|b{Quattuor_Sermones}
|b{printed_by_William_Caxton,}
|b{edited_by_N.F._Blake.}
|b{Middle_English_Texts_2}
|b{Heidelberg:_Carl_Winter,_1975.}
|b{pp.19-89.}



|p19


                     QUATTUOR SERMONES

     |r[a1] The Mayster of Sentence in the second book and the
     first distynction sayth that the souerayn cause why God
     made al creatures in heuen, erthe or water was his oune
     goodnes, by the whiche he wold that somme of them shold
     haue parte and be comoners of his euerlastyng blisse.
     But for as moche as no creature myght come to that
     blisse wythout knowlege of hym, therfore he made
     resonable creatures as angelis and mankynde of wyt and
     wisdom wherby they shold knowe hym and so thorowe that
|r10 knowlege come to the blisse that they were made to.
     This maner of knoulege had our forn fader Adam and Eue
     in the state of theyr innocencie without ony traueyle,
     the whyche we shold haue had also yf they had not
     synned. But that knowleche that we haue now is of
     heeryng, lernyng and techyng of other that can the
     lawe and the fayth of Holy Chirche, the whiche we that
     haue the cure of soulis be bounde to teche or to doo
     teche our parisshens on payn of dampnacion of our
     soulis. And for as moche as my wylle is not to offende
|r20 God neyther to lese myn oune sowle ne youris, I purpose
     me by his leue hoomly thus to shewe it and rede it to
     you in the book, for to your lernyng hit is as good
     thus as wythout. And thus dyd Esdras, Moyses and Baruk
     in the old lawe, and so dyd Crist also in the newe lawe.
     And right as I am thus bound to telle and to teche it
     you, so be ye bound to lerne it and to conne it and so
     to teche it to other folkys the whiche be vnder you to
     your power. And how ye shal come to this knowlege of
     God these thynges folowyng shal shewe you.


|r30    This is the fyrst peticion of the Pater Noster.

     The first is the Pater Noster the whiche Our Lord made
     and taught his discyplis, the whiche conteyneth seuen
     short peticions. The first is "Fader Our that art in
     heuyns halowyd be thy name". By thys ye be beholde to



|p20


     loue eche other as sister and brother and also to yelde
     hym worshyp and drede for the grete worthynes, ryches
     and fayrnes that he hath here yeuyn to you and lent you.
     For more worthynesse may not be thenne to be callyd the
     sone of God ne gretter ryches thenne to be heyr of the
     blysse of heuyn ne more fayrnes thenne to be lyke to
     suche a fader, for we be al brethern and sustris of oon
     fader and moder, God and Holy Chirche, in token that
     noon of vs shold scorne other as the proud doth the
|r10 poure. |r[a1v] He is also in heuyn notwythstondyng that
     he is in euery place; but yet most propyrly he is in
     heuen. Therfore halowe we so hys name in vs here that
     we defoule not his holynes by synne, but that by the
     yefte of wysdom we may so here be clensid fro alle
     fylthe of synne and so fulfilled of his loue that al
     other louys contrarye to his wylle be bytter to vs.

     The second is "Thy kyngdom come to us". That is to say
     that he and his holynes so reygne in vs and gouerne alle
     our lyf here that we may after reygne wyth hym in blisse
|r20 that euer shal last. And by very charite thou shalt
     destroye the foul synne of enuye.

     The thyrd is "Thy wylle be doon in erthe as it is in
     heuyn". And tho that grudgyn in sekenes, losse of
     goodes or other diseasis ayenst God doo ageynst this
     peticion and gretely displese God. Therfore praye we
     that as al angellis & holy sowlis plesyn God in heuen
     so muste we here in erthe, nothyng askyng ayenst his
     wylle. And thus by loue thou shalt destroye the foule
     synne of wrathe.

|r30 The fourth is "Our euerydayis brede gyue vs today".
     That is to say our ful sustenaunce for body and soule.
     Thus prayed the wyse man that sayd "Lord, neyther
     riches ne pouerte geue me but that that is necessary to
     my lyuelod". By thys is couetyse destroyed and the
     gyfte of compassyon and pyte brought in.

     The v is "And forgyue vs our trespassis as we forgyue
     them that trespace ayenst vs". This is ayenst the that
     berist grete rancour and malice ayenst thy neyghbour



|p21


     or art to gredy of thy dettis to the poure and wolt
     not forgyue hym a litil dette or trespas thereas
     God foryeuyth the many greuous offencis, for the whyche
     ne were his grete mercy thou sholdyst be dampnyd. To
     this therfore is knytte the spyryte of kunnynge that
     shewyth the what thou art, what parel thou stondyst
     in and what Our Lord suffryd for the.

     The sixth is "And lede vs not into temptacion". Hit is
     not to pray here that no temptacion assayle vs in that
|r10 the deuyl hath lycens to tempte man as he dyd Crist &
     his appostlis, and vs alday doth so that his power may
     not be put awaye wythout the helpe and mercy of God.
     Therfore, holy Fader, by the helpe & grace of thy
     spirite of pyte kepe our hertis in temptacion that we
     consent not ne be ouercome with synne.

     The vii is "But deliuer vs from al euyl of synne,
     Amen". & this is the last peticion to the which is
     yeuen the spirite of drede that makith a man to with_drawe
     |r[a2] fro al euyl of synne, for the begynnyng of
|r20 wysdom is to drede God & his rightwysnes.

     These seuen peticions, thus with a clene herte askyd,
     remeuyth and put awey the seuen dedely synnes & indueth
     thy sowle with many holy vertues.


                            Aue Maria.

     Furthermore as for the salutacion of Our Lady, Pope
     Vrban and Pope Iohan to al beyng in clene lyf that in
     the ende of the Aue Maria saye thyse wordys "Ihesus,
     Amen", as often as they saye it they haue grauntyd of
     pardon iiii xx and foure dayes. And so as often as
|r30 thou sayest Our Lady Sauter, so ofte thou hast of
     pardon xxxiiii yere and xxx wekys.



|p22


        These ben the twelue articles of the fayth.

     The second thyng that thou sholdest knowe God by be the
     articles of the feyth, by the whiche grace and mercy be
     purchasid of God and eche vertuous dede strengthyd.
     What this fayth is these articles folowyng shul shewe
     you.

     The first is Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, crea_torem 
     celi et terre. "I beleue in God, Fader almyghty,
     maker of heuen and of erthe". To belyue to God is one
|r10 & to beleue in God is another. The deuyl beleuyth to
     God, that is to saye that he and his wordes ben trewe;
     yet many one faylith herein for and they dyd beleue
     that the wordes of God were trewe (that is to saye that
     for theyr good deedys they shold haue euerlastyng lyf
     and for theyr euyl dedys the peynys of helle), they wold
     eyther for drede or for loue amende them. "To beleue in
     God", sayth Saynt A[u]gustyn, "is to cleue to God by
     loue fulfillyng his wylle". This is verry beleue. Thus
     and thou synne ayenst God it is for lacke of beleue; yet
|r20 in that he is of powere to punyssh the yf thou wolt not
     leue it.

     The second is  Et in Ihesum Cristum filium eius vnicum,
     dominum nostrum. "I beleue in Ihesu Cryst his oonly Sone,
     Our Lord". Vnderstonde here that Ihesu Crist the Sone
     is euen wyth the Fader wythout begynnyng and that the
     Fader doth nothynge wythout the Sone ne the Sone wythout
     the Fader; and thus bothe they be almyghty.

     The thyrd is Qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus 
     ex Maria Virqine. The thyrd is, I beleue that he was
|r30 conceyuyd of the Holy Ghoost and borne of the Virgyn
     Marie". Here Cryst, the second persone of the Holy
     Trynyte, toke flessh and blood of Our Lady by the Holy



|p23


     Ghooste wythout medlynge of man, she beyng a mayde
     after as she was tofore. For as she conceyued hym
     wythout synne, so wythout synne and bodely payn she
     |r[a2v] childyd hym, very God and man.

     The fourth is Passus sub Poncio Pilato, crucifixus,
     mortuus & sepultus  "I beleue that he suffrid payn
     vnder Pounce Pilate, doon on the crosse, deed and
     buried". Here Crist, the Sone of God, suffrid mekely
     and trespaced neuer for we shold mekely suffre that
|r10 moche haue trespassid. He was also crucifyed for we
     shold chastyse our flessh by penaunce in withstondyng
     synne; and he was buried in token that we shold hyde
     our good dedys fro preysyng and veynglorye of the world
     & to haue mynde that erthe is our herytage by kynde of
     our bodely flessh.

     The v is Descendit ad inferna; tercia die resurrexit a
     mortuis "I beleue that he went doun to helle & the third
     day arose from deth to lyf". Crist thus bodely deed
     laye in the sepulcre without the soule tyl the thyrd
|r20 day that he arose, the godhed not partid fro the body.
     He went doun into helle and delyueryd the holy soulis
     that were there thorow vertue of the godhed, and the
     third day arose fro deth to lyf in tokyn that the light
     of his deth hath destroyed our double deth & that we
     shal aryse fro ghoostly deth by thre maner of mydycynys,
     contricyon, confessyon and satisfaccion.

     The vi is Ascendit ad celos, sedet ad dextram Dei 
     patris omnipotentis "I beleue that he styed into heuen
     and set hym there on his Faders right hond". Thus
|r30 Crist apperyng to his discyples after his resurrection
     ete with them in tokyn that he was verry man as he was
     afore, and so styed into heuyn and hyghed mankynde
     aboue al angelis, openyng heuyn gate to shewe man the
     weye and to pray for mankynde.

     The vii is Inde venturus est iudicare viuos et mortuos
     "I beleue that he is to come to deme the quyk & the



|p24


     deed". This Crist Ihesu, verry God and man, shal come
     to the dome & deme alle mankynde, quyck and dede, good
     and euyl, after their dedys. There shal somme come to
     the dome and not be demyd, as hethyn men, for they synne
     wythout lawe and therfore wythout lawe they must
     perisshe. Somme also shal be demyd and dampned as fals
     crysten men that beleue in Ihesu Cryst wythout loue and
     good werkys. There shalle subgettis accuse theyr euyl
     curatys that wold not repreue them of theyr synnes ne
|r10 teche them the commaundementis of God. Also chyldren
     vnchastysed shal there repreue theyr faders & moders
     that wold not chastyse them of theyr wantonnesse. There
     shal the poure accuse the ryche that wold not helpe
     them in theyr myschyef. Amende |r[a3] al this therfore
     whyles that thou art here, and haue mynde how sodenly
     his vengeaunce fallyth and as how he fyndyth the he
     shall deme the.

     The viii is  Credo in Spiritum Sanctum  "I beleue in the
     Holy Ghoost" - the thyrd persone of the Trynyte. The
|r20 Holy Ghoost is al so very God wythout begynnyng and
     endyng and euyn in wytte, myght and goodnes with the
     Fader and Sone; and alle thre ben one God almyghty.

     The ix is Sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam, sanctorum 
      communionem "I beleue in Holy Chirche and comonyng of
     sayntis". Holy Chirche thorowout the world is holy and
     one to al cristen men that in the sacramentis of the
     chyrche dele & comonyth togyder. Therfor it is forbode
     that in chirche ne chyrcheyerde ther be neyther clamour
     ne stryf, daunsyng, drynkynges ne inhonest myrthis; ne
|r30 occasion of synne shold not be yeue there where as for_yeuenes
     shold be askyd. Holy Chirche is partid in
     thre: one is in this world of them that shold be sauyd
     by the mercy of God, and this is euer fyghtyng ayenst
     these thre enemyes, the world, the flessh and the
     deuyl; and another is in purgatorye of soulis that
     abyde there the grete mercy of God; the third is Crist



|p25


     of heuen, heed of al other with his sayntis, the whiche
     is fre fro al maner discencions. These thre shal be
     one after the day of dome, ioyeng with Ihesu their heed
     in the blys that neuer shal haue ende. Comonyng of
     sayntis whan eche of these thre parties helpyn other.
     They in heuen helpen the other two with prayer, and
     they in erthe helpyn them in purgatory with theyr
     prayer and almes, and these two helpe them in heuyn
     when theyr ioye and blisse is encreasid. And thus eche
|r10 comonyth wyth other.

     The x is Remyssyonem peccatorum. "I beleue foryeuenes
     of synnys". They that amende theyr lyf here and doo
     verry penaunce willyng to leue theyr synnys and ende
     in charite shal haue foryeuenes of al theyr synnys;
     for Crist by his deth and passyon of his Fader gate
     vs foryeuenes, and he hymself by his godhede al so
     foryeuyth al origynal & actual synne in our baptym.

     The xi is Carnis resureccionem "I beleue rysyng of
     body". Al mankynde at the day of dome shal rise from
|r20 deth to lyf in body & soule togeder & after that neuyr
     be departid. & thenne they that haue endid in dedly
     synne shul goo in body & soule to the euerlastyng
     payne of helle wythout mercy; and they that haue wel
     lyuyd and endid in charyte and out of dedely synne
     shal wende |r[a3v] in body and sowle togyder to blisse
     for euermore. Of this bl isse spekith Saynt Mathewe
     in the last article.

     The twelfthe is Et vitam eternam, Amen "I beleue in
     euerlastyng lyf".

|r30 Thes ben the articles of the feyth the whiche but
     euery man treuly and sadly beleue may not be sauyd,
     for without feyth hit is not possyble to plese God.


            These be the x commaundementis of God.

     The thyrd thyng that thou sholdest knowe God by by
     his ten commaundementis, whiche he hymself wrote in
     two tablis of stoon and toke them to Moyses to teche



|p26


     them his peple, promysyng them that wolde kepe them
     his blessyng, welth and welfare, and to them that wolde
     not his curse, grete sorowe and myschefe. A man askyd
     of Crist what he myght doo to haue euerlastyng lyf and
     he answeryd and sayd "Yf thou wolt entre euerlastyng
     lyf, kepe the commaundementis". This preuyth yf thou
     kepe his commaundementis thou fulfillest alle the lawe
     of God and shalt haue euerlastyng lyf.

     The first is he commaundyth that thou haue no god but
|r10 hym ne that thou worshyp, serue ne yeue thy trust to
     none other creature, ymage ne thyng grauyn, but oonly
     to hym. In thys is forboden mawmetry, fals enchaunte_mentis,
     wytchecrafte, fals charmys and dremys and
     mysbeleuys that ony man or woman hopith helpe in
     wythoute almyghty God. In thys ye synne dedely that
     for sekenes or losse of goodes put your feyth and
     byleue that ye shold haue in your Lord God by the
     deuyllys mynystris, fals wytches, the whyche brynge
     many a soule to the deuyl; for they beleue more the
|r20 wytches wordes thenne inne the wordes of scripture
     that the preest techyth them. Alle suche haue Goddys
     curse at the leste iiii tymes a yere in the Grete
     Sentence and euery day in our Pryme.

     As for ymagys also ye shul vnderstonde that as clerkys
     seyn in theyr bokys how they shold lyue and doo, so
     shold lewd men lerne by ymagis whom they shold worshyp
     and folowe in lyuyng. To doo Goddys worship to ymagis
     euery man is forbede. Therfore when thou comyst to
     the chirche, first beholde Goddys body vnder fourme of
|r30 brede in the auter & thanke hym that he vouchesauf
     euery day to come fro e holy heuyn aboue for e helth
     of thy soule. Loke thou on the crosse & therby haue
     mynde in the passyon that he theron suffrid for the.
     Thenne to e ymagis of the holy saintis, not beleuyng
     on them, but that by the sight of them thou may haue
     mynde |r[a4] of them that be in heuen and so to folowe
     theyr lyf as moche as thou mayst. Yf thou thus worshyp,



|p27


     loue and serue God, thenne shall alle worship, loue
     and serue the. And so thou shalt fulfille the first
     and most commaundement.

     The second is that thou take not in vayn the holy
     names of God. Thou takest the name of God in veyn
     when thou turnest ayene to thy synne after thy
     baptym; thou takest it in veyn also when thou swerist
     & forswerist the and rekkyst not how. "Afore alle
     thyng", sayth Saynt Iame, "swere ye not lest ye falle
|r10 vnder the dome of God". "Hit is onely reseruyd to
     God", sayth Saynt Iohan, "that thou swere by hym and
     his trouthe and his rightwisnes". Therfore or thou
     swere see that thou be compellyd by dome and that it
     be right, not for enuye, loue ne drede, but only for
     rightwysnes in declaryng of trouthe. And yf ony of
     thyse fayle, it is pariurye. Beware therfore ye that
     vse questys or consistorye and hereth what parel ye
     stonde yn that wytyngly be forswore on the boke. The
     boke betokenyth alle holy scrypture and the suffragis
|r20 of the Chirche the whiche there thou forsakyst when
     thou forswerist the, thy handys al the good werkys
     that euer thou dedist the whiche thou forsakist when
     thou wythdrawist it. Thou forsakyst also God almyghty,
     Our Lady Saynt Mary, alle the sayntes of heuen and the
     meritis of the holy sacramentis and hooly betakist
     thyself to the deuyl of hell but thou amende the or
     thou goo hens. If they thenne shull thus be punyshed
     for swerynge, how shal they be that blasfeme & dis_membre
     hym swerynge by his herte, naylis, woundys and
|r30 suche other? Somme when they be repreuyd hereof seyn
     "Is it not good to haue God in mynde?" - and with
     suche leudnes they kepe styl theyr othes. And thy
     seruaunt dyd ayenst thy byddynge sayeng that he dyd it
     to haue the in mynde, woldest thou not be wroth wyth
     hym? Moche more must God thenne with the when thou
     doost ayenst his byddynge. And sum sayn "I may wel
     swere for I swere soth". This is a fals excusacion
     for and thou sholdest alwey swere when thou saist



|p28


     soth thenne wold not Crist haue forbede sweryng. But
     for in moche swerynge is ofte forsweryng, therfore he
     sayth that he that moche swerith shal be replete with
     wyckednes and sorow ne vengeaunce shal not departe
     from hys hous. Sum sayn also that no man wyl byleue
     them but they swere. This is a subtil excusacion for
     therby a fals man may swere as wel as a |r[a4v] trew man
     and so shold he as wel be beleuyd as the trewe man, for
     the falser he is the more he sweryth and forswerith
|r10 and so begyleth. Therfore yf thou wylt be beleuyd
     wythout sweryng be trewe of thy word and lette it be
     "ye, ye" and "nay, nay" in token that thou sayest wyth
     thy mouth thou sholdest say it wyth thyn herte and not
     say one and thynke another.

