesus Christ made it there to the intēt that we should have more hope and devotion and he made it on a time when he taught his Apostles speally to make orison And then the disciples said Lord and master learn us to pray and then our Lord opened his holy mouth and said to his Apostles when ye will make any prayers after this maner as here followeth shall you begin saying thus Our father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our dayly bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us and let us not be led into temptation But deliver vs from evill Amen Hereafter followeth the salutation that the Angell Gabriel made to the glorious Virgin Mary with the greeting of the holy woman S. Elizabeth Haile Mary full of grace our Lord is with thee Blessed art thou of all women and blessed be the fruit of thy wombe Iesus Secondly in the booke of Iesus the Salutation is such Haile Mary full of grace our Lord is with thee Blessed be thou amongst all women and blessed be the fruit of thy wombe Iesus Christ Amen The salutation of the Angel Gabriel IN this salutation is three mysteries The first is the salutation that the Angell Gabriel made The second is the loving commendation that S. Elizabeth made mother to S. Iohn Baptist The third is the supplicatiō that our mother holy church maketh And they be the most fair words that we can say to our Lady that is the Ave Maria wherin we salute her praise her pray her and speak to het And therfore it is only said to her and not to S. Katherine nor to S. Margaret nor to none other Saint And if thou demaund how thou maist then pray to other saints I say to thee thou must pray as our mother holy Church praieth in saying to Saint Peter Holy S. Peter pray for us S. Thomas pray for us That they may pray to God to give us grace he forgive us our sins And that he give us grace to doe his will penance keep his commandements so we shall pray to the saints in heaven after the necessity that we have S. Peter S. Andrew S. Iames the great S. Iohn S. Thomas S. Iames the lesse S. Philip S. Bartholomew S. Matthew S. Simon S. Iude and S. Matthias CHAP XI Thirdly in the book of Iesus is salutary science and is the Credo which we ought to beleeve on pain of damnation I beleeve in God the father almighty maker of heaven and Earth and in Iesus Christ his only Sonne our Lord. which was conceived of the holy Ghost and suffered passion under Ponce Pilate crucified dead and buried went into hell the third day rose from death Ascended into heaven and siteth on the right hand of God the Father And after shall come to iudge the quick and the dead I beleeve in the holy Ghost The Holy Catholick Church the communion of Saints and remission of sinnes The rising of the flesh The life everlasting Amen SAint Peter put the first article and said I believe in God the Father almightie creator of heaven and earth Saint Andrew put to the second and said I beleeve in Iesus Christ his onely son our Lord. Saint Iames the great put to the third saying I beleeve that he was conceived of the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary Saint Iohn put to the fourth saying I beleeve that he suffered passion under Ponce Pilate was crucified dead and buried Saint Thomas put to the fift saying I beleeve that he descended into hell and the third day arose from death to life Saint Iames the lesse put to the sixt saying I beleeve that he ascended into heavē and sitteth on the right hand of God the father omnipotent Saint Philip put to the seventh saying I beleeve that after he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead S. Bartholomew put to the eight saying I beleeve in the holy Ghost S. Matthew put to the ninth saying I beleeve in the holy Church Catholike S. Simon put to the tenth saying I beleeve the communion of saints and remission of sinnes Saint Iude put to the eleventh saying I beleeve the resurrection of the flesh Saint Matthias put to the twelfth saying I beleeve the life eternall Amen Here followeth the Creed as it ought to be said I Beleeve in God the father almighty creator of heaven earth And in Iesus Christ his only son our Lord. That was conceived by the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary Sufferd passion under Ponce Pilate crucified dead and buried Descended into hel and the third day arose from death Ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the father omnipotent And after shall come to iudge the quick and the dead I beleeve in the holy Ghost The holy Church Catholike The communion of saints Remission of sins Resurrection of the flesh and life eternall Amen THis Creede was made composed by the xii Apostles of our Lord of the which every Apostle hath put to his Article as is here above shewed in the Creed as much of one part as of the other our faith Catholike is cōtained in the said xii Articles that is the begining of our health without which none may be saved ne do nothing that is agreeable to God and faith ought to be at the
