speaketh ¶ Domine non est in morte qui memor sit tui ¶ Lorde he sayth that man alyue is nought That in tyme of death hath nat the in thought But men may vnderstande therby The death of soule throughe synne namely For the man that of God myndeles is It semeth in soule that he deade is For God vysyteth vs by euery maner way Where that the tokens of death fele we may For yf we coulde vs well vnderstonde The tokens of death eche day doth vs fonde Wherfore me thynketh all that here semeth Is more deade than alyue as wyse men demeth For the boke telleth and wytnesseth before That a man anone as he is bore Begynneth towarde his death to drawe And with dyuerse euylles often is guawe As angers and syckenes that falleth all day The whiche deathes throwes call we may And in other wayes and perylles many one That oft greueth men in flesshe and in bone Than is our byrth here but abydynge A bodely death that is our endynge For the longer that a man waxeth olde The more may this lyfe death be colde Than semeth our lyfe here nothynge elles But as it were death as the boke telles And to that other lyfe come we nought Tyll death this lyfe to ende hath brought But when death of our lyfe hath made an ende Than knowe we nought whyther for to wende Whyther that we shall to well other to wo But certes to that one we shall go And to good men than death is the way To the ioy of heauen that lasteth ay And to the wycked men that passeth that entre In the payne of hell they shall euer be Therfore saynt Dauid the holy prophete Thus speaketh to God with wordes swete ¶ Qui â—xaltas me de portis mortis vt annuÌ„cieÌ„ oeÌ„s landes tuas ¶ Lorde almyghty God forsoth thou arte he That from the gates of death hast take me So that I may tell passynge all thynges The great multytude of thy praysynges In the holy gates of thy doughter Syon That gate as Clarckes telleth that can theron Is holy Churche that God fyrste cheaâ—e Throughe the whiche men coÌ„meth to the gateof peace And by the gates of death as we may se The bytter death of hell vnderstande may be From that same place God kepe vs myght and day And grauâ—t vs his loue as he well may Therfore we shulde hym serue and his wyll worche In the trewe beleue of holy Churche So that we may than afterwarde wende To the cytte of peace that hath none ende But all men that shall to that place come Hence shall wende throughe death all and some But that death to them is nothynge euyll That lyueth here in earth after Goddes wyll And in suche holy lyfe stedfastly dwelleth As saynt Austyne the holy man in a boke telleth ¶ Mala mors illi putanda non est quem in vita sua boni actus processerunt ¶ He sayeth men shulde nat to them euyll death wene That in good dedes wolde his lyfe mene For nothynge maketh a man so hye of boste As euyll dedes that foloweth the death moste For all be deedly that synne wyll do And therfore saynt Austyne sayeth thus therto ¶ Non potest male mori qui bene vixerit vix bene moritur qui male vixerit ¶ He sayeth he may no euyll death haue That lyueth on earth throughe Goddes lawe But vnneth may men by any reason Dye in good death that leadeth his lyfe in treason But that man that hateth this lyfes lykynge Dare neuer drede of deathes coÌ„mynge or after his death here no payne hym deres As Caton wytnesseth in this verse ¶ Non metuit mortem qui sit contempnere vitam ¶ He sayeth he that can this lyfe despyse Shall nat drede death in no maner wyse For so dyd martyres that theyr death sought For after this worlde nothynge they wrought And also holy men wylled to death be dyght To dwell in heauen with God almyght As the bokes of theyr lyues telleth to vs For so dyd an holy man that sayeth thus â–ª ¶ â—upio dissolui â— esse cum christo ¶ I couet he sayeth hence for to wende Out of this lyfe and be with Chryste without ende For holy men thought here this lyfe Was nothynge els but sorowe and stryfe Therfore they coueyted the ende of theyr day As sayeth an holy man as I tell may ¶ Melius est dies mortis ê™ dies natiuitatis ¶ He sayeth better is the day of death alone Than the day of byrth that is full of mone For a good man dyeth for to go vnto rest Theyr lyfe is endeles and ioy alther mest When the soule from the body shall begon As