kingdome the whiche Chryste teacheth vs to praye for in our Pater noster Where we craue of God that his rule and reigne maie come among vs. But as I despaire that commonly this studie and care can not be chaunged from these worldly riches to the soule soo I am full of good hope that you will take hede to your lyfe to order therin your desires in this due maner more reâ—arâ—gâ—ng what shulde be done then what is done Whan you see and know the ryght pathe I trust you wyll not walke in the croked hâ—e waie The trouth shall more drawe you to loue and to folowe vertue than the common ensaumple shall intice you to folowe vice the which no man can loue not the sâ—nner him selfe But now my owne good Edmond here of these thre thiÌ„ges somwhat more you must prynt in your minde with a perfecte perswasion that your soule is the chefe treasure that you haue whervpon your continuall thoughte and care must be to kepe it to defende it to nourishe it to comforte it by all waies and meanes possible for you In this study you must spend all your wittes nyghte and daie you muste thynke on this thynge what so euer you do you must dyrecte your acte to this thynge If you bee occupied in the state of your bodie either to driue awaie sickenesse or to susteine helth lette it bee for the seruyce your bodye oweth to the soule If you trauaile for goodes of this worlde to gette your owne liuyng or to helpe your frende or elles to prouide for your children when god shall sende you theim let your trauaile be for the necessities of the bodie and so fynally for the soule Consider what the goodes of the worlde be howe they bee but instrumentes for the bodie Use than the worlde in his kynde Loke againe vppon your bodie howe it is preciouser than the goodes vse hym than in his worthynes and hurt not your bodie for a thyng of lesse value And as ye haue nothynge nother your bodie nor your goodes to be compared with the dignitee of youre soule so my swete Withipol lette nothyng be in your reputacion aboue this cheife and principal iewell the whiche muste onely for him selfe be cared for and al other thinges in this life muste be cherisshed for it I sticke muche with you in repetyng one thyng but maruaile not thoughe I so do for I see vs all in this worlde so blynded partly by a vse and custome frome the cradill in the magnifiyng of these goodes partely by the insaumple of theim with whome we be daiely conuersaunt that scant after long criyng it can nowe be harde that the Soule must bee cheifely cared for And excepte grace worke with you that you your selfe wyll consente to the trouthe it is not possible to perswade you that the vcrie true waie of liuyng is this to care cheifely for the soule and to care for all other thynges onely for the soules sake This saiyng though it be true yet I saie it can not bee harde in as muche the liues of all theim with whome ye shall be continually conuersaunt shal crie out clene contrarie against my saiyng For on all sydes you shall see men sweatyng in a continuall worke bothe of bodie and of minde to get these worldely goodes without any mencion made of the Soules state the whiche the veraie friers care lyttell for as it openly appereth But euer I saie to you loke what christen men shulde doo and if you se men so do be glad of that sight and folowe the same if you se the contrary flee from the ensaumple and cleaue euer fastely to the trouth with a sorowful hert for the losse of other men that so blyndely rushe forthe in the traine of a vicious liuyng where the Soule is so lyttel cared for ¶ That this fyrste thyng maie be the better in your studie I wylle briefely touche somewhat of two thynges that appertaine hereto to haue you knowe what nourisheth and comforth the Soule and what hurteth and noyeth the same The Soule can not but euer lyue it hath noo ende of liuynge yet we maie saie that the soule lyueth and dieth It liueth in the grace of god and dieth in the malice of the deuil The Soules lyfe is the lighte of vertue his death is the darkenes of synne You haue a free will gyuen you whereby you maie either quicken or slaie at your owne pleasure your Soule in the bryghte paradyse of lyfe and you maie set your soule in the blacke dungeon of deathe Let therfore this will of yours euer studie to procure for the soules lyfe the which is your owne life and in the same study you shall deliuer the soule frome his deathe the whiche is the perpetuall paine ordained for sinne that seperateth the ymage of god frome his patrone I saie synne plucketh your soule from god whose ymage your soule shulde beare Therfore in all your actes so do that you willingly displease not god who can not be pleased but with a pure and cleane conscience pure and cleane if you suffre no sinne to remaine soo long in your desyre and mind that it cankarethe the thoughte Your thought is cankared with the long residence of synne when either you be weake in the studie of vertue or elles make veraie littell of a fault or defend your vice or nowsel your selfe in a custome of an inordinate desyre The frailenes of our fleshe is so great that it can not bee but that sinne shall come to our desire but it is our blame if sinne tarie and abyde with in vs. God hath gyuen vs a mightie power ouer our selfe we maie whan we wyll correcte our desires and dryue out all synne If you knowe not what is Sinne nor what is vertue by the feare and loue of god you shall knowe both The feare of god will teache you to fle sinne and folowe vertue The loue of god will teache you to folowe vertue and slee sinne wherby your preuie and secrete conscience shall better and more clerely perceiue what is to be done and what is not than any diffinicion or descripciou can appoynte out to you Therfore my dere Withipol enwarpe your selfe faste and sure in the feare and loue of god from your fyrste rysyng to your reste drawe forth the daie in all your busines as this louynge feare and feareful loue shal secretly admonishe and warne you and die rather than you wolde pursue any lust against your knowladge of goddes pleasure ¶ What marchandyse so euer you occupie remembre it is the busines of the thirde care for the whiche you maie not leaue any poynte of this fyrst care that belongeth to the soule Likewise if ye be occupied aboute the bodie remembre it is the worke of the seconde care the whiche also muste be ordered vnto the fyrste the whiche first must alwaie sticke in your mynde sturred vp and led in all desyres and appetites by the saied feare and loue
the face of god And this is the conclusyon of the passionat soule that lieth in the fetters of fylthye â—â—â—tes without reste drawen nowe hyther nowe thyther in a continuall waueryng of vayne fantasies But on the other syde the quycke lyuyng soule that quietly resteth in the loue of god dryueth frome hym by the power of grace wherwith he is indued all these vnquiete passions If he stande in feare to be moued with vncomely appetytes he fasteth he watcheth he laboreth The man I saie or woman dothe this in whome suche a blessed soule beareth rule Lyke wise against anger wrath and vayne glorie he settethe atte naught bothe honour and dyshonour shame sclaunder and worshyppe in this worlde bee nothyng in his reputacion Against remembraunce of displeasures he praieth for his euyll wyllers Suche a maner charitie teacheth and courageth this blessed soule to bee occupied in the mainteinyng and defendyng the myndes quietnesse a thynge aboue all thynges in this worlde to be kepte warely The rest that aungels in heauen haue is none other but this not to be moued nor sturred with these passions of louyng of hating of beyng pleased of beyng diseased of trustyng of lusting of abhorring of couetyng of refusyng of reioysyng of lamentyng and of innumerable such other that scourgeth and whippeth mans minde by reason of the corrupte affection and loue that he beareth in his ytching bodie a loue mooste contrarye to charitie the whiche hath as muche ease as that hath trouble You shall here a lesson of our mayster Christ the auctour and preacher of charitie He aduysethe counsaileth and commaundeth me if I be his disciple not to resist ageinst euill to offre my lefte cheke to him that hathe bee blowed me on the righte to leaue my gowne to hym that hath taken from me my cote to walke two miles with hym that hath vexed me and compelled me to walke one myle The forme of this lesson that Christe here gyueth is to enstructe and warne all christen men to regarde nothynge of the bodye or of the worlde aboue the rest and quietnesse of the mynde but that we shoulde suffre the losse of our goodes with the hurte ye with the deathe of our bodies rather then we shulde lose any smalle porcion of charitie to bee moued with any passion of minde wherby our loue towarde god myght decaie It is not possible after Christes doctrine to take in this worlde by any kynde of vyolence soo greatte domage or hurte in bodye or goodes as is the least drope of trouble in the mynde where no tyrant nor the deuyll hym selfe hath any dominion For there onely ruleth our owne free wyll soo that if we will disordre our mynde with any passion we be to our selfe more violente and cruell than the deuyll can be Wherfore my good syster let vs beleue our maister Christe and to the deathe lette vs neuer breake peace with god For if we do fare well all reste We breake peace with god when we tourne vs for any cause to the care of this lyfe If you fele your selfe inordynatly moued with displeasante woordes with angry countenaunces with euyll reportes with dyspraises with rebukes with fals sclander with vntrue complaintes beware syster for surely you be not in charitie with god If you mumble vpon coniectours if you fede vpon suspicions if you gnawe vpon shrewde tales if you delyte to gyue taunte for taunte beware agayne good syster for withoute doubte god and you betwayne And if you beleue the sonne of god your selfe with your owne will do more then any fierce prynce ouer you coulde dooe all thoughe he brought you to extreme wretchednes and at the laste to the deathe tourmented your body It is with out comparison worse to bee sette with these passions than it is to suffre the panges of death But at this pointe peraduenture you will saie and aske me whether we shuld forsake al the commodities of this worlde whether we shulde make no force to gette suche thynges as kepeth vp the welthe of our bodie whether we shulde vtterly refuse all thynges ordeyned for this lyfe whether we shoulde be cleane careles of good name No no syster not soo Holly scripture forbeadeth vs nothynge that is for vse or profyte as by Chrystes lawe it is not forbyd to eate to drynke to haue and gette wherwith suche sustinaunce maie bee mainteyned to gette chyldren to haue money to haue possessions to bee in honour to bee regarded but the worde of god suffrethe not glottony and a delyte in the belye cheare nor lechery and an vnlauful pleasure in bodylye lustes nor couetousnesse nor a gredye desyre to be ryche not vaynglory and a proude desyre to be magnified Lykewise the commaundemente of god forbeadeth vs not the thynkynge of these and of suche other thynges but it is playne contrarye to the wylle of god that we shoulde with any great intencion solicitude or carefulnesse of mynde prosecute these bodyly necessities And in the hauynge of the goodes promocions and honours we maie not iudge to be any hygher at all then is to haue thynges for mans necessitie So that towarde theim we maie not beare any maner of loue or affection but only we must with suche a mynde take theym to help forthe this lyfe as the craftes men take the instrumentes and toles to helpe theyr handye woorkes that in the hauynge of ryches our mynde considre nothyng but a plentie of thynges apperteinyng to our vse and necessytyes And thus we maie bothe for our selfe and for our neyghbours bethynke vs well howe we shall lyue but it maie be noo care nor yet any erneste studye least therby our charitie with god be dimynysshed For holde faste my syster in your remembrance that to haue and kepe charitie with god is to loue God with your holle herte with your hole mynde with your hole power If any smalle parte of your herte or of your mynde or of your wit be bestowed in any affection or loue towarde this life ye mynishe the perfection of your charitie with god the which requireth of you all and hole to be withoute a felowe by hym selfe alone loued You maie right well syster putte youre mynde and witte to gette these thynges that mainteyne this lyfe but it muste be done without all loue and affection there maie bee no parte of loue spente in suche matters for your mynde can not with any loue and affect labour to get and to holde this worldly commodities but in the meane season your charitie with god is greatly decayed and welnyghe broken Also you betray your selfe to mystruste the promission of god with the whiche mistruste god is moste displeased For there be three causes noted that shulde chiefly moue mens mindes to desyre these worldelye goodes One is the loue of welthe case myrthe and pleasure An other loue of worshyppe honour and glorye the thyrde the doubtefulnes and mystruste of lyuyng here the whiche mystrust I saie is worste of
