ê“fet In tusc vbi sup coÌ„fort strength any person whan so euer deth shall approche drawe nere and happe vnto hym / specyally if he be a feythfull christyane Cicero vbi sup â–ª For who so euer nat onely bycause deth is necessarye and can nat be auoyded / but also bycause that in deth is nothyng to be feared / doth dispyse set nought by deth / that person / sayeth he / shall for a surete haue a great succoure and helpe here to lyue quietly / and whan the tyme shall come to receyue dethe gladly / and after this present lyfe ioyfully to lyue / and blessedlye ⧠Note here howe great courage and conforte this pagane gyueth men to dispyse / and nothynge to feare dethe Well syr say you / this is soone sayd or soone spoken But yet is nat dethe so soone dispysed / ne so lyghtly set at nought For we se beholde many men / that shuld haue stronge hertes more boldnes than we women and such also that ben taken supposed for wyse well lerned men / that ben moche affrayde of deth Ah good systers / you muste consydre and call vnto mynde / that men ben made of the same metall that women ben / and that amonge them some ben as feynte herted as women / therfore take no hede vnto them Cicero iÌ„ tuscu vt supra For althoughe a bolde and hardye herte do moche helpe vnto the contempte and dispisynge of dethe / yet maye you by the examples and counsels of holy fathers / ingender make in your selfe a more stronge boldnes and hardynesse spirytuall therunto / specially by conforte and counsell of holy scripture / whiche as a phisicyon dothe cure the feynt and feble hertes withdraweth all vayne frutles cures and cares / and delyuereth the frayle herte / from the delectable poyson of all worldly flesshely pleasures / and so putteth awaye all feare and drede Vbi sup Reason also as they said Cicero saith doth nat lytle auayle vnto the coÌ„tempte of dethe whiche as it were by certayne preceptes or reules doth coÌ„firme / reyseup the feynt cowardouse herte But aboue beyonde all thinges whole and pure fayth stronge and stedfast hope and perfecte feruent charyte / done moste helpe thereunto For these do nat onely exyle exclude and putte awaye all feare and drede of dethe with the moost hyghe contempte therof / but also done ingendre and gette a feruent couetous desyre of dethe Philip. i. c. Saynt Paule vnto wytnes sayenge Cupio dissolui et essem cuÌ„ Christo / I couet sayeth he and desyre / to be dissolued and departed from this lyfe to be with Chryste / for faythe dothe teche assure and gyue certayne knowledge of an other lyfe to come after this lyfe which shall be more pleasauÌ„t without coÌ„paracyon than this lyfe is For to say trouth in this lyfe is no maner of pleasure Amb. lib. ii de CaiÌ„ St Abel Capi. x. Augusti Catho without some maner of passyon or payne goynge before or folowynge after And therfore saynt Augustyne sayet / it shulde rather be called a deth than a lyfe / contrarye this deth shulde be called lyfe / because it is the ende of all dethes that is to saye the ende of al myseryes / all sorowes all syckenesses all diseases all troubles / all paynes whiche in them selfe ben dethes Ambrosi s de b o o mortis capi-viii et Boetius de coosolatione .i. i. Cor. xv And also because it is nat onely the ende of all euylles / but also the begynnynge of all that is good as of all felicyte ioye gladites coÌ„forth and pleasure / of lyfe euerlastynge For as by this wretched lyfe is one passage vnto dethe / so by this dethe / is oure retourne vnto lyfe / for yf we shulde neuer expyre and dye / we shulde neuer ryse to lyfe agayne And yf we neuer ryse we shuld neuer be rewarded in our bodyes / for the great miseryes paynes that we done here suffre in them for the loue of god i. Cor. xv And if that were true / than were we as saynt Paule sayeth / in more myserable state and in wors case than any other people But our faythe doth make vs sure and certayne of resurrectioÌ„ where we say Carnis resurrectionem / that is to say I beleue the resurrexion of our flesshe and bodyes / as in our commune Crede Hope also doth helpe moche vnto the dispysyng of deth For whan a person hath full fayth that god maye and can do all that he wyll / that he is of suche goodnes that he dothe loue vs all than doth hope folowe that faythe / and so dothe verely trust and byleue to haue after or in the sayd resurrexion euerlastyng rewarde and that rewarde shall be good and pleasaunt ioyouse and confortable It shall be a great rewarde as moche as may be desyred or gyuen / it shal be all god hym selfe And this rewarde than muste nedely cause a great loue that is charyte very charyte / and loue dothe nat onely dispyse deth / but also causeth a feruent desyre therof Here some persones done saye syr / yf we were certen and sure of that rewarde after our deth / we shuld set lytle by deth and be content and glad to depart wherunto I saye that all we may be sure therof yf we wyll our selfe For our lorde hath frely gyuen vs that grace Augusti that we may wyll and so wyllynge disposynge our selfe therunto he may nat of iustyce / ne wyll of his goodnes withholde it from vs. Diuus Thoma i. sent That rewarde thaÌ„ he ordeyned and promysed vnto them that loue hym / done worke there after Well syr say you it is harde so well to worke in this lyfe / that we may come vnto that rewarde without payne after this lyfe and that payne is it / that feareth vs more than dothe the payne of deth / and causeth vs to be so lothe to dye and departe hens For we wolde lyue lenger to amende our lyfe and to do penaunce to auoyde or at the least to minysshe make lesse that payne Vnto this I saye true penaunce done for the loue of god / may as well in short tyme as in longe auoyde or minysshe that payne / as is euydent in hym that hange by our sauyour on the crosse vnto whom he sayde ♣ Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso Thys day shalt thou be with me in paradyse it is than nother the longe tyme nor the short nor yet the penaunce that dothe put away or make lesse that payne of it selfe but the loue of god / for whose sake that penauÌ„ce is done and that loue may be in a persone feruente in shorte tyme as well as in longe / and all the penaunce that is done Grego probatio a mortis is nothynge but a profe of that loue / so
