The funerals of yonge and olde are very thycke myngled to geder And cruel Proserpine forbereth no mā Innumerable people of yong olde and myddel age dye here and there of our felowes of our acquayntance of our kynsfolke frendes father mother and chyldren and we our selfe that muste nedes dye be conuersante a mydmonges the hepes of them that dye And al be it that we be borne vnder y e same condicions that we must nedes dye yet we feare nat dethe Thou sayest wherfore dost thou commande me to thynke on dethe I am yet yonge and lustye I am farre from whore heares and farre from an olde wrynkeled forheed They shulde lyue in thought and care for drede of dethe that be olde and croked and stoupyng to y e erthe warde that haue a lyght shakinge heed hangynge chekes small holowe eies a continuall droppynge nose a fewe tethe and rotten the whiche whan they haue liued as longe as a crowe than they reken theyr age vpon theyr fyngers I am farre from all these thynges Dothe nat my yonge blode that courageth myne harte and spyrytes my stronge armes and bygge sides and al my body lusty and in good lykynge bydde me to hope after longe lyfe But I pray the tell me hath god promised to y e either whore heares or wrinkyls If thou se no man dye but olde folkes than liue careles and haue no mynde of dethe vntyll the tyme that thou haue whore heres wrinkyls But if that dethe do steale vpon folkes of euery age if deth strangle them that be nat yet borne nat sleyng them but remouyng them from life If dethe plucke the children away that sucke on their mothers breastis If dethe snatche away laddes and gyrles If dethe pulle away yonge men and maydēs If dethe slee myghty strōge men If dethe attrappe olde men and fynally if deth spareth no person of no maner condition age strengthe nor beautye supposeste thou hit wyll forbeare the onely aboue all other It is for certayne that an olde man can nat lyue longe And thou that arte a yonge man maist sone dye And loke howe certayne and sure an olde man is to dye euen so vncertayne and vnsure a yonge man is to lyue There is no mā so olde but that he may liue one day lōger Nor there is no man so yonge that can assure hym selfe to lyue frome morowe tyll nyght And for a trouthe if thou marke it well thou shalte fynde that the moost parte that dye be yonge folkes And al be it that whore age hath alwaye been scarse yet was hit neuer more scarser nor more dispised than hit is now a dayes Howe many canst thou shewe me that haue lyued I say nat so longe as Cython Nestor Sibyl or Mathusale but an hundred yeres yea howe many be there that lyue .lx. yeres Forsothe scarsly one amonge a thousande And howe shorte a tyme is it And yet thou seest howe fewe come therto so fragyll or bryttyll so vncertayne and subiecte to so manyfolde chances is the lyfe of man Wylte thou good Ioyce haue of this thynge a clere and a commodious similitude or figure Beholde how in the begynnynge of the yere thou seest a tree storysshe and is so replenysshed or loden with flowers or blossoms that the trunke or body therof can nat be seen and scarsly the leaues the whiche tree semeth to brynge forth more plentie of frute than the tree is able to beare But yet of al this great nombre of blossoms very fewe proue for some of them be corrupted distroyed with wormes some with spyders and some with wynde and wether are beaten downe And the frute that remayneth whan the blossoms be gone by lytell and lyttell waxe greatter And than I pray y e do they al hāge styl tyl they be rype No truely Many of them be worme eaten some the wynd and wether beateth downe some by great stormes are corrupted and rotted and some other by other mischaunce are distroyed In so moche that at y e laste where thou hopest to haue great abundance of frute vnneth thou getherest thre or foure appulles Nor mans lyfe dothe perishe with no lesse inconueniences There be a thousande maner of syckenesses a thousande chāces or occasions of deth a thousande maner of murthers and a thousande sortes of snares that dethe layeth for vs through the whiche mo dye than by auncientnes and tyme. And seynge thā that our life is subiecte to so many and great perylles beholde I pray the howe wytlesse and braynesicke we be that liue as though we shuld neuer dye We be right careful for those thyngis that pertayne nothynge to vs but that thynge that shulde instructe vs agaynste dethe we care nat fore What if one kynge that hathe mortall warre with an nother knewe nat for certayne how nere his ennemie were but hauyng knowlege and vnderstandyng by spyes that he shuld lye in embushemēt nat farre of whan he sawe conuenient tyme how he wolde rushe out vpon hym Trowest thou that he in this case wolde mynde the buyldynge