whiche cometh fro the erthe / ne also of the queyntyse or parementes that be in his heed Therfore sayth the wyse man in the scrypture Ne gloryfy that not in fayre robes And saynt Poule sayth that the women ought to araye theym with sobrenes and mesure That is to saye by mesure without outtrage / after that the state of the persone requyreth / certeynly it is not without oultrage whaÌ„ a persone hath for his body soo many gownes and robes that many poore men myght be susteyned of the surplus and of it whiche is ouermoche / yet yf they were gyuen at the laste for goddes loue / it sholde be somwhat / but they be gyuen to rybauldes whiche is soo grete synne Therfore ought to be kepte in suche thynges mesure and good ordenaunce / after that / that the state of the persone requyreth / as I haue sayd tofore ¶ The fyfthe degree of the vertue of sobrenes and of attemperaunce Ca. C.lx. THe syxt degre of sobrenes of attemperaunce is that eueriche kepe mesure in good maner where of Senecke sayeth / yâ— thou arte sobre or attemporate take good hede that the moeuynges of thyn herte of thy body be not foule ne disauenaunte For of the dysordynauÌ„ce of the herte cometh the dysordynaunce of the body / some be so chyldysshe of so nyce manere that they make theÌ„ selfe to be holden for a fole It appertayneth to a man of of value whiche is in grete and hye estate / that he be well ordeyned well amesured in al his dedes all his sayenges of fayre good countenaunce tofore all people so that none take euyl example of hym / that they be not holden for a fool For as a phylosopher sayth A childe of age a chylde of wyt of maners ben al one the scrypture sayeth that a chylde of an hondred yere shall be cursed That is to say that he that is of grete age / lyueth as a childe shall be cursed Whereof saynt Poule sayeth of hym selfe whan I was childe I dyde as a childe but whan I came to the age of a perfeyte man I lefte my chyldehode For who that holdeth a maÌ„ of age for a childe / he holdeth hym for a fool And therfore sayeth saynt poul Be not a childe of wytte / but in malyce be lytell as a childe whiche hath no malyce Now is it thenne a fayre thinge honest proufytable honourable / specyally to grete men of hy state to kepe mesure resonable in couÌ„tenaunce and in all his gouernaunce and that he be wel ordeyned ouer al tofore god and tofore the people And this is the .vi. degre of this tree ¶ The seuenth degree of the vertue of sobrenes and of attemperaunce Ca. Clxi. THe .vii. degre of the vertue of attemperaunce of sobrenes is to kepe mesure of ouermoche drynkynge etynge / for thoultrage of etynge drynkynge doth moche harme to the body and to the soule / lyke as I haue sayd tofore Therfor sayth our lorde in the gospell / take good hede that your hertes be not greued ne charged with glotonnye ne dronkennesse That is to saye that ye doo noo oultrage of etynge and drynkynge Sobrenes kepeth mesure in etynge and drynkyÌ„ge that he do none oultrage Of thoultrages that a persone doth in etynge and drynkynge I haue spoken tofore where as is treated of vyces / there as I spake of the synne of glotonnye / to whiche this vertue of sobrenes and of attemperaunce wherof I haue here spoken is contrarye specyally / wherof I wyl now nomore saye ¶ Now hast thou herde wherby this tree of sobrenes and attemperauÌ„ce groweth and prouffyteth / and yf thou wylt knowe the brauÌ„ches of this tree / byholde the other vertues whiche be conteyned in this boke / thou shalte fynde oueral this vertue For as I haue sayd tofore / this vertue is suche that it setteth mesure in al thynges The vertue of whiche I haue spoken tofore ben braunches of this vertue / for it sheweth it self in all the other / wherfore I wyl sette none other braunches but the vertues toforesayd ¶ This tree bereth moche fayre fruyt That is pees of the herte lyke as I haue tofore shewed For he that hath this vertue / he hath hys herte dysseuered fro the loue of the worde is Ioyned to God by charyte / that is the dere loue of god whiche putteth al other thynges in oblyuyon / whiche 〈◊〉 not ordeyned to god And 〈◊〉 suche manere the herte reâ—â—eth in god / where he hath all his comforte and his Ioye that he thynketh on none other delyte Suche comforte and delyte setteth the holy ghoost in the her that is parfyte in the vertue of sobrenes and of attemperaunce / whiche cometh of the gyfte of sapyence / lyke as I haue sayd tofore Certaynly who that myght haue suche pees of the herte / and fele that he rested in god whiche is the ende and the accomplysshement and the suÌ„me of all good desyres he sholde be well blessed in this worlde and in that other For then sholde he wynne that blessynge that god promyseth in the gospel to theym that kepe this pees entyerly without brekynge whan he sayth / blessed be the peasyble For they shall be called the sones of god They be peasyble sayth saynt Austyn that ordeyne and setten all the moeuynges of the herte / vnder the seygnorye of ryght reason of the spyryte / they ben called by ryght the sones of god / for they bere the semblaunce of theyr fader / whiche god of pees and of loue soo sayth saynt Poule Thenne pees and loue of god is the thynge that moost pleaseth god and maketh a man resonable to god / and the contrarye to the deuyl whiche is enemy of god Also they ben called the sones of god For they folowe theyr fader more nyghe than the other For pees and loue folowe theÌ„ more nyghe than ony other vertue ¶ Also they say theyr houres to theyr fader Ihesu cryst For god came not in to thys worlde but for to make peas bytwene god and man / bytwene man and aungell / bytwene man and hym self / for whan he was borne the aungellys songen for the pease that God had brought in to the erthe Gloria in excelsis deo in terra c. and therfore that the peasyble people seche no thynge / purchace but pees as moche as they may / to wardâ— god / theyr neghboure / and themselfe / they be called speâ—yally the sones of god / for they do the werkes of theyr fader Therfore thenne bycause they be the sones of god / ben they blyssed in this worlde by specyall grace / but this blyssynge shall be blyssed whan they shall be in peasyble possessyon of therytage of god theyr fader / that is of the reame of heuen / where they shal be in sure peas / and in perfyte peas / where all theyr desyres shall be accomplysshed There shal not mowe be euyll / ne sorowe / ne aduersyte / ne defaulte / but haboundaunre of all goodes / and plente of Ioye glorye without ende That shall be pees honourable / pees delectable / pees perdurable / and pees whiche surmounteth all wytte as sayeth saynt Poule And syth this peas passeth all wytte / and sence it passeth all wordes For herte may not thinke ne tongue deuyse / neere here the pees and the glorye that god kepethe to his frendes therfore I can not saye that thyng that may be suffysauÌ„t to the lawde preysyÌ„ge therof / wherof now I wyll say nomore But here I shal fynysshe make an ende of my matere to the praysynge and lawde of oure lorde To whome be gyuen all honour / whiche brynge vs in to his companye / there / where as is lyfe perdurable without ende AMEN FINIS THis boke was coÌ„pyled made at the request of kynge Phylyp of FrauÌ„ce in the yere of thyÌ„carnacioÌ„ of our lorde M.CC.lxxix translated or reduced / oute of Frensshe into englysshe / by me wyllyaÌ„ Caxton at requeste of a marchauÌ„t mercer of London whiche InstauÌ„tly requyred me to 〈…〉 for the we le of alle theâ— that shalle rede or here it / as for a specyall 〈…〉 to knowe all vyces and braunches 〈◊〉 them / and also an vertues by whiche well vnderstonden and seen may dyrecte a parsone to euerlastynge blysse / whiche boke is callyd in frensshe / le lyure Royall that is to saye thâ—â—…yall boke / or a boke for a kynge For the holy scrypture calleth euery man a kynge / whiche wysely and parfytly can gouerne and dyrecte hyÌ„self after vertue / and this boke sheweth and enseygneth it se bubtylly / so shortly / so perceyuyngly and so parfyghtly / that for the shorte comprehencyon of the noble clergye and of the ryght grete substaunce / whiche is comprysed therin It may and ought to be called well by ryght and quycke reason aboue all other bookes in frensshe or in englysshe / the boke ryall or the boke for a kynge / and also by cause that it was made and ordeyned at request of that ryght noble kynge Phelyp le bele kynge of FrauÌ„ce / ought it to be called Ryall / as tofore is sayd / whyche translacyon or reducynge out of frensshe in to englysshe was achyeued / fynysshed accomplysshed the .xiii. day of Septembre in the yere of thyncarnacyon of our lorde M. CCCCC .vii. The .xxii. yere of the reygne of kynge Henry the seuenth ¶ Here endeth the boke called the ryoall Enprynted at London in fletestrete at the sygne of the sonne by Wynkyn de worde wynkyn de worde
yf I go play and dysporte me / as longe as I playe I thynke none harme To that I shall answere All the tyme that thou employest in folysshe playes and in vanytees / and in werke the whiche is not ordeyned in ony maner vnto god thou lesest it For thou oughtest to knowe that al the tyme that thou thynkest not on god / thou oughtest for to accompte for loste / this sayeth the scrypture That is for to vnderstande whan thou thynkest on vanyte / and in thynge that is not in ony maner ordeyned vnto god And certaynly he leseth a grete thynge that leseth his tyme This sayth Seneke / for he leseth the goodes that he myght doin as moche as he soo loseth in worldly playes playes and in vanytees / and that is not without synne for to despende the tyme in euyll vsage For god requyreth rekenynge at the daye of Iugement / this sayth saynt Ancelme / and therfore ought one alwaye well to employe his tyme as longe as he lyueth in this worlde And the tyme is shorte as sayth the scrypture Ne no man knoweth how longe tyme he hath to lyue / ne no man knoweth whan he shal deye / ne how he shal passe out of this worlde who then wyll kepe the holy dayes as he oweth he ought to kepe hym fro doynge that desplayseth god and his sayntes / and well to employe his tyme in god / in prayenge hym / praysynge / and gyuynge hym thankes of his goodes / and to here the sermons and put them in eure and to entende to other good werkys and nedes that ben accordynge to god ¶ Also whan a man is in the chirche he ought to conteyne hym moche honestlye / and do reuerence to god and to his sayntes deuoutelye For the chirche is ordeyned for to pray god and his sayntes / not for to Iangle ne for to lawghe / ne for to Iape / ne for to speke ydle wordes ne for to talke too other of seculer thynges For our Lorde sayth My how 's is the hous of prayer And therfore a man ought not to doo none other thynge therin / than it for whiche it was establysshed / this sayth saynt Austyn / he that shall come tofore the kynge in his chambre for to empetre / and gete ony grace he ought well to kepe hym fro sayenge of ony thynge that sholde dysplese the kynge Moche more ought he to be ware that cometh in too the chirche whiche is the chambre and the hous of god / what he sayth and dooth tofore god and his aungelles / and that specyally that sholde dysplease hym Thenne god wyll not that a man sholde make of his hous a market ne an halle For he hym self chaced and droof out of his temple with good scourges them that bought and solde therin Also he wyl not the ony plee sholde be made therin / ne noyse ne no seculer nede / but he wyll that we sholde entende to praye god deuoutely and prayse And thanke hym of all his benefaytes There ought a man to calle ageyn his herte to hym self and put awaye all worldly werkys and all euyl thoughtes / and thynke on his creatour / on the bountees that god hath done to hym / and dooth euery daye / and to remembre his synnes and his deffaultes / and to humble hym self tofore god / and to requyre hym of pardon and grace to kepe hym from synne / to haue perseueraunce in good werkes vnto the ende ¶ Also in the chirche ought the grete lordes and the grete layes to forgete all theyr glory / theyr rychesse / theyr power / theyr dygnite / theyr hyenesse / and theyr puyssaunce / and ought to thynke that they be tofore theyr Iuge / whiche shall straytely examyne theym / and rekenne straytely of the goodes that he hath done to theym / of the dygnytees and estates that he hath sette them in / and how they haue vsed theym and he shall rewarde theym after theyr deserte Therfore ought they moche to humble theym to god / not to gloryfye them of theyr hyenesse / ne of theyr fayre araye / ne of theyr ryche robes They may take example of kynge Dauyd / whiche forgate his dygnyte whan he prayed tofore god / and despysed hym self so moche that he sayd to our lorde Ihesu Cryste I am sayd he a lytyll worme and not a man In this Dauyd knowleched his lytelnes / his pouerte / and his deffaultes / and made hȳ nought For lyke as a