anxia forsitan ardet THe mortall man living in this world is well compared to a ship on the sea or on a perillous river bearing rich marchandise which if it come to the port where the marchant desireth he shall be happy and rich The ship as soon as it is entered into the sea unto the end of her voâ—age night and day is in perill to be drowned or taken with enemies for in the sea be perills without number Such is the body of man living in the world the marchandise that he beareth is his soul his vertues and good workes the port or haven is death paradise for the good to the which who that goeth thither is soveraignly rich the sea is the world full of sinnes for who that assaieth for to passe it is in perill to leese body soul and all his goods to be drowned in the sea of hell froÌ„ the which God keep us Amen CHAP. XIV Here followeth the field of vertues IN walking furthermore in the field of vertues in the way of health for to come to the tower of sapience it necessarily behoveth to love God for without the love of God none caÌ„ be saved anâ— who that will love him ought first to know him for of his knowledge one commeth to his love that is Charitie the soveraigne of all vertues They knowledge God and love him that keep his commandements they misknow him that do not so to whom in the great necessity of their deceasing and at the day of iudgment shall misknow them and say to them I know ye not nor wot not what ye be go ye cursed out of my company Knowledg we then God and love him and if we will do thus know we first our self by the knowledge of our self we shall come to the knowledge and love of God and the more wee know our self the better we shall know God and if we be ignorant of our self we shall have no knowledge of God To this purpose we must note one thing and know seaven The thing wee must note is this whosoever knoweth himself knoweth God and shall not be damned and who is knoweth not himself knoweth not God and shall not be saved understand of them that have wit and discretion with lawfull age of the which knowledge none is excused after he hath sinned deadly for to say that he was ignorant By this appeareth the ignorance of himself of God right perillous Deadly sin is beginning of all evill contrarily knowledge of God and of himself is soveraign science and vertue beginning of all goodnesse The seven things we ought to have been the xii articles of the faith which wee ought to beleeve stedfastly Also the petitions coÌ„tained in the Pater noster by the which we demand all things necessary for our health and that we ought to hope in him also the commandements of the Law and of the holy Church which ensigneth us what we should do and what we should not do and all things belonging to the same Also if we be in the grace of our Lord or not And howbeit we may not know it certainly neverthelesse wee may have some coniectures which be good to know and knowledge of GOD. Also knowledge of himselfe by the which things we may come to the true love and charitie of God to accomplish his commandements and merit in the realme of heaven wherein wee shall live perdurably Of the iii. first is enough said that is to know the twelve articles of the faith in the which lieth our faith and beleefe and the things that we ought to demand of God be contained in the Pater noster wherein our hope lyeth Also the ten commandements of the Law and of holy Church whereas charity is shewed in such as keep them by probation of the love of God and doe his commandements and good works Now will we speak of the other foure and first of the vocation in which we be which is the fourth thing that each man ought to know Each man ought to know his vocation the things belonging to the same be iust and honest for his health and rest of his conscience A good shepheard ought to know the art of sheep-keeping and to govern sheep and lead them into pastures and to heale them when they be sicke and sheere them in season to the intent through his default no damage come to his master In like wise hee that laboureth the corne to know what ground were good for every manner of graine and ought to till the earth and when time is to sow weed reape and thresh so that his Master may have no damage by him Semblably a Surgion ought to know how to comfort and heale such folkes as hee hath charge of without hiding of his art or Surgery Consequently a Marchant ought to know the utterance of his marchandise to others with no more fraud than he would himself should have Also an Advocate or a Proctor ought to know the rites and customes of places that by their fault Iustice be not perverted A Iudge also ought to know both the parties heard who hath right and who hath wrong and iudge equally after true Iustice. Also a Priest or a religious man ought to know their orders and keep them and above all things ought to know the law of God and teach them unto the ignorant And thus of all other vocations For all them as know not their vocation be not worthy to be and live in peril of their soules for their ignorance The fift that all men ought to know is if he have discretion and understanding to know if