common hye waie of synners ¶ Yet before I leaue this thyrde care I will shewe you my minde what is cheifely in this parte to be cared for as the beste porcion of worldely ryches Surely I reken no possession of landes nor yet no substaunce of marchaundise nor yet no abundance of money to bee comparable to a good frend Therfore aboue al thinges in this world procure to haue plentie of frendes and make of them your compte as of your beste and mooste precious goodes Alwaies your frend shall be more profitable to you than any treasure or power beside can be Howe you shall knowe theim that be worthy to be your frendes and by what meanes and what waie frendes be bothe gotten and also kepte ye shall beste learne in Ciceros littell boke De amicitia I can not saie in this thynge any poynte that is lefte of hym wherfore I remit you to that worke ¶ An other pointe touchyng this care of worldely goodis is to vse accordyngly your wyfe whan the time shall come that you shall haue one For to opteine substaunce of goodes it lyethe as muche in the wife to kepe that you bring home as in your trauaile to bryng home And surely onlesse she be the keper and sparer the houseband shall littell goo forwarde in his labour of gettyng And the veraie trouth is that there is noo yuell housewife but for hir faultes the good man is to be blamed For I am vtterly of this opinion that the man maie make shape and forme the woman as he will I woulde good further with you in this thinge and shewe somwhat of the waie to order your householde if I sawe not this matier so largely intreated of dyuerse philosophers of whom ye shal here as muche as maie be saied in this thynge Specially I woulde you reade with moste diligence the propre boke that Xenophon writethe hereof it is called oeconomia that is to saye the crafte to order and kepe an house where this authour gyuethe suche counsaile for all the course of an honeste mans lyfe in this worlde to grow in ryches vnder the meanes of discrecion and wisedome that no man in my mind can saie more therin or better the which iudgement of mine I doubt not but you will aproue whan you haue reade the saied worke it is translated out of greke into latine by one Raphael but in his translacion the worke leseth a great parte of the grace that it hathe in the greke tonge and also his translacion in many places is false and it plainely appereth that Raphaell vnderstode not well what Xenophon wrote in greke I haue therfore for diuers of my frendes sake translated the same worke oute of greke tonge into englishe and you shall haue the same with my good wylle whan your pleasure is to reade it ¶ I wolde also for some parte of this thirde care haue you read the vii and the .viii. boke of Aristotels politikes for to here his counsaile concernyng the bryngyng vp of children and the vse of other certaine thinges ¶ This is the effecte and summe mine owne good Edmond of my counsaile touchyng the thre saied thinges in the which I reken to rest the hole course of your lyfe and if you obserue and kepe them in their degrees and order accordyngely you shall surely content god nexte please your selfe and thirdely satisfie the worlde One the contrary part misorder these cares and you shall renne into the vengeaunce of god in to the hate of your self and in to the indignacion of all men Behold I praie you these hungrie and gredie wretches that make of the thyrde thing their first thought and care what life leade they in the sclander of all their acquientance what deathe haue thei in the sighte of their priuie conscience◠whan thei remembre their faulse swearinges their deceitefull bargaines their plaine robberies their pollynges their cruel exactions their oppressynges of the poore menne what hope haue they of goddis fauour whan they remembre all their care and thoughte hathe bene for the welthe of this worlde the whiche when they leaue and forsake they despeire of all other welthines in as much their mindes neuer ernestly cared for that welthe the whiche euer endureth This remembrance of their misorder is an heuy burthen to their conscience It can not be otherwyse Consyder nowe agayne howe clere and lyghte his mynde is that in all his lyfe hath euer cheifely studied for the soules welthe that remembreth euer how his care hath bene for the rewarde of vertue Of this man how well doth euery man speake what ioye and comforte enbraceth the conscience of this man whan the hande of god calleth hym from his shorte lyfe to that perpetuall lyfe for the whiche he hath so much laboured The tother be he neuer so riche is called a faulse felowe a wretched knaue This man be he neuer so poore is called an honest person a good man for whome the heauen gates standethe open whilest the tother fallethe to enles tourmentes This is the ende of misorder and this is the ende of good order in breakynge and kepynge the degrees of the foresaied .iii. thynges Wherfore I can not warne you to often to take hede of this counsail and you can not to often here the same The ieopardie is not small if you shulde forget this tale it is no lesse perill than vtter shame in this worlde with deathe euerlastyng where soo euer is sclaunder there is shame greatter sclaunder there can bee none than folowethe on all sydes the vniust ryche man And he euer where some euer he be gathereth vniustly ryches that careth cheifely for these wordly promocions the whiche man hath I saie both in his life extreme shame and also after this lyfe extreme punishement You be not forboden to get riches but the vnordinate desire of getting riches is abhominable bothe in the sighte of god and man your desire is vnordinate if it bee not ordered vnder the degree of your cheife care as now often enough hath bene repeted I wolde nowe leaue you and make an ende of these thre cares and studies apperteining to your soule body and goodes sauynge that bycause I somewhat knowe your disposicion I will particularly touch on thing or two that you must moste ernestly beware of bycause you be muche naturally inclined otherwise to fal into certaine poyntes that sore disquieteth the minde hurteth the bodie and hindreth the profites of this lyfe soo that frendely I wyll admonishe you of one or two thynges that pertaine to all your three charges ¶ Take hede my good Withipol of your passion towarde wrath ire and anger resiste as muche as you can the prouocacion of your stomacke to this vehement pange Be not◠lighte eared in heryng a worde of displeasure Consider the kinde of lyfe that you take you muste be conuersant with many and dyuers marchauntes amonge whom euerye one thynkethe hym selfe
walke if you will procede in vertue the whiche is onely the thynge that makethe a man both happye in this worlde and also blessed in the worlde to come Beleue you my counsaile and vse the same or elles hereafter you wille paraduenture bewayle your negligence Fare ye well It More a place of my lorde Cardinals in the feast of saincte Bartholomew 1529. FINIS A compendious treatise teachyng the waie of diyng well THey saie it is a point of a proude vanitee or a stubburne foly to kepe sure and certaine what some euer is ones saied always it semeth not to wyse men that a promisse shulde bee sticked by in as muche there maie chaunce greatter causes to breake a promisse than the reasons bee why promisse shoulde be performed As if I haue saied that I will suppe with you hit is not enough to binde me against al chances I maie fall sicke I maie haue at home some necessary impedimeÌ„t the wether maie so fal that it is no goyng out many casualties maie happen that were not in mynde whan suche promysse was made Wherfore wyse men saie in all makyng of promisse there be euer vnderstande some secrete excepcions suche as be these If I can If I maie If it bee conuement If noo greatter cause happen to lette me By the whiche excepcions a promisse neuer bindeth a man further than is accordyng to bee obsâ—rued and kepte ¶ If I thought my frende IohnÌ„ walker that you wolde take mine excuse by the saied excepcions I woulde rather by theim escape my promisse that I haue made to you than I wolde fulfyl it for whan I sodenly agreed to your requeste that was to haue me wryte to you the waie of diyng well I considered not at that time what the thing was After I perceiued more difficultee in it than was mete for my poore wit specially beyng as you maie see me other wyse occupied in suche studies as appertaine to my leisure and of shortely this lesson to lerne the waie of diyng well hath nede to haue a maister the whiche knowethe bothe what our lyfe is and what the losse of the same is Nor no man in my minde can effectuously teache the waie to die wel except he be one that knoweth the waie to liue wel And plainly the mattier requireth a philosophers stomacke and a sadde For suche a one as Marcus Cato was were a man mete to entreate this thyng he knewe what valure laie in deathe the whiche he soughte bothe with sworde and his nayles tearyng â—ut his owne bowelles ¶ I wolde thynke a Catulus or a Mercula shoulde speake lustely to you of deathe seynge they shewed theyr couragious herte nothing to esteme lyfe whan the tyme required either to die with honour or to liue with shame These men and suche other woulde shewe you the waie to go to deathe longe before deathe came to you But none of all the painymes canne either with worde or with ensaumples of their actes declare this thyng soo truely and effectually as maie he that is exercised in Christes philosophie a Paule or a Peter or a Hierom shulde here in speake more lyuely than all the subtylle clerkes of the olde grekes Yet to me for my part it is an harde thyng either to plaie with you one of this sort or of that sort It passeth my power to speake to you either like Socrates or like Chrisostome So that if the saied excepcions bee with you admitted in a promisse makyng I maie truely denie you the performaunce of my grauntyng in as muche whan I promised you this thyng there was vnderstanded if I could and if it were conuenient I nother can wel declare this waie of diyng nor yet me thynke it is not conuenient for me liuing in this coÌ„mon course of the worldely folke to speake of deth so ernestly as a monke of the Charter house shoulde and myght dooe But bycause I knowe your importune desire to be so set vpon this thing that nedes you wil haue me saie somewhat herein I will praie you so to reade me as the tale not onely to bee wrytten of me for you but that I my selfe am also an auditour of the same and as muche shal I enforce to folow the couÌ„saile that in my saiynge I aduise you as thoughe the holle woorke pertained onely to my selfe wherin take this note for your comfortes that I write nothyng to you that I wyshe not were in my owne power to execute Thus I with you and you with me bothe of vs fast yoked to gethers let vs endeuour our selfes to be in dede suche men as we commende and praise For as it is shame to speake one thyng and to thynke an other soo it is a more shame to write holyly and to lyue worldly And as great a rebuke there is in hym that can here and praise good saiynges but doo there after he will not Nowe than let vs not speake onely of the waie to die well but in effecte lette vs indeuer our mindes to haue the frute of this lesson to make in dede a good ende of our lyfe And here nowe without any further proces I will begin to paie you my dette and shortelye you shall knowe my minde howe you maie die well ¶ As I was bethynkyng me to write some thing of this mattier to the satisfiynge of your desire I tourned a boke where my memorie gâ—ue me to bee a storie of one called Caniuâ— that lyued vnder the tyraun Caligula Cesar. This Canius beside his hye learnynge was a man of a greatte spirite the whiche he wâ—ll declared in the maner of taking his death It chaunced hym to faile out for a certaine cause with the saied tiraunte and many sore woordes were betwene theim at the laste whan the tone was departyng frome the tother this emperour in his fiers â—re said well thou foole make mery if thou wilte for I haue pointed the within fewe daies to be â—â—ame Therat Canius turned him with low courtesy and saied My mooste gentill prynce I hertely thanke you ¶ This answere came from a noble stomacke whereby he shewed the madde rages of the cruell tyraunt to be soo farre intollerable that vnder hym deathe was to be reckened for a benefit and a good tourne wherfore he thanked hym for his offer as for a specially rewarde And great maruaile men had to beholde this Philosopher howe merie he was after this tyrantes thretenyng There were .x. daies gyuen of respite before he shoulde die the whiche tyme he soo passed that he neuer semed to be in lesse care nor to haue his mynde in better quietnes ¶ Whan the daie came of execucion the kynges geyler and hangman wente about the towne with a great company of them that shuld suffer deathe the whiche passinge by this Canius house they called hym to bee broughte also forthe amongeste the other at the whiche tyme Canius was plaiyng at the chestes with one of his companyons and hearing them make hast he rose and
telled his men saiyng to his companion Loke now that after my deathe you lye not nor make noo faulse crakes that you haue won this game There with also he bekenyd to the geyler and saied I praie you beare witnes that I haue one man in this game more than my felowe hath ¶ In this wyse this philosopher plaied with death and shortly his quiete herte gaue a fouie checke mate to the tyrauntes crueltie he shewed hym selfe to be in spirite as farte aboue all kinges violent power as these mighty prynces think to haue a stronge dominyon ouer all theyr subiectes The frendes and familiars of this philosopher were veraie sorowfull bewailyng the losse of suche a man to whome what meane you quoth he why be you sad why mourne you for me Is hit not youre studye to knowe whether the soule of man be mortal or immortal The trouth of this harde question I now shall learne and nowe shall I see the trouth of all our doubtes of heuen and of god ¶ Thus talking with his frendes he came to the place of execucion and there a lyttell whyleste other were headded he stode styl in a musyng dumpte What thynke you nowe good Canius quoth one of his frendes Where vppon nowe muse you so ernestly Mary quoth he I haue determined with my self to marke wel whether in this short pange of death my soule shall perceiue and feele that he goeth out of my bodie This pointe I fully entende to take hede of and if I can I will surely brynge you and the rest of my felowes worde what I felte and what is the state of our soules ¶ Here was a wonderfull caulme stomacke in the middest of soo stormye a tempest this mans mynde was worthy of an euer lasting life that was not only to the death studious of knowladg but also in the selfe death founde occasion of learnyng It was not possible for any mans minde to continue his studie longer or to a further pointe than this noble philosopher dyd ¶ This storie and certaine other like maken me often to reson with my selfe what a strength of knowladge is in mans braine to serche and to finde by hym selfe the truth if he enforce his wittes to learne For this Canius and many other were not taught of Christe as we nowe be they had not the rules of faith the which shewe the vndoubtfulle waie to come to the perfytte knowladge of all priuie misteries they were not comforted with the preachyng of goddis son to set lyttell by this life as we now be Thei wer not plucked to conceiue a loue of vertue aboue nature as the holy scripture draweth vs from this world to the beholding of an other place where