that a holy fader was seke the whiche as he was sene to drede the dethe / the freres hym demaunded wherfore he dredde and he answered in this manere Brederne I haue kepte the coÌ„maundementes of god after my puyssaunce / but I am a man I knowe not yf my operacions hath pleased vnto god or naye And therfore I ne am sure tyll vnto that that I come vnto hym c. F. ¶ Another example of a pryour relygyous that sayd that he dyed lawfully faithfully / amyably and ioyously IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders that the pryour of a couent was in a greuous sekenes replenysshed with meruayllous pacyence And he sayd oftentymes one thynge the whiche is wryten in the cantycles with grete dolour of deuocion Dilectê° meê° michi ego illi donec aspiret di es iÌ„clinentur vmbre Also he sayd vnto his brederne .xv. dayes before his dethe that he sholde deye of that sekenes in the solempnyte of the feest of the vyrgyn Marye the whiche thynge was done For at the fyrste euen songe of the natyuyte of the vyrgyn Marye he deyed / was buryed that daye He had songe the last masse of the vyrgyn Marye And also of her he had made hys laste predycacyon Whan he sholde deye anone he made to assemble before hym his brederne vnto whome he sayd Knowe ye my brederne that I deye lawfully / amyably faythfully ioyously And expounded it in this wyse I deye lawfully For I deye in the fayth of Ihesu cryst of the sacramentes of the chirche Amyably / for I haue perseuered in the dyleccyon of god vnto myn aduyse syth that I entred in to the ordre And I haue studyed how I might best please hym Faythfully for I knowe wele that I go vnto god Ioyously for I go from one lande replenysshed with myserye vnto a good countree I passe from wepynges vnto Ioye sempyternell c. G. Another example of a monke the whiche was chosen to be bysshop he refused it and deyed wele Ciiii. IT is wryten in the promptuary of the dyscyple that Arnoldus sayeth that a monke of cleruaulx was chosen to be bysshop / the whiche refused it agaynst the wyll of his abbot / of the bysshop / sone after he deyed And he appered after his dethe vnto his famylyer / the whiche demaunded hym yf the dysobeyssauÌ„ce beforsayd had noyed hym He answered that nay and afterwarde sayd Yf I had taken the bysshopryche I hadde be dampned And sayd more ouer an horryble worde The estate of the chirche is come vnto that that she is not dygne to be gouerned but of yll bysshoppes c. H. ¶ Another example of the dethe of many holy persones of the whiche the Byble maketh mencyon Ciiii. THe holy scryptures maketh mencyon of the dethe of many holy faders that it sholde be longe thynge confuse for to wryte And for to be shorte who so wyll se in the byble lette hym studye in the chapytres the whiche foloweth here / Fyrst it is wryten of the dethe of abel genesis .iiii. cap. Of the dethe of abraham ge xxv of the dethe of Ysaac genesis .xxxv. of the dethe of iacob gene xlix of the dethe of Ioseph gene l. Of the dethe of Aaron numeri .xx. Of moyses the whiche deyed in the lande of Moab that oure lorde buryed / neuer man ne knewe his sepulcre In lyke wyse as it is wryten deuterono xxxiiii Of the dethe of dauid it is wryten primo paralipo xxix of the dethe of zacharie it is wryten secuÌ„do paralipo xxiiii of the deth of Thobye it is wryten thobie .xiiii. of the dethe of his sone it is wryten thobie vltimo / of the dethe of iob / it is wryten iob xlii of the dethe of mathathias .i. machabioruÌ„ ii of the dethe of saynt Iohan baptist mathei xiiii Of the dethe of the poore lazar begger that the auÌ„gelles bare in to AbrahaÌ„s bosome it is wryten luce xvi of the goode thefe the whiche deyed whan our lorde deyed it is wryten luce xxiiii of the dethe of saynt Steuen the whiche was stoned / it is wryten actuum .vii. c. ¶ Mors malorum A. ¶ Examples of those the whiche hathe not wylled to do the wyl of god ne to accoÌ„plysshe his coÌ„maundementes ben deed of an yll dethe in paynes dolours / fyrste example / how the deuyll drewe the soule of a cursed ryche man with a crochet and a woman wedowe was comforted of the vyrgyn marye and of the vyrgyns Cv. VYcent sayeth in the .viii. boke of the myrrour hystoryall that there was a ryche curate vycyous in a parysshe the whiche had vnder his cure a noble ryche man a poore woman wedowe / the whiche deyed in one tyme. Whan the sayd ryche man was seke he sente to seche the curate to vysyte hym to admynystre the sacramentes the whiche curate theder yode quykly and was moche more curyous to haue the said ryche man couched on feders in a fayre bedde couered with purple with precyous vestymentes / and aourned with golde with precyous stones And also he founde many seductoures the whiche gaue vnto hym consolacyons of flateryes / his wyfe / his