proue them as he dyd Iob whan he suffred that the deuyll hym dyd so many of ylles and of tourmentes for to preue hym in his grete pacyeÌ„ce for without the permyssyon of god they haue noo puyssaunce but ben as the hange man the which without the byddynge of the Iuge may not hange nor bete ony euyll doer wherfore my chylde thou sholdest retourne the vnto god and vnto the sayntes and to lyue holyly as sayth the psalmyst Non timebis amore nocturno That is to say thou shalt not drede of those folysshe vysyons by nyght For they be not but Illusyons made by the ennemye as it is sayde ¶ Mayster may the ennemy be constrayned to come by wordes or by sygnes My chylde nay yf he ne wyll but they ben the couÌ„tenauÌ„ces that he hath with those that beÌ„ of his secte the which in sayenge some wordes or iÌ„ makynge some tokens or carateres thyder cometh and maketh that that he demaundeth to th ende that he them holde the better in his lyne the mayster the discyple ¶ Master what say ye of these dremes My chylde thou sholde take none hede vnto them for they ne be but vysyoÌ„s of some thyÌ„ges on the whiche a maÌ„ hath thought or sene before wakynge a man dremeth often of that the which is semblable vnto his complexioÌ„ master how knowe the ê“phetes tho dayes that that they sawe by dreme My chylde that was not by dremes all onely but it was by the reuelacyon of god for with the vysyon they had an Imagynacyon and beleue especyall in the bounte of our Lorde that that same thynge that they hadde seen in slepynge came ¶ Mayster syth that God dyscendyd in erthe for to saue the synners wherfore beÌ„ they daÌ„pned My chylde there is not so grete a synner in this worlde that if he reknowlege his synne and crye god mercy with good herte but that he be pardoned by the meryte of the deth passyon of Ihesu cryste but those that wyll not knowlege thyr synne but ben obstynate tyll vnto the deth know thou that they ben damned eternally for God saueth not the synner the whiche wyll not saue hymselfe and also paradyse is not deseruyd by synne but it is lost ¶ Mayster syth that god dyed for our synnes wherfore be we baptysed My chylde for the baptym is the homage yâ— we owe vnto oure lorde Ihesu cryst by the whiche all our synnes ben pardoned and in suche wyse ordeyned he it as telleth the gospell that sayth thus QuicuÌ„que baptisatê° fuerit That is to say who so shall be baptysed shall be saued and he that is not shall be dampned ¶ Mayster how many persones shall be saued My chylde there shall be as many saued as there fell of the cursyd aungelles of paradys by theyr pryde for the men and the womeÌ„ ben made for to be in theyr place and for that cause is the ennemy so enuyous ayenst man ¶ Mayster from whens came the fyrst Idolatres My chylde they were fyrst founde in abell the whiche is now callyd babylon yâ— grete and there shall the antecryst be borne and there was the toure with the gyauntes the which is of .xl. stages There regned the fyrst kynge of this worlde the whiche men called Neron the whiche caused to be made an Image of Appolyn and commaundyd all those of his realme that they sholde do hym sacryfyce and worshypped hym and in lykewyse dyd they the whiche came after hym in suche wyse that whan some grete princes were deed theyr successoures caused to make of Images maruaylously ryche iÌ„ the name of theyr predysessoures and made theyr subgettes to adoure theÌ„ to do sacryfice were callyd Idolles in to whom the deuyll entred spake tolde them many of abusyons so dyde they of grece vnto theyr kynge and they of rome vnto Romulus as men fynde by the wrytynges and auncyent cronycles ¶ Mayster wherfore ne made God that man ne sholde ete but one tyme in a weke My sone the honger is one of the passyons yâ— we suffre by the synne of Adam and so we haue euery day hoÌ„ger thyrste colde and heet and many other passyons to th ende that we trauayle alway for to thynke on oure nedes and of our neyghboures to the ende that by oure trauayle and laboure contynuall we haue the more meryte for yf the man hadde not of necessyte he sholde haue no care to trauayle but he sholde be euermore in slouthe and sholde not knowe what good were worthe and also he sholde mysknowe his creatoure And howe be hyt that the grete lordes and geÌ„tylmen