be death the whiche one parte of vs so moche feareth and an other sorte setteth so lyttell by the same and so by a shorte processe you shall see whether the sayde Canius be more worthy of prayse for his lyttell regardyng the deedly punyshement than is Frances Philippe that within fewe yeres passed was put to execution with vs for treason the whiche dyed so cowardelye in soo greatte panges of feare that he semed extracte from his wittes scante for quaking and trymbling the wreche coulde speke one word The fewe wordes that he coulde with moche stutterynge sownde were only in the declaration of his dispayre nor nothynge was sene nor harde of hym but wepynge lamentynge wryngynge of his handes with bannynge the houre and day of his byrthe contynually sighinge as thoughe his harte shulde haue burste for sorowe The difference of these affectes wyll hereafter be I thynke playner to you whan we haue a lyttell more spoken in this matter For nowe good Iohn̄ I wyll crepe a lyttell nygher to your desyre the whiche you haue of lernynge the way to dye well ¶ THIS DIENGE well is in effecte to dye gladlye For who so euer dyeth gladlye he departethe frome this lyfe in a sure hope to lyue ageyne 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 harte to dye Onles he be one that hath liued well here For in death there can be no gladnes excepte therbe a full truste of opteynynge the rewarde of vertue partelye by the truste and fayth of a good mynde partely by the mercye of god that fulfilleth euer our insufficiency yf we bring ought with vs worthi of his fauour For goddes grace supplieth where our power lacketh if hit so be that our soules appere before him in an apparell mete for his presence the whiche apparelle requireth a perfecte faith and an ernest wyl of doing wel al though we haue not alwaye done well The mercye of god neuer failethe hym that fully trusteth in it But a full truste can not be withoute the strength of charite the whiche euer burneth in the loue of doinge good faithe can not be perfect onles there be good workes y e whiche maye stur vp and quycken in vs faythe to take a beleue that by Christes actes our final demerites may growe to be perfecte Thus a chereful harte beset with fayth hope and charitie taketh no pensifulnes in the remembraunce of deathe but rather it reioysethe to remembre that by deathe it shall passe to lyfe neuer more to dye Wherfore to dye well euer is to dye gladly eyther to be ridde from the bondes of this prison or to opteyne the lybertye of heuen bothe wayes commeth from a good lyfe passed so that surely no man can dye well that lyueth not well for euer deth is a sorowfull thynge to the yuell lyuer by cause he hathe nothynge to laye before the mercy of god whervppon he maye 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 maye lette vs to be gladde of deathe and what wyll brynge vs to a desire of dyenge gladlye we shalle by the same pycke oute the waye to dye well For in my mynde these .ii. be allwayes one to dye well and to dye gladly ¶ The gladde desyre of dyinge is letted chefely by two thynges one by the feare of deathe the tother by the loue of this lyfe The tone of these foloweth the tother For he that loueth this lyfe feareth to dye and he that fearethe to dye loueth this lyfe Yet we may speke of eche parte by him selfe and first lette vs assaye the greatteste the whiche is the feare of death than nexte after we will come to the tother the which is the loue of this lyfe If these two blockes be taken out of our stomakes we shall fynde an easye and a playne waye to the ende of our pourpose For who someuer nother fereth to die nor loueth to tary in this lyfe he is redye alwaye to dye gladdely But to performe my promis lette me say somwhat of the sayde feare and loue ¶ Fyrste and chefely the feare of death takethe awaye all gladnesse of dyinge and therby after myne opinyon no man that dyeth ferefully can dye well so that to lerne the waye of dyenge well we muste lerne the way to die without feare And yet howe I shulde proue that death is not to be feared I canne not well telle seinge the hole power of nature sheweth that of all thynges death is moost fearefull and to reason ageynste nature it were parauenture not soo harde as vaine For what canne reason preuayle if nature resiste It is a thynge to farre aboue mans power to stryue or to wrastelle with nature her strengthe passeth the myghte of our wyll what helpe someuer we take of reason or