worme is lytell nought / and groweth naked of the erthe / al in lyke wyse is man of hȳ self a vyle thynge / for whan that he entreth in to this worlde he bryngeth nothynge / ne nothynge shall bere away / al naked he entred / and so he shall go hens / wherof saynt Bernarde sayth / what is a man but foule sperme / a sacke full of donge / and meet to wormes / he is moche foule and made of foule sede in his concepcyon / a foule sacke full of donge in his lyfe / and meete to wormes after his dethe ¶ Also the grete ladyes that ben soo arayed with golde and syluer / with precyous stones / robes ought in the chyrche tofore god well to take example of the good quene Hester / whiche toke of her precyous vestymentes and robes whan she came for to pray god / and humbled herself / and knowleged her pouerte and her defautes tofore god / and sayd to hym / lorde thou knowest that I hate the synne of pryde / and the glorye of vestymentes and of Iewelles whiche me behoueth to sette doune fro my heed / in grete abhomynacion of them / that in suche thynges trusteth / delyteth / gloryfyeth / weere theym for to shewe them to please the fooles God hath not to do with suche parementes in his chyrche / but of a clene conscyence and of an humble herte ¶ Saynt Poule ensygneth techeth ryght well how the women ought to araye them whan they come to praye god / he sayth that they ought to haue honeste habyte without ony outrage / that is to vnderstonde after that it appertayneth to the estate of a persone For that the whiche is outrage in one persone / is not outrage in an other / some is conuenyent to a quene whiche is not conuenyent to a burgeys wyf / or another symple woman Also thappostle techeth that the women of what estate that they be / that they sholde be symple of beholdynge / and regarde / and humble / that is to vnderstande that they sholde be symple / humble and shamefaste / and not afronted / ne openly shewe her vysage / as done these comyu women / whiche gone with theyr necke stratched out as an herte in the launde / and loke a syde or a trauers as an hors of prys Also he wyl that they be not curyous for to araye theyr heed with golde ne syluer ne with precyous stones
Now thyÌ„ke ryght well dylygently in thyn herte how oft tymes thou hast mysprysed here in whiche thou haste in thyn herte / thyn owne self and other falsely praysed And the better dyspraysed dyspyted and the wors praysed / and how ofte thou haste dyspysed in thyn herte them that ben of more value than thou arte And how thou haste dyspysed them for some forayne grace that god hath gyuen to the Or for noblesse / or for beaute / or for prowesse / or for streÌ„gthe of body / or for lyghtnes Or for what soÌ„euer other good that it be / by the whiche thou haste praysed more thy selfe than thou oughtest to do / and the other thou haste lasse praysed than thou oughtest After thynke how many tymes thou hast borne lytell honoure and reuerence to theym that thou oughtest Fyrst to god to his swete moder and to all the aungelles sayntes of heuen For there is none but thou hast trespaced to by dyspyte or by Irreuerence In that thou hast oft tymes euyll kepte the feestes and holy dayes After thynke how many tymes thou hast serued euyll our lorde Ihesu cryst Or in that / that thou hast not not gladly herde his seruyce / ne sayd his houres / ne herde his sermons And whan thou wenest to here the masse in the chirche or the holy sermons thou Ianglest and bourdest tofore god and lettest other to do well / after thynke how thou haste many tymes done lytell honoure to the body of Ihesu cryst whan thou seest hym / or whan thou receyuest hym In this thou art not worthely apparaylled ne made redy by confessyon by repentaunce Or by aduenture that wers is thou hast receyued hym in deedly synne thy selfe wetynge The whiche thynge is a grete dyspyte vnto god as to crucyfy hyÌ„ After thynke how vnto thy swete felawe / to thy good keper thyn auÌ„gell whiche all way is with the / all way kepeth the / how many velanyes thou hast done to hym in so moche as thou hast commysed synne tofore hym / after thynke how oftyme thou hast be inobedyent to thy fader to thy moder and to theym to whome thou oughtest obbeye and bere honour Yf thou wylt in this maner recorde thy lyf thou shalte see that thou hast ofter synned in this maner of pryde whiche is called despyte / thaÌ„ thou canst recounte or telle / ¶ Of the .iii. braunche of pryde / that is arrogance Ca. xix THe thyrde braunche of pryde is arrogance whiche is callyd surquydrye or presumpcyon / that is to wete whan a man weneth more of hym self than he ought That is to saye that he weneth to be of more valure than he is worthe / or to knowe more / or to mow more than other Thys synne is the fortresse of the deuyll For he kepeth and nouryssheth all the grete synnes This synne sheweth hym in many maners by werke and by worde But namely he sheweth hyÌ„ in vi maners That is to wyte in syngularyte For the proude surquidrous that weneth to be more of valewe and power / and to knowe more than the other / daygneth not to do as thother doo whiche ben of more value than he is Also he wyll be synguler in his werkys This is the fyrst synne for whiche surquydrye sheweth hym in werke or by dede The seconde folye is enterpryse of grete dyspences of his owne or of other for to be preysed and renoumed And that he be holden the more large and the more curteyse The thyrde euyll that groweth of surquydrye is folysshe empryse of leude stryffe For thus sayth Salamon / emonge the proude men ben alwaye stryues and plees The .iiii. boughe of thys braunche by whiche the proude man sheweth the pryde of his herte is auauntynge / whiche is a moche foule synne to god and to the worlde / he that auauÌ„teth hym is lyke vnto the cuckow that can synge no thynge but of hym self / this synne is foule in hym / that by his owne mouthe auanteth hym / of his wytte or of parage / or of his werkys or of his prowessys But this synne double in theym that folowe and flatre these vauntours / and losengers / and suffre theym for to preyse theym and for to saye of theym that they durst not saye and for to lye and for to crye theyr oublyes The fyfthe tacke of this braunche is derysyon For that is the custom of the proude surquydrous / for it suffyseth not ynough to despyse the other in his herte / that hath not the grace that he weneth to haue / but he maketh his mockeryes / and derysyons And yet that werse is he scorneth and mocketh the good wyse men / and theym that he seeth be good and honeste / whiche is a moche grete synne and perylous For by theyr euyll tongues they lette moche peple to do well The .vi. boughe of this brauÌ„che is rebellyon That is whan a man is rebell to all theym that wolde hym good For yf one repreue the proude surquydrous he deffendeth hym / yf one chastyse hym anone he is angry / yf one couÌ„ceyll hym he byleueth it not but his owne wytte This is a peryllous maladye that may not suffre that he be touched to whome euery medycyne torneth to venym It is an euyll thynge to murmure / but moche werse is rebellyon / rebellyon is a vyce of the herte whiche is harde froward and dyuers / that wyll alwaye that his wyll be done and his sentence holden / and kepte wyll that all other bowe and enclyne to hym / and he shall not bowe ne humble hymself vnto noo maner persone ¶ This is the harde herte of the worde of salamon whiche may not fayle to come to an euyll ende / and lyke as murmure is ayenst god and ayeÌ„st man ryght so is suche an herte that is rebell ayenst god and ayenst men This synne and thys vyce whiche is called rebellyon departeth and deuydeth hym in to foure braunches Suche an herte is repugnante and rebell to byleue counceyle and to suffre chastysynge / and to receyue doctryne yf ony of theyr frendes wolde counceyle and shewe theyr prouffyte / or theyr defautes / he dayneth not to take hede there to ne here it But bycause that they haue spoken he wyll the more gladlyer do all the contrary And on the other partye they be moche rebell to the counceyles of our lorde / as to the counceyle of the holy gospelles / of the other holy scryptures / and sermons To whiche they be bounden to doo and to accomplysshe the wyll of god for to haue glory ê‘durable And the deuyll lyeth tofore them eyther Impotence / or youth or aege / or other euyll reasons / so that at the laste they may nothynge do After whan men repreue and chastyse theym / they defende theym as a bore so that they wyll not knowe theyr folyes / and so moche more as they excuse them / so moche more
one curseth that other And this is so grete a synne as the scrypture sayth that who curseth his neyghboure / he is cursed of god And saynt poule sayth that suche folke may not haue the realme of of god And Salomon sayth that theyr mouthes ben lyke as the potte that boyleth and casteth out on all sydes / and scaldeth them that ben about it After cometh the reproches whiche ben yet more synne that is whan a man reprocheth another of his synnes and his defautes / or of his folyes / his pouerte / his poore kynne / or other defautes that he hath in hym / he wexeth angry and synneth After cometh the menaces and thretenynges thenne begynne the medlynges and warres But aboue all the syÌ„nes the we haue here named / passeth the synne of them that by theyr wycked tonges areyse and moeue dyscordes deuysyons and euyll wyll amonge theym that ben frendes togyder / and that dystourbe and lete the peas accordes God hateth moche suche people as wytnesseth the scrypture ¶ Of the synne of murmure Ca. lvii AS we se that it happeth oft tyme that they that dare not answere ne chyde / begyn to murmure and too grunte with his teeth Therfore after the synne of chydynge we sette the synne of murmure / how moche this syÌ„ne is grete and how god taketh vengeaunce and correction of it we shall shewe For god oftymes hath taken vengeaunce on suche / lyke as the holy scrypture recordeth For / for this the erthe opened and swolowed in dathan and abyron / and they descended all quycke in to helle And for this synne god sente a fyre from heuen that brente chore and all his felowes / that is to wete .ii. hondred and .xl. thousande of the grettest that were in the hoost of our lorde in deserte For this synne loste the Iewes the londe of promyssyon whiche god had promysed So that of .vi. C. thousande that god hadde delyuered and put out of seruage of the kynge of Egypt pharao / and that had nourysshed theym .xl. yere in deserte with the manna of heuen Of all theym there entryd in to the holy londe of promyssyon but two persones onelye / whiche were named Caleph and Iosue / but all deyed with sorow in deserte This synne hath two braunches For somme murmure ayenst god / and somme ayenst man The synne of murmure ayenst man is in many maners lyke as seruauntes ayenste theyr lordes and maysters / and chamberers and women ayenst theyr ladyes and maystresses / chyldren ayenst fader moder The poore ayenst the ryche The vylaynes ayenst the nobles The laye peple ayenst the clerkes ayenst the prelates And the cloysterers ayenst thabbotees pryours and the offycers And this murmure groweth ageynst these persones of mobedyence / by cause that there is made to them ouer harde commauÌ„dementes / or of drede / or of inpacience by cause all thynges be not done ryghtfully / or of enuye / or of felonnye / by cause that one is auaunced more than another / and many other euyll rancours ¶ Murmure ayenst god hath many occasyons that is he that loste grace and pacience wolde be more thaÌ„ god For suche thynge as god hath made in erthe / yf he hath not made it after his wylle / anone he grutcheth ayenst god / and syngeth the deuyls pater noster For lyke as the holy ghoste enseygneth techeth his chosen to synge in theyr herte the swete songe of heuen / that is deogracias / of all that he hath made gyuen vs / of al that he sendeth vs. In lyke wyse the wycked spyryte maketh his dyscyples to synge the songe of helle That is murmure that alwaye shal dure in helle Certeyne suche a man is a moche fool and woode that wyll that god sholde gyue to hym acomptes of all that he hath made / yf he sende to hym pouerte or maladye or dere tyme / or yf he take fro one gyue to another / and all this be not done at his deuyse / anone he taketh ayenst god murmureth ayenst hym / can hym maugre / and what meruayle is it thoughe god auenge hym on suche folke whan they wolde take fro hym his seygnorye / his sapyence and his puyssaunce ¶ Of the synne perylle that is in rebellyon Ca. .lviii. EVyll thynge is it of murmure / but moche more euyll is it of rebellyon Rebellyon is a vyce that cometh fro the herte / whiche is harde / frowarde dyuers alwaye wyll that his wyll be done his sentence holden / he that wyll that other humble bowe to hyÌ„ / he wyll not bowe ne enclyne to no man This is an herte dyuers of whiche salamon sayth