lygnage of chyldren Fourthly fame or renomme lowable Fyfthly rychesses After it is to wete that some be not sayd fader for cause of carnall generacyon / but for many other causes Somme ben sayd fader / and to eche of theym we ought for to bere honour and reuerence Fyrst some be sayd fader for good and holy doctryne / and good ensaumple that they haue gyuen and shewed of good and holy contemplatyf lyf As the apostles and other sayntes / for by theyr holy doctryne they haue made as chyldren of Ihesu cryst by faythe And to them we ought to bere honoure / reuerence / and obeysaūce / not onely with the mouth / but by ensyewynge theyr werkes / and theyr good and holy lyues and doctryne Secondly some ben sayd fader for the admynystracyon that they haue of god / lyke as the prelates ben of holy chyrche / to whome we ought to gyue honoure in obeynge to them and to theyr commaundemētes / as to the mynysters of god Thyrdly some be sayd fader for the garde and defence that they ought to doo theyr people as ben the kynge / the prynce and other lordes whiche haue the people to gouerne and to kepe and them we ought to loue and honoure and to them obeye by subiection / for theyr power cometh of god Fourthly some ben sayd fader / and ben to be honoured for the we le and good that is receyued of them / as ben they that socoure the poore in theyr necessyte / as fader by pyte and by compassion Fyfthly some be sayd fader and ought to be honoured for theyr olde aege / as ben the people whiche ben of grete aege AFter the sayd fyrst commaundement partyculer touchynge the loue dyleccyon of his neyghboure / whiche enduceth and somoneth a creature to doo wel Folowen the other .vi. whiche defende to a creature to doo euyll And therfore that amonge all the euylles that a creature may do to another / the gretest euyl is to sle him / this was gyuen to moyses in the seconde commaūdement of the .vii. is Thou shalt not slee / that is to wete creature reasonable of thy propre wyll auctoryte To the knowleche of whiche commaūdement is to wete that after holy scrypture been slayne creatures resonable in many maners / Fyrst by smytynge in the body and hurtynge in suche maner that deth ensyeweth therof / and this is not only agaynst the secōde cōmaūdemente pryncypall a fore sayd whiche commaundeth hym for to loue his neyghboure as hymselfe But it is agaynst nature for naturally all thyngees lyke semblable loue eche other Secondly by gyuynge counseyll fauour or ayde tendeth a creature to slee a nother bodyly / or to make hym to fall into dedly synne Thyrdly in makynge conforte and also ayde vnto a creature for to sle a nother corporally or for to cause hym for to fall in to dedly synne Fourthly in consentynge hym selfe to the bodly deth of another spyrytuall as touchynge to dedly synne / as to make a nother for to fall The whiche consentynge is vnderstonde / as oftymes as I may lette a nother fro deth corporall or spyrytuall as touchynge dedly synne and I let hȳ not By this it appereth clerely ynough that a creature somtyme sleeth a body / by iniurye done to his body in suche wyse that deth ensyeweth And sometyme the soule for to make it fall in to dedly synne and somtyme body and soule to gyder / by sleynge hym selfe or a woman grete with chylde lyuynge The seconde commaundemente defendeth hym too do euyll to a persone conioyned in maryage and that is this Thou shalte do none aduoutrye / that is to saye with a woman conioyned to a nother by maryage thou shalte haue no commyxyon / or flesshely company Ne a woman also maryed with ony other man thā her husbōde it is to wete that man woman in doynge a gaynst the sayd cōmaūdement synne fyrst a gaynst the lawe of god whiche hath defēded auoutrye by the sayd commaūdement / and yet they synne ageynst the lawe of god / by the whiche it is sayd / that this whiche god hath conioyned by maryage / that by man it may not be deceuered ne departed In gyuynge ouer his body by carnall copulacyon to another For after the holy scrypture man and woman by maryage ben constytued tweyne in one flesshe Yet eft they synne ageynst the sacrament of maryage made in the face of holy chyrche By the whiche man and woman promytte theyr trouth to other By vertue of the whiche othe the body of the man lōgeth to the woman / and the body of the woman is to the man / and ne ought not to be abandoned ne delyuered to other by cōmyxcyon carnall / alwaye how well that in the thynges aforesayd they synne deedly as sayd is yet the offēce and synne of the woman / that abandoneth her body to an other man than her husbonde by company carnall / and commyxcion / is more greter whan chyldren or lygnage ensueth than is of the man For with the sȳnes aforsayd she commytteth theft / in gyuynge to her husbonde heyres for to succede to hym of an other man than of hymselfe / and by this the woman cōmytteth sacrylege / treason and theft And in other cases the synne of the man that hathe commysed aduoutrye / is to be reprehended more than of the woman / by cause that he ought for to haue more greter knowlege / and to be more stronge for to keke hym from synne / than the woman whiche is frayle / and deceyued lyghtly by concupyscence Also a man is ordeyned and constytued heed and mayster of the woman / and in doynge that synne he gyueth to his wyf euyll ensample And also it is to wete that by the commaūdemente aforesayd is not onely defended aduoutrye of the man and woman assembled by matrymony / but also all fornycacion cōmyxcion / and flesshely companye bytwene man and woman other than in lawfull maryage is deedly synne / and deffended by the sayd commaundement / and to holde the contrarye is heresye For to take awaye fro god that whiche is gyuen and consecrate in the holy sacrament of baptesme for to gyue to a creature is more grete Iniurye and mysprysion and more greter synne than to take it fro a creature Thenne sythe that it is defended that suche Iniurye be made to a creature by more stronger reason / it ought in no wyse to be done vnto god Also yet ageynst the sayd commaundement ne mespryseth not onelye man woman by aduoultry and fornycacyon as touchynge the dede or fayte / but all the tymes that for to doo it they haue the wylle delyberyd and concluded Without the dede be doone or folowe it is deedly synne / also all byholdynges touchynges and kyssynges made by deliberacion for to come to the dede of carnall cōmyxcion and fornycacion as well by man as by woman out of
not grace verue Then yf thou wylte knowe what is veray fraūchyse of a man of a woman by ryght Thou oughtest to vnderstonde that a man hath .iii. maner of fraunchyses One of nature / another of grace / and the thyrde of glorye The fyrst is free wyll by whiche a man may chese do frely good or euyll This fraunchyse holdeth euery man of god so frely that no man may do it wronge / ne all the deuylles of helle may not enforce a man ayenste his wyll to do a synne without his accorde and consentemente For yf a man dyd euyll ayenst his wyll / he sholde haue therof no synne / for as moche as he in no wyse myght eschewe it / lyke as sayth saynt austyn This fredom and fraūchyse hath euery man But this fredō is not in chyldren / ne in wood men / ne in fooles / by cause they haue not the vsage of reason by whiche they can chese the good from the euyll A man putteth awaye from hym this fraunchyse in grete partye whā he synneth deedly For he selleth hymself vnto the deuyll for the delyte of his synne And yeldeth hym self vnto hym and bycometh his seruaunt by synne so that he may not caste hym self out / ne put hym fro his wyll / for he hath deserued the deth of helle / yf the grace of god helpe hym not The seconde fraunchyse is suche that the wyse man hath in this worlde / whome god hath fraunchysed by grace and by vertues from the seruyce of the deuyll / and fro synne / that they bee not bonde to golde ne to syluer / ne to temporall godes of this worlde ne to theyr bodyes whiche is caroyn / ne to godes of fortune / whiche the deth may soone take awaye / but they haue theyr hertes lyft vp and gyuen to god / so that they preyse noo thynge the goodes of the worlde / ne the honours / ne the vanytes / ne kynge / ne duke / ne meschaunce ne pouerte / ne shame / ne deth For they ben now deed to the worlde / and haue the herte soo deceuered taken awaye fro the loue of the worlde / that they desyre the deth lyke as the werkman his payment of his Iourney or dayes labour / and the labourer his hyre / and also lyke as they that ben in the torment and in the fortune of the see / desyre to come to port salue And lyke as the prysonner desyreth good delyueraunce / and as the pylgrym desyreth to come ageyne in to his contreye And yf they be parfytelye free in this worlde lyke as a creature may be / thenne fere they ne doubte they no thynge but god / ben in gret pees of herte For they haue then theyr herte in god and ben in heuen by desyre And this fraunchyse cometh of grace and of vertue But yet all this fraunchyse nys but seruytude vnto the regarde of the thyrde fraunchyse that they haue that been in glorye They be verayly free For they be verayly delyuerd fro all perylles and fro all tormentes / fro fere of deth and of deth / fro the grynnes and empesshements of the worlde fro myserye / fro pouerte / and fro all payne of herte of body wtout retornynge / of whiche thynge there is none fre in this worlde / how parfyte that he be ¶ Of veray noblesse Ca. .lxxii. THey that shall haue the seconde fraunchyse of whiche I haue spoken shal come to grete noblesse The veray noblesse cometh of gentyll herte Certeyne none herte is gentyll but yf he loue god There is no noblesse but to serue and loue god and to kepe hym fro all synnes and from the seruage of the deuyll Ne there is no vylanye but to angre god by synne Ther is no man by ryght gentyl / ne noble of the gentylnesse of his body For as touchynge the body we ben all sonnes of one moder That is of the erthe and of sylthe of whiche we al haue taken flesshe and blood Of this parte there is none gentyll ne free But our swete fader Ihesu Cryst whiche is kynge of heuen that fourmed the body of the erthe and created the soule to his ymage and semblaunce / and all in lyke wyse as it is of the carnall fader / that is moche glad and ioyous whan his sone resembleth hym Ryght so is it of our fader Ihesu Cryst For by the holy scrypture / and by his messagers he techeth vs / that we sholde payne our self to resemble hym And therfore he sent to vs his blessed sone Ihesu Cryst in to therthe for to brynge gyue to vs the veray exemplayre / by whiche we may be reformed to his ymage and semblaunce lyke as they that dwelle in the hye cytee of heuen That been the aungellys and the sayntes of heuen / where eueryche is of soo moche more hye and more noble As more proprely he bereth this fayre ymage therfore the holy men in this worlde payne hem self to knowe god / and to loue hym with all theyr herte / and purge theym clense and kepe them from all synnes For of soo moche as the herte of a creature is more pure and more clene without synne / of so moche he seeth more clerely more euydently the precious face of Ihesu cryst / and of so moche he loueth more ardauntly / of soo moche he resembleth more proprelye And by that he hath the more gretter glorye And this is the veray noblesse that god hath gyuen vs. ¶ And therfore sayth ryght well Saynt Iohan the appostle and euangelyst / that then̄e we shall be the sonnes of god / and we shall resemble hym proprely / whan we shall see hym euydently lyke as he is This shall be in his glorye / whan we shall be in heuen For no man seeth so dyscouerd ne so clerely the beaute of god / lyke as sayth saynt poule But thenne we shall see hym face to face proprely and clerely whan we shal be in glorye in his Ioyous companye ¶ The veray noblesse of a man thenne begynneth by grace and by vertues / that is parfyght glorye This noblesse maketh the holy ghoost in the hertes that he purgeth and enlumyneth in trouthe and in parfyte charyte These ben the grettest goodes that god hath doone to aungellys lyke as saynt Denys sayth by whiche they resēble theyr maker Thus werketh the holy ghoost by grace and by vertue in the hertes of good men / by whiche they be reformed to thymage and too the semblaunce of theyr maker Ihesu Cryst as moche as it may be in this mortall lyf For they reyse theym self soo in god / and enbrace theym self so with the loue of god And all theyr entendement / al theyr entencyon / theyr wyll / theyr memorye is all conuerted to god And this loue and this enbracement and desyre whiche encreaceth Ioyneth and vnyeth so the herte to god / that they may noo