vertue receiuethe hic crowne Wherfore to me it is noo smalle cause of maruailyng whan I here suche ensaumples of naturall men that by them selfe coulde in suche a maner ryse aboue theyr nature in settynge lyttell by that thyng that naturally euery creature mooste abhorreth and feareth for deathe is the thing that in this worlde by nature is made mooste doubtfull most terrible most heynous and moste worthy to be feared to be eschewed and by all meanes waies gynnes or craft to be escaped To here than a naturall man without the teachyng of god to ryse vp in his phantasie aboue nature to iudge of deathe farre other wise then nature teacheth him to dispise the duraunce in this lyfe whan he knoweth no certainetie of none other world to vse the streÌ„gth and myghte of the spirite againste the puisant power of all tyrantes It semethe to me a wonderfulle thynge and more wonderfull the same shulde be if I sawe not written in holi scripture how that from the fyrste creacion of Adam the goodnes of god hath bene so great towarde mankynde that he hathe gyuen vs alwaie sufficiente grace to knowe the righte to see the hye maiestee of vertue to finde out the true dignitee of the soule to perceiue the vanite of this present life and fynally to vnderstande where in standethe the pleasure of god and wherein standeth his displeasure Euer by goddis mere goodnes man knewe what was well to bee done and what was contrarie yuell to be done It is a lawe written in the herte of man with the finger of god in our creacion to be enduced by reasonne to praise alwaie vertue and to thinke synne woorthy of dispraise The minde of man hath a grace to se further than the bodye syghte can attaine to the mynde of man feleth more subtilly than our fyue wittes can aproche to the losse of bloudde or of brethe is a smal trifull in the mindes consideracion whan the mynde vsethe his owne cleare sighte and is not blynded with the darkenesse of the bodie the whiche stombleth at euerie strawe in this worlde Euery mote choketh a worldely man Euerie littel sounde maketh a worldly man trimble and shake I call a worldely man him that giueth al â—is care to vse his wittes in this worlde that creapeth vppon suche thynges as be lene harde felte tasted and sinelte that clymeth not in no consideracion aboue the mist of this valey The moste parte of men euer haue bene of this weake sorte and yet styll the moste part of men is the same This worlde euer hath his multitude that honoureth worshyppeth and magnifieth nothyng beside this shorte life and those thynges that pertaine to this life Yet againe euer hath there bene some and styll there bee some that playe the philosophers the whiche studied to know the dignities and woorthynesses of euerye thing howe muche it shuld be estemed valuied or regarded of vs the whiche laboreth to picke out in euerye thynge what is good and what is naught Men of this sorte be called spirituall men For you must know that a taillour a shomaker a carpenter a bote man without both lernyng and orders maie be spirituall whan a maister of arte a doctour of diuinitee a deanâ— a bishop both with his cunning and dignities maie be temporall seyng the true diffinicion of a spiritual man is to be one in whom the mynde and spirite cheifelye ruleth Like wise the temporall man is he in whom this present time of this traunsitorie lyfe hath mooste rome Thus I saie spirituall men haue euer sene the trouth to ponder and valure euery thyng in this worlde accordingly And as to the temporall mynde nothyng semeth sweter than to lyue here so the spirituall minde fyndeth swetenes in deathe by the whiche this lyfe endeth For lyke as the prince of this world neuer agreeth with god nor yet the bodie with the soule nor the erthe with heauen soo he that studieth for this time hath cleane contrarie opinions to him that foloweth the spirite And as the temporall man saieth it is a pleasaunte thynge to lyue here and a bytter thyng it is to die so the spirituall man thynkethe it a better tyme to induce the space of this lyfe and muche ioy he
conceiueth by the riddaunce of the soule from the heauy burden of this bodie ¶ Of these contrarye opinyons you shall lesse maruaile whan we haue a littell considered the thyng it selfe what shoulde be death the whiche one parte of vs soo muche feareth and an other sort setteth so littel by the same and so by a short processe you shall see whether the saied Canius bee more woorthy of praise for his littell regardyng the deadly punishement than is frances Philip that within fewe yeres passed was put to execucion with vs for treason the whiche died soo cowardely in soo great panges of feare that he semed extracte from his wittes scant for quakyng and trimbling the wreche could speake one worde The fewe wordes that he coulde with muche stutterynge sounde were onely in the declaracion of his dispraieâ— nor nothynge was sene nor harde of hym but weâ—yng lamentyng wryngyng of his handes with banninge the houre and daie of his byrthe continually sighing as though his hert shuld haue burste for sorowe The difference of these affectes wil here after be I thynke plainer to you whan we haue a littel more spoken in this mattier For nowe good JohnÌ„ I will crepe a littel nygher to your desyre the which you haue of learnyng the waie to die well ¶ THIS DIYNGE well is in effecte to die gladly For who soo euer dieth gladlie he departeth froÌ„ this lyfe in a sure hope to lyue againe beynge nowe wery of this worlde but nother this hope of the lyfe to come nor this werynes of the lyfe presente can make in any man a glad herte to die Oneles he be one that hath lyued well here For in deathe there can be no gladnes excepte there bee a fulle truste of opteyning the rewarde of vertue partely by the truste and faith of a good mynde partely by the mercie of god that fulfilleth euer our insufficiencie yf we bryng ought with vs woorthy of his fauour For goddis grace supplieth where our power lacketh if it soo bee that our soules appere before hym in an apparelle mete for his presence the whiche apparell requireth a perfecte faith and an ernest will of doing well all though we haue not alwaie done wel The mercie of god neuer failethe hym that fully trusteth in it But a ful truste canne not bee withoute the strength of charitee the whiche euer burneth in the loue of doynge good and faith can not be perfect oneles there bee good workes the whiche maie stur vp and quycken in vs faithe to take a beeleue that by Christis actes our final demerites maie grow to be perfect Thus a cherefull hert be sette with faith hope and charitee taketh no pensifulnes in the remembraunce of death but rather it reioyseth to remembre that by death it shall passe to lyfe neuer more to die Wherfore to die well euer is to die gladly either to be ridde from the bondes of this prison or to optaine the lybertee of heauen bothe waies commeth from a good lyfe passed so that surely no man can die well that lyueth not well for euer death is a sorowfull thyng to the euyl lyuer bycause he hath nothing to lay before the mercie of god whervpon he maie take hope and truste to be made worthy of the sure lyfe in the whiche deathe medleth not Nowe than yf we can gether what maie let vs to be gladde of deathe and what wyll bring vs to a desire of diyng gladdely we shall by the same picke out the waie to die well For in my minde these .ii. be alwais one to die well and to die gladly ¶ The glad desire of diyng is letted cheifely by two thynges one by the feare of death the tother by the loue of this lyfe The tone of these foloweth the tother For he that loueth this lyfe feareth to die and he that feareth to die loueth this lyfe Yet we maie speake of eche parte by him selfe and fyrste let vs assaie the greatteste the whiche is the feare of death than next after we will come to the tother the whiche is the loue of this life If these two blockes bee taken out of our stomackes we shall fynde an easy and a plaine waâ— to the ende of our purpose For who someuer nother feareth to die nor loueth to tarie in this lyfe he is redie alwaie to die gladly But to performe my promisse let me saie some what of the saied feare and loue ¶ Fyrste and cheifely the feare of death taketh awaie all gladnes of diyng and therby after myne opinion no man that dieth fearefully can die well soo that to learne the waie of diyng well we must learne the waie to die without feare And yet how I shulde proue that death is not to be feared I can not well tel seyng the hole power of nature sheweth that of all thynges death is most fearefull and to reason againste nature it were paraduenture not soo harde as vaine For what can reason preuaile if nature resistâ— It is a thing to farre aboue mans power to striue or to wrastell with nature hir strengthe passeth the myght of our will what helpe some euer we take of reason or of auctoritee nother counsaile nor coÌ„maundment hath place where nature dothe hir vtter mooste It is none excuâ—e to saie that men feare death bycause they be loth to leaue the commoditees of this lyfe or bycause they feare the thretenynges of purgatorie and of hell or elles bycause they thynke vpon the sore peynefull panges the whiche be in the tyme of death Naie these thinges make not cheifely the feare of diyng it maie well be that of suche thynges the feare is increased and made more ful but there is a feare before and beside all these thinges the whiche feare nature I saie giueth as it is well sene in yong children that haue no remembraunce nother of this life nor of the dedely panges nor of heauen purgatorie or helle Whan we in sporte threten to caste theim headling out at some hye windowe they quake trimble and waxe pale shewynge plaine and euident tokens of a naturall feare towarde deathe And thoughe by learnyng or by a curragious minde somme few amongest vs seme lyttell or nothyng to be moued with deathe yet the ensaumple of these fewe can not take awaie the trouth that nature in all the reste worketh For howe many be there that onely to eschew death suffre al wretchednes al beggarie all peyne in pycking vp crommes of nourisshement to abide a while in this lyght And the more shamfully that men for the moste parte feare to die the greater proffe there is that suche extreme poyntes of feare against all shame shulde not in soo many daiely appere whan death approcheth onles by nature some iuste feare were of the same For as the exceasse of feare cometh by weakenes of herte and lacke of stomacke the whiche is worthy to be rebuked for shamefull cowardnes so there is a meane measure of feare nâ— death
that maie be reckened honest and iuste bycause nature maketh it necessarie ¶ Loke you howe bothe olde and newe stories kepe in memorie their names that appered to dy without feare as who saie it is to be written for a wonder and lyke to a myracle beynge a thynge beside the course of nature to here of a man that can in death ouercome the passion of feare as we wonder to here of some that lyue withouâ—e sustinaunce of meate or of drinke Bycause I saie it is a naturall thynge to feare deathe we greately maruaile of them that feare it not Yet reason saith we shoulde not feare that thynge the whiche we knowe not and onely euyll is woorthy to be feared But seyng we know not deathâ— we maie wel by reion doubt whether it bee euyll or good And now before we speake any more of feare let vs a littel consider death by it selfe what thyng it is of his owne nature and whether by it self it be good or euyll ¶ We call ones deathe the losyng a sonder and departyng of .ii. thinges the soule frome the bodie the whiche departyng no man can escape but necessarily die al we must that be borne in this worlde Whan the body by any violence loseth his sensis and is spoiled froÌ„ the quicke vse of his principall partes than departeth the soule from hym and in maner the body leueth the soule before the soule leaueth the bodie For it is not the soule by hym selfe that goeth frome the bodie but it is the bodie by his forsakyng lyfe that causethe the soule to departe For where lyfe is not there the soule can not abide and as the bodie is lyuely before the soule entereth so the same bodie is deadly before the soule departeth Bloud in his measure and temperaunce betwene colde and hotte kepeth lyfe in the bodie the whiche bloud by innumerable wais of chances may be altered and constramed to leaue his nourishyng whervpon shal insue the losse of life then streight after foloweth the soules goyng away For well you knowe that the soule is one thyng and life is an other Where so euer the soule is there is life But it is not true that where some euer life is there is the soule For trees and herbes haue a parte of life a more parte of life is in muskelles oysters and wormes yet a more perfecte life is in these beastes and birdesâ— the which haue amongeste theim some more some lesse of lifes perfectnesse But though in them life the whiche resteth in the vse of the sensis that be to here to se to fele to smel to tast and in swifte mouynge is a greate worke of life the which thynges I say though they be in the perfection amongest these beastes yet the hand of god hath not giuen to any creature liuyng in the earth water or ayre to haue besyde life a soule the whiche is a thyng formed after his likenesse sauyng onely to man whom he hathput here to rule ouer thynges created like as he ruleth in heauen ouer all It is the creatours wyll that no thynge in this worlde shal haue a soule but man alone the whiche soule bryngeth with him the vse of reason a thyng that maye teache vs bothe that we haue a soule and that god is he the whiche hath thus made vs to be in this worlde his cheife and most excellent creature Reason doth thus teache vs yet beside reason we be herein better instructed by our master the sonne of god so that nowe we can not doubte that in vs is a thyng the whiche can not die But of suietie we euidently se not only by reason but muche better by belefe that the ymage of god in vs is perpetual and can not fele any corruption onelesse suche as our frowarde will maie giue wherof groweth syn that is the lyuyng death of the soule But lette vs come to our mattier ¶ To speake of this bodily deathe we now haue a great fordel in comparison of some olde clerkes that were in doubte whether there was in man any soule beside lyfe more than is in an horse or a gose They were in doubte whether any thyng of man