of bathes or to prepare a bankette or to wedde a wyfe But that he wolde rather imagyn howe to augment his armye to cast a bulwarke to make good watche and to mynde his armour wepens and other thynges belongynge to warre wherby he may defende hym from inuasyon and also discomfite his ennemie And for this wyl he care fore more diligētly for as moche as he knoweth nat what tyme nor on whiche syde the busshement wyll breake out vpon hym But deth our chiefe ennemye in euery place and at all tymes of our age hath layde a thousande maner of imbushementes to attrappe and disceyue vs. And yet in the meane tyme a goddes name we stande gaurynge and daryng at ryches we fede to derely cherysshe our bodies and seke for rule and mayster shyppe But and we wolde at all tymes consydre the vnstedfastnesse and waueryng of this disceitfull lyfe and howe that dethe styll continually hangethe ouer vs we shulde dryue in to our owne eares that that y e prophet sayd vnto the sycke kynge Dyspose thy house for thou shalte dye than incontinent all these thynges whiche to our great hurte seme sauory swete wolde waxe bytter and sower and those that we thynke ryght precious wolde seme vyle and lytell worth and those that we repute nobull and gay thynges wold appere foule and vngoodly So lyghtely one thoughte or inwarde remembrance of dethe persuadeth vs to set naught by all worldly thynges O thou couetous man to what ende or entent dost thou gether suche abundaunce of golde Dethe is at thy backe redy to snatche all away Why doste y u prepare so many great fardelles for so shorte a iourney Hast thou forgotte what happend to the foole that the gospell speaketh of To whom reioisynge that his barnes were full of corne and promisynge hym selfe many greatte pleasures hit was sayde Thou fole this same night thou shalt be slayn and
at the laste it that of ryghte oughte to ouercome shall haue place Shamefastnes shal obey vnto loue For I shuld rather esteme thy profytte yea thy soule helth than what men wyll saye by me If that this myn enterprise shall be more applyed to pryde than wysedome trewely myn offence shulde so moche the sooner be forgyuen in as moche as it procedeth of loue For vndouted I had leauer wrytynge louyngly do boldely than wysely kepynge sylence to do more wysely Nor I doubte nat but by this patron and aduocate I meane our loue I shalbe absolued and quited For our loue is nat symple or of the common sorte but very entier trusty and sure The causes of our twos frendshyp be ryght great and manyfolde our bryngynge vp together of chyldren y e maruaylous agrement of our two myndes one maner of study in mooste noble scyences the innumerable pleasures that thou haste done for me the singular beneuolēce and speciall good minde of the and of thyne borne alwaye towarde me And also to these causes is ioyned alyaunce of blode What thynge canne be more gluynge or claspyng than this our frendeshyp the whiche as it were with a double theyne is bounde and knyt fast together on the one syde with kynred and on the other syde with fyxed charite or entyerly louynge myndes Therfore Ioyce I wolde thou shuldest thynke and surely trust that neuer mā loued hym selfe more hartily than I loue y e. And seyng that I loue the as moche as my selfe or more I muste nedes care as moche for thy soule helth as for myn owne Yea and true loue constraynethe vs I wote nat by what meane to sorowe more greuously our frendes incōmodyte and hurte than our owne and more to desyre our frendes welfare than our owne And brefely to speake trewe loue causeth one man to loue an other more tenderlye than hym selfe Whiche thynge in the I nede nat to mystruste but on my parte I maye surely affyrme hit This thynge hath so moche enbolded and encoraged me that I laied shamefastnes aparte for the tyme and wrote vnto the this letter of exortation by y e whiche my mynde is to withdrawe the from the hurly burly and busynesse of the worlde and brynge the to a lyfe monastycke that is to saye solytary and quyete This is no small thynge nor a thynge that may soone be perswaded to the common people but bycause thy lyfe is of suche perfytenes all redy that excepte the habite or clothyng of a lay man wherof I am very glad the worlde welnere can challenge no properte in the. I fullye truste that this myne exhortation shall take effecte seinge that both the corage of thy passyng good minde and my oration leade the to the same thynge Who wolde doubte that shyp to saile pleasantly that hathe bothe wynde and wether at wyll And all be hit that thy good and commendable lyfe stereth me to hope well yet shall I neuer be out of feare and drede vntyll suche tyme that thou clene forsake this vnhappy britel worlde and entre in to