this loue ought to brynge vs the commynycacyon whiche is emonge creatures humayne For our lorde Ihesu cryste made vs all created / for vs all he hath suffryd paynfull deth And to vs all he hathe apparaylled the glorye and the beatytude of heuen / yf we lose it not by synne And naturally euery creature of one lykenes / of one fourme / and of one semblaunce loueth and ought to loue the other / lyke as we se in bestes and byrdes that eche loue other And hym that is to hym lyke his parayll And therfore euery creature that loueth not his neyghboure myspryseth not onely ayenst the lawe dyuyne / but also ayenst the lawe of nature The fourth thȳge that to this loue ought to brynge is the prouffyte that cometh therof For whan a creature loueth well another he desyreth his prouffyte his honour / his sauement / and purchaseth it gladly By these foure thynges aforesayd appereth clerely that we ought to loue our neyghboure as oure selfe / and this loue is in fyue thynges Fyrst whan one loueth his neyghboure truely / that is to say for the we le of hym / and that is in hym / and nothynge for his owne propre To the knowelege of whiche thynge is to wete amonge reasonable creatures / thre maners of loue ben founden ¶ Here is contayned how one ought to loue his neyghboure Ca. v. THe fyrste is whan a creature loueth an other creature for the prouffyte and vtilyte that he doothe vnto hym And this loue is not veray and parfyte For whan that the prouffyte fayleth / the loue fayleth also The seconde is whan a creature loueth an other creature for her beaute / and the pleasure and delyte that he taketh therin This loue is not veraye For she fayleth whan the pleasure or delyte dothe fade away and fayle The thyrde is whanne for the loue of our lorde all myghty and for the well of hym the creature loueth a nother creature And this loue is grete veray / accordynge to god Secōdly whan one loueth his neyghbour ordynatly that is to wete lasse than god Thus as the creature oweth to loue hym selfe lasse than god And this techeth vs our sauyoure Ihesu Cryste whan he sayth He that loueth fader or moder or his brother or sister or his chyldern or or ony other thynge more than me He is not worthy to haue me / how shall it be knowen Saynte Gregory enseygneth it to vs / that the werkes of without forth doon for a creature shewe the loue that one hath vnto hym withinforth For naturally one doth gladly whiche he weneth that it ought for to please or her that he loueth ¶ And also by this it apperyth clerly / that whan ony manere of creature leueth to do vnto the werkes The whiche accordynge to god he is holden and bounden For to doo other werkys contrary vnto the pleasure of the creature / thenne he loueth that creature more than he doth God And also in this doynge he myspreyseth a gaynst the two commaundementes aforesayd and also synneth dedly ¶ Thyrdly the loue a fore sayd is whā the creature loueth his neyghbour by dedys Also that is for to say not by wordes only / but also in fate and dede to procure in hym his profyte and to empresse let his domage with his power as he dothe to hym selfe ¶ Fourthly whan a creature loueth his neyghbour in tymes That is also for to be vnderstonde also well in the of his aduersyte and also in pouerte / as in the tyme of his rychesse / and also of his prosperyte For in especyall in the tyme of his aduersyte / and also of his pouerte the veray frende is proued ✿ ¶ And fyfthly whan the creature loueth his neyghbour holyly That is to say that the creature ought not to loue another for to drawe hym vnto synne / or for to be his felowe in euyll werkes As ben they that accompanye theym to robbe stele other mennes goodes / or do other euyll and wycked dedes For after reason thou sholdest not Iuge that thou oughtest doo suche thynges After the fyue thynges that euery creature ought to rendre vnto his neyghboure after the sayd seconde commaundement / is to wete that two thynges sheweth pryncypally the loue whan it is in the creatures ¶ The fyrst is for to haue pacyence and compassyon in myscheyf and in the aduersyte or pouerte of other For one excuseth and pardoneth gladly and lyghtly the defawte or offence of the persone that he loueth / and these be sygnes of grete loue The .ii. is humylyte whiche causeth pacyence For comynly whan a persone is proude he knoweth not his defautes But despyseth the other by presumpcyon / and may not supporte that defawtes that he Iugeth in theym But he is Impacyent And without forth he sheweth and manyfesteth ofte angre and dyspleasaunce But by cause that the sayd commaundement for to loue his neyghboure as hym selfe was by the Iewes and pharysees euyll vnderstonden / and may be and is yet by many other For they holde that they ought loue theym that loueth them / to hate them that hate theym / and for theyr neyghboure they vnderstode onelye theyr frendys ¶ It is to vnderstonde that whan loue or hate is in a creature .ii. thynges ben to be consydered / that is to wete the nature that he hath and the sȳne or defaute of hym / euery creature of god after his nature / ought for to be byloued / but his synne and defawte ought for to be dyspysed and hated ¶ And after this foresayd exposycyon ought for to be vnderstonden the commaundement that Ihesu cryst made to his appostles for to loue theyr enemyes For the nature humayne we ought to loue / and to do well to them that hate vs / and pray for them that do to vs euyll / and that persecute vs. But we owe alway to hate theyr sȳnes theyr defautes Neuerthelesse we may well / and it is lefull to vs to desyre the dystruccyon of a creature obstynate in euyl and in synnes / and that destroyeth holy chyrche / domageth and hurteth other For the desyre of this is to desyre the good of other / and nothynge the euyll / to the ende that he cease to do euyll / and perseuer in euyll And not onely for his dystruccyon Suche people whan they haue desyred after thentendement aforesayd ben called after thappostle the mynysters of god ¶ Here after foloweth the .x. commaundementes of the lawe pertyculer Ca. vi NOw it is to wete that these two pryncipall commaundementes aforesayd were gyuen to Moyses / whan god delyuered vnto him the lawe in .x. commaundementes partyculer The whiche commaundementes euery creature reasonable is bounden for to kepe / for to haue the lyfe and glory pardurable ¶ The thre fyrst haue regarde to the dyleccyon and loue of god accordynge vnto the pryncypall commaundement tofore sayd And the seuen other partyculer
The goodes of grace ben vertues and good werkes Ayenst these goodes bloweth somtyme the wynde of vaynglory / oftyme throweth doune the moost gretest trees and the moost hye These ben the moost wyse men / and it is to wete that in good vertues and good werkes the deuyll tempteth by synne of vaynglorye in thre maners That one is in the herte withinforthe whan a persone enioyeth hym of the good that he hath done pryuely / as of prayers / orysoÌ„s or of pryue good werkes / and weneth that he be better with god than he is That other is whan he suffreth a folysshe gladnes come in to his herte of that he hereth / or seeth his good fame or renoume and that he is reputed and holden for a good and noble wyse man The thyrde is whan he desyreth secheth purchaseth praysynge loos good fame / in that enteÌ„cyon he dooth his good dedes werkes nothyÌ„ge for god proprely but for the worlde ¶ The .vi. brauÌ„che of pryde is Ypocrysye Ca. xxii THe .vi. braunche of the synne of pryde is Ypocrysye This is a synne that sheweth good dedes with outforth / whiche ben not withinforth Thenne they ben Ypocrytes whiche counterfayte the wyse man withoutforthe / and they be nothynge soo withinforthe For they doo more in the entencyon to haue the name of a goâ—… man than the trouthe and the holynes And this is departed in to thre partyes For there is one Ypocrysy folysshe / one foule / and one subtyll They be foule Ypocrytes that done the ordures and fylthes of synne secretly in hydde places / and counterfayte the good men tofore the people Our lorde calleth them in the gospell sepulcres paynted and gylte They ben folysshe Ypocrytes that kepe them clene ynough as towarde theyr body do moche grete penaunce good werkes / pryncypally for the praysynge of the worlde / bycause they wolde be reputed and holden for good and holy Suche people ben well fo folysshe ✿ For of good metall they make false moneye They ben subtyll Ypocrytes that wyll mouÌ„te in hye estate and taketh away and steele the dygnytees and offyces They do all that a good man ought to do so subtylly / that no man may knowe it vnto the tyme that it be achyeued goten / all redy mounted raysed in to hye estate dygnytees / thenne they shewe theyr vyces / theyr fayntyses and the Ypocryses that were in theym within theyr herte That is to wete pryde / auaryce / and malyce / and other euyl werkes wherby may be clerely knowen theyr wyckednes theyr Ypocrysy And that the tree was neuer good / that all the werke dede of suche a ê‘sone was fayntyse Ypocrysye of that he had shewed tofore ¶ The seuenth brauÌ„che of pryde is fooll drede Ca. xxiii THe seuenth braunche of pryde is fooll drede and fole shame that is whaÌ„ one leueth to do well for the worlde / to th eÌ„de that he be not reputed and holden for an ypocryte and a. papelart / and fereth doubteth more the worlde than god This shame cometh of euyll pleasauÌ„ce And therfore is she doughter of pryde And the seuenth braunche pryncypall maketh a persone oftyme too leue to doo well / for to playse wyckedly the worlde ¶ The .ii. heed of the beest of helle is enuye Ca. xxiiii THe seconde heed of the beest of helle is enuye This is the serpente that enuenymeth all Enuye is moder of the deth And by the enuye of the deuyll came the dethe to the worlde ¶ This is the synne the whiche moost ryght and sone maketh a man to resemble to the deuyl his fader / for the deuyll hateth nothynge more than the we le of another And loueth nothinge but the harme of another And by this synne the enuyous man may not se the we le of another / no more than the owle may se the clerenes of the day or clerenes of the sonne ¶ This synne is departed in to thre braunches whiche be pryncypall For this syÌ„ne poysoneth fyrst the herte of thenuyous persone / and after the mouthe And after that the werkes The herte of thenuyous is so poysoned ouertorned that it may not se the good of another / but that it greue his herte withinforth and Iudgeth euyl that whiche he seeth / or that he hereth he taketh and demeth alway the werste And all this he dooth to his owne harme ¶ The herte of an enuyous ê‘sone hath so many venymous thoughtes and fals demimynges and Iugementes that they may not be noÌ„bred After this whan the enuyous persone dooth or hereth ony euyll of ony other what someuer he be / is it of harme of his body / as euyll of his dethe or of his sekenes / or of euyll fortune / or of pouerte / or euyll spyrytuell lyke as whan he hereth that some whiche haue ben holden for good men ben blamed and defamed of some vyces and defautes Of these thynges enioyeth the enuyous persone in his herte After whan thenuyous persone hereth the we le of another Thenne cometh to hym a sorowe and an heuynes to his herte that he may not be eased ne make ony good chere ne fayre semblaunt Now mayste thou se that the venymous herte of thenuyous persone synneth generally In malyce in gladnes and Ioye of the harme of other / and in sorow of the we le of another Thus syÌ„neth the enuyous man by his mouth For nedes muste suche wyne come out of the tappe as there is within the vessel And by cause that the herte is all full of venym / it by houeth that suche yssue oute of the mouth Thenne by the mouthe of thenuyous persone yssue thre maners of venymous wordes of whome Dauyd speketh in his psaulter / that the mouthe of thenuyous persone is full of maledyâ—tyon For of the good we le of another he myssayeth appayreth and lasseth as moche as he may Of hurtynge For all the harme deffaultes of another he secheth and sercheth / and sheweth forth to his power Of Trayson For all that he seeth or hereth he peruerteth to hys power / and tourneth it to euyll and Iudgeth it falselye ¶ After the enuyous persone hath thre maners of venym in werke lyke as he hath in his mouthe and in his herte For the nature of the enuyous is to quenâ—â—… and too destroye to his power all goodnesses / be they lytyl be they grete / or myddle or perfyght ¶ Thenne he is of the nature of a basylyke that may suffre noo verdure nygh vnto hym / neyther herbe ne busshe ne tree ¶ Thenne after the gospell the good or wel hath in hym self thre estates For it is fyrst as in the herte after in the ere / and after it is full of grayn Thenne al thus there be somme that haue good begynnynge to come well forth / and to prouffyte well / ben lyke as the herbe Theym the enuyous thynketh
