The boke named the Royall â—ego Colligo â—â—â—do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Re HEre foloweth the table of the â—ubtyces of this present boke entytled named Ryal whiche speketh fyrst of the ten commaundementes Fyrst of the two tables of the lawe whiche god delyuerd vnto Moyses for to preche to the people Ca. primo Of the fyrst commaundement Ca. ii Of the fyrste commaundement of the lawe Ca. iii. Of the seconde commaundement of the lawe Ca. iiii How one ought to loue his neyghboure Ca. v. Here folowe the .x. coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes of the lawe ê‘ticuler vi Of the iii. fyrst coÌ„mauÌ„dementes partyculer and the fyrst thynge that a subget oweth to his lorde Ca. vi Of the seconde thynge that a subget oweth to his lorde vii The thyrd thynge that a subget oweth to his lorde Ca. ix Of the seuen other commaundementes apperteynyng to the loue of his neyghboure Ca. x. Of the .xii. artycles of the fayth Ca. xi Of the beest that saynt Iohan theuangelyst sawe in thapocalyps Ca. xii The deuysyon of the seuen deedly synnes Ca. xiii Of the braunches of the synne of pryde Ca. xiiii Of the fyrst braunche and of the fyrste bowgh Ca. xv Of the seconde bowgh of the fyrst braunche Ca. xvi Of the thyrde bowgh Ca. xvii Of the seconde braunche of pryde Ca. xviii The thyrde braunche of pryde Ca. xix The fourth braunche whiche is ambycyon Ca. xx The .v. braunche whiche is vaynglorye Ca. xxi The .vi. braunche is ypocrysye Ca. xxii The .vii. braunche of pryde Ca. xxiii The seconde heed of the beest Ca. xxiiii The thyrde heed of the beest of helle is Ire Ca. xxv The fyrst warre of the synne of yre C. xxvi Of the synne of slowth the clerkes calle accidie Ca. xxvii Of pusyllamynyte of delayeng werynes Ca. xxviii Of delayenge to do well Ca. xxix Of the synne and vyce of neclygeÌ„ce Ca. xxx Of forgettynge the vyce that cometh therof Ca. xxxi Of the vyce of latchednes Ca. xxxii Of euyl poyntes of slouth Ca. xxxiii Of the synne of auerice Ca. xxxiiii Of dyuers maners spyces of vsurye Ca. xxxv The .ii. maner of vsurye Ca. xxxvi Of thefte Ca. xxvii The .iii. braunche of the synne of aueryce Ca. xxxviii The synne of chalenge Ca. xxxix Of seuen maners of the synne of chalenge Ca. xl The fytte braunche of aueryce Ca. xli Of the synne of symonye Ca. xlii Of the fyrst bough of symonye Ca. xliii Of the synne of malignite that cometh of aueryce Ca. xliiii Of marchaundise Ca. xlv The .ix. braunche of auaryce Ca. xlvi Of the synne of lecherye Ca. xlvii Of dyuers estates of lecherye Ca. xlviii Of the synne of glotonye Ca. xlix Of the synne of the tongue C. L. Of the synne that is in ydle wordes C. li. Of the synne of auauntynge C. lii Of euyll sayers of other C. liii Of the synne to say lesynges C. liiii Of the synne of periurye C. lv Of the synne peryll that is in chydynge C. lvi Of the synne of murmure C. lvii Of the synne and peryll that is in rebellyon Ca. lviii Of the synne of blasphemye Ca. lix That this lyf nys but deth as it appyereth Ca. lx How man lyueth deyenge in this worlde Ca. lxi How a maÌ„ ought to lyue holyly lerne to do wel Ca. lxii Of .iii. maners of goodes spyrytuell Ca. lxiii Of the goodes of tortune Ca. lxiiii Of the goodes of nature Ca. lxv Of the goodes of grace Ca. lxvi What vertue is honourable good Ca. lxvii Of vecay sapyence or wysedome Ca. lxviii Of the prowesse of the knyghtes of Ihesu cryst Ca. lxix Of the veray seygnorye that gyueth grace vertues C. lxx Of veray fraunchyse Ca. lxxi Of veray noblesse Ca. lxxii That charyte is moost grettest of vertues Ca. lxxiii Of two maners of goodes delectable Ca. lxxiiii Of vertues in specyall Ca. lxxv The seuen petycyons requestys that ben conteyned in the holy pater noster Ca. lxxvi wherfore thou sayst fader our / not fader myn Ca. lxxvii Why it is sayd qui est in celis Ca. lxxviii How sanctificetur nomen tuum is expowned Ca. lxxix The .ii. petycyon requeste of the pater noster Ca. lxxx The .iii. petycyon request of the holy pater nrÌ„ Ca. lxxxi The fourth petycyon and requeste Ca. lxxxii The .v. petycyon requeste of the pater noster Ca. lxxxiii The .vi. petycyon requeste of the pater nrÌ„ Ca. lxxxiiii The seuenth petycyon of the pater noster Ca. lxxxv Of the seuen gyftes of the holy ghoost Ca. lxxxvi They be called gyftes for thre reasons Ca lxxxvii Why the gyftes of the holy ghost be called gyftes lxxxviii why there be seuen gyftes no mo ne lasse Ca. lxxxix Of .vii. vertues / wherof thre ben deuyne / iiiii cardynall Ca. lxxxx Of the foure cardynall vertues Ca. lxxxxi Yet of the foure cardynall vertues Ca. lxxxxii Of the vertue of attemperaunce Ca. lxxxxiii Of the vertue of strength Ca. lxxxxiiii Of the vertue of Iustyse Ca. lxxxxv How a man ought to take fro hym the .vii. dedely synnes Ca. lxxxxvi Of the gyfte of holy drede Ca. lxxxxvii Of foure rotes of the synne of pryde Ca. lxxxxviii Of the vertue of humylyte Ca. lxxxxix Of the vertue of humylyte Ca. C. Of hym that is veray humble Ca. Ci. Of hym that is humble of herte Ca. Cii How a man ought to hate pryde Ca. Ciii Of dyuers estates of pryde Ca. Ciiii. Of thensygnement doctryne of our lorde Ca. Cv. Of the pryuyte that god hath to the soule Ca. Cvi Of the comparyson of the mustard seed to the loue of god Ca. Cvii Of the gyfte of holy drede and pyte Ca. Cviii. Of seuen maners of loue spyrytuell Ca. Cix Of the seuen gyftes of the holy ghoost and fyrst of the gyfte of scyence Ca. Cx. Of the seconde degre of equyte ryghtwysnes Ca. Cxi Of the thyrde degree of the vertue of equyte Ca. Cxii Of the fourthe fyfthe degre of the vertue of equyte Cxiii Of the syxte degree of the vertue of equyte Ca. Cxiiii Of the seuenth degree of the vertue of equyte Ca. Cxv. The vertues ageynst the seuen dedely synnes Ca. Cxvi How one ought to lyue in the 〈◊〉 estate C. Cxvii Of the deuysion of vertues after the phylosophers C. xviii Of the fyrst vertue magnanymyte C. Cxix Of the vertue of fraunce or trust Ca. Cxx Of the vertue of surte Ca. Cxxi Of the fourth degre of the vertue prowesse Ca. Cxxii Of the fyft degre of the vertue of prowesse Ca. Cxxiii Of the syxt degre of the vertue of prowesse Ca. Cxxiiii Of the spyrytuell batayle agaynst synne C. Cxxv Of the fyrst batayle agaynst all vyces Ca. Cxxvi Of very repentaunce of hert Ca. Cxxvii How a man ought to confesse hym Ca. Cxxviii Of the vertue of the yeft of counseyll / and of god / and meryte that is therin Ca. Cxxix Of the degrees of the vertue of mercy Ca. Cxxx.
thynge that loue hath moost trauayle for / by moost payne is goten / ought to be moost loued / moost dere worthely kept / and this sapyence is moche necessary and prouffytable to all them that wyll go with god / For thus as sayth holy scrypture / by many trybulacyoÌ„s behoueth vs to entre in to the realme of heuen And this manyfesteth and sheweth to vs the lyues of sayntes / the whiche for to come to god haue so moche suffred and endured After it is to wete / that to thaccomplysshement of the sayd commaundement .iiii. thynges admonesteth the creature ¶ The fyrst is to haue in mynde contynually the goodes that the creature hathe receyued of god as sayd is tofore For whan the creature consydereth that he hath receyued of god body soule / all other godes that he hath / spyrytuall and temporall / the perylles also whiche he hath escaped The glory of heuen whiche he hath apparayled to vs. The creature humayne shall Iuge that he oweth to loue god with all his herte The .ii. reason is to haue in consyderacion the grete puyssaunce / excellence / nobles of god And with that the grete mysery pouerte of our self / by the whiche consyderacyon the creature shall Iuge / the whan he shall loue god with all his herte / he shall serue hym with all his myght / whiche yet he doth full lytel vnto the regarde of his grete excellence noblenesse and puyssaunce ¶ And therfore the creature humayne sholde alway the more for to enforce hym to loue / to serue / for to honour god ¶ The thyrde reason is to take away the loue and affeccyon of worldly thynges as sayd is to fore For where all the herte suffyseth not for to loue almyghty god suffycyently / consydered his grete excellence noblenes and puyssaunte magnyfycence as is tofore sayd / thenne he that putteth in his herte the loue of thyÌ„ges temporell / the whiche ben but stynkynge fylthe and ordure to the regarde of god / semeth well that he dooth to god grete velony / and in this case he loueth not god with all his herte after the sayd commauÌ„dement / for of so moch as the herte of the creature is set to loue other thynge than god of so moche it is lesse in god The fourth reason is to kepe hym selfe and to put from hym all synnes and in especyall deedly synne / for no creature beynge in deedly synne may loue god For by deedly synne the creature offendeth god and is pryued and out of grace / whiche thynge is contrary to his loue ¶ Of the fyrst commaundement of the law Ca. iii. WE ought thenne accordynge to the sayd fyrst commaundement to loue with all our herte The whiche thynge the creature dothe / whaÌ„ in all his werkes his entencyon is ryghtfull and after goddes wyll For the entencyon of the creature is suche vertu that he rendre his werkes operacyon after god good or euyll / and therfore what so euer werke that the creature do yf his entencion be euyl the operacyon and al the werke is without meryte / and conuerted fro it / in to do euyll / herof it is sayd in the gospell by our sauyour Ihesu cryst / yf thyn eye be euyll all thy body is derke That is to saye yf thyn entencyon be euyll / all thy werkes ben derke and in synne and wtout meryte And therfore it behoueth to rendre the werke of the creature good and merytorye and that his entencyon be ryghtfull accordynge to goddes wyll But bycause that for to rendre the werke of the creature good and merytoryous accordynge vnto god / suffyseth not onely good entencyon But it behoueth also to haue the ryghtfull entencion and good wylle lyke as it may appyere in hym / that wyll stele and take other mennys goodes for to nourysshe and fede the poure peple / For thentencyon of the wylle to gyue for goddes sake to the pore peple is good But the wylle to stele or take awaye other mennes goodes is euyll for to so do And therfore that dede shal be euyll / and may not be excused For by cause that an euyll werke for ony good entencyon may not be excused It is sayd after in the commaundement / that the creature ought to loue god with all his soule That is to saye that his wyll accorde in all his werkes to the wyll of god / this demaunde we of god whan we say our pater noster whan we praye god that his wyll be done in vs. ¶ Also by cause that yet for to accomplisshe the sayd commaundement / suffyse not onelye good entencyon and good wyl it is after sayd in the same commaundement / that the creature ought to loue his god with all his entendemeÌ„t and vnderstondynge That is to saye that in thentendement of the creature be no deedly synnes delybered by consentynge ne concluded For alle consentynges concluded in thynge that sholde be as touchynge the dede of deedly synne / though soo be that the dede be not done outward as touchynge the werke that ony thynge ensie we therof / yet it is deedly synne And the creature beynge in deedly syÌ„ne may not loue god as aboue is sayd Also by cause that yet for taccomplysshe the sayd commaundement suffyse not onelye good entencyon good wyll as touchynge the werkes withoutforth / that in thentendement of the creature groweth deedly synne by consentynge / but it behoueth that the creature put and employe all the strengthe and puyssaunce that he hath in good werkes and dedes Iuste and vertuous / that they be to thonoure and worshyp of almyghty god and to the saluacion of hym self and his neyghboure It is sayd afin the foresayd commaundement that the creature ouÈt for to loue his god with all his myght and with all his strengthe And therfore all they that put and employe all theyr myght and strengthe in the werkys of synne / done ageynst the sayd commaundemenet synne deedly Thus it appyereth clerely that for taccomplysshe the sayd fyrst commaundement pryncypall The creature ought to gyue vnto god entencyon / wyll / entendement and all his strength and good wyll by the maner that is aforesayd ¶ The seconde commaundement of the lawe is how eche man ought to loue his neghboure Ca. .iiii. FOr to haue knowleche of the seconde commaundement pryncypall aforsayd touchynge the loue of his neyghboure whome the creature ought to loue as hym self It is to wete that to the loue of our neyghbour four thynges ought to moue vs. Fyrst for by cause that we all ben chyldren of god by creacyon And naturally brethern and systers loue that one that other And thus we ben all members of Ihesu Cryst / whiche is our heed and one membre loueth another naturally Secondly to this ought to brynge vs the loue obeyssaunce that we owe to god as aforesayd is / whiche commaundeth vs to loue our neyghboure Thyrdly to
