erected a people to reigne with him in life which witnessed him in death The examples should moue al christians perfit mortificacion is not moche to lamente for our friendes diyng but rather by the example of their deathes to remeÌ„ber our ende and then we shall not sinne Therefore better it is to go to the house of mournyng then to the house of banquettyng And when it shall please God to call your housebande awaie and the daies of forgetfulnesse shall approch as euery thing vnder heaueÌ„ haue the time bothe of mourning and reioysing When you doe behold your self in a glasse remember your face shalbe leane and pale your nose rotten your teeth stinkyng and blacke your iyen dimme and blinde your eares deafe and running your heeres fallen awaie your veines brokeÌ„ your senues relaxed and wasted bones corrupted bowels full of roomes and all your fleshe coÌ„sumed Behold beholde you damosâ—ls of vanitees and lustie youthe the pleasure of this worlde howe it endeth with stincke filth c. not reserued after death to any good purpose as timber when it is cutte doune but because it is so vile and will infecte the aire The corps is inclosed in a pit as wee daily se where as it consumeth as I haue said Remember this be not proude of noble pareÌ„tage of riches beautie or cunning but rather consider wher are the old lustie kinges queenes lordes knightes ladies where are the old courtiers and valiaunte men of warre where are the Maiors of cities lawiers bisshops Phisicions where are all the pleasaunt Musicians wher are become the old coÌ„mons in euery kingdom wher is become the Popes rotten holines with all the infernall malignaÌ„t sinagoge of antichrist c. al are gone and passed like shadowes wasted and come to nothing as S. Augustine affirmeth Oh man saith he goe to the chanell house or graues take vp the bones marke well if thou canst know the maister from the seruaunte the faire from the foule the riche from the poor the wise from the foole c. thou canst not do it it is impossible to know theÌ„ Well world well What dooest thou promise vnto all them which doe loue thee perhaps moche riches or dignitee How noisome to y e soule is riches the verie minister of or to all ciuill rule and mischief as damnable vsury adulterie treason murder it maketh one proude high minded and forgetful of him self It deludeth hym with flatterers and curtises of Hypocrisie it is the mother of vainglorie and nourisher of pride and idle life and lothlie glotonie It is remembred by our maister Iesus Christe whiche calleth it thornes and by his Apostles which nameth it the roote of all ill It is the maister of some riche men and women which kepeth it to their greate hurt And the foolishe prodigall waster whiche commonlie succedeth the gatherer spendeth it sone awaie in wickednes as it is saied easie gotten goodes are sone spent Therefore sufficient or a meane is well to a christen maÌ„ for sondrie causes For thei that will beâ— riche fall into sondrie temptacions cares broken sléepes he gapeth and looketh for moche spendeth little he can not be merie for feare of losse The more he getteth he is neuer satified that is a couetous man but still desireth neuer pacified like vnto the drie man in a hotte burning feuer Riches hath poisoned the churche and transformed the clergie specially in Roome emong the Popes and many greate men whose auncitours did kepe plentifull houses of the one halfe Whiche now is come to passe that now a daies in keping hospitalite or ministring of charite but breaks vp houses and hurt many poore euen for the loue of one glotton himself which wil not well spend it nor for his childreÌ„ which can not well vse riches For we do se how God doeth plague the séede of extorcioners vile vsurers c. What if thei had mountaines of gold so increased dolour of mind and death stealeth on all fleshe like a theif and smiteth the money louer the vsurer the oppressour the golden watcheman the greate officer marchaunt the wise gentleman that hath purchased so moche What is thende of this gere a dedde carkesse and scant a good winding shete out of the dore he must to graue he shall fare well Gloria mundi and welcome silie wormes I praie God that this tourneth not to damnacion Oh what is become of riche Senior Antonius Treasurers Capax Rapax Tenax Ambodexter ill gotten goodes are worse spent Sower swetenes and