he be in the grace of God or not And how it be right difficile for God only knoweth it neverthelesse we may have coniectures that sheweth it and sufficient for Shepheards and lay people to know if they be in the love of the Lord if they have coniecture to be in it therefore there ought none to repute themselves iust but ought to humble themselves ask him mercy as maketh sinners become and none other Principally we ought to know this science when we will receive the body of Iesus Christ. For who that receiveth his grace and goodnes receiveth his salvation and who that receiveth him otherwise receiveth everlasting damnation of the which thing every man is iudge in himself of his owne conscience and none other The coniectures whereby we may know if that we be in the grace of God or not The first coniecture is when we do travel for to clense our conscience of our faults by penance as much as if we laboured to get some great good that wee be not culpable of any deadly sin done or in will to doe nor in any sentence then it is good coniecturing to be in the grace of God The second coniecture that sheweth in like wise to be in the grace of God is when we bee more prompt and ready to good observing and keeping the
hardning but then the Sun beginneth a little for to descend downward so man then goeth from youth toward age and beginneth to acquaint him with sadnesse for then he is xlii year After that then commeth August then we gather in our corn and also the fruits of the earth and then doth man his diligence to gather for to find himself withall in the time that he may neither get nor win and then after that vi yeers is he xlviii year old Then commeth September that wines be made and the fruits of trees be gathered And then therewithall he doth freshly beginne to garnish his house and make provision of needfull things for to live in winter which draweth very neer and then is man in his most ioyful couragious estate prosperous in wisdome purposing to gather and keep as much as should be sufficient for him in his old age when he may gather no more and these six years maketh him liv years And then commeth October that all is into the foresaid house gathered but corn and also other maner fruits And also the labourer soweth new seeds in the earth for the yeer to come And then he that soweth nought shall nought gather And then in these other six years a man shall take himself unto God for to do penance good works and then the benefits the yeer after his death he may gather and have spiritual profit and then is man full in the term lx year Then commeth November that the days are very short and the sun in manner giveth little heat the trees lose their leaves The fields that were green look hory and gray When all manner of herbs be hidde in the ground and then appeareth no flowers And then winter is come that a man hath understanding of age and hath lost his kindly heat strength His teeth begin to rot and also to chatter and then hath he no more hope of long life but desireth to come to the life everlasting and these six for this month maketh him lx and six years Then commeth December full of cold with frost and snow with great winds and stormy weather that a man may not labour nor nought do the sun is then at the lowest that it may desceÌ„d then the trees the earth is hid in snow then is it good to hold them nigh the fire to spend the goods that they gathered in summer For then beginneth mans hair to wax white gray his body crooked feeble then he loseth the perfect understaÌ„ding and that six years maketh him full lxxii year and if he live any more it is by his good guiding and dieting in his youth Howbeit it is possible that a man may live till he be an hundred yeers of age but there are but few that come thereto Wherefore I Shepheard said moreover that of living or dying the heavenly bodies may stirre a man both to good and evill without doubt of a surety but yet may a man withstand it by his own free will to do what he will himself good or bad evermore Above the which inclination is the might and will of God that longeth the life of man by his goodnesse or to take it short by his iustice Wherefore we will shew you of the bodies celestiall and of the nature and movings and this present book is named the Compost for it comprehendeth fully all the compost and more for the days hours moments and the new Moons and the eclipse of the Sun and Moon and of the sign that the Moon is in every day and this book was made for them that are no Clerks to bring them to great understanding And this Calender is divided into five parts The first of our signs of the compost and the Kalender The second is the tree of vices with the paines of hell The third is the way of health of man the tree of vertues The fourth is physick and governance of health The fift is Astrology and physnomy for to understand many deceivings and which they be by likelihood the which by nature are inclined and can do them as you shall read ere you come to the end For to have the Shepheards understanding of their Kalender ye should understand that the year is the measure of the time that the