of god Do neuer that thinge wherin you feare goddes displeasure ¶ More particularly in wrytynges you shall learne this lesson if you wolde some tyme take in your handes the Newe testamente and reade it with a due reuerence For I wolde not haue you in that boke forget with whome you talke It is god that there speketh it is you a poore creature of god that readethe Consider the matche and meke downe youre wittes Presume not in no case to thynke that there you vnderstand ought leaue deuisyng thervpon submit your selfe to the exposicions of holy doctours and euer conforme your consent to agre with Christis churche This is the sureste waie that you can take both before god and man Your obedience to the vniuersalle â—aithe shall excuse you before god althoughe it might bee in a faulse belefe and the same obedience shal also keepe you oute of trouble in this worlde where you see howe folisshe medlars be daiely sore punisshed bothe to their owne vndoyng and also to their great sorowe and lamentyng of their louers and frendes Surely the trouth is as I haue saied that it is your parte to obey and to folowe the churche so that bothe for your soules sake and for your bodily quietnes with the comforte of your frendes I exhorte you to meddle in no poynt of your faith otherwise than the churche shall instructe and teache you In the whiche obedience reade for you increase in vertue the storie of our maister Christe that lyuely expresseth the hole course of a vertuous life And there you shall here the holy goost commaunde you to seke first afore al thinges the king dome of heauen and than saieth the spirite of god all other thynges appertaining to the bodie and worlde shall by theim selfe folowe without your care ¶ In readynge the gosples I woulde you had at hande Chrisostome and Ierom by whome you might surely be broughte to a perfecte vnderstandynge of the texte And hereafter at leysure I wolde you reade the Ethikes of Aristotell either vnder some experte philosopher or elles with comment of Futtiracius And let Plato be familiar with you speacially in the bokes that he writeth De re puâ—ica Also you shall fynde muche for your knowladg in the morall philosophie of Cicero as in his bokes De officns de senectute de Fato de Finibus de Achademicis questio de Thusse Speacially reade with diligence the workes of Seneca of whom ye shall learne as muche of vertue as mans witte can teache you These workes I thinke sufficient to shewe you what is vertue and what is vice and by readyng of these you shall growe into a highe courage to ryse in a iudgement aboue the common sorte to esteme this worlde accordynge to his worthines that is farre vnder the dignitie of the vertues the whiche the mynde of man conceiuethe and reioyseth in these bokes shall lyfte you vp from the claie of this erthe and set you in a hyll of highe contemplacion from whens you shall loke downe and despise the vanitee that folysshe men take in the deceitfull pompe of this shorte and wretched lyfe Mo bokes I will not aduise you for your soules studie to reade than these excepte it be Enchiridion that Erasmus writethe a worke doubtles that in fewe leaues conteineth an infinite knowladge of goodnesse Thynke not my good Edmonde that I ouercharge youe For I knowe what pleasure you haue in readyng and in better bokes you can not bestow your pleasure than in these the whiche bee in noumbre but fewe and yet they shall do you more good than the readyng here and there of many other I wold to Iesus I had in your age folowed lyke counsaile in readyng onely these workes the whiche nowe at last by a great losse of time in readyng of other I haue chosen out for my purpose to refresshe with theym the reste of my life And I counsaile you nowe to beginne to do the same whan time and conueniente leisure shall bee gyuen you to reade any boke ¶ The seconde care is for the Bodie the whiche you muste cherisshe as muche as maie stande with the seruice of your fourmer thoughte and studie for your cheife treasure Haue a respecte to kepe your bodie in good helth the whiche resteth in the ayre and in your diete Abide not where corrupcion or infection is Eate not nor drynke not out of tyme or measure nor yet of suche meates and drinkes as be more delicate and pleasant than holsome Knowe the measure of youre stomacke before you ouerlade your bealy Choke not your appetite but fede your hunger Drowne not your lust but quenche your thirst and euer for your soules sake kepe you from gluttonie Faste sometime bothe for deuocion and also for your helth Slepe rather to lytell than to muche as muche as you take from slepe so muche you adde to your life For slepe is death for the time Exercise you continually for in labour your bodie shal finde strength and lustines is gotten by the vse of your lymmes Let neuer the son ryse before you you shall haue to all your affaires the lenger daie and euer for your soules sake flee from idelnes the whiche is not onely in hym that dothe nothing but also in hym that doth not well and idell you bee whan you be not well occupied Be temperate in your lustes touchynge the bodily pleasure the time shall not be longe tyll your frendes by goddis grace wyll prouide you of an honest mate In the meane season lette the feare and loue of god kepe you in chastitee the whiche apperteineth to your cheife careâ— for nedes you muste so doo seinge that otherwise lechery shal sore defoyle your soule the whiche you must regarde before the bodies appetite For this parte I wolde you reade as your leisure shall bee a littell worke of Galen De bona valetudine tuenda And in the workes afore named you shall finde many thynges that shall instructe you well for this parte also and lyke wyse for the thyrde the which third euer hath occupied mens stomackes more than either the first or the seconde Wherfore as well in holy scripture as in the other philosophers and speacially in Seneca you shall finde many lessons that appertein to the thirde care This third care is for the goodes in this worlde In this parte I can gyue you smalle aduise of my selfe bycause I haue had but small experience herein yet euer I see that you maie not in the studie of gettynge these goodes leaue or slacke the cheife care for the first thyng nor yet the secondarie care for the bodie Labour you must for your lyuing in a due order as in the thirde degre of your thinges If matens masse or a sermon bee to bee harde set your marchaundise aparte for the season and prefer the matens of your
that maie be reckened honest and iuste bycause nature maketh it necessarie ¶ Loke you howe bothe olde and newe stories kepe in memorie their names that appered to dy without feare as who saie it is to be written for a wonder and lyke to a myracle beynge a thynge beside the course of nature to here of a man that can in death ouercome the passion of feare as we wonder to here of some that lyue withouâ—e sustinaunce of meate or of drinke Bycause I saie it is a naturall thynge to feare deathe we greately maruaile of them that feare it not Yet reason saith we shoulde not feare that thynge the whiche we knowe not and onely euyll is woorthy to be feared But seyng we know not deathâ— we maie wel by reion doubt whether it bee euyll or good And now before we speake any more of feare let vs a littel consider death by it selfe what thyng it is of his owne nature and whether by it self it be good or euyll ¶ We call ones deathe the losyng a sonder and departyng of .ii. thinges the soule frome the bodie the whiche departyng no man can escape but necessarily die al we must that be borne in this worlde Whan the body by any violence loseth his sensis and is spoiled froÌ„ the quicke vse of his principall partes than departeth the soule from hym and in maner the body leueth the soule before the soule leaueth the bodie For it is not the soule by hym selfe that goeth frome the bodie but it is the bodie by his forsakyng lyfe that causethe the soule to departe For where lyfe is not there the soule can not abide and as the bodie is lyuely before the soule entereth so the same bodie is deadly before the soule departeth Bloud in his measure and temperaunce betwene colde and hotte kepeth lyfe in the bodie the whiche bloud by innumerable wais of chances may be altered and constramed to leaue his nourishyng whervpon shal insue the losse of life then streight after foloweth the soules goyng away For well you knowe that the soule is one thyng and life is an other Where so euer the soule is there is life But it is not true that where some euer life is there is the soule For trees and herbes haue a parte of life a more parte of life is in muskelles oysters and wormes yet a more perfecte life is in these beastes and birdesâ— the which haue amongeste theim some more some lesse of lifes perfectnesse But though in them life the whiche resteth in the vse of the sensis that be to here to se to fele to smel to tast and in swifte mouynge is a greate worke of life the which thynges I say though they be in the perfection amongest these beastes yet the hand of god hath not giuen to any creature liuyng in the earth water or ayre to haue besyde life a soule the whiche is a thyng formed after his likenesse sauyng onely to man whom he hathput here to rule ouer thynges created like as he ruleth in heauen ouer all It is the creatours wyll that no thynge in this worlde shal haue a soule but man alone the whiche soule bryngeth with him the vse of reason a thyng that maye teache vs bothe that we haue a soule and that god is he the whiche hath thus made vs to be in this worlde his cheife and most excellent creature Reason doth thus teache vs yet beside reason we be herein better instructed by our master the sonne of god so that nowe we can not doubte that in vs is a thyng the whiche can not die But of suietie we euidently se not only by reason but muche better by belefe that the ymage of god in vs is perpetual and can not fele any corruption onelesse suche as our frowarde will maie giue wherof groweth syn that is the lyuyng death of the soule But lette vs come to our mattier ¶ To speake of this bodily deathe we now haue a great fordel in comparison of some olde clerkes that were in doubte whether there was in man any soule beside lyfe more than is in an horse or a gose They were in doubte whether any thyng of man remayned after death that myghte feele or perceiue eyther ioy or peyne For as to the faynynge poetes that spake of delicious gardeynes for good spirites and of diuers soore turmentes for vngracious sowles after this life mooste parte of olde clerkes gaue no maner of credence and they that beleued other an heauen or an hell to bee ordeyned for mens soules yet they so beleued that muche doubtfulnes was in theyr belefe in as muche as their reason suffised not to fynde out the certaintee of goddes workes From the which doubtis the vnfallible doctrine of Christ hath nowe deliuered vs all so that as many as wyll gyue eare to the voyce of god they can not mistrust their knowladge but that without â—uestion both we haue a soule and the same soule is immortal a thing that neither in this worlde nor out of this worlde can perishe or feele any pointe of death to lacke by the same any iote of his beyng I saie our soules continuallye withoute ende shall euer more endure the which be created and made by god after the fourme of god What forme that is it is as harde to shew as it passeth our capacitie to know what god is whose shap and facion our soules beareth ¶ Nowe than what shall we saye of deathe the whiche by hym selfe is not vnlyke to an endles slepe of the bodye wherof the bodye lyeth without power to vse anye sence beyng after life like to a stone that neuer hadde life This chaunge of the bodies state whether by it selfe it bee good or euyll it is an hardâ— thynge for vs to iudge seeyng the trouth is that no man liuynge expertly knoweth what thyng death is and to determine of a thing vnknowen it semethe a presumpcion full of folye Therfore without any certaine determinacion we may for our learnyng debate with reason the thyng as muche as shal be within the bondes of our capacity and fyrst if death were by hym selfe good it shoulde be no trespasse for one man to kyll hym selfe or an other For in giuing to other a good thynge or in takynge to our selfe a good thynge can bee noo rebuke Where the dede is good there is well doyng in the doer But euer not onely by Christes teachynge but also by naturall reason manslaughter hath bene iudged an abhominable synne Wherfore it can not be that by hym selfe deathe is a good thing And againe an euyll thynge it is not For Chryste died wyllyngly the whiche will in god and goddis sonne coulde not haue consented to deathe if deathe had bene a thyng of his owne nature euyll Nor yet it coulde not be that vertue shuld be praised in the glad suffering of death as now be crowned in heauen many holy marters the whiche couragyously toke vpon theim