some Monastery as in to an hauen moost sure For truste me as often as I reuolue and consydre in my mynde the perils and dangers amonge the whiche thou arte conuersante Whervpon I thynke welnere alwaye so ofte the tender loue that I beare to the warde maketh me very heuy and sorowfull For I am none other wyse affectioned or mynded towarde the than a good kynde mother is to her onely and mooste dere chylde the whiche is on the see saylynge by some daungerous place where as shyppes often tymes go to wracke and peryshe Whiche whan she seeth or heareth the vyolente hurle wynde ryse ruggedly alofte she wayleth she waxeth pale and trēbleth for drede In her slepe her mynde rounneth and she dreameth of her sonne and euer she dredeth the worste and more than is true or nede to be feared But wold to god y t I neded nat to drede lesse perils thā be But I knowe I knowe good Ioice what troubles be in the see of this worlde in what danger the lyfe standeth and what dyuers kyndes of deth there be out of the whiche but late swymmyng naked on a lytel borde vnneth I escaped But perauenture thou being in a folyshe surete of thy selfe and callynge me tymerous or fearfull wylte byd me to be careles but yet if thou so do thou canst nat driue feare out of my mȳde for thou arte so farre wyde to drawe me frome drede that thou almost bryngest all my hope to naught Trewely thou arte so moche the more in the danger of perils in howe moche lesse that thou perceiuest them or if thou dost vnderstāde and perceyue them and wylte nat beware and eschewe them what thynge can be more myschiefull or more madde than suche a confydence I praye the tell me who is more foolysshe than that shipman the whiche amōge the spuminge or fomynge rockes the furious syrtes the rageyng goulfes of the see in a great and hydous tēpeste and therto his shyppe feeble and weake doth feare no maner perill but lyenge vp ryght by the helme he syngeth yea and forbyddeth those that sayle with hym vnder his tuition to be afrayde or carefull What man wyll nat abhorre the foly and madnes of suche a felowe and drede to scape safely Nor I good Ioyce shall neuer be rydde of care so longe as thou foolehardely doste sayle forth in this moste vnquyete see of the worlde Thou wylte perauenture saye this is a foolysshe comparison Howe dothe the worlde and the see agree seynge that nothynge is more blādyshyng or faunyng thā the worlde and nothynge is more horryble than the see Yea but I knowe no feter comparison if thou consydre hit well Thynkest thou that the yll melodye and swete honygalle tunes of the Syrens the whiche brynge the passagers forby fyrst in a slombre and after drowne them dothe nat well expresse the shrewde blandishynge and lewde delites of this worlde wolde to god thou coudest se what snares what desceytes what nettes they laye pryuyly to attrappe thy youth with Loke therfore that thou flye from the bākes or see coostes where these Syrens be For flyghte in this behalfe is the surest waye Nor thou shuldest nat folehardely truste to sayle sure and safely that waye where as thou seest kyng Dauyd Solomon and many other and nobler thā are to be spoken of here wēt to wracke And brefely to speke no man scaped but he that fledde Homer reherseth that Ulyxes the whiche representeth the persone of a perfecte wyse man with greatte studye and dylygence coude scarsly scape the swete honygalle songe of these Syrens yet he stopped his eares with waxe and boūde hym selfe to the shyppe maste Than what hope haste thou to escape them Seynge y t so many haue cōspired together to distroy the as wāton youth ēticyng beautifulnesse riches lycence libertee the dayly and nightly ditees of these Helas to
than who shall be mayster of thy goodes O thou moost foolysshe or vnwyse felowe why dost thou inclyne or sekest for so madde or vnstedfaste ioyes ye with so greatte rebuke or blame Lo beholde deth is euen at haÌ„de redy to turne these so foule short and leude lustes of the body in to euerlastyng paine and turment And thou that sekest to beare a rule to be in hygh auctorite and to raigne royally alofte what an vngratious desyre stereth the therto Loke seest thou nat that deth is at thy dore the whiche froÌ„ this hyghe astate wyll throwe the heedlynge to the grouÌ„de as it were a hurle wynde it wyll beare or carie away bothe the and all thyne Wherfore Radulphus Agricola dydde nat onelye ryghte counnyngely but also as verytably or trewlye endyte as foloweth Dethe ouerthro vveth and dystroyeth all thynge And all that is borne must nedes decay Onely vertue shall neuer haue endynge And good actes or dedes shall endure alvvay FOr what thyng elles remayneth at the extreme and most greuous poynte of our lyfe but onely vertue