of auctoritie nother counsayle nor commandement hath place where nature dothe her vttermooste It is none excuse to saye that menne feare deathe bycause they be lothe to leaue the commodities of this lyfe or by cause they feare the threteninges of purgatorie and of hel or els bycause they thynke apon the sore paineful panges the whiche be in the tyme of deathe Nay these thinges make not chefely the feare of dying it may well be that of suche thynges the feare is increased and made more fulle but there is a feare byfore and bysyde all these thynges the whiche feare nature I say gyueth as it is wel sene in yonge chyldern that haue no remembraunce nother of this lyfe nor of the deadely panges nor of heuen purgatorye or helle Whan we in sport threten to caste them heedlynge out at some hye wyndowe they quake trymble and ware pale shewyng playn and euident tokens of a naturall feare towarde dethe And though by lernynge or by a curragious mynde somme fewe amongest vs seme lyttell or nothynge to be moued with dethe yet thensample of these fewe can not take awaye the trouthe that nature in all the reste worketh For howe many be there that onely to eschewe deathe suffre all wretchednes all beggarie all payne ▪ in pyckynge vp crommes of nouryshement to abyde a while in this lyght And the more shamfully that men for the moste parte feare to dye the greatter proffe there is that suche extreme poyntes of fere agaynst all shame shuld not in so many daily appere whan dethe approcheth onles by nature some iuste feare were of the same For as the excesse of feare cometh by weakenes of harte and lacke of stomake the which is worthy to be rebuked for shamefull cowardnes so there is a meane measure offere in dethe that may be reckened honest and iuste bycause nature maketh it necessary Loke you howe bothe olde and newe stories kepe in memory their names that appered to dye without feare as who saye it is
to be wrytten for a wonder and lyke to a myracle beinge a thynge besyde the course of nature to here of a man that can in deathe ouer come the passion of feare as we wonder to here of some that lyue withoute sustinance of meate or of drynke Bycause I saye hit is a naturalle thinge to feare dethe we greattely meruayle of them that feare it not Yet reason saythe we shoulde not feare that thynge the whiche we know not only yuel is worthy to be feared But seinge we knowe not dethe we may well by reason doubt whether it be yuell or good And nowe before we speake anye more of feare let vs a lyttell consyder dethe by it selfe what thyng it is of his owne nature and whether by it selfe it be good or yuell ¶ We calle ones dethe the losyng a sonder and departyng of .ii. thinges the soule from the bodye the whiche departyng no man can escape but necessarilye dye all we muste that be borne in this worlde When the body by any violence loseth his sensis and is spoiled from the quicke vse of his principal partes than departeth the soule from hym and in maner the bodye leaueth the soule before the soule leauethe the bodye For it is not the soule by hym selfe that goeth from the body but it is the body by his forsakynge lyfe that causethe the soule to departe For where lyfe is not there the soule canne not abyde and as the body is liuely before the soule entereth so the same dody is deadly before the soule departeth Bloudde in his measure and temperance betwene cold and hotte kepeth lyfe in the body the which bloud by innumerable wais of chanses may be altered and constrayned to leaue his nouryshyng whervpon shall insue the losse of lyfe and than streighte after foloweth the soules goinge away For well you knowe that the soule is one thynge and lyfe is an other Wheresomeuer the soule is there is lyfe But it is not trewe that where someuer lyfe is there is the soule For trees and herbes haue a parte of life and a more parte of lyfe is in muskylles oysters and wormes yet a more perfect lyfe is in these bestes and birdes the whiche haue amongeste theym some more some lesse of lyfes perfetnes But thoughe in theym lyfe the whiche resteth in the vse of the sensis that be to here to see to fele to smelle to taste and in swyfte mouynge is a great worke of lyfe the which thynges I say though they be in the perfection amongist these beastes yet the hande of god hath not gyuen to any creature lyuyng in the erthe water or ayre to haue besyde lyfe a soule the whiche is a thynge formed after his lykenes sauynge onely to man