     The thyrd is haue in mynde to halowe thyn halydayes,
     that is to say Sundayes and other that ben bodyn.
     Almyghty God in vi dayes made heuyn, erthe and see and
     al that in them is and the seuenth day restyd; therfore
     he blessyd it and made it hooly. But in stede thereof
|r20 we cristen men of grete deuocion halowe the Sonday, the
     whiche was the first day of the world whereynne God
     made lyght; and that day God yaue to Moyses the lawe;
     that day he arose from deth to lyf; that day the Holy
     Ghoost yaue wysedom to the appostlis to preche the
     trouth of Cristys lawe; and that day as clerkis say
     shal also be Domysday. Therfore shal euery man in that
     day besye hem to here Goddys seruyse, lerne his lawe
     and fle synne and flesshly lustys, tauernes and suche
     chaffaryngis that lettith them to reste in Our Lord.
|r30 Yet many there be that suche dayes be more besy in
     worldly werkys and synnes thenne al the weke after and
     neuer wol reste for no techyng ne loue ne drede of God.
     These be most lyke to them in helle that neuer reste
     but euer labour in peyn. They breke also the holyday
     that spende theyr tyme in ydelnes as in veyn pleyes,
     ydel speche and bacbytyng of theyr euyn cristen. Why
     sayth Our Lord haue in mynde to halowe thyn holyday
     but for thou sholdest put out of thyn herte al worldly
     thoughtys and ocupye it with heuenly desyres as to



|p29


     thynke what God hath doon for the, how he made the
     of nought and lyke to hym in soule, how he raunsounyd
     the out of the pyt of helle wyth his owen precious
     herte blood, how also of his goodnes he kepyth the
     nyght and day in thy right wyttis and fro al bodely
     myscheues that many oon alday fallyth ynne, and
     how ayenst al this thou yeuest hym a drynk of galle
     of bitter synne and brekyst his commaundementis bothe
     in worde, thought and dede. Thus to haue mynde in al
|r10 thyse he askyd reste of body and soule on the holy
     day; and thus rest sygnyfyeth the reste in blys that
     we shul haue after this yf we rest in hym on the
     holyday here and fle synne.

     The iiii is worship |r[a5] thy fader and moder. Thre
     maner of faders there be that thou must worshyp. The
     first is thy fader of heuyn that made the of nought
     and norisshith thy body wyth erthly food, comforteth
     thy soule wyth heuenly desire, defendyth hit fro the
     deuyl & makith it heyr of the blys of heuyn. Thus
|r20 may none doo but he our fader, our lord and our God.
     The second fader is he that gate the and thy moder
     that bare the, to whom thou shalt be subget &
     seruysable for they be the second cause of thy beyng
     in thys lyf. Thenne thou shalt also worshyp and yeue
     of thy goodes frely yf they haue nede and thou haue
     more than they. Comforte, counceyl & teche them in
     meke manere after thy kunnynge hou they shul please
     God. But bewaar that thou obey them not in synne.
     And yf they be deed, lyue wel and pray for theyr
|r30 saluacion. This lesson shold euery fader and moder
     bodyly & ghoostly teche theyr chyldren. The thyrd
     fader is man and woman of age, namely tho that be
     vertuous and most specially thy ghoostly fader the
     whiche whan thou hast trespaced makyth God and the
     at oon; for as thy soule passyth thy body so doth thy
     ghoostly fader passe thy flesshly. To thy moder Holy
     Chyrche also thou must be buxum and wyth al thy power
     meynteyne hit, for it is moder of al tho that euer
     were or shul be sauyd. Thus worshyp & obey thou



|p30


     sholdest thy fader and moder as sayth Saynt Austyn, for
     the more that thou thus obeyest them the more, sayth
     he, wyl almyghty God obeye thy prayer.

     The v is thou shalt not sle, that is to say bodily ne
     ghoostly. This synne cryeth vengaunce afore God, as
     witnessyth both the olde lawe and the newe. Therfore
     sle no man for he that sleeth shal be sleyn other
     bodyly or ghoostly or bothe. Yet they that trespacen
     opynly must nedis be sleyn by hem that bere the temporel
|r10 swerd for brekyng of his commaundement. There is
     ghoostly manslaughter also in many wyse. One is when
     thou hatist thyn euen cristen or consentist to wicked
     thoughtis of thyn owen herte; another when thou lyest,
     bacbytest or flaterist another in synne and wolt not
     reproue hym of his defautis; also thyself when wyttyngly
     doost a dedely synne or when thou hast the goodes of
     the worlde and wolt not helpe thy brother at hys nede;
     when thou defraudest also thy neyghbour by fals
     weyghtis, mesuris or wythholdyng the labourers hyre;
|r20 or when thorow negligence of thyself the estate or
     offyce that thou stondyst ynne is [ a5v] perisshed or
     spylled. Therfore sle no man wyth hond, tunge ne herte,
     for he that smyteth shal be smyten, and he that bac_byteth 
     or disclaundreth is a mansleer. And for hem
     that curseth, it is sayd "Cursid be he that pryuyly
     smyteth" - that is to saye that cursyth, warieth or
     wyllyth vengeaunce on his euen cristen.

     The syxth commaundement is thou shalt doo no lecherye.
     This cursid synne defouleth bothe body and sowle and
|r30 of alle other most pleasith the deuyl, for in other
     synnys he most comynly getith but one and in this at
     the lest two or mo. For this synne God almyghty often
     hath take grete vengeaunce in so moche that al the
     world he drouned saue eyght personys allone; and for
     this synne he made synke vnto helle the v cytees of
     Sodom. The deuyl in this synne temptith in many maner:
     fyrst by folily lokynge, after by inhonest wordes,
     thenne in foule touchyng and kissyng and so to the
     dede. And this sight is the first dart that thes



|p31


     lecherous sechyth. "Therfore, ye wymen, araye not
     yourself to nycely to be seen of folis though ye haue
     no wylle to synne yourself, for your nyce aray and
     countenaunce ben causis of many sowlis  dampnacion for
     the whiche ye shal answere at the hygh day of dome",
     sayth Salamon, "but ye amende you here". Therfore
     neyther by countenaunce ne aray stere ye no man to
     synne ne haue not your vysage poppyd ne your here
     pullyd or crowlyd nether your face colourid ne your
|r10 heed hygh or wyde layde with costlewe kercheues ne your
     body to curyous in clothyng ne nyce in shap. But after
     the counceyl of Saynt Poule lete your araye be shame_fastnes,
     heelyng your heedys wyth your here or wyth a
     kerchef to couere your shame. Thus saith Saynt Peter.
     This commaundement thenne breken al tho that for
     flesshly lust ben weddyd togyder, not kepyng the ordre
     of wedlok but lyue as bestys wythout discrescion as
     the flessh meueth them. And for thys synne the vii
     husbondys of Sara were stranglid wyth the deuyl.
|r20 Therfore ye that be weddyd be waar that no suche
     thynges be doon wherby the concepcion of byrth myght
     be lettid, for he that doth otherwyse wylfully than
     kynde askyth synneth most dedely in that synne. For
     v causis a man takyth his wyf. One is cause of
     generacion and thenne it is no synne. Another cause
     is of yeldyng of dette and thenne he synneth not but
     rather deserueth mede. Another is for eschewyng of
     more synne as whan he is incontynent and may [ a6] not
     kepe hymself and thenne it is venyal synne as saith
|r30 Saynt Austyn. Another cause is fulfillyng of lecherye
     as when a man vsyth hoot metis and drynkis, medycynes
     or spycis and so enforcith hymself to be myghtyer to
     fulfille the synne of lecherye. "Thenne I trowe",
     sayth he, "hit is dedely synne". The fyfth cause is
     when he knowyth hyr ayenst kynde and that is most
     dedelye. Therfore to you that ben weddyd Saynt Gregory
     sayth thus "Study eueryche of you so to please your
     make that therwyth ye displease not your maker".



|p32


     The seuenth is thou shalt not stele. In this is for_bede
     al maner of wrongtakyng, withholdyng or with_drawyng 
     of ony mennys goodys, quyck or deed, as robbyng,
     reuyng, sleyghtis and desceytis, begylyng in byyng or
     sellyng, symony, vserye, extorcion, with al theyr
     braunchis. "Al that this desyre to be riche", sayth
     Saynt Poule, "they falle into the snare of the deuyl
     and deep dampnacion of theyr soul is". And the prophete
     saith al so to them that falsly purchasith and makith
|r10 grete byldynges "Woo vnto you", saith he, "that with
     wrong byndyn hous to hous and feld to feld and sayn
     that right is wrong and wrong is right". And to crafty
     men and labourers Saynt Poule byddyth that they do
     trewly theyr labour without slouth, or ellys they do
     thefte, and that no man withholde the labourers hyre
     for that cryeth vengeaunce tofore God, and in especial
     these that folowen vsurye when thou lenyst money to
     them that haue nede for a certeyn wynnyng at the tymes
     ende and for the loone outher thou takist seruyse,
|r20 presentis or yeftis. Another when thou lenyst it for
     the half wynnyng, he to pay the hool that thou lenyst
     it to though al be lost. Another when thou byest a
     thyng for moche lesse thenne hyt is worth. Another
     when thou sellest thy chaffare the derer for the lone.
     Another when thou hast a thyng tofore the tyme as corn
     or hit be rype. Another when thou takist the beest of
     a poure man with this condicion that yf it deye it shal
     deye to the poure man and not to the. So sayth Parisiens
     Therfore vse leefful chaffare and wyn without subtylte
|r30 or sleyght not as moche as thou mayst but that that is
     resonable to thy sustenaunce after thyn astate is dewe.
     This desired the wyse man of Our Lord when he sayd
     "Neyther riches neyther pouerte, Lord, yeue me but
     oonly, Lord, that is necessarye to my lyuelod".

     The viii is thou shalt bere no fals wytnesse. In this
     is forbodyn alle [ a6v] maner of lesyngis, conspyracy



|p33


     and forsweryng wherby that thy neyghbour lesith his
     catel, frendshyp or good. Al suche ben callyd the
     children of the deuyl for they put out trouthe and
     bryng ynne falsehed, put out Crist and brynge ynne
     the deuyl. Lesyng stondith not oonly in fals wordes
     but also in fals werkis, and yf thou be a cristen
     man lyue thereafter or ellis thou lyest. There be
     thre maner of lesynges. One is when thou lyest
     with ful purpose to hurt thy neyghbour and thenne it
|r10 is dedely synne;  another is when thou lyest to further
     thy neyghbour in a trouthe and thenne it is not so
     moche euyl; the thyrd is when thou lyest for the
     dysporte of them that be about the, not wyllyng to
     hyndre ony persone. These two be venyal but thou
     haue them in custome. Therfore bewaar of al maner
     lesynges & neyther for loue ne hate ne for mede bere
     no fals wytnes.

     The ix is thou shalt not desire thy neyghbours wyf.
     In the seuenth commaundement God forbedyth the dede
|r20 of lecherye and theyr desire in tokyn that they be
     both dedely synne. Yet somme wene but they doo the
     dede it is no synne. Crist therfore, wyllyng al
     suche to be clene wythynne and wythout both in body
     and in soule sayth this "Al that seen a woman to the
     couetyse of theyr lust they doo lecherye wyth hyr in
     theyr herte". And thus by shrewd thoughtys man is
     ofte tyme departyd from God. Yet Saynt Brigyt in her
     Vysyons sayth "But yf ylle thoughtis somtyme were to
     man he shold wene hymself rather angel thenne man;
|r30 and so al euyl thynge cometh of hymself and none of
     God. Therfore that man shold vnderstonde the infyrmyte
     that he hath of hymself & the strengthe that he hath
     of God hit is necessarye", sayth she, "that he be
     suffrid sumtyme of the grete mercy of God to be
     temptyd with euyl thoughtis, to the whiche yf he
     consente not they be but a purgacion to his sowle and
     a kepar of hys vertues". Therfore when shrewd
     thoughtis come to the withstonde the first subgestyon
     & lette thy soule alwey so laboure that he consente



|p34


     not to delyte in them. And thenne haue in mynde the
     byttir paynys that Crist for the suffrid and the
     endeles blysse of the ioyees of heuen that thou must
     lese yf thou concente to them and the byttir paynys
     of helle also that thou shalt haue yf thou deye in
     them. And yf thou thus doo thenne shalt thou haue
     in mynde thy last ende and neuer do synne.

     The x commaundement and the laste is thou shalt [ a7]
     not desyre thy neyghbours thyng, hous, land, oxe,
|r10 asse neyther nothyng that is his. For suche desyres
     of couetyse, as scrypture makyth mencion, Balaam,
     Nacor, Anany, Gyesy, Achab, Iesebel and many other
     fyl to grete myschyef bothe of body & of soule. Ther_fore 
     be ye wel waar als of alle suche fals desyre and
     take no man his good ayenst his wylle lest it falle
     to you as it dyd to them. And thynke also that wyth_oute 
     satisfaction or hauyng wylle to amende the therof
     the Poope ne noon by hym may dispence wyth the, and
     yet thou stondyst acursid of al Holy Chirche in the
|r20 grete sentence foure tymes in the yere. What shalle
     alle suche false desyre thenne profyte the when the
     curse of God shal thus abyde on the? There is no man
     that dredeth the curse of God now; but when Cryst at
     the dome shal say that scripture makyth mencion of
     "Go ye cursid into euerlastyng fyre of hell", thenne
     shal they bothe drede it and fele it; for this word
     "Goo ye cursid" shal be more paynful as doctours sayn
     thenne the paynys of a thousand hellys though they
     were al gadrid into one

|r30 Al these ten behestys ben brought into two of the
     gospel, that is loue God aboue al thyng and thy neygh_bour
      as thyself. First thou shalt loue God wyth al
     thy herte that nothyng be nerer thy herte thenne God,
     in al thy soule that thou suffre no synne abyde wythin
     thy soule for the loue of God, and with al thy mynde
     that thou spare not for myschyef to plese God; thy



|p35


     neyghbour also as thyself in good and not euyl, as
     moche as thyself in helthe, in seeknes, in welthe and
     in woo. Thus for loue thou shalt kepe Goddys
     commaundementys, and not oonly for drede of payn.
     These commaundementis shold eche man telle and teche
     his chyldre. And thus bad Our Lord to Moyses: "These
     wordes", sayd he, "the whiche I take here this day
     shall be in thy herte; thou shalt telle hem to thy
     sonnys and thynke on hem slepyng, wakyng, syttyng &
|r10 goyng; thou shalt bynde them as a sygne to thy hand
     and write them on the dooris and lyntellys of thy
     hous, and shalt rewle alle thy thoughtis, wordes and
     dedys preuy and apert in eche place by these
     commaundementys of God. Foryete not these wordes",
     sayth he, "ne falle they not fro thy herte alle the
     dayes of thy lyf".

     "Thus gouerne ye your mayny", sayth Saynt A[u]gustyn,
     "for as we thus speke to you here in the chyrche so
     shold ye to youris at hoom that ye mow yeue |r[a7v]
|r20 trewe rekenyng to God of them that be subgettis to
     you. And telle hem", sayth he, "the loue and the
     swetenes of heuenly thyngis and the grete bitternes
     of helle, for ye shal answere for them at the streyt
     day of dome. And counceyl them alle that they be not
     negligent in no wyse to lerne these commaundementis
     for drede of this sentence that folowyth. Yf thou
     wolt not here the voys of thy Lord God", sayth he,
     "that thou kepe and doo his commaundementis alle
     these curses shul come to the and take the. Thou
|r30 shalt be cursid in citee, in felde; cursid shal be
     thy reliques, the fruyte of thy body, the fruyt of
     thy londe, the drouys of thyn oxyn and the flockis
     of thy sheep; thou shalt be cursid in the goyng ynne
     and goyng out; thou shalt be smyte with hunger,
     seeknes and pestelence, with addris, wyth fyre, with
     hete, with colde & with corrupte ayre. Al these",
     he sayth, "shal pursewe the and thou shalt perissh.



|p36


     And yf thou wolt here the voyce of Our Lord that thou
     lerne and kepe his commaundementis, he shal make the
     hygher thenne alle that dwellyn in erthe, and al these
     blissynges shall come to the and take the. Thou shalt
     be blessyd in cytee and in feld, in the frute of thy
     body and frute of thy lande, in flockis of thy sheep
     and drouys of thy bestys, in thy bernys and in thy
     celers, in thy goyng in and in thy goyng out and in
     alle thy werkis of thy handis so that euery man shal
|r10 see that the name of God is callid vpon the and they
     shul drede the. 'I shal gyue rayne in tyme', sayth he.
     The erthe shal bryng forth his sede and trees shal be
     replete wyth fruyte. Thou shalt haue pees in thy
     cuntree and thou shalt slepe and no man shal fere the.
     Alle these blessynges shul take the yf thou lerne and
     kepe his commaundementis". The[r]fore haue mynde in
     the preceptis of God and in his byddynges be ye most
     besy, for yf thou kepe hem they shul kepe the and
     brynge the to blisse that neuer shal haue ende, the
|r20 whiche he vs graunte that with his blood bought vs,
     Ihesus Cryst, Amen.

     The fourth thyng that thou sholdest knowe God by is
     the seuen sacramentis of Holy Chirche whiche be
     mynystred to the peple of persons and preestys that
     haue power therto. Of the whiche the first fyue, that
     is bapteme, confirmacion, shrifte, howsyll and anoyn_tyng,
     are euery man and woman |r[a8] hold to do in payn
     of cursyng in certeyn tyme, as the lawe yeuyth. The
     other two may no man take, as ordre and wedlok, but
|r30 at his own wylle. These sacramentis toke theyr
     begynnyng of the gracious welle of the syde of Our
     Lord Ihesu Crist in his passyon. For ryght as out of
     Adamys syde whyle he slepte was takyn out a rybbe that
     Eue was made of, right so at the deth of Our Lord
     there ran out of his syde bothe blood and water, by
     the vertu of whiche passyon the sacramentis of Holy



|p37


     Chirche toke first theyr strengthe and theyr
     begynnyng.

