he is xxiiii yeres olde ¶ then commeth maye that is bothe fayre and pleasaunte for then byrdes syngeth in woodes end forestes nyghte and daye the sonne shyneth hotte and as then is man moste ioyfull and pleasant and of delyuer strengthe and seketh playes sportes and lusty pastyme for then is he full xxx yere ¶ then commeth iune and then is the sonne hyest in his meridiornall he may ascende no hyer in his stacion his glemeringe golden beames ripeth the corne and when man is xxxvi yere he may ascend no more for then hath nature gyuen hym beauty and strengthe at the full and rypeth the sedes of parfyte vnderstandynge ¶ then commeth iuly that our fruytes byn set a sonninge and our corne a hardenynge but then the sonne begynnethe a lyttle for to dyscende downewardeâ— so man then goth fro youth towarde age beginneth for to aquaynt him with sadnes for then he is xlii yere ¶ after that then commeth august then we gather in our corne and also the fruytes of the earth and then doth man his diligence to gather for to fynde hym selfe withall in the tyme that he may nother gette nor wyn and theÌ„ after that vi yeares is he .xlviii. yere olde ¶ then commeth septembre that wynes be made and the fruites of trees be gathered and then therewithall he doth freshly begynne to garnyshe his house and make prouysion of nedefull thinges for to lyue in wynter whiche draweth very nere and then is man in his most ioyfull and couragious estate prosperous in wysedome purposynge to gather and kepe as muche as shulde be sufficient for him in his olde age when he maye gather no more and these vi yeares maketh him liiii yeares ¶ and then commeth octobre that all is into the forsayde house gathered but corne and also other maner fruytes and also the labourers soweth newe sedes in the earth for the yere to come and then he that soweth nought shal nought gather and then in there other vi yeres a man shal take him selfe vnto god for to do penaunce and good workes and then the benefytes the yere after his death he may gather and haue spiritual profyte and then is man ful in the terme of lx yeres ¶ then commeth nouembre that the dayes be very shorte and the sonne in maner geueth lyttle heate and the trees leseth theyr leues the fieldes that were grene loke hore and gray then al maner of herbes be hid in the ground and then appereth no floures and then winter is come that the man hath vnâ—derstandinge of age and hath lost his kyndely heate and strength his teeche begynne to rotte and also to chattre and then hath ho no more hope of longe lyfe but desyreth to come to the lyfe euerlasting and these .vi. for this mouth maketh him .lxvi. yeres ¶ then commeth decembre ful of colde with frost and snowe with greate wyndes and stormy wethere that a man may not laboure nor nought do the sonne is theÌ„ at the lowest that it may desceÌ„de theÌ„ the trees the earth is hiâ— in snowe theÌ„ it is good to holde them ny the fyreâ— to spende the goodes that they gathered in sommer for then beginneth maÌ„s heare to waxe whyte and gray and his body croked feble then he leseth his perfyte vnderstanding and that vi yeares maketh hym full lxxii yeres and if he lyue any more it is by his good gydynge and dyetynge in his youth howe be if it is possyble that a man may lyue tyl he be an hundred yere of age but there is but fewe that commeth thereto ¶ wherfore i sheparde sayde moreouer that of lyuynge or dyinge the heauenly bodyes may sâ—ere a man bothe to good and euyll without doute of assuceâ—ie but yet may man withstande it by his one freewyll to do what he will him selfe good or bad euermore aboue the which inclinacyon is the myghte and wyll of god that longeth the lyfe of man by his goodnesse or to take it shorte by his iustice ¶ wherfore we wyll shewe you of the bodyes celestyall and of theyr nature and mouynges and this present booke is named the composte for it comprehendeth fully all the compost and more for the dayes houres and momentes and the newe moones and the clippes of the sunne and the moone and of the sygnes that the moone is in euery day and this booke was made for them that be no clerkes to bring them to great vnderstandinge ¶ and this kaleâ—der is deuyded in v. partes ¶ the fyrst of our sygnes of the compost and the kalender ¶ the seconde is the tree of vyces with the peynes of hell ¶ the thyrde is the waye of health of man the tree of vertues ¶ the fourth is physycke and gouernaunce of health ¶ the fyfte is astrologye and physnomy for to vnderstande many disceauynges and which they be by lykelyhod the whyche by nature are inclyned and can do them as ye shall rede or ye come to the ende ¶ for to haue the shepardes vnderstandinge of theyr kalender ye shoulde vnderstande that the yere is the measure of the time that the sonne passeth the xii sygnes retournynge to hys fyrste poynte and is deuyded in the xii monethes ¶ as ianyuere feueryere marche and so forth to december ¶ so the sonne in these xii monethes passeth by xii sygnes one tyme. ¶ the dayes of hys entrynge into the sygnes in the kalender and the dayes also when he parteth the yere as the xii monethes into lii wekes ccc.lxv dayes and when by sext is it is three score and vi one day and xxiiii houres euery houre lx mynnets after these deuysyons ye muste vnderstand for euery yere thre thinges ¶ the fyrst speaketh of golden nombre ¶ the seconde of the letter domynicall and the chyrde is the letter tabuler in the whiche lyeth all the chiefe knoweledge of this kalender for the which letter and nomber to vnderstand al that they wolde whether it be past or to come ye shall put three fygures after the kalender of the whiche the fyrste shall shewe the valure and declaracyon of the two other and it is to be vnderstand that in foure yeares there is one by â—exte the whych hath one daye more then other and also hathe two letters dominicals sygned in one of the forsayde fygures and chaungeth the late day of saynt mathewe the which is vygyl and is put with the day vpoÌ„ on letter by hym selfe ¶ also the letters feryals of thys kalender is to be vnderstande as they 〈◊〉 the other kalenders before the which are the nombres and the other three oâ—â—ter the letters ferials fyrst for bycause the letters dyscendeth lowe is thâ— golden nombre aboue the daye of the newe moone and the which to be thâ— houre momentes of the sayde moneth whiche when they are in seruice bâ—â—fore noone of the day aboue there and when they are blacke seruyce for afteâ—â—noone of the same daye in the places of the nombre betokenethe that nombâ—â—
nec ero post tempore pauco milia nunc putrium quorum iam multa voluptas perdita fama silet anima anxia forsitan ardet the mortall man liuing in this world is well compared to a ship on the sea or on a perilous riuer bearing rich marchandise which if it come to the porte where the marchant desireth he shall be happy and rich the ship as sone as it is entred into the sea vnto the ende of her viage nighte and day is in perill to be drowned or taken with enemies for in the sea be perilles without number such is the body of man liuing in the world the marchandise that he beareth is his soule his vertues and good workes the port or hauen is death and paradise for the good to the which who that goeth thither is soueraignely rich the sea is the world full of linnes for who that assayeth for to passe it is in perill to leese body and soule and all his goodes and to be drowned in the sea of hell from the which god kepe vs amen here foloweth the fielde of vertues cap. xiiii in walkinge farthermore in the fielde of vertues and in the way of health for to come to the towre of sapience necessarily behoueth to loue god for without the loue of god none may be saued and who that will loue him ought first to know him for of his knoweledge one cometh to his loue that is charitie the soueraigne of all vertues they knowledge god loue him that kepe his cōmaundements they misknow him that do not so to whom in the great necessitie of their disceassing at the day of iudgement shal misknow them say to them i know ye not nor wote not what ye be go ye cursed out of my cōpany knowledge wethen god and loue him and if we will do thus know we first our selfe and by the knowledge of our selfe we shall come to the knowledge loue of god and the more that we know our selfe the better we shall knowe god if we be ignorant of our self we shal haue no knowledge of god to this purpose we must note one thing and know .vii. the thing that we must note is this who that knoweth himselfe knoweth god shal not be dampned who that knoweth hym not knoweth not god and shall not be saued vnderstande of them that hath wit and discretion with lawfull age of the which knowledge none is excused after he hath sinned deadly for to say that he was ignoraunt by this appereth the ignorance of him selfe and of god right perillous deadly synne is beginninge of all euill and contrarily knowledge of god and of him selfe is soueraigne science and vertue beginning of all goodnes the seuen thinges that we ought to haue ben the .xii. articles of the fayth that we ought to beleue stedfastly also the petitions conteyned in the pater noster by the which we demaunde all things necessary for our health that we ought to hope in him also the commaundementes of the lawe and of the holy church whych ensygneth vs what we should do and what we should not do and all things belonginge to the same also if we be in the grace of our lorde or not and howe be if that we may not knowe it certainely neuerthelesse we maye haue some coniectures whiche be good to knowe and knoweledge of god also knoweledge of him selfe by the whiche thinges we may come to the true loue and charitie of god to accomplyshe hys commaundementes and meryte in the realme of heauen wherein we shall lyue perdurably of the three fyrste is ynoughe sayde that is to knowe the .xii. artycles of the fayth in the whyche lyeth our fayth and beliefe and the thinges that we oughte to demaunde of god be conteyued in the pater noster wherein our hope lyeth also the tenne commaundementes of the lawe and of holye churche where as charitie is shewed in suche as kepe them by probacyon of the loue of godde and do his commaundements and good workes nowe will we speake of the other .iiii. and firste of the vocation in the whiche we be whiche is the fourthe thynge that eche man ought to knowe eche man ought to knowe hys vocation and the thynges belongynge to the same be iuste and honest for his health and rest of hys conscyence a good shepeherde ought to know the arte of shepe kepynge and to gouerne shepe and leade them into pastures and to heale them when they be sycke and shere them in season to the