whome he hath putte here to rule ouer thynges created lyke as he reuleth in heuen ouer al. It is the creatours wyl that nothynge in this worlde shall haue a soule but man alone the which soule bringeth with him the vse of reason a thynge that may teache vs bothe that we haue a soule and that god is he the whiche hathe thus made vs to be in this worlde his chiefe and mooste excellent creature Reason dothe thus teache vs yet besyde reason we be herein better instructed by our mayster the son of god so that nowe we can not doubt that in vs is a thynge the whiche canne not dye But of suretie we euidently se not onely by reason but moche better by belefe that the ymage of god in vs is perpetuall can not not feale any corruption oneles suche as our frowarde wyll maye gyue wherof groweth synne that is the lyuynge dethe of the soule But lette vs comme to our mattier ¶ To speake of this bodyly deth we nowe haue a greatte fordell in comparison of some olde clerkes that were in doubte whither there was in man any soule besyde lyfe more than is in an horse or a gose They were in doubt whether any thynge of manne remayned after dethe that myght fele or perceyue eyther ioy or peyne For as to the faynyng poetes that spake of delicious gardins for good spirites and of dyuers sore turmentes for vngracious sowles after this life most part of the olde clerkes gaue no maner of credence and they that beleued other an heuen or an hell to be ordeyned for mens sowles yet they so beleued that moch doubtfulnes was in theyr belefe in asmoch as their reason suffised not to fynde oute the certeyntie of goddis workes From the whiche doubtis the vnfallible doctrine of Christe hath now delyuered vs al so that as many as wyll gyue eare to the voyce of god they can not mistruste their knowlege but that without question bothe we haue a soule and the same soule is immortall a thynge that neyther in this worlde nor out of this worlde can peryshe or feale any poynte of deth to lacke by the same any iote of his beinge I saye oure soules contynually without ende shall euermore endure the which be created and made by god after the forme of god What fourme that is it is as harde to shew as it passeth our capacitie to knowe what god is whose shappe and facion our soules beareth ¶ Nowe than what shall we saye of dethe 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 beynge after lyfe lyke to a stone that neuer had lyfe This change of the bodies state whether by hit selfe hit be good or yuelle it is an harde thyng for vs to iuge seing the trowth is that no man lyuing expertlye knoweth what thynge deathe is and to determyne of a thynge vnknowen hit semeth a presumption full of folye Therfore without any certayne determination we maye for oure lernyng debate with reson the thing as moche as shalbe within the bondes of our capacytye and fyrste if deathe were by hym selfe good it shoulde be no trespace for one man to kyll hym selfe or an other For in gyuynge to other a good thyng or in takynge to our selfe a good thynge can be no rebuke Where the dede is good there is well doynge in the doer But euer not onely by Christes teachynge but also by natural reson manslaughter hath bē iuged an abhominable synne Wherfore it canne not be that by hym selfe death is a good thyng And ageyne an yuel thing it is not For Chryste dyed wyllyngely the whiche wyll in god and goddes sonne coulde not haue consented to dethe if deathe hadde ben a thynge of his owne nature yuelle Nor yet hit coulde not be that vertue shoulde be praysed in the gladde sufferynge of deathe as nowe be crowned in heuen many holye marters the whiche couragyouselye toke vppon theym the deathe And surely it shoulde not be the naturalle ende of mannes course in this life if it were a thīg by it selfe nawght For yuell magrye mans hedde is neuer put to him