slipping Ise the golden intangled hoke and the drinke of Midas hath vtterly destroied him and or euer he was aware death hath slain hym He loued so well this world and life in the same that if his Phisicion might haue saued his life he would haue loste one of his handes and suffred his fleshe to haue béen cut with some broken bones with the coÌ„tinuaunce of paine ache and griefe with dreadfull slepes And when he did se no remedie the terrour of conscience tormented him vexed him and ouercame him made him rage and curse the time of his birthe his life was so horrible in the iyes of God and manne whose iudgement I doe commende to God but surelie greate plagues doe remain for the vngodlie Therfore let vs be conuerted and turne clene from our sinnes and wickednesse and so there shall no sinne do vs harme Let vs fast and praie hate euill and cleane to good make restitucion forgeue our enemies abhorre vice and be sorie that we can not be sorier Remember our accomptes and come bee tymes vnto the Lorde make no tariyng to turne vnto the Lorde put not of from daie to diae For sodainly shall his wrath come and in time of vengeaunce shall he destroy vs and except we doe all repente we shall perishe saieth Christ. Let vs repent therefore and turne vnto god that he maie forgeue vs that our sinnes maie bee dooen awaie that we maie saie From plague pestileÌ„ce and famine from battaill and murder and from sodain death oh lorde deliuer vs. From hardnes of harte and contempt of thy worde and coÌ„maundement whiche is the greatest cause of the wrathe and indignacion oh good Lorde deliuer thy people for thy holy names sake Amen AmeÌ„ Almightie and moste dere father of heauen we moste humbly beseche thee for Iesus sake haue mercie vppon this thy seruaunte whiche now is nailed to the painfull crosse of death for Adams offence impute no sinne vnto this penitente whiche moste willyng hath submitted hymself to thy fatherly correccioÌ„ but behold thy soÌ„ne on the right hand the onely mediatour for al the elected whose names are written in the booke of life Let this thy seruaunt we beseche thee most mightie God haue clene remission and forgeuenes of all his sinne by thought worde and deede committed againste thy diuine Maiestie now in this perille of death assiste hym with thy holie
hand and here is mine with myn hart also euer yours at commaundement as your owne Thus fare you well vntill my returne in the meane while passe the time with some pleasaunt company Eate good brothe made of Chickens leane Mutton roste a little Partriche eate light leauened breade beware of grosse meates Bief Porke c. And Sallettes stroÌ„ge wine Spise swete meates and rawe frutes I praie you remember this and drink your Diacodion at night to reconcile slepe again and be somwhat laxatiue Antonius I thanke you moste hartely fare you wel Medicus Crispine where are you Is is not tyme to depart We haue taried here very long but not without gaine Crispine Sir I haue thought it a moneth since our commyng hether you haue been sente for eight tymes this after noone and twoo of your pacientes are dedde this daie Medicus That is no maruell for who can hold that will awaie I shall haue more worke then I can put my hande vnto It is now a golden worlde with me and with you also Crispinus God continue the same I would thousandes were sicke but I would haue none dedde but the beggers that doe trouble the world and haue no money to paie I praie you what thinke you of maister Antonius shall he escape it or no Medicus I haue his plentifull rewarde and money for you also I haue had loÌ„g talke with hym But to bee plain with you I thinke neuer to se hym again aliue He was paste cure or I came to hym and he could not skape therefore I kepte hym with longe talke but I spake but softly Crispine Then I perceiue your talke was vnprofitable to him Yet I wrote it in a little paper booke in my hande Medicus Not vnprofitable if the Phisicion come in the beginnyng or augmentyng of the sicknesse But in the full state of this sicknesse it is moste dauÌ„gerous because death will preuente it or it cometâ— to the declinacion Oh it is a strong poison if the Pestilence crepe to his harte Crispine This man loued you well in his life will you not be at his buriall Maister Doctor Medicus He loued me as I loued him He me for healthe and I hym for money And thei