and other that be ryche trauayleth not corporallye All be it that they trauayled spyrytuallye euermore That is to vnderstande in theyr vnderstandynge and wyll in hauynge euermore desyre to gete for he that moost hathe and more wolde haue moost hath in thynkynge and so my chylde none ne may lyue without payne trauayle but euery man hath moche to do in his ryght the mayster the discyple the mayster the dyscyple the dyscyple the mayster MAyster howe fro wheÌ„s shall the Antecryst come my chylde he shall be borne in babylon of a cursyd man of a cursyd woman the which shall be of the lygnage of Dam of the woÌ„be of his mother he shall be full of the cursed spyryte shall be nourysshed and confermed in enchauntementes and shall be Emperour of all the worlde shall put the people vnder him in foure maners That is to vnderstande the prynces other ryche couetous by gyftes for he shall haue by his enchauntementes all the tresoures hydde in the erthe The poore by grete drede rygoure of Iustyce for he shall make them greuously to be martred The clergy by connynge whereof he shall be full For he shall conne yâ— .vij. artes all the other scryptures the deuoute persones by tokens by myracles that shall be marueylous For he shall make the fyre to dyscende that shall brenne his ennemyes before hym also he shall make the deed men to aryse not truely but the deuyll shall entre in to the bodyes of some daÌ„pned and the deuylles shall bere them anone make them to speke by his enchauntement to walke as if they were on lyue shall reedyfye Ihrlm and there he shall make hym to be honoured as god there shall be receyued in grete honoure men shall come to hym frome all partes he shall make semblauÌ„ce to the people by his enchauÌ„tementes that he shall dye that he shall aryse shall make hym to be lyft vp in heyght by the deuyls sayenge yâ— he wyll wounte in to the glorye of paradys than god seynge his grete pryde thyder shall sende his auÌ„gels of paradys for to confounde hym in suche wyse that the deuyls yâ— shall lyfte hym shall fle shall lette hym fall to the erthe in suche wyse that he shall gyue so grete a stroke
kynde of breed and of wyne My chylde as the breed and the wyne that thou eatys drynkest conuerte theym in to thyne owne bodye and in to thyn owne bloode In lykewyse the sacrament of the awter the breed and the wyne sayenge the holy wordes by the wyll of god also chaungeth them vnto the precyous body and blode of Ihesu cryste And also he wolde do it for the grete loue that he hathe in vs he wolde euermore be with vs. And it is in his power that to do as of nothynge he hath made all the worlde the whiche is a more grete thynge Than my chylde thou sholdest beleue stedfastly and withoute doubte for his pleasure was hit to instytute in suche wyse And how be it that thou seest it not corporally for a body gloryfyed is inuysyble thou hast the more of meryte For fayth is none other thynge but to beleue that thynge that he seeth not the mayster the discyple MAister what say ye of th◠the which receyueth the sayd sacrament in mortall Synne My chyld they crucyfye of newe oure lorde Ihesu Cryste and him receyueth vnto their dampnacyon ¶ Mayster the preest that is īmortall synne maye he sacre and admynyster the holye bodye and blode of Ihesu Cryste My chylde ye for the sacramēt 〈…〉 e empayreth ne amendeth by the condycyon of the preest as the sonne whan that it shyneth vpon foule thynges and stynkynge lesyth not his clerete but the preest it doth vnto his dampnacyō and yf he be with out synne it is vnto his saluacyon ¶ Mayster howe longe abydeth the body of Ihesu cryste in the wombe of hym the whiche hym receyueth My chylde he there abydeth as longe as the substaūce of the breed there may amyde vndegested and no more but thou shalt vnderstande that god there is and also abydeth euermore with theym the whiche ben in the state of grace ¶ Mayster whā many prestes syngeth masse the bodye of cryste is it ouer all My chylde ye For god is and maye be ouer all as thy soule the whiche is hoole in euerye partye of the bodye ¶ Mayster shold a man hate the yll My chylde a man sholde hate theyr cursydnes and folyes and not to do euyll as they done but we sholde loue oure nature for we be all the sones of one father and of one mother