commandements of God and doe all good workes that we should have accustomed The third coniecture is when wee hear gladly the word of God as Sermons and good counsellers for our saluation The fourth when we be sorry and contrite at our heart to have commised and done any sin The fift is when with good purpose and will of our selves we persever to keep us from sin in time to come These coniectures be they whereby Shepheards and lay people know if they be in his grace or not as much as in them is possible to know The sixt thing that every man ought to know is God for all men ought to know God for to accomplish his will and commandement by the which he would be loved with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all the force that we have which we may not doe if we know him not then who that would love God ought to know him and the more that they know him the more they love him wherefore hereafter shall be said how Shepheards and simple people doe know him Shepheards and simple people for to have knowledge of God of their possibility considering 3 things The first is that they consider the right great riches of God his puissance his soveraign dignity his soveraign noblenesse his soveraign ioy and blisse The second is for they consider the right noble right great and marvellous operations and workes of our Lord God And the third consideration is for they consider the innumerable benefits that they have received of God and that continually every day they receive of him and by these considerations they come to his cognisance and knowledge First to know God Shepheards and lay people consider his great riches plenteous abundance of the goodnesse that he hath for all the treasures and riches of heaven and of the earth bee his and all goodnesse he hath made of the which he is fountaine creator and master and distributeth them largely unto every creature and he hath no need of any other Wherfore it behoveth to say that he is right rich Secōdly he is right puissant for by his great puissance hee hath made heaven earth and the sea with all things contained in them and might undoe them if it were his will unto the which puissance all other be subiect and tremble before him for his great excellency And who that would consider every work of God should find enough to marvell on By the first of these consideratiōs God is known to be right rich by gifts that he giveth to his friends and by the second he is known right puissant for to avenge him on his enemies Thirdly he is soveraignly worthie for all the things of heaven and earth oweth him honour and reverence as to their Creatour and him that made them as wee see children honour father and mother of whom they be descended by a generation and all things be descended of God by a creation to whom ought to be given great reverence and he is so worthie Fourthly hee is soveraignly noble for who that is soveraignly rich puissant and worthie him behoveth to be soveraignlie noble but none other but God hath riches puissance and dignity as he hath wherfore of such nobles ought to be said that he is right noble Fifthly he hath soveraign ioy for he that is rich puissant worthie and right noble is not without soveraign ioy and this ioy is full of all goodnesse and ought to be our felicitie to the which we hope to come That is to know and see God in his soveraign ioy and gladnesse for to have with him eternall ioy that ever shall endure And this is the first consideration of GOD. that shepheards and other simple people ought to have Secondly for to know God considering his great noblenesse and marvellous workes the bounty and the beauty of the things that he hath made for it is commonly said one may know the workman by the work· Knowledge wee then the work of God and knowledge we that his beauty bounty shineth in the operations that he hath made which if they bee fair and good the workman that hath made them must needs bee fair and good without comparison more than any thing that he hath made Be it considered of the heavens and the things therein set what noble and marvellous work how may one consider their excellence beauty Bee it considered also as we may of the earth the right noble marvellous works of God the gold the silver and all manner of metals precious stones in it the fruits that it beareth the trees the beasts that it sustaineth and of the bountie that it nourisheth Be it in like wise considered of the sea the rivers the fish nourished in them The weather the elements the ayre the winds the birds that flie in them and all the usage and service of men And consider the workeman that of his puissance hath made all by his sapience hath right well ordered his works and governeth them by his great bounty and by this manner we may know God as shepheards and simple folkes in considering his work Thirdly for to know God consider the great benefits that we receive daily of him which may not be numbred for their great multitude nor spoken of for their noblenesse dignity albeit in their hearts be vi principally noted For the which another Shepheard giving praises to God said in this manner Lord God I know thou hast indued me with thy infinit benefits by thy great bounty First the benefit of thy creation by the which thou