¶ And here foloweth y^e fyrst chapytre of this boke. which is how y^e soule of this mayde was oned to god & how y^t she made .iiii. petycyons to oure lorde in that tyme of contemplacyon / and of the answere of god / and of moche other doctryne / as it is specyfyed in y^e kalender before. Capi. i.

A Soule that is reysed vp with heuenly and ghostly desyres / & af­feccyōs to y^e worshyp of god / & to the helthe of mantles soule / and with a greate [Page]desyre langoreth vertuously / inha­byted by the space of a longe tyme / full besyly laboreth in ghostly exer­cyse / and mekely abydeth in her in­warde beholdynge / to knowe herselfe / to that entent onely / that she myght better knowe in her selfe / y^e goodnes of god. ¶ For as she well feleth by grace / after that knowynge the loue that loueth is knytte / & ioyned with a loue / to that that is lo­ued / and forceth and besyeth her to loue / and folowe that knowynge / and with contynual excercyse inha­byteth her / with the sothefastnes. ¶ And for asmoche as a soule in no maner tasteth nor sauoureth somo­che / it is ī no maner somoche lyght­ned with knowynge of that sothe­fastnes / as it is by y^e meane of a me­ke cōtynuall / & of a deuoute prayer / founded and grounded in the knowynge of god / and or it selfe. ¶ Ther­fore suche a prayer / oneth such a sou­le to god / sorowynge the sleppes of [...]yite in his passyon / & so by desyre / [...] you / & vnyon o [...]oue / the soule [...] an other than she [...] this semeth well of cry­stes wordes / whan he sayde. Si [...]s diligit me: sermonē meā seruauit. That is to say. Who y^t loueth me shal kepe my worde. ¶ Al­so he sayth in another place. Qui diligit me: diliget̄ a patrimed / & ego diligā eu / & manifestabo illi meipsum / & erit vnum mecum / et ego cumillo. That is to saye. He that loueth me / shall beloued of my fader / & I shall loue hym / & shall shewe myselfe to hym / and he shall be one with me / and I with hym. ¶ And in manye places of scrypture / we fynde wordes lyke to the same purpose / by the whiche we openly knowe that a soule is al­terate / and made hymselfe another than he was / in the sothefastnes of loue and desyre / and that we may se this more clerely / I remembre me y^t I haue red of an holy mayde / ser­uaunte of god Katheryne of Seene that whan she gaue her selfe enten­tyfly to prayer / with enhaunsynge vp her mynde to god / to beholde he­uenly thynges in maner of contemplacyon. Thā the holy god hyd not his loue y^e whiche may not be mesured / whiche he had to his seruaūtes with the gyfte of intelleccyon by the ghostly eye. ¶ But specyally amonge other wordes / our lorde god spa­ke to her / and sayde. ¶ Open y^e eye of thy intelleccyon / or of ghostly vn­derstondynge / and beholde in me / & you shall se the dygnyte / & the fayrenes of my reasonable creature / and the fayrenesse whiche I haue gyuē to thy soule / makynge it of nought / to my ymage & lykenesse. ¶ Behol­de them that ben arayed with y^e precyous clothȳge of ghostly weddȳge That is to saye / vertuously arayed with charyte / & with many dyuers vertues / contynually they ben ioy­ned to me by loue. ¶ Therfore yf y^t shoulde aske me whiche ben they. I shoulde answere the agayne. They y^t be clene purged frome synne / they haue my lykenes. ¶ For suche haue [Page]lost and mortyfyed theyr owne pro­pre wyll / and ben conformed to my wyll / & in all thynges with my wyll they ben clothed / and precyously a­rayed. ¶ Therfore it is full sothe / y^t suche a soule oneth it selfe to god / w^t desyre and affeccyon of loue. ¶ Also this soule / yet moreouer wyllynge to knowe the holy sothefastnes of knowȳge / and to folowe it by excer­cyse. Consydered fyrst as for her selfe with an hyghe desyre / that a soule maye by no waye of doctryne / nor of ensample / nor of prayer / profyte to his neyghbour / but it profyte fyrste to his selfe / that is to saye ī purcha­synge & hauynge in possessyon y^e perfeccyō of vertues ī it selfe. Therfore in that holy desyre of sothefast knowynge / mekely she asked .iiij. petycy­ons / of the euer beynge fader in he­uen. ¶ The fyrste petycyon was for her selfe. ¶ The seconde for reformacyon of holy chyrche. The thyrde in generall / for y^e helthe of all y^e worlde / and specyally for the helthe of crystē people / whiche with grete presumpcyon & greate persecucyon / is rebell to holy chyrche. ¶ The .iiij. petycy­on was / that the prouydence of god shoulde puruaye for eche derke case or doubte / or nede in generall / and ī specyall. ¶ How the desyre of this soule encreased / whan she knewe y^e necessyte that was in the worlde. This desyre was in her ful greate and abydynge contynually / whiche desyre encreased in her the more fer­uently / whan the greate wretched­nes of this worlde was shewed to her of almyghty god the, maker of all the worlde. ¶ And whā that she sawe so greate trouble in the worlde and somoche offēce done to god in y^e worlde. ¶ Also in this tyme of this holy desyre / she had vnderstādynge by a wrytȳge whiche she had of her ghosty fader. In the whiche wry­tynge / he shewed her y^e grete payne and sharpnes of intollerable sorowe ordeyned for syn̄e. And for y^e offence done to god / & of y^e cause of losynge of soules / and for the persecucyon y^t is done to holy chyrche / whiche wordes haue kyndled in her a fyre of a desyre / w^t a louynge / & a bytternes / for y^e offence done to god. ¶ And thā she w^t a gladnes / and ioy of a trusty hope / mekely abode the mekenesse of god / y^e whiche mercyfully wolde puruaye for all the euylles and pe­relles. ¶ And for asmoche / y^t in re­ceyuynge of the holy sacrament / a soule more swetely / & more feruētly cleueth to god / and better knoweth his sothefastnes. Bycause that thā a soule is in god / and god in y^e soule. Ryght as the fysshes abyden in the see / and the see in the fysshes. Ther­fore vpon the nexte morowe folow­ynge / she had a full feruent & a brū ­nynge desyre to here masse. whiche daye was on a feest of oure lady goddes moder. And whā she had herde masse / at a certayne houre / with a ful grete desyre / to haue an inwarde knowȳge of herselfe / & of her owne iperfeccyō / it semed to her a greate shamfastes / y^t she was pryncypall cause of all the euylles / or dyseases done ī y^e worlde / & cōceyued ī herself a synguler hate / & dyspleasaunce of [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page]herselfe. ¶ And than with a desyre of an holy ryghtwysnesse puryfy suche fylthes of synne y^e whiche she sawe in y^e worlde & ī her owne soule she lyste vp her herte to the fader of heuen and sayde. ¶ Euerlastynge fader in heuen / to the I make my cōplaynt of myselfe / & to y^t I playne & accuse my selfe / to y^e entente that ī this lyfe you punesshe my synnes / And for asmoche as I y^e pryncypal cause of the paynes (throwe my synnes) whiche chrystē people shoulde suffre. Therfore mekely I beseche you to put those paynes vpon me. ¶ How the werkes good or euyll in this worlde onely suffysen not to be punysshed ī purgatory / nor to be re­warded in blysse / without contynu­al desyre of charyte. Than y^t sothefastnesse of the godheed toke this de­syre / and feruētly drewe it to hym / and dyd lyke as it was in the olde testament. ¶ For than whan the sa­cryfyces were accepted to god / fyre came downe from heuen & drewe suche a sacryfyce to hym. ¶ In the same maner that holy sothefastnes dyd to that soule / for that sothefast­nes / the fader of heuen sende y^e fyre of the holy ghost / and toke the sacry fyce of her greate desyre / whiche sa­cryfyce she made of herselfe to god. ¶ And whā our lorde had resygned this sacryfyce of her / he spake to her and sayde. ¶ Doughter knowes y^u not that all the paynes that mē suf­fren / or ony creature maye suffre in this worlde / ben not worthy at the full / nor euen worthy penauce / nor suffycyēt to punesshe the lest synne. And y^e cause is / for the offence that is done to me / whiche am god / and goodnes that hathe none ende / as­keth a blame w^tout ende. ¶ Ther­fore I wyll y^t you knowe / that all y^e paynes that ben gyuen / or sende of god in to this worlde ben not for pe­naūce / but for correccyon / to amede and correcke the chylde whā he trespaseth. ¶ And yet forthermore it is sothe / that a man maketh or dothe satysfaccyon by a feruent desyre of y^e soule (that is to saye) with a veraye contrycyon / & a dyspysynge of synne ¶ For veraye contrycyon / maketh satysfaccyō to the synne / and to the payne for synne / not for the payne y^e y^e soule suffreth for y^e tyme / whiche tyme hathe ende / but for the desyre that the soule hathe / whiche hathe no ende / and that is for god / whiche is without ende. Aske you sorowe in herte for synne without ende / & loue god contynually w^tout ende. ¶ So­rowe it asketh without ende (that is to saye) without ceasynge in this worlde / and that is in two maners. ¶ One is that a man haue veraye cōtrycyon for his owne offence that he hathe done agaynst his god / and his owne maker. ¶ The seconde is that a mā haue sorowe for y^e offence y^t he seeth or knoweth done to god of his neyghbour. ¶ Of suche men / for asmoche as they haue suche contrycyō ī bothe maners. ¶ Also for they haue suche a desyre that hathe none ende / for they bē coupled to me with a desyre of loue / therfore they sorow­en whan they offende themselfe / or whā they se / or knowe ony creature [Page]offende god / for that contynuall so­rowe for themselfe / and for other / & for desyre of loue / all the payne of suche men that they suffren bodyly or ghostly / of what euer parte it co­meth / that payne deserueth / or shal haue merytes y^e whiche haue none ende / and dothe satysfaccyon for the synne / whiche syn̄e worthely asketh and dyscerneth a payne that sholde haue no ende. Not withstondynge the dede of synne had an ende / and it was done suche a tyme y^t it hadde and ende / and the cause is thus / for that synne parauenture was done with some vertues / & with desyre of loue / with contrycyon and with dyspleasaunce of all fautes y^t were done. Therfore the payne of y^e tres­passe that sholde haue no ende was modyfyed and shall haue an ende / and make full satysfaccyon for that synne. ¶ Thus sheweth the apostle whan he sayde. yf I shall speke w^t the tongues of men / and of aungels and yf I haue prophecy / and yf y^t I deale all my goodes in to poore mennes meet / and yf I take or put my body to y^e fyre / and it to brunne / yet all this profyteth me not / yf I haue not charyte. ¶ Seynt Paule also sheweth / that all suche werkes / bodyly or ghostly / the whiche haue an ende in this worlde / ben not suf­fycyent to punesshe y^e wretchednesse of synne / nor to gyue rewarde / with out salte or fatnesse / and swete sauour of the desyre of the holy charyte. ¶ How desyre & contrycyon of herte maketh satysfaccyon for synne / and payne for synne / and somtyme it maketh satysfaccyō for synne / and not for payne. Now doughter I haue shewed the how synne in this tyme that shall passe / is not punyssed onely with suche penaūce that is done here / but it is punysshed w^t penaūce inwardely / that is suffred by desyre and with loue oned to god / and by contrycyon of mennes hertes / not by vertu of payne oneli / but throwe the vertu of a feruent dysyre of sou­les / and as holy desyres and other desyres of vertues haue lyfe / or be acceptable and merytory whā they ben taken and vsed / for y^e loue of my sone crucyfyed. ¶ For asmoche as y^e soule taketh loue of hym / and foloweth his steppes w^t vertues / fastyn­ges / and prayers. ¶ In suche ma­ner suche penaunces done they pro­fyte the (and in none other) & so they make satysfaccyon to the payne for synne / and that is by the vnyon / or knyttynge togyder of that holy loue the whiche is goten and purchased in y^e knowynge of my amyable goodnesse / and in the bytternesse and so­rowe of the herte / and ī knowynge and knowlegynge of his owne de­fautes / whiche knowynge brȳgeth forthe an hatered of his owne vn­worthynesse & mysery / and a greate dyspleasaunce of synnes. ¶ Wher­fore he demeth hymselfe vnworthy ony grace / and holdeth hym worthy to haue tourment and payne. And thus the holy sothefastnes spake of all other / whiche suffred all thyn­ges with pacyēce / and demed them selfe with mekenesse in all thynges / vnworthy to receyue the gracyous [Page]gyftes of god / and worthy to haue punysshemēt throwe loue of herte w^t the feruēt brūnynge of pasyence and of mekenesse. ¶ After this in­formacyon / forthewith god spake to her and sayde. Take hede than in­tentytly in thy inwarde wytte / in what maner it is sayde to the / how that satysfaccyō is made for synne. ¶ Thou does aske paynes of me / y^e whiche myght make satysfaccyon / for y^e offences done to me of my creatures. ¶ Also thou dyde aske of me whiche am the lyfe of all thynges / to knowe / & to loue ꝑfytely. ¶ This is the waye / thou shall be in wyll to ascende to y^e heyght of ꝑfyte know­ynge / & thou shall be in wyll to taste me / the whiche am euer lastynge sothefastnesse / so that thou neuer go oute of the way of knowynge of thy selfe. ¶ And whan thou arte caste downe ī to y^e vallaye of mekenesse / than knowe me in the / of whome y^u shall haue all thynges that ben to y^e necessary / or behourable. ¶ There may no vertu stōde / nor abyde / but it come of charyte / or y^t it be groun­ded in charyte / and mekenes dothe nouresshe most and best / y^e vertu of charyte. ¶ Thā thou shall be made meke in knowynge of thy selfe / yf y^u consyder the that thou hase no be­ynge of thy selfe / but y^u shall knowe thy beynge of me / the whiche loued the & you all / or euer that ye were borne / & of my greate loue whiche maye not be meiured / my wyll was to reforme you agayne to grace / and in my reformynge you agayne / w^t the brennynge of so greate a loue / y^e which I had to you / I wasshed you with the blode of my sone / the whi­che was shedde for you. ¶ The she­dynge of that blode / maketh a man to knowe the sothefastnes / the whiche hathe put awaye the cloude of his propre loue / by knowynge of hȳ selfe / y^e whiche sothfastnes he myght not elles knowe. And thā in y^e knowynge of me / the soule is closed with suche a feruent loue / that for that brennynge loue / the soule is in contynuall payne / but not in payne whi­che greueth the soule / nor maketh it to tall / but rather that payne maketh the soule more vertuous / and refressheth it / and comforteth more the soule / for he suffreth payne / by­cause he knoweth my sothefastnes / and his owne synnes and vnkyndenesse / and the greate blȳdenesse of crystē people. And for y^e greate loue that y^e soule hathe to me / he is trou­bled and soroweth for his vnkynde­nesse / and other mennes. And yf he loued me not / yet he sholde haue no payne / nor trouble. Therfore you & my other seruauntes / anone as ye haue knowynge of my sothefastnes ī suche maner (as I haue rehersed to you before) to my laude / and worshyp & glory of my name / you must suffre manye wronges / trybulacy­ons / vnderstondynges / reprtues / in wordes and indedes to the daye. ¶ Bere therfore easely and with pasyence you and my other seruaun­tes trybulacyons / and sorowe with teres of eyes for y^e offences that bē done to me / for the loue of vertues to my worshyp. And yf you so do / I [Page]shall do satysfaccyō to your synnes / in somoche that what penaunce ye suffren / shall suffyce for satysfaccyō in you and other / by y^e vertu of your charyte. And than for a rewarde / ye shall haue forgyuenesse of all youre ygnoraūce / and I shall no more re­membre me of your trespace. ¶ In other of my creatures I shall do sa­tysfaccyon by mercy. And for the af­feccyon of youre charyte / and to thē I shall gyue grace after the dysposycyō / whiche they sholde receyue / as thus. They dysposen them mekely with reuerēce / to receyue y^e techȳge and the doctryne of my seruaūtes / al those that so done / partely I shal forgyue them theyr synnes / and the paynes for synne / and the cause is. For by y^t / they dyspose thē someke­ly to the techynge of my seruaūtes / by that they shall haue suche grace that they shall come to very know­ynge of themselfe / and to haue com­punccyon of al theyr trespaces / and to be cōtynually in deuoute prayer. And by the seruent desyre of my seruauntes / I shall receyue them be­nyngely / and they shall receyue the fruyte of a specyall grace / and also a grace specyall / in some gre more or lesse after that they wyl labour / and haue excercyce w^t vertues. ¶ This I saye generally / y^t they shall haue forgyuenesse of theyr synnes / but yf it so be / that they be so obstynate / y^t by theyr dyspayre they wyl be repreued of me / no regarde takynge to y^e blode of my sone / the whiche so lo­uyngely hathe wasshed them with his pcyous blode for your saluacyō. ¶ Nowe doughter what fruyte of grace as you suppose / or thȳke they shal haue. Theyr fruyte it is this. That by y^e prayer of my seruaūtes / I am constrayned / and in a maner compelled / by the whiche I abyde theyr tournynge / and chaungynge to vertuous lyuynge / and I gyue them lyghte of conscyence / and I styre them to bèware & withstonde synne / and I make them to taste y^e sauour of vertu / & to haue lykynge in the conuersacyon of my seruaun­tes. ¶ Also sometyme I suffre that this wretched worlde / be contrary [...] us to them / and that they suffre & fele manye passyons / y^t they maye knowe y^e lytle stablenes y^t is in this worlde / & that they lyfte vp theyr hertes and desyres to me / to get and purchace theyr owne helthe of euer lastȳge lyfe. And so in these foresayd maners / & in many other maners / whiche no eye maye se / nor tongue speke / nor herte suffyseth to thyke / how many dyuers way as there ben whiche I hai [...] ordeyned onely of loue / that they maye be brought to grace / & that my sothefastnes maye be fulfylled ī the. And to this I am cōpelled / for I formed thē & made thē of nought / of my charyte y^t may not be spoke / nor tolde with tongue. ¶ Also for y^e prayers of my seruauntes / & for theyr feruent desyres and sorowe / I forsake not / nor I dyspyse not theyr reres and labours / & theyr meke prayers / but gladli I receyue them / and they ben to me full acceptable / for I am he the whiche do make my seruauntes to loue them / [Page]and to make inwardely sorowe for theyr harme / & reparynge of theyr soules / but yet in all these generall laboures / and ghostly excercyses / satysfaccyon for payne & for synne is not made / but onely satysfaccyō for synne. For in theyr partye they dys­pose them not with a very parfyte loue / to be oned to me with my loue / nor with the parfyte loue of my ser­uaūtes / also they haue not that bytter sorowe / with parfyte contrycyon for the offences that they haue done to me / as my seruauntes haue / but the loue and cōtrycyon whiche they haue is vnꝑfyte. ¶ Therfore they haue not / nor yet receyuen not full satysfaccyon for payne / as the other that ben parfyte / but onely satysfaccyon for synne / for the dysposycyon muste come on bothe the partyes (y^t is to saye) aswell of the receyuer / as of hym that is the gyuer. And for as­moche as they ben not parfyte / therfore they receyue imparfytely y^t parfeccyon of theyr desyres. That is to saye / the parfeccyon of my seruaun­tes / the whiche done offre theyr de­syres for them that ben not parfyte / with paynes before me. ¶ Wherfore I saye to the that they do satysfaccyon for theyr synne / & it shall be forgyuen them. And that is ryght & sothefastnesse that it so be / in the maner as it is sayde before / for throwe the cle [...]enes of theyr cōscyence / & other ghostly excercyses / theyr syn̄e is for­gyuen. ¶ For whan they begynne to haue knowȳge of themselfe / they casten out fro them the rottē fylthe of theyr synnes / and by that they re­ceyue a specyall grace / and suche y^e so done bē in comȳ charyte / yf they pacyently take all thynge that they suffren / as for theyr correccyon / and quenchen not the goodnesse and the grace of the holy ghost. Ye se whan they leuen theyr synnes / they recey­uen a lyfe of grace / but it so be that they bē wrapped with wyckednesse not takynge hede to my goodnesse / nor to the greate labours of my ser­uaūtes. For yf they ben so ygnoraūt and so vnkynde / than anone al that whiche sholde haue bē for theyr cor­reccyon / and was forgyuen theym by mercy / tourneth them to preiu­dyce and hyndrynge / not in the de­faute of mercy / nor in the defaute of my seruauntes / whiche had goten mercy for hym that is so vnkynde / but onely throwe the hardenesse of his herte / whiche with the hande of his fre wyl set a stone as of an harde Adamaunt vpon his herte / whiche stone may not be brokē but w^t blode / but it profyteth not the. Not y^t with stondynge / his hardenesse / whyle he hathe tyme here of fre choyse / yf he wyll aske the blode of my sone / & with the same hande wylfully wyll put it vp to y^e very hardenesse of his herte / he shall receyue y^e swete fruy­te of the blode / the whiche was shed for hym. yf he tary ouer the tyme y^t he haue a fre wyll / than is there no remedy afterwarde / for he brought not agayne the gyfte that he had of me / for I gaue hym mynde / that he sholde haue mȳde of my benefytes / I gaue hym intelleccyon and vn­derstondynge / that he sholde well se [Page]& knowe sothefastnes. Also I gaue hym affeccyon of loue and desyre / y^t he sholde loue me / whiche am euer­lastȳge sothefastnes / by the whiche sothefastnes and clere intelleccyon he seeth and knoweth best. ¶ This is the gyfte and the ghostly dowre whiche I haue gyuen onely to you by grace / whiche dowre sholde tourne agayne to me whiche am the fa­der / but he that is the wycked man selleth that dowre and bytaketh it to y^e fende / whiche wycked mā whā he dyeth / he bereth with hym that he wanne ī his lyfe / fulfyllynge his mynde all w^t delytes / and w^t thoughtes and remembraunce of his syn­nes without cōtrycyon / as w^t pryde and couetyse / and with his propre loue / and with hatered and dyspleasaunce to his neyghbours / whiche ben my seruauntes / and in all that he maye parsueth and vexeth them greuously. ¶ To all suche her reasō and intelleccyon is made full derke with her wretchydnes by an vnor­nately loue and desyre / and so with theyr synnes / they receyue euerlas­tynge payne without ende / bycause they were neclygent to do satysfac­cyon for theyr synne / with contrycyō of herte / and had no hatered nor dyspleasaūce for theyr synnes. ¶ Therfore doughter now thou maye se y^t satysfaccyō for synne is not onely by penaunce bodyly / whiche hathe an ende in this worlde / but satysfaccyō for synne is y^e veraye parfyte cōtrycyon of the herte / and not onely sa­tysfaccyon for synne / but also some­tyme it is satysfaccyō for the payne that foloweth for synne / to all them that haue this parfyte contrycyon / & other generall people whiche stonden in comyn charyte / & takē meke­ly all that they suffren (as for theyr payne) with cōtrycyon of herte / ma­ke satysfaccyō for synne onely (as it is sayd before) bycause they receyue the gyfte of grace / and ben without deedly synne. ¶ Also all they y^t haue not so full parfyte contrycyon / nor parfyte loue to make satysfaccyon for payne / nor for synne / they shall to y^e paynes of purgatory. ¶ Also take hede and se that throwe the desyre of y^e soule / whiche desyre is coupled in me / whiche am all good without ende / maketh satysfaccyon more or lesse / or suffycyētly after y^e measure of parfyte loue / bothe of hym y^t yel­deth / and of hȳ that receyueth pray­ers and desyres. And that same mesure of loue / bothe of the yelder & of the receyuer / is mesured & cometh of my benignite & goodnes. ¶ Therfore doughter encrease you by y^e fyre of thy feruent desyre / and brūnynge herte of loue / and suffre not that ex­cercyse of so good a trayuale / & goodly Iournaye of so greate vertue to ouer passe / but that you call & crye to me euermore / for the same encre­ase of desyres / and for my contynu­aūce of excersyse / with a meke and a lowly voyce / and with a contynual deuocyon. ¶ Thus I saye to the & to thy ghosty fader / whome I haue ordeyned to the inerth that myghtely ye bere suche trayuayle bodely & ghostly for youre selfe and for other for my loue / and that ye put awaye [Page]and withstōde youre propre sensualyte. ¶ How it pleaseth moche oure lord / to let vs suffre for hȳ. A grete and a stronge desyre & wyll to suffre all labours & paynes vnto y^e tyme of dethe / for helthe of soules is full pleasynge to me. ¶ For y^e more that is suffred for me / somoche more the token of loue to me is shewed / & in y^e louynge moche more is take & com­prehended of my sothefastnes / and the more y^t a man knoweth / y^e more he feleth a payne intollerable in his soule for offēce done to me. ¶ Thou doughter mekely dyde aske a wyll to suffre / & to bere other mēnes fautes vpon the. Also y^u dyd alke a loue & a lyght / & y^e knowȳge of my sothefastnes / not takynge nor beholdȳge what I haue sayde to the nowe / y^t how moche more is y^e loue / somoche the payne & sorowe encreaseth / for where loue encreaseth to me / there sorowe encreaseth for offence done to me. ¶ Therfore forsothe I saye to you. ꝑetiteet accipietis. That is to lay / aske & ye shall haue that you aske / I shall neuer denye them y^t askē in sothefastnes. ¶ And thynke well doughter y^t y^e brennȳge of euerlastynge charyte / y^e whiche is in the soule it is oned to god with a parfyteopasyence / so y^t one maye not be parted fro the other. ¶ Therfore a soule whan she purposeth to loue me / she shall with purpose one­ly / and ryght symply suffre paynes for the glory of my name / in what maner / or for what cause I haue or dryned it to suffre. ¶ For pasyence is not pryued / but in paynés. And as it is sayde before / pasyence is o­ned to charyte / therfore manly and myghtly he bereth suche labours / or els ye myght not be faythfull / nor trewe tasters / nor sauourers of the faythe / nor spouses of my sothefastnesse / nor desyre parfytely my wor­shyp / nor louers of the helthe of soules.