sunne passeth the twelve signs returning to his first point is divided into the twelve months As Ianuary February March and so forth to December So the sunne in these twelve months passeth by twelve signs one time The days of his entring into the signs in the Kalender and the days also when he parteth the yeer as the xii months into lii weeks three hundred sixty and five days and when bysext is it is threescore and vi one day is xxiv hours every hour lx minutes After these divisions yee must understand for every year three things The first speaketh of the Golden number The second of the letter dominicall And the third is the letter tabular in the which lyeth all the chief knowledge of this Kalender for the which letter and number to understand all that they would whether it be past or to come ye shall put three figures after the Kalender of the which the first shall shew the value and declaration of the two other and it is to be understâ—â—d that in four years there is one Bysâ—xt the which hath one day more than the other and also hath two letters dominicals signed in one of the foresaid figures and changeth the latter day of S. Matthew the which is vigill and is put with the day upon one letter by himself Also the letters Ferials of this Kalender be to be understood as they of the other kalenders before the which are the numbers and the other three after the letters ferials First for because the letters descendeth low is the golden number above the day of the new Moon And the which to be the hour and moments of the said month which when they are in service before noon of the day above there And when they are black service for afternoon of the same day in the places of the number betokeneth that number where it is The naturall day is to be understood from midnight to midnight xxiv houres and shall serve the said numbers for the letters Ferials xix yeer complete from the year that this Kalender was made one thousand four hundred fourescore and seventeen unto the yeer one thousand five hundred and sixteen In the which yeer shall begin all to serve this golden number and the other numbers after the letters ferials all in the manner as they be before for the other xix yeers And all the remnant of the compost and of the kalender is perpetual for the golden number so shall they be xxxviii yeers of the which yeers one thousand four hundred fourscore seventeen is the first The feasts of the kalender are in their daies of the which the solennall are in red storied in the unity
commandements of God and doe all good workes that we should have accustomed The third coniecture is when wee hear gladly the word of God as Sermons and good counsellers for our saluation The fourth when we be sorry and contrite at our heart to have commised and done any sin The fift is when with good purpose and will of our selves we persever to keep us from sin in time to come These coniectures be they whereby Shepheards and lay people know if they be in his grace or not as much as in them is possible to know The sixt thing that every man ought to know is God for all men ought to know God for to accomplish his will and commandement by the which he would be loved with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all the force that we have which we may not doe if we know him not then who that would love God ought to know him and the more that they know him the more they love him wherefore hereafter shall be said how Shepheards and simple people doe know him Shepheards and simple people for to have knowledge of God of their possibility considering 3 things The first is that they consider the right great riches of God his puissance his soveraign dignity his soveraign noblenesse his soveraign ioy and blisse The second is for they consider the right noble right great and marvellous operations and workes of our Lord God And the third consideration is for they consider the innumerable benefits that they have received of God and that continually every day they receive of him and by these considerations they come to his cognisance and knowledge First to know God Shepheards and lay people consider his great riches plenteous abundance of the goodnesse that he hath for all the treasures and riches of heaven and of the earth bee his and all goodnesse he hath made of the which he is fountaine creator and master and distributeth them largely unto every creature and he hath no need of any other Wherfore it behoveth to say that he is right rich Secōdly he is right puissant for by his great puissance hee hath made heaven earth and the sea with all things contained in them and might undoe them if it were his will unto the which puissance all other be subiect and tremble before him for his great excellency And who that would consider every work of God should find enough to marvell on By the first of these consideratiōs God is known to be right rich by gifts that he giveth to his friends and by the second he is known right puissant for to avenge him on his enemies Thirdly he is soveraignly worthie for all the things of heaven and earth oweth him honour and reverence as to their Creatour