wyse For he shold doo me wronge Neuertheles it was well in our lordes power yf it had plesed hym to haue made man suche that he shold not haue synned ne haue don ony harme ne euyll But he had not deseruyd yet suche meryte ne reward as he now doth in noo tyme of the world And therfore god gaf to man playn frewylle to doo well or euyll to th ende that in wel doyng and leuyng the euyll he myght haue more meryte For otherwyse he myght not deserue so moche yf god had made thangels suche as myght not haue synned dedly ne haue don euyll For that yet shold not they deserue so noble a yefte as the men And who that wyll deserue these hye merytes he ought gladly wyth entyer herte and parfyght serue by grete loue and grete reuerence hym that hath made hym for to conquere and come to the most hye honour And our lord god wolde that man were suche that by ryght he myght deserue as moche goode a boute hym as he hym self hath ¶ And therfore he gaf to hym witte and râ—son for to haue entencion to hym For by ryght he ought well to serue hym Thenne is he a moche fooll that pourueyeth not to doo wel whiles he is here lyuynge For all the good that euery man shal do shal be for hym self alle the euyll also And eche man shal haue for one good thinge an hondreed good thynges and for one euyll an hondred euellis For he is a moche fool that weneth to doo god ony bounte of his goodys in ony maniere that it be And whan he absteneth hym fro doyng euyll so moche our lord holdeth hym the derrer and loueth hym the better For yf he loste alle the world Our lord shold neuer be the lasse worth ne none of the goodys that ben in his power yf alle the sayntes that euer here to fore in the world or euer shal be had neuer don goode ¶ And that alle by her demerytes were perpetuelly dampned in helle yet for alle that our lord god shold neuer haue the lasse Ioye ne consolacion And shold not be the lasse worth ne noo thynge that is in heuen But the sayntes were wyse prudent and constaunt for to doo well and prouffyt as they that playnely knewe that this world is not but a vayn thynge and transsitoyre And had moche leuer to suffre paynes trauaylles and offre their bodyes to tourment and martirdom to haue shames blasphemies and other Iniuryes for the loue of our lord in this miserable world that so lytyl whyle endureth And to haue the goodes of heuen euerlastyng than to haue ease chaungeable to the body for to haue payne perdurable They retched not ne had no charge of suche goodys that atte laste shold be of noo value ¶ But they toke the brydle by the teeth for to gete the right hye wytte and vnderstandyng of heuen And ther ben many of them that holâ—e them for foolys in this world the whiche now at this tyme haue their neekys charged of whiche the other be deliueryd For they ben herberowed in heuen And yet holde they many a wyse man for fool that preyse not moche their wordes Ther ben plente of wyse people in heuen now that yf they had preysed the foolissh dictes or sayngis And the folishe werkys of the people that so moche coueyte the honouyr and loos of this world for the worde of foles that they had lefte the commaundementê of god In whiche the sayntes in heuen dyde gretely their deuoyr For they lefte not for the delytes of the world to serue their maker and creatour for to gete heuen where they haue Ioye and alle honour as they that ben lordes and shal ben wythout ende ¶ And yf they had doon otherwyse they shold haue perpetuelly shame fylthe tourmentis of helle where as ben alle the euyllys that man can deuyse ¶ It is moche grete meruayle of this world how that it is so that ther ben so moche people that wyl suffre payne and trauaylle more for to gete loos of the people or for to amasse grete tresours the whiche so lytyl tyme abyde wyth hem that in an one hour fayll than they wylle doo for to conquere the goodes of our lord the whiche shal neuer fayll whiche the blyssyd sayntes haue goten by a lytyl hard lyf that they haue endured in this world that me semeth but a right delyte to them that of good herte doo it ¶ And in thendâ—it semeth to them that for litil or nought they haue goten heuen and alle thus may euery persone gete it and be comyn of the goodes of our lord and haue the Ioyes and glorye of heuen yf the defaulte be not in hem self But they that desyre the Ioyes the glorye and henours of this world they empayre them self so moche that they may not lerne no good ne entende to their sauacion And had moche leuer the ease and consolacions of the body of whiche they ben so sone put out and brought to sorow and payne than they doo the ease of the soule whiche endureth wythout ende Ne they preyse not the witte ne entendemeÌ„t of the man yf he can not wel haue hym in the world and haue plente of temporal goodes by whiche he may be enhaunsed and lyft vp in the world but saye he is nyce and folissh by cause he can not knowe their malyces cawteles ¶ But alle they ben cursed of god by the mouth of dauid the prophete that so payne them to plese the world by alle the wayes that they can doo For suche