¶ The seconde chapytre is how eche vertu and defaute is by some meane or maner of a mānes neyghbour. And how vertues ben wroughte in man by some meane of his neyghbour. And so forthe of the same mater as it is specy­fyed in the kalēder. Ca. ii.

ONe thȳge forthermore I wyll y^t you knowe / that eche vertu or defaute y^t is done / it is done by some meane of thy neyghbour / as thus. He that hateth me he harmeth his neyghbour / & hymselfe generally / he dothe harme to his neyghbour & partyculerly to hȳselfe. ¶ Generally / for ye bē boūde to loue your ney­ghbour as yourselfe. ¶ Louȳge hȳ ghostly with prayers / coūceylynge hym with wordes / & comfortynge hym ghostly & tēporally / ye sholde helpe hym in all his nedes w^t youre wyll / yf ye haue not wherwith to helpe hym / and to socoure hym / for he y^t loueth not me / loueth not his neyghbour / and he y^t loueth not his [Page]neyghbour / than he helpeth not his neyghbour / and suche a mā fyrst of fendeth hymselfe / for he pryueth hȳ selfe of grace / and after y^t grace fro his neyghbour / bycause he helpeth hym not ghostly / & gyueth hym no prayers nor holy desyres / whiche he is boūde to shewe out before for his neyghbour / all the helpe whiche he hathe shall begyn of loue / y^e whiche a soule hathe to his neyghboure for my name. ¶ Also in y^e cōtrary wyse eche faute is done by some meane of a mānes neyghbour. ¶ For he that loueth not me / he is not in charyte w^t his neyghbour / of this cometh al euylles & wyckednesse / bycause the soule lacketh charyte / and hathe no loue to me nor to his neyghbour / in that he worketh no good / he dothe euyll fyrst to hȳselfe / & to his neyghbour / not to me / for he may not har­me me / but for asmoche as I take it done to me / y^t is done to y^e neygh­bour / therfore he harmeth hȳselfe by the peryll of synne / whiche synne pryueth hym of grace / & so he maye be no worse to hymselfe. ¶ He offen­deth his neyghbour whā he yeldeth not dewe loue and affeccyon to his neyghbour / wherwith he sholde helpe hym. That is to saye / w^t deuoute prayers & holy desyres / whiche he sholde offre before me for his neygh­bour. ¶ This y^t I haue sayde nowe is y^e generall helpe & cōforte / whiche sholde be gyuen to eche reasonable creature. ¶ Forthermore a partyculer ꝓfyte is y^e / whiche is done to thē y^t ben nyghe to thy syghte / for ye be bounde the one to helpe the other in worde and good workȳge and in ensample gyuynge / and in all thȳges that the behoueth purely and clere­ly / and gyuynge counsayle as a mā wolde do to hymselfe / without ony passyon. ¶ This dothe not he that hath no loue to his neyghbour. Also y^u sees well y^t he whiche dothe not so dothe his neyghbour a partyculer harme / and not onely ī that he har­meth hym / for asmoche as he dothe hym not y^e good y^t he myght / but cō ­tynually harmeth hym / and that is in this maner / he dothe synne bothe actually in dede & wylfully / or mayn tayneth it in the soule. ¶ Synne is done myghtly & inwardely in the soule / whā a man conceyueth a ple­asaūce in y^e soule of synne / & an hate of vertue / whiche cometh of his propre sencyble loue / whiche loue hathe pryued hym y^e affeccyon of charyte / whiche charyte he oweth to yelde to me and to his neyghbour / and after he hathe conceyued / thus by meyn­tenynge / thā bryngeth he forthe one thynge after another on his neygh­bour / by dyuers maners as it plea­seth and lyketh his wycked sencyble wyll. ¶ Sōtyme he brȳgeth forthe & bereth a cruelte generally & petty culerly. Generally whā he seeth hȳ ­selfe and other creatures in perel of dethe & damnacyō for lacke of grace And therew^t he is so cruell y^t for loue of vyces / & for hate of vertues / he gyueth no cōforte to hȳself nor other but as a louer of cruelte / he strēgh­eth more & more his cruelte / y^t is to saye / not onely he sheweth no vertuouslyuȳge / but wyckedly takynge [Page]on hym the offyce offendes / & with­draweth hymselfe and other fro vertues / and with al his myght he brȳgeth other creatures to vyces / this is the offyce of a wycked cruelte / for he maketh hymselfe an able instrument / to y^e pryuynge of euerlastȳge lyfe / & to y^e gyuynge of euerlastynge dethe. He vseth this bodyly cruelte with concupyscence / for not onely y^t he helpeth not his neyghbour / of of his owne good / but turmentȳge poore ꝑsones / takynge awaye theyr good. Sometyme by extorcyon / or lordeshyp / sometyme by fraude / be­gylynge / or w^t dysceyte. They raun­some them and take of theyr good & theyr bodyes / whiche is moche worse. ¶ O y^u wretched cruelte / saythe oure lorde / thou shall be pryued of my mercy / but thou tourne agayne to venyuolence & pyte w^t thy neygh­bour. Also sometyme this pleasauce of synne / and hatered of vertu / brȳ ­geth sory / wycked / and wrongefull wordes / wherewith ful ofte cometh [...]slaughter. And sometyme beestly dyshoneste / full of all fylthes / and stynkȳge wretchednesse / whiche ve­hemeth not onely one or two / but al those y^t cleueth t [...] hȳ / & draweth to hym by loue or by conuersacyon / be corrupted / or venymed. ¶ Some­tyme suche a man sheweth pryde to his neyghbour onely / in y^t he hol­deth hymselfe in more reputacyon thā his neyghbour / & by his pryde he purposeth wronge to his neyghbour / & dothe hym wronge. yf he be a lorde / or a man of greate state / by cruelte or wrōge / he dysceyueth his neyghboure / and dystroyeth hym. ¶ Loke here doughter / take hede what is sayd. And fro this tyme forwarde sorowe for y^e offence that is done to me / & wepe fore for suche as ben deed ghostly / that by holy prayers they maye come to lyfe. Thou sees that in euery place / what wrōge is done to y^e neyghbour / & y^t moche euyll is done to man / by the cause of man / so that a mannes neyghbo­ur is meane to euyll. Orels no syn̄e shoulde be moued at all / pryue / nor aperte. ¶ It is pryue / whā it is not done to his neyghbour / y^t is dewe to his neyghbour. ¶ It is opē / whā the vyces ben shewed opēly. Ther­fore it is sothe / y^t eche offence done to me / is by some meanes of a mānes neyghbour. ¶ How y^t vertues ben wroughte in mā by some meane of his neyghbour. And whiche vertu­es in mā ben so dyfferent. Now I haue declared to y^e how al defautes comen by some meane of a mannes neyghbour. And y^e cause is / for they haue no affeccyon of charyte / whi­che charyte strengheth all vertues & gyueth them lyfe / and cōfyrmeth them in grace. And so a mānes pro­per loue / whiche taketh the charyte & loue of his neyghbour / is funda­ment & groūde of all euylles. ¶ All sclaunders / hatereddes / crueltes / & all inconuenyentes / comen forthe of this wycked and venemous rote. ¶ This styukȳge loue deedly hath wounded all the worlde / & brought in a sekenes to y^e pryue body of oure holy moder the chyrche / and to the vnyuersal body of chrystē relygyon. [Page]¶ For as I sayde to the / al vertues ben foūded in a mannes charyte to his neyghbour / & y^t charyte gaue lyfe to al vertues. And sothly so it is For there maye no vertu be gotē w^t out that charyte. That is to saye. Vertu maye not begotē / yf meryte of vertu maye not be goten. ¶ For after tyme / a soule knoweth her self As it is sayde before. Thā the soule syndeth mekenes / and an hatered of his owne sensyble passyon. Knowynge than / that the wycked lawe of y^e flesshe / how that it is annexed to his mēbres. whiche lawe euermore impugneth / and contraryeth y^e spyryte. Therfore the spyryte aryseth agaynst the flesshe / with hate / & dyspleasaūce / of y^e sensualyte / tredynge her downe / vnder y^e roote of reason. The soule also fyndeth the affluence and y^e greate plēte of my goodnes / whan it hathe receyued my benefy­tes, whiche benefytes she brygeth / & gadereth them ofte in her mynde with thākynges / tyll she haue sauour / and parfyte knowlege of y^e plentuous goodnes of god in herselfe. ¶ Ryght as a best oftētymes cheweth his meet to haue sauour therin So y^e soule gadereth to his mynde my benefytes / and y^e knowynge of hym selfe. ¶ And whan this know­ynge is foūde by a spyryte of meke­nes / he yeldeth al to me / knowynge that with a synguler grace. I haue lad hym out of derkenes / and called hȳ agayne to y^e lyght of very know­lege. ¶ And whan my goodnes is knowen / the soule loueth it / bothe w^t meane / & without meane. That is to saye w^tout meane of it selfe / or of his propre profyte / and with meane of vertu / whiche he conceyued of my loue / for he seeth well. But he haue synne in hate / & vertu in loue / he shoulde not be accepted of me / in none otherwyse. ¶ But yf he hate synne / & loue vertu / he shoulde not be to me louynge and kynde. ¶ Af­ter tyme he hathe conceyued this knowynge of my goodnes / by affec­cyon of my loue / anone he sheweth it to his neyghbour / or elles that he hath cōceyued / were no vertu. But for asmoche as he loueth me ī sothefastnes / so he profyteth his neygh­bour / or elles he shoulde not proryte his neyghbour. For my loue / and y^e loue of thy neyghbour / ben all one. ¶ And y^e more y^t a soule loueth me / somoche more he loueth his neyghbour. For he hathe suche loue to his neyghbour / as cometh fro me. And that is y^t I haue put to you a mea­ne / that you haue experyence of vertues togyders / and preue vertues ī you. For you shoulde do profyte to your neyghbour / whā ye maye not do to me that ꝓfyte. And y^t sheweth well / that you haue me in your soule by grace / bryngynge fruyte in your neyghbour / your excercyse ī many holy prayers / and in holy and amy­able desyres / onely sekynge my wor­shyp / and helthe of soules. ¶ A soule that is enflammed with my sothe­fastnes. whiche sothefastnes / shol­de beloued of all creatures in gene­rall. And in specyall more or lesse / sholde neuer cease to profyte al cre­atures / after eche mannes dysposy­cyō / [Page]& as he y^t praȳeth / asketh of me by a brēnȳge desyre / as it is expres­sed before / where it is declared that bodyly payne onely / it is not suffy­cyent to punesshe synne / without a greate desyre. ¶ Than afterwarde y^t he hathe ꝓfyted to eche creature / after eche mannes dysposycyon / for the vnyon of loue / whiche he hathe made in me / gyuynge helpe & com­forte to the helthe of all the worlde / with his affeccyon & desyre / whiche he hathe spredde so brode. Than he forseth hȳ fyrst to beholde his owne necessytes ghostly / & that is whā he profyteth fyrst to hymselfe / by cōceyuȳge of vertues / by whiche vertues he hathe drawen to hym grace to se & to put his eye partyculerly to the necessytes / or nedes of his neyghbours. ¶ Therfore whā he hathe done thus generally / to eche creature / by the desyre of charyte / than at y^e laste he helpeth thē y^t ben nyghe to hym / to encrease them in vertues / after y^e nombre of dyuers graces / whiche I haue gyuen to hym / & ordeyned to hȳ to departe. ¶ For to some mā I graūte the vertu of doctryne / to gyue counsayle to his neyghboure / by reason of worde / w^tout ony other mannes techynge. ¶ To some man I graūte & gyue example of good lyuynge. Eche mā oweth to gyue edyfycacyō of good & honest lyuynge to his neyghbour. ¶ These ben y^e vertues and many mo / whiche thou cā not nombre / whiche comen of man­nes loue to his neyghboure / and I haue put them so dyuersly in man / for I haue not gyuen all vertues to one man alone / I gyue some man one vertu / & to some an other / to an other partyculerly. Not withston­dynge that a man maye not haue one parfytely / but he haue all other vertues / for all vertues ben knyte togyder / but I gyue many vertues specyally / as for the chefe and heed of all other vertues / that is to saye. Pryncypally I graunte the vertu of charyte to some mā. Also to some the vertu of ryghtwysnesse / to some mā mekenes / to some mā ful saythe and to other dyuersly the vertu of prudence / tēporaunce / pasyence / & to some y^e gyfte of streynghe. These vertues I shall gyue to many crea­tures / dyffcrētly in a mānes soule / all be it that these vertues ben put for a pryncypalyte of vertues in a soule / more dysposed or better to y^e pryncypall conuersacyon with the vertu / than with other vertues / & of this / by desyre of that vertu / he draweth to hȳ other vertues. For as it is sayde before / throwe the de­syre of charyte / al vertues bē knytte togyder. ¶ And so many gyftes & graces of vertues ben dyuersly de­parted / bothe bodyly and ghostly. I saye bodyly / for necessary thynges bodyly / whiche a mā nedeth in this lyfe. I haue gyuē all thynges so dyfferently / or so dyuersly / for I gaue not all vertues to one man / that by compulsyon ye sholde haue cause to vse charyte / eche to other. I myght well haue endowed men after y^e bo­dy & the soule / w^t all thȳges y^t to thē belōge / but I wolde that one sholde haue nede of an other / and that they [Page]sholden be my dyspensers and ser­uauntes / to gyue & to deale forthe y^e gyftes & the graces whiche they haue receyued by my goodnes. For a man wyll he or not / he maye not a­uoyde nor eschewe / but y^t he shal vse the dede of charyte with his neyghboure. Neuerthelesse sothe it is / yf suche a dede that semeth in charyte be not done in me / nor for me / it pro­fyteth not hym y^t dothe it / as to y^e encrease of grace. ¶ Also doughter beholde and se / y^t I haue ordeyned mē my mynystres / to y^t entent y^t y^e ver­tues of charyte sholden be vsed to­gyders amonge them / & I haue set thē in dyuers states & degrees / & y^e scrypture sheweth you well / where I sayd. In domo mea māsiones multe sunt. That is to saye In my house there bē many dwel­lȳge places / I wyll no other thȳge but loue. For in the loue of me / the loue of thy neyghbour is fulfylled & ended / & whā the loue of a mannes neyghbour is fulfylled / the lawe of god is ended. Wherfore he y^t is ioy­ned / or knytte / or oned ī loue to god / he worketh / or dothe y^t he maye to y^t profyte of his neyghbour / after his degre & state. ¶ How vertues ben preued / & strēghed of theyr cōtrarytes. Now doughter I haue sayde to y^e / how he that is set in charyte / dothe profyte to his neyghbour / in whiche ꝓfyte / he sheweth the loue y^t he hathe to me. Now forthermore I saye to y^e / y^t sometyme a mā ī his neyghbour by experyēce of wrōges feleth y^e vertu of pasyence in hȳselfe in y^t tyme of wronges / whiche wronges he receyueth. ¶ Also a mā hath experyēce of mekenesse / throwe the pryde of a proude mā / & so faythe in an vnfaythefull mā / & trusty hope / ī hȳ y^e mystrusteth / & ryghtwysnesse in hȳ y^t is vnryghtful / pyte also in a cruel mā / & softnesse and benygnyte in an yrous man. ¶ Ryght as wyc­ked mē receyuē vyce by theyr neyghboure / so an other man receyueth v (er)tu by his neyghbour. ¶ As thus. yf thou take good hede / thou maye well se / that mekenesse is pryued in pryde / for a meke man quencheth pryde / therfore a prowde mā maye not harme a meke man. Also y^e vn­truthe of wycked mē / whiche louen me not / may not make lesse y^t faythe of hym that is trewe to me. Also y^e foly of a mā shall not make lesse the hope of hȳ / y^t hathe trust of loue in me / but rather suche vntruthe and foly / streyngheth faythe and hope / and preueth it in hym by my loue / & by charyte to his neyghboure. For whā he seeth his neyghbour vnfay the full / & mystrusteth bothe me / & hȳ / bycause he that loueth not me / may not haue faythe nor hope ī me / but rather hathe set y^t faythe & hope wher he loueth by his owne sensualyte. My trewe seruaūt ceaseth not for all that / but he loueth hym that is so vntrewe / & with a trusty hope y^t he hathe ī me / he seketh the helpe of his neyghbour. ¶ Thus y^u may se / y^t in y^e vntruthe of hȳ / & in thode faute of hope / the vertu of faythe is asayed and had in other. ¶ In these exāples and in other whan nede is a man preueth vertu in hymselfe / & [Page]his neyghboure. ¶ Also a mannes ryghtwysenesse decreaseth not by his neyghbours vnryghtwysenes / but rather he is shewed ryghtful by y^e vertu of pasyence. Ryght so beny­gnyte / or mekenesse / or softnesse is preued by pasyence in tyme of wro­the. ¶ Therfore I saye to the y^e vertues is not onely assayed in them / y^e besyen thē to yelde good for yll / but often he shall cast out coles kyndled with the fyre of charyte / y^t setteth at noughte y^e hatered / & rancour of the herte / & of the foule of an yrous mā ¶ Also fro the hate of a mā / cometh agayne benyuolence / and y^t cometh fro y^e vertu of charyte / & of parfyte pasyence y^t is in hȳ y^e suffreth y^e wrothe of wycked men / berynge & sup­portynge / the defautes of the same mē. ¶ Yf y^u beholde / y^u maye se y^e ver­tu of streynghe & of parseueraūce / how moche y^t vertues bē preued w^t wronges / & detraccyons of mē / whiche full ofte w^t dyspytes / sometyme w^t staterynges / wyll hyndre a mā & drawe hȳ backe warde / y^t in no wyse he sholde folowe y^e way^te of doctryne and of sothefastnes. ¶ Therfore he is all stronge & parseueraunt / yf y^e vertu / or gyfte of streynghe be par­fytely groūded within hym / for thā he seleth by experyēce the same vertu by medyacyon of his neyghbour & yf it had no good experyence / and were not preued w^t suche many con­trarytes / ther sholde no vertu haue bē foūded nor groūded in the waye of sothefastnesse.