Than the membres languysshe and the colour of the blode and the lyfe to gether vanyshe away the visage dyeth with a deedly wanne colour the eies that a lyttell before were so quicke and lyuely of syght are than abscured with perpetual darkenes and fynally all the holle body cometh colde without any sensyblenes than the miserable soule on whome as one destitute lyeth all the weyght of the busynes shalbe drawen to that inexorable place of iugemeÌ„t to make a counte and gyue a rekenyng howe and in what maner it hath mynystred all thynges What I say shall than remayne of all thy worldly ryches honours and possessions the whiche to gette to gether thou dyddest consume all thy lyfe dayes On whom than wylte thou seke for succour and helpe O myserable wretche to whom wylt thou go Whether wylt thou flee To thy rychesse Helas they can nothynge helpe the and thoughe they coude yet are they than in other mens possession Wylte thou go to thy voluptuous pleasures These lyke as they be ioyned to the bodye so they dye to gether with the body Wylte thou flee to thy lusty and valyant yonge age Ah euery mans olde age is deeth to his youthe Wylte thou flee to thy comely shappe and beautye the whiche very late made the proude and entyced euerye bodye to loue the This thynge also lyke as a rose nypte or plucte from the stalke fadeth so to gether by dethe it wythereth all away Wytherethe away quod I nay I may saye hit fadeth away in to a grysely vglynes For neuer none loued so well the forme and shappe of a lyuynge creature as he abhorreth y e cors or carkis of one that is deed Wylt thou ronne to thy olde glory This thyÌ„ge also lyke as I haue sayd vanysheh away vtterly whaÌ„ thou dyest Finally to whom wylte thou cal and crye for helpe Wylte thou go to the felowshyp of thy frendes Helas some of them as soone as fortune leaueth the they go theyr way lyke as swalowes do whan sommer is goone and the other if any remayne styl thy frendes can nat come to helpe the. And what can it auayle or helpe the if thy myserable frendes wayle and knocke on theyr breastes if they scratche theyr visages if they wepynge at thy funerall wolde shedde all theyr blode turned into tearis or if for thy sake they wolde rounne mad or slee them selfe to beare the companye They may so hurte them selfe but they can nat delyuer the. Be wyse also and consyder thy state and condition betymes prepare and haue in a redines those thynges with whiche thou beinge fortified thou mayste carelesse or without drede abyde the laste day Thoughe ryches pleasure and noblenes were both certayne and ê“fitable whiche thynge is farre contrarie yet vndouted to one that dyeth they are a heuy burden But than vertue begynneth to be profytable And surely if these worldly thynges wolde neuer leue vs yet muste we nedes forgo them but vertue neuer forsaketh our coÌ„pany nor to helpe vs. That the Worlde is both miserable and scelerous The Seuenth chaptre THou clerely ê‘ceiuest good Ioyce howe false or disceiuable howe flittyng and howe pestilente the goodes of this worlde be if they of right may be called goodes nowe contrarye wyse I wyll declare to the in fewe wordes the ylles that come of them ParaueÌ„ture in tyme past it was no wonder though we were plucked and drawen with peine out of this worlde whan it flouryshed as it were in youth but nowe excepte we disceyue our selfe in what thynge may the worlde disceyue vs What euer and as many slaughters murthers ruins and distructions that chauÌ„ced or fell on mankynde in tyme past some at one tyme and some at a nother they assayle and enuade vs in our dayes all on a heape at ones as warres derthe scarsyte penury barrennesse and many a strange sickenes Yea what yuell or mischiefe is it that we haue nat seen iÌ„ our daies I am nowe .xxiiii. yeres olde and in al this season the warre neuer stynted Hit wolde seme that Sylla were come agayne with his partiall parte takyng or cedition And whiche so euer of the parties dothe ouercome wel I wotte the countrey is subdued and gyltlesse dothe suffre great affliction What miserable examples of penurie famyne haue we seen in so moche that many haue liued with beastes foode and many haue died for very hunger And as the worlde gothe nowe a man had nede to haue the riches of kyng Cresus whiche yet for all that he shal with great sparynge and nigardeshyp scantly finde his house holde And farther I put the case that thou thy selfe doste lyue welchyly yet euery thynge is so ful of calamite that to here the lamentations and to se the miseries wherin other creatures are wretchedlye wrappedde shall make the myserable More ouer the sedes of all myschyefes are so sprouted out that nowe in our dayes we passe and farre excede y e