drynke Then shewed god to Moyses a staffe of tree / sayd to hym that he sholde put it in to the water that was so bytter And whan he had put it therin / it was all swete The bytter water ben the trybulacyons of the worlde The staffe of the tree that made it swete / that is the crosse on whiche the debonayre Ihesu cryste was hanged on for vs. For who that remembreth well this sorowe that he suffred on the crosse There is no payne ne aduersyte / ne tribulacion temporall / but it it is swete and lyght to suffre The fourth thynge is to thynke on the spyrytuall godes that the trybulacyons dooth to them that suffreth them pacyently For the trybulacyons proueth the knyght of god A knyght knoweth not well his strengthe / vnto the tyme that he hath ben in batayle in prees Wherof saynt Poule sayth / that the pacyence proueth a man / and an aungel of heuen sayd to Thoby / by cause that thou were pleasaunte to god It behoueth that temptacyon shall proue the. ¶ Also trybulacyon purgeth the soule as the fyre purgeth the golde in the forneys / and as the flayle the corne whan it beteth it And as the hamer the yron / as sayth saynt Gregory Also trybulacyons ben the medycynes of the maladyes of synne For lyke as sayth the holy scrypture The greuous malady maketh a man sobre whome sȳne hath made dronke oftymes Wherof saynt Gregory sayth Lete it not be harde to the that thou suffre dysease on thy body whan thou arte guarysshed of the malady of synne within forth Also by trybulacyons is won the crowne of glory / whan one hath good pacyence Wher of saynt Iames sayth / blyssed is that man that suffreth temptacions / that is aduersyte trybulacyon / lyke as a good knyght that suffreth the strokes / for whan he shall be well assayed proued / he shall haue the croune of glory These .iiii. remembraūces aforsayd comforte moche thē that ben in trybulacion The .v. spyrytuell braunche of mercy is to pardone his maltalente euyl wyll to euery body For lyke as saynt Gregory sayth / who gyueth his pens or his almesse to the poore and pardoneth not his euyll wyll / his almesse is nothynge worth For god receyueth not the gyfte as longe as the felonnye is in the herte / for god weyeth / preyseth / and taketh the gyfte after his wyll And therfore our lorde sayth in the gospel ¶ Yf that we forgyue not eche other / our fader of heuen shall not forgyue vs our synnes Thenne he that wyl not pardonne and forgyue sayth ageynst hym self / as ofte as he sayth the pater noster / for he prayeth that god pardonne hym / lyke as he pardonneth his euyll wyll to other It is sayd of themperour theodose / that he helde it for a grete shame / yf one dyd to hym vylonye or Iniurye that prayed hym to forgyue hym / and whan he was moost angry / then he forgaue moost sonnest For he had lyuer drawe to hym people by debonayrte and by loue / thenne by drede ¶ The .vi. braunche of this vertue is to haue in the herte pyte and compassyon of the synnars / and of them that be in trybulacyon or in pouerte / or in aduersyte For that one membre ought to bere the maladye of that other wherof saynt Poule sayth / who that is seke / and I am seke with hym And saynt Gregory sayth / that so moche is a man more parfayt / as he feleth more in hym self the sorowe of another ¶ The .vii. braunche of mysyry corde is to praye for the synnar / and for his enemyes / and for all trespasses For soo commaundeth our lorde Ihesu Cryste in the gospell Praye ye sayd he for theym that done to you euyll / and so shal ye ben the sones of your fader whiche is in heuen / as who sholde saye / otherwyse ye ben not the sones of god / and thenne ye haue nothynge in his herytage ¶ Now is it then̄e grete almesse and grete prouffyte for the soule to praye for the synners / for Mekenes rote Mercy and pyte atrēpaūce Iustyce Compassyon Prudēce Force Forgiuenes Faythe Hope Charyte his enmyes / and for all them whiche ben departed out of this presente lyfe These ben the seuen braunches of mercy of this tree on the ryghte syde ¶ Here after foloweth the seuen braūches of mercy vpon the lyfte syde Ca. C.xxxii LYke as this tree of mercy hath seuen braunches on the ryght syde / so ben there seuen braunches on the lyfte syde These ben the seuen werkes of mercy corporell / whiche holdeth the body / lyke as the other beholdeth the soule too foresayd ¶ The fyrst braunche is to fede the hungry the nedy and the myseased / this admonesteth vs the holy scrypture in many places Fyrst Thobye whiche sayd to his sone Ete thy brede with the nedy the poore that deye for hungre and Salamon sayth / yf thyn enemye haue hūgre gyue hym to ete / yf he haue thyrst gyue to him drynke Also our lorde sayth in the gospel / whā thou shalte make a grete dyner / calle the poore people / the blynde / the lame the Impotent and thou shalte be blessed For they may not yelde it to the ageyn But god shal yelde to the in the resurreccyon generalle / an hondred folde double This is ageynste ryche men that done grete oultrages of mete / for bobaunce / pryde / vaynglorye of the worlde haue no pyte on the poore people But they ought to haue grete drede that they falle not in meschyef / lyke as it byfell to the ryche gloton / of whome god sayth in the gospel / whiche ete euery daye delycyously / and suffred the poore Lazare deye for hungre at his yate But as to the deth of that one of that other was a grete chaunge For Lazare was borne with aūgellys in to Abrahams bosome / the ryche man auarycyous gloton had his sepulture in helle / where he desyred to haue one drope of water for to refresshe his tongue Alas yf all the water of the see had ronne ouer his tongue / it sholde not haue ben coled in that fyre perdurable of helle whiche may not be quenched Therfore it is good to fede the poore peopell For there by may one escape fro the paynes of helle / and wynne the glorye of heuen / lyke as sayth holy scrypture / wherof our lorde Ihesu Cryste shal saye at the daye of Iugement Come ye blessed of my fader in to the royame of heuen whiche is redy to you For whan I had hungre And thyrste ye gaue to me to Eete and to drynke For that whiche that ye dyd to the leste of my poore people / ye dyd it to me ¶ The seconde braunche of mercy .. Cxxxiii THe seconde braunche of mercy is to clothe the poore naked people That is