¶ The thyrde chapytre is of y^e vertu of dyscrecyon / & fyrst how a soule shall not put his affeccyon nor effectuall wor­kyngel bodyli penaūce pryncypally / but in inwarde ver­tues / and forthe of the same mater / as it is specyfyed in y^e kalender before. Ca. iii.

THese ben deuoute & holy workȳges whiche I aske of my creatures (that is to saye) the inwarde ver­tues of y^e soule / whiche y^e soule hath in cōtynuall expeoyēce / as it is sayd before (y^t is to saye) not onely y^e ver­tues whiche bē vsed w^t y^e instrumē ­tes of y^e body / as w^toutwarde wor­kynge / w^t dyuers bodyly penaūces / whiche bē y^e īstrumētes of vertues but they bē no vertues in thēselfe. For yf it were so / & y^t those instrumē tes were not so gettes to vertues re­hersed before / it were lytle pleasȳge to me. But rather yf a soule dyd not dyscretely his penaūce (y^t is to say) yf his affeccyō be rather prȳcypally set ī his bodyly penaūce / thā sholde his ꝑfeccyon be let therby. ¶ Ther­fore he shall set his herte prȳcypally on affeccyō & desyre of loue / w^t an holy hatered of hȳselfe by very mekenesse & parfyte pasyence / & all other in warde vertues of y^e soule / w^t a de­syre of my worshyp / & of the helthe of soules / whiche vertues shewen y^t a mannes owne wyll is deed / and that contynually the sensualyte is mortyfyed / throwe the desyre & loue [Page]of vertues. ¶ With suche dyscrecyō he shall do his penaunce (that is to saye) put pryncypally his loue and desyre in vertues / rather thā ī bodyly penaūce / for penaūce shall be as an instrumēt / to worke for encreas of vertues / as it semeth it nedefull. ¶ And as a man maye worke after reasonable mesure of his myght / for yf it were done in ony other ma­ner / as to set his groūde & funda­mēt prȳcypally vpō y^e penaūce / thā sholde his ꝑfercyon be let & hyndred (& the cause is) for y^e penaūce was not done dyscretely / w^t the knowȳge of my sothefastnesse / nor w^t the lyght of his owne knowynge / nor w^t the clere lyght of my goodnesse / but in­dyfferently it was done / not louȳge y^t / whiche I loue more than that / & not hatȳge y^t / whiche I most hate. ¶ For dyscrecyon is not but a sothefast knowȳge whiche a soule sholde haue of herselfe / & of me. In y^e knowynge of this dyscrecyō / he holdeth & kepeth his roote. Dyscrecyon is a sone / or a chylde / whiche is planted or oned / or set w^t charyte. Neuerthelesse sothe it is / dyscrecyō hathe ma­ny chyldren / or sones / as a tree that hathe many bowes or braunches / but he y^t gyueth lyfe to y^e tree / & to y^e braūches / is y^e roote / so y^t it be plan­ted in y^e erthe of mekenesse / whiche is moder & norce of charyte / where this sone & tree of dyscrecyon is set and plāted. ¶ Orels it were no vertu of dyscrecyon / and also it sholde not brȳge quycke scuyte / but it were plāted in v (er)tu of mekenes For mekenes cometh of y^e knowȳge whiche a soule hathe of hymselfe. ¶ I sayde to the y^t the roote of dyscrecyon was a mānes very knowynge of hȳselfe and of my goodnesse. Therefore an hyghe dyscrecyon is it / y^t eche man ye [...]e to eche state y^t longeth to hȳ / & pryncypally ye [...]ȳge me praysynge & glory to my name. To me also he yeldeth all goodes & gyftes of gra­ces / the whiche gyftes & graces / he knoweth well & seeth / y^t he hathe re­ceyued thē of my goodnesse. ¶ And yet he vnkyndely yeldeth thē to hȳ ­selfe. Also sometyme he knoweth & seeth y^t he hathe deserued no beynge of hymselfe / his beynge he knoweth well / he hathe had of me by a synguler grace y^t grace & all other graces whiche he hathe aboue hymself / he sholde yeldethē to me / & not to hymselfe. ¶ Wherfore he consydereth hȳ vnkynde / y^t he yeldeth not thākyn­ges for my benefytes / and y^t so necly gohtly he hathe mysse spended his tyme / & mysse vsed the graces whi­che he hathe receyued / therfore he yeldeth hym worthy to haue ende­lesse paynes. ¶ Than after this by dyscrecyō / in his defautes he hathe an hatered / & a dyspleasaūce to hȳ ­self. ¶ This vertu of dyscrecyō whā a man hathe knowynge of hym­selfe / he worketh full besyly / yf it be grounded with very mekenesse / for yf his mekenesse were not in y^e soule (as it is sayd before) thā were it dystroyed / whiche indyscrecyon is set in pryde / as dyscrecyō is set in mekenesse. ¶ Therfore he y^t is thus dys­troyed feleth vndyscretely my worshyp as a these / and holdeth al to hȳ [Page]selfe y^t cometh frome / and y^t is his / he gyueth to me sorowynge & grut­chynge pryuely in speche of my pry­uy workynges / and pryuytes / & is sclaūdred ī me / & in his neyghbour in all thynges y^t I worke in hym / and in all my creatures / but they y^t vse & ben rooted cōtynually in y^e vertu of dyscrecyon / worken y^e cōtrary / for after tyme they haue gyuen me agayne that longeth to me / & gyuē to themselfe / y^t longeth to thē. Thā at the last they gyue to theyr neyghbour / y^e pryncypall dette of charyte / and of meke affeccyon / and of contynuall prayer. This det is dewe eche to other / & not onely this prȳcypall det of charyte / and of affeccyon & of prayer / but also techynge and examplyfyenge of a ryght holy & honeste lyfe / and gyuynge coūsayle & helpe to eche of youre neyghbours (as ye maye) & as ye se it spedefull to eche mannes nede / as I sayde in other maters before. ¶ For in eche state y^t a man is set / whether he be lorde / prelate / or soget / yf he vse this ver­tu / what he dothe in charyte & par­teth forthe to his neyghboure / he dothe than dyscretely & with chary­te in good entent / for dyscrecyō and charyte ben knytte & planted togy­der in y^e groūde of mekenes / whiche mekenesse cometh of the knowynge that a man hathe of hymselfe. ¶ Asymylytude how charyte / mekenes and dyscrecyon / ben oned togyder. DOughter these thre vertues a­bydē togyder / & ben so ioyned with outen ony ende / as y^u sees arounde cyrcle set aboute y^e erthe / & as there came out a tree in the myddes of y^e cyrcle / with a yonge sprȳge comȳge out besyde the tree. ¶ Vnderstonde thā fyrst by this example / y^e loue is norysshed in the erthe / whiche erthe conteyneth the largenesse of the cyr­cle / for yf it were without the erthe / y^e tree sholde be deed / & sholde brȳge forthe no fruyte / tyll it were plāted. Ryght so thynke y^t a soule is a ma­ner tree / whiche cometh out of loue / therfore y^e soule that is the tree may not be norysshed / but of a loue of the soule / oned to the grete loue of god. ¶ Sothe it is that yf y^e soule haue not dyuyne loue of parfyte charyte / it bryngeth not forthe lyfely fcuyte / but deedly. Therfore it is spedefull that y^e roote of the tree (y^t is to saye) loue / or desyre of the soule abyde in the erthe / and so shewe hym oute / & and come forthe fro the cyrcle / by y^e very knowynge of her selfe. ¶ Whi­che knowynge is vnderstōdē in me whiche haue no begȳnȳge / nor ende as a cyrcle that is all roude. ¶ The whyle a man gothe aboute in a cyr­cle / he fyndeth no begynnynge / nor ende / & yet he is ī the cyrcle. ¶ This knowynge of hymselfe / & of me / he fyndeth in hymselfe / & abydeth vp [...] the erthe of very mekenesse / whiche knowynge is no lesse / than y^e greatenesse of the cyrcle (that is to saye) y^t knowynge whiche he had of hȳselfe knytte & fastned ī me / is no lesse thā y^e gretenesse of y^e cyrcle / as it is sayd before / or els it were no cyrcle with­out ende / & without begynnynge / but abydynge / whiche knowynge he sholde haue / yf he had begone to [Page]to knowe hymselfe. ¶ And than at y^e laste that knowynge sholde ende in confusyon / yf it were not oned in me. ¶ Thus than of all this that is sayde before / y^u maye se y^t the tree of charyte is norysshed in mekenesse / bryngynge out of hym besyde y^e tree an ympe of ꝑfyte dyscrecyō. ¶ The marum of the tree (y^t is to saye) of y^e louynge charyte / whan it waxeth & groweth in the soule. Than is that marum the pasyence / whiche is an open & euydēt tokē / & an open shew­ynge / y^t I lyue & waxe in the soule / and y^t the soule is conformed in me. ¶ This tree whan it is meryly plā ­ted / it burgyneth with swete smel­les / or swete floures of vertues / w^t many & dyuers sauours / & brȳgeth forthe fruyte of dyuers graces to y^e soule. That same soule yeldynge to his neyghbour the fruyte of profyte after y^e nede of my seruauntes whi­che haue wyl to receyue suche ghostly fruyt. ¶ It yeldeth also to me thā kynges / & presynges to my name. And this he dothe / for asmoche as I haue brought hym out of y^e erthe. ¶ And fro y^t tyme for warde / be go­eth tyll he come to the ende (that is to saye to me) whiche am a durable lyfe without ende / for I maye not be take awaye fro hym but he wyll hymselfe. ¶ For all the fruytes whiche comē out of suche a tree ben fast ned w^t dyscrecyon / & oned togyder. ¶ How bodyly penaūce / & other bodyly excersyses / sholden be takē for an instrument to come to vertues / and not for the pryncypall affeccyō. [...]Orther more I shewe to y^e here / that these ben the fruytes and wer­kes / whiche I abyde to receyue of a soule (that is to saye) experyence of vertues in the tyme of oportunyte. ¶ Therfore I saye to the / and lōge tyme before this I sayde to the / yf thou wyll remēbre the / what tyme thou dyd couet to do grete penaūce for me / & sayde. Lorde what myght I do to do penaūce for the. And thā in thy soule / & in thy mȳde / I answered the and sayde. I am he the whi­delyte me in fewe wordes / and ī many good workes / and that I sholde shewe more largely / and more clere­ly / that he was not moche accepta­ble to me / the whiche onely called me with the sowne of wordes / and sayde thus. Lorde / lorde / I wolde do somwhat for the. Also nother he that coueteth to greue his body for me with manye penaūces / without that he forsake his owne wyll. But I dyd couet manye workes / in suf­frynge manly and meghtly all thȳ ­ges with pasyence / and in other vertues / dyuers and many of the soule inwardly / the whiche I haue tolde and rebersed to the before / and how that all suche inwardly workynges worken & bryngen, fourthe fruytes of grace. ¶ All other workes done in any other maner than is sayde before / I holde them not worthy to be called / but onely the sowne of wor­des / for suche workes haue an ende ¶ I that haue no ende / I aske workȳges whiche haue no ende. ¶ My wyll is that y^e dedes of penaunce / & of dyuerse other excercyses the whiche ben bodyly / be take and vsed [Page]for an instrument of vertu / but not for the pryncypall desyre nor entent to that / for yf the pryncypall effecte of loue were set ther / than sholde be yelded to me the thynge that hathe ende. And that shold be sene therby for as a worde that cometh fro the mouthe / y^t whan it is passed forthe vndyscretely / it is nought. But yf y^t worde were sayde with effecte of the soule / whiche effecte conceyueth & brȳgeth forthe vertues in sothefast­nes. ¶ For yf a worke y^t hathe ende / whiche I call a worde / were oned to me with vertu of charyte / thā were it pleasynge to me / & acceptable / for than it sholde not be alone / but cou­pled with the selyshyp of very dys­crecyon. ¶ Reason wolde that ther were a hed / and a begynnynge one­ly in penaunce / and in ethe other bodyly workȳge. For as it is sayde before / they ben dedes that haue ende ¶ An ende they haue / for whā they den done in tyme / or for a tyme that nathe ende / & what for a mā y^t must sometyme leue thē / for somtyme he leueth them of necessyte / bycause he mayemot parforme y^t was begonne for accydentall or casuall. Thynges or causes whiche comen in y^t tyme / as parauenture by obedyence / by­cause his prelate wyl not suffre hȳ / for yf he vred suche penaūce agaȳst his prelates wyll or suffraunce / he sholde not onely haue no meryte for vettu / but soner & rather he sholde do synne / and offende me. Therfore thou mayeses that all suche workes haue an ende. ¶ A man sholde take them as for to vse them ī tyme / but not for pryncypall begynnynge / for yf it were takē so / as for a prȳcypall begynnynge / than of necessyte / he must sometyme leue it. And whan it were forsaken & leste of / thā sholde the soule stonde alone / and voyde as of ony meryte. ¶ This sheweth wel seynt Paule whā he sayd thus / mortyfy ye youre bodyly lȳmes whiche ben on the erthe / fornycacyon / vn­clennesse / lechery / & euyll concupys­sence (y^t is to say) mortyfy ye so your lymmes / y^t ye maye refrayne youre body whā it wyl stryue agaynst the spyryte. ¶ That wyll of the flesshe must be all deed / & soget vtterly to my propre wyll / & suche a wyll of a creature is mortyfyed ī a dewe ma­ner (as it is sayde before) y^e whiche dewe maner / y^t vertu of dyscrecyon gaue to the soule (y^t is to say) dyscrecyon gaue hate & dyspleasaunce of y^t offenses of his owne sensualyte / y^e whiche hatered he purchased fyrst by knowȳge of hȳselfe. ¶ This is y^t sharpe swerde y^t cutteth and sleeth eche mānes porpre loue / y^t is groū ­ded ī his owne ꝓpre wyll. ¶ Suche mē y^t thus sleen theyr propre loue / yeldē to me contynually, (not onely wordes) but many good werkes in y^e whiche I haue delyte & am plea­sed. ¶ Therfore I sayde to the y^t I loued fewe wordes / & many werkes ¶ Whā a mā sayeth many wordes / I nōvre thē not. For y^t loue / & desyre of y^t soule / whiche gyueth lyfe to all other vertues / shall haue y^t thynge y^e whiche hathe none ende. ¶ And yet I dyspyse not wordes vtterly. Neuertheles I sayd I wolde y^t had [Page]fewe wordes shewȳnge to the that all penaūce whiche hathe ende / was an actuall doȳge / therfore I called suche penaūce / fewe wordes. ¶ Ne­uerthelesse they pleasen me / so they be take or vsed as for an instrumēt of vertu / and not for the pryncypall vertu. ¶ Therfore a mā sholde not deame an other man in hyer degre of parfeccyon / whiche greueth his body with many penaūces / nor an other man in lesse degre of parfeccyon / whiche dothe lesse penaunce or none. ¶ For as I haue sayde / it is not theyr vertu nor meryte. ¶ For yl it were than to them / that for reaso­nable causes bē let / & done not suche actuall penaūce. ¶ But the meryte abydeth onely in the vertu of chary­te / whiche is made fayre with the lyghte of dyscrecyon / or els it sholde not profyte. ¶ Dyscrecyon yeldeth to me this loue without ende / and without maner (that is to saye) no­ther in this maner / nor in that / but without maner. ¶ For in asmoche as I am y^t souerayne euerlastynge goodnesse / dyscrecyon putteth no lawe / nor terme / nor maner to that loue / with the whiche he loueth me ¶ Neuertheles as agaȳste hig ney­ghbour / dyscrecyon putteth an or­nate loue & charyte / for the lyght of dyscrecyō whiche cometh out of charyte / gyueth an ornate loue to his neyghbour / & y^t is gyuȳge suche a charyte to other / y^t he gyue hym no cause of synne / but kepeth hym fro synne to his power / y^t he map ꝓfyte to his neyghbour. ¶ For yf a man dyd onely one sytie / so y^t by y^t trespas al y^t worlde sholde scape fro y^t payne of hell / or els so y^t some greate vertu sholde come therof / than were not theyr charyte ordeyned with dyscrecyon / but rather it were vndyscrete. ¶ For it is not lawfull to do ony vertu / nor v (er)tuous thȳge to thy neygh­bour / with ony medlynge of synne / but holy dyscrecyon is ordeyned in this maner. ¶ Whā a soule y^t is be­sy / and ordeyned myghtly in all his mȳghte & streynghe me to serue / louynge his neyghbour w^t good affeccyon of loue / & dyspyseth his bodyly lyfe for helthe of soules / or to suffre paynes or turmētes a thousande tymes yf it were nede & possyble / so y^t by y^t his neyghbour myght receyue the lyght of grace. ¶ And forther­more he putteth his substācy all tē ­porall good / to do profyte to y^e body­es of his neyghbours / all this wor­keth the lyght of holy dyscrecyon / y^e whiche lyght cometh out of charyte ¶ Also thou may well se / y^t dyscretely eche soule whiche desyreth grace whiche is infynyte (that is to saye) that hathe no ende / shal y^e elde to me a loue without ony meane (that is to saye) he shall yelde me a loue / whithe onely shall come of specyal grace and onely for god. ¶ He shall loue also his neyghboure with a loue oned to my loue / y^e whiche hathe no ende. ¶ But that loue shall be with a maner / and with a meane / as with the ordre of charyte comynge towarde hȳselfe / for y^t profyte of an other w^t ­out ony synne. ¶ And of this seynt Paule taught you to begynne fyrst charite at yourselfe / or els it were to [Page]no parlyte profyte. ¶ For whanne there is no parfeccyon in the soule / althynges ben vnparfyte / bothe he y^t worketh in hymselfe / and in other ¶ It were not cōuenyēt y^t I sholde be offēded of my creatures / whiche am the goodnesse of all thȳges / the whiche haue none ende / and than my creatures w^t suche offens sholde be saued / whiche haue ende / and bē made and formed onely of my good­nesse. ¶ Se thā well that thou shall in no maner waye do ony syfte / this knoweth well very charyte / for cha­ryte bereth with hym the lyght of holy dyscrecyon / she is y^e very lyght that lyghtneth all derknesse / & doth away ygnoraūce. ¶ Also it maketh all vertu / & eche actuall instrument of vertues is made of her. ¶ She hathe also a maner prudence / whi­che may not be dysceyued / she hathe a streynghe y^t may not be ouercome ¶ She hathe also a parseueraunce in y^t ende / whiche draweth fro heuē in to drye erthe (that is to saye) fro the knowynge of me / to a man to knowe hymselfe. ¶ Also fro my cha­ryte / in to the charyte of his neygh­bour. ¶ It gothe aboute with very mekenesse / and throwe her prudēce she ouerpasseth y^t grynnes of fēdes / & of other creatures (that is to say) with suffrynge of wronges and ad­uersytes. ¶ Also with this gloryo­us lyght / a man shall ouercome the flesshe and the fende / for by that he knoweth his owne freylte. For whā that is knowē / he gyueth hate to hȳ selfe / refrenynge & dyspysy [...]ge hymselfe / holdynge hȳ vnder the fote / & so dothe cōtpnu in dyspysynge of hȳ selfe / than is he made lorde of all (y^t is to saye) he hathe vyctory of al / as of the flesshe / & of the fende. ¶ Here is a repetycyon of wordes spokē of before / & how god promysed to his seruaūtes refresshynge and cōforte of reformacyon to holy chyrche / w^t medyacyon of penaunce / and pasy­ence ī aduersyte. ¶ Now doughter thou maye se / that I whiche am y^e hyghe sothefastnes / haue shewed to y^t a truthe & a doctryne / wherby thou shall go to the most hyest par­feccyon / yf you kepe my techynge. ¶ Also I haue declared to y^t before how that satysfaccyō for synne and for payne / maye be fulfylled bothe [...] y^t / and in thy neyghbour. And there I shewed the / y^t no penaunce whis the a deedly body maye suffre (that is to saye) that payne onely is not suffycyent to make satysfaccyon for synne / but it be oned and ioyned w^t desyre / or with the affeccyon of cha­ryte / and with very trewe contrycy on / and greate dyspleasaunce of synnes. ¶ Whyle y^t penaunce is knytte to charyte / than that penaunce maketh satysfaccyon / not by the vertu onely of actual payne / whiche a mā suffreth / but for sorowe that a man hathe for synne / and for the meryte of his charyte / the whiche charyte a soule hathe purchased with a lyght herte / & with a lyberall / & fre lyght of intelleccyō / beholdȳge in me wh [...] the am y^t charyte. ¶ All this I ordeyned to be shewed to the / for mekely and feruently thou vyde aske a wyll to suffre penaūce bodyly for thyselfe [Page]& for all other. ¶ Therfore I haue shewed to the / y^t thou and my other seruauntes sholde knowe how and in what maner ye shall make sacry­fyce of yourselfe. ¶ For that sacry­fyce must be actuall / and oned togyder by myght. Ryght as a vessell is oned to the water / the whiche shall be presented to a lorde. ¶ For y^t wa­ter may not be presented without a vessell. ¶ Also yf y^t vessell be presen­ted to a lorde w^tout water / it is not acceptable to the lorde. ¶ Ryght so I saye to you / that ye shall offre vp to me / a vessell ful of actual labours in suche maner as I wyll graunte you that ye shall offre / not in suche maner as you wyll youre selfe / but by suche maner as I wyll put it to you / ye not chosȳge place / nor tyme nor labours / this vessel shall be ful / for all men shall be supported of you w^t very pasyence / & affeccyō of loue / suffrynge & supportynge defautes on your neyghbours / w^t hate & dys­pleasaunce of synne. ¶ Than maye these be take for labours / & called labours / whiche I purposed to the. For a vessell full of the water of my grete grace / shal gyuelyfe to soules ¶ And than I take to me this pre­sente of my amyable spouses (y^t is to saye) of eche soule whiche saythe­fully dothe me seruyce. ¶ I receyue of thē theyr feruēt desyres / theyr teeres / theyr syghȳges / & theyr meke cōtynuall & deuoute prayers / whi­che bē in a maner y^t meane & waye bytwyxe thē & me. ¶ For throwe y^t loue the whiche I haue to thē / they maken thē wrothefull vpon myne enemyes (that is to saye) vpon wycked men / whiche euery day full greuously offēdē me. ¶ Therfore shode ye stydefastly / & suffte myghtly vnto the dethe / and that shall be a tokē that ye shall loue me in all trouthe & sothefastnes. ¶ Ye shall not tourne the heed behodynge the ploughe backwarde / for no drede of ony creature / or of ony aduersyte / but ye shal rather Iope in trybulacyōs. ¶ The worlde maketh ioye ī moche wrōge that is done to me / but ye that ben yet in the worlde / shall be sory of the wronges / and of the offences done to me / throwe the whiche ye all off [...] ­den me. And they that ben wycked men offendē you. Your offence done to me / whiche is myne offence / for I am made one w^t you. ¶ Thou maye well parceyue in thy wytte / y^t whan my ymage / & symylytude / or lyke­nesse was gyuē to the / & whā grace was lost by dute for synne / whyle I lyued in y^t / & with y^t / I hydde my nature ī thy humanite / by y^e whiche I gaue agayne to the / y^t grace that was lost. ¶ And so ye beynge in my ymage / I toke your lykenesse whā I toke mānes nature. ¶ Also I am one with you / but [...]f y^t soule go fro me by deedly synne. ¶ But he that loueth me / dwelleth ī me / & I in hȳ. Therfore the worlde parsueth hym for y^t worlde hathe no conformynge w^t me / & therfore he parsueth myne onely sone to y^t most cruel dethe of y^t crosse. And so he parsueth you to the dethe / for he loueth not me / for yf y^t worlde hadde loued me / he sholde haue loued you. But be ye ioyfull / [Page]for your ioyes shall be fulfylled ī heuen. ¶ Also I tell the that y^t more y^t sclaunders / and try bulacyons en­creasen in the ghostly body of y^t mo­der of holy chyrche / y^t more shall he haue of swetenesse / & of cōforte afterwarde. ¶ This softenesse of swete­nesse / & the swetenesse of softenesse / shall be the reformacyon of curates and good heddes of holy chyrche / whiche ben the floures of glory / for in yeldynge to my name glory and laude / they shewe oute the sauour of swetenesse of vertues / whiche bē foūded in sothefastnesse. ¶ And this is the sothefastnesse and softenesse of swete ftoures. That is to say / the recormacyon of my mynysters / and curates. ¶ Not for y^t fruyte of this spouse (that is to say) of the chyrche nedeth to be reformed / for the fruyte is not dystryed / and it is neuerthe­lesse / by the defautes of the mynys­tres. ¶ Thus y^u / and thy ghostly fader / and my other seruauntes shall coye in aduersyte and bytternesse. For I that am euerlastynge sothe­fastnesse / haue promysed to gyue to you refresshynge. And after suche sharp'enesse and bytternesse / I shall comforte you in the reformacyon of holy chyrche / by'cause ye suffrē ma­ny contrarytes for my loue.