in Apocalyps wytnesseth saynt IohnÌ„ ¶ Beati mortui qui in domino moriuntur ¶ Blessyd be all they in dede and in worde That dyeth here in earth in the honour of our lorde For all that men seth in good lyfe ende They dye with God and to hym shall wende In to the ioy of heauen that is on hyghe Well is hym that throughe death that stede may nyghe And doubteles thoughe holy men dyed here wele yet the paynes of death they shall fele But when they shall a newe lyfe wynne When the body and soule departeth atwynne Somedele they shall than haue drede Throughe mankynde and throughe manhede Syth that Chryste dred death in his passyon Throughe kynde of his flesshe as it was reason Than ought a man both lesse and more The bytter paynes of death drede full sore ¶ The .ij. encheasoÌ„ why meÌ„ dredeth death THe seconde encheason is as I in boke rede Why that death is so greatly to drede For the dredfull syght of many foule fendes That a man shal se than few other frendes When that this lyfe here draweth to y â— ende And woteth nat whyther he shall with them wende For when the lyfe of a man is in doubte Than wyll deuylles come hym aboute To take the soule with them away In to the payne of hell and that is theyr pray For as wode Lyones they shall than fare And on hym grenne rore and stare And horryble rollynge and on hym blere And with hydeous lokes to make hym fere And so they wyll stande at his endynge If that they myght in wanhope hym brynge Throughe suche thretuynge as they wyll than make And throughe drede that they shall take Throughe hydeous syghtes that they then wyll shewe The horryble company that stande shall in rewe And therfore the prophete saynt Ieromye Wytnesseth these wordes in his propheâ—ye ¶ Omnes amici eius apprehend crunt eam inter angustias ¶ He sayeth that amonge his anguysshes great His ennemyes shulde hym take and nought let Than is no wonder thoughe the deuylles come To the synfull man when death hath hym nome As the deuyll to saynt Bernarde came at the last day To brynge the holy man in to great afray ¶ Howe the deuyll came and appered vnto
saynt Bernarde IT is founde in the lyfe of saynt Bernarde When he drewe to his deatâ— warde That the deuyll of hell so horryble of hewe Asked of saynt Bernarde w t wordes fewe Wherfore he asked the kyngdome of heuen Syth he had gylt in the synnes seauen Then answered saynt Bernarde to hym this That I am nat worthy I wote ywis Throughe myâ—e owne synnes it for to haue 〈◊〉 I shall hence wende to my graue But throughe my lorde Iesus full of myght That all thynge gouerneth as it is ryght As throughe ryght of his fathers herytage And also for chrysten mennes auauntage And throughe ryght of his harde passyon That he suffred here for our saluacyon That herytage frely he graunted me And also that other parte to hym shulde be Of whose ryght I aske that heauen ryche After his mercye that nothynge is lyche When the deuyll harde hym thus say As ouercome he went his way And anone saynt Bernarde when this was done Came agayne to his mynde that erst was gone And anone dyed afterwarde the And euen his soule to blysse gan go But it is more wonder all for to tell Why that God suffreth the deuyll of hell To appere to hym that is of myght moste Whan that he dyed and gaue vp his ghoste For the great Clarckes wytnesseth it In theyr owne bokes that be of holy wryt Than semed it well that God wolde thus Suffre the deuyll of hell to appere to vs In tyme of death at our last ende When we shall all hence wende But a stronge payne to vs that shall be The great syght of deuylles that than we shall se For they be so horryble as telleth the boke And so blacke and dredefull vpon to loke So that all maner of men that I may deuyse Of the foule syght of them may sore agryse For all maner men that be in earth alyue So horryble a syght can neuer descryue Nor none so quâ—ynte a payntour y t myght brynge to passâ— Neyther man so wytty neuer yet was That coulde ought ymagyne of theyr horryblenes Other paynte any poynte after theyr lykenes For theyr shape in this worlde may no man make Ne se the same fourme that they haue take But yf the deuylles had of God so large powere In theyr owne fourme to shewe them here Lese they shulde theyr mynde