this loue ought to brynge vs the commynycacyon whiche is emonge creatures humayne For our lorde Ihesu cryste made vs all created / for vs all he hath suffryd paynfull deth And to vs all he hathe apparaylled the glorye and the beatytude of heuen / yf we lose it not by synne And naturally euery creature of one lykenes / of one fourme / and of one semblaunce loueth and ought to loue the other / lyke as we se in bestes and byrdes that eche loue other And hym that is to hym lyke his parayll And therfore euery creature that loueth not his neyghboure myspryseth not onely ayenst the lawe dyuyne / but also ayenst the lawe of nature The fourth thȳge that to this loue ought to brynge is the prouffyte that cometh therof For whan a creature loueth well another he desyreth his prouffyte his honour / his sauement / and purchaseth it gladly By these foure thynges aforesayd appereth clerely that we ought to loue our neyghboure as oure selfe / and this loue is in fyue thynges Fyrst whan one loueth his neyghboure truely / that is to say for the we le of hym / and that is in hym / and nothynge for his owne propre To the knowelege of whiche thynge is to wete amonge reasonable creatures / thre maners of loue ben founden ¶ Here is contayned how one ought to loue his neyghboure Ca. v. THe fyrste is whan a creature loueth an other creature for the prouffyte and vtilyte that he doothe vnto hym And this loue is not veray and parfyte For whan that the prouffyte fayleth / the loue fayleth also The seconde is whan a creature loueth an other creature for her beaute / and the pleasure and delyte that he taketh therin This loue is not veraye For she fayleth whan the pleasure or delyte dothe fade away and fayle The thyrde is whanne for the loue of our lorde all myghty and for the well of hym the creature loueth a nother creature And this loue is grete veray / accordynge to god Secōdly whan one loueth his neyghbour ordynatly that is to wete lasse than god Thus as the creature oweth to loue hym selfe lasse than god And this techeth vs our sauyoure Ihesu Cryste whan he sayth He that loueth fader or moder or his brother or sister or his chyldern or or ony other thynge more than me He is not worthy to haue me / how shall it be knowen Saynte Gregory enseygneth it to vs / that the werkes of without forth doon for a creature shewe the loue that one hath vnto hym withinforth For naturally one doth gladly whiche he weneth that it ought for to please or her that he loueth ¶ And also by this it apperyth clerly / that whan ony manere of creature leueth to do vnto the werkes The whiche accordynge to god he is holden and bounden For to doo other werkys contrary vnto the pleasure of the creature / thenne he loueth that creature more than he doth God And also in this doynge he myspreyseth a gaynst the two commaundementes aforesayd and also synneth dedly ¶ Thyrdly the loue a fore sayd is whā the creature loueth his neyghbour by dedys Also that is for to say not by wordes only / but also in fate and dede to procure in hym his profyte and to empresse let his domage with his power as he dothe to hym selfe ¶ Fourthly whan a creature loueth his neyghbour in tymes That is also for to be vnderstonde also well in the of his aduersyte and also in pouerte / as in the tyme of his rychesse / and also of his prosperyte For in especyall in the tyme of his aduersyte / and also of his pouerte the veray frende is proued ✿ ¶ And fyfthly whan the creature loueth his neyghbour holyly That is to say that the creature ought not to loue another for to drawe hym vnto synne / or for to be his felowe in euyll werkes As ben they that accompanye theym to robbe stele other mennes goodes / or do other euyll and wycked dedes For after reason thou sholdest not Iuge that thou oughtest doo suche thynges After the fyue thynges that euery creature ought to rendre vnto his neyghboure after the sayd seconde commaundement / is to wete that two thynges sheweth pryncypally the loue whan it is in the creatures ¶ The fyrst is for to haue pacyence and compassyon in myscheyf and in the aduersyte or pouerte of other For one excuseth and pardoneth gladly and lyghtly the defawte or offence of the persone that he loueth / and these be sygnes of grete loue The .ii. is humylyte whiche causeth pacyence For comynly whan a persone is proude he knoweth not his defautes But despyseth the other by presumpcyon / and may not supporte that defawtes that he Iugeth in theym But he is Impacyent And without forth he sheweth and manyfesteth ofte angre and dyspleasaunce But by cause that the sayd commaundement for to loue his neyghboure as hym selfe was by the Iewes and pharysees euyll vnderstonden / and may be and is yet by many other For they holde that they ought loue theym that loueth them / to hate them that hate theym / and for theyr neyghboure they vnderstode onelye theyr frendys ¶ It is to vnderstonde that whan loue or hate is in a creature .ii. thynges ben to be consydered / that is to wete the nature that he hath and the sȳne or defaute of hym / euery creature of god after his nature / ought for to be byloued / but his synne and defawte ought for to be dyspysed and hated ¶ And after this foresayd exposycyon ought for to be vnderstonden the commaundement that Ihesu cryst made to his appostles for to loue theyr enemyes For the nature humayne we ought to loue / and to do well to them that hate vs / and pray for them that do to vs euyll / and that persecute vs. But we owe alway to hate theyr sȳnes theyr defautes Neuerthelesse we may well / and it is lefull to vs to desyre the dystruccyon of a creature obstynate in euyl and in synnes / and that destroyeth holy chyrche / domageth and hurteth other For the desyre of this is to desyre the good of other / and nothynge the euyll / to the ende that he cease to do euyll / and perseuer in euyll And not onely for his dystruccyon Suche people whan they haue desyred after thentendement aforesayd ben called after thappostle the mynysters of god ¶ Here after foloweth the .x. commaundementes of the lawe pertyculer Ca. vi NOw it is to wete that these two pryncipall commaundementes aforesayd were gyuen to Moyses / whan god delyuered vnto him the lawe in .x. commaundementes partyculer The whiche commaundementes euery creature reasonable is bounden for to kepe / for to haue the lyfe and glory pardurable ¶ The thre fyrst haue regarde to the dyleccyon and loue of god accordynge vnto the pryncypall commaundement tofore sayd And the seuen other partyculer
lygnage of chyldren Fourthly fame or renomme lowable Fyfthly rychesses After it is to wete that some be not sayd fader for cause of carnall generacyon / but for many other causes Somme ben sayd fader / and to eche of theym we ought for to bere honour and reuerence Fyrst some be sayd fader for good and holy doctryne / and good ensaumple that they haue gyuen and shewed of good and holy contemplatyf lyf As the apostles and other sayntes / for by theyr holy doctryne they haue made as chyldren of Ihesu cryst by faythe And to them we ought to bere honoure / reuerence / and obeysaūce / not onely with the mouth / but by ensyewynge theyr werkes / and theyr good and holy lyues and doctryne Secondly some ben sayd fader for the admynystracyon that they haue of god / lyke as the prelates ben of holy chyrche / to whome we ought to gyue honoure in obeynge to them and to theyr commaundemētes / as to the mynysters of god Thyrdly some be sayd fader for the garde and defence that they ought to doo theyr people as ben the kynge / the prynce and other lordes whiche haue the people to gouerne and to kepe and them we ought to loue and honoure and to them obeye by subiection / for theyr power cometh of god Fourthly some ben sayd fader / and ben to be honoured for the we le and good that is receyued of them / as ben they that socoure the poore in theyr necessyte / as fader by pyte and by compassion Fyfthly some be sayd fader and ought to be honoured for theyr olde aege / as ben the people whiche ben of grete aege AFter the sayd fyrst commaundement partyculer touchynge the loue dyleccyon of his neyghboure / whiche enduceth and somoneth a creature to doo wel Folowen the other .vi. whiche defende to a creature to doo euyll And therfore that amonge all the euylles that a creature may do to another / the gretest euyl is to sle him / this was gyuen to moyses in the seconde commaūdement of the .vii. is Thou shalt not slee / that is to wete creature reasonable of thy propre wyll auctoryte To the knowleche of whiche commaūdement is to wete that after holy scrypture been slayne creatures resonable in many maners / Fyrst by smytynge in the body and hurtynge in suche maner that deth ensyeweth therof / and this is not only agaynst the secōde cōmaūdemente pryncypall a fore sayd whiche commaundeth hym for to loue his neyghboure as hymselfe But it is agaynst nature for naturally all thyngees lyke semblable loue eche other Secondly by gyuynge counseyll fauour or ayde tendeth a creature to slee a nother bodyly / or to make hym to fall into dedly synne Thyrdly in makynge conforte and also ayde vnto a creature for to sle a nother corporally or for to cause hym for to fall in to dedly synne Fourthly in consentynge hym selfe to the bodly deth of another spyrytuall as touchynge to dedly synne / as to make a nother for to fall The whiche consentynge is vnderstonde / as oftymes as I may lette a nother fro deth corporall or spyrytuall as touchynge dedly synne and I let hȳ not By this it appereth clerely ynough that a creature somtyme sleeth a body / by iniurye done to his body in suche wyse that deth ensyeweth And sometyme the soule for to make it fall in to dedly synne and somtyme body and soule to gyder / by sleynge hym selfe or a woman grete with chylde lyuynge The seconde commaundemente defendeth hym too do euyll to a persone conioyned in maryage and that is this Thou shalte do none aduoutrye / that is to saye with a woman conioyned to a nother by maryage thou shalte haue no commyxyon / or flesshely company Ne a woman also maryed with ony other man thā her husbōde it is to wete that man woman in doynge a gaynst the sayd cōmaūdement synne fyrst a gaynst the lawe of god whiche hath defēded auoutrye by the sayd commaūdement / and yet they synne ageynst the lawe of god / by the whiche it is sayd / that this whiche god hath conioyned by maryage / that by man it may not be deceuered ne departed In gyuynge ouer his body by carnall copulacyon to another For after the holy scrypture man and woman by maryage ben constytued tweyne in one flesshe Yet eft they synne ageynst the sacrament of maryage made in the face of holy chyrche By the whiche man and woman promytte theyr trouth to other By vertue of the whiche othe the body of the man lōgeth to the woman / and the body of the woman is to the man / and ne ought not to be abandoned ne delyuered to other by cōmyxcyon carnall / alwaye how well that in the thynges aforesayd they synne deedly as sayd is yet the offēce and synne of the woman / that abandoneth her body to an other man than her husbonde by company carnall / and commyxcion / is more greter whan chyldren or lygnage ensueth than is of the man For with the sȳnes aforsayd she commytteth theft / in gyuynge to her husbonde heyres for to succede to hym of an other man than of hymselfe / and by this the woman cōmytteth sacrylege / treason and theft And in other cases the synne of the man that hathe commysed aduoutrye / is to be reprehended more than of the woman / by cause that he ought for to haue more greter knowlege / and to be more stronge for to keke hym from synne / than the woman whiche is frayle / and deceyued lyghtly by concupyscence Also a man is ordeyned and constytued heed and mayster of the woman / and in doynge that synne he gyueth to his wyf euyll ensample And also it is to wete that by the commaūdemente aforesayd is not onely defended aduoutrye of the man and woman assembled by matrymony / but also all fornycacion cōmyxcion / and flesshely companye bytwene man and woman other than in lawfull maryage is deedly synne / and deffended by the sayd commaundement / and to holde the contrarye is heresye For to take awaye fro god that whiche is gyuen and consecrate in the holy sacrament of baptesme for to gyue to a creature is more grete Iniurye and mysprysion and more greter synne than to take it fro a creature Thenne sythe that it is defended that suche Iniurye be made to a creature by more stronger reason / it ought in no wyse to be done vnto god Also yet ageynst the sayd commaundement ne mespryseth not onelye man woman by aduoultry and fornycacyon as touchynge the dede or fayte / but all the tymes that for to doo it they haue the wylle delyberyd and concluded Without the dede be doone or folowe it is deedly synne / also all byholdynges touchynges and kyssynges made by deliberacion for to come to the dede of carnall cōmyxcion and fornycacion as well by man as by woman out of
