sig: [A1] | |
¶Here begynneth a newe Treatyse deuyded in thre parties. | |
The fyrst parte is to know, and haue in mynde | |
The wretchednes, of all mankynde. | |
The seconde is of the condycion and manere | |
Of the vnstedfastnes, of this world here. | |
5 | The thyrde parte in this boke you may rede |
Of bytter death, and why it is to drede. | |
THe myght of the Father almyghty | |
The wyt of the Sone all-wytty | |
And the goodnes of the holy-Ghoste | |
God and Lorde of myghtes moste | |
5 | Be our helpe / and our spede |
Nowe and euer in all our nede | |
And specyally at this begynnynge | |
And brynge vs all to good endynge. | |
AMEN. | |
sig: [A1v] | |
BEfore or that any-thynge was wrought | |
And or begynnynge was of ought | |
Before all tymes we shulde mene | |
The same God, was euer in godhed clene | |
5 | And euer is full in his godhed |
And thre persons, and in onelychehed | |
And wolde euer with the father and the sone | |
With the holy-Ghoste in one-hed bewone | |
And is Lorde in substaunce and beynge | |
10 | And euer was without begynnynge |
Begynnynge of hym, myght there neuer none be | |
For euer he was God in Trynyte | |
For euer is wyse, and full of wyt | |
And euer almyghtye God as he is yet | |
15 | That myght was euer in his trone |
There was neuer God, but he alone | |
The same God was without begynnynge | |
And maker fyrste of all-thynge | |
Without begynnynge we shall hym call | |
20 | And endles Lorde, of creatures all |
And ende of all-thynge is he | |
As men may in holy bokes se | |
And as he made all-thynge | |
So shall he at the last, make an endynge | |
25 | Of all thynges, both in heauen and hell |
Of man, of fende, and of aungell | |
That after this lyfe shall euermore leue | |
And all other creatures to death be dreue | |
But God that vs made, and the worlde began | |
30 | Is nowe and euer shall be, both God and man |
And all-thynge, throughe his myght made he | |
For without hym, may nothynge be | |
sig: A2 | |
All-thynge he ordeyned after his wyll | |
In his kynde to stande styll | |
35 | And therfore creatures, that dombe be |
Can no reason, but buxom men them se | |
Loueth hym, as the boke beareth wytnes | |
In theyr maner, and as theyr kynde is | |
For all thynges that, God hath wrought | |
40 | Doth theyr kynde, and passeth it nought |
And loueth theyr maker, and honour in kynde | |
And so in that maner, they haue hym in mynde | |
And syth creatures, that reason hath none | |
Loueth hym in kynde, that they haue taken | |
45 | Than shulde man, that hath reason and fay |
His Lorde honour, by all maner of way | |
And nat to be of worse condycyon | |
Than the brute beestes, that can no reason | |
For all-thynge that God made, both more and lasse | |
50 | Man is pryncypall, and shulde all other passe |
As ye shall here afterwarde soone | |
That God made of all-thynge, for man one | |
For God to mankynde, had great delyte | |
Seynge that he made all-thynge, for mannes proffyte | |
55 | Heauen, and earth, and all the worlde brode |
He made fyrste, but man tyll the last abode | |
And hym in lykenesse, of semely stature | |
As hym thought moste worthye creature | |
Passynge all beestes, that haue any kynde | |
60 | And gaue hym reason, both wyt, and mynde |
Euer for to knowe, both good and euyll | |
And therto gaue hym wyt at wyll | |
Both to chuse and to holde | |
Good or the euyll, whyther he wolde. | |
sig: [A2v] | |
65 | GOd ordeyned man also to dwell |
In earth here, both in flesshe and fell | |
And knowe his werkes, and hym honour | |
And kepe his commaundementes, in euery houre | |
And yf a man to God, boxum become | |
70 | To heauen-blysse, he shall be nome |
And yf he wyll from goodnes wende | |
To paynes of hell, that hath none ende | |
Therfore I holde a man woode | |
That taketh the wycked, and leueth the good | |
75 | And God made man of moste dygnyte |
And of all creatures in earth moste fre | |
For after his lykenes, he made hym ywys | |
As he shulde haue parte of his blysse | |
And moste God our Lorde to hym gyueth | |
80 | More than to any creature, that in earth lyueth |
For when Adam, had done amysse | |
And for his synnes, brought from blysse | |
God toke mankynde, for his sake | |
And for his loue, harde death can take | |
85 | And with his blode, agayne hym bought |
And after to heauen-blysse hym brought | |
Thus great loue, God shewed vnto man | |
And moche more kyndenes, than I tell can | |
Wherfore euery man, both learned and lewed | |
90 | Shulde thynke vpon the loue, that God shewed |
And that kyndenes, haue in his mynde | |
That God hath done, to all mankynde | |
And serue hym both nyght and day | |
And fynde to please hym, in all that he may | |
95 | And spende his wyttes, in his seruyce |
And theym wyll holde in all maner wyse | |
sig: A3 | |
But a man knowe kyndely what God is | |
And hym-selfe also, that he be one of his | |
And howe a man greueth God, that doth nought well | |
100 | And maketh hym throughe synne, both fearse and fell |
And howe mercyable God is, nyght and day | |
And howe greuous, to euery mannes pay | |
And howe ryghtfull, and howe sothfast | |
And euermore hath ben, both fyrste and last | |
105 | And what he doth to all mankynde |
That euer shulde haue hym in mynde | |
For the way that bryngeth a man to heauen-blysse | |
And bryngeth a man also out of anguysshe | |
Pryncypally, that is the way of mekenes | |
110 | Drede and loue of God, in all symplenes |
Than may that, before the way of wysdome | |
Unto the whiche way, may no man come | |
Without full knowynge, of God here | |
And of his power also, and his werke so dere | |
115 | And or that he may, that knowynge wynne |
Hym behoueth, to knowe hym-selfe within | |
And elles he may no knowynge haue | |
The foresayde way of wysdome to craue | |
But many men hath good vnderstandynge | |
120 | And yet be of many thynges vnknowynge |
And of some thynges hathe knowynge none | |
That myght oft make Goddes wyll to be done | |
Suche man had nede, to lerne euery day | |
Howe that they shulde here God pay | |
125 | And knowe the thynge, that myght them lede |
To mekenes and loue, and God to drede | |
The whiche is the way, as I tell ywys | |
That leadeth a man euen to heauen-blysse | |
sig: [A3v] | |
For in great perryle of soule, is that man | |
130 | That hath wyt and mynde, and no good can |
And wyll nought learne for no sawe | |
The werkes of God, neyther his lawe | |
And knoweth nat the tenne hestes | |
But lyueth as vnskylfull beestes | |
135 | That hath neyther reason nor mynde |
But leueth euer agaynst his kynde | |
For he excuseth nought his vnconnynge | |
That vseth nat his wyt in learnynge | |
And namely of the thynge, that he shulde knowe | |
140 | That shulde make his herte full lowe |
And he that can nought, shulde learne more | |
To knowe what hym nedeth in Goddes lore | |
For an vnconnynge man throughe learnynge | |
May be brought to good vnderstandynge | |
145 | And of many thynges, both knowe and se |
That hath ben before, and after shall be | |
That to mekenes myght moue his wyll | |
The more to loue God, and to flye the euyll. | |
MAny man delyteth, tryfles to here | |
150 | And aboute folye, setteth all his chere |
And euermore is besy, both in wyll and thought | |
To lerne thynges, that helpeth the soule nought | |
And thynges, that nedefull were to knowe | |
To lysten or to learne, they be full slowe | |
155 | Therfore no wonder, thoughe they gone amysse |
For euer in darckenes, theyr goynge is | |
All far from the lyght of vnderstandynge | |
And from thynges, that falleth to the ryght knowynge | |
Therfore euery chrysten man and woman | |
160 | That hath any wyt, and reason can |
sig: [A4] | |
Shulde be besye by all maner of way | |
To learne suche thynges, that longeth to the fay | |
And euermore learne, both lowde and styll | |
Whiche is the good way, and whiche is euyll | |
165 | And he that the ryght way, of knowynge wyll loke |
Shulde thus begynne, as telleth the boke | |
Fyrste for to knowe, hym-selfe in clennes | |
And than may he come, to all mekenes | |
For that is the grounde of all to last | |
170 | In whom all vertues be set fast |
For he that knoweth it, and well can se | |
What hym-selfe was, and is, and after shall be | |
The more wyser man, he myght be calde | |
Whyther that he be yonge man, other olde | |
175 | Therfore euery wyse man, fyrste must lere |
For to knowe hym-selfe, whyle that he is here | |
And yf he knowe hym-selfe, within and without | |
Than shall he haue euer, God in doubte | |
And vpon his endynge, his thought must be cast | |
180 | And vpon the dredefull dome, that shall come last |
And also knowe, what this worlde is | |
That is but vanyte, and full of wretchednes | |
And forsake synne, and foule lustes all | |
And thynke what shall after this lyfe fall | |
185 | For knowynge of all this, shulde hym lede |
To haue mekenes in mynde, and also drede | |
For so may a man, come to good lyuynge | |
And at the last, haue good endynge | |
And when he shall, out of this worlde wende | |
190 | Come vnto the ioy, that hath none ende |
The begynnynge of this matter is | |
The ryght knowynge of a man hym-selfe ywys | |
sig: [A4v] | |
But some men hathe great lettynge | |
So that they may nat haue full knowynge | |
195 | Of them-selfe, that fyrste they shulde knowe |
And with mekenes euer make them lowe | |
And of that matter, foure thynges I fynde | |
That maketh mennes wyttes, full blynde | |
And the knowynge of them-selfe letteth | |
200 | Youth the whiche hym-selfe, he forgetteth |
Therfore saynt Bernarde, speaketh to vs | |
And in his wrytynge sayeth all thus. | |
¶ Forma fauor populi, sensussensus] fervor G Iuuenilis opesque Su[rr]ipuereSurripuere] Suppipuere 1542, Surripuere G tibi, noscere quid sit homo. | |
¶That is fauour of fol[k], and moche fayrenes folk] fole 1542, folc H, folk G | |
And hete of youth, and moche ryches | |
205 | Blyndeth a mannes reason and mynde |
For to knowe hym-selfe, what he is of kynde | |
And thus these foure, letteth hym in syght | |
So that he forgetteth hym-selfe out-ryght | |
And maketh his herte, prowde and hawteyne | |
210 | And all waywarde, from God his souereygne |
For these nouryssheth both pompe and pryde | |
And maketh other synnes in them to byde | |
For in what man any of these foure is | |
Seldome is sene in hym, any maner mekenes | |
215 | And letteth a man, that he may nat se |
The maners of the worlde full of vanyte | |
Neyther the tyme of death, when he shall come | |
Neyther when he shall hence, to dome be nome | |
Neyther he ne can vnderstande ne se | |
220 | The perryll that after this lyfe than shall be |
To all synfull men, that loueth folye | |
Nay the ioy that good men, shall haue so hye | |
sig: B1 | |
But in great delytes, setteth theyr hertes fast | |
And fareth as theyr lyfe euermore shulde last | |
225 | And gyueth them here to all ydlenes |
And to suche thynges, that no profyte is | |
And suche men be nat with reason lad | |
But in theyr folyes euermore be sad | |
And thynges that they shulde drede, they knowe nat | |
230 | Therfore they haue no drede, to set on theyr thought |
And that is for defaute of knowynge | |
Of thynges, that myght to drede theym brynge | |
Yet some men, wyll nat vnderstande | |
Suche thynges, that myght them brynge to shonde | |
235 | For they wyll here nothynge, that them mysspeaketh |
Therfore saynt Dauid in his boke thus sayeth. | |
¶ Noluit intellegere vt bene ageret. | |
¶He sayeth, man hath no wyll to be snell | |
To vnderstande thynges, to make them do well | |
These wordes be sayde by them here | |
240 | That wyll nought vnderstande, neyther do lere |
To drede God, and to do his wyll | |
But foloweth theyr lustes, and lyueth full euyll | |
And for defaute of trewe fayth, this may be | |
For they l[e]ueth nothynge, but they it se leueth] lyueth 1542 | |
245 | But grutcheth when they shulde ought lere |
Therfore sayeth the Prophete, in this manere. | |
¶ Non crediderunt setset] et G murmurauerunt. | |
¶The Prophete sayeth, that they beleued nought | |
But grutched, and were heuy in thought | |
Thus fareth many men, that l[e]ueth nothynge leueth] lyueth 1542 | |
250 | That men telleth them, agaynst theyr lykynge |
But grutcheth and waxeth all frowarde | |
When men speaketh ought, that them thynketh harde | |
sig: [B1v] | |
Some can in boke, suche thynges rede | |
But lyghtnes of herte, bryngeth them drede | |
255 | So it may nat with them dwell |
As God wytnesseth in the Gospell. | |
¶ Quia ad tempus credunt, et in [tempore]tempore] 1542 omits, tempore Gtemptationis recedunt. | |
¶He sayth for the tyme, some leue a thynge | |
And soone passeth there-fro, in tyme of temptynge | |
As wytnesseth the prophete saynt Dauid | |
260 | In a verse of the Psalter, that accordeth therwith. |
¶ Et crediderunt in verbis eius, et laudauerunt laudem eius. | |
¶He sayeth in his werkes, they byleued well | |
And praysed his werkes, as they cought somdell | |
But soone they had his workes forgyt | |
And thought of his counceyll, no more to wyt | |
265 | Suche men be euer vnstedfast |
That neyther loue ne drede, may on them last | |
But who that can nought drede, may soone lere | |