and him that made them as wee see children honour father and mother of whom they be descended by a generation and all things be descended of God by a creation to whom ought to be given great reverence and he is so worthie Fourthly hee is soveraignly noble for who that is soveraignly rich puissant and worthie him behoveth to be soveraignlie noble but none other but God hath riches puissance and dignity as he hath wherfore of such nobles ought to be said that he is right noble Fifthly he hath soveraign ioy for he that is rich puissant worthie and right noble is not without soveraign ioy and this ioy is full of all goodnesse and ought to be our felicitie to the which we hope to come That is to know and see God in his soveraign ioy and gladnesse for to have with him eternall ioy that ever shall endure And this is the first consideration of GOD. that shepheards and other simple people ought to have Secondly for to know God considering his great noblenesse and marvellous workes the bounty and the beauty of the things that he hath made for it is commonly said one may know the workman by the work· Knowledge wee then the work of God and knowledge we that his beauty bounty shineth in the operations that he hath made which if they bee fair and good the workman that hath made them must needs bee fair and good without comparison more than any thing that he hath made Be it considered of the heavens and the things therein set what noble and marvellous work how may one consider their excellence beauty Bee it considered also as we may of the earth the right noble marvellous works of God the gold the silver and all manner of metals precious stones in it the fruits that it beareth the trees the beasts that it sustaineth and of the bountie that it nourisheth Be it in like wise considered of the sea the rivers the fish nourished in them The weather the elements the ayre the winds the birds that flie in them and all the usage and service of men And consider the workeman that of his puissance hath made all by his sapience hath right well ordered his works and governeth them by his great bounty and by this manner we may know God as shepheards and simple folkes in considering his work Thirdly for to know God consider the great benefits that we receive daily of him which may not be numbred for their great multitude nor spoken of for their noblenesse dignity albeit in their hearts be vi principally noted For the which another Shepheard giving praises to God said in this manner Lord God I know thou hast indued me with thy infinit benefits by thy great bounty First the benefit of thy creation by the which thou madest me a reasonable man unto thy image and similitude giving me body and soul and raiment to clothe me Lord thou hast given me my wits of nature understanding for to govern my life my health my beautie my strength and my science for to get my living honestly I yeeld to thee graces and great thankes Secondly Lord I know the goodnes of my redemption how by thy misericordious pity thou boughtst me dearly by the affection of thy most precious bloud paines and torments that for me thou hast suffered finally endured death thou hast given me thy body thy soul and thy life for to keep me from damnation wherefore humblie I yeeld to thee graces and great thankes Thirdlie Lord I know the goodnesse of my vocation how of thy great grace thou hast called me again for to inherit thy eternall benediction and also thou hast given unto me faith and knowledge of thine owne self as baptism and all the other sacraments that none intendment may comprize their noblenesse and dignity that so many times hath pardoned me of my sinnes Lord I know that this is to mee a singular gift that thou hast not given to them which have no knowledge of thee whereof I am more beholding humblie bound I yeeld thee graces and thanks Fourthly Lord I knowledge that thou hast given this world and the things that be therein made for my
this time shal be furious incontinent angry and soon appeased she is nimble serviceable wise ioyous and shall suffer many perilles if any person do her any service she will recompence them wel she shall be labouring and take great pain unto xxx year and then she shall have rest she shall have many sons she must be wedded at xiv year honours and gifts shall follow her she shal have wounds and be whole thereof and shal have perill of waters and shal be hurt in a secret place she shall be bitten of a dog and shal live lxx year after nature The days of Jupiter Venus and Luna to them been right good and the days of Mars right evill and aswell the man as the woman shal have good fortunes and victory over their enemies Of the sign of Leo. AS wee read he that is born under the sign of Leo from mid Iuly to mid August shal be fain and hardy he shall speak openly and shall be mercifull he shall weep with the weepers and shal be arrogant in words he shall have a perill in certain time and at xxx year he shal be awaited to be damaged but he shall eschue that perril his benefites shall be in great he shall be honoured of good folk and obtain his enterprise he shall have goods by