iron age wherof men sange a thousande yeres ago ¶ Of sturdy indurate iron the beste age framed vvas Than presed in all mischiefe the vvorlde rounde about vvhiche of a vvorse metall Nature dyd compasse For shamefastnes trouth vvith faythe vvere driuen out In vvhose stede came in an vngratious route Subtyste falshode mayntenance and disceyte Eche one to disceyue other that lye in a vvayte ¶ vvith couetous that caytyfe to catche that catche may By robery and extortion theyr lyues for to leade Eche one of other standynge in a fraye The father of his sonne standeth in feare drede One brother of an other can scantly truste to spede In Methamorphoseos ye may rede this vvarke In Iuuenall also that moche noble clarke ¶ Whiche sayth howe the vvorlde that we sine iÌ„ novve Is vvors than the iron vvorlde that men dyd so cal For nature coude neuer fynde the meanes yet hovve That any name of metall myght aptly
it were nat inconuenient to reherse nowe in fewe wordes the commodites of our lyfe whiche thynge to do it behoueth me to be brefe both bycause I haue spent moche tyme labour and paper in straytly dyscussyng of the yuels and calamites of this worlde and yet the greatnes therof requireth moche more thaÌ„ hath ben spoken for in maner no wordes or tyme of communication to discusse it coude suffise and eke bycause me thoughte thou beganst to waxe wery of my babblynge and also bycause those thyngis are more easily perceiued thaÌ„ declared Therfore I wolde rather y t thou shuldeste lerne them by experience than by my declarynge and rather to serche them out thy self thaÌ„ to be ê‘swaded Nowe swete Ioyce withdrawe the lyghtly froÌ„ the troublous busynes of this worlde and come to vs. And than at last thou shalt perceiue and se howe farre the false and disceyuable prosperite of the worlde doth differ froÌ„ very felicyte and howe farre our labours and trauayles do passe and excel thy delites I say thou shalte vnderstande and perceyue it lyke as one were waked out of his slepe the whiche all the while he slepeth supposynge that the imaginations and phantasies that appere to hym in his slepe be true he reioyceth he dredeth he exhalteth hym selfe and is moucd with a thousand affections But as soone as the slepe is goone he than perceyueth that he was deluded and mocked with imaginations yea and he hym selfe laugheth at his dremes So lyke wise whan thou shalte clerely ê‘ceyue and vnderstaÌ„de the felicite of our institution or lyfe O howe ofte than whan the dreames of thy former lyfe come to thy remembrance and beinge awaked out of that worldly slombre wylte thou saye A good lorde was I euer so farre besyde my selfe that any of these trifyls delyted me Haue suche phantasyes in tymes passed of false and vayne goodes so rauyshed my mynde wytte that no desyre of thynges that be good in dede coude entre in to me Therfore nowe good Ioice if thou be a slepe awake excepte thou haddest leauer be happy in dreamynge than happy in dede If thou nappe a littell open thyn eies and shake hit of lest the depe slepe steale vpon the. But in case that thou be awaked as I suppose thou art than lest the example of slepers orels the violence of slepe ê‘swade the therto hye the as faste as thou canst out of this lande of Babylon full of dreames shadowes and get y e apase to our Hierusalem Why lokest thou behynde the Why staggerest Why dost thou staye or stande any whyle Hit is alwaye hurtfull as Lucan sayth to differre or prolonge these thynges forthe that be redy prepared Go to breake of all delayes for it is nat a lyght or a triflynge busynesse that thou art in hande with the matter concerneth or toucheth thy soule the whiche is so worthy and so noble a thynge y t for the welthe therof thou oughtest nat only to leaue and forsake those thingis that thou louest mooste derely but also wyllyngly to take on the and suffre moost harde and greuous peyne and trauayle If an excellente and a perfecte counnynge phisytion wolde say to one that were sicke and vnlyke to escape dethe Suffre a lytell while and I wyll restore the to thy helthe agayne Tell me what rough handlyng peynfull touchynge greuous throwes wold he with ryghte good wyll endure He wolde suffre his lymmes to be torren and haled with boystous iron instrumentes to be launced cutte burned and a thousande other wayes paynefullye handled yea he wolde suffre some peynes that be more greuous than the very dethe to thende to escape dethe and a lyttell whyle prolonge his wretched lyfe O good lorde shulde any thynge seme greuoê° to y e to suffre that y u myghtest therby eschewe the dethe of thy soule yea deth euerlastynge If the chaunce stoode so that thou must nedes those one of these two conditions either to suffre thy body to