to saye that he that may sholde gyue to theym clothynge hosen and shoon Thus taught Thobye his sones whan he sayd Couer the naked whith thy gowne and Ysaye the prophete sayth / whan thou shalt see the poore naked couere hele hym For suche werke saynt Peter reysed that good woman named Dorcas For she clothed the poore people as the scrypture sayth Herof hast thou a fayre example of saynt Martyn as I haue sayd tofore The gowne or vesture or what someuer almesse one gyueth to the poore / is a memoryall to them that praye for hym that hath gyuen it And is represented to god of his aungellys ¶ The thyrde braunche of mercy Ca. Cxxxiiii THe thyrde braunche of mercy is to lene to the poore people at theyr nede / and to forgyue vnto theym the dette that they owe whan they may not paye ne rendre For it is not onely almesse to gyue / but it is grete almesse to lene without vsure / and ony prouffyte and without euyll entencyon / but purely for goddes loue In lyke wyse ought a man to pardone and quyte his dette / whan the dettour is poore and may not paye it / this is that whiche god commaundeth in the olde lawe / where he sayth / yf one of thy bredren fall in pouerte thou shalte not enhard thy herte / ne withdrawe not thy hande fro hȳ But thou shalt open it to the poore / and shalte lene to hym that wher of he hath nede And our lorde sayth in the gospell / lene sayth he to hym that hath nede / and that requyreth the without hope of wynnynge ony temporall thynge / and god shall rendre to the an hondred folde double in glory This mater is ageynst the vsurers that wyll alway haue more than they lene / in money or in seruyces / or in other thynges But god commaundeth to lene to the poore nedy purely for his loue / and he shall rendre to the an C double / and to the poore man to whome man to whome thou hast lent / or that oweth to the / or that may not pay to the / thou oughtest to forgyue and pardon hym For so commaundeth to the god in the gospell / sayth thus / yf ye forgyue not eche other / god shal not forgyue you and herof sheweth god an ensample of an euyll seruaunt to whom his lorde had pardoned his dette / and bycause he wolde not pardone hym that ought to hym / the lorde repeled the curteysy and bounte that he had done to hym / and dyde do dystrayne and helde hym tyll he had rēdred all that he ought Ryght so shall our lorde doo / yf we forgyue not eche other ¶ The fourth braunche of mercy Capitulo C.xxxv. THe .iiii. braunche of mercy is to vesyte / cōforte / to ayde the seke people / that is a werke that moche pleseth to god / and more thenne trauaylle / or fastynge / or other bodely penaunce / wherof we fynde in vitas patrum / that an hermyte demmaunded of one of the auncyent faders / the whiche was of moost grettest meryte / of hym that fasted .vi. dayes in the weke and trauaylled and laboured with his handes / or of hym that serued the seke malades The good fader answered that he that fasted and trauaylled thoughe he henge by the nosethrylles myght not compare to hym that serued the seke people This werke auaylleth moche to eschewe synne / and is a grete remedye ageynst synne And therfore sayth Iob vysyte thy semblable / that ben the seke men that ben semblable to the in nature For they be men as thou arte / and yf thou so do / god shall kepe the fro synne for to do suche a good werke And holy saynt Iawes sayth that it is a relygyon holy and clene tofore god to vysyte the orphanes / the seke and poore men / the wydowes and theym that ben in trybulacyon / wherof is counted of a moche grete synnar whiche wente euer the see vnto the yle of roodes / and put hym self in an hospytal for to awayte serue the seke people / it haped on a tyme that he had grete abhomynacyon of a seke man of whome he wesshe the feet Anone all ageyn his herte he dranke of that water his full draught And whan he had dronken / he felt a ryght swete and good smellynge odour / and this was a grete token and sygne that his synnes were pardonned by this good werke Also by this werke is goten grete perfecyon of holy lyf / wherof the wyse man sayth in holy scrypture / be thou not ennoyed to vysyte the seke people For by that thou shalt be confermed in the loue of god Also therby is goten grete rewarde as is sayd in the gospell wherof is tolde the a lady named Marye whiche was a moche holy woman conuerted her husbonde so moche / that they left all that they hadde / and went to the mesel hous for to serue the seke creatures / by whiche they came too grete perfeccyon After it was shewed to the same Mary / that her husbonde that had ben her felawe in humylyte for to serue the seke men and women / sholde be her felawe in the glory of heuen Of the same our lorde gyueth vs ensample in the gospell that he touched the seke people and heled them The seruaunt ought not to haue dysdayne ne shame to vesyte the seke people ne to serue theym / whan the lorde of heuen came in to this worlde for to serue vesyte them Of whome he toke the fourme and semblaunce of his seruaunt This sayth saynt Poule for to serue vs that were seke by synne ¶ The .v. braunce of mercy Ca. C.xxxvi THe fyfth braunche of mercy is to her borowe the way farȳge man / the poore people / the pylgrymes that haue noo lodgynge This is one of the werkes of mercy that pleaseth moche god / as it appereth by ensamples of holy scrypture Fyrst Abraham receyued oft tymes the aungelles of heuen in semblaunce of poore pylgrymes / and they promysed to hym that his wyfe Sara whiche was olde and barayne sholde conceyue a sone And Loth by cause that he receyued the poore and seke men and kepte hospytalyte / he receyued the aungelles the whiche kepte and delyuered hym from the peryll of Sodome and gomor And therfore sayth the appostle saynt Poule Lete vs not leue hospytalyte / for therby many good mē haue ben moche playsaunt to god and in his loue and in his grace / for they receyued aungellys in stede of the poore It is not meruaylle yf suche people receyue aungellys For they receyue our lorde lyke as he sayth in the gospel For who receyueth theym receyuen hym as he sayth / that whiche is done to the poore is done to hym / wherof saynt Gregory recounteth of a good man whiche was moche pyteous gladly receyued the poore people into his hous / he receyued on