chyldren / housholde the whiche lyed And in this thynge hangynge there came a messenger vnto the sayd curate froÌ„ the sayd wedowe strongly seke for to confesse her and to vysyte And the sayd prest the whiche put all his entente for to sowke the ryche synner ne answerde nothyng And a deacon the whiche was presente had pyte of the poore wedowe dredde that she sholde deye without receyuynge the sacramentes / spake vnto the curate the whiche answered by grete furoure O that thou arte of lytell counsayll the whiche wylt that we leue this noble man our patron for to go vnto the olde wedowe And the deacon answered Ne trouble you not / yf you coÌ„maunde me I shall vysyte her And the deacon yode theder by his coÌ„maundemeÌ„t And bare the body of Ihesu cryste The wedowe was gretely poore of worldly godes / but full of good operacyons ¶ She was prostrate vpon the erthe / and a lytel of strawe vnder her ¶ Whan the deacon was at the dore he was meruaylled rested him For he sawe there the vyrgin marye / and grete company of vyrgyns standynge by the wedowe / and marye chered her / vysyted and with a clothe wyped the swetynge from her vysage And whan the quene of heuen and the vyrgyns sawe the body of our lorde Ihesê° they yode on theyr knees and worshyppeth the sacramente / Whan they were redressed they assured affably the deacon that he sholde entre and the vyrgyn mary sayd that he sholde not drede And that he sholde confesse and admynystre the sayd wedowe so he dyde / And afterwarde he said of the psalmes to coÌ„maunde the soule with grete ioye to departe After came in to the hous of the sayd ryche man Whan
left VnÌ„ aug xxvj qÌ„re .vij Non obseruetis dies qui dicuÌ„tur egyptiaci / aut kalendas Ianuarij in quibus caÌ„delle et quedam coÌ„messationes / et ad inuicem dona donantur quasi in principio boni aÌ„ni facti augurio aut reliquas menses et tempora dies ve aut annos aut lune et mensis solisque cursus hora / et qui has quascuÌ„que diuinationes aut facta / aut auguria / aut tendit / aut contendit / aut conseÌ„tit obseruationibus / aut credit / aut ad eoruÌ„ domum vadit / aut in sua domo introducit vt interroget / sciat se cristianam fidem et baptismum preuaricasse / et paganum et apostatam et dei inimicum / iram dei in eternum incurre re nisi penitentia ecclesia emeÌ„datus deo rereconsilietur ¶ Example of a relygyous man and of a woman the whiche put faythe in the songe of a cuckowe / and yll came to them Quere .lx. c. d. All maner of mysbeleuynge people sholde drede temporall punycyon and eternall dampnacyon It is wryten deuteronomie .xi. Cauete ne forte decipiatur cor vestrum recedatis a domino seruiatisque dijs alienis et adoretis eos / iratusque dominus claudat celum et pluuie noÌ„ descendant / nec terra det germen suuÌ„ ê‘eatis velociter de terra optima quam dominus daturus est vobis Beware lest by aduenture your herte be deceyued and that ye ne departe you from the lorde / and that ye serue not vnto straunge goddes / that ye ne worshyp theym for drede that your lorde be not wrothe / and that he close not the heuens / and that the rayne descende not and the erthe ne gyue his fruyte / and that ye perysshe not hastely from the londe that almighty god sholde gyue vnto you They the whiche hath broken and froyssed this commaundement sholde not dyspayre theÌ„ but they ought for to do penaunce they shall be saued how greuous so euer the synnes ben the whiche they haue commytted ¶ Example in Theophyle whiche renyed god and he was saued by penaunce Quere .lviii. b. Another example of a relygyous the whiche was apostate and harlot she was saued by penaunce Quere .cxiiij. a. Also those the whiche desyreth to be saued sholde take the condycion of the pylgrym of paradyse the whiche ben wryten after .xlv. a. b. c. Also people incredibles sholde drede to be sent in to the fyre of hell there to be breÌ„t eternally / the whiche is a tourment moost cruell as it is wryteÌ„ afterwarde qÌ„re .xlix. b. ¶ Example of a preest prynce of the ydolles the whiche is in the fyre of hell Quere .lvij. a. A. ¶ Thyrdly all the artycles of the fayth ben here commaunded to beleue in lykewyse as the chyrche beleueth and holdeth .vii. ANathasius sayth Quicunque vult saluus esse ante omÌ„ia opê° est vt teneat catholicam fidem Quam nisi quisque integram inuiolataÌ„que seruauerit absque dubio ineternum peribit Euery persone the whiche wyll be saued it is requysyte before all thynges that he holde the faythe catholyke / the whiche yf euery one ne kepe hole without doubt he shal perysshe in perdurabylyte Al good catholykes sholde beleue in one onely god in trynyte as it is sayd before And who soo beleueth in god stedfastly it behoueth that he beleue in all his operacions / as in the creacyon of heuen and of ertth and