be cleane extincted and vtterly distroyed y t thy soule myghte lyue euerlastyngly orels by dethe of thy soule to opteine lyfe of thy body I beleue thou woldest nat take longe aduisement except thou were more madder thaÌ„ any franticke maÌ„ but that thou woldest quickely chose rather the perpetuall lyfe of the soule than the very shorte lyfe of the body And therfore tell me good Ioyce wylt thou nat lyue both blessedly and perpetually Hit were great maruayle but thou woldest for what is he that wolde nat But thou wylt say By what meane may I opteyne to lyue alwaye blessedly Go to I pray the beholde what a great thyng with a lyttell labour thou mayst come by To opteyne this thynge thou nedest nat to flye in the ayre with Dedalus wynges nor to trauayle passe the daungerous sees nor to take on hande the peynefull labours of Hercules nor to leape in to the fyre nor no man wyll coÌ„strayne the that for this thynge thou shuldest hale teare thy lymmes nor slee thy selfe Fynally who wolde saye that the martyrs in olde tyme were peuishe the whiche on hope and truste of this felicite wolde nat denye or refuse any maner peynes or cruell turmeÌ„tes no nat the very dethe to be harde or greuous to them Take hede I pray the howe abundantly our benigne and lyberall lorde hath bestowed his gyftes vpon vs and againe how easye and lyght his commaundementes be He promised euerlastinge felicite to them that haue deserued deth What thing can be more benigne or bountifull than this promise ye and what is more sure and certeyne But nowe what dothe he commaunde the to do Forsothe nothynge but y t in the meane tyme thou shuldest dyligeÌ„tly prepare and make thy selfe redye to receyue so great and so excellent a gyfte Thou wylt aske me by what way this shulde be done No man can receiue the very felicite so long as he is possessed and holden in captyuyte and thraldome of false felycite Wylte thou lyue euerlastyngely Than loke that thou lyue well Wylt thou entre in to paradise Than loke that thou forsake this worlde for as it is most mischiefull so it is most troublous and peynefull Dost thou desyre and couet to be ioyned to god Than se that thou endeuoir the to be out of the dyuels snares Doste thou loue trewe rychesse Than throwe awaye from the the false If thou haue delyte in very honours leaue thy sekynge for the false What more Doest thou loue very trewe beatytude Loke than y t thou forsake these swete trauailes yea y e laborous swetenes of this worlde What thynge is more softer or esyer than these preceptes Who so euer kepethe them shall haue very felicite for his rewarde and the kepyng of goddes commaundementes is the begynnynge of felycytye As thoughe he commaunded thus Leaue to be wretched that ye may be welthye Leaue to be seruaÌ„tis that ye may enioy liberte O what a great dyfference is betwene goddes coÌ„mandementes and
the dyuels O howe contraryly they stryue and contende to gether For after the diuel hath caught vs on his hoke with a lyttell bayte of false delectation O good lorde into what horrour or vglynes into what filthynes and into what myseries dothe he caste vs And at length whan he hath deluded and mocked vs his fyl he strāgleth vs. God by very litel and short solicitudes and grefes the whiche we suffre nat through any faute of y e thynges but throughe our owne faute leadethe vs to ioy incredible and at length he gyueth vs the blisse of heuen The dyuels promotion is disceytefull his warfare is sower and his wages whiche as the scripture dothe witnes is deth is mooste sower of all Goddis obligation is faithfull and sure the longer that his warre endurethe the sweter and more plesant hit is and his wagis whiche is blessed immortalite is moost swetest of all The lyfe of them that folowe the diuell is wretched the deth more wretched after dethe a lyfe mooste wretched of all But to goddis seruantes the life is welthy the deth more welthy and after deth foloweth a lyfe moste welthy and blessed of all Who wolde nat mooste gladly yea and frely make warre vnder so easye so liberall a capitayne whiche puttethe vs to so swete labours If thou gyue but lyttell credence to my wordes harkē to hym exhortynge vs y t can nat disceyue for what leasynge can trouthe make Take my yocke vpon you and ye shal fynde rest for your soules for my yocke is swete and my burthen lyghte What ioye troweste thou after theyr victorie shall they haue triumphynge in heuen euerlastyngly with mooste highe renowmed pompe to whom the labour of the warfare here is so delectable Howe pleasante shall that happye libertie be if his yocke be swete to vs I wote well there be some that wyll take for a wōder these wordes that I haue saide but vndoubted they be of that same sorte whiche