bought and redemed with one selfe blode and if they doo the ony wronge thou sholdest pardon them and praye for theym vnto the example of Ihesu cryst the whiche prayed for them that him crucyfyed and put vnto the dethe For it is the werke mooste merytoryous that we maye do ¶ Mayster wherfore haue the euyll so many of goodes and of prosperytees in this worlde My chylde there is not so yll in this worlde but that somtyme dothe some good dede And for as moche as man dyde neuer any good dede but that it were recōpensed nor neuer dyd euyll but that hit be punysshed And for this cause god them sendeth of grete goodes prosperytees in retrybucyon of theyr good dede so vnto them gyueth puyssaunce auctoryte vpon the good to the ende y◠the good ben proued by them and sometyme god sendeth trybulacyon vnto the yll to th ende that they amende them and yf they do it not neuerthelesse that shall be in dymynucyō of theyr synnes that they shold suffer haue in hell Or they shal haue encreasynge of other grete goodes temporals but god gyueth of trybulacyons aduersytees vnto the good for to proue them as vnto Iob vnto Thobye to the ende y◠they dyspraysed the vanytes of this worlde that they sholde not forgete theyr creature and that by theyr merytes in takynge all in pacyence they may haue the glorye of paradyse and somtyme god theym gyueth of goodes to th ende that they be the more charytable and that they augment in glorye in paradys The good dyeth somtyme anone to the ende that they empeyre not for to auoyde the perylles temptacyons the which ben in this worlde and also the good lyueth somtyme longely for to encreace theym in bounte to th ende that by theyr good example doctryne the ylle may amende them and also the ylle dyeth anone sometyme for to make these other ylle a ferde to the ende that they amende them and somtyme the ylle lyueth longely for to proue the good and also for god taryeth that they sholde amende them and so thou sholde vnderstande my chylde that the opynyon of some doctours is that the mercy of god is so grete that he suffreth euermore the man to dye in the best estate purpose that he may fynde hym For god wyll not ne also suffreth not the dethe dāpnacion of a man but wylleth that conuerte hym lyue eternally in paradys and how be it that many dyeth sodeynly wtout hauyng space to confesse them to do penaunce satysfaccyō How be it vnto suche purpose may they dye and in so grete contrycyon of herte that god them taketh vnto mercy ¶ Mastier shall the ryche the poore be egallye guerdoned rewarded My chylde of as moche as they be the more sage and the more dygne of as moche shall they be the better rewarded whā they shall be good and whan they shall mowe be euyll of vs moche shall they be the more greuouslye punysshed ¶ Mayster maye god do euyll my chylde nay for how be it that he be all puyssaunt neuerthelesse it is not entendyd that he may do thynges contrarye vnto reason and that they ben Impossyble for to be ¶ Mayster wherfore suffreth god that the beestes haue so moche of payne and also they haue not deserued it my chylde it is somtyme that by the synne of the man the vengeaūce of god falleth vpon the beestes vpon theyse other goodes to the ende that he amende hym or for to proue hym as Iob. And also than beestes bē made to susteyne to nourisshe the man by the whiche they ben vnder his subieccyon And also for all thynges sholde serue vs to that wherunto they ben ordeyned as the brydge the whiche is made to passe or to go ouer In lykewyse my chylde god it suffreth to th ende that therby we take example for syth that the beestes suffreth so moche of payne for theyr poore lyfe corporall we shold well more trauayle and take payne to gete the lyfe eternall of paradys in the whiche a man shall lyue eternallye ¶ Mayster knoweth god whether that a man shall be saued or dampned before that he be borne My chylde yes not that god it dothe in entencyon for to dampne hym for god ne dampnyth hym but the man dampnith hymselfe with out ony constraynt but of his owne wyll the whiche is at his owne lyberall arbytre or fre wyll As we se the boterflye the whiche of hym selfe and of his propre wyll hym brēneth in the candell And how be it that the sayde boterflye is sometyme