¶ The .iiii. chapytre is how that the workynge of y^e blys­sed soule of this mayde by y^t answere of oure lorde / bothe encreased and fayled in y^t bytternesse of her soule / and how that she made her prayer for his holy chyrche / and for his people / and of other maters ī the same chapyter / as it is re­hersed to you before in the kalender. Ca. iii.

After this holy techynge of our lorde / the soule of this mayde was kynde­led and sore styred by a greate desyre in to the loue of god / & takynge hede / and knowynge his plentuous charyte / whiche chary­te with greate cōforte & swetenesse / ordeyned to make an answere to her petycyon / gyuynge a trust & hope of remedy to her / whiche she desy­red / whiche was to the bytternesse of her soule / whiche she had recey­ued for offences done to her maker / and for harme done to holy chyrche and for her owne mysery whiche she conceyued throwe knowledge of her selfe. ¶ Whiche hope of remedy swaged y^t inwarde bytternesse / whiche she had conceyued. ¶ And thā was shewed to her by y^t euerlastynge fa­der / y^t was so offended / what waye of parfeccyō they sholde vse / and do satysiaccyō for theyr owne offences & for theyr neyghbours / as shall be more clerly shewed after. ¶ Ryght parfyte is the knowledge whiche a soule hathe of herselfe / by the whi­che she knoweth her god the better / tyght well felynge the goodnesse of god in her / & in the holy & amyable myrtour / or beholdynge of god / she knoweth her owne vnworthynes / [Page]& the hyghe worthynesse of her god whiche formed her and made her of nough [...]e / seynge well herselfe the ymage of god / not of dewte / but onely of specy all grace. ¶ Also the beholdynge in the myrrour of the hyghe dyuyne goodnes / this soule knews her owne vnworthynesse / in to whiche vnworthynesse she fell / throwe her owne defaute and synne. ¶ For ryght as a spotte / or fylthe in a mā ­nes vysage / maye lyghtly be par­ceyued in a myrrour / so a soule whi­che with a very knowȳge of herselfe she lyfted vp her entent and affeccy­on by a feruent desyre / to beholde inwardly / with the eye of her ghostly intelleccyon / to se herselfe in the ho­ly myrrour of god / by the whiche su­paruysyon / she parceyued more thā euer she dyd the foule spottes of her soule / throwe the greate purenesse / or clerenesse / whiche she had in the syght and knowynge of god. ¶ And in asmoche as this cōfortable knowynge and desyre / with an inwarde bytternesse / for offence to god / was greately knytte togyder within the foresayde soule / yet throwe the hope the whiche our lorde had put in her / the bytternesse and the mournynge was lassed & decresed in her. ¶ And ryght as a fyre encreseth whā fuell is added therto / so the fyre of loue y^e whiche was oned to god / waxcd so greately ī her soule / that it had not ben possyble her lyfe to remayne w^t her body / but y^t the soule must passe fro the body / but y^t she was preser­ued with strengthe aboue nature / onely of hym of whome cometh all strengthe / or els she myght neuer haue scaped w^t the ly [...] hy poss [...]byly te. ¶ Therfore whā this soule was thus puryfyed / with thefyre of the dyuyne charyte / whiche she founde in the knowynge of herselfe / and of ger god / and whan that holy desyre / with hope of mannes faluacyon / & hope of resormacyon of holp chyrche was thus encresed in her / an [...]ne she lyfte vp her herte w^t a geete loue be­fore the fader in heuen / whiche had shewed her the mysery of y^t worlde / and y^t foule ī fyrmyte of holy chyrche & moche lyke to y^t worde of Moyses she spake to our lorde & sayde thus. ¶ My lorde tourne thy mercyfull eyes to thy people / and to y^e ghostly body of holy chyrche / for ī sparynge so manye creatures / & in gyuynge thē the lyght of knowynge / moche y^t more thy name shall be gloryfyed of all thy creatures / y^e whiche sholden gyue presynges to the / parceyuȳge & beholdȳge / how by thy endelesse goodnesse / they haue scapen frome the bōdes of deedly synnes / & frome parpetuall pāpnacyon. ¶ And whā they knowen what grace thou hase done to me (a wretche) y^e whiche so greatly haue offended thy maieste / and I knowledge me the most cause of al mēnes syn̄es. ¶ Therfore lorde I praye thy dyuyne charyte / that y^u take no grefe w^t me / & spare thy pe­ple / I shal neuer go fro the presence tyll I se y^t haue merey on thy peple ¶ What were it to me to haue [...]yte & to se thy peple haue deth / or y^t derkenesse sholde aryse [...] thy spouse holy chyrche / whiche is the pryncypall [Page]lyght / for my defautes / & for other defautes of thy creatures. ¶ Therfore lorde my wyll is / & I aske this petycyon of thy specyall grace / whiche styrred y^t to forme me / & to make mā of nought to thy ymage & lyke­nesse / whan y^u sayde (make we man to oure ymage & to oure lykenesse) and this y^u dyd holy & euer beynge trynyte / wyllynge man to be parte­ner of al the holy trynyte. ¶ And for this cause / y^u gaue to man a mynde or a memory / w^t y^e whiche he sholde kepe and remembre thy benefytes in the whiche mynde a man sholde be partener of thy myght / whiche arte the euer beynge fader. ¶ Also thy goodnesse gaue vnto man intel­leccyon / by the whiche he sholde se how y^u departes the wysdome of thy onely sone w^t mā. ¶ And y^u gaue hȳ a wyll / y^t he sholde loue y^t thynge y^t his intelleccyō dyd fele / or knowe / & y^u parted w^t hȳ y^e mercy & benygnyte of thy most parfyte sothefastnesse of thy holy spyryte of god. ¶ O lorde what was the cause y^t thou hase set & put man in so greate a dygnyte? Lorde none other cause / but a loue vnestytnable / wher w^t y^u behelde thy creature in thyselfe / & to hym thou gaue a loue / & a synguler pleasaūce ¶ Therfore y^u made that creature & formed hȳ onely for loue / gyuynge to hym a beynge / y^t he sholde Ioye w^t the / in thy euerlastȳge goodnesse ¶ Moreouer lorde I se that thy creature sost his dygnyte / for y^e whiche y^u exyled hym / by his owne defaute & synne whiche he dyd. And for that synne / he came in to hatered with thy suffraūce / for by his trespas / all we became thy enemyes. ¶ Ther­fore lorde whā thou was ltyrted by y^e brēnynge loue / w^t y^e whiche thou made vs al of noughte / to y^t entente that y^u wolde recounsyle mankynde whiche became in to y^t greate petell of endelesse dethe. ¶ Than it plesed the to put thy onely sone (whiche is thy worde) in y^t myddes of y^t worlde whiche suffred & bare on hy oure so­rowes (whiche we dydē deserue) y^t maden the offens / and he was to y^t that arte the endelesse fader made obedyent / & as y^t enioyned & cōmaū ded hȳ / whā y^u clothed hym w^t oure humanyte / whā he toke our nature & y^e lykenesse of mā. ¶ O holy depernesse of charyte / whiche may not be thought / what herte is there (& yf it were as harde as a marble stone) y^t maye se hymselfe / but that it must be opened / cōsyderynge his comȳge fro so hye a place / to one so lowe (as is oure humanyte) full of mysery. ¶ Doubtelesse we ben made to thy pmage / and also thou arte of oure lykenesse / throwe y^t vnyon whiche thou made in man / hydynge & couerynge thy endeles godheed / with y^t vyle slyme of erthe or corrupcyon of Adam. ¶ Lorde what was y^t cause of this? Truly loue was y^t cause thee of. ¶ O god thou arte made man / & man is made as god. ¶ For this holy loue that is gyuen to vs thy crea­tures / so full or delectacyon and ple­saūce (replete with thy grace) lorde I beseche the / to gyue mercy to thy synful creatures. ¶ Here sheweth of the holy sacrament of y^t auter / and [Page]of the benefyte of his incarnacyon. THan oure blyssed lorde / almyghty god full of pyte / tourned his mercyfull eye to this mayde / and he suf­fred her teeres to be constrayned / & to be bounde with the chaynes of her holy desyre / and therwith spe­kynge to her / and with a lamenta­cyon / begā thus to saye. ¶ Louȳge doughter thy teeres strenen me / for they ben knytte with my charyte / & shed for my loue / and youre feruent desyre bȳdeth me. ¶ But doughter behold y^e face of my amyable spouse (that is to say) holy chyrche / how it is defaced / & foule spotted / as y^t face of a lepre is blowē / or swollē of theyr owne vnclene lyuynge / & of theyr so­ry desyre of auaryce / & of theyr foule couetyse / y^t may not be quenched in them. ¶ I mene y^t courtyse of those mēnes goodes / to y^e whiche her tee­res gyuē mylke / y^t is to y^t crystē peo­ple of eche relygyō / & to y^t ghostly body of the moder of all holy chyrche. ¶ This y^t I speke is of my mynys­ters of y^t chyrche / they bē those whi­che ben norysshed of y^t swete mylke / & not onely they / but all y^t chrysten people sholde be nourysshed of those holy brestes. ¶ But doughter sees y^u not w^t how greate ygnoraunee / & w^t so grete blyndnesse / & with so ma­ny vnkyndenes / & with vnclene hā ­des / this holy mylke / and gloryous blode is mynyftred. ¶ This blode gyueth all thȳge y^t longeth to man­nes helthe / & all thȳges it worketh y^t longē to mānes ꝑfeceyon / so y^t he y^e whiche receyueth it be wel dysposed in soule (y^t blode I saye) ryght as it gyueth lyfe / & endoweth a soule w^t all garce (bothe more & lesse) after y^t dysposycyon and affeccyon of the receyuer. Ryght so it gyueth dethe to hym y^t lyueth euyll & wyckedly / as for his parte that receyueth it / yf he receyue it vnworthely (y^t is to saye) w^t the fylthe of deedly synnes / thā it bryngeth in to hym dethe / & not lyfe ¶ Not throwe defaute of that glory ous blode / for there maye no faute be foūde / nor throwe y^t defaute of y^t mynystres / all be it they bē ī y^t same defautes / or in greater synnes / for theyr synnes can not dystroye that gracyous blode / nor w^tdraweth the grace nor vertu. ¶ Therfore y^t blode harmeth not hȳ to whom it is gyuē but y^t wyckednesse of his syn̄e har­meth hȳ / & loseth hȳ / & brȳgeth hȳ to payne / but he amende hȳ w^t very cōtrycyon / & dysplesaunce of his synnes. ¶ I saye that he the whiche receyueth it vnworthely, doth harme to hymselfe / not in the defaute of the blode / nor in the mynystre / but throwe his euyll dysposycyons & defautes / y^e whiche maken foule his soule & body w^t so many & so greate wretchydnesse and vnclēnesse / and throwe his malyce / y^t he had suche cruelte to hȳselfe / & to his neyghbo­ur. ¶ Cruelte he hathe to hȳself / put tȳge away or w^tdrawȳge his grace / tredynge it vnder y^t fete of his affeccyons / y^t fruyte of that holy blode. ¶ Whiche fruyte he toke of the holy baptym / and y^t tyme were wasshed awaye the foule spottes of orygynal synne / y^e whiche fylthe he dyd take whanne he was conceyued of fader [Page]and moder. ¶ And this wasshynge away was by the vertu of that ho­ly blode / whiche fruyte he toke of y^t holy baptyme / and at y^t tyme all ye were clene wasshē / therfore I haue gyuē you my worde (y^t is my sone) bycause y^t nature of mākynde was corrupte / throwe y^t synne of y^t fyrste mā Adam. ¶ So y^t all ye were cor­rupte vessels of y^t nature / & not dys­posed to receyue euerlastynge lyfe. ¶ And for y^t / I whiche am aboue al thynges / haue ordeyned an vnyon / & ioyned / & coupled / w^t the foule na­ture / of youre humanyte / to y^t entēt that remedy sholde be gyuen to the corrupcyon / and to the dethe of mā ­kynde / & that I sholde restore that nature to grace / whiche man had lost throwe syn̄e. ¶ The ryghtwysenesse of god / asketh of mankynde to suffre condynge payne for this syn̄e whiche man myght not suffre / nor bere / for man onely was not suffy­cyent to make satysfaccyon for that forfet / and to restore grace. ¶ For yf he sholde haue made satysfaccyon lony poynt / yet he sholde haue done it for hymselfe / & not for other reaso­nable creatures / notwithstondȳge y^t he myght not do satysfaccyon for hȳselfe / nor for other / for y^t synne & trespas was done agaȳste me / whi­che am infynyte goodnesse. ¶ And therfore I wyllynge to restore man whiche myght not do satyssaccyon (as it is sayde before) & for bycause y^t man was come into so greate de­vylyte. I beholdȳge fro aboue / sēde my sone to be clothed with youre nature (wherw^t ye bē) y^t is w^t y^t nature of Adam / that hesn y^t nature / whi­che nature had offended / sholde suf­fre payne / & pease / & swage my wrothe / fuffrynge in his body horryble paynes / in to the dethe of the moste cruell dethe of the crosse. ¶ And so I made a faythe to my ryght wysenes & fulfylled my dyuyne mercy / whiche mercy wolde do satysfaccyon to mannes trespas / & dyspose hym to the blyssed goodnesse / to the whiche I made hym / & formed hȳ. ¶ Also y^u shall vnderstōde y^t the nature of mā annexed / and knyte to y^t dyuyne na­ture / was able & myghty to make satysfaccyon for all mankynde / not onely throwe the payne / nor for the payne the whiche my sone suffred / in y^t fynyte nature of Adam. ¶ But throwe y^t vertu of dyuyne nature / by the vnyō of y^t euer beȳge godhed dyd drawe togyder y^e one nature in to y^t other. ¶ I receyued that satys­faccyon / for the synne of Adam / and for mānes synne / and the sacryfyce of my sones blode / oned and foyned with dyuyne nature / throwe y^t fyre of my dyuyne charyte. Whiche cha­ryte was this / for youre synnes he was solde / to a pyller boūde / scour­ged / fyled in y^t face w^t spytre / buffy­ted / & on the crosse crucyfyed. ¶ By these paynes with many more / the nature of mankynde was myghty to make satysfaccyon for mannes synne / onely by the vertu of the dy­uyne nature. ¶ By this / y^t synne of Adam was wasshē clene. ¶ But yet he left a tokē of syn̄e (y^t is to saye) a freylte / or redynesse to fall ī synne / & other defautes of the body / lyke to [Page]a token of y^t wounde / whiche is sene after the woūded is heled. ¶ Ryght so the leche myne onely sone / hathe delyuered y^t soure wounde of y^t seke man Adam / whā he dranke y^t most bytter drynke / and suche a drynke y^t no man myght taste / nor drynke. ¶ Also he was ro you a trewe lorde & mayster / whiche suffred a full byt­ter medyeyne / as gall / whiche was to y^t payne of a cruell dethe / throwe the streynghe of the godheed / oned to youre nature / bycause he wolde saue you & gyue you lyfe / ī asmoche as ye were made feble throwe your synne. ¶ The token and the marke of orygynall synne is lefte onely w^t you / whiche marke you toke of your fore faders / whan ye were begoten of them / whiche token or marke is done awaye partely fro y^t soule / but not all. For there remayneth y^t holy baptym / y^e whiche baptym hathe a grete vertu / gyuȳge y^t lyfe of grace throwe the vertu of this precyous and gloryous blode. ¶ Anone as y^t soule is clothed and kyuered with this holy baptym / y^t orygynal syn̄e is wasshed away / & a specyall grace is put in to that soule. ¶ And y^t re­dynesse to enclyne to synne / whiche enclynynge is the marke / and the token that byleueth styll / of the orygynall synne / is remedyed by vertu of y^t holy blode / as it is sayde before. ¶ And the soule may reftayne that freylte yf she wyll / for than y^t soule is opē to receyue grace in to herselfe more or lesse / as she wyl dyspose her with these affeccyons and desyres / to haue a wyl to loue me / & serue me ¶ And in the same maner she maye tourne herselfe to euyl / as well as to good / not withstōdynge y^t she hathe taken the grace of baptym. ¶ Wherfore after tyme / she cometh to the gyuers of dyscrecyon / bycause she hathe a fre choyse to tourne to good or euyl / therfore she maye vse good / or euyl / as she is styred of her owne fre wyll. ¶ And that fredome of wyl that a man hathe / is so very moche / & made so stronge by vertu of this precyous blode / y^t y^t fende may not cōpell hym to do the leest synne / nor no creature more / than he wyll hymselfe. ¶ He is comē to y^t goodnesse of fredome / and all seruage voyded / y^t he sholde yf he wyll / be lorde & haue domynacyon of his owne propre sen sualyte / & haue y^t blyssed ende / to y^e whiche he was made and formed. ¶ O wretched mysery of man / the whiche somoch delyteth hȳ ī a foule sloughe / as an vnreasonable best / & knoweth not me / nor wyl not know lege y^t greate gyftes / the whiche he hathe of me / so full he is replete w^t ygnoraūce. For more than this / no wretched creature maye receyue.