and be sore agast For cause that they be in to suche fourme cast But so hardy man was neuer yet none That lyued in earth in flesshe and bone If he sawe the deuyll in his fourme aryght That he ne shulde for drede of that foule syght Anone ryght to dye other to lese his wyt As soone as he had beholden it But in the same fourme as I tell can Sethem neuer here no lyues man But onely to them that death is nere For God hath bynome them theyr powere So that they may tempte no man ne greue Further then our lorde God hath gyuen them leue But anone as death asayleth a man In the foulest fourme they wyll appere than For bycause that euery man dredynge shulde be Agaynst the same tyme that he shulde them se. BUt to you all I wyll tell sothly Wherâ—ore the deuylles be all so gresely For when that they were Aungels bryght As tho y â— be in heauen before Goddes syght And from y t place throughe synne they fell And anone bycoÌ„men foule fendes of hell And were horryble fygured throughe synne And so they were all wrapped therin For yf synne ne were they had be styll Bryght Aungelles as they were throughe Goddes wyll And nowe they be horryble and vnsemely And that was throughe synne of pryde onely Than is synne fouler and more lothsome Than is the deuyll that from hell may come For Clarckes telleth it that be of coÌ„nynge That synne is so foule and so horryble a thynge That yf a man myght se before hym his synne In the same lykenes that he falleth in He shulde rather than for drede it fle Than any deuyll of hell that he myght se Than is the soule of a synfull man within Fouler than the deuyll yf he be in synne Therfore a man shulde where that he wendes More drede synne than any syght of fendes That shall come to hym at his endynge For his synnes indyspayre hym to brynge Of whiche synnes he woulde hym nat shryfe Ne take no repentaunce here in his lyfe For vs behoueth euerychone in Goddes owne syght yelde our accomptes of wronge and of ryght And of all thynges that euer we haue wrought Both in werke and in wyll and euery mysthought ¶ Of the thyrde encheason why men dredeth death THe thyrde encheason is to our vnderstandynge Why euery man dredeth deathes coÌ„mynge For all thynge shall be shewed and seâ—e Both good euyll foule and also clene And there ben rehersed as the boke telleth ryght Bytwene foule fendes and Aungelles bryght Than shall they despute there all our lyfe With great sorowe both care and stryfe For in the same tyme all thynge shall be knowen And in the same day nothynge ben hydden But onely synne that is clensed here And all good dedes done in good manere Than shall we all there both here and se All maner pryuyties that euer wrought we And therfore God sayeth in his Gospell In the same maner that I wyll you tell ¶ Niehil opertum quod non reuelabitur ¶ There is no maner of thynge here so hydden That ne shall than be shewed and knowen And styll there abyde must we Tyll there all our lyfe clene examyned be Therfore saynt Ancelme as the boke telleth vs Speaketh to the soule sharpely thus Thou wretched soule sayth he what myght thou wyn When thou from thy body departe shall atwyn For than behoueth the acomptes to yelde Of all that thou hast done in youth and in elde From the begynnynge that thou couldest wyt Unto the last day for thou myght nat flyt And than shall welaway forsoth he thy songe For thou hast spended thy lyfe here in wronge And than shall all thy synnes here ben shewed Whyther so that thou be lered other lewed Of whiche synne thou shalt more drede Than of all the deuylles that thyther the wyll lede And thus shall euery man at his endynge There be brought to an harde rekenynge For no synne than to hym shall be vntolde Be it neuer so pryue other kept in holde And I fynde wrytten thre causes why That no man may trust than sykerly Upon his good dedes that he hath done here And the causes why be good to lere One is that all thynges that good be From God they come and nat from the So that all good dedes that here be wrought Be Goddes owne dedes and ours ryght nought But all our synnes that we may do knowen CoÌ„meth all from our selfes and they be our owne And an other cause there is also For bycause that we be redy euermo An hondred tymes rather to do synne Than once a good dede here to