a daye the poore lyke as he had be acustomed / and whan he had supposed to haue gyuen water to a seke man that was there / as sone as he torned hym / he that was in lykenes of the poore man vanysshed / none knewe where he bycam / wherof he moche meruaylled And the nyght after our lorde aperyed to hym sayd that he had on other dayes receyued hym in his membres / but on the daye he receyued hyÌ„ in his propre persone Also hospytalyte is better more worth than abstynence or ony other labour / wherof is fouÌ„de in vytis patrum that in egypte was an holy fader whiche receyued all them that passed forth by that had nede / gaf to them suche as he had It happed that a man of moche grete abstynence was herberowed in his lodynge / whiche wolde faste / wolde not ete at the prayer of the good man that had receyued hym Thenne the good man that had lodged hym sayd to hym / late vs goo fayre brother vnder that tree there without / and praye we to our lorde Ihecu Cryste that this tree enclyne and bowe doune at the prayer of hym that best pleaseth god / and whan they had made ther prayers / the tre enclyned doune to hym that receyued the poore people / not to hym that made the grete abstynences there ben many moo fayre examples of the hospytalyte but it sholde be ouer longe a thynge to reherce ¶ The .vi. braunche of mercy Ca. C.xxxvii THe .vi. brauÌ„che of mercy is to vysyte coÌ„forte ayde them that be in pryson and in holde / theym to delyuer yf they may To do this admonesteth vs thappostle Poule that sayth RemeÌ„bre ye them that ben in pryson / lyke as ye were bounde with them / that is to say that ye vesyte / conforte and helpe them Lyke as ye wolde that ye were conforted / vesyted holpen yf ye were bounde in pryson as they be Thus dyde Thobye that went to them that were in pryson and comforted them with good wordes And SalamoÌ„ sayth in his prouerbes Delyuer thou theym sayth he the men lede to deye In suche wyse delyuered Danyell Susanna fro dethe And our lorde delyuered the woman that had be taken in aduoutry / whiche sholde haue be stoned to dethe after the lawe / not for bycause that Iustyce shold not be done vpoÌ„ malefactours But in suche dede fayt he taught the Iuges what they sholde be / and how they ought to Iuge other / wherof in this ensample he ensygneth foure thynges that euery Iuge ought for to haue kepe in Iugement The fyrst thynge is grete delyberaon / and grete auysemente of counceyle good and hole / Wherof Iob sayth The cause that I knewe not I enserched it and requyred it dylygently / and this is to vnderstande in that / whiche our lorde Ihesu cryst whan the Iewes hadde accused the woman / he wrote in the erthe with his fynger / he that is without synne of you throw the fyrste stone For to stone the woman And by the scrypture made with the fynger we vnderstonde dyscrecyon and grete delyberacyon The seconde thynge is good entencyon that he bowe not ne enclyne more on that one party than on that other / ne for prayer ne for gyft / ne for fauour / ne for loue / ne for hate / and this is to vnderstande in that whan Ihesu cryste wrote he helde hym styll in the place The thyrde thynge is good lyfe and to kepe hym well from synne For he that Iugeth other ought to be of good lyfe / of good conscyence / lyue Iustly For yf he be other / he ought to haue grete drede of the IugemeÌ„t of god / whiche sayth in the gospell / that suche Iugement as ye doo to other / shall be doone to you And saynt Poule sayth thus of euyll Iuges In that thou Iugest other thou condempnest thy selfe / for thou doost that for whiche thou Iugest other Wherfore our lorde sayd whan he arose fro wrytynge / he of you that is without synne caste on her the fyrst stone / whaÌ„ they herde this senteÌ„ce / they departed went away all ashamed / the one after an other wtout takynge leue / for they were greter synners than the woman / whome they wolde haue stoned The fourthe thynge is to haue pyte compassyon / that the Iuge ought to haue on hym that he shall Iuge / for he ought more to enclyne by humanyte and mercy than to enhardy hym by rygoure to doo Iustyce For Iustyce without mercy is cruelte / and mercy without Iustyce is leudnesse And therfore that one of these two vertues holdeth ofte company with that other in holy scrypture But alway sayth the scrypture / that mercy surmounteth Iustyce And saynt Iohan with the golden mouthe sayth / that at the daye of Iugement / that it shall be more of value to rendre reason of doynge mercy than of the rygoure and cruelte of Iustyce And the holy man saynt Iames sayeth that Iugement without mercy shall be done to hym that hath doo no mercy And therfore our lorde after that he was relyeued he enclyned hym towarde therth / and after delyuerd the woman / for the Iuge ought to enclyne by pyte and compassyon to hym / whome he ought to Iuge / and haue grete drede / and also agyenst his wyll ought he to Iuge the other For yf he Iuge wyckedly he shall be Iuged at the daye of Iugement Now is it grete almesse to vysyte the prysoners / and them to rede me delyuer that may And therfore our lorde Ihesu Cryst wolde descende in to helle for to delyuer the soules of sayntes that were there ¶ The .vii. braunche of mercy Ca. Cxxxviii THe seuenth brauÌ„che of mercy is to burye the deed bodyes Of this werke is moche preysed in holy scrpture Thobye / whiche buryed the deed bodyes and lefte his mete And our lorde praysed Marye Magdalene for the oynemente that she shedde on his heed / wherof he sayd that she had doone it in sygnefyaunce of his sepulture Also Ioseph demaunded the body of our lorde / buryed it moche dylygently The other were ryÈt besy of theyr sepulture / and had grete bewayllynge and grete deuocyon to the holynesse / good / and holy lyf / of theyr faders / and therfore they wolde be buryed with them Of whome Iacob sayd to his sone Ioseph Burye me not in egypt / but with my faders / and therfore it is good to be buryed amonge good relygyous meÌ„ for to haue theyr prayers nature ought to moeue a man to this good werke / and vertuous operacyon Wherof it is redde of the nature of beestes the the dolphyns whan they se a dolphyn deed / they assemble theym togyder / bere hym to the botom of the se / and there bury hym Yf nature / pyte moeue styre the Iewes sarasyns /