in his sanctyfycacyons / as in the holy chyrche Wherfore the artycles of the faythe ben here commaunded the whiche dothe folowe ¶ Saynt Peter sayeth Credo in vnum deum Who so wyll beleue stedfastly In the faythe of crystyente Beleue in one god alonely Thre persones in vnyte ¶ Agayne saynt Peter sayth Patremâ—â— potentem And saynt Andrewe sayeth Et in iesum christum filium eius vnâ—â—â— dominum nostrum And saynt Barthylmewe sayeth Credo in spmÌ„ sanctum VnuÌ„ crede deum personis hunc fore tâ—num Sunt pater natê° neuma sacer deus vnus That is in the fader all puyssaunt And in the holy goost also And in Iesus his dere infaunt As crysten men sholde do ¶ Also saynt Andrewe sayth Creatoreâ— celi et terre And this onely god in trynyte The heuen the erthe and the see And all other thynges made hath he For the conforte of our humanyte ¶ Saynt Mathewe sayth Sanctam ecclesiam catholicam In holy chyrche also beleue By stedfast faythe and deuocyon As nere as god grace the shall gyue Yf thou entende to haue saluacyon ¶ Agayne saynt Thomas sayth SctoÌ„ruÌ„ coÌ„munionem And saynt Symon Remissiomem peccatorum And beleue that all good crystyens Haue with the sayntes communyon Of all good dedes by the sacramentes And of theyr synnes remyssyon Saynt iude sayth Carnis resurreccioneÌ„ And whan the aungell his horne shal blowe All that ben deed shall appere Lye they in erthe neuer so lowe In body and soule enrere ¶ Saynt Mathewe sayth VitaÌ„ eternam And those the whiche hath lyued wele In to paradyse shall ascende The euyll also grete payne shall fele In hell euer withouten ende ¶ Saynt Iames the more sayth Qui coÌ„ceptus est de spiritu saÌ„c to natus ex maria virgine Beleue also by grete veryte In Ihesu crystes humanyte Conceyued of the spyryte holy And borne of the vyrgyn Mary ¶ Saynt Iohn sayth Passus sub poÌ„tio pylato crucifixus mortuê° et sepultus And saynt Thomas sayth Descendit ad in ferna After this he suffred gretely On the crosse for vs to deye And than buryed by Ioseph the good Streyght in to the helles he yood ¶ Also saynt Thomas sayth Vercia die resurrexit a mortuis And saynt Iames the lesse sayth Ascendit ad celos sedet ad dexteram dei patris oiÌ„potentis On the thyrde day he dyde aryse And in to heuen ye shall vnderstande He reascended in moost goodly wyse And sytteth on his faders ryght hande ¶ Saynt Phylyp sayth Inde venturus est iudicare viuos et mortuos He hath promysed as we rede On domes day to come agayne To Iuge the quycke and the dede Some to blysse and some to payne Hec est fides catholica quam nisi quisque fideliter firmiterque crediderit / saluê° esse non poterit Who so his soule thynketh to saue Entendynge here after to come to blysse Parfyte faythe must he haue In one artycle he may not mysse THe persone the whiche wyll be saued ought to be stedfast / stable / and immouable in the fayth for it is the foundement vpon the whiche men edifye the other vertues for to multyply them in goodes espyrytuelles and for to mounte in to paradyse Vnd ad collocenses .i. In fide sitis fundati stabiles et immobiles Be ye founded in the faythe stable and immouable ¶ Also we rede of a wyse man the whiche edyfyed his house vpon a stedfast stone / and the
dysposed And the acursed deyed so withoute receyuynge the sacramentes of the churche c. B. ¶ Another example that a knyght deyed / and after was brought agayne in to his body / the whiche recompted of a brydge ryght strayte vpon a water by the whiche hym behoueth to passe Cx. IT is wryten in the dyalogue of saint gregorye that a knyght deyed and within a lytell after came agayn in to his body the whiche told that he had sene a bridge vnder the whiche brydge ranne a water stynkynge darke And on the other syde of the brydge there was medowes smellȳge swete aourned with all floures And in those medowes were assembled of people clothed in whyte the whiche were fulfylled of swetnes odour of the sayd floures And at the sayd brydge there was suche probacyon that whan ony of the vniust there passed he fell in to the blacke water stynkynge / the iuste passed tyll vnto the place delectable And the sayd knyght sawe there withoute the brydge a man named peter bounde with grete weyght of yron / And he demaunded wherfore he suffred suche payne Answer was gyuen that whan men gaue hym ony for to do vengeaunce he desyred it more to do by cruelte than by obedyence Also the said knight sayd that he sawe a pylgrym the whiche passed vpon the brydge all ouer of also grete auctoryte as he had lyued in the worlde clenely he sawe another named steuen the whiche as he passed the sayd brydge his fote slode in suche wyse that he than fell of the sayd brydge in lyke as halfe And thenne some men ryght blacke lyfte them vp from the sayd water the whiche drewe hym