that he may not faylle of an euyll ende / and lyke as murmure is ayenst god and also it is ayenst man Ryght soois suche an herte rebell ayenst god and man This vyce hath .iiii. braunches / for suche an herte is frowarde rebell to beleue counceyle / and to accomplysshe and do the coÌ„mauÌ„dements of god and to suffre chastysynge / and to receyue doctryne Of this vyce thou haste herde in the chappytres of pryde ¶ Of the synne of blasphemy Ca. lix BLasphemy is as sayth saynt Austyn as moche as it groweth c. Seche all the condycynes in the chapytre of pryde tofore wryten in the rubrysshe of arrogaunce in the ende Now we haue shewed .x. maners of synne of the toÌ„ge / of whiche the fyrste is ydle wordes / the laste is blasphemy And this is that Salomon sayth / that the begyÌ„nynge of the euyll tonge is foly / and the ende shall be ouer euyll / here fynysshe thenne the deedly synnes and al the brauÌ„ches that dyscende of them And knowe ye for trouthe that who sholde well studye in this boke / he myght well prouffyte and lerne to knowe all maner of synnes / to confesse hymselfe well / for none may confesse his synnes well / yf he knowe theym not Now thou oughtest to knowe that he that redeth in this boke ought to thynke and take hede dylygently yf he be culpable of ony of these synnes aforesayd And yf he fynde hyÌ„ culpable of ony he ought to repente hym / anone to confesse hym dylygently / and to kepe hym to his power fro other synnes in whiche he is not culpaple / and also he ought to prayse thanke god humbly / to pray hym deuoutly that he wyl kepe hym by his swete grace ¶ How this lyfe is but dethe as it appereth Ca. lx 〈…〉 Furore consumor Heu infame Animam aâ—â—isimus Spes no bis â—â—lla GReuously dyeth he that hathe not lerned too deye / lerne thenne to dye yf thou shall conne lyue / for no man shall can lyue / that hath not lerned to dye / and he is by ryght called a caytyf that can not lyue ne that knoweth not to dye / yf thou wyll lyue frely and surelye lerne to deye
the worlde is wodenesse in theym that so moche be subtyll in fyndynge malyce for tengyne and deceyue other / bee it by strengthe or by plee or by barate And that ne thynke ne studye sauf to auaunce and enhaunce them self / and to greue other This wytte as sayth saynt Iames is the wytte of the deuyll / whiche alwaye payneth hym self to do harme to other But the veray wytte that the holy ghoost enseygneth and techeth to the frendes of our lorde is in knowynge without mysprysynge what euery thynge worthe / he sheweth that the worlde is vayne in beynge foule in valour / in louynge it and sauourynge it The rychessys been vyle and transytorye And the delytes ben bytter After he gyueth feelynge that the loue of god and vertues is a thynge veray precyous swete / veray for she fylleth the herte nouryssheth it She is precyous for one may bye god and all that he hath She is swete / for it is the manna that all thynges maketh swete / labour sorowe wepynges shames trybulacyons aduersytees martyrdomes and all paynes And all that one may thȳke to loue / it maketh it sauoure lyke sugre This is the wytte and the sapyēce wherof the scrypture sayth This is the sapyence oute of whiche groweth purete and veray conscyence ¶ Of the prowesse of the knyghtes of Ihesu Cryst Ca. lxix AFter I saye that vertues charyte gyueth very prowesse Thenne there is no prowesse by ryght but in the knyghtes of god whiche the holy ghoost adoubeth and armeth with vertues charyte In prowesse ben thre partyes Hardynes / strengthe / stedfastnesse There is none noble by ryght but yf he haue these .iii. thȳges / but yf he be hardy / prudent / entreprenaunt of grete thynges / and stronge puyssaunt for to pursue them and ferme stable to fynysshe theym But without wyt and without pourueyaunce no thynge auayleth none of these thre thynges For lyke as sayth the boke of the arte of chyualry Errour without batayle may not be amended For it is anone cōpared Folysshe entrepryse is where as lyeth lytell prouffyte / moche dyspence grete payne and peryll These ben thentrepryses of them that be called wyse and hardy in this worlde / that theyr bodyes and theyr soules putteth in synne / in peryll / and in payne for to gete a lytel lose and praysynge whiche is moche vayne / and lytell endureth ¶ But vertue dooth make a man of grete herte / and of wyse entrepryse / whan that she maketh a man the whiche is nothynge but erthe soo hardy / that he dare entrepryse for to conquere the realme of heuen / and to vaynquysshe all the deuylles of hell that ben so stronge ¶ This enterpryse is good wyse and moche prouffytable For there is therin lytel perylle / and lytell payne but there is glorye honour and prouffyte inestymable / perdurable without mesure / who hath no vertu hath no grete herte / but he is lyke hym that is aferde of nought Suche ben they that doubten the euylles the aduersytees / perylles / trybulacyons of the worlde And that haue drede to lese that / whiche they may not longe kepe ¶ They haue no grete herte that gyue it ouer for nought / lyke as done they that gyue theyr hertes for to loue the godes of fortune / whiche in trouthe ben ryght nought / but fylthe charge and ordure too the regarde of the goodes glorye perdurable ¶ Thenne suche people ben lyke a chylde / that loueth better an apple or a myrrour than a royame But vertu gyueth grete herte by ryght For vertue maketh them too conquere heuen / despyse the worlde / to bere grete dedes of penaunce And to supporte and gladly suffre all the euylles of the worlde and to endure theym for goddes sake And also for too withstonde and resyste all the assaultes of the deuyll Lyke as the wyse and prudente Seneke sayth / wepynges myschaunces / sorows trybulacōns / harmes shames / perylles / and all that whiche euyll fortune may menace and doo / haue noo more power ayenst vertu / than one drope of water sholde doo in the see / vertue maketh a man hardy as a lyon / stronge as an holyfaunte / ferme and durablee as the sonne whiche alwaye renneth and is neuer wery Thenne there is no prowesse ne strengthe but in vertues Of veray seygnorye whiche gyueth grace vertues .lxx THus is there none veray seygnory / but in vertues A grete lorde is he that knoweth all the worlde Suche a lorde gyueth too a man suche vertues and grace For he setteth a man in his ryght estate / in whiche he was fyrst sette in and made The man was made in suche honour and in suche seygnorye / that he was lorde ouer all creatures that were vnder heuen / to whome all thynges obeyed / and to whome no thynge myght noye ne greue / and this is the ryght estate to the man and to his seygnorye / but he lost this seygnorye by synne And myght not recouer it ageyne but by vertu But vertue setteth a man on hygh and setteth the worlde vnder feet and maketh hym too conuerse in heuen / vertue maketh a man by good ryght gretter lorde of the worlde / than the kynge is of his reame For of the goodes of the worlde he hath as moche as his herte desyreth / he hath his vsage and his sustenaunce / and as moche as he may haue for suffysaunce / and more suffysantlye than the kynge hath in his reame For all that the good hath and the euyll / al is his Therfore of all he doth his prouffyte and preyseth god and thanketh and loueth hym the more doubteth and serueth And in this he seeth knoweth that euery creature is made for to serue hym Also there is another seygnorye moche grete / withoute whome there is none by ryght lorde for he is emperour and lorde of hym self / that is of his body and or his herte / whiche he Iustyceth theym in good pees and dooth his wylle For his herte is so ioyned to the wyll of god / so that of all that / that god dooth he thanketh hym / and it playseth hym well And this is the seygnorye that vertue gyueth too hym that hath it Of this speketh Seneke and sayth as grete honour gyueth god to the / whan thou arte lorde and emperour of thy self and more whan a kynge / ha lorde god how many kynges emperours other grete lordes haue ben in the worlde and also barons / that haue citees / castellys / royames that haue not this seygnorye For they be not lordes of theyr hertes By cause that it tormenteth ofte / by wrath or by maletalente / or by couetyse / or by desyre that they may not accomplysshe ¶ Here is spoken of veray fraunchyse Ca. .xxi. AFter this I saye there is none that hath veray fraunchyse / yf he haue
/ it appereth moche precyous But whan a man hath holdeth them / anone they be lost / become truffes and dremes Thynke on the delyte of the last yere / and of thy dreme to nyght / thou shalte se that all is one / anone they passe anone they come agayne / in no maner may they fulfyll the herte of a man And yf in a droppe be as moche swetenes / that it is the swetenesse of all the foūtayne Then is that a delectable good And therfore the wyse holy men in all that they sawe in this worlde / sauoured of the delectable goodes of the worlde preyseden god / and moost desyred the loue of hym / and the more that they sawe the droppes swete / the more they desyred to come to the foūtayne celestyal And therfore it is wel knowen that the more that one forgeteth the droppe / the more he loueth the fountayne / the reuerse The more that one loueth the droppe the more he hateth the fountayne and forgeteth it And the more that the swetenesse of the worlde pleaseth to a creature whiche he so moche desyreth / the lasse hathe he of the swetenesse of god Therfore the gode men take the lasse of the swetenesse of the worlde as moche as they may and wyll not vse the flesshly delytes ne the deduytes that comen by the fyue wyttes bodyly A good lorde god how moche ben they fooles / and more than beestes / that knowe well that the body of a man is the moost foule thynge that may be / that the soule of a man is the moost noble thynge / the moost precyous and the moost noble creature that may be Therfore they sholde not wene that the goodes that come of the body be more delectable and swete / than they of the spyryte / whiche ben veray good / pure / and perdurable / and may fulfyl the herte and replenysshe it Suche godes gyueth god to a man in this worlde / whā he gyueth to hym pease of herte and vyctorye ayenst his synnes and ayenst thenemyes of helle And gyueth to hym glorye of conscyence and apeasyble herte / whan he replenyssheth the herte with loue spyrytuell Ioye Of suche Ioye ne of suche delyte / no semblaunce ne no comparyson may be foūden in the ioyes of the worlde ne ben not but drops to the regarde of the foūtayne of swetenesse that is Ihesu Cryst This is the fountayne of swetenes of whiche our lorde speketh in the gospell / who that shall drynke of the water that I shall gyue hym he shall become a lyuynge foūtayne whiche shall make hym lepe in to the lyfe pardurable This is the fountayne of Ioye / of swetenes / and of charyte / the whiche may fylle and replynysshe the herte And none other thynge what someuer it be / may not fyll it ¶ Of this fountayne hath tasted Dauyd the prophete whiche sayth in his psaulter O lorde god how moche is the multytude of thy grece swetenes / whiche thou kepest to thy seruauntes and departest to thy frendes And certayne who had well tasted and sauoured this swetenes that god hath gyuen to his frendes / he sholde dyspyse all the delyces and all the Ioyes of this worlde / and sholde chese retayne the spyrytuall Ioye And sholde do lyke as they that bulte the meele and deceuereth the floure fro the bren and grous / and as they that make oyle / that take the clere pure fatte / and leue the grosse matere For Ioye of the herte that cometh of god to loue / to serue / and honoure hym whiche is veray Ioye parfyte / lyke as sayth the prouerbe That none hath parfyte Ioye yf it come not of loue And therfore this Ioye is called oyle in holy scrypture / lyke as our lorde sayth by the prophete I shall gyue sayth he oyle of Ioye for wepynge This is Ioye of herte pure and veray for wepynge of penaunce Of this oyle ben enoynted they that god hath made kynges and lordes of the worlde and of them selfe And then̄e is a man parfyte crysten whan that he is enoynted with holy cresme For of crysme is sayd cryste / and of Cryst is sayd crysten / that is of Ihesu cryste And who that is enoynted of suche oyntemente / the whiche is of Ioye and loue of god / he lyueth in god / and god in hym Lyke as the holy appostle sayth And this is thenne the lyf of a crysten / that is to speke ryght / the lyf of a man / this is a good lyf and blyssednes that crysten men ought to seche and desyre for to gete the lyf perdurable / ye knowe moche wel that he is not in lyf / but in langoure / that alwaye lyueth in payne / in thought and in anguysshe This is no thynge but now wepe / and anone laughe Now is at ease / now is he at mysease / now is he in angre / now is he in pease / now in Ioye / now in sorowe Thenne who that wyll lede a good lyf / and lyue Iustly without synne / seche he that he haue the veray good / thenne he shal haue lyf honourable / delectable and prouffytable And thenne he shal lyue as a man resonable That is to saye holyly / ordynatly / wysely Ioyously meryly Meryly without angre / wysely without erroure / and. Ioyously without sorowe / and this lyf hath one by grace and by vertue / and none otherwyse ¶ Here after is spoken of vertues in especyal Ca. lxxv NOw I haue shewyd to the generally here tofore the dygnyte and the valure of the vertue of charyte / and wherfore one ought to gete it For grete prouffyt cometh for to haue it / as Ioye / honoure / and glorye perdurable But by cause men knowe not the thynge so wel in generall as they do in specyall Therfore is myn entencyon to speke of vertues in especyall / in suche manere that eueryche that wyll studye in this boke may ordeyne his lyf by vertue and by good werkes For otherwyse lytell sholde auaylle to knowe the good yf he do it not For lyke as sayth saynt Iames the appostle / who the knoweth the good doth it not / he synneth mysdoth / he is a fooll That knoweth the ryght way / and ernestly go out of it The holy scrypture sayth thus The wyse man or wyse woman hath a fayre gardyn full of verdure and fayre trees / and of good fruytes / wherof god sayth in the boke of loue to the holy soule My syster / my frende thou arte a gardyn enclosed of two closures That is of the grace of god and of aungelles This gardyn planted the grete gardyner That is god the fader whan that he admolysshed and made softe the herte of the creature humayne / and made it swete and treatable lyke waxe chaufed And as good erthe well arayed and cultyued / and worthy that good ympes sholde be