a woman or after her craue Than myght he se without any doubte As well within as he doth with out For yf a man myght se her within aryght It were full dredefull to euery mannes syght And so foule euery man within is As the boke telles and wytnesseth all this And therfore I holde a man nothynge wyse That maketh hym selfe of to moche pryse Syth he may euery day both here and se What that he is here and what he shall be But a proude man of this taketh no hede For hym fayleth reason that shulde hym lede When that he is yonge and loueth playinge Other hath welth at his lykynge Other that he be brought in to great worshype Than he of hym selfe takeâ—h he no kepe For hym selfe than he knoweth all there leest And fareth than as vnreasonable beest That foloweth his owne wyll and nothynge elles As say it Dauid wytnesseth and telles ¶ Homo cum in honore esset non intellexit comparatus est in mentis insipientibus ¶ He sayeth when a man in worshyp is brought Ryght good vnderstandynge hath he nought Therfore he may be lykened both in flesshe and bone To beestes that reason and wyt can none Therfore euery man that hath wyt and mynde Oft shulde thynke on his wretched kynde And that with fylthe he is all ynome As he maâ— se euery day from his body come Both at nose and at mouth and byneth also All maner corrupcyon coÌ„meth hym fro And howe foule it is to euery mannes syght Saynt Bernarde wytnesseth to vs full ryght ¶ Si diligenter conâ—ideres quid per os quid per nares ceterosque meatus corporis tui egreditur vilius fterqui linium nunê™ videres ¶ He sayeth man wylt thou inwardly se And beholde what thynge coÌ„meth from the Throughe nose and mouth contynually And throughe other places of thy body A fouler dunghyll sawe thou neuer none Than is a man made in flesshe and in bone For in all that tyme that a man here lyueth His owne kynde no good fruyte gyueth Whyther that he lyue shorte tyme other longe But thynges that stynketh wonder stronge And foule fylthed and nothynge elles As Innocent the great clarcke in a boke telles ¶ Herbas inquit arbores diligenter iuuestiga ille de fe producunt flores frondes fructus tu de te lendes pediculos Ille autem de se effundunt oleum vinuÌ„ tu de te sputum vrinam stercus Ille de se spirant suanitatemâ—â— tu abhominationem â—tercoris ¶ This Clarcke telleth thus in his boke Thou man he sayeth â–ª beholde well and loke Herbes and trees that in earth doth sprynge Take thou good hede what they forth brynge Herbes bryngeth floures and maketh sede Aâ—d trees fruyte and braunches sprede And thou bryngest forth of thy selfe here Both nyttes and lyâ—e and other vermyne yfere Of herbes and trees spryngeth bawme good Both oyle and wyne in helpe of mannes fode And that coÌ„meth from the doth foule stynke As dounge and pysse and spatlynge Of herbes and trees coÌ„meth good sauoure And of the man foule breth and soure For suche as the tre beareth with the bowes Suche is the same fruyte that theron growes For a man is as a tre that standeth nat harde Of whom the crop is tourned downwarde And the rote is an hye towarde the fyrmament As wytnesseth in this boke the clarcke Innocent ¶ Quid est homo secuÌ„dum formam nisi quedam arbor euersa cuius radicis â—unt crines trinicus est caput cum collo stipes est pectus cum alno ramâ—et vlne cum tibiis froÌ„des st digiti cum artil hoc est folium quod a vento rapiter stipula que a sole siccatur ¶ He sayeth what is a man but in shape as a tre Tourned vp so downe as men may se Of the whiche the rote that therto belongeth Is the heere on thyne heade that theron hangeth Than is the stocke nexte the rote growynge That is thyne heade with thy necke shewynge The body of the tree that is sette therto Is thy brest with thy wombe also The bowes be thyne armes with thy handes And the legges with thy fete that thou on standes Men may them braunches by reason call The toes and the fete with thy fynges all Lyfe is the lefe that hangeth nat fast That wyll away with the wyndes blast And a man that is both yonge and lyght Thoughe he be neuer so hardy in fyght And comely of shape and louely of chere yet syckenes and anger may hym dere And his myght and fayrenes abate And brynge hym soone in