¶ Of the synne perylle that is in rebellyon capo. lviij EVyl thynge is it of murmure but moche more euyl is it of rebellyon Rebellyon is a vyce that cometh fro the hert whiche is harde froward dyuers alwaye wyl that his wylle be doon his sentence holden he that wyl that other humble and bowe to hym he wyl not bowe ne enclyne to no man This is an herte dyuers of which salamon sayth that he may not faylle of an euyl ende lyke as murmure is ayenst god ayenst man Ryght soo is suche an hert rebelle ayenst god man This vyce hath iiij braunches for suche an herte is froward rebelle to byleue counseyl taccomplysshe and do the comandements of god to suffre chastysyng and to receyue doctryne Of this vyce thou hast herde in the chappytre of pryde ¶ Of the synne of blasphemye capo. lix BLasphemye is as sayth Saynt austyn as moche as it groweth cÌ„ Seche al the condycions in the chappytre of pryde tofore wryton in the rubyche of arrogaunce in the ende Now we haue shewed x maners of synne of the tongue of whiche the fyrst is ydle wordes the last is blasphemye And this is that Salamon sayth that the begynnyng of the euyl tongue is folye the ende shal be ouer euyl here fynysshe theÌ„ne the dedely synnes al the braunches that descende of them and knowe ye for trouthe that who shold wel studye in thys book he myght wel prouffyte lerne to knowe al maner of synnes to confesse hym self wel for none may confesse his synnes wel yf he ne knowe hem not Now thou oughtest to knowe that he that redeth in this book ought to thynke and take hede dylygently yf he be culpable of ony of these synnes aforesayd And yf he fynde hym culpable of ony he ought to repente hym and anone to confesse hym dylygently to kepe hym to hys power fro other synnes in whyche he is not culpable and also he ought to preyse thanke god humbly and to praye hym deuoutelye that he wyl kepe hym by his swete grace ¶ How this lyf nys but deth as hit appereth capo. lx GReuously dyeth he that hath not lerned to deye lerne theÌ„ne to dye yf thou shal conne lyue for no man shalle can lyue that hath not lerned to dye he is by ryzt callyd a caytyf that can not lyue ne that knoweth not to dye yf thou wylt lyue frely surelye lerne to deye wyselye yf thou saye how shal it be lerned I shal now telle to the Thou oughtest to knowe that this lyfnys but deth For deth is a departyng thys knoweth euery man And therfore it is sayd of a man whan he dyeth that he departeth and whan he is deed he is departed· This lyfnys noo thynge but a departyng ye truly a moche shorte departyng For al the lyf of a man yf he lyued a thousand yere is not onelye a momeÌ„t to the regarde of that other lyf which alwaye dureth In torment or in ioye ê‘durable This wytnesseth to vs The kynges The dukes The erles The prynces and the Emperours whiche had somtyme the glorye of thys world ¶ Now wepe they in helle Crye and howle cratchen and sayen alas what auaylled vs our power honour noblesse Ioye beaultees and al rychessys Sone is al thys departed faylled as a shadowe or smoke moche faster fledde fro vs than byrdes fleyng or quarelles oute of a crosse bowe Thus departeth aweye our lyf Now we were and anone we ben deed and alle our lyf was not a lytel moment Now be we in perdurable tormentes Our Ioye in wepyng Our carolles feestes in sorowe Roobes hoodes feestes dygnytees games Rychessys al welthes ben faylled vs. Suche been the songes of helle lyke as holy wrytte recounteth For to shewe to vs that this lyf is no thynge but a departyng and thys dethe is no thynge but a departyng to lyue is no thynge but to departe Thenne the lyuyng in this world is noo thynge but for to deye and this is trewe as the pater noster For whan thou beganst to lyue anone thou beganst to deye to approche the deth and al thyn age alle thy tyme whiche is passed the deth hath conquerd reteyned Thou saeyst that thou hast xl yere that is not trouthe the deth hath them Ne neuer shal he yelde them to the ageyn Therfore the wytte of the world is folye And certayn the clerkys seyng seen noo thynge at al. day and uyght they done one thynge and the more they do the lasse they knowe alwaye they deyen can not deye· for nyght and day thou deyest as I haue sayd