to destroye yf he may / thother ben also lyke theerys of corne that floure wel and prouffyte wel to god and to the worlde And theym the fende cryeth to destroye and to shame too his power The other been perfyte in grete estate and do moche good to god to the worlde For to bete doune theyr good loos and renoume for to mynisshe theyr good dedes / the enuyous dresseth all hys engynes For as moche gretter as the goodnes is So moche more sorow he hath This synne is soo perylous that vnneth may one that vseth it come a ryght to veray repentaunce For this synne is contrary to the holy goost / whiche is fountayne of all goodnesses And god sayth in the gospell Who that synneth ayenst the holy ghoost he shall neuer haue forgyuenes ne mercy in this worlde ne in the other For he synneth of his propre malyce And it ought holy for to be vnderstande that there is noo synne how grete it be / but that god forgyueth and pardoneth in this worlde yf a persone repenteth with good herte But vnneth it happeth that ony repente of this synne For suche one warreth with his power the grace of the holy goost / in that / that he warreth the spyrytuell good of another In lykewyse as the Iewes warred agaynst our lorde Ihesu cryste for the good that he dyde ¶ And ye ought to knowe that there be .vi. synnes specyally agaynst the holy goost That is to wete presumpcyon the whiche enlargeth ouer moche to synne / and prayseth lytell the Iustyce of our lorde / and ouer moche to truste in his mercy / therfore moche people synne in hope The .ii. synne ageynst the holy goost is dyspayre whiche benȳmeth and taketh awaye frome god his mercy Lyke as presumpcyon taketh frome hym his Iustyce The .iii. is obstynacyon This is hardenes of herte Whan one is so enharded in his synne and in his malyce / that he may not be humbled ne meked ne bowe and wyll not repent hym ne amende The fourthe synne agaynst the holy goste is dyspyte of penaunce That is whan a man purposeth in his herte / that he shall neuer repente hym of his synne The fyfth is to warre agaynst the grace of the holy goost in an other The syxth is to warre agaynst the trouthe in ernest wetyngly / and in especyall the trouthe of the Crysten faythe ¶ All these foresayd synnes ben ageynst the bounte and goodnes of the holy ghoost / and they ben soo grete that vnnethe they come too veray repentaunce And therfore ben they vnnethe forgyuen pardoned ¶ The .iii. heed of the beest of helle is Ire or wrath Ca. .xxv. THe thyrde heed of the beest is Ire But thou owest to knowe that there is an yre whiche is vertuous / that the good men haue ayenste thys synne / whiche geten the vertues ayenste the vyces There is another Ire whiche is a moche grete vyce / that is felonnye of herte / oute of whome yssueth many braūche And in especyal foure warres that the felons haue ¶ Of the fyrst warre of the synne of yre / whiche is suche Ca. .xxvi THe fyrst warre of the synne of yre / is to hym self for whan Ire surmounteth the man / she tourmenteth the soule and the body so moche that the man may not slepe ne reste Somtyme yre taketh awaye the etynge and drynkynge / and maketh one falle in a feuer or in so grete heuynesse or malancolye / or despayr that he taketh the deth This is a fyre that wasteth all the goodes of the how 's ¶ The second warre that the felon hath that is to god For yre and felonnye surmounte and fyre somtyme all the people / by aduersyte temporalle / or by maladye and sekenesse / or by dethe of frendys Or by ony manere of meschaunce that his wylle is not done that he grutcheth and murmureth ayenst god our lorde sayth maugre / and in despyte of god and of all hys Sayntes And swereth and blasphemeth ayenst god and his blyssed sayntes The thyrde warre of Ire that the felon hath that is vnto theym that ben vnder hym / that is to his wyf and to his meyne and breketh pottes and cuppes lyke as he were oute of his wytte / so is he The fourth warre is withoutforth to his neyghboure by dwellers aboute hym and of this braunche growe .vi. bowes For whan Ire ryseth bytwene two men / there is then stryfe dyscorde / wordes / vylonyes / wronges And after rancour whiche dwellyth in the herte / after cometh hate medlynge and bataylle / after desyre for tauenge hym / after other whyle homycyde manslaughter After cometh ofte mortalle warre emonge the frendes / out of whiche yssuen ofte euyll in dyuers maners / and many that may not be amended For whan there is warre bytwene two hye grete men it happeth ofte that many men be slayne whiche neuer had blamed ne trespaced / monasteryes chyrches ben broken vp / and throwen doune / and ben somtyme brente townes destroyed and brent Abbayes and grete pryoryes destroyed / men women chyldren dysheryted and put to pouerte / robberyes / women maryed / and maydens defouled and corrupt / and ouer many other euylles that ben doo for that cause And al this be they bounde to rendre and to make amendes / al they by whome so many myscheues and harmes haue be done And all they that haue be in theyr helpe in suche wycked and euyll werkes / therfore they be in grete peryll of dampnacyon / and ferre frome theyr saluacyon For they may not amende ne rendre the domages that they haue done / they behoue to restore or to be forlore ¶ Of the synne of slouthe the whiche is sayd accyde Ca. xxvii THe fourthe heed of the beest of hell is slouthe / the whiche is called of clerkes accydye This sȳne is greuous to do wel This sȳne is an ouer yll rote casteth out many euyll braunches For this synne causeth a man to come vnto euyll amendemente / and more euyll begynnynge / and ouer euyll endynge The slowe persone hath euyll begynnynge by .vi. maners synnes The fyrst vyce is fayntnes / that is whan a man loueth lytyl and fayntly our lorde / whome he oweth to loue ardauntly / and this happeth whan he is flawe latchous and slowfull to do well The seconde vyce of slouthe is tendrenesse / that is the bedde wherin the deuyll resteth hym and sayth to the man or woman Thou hast be euer tenderly nourysshed thou arte of ouer feble complexyon Thou mayst not do grete penaūces / thou arte ouer tendre thou sholdest anone be deed / and for this the caytyf suffreth to be cherysshed / and to do all the eases and the delyte of his body The thyrde vyce is ydlenesse This is a synne of whome cometh many euyls as the holy scrypture sayth For whan the deuyll fyndeth a man ydle he putteth him anone in his werkes
/ that is / he maketh hyÌ„ fyrst to thynke euyll / to desyre vylonyes rybaundryes / lecheryes to lose his tyme / and to leue to do moche good that he myght do by whiche he myght gete heuen The fourth vyce of sâ—outh is heuynesse / whaÌ„ a man is so heuy that he secheth nothynge ne loueth soo moche as too lye doune reste and slepe Somtyme how well he be slowe they ben waker and quycke ynoughe to the nedes of the worlde But they be all slepy to the nedes and werkys of god / and for to do the werkys that sholde be to theyr saluacyon / and these maner of slouthfull men had leuer to lose thre masses than a swete or a good nap of slepe ¶ The fyfth vyce of slouthe is shrewdnes or cursednes that is whan a man lyeth in synne and feleth the temptacyons of the deuyll and of his flesshe whiche assayleth hym 〈…〉 he wyll not lyfte vp his heed ne his herte to god by contrycyon Ne crye to god deuoutly by confessyon Ne stratche vp his handes vnto god by satysfaccyon To suche slouthe resembleth the wycked man that had leuer rote in foule stynkynge pryson / than take on hym the laboure to go vp the stayre / or degrees to escape and go his way Of pusyllanymyte / of delay / werynes Ca. xxviii THe .vi. vyce of slouthe is pusyllanymyte In this vyce be they that haue fere drede of nought / and dare not begyÌ„ne to do well / for they haue drede that god shall fayle them This is the fere drede that some people haue of theyr dreme They resemble hym that dare not entre in to the pathe or way for feere of the snayle that sheweth his hornes And resemble also the chylde that dare not go in the way for gaglynge and hyssynge of the gees These ben the syxe vyces that taketh away from a man good begyÌ„nynge And for .vi. other vyces the slowe persone may not haue good amendement These ben the .vi tatches or condycyons of euyll seruauntes that so doo that no good wyse man ought to receyue in to his seruyce / that is to wete whan he is delaynge / necligent / forgetful / slowe / lachous / and faylynge to do well ¶ Of delaynge to do well Ca. xxix THe fyrst vyce is delaynge For whan god putteth in the herte of a man good wyll or volenty for to do well Thenne cometh the olde enmye the deuyl whiche sayth to hyÌ„ Thou shalt recouer well ynough / thou arte yonge and stronge thou shalt lyue longe ynoughe By this maner the deuyll destroubleth a man to do well ¶ Of the vyce and synne of neclygence capi xxx AFter delayenge cometh neclygence / for who soo maketh delayenge it is no wondre though he do a thynge neclygentlye This is a vyce of whiche all the worlde is entatched yf it be well taken hede of For there be not many that be delygent to do that they oughte to do anenste god and theyr neyghbour ¶ Of the vyce of forgetynge capitulo xxxi AFter neclygence cometh oublyence or forgetyng for who is not retchynge and neclygente he forgeteth ofte by these two synnes of neclygence and forgetynge happeth ofte that some persone can not well confesse ne shryue hymselfe For whan a man is not remembrynge ne not retchynge and neclygent to confesse hym He forgeteth his synnes wherof is grete peryl for no persone may haue pardon without very confessyon And he may not haue very confessyon that hath not repentaunce in his hole herte of al his syÌ„nes / knowlege of his mouthe / and obedyence in werkes This amendes and thys satysfaccyon ought euery man to doo Ne there is none how good and wyse he be / yf he seeth and consyderethe well his defautes but that he fyndeth ynough to say alwaye in his confessyon But neclygence and forgetynge blyndeth the people that they see nothynge in the booke of theyr confessyon and of theyr conscyence And after that cometh fere or drede the whiche doth come always of defaulte of herte / of euyll custome that byndeth so a man that vneth he putteth hym selfe to do well / somtyme this cometh by defaulte of dyscrecyon / and of folysshe feruoure by whiche a man taketh on hym and tourmenteth so his body by fastynge / by wakynge / by penauÌ„ces / and by other werkes that he falleth in to langoure and in suche maladye sekenes / that he may not laboure in the seruyce of god / and of this he falleth in suche fere / that he hath no sauoure of deuocyon to do well ¶ Of the vyce of latchednes Ca. xxxii AFter cometh lachednes that maketh a man latchous / appayreth fro day to day so moche that he is alway recreaunt defaylynge And this is the .vi. vyce of whiche the yll seruauntes is entached whan he faylleth tofore that he come to the ende of his terme / it is sayd comynly Who that serueth and serueth not to th ende he loseth his rewarde Of the euyl poyntes of accydye of slouth Ca. xxxiii THere ben .vi. poyntes in the synne of accyde and of slouthe that bryngeth a man to his ende The fyrst is inobedyence / whan one wyll not do that / that is charged hyÌ„ in penauÌ„ce Or yf he be boden somtyme to do a thynge that hyÌ„ semeth harde / he excuseth hyÌ„ that he may not doo it Or yf he accepteth it / he dooth lytell or nought The .ii. poynte is iÌ„pacyence For as he may nothynge do by InobedyeÌ„ce Ryght so may he nothynge suffre by iÌ„pacyence So the none dare speke to hyÌ„ of his prouffyte The .iii. poynte is murmure / for whan he is spoken to of his ê“ffyte he anone murmureth weneth to be dyspysed / thaÌ„ he falleth in to heuynes / that all that is sayd to hyÌ„ / all that is done to hyÌ„ / all that he seeth all greueth hyÌ„ / thus he falleth in langoure it noyeth hyÌ„ to liue / so that he wolde dye After these sorowfull poyntes of slouth gyueth the deuyll the mortal stroke putteth hyÌ„ in dyspayre / wherby he seketh deth sleeth hymselfe Or elles he fareth with hyÌ„ self as all dyspayred / he that gyueth hyÌ„ to all euyls / dredeth not to do syÌ„ne ¶ Of the synne of auaryce or couetyse Ca. xxxiiii THe .v. heed of the beest is auarice that otherwise is called couetyse / that is rote of al euylles lyke as saynt poule sayth This is the maystres that hath so grete a scole that all gone thyder to study / as sayth the holy scrypture / For all maner of people studye in auaryce / prelate / clerke / lay man relygyous Auaryce is a loue of dysordynate hauoyr ryches This dysordynauÌ„ce sheweth hymselfe in .iii. maners generally In getyÌ„ge ardauÌ„tly In retaynynge straynably in dyspendyÌ„ge scarcely These ben the .iii. brauÌ„ches pryÌ„cypall that growe oute of this rote But especyally / yssueth oute of this rote