     The first sacrament is bapteme in whiche origynal
     synne that we be born in and alle other synnes that
     we be defoulid with they be wasshyn aweye thorou the
     passyon of Cryst. & therwyth is betaken vs the fayth
     and beleue of Holy Chirche without whiche there may
     no man be sauyd. Therfore it is commaundyd that
     euery cristen woman that felyth her quyck with chyld
|r10 to kepe her fro heuyng and shouyng, grete traueyle
     and fallyng and al other myscheuys that shold myschyeue
     the childys lyf and so be lost body and sowle, and that
     eche woman befor hyr traueyle of chyld come to chyrche
     and take shryft and housyl for peryll of deth that
     myghte falle in the byrthe. Also the mydwyf and tho
     that be about the chyld yf it be in parel of dethe
     shold cristen it on this wyse "I crysten the in the
     name of the Fader and of the Sonne and of the Holy
     Ghoost", and thenne sprynge the chylde wyth water;
|r20 & that thou foryete not these wordes "I crysten the".
     And yf it be cristenyd in this maner at home it shal
     not be crystenyd eftsone at chyrche for that were a
     grete peryl as to nayle God eftsonys on the rood.
     And yf it lyue after thys cristenyng at hoom bryng
     it to the chirche and there it shal haue al the hool
     seruyse that it lackyth. In tyme of peryl of deth
     fader and moder may cristen theyr owen chyldren
     wythout harmyng of theyr spousehode.

     Godfaders and godmoders ben borowys tofore God for
|r30 theyr godchyldren & therfore they ben bounde to teche
     hem to loue rightwysnes, charite and chastyte, to
     kepe hem from dedely synne and specially to teche
     them the commaundementis and beleue. A man and his
     wyf shold not fong at onys to a chyld at the fontstoon
     ne hem that fongyth to hit there shal not fong to hit
     at the confermyng, but at nede. Fader ne moder, norise
     ne none other shold suffre no yong chylde by them
     abedde whyl is they |r[a8v] slepe ne presse them to fast
     in cradyl ne suffer them lye slepyng ne wakyng wythout



|p38


     a keper. There is ghoostly kynrede thorowe fongyng
     of chyldre at the fountstoon on ix wyse. On is be_tween 
     the chyld and the godfaders; another betwyxt the
     chyldren of the godfaders; another by the chylde and
     the wyf of the godfader flesshly knowen tofore; another
     betwyx the godfader and the fader of hym that is
     cristened; another betwyx the godfader and the moder
     of hym that is cristenyd; another betwyx the preest and
     the chylde that he baptiseth; another betwyx the chyld
|r10 and the chyldre of hym that baptiseth; another betwyx
     hym that baptiseth and the wyf of hym that is baptysed
     furst I knowe; another betwene the baptiser and the
     moder of hym that is baptised. There be al so ix afore
     the bysshop at the confermyng in the same forme. These
     lettyn spousehood not made and fordoth spousehood made.

     The second sacrament is confirmacion of the bysshop.
     This is a maner of anoyntyng in the forhede by the
     handys of the bysshop wherby the Holy Ghoost yeuyth
     strengthe ayenst the febylnes of the synne of our forn
|r20 fader with a marke ympressyd to the soule, wherby thou
     shalt knowlege the feyth and loue of Criste. To this
     is euery cristen man and woman bound to bryng theyr
     children as sone as they may, namely or they be a yere
     of age for they shal haue the more grace of lyf and the
     more blisse in deed. And tho that be not confermyd
     mowe not receyue noon other sacrament. Neyther they
     shal not wasshe hed ne forheed thre dayes after for
     reuerence of that holy oyle.

     The thyrd sacrament is shrifte or penaunce, to the
|r30 whiche euery man and woman is bounde anon as they can
     resonable wytte at xii yere euery yere clene to be
     shryuen onys at the leste at theyr oune curate, that
     these may euery day see of al the synnes that euer they
     dedyn or can thynke on that when they look on hem they
     may haue more shame & drede in theyr herte of theyr
     synne wherethorough by the grace of God they mow leue



|p39


     theyr synne. Yet notwythstondyng that ye be bounde
     ouer a yere to shewe your shryfte to your oune curate.
     And yf there be ony of you that haue more affection
     to another thenne to me lete me wete to whom and where
     and he shal haue right good leue and Crystys blessyng
     and myn, so that he doo hit in no deceyt of his oune
     soule as to hyde his synne fro me to that entent he
     myght the lenger |r[b1] abyde therin, as some doon &
     haue do many yeris for I knowe more of their counceyl
|r10 than they wene I do or wold I dyd. Suche be like the
     addir that hidith his venym in a pryuy place or he
     wold engendre with the lamprey & after he turnyth &
     takith hit vp ageyn. Thus some of you ones a yere
     or ye come to your curat ye cast out the uenym of your
     synne at pardons & other pryuy places & anon after
     Estyr ye take it vp ageyn, as thefte, auoutry and suche
     other, & ben moche worse after thenne ye were afore.
     Ye that this do begyle yourself & nede grete penaunce.
     Had Iudas when he betrayed Crist tolde his synne to
|r20 his trewe hurdman as he did to Cayphas & Pilat & suche
     other when he said "I haue synned betrayeng the
     rightwis blood", he had be sauyd. For they took noon
     hede therto but said "What is that to vs? Auyse the".
     - as who saith "We haue no cure of the". Right so thus
     I trowe & som of you went to your oune herdman when ye
     goo to other thenne shold bribery, stolyn goodis and
     suche other be restorid and aduoultrye & other cursid
     synnes be thus destroyed. I say not thus for no desyre
     that I haue to here your shrifte for it is but a payn
|r30 to me, saue for the charge that I haue of your sowlis,
     for I had leuer mynystre alle the sacramentis that
     longyn to myn offyce fourty tymes thenne that onys.
     But I do hit for to destroye the fals subtilte that ye
     vse in shrift ageynst the helthe of your sowlys, and
     so God helpe me.

     Also when thou comyst to shryft thou shalt come wyth
     grete sorou of herte and mekely knele to the preest as
     to hym that is in Goddis stede and telle hym hooly how
     thou hast mysgouernyd thy lyf & be in ful wyl to do so



|p40


     no more & hertely do thy penaunce enioyned the therfore,
     & ellis it is no shryfte. But many there be at sette
     nought by theyr penaunce-doyng so they haue tolde theyr
     synnes to the preest & suche begyle themself, for the
     very sacrament of shrift hangith specially in iii
     thynges without whiche thou maist not be trewly shryue
     and that is sorow of hert, shrift of mouth & penaunce_doyng.
     For though thou be sory for thy synne & shryue
     e not hit auaylith not; & though thou do bothe thus &
|r10 make not aseth ne do thy penaunce therfore it is nought.
     For wite wel thou maist yf thou sholdest reken with a
     man & at th'end of thy rekenyng thou were xx pounde in
     his dette, right so thou shriuest e & makist rekenyng
     with the preest in Goddis stede. But thou mak aseth
     therfore & pay thy dette wyth penaunce-doyng |r[b1v] it
     is nought, for it is a tokyn that thou art not sory
     for thy synne. And yf thou be not sory therfore, as I
     sayde tofore thy shrifte is nought and so thou synnest
     ayenst the Holy Ghoost, whiche is most perilous synne
|r20 that is. Therfore yf thou wylt haue the blisse of
     heuen do thy penaunce and thenne shalt thou haue pardon
     and foryeuenes of thy synnys. For in these thre wordes,
     contricion, confessyon and satisfaction, stondeth as
     the vertue of pardon in this world.

     Our Lady Saynt Marye in the Visions of that holy woman
     Saynt Brigyt tellyth when pardon profiteth and when not
     seyng that he that comyth to pardon and hath full wylle
     after to fle synne and to restore that he hath wrong_fully 
     taken, not wyllyng to wynne a peny after with
|r30 wronge ne falsehede ne to lyue one day lenger than God
     wold he dyd, in prosperite and aduersite to submytte
     his wylle to Goddys wylle and to flee worshyp and
     frendshyp of the world, he shal haue pardon and re_myssyon 
     of his synne and is lyke to the aungel of God
     in the sight of God. But she sayth he that visiteth
     hyr for remyssyon and pardon of his synnes and hath
     no wylle to leue his olde vanytees ne inordynat



|p41


     affeccions but kepyth stylle his wrong-getynges and
     fals deceytis and subtyltees and also louyth the worlde
     in hymself and other and wol not flee shrewd customys
     ne restreyne his flessh from superfluytees, ryght
     nought auaylith hym pardone ne indulgence. And wyth
     this accordyth Saynt Gregore where he sayth thus
     "Thou makyst neuer", sayth he, "satisfaction for thy
     synne but yf thou fere of thy synne". Euerbody wol
     desire pardon but fewe or noon wol do that they shold
|r10 haue pardon for but thorow trust & colour of that
     pardon they do many a cursid synne & do synne vpon
     trust therof other ony good dede. Hit is a grete
     synne of pryde, for be thou neuer so ful of good
     vertuys, vnkyndenes to thy God may destroye al tho
     vertues. More vnkyndnes thou mayst not shewe then
     for to displease God wylfully. Therfore fle suche
     unkyndenes and thynke that the more acceptable thou
     art to God thorow thy good lyuyng the more culpable
     thou shalt be yf thou retorne ageyn to synne. "Hit is
|r20 a slyder hoop", saith Saynt Austyn, "whan a man synneth
     vpon trust to be sauyd." He that so doth he neyther
     dredyth ne louyth God: so that it is more proffytable
     to holde thyself feble and lowe thenne to be holde
     |r[b2] strong and for febylnes falle and be lost. Ther_fore 
     take hede what goodnes God puttith in the and
     thanke hym and praye hym of contynuaunce and doo no
     synne vpon trust of pardon or of ony other good dedys.

     The fourth is the holy sacrament of the auter the
     whiche is Cristys oune body, hys flessh and blood in
|r30 forme of breed, the same that was borne of the Vyrgyn
     Marye and doon on the rood. This is made thorowe
     vertue of Goddys worde of preestys that haue power,
     whyche power neyther aungel ne archaungel had, but
     oonly man in mynde of hymself. This sacrament is
     euery man and woman bounde by the lawe onys a yere
     as at Estyr yf he be fourtene yere of age and haue
     discressyon to receyue it when they be with shrifte



|p42


     and penaunce made clene of theyr synnys, and ellys to
     be put out of the chirche and of cristen beriellys but
     yf it be for sekenes or for some other resonable cause;
     whiche cawse he must certefye his curate of, for he
     that vnworthely receyuyth this sacrament he receyuyth
     his dampnacion. Also as often as ony man seeth that
     body at masse or borne about to the seek he shal
     deuoutly knele doun and say his Pater Noster or sum
     other good prayer in worshyp of his souereyn lord.
|r10 Also ye shal vnderstonde that the drynke that ye
     receyue in the chalyce after your howsyl is no sacra_ment 
     but wyne or water to bryng the lightlokyr the
     sacrament into thy body; but in fourme of brede it is
     hoole Goddys body in flessh and blood. Therfore thou
     shalt take it in as hole as thou mayst lest ony parte
     abyde in thy teeth, for in the leste parte is hole
     Goddys body. That day thou herest thy masse God
     grauntith the nedeful and lawful thynges. That is
     ydel othys and forgetyn synnes be forgeuyn. That day
|r20 thou shalt not lese thyn eyesight ne deye in sodeyn
     deth ne the tyme of the masse thou shalt not wexe agyd.
     Euery steppe thyderward and hoomward an aungel shal
     rekene. Lewd men and women to despute of this sacra_ment 
     ar vtterly forbodyn, for it is ynough to them to
     beleue as Holy Chyrche techyth them.

     The fyfthe sacrament is anoyntyng of seek men, the
     whiche is oyle halowyd of a bysshop and mynystred by
     preestys to them that been of lawful age in grete
     parelle of dethe in lyghtnes and abatyng of theyr
|r30 |r[b2v] sekenes yf God wyl that they lyue and in the
     yeuyng of their venyal synnes and relesyng of theyr
     payn yf they shal deye, so that this sacrament may be
     yeuyn as ofte as nedyth to euery man & woman that be
     in poynt of dethe.

     The sixte is holy ordris whiche no man may take but at
     his oune wylle. Thys yeuyth power to them that takyth
     it to serue in Holy Chirche after theyr astate is. As
     to hym that takith the ordre of preesthode for to make
     the sacrament of Cristys flessh and his blood and for



|p43


     to mynystre other sacramentis to the peple, these must
     haue theyr crowne shaue, theyr heed tonsurid and theyr
     clothys honestly shapen as fallyth to theyr astate and
     namely in Holy Chirche. They must also in the quere
     rede and synge wyth clennes of conscyence and grete
     deuocion of soule, not overhippyng ne momblyng ne
     musyng of vanytees, not medlyng wyth lewd ne shrewde
     tydynges ne inhonest communycacion, not comyng to late
     to Goddys seruyce ne goyng out before the ende wythout
|r10 a resonable cause, not gronyng ne slumbryng ne sparyng
     theyr voyme, but shewyng out the voyce of the Holy
     Ghoost with soun & hole speche. And thus sayth Saynt
     Bernard. They must also dyspose themself to synge
     masse yf they may and therto they be bounde. For Saynt
     Bernard sayth in the persone of Our Lord to euery man
     thus "Haue I not made the and yeue the power to make
     me and to offre my Sone incarnat tofore the Fader of
     saluacion of the world? Yf thou haue power to synge
     and syngest not", sayth he, "thou benymmest the
|r20 aungellys in heuen theyr ioye, thou benymmest mankynde
     traueylyng in erthe theyr helpe and grace, and thou
     benymmyst the soulis that are in grete paynes in
     purgatorye theyr reste and theyr forgeuenesse". These
     be heuy wordes and lityl thought on wyth many of vs.
     Saynt Augustyn sayth "How worshypful is the dignyte of
     preesthode", saith he, "betwyxt whos handys the Sone
     of God as in his moders wombe was incarnat. How
     blessyd be the preestys", saith he, "yf they prestly
     lyue. How heuynly a mystery is that", sayth he, "that
|r30 by the werkyng of the Fader and Sone and Holy Ghoost
     the same God that is in heuen the same and selfe is in
     your handys in the sacramente". "Therfore", sayth Our
     Lord, "be ye holy, for I am holy". "A ryghtful lyf
     to you is necessarye", sayth Saynt Augustyn, "therfore
     ye must so lyue. Seeth that your |r[b3] lyf accorde
     wyth your name so that yf your ordre be holy lete
     your conuersacion be the same. And yf men say wel
     of you", sayth he, "seeth that your werkis bere wytnes
     to the same". And thys is for vs preestys.



|p44


     The seuenth sacrament is wedlok before the whiche the
     banys must be askyd thryes in Holy Chirche. This is a
     lawful knyttyng togyder of man and woman in forme of
     Holy Chirche by assent of hem bothe for to be togyder
     in the lawe of God and neuer to be departid whiles theyr
     lyf lastyth in remyssyon of synne and getyng of grace
     when it is taken to a trewe entent. For though there
     be no trouth plight ne flessly dede doon, yf they be of
     ful age and accorde in herte togyder tofore God they be
|r10 wyf and husbond. Alle preuy couenauntis in trouth_plyghtyng 
     and forward-makyng wythout assent of frendys
     or knawlege ar forbodyn. Al that suche make or ben
     thereat ben in grete peryl of soule. Also it is for_bodyn 
     that no weddyd man ne woman oon wythout that
     others assent make vowe of chastite, pylgremage ne
     fastyng. For yf the wyf auowe, the husbond at the first
     wetyng may fordoo it; but yf he consent & suffre it
     wetyngly after the first knowyng the man synneth not
     for the wyf hath no power of her oun body but the
|r20 husbond. & yf the man absteyn hym from his wyf by
     suche wyse without the wylle of his wyf and she geue
     hym no leue he is cause of hyr synne; and the wyf is
     in the same case yf she doo the same to her husbond.


                   The seuen dedys of mercy.

     The fyfth thyng that thou sholdest knowe God by are the
     seuen dedis of mercy the which euery man is bound by the
     byddyng of God to fulfille and to doo to his power, that
     is to say fede the hungry, yeue drynk to the thristy,
     clothe the nakyd, herborowe the howseles, vysite the
|r30 seek, delyuer prysoners and bery the poure when they
     ben deed. These ben nedeful to vs, plesyng to God and
     helpyng to body & sowle of al them that doon them.
     "Therfore", sayth Crist, "yeuyth and hit shal be yeuyn
     to you". "Almes", sayth Saynt Augustyn, "is an holy
     thyng, for it encreacith that thou hast, lessyth thy
     synnes, hit multeplyeth thyn yerys and noblyth thy
     mynde, hit lengthyth thy termys and clensyth alle
     thynge, hit delyuereth the fro deth and ioyneth the to



|p45


     angellys & departeth the from deuyllys and is a walle
     inexpugnable aboute |r[b3v] thy soule". Therfore yeue
     almes and al thyngis shal be clene to you. Thre
     thynges he must considere that shal yeue almes, fyrst
     who askyth it, what he askyth, and wherfore. Fyrst I
     say that God askyth it for he louyth so muche pour men
     that what ye doo to them in his name he holdyth hit
     doon to hymself. He askyth his and not ouris. Dauyd
     sayth "Al thynges be thyn, Lord, and that we take of
|r10 thy handys we haue gyue the". He askyth hit vs not
     for to yeue it hym but to lene it hym, wherfore he wol
     yelde an hundrythfolde and the blisse of heuyn. "Ther_fore",
     sayth Saynt Gregore, "poure men shal not be
     despised, but prayed as faders". "And he that yeuyth
     the poure shalle not be poure", sayth Salamon, "and
     he that stoppith his ere fro the crye of the poure shal
     crye and not be herd". Therfore to al that aske these
     he that askith vnrightfully yeue hit not that he askith
     but that that bettir is and that is correction. Ierom
|r20 sayth "yeue the poure to susteyn theyr riches". There
     may no man excuse hym of almesgeuyng for an halfpeny
     of the poure sumtyme more plesith God thenne an hondred
     shylyngys of the ryche. Yf thou may not yeue hym that,
     geue hym wordes of comfort. And what thou yeuyst gyue hit
     gladly for the glad yeuer God louyth.

     Ther be also seuen other ghoostly dedys of mercy. The
     first is teche the vncunnyng that he sauour rightfully.
     Another is gyue counceyl to hym that askith it that he
     werke and doo trewly. The thyrd chastyse hym that
|r30 trespassith, that is to say repreue or bete or do other
     dewe correction. The fourth comfort the sory as wyth
     gyftys, wordes of comfort or suche other. The v for_geue 
     them that trespasse to the, for yf thou wolt not
     forgyue them God wyl not forgyue the. The rancour and
     the offence thou must nedis forgyue; the accion and
     the amendis be at thyn oune wylle. The vi that thou
     suffer mekely when men trespace to the that they be



|p46


     not the more prompte to synne but that they be the more
     feruent to doo penaunce & good werkys and be more redy
     to suffre disese than to do it. Yf ony man chyde the,
     blame the, repreue the or doo the wrong, kepe sylence
     and sette before a sharpe worde the chylde of suffer_aunce.
     And thynke that Our Lord Ihesu Cryst was
     bobbyd and buffetyd, spytte vpon and scornyd, and
     euermore he helde his peace. Therfore what dysease
     falle to the |r[b4] beleue it comyth to the for thy synne.
|r10 And so thou shalt suffer it the lightloker yf thou take
     hede wherfore it comyth. The seuenth is pray, that is
     to say foryeue enemye and al tho that ben synful. And
     yf thou mayst not helpe them wyth noon of these seuen
     afore, pray God to helpe them. Cryst sayth "Loue your
     enemyes and doo wel to them that hate you and pray for
     hem that doo you persecucion that ye may be the
     chyldren of heuyn". And thus may ye fulfille the
     deedis of mercy bothe bodely and ghoostly.