whiche are preseruers of the life of manne ought not to be present at the death or buriall of thesame man therefore I haue taken my leaue I warraunt you Crispine I will retourne to hym no more Thus fare you well til the morowe in the mornyng Crispine I must also depar to my shoppe I haue moche businesse to doe I will come to you at your commaundement maister Doctor Thus fare you well Ciuis Good wife the daiely iangling and ringing of the belles the coÌ„ming in of the minister to euery hous in ministryng the coÌ„munion in reading the Homelie of death the digging vp of graues the sparring in of windowes the blasing forth of the blewe crosse doe make my hart trimble quake alas what shall I doe to saue my life Vxor. Sir we are but yong and haue but a time in this worlde what doeth it profite vs to gather riches together and can not enioye theÌ„ why tary we here so long I do thinke euery hower a yere vntill we be gone my harte is as colde as a stone and as heuy as leade God helpe me Seyng that we haue sent our children forthe three wéekes paste into a good aire and a swéete countrée let vs folowe theÌ„ we shalbe welcome to your brothers house I dare saie my sister will reioyce in our comming and so will al our friendes there Lette vs take leaue of our neighbours and returne merelei home again wheÌ„ the plague is paste and the dog daies ended and there you maie occupie your stocke and haue gaine thereof Ciuis Oh wife we knowe not our returne for the Apostle saieth to you that will saie to daie or to morowe wee will goe to soche a citee and buie and sell and haue gain and knowe not what shall happe to morowe what is our life It is as a vapoure that appereth for a little tyme and afterwardâ— vanishe awaie for that ye ought to saie iâ— the Lorde will and if wee liue wée will to this or that place and if it please God wee will bothe departe and retourne again at his good will and pleasure for wee are in his handes whether so euer wée doâ—e goe and I truste it is not againste Gods commaundement or pleasure that we departe from this infected aire Vxor. I knowe not what God will in our departyng but my fleshe trimbles when I doe heare the death belle ryng Ciuis Yes surely we haue the Apostle saiyng for our defence in fliyng no man euer yet hath hated his owne fleshe but nurished cherished it therefore who can nurishe his fleshe in a corrupted aire but rather do kill it Furder I heard a doctor of Phisike saie that one called Galen in a booke of Triacle to one Pison his frende that the Pestilence was like a monstrous hungrie beaste deuouryng and eatyng not a fewe but somtimes whole citees that by respiracion or drawyng in their breath doe take the poisoned aire He lauded Hypocrates whiche saieth that to remoue froÌ„ the infected aire into a clener thereby saieth he thei did not draw in more foule aire and this was his onely remedie for the plague to them that did remaine He commaunded not onelie simple woodde to bee burned with in the citee of Athenes but also moste swete flowers and spices perfumes as gummes ointementes to purge the aire And wife feare of death enforced many holie men to flie as Iacob from his cruel brother Esau Dauid from Saule Elias from Iesabell the christian men for feare of death did flie the tyrannie of the Papistes and although these menne did not flie the Pestilence 〈◊〉 thei fledde all for feare of death and so wâ—â— we by Goddes grace obserue soch wholesoÌ„ meanes obeie his diuine prouidence also I will leaue my house with my faithfull frendes and take the keies of the cheâ—â—es with me Where are our horses Vxor. Our thinges are readie haue you taken your leaue of your neighbours Man Ciuis I haue doen so now let vs depart a goddes blessyng good wife Vxor. Geue me my horse Roger. Roger. Maistres he is here ready at your hand a good gelding God blesse him and sweete saincte Loye Ciuis Bryng foorthe myne also and lette the seruauntes forget nothyng behinde them specially the steele Casket let vs ride faire and softly vntill we be out of the toune Vxor. How pleasaunt are these swéete fieldes â—arnished with faire plantes and flowers the birdes doe sing swéetely and pitifullie in the bushes here are pleasaunt woodes Iesus manne who would bee in the Citée again Not I for an C. pound oh help me my horse starteth and had like to haue vnsadled me let me sit faster for fallyng Ciuis He is a burde iyed lade
