deuoute soule giueÌ„ all to coÌ„teÌ„placyoÌ„ sayth thus Ryse vp hast you my welbeloued fayre louer cuÌ„ vnto me as though he wolde say more plaiÌ„ly Ryse vp hast you my louer by delectioÌ„ faith my doue by innoceÌ„ce siÌ„plycyte my fayre syster by y e vertue of chastite Rise vp froÌ„ your swete estate y â— is froÌ„ your rest of coÌ„teÌ„placyoÌ„ iÌ„ the which ye desyre to coÌ„teÌ„t to please me iÌ„ salmode hipnes prayer such other spiritual soÌ„ges melody hast you therfore cuÌ„ hyther y â— is come out to ê“fyte your neighboures cause theÌ„ by pÌ„dycacyoÌ„ good exaÌ„ple to folow you The vysyoÌ„ of y â— bestes in Ezechyel y â— which weÌ„t retorned not agayn do ê‘taiÌ„e to y â— coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce of y â— actiue life y â— bestê y â— weÌ„t retorned agaiÌ„e pertayne to life coÌ„teÌ„platyue for wheÌ„ maÌ„ boweth his miÌ„de therto by by through his infyrmyte he is deiected cleane tourned but after he remeÌ„breth him selfe agayne he retourneth froÌ„ that he came fro the which thyng caÌ„not be done in actyue lyfe For yf a maÌ„ fall froÌ„ it neuer so lytle by and by he is inwrapte intaÌ„gled w t vyce Often tymes the soule of maÌ„ is exalted frome the earth to heuen and ouercomed w t carnall infyrmytye it descendeth agayn from heueÌ„ to earth Also god doth vysyte manye seculer men through his greate grace doth lifte theÌ„ vp in to coÌ„templacyoÌ„ Also by his secrete vnknoweÌ„ iudgemeÌ„t he suffreth many a conteÌ„platyue maÌ„ to fall to these earthly matters so leueth them And as he y â— is deed buryed doth cease froÌ„ al worldly busynes so doth the coÌ„teÌ„platyue maÌ„ cease frome all worldly workes and as they that come froÌ„ the actyue lyfe be buryed in the quyetnes rest of conteÌ„placyoÌ„ so y â— conteÌ„platyue lyfe doth receyue theÌ„ as buryed in it that depart come froÌ„ the worldlye lyfe and as the actyue lyfe is y â— graue of the seculer and worldly lyfe so is y â— conteÌ„platyue the monumeÌ„t graue of the actyue lyfe And as good holy men at sometymes come froÌ„ the secretnes of conteÌ„platyoÌ„ to the actiue lyfe so they retourne agayne to the secretenes of lyfe contemplatyue and theyr in warde contemplatioÌ„ there to laude god where they lernde how to do good workes abrode to the laude praise of almyghtye god and as it is goddes wyl that man gyuen to coÌ„teÌ„placyoÌ„ at some tymes shuld leaue it come abrode for other meÌ„nes profyte so at some tymes his mynde is that no maÌ„ shulde dysturbe or vnquyet theim but that they shulde rest in theyr secrete swete conteÌ„placyon the whiche thyng god doth declare for byddyng the maydeÌ„s of HierusaleÌ„ that they awake not his spouse layng O ye madens of hierusaleÌ„ I adiure you by the wylde gottes hartes of the feldes that ye awake not my louer vntyll she haue lust to ryse that is to say that ye call not vp nor awake not the deuour soule gyueÌ„ to coÌ„teÌ„platyon ocupyed in prayer dyuyne lectures nor prouoke her not to any vtward operacyon vntyll that she wyll her selfe that is awake her not vntyl y â— tyme of her coÌ„teÌ„placyoÌ„ be exspyred vntyll she wyll be awaked froÌ„ her interyor reste swete quietnes yet iÌ„ this mortal lyfe there is no man that can ê‘fytely conteÌ„plate god as saythe saynt IohnÌ„ in his apocalypsys There was scylence in heuen aboute halfe an hoüre heuen is taken for the soule of euery iust maÌ„ as god sayth by the prophet Esay Heuen is my seate so that when quyetnes of lyfe contemplatyue is in the mynde then there is scyleÌ„ce iÌ„ heueÌ„ y â— is in the soule for the trybulacyon of all earthly thiÌ„ges are theÌ„ in quyet far froÌ„ maÌ„s cogitacioÌ„ thought But for asmoch as coÌ„teÌ„placyoÌ„ caÌ„not be ê‘fyte iÌ„ this worlde we sayde not that there was scyleÌ„ce in heuen a hole houre but halfe an houre but he that wyl lyue ê‘fytely in coÌ„teÌ„placyoÌ„ must leue all worldlye matters of this speaketh God in y â— Cantycles I slepe but my harte is a wake as though he wolde saye more playnly WheÌ„ I slepe and kepe me froÌ„ worldly troubles inwardly in my mynde I reuolue thiÌ„ke vpon celestyall spirituall thyngê Also y â— arche of Noe the which was double chaÌ„berd sygnyfyeth the lyfe actyue coÌ„teÌ„platiue of y â— which two the actyue is lowest the coÌ„teÌ„platyue hyghest And it hadde as some say thre chaÌ„bers y â— which do sygnifye thre orders of meÌ„ that are coÌ„prysed in the church that is those y â— ar maried those that are contynent and those that lyue chast as virgyns of this contemplacioÌ„ like god saieth in his gospell Yf ye wyll be perfyte sel al y â— ye haue giue all to the poore and ye shall haue a treasoure in heuen come folow me And agayne he sayeth Mary hathe chosen the best parte the whiche shall not be taken from her For the lyfe contemplatyue shal neyther be taken awaye in this lyfe nor in no nother but the actyue life taketh his end in this world So doth not the lyfe contemplatyue for it continueth for euermore The lyfe actyue doth end in this world the coÌ„templatyue begynneth heare is made perfyte in heuen Good syster I exhorte you for the loue of god to despyse this present worlde and for his loue to leue of all worldly cares thoughtes Gyue all your mynde study to god Let no worldly care w tdraw you froÌ„ goddes seruyce Auoyde caste froÌ„ you al such thynges as may let youre good purpose And I wolde couÌ„sell you to hate w tall your harte mynde all that the worlde doth loue Be deade in this world and with draw your selfe as a deade persone froÌ„ this present lyfe and as a dead ê‘son desyre not y â—glorye of this world Good syster haue no mynde vpoÌ„ the worlde but euen as thought ye were beryed withdrawe your selfe from all worldly businesses for yf ye so do ye shal optayne y â— eternall and euerlastyng blysse ¶ Of curiosite che lij cha MY welbeloued Syâ—er I exhorte you to study coÌ„tinually to profyte in good workes and y â— ye desyre not the vanites whiche other do desyre But I exhorte you to coÌ„syder the goodnes ye shulde do for a certayne wyse man sayeth In vaniteâ— and vayne thinges be not curiouse nor it is not for your profyte nor yet nedefull to know that passeth mans wyt to know And reasoÌ„ wold y â— heshuld leue of to iuge other mens mindes that can not perfetely know what men thinke Why so For we iudg that y â— is vncertaine vntyl y â— lord come y â— which shal giue clere knowledge of al such thiÌ„gê which aâ— secret far froÌ„ maÌ„s knowledg shal manifestly opeÌ„ the secret counsell of
â— is the angels maÌ„ to be of one accorde The coÌ„cord of euyll meÌ„ is y â— contrariete of good meÌ„ And as we shuld desyre y e good men might be in peace so we shulde desyre that the peace concorde and vnite of euyl men myght be broken For concorde and vnyte to do euyll is not laudable But concorde to do well to serue GOD to folowe Iustice is laudable And the congregacyons and commyng togyther of Chrysten people into the church is to serue god in one spiryte in one wyll For so shulde they do that inhabyte goddes house For it preuayleth not to be togyther if our wylles be not al one for GOD loueth moche better the humilyte of the wyl then the humilite of the place We be many togyther in one house of dyuers maners of dyuers hartê of diuers mindê al these thigê must agre in one intencyon in one mynde and one loue in god Therfore we muste be all of one mynde of one wyl to serue god and to loue hym w t all oure hartes w t all your soules and oure neyghboure as oure selfe And therfore concorde is verye necessarye for vs for yf I folow my wyll pleasure you yours he his then must there nedes be diuision coÌ„tention anger the whiche thynges as sayth paule are workes of the fleshe They