pryde is vayne thynge by whiche the soule is enpayred of whom dauid saith in the psaulter accursid be alle they and confused as people of exyle that playse the world For of all goodes they extende them and discorde fro god and fro his loue Syth they haue gyuen them and that they accorde them to the world to his vanytees and delytes For god hath them all in despyte and put them fro his grace by cause they seche the loos and the glorye of the world In whiche he was put out and sette a backe and in th ende crucyfyed and helden for a fool ¶ Thus sayth our lord god in his gospel that alle they shal be blyssyd that haue the world in despyte ¶ And shal be as people hated defowled and cast out as foles for the loue of me and of my name For they shal haue in heueÌ„ their reward and guerdon And this may euery man see yf god hym self lye not And trouthe may not be false that they whiche plese the world and wylle haue and take the loos and glorye of the world it may not be but they after haue sorowe ¶ Therfore he is a fool that secheth to haue it by cause alle they that weeshe or pourchace it be euyl counseyled For alle suche maner of people ben by the deuyl ledde in to helle where they haue a
ryght sorouful guerdon And ther is nowher so valyaunt a kynge ne so puyssaūte prince duk erle knyght or noble man to whom the deuyll hath regard but that he do to hym as moche gryef to his power as to the most vyle and most poure that cometh into helle whan he hath so vsed his dayes and lyf that he is fallen in his handes For alle they that ben dampned for to goo theder of what estat that they be ben called rybauldis For he myght haue conquerd in heuen more noble and more worthy Royamme than is in this world For who that in thys world serueth our lord vnto the deth he is more honoured in heuē than alle the kynges that euer were in this world that so lityl endureth wyth vs Now serue we him thēne leue we the euyl the glorye the vanyte of this world Syth thenne that hereto fore we haue deuysed how wherfore god hath created the world wherfor he made mā we shal deuyse to yow herafter the fourme of the world and the facyon after that it conteyneth compryseth and how it is made and composed rounde aboute But it is expedyent that to fore this we speke of the vij Artes lyberal and of their resons And how they were founden by them that apperceyued the sciences and vertues For by the vij Artes ben knowen the faytes of the world And how it is sette And therfore we owe now to speke therof for to vnderstonde the better that we shal saye here after ¶ Wherfor and how the seuen Artes liberall were foūden and of their ordre Capitulo vo. NOw declared this booke whiche is drawen out of Astronomye how somtyme the notable wyse philosophers wold enquere of the maner of the world how hit had ben created and made of god wherof moche people meruaylled And thenne whan the world was made and compassed ther was people ynowhe of whiche many behelde the firmamēt that torned round aboute the world meuyd they had grete meruaylle how it myght be made And they waked studyed many nyghtes many dayes Thenne began they to beholde the sterres that roos in the eest meuyd aboute ouer their hedes Certaynly thyse philosophers apetyted not these grete mangeryes ne delycyous wynes ne for to fylle their belyes as don beestis that seche nothynge but their pasture lyke as this day do they that retche of nothynge but to fylle their paūche wyth good wynes good vitaylles after to haue a fair bedde whyte shetes softe And there to slepe as the swyne but those were wakyng studienge many nyghtes it greued them not but they were embelysshid moche of that they sawe the fyrmament thus tourne so nobly to holde his cours termes Thus sawe they the sterres meue tyl they went doun in the weste somme on that one syde somme on that other syde And somme sonner than the other Thus behelde the prudent mē philosophers other aboute the firmament tyl it was day that they sawe the sonne shewe reyse in the mornyng rede and clere whiche ascended mounted half the day And that other half descended so longe tyl he went vnder whiche made the nyght tapproche thenne cam agayn the sterres in the nyght in their cours tyl the sonne cam agayn enlumyned the day helde his way and cours tyl that he repayred on the morne in to his pryncypal place After they behelde the mone whiche was a comune thynge apered to the world dyuersely One tyme she mas rounde another tyme half and after horned so wente becam suche as noman myght see her And after she appered horned syth half as she had ben to fore also round ful Thenne knewe they wel by their entendement that she approched the sonne tyl she was euen ayenst hym and after departed And after she wythdrewe her more and more tyl that she was vnder the sonne as she had ben to fore And thenne she went cam agayn euery nyght tornyng and makyng her cours aboute the firmament right as she now doth with out ony thing changyng the contrarye But now as said is the people that ben now thynke more And ben moche more curyous of their