as longe as we byde in this corruptyble sory bodye we must loue / and euer proue that loue by contynuall penaunce and good werkes forsakynge all synne For els is all the penaunce the workes voyde and loste But yet foloweth nat therof that we shulde desyre longe lyfe ne shorte but as he wyll For to gyue vnto god frely fully and holly our wyll / so that we haue no wyll but his is the greattest gyfte that we can gyue vnto god and the thynge that he chefely requireth desyreth of vs / for he doth nat desyre our affliction ne penauÌ„ce / but gyue me saith he thyne hert that suffyseth me Than so to gyue vnto him the thynge that he fyrst gaue frely vnto vs that is fre wyll is that thyng that may best auoyde or make lesse that payne And so to say thynke wyl that yf he wolde haue vs longer in payne / we shulde consent and wyll so to be / yet forther we shuld rather chuse desyre payne ê‘petuall after his wyl thaÌ„ ioy euerlastyng contrarye vnto his wyll And this wil may be had iÌ„ fewe yeres short tyme. To wyll than Marcu trismeg ad Esclo pium and to desyre to be with god / by longe or shorte payne or withoute any payne as beste shall please hys gracyous goodnes / is the best meane nexte remedy and moost sure waye to auoyde fle and to minysshe payne / and in that wyll without feare drede of deth / or rather dispysynge deth to tary byde / in euery thing to suffre his wyll pleasure / euer redy for dethe and lokynge euery houre for deth with ferueÌ„t desyre / and wysshe to be with hym and to abyde here / for nothynge but only for hym / so that he be as saynt Paule sayth all our lyfe / and deth for his sake be vnto vs lucre Phil. i. gaynes wynnynge and auauntage In Tus The pagane Cicero sayeth that a wyse man wyll neuer feare dethe The reason why is that deth by reason of vncertayne chauÌ„ces doth dayly and hourely fall happye sodenly come vnto euery sorte / degre and maner of ages / and also because of the shortnes of our lyfe dethe can nat be longe absent from vs. For as saynt Ambrose sayeth we may be in certente that yf we lyue very longe yet shall we dye shortly De bono mortis ca. 1. ix For the longest of our lyues is very shorte / and specially yf we compare it vnto the longe life of eternite than is it nothynge nat so moche as one mote vnto the whole erthe / yet the commune people whan a yonge person departeth doth saye oh alas Vbi su it is pytie that such a ê‘son shuld dye thus and departe before his tyme / but hereunto he doth answere Before the tyme sayeth he / what tyme done they meane other that tyme that they wolde set and desyre or els that tyme that god hathe determyned and appoynted If they meane theyr tyme I wyll nat dispute ne reason with them But if they meane goddes tyme / than wyll I saye / that almyghtye god dothe nat gyue lyfe vnto any ê‘son for euer / as his owne thyng but rather dothe lende it As dette be payde whaÌ„ so euer it shal be axed and nat at any certayne day appointed / and as the detter may vse the dette so lent whyle he hathe it / and yet hath no wronge although it be axed soner than he wolde or yet than he supposed So in lyke maner god hath lent euery person lyfe but he poynted no daye whan he wyll axe and haue it agayne / that he dyd bycause he wolde that man shulde be alway redy to paye whan so euer he were called vpon Howe than may any person complayne or grudge whaÌ„ so euer he is taken by deth / syth he receyued life by that condicyon â–ª yet syr say they / the credytour and lender is called harde that calleth for the dette before the borower haue any gaynes or profet therof / so done we thiÌ„ke that god dealeth hardely with the yonge persones / because he taketh theyr lyfe before they haue any pleasure thereof Hereto nowe saye I they done suppose by erroure that is nothynge trewe / that is that in this lyfe shulde be pleasure / whiche in very dede well consydered is contrarye that is to say displeasure payne miserie wo and dethe And therfore those persones that come to dethe in theyr youthe / ben moch bounde to thaÌ„ke our lorde that hath delyuered theÌ„ from those incommodytes and miseryes that they shulde haue had and suffred in lenger lyuynge And here the coÌ„mune people suppose an other great errour that is / that longe lyfe shulde be good and pleasaunt where in dede longe lyfe taketh awaye all maner of goodes pleasures of this lyfe / that is to say the goodes of fortune / as landes possessyons golde syluer and other good es and cattell For age in longe life spendeth all / and getteth nothynge Cicero vbi sup It taketh away also the senses and wyttes of man / as hearynge syght smellynge tastynge and touchyng / with the other goodes of nature as youthe strength beaute and agilyte / nymlesse and quickenes And yet the goodes that ben more precyous and dere than al these that is to say memorye and remembraunce / reason vnderstandynge connynge and knowlege / maketh many tymes the wyll frowarde And doth rendre and make whole man bothe in soule and body full dull in deuocyon and in all maner of goodnes and vertue wherfore the wysman sayd Ec. vi b. Better is he and more happy that dyeth at the mothers wombe forthwith after his byrth / than is he the lyueth longe No person therfore of any age hath wroÌ„ge by deth for euery person by the lawe of synÌ„e is in the fyrste day of byrthe or rather in the fyrst day of lyfe mortall and subdued vnto deth / and in the fyrste daye of lyfe euery person begynneth to dye Augusti And therfore is it nat agayne the lawe for any persoÌ„ to dye at any tyme yonge or olde Let vs therfore good deuout chrystyanes put clene away and vtterly exyle this frayle and fals opinyon of deth / and let vs thynke verely and beleue / that in dethe is no wroÌ„ge but all ryght no payne but great pleasure In tus vbi sup all good nothyng euyll For as the oftsayde Cicero sayth howe may that thyng be vnto any person euyll and hurt that almyghty god hath ordayned vnto all persones indifferentlye / for theyr good and profet and as the ende of all euyles Good lorde thaÌ„ howe curragyously gladly shuld that iourney and voyage be interprysed taken / whiche ones made and finysshed no care newoo / no thought ne busynes / no turmoyle â–ª ne trouble no slryfe ne debate / no payne ne disease / no vexacyon ne
displeasure may remayne ne folow but vnto them that well hope / shal wel happe / what tyme so euer they go But yet ben they most happye / and gracyouse that in state of saluacyon done dye and departe this lyfe in theyr youthe / and strength For vnto them immedyately after theyr deth must nedely folowe one of these twayne that is that they must go streyght way vnto heuyn or els vnto payne If they go vnto payne / than the soner they dye / the shorter tyme they lyue the lesse there and the shorter tyme shall be theyr payne And ouer that they shall haue the greattest comforde that any creature may haue beyng out of heuyn For the whiche comforde to be had any faythfull person wold be glad to suffre any maner of most cruell horryble payne or passyon that is to say surety of saluacyon SaÌ„ctus Thoma iiii sent di xv q. .iii. ar l. For all the soules beynge in payne ben coÌ„munely sure certayne of theyr saluacyon that whaÌ„ theyr penaunce is paste and theyr synnes purged / they knowe for certente they shal go into heuen vnto euerlastynge ioy and comfort But remembre that I sayde / they ben communely sure certayne of saluacyon For it may be that some one or fewe soules haue nat that knowledge / but that god for some specyall offence / and for a speciall payne punysshement therof doth hyde kepe that knowledge from them as we haue in the reuelacyons of our holy mother saynte Byrget And that payne is more alone thaÌ„ all the paynes of the other soules For that sure knowledge of saluacyon Live vi c. xxxix r. is vnto them a synguler confort in all paynes and dothe cause them to suffre the paynes with good wyll in the charyte of our lorde glad to suffre moche more at his gracyous wyll and pleasure If those that departe this lyfe go streyght vnto heuyn than ben they ferre more happye that from the miseryes of this