that do suche thynges shall neuer obtayne the kyngdome of heueÌ„ Bileue me good syster all our fastyng praynge sacrifice pleaseth not god so moch as dothe good coÌ„cord and therfore he sayeth Go thy wayes fyrst and recoÌ„cyle thy selfe to thy brother and then come and offer vp thy gyfte Honorable syster the vertue of coÌ„corde is very great to warde god w tout the which our sacrifyce can not please him ¶ The sisters demaunde TEll me good brother whether the deuyl be a ferde of any thynge The brothers answere MY worshypful syster there is nothiÌ„g y t he feareth so moch as concorde and charite yf we gyue all that euer we haue for GOddes sake he feareth it not For he getteth nothiÌ„g therby Yf we faste he feareth it not for yf he neuer eath Yf we watche he feareth it not for he neuer slepeth but yf we lyue in good concorde and charyte he feareth it verye sore why so For then we obserue kepe that thyng in earth that he kepte not in heueÌ„ And this is the cause why men saye that our holy mother the churche is as fearfull as terryble to her enemyse as is a great coÌ„panye of meÌ„ of war wel armed set in good ordre For as our enemyes be in great fere wheÌ„ they sethere aduersaryes commyng agaynst them in good aray ordre so the deuyll is in great feare wheÌ„ he seeth y â— Chrysten men be well armed w t vertue coÌ„corde vnite Therfore all we shuld lyue togither in good accorde y e is in the churche to ouercome the deuyl The handmayde of GOd that wyll lyue in coÌ„corde traÌ„quilite must fyrst of all leue and cast a way all euyll customes least by her ê‘uersite she put other to rebuke and shame Also she muste moderate her workes dedes her mouyng her wordes and al her lyfe and after the lawes of God agre with all other Therfore good syster I exhorte you to liue in good accorde and in humilite and to reuoke all hatred and stryfe to peace and concorde Use no suche wordes as may breake good agrement and concorde ¶ Of sufferaunce the xlij chapiter DEare syster lerne modestyusnesse and sufferaunce of CHRYSTE Iesu marke hym well for so doyng no man shal put you to heuines he hath suffered death for vs al and hathe lefte vs an example of sufferaunce He was beaten scourged whipte mocked bespued naylde to y â— crosse crowned w t thorne coÌ„deÌ„ned to be hanged vpon the crosse al this whyle he held his peace nor murmurd not agaynst it But yf any man doth vs iniure it is for our synnes our myscheuousnesse synfull liuynge is the cause therof for whatsoeuer doth chaunce agaynst vs all is for our synnes we shall y â— better suffer al such aduersytes yf we coÌ„syder vpon what occasion for what cause they do chauÌ„ce vnto vs. Therfore yf a maÌ„ do you displeasure speke fayre vnto him if he curse you blesse hym yf he be angery with you speake patiently vnto hym Dissolue his furiusnes w t geÌ„tyll wordes ouercome his iniquite w t softnes his malyce w t goodnes his iniure with tranquilite Good syster pÌ„pare your selfe and be alwayes redy bothe to good and euyll And as they chaunce so suffer beare them suffer both prosperite and aduersyte as they chaunce take theÌ„ mekely set not by iniurius nor by coÌ„tumelyus reproches for by despysyng of such iniurius wordes ye shall ouercome all derâ—sion by dissembulyng of suche thynges ye shal litle or nothing regarde suche mens fautes and errours And notwithstandyng good syster that men do styrre you prouoke you assayle you re proche you and blame you althoughe they speake iniuryusly vnto you and do you iniury although they prouoke you to anger do you great wronge yet for al that hold you your peace kepe youre sileÌ„ce care not for it dissemble the matter answer not to theyr iniures speake no crabbed wordes vnto theÌ„ set aparte all coÌ„tumeliê° iniurius wordê say nothiÌ„g for by holding your peace ye shal sone ouer come theÌ„ O chrystê