grete and fatte paunches for to fylle and to make them fatte by whiche they come the sonner to their ende and to carayn̄ by their ouer moche norysshyng and vylaynous whiche delyuereth them first to trauaylle after to shame dampnacyon The auncient faders gouerned them not in this wyse For they setted not by mete drynke but for to taledge their hungre and thurste for to susteyne theyr bodyes tobolee hem in helthe in suche wyse as they might helpe them self by their wyttes as they ought to doo for to come to the glorye of our lord And that tyme they lyued xx or xxx yere lenger than they do now of an honderd one And that procedeth of their folissh outrageous gouernaunce Certaynly suche people vnderstande not wel the worde of our lord whan he sayd to the deuyll whā he cam to tempte him and sayde that he shold make of the stones brede and that he shold ete Thenne Ihesu Cryst answerd that man lyued not onely by brede but by the worde that procedeth fro the mouth of god yf the men in thyse dayes vnderstode well this worde they wolde reteyne more gladly the doctrynes that procede and come fro the mouth of our creatour and maker But the grete rentes that they haue and the grete tresours of their coffres ben cause of shortyng abredgyng of their dayes by their disordynat mangeries that ouermoche noye and greue them so that nature may not well bere ne susteyne wherof the muste nedes the sonner rendre their soule and deye Thus their rentes their tresours or other thynge wherin they delyte them take away thier lyf their herte their wytte alle attones In suche wyse that whan deth cometh muste nedes dye they haue lost wytte vnderstondyng of whom many ben deed dampned whiche at their nede may not be coūseylled ne can not helpe them self whā they haue most nede they lyue not lyke them that for to kepe them fro perilles studyed in sciences vsed their lyf in suche manere that they wold but susteyne theyr body onely as longe as they shold be in this world as they that well knewe that this lyf shold not to them longe endure And had enuye at none other thynge but onely for to lerne suche science by whiche they myght knowe the souerayn kynge allmyghty that alle hath created of nought made it wyth his hand Thenne they thought in their entendement as people that was of noble and vertuous entenciō that they shold neuer haue knowleche of our lord god ne of so hye myght but yf they entended serched in his werkes whiche they fonde so excellente And as grete as they myght enquere knowe
body of monotheros For they ben lyke corsayge And thus their bestes resemble vnto oures whiche ben dyuerse of hedes of bodyes and of membres as oures ben contrarye to theires ¶ Of dyuersitees that ben in europe in affryke ca. xiiij WE haue in thise partyes many thynges that they of Asye of affryke haue none Ther is toward Irlonde on the one syde a maner of byrdes that flee they groweÌ„ on trees on olde shippe sides by the bylles whan they be nygh rype they that falle in the water lyue the other not they ben callyd bernacles IrlaÌ„d is a grete Ilonde in which is no serpent ne venymous beeste who that bereth with hym the erthe of this yle in to another contre leyeth it where as venymous vermyne is there anon it deyeth another ylonde is in Irlonde whiche stondeth ferre in the see where no wymmen may dwelle also the byrdes that ben femalles may not abyde there Ther is another yle wherin nomaÌ„ may dye in no tyme of the world but whan they ben so olde feble that their membres faylle ake lyue wyth payne that they may not helpe ne susteyne them self and that they had leuer dye than lyue they doo them to be born in to another yle ouer the water for to dye the trees that ben in this yle kepe their leues greue in verdure alle tymes wynter somer In another yle in Islonde the nyght endureth vj monethes thenne cometh the daye that dureth other vj monethes shynyng fair clere Another place is in the same ylonde whiche brenneth nyght day Ther is also in Irlonde a place called seynt Patryks purgatorye whiche place is perillous yf ony men goon therin be not confessed and repentauÌ„t of their synnes They be anon rauysshid and loste in suche wyse that noman can telle where they be come And yf they be confessyd and repentauÌ„t that they haue doon satisfaction and penaunce for their synnes wythout that all be clensed and ful satisfyed therafter shal they suffre payne and greef the tormentis in passyng this crymynel passage And whan he is retorned agayn fro this purgatorye Neuer shal no thyng in this world plese hym that he shal see ner he shal neuer be Ioyous ne glad ne shal not be seen lawhe but shal be contynuelly in wayllynges wepynges for the synnes that he hath commysed hit may wel be that of auncyent tyme it hath ben thus as afore is wreton as the storye of Tundale other witnesse but I haue spokeÌ„ with dyuerse men that haue ben therin And that one of them was an hye chanon of waterford whiche told me that he had ben therin v. or vj times he sawe ne suffred no suche thynges he sayth that wyth processyon the relygyous men