     The sixth thyng that thou sholdest knowe God by be the
|r20 seuyn pryncipal vertues that euery man and woman shold
     vse. The first is feythe whiche is ground an begynnyng
     of our saluacion, and it stondith in thre thynges,
     the vnyte of the godhede in thre personys, in the man_hode 
     of Crist and in the sacramentis of the Chirche.
     This vertue is nedeful to alle crysten folke for it is
     the begynnyng of alle good werkis, so that feyth wythout
     good werkys ne good werkis wythout trewe fayth ne wythout
     trewe fayth may no man please God almyghty.

     The second is hope. This is a trust by the mercy of God
|r30 to be sauyd and it stondyth in the grace of God and good
     werkis, not oonly to hope in our oune good deedys but in
     hem bothe togider; for we shal not hope so litel (that
     is callid wanhope) that we shul hope to haue blysse yf
     we wel doo, ne not so moche trust in the mercy of God
     for to hope to be sauyd wythout good dedys.

     The thyrd is charite. This is the ende and perfection
     of alle the commaundementis of God. And vnderstonde in
     this that thou loue God aboue alle thyng and thy



|p47


     neyghbour as thyself so that that one may not be louyd
     without that other. And thus sayth Saynt Iohan that he
     that louyth God he loueth his brother and he that loueth
     not his brother whiche he may see how shold he loue God
     which he may not see.

     The fourth vertue is ryghtwysnes. This is not ellys
     but a payeng of dewte to eche thyng that it dewly
     longyth to, as to God praysyng and thankyng for the
     goodes of kynde, fortune and grame that he hath yeue
|r10 the and lent the and therof to gyue hym hys parte, and
     many other benefettis as in preseruyng the |r[b4v] fro
     many myscheuys and vengeaunce that thou haddyst falle
     in and alle day seest many oon falle in and sholdest
     happyly thyself haue falle in had not his gracious
     kepyng haue been. To thy neyghbour also thou must
     yelde loue and charite, that is to say that thou doo
     right and reson to hym in al thyng as thou woldest he
     dyd to the. And yf thou wold he shold be trewe to the
     and pay his dettis and begyle the not wyth subtiltees
|r20 and sleyghtis in byyng and sellyng, do the same thyself
     to hym. Yf thou woldest also he were not proude,
     enuyous, wrathful, couetous, glotenous, slouthful ne
     lecherous, be thou the same; & thus in al other thyngys
     as thou woldest thy neyghbour doo to the doo thou to
     hym and thenne thou kepest rightwysnes to thyself.
     Also thou must haue besynes to lerne and fulfille the
     wylle of the commaundementis of God and to wythstonde
     synne and shrewd lyuyng.

     The v vertue is wysdom. Thys vertue departith good
|r30 from euyll & techith vs to be waar of sleyghtis of the
     world, of the flessh and of the deuyl, and to dispyse
     al that we may, and of two good to chese the bettir.
     But Saynt Austyn saith as many oon doth that thou must
     despyse the world and hate thy flessh for me. "Where
     be the louers of the world that but a litil whilis
     agoo were here with vs? There is nothyng left of them
     but powder and wormys. Take hede what they be now and
     what they were than. They were men as thou art", sayth
     he, "they ete, they drank, they laughed and led theyr



|p48

  
     lyf in erthe in myrthe and iolyte - and in a poynt they
     descendyd into helle. What prouffyteth hem now theyr
     veynglorye, her short ioy, pompe of the world, lust of
     the flessh, fals ryches, grete meyny and euyl couetyse?
     Where is theyr laughter, theyr playe, theyr pryde, theyr
     boost? After al this lust how grete payn and sorowe.
     Al that fyl to them may falle to the", sayth he, "for
     thou art a man of erthe as they were and of the erthe
     thou lyuest and to the erthe thou shalt turne ageyn".
|r10 These be the wordes of that holy doctour Saynt Augustyn.
     This remembraunce shal make you wyse and hardy to
     despyse your enemyes, the world, the flessh and the
     deuyl. Saynt Ysider sayth that there is nothyng better
     thenne wysedom ne nothyng swettir ne lustyer thenne
     knowlege nothyng worse than lewdnes. Therfore knowe
     thou what thou shalt flee and whyther thou shalt goo.
     Loue wysedom |r[b5] and hit shal be shewyd to the and hit
     shal come to the. Be bysy therabout and hit shal lerne
     the.

|r20 The sixthe vertue is strengthe. This makith a man
     myghty and hardy to wythstonde many grete myscheuys for
     the loue of God, for hit standyth in suffryng paciently
     aduersite and mekely to take prosperite and to suffre
     euenly booth wele and woo, that our herte be not to
     hygh for no welfare ne to moche vnder for noon euyl_fare,
     but to be strong ayenst our foon bothe of body
     and soule that no temptacion make vs falle ne fayle
     in our fayth ageynst God almyghty.

     The seuenth vertue is mesure whiche is a mene betwene
|r30 to moche and to lytel, and hit stondeth in takyinge
     suffyciently that nedith and refusyng vtterly that is
     to moche or to litil.

     The seuenth thyng and the last that thou sholdest knowe
     God by is the seuen deedly synnys that al men shold
     refuse for eche of them is an euen waye to helle.
     Therfore it is nedeful euery man to knowe them. Ther_fore 
     sayth the wyse man "As fro the face of the adder
     fond to flee synne", for as the venym of the adder



|p49


     sleeth mannys body so the venym of synne sleeth a
     mannys soule.

     The first synne is pryde whiche is a lykyng or an
     hyghnes of mannys herte of his hygh astate or noblesse
     that he hath by fortune, kynde or by grace or that he
     can passyng another or hath more thenne another. Of
     this comyth many shrewd spyces as boost, bacbytyng,
     despyte of thy neyghbour, vnbuxumnes and ypocresye,
     proud beryng, displesyng, scornyng and inobedyence,
|r10 hygh herte, gay aray, pryde of grete kynne and veyn_glorye,
     boldenes of synne, boostyng of good deedes and
     auauntyng of euyl deedys, indygnacion, shameleshede,
     presumpcion and stourdynes that is worst of al other.
     And so saith Saynt Austyn that noon is worse ne a
     more dampnable synne thenne is the synne of pryde.
     In this be they gylty that lyst not to be repreuyd
     of theyr synnys ne to here of theyr defautis, but
     anoon with a grete stourdynes as a gallyd horse that is
     touchyd on the sore wynseth & wryeth, and seken how
|r20 they may mayntene suche lewdnes of synne. Thus dyd
     not Kyng Dauyd when Nathan the prophete of God cam
     to hym and tolde hym hys synne and the vengeaunce that
     he shold haue therfore. He shewyd no stourdynesse to
     the prophete ne rebukyd hym ne chyd hym, but mekely
     sayd to Our Lord "I haue synned", as who sayth "I am
     sory for |r[b5v] my synne, I wyl amende it." And ther_fore 
     God took aweye moche of the vengeaunce that he
     shold haue had for his synne. Right thus shold ye
     that here be repreuyd of your synnes mekely come to
|r30 your curate, as to the mynyster of God that ocupieth
     his stede for the tyme, and say "Syr, I knowlege my
     defaute & wote wel that I dyd amys; my wytte is to
     amend hyt". And so put awey stourdynesse and the
     vengeaunce that thou deseruest therfore.

     "This synne of pryde", sayth Saynt Gregore, "is rote
     of alle euyl". For right as ne were the rote of a
     tree hyd in the erthe there shold no braunche spryng
     out therof, right so ne were pryde first rotyd in
     thyn herte there shold no braunches of synne breke



|p50


     out therof. For this synne was Lucifer that was the
     fayrest aungel in heuyn made the foulest deuyl in helle.
     Also Chore, Dathan and Abyron and theyr felishyp they
     rose ageynst Moyses and Aaron of grete pryde and ther_fore 
     the erthe openyd and swolowyd them al quycke doun
     into helle. Also the peple of Nynyue for the grete
     boldenes of pryde that they had to turne ageyn to theyr
     synne there were an hundryd score thousand peple, as
     the Byble rehersith, destroyed by bodely enemyes. Ther_fore 
|r10 euery man beware of this synne and wysely look in
     the myrrour of mekenes for that techyth hym what he was,
     is & shal be. Fyrst consider that thou were made of
     foul, stynkyng slyme and filthe of the synne of lecherye,
     born of thy moder with grete sorowe and payn, norisshed
     wyth grete labour and anger and kepte with grete drede,
     and now thou art but a sak of foule dung that no swetnes
     ne fruyt comyth of. Of trees leuys comyth, floures and
     fruyt; and of the lyce nyttis and fleen. Of herbys also
     come soot smellys; and of the aboue, benethe and alle
|r20 other parties but stynkyng fylthe. And after thyn ende
     thou shalt be but wormys mete and turne ageyn to erthe
     tyl the day of dome that thy body and soule shal ryse
     ageyn togyder. "That day", sayth Malachy, "shal brenne
     as hote as a furneys of fyre and al proud men shal be
     as stoble which shal be there so brent that there shal
     neyther be rote ne rynde". Therfore sayth Isider "By
     mekenes make thyself leest and lowest of alle other.
     Stretche not forth thy wyngys of pryde by boost and
     enhaunsyng thyself for the lesse thou settist by thy_self",
|r30 sath he, "the more God settith by the". Be
     shamefast in chere and dysmayde to look prowdly |r[b6]
     for shame of thy synne. Walke wyth a lowe chere, a
     meke mood and sad vysage. In hygh worshyp haue grete
     mekenes, and the hygher that thou art the meker thou
     sholdest make thyself. And thynke how our souereyn
     Lord Ihesu mekyd hym to the deth for thy sake. This
     is mekenesse and vtter remedye ayenst pryde and



|p51


     sanatyf salue for alle maner myscheuys of synne for hit
     makyth the to haue mynde of thy short abydyng here, of
     the streyt dome that thou shalt come to after for thy
     mekenes that thou sholdest haue had here.

     The second synne is enuye and thys is when thou art
     sory for thy neyghbours welfare and ioyest of his
     euylfare. Of this wyckyd synne comyth many braunchis.
     One is haterede and that is when thou art loth to speke
     or here spokyn onythyng that myght turne thy neyghbour
|r10 to good. Another is fals demyng of his dedys. The
     thyrd is bacbytyng and that is to speke yuel behynde
     hym whiche thou mayst not ne wylt not auowe afore hym,
     or though thou speke not euyl thyself thou hast lykyng
     to here euylspekyng of hym; and so thou synnest dedely.
     For not onely he that spekyth euyl but also he that wol
     gladly here euyl spokyn are in defaute of synne so that
     yf there were no herer there were no bacbytyng ne bac_byter.
     Therfore sayth Isidre "Be not glad of the
     falle or euylfare of thy neyghbour lest God turne his
|r20 wreth fro hym to the and so thou sholdest falle in the
     same or worse", but be glad to sorowe for hym that is
     diseasid and euermore morne his myschyef as thou
     woldest thyn oune. Loue peace outward and inward
     peace wyth all men and make peace there hate is. Fle
     chydyng, be waar & doo aweye the occasion of stryf and
     lyue allewey in pease. Lete nothyng passe thy lippys
     that may defoule the eeris of the herers for a vayn
     word is take of a veyn conscience, and suche as the
     word is suche is the soule. Therfore besy the not to
|r30 speke that lykyth but that that nedyth. Take hede
     what thou spekyst and what thou spekyst not, and bothe
     in spekyng and not spekyng be right wel waar for thou
     mayst not calle ayene that thou hast sayde. Kut fro
     thy tunge the synne of bacbytyng and defoule not thy
     mouth wyth another mannys synne but be sory of hym.
     And that thou bacbytest in another drede it in thy_self.
     When thou blamest another thynke on thyn oune
     synne, and loke not |r[b6v] on other mennys for thou
     shalt neuer bacbyte yf thou wylt beholde thyself.



|p52


     Therfore here ne listen to no suche titelers for they
     be like gylty, the herer and the bacbyter. Desire not
     to wyte that perteyneth not to the. Aske neuer what
     ony man doth, spekith or sayth. Leue besynes that
     perteyneth not to the and by as grete besynes amende
     thyn oune synnys by as moche as thou beholdist other
     mennys. For no man knoweth whether he be worthy hate
     or mede, that is for to say payn or ioye. For there
     is many oon semyth to vs right good and yet ayenst God
|r10 happely ar right nought, and many oon also that seme
     to vs right nought and yet be to hym right diere.
     Therfore no man deme other but putte al his iugement
     in God.

     Thus wyth charyte that is knot of alle vertues thou
     must destroye the foul synne of enuye. Thus charite
     stondyth in the loue of God and loue of thy neyghbour
     in whyche to al the lawe of God abydeth so that that
     one may not be louyd without that other. For yf thou
     loue God thou wolt haue none other but hym ne thou
|r20 wolt not take his name in veyn ne breke thyn holydayes.
     Yf thou loue thy neyghbour thou wolt do no manslaughter
     ne thefte ne fals wytnes bere ne lecherye ne desyre thy
     neyghbours wyf ne his good. Thys is charite, the ful_fillyng 
     of Goddys loue & the endyng of al other good
     werkis. Charite is pacient and benygne; he hath none
     enuye; he worchyth no shrewdnes; he louyth not be with
     pryde; he coueytith no worldly worshyppys; he sechith
     no propre goodes; he is not wroth; he thynketh noon
     euyl; he ioyeth not of wyckednesse but of trouth; he
|r30 takith alle thyng mekely; he bileuyth al that God
     sayth and hopith of blisse; he suffrith alle harmys
     & neuer is discomfortid thorow Goddis helpe to abyde
     longe; he fallyth neuer doun in this world ne in that
     other; he kepyth man in beleue and makyth hym stable.
     Vnder hym waxith obedyence and by hym pacience ouer_comyth 
     alle wrongis. Wythout hym no man pleasith God
     and wyth hym no man perissheth. Therfore ayenst enuye
     sekith charite wyth grete studye that thou mayst haue
     it in thy lyuyng & dwelle perfightly therin to thyn
     endyng. Amen.



|p53


     The thyrd is the synne of wrath the whiche is wycked
     steryng of a mannys herte wherby he wyl auenge hym_self 
     upon his euen cristen. Of this comyth many shrewd
     spicis as fightyng, |r[b7] chydyng, hurtyng, betyng,
     grudgyng, waryeng and cursyng, cruelnes and manslaughter
     and desiryng of vengeaunce. There be also other foure
     in specialle: oon when thou art sone meuyd and sone
     swagyd and that is easy; another when thou art soon
     [meuyd and long or thou be] swagyd and that is shrewd;
|r10 the thyrd when thou art sone meuyd and not soon swagyd
     and that is perilous; the iiii is long or thou be
     meuyd and sone swagyd and this is most easy. Therfore
     ayenst thyse braunchis thou must arme the wyth the
     vertu of pacience and thynke what payn and sorowe
     myght falle to the of thy wordes and dedes. Thenne
     put Cristys passyon and peynes betwene the and suche
     peynys as he myght suffre and so shal thy wreth sone
     slake.

     In foure thynges spiritually it is necessary to haue
|r20 pacience. One is ayenst thyn enemye for the more cruel
     he is the more thou nedyst of pacience and soft speche
     for that slakyth wreth. Therfore yf ony aduersyte
     falle to the suffre it paciently whether thou haue
     deseruyd hit or not, yf thou haue deseruyd hit thou
     art worthy that or more; yf thou haue not thou hast
     thy rewarde of Crist when he sayth "Blessyd be they
     that be pacient for they shal be callyd the chyldren
     of God". Another when thy souerayn correctith thy
     defautis thou must be pacient and drawe in thyn hornys
|r30 of pryde as a snayle when he is touchyd. And so dyd
     Adam at the voyse of Our Lord. The thyrd is in losse
     of thy good as Ioob when alle his good was goon mekely
     he sayd "Our Lord gaue it, Our Lord hath take it as
     hit likyth hym - and so it be do. His name be blessyd,
     Amen". The fourth is in sekenes, for Our Lord sayth
     "Tho that I loue I chastyse". As the diere moder
     chastyseth her childe for takyng of harme when it
     nygheth fyre or water, right so the fader of heuen
     chastyseth the to be waar of fleyng awey. So Our Lord



|p54

     putteth awey fro the richesse and strengthe, one by
     pouerte, another by sekenes, that thou sholdest not
     fle fro hym. "Therfore be pacient and grudge not ayenst
     the scourge of God, for the more that thou grodgyst the
     more thou steryst God ayenst the", sayth Saynt Isider.

     The fourth synne is couetise the whiche is a wrong
     desyre that man hath to haue onythyng but yf he haue
     right thereto. This stondyth in two thyngys prynci_pally.
     One is when thou wrongfully purchasist or
|r10 getist ony maner thyng by sacrylege, |r[b7V] symony,
     stelthe, vsury or by ony other falsehede or gyle that
     wordly men vse wh[i]che cast alle theyr besynesse so
     to couetyse that they ne recke how they come to good
     so they haue hit. In this synne be they gylty that
     for mony or other wordly wynnyngis vse to play at
     dicys or tablis whiche is vtterly forbode by Holy
     Chirche for many synnes that come therof. The first
     is for the couetyse that thou hast to wynne and to
     dyspoyle thy felowe; another is for the grete vserye
|r20 as ix for xii or double or quyt; the thyrd is for
     encrese of othes, lesyngis and many other veyn wordes
     that there ben vsid in grete despyte of God and his
     feyth; the fourth is euyl ensaumple that thou yeuyst
     to other that beholdeth the; the v is lesyng of tyme
     in whiche thou myghtest haue wrought many good werkis;
     the sixth is despyte and dysobedyence that thou doost
     to thy moder Holy Chyrche that forbedith the suche
     play; the seuenth is fraude and desceyte that thou
     doost also to thy felowe in that play; the eyght is
|r30 cursid wreth and stryf that comyth therof wherby ofte
     thou reynest thy God and lesist thy kyndely wytte;
     the ix is brekyng of thy holyday for in tho dayes it
     is most vsid; the x is manslaughter that ofte fallyth
     in that game; the enleuen is idolatrye that thou doost
     for thou makist it ayenst the dice that is a token
     aboue thy god. These myscheuys and many moo comyth
     of this sory playe. Alle that thou wynnest at this
     play, for alle the besynes that thou hast therwyth
     thou mayst not reioyse but nedis thou must yeue it to the



|p55


     poure. And yf thou haue it of hym that thou makyst so
     play by strengthe or ageynst his wylle thou art bounde
     to restore hit to hym ageyn whiche hath lost hit wyth
     this play. And also thou brekyst alle the commaunde_mentis 
     of God. And whether thou wynne or lese it is
     al thyn harme, for and thou lese thou lesist God and
     heuen, and yf thou wynne thou wynnest the deuyl and
     helle. The lawe canon sayth that a bysshop, preest or
     dekyn that yeueth them to dices or to drunkennys, but
|r10 yf he leue it he is certeynly dampnyd. Subdekyn,
     clerke or lewd man that doth the same, he must other
     leue it or lacke his housyl. Therfore euery man be
     waar of this play and that he suffre it in no wyse be
     doon where he may lette hit, for they that consente
     therto or fauour it in ony wyse be in as grete parel
     as the doers.