remayned after death that myghte feele or perceiue eyther ioy or peyne For as to the faynynge poetes that spake of delicious gardeynes for good spirites and of diuers soore turmentes for vngracious sowles after this life mooste parte of olde clerkes gaue no maner of credence and they that beleued other an heauen or an hell to bee ordeyned for mens soules yet they so beleued that muche doubtfulnes was in theyr belefe in as muche as their reason suffised not to fynde out the certaintee of goddes workes From the which doubtis the vnfallible doctrine of Christ hath nowe deliuered vs all so that as many as wyll gyue eare to the voyce of god they can not mistrust their knowladge but that without â—uestion both we haue a soule and the same soule is immortal a thing that neither in this worlde nor out of this worlde can perishe or feele any pointe of death to lacke by the same any iote of his beyng I saie our soules continuallye withoute ende shall euer more endure the which be created and made by god after the fourme of god What forme that is it is as harde to shew as it passeth our capacitie to know what god is whose shap and facion our soules beareth ¶ Nowe than what shall we saye of deathe the whiche by hym selfe is not vnlyke to an endles slepe of the bodye wherof the bodye lyeth without power to vse anye sence beyng after life like to a stone that neuer hadde life This chaunge of the bodies state whether by it selfe it bee good or euyll it is an hardâ— thynge for vs to iudge seeyng the trouth is that no man liuynge expertly knoweth what thyng death is and to determine of a thing vnknowen it semethe a presumpcion full of folye Therfore without any certaine determinacion we may for our learnyng debate with reason the thyng as muche as shal be within the bondes of our capacity and fyrst if death were by hym selfe good it shoulde be no trespasse for one man to kyll hym selfe or an other For in giuing to other a good thynge or in takynge to our selfe a good thynge can bee noo rebuke Where the dede is good there is well doyng in the doer But euer not onely by Christes teachynge but also by naturall reason manslaughter hath bene iudged an abhominable synne Wherfore it can not be that by hym selfe deathe is a good thing And againe an euyll thynge it is not For Chryste died wyllyngly the whiche will in god and goddis sonne coulde not haue consented to deathe if deathe had bene a thyng of his owne nature euyll Nor yet it coulde not be that vertue shuld be praised in the glad suffering of death as now be crowned in heauen many holy marters the whiche couragyously toke vpon theim
not death And surely it shoulde not be the naturall ende of mans course in this life if it were a thing by it selfe naught For euill magrie mans heade is neuer put to him as it shuld be yf death were euyll the whiche necessariely man is constrained to suffer Therfore it semeth true that deathe considered alone by it selfe is nother good nor euill But whan we here of diyng wel or diyng euil or of a good deathe or an euill deathe it is not deathe by it selfe that is spoken of but rather the circumstances the maner the facion the cause of deth or that goeth before death or that foloweth death These be the thinges that gyuethe and takethe this name of goodnes or euilnes As to saie that deathe is good bycause it endeth this sinneful life and is the meane to passe from this worlde to heauen or els whan we saie that Iudas died an euil death it is not ment that the departing of Iudas soule from the bodie was euill but the maner of his diyng was the euill thyng his cursed desperacion his dampnable mistrust of goddis mercy his dispitful refusing grace made his death euil The two theues he at the ryght hande and he at the lefte bothe died one kinde of death both nailed to crosses bothe woorthy for their trespasses yet it is trouthe that the tone died well in a good deathe the tother died naughte in an euill deathe not for the deathe by it selfe wherin was no difference but for the diuersitee of their .ii. mindes in takynge of death The tone repented him and asked mercie wherof he died graciouslye the tother continued in his blaspheming god the whiche stubburne stomacke in sinne caused him to die vngraciously It is a thing that foloweth death and is not in deathe it selfe whervpon we loke whan we iudge to bee a good ende or an euil For by the maner of him that dieth we coniecture the state and condicion of the soule the whiche if we finde in our fantasie to be in an euill case as in the daunger of goddes curse we calle deathe euil wherby the soule passed to com to suche sorowe And contrarie if we thinke the soule to be in the fauour of god or to bee redie to take mercie we call death good the whiche conueied the soule to his blys So that by it self death remaineth indifferent to be iudged of diuers consideracions other a good ende or an euill ende ¶ Now than we maie here saie he that feareth deathe shewethe him selfe to bee in doubte of his soules state or els to be certaine that his soule is in goddis curse The whiche fearefull minde is in them that haue soo passed this presente life that either thei haue doen nothing wherby thei maie hope to be rewarded in heauen or els thei haue done so vngraciously that thei can haue no trust of escaping damnable punishement specially if he be a christened man For if he bee not christened and feareth to die he declareth him selfe to haue none higher thoughte of lyfe than the dumbe beastes haue the whiche make by the lawe of nature so much of their lifes that they can minde nothing beside and the losse of their bloud maketh with theim an hole conclusion of their beyng Wherfore beastes mai iustly fle and feare death as the worste thinge that can happen to their state but a man doth hym selfe to muche wronge if he thinke hym selfe in no better condicion than be these beastes It is not in the diuels power to doo man soo great hurte as this false imaginacion dothe And surely vnworthy he is to haue in hym the power of vnderstanding of thinking of prouiding of learning of teaching of diuisyng of remembrynge of louing of hatyng of reasoning of counsailing of infinite mo giftes who some euer iudgeth him selfe to haue noo more than a swyne or an ape hath Loke as by the fiue wittes the bodie knoweth this or that soo by these powers of minde the soule walketh to his vnderstanding and of an heauenly mattier is made this maruailous thinge that dwelleth in mans bodie for a time to be made worthy other of euerlastyng lyfe or of euerlastinge death for the damned soule lyueth in death without ende ¶ But yet what shal we saie to the place we lefte before that naturally deathe is feared Lette it bee the woorkyng of nature yet I see not but the strength of mans mind fully fastened in faithe maie victoriously ouer come all this feare as we finde many ensamples of men that so haue done not only of them that haue bene helped with faith but also of many paynymes the whiche toke a courage to dispyse death onely of a mightie and valiant minde to haue reason subdue in theim the power of all affectes ¶ I finde a lerned painime wrote that we shoulde nother care for life by it selfe nor yet for deathe by it selfe He saith that we shulde care to liue well and to die well and let life and deathe passe without care For life is not good but to liue wel is good ¶ If painymes haue this righte consideracion of life and of death what shame is it for Christened meÌ„ to care for deathe seeyng Christe whose wordes can not but be true soo vehemently forbyddeth vs the same that painimes sawe by reason to be done Againe seyng this death is so common a thyng daiely in our sight why shoulde we feare it Thynges that sildome chaunce mai stur vp by their raâ—enes great fere thinges that be euer at hande shuld by their familiaritee and custome nousell vs to sette littell by them Furthermore he that feareth death comyng to hym wolde feare by lykelyhode death if it coulde be with hym whan deathe is suche a thing that other it is not yet come or els it is paste For noo man can saie that death is present So this feare can neuer be ioyned with the thing that is feared Againe that thyng that euery man maie do no man lightly dothe that thyng that no man can helpe him selfe in that for the moste parte all men do No man almost studieth or careth how well he maie liue but howe longe he maie liue euerye man musethe whan the trouthe is that it might of all men be optained to liue wel and noo man can further him selfe to liue longe A like frowardenes is in our remembraunce of deathe we busilye labour and enforce to dreame of deathe the whiche thing we can not do we might finde the waie to die well and this thing we will not do This madnes JohnÌ„ I trust you will put of and feare not deathe the whiche you can not escape But feare an euill death the whiche you maie flee ¶ Amonge many commoditees of death I reken one cheifely to be set by that it is good to die well to escape therby the occasion of liuinge euill and surely he dieth well that for suche an intente taketh deathe gladdely ¶ More ouer consider you well and
you shall see that in hym the whiche is curious to lyue fortune hath a great rule but in hym that can die gladdely fortune hath noo power And what a wretchednes it is to be vnder fortunes vanitee I reporte me to theim whome we beholde daiely diuersly vexed as wel with immoderate lustes of to muche welth as with passing sorowes of to muche trouble Therfore to be out of fortunes thraldome sette littell by this lyfe that is to saie feare not deathe ¶ It pleased me to reade a painimes opinion that saied He is as foolishe that feareth deathe as he that feareth to be olde For as after young age foloweth the old so after olde age streighte folowethe deathe And a madde mans pointe it is to feare deathe seyng thinges vncertain the whiche maie chance and maie not chance bee only worthie of feare but thing certain without doubt comming must be loked for not feared The necessitee of deathes comminge is equalle and without remedie soo that other to complaine or to flee at deathe it is a plaine maddenes For who can complaine to be in the condicion in the whiche indifferently all men of this worde be ¶ And againe if the paine of dyyng were a thinge to make deathe fearefull firste it shoulde be a comforte to remembre that after the paine of deathe there shall bee noo more paine and as Epicure saith If it be an extreme sore paine it is shorte For no vehement paine can bee longe This were enoughe to make death not muche to be cared for Euerie waie deathe is a thing neuer to bee feared of a wise man and neuer to be out of minde bothe with good men and wise men And as for the feare of deathe were not he I praie you a starke foole that woulde wepe and waile bycause he was not borne to this life a thousande yeres ago no lesse a foole is he who so euer soroweth because he can not liue a thousande yeres to come For these .ii. saiynges be euen and equallye trew you were not you shall not be So that one minde shulde be in vs as wel to remembre we shall not bee as to remembre we ones were not It is no newe thing to die our fathers our graundfathers our great forsiers be gone the waie that both we shall goo and all that folowe vs muste come the same ¶ More ouer in as muche noo labour wit crafte nor diligence preuaileth to escape death no power no tyches no auctoritee helpethe but all indifferentely bee called of death all without choyse muste folowe the traine of death no corner can hide vs no walles can defende vs no waie nor meane no intreatie no praier no suite nothing vnder heauen can kepe vs from deathes hande Let vs than take a lustie courage of this desperacion seyng there is no remedy let vs man fully go to it ¶ The moste feareful and coward beastes that of nature be made to flee whan thei be driuen in to suche straites that thei can renne no further thei turne theimâ— and with the power of their mighte thei enforce to escape And surely it is euer sene that those ennemies bee euer moste terrible the which be driuen by extreme force to fight For necessitee correctethe and chastiseth our hertes muche more sharply than vertue can doo Wherof a desperate minde shall do greatter actes or at the least no lesse than a valiant stomacke can do In this necessitee of death we nowe be al it is vaine for vs to flee or to ren awaie our feare can finde no place of flighte Lette vs imagine the trouthe as in dede it is that we be all betraied to die It is so JohnÌ„ that without doubt we be all kepte in a streite corner to bee ridde of this life There is no hope of remedie All this people that you se howe long thinke you shall be It shall not be longe but all shall by the course of Nature be called hens to death and there hid It maketh noo force neither of the daie nor of the place There nedeth no questioÌ„ to be asked either where or whan al must come to one ende other soner or later other before or after What now JohnÌ„ doth not he seme vnto you a shamefull cowarde and a feareful wretch a plain kikkes without an herte that with much intercession with many praiers desireth a littel delay of death If you sawe one stand in the numbre of many that shoulde be headeded makyng most instant suite to the hangman that he might be the last that shulde put his head to the blocke wold you not saie fie vpon such a wretched knaue that so muche feareth deathe beyng nowe at the pointe to die whether he will or noo and yet this maner nowe is with vs all For the most part it is greattely valured with vs to die some what behinde other none is so nighe death by age that desireth not to differre from this daie vntil to morowe whan in trouth suche a weake minde is in effecte dead and buried longe before the bodie faileth Lifte vp therfore your herte onely bycause there is no remedie desire not to flee whan there is noo place to ren to lette necessitee giue you a courage if al other strength decaieth What a stomacke was in the saied Canius of the which sort the stories make mencion to haue ben many amongest the painimes ¶ A tirant fiersly thretened Theodore the philosopher that he shuld die and that his bodie shulde lie to crowes vnburied worshippefully saied aunswered this Theodore to the tiraunt Thou maist be proude of thy power Bycause one ounce or two of bloud is in thy handes And as for the buriall of my body O howe folishe thou art if thou reken it to be any difference whether I rot vnder or aboue the grounde ¶ Of such couragious aunsweres the stories of paâ—unes be ful But muche more the bokes of Christened men be full of such ensamples ¶ Christes faith made innumerable stronge champions inuincible stomackes not only toward death but againste all the cruell deuises that could be found to make death more painfull than death The holy martires were so farre from all pointes of feare that thei semed to enforce and to striue to haue death giuen theim Their mirthe was to suffer the horrible persecucion of tirauntes No reason nor learning coulde worke suche strengthnes of hertes in mennes mindes as the faith of Christe brought ¶ Loke howe sainct Paule reioyseth in his troubles howe he glorieth in his scourginges whyppinges in his prisonment in his fetters all his lyfe semed to be a continuall deathe yet his herte neuer gaue ouer but vexed by the paines daily stronger and stronger to suffer a freshe Feare of death was so farre from his minde that he was gladde to remembre howe ones he shoulde die and thereby passe to Christes presence whose quarell he defended in this world with all his might and power ¶ Loke vpon sainct Laurence liyng broyling