as it shulde be yf deathe were yuell the whiche necessaryly man is constrayned to suffre Therfore it semeth true that death considered alone by hit selfe is nother good nor yuell But when we here of dyinge wel or dying yuell or of a good deathe or an yuel death it is not deathe by it selfe that is spoken of but rather the circumstances the maner the fashyon the cause of deathe or that goeth before death or that foloweth dethe These be the thynges that gyueth and taketh this name of goodnes or yuelnes As to saye that death is good by cause hit endethe this synnefull lyfe and is the meane to passe frome this worlde to heuen or els when we saye that Iudas dyed an yuel death it is not ment that the departing of Iudas soule from the bodye was yuell but the maner of his dyeng was the yuel thynge his cursed desperation his dampnable mystruste of goddes mercye his dispitefull refusynge grace made his deathe yuell The two theues he at the ryght hand and he at the lefte bothe dyed one kynde of deathe bothe nayled to crosses both worthy for their trespaces yet it is trouthe that the tone died wel in a good deth the tother dyed naught in an yuel deth not for the dethe by it selfe wherin was no difference but for the diuersitie of their .ii. myndes in takynge of deathe The tone repented hym and asked mercy wherof he died graciously the tother contynued in his blasphemynge god the whiche stubburne stomacke in synne caused hym to dye vngraciously It is a thynge that foloweth dethe and is not in dethe it selfe whervpon we loke when we iuge to be a good ende or an yuel For by the maner of hym that dyeth we coniecture the state and cōdition of the soule the whiche yf we fynd in our fantasie to be in an yuelle case as in the daunger of goddis curse we call deathe yuel wherby the soule passed to come to suche sorowe And contrarye yf we thynke the soule to be in the fauour of god or to be redye to take mercy we call deth good the whiche conueyde the soule to his blys So that by it selfe deathe remayneth indifferent to be iudged of diuers considerations other a good ende or an yuel ende ¶ Nowe than we may here say he that feareth deathe sheweth hym selfe to be in doubte of his soules state or els to be certayne that his soule is in goddis curse The whiche ferefull mynde is in them that haue so passed this presente lyfe that eyther they haue doone nothinge wherby they may hope to be rewarded in heuen or els they haue done so vngratiously that they can haue no trust of escaping damnable punyshement specially yf he be a christened man For yf he be not christened and feareth to dye he declareth hym selfe to haue none hygher thought of lyfe than the dumbe beastes haue the whiche make by the lawe of nature so moche of their lyfes that they can mynde nothynge besyde and the losse of their bloode maketh with them an hoole conclusion of their beinge Wherfore beastes may iustly flye and feare deathe as the worste thynge that can happen to their state but a man dothe hym selfe to moch wronge if he thynke hym selfe in no better condicion than be these beastes It is not in the dyuels power to do manne so great hurte as this false imagination doeth And surely vnworthy he is to haue in hym the power of vnderstandynge of thynkyng of prouydynge of lernynge of teachyng of diuisyng of remēbringe of louyng of hatyng of resonyng of counsaylynge of infinite moo gyftes who someuer iugeth hym selfe to haue no more than a swyne or an ape hath Loke as by the fiue wittes the body knoweth this or that so by these powers of mynd the soule walkith to his vnderstandynge and of an heuenly mattier is made this marueylous thynge that dwelleth in mans body for a tyme to be made worthye other of euerlastyng lyfe or of euerlasting dethe for the damned soule lyueth in deth without ende ¶ But yet what shall we saye to the place we left before that naturally death is feared Let it be the workynge of nature yet I see not but the strength of mannes minde fully fastened in fayth may victoriousely ouer come all this feare as we fynde manye ensamples of men that so haue done not onelye of theym that haue benne helped with faith but also of many paynymes the whiche toke a courage to dispise deathe only of a mighty and valiant minde to haue reason subdewe in them the power of all affects ¶ I fynde a lernedde paynyme wrote that we shoulde nother care for lyfe by it selfe nor yet for death by it selfe He sayth that we shulde care to lyue well and to dye well and let lyfe and deathe passe without care For lyfe is not good but to lyue well is good ¶ If paynymes haue this ryghte consideration of lyfe and of death what shame is hit for Christened men to care for death seing Christ whose wordes can not but be true so vehemently forbyddeth vs the same that paynymes sawe by reason to be done Ageyne seyng this death is so common a thynge dayly in our syghte why shoulde we we feare it Thinges that syldom chanse may sturre vp by their rarenes great feare thynges that be euer at hande shulde by theyr famylartytie and custome nousel vs to sette lyttell by theym Farthermore