temporal services he shall be ingrate to theeves and shal be great and puissant he shall have charge of the commonalty and as much as he leeseth he shall win hee shall come to dignity and shall â—e amiable he shall take fortune of three wives hee will goe often on pilgrimages and suffer pain oâ— the sight hee shall fall from high and be fearful of water he shall find hid money at viii year of age he shall be sick also he shal be in perill and doubt of some great Lord and at xxxvi year he shal be bitten of a dog and be whole with great pain and shall live lxxxiv year after nature The woman that shal be born in this time shall be a great lyer fair well spoken mercifull pleasant and may not suffer ne see men weep she shall be meek her first husband shall not live long she shall have pain in her stomake she shal be awaited of her neighbours at xvii year and live to great riches she shall have children of three men she shall be amiable and have the blouddy flixe and shall be bitten of a dogge she shall fall from high and live lxxvii year after nature The days of Mercury Sol and Mars to them be right good the daies of Saturn been contrary and as wel the man as the woman shal be hardy great quarrellers and mercifull Of the sign of Virgo OF the sign of Virgo I find that hee which is born from mid August to mid September shall gladly commend his wife he shal be a great house-houlder ingenious he shal be solycitous to his work he shall be shamefaced of great courage and all that he seeth he shall covet in his understanding he will be soon angry and surmount his enemies Scarcely shall he be a while with his first wife he shal be fortunate at xxxi year he will not hide that that he hath and shal be in perill of water he shal have a wound with iron and shall live lxx year after nature The woman then born shall be shamefaced ingenious will take pain and ought to be wed at xxii year she shall not be long with her first husband Her second husband shall be of long life and shall have much good by another woman she shall fall from high her life shall be in perill and shal die shortly she shall suffer dolour at x. year if she escape those dolours she shall live lxx year after nature she shall bring forth vertuous fruit and every thing shall favour her she shall reioyce in divers fortunes The daies of Mercury and of Sol shal be right good for them and the daies of Mars shall be contrary And as well the man as woman shall suffer many temptations so that with great pain they many resist them they shall delight to live in chastitie but they shall suffer much wheresoever it be Of the sign of Libra AMong planets Libra ought to be remembred for he that is born from mid September to mid October shal be right mightily praised and honored in the service of Captains he shall gâ—e in unknown places and shall get in strange lands he shall keep well his own if he make not relevation by drink he will not keep his promise he shall be envied by silver and other goods he shal be married and goe from his wife he shall speak quickly and shall have no domage among his neighbours he shall have under his might the goods of dead folk and shall have some sign in his members Oxen horse and other beasts shal be given to him he shall have domage and iniury he shall be enriched by women and experyment evill fortunes many shall aske counsaile of him He shall live lxx year after nature The woman that is born in this time shall be amyable and of great courage she will anounce the death of her enemyes and shall go in places unknown she shall be debonair and merry reioyce by her husband if she be not wedded at xiii years he shall not be chast and shall have no sons by her first husband she shall goe many pilgrimages after xxx year she shall prosper better and have great honour and praise then after she shall be greevously sick and shall be brent in the feet about xii year of age and shall live lx year after nature The days of Venus of Luna for them been right good and the days of Mercury contrary And aswel the man as the woman shall be in doubt unto the death and there is doubt in the end Of the sign of Scorpio WEe read that he which is born in the sign of Scorpius from mid October to mid November shall have good fortune he shall be a great fornicatour the first wife that hee shall have in marriage shall become too religious he will serve gladly to Images he shall suffer pain in his privy members at the age of xv year he shall be hardy as a Lyon and amiable of forme many faculties shall be given to him hee shall be a great goer in visiting divers countries for to know the customes and statutes of many Cities and shall have victory over all his enemys they may not hinder him in no manner of wise hee shall have money by his wife and shall suffer divers dolours of the stomake he shall be merry and love the company of merry folk In his right shoulder shal be a sign by sweet words adulations he shall be deceived he will often say one thing and doe another he shall have a wound with iron he shall be bitten of a dog or of some other beast he shall be in doubt and have divers enemies at the age of