not death And surely it shoulde not be the naturall ende of mans course in this life if it were a thing by it selfe naught For euill magrie mans heade is neuer put to him as it shuld be yf death were euyll the whiche necessariely man is constrained to suffer Therfore it semeth true that deathe considered alone by it selfe is nother good nor euill But whan we here of diyng wel or diyng euil or of a good deathe or an euill deathe it is not deathe by it selfe that is spoken of but rather the circumstances the maner the facion the cause of deth or that goeth before death or that foloweth death These be the thinges that gyuethe and takethe this name of goodnes or euilnes As to saie that deathe is good bycause it endeth this sinneful life and is the meane to passe from this worlde to heauen or els whan we saie that Iudas died an euil death it is not ment that the departing of Iudas soule from the bodie was euill but the maner of his diyng was the euill thyng his cursed desperacion his dampnable mistrust of goddis mercy his dispitful refusing grace made his death euil The two theues he at the ryght hande and he at the lefte bothe died one kinde of death both nailed to crosses bothe woorthy for their trespasses yet it is trouthe that the tone died well in a good deathe the tother died naughte in an euill deathe not for the deathe by it selfe wherin was no difference but for the diuersitee of their .ii. mindes in takynge of death The tone repented him and asked mercie wherof he died graciouslye the tother continued in his blaspheming god the whiche stubburne stomacke in sinne caused him to die vngraciously It is a thing that foloweth death and is not in deathe it selfe whervpon we loke whan we iudge to bee a good ende or an euil For by the maner of him that dieth we coniecture the state and condicion of the soule the whiche if we finde in our fantasie to be in an euill case as in the daunger of goddes curse we calle deathe euil wherby the soule passed to com to suche sorowe And contrarie if we thinke the soule to be in the fauour of god or to bee redie to take mercie we call death good the whiche conueied the soule to his blys So that by it self death remaineth indifferent to be iudged of diuers consideracions other a good ende or an euill ende ¶ Now than we maie here saie he that feareth deathe shewethe him selfe to bee in doubte of his soules state or els to be certaine that his soule is in goddis curse The whiche fearefull minde is in them that haue soo passed this presente life that either thei haue doen nothing wherby thei maie hope to be rewarded in heauen or els thei haue done so vngraciously that thei can haue no trust of escaping damnable punishement specially if he be a christened man For if he bee not christened and feareth to die he declareth him selfe to haue none higher thoughte of lyfe than the dumbe beastes haue the whiche make by the lawe of nature so much of their lifes that they can minde nothing beside and the losse of their bloud maketh with theim an hole conclusion of their beyng Wherfore beastes mai iustly fle and feare death as the worste thinge that can happen to their state but a man doth hym selfe to muche wronge if he thinke hym selfe in no better condicion than be these beastes It is not in the diuels power to doo man soo great hurte as this false imaginacion dothe And surely vnworthy he is to haue in hym the power of vnderstanding of thinking of prouiding of learning of teaching of diuisyng of remembrynge of louing of hatyng of reasoning of counsailing of infinite mo giftes who some euer iudgeth him selfe to haue noo more than a swyne or an ape hath Loke as by the fiue wittes the bodie knoweth this or that soo by these powers of minde the soule walketh to his vnderstanding and of an heauenly mattier is made this maruailous thinge that dwelleth in mans bodie for a time to be made worthy other of euerlastyng lyfe or of euerlastinge death for the damned soule lyueth in death without ende ¶ But yet what shal we saie to the place we lefte before that naturally deathe is feared Lette it bee the woorkyng of nature yet I see not but the strength of mans mind fully fastened in faithe maie victoriously ouer come all this feare as we finde many ensamples of men that so haue done not only of them that haue bene helped with faith but also of many paynymes the whiche toke a courage to dispyse death onely of a mightie and valiant minde to haue reason subdue in theim the power of all affectes ¶ I finde a lerned painime wrote that we shoulde nother care for life by it selfe nor yet for deathe by it selfe He saith that we shulde care to liue well and to die well and let life and deathe passe without care For life is not good but to liue wel is good ¶ If painymes haue this righte consideracion of life and of death what shame is it for Christened meÌ„ to care for deathe seeyng Christe whose wordes can not but be true soo vehemently forbyddeth vs the same that painimes sawe by reason to be done Againe seyng this death is so common a thyng daiely in our sight why shoulde we feare it Thynges that sildome chaunce mai stur vp by their raâ—enes great fere thinges that be euer at hande shuld by their familiaritee and custome nousell vs to sette littell by them Furthermore he that feareth death comyng to hym wolde feare by lykelyhode death if it coulde be with hym whan deathe is suche a thing that other it is not yet come or els it is paste For noo man can saie that death is present So this feare can neuer be ioyned with the thing that is feared Againe that thyng that euery man maie do no man lightly dothe that thyng that no man can helpe him selfe in that for the moste parte all men do No man almost studieth or careth how well he maie liue but howe longe he maie liue euerye man musethe whan the trouthe is that it might of all men be optained to liue wel and noo man can further him selfe to liue longe A like frowardenes is in our remembraunce of deathe we busilye labour and enforce to dreame of deathe the whiche thing we can not do we might finde the waie to die well and this thing we will not do This madnes JohnÌ„ I trust you will put of and feare not deathe the whiche you can not escape But feare an euill death the whiche you maie flee ¶ Amonge many commoditees of death I reken one cheifely to be set by that it is good to die well to escape therby the occasion of liuinge euill and surely he dieth well that for suche an intente taketh deathe gladdely ¶ More ouer consider you well and
wherto our sauiour in all his prechyng and teachynge loked was to haue men indued with charitie For our diuine maister sawe that there neded no rehersall of synâ—es the whiche were to bee eschewed nor yet of vertues that were to be folowed if man could take charitie that is by it selfe suffycyent for all bothe to kepe menne from stumblyng in the waie from wanderyng out of the waie and finally to conducte men to the blessed wayes ende Here you se that the compasse and circuite of charite is large and wyde in as muche as it comprehendeth all that can be spoken either ageynste vice or with vertue You paraduenture thought that charitie was nothyng els but to kepe pacience and not to be displesed nor angry It is trouthe this poynt is one parte of charitie but it is not all For what so euer the loue of god prouokethe vs to or the feare of god dryuethe vs fromâ— all in one summe is concluded to be vnderstande in charitie Whervpon I maie if you kepe charitie saie that you be the very doughter of god and moste dere syster of Christe But I feare me youe haue more ofte spoken the worde charitie then you haue studyed to learne what thyng shulde bee Charytie and therby ye saie paraduenture of your selfe more then you dooe For I haue noted your mynde to be somewhat troubled with certayne fantasyes the which could haue no place in you if you were fylled with this charitie For here a lytell more in fewe wordes what is the playne definicion of this vertue as I fynde it writen of a greatte holy man and a common doctour Charitie saiethe he is a good and a gracious effect of the soule wherby mans herte hathe no fantasie to esteme valour or ponder any thynge in this wyde worlde beside or before the care and study to knowe god For who so euer is inclined to loue these erthly thynges it is not possible for hym euer to attaine so longe as he so dothe to the assured constant perfit vse of this charitie bycause his mynd hath so many and soo dyuerse lettes that hyndre and withdrawe hym from takynge the possessyon of this great treasure wherin bee touched the heapes of all vertues And a lyttel now to speake of these impedimentes and lettes it shall muche appertaine to our purpose for we shall the quycklyer come to charitie if we can knowe and escape all the blockes that lye in our waie to lette vs not onely to lette vs to come to charitie but to dryue and chase awaie frome vs this vertue that neither we canne come to it nor that to vs. The perfyte loue of god hath in it a meruailous quietnes and rest it is neuer moued styred nor caried awaie by no storme of worldly troubles but sytteth faste and sure in a continuall calmnes agaynst all wedders al blastes al stormes No rocke is more stylle then is the mynde of a charitable man whan the worlde tumbleth rolleth and tosseth it with the vomye wawes of temptacions the whiche drowneth the myndes of all vs that be weake or sicke in charitie I wold therfore syster that you diligently learned what be these blastes that turmoylen our myndes out of the reste the which charitie requireth You shall vnderstand that there be certain mocioÌ„s called passions that soore assaulte our soule and bringeth our spiritie to muche vnquietnes as to be moued with anger is a great rolling of the mind to brede enuie to fede rancour to nourisshe malice to be mindeful of any miure to be studious of auengynge to be greued with yll speakynge to fume at backe byting to grudge at compleyntes to frette with chyding to striue for shame for sclaunder These be the thynges that suffre no mynde reste any of these passions troublethe the mynde continually from one fantasy to an other so that no quietnes can be had Agayne to study for promocion to care for mariage to fyshe for riches to be gredie of honour to be desirous of fauour to couette preferremente to gape for prayses these also be sharpe spurres that chasen the mynde and kepen the mynde euer styrrynge and voyde of quyetnes Like wise to ensue a delite of deintye and swete fedynge to be taken with pleasure of the body to be ouer throwen with sorowe to perche vp with gladnes to holde vp the chyn to highe in prosperitie to hold downe the head to low in aduertise to be in bondage vnder the fierse rules of censual luste Whose crueltie ouer man hath noo pytie measure nor ende These and suche other be thynges that so troublen disquieten mans mind that quiet charitie can not abyde there For loke a lytell vpon the vnmercyfull man that can not forgyue see howe he boyleth in his appetite to be auenged Loke vpon the enuious stomacke howe he without reste freteth in couetyng the syght of his hurte whome he spyteth Looke vppon the glotton howe beastly he purueyeth bealy cheate Loke vpon the lecherer how busy he is in his vngracious thoughte Loke vpon the couetous wretche howe withoute reason he scrapeth and shrapeth for gaynes Loke vpon the ambicious felowe howe he besturrethe hym to gette worshyppe These men throughe theyr corrupte fantasies be no lesse gredie to satisfie their desires than the hungrye and the thurstye bodyes throughe naturall necessitie seke to bee refresshed Wherof we maie se that slepyng and wakyng these mens myndes rolle without takyng reste Suche wrastlynge phantasies suche inordinate appetites be called passions the whiche moue and styrre the soule contrary to his nature eyther by loue without reason or by hate without measure when we wyllyngly consente to the wynde of these sensyble thynges The mother of all these passions is a parciall loue that we beare to our selfe that is to saie the loue of thâ—s carcas and of this lyfe To kylle in vs this mother to all myschefes our maister Christ teacheth vs to hate this lyfe and to set our bodies at naught He saith it is the nexte waie to fynde lyfe if we sette nothynge by the losse of this life he saith the caryng for our body importeth and bringeth with hit a mystruste of goddes prouidence as though â—od had better prouyded for the state of byrdes than for man whome he hath created after his owne image Nowe then to gete this reste that therby we maie gete charitie we muste caste awaie the loue of this lyfe the whiche causeth all the saied ruffelynge passions by the whiche our soule standeth in peryll of deathe For learne you that to the soule it is a soore deathe to be seperated frome god And these passions be they that onely plucke the soule from god and causeth the soule to forgete heauen in the busy occupacions of this worlde the whiche worlde swarmeth full of deed soules that nyght and daie trauelyn and sweatte in the workes of darkenes from whens they shall departe in to an other darkenesse endles neuer to se