That hereth this matter, with good ere | |
With suche thynges, that he may conceyue therby | |
270 | And do good dedes, and flye folye |
Therfore these bokes, be out_drawe | |
Of dyuerse matters, that be of Goddes lawe | |
To lewed men, that be nat of vnderstandynge | |
And of latyn speche, be all vnconnynge | |
275 | To make hym-selfe, fyrste for to knowe |
And all synnes, away to throwe | |
And to brynge them, to perfy[t]e drede perfyte] perfyre 1542 | |
When they this treatyse, wyll here or rede | |
That shal moue his conscyence within | |
280 | And throughe that drede, may alone begynne |
Throughe comforte of the ioyes of heauen bryght | |
As men may hereafter haue a syght. | |
sig: B2 | |
¶Here begynneth the fyrste parte of this boke / that speaketh of mannes wretchednes. |
|
FIrste when God made all-thyng of nought | |
Man of the foulest matter was wrought | |
That was of earth, t[w]o skyles to beholde two] to 1542, twa G | |
That is for almyghtye God so wolde | |
5 | Of foule matter, make man in despyte |
Of Lucyfer, hym therwith to a_twyte | |
When he fell into hell, for his pryde | |
And many one mo, that fell that tyde | |
For they shulde haue the more shendshype | |
10 | And the more sorowe, when they toke kepe |
That man of so foule matter, shulde dwell | |
In that place, from whens they fell | |
An-other cause is, for man shulde se | |
That a man the more meker shulde be | |
15 | Euer when he sethe, and thynketh in thought |
Of the foule matter, that he was wrought | |
For God throughe his great myght | |
Wolde sygne that place in heauen bryght | |
That was made voyde, throughe synne of pryde | |
20 | Wolde haue it fylled in euery syde |
As throughe vertue, of holy mekenes | |
That contrary to all maner of pryde is | |
He thought to amende it in some wyse | |
Wherfore men shulde, Lucyfer dyspyse | |
25 | For there may no man, in-to heauen come |
sig: [B2v] | |
But he that in-dede is meke and buxom | |
And so telleth the Gospell, and sayth to vs | |
That God spake to his dyscyples, and sayde thus. | |
¶ Nisi efficiamini sicut paruuli: non intrabitis in regnum celorum. | |
¶He sayeth, but ye be as meke as a chylde | |
30 | That is to vnderstande, both meke and mylde |
Ye shall nat come by any maner of way | |
In-to the kyngdome of heauen on hey | |
But one thynge, maketh moste meke a man | |
To thynke in his herte, as often as he can | |
35 | Howe he is made of foule mattere |
Fouler thynge in earth, is none here | |
And so sayeth saynt Iob, in his morenynge-lay | |
What is a man here, but earth and clay | |
And powder that with the wynde [t]o_breketh to] do 1542 | |
40 | And therfore the good man, to God thus speaketh. |
¶ Memento queso quod sicut lutum feceris me, et in puluerem reduc[e]sreduces] reducis 1542, reduces G me. | |
¶He sayeth thynke Lorde, howe thou madest me | |
Of foule earth and clay, in this worlde to be | |
And therto shall I turne, at my last ende | |
Euen agayne to powdre, and to nought wende | |
45 | And than sayth our Lorde, of myghtyes moste |
To euery man, that hath in hym the holy-Ghoste. | |
¶ Memento quod cinis es, et in cinerem reuerteris. | |
¶He sayeth, thynke man that asshes art now | |
And into asshes agayne, tourne shalt thou | |
Than of this, euery man shulde haue mynde | |
50 | And knowe the wretchydnes, of his owne kynde |
For here a mannes lyfe, well cast may be | |
Pryncypally to tell in partyes thre | |
That ben maked, to our vnderstandynge | |
Begynnynge mydwarde, and last endynge | |
sig: B3 | |
55 | These thre partyes spaces, may be tolde |
Of euery mannes lyfe, both yonge and olde. | |
¶Of the begynnyng of mans lyfe. |
|
THe begynnynge of a mannes lyfe, fyrste is | |
Conceyued in moche wretchydnes | |
Therfore I thynke, or I further passe | |
60 | Tell what euery man, in the begynnynge was |
Man was beget, as well it is knowe | |
Of foule sede, within a woman sowe | |
And man synfully, conceyued was | |
In his mothers wombe, in a preuy place | |
65 | And howe his dwellynge was there ydyght |
Saynt Dauid telleth, and wytnesseth full ryght | |
¶ Ecce in iniquitatibus conceptus sum et in peccatis concepit me mater mea. | |
¶Beholde he sayeth, what mannes kynde is | |
In wretchydnes I am conceyued ywys | |
And also my mother, hath conceyued me | |
70 | In many synnes, and moche vylte |
For there dwelleth a man, in a dercke dongyon | |
That is full of fylth and corrupcyon | |
Wherin he had, no maner of fode | |
But foule glat, and waltsome blode | |
75 | And when that he hyther come was |
From his mother wombe, that foule place | |
And was here brought, in-to this worldes [l]yght lyght] ryght 1542, light G | |
He had neyther power, ne myght | |
Neyther for to go, ne on fete stande | |
80 | Neyther to crepe in fete, ne in hande |
Than hath a man lesse myght, than hath a beest | |
When he is newe-borne, and semeth leest | |
sig: [B3v] | |
For when a beest is ybore, than it may go | |
And doth his kynde here euermo | |
85 | But a man hath no myght, in his yongeheade |
For he may nat go, but as men doth hym leade | |
For he may nother go nor crepe | |
But lye and spraule, crye, and wepe | |
For a chylde is nat fully ybore | |
90 | That it ne cryeth as thynge forlore |
And by that crye, men tell can | |
Whyther that it be woman or man | |
For when it is borne, it cryeth swa | |
And yf it be a man, it sayeth .A. | |
95 | And that is the fyrste letter of the name |
Of Adam our father that brought vs in blame | |
And yf it of a womans kynde be | |
When it is borne, it soundeth .E. | |
.E. is the fyrste letter, who that taketh hede | |
100 | Of the name of Eue, that brought vs in drede |
Therfore a wyse Clarcke, made in this maner | |
A verse that telleth, of that same matter. | |
¶ Dicentes .E. vel .A. quotquot nascuntur ab Eua | |
¶All he sayeth, that commeth of Eue | |
May for nothynge, that letter leue | |
105 | When they be borne, what-soeuer they be |
He cryeth fyrste .A. other els .E. | |
This is of our lyfe, the fyrste begynnynge | |
And after our byrth, sorowe and wepynge | |
And to wretchydnes, our kynde styrreth vs | |
110 | And Innocent the bysshop, therfore sayth thus. |
¶ Omnes nascimur eiulantes vt nature nostre miseriam exprimamus. | |
¶He sayeth, we be ybore here euerychone | |
Makynge sorowe and reuthly mone | |
sig: [B4] | |
All for to shewe, our great wretchydnes | |
Of our kynde, that is full of brotelnes | |
115 | And naked we come hyther, and bare |
And so we shall all hence fare | |
Upon this thynke all, that any good can | |
For thus sayeth saynt Iob, the holy man. | |
¶ Nudus egressus sum ex vtero matris mei: et nudus reuertar illuc. | |
¶Naked he sayeth, in-to this worlde I come | |
120 | When from my mothers wombe nome |
And naked I shall tourne hence away | |
And so shall all at the last day | |
Thus is a man, at his fyrste commynge | |
Naked and bare, and bryngeth nothynge | |
125 | But a skynne foule and waltsome |
That is his garment, when he shall come | |
And that is a blody skynne full thynne | |
That he brought, and was wounde in | |
When he in his mother wombe lay | |
130 | Forsoth this was a symple aray |
And thus is man made, as ye may se | |
In moche wretchydnes, and captyuyte | |
And afterwarde lyueth here, but a fewe dayes | |
As Iob openly vnto vs all sayes. | |
¶ Homo natus de muliere breui viuens tempore. | |
135 | ¶He sayeth, man that is borne of a woman |
Lyueth here lytell tyme, and soone is tan | |
And euery man is borne to nothynge elles | |
But to trauayle and sorowe, as the boke telles. | |
¶ Homo nascitur ad laborem: sicut Auis ad volandumvolandum] volatum G. | |
¶He sayeth man is made, to trauayle aryght | |
140 | As the foule is made to his flyght |
sig: [B4v] | |
For lytell rest he hath in his lyfe ywys | |
But euer in trauayle, full besye is | |
And yet is a man, when he is bore | |
The fendes of hell, and all ylore | |
145 | Untyll he throughe grace, agayne ben ynome |
And to baptyme afterwarde come | |
Therfore euery man, shall vnderstande so | |
That his lyfe, is but sorowe and woo. | |
¶Of the myddes of a mans lyfe. |
|
THat other parte of mannes lyfe, men calleth | |
150 | Is the mydwarde, that after youth falleth |
And that is fyrste, from mannes begynnynge | |
Of euery mannes lyfe, vntyll his last endynge | |
And howe a man afterwarde, is foule become | |
Saynt Bernarde therof, hath wytnes nome. | |
¶ Homo nichil aliud est quam Sperma [fetidum]fetidum] 1542 omits, fetidum G Sac[c]usSaccus] Sactus, 1542, saccus G stercorum et esca vermium | |
155 | ¶Saynt Bernarde wytnesseth, as the boke telles |
That a man in this lyfe, is nothynge elles | |
But a foule slyme, horryble to all men | |
And is a foule sake, of stynkynge fen | |
And also wormes meate, that they wyll haue | |
160 | When that he is deade, and layde in graue |
But some men and women, fayre they semeth | |
To syght without, as men it demeth | |
And sheweth nothynge, but the whyte skynne | |
But who that myght openly loke therin | |
165 | A fouler caryon, myght there neuer be |
Than men shulde on them than se | |
Therfore who that had a sharpe insyght | |
And had as clere eyen, and also as bryght | |
sig: C1 | |
As hath a beest, that Lux men calles | |
170 | That may se throughe thycke stone-walles |
Than lytell lykynge shulde a man haue | |
To beholde a woman, or after her craue | |
Than myght he se, without any doubte | |
As well within, as he doth with-out | |
175 | For yf a man myght se her within aryght |
It were full dredefull, to euery mannes syght | |
And so foule euery man within is | |
As the boke telles, and wytnesseth all this | |
And therfore, I holde a man nothynge wyse | |
180 | That maketh hym-selfe, of to moche pryse |
Syth he may euery day, both here and se | |
What that he is here, and what he shall be | |
But a proude man, of this taketh no hede | |
For hym fayleth reason, that shulde hym lede | |
185 | When that he is yonge, and loueth playinge |
Other hath welth at his lykynge | |
Other that he be brought, in-to great worshype | |
Than he of hym-selfe, taketh he no kepe | |
For hym-selfe than he knoweth all there leest | |
190 | And fareth than as vnreasonable beest |
That foloweth his owne wyll, and nothynge elles | |
As saynt Dauid wytnesseth, and telles. | |
¶ Homo cum in honore esset non intellexit comparatus est i[u]mentisiumentis] in mentis 1542, iumentis G insipientibus. | |
¶He sayeth, when a man in worshyp is brought | |
Ryght good vnderstandynge, hath he nought | |
195 | Therfore he may be lykened, both in flesshe and bone |
To beestes that reason and wyt can none | |
Therfore euery man, that hath wyt and mynde | |
Oft shulde thynke, on his wretched kynde | |
sig: [C1v] | |
And that with fylthe he is all ynome | |
200 | As he may se euery day from his body come |
Both at nose and at mouth, and byneth also | |
All maner corrupcyon, commeth hym fro | |
And howe foule it is to euery mannes syght | |
Saynt Bernarde wytnesseth to vs full ryght. | |
¶ Si diligenter consideres quid per os quid per nares ceterosque meatus corporis tui egreditur: vilius sterquilinium nunquam videresvideres] vidisti G. | |
205 | ¶He sayeth man, wylt thou inwardly se |
And beholde, what thynge commeth from the | |
Throughe nose and mouth, contynually | |
And throughe other places of thy body | |
A fouler dunghyll, sawe thou neuer none | |
210 | Than is a man, made in flesshe and in bone |
For in all that tyme, that a man here lyueth | |
His owne kynde, no good fruyte gyueth | |
Whyther that he lyue shorte tyme, other longe | |
But thynges that stynketh, wonder stronge | |
215 | And foule fylthed, and nothynge elles |
As Innocent the great clarcke, in a boke telles. | |
¶ Herbas inquit et arbores diligenter i[n]uestiga, ille de se producunt flores et frondes et fructus: et tu de te lendes et pediculos. Ille autem de se effunduntde se effundunt] diffundunt G oleum et vinum, et tu de te, sputum, vrinam, et stercus. Ille de se spirant suauitatem: et tu abhominationem stercorisstercoris] fetoris G. | |
¶This Clarcke telleth thus in his boke | |
Thou man he sayeth, beholde well and loke | |
Herbes and trees, that in earth doth sprynge | |
220 | Take thou good hede, what they forth brynge |
Herbes bryngeth floures, and maketh sede | |
And trees fruyte, and braunches sprede | |
And thou bryngest forth, of thy-selfe here | |
sig: C2 | |
Both nyttes, and lyse, and other vermyne yfere | |
225 | Of herbes and trees, spryngeth bawme good |
Both oyle and wyne, in helpe of mannes fode | |
And that commeth from the, doth foule stynke | |
As dounge and pysse, and spatlynge | |
Of herbes and trees, commeth good sauoure | |
230 | And of the man, foule breth and soure |
For suche as the tre, beareth with the bowes | |
Suche is the same fruyte, that theron growes | |
For a man is as a tre, that standeth nat harde | |
Of whom the crop is tourned downwarde | |
235 | And the rote is an_hye, towarde the fyrmament |
As wytnesseth in this boke, the clarcke Innocent. | |
¶ Quid est homo secundum formam nisi quedam arbor euersa cuius radic[e]sradices] radicis 1542, radices G sunt crines tr[u]ncustruncus] trinicus 1542, truncus G est caput cum collo, stipes est pectus cum al[u]o, rami [sunt]sunt] et 1542, sunt G vlne cum tibiis frondes sunt. digiti cum arti[cu]l[is]articulis] artil 1542, articulis G. hoc est folium quod a vento rapit[u]rrapitur] rapiter 1542, rapitur G, et stipula que a sole siccatur. | |