entent that throughe his defaute no dammage come to hys master in likewise he that laboureth the corne to knowe what grounde were good for euery manner of grayne and ought to tyll the earth and when time is to sowe weede repe and threshe so that hys mayster may haue no dammage by hym semblably a surgyon ought to knowe howe to comforte and heale such folkes that he hath charge of wythoute bydinge of hys arte or surgery consequently a marchaunte ought to knowe the vtteraunce of hys marchaundyse to other with no more fraude then he would hym selfe shoulde haue also an aduocate or a proctour ought to knowe the ryghtes and customes of places that by their faulte iustyce be not peruerted a iudge also oughte to knowe bothe the partyes heard who hath right and who hath wrong and iudge egally after true iustyce also a prieste or a relygious man oughte to knowe theyr orders and keepe them and aboue all thynge oughte to knowe that lawe of god and teach them vnto the ignoraunt and thus of all other vocations for all them that knowe not their vocation be not worthy to be and lyue in perill of their sowles for theyr ignoraunce the fyfth that all men ought to knowe is it he haue discretion and vnderstandinge to knowe if he be in the grace of god or not and howe be it righte difficile for god onely knoweth it neuerthelesse we may haue coniectures that sheweth it and sufficient for shepherdes and lay people to know if they be in the loue of the lord and if they haue coniecture to be in it therfore there ought none to repute thēselues iust but ought t◠humble them selues and aske him mercy that maketh sinners become iuste and none other principally we ought to know this scyence when we wyll receaue the body of iesu christe for who that receiueth his grace and goodnes receaueth his saluation and who that receaueth him otherwyse receaueth euerlastinge dampnation of the whyche thinge euerye man is iudge in hym selfe of his owne conscyence and none other the coniectures whereby we may knowe if that we be in the grace of god or not the fyrste coniecture is when we do trauel for to clense our conscience of our soules by penance as much as if we laboured to get some great good that we be not culpable of any deadly sinne done or in will to do nor in any sentence then it is good coniecturinge to be in the
grace of god the seconde coniecture that sheweth in lykewyse to be in the grace of god is when we be more prompt and ready to good obseruinge and keeping the commaundementes of godde and doe all good workes that we shoulde haue accustomed the third coniecture is when we heare gladly the worde of god as sermons and good counsaylers for our saluation the fourth when we be sory and contrite at our hart to haue commysed and done any sinne the fifth is when with good purpose and wyll of our selues we perseuer to kepe vs from sinne in tyme to come these coniectures be they wherby shepherds and lay people know if they be in his grace or not as muche as in them is possible to knowe the .vi. thinge that euery man ought to knowe is god for all men ought to knowe god for to accomplyshe his wil and commaundement by the which he would be loued with all thy harte with all thy soule and wyth all the force that we haue whyche we may not do if we knowe hym not then who that would loue godde ought to knowe him and the more that they know him the more they loue him wherfore hereafter shall be sayde howe shepherds and simple people doth knowe hym shepherdes and simple people for to haue knowledge of god of theyr possibilitie consyderinge three thinges the firste is that they consyder the ryght great ryches of god his puissaunce his soueraygne dignitie hys soueraygne noblesse his soueraygne ioy and blysse the seconde is for they consyder the right noble ryght greâ—t and marueylous operations and workes of our lord god and the thirde consideration is for they consider the innumerable benefites that they haue receued of god and that continually euery day they receaue of him and by these considerations they come to his cognysance and knowledge fyrst to know god shepherdes and lay people consydereth his great riches plenteous habundaunce of the goodnes that he hath for all the treasures and rychesse of heauen and of the earth be his and all goodnesse he hath made of the which he is fountayne creatour and mayster and distributeth them largely vnto euery creature and he hath no neede of any other wherefore it behoueth to say that he is right rich secondly he is right puissaunt for by his greate puissaunce he hath made heauen earth and the sea with all thinges conteyning vnto them and might vndo them if that it were his will vnto the which puissaunce all other be subiect and trembleth before him for his great excellency and who that woulde consider euery worke of god should finde inough to maruell on by the firste of these considerations god is knowen to be right rich by giftes that he geueth to his friendes and by the seconde he is knowen right puissaunt for to venge him on his enemies thirdly he is soueraignely worthy for all the thinges of heauen and of earth oweth him honoure and reuerence as to their creatour and hym that made them as we se children honour father and mother of whom they be discended by a generation and all thinges be discended of god by a creation to whome ought to be