to the. Yet in another maner I shal teche the this clergye to th ende that thou know wel to lyue wel to deye Now take hede vnderstonde the deth is no thynge but the deceueryng of body and soule this knoweth wel euery man vnderstondeth Now techeth vs Cathon the wyse man lerne sayth he to deye To departe and deceuere oft thy soule thy spyryte fro thy body lyke as dyd many of the grete phylosophres that so moche hated this lyf despysed the world so moche desyred to deye that they slewe them self by theyr owne agrement but it auaylled them no thynge For they had not the grace ne the faythe of our lord Ihesu Cryst But the holy men whiche loue god and drede hym of thre dethes haue they passed the tweyne For they ben deed as touchyng synnes and deed as touchyng the world Now abyde they the last deth that is the thyrd that is the deceueraunce of soule and body Bytwene them heuen is but a lytel walle for they passe it by thought and by desyre And though the body is in this world on this syde the herte the spyryte is on that other syde in that other world there where theyr conuersacion is in heuen lyke as sayth saynt poule Theyr solace theyr Iâ—ye theyr consolacion is by thought on the ferther syde in heuen where theyr conuersacion is lyke as sayth saynt Poule And therfore they hate theyr lyf whyche is but deth desyre the bodely deth For this damoysel bereth Ioye that is the deth whiche crowneth al the sayntes sette them in ioye perdurable Deth is to a good man ende of al his euyllys and yate and entre of al goodes Deth is the ryuer that departeth deth and lyf Deth is on this syde lyf and on that other syde also But the wyse men of this world whiche ben on thys syde of the ryuer of this world seen soo clere and on that other syde they see noo thynge and therfore been they callyd in scrypture fooles and blynde For thys dethe they calle departyng And the deth that is comune to good they callen the ende And therfore they hate soo moche the deth For they knowe not what it is ne on that other syde of the
hert whiche he Iustyceth holdeth them in good pees and dooth his wylle For his herte is so ioyned to the wylle of god so that of al that that god doeth he thanketh hym and it playseth hym wel And thys is the seygnorye that vertu gyueth to hym that hath it Of thys speketh seneke sayth as grete honour gyueth god to the whan thou art lord emperour of thy self more thā a kyng ha lord god how many kynges emperours other grete lordes haue ben in the world also barons that haue citees castellis royames that haue not this seygnorye For they be not lordes of theyr hertes By cause that it tormenteth ofte by wrath or by maletalente or by couetyse or by desyre that they may not accomplysshe ¶ Here is spoken of veray fraunchyse capo. lxxj AFter thys I say that there is none that hath veray fraūchyse yf he haue not grace and vertue Thenne yf thou wylte knowe what is veray fraūchyse of a man and of a woman by right Thou oughtest to vnderstonde that a man hath iij maner of fraunchyses One of nature another of grace and the thyrd of glorye The fyrst is free wylle by whiche a man may chese and do frely good or euyl This fraunchyse holdeth euery man of god so frely that no man may do it wronge ne alle the deuylles of helle may not enforce a man ayenste hys wylle to do a synne wythout his accorde and consentemente For yf a man dyd euyl ayenst his wylle· he shold haue therof no synne for as moche as he in no wyse myght eschewe it lyke as sayth saynt austyn This fredom and fraunchyse hath euery man But this fredom is not in chyldren ne in wood men ne in fooles by cause they haue not the vsage of reason by whiche they can chese the good from the euyl A man putteth awaye from hym thys fraunchyse in grete partye whan he synneth dedelye For he selleth hym self vnto the deuyll for the delyte of hys synne And yeldeth hym selfe vnto hym and bycometh his seruaunt by synne so that he may not caste hym self out ne put hym fro his wylle for he hath deserued the deth of helle yf the grace of god helpe hym not The second fraunchyse is suche that the wyse man hath in this world whome god hath fraūchysed by grace by vertues from the seruyce of the deuyl fro synne