And Saynt Iherome sayth that to the couetous mā faylleth that whyche he hath and that whyche he hath not ¶ Now thynke thenne whan thou woldest praye god / for to demaunde wysely dylygently and perseuerauntly And he shalle gyue vnto the all that shal be nedeful to the prouffyte and helthe of thy soule The thyrd thynge that ought to be in prayer / is deuocyon of herte that is to lyfte vp the herte to god wythout thȳkyng no wher ellys wherof our lord sayth whan thou wylt praye to god entre within thyn hert and close the dore wpon the that is to for say put out all thoughtes seculer flesshely foule wycked worldly and vylaynous And thus praye thy fader of heuen in hyddles in thy hert / that the herte thynke on none other thynge but on that whyche it ought to thynke saynt ysodore sayth that thēne we praye god truly whan we thynke nowher ellys ¶ And Saȳt Austyn sayth what auaylleth to moeue the mouth and the lyppes / whan the herte sayth not a worde As grete dyfference as is bytwene the chaffe and the corne and the brenne and the floure of whete so grete dyfference is bytwene the prayer and deuocyon of the herte God is not a ghoote to be fedde wyth leues God cursyd the tre wheron he fonde no thynge but leues Ryght so the prayer whiche is alle in leues of wordes wythoute deuocyon of hert / pleaseth noo thynge to god but it dyspleaseth hym he torneth hys eere For he wyl not vnderstonde suche langage who that prayeth god wythoute deuocyon vnto hym / it semeth that he mocketh and scorneth our lorde god lyke as he that wyll mocke scorne with a deef man and with a dombe man the whiche canne not speke that meueth his lyppes onely as he spacke / no thynge sayth To suche people god maketh a deef ere / but the prayer that cometh fro the depnes of the herte / that hereth our lorde as he sayth in the gpspell God is a spyryte / therfore who wyll praye god and haue his requeste graunted / hym byhoueth that he praye in spyryte and in trouthe Dauyd the prophete enseygneth and techeth vs in the psaulter to prayer to god deuoutely whan he sayth / lorde myn oryson be adressyd tofore the lyke to thensence Thensence whan it is vpon the fyre it smelleth swetely Ryght so doth the prayer that cometh fro the herte brennynge in loue of god smelleth moche swetely tofore god / otherwyse the prayer may not be enhaunced tofore god yf it come not fro the herte / lyke as a messager whiche bryngeth no letters / ne hath no knowleche / entreth not gladly tofore the kynge Oryson or prayer without deuocyon is as a messager without letters / who suche message sendeth to the courte / he doth euyl his erandes who thenne wyll praye god veryly / he ought to crye to god fro the depthe of his herte / as dyd Dauyd / whiche sayd in the plaulter / lorde god here my voys For I crye to the fro the depnesse of my herte The feruour of loue is the crye fro the depnesse of the herte / this sayth saynt Austyn Suche a voys and suche a crye pleseth moche to god / and not the noyse of wordes polysshed / wherof saynt Gregorye sayth that veryly to praye to god / is in the teres and bewayllynges of conpunccyon of herte This crye chaseth awaye the theues / that ben the deuyll les whiche lye in awayte for to trouble robbe vs. And therfore ought we ofte to crye and praye vnto god that he wyll kepe deffende vs fro the theuys of helle Thus ought we strongely to crye vnto god ageynst the fyre of couetyse / or of lecherye / that he gyue to vs the water of teres for to quenche suche fyre that it enflamme not our hertes Also we ought to crye too god ageynst the euyll thoughtes that come ofte to the herte / that the herte and the soule perysshe not by consentynge Therfore cryed Dauyd to god sayd Lorde saue me / and kepe me fro the perylle of waters the / whiche ben now entred in to my herte / and the dyscyples of our lorde whan they sawe the tempest of the see vpon theym they cryed sayenge lorde saue vs for we ben in grete perylle And for these thre thynges that I haue here sayd one ought ofte to crye to god that he saue vs fro these thre perylles / that is to wete fro the theues of helle / and fro the fyre of couetyse / fro the flodes of euyl thoughtes of temptacyon Now oughtest thou to knowe / that in all tymes / and in al places may a persone praye to god But he ought specyall and moost deuoutely ought he to praye in the chirche on the sondayes and in festes whiche ben stablysshed for to praye to god to preyse honour hym / and therfore then they seace and ought to cease al persones fro bodyly werkes and temporall / for the better tentende to praye to god and honoure hym / and to spyrytuell werkys God commaunded so straytly to kepe the sabotte daye in the olde lawe that he made a man to be stoned tofore the people by cause he had gadred a fewe styckes on the sabotte daye what shal god do thenne of them that do the grete synnes on the sondayes and the festes / and waste the tyme in vanyte and in folyes / and yet werse done they on the sondayes / on the festes and on solempne dayes than they do on other dayes Certeynly they shall be more punysshed and dampned in that other worlde / than the Iewes that brake theyr sabot daye For the sonday is more holy thā the sabot So ben the pryncypall feestes whiche ben establysshed in holy chyrche for to serue god / and to honoure and thanke hym of his goodnes and bountees that he hathe done to vs / and dothe euery day / lyke as holy chyrche remembreth In suche a feest as is crystmas / that is of his natyuyte / how he was borne of the vyrgyn Marye At Ester how he arose from dethe to lyfe At the ascencyon how he styed vp in to heuen At whytsontyde how he sēt the holy goost vpon thappostles After there ben establysshed to kepe the feestes of sayntes for to prayse and worshyp god and his sayntes / to remembre the holy myracles that he dyde for to conferme our faythe And therfore we ought to kepe the feestes of sayntes / to pray thē deuoutly to ayde and socoure vs vnto our lorde / whiche hath so moche honoured theym in heuen in glory and in erthe / and therfore they synne greuously that kepe not theyr feestes For they do ageynst the commaundement of god and of holy chyrche But here some may say to me Fayre syr a man may not all daye praye to god ne be at the monastery / ne in the chyrche / what harme is it