the brauÌ„ches of the vertue of mercy of almesse ca. Cxxxi The seuen brauÌ„ches of mercy on the lyfte syde and the fyrst braunche C. Cxxxii The seconde braunche Ca. C.xxxiii The thyrde braunche Ca. Cxxxiiii The fourthe braunche Ca. Cxxxv. The fyfte brauÌ„che of mercy Ca. Cxxxvi. The .vi brauÌ„che of mercy Ca. Cxxxvii The vii braunche of mercy Ca. Cxxxviii How a person ought to do almesse Ca. Cxxix Of the lyfe actyfe and of the lyfe coÌ„templatyfe ca Cxl Of the vertue of chastite the fyrste degre Ca. Cxli The seconde degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxlii She thyrde degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxliii The fourth degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxliiii The .v. degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxlv The vi degre of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxlvi The .vii. degree of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cxlvii Of the fyrst estate of them that ben hole and chaste of body Ca. Cxlviii The seconde estate of them that ben corrupte Ca. Cxlix The thyrde estate and the fourth estate Ca. CL. The fyfthe estate of chastyte Ca. Cli. The .vi. estate of the vertue of vyrgynyte and chastyte Ca. Clii The seuenth estate of the vertue of chastyte Ca. Cliii Of the gyfte of sapyence Ca. Cliiii Of the fyrst degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. Clv. Of the seconde degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. Clvi Of the .iii. degre of sobrenes of atteÌ„perauÌ„ce Ca. Clvii Of the .iiii. degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. Clviii The v. degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. Clx. The .vi degree of sobrenes of attemperauÌ„ce Ca. Clx. The .vii. degre of sobrenes of attemperauÌ„ce Ca. Clxi. Explicit Our fader that art in heueÌ„ sanctified be thy name thy kingdom come to vs / thy wyl be done in erth as in heuen / our dayly brede gyue vs to day for gyue vs our deâ—â— as we forgyue our deâ—â—s lede vs not in to teÌ„ptacoÌ„n but delyuer vs froÌ„ euyl ameÌ„ ¶ The fyue commaundementes of the chyrche ¶ The sondayes here thou masse and the â—estes of coÌ„maundement ¶ Of thy synnes thou the confesse at the leest one tyme of the yere ¶ And thy creatour thou shalte receyue / at Eester humbly ¶ These feestes thou shalte halowe / that ben gyuen the in coÌ„maundement ¶ The foure ymbres bigyles thou shalte feste 〈◊〉 the â—â—me entyerly ¶ Here after ben conteyned and declared the x coÌ„maundementes of the lawe whiche our lorde delyuered vnto Moyses the prophete for to preche to the people for to holde and kepe Capitulo primo FOr to haue and to come vnto the knowelege of the .x. commauÌ„demeÌ„tes of the lawe the whiche euery creature reasonable is holden for to kepe for to haue lyf pardurable It is to wete the syth that creacyon of humayne creature four lawes haue beÌ„ ¶ The fyrst lawe is called the lawe of nature Whiche is none other thynge but knowelege of good and euyll by the whiche we knowe that whiche we ought to ensyewe after reason / and also that whiche we ought to fle / that is to doo other that whiche we wolde after reason sholde be done to vs. And not to doo to other the / whiche we wolde after reason sholde not be done to vs. And this lawe gaue god to man to woman in his creacion / that same lawe euery creature reasonable ought to kepe / and by Ignoraunce not to be excused / syth they haue vnderstandynge of reason ¶ The ii lawe cometh of the deuyll to dystroye the lawe of nature aforesayd / and that is sayd lawe of concupyscence whiche was put in the creature reasonable by the syÌ„ne of Inobedyence / whiche was in our fyrst fader / for to fo he dysobeyed to god by synne / the body humayne was obeyssaunt to the soule and to reason entyerly / but as so ne as he had dysobeyed god / the body by concupyscence dysobeyed to reason Of whiche it happeth ofte / how be it that the creature by the fyrst lawe of nature knewe the good to be done / and the euyll to be eschewed Alwaye by concupyscence and folysshe plesaunce is lefte the ryght Iugement of reason / is enclyned to do the contrarye and this sayth saynt powle / that he founde a lawe in his membris / that is to wete the sayd lawe of concupyscence whiche gaynsayed to the lawe of reason whiche was in the soule / and of this lawe of concupyscence set by synÌ„e in the creature None escaped but onely Ihesu the glorious virgyÌ„ marie The .iii lawe is said the lawe wryton whiche was delyuerd for the creature / that by the lawe of concupyscence wolde enclyne hym ageynst the Iugement of reason to do euyll / to withdrawe hym to do synne for doubte of punycyon / thys lawe was delyuered to moyses and to the chyldren of Israhel The .iiii. lawe is sayd of loue and of grace whiche is none other thyng but to loue god his neyghboure And was delyuered by cause that the lawe of scrypture whiche for drede to be punysshed withdrewe the creature to do euyll was not suffycyente / for how well that it empesshed the dede / as touchynge the werke Neuertheles it empesshed not to the creature the wyll too do euyll / the whiche thynge is deedly synne / as oftentymes as it is concluded in the thyÌ„ge that sholde be as to the deed / and this .iiii. lawe of loue is in two commauÌ„dementes pryncypally comprysed The fyrst is this Thou shalte loue thy god with all thy herte / with all thy soule / with al thyn entendement / and with all thy myght The .ii. is that thou shalt loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe And these two commaundementes be so conioyned that the one may not be accomplysshed without that other ¶ Of the fyrst commaundement Ca. .ii. FOr to haue the knowelege of the sayd fyrst commaundement ought for to be knowen that .ii. thynges enclyne vs to loue god The fyrst is to here gladly for to speke of hym ofte / for naturally whan we here of ony persone sayd grete good / we ben enclyned to prayse loue hym / therfore to go oft to holy chyrche to predycacioÌ„s and sermons / is to a creature grete vtylyte prouffyte The seconde thynge is to thynke ofte and to haue in myÌ„de the grete benefaytes that a creature hath receyued / receyueth euery day of god / for naturally we ben enclyned to loue them that done vs good This loue of god is acquyred goten by these two thynges in a creature is kepte and multyplyed by .ii. other thynges Fyrst for to withdrawe take away his herte fro the loue of temporall goodes For the herte may not be parfyte in dyuers thynges / and therfore none may loue god and the wordly thynges togyder perfytly Secondly for to haue stedfast pacyeÌ„ce in trybulacoÌ„n to suffre it for the loue of god / for the
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
/ 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
therin plāted These ympes ben the vertues whiche the holy goost bydeweth with his grace The blyssed sone of god / whiche is the veraye sonne / by the vertue of his clerenes maketh them to growe on hye / and prouffyte These thre thynges be necessarye to all thynges that growe in erthe / that is to wete / erthe conuenable / humoure nourysshable / and heet reasonable / without these thre thȳges spyrytually may not the ympes of vertues growe ne brynge forth fruyte These thre thynges maketh the grace of the holy ghoost in the herte of the persone / maketh to wexe grene / to flourysshe to fructyfye / it maketh hym as a gardyn moche delectable full of good and precyous trees But in lyke wyse as god planted in paradys terrester plente of good trees and of fruyte And in the myddle he planted a tree whiche was called the tree of lyfe By cause that his fruyte had strengthe and vertue to kepe lyfe to theym that sholde ete of it without deyenge / and without euer to haue ony maladye or sykenesses Ryght so dooth he spyrytually in the herte of a persone The grete gardyner / the whiche is god the fader For he planted the trees of vertues And in the myddle he sette the tree of lyf That is Ihesu cryst / whiche sayth in the gospell / who that eteth my flesshe and drynketh my blood hathe lyf perdurable This tree enuerdureth embelyssheth by his vertu all the whiche is in paradys By the vertu of this tree growen and flourysshen fructefyeth all the other trees In this tree is all good / as moche as there is This tree is to be preysed and to be loued for many thynges For the rote / for the fruyt / for the stocke for the floure / for the odour for the leef / and for his fayre shadowe The rote of this tree is the ryght grete loue and the oultrageous charyte of god the fader / of whiche he loued vs so moche / that for to bye ageyne his euyll seruaunte / he gaf his ryght blessed sone and delyuerd hym to deth and to tormente Of this rote speketh the prophete sayth thus That a rodde shall yssue of the rote of Iesse This worde is as moche to saye as embracer of loue The stocke of this precyous tree / is the precyous flesshe of Ihesu Cryst The herte of this tree / that was the holy soule in whiche was the precyous marghe of the sapyence of god The barke of the tree was the fayr conuersacion without forth The droppynges of this tree and the body / weren thre precyous thynges and of ryght grete vertu / whiche yssued and dropped out of the preyous membres of Ihesu cryst that were the water / the teres the swete and the blode The leuys of this tree weren the precyous and holy wordes of Ihesu Cryst whiche heleden all maladyes The floures were the holy thoughtes of Ihesu Cryste whiche were fayre / honest and berynge fruyt The fruyt weren the twelue apostles / whiche fled all the worlde and nourysshed it with theyr holy doctryne / by theyr examples / by theyr good werkys / and with theyr benefaytes The braunche of this tree in one sens / ben all the chosen that euer were / and that ben / and that euer shall ben For lyke as our sauyour Ihesu Cryste sayd to his appostles I am sayd he the vygne / and ye ben the braunches ¶ In another sens / his braunches were his fayre vertues / his gloryouse exemples / whiche he shewed by werke / taught theym with his mouth These were the parfyte vertues and full of veray beneuerte and blyssednesse / whiche Ihesu Cryst shewed to his pryue frendes to the xii appostes / whome he ledde in to the moūtayne / and there he satte as sayth the gospell / his dyscyples were aboute hym And thenne the debonayr Ihesus opened his mouth and sayd Blessed be the poore of spyryte / for the reame of heuen is theyres Blessed be the debonayr for they shall be lordes of the erthe Blessed be they that wepen For they shall be comforted Blessed be they that haue hongre and thurst for Iustyce / for they shall be ful fedde Blessed be the mercyfull / for they shall fynde mercy Blessed be they that be clene of herte / for they shall see god Blessed be the peasyble / for they shal be called the sones of god ¶ These ben the seuen braunches of lyf of the blessed sone of god Ihesu Cryste In the shadowe of this tree ought the synne / good herte to shadowe hym / ought to se and beholde these fayre braunches / whiche bere the fruyte of lyf perdurable In these braunches and in these seuen wordes is enclosed all hyenesse / all perfection of grace / of vertu and of blessednesse / as moche as may be had in this worlde / to haue and atteyne in that other For these be seuen rules of holy lyf whiche Ihesu Cryst taughte to his chyldern This is the veray phylosophye that the maystre of angellys enseygned vnto his dyscyples ¶ In these wordes is enclosed all the somme of the veray perfeccyon of the newe lawe of loue and of swetenes And it is well sayd newe .. For it may well waxe olde / lyke as dyde tholde lawe to the Iewes And bycause that the soule was waxen olde by synne / it is made youge agayn and becomen newe by these wordes aforesayd It is veray newe and dysguysed fro the other lawes / lawe is sayd bycause it is bounden But the other byndeth and this vnbyndeth The other lawe chargeth / and this lawe dyschargeth The other lawes menaceth and thre teneth This lawe promyseth In other lawes is plee / in this newe lawe is peas In other lawes is drede / in this newe lawe is loue The other lawes haue maledyccyon / and cursynge / this newe lawe hath benedyccyon blyssynge ¶ Thenne is this newe lawe all full of beneurte and blyssednes And therfore ben blyssed all they that kepe it and accomplysshe it This sayth Salamon For all they that kepe it well wynneth the tree of lyfe pardurable Then these .vii. wordes abouesayd whiche god sayd ben called blyssynges For they make a man to be blyssed as moche as he may be in this present lyfe / and yet more blyssed in that other Now hast thou herde what the tree of lyfe is / whiche is in the myddle of paradyce the whiche god planted in the holy soule In the shadowe of this tree groweth and prouffyteth the fruyte The tree of vertues whiche god the fader the whiche is the grete gardyner planted and sette in this gardyn / and dyde bedewe it with the fountayne of grace / the whiche maketh it for to wexe grene / growe and to prouffyte / and holdeth it in vertue and in lyfe This foresayd fountayne is departed in to seuen ryuers These ben the seuen gyftes of