the face of god And this is the conclusyon of the passionat soule that lieth in the fetters of fylthye â—â—â—tes without reste drawen nowe hyther nowe thyther in a continuall waueryng of vayne fantasies But on the other syde the quycke lyuyng soule that quietly resteth in the loue of god dryueth frome hym by the power of grace wherwith he is indued all these vnquiete passions If he stande in feare to be moued with vncomely appetytes he fasteth he watcheth he laboreth The man I saie or woman dothe this in whome suche a blessed soule beareth rule Lyke wise against anger wrath and vayne glorie he settethe atte naught bothe honour and dyshonour shame sclaunder and worshyppe in this worlde bee nothyng in his reputacion Against remembraunce of displeasures he praieth for his euyll wyllers Suche a maner charitie teacheth and courageth this blessed soule to bee occupied in the mainteinyng and defendyng the myndes quietnesse a thynge aboue all thynges in this worlde to be kepte warely The rest that aungels in heauen haue is none other but this not to be moued nor sturred with these passions of louyng of hating of beyng pleased of beyng diseased of trustyng of lusting of abhorring of couetyng of refusyng of reioysyng of lamentyng and of innumerable such other that scourgeth and whippeth mans minde by reason of the corrupte affection and loue that he beareth in his ytching bodie a loue mooste contrarye to charitie the whiche hath as muche ease as that hath trouble You shall here a lesson of our mayster Christ the auctour and preacher of charitie He aduysethe counsaileth and commaundeth me if I be his disciple not to resist ageinst euill to offre my lefte cheke to him that hathe bee blowed me on the righte to leaue my gowne to hym that hath taken from me my cote to walke two miles with hym that hath vexed me and compelled me to walke one myle The forme of this lesson that Christe here gyueth is to enstructe and warne all christen men to regarde nothynge of the bodye or of the worlde aboue the rest and quietnesse of the mynde but that we shoulde suffre the losse of our goodes with the hurte ye with the deathe of our bodies rather then we shulde lose any smalle porcion of charitie to bee moued with any passion of minde wherby our loue towarde god myght decaie It is not possible after Christes doctrine to take in this worlde by any kynde of vyolence soo greatte domage or hurte in bodye or goodes as is the least drope of trouble in the mynde where no tyrant nor the deuyll hym selfe hath any dominion For there onely ruleth our owne free wyll soo that if we will disordre our mynde with any passion we be to our selfe more violente and cruell than the deuyll can be Wherfore my good syster let vs beleue our maister Christe and to the deathe lette vs neuer breake peace with god For if we do fare well all reste We breake peace with god when we tourne vs for any cause to the care of this lyfe If you fele your selfe inordynatly moued with displeasante woordes with angry countenaunces with euyll reportes with dyspraises with rebukes with fals sclander with vntrue complaintes beware syster for surely you be not in charitie with god If you mumble vpon coniectours if you fede vpon suspicions if you gnawe vpon shrewde tales if you delyte to gyue taunte for taunte beware agayne good syster for withoute doubte god and you betwayne And if you beleue the sonne of god your selfe with your owne will do more then any fierce prynce ouer you coulde dooe all thoughe he brought you to extreme wretchednes and at the laste to the deathe tourmented your body It is with out comparison worse to bee sette with these passions than it is to suffre the panges of death But at this pointe peraduenture you will saie and aske me whether we shuld forsake al the commodities of this worlde whether we shulde make no force to gette suche thynges as kepeth vp the welthe of our bodie whether we shulde vtterly refuse all thynges ordeyned for this lyfe whether we shoulde be cleane careles of good name No no syster not soo Holly scripture forbeadeth vs nothynge that is for vse or profyte as by Chrystes lawe it is not forbyd to eate to drynke to haue and gette wherwith suche sustinaunce maie bee mainteyned to gette chyldren to haue money to haue possessions to bee in honour to bee regarded but the worde of god suffrethe not glottony and a delyte in the belye cheare nor lechery and an vnlauful pleasure in bodylye lustes nor couetousnesse nor a gredye desyre to be ryche not vaynglory and a proude desyre to be magnified Lykewise the commaundemente of god forbeadeth vs not the thynkynge of these and of suche other thynges but it is playne contrarye to the wylle of god that we shoulde with any great intencion solicitude or carefulnesse of mynde prosecute these bodyly necessities And in the hauynge of the goodes promocions and honours we maie not iudge to be any hygher at all then is to haue thynges for mans necessitie So that towarde theim we maie not beare any maner of loue or affection but only we must with suche a mynde take theym to help forthe this lyfe as the craftes men take the instrumentes and toles to helpe theyr handye woorkes that in the hauynge of ryches our mynde considre nothyng but a plentie of thynges apperteinyng to our vse and necessytyes And thus we maie bothe for our selfe and for our neyghbours bethynke vs well howe we shall lyue but it maie be noo care nor yet any erneste studye least therby our charitie with god be dimynysshed For holde faste my syster in your remembrance that to haue and kepe charitie with god is to loue God with your holle herte with your hole mynde with your hole power If any smalle parte of your herte or of your mynde or of your wit be bestowed in any affection or loue towarde this life ye mynishe the perfection of your charitie with god the which requireth of you all and hole to be withoute a felowe by hym selfe alone loued You maie right well syster putte youre mynde and witte to gette these thynges that mainteyne this lyfe but it muste be done without all loue and affection there maie bee no parte of loue spente in suche matters for your mynde can not with any loue and affect labour to get and to holde this worldly commodities but in the meane season your charitie with god is greatly decayed and welnyghe broken Also you betray your selfe to mystruste the promission of god with the whiche mistruste god is moste displeased For there be three causes noted that shulde chiefly moue mens mindes to desyre these worldelye goodes One is the loue of welthe case myrthe and pleasure An other loue of worshyppe honour and glorye the thyrde the doubtefulnes and mystruste of lyuyng here the whiche mystrust I saie is worste of
riche and so studie to be orels thinke neuer of riches for otherwise you shal deceiue your selfe and do contrary to that waie that as well worldly wisedome as the trouthe of our faithe sheweth you But nowe here what I saie ¶ First and last myne owne good withipol remembre earnestely to haue in your mynde three certaine thynges the whiche be of suche valure that he that forgetteth either their dignitie and nature orels the degrees and order of theym he canne not please neither god nor himselfe nor the worlde I saie in all the course of your life there he thre thinges to bee loked so vpon that the fyrste of them must be fyrst of you regarded the seconde nextâ— after and the thirde in his place after the second Beware as of dedely poyson that you ruffil not than without care one before the other as to take the .iii. in the place of the firste or the secounde after the thyrde or both the seconde and the thirde before the first In this conclusion you shall as I haue saied both offend god and displease your selfe and also nothyng content the worlde Like as the most parte of men nowe a daies treaspasse all for the rechefulnes and negligence in not kepyng these .iii. thynges vnder the dignitee and degree accordyng as they ought to be obserued and kepte And what bee we my good Edmond if we be out of god des fauourâ— odious to our selfe and dispiteful to men Therfore againe I exhorte you to the entente you maie eschewe this abhominable condicion and growe to be admitted in the blessed noumbre of them that reste in the grace of god in the â—lennes of their conscience and in the fauour of the worlde to bee iudged a good a wise and an honeste man For this finall ende mine exhortacion is now that you in all your actes in the hole course of your life remembre these three thynges that I will reherse vnto you But I saie to you that you must not onely remembre these thre thynges but also specially haue in minde the degres of them so that euer the first of theim be cheifely in your thought aboue all other and than in his place put the seconde and let not the thyrde be regarded but as his place requireth that is whan you haue done with the first and also with the secounde There lieth more weighte and valure vpon the knoweyng and kepynge of this tale that I shall tel you then if I could shew you the waie within fewe monethes to bee a man of great power bothe in excedyng abundaunce of ryches and also in passing auctortie of rule Therfore as wel for the fruit that foloweth if you doo after mine exhortacion as for the infinite hurtes that you can not escape if you shoulde forget that I sai I warne and warne you a gayne here this lesson with a glad eare and print the same in your minde to execute with liuely diligence the effect of this cousail wherin is conteined your life and deathe your ioye and sorowe as wel in this world as in that shal be hereafter These .iii. thinges be the Soule the Bodye and the Substance of this world The first place hath by good reson the Soule seyng it is a thing immortall that is created and made after the figure and shape of almightye god The next seconde roume hath the Bodie as the case and sepulture of the soule and nereste seruaunt to the secretes of the spirite The thirde roume occupiethe the riches and goods of this world as y e necessary instrumeÌ„tes or toles for the bodie the whiche can not wante nor lacke such thinges Lette than the eie of your inward mind first and cheifly euer behold the first thing in you y â— is your Soule Next therto haue a respect to your body thirdly coÌ„sider y â— world care for your Soule as for your cheife iewel and onely trea sure Care for your Bodie for the soules sake Care for the worlde for the bodies sake Beware aboue all thinges that you go not backe warde as he doth that careth first to be a riche man next to be an helthy man and thirdely to be a good man where he shoulde doo cleane contrary fyrste to studie for goodnes nexte for helthe and then for welthe You see so great blindnes among men that some folke so careth for ryches that very litle they loke for the helthe of the bodie and nothyng at all they minde the state of the soule I saie to you some folkes doo thus I woulde to god I might not truely reporte that for the mooste parte all men in maner nowe a daies dooe no notherwise Loke vpon either the spiritual sort or the temporall and muche a doo you shall haue in the great swarming multitude of this blinde sort to finde out theim that first aboue all thinges care for their soule next for their bodie and thirdly for goodes of this world You shal se marchauntes spare no trauaile nor ieo pardie of the body to get these goodes They be to saie the trouth so occupied in the studie of this thirde thing that scante thei haue time to care for the second as for the first thei passe nothig thervpoÌ„ it semeth a thing lest in their thought where of conuenienci the same care studiâ— and thought that they gyue to the opteining of these worldly goodes thei shuld spende it all in the maintenaunce of the first thyng that is the Soule and the small littel regarde that they take for the fyrste shulde be bestowed for the thirde and more than thei doo thei shulde cherisshe the seconde ¶ The same confusion is with vs scholers for our first studi is to get promocion to get these goodes to liue welthily In this care we busily be occupied continually Somewhat more we cherisshe our bodies than dothe the marchant but our cherisshing is for the longer vse of these goodes not as it shulde be for the soules sake And as for the soule we haue as litel regard as other men haue although we speke therof more than paraduenture other men do This ouerthwarte confusion of these three thynges marrethe all And plainly I may sai that al mischeife cometh onely of this misorder that we put the cheife care of our studie to the thirde thyng and not to the fyrste as of duitâ—e we oughte to dooe the contrarye If my purpose were to shewe youe what other men do and not rather what I woulde haue you dooe I woulde further procede to expresse vnto you how farre out of square our life is nowe a daies and howe blessed a life we shulde haue in this transitorie world if the care of our soule were firste and cheifelye in mens myndes lyke as the care of the worldely substaunce occupieth oure hertes aboue all other thynges If it were as it oughte to be that in our phantasie reygned the studie for the Soule thanne shulde be here that celestiall