madest me a reasonable man unto thy image and similitude giving me body and soul and raiment to clothe me Lord thou hast given me my wits of nature understanding for to govern my life my health my beautie my strength and my science for to get my living honestly I yeeld to thee graces and great thankes Secondly Lord I know the goodnes of my redemption how by thy misericordious pity thou boughtst me dearly by the affection of thy most precious bloud paines and torments that for me thou hast suffered finally endured death thou hast given me thy body thy soul and thy life for to keep me from damnation wherefore humblie I yeeld to thee graces and great thankes Thirdlie Lord I know the goodnesse of my vocation how of thy great grace thou hast called me again for to inherit thy eternall benediction and also thou hast given unto me faith and knowledge of thine owne self as baptism and all the other sacraments that none intendment may comprize their noblenesse and dignity that so many times hath pardoned me of my sinnes Lord I know that this is to mee a singular gift that thou hast not given to them which have no knowledge of thee whereof I am more beholding humblie bound I yeeld thee graces and thanks Fourthly Lord I knowledge that thou hast given this world and the things that be therein made for my
service and use the office the benefit and the dignity in the which I am for sir I bear your similitude and image which is reputed right worthie noble whereof humbly I yeeld thee graces and thanks Fiftly Lord thou hast given me the skie and his fair ornaments the Sun the Moon and the Starres that the day and night serveth me giving brightnes and light without to be recompenced by me whereof I yeeld to thee graces and thanks Sixtly Lord I knowledge thou hast made Paradise readie for to give me where I shal live with thee in ioyes without end if I do thy wil and keep thy commandements also I knowledge thy other infinit goodnes each day done to me by thy bounty the which ensigneth me to know my God my Saviour and Redeemer wherefore I humbly give thanks to thee By these considerations Shepheards and simple people contempleth the bounty of God and the benefits that they receive of him And know we him and be we not in great knowledge of his benefits in yeelding thanks and praisings to him and recompence of your goods in giving to poor folkes for his sake for ingratitude is a villain sinne that much displeaseth God The seventh and the last thing that each man ought to know is to know himself for it is the best meanes for to come unto the knowledge of God and for to make his salvation so to know himself first Divers folk know many things that know not themselves to whom should profit more to know thēselves than all things in the world They that know the things of the world love them seek them and keep them know not ne love ne praise not ne keep not God in like wise for they know him not What profiteth man to win all the world lose himself for to be damned Better it were for him to leese all the world if it were his if he knew himselfe to be saved Shepheards say the needfull beginning of his salvation is to know himself and contrariwise ignorance of himself is the beginning of damnation anv of all evill that may befall unto him A question of a Master Shepheard to a simple shepheard to weet how he knew himself and he said Shepheard tell me how thou knowest thy self what art thou answer to me And hee said I know my self for I am a Christian man a Shepheard What is it to be a Shepheard And he answered unto that thou askest what man is I say that man is a substance composed of body soul the body is mortall and made of earth as beasts be but the soul is made of spirituall matter as Angells be immortall My body is come of abominable sin and as a sack full of durt and filth and meat for wormes my beginning was vile my life is pain labour feare and in subiection to death and my end shall be wofull but my soul is created of GOD noblie and worthilie to his own image and semblance after the Angels the most fairest and perfect of all creatures by baptism and by faith is made his daughter his spouse his heir of his realm that is Paradise and for her noblenesse and dignitie ought to be a Lady and my body as servant ought to obey her for reason hath ordained and will that it be so and who that doth otherwise and preferreth his body before his soul leeseth the usage of reason and maketh himself semblable unto beasts descending from noble dignity into miserable servitude of sensuality by the which it is grounded so that I know my self man As to the second he demandeth what thing it is to be a Christian man I answer in my understanding to be a Christian man is to be baptized or christned and follow Iesus Christ of whom we be said Christians for to be baptized and not to follow him or to follow him and not to be baptized saveth not man and therefore when we receive baptism we renounce the devill and all his pomps and we make promise for to follow Iesus Christ when we say we will be baptized and who that keepeth this promise hath the very name of a Christian man