¶ Howe that synne is more greuousli punisshed after cry stes passyon / than before / and how god dothe promyse vs to shewe vs mercy ī this trā ­sytory worlde / and to the ho­ly chyrche / by the menes of good and holy prayer with penaūnce. Ca. v.

DOughter therfore I wyl that thou knowe y^e grace whiche deedly men dydē receyue whan they were reformed of me / ī y^e precyous blode of my sone / I restored thē to grace (as I haue sayde) and mankynde knoweth not / nor knowlegeth not y^e grace / but euer he enclyneth frome euyll to worse / psuynge me alwaye with infynyte wronges / settynge at nought y^e graces whiche ben gy­uen to hym / and whiche I gyue hȳ dayly / and ofte. ¶ Not onely y^t they acounte it not to grace / that is gy­uen them / whiche is moche worse / but rather it semeth to them y^t they haue wronge / as thoughe I sholde haue desyred of them moche other thynges / than satysfaccyō for theyr synnes.. ¶ And I saye to the / yet it shall be moche harder with thē / for asmoche as they sholden be worthy greter paynes. ¶ And so now after the tyme / that they haue taken the redempcyō / by the blode of my sone they sholden be punysshed y^e more sharply / than before redempcyon. ¶ That is to saye / y^e before Adams [...] shold be wasshed away / it was worthy and ryghtfull / that he that moche receyued / sholde yelde moche agayne / and more sholde be boūde to bȳ / of whom he receyued somoche ¶ A man was moche bounde to me of his beynge / that I gaue hȳ suche a gyfte to make hym to my ymage and to my lykenesse / he was there­fore bounde and beholden / to yelde agayne thākynges to me. ¶ But he taketh fro me the thankynges / and holdeth it to hymselfe / wherfore he trespaseth agaynste the obedyence whiche was takē to hym in charge / and in that he is nowe made myne enemy. ¶ And I by y^e vertu of mekenesse haue dystroyed his pryde. For by mekenesse / I haue loued dyuyne nature / takynge youre humanyte. And so I haue delyuered you / and drawen you frome the captynyte of the fende. ¶ And not onely that fre­dome sholde be gyuen to you of me / but yf you beholde ryght well / man is made as god / & god is mā throwe the couplynge of one heed of dyuyne nature / in the nature of youre hu­manyte. ¶ O dette that they tokē / and for whiche they owen to yelde thākȳges / is y^e tresure of my sones blode / wherby they bē reformed to grace. ¶ Se also how moche they ben bounde to yelde me thankȳges after theyr redempcyon / more than before. ¶ Now for theyr redempcy­on / they ben bounde to yelde to me laude and thankynges / folowynge y^e steppes of my sone / whiche was incarnate / & than they gaue me my dette for themselfe / and for the loue of theyr neyghboure / with trewe & pryte vertues / as it is sayde before. ¶ So that they that done it not / for asmoche as they ben moche bounde to loue me / they fallen in to y^e more greuous offenses. ¶ Therfore of y^e dyuyne ryghtwysenesse / they fallen in to more greuous paynes / and I yelde to them euerlastynge payne. ¶ Wherfore a false crysten man shal be punysshed more greuously than a paynym / by the ryghtwysenesse of [Page]god. ¶ The paynefull flame of fyre brenneth them withouten wastȳge and so they fele afflyccyō & turmēt / throwe full cruell fretynges & by­tynges of theyr owne conscyence / & yet y^e fyre wasteth them not. ¶ For they that ben dampned / losen not theyr beynge / for ony turment that they haue. ¶ So that synne is pu­nysshed / moche more after redemp­cyon / than before / bycause man had receyued more of grace / & it is not sene that they take ony hede thereof / nor besy them therfore to abstayne them / nor to withdrawe them fro theyr wyckednesse. ¶ Therfore su­che ben made myne enemyes / for as moche as I recounseyled thē with the blode of my sone / & they rewar­dē it not ¶ But yet one remedither is / whiche I haue ordeyned to pease & swage my wrothe (that is to say) by the mene and helpe of my seruautes. ¶ They knowē well how I am constrayned with theyr charytable besynesse / and with theyr teeres / & how they bynde me with theyr fer­uēt desyres. ¶ And thou doughter knowes well / that thou hase boūde me w^t that chayne / whiche I gaue to the / whan thou dyd desyre me to gyue so grete a mercy to the worlde. ¶ And therfore to my worshyp & for helthe of soules / I gaue to my ser­uauntes a greate ghostly hongre / and a feruent desyre / that whan I am constrayned with theyr teeres / I maye aswage y^e freylnesse of my ryghtwysenes. ¶ Bere therfore easly / and suffre thy teeres / & thy swe­rynge labours / and drawe thē out / thou and my other seruauntes / and with y^e plentuous see of my dyuyne charyte / wasshe the and all theym therwith / before the face of my holy and amyable spouse / the whiche I call the chyrche. For I say to y^e sothely / that theyr bewte shall be restored agayne to thē / onely by this mene / the whiche I haue shewed to the. ¶ But they sholden not haue that same bewte agayne / nother in the drede of swered / nor in greate war­res / nor crueltes / but in a greate desyre of the goodnesse of pease / & con­tynuall prayers / in meke & deuoute excercyses / in shedȳge of holy teeres and in the feruent desyre of my ser­uauntes. ¶ And so with pasyence / and with the suffrynge of many & dyuers trauayles / and cōtrarytes / I shall fulfyll theyr greate desyre / yf it so be that youre pasyence shyne out bryght / as lyght in y^e derkenesse of wycked and deedly men. ¶ Therfore drede you no thynge / thoughe the worlde parsu you al daye / for I shall alwaye be with you / & in tyme of nede / my prudence shall not fayle you. ¶ How this soule knoweth so­moche of the goodnesse of god / prayed not onely for crysten people / and holy chyrche / but prayed also for all the worlde. AFter this techynge / that soule arose with better know­lege than she had before / and with a full greate gladnesse & ioye / stode for the before y^e diuine maieste / what for the hope whiche was gyuē to her of the mercy of god / & what for loue the whiche she had / beholdȳge and consyderynge / that throwe holy de­syre [Page]and loue / the goodnesse of god hathe done merey / and ordeyned it to man / not with stondynge / y^e man was become enemy to hym. ¶ And ī tokē y^t he wolde do mercy / he shew­ed a maner waye to his seruauntes by the whiche waye / they myghten refrayne and make soft his wrothe whiche he had to man. ¶ She was thanne toyfull in all worldly parse­cucyōs / voydynge alwaye all drede & myghtly toke to her y^e streynghes of holy desyre / to pray for al y^e world in somoche y^t she was not full rested with y^t she sholde haue mercy onely for all crysten people / and for all ho­ly chyrche / but euer with a greate hope & trust / mekely she asked mer­cy for all y^e worlde. ¶ And not with stondynge / that her seconde petycyō conteyned the profyte / bothe of vn­trewe people out of the faythe / and of all crysten / in the reformacyō of the chyrche. Yet neuer the later she was so desyrous of the faluacyon of all / that her holy prayer and chary­re thanne stretchyd ab [...]ode to all the worlde / as god hymselfe made her to aske the same petycyon / whiche petycyon myghtly she asked with a loude voyce / and sayde. ¶ Holy god bowe downe th [...] mercy / to thy ghostly flocke of shepe / as a good & a very crewe shepeherde. ¶ Lorde hye the fast to helpe all the worlde / tary not to gyue them mercy / for now they latken grace. ¶ O gracyous lorde the sothefastnesse withouten ende / it semeth that man is pryued of thy charyte (that is to saye) of the loue the whiche sholde be grounded in y^e charytably louynge themselfe togyder / and the aboue all. ¶ How that god made a compleynt on his reasonable creatures / and specyally for theyr owne ꝓpre loue / whiche reyg­neth in them / where he styrreth the soule to prayers / and teeres. THā our lorde was fore styrred to mercy and for oure hèlthe / he ordeyned in this soule / how her loue and sorowe myght be encreased to helpe man­nes soule / shewynge her with how greate loue he had mad the worlde (as it is sayde before) and sayde to her thus. Thou sees howe y^e euery man offendeth me / & I of my good­nesse made them of nought / with y^e flamme of greate loue / and how I haue endowed thē with the gyfte of plentuous graces / and gyftes w^t out nōbre / onely of my specyal grace & of no dewte. ¶ Beholde doughter how that they gone agaynst me / w^t dyuerse / many / and vnnumerable synnes / and dayly done offende me / and namely with theyr owne wret chydnesse / & synfull lyuynge of thē ­selfe / of the whiche wycked loue / co­meth out all synne and wyckednesse ¶ With this this wycked loue / all the worlde they haue venymed. ¶ For ryght as my loue y^e is onede to theyr loue / with the loue of theyr neygh­bour / holdeth and kepeth all sothe­fastnesse ī them (as it is shewed be­fore) ryght so the sencyble loue hol­deth in them / all euyl and vntruthe & that loue cometh of pryde. ¶ So in the contrary wyse / as my loue co­meth of charyte / so that fals loue cō teyneth in thē all euyll. ¶ And this [Page]euyll they do by y^e mene of some cre­ature / that is not in very charyte of his neyghbour / for they louen not me / and they loue not theyr neygh­bour. ¶ For those two loues muste be knytte togyder. ¶ Thus I sayde to the before / y^e euery good thynge and euery euyll thynge / is done by some mene of his neyghbour. ¶ In many other wyses I maye make my compleynt on man / for he recey­ued nothynge of me but good / and he yeldeth to me agayne hatered & dothe all euyll. ¶ Therfore I sayde to the / y^e I sholde aswage my wro­the / by the shedynge of my seruaun tes terres / and so I saye to the now agayne. ¶ Therfore ye that ben my seruaūtes / tournē my dyuyne dome w^t youre deuoute prayers / & greate desyres / and with sharpe & with byt ter sorowes / for offenses done to me (and to theyr harmes) and so my wrothe shal asswage. ¶ How no mā maye scape the handes of god / but he must abyde his ryghtwysnesse / or his mercy. DOughter knowe it for a truthe / y^t no man may scape my handes / for I am he y^e am euer­lastynge beynge / ye bē not nor haue no beȳge of your selfe / but asmoche as ye haue beynge of me / the whi­am maker & former of all thynges y^e hauē beynge / out take synne that is nought. ¶ Bycause it is not made of me / therfore in no maner it is by­loued. Therfore a creature that is blynded he offendeth / for he loueth that whiche he shold not (that is to saye) synne / and hathe me in hate / whome he is bounde to loue. ¶ I am all good / and I gaue to man be ynge / with a feruent loue / & he may not scape frome me / for of my ryght wysenesse / he shall abyde here in my handes and power for his synnes / or here by my mercy & pyte. ¶ Ther fore open thyne eyen of intelleccyon and beholde my power / and y^u shall se / that it is trewe that I sayde to y^e ¶ Than she lyfte vp her gostly eye / to obeye to the fader in heuen / & she sawe ī his honde all the worlde clo­sed. ¶ Than oure lorde spake to her and sayde. Go doughter and se that no man maye be take fro me (for as I sayde) al those that abyden here / abydē of my ryghtwysenesse / or els of my mercy. ¶ For al they bē myne & al of me they haue brought forthe and I loue them more than may be spoken. ¶ Therfore not w^tstondȳge theyr wyckednesse / with the helpe & good menes of my seruauntes / I shall gyue them mercy. ¶ And for thy greate loue / & also for thy greate sorowe / I shall fulfyll thy peryeyon. ¶ How this soule whan she swette water for a brennynge desyre / in the tyme of prayer / desyred y^t she myght swete blode. THis soule than for greate enerese of hely desyre / was made blyssed / and fulfylled with an holy sorowe. ¶ Blyssed she was / for the oneheed she made ī gody tastȳge and sauourynge his goodnesse / all fulfyled woith Ioye in his mercy. ¶ She was also fulfylled w^t sorowe whan she knewe the hyghe maieste of god / so greately offended. ¶ And than she gaue thākynges to y^e good nesse of god / and knowynge y^e same [Page]goodnesse / and the manyfolde defautes of mākynde / she rose quyckly as it had ben fro dethe / throwe a greate desyre. ¶ And after this whan she knewe in herselfe / the selynge of her soule / so wōderfully renued in that euer beyngt godheed / that her holy loue / and delectable brennȳge was somoche ēcresed / y^e she swette water throwe the myght and vyolence / y^e whiche y^e soule dyd to y^e body. ¶ For the oncheed whiche the soule made in god / was more parfyte than is y^e bonde of the oneheed / bytwyxe the soule and the body. ¶ Therfore of y^e streynghe of loue / she had that swe­tynge hete / but she dyspysed y^e swe­rynge / for the affeccyō that she had / was with greare desyre to haue swe tynge to come oute of her body all of blode. ¶ And in that desyre she spaketo her selfe / and sayde. Alas my soule that thou hase lost thus y^e tyme of this wretched lyfe / and for the losse of thy tyme / many harmes & wyckednesses out of nombre haue sall in all the worlde / bothe partycu l [...]tly / and in comyn / and specyally ī all holy chyrche. ¶ Wherfore I wyll and desyre / that thou remedy ouer all these harmes / with the sroetȳge of blode. ¶ Beholde systren and se / how swetely that soule hathe kepte in my nd [...] / the noble doctryne / ^e whi­che euer beynge sothefastnesse had raughte her / and betake her (that is to saye) in knowynge herselfe and y^e goodnesse of god in her / and spede­full remedyes for reparacyon of all the worlde / that were in perell of perysshynge / so that the Iugement of god myght be peased / and his wro­the aswaged (that is to say) with holy / contynuall / meke / and deuoute prayers. ¶ Aster all this / the soule was compelled to ryse more feruent ly throwe an holy desyre / & behelde her selfe in wardly ī the Dyuyne cha­ryte / w^t the eye of intelleccyon. ¶ In the whiche charyte / she sauoured & tasted / how moche we bē bounde to loue / and seke / and to purchase the glory / and the preysynge of y^e name of god / for the helthe of all mennes soules. ¶ And to y^e entent / she sawe y^u seruaūtes of god called and ordey­ned (and specyally to that) the good lorde euer beynge sothefastnes / had chosen her a ghostly sader / whome she presented before y^e dyuyne good­nesse / prayenge god inwardly / y^e he shold veryly folowe y^e sothefastnes / and y^e he wolde shewe hym a lyghte of a specyall grace. ¶ How a man maye not plese god / but he bere try­vulacyons / with the vertu of pasy­ence. THan oure lorde god answe­rynge to the thyrde petycyon (that is to saye) to the perycyon / or desyre the whiche ryght mekely she asked of god for the helthe of soules / sayde to her thus. ¶ My doughter I wyl that thy ghostly fader / the whiche thou hase nowe / parsue to my goodnesse / in feruēt desyre / and grete be­synesse / for the helthe of all soules. ¶ But he maye not haue that / nor thou / nor none other / but with pasyence in many parsecucyons. ¶ Also but as I wyll graūt you / as I sayd to the before. ¶ For ryght as ye des syre to se my worshyp ī holy chyrche [Page]so ye sholdē desyre to loue [...] suffre parsecucyons / with very greate pasyence. ¶ By that I shall parceyue that [...]e [...] and my othe [...] [...] and desyren my [...] in sothefastnesse / than be shall be to me a dere beloued sone / and he and suthe other shall rest them full merely vpon the brest of my onely bego­ten sone / of the whiche sone I haue made a brydge / the whiche shall re­ceyue hym and althose that haue ta [...] loue / and they shal come [...] to th [...] gra [...] & merry whiche they [...] and the one neyghbour to [...] we other [...] hym [...] & be you sure and stedfaste in [...] / and than drede you not / but ye shall ascende vpon this brydgs / & euer after that to lyue in ioye / with all the holy company of heuen.