¶He sayeth what is a man, but in shape as a tre | |
Tourned vp-so-downe, as men may se | |
Of the whiche the rote, that therto belongeth | |
240 | Is the heere on thyne heade, that theron hangeth |
Than is the stocke nexte the rote growynge | |
That is thyne heade, with the necke shewynge | |
The body of the tree, that is sette therto | |
Is thy brest, with thy wombe also | |
245 | The bowes be thyne armes with thy handes |
And the legges with thy fete, that thou on standes | |
Men may them braunches, by reason call | |
The toes, and the fete, with thy fynge[r]s all fyngers] fynges 1542, fyngers G | |
Ly[k]e is the lefe, that hangeth nat fast Lyke] Lyfe 1542 | |
250 | That wyll away, with the wyndes blast |
sig: [C2v] | |
And a man that is both yonge and lyght | |
Thoughe he be neuer so hardy in fyght | |
And comely of shape, and louely of chere | |
Yet syckenes and anger may hym dere | |
255 | And his myght and fayrenes abate |
And brynge hym soone, in-to lowe state | |
And soone chaunge his fayre coloure | |
And make hym fade, as doth the floure | |
For a flour, that is fayre to mannes syght | |
260 | Throughe stormes it fadeth, and leseth his myght |
Angres and euylles, and myschyfes both | |
Ofte commeth to a man, that be hym loth | |
As feuers and dropsye, and Iaundyse also | |
Tysyke and the gowte, and other euylles mo | |
265 | That maketh his fayrenes, away for to wende |
As stormes doth theyr floures shende | |
This shulde be euer ensample to vs | |
Therfore saynt Iob, in his boke sayeth thus. | |
¶ Homo quasi flos egreditur et cont[e]riturconteritur] contritur 1542, conteritur G et fugit velud vmbra, et numquam in eodem. etc. | |
¶Man he sayeth, as flour is bryght | |
270 | When it commeth fyrste to earthly syght |
And soone is broke, and passeth away | |
As doth the shadowe, in sommers day | |
And neuer in the same state dwelleth | |
But euermore passeth as Iob telleth | |
275 | Of this the Prophete wytnesseth ywys |
In a psalme of the Psalter that sayeth this. | |
¶ Mane sicut herba transeat mane floreat et transeat vespere decidatdecidat] descidat 1542, decidat G. etc. | |
¶The Prophete sayeth thus, in that case | |
A man passeth away, as doth the grasse | |
sig: C3 | |
Early begynnynge of the day | |
280 | He floureth, and soone passeth away |
And at euen, it is downe brought | |
That fadeth and wexeth all to nought | |
In the begynnynge of man, hym was gyue | |
Nyne hundred yeare, in earth to lyue | |
285 | As Clarckes in bokes, beareth wytnes |
And sayeth, that mannes lyfe is drawe to shortnes | |
For God wolde, that it shulde so be | |
And God sayde hym-selfe, so vnto Noe. | |
¶ Non permanebit spiritus meus in homine in eternum quia caro est: erunt enim dies illius centum viginti ann[orum]annorum] anni 1542, annorum G. | |
¶My Ghoste he sayeth, shall nat euer dwell | |
290 | In man that is made of flesshe and fell |
His dayes shall be to lyue in here | |
An hundred, and also twentye yere | |
But so great age, may no man bere | |
For death wyll hym, in shorter tyme dere | |
295 | For the complexyon of euery man |
Is nowe more febler, than it was than | |
Therfore mannes lyfe, myght shorter be | |
For nowe it is feblest, all for to se | |
For the longer, that a man shall lyfe | |
300 | To more sorowe, he shall be dryfe |
And lesse thynke, that this lyfe is swete | |
As in the psalter, wytnesseth the Prophete. | |
¶ Si in potentatibus octoginta anni amplius eorum labor et dolor. etc. | |
¶If in strenghthes foure score yere, myght befall | |
The more is theyr trauayle, and sorowe with-all | |
305 | But nowe moche shorter be mannes dayes |
As Iob the good man openly sayes. | |
sig: [C3v] | |
¶ Nunquid nonNunquid non] Nunc G paucitas dierum meorum finietur breui. | |
¶Nowe he sayeth my shorte dayes that fewe were | |
Shall come to ende, in lytell tyme here | |
And when a man waxeth to be olde | |
310 | Than begynneth his kynde, to be feable and colde |
And than chaungeth his complexyon | |
And his maners tourne vp-so-downe | |
Than waxeth his herte, full heuy and harde | |
And his heade feble, and euer downwarde | |
315 | Than reueleth his face, euer more and more |
And fouler waxeth, than it was before | |
His wyt is short when he ought thynketh | |
His nese droppeth, his onde stynketh | |
His syght waxeth dym, he loketh vnder the browe | |
320 | His backe is croked, he stopeth full lowe |
His eares waxeth dea[f], and harde to here deaf] death 1542, deef G | |
And his tongue to speake, is nothynge clere | |
Soone he is wroth, and waxeth all frowarde | |
To tourne hym from wrath, it is harde | |
325 | He is couytous, and fast holdynge |
And heuy of chere, and euer lourynge | |
He prayseth olde men, and holdeth them wyse | |
And yonge men hym lysteth to dyspyse | |
And often is sycke, and begynneth to grone | |
330 | And often angrye, and playneth hym soone |
All these thynges, to an olde man befalleth | |
That Clarckes propertyes of age calleth | |
Thus men may se, that rede can | |
The condycyons, that be in an olde man. | |
¶Here ye may here of the ende of a mannes lyfe. |
|
sig: [C4] | |
335 | THe last ende of mannes lyfe is harde |
When that he draweth to death warde | |
For when he is sycke, in any wyse | |
So feable, that he may nat aryse | |
Than be men in doubte, and vncertayne | |
340 | Whyther he shall euer recouer agayne |
And yet can some men, that be sley | |
Knowe whyther he shall lyfe, or dye | |
Throughe certayne tokens, in pounce and breath pounce=pouse, 'pulse' | |
That falleth to a ma[n], that draweth to death | |
345 | For than begynneth his front downewarde to fall |
And his browes waxeth heuy with-all | |
And the lefte eye of hym, shall seme lasse | |
And nerer than that other eye was | |
And his nose before, shall sharpe become | |
350 | And his chyne than downe shall be nome |
And his pounce, shall haue no meuynge | |
His fete waxe colde, and his wombe doth clynge | |
And yf a yonge man, nere his death be | |
Euer he is wakynge, for slepe may nat he | |
355 | And yf an olde man, drawe towarde death |
He shall nat from slepe, kepe hym vnneth | |
Clarckes telleth, that these tokens echone | |
Be in a man, when he shall dye soone | |
For when a man lyueth, he is lyke a man | |
360 | But when he is blodeles, and becommeth wan |
Than may a man his lykenes there se | |
And all chaunged, as neuer had ben he | |
And when his lyfe, is brought to the ende | |
Than shall he hence in this maner wende | |
365 | Both poore and naked, as he hyther come |
When from his mothers wombe, he was nome | |
sig: [C4v] | |
For he brought with hym, nothynge that day | |
And so he shall hence passe away | |
But it be onely a wyndynge-cloth | |
370 | That shall aboute hym be wrapped forsoth |
For when the lyfe wyndeth from hym away | |
Than is he but foule earth and clay | |
That tourneth to more corrupcyon aboute | |
Than any caryon, that lyeth there-oute | |
375 | For the corrupcyon of hym in euery syde |
If it lye aboue grounde longe, in any tyde | |
It myght than the eyre so corrupte make | |
So that men shulde theyr death therof take | |
So foule stynkynge it is, and so vyolent | |
380 | And so wytnesseth, the clarcke Innocent. |
¶ Quid enim fetidius humano cadauere Quid horribilius homine mortuo. etc. | |
¶He sayeth, what thynge may fouler be | |
Than a deade mannes body, is for to se | |
And what is more horryble, in any place | |
Than is to beh[o]lde a deade mannes face beholde] behelde 1542 | |
385 | And when it is, in earth by_wounde |
Wormes wyll do eate it, in a lytell stounde | |
Tyll that foule flesshe, away be ybyte | |
And thus I fynde, in holy boke ywryte. | |
¶ Cum autem mori[e]turmorietur] moritur 1542, morietur G homo hereditabit serpentes et vermes. | |
¶The boke sayeth, that when a man shall dye | |
390 | As his kynde herytage, he taketh the way |
To wormes and adders, that foule be of syght | |
For to them falleth mannes flesshe by ryght | |
Therfore shall euery man after earth slepe | |
Amonge foule wormes, that on them shall crepe | |
sig: D1 | |
395 | And they shall gnawe his foule carkayes |
And so sayeth holy wryt, and speaketh this wayes. | |
¶ Omnes enim in puluere dormient et vermes operient eos. | |
¶That is in earth, shall slepe euery man | |
And wormes shall eate them, from the toe to the pan | |
For in this worlde, so wytty man is none | |
400 | Neyther so fayre in flesshe ne bone |
Neyther Emperour, Kynge, ne Ceaser | |
Ne none other Lorde, what state he haue here | |
Neyther ryche, ne poore, ne bonde, ne fre | |
Lerned ne lewde, what-euer he be | |
405 | That he ne shall tourne, after his last day |
To earth and to powdre, and to foule clay | |
Therfore in my thought, I haue moche wonder | |
Syth that wormes shall freate vs a_sonder | |
That no man in earth, vnneth wyll it se | |
410 | What he was, and is, and what he shall be |
But who that wyll here, in his herte cast | |
What he fyrste was, and shall be at the last | |
And also what he is, whyle he lyueth here | |
He shulde than fynde, full lytell mattere | |
415 | To make any myrth here, whyle he dwelleth |
As a wyse vercyfyour in his verse telleth. | |
¶ Si quis sent[ir]et quo tendet et vnde veniret sentiret] sentuet 1542, sentiret G; tendet] tendit G | |
Numquam gauderet: set in omni tempore fleret. | |
¶He sayeth, who that wyll fele and se | |
Whence he commeth, and whyther shall he | |
All maner myrthes, he shulde forsake | |
420 | And euer wepe, and sorowe make |
For who that of a man, had than a syght | |
When wormes had gnawen hym out-ryght | |
And eaten his flesshe, in-to the harde bone | |
sig: [D1v] | |
So horryble a syght, sawe he neuer none | |
425 | As he myght se in that carkayes |
As saynt Bernarde wytnesseth and sayes. | |
¶ Post hominem vermis, post verme[m] fetor et horror vermem] vermen 1542, vermem G | |
Et sic in non hominem, vertitur omnis homo. | |
¶He sayeth after death, man is worme become | |
And after wormes, to stenche he is nome | |
And so euery man, here tourned shall he be | |
430 | Fro man in-to no man, as it were nat he |
Thus may men se, as it is wryte | |
Howe that a man, in his mother is behyght | |
And of this matter, more myght I tell | |
But no longer theron, thynke I to dwell. | |
¶Here begynneth the seconde parte of this boke / that speaketh of the worlde. |
|
435 | ALl this worlde here, both longe and brode |
God it made, for mannes gode | |
And al other thynges, as clarckes can proue | |
He made onely for mannes byhoue | |
If a man loue any-thyng more by any way | |
440 | Than he doth God, that in heuen is on hye |
Than is that man to God vnkynde | |
That so lytell on hym, setteth his mynde | |
For God is more worthye, loued to be | |
Than any creature, that men may se | |
445 | Syth he is the begynnynge of all maner thynge |
And of all-thynge, make shall an endynge | |
And thus I say by them, that gyueth them ofte | |
To the worldes lykynge, that thynketh them softe | |
sig: D2 | |
And loueth all-thynge, that therto falleth | |
450 | And suche men worldely men me calleth |
For theyr loue moste, in the worlde is set | |
The whiche the loue of God, slaulyche doth let | |
And for the loue of this worldes vanyte | |
A man at the last, for_barred may be | |
455 | From the hye heauen, where all ioye is |
There a man shall dwell without ende ywys | |
But a great clarcke telleth, that is Bartylmewe | |
There be two worldes, pryncypally to eschewe | |
And that one worlde, is inuysyble and clene | |
460 | And that other bodely, as men may sene |
And the ghostly worlde, that no man may se | |
Is the hye heauen, where God sytteth in trynyte | |
And thyther shall we come, and there lyue ay | |
If that we thytherwarde, holde the ryght way | |
465 | Nowe wyll I no longer, vpon this matter stande |
For soone after it shall come more to hande. | |
BUt the same worlde, that men may here se | |
In two partyes well deuysed may be | |
For both partyes, men may well knowe | |
470 | For that one is hye, and that other lowe |
The hyer lasteth from the moone ful euen | |
To the hyest place, of the sterred heauen | |
And that worlde, is bryght and fayre | |
For there is no corrupcyon, but clene ayre | |
475 | But sterres and Planettes, bryght shynynge |
As euery man may there haue vnderstandynge | |
But the lowest worlde, that may befall | |
Conteyneth holly, the Elamentes all | |
And in this worlde, is both well and wo | |
480 | And ofte-tyme chaungeth, both to and fro |
sig: [D2v] | |
To some it is softe, and to some men harde | |
As ye shall here soone afterwarde | |
But that worlde, that passeth all maner thynge | |
Was made for mannes, endeles dwellynge | |
485 | For euery man, there shall haue a place |
Euer to be in ioy, that here hath grace | |
And that was made, for our aduauntage | |
For there is ordeyned, our kynde herytage | |
But that other worlde, that lower is atwyne | |
490 | Where that the sterres and planettes be set in |
God ordeyned onely, for our behoue | |
By this reason, that I shall proue | |
For the eyre from thence, and the hete of the Sonne | |