to lowe state And soone chaunge his fayre coloure And make hym fade as doth the floure For a flour that is fayre to mannes syght Throughe stormes it fadeth and leseth his myght Angres and euylles and myschyfes both Ofte coÌ„meth to a man that be hym loth As feuers and dropsye and Iaundyse also Tysyke and the gowte and other euylles mo That maketh his fayrenes away for to wende As stormes doth theyr floures shende This shulde be euer ensample to vs Therfore saynt Iob in his boke sayeth thus ¶ Homo quasi flos egreditur contritur fugit velud vmbâ—a numê™ in eod c. ¶ Man he sayeth as flour is bryght When it coÌ„meth fyrste to earthly syght And soone is broke and passeth away As doth the shadowe in soÌ„mers day And neuer in the same state dwelleth But euermore passeth as Iob telleth Of this the Prophete wytnesseth ywys In a psalme of the Psalter that sayeth this ¶ Mane sicut herba tranâ—eat mane floreat transâ—at vespâ—re descidat c. ¶ The Prophete sayeth thus in that case A man passeth away as doth the grasse Early begynnynge of the day He floureth and soone passeth away And at euen it is downe brought That fadeth and wexeth all to nought In the begynnynge of man hym was gyue Nyne hundred yeare in earth to lyue As Clarckes in bokes beareth wytnes And sayeth that mannes lyfe is drawe to shortnes For God wolde that it shulde so be And God sayde hym selfe so vnto Noe. ¶ Non permanebit spiritus meus in homine ineternumque caro est erunt enim dies illius centum viginti anni ¶ My Ghoste he sayeth shall nat euer dwell In man that is made of flesshe and fell His dayes shall be to lyue in here An hundred and also twentye yere But so great age may no man bere For death wyll hym in shorter tyme dere For the complexyon of euery man Is nowe more febler than it was than Therfore mannes lyfe myght shorter be For nowe it is feblest all for to se For the longer that a man shall lyfe To more sorowe he shall be dryfe And lesse thynke that this lyfe is swete As in the psalter wytnesseth the Prophete ¶ Si in potentatibus octoginta anni amplius corum labor et doâ—or c. ¶ If in strenghthes foure score yere myght
men can shewe Neyther to olde men for theyr dayes be fewe Death wyll haue neyther reuerence nor fauour Neyther frendshyp of kynge ne Emperour Neyther of bysshop ne yet of prelate Neyther of other what soeuer they be of state Therfore saynt Bernarde sayth thus in his wrytynge For euery man shulde drede deathes coÌ„mynge ¶ Mortem esse coÌ„munem cunctis scito viuentibus ¶ Understande thou he sayth that death is To all coÌ„mon both to more and lesse And thus shall death bysyte euery man And yet what he is no man dyscerne can But the payne of death that all shall fele As telleth a Phylosopher to vs full well HE lykeneth a mannes lyfe vnto a tre That were waxynge yf it myght be Through a mans hert wrotes to sprynge And in euery place a braunche growynge And the crop at y â— mouth out come myght And to eche a ioynte a roote were dyght And euery vayne that is in a mannes body Had a rote fastened full harde therby And to euery fynger and toes also Were a rote from the tre growynge therto That in eche lymbe that is in euery syde The rotes of the tre shulde theron betyde If that tre were so sore pulled out That the rotes shulde aryse all aboute Than shulde the rotes the ioyntes strayne And eche bone and synewe also with vayne Than a more payne can no man cast Than this 〈…〉 longe as it myght last And yet the payne of death is holde more And harder in his tyme than this wore Therfore euery man before as it is sayde May greatly drede the harde deathes brayde But the moste drede is then all within If a mannes soule be in deedly synne And therfore the Prophete sayth thus in his boke And warneth vs echone therto to loke ¶ O mors ê™ amara memoria tua homini iniusto ¶ O thou bytter death and dredefull sayth he Full grysely thynge it is for to thynke on the And namely to that man that is full of synne Wherfore his conscyence is greued within Therfore me thynketh a man is nat sly That maketh nat hym to death redy For so certayne in earth is no maner man That his endynge day forsoth tell can Neyther the tyme of death can nat loke And so saynt Bernarde sayeth in this boke ¶ Quid in rebus