shall alwayes doe you seruice and loue you with all my harte and bee at your Lordships commaundemente and to my power séeke to please you as my good lorde and Maister Mors. You are well ouertaken I am glad that we are met together I haue seen you sins that you were borne I haue thretened you in all your sicknesses but you did neuer see me nor remeÌ„bred me before this daie neither had I power to haue taken you with me vntill now For I haue commission to strike you with this blacke dart called the pestilence my maister hath so coÌ„maunded me as for golde I take no thought for it I loue it not no treasure can kepe me back the twinklyng of an iye from you you are my subiect and I am your lorde I will cut of your iourney separate your mariage but not cut of your yeres for thei ar determined when I should come this is your apointed time and when the time shalbe apointed me I will smite your wife childreÌ„ and seruauntes thei shall not bee hidden from me I will finde theim forthe be thei hiddeÌ„ neuer so secrete or flee neuer so swift or far of for I am so swifte that in the momente of an iye I can compasse the whole worlde and am of so wonderfull a nature that I can be in sondrie places at ones and in sondrie shapes in flames of fire I oftentimes doe coÌ„sume mankinde in the water I do kil theÌ„ I am marueilous in worke I spare nothing that hath life but I bring to an ende and to myne owne nature whiche is death Ciuis Sir I moste huÌ„bly desire you to suffer me to retourne home again into the citee and let my goodes in order to thuse of my wife and children to paie my debtes then godly to depart this worlde I desire no more Mors. I muste dispatche and strike you with this blacke darte I haue moche businesse to doe with the other twoo dartes Ciuis Oh fearfull Death what is these twoâ— other dartes in thine hande Mors. I will smite thee with this pestilent dart as I haue doen to many kingdomes citées and people bothe man and beast yong and old With this pale dart I will destroie infinite nombers with honger thei shall perishe for lacke of foode in destruccion of corne cattell wine oile fruit herbe grasse foule and fish I will make them eate their owne fleshe and make their own children to be soddeÌ„ and rosted for them With this thirde dart I will in battaill slaie in nomber more then the Starres of heauen and bathe my self in blood I spare not one neither Prince nor Peasant against whom I doe cast this dart I haue no respecte of any persone be thei neuer so noble riche stroÌ„g wise learned or cunning in Phisicke thei shall neuer preuaill against me but I will ouercome theim I come into the Kynges chamber at the time appoincted in force of Phisike and cast my darte that none shall se but fele I often come into the counting house and sodainly kille the money teller I ouerthrowe the Daunser and stoppe the breath of the singer and trippe the runner in his race I breake wedlockes and make many widdowes I doe sit in iudgemente with the Iudge vndoe the life of the prisoner and at leÌ„gth kill the Iudge also him self I doe somone the greate Bishops and cut theÌ„ through their rotchettes I vtterlie blemishe the beautie of al Courtiers And ende the miserie of the poore I will neuer leaue vntill all fleshe be vtterly destoied I am the greatest crosse and scourge of God Ciuis What is the cause O fearfull Death that thou doest scourge the face of y e yearth with thy Dartes and who hath sente thee for that purpose Mors. Neither is the saiyng of the Philosophers or Poetes true whiche compt that I come by chauÌ„ce to mortall thinges or inquiring the cause of the matter or Depriuatione in materia or of generacion and corrupcion And some other do affirme that I do come through the coÌ„corse of the starres infecting the aire poisonyng liuing thinges And therefore the Heathen in fearfull Tragidies and stories haue admonished the vain worlde to repent by setting forth of me Death Some of theim daily had the dedde heddes of their parentes broughte to their tables to mortifie their vanitees withall And al these men whom I haue slain wer Heathen men But I am the messenger of God his scourge and crosse to all flesh good and bad and am the ende of life whiche do separate the bodie from the soule I am no feigned thyng by the wise braines of the Philosophers but