pourchace and do so moche by deceyte fraude / that the ylke thynge that is weyed semeth to be more of weyghte thā it is The fourth manere for too synne in marchaundyse is to selle the derrer for the terme / herof we haue spoken tofore ¶ The fyfthe is to selle otherwyse than that mustre is and worse / lyke as these scryueners wrytars done that at the begynnynge shewe and wryte good letter / and after make werse and shende all ¶ The .vi. is in hydynge and concelynge the trouthe of the thynge that is solde / and so do these brokers and coorsers of hors The seuenth is to make pourchace that the ware or thynge that is solde seme moche better than it is / lyke as done the merciers and drapers that chesen and make the places derke where as they selle theyr clothe ware And in many other maners may men synne in marchandyse but it sholde be ouerlonge to saye here ¶ The nynthe braunche of auaryce Ca. .lxiii. THe .ix braunche of auaryce is in many mysteres or craftes In this synneth moche peple and in many maners lyke as done these commyn women / whiche for lytel wynnynge abandone and gyue them self al to synne Also these hazardours / bawdes kepars of forboden games many other whiche for temporell prouffyte abandone theym too dyshoneste vnthryfty craftes / whiche may not be done without synne as well of them that do it as they that susteyne it ¶ The .x. braunche of auaryce is in euyll playes and games / as the dyse at cardes tables or what someuer games that men play at for money or for gayne temporelle Suche maner playes in especyall of dyse and tables ben deffended and for boden by the decrees and lawe for many perylles that comen therof The fyrst is couetyse / the seconde ouer grete vsure as .xii. for .vi. and not at a moneth or thre dayes / The thyrde synne to multeplye lesynges vayne wordes / and that werse is grete blasphemyes of god and of his sayntes The angre and wrath that oftymes hath be taken too correcte and chastyse the other For somtyme theyr vysage hath be torned bacward behynde Somtyme sōme haue loste theyr eyen Somme theyr speche ¶ There was a knyght that sware by the eyen of god / anone the eyen of his heede sprange oute and fyll vpon the eschequer ¶ There was also an archer by cause he had all loste at playe / in despyte he drewe his bowe and shotte vp towarde god on hye / and on the morne whan he was sette ageyne at his play / the arowe fyll doune vpon the eschequyer all blody of blood and threste oute his eyen ¶ The fourth is euyl example that they whiche playe gyuen to other that beholde the playe ¶ The fyfthe is to lese the tyme whiche ought too be employed in good werkys many other wyse ¶ One thynge ought not to be forgeten / that is that he that wynneth at suche games may not / ne ought not in ony manere to reteyne his gayne / but he ought to gyue it all for goddes sake / but yf it were in suche manere that he played for another / or by deceyte or by force lyke as doeth he that maketh another to playe with hym by force In this manere he ought to rendre it to hym that hath loste In lyke wyse I saye of that whiche is wonne at tournoys These been the braūches of auaryce / there bē ynough of other but they appertayne more to clarkys than to laye men / and this book is made more for the laye men than for clerkys that knowe the scryptures ¶ One thynge ought ye too knowe that the auarycious man hath a deuyll to whome he serueth / whiche is called in the gospell māmona / and that deuyll maketh to his seruaunte syx commaundementes The fyrst is to kepe well that he hath / the seconde that in no wyse he mynysshe it The thyrde is that he encreace it alwaye be it daye or nyght / the fourth that he gyue noo thynge ne do almesse for goddes sake / ne curtosye to ony other The fyfthe that he ne lene ne gyue to the poore nedy ony thynge / ne put not in peryll Ieoparde that whiche he hath in his possessyon The .vi. that he refrayne hym self and restrayne his meyne fro mete and drynke for to spare his good ¶ Of the synne of lecherye whiche is loue dysordynatly .xlvii. THe .vi. heed of the beest of hell is lecherye / the whiche is outragyous loue and dysordynate in flesshely delytes Of this synne the deuyll deceyueth a mā in .vi. maners Lyke as sayth saynt Gregory Fyrst in folysshe false beholdynges After in folysshe and leude talkynges and wordes After in false touchynges After in false kyssynges After cometh the dede For fro folysshe beholdynge comynycacōn cometh speche / fro speche to touchȳge / fro touchynge to kyssynge / and fro kyssynge to the dede Thus subtylly bryngeth the deuyll that one to the other Fyrst this synne is deuyded in two maners For there is lechery of herte / and lecherye of body Lecherye of herte hath foure degrees For the spyryte of fornycacyon whiche is the fyre of lechery enbraceth the hert / and maketh fyrst to come the thoughtes / the fygures and the Imagynacyon of synne in the herte / and in consentynges / after the herte delyteth hym in folysshe thoughtes / and yet he delyteth how well that yet he wyll not do the dede / in his thought he abydeth / and this delyte is the seconde degree / whiche may be a deedly synne / so grete may the delyte be The thyrde degre is the consentȳge of the herte of reason and of wyll / and these consentynges concluded ben deedly synne in caas that the deed by dedly synne after the consentynge cometh the desyere / and grete brennynge of the flesshe that they haue to this synne / and do ne many synnes in the day in seynge the ladyes and the damoyselles rychely and fresshely apparayled / whiche ofte dysguyse and araye theym proudly for to make the foles and musardes to muse and beholde theym certes they synne moche greuously / for by theyr coueytyse / by theyr pryde by theyr cause peryssheth many soules / moche peple put to deth and to synne For thus as sayth the prouerbe / dame dator is the arblast to the tour For she hath not a membre in hyr body but it is a grynne of the deuyll As salamon sayth / wherof must be gyuen acomptes at the daye of Iugement of the soules whiche by thoccasyon and cause of them be dampned That is to vnderstonde whan they by occasyon and cause other to synne by theyr entysynge and labour Lecherye of the body is departed in to the lecherye of the eyen of the eerys of the mouth / of the handes / and of all the fyue wyttes of the body / and in especyall of
the vylaynnous dede and werke To this synne apperteyneth all the thynges of the flesshe / that moeuen and desyre to do this synne As done these oultrages and the excesse of mete and drynke / of swete beddes and softe / of delycyoê° robes and in all maner of excesse of body without necessyte ¶ Of dyuers estates of the synne of lecherye Ca. xlviii THe synne of lecherye hathe many estates and is departed in many braunches after the estate of the persones that done it And it goeth mountynge fro degree to degree / and fro euyll in to werse The fyrst is of syngle man and syngle woman that holden no bonde of vowe / ne of maryage / ne of ordre ne of relygyon / ne of other thynge This is the fyrst synne of lechery The seconde synne is of comyn wymmen / and this is more foul more abhomynable For by cause suche wymmen ben somtyme maryed and haue lefte theyr husbondes / or somtyme ben of relygyon / and refuse no man ne broder ne cosyn ne kynne ne other The thyrde synne is of the man syngle with a wydowe / or the reuers That is a wydower with a syngle woman The fourth too defoule a vyrgyn The fyfth is with a wedded woman This is the synne of aduoutrye whiche is moche greuous For there is brekynnge of feyth that the one ought to kepe to another After there is sacrylege whan the sacrament of maryage is broken / and herof happeth somtyme dysherytaunce and fals maryage This synne doubleth hym somtyme whan it is of a wedded man to a woman maryed to another man The .vi. synne is whan a man vseth his wyf in thynge deffended and dysordeyned ageyn nature and ordre of maryage A man may sle hyÌ„ self with his owne swerde So a man may syÌ„ne deedly with his owne wyf For this cause god smote Onam the neuew of Iacob with an euyll deth / and the deuyll whiche was named asmodeus strangled the seuen husbondes of the holy damoysell Sara whiche after was wyf to yonge thobye For all the sacramentes of holy chirche ought to be treated clenly holyly / and to holde and kepe theym in grete reuerence The .vii. synne of lecherye is too haue flesshly companye with his godsyb / or goddoughter / ne with the chyldren of theym / for suche persones may not assemble withoute synne / ne also by maryage The .viii. is of man with his kynneswoman / and this synne encreaceth / and dyscreaseth after that the kynne is nyghe or ferre The ix is of a man with the kynne of his wyf / or the reuerse / the wyf with the kynne of hyr husbonde / this synne is moche peryllous For whan the man hath hadde companye with suche a woman / he may not after haue his maryage of the cosyns of his wyf And yf he take her the maryage is none after the lawe / and yf he take a wyf after her cosyn / he loseth the ryght that he hath too his owne wyf / in so moche that he may not ne ought not to dwell with her / yf she requyre it not tofore The .x. of a woman to a clerke This synne aryseth and aualeth moche after thorder and after the dygnytees ordred The .xi. is of a man of that worlde / with a woman of relygyon / or the reuerse / a woman of the worlde with a man of relygyon / this synne encreaseth and dyscreaseth after thestate of the persones that done it The .xii. is of the prelates / whiche ought to be forme and ensample of clennes / of chastyte and of holy lyfe to all the worlde The laste is moost foule and soo abhomynable that it ought not be named This synne is ayenst nature / whiche the deuyll entyseth and sheweth a man in many maners whiche ben not to be named for the mater / whiche is ouermoche abhomynable But in confessyon it ought to be sayd / yf it be he or she to whome it hath happed For of so moche as the synne is more grete and more horryble / of so moche auayleth the more the confessyon For the grete shame that a man hathe to to saye his synne / is a grete parte of the penaunce / after holy scripture ¶ This synne dyspleaseth so moche vnto god / that he dyde doo rayne fyre brennynge and stynkynge sulphre vpon Sodom and Gomor / and dyde doo synke for this synne fyue cytees doune to hel The deuyl hym selfe that purchased this synne / hath shame and abhorred it whan it is doone ¶ Of the synne of glotonye Ca. xlix THe seuenth heed of the beest of helle is the synne of the mouth / otherwyse callyd glotonnye whiche hath two offyces / of whiche that one apperteyneth to the taste / as to ete and drynke and that other is in spekynge Therfore this vyce and this synne is deuyded in two partyes pryncypally / that is to wyte in the synne of glotonye / whiche is in etynge and drynkynge / in the synne of the shrewde tongue / that is in foule and folysshe spekynge and fyrst we shall saye of the synne of glotonye / whiche is a vyce that moche pleaseth the deuyll / and dyspleaseth to god By this synne hath the deuyl grete power in man wherof we rede in the gospell that god gaf lycence to deuylles for to entre in to swyn / whaÌ„ they were entred they drowned theym in the see This sygnefyeth that the glotons that lede the lyf of hogges and of swyn the deuyls haue leue to entre in to theym and to drowne theym in the see of helle And maketh theym to ete so moche that they brest / drynke so moche that they be drowned whan the champyon hath ouerthrowen his felowe he holdeth hyÌ„ by the gorge / by cause he sholde not relyeue Ryght so is it of hym that the deuyll holdeth by his synne in his mete the deuyll renneth to his gorge lyke as the wolfe doth to the shepe for to straÌ„gle hym / lyke as he dyde to Adam and Eue in paradyce terrester This is the fyssher of hell whiche taketh the fysshes with the grynnes by the throte This vyce dyspleaseth moche For the gloton dothe to hym grete shame whan he maketh his god of a sacke ful of donge This is the bely whiche he loueth more than god and douteth and serueth it God commaundeth that he sholde faste The bely sayth nay / thou shalt not / but thou shalte ete longe and take it by layser ¶ Also god commaundeth to ryse erly His god his bely sayth thou shalt not I am ouer full me lyst to slepe The chyrche is none hare / she wyll not fle away / and it is not yet open It shal wel abyde and tary for me And whan the gloton aryseth he begynneth his matyns and his prayers sayth O god what shall we ete this day / shall we not fynde that is ony thynge worthe After these matyns cometh the lawdes and sayth A