     The |r[b8] second poynt is wrong withholdyng in whiche
     thou fallest as often as thou doost not to God almyghty,
     to thy neyghbour and to Holy Chirche thy dewtees that
|r20 thou owest to doo by dette and by Goddys lawe, but
     wylfully withholdest them. For not only he that
     wrongfully getith but also he that wrongfully wyth_holdeth 
     are in dedely synne. Out of this synne also
     spryngeth many shrewd braunchis as mawmetrye, ambicion,
     nygardshyp, treson, usury, symonye, raueyn, thefte,
     sacrylege and suche other. These synnes be so cursid,
     as I sayd tofore, that in al thyng hit contrarieth
     the wylle and the commaundement of God. The first
     commaundement hit contrarieth when thou wythdrawyst
|r30 fro God onythyng that thou sholdest worshyp hym wyth;
     the second also when for a litil wynnyng thou takyst
     his name in veyn; the thyrd when by worldly besynes
     of getyng of money thou brekyst thyn holyday; the
     fourth when for couetyse thou wythdrawyst fro fader
     and moder bodely & ghoostly theyr sustenaunce or
     lyuelood; the v when thou sleest a man to haue his
     good; the sixte when thou doyst lechery more for



|p56


     good thenne for trewe matrymony; the seuenth when for
     couetise thou stelyst thy neyghbours good; the viii
     when in questys and consistories thou forswerist the
     and berist fals wytnes; the ix and the x when thou
     desirest falsely thy neyghbours wyf or ony of his
     good. Thus fals couetyse contrarieth al the commaunde_mentis 
     and wyll of God. Therfore fle it and thynke
     that for al suche fals getyn goodes, but thou make
     restytucion and amende the here or thou goo hens thou
|r10 shalt be hangyd in helle wythout ende. Mammona whiche
     is the deuyl of couetyse, he yeuyth foure commaunde_mentis 
     to his seruauntis. One is that thou kepe wel
     thyn oune; another that thou yeue not ne doo no almes;
     the thyrd that thou lene not to the poure for drede of
     lesyng; the fourth is that thou wythdrawe the and thy
     meyne fro mete and drynke to spare thy good. Of these
     four shrewd commaundementis eche man beware and fle
     suche couetyse, and desire of God as Salamon dyd for
     he desired neyther riches ne pouerte but that is nede_ful 
|r20 to his lyuelood and accordyng to his astate. &
     thynke though thou haue neuer so moche thou shalt leue
     it here, for nakid thou camyst into this world and
     ageyn nakyd saue a ragge thou shalt goo out therof.
     And thus alle the care that thou hast |r[b8v] here is
     but for an olde shete at thy goyng hens.

     The fyfte synne is glotonye the whiche is an vnskylful
     lykyng or loue that a man hath in taste or takyng of
     mete or drynke to erly or to late but yf sekenes or
     other grete nede excuse hit. Out of this synne
|r30 spryngeth foure braunchis. One is when thou etist or
     drynkest to gredely. In this falle tho that one the
     fastyng dayes wyl not abyde the oure of noon and sitte
     the lenger at mete and ete more that tyme then another
     tyme, and ofte tyme quenche theyr hunger with brede,
     spyces or ouermoche drynke for drede of hunger; and
     thus they breke vigyllis, Ymber Dayes, Frydays, Lenten
     and suche other. Another is when thou castyst the to
     lyue in delites passyng thyn astate and hast no ioye
     but when thou mayst speke of suche welfare, thynkyng



|p57


     al best besette that thou spendyst theron. "Thou mayst
     wel vse suche daynty metis and drynkys and not synne",
     sayth Saynt Gregore, "for the synne is nether in mete
     ne drynke but in the appetyte and talent of the that
     delitist so moche therein". The thyrd is surfete and
     that is when thou pomperist thy body wyth so moche mete
     and drynke that thou mayst not brouke it but lesist
     thy sight, speche and wytte iangelyng and bostyng and
     wenyng to say wel; and al is ayenst reson. In this
|r10 falle they that make ryot in rere-sopers and destroye
     vyteyle that many a poure man myght be releuyd by.
     The fourth is curiosite and that is whan thou canst
     not holde the payed wyth easy fare but gadrist many
     curious metis, more to encreace thyn appetyte thenne
     to quenche thyn hungre. In this falle they that waste
     theyr goodes in etyng and drynkyng and grete festys
     makyng. Ayenst al these cursid braunchis thou must
     kepe abstynence in metis and drynkis, for nothyng
     more dryueth awey sekenes ne destroyeth lust of flessh
|r20 thenne doth mesurable takyng of mete and drynke.
     Fyue maner of folke ben excusid fro fastyng: wymmen
     wyth childe, laborers, pylgrymys, childre, olde folke
     and seek. Alle these synne not to ete twys on the
     day that is mesurable to susteyne nature and not theyr
     appetyte. There is dyuerse abstynence also in dyuers
     personys. The seek absteyneth hym for he may not ete
     and for medecyne; the nedy where he hath not wherof;
     the couetous for he wold not spende; the gloton to
     ete the more after; the ypocryte to be holde holy;
|r30 & the vertuous |r[c1] man to deserue mede absteyneth
     hym bothe fro excesse of mete and lust of synne.
     This shold eche man kepe to his power. This same
     techith Saynt Poule whan he sayth "I pray you as
     straungers and pylgrymmys that ye absteyne you from
     flesshly desyres that fyght ayenst the sowle, and also
     destroye the body". These myscheues comyn of glotonye.
     "Hit ingendrith soris, bryngith in sekenes, destroyeth



|p58

  
     vertues, dullyth the wytte, hit hastyth the to deth and
     that that worse is for it makyth the lyke a beste, for that
     the fuller thy body is the emptyer is thy sowle of
     vertu. Therfore vse abstynence", sayth Saynt Augustyn,
     "and these vertues shal folowe. Abstynence sauyth thy
     mynde, hit sharpyth thy witte, hit clensith thy sowle,
     dressyth thy syght, maketh holy thy fame, swagyth thy
     synne, makyth strong thy blood, norisshyth thy mary,
     destroyeth lecherye, renewyth thy blood, and lengthyth
|r10 thyn age".

     The sixte synne is slowth and that is a greuaunce or
     anoye of ghoostly deedys. Out of this spryngeth many
     shrewd braunchis. One is to drawe long and tary the
     good deedys that thou sholdest doo, the whiche myght
     turne to the helthe of thy sowle and of many other.
     Another is a dulnesse or heuynesse of herte that lettith
     the to loue God and makyth the that thou hast no lykyng
     in Goddys seruyce for though thou praye thyn herte is
     not theron. The thyrd is ydelnesse the which is to
|r20 moche vsid, and that lettith vs to begynne ony good
     werkis and lightly makyth vs to leue when we begynne.
     & where we were made of kynde to traueyle the synne of
     slowth holdyth vs in ydelnesse and ease ayenst our kynde.
     Therfore & thou wolt be sauyd thou must flee ydelnesse
     for it is enemye of cristen sowlis, stepmoder to good_nes 
     and alle vertues and the key of all vyces. "Alwey
     doo somme good werkis", sayth Saynt Ierom, "that the
     deuyl fynde the ocupyed, for he is not lightly taken
     with temptacion that besyeth hym abowt good labour".
|r30 And Salamon saith that he is moost fool that foloweth
     ydelnes for in heuyn he shall not be receyuyd, for it
     is ordeyned onely for them that haue besied them here
     in vertu. In erthely paradyse they shal neuer be for
     they were not in mannys labour here ne in purgatory
     they shal not be scourgid with men but in hell with
     deuyls where neuer they shal haue rest. Therfore be
     besy here in vertu & alwey thynk at nothyng makith
     a man so heuy ne so sone to inclyne to synne as
     ydelnes. |r[c1v].



|p59


     The seuenth synne is lecherye and that is a flesshly
     synne that comyth of lust and lykyng of the flesshe.
     Out of this spryngeth many braunchys. One is forny_cacion 
     that is dedely synne doon flesshly betwene
     syngel man and sengyl woman ayenst the loue of God
     and the techyng of Holy Chyrche. Therfore Holy Chirche
     forbedyth that no manchylde ne womanchilde that passe
     seuen yere of age lye togyder in bedde for drede of
     fornycacion, ne syster ne brother for drede of incest.
|r10 Another is callyd aduoultrye and that is spousebreche.
     Whether it be doo bodely or ghoostly it is gretter
     synne and more myscheuous thenne that other for therin
     thou doost sacrylege, that is to say thou brekyst the
     sacramente of wedloke wherof there comyth ofte
     vnrightful heyris and fals mariagis. This synne 
     dowblith ofte tyme when it is doon by man maryed and
     woman maried for one of these four myscheuys folowe
     them that customably vse thys synne. One is pouerte,
     another is lesyng of somme membre, the thyrd is
|r20 perpetual pryson, and the fourth sodeyn dethe. And
     this fayleth not hardely and hit be customably vsyd,
     as I sayd afore. Another is incest and that is wyth
     thy kynne or thyn affynyte. Another is when thou
     mysusest thyn oune wyf and doost ageynst kynde or ordre
     of mariage, for as thou mayst slee thyself wyth thyn
     oune swerde right so thou mayst wyth thyn oune wyf.
     For thys synne was Oname, Iacobys cosyn, smeton to
     deth and seuen husbondys of Sara also. Thys sacrament
     and alle other shold be doon and vsyd honestly and
|r30 wyth grete reuerence. Another is when a man synneth
     with the kynne of his wyf and the contrary. This is
     right perilous for he may not after wedde noon of her
     kynne and yf he do the mariage is nought, and that
     worse is he may knowe hys wyf no more afterward in
     forme of wedloke wythout dedely synne but he be
     requyred of hyr. Another there is that is fowlest and
     most stynkyng of alle whyche is the synne agaynst kynde



|p60


     that the deuyl techyth bothe man and woman. The
     dyuersytees of thys synne is so abhomynable that they
     may not be nempnyd but onely in shryfte of them that
     ben falle therein, for the gretter and the more horyble
     thy synne is the more auaylith the shrifte so that the
     shame of the tellyng is a grete parte of thy penaunce.
     Thys synne |r[c2] was so displesyng to God that he made
     to reyne brymstoon and fyre that destroyed fyue cytees
     of Sodom and Gomer. The deuyl hymself that causyth
|r10 thys synne hath shame of the deed.

     These and many other flesshly synnes whyche been deedly
     and eueryche wers thenne other comyn out of this foule
     synne of lecherye the whiche be wel knowen to them
     that lyuyn in lustis of theyr flessh. "Therfore flee
     the occasions", sayth Saynt Poule, "that is to say
     sight of wymmenn, kyssyng, touchyng and suche other".
     Thus wyse scapyd Ioseph the synne of hys lady when he
     lefte his palle or mantel wyth hur and ranne aweye.
     Thynk also on th'ende & how neigh hit is, of the
|r20 streyte doom also that thou sha[l]t come to and of the
     horryble paynys and turmentis that are in helle for
     suche synne; and presume not of thyself for Dauyd,
     Salamon and Sampson where ouercome wyth that synne.
     Also here ne speke ony lecherous wordes, but loue holy
     scrypture for that drawyth a man moche therfro. Vse
     also prayer, fastyng, good and lawful ocupacions and
     wythdrawe the fro superfluytees and excesse of hoote
     metis and drynkys. "For yf thou lyue after thy flessh
     thou shalt be deed", sayth scrypture - that is to say
|r30 dampnyd vnto euyrlastyng payn of helle.

     Therfore shytte the gatys of thy body and thy sowle
     from alle these myscheuys of synne, that is to say
     thy fyue wyttis bodely and ghoostly that they consente
     not wyth hym; fyrst thyn eyen from shrewd and lewd
     thynges; [thyn eres from] bacbytyng and euyl wordes
     and counceyllys; thy mouth from vnlawful taste of
     glotonye, lewd kyssyngis and rebawdy wordes; thy
     handys fro lewd touchyng of thyself and of other, and
     from stelthe and vnlawful takyng of other mennys



|p61


     goodes ageynst theyr wylle; thy feet also from the
     pathis of synne and al other wretchyd wayes that thou
     myght drawe to. These ben thy bodely wyttis. Thenne
     take thy ghoostly wyttis as mynde, vnderstondyng,
     wylle, reson and imagynacion, that is to say haue
     mynde of the kyndenes of God and of thy last ende
     and thou shalte neuer synne. Vnderstonde also Crystys
     loore and his techynges and lette euer thy wylle be
     redy to worshyp God in thought, word and dede wythout
|r10 ony werynes. Lete reson also rewle alle thy dedys
     ynward and outward by Crystys lore and his techyng
     wythout ony blyndenesse. And allewey |r[c2v] haue
     ymagynacion of vertuous lyuyng, of nedeful werkis and
     of dredeful dedys of ioye and blysse that is ordeynyd
     in heuyn to them that leue theyr synne and shal be
     sauyd, and of the horryble paynys and sorowys that
     they shul suffre endelesly whiche for theyr synnys
     shal be dampnyd into the doungeon of helle in whiche
     be specially ix maner of horryble and hydous paynys
|r20 that ix maner of peple shul be tormentid wyth, there
     as clerkys sayn. The first is fyre that euer brennyth
     and neuer yeuyth lyght in whiche though alle the water
     in the see were cast in hit shold not quenche it, for
     as our fyre passyth a fyre payntyd so doth that ourys.
     In thys fyre shal they euer brenne that here alwey
     burnyd in the fyre of fals couetise. The second is so
     passyng colde that yf a grete hylle of fyre were caste
     therin hit shold turne to yce. Wyth thys shal they be
     tormentyd there that be colde in loue by malyce and
|r30 enuye of the fende. The thyrd payn is wormys and
     horryble serpentis and dragons that neuer shal deye
     but lyue in fyre as fysshys in water. Wyth these they
     shal be gnawyn there that here gnawen themsylf wyth
     the venemous hate of theyr euyn cristen. The fourth
     is abhomynable stynke wherein they shalle be lappyd
     there that here delyten them in the foul stynke of the
     synne of lecherye. The v shal be betyng of myghty
     fendys as it were wyth hamers on yron, wherewyth they
     shul be peyned and bete wythout secyng that wold not



|p62


     here be chastysed by the techyng of Goddys wordes. The
     sixte payn is derkenes the whiche is so thykke that as
     it were it myght be felte wyth hond. In these horryble
     derknes shulle they be bounde there that lyuyd in erthe
     in derkenes of thys forsayd synne and wold not come to
     Cryst, that is very lyght, by holy lyuyng and leuyng
     of synne whyles they myght. The seuenth payn is open
     shendshyp or shame for synne whyche shal be knowen and
     not hydde in paynful repreef of synful folke and
|r10 specially to them that wold not knowlege theyr synne
     here to God in dewe maner ne were not ashamyd of hem.
     This shal be a ful hard torment. The eyghte is the
     horryble syght of deuyllys roryng and kryyng wyth fere_ful 
     and sorouful uoyse wherwyth thus shalle |r[c3] they
     be peynyd there that here took no heed of holy ensaum_plis 
     and good dedys ne of techyng ne prechyng of Goddys
     wordes and byddyngys. The ix is fyry bondys wherewyth
     they shul be bounde there hond and foot and other
     membrys that here spendyn theyr membris and lymmys in
|r20 the deuyllys seruyce after the luste and lykyng of
     theyr body. These ix paynys shalle these synful suffre
     there that here forsoke and left vnwysely the felishyp 
     of the ix orders of aungellys by theyr synful lyuyng
     but they amende them or they goo hens. Therfore be
     sory for thy synnes and amende the whylis thou arte
     here that thou mayst ascape alle these horryble paynes
     and reygne wyth Our Lord Ihesu Cryst in his hyghe blysse
     of heuyn where is euer myrthe after traueyle, fredom
     after bondage, helpe after long sekenes, lyf after deth,
|r30 perfyte loue wythout drede and euer day wythout nyght.
     There thou shalt haue seuen ioyes in thy body and seuen
     in thy sowle: in thy body fayrnes, swetenes, strengthe,
     fredom, lust, helth and inmortalite; and in thy sowle
     wysedom, frendshyp, accorde, power, worship, surete
     and ioye wythout ende. To the whiche he vs brynge that
     for vs dyed on the roode, Ihesus Crist Goddis sone,
     Amen.



|p63


     On Sunday that last was I informyd you in homely wyse
     of the worthynes of mannys sowle, what it is when it
     is out of synne, what synne is and how it defowlith
     thy sowle; of the sacrament of penaunce also how it is
     a salue sanatyf for alle maner soris of synne when it
     is dyscretely vsyd. Now by the leue of God I shalle
     declare you the thre parties of penaunce, contricyon,
     confessyon and satysfaccion, how by the fulfillyng of
     them your sowlys that thus haue ben woundyd wyth synne
|r10 mowe be reformyd and brought ageyn to grace. Fyrst
     as for contricion hit is sayd "Kut your hertis and
     not your clothys". For confessyon also shewyth out
     your hertis afore the preest by open speche of mouth.
     And for satisfaccion doo ye worthy frutys of penaunce.
     Thus by these thre thyngys thys hooly sacrament of
     penaunce is preuyd.