state of grace he gothe in to paradys or in to purgatory to accomplysshe his penaunces and vnto hym the sharpe deth is merytoryous agaynst his syn̄es venyalles vnto the dymynucyon of the paynes of purgatory vnto the augmentacyon of the glory of paradyse yf he dye sodeynlye in mortall Synne the sodeyn deth hym putteth in as moche as he is vnpourueyed and without cōfessyon ne repentaūce takynge than he is damyned eternally by this and for this cause my chylde thou sholde be euermore redy for to deye in kepynge the from syn̄e for thou knowest not whan ne of what dethe thou shalte dye ¶ Mayster what auayleth it a man to be buryed in the chyrche yarde My chylde if he be ī purgatorye he is the soner delyuered as well by the prayers of the chyrche as of his kynnesmen and frendys the whiche vysyteth his sepulture in prayenge god for hym And oftē it happeth that the chyrcheyardes bē sanctyfyed by the bodyes of some sayntes that there be prayeth for them wherof if those that there ben buried ben saued they be right Ioyfull whā theyr bodyes ben with the bodyes of other sayntes but yf they ben dāpned it profyteth them nothynge For the good dedes that men there done for them ne may helpe them ¶ Mayster what maner of lyfe is the moost excellent and best for to make his saluacyon My chylde to haue a true affeccyon of true loue in our lorde in seruynge hym honourynge with all his herte in eatynge y◠breed that thou hast Iustly laufully gotten by the trauayle of thy body as wytnessyth the psalmyst the which sayth Labores manuum tuarū qr manducabis That is to say that thou shalt be right happy if thou eate the labour with thyn owne handes wherunto it is shewed the y◠thou ne sholdest vse of the goodes the which by the or by thyne be gotten falsely but thou sholde yelde them yf thou knowest vnto whome to vse of them the whiche ben Iustly loufully gotten the mayster the discyple MAyster he the which is in mortall synne may he belonge wtout cōmyttynge syn̄e ▪ my chylde naye For as one good dede drawes another In lyke wyse one yll draweth another for so the deuyll maketh of the man the which is in mortall synne as a man dothe of a beest y◠he ledyth by the toppe where him semeth best master whyder go the soules of them that be deed My chylde the soules of the Innocentes that deyeth without baptym gooth vnto the lymbe that which is a chambre of hell where they haue no Ioye nor heuynes for they haue nothynge meryted but for as moche as they be not purged frome orygynall syn̄e by baptym they be put from paradys from the vysyon of god and the soules of them the whiche ben baptysed the which dyeth in the state of Innocencye gooth in to paradys all ryght and the soules of them the whiche dyeth in the state of grace without syn̄e where if they haue synned and if they haue done penaunce suffycyent in this worlde gooth all ryghte in to paradyse ben in glory after that that they haue meryted by theyr holy werkes and the soules of thē the which haue had contrycyon dyspleasaunce of theyr synnes ben returned vnto god in cryenge hym mercy that they haue not accomplysshed theyr penaūces ī this worlde gothe in to an other parte of hell named purgatory there they accomplysshe theyr penaunces and ben purged of theyr synnes that done they go in to the glory of paradys And the soules of them the whiche dyeth in one mortall synne or many goth in to the depenes of hell where they bē punysshed after theyr deseruynge and the soules of the Iewes and of the myscreaūtes the whiche dyeth in the estate of Innocencye gone in to a parte of hell with all the other chyldren the whiche dyeth without baptym but the soules of the other Iewes myscreauntys that haue wytte vnderstādynge goth in to hell with the dāpned ¶ Mayster in how lytell tyme ben the soules delyuered from purgatory My chylde some there abydeth more longely than other after as they haue deserued for some ben delyuered at the ende of .vii. dayes therfore maketh a man the semell otherwyse called the returne in makynge prayers almesdedes for their delyueraunce for greatlye vnto them may profyte the prayers almesdedes that is done for them These other ben delyuered at the ende of .xxx. dayes therfore is made the trentall These other ben delyuered at the ende of one yere therfore is made the yeres mynde these other abydeth