that he the lyueth by physyke deyeth ¶ They that lyuen after honeste they kepe and holde the mesure of rayson / lyuen honourably in the worlde For they eren in tyme and houre And taken in gree and at worth that whiche they haue curioyslye clenly and gladlye They that lyue after that theyr synne requyreth kepe suche mesure as is charged to theym in penaunce They that lyue after the spyryte ben they that for the loue of god rule and gouerne them self lyke as the holy goost ensygneth and techeth theym to holde and kepe mesure reason ordre They haue the lordshyp and seygnorye ouer theyr body whiche is so dysciplyned and endoctryned by penaunce and so wel chaâ—â—ysed that he demaundeth none ouâ—trage and doeth that whiche the spyryte commaundeth and withoute contradyction Now mayst thou see by that whiche we haue here sayd that the deuyll hath many engynes for to take the peple by theyr throtes and by theyr â—â—…tony For fyrst he sheweth to theym the wynes and the 〈◊〉 whiche ben fayre and delyeyouses / lyke as he dyd to Eue the apple / and yf it be not worthe he sayth to hyÌ„ 〈◊〉 drynke lyke as dyd suche one / thou must nedes 〈…〉 companye wylte thou that men mocke and scorne 〈…〉 wylte thou ben holden a popelarde Or he sayth 〈…〉 thou must nedys kepe the helthe of thy body / who hath 〈…〉 hath no thynge Be not an homycyde of thy self Thou owest to thy body his sustenauÌ„ce Or he sayth to 〈…〉 otherwyse Beholde and consydere the good that thou dooste / what thou mayst do Thou etest not for the delytes of the body / but for to serue god Thou oughtest to kepe thy strength to god lyke as dauyd the prophete sayth Of these reasons abouesayd be somtyme attayned deceyued the moost wyse men The thyrde brauÌ„che of this vyce is to renne take ouer gredely the mete / lyke as the dogge dothe the carayne / how moche greter is the gredenes so moche greter is the synne For lyke as it is not synne to haue the rychesses Iustly goten truely but not ouer moche to loue theÌ„ / ne to vse them euyll / ryght soo it is not syÌ„ne to ete But that it be not ouer gredely ne ouer disordynatly All maner metes ben good vnto good people to them that by reason / by measure vseth theym without ony excesse without outrage / and alway we ought too prayse god rendre thankynges to god of his goodnes of his gyftes / by the swetenes of the meet we ought to thynke on the swetnes of god / of that celestyall / swete mete of glory pardurable whiche fylleth accomplyssheth the desyre of the herte Therfore men rede in houses of relygyon at mete by cause that whan the body taketh his refeccyon on that one parte / that the soule sholde take his spyrytuall mete refeccyon on that other parte The .iiii. braunche of this synne of glotony is of them the ouer nobly wyll ete drynke / whiche dyspende waste that wherof an C. poore men myght be well fed Suche people syÌ„ne dyuersly Fyrst in grete despences that they make After in that / that they vse ouer grete gredynes delyte than vayne glory that they haue But this is not onely thexces of the throte / but it is for pryde / for the praysynge of the world that they seke soo dere metes multyply soo many meases wherof oft tymes growe many syÌ„nes The .v. brauÌ„che of glotony is the curyosyte of glotons / that thynke on none other thynge but for to delyte theym in metes / they ben ê“prelye lycherous whiche seche not sauf onely the delytes of theyr throte mouth In .iii. thynges namely lyeth the synne of suche people Fyrst in the grete charge that they haue in pourchasynge and in arayenge theyr metes After in the glorye and in the grete playsyr that they haue in seynge and beholdynge theym / and that they may recounte what dylygence they put to that / that the metes ben well arayed / and that eueryche haue his ryght propre sawce / how they may of one thynge make dyuers messes dysguysed for the delycyousnesse of the mouthe / and whan the messys or the metes comen in one after another / thenne be sayd the bourdes for entremesses and thus goeth the tyme / and the caytyss forgete theym self and reason slepeth and thynketh no thynge of the deth / ne on the synnes that they do / theyr stomacke cryeth and sayth Dame throte ye slee me I am soo full that I am lyke to breke Thenne the lychorous tongue answereth though thou sholdest to brest I shal not suffre this lycorous mete escape me / after the lycorousnes of meete cometh vaynglorye that is to remeÌ„bre it Thenne desyre wysshe they that they had as longe a necke as a crane / as grete a bely as a cowe that they myght yet deuoure and swalowe more mete Now hast thou herde the synnes that comen of glotonye and of lycourousnesse / and by cause that these synnes sourden and comen ofte in the tauerne whiche is fouÌ„tayne of synne Therfore I wyll a lytell touche the synnes that ben made and done in the tauerne The tauerne is the scole of the deuyll where as his dyscyples studye / and his propre chapel where as his seruyce is done / and that is the place where he sheweth doeth his myracles bothe daye and nyght / suche as appertey-come to shewe his vertues to make his myracles lyke as ye may se in many places / the blynde for to se / the lame and croked to be redressed / to madde men theyr wyt to dombe men speche / and to deefe men theyr herynge But the deuyll in the tauerne dooth all the contrary / for the tauerne is his chapel / as is aforesayd where men doth to hym seruyce / for whan the man gooth to the tauerne he gooth all ryght / and whan he retorneth he hath neyther fote ne hande / by whiche he may hymselfe bere ne sustayne And whan he gooth thyder he speketh well / hereth vnderstandeth / and whan he retorneth he hath loste all this / lyke as he that hath neyther wytte ne reason ne memorye in hym selfe Suche ben the myracles that the deuyll maketh in the tauerne / and what lesson is sayd in the tauerne I shall saye to you There is redde / lerned / herde and seen all fylthe and ordure of synne / that is to wete / glotonye / lechery / swerynge / forswerynge / lyenge / myssaynge / renyenge god his saynces / mysherkenynge / brawlynge and many other syÌ„nes Thenne sourdeth and cometh stryues / homycydes / or manslaughter / there is lerned to steele / to hange / the tauerne is a fosse pytte of theues / and also it is the fortresse of the deuyll for to warre ayenst god and his sayntes /
treasoure that he myght leue to vs. For he gaue hym selfe to vs as the moost fayrest Iewel that he myght gyue to vs. And we ought deuoutly / clenly / reuerently kepe hym without synne / of this breed of auÌ„gelles we ought euery daye to vse for the loue of hyÌ„ / and in mynde of his holy passyon / he is verely ours For noo maner thynge may he taken away frome vs ayenst the wyll of ours / that is of hymselfe / we doo call our breed cotydyan / the whiche is for to saye of euery day / that is for to vnderstande the cotydyan dystrybucyon the whiche he gyueth to his preestes relygious people eche day whiche done his seruyses and synge his masses and his houres / that is to all good crysten men and wymmen that euery daye by veray loue deuoutely make remenbraunce of the dolorous passyon of Ihesu Cryste that he suffred for vs ¶ The groos of the prouende of this brede of aungellys we take in haruest / that is in heuen whan we shall see the swete Ihesu Cryst dyscouerd / in his ryght grete beaule lyke as he is Therfore is it sayd cotydyan / that euery daye is to vs necessarye And euery one ought to take the holy sacrament of the aulter lyke as done the preestys / whiche ben therto ordeyned ¶ Or otherwyse euery good crysten man or woman ought to take hym by ryght fayth This brede is ryght precyous / ryght noble and ryght well arayed This is meteryall in whiche ben all maner of delyces and all good sauours lyke as sayth the boke of sapyence This is none erthely mete that ought to be gyuen to raskayll / but to hertes gentyll and noble whiche ben purged clensed fro all ordure of synne by veray repentauÌ„ce / by deuoute confessyon / and by entyer satysfaccion and penaunce ✿ ¶ Of the vertue of this brede of aungellys sayth saynt mathe we theuangelyst / and calleth it brede sursubstancyall That is to saye / that it passeth and surmounteth all substaunce and all creatures of praysynge and of vertue / of all dygnytees / and in all maners of valure Nor none may better name it ne descryue it ne more suffysauÌ„tlye than to calle it / brede sursubstancyall ¶ It is sayd that a mete is substaÌ„cyous / whaÌ„ there is therin ynough of substaunce and of nourysshynge And for soo moche more as it is nourysshynge / so moche more it is sayd that it is substancyall ¶ And by cause that in this precyous brede of Aungellys is more of nourysshynge of vertue / and of good than euer may be thought and sayd is not sayd onelye that it is substancyous bytwene ony vnderstondynge supposynge / but it is sayd sursubstancious This brede requyre we at our good fader Ihesu Cryst and we praye hym that he wyl gyue it to vs in this day that is in this present mortall lyfe / to th ende that we may make a good Iourneye / and abyde more gladly our rewarde / that is in the ende of our lyfe the glorye pardurable of heuen ¶ Here foloweth the .v. petycyon request of the holy pater noster Ca. lxxxiii DImitte nobis debita nrÌ„a sicut et nos dimittimê° debitoribus nrÌ„is In this request petycyon we requyre and demaunde our good fader of heuen / that he wyl pardone forgyue vs our syÌ„nes our trespaces / lyke as we forgyue them that haue trespasced to vs / or that trespace to vs Thenne we saye thus Fayre fader quyte to vs our dettes lyke as we quyte our detters Our dettes be our synnes whiche we haue encreased vpon our soules This is the best and moost dere wedde that we may fyne / wherof the synner for one deedly synne whiche is soone passed as too the delyte / or as touchynge the dede is bounden to so grete vsure that he hath no power to paye ne to fynysshe / that is the payne of helle whiche is without ende ¶ After he oweth vnto god whom he hath dyspleased so grete amendes that he hath noo power for to paye it For in all his lyfe yf he lyued an hondred yere or more he myght ne coude not make suffysaunâ— penaunce For one deedly synne onely / yf god wolde vse his ryght full Iustyce / it sholde neuer be forgyuen to the ¶ And therfore it byhoueth that in bytter and grete repentaunce the wycked synner retorne vnto the mercy of the debonayr and blessed lorde Ihesu Cryste And that he cry hym mercy and demaunde pardon foryeuenes ¶ For by the ryght of the courte of Iustyce / the synner shal be Iuged condempned vnto deth perdurable And therfore our good fader Ihesu Cryst whiche is softe and debonayr for to foryeue and pardone / large and curtoys for to yeue / we praye hym that he wyll pardone and foryeue to vs our synnes and trespaces But thynke and consyder well how thou prayest For thou sayest pardone to vs our syÌ„nes as we ê‘don other God shall not foryeue ne pardone to vs / as he hym self sayth in the gospel yf we forgyue not and pardone to other that haue trespaced to vs. Thenne he that sayth his Pater noster yf he kepe in his herte rancour felonnye he prayeth more ayenst hym self than for hym self For he prayeth to god that he forgyue hym not his synnes / whan he sayth forgyue me lyke as I forgyue / and therfore all the tymes that thou shalt saye thy Pater noster tofore god the seeth thyn herte Thou oughtest to forgyue all euyll talentes and cast out of thyn herte all Ire and al rancour Otherwyse thy prayer is more ayenst the than with the / yf it seme to the an harde thynge and greuous to forgyue and pardone to theym that hate the / and that wyll the euyll or that haue moche trespaced to the / or myssayed Thynke that god pardoned his deth to theym that crucefyed hym / for to gyue to the an exaumple for to forgyue / and more yet for to praye for them that haue trespaced to the that god forgyue them / and more yet for to do well and good to theym / to helpe theym yf they haue nede For as he sayth in the gospell / that it is not a grete thynge ne grete meryte ayenst god to doo good to theym / that do vs good / ne to loue theym that loue vs. For so done the paynyms and the Sarasyns Iewes and other synners But we that ben the chyldren of god by fayth by grace and ben named crysten of our blessed Lorde Ihesu Cryst and ben heyres with hym of the herytage of heuen ought for to forgyue eche other And also ought for to loue our enemyes That is to saye theyr persones praye for theym and to doo good to theym yf they haue nede For so comauÌ„deth god in the gospell Thenne we ought onely hate the synnes and to loue theyr soules Lyke as the membres of