that they be not bonde to golde ne to syluer ne to temporalle goodes of this world ne to theyr bodyes whyche is caroyn ne to the goodes of fortune whyche the deth may sone take awaye but they haue theyr hertes lyfte vp gyuen to god so that they preyse no thyng the goodes of the world ne the honours ne the vanytees ne kyng ne duc ne meschaunce ne pouerte ne shame ne deth For they been now deed to the world haue the hert so deceueryd taken awaye fro the loue of the world that they desyre the deth lyke as the werkman his payment of his Iourney or dayes labour and the labourer his hyre also lyke as they that ben in the tormēt and in the fortune of the see desyre to come to port salue And lyke as the prysonner desyreth good delyueraunce and as the pylgrym desyreth to come ageyn in to hys contreye And yf they be parfytelye free in thys world lyke as a creature may be thenne fere they ne doubte they no thynge but god and been in greet pees of herte For they haue thenne theyr herte in god and been in heuen by desyre And thys fraunchyse cometh of grace and of vertue But yet al this fraunchyse nys but seruytude to the regarde of the thyrd fraunchyse that they haue that been in glorye They be verayly free For they be verayly delyuerd fro alle perylles and fro alle tormentes fro fere of deth and of deth fro the grynnes empesshemēs of the world fro myserye fro pouerte and fro al payne of herte and of body wythoute retornyng Of the whiche thynge there is none free in thys world how parfyte that he be ¶ Of veray noblesse capo. lxxij WHo that shal haue the second fraunchyse of whyche I haue spoken shal come to grete noblesse The veray noblesse cometh of gentyl hert Certeyn none hert is gentyl but yf he loue god There is no noblesse but to serue and loue god and to kepe hym fro al synnes and from the seruage of the de +uyl Ne there is no vylanye but to angre god by synne Ther is no man by ryght gentyl ne noble of the gentylnesse of hys body For as touchyng the body we ben al sonnes of one moder That is of the erthe and of fylthe of whyche we al haue taken flesshe and blood Of this parte there is none gentyl ne free But our swete fader Ihesu Cryst whiche is kyng of heuen that fourmed the body of the erthe and created the soule to his ymage and semblaūce and al in lyke wyse as it is of the carnal fader that is moche glad and ioyous whan hys sone resembleth hym Ryght so is it of our fader Ihesu Cryst For by the holy scrypture by hys messagers he techeth vs. that we shold payne our self to resemble hym And therfore he sent to vs hys blessyd sone Ihesu Cryst in to therthe for to brynge and gyue to vs the veray exemplayre by whyche we may be reformed to hys ymage and semblaunce lyke as they that dwelle in the hye cytee of heuen That been the angellys and the sayntes of heuen where eueryche is of so moche more hye and more noble As more proprely he bereth thys fayre ymage And therfore the holy men in thys world payne them self to knowe god and to loue hym wyth alle theyr hert and purge them clense and kepe them from alle synnes For of so moche as the herte of a creature is more pure more clene wythout synne of so moche he seeth more clerely more euydently the precious face of Ihesu cryst of soo moche he loueth more ardauntly of so moche he resembleth more proprelye And by that he hath the more gretter glorye And thys is the veray noblesse that god hath gyuen vs ¶ And therfore sayth ryght wel Saynt Iohan the appostle and euangelyst that thenne we shal be the sōnes of god and we shal resemble hym proprely whā we shal see hym euydently lyke as he is This shal be in his glorye whan we shal be in heuen For no man seeth so dyscouerd ne so clerely the beaute of god lyke as sayth saynt poule But thenne we shal see hym face to face proprely and clerely whan we shal be in glorye in his Ioyous companye ¶ The veray noblesse of a man thenne begynneth by grace and by vertues and that is parfyght glorye This noblesse maketh the holy ghoost in the hertes that he purgeth and culumyneth in trouthe and in parfyte charyte These been the grettest