     For contricion also it is sayd in the Sawter "I haue
     traueylid in my sorowys; I shalle make |r[c3v] moyste
     my bedde euery nyght wyth my tearis", - as who sayth
|r20 "I haue traueylid to make satisfaccion for my synnes
     with sorowe of myn herte hauyng in mynde how long I
     haue lyued, how I haue spente my tyme, what goodnes I
     haue left vndoo, how moche euyl I haue do and how by
     my synne I haue lost the felishyp of heuyn and ioyned
     me to the felishyp of the fend; that I am also here
     in the vale of tearis ful of wretchydnes; and my byrthe
     brought forth vnto mannys synnes and sorowes; and shal
     come vnto the dredeful doom and gyue a rekenyng for
     the leste & most synne that euer I dyd in word, dede
|r30 or thought, not knowyng whether I shal be worthy hate
     or mede; that I wold also be in blysse whiche I may
     not come to wythout grete torment and sorowe". This
     consyderyng thyn [y]earis & werkys thou shalt wel
     knowe, that thou art cause of thyn oune sorowe, and
     so for shame thou shalt falle to contricion and wynne
     the grace of God. "Hit is a right hard herte", sayth
     Saynt Bernard,that neyther the benefettis of God
     may grynde ne the paynes of helle may fere ne the
     ioyes of heuyn may susteyne ne that temporal tormentis



|p64


     ne sorowe may chastyse". Many oon there is that can
     not be contrite in that they knowe not what contricion
     is. Therfore ye shal vnderstonde that contricion is a
     sorowe of thy sowle formyd by grace whiche comyth of
     forthynkyng of synne and drede of the hygh doom with a 
     stedfast purpoos to be confessyd and to do satisfaccion
     after the precept of the Chirche. Hit is also a con_uersion 
     of thyn herte from euyl to good, fro the deuyl
     to God and from vyces to vertu. There be many that
|r10 haue contricion but not perfyte, as when thy herte is
     touchyd with the handys of God by inspyracion to make the
     perfyte sorowful for thy synne, yet for hardnes of thyn
     herte haply thou yeldyst the not fully but sumwhat art
     lesse in as moche as thou begynnest to turne. Thys is
     callyd attricion. But when wylle and desyre of synne
     in euery parte is fully forsaken wyth ful sorowe of
     herte thenne it is contricion. And so verry contricion
     is the serche of synne. Origeen sayth also that verry
     contrycion is to abhorre gay arraye and to desyre the
|r20 hygher wepyng and fle laughter, to speke fewe and to
     werke ryghtfully and euer to haue drede and sorowe in
     thyn herte for thy synne, for the more that thou louyst
     |r[c4] a thynge the more is thy sorowe when thou lesist
     it. Aboue alle creaturis is God to be belouyd; thenne
     it is most sorowe of hys losse thenne of al other
     creaturis. When thou doost dedely synne thenne lesyst
     thou thy God; therfore by grete contricion & sorowe
     thou must gete hym ageyn. For loke how moche thou hast
     of grace, as saith Saynt Gregore, so moche thou must
|r30 haue of sorowe for thy synne. The sowlys that are in
     blysse they mowe no contricion haue bycause theyr
     ioyes be plenteous. They that be in helle sorowen but
     that sorowe is not formyd wyth grace. The sowlis in
     purgatory haue sorowe formyd wyth grace, yet hit is not
     meritory in as moche as hit shold haue be had here.
     Thus in this lyf mercy onely helpyth but after not.
     "Hit is blamefully herd", sayth Saynt Ierom, "that
     can wepe the deth of his frende or the harme of
     temporal losse and can not wepe and be sory for synnys".



|p65


     Thy contricion therfore must be sharpe in that that
     thou hast offendyd thyn heuenly fader that bodely
     and ghoostly fedith the in many wyse. And yet must
     thou be sharpe in that that thou hast offendyd thy
     Lord Ihesu Goddys sone of heuen that with his precious
     blood and by his mercy delyueryd the fro the bondys of
     synne, cruelte of fendis and bytternes of the paynes
     of helle. And though Our Lord say to the "Not euery
     man that saith `Lord, Lord' shal entre the kyngdom
|r10 of heuen", yet leue hym not but haue hym to the tauerne
     of contricion and say to hym as Dauyd dyd "The meke and
     the contrite herte, Lord, thou shalt not despyse". And
     thenne he shal yeue the grace here and ioye when thou
     goest hens.

     The fawcon whan he hath take his praye he desireth no
     more therof but the hert and therwith he is content,
     so Our Lord Ihesu when he had raunsonyd vs out of helle
     he desired no more but a meke and a contrite herte of
     vs. Therfore as the fawconer or he wol yeue the herte
|r20 vnto his fawcon first he wyl kytte it and thenne take
     out the blood and wasshe it, so must thou yeue thyn
     herte to Our Lord. First kyt it wyth the knyf of con_tricion 
     and thenne take out the blood of synne by con_fessyon 
     and after wesshe it with satisfaction. And so
     wyth the knyf of his passyon kut your hertis & not
     your clothis, hauyng in mynde that the blade of this
     knyf was made of the sperehed & naylys that his
     precious body and herte were thrillyd wythalle, the
     hafte was made of the holy tre of the crosse, |r[c4v]
|r30  and the virel was made of the crowne of thorn that was
     aboute his heed. Whet this knyf on his blessyd body
     that so hard and cruelly was tormentid on the crosse
     that there left noon hool ioynt with other. Make al so
     the shethe of thy knyf of the whyt skynne of Our Lord
     Ihesu that was payntyd wyth reed blody woundys so many
     that fro the toppe of the heed vnto the sole of the
     foot there was noon hoole plot left of hym vnscourgyd.
     Thenne with the cordis that he was bounde wyth to the
     pyler now bynde this knyf to the gurdel of thy herte.



|p66


     And I doubte not be thyn herte neuer so harde and thou
     this feythfully prynte in thy mynde, his passyon wyth
     thyn herd herte, hit wol begyn to breke. Thus mayst
     thou lerne to suffer repreuys for Our Lord Ihesu whiche
     for the suffrid these and many moo. There ben six
     thyngis that shold stere the to grete sorowe for thy
     synnys. The first is that som tyme of the day or
     nyght as I sayd before bethynke the how thou hast
     lyuyd, and when thy synnes come to thy mynde haue an
|r10 inward sorowe that thou hast so greuously offendyd thy
     God. The second that thou be ashamyd of thy synne and
     ellys at the day of dome they shal be shewyd to the
     and to al the world openly vnto thy grete shame and
     confusion. The thyrd that thou haue grete abhominacion
     of the fylthe of synne that thou hast thus doon bothe
     in the sight of God & man. Seneca sayth "Though I wyst
     that my synne shold be vnknowyn bothe to God and man,
     yet wold I abhorre and lothe the fylthe of my synne".
     The fourth is that thou haue drede of the day of dome
|r20 and of the peynes of helle. Of this day spekyth Saynt
     Peter thus "Vnnethe the rightwys man that day shal be
     sauyd", sayth he. Where shal thenne the synful apere?
     "As often as I beholde that day", sayth Saynt Iherome,
     "I quake in al myn herte. And whether I ete or drynke
     or ellis ony other thyng doo euer me thynketh that the
     trumpe of God sownyth in myn eeris and byddyth me,
     synful wretche, aryse and come to the dome". The v is
     that thou haue sorowe for the losse of heuyn and the
     grete offence doon to thy maker. The sixte that thou
|r30 haue a threfold hope, first of foryeuenes that thy
     synnes be clene foryeuen the, hope al so of grace to do
     good werkis after and in hem alwey to encreace, and
     thenne hope of blisse wherwyth thou mayst afterward be
     rewardyd for thy good werkys.

     The prophete |r[c5] sayd before that I shold wesshe euery
     nyght my bedde wyth my teris. By this it semyth that
     contricion after foryeuenes shold be contynual. To
     knowe this it is hard, yet in thy wylle thou mayst haue
     contynuel contricion euyr in ful purpoos to leue & loth



|p67


     thy synne. And thus it is nedeful, for and a con_fessour 
     knewe suche oon that comyth so contynually
     beyng sory inward and outward hym nedyth neuer to
     yeue hym but litil penaunce, for though he had doon
     grete and horryble synnes he myght so venge and
     bewayle his synnes here that after his deth he shold
     no peyn suffre in purgatory. Yet this sorowe must
     be mesurable with a trusty hope that thou falle not
     into heuynes of dyspeyre. Hit must also be general
|r10 & hole for alle synnys, yet more sharpe for one thenne
     for another after the gretenes is. And it must be
     doon for the offence doon to God and not oonly for
     drede of euerlastyng payn. This maner of contricion
     brekith the snaris and the chaynys of the deuyl and
     relesith the boondes and obligacions of euerlastyng
     payn and delyuereth the from the seruage and horryble
     company of deuyllys and makyth the the chylde of God
     and heyr of the blisse of heuyn that tofore were the
     chylde of the deuyl and a brennyng bronde of the
|r20 pytte of helle. Oonly contricion also auayleth not
     but there as confessyon and satisfaction mowe be had,
     for as we offende God in thre maner of wyse in herte,
     speche and deed, so it nedyth that we do our satis_faction 
     in thre maners and ellis the synne is not
     foryeue. Oonly contricion may auayle al so when thou
     art very contrite and purposist afterward to absteyne
     the fro all maner of synne and knowlechist thy synne
     as sone as thou mayst and doost also dewe satisfaccion
     after the dome of the Chirche. And this is the moost
|r30 sure waye.

     The second wesshyng is confessyon doon of thy mouth.
     Right as thy sowle is now wasshe and made whyte wyth
     sokyng sorowe and salt fretyng tearis of thyn eyen,
     so by lowly co[n]fessyon of thy mouthe thou must rubbe
     of the foule spottis of synne that are rustyd in thy
     sowle. Of this maner of wesshyng spekyth the prophete
     Dauyd sayeng thus "Thou shalt sprynge me, Lord, wyth



|p68


     ysope and I shal be clensid; thou shalt wesshe me and I
     shal be made clene and whyt as snowe". Right thus lowly
     confessyon doon of thy mouth to thyn oune curate purgeth
     and |r[c5v] maketh more whyt thy sowle thenne is ony snowe
     in this world. See therfore what confessyon is. Con_fessyon 
     after doctours scyence is a lauful declaracion
     of synne tofore doon and a thynge wherby a preuy
     ghoostly sore or sekenes is openyd wyth hope of for_yeuenes.
     

|r10 Thre maner of confessyons there be. One is inward in
     thy soule for or thou madest it hit was knowen to God,
     the second tofore a iuge in hope of foryeuenes of God,
     and the thyrd tofore Goddis vicare where pryuy synne is
     preuyly openyd. Of these spekith scripture and saith
     "Telle out yf onythyng thou haue to say or shewe that
     thou may be iustyfyed".

     The passyon of Our Lord Ihesu is a grete remedy ayenst
     synne, be hit orygynal or actual, the vertu wherof is
     expressyd in the sacrament of Holy Chirche without
|r20 whiche there may no man be hoole. Therfore that con_fessyon 
     is nedeful preuyth scripture sayeng thus "He
     that is prowd and wyl not obeye the precept of the
     preest he shal be deed". We haue it also of Our Lord,
     fader of heuyn, that euery man & woman hauyng yeris
     of dyscressyon is bounde by his oune persone to make
     confessyon onys a yere of al his synnys to his oune
     curate. That hit is also nedeful reson preuyth in this
     wyse. & thou haddyst trespacid to thy neighbour, it
     were not rightful that thou sholdest sette thyn oune
|r30 peyn at thy lust ne he that hath wrong neyther but a
     mene that coude and myght sette it resonably after the
     wronge were declared. The preest is ordeyned to be a
     mene and to sette thy peynys for the wrong that thou
     hast doon to thy God by thy synne. Hit nedyth thenne
     that thou shewe truly thy trespas vnto hym that he
     may sette the suche penaunce wherby thou mayst be
     able to come to the presence of thy Lord God. Also
     in euery doom that is resonable there must be a iuge
     and a persone that is gylty; and the preest must



|p69


     eyther be by preuys or ellis by wytnes ageynst thy
     wylle or by wylful knowlege, sithe the dome of penaunce
     is fre and not agaynst thy wylle bycause thou goest
     therto wylfully. Thenne shal not the processe of this
     dome be in promys ne in wytnes, but frely in thy propre
     confessyon. And he must be iuge that may bothe for_yeue 
     and condempne - and that is God. For he oonly
     relesith synnys, and so tyl he took mankynde confessyon
     of herte suffysid; but after he requyred and asked con_fessyon 
|r10 vocal whiche is made of man to man. And for as
     moche as he is not here wyth vs in forme of |r[c6] man
     therfore he ordeynyd men to be his vycaris that thou
     sholdest confesse the too, to whom he gaue power to
     bynde and to vnbynde. And thus is confessyon nedeful
     by reson, promyse and holy scrypture.

     Our Lord yaf power onely to the preest to bynde and
     to vnbynde when he sayd "Whos synnys ye forgyue they
     ben foryeue, and whos synnes ye wythholde they be
     wythholde". Yet as by power and vertu God losyth for
|r20 there is no power but of God. "Cryst", sayth Saynt
     Augustyn, "for vs was crucifyed by which man and noon
     other synnes are forgeuyn". Therfore Our Lord yaf
     openly the Holy Ghoost to men, yeuyng vnderstondyng
     that synnes are not foryeue thorow merites of men but
     thorow the goodnes of the Holy Ghoost. For when he
     arose fro deth he sayde to his dyscyples "Takyth the
     Holy Ghoost and whos synnes ye forgeue they are for_geuen" - 
     as who sayth "The spyrite that is God for_geuyth 
     & not ye". And so he that may foryeue by man
|r30 may forgeue wythout man. "The sacrament of grace",
     saith Saynt Austyn, "God foryeuyth somtyme by euyl men,
     but grace allone he yeuyth but by hymself". Yet re_myssyon 
     of synnys he worchyth bothe by hymself and by
     the Holy Ghoost. And thus no man doth awey synne but
     Cryst allone, Saynt Ambrose and other doctours sayn
     that the word of God forgeuyth synnes. The preest
     is the iuge, and yet of hymself he hath no power but



|p70


     of hym allone that dyed for our synnes. Saynt Ierom
     sayth that the same power that Crist yaue to his
     appostelis after his resurrexyon, the same hath alle
     Holy Chirche in bysshoppis and preestys, but specially
     Petir and his successours, that al shold vnderstonde
     that who so departeth hym from vnyte of the feyth may
     neuer be losyd from synne ne entre into the blysse of
     heuyn. The preest losyth noon verily but God tho that
     turnyth to penaunce. Thenne he mynystrith rightfully
|r10 that mynystrith of the vertue of God. What had it
     proffyted to Lazare that he went out of hys tombe but
     yf it had be sayd "Losith hym and lete hym goo"?
     Crist by voyce reysid hym fro his sepulcre and so he
     went forth that was bounde not by myght of his feet
     but by vertue of hym that reysyd hym. This same is
     now ghoostly doon in the herte of a repentaunt man.
     When thou herest a man repentaunt for hys synne thenne
     he begynneth to lyue ageyn: when he confessyth hym
     thenne he is brought out of his sepulcre, but yet he
|r20 is not |r[c6v] losid. See therfore of whom and when he
     is losid. Crist sayth "Tho that ye haue losid in
     erthe shal be losyd in heuyn". Here take heed how
     he sayth "tho", that is to say no man except but who
     so be repentaunt and aske forgeuenes by the Chyrche
     he shall haue foryeuenes. Yet though by the Chirche
     synne may worthely be forgeuyn the dede may not ryse
     but Our Lord crye wythinforth, for that that is doon
     within vs may not be doon of vs but of hym. The
     dyscyples losyd hym lyuyng whom the mayster reysid
|r30 fro deth, for and they shold haue reysid hym deed
     they shold haue shewyd more strength then vertu. Thus
     Holy Chirche hath auctorite of her spouse to lose from
     al maner of synne. Saynt Austyn sayth that seuenty
     tymes and seuen we be chargyd to forgeue, that is to
     say to euery man that is repentaunt and askyth for_geuenes.
     Yet may not euery preest generally doo this
     but in tyme of nede or by auctorite of the Pope or of
     his bysshop. For right as a man hath power to ete
     and hath not wherof, so it is of preestis power.



|p71


     Alle they haue power yet it must be gyuen them of theyr
     souerayns when, where and how moche they shal execute.
     There may no man chese hym a confessour but the pope
     aboue wythout auctorite of hym or ellys of them that
     haue power vnder hym, but nedys must he be shreuyn
     to his oune curat. Yet in certeyn causis by leue of
     his curat he may, as when the curat lackyth discressyon,
     another when thou chaungyst thyn howsold and art a
     vagabounde or in perel of deth or when thou entrist
|r10 into the see in so grete perell. Thou mayst also by
     that confesse the to a layman and haue foryeuenes, and
     they that thus here the yf thou escape must charge the
     that thou shewe the same to thyn oune curate; also
     pylgryms, marchauntis and other goers about in dyuerse
     contrees in the same wyse. Other causes there be that
     thy curat must sende the tofore the bysshop, wherto
     thou must nedys obeye and be sory that thou hast more
     horrybly offendyd thenne other haue.

     The tokenys of verry confessyon are these. The first
|r20 is shame. "When thou shryuest the", sayth Saynt Ierom,
     "wexe ashamyd of alle the weyes that thou hast goon in
     synne, not for thy confessyon but for the fylthe of
     synne that thou shewyst there, for not oonly Our Lord
     seeth it", sayth he, "but also al the holy companye of
     heuyn". Therfore be ashamyd for that makith the the
     sonner |r[c7] to haue mercy of Our Lord. Mary Mawgdeleyn
     shamed not to confesse alle her synnes in presence of
     alle that were at the feste. Hyr confessyon and tearis
     therfore brought hyr to blysse.

|r30 The second is mekenes in word, lokyng and chere without
     ony stourdynes, as the publycan that thought hymself
     vnworthy to lyfte vp his eyen into heuen. And as Poule
     also obeyed to the callyng of Our Lord so sholdest thou
     to the byddyng of thy ghoostly fader and in no wyse
     tary thy shryfte for these perellys sewyn. Ye that
     be yet vnshryuen takith good hede vnto this lesson
     and see what parelle ye stonde in. The first is for
     the vncerteynte of thy lyf. Seripture sayth that man
     knoweth not his ende ne the tyme ne place ne how ne



|p72


     what maner he shal deye, and al is for thou sholdest
     in euery tyme and place be redy to thy deth. Another
     is for encreasyng of thy synne, for synne that is not
     anone doon awey by shryfte he drawyth another to hym
     as sayth Saynt Austyn; and so as thou encrecyst thy
     synne right so thou encreasist thy payn. Another is
     for drede of turnyng ageyn for the ferther that thou
     goest from God by thy long abydyng in synne the harder
     it is to the after to turne ayene to thy good lyf.
|r10 And also in grete sekenes thy peyn is sumtyme so grete
     that thou mayst not be verry repentaunt.