¶ Here now moder and systrē e [...]deth the fyrste parte of your ghosty orcharde / the whiche treteth [...] of meke­nesse / dysccecyon / lone / charyte / holt desyres and of palyēce. ¶ These vertues feruently for them to la bour / for his mo­ders loue he graunt vs all his dere blessynge Amen.

¶ The fyrste chapytre of the seconde partye / maketh mency­on of a brydge how god made a brydge of his loue whan the waye of goynge to [...] was broke by inobedyence of [...] by y^e whiche brydge [...] people maye suer / passe.
¶ Also how god iduced and [...] this soule to beholde the greatenes of this brydge / that is to say / how it recheth fro y^e erthe to heuē. And here after shat folo we of the same mater / as it is shewed in the kalender before. Ca. i.

DOughter bycause I dyd saye to the that I had made a brydge of my sone I wyl that it be vn knowen to you / y^e the waye of my be loued sone is broken / by the inobedyence & trespas of Adam / in somoche y^e no mā myght come to euerlastȳge [Page]lyfe. ¶ And to me they gauē no thā ­kynges / as they sholden haue done / and had no parte of y^e greate good­nesse / for the whiche recoysynge of blysse / I made thē and formed thē to my ymage and lykenesse. ¶ And for they hsd not y^e goodnes / whiche I ordeyned for them / my sothefast­nes was not fulfylled / whiche sothefastesse is this / that I made that same man / for he sholde haue euer lastynge lyfe with me. ¶ And for he sholde sauour & thst my euer be ȳge goodnesse & sweternesse / & hethrowe his offence dyd trespas agaynst my cōmaūdymēt / and so that sothefast­nesse was not fulfylled. ¶ And this myschefe befel / bycause y^e foresayde synne had shutte vp heuen / and clo­sed the gate of my mercy. ¶ This same synne hathe gendren / and but gyned full pryckynge thornes / & full many trybulacyons / with mfynyte grefes. ¶ This creature founde a­none a rebellyon agaynste hymselfe and was made contrary to me / his flesshe made a batayle agaynste y^e spyryte / and there he lost the noble state of innosency / and became as an vnreasonable best. ¶ Eche other creature was to hym rebell / where before that / they sholden haue obeyed to hym / yshe had kepte that in­nosency in hym / in y^e whiche I had made hym. ¶ But sythen he kepte hym not styll in that state / but tres­pased agaynste my obedyence / therfore he deserued euer lastynge dethe in soule and in body. ¶ Also of tres­passe and synne / same forthe an vny uetsall flode / the whiche smote hym alwaye with his waters / and mul­typlyed many greuaunces. ¶ Also y^e peple bare many grete labours on themselfe of y^e worlde / & of the deuyl in dyuers and many maners with­outen nōbre / for y^e whiche they werē perysshed. ¶ For no man myghte ascēde to y^e euer beȳgelyfe / though he had be the most ryghfullest lyuer at that tyme. ¶ Wherfore I desyred to ordeyne a remedy agaynste your suylles / and now I haue gyuē you a brydge of my owne sone / y^e whan you wyll passe ouer that ftode / ye sholden not perysthe / whiche flode is a meruaplous feruent see of this wretched lyfe. ¶ Doughter sees y^u not / how moche my creature is be­holden to me / and how moche he is blynded with the vnstedfastnesse of hymselfe / in wyll to slee his soule / & not in wyll to take the remedy that is ordeyned and gyuē to hym of me. How god induced and styrred this deuoute soule / to beholde the grete nesse of this holy brydge (that is to saye) how it recheth fro erthe to he­uen. OPen n^oowe the eyes of thy ghostly intelleccyon / and thou shall se deedly men by dyuers maners made blȳde w^t ygnoraūce. ¶ Thou shall se imparfyte men / and parfyte men / y^e whiche folowen me in sothefastnesse / that thou may sorowe for the dampnacyon of wretches / and for theyr ygneraunce / and that thou maye ioye for the parfeccyon of my well beloued chyldren. ¶ And thou shall se moreouer y^e dyuers maners whiche some mē holdē / & what way they kepē y^t gone in lyghte / & y^e ma­ners [Page]of them that gone in derkenes. ¶ But fyrste I wyll that thou loke the brydge of my sone / & that thou beholde in the inwardely the gretenes of that brydge / whiche recheth fro y^e heyghte of heuē / downe to the erthe (y^t is to saye) that the erthe of your humanyte / is oned to y^e grete­nesse of the godheed. ¶ And there­fore I sayde / y^e that brydge recheth fro the hyeheuen / to the lowe erthe ¶ And that is of y^e oueheed whiche I haue made in mā / y^e was nedeful (as I haue sayde before) to reforme y^e waye y^e was brokē / y^e ye myghten come agayne to lyfe / & passe ouer the bytternesse / & wretchednesse of this worlde. ¶ He myghte not haue ben onely of y^e erthe / yf he sholde be suf­fycyent to passe ouer the ftoode / and take euerlastȳge lyfe. ¶ For y^e erthe of nature of mā onely / was not suf­fyeyent to make a mendes for synne y^e was done / nor do away the synne of Adam / whiche dyshoneste & wyc­keduesse / broughte mankynde in to thraldome myschefe / & bytternesse / and drewe out therof / moche foule / rotē / & stynkynge fylthe / as I haue deelared before. ¶ Therfore it behoueth nedes to bedned to y^e heyghnes of my nature / the euer beynge god­heed / that it myght be able to make satystaccyon to all mankynde / so y^e the kynde of mā sholde suffre peyne and that the dyuyne nature / oned to y^e nature of mā sholde so accepte to me the sacryfyces of my sone of­fred for you / that it sholde put frome you dethe / and gyue to you the euer lastȳgelyfe. ¶ Also the heyghte of y^e godheed / mekely dydde dyscēde to the erthe (the vallaye of mysery) and than of his greate loue / he loy­ned his godheed / with the heed of oure humanyte / and for the bytter penes that he suffred ī this vallaye or place of mysery (as crucyfyed / deed / and buryed) for the trespas of Adā / for by those penes (with many mo) y^e brydge is mercyfully made / and the way that was broken / gracyonsly edyfyed / and made newe a­gayne. ¶ And why made he hym­selfe to be the waye? But y^e ye sholdē come to sothefastnes / and loye euer lastȳgely / w^t the nature of angelles ¶ And yet were it not suffycyēt for you to have y^e lyfe (all be it my sone be the brydge) but it were so / y^e ye dy den passe by hym. ¶ How we ben al labourers / & ben sende fro god to labour in y^e vyneyerde of holy chyrche and how euery man hathe a vyne­yerde of hymselfe. IN this party the euer beynge sothefastnes shew­ed that he made you withoute you / but he shall not saue you withoute you. ¶ He wyl gyue to you a fre wyl with a fre choyse / to spende youre tyme in excersyce of vertues / or af­ter the voluptuosyte of youre owne mynde. ¶ Therfore he added therto & sayde. It behoueth you al to passe by that brydge / & to seke the laude and the glory of my name / for helthe of soules / in suffrynge with greate pene many grete labours / and so fo­lowe the steppes of my sone / fuffre and bere you penes for his loue / the whiche hathe shewed you so greate loue / for ye maye not passe by none [Page]other waye. ¶ Ye ben my londe tyl­lers and labourers the whiche I haue hyred / for ye sholden labour / or besy you in the vyneyerde of youre moder the holy chyrche. ¶ Nowe ye done labour and trauaylem the bo­dy of rely gyon (hyred of me by a syn guler grace) with the lyghte of the holy baptym (gyuen to you) whi­che baptym ye token in the ghostly body of holy chyrche / throwe y^e han­des of y^e mynysters of your moder the holy chyrche. ¶ They plante in you a synguler grace / draweynge you oute of the pryckynge thornes of deedly synnes. ¶ They ben my labourers and tyllers / in the vyne­yerde of youre soules / fastned in the vyneyerd of y^e moder holy chyrche. ¶ All maner of creatures that haue reason in thēselfe / they haue a vyne yerde of themselfe (that is to saye) a vyneyerde of theyr soules / whose wylles w^t a fre choyse / shall be theyr tyller (for the space of theyr syfe) for after this transytory lyfe / they shall not haue operacyōs / or workes / no ther good nor euyll. ¶ Whyle a man lyueth / he maye tyll and laboure in his vyneyerde / to y^e whiche I haue broughte hym. ¶ And the tyller of the soule hathe taken here so greate a myght / that nother the fende / nor no creature lyuȳge / may take away frome hym that strengthe / but he wyl hymselfe. ¶ For whā he taketh the holy baptym / he becometh very stronge / and than is gyuen to hym a swerde sharpe on bothe the sydes (that is to say) loue of vertues / and hate of synnes / the whiche loue and hate / he founde in holy blode. ¶ For the very greate loue of vertues / and for the greate dysplesaunce of vyces my sone suffred dethe on the crosse onely for youre redempcyon / and y^e tyme he redemed you with his pre­cyous dlode / by the whiche ye ben brought out of the captyuyte of the deuyll / by the vertu of the holy sa­crament baptym. ¶ Also ye haue a sharpe swerde / w^t y^e which swerde whyle ye haue tyme / ye sholden vse withall your dylygence / to dystroye thesechornes / and plucke them vp by the rootes / and plante for them the hyghnes of vertues / for other­wyse / yeshal not rereyue the fruyte of the blode / of chrystes tyllers / whiche I haue setle & ordeyned in holy chyrche / of y^e whiche tyllers I haue sayde to the before / that they voydē away deedly synues / frome y^e vyne yerdes of youre soules. ¶ And whā they dydē mynystre to you the holy blode of the sacrament ordeyued us holy chyrche / they gaue you thanne grace. ¶ It behoueth you therfore that ye aryse fyrste by a meke cōtry cyon of the herte / and by an hyghe dyspleasaunce of synnes / & by lous of vertues / & than ye shall reccyue the fruyte of that holy blode / or els ye may not teceyue that holy fruyte (as by youre parte) for ye dysposed you not (as in the braunches oned to the vyne of my onely begotē sone) the whiche sayde. I am the vyne / & ye ben the braunches / and my fader is the lande tyller. ¶ I saye to the that treuthe it is / for I am a tyller / for al thȳge y^e cometh frome / hathe [Page]beynge. ¶ My myght is inestyma­ble / euery man is gouerned by my myghte / and by my greate vertu / ther is nothynge done without me ¶ Also I am that tyller / y^e whiche haue pl̄ated a very vyne of my sone in the grounde of youre humanyte that ye whiche ben the braunches ioyned with the vyne / maye brynge forthe fruyte. ¶ And therfore he y^e bryngeth not forthe fruyte of good workes / shal be cutte awaye frome the vyne / & shall waxe drye. ¶ For whā he is departed fro y^t vyne / thā he leseth the vyne of all graces / and is sende forthe in to the euer lastȳ ge fyre / as a braunche that bryngeth forthe no fruyte is cutte of the vyne and caste in to the fyre / for it is not good for none other thȳge. ¶ Ther fore the ryghtwysenesse of god sen­deth them that ben so cutte of / in to y^e fyre euer lastynge / for theyr owne defautes deynge in decdly synnes / for asmoche as they ben not good in theyrselfe. ¶ They done not labour nor they tyllen not theyr vyneyerde but moche soner they done dystroye theyr vyneyerde / and other mēnes also. ¶ And not onely that / they plā ten no good plantes in theyr vyne­yerde / but rather they takē frome y^e vyneyetde the sede of grace / y^e whische they vyden receyue in the lyght of holy baptym / and token the holy ꝑtycypacyō of my holy sones blode / whiche treuly was the wyne that this sothfast vyne my sone brought forthe to you / but they haue draw­en vp this noble lede / and haue ta­ken it to be eten of dyuerse beestes / (that is to saye) they haue cast it vnder the fete of an vnordynate affec­cyon / by many and dyuerse by [...]des of synnes / by the whiche they haue offended me / and put themselfe to dam [...]nacyon / and ther neyghbours also. ¶ My seruauntes done not so / but folowe you the fayre / and swete pathes of my holy seruaūtes (that is to saye) ye shall be oned and ioy­ned togyder / ī this sothefast and ve­ry vyne / and than ye shall be parte takers of moche fruyte. ¶ For than ye shall take of the oncheed of y^e ve­ry vyne / and as longe as ye abyde in the oneheed of my sone / so longe ye dwellen with me / for I and he ben all one. ¶ And as longe as ye stonden in hym / so longe ye done fo­lowe his doctryne / and in that that ye done folowe his doctryne / ye shal haue parte of the greate substaūce of my sone (that is to saye) ye shall be parte takers of the euer benge godheed / oned and oned in the man heed / and he shall haue a maner of dyuyne loue. ¶ In y^e whiche / a soule is made fer frome herselfe / puttȳge in oblyuyon all vayne delectacyons (and for that cause) I sayde ye sholden be parte takers of the substaūce of the foresayde vyne. ¶ In what maner god bereth the braunches / y^e whiche ben oned with the vyne / and how that the vyneyerde of eche m̄a is oned / or ioyned with the vyne­yerde of his neyghboure. B Nowe ye not what maner of workynge ye haue hadde / after y^e tyme that my seruauntes ben oned to my sone / that they may folowe his doctryne. [Page]¶ I purge them / and cutte them / y^t they may brȳge forth moche fruyte that theyr fruyte maye abyde / and y^t it be not become bareyne. ¶ As a good braunche ioyned to the vyne / whiche the tyller purgeth & clēseth / bycause it sholde brynge forthe bet­ter fruyte / & more in quantyte / but he cutteth of the braunche that brȳ ­geth forthe no fruyte / and casteth it in to y^e fyre. ¶ So do I / whiche am the euer beynge tyller / I purge & clense my secuauntes whiche abydē in me / with many and dyuers try­bulacȳos / y^t they may brynge forthe better & more fruyte / y^t vertu maye be preued in them. ¶ Other seruaū tes whiche bryngē forthe no fruyte / ben caste frome the vyne / & putte to the fyre / as it is sayde before. ¶ My seruauntes doubtelesse ben good tyllers / whiche tyllē well for theyr sou­les / puttynge away fro the soule all theyr owne soue / & tournen al theyr affeccyons in to me / & therby they norysshen / and encresen the sede of grace / y^e whiche they dyd receyue ī the holy baptym. ¶ And so wel they done laboure in theyr owne vyne­yerde / that they tyllē the vyneyerde of theyr neyghbour / for y^e one maye not be tylled / w^tout y^e other. ¶ And yf thou remembre the well (I sayde to the before) that all good or euyll that a man dothe / it is done by some mene of his neyghboure. ¶ Also ye ben my tyllers comen fro me / whi­che am the chefe / and euet beynge tyller / I haue sette you in the vyne by y^e oneheed whiche I made ī you. ¶ Thynke wel and haue in mynde that all reasonable creatures haue theyr owne vyneyerde by themselfe the whiche is oned to theyr neygh­bour / without ony other mene (that it to saye) one so ioyned w^t an other / that no man maye do good to hym­selfe / nor harme / but that he muste yelde the same to his neyghboure. ¶ Of you all (that is to saye) of all the hole crysten relygyon / a general vyneyerde is gadered togydet / the whiche all ye bē knytte togyder / in the dyneyerde of the ghostly body of youre moder the holy chyrche / of the whiche ye taken lyfe. ¶ This sothefast vyne / is the precyous bo­dy / & parsone of my sone / in whome ye ought to be knytte and fastned w^t parfyte loue of herte / and charyte in thy neyghboure. ¶ For whan ye ben not set parfytely in hym / anone ye rebell greately agaynste y^e holy chyrche / and ye ben the membres cutte of (as rotten membres) fro the body of y^e chyrche. ¶ Now whyle ye haue tyme / ye maye aryse frome the corrupcyō of synnes with very dysplesaunce of them / and fle to my seruauntes for helpe (as to the tyl­lers) whiche kepen the keye of the vyneyerde (that is to say) of y^e blode whiche came out of the vyne / whi­che is of so greate vertu and parfeccyon / y^t the fruyte of this very precyous blode / may not be takē you / by y^e defaute of my mynysters. ¶ The bonde of charyte is that / the whi­che byndeth them with very meke­nesse / in the sothefaste knowynge of themselfe (and of me) whiche wnowynge they haue soughte. ¶ And yet [Page]thou maye parceyue / that I haue set you as tyllers. ¶ And now I cal you agayne to labour / for now the worlde fayleth / the thornes ben so­moche multy plyed / that they haue almost ouer growen the sayde (in so­moche) y^t they wyll gyue no fruyte. ¶ I wyll therfore that ye be trewe tyllers (that is to helpe besyly sou­les to trauayle) ī the ghosty body of your moder the holy chyrche. ¶ To y^t I chose you / for I wyll gyue mer­cy to the worlde / for y^e whiche thou hase prayed me feruently / and full mekely. ¶ How this soule whan she had gyuen thākynges to our lorde / the prayed hym to shewe her / whi­che wentn by the brydge / and whi­che wentē not by y^e brydge. O Hā this soule fulfylled with loue began to speke to oure lorde / & sayde. ¶ O lorde vnestymable loue of charyte / who is he that dothe not brenne w^t somoche loue / that for that loue may so defende hym / that fyrst the herte fayle not. Thou lorde the very depenes of charyte / thou semes to haue greate deyntes of thy creatures / as thoughe thou myght not lyue with­out them / & yet y^u hase no nede of vs whiche arte our lorde & god. ¶ And for asmoche as thou arte vnnumerable / there is nothynge added to the / throwe ol [...]re goodnesse. ¶ And for asmoche as thou arte the hyghe euer brynge goodnesse / oure euyll enpe­reth the not. ¶ O good lorde who is he that styrreth the to somuche mer­cy (lorde it is loue) that styrreth the / and no nede that thou hase to vs / for we bē to y^e ryght euyll detters. ¶ O euer beynge goodnes / yf I beholde well aboute / I am myselfe a brybo­ur & a these / lorde thy sone was cru­cyfyed on a tree / for me a wretched synner / and I beholde thy sone nay­led on the crosse / of the whiche sone thou made a brydge to me / as it is shewed of thy goodnesse to me / whiche am thy creature and seruaunte. ¶ Wherfore if it be acceptable to thy goodnesse / I desyre that thy benygnyte wolde shewe me / whiche ben those that passen by the brydge / and whiche not.