there by many yeees by longe tyme after that they haue deseruyd therfore make men remembraunce euery yere of them and whan they ben all purged that they ben delyueryd as by theyr penaūces accomplysshed as by our prayers and oraysons they go all ryght vnto the glory of paradys ¶ Mayster in what place is paradys My chylde there ar .iij. maner of paradys that is to wyte paradys celestyall paradyse terrestre and paradys spirituall Paradyse celestyal is aboue all the heuens in the whiche is god and all the sayntes holy men and women as I haue sayd before paradyse terrestre is in the erth towarde the oryent paradys spyrytuall is ayenst god to loue hym perfytely that is ouer all In that paradys ben our good aūgelles the whiche seeth loueth god ¶ Mayster where is hell My chylde there are .ij. maner of helles that is to wyte hel spirituall hell corporall hell spūall is ouer all where the soules the cursed aungels bē in payne tourment be it in erth or in the see this may be in many places as we rede of a soule that was turmēted with a flage of yse the a bysshop delyuered by .xxx. masses who was boūde to be there lōge tyme. Hell corporall is in the myddle of the erthe as the carnell of an apple is in the myddle of the apple is a grete caue blacke darke in which ben iiij stages the one aboue the other At the fyrst stage is the place wherin were the holy soules of the holy fathers aūcyētes of them that by theyr holy lyfe cōuersacion haue meryced the realme of paradys the whiche our lorde Ihesu cryst delyuered whan he dyed on the tre of the crosse and now there is none For at that tyme were all delyuered At the seconde stage is purgatory wherin the soules the whiche sholde be saued goth to accomplysshe theyr penaūce the which they haue not accomplysshed in this worlde in theyr lyfe In the .iij. stage ben the soules of the Innocentes the whiche dyeth without baptym And ī the .iiij. stage the which is the moost lowe in depnes ben the deuylles and the soules of the poore myserable dampned the mayster the discyple MAister what paynes haue they the which bē in purgatorye My chylde
the worlde ¶ Mayster what ben the Ioyes of paradys My chylde they ben so ryght grete that a man ne can tel them For the saued shall se god face to face and shall knowe al thynges as the aūgelles The bodyes of the saued shall be clere and shynynge as the sonne they shal be incōtynent where they wyl be as the thought the which in contynent is borne thyder where hit lyketh They shall haue no shame to be all naked the one afore the other for they shall be all clensyd from synne shal be so cōfermed in the grace in the loue of our lorde they may neuer synne more ne haue ony yll thought they ne shall haue hunger ne thyrst for they ne shall be more subiectes to the influēces of the planettes meanly that also maketh the degestyon vnto the body humayn but shall be there aboue in corruptyble and perpetualles and fedde of the grace of god they can not cease to yelde graces and praysynges vnto god of the grete mercy that he vnto them hath done And to speke shortely the Ioyes of paradys ben so grete that there ne is entendement the which them can comprehende For yf all the goodes and all the Ioyes and gladnesses the whiche ben was and shall be in the worlde were all to gyders all that shold be nothynge vnto the comparyson of the leest glory of paradys For all the Ioyes of this worlde ben transytoryes and also passeth as moche But the Ioye of paradys ben perpetuallys and without ende ¶ Mayster howe many orders of aūgelles ben in paradys My sone there be nyne The fyrste order is callyd the ordre of seraphyns the whiche is the moost hyghest the seconde of the Cherubyns The thyrde is of the thrones The fourthe of the puyssaunces The fyfte is of the prynces The syxte is of the lordeshyps seygnourys The seuēth is of the vertues The eyght of the .ix. ordres as lordes sygnours aboue theyr seruauntes archaungels And the nynth of the aungelles the whiche is moost lowe and all the sayntes holy men and womē of paradys ben aboue them ¶ Mayster haue we euery of vs his good aūgell the which kepith vs My chyld euery one haue his good aungell the which hym defendeth from the ylle and styreth hym to do well and so hadde our lorde Ihesu cryste of good aungelles