kingdome the whiche Chryste teacheth vs to praye for in our Pater noster Where we craue of God that his rule and reigne maie come among vs. But as I despaire that commonly this studie and care can not be chaunged from these worldly riches to the soule soo I am full of good hope that you will take hede to your lyfe to order therin your desires in this due maner more reâ—arâ—gâ—ng what shulde be done then what is done Whan you see and know the ryght pathe I trust you wyll not walke in the croked hâ—e waie The trouth shall more drawe you to loue and to folowe vertue than the common ensaumple shall intice you to folowe vice the which no man can loue not the sâ—nner him selfe But now my owne good Edmond here of these thre thiÌ„ges somwhat more you must prynt in your minde with a perfecte perswasion that your soule is the chefe treasure that you haue whervpon your continuall thoughte and care must be to kepe it to defende it to nourishe it to comforte it by all waies and meanes possible for you In this study you must spend all your wittes nyghte and daie you muste thynke on this thynge what so euer you do you must dyrecte your acte to this thynge If you bee occupied in the state of your bodie either to driue awaie sickenesse or to susteine helth lette it bee for the seruyce your bodye oweth to the soule If you trauaile for goodes of this worlde to gette your owne liuyng or to helpe your frende or elles to prouide for your children when god shall sende you theim let your trauaile be for the necessities of the bodie and so fynally for the soule Consider what the goodes of the worlde be howe they bee but instrumentes for the bodie Use than the worlde in his kynde Loke againe vppon your bodie howe it is preciouser than the goodes vse hym than in his worthynes and hurt not your bodie for a thyng of lesse value And as ye haue nothynge nother your bodie nor your goodes to be compared with the dignitee of youre soule so my swete Withipol lette nothyng be in your reputacion aboue this cheife and principal iewell the whiche muste onely for him selfe be cared for and al other thinges in this life muste be cherisshed for it I sticke muche with you in repetyng one thyng but maruaile not thoughe I so do for I see vs all in this worlde so blynded partly by a vse and custome frome the cradill in the magnifiyng of these goodes partely by the insaumple of theim with whome we be daiely conuersaunt that scant after long criyng it can nowe be harde that the Soule must bee cheifely cared for And excepte grace worke with you that you your selfe wyll consente to the trouthe it is not possible to perswade you that the vcrie true waie of liuyng is this to care cheifely for the soule and to care for all other thynges onely for the soules sake This saiyng though it be true yet I saie it can not bee harde in as muche the liues of all theim with whome ye shall be continually conuersaunt shal crie out clene contrarie against my saiyng For on all sydes you shall see men sweatyng in a continuall worke bothe of bodie and of minde to get these worldely goodes without any mencion made of the Soules state the whiche the veraie friers care lyttell for as it openly appereth But euer I saie to you loke what christen men shulde doo and if you se men so do be glad of that sight and folowe the same if you se the contrary flee from the ensaumple and cleaue euer fastely to the trouth with a sorowful hert for the losse of other men that so blyndely rushe forthe in the traine of a vicious liuyng where the Soule is so lyttel cared for ¶ That this fyrste thyng maie be the better in your studie I wylle briefely touche somewhat of two thynges that appertaine hereto to haue you knowe what nourisheth and comforth the Soule and what hurteth and noyeth the same The Soule can not but euer lyue it hath noo ende of liuynge yet we maie saie that the soule lyueth and dieth It liueth in the grace of god and dieth in the malice of the deuil The Soules lyfe is the lighte of vertue his death is the darkenes of synne You haue a free will gyuen you whereby you maie either quicken or slaie at your owne pleasure your Soule in the bryghte paradyse of lyfe and you maie set your soule in the blacke dungeon of deathe Let therfore this will of yours euer studie to procure for the soules lyfe the which is your owne life and in the same study you shall deliuer the soule frome his deathe the whiche is the perpetuall paine ordained for sinne that seperateth the ymage of god frome his patrone I saie synne plucketh your soule from god whose ymage your soule shulde beare Therfore in all your actes so do that you willingly displease not god who can not be pleased but with a pure and cleane conscience pure and cleane if you suffre no sinne to remaine soo long in your desyre and mind that it cankarethe the thoughte Your thought is cankared with the long residence of synne when either you be weake in the studie of vertue or elles make veraie littell of a fault or defend your vice or nowsel your selfe in a custome of an inordinate desyre The frailenes of our fleshe is so great that it can not bee but that sinne shall come to our desire but it is our blame if sinne tarie and abyde with in vs. God hath gyuen vs a mightie power ouer our selfe we maie whan we wyll correcte our desires and dryue out all synne If you knowe not what is Sinne nor what is vertue by the feare and loue of god you shall knowe both The feare of god will teache you to fle sinne and folowe vertue The loue of god will teache you to folowe vertue and slee sinne wherby your preuie and secrete conscience shall better and more clerely perceiue what is to be done and what is not than any diffinicion or descripciou can appoynte out to you Therfore my dere Withipol enwarpe your selfe faste and sure in the feare and loue of god from your fyrste rysyng to your reste drawe forth the daie in all your busines as this louynge feare and feareful loue shal secretly admonishe and warne you and die rather than you wolde pursue any lust against your knowladge of goddes pleasure ¶ What marchandyse so euer you occupie remembre it is the busines of the thirde care for the whiche you maie not leaue any poynte of this fyrst care that belongeth to the soule Likewise if ye be occupied aboute the bodie remembre it is the worke of the seconde care the whiche also muste be ordered vnto the fyrste the whiche first must alwaie sticke in your mynde sturred vp and led in all desyres and appetites by the saied feare and loue
soule that loketh to haue suche goostly fode If the time require to haue you take a mele either a diner or a supper for your refection let not your marchaundise differre the goyng therto in a due tyme. For remembre that busines is one degre aboue your marchandise If you espy a poore man to be in nede of your helpe hast to helpe hym before any care of makyng a bargaine for that worke of mercie pertemeth to your cheife iewell and therfore your soule shall grow in the grace of god Brcke not muche to the hurte of your helth the conuemente tyme of goyng to bed for any occupacions or rekeninges in your study for these goodes For remembre that rest and slepe pertaine to the seconde thynge where your countyng bokes belonge to the thyrde In makyng your bargaine kepe faith and promise deceiue noo man with any guile or false colour For let it bee euer in your phantasie howe the games that you shulde get with suche vntrue dealyng bee contemed vnder your thirde that is to saie vnder your leste care where the breaking of faith and promise with false deceite and vntrue delyng sore hurteth your soule in whome restethe your cheife thought And by false heade you could not get so muche of ryches as by the same you shuld lose of honestee and goodnesse Wherfore trauaile euer as the degrees of these thre thinges shall require If an infinite hepe of worldly goodes mighte bee gotte with a smal hurt and domage of the soule forsake rather that greatte heape than you woulde suffre this small hurte There can bee no comparison betwene the soules helthe and the ryches the lest droppe that can be of your soules parte must pondre and wey more in your thought than all this worlde beside can do ¶ Let not any similitude deceiue your iudgemente As if par case a man wold reason that the goodes of the soule be all gold the goodes of the worlde be all lead although that golde is euer better than lead yet there maie be a great quantitee of leade that shall bee valured aboue the smalle porcion of golde So in your phantasie a great gaines and lucre of the worldely goodes maie seme better than a smalle poynte of our soules substaunce Wherfore he will coÌ„clude that with a lyttelle losse of honestee or goodnesse we maie venture to gette a great aduantage in this worlde and some littell smalle porcion we maie borowe of our soule to wyn by that meanes a great summe of ryches Beware good Withipol of such reasoning and to the death to gaine all the holle royaltee of this hole worlde neuer trespasse againste your soule in the smalleste iote that can bee imagined As yf ye myght be made a lorde of great might and power with abundance of possessyons and goodes onely for the speakyng in witnesse of one woorde againste the trouthe with grudge of your conscience forsake you all that offer rather than you woulde feale the priuey bit of your offence For if you loke well you shall se that there is a greatter value of gaines in the smallest iote of vertue than is in the moste power of ryches and that the losse of the smallest mote perteinyng to your soules state is more hurte and domage than the refusyng or forgoynge of all that is vnder heauen Soo that I saie it is not lyke betwene the soules goodes and the goodes of this worlde as it is betwene golde and leade valured aboue a peny weyght of gold where there is no tytle â—o smal of vertue that is not to be valuted without comparison aboue the hole power of the erth and seas throughout Asia Affrica and Europa The profe of my saiyng dependeth herevpon that euery iote euery title euery mote of vertue wherin is conteined the soules welthy state hath appoynted his propre state and place in the heauen and kingdome of god and all the spirituall goodes bothe small and greate be vnder god of whom vertue receiueth hir reward Of the which rewarde he that leseth any maner porcion losethe more than the losse of the holle domynion and reule of this worlde whose prynce is the diuell that reigneth ouer all them as ouer his bonde seruantes the which can fâ—nde in theyrhertes to forsake veâ—tue to wynne these faulse and vayne goodes that stande to vs in no erthly stede but for the shorte tyme of a fewe yeres in this life where the possessions of vertue bee euerlastyng Thus I shewe you good Edmonde that your care to get these worldly goodes muste be subdued vnder dewe order as in this third place But what be these goodes and what waie you maie lawfully get theim I doubte not but your father will in time conuement shewe you He is of that sort of men the whiche hath by longe approued honestee purchased hym a good name and is thereby beloued and regarded of good men Whose steppes if you folowe you shall by goddes grace come to lyke worshyppe and be of lyke or more habilitee to leaue to your children sufficiente to passe this lyfe with Here remembre the more your father louethe you the lesse is your thyrde care and the lesse that your thirde care is the more leisure you haue to thynke vppon your cheife iewell the whiche god hath gyuen you to be ordered after your will in the whiche iewell you shall after this lyfe well passed haue the fruicion of goddes presence wherin restethe the ioye ineffable of the blessed lammes The gotes that is to saie the gredie soules of this thirde care the whiche neuer mindeth or veraie littell and weakely mindeth the first care shall remain for euer more in the peinfull darknes where is nothyng but criyng out and lamentyng with frettyng of stomackes and snarring of teth as the gosple shall teache you In the whiche boke of god you shall here what an harde thing it is for a ryche man to entre in to heauen bycause that moste commonly ryche men spende all theyr care and thought out of order only for this worlde and seldome or neuer they thynke of theyrsoule and whan they thynke therof they so thynke that they put that care farre vnder the care of these worldely businesses doing clene contrary to this order The whiche god woulde haue vs to keepe The whiche order though you shall see veraie littell regarded of all sortes of men yet good Edmond regarde you it and haue pitie of theim that regarde it not It is the son of god the whiche saith Many be called to heauen but fewe bee chosen Enforce your selfe to bee amonge the fewe and forsake the multitude Be not drawene to an yuell opinion neither with the ensaumple of popis cardinals and priestes nor with the ensaumple of prynces lordes knightes gentilmen and marchantes nor yet with the ensaumple of monkes and fryers You maie by your selfe knowe what is the right pathe folowe you couragiousely the same and forsake the