yf I go play and dysporte me / as longe as I playe I thynke none harme To that I shall answere All the tyme that thou employest in folysshe playes and in vanytees / and in werke the whiche is not ordeyned in ony maner vnto god thou lesest it For thou oughtest to knowe that al the tyme that thou thynkest not on god / thou oughtest for to accompte for loste / this sayeth the scrypture That is for to vnderstande whan thou thynkest on vanyte / and in thynge that is not in ony maner ordeyned vnto god And certaynly he leseth a grete thynge that leseth his tyme This sayth Seneke / for he leseth the goodes that he myght doin as moche as he soo loseth in worldly playes playes and in vanytees / and that is not without synne for to despende the tyme in euyll vsage For god requyreth rekenynge at the daye of Iugement / this sayth saynt Ancelme / and therfore ought one alwaye well to employe his tyme as longe as he lyueth in this worlde And the tyme is shorte as sayth the scrypture Ne no man knoweth how longe tyme he hath to lyue / ne no man knoweth whan he shal deye / ne how he shal passe out of this worlde who then wyll kepe the holy dayes as he oweth he ought to kepe hym fro doynge that desplayseth god and his sayntes / and well to employe his tyme in god / in prayenge hym / praysynge / and gyuynge hym thankes of his goodes / and to here the sermons and put them in eure and to entende to other good werkys and nedes that ben accordynge to god ¶ Also whan a man is in the chirche he ought to conteyne hym moche honestlye / and do reuerence to god and to his sayntes deuoutelye For the chirche is ordeyned for to pray god and his sayntes / not for to Iangle ne for to lawghe / ne for to Iape / ne for to speke ydle wordes ne for to talke too other of seculer thynges For our Lorde sayth My how 's is the hous of prayer And therfore a man ought not to doo none other thynge therin / than it for whiche it was establysshed / this sayth saynt Austyn / he that shall come tofore the kynge in his chambre for to empetre / and gete ony grace he ought well to kepe hym fro sayenge of ony thynge that sholde dysplese the kynge Moche more ought he to be ware that cometh in too the chirche whiche is the chambre and the hous of god / what he sayth and dooth tofore god and his aungelles / and that specyally that sholde dysplease hym Thenne god wyll not that a man sholde make of his hous a market ne an halle For he hym self chaced and droof out of his temple with good scourges them that bought and solde therin Also he wyl not the ony plee sholde be made therin / ne noyse ne no seculer nede / but he wyll that we sholde entende to praye god deuoutely and prayse And thanke hym of all his benefaytes There ought a man to calle ageyn his herte to hym self and put awaye all worldly werkys and all euyl thoughtes / and thynke on his creatour / on the bountees that god hath done to hym / and dooth euery daye / and to remembre his synnes and his deffaultes / and to humble hym self tofore god / and to requyre hym of pardon and grace to kepe hym from synne / to haue perseueraunce in good werkes vnto the ende ¶ Also in the chirche ought the grete lordes and the grete layes to forgete all theyr glory / theyr rychesse / theyr power / theyr dygnite / theyr hyenesse / and theyr puyssaunce / and ought to thynke that they be tofore theyr Iuge / whiche shall straytely examyne theym / and rekenne straytely of the goodes that he hath done to theym / of the dygnytees and estates that he hath sette them in / and how they haue vsed theym and he shall rewarde theym after theyr deserte Therfore ought they moche to humble theym to god / not to gloryfye them of theyr hyenesse / ne of theyr fayre araye / ne of theyr ryche robes They may take example of kynge Dauyd / whiche forgate his dygnyte whan he prayed tofore god / and despysed hym self so moche that he sayd to our lorde Ihesu Cryste I am sayd he a lytyll worme and not a man In this Dauyd knowleched his lytelnes / his pouerte / and his deffaultes / and made hȳ nought For lyke as a worme is lytell nought / and groweth naked of the erthe / al in lyke wyse is man of hȳ self a vyle thynge / for whan that he entreth in to this worlde he bryngeth nothynge / ne nothynge shall bere away / al naked he entred / and so he shall go hens / wherof saynt Bernarde sayth / what is a man but foule sperme / a sacke full of donge / and meet to wormes / he is moche foule and made of foule sede in his concepcyon / a foule sacke full of donge in his lyfe / and meete to wormes after his dethe ¶ Also the grete ladyes that ben soo arayed with golde and syluer / with precyous stones / robes ought in the chyrche tofore god well to take example of the good quene Hester / whiche toke of her precyous vestymentes and robes whan she came for to pray god / and humbled herself / and knowleged her pouerte and her defautes tofore god / and sayd to hym / lorde thou knowest that I hate the synne of pryde / and the glorye of vestymentes and of Iewelles whiche me behoueth to sette doune fro my heed / in grete abhomynacion of them / that in suche thynges trusteth / delyteth / gloryfyeth / weere theym for to shewe them to please the fooles God hath not to do with suche parementes in his chyrche / but of a clene conscyence and of an humble herte ¶ Saynt Poule ensygneth techeth ryght well how the women ought to araye them whan they come to praye god / he sayth that they ought to haue honeste habyte without ony outrage / that is to vnderstonde after that it appertayneth to the estate of a persone For that the whiche is outrage in one persone / is not outrage in an other / some is conuenyent to a quene whiche is not conuenyent to a burgeys wyf / or another symple woman Also thappostle techeth that the women of what estate that they be / that they sholde be symple of beholdynge / and regarde / and humble / that is to vnderstande that they sholde be symple / humble and shamefaste / and not afronted / ne openly shewe her vysage / as done these comyu women / whiche gone with theyr necke stratched out as an herte in the launde / and loke a syde or a trauers as an hors of prys Also he wyl that they be not curyous for to araye theyr heed with golde ne syluer ne with precyous stones