we requyre in the thre fyrst petycyons of the holy pater noster / whan we saye Sanctificetur nomen we shewe to our good fader curteysly our pryncypall desyre / whiche we ought alwaye to haue That is that his gloryous name be sanctyfyed / and that it be confermed in vs. Thenne whan we say Sanctificetur nomen tuū we shewe to our good fader Ihesu cryst curteysly our desyre That is to saye Syr this is our souerayne desyre This requyre we aboue all thynges that thy blyssed name be sanctyfyed in vs. That is thy good renoume / thy knowlege / thy faythe be confermed in vs. In this fyrst petycyon we requyre the fyrst the pryncypall gyft of the holy ghoost That is the gyft of sapyence whiche maketh stedfast and confermeth the herte in god / and Ioyneth hym so to hym that he may not be dysioyned ne deceuered Sapyence is sayd of sauoure and for to sauour / for whan a man receyueth this gyft / he tasteth and assauoureth and feleth the swetenes of god / lyke as is felte the swetenes of good wyne by the taste better than by syght But to this that thou vnderstande better what it is to say Thy name be sanctyfyed Thou oughtest for to knowe that this worde Saynt is as moche to say as pure / as golde / as erthe / as dyed in blode / as confermed In these fyue maners is sanctyfyed the holy ghoost of sapyence in the herte of a man Fyrst he clenseth and purgeth lyke as the fyre fyneth and purgeth the golde and the syluer / after he taketh it awaye fro the erthe / that is fro all carnall affeccions / maketh all to bycome lothely that whiche he was wonte to loue / lyke as the water is hated to hym that is lykorous to the good wyne After he haloweth hym self all to the seruyce of god For he leueth all charges / and putteth hym self all to thynke on god and to loue serue and honoure hym / lyke as the chirche and the monasterye is halowed to the seruyce of god Soo that he ought none other thynge doo but to serue and honoure god After he dyeth hym self in blode For he putteth hym self in one so stronge and ardant loue in soo swete loue of Ihesu Cryst / of deuocyon / that whan he thynketh on hym on his passyon / he is as he were all dronke of that precyous blood that Ihesu Cryst shedde for hym in his holy passyon lyke as is a soppe of hote brede / whā it is put in wyne This is a newe bapteme For to dye to baptyse is all one After he confermeth hym in god so strongelye / that nothynge may dysseuere ne desioyne hym Nowe thenne / wyll thou to saye this worde / thy name bee sanctyfyed in vs. That is to saye gyue to vs yefte of sapyence by whiche we maye be soo fyned as is the golde / and the syluer in the fornays / and clensed fro all ordures of synne / by whiche we be dronken of his loue and that al other loues be to vs bytter by whiche we be soo gyuen to the and vnto thy seruyce / that we neuer retche of none other charge / too th ende that we be not onelye wesshen fro all synnes / but dyed in grayne / renewed and rebaptysed in the precyous bloode of Ihesu Cryst by deuocyon of feruent loue to this that the blyssed name of our good fader Ihesu cryste be so confermed in vs / that he be our good fader / and we his sones / his seruauntes / as veray obedyent vnto to all his commaūdemementes / and in suche maner / that nothynge what someuer it be / may come ne happen to dysioyne this fastnes ne this grace Moche is grete the grace of god whā the wyll of the creature humayne is so rooted in god and confermed that it may not wagge ne moeue for no temptacyon Moche greter a thynge it is / whan one is soo affermed in the loue of god and so dronken in his swetnes that noo solace / ne no comforte / ne noo pleasaunce may not be had but in hym / and then is the herte parfytely cōfermed in god / whan the memory is so fastned and Ioyned to hym / that it may not thynke on no thynge but on hym And this requyre we whan we say Sanctificetur nomen tuum This is to say Syr thy name be sanctyfyed in vs. ¶ Here is the seconde petycyon and request of the holy pater noster Ca. lxxx ADueniat regnū tuum This is the seconde petycyon request of the holy pater noster / where we pray requyre / that the realme of heuen come to vs / be wtin vs. Our lorde sayth in the gospel to his disciples The reame of is in you vnderstonde well how this may be / whan god gyueth to a persone in his herte the spyryte of vnderstandynge Thus as the sonne taketh away the darkenes of the nyght And dooth waste the cloudes and the mystes in the mornynge Ryght soo wasteth this spyryte and dothe take awaye all the derknesses of the herte / and sheweth hym all his synnes and defaultes grete and small / lyke as the rayes of the sonne sheweth the motes and the duste that is in the hous ¶ Also this spyryte of vnderstondynge sheweth on that other parte / not onelye that whiche is within hym / but that whiche is vnder hym / helle / and that whiche is aboue hym / heuen / and that whiche is aboute hym / all the fayre creatures / whiche all preysen god wytnessen how god is fayre / good / wyse / puyssant swete / and grete And who that seeth moost clere the creatures / is moost desyrynge to see god / but lete hym consydere that he is not pure ne worthy to see hym Thenne the good herte / trewe and deuoute chauffeth hym / and is angry with hym self Thenne he begȳneth to entre in to his herte and to examyn hym And there he fyndeth soo many synnes / vyces / pouertees / defautes / troublynges of herte and of thoughtes euyll wyll / that he is angry with hym selfe by grete contrycyon and dyspleasyr that he hath of his synnes And thenne he begynneth to clense his herte and purge hym of al ordures of synne by bytter repentaunce / and by deuoute confessyon / and after by sharpe and condygne penaunce But whan he hath longe ledde this lyf / and hath caste oute al his synnes by veray confessyon Thenne he fyndeth pease reste and consolacion And fereth soo moche god to falle ageyne to synne / that hym semeth that all the worlde be to hym helle to the regarde of this clerenesse and this pease that that he fyndeth in his herte And this demaunde we of god whan we saye Adueniat regnum tuum / that is to saye Fayre fader plese it to the that the holy ghoost wyll enlumyne in vs the herte / and clense and
strengthe of man Charyte / sayth saynt Austyn Ioyneth vs to god For charyte is none other thynge but chyere vnyte / that is / dere one hede / for she maketh the herte and god all one as sayth saynt Poule Fayth byholdeth in god souerayn vnyte hope beholdeth in god souerayn hyenesse / and charyte souerayn bounte These .iii. vertues ben deuyded by .iii. degres of loue / for for .iii. thynges a man is loued One is by cause that one hath herde or hereth grete good of hym Or by cause that he hath receyued grete good of hym Or by cause he entendeth to haue grete good of hym These iii. maners of loue ben in these .iii. vertues Loue of fayth hereth and werketh / loue of hope feleth the sauour and requyreth it / loue of charyte taketh seeth it / tasteth holdeth it ¶ Of the foure cardynall vertues / by whiche a man ought to gouerne hym Ca. lxxxxi OF the foure cardynall vertues speken moche the auÌ„cieÌ„t phylosophres but the holy ghost gyueth theÌ„ ensygneth them better an hondred tymes as sayth Salamon in the boke of sapyence The fyrste of these foure vertues is prudence the seconde attempraunce / the thyrde strength / and the fourthe Iustyce These .iiii. vertues ben called cardynalles / by cause they ben the moost pryÌ„cypall amonge the vertues of whiche the auncyent phylosophers speketh For by these .iiii. vertues a man gouerneth hym selfe in this worlde Lyke as the pope gouerneth al holy chyrche by his cardynalles PrudeÌ„ce kepeth a man that he be not deceyued by none engyne of the ennemy AtteÌ„praunce kepeth a man that he be not corrupt by none euyll loue Strength kepeth hym that he be not vaynquysshed ne ouercome by wrath / or by drede / or by sorowe This is that holdeth a man in good estate toward hymselfe Iustyce setteth a man in ryght estate anenste hymselfe and other / for Iustyce rendreth to eche man the whiche is his These ben the .iiii. toures at .iiii. corners of the hous of the good man that maketh it stronge / sure good Prudence garnyssheth it towarde the eest by purueyaunce for al perylles Attempraunce garnyssheth it towarde the southe ageynst the euyll heetes Srengthe garnyssheth it towarde the northe for the euyll coldes Iustyce garnyssheth it towarde the west ayenst the euyll raynes ¶ Yet agayne of the foure cardynall vertues as here foloweth Ca. lxxxxii THese .iiii. vertues haue dyuers offyces / ben moche dyuers in theyr werkes / lyke as sayth an auÌ„cyent phylosophre named Plato in his boke that he made of these .iiii. vertues / deuydeth them moche subtylly / sayth that prudence hath .iii offyces For by this vertue all that whiche a man doth sayth / thynketh is ordeyned all and ledde by lyne / rule / and reason and in all his werkes he pourueyeth / that he vse theym after thordynaunce of god that all seeth and Iugeth A grete lorde sholde he be as me semeth that sholde haue this onely / vertue / and by these thre thynges sholde gouerne hym ¶ Of the vertue of attemperaunce lxxxxiii THe vertue of attemperauÌ„ce hath .iii. offyces for the herte that hath this vertue wyll not ne coueyteth not to do a thynge of whiche he ought to repente In noo thynges he breketh not the lawe dysmesurably / but putteh hym self alwaye vnder the yoke of reason And no thynges doubteth of all the couetyses of the worlde That is to saye / who hath this vertue he kepeth hym that he be not corrupt by the thre thynges that foulen shamen the worlde ¶ Of the vertue of strength Ca. lxxxxiiii THe vertue of strength hath also .iii offyces / for a man that hath this vertue in his hert he lyft hyÌ„ vpon hye aboue the perylles of this worlde and no thynge doubteth he sauf vylonye and synne / he bereth aduersyte and prosperyte / and suffreth without to bowe on the ryght syde ne on the lyfte syde Moche good sholde be the knyght of god that in these thre thynges sholde be well proued These .iii. vertues armen / ordeyne / adourne a man as touchynge the thre partes of the herte whiche ben called / reason / loue / vygour Prudence kepeth the reason that it be not deceyued Attempraunce kepeth the loue / that it be not corrupte Strength kepeth the vygoure or myght that it be not ouercome ¶ Of the vertue of Iustyce Ca. lxxxxv IVstyce maketh a man to lyue ordynatly amonge the other For lyke as Plato sayth the phylosophre This is the vertue that maketh that a man dooth vnto euery man the whiche he oweth to do For he rendreth reuerence honoure vnto them that be aboue hym Frendshyp pease and concorde to them that ben lyke to hym / grace and pyte to them that ben vnder hym By these .iiii. vertues sayth the sayd phylosophre / that a man is theÌ„ worthy that he be gouernoure of hymselfe / and after of other In these .iiii. vertues studyed the auncyent phylosophres whiche dyspysed all the worlde for to acquyre and gete vertue wysdome / and therfore were they called phylosophres / whiche is as moche to say as loue of sapyence ¶ O good god how sholde this confounde vs and make vs aferde that they that were paynyms without law wryten and nothynge knewe of the veray grace ne of the gyftes of the holy goost / and neuertheles they styed vp in to the mountayne of perfeccyon of lyuynge by force by theyr propre vertue / and dayned not to take hede of the worlde / ne to do euyll / ne to consent to synne / we that ben crysten men that haue the veray fayth / knowe the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god / haue the grace of the holy goost / yf we wyll our syÌ„nes cause it not / that we may more prouffyte for our helth anenst god in a day / thaÌ„ they myght in a yere / we defoule vs / lye here beneth as a swyne in a mire / in the ordure of this worlde / and synne in the fylthe and donge of delyces of this worlde Therfore sayth saynt Poule that the paynym that is without lawe shall Iuge vs at the daye of Iugement / that haue had here the lawe / we neyther holde ne kepe it / and by cause they had not ryÈt fayth ne the grace of the holy ghoost ne no vertue ne quycke ne very fayth / they may not well knowe how these vertues be good and fayre / for as moche dyfference as is bytwene a brennynge cole / and a deed cole / and a lyuynge man and a deed man Soo moche dyfference is there bytwene vertue that is without charyte / vertue that is with charyte / whiche is the bounte / the valure and the lyf of other vertues / wherof saynt Austyn sayth whan he speketh of these .iiii. vertues / he deuydeth theym by .iiii. maner of loues and by .iiii. thynges that veray loue
doth / and sayth that the vertue prudence is the loue of herte / whiche veryly and wysely refuseth al that whiche may greue and ennoye hym / and cheseth al that whiche may ayde to haue that whiche he loueth / that is god / the vertue of attemperaunce is the loue of herte by whiche he gyueth hym self entyerly and without corruptyon to that whiche he loueth / that is god The vertue of strength is the loue of the herte / by whiche a man serueth onely that whiche he loueth / that is god / and for hym setteth a man all other thynges vnder his fote / despyseth them Thenne the vertue of Iustyce setteth a man in his ryght estate / that is aboue all thynges / and vnder god / without these .iiii. vertues / there is none that may mounte in to the moūtayne of perfectyon / for who that wyl moūte soo hye / hym byhoueth / that alther fyrste he haue prudence whiche maketh a man to despyse the worlde / and that he haue with it the vertue of strengthe / the whiche gyueth to hym grete herte stronge and stable courage to enpryse to pursue grete thynges / on the other partye that he haue the vertue of attempraunce / by cause that he be not ouer charged ne euyll caryed / and that he haue with hym the vertue of Iustyce that may lede hym by the ryght path / and by a good Iust way that he be without synne / and that he shewe to hym how by holy werkes he oweth to conquere the reame of heuen / lyke as god dyde to Iacob / as sayth the boke of sapyence / who that thus may haue these .iiii. vertues he shall be well parfyte and blyssed in this worlde and more in that other / for he shal be in peas of herte and in Ioy spyrytuell / and nothynge shall fayle hym / but he shall habounde in the grace of god that he shall haue with hym / in whome he shall delyte ¶ Here after foloweth how a man may take awaye put from hym the seuen deedly synnes and gete the vertues Ca. lxxxxvi NOw lete vs come ageyne to our mater / and pray we with all our herte to the holy goost / that he wyll enspyre and ensygne our hertes / that he be our aduocate / and teche vs to shewe how he by the seuen gyftes of the holy goost he plucke out and take away the seuen deedly sȳnes fro our hertes / and that he therin wyll vouchesauf to plant the seuen vertues ¶ Of the gyfte of holy drede the whiche maketh a man Iust Ca. lxxxxvii THe gyftes of drede is the fyrst of the gyftes / for he casteth out of the herte all the synnes lyke as we haue sayd tofore