spouse stryue agaynst these worldly greues wretchednesse be stedfast stroÌ„ge in al aduersite suffre althyng patienly take it well in worth and suffre that is commen to all men For he that troubeleth and he that is troubeled are mortall and he that doth wrong and he that suffereth wronge shall dye Byleue me good syster No man can trouble you no man can be against you if god suffered him not nor the deuyll hym selfe hathe no power vpon you but by goddes sufferaunce We muste coÌ„e to heueÌ„ by great tribulacioÌ„ yet all the passions and aduersities of this world are not to be coÌ„pared to the great glorye and ioyes of heueÌ„ It is impossible beynge a womaÌ„ but nedesye must taste the troubelsumnes and misery of this worlde And beyng in this worlde we ought to suffre euery thynge in lyke maner There is noman lyuyng in this worlde but muste nedes syghe mourne atsome times for this mortal lyfe is full of heuynesse the begynnynge of this lyfe is waylyng wepyng The chyld that is nowe borne begynneth his lyfe w t wepyng The chylde when it coÌ„meth oute of his mothers wombe or euer it laughe it wayleth mourneth worldly tribulacyoÌ„ is very necessary The stormes of this worlde are ê“fytable the more we be tormeÌ„ted troubled in this world the more we be coÌ„fyrmed the more we be vexed in this vale of mysery the more shall oure ioye be in heuen Yf we be troubled and punyshed in
his mother yet at y â— time of Chrystes byrth she was iÌ„ such pouerte y t she had nother mydwife nor yet maide to helpe her her goodes were so skarce that she was fayne to laye her dere chylde iÌ„ a crybbe and yet not w t standyng her husband Iosephe was a very good a iustmaÌ„ yet throughe pouerte he was fayn to labour for his lyuyng For it is wrytten that he was a carpeÌ„ter Also we rede of the holy apostles y t they serued god in great huÌ„ger thyrste of y â— which thiÌ„g saynt paule saythe In huÌ„ger thryste in fasting in colde barenes great watche ye haue many examples by y â— which ye may lerne to despyse these worldly ryches desyre celestiall For such as couet to be rych abuÌ„dant in this world do fal into many teÌ„ptacions in to many giÌ„nes snares of the deuyll in to such hurtful desyres as doth brynge theÌ„ to euerlastyng daÌ„natioÌ„ But they y â— wyllyngly ê‘fytely trust to optayne celestial ryches set litle by worldly substaÌ„ce for wylfulpouerte bryngeth a maÌ„ to heueÌ„ We come not into this world to lyue in pleasure But that by great watch fastyng prayng feyghtyng agaynst our aduersare the deuyl we may by the ayde of god come to the euerlastynge blysse of heuen And therfore we come bare into the worlde are borne bare to y â— font of bapteme that we in like maner may come bare and w tout any impedymeÌ„t to ioye euerlastynge O what a shame and howe incoÌ„uenient a thyng were it for maÌ„ y â— coÌ„meth bare in to y â— earth to enter in to heueÌ„ w t great treasure ryches Yt is moch more easy to nedel a gabell of a shyp theÌ„ for a ryche maÌ„ to come to heueÌ„ Yt were better to haue to lytle theÌ„ to moche He is to auaricius y e god caÌ„ not coÌ„tent satisfye Good syster yf we suffer for goddes sake huÌ„ger thryste barenes in this world we shalbe w t him for euermore in his ê‘ petual kingdome of blisse ¶ Of murmuracion the rlvij cha THe maÌ„tion dwelliÌ„g place of our harte is sanctifyed by the grace of almyghtye god by the iÌ„habitacioÌ„ of y â— holy goste y t is when charite peace goodnes humilite concorde w t other lyke vertues are in vs. These are our ryches y t is good maners and vertue are our ryches But yf we begin to stryue to murmur in coÌ„tinent we lese these spirituall vertues and remaine clere without them Why so For vertue and vyce can not dwell togyther And a litle dow marthe a great dele of leuent And therfore euerye good seruaunt of OOD shulde thynk and