telled his men saiyng to his companion Loke now that after my deathe you lye not nor make noo faulse crakes that you haue won this game There with also he bekenyd to the geyler and saied I praie you beare witnes that I haue one man in this game more than my felowe hath ¶ In this wyse this philosopher plaied with death and shortly his quiete herte gaue a fouie checke mate to the tyrauntes crueltie he shewed hym selfe to be in spirite as farte aboue all kinges violent power as these mighty prynces think to haue a stronge dominyon ouer all theyr subiectes The frendes and familiars of this philosopher were veraie sorowfull bewailyng the losse of suche a man to whome what meane you quoth he why be you sad why mourne you for me Is hit not youre studye to knowe whether the soule of man be mortal or immortal The trouth of this harde question I now shall learne and nowe shall I see the trouth of all our doubtes of heuen and of god ¶ Thus talking with his frendes he came to the place of execucion and there a lyttell whyleste other were headded he stode styl in a musyng dumpte What thynke you nowe good Canius quoth one of his frendes Where vppon nowe muse you so ernestly Mary quoth he I haue determined with my self to marke wel whether in this short pange of death my soule shall perceiue and feele that he goeth out of my bodie This pointe I fully entende to take hede of and if I can I will surely brynge you and the rest of my felowes worde what I felte and what is the state of our soules ¶ Here was a wonderfull caulme stomacke in the middest of soo stormye a tempest this mans mynde was worthy of an euer lasting life that was not only to the death studious of knowladg but also in the selfe death founde occasion of learnyng It was not possible for any mans minde to continue his studie longer or to a further pointe than this noble philosopher dyd ¶ This storie and certaine other like maken me often to reson with my selfe what a strength of knowladge is in mans braine to serche and to finde by hym selfe the truth if he enforce his wittes to learne For this Canius and many other were not taught of Christe as we nowe be they had not the rules of faith the which shewe the vndoubtfulle waie to come to the perfytte knowladge of all priuie misteries they were not comforted with the preachyng of goddis son to set lyttell by this life as we now be Thei wer not plucked to conceiue a loue of vertue aboue nature as the holy scripture draweth vs from this world to the beholding of an other place where vertue receiuethe hic crowne Wherfore to me it is noo smalle cause of maruailyng whan I here suche ensaumples of naturall men that by them selfe coulde in suche a maner ryse aboue theyr nature in settynge lyttell by that thyng that naturally euery creature mooste abhorreth and feareth for deathe is the thing that in this worlde by nature is made mooste doubtfull most terrible most heynous and moste worthy to be feared to be eschewed and by all meanes waies gynnes or craft to be escaped To here than a naturall man without the teachyng of god to ryse vp in his phantasie aboue nature to iudge of deathe farre other wise then nature teacheth him to dispise the duraunce in this lyfe whan he knoweth no certainetie of none other world to vse the streÌ„gth and myghte of the spirite againste the puisant power of all tyrantes It semethe to me a wonderfulle thynge and more wonderfull the same shulde be if I sawe not written in holi scripture how that from the fyrste creacion of Adam the goodnes of god hath bene so great towarde mankynde that he hathe gyuen vs alwaie sufficiente grace to knowe the righte to see the hye maiestee of vertue to finde out the true dignitee of the soule to perceiue the vanite of this present life and fynally to vnderstande where in standethe the pleasure of god and wherein standeth his displeasure Euer by goddis mere goodnes man knewe what was well to bee done and what was contrarie yuell to be done It is a lawe written in the herte of man with the finger of god in our creacion to be enduced by reasonne to praise alwaie vertue and to thinke synne woorthy of dispraise The minde of man hath a grace to se further than the bodye syghte can attaine to the mynde of man feleth more subtilly than our fyue wittes can aproche to the losse of bloudde or of brethe is a smal trifull in the mindes consideracion whan the mynde vsethe his owne cleare sighte and is not blynded with the darkenesse of the bodie the whiche stombleth at euerie strawe in this worlde Euery mote choketh a worldely man Euerie littel sounde maketh a worldly man trimble and shake I call a worldely man him that giueth al â—is care to vse his wittes in this worlde that creapeth vppon suche thynges as be lene harde felte tasted and sinelte that clymeth not in no consideracion aboue the mist of this valey The moste parte of men euer haue bene of this weake sorte and yet styll the moste part of men is the same This worlde euer hath his multitude that honoureth worshyppeth and magnifieth nothyng beside this shorte life and those thynges that pertaine to this life Yet againe euer hath there bene some and styll there bee some that playe the philosophers the whiche studied to know the dignities and woorthynesses of euerye thing howe muche it shuld be estemed valuied or regarded of vs the whiche laboreth to picke out in euerye thynge what is good and what is naught Men of this sorte be called spirituall men For you must know that a taillour a shomaker a carpenter a bote man without both lernyng and orders maie be spirituall whan a maister of arte a doctour of diuinitee a deanâ— a bishop both with his cunning and dignities maie be temporall seyng the true diffinicion of a spiritual man is to be one in whom the mynde and spirite cheifelye ruleth Like wise the temporall man is he in whom this present time of this traunsitorie lyfe hath mooste rome Thus I saie spirituall men haue euer sene the trouth to ponder and valure euery thyng in this worlde accordingly And as to the temporall mynde nothyng semeth sweter than to lyue here so the spirituall minde fyndeth swetenes in deathe by the whiche this lyfe endeth For lyke as the prince of this world neuer agreeth with god nor yet the bodie with the soule nor the erthe with heauen soo he that studieth for this time hath cleane contrarie opinions to him that foloweth the spirite And as the temporall man saieth it is a pleasaunte thynge to lyue here and a bytter thyng it is to die so the spirituall man thynkethe it a better tyme to induce the space of this lyfe and muche ioy he
conceiueth by the riddaunce of the soule from the heauy burden of this bodie ¶ Of these contrarye opinyons you shall lesse maruaile whan we haue a littell considered the thyng it selfe what shoulde be death the whiche one parte of vs soo muche feareth and an other sort setteth so littel by the same and so by a short processe you shall see whether the saied Canius bee more woorthy of praise for his littell regardyng the deadly punishement than is frances Philip that within fewe yeres passed was put to execucion with vs for treason the whiche died soo cowardely in soo great panges of feare that he semed extracte from his wittes scant for quakyng and trimbling the wreche could speake one worde The fewe wordes that he coulde with muche stutterynge sounde were onely in the declaracion of his dispraieâ— nor nothynge was sene nor harde of hym but weâ—yng lamentyng wryngyng of his handes with banninge the houre and daie of his byrthe continually sighing as though his hert shuld haue burste for sorowe The difference of these affectes wil here after be I thynke plainer to you whan we haue a littel more spoken in this mattier For nowe good JohnÌ„ I will crepe a littel nygher to your desyre the which you haue of learnyng the waie to die well ¶ THIS DIYNGE well is in effecte to die gladly For who soo euer dieth gladlie he departeth froÌ„ this lyfe in a sure hope to lyue againe beynge nowe wery of this worlde but nother this hope of the lyfe to come nor this werynes of the lyfe presente can make in any man a glad herte to die Oneles he be one that hath lyued well here For in deathe there can be no gladnes excepte there bee a fulle truste of opteyning the rewarde of vertue partely by the truste and faith of a good mynde partely by the mercie of god that fulfilleth euer our insufficiencie yf we bryng ought with vs woorthy of his fauour For goddis grace supplieth where our power lacketh if it soo bee that our soules appere before hym in an apparelle mete for his presence the whiche apparell requireth a perfecte faith and an ernest will of doing well all though we haue not alwaie done wel The mercie of god neuer failethe hym that fully trusteth in it But a ful truste canne not bee withoute the strength of charitee the whiche euer burneth in the loue of doynge good and faith can not be perfect oneles there bee good workes the whiche maie stur vp and quycken in vs faithe to take a beeleue that by Christis actes our final demerites maie grow to be perfect Thus a cherefull hert be sette with faith hope and charitee taketh no pensifulnes in the remembraunce of death but rather it reioyseth to remembre that by death it shall passe to lyfe neuer more to die Wherfore to die well euer is to die gladly either to be ridde from the bondes of this prison or to optaine the lybertee of heauen bothe waies commeth from a good lyfe passed so that surely no man can die well that lyueth not well for euer death is a sorowfull thyng to the euyl lyuer bycause he hath nothing to lay before the mercie of god whervpon he maie take hope and truste to be made worthy of the sure lyfe in the whiche deathe medleth not Nowe than yf we can gether what maie let vs to be gladde of deathe and what wyll bring vs to a desire of diyng gladdely we shall by the same picke out the waie to die well For in my minde these .ii. be alwais one to die well and to die gladly ¶ The glad desire of diyng is letted cheifely by two thynges one by the feare of death the tother by the loue of this lyfe The tone of these foloweth the tother For he that loueth this lyfe feareth to die and he that feareth to die loueth this lyfe Yet we maie speake of eche parte by him selfe and fyrste let vs assaie the greatteste the whiche is the feare of death than next after we will come to the tother the whiche is the loue of this life If these two blockes bee taken out of our stomackes we shall fynde an easy and a plaine waâ— to the ende of our purpose For who someuer nother feareth to die nor loueth to tarie in this lyfe he is redie alwaie to die gladly But to performe my promisse let me saie some what of the saied feare and loue ¶ Fyrste and cheifely the feare of death taketh awaie all gladnes of diyng and therby after myne opinion no man that dieth fearefully can die well soo that to learne the waie of diyng well we must learne the waie to die without feare And yet how I shulde proue that death is not to be feared I can not well tel seyng the hole power of nature sheweth that of all thynges death is most fearefull and to reason againste nature it were paraduenture not soo harde as vaine For what can reason preuaile if nature resistâ— It is a thing to farre aboue mans power to striue or to wrastell with nature hir strengthe passeth the myght of our will what helpe some euer we take of reason or of auctoritee nother counsaile nor coÌ„maundment hath place where nature dothe hir vtter mooste It is none excuâ—e to saie that men feare death bycause they be loth to leaue the commoditees of this lyfe or bycause they feare the thretenynges of purgatorie and of hell or elles bycause they thynke vpon the sore peynefull panges the whiche be in the tyme of death Naie these thinges make not cheifely the feare of diyng it maie well be that of suche thynges the feare is increased and made more ful but there is a feare before and beside all these thinges the whiche feare nature I saie giueth as it is well sene in yong children that haue no remembraunce nother of this life nor of the dedely panges nor of heauen purgatorie or helle Whan we in sporte threten to caste theim headling out at some hye windowe they quake trimble and waxe pale shewynge plaine and euident tokens of a naturall feare towarde deathe And thoughe by learnyng or by a curragious minde somme few amongest vs seme lyttell or nothyng to be moued with deathe yet the ensaumple of these fewe can not take awaie the trouth that nature in all the reste worketh For howe many be there that onely to eschew death suffre al wretchednes al beggarie all peyne in pycking vp crommes of nourisshement to abide a while in this lyght And the more shamfully that men for the moste parte feare to die the greater proffe there is that suche extreme poyntes of feare against all shame shulde not in soo many daiely appere whan death approcheth onles by nature some iuste feare were of the same For as the exceasse of feare cometh by weakenes of herte and lacke of stomacke the whiche is worthy to be rebuked for shamefull cowardnes so there is a meane measure of feare nâ— death