that ben there brynge hym in to the hool and shette the dore after hym than he walketh groping in to it where as he said ben places maner of cowches to reste on And there he was all the nyght in coÌ„templacion prayer and also slepte there on the morn he cam out agayn other while in their slepe soÌ„me men haue meruayllous dremes other thynge sawe he not And in lyke wyse tolde to me a worshipful knyght of brudgis named sir Iohn de banste that he had ben therin in lyke wyse see none other thyng but as afore is sayd In brytaygne that now is called Englond as is sayd is a fontaygne a pyller or a perron therby And whan men take water of this welle caste it vpon the perron anon it begynneth to rayne blowe thondre lyghtne meruayllously Also in frauÌ„ce hath ben seen somtyme a maner of peple that haue be horned toward the mouÌ„tes of mouÌ„t Ius ye shal fynde plente of wymmen that haue botches vnder the chynÌ„ whiche haÌ„ge doun of some doun to the pappes they that haue grettest ben holden for fairest Other folke ther ben that haue botches on their backes ben croked as crochettes they that see all thise thynges ofte meruaylle but lytyl also it is ofte seen that in this contre ben born children deef dombe also of them that haue bothe nature of man woman yet ben ther ofte seen soÌ„me children comen in to this world somme wythout handes and somme wythout armes ¶ Of the maner condycion of beestes of thyse contrees Capitulo xvo. THe fox is of suche a condicion that whan he departeth fro the woode and gooth in to the feldes there he lyeth doun and stratcheth hym on the grounde as he were deed for to take byrdes Whan the herte wylle renue his age he eteth of som venymous beeste Yf the tode Crapault or spynâ—â—â— byte a man or woman they be in daunger for to dye It hath be ofte seen The spyttle of a man fastynge sleeth comynly the spyncoppe and the tode yf it touche them yf a wulf and a man see that one that other fro ferre He that is first seen becometh anon a ferd the wulf bereth the sheep wythout hurtynge or greuyng of hym doubtyng that he wold crye and that he shold not be folowed And after deuoureth hym whan he hath brought hym to the wode and yf he be constrayned to leue hym in his berynge He destrayneth hym wyth all his myght at his departyng The spyther or spyncop of his propre nature spynneth weueth of his entraylles the threde of whiche he maketh his nettes for to take flyes whiche he eteth whan the she ape hath two whelpes or fawnes she loueth that one moche better than that other She beryth hym that she loueth best in her armes and that other she leteth goo whiche whaÌ„ she is hunted lepeth on the moders backe and holdeth her faste And that other that she bereth in her armes she leteth falle and is ofte constrayned to saue her self Also it is so that the hounde kepeth the goodes of his lorde and maystre And ben by hym warantes ayenst men and bestes And aboue alle other he knoweth his lord maystre by his smellyng loueth hym of so right good loue that ofte it happeth be it ryght or wronge he wyl not forsake his maystre vnto the deth And also he is so sorowful for the deth of his maystre that other whyle he loseth his lyff In englond in som place is ther a maner of houndes that go on and seche out the theuys and bryngeÌ„ them fro thens where they fonde them The muskele is a right lytyl beeste and sleeth the basylycock and in longe fyghtyng byteth hym out of mesure She of her nature remeueth so ofte her fawnes fro one place to another that wyth grete payne they may vnnethe be founden The hyrchon whan he fyndeth apples beten or blowen doun of a tree he waloweth on them tyl he be chargyd and laden wyth the fruyt styckyng on his pryckes And whan he feleth hym self laden as moche as he may
their saluacioÌ„ as they ought to doo by suche werkes shold they be in more ease lyue lenger and plese better our lord And shold also haue more helthe of body and of sowle but they loue somoche the wynnyng of the goodes of the world that they leue that whiche shold more auayle and prouffyte them ¶ I wote neuer wherfore they gete this hauoir and good For they lose therby the ease of the worlde bycause whan they wene to sette them in ease and to be in pees Thenne cometh deth and maketh them to deye wyth ryght grete sorowe For the grete couetyse of the good and the payne that they haue made alle way to gete it wythout ordynaunce and mesure hath moche the more hastelyer brought them to their deth And so ben many men deed that yf they had ordeyned their affayres and besynesse as they ought to doo at euery hour competently and by ordre whiche yet had ben a lyue in good helthe And lo thus ye may see how they abredge their dayes and auaunce their deth For at longe nature may not suffre dyuerse mayntenes vnresonable ne the sodeyn agrauacions ne griefs of whiche by their folyes they trauaylle nature and it displesyth moche vnto god And also no good may come therof But gladlyer and wyth better wyll they traueylle and more dylygently for to wynne and gete the worldly goodes than the loue of god