And who that keepeth it not is a sinner and a lyer to God and servant to the devil and is no more christian than a dead man or a painting on a wall we say that is a man Here demandeth the master Shepheard in how manie things the Christian man ought to follow Iesus Christ for to accomplish the promise of baptism The simple shepheard answereth I say in six things the first in cleannesse of conscience for there is nothing more pleasant to God than a clean conscience and it will be made clean in two manners one is by baptism when we receive it and the other by patience that is contrition of heart confession of mouth satisfaction of work and then when we be clean we be pleasant to Iesus Christ which with the water of his mercie cleanseth the sinners that do penance and maketh them fair The second thing in which we ought to follow Iesus Christ is humility at the example of him Lord of all the world which humbled him to take our humanity and became mortall that was immortall to live in poverty with us bare oppropried pain and finally suffer to be crucified Thus the christian man ensuing him ought to meek himself The third thing is to hold and love truth and specially three truths the first truth is to know our selves for we be mortall and sinfull and who that dyeth in sin shall be damned and this truth withholdeth sin and exhorteth the sinner to doe penance and amend The second truth is of temporall goods for they be transitory and must be left and this truth dispraiseth them to desire the heavenly goods that be eternall The third truth is of God which is the ioy that all Christian men ought to desire and this truth draweth the Christian mā to love and induceth him to good works for to merit the ioyes of Paradise The fourth thing wherein every man ought to follow Iesus Christ is patience in adversity and in the spirit of life by pennace confirming of our selves in the estate of Iesus Christ of whom the life was all in pain and poverty which he endured for us The fift is in compassion of the poor to the example of Iesus Christ that by his mercie healed the poor of all corporall infirmities and the sinner of all ghostly sicknesse and wee by compassion ought to give of our goods to poor folke and comfort them bodily ghostly The sixt thing wherein the christian man ought to follow Iesus Christ is dolour devotion charity in contemplation of the mysteries of his nativity of his death and passion of his resurrection of his ascension and of his advancing to the iudgement that oftentimes ought to be at our heart by holy meditations And as to the last what thing a shepheard is I say it is the knowledge of my vocation as
each hath his as afore is said also to know the transgressions of all these aforesaid things how many times in each we have transgressed for many times we have offended God and who that taketh heed shall find omissions and offences without number the which known we ought to doubt and eschue and do penance And thus it is as I know man is christian and shepheard CHAP. XVI The ballad of a wise man I Know that God hath turned me And made me to his owne likenesse I know that he hath given to me truly Soul and body wit and knowledge ywis I know that by right wise true ballance After my deeds iudged shall I be I know much but I wot not the variance To understand whereof commeth my folly I know full well that I shall die And yet my life amend not I. I know in what poverty Borne a child this earth above I know that God hath lent to me Abundance of goods to my behove I know that riches can me not save And with me I shall beare none away I know the more good I have The lother I shal be to die I know all this faithfully And yet my life amend not I. I know that I have passed Great part of my days with ioy and pleasance I know that I have gathered Sinnes and also doe little penance I know that by ignorance To excuse me there is no art I know that once shal be When my soule shall depart That I shall wish that I had mended me I know there is no remedy And therefore my life amend will I. CHAP. XVI Here followeth the ballad of the woman Shepheard the which Ballad is very necessary and profitable to look upon IN considering my poor humanity Above the earth born with great weeping I consider my fragility My heart is overprest with sinning I consider death will come verily To take my life but the hour wot not I. I consider the devill doth watch me The world and the flesh on me warreth straitly I consider that mine enemies they be three That would deliver me from death to death I consider the many tribulations Of this world whereof the life is not clean I consider an hundered thousand passions That we poor creatures daily fall in I consider the longer I live the worse I am Wherefore my conscience cryeth out on me I consider for sin some be damned as the book saith Which shall ever be delivered from death to death I consider that worms shall eat My sorrowfull bodie this is credible I consider that sinners shall be At the iudgment of God most dreadable O Iesus Christ above all things delectable Have mercy on me at the dreadfull day That shall