giuen great reuerence and he is so worthy fourthly he is soueraignely noble for who that is soueraignely rich puissaunt and worthy him behoueth to be soueraignely noble but none other but god hath riches puissaunce and dignitie as he hath wherefore of such nobles ought to be sayde that he is righte noble fifthly he hath soueraigne ioye for he that is riche puissaunte worthy and right noble is not withoute soueraigne ioye and this ioye is full of all goodnes and ought to be our felicitie to the which we hope to come that is to knowe and see god in his soueraigne ioy and gladnes for to haue with him eternal ioy that euer shal dure and this is the first consideration of god that shepherdes and other simple people ought to haue secondly for to know god considering his great noblesse and maruelous workes the bountie and the beauty of the things that he hath made for it is commonly sayd one may know the workman by his worke knowledge we then the worke of god and knowledge we that his beautie and bountie shineth in the operations that he hath made which if they be fayre and good the workman that hath made them must nedes be faire and good without comparison more then any thinge that he hath made be it considered of the heauens and the thinges therein set what noble and marueylous worke howe may one consider their excellence and bountie be it considered also as we may of the earth the right noble and marueylous workes of god the golde the siluer and all maner of metalles and precious stones in it the fruites that it beareth the trees the beastes that it susteyneth and of the bountie that it norisheth be it in likewise considered of the sea the riuers and the fishe nourished in them the wether the elementes the ayre the windes and the birdes that flyeth in them and all the vsage and seruyce of man and consider the workeman that of his puissaunce hath all made and by his sapience hath righte well ordered his workes and gouerneth them by his great bountie and by this maner we may knowe god as shepeherdes and simple folkes in consideringe his workes thirdely for to knowe god consider the great benefites that we receaue daily of him whiche may not be numbred for their greate multitude nor spoken of for their noblenesse and dignitie al be it in their hartes be vi principally noted for the which an other shepeherde geniuge praysing to god sayde in this maner lorde god i knowe that thou haste endued me with thy infinite benefites by thy great bountie first the benefite of my creation by the whiche thou made me a reasonable man vnto thy image and similytude geuynge me body and soule and rayment for to clothe me lorde thou haste geuen me my wittes of nature vnderstandinge for to gouerne my lyfe my healthâ— my beauty my strength and my scyence for to get my lyuynge honestly i yelde to thee graces and greate thankes secondely lorde i knowe the goodnes of my redemption how by thy misericordious pitie thou bought me dearely by the affection of thy moste precious bloude peynes and torments that for me thou hast suffered and finally endured death thou hast geuen me thy bodye thy soule and thy lyfe for to kepe me from dampnation wherefore humbly i yelde to thee graces and great thankes thirdely lorde i know the goodnes of my vocation how of thy great grace thou hast called me againe for to enheryte thy eternall benediction and also thou haste geuen vnto me fayth and knowledge of thine owne selfe as baptisme and all the other sacramentes that none entendement may comprise their noblesse and dignitie and that so many times hath pardoned me of my sinnes lorde i knowe that this is to me a singuler gifte that thou hast not
an other peace is tranquillitye and reste well ordeyned of the courages of them that be concording vnto god pittie is affection and desyre to succoure and helpe eche one and commeth of swetenesse and grace of beninge thought and courage that one hath swetenesse is by the whych tranquilitie and reste of courage of hym that is sweete and honest by none improbyte ne by any poynte of dishonestie mercy is a pitifull vertue and equall dignation to all with inclination of compacient courage in them that susteyne affliction indulgence is remission of the euyll doinge of other by the consideration of him selfe that he hath offended dyuers to haue remyssion of god for the offences that he hath done compassion is a vertue the whych engendreth an affection or condolent courage for the doloure and affliction that he seeth in hys neyghboure benignitie is an aâ—daunt regarde of courage and dyligence from one friende to an other wyth a resplendyshinge doulsure and swetenesse of good maners that one hath concorde is a vertue that commeth of conuenaunce of courages concorded and alyed in right undefyled in such wyse that they abyde vnied and conioyned stedfastly without duplicitie or vnstablenesse of thoughte or courage of fayth fayth is a vertue by the true knowledge of vysible thinges hauing his thought eleuate in holy studyinge for to come to the beliefe of thinges that we see not and these byn the braunches relygion clennesse obedience chastitie continence uirginitie and affection relygion is by the whych ben exercised and done the diuine seruyces to god and vnto hys sayntes with great reuerence and greate dilygence the which seruices ben done ceremonely and swetely