the veray humble whiche hateth not but for to playse the world and desyreth noo thynge but to plese god After the very humble is ryght vygorous ryght swyfte and open whan he bereth the vertu of obedyence and the loue of god and doth it to his prelate But whan his owne wylle bereth hym and ledeth Thenne he is heuy and slowe to do wel· lyke vnto the sterre named saturnus whyche renneth as moche in one day wyth the fyrmament whan the fyrmament ledeth hyr as she doeth in xxx yere in hir propre â—ours Also the veray meke humble obeyeth generally oueral and in al places where he byleueth that it playseth god and in al thynges lyke as dooth the asse of the mylle that as gladly bereth barley as whete· lede as golde and whete to a poure man as to a ryche man ¶ Also the veray meke and humble is made stronge For he chaungeth his strengthe wyth the strengthe of god lyke as sayth the prophete ysaye And therfore there is noo thynge but the veray humble may wel bere For god bereth hym and his dedes Thenne he obeyeth vygorously and perseuerantly For he is neuer wery nomore than the soÌ„ne is which god ledeth conduyteth and the lenger it lyueth the more groweth hyr force and hir vygour Now mayst thou see clerely how humylyte techeth the wel and parfytely to serue obeye god Of the techyng and doctryne of our lord capitulo Cv IHesu cÌ„rist the grete maystre of humylyte whan he had preched fedde his peple heled the seck men and lame Thenne he fledde awaye fro the peple in to the montaygne for to be in orison for to enseygne and gyue vs an ensaumple to flee the praysyng of the world therfore the trewe humble herte lyke as he payneth to doo wel whan he obeyeth Ryght so he payneth hym to fle the praysyng of the world and to hyde hym for to kepe hym from the wynde of vaynglorye And to fyxe hym in the shadowe of the roche lyke as ysaye the prophete sayth fro the tempest of euyll tongues Thys roche is Ihesu Cryst hym self whyche is the refuge and the charyte to the humble and meke ¶ To thys roche that is Ihesu crist fleeth the humble hert charged with thornes lyke as is the yrchon that is of sharpnes of penaunce Thys is the dounehous in to whyche fleen for refuge the dounes of our lord That ben the meke humble and symple hertes that flee thyder to refuge for the foules of proye or rauayn That ben the deuyls whiche alwaye seche to daÌ„pne the soules whan an humble hert hath done soo moche that he is entryd in to this roche as the doune in to a dounehous that is whan he remembreth wel the lyf of Ihesu Cryste and hys blessyd passyon· thenne he forgeteth al his sorowes and prayseth lytel al that the world hath and is worth may be of valu A good hert that hath assayed thys desyreth noo thynge so moche as to be forgoten to the world The world is to hym a charge and besynes· for as sayth the wyse man The good man is neuer more sure than whan he is al allone ne more in werkys than whan he is ydle For he is thenne wyth ij of his best frendys that is wyth god and wyth hym self There a deuoute hert treateth of his grete quarellys complayntes by whyche al other werkes semen to hym truffes nought and al vanytees There he acompteth wyth god and god with hym by holy thoughtes by feruent desires TheÌ„ne he seleth the grete swetnes of consolacioÌ„s comforte that god gyueth to them that drede hym loue hym lyke as Dauyd the prophete sayth in the psaulter Thenne al langages and al wordes ennoye greue hym yf they be not of god to god or for god Thus begynneth the soule to loue solytude scylence And thenne cometh to hym in his hert an holy shamefastnes whiche is one of the fayr doughters of humylite for al in lyke wyse as a damoysel that loueth paramours wyth grete shamefastnes whan she is apperceyued she hereth that it is spoken of In lyke wyse the humble persone and deuoute whan he hereth that one speketh of hym of his spyrytuel goodes that god hath done to hym and no thynge lasse doth he than the mayde doth which is ardantly surprysed of loue for what someuer the world say to hym it is knowen Neuertheles he secheth his corners hydles lyke as he that requyreth none other thynge but to be rauysshed in god lyke as was Saynt Poule ¶ Of the pryuyte that god hath to an holy soule ca Cvj OF this acqueyntaunce and of thys preuyte· thys holy soule begynneth to haue of god bytwene