But proprely this gyfte of drede plucketh oute / taketh awaye and destroyeth the rote of pryde / and planteth there in his place the plante of humylyte Now beholde and vnderstonde well how the synner that holdeth hym and slepeth in his synne / is lyke to a rybaulde that slepeth and is dronke / and hath all lost at tauerne / and is all naked and so poore that he hath no thynge but he feleth no thynge ne complayneth not / but weneth that he be a moche grete lorde But whan he hath slepte and cometh ageyne to him self / and that he is out of his dronkennesse Thenne feleth he his harme and knoweth his folye Now complayneth he his losse and his domage This is the fyrst good that the holy ghoost doth to a synner whan he vysyteth hym For he gyueth to hym agayn his wytte and his mynde / and bryngeth hym ageyne to knowe hym self So that he aduertyseth and seeth what goodes he hath loste / and in what pouerte and in what perylle he hath be for his synne / lyke as dyd the sone of the good man / whiche wasted and dyspended his herytage in dyssolucyon and rybauldrye In suche confusyon and myserye he became that hym byhoued to kepe the swyne and fede them / and to lyue of theyr releef and mete / lyke as our Lorde Ihesu Cryst sheweth vs by example in the gospell Yet also the synner as sayth Salamon is lyke to hym that slepeth in the myddle of the see / and is in grete peryll tormente / he feleth no thynge ne hath no fere therof But whan the holy ghoost awaketh hym he felyth seeth his perylle / begynneth to haue drede of hym self ¶ Yet also the synner is lyke to hym that is in pryson feterydin yrons / is in boltes and hath many kepars / lyke as saynt Peter was in the prysone of kynge Herode And the caytyf synner thynketh no thynge on the prouoste / ne on the Iustyce / ne on the galowes that tarye for hym / but he slepeth and dremeth that he goeth to a weddynge and to a feste But the grace of the holy ghoost is lyke to the aungell that awoke saynt Peter / delyured hym fro the hande of kynge Herode For the grace of the holy ghoost awaketh the synner and delyuerth hym from the hande and fro the puyssaunce of the deuyl of helle / yet also the synner is lyke to hym that weneth to be stronge and hole / and he hath the dethe vnder his teeth For he hath the humours euyl and corrupte within the body / thenne dyeth he within a moneth / that wende to haue lyued .xl. yere Lyke as sayth Elyuans in the verses whiche speken of the deth and sayen thus Go ye awaye ye whystelers and gapars / for suche be couerde vnder theyr clothes / that wene to be hole and fatte that shall not lyue vnto marche ¶ But the holy ghost is lyke vnto a good physycyen that sheweth to hym his maladye and sekenesse / and moeueth fro hym his humours and gyueth vnto hym a bytter drynke whiche heleth hȳ a rendreth to hym his lyfe / ryght so troubleth our lorde the synner by bytter contrycyon whan he helyth him fro his synnes by the bytter drynke lyke as sayth the prophete in his psaulter / and fereth hym / bryngeth hym ageyne to knowe hym self / lyke as dyd Adam our fyrst fader / whan he hydde hym emonge the trees of paradys terrestre And thenne sayd god to hym Adam where art thou Thre other demaundes made god by his aungell to the chamberyer of holy Abraham whiche was named agar whan she fledde fro her lady The aungell sayd Agar from whens comest thou / whyder goest thou / what doost thou These thre questyons or demaūdes maketh the holy ghoost vnto the myserable synner / whan he awaketh hym out of his synnes / where as he was aslepe / and he reyseth hym / and openeth vnto him the eyen and the syght of his herte / gyueth to hym agayne his wyt and his vnderstondynge / the whiche was loste in the slogardye of synne Where arte thou sayth he / that is to say Beholde thou poore and myserable caytyf
veray meke and humble obeyeth generally ouerall and in al places / where he byleueth that it playseth god / and in all thynges lyke as doth the asse of the mylle / that as gladly bereth barly as whete / and lede as golde / whete to a poore man as to a ryche man ¶ Also the veray meke is made stronge For he chaungeth his strength with the strength of god / lyke as sayth the prophete Isaye and therfore there is no thynge but the veray humble may well bere For god bereth hym and his dedes Thenne he obeyeth vygorously and perseuerauntly For he is neuer nomore wery than the sonne is / that god ledeth and conduyteth / and the lenger it lyueth the more groweth her force and her vygour Now mayst thou see clerely how humylyte techeth the well parfytely to serue obeye god Of the techynge and doctryne of our lorde Ca. C v. OVr sauyour Ihesu cryste the grete mayster of humylyte and mekenes whan he had preched and fedde his people / and heled the seke men and lame Thenne he fledde awaye fro the people in to the mountayne / for to be in oryson for to ensygne and gyue vs an example to flee the praysynge and laudynge of the worlde and therfore the true humble herte lyke as he payneth to do wel whaÌ„ he obeyeth Ryght soo he payneth hym to fle the praysynge of the worlde / and to hyde hym for to kepe hym fro the wynde of vaynglory And to fyxe hym in the shadow of the roche / lyke as Ysaye the prophete sayth fro the tempest of euyll tonges This roche is Ihesu Cryst hym self whiche is the refuge and the charyte to humble and meke To this roche that is our sauyour Ihesu cryst fleeth the humble and debonayre herte charged with thornes / lyke as is the yrchyn / that is to say of sharpenesse of penaunce This is the douehous in to whiche fleeth for refuge the doues of our lorde / that ben the meke humble and symple hertes flee thyder to refuge for the foules of proy or rauayne / the whiche ben the deuylles whiche alwaye seche to dampne the soules whan an humble herte hathe done so moche that he is entred in to this roche as the doue in to a doue hous / that is whan he remembreth well the lyfe of Ihesu cryste / and his blyssed passyon / thenne he forgeteth all his sorowes / and prayseth lytell all that the worlde hath and is worthe / and may be of value a good herte that hath assayed this / desyreth no thynge soo moche as to be forgoten to the worlde The worlde is to hyÌ„ a grete burden and charge / and moche besynes / for as the wyse man sayth The good man is neuer more sure than whan he is alone without company and felaushyppe / ne more in werkes than whan he is ydle / for he is than with .ii. of his best frendes / that is with god and with his owne self ¶ There a deuout contemplatyfe herte treateth of his grete quarelles and complayntes by the whiche all other werkes and operacyons semeth to hym truffes nought / al vanytees There he acompteth with god / and god with hym by holy thoughtes by feruent desyres Thenne he feleth the grete swetnes of consolacions comforte that god gyueth to them that drede hym / loue hym / lyke as Dauyd the prophete sayth in the psaulter Thenne al langages and al wordes ennoye greue hym / yf they be not of god / to god / or for god Thus begynneth the soule to loue solytude scylence And thenne cometh to hym in his hert an holy shamefestnes whiche is one of the fayr doughters of humylyte / for al in lyke wyse as a damoysel that loueth paramours with grete shamefastnes whan she is apperceyued she hereth that it is spoken of In lyke wyse the humble persone and deuoute whan he hereth that one speketh of hym / of his spyrytuel goodes that god hath done to hym / and no thynge lasse doth he / than the mayde doth which is ardantly surprysed of loue / for what someuer the world say to hym / it is knowen Neuertheles he secheth his corners hydles lyke as he that requyreth none other thynge / but to be rauysshed in god lyke as was saynt Poule ¶ Of the pryuyte that god hath to an holy soule ca. C vi OF this acqueyntaunce and of thys preuyte thys holy soule begynneth to haue of god / bytwene hyr an holy pryde For whan the holy soule is rauysshed vnto heuen / she beholdeth the erthe fro ferre / lyke as sayth Ysaye the prophete / there seeth it soo lytel to the regarde of the gretenes of heuen / so foule to the regarde of that grete beaute / so troublous to the regarde of that grete clerenesse / soo wyde to the regarde of that grete plente Thene he dyspreyseth and dyspyseth certaynly all the rychesses of the worlde / beautees / honoures / and noblesses ThenÌ„e it semeth to hym that it is but a playe of chyldren that playe in the waye / and moche trauayle theym selfe and wynne nothynge It semeth that all is but wyÌ„de and dremes as sayth Salamon Thenne he begynneth to deye to the worlde / and lyue to god as sayth saynt Poule TheÌ„ne is the soule so poore of spyryte that it hath nought For god hath his spyryte taken from hym and rauysshed it and replenysshed with his gyftes / as he dyde to thappostles on whytsonday Thenne the holy ghoste gyueth to hym so grete an hert / that the prosperyte ne aduersyte of the worlde he prayseth noo thynge at all / with this he gyueth to hym so holy and so ferme a coÌ„scyence / that he awayteth hardely the dethe / and he hath in god so grete faythe / and hope / that there is nothyÌ„ge but he dare entrepryse it for the loue of god / for he hath that faythe of whiche god speketh in the gospell / whiche is lykened to mustarde sede / by whiche he may commaunde to roches and mountaynes / they shall obey to hym Of the coÌ„parysoÌ„s of mustarde sede to the loue of god C.vii THe sede of mustarde is moche lytell / but it is moche stronge and sharpe And it is hote in the fourthe degree as the physycyens sayeth by the heet is vnderstanden loue The fyrste degre of loue as sayth Bernarde / is whan a man feleth nothynge of loue but of hyÌ„self / of his owne ê“ffyte The .ii. is whan he begyÌ„neth to loue god The .iii. is whan he loueth best god / and loueth hym proprely for his bounte The fourth is whan he is soo esprysed with this holy loue / that he ne loueth hym self ne none other thynge but god / or for god / or with god And vnto this loue bryngeth him veray humylyte ¶ Now mayst thou see clerely that the poore of spyryte ben blessed For they be
so humbled and voyde of theyr spyryte / that theyr spyryte is al mynuysshed / for god hath it al / and the holy ghoost hath replenysshed the hous of his herte / and is there lorde / enhaunceth them that ben poore of spyryte These ben the veray meke and humble / whome he maketh to regne in heuen by holy hope and by holy conscyence / and therfore sayth our lorde in the gospel / that the royame of heuen is theyres Not onely by promesse / but by fyne certeynte / lyke as they that begane somtyme to receyue the fruytes and the rentes how they sholde be blessed in that other worlde That may no man knowe vnto the tyme that he be there For the herte of a mortal man may not thynke it / ne expresse with mouthe / ne also here it with his ecrys ¶ Of the gyftes of holy drede of pyte Ca. Cviii. THe fyrst gyfte of the holy ghoost maketh the herte humble dredefull and to doubte god and hate all synnes / and therfore it is named the gyftes of drede ¶ The seconde gyfte of pyte maketh the herte swete debonayre and pyteous And therfore is it named the gyfte of pyte And that is proprely a dewe and a traycle ayenst the venym of felonnye / and in especyall ayenste the venym of the synne of enuye / of whiche we haue spoken tofore For this gyfte of pyte taketh awaye plucketh of the herte the rote of enuye / there heleth it parfyghtely Thenne the herte that receyueth this gyft / and feleth in hym a dewe / whiche maketh hym to germyn a swete rote / and ryght well attempred / that is good loue / oute of whiche groweth a fayre tree berynge grete fruyte / that is a fayre vertue and good that is called in latyn māsuetudo That is to say swetenes and debonayrte of herte / whiche maketh a man swete / debonayr / charytable / and amyable For this vertue maketh a man to loue his neyghbour parfytely / hym selfe after god This tree hath vii degrees by whiche he moūteth on heyght These .vii. degrees sheweth to vs saynt Poule / there where he admonesteth and prayeth that we doo payne to that / that we be all one in god The fyrst reason is that we haue al one herte / the hye and the lowe / the poore and the ryche That is that we haue all one fader in heuen That is god whiche made vs all comunely to his ymage and semblaunce And bycause that all we haue one creatoure and maker whiche made vs all of one mater and of one fourme / to one ende / that is that we be all in hym and with hym Lyke as he sayth in the gospel It is moche grete reason that we loue eche other / for the beestes / and the byrdes loueth his semblable The seconde reason is that we be all crysten baptysed in the sacrament of baptym poore and ryche That is that we be all wasshen with the precyous blode of Ihesu cryste And we were redemed with one maner money / and as moche cost that one as that other Moche thenne owe we to loue eche other to honoure for god hath moche loued vs and praysed vs / hath made vs of grete dygnyte The thyrde reasō is bycause we haue all one fayth and ben bounden all to one lawe whiche all is accomplysshed / Lyke as saynt Poule sayeth in this worde / Loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe Of this det is no man quyte for ony thynge that he can do / this det oweth eche man to other / and who that moost rendreth moost oweth ¶ The fourth reason is that we haue all one mayster and one lorde that is god of whome he holde all body and soule / and all that we haue / he made vs all and fourmed / hath vs all redemed of a lyke