hym self hurte of a wounde / and in peryll of deth / and he renneth moche sone to the physycyen that is seke / and that hath euyll humours in his body for to haue helthe and guaryson / and is moche glad and Ioyous whā he may purge them and clense them and therfore the thyrde degre of humylyte is for to confesse deuoutelye ofte his trespaces and to be wayle his synnes gladly in grete contrycyon and repentaunce and to purge his herte fro all synnes But there ben somme that knowe well theyr defautes and fele theym and ben well sorowfull for theym but they wyll not for ony thynge / that noo man sholde knowe them .. Therfore is the fourth degre of humylyte holden for vyle and dyspytous / but there ben yet some that well knowe fele and tell theyr defautes / saye well and Iuge I am wycked a synner and suche and suche But yf another sayd to them Certaynly that is trouthe that thou sayst they sholde be dyspleased and wexe strongely angry Therfore is the fyfth degre of humylyte to here gladly trouthe spoken of hym self / and that one say to hȳ his defautes And this is the saynt Bernarde sayth that the veray humble wolde be holden for vyle and wolde not be praysed that he is humble Therfore is the .vi. degre of humylyte whan a man suffreth in pacyence that he be foule treated and as a persone dyspysed Lyke as dyde the good kynge Dauyd the whiche suffred swetely a seruaunt named Semey whiche threwe at hym stones / and sayd to hym grete velonyes / and all that he knewe of euyll and harme Yet there is a degree in whiche there is some of this perfeccyon and of this vertue of humylyte That is wyll certaynly and desyre of herte without fayntyse to be reputed for vyle / and be holden symple fouly to be treated That is a ryght pouerte of spyryte humylyte of herte Moche loued this pouerte in this present worlde the ryche kynge of heuen Ihesu cryst Moche loued he it whan he bought it so dere / whiche wolde and vouched sauf to be borne in a stable horyble and abhomynable with an oxe and an asse / wolde haue .xxxii. yere in pouerte The swete Ihesu cryste loued moche humylyte / whan he hym self that neuer dyde synne / he that neuer had defaute fought and came amonge the theues That was betwene the sones of Adam or formest fader and the swete Ihesu ceyste cladde hym with clothes of a synner and malefactoure / bycause he was fouly treated Thenne he sayde the nyght of his cene or souper to his appostles with grete desyre I haue desyred this pasque That is to saye this deth / this shame and this departynge More hye may not this trees mounte in humylyte And who shall be reysed vnto this degre of humylyte / without doubte he shall be well blessed in this worlde in that other For he that sayth this is god / may not lye For he is the perfyte and souerayne veryte whiche sayth with his blessed mouthe in the gospell / blessed ben they that be poore of spyryte / and how that is he techeth and sheweth to vs whan he sayth / lerne of me and not of other to be meke humble of herte / as I am / and ye shal fynde reste to your soules This reste this blessednes none knowe it but they that lerne it Then yf thou wylte knowe what it is / do payne with all thy herte soo moche to vaynquysshe thy self / that thou be mounted in to the seuenth degre of humylyte Thenne mayst thou gadre of the fruyte and ete of the tree of lyf / lyke as it is sayd in thapocalyps ¶ Of the rote of the vertue of humylyte Ca. C. OF the rote of humylyte growe .vii. braunches For this vertue sheweth hym in seuen maners Fyrst honourynge god / in praysynge other In adourynge prayenge god In louynge pouerte I gladly seruynge In fleynge praysynge / and hym self trustynge al in god The veray meke humble honoureth God in thre maners For he byleueth hym symply / he prayseth hym truly and he prayeth hym deuoutelye / he honoureth hym fyrst in that / that he byleueth hym symply and stedfastly of all that / whiche is sayd in holy scrypture / lyke as a lytell chylde beleueth his mayster / and of this reason hath our fayth meryte Thenne who beleueth well / it dooth hym grete honoure / lyke as he dooth grete honoure to a man whan he beleueth hym vpon his sȳple worde And this is the begynnynge of well doynge / whiche is necessarye to all them that wyll saue them self / as sayth saynt Poule That is to beleue god on his symple worde / that all is true what someuer is sayd of hym onely / without to seke other reason or to requyre other profe Therfore ben the heretykes and proude men dampned For they wolde not beleue god without good wedde That is for to vnderstande / yf that they se not quycke reason in all that whiche god sayth / but to the quycke reason they holden theym / lyke as the vsurer holdeth hym on his pledge or wedde that wyll truste no persone by his symple worde And herof ben comen all the euyll heresyes and vnbeleues For the proude aungelles that wolde compare theyr wytte to the sapyence of Ihesu Cryst / dayned not to beleue that god sayd / but yf he shewed to them quycke reasons or good open myracle But we that kepe the veray faythe beleue an hondred folde better / this that he sayth that may not lye / that is god / than we doo the myracles ne reason / ne that whiche we se God sayth that euery persone shall be Iuged after his werkes / god sayeth that of euery ydle worde / vs behoueth to gyue accomptes at the daye of Iugement But the meke and the humble that this hereth and beleueth and dredeth and doubteth doothe payne to kepe his herte / and soo his mouthe / and all his werkes shall not be Iuged ¶ After the veraye humble dooth prayse god truly for all the goodes and benefayts that he hath done to hym / and that he dooth to hym dayly that he yet shall doo / after lyke as we haue shewed afore in the trayte of pryde The humble persone is lyke a poore man / whiche of a lytell almesse hath grete Ioye / thanketh with all his herte his benefactour Thenne whan the humble seeth nothynge in hym / by whiche he is worthy to haue good or brede or other thȳge of whiche he vseth he knoweth seeth / vnderstondeth / byleueth / doubteth not of all that god sendeth / yeueth and leneth hym / and bycause that the veray humble draweth nothynge to hȳ self of the goodes of his lorde / whiche passen by his honde / therfore is he a trewe seruaunte as saynt bernarde sayth After the veray humble adoureth god prayeth hym deuoutely
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