wretched worlde they be come vnto the pleasaunt possession of so great vnspekeable ioye For you may be sure it is an excellente ioye to be there in companye with the pure virgynes the holy confessours / the gloryous martyrs / diuyne apostles sage patryarches / bryght shynynge aungels / and the virgyn mother our blessyd Lady and all these to se and beholde with our reuerende lord and souerayne sauyour Iesu Chryst / And all before the presence of the blessyd Trinyte / father son holy ghost there prayenge all for vs and lowly besechinge the hygh mageste eterne euerlasting god For al maÌ„kynd I thiÌ„ke verely beleue that any faithful christiane wold be glad to expire suffre dethe euery day newely / if it were possible oftimes in the day so he were sure that he therby myght atteyne come vnto the pleasure / why thaÌ„ nowe I speke with stomake why for shame shuld we as cowardes or chyldren fere drede deth specially sith deth is nothiÌ„g but like vnto a slepe For the old philosophours said that slepe was a very ymage of deth as one maÌ„ may knowe an other by his ymage althogh he had neuer se ne hiÌ„ before ii Mac. xii IohaÌ„ xi Iob. so may we know what deth is by the ymage which is slepe so is it called also iÌ„ scripture iÌ„ diuers places our sauiour him selfe said the lazarê° slept whaÌ„ he was ded / deth also is called a shadow / but your ê‘ceyue wel se that folkes beÌ„ nat afrayde of a shadow nor yet of step nother For oftimes we slepe with our feare or drede and without any payne or grefe / but rather with desyre and pleasure / why shulde we than feare deth syth we so euydeÌ„tly done se perceyue by the ymage howe lytle dethe is to be drede / let vs therfore put awaye this opinyonatyue feare and drede of dethe / and syth it dothe dayly approche wayte for vs let vs agayne with glad mynde and redye good wyll abyde and wayte for it and haue therof a thurst and a desyre / rather than any feare or drede howe be it of a suretye dethe is than lest feared and most desyred whan the lyfe of the persone / may at the tyme of deth be of sure and vnfayned godly frendes / conforted with the true testymonye and prayse of vertue / wherfore good deuoute chrystynes althoughe your reason lernynge be nat sufficyent to cause or to perswade you / vtterly to dispyse deth / yet let your well spente lyfe clere conscyence perfourme and so satisfie you that you be perswaded and verely beleue as a trothe euydent and opyn vnto you / that to lyue lenger were more miserye / that your lyfe hath be verey longe or rather ouerlonge If it had pleased our lorde before and erste to haue called you Thus now good Chrystianes let vs without any care of deth leaue the carnall mournynge and waylynge therof / vnto our suruyuyng frendes / that with lamentacyon / and shal inteere and burye our bodyes And let vs take an other maner of care and dilygence / to prepare apparell and to order our selfe vnto that thynge that we knowe well no persone shall auoyde nor escape / byleuynge and trustyng verely that he that made vs of nought / and whan we were lost wold so derely bye vs agayne / wyll nat suffre vs to dye But rather as I sayd before to chaunge this wretched lyfe for an other more precyous and ioyful / onely to be desyred All this hytherto haue I sayde to the intente that you shulde exyle exclude and put away ferre from you the commune feare full fantasye of the odious opinyon of deth / and somwhat to ingendre and bylde in you a contrarye opinyon A couetous desyre to be with our lorde Amen ⧠Nowe shall folowe the seconde parte of this interpryse / of the dayly exercyse and experyence of deth ⧠Of the exercyse and experyence of dethe The seconde parte of this interpryse FIrst you must knowe what is exercyse / and what is experynce / howe by them you may come vnto the knowledge of deth An exercyse than is an acte dede an vse of workynge or laborynge Than done you exercyse vertue Defini of exercice whan you put it vnto vse and workyng therof the exercyse of deth / is the acte and vse of the workyng therof Defini of experyence 1. Meth. Experyence is a knowledge that without any maister or techer is founde out and gotyn by exercyse and vse Ibidem And by many experyences sayeth Aristotle arte / crafte or connynge is ingendred and gotyn so the experieÌ„ce as he sayth doth apê‘tayne by long proprely vnto singulare ê‘sones art craft or coÌ„nyng vnto al ê‘soÌ„es And although that artcraft or connyng that is called speculatyue may be had by lerning of a techer or by dylygent studye / yet this arte or craft
that we speke of here must nedely be had by experyence / and experyence by exercyse and vse So that yf you wyll haue the actyue knowledge of dethe / by the arte and crafte therof you must begynne fyrste at exercyse and vse And yet can no man put a thynge vnto exercyse / without some introduction and leadynge therunto / other by techynge studye or naturall disposicyon you muste than knowe fyrst what the thing is that you shall put in exercyse / and so to haue experyence and knowledge therof that is to say you must knowe what dethe is / or what is ment by this terme or worde dethe For the selfe terme deth dothe signifye / and is taken dyuersly iÌ„ dyuers maners Somtyme dethe is taken called a chaunge of lyfe So the coÌ„mune people done often vse it as whan they say of a deed person / he is nat deed say they out he hathe chaunged his lyfe / and so dothe saynte Ambrose say as we shewed before De bono mortis And yet chaunge of lyfe is called deth in dyuers other maners As whan a person dothe fall by synne froÌ„ good lyfe vnto the state of damnacyon or contrary / whan he doth aryse by grace from synne vnto the state of saluacyon Ro. vi â— Saynt Paule dothe shewe bothe vnto the Romaynes / as whaÌ„ he sayeth that in our baptysme we ben buryed with Chryst vnto deth from synne / and we byleue we shall aryse agayne with Chryste vnto a newe lyfe of grace Rom. i. â— And for the tother parte he sayeth that occasyon hathe deceyued the frayle person / and so hathe slayne hym brought him to deth This chaunge of life is Augusti that spirytuall dethe / that as saynt Augustyne sayeth doth departe god from the soule For god is the lyfe of the soule / whan god than is by synÌ„e departed there from the soule is deed And this is the deth onely to be feared abhorred / as the worste dethe of all dethes / and yet to saye trouthe there is none other dethe euyll / except onely that dethe that must nebely folowe this deth / that is to say the deth of both body and soule eterne and euerlastyng damnacyon The other maner of dethe that I spake of / that is the chauÌ„ge of euyll lyfe vnto good / and of the whiche as I sayde saynt Paule wrote vnto the Romanes Rom. vi is a good deth / whiche you and euery faythfull persone haue exercysed and oft put in vse by reason of the holy sacramentes And whan nede shal requyre ben redy so to do / whan I speke here of euyll lyfe to be chauÌ„ged I meane nat the state onely of mortall or deedly synne For many persones that ofte done vse the sacrameÌ„tes / done lyue without any deedly synne / but I meane the lyfe spotted with any vyce or synne Mercu. trismeg For a great clerke sayeth Omne