And neuer do they thynge by ordre One day goon they erly to the chirche and another day late or at suche an hour as they wene that it shal not hurte them to auaunce their gayne wynnyng Thus go they neuer to chirche for to praye vnto god vnto the tyme that they wene that they shal wynne nomore worldly goodes But they wynne the lasse For they serue god in vayn And god shal rendre to them their reward and they shal bye right dere that they leue to serue hym For he may rendre to them more meryte in one day than they may gete in a thousand yere Suche people ben foles and euyl aduysed whan of nought they wene to serue hym that alle knoweth and all seeth ye the lest thought that they thynke yet ben ther somme whan they go to chirche they goo not in entencion to praye god but only for to gete the loos and goodes of the world And praye more for their richesses that god sholde kepe and multyplye them than they do for the saluacion of their sowles whiche ben in grete parylle to be perysshed And it is a grete meruaylle of suche maner of people that thynke wel in their hertes and knowe wel that it is euyl that they do yet for al that they amende them not â–ª of whiche it is grete pyte whan they so folowe the deuyll whiche is so feble a thyng fro whom alle euyllis sourden Truly the deuyl is ful of inyquyte and wythout power and strengthe ouer ony persone of hym self For he may not vainquysshe ne ouercome but hym that consenteth to his wyll For who that wyll conduyte and rule hym self well The inyquytees of hym may not noye ne greue ne in nothynge trauaylle hym of whiche he hath cause to sorowe fore as longe as he wyll dispose hym to doo well Thenne may wel be sayd fy ¶ For they ben more than faylled whan he ouercometh them so febly and taketh them in their euill dedes and synnes and ledeth them to perdycion where they neuer shal be wythout payne ne neuer shal haue Ioye ne in no wyse haue hope of mercy of this purpos we shal saye nomore now but recouÌ„te of kynge tholomeê° The whiche employed his tyme in the werkes of our lord god out of his bookes were drawen the nombres of whiche the yeres ben ordeyned And of the same is fouÌ„de the cours of the mone By whiche is seen whan she is newe of suche Iuliê° Cezar whiche of rome was emperour made a booke called the somes the soÌ„mes the whiche is ful necessarye in holy chirche and it declareth the golden nombre of the kalender For by the kalender is knowen the cours of the mone and of alle the yere by whiche is also knowen how we ought to lyue after reson euery daye That is to wete in etyng and drynkyng and in worshipyng our lord on hye dayes and symple and for to solempnyse suche dayes as holy chyrche hath ordeyned and by blessyd sayntes establysshed ¶ By the kalender we knowe the holy tymes as the ymbre dayes The lente aduente And the hye dayes and festes thet we ben most bounde to serue god For to gete his Inestimable Ioye and glorye Whiche our lord hath promysed vnto his good and trewe frendes whiche wyth good herte serue hym Alle this lerneth vs the calender the whiche was draweÌ„ out of Astronomye whiche the good kynge Tholomeus louyd so moche and he knewe more than ony other man sauf adam whiche was the first man For adam knewe alle the seuen sciences lyberall entyerly wythout fayllyng of a worde as he that the creatour made and fourmed wyth his propre haÌ„des And so wold our lord haue hym souerayn in beaute in wytte and strengthe ouer all themÌ„ that shold be born after hym vnto the comyng of Ihesu Cryste sone of god The whiche had gyuen to hym suche vertues Ne neuer after Adam gaf he so moche to one man ne neuer shal But anon as he had consented and commysed the synne deffended he lost so moche of his wytte and power that anon he becam a man mortall And he was suche to fore er he had synned that he shold neuer haue felte deth Ne alle we descended of hym shold not haue lasse meryte than he In Ioye in solaas and in deduyt of paradys terrestre alle to gydre born and nouryshed wythout synnes And after in heuen gloryfyed But syth they tasted of the fruyt â–ª whiche god deffended them his wytte and his entendement were so destroyed and corumped by his synne that alle we abyde entetched and foylled ther by Ne ther is nothyng vnder the firmament but it is werse sythen than to fore and of lasse valew Ye the sterres gyue lasse lyght than they dyde to fore ¶ Thus alle thynges empayred of their goodnes and vertues by the synne of Adam whiche god had made for man as he that wold make hym maystre of all the goodes that he had made ¶ But anon as he had commysed the synne he felte hym so bare of his wytte and entendement strengthe of his beaute that hym semed he was al naked that he had loste all goodes as a man put in exyle But notwythstondyng this yet abode wyth hym more wytte streÌ„gthe beaute than euer ony man had sitheÌ„ And to the regard of thyse thre vertues that adam had The kynge dauyd that was so vertuous wyse had two sones whiche myght be compared the one to the beaulte of adam that other to his wysedom absolon myght be