¶ The seconde chapytre is how that blissed brydge goddes sone hathe thre grees / by y^e whiche ben betokened thre states of a soule. ¶ And how this brydge whā it is reysed vp in to the erthe / it is not de­parted fro the erthe. ¶ Also how this reason shall be vn­derstōde. ¶ Siego exaltatꝰ fuero a terra: omnia traham ad me. ¶ And forthermore of the same mater / as it is re­hersed before to you in the kalendre. Ca. ii.

THe euer beynge almyghty god / thanne to styrre this soule moche more / and to herte her more seruently in labour (aboute the helthe of mā ­nes soule) answered to her and sayd ¶ Or that I shewe to the / the whi­che [Page]I wyll shewe to the / and of that whiche thou does aske of me / fyrste I wyll put the in a certayne know­lege how it is of y^e brydge. ¶ I sayd to the before / that the brydge recheth frome heuen to erthe (that is to say) by the vnyon whiche I haue made in mā / whom I formed of slyme / or erthe. ¶ This brydge my onely be­goten sone hathe thre ladders in hȳ selfe / of the whiche thre ladders .ii. were made in y^e tree of y^e holy crosse. ¶ The thyrde he felde in full greate peyne of bytternesse / whan the iew­es gaue hym to drynke both aysell & gall. ¶ In these threladders / thou shall knowe y^e thre states of y^e soule / whiche I shall declare to the here after. ¶ The fyrste ladder is at y^e fete / and it betokeneth the affeccyon and the desyre of the soule. ¶ For as the fete beren vp the body / so the desy­res and affeccyons berē vp y^e soule. ¶ The fete nayled / bē madeladers to the / that thou maye attayne / or reche vp to the wounde of the syde / whiche wounde sheweth the pryuy­tes of the herte. ¶ For after tyme y^u hase ascended vp / by y^e fete of desyre anone the soule begynneth to tast y^e loue of the herte / fastnynge the eye of intelleccyon / in y^e herte of my dere sone / where the soule shall fynde the ended parfyte loue (I saye y^e ended loue) for he loueth not you for his owne profyte / for ye maye do to hym no profyte / for he is al one with me. ¶ Than this soule sawe how y^e she was byloued of god / and than she was replete with loue a thousande tymes more / than she was before. ¶ Forthermore whan y^e soule hathe ascended by the seconde ladder / she recheth vp to y^e thyrde ladder (that is to saye) to the company of heuen / where she fyndeth the pease y^t she desyred / out of the warre / or batayle y^t she hadde before / throwe her synne. ¶ For in the fyrste ladder of affeccyon and of desyre / whā she reysed vp the fete fro y^e erthe / thā she voydeth her frome the derkenesse of vyces. ¶ In the seconde ladder / she fulfyl­leth herselfe with vertuous loue. ¶ And in the thyrde ladder / she tas­teth a full swete pease. ¶ And thus the foresayde brydge hathe thre ladders / that whan ye passe the fyrste and the secōde ladder / ye maye blyssedly come to the thyrde / that is the last. ¶ This brydge is reysed vp on heyght / whiche shall not be hurte of the rennynge water / for in hym is no venemous spottes of synnes. ¶ This brydge is reysed vp / & yet it is not parted fro the erthe. ¶ Thou knowes well whā he had reysed hȳ ­selfe vp (as whan he was tourmen­ted on the crosse) yet the dyuyne na­ture voyded hȳ not fro the lownesse of youre humanyte. ¶ Therfore I sayde to the / that whan he was lyft vp on heyghte / he was not depar­ted fro the erthe (as by that) for w^t the humanyte he was knytte very­ly and coupled. ¶ And y^e tyme that he was so areysed / there was no mā that myght go on y^t brydge. ¶ Therfore he sayde hȳselfe / yf I be exalted frome the erthe / I shall drawe all thȳges to me. ¶ And I beholdynge of my goodnesse / that ye myghten [Page]none other wyse be drawē / I sende hym to be arrysed vp to the tree of the holy crosse. ¶ Therfore I made a ghostly Anduelde / wheron y^e sone of mankynde sholde be forged / so y^t man sholde be walshed and clensed fro euer lastynge dethe / and that he sholde be clothed with the durable lyfe / by a synguler grace. ¶ And therfore my sone draweth to hym all thȳges / m y^e maner (as it is sayd before) y^e he sholde she me his greate loue / whiche may not be spoke / whiche loue he had to man / for y^t herte of mē is drawē by loue. ¶ He myght shewe you no more loue / thā so put his lyfe for you. ¶ Therfore by the strengthe of loue (man is drawen) but he make resystence in hymselfe / and wyll not suffre hym to be draw­en. ¶ I sayde therfore / that whan my sone was lyfte vp frome y^e erthe that he sholde drawe all thynges to hym / and that is sothe / but that is vnderstōden two maner of wayes. ¶ The one is / that a mannes herte he drawen by desyre of loue / with al the myghtes of the soule (that is to saye) with mynde / intelleccyō / and wyll. ¶ Whan these thre myghtes ben accorded / and gadered togyder in my name / all other werkes / actu all / and mentall / whiche he dothe / ben drawen in me peaseably / & oned with desyre of loue / for he hath arey sed hymselfe / folowynge and parsu­ynge the loue / whiche my sone shewed on y^e crosse. ¶ Wherfore my sothefastnesse sayde trewly (whā I sayd) I shall drawe all thynges to me / yf I be exalted aboue (that is to saye) whan the herte of man is drawen / & the myghtes of the soule bē draw­en / all his werkes / or dedes sholden be drawen. ¶ Also these wordes y^e whiche I shall drawe to me / ben vn derstonden in an other maner / as thus. ¶ All thynges y^t ben made & formed to the seruyce of man / they ben made to helpe y^e reasonable cre­atures / but a reasonable creature is not made for them (that ben not reasonable) but onely for me / and he serue me with all his affeccyon / and with his herte. ¶ Also whan a man is drawen vp / thou maye well parceyue that al thynges ben drawen vp / for all thynges ben made for hym. ¶ Therfore it was spedefull y^e that holy brydge sholde be exalted / and that it sholde haue in it ladders that ye myght y^e more lyghtly passe ouer y^e brydge. ¶ How this brydge is walled with stones / y^e whiche be­tokē very vertues. ¶ Also vpō this brydge is a shoppe ordeyned / wher meet shall be gyuen to wayegoers. O His worthy brydge is walled w^t stone / that grete reyne shold not let waygoers. ¶ Those stones bē sothefast vertues / but those stones were not leyd / nor the wall made / before my sones passyon. ¶ They weren so greately letted before / that no man myght come to the ende / for by al y^e vertuous wayes that he went (he­uē was not vnto that tyme vndone with y^e keye of his precyous blode) and the reyne of ryghtwysenesse / wolde suffre no mā to passe. ¶ But after his passyō the stones were set and layde vpon the body of my holy [Page]sone / he made vp the wall of stones and medled it with chalke / and for­ged & formed it vp with his precyo­us blode (that is to saye) the blode is medled w^t y^e chalke / & strengthed of the godheed / and with y^e greate fyre of charyte. ¶ The stones of vertues ben sette vpon the brydge by my myghte / for there is no vertu / but that it is preued in hym / & ver­tues haue lyfe of hym. ¶ Therfore no man maye haue suche vertues / the whiche sholden gyue the lyfe of grace / but they come of hym (that is to saye) he muste receyue his doc­tryne / & folowe his steppes. ¶ For he made vp y^e wall / and parformed the vertues / and he plāted them as stones of lyfe / with his holy blode / that all faythefull mē myghtē passe frely vpon that holy brydge / with­outē drede of ony grete reyne / by the ryght wysenesse of the godheed / for he is couered with the large mercy / whiche came downe frome heuen / in the incarnacyon of my beloued sone / whiche heuen was made opē with the keye of his blode. ¶ And so ye sholden beholde y^e brydge / made and couered with the grete mercy. ¶ On the whiche brydge / the vyry­dary of my holy chyrche / stonteth in batayle & fyghteth. ¶ Whiche chyr­che hathe breed of lyfe / and gyueth the drynke that is mynystred (that is the holy blode) that by that / my creatures whiche ben pylgrymes & gone in the waye / faylen not in the way. ¶ And of my charite / dayly I fedde you with the precyous body and blode of my very parfyte sone / whiche is bothe god & mā / by y^e my­nystracyon of my ghostly seruaun­tes. ¶ Forthermore whā a man is passed ouer the brydge / thā cometh be to the gate / whiche gate is that same brydge / by y^e whiche gate / all ye must entre. ¶ Therfore my sone sayde / I am y^e waye of sothefastnes and lyfe. ¶ Who y^t goeth by me / go­eth not in derkenesse / but by lyght. ¶ Also he sayde in an other place / there maye no man come to my fa­der / but by mene / and that is sothe. ¶ And yf thou remembre the well / I shewed the why he sayde thus (I am the waye of sothefastnesse / and lyfe) & so he is. ¶ And nowe I haue shewed the whiche is the waye / in lykenesse of a brydge. ¶ He sayde al­so / I am y^e treuthe / or the sothefastnesse / and that is sothe. ¶ For he is coupled to me / whiche am all sothe­fastnesse / and he that foldweth hym gothe in sothefastnesse. ¶ He is also lyfe / & he that foloweth this sothe­fastnesse / gothe in to lyfe / & he maye not peresshe in derkenesse that fo­loweth hym / for he is y^e very lyghte of treuthe / and fer fro all vntreuthe for he dyscryed with his treuthe / y^e vntreuthe. ¶ And y^e losynge of the fende / whiche he affyrmed w^t false suggestyon to Eue / y^e whiche losse brake the heuenly waye / and sothe­fastnesse made it newe agayne with his gloryous blode. ¶ They that folowen his waye / bē the chyldren of sothefastnesse / for they done folowe sothefastnes. ¶ And whā they passe ouer by y^e gate of sothefastnesse / thā comen they to me / y^e whiche am the [Page]peaseable see / oned to the foresayde gate and waye (that is to saye) oned with my dere beloued sone / y^e whi­che is y^e euer beynge sothefastnes. ¶ And he y^e goeth out fro this way holdeth hym by the brynke of this stode / whiche way is not walled vp with stones / but all with water. ¶ And for asmoche as water hathe no sustentacyon / nor berynge vp / therfore by that waye no man may passe ouer that floode with lyfe / but nedes he must be drowned. ¶ So by the wretchydnesse and the lyke­kynges of the worlde / and y^e states fulfylled and done / for the desyre of them / the stones of lyfe b̄e not sette vp / but rather whan theyr desyre & affeccyō is set on a mysse gouerned loue (as onely / or pryncypally ī cre­atures) or in other thynges that bē bayne / and holden them and louen them without me / than al those thȳ ges ben lyke to the rennynge water for as the water renneth / so rēneth the man that so setteth his loue (all be it throwe his blyndenesse) suche thynges semen to hym good & not bayne. ¶ He that slydeth forthe w^t a swyfte course of water / agaynste the ende of his dethe / wolde holde a backe / and kepe hymselfe well (that is to saye) he wolde saue his lyfe / & all suche creatures / & thynges whi­che he loueth / that they sholden not passe awaye. ¶ But anone they faylen & passen away / other by dethe / or by my ryghtwyse ordynaunce / so that all thynges ben taken away fro them / before the syghte of other creatures. ¶ And they ben the men that gone out of the waye / & gone to the waye of pardycyon / and they ben the chyldren of the fader of losse (that it to saye) the chyldren of the fende. ¶ And for asmoche as they gone by the gate of pardycyō / they ben punysshed with euer lastynge dampnacyon. ¶ And now y^u maye well parceyue / that I haue shewed the bothe of the way of sothefastnes and the waye of pardycyon (that is to say) I haue shewed the my way whiche is the hyghe sothefastnes / & the waye of the fende / whiche is the very waye of pardycyon / or damp­nacyō. ¶ How mē gone with grete trauayle these two wayes / whyder they gone by y^e brydge / or by y^e stode and of y^e delyte that a soule hathe / y^e whiche gothe by y^e brydge. O Hese ben the two wayes / & whyther way a man gothe / he passeth with grete dyffyculte. ¶ Beholde therfore and se what ignoraunce and blȳdenesse is in man / that whan ther is made to hym a sure waye / and also shew­ed how he sholde go that waye / and yet he wyll holde hym by the brȳke of y^e water. ¶ The waye y^e is made and shewed / is so delectable to them that gone therby / that all theyr byr­ternesse is tourned into greate ioye and swetenes / and eurry heuy bur then / is made to them full lyghte. ¶ And they that bē in bodyly derkenesse / fynden here a greate lyghte. ¶ Also they that lyuē deedly in this worlde / they shall fynde a lyfe / the whiche shall be styll in payne and neuer dye. ¶ And all those that sauouren the lyfe of the holy faythe (by y^e [Page]desyre of loue) I fynde here y^e sothe­fastnes euer beȳge. ¶ Whiche sothefastnesse / promyseth hym that tra­uayleth for me / cōforte and refressh­ynge of me / whiche am lyberal and knowȳge who dothe for me. ¶ And also I am ryghtful / yeldynge to eue­ry mā after his werkes ryghtfully. ¶ Wherfore it is sayde / there is no euyll vnpunysshed / & no good dede vnrewarded. ¶ Thy tongue suffy­seth not to tell the myrthe and glad­nesse that he hathe whiche gothe by this waye / nor it maye not be herde nor sene. ¶ For ī this lyfe partely he tasteth / and as he hathe parte of y^e taste / so he sauoureth partely that same gladnesse / whiche is ordeyned and made redy to hymselfe / in y^e lyfe that lasteth euer. ¶ Than he maye well be called a foole / that voydeth suche a goodnesse / and taketh hym rather in his lyfe to taste the bytternes of hel / goynge by a lower waye with infynyte labour / and without ony comforte or refresshynge. ¶ For by theyr owne defautes / they bē vt­terly pryued of me / whiche am the hyghest and euer beynge goodnesse ¶ Therfore I wyll that thou / and my other seruauntes / abyde in con­tynuall bytternesse and sorowe / for wronges done to me. ¶ Also that ye haue compassyon of the harme and ygnoraunce / with the whiche y [...]no rance / they offendē me greuoufly. ¶ And now thou maye comprehēde in the / how it is of this brydge / that it maye be opened in the / after thy desyres / and bytter wepynges / as I haue sayde to the before.

¶ The thyrde chapitre sheweth how oure lorde whan he ascended vp to heuen / he de­parted hym not fro the erthe ¶ Also hold this soule as she wōdered on y^e mercy of god / she besyed her to thynke on the multytude of his gyftes and graces / whiche came of that mercy. Ca. iii.