vppon the burninge cooles as merie and as quiete as thoughe he laie vppon swete reed roses Whan the turmentours turned his body vpon the fierie grediernes he bad the cruel tiraunt eate of his burned side whiles the tother part was a rostyng This saiyng declared that this holy marter feared no deathe ¶ How many thousande marters suffered incredible paines of flaiyng with hokes their skynne from the fleshe of scrapyng with tile stones the fleshe frome the bones of rentyng and tearing membre from membre with horses with bowed branches of trees of beatyng with whippes till the bowelles fall out of hangyng of burning of Crucifiyng of infinite straunge and new deuises for paine Howe many I saie suffred all that cruell tirauntes could imagine either with haÌ„d fier or iron rather than they wold ones denie them selfe to be of Christes profession Whan it was proclaimed that who so euer wold saie he was Christened he shulde cruelly be put to death There passed no daie without a greatte numbre of them that boldly spoke tho woordes of the whiche shulde folowe so blouddie a slaughter This was a manyfest token that feare of death hadde no maner of place with our blessed martiers the whiche with a constant boldnes defied and dispised the mighty cruel and fierse emperours their courage to die ouerthrewe the ragynge madnes of tyrauntes The cause of this mirthe in soo pitious martirdomes was that this blessed men knewe howe Christ nother coulde nor wolde deceiue them but that for their littell regardyng of this life thei shulde optaine an other life where their ioy shuld neuer haue nother chang nor decrease nor ende Therefore my good Walker mistrust you not Christe whose doctrine the heauen and the erth hath by innumerable miracles this many hundreth yeres approued and confirmed to be true the bloud of so many sainctes haue witnessed the same and the diuels with all the damned spirites so surely beleue the trouthe of Christes teachyng that thei trimble and quake there Bee not moued with the common ensample of the hole worlde though bothe spirituall and temporall men though the pope with all his cardinals byshoppes and priestes thoughe the princes with all their gentilmeÌ„ and subiectes magnifie esteme loue norishe and by all meanes cherish this life yet beleue you the trouth and thinke all the worlde faulse where Christes saiyng agreeth not with that the worlde dothe If it wer possible that you sawe the angels of heauen liue contrary to the preachyng of Christe yet againste theim all beleue the sonne of god and loue not to abyde in this lyfe whan Christe callethe you hense make a final valure of this present pleasures whan Christ saith all be vanitees and maie bee tourned to endles sorowes Regarde noo honoure noo promocion here whan Christe saith the place of honour is in heauen and here is none aduancement that is not both shame and also may be cause of a perpetuall wretchednes Dispise the ease and rest that theie riches bringeth in as muche Christe saithe that of them be taken many impedimentes and leâ—s to entre into the sure quietnes of blessed soules Thinke no place to be for your abiding in this worlde whan Christe saith here is not your countrey but your father and your dwelling place is in heauen Hast therfore hense This is to saie bee willinge to forsake this straunge countrey And seyng the waie to your homewarde lieth by death take a couragious stomacke to die and die gladly that you may die well Beleue I saie Christâ— and you shall thinke it painfull to be in this life Beleue Christe and you shal be gredie to be partaker of the heauenly ioyes whervpon will folowe a pleasant remembraunce of deathe by the whiche you shall departe from your paine to that ioye the whiche you desire And hereof is made a glad diyng the whiche I still name a good diyng Thus if we can take this feare a waie we bee well forwarde and hereof will easily ensue the reste that is to die gladdely It is a true saiyng that who so euer feareth deathe he shall neuer doo a dede woorthie for a lyuing man Therfore if it were but onely for lifes sake it is our part to dispise the feare of deathe ¶ Beside this feare of deathe the loue I saie of this life sore hindereth the gladnes of diyng no man dieth gladly that estemeth muche this life He that rekeneth in this worlde him selfe happie whan he hathe gotten ryches possessions auctoritee promocion a roial state a prince like courte abundaunce of welthie fare a rule and power bothe to auaunce his frende and to vndoo his foo this man I saie that gloriethe in his fantasye for these and suche other thinges can not but with muche sorowe depart hense To this mans herte the remembrance of death is a euer greuous thought his minde can not but lament whan he seeth the necessitee to be pluckid and draweÌ„ from these commoditees in the whiche resteth the ioye pleasure and gladnes of his minde he hath soo stedfastlie accustomed him selfe to take this worlde for heauen that it will not synke in his braine to hope of an other heauen he hath so corrupted his taste with thinking this life to be swete that nedes it must be a bytter thing to make an ende of all his pleasures and in this case bee not onely thei that haue this world at their will but also thei be in the same case that haue naughte and be gredie of hauing As muche loueth he this worlde that woulde faine be riche as he that is riche It is not the hauing nor the lackynge of abundance in goodes that maketh a sorowful hert in the remembrance of death but it is the minde that valureth and pondreth these presente goodes to bee of a greatte price and worthie to be taried for This minde I saie as wel in a communer as in a kynge as well in a yoman as in a lorde as well in an hermite monke or frier as in a marchant plowman or vacabund as well in beggars as in riche meÌ„ is the thyng that causeth sorowe in diyng And gladly no man dieth that loueth the welthe of this life Wherfore the learning to die well requireth necessarie a lesson howe much the goodes of this worlde be worthie to be regarded And let the truthe haue in your stomacke his place so that if it be true that the thinges of this life be worthy to be loued and to bee cared for thanne loue you them and care for theim If the truthe be other wise change your minde and nother loue these saied thinges nor care for theim Of the truth in this matter no maÌ„ can doubte that beleueth Christe whom if you thinke to be god you muste also thinke it all trouth that he saithe It can not bee otherwise than Christe testifieth whose preaching euer exhorteth vs to wilfull pouertee the whiche is nother to loue y â— goods of this world though we haue them nor
to care for them though we haue them not onely by Christes teachynge we shoulde care for the kingdom of heuen the whiche standethe in the cleanes of conscience where euer is a place and a seate for the hie maiestee of the holy trinitee All other thinges necessarie for this life be not to bee cared for nor yet to bee valured more than their dignitees requireth that is to saie no more than is conueniente for instrumentes and tooles to the pylgrimage and passage of this straunge countrey For in this worlde wee haue noo home our father dwellethe not in this region we be in this life out of our propre countrey we shuld hast homewarde to the ioyfull presence of our owne father that abidethe vs in heauen the whiche hathe a greatter charge ouer vs his children here than he hathe ouer the beastes or birdes the which by his only prouision without their care lacketh nothing for their necessitie Muche more saithe oure maister Christ if we tourned al our care to godward we shuld not be destitute of suche thinges as necessarily this presente life nedethe And where Christ so streightly commaundeth almes dedes saiyng that who soeuer helpeth not a poore man in his nede he will not helpe him nor yet knowe hym at the fearefull daie of dome in so muche that it pleaseth Christ to say that euery poore man representeth the person of goddes son so that he that regardeth not a poore man dispiseth the son of god In this doctrine what thinke you Whether dothe Christ commaund almes deades for the poore mans sake that shoulde take almes or for the riche mans sake that shuld giue almes In takynge almes I fynde noo vertue and nedes it is a thing partainyng to vertue that Christ wolde haue done Therfore surely it is for the riche mans sake For it is Christes lesson that teacheth vs to haue noo inwarde loue to these casuall goodâ—s the whiche we muste put from vs where we se them that want such thinges And a profe of a perfect stomacke is taken in him that vtterlie leauethe and forsaketh al this worlde to folowe Christe the whiche byddeth the riche man that wil be perfecte to go and sell all that he hath and deale all to poore men For as hard a thing it is to plucke through the smale nedles eâ—e a greatte caboull rope as to bringe a riche man in at heauens wycket not that it is impossible for a rich man to be saued but because it is harde for a man in a welthy state to kepe his minde in a due order to godwarde without beyng drowned or infected by the contagious lustes and corrupted pleasures the whiche foloweth the fortunate life of this worlde And nothinge is more in a riche man to be feared than lest he set his minde to loue his riches the whiche loue can neuer stande with the pleasure of god Remembre the saiyng of the apostell sainct Paule The loue of riches is the rote of all sin Therfore let not this loue grow in your herte from whense shoulde spring the fruite of damnacion Here of my frende Walker I trust you se that withoute question it is Christes will to haue vs littell regarde this life and muche lesse to regarde all the commoditees appertaynninge to this life It is god that saithe The losynge of life in this worlde is the findyng of life in a nother worlde and that wepyng sorowe peine tribulacion pouertee shame persecucion and finally deathe in this life is laughing ioye pleasure ease riches honour quietnes and fynally life in the kyngdome of god ¶ Contrarie the same maister testifieth that mirthe welthe reste glorie abundaunce strengthe libertee rule and finally life in this worlde is lamentyng grefe trouble slaunder miserie weakenes thraldome bondage and finally deathe in goddes reigne In this tenour and key sowneth al our holy scripture Wherfore me thinke it is enough to proue to a Christened man that the welthye state of this worlde is vayne and ieoperdous because Christe so teachethe and precheth and surely a greater profe by reson for this matter with you I will not use at this time Let Christe bee beleued that biddethe you gether a treasure in heauen where your riches shall be sure froÌ„ mothes wormes and rusting from theues fier and water If your treasure be ones couched in heuen streighte your herte shall also bee there and so shal you take no pleasure of tariyng in this life but rather it shal be werines and tediousnes to you to be here absente frome your hertes desire the whiche alwaie sticketh and cleaueth to your treasure in heauen If it so be that after Christes counsaile you haue there put all your goodes and substaunce If nother we feare deathe nor loue this life I thinke the chefe impedimentes and lettes of oure purpose to die wel be taken awaie and nowe we maie a littell deuise what thinge maie helpe vs in our iourney after these stones and blockes be gone ¶ In my minde nothing shal further vs more to a glad death than shall an ordinate life that is to liue in a iuste and due maner after one rule and one forme euer awake in a quicke remembrance of death as though euery houre were our laste space of induraunce in this world Whan you rise in the morning determine so to passe the daie folowyng as thoughe at nyghte a graue shulde be your bed Let euery daie be reckened with you as your last This minde shall make you bestow wel your life the whiche is to you vncertaine howe long it shall continue ye rather in doubte you be howe sone or howe shortely life shall be taken from you What so euer you take in hande be thinke you that before you ende it death maie oppresse you workyng This is the thing that Christ wold haue vs do whan he soo often warneth and admonisheth vs to take heede and to loke aboute vs because nother the daie nor the houre of our callynge is certaine to vs. Therefore it is our parte of a tyme soo muche vncertaine to make a tyme sure certaine and present that we neuer bee taken vnwares by the whiche meanes we shall gladdely suffer death seeyng it is a thing so longe before prepared For whye shulde it be a straunge thing to reken euery daie to be the laste I see not but that thing that happeneth and chanseth to some of vs might come to any of vs and like wise all might haue that that a fewe hath There is no cause to denie but as well this daie you or I might die as we se this daie some other deed and thoughe we bee not deed this daie yet it is trouth that this daie we die and daiely sithen our firste byrthe we haue died in as muche that daiely some parte of our life hath bene diminisshed and euer as we haue growen so euer life hath decresed We were babes we were children we were boyes we were young men all these ages