pryce / he shall Iuge vs all / and rewarde largely to all them that shall haue kepte and holden his commaundementes / that haue loued eche other truely The fyfthe reason is bycause that we be all felawes in the hoost of our lorde / And we be all his knyghtes and souldyours / whiche we all abyde one rewarde / that is the glory perdurable / and loue and cōpany of all sayntes ¶ The .vi. reason is that we lyue all of one speryte spyrytually / lyke as we lyue of one ayre corporally By this spyryte we ben all sones of god by adopcyon That is by aduoery / and sones of holy chyrche / brethren germayne of fader and moder / a spyrytuell fraternyte / whiche is better worthe than a carnall fraternyte / lyke as the speryte is of more value than the body ¶ The seuenth reason is bycause that we ben all membres of one body / of whiche Ihesu cryste is the hede / and we ben the membres the whiche lyueth all of one meet That is of the precyous flesshe and blode of our sauyour Ihesu cryste / the whiche so moche loueth vs / and vs holdeth so dere and well be loued / that he gyueth vnto vs his ryght precyous blode for too drynke / and his dygne and precyous flesshe for to ete Therfore remembreth vs so oft saynt Poule this loue whiche he sheweth vnto vs. For a more quicker reason ne more fayrer example may he not shewe vnto vs of veray amyte and frendshyp / yf so be that thou thynke well and stedfastly on these toforesayd reasons Thou shalte fynde .vii. degrees of amytye and frendshyppes the whiche cometh of the gyftes of pyte ¶ Of .vii. maners of spyrytuell loue Ca. Cix OF this stocke and oute of this rote growen vii braunches For this vertue sheweth hȳ in seuen maners lyke as loue is knowen / whiche is emonge the membres of a body in vii maners Fyrst the one of the membres kepeth and countregardeth the other / that it do to hym none euyll / ne that it faylle hym not / ne that it doo hym none harme ne domage to his power / and herin we vnderstonde our Innocency whiche we ought to kepe eche anenst other For this commaundement is wryton in the herte of euery persone That is that thou do to another after god that / whiche thou woldest that he dyd to the and that thou sholdest not do to another / otherwyse thā thou woldest sholde not be doone to the. Ne the thy ryght honde sholde smyte the lyft honde Also that one membre suffre swetely that other that it doo to it no harme / ne no vengeaunce ne wrathe But yf that one membre haue harme or hurte / that other membres fele it And in this vnderstonde we parfyght debonayrte whiche hath iii. degrees The fyrst is that he reuenge hym not The seconde that he reteyne not wrathe ne yre The thyrde that he ne fele no moeuynge of hate ne yre towarde his neyghboure for ony thynge that he doth ¶ Also the membres obeyen al to theyr souerayn For
ryght syde on the lyft syde On the ryght syde ben the werkes of mercy whiche touche the soule They ben the spyrytuell werkes of mercy / on the lyft syde ben the bodyly werkes of mercy whiche apperteyne to the body / on the ryght syde be vii brauÌ„ches The fyrst is to gyue good counceyll to them that haue nede / onely for the loue of god purely / not for to coueyte other thynge temporel therfore / as done these aduocates men of lawe that taken with bothe handes / of that one partye of that other And gyuen ofte tymes many euyll couÌ„seylles for to haue money / or for gyftes / or for drede / or for fauour of ryche men / but they haue god tofore theyr eyen / and counceyle the synners for to leue theyr synnes and saue theym Or they that ben out of synne / for to kepe theym to th ende that they fall not therto agayne Lyke as confessoures ought for to doo / and the prelates / and the good men in what someuer estate they be / they done the fyrst werke of mercy spyrytuell / this is the fyrste braunche of the ryght syde The seconde braunche is to teche and ensygne them that a man hath to gouetne As a prelate his subgettes whome he ought to fede with good doctryne and with good ensample In lykewyse ought the mayster do to his dyscyples in doctryne / in scyence / in good maners Also the faders the moders theyr chyldren in suche wyse that they kepe them fro synne vices / that they vse them to do well / kepe theÌ„ fro lyenge / fro sweryÌ„ge / fro euyll playes and games / and fro yll company / specyally the chyldre of grete lordes and of ryche men ought to be best enformed in good maners For the chyldren wyl alway holde theyr fyrst forme And therfore they ought to be enformed to do well ¶ The thyrde braunche is to reprehende chastyse the fooles and the wycked people of theyr folyes / and this appertayneth specyally to the prelates and to the prynces whiche ought to chastyse theyr subgettes / whan they knows that they be wycked For whan they suffre the synnes where they myght amende them / and wyll not so / they ben partyners Ne no prynce ne prelate ought not to suffre ony wyckednes in a maÌ„ about hym yf he may knowe it For yf he haue about hyÌ„ euyll and wycked meyne and yf he knoweth it or supposeth / yf he remedy it not It is a sygne that he is no good man / for it is comyngly sayd / suche lorde suche meyne / after the lorde the meyne folowe And many and often tymes it happeneth the lorde or mayster is defamed and shamed by his euyll meyne / therfore / ne for hauoyre / ne for fauoure / ne for famylyaryte of persones a lorde ought not to doubte to take awaye the synnes that ben about hym For he ought to doute more god and to loue hym / than ony man mortall Me ought to loue the persones and hate the synnes / euery prynce prelate / lorde ought to knowe that ygnouraunce in this parte shal not excuse theÌ„ For they be bounden to knowe how theyr people gouerne them in theyr houses and in theyr offyces / ought tenquyre by good men and true / and the loue god drede hym For they shall not be quyte at the day of Iugement for to say that they knowe not therof ¶ The fourthe braunche of mercy is for to comforte the seke men them that be in trybulacion or in aduersyte or malady to helpe them to theyr power / to comforte theym by good wordes that they fall not in dyspayre or dyscomforte and that theyr herte fayle them not Thus coÌ„maundeth saynt Poule the sayth Comforte them that be feble of herte And Salamon sayth that he that is in dysease of herte shall be gladde Ioyous for to here a good worde Also as he hymselfe sayth / lyke as a persone delyteth hym taketh pleasure in good odoures / in lykewyse deliteth the soule in grete swetenes of good councell in the good wordes of a veraye frende That is that he loueth also well in aduersyte as in prosperyte For at nede it is seen who is a frende / in aduersyte is the good true frende proued / thou oughtest to knowe the .iiii. thynges comforte moche a man / that is in aduersyte / in trybulacyon or in malady The fyrst thynge is to thynke on the paynes of helle / whiche ben so moche harde / sharpe / and horryble / that it ne is but a shadowe and an enoyntynge all that that may be suffred in this worlde as to the regarde of the paynes of hell / wherof the holy saynt Austyn sayth vnto our lorde O good lorde brenne me here / and hewe me all in pyeces / rather than thou dampne me perdurably Also saynt Austyn sayth that the tourmentes of saynt Barthylmewe whiche was flayne all quycke Of saynt lawrence and of saynt Vyncent whiche were brente rosted and layde on gredyrons / of saynt Steuen which was stoned to deth Al these tormentes ne ben but a bayne to the regarde of the paynes of purgatorye And therfore the rodde of chastysement of our lorde must be suffred for teschewe the perdurable payne of hell God sheweth grete semblauÌ„ce of loue to them / to whome he sendeth the aduersytees temporell / for he sayth I chastyse theÌ„ that I loue / note this ensauÌ„ple The oxe that shal be slayne shal be well kepte made fatte / but he that shall be kepte lyue / is put to the yocke for to labour the erthe A grete sygne of loue sheweth the kynge grete honoure doth he to hym / to whome he sendeth his cuppe to drynke of The cuppe of our lorde of whiche he dranke ben the trybulacyons thaduersytees the myschyeues of this worlde This is the fyrst sawce / with whiche one ought to ete suche mete that is to thynke on the paynes of helle This is a sawce of vynaygre / whiche taketh awaye the sauour of wyne of the delyces of this worlde Lyke as the vynaygre taketh away the sauour of good wyne The seconde thynge that moche comforteth in suffrynge pacyently trybulacion / is to thynke on the rewarde of heuen that one geteth for lyke as sayth saynt Gregorye / that allegeth asswageth moche the payne the trauaylle / whan a persone hath an hope to haue grete rewarde grete prouffyte The thyrde thynge is to thynke on the passyon of Ihesu cryst / whiche suffred deth for to redeme vs fro the paynes of helle / there is no thynge that soo moche allegeth the paynes the trybulacions of this worlde / this is well sygnefyed to vs in holy scrypture / there where as the chyldren of Israhel came to a water / that was so bytter that they myÈt not
that is to Ihesu Cryste to whome thou oughtest to do well / tofore thy deth in almesse for the loue of hym to the poore people For that whiche is done to the poore people is done to Ihesu cryst lyke as he sayth in the gospell Thenne the almesse that is done in a mannes lyf and in his hele / is moche more auaylable / than that whiche is done after his deth / lyke as the lanterne that is borne before a man conduyteth and ledeth hym better and more surely / than that whiche is borne byhynde his backe / and therfore admonesteth vs saynt Poule / that we do wel as longe as we haue the tyme that god hath lente vs whan a ryche man or lorde is comynge vnto a cyte or toun / he sendeth his messagers tofore his herbours for to take his lodgynge / for to make redy prouysyon ageynst his comynge or ellys the lorde his people sholde be euyll pourueyed The good herbegeour and messager that taketh the lodgynge and maketh all thynge redy to ryche men in the glorye perdurable ben the almesse other good dedes that they do in theyr lyues whiche ben represented by the aungelles tofore god The almesses that ben done after the deth / ben lyke as the slowe seruauntes that comen late to the lodgynge / soo that the lorde is somtyme euyll pourueyed euyll herberowed The thyrde condycyon that ought to be in almesse / is that one ought gyue gladly largely / after that he may forbere at his ease / wherof the wyse man sayth / gyue to god after that he hath gyuen to the. And Thobye sayth also / after thy power be pyteous and mercyfull / yf thou haue moche gyue largely and gladly / and yf thou haue lytell departe of that lytell with a good wyll / and euery man ought to gyue after his estate / and after that god hath gyuen hym It is redde of a kynge / of whome a poore man axed a peny he answerd / that so lytell a gyfte apperteyned not to hȳ that was a kynge / of alysaunder it is redde that he gaue a cyte to one of his seruaūt And the seruaūt thought the gyfte ouer grete and wolde haue refused it ¶ Then alysaunder sayd to hym I haue no regarde what is conuenyent to the for to take / but to me what I ought to gyue The fourth condycyon is that the almesse be doone in humylyte in deuocyon / to th ende that there be noo vaynglorye therin / ne to the poore people to whome the almesse is gyuen / be not dyspysed / ne for almesse done with other mennes godes / ne to gyue for to synne / ne for to haue presumpcyon therby to be saued Some people there ben that whan they do almesse they wyll that euery body knowe it But the scrypture sayth that almesse sholde be doone in the bosome of the poore For as sayeth saynt Gregory It ne suffyseth onely to a good man that he se of whome he attendeth his rewarde / and therfore sayeth our lorde in the gospell / whan thou shall gyue thyn almes sayth he / lete not thy lyfte hande knowe what thy ryght hande dooth / so that thyn almesse be hydde / for to eschewe the loos and praysynge of the worlde / and thy fader of heuen whiche seeth in hydde place shall rewarde and yelde it to the. That is to say whan thou shalte do thyn almesse / kepe the well that vaynglory whiche is vnderstonden by the lyfte honde be not medled therwith / but do thyn almesse in true entencyon / that is vnderstonden by the ryght hande I say not but that one ought to doo good werkes sometyme openly tofore the people for too gyue good ensaumple wherof god may be praysed For ryght so sayth god in the gospel / that we sholde do good werkes tofore the people / bycause that god sholde be gloryfyed and praysed / not for the praysinge of the people as dothe the Ypocrytes A good seruaunt ought to be ashamed to serue his lorde tofore the people / for to honoure hȳ Wherof god sayth / who that shall haue shame of me tofore the people / shal haue shame tofore thaūgels / I shall haue shame to se hȳ This is good ageynst them the leue to lye / by cause they wolde not be reputed ypocrytes And therfore sayth saynt Gregory / that who that doth his werkys openly that the entencyon be ryght to god withinforth And that doo it to please god onelye Also who that wyll do almesse he ought not to despyse the poore to whome he doth almesse Therfore sayeth the prophete / ne despyse not thy flesshe That the poor man whiche is semblable to the / and of suche nature of flesshe blode as thou arte / of suche fylthe There be some people that despyse the poore deyne not to speke to them / yf they speke / they speke rudely and proudely Thus dyd not Iob that sayd / that he neuer despysed them that passed by / for ony thynge that they dyd / but gaf to them clothynge and mete Also there were holy men as wel kynges other many grete lordes that were not ashamed to serue the poore men / how wel that some there be that do almesse to the poore / but they haue theym in desdayn in despyte / and yf they were veray humble / they sholde loue better the companye of poore men that ben good / whiche ben poore for the loue of god / and may edefye them wel by ensaumple / by worde / than many of the ryche men that ben about them / where as is in thē but flaterye / couetyse / vanyte / done them moche harme by euyll counceyll / and lette theym for to doo many good dedes Also there ben somme people that do almes ynough / but neuertheles they leue not to doo grete synnes / suche almesses shal not saue them For yf they deye in that estate / theyr almesse shall neuer kepe theym fro dampnacyon Then suche maner people ben lyke to thē that make theyr how 's on that one syde / and depesshe and throwe it downe on that other syde And therfore scrypture sayth / yf thou wylt plese to god / haue fyrst pyte and mercy on thyn owne soule / for who that is euyll and vntrue to hym selfe / shall neuer be good to an other And therfore sayth saynt Austyn / who that wyl ordynately doo almesse / he ought tofore to loue more his soule than another or ony other thynge except god / none sholde saye that he were pyteous ne mercyfull that had not pyte of his owne soule poore seke / how wel that he had pyte on others Also I say not that he is pyteous ne mercyful that hath no pyte on his owne soule / whan he knoweth that it is seke to the dethe by deedly sȳne Now haue I shewed to the ynough of mercy / the