doth / and sayth that the vertue prudence is the loue of herte / whiche veryly and wysely refuseth al that whiche may greue and ennoye hym / and cheseth al that whiche may ayde to haue that whiche he loueth / that is god / the vertue of attemperaunce is the loue of herte by whiche he gyueth hym self entyerly and without corruptyon to that whiche he loueth / that is god The vertue of strength is the loue of the herte / by whiche a man serueth onely that whiche he loueth / that is god / and for hym setteth a man all other thynges vnder his fote / despyseth them Thenne the vertue of Iustyce setteth a man in his ryght estate / that is aboue all thynges / and vnder god / without these .iiii. vertues / there is none that may mounte in to the moūtayne of perfectyon / for who that wyl moūte soo hye / hym byhoueth / that alther fyrste he haue prudence whiche maketh a man to despyse the worlde / and that he haue with it the vertue of strengthe / the whiche gyueth to hym grete herte stronge and stable courage to enpryse to pursue grete thynges / on the other partye that he haue the vertue of attempraunce / by cause that he be not ouer charged ne euyll caryed / and that he haue with hym the vertue of Iustyce that may lede hym by the ryght path / and by a good Iust way that he be without synne / and that he shewe to hym how by holy werkes he oweth to conquere the reame of heuen / lyke as god dyde to Iacob / as sayth the boke of sapyence / who that thus may haue these .iiii. vertues he shall be well parfyte and blyssed in this worlde and more in that other / for he shal be in peas of herte and in Ioy spyrytuell / and nothynge shall fayle hym / but he shall habounde in the grace of god that he shall haue with hym / in whome he shall delyte ¶ Here after foloweth how a man may take awaye put from hym the seuen deedly synnes and gete the vertues Ca. lxxxxvi NOw lete vs come ageyne to our mater / and pray we with all our herte to the holy goost / that he wyll enspyre and ensygne our hertes / that he be our aduocate / and teche vs to shewe how he by the seuen gyftes of the holy goost he plucke out and take away the seuen deedly sȳnes fro our hertes / and that he therin wyll vouchesauf to plant the seuen vertues ¶ Of the gyfte of holy drede the whiche maketh a man Iust Ca. lxxxxvii THe gyftes of drede is the fyrst of the gyftes / for he casteth out of the herte all the synnes lyke as we haue sayd tofore But proprely this gyfte of drede plucketh oute / taketh awaye and destroyeth the rote of pryde / and planteth there in his place the plante of humylyte Now beholde and vnderstonde well how the synner that holdeth hym and slepeth in his synne / is lyke to a rybaulde that slepeth and is dronke / and hath all lost at tauerne / and is all naked and so poore that he hath no thynge but he feleth no thynge ne complayneth not / but weneth that he be a moche grete lorde But whan he hath slepte and cometh ageyne to him self / and that he is out of his dronkennesse Thenne feleth he his harme and knoweth his folye Now complayneth he his losse and his domage This is the fyrst good that the holy ghoost doth to a synner whan he vysyteth hym For he gyueth to hym agayn his wytte and his mynde / and bryngeth hym ageyne to knowe hym self So that he aduertyseth and seeth what goodes he hath loste / and in what pouerte and in what perylle he hath be for his synne / lyke as dyd the sone of the good man / whiche wasted and dyspended his herytage in dyssolucyon and rybauldrye In suche confusyon and myserye he became that hym byhoued to kepe the swyne and fede them / and to lyue of theyr releef and mete / lyke as our Lorde Ihesu Cryst sheweth vs by example in the gospell Yet also the synner as sayth Salamon is lyke to hym that slepeth in the myddle of the see / and is in grete peryll tormente / he feleth no thynge ne hath no fere therof But whan the holy ghoost awaketh hym he felyth seeth his perylle / begynneth to haue drede of hym self ¶ Yet also the synner is lyke to hym that is in pryson feterydin yrons / is in boltes and hath many kepars / lyke as saynt Peter was in the prysone of kynge Herode And the caytyf synner thynketh no thynge on the prouoste / ne on the Iustyce / ne on the galowes that tarye for hym / but he slepeth and dremeth that he goeth to a weddynge and to a feste But the grace of the holy ghoost is lyke to the aungell that awoke saynt Peter / delyured hym fro the hande of kynge Herode For the grace of the holy ghoost awaketh the synner and delyuerth hym from the hande and fro the puyssaunce of the deuyl of helle / yet also the synner is lyke to hym that weneth to be stronge and hole / and he hath the dethe vnder his teeth For he hath the humours euyl and corrupte within the body / thenne dyeth he within a moneth / that wende to haue lyued .xl. yere Lyke as sayth Elyuans in the verses whiche speken of the deth and sayen thus Go ye awaye ye whystelers and gapars / for suche be couerde vnder theyr clothes / that wene to be hole and fatte that shall not lyue vnto marche ¶ But the holy ghost is lyke vnto a good physycyen that sheweth to hym his maladye and sekenesse / and moeueth fro hym his humours and gyueth vnto hym a bytter drynke whiche heleth hȳ a rendreth to hym his lyfe / ryght so troubleth our lorde the synner by bytter contrycyon whan he helyth him fro his synnes by the bytter drynke lyke as sayth the prophete in his psaulter / and fereth hym / bryngeth hym ageyne to knowe hym self / lyke as dyd Adam our fyrst fader / whan he hydde hym emonge the trees of paradys terrestre And thenne sayd god to hym Adam where art thou Thre other demaundes made god by his aungell to the chamberyer of holy Abraham whiche was named agar whan she fledde fro her lady The aungell sayd Agar from whens comest thou / whyder goest thou / what doost thou These thre questyons or demaūdes maketh the holy ghoost vnto the myserable synner / whan he awaketh hym out of his synnes / where as he was aslepe / and he reyseth hym / and openeth vnto him the eyen and the syght of his herte / gyueth to hym agayne his wyt and his vnderstondynge / the whiche was loste in the slogardye of synne Where arte thou sayth he / that is to say Beholde thou poore and myserable caytyf
in what sorowe / in what myschyefe / and in what peryll thou arte in this present worlde For thou art semblable and lyke vnto a man the whiche peryssheth in these slepynge fast in a shyppe or other vessell / ne feleth / ne vnderstandeth / ne also apperceyueth his peryll and daunger the whiche he is in That is to vnderstande and saye caytyf beholde agayne thy lyf fro now backewarde For thou comest fro the tauerne of the deuyll / where as thou haste wasted mysspent thy lyfe and tyme in foule ordure and fylth of synne / and loste al thyn aege / and all the goodes che whiche god hath gyuen vnto the. What doost thou That is to say / consyder how thou arte faynte and frayle wery slowe towarde thy body and towarde thy soule Thou wenest to be hole and stronge / but peraduenture thou hast the humours corrupte in thy body whiche shall lede the to the deth And in thy soule thou hast euyl maners / that shall lede the to the dethe of hell yf the grace of god kepe the not After whither goest thou / that is for to saye Caytyf thȳke beholde and vnderstande that thou goest to thy deth wherin thou shalte fall in to the hondes of Herode / that is the deuyll of hell and his meyne Thou goest vnto the Iugement and dome where thou shalte se the Iustyce our lorde god soo cruell / soo strayte / and soo puyssaunt Thou goost in to hell where thou shall fynde fyre styn kynge sulphre / and mo than a thousande tourmentes that The tree of sȳnes the rote of pryde Enuy. Symony Blasphemynge Yre Auarice vayn glory Slouth Glotony Lechery neuer shall fynysshe to tourment the. Thus dooth the holy ghoost to the synner to opē his eyen / to beholde aboue hym / and vnder hym / and tofore hym and behynde hym ¶ These ben foure strokes of dethe the whiche fereth the sinner and maketh hym to trȳble and too haue drede And these foure beholdynges and consyderacions proprely ben the foure stremes of the vertue of humylyte that the gyfte of drede planteth in the hert of the synner whan god vysyteth hym ¶ Here foloweth of the foure rootes of the synne of pryde Ca. lxxxxxviii THe foure thoughtes and consyderacyons the whiche ben tofore reherced pulleth out and taketh awaye frome the roote out of the gardyn or herber of the herte the foure rootes of pryde / that is of the proude man the whiche weneth for to knowe moche thynge / Or for to be of the valour of moche thynge / or that he may do and compryse moche thynge / or to haue moche thynge These ben the foure hornes That is for to vnderstande the foure cowardyses the whiche shamed the countree that our lorde god shewed vnto the holy man Zacharye the prophete But the foure thynges that he shewed hym proprely after that they came for to be et downe these tofore sayd foure hornes the whiche ben the foure thoughtes and cōsyderacyons toforesayd For whan a man frome whens he cometh / and whan that he vnderstandeth and alsoo knoweth the pouerte / the vylete / and veraye fraylte of his byrthe / how and in what maner he was conceyued as in synne / of soo foule mater and fylthe made fourmed In so poore an house herboured and lodged In so grete pouerte borne and brought forthe In what paynes and myseryes nourysshed and fostred In what laboures and trauayles he hath lyued And he hath loste spente his tyme folysshely about vayne and transytorye vanytees / he seeth and consydereth the grete nombre multytude of his synnes and trespaces And knoweth clerely the good dedes the whiche he hath lefte and not doone by his slouthe and neclygence Thenne the grace of the holy ghoost maketh him to fele / to Iuge and for to knowe in his herte / that he is of noo value / ne noo thynge worthe / after whan he thynketh where he is / and seeth this worlde whiche is nothynge but an exyle / a desert full of berys lyepardes / a forest full of theuys and engynes a see full of tempest and perylles / a fourneys brennynge and enbraced with fyre and of all synnes / a felde of bataylle and of anguysshe / where alwaye byhoueth to lyue in warre fyght ayenste the deuylles whiche ben so subtyll and so sage Thenne the grace of God maketh hym for to fele aryght and perceyue that he felt nothynge for to gouerne hym well touchynge his saluacyon yet agayne whan the synner thynketh / consyderethe and knoweth his synnes and his defautes that he is full of synnes / and voyde of all good dedes and werkes Thenne thē holy ghost maketh him to fele and to know his pouerte / and that he hath no spyrytuell good in hym After whan the synnar seeth tofore hym whiche waye he goeth / and he seeth the deth / to whome noo man may gaynsaye On that other parte the synnar seeth the Iustyce and the vengeaunce of god so Iuste soo ryghtfull whiche is so moche to be doubted / by whos handes he must passe / he seeth and knoweth the paynes horryble of helle from whome the synnar may not escape Thenne god gyueth hym to knowe that the power of a man and of a woman is nought / and that they may do no thynge wtout the specyall grace of god Thenne the synnar begynneth to haue the spyryte and yeft of drede In these thoughtes and consyderacyons ben the braunches of the rote of the tree of humylyte This tree is planted besyde the fountayne of the drede of god / of whiche it is alwaye arowsed watred as well in wynter as in somer Now oughtes thou to knowe that these .vii. vertues of whiche I purpose to speke of haue eche of them seuen degrees / by whiche it prouffyteth / aryseth / and groweth in the herte of a creature / and his good werkys by whiche is sheweth outewarde For vertue groweth on hye / lyke as doeth the palme / the cypres or the cedre / and after spredeth and casteth his braunches on all sydes ¶ Of the vertue of humylyte Ca. lxxxxix OF the vertue of humylyte speketh saynt Ancelme / and sayth that it hath .vii. degrees by whiche it mounteth on hye before that it come to perfecion Now vnderstonde well how the fyrst degree of humylyte knoweth his pouerte / his synnes / and his defautes For lyke as sayth saynt Bernarde humylyte is the vertue that maketh a man to mespryse and despyse hym self / and holde hym for vyle whā he knoweth hym self verayly ¶ This knowleche groweth of the .iiii. rotes tofore sayd But ther ben somme that knowe well theyr deffautes and theyr synnes / and theyr pouertees / but they fele theym not Therfore the seconde degre of humylyte / is to fele and to complayne his synnes / his defautes / his sorowe / and his maladye he renneth gladly to the leche / that feleth