Susteyneth the earth here, where that we wonne | |
495 | And noryssheth all-thynge, that fruyte here gyueth |
To helpe man and beest, that in earth lyueth | |
And tempreth our kynde, and our complexyon | |
And setteth the tymes of the yere, in theyr season | |
And gyueth vs lyght here, where that we dwell | |
500 | Elles were this worlde, as darke as hell |
And the lowest worlde, was made for man | |
And for these encheasones, that I tell can | |
For man shulde therin, haue his dwellynge | |
And lyue in Goddes seruyce, and do his byddynge | |
505 | And holde his commaundementes, and done his wyll |
Them to knowe and kepe, and flye all euyll | |
And here to be proued, in ghostly battayles | |
Of many ennemyes, that man often assayles | |
So that throughe ghostly myght and vyctorye | |
510 | He may gete to hym endeles glorye |
And haue than the crowne, of endeles blysse | |
Where all ioye is, that neuer shall mysse | |
sig: [D3] | |
Twayne worldes togyther, here may befall | |
That all men may earthly call | |
515 | One is this dale, that is our dwellynge |
Another is man, that is therin abydynge | |
And this same dale, that we dwell in | |
Is full of sorowe, and all maner synne | |
That of wyse Clarckes, in bokes called is | |
520 | The more worlde, that men may knowe by this |
And of the lesse worlde, yet wyll I nought speke | |
For in-to that matter, soone I wyll breke | |
And of the more worlde, yet wyll I tell | |
Or I go further therin to dwell | |
525 | Than wyll I tell, afterwarde as it falleth |
The cause why men, a man the worlde calleth. | |
THe more worlde, God wolde in earth set | |
For it shulde to man be subget | |
Man to serue, after his owne delyte | |
530 | And so God ordeyned, for mans proffyte |
But nowe this worlde, that man lyueth in | |
So wycked is, and so full of synne | |
For many maketh the worlde, theyr soueraygne | |
So that all theyr workes, tourneth in-to vayne | |
535 | And some man doth therto, all that he may |
To serue the worlde, both nyght and day | |
But this worlde, is nothynge elles | |
But the condycyon of men, that therin dwelles | |
For the worldely men knowe may nought | |
540 | But by the condycyons, that they hath wrought |
For what myght men, by the worlde vnderstande | |
If none worldely men, lyued in lande | |
But he that serueth the worlde, and hath therto loue | |
Serueth the worlde, and nothynge God aboue | |
sig: [D3v] | |
545 | For the worlde is here, the deuylles seruaunt |
And he that it serueth, and therto wyll graunt | |
And many a man nowe after the worlde lysteneth | |
But I holde hym nat wyse, that theron trusteth | |
For this worlde is false, and deceyuable | |
550 | And in all thynges wonderly vnstable |
Therfore I holde a man nothynge wytty | |
That aboute the worlde, maketh hym besy | |
For a man may nat Goddes seruaunt be | |
But he the maners of the worlde wyll fle | |
555 | And he may nat loue God, but he the worlde dyspyse |
For the holy Gospell sayeth in this wyse. | |
¶ Nemo potest duobus dominis seruire [quia]quia] 1542 omits, quia G aut vnum odio habebit et alterum diliget [aut]aut] et 1542, aut G vnum sustinebit et alterum contempnet. | |
¶He sayeth, no man can serue God at wyll | |
Neyther two lordes, that he ne doth full euyll | |
For els he shall hate one in his dede | |
560 | And that other loue in his manhede |
Other he shall mayntayne that one outryght | |
And that other despyse, and set full lyght | |
The worlde is Goddes ennemye, and so men shulde it call | |
For it is contraryous to his workes all | |
565 | And so be euerychone, that the worlde loueth well |
As the holy euangelyst, sayeth in the Gospell. | |
¶ Qui vult esse amicus huius mundi inimicus dei constituitur. | |
¶He sayeth, he that wyll the worldes frende be | |
Goddes ennemye, forsoth than is he | |
And sore worldly men greueth God ywys | |
570 | Therfore the Apostell, in his epystell sayth this. |
¶ Nolite diligere mundum nec ea que in mundo sunt. | |
¶Loue nought the worlde sayeth he | |
Ne nothynge that in the worlde may be | |
sig: [D4] | |
For all that is in this worlde, that any man tell can | |
Other it is couytous, or lust of flesshe of man | |
575 | Other couytous of eyen, that men may with loke |
Other pryde of lyfe, as wytnesseth the boke. | |
¶ Omne quod est in mundo aut est concupiscentia carnis aut concupiscentia oculorum, aut superbia vite. | |
¶Couytous of flesshe, that is seynge | |
That parteyneth to a mannes lust or lykynge | |
Couytous of eyen, as euery man may gesse | |
580 | Is ryches that commeth to a man with blysse |
And pryde of lyfe, that men kepeth in thought | |
And euer desyreth, to great honour to be brought | |
And lyckynge and lust, of flesshely maiestye | |
Engendreth the foule synne of lecherye | |
585 | But God made the worlde, as he is wytnes |
For to serue man, in all maner of goodnes | |
Wherfore is man seruaunt to the worlde than | |
And make hym the worldes bonde-man | |
Syth he may serue God, and euer be fre | |
590 | And out of the worldes thraldom be |
But wolde a man knowe ryght as he shulde | |
What the worlde is, and her falsenes beholde | |
He shulde haue no wyll, as I vnderstande | |
After the worlde any-thynge to fonde | |
595 | Lo what sayth Bartholomewe, the great clarke |
That speaketh of the worlde, and of her warke. | |
¶ Mundus nichil aliud est quam quoddam exilium erumpna, labore, dolore, dolo, et tristicia plenus. erumpna=aerumna | |
¶He sayth that the worlde, is nothynge elles | |
But an harde exyle, that a man in dwelles | |
Both darcke and dym, and a dolefull dale | |
600 | That is full of sorowe, and eke of bale |
sig: [D4v] | |
And a place full of all wretchydnes | |
Of anger and trauayle, and all besynes | |
Of sorowe and synne, and of all folye | |
Of shendshyp also, and eke vylonye | |
605 | Of flyttynge also, and of moche taryinge |
Of moche greuaunce also, and moche mournynge | |
Of all maner of fylth, and corrupcyon | |
Of moche wrath, and extorcyon | |
And full of gyle, and of falshed | |
610 | Of great debate, and contynuall dred |
So that in this worlde, is nought man to auaunce | |
But moche sorowe, and harde myschaunce | |
And pompe and pryde, with foule couytyse | |
With vayne-glorye and slouth, that men ofte vse | |
615 | The worlde to hym draweth all men |
And so dysceyueth his louers then | |
And to many is greuous, and to fewe auayleth | |
For his louers, he dysceyueth and fayleth | |
And all that despyseth hym, he awayteth fast | |
620 | And thynketh them soone, in-to myschyfe cast |
For them that he loueth, he wyll socour | |
And make them ryche, and great of honour | |
And to begyle them, he thynketh at the last | |
And into great myschyfe, he wyll them cast | |
625 | Therfore worldly worshyp, may be tolde |
A vanyte, that dysceyueth both yonge and olde | |
And worldly rychesse, howeso it come | |
I holde nought elles, but as fantome | |
The worlde hath many a man, with vanyte defyled | |
630 | And with pompe and pryde, ofte them begyled |
Therfore an holy man, as ye may here | |
Speaketh vnto the worlde, in this manere. | |
sig: E1 | |
¶ O munde inmunde vtinam ita inmundus esses vt me non tangeres, aut ita mundus esses vt me non co[i]nqu[in]arescoinquinares] conquares 1542, coinquinares G. | |
¶ And that is in englysshe, thus moche for to mene | |
O thou worlde he sayth, that euer arte vnclene | |
635 | Why myght thou nat euer so vnclene be |
That thou shuldest ne[u]er nyghe me | |
Other be so clene, in thy werkes all | |
That thou make me in-to no synne fall. | |
¶Howe the worlde may be lykened vnto the see. |
|
THe worlde may by many encheason | |
640 | Be lykened to foure thynges by good reason |
Fyrste may the worlde be lykened ywys | |
Most proprely to the see, that long and brode is | |
For the see after her owne certayne tyde | |
Ebbeth and floweth, and may nat abyde | |
645 | And throughe stormes waxeth kene and blowes |
And than ryseth tempestes and stronge wawes | |
So fareth the worlde, with his fauour | |
Bryngeth a man in-to ryches and to honour | |
But afterwarde, than he casteth hym a_downe | |
650 | In-to moche pouerte, and trybulacyown |
And those be the great stormes and kene | |
That bryngeth a man, in sorowe and tene. | |
¶Howe the worlde may be lykened vnto a wyldernes. |
|
YEt may the worlde, that is brode and wyde | |
Be lykened to a wyldernes in euery syde | |
655 | That is full of bestes that be wylde |
As Lyons, Lybardes, and Wolfes vnmylde | |
sig: [E1v] | |
That wyll strangle men and dystroye | |
And slee theyr beestes, and sore them noye | |
So is this worlde full of mysdoers all aboute | |
660 | Of many tyrauntes, that bryngeth men in doute |
That euer be besy, both nyght and day | |
Men to annoye, in all that they may. | |
¶Howe the worlde may be lykened vnto a Forest. |
|
ALso the worlde lykened may be | |
To a forest, that standeth in a wylde countre | |
665 | That is full of theues, and wylde out_lawes |
That often-tymes to suche forest drawes | |
Haunteth theyr hyre passe, robbeth and reueth | |
Both men and women, and nothynge leueth | |
So fareth this worlde, that we in dwell | |
670 | Is full of theues, that be deuylles of hell |
That vs awayteth, and euer be besy | |
For to robbe and reue our goodes ghostly. | |
¶Howe the worlde may be lykened to a battell in a felde. |
|
ANd yet is this worlde, as ye shall here | |
May thus be lykened, in the fourth manere | |
675 | To a fayre felde, full of dyuers battayles |
Of straunge ennemyes, that eche day vs assayles | |
For here we be brought in great doute | |
And set with ennemyes, all harde aboute | |
And pryncypally, with these ennemyes thre | |
680 | But agaynst them, well-armed we myght be |
That is the worlde, the fende, and thy flesshe | |
That eche day assayleth vs lyke fresshe | |
sig: E2 | |
Therfore vs behoueth both day and nyght | |
For to be redy agaynst them to fyght | |
685 | THe worlde, as clarckes doth vs to vnderstande |
Agaynst vs fyghteth euer, with double hande | |
Both with the ryght hande, and the left also | |
That euer yet, hath yben our flesshe fo | |
And welth the ryght hande, may ben tolde | |
690 | And the left hande is hap, and angers colde |
For the ryght hande, assayleth men some-whyle | |
With welth of the worlde them to begyle | |
And that is welth, without anger and dolour | |
Of worldly ryches, and great treasour | |
695 | And with the left hande, he assayleth eftsoone |
And maketh men sory often, and grone | |
And that is anger and trybulacyon | |
And also pouerte, and moche persecucyon | |
Suche thynges Clarckes, the left hande calleth | |
700 | That in this worlde, amonges men falleth |
And with the worlde commeth dame fortune soone | |
That eyther hande chaungeth, as the newe moone | |
For euer [s]he tourneth aboute her whele she] he 1542, sho G | |
Somtyme in-to wo, and somtyme to wele | |
705 | And when she letteth the whele aboute go |
Somtyme she tourneth from well in-to wo | |
And eftsones agayne, from wo in-to blysse | |
And thus tourned her whele often is | |
And that whele Clarckes, nought els calleth | |
710 | But hap or chaunce, that sodaynly falleth |
And suche hap, men holdeth nothynge elles | |
But wrath or hate, that in men dwelles | |
Therfore worldly welth, is euer-more in doubte | |
Whyle dame fortune, tourneth her whele aboute | |
sig: [E2v] | |
715 | Wherfore perfyte men, that good lyfe lede |
The welth of the worlde, sore they drede | |
For welth draweth a man from the ryght way | |
And ledeth hym from God, both nyght and day | |
Thus may eche man drede welth, who that can | |
720 | And so sayth saynt Ierome, the good holy man |
The more he sayth, that a man waxeth vp-ryght | |
In welth other in any worldly myght | |
The more he shulde, haue drede in thought | |
That from the blysse, he ne fall nought. | |
¶ Quanto magis in virtutibus crescimus, tanto plusplus] amplius G timere debemusdebemus] debeamus G ne sublimius sublimius] de sublimiori G corruamus. | |
725 | ¶To this accordeth a clarcke Seneca the wyse |
That counceyleth vs, the worlde to despyse. | |
¶ Tunc salubre consilium aduoca cum tibi alludunt mundi [pro]speraprospera] vespera 1542, prosperitas G. | |
¶Seneca sayeth, and gyueth good counceyll | |
When this worlde maketh his merueyll | |
Than seche thy wyt, and after counceyll call | |
730 | That moche welth make the nat fall |
For welthynes is but a shadowe somdele darcke | |
And so sayth saynt Gregory, the noble clarcke. | |
¶ Si omnis fortun[a]fortuna] fortunis 1542, fortuna G timenda est: magismagis] magis in 1542, magis tamen G prospera quam aduersa. | |
¶Saynt Gregory sayeth in this maner | |
That yf euery hap be for to drede here | |
735 | Yet is hap of welth to drede more |
Than any maner sorowe, thoughe it greue sore | |
For anger mannes lyfe clenseth and proueth | |
And welth to synne a man soone moueth | |
And so may man his soule lyghtly spyll | |
740 | Throughe welthes, that men haue at theyr wyll |
And so commeth afterwarde, to endles payne | |
And so wytnesseth, the doctour saynt Austayne. | |
sig: E3 | |
¶ Sanitas continua, et rerum habundancia etern[e]eterne] eterna 1542, eterne G dampnacionis sunt i[n]dicia. | |
¶He sayth contynuall hele, and worldly wele | |