downwarde by the thyes And some men ryght fayre clothed in whyte toke hym by the armes they drewe him vpward / as this stryfe was the sayd knyght was put agaȳ in to his body And he ne knewe whiche of them sholde vaynquysshe / but saynt Gregorye sayth that it is to vnderstande that the ylles that he had done stroue agayne the almesdedes And by the other the whithe drewe hym downwarde appered that he had not parfytely resisted vnto the sȳnes of the flesshe This exāple ought to drawe all persones to lyue clenely / purely / holyly to th ende that they may passe the sayd brydge vnto the place delectable without fallynge in to the torment beforsaid And the synners sholde also correcte theym of yll and to do penaunce / or they shall falle of the sayd brydge in to the sayd water / wherin they shall be punysshed A. ¶ Another example of the vysyon of Tongdalus the whiche suffred many paynes in purgatorye sawe of the tormentes of helle after was brought agayne in to his body Cxi IN the yeres of our lorde a thousande .xlix. There was a man named Tongdalus in a cyte of the lande of Irlōde This sayd tongdalus was noble of lynage / a fayre man yonge of age / curteys of all goodnes of grete honour He was grete and ryght appert of the arte of chyualrye Also he was wele spekynge / and good in dysportynge / of asmoche more as he trusted in his beaute his force of asmoche the lesse was it vnto hym of the helthe of his soule And yf ony man sayd ony thynge to hym for the helthe of his soule he was greuid with hȳ / he dyspyted the holy chirche / he ne daygned to beholde the poores in theyr indygence More ouer he gaue that that was his in playes for to haue the preyse of the worlde many he hadde of frendes and of compaygnyons And it came one daye that he sat at table with one of his compaygnyons for to eate And incontynent that he had taken of the mete he deyed of dethe sodayne and the body fel vnto the erthe / In lyke wyse as it neuer hadde hadde soule The seruaūtes ranne vnto hym / the meete was taken awaye / wepynges / and lamentacyons were made / men range the belles The people was moche ameruaylled of the dethe the whiche had taken this noble man so sodaynly He dyed the wednesday about the houre of none And from that houre tyll vnto the saterdaye at none he abode so the body wtout buryenge for that that in the left partye he had a lytel of hete And on the saterdaye at none the soule came agayne vnto the body And so by the space of an houre he behelde those the whiche were by hym / vnto whom he made a token that he wolde haue the body of god And after that he had receyued it he began to prayse god to yelde vnto hym graces and sayd Syr all puyssaūt more grete is thy mercy than all my synnes And afterwarde said this worde the whiche is writen in the psalter That is to saye How many trybulacions and ylles hast thou shewed vnto me / and I beynge conuerted thou hast quyckened me And hast brought me agayne from the depnesse of the erthe And incontynente that he hadde spoken tho wordes he departed / and gaue vnto the poores that that he had and promysed aboue all thynges to leue the lyfe that he hadde before ledde / and al that he hadde sene and suffred he recompted it vnto vs and sayd Whan my soule yssued out of my body she knewe sawe the synnes that she had done And soo began she to doubte But she knewe not what it was that she sholde doo And she wolde rentre within my body / but she myghte not / But she ne durste goo oute / for she dredde her synnes of al partes / she ne had trust in nothynge but vnto the grete mercye of god And so began to wepe to tremble / and she knewe not what she sholde do / anone after / she sawe come vnto her soo grete nombre and multytude of deuylles that all the house stretes places of the cyte were full the whiche enuyrōned her on all partes / the whiche deuylles sayd Singe we vnto this soule the songe of dethe / that we vnto her sholde synge / for she is the doughter of the dethe pardurable and the vyande of the fyre extynguyble ennemye of the lyght and frende of derkenesses And afterwarde and agayne her they grynned and whetted theyr tethe sayd vnto her Vnhappy soule here is the people that thou haste chosen with whome thou shalte entre in to helle in pardurabylyte / Thou haste ben a nouryce of sclaundre / a louer of dyscorde that we loue Wherfore arte thou not proude / wherfore ne knowest thou not thy lecherye / where is thy vanite and vayne gladnes / where ben thy laughynges ryght vntempred / where is thy force wherin thou trustedest so moche Wherfore ne shyttest thou not the eye / wherfore ne tryppest thou with thy fote Wherfore ne thynkest thou the greate malyce that thou were wonte to doo in vanytees and synnes And as these forsayd deuylles sayde these wordes