     Hit must also be hoole, not sum to one and sum to
     another. This is a grete spyce of ypocresye and thus
     vsen moche peple and al for they wold be holde holy
     and bettir thenne they be. Saynt Bernard sayth that
     there is no confessyon but it be in trouthe of thy
     mouth proffytable and clennes of thyn herte. Yf thou
     be seke and swete in alle the parties of thy body it
     is a token of lyf, and yf it be pa[r]ticuler it is a
|r20 token of dethe. Right so and thou telle al thy synnes
     hit is a token of saluacion as when Cryst helyd the
     man that the Gospel spekyth of; he made hym not half
     hool but al hoole. So when he foryeuyth he forgeuyth
     alle or neuer a dele. "Therfore held out thyn herte
     tofore thy Lord God", sayth the prophete, "as water,
     not as oyle lest the fatnes abyde or as mylke lest the
     whytnes apere ne as wyne lest the sauour abyde". Thou
     heldest out thy herte as oyle that shryuest the of thy
     smale synnes and leuyst the grete and the fatte within
|r30 the. Thou heldest out as mylke that by colour of ex_cusacion 
     makyst thy synnes whyt as Adam dyd by the
     woman |r[c7v] and the woman by the serpent. Thou heldist
     it out also as wyn that after the leuyng of thy synne
     thou kepyst the sauour wythin the therof as when thou
     delitest the in lecherous wordys or hast ioye to see
     vanytees or auauntist the of lewdnes doon tofore. And
     that is a synne that most greuyth God. Therfore helde
     out thyn herte as water that neyther fatnes, colour
     ne sauour abyde after wyth alle the circumstauncis as



|p73


     in what maner, what place, what cause, what tyme, what
     age, what state, how moche, how long, why and where
     and al suche that agree.

     Thy synne also it must be nakyd, not made by a
     messenger ne letter but wyth thyn own mouth, ne in gay
     termys but in suche wyse be it neuer so foule that thy
     confessour may knowe thy menyng as do it wylfully as
     the theef that hynge on the crosse and not as Achor.
     Hit must also be feythful that thou haue ful hope of
|r10 foryeuenes of thy synne by the mercy of God or thou
     goo thens accusyng thyself and noon other, sayeng wyth
     Iosue and Dauyd "I am he that synneth, I am he that
     dyd amys", not excusyng the by custom, felishyp or
     freylte as somme doon. Do hit also in good entent for
     no veynglorye ne drede of payn, but specially for the
     offens doon without ony feynyng.

     For dyuers causes is confessyon proffytable: first for
     the perel of synne that thy confessour there shewyth
     the; also for the shame that thou hast there in thy
|r20 confessyon whiche is a grete relece of thy payn;
     another for it shewyth in thy conscyence a sikernes
     of forgeuenes. By confessyon also God is glorifyed
     and the deuyl confounded, for who so vsith ofte tyme
     to be confessid in what temptacion he be he shal not
     be ouercome wyth the deuyl. Saynt Austyn sayth that
     the oftoner that thou art confessyd of thy synne in
     hope of foryeuenes the lightloker, sayth he, thou
     shalt haue grace and foryeuenes of thy synnes. Onys
     a yere it is spedeful to the to make thy confessyon
|r30 general, and specially in the poynt of dethe. And
     the shame therof shal be there to the a grete parte
     of thy satisfaction.

     The thyrd parte of penaunce as I sayd tofore is
     satisfaction. This is groundyd in the wordes of the
     prophete that where he sayd to Naaman "Goo and wesshe



|p74


     the seuen tymys in Iordan and thou shalt be clensyd
     of that thou hast be defacid wyth spottis of synne".
     Though hit be sokyd wyth bytter sorowe of |r[c8] thyn
     herte and clerely rubbyd wyth confessyon, yet must it
     haue many dyuerse rensynges after wyth satisfaccion
     tyl hit be so clerely purgid here or in purgatory
     that it may clerely apere after in the sight of Our
     Lord. If thy contricion be grete here thy penaunce
     may be the lesse there, and yf it be lytyl thy payn
|r10 must nedys be the gretter. And so grete it may be
     here that it suffyseth to thy saluacion. Satisfaction
     after dyuerse doctours is a puttyng awey of the cause
     of synne, not takyng hede of theyr subgestyons. Hit
     is also an oblygacion don of good werkis to God with
     mekenes and lownes of herte after the qualite and
     quantite of thy synne. This satisfaccion must be doo
     wylfully wythout grudgyng. And hit must be plenere
     and generalle for euery synne resonably as pryuy
     penaunce for pryuy synne, opyn penaunce for opyn synne.

|r20 Thre pryncipal werkys there be of satisfaction, almes,
     prayer and fastyng. These thre Our Lord fulfilled
     in his passyon for redempcion of our synne. Therfore
     what almes is and how it shold be doon I shal telle.
     Almes is a lowyng of thyn herte wyth a wylful com_passyon 
     to them that be in nede. And hit is a dede
     of mercy by compassyon of thy neyghbouris myscheef.
     There be thre maner of almes. One is in the contricion
     of thyn herte for thy synne that thou offerist thyself
     with to God; another by geuyng of bodely tresour wyth
|r30 thyn hond; the thyrd in pyte and compassyon hauyng of
     thy neyghbours myschyef. Temporall almes thou mayst
     sumtyme yeue of goedes vntrewly goten, that is to say
     when thou knowest not to whom thou shalt restore it.
     And yet it must be doon by counceyl of thy ghoostly
     fader. And tythe not of that thou getist by thefte
     for sommetyme it is chalengyd and thenne he that
     delyuered it shal aske it ageyne. And sumtyme it is
     chaungyd and shalle not be askyd ageyn as when hit
     turnyth not to the taker bycause they come by thefte



|p75


     or robbery, raueyn, symony or vserye. And so of
     them shal no almes be geuyn for they must be restoryd
     ageyn. But when the hauyng is chaungyd and shal not
     be askyd ageyn, as gyftes of comyn wymmen and iogelers
     or suche other, thenne shal they be gyuen in almes.
     Also yf thou fynde a thyng of ony value after tyme
     thou hast doon thy besynesse to wyte dewly who owyd
     hit thou shalt spende hit in almes by counceyl of thy
     ghoostly fader to alle that haue nede. |r[c8v] Also thou
|r10 shalt yeue thyn almes to good and bad, frende and
     enemye, yf thou be of power. Our Lord sayth "Yeue to
     euery man that askyth the". "And turne not awey thy
     face from ony poure man", sayth Thobye. Yet it is
     sayd "Yeue the good man & receyue not the synner"
     that is to say geue that nature be susteyned and not
     the synne norisshed. Thou noreshest the synne that
     yeuest thy good to iugelers and iapers and suche that
     loue to be ydel and suffrest the poure man to haue
     hungre and myschyef. Suche maner of yeuyng is for_bode.
|r20 "If pyte", sayth Saynt Ambrose, "shall not be
     swete to al, moche more plenteuous must it thenne be
     to the good and vertuous in lyuyng". Thou shalt rather
     yeue to thy kynne or neyghbour in theyr nede, and they
     be vertuous, thenne to other. Thou shalt also yeue
     to olde men and wymmen wyth chylde, yf they haue nede,
     rather thenne to other, and to them that be falle in
     grete pouerte when suche pouerte falleth not thorowe
     ryot, aray or pompe of this worlde. Yet rather geue
     thenne the poure be vnseruyd. Opyn thyn herte to al
|r30 that aske the for the loue of God wythout diffyculte
     and yeue it wyth charite & wyth good wylle or ellys
     thou makyst not dewe satisfaction for thy synne; also
     with a glad chere and a meke spirite so that thou doo
     it for no veynglorye; ne despyse not the poure for he
     is a man as thou art. "And yeue it hastely and tary
     not fro hym that suffrith anguysshe", sayth Salamon.
     Yeue it also with discrescion. "And yf thou haue
     moche yeue moche, yf thou haue lityl yeue lityl gladly",
     sayth Thoby. Thus bodely or ghoostly euerybody may



|p76


     yeue almes.

     Furthermore ayenst concupyscence of thy flessh thou
     hast fastyng, hard goyng and lyuyng and bitter wepyng,
     knockyng on thy brest, oft knelyng and sharpe discy_plyne 
     wyth roddys of thyn owen hondys, traueyle in
     pylgremage, tribulacions, anguysshe, sekenes and suche
     other bodely dyseasis paciently suffrid of the scourge
     of God. Al suche penaunce wylfully taken a discrete
     confessour wyl put to the in parte of thy satisfaccion
|r10 and penaunce. Fastyng is a wylful abstynence fro mete
     and drynke wherby thy synne is wasshyn and thy flessh
     made lowe for desyre of euerlastyng blysse. Ghoostly
     fastyng is fro dedely synne and temporal ioye. Seynt
     Ierom sayth that it proffyteth not to febyl theyr
     body with fastyng when thy herte swellyth by pryde.
     Somme fast for sekenes or [d1] for they may not ete,
     somme for pouerte, somme for ypocresye and somme to
     the worshyp of God. And thou must modere thy fastyng
     that thy stomake be not greuyd with to moche excesse,
|r20 for litel mete mesurably temperith and proffyteth
     bothe body & sowle and disposith the to ghoostly
     traueyle. Ther be somme that ete mo delicate metis
     and more when they faste thenne they do at two melys
     when they fast not; and in maner they breke their faste.

     There is also prayer ayenst pryde, two maner. One is
     inward in thy sowle wythout shewyng of voyce, another
     also ordeyned for the thre parties of satisfaccion
     ayenst pryde. Prayer is a louyng desire of thy sowle
     to God wyth speche of mouth or gaderyng of wordes to
|r30 aske good of God with vtteryng of thy voys. Of foure
     fruteful prayers Saynt Poule spekith when he sayth
     "I pray you first of al thyng that there be obsecra_cions,
     orisons, postulacions & yeldyng thankynges".
     Obsecracions are when thou seest in thy sowle the
     multitude of thy synne and lityl of thy merites and
     seest the horryble paynes of helle which thou mayst
     not voyde by thyn oune vertu, ne durst not for thyn
     oune vnworthenesse make thy prayer thyself but makist



|p77


     supplicacions by other meanys as when thou sayst Sancta
     Maria ora pro nobis, Our Lord by the passion delyuer
     vs. Orison is when thou hast forsake thy synne and
     askyst foryeuenes by open speche. Postulacion is when
     after thy penaunce doon thou hast a sad hoope of for_yeuenes.
     Yf thou pray also onythyng ayenst thyn oune
     spede, as Powle that prayed that his temptacion myght
     be put away, thenne Our Lord wyl not graunte it the.
     Somme thynges thou mayst praye with condycion & somme
|r10 thynges without condicion. To haue grace & blysse with
     Our Lord thou mayst axe without condicion. Saynt Ber_nard 
     sayth that thou mayst axe of Our Lord grame in al
     goodnes to please hym, lyue in hym, see his blisse &
     to able thyself to vertuys to do hym worshyp & to be
     with hym withouten ende. Yet afore this prayer thou
     must make redy thy sowle in dyuerse wyse. First thou
     must wythdrawe thyn herte fro outward besynesse, beyng
     in wille to kepe thy thoughtis after thy first entent.
     Thou must considre also how vnworthy thou art that
|r20 prayest and how worthy he is that thou prayest vnto
     & how grete thy synnes be that thou prayest for.
     Thou must also be clene in sowle. And if thy prayer
     be shorte lette hit be don wyth stedfast hope, for a
     shorte prayer [d1v] wyth a sad hope feythfully doon
     is more acceptable to God thenne a long prayer fayntly
     doon wythout hope. Yet to them that ben ocupyed in
     deuyne seruyce long prayer is spedeful. To pray also
     with voys is more spedeful thenne to thynke or to
     whysper. Crisostum sayth thus "Thou that with lowd
|r30 voyce prayest and whisperist thou suffrest noon other
     to pray abowte the". And therfore thy synne and thy
     payn are encreacid yf hit be doon wytyngly and thyself
     not herde of God. Hit must also be doon wythout
     interrupcion, not to say now a verse or a Pater Noster
     and betwene iangle and telle a tale wythout grete nede
     ne to haste hit to moche. Thou must also make it comen



|p78

  
     to place, tyme and personys. Paule sayth "I wyl that
     men pray in euery place, yet in the chirche prynci_pally".
     For Our Lord sayth "Myn hows shal be callyd
     the hows of prayer". Alle tymes are tymes of prayer,
     yet in Holy Chirche be seuen owres specially ordeynyd
     for tyme of prayer whiche moche specially longyth to
     religyous men. Our Lord afore his passyon traueylede
     alle nyght in prayer. Our Lady and Ioseph also rose
     euery nyght at mydnyght and sayd the psalmes of commen_dacion,
|r10 and the same dyd Dauyd and his howsold. Though
     al may not doo thus yet auyse them that be bounde and
     haue no lettyng. Hit must also be made with other
     and not allewey allone in that it is more acceptable
     to God, more plesyng to aungellis and more confusion
     to the deuyl. And the same that thou makyst for
     another is better thenne that thou makyst for thyself.
     And though Our Lord here not anon thy prayer at thy
     wylle, yet he heereth hit and graunteth the haply that
     that is more spedeful. A thynge that is long desyred
|r20 at the last it comyth, and that is the more deynte.

     Hit must also be do wyth deuocion. Deuocion as clerkis
     sayn is a tendernes of herte wherby thou brekyst
     lyghtly into tearis, also a wylle of loue lyfte vp to
     God or to his heuenly creatures meuyng the inward and
     outward to the seruyce of God. Suche deuocion purgyth
     bothe body and sowle. And thus deuocion may be knowen
     by two pryncipal tokens, one by gretenes of thy voys
     outward as a grete fyre is knowen by the flame, another
     by tearis for right as a fyre dryuyth out moysture fro
|r30 wete wode so deuocion bryngyth out tearis of thyn eyen
     in prayer. [d2] Wel is hym that hath suche plente of
     tearis for he is disposid to grace. But there be
     somme that haue grete plente of tearis fro day to day
     in prayer, deuoutly redyng or spekyng, and yet wyl not
     leue theyr synne ne traueyle to wythstonde theyr
     temptacions ne to knowe ne to kepe the preceptis of



|p79


     Our Lord. Suche tearis be not accept for dewe sacre_fyse 
     tofore Our Lord. "If thou be ful contrite",
     sayth Aldrede, "and trustest in the mercy of God, con_fessyd 
     and in wylle to doo thy penaunce and not in
     wylle to torne ageyn to thy synne thenne", sayth he,
     "suche tearis plesyn God and wasshen awey thy synnes
     and more turmente the deuyl as sayth Saynt Bernard
     thenne al other kyndes of turmentes may do syth deuo_cion 
     must be in euery prayer". Yet the tyme therof
|r10 shold be pryncipally vsyd in the tyme of the masse
     and for foure causys. One is for the presence of
     Our Lord God that is there not oonly by his godhed
     but also by his manhode that he took for the loue of
     mannys sowle. The second is for the multitude of
     aungellys that there been euermore present to yelde
     worshyp to almyghty God. The thyrd is for grete
     proffyte and spede that the body and sowle haue by
     vertue of the sacrament bothe to them that ben present
     and specially to them that worthely receyue hym. The
|r20 fourth is for the wonderful worshyp that is there
     yeuyn to man that thorowe the vertue of wordes sayd
     of man the presence of Our Lord is had and the in_numerable 
     nombre of aungellys so many that no tunge
     can telle ne herte thynke. Deuocion also shold be
     vsyd in tyme of seruyce that thou art bounde to say.
     But somme for vnkunnyng say theyr seruyce the more
     hastely for theyr pryuy prayers that they haue deuocion
     to and the deuocion is litil or nought worth.

     Se now therfore how thy sowle may be reformyd and
|r30 brought ageyn to God. Thy sowle hath mynde, reson and
     wylle: mynde for hit shold reste in God, reson for thou
     shold knowe God, and wylle for thou shold loue God. But
     by synne thy mynde is vnstable, thy reson blynde and
     thy wylle croked, and alle is for thou forsakyst thy
     God. The reformacion therfore of thy mynde is to bryng
     ageyn thyn herte that was traueylid with veyn thoughtis
     by prayer, redyng, and often thynkyng of God as of his
     incarnacion, passyon, innumerable benefetis and gracyous
     yeftis, [d2v] hauyng grete sorowe for thyn vnkyndenesse



|p80


     that thou allewey shewedyst hym. The reformacion of
     thy reson is to beleue sadly in the feyth of Holy
     Chirche. Oure Lord for our grete comforte hath yeuen
     vs knowlege in scripture where we may fynde alle thyng
     that is necessarye and spedeful to our sowle hele, not
     to folowe therein our natural wylle but to submytte
     our wytte to the rulys of feyth after the vnderstond_yng 
     of holy doctouris and so ghoostly to be clensyd
     by the sacrament of penaunce. The reformacion of thy
|r10 wylle also is to wythstonde vycis and wyth a good
     wylle trewly and feythfully encrece and abyde in
     vertuys for God wythout ony curyosite of wylle that
     there be no dowble desire ne noon affeccion plesyng
     to the but suche as is acordyng wyth the wylle of God.

     Thus than consyderyd the worthynes of thy sowle, the
     horrour of thy synne wherewyth thy sowle is thus
     woundyd, take this salue of penaunce wyth these thre
     plastres, contricion, confessyon and satisfaccion, and
     bynde them sadly to thy sore wyth the bondys of hope
|r20 and drede, hope to haue foryeuenes of thy synne, hope
     of grace to lyue wel after and hope of glorye wythout
     ende to reygne perpetual in heuen blysse. Drede also
     of the paynes of helle yf thou dyspeyre of his mercy
     for to hym it is propre to haue mercy and to spare so
     that for euery synne as sayth Saynt Austyn there is an
     absolucion be hit neuer so grete. For what myght be
     gretter or worse thenne to slee Our Lord Ihesu Cryst
     ryght as the Iewes dyd? Yet there were somme of them
     after that beleuyd and now be sauyd. Peter and Mary
|r30 Mawdeleyn and many other also after they had synned
     they were with the salue of contricion made hoole and
     now be in blysse. Therfore be thy synnes neuer so many
     ne so grete dyspeyre the not but say alwey with Dauyd
     "Haue mercy on me, Lord, after thy grete mercy. Doo
     awey, Lord, my wyckednes". "Man hath synned", sayth
     Saynt Augustyn, "and Cryst hath redemyd". And so at
     Our Lord as sayth the prophete is mercy and plenteuous
     redempcion, and he shalle redeme Israel from alle his



|p81


     wyckednes. Israell is as moche to say as he that
     seeth God. He seeth God thenne that lothyth hys synne
     and by contrycion and by confessyon and penauncedoyng
     is conuertyd to hym. That you may thenne thus be
     conuertyd [d3] and doo penaunce for your synnes graunte
     he you and me that dyed for vs on the roodtre, Amen.