purge it fro all synnes And that he vouchesauf to come and dwelle as a kynge and a lorde / gouernour / and commaundour in houre hertes / so that all the herte be his / and that he be kynge lorde and alwaye that we mayse hym For it is lyfe pardurable to haue the reame of god within vs. Therfore sayth our lorde in the gospell / that the realme of god is as a treasour hyd in a felde / that is in the herte of a good man / whiche is more grete than all the worlde The .iii. petycyon request of the holy Pater nrÌ„ Ca. lxxxi FIat voluntas tua sicut in celo et in terra This is the .iii. pytycyon request / where we pray our lorde that his wyll be done in vs / lyke as it is done in heuen / that is in holy aungelles that ben in heuen / whiche ben so inlumyned confermed in god / that they may wyll none other thynge but that whiche god wyll / we may not haue this petycyon ne this perfeccyon but we haue the gyft of couÌ„ceyle / whiche is the thyrde gyft of the holy goost / that techeth vs to do his good wyll / that he conuert our caytyfe frayle wyll so that in vs growe no propre wyll / but that his wyll be onely lady of the herte holy / doo in vs what someuer he wyll / lyke as his wyll is done in holy aungelles of heuen whiche may not synne And that alway dooth the wyl of god wtout myspryse and gaynsaynge ¶ Now hast thou herde the thre petycions and fyrst requestes of the holy pater noster / whiche ben the hyest moost worthy In the fyrste we demaunde the yeft of sapyence In the seconde the gyft of vnderstandynge / and in the thyrde the gyft of counceyle / lyke as I haue tofore shewed ¶ These thre thyÌ„ges we do not requyre demauÌ„de / bycause we sholde haue them in this mortall lyf parfytely But we shewe vnto our good fader Ihesu Cryst our desyres / that they be alwaye in heuen where they ought to be To the ende that these thre requestes petycyons be doone and accomplyshest in vs in the lyfe pardurable / we demaunde them in this present lyfe In the other foure petycyons that cometh after we speke an other langage For we say to our good fader Ihesu cryst Gyue to vs ê‘done vs / kepe vs / delyuer vs. For yf we haue not of Ihesu cryst these foure petycyons requestes in this present worlde / we ben but deed For they be necessarye vnto euery persone in this mortall lyfe ¶ The .iiii petycyon and request Ca. lxxxii DAnem nrÌ„m cotidianuÌ„ da nobis hodie Well techeth vs our good mayster Ihesu cryste / to speke humbly and wysely For he techeth vs to say Fayre fader gyue to vs this daye our breed cotydyan or dayly What may the sone lesse demaunde of his fader / than onely breed for to passe forthe the daye / he demaundeth none outrage / ne wyne / ne flesshe / ne fysshe / but he demaundeth breed no more not for a yere / ne yet for a weke / but for to passe with the day onely This semeth that it is a lytel thynge that we demaunde / but certaynly we requyre a moche grete thyÌ„ge / whan we requyre of an abbot the breed of an abbay / or requyre the fraternyte / the companye / the parte / the ryght in al the godes of thabbay Ryght so it is of hyÌ„ that axeth of god this dayly breed / he hath fratnyte parte company / and ryght in all the goodes that ben in heuen This is the blyssed breed of heuen / of that blyssed couente The brede of heuen The brede of aungellys / the brede delectable / the brede of the lyf perdurable For it gyueth lyf vnderstondynge / neuer to deye / and preserueth a man / wherof god sayth in the gospell I am the brede of lyf whiche descended fro heuen / who that shall ete of this brede shall alwaye lyue wtout deyenge This brede is ryght good mete For it stauncheth all the hongres of the worlde / and fylleth a man and replenyssheth this doth not other mete / this is the breed and the mete that thou takest at the sacrament of the aulter And this mete thou oughtest to take in grete ardour and in grete deuocyon of herte / and in grete desyre That is to vnderstonde that thou oughtest to byleue feythfully that this mete so moche precyous is the veray body of Ihesu Cryste / and the soule / and the godhede all togyder without errour and withoute to demaunde or aske ony ferther For god may more than man may vnderstonde After a man ought to vnderstonde and chewe this precyous mete / lyke as the oxe fedeth of the grasse and cheweth his cudde / and then he taketh it in That is to saye that one ought to remembre deuoutlye and ofte by partyes / the bountes and graces of our lorde / and all the sorowes that Ihesu Cryste suffred in erthe for vs. Thenne the herte fyndeth the sauour of this precyous mete and causeth a ryght grete ardour of the loue of god in ryght grete desyre and wyll to do and to suffre all that he may for hym / and more than he may And all this doth the vertue of this blessed brede celestyall of the sacramente of the masse whiche is the veray precyous body of Ihesu Cryst This is the brede that comforteth and enforceth the herte to that / that he be well stronge to suffre to do grete thynges for the loue of god But this may not be but yf he haue the fourthe gyft of the holy goost / whiche is called the gyft of strength / whiche armeth and encourageth the knyght of god / and maketh hyÌ„ to renne gladly to martyrdome and to suffre Ioyously the tourmeÌ„tes Now mayst thou se / whan we demaunde this breed of aungelles We demaunde the gyft of strength For lyke as the bodely breed or materyall susteyne the body and enforce it Ryght so the gyft of strength maketh the herte stronge to suffre and to do grete thyÌ„ges for god This breed celestyall of aungelles / we call our for he was made of our paste he was sone of god the fader / was sone borne of the gloryous vyrgyn Mary Blyssed be this gloryous vyrgyn fro whome came this blyssed floure For that was the debonayre Ihesus / that was crucyfyed on the crosse for to redeme the worlde fro paynes of hell And this dyde he for the grete brennynge loue that he hadde vnto vs. This is the bysquyt of whiche he garnysshed his shyppe of holy chyrche for to passe the grete se of this peryllous worlde / he is oures / for he left to vs at his departynge leue takynge at his laste testament the swete Ihesu cryst / the ryght large / as the moost grete and moost ryche
one body loue and supporte eche other yf one membre hurte that other by aduenture / the other aduengeth hym not And therfore we that ben all one body in Ihesu Cryst lyke as thappostles sayth we ouÈt to loue and supporte eche other / not to hate ne to greue / and who that dooth otherwyse he is an homycyde of hym self / this sayth the scrypture Suche there be that can saye theyr pater noster / that it were better for them and more auayllable that they coude say it a ryght For who that pardoneth not / nor forgyueth with herte / and with mouthe / he moeueth his Iuge ayenste hym And in this prayer that we make to god / we requyre of hym the yefte of scyence whiche maketh a man wyse and also cunnynge This spyryte sheweth vnto hym what he is and in lyke wyse from whens he cometh / whether he goeth / and what he hath done and what he hath trespaced how moche he hath lente / and how moche he oweth and whan he seeth that he hath not wherof to paye / thenne this spyryte maketh hym to repente / to wepe and also to â—yghe / and crye god mercy and say O good lorde forgyue and pardone to me my dettes / that be my syÌ„nes For I am moche endetted to the / for the euylles synnes that I haue commysed and done / for the good dedes that I haue forgoten and left to do / whiche that I ought myght haue done and for the godes benefayres that thou hast done to me / the grete bountees whiche I haue all day receyued and euyll vsed theym / haue euyll serued the. And bycause lorde that I moche drede doubte to make my payment I requyre the to pardone me that / whiche I owe vnto the. Whan this spyryte of scyence hath thus enlumyned hym that he knoweth his defautes and synnes Thenne he casteth out of his herte all hate and rancoure and pardoneth all his euyll wyll anger yf he haue ony And yf he haue none / and is in wyll in purpose to pardone forgyue with good herte yf ony haue trespaced to hym Than may he well saye Fayre fader forgyue vs our trespaces / lyke as we do to them that haue trespaced vs. The .vi. petycyon request of the pater nrÌ„ Ca. lxxxiiii ET ne nos inducas in temptacionem Brente chylde fyre dredeth / he that somtyme is falin to synne / whan his synne is pardoned hym he is more doutous and more a ferde / hathe more drede of the temptacyon of synne than he hadde tofore / and therfore he prayeth vnto all myghty god vnto whome he hathe soo moche trespaced / and also that he hathe forgyuen and pardoned hym / that he wyll kepe hym frome fallynge in to it agayne / and sayth thus Et ne nos inducas in temptationem That is for to saye Fayre swete fader / suffre not thou that we entre in to temptacyon / and that we consent not to ony syÌ„ne The deuyll is the temptoure of synne / for it is his crafte / of the whiche he serueth in the hous of god to preue the newe knightes of god And yf the temptacyon were not good and prouffytable to good people God the whiche dooth all thynge for our prouffyte / wolde neuer suffre that temptacyon sholde come But as saynt Bernarde sayth whan our temptoure smyteth vs on the backe He forgeth vnto vs our crownes of glorye / lyke as he that smyteth on the backe of a good knyght / forgeth to hym his praysynge and his glorye / The deuyll tempteth a man proprely to th ende that he take hym aweye and departe hym holly frome the loue of our lorde Ihesu Cryste ¶ Therfore prayed and prayeth to vs saynt Poule the appostle / and vnto his dyssyples / that they be founded and ferme as a toure / and roted as a tre / in charyte / and in the loue of god so that no temptacyon may moeue theym ne make them for to staker ne quaure ¶ And therfore in this petycyon and requeste we requyre and demaunde the ayde and helpe of god in our bataylle ayenst the fende / that he wyl gyue to vs the yefte of pyte That is a grace that arouseth and bedeweth the herte / and maketh hym swete and pyetous / and maketh hym al to rendre and were grene / and to bere fruyt ynough of good werkes without forth / and withinforth And within to make stedfast and ferme his rootes in the londe of lyuynge people / that is lyke as the good cyment of whiche ben made these walles sarazynoys / whiche may not be broken ne defeated with pykeys ne with hamer whan we say thenne Et ne nos in ducas in temptacyonem That is to saye swete fader make thou our hertes ferme and in lyke wyse stable / that they moeue not ne quauer for no temptacyon that come to them by the grace of the gyft of pyte / we praye not that we be in no wyse tempted For that were a folysshe prayer and shamefull / lyke as the sone of a lorde / or of another noble man / that sholde be adoubed a newe knyght / he sholde say to his fader Fayre fader I pray you that ye me deporte or forbere kepe that I neuer se batayle ne tournoy We ought well wyll to be tempted / for it is our grete prouffyte in many maners For we be the more humble and the more doutous the more wyse in many cases / the better proued and the more hardy For as Salomon sayth ye. Who that hath not be teÌ„pted / he may knowe nothynge a ryght / but lyke as one knoweth of the batayle of Troye by here saynge for he may not knowe hym selfe ne his Infyrmyte / ne the strength of his ennemyes / ne theyr subtylte / ne how god is true redy at nede to ayde his frende / ne how many tymes he hathe kepte vs from many perylles synnes / and by all these reasons he shal not conne loue god aryght / ne thanke hyÌ„ of his yeftes yf he be not tempted / but pray we hym that he kepe to vs our hertes that they entre not in to temptacyon / that is to say that the herte consent not therto / as touchynge our selfe we be so poore / that we may not an houre of the daye sustayne thassautes the dyuers temptacyons of the fende wtout the helpe of our lorde And whan he faylleth for to ayde and helpe vs we entre in to temptacyon And whan he helpeth vs we resyste we fyght and vaynquysshe the fende our enemy whan that we coÌ„sent not to synne ¶ The .vii. petycyon of the pater noster Ca. lxxxv SEd libera nos a malo amen / saynt austyn sayth that all the other temptacyons ben to vs eyther for to doo well or for to leue to do well But all