he that feareth death coming to hym wolde feare by lykelyhode deathe if hit coulde be with hym when deathe is suche a thynge that other it is not yet come or els it is paste For no man can saye that deathe is presente So this feare can neuer be ioyned with the thynge that is feared Ageyne that thynge that euerye man maye do no man lightly doeth that thinge that no man canne helpe hym selfe in that for the most parte all men do No man almooste studyeth or careth howe well he may lyue but how longe he may lyue euery man museth when the trouth is that it myghte of all men be opteyned to lyue well and no man can further hymselfe to lyue longe A lyke frowardnes is in our remembraunce of deathe we busilye labour and enforce to dreame of deathe the whiche thynge we can not do we myghte fynde the waye to dye wel and this thynge we wyll not doo This madnes Iohn̄ I truste you wyll put of and feare not deathe the whiche you canne not escape But feare an yuell death the whiche you may flye ¶ Amonge manye commodytes of deathe I reken one chefely to be sette by that it is good to dye wel to escape therby thoccasion of lyuinge yuell and surelye he dyethe well that for suche an intente taketh death gladly ¶ More ouer consider you well and you shall see that in hym the whiche is curious to lyue fortune hath a great rule but in hym that can dye gladdely fortune hath no power And what a wretchednes it
the cruel tirant eate of his burned syde whiles the tother parte was a rostynge This saying declared that this hoâ—y marter feared no death ¶ Howe manye thousandâ— martyrs suffered incredyble peynes of slayinge with hookes they skyn from the fleshe of scrapynge with tyle stones the fleshe from the bones of rentynge and tearynge membre from meÌ„bre with horses with bowed branches of trees of beatynge with whippes tylle the bowelles fall out of hangynge of burnynge of Crucyfyinge of infynite straunge and newe deuyses for payne Howe manye I saye suffred all that cruelle tyrantes coulde imagyn eyther with hande fyer or ironne rather than they wolde ons deny them selfe to be of Christis profession Whan it was proclaimed that who so euer wold saye he was Christened he shulde cruelly be put to deth There passed no daye without a great nuÌ„bre of them that boldly spoke tho wordes of the whiche shoulde folowe so blouddye a slaughter This was a manyfest token that feare of death hadde no maner of place with our blessed martirs the whiche with a constante boldnes defied and dispised the myghty cruell and fierse emperours theyr courage to dye ouerthrew the ragyng madnes of tyrantes The cause of this myrthe in so pitious martyrdomes was that this blessed men knewe howe Christe nother could nor wolde deceiue them but y t for theyr lyttel regarding of this lyfe they shoulde opteyne an other lyfe where their ioy shuld neuer haue nother change nor decrease nor ende Therfore my good Walker mystruste you not Christe whose doctryne the heuen and the erthe hath by innumerable myracles this many hundreth yeres approuyd and confyrmed to be trew the bloude of so may sayntes haue witnessed the same and the diuels with all the damned spirites soo surely beleue the trouthe of Christes teachynge that they trymble and quake thereat Be not moued with the common ensample of the hole worlde though both spirituall and temporall men though the pope with all his cardinalles byshoppes and prestes thoughe the princes with all theyr gentylmen and subiectes mangnifye esteme loue noryshe and by all meanes cheryshe this lyfe yet beleue you the trouth and thinke al the world false where Christes sayinge agreeth not with that the world doeth If it were possible that you sawe the angels of heuen lyue contrary to the preachynge of Christe yet ageynste them all beleue the sonne of god and loue not to abyde in this lyfe when Christe calleth you hense make a smale valure of this present plesures whaÌ„ Christ sayth all be vanites may be torned to endles sorowes Regarde no honour no promotion here when Christe sayth the place of honour is in heuen and here is none aduaÌ„cement that is not both shame and also may be cause of a perpetualle wretchednes Dispice the ease and rest that these riches bringeth in as moche Christe saythe that of them be taken many impedimenntes and lettes to enter into the sure quietnes of blessed soules Thynke no place to be for your abydyng in this world when christe sayth here is not your couÌ„trey but your father