And the synner ought to tell his synnes with grete drede / ought to open his herte and poure it abrode that it flowe ouer / lyke as one shedeth out a full pot of water whan the water is poured out there abydeth no coloure as dooth of mylke ne odoure / as of wyne ne sauoure / ne no smell ne taste as of hony / thus sholde nothynge be retayned of the synne / syth it hath be sayd in confessyon Ne the coloure That is an euyll maner that is had in spekyÌ„ge / or in beholdynge / or in folowynge euyll company / or in other thynge that hath coloure of synne Also one ouÈt to leue the sauoure and taste of synne / he retayneth the sauour of synne / that thynketh on the synnes that he hath done And delyteth hym in the remembraunce of them pleseth hym ¶ But he ought for to thynke vpon them in grete drede / that he falle neuer no more in them And also he ought to remembre theym in grete sorowe And he ought to coÌ„founde hyÌ„ in hym self / to haue grete shame tofore god of his synnes And ought haue ferme purpoos that he sholde neuer retorne to his synnes thoughe he sholde be desmembred ¶ Also he ought to leue and fle the odour There ben somme that leue wel theyr synnes but yet they here gladly spoken of them / but who that well repenteth hym / wyll not gladly here speke of them / but he ought to haue grete abhomynacyyon of them The vi condycyon is that one ought ofte to confesse hym for many reasons Fyrst for to gete more gretter grace and more meryte ageynst god / lyke as the lynnen cloth whiche is ofte wasshen / is the more whyte Also for the venyal synnes that one falleth in ofte / he ought to wasshe hym Alsoo for to chace and dryue awaye the deuyll fro hym / and for to be out of his thraldom and of his nette The byrde withdraweth hym departeth gladly fro the place as his neste is broken and deffeated / and fro thens that his egges ben taken awaye Also for to lerne for to confesse hyÌ„ wel For the vsage maketh a mayster / lyke as it appyereth in these craftes Also by cause that one knoweth not yf he haue be well sory and well repentaunce / therfore he ought to haue recours vnto his confessour / and to confesse hym of all thynges suffysauntlye Also for to humble hym self / for to gete the more grace and more meryte ageynste god / wherfore one demauÌ„ded of a monke wherfore he confessed hym so ofte / and he answerd / by cause sayd he that I haue alwaye fere that I be not well confessed and also I remembre me ofte of somme thynges that I haue not sayd in confessyon by forgetynge / also by cause that after my confessyon I fynde my self alwaye the more humble and meke Now hast thou herde how one ought too confesse hym Now oughtest thou to knowe that fyue thynges specyally empesshe and letteth veray coÌ„fessyon The fyrst is shame that one dare not saye ne tell his synne for shame / this maketh the deuyl / that putteth shame tofore for to close his mouthe lyke as a theef doth / whiche that casteth vnto the hounde a lytel glewe by cause he sholde not barke ne baye For the lytel glewe is of suche nature that it maketh an hounde dombe to be styl whan it is put in his throte / but the synnar ought to thynke that the shame that he hath to telle his synne is a grete parte of his penaunce of thamende ¶ Also the synnar ought gladly to suffre drynke a lytel shame for to escape the grete shame / that all synnars shal haue at the daye of Iugement whan all the worlde shall see theyr synnes The .ii. thynge is euyll drede to do grete penauÌ„ce / the whiche the deuyl putteth in the ere of the synnar sayenge thou mayst not do this sharpe penaunce / thou mayst not leue thy customes / suche people resemble the shoughe hors whiche is aferde of the shadowe that he seeth And certaynlye this penaunce that we do here in this worlde is but a shadowe to the regarde of the paynes of helle or of purgatorye The thyrde thynge is the wycked loue that the synnar hath enlaced that he loueth soo moche his delyte that he wyll not leue it / thynketh that for no thynge he wyll confesse hym / but slepeth in his synne lyke a swyne in the dunge The .iiii thyÌ„ge is hope of longe lyf / wherof the deuyl sayth to hym / the art a yonge man / thou shalt lyue longe / thou shalt wel recoure a confessour / but he taketh no hede ne seeth not the dethe that awayteth hym / shal take hym soner than he weneth / for god which promyseth pardon vnto hyÌ„ that repenteth / promyseth not to morne as saynt Gregory sayth Thenne the deuyll playeth oft with the synner / lyke as the catte dooth with the mouse whan he hathe taken hyÌ„ For whan he hathe longe played he strangleth and sleeth hym The .v. thynge is dyspayre / in whiche the deuyll putteth the synner / but he ought to remembre that god forgyueth to them that repente lyghtly more gladly he gyueth pardon than we demaunde hym After the confessyon cometh the satysfaccyon That is thameÌ„des and the penaunce that one ought to make and praye for his synne / after tharbytrement / and wyll of the confessoure / whiche ought to Iuge the amendes of the trespaces In fastynges In almesses / or in prayers / or in other good thynges / after that the synne requyreth it / and the seke man ought gladly to obeye to the physycyen to haue helthe And the good sone ought gladly to do the wyll of his goostly fader for the saluacyon of his soule Now haste thou herde thre thynges that holdeth togyder the haubarkes of penaunce / with whiche ben armed the newe knyghtes of god for to vaynquysshe the batayle ayenst synne And who that shall vaynquysshe this bataylle shall not retche of the seconde dethe Lyke as saynt Iohan sayth in thappocalyps / but he shall haue veray rest / that is the glory perdurable The fyrst dethe of the soule is to loue synne / whiche is vaynquysshed by penaunce / by whiche one escapeth the seconde deth / that is the deth of helle / whe one may not deye This is the fyrst braunche of the tre of prowes in them that vaynquysshe syÌ„ne After this batayle cometh another For whan a man repenteth hyÌ„ of his syÌ„ne / then cometh a newe wrastelynge to his herte / what what lyf he may lede And there be many of them that in this batayll be recreaunte For lyke as god sayth in the gospell Now they byleue Now they byleue not Now they wyll / nowe they wyl not Now they purpose Now is all noughte For they be not ferme ne stable / ne perseueraunte
sholde be good for all thynges That is mercy whiche wynneth the goodes temporall / the goodes spyrytuell / the godes perdurable of glorye / of the godes temporell sayth Salamon / honoure god of thy rychessys of thy godes tēporel gyue to the poore / god shal replenyssh thy garners of wheet / the cellers of wyne But vnderstande well this worde / that he sayth of thy rychesses and of thy godes / and not the goodes of other / as dooth some that wyll doo almesses of that whiche they haue taken fro other by force / by rauyne / by vsure / or by other euyll cause / maketh oft of other mens leder large thonges But of thyn owne propre good whiche thou holdest truely honoure god For that other thou arte bounden to yelde rendre agayne Also he sayth that thou gyue to the poore not to the ryche / god shall yelde to the an C. double therfore lyke as he sayth in the gospell Mercy is a sede that fructefyeth better in the lene londe than it dooth in fatte How that mercy multyplyeth the goodes temporell we haue many fayre ensamples / of whiche I wyll remembre some here ¶ It is sayd of saynt Germayne of Ancerre / that whan he came frome Rome / as he went out of Melane he demaūded his deken yf he had ony money / he answered that he had but thre pens For saynt Germayne had gyuen all to poore people Then commaunded saynt Germayne to his deken that he sholde gyue tho .iii. pens to the poore people / for god had well wherof to fede them that day The deken with grete payne grutchynge gaue two pens / reteyned the .iii. peny / and as they wēt on the way the seruaunt of a ryche man brought to saynt Germayne fro his lorde CC. shelynges Then called saynt Germayne his deken / sayd to hym that he had stolen fro the pore a peny For yf he had gyuen the .iii. d. to the poore / the knyght hadde sent hym CCC shelynges After it was sayd in the way to saynt Germayne / that to saynt Iohn̄ thamener came a gentylman whiche was robbed of theues so that he had nothynge / and tolde to saynt Iohan thamener his case / he had grete pyte and compassyon on hym / and he commaunded his dyspencer that he sholde gyue hym .xv. poūde / of golde / his dyspencer for couetyse gaf hym but .v. Anone a noble lady sent vnto the sayd saynt Iohan fyue C. pounde / of golde Thenne he called his dyspencer and demaūded hym how moche he had gyuen to that man He ansuerd sayd that he gyuen hym xv poūde The holy man sayd nay / that he had gyuen hȳ but .v. pounde / whan he knewe the trouth by hym that had receyued it / he sayd to his dyspenser / that yf he had gyuen that .xv. poūde Our lorde had sente to hym by the good woman M. vC poūde / whan he demaunded of the good lady whome he called to hym / how moche she had gyuen lefte to hym in her testament / she answerd that she had ordeyned a thousand fyue hondred poūde for to sende hym And whan she sawe the M. pounde raced put out of the wrytynge she thought that god wolde that she sholde sende to hȳ no more but .v. hondred pounde ¶ Also saynt Gregoyre reherceth of saynt Bonyface / that fro that tyme that he was a chylde he was soo pyetous / that he gaf his sherte his gowne vnto the poore / how be it that his moder bete hym ofte therfore ¶ Now it happed that the chylde sawe many poore people that suffred moche dysase / he espyed that his moder was not at home / he ranne to the garners / all that his moder had assembled for the yere he gaf to the poore people And whan his moder came knewe what he had done / she was as out of her wytte Thenne the chylde prayed our lorde the garners were full of whete ¶ Also there as a poore man as it is sayd that had but one cowe / whiche harde saye of his curate in his sermon that god sayd in the gospell / that a man sholde haue an hondred folde double for all that he sholde gyue for goddes sake The good man by the counceyll of his wyfe gaue his cowe vnto his curate in hope to haue an hondred kyen for his cowe / whan he had longe taryed / that promesse abode longe after / he wende that his curate had deceyued hym / and thought that he sholde sle hym / arose on a nyght for to sle hym / and whan he was in the way he founde a grete masse of golde / thenne he thought that god hadde rendred and yelded his promesse and retorned in peas Also of an other poore man bycause that he hadde herde that god wolde so gyue an hondred for one / he gaue his cowe vnto his curate whiche was ryche The preest toke gladly this cowe sent her to his pasture where as his other kyen were And at the euyn the poore mannes cowe came agayne home brought an C. kyen longynge to the preest with her / whan the poore man sawe that / he thought that god had kepte his promysse accordynge to the gospell And the sayd kyen were Iuged tofore the bysshop to the poore man ageynst the preest These ensamples to fore sayd sheweth well / that mercy is good marchaundyse for it encreaseth well the goodes temporall Also mercy empetreth and geteth of god the goodes spyrytuell perdurable Wherof saynt Poule sayth that it auayleth to all thynge For she gyueth lyfe and grace in this present lyfe / the lyfe of glorye without ende in that other And therfore sayth Dauyd in his psaulter / that god loueth mercy trouthe For she gyueth grace in this worlde / glory in that other Also mercy and almesse kepeth a mā fro all perylles delyuereth hȳ fro spyrytuell dethe that is of helle For many deed men haue ben raysed vnto lyfe by the werkes of mercye / the whiche haue ben doone / wherof there ben many ensaumples in wrytynge of the lyues of sayntes / the whiche is of the deth pardurable of helle Therfore sayd Thobye to his sone Be thou sayd he pyteous and mercyfull as moche as thou mayst For almesse delyuerth kepeth fro all synne fro the deth of helle / and defendeth the soule that it goo not in to the derknesse of helle ¶ Now hast thou herde the braūches and the degrees of mercy / by whiche she groweth and prouffyteth Now the byhoueth to see the braunches of this tree / by whiche she mounteth / and by whiche it descendeth ¶ Here after folowen the braunches of the vertue of mercy and of almesse Ca. C.xxxi THis tree hath mo braunches than thother toforesayd / for it extendeth more than the other wherof there ben braūches on