onely through the disobedience of your first parentes Adam and Eua through whose fault all fleshe is corrupted subiecte to me Death for through sinne came death Truly my maisters anger was so great in your parentes that he suffered me to plague with my hande the beste in his churche as Abell Esaic Ieremie Zacharie Ihon Baptiste and Iesus Christ his onely sonne whiche suffred me and seing that my maister hath commaunded me not to spare his onelie childe with his Apostles holy Martires Dooest thou think that I should beare with thée or suffer any in this wicked worlde He sent me to Sodome with his Angels to burne theÌ„ To droun bloodie Pharao And to slea the kinges of the Heathen Also I was at their endes although al fleshe doth abhorre me Yet Iudas and all desperate men did call vpon me Thus doe I ende bothe good and bad but precious in the sight of the lorde is the death of his sainctes and many bee the scourges of wicked men I am in gods haÌ„des as the sworde is in the man of warres as it is written The lorde doeth kil quicken again And it is he that did create euil that is pain or death light and darkenesse And whereas he hath not set his stroÌ„g angell to bridle me I am mercilesse and will kill all where as the token is not set vp or his marke vpon them whom he doeth forbid me to touch And that is not vpon thee nor vpon many thousandes that liue most wretchedly Thy daies ar but a span long thou art like a flower in the field thy daies are passed like a shadowe Thou haste run thy race and thy daies are consumed like smoke and thou shalt scante liue to drawe thy breath I must destroie this thy yeâ— this mansion I am so commaunded haue here is thy rewarde suffer it paciently I muste goe presently to visite a greâ—te nomber sodainlie that doe not remember me I will cutte them doune with my sithe like grasse and kill them with my three fearfull dartes The paines of helle doe followe me to swallowe vp all fleshe that dooeth not repent them of their wickednesse Ciuis Oh wretched man that I am whether shall I â—â—ie for succoure Now my bodie is paste cure
in this tyme of my trouble with this holie consolacion in Christe in whom I dooe beleue renounsing the worlde the fleshe and the deuill beleuing all the articles of my Christen faithe acknowleging the blessed Sacramentes to bée the instrumeÌ„tes to euerlasting life and saluacion in Christ by the whiche God doeth worke in his Churche to the worldes ende to theim that shalbe saued one Trinitee and three distinct persones coequall in vnitee in one essence being is my God the father created ne the sonne redemed me and the holy ghost sanctified me and inspired me wher by I knowe that I am his elected and one vndefiled mother the Churche hath thus taught me in that blessed booke of Patriarkes Prophetes Martyres and Iesus with his Apostles whiche is Gods worke now master Theologus my time is at haÌ„d I praie you saie some thing of the resurreccion and then lette vs praie in the name of God together that it maie please hym to forgeue me my sinnes whiche I haue coÌ„mitted againste heauen and yearth and to receiue my soule into his blessed handes Theologus Good brother not onely the doctrine of Prophetes and the Euangelistes doe promise the Resurreccion to come of some to saluacion and some to damnacion but the same resurreccion is moste manifeste As for example Christ himself and other did rise and wer seen to many in Hierusalem and by the space of .xl. daies he taught the Apostles and was conuersaunt with theÌ„ and then asceÌ„ded into glory vntill the time appoincted to iudge the quicke and the ded when he shall sende his angelles to gather all fleshe vnder heauen from the .iiij. windes and sitte doune in iudgement saiyng come to me you blessed of the father and receiue the kingdome prepared for you froÌ„ the beginning Furder he saith this is the will of my father which hath sent me that all that doe see the soonne and beleueth in him shall haue euerlasting life and I will raise him in the laste daie and the holy Apostle saincte Paule moste heauenly doeth preache the resuraeccion to the CorinthiaÌ„s Thy dedde shall liue saieth Esaie and thy slain shall rise again and those which slepe in the duste shall rise the yearth shall caste forthe their dedde bodies I will creat both heauen and yearth newe saieth the Lorde and put the old