vppon the burninge cooles as merie and as quiete as thoughe he laie vppon swete reed roses Whan the turmentours turned his body vpon the fierie grediernes he bad the cruel tiraunt eate of his burned side whiles the tother part was a rostyng This saiyng declared that this holy marter feared no deathe ¶ How many thousande marters suffered incredible paines of flaiyng with hokes their skynne from the fleshe of scrapyng with tile stones the fleshe frome the bones of rentyng and tearing membre from membre with horses with bowed branches of trees of beatyng with whippes till the bowelles fall out of hangyng of burning of Crucifiyng of infinite straunge and new deuises for paine Howe many I saie suffred all that cruell tirauntes could imagine either with haÌ„d fier or iron rather than they wold ones denie them selfe to be of Christes profession Whan it was proclaimed that who so euer wold saie he was Christened he shulde cruelly be put to death There passed no daie without a greatte numbre of them that boldly spoke tho woordes of the whiche shulde folowe so blouddie a slaughter This was a manyfest token that feare of death hadde no maner of place with our blessed martiers the whiche with a constant boldnes defied and dispised the mighty cruel and fierse emperours their courage to die ouerthrewe the ragynge madnes of tyrauntes The cause of this mirthe in soo pitious martirdomes was that this blessed men knewe howe Christ nother coulde nor wolde deceiue them but that for their littell regardyng of this life thei shulde optaine an other life where their ioy shuld neuer haue nother chang nor decrease nor ende Therefore my good Walker mistrust you not Christe whose doctrine the heauen and the erth hath by innumerable miracles this many hundreth yeres approued and confirmed to be true the bloud of so many sainctes haue witnessed the same and the diuels with all the damned spirites so surely beleue the trouthe of Christes teachyng that thei trimble and quake there Bee not moued with the common ensample of the hole worlde though bothe spirituall and temporall men though the pope with all his cardinals byshoppes and priestes thoughe the princes with all their gentilmeÌ„ and subiectes magnifie esteme loue norishe and by all meanes cherish this life yet beleue you the trouth and thinke all the worlde faulse where Christes saiyng agreeth not with that the worlde dothe If it wer possible that you sawe the angels of heauen liue contrary to the preachyng of Christe yet againste theim all beleue the sonne of god and loue not to abyde in this lyfe whan Christe callethe you hense make a final valure of this present pleasures whan Christ saith all be vanitees and maie bee tourned to endles sorowes Regarde noo honoure noo promocion here whan Christe saith the place of honour is in heauen and here is none aduancement that is not both shame and also may be cause of a perpetuall wretchednes Dispise the ease and rest that theie riches bringeth in as muche Christe saithe that of them be taken many impedimentes and leâ—s to entre into the sure quietnes of blessed soules Thinke no place to be for your abiding in this worlde whan Christe saith here is not your countrey but your father and your dwelling place is in heauen Hast therfore hense This is to saie bee willinge to forsake this straunge countrey And seyng the waie to your homewarde lieth by death take a couragious stomacke to die and die gladly that you may die well Beleue I saie Christâ— and you shall thinke it painfull to be in this life Beleue Christe and you shal be gredie to be partaker of the heauenly ioyes whervpon will folowe a pleasant remembraunce of deathe by the whiche you shall departe from your paine to that ioye the whiche you desire And hereof is made a glad diyng the whiche I still name a good diyng Thus if we can take this feare a waie we bee well forwarde and hereof will easily ensue the reste that is to die gladdely It is a true saiyng that who so euer feareth deathe he shall neuer doo a dede woorthie for a lyuing man Therfore if it were but onely for lifes sake it is our part to dispise the feare of deathe ¶ Beside this feare of deathe the loue I saie of this life sore hindereth the gladnes of diyng no man dieth gladly that estemeth muche this life He that rekeneth in this worlde him selfe happie whan he hathe gotten ryches possessions auctoritee promocion a roial state a prince like courte abundaunce of welthie fare a rule and power bothe to auaunce his frende and to vndoo his foo this man I saie that gloriethe in his fantasye for these and suche other thinges can not but with muche sorowe depart hense To this mans herte the remembrance of death is a euer greuous thought his minde can not but lament whan he seeth the necessitee to be pluckid and draweÌ„ from these commoditees in the whiche resteth the ioye pleasure and gladnes of his minde he hath soo stedfastlie accustomed him selfe to take this worlde for heauen that it will not synke in his braine to hope of an other heauen he hath so corrupted his taste with thinking this life to be swete that nedes it must be a bytter thing to make an ende of all his pleasures and in this case bee not onely thei that haue this world at their will but also thei be in the same case that haue naughte and be gredie of hauing As muche loueth he this worlde that woulde faine be riche as he that is riche It is not the hauing nor the lackynge of abundance in goodes that maketh a sorowful hert in the remembrance of death but it is the minde that valureth and pondreth these presente goodes to bee of a greatte price and worthie to be taried for This minde I saie as wel in a communer as in a kynge as well in a yoman as in a lorde as well in an hermite monke or frier as in a marchant plowman or vacabund as well in beggars as in riche meÌ„ is the thyng that causeth sorowe in diyng And gladly no man dieth that loueth the welthe of this life Wherfore the learning to die well requireth necessarie a lesson howe much the goodes of this worlde be worthie to be regarded And let the truthe haue in your stomacke his place so that if it be true that the thinges of this life be worthy to be loued and to bee cared for thanne loue you them and care for theim If the truthe be other wise change your minde and nother loue these saied thinges nor care for theim Of the truth in this matter no maÌ„ can doubte that beleueth Christe whom if you thinke to be god you muste also thinke it all trouth that he saithe It can not bee otherwise than Christe testifieth whose preaching euer exhorteth vs to wilfull pouertee the whiche is nother to loue y â— goods of this world though we haue them nor
be loste and tyll yesterdaie all tyme past is gone and lost This same selfe daâ—e that we nowe liue is deuided and parted with death Still without ceassing we approche to deathe by the expence and wast of life Thus diyng we alwaie be though death â—e not alwaie vpon vs. Conceyue thaÌ„ this ordinate life in your mind and bestowe your time whilest you haue the time Aboue all thinges flee idelnes the whiche is a thing bothe to the bodie and to the soule like a kankeryng rustines and as an eatyng consumpcion it wasteth to naught both vertue strength A man the whiche is in the life that you be may sone be corrupted with this contagion of idelnes if he bee not well ware and diligentely enforce him selfe to the contrarie For I se you haue a maister so affectionate and giuen to you that he will nother suffer you lacke any thinge mete for your helth or qÌ„etnes but also he had rather forâ—ere his own commoditees than for his seruice you shulde be disquietted So tender he is in all poyntes ouer you that if you poÌ„der well his state and your own condicion you shall find your life better defended frome all stormes againste the mindes reste than your maisters condicion is He is in suche a sight of the world thaâ— necessarilie his studie and care must moue him to satisfy the great expectacion that his hole countrey hath of his towardenes And fortune one the tother side is soo contrary to him that nedes he must by wisedome procure with no smalle thought howe he maie in penurie maintaine the outward face of his reputacion so that for your quietnes his minde often labourethe where you maie doo what you will withoute feare of the worldes displeasure without feare of lackyng or not hauing enough for your necessaries and muche more than necessitee requirethe Labour haue you none but that maie be rather taken for a pastyme thoughte to please your maister you neede not take in as much you maie be assured that he can not nor will not for the time of his life chaunge his affection towarde you Therfore I saie it maie be feared in one of your state leste idelnes shoulde brede a foule slouens neste the which were enoughe to distroye all lustines of vertue and to make you long deed and buried in this worlde before life forsakethe you For my good IohnÌ„ I will haue you knowe and remembre that idelnes is called the graue of liuinge men it is the thing wherin life dieth and therby your soule is twyse buried in you ones in your bodie nexte in your slouth The which vice in seruing men moste reighneth and the same is roote of many vnthryftie thoughtes whervpon foloweth a worse idelnes than the tother is For it is an euill idelnes to do noo thyng but a worse idelnes it is to do not well Suche an euill felow saincte Chrisostomus calleth a dissolatyng or a boide baiting place where into the diuell entreath as in to his own house by good right For where vertue is not exercised there the ennemy of grace claimeth his rule it is not now my purpose to shewe what you shulde do that you might not only fâ—e idelnes but also be well occupied This were a matter enough for a nother worke I haue my entente at this time if you see that death is not to bee feared and that by continuall remembraunce of deathe you shall prepaire your self to die gladly with a good will the whiche you can not do oneles you be in hope of the euâ—rlastyng life and this hope requireth some truste in the clenes of a good conscience the whiche euer foloweth a gracious entenâ—e of liuing well So that if you liue wel you shall die well And of the waie to liue wel you can not misse if you arme your minde to bee stronge against all suddennes of deth Praie euer continually without cessinge you muste but what is this continuall praier I wolde you learned For of praier it is but one final porcion the saiyng of psalmes or axyng with wordes of god his grace the bâ—raie praier is to be euer well minded to bee euer in charitee to haue euer the honour of god in remembraunce to suffer no rancore none ire no wrathe no malice no synne to abide in your delite but to be in a continuall good thoughte the whiche you maie kepe whether you sleepe or wake whether you eate or drinke whether you feast or fast whether you reste or labour neuer paraduenture you can praie better than whan you muste giue your selfe to serue your maister to whom the course of your life is due and bounden specially whan god hath giuen you such a maister whome your seruice can not please without you be studious to please god For well you se that without vertue your seruice weere to your maister an vnsauerie thing but as I haue said it is not now my purpose to apoynte you the waie of liuinge well if you haue harde enoughe to die well I haue for my part now saied enough and shortlie by the same you shall of yourself without further helpe finde the waie to liue wel Now that by this I thinke my promisse fulfilled I will at this point bed you farewel And I praie god giue you a strong corage to passe valiantly through death to come from thense to euerlastyng life by the helpe and grace of our maister and sauiour Christe to whome let vs for euer more render al glorie praise and honour Amen At Paris the .x. day of Ianuarie FINIS A sermon of sainct Chrysostome that no man is hurte but onely of hym selfe I Knowe well that all men of a grosse iudgemente and giuen to the pleasures of this present life drouned in worldelines bound seruanies to their owne lustes that regarde not the spirituall sence shall thinke my tale meruailous and newe and paraduenture will moâ—ke me as thoughe in the firste entre and title of our sermon we purpose a thing bothe folishe and that to noo mans eares can seme true But this not withstanding we wol prosecute our entente and by this frowardnesse we shal be more sturred to approue the saied sentence so that thei the whiche seme agreued with our speakyng will in the beginning haue a littell pacience nor will not at the first hearing interrupt my tale but bee contente to abide the ende and conclusion of this mattier For plainlie if thei so do I am perswaded that they shall vtterly change their mindes herein and cleaue to our partee deniyng their owne opinion and rebukynge theim selfe for their errour that they haue hitherto defended and further more thankyng me as sicke men thanke phisicions whan they haue recouered their helth So now I wold not haue the bring forth thine olde rooted opinioÌ„ but a littel tarie and consider the reasons of my tale wherby thou maist iustlie iudge of this mattier and speciallye whan thou haste lopped and cutte awaie thine own croked fantasi that
that by banishementes by rebukes by bondages by prisonmentes holy men came to great glorie I praie the shewe me deathe it selfe what hurte dyd it to the moste iuste and blessed Abell I saie that bytter and cruell deathe committed of no straunger but of his own naturall brother Is not Abel for this thing celebrated worshipped throughe all this worlde Thou seeste howe my processe declareth more than I promissed for it doth not only opē that no man is hurted of an other beside him selfe but also that holy men take infinite gaines and profites in these thynges by the whiche they seme to bee euill handled Here thou saiste what nedeth soo many peines so many punishmentes What nedeth hell and so many thretninges if it be true that no man hurteth nor noo man is hurted Here me to this peruerte not nor mingle not my tale For I said not that noo man hurteth but I saied that no man is hurted of an other Againe thou saist howe can this be that some shall hurte and yet no man bee hurted It maie be as I haue shewed for his own bretherne hurted Ioseph and did wickedly againste him but Iosephe him selfe was not hurted And Caine did wickedly against Abell whan he laide in wait to slaie him yet Abell him selfe was not hurted nor suffred noo parte of euill To this purpose seruethe peines and punishementes For the vertue of pacience in theim that suffre dothe not take away the trespasse of them that with an vngracious entente set vpon other and do wrongfully For all bee it that they by their pacience bee made more glorious yet the other bee not redemed of their miscsheife in their malicious purpose And therfore the vertue and noblenes of minde auaunceth the sufferer to honour and the malicious stomacke drowneth the doers in depe peines Thus the rightous iudge almightie god to them that constauntly continue in a vertuous life and come to receiue the rewarde of victorie preparethe a kyngdome in heauen and for them that without repentance persecute euer their sinfull purpose hell is ordeined Therfore if thy goodes bee taken