and your dwelling place is in heuen Haast therfore hence This is to saye be wyllynge to forsake this straunge countray And seinge the waye to your homewarde lyeth by deathe take a couragious stomake to die and dye gladly that you may dye well Beleue I say Christe you shall thynke it paynefull to be in this lyfe Beleue Christe and you shall be gredye to be partaker of the heuenly ioyes whervpon wyll folowe a plesante remembraunce of deathe by the whiche you shall departe frome your peyne to that ioye the whiche you desyre And hereof is made a glad dyinge the whiche I styl name a good dieng Thus if we canne take this feare awaye we be well forwarde and herof wyll easyly insue the reste that is to dye gladlye It is a true sayinge that who so euer feareth death he shal neuer do a dede worthy for a lyuyng man Therfore if hit were but onely for lyfes sake it is our parte to despise the feare of deathe ¶ Besyde this feare of deathe the loue I say of this lyfe soore hyndereth the gladnes of dyinge no man dyeth gladly that estemethe moche this lyfe He that rekeneth in this worlde hym selfe happye when he hath gotten ryches possessions auctoritie promotion a ryall state a princelyke courte abundaunce of welthy fare a rule and power bothe to auaunce his frende and to vndo his foo this man I say that glorieth in his fantasye for these and such other thinges can not but with moch sorow depart hence To this maÌ„s hart y e remembrance of deth is a euer greuous thoughte his mynde canne not but lament whan he seeth the necessite to be pluckid and drawen frome these commodities in the whiche resteth the ioye pleasure and gladnes of his mynd he hath so stedfastly accustomed hym selfe to take this worlde for heuen that it wyll not synke in his brayne to hope of an other heuen he hath so corrupted his taste with thinkyng this lyfe to be swete that nedes it must be a bytter thyng to make an ende of all his pleasures and in this case be not onely they that haue this worlde at their wyll but also they be in the same case that haue naught and be gredy of hauynge As moche loueth he this worlde that wolde fayne be ryche as he that is ryche It is nat the hauynge nor the lackyng of abundance in goodes that maketh a sorowfull hart in the remembraunce of dethe but it is the mynd that valureth and pondreth these present goodes to be of a great price and worthy to be tarid for This mind I say as wel in a coÌ„muner as in a kynge as well in a yoman as in a lord as wel in an hermite monke or frier as in a marchant plowmaÌ„ or vacabunde as wel in beggers as in ryche men is the thinge that causeth sorow in dying And gladly no manne dyeth that loueth the welthe of this lyfe Wherfore the lerning to die wel requireth necessary a lesson howe moche the goodes of this worlde be worthy to be regarded And let the truthe haue in your stomacke his place so that if it be tru that the thinges of this life be worthy to be loued and to be cared for than loue you them and care for them If the truth be other wise change your mynd nother loue these saide thynges nor care for them Of the truth in this matter no man can dout that beleueth Christe whom if you thynke to be god you muste also thinke it all trouth that he saith It can not be otherwise then Christe testifieth whose preching euer exhorteth vs to wylful pouertie the which is nother to loue y e goodis of this world though we haue theÌ„ nor to care for them though we haue them not only by Christis teching we shulde care for the kingdom of heuen the whiche standeth in the clennes of
to death by thexpence wast of lyfe Thus dyinge we alway be though death be not alway vpon vs. Conceyue than this ordinate lyfe in your mynde bestowe your tyme whilest you haue the tyme. Aboue all thynges â—â—y idelnes the whiche is a thynge bothe to the body and to the soule lyke a kankerynge rustines and as an earynge consumption hit wasteth to naughte bothe vertue and strength A man the whiche is in the lyfe that you be may sone be corrupted with this contagion of idelnes if he be not well ware diligently enforce him selfe to the contrary For I se you haue a maister so affectionate giuen to you y t he wyll nother suffer you lacke any thynge mete for your helthe or quietnes but also he had rather forbeare his owne commodities than for his seruyce you shulde be disquieted So tender he is in all poyntes ouer you that if you ponder well his state and your owne condition you shall finde your life