for to mynyster vnto hym And the Antecryst shall haue one to kepe hym frome doynge of somoche ylle as he may well And the aungelles ben of the laste moost lowe ordre that is called properly the ordre of aungelles I haue nowe tolde the. ¶ Mayster wherfore loseth the moone sometyme his clerenesse My chylde the mone hath none other lyght but that the sonne vnto hir gyueth so it happeneth often that the erthe is foūde betwene the sonne and the mone in suche wyse that the sonne ne maye gyue her clerenes and than she is all blacke for the erthe shadoweth her But whan the erthe is not dyrectely betwene them but some parte all onely than is she clere in as moche as the sonne may se her and whan the erthe is nothynge betwene them thā is she clere for there is nothynge betwene theym And for that cause hath the mone the backe towarde the sonne ¶ Mayster what thynge is the bowe of heuen the whiche we se in theayer My chylde they ben the beames of the sonne the whiche meddle theym in the mater of the mone the whiche is thycke the whiche taketh foure coloures the whiche ben dysposed to receyue many dyuers coloures after the nature of herbes of the place where they growe ¶ Mayster fro whēs cometh the wyndes thondres frostes snowes raynes dewes suche femblable thynge My chyld all these thynges cometh of some vapoures the whiche a ryseth from the erthe in heyghte by the vertue of the sonne of y◠whiche some ben drye and the other moyste whan suche the whiche bē lyft vp tyll vnto the meane regyon of the ayre the whiche is ryght colde they bē made thycke begyn to droppe and from thens cometh the rayne And whan the colde is greatly destraynynge aboue so they assemble and congeleth and frome thens cometh the hayle and whan these droppes falleth here alowe fyndeth this bace regyon of the ayre colde as in wynter they also congele meanly the wynde the whiche is colde from thēs cometh the snowes and this dewe is made of the selfe vapoures the whiche whan they dyscende vpō the erthe and there fyndeth colde they conuerte them in to water But whan that these vapoures ben drye and lyght they aryse vp more hye vnto the thyrde regyon of the ayre the whiche is hote for it toucheth the regyon of the fyre in suche wyse whan the vapoures drye that these clerkes calleth exaltacyons passeth in the ayre meteth the one with the other the moost strōgest gadereth the most weykest by the vertue of the sonne and of the moone from thens cometh the wyndes and whan these exaltacyons passeth in mountynge by the meane regyon of the ayre the whiche is ryght colde they meddle them with the cloude closeth them wtin the colde and the heet of the sōne stryketh brēnyngly betwene these cloudes in suche wyse that these exalacyons hote that ben enclosed wtin the clowdes wyll go forth but they may not for the cloude is colde thycke the whiche holdeth the se exalacyons enclosyd yf it be not by grete force and vyolence whan it breketh it maketh a grete bruyte in the ayre that is the thunder in brekynge his exalacions lepeth out fro the cloude the whiche bē enflamed and it is the departynge than y◠erelacyon enflamed medleth hym brenneth with the colde whan the mater is well nere wasted so it falleth here beneth al enflamed that is the lyghtuynge the whiche is more hote than a brennynge fyre for that fyre aboue is also more hote than this here alowe But whan these exalacyons ne fydeth no cloude in moūtynge they moūte in to the thyrde region of the ayre the whiche is hote for it toucheth the regyon of the fyre than they enflame them and brenneth semynge to be sterres and whan the mayster is almost brent it falleth and it is that that semeth vs y◠the starres falleth here alowe the discyple the mayster ¶ Mayster wherfore is the see salte My childe it is by the nature of the mater vpon the which it is set and of the mone the whiche maketh it the mone hit maketh to renne and to come backe as the adamāde draweth vnto him the Iron so the mone vnto hir draweth the see ¶ Mayster what tokens and sygnes shall our Lorde make before that he shal begynne his Iugement My chylde he shall make .xv. the whiche shal be gretelye maruaylous and ferefull The first shall be that the see shall moūte in to the ayre aboue all the mountaynes .xv. cubytes The .ij. shall be that the