                  The Generalle Sentence

     Good men and wymmen, I do you to vnderstonde that we
     that haue cure of your sowlys be commaundyd of our
|r10 ordenaries and by the constytucions and the lawe of
     Holy Chirche to shewe to you foure tymes by the yere,
     in eche a quarter of the yere onys when the peple is
     most plenarye in Holy Chirche, the articles of the
     sentence of cursyng so that nought for our defaute no
     man nor woman falle therein. And yf ony be therein
     fallen he may thorowe the helpe of God almyghty and
     al Holy Chirche wyth shrifte and penaunce makyng good
     for his synne vpryse and hym amende. Wherfore I doo
     you to vnderstonde that cursyng is suche a vengeaunce
|r20 takyng that hit departith a man fro the blisse of
     heuen, fro howsel, shrifte and al the sacramentis of
     Holy Chirche and betake hym to the deuyl and to the
     paynes of helle wythouten ende but yf he haue grace of
     hym to amende.

     But therfore see that no man nor woman say that I curse
     hem for hit longyth not to me but to shewe the poyntis
     and the articles of the sentence of cursyng. For I doo
     you wel to wyte who so doth ageynst ony of these
     poyntis that I shal you shewe he is acursyd in the
|r30 dededoyng of the Pope, archebysshop, bysshop and of al
     Holy Chirche. And that God almyghty yeue you grace
     for to kepe you out of cursyng, lysten and here and
     I shal thorowe the helpe of God, Fader almyghty, to
     you thenne telle and shewe.

     By the auctorite of God, the Sone and the Holy Ghoost
     and his glorious moder and mayden, Our Lady Saynt Marie,
     and the blissed appostles Peter and Paule & al the



|p82


     appostlis, marters, confessours & virgyns & al the
     halowes of God I denounce [d3v] and shewe for acursyd
     alle tho that fraunchyse of Holy Chyrche breke or
     destrouble or are ageyn the pees or the state of Holy
     Chirche or thereto assente wyth dede or counceyl. And
     also alle tho that pryue Holy Chirche of ony right or
     make of Holy Chyrche ony lay fee that is halowyd or
     sanctifyed. And alle tho that wythholde the rightes
     of Holy Chirche, that is for to say offrynges, tythes,
|r10 rentys or fredom of Holy Chirche letten or destrouble
     or breke, that is to say yf ony man flee to chirche or
     chircheyerde who so hym out drawyth and al tho that
     therto procure or assent. And alle tho that purchase
     letters of ony lordes courte wherfore lettyng is made
     in crysten courte that processe of right may not be
     determy[n]d nor endyd. And al tho that the pease of
     the lande destrouble. And alle tho that blood drawe
     of man or of woman in vyolent or in vylonye make to be
     drawen in chirche or in chircheyerde wherfore the
|r20 chirche or the chyrcheyerde is enterdyted or suspen_dyd.
     And alle tho that ben ageyn the right of our
     lord the kyng. And al tho that werre susteyne agaynst
     the kyng wrongfully. And al tho that are comune
     robbers & reuers or mansleers, but yf hit be themself
     defendyng. And tho that ben agayn the grete chartre
     of the kyng that is confermyd of the Courte of Room.
     And al tho that fals wytnes bere wrongly, namely in
     cause of matrymonye, in what courte so it be or out
     of courte. And alle tho that ony fals wytnes brynge
|r30 forthe in right of matrymonye for to destrouble man or
     woman or for to disherite ony man of lande or tenement
     or ony other catell. And alle fals aduocates that for
     mede put forth ony fals excepcions or querels thorough
     the whiche the right of matrimonye is fordoon or ony
     other maner of right instede of iugement. And al tho
     that for mede or fauour or for ony other encheson
     malyciously man or woman brynge out of theyr good fame
     into wycked or make hem for to lese theyr worldly
     goodes or honour or them put wrongfully to theyr



|p83


     purgacion of the whiche was no fame before. And al
     tho that malyciously distourble or letten the right
     presentement of ony chirche there the very patrone
     shold presente and alle that therto procoure wyth
     worde or dede or with fals enqueste or wyth other
     power. And alle tho that maliciously despysen the
     maundemente of the kyng to take a cursed man fro the
     tyme that he hath leyn in [d4] cursyng xl dayes and no
     remedye wyl seke. And alle tho that capcious dys_trouble 
|r10 wyth fals iugement or fals enqueste. And al
     tho that theyr lyueraunce purchace ageyn the right
     of Holy Chirche. And al tho that mede take for to
     destrouble pees there loue shold be or outtake or
     stryf maynteyne wyth worde or dede and tyl they haue
     yelden ageyn the mede that they toke of them they may
     neuer be assoyled. And al tho that holde howses,
     maners, graunges of persons, vycars or of ony other
     man of Holy Chirche ageyn theyr wylle or theyr attorneys
     wylle. And alle tho that ony maner goodes meuable or
|r20 vnmeuable awey bere wyth strengthe or wrongfully awey
     drawe or wasten, of the whiche cursyng they may not
     be assoyled tyl they haue made satisfaccion to whom
     the wrong is doon. And alle tho that ony maner of
     goodes wyth vyolence or malyce bere out of Holy Chyrche,
     stedde or abbey or house of religyon whyche that
     therein is leyde or doon for warandyse or socour or
     for to kepen and al that therto procoure or assente &
     al tho that them meynteyne or susteyne. And alle tho
     that haue leyde hond on preest or clerke wyth malyce
|r30 but hit be hymself defendyng. And al tho that Sarasyns
     counceyl or helpe ageyn crystendome. And al that theyr
     chyldren wrongly fader wyttyngly or theyr chyldren
     wyten on ony other man wyth malyce. And al tho that
     werye or slee theyr generacions or theyr chyldre
     destroye wyth drynkys or wyth ony other crafte. And
     al tho that fals money make or therto assente. And
     alle tho that good money clyppe or shere them to
     auauntage to dysceyue ony man wyth. And al tho that
     fals the Popes bull or counterfete the kynges seale.



|p84


     And al tho that bye or selle wyth fals mesures or fals
     weyghtes, that is to say to bye wyth one and selle with
     another. And al tho that fals the kyngys standarde
     themself wittyng. And al tho that ony testament des_trouble 
     or therto procoure with worde or wyth dede
     wherfore the deedys wylle is not fulfilled. And al tho
     that forswere them vpon the holydom wyllyng and
     wetyngly for mede or for hate for to doo ony man or
     woman to lese theyr worldly goodes or honour. And al
|r10 robbers and reuers openly or preuely by day or by
     nyght or ony mannys goodes stele wherfore they were
     worthy to haue iugement. And al tho that withholde
     ony mannys goode that hath ben spired [d4v] thryse in
     Holy Chirche themself wyttyng. And al tho that des_trouble 
     the pease of Holy Chirche or of the lande,
     and alle the kynges felons and alle tho that them
     maynteyne. And alle fals conspyratours and al false
     forswerers in asyses or in ony other courte. And alle
     tho that ony fals pleyntis putte forth ageyn the
|r20 fraunchyse of Holy Chirche or of the kyng or of the
     royame. And al tho that offryngys that are offred
     in Holy Chirch or in chircheyerde or in chapel or in
     oratorrie or in ony other stede wythin the prouynce of
     Caunterburye wythholden or putte awey in ony other
     place agayn the wylle of the parson or vycare or theyr
     attorney in the parisshe that hit is offryd in. And
     alle tho that theyr goodes awey yeue for drede of deth
     in fraude of Holy Chirche or for to forbarre theyr
     dettis payeng, and alle tho that suche gyftes take or
|r30 therto helpe or counceyl. And alle tho that lette
     prelatis or ordonaries for to holde consistorye sessyon
     or chappyters for to enquere of synnes and of excesse
     in good amendement of mannys sowle. And al witches
     and al that on hem leue. And al heretikes that leue
     not in the sacramente of the aulter that is Goddes
     oune body in flesshe and blood in forme of brede and
     other sacramentis that towches helpe of mannys sowle.
     And al iugelers, vsurers, that is to saye yf ony man
     or woman lene theyr catell to man or woman for ony



|p85


     auauntage to take by couenaunte more or lesse thenne
     theyr oune. And yf ther be ony suche founden in
     towne or cyte, the cyte or the towne shold be enter_dyte 
     by the olde lawe and neyther doon therein masse
     ne sacrament vsyd tyl that he were out therof. And
     al that wythholde tythes or withdrawe theyr tythes
     wyttyngly or maliciously to harme of Holy Chirche or
     tithes lette to be geuen of al the goodes whiche that
     be commaundyd & ordeyned to be geuen by the lawe of
|r10 Holy Chirche, that is to say of al frutys of yerdys,
     cornys, herbys that waxe, fruytes of trees, of all
     maner bestis that are newyng, of wolle, lambe and
     chese in tyme of yere, of swannys, gees, dowuys,
     dukkys, of bees, hony, wax, of hay also often as hit
     newes, of flaxe, of hempe, of wyndemylles, of al maner
     mylles, of al maner marchaundyse of chafferyngemen and
     of men of crafte. And al tho that maliciously or
     wyttyngly ony of these thynges or ony other withholden,
     the which oughte to be gyuen to Holy Chirche by Goddis
|r20 lawe, [d5] to harme of Holy Chyrche and tho that therto
     procoure in word or in dede.


                  Modus fulminandi sentenciam

     Prelatus alba indutus cum ceteris sacerdotibus in
     ecclesia existentibus, cruce erecta, candelis accensis,
     stans in pulpito pronunciet verba que sequntur.

     [E]x auctoritate Dei patris omnipotentis & beate Marie
     Virginis & omnium sanctorum excomunicamus, anathematiz_amus 
     & diabolo commendamus omnes supradictos malefact_ores.
     Excomunicati sint, anathematizati & diabolo
|r30 commendati. Maledicti sint in villis, in campis, in
     viis, in semitis, in domibus, extra domos et in omnibus
     aliis locis stando, sedendo, iamendo, surgendo, ambu_lando,
     currendo, vigilando, dormiendo, comedendo,
     bibendo & aliud opus faciendo. & illos a liminibus
     & omnibus bonis ecclesie sequestramus & diabolo damp_namus 
     & in penis inferni animas eorum extinguimus
     sicut extinguitur ista candela, nisi resipiscant &
     ad satisfaccionem veniant.



|p86


     Finita sententia extinguat lumen ad terrorem pulsatis
     campanis.


                  The Bedes on the Sonday.

     [Y]e shal knele doun on your knees and lyfte vp your
     hertes makyng your prayers vnto almyghty God for the
     good state and pees of al Holy Chirche that God mayn_teyne,
     saue and kepe it, for our holy fader the Pope
     and alle his trewe college of cardenallys that God
     for his mercy hem mayntene and kepe in the right beleue
|r10 and it holde and encreace and al mysbeleue and heresye
     he lesse and destroye. Also ye shal pray for the holy
     lande and for the holy crosse that Ihesu Cryst deyed
     on for redempcion of mannys sowle that it may come
     into the power of cristen men the more to be honoured
     for our prayers. Also ye shal praye for al arche_bysshoppis 
     and bysshoppis and in especial for the
     Archebysshop of Caunterbury our metropolytan and for
     the Bysshop of N our dyocysan that God of his mercy
     gyue to them grace so to gouerne and reule Holy Chirche
|r20 that it may be to the honour and worshyp of hym &
     sauacion of our sowles. Ye shal also pray for alle
     abbottis, pryours, monkys, chanons, ffrerys and for
     alle men and women [d5v] of relygyon in what ordre,
     estate or degree that they stonde in from the hyest
     astate to the lowest degree. Ye shal also praye for
     al them that haue charge and cure of cristen mennys
     sowlis as curates, persons, vycayres, prestys and
     clerkis, and in especiall for the person and curate
     of this chirche and for al the preestes and mynystris
|r30 that serue therein or haue seruyd, and for alle them
     that haue taken ony ordre that God yeue them grace wel
     to kepe and obserue it to th'onour and helthe of theyr
     sowlis.

     Ye shal also prayen for the vnyte and pees of al
     cristen royames and in especial for the good state,
     pees and tranquylite of thys royame of Englond, for
     our liege lord the kyng that God for his grete mercy



|p87


     sende hym grace so to gouerne and rewle thys royame
     that God be plesyd and worshippyd and [to the]
     prouffyt and sauacion of this londe. Also ye shal
     pray for our liege lady the quene, my lord the prynce
     and al the noble progenye of them, for al dukes, erlis,
     barons, knyghtes and squyers and al other lordes of
     the kynges counceyl whiche haue ony rewle and gouern_aunce 
     in this londe that God gyue them grace so to
     counceylle, rewle and gouerne that God be plesyd,
|r10 the londe defendyd and to the prouffyt and sauacion
     of alle the royame. Also ye shal pray for the pees
     bothe on the londe and on the water that God graunte
     loue and charite emong alle cristen people.

     Ye shal prey for alle our parisshens where they ben
     on londe or on water that God saue them from al maner
     of parellis and for al the good men of this parisshe,
     for theyr wyues, chyldren and meyne that God them
     maynteyne, saue and kepe. Ye shal also praye for al
     trewe tithers that God multeplye theyr goodes and
|r20 encrece, for al trewe telyers that laboure for our
     sustenaunce that telye th'erthe, and also for al the
     greynes & fruytes that ben sowen, sette or doon on the
     erthe or shal be doon that God sende suche wederyng
     that they may growe, encrease and multeplye to the
     helpe and prouffyt of alle mankynde. Ye shal praye
     for alle trewe shypmen and marchauntis where that
     they be on londe or on water that God kepe them from
     al perillys and brynge them hoom in saefte wyth theyr
     goodes, shippes and marchaundyses to the helpe,
|r30 comforte and prouffyt of this royame.

     Ye shal also pray for al them that fynden ony light
     in this chirche or yeue or byquethe boke, belle,
     chalyce or vestement, surplys, autercloth [d6] or
     towayl, londes, rentes, lampe or lyght or ony other
     adournement wherby Goddis seruyse is the better seruyd,
     susteyned & mayntenyd in redyng & syngyng, and for



|p88


     alle them that therto haue counseylled that God
     rewarde & yelde it them at theyr moste nede. Also
     ye shal pray for al trewe pylgryms & palmers that
     haue taken theyr waye to Rome, to Iherusalem, to
     Saynt Katherynes or to Saynt Iames or to ony other
     holy place that God of hys grace yeue them tyme and
     spaoo wel for to goo & to come to the prouffyt of
     theyr lyues and sowles.

     Ye shal also pray for al them that be seke or dyseasid
|r10 of this parisshe that God sende to them helthe the
     rather for our prayers, for al the wymmen that ben in
     Our Lady bondis and with childe in this parisshe or
     in ony other that God sende to them fayr delyueraunce,
     to theyr chyldren right shap, name & cristendom, &
     to the moders puryficacion, and for al them that wold
     be here and may not for sekenes, for trauayl or ony
     other leeful occupacion that they may haue parte of al
     the good dedis that shal be doon in this place or in
     ony other. Also ye shal pray for al them that been in
|r20 good lyf that God them holde longe therein, & for them
     that ben in dette or in dedely synne that Ihesu Crist
     brynge them out therof the rather for our prayers.
     Also ye shal pray for hym or her that this day yaf
     the holy breed and for hym that first began & lengest
     holdeth on that God rewarde it hym at the day of dome,
     and for al them that doon, wylle or say you good that
     God yelde it them at theyr nede, & for them that other
     wolden that Ihesu Crist amende them. For al these and
     for al cristen men & wymmen ye shal say a Pater Noster
|r30 & an Aue.

     Deus miseriatur nostri &c, Gloria Patri, Sicut erat,
     Kirielison, Christeleison, Kirielison, Pater Noster,
     Et ne nos, Set libera, Ostende nobis Domine, Sacer_dotes 
     tui induantur, Domine saluum [fac] regem, Saluos
     fac seruos, Saluum fac populum, Domine fiat pax, Domine
     exaudi, Dominus vobiscum, Oremus, Ecclesie tue quesumus



|p89


     Domine, Deus in cuius manu, Deus aquo &c.

     Furthermore ye shal pray for al kristen sowles, for
     al archebysshoppis & bisshoppis sowlis and in
     especial for al them that haue be bisshoppis of this
     diosyce, and for al curatis, persones and vycayres
     sowles and in especial for the sowles of them that
     haue [d6v] ben curatis of this chirche and for the
     sowles that haue seruyd in this chirche. Also ye
     shal pray for the sowles of alle crysten kynges and
|r10 quenes and in especial for the sowles of them that
     haue ben kynges of this royame of Englond, and for al
     tho sowles that to this chirche haue yeuen boke,
     belle, chalys or vestement or ony other thyng by
     whiche the seruyce of God is better doon & Holy
     Chirche worshipped. Ye shal also pray for your faders
     sowlis, for your moders sowlis, for your godfaders
     sowlis, for your godmoders sowlis, for your brethern
     & susters sowlis, and for your kynnes sowles, &
     for your frendys sowles and for al the sowles that
|r20 we ben bounde to pray for, and for the sowles that
     been in the paynes of purgatorye there abydyng the
     mercy of Our Lord God, and in especial for them that
     haue most nede and leste helpe that God for his endeles
     mercy lesse and mynysshe theyr paynes by the moyen of
     our prayers & brynge them to his euerlastyng blysse
     in heuen, and also for the sowle of N or of them that
     on suche a day this weke we shal haue the annyuersarye.
     And for alle cristen sowles ye shal deuoutly say a
     Pater Noster & an Aue, psalmus De Profundis &c with
|r30 this colecte Oremus.

     Absolue quesumus, Domine, animas famulorum tuorum,
     pontificum, regum, sacerdotum, parentum, parochianorum,
     amicorum, benefactorum nostrorum et omnium fidelium
     defunctorum ab omni vinculo delictorum vt in resurrec_tionis 
     gloria inter sanctos et electos tuos resussi_tati
     respirent per Christumnum  Dominostrum, Amen.

        Enprynted by Wylliam Caxton at Westmestre.