hyr an holy pryde For whan the holy soule is rauysshed vnto heuen she beholdeth the erthe fro ferre lyke as sayth ysaye the prophete there seeth it soo lytel to the regarde of the gretenes of heuen so foule to the regarde of that grete beaute so troublus to the regarde of that grete clerenesse soo wyde to the regarde of that grete plente Thenne he despreyseth despyseth certeynly alle the rychessys of the world beautees honoures and noblesses Thenne it semeth to hym that it is but a playe of chyldren that playe in the waye â–ª moche trauayllen them self wynne nothyng It semeth that al is but wynde dremes as sayth salamon Thenne he begynneth to deye to the world and lyue to god as sayth saynt Poul Thenne is the soule so poure of spyryte that it hath nought For god hath his spyryte taken fro hym rauysshed it replenysshed wyth his yeftes as he dyd to thappostles on whytsonday Thenne the holy ghoost gyueth to hym so grete an hert that the prosperyte ne aduersyte of the world he prayseth no thynge at al. wyth this he gyueth to hym so holy so ferme a conscyeÌ„ce that he awayteth hardyly the deth and he hath in god so grete fayth and hope loue that there is noo thynge but he dar enterpryse it for the loue of god For he hath that fayth of whiche god speketh in the gospel whiche is lykened to mustard seed by whyche he may comande to roches and montaygnes and they shal obeye to hym Of the comparysoÌ„s of mustard seed to the loue of god Cvij THe seed of mustard is moche lytel but it is moche stronge and sharpe And it is hote in the fourth degree as the physycyens sayen By the hete is vnderstonden loue The fyrst degree of loue as sayth saynt Bernard is whan a man feleth no thynge of loue but of hym self of hys owen prouffyte The second is whan he begynneth to loue god The iij is whan he knoweth best god loueth hym proprely for his bounte The fourth is whan he is so esprysed wyth thys holy loue that he ne loueth hym self ne none other thynge but god or for god or wyth god And vnto
hym and whan he was in the waye he fonde a grete masse of golde and thenne he thought that god had rendred and yelden hys promesse and retorned in pees ¶ Also of another poure man by cause that he had herde that god wold so gyue an hondred for one he gaf hys cowe vnto hys curate whyche was ryche The preest took gladly thys cowe and sente it to hys pasture where as hys other kyen were And at euen the poure mans cowe came ageyn home brought an C. kyen longyng to the preest with hyr whan the pour man sawe that he thought that god had kept his promesse accordyng to the gospel the sayd kyen were Iuged tofore the bysshop to the poure maÌ„ ayenst the preest These ensauÌ„ples toforesaid shewen wel that mercy is good marchauÌ„dise for it eÌ„creaceth wel the goodes temporel Also mercy eÌ„petreth geteth of god the goodes spirituel ê‘durable wherof saynt Poule sayth that it auaylleth to alle thynge For she gyueth lyf grace in this present lyf and the lyf of glorye wythoute ende in that other And therfore sayth Dauyd in hys psaulter that god loueth mercy and trouthe For she gyueth grace in thys world and glorye in that other ¶ Also mercy and almesse kepeth a man fro alle perylles delyuerth hym from spyrytuel deth that is fro synne and fro the deth of helle For many dede men haue ben reysed to lyf by the werkes of mercy that haue be doon wherof there be many ensaumples in wrytyng of the lyues of sayntes that is of the deth perdurable of helle Therfore sayd Thobye to his sone Be thou sayd he pyteous and mercyful as moche as thou mayste For almesse delyuerth and kepeth fro alle synne and fro the deth of helle and defendeth the soule that it goo not in to the derknesse of helle ¶ Now hast thou herde the braunches and the degrees of mercy by whyche she groweth and prouffyteth Now the byhoueth to see the braunches of this tree by whiche she mounteth by whyche it descendeth ¶ Here after folowen the brannches of the vertu of mercy of almesse capitulo Cxxxj THis tree hath moo brauÌ„ches thaÌ„ thother toforesayd for it extendeth more than the other wherof there been brauÌ„ches on the ryzt syde on the lyft syde On the right syde ben the werkes of mercy whiche touche the