reuolue in his mynde howe greuously he offeÌ„deth that murmurth for these worldlye gooddes for he iÌ„poueresheth hi self of that he shulde be ryche of Why what is our ryches Uertue theÌ„ yf we murmour eyther for meal or drynk or for any other thyng we lese vertue for murmuracioÌ„ is a haynus a greuous syn and s Gregore sayeth That he that murmurthe shal neuer coÌ„e to heuen No man y t murmurth shall optayne the celestial court of heueÌ„ the harte mynde of a vnwyse maÌ„ is coÌ„pared to y â— cart whele that caryeth hay murmurth of this coÌ„dicioÌ„ are many chrysteÌ„ men whomeÌ„ the whiche beyng subiecte obedient to carnall desyre neuer cease to mutter Therfore good sister s paules counsel is very necessary sayng Ye shall not murmour as some of the chyldreÌ„ of Israell dyd in wyldernesse to theyre destructioÌ„ So then it is a very dauÌ„gerus thynge to murmur Least we perysh here as they dyd in wyldernes Let vs therfore charme and tempour our tongues y â— in tyme to come we misfare not as they dyd in this world let vs not murmur lest we suffre iÌ„ soule y t they suffered in body And S Paule giuyng vs couÌ„sel sayeth Let vs not teÌ„pte god as some of theÌ„ did the which were destrued w t serpeÌ„tes he teÌ„pthe God that murmurthe other for meat or drynk or cloth And agayne it is wrytten They mourmurde in theyr tabernacles wold not harken to goddes saynge He tempthe god that w t murmuracioÌ„ requyreth y â— is superfluus They were destrued w t serpeÌ„tes why so By cause they were full of venym poyseÌ„ so there toÌ„gues y â— murmur are infected w t deuyllysh poyson s Iames saieth the tongue is a shrode a vnquiet thiÌ„g full of deadly poisoÌ„ and therfore we shulde exchue al murmuracyon beware y â— we be not smytten that we perish not by such deuellyshe poison Welbeloued syster harkeÌ„ what god sayeth I woldye shulde neyther care for foode nor yet for clothyng sayng these lyke wordes what meat shall we eate or wher w t shal we be clothed As thoughe he wolde saye more playnly God y â— hath gyueÌ„ you lyfe wyl puyde ye shal lack neyther meat nor yet cloth to sustayne your bodes withall He sayeth also Beholde the byrdes of the ayre the whiche neyther so we nor thresh nor make no maner of prouisioÌ„ yet God dothe nourysh theÌ„ that is yf god nourysh the poore byrde the whiche is mortal how moch more dilygeÌ„tly shall he nourysh maÌ„ his soule the whiche is immortall to whome he hath promysed the kyngdome of heueÌ„ And agayne he sayeth CoÌ„syder loke how y â— goodly lyles grow they neyther spyn nor carde yet y â— lord doth clothe them Howe moch more shall he clothe you his seruaÌ„tes and handmaydes God wyll neuer vndo his seruantes for lack of meat drynke or cloth Ferther more he sayeth Seke for y â— king dome of heueÌ„ his Iustice ye shal lacke nothiÌ„g of al these for sayde thynges as thoughe he wolde saye serue God in al melody feare he shall minyster vnto you all that shall be necessarie for they that seke god shal lacke nothynge ¶ Of prayer the .xlviij. ca HArkeÌ„ vnto my wordê good syster To pray or necessite compelleth man is called prouydence to pray at tymes apoynted is called obedieÌ„ce But to let passe the tyme of prayer is called negligeÌ„ce The more ê“fytable y â— prayer is the more ofte it shuld be vsed The lorde sayeth Loke what soeuer ye demaunde by prayer beynge in good stedfast bylyue ye shall haue it And S. paule exhorteth vs to praye coÌ„tinually And. s Iames saieth That the coÌ„tinuall prayer of a Iuste maÌ„ is moch worth Good syster or euer ye begyn to praye prepayre your hart vnto it and be not as one y â— wold teÌ„pte god Prepayre your selfe to prayer opeÌ„ your harte coÌ„science that ye may haue cause to optayne y â— more of his grace AmaÌ„ prayeth truely wheÌ„ worde harte accordeth togyther And y â— soner y e the synfull maÌ„ leueth his