As to moche ryches and goodes fele | |
745 | Be tokens as in boke wryten is |
Of hell-dampnacyon endles ywys | |
And to these wordes, that some men mysspeaketh | |
Accordeth saynt Gregory, and thus he sayeth. | |
¶ Continuus successus rerum temp[o]raliumtemporalium] temperalium 1542 eterneeterne] future G dampnacionis est i[n]dicium. | |
¶He sayeth, that contynuall hap commynge | |
750 | Of worldly goodes, is a tokenynge |
Of dampnacyon, that at the last shall be | |
Before God, that then shall fall without pyte | |
But the worlde prayseth none men onely | |
But them that to the worlde be happy | |
755 | And vpon worldly thynges, setteth theyr herte |
And euer flyeth the symple state of pouerte | |
Suche men be besy, and gathereth fast | |
And fareth as theyr lyfe shulde euermore last | |
To them the worlde is queynt and fauourable | |
760 | In all-thynge, that thynketh them profytable |
And can moche of worldly queyntyse | |
The worlde calleth them good men and wyse | |
And to them falleth ryches many-folde | |
But it is theyr dampnacyon, as I haue tolde | |
765 | For in heauen, may no man haue an home |
That foloweth the worlde, and his wysdome | |
And suche wysdome, sayeth a wyse clarcke and wytty | |
That before God, it is holde but foly. | |
¶ Sapiencia huius mundi stulticia est apud [deum] word obscured; G reads: 'Deum'. | |
¶But many to the worlde, moche lysteth | |
sig: [E3v] | |
770 | And he is nat wyse, that theron trusteth |
For it ledeth a man, with wrynches and wyles | |
And at the last hym it begyles | |
A man may be calde both wytty and wyse | |
That setteth the worlde at lytell pryse | |
775 | And hateth the thynges, that the worlde loueth moste |
And thynketh to blysse, to brynge his ghoste | |
And to the worlde trusteth ryght nought | |
But euer in that other worlde, setteth his thought | |
For no sure dwellynge, shall we here fynde | |
780 | As the apostell Paule wytnesseth, thus sayende. |
¶ Non manentem ciuitatem hic habemus set futuram inquirimus. | |
¶He sayeth, no sure dwellynge here haue we | |
But seke we another, that euer shall be | |
And as gestes haue our soiourne | |
A lytell tyme tyll we hence tourne | |
785 | And that may fall rather than we wene |
For man is here, but as an alyane | |
To trauayle here in way all-tymes | |
To wende in-to our countre, as doth pylgrymes | |
Therfore the Prophete, vnto God speaketh thus | |
790 | As Dauid in the Psalter telleth to vs. |
¶ Ne silias quoniam aduena ego sum apud te et peregrinus vt omnes patres mei. etc. | |
¶Be thou [nat] styll Lorde, sayeth he nat] 1542 omits, noght G | |
For-why, I am commynge towarde the | |
And a pylgryme, as all my fathers were | |
Thus may euery man se, that lyueth here | |
795 | That is to say, Lorde be thou nat styll |
That [thou n]eletters obscured; G reads: 'þow ne' make me here knowe thy wyll | |
And suc[he co]mforteletters obscured; G reads: 'swilk comfort' to my soule thou gyue | |
sig: [E4] | |
That may make her, both glad and blyue | |
And say thus therto, I am thy saluacyon | |
800 | For thou arte my pylgryme trewe in deuocyon. |
¶Of two wayes in this worlde. |
|
TWo wayes there be in this worlde full ryfe | |
One is way of death, another of lyfe | |
This worlde is the way and also passage | |
Throughe the whiche lyeth our pylgrymage | |
805 | By this way all we must nedes go |
And eche man be[h]oueth, that it is so behoueth] beloueth 1542, byhoves G | |
In this worlde be two wayes of kynde | |
Who that wyll assay, the soth he may fynde | |
One is the way of death here tolde | |
810 | And that other is the way of lyfe holde |
But the way of death, semeth large and easy | |
For that may vs lede, euen and lyghtly | |
To the horryble lande of darckenes | |
Where sorowe and payne is, and wretchydnes | |
815 | But the way of lyfe, semeth narowe and harde |
That ledeth vs, euen to our countre-warde | |
And that is the kyngdome of heauen bryght | |
Where we shall be in Goddes syght | |
And as Goddes sones there ben ytolde | |
820 | If we do well, both yonge and olde |
For the way of the worlde, is here vnstable | |
And our lyfe also, well chaungeable | |
As often is sene in many maner wyse | |
Through tempest of wethers, that maketh men anguyse | |
825 | For the worlde, and the worldly lyfe yfere |
Chaungeth full ofte, and in dyuers manere | |
And in her state dwelleth but a whyle | |
sig: [E4v] | |
Unneth the space of a lytell myle | |
And for the worlde is so vnstedfast | |
830 | For all-thynge theron soone is ouercast. |
¶Of the vnstedfastnes of this worlde. |
|
GOd ordeyned, as it was his wyll | |
Uaryaunce of the season to fulfyll | |
And dyuers wethers, and other seasones | |
In token of the false worldes condycyones | |
835 | That so vnstable be to mannes hande |
That lytell tyme in theyr state may stande | |
For God wyll that men throughe tokens may knowe | |
Howe vnstable the worlde is in euery throwe | |
So that men theron the lesse shulde trust | |
840 | And for no welth theron, to moche haue lust |
The tymes chaungeth often, and be nat in one state | |
For nowe is the morenynge, and nowe it is late | |
And nowe it is day, and nowe it is nyght | |
And nowe it is darcke, and nowe it is lyght | |
845 | And nowe is there colde, and nowe great hete |
And nowe it is drye, and nowe it is wete | |
And nowe it is hayle, and snowe full stronge | |
And nowe fayre wether, and Sonne-shyne amonge | |
And nowe is the wether clere, and fayre with-all | |
850 | And nowe it is darcke, and rayne doth downe fall |
By all the varyaunce men may vnderstande | |
Are tokens of the worlde, that is varyande | |
Yet there be mo tokens, that we may lere | |
Of the vnstablenes, of this worlde here | |
855 | For nowe is great myrth, and nowe mournynge |
And nowe is laughter, and nowe wepynge | |
And nowe men be well, and nowe be wo | |
sig: F1 | |
And nowe is a man frende, and nowe is fo | |
And nowe is a man lyght, and nowe is heuy | |
860 | And nowe is a man glad, and nowe is drery |
And nowe haue we ioy, and nowe haue we pyne | |
And nowe haue we cattayle, and nowe we it tyne | |
And nowe we be ryche, and nowe we be poore | |
And nowe we haue lytell, and nowe we haue more | |
865 | And nowe we haue rest, and nowe we haue trauayle |
And nowe fynde we our strength, what it may auayle | |
And nowe we be great, and nowe we be bare | |
And nowe we be well, and nowe we be in care | |
And nowe we be lyght, and nowe we be slowe | |
870 | And nowe we be hye, and nowe we be lowe |
Nowe loue, nowe hate, nowe peace, and stryfe | |
All these be the maners, of mannes lyfe | |
That euer betokeneth moche vnstedfastnes | |
Of this worldes welth, that so chaungeable is | |
875 | And as this lyfe is euer away passynge |
So is the worlde euery day apparynge | |
For the worlde to her ende draweth fast | |
As clarckes by many thynges can cast | |
Therfore the worlde, as clarckes hath me tolde | |
880 | Is as moche to mene, as the worlde that is olde |
For two earthly worldes to this lyfe befalleth | |
As tolde is before, as clarckes it calleth | |
But the more worlde, and also the lesse | |
Full chaungeable be, and away doth passe | |
885 | The more worlde is this worlde, longe and brode |
But the lesse worlde is lykened to manhode. | |
¶Howe the rowndenes of this worlde is lykened to a man. |
|
sig: [F1v] | |
ANd as the more worlde, is rownde yset | |
So is the lesse, as a man that is met | |
For in the brede of a man, as god wolde sende | |
890 | As moche space fro the longe fyngers ende |
Of the ryght hande, the armes out_spredynge | |
To the fyngers ende of the left hande out_stretchynge | |
And also fro the top aboue at the crowne | |
Streyght to the soole of the fote there downe | |
895 | Than yf a man his armes out_sprede |
No more is the lenght of hym, than is the brede | |
And so may a man be met all aboute | |
Euer as a compas, hym-selfe without | |
And thus hath the lesse worlde, that a man is | |
900 | Euen after the shape of the more worlde ywys |
But these two worldes, the more and the lesse | |
At the last tyme away shall passe | |
For the more eldre, that they shall bere | |
The more they enpereth, and become feblere | |
905 | As men may se, that gyueth here entent |
And so wytnesseth the great clarcke Innocent. | |
¶ Senuit iam mundus vterque et maior mundus et minor et quanto prol[i]xiusprolixius] proluxius 1542, prolixius G vtriusque senectus producitu[r]producitur] producitus 1542, producitur G tanto deter[iu]sdeterius] deternis 1542, dexterius G vtriusque natura conprobaturconprobatur] turbatur G. | |
¶He sayeth, as it is in latyne tolde | |
Eyther worlde, nowe waxeth full olde | |
And the longer that theyr tyme is here sought | |
910 | And the age of eyther, other forth ybrought |
The more in malyce, and in feblenes ywys | |
The kynde of eyther other medled is. | |
¶Of the condycyons of worldly men. |
|
sig: F2 | |
OF those worldly men / great outrage men may se | |
Of pompe and pryde, and all vanyte | |
915 | In dyuerse maner, and in dyuerse guyse |
That nowe is vsed in many maner wyse | |
In worldly hauynge, and hye bearynge | |
As in ydle apparyle, and foule werynge | |
The whiche asketh ouer_great costage | |
920 | And at the last, it tourneth to moche outrage |
For suche dysguysynge, and suche manere | |
As yonge men nowe hath, as we may lere | |
For nowe is euery day contynually say | |
That myght before, haue be by no way | |
925 | For thynge that somtyme was called vylonye |
Nowe yonge men holdeth it for great curtesye | |
And that men somtyme for curtesye wolde call | |
Nowe in lytell tyme to vylonye it is fall | |
For nowe maketh men so oft theyr chaungynge | |
930 | In many maners, and also of dyuerse clothynge |
Nowe men vseth short clothes, and nowe wyde | |
And other-whyle narowe clothes, and ouer_syde | |
And some haue theyr clothynge, hangynge as stooles | |
And some goeth tatered, as it were fooles | |
935 | And some goeth wryckynge towarde and fro wryckynge: see wrick, vb.1, OED; wrynchand G |
And some goeth skyppynge, as doth a do | |
And so vseth men all the newe get | |
And therwith the deuyll taketh them in-to his net | |
And throughe suche vncomely pompe and pryde | |
940 | They ne wote whyther they may gone or ryde |
For so moche pryde, as nowe is ywene | |
Was neuer before, amonge men sene | |
For suche guyses, that commeth of wantonhede | |
I trowe that they may be tokens drede | |
sig: [F2v] | |
945 | Of great myschyfes, and hasty to vnderstande |
That is nowe in-to this worlde commande | |
And therfore Goddes wrath, with them shall mete | |
As wytnesseth Dauid the prophete. | |
¶ Et irritauerunt deum deum] eum G in vanitatibusvanitatibus] advencionibus G suis. | |
¶And they meued hym to wrath sayth he | |
950 | In theyr newe fyndynges of vanyte |
This may be called, as the boke proueth | |
By them that suche dysguyses vseth | |
For suche men therwith God greueth | |
And therfore from them his grace he reueth | |
955 | And God at the last to them wyll sende |
Great vengeaunce, but they them amende | |
God suffreth them a whyle to haue theyr wyll | |
And in theyr folyes, for to abyde styll | |
And that may be knowen, by many maner of guyse | |
960 | As saynt Dauid wytnesseth in this wyse. |
¶ Et dimisi eos secundum desideria cordis eorum. | |
¶The prophete Dauid speaketh, and sayeth thus | |
In Goddes name, as the Psalter telleth vs | |
I let them he sayeth, without all maner couerte | |
After lustes and lykynge of theyr owne herte | |
965 | And in theyr newe fyndynges, they shall go |
Well may this be sayde, by them and other mo | |
That God suffreth in folye, and theyr tyme leseth | |
And after theyr lustes, newe fyndynges cheseth | |
That to the worlde maketh them gay | |
970 | And from God tourneth, both nyght and day |
And at the last they shall hence wende | |
To the paynes that be without ende | |
Therfore I counceyll all vanyties to forsake | |
And in this worlde, betymes amendes make | |
sig: F3 | |
975 | Yet hath the worlde, that is so trecherous |
Many other maners, that be contraryous | |
For nowe is vertue tourned in-to vyce | |
And playeth myrth and game in-to malyce | |
And nowe is deuocyon, in many a mannes syde | |
980 | Tourned all in-to boste, and to foule pryde |
And nowe is wyt and wysdome, holde folye | |
Both amonge yonge and olde, tourned to trecherye | |
And nowe is folye, holde great wysdome | |
And therto is tourned nowe, both mayster and grome | |
985 | And nowe is clene lo[u]e, tourned to lecherye |
And all ryghtfulnes in-to trecherye | |
And thus is this worlde tourned vp-so-downe | |
To many a mannes soule, great dampnacyown | |
But suche semeth as they were wode | |
990 | For good thynge they holde euyll, and euyll thynge gode |
Wo shall they be therfore, as clarckes can tell | |
For God hym-self, wytnesseth it in the Gospell | |
Wo to you sayth Chryst, that thynketh with your wyll | |
That euyll thynge is good, and good thynge euyll | |
995 | That is to say, that them-selfe shulde be wo |
That in this worlde, myslyueth theyr lyfe so | |
And thus is the worlde, and mannes lyfe therin | |
Full with vanyte, and wretchednes of synne | |
But some men loueth, so moche this lyfe | |