sholde be good for all thynges That is mercy whiche wynneth the goodes temporall / the goodes spyrytuell / the godes perdurable of glorye / of the godes temporell sayth Salamon / honoure god of thy rychessys of thy godes tēporel gyue to the poore / god shal replenyssh thy garners of wheet / the cellers of wyne But vnderstande well this worde / that he sayth of thy rychesses and of thy godes / and not the goodes of other / as dooth some that wyll doo almesses of that whiche they haue taken fro other by force / by rauyne / by vsure / or by other euyll cause / maketh oft of other mens leder large thonges But of thyn owne propre good whiche thou holdest truely honoure god For that other thou arte bounden to yelde rendre agayne Also he sayth that thou gyue to the poore not to the ryche / god shall yelde to the an C. double therfore lyke as he sayth in the gospell Mercy is a sede that fructefyeth better in the lene londe than it dooth in fatte How that mercy multyplyeth the goodes temporell we haue many fayre ensamples / of whiche I wyll remembre some here ¶ It is sayd of saynt Germayne of Ancerre / that whan he came frome Rome / as he went out of Melane he demaūded his deken yf he had ony money / he answered that he had but thre pens For saynt Germayne had gyuen all to poore people Then commaunded saynt Germayne to his deken that he sholde gyue tho .iii. pens to the poore people / for god had well wherof to fede them that day The deken with grete payne grutchynge gaue two pens / reteyned the .iii. peny / and as they wēt on the way the seruaunt of a ryche man brought to saynt Germayne fro his lorde CC. shelynges Then called saynt Germayne his deken / sayd to hym that he had stolen fro the pore a peny For yf he had gyuen the .iii. d. to the poore / the knyght hadde sent hym CCC shelynges After it was sayd in the way to saynt Germayne / that to saynt Iohn̄ thamener came a gentylman whiche was robbed of theues so that he had nothynge / and tolde to saynt Iohan thamener his case / he had grete pyte and compassyon on hym / and he commaunded his dyspencer that he sholde gyue hym .xv. poūde / of golde / his dyspencer for couetyse gaf hym but .v. Anone a noble lady sent vnto the sayd saynt Iohan fyue C. pounde / of golde Thenne he called his dyspencer and demaūded hym how moche he had gyuen to that man He ansuerd sayd that he gyuen hym xv poūde The holy man sayd nay / that he had gyuen hȳ but .v. pounde / whan he knewe the trouth by hym that had receyued it / he sayd to his dyspenser / that yf he had gyuen that .xv. poūde Our lorde had sente to hym by the good woman M. vC poūde / whan he demaunded of the good lady whome he called to hym / how moche she had gyuen lefte to hym in her testament / she answerd that she had ordeyned a thousand fyue hondred poūde for to sende hym And whan she sawe the M. pounde raced put out of the wrytynge she thought that god wolde that she sholde sende to hȳ no more but .v. hondred pounde ¶ Also saynt Gregoyre reherceth of saynt Bonyface / that fro that tyme that he was a chylde he was soo pyetous / that he gaf his sherte his gowne vnto the poore / how be it that his moder bete hym ofte therfore ¶ Now it happed that the chylde sawe many poore people that suffred moche dysase / he espyed that his moder was not at home / he ranne to the garners / all that his moder had assembled for the yere he gaf to the poore people And whan his moder came knewe what he had done / she was as out of her wytte Thenne the chylde prayed our lorde the garners were full of whete ¶ Also there as a poore man as it is sayd that had but one cowe / whiche harde saye of his curate in his sermon that god sayd in the gospell / that a man sholde haue an hondred folde double for all that he sholde gyue for goddes sake The good man by the counceyll of his wyfe gaue his cowe vnto his curate in hope to haue an hondred kyen for his cowe / whan he had longe taryed / that promesse abode longe after / he wende that his curate had deceyued hym / and thought that he sholde sle hym / arose on a nyght for to sle hym / and whan he was in the way he founde a grete masse of golde / thenne he thought that god hadde rendred and yelded his promesse and retorned in peas Also of an other poore man bycause that he hadde herde that god wolde so gyue an hondred for one / he gaue his cowe vnto his curate whiche was ryche The preest toke gladly this cowe sent her to his pasture where as his other kyen were And at the euyn the poore mannes cowe came agayne home brought an C. kyen longynge to the preest with her / whan the poore man sawe that / he thought that god had kepte his promysse accordynge to the gospell And the sayd kyen were Iuged tofore the bysshop to the poore man ageynst the preest These ensamples to fore sayd sheweth well / that mercy is good marchaundyse for it encreaseth well the goodes temporall Also mercy empetreth and geteth of god the goodes spyrytuell perdurable Wherof saynt Poule sayth that it auayleth to all thynge For she gyueth lyfe and grace in this present lyfe / the lyfe of glorye without ende in that other And therfore sayth Dauyd in his psaulter / that god loueth mercy trouthe For she gyueth grace in this worlde / glory in that other Also mercy and almesse kepeth a mā fro all perylles delyuereth hȳ fro spyrytuell dethe that is of helle For many deed men haue ben raysed vnto lyfe by the werkes of mercye / the whiche haue ben doone / wherof there ben many ensaumples in wrytynge of the lyues of sayntes / the whiche is of the deth pardurable of helle Therfore sayd Thobye to his sone Be thou sayd he pyteous and mercyfull as moche as thou mayst For almesse delyuerth kepeth fro all synne fro the deth of helle / and defendeth the soule that it goo not in to the derknesse of helle ¶ Now hast thou herde the braūches and the degrees of mercy / by whiche she groweth and prouffyteth Now the byhoueth to see the braunches of this tree / by whiche she mounteth / and by whiche it descendeth ¶ Here after folowen the braunches of the vertue of mercy and of almesse Ca. C.xxxi THis tree hath mo braunches than thother toforesayd / for it extendeth more than the other wherof there ben braūches on