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
hyÌ„ ought not be do lecherye of maryage ne none other synne / for the reuerence of the holy place and he that hath noo regarde in suche holy place to do suche werke he synneth for reason of the place For suche thynge is synne in one place and in one tyme / that is not in another The .iiii. estate is of theym that haue be in maryage / but the deth hath deceuerd them that one fro that other And he or she that is abyden ought to kepe lyue chastly as longe as he or she is in the state of wydowhede This is an estate the whiche saynt Poule preyseth moche / and sayth to the wydowes / that he or she is good that holdeth hym in suche estate / and yf it playse not theÌ„ they may marye theym For better is to marye than to brenne them / for yf he brenÌ„e so that he consente to synne he synneth / for he put his herte therto by wyll by dysyre to the fyre of lechery and better it were and more auaylle to hym to marye / than to brenne hym self in the fyre / that is to vnderstonde of them that ben in the state of symple wydohede not them that ben in thestate bouÌ„den by vowe they may not marye without deedly synne after theyr vowe but neuertheles yf the vowe be symple and that it be pryuely made without solempnyte / how be it that they synne deedly that after theyr auowe marye them / neuertheles they may abyde in theyr maryage / yf ther be none other lettynge And is bounden to do penaunce of the vowe broken / but whan the vowe is solempne / or by the hande of a prelate / or by professyon of relygyon / or by holy ordre that he hath recyued / as subdeken / deken or preest Thenne the maryage is none / but they must deceuere departe that soo ben assembled by maryage for they may not be laufully in suche estate / to byholde the state of wydowhede / ought to moeue the example of the turtle for lyke as sayth the boke of nature of beestes Neuer after the turtle hath lost his make she shall neuer accompanye her with another / but is solytarye fleeth the companye of other Thre thynges apperteyne moche to them that ben in the state of wydowhede The fyrst is to hyde her self to be secretlye in her house / not to syewe suspecyous felawshyp / herof haue we a fayre example of Iudyth whiche was a wydowe / and was a moche fayre woman yonge of whiche it is sayd in the holy scrypture / that she helde her self in her chambre cloos with her maydens / wherfore saynt Poule repreueth the yonge womeÌ„ wydowes that were ydle and curyous for to goo and come and Iape and ouermoche speke / but closely and secretely ought they to be in theyr lodgynge and entende to do good werkes / lyke as saynt Poul enseygneth theÌ„ The .ii. thyng is to enteÌ„de to praye god gladly to yelde hym thaÌ„kynges of hys benefaytes And to be in the chyrche in grete deuocyon in grete repeÌ„taunce of theyr synnes in teres wepyng As it is sayd in scrypture by saint luke that the good wydowe which was named Anne departed not out of the temple but serued god nyght day in prayer / in fastyÌ„ges in other penauÌ„ces The .iii. thyng is sharpnesse of metes Saynt poul saith that a wydowe that ledeth hir lyf in delices is deed by synne for lyke as saith saynt bernard chastyte peryssheth in delices / in lyke wyse as he perissheth in the water that is so moche vnder in depnesse that he leseth his breeth No maÌ„ may haue his heed in the water that is to say / his herte longe in the delyces of thys world but that he lose hys lyf That is the grace of the holy god by whyche the soule lyueth in god In suche estate also apperteyneth humble habyte not proude ne curyous After the exaÌ„ple of Iudith whyche lefte hir ryche robes hir ryche parementis whaÌ„ hir lord husbond was dede took the habyte of wydowhede symple huÌ„ble whyche was more sygne of wepyng of sorowe than of Ioye ne of vayn glorye by cause she loued the vertu of chastyte that she wold kepe alle hir lyf she clad hir with heyre fasted eueryday except the festes / and yet was she fayr yonge / ryche wyse But the bounte of hir hert and loue of chastyte maad hyr to do it / thus ouÈt he or she to lyue that wyl kepe chastyte in suche estate / and thys is the fourth braunche of thys tree ¶ The fyfthe braunche of the vertue of chastyte and of vyrgynyte Capitulo C.li. THe fyfthe braunche of chastyte and of vyrgynyte is the fyfthe estate whiche is in theÌ„ that kepe and haue alwaye kepte and yet alwaye kepe purpose to kepe all theyr lyf theyr body hole without corrupcyon for the loue of god This estate is moche to be praysed for his dygnyte / for his beaute / and for his bounte For this estate hath he that kepeth hym semblable to auÌ„gellys of heuen as sayen the sayntes But moche more haue the vyrgyns of glorye and of meryte than the aungellys For the aungellys lyuen without flesshe / but the vyrgynes haue vyctorye ouer theyr flesshe that is rethy propre body And that is a grete meruaylle / that they kepe so feble a castel as is the body / ageynst so stronge an aduersarye as is the deuyll / that secheth al thengynes that he may to take the castell for to robbe the tresour of vyrgynyte This is the tresour / of whiche our lorde speketh in the gospell whan he sayth / that the royame of heuen is lyke to tresour that hyd in a felde The tresour hydde in the felde is vyrgynyte hyd in the body whiche is lyke a felde / whiche ought by penaunce to be eered / laboured sowen by labour of good werkes This tresour is semblable to the royalme of heuen For the lyf of vyrgynes is lyke the lyf of heuen / that is the lyf of auÌ„gellys wherof our lorde sayth in the gospel / that in the resurreccyon general shal be no maryages as ben in this worlde / but they shal be as auÌ„gellys in heuen Also I saye that this estate is for to be praysed for his beaulte For it is the moost fayre estate that is in erthe except vyrgynyte clenly kept wherof Salamon sayth in his boke of sapyence in meruayllynge hyÌ„self O sayth he how fayre chaste is generacyon with clerenes charyte / he sayd well / chaste with clerenes For theÌ„ne is fayr chastyte vyrginyte / whaÌ„ it is clere by good lyf honeste lyke as the clere soÌ„ne maketh the fayre day In lyke wyse the clerenes of grace of good lyf maketh the vyrgynyte fayre plesauÌ„t to good wherof Saynt Iherome saith / that moche fayr clere is vyrgynyte
the deuyl may not take a waye for it kepeth the yates of the castel / wherim the tresour is enclosed The yates of the castel of the hert where the tresour of vyrgynyte is in ben the wittes of the body These yates kepē the drede of god that they be not opened to the enemye of helle / by vayn curyosyte of seȳge or of heeryng / or of smellyng of spekyng or tastyng / or goyng in euyl companye For curiosyte of seynge or of herynge the vanytees of the world ben waye and cause of the synne of lecherye / wherof is sayd in the scrypture that Dyna doughter of Iacob whan she went musyng by curyosyte to see the women of the contre / where anone she was rauysshed and corrupte of the sone of the lorde of the toune / and therfore who wyl kepe vyrgynyte / hȳ byhoueth moche to withdrawe and kepe his .v. wyttes bodyly fro al vayn curyosyte / and this ought be done by holy drede / for a persone oweth alwaye to drede to angre god This is the sence of the .v. vyrgynes of whome our lorde sayth in the gospell / whan he sayd that the royame of heuen is lyke to .x. vyrgynes / of whome fyue were wyse / and the other fyue were fooles He calleth here the royame of heuen holy chirche / whiche is bynethe in this worlde / wherin ben alwaye good and euyll / foles wyse / whiche ben membres of holy chirche / by the fayth that they haue receyued in baptesme The fyue wyse vyrgyns sygnefye them that kepe and gouerne well the fyue wyttes of the body of whiche we haue spoken The fyue vyrgynes foles sygnefye them that folysshly kepe them The .v. leef is sharpenes of the lyf of penaunce For who wyll kepe vyrgynyte / he muste moche chastyse his flesshe and subdue it by penaunce / and that the body do the wyll of the soule by fastynge / by wakynge in prayers / other penaūce Sharpnesse of lyf is lyke a stronge hedge for to kepe the gardyn of the herte / that the euyll beestes assaylle it not / that ben the fendes of helle to th ende that they may not entre / whiche entende studye for to stele and take awaye the tresour of vyrgynyte / therfore ought this tresour to be well enclosed and wel kepte that it be not loste For who that leseth it may neuer recouer it no more than the lampe that is broken may not be made hole ageyn ¶ The .vi. leef of vyrgynyte is perseueraūce that is to haue ferme purpoos to kepe well that is promysed to god / wherof Saynt Austyn sayth in the boke of vyrgynyte and adresseth his wordes to the vyrgyns sayenge Folowe ye the lambe sayth he / that is Ihesu Cryste / in kepynge stronglye that whiche ye haue auowed to god Doo ardauntly as moche ye may / that the we le of vyrgynyte perysshe not in you For ye may not do that thynge / by whiche vyrgynyte may be recouerd / yf it were loste / lyke as we haue shewde by ensaumple of the lampe / and saynt Bernarde Sayth / estudye ye to the vertue of perseueraunce / for she onely wynneth and geteth the crowne of glorye The syxthe leef aforsayd enbelyssheth and maketh moche fayre the lylye of vyrgynyte / but it byhoueth to haue withinforth thre graynes of golde / whiche sygnefyen .iii. maners to loue god For vyrgynyte without loue is lyke as a lampe without oyle / wherfore the fooles vyrgyns by cause they fylled not theyr lampes of this oylle / were shette out fro the weddynge / and the wyse vyrgyns that fylled theyr lampes of this oyle entred in to the weddynge with the spouse The thre maners for to loue god whiche ben sygnefyed by the thre graynes of the lylye / saynt Austyn enseygneth them whan he sayth thus Thou shalt loue god with all thyn entendement without errour / with al thy wylle without gaynsayenge and with all thy mynde withoute forgetynge In suche maner is thymage of god parfayte in a man after .iii. dygnytees that ben in the lyf That is to wete / entendement memorye / and wyll / whan these .iii. thynges ben wel ordeyned to god / thenne ben the thre graynes of golde of the lyly / of the golde of charyte whiche gyueth bounte / beaute / and valure of all vertue For wythout this golde noo vertue is tofore god neyther fayre ne precyouse Otherwyse sayth saynt Bernard of the manere to loue god and sayth thus O thou that arte a crysten man / lerne how thou oughtest to loue god / lerne to loue hym wysely / swetely and strongely / wysely that thou be not deceyued by nycete Swetely that thou be not moeued by prosperyte Strongely that thou be not ouercomen by aduersyte In this maner is fayre the flour delys of vyrgynyte / whan she is suche as is sayd tofore / and this is the seconde reason by whiche thestate of vyrgynyte ought moche to be preysed for her beaute the thyrde reason wherfore thestate of vyrgynyte ought moche to be preysed is for her bounte and for the prouffyt that cometh of it For vyrgynyte is a tresour of soo grete value that it may not be preysed / wherof the scrypture sayth that noo thynge is worthy to be compared to a chaste herte / of the chastyte of vyrgynyte / for vyrgynyte aboue all other estates bereth the moost grettest fruyt the moost grettes proffyt They that ben in maryage and kepe it well as they ought to do haue the .xxx. folde fruyt They that ben in wydowhede haue the .xl. folde fruyt But they that kepe vyrgynyte haue the hondred folde fruyt For lyke as our lorde sayth in the gospel that the seed that falleth in good lande maketh fruyt .xxx. folde .xl. folde / and an hondred folde These .iii. nombres xxx.lx an hondred apperteyne to .iii. estates toforesayd The nōbre of .xxx. whiche is of .x. thre tymes whiche maken .xxx. apperteyneth to thestate of maryage / where ought to be kept the .x. commaundementes of the lawe in the faythe of the holy trynyte The nombre of .lx. is more grete and is of x.vi tymes For .vi. tymes .x. maken .lx. and apperteyneth to thestate of wydowhede For in such estate ought to be kept the precepts / thē ought to be done the .vii. werkes of mercy of whiche we haue spoken tofore / but the nōbre of an hondred whiche is moost grete moost perfyte for it representeth a fygure rounde / whiche is moost parfyght moost fayr emonge the other fygures For lyke as the rounde fygure / the ende retorneth to his begynnyng maketh it roūde lyke a crowne Ryght so the nombre of an C. ioyneth the ende to the begȳnyng For .x. tymes .x. maken an hōdred which sygnefyeth the crowne that the wyse vyrgyns hadde / and how be it that in that state of maryage / in the state of wydowhede may be wonne the crowne of