1000 | And also the worlde, that is full of stryfe |
And so they thynke, neuer to wende there-fro | |
But euer to dwell here, yf it myght be so | |
And loueth so moche this worldes vanyte | |
And neuer desyreth here, in other lyfe to be | |
1005 | But wolde a man, well hym vnderstande |
That the worlde is besy, a man for to shonde | |
sig: [F3v] | |
And what he shall haue therof at the last ende | |
When he shall from the worlde wende | |
Than shulde hym lyst, both nyght and day | |
1010 | To forsake myrthes, and synge well_away |
A man therfore must suche workes forsake | |
And to Goddes mercye, all his herte take | |
And lede here his lyfe, in mekenes and pouert | |
In fastynge, and in penaunce, and other workes smert | |
1015 | And knowe his conscyence, that is inwarde |
To haue the ioy of heauen than afterwarde | |
And thus shulde euery man, hym well be_thynke | |
If he wyll Goddes grace in hym synke | |
Nowe haue I tolde you in dyuerse manere | |
1020 | The condycyons of mannes lyfe, and of the worlde here |
And nowe I wyll passe furthermore | |
And speake of the thyrde parte, and of his lore | |
That telleth specyally, as I shall rede | |
Of death, and wherfore it is to drede. | |
¶Here begynneth the thyrde parte of this boke / that speaketh of death. |
|
1025 | DEath is moste dredefull thynge that is |
In all the worlde, as the boke wytnesseth this | |
For there is no quycke thynge lyuynge | |
That agaynst death is sore dredynge | |
Fleeth it as long as he may / but at last it is deathes pray | |
1030 | And when death commeth, and maketh debate |
All-thynge he bryngeth, in-to another state | |
For no man may agaynst hym stande | |
Whyther he come by water, or by lande. | |
sig: [F4] | |
¶Of the maners of death. |
|
AS Clarckes fynde wryten, they redeth | |
1035 | Thre maners of death ben that men dredeth |
One is bodely that after kynde doth wende | |
And the other ghostly, that other without ende | |
And bodely death, that kyndly is wrought | |
Is when body and soule, a_sonder is brought | |
1040 | Death is full harde and bytter, as I shall tell you hereafter |
For ghostly death is departynge of synne | |
Betwene God, and mannes soule within | |
For ryght as the soule is lyfe of the body | |
Ryght so the lyfe of the soule, is God almyghty | |
1045 | And as the body is without any doubte |
Deade as stone, when mannes soule is out | |
So is the soule of man deade also | |
When almyghtye God departeth there-fro | |
For where synne is, the deuyll is of hell | |
1050 | And where synne is, God wyll nat dwell |
For deedly synne, and the deuyll, and he | |
In one place, may nat togyther be | |
And when mannes soule, is bounde with synne | |
God is thence, and the deuyll dwelleth therin | |
1055 | Than is the soule deade, before God in-dede |
Whyle synne and the soule, dwelleth in one stede. | |
¶Howe a mannes soule is deade throughe synne. |
|
AS a mannes body may be slawe | |
With wepyn, that to hym may be drawe | |
So is the soule slayne throughe foule synne | |
1060 | Wherfore God and he departeth atwynne |
sig: [F4v] | |
Than is ghostly death for to drede more | |
Than any bodely death, thoughe it greue sore | |
And in-as-moche, as the soule pryncypally | |
Is more worthy, than a mannes body | |
1065 | For thoughe a mannes soule, throughe synne be deade |
And departed from God in his manheade | |
Yet it myght euer lyue, and harde payne fynde | |
But the body is deed anone throughe flesshely kynde | |
But of bodely death is none agayne tournynge | |
1070 | For of all earthly [lyfe], it maketh an endynge lyfe] death 1542, lyf G |
And that is the way, that we must wende | |
To ioye other to payne, that is without ende | |
Neuertheles yf the soule with synne be slayne | |
Yet he may throughe grace, be quycked agayne | |
1075 | For God bought it dere, vpon the rode-tre |
In the ioy of Paradyce, with hym for to be | |
For all ghostly woundes, that be of synne | |
May here throughe penaunce, take hele to wynne | |
And thoughe God euer be ryghtfull and myghtye | |
1080 | Yet he euermore is full of mercye |
And to saue mannes soule, more redy is he | |
Than any man wyll, to his mercye fle | |
For the lyfe of the soule, pleaseth hym more | |
Than doth mannes death, as sayth his lore. | |
¶ Nolo mortem peccatoris sedsed] sed ut G magis conuertatur vtvt] et G viuat. | |
1085 | ¶I wyll nat the death of a synfull wyght |
But he tourne hym, and do penaunce ryght | |
Than may a synfull man, that his soule hath slawe | |
Be tourned to grace, and from dampnacyon be drawe. | |
¶Howe in hell is death without ende. |
|
sig: G1 | |
ENdeles death, is death of hell | |
1090 | That they shall haue, that there shall dwell |
For hell is counted a peryllous place | |
For there is endeles wo, without any grace | |
Care and sorowe, that neuer shall lynne | |
Yet may nat the soule dye therin | |
1095 | And it myght dye, as the body doth here |
Of all her payne, than delyuered she were | |
For the death of hell, is euermore lyuynge | |
And is stronge death, euermore lastynge | |
Of this death men may rede and loke | |
1100 | In the Psalmes of Dauid in his boke |
That speaketh moche, of the paynes of hell | |
Therfore vpon this matter, I wyll no longer dwell | |
¶What maner thynge is death. |
|
DEath is nought els sothly | |
But departyng bytwene the soule and the body | |
1105 | And as I haue somdele before sayde |
This may be called a deathes brayde | |
And a very remembrynge of mannes lyfe | |
When the soule parteth from the body with stryfe | |
As ye may knowe in your thought | |
1110 | That kyndely darckenes is to be felt nought |
But where that no maner lyght is se | |
Proprely there is darckenes in euery degre | |
So that darckenes is byreyuynge of lyght | |
So is death of lyfe, when a man is hence twyght | |
1115 | Thus fareth death, that all men dredeth moste |
When the lyfe fayleth, they yelde vp the ghoste. | |
¶Men dredeth death for foure thynges. |
|
sig: [G1v] | |
FOure encheasones in bokes I rede | |
Why men death so moche drede | |
One is for death is stronge and fell | |
1120 | And hath more payne, than man can tell |
Another is, for the syght that he shall se | |
Of horryble deuylles, that aboute hym shall be | |
The thyrde is for acompte that he shall yelde | |
Of all that he hath done in youth and elde | |
1125 | The fourth for he is euer than vncertayne |
Whyther he shall wende to blysse or payne | |
He woteth nat than, howe he shall fare | |
For death is bytter, and full of care | |
And so it semeth well, as sayth the boke | |
1130 | For when Chryste dyed in manhed that he toke |
And or he dyed vpon the holy rode | |
For drede of death, he swete droppes of blode | |
For he wyst, or he to death gan passe | |
What the harde payne, of bodely death was | |
1135 | Than may we knowe therby full wele |
That the payne of mannes death, is harde to fele | |
And of that death, I may thynke wonder | |
For all-thynge death may breake asonder | |
As it sheweth by many wayes to vs | |
1140 | Therfore an holy man, in his boke sayth thus. |
¶ Mors soluit omnia. | |
¶Death he sayeth, vndoeth all maner thynge | |
And of mannes lyfe, maketh an endynge | |
Wherfore death is greatly to be dred | |
As hereafter it shall be more playnely shewed. | |
¶Of the fyrste encheason why men dredeth death. |
|
sig: G2 | |
1145 | FIrste a man shulde drede death in his herte |
For the paynes of death, that be full smerte | |
That is the last, and also the ende | |
When the soule from the body shall wende | |
A sorowfull departynge is that for to tell | |
1150 | For they loue togyther, euermore to dwell |
And none of them, wolde from other go | |
So moche loue, is bytwene them two | |
And the sadder that two be togyther in loue | |
As a man and his wyfe, throughe God aboue | |
1155 | The more sorowe, and the longer mournynge |
Shall be bytwene them, at theyr departynge | |
But the body and the soule, with the lyfe | |
Loueth more togyther, than doth man and wyfe | |
And whyther that they gone, in good way or euyll | |
1160 | Euer togyther they wolde be styll |
But there is encheason, as men may se | |
Why that they wolde euer togyther be | |
For encheason that God, throughe his myght and wyt | |
That body and soule, fyrste togyther knyt | |
1165 | Another is, for that one may nothynge do |
But yf that other, wyll helpe therto | |
The thyrde is, for they shall togyther come | |
Before our Lorde God, to theyr dome | |
The fourth encheason is, when they come there | |
1170 | Togyther they shall dwell, without any where where=were, "danger, distress" |
Therfore the more is theyr payne and care | |
When that one shall from that other fare | |
And this departynge, may be called death | |
That flyeth aboute, as doth a mannes breath | |
1175 | Throughe all landes, both farre and nere |
And spareth nothynge, for any powere | |
sig: [G2v] | |
For prayer ne gyfte, that any man may gyue | |
Where that death commeth, he suffreth no man to lyue | |
For he ne spareth neyther hye ne lowe | |
1180 | That he ne reueth theyr lyfe in a lytell throwe |
So death hath no mercye of no wyght | |
As saynt Bernarde wytnesseth full ryght. | |
¶ Non misereturmiseretur] miserietur 1542, miseretur G [mors]mors] 1542 omits, mors G inopie nec reueretur diuiciis nec sapientie, nec moribus, nec etati. | |
¶He sayeth that death of pouert no mercye taketh | |
Neyther to ryche men, rewarde he hath | |
1185 | Neyther to wysdome, that men can shewe |
Neyther to olde men, for theyr dayes be fewe | |
Death wyll haue neyther reuerence nor fauour | |
Neyther frendshyp of kynge, ne Emperour | |
Neyther of bysshop, ne yet of prelate | |
1190 | Neyther of other, what-soeuer they be of state |
Therfore saynt Bernarde, sayth thus in his wrytynge | |
For euery man, shulde drede deathes commynge. | |
¶ Mortem esse communem, cunctis scito viuentibus. | |
¶Understande thou he sayth, that death is | |
To all common, both to more and lesse | |
1195 | And thus shall death vysyte euery man |
And yet what he is, no man dyscerne can | |
But the payne of death, that all shall fele | |
As telleth a Phylosopher to vs full well. | |
HE lykeneth a mannes lyfe vnto a tre | |
1200 | That were waxynge, yf it myght be |
Through a mans hert, with rotes to sprynge | |
And in euery place, a braunche growynge | |
And the crop at the mouth, out come myght | |
And to eche a ioynte, a roote were dyght | |
1205 | And euery vayne, that is in a mannes body |
sig: G3 | |
Had a rote fastened full harde therby | |
And to euery fynger, and toes also | |
Were a rote from the tre growynge therto | |
That in eche lymbe, that is in euery syde | |
1210 | The rotes of the tre, shulde theron be tyde |
If that tre were so sore pulled out | |
That the rotes shulde aryse all aboute | |
Than shulde the rotes, the ioyntes strayne | |
And eche bone, and synewe also with vayne | |
1215 | Than a more payne, can no more cast |
Than this were, as longe as it myght last | |
And yet the payne of death is holde more | |
And harder in his tyme, than this wore | |
Therfore euery man before as it is sayde | |
1220 | May greatly drede, the harde deathes brayde |
But the moste drede is then all within | |
If a mannes soule be in deedly synne | |
And therfore the Prophete, sayth thus in his boke | |
And warneth vs echone therto to loke. | |
¶ O mors quam amara memoria tua homini iniusto. | |
1225 | ¶O thou bytter death, and dredefull sayth he |
Full grysely thynge it is for to thynke on the | |
And namely to that man, that is full of synne | |
Wherfore his conscyence, is greued within | |
Therfore me-thynketh a man is nat sly | |
1230 | That maketh nat hym to death redy |
For so certayne in earth, is no maner man | |
That his endynge-day, forsoth tell can | |
Neyther the tyme of death, can nat loke | |
And so saynt Bernarde sayeth in this boke. | |
¶ Quid in rebus humanis certius est morte | |
Quid incertius hora mortis inuenietur inuenietur] invenitur G. | |
sig: [G3v] | |
1235 | ¶He sayeth, what is to a man more certayne |
Than is death, that is so sodayne | |
And what is also more vncertayne thynge | |
Than is the tyme of deathes commynge | |
Therfore saynt Austyne, the holy man | |
1240 | Sayeth thus in his boke, as I proue can. |
¶ N[e]scisNescis] Nrscis 1542 qua hora veniat mors ideo semper vigila vt cum venerit te paratum inueniat et tempus illius forte nescis vt semper ideo essesesses] sis G paratus. | |
¶Man thou knowest nat sayeth he | |
What tyme deathes commynge shall be | |
Therfore wake as thou haddest euer knowynge | |
The tyde and tyme of deathes commynge | |
1245 | That death fynde the when he shall come |
All-redy to God and buxome | |
For thou shuldest nat, perchaunce knowe | |
The commynge of death, to holde the l[o]we lowe] lawe 1542 | |
And in thy conscyence, to make the yare | |
1250 | For when death commeth, he wyll nat spare |
Than behoueth vs our lyfe so to cast | |
As euery day of our lyfe, were the last | |
And euery day vs aredy to make | |
As we shulde eche day, the death take | |
1255 | And nat abyde, tyll death vs vysyte |
For saynt Austyne in his boke thus doth wryte. | |