soule They ben the spyrituel werkes of mercy on the lyft syde ben the bodyly werkes of mercy which apperteyne to the body on the ryght syde be vij brauÌ„ches The fyrst is to gyue good counceyl to them that haue nede onely for the loue of god purely not for to coueyte other thyng temporel therfore as doon these aduocates men of lawe that taken with bothe handes of that one partye of that other And gyuen ofte tymes many euyl counseylles for to haue money or for yeftes or for drede or for fauour of ryche men but they that haue god tofore theyr eyen and counceyl the synnars to leue theyr synne and saue them Or they that be oute of synne to kepe them to th eÌ„de that they falle not therto ageyn lyke as confessours ought to doo and the prelates the good men in what someuer estate they be they doon the first werke of mercy spyrytuel and this is the fyrst braunche of the ryght syde The second braunche is to teche and enseygne them that a man hath to gouerne As a prelate his subgettes whome he ought to fede wyth good doctryne wyth good ensaumple In lyke wyse ought the mayster doo to his dyscyples in doctryne in scyence and in good maners Also the faders the moders theyr chyldren in suche wyse that they kepe them fro synne vyces that they accustome them to do wel and that they kepe them fro lyeÌ„g fro sweryng fro euyl playes games fro euyl companye specyally the chyldren of grete lordes and of ryche men ouzten to be best enformed in good maners For the chyldren wyl alle waye holde theyr fyrst forme And therfore they ought to be enformed to do wel ¶ The thyrd braunche is to reprehende and chastyse the fooles and the wycked people of theyr folyes and this apperteyneth specyally to the prelates and to the prynces whyche oughten to chastyse theyr subgettes whan they knowe that they be wycked For whan they suffre the synnes where they myght amende them and wyl not they ben partyners· ¶ Ne noo prynce ne prelate ought not to suffre ony wyckednesse in a man aboute hym yf he may knowe it For yf he haue aboute hym euyl wycked meyne yf he knoweth it or supposeth yf he remedye it not It is a sygne that he is noo good man for it is comynly sayd suche lord suche meyne after the lord the meyne folowe oftymes it happeth that the lord is deffamed by his euyl meyne and therfore ne for hauoyr ne for fauour ne for famyliarite of persones a lord ouzt not to doubte to take awaye the synnes that been aboute hym For he ought to doubte more god and to loue hym than ony man mortal Me ought to loue the persones and hate the synnes and euery prynce prelate and lord ought to knowe that ygnoraunce in thys parte shal not excuse them For they be bounden to knowe how theyr people gouerne them in theyr houses and in theyr offyces and ought tenquyre by good men and trewe and that drede god and loue hym For they shal not be quyte atte day of Iugement for to say that they knowe not therof ¶ The fourth braunche of mercy is for to comfort the seek men and them that ben in trybulacyon or in aduersyte or in maladye and to helpe them to theyr power and to comforte them by good wordes that they falle not in despayr or dyscomfort and that theyr hert faylle them not Thus commaundeth Saynt Poul that sayth Comforte them that be feble of hert And Salamon sayth that he that is in dysease of hert shal be glad and Ioyous for to here a good worde Also as he hym self sayth lyke as a persone delyteth hym and taketh playsyr in good odoures in lyke wyse delyteth the soule in grete swetenesse of good counceyl and in the good wordes of a very frende That is he that loueth also wel in aduersyte as in prosperyte For at nede is seen who is a frende and in aduersyte is the good and trewe frende proued thou oughtest to knowe that iiij thynges comfort moche a man which is in aduersyte in trybulacyoÌ„ or in maladye The first thyng is to thynke on the paynes of helle whiche ben so moche harde sharpe and horryble that it nys but a shadowe and an enoyntyng all that that may be suffred in this world to the regarde of the paynes of helle wherof saynt austyn sayth to our lord O good lord brenne me here and hewe me al in pyeces rather than thou dampne me perdurably Also Saynt austyn sayth that the