in what sorowe / in what myschyefe / and in what peryll thou arte in this present worlde For thou art semblable and lyke vnto a man the whiche peryssheth in these slepynge fast in a shyppe or other vessell / ne feleth / ne vnderstandeth / ne also apperceyueth his peryll and daunger the whiche he is in That is to vnderstande and saye caytyf beholde agayne thy lyf fro now backewarde For thou comest fro the tauerne of the deuyll / where as thou haste wasted mysspent thy lyfe and tyme in foule ordure and fylth of synne / and loste al thyn aege / and all the goodes che whiche god hath gyuen vnto the. What doost thou That is to say / consyder how thou arte faynte and frayle wery slowe towarde thy body and towarde thy soule Thou wenest to be hole and stronge / but peraduenture thou hast the humours corrupte in thy body whiche shall lede the to the deth And in thy soule thou hast euyl maners / that shall lede the to the dethe of hell yf the grace of god kepe the not After whither goest thou / that is for to saye Caytyf thȳke beholde and vnderstande that thou goest to thy deth wherin thou shalte fall in to the hondes of Herode / that is the deuyll of hell and his meyne Thou goest vnto the Iugement and dome where thou shalte se the Iustyce our lorde god soo cruell / soo strayte / and soo puyssaunt Thou goost in to hell where thou shall fynde fyre styn kynge sulphre / and mo than a thousande tourmentes that The tree of sȳnes the rote of pryde Enuy. Symony Blasphemynge Yre Auarice vayn glory Slouth Glotony Lechery neuer shall fynysshe to tourment the. Thus dooth the holy ghoost to the synner to opē his eyen / to beholde aboue hym / and vnder hym / and tofore hym and behynde hym ¶ These ben foure strokes of dethe the whiche fereth the sinner and maketh hym to trȳble and too haue drede And these foure beholdynges and consyderacions proprely ben the foure stremes of the vertue of humylyte that the gyfte of drede planteth in the hert of the synner whan god vysyteth hym ¶ Here foloweth of the foure rootes of the synne of pryde Ca. lxxxxxviii THe foure thoughtes and consyderacyons the whiche ben tofore reherced pulleth out and taketh awaye frome the roote out of the gardyn or herber of the herte the foure rootes of pryde / that is of the proude man the whiche weneth for to knowe moche thynge / Or for to be of the valour of moche thynge / or that he may do and compryse moche thynge / or to haue moche thynge These ben the foure hornes That is for to vnderstande the foure cowardyses the whiche shamed the countree that our lorde god shewed vnto the holy man Zacharye the prophete But the foure thynges that he shewed hym proprely after that they came for to be et downe these tofore sayd foure hornes the whiche ben the foure thoughtes and cōsyderacyons toforesayd For whan a man frome whens he cometh / and whan that he vnderstandeth and alsoo knoweth the pouerte / the vylete / and veraye fraylte of his byrthe / how and in what maner he was conceyued as in synne / of soo foule mater and fylthe made fourmed In so poore an house herboured and lodged In so grete pouerte borne and brought forthe In what paynes and myseryes nourysshed and fostred In what laboures and trauayles he hath lyued And he hath loste spente his tyme folysshely about vayne and transytorye vanytees / he seeth and consydereth the grete nombre multytude of his synnes and trespaces And knoweth clerely the good dedes the whiche he hath lefte and not doone by his slouthe and neclygence Thenne the grace of the holy ghoost maketh him to fele / to Iuge and for to knowe in his herte / that he is of noo value / ne noo thynge worthe / after whan he thynketh where he is / and seeth this worlde whiche is nothynge but an exyle / a desert full of berys lyepardes / a forest full of theuys and engynes a see full of tempest and perylles / a fourneys brennynge and enbraced with fyre and of all synnes / a felde of bataylle and of anguysshe / where alwaye byhoueth to lyue in warre fyght ayenste the deuylles whiche ben so subtyll and so sage Thenne the grace of God maketh hym for to fele aryght and perceyue that he felt nothynge for to gouerne hym well touchynge his saluacyon yet agayne whan the synner thynketh / consyderethe and knoweth his synnes and his defautes that he is full of synnes / and voyde of all good dedes and werkes Thenne thē holy ghost maketh him to fele and to know his pouerte / and that he hath no spyrytuell good in hym After whan the synnar seeth tofore hym whiche waye he goeth / and he seeth the deth / to whome noo man may gaynsaye On that other parte the synnar seeth the Iustyce and the vengeaunce of god so Iuste soo ryghtfull whiche is so moche to be doubted / by whos handes he must passe / he seeth and knoweth the paynes horryble of helle from whome the synnar may not escape Thenne god gyueth hym to knowe that the power of a man and of a woman is nought / and that they may do no thynge wtout the specyall grace of god Thenne the synnar begynneth to haue the spyryte and yeft of drede In these thoughtes and consyderacyons ben the braunches of the rote of the tree of humylyte This tree is planted besyde the fountayne of the drede of god / of whiche it is alwaye arowsed watred as well in wynter as in somer Now oughtes thou to knowe that these .vii. vertues of whiche I purpose to speke of haue eche of them seuen degrees / by whiche it prouffyteth / aryseth / and groweth in the herte of a creature / and his good werkys by whiche is sheweth outewarde For vertue groweth on hye / lyke as doeth the palme / the cypres or the cedre / and after spredeth and casteth his braunches on all sydes ¶ Of the vertue of humylyte Ca. lxxxxix OF the vertue of humylyte speketh saynt Ancelme / and sayth that it hath .vii. degrees by whiche it mounteth on hye before that it come to perfecion Now vnderstonde well how the fyrst degree of humylyte knoweth his pouerte / his synnes / and his defautes For lyke as sayth saynt Bernarde humylyte is the vertue that maketh a man to mespryse and despyse hym self / and holde hym for vyle whā he knoweth hym self verayly ¶ This knowleche groweth of the .iiii. rotes tofore sayd But ther ben somme that knowe well theyr deffautes and theyr synnes / and theyr pouertees / but they fele theym not Therfore the seconde degre of humylyte / is to fele and to complayne his synnes / his defautes / his sorowe / and his maladye he renneth gladly to the leche / that feleth
ysopus a tale or a fable / of a lytell hounde and of an asse / whiche asse sawe the hounde that as oftymes as his lorde came home / he ranne ageynst hym and lepe vpon his necke / and the lorde played with hym and made hym grete feste / and the asse thought sayenge More ought my lorde to make to me feste whiche serue hym all daye / than to his dogge whiche serueth of no thynge It was not longe after that this asse sawe his lorde come to his hous And he ranne ageynst hym / and caste his .ii. fore feet aboute his necke / and began strongly to lycke and fawne hym The seruauntes of the lorde whiche sawe this / ranne with grete staues and beten ryght well the asse And of that / of whiche the asse had supposed to haue had grace / honour / and prouffyte / he had shame and domage ¶ By suche fables the wyse men were wonte tenseygne teche them self by suche ensaumple And by this ensaumple he sheweth / that no man sholde desyre suche graces as he may not attayne ne come to / and the same techeth Salamon sayenge Sone caste not thyn eyen to rychesses That is to the graces that thou mayst not atteyne Therfore he hath grete nede of dyscrescyon that he see of whome he taketh ensaumple ¶ Also it is necessyte that a man see clerely on his lyft syde / and that is the fyfthe degre For one ought to beholde the fooles and the shrewes whiche ben as on the lyft syde / for they be on the werse syde To them ought one to take hede / fyrste by cause that a man sholde haue pyte and compassyon Also that one sholde not ensyewe theyr foly ne theyr predycyon / soo as the wyse Salamon sayth I passed sayd he by the vyneyarde of the slouthfull foole / and sawe that it was full of thornes and nettles / and by this ensaumple I haue lerned wytte and prouydence Also that one loue moost god by whome he is quyte of suche synnes and of suche perylles But hym behoueth on this syde to kepe dyscrecyon and equyte For whan I se a foole and a synner I ought to haue pyte and compassyon / and not to make of hym mockerye ne derysyon I ought alway to hate the synne / and loue the persone / moche I ought to kepe me that I wyll no grefe ne harme in my herte to no persone / ne to condempne hym Ne compare my selfe to an other that is soo euyll For he is this day euyl that shall be to morowe good / and suche is this day good / that to morowe shall be euyll Also I ought as moche as I may without mysdoynge vnto other enploye my selfe / humble and condescende in werkes and in wordes for to wynne hym to god / and to withdrawe hym fro synne For lyke as sayth Seneke saynt Gregory We may not better releue them that ben fallen / than by that whiche is aforefayd / and lete vs not wyll our self how that it be enclyne towarde them ¶ The .vi. degree of the vertue of equyte Ca. Ca. xiiii THe .vi. degree of the vertue of equyte is that .vi. eye that the wyse man hath That is that he se clerely behynde the nette and the engyns of the deuyll / whiche ben to vs as behynde vs. For the fende seeth vs / and we may not se hym ¶ The fende our ennemye that is the deuyll / whiche is moche stronge / wyse / subtyll and besy for to deceyue vs. For he ceaseth neuer day ne night / but alway is in a wayte for to deceyue vs by his false crafte / and by his engynnes that he vseth in moo than a thousande maners And lyke as sayth saynt Austyn The deuylles see moche subtylly the state of a man and his manere / and his complexyon and to what synne / to what vyce he is moost enclyned / by nature or by custome / and to that parte wherto a man enclyneth hym self Therto the deuyll assaylleth moost strongely The coleryke man to wrath and yre The sanguyn man to Iolyte and to lecherye The fleumatyke to glotonnye and to slouthe / and the malencolyke to enuye and heuynesse And therfore euery man ought to deffende and kepe hym fro that parte where he seeth that his hous is moost feble And ayenst this vyce and this synne ought one to fyght and resyste moost / of whiche he is moost assaylled And how moche more he shall resyste strongely ayenste all synnes Soo moche more meryte shall he haue in paradyse or in heuen / and vnderstonde well that the enemye of helle spareth no persone For he is hardy and aygre / as he that assaylleth our lorde Ihesu Cryst in temptynge hym Knowest thou sayth our lorde to Iob / in how many guyses the fende desguyseth hym / and in how many maners Lyke as he sholde saye No man knoweth but I onely For lyke as sayth saynt Denys All the aungelys the good and the euyll / and all the spyrytes of men ben lyke as a myrrour spyrytuell Then lyke as a myrrour receyueth all the fourmes and then pryntes that comen tofore hym Rygh soo doth a spyryte of a man / be it in slepynge be it in wakynge Now then take a myrrour set it ayenst another Anone al the formes that ben in that one / thou shalt see in that other ¶ In suche it is sayd that the deuyll sheweth to a man suche fygures suche fourmes as he wyll that god suffreth hym And the soule receyueth maulgre hym self somtyme in thought and in ymagynacyon / lyke ayenste my wyll / me byhoueth to loke / se and receyue in the syghte of myn eye the fourme that cometh before me Now it is a ryght grete grace of god and a ryght grete gyfte of the holy goost to vnderstande well all the languages of the deuyll / and to knowe al his temptacyons / and all his engynes For lyke as sayth the holy saynt Bernarde It is ouer subtyll a thynge for to knowe and dyscusse bytwene the thoughtes that the herte cōceyueth and bryngeth forthe / and them that the deuyll planteth And the fende sheweth to a man how the synnes ben pleasaunt and delectable / lyghtly may a dyscrete man and reasonable knowe this But whan the fende cometh to tempte one in guyse of an aungell sheweth to hym good for to drawe hym to euyll Thenne is the tēptacyon moste stronge And therfore sayth saynt Iohan that one ought not to beleue al spyrytes / but they ought to preue and well examyn theym tofore that one beleue them / to consyder yf they be of the parte of god Ryght so dooth they that haue theyr confessoures good and holy men / wyse and well approued in theyr fayte To whiche confessoures they that confesse them / sheweth often theyr thoughtes whiche come vnto theyr herte / bothe the good and euyll For lyke as Salamon sayth Blyssed be they that