¶ Latet nobis vltimus dies vt obseruenturobseruentur] obseruerentur 1542, observentur G bene ceteri dies [Se]roSero] Raro 1542, sero G enim p[a]ranturparantur] perantur 1542, parantur G remedia, cum mortis venerunt pericula. | |
¶The last day of man here sayeth he | |
For all other dayes, better kept shulde be | |
For men ordeyneth remedye to late | |
1260 | When perylles of death standeth at the gate |
And in the same state, that he is than | |
He shall be demed when he is gone | |
sig: [G4] | |
Therfore euery man, for drede of lettynge | |
Shulde nat abyde, deathes commynge | |
1265 | But make hym redy, or he death fele |
And than after kepe hym-selfe wele | |
For when death is to the gate come | |
Than to late hath he his warnynge nome | |
For death from a man, his mynde byreueth | |
1270 | And no kyndely wyt in hym byleueth |
For than shall he fynde suche payne and drede | |
That he shall thynke vpon no mysdede | |
But in this payne, and in nothynge elles | |
As the holy man, saynt Austyne telles. | |
¶ Timor mortis totam [anim]amanimam] vitam 1542, animam G sibi vendicat vt [nec]nec] 1542 omits, nec G de peccatis tunc libeat cogitare. etc. | |
1275 | ¶Drede of death he sayeth, when he assayleth a man |
Chaungeth the soule, and maketh the body wan | |
So hym luste than to haue no thought | |
Of the synnes, that he hath here ywrought | |
Therfore euery man amende hym here | |
1280 | Or death come and sende his messengere |
And yf a man wyll before beware | |
Than of all synnes, death shall fynde hym bare | |
His messenger, well may be called syckenes | |
That goeth before, and bryngeth hym in dystres | |
1285 | For syckenes ofte-tymes, pyneth a man so |
That for great syckenes his mynde is go | |
For than may he thynke, vpon nothynge elles | |
But vpon the payne, that vpon hym dwelles | |
But when d[e]ath commeth to hym soone afterwarde | |
1290 | Than paynes shall he fele, that be more harde |
For than shall he be set in suche drede | |
So that of hym-selfe, he taketh lytell hede | |
sig: [G4v] | |
And that is reason, for he wolde nought | |
Whyles that he myght, haue God in thought | |
1295 | Therfore he shall then lese clene his mynde |
And thus we may in saynt Austyne fynde. | |
¶ Hac animaduersione percut[itu]rpercutitur] percuttitor 1542, percutitur G peccator vt moriens obliuiscatur sui, qui dum viueret oblitus est dei sui. | |
¶The synfull man he sayeth, as it is wryte | |
With the payne of death, shall be ysmyte | |
That for the payne, that in hym shall fall | |
1300 | Forgetteth hym-selfe, when he hence shall |
For whyle that he lyued, at his owne wyll | |
He forgate God, and his hestes wolde nat fyll | |
And also synnefull men, haue here no grace | |
To haue repentaunce, neyther tyme ne space | |
1305 | Thus shall he dye, and so lese heauen-blysse |
And be put in-to payne, without any lysse | |
For they be vnkynde, and to God vncurtayes | |
Therfore saynt Dauid, in the Psalter thus sayes. | |
¶ Uos autem sicut homines moriemini, et sicut vnus de principibus cadetis. | |
¶And sayeth thus to men, ye shall dye all | |
1310 | And as on[e] of the prynces ye shall fall one] on 1542 |
That is ye shall dye in the same manere | |
As all men dyed in this worlde here | |
And as the gostes, that fell from heauen | |
And were put to hell, with an horryble steuen | |
1315 | Therfore to euery man, it were wysdome |
To amende hym of synnes, or death come | |
And haue God in mynde, whyle his lyfe is | |
As the Prophete commaundeth, and sayeth this. | |
¶ Memento creatoris tui antequam veniat tempus visitationis tuetue] sue G. | |
sig: H1 | |
¶Thynke man he sayeth, and haue in thought | |
1320 | Hym that made the fyrste of nought |
Whyle thou lyuest, and or thy tyme be | |
When God with death, wyll vysyte the | |
For death clene mannes mynde breketh | |
And therfore saynt Dauid to God thus speaketh. | |
¶ DomineDomine] Quoniam G non est in morte qui memor sit tui. | |
1325 | ¶Lorde he sayth, that man alyue is nought |
That in tyme of death, hath nat the in thought | |
But men may vnderstande therby | |
The death of soule, throughe synne namely | |
For the man that of God myndeles is | |
1330 | It semeth in soule, that he deade is |
For God vysyteth vs by euery maner way | |
Where that the tokens of death fele we may | |
For yf we coulde vs well vnderstonde | |
The tokens of death, eche day doth vs fonde | |
1335 | Wherfore me-thynketh, all that here semeth |
Is more deade than alyue, as wyse men demeth | |
For the boke telleth, and wytnesseth before | |
That a man anone as he is bore | |
Begynneth towarde his death to drawe | |
1340 | And with dyuerse euylles, often is gnawe |
As angers and syckenes, that falleth all day | |
The whiche deathes throwes, call we may | |
And in other wayes, and perylles many one | |
That oft greueth men, in flesshe and in bone | |
1345 | Than is our byrth here but abydynge |
A bodely death, that is our endynge | |
For the longer, that a man waxeth olde | |
The more may this lyfe death be colde colde=called | |
Than semeth our lyfe here nothynge elles | |
sig: [H1v] | |
1350 | But as it were death, as the boke telles |
And to that other lyfe, come we nought | |
Tyll death this lyfe, to ende hath brought | |
But when death of our lyfe, hath made an ende | |
Than knowe we nought, whyther for to wende | |
1355 | Whyther that we shall to well other to wo |
But certes to that one we shall go | |
And to good men, than death is the way | |
To the ioy of heauen, that lasteth ay | |
And to the wycked men, that passeth that entre | |
1360 | In the payne of hell, they shall euer be |
Therfore saynt Dauid the holy prophete | |
Thus speaketh to God, with wordes swete. | |
¶ Qui exaltas me de portis mortis vt annunciem omnes laudes tuas. | |
¶Lorde almyghty God, forsoth thou arte he | |
That from the gates of death, hast take me | |
1365 | So that I may tell passynge all thynges |
The great multytude of thy praysynges | |
In the holy gates of thy doughter Syon | |
That gate as Clarckes telleth, that can theron | |
Is holy Churche, that God fyrste cheace | |
1370 | Throughe the whiche, men commeth to the gate of peace |
And by the gates of death, as we may se | |
The bytter death of hell, vnderstande may be | |
From that same place, God kepe vs nyght and day | |
And graunt vs his loue, as he well may | |
1375 | Therfore we shulde hym serue, and his wyll worche |
In the trewe beleue of holy Churche | |
So that we may, than afterwarde wende | |
To the cytie of peace, that hath none ende | |
But all men that shall to that place come | |
1380 | Hence shall wende throughe death all and some |
sig: H2 | |
But that death to them is nothynge euyll | |
That lyueth here in earth after Goddes wyll | |
And in suche holy lyfe stedfastly dwelleth | |
As saynt Austyne the holy man, in a boke telleth. | |
¶ Mala mors illi putanda non est, quem in vita sua boni actus processerunt. | |
1385 | ¶He sayeth men shulde nat, to them euyll death wene |
That in good dedes, wolde his lyfe mene | |
For nothynge maketh a man so hye of boste | |
As euyll dedes that foloweth the death moste | |
For all be deedly, that synne wyll do | |
1390 | And therfore saynt Austyne, sayeth thus therto. |
¶ Non potest male mori qui bene vixerit et vix bene moritur qui male vixerit. | |
¶He sayeth, he may no euyll death haue | |
That lyueth on earth throughe Goddes lawe | |
But vnneth may men by any reason | |
Dye in good death, that leadeth his lyfe in treason | |
1395 | But that man, that hateth this lyfes lykynge |
Dare neuer drede of deathes commynge | |
For after his death here, no payne hym deres | |
As Caton wytnesseth in this verse. | |
¶ Non metuit mortem qui s[c]it contempnere vitam. scit] sit 1542, G | |
¶He sayeth, he that can this lyfe despyse | |
1400 | Shall nat drede death, in no maner wyse |
For so dyd martyres, that theyr death sought | |
For after this worlde, nothynge they wrought | |
And also holy men, wylled to death be dyght | |
To dwell in heauen, with God almyght | |
1405 | As the bokes of theyr lyues, telleth to vs |
For so dyd an holy man, that sayeth thus. | |
¶ Cupio dissolui et esse cum christo. | |
sig: [H2v] | |
¶I couet he sayeth, hence for to wende | |
Out of this lyfe, and be with Chryste without ende | |
For holy men, thought here this lyfe | |
1410 | Was nothynge els, but sorowe and stryfe |
Therfore they coueyted, the ende of theyr day | |
As sayeth an holy man, as I tell may. | |
¶ Melius est dies mortis quam dies natiuitatis. | |
¶He sayeth, better is the day of death alone | |
Than the day of byrth, that is full of mone | |
1415 | For a good man dyeth, for to go vnto rest |
Theyr lyfe is endeles, and ioy alther_mest | |
When the soule from the body shall be gon | |
As in Apocalyps, wytnesseth saynt Iohnn . | |
¶ Beati mortui qui in domino moriuntur. | |
¶Blessyd be all they, in dede and in worde | |
1420 | That dyeth here in earth, in the honour of our lorde |
For all that men seth in good lyfe ende | |
They dye with God, and to hym shall wende | |
In-to the ioy of heauen, that is on hyghe | |
Well is hym that throughe death, that stede may nyghe | |
1425 | And doubteles, thoughe holy men dyed here wele |
Yet the paynes of death they shall fele | |
But when they shall, a newe lyfe wynne | |
When the body and soule, departeth atwynne | |
Somedele they shall than haue drede | |
1430 | Throughe mankynde, and throughe manhede |
Syth that Chryste dred death in his passyon | |
Throughe kynde of his flesshe, as it was reason | |
Than ought a man both lesse and more, | |
The bytter paynes of death, drede full sore. | |
¶The .ij. encheason why men dredeth death. |
|
sig: H3 | |
1435 | THe seconde encheason is, as I in boke rede |
Why that death is so greatly to drede | |
For the dredfull syght of many foule fendes | |
That a man shal se than, and few other frendes | |
When that this lyfe here draweth to the ende | |
1440 | And woteth nat whyther he shall with them wende |
For when the lyfe of a man, is in doubte | |
Than wyll deuylles come hym aboute | |
To take the soule, with them away | |
In-to the payne of hell, and that is theyr pray | |
1445 | For as wode Lyones, they shall than fare |
And on hym grenne, rore and stare | |
[With] horryble rollynge, and on hym blere With] And 1542 | |
And with hydeous lokes, to make hym fere | |
And so they wyll stande, at his endynge | |
1450 | If that they myght, in wanhope hym brynge |
Throughe suche thret[n]ynge, as they wyll than make | |
And throughe drede, that they shall take | |
Throughe hydeous syghtes, that they then wyll shewe | |
The horryble company, that stande shall in rewe | |
1455 | And therfore the prophete saynt Ieromye |
Wytnesseth these wordes in his prophecye. | |
¶ Omnes [ini]miciinimici] amici 1542, inimici G eius apprehenderunt e[u]meum] eam 1542, eum G inter angustias. | |
¶He sayeth, that amonge his anguysshes great | |
His ennemyes shulde hym take, and nought let | |
Than is no wonder, thoughe the deuylles come | |
1460 | To the synfull man, when death hath hym nome |
As the deuyll to saynt Bernarde came at the last day | |
To brynge the holy man, in-to great afray. | |
¶Howe the deuyll came and appered vnto saynt Bernarde. |
|
sig: [H3v] | |
IT is founde in the lyfe of saynt Bernarde | |
When he drewe to his death warde | |
1465 | That the deuyll of hell, so horryble of hewe |
Asked of saynt Bernarde, with wordes fewe | |
Wherfore he [chalenged] the kyngdome of heuen chalenged] asked 1542, wald ... chalange G | |
Syth he had gylt in the synnes seauen | |
Then answered saynt Bernarde to hym this | |
1470 | That I am nat worthy, I wote ywis |
Throughe myne owne synnes, it for to haue | |
When I shall hence wende to my graue | |
But throughe my lorde Iesus full of myght | |
That all-thynge gouerneth, as it is ryght | |
1475 | As throughe ryght of his fathers herytage |
And also for chrysten mennes auauntage | |
And throughe ryght of his harde passyon | |
That he suffred here, for our saluacyon | |
That herytage frely, he graunted me | |
1480 | And also that other parte to hym shulde be |
Of whose ryght, I aske that heauen-ryche | |
After his mercye, that nothynge is lyche | |
When the deuyll harde hym thus say | |
As ouercome he went his way | |
1485 | And anone saynt Bernarde, when this was done |
Came agayne to his mynde, that erst was gone | |
And anone dyed afterwarde tho | |
And euen his soule to blysse gan go | |
But it is more wonder all for to tell | |
1490 | Why that God suffreth, the deuyll of hell |
To appere to hym, that is of myght moste | |
Whan that he dyed, and gaue vp his ghoste | |
For the great Clarckes, wytnesseth it | |
In theyr owne bokes, that be of holy wryt | |
sig: [H4] | |
1495 | Than semed it well, that God wolde thus |
Suffre the deuyll of hell, to appere to vs | |
In tyme of death, at our last ende | |
When we shall all hence wende | |
But a stronge payne, to vs that shall be | |
1500 | The great syght of deuylles, that than we shall se |
For they be so horryble, as telleth the boke | |
And so blacke, and dredefull vpon to loke | |
So that all maner of men, that I may deuyse | |
Of the foule syght of them, may sore agryse | |
1505 | For all maner men, that be in earth alyue |
So horryble a syght, can neuer descryue | |