most lyke vnto brute beastis deme all felicite to reste and be in the taste of the mouthe and pleasure of the bealy Hit is harde to make suche to beleue that the labours wher vpō the lyfe of religious persons is employed be neyther greuous nor heuy or peynfull but rather pleasant iocunde But seinge suche felowes wyll nat beleue y e very trouthe I wolde they shulde serche and make a profe therof them selfe And on peyne of my lyfe they shall nat be disceyued so that they do theyr beste and assaye hit as they ought to do What if hit irke or greue them to make a profe Than truelye I wolde that they shulde gyue credence to those that haue proued religion For sothe I dare affyrme it with an othe that euery thynge in religion is full of pleasure Nothinge is more plentiful or abundant thā our pouerte nothȳge is more restfull than our labour or trauayle our abstinence and fastynge is ryght suffisant our narowe or strayte rowme is to vs large wyde and brode our watchyng is to vs more gladder than any slepe But I shulde swere this vpon a boke yet some wolde nat beleue me Yea they wolde deme me ioyning those so contrary thynges to gether no wyser than he that wolde go about to proue that the darkenesse is lyght and the light darkenes that the fire is colde and the water hotte But what shulde one saye to these beastlye creatures the whiche haue no reason nor they vnderstande no higher than the corporall sensis Well yet I wyll nat leaue them so They muste be allured and drawen with some argumēt very familiar and playne to their vnderstandynge that by those thynges the whiche vnto them be moost notable they maye coniecte what these thynges be of the whiche they haue but small knowlege Let vs trayne them in to the countrey or els if that be greuous vnto them let vs go nere home to the hauen and call to vs one of the mariners whiche we wyll and say Come hither good felowe is nat the labour and toylynge that thou haste a shypbourde very greuous peynefull to the No sayth he it is a pleasure Howe shulde that be For in this maner gettyng of thy lyuȳge semeth to be mo and greatter incōmodites than in any other Hit is treuthe saythe he But than on the tother syde there be many thynges that greately encorage and comforte me Fyrst what thyng is it that swete luker or wynnynge dothe nat make pleasaunte Nothynge is more plentifull or rycher than the see There be many alyue at this day whiche were very poore nowe by trauaylyng and turmoylynge on the see onely they be excedynglye riche Who can tell whether hit shall be my chaunce lyke wyse or no Farther the customance and continuall vse therof easeth a great parte of my grefe the whiche cōtinuall custome in thynges is without doute of so great effecte that nothynge is so greuous or paynfull to be done but that the ofte doynge therof maketh it eyther pleasante or at the leste lyght and easye And lastly there be certayne thynges the whiche do mitigate and make vs to forget the peyne of our labour and toylynge as syngynge talkynge propre sportis and a thousande other suche lyke thinges Ye haue harde this I thȳke playnelye inoughe Nowe if we shulde go from warkehouse to warkhouse I trowe euery man wolde answere and saye to vs the same or very lyke wordes What foloweth thā Truely if vncertaine hope for so small and vile luker maketh so greuous labour and toylyng pleasant to these labourers workemen Why shulde nat y e most certayne and sure abydynge for euerlasting felicite cause and worke the same in vs If contynuall vse and customance be of so greate effecte and may do so moche amonge them for what cause shulde hit nat do lyke wyse in religion If they haue wayes with the whiche they alleuiate and ease theyr incommodites and grefes no doubte we haue many mo and better to mitigate our tribulations and peynes Howe that farre greatter liberte is in religion than in the worlde The .ix. Chaptre BRefely to speke these .iii. thynges be in religion Libertie Tranquillite pleasure Of Libertie wherof I wyll fyrste entreate all we be moost desyrous euery man aborreth seruage and thraldome in so moche that many haue kilde them selfe for very hate therof whiche estemed lybertye better than lyfe and deth better thā seruage wherfore if folkes delite so moche in libertie that to bye false libertie cost them so derelye howe gladly oughte they to enbrace and desyre the institution of our lyfe as it wherin is perfecte and trewe libertie But here some ignorant felowe wyll say to me If libertie after Ciceros diffinition be to lyue as y u wylte thy selfe I can nat se howe you religious men shulde haue any libertie at al for ye lyke byrdes shutte in a cage dare aduenture to do nothinge neither to eate nor speke to slepe nor wake to