/ and prouffytable to his sauacyon And that is the blessynge wherof god speketh in the gospel whan he sayth blessed be they that be clene of herte / for they shal see god in presence by fayth / in lyght and enformed by the gyfte of vnderstondynge / and after the deth they shal see hym in heuen face to face clerely without ende as sayth saynt Poule This gyfte taketh awaye all ordure and fylthe fro the herte / and maketh hym clene parfytelye fro all ordures of synne and specyally for the spotte of the synne of lecherye For who that of this synne is entatched is veray blynde For he hath loste the eyen of the herte of reason and of vnderstondynge Soo that he may not vnderstonde ne knowe his maker / ne thynge that is holsom ne helthe of his soule But is lyke a beest that hath neyther wytte ne reason in hyÌ„ self / wherof Dauyd sayth in the psaulter / that a man to whome god hath done soo grete honoure that he hath made hym to his ymage and his semblaunce / by whiche he may knowe god and haue hym / whiche he hath not doone to ony other beest / yf he forgete his maker / the bounte that he hath doone to hyÌ„ he is becomen semblable to folysshe beestes whiche haue none vnderstondynge The synne that maketh moost a man to be lyke a foule beest / is the synne of Lechery / of whiche we haue spoken tofore in the treaty of vyces The gyft thenne of vnderstondynge whiche is contrary vnto this ordure / dystroyeth fro the herte the synne of lechery / and setteth therin purete cleÌ„nes / out of whiche groweth a ryght fayre tree That is the vertue of chastyte by whiche they come to this blyssynge / whiche god promytteth to theÌ„ that kepe clennes of herte whan he sayth blyssed be they that be clene of hert For they shall se god Bycause that they shal haue the eyen of the hert wel purged and well enlumyned of the gyft of vnderstandynge This tree groweth prouffyteth moche lyke to the other byforesayd by seuen degrees These ben .vii. thynges that whiche moche auayleth to lyue chastely ¶ The fyrst degree of the vertue of chastyte Ca. C.xli. THe fyrst degree is clene conscyence / that is the roote of this tree For wtout clene conscyence chastyte may not please god This clennes / chastyte purete requyreth that the herte may be kept fro yll thoughtes / so that the herte coÌ„sent to no syÌ„ne For who so coÌ„senteth to syÌ„ne to euyl thought to euyll desyre of his herte / he is not chaste / how well that he kepe hym fro the deed For / for the consentynge onely delybered and purposed / he sholde be dampned yf he deyed in the same state Thre thynges auaylle moche to kepe clennesse of herte The fyrst is to here gladly the worde of god and the sermons wherof our lorde sayth in the gospell to his dyscyples / ye be all clene sayd he by the wordes that I haue sayd to you For the worde of god is lyke a fayre myrrour in whiche one may see the spottes of the herte The seconde thynge is veray confessyon / whiche is the fountayne where one ought ofte to wasshe hym of all ordure of synne The scrypture sayth in the boke of kynges that Elysee the prophete coÌ„mauÌ„ded to Naman whiche was a lepre / that he sholde wasshe hyÌ„ .vii. tymes in the flome Iordan for to be clene and heled of his maladye / and whan he had wasshen hym there / he was al hole and clene The flome Iordan is as moche to saye as the streme of Iugement / whiche sygnefeth confessyon / where one ought to Iuge hym self with grete sorowe of herte and with grete repentaunce of his synnes so that a streme of teeres renne by the conduyt of his eyes / and thus the synnar shall be hole of the mezelrye of synne And therfore sayth saynt Bernard / loue confessyon yf thou wylte haue beaute For veray confessyon and hole is the beaute of that soule The .iii. thynge is to haue remeÌ„braunce of the passyon of Ihesu Cryste For no temptacyon ne none euyll wyll may not duell in the herte that thynketh and remembreth ofte the deth and the passyon of Ihesu Cryste For this is the armure that the deuyll doubteth moost / as that by whiche he is ouercomen and leseth his power This is ryght well sygnefyed to vs in scrypture / where as Moyses reysed vp a serpent of brasse by the commaundement of god vpon a perche on hye that all the people sawe it And all they that behelde it were heled of the bytinge and hurtynge of the serpentes The serpent of brasse that henge on the perche / sygnyfyeth the body of Ihesu Cryste hangynge on the crosse That was the serpent without venym / of whiche was made the tryacle of our saluacyon / for who someuer feleth hym smyten and enuenymed of pryckynge and styÌ„gynge with the venymous serpentes of hell / that ben the deuylles / lete hym beholde by veraye fayth on the serpent of brasse That is to saye that he haue in herte perfyte mynde of the passyon of Ihesu cryste / anone he shal be heled and delyuered of the temptacyons of the ennemy that is the deuyll ¶ The .ii. degree of the vertue of chastyte Ca. C.xlii. THe seconde degree of the vertue of chastyte / by the whiche this tre groweth prouffyteth / is for to kepe his mouth fro vylanous wordes / whiche ben of rybaudry dyshonestes / or suche as torneth to dyshonour For by suche wordes by suche wynde is oft quyckened enflamed the fyre of lechery / wherof the scrypture sayth Who speketh of a comyn woman is brennynge as fyre And saynt Poule sayth that the shrewde wordes cortumpeth good maners / therfore who that kepe hyÌ„ chastly / he behoueth that he kepe hym fro suche wordes / who that gladly speketh them / or gladly hereth them / he leseth god / sheweth well that he is not chaste For there may none other thynge yssue out of a vessell but suche as is wtin it yf the wordes be soule and vylaynous It is an open sygne that the ordure the fylthe and the vyâ—onnye is in the herte For of the habundaunce of the herte the mouthe speketh / this sayth our lorde in the gospel The thyrde degree of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxliii THe thyrde degree of the vertue of chastyte / is to kepe well the fyue wyttes of the body / the eyen fro folye beholdynge ere 's fro herkenynge of folye and vayne wordes The nose thrylles fro ouermoche delytyÌ„ge in swete sauours and wycked odours The tongue fro euyll speche and rybauldous langage And the mouth fro ouerswete and delycyous metes drynkes These ben the .v. gates of the cyte of the herte / by whiche the deuyll entreth ofte / these ben the wyndowes of the hous by whiche deth entreth ofte
moūten the aūgellys / these ben they that lede the lyf of aūgellys in erthe by purete clen̄esse of conscyence / whiche haue the herte in heuen by veray desyre holy cōuersacion Whan they prouffyte fro vertue to vertue / tyl they se god clerely and loue hym parfytely But whan they be mounted to the laste degree / somtyme / behoueth it to them to descēde by humylyte For of as moche as a good man is more parfyte / of soo moche he is more humble / lasse preyseth hym selfe Thenne is a good man and a perfyte / ought for to be lyke a tree the whiche is charged laden with fruyte For the more that the tree is charged and laden with fruyte / the more he enclyneth boweth to the erthe In a nother maner may be vnderstonden that the aungelys descenden for the good men that lede the lyfe of aungelys in erthe by theyr holy lyfe whā they be moūted in to the souerayne degre of contemplacion where the yeft of sapyence lede them so that they be ioyned to god that they forget al that whiche is vnder god for the grete swetensse that the herte feleth Whiche is so rauysshed in god whiche passeth all other delytes Soo that it byhoueth them ofte to descende froo this swetenes such rest and fro suche delyte that they fele of the cōforte of god whiche haue yeue them to souke in suche swete contemplacion / where they that ben perfyte ought to entende ¶ Another reason there is wherof it byhoueth too descende froo the hye degre of contemplacion where the spyryte of sapience hath ledde hȳ For the corrupsyon of the flesshe of the body of the creature humayne is so grete that the spyryte may not in this mortall lyfe longe abyde in so hye estate of contemplacion ne fele that grete swetenesse / whiche passeth all the grete delytes the whiche may be felte in this worlde / lyke as they knowe whiche haue proued it / wherof the countrepoys of the flesshe is so heuy / that it draweth doune the spyryte wyll it or nyll it And therfore this grete swetenesse that the herte contemplatyf feleth by the gyft of sapyence in this mortall lyfe / ne is but as a lytell taste by which one may assauour and fele how god is swete and sauoury But whan he shall come to that grete tauerne / where the tonne is / and shall be sette a broche / that is in the lyfe pardurable / there where god of peas / of loue / of Ioy of solace / and of all swetnes shall be abandoned to euery persone in suche wyse / that all shall be fylled / lyke as Dauyd sayth in his psaulter For all the desyres of the herte shall be accomplysshed whan god shall make dyscende vpō his frendes a flode of peas / lyke as sayth the prophete / wherof they shall so moche drynke / that they shall be all dronke Of this dronkenesse speketh Dauyd in his psaulter and sayth thus Of the glory of paradyse shall all be dronken sayth the prophete to god / of the grete plante that is in your hous And ye shall gyue them drynke of your swetenes and of your delyces For with you is the fountayne of the lyfe pardurable / the whiche fayleth not That is god hym selfe whiche is the fountayne of lyfe that may not deye / wherof sourdeth descendeth vpon all the sayntes that ben and shall be in heuen a flode of Ioy / of delyte and of peas / so grete / that all they that drynketh therof ben all dronken That is the peas and the blyssȳge that shall be in the worlde that is to come For whiche Ioye to wynne and to haue / one ought to lyue sobrely in this worlde as sayth saynt Austyn For none ne drynketh in this ryuer / ne is not dronke of the plante of Ioy but yf he kepe sobrenes This is the vertue that the gyft of sapyēce planteth in the herte / ageynst the outrage of glotony For sapyence ensygneth sobrenesse as Salamō sayth / whiche sayth in this wyse Sobrenes is a tree moche precyous and good / for it kepeth the helthe of the soule and of the body as scrypture sayth / and of the oultrage of glotonnye / of etynge / of drynkynge comen many maladyes and of tyme the deth For of ouermoche etynge and drynkynge deyen many folke and ofte the deth taketh theym sodeynlye / lyke as one taketh the fysshe with an hoke / that is too saye the morsel in the mouthe This vertue of sobrenes ought one to kepe aboue al thynges For the goodes that it dooth to hym that well kepeth it Fyrst sobrenes kepeth to reason and to vnderstondynge his fredome and fraunchyse / so that it putteth taketh awaye dronkenesse For he that is dronken is so surprysed of wyne / that he leseth reason and vnderstondynge is lyke as he were drowned in ale or wyne And whan he weneth to drynke the wyne / the wyne drynketh hym The seconde good that sobrenes dooth / is that it delyuerth a man fro ouer foull seruytude / that is fro the seruytude of the bely For the glotons they that ben oultragous of wyne and metes maken of theyr bely theyr god as sayth Saynt Poule Certaynly he putteth hymself in grete fylthe / and in foule seruytude / that serueth so foule a lorde as is his bely / out of whiche may no thynge yssue but fylthe and stynkynge ordure But sobrenes kepeth a man in his seygnorye For the spyryte ought to haue seynorye vpon the body And the body ought to serue the soule / lyke as the chambryere that serueth her maystresse / and sobrete kepeth this ordre The thyrde good that sobrenes dooth / is that he kepe well the yate of the castell ageynst the oost of the deuyll / that is the mouthe whiche is maystre yate of the castel of the herte / whiche the deuyl asseylleth maketh warre to vs as moche as he may But sobrenes deffendeth the yate thentre / that is the mouthe And whā the yate of the mouth is open / thoost of sȳnes entren lyghtly And for nought fyghteth he ayenst other synnes that reteyneth not his tongue / who hathe this vertue of sobrenes he hath the lordshyp of his body / lyke as man maystryeth the hors by the brydle Sobrenes hath the fyrst bataylle in thoost of the vertues and kepeth deffendeth the other vertues / wherewith the deuyl tempted fyrst Adam our fyrst fader and Eue our fyrst moder that was towarde the mouthe that they sholde ete of the fruyt whiche god had deffended / the deuyll ouercame them whan they consentyd to the temptacyon For to kepe sobrenes nature enseygneth vs and the holy scrypture Nature techeth vs. Foremonge beestes a man hath the leste mouth after his dody Also a man hath his membres double / as two eyen / two ere 's / but he hath but one mouthe / and therfore