hymanis certius est morte Quid incertius hora mortis inuenietur ¶ He 〈◊〉 what is to a man more certayne Than is death that is so sodayne And what is also more vncertayne thynge Than is the tyme of deathes coÌ„mynge Therfore saynt Austyne the holy man Sayeth thus in his boke as I proue can ¶ â—rscis qua hora veniat morâ— ideo seÌ„per vigila vt cuÌ„ veneriâ— te ê‘atuÌ„ inuâ—niat â— teÌ„pus illiê° forte nescis vt seÌ„ê‘ ideo eeÌ„s ê‘atê° Â¶ Man thou knowest nat sayeth he What tyme deathes coÌ„mynge shall be Therfore wake as thou haddest euer knowynge The tyde and tyme of deathes coÌ„mynge That death fynde the when he shall come All redy to God and buxome For thou shuldest nat perchaunce knowe The coÌ„mynge of death to holde the lawe And in thy conscyence to make the yare For when death coÌ„meth he wyll nat spare Than behoueth vs our lyfe so to cast As euery day of our lyfe were the last And euery day vs aredy to make As we shulde eche day the death take And nat abyde tyll death vs vysyte For saynt Austyne in his boke thus doth wryte ¶ 〈◊〉 nobis vltimuâ— dies vt obseruerentur bene ceteri diâ—â— Raro enim perantur remedia cum mortis veneruÌ„t pericula ¶ The last day of man here sayeth he For all other dayes better kept shulde be For men ordeyneth remedye to late When perylles of death standeth at the gate And in the same state that he is than He shall be demed when he is gone Therfore euery man for drede of lettynge Shulde nat abyde deathes coÌ„mynge But make hym redy or he death fele And than after kepe hym selfe wele For when death is to the gate come Than to late hath he his warnynge nome For death from a man his mynde byreueth And no kyndely wyt in hym byleueth For than shall he fynde suche payne and drede That he shall thynke vpon no mysdede But in this payne and in nothynge elles As the holy man saynt Austyne telles ¶ Timor mortis totam vitam sibi vendicat lt de peccatis tunc libeat cogitare c. ¶ Drede of death he sayeth when he assayleth a man Chaungeth the soule and maketh the body wan So hym luste than to haue no thought Of the synnes that he hath here ywrought Therfore euery man amende hym here Or death come and sende his messengere And yf a man wyll before beware Than of all synnes death shall fynde hym bare His messenger well may be called syckenes That goeth before and bryngeth hym indystres For syckenes ofte tymes pyneth a man so That for great syckenes his mynde is go For than may â—e thynke vpon nothynge elles But vpon the payne that vpon hym dwelles But when dâ—ath coÌ„meth to hym soone afterwarde Than paynes shall be 〈◊〉 that be more harde For than shall he be let in suche drede So that of hym selfe he taketh lytell hede And that is reason for he wolde nought Whyles that he myght haue God in thought Therfore he shaâ—l then lese clene his mynde And thus we may 〈◊〉 saynt Austyne fynde ¶ Hac animaduersione percuttitor peccator vt moriens obliuiscatur sui qui dum viueret oblitus est dei sui ¶ The synfull man he sayeth as it is wryte With the payne of death shall be ysmyte That for the payne that in hym shall fall Forgetteth hym selfe when he hence shall For whyle that he lyued at his owne wyll He forgate God and his hestes wolde nat fyll And also synnefull men haue here no grace To haue repentaunce neyther tyme ne space Thus shall he dye and so lese heauen blysse And be put in to payne without any lysse For they be vnkynde and to God vncurtayes Therfore saynt Dauid in the Psalter thus sayes ¶ 〈…〉 sicut homines inoriemini sicut vnno de prinâ—â—pibus cadetis ¶ And sareth thus to men ye shall dye all And as on of the prynces ye shall fall That is ye shall dye in the same manere As all men dyed in this worlde here And as the gostes that fell from heauen And were put to hell with an horryble steuen Therfore to euery man it were wysdome To amende hym of synnes or death come And haue God in mynde whyle his lyfe is As the Prophete coÌ„maundeth and sayeth this ¶ Memento creatoris tui antequaÌ„ veniat tempus visitationis tue ¶ Thynke man he sayeth and haue in thought How that made the fyrste of nought Whyle thou lyuest and or thy tyme be When God with death wyll vysyte the For death clene mannes mynde breketh And therfore saynt Dauid to God thus