out of my remembraunce many saieth Daniel that lie a sléepe in the dust shalbe wakened again some to life euerlasting and other to reprobacion God saieth I will open their tombes and bring them forthe and the holy man Iob saith I knowe that my redeamer liueth and that in the laste daie he shall raise me againe out of the yearth and shalbe clothed again with my Skin and in my fleshe I shall see God whoÌ„ I shall see with these same iyes and with none other These are comfortable and moste true places of holy scripture for the resurreccion of the dead you are assured in coÌ„scieÌ„ce of this blessed resurreccioÌ„ life euerlasting in Christ Iesus our lord Ciuis Yea forsothe deare Theologus but my speache is almoste paste yet I thanke God I knowe you all and I beseche hym to blesse you and when my spirite is gone I praie you burie my bodie with comelines not with pompe and vse it as an instrument wherin the soule hath dwelled and whiche the soule shall posses againe in honour in that blessed resurreccion Theologus Lette vs moste humblie here vpon our knees with our haÌ„des lifted vp towardes the heauen desire God the father for Christes sake to receiue your soule into his glorious kyngdome O dere citezen reioyce and be glad that thy labour is almoste past rest is at hande feare not the paine of death For it is impossible to escape that whiche can not bee fledde or auoided For it is written who is that man that liueth and shall not see death none no not one therefore suffer it my sweete harte pacientlie and that is an argumeÌ„t of good ronscience and of an heauenlie mynde Your wife mourneth immoderatly oh God all fleshe was borne to die This happened to our pareÌ„tes as father mother c. And shall not faile to all that shall folowe vnto thende of the world or comming of Christ. For surelie sweete life was neuer without the excepcion of bitter death it is no noueltie therfore wheÌ„ we doe heare tel of the departure of any of our frendes let vs not fall into a sodaine passion as onely the high priest did which hearyng of the death of his children felle doune and brake his necke But rather coÌ„stauntlie with wise Anaxagoras whiche hearing of the death of his beloued sonne saied to the messenger this is no newe tidynges nor straunge to me as sone as he was borne I knewe that he should die for of natures lawe is learned life to be taken and resigned no man dye but he whiche haue liued Oh leaue your lamenting good maistres why rage you like one whiche haue no hope Be absent or vse moderacioÌ„ remember holie Iob thesame daies when the Lorde permitted Sathan not onelie to destroie his seruauntes and cattell but also before age in the lustie tyme of youthe in the feast daie at one table his dere children of his bodie were all broken in peces and slain with the violent fal of the hous What did he rende his heere or fleshe no no he considered who sent them and who did take theim euen the Lorde whom he moste obedientlie suffred and reuerentlie thanked Furder good sister remember S Hieromie taking GOD to witnesse of an holie woman whose housebande was ded â–ª whom he moste tenderlie loued by whom she had but twoo sonnes of singuler beautee wanting no gift of grace or of nature whiche bothe died the same daie wherein their father departed When this Crosse was saith s. Hierom who would not haue thought that she would haue fallen madd in rending her heere breastes clothes and skin running vp and doune wailing and criyng with pitefull wringing of handes What did she Firste she weeped not one teare but moste soberly with a womanlie countenaunce she humblie kneeled vpon her knees holdyng vp her handes renderyng thankes and makyng praiers to almightie GOD saiyng moste humblie I thanke thee good lord for that that it haue pleased thee to take me into thy seruice I am sped oh lorde for thou haste discharged me c. Take also for an example the most worthie constauncie of that paciente woman whiche without moche lamentacioÌ„ did with her own iyen behold her dere children slain their members cut in peces and boiled in caldrens Marke how constantlie of late yeres childreÌ„ did se the flesh of their fathers mothers c. burn in the fire moste pacientlie sufferyng And againe fathers beholding their childreÌ„ doe the like What did thei râ—re like Lions c. No no but reioysed that God had of their blood stocke