better defended from all stormes agaynst the mindes rest than your maisters condition is He is in suche a syghte of the worlde that necessarily his studye and care muste moue hym to satysfye the greatte expectation that his hole contrey hath of his towardnes And fortune on the tother syde is so contrary to hym that nedes he muste by wisdom procure with no smale thoughte howe he may in penury maynteyne the outwarde face of his reputatyon so that for your quietnes his mynde often laboureth where you may do what you wyll without feare of the worldes displeasure without feare of lackynge or not hauynge inough for your necessarys and moche more than necessitie requireth Labour haue you none but that maye be rather takeÌ„ for a pastime thought to plese your maister you nede not take in as moch you may be assured that he can not nor wil not for the time of his lyfe chaunge his affectioÌ„ toward you Therfore I say it may be fered in one of your state lest idelnes shuld brede a foule slouens neste the which were inough to distroye all lustines of vertue to make you longe deed and buried in this worlde before lyfe forsaketh you For my good IohnÌ„ I wyll haue you knowe and remembre that idelnes is called the graue of lyuynge men it is the thynge wherin life dyeth and therby your soule is twyse buryed in you ons in your bodye nexte in your slothe The whiche vyce in seruynge men most reyneth and the same is roote of manye vnthrysty thoughtes whervpon folowethe a worse idelnes than the tother is For it is an yuell ydelnes to do no thynge but a worse ydelnes hit is to do not well Suche an ydel felowe sainct Chrysostomus calleth a dissolatynge or a voyde baityng place wherinto the dyuel entrith as in to his owne howse by good right For where vertu is not exercised there the enmy of grace claymith his rule it is not now mi purpose to shewe what you shuld do y t you might not only fly idelnes but also be well occupyed This were a mattier inoughe for a nother worke I haue my intente at this tyme if you se that death is not to be feared and that by contynuall remembraunce of death you shall prepayre your selfe to dye gladlye with a good wyll the whiche you can not do onles you be in hope of the euerlasting life this hope requireth some trust in the clenes of a good conscience the which euer foloweth a gracious inteÌ„t of liuiÌ„g wel So y t if you liue wel you shal dye wel And of the way to liue wel you caÌ„ not misse if you arme your minde to be strong agaynst al suddennes of deth Pray euer continually without cessing you must but what is this continuall prayer I wolde you lerned For of prayer it is but one fynal portion the sayinge of psalmes or axing with wordes of god his grace the very praier is to be euer wel mynded to be euer in charitie to haue euer the honour of good in rememberance to suffre no rancore none yre no wrath no malice no syn to abyde in your delyte but to be in a continual good thought the which you maye kepe whether you slepe or wake whether you eate or drynke whether you feaste or fast whether you rest or labour neuer paraueÌ„ture you can pray better than whaÌ„ you must giue your selfe to serue your maister to whom y e course of your life is due boundeÌ„ specially when god hath giuen you suche a maister whom your seruice caÌ„ not plese without you be studyous to please god For wel you see y t with out vertue your seruyce were to your maister an vnsauery thynge but as I haue sayd it is not now my purpose to apoint you the way of lyuynge wel if you haue harde inoughe to dye wel I haue for my parte nowe sayde inough shortlye by the same you shall of your selfe without farther helpe fynde the waye to lyue well Nowe that by this I thynke my promysse fulfilled I will at this poynte bed you farewel and I pray god giue you a stronge corage to passe valy antly through death to come from thence to euerlastynge lyfe by the helpe and grace of our mayster and sauyour Christ to whome lette vs for euer more render al glory prayse and honour Amen At Paris the .x. day of Ianuarye ☞ Thomas Berthelet regius impressor excudebat An. 1534. CVM PRIVILEGIO â—orldâ—â—â—an Spiritâ— men Temporall meâ— â–ª Franciâ— Philip. â—o dye â—yll Two lâ—tes to dâ—â— gladly What deâ—â— is â—he soule â—he lyfe Whethâ—â— deth 〈◊〉 selfe bâ— good 〈◊〉 yuel Death not goâ—â— â—â—athe is 〈◊〉 yuel Deathâ— nother good nâ—â— yuell o feare ath â—eathe is â—ot to be â—eared â—â—â—essitie Loue this lyâ—â— What dreth glad 〈◊〉