Nor none so queynte a payntour, that myght brynge to passe | |
Neyther man so wytty, neuer yet was | |
That coulde ought ymagyne, of theyr horryblenes | |
1510 | Other paynte any poynte after theyr lykenes |
For theyr shape in this worlde, may no man make | |
Ne se the same fourme, that they haue take | |
But yf the deuylles, had of God so large powere | |
In theyr owne fourme, to shewe them here | |
1515 | Lese they shulde theyr mynde, and be sore agast |
For cause that they be in-to suche fourme cast | |
But so hardy man was neuer yet none | |
That lyued in earth, in flesshe and bone | |
If he sawe the deuyll, in his fourme aryght | |
1520 | That he ne shulde for drede of that foule syght |
Anone-ryght to dye, other to lese his wyt | |
As soone as he had beholden it | |
But in the same fourme, as I can tell | |
Se them neuer here no lyues-man | |
1525 | But onely to them, that death is nere |
For God hath bynome them theyr powere | |
sig: [H4v] | |
So that they may tempte no man, ne greue | |
Further then our lorde God, hath gyuen them leue | |
But anone as death asayleth a man | |
1530 | In the foulest fourme, they wyll appere than |
For-bycause that euery man, dredynge shulde be | |
Agaynst the same tyme, that he shulde them se. | |
BUt to you all, I wyll tell sothly | |
Wherfore the deuylles be all so gresely | |
1535 | For when that they were Aungels bryght |
As tho that be in heauen, before Goddes syght | |
And from that place, throughe synne they fell | |
And anone bycommen foule fendes of hell | |
And were horryble-fygured throughe synne | |
1540 | And so they were all wrapped therin |
For yf synne ne were, they had be styll | |
Bryght Aungelles, as they were throughe Goddes wyll | |
And nowe they be horryble, and vnsemely | |
And that was throughe synne of pryde onely | |
1545 | Than is synne fouler, and more lothsome |
Than is the deuyll, that from hell may come | |
For Clarckes telleth it, that be of connynge | |
That synne is so foule, and so horryble a thynge | |
That yf a man myght se, before hym his synne | |
1550 | In the same lykenes, that he falleth in |
He shulde rather than for drede it fle | |
Than any deuyll of hell, that he myght se | |
Than is the soule of a synfull man within | |
Fouler than the deuyll, yf he be in synne | |
1555 | Therfore a man shulde, where that he wendes |
More drede synne, than any syght of fendes | |
That shall come to hym, at his endynge | |
For his synnes in dyspayre hym to brynge | |
sig: I1 | |
Of whiche synnes, he wolde hym nat shryfe | |
1560 | Ne take no repentaunce here in his lyfe |
For vs behoueth euerychone, in Goddes owne syght | |
Yelde our accomptes of wronge and of ryght | |
And of all thynges, that euer we haue wrought | |
Both in werke, and in wyll, and euery mysthought. | |
¶Of the thyrde encheason why men dredeth death. |
|
1565 | THe thyrde encheason, is to our vnderstandynge |
Why euery man dredeth deathes commynge | |
For all-thynge shall be shewed and sene | |
Both good, euyll, foule, and also clene | |
And there ben rehersed, as the boke telleth ryght | |
1570 | Bytwene foule fendes, and Aungelles bryght |
Than shall they despute there, all our lyfe | |
With great sorowe, both care and stryfe | |
For in the same tyme, all-thynge shall be knowen | |
And in the same day, nothynge ben hydden | |
1575 | But onely synne, that is clensed here |
And all good dedes done in good manere | |
Than shall we all there, both here and se | |
All maner pryuyties, that euer wrought we | |
And therfore God sayeth in his Gospell | |
1580 | In the same maner, that I wyll you tell. |
¶ Nichil [est]est] 1542 omits, est G opertum quod non reuelabitur. | |
¶There is no maner of thynge here so hydden | |
That ne shall than be shewed and knowen | |
And styll there abyde must we | |
Tyll there all our lyfe clene examyned be | |
1585 | Therfore saynt Ancelme, as the boke telleth vs |
Speaketh to the soule sharpely thus | |
sig: [I1v] | |
Thou wretched soule sayth he, what myght thou wyn | |
When thou from thy body departe shall atwyn | |
For than behoueth the acomptes to yelde | |
1590 | Of all that thou hast done in youth and in elde |
From the begynnynge, that thou couldest wyt | |
Unto the last day, for thou myght nat flyt | |
And than shall welaway, forsoth be thy songe | |
For thou hast spended thy lyfe here in wronge | |
1595 | And than shall all thy synnes here ben shewed |
Whyther-so that thou be lered other lewed | |
Of whiche synne, thou shalt more drede | |
Than of all the deuylles, that thyther the wyll lede | |
And thus shall euery man, at his endynge | |
1600 | There be brought to an harde rekenynge |
For no synne than to hym shall be vntolde | |
Be it neuer so pryue, other kept in holde | |
And I fynde wrytten, thre causes why | |
That no man may trust than sykerly | |
1605 | Upon his good dedes, that he hath done here |
And the causes why, be good to lere | |
One is that all thynges, that good be | |
From God they come, and nat from the | |
So that all good dedes, that here be wrought | |
1610 | Be Goddes owne dedes, and ours ryght nought |
But all our synnes, that we may do knowen | |
Commeth all from our-selfes, and they be our owne | |
And an-other cause there is also | |
For-bycause that we be redy euermo | |
1615 | An hondred tymes rather to do synne |
Than once a good dede here to begynne | |
And thus we may acompte, reken, and rede | |
An hondred synnes agaynst one good dede | |
sig: I2 | |
The thyrde cause is, for to shewe amonge | |
1620 | For oft-tymes our dedes be done with wronge |
And nat in good maner, as they ought to be | |
And perchaunce they be done out of charyte | |
And therfore our good dedes, pure good are nought | |
But saynt Austyne sayth, our euyl pure euyl are wrought. | |
¶ Omnes iusticieiusticie] iniusticie 1542, iusticie G nostre quasi pannus menstruatus. | |
1625 | ¶He sayeth, our good dedes may be sene |
As a cloth defouled with thynge vnclene | |
Therfore for certayne knoweth no maner man | |
Howe he shall fare, when he his way take can | |
But we shall byleue without any maner drede | |
1630 | That euery man shall haue after his owne dede |
But therof be we nat syker [i]n our lyfe-dayes in] ln 1542 | |
As wytnesseth an holy man, and in this maner sayes. | |
¶ Nescit homo vtrum sit dignus pro actibus suis amore vel odio. | |
¶He sayeth for certayne, a man knoweth nought | |
Thoughe he haue here, neuer so moche good wrought | |
1635 | Whyther that he be worthy af[t]er his dede after] afrer 1542 |
To haue the loue of God, other els hatred | |
And also Isodore, as the boke telleth vs | |
Accordeth well therto, and sayeth all thus. | |
¶ Seruus dei dum bonum agit, vtrum sit ei ad bonum incertus est. etc. | |
¶He sayeth, the man that is Goddes seruaunt | |
1640 | That to all goodnes, maketh his haunt |
Yet is he nothynge certayne in thought | |
Whyther it be good to hym, other it be nought | |
Wherfore our lyuynge is here full harde | |
As wytnesseth the holy man, saynt Bernarde. | |
sig: [I2v] | |
¶ Quis potest hic vitam suam ducere sine tribulatione et dolore. | |
1645 | ¶He sayeth, who may here this lyfe lede |
Without trybulacyon, anger, and drede | |
Therfore saynt Bernarde, sayeth thus here | |
And speaketh of mannes lyfe, in this manere. | |
¶ Terret me tota vita mea qu[a]qua] que 1542, qua G diligent[e]rdiligenter] diligentur 1542, diligenter G discussa apperetapp[a]ret] apperet 1542, apparet G michi aut peccatum, aut sterilitas, aut res similata et imperfecta. etc. | |
¶Saynt Bernarde, the holy man sayeth this | |
1650 | All my lyfe here, sore greueth me ywis |
For yf it well and euen dyscussed be | |
Nothynge elles it semeth to me | |
But synne that the soule moste dereth | |
Other barayne thynge, that no fruyte bereth | |
1655 | And yf any fruyte myght theron seme |
It must thus be sayde, ryghtly to deme | |
Other a faynynge thynge, to shewe in syght | |
Other a thynge that is done nought by all ryght | |
So it may for nothynge ben forth brought | |
1660 | To please almyghty God, that made vs all of nought |
So that all a mannes lyfe, is with sorowe lad | |
Therfore no wonder, thoughe a man selde be glad | |
What may a synfull man say therto | |
Syth he that was an holy man of lyfe euermo | |
1665 | Coulde no maner fruyte in hym-selfe se |
Than may another man, drede and sory be | |
Of this lyfe here, that euer is so vnclene | |
In the whiche there may no fruyte be sene. | |
¶Of the fourth encheason why men dredeth death. |
|
sig: I3 | |
THe fourth encheason is, and the last to tell | |
1670 | Why men dredeth death, that is so bytter and fell |
Is for a man knoweth nat whyther to wende | |
To ioy other to payne, after his lyfes ende | |
For so wyse a man, was neuer yet none | |
That wyst when to death, he shulde gone | |
1675 | Ne whyther he shulde from hence fare |
To ioy without ende, or els to care | |
For when deuylles and the Aungelles bryght | |
Hath desputed our lyfe aryght | |
Whyther that God wyll vs dampne or saue | |
1680 | For than our dome we shall haue |
And whyther that we shall to ioy, or payne | |
And therfore in certayne putteth vs saynt Austayne. | |
¶ Bene de die nouissimo vnusquisque pensarepensare] formidare G debet quia vnumquemque in eodem statu quo inuener[i]tinuenerit] inuenerunt 1542, invenerit G eum suus nouissimus dies: talis eum dominus iudicabit in nouissimo iudicio. etc. | |
¶Euery man he sayeth, that hence shall away | |
Shulde haue drede of his last day | |
1685 | For in what maner state, that he than be founde |
In suche he shall be demed, in a lytell stounde | |
Therfore the last day, that may vs befall | |
Our day of dome, we may well call | |
But at our last day, when Goddes sone shall come | |
1690 | Than with our bodyes, vp we shall be nome |
Before our Lorde God, that almyghty kynge is | |
That all-thynge shall deme that day ywis | |
For all bodyes shall wende in-to that place | |
Where soules shall be demed, throughe Goddes grace | |
1695 | And other they shall haue full ioy yfere |
Other full payne, when they be there | |
sig: [I3v] | |
And afterwarde, they shall both togyther dwell | |
Whyther that they wende to heauen, other to hell | |
But here in earth, shall the bodyes all | |
1700 | Abyde tyll the day of dome shall fall |
And that day shall be full streyght and harde | |
As this boke telleth soone hereafterwarde | |
But the synfull soule, goeth than to hell | |
There without ende, in payne for to dwell | |
1705 | But the good soule than goeth full euen |
Without any lettynge, in-to the blysse of heauen | |
But many a soule, that God wyll saue | |
He graunteth them mercye, that it wyll craue | |
For in the blysse of heauen, may no soule be se | |
1710 | But he for his synnes penytent before be |
Other here doth penaunce, as Clarckes telleth | |
With a contryte herte, who God forgyueth | |
And when mannes soule, is clensed well | |
Of all deedly synnes, and also of venyell | |
1715 | Throughe penaunce here done, and also almysdede |
Aungelles full soone to heauen shall hym lede | |
Or els when it is passed from the body away | |
Into the payne of hell, that shall last ay | |
Therfore euery man, that can wysdome | |
1720 | Shulde here beware, or that death come |
And make hym all-redy, and clense hym clene | |
Of all maner of synnes, that none be sene | |
So that death hym fynde clene of all | |
When the body and soule departe shall | |
1725 | And euermore thynke, vpon his lyfes ende |
Whyle that he lyueth here, or he hence wende | |
And so he may hym kepe, from the deuylles seruyse | |
And thus teacheth vs all, Salomon the wyse. | |
sig: [I4] | |
¶ In omnibus operibus tuis memorare nouissima tua. | |
¶He sayeth thynke euery man, on thyne endynge-day | |
1730 | If that thou thynkest, almyghty God to pay |
Euer when thou thynkest any-thynge begynne | |
Than shalt thou nat fall in-to any maner synne | |
And thynke that thou shalt dye, and knowest neuer whan | |
Nother in what state thou myght be than | |
1735 | Therfore vpon the morne, when thou seest lyght |
Thynke that thou mayest dye, longe or it be nyght | |
And when thou goest to bed, yf thou be wyse | |
Thynke that thou shalt dye, haply or thou aryse | |
For saynt Austyne the holy man, sayth thus in his boke | |
1740 | Let euer thyne herte, thyne last day loke. |
¶Nowe haue ye harde, this treatyse yrade | |
And this in your conscyence openly sprade | |
For the loue of our lorde Iesu | |
Pray for hym that this boke drewe | |
1745 | And for hym also, that redeth it here |
Whyther-so be that he go ferre other nere | |
As for the moste synfull man, that lyueth by breade | |
That God forgyue hym his synnes, or he be deade | |
And that God saue them both, from all wyckednes | |
1750 | And mayntayne theyr lyues in all goodnes |
And brynge them both to that ioyfull place | |
To endles ioyes, in syght of Goddes face | |
Unto that same ioy, he vs brynge | |
That for our loue, maked all-thynge | |
1755 | Sende vs to that ioy, that is fayre and bryght |
Where euer-more is day, and neuer nyght. | |
Amen. | |
FINIS. |
|
sig: [I4v] | |
¶Imprynted by me Robert_wyer / dwellynge in saynt_Martyns parysshe / at the sygne of saynt Iohnn_Euangelyst / besyde Charynge_Crosse. | |
Ad imprimendum solum. |