sholde be good for all thynges That is mercy whiche wynneth the goodes temporall / the goodes spyrytuell / the godes perdurable of glorye / of the godes temporell sayth Salamon / honoure god of thy rychessys of thy godes tēporel gyue to the poore / god shal replenyssh thy garners of wheet / the cellers of wyne But vnderstande well this worde / that he sayth of thy rychesses and of thy godes / and not the goodes of other / as dooth some that wyll doo almesses of that whiche they haue taken fro other by force / by rauyne / by vsure / or by other euyll cause / maketh oft of other mens leder large thonges But of thyn owne propre good whiche thou holdest truely honoure god For that other thou arte bounden to yelde rendre agayne Also he sayth that thou gyue to the poore not to the ryche / god shall yelde to the an C. double therfore lyke as he sayth in the gospell Mercy is a sede that fructefyeth better in the lene londe than it dooth in fatte How that mercy multyplyeth the goodes temporell we haue many fayre ensamples / of whiche I wyll remembre some here ¶ It is sayd of saynt Germayne of Ancerre / that whan he came frome Rome / as he went out of Melane he demaūded his deken yf he had ony money / he answered that he had but thre pens For saynt Germayne had gyuen all to poore people Then commaunded saynt Germayne to his deken that he sholde gyue tho .iii. pens to the poore people / for god had well wherof to fede them that day The deken with grete payne grutchynge gaue two pens / reteyned the .iii. peny / and as they wēt on the way the seruaunt of a ryche man brought to saynt Germayne fro his lorde CC. shelynges Then called saynt Germayne his deken / sayd to hym that he had stolen fro the pore a peny For yf he had gyuen the .iii. d. to the poore / the knyght hadde sent hym CCC shelynges After it was sayd in the way to saynt Germayne / that to saynt Iohn̄ thamener came a gentylman whiche was robbed of theues so that he had nothynge / and tolde to saynt Iohan thamener his case / he had grete pyte and compassyon on hym / and he commaunded his dyspencer that he sholde gyue hym .xv. poūde / of golde / his dyspencer for couetyse gaf hym but .v. Anone a noble lady sent vnto the sayd saynt Iohan fyue C. pounde / of golde Thenne he called his dyspencer and demaūded hym how moche he had gyuen to that man He ansuerd sayd that he gyuen hym xv poūde The holy man sayd nay / that he had gyuen hȳ but .v. pounde / whan he knewe the trouth by hym that had receyued it / he sayd to his dyspenser / that yf he had gyuen that .xv. poūde Our lorde had sente to hym by the good woman M. vC poūde / whan he demaunded of the good lady whome he called to hym / how moche she had gyuen lefte to hym in her testament / she answerd that she had ordeyned a thousand fyue hondred poūde for to sende hym And whan she sawe the M. pounde raced put out of the wrytynge she thought that god wolde that she sholde sende to hȳ no more but .v. hondred pounde ¶ Also saynt Gregoyre reherceth of saynt Bonyface / that fro that tyme that he was a chylde he was soo pyetous / that he gaf his sherte his gowne vnto the poore / how be it that his moder bete hym ofte therfore ¶ Now it happed that the chylde sawe many poore people that suffred moche dysase / he espyed that his moder was not at home / he ranne to the garners / all that his moder had assembled for the yere he gaf to the poore people And whan his moder came knewe what he had done / she was as out of her wytte Thenne the chylde prayed our lorde the garners were full of whete ¶ Also there as a poore man as it is sayd that had but one cowe / whiche harde saye of his curate in his sermon that god sayd in the gospell / that a man sholde haue an hondred folde double for all that he sholde gyue for goddes sake The good man by the counceyll of his wyfe gaue his cowe vnto his curate in hope to haue an hondred kyen for his cowe / whan he had longe taryed / that promesse abode longe after / he wende that his curate had deceyued hym / and thought that he sholde sle hym / arose on a nyght for to sle hym / and whan he was in the way he founde a grete masse of golde / thenne he thought that god hadde rendred and yelded his promesse and retorned in peas Also of an other poore man bycause that he hadde herde that god wolde so gyue an hondred for one / he gaue his cowe vnto his curate whiche was ryche The preest toke gladly this cowe sent her to his pasture where as his other kyen were And at the euyn the poore mannes cowe came agayne home brought an C. kyen longynge to the preest with her / whan the poore man sawe that / he thought that god had kepte his promysse accordynge to the gospell And the sayd kyen were Iuged tofore the bysshop to the poore man ageynst the preest These ensamples to fore sayd sheweth well / that mercy is good marchaundyse for it encreaseth well the goodes temporall Also mercy empetreth and geteth of god the goodes spyrytuell perdurable Wherof saynt Poule sayth that it auayleth to all thynge For she gyueth lyfe and grace in this present lyfe / the lyfe of glorye without ende in that other And therfore sayth Dauyd in his psaulter / that god loueth mercy trouthe For she gyueth grace in this worlde / glory in that other Also mercy and almesse kepeth a mā fro all perylles delyuereth hȳ fro spyrytuell dethe that is of helle For many deed men haue ben raysed vnto lyfe by the werkes of mercye / the whiche haue ben doone / wherof there ben many ensaumples in wrytynge of the lyues of sayntes / the whiche is of the deth pardurable of helle Therfore sayd Thobye to his sone Be thou sayd he pyteous and mercyfull as moche as thou mayst For almesse delyuerth kepeth fro all synne fro the deth of helle / and defendeth the soule that it goo not in to the derknesse of helle ¶ Now hast thou herde the braūches and the degrees of mercy / by whiche she groweth and prouffyteth Now the byhoueth to see the braunches of this tree / by whiche she mounteth / and by whiche it descendeth ¶ Here after folowen the braunches of the vertue of mercy and of almesse Ca. C.xxxi THis tree hath mo braunches than thother toforesayd / for it extendeth more than the other wherof there ben braūches on
a daye the poore lyke as he had be acustomed / and whan he had supposed to haue gyuen water to a seke man that was there / as sone as he torned hym / he that was in lykenes of the poore man vanysshed / none knewe where he bycam / wherof he moche meruaylled And the nyght after our lorde aperyed to hym sayd that he had on other dayes receyued hym in his membres / but on the daye he receyued hyÌ„ in his propre persone Also hospytalyte is better more worth than abstynence or ony other labour / wherof is fouÌ„de in vytis patrum that in egypte was an holy fader whiche receyued all them that passed forth by that had nede / gaf to them suche as he had It happed that a man of moche grete abstynence was herberowed in his lodynge / whiche wolde faste / wolde not ete at the prayer of the good man that had receyued hym Thenne the good man that had lodged hym sayd to hym / late vs goo fayre brother vnder that tree there without / and praye we to our lorde Ihecu Cryste that this tree enclyne and bowe doune at the prayer of hym that best pleaseth god / and whan they had made ther prayers / the tre enclyned doune to hym that receyued the poore people / not to hym that made the grete abstynences there ben many moo fayre examples of the hospytalyte but it sholde be ouer longe a thynge to reherce ¶ The .vi. braunche of mercy Ca. C.xxxvii THe .vi. brauÌ„che of mercy is to vysyte coÌ„forte ayde them that be in pryson and in holde / theym to delyuer yf they may To do this admonesteth vs thappostle Poule that sayth RemeÌ„bre ye them that ben in pryson / lyke as ye were bounde with them / that is to say that ye vesyte / conforte and helpe them Lyke as ye wolde that ye were conforted / vesyted holpen yf ye were bounde in pryson as they be Thus dyde Thobye that went to them that were in pryson and comforted them with good wordes And SalamoÌ„ sayth in his prouerbes Delyuer thou theym sayth he the men lede to deye In suche wyse delyuered Danyell Susanna fro dethe And our lorde delyuered the woman that had be taken in aduoutry / whiche sholde haue be stoned to dethe after the lawe / not for bycause that Iustyce shold not be done vpoÌ„ malefactours But in suche dede fayt he taught the Iuges what they sholde be / and how they ought to Iuge other / wherof in this ensample he ensygneth foure thynges that euery Iuge ought for to haue kepe in Iugement The fyrst thynge is grete delyberaon / and grete auysemente of counceyle good and hole / Wherof Iob sayth The cause that I knewe not I enserched it and requyred it dylygently / and this is to vnderstande in that / whiche our lorde Ihesu cryst whan the Iewes hadde accused the woman / he wrote in the erthe with his fynger / he that is without synne of you throw the fyrste stone For to stone the woman And by the scrypture made with the fynger we vnderstonde dyscrecyon and grete delyberacyon The seconde thynge is good entencyon that he bowe not ne enclyne more on that one party than on that other / ne for prayer ne for gyft / ne for fauour / ne for loue / ne for hate / and this is to vnderstande in that whan Ihesu cryste wrote he helde hym styll in the place The thyrde thynge is good lyfe and to kepe hym well from synne For he that Iugeth other ought to be of good lyfe / of good conscyence / lyue Iustly For yf he be other / he ought to haue grete drede of the IugemeÌ„t of god / whiche sayth in the gospell / that suche Iugement as ye doo to other / shall be doone to you And saynt Poule sayth thus of euyll Iuges In that thou Iugest other thou condempnest thy selfe / for thou doost that for whiche thou Iugest other Wherfore our lorde sayd whan he arose fro wrytynge / he of you that is without synne caste on her the fyrst stone / whaÌ„ they herde this senteÌ„ce / they departed went away all ashamed / the one after an other wtout takynge leue / for they were greter synners than the woman / whome they wolde haue stoned The fourthe thynge is to haue pyte compassyon / that the Iuge ought to haue on hym that he shall Iuge / for he ought more to enclyne by humanyte and mercy than to enhardy hym by rygoure to doo Iustyce For Iustyce without mercy is cruelte / and mercy without Iustyce is leudnesse And therfore that one of these two vertues holdeth ofte company with that other in holy scrypture But alway sayth the scrypture / that mercy surmounteth Iustyce And saynt Iohan with the golden mouthe sayth / that at the daye of Iugement / that it shall be more of value to rendre reason of doynge mercy than of the rygoure and cruelte of Iustyce And the holy man saynt Iames sayeth that Iugement without mercy shall be done to hym that hath doo no mercy And therfore our lorde after that he was relyeued he enclyned hym towarde therth / and after delyuerd the woman / for the Iuge ought to enclyne by pyte and compassyon to hym / whome he ought to Iuge / and haue grete drede / and also agyenst his wyll ought he to Iuge the other For yf he Iuge wyckedly he shall be Iuged at the daye of Iugement Now is it grete almesse to vysyte the prysoners / and them to rede me delyuer that may And therfore our lorde Ihesu Cryst wolde descende in to helle for to delyuer the soules of sayntes that were there ¶ The .vii. braunche of mercy Ca. Cxxxviii THe seuenth brauÌ„che of mercy is to burye the deed bodyes Of this werke is moche preysed in holy scrpture Thobye / whiche buryed the deed bodyes and lefte his mete And our lorde praysed Marye Magdalene for the oynemente that she shedde on his heed / wherof he sayd that she had doone it in sygnefyaunce of his sepulture Also Ioseph demaunded the body of our lorde / buryed it moche dylygently The other were ryÈt besy of theyr sepulture / and had grete bewayllynge and grete deuocyon to the holynesse / good / and holy lyf / of theyr faders / and therfore they wolde be buryed with them Of whome Iacob sayd to his sone Ioseph Burye me not in egypt / but with my faders / and therfore it is good to be buryed amonge good relygyous meÌ„ for to haue theyr prayers nature ought to moeue a man to this good werke / and vertuous operacyon Wherof it is redde of the nature of beestes the the dolphyns whan they se a dolphyn deed / they assemble theym togyder / bere hym to the botom of the se / and there bury hym Yf nature / pyte moeue styre the Iewes sarasyns /