nature techeth vs that one ought to ete and drynke lytyl and sobrely For nature is susteyned with lytell mete / and by ouermoche mete is ofte beten doune The holy scrypture enseygneth sobrenes in many maners by many examples / lyke as they may see that connen vnderstonde scrypture / and byholden the lyues of sayntes ¶ Also euery creature techeth to vs sobrenes For in all nature god hath sette a ryght mesure whiche alwaye holdeth the moyen bytwene ouermoche and ouer lytell / after that whiche reason enlumyneth enseygneth by the grace of god For in these temporall goodes / that whiche is ouermoche to one / is lytel to another / that whiche sholde be oultrage to a poore maÌ„ sholde be lytel oftymes to a ryche man / but sobrenes atteÌ„perauÌ„ce setten oueral mesure As well in spyrytuel goodes as in fastynges in wakynges and in other werkes of vertues / whyche been done and made for the Loue of god And For the helthe of the Soule as moche as Reason wyl The vertue of attemperaunce is of sobrenes This vertue kepeth mesure resonable / not onely in etynge drynkynge but in al vertues / lyke as sayth Saynt Bernard For this vertue setteth all thoughtes and al the menynges of the herte / and all the wyttes of the body vnder the lordshyp of ryght reason / as sayth Tullyus the wyse man / so that reason enlumyned by gyfte of sapyence / holdeth in pees the lordshyp of the herte and of the body And this is the ende and thentencyon of all vertues that the herte and the body be wel ordeyned to god / soo that god onely be lorde souerayn in suche manere that all be in his obedyence And this maketh sobre the loue of god whiche putteth hym with all the herte to the wyl of god wherof Saynt Austyn sayth / that the vertue of attemperaunce and of sobrenes is a loue whiche kepeth hym in entyernesse without corrupcyon / and withdraweth vs fro the loue of the worde / whiche troubleth the herte and putteth it to dysease / and taketh fro hyÌ„ ryght knowlech of god and of hym self / lyke as a persone seeth not clerely in water troubled But the loue of god whiche is pure and clene / and is departed fro all erthely loue and fro carnall affeccyon setteth the herte in pease For it setteth it in his propre place That is in god / there he resteth / there he is in pees Ne he hath no pees ne Ioye ne reste but in god wherof our lorde sayth in the gospel / ye shal be oppressed in this worlde / but in me ye shal fynde pees / saynt Austyn sayd to god / lorde myn herte may not be in pees / vnto the tyme it reste in the / suche loue cometh not of an erthly hert / ne of the maryce of this worlde but it descendeth fro that hye roche vpoÌ„ whiche it sette and fouÌ„ded the grete cyte of heuen of holy chirche / that is Ihesu cryste / whiche al is sette founded fermly by true fayth that ben the holy hertes of good men Fro this hye roche descendeth that fountayne of loue in to the herte that is well purged and taken awaye fro the loue of the worlde This welle is so clere that he knoweth hym self and his maker / lyke as one seeth hyÌ„ self in a fountayne wel clere and clene / vpon this fountayne he resteth and the herte â—ast by / after the trauayll of good werkes So as we rede of our lorde Ihesu cryst / that whan he had so moche gone that he was wery / he sat doune and â—ested hym vpon the welle This is the fountayne vpon whiche a good herte that wyll saue hym self / resteth hym in the loue of god This fountayne is so swete that he that drynketh therof forgeteth all other swetenes and all other sauour and therfor it is soo swete and good to drynke / for of so moche as the fountayne feleth better the erthe so moche is it more holsom and better to drynke This is the fountayne of wytte of sauour For he that drynketh therof he knoweth / feleth sauoureth the grete swetenes that is in god / that is the souerayn wytte of man / to knowe wel his maker / and to loue hym / drede hym / serue honoure hym with all his herte For without this phylosophye / al other wytte nys but folye Suche wytte setteth the holy ghoost in the herte / whan he gyueth the gyfte of sapyence / whiche fedeth nourissheth the herte with spyrytuell Ioye maketh it dronke with his holy loue / that is the wytte whiche the holy ghoost setteth in the herte that is wel purged clensed fro al ordure of synne lyke as tofore is sayd This spyrytuell wytte that cometh of the parfyght loue of god maketh the herte sobre attempred in al thynges by mesure / so that the herte that is in suche estate is in pees lyke as it may be in this mortall lyf For in this worlde none may lyue without tournoyes bataylle of temptacyon / whiche god sendeth for to preue his knyghtes / by cause they can vse the armes of vertue For other wyse they myght not be good knightes / yf they were not preued how they can resyste to temptacyons And men be woned to make tournoyes in tyme of pease / but whaÌ„ a good knyght hath ouercomeÌ„ the tournoye / he retorneth home to his hous / there he resteth hyÌ„ at his ease Ryght so doth the good herte whan he hath wel foughten ouercomen the tournoye of temptacyons wel strongly resysted them Then he cometh ageyn to hym self resteth in god / whiche comforteth hym after his trauayl whiche he hath resysted ageynst the synnes / so that he forgeteth there al his trauaylle / thynketh on no thynge but on god in whome he fyndeth all that he desyreth This is the fruyt that the tree of sobrenes bereth whiche cometh of the gyft of sapyence / lyke as I haue shewed tofore Sobrenes nys none other thynge / but to kepe ryght mesure in al thynges / in .vii. maners ought a persone to kepe mesure / whiche ben lyke to seuen degrees by whiche groweth prouffyteth the tree of sobrenesse ¶ Of the fyrst degree of sobrenes of mesure Ca. Clv. THe fyrst degree of sobrenes is that a man ought to set mesure in his vnderstondynge Specyally in the poyntes of the artycles of the fayth / he passeth me sure whiche wyll seche reason natural / in that whiche is aboue reason / aboue the vnderstondynge of a man / as done the heretykes and myscreauÌ„tes whiche wyl mesure theyr fayth after theyr vnderstondynge but they ought to mesure rheyr vnderstondynge reason / vnto the mesure of the fayth / as done good crysten men Therfore sayth saynt poule / that one shold not be wise more thaÌ„ fayth bereth but by sobrenes after the mesure of
treasoure that he myght leue to vs. For he gaue hym selfe to vs as the moost fayrest Iewel that he myght gyue to vs. And we ought deuoutly / clenly / reuerently kepe hym without synne / of this breed of auÌ„gelles we ought euery daye to vse for the loue of hyÌ„ / and in mynde of his holy passyon / he is verely ours For noo maner thynge may he taken away frome vs ayenst the wyll of ours / that is of hymselfe / we doo call our breed cotydyan / the whiche is for to saye of euery day / that is for to vnderstande the cotydyan dystrybucyon the whiche he gyueth to his preestes relygious people eche day whiche done his seruyses and synge his masses and his houres / that is to all good crysten men and wymmen that euery daye by veray loue deuoutely make remenbraunce of the dolorous passyon of Ihesu Cryste that he suffred for vs ¶ The groos of the prouende of this brede of aungellys we take in haruest / that is in heuen whan we shall see the swete Ihesu Cryst dyscouerd / in his ryght grete beaule lyke as he is Therfore is it sayd cotydyan / that euery daye is to vs necessarye And euery one ought to take the holy sacrament of the aulter lyke as done the preestys / whiche ben therto ordeyned ¶ Or otherwyse euery good crysten man or woman ought to take hym by ryght fayth This brede is ryght precyous / ryght noble and ryght well arayed This is meteryall in whiche ben all maner of delyces and all good sauours lyke as sayth the boke of sapyence This is none erthely mete that ought to be gyuen to raskayll / but to hertes gentyll and noble whiche ben purged clensed fro all ordure of synne by veray repentauÌ„ce / by deuoute confessyon / and by entyer satysfaccion and penaunce ✿ ¶ Of the vertue of this brede of aungellys sayth saynt mathe we theuangelyst / and calleth it brede sursubstancyall That is to saye / that it passeth and surmounteth all substaunce and all creatures of praysynge and of vertue / of all dygnytees / and in all maners of valure Nor none may better name it ne descryue it ne more suffysauÌ„tlye than to calle it / brede sursubstancyall ¶ It is sayd that a mete is substaÌ„cyous / whaÌ„ there is therin ynough of substaunce and of nourysshynge And for soo moche more as it is nourysshynge / so moche more it is sayd that it is substancyall ¶ And by cause that in this precyous brede of Aungellys is more of nourysshynge of vertue / and of good than euer may be thought and sayd is not sayd onelye that it is substancyous bytwene ony vnderstondynge supposynge / but it is sayd sursubstancious This brede requyre we at our good fader Ihesu Cryst and we praye hym that he wyl gyue it to vs in this day that is in this present mortall lyfe / to th ende that we may make a good Iourneye / and abyde more gladly our rewarde / that is in the ende of our lyfe the glorye pardurable of heuen ¶ Here foloweth the .v. petycyon request of the holy pater noster Ca. lxxxiii DImitte nobis debita nrÌ„a sicut et nos dimittimê° debitoribus nrÌ„is In this request petycyon we requyre and demaunde our good fader of heuen / that he wyl pardone forgyue vs our syÌ„nes our trespaces / lyke as we forgyue them that haue trespasced to vs / or that trespace to vs Thenne we saye thus Fayre fader quyte to vs our dettes lyke as we quyte our detters Our dettes be our synnes whiche we haue encreased vpon our soules This is the best and moost dere wedde that we may fyne / wherof the synner for one deedly synne whiche is soone passed as too the delyte / or as touchynge the dede is bounden to so grete vsure that he hath no power to paye ne to fynysshe / that is the payne of helle whiche is without ende ¶ After he oweth vnto god whom he hath dyspleased so grete amendes that he hath noo power for to paye it For in all his lyfe yf he lyued an hondred yere or more he myght ne coude not make suffysaunâ— penaunce For one deedly synne onely / yf god wolde vse his ryght full Iustyce / it sholde neuer be forgyuen to the ¶ And therfore it byhoueth that in bytter and grete repentaunce the wycked synner retorne vnto the mercy of the debonayr and blessed lorde Ihesu Cryste And that he cry hym mercy and demaunde pardon foryeuenes ¶ For by the ryght of the courte of Iustyce / the synner shal be Iuged condempned vnto deth perdurable And therfore our good fader Ihesu Cryst whiche is softe and debonayr for to foryeue and pardone / large and curtoys for to yeue / we praye hym that he wyll pardone and foryeue to vs our synnes and trespaces But thynke and consyder well how thou prayest For thou sayest pardone to vs our syÌ„nes as we ê‘don other God shall not foryeue ne pardone to vs / as he hym self sayth in the gospel yf we forgyue not and pardone to other that haue trespaced to vs. Thenne he that sayth his Pater noster yf he kepe in his herte rancour felonnye he prayeth more ayenst hym self than for hym self For he prayeth to god that he forgyue hym not his synnes / whan he sayth forgyue me lyke as I forgyue / and therfore all the tymes that thou shalt saye thy Pater noster tofore god the seeth thyn herte Thou oughtest to forgyue all euyll talentes and cast out of thyn herte all Ire and al rancour Otherwyse thy prayer is more ayenst the than with the / yf it seme to the an harde thynge and greuous to forgyue and pardone to theym that hate the / and that wyll the euyll or that haue moche trespaced to the / or myssayed Thynke that god pardoned his deth to theym that crucefyed hym / for to gyue to the an exaumple for to forgyue / and more yet for to praye for them that haue trespaced to the that god forgyue them / and more yet for to do well and good to theym / to helpe theym yf they haue nede For as he sayth in the gospell / that it is not a grete thynge ne grete meryte ayenst god to doo good to theym / that do vs good / ne to loue theym that loue vs. For so done the paynyms and the Sarasyns Iewes and other synners But we that ben the chyldren of god by fayth by grace and ben named crysten of our blessed Lorde Ihesu Cryst and ben heyres with hym of the herytage of heuen ought for to forgyue eche other And also ought for to loue our enemyes That is to saye theyr persones praye for theym and to doo good to theym yf they haue nede For so comauÌ„deth god in the gospell Thenne we ought onely hate the synnes and to loue theyr soules Lyke as the membres of
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