be loste and tyll yesterdaie all tyme past is gone and lost This same selfe daâ—e that we nowe liue is deuided and parted with death Still without ceassing we approche to deathe by the expence and wast of life Thus diyng we alwaie be though death â—e not alwaie vpon vs. Conceyue thaÌ„ this ordinate life in your mind and bestowe your time whilest you haue the time Aboue all thinges flee idelnes the whiche is a thing bothe to the bodie and to the soule like a kankeryng rustines and as an eatyng consumpcion it wasteth to naught both vertue strength A man the whiche is in the life that you be may sone be corrupted with this contagion of idelnes if he bee not well ware and diligentely enforce him selfe to the contrarie For I se you haue a maister so affectionate and giuen to you that he will nother suffer you lacke any thinge mete for your helth or qÌ„etnes but also he had rather forâ—ere his own commoditees than for his seruice you shulde be disquietted So tender he is in all poyntes ouer you that if you poÌ„der well his state and your own condicion you shall find your life better defended frome all stormes againste the mindes reste than your maisters condicion is He is in suche a sight of the world thaâ— necessarilie his studie and care must moue him to satisfy the great expectacion that his hole countrey hath of his towardenes And fortune one the tother side is soo contrary to him that nedes he must by wisedome procure with no smalle thought howe he maie in penurie maintaine the outward face of his reputacion so that for your quietnes his minde often labourethe where you maie doo what you will withoute feare of the worldes displeasure without feare of lackyng or not hauing enough for your necessaries and muche more than necessitee requirethe Labour haue you none but that maie be rather taken for a pastyme thoughte to please your maister you neede not take in as much you maie be assured that he can not nor will not for the time of his life chaunge his affection towarde you Therfore I saie it maie be feared in one of your state leste idelnes shoulde brede a foule slouens neste the which were enoughe to distroye all lustines of vertue and to make you long deed and buried in this worlde before life forsakethe you For my good IohnÌ„ I will haue you knowe and remembre that idelnes is called the graue of liuinge men it is the thing wherin life dieth and therby your soule is twyse buried in you ones in your bodie nexte in your slouth The which vice in seruing men moste reighneth and the same is roote of many vnthryftie thoughtes whervpon foloweth a worse idelnes than the tother is For it is an euill idelnes to do noo thyng but a worse idelnes it is to do not well Suche an euill felow saincte Chrisostomus calleth a dissolatyng or a boide baiting place where into the diuell entreath as in to his own house by good right For where vertue is not exercised there the ennemy of grace claimeth his rule it is not now my purpose to shewe what you shulde do that you might not only fâ—e idelnes but also be well occupied This were a matter enough for a nother worke I haue my entente at this time if you see that death is not to bee feared and that by continuall remembraunce of deathe you shall prepaire your self to die gladly with a good will the whiche you can not do oneles you be in hope of the euâ—rlastyng life and this hope requireth some truste in the clenes of a good conscience the whiche euer foloweth a gracious entenâ—e of liuing well So that if you liue wel you shall die well And of the waie to liue wel you can not misse if you arme your minde to bee stronge against all suddennes of deth Praie euer continually without cessinge you muste but what is this continuall praier I wolde you learned For of praier it is but one final porcion the saiyng of psalmes or axyng with wordes of god his grace the bâ—raie praier is to be euer well minded to bee euer in charitee to haue euer the honour of god in remembraunce to suffer no rancore none ire no wrathe no malice no synne to abide in your delite but to be in a continuall good thoughte the whiche you maie kepe whether you sleepe or wake whether you eate or drinke whether you feast or fast whether you reste or labour neuer paraduenture you can praie better than whan you muste giue your selfe to serue your maister to whom the course of your life is due and bounden specially whan god hath giuen you such a maister whome your seruice can not please without you be studious to please god For well you se that without vertue your seruice weere to your maister an vnsauerie thing but as I haue said it is not now my purpose to apoynte you the waie of liuinge well if you haue harde enoughe to die well I haue for my part now saied enough and shortlie by the same you shall of yourself without further helpe finde the waie to liue wel Now that by this I thinke my promisse fulfilled I will at this point bed you farewel And I praie god giue you a strong corage to passe valiantly through death to come from thense to euerlastyng life by the helpe and grace of our maister and sauiour Christe to whome let vs for euer more render al glorie praise and honour Amen At Paris the .x. day of Ianuarie FINIS A sermon of sainct Chrysostome that no man is hurte but onely of hym selfe I Knowe well that all men of a grosse iudgemente and giuen to the pleasures of this present life drouned in worldelines bound seruanies to their owne lustes that regarde not the spirituall sence shall thinke my tale meruailous and newe and paraduenture will moâ—ke me as thoughe in the firste entre and title of our sermon we purpose a thing bothe folishe and that to noo mans eares can seme true But this not withstanding we wol prosecute our entente and by this frowardnesse we shal be more sturred to approue the saied sentence so that thei the whiche seme agreued with our speakyng will in the beginning haue a littell pacience nor will not at the first hearing interrupt my tale but bee contente to abide the ende and conclusion of this mattier For plainlie if thei so do I am perswaded that they shall vtterly change their mindes herein and cleaue to our partee deniyng their owne opinion and rebukynge theim selfe for their errour that they haue hitherto defended and further more thankyng me as sicke men thanke phisicions whan they haue recouered their helth So now I wold not haue the bring forth thine olde rooted opinioÌ„ but a littel tarie and consider the reasons of my tale wherby thou maist iustlie iudge of this mattier and speciallye whan thou haste lopped and cutte awaie thine own croked fantasi that
glorious resurrection of our sauiour Christe If the blessed Iob I saie lackyng this ayde of Christes passion was able to resist all the findes malice howe muche more thou christen man art able to withstand al stormes If thou wilt vse and exercise thy power take ayde and succour of thy faith it is not possible for the to be ouercome For beholde S. Paule howe muche he suffred his peines can scant be tolde the prisons the bondes the scurges the whippes the strokes the blowes the tormentes bestoned he was of the Iewes with roddis all beaten cast down headlyng in the handes of theues he suffred of his enemies of his false bretherne continuall reason in his minde he suffred feare outwarde he suffred striues batailes hunger thrist nakednes defaming tribulacion beastes what nede I speake more he daily died and yet all this not withstanding not one smalle vnpaciente worde escaped his lippes but he in these thynges glorieth and reioyceth and with myrth saieth I take pleasure in my passions and tribulacions If than S. Paule suffering so great vexacions was glad and ioyfull and gloried in the same what excuse shall they haue that for euery trifle and small wronge or beating or other trouble farre vnlike to these foresaied aske a vengeaunce crie out and make a sorowfulle a doo Here thou comest againe and saist If I without resisting suffre my goodes shal be taken from me and therby I shall be made vnmete to do any worke of mercy This is an euasion nothing laudable For yâ— thou desyre to worke mercy and to do almese dedes here what I say Pouertie letteth not a man to exercyse mercifull actes I say it letteth not a man that is mercifull For though thou be poore thou shalte haue ii mytes or one fardyng the whiche whan thou haste offered it shal be reckened to the aboue al the treasure of ryche men Thoughe thou bee poore thou haste anne handfull of meale that sufficeth to fede a prophete that if thou bee so poore that thou lackest these saied littell and small thinges yet beleue me thou shalt neuer lacke a cuppe of colde water whereby thou maist passe all maner of rychesse largely bestowed in mercifull workes For god requireth a mercifull mynde not the quantitie of money nor the hepe of goodes Dost thou now se that thou sufferest none hurt whan thou loseste all thy goodes ye thou hast a great gaines and vaÌ„tage For thou hast with two mites or for the price of a cup of cold water bought the croune of euerlasting life y â— whiche other scante with their infinyte expences opteine I doubt not but this tale is playne to theim that be studious of the trouth and haue care for their spirituall health and saluacion but to theim that lye in the bondes of their pleasures in the prison of theyr lustes that wast theyr holle lyfe in the course of syn to theym this tale is vayne and foolyshe bycause theyr mynde and studye enbraceth nothyng but shadowes and wyndes For these thinges that seeme to them the goodes of this worlde shall slyppe out of their handes flee from theim lyke as shadowes and the wynd Wherfore it is well that we open to this sorte the priuy causes of these fantasies and let vs take away the image that deceiuethe theym and shewe to theym the veraie plaine face of this filthy and sluttish harlotte the whiche they loue and enbrace For surely I call this present lyfe an harlot an hoorishe woman the whiche life is spent in the plesures and the vanitie of riches in the delites and the power of this world And I do not only call this lyfe an harlot but a foule stinking sluttishe and beastly harlot whose face is so farre out of shape and facion soo bytter so croked and cruell a loke that there is none excuse for theim that bee deceiued by hir loue And yet this not withstanding we see many ye the most part of this worlde to be drowned in the pleasure of hir and though they se that in this lyfe all thinges be cruell and bloudy full of ieoperdyes full of dethes of misfortunes And where men see hir beset with moste vnhappy naughtye packis with sclanders rebukes hatred enuy deceytes treasons complaaintes thoughtes extreme cares continuall feare and with a thousand such other vngracious gosseppes and handmaides be compassed rounde about as with a garde of serpentes amongest whom is no comfort nor frute but only cruel slaughter deathe pestilence and perpetuall peyne yet how many be there that loue hir and that busily folow hirâ— The folishnes of them is so great soo stockisshe that no reason can plucke theim frome this destruction no euidente exaumple of innumerable other that continuallye and hourely perishe Shall not I reken these fooles more blockisshe more rude more childishe than littell babesâ— the whiche be holly giuen to sportes and plaies and soo busily driue about a round houpe so busily scourge a top through the long cloisters or about the stretes that they can not bee plucked from their game beynge vtterlye ignorant and without knowladge that in suche plaies is noo profite nothynge of valure yet the folye of these younge babes is excused by their few yeres and tendre age but these other in their perfect age old in the numbre of yeres what excuse shal thei bring forth for defending and kepyng a minde much folisher and weaker than any childes Now than tell me I praie the why semeth riches worthy to be desired For me thinke I must of riches begin with the. Thou answerest because it apereth to many men that riches for our helth life name and fame and the state of our countrey bee more commodious than other frendes kinsmen ye than all other thinges that be This goodly and semely sentence is not onely obserued bothe by the sea and lande but is nowe mounted vppe aboue the clowdes to the sterres I knowe well that this reason is not so muche a sounde of wordes as it is a bourninge flame and fire that distroieth the hole world and no man there is that gothe about to quenche it but many there be that blow to it and more and more kendâ—e it For all sortes of men fauoure this mischeife and praise of riches not onely they that be partakers therof but they also that yet bee not come therto Thou maiest se euery kinde of men whether it be man or woman seruaunt or maister riche or poore to the vttermoste that he can helpethe to increase this fire and caste some mattier thervpon labouring in it bothe by daye and night all I saie bring to this fire plentie of mattier plentie of faggottes not of wod nor strawe nor hey for this kinde of fire consumeth no suche mattier but thei cast vpon it heapes of euil workes and vngracious dedes bothe of their bodie and soule wherwith this sore fire is kendled and fedde For these couetous riche men though it wer possible for eche of theim to