be so marvellous and doutable Which my poor soul greatly doth fraie In you that I put my trust and faith To save me that I go not from death CHAP. XVII The song of death to all Christian people Though my picture be not to your pleasance And if ye think that it be dreadable Take in worth for surely in substance The sight of it may to you be profitable There is no way also more doubtable Therefore learn know your self and see Look how I am and thus shall you be And take heed of thy self in adventure read I For Adams apple we must all die Alas worldly people behold my manner Sometime I lived with beauteous visage Mine eine be gone I have two holes here I am meat for wormes in this passage Take heed of wealth while ye have the usage For as I am thou shalt come to dust Holed as a thimble what shall thee advance Nought but good deeds thou maist me trust All with my likenesse ye must dance The time that I was in this world living I was honored of low and hie But I kept not my conscience clean from sinning Therefore now I doe it dear abye Lo what availeth covetise pride and envy They be the brands that doe bren in hell Trust not to your friends when ye be dead read I Nor your executors for few doe well But doe for thy self ere ever thou die And remember while thou art living That God blessed all things without nay Except sin as accordeth writing The devill cannot claim thee but by sin I say Amend therefore betime and go the right way I would that I might have but an houre or two To doe penance in or halfe a day But while I lived I did none doe But now my debts I doe truely pay Thou man I doe give better counsell to thee If that thou wilt doe after it Then ever any was shewed to me Thou art half warned thinke on thy pit And choose of two wayes which thou wilt flie To ioy or pain one of the two In weal or woe for ever to sit Now at thine owne choice thou maist go For God hath given thee free will Now choose thee whether thou wilt do good or ill CHAP. XVIII Hereafter followeth the ten Commandements of the devill WHo so will doe my commandements And keep them well and sure Shall have in hell great torments That evermore shall endure Thou shalt not feare God nor think of his goodnes To damne thy soule blaspheme God and his saints Evermore thine owne will be fast doing Deceive men and women and ever be swearing Be drunken hardly upon the holy day And cause other to sin if thou may Father nor mother look thou love nor dread Nor helpe them never though they have need Hate thy neighbour and hurt him by envie Murder and shed mans bloud hardly Forgive no man but be all vengeable Be lecherous indeed and in touching delectable Breake thy wedlocke and spare not And to deceive other by falshood care not The goods of other thou shalt hold falsly And yeeld it no more though they speak curteously Company often with women and tempt them to sin Desire thy neighbors wife and his goods to be thine Do thus hardly and care not therefore And thou shalt dwell with me in hell evermore Thou shalt ly in frost and fire with sicknes hunger And in a thousand peeces thou shalt be torne asunder Yet shalt thou die ever and never be dead Thy meat shaâ—be toads and thy drink boyling lead Take no thought for the bloud that God for thee shed And to my kingdome thou shalt be straight led Here followeth the reward of them that keep these commandements aforesaid IN hell is great mourning Great trouble of crying Or thunder and noyse roaring With great plenty of wild fire Beating with great stroakes like guns With great frost and water runing And after that a bitter wind comes Which goeth through the soules with ire There is both thirst and hunger Fiends with hookes pulleth their flesh They fight and curse and each other redeem With the sight of the devils dreadable There is shame and confusion Rumor of conscience for evill living They curse themselves with great crying In stinke and smoake evermore lying With other
the earth have taken on me to indite this little treatise for to instruct and endoctrin the people not lettered First to know God their maker Secondly to govern their bodies and eschue infirmities And thirdly to know the course of the firmament and of the celestiall bodies conteined in it with the disposition of the vii Planets But who that will know his properties ought first to know the Month that he was born in and the sign that the Sun was in the same day I will not say that such things shal be but that the signs have such properties and is the will of God After Poets and Astronomers Aries is the first sign that sheweth the fortunes of men and women as saith Ptolomeus The first sign of Aries I Find that he which is born in the sign of Aries from mid March to mid Aprill shal be of good wit and shall neither be rich ne poor he shall have damaâ—â— by his neighbours he shall have power over deaâ—â—â—lkes goods he shall be soon angry and soon appeased he shall have divers fortunes discords he will desire doctrine and haunt eloquent people and shall be expert in many degrees he shal be a lyer and unstedfast of courage and will take the vengeance on his enemies and