AFter that my sone came agayne to me / the fourty day after his resurreccyon / thā was this brydge lyfted fro the erthe (that is to saye) fro the conuersacyon of deedly mē / and by my dyuyne nature / he ascen ded ī to heuē / syttȳge on the ryghte syde of me / that am his fader / as y^e angell sayde to his dyseyples / in the daye of his ascencyon / whan they stoden as deed men and amased / by cause theyr hertes werē rauysshed vp in to heuen. ¶ At the wordes of this angell / whan he sayde / throwe the wysdome of my sone / he wylleth not to abyde here longer / for he syt­teth on y^e ryght hande of his fader. ¶ And whan he was reysed vp on heyghte / and came agayne to me y^t am his fader / thā I sende a mayster (that is to saye) the holy ghost / whiche came with my myght / and with the wysedome of my sone / and with the mercy of that same holy ghoste / for he is one with me that am the fader and with my sone. ¶ Therfore that holy ghost hathe strenghed y^e [Page]waye of doctryne / whiche my sothefastnesse lefte in the worlde. ¶ Wherfore all be it y^e doctryne wente away (that is to saye) his presence went awaye. ¶ Neuerthelesse y^t doctryne whiche is the waye of parfeccyon / wente not fro you / the whiche way this gloryous and amyable brydge made to you. ¶ For fyrste he made and wroughte the waye with his vertuous werkes / she wynge to you doctryne more by ensample than by worde. ¶ For fyrst he began rather to do / than to teche. ¶ The mercy of the holy gost certyfyed and made sure this true doctryne / & strēgthed the hertes and the soules of his dys­cyples / to trust on this sothefastnes and to shewe this waye. ¶ That is to saye / y^e doctryne of cryst my sone crucyfyed / repreuynge the worlde of vnryghtwysenesse / and of false iudgemētes. ¶ Of the whiche vn­ryghtwysenesse and false iudgemē ­tes / I shall tell y^e afterwarde more dyffusely. ¶ This haue I sayde to the / that ther sholde be no derkenes in theyr soules that heren this / as thus. ¶ Yf there be ony that wolde saye / we se wel that there is made a brydge / of this body of cry st / for the the oneheed of byuyne nature / with oure nature of māheed. ¶ This we se well is true / but this brydge whā he ascended in to heuen / he went fro oure presence. ¶ He was to vs the waye of sothefastnesse / and taught vs with his vertuous werkes and examples. ¶ What is lefte to vs nowe / and were shall we fynde the way? I speke now to y^e / as thoughe I spake to them / whiche ben thus blynded. ¶ Ye haue the way of this parfyte doctryne confyrmed of the apostles / and declared in y^e blode of matyrees / lyghtned with the clere lyght of doctours / and knowleged of the confessours. ¶ And of y^t waye werē made open instrumētes / by y^e holy euangelystes / the whiche aby­den as wytenessers / to make a sothefastnesse in the ghostly body of holy chyrche / they ben as a lanterne brē ­nynge / and set vpon a cādlestycke / that they sholden deme the waye of sothefastnesse / whiche ledeth to the waye of lyfe / by the parfyte lyghte of clerenes. ¶ Also these wytnessers hadden knowynge by experyence / for they hadden assayed that waye theyrselfe. ¶ Also eche resonable creature is lyghtned by knowynge of a sothefastnesse / yf he wyll hymselfe (that is to saye) that no man be not in wyl to lose the lyght of reason / for his owne loue and profyte. ¶ Ther fore it is truely sayde / my sones doc­tryne is treue / whiche abode as a boot / to draweout soules of the tempest of y^e grete see / & to lede them to the hauen of helthe. ¶ And thus I sayd / I haue made an actual brydge of my sone / with his conuersaūt be­ynge fyrste with men. ¶ But whā the actual brydge of the parfyte doctryne was taken fro you / thā abode the brydge / and my doctryne w^t my myght / that am the fader / and the same doctryne ioyned and knytte w^t the wysoome of my sone / and with the mercy & pyte of the holy ghost / this myght gyueth strengthe to thē [Page]that done folowe this waye / y^e w^eys­dome of my sone gyueth to mā lyght that he maye knowe y^t sothefastnes in the waye / the holy ghost gyueth to hym loue / whiche loue putteth awaye / and dystroyeth the venym of his propre wyll / and maketh y^e loue of vertus onely to abyde. ¶ Also he is y^e waye of sothefastnesse and lyfe actually or by doctryne / the whiche waye is the brydge / ledynge & bryn­gynge you to the heyght of heuen. ¶ Therfore it was sothely sayde / whan my sone sayd / I came downe fro my fader / and came downe in to the worlde / I leue y^t worlde agayne and I go to my fader (y^t is to saye) my fader sende me to you / & ordey­ned and made me youre brydge / y^t ye myght ascape ouer the floode / & come to the lyfe that is euer durable ¶ He sayde also / and I shall come a gayne to you / I shall not leue you faderlesse chyldren / but I shall sende you comforte (that is to say) the ho­ly ghost / as thoughe my sothefaste sone incarnate had sayne thus. ¶ I shall go to my fader / & shortly after come agayne to you / whā the holy ghost cometh / whiche is the spyryte of comforte. ¶ Whiche spyryte of cō forte shall shewe you more clerely all thynge / & cōfyrme the way of sothefastnesse / that is y^e most parfyte doceryne that I haue gyuen you. ¶ He sayde also / I shall come agayne to you / and so he dyd. ¶ For the holy ghoste cometh not alone / for he co­meth with the myghte of the fader / with the wysedome of the sone / and and with y^t mercy of the holy ghost. ¶ Therfore y^u may se that he came agayne not actually / but in vertu strengthynge the waye of doctryne whiche way maye neuer fayle / nor be taken fro them / y^t ben in wyll to folowe y^t doctryne. ¶ For it is strōge & stable / for asmoche as it came fro me / y^e whiche am not chaungeable. ¶ Therfore ye sholden myghtly fo­lowe that waye of doctryne / with­oute ony cloude / with the lyghte of very faythe / whiche is gyuen to you for a pryncypall vesture / in the sacrament of holy baptym. ¶ Now doughter I haue declared & shew­ed to y^t pleynly y^e actuall brydge and his doctryne / whiche is all one / & the same w^t the brydge. ¶ I haue sayde also y^t there were apostles / euange­lystes / martyrs / cōfessours / & holy doctours / ordeyned & set / as lāterns in holy chyrche. ¶ I haue shewed y^t also how my sone / after tyme y^e he came to me / that he came agayne to you / not by his bodyly presence / but in vertu (that is to saye) whan that the holy ghoste came vpon the apo­stles. ¶ For in that bodyly presence he shal not come to you agayne / but in y^t laste daye of Iudgement / whā he shall come with my ma [...]ste / and with my dyuyne myght / to Iudge the quycke and y^e deed / and to yelde rewardes to the good / & to rewarde them w^t greate gyftesin soule & bo­dy for theyr labours / & he shall yeldefull bytter penes / to all theym that wyckedly haue ledde theyr lyfe here ī this worlde. ¶ Now doughter for­thermore I wyll say to y^t / y^e I sothefastnesse made promyse to she we all [Page]to the / that is to shewe the thē that gone in that waye vnparfytely / and them also that gone parfytely / and them y^e gone in y^e most parfyte waye and how they go. ¶ I haue shewed the also the wycked men / whiche w^t theyr wyckednesse drownen them­selfe in the floode / and gone to euer lastynge derkenesse. ¶ And now I speke to you that ben my dere chyl­drē / that ye go by the brydge besely and not vnder the brydge / for that is not the waye of ryghtwysenesse / but rather it is the waye of pardycy on and vntruthe / and by that waye wycked men go / of the whiche men I shal speke here after. ¶ Those bē synners / of the whiche / I praye you that ye praye to me besyly / and for y^e halthe and the faluacyon of thē. ¶ I aske of you teeres and labours / that they may haue of me my grete mercy. ¶ Than this soule was so fulfyl sed with all ghestly swetenesse / that she myght not refreyne herselfe / but as she slode in oure lordes pre­fence / she beganne to speke / & sayde. ¶ How this soule as she wondered on the greate mercy of oure lorde / she remembred her on the multy­tude of his grete benefytes. O Mercy without ende / and euer beynge goodnesse / the whiche dydhyde the greate wyckednes of thy creatures. ¶ Dere lorde I wolde not wondre (yf thou dyd saye) I shall not remē ­bre me of theyr wyckednes / whiche cometh oute of deedly synnes / and at the laste tournen to the agayne. ¶ O y^u inestymable mercy / I wyll ueuer wonder / yf thou saye y^e worde to them that comen out of synne / sy­then thou dyd saye to vs / I wyll y^e ye praye to me for them / that dys­plesen me with theyr syntul lyuȳge / that I maye gyue to theym mercy. ¶ O most plētuous mercy / whiche cometh of eteruyte euer beynge of the almyghty fader / whiche gouer­neth the worlde w^e his euerlastynge myghte. ¶ Also we weren made & formed in thy mercy / and we ben reformed by thy mercy / in the blode of thy sone / for thy amyable mercy ke­peth vs. ¶ Lorde thy mercy made thy sone to sprede his armes on the cros / ther played dethe w^t lyfe / & lyfe w^t dethe. ¶ Than he sende vtterly y^e lyfe / whiche was the dethe of oure synnes / & that dethe of oure synne / toke awaye the bodely lyfe / fro the meke lambe / that is thy dere sone. ¶ O lorde who was ouercomen? Lorde dethe was ouercomē. Lorde who was the cause? Thy grete mercy was y^e cause. ¶ Thy mercy gaue lyfe / thy mercy gaue lyght / by whiche mercy / thy goodnes is knowen in euery creature / in synfull men & in vnryghtful mē. ¶ Thy mercy shyned in y^e hyghnes of heuē (as in thy seyntes) yf I speke of thy erthe / thy mercy is ther al plētuous. ¶ That mercy shyneth ī y^e derkenesse of hell / not yeldȳge somoche peyne to thē y^e ben dampned / as they bē worthy / w^t thy mercy y^u dyd swage / & refresshe thy ryghtwysenes. ¶ Of thy mercy y^u hase wasshed vs ī thy blode / & of y^e same mercy y^u was cōuersaūt w^e mē ¶ O lorde how greate mercy it is of somoche loue. ¶ O lorde was it not [Page]suffycyent to y^e to be incarnate / but yet moreouer thou wolde suffre the dethe. ¶ Whether than that dethe was not suffycyent bycause y^u went downe in to hell / takynge fro thens holy faders / that thy mercy & sothe­fastnesse sholde be shewed in them / but moreouer thy sothsastnes dothe gyue to them / that seruē y^e in truthe goodes that maye not be spoken. ¶ Thou dyscended to hell / bycause thou wolde delyuer them fro peyne and mysery (the whiche hadden ser­ned the) thou yelded to thē y^e fruyte of theyr labours. ¶ Yet gracyous lorde (as me semeth) thy mercy con­streyned the to gyue to man moore larger gystes (that is to saye) gy­uynge the to man in to meet / y^e we feble wretches sholden receyue comforte and solace / that vncunnynge men sholden not forgo the memory of thy benefytes. ¶ Therfore whan thou gyues euery daye that sacra­ment to men / thou shewed the as cryst in thy holy sacrament of y^e au­ter / in the ghostly body of the holy chyrche. ¶ Lorde who wroughte all this? Thy mercy lorde wrought it. ¶ O greate mercy / my herte is full replete / thȳkynge on the. ¶ For ī what party I tourne me / & thȳke on y^e / I fynde no other thynge / thā the brode see of thy greate mercy. ¶ O holy fader / haue pyte & spare my ygnoraūce / bycause I presume to speke thus before thy ymage / ne­uertheles y^e loue of thy mercy hath [...] me a wretche excused / before thy be nygnyte. ¶ Whā this soule had ope­ned her herte by spekynge to y^e mer­cy of god / thā she asked mekely y^e she myght haue knowlege of y^e that our lorde promysed her before. ¶ Than oure lorde beganne to speke agayne and sayde. ¶ Dere doughter thou hase shewed / and tolde to me of my greate mercy / for I sayde to y^e that y^e sholde se that mercy / & thou shall haue taste in y^e wordes y^e werē sayde before to y^e (that is to saye) I sayd I wolde shewe the whiche they bē / for whom I praye you / to praye to me. ¶ Neuerthelesse doughter knowe it for certayne / y^e my mercy is to you moche more plētuous / thā y^u sees it. ¶ For thy syghte is fynyts / & vnpar fyte. ¶ Also cōparyson maye not be made / bytwyxe thy seȳge & my and merci / but as it were bitwyxe a dede fynyte / & a dede ifynyte. ¶ I wolde that y^u sholde taste this greate mer­cy / and also moreouer that thou tast or knowe the dygnyte of man / that thou maye knowe more openly the cruelte and vntruthe of wycked mē the whiche gone by y^e waye of derkenesse. ¶ Open the eyes of thy intel­leccyon / and beholde them that wylfully drownē themselfe / not goynge by the very sure pathe waye of the brydge. ¶ And se into how moche vnworthynesse they ben fallen / by theyr owne synnes and defautes. ¶ The syrste cause of theyr vnwor­thynesse is / y^t they become seke / & y^e is whā they haue synned deedly in theyr hertes and wylles / and than after that / they parformē it in dede / and losen the lyfe of grace. ¶ As a deed man whiche hathe no wytte / nor maye not moue hymselfe / but [Page]he be moued of another. ¶ In the same maner / they that ben sleen in the wycked stood / of y^e worldely mys gouerned loue / ben deed as to grace ¶ And bycause they bē deed / theyr myndes haue forgoten the grete benefyte of my large mercy. ¶ Also theyr eyes of intelleccyon seen not / nor knowen not my sothefastnesse / for his wytte and felynge is deed / & for his intelleccyō putteth nothȳge before hymselte / but his owne wyll with the loue of his owne propre sen sualyte / therfore his wyll is deed / as fro my reasonable wyll / for his wyll loueth not / but thynges that ben deed. ¶ And throwe these thre dyuers myghtes of the soule / al his werkes actuall and mentall / ben vt­terly departed and dyuyded as froony grace / and as by hymselfe / he maye not be defended fro his enemy es / but he be holpē throwe my good nesse. ¶ But forthermore sothe it is as ofte as he hathe ryghte frechoys whyle he is ī deedly body asketh my helpe / heshall haue it / but by hym­selfe he maye neuer haue it. ¶ For to hymselfe is made vnportable / & there he coueteth to be made lorde ouer all thynge. ¶ Therfore that that is noughte / hathe the maystre and lordeshyp ouer hym / and that is synne. ¶ Synne is nought of hȳ ­selfe / & all suche as ben nought / ben the seruauntes of synne. ¶ I made theym fayre trees of loue / with the lyfe of spercyall grace / the whiche grace they dyden receyue in the ho­ly baptym. ¶ But nowe they wax­en roten trees / for they ben deed as I haue sayde besore. ¶ And this deed tree fastneth his rootes / in the hyghnesse of pryde / y^e whiche pryde nourysheth venym / of y^e loue of his propre sensualyte. ¶ And y^e bytter­nesse within / is impasyence / and all these comē of indyscrecyon / or lacke of wytte. ¶ These foure pryncypall vyces done slee vtterly the soules of them (of the whiche I haue tolde y^e before) how they bē y^e trees of dethe for they haue no lyfe of grace. ¶ Al­so within that tree the worme of conscyēce is nourysshed / whiche worme as longe as a man lyueth in deedly synne / that man is made blynde throwe his owne propre loue / ther­fore he feleth bu lytle of y^e fretynge / or bytynge of he worme. ¶ Also the fruytes of this wycked tree bē deed­ly fruytes / for of the roote of pryde / they drawe oute the moysture of the tree. ¶ And the wretched soule is al clothed / and couered with greate vnkyndenesse / of y^e whiche vnkyndenesse / there romen all other euylles & wyckedues. ¶ Yf she wolde glad­ly with thankynges receyue the be­nefyres the whiche ben gyuen her / than sholde she knowe me / and whā that she knewe me verely / than she sholde knowe herselfe ryght parfytely / and so she sholde styll abyde and dwell in my loue. But as a blynded wretche / she putteth herselfe to the greate floode / no regarde takynge / nor hede / how slyper & how swyfte the water is / and how it abydeth no creature.

¶ The .iiii. chapytre is how [Page]the fruyte of this tree is as­moche dyuers / as is y^e dyuer­syte of synnes ¶ And here he sheweth fyrste of the fiesshly synne / and the fruyte of some trees is auaryce. ¶ And of some comen vnryghtwyse­nesse / and specyally of suche mē that haue the state of do­mynacyon / and so forthe of other synnes / as is made mē cyon before to you in the ka­lendre. Ca. iiii.

OVre lorde here speketh to this mayde / and saythe thus. ¶ Without doubte there ben as dyuers euyl fruytes of this tree / whiche bryn­gen dethe / as be dyuers kyndes of synnes. ¶ Thou may se some kynde of vnreasenable beestes / and those ben lykened to suche men that lyuen vnclēly / whiche done with theyr bo­dy and soule / as a sowe that waloweth in a stynkynge myre / and that is whan suche wretches defoulen thē selfe / in the fylthe of flesshly synne. ¶ O wretched / foule / and full of synnes / where hase y^u lefte thy dygnyte thou became a dere beloued syster of angels / & y^u arte made as an vnrea­sonable beest / in somoche & in so many myseres (that not onely) y^u shall not be suffred of me in that fylthe / y^e whiche am al pure & clene. ¶ But also those fendes / to whome y^u arte be­come as a frende / & bounde / maye not se nor suffre somoche vnclenesse be done in theyr syght. ¶ Ther is no synne so abhomynable / nor no syune that someche taketh fro the soule the lyght of intelleccyō / or of ghostly vn­derstōdȳge / as this wretched synne of flesshly lust. ¶ Phuosophers had­dē knowlege of this / but not throwe the lyght of grace / for they hadden not y^e grace / but onely nature gaue them that lyght / y^e suche synne blynded and stopped theyr eyen of intel­leccyon. ¶ And therfore to y^e entent / that they myghten the more lyghtly gyue them to theyr study / many of them were nyght wel content / and dyden abstayne thē fro that synne. ¶ They toke on thē abstynēce / and they vyden dyspyse ryches / y^t the besynesse aboute ryches sholde not let them fro theyr study. ¶ Thus done not the wycked crysten men / nor he that loseth grace throwe his syn̄es. ¶ How the fruyte of some trees is auaryce / & of the euyll that cometh of that synne. THe fruyte of some other men / ben erthely f [...]uytes / and those ben couetous men / & mysse ke­pers of theyr good / whiche done as a molle / whiche is alwaye nourysshed in y^e erthe tyl she dye. ¶ And whā y^e cruell dethe cometh / thā is ther no remedy. ¶ They w^t theyr greate de­syre of erthely goodes / dythysen my goodnes / & sellen them to y^e worlde. ¶ They bē vsurers to theyr neyghbours / for they haue suche mȳde on theyr goodes / y they forgoten me & theyr neyghbours. ¶ For & they dydē loue me / they sholdē not be so cruell to themselfe. ¶ But they sholden [Page]haue pyte & mercy / and worke ver­tuously to thēselfe / and serue theyr neyghbour charytably. ¶ O what wyckednesse and euyll cometh oute of this wycked syn̄e / how many mā slaughters / theues / rauyners / with many vnlawfull lucres and cruel­tes of dethe / that comen out of this synne. ¶ Also the vnryghtwysenes of thē sleeth y^e soule of theyr neygh­bour / and makē the soule not lady / but seruaunte of rychesse (that is to saye) she putteth behynde / the ke­pynge of my preceptes. ¶ Suche a soule loueth not other thynges / but onely his propre profyte / & that vyce cometh of pryde / and that vyce no­ryssheth pryde / that one cometh of y^e other / for this vyce bereth euermore with hym / a mannes extollynge / & his owne reputacyon / and anone it falleth in to an other vyce / and so he falleth fro euyll in to more euyll / by that wretched pryde / whiche is full of euyll wyll / and it is a greate fyre / smytynge out a smoke of vayne glory / and vahyte of the herte / and re­ioyseth hym of good that is not his. ¶ It is also a rote that hathe many braunches / of the whiche a mannes owne excellence / is the pryncypall braunche. ¶ And that is whā a mā holdeth hymselfe more worthy / & more cunnynge than he is. ¶ Of suche reputacyon / cometh vnordy­nate desyre (that is to saye) desyre to be more worthy and at more reputacyon thā his neyghbour / shewynge forthe an her [...]e fened / not trewe nor fre / but double. ¶ For he feneth the one in y^e monye / and hathe an other in the herte / & hydeth the trewethe & maketh lyes / for his owne profyte. ¶ Also of this rote of pryde / cometh a wycked braunche of enuy / and y^e is a worme / whiche is alwaye fygh­tynge and fretȳge / & suffreth them neuer to holde them plesed / nor to be gladde for theyr owne profyte / nor for the profyte of theyr neyghbours. ¶ How shall this wycked kynde of suche synners / y^e ben set in so greate mysery / do ony sacryfyce to poore men / with y^e substaūce of theyr good whan they taken awaye other men­nes goodes. ¶ Howe shall a man brȳge forthe a clene soule fro ynclennesse / whan they putten the soule in vnclennesse / for sometyme they ben become so beestly / that they dreden not to take theyr owne doughters / or other of theyr kynne / but with thē they fallē in to moche wretchednesse and fylthe / & neuerthelesse my mer­cy abydeth and supporteth theym. ¶ And I bydde not that the erthe sholde swalowe them / but I abyde and suffre them to amende theyr ly­ues. ¶ How shall they be able than to put theyr lyues for helthe of sou­les / whan they done not y^e substaūce of theyr owne helthe. ¶ O wycked vyces full of mysery / whiche draw­eth downe y^e heuen of the soule. ¶ I call the soule heuen / for I made the soule an heuen / in the whiche I or­deyned me to abyde by grace / & reue rende me in her. ¶ And for loue I made me a bydynge place in her / & nowe she is gone fro me / as a vou­trer louynge herselfe / and other cre­atures more than me (and not one­ly [Page]that) but more ouer she maketh a god of herselfe / and parsueth me w^t dyuers synnes. ¶ And all this she dothe / for she bethynketh her not / of that greate benefyte that I dyd for her / whan I shedde my bloode for mankynde / by my endeles charyte. ¶ How vnryghtfulnes is the fruyte of some mennes teeres / the whiche stonden in the state of dampnacyon. OTher there ben whiche berē thē ­selfe full hyghe by theyr lordeshyp / in the whiche hyghenesse / they vsen moche vnryghtwysenesse agaynste me / agaynst theyr neyghbour / and agaynste themselfe. ¶ Agaynst thē ­selfe / for they lyuen not vertuously. ¶ Also vnryghtwysely they bere thē agaynst me / for they yeldē not wor­shyp to my name / nor they gyuē no thankynges nor presynges to me as they ben bounde / but as theues they taken awaye fro me y^t is myne gyuȳge it to theyr owne propre sen­sualyte. ¶ Also they done vnryght­wysenesse to me / & agaynst thēselfe / as blȳde men and vncunnynge / not knowynge me in thē. ¶ And all this cometh by theyr owne loue / whiche desyre may not be fulfylled / nor they ben neuer contented / as the Iewes and the mynysters of the lawe dydē to my sone. ¶ For they maden them selfe blynde / throwe enuy / & throwe theyr owne propre loue. ¶ Therfore they knewe not the sothefastnesse of my sone. ¶ And whā they knewe not the cuerlastynge lyfe / whiche was withi thē / they dydē not theyr dewte / and that very [...]yed my sothe­fastnesse / and that is my sone / whā he sayde thus / y^e kyngedome of god is within you / but that knewe they not. ¶ And the cause was / for they hadden lost the lyght of reason / and in this maner they lef [...]ē theyr dewre vndone / whiche dewre sholde haue be to gyue thākynge and worshyp to me and to my sone / whiche is all one w^t me. ¶ And therfore as blynde men they dydē suche vnryghtwysenesse to me / parsuynge my sone / to the dyspytefull dethe of the crosse / with repreues and wronges woutē ende. ¶ So they y^t ben lyke to them / done vnworthynesse to me / & to thē ­selfe / and to theyr neyghbour / sel­lȳnge vnryghtfully theyr owne flesshe / and of theyr sogetes / & of other. ¶ Of the vnworthynesse in to whi­che a mā falleth throwe these defau­tes. Also it speketh of these wordes. Paraclitus autem quē mit­tet pater. &c. ALso throwe this synne and for other defautes / they fallē somtyme in a false Iudgemēt / as I shall shewethe after. ¶ They ben euer sclan̄dred in my werkes / y^e whiche ben all ryghtfull / and all bē ordeyned in sothefastnesse / throwe mercy & loue. ¶ With this wicked