in many horryble synnes / and ofte in to pyt of hell For lyke as Iob sayth They lede theyr lyues in playes / in deduytes and in delyces / and in an onely poynte they descende in to the pytte of hell / that is at the poynte of dethe / where as they take none hede ¶ The .vii. degree of the vertue of chastyte Ca. C.xlvii THe .vii. degree of the vertue of chastyte / is deuout prayer and orison / that moche auayleth to ouercome all synnes / specyally the synne of lechery / wherof saynt Ambrose sayth / that prayer is a good shelde ageynst all the brennynge dartes of the deuyll of helle And saynt Ysodore sayth / that it is the remedye ageynst all temptacyon of synne / a man for to renne to prayer as soone as the fende tempteth hym vnto synne For the accustomaunce of deuoute prayer and of oryson quencheth all the assautes of synne Deuout prayer is moche myghty vnto almyghty god whan it is vnder sette and accompanyed with foure thynges as of foure pylers ¶ The fyrst thȳge is true fayth / wherof our lorde sayth in the gospell All that ye aske and demaunde in your prayers / haue ye good fayth and stedfast byleue in god / and ye shal haue that ye demaunde And saynt Iames sayth / that one ought demaunde or aske in stedfast fayth without doubtynge For who that doubteth is lyke the fome of the see whiche the wynde ledeth hyther thyder And therfore he that prayeth doubtynge Geteth no thynge of god The seconde thynge that ought to be in prayer is hope to haue that / whiche is demaunded and requyred Herof sayth Dauyd in the psaulter / haue good hope in god and he shall do that whiche / thou requyrest of hym ¶ And also he sayth in another place Lorde haue mercy on me / for my herte trusteth in ye. God gyueth to vs grete hope for to requyre hym / and to haue that / whiche we demaunde of hym whan he sayth in the gospell That who demaundeth / he taketh it / and who so secheth / he fyndeth that is to vnderstonde who demaundeth wysely / and secheth delygently / and knocke and shoue at the dore perseuerantly And whan these thre thynges ben in the prayer / wytte Dylygence / perseueraunce god enhaūceth it / yf thou demaunde wysely Many men praye demaunde whiche be not herde ne graunted of god / by cause they aske euyl not leefully / wherof saynt Iames sayth to theym that can not demaunde / ye aske ofte sayth he of god / but ye gete no thynge by cause that ye can not aske it .. Some aske more hye thynge than apperteyneth to theym as dydsaynt Iohan and saynt Iames / whiche demaunded of god that / that one sholde sytte on the ryght syde of our lorde Ihesu Cryste in his royame / and that other on the lyft syde They asked not wysely but it was with grete presumpcyon And therfore our lorde Ihesu cryst answered to them harde and sayd to theym / ye wote not what ye aske / thenne who that wyll pray to god / lete hȳ kepe hym frome presumpcyon / that he suppose not grete thynges in hym / as dyde the pharesee / whiche auaunted hym in his prayer / and dyspysed other But humbly ought a persone to pray to god in Iugynge / accusynge hym selfe tofore god / whiche seeth euery herte / and knoweth the maladyes of synne / the defautes / and also knoweth that wherof we haue nede / and that whiche is profytable for vs / better than we our selfe / and take ensample of the poore truauntes whiche sheweth theyr soores and maladyes for to moeue the people to pyte towarde them Ryght soo ought one to doo tofore god humbly to shewe his synnes / his defautes to remembre there for to gete grace and pardon There ben other that can demaunde but vyle and lytell thynges / as ben the goodes temporall And god wyll gyue to the a greter thynge he wyll not appease the with an apple or with a peere as a chylde / but he wyll that thou demaunde grete thynges whiche ben for the helthe of thy soule / as his grace his glory For who that demaundeth of god rychesses / or honoures / or dethe / or vengeaunce of his ennemyes / he demaundeth of god foule prayers and agaynst hym selfe / and therfore god graunteth theym not Therfore sayth saynt Austyn / vnderstonde not of god to be a grete thynge / the goodes that he gyueth as well to the wycked as to the good / and to his ennemyes as well as to his frendes And yet more gyueth god of temporall godes to the wycked man than he dooth to the good God gyueth them to the wycked / to th ende that the good persones sholde lerne to dyspyse them as saynt Austyn sayth / whan thou prayest sayth saynt Ambrose / ae grete thynges that ben they that endureth withouten ende / not the thynges transytorye But them that endureth without ende For suche a prayer as to demaunde temporal goodes / he graunteth thē not And therfore our good mayster Ihesu cryst techeth vs for to demaunde wysely And formeth vnto vs oure demaunde / whan he sayth in the gospel yf ye demaunde ony thynge of my fader in my name / he shall gyue it you He demaundeth in the name of Ihesu Cryst that demaūdeth that whiche appertayneth to the helthe of his soule And what thynge we ought to aske demaunde / he ensygneth and techeth vs whan he sayth in the gospell Seche ye fyrst the reame of god his Iustyce / and all thynges temporall shall come to your aduauntage For as it is wont to be sayd / vnto the moste nede one ought alway to renne / we haue nede of two thynges of the godes spyrytuell and temporell But we haue gretest nede of the godes spyrytuell And therfore we ought fyrst and pryncypally requyre them / and god shall gyue them and doo to vs auauntage of the seconde good / that ben the godes temporel we ought not to make of the seconde godes the prȳcypall / as dooth the couetous men / whiche seche not too haue none other lyf but this present lyfe / whiche fayleth and escapeth from them / wyll they or nyll they / but the reame of god is lyfe pardurable That ought we requyre of god and desyre by meryte of good prayer And that is that god sayth Seche ye fyrst the realme of heuen / his Iustyce That is to do good werkes / by whiche we may come in to that gloryous realme / the whiche neuer shall fayle / who that secheth in this wyse / almyghty god dooth vnto hym auauntage of temporall godes For he gyueth vnto his vse suffysauntly For no thynge lacketh to theym the whiche dooth drede god and loue hym Lyke as sayth the holy scrypture But the auarycyous people of the worlde the more they haue the more they lacke faylle
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