by his owne mouthe with a prouident exhortacion and therwith preparynge and comfortynge the people of his churche to the paciente sufferaunce of thinges to come wherin he prophesed and declared vnto vs that battaill famine erthquakes and pestilence shoulde arise in sondry countreyes and places And to the entent that no sodaine dread or feare of straunge thinges anoyyng vs shulde in any wise oppresse or abashe vs he tolde vs before that toward the ende of the world aduersitees and troubles shoulde more and more be increased Now beholde al that whiche he spake of hath hapened and is come among vs. And sith that is now happened whiche was before spoken of there shall also nowe ensue all that whiche was promised oure lorde hym selfe promisyng and saiyng What time ye shall see all these thynges come to passe than be you sure that the kingdom of heauen is at hand The kyngedome of heauen good frendes beginnynethe nowe to approche The rewarde of life and the comforte of helth euerlastyng perpetuall gladnes and the possession of Paradise whiche before we had loste nowe the worlde passing awaie become and at hand euen nowe after thinges erthely do succede that whiche is heauenly after smalle thynges great thinges and precious after thinges transitory thinges eternall or euerlastyng What tyme is it nowe to be sad Or who amonge these troubles wil be timorus or sorowfull but onely he in whome lacketh bothe faith and hope for he onely feareth deathe which will not go vnto Christ and he whiche will not go vnto Christ is he whiche dothe not beleue that he nowe beginnethe to raigne with Christe It is writen The iust man liueth by faith If thou bee a iuste man thou liuest by faith If thou beleueste truely in god commyng to Christe and beynge sure of his promisse why doesre not thou ren and imbrace Christe nowe thou art called Why doest not thou thanke god and reioyce that thou arte out of the diuilles daunger ¶ The iuste man Symeon who verely was a good and a iust man and kepte the commaundemences of god ful of faith whan aunswere was made vnto him from almightee god that he shoulde not die vntill he had sene Christ whan Christ being a babe came with his mother into the TeÌ„ple he in spirite knewe that Christe was nowe borne of whose coming he was before warned And whan he behelde him he knewe that he hym selfe shoulde shortely after departe frome this worlde Wherfore beyng ioyful of death that approched and beyng sure of his sone sending for he toke the blessed babe in his armes and with praises and thaÌ„kes vnto god he saied with a lowde voyce Nowe good lorde thou wilt licence thy seruaunte to departe from this mortall life in peace accordynge to the woorde that thou sendest me For nowe mine eyen haue beholde thy prouision of remedy that thou hast prepared in the sight of all people As who saith prouing and witnessynge also that thanne peace was come to the seruauntes of godâ— and that than was a peasible quietnes Whan we beyng drawen out of the stormes of this worlde desyre to come to the heauen of perpetualle suretee and also whan deathe beyng from vs excluded we attaine to immortalitee or life euerlasting That is our peace that is our sure tranquillitee that is our stedfast our fyrme and perpetuall suretee Furthermore wha◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we in this worlde but fight againste the deuil daiely in battail and against his waypon and ordinaunce make resistance with continuall conâ—â—ictes We striue daily with auarice with lechery with wrath with ambicion We haue a busie and painfull wrastlyng with carnall vices and worldely delectacions The minde of man is besiged and all about compassed and assaulted with sinne and hardly is matched on al partes and maie vneth resiste and defende hym from all For if he ouerthrowe Auarice than stertethe vp lecherie If lecherie be oppressed ambicion cometh in hir place and although ambicion be neglectedâ— yet wrath wil exasperate Pride inflatith drunkennes allureth enuie breaketh concorde and by the same is frendshyp dissolued Thou art constrained to curse whiche the lawe of god dothe prohibite Thou art compelled to sweare whiche is vnlefull These persecucions thy minde daily dothe suffre with these many perils thy stomake is vexed And yet doeste thou delite to tarie longe here amonge the swordes of people malicious whanne rather thou shouldeste coueite and desire deathe settynge the forwarde to haste the towarde Christ he saiyng to vs in his doctrine I telle you verelye ye shall bothe weepe and waile but the worlde shall reioyce and be mery ye shall be heauy and sorowfull but your heauines shall be tourned into mirthe Now who will not make haste to come where he shal be mery who wil not wishe to lacke alwaie heauines But at what time our sorow shall be tourned myrthe our lorde him selfe declareth saieyng I shall se you againe and your hertes shal reioice and that gladnes shal no man take frome you Wherefore sithe to see Christ is perfecte reioysynge and our gladnes maie not bee without beholdyng of him what blyndnes of minde yea what madnes were it to loue the vexacions paines and continuall sorowes of this present worlde And not rather to make all spedy deligence to come to the iois whiche maie neuer bee taken from the This doth happen deare frendes because that faith lacketh for no man doth beleue that such thinges shall come whiche almightee god who euer is true hath all redie promised whose worde is eternall and to theim that beeleue alwaie sure and constaunt ¶ If an honourable man and of great grauitee did promise the any thyng thou wouldeste truste him and wouldest not thinke to bee deceiued of hym whome thou knowest to be as wel in worde as in dede substancial and stedfast But now almightee god talketh with the in his scripture and thou as false and disloial doest flitter in a minde mistrustfull and wauering God hath promissed to the whan thou shalte departe from this worlde immortalitee and life euerlastynge And yet not withstandyng thou doubteste that is as muche to saie as thou knoweste not god And also thou willingly offendest Christ the master of al them that beleue with the sinne of incredulitee or lacke of beleue and that thou being constitute and admitted into the churche of god haste not faith in the house of faithe Howe muche the departing frome this worlde shall bee to thy profite Christe him selfe maister of our profite and helthe dothe declare where he saith to his disciples whiche sorowed because he tolde theim that he woulde depart If ye loued me ye woulde reioyce for as muche as I go to my father Therby teaching and declarynge vnto vs that whan they whom we do moste fauour or loue do depart out of this worlde we shoulde rather bee gladde than sorie Whiche thynge the blessed apostle remembryng saithe in his Epistole My lyuing is Christe and
auoide that is right Loue more to here than to sai Here in the begining speake last of al the last speche is better theÌ„ the first Obedience VUorship euery man for the merite of holines After their worthines geue to euery man worship Suppose not thy selfe euen to thy soâ—eraigne Giue obeisaÌ„ce to thine elders Serue their biddynges bowe to their autoritie folow their will Obey to all men in good biddinges yet so obey the to man that thou offend not y â— wil of god Therfore fulfil mekely the charges that thou hast take vpon the be obeidient to gods ordinance be noâ—â—ardy dy to do against his will Dispose all thinges not with a sturdy but with an easie hert Beware of worshippes whiche thou maieste not haue without sinne Soueraignetee BUsy the rather to bee loued of thy subiectes then to be dread Let thy subiectes rather worship serue the for loue than for dread or for nede Quite the such to thy subiectes that thou be more loued thaÌ„drad With a soueraigne goodnes gouerne thy subiectes Be not fere ful to thy subiectes be such lorde to them that thei be glad to serue the. Both in punishing and cherishing kepe a meane be not to straite ne forgiue not to sone Kepe maner in all thy worke It longeth to a wise man â—o measure all thinges lest of good be made euil Behold certainly what is couenable for the time where whan howe and wherfore thou biddest any thing to be done That thou wolt to bee done to the do thou to an other Be suche to other meÌ„ as thou desirest other men to bee to the. Hinder no man with thy witnes Do no man harme lest thou suffre the same Kepe manlynes kepe rightousnes defende no man againste trouthe Whan thou demest be he poore be he riche behold the cause and not the persone Kepe trouth in all thinges Sit neuer in dome without mercy Be as meke in others mens defaultes as in thine owne So deme other men as thou desireste to bee demed thy selfe While thou art merciful in other mens gilt thou hast mercy on thy selfe The dome that thou puttest vpon an other thou shalt beare thy self In what mesure that thou measurest shal be measured to the. Deme no man by suspection fyrst proue and soo deme In domes reserue the sentence to goddes iudgement And that that thou knowest to thine owne dome and that that thou knowest not to gods dome Despite of the world If thou wilte be in rest desire nothing of the worlde Thou shalt haue reste of soule if thou put frâ— the the busines of the worlde Cast fro the all that maie let a good purpose be mesured to the worlde and the worlde to the as thoughe thou were ded Beholde not the glory of this worlde Set not by that while thou liuest y t thou maiest not haue when thou art dead What so euer thou geueste geue it with a good wil. Do mercy without gifte gâ—ue almes without heuines The good wil is more than that is geueÌ„ That that is geuen with good will that god accepteth but he that geueth with heauines shall lese his mede There is noo mercye where is no good wil Do nothing for praising nothing for worldely opinion but onely for life euerlasting Amen ¶ LONDINI in aedibus Thomae Bertheleâ—typis impress Cum priuilâ—gâ—o ad imprimendum solâ—m ANNO. M. D. XLVI â—â—terpritation They vse psidia for sydia whiche signifyeth the tyndes of a poinegranade Psillium Psillium hath his name of psille which signifyeth a flâ—â— For the seede of this herbe is like a fley and is vsed in medicines to coole The latines also 〈◊〉 puâ—icaâ—â—s of fleyes I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the see and also in other â—â—tylled and baren places Pthisis Phthisis in Greke signifyeth wastyng a consumynge sycknesse a consumption as we call it Pulsatiue Pulsatiue Beatynge Pruna Pruna a fyrye coole Resort to anthrax Pustles There ben two kyndes of pustleâ— or â—usches For some pusches are Nowe that we haue spoken suffycyently of the anatomie of the heed we wyll also speake somewhat of the other principall membres and fâ—â—â—e of the herte The herte The hert on both sydes aboute the fundamâ—nt of it â—ath as it 〈◊〉 eates The ryght 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 braunche is ioyned 〈…〉 veyne and vnto the ryght 〈◊〉 of the herte The left eare is 〈◊〉 y â— mouth of the veynie arteâ—â— Called de nosâ— arteria and to the left 〈◊〉 of the hert For the hert hath two 〈◊〉 tricles or thaÌ„bres a ryght and a 〈◊〉 chamâ—re and they bene deuyded 〈◊〉 parted 〈◊〉 through which 〈◊〉 tion there ben holes by which 〈◊〉 is conueyed into the left ventricle In â—the of the ventricles there are two vessels For a noble veyne entrâ—th into the ryght ventricle which 〈◊〉 Howbeit in some it hath but two in some foure in some none but is al toâ—â—ther round From the hollow parte 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 lappe a lytle pype deriethe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bladder called cistis 〈◊〉 whiche hangeth by the â—yde 〈◊〉 From the bunchie part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest 〈◊〉 and it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The stomake â—he inner skynne of the stomak 〈◊〉 thyâ—â—â— hath streygth filmes y ◠〈◊〉 whiche is grosser hathe 〈◊〉 filmes Fyrst than the 〈◊〉 aweth meate stretchyng 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ght fylmes Secondlye it reâ—â—â—â—â— and imbraieth the meaâ—e be â—rawen in with the ouert whart 〈◊〉 And it retayneth the meate so longe tyll by the alteraâ—iue power it is turned into good iuyce ThaÌ„ the stomake reserueth the beste for hys though it be some what remoued Pilosella Pilosella is founde in no lerned auâ—ctour Howbeit the later wryterâ— deâ—scrybe it to be an herbe that groweâ—â— in stonie and dryâ— places with a reâ—floure and with leaues spredde vpoâ— the grounde in which leaues there bâ— as it were heâ—res and therfore theâ— haue barbarously called it pilosellâ— of pilus an heere The description aâ— greeth w t mousâ—arâ— sauing in y â— fâ—â—uâ— It is Englyshed in an olde wrytte boke hertwort Where this herbe iâ— not found some thinke it good to vâ— mousâ—â—are PhilomuÌ„ PhilomuÌ„ is a confection so called of Philon the inuentoure of it oâ— as some saye of philos which sygnâ— fyeth a frende bycause it is frendly to hym that receyueth it Policariam Haec est eâ—â— nim charâ—â—tas del vâ— precepta eius serueâ—â—mus 1. 10. 5. Be were of presumcion Mekenesâ— Matt 〈…〉 What charitie causeth Charitie is the hoâ—e perfection of a chryâ—sten man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The perfite loue of god Parciall loue Mat. 16. Mar. 8. Luc. 9. Io 12. Mat. 6. Luc. 12. What charitie causeth Mat. 5. Luc. 6. To kepe Charitie with god Three mocions to desyre worldly goodes The waie to comme to perfytte Charitie Hope in god Feare of god Beleue in Chryste What is to kepe charitie lo. 14. câ— 15. Mat. 5. Ibidem Fyue maner of loues Uertues of the bodye Uertues of the soule 1. â—o 4. 〈…〉 this ryse Mat. 6. Eph. 4. Charitie is not like one vertue Feare of god Abstinence Pacience 1. Col. 13. 1. Io. 4. Howe maisters hurte their scholers moste Trewe frendshyp True opinions Soule Bodie Goodes of this worlde Sholars Free will Feare of god Loue of god Newe testament Math. 6. Luc. 12. Readyng the gospels ChrisostoÌ„ Ierom. Ethica Arist. Plato Cicero Seneca Enchiridion Bodâ—y hâ—lthe Diete Corrupte 〈◊〉 Faste Slepe Slepe Exercyse Idelnes Temperans Galen De bona valetud tuen Seneca Almeâ— dede Slepe Bargaine Similitudes Dyuell Math. 8. Luc. 13. Math. 19. Math. 20. 22. A good frende Cicero de amicicia Houswife Xenophon Economia Politie Aristot. Wrath ire and anger Furie Pacience Plato Seneca Untrue tongue Obedience Malapert Presumpcion Trewe goodes Faulse goodes Goodes of fortune Epictetus A worldly man Spirituall men Temporal men Francesâ— Philippe To die well Two lettâ—s to die gladly What death is The soule The lyfe Whether death by it selfe be good or euill Deathe is not good Deathe is not euill Deathe is nother good nor euill To feare deathe Deathe is not to be feared Necessitee Loue of this lyfe What furdreth most glad deth Goodnes of an horse Goodnes of an oxe Goodnes of a vyne The excellencie of man Iob. 1. 1. Tim. 6. Luâ— 6. 2. Cor. 6. Pleasure Ryches Psal. 104 Luc. 22. Ro. 1. Luc. 2. Ennemies of man Ioan. 16. Ion. 16. Ion. 16. Io. 14. Phil. 4. Eccl. 2. Iob. 1. Iob. 1. Iob. 2. Tob. 2. Nu. â—0 Psal. 50. Deut. 8. Gen. 2â— 2. Cor. 12. Eccl. 27. Apoc. 2. 1. Thes. 4. Io. 11. Phil. 3. Ioan. 17â— â—en 5. Sap. 4. Psal. 83. 1. Ioan. 2. Mar. 14. Luc 22. Ioan. 13. Ioan. 16. Ioan. 13. 1. Pet. 5. Eccl. 3. 2. Cor. 2. Eccle. 1. Eccle. 12. Gal. 5. Eccl. 25. Mat. 26. Luc. 22. Eccl. 28. Eccl. 8. Nu. 16. Eccl. 28. Mat. 12. Luc. 6. Eccl. 7. Sapi. 1. Iac. 5. Eccl. 23. Deut. 23. Eccl 5. Baiuc 6. Sapl 1. Mar. 7. Mar. 4. Eccl. â— 2 Cor. 9.