degrees / the brauÌ„ches / the fruyte the spyrytuell good that cometh therof in this worlde and in that other Of the fruyte of this tree sayth Dauyd to vs in the psaulter in this wyse Blyssed is he that entendeth to the nedy to the poore That is to say that he abyde not so longe tyll the poore demaunde hym / but that he gyue without askynge Ne he hath no herte to gyue that gyueth not wtout askynge / he dooth wel that gyueth to the pore but he dooth moche better that gyueth wtout demaundyÌ„ge And therfore sayth Dauyd the prophete / blyssed is he that entendeth to the poore / wherfore is he blyssed / he sayth after in the sayd place / that god shall delyuer hym in the euyl daye fro his ennemyes That shall be at the daye of dome whiche shall be harde and euyll to them that shall be dampned bycause they haue not fulfylled the werkes of mercy ¶ Thenne shall the Iuge say to them at that day Goo ye cursed in to the fyre of hell with the deuylles to be dampned / whan I had honger and thyrst ye gaue to me neyther meet ne drynke I haue be seke and ye vesyted not me I was naked and ye clothed me not And therfore they shall be delyuered to theyr enemyes / that ben the deuylles of hell / and they that haue ben pyteous and that haue entended to the poore people shall be delyuerd that daye and sholde be put in the possessyon of heuen Lyke as our lorde sayth in the gospell For he shall saye vnto them that haue done and accomplysshed the werkes of mercy Come ye blessed of my fader Receyue ye take ye the kyngdome of heuen whiche that I haue made redy for you syth the begynnynge of the worlde For that whiche ye haue done to the poore / ye haue done to me Grete honoure shall god doo to them / whan he shall thanke theym of the werkes of mercy / and shal gyue to them the glorye perdurable And therfore sayth he in the gospell Blessed ben the mercyfull For they shall haue mercy / by cause they haue enlonged the lyf of the poore people by theyr almesse / and therfore they that haue had pyte of the membres of Ihesu Cryst / and haue susteyned them in this worlde / and haue comforted and ayded them in theyr aduersytees It is wel reason that he do to them mercy whiche delyuerth fro al aduersytes and fro all myserye / and so shall he do whan he shall gyue to them the lyf perburable / wherto mercy shall lede them and herberowe theym ¶ Of the lyf actyf of the lyf contemplatyf Ca. Cxl. THe holy scrypture wytnesseth enseygneth to vs .ii. maners of wele and goodes / by whiche a persone cometh to the lyf perdurable / the fyrst is called the lyf actyf / by cause it is in labour of good werkes / and maketh a man to entende to the proufyte of hym self and of his neyghbour The seconde is called conteÌ„platyf / by cause it is in reste of good werkes / and ne entendeth to noo thynge but to loue and to knowe god Thenne is he ydle of werkes without forth / and lyke as he were in a dreme / or heuely a slepe / but he is awaked withinforthe for to thynke vpon god / and for to loue hym And for the loue that he hay e to god / he put all other thynges in forgetynge / lyke as he were all rauysshed and fyxed in god / and desyreth for to be dysceuered fro the mortall body / for to be alway with Ihesu cryste The fyrst lyfe / is the felde of good werkes where the knyghtes of god assaye and preue them The seconde reste theym with all myghty god in the chambre of clene conscyence The fyrst entendeth for to fede god with the meet of good werkes The seconde entendeth for to be fedde and fulfylled of god by veray comfort spyrytuell ¶ Of the fyrste is sygnyfyed by Martha whiche was besy to fede our lorde / as it is sayd in the gospell The seconde is sygnyfyed by Mary magdaleyn whiche sate at the fete of Ihesu cryst / herde his wordes The fyrst is a way and entre to the seconde For noo persone may come to the lyfe contemplatyf / yf he be not fyrst proued well in the lyf actyf Lyke as sayth saynt Gregory The gyftes and the vertues wherof we haue spoken tofore / appertayneth to the fyrst lyfe / whiche is called actyf The two last gyftes of whiche we shall speke / by the helpe ayde of the holy goost / that is to wete the gyfte of vnderstandynge and of the gyft of wysdome and sapyence appertayneth to the seconde lyfe / whiche is called contemplatyf This lyfe hath two thynges lyke as we haue tofore touched / that is to wete in the ryght knowlege of god and in parfyte loue The gyft of vnderstandynge ledeth to perfeccyon of ryght knowlege The gyft of sapyence ledeth to perfeccyon of loue We shall saye fyrst of the gyft of vnderstandynge after that the holy goost shall teche and ensygne vs. This gyft that is called the gyft of vnderstondynge ne is none other thynge after the sayntes and the doctours / but a lyght and a clerenes of grace the whiche the holy goost sendeth in to the hert by vnderstoÌ„dynge a man is lyft vp to knowe his maker and the thyÌ„ges spyrytuell whiche may not be seen bodely And all the thâ—ges that apperteyneth to the helthe of the soule / and to naturall reason to whiche the vnderstondynge of a maÌ„ by hym selfe may not come This gyfte is called lyghte / for it purgeth the vnderstondynge of a man fro the derkenes of Ignouraunce / and fro the spottes and fyfth of synne For lyke as the bodely â—yght taketh away the derkenes / and maketh the bodely thynges to be seen clerely Ryght so this spuÌ„â—ll lyght purgeth the vnderstondyÌ„ge of a man / to that whiche he may see clerely and knowe certeynly / as a man may knowe in this mortal lyf god his maker / and the spyrytuell creatures / lyke as ben the aungellys and the soules and the thynges that apperteyne to the helthe of soules That ben the artycles of the feyth of whiche we haue spoken tofore This knowleche is not but in conscyence wel purged / pure and clene For lyke as sore eyen charged with fylthe may not beholde the clere lyght Ryght so the vnderstondynge of a man / whan it is of hym self may not beholde / ne knowe spyrytuell thynges / yf it be not wel purged fro al tatches of errour and of fylthe of synne / by veray fayth whiche purgeth the hertes as the scrypture sayth But the gyfte of the holy ghoost of whiche we speke here perfourmeth this purgacyon at the hert so that the holy soule whiche is purged enlumyned with this lyght of vnderstondynge may see and knowe god / and all that whiche is to hym necessarye
And yet he wyll also that they haue in the chirche theyr hedes couerd / soo that no man be styred by theym to euyll / ne synne not in beholdynge of theym / but they ought to be arayed as deuoute and good women / whiche shewe the bounte of theyr herte by good werkys / and therfore sayth saynt Ambrose / who wyll be herde in prayer / he ought to take awaye fro hym al sygne of pryde / and ought to enclyne hym to god with his herte by veray confessyon / and by penaūce in profounde humylyte / for to moeue god to doo hym mercy For as he sayth proude habyte geteth no thynge of god / but it gyueth cause to Iuge euyll of hym the weereth it ¶ Now I haue shewed to the thre thynges that ought to be in prayer / fayth / hope and deuocyon But to that / that prayer may be perfyghtly agreable and playsaunte to god and worthy to be enhaunced and herde / it behoueth foure thynges That is that it haue .ii. wynges whiche bere it tofore god These two wynges ben almesses and fastynges / or other penaunces / wherof the aungell sayd to Thobye Prayer is good whan it hath in hym self fastynge and almesse / without these two wynges the prayer may not flee to god For as sayth saynt Ambrose / good lyf maketh the prayer to flee to god But synne letteth it and with draweth it ageyn / wherof thou oughtest to wete that in two maners is prayer lette / lyke as sayth saynt Ysodore One is by cause a mā kepeth hym not fro synne and fro doynge euyll And for that a persone wyll not forgyue the euyll wylle that he hath to another persone For in lyke wyse as the oynemētes wyll not hele the wounde / as longe as the yron is wythī Ryght so auaylleth not ne prouffyteth noo thynge the prayer to hym that sayth it as he hath euyl wylle to another And therfore sayth the prophete / lete vs lyfte vp our hertes our handes to god He lyfteth vp his hert his hādes to god that lyfteth vp his prayers by good werkes And thappostle sayth that he that lyfteth vp his pure handes to god in prayer lyfteth vp in pure clene conscyence without synne For god enhaūceth not the prayer that cometh of a conscyence full of ordure and of synne wherof he sayth by the prophete whan ye shal multeplye your prayers I shal not here them / for your handes be all blody ful of synne who ben they that haue theyr hādes blody but they that dystresse the pour peple which ben vnder them take awaye fro them their good by force they haue the handes ful of blood of the blood of pour peple for they take a way fro them their lyf / their sustenaūce by couetyse by theyr rauyne do grete oultrages etē the morsellys ful of synne wherfore they shal paye the scotte in that other worlde For the scripture sayth that god requyreth the blood of the pour peple For they must gyue a rekenyng or sytte therfore and therfore who wyl be enhaūced herde of god in his prayers late hym not come tofore God the swerde drawen Ne the hādes blody ne wyth voyde handes That is to say in wyll to synne ne spotted of vntrouthe ne voyde of good werkes For thus sayth our lord in the gospel Thou shalt not come tofore me with voyde handes / he cometh with empty handes tofore god that cometh to praye and requyre hym withoute makyng present of good werkes / for to hym he shytteth and closeth his yate that requyreth hym and bryngeth no thynge / herof haue we example in the gospell / whiche sayth that the yate was shytte to the folysshe vyrgyns that had none oyle in theyr lampes / god sayd to them I knowe you not For god knoweth none but them that haue theyr lampes ful of oylle that is to saye them that haue the herte full of pyte and of grace purged and clene of all synnes and shewe it by good werkes Suche people hereth god gladly and openeth to them his yate / and receyueth gladly theyr prayers Now saye I thenne that prayer lyke as it rested on four pylers as it is sayd tofore / and is moche playsaunt to god For it geteth lyghtly of god all that it hath nede be it in body or in soule as sayth the scrypture / wherof saynt Iames sayth that moche auaylleth the besy prayere of a ryghtwyse man For it auaylleth to hele al maladyes of body of soule / and sayth yet that prayer that cometh of fayth heleth the seke persone / yf he be in synne it shall be perdonned The holy scrypture sayth that Moyses the prophete vaynquysshed Amalech and his hoost / not by bataylle / but by holy prayers For as it is sayd of an holy man Moche more auaylleth the prayer of a saynte than the fyghtynge of many thousand synnars The prayer of a good man perceth heuen Thenne shall he ouercome his enemyes in erthe A good olde and deuoute woman geteth more soone a good requeste of god in glorye in prayenge hym deuoutely / than a thousande knyghtes may gete of londe in longe tyme by force of armes / and therfore it is good to praye and requyre god with the orysons of good folke / and specyally of couentes of relygyous people / whiche ben assēbled for to serue god for to praye nyght daye deuoutely for al theyr benefactours For the prayer is moche worthe towarde our lorde For lyke as sayth the scrypture More auayleth more may doo towarde god the prayer of many good persones than ony can expresse or say For as it is sayd of an holy man It may not be but the prayers of many good persones togyder be herde of god and graunted The prayes and requestes of all the hole couent togyder / is sooner passed and herde of thabbot / than the request and prayer of one monke alone In lyke wyse hereth god more soone the request of theym that ben assembled for to serue hym And therfore sayth god in the gospell / yf twayne of you accorde togyder to aske and requyre me All that they requyre my fader of heuē I shall do it ¶ Now haue I spoken of seuen degrees of the tree of the vertue of chastyte / by whiche this vertue groweth mounteth / prouffyteth Now behoueth to saye of the braunches of this tree whiche ben seuen / after the .vii. estates of the people the ben in this worlde ¶ Of the fyrst estate of them that ben entyer and chaste of body Ca. C.xlviii THe fyrst estate of the worlde is of them that ben hole chast of body / haue kept theyr maydenhede / but neuertheles they be not bounden to this / but that they may be maryed In suche estate ought a persone to kepe chastyte that is clennes purete of hert of body / wherfore the