he shal be better disposed in youth in all things than in age unto xxxiii year he shall be a fornicatour and shal be wedded at xxv year and if he be not he shall not bee chast he shall be a mediatour for some of his friendes and will gladly be busie in the needs of other he shal be awaited to be damaged he shall have a sign in the shoulder in his head and in his body yet he shall be rich by the deathes of other his first son shall not live long he shal be in danger of four footed beastes hee shall have great sickenesse at xxiii year and if he escape he shall live lxxxv year after Nature The woman that is born in this time shal be irefull and suffer great wrongs from day to day she will gladly make leasings and shall leese her husband and recover a better shee shall be sick at five year of age and at xxv she shal be in great danger of death and if she escape she shal be in doubt till xliii year and shall suffer great pain of the head The days of Sol and Mars to them shal be right good and the days of â—upiter shal be contrary to them and aswell the men as the women shal be semblable to the Sheep that every year leeseth his fleece of wool and within short space recovereth it again Of the sign of Taurus HE that is born in the Sign of Taurus from mid Aprill till mid May shal be strong hardy and full of strife delicious and shall possesse goods given to him by other men that he would have done shal be incontinent and will enforce to himself to finish it In his youth he will dispise every person shall be irefull he shall goe pilgrimages and will leave his friends and live among strangers he shall be put in offices shall exercise them well and shall be rich by women he shall be thanklesse and come to good estate he will take vengeance on his enemies he shal be bitten of a dogge and shall experiment many pains by women and shall be in perill at xxxiii year he shall be in perill of water and shal be greeved by sicknesse and venym at xxiii year and at xxx year he shal be abundant in riches and shall rise â—o great dignity and shall live lxxxv year and three monthes after nature and shall see his fortune sorrowfull The woman that is born in this time shall be effectuall laboring and a great lyer and shall suffer much shame she shall reâ—oyce in the goods of her friendes that which she coâ—â—â—â—veth in her mind shall come to effect and shall have the best party she shall â—â—ve many husbands and many children she shall be in her best estate aâ— xvi years and she shall have a sign in the middest of her body she shall be sickely and if she escape she shall live lxxvi years after nature She ought to bear rings and precious stones upon her The daies of Jupiter and of Luna been right good for them and the dayes of Mars contrary As well the man as the woman may be likened to the bull that laboreth the land and when the seed is sowen he hath but the straw for his part They shall keep well their own and it shall not profit to them ne to other and shall be reputed unkind Of the sign of Gemini THE man that is born in the sign of Gemini from mid Maie to mid Iune shall have many woundes and he shal be fain and mercyfull he shall lead an open and a reasonable life he shall receive much money he will goe in unknown places and do many pilgrimages he will praise himself and will not bide in the place of his nativitie he shall be wise and negligent in his workes he shall come to riches unto xxvi year his first wife shall not live long but he shall marry strange women he shal be late married he shall be bitten of a dog and shall have a marke of Iron or of fire he shal be tormented in water and shall passe the sea and shall live an hundred year and x. monthes after nature The woman then born shall come to honor and set forward with the goods of other and she shal be agrieved of a false crime she ought to be wedded at xiv year if she shall be chaste and eshewe all perill and shall live lxx year after nature and shall honor God The days of Mercury and Sol to them been right good the days of Luna and Venus been to them contrary and as wel the man as the woman shall augment and assemble the goods of their successors but skantly shall they use their owne goods they shall be so avaricious Of the sign of Cancer NExt after he that is born under the sign of Cancer from mid Iune to mid Iuly shal be very avaricious and of equal stature he will love women he shal be merry humble good wise and well renowned he shall have domage by envy he shall have the money of other in his guiding he shall be a conductor of other folkes things he shall have strife and discord among his neighbors and will avenge him on his enemy by his arrogance maâ— shall mock him he shall have often great fear on the water he wil keep his courage secretly in himself and shal suffer dolour of the womb he shall find hidden money and labor sore for his wife he shall see his peril in a certain year the which shal be known of God his favour shall decrease at xxxiii year he shall passe the sea and shall live lxx year after nature and fortune shall be agreeable to him The woman that shal be born in