donuÌ„ nostruÌ„ mixtum est cuÌ„ malo Euery thinge good that is ours / doth appertayne vnto vs is mixed or myngled with euyll So that our whole lyfe is euer mixed coupled cumbred with some vise euyll / which natwithstandynge may by the grace of the sacramentes be dayly purged and so our life chauÌ„ged / and we therby haue the exercyse vse experyence of this deth But yet is there an other maner of deth called of lerned meÌ„ meditatio mortis / that is to meane the meditacion that is to saye the cogytacyon thought and remembraunce / the busynes tractacyon or intreatye mencyon disputacyon of dethe Tota vita philosophorum meditatio mortis est All the whole lyfe of philosophers and wyse men saye they is the coÌ„mentacyon remembraunce mencyon or disputacyon of deth / oft mencyon remeÌ„braunce / oft disputacyon and discussyon of any thyng doth cause it to be the better knowen Cicero Macer libro i. de somno SipioÌ„is Eras in Euchr. And men coÌ„munely wyll make oft mencion speke and talke often of that thyng wherunto they haue desyre loue or haue good mynde and affection And coÌ„trarye they wyl nat here tell of that thyng that they hate and loue nat and so is it of many persones that wyll nat here speke ne any mencyon made of deth And yf by chaunce any mencyon be made of dethe agayne theyr myndes and wylles / they wyll lyfte vp the hande and blesse them or els murmure out softly some supersticyous prayers as though they harde speke of the deuyll / or of some abhomynable cruell dede And certaynly it is no meruayle thoughe suche persones be affrayde to dye and lothe therunto / because they be nat acquoynted with deth nor be exercysed therin But as in case a person that longe tyme had layne fetred in prysone / coulde nat for lacke of exercyse go faste ne renne whan he were newly put vnto lyberte / so these maner of persones wrapped in the worlde / fetred in the flesshe / can nat quyckely and couragyouslye for lacke of experyence walke the way of deth whiche natwithstaÌ„dyng they must nedely trede / passe whether they wyll or no. Lacke I say of exercyse vse and experyence / causeth these persones to feare and drede dethe As by example chyldren and some women or such ê‘sones neuer had experieÌ„ce ne knowledge of a bugge that is a personage that in playe dothe represent the deuyll at the fyrst syght / ben moche affrayde therof in so moche that some ê‘sones haue ben in ieoê‘dye to lose theyr wytte reasoÌ„ therby But whaÌ„ they afterward haue knowledge what it was by vse haue experieÌ„ce therof they ben than nothyng affrayde therof but rather done take pleasure ther in So is it of them that haue nat the experieÌ„ce of deth / bycause they will nat take but rather wyll they fle / auoyde / the vse exercise therof But yf they knewe what / how great profet there is in the exercyse / meditacyon oft recorde remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of dethe they wolde nat fle nor auoyde it but rather with studye diligence gyue applye them selfe dayly therunto Ec. i. d. Psalmê° xxxviii The wysemaÌ„ saith Fili memorare nouissima tua c. In al thy werkes sone sayth he remembre thy laste ende / and thou shalte neuer offende god The prophete therfore prayde vnto our lorde sayenge Notum fac mihi domine finem meum Good lorde sayeth he let me haue knowledge of my last ende as though he sayd Good lorde gyue me grace that by the dayly exercyse and meditacyoÌ„ of deth I may haue an experyence and knowledge of my last ende euermore to be redy therunto / accordyng vnto thy wyll pleasure Nothyng is more valyaunt to expell and put awaye synne from the soule nor yet more profytable to replenyssh garnysshe the soule with good vertues then is the dayly exercyse meditacyon of dethe But howe to put apply
Eccle. i b Eccle. i. b Prouer. xv The begynnynge of all wysdome is the drede of god and in al our lyfe after the wyse man shuld we be dredefull For he that dredeth god sayth he shal at his ende haue good passage For the drede of god causethe vs to fle and auoyde synne / and moche helpeth forthereth that euery good dede may be done with due circumstaunce / so be meritoryous The dredeful persone wyll suffre take peyne to please our lorde / and so shall the thynge that seamed very harde in the begynnyng wax in processe of tyme lyght / easy and pleasaūt for all peyne and trouble taken and vsed for the kyngdome of heuen / is of great cōforte and gladnes ¶ Vauntage VTilyte profyte or vauntage is to sell or to chaūge a thyng of small pryce for a thynge of great pryce Or contrary to bye for lytell that is moche worth The state of perfectyon in this lyfe is moche worthe / but heuen is more worth Math. xix ◠Our lorde sauyour therfore coūseyled / aduysed a person to forsake sel all his wordly goodes to come here vnto the lyfe of perfection And after he shulde also haue for them the treasure of heuen And yf a man haue no goodes to sell yet may he bye heuē for a cup of cold water Mathei x. d An happy bargayn maketh he that for loue alone doth bye our lord and sauyour Iesu that by his crosse bytter passyon deth bought all the worlde Here you maye se moche gaynes greate auauntage Who wyll now forsake this bargayne surely none that is wyse happy or gracious than gyue thy selfe man wholly for hym that gaue hym selfe wholly for the. ¶ Xp̄e Christe Xp̄e is a worde of the Greke tonge and wryten communely in Latyn with the Greke letters as thus Xp̄s Christ For this letter X with them is with vs Ch and this letter P with them is with vs R the other letters ben with vs and them in lyke both in forme and sownde Christe in our tonge is as moche to saye as a person oynted And bycause we in our baptisme be oynted we bē of Christe / called Christianes / so that we shuld of ryghte dedycate our lyfe wholy vnto Christe / he shulde be our very lyfe and our loue Christ shuld be our lesson our lernyng Christe also our medytacyon and communycacyō Christe alone our lucre / gaynes profyte and auauntage Christe our treasore / ryches / and our whole desyre Christe all our hope and truste For yf we put our trust or any thynge desyre but Christ we shall sure be deceyued / labour in vayne and neuer fynde rest Let christe therfore vnto euery christiāe be all fynally his meryte / rest reward ¶ ymnes Y Is a letter of the Greke tōge and neuer wrytē in Latyn / but yet it is wrytē in the Englyshe tonge and therfore done we wryte ymnes after the Englysshe maner An ympne or ympnes is as moche to say as songe or songes / laude or prayse suche songes specyally as the churche doth vse in metres to laude prayse god / and so done the angelles and holy sayntes in heuen It becomethe therfore euery christyane to laude prayse our lord to be diligent in his seruyce And to consydre what differēce is betwene the seruyce of god / the seruyce of the flesshe / the world and the deuyll Who so doth synne is the bonde seruaūt of synne and so felowe vnto the deuyll / and in the same state for the tyme with hym Io. viii d And those that bē all worldly ben seruauntes vnto the worlde that is vnto auaryce whiche saynt Paule called the bondage thrall seruyce of ydolles Col. iii. a And the carnall persones ben thralles bond sernauntes