the vylaynnous dede and werke To this synne apperteyneth all the thynges of the flesshe / that moeuen and desyre to do this synne As done these oultrages and the excesse of mete and drynke / of swete beddes and softe / of delycyoê° robes and in all maner of excesse of body without necessyte ¶ Of dyuers estates of the synne of lecherye Ca. xlviii THe synne of lecherye hathe many estates and is departed in many braunches after the estate of the persones that done it And it goeth mountynge fro degree to degree / and fro euyll in to werse The fyrst is of syngle man and syngle woman that holden no bonde of vowe / ne of maryage / ne of ordre ne of relygyon / ne of other thynge This is the fyrst synne of lechery The seconde synne is of comyn wymmen / and this is more foul more abhomynable For by cause suche wymmen ben somtyme maryed and haue lefte theyr husbondes / or somtyme ben of relygyon / and refuse no man ne broder ne cosyn ne kynne ne other The thyrde synne is of the man syngle with a wydowe / or the reuers That is a wydower with a syngle woman The fourth too defoule a vyrgyn The fyfth is with a wedded woman This is the synne of aduoutrye whiche is moche greuous For there is brekynnge of feyth that the one ought to kepe to another After there is sacrylege whan the sacrament of maryage is broken / and herof happeth somtyme dysherytaunce and fals maryage This synne doubleth hym somtyme whan it is of a wedded man to a woman maryed to another man The .vi. synne is whan a man vseth his wyf in thynge deffended and dysordeyned ageyn nature and ordre of maryage A man may sle hyÌ„ self with his owne swerde So a man may syÌ„ne deedly with his owne wyf For this cause god smote Onam the neuew of Iacob with an euyll deth / and the deuyll whiche was named asmodeus strangled the seuen husbondes of the holy damoysell Sara whiche after was wyf to yonge thobye For all the sacramentes of holy chirche ought to be treated clenly holyly / and to holde and kepe theym in grete reuerence The .vii. synne of lecherye is too haue flesshly companye with his godsyb / or goddoughter / ne with the chyldren of theym / for suche persones may not assemble withoute synne / ne also by maryage The .viii. is of man with his kynneswoman / and this synne encreaceth / and dyscreaseth after that the kynne is nyghe or ferre The ix is of a man with the kynne of his wyf / or the reuerse / the wyf with the kynne of hyr husbonde / this synne is moche peryllous For whan the man hath hadde companye with suche a woman / he may not after haue his maryage of the cosyns of his wyf And yf he take her the maryage is none after the lawe / and yf he take a wyf after her cosyn / he loseth the ryght that he hath too his owne wyf / in so moche that he may not ne ought not to dwell with her / yf she requyre it not tofore The .x. of a woman to a clerke This synne aryseth and aualeth moche after thorder and after the dygnytees ordred The .xi. is of a man of that worlde / with a woman of relygyon / or the reuerse / a woman of the worlde with a man of relygyon / this synne encreaseth and dyscreaseth after thestate of the persones that done it The .xii. is of the prelates / whiche ought to be forme and ensample of clennes / of chastyte and of holy lyfe to all the worlde The laste is moost foule and soo abhomynable that it ought not be named This synne is ayenst nature / whiche the deuyll entyseth and sheweth a man in many maners whiche ben not to be named for the mater / whiche is ouermoche abhomynable But in confessyon it ought to be sayd / yf it be he or she to whome it hath happed For of so moche as the synne is more grete and more horryble / of so moche auayleth the more the confessyon For the grete shame that a man hathe to to saye his synne / is a grete parte of the penaunce / after holy scripture ¶ This synne dyspleaseth so moche vnto god / that he dyde doo rayne fyre brennynge and stynkynge sulphre vpon Sodom and Gomor / and dyde doo synke for this synne fyue cytees doune to hel The deuyl hym selfe that purchased this synne / hath shame and abhorred it whan it is doone ¶ Of the synne of glotonye Ca. xlix THe seuenth heed of the beest of helle is the synne of the mouth / otherwyse callyd glotonnye whiche hath two offyces / of whiche that one apperteyneth to the taste / as to ete and drynke and that other is in spekynge Therfore this vyce and this synne is deuyded in two partyes pryncypally / that is to wyte in the synne of glotonye / whiche is in etynge and drynkynge / in the synne of the shrewde tongue / that is in foule and folysshe spekynge and fyrst we shall saye of the synne of glotonye / whiche is a vyce that moche pleaseth the deuyll / and dyspleaseth to god By this synne hath the deuyl grete power in man wherof we rede in the gospell that god gaf lycence to deuylles for to entre in to swyn / whaÌ„ they were entred they drowned theym in the see This sygnefyeth that the glotons that lede the lyf of hogges and of swyn the deuyls haue leue to entre in to theym and to drowne theym in the see of helle And maketh theym to ete so moche that they brest / drynke so moche that they be drowned whan the champyon hath ouerthrowen his felowe he holdeth hyÌ„ by the gorge / by cause he sholde not relyeue Ryght so is it of hym that the deuyll holdeth by his synne in his mete the deuyll renneth to his gorge lyke as the wolfe doth to the shepe for to straÌ„gle hym / lyke as he dyde to Adam and Eue in paradyce terrester This is the fyssher of hell whiche taketh the fysshes with the grynnes by the throte This vyce dyspleaseth moche For the gloton dothe to hym grete shame whan he maketh his god of a sacke ful of donge This is the bely whiche he loueth more than god and douteth and serueth it God commaundeth that he sholde faste The bely sayth nay / thou shalt not / but thou shalte ete longe and take it by layser ¶ Also god commaundeth to ryse erly His god his bely sayth thou shalt not I am ouer full me lyst to slepe The chyrche is none hare / she wyll not fle away / and it is not yet open It shal wel abyde and tary for me And whan the gloton aryseth he begynneth his matyns and his prayers sayth O god what shall we ete this day / shall we not fynde that is ony thynge worthe After these matyns cometh the lawdes and sayth A
lorde how well dranke we yester euen the good wyne / and how good mete ete we Thenne after this be wepeth the gloton his synnes and sayth Alas sayth he I wende well this nyght to haue dyed / the wyne yester euen was ouer stronge / myn heed aketh I shal not be eased tyll I haue dronken This god of the wombe of glotonye is ouer euyll For fyrst he becometh a tauerner goer / and frequenteth tauernes / after he playeth at the dyse / and after he selleth his good away / after he becometh a rybaude / an holyer and letchour / and at the laste he hangeth on the galowes This is the salary and scotte that is ofte payde for the synne of glotonye This synne is departed after saynt Gregory in to .v. braūches For there is synne in fyue maners in etynge drynkȳge therfore some drynke tofore tyme / or wtout reasō or mesure / or ouer ardauntly or ouer plentyuously or ouer curyously Thenne the braunche of this synne is to eete tofore tyme. Ouer moche to ete is a foule thynge to a man that hath aege dyscrecyon whan he may not abyde a due houre for to ete and drynke By grete excesse of glotony it happeth ofte that a man that is hole and stronge of bo drynketh and eteth without cause reasonable tofore tyme ordeyned / and that he cometh to the meet as dothe a dombe beest And moche sȳne and maladyes bodely happen oft by the customes / therof it cometh that this gloton sayth that he may not faste ne doo penaunce For he sayth he hath an euyll heed and an euyll herte also And certaynly he sayth trouthe / and for to breke the fastynge dayes and vygylles commaunded is ryght a grete sȳne For he dampneth hym selfe / and also wyll haue company with hym / and withdraweth and letteth them to doo well And ledeth them vnto hell For he maketh theym to breke theyr fastes / to doo glotony / whiche they wolde kepe yf it were not the euyll company and felaushyp For these glotons and these lechoures amonge all other euylles that they do / done a synne that is proprely the crafte of the deuyll / that is whan they lette and withdrawe all them that they may fro well doynge / and mocke and scorne all them that loue to do wel ¶ These glotons say that they may not faste / but they lyen falsely For lytell loue of god causeth theym to say so For yf they loued as moche the veray glory of heuen as they do the vayne glory of the worlde For lyke as they faste for theyr worldy occupacyon and temporall goodes often vnto the nyght as well myght they faste vnto noone for the loue of god yf that they loued hym And yf that they dyde desyred theyr saluacyon But they be lyke vnto the chylde that all day wyll haue breed in his honde And trouthe it is the lyke as one synneth by etynge and drynkynge ouer erly Ryght so one synneth by ouer late souper These people that so moche loue to wake by nyght and wast the tyme in ydlenes / and go late to bedde / and aryse late synneth in many maners Fyrst in this that they waste lose the tyme and torne it / whan they make of the nyght the daye and of they daye the nyght God curseth suche people by the prophete For men ought on the day to do good occupye hym in good and holy werkes And in the nyght to prayse god / and to praye hym deuoutly / and to yelde hȳ thankȳges of his gyftes But they that then lye in theyr beddes whan they sholde be vp and rysen must nedes slepe whan they sholde praye to god and worshyp hym / and here the seruyce of our lorde / and thus lese all the tyme / and the daye and the nyght Also in these grete wakynges ben commysed many synnes / as play at the chesse at tables at the dyse / and is there spoken many folysshe wordes and corrupte / of whiche many synnes folowe ensyewe And also the caytyues waste theyr bodyes theyr tyme / theyr soule / theyr wytte / and theyr good The .ii. braunche of glotony is to ete and drynke outragyously and without mesure These that so done ben lyke vnto a gulfe that swaloweth all / in lyke wyse as an abysme It is ouer grete wysdome to kepe mesure in etynge and drynkynge Also it is grete helthe for moche people dye ofte tofore theyr tyme by outragyous etynge / and drynkynge / and by suche excesses and suche outrages comen and sourdeth many maladyes and sekenesses But he the wyll knowe and take this mesure / he ought to knowe that there be many maners for to lyue in the worlde Some lyueth after the flesshe and after the eases of the body Some after theyr Iolyte Other after theyr Ypocrysye Other after physyke Other after theyr honeste Other after that theyr synne requyreth Other after theyr spyryte / and after the loue of god ¶ They that lyue after the flesshe as saynt Poule sayth sleeth theyr soules / for they make of theyr bely theyr god They retayne neyther reason ne mesure / and therfore they shall haue in that other worlde payne and tourment without mesure ¶ They that lyue after theyr Iolyte wyll holde company with foles / suche folke can not / may not / ne wyll not holde ne kepe measure ne reason They that lyue after Ypocrysye ben they that ben marters to the deuyll Suche Ypocrytes haue two mesures For the ii deuylles that tourmenteth thypocryte ben moche contrary that one to that other / the one sayth ete ynough that thou mayst be fayre and fatte The other sayth thou shalte not / but thou shalte faste so that thou be pale and lene / to th ende that the worlde holde the for a good man And that it may appere that thou doost moche penaunce Now it behoueth that the Ypocryte haue two mesures / one lytell and another grete / of the whiche they vse the lytell mesure tofore the people / and the grete mesure they vse so that no man seeth them / they retayne not the true mesure that ben auarycyous In suche maner as the mouthe wyll / whiche is lady of the house / and commaundour Thenne bytwene the bely and the mouthe of the gloton ben thre dysputacyons The bely sayth I wolde be full / the mouth sayth I wyll not be ful the bely sayth to hȳ I wyll that thou ete take ynough and dyspende largely The mouthe sayth I shall not I wyll that thou restrayne the. And what shall the sory caytyf do whiche is seruaunt to his two euyll lordes Two mesures maken the peas The mesure of the bely in an other mannes hous good and large / and the mesure of his mouth in his owne hous soroufull and ouerscars ¶ They that lyuen after physyke kepen the mesure of ypocras / whiche is lytel and streyte / and it happeth ofte