from the saie with holy Iob I came naked out of my mothers wombe and naked I shall depart hense Put hereto the apostels saiyng We brought nothing in to this worlde nor we can not take hense with vs any thyng Thou hast hearde thy selfe to be euyll spoken by to be infamed and sclaundered with men remembre thou and put before thine eyes the wordes of oure maister where he saith Wo be ye whan ye be of al mē praised And in an other place Be ye mery and reioice whā men reuile your name as naught for my sake Thou art cast out of thy countrey and driuen from thy hous and possessions remembre that we haue not here our dwelling coūtrey but that wee seke the worlde to come Why then dost thou think that thou hast loste thy countreye whanne in this whole world thou art a stranger an alien and a pilgrim Thou art fallen into a greuous and ieoperdous sycknes vse and exercise the apostles saieng that is this Although our body the outwarde man be infected and sycke yet our sowle the inward man is therby renued and refreshed day by day Thou art closed and shette in pryson and some cruell deathe hangethe ouer thine head Loke vpon S. Iohn̄ beheaded in pryson and there fastely beholde soo great a prophetes heade graunted and giuen to a tumbling wench in the reward of bodily plesure These thynges whan they chaunce to the wrongefully loke thou regarde not the iniurye and malyce of theim that do hurte but ponder and way thou the rewarde and glorye that shall bee gyuen the for these wronges For he that willingly and pacientelye sufferethe all suche troubles is not only forgiuen of his trespasses and synnes but also he opteynethe thereby the merytes and the rewardes due to vertue and goodnes so hygh and great a thing it is to kepe stedfastly an assured and full faith in god Than seing that nother the losse of goodes and substaunce nor sclander nor defyaunce nor banysshement nor sickenesse nor tormentes nor deathe it selfe that semethe the most greuous thing of all the forsaid can hurt men but more rather helpe and do good to men in making vs better worthy of so great reward howe and wherof shall we proue any man to be hurted whan of none of these sayd greues a man can be hurted But I will nowe assay to lay plainly before thine eies that they only be hurted the which do hurt and that the hurt the whiche thei do noieth not nor toucheth not none other persone but onely them self that inforceth to hurt For tell me what can now be more vnhappy than Caine The death by the whiche he with his owne handes slewe his propre brother hath made Abell for euermore a saincte and gloriouse martyre and hathe caused the slear for euermore to be taken for a wicked mankyller and that against his owne bloud Also what is more wretched than that Herodis wife the which desired to haue S. John̄s head in a dishe that hir owne head shuld be drowned in the euerlasting flames of burning hell What is in worse case then the dyuell hym selfe the whiche by his malice made the holly Iob waxed nobler so muche grew and increased the diuels peine I thinke thou nowe seest that my tale hath shewed much more thā I promised For it is open and plaine not only how no man is hurted of theim that do wronge but also that the hurters and none els bee hurted and suffre euill For nother riches nor libertee nor noblenes nor helthe nor life nor suche other thinges be the propre goodes and substaunce of man that hath nothynge proprely his owne but onely the vertue of minde And therfore whan in these outwarde thynges other hurte or losse or trouble happeneth man is not hurted seeyng all his treasure is in the saied vertue of mind Here thou askest what if a man be hurted in the saied vertue It can not be but thus If any be hurted therin he is hurted of none other persō but only of himself Thou desirest to here how a man is hurted of him selfe Whā he is beaten of somme other or robbed and spoiled of his goods or by any meanes troubled if than he speke any opprobrious word any vnpacient sentence he is hurted yea and soore hurted yet I saie not of an other but of hymselfe through his own lacke of pacience For as it is saied before Behold what the blessed Iob suffered not of any man but of him that passed the al men in mischefe and crueltee That if he that blouddie tourmentour the diuell that haynouse kaitife with so many ingins so many craftes so many peines culd nothing preuaile in cōstraining Iob to trespasse with his tong before the face of God speciallye whan Iob had neuer hearde the lawe of God nor had not parte of the redempcion of the
their passions waxed more gloryous And the Iewes hauing their teÌ„ple theyr sacrifices the boke written with the haÌ„d of god hauing also Cherubin their holy and secreate place of praiers and al other thinges mete for their daily sacrifices and hauing the prophetes some departed some yet aliue the which in structed theim in their present maners shewed what god did continually for them and what he had in times past done what he did for them in Egipte what in the wildernes and what also god did for theÌ„ whan they came into the place promissed to them Yet al this not with standyng they not onely nothyng proceded in grace and vertu but also in appetual witnes of their own mischiefe and vngraciousnes they set vp in their churche ydols and images of faulse goddes sacrifyynge to the same bothe their owne sons and daughters Thus they did in theyr temple and also in other places in woddes and mountains but these saied thre children in a straunge countrey in the handes of their ennemies vnder the power of a cruell tiranne throwen into the fire bee nothynge hurted and not onely that but also take thereof greate honour and glorye Nowe than to make an ende wee knowing and gathering these maner of exaumples out of the hollye scripture where be many mo that make to this purpose if a man will seke there so that diuersly we may see some without all constrainte without all necessitee without any cause to bee againste theim selfe and take sore hurte some other hauing all the worlde against theim to be stedfaste in their righte waie and not able to be neuer so littel remoued frome theyr vertue Thus whan we euidently knowe and see we shoulde without all doubtynge conclude with our selfe that if any man be hurted he is hurted of him selfe although the numbre of theim that do hurte bee infinite although all in a plumpe that dwell other in the earthe or in the sea wolde agre to hurt yet they can not in no smal point hurt him that is not hurted of hym selfe With this we began and with this wee make here an ende FINIS The preface To my right worshipfull suster dame Suzan Kyngestone THe circumspecte persone whiche is accustomed one tyme in the yere to bee vexed with feuer Catarre or lyke syckenes preuenteth that tyme by expulsing the matter whiche moughte bee occasion of suche disseases and studiethe to reduce the bodie into suche temperaunce and soo to preserue it as the saied mattier shall not bee augmented wherby moughte ensue any detriment Like industrie or rather muche more oughte to be vsed good Suster of euery reasonable creature as well against the moste certaine sickenes and finall dissolucion of nature called corporal death as also against all worldly vexacions and troubles called the toyes of fortune or the crankes of the worlde consideryng that of any of theim neither the time can bee knowen whan they shall happen nor assured remedye maie bee founden for to repell them onely a pure and constaunte faithe hauynge therto ioyned wisedom and pacience may sustaine their assaultes and strongly resiste theim As it is excellently declared and taughte by the holly doctour and martyr saincte Cyprian in a sermon whiche he made to the people of Affrica where he was Byshoppe in the time whan there was continuall persecucion of painims and also mortalitee by generalle pestilence Whiche sermone whan I had ones perused in readyng I liked so well that I desired that all other persons mought vnderstande it Remembring that many there bee whiche I doubte not are as neigligent as I in consideryng those sondrie calamitees not withstandynge that they haue beholden men and women of euery astate whiche haue died eyther before that they loked for death or in some other wise than they vouched saulfe orels for saken of fortune haue liued in pouerty Wherfore as wel for their instruction as mine howe we maie be alwaie prepared againste those naturall and worldly afflictions I haue traunslated this littell boke not supersticiously folowing the letter whiche is verely elegant and therfore the harder to traunslate in to oure langage but kepyng the sentence and entent of the Auctour I haue attemted not with litel study to reduce into englishe the right phrase or fourme of speaking vsed in this treatise whiche I haue dedycate and sent vnto you for a tâ—ken that ye shall perceiue that I do not forget you and that I do vnfainedly loue you not onely for our allyance but also muche more for your perseueraunce in vertue and workes of true faithe praiyng you to communicate it with oure two susters religious Dorothe and Alianour and to ioyne in your praiers to god for me that I maie be constant in his seruice and performe well suche other workes as bene in my handes onely to his honourâ— and glorie ¶ I haue added hereto a litel treatise but wonderfull fruitful made by the vertuous and noble prince IohnÌ„ Picus Erle of Mirandula who in abundaunce of learnynge and grace incomparablie excelled all other in his time sens Whose picture I wolde to god were in all noble mens Chambers and his grace and vertues in theyr soules and maners Hertely fare ye well It London the firste day of Iuly the yere of our lorde god 1534. ¶ The sermon of holy sainct Cyprian of mortalitee of man Ryght well beloued frendes all bee it that many of you haue your myndes entier and perfecte the faith stable and the soule deuoute not beyng meued with the hugenes of this present mortalitee but lyke to a puissant and stedfast rocke rather doo breake the troublous assaultes of this worlde and the violente floudes of this present tyme the soule hir selfe not beyng broken ne ouercome with anye temptacions but onely proued Neuerthelesse for as muche as I do consider to be in the multitude diuers whiche either bee weakenes of courage or by smalnes of faith or by swetenes of the life of this world or by the delicatenes of their kynde or that whiche is a more heuie thing being deceiued in the opinion of truthe do not stande faste ne set forthe the diuine and inuincible mighte of their stomackes I mought no lenger dissemble that matter ne retaine it in silence but that as farre forthe as the meanes of my learning or wit moughte extende I wolde declare the doctrine of Christe by a sermon conceiued and lifelye expressed to the entent that the slouthe and dulnes of delicate mindes moughte be refourmed And also that he whiche hath all redie professed to be the seruante of Christe maie hereafter bee demed woorthy of Christe and therto accepted Uerely good frendes he that fyghteth for god and beyng in the celestial campe dothe hope on thynges that bee Godly ought to knowe well hym selfe to the intent that in the tempestes and stormes of this worlde there be in vs no dred or fearefulnes sens almightee god hathe afore warned that suche thynges shulde happen Instructyng and teachynge vs
make waiker the faith of Christe but rather let theim declare in that debate thy vertue or puissaunce sens all violence of euilles whiche be presente are to be had in contempte vppon truste of good thinges whiche shal happen hereafter For excepte warre goo before there maie bee noo victorie But whanne after battaile ioyned there ensueth victorie than to the vainquishours is giuen the garlande Semblablie in a tempest a good maister is knowen and the soudiour in bataile is proued Bostyng out of perill is pleasaunt but resistaunce in aduersitee is the triall of truthe The tre whiche with a deepe roote standethe faste in the grounde is not meued with euery puffe of winde that bloweth Also the ship whiche is well couched togither with a strong frame though she be often hitte with the wawes yet is she not bouged And whan the corne is thresshed in the barne the sounde and stronge graine continueth the windes while the chaffe is blowen aboute with euery light blaste So the Apostle Paule after this wrecke on the sea after his whippinges after sondrie and greuouse tournementes sustayned in his bodie he dothe not saie that he was vexed or tourbled but that by those aduersitees he was amended as he woulde saie that the more gruously that he was troubled the more surely was he than proued There is giuē to me saith he a pricke in my fleshe a messenger of the diuell whiche continually striketh me to the entente that I shall not be extolled in mind Wherfore thryse I desyred god that I mought be therof deliuered And he answered me Content the with my grace For in infirmitee vertue is tried Therfore whan we be vexed either with infirmitee feblenes or any aduersitee than is our vertue proued than our faith if it abide be constant is crowned according as it is writen The fourneis trieth the pottars vessel and temptacion of trouble trieth men that be good Betwene vs christen men and other the onely diuersitee is that they in aduersitee do grutche and complaine And vs Christen people aduersitee maie not cal a waie frome the truthe of vertue and faith but dothe corroborat or strenghte