mortalitee that where I had prepared my selfe to confesse my faith and hadde disposed me with all my hole herte and ful power to the surferaunce of passion nowe preuented by death I am dissapoynted of martirdome ¶ Firste to be a martyr it is not in thine owne power but in goddes will and election Ne thou maiest not saie that thou haste loste that thynge whiche thou knowest not whether thou were euer worthy to haue it Moreouer god the sercher of hertes and beholder and iudge of seacret thoughtes dothe see the and doth commende and alow the. And he whiche perceiueth to bee in the vertue prepared for thy vertue shall yelde vnto the a sufficient rewarde Supposeste thou had Came slaine his brother Abell at what tyme he offered the sacryfice vnto almightie god well and yet god beynge ware of his pourpose condemned the murder conceiued in the minde whiche Caine dyd afterwarde execute Soo like as in Caine a malicious thoughte and a mischeuous imaginacyon was afore sene by gods prouidence likewise in the seruauntes of god whiche confessing faith in their thoughtes and in their ententes conceyuing martirdome their soules beyng giuen to that good purpose be crowned of god their iudge which knoweth all thynge It is not one thing to lacke a wil to be martired and to lacke martirdome to a good will Suche as god findeth the to be whan he calleth the so dothe he iudge the according as he him selfe witnesseth saiyng And all congregacions shal knowe that I am the serchour of mans hert and his reines Nor god lokethe for you bloude but for your faithe For neither Abraham nor Isaac nor Iacob were slayne And yet not withstandynge they deserued to bee honoured for their faithe and Iustice and to bee the chiefe of all patriarches vnto whose feaste is called euerye man that is founde faithefull iuste and commendable We muste remembre to dooe not as we our selfe will but according to goddes will And soo god commaundeth vs euery daie to praie Howe ouer the warte and peruerse a thing is it that where wee desire that the will of god bee done whan he calleth and sendeth for vs out of this worlde we do not forth with obey his commaundment and pleasure but againste that wee murmoure and striue and be brought like frowarde seruantes with heauie and sower countenaunce to oure maisters presence departynge hense with the boÌ„de of necessitie not with a willyng obedyence and yet will we be honoured with heauenly rewardes of hym vnto whome wee come not willyngely but by constrainte onely Wherfore than do we aske and desire that the kingedome of heuen maie come vnto vs if worldly captiuitee so much doth delite vs Wherfore dooe we aske and desire in our praiers so often rehersed that the time of the reigne whiche is promised shuld come spedily if oure desires and wishes to serue the diuell are more to be sette by than to reigne with oure Sauiour ¶ More ouer for the plainer declaracion of goddes prouidence and that our lorde whiche afore seethe all thinges to come wil giue to vs counsaile concernynge oure veraie helth it happened late that one of our company and a preiste beyng attainted with sicknes and loking for deathe whiche approched desired leaue to depart as he was praiyng and in poynte of deathe there stoode hard by hym a goodly yongman of an honourable porte and maiestee high of staâ—ure and faire whome the sighte of man moughte vneth beholde with carnall eien sauing that he which was departing out of the world with eien more spirituall mought loke one suche one and the same person soo appering not without indignacion as well in countenaunce as speche groudchingly spake in this wise ye feare to suffre and ye wyll not go forth what shall I doo to you Whiche was the speakyng of one that blamed and also exhorted who allowed not theim whiche for the tyme present where carefull of persecucion and yet sure of their departing but gaue counsail for the time comming Our saied brother hearde whan he was diyng what he shuld tel vnto other For he hearde whan he shulde die that whiche he shuld reporte vnto other and he hearde not for him selfe but for vs. For what shulde he learne whiche was than in departing In dede he learned for vs whiche remained to the entent that in hearing the preiste of god blamed which asked his rightes we shulde knowe what was to all men expedient ¶ More ouer to vs of all other moste simple how often hath it ben shewed by reuelacion how sundry times haue I ben plainly commanded of the goodnes of god that I shoulde alwaie affirme and openly preache that our bretherne deliuered from this world by the callyng of god shulde not be bewailed and sorowed for sens I knewe wel that they where not loste but sent onely before vs and so departing proceded And therfore as men beynge in iourney or viage to bee desired but in noo wise lamented Ne wee shoulde put on vs blacke gownes for theim whiche nowe haue receiued and put on white garmentes Ne wee oughte to giue occasion to infidels to reproue vs lefully and with good reason for as muche as we dooe mourne for theim as they were deade and loste for euer whiche we saie doo liue euer with god and so with the witnes of our own hertes and stomackes reproue the faith whiche in word and sentence we haue confessed Surely we bee the deceiuours of our owne faithe and hope if that that we saie apert to be faulse and dissembled It profiteth nothyng to shewe in wordes vertue and in dedes to distroie veritee The apostolle Paule rebuketh chideth and blameth suche as be heauie or sorowful for the death of their frendes We will not saith he good brethern that ye shoulde be ignorant in that whiche concerneth theim that do slepe in naturall deathe to the entente ye shulde not be sorowfull like as thei be whiche are without hope If we beeleue that Iesu Christe died and roose againe afterwarde In lyke wise god almyghtee shall finally bringe with him those that slept in Christ. Also he saith that thei whiche dooe lacke hope bee heauie whan their frendes do depart But we whiche liue in hope and beleue in god and do verely trust that Christe suffred for vs and dyd efâ—sons ryse We I saie whiche dwelle in Christe and do arise by him and in him why refuse we to departe hens or wailen and lament for theim that be gone Christe him selfe our god warneth vs saiyng I am the resurrection and life he that beleueth in me although that he dieth he shall liue and all that liueth and beleueth in me shall neuer die If we beleue Christe lette vs haue faithe in his wordes and promisses and we shal neuer die Lette vs come therfore with a sure gladnes vnto Christe with whom we shal liue and reigne euer For by that that we die we passe from death to immortalitee in as much
as life euerlasting may not succede withoute departynge from hens All be it it is no cleare departynge but rather a passage and chaunge of this life for the life eternall the temporal iourney perfourmed Who will not hye hym from the warse to the better Who will not coueite to bee refourmed and chaÌ„ged to the figure of Christ or will not desire to come shortely to the dignitee celestiall grace Paule the apostle preaching our abiding saith he is in heauen froÌ„ whens we abide the comminge of Christ Iesu who shall transforme oure simple bodie in semblable figure to the bodie of his clearenes And Christe oure lorde promissed that we shal be suche whan he praied to his father that we moughte be with him and liue with him in eternall places and be ioyfull and mery in the kyngdome of heauen saiyng Father I will that suche as thou haste giuen to meâ— that thei be with me where so euer I be and that thei se the clearenes that thou gauest to me before that the world was create Wherfore he that entendeth to come to the place where Christe is to the brightnes of the Realmes celestial ought not waile or lamente but accordynge to the hope whiche he hath in the promise of god and truste that he hath in trouthe be ioyfull and glad in his departing or translacion froÌ„ hence For as muche as we reade that Enoch was translated or taken oute of this worlde bycause he pleased god as holy scripture witnesseth in the boke of Genesis in this wise Enoch pleased god and was not afterward founden for god translated him frome hence That thinge wherwith he pleased in the sight of god was that he deserued to be taken from the perils of this present worlde More ouer the holy goste teachethe by Salamon that they with whom god is pleased bee the sooner taken awaie and deliuered from hence lest if thei shulde abide lenger they shuld be polluted with worldely infections Therfore Enoch was rapte and â—aken awaie sodainely leaste sensuall appetite shulde corrupt his vnderstanding For his soule was vnto god pleasynge and therfore he hastened to bring him out of the middes of iniquitee Semblablie in the psalmes the deuout soule hasteth spedily toward hir god with a singular faith as it is writen O thou god of vertues and puissance howe wonderfulle delectable bee thine habitacions my soule desyreth and hasteth to come to thy plaices Uerely he onely shoulde haue will to abide in this worlde whom the worlde deliteth whom flatering and deceptful time inuiteth with vaine delectacions of worldely pleasures Nowe sens the worlde hateth a true christen man why doest thou loue that thing wherof thou art hated and foloweste not rather Christe who hath redemed the also loueth the. ¶ Saincte IohnÌ„ in his Epistolle speaketh and crieth vnto vs exhorting vs not to loue this worlde in folowing our appetites Loue not the worlde saith he ne the thinges whiche be in it For who so euer loueth the worlde the charitee of the father of heauen is not in him sens all that is in the worlde is inordinate appetite of the fleshe inordinate appetite of the eien and desire of worldely honour whiche do not procede of our father but of worldly appetite And yet the world and his vaine appetite shal wanishe awaie but he whiche shall fulfil the pleasure of god shall abide euerlasting like as god is euer eternal Therfore good frendes lette vs alwaie bee bounde and ready to perfourme all thinge that god willeth with a perfect minde a faith stable and constant with vertue puissant and stronge all feare of deathe vtterly excluded and onely thinking on the immortalitee whiche immediatly foloweth Lette vs declare that to be the thynge that we dooe beleue in and not lamente the departing of them whom we doo fauoure And whan the daie of our sending for shall approche lette vs willingely and without any stickkyng come vnto god whan he calleth which sens it ought to be done of theim whiche be the seruauntes of god much rather now the world decaiyng and in poynte to fâ—l and also compassed with tempestes of euils continually assaultyng it Also we perceiue that great mischeife is all readie begon and we knowe that muche greatter is comming Let vs reken the greattest aduantage to departe shortly from hens whiche shal be for our special commoditee If the walles in thy hous shulde shake for age and the roufe shoulde trimble and all the holle house werie of rockyng of the beames and rafters shoulde thrette to fall shortly in ruine woldest thou not departe thense in all the haste possible If whan thou art on the see the wawâ—s beyng dryuen vppe with a sturdie winde a troublous and stormie tempeste wolde warne the that thy shyp were in daunger of losing wouldest thou not make haste to come to some hauen Loo beholde the worlde rocketh and is nowe in falling and declareth his imminente ruine not for age or feblenes of thynges but onelye for that his ende now approcheth and yet thou thaÌ„kest not god nor doest not reioyce in thy selfe that beyng takyng awaie with a more ready and as I mought saie a more riper departyng thou maiste escape the ruines wreckes and plages whiche nowe thou seest comming We muste consider good frendes and often times thinke that wee haue renounced this worlde and that we dwelle here but as pylgrimes and gestes Therfore lette vs imbrace ioyfullye the daie whiche doethe appoynte euery man to his habitacyon and deliuerynge vs hens escaped frome the snares of this worlde restoreth vs vnto Paradise and the kyngedome of heauen Who beyng I praie you in a far iourney will not make haste to retourne home to his countrey Who being on the sea sailing homewarde woulde not desire to haue a prosperouse wynde that he maie the sooner salute and imbrace his good frendes Lette vs accompte Paradise to be our very countrey For there haue wee the blessed Patriarches our veraie auncetours Why make we not hast ye why do not we ren a pase to see oure countrey that we maie salute our good Auncetours There dothe abide and loke for vs a great numbre of our dere frendes our Auncetours our fathers and mothers our bretherne and children A plentuous and great multitude whiche nowe bee sure of their immortalitee and yet do care for our suretee doo desire to haue vs in their company To come to beholde and imbrace theim lorde god what a ioye and comforte shall it be bothe to theim and to vs What an imcomparable dilectacion of the heauenly Regeons withoute feare to die and with assured eternitee to liue euer O with howe perfecte and eternall felicitee There is the moste glorious quiere of the blessed apostles There is the college of the gladde prophetes There is people innumerable of hollye martirs adourned with crownes of victorye for theyr vexacions and sundry passions there bee the tender and pure virgins triumphyng whiche with continence