vnto the flesshe so done they seruyce vnto deth for the flesshe is but wormes meate the corrupcion of the bodye / yet more stynkynge / and lothsom than of any brute beaste It is foode of infyrmyte / the lyfe of synne / the lodgynge place of fendes It is the enemy of the spirite / deformyth the soule / desteyneth blotteth christiāe disciplyne and all good maner behauyour hyndreth holdeth backe all maner of vertue And the flesshe is vnreasonable / so that by no meanes wyl it be corrected and vaynquesshed or ouercom but only by violence / cōsydre nowe what it is to do seruyce vnto suche a sorte And cōtrary the seruyce of god is the helthe of the body / the quietude and rest of the mynde / the conforte of conscience The prudence and wysdom of the spirite The promoter of vertue The beaute of the soule / and the lyfe of heuenly blysse a dulce swete and pleasaunte ympne ympne to serue god with / is with a louynge hart to laude prayse hym in euery tribulacyon ¶ Zachye ZAche cometh of the Ebrewe tonge and is by interpretacyon as moche to say as a persone Innocent / pure / clene and iuste or ryghtwyse And after some auctours a persone iustifyed and makynge hast / Zache was the propre name of a persone / that by the testymonye of the gospell for the great desyre he had to se our sauyour dyd clymbe in to a tree because he was of stature very lytle and that with great hast and gladnes descended and came downe at his commaundement to receyue hym into his house / where by our sauiour he was iustifyed and rendred apt vnto the way of saluacion This name Zache than dothe well frame and agre vnto euery faythfull christiane / that by his professyon shuld be Innocent / pure and clene / glad by fayth to se and knowe our lorde And redy with hast and diligēce to descende come downe frome the hyght of secular science and of all worldly state And to receyue hym in to the house of his soule by true kepynge of his worde commaundement / for vnto suche persons he promised to come with the father of heuē with thē to make his mansyō and dwellinge place And after therby to brynge thē to his owne celestiall paleyse / into the glory of eterne euerlastynge blysse Amen ¶ The conclusion LEt euery faythfull persone wryte this Alphabete A. B C. or crosrowe in the boke of his harte as in the boke of lyfe And euery daye / by day loke there vpon and vse the maners / effecte conteyned in the same For here ben but fewe wordes / and short lessons but in misterye they ben great and the very way and werkes of perfectiō / wherwith euery persō may outwardely be adorned and garnysshed with christiāe disciplyne / and good godly behauiour And inwardly moche / in the herte / in the mynde be quieted rested / cōueyed and browght or led vnto the grounde and begynnynge of all good perfectiō that is / that a persone shulde distruste
than I say these thynges may greatlye moue you to haue your selfe in good a wayte / study howe ye may auoyde the tone and and obtayne the tother Remembryng specyally howe great a losse it is to lose heuen / and howe vncoÌ„fortable gaynes to wynne hell / howe sone and how lyghtly eyther of them may be goten or lost WhaÌ„ any thyng than of aduersyte / hurt or displeasure fortune or fall vnto you / thynke than or ymagyne that if you were in hell / you shuld haue the same displeasure many worse And so to auoyde those you shall here the better suffre / and for our lorde the more pacyentlye bere all these that nowe be present or may come hereafter And iÌ„ lyke maner / if any good prosperyte or pleasure happe or come vnto you thynke then that if you were in heuen / you shulde haue that pleasure many more excellent ioyes And so for the feruent desyre of those ioyes / you shall set lytell by any worldly comfort or pleasure A good contemplacyon therfore maye it be vnto you in feestes of holy sayntes you may in one englysshe Martyloge breuely se the lyues of many sayntes for euery day in the yere to thynke recorde howe great paynes they suffred here for the loue of our lorde / and howe short they were / howe sone passed / and then agayne howe merueylous rewarde they had therfore in ioye and blysse euerlastyng So the troubles and tormentes of good persons ben sone and shortly gone and ended And the ioyes and pleasures of synfull persones done soone fade and flye for euer The good persons for theyr troubles suffred here vppon erthe / done gette and wynne eterne and euerlastynge glorye Whiche the euyll synfull ê‘sons done lose And contrary these euyll and synfull ê‘sones / for theyr ioye and pleasures here / done obteyne by exchauÌ„ge eterne and euerlastynge shame and rebuke / with payne wo vnspeable Whan so euer that you ben disposed to sluggysshnes or to be drowsye / remysse in prayer or dull in deuocyon / than take this lytell werke / or some other good treatyse and rede therin / and euer note wel the contentes therof and also what is ment therby And yf you be nat therby delyuered or eased therof / than shyfte vnto some other werke or occupacyon so that euer ye auoyde ydlenes and all vayne pastymes / which in dede ben lose tymes And then remeÌ„bre that those that nowe byde in payne eyther in hell or yet in any other place conuenyent / for suche tymes so passed or loste / had leuer than all the world / haue such tyme to redeme theyr paynes by / as you may haue if you wyl Tyme than vnto al persons well occupyed / is very precyous and dere Beware well therfore howe you speÌ„de it or passe it For you can neuer reuoke it nor call it backe / if the tyme passe you by trouble and vexacyoÌ„ / thynke they ben happy and gracyous that ben past this wretched lyfe / and nowe in blysse / for they shall neuer haue any suche mysery And whan you fele a confort or consolacyon spirytual / thanke god therof / and thinke the dampned soules shall neuer haue any suche pleasure And thus let this be for your exercyse in the daye tyme. At nyght whan you go to rest / first make a count with your selfe remembre howe you haue spende or passed the day and tyme that was gyuen you to be vsed in vertue / and how that you haue bestowed your thoughtes / your wordes your werkes And if you fynde no great thynge amysse gyue the whole laude and prayse vnto our lorde god And if you perceyue contrarye / that you haue mispended any parte therof / be sory therfore beseche our lorde of mercye forgyuenes / and promyse and verely purpose to make amendes the nexte day And if you haue oportunite therupon / it shal be full conuenient for you to be coÌ„fessed on the nexte morowe And specyally if the mater / done / sayde / or thought by delyberate consent / do greuouslye wey and worke with a grudge in your conscyence / than wolde I aduyse you neuer to eate nor drynke / tyll you be dyscharged therof / if you may conuenyentlye get a ghostly father Nowe for a conclusyon of this werke put before you / as by case or ymagynacyon .ii. large cyties / one full of trouble / turmoyle and myserye and let that be hell The other cytie full of ioye gladnes confort and pleasure / and let that be heuen Loke wel on theÌ„ bothe for in bothe be many dwellers great companye Then cast and thynke within your selfe what thynge here myght so