vs in the grefe that wee suffre That the bealye resolued with fluxes expulseth by the bowelles bodiely strength or that the superfluous heat ingendred in the marowe of our bones inflamethe out by blisters in our chekes that our bowels be shaken with continuall vomittes that with abundaunce of bloud our eien do burne in our heades◠that some mens feete and other membres putrifyed bee cutte of or rotted that by losse of membres or other harme taken by sicknes either our going is febled or our hearyng is stopped or our sight is perished all this profiteth to the doctrine of faith And to resiste with the powers of an immonable mynde against soo many assaultes of distruction and deathe what valiantnes of courage is it ye and what honour to stande bolt vp right among the ruines of mankinde and not to lie prostrat with them whiche hope not in god We therfore muste rather reioyce and take in good worth the rewarde of the tyme that while we dooe constantely declare our faithe and by sustainyng of labour do approche vnto Christe by Christes straite passage wee maie receyue by his iudgement the rewarde of life whiche faithe dothe require Let him hardiely feare that not beyng regenerate by water and the hollye goste is committed to the terrible fiers of hell Let him feare that is rekened noo partener of the crosse and passion of Christe Lette hym also feare whiche from this carnal deathe shall passe to the secounde deathe and lette hym feare home ones departed out of this worlde euerlastynge fire shall tourmente with paines continuall Fynally let hym be a ferde vnto whome by longe tariynge here this one thing auaileth that his tourmentes and waillynges bee in the meane tyme put of or differred Many of our numbre do die in this mortalytee that is as who sayth many of our numbre be out of this worlde deliuered Forsoth this mortalitee likewise as to the Iewes and paynims it is a pestilence so to the seruantes of god it is a holsome departynge What if good men without any diuersitie doo die with the euyll men there is noo cause that ye shoulde therfore thinke that death is commune to good men with them that be yll For good men bee called to ioye the euyll men be drawen into paine so suretie to them that beleue well and payne to myscreauntes the soner doth happen Uerely good brethrene wee bee vncurtayse and neglygent hauyng regarde to goddes benefites ne we dooe recognise what is offered vnto vs. Beholde howe virgins bee departed saulfe and in peace with their glory and praise not fearing the thretnynges corruptions nor bordell houses of Antichrist who is nowe commynge Childrene are eskaped the perill of theyr slypper age and haue atteyned happylye to the rewarde of innocencie and pure continence The delicate matrone now feareth noo tourmentes sens with spedye death she hath preuented the feare of persecucion and the hands and tourmentes of cruell tyrantes More ouer by feare of mortalytee and troubles of this time thei whiche were late colde in faith be nowe chaused and warme they whiche were remysse or louse be knitte together and made substanciall thei that were cowardes be quickened in courage The forsakers of their faythe bee compelled to retourne The paynims constrayned to beleue The olde faithfull people be called to quiete And a freshe and great hoste of them whiche became souldiours of Christ in the tyme of mortalitee is assēbled with a more puissaunce to fight without dread whan the batailes is ioined What a thyng is this good frendes how conueniente and necessarie is this pestilence and moraine whiche seming to be monstruous and horrible triethe out the goodnes of dyuers men and examineth the mindes of all men that is to saie whether the hole men do aide them that be sicke If kinsmen be kinde one to an other If the maisters do pitee their fraile and weke seruauntes If phisicions do not abandō their pacientes If thei whiche be cruell will withdrawe their violence If the oppressors and robbers at the lest for feare of death will asswage the insaciable appetite of furiouse auarice If proud men wil stoupe or vnthriftes auale their lewde corage If thei that be riche and shal die without heires of their bodies will any thyng distribute amonge their nedie neighbours And surely althoughe this mortalitee were to nothinge elles profitable yet in this it hath bene aduantage to christen men and them whiche be goddes seruauntes that in learnynge not to feare death we the more willyngely desire martyrdome This to vs is no deathe but an exercise whiche bryngethe to the minde renoume of valiaunte courage and by dispising of deathe prepareth to receiue the garland of victory But parchaunce some man will replie and saie yet not withstandynge this greauethe me in this presente
auoide that is right Loue more to here than to sai Here in the begining speake last of al the last speche is better theÌ„ the first Obedience VUorship euery man for the merite of holines After their worthines geue to euery man worship Suppose not thy selfe euen to thy soâ—eraigne Giue obeisaÌ„ce to thine elders Serue their biddynges bowe to their autoritie folow their will Obey to all men in good biddinges yet so obey the to man that thou offend not y â— wil of god Therfore fulfil mekely the charges that thou hast take vpon the be obeidient to gods ordinance be noâ—â—ardy dy to do against his will Dispose all thinges not with a sturdy but with an easie hert Beware of worshippes whiche thou maieste not haue without sinne Soueraignetee BUsy the rather to bee loued of thy subiectes then to be dread Let thy subiectes rather worship serue the for loue than for dread or for nede Quite the such to thy subiectes that thou be more loued thaÌ„drad With a soueraigne goodnes gouerne thy subiectes Be not fere ful to thy subiectes be such lorde to them that thei be glad to serue the. Both in punishing and cherishing kepe a meane be not to straite ne forgiue not to sone Kepe maner in all thy worke It longeth to a wise man â—o measure all thinges lest of good be made euil Behold certainly what is couenable for the time where whan howe and wherfore thou biddest any thing to be done That thou wolt to bee done to the do thou to an other Be suche to other meÌ„ as thou desirest other men to bee to the. Hinder no man with thy witnes Do no man harme lest thou suffre the same Kepe manlynes kepe rightousnes defende no man againste trouthe Whan thou demest be he poore be he riche behold the cause and not the persone Kepe trouth in all thinges Sit neuer in dome without mercy Be as meke in others mens defaultes as in thine owne So deme other men as thou desireste to bee demed thy selfe While thou art merciful in other mens gilt thou hast mercy on thy selfe The dome that thou puttest vpon an other thou shalt beare thy self In what mesure that thou measurest shal be measured to the. Deme no man by suspection fyrst proue and soo deme In domes reserue the sentence to goddes iudgement And that that thou knowest to thine owne dome and that that thou knowest not to gods dome Despite of the world If thou wilte be in rest desire nothing of the worlde Thou shalt haue reste of soule if thou put frâ— the the busines of the worlde Cast fro the all that maie let a good purpose be mesured to the worlde and the worlde to the as thoughe thou were ded Beholde not the glory of this worlde Set not by that while thou liuest y t thou maiest not haue when thou art dead What so euer thou geueste geue it with a good wil. Do mercy without gifte gâ—ue almes without heuines The good wil is more than that is geueÌ„ That that is geuen with good will that god accepteth but he that geueth with heauines shall lese his mede There is noo mercye where is no good wil Do nothing for praising nothing for worldely opinion but onely for life euerlasting Amen ¶ LONDINI in aedibus Thomae Bertheleâ—typis impress Cum priuilâ—gâ—o ad imprimendum solâ—m ANNO. M. D. XLVI â—â—terpritation They vse psidia for sydia whiche signifyeth the tyndes of a poinegranade Psillium Psillium hath his name of psille which signifyeth a flâ—â— For the seede of this herbe is like a fley and is vsed in medicines to coole The latines also 〈◊〉 puâ—icaâ—â—s of fleyes I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the see and also in other â—â—tylled and baren places Pthisis Phthisis in Greke signifyeth wastyng a consumynge sycknesse a consumption as we call it Pulsatiue Pulsatiue Beatynge Pruna Pruna a fyrye coole Resort to anthrax Pustles There ben two kyndes of pustleâ— or â—usches For some pusches are Nowe that we haue spoken suffycyently of the anatomie of the heed we wyll also speake somewhat of the other principall membres and fâ—â—â—e of the herte The herte The hert on both sydes aboute the fundamâ—nt of it â—ath as it 〈◊〉 eates The ryght 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 braunche is ioyned 〈…〉 veyne and vnto the ryght 〈◊〉 of the herte The left eare is 〈◊〉 y â— mouth of the veynie arteâ—â— Called de nosâ— arteria and to the left 〈◊〉 of the hert For the hert hath two 〈◊〉 tricles or thaÌ„bres a ryght and a 〈◊〉 chamâ—re and they bene deuyded 〈◊〉 parted 〈◊〉 through which 〈◊〉 tion there ben holes by which 〈◊〉 is conueyed into the left ventricle In â—the of the ventricles there are two vessels For a noble veyne entrâ—th into the ryght ventricle which 〈◊〉 Howbeit in some it hath but two in some foure in some none but is al toâ—â—ther round From the hollow parte 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 lappe a lytle pype deriethe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bladder called cistis 〈◊〉 whiche hangeth by the â—yde 〈◊〉 From the bunchie part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest 〈◊〉 and it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The stomake â—he inner skynne of the stomak 〈◊〉 thyâ—â—â— hath streygth filmes y ◠〈◊〉 whiche is grosser hathe 〈◊〉 filmes Fyrst than the 〈◊〉 aweth meate stretchyng 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ght fylmes Secondlye it reâ—â—â—â—â— and imbraieth the meaâ—e be â—rawen in with the ouert whart 〈◊〉 And it retayneth the meate so longe tyll by the alteraâ—iue power it is turned into good iuyce ThaÌ„ the stomake reserueth the beste for hys though it be some what remoued Pilosella Pilosella is founde in no lerned auâ—ctour Howbeit the later wryterâ— deâ—scrybe it to be an herbe that groweâ—â— in stonie and dryâ— places with a reâ—floure and with leaues spredde vpoâ— the grounde in which leaues there bâ— as it were heâ—res and therfore theâ— haue barbarously called it pilosellâ— of pilus an heere The description aâ— greeth w t mousâ—arâ— sauing in y â— fâ—â—uâ— It is Englyshed in an olde wrytte boke hertwort Where this herbe iâ— not found some thinke it good to vâ— mousâ—â—are PhilomuÌ„ PhilomuÌ„ is a confection so called of Philon the inuentoure of it oâ— as some saye of philos which sygnâ— fyeth a frende bycause it is frendly to hym that receyueth it Policariam Haec est eâ—â— nim charâ—â—tas del vâ— precepta eius serueâ—â—mus 1. 10. 5. Be were of presumcion Mekenesâ— Matt 〈…〉 What charitie causeth Charitie is the hoâ—e perfection of a chryâ—sten man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The perfite loue of god Parciall loue Mat. 16. Mar. 8. Luc. 9. Io 12. Mat. 6. Luc. 12. What charitie causeth Mat. 5. Luc. 6. To kepe Charitie with god Three mocions to desyre worldly goodes The waie to comme to perfytte Charitie Hope in god Feare of god Beleue in Chryste What is to kepe charitie lo. 14. câ— 15. Mat. 5. Ibidem Fyue maner of loues Uertues of the bodye Uertues of the soule 1. â—o 4. 〈…〉 this ryse Mat. 6. Eph. 4. Charitie is not like one vertue Feare of god Abstinence Pacience 1. Col. 13. 1. Io. 4. Howe maisters hurte their scholers moste Trewe frendshyp True opinions Soule Bodie Goodes of this worlde Sholars Free will Feare of god Loue of god Newe testament Math. 6. Luc. 12. Readyng the gospels ChrisostoÌ„ Ierom. Ethica Arist. Plato Cicero Seneca Enchiridion Bodâ—y hâ—lthe Diete Corrupte 〈◊〉 Faste Slepe Slepe Exercyse Idelnes Temperans Galen De bona valetud tuen Seneca Almeâ— dede Slepe Bargaine Similitudes Dyuell Math. 8. Luc. 13. Math. 19. Math. 20. 22. A good frende Cicero de amicicia Houswife Xenophon Economia Politie Aristot. Wrath ire and anger Furie Pacience Plato Seneca Untrue tongue Obedience Malapert Presumpcion Trewe goodes Faulse goodes Goodes of fortune Epictetus A worldly man Spirituall men Temporal men Francesâ— Philippe To die well Two lettâ—s to die gladly What death is The soule The lyfe Whether death by it selfe be good or euill Deathe is not good Deathe is not euill Deathe is nother good nor euill To feare deathe Deathe is not to be feared Necessitee Loue of this lyfe What furdreth most glad deth Goodnes of an horse Goodnes of an oxe Goodnes of a vyne The excellencie of man Iob. 1. 1. Tim. 6. Luâ— 6. 2. Cor. 6. Pleasure Ryches Psal. 104 Luc. 22. Ro. 1. Luc. 2. Ennemies of man Ioan. 16. Ion. 16. Ion. 16. Io. 14. Phil. 4. Eccl. 2. Iob. 1. Iob. 1. Iob. 2. Tob. 2. Nu. â—0 Psal. 50. Deut. 8. Gen. 2â— 2. Cor. 12. Eccl. 27. Apoc. 2. 1. Thes. 4. Io. 11. Phil. 3. Ioan. 17â— â—en 5. Sap. 4. Psal. 83. 1. Ioan. 2. Mar. 14. Luc 22. Ioan. 13. Ioan. 16. Ioan. 13. 1. Pet. 5. Eccl. 3. 2. Cor. 2. Eccle. 1. Eccle. 12. Gal. 5. Eccl. 25. Mat. 26. Luc. 22. Eccl. 28. Eccl. 8. Nu. 16. Eccl. 28. Mat. 12. Luc. 6. Eccl. 7. Sapi. 1. Iac. 5. Eccl. 23. Deut. 23. Eccl 5. Baiuc 6. Sapl 1. Mar. 7. Mar. 4. Eccl. â— 2 Cor. 9.