clennesse or virginitie is integrate well and purely kept as well in body as in soule for the regarde that a man hath of the loue or feare of god obedyence is a voluntary and free adnegation and renounsing of his owne wil by pitiful deuotion chastitie is clenlynesse and the honeste habitude of all the body by ardaunte heate and furiositie of vyces so domaged and holden subiectes continence is by the which the impituoâ—itie of carnall desires ben refrayned and wytholden by a moderation of counsell taken of him selfe or of other affection is effusion of pitifull loue to his neighbour comminge of a reioysinge conceaued of good fayth in them that they loue liberalitie is a vertue by the which the lyberall courage is not kept by any maner of couetise for doinge plenteous largition of his goodes without excesse but moderately to them that haue nede of hope hope is a mouynge of courage abyding stedfastly to take and haue the thynges that a man appetyteth and desyreth of the whych the braunches byn contemplacion ioye honestie confession pacience compunction and longanimitie contemplacion is the death and destruction of carnall affections by an interiour reioysinge of thought eleuate to compryse hye thinges ioye is iocunditie spirituall commyng of the contemptinent of the thynges presente and worldly honestie is a shame by the whych a man yeldeth himself humble toward euery man of the which commeth a laudable profit with faire custome and honesty confession is by the which the secrete sicknesse of the soule is reuelate and shewed vnto the confessor to the praysing of god with hope to haue mercy pacience is will and inseperable sufferance of aduersary and contrary thinges for hope of eternall glory that we desire to haue compunction is a dolour of great value sighing for feare of the compunction diuine or for loue of the payment that we abide longanimitie is infatigable will to accomplish the holy and iust desires that a man hath in his thought of prudence prudence is diligent keping of himselfe with dyscreate prouidence to knowe and dyscerne which is good and whych is bad and the braunches are these feare of god counsell memory intellygence prouidence and deliberation feare of god is a diligent keepinge that wakeneth on a man by fayth and good manners of the diuine commaundementes counsell is a subtyll regarde of thoughtes that the causes of such thinges that a man wold do or that a man hath in gouernaunce be well examyned and broughte about memorye is a representacyon imaginatyse by regarde of the thought of thynges pretermes and passed that a man hath seene and done or heard recounted and tolde intelligence is for to dyspose by viuacitie reasonable or euidently the state of the tyme present or of the thinges that byn nowe prouydence is by the whych a man gathereth in hym the aduenement of the thinges to come by prudente subtilitie and regarde of the thinges passed delyberation is a consyderation replenyshed of maturitie and esperaunce tofore the beginning of such thinges as one hath delybered and purposed to do or make of attemperance attemperaunce is a stedfast and a dyscrete domynation of reason agaynst the impytious mouinges of the courage in things illycitie and vnlawefull and these be hys braunches discretion moralitie taciturnitie fasting sobernesse affliction and dispraysing of the world dyscretion is a reason prouyded and assured and moderate of the humayne mouinges to iudge and dyscerue the cause of all thynges moralytye is to be tempered and ruled iustly and sweetely by the maners of them wyth whome they be conuersaunt kepynge alwayes the vertue of nature taciturnitie is to attempre hym selfe of inutyle and dyshonest wordes of the whych vertue commeth a frutefull teste vnto hym that so hym selfe modereth fasting is a vertue of dyscrete abstinence the whych a man kepeth ordeyned to wake and kepe the sanctifyed thynges interiores sobernesse is a vertue pure and immaculate attemperaunce of the one partie and of the other of man that is of the body and soule affliction of body is it by the which the seedes of the wanton and wilfull thoughtes by discrete chastisings be oppressed dispraysinge of the worlde is amorous loue that a man or a woman hath to the spirituall thinges commyng and hauyng no regarde to the caduke thinges and transytories of this world of iustyce iustyce is a vertue wherby grace of communitie is vpholden and the dignity of euery person is obserued and their owne yelded and the branches be these lawe streightnesse equitie correction obseruaunce iudgement and ueritie law is by the which all lawfull thinges be commaunded to be done to defende all thing that ought not to be done streightnes is by the which iuridike veÌ„gance is prohibyte and streightly is exercised iustyce to the transgressours that haue offended equity is a right worthy retribution of merite to the balance of iustyce right wisely and iustly thought correction is for to inhibyte and defende by the brydle of reason all errours if any be accustomed for to do any euyll obseruaunce of swearinge is a iustyce to constrayne any noysyble transgression of lawe or customes prouuâ—gued to the people iudgement is by the which after the merites or demerytes of any persons hearde is that he haue tourment or suffer death for his euill doinge or guerdon and rewarde for his