please you / that you shulde chuse the worse cytye or what thynge shulde displease you on the other party / wherby you shoulde withdrawe your selfe from the vertue that myghte conuey and brynge you vnto the other cytye And whan you haue studyed well hereupon can nothynge fynde / I dare well assure you if you kepe well the preceptes and couÌ„seyles of this lytell lesson / you shall fynde the ryght waye / for the holy ghoste wyll instructe and teche you where you be nat suffycyeÌ„t of your selfe / so you endeuoyre and gyue dilygence to bere awaye and to folowe that here is taught Rede it euery weke ones or twyse / or oftener if you wyll And where you profyt gyue thankes laude prayse vnto our lorde god most sswete sauyour Iesu Chryste who sende you his mercy grace AmeÌ„ ⧠We haue prynted this golden pystle agayne / bycause the other before is nat of the traÌ„slacyon nor edicyon of this auctor ⧠This was brought vnto me in englysshe of an olde translacyon / rughe and rude and requyred to amende it I beseche you to take all vnto the best / and praye for the olde wretched brother of Syon Rycharde Whytforde âšœ The ghostly chylde ♣ Syr I haue nowe done as you commaunded and all is in prynt ⧠The ghostly father YOu haue done well chylde god rewarde you But nowe shall you haue yet an other lesson most profytable for you that is / to make you prest and redy to dye and departe this lyfe And howe you shall nat feare deth / but haue a dayly exercyse and experyence therof as foloweth hereafter âšœ Imprynted by me IohnÌ„ Waylande / at London within the Temple barre / at the sygne of the blewe Garlande Anno. M.D.xxxvii ¶ A dayly exercyse and experyence of dethe / gathered and set forth by a brother of Syon Rycharde Whytforde ⧠Vnto the deuout reders IN our lorde god moost swete sauyour Iesu salutacyon This lytle tretie or draght of deth dyd I wryte more then .xx. yeres a go / at the request of the reuereÌ„de Mother Dame Elizabeth Gybs / whome Iesu perdon / theÌ„ Abbes of Syon And by the oft callyng vpon / and remembraunce of certeyne of hyr deuout systers And
So that whan so euer naturall dethe shall approche / you shall than nat as a woman or chyld but as a very man / as a stronge and myghty champyon thus surely armed / stande styfly without feare or drede and lytle care / or rather set nought by deth / but vtterly dispyse dethe as euery houre and tyme redy therunto An other exercyse of dethe But nowe we shall lede you forth vnto an other exercyse of dethe more hygh excellent thaÌ„ this / so to haue experyeÌ„ce of the deth / that more proprely is called dethe / wherby you shall nat onely without fere or drede dispyse deth but also as an hongrye ê‘son you shall haue an auidiouse gredye appetite to thurst wyssh for deth And with a feruent mynde and flamynge desyre / you shall langour mourne and longe for deth Sayenge with saynt Paule Phi. i. â— Cupio dissolui et esse cum Christo I couete wysshe wyll to be dissolued from this presente lyfe and to be with Chryst In this exercyse you shall nat onely haue the experience / and the full arte scyence connyng and knowledge of dethe / but also the very practyse of dethe / so that you shall euery day whan you wyll be as verely deed / accordynge vnto the very definicyon of dethe For deth after all auctours proprely taken is The definicioÌ„ determinacion of dethe A departynge in sondre / of the soule and the bodye To departe than the soule from the body and to rendre and put eyther vnto his propre and naturall place / is the very practyse of deth The propre and naturall place or whome of the soule is heuyn Wherof saint Paule sayth Heb. xiii c. Non habemus hic ciuitatem manentem sed aliam inquirimus we haue here sayeth he no dwellyng place / but we do seke and serche for an other place Gen. iii. c And the naturall place of the body is the earth / for thens it came and thyder it muste agayne / whaÌ„ so euer than the soule by dilygent study is occupyed wholly in heueÌ„ly thynges / and the body lefte without the senses or wyttes / that is without hearyng seynge smellynge tastynge and touchyng / than is that person as deed But that a person for the state of this lyfe may be in suche case / the philosophours done shew determyne Tullie sayeth Plato Cicero in tusc i. quest Fieri potest vt oculis et auribus apertis nihil videamus neque audiamê° It may come to passe sayeth he that thoughe our eyes eares be opyn yet shall we nother se nor here Many a holy person as saynt Katheryne of Sene and dyuers other hath ben so depe in contemplacion that the body for the tyme was with out the senses so that whan they were prycked with pynnes or nedles they nothynge felte So than this exercyse standeth al in contemplacyon which thing who dayly vseth shall be so experte and practysed in deth / that whan so euer it shall approche and come it shall be no new thyng vnto the ê‘son For betwyxt naturall deth and this deth of contemplacyon is lytle difference For as the person that exspireth and departeth this lyfe / dothe leaue and forsake all this worlde and all the care of kynne or frendes / as father mother syster and brother neyghboure / the whole pleasure of all So doth the person that is deed in coÌ„templacyon for that tyme / leaue the body as a lumpe of claye without any mynde care or thoughte therupon / or vpon any other bodely or worldly thyng / wherfore whaÌ„ dethe coÌ„meth as I sayd before it shall nother be newe nor straunge vnto the person that hath ben dayly exercised therin / that had so large experyence therof and often practysed the same But as you haue herde of .ii. marouwse that for tyllynge of theyr lande done laboure sore all day together and at nyght theyr labours fynished and ended / done thankefully and gladly eche departe froÌ„ other vnto theyr owne whomes howses or dwelling places so doubtles done the body and the soule whan theyr labours ben accomplysshed and at an ende / and the due tyme commen / they done gladly and ioyfully departe eche vnto his propre whome / the body vnto his naturall place the erthe And the soule as a prisoner newly losed and put vnto lyberte / doth ren streyght forth hyr redye race / hyr knowen cours / hyr tryed and ofte troden path and her well vsed way vnto her propre and naturall place / that is heuyn But here nowe you wyll are of me / in what maner of contemplacion you may best put this deth in exercyse / and so to haue the said experyence / and practyse of dethe wherunto I answere that althoughe you can teche me that lesson better than I you I wyll sende you vnto the lytle werke that I deuysed vnto youre coÌ„munyon or howselynge For to wryte and setforth all that here agayne shuld be superfluous Specyally syth this werke is so lytle that you may with small coste ioyne or bynde it with that werke And therfore haue I caused it to be prynted of the same volume And yet because you shal nat fynde the ende of this lytle werke all naked and bare / we shall make you a breue and shorte remembraunce of these thynges that there ben sayd in effecte althoughe nat after that same ordre The order of this deth coÌ„templacion Fyrst thaÌ„ purposynge at that tyme to haue the very experyence and practyse of deth / remeÌ„bre depely from wheÌ„s you came For you were nat ne be of your selfe Than remembre that whan you had a beynge / what you were / a filthy lumpe of slymy erth / and yet agayne whan that slymye clay was fourmed and framed vp with your soule / and you a reasonable creature / therunto a creature most noble except aungell / yet were you but an hethen hounde / vnto the tyme you receyued the grace of baptisme Than remeÌ„bre whan where howe and of whom / and by whome you had all that you nowe haue all that you euer shall haue that is or shall be good / and you shal fynde by reason and perceyue that you hadde neuer / ne haue or shall haue any thynge of your selfe but euyll For whan you were nothynge you had a begynnynge in your mothers wombe / and that by synfull generacyon with ful fylthy and lothesum mater / thus you se whan where and howe that is whaÌ„ you were nat you had beyng where in your mothers wombe / howe by synfull concepcyon Of whome thaÌ„ had you al of our lorde god alone And by whome what meane Certenly by the meane of our lorde sauyour Iesu Chryste the seconde person in Trinite very essencyall god one / and the same selfe substaunce and nature with the father and the holy ghost Se well beholde and consydre who
¶ Imprynted by me IohnÌ„ Waylande / at LoÌ„don within the Temple barre / at the sygne of the blewe Earlande An. M.D.xxxvii ¶ The werke for housholders nowe newly corrected and set forthe into a dyaloge betwene the housholder and his housholde / by a professed brother of Syon Rycharde Whytford with an addicyon of pollecye for housholdynge / set forth also by the same brother INRI ¶ Certayne small werkes of a brothers of Syon Rycharde Whytforde ⧠The contentes of this boke FIrst a dyaloge and coÌ„municacyon betwene the housholder and his housholde ¶ An other dyaloge betwene the curate and his ghostly chylde ¶ Two maners of alphabetes / crosroes / called A. b. c. ¶ A dayly exercyse and experyeÌ„ce of deth / all duely corrected by the selfe auctour and nowe prynted trewely ⧠The sayd auctour requyred me instantly that I shulde nat prynte nor ioyne any other werkes vnto his Specially of vncertayne auctours For of late he founde a werke ioyned in the same volume with his werkes / and bought and taken for his werke / and was nat his But was put there in stede of a werke of his That before was named amonge the contentes of his boke And yet his werke lefte out / as is contayned in this preface here vnto the reders ⧠Vnto the deuout reders Rycharde Whytforde a professed brother of Syon / gretyng in our sauyour Iesu euerlastynge I Suppose and thynke verely good deuout reders / that whan you rede these pore symple werkes some of you that haue had mynde to rede them / wyll nowe meruayle to se and perceyue that these ben the same werkes that went forthe before and nothynge chaunged in substaunce / but onely the tytle and some fewe thynges added Some other wyll paraduenture iudge or feare in me ambicyon that I wold seme to make many werkes / and yet dyd sende forthe but the same newely chaunged or disguysed To satisfye therfore your deuoute myndes with the trothe in trewe coÌ„scyence / there is none such cause But yet causes there ben dyuers appartaynynge bothe vnto you me One cause is that I trust verely you haue them here in a more perfecte lettre than you had before And also more truely prynted For of a suretye the tother letter was moche vicyous and faultye / that in some places that myght seme vnto my neglygencye And also in the same volume or boke / is one of my workes left out / whiche werke is nombred amonge the contentes of the same volume and boke And in stede of my werke is an other heretyke or heretycall werke set in place / and the whole boke solde for my werke / whiche thynge is the most chefe cause of the sayd mutacyon or chaunge For that thynge dothe nat onely put me vnto infamye and sclaunder but also dothe put all the reders in ieopardye of conscyence to be infecte and also in the daunger of the kynges lawes for the manyfolde erronyous opynyons that ben contayned in the same boke Nowe iudge you deuout reders whether these causes ben nat reasonable for the sayd mutacyon and chaunge I praye you therfore of your charyte take all vnto the beste And by my poore aduyse / rede nat those bokes that go forth without named auctours For doubtles many of them that seme very deuout and good werkes ben full of heresyes And your olde englysshe poete sayeth There is no poyson so peryllous of sharpnes as that is that hathe of sugre a swetnes I wolde gladly the welth and nat the ieopardye of your soules our lord god most swete sauyour Iesu my iudge / who kepe you and sende you the increase of grace AmeÌ„ ¶ A Dialoge or coÌ„munycacion bytwene the housholder and his housholde The spekers ¶ Fyrst speketh the housholder than speketh one of the housholde for all the residue The housholder GOod chylderne frendes I had of late couÌ„sell to call you all to gether And for the discharge of my conscience to shewe vnto you a forme of lyuynge fyrst therfore lett vs coÌ„sydre that all we bene mortall as well the ryche as the poore the yonge as the olde there is no difference none excepte all must nedes dye And thoughe we lyue very loÌ„ge yet shall we dye shortly for the lengest lyfe of this worlde is very shorte And yet haue we no certayne ne yet coÌ„iecture of knowlege whaÌ„ / where / howe or in what state we shall departe this lyfe And sure we bene that as we bene founde at that tyme so shall we be takeÌ„ and without respite or delay forthwith shall we be presented and brought before the hyghe iudge that can nat be deceyued to make a counte of all our lyfe past where no man of lawe may speke for vs ne any excuse may serue vs. Our owne conscyence shall there speke and tell playne trouthe wtout craft or dissymulacion and in a momente a twynclynge of an eye shall clerly confesse all our hole lyfe and euery wryncle and parte therof whiche confessioÌ„ if our lyfe were good shal be vnto our great honour comforte reioysynge ioye euerlastynge And contrary if it were euyl it shal be vnto our great shame rebuke vnto our endles sorowe payne and wo euerlastynge We haue nede therfore to be well ware howe we spende our tyme howe we passe this lyfe or rather howe this lyfe passeth vs. And moche shall it auayl and profyte vnto the helth of our soules ofte tymes for to remembre our laste ende The wyse maÌ„ sayth Ecclesi vii ✿ In omnibus operibê° tuis memorare nouissima tua c. In all thy werkes sayth he remeÌ„bre thyne endynge daye what thynges shall come vnto the at thy laste ende and thou shalte neuer do synne ne coÌ„tynue euerlastyngly therin ¶ One of the houshold Syr we all byseche you than that you wyll shewe teche vs that forme meane our waye that you speke of ¶ The houshold The fyrste poynte therfore of a good ChristiaÌ„ is to entende and purpose with good harte constaunte mynde to auoyde synne and dyligently to study howe to fle and beware of the occasyons therof And than to appoynte hym selfe vnto some custumable course of good ê“fytable exercyse Psalmo xxxiii ✿ Diuerte a malo fac bonuÌ„ saythe the prophete Tourne awaye thy face thy harte wyll mynde froÌ„ all euyll and appoynte thy selfe to worke good werkes ¶ The ê‘sone of the houshold Syr hyt is sone sayd Fle euyll do good But I pray you shew vs forther howe to do so ¶ The houshold For a fourme therfore howe to folowe the same by coÌ„tinuaunce I shall shewe you my poore aduyse I speke vnto you good symple and deuoute soules that wolde fayne lyue well your selfe also coÌ„forte all other vnto the same Fyrst than eueryche begynne with your selfe And as sone as you do awake in the mornynge to aryse for all daye Fyrst sodeynly tourne your mynde and remembrauÌ„ce vnto
coÌ„fession ¶ Not wtstaÌ„dyng I thynke it necessary to shew here yet howe as I lerned of my gostly father that taught me all this lesson you shuld teche your folkes to be ordered vnto the confessyon of these thynges For I haue knoweÌ„ many come vnto coÌ„fessyoÌ„ that could not tell howe to do or what to say there I shall therfore set forth here a short forme and maner therof For ther ben many formes of coÌ„fessions in print set out at lengh Fyrst good deuout christiaÌ„s I beseche your gyue no credeÌ„ce vnto the false heretykes that done depraue set nought by confessyon nor by this holy sacrament of penaunce For I a certayne you those persones what so euer they be that after theyr baptyme and christendome haue done any deedly synne cane neuer be in the state of saluacion wtout the fayth wyll of confession Gene. iii. For almyghty god in euery lawe dyde requyre confession and prouoke euery trespasser thervnto as of our fyrst parentes AdaÌ„ Eue in paradyse whiche confessyoÌ„ if they had mekely made they we shuld haue suffred the lesse payne Leuit. iiii v. In the olde lawe speciall oblacions and sacrifyce was appoynted opeÌ„ly by the prestes to be done for suche synnes amonge the people that were preuy vnknowen vnto all other persones excepte onely the selfe trespassers wherby it must nedes be trouth that they were confessed therof vnto the prestes WhaÌ„ any persone also was suspecte of lepry the iugement and determynacion therof remayned by the ordynauÌ„ce of the lawe vnto the preste Whiche thyng was a playne figure of the sacramente of penaunce and confessyon Math. v And our sauyoure sayde he came not to breke the lawe but rather to accomplyshe and fulfyll the lawe And so he dyd confyrme and ratifye that lawe whaÌ„ he sent the lepres that he cured and heled vnto the prestes Math. viii Luc. xvii And iÌ„ euery cure he dyd vpon the syke persones he expressed mystycally coÌ„fessyon in that he caused them to shew theyr disease before they were cured And saynt Peter his apostle after his ascension dyd requyre confessyon of a man called Ananye Acto v. of his wyfe called Saphirye as appereth in holy scripture of a deedly synne whiche he by the reuelation of god knewe they had done / and bycause they wolde not make confession therof they were bothe strykeÌ„ to deth with the vengeauÌ„ce of god Our mother holy churche therfore hath by the inspiracioÌ„ of the holy ghost ordeyned that euery persone that coÌ„mytte or do any deedly synne iÌ„ werke worde or by full deliberate coÌ„sente in thougt must nedely if they wyll be saued be coÌ„fessed therof vnto a preste Sythe than all christeÌ„ people haue receyued and vsed the same so many hondred yeres take you that vse custome for sufficient auctoryte to folow the same and to put all maner of contrary opinion clene out of mynde and in no wyse to here speke or talke therof Nowe vnto our mater Fyrste teche your folkes to come reuerently vnto the ghostly father with meke sobre countenaunce behauyour For it is no laughynge game Than knele down at the place appoynted there make a crosse vpoÌ„ the foreheed or froÌ„te with In nomine patris as before is shewed and thaÌ„ forth with say thus Benedicite And whan the preest hath answered than say if the persone be lerned Confiteor deo beate Marie omnibê° sanctis et vobis peccaui nimis cogitatione locutione et opere mea culpa that is to saye for the vnlerned I confesse knowlege my selfe gylty vnto our lorde god the blessed lady saynt Marie vnto all the holy coÌ„pany of heueÌ„ / and vnto you my ghostly father that I haue offended my lord god many tymes in my lyfe and specially syth the laste tyme of my confessyon in thought worde and dede in many and dyuers wayes mo thaÌ„ I can shewe specially in the seuen pryncipall synnes Pryde enuy wrath couetyse glotony slouth and lechery And by them I haue broken his commaundementes ¶ Pryde ¶ For by the synÌ„e of pryde I haue ben presumptuous disobedient vnto god haue not loued hiÌ„ aboue all thynges but many tymes set more by myne owne frayle appetyte and sensuall desyre For where I shuld haue desyred euer the laude and prayse of our lorde / and with all mekenes of hart accused my selfe / I haue coÌ„trary bosted my selfe or desyred and bene glade of myne owne prayse bene loth to be dispraysed And whan I haue ben chalenged reproued rebuked or corrected or yet charitably ben monysshed and warned of and for my defautes I haue rebelled there agaynst and not mekely receyued it but rather ben redy to defende or to excuse my selfe and somtyme with a lye or a false othe And for lacke of reuerende drede and loue of our lorde I haue by presumpcion of pryde taken his holy name in vayne and vnlawfuly sworne by god by our lady or the holy sayntes by my faythe or trouthe with suche other And for very pryde and presumption and for lacke also of loue drede I haue mysvsed the holydaye in thynges of pleasure or profyte vnto my selfe and not in his seruyce vnto his honoure I haue also of hyghe proude harte or mynde bene disobedieÌ„t and not done due honoure and reuerence vnto my fathers and mothers spirituall carnall ghostly bodyly nor vnto myne elders and betters but haue ben many tymes full obstynate and frowarde vnto them I crye God mercy Thus by this foule synne of pryde I haue brokeÌ„ foure of the principall coÌ„maundementes of our lorde and many other wayes haue I also offended therin I beseche his grace of mercy and forgyuenes ¶ Enuye ¶ I haue also offeÌ„ded my lord god in the synne of enuye for I haue not loued my neyghbour as my selfe nor ben so charitable so kynde so louynge and fauorable vnto all persones as I wold they shuld haue ben to me but rather I haue by suspicion thought iuged sayd or herde of other persones otherwyse than I wolde they shulde of me nor ben so glade of theyr welthe ne so sory for theyr hurte as I wold haue ben of myne owne I crye god mercy ¶ Wrathe ¶ In wrath also I haue offended for lacke of due pacience and for lyght slyght or small occasion haue leyghtly soone ben styred moued wroth angry whaÌ„ any thynge hath ben done or sayd coÌ„trary vnto my mynd And therwith haue ben redy to reuenge the same with froward and veÌ„geable countenaunce and behauyoure / with hyghe hasty and vngoodly wordes brawlyng chydyng scoldyng reuylynge rebukynge raylynge vpbraydyng thretyng cursyng bannyng sweryng And if it came thervnto in stryuyng fyghtyng or at the lest in wyll as god forbede iÌ„ kyllyng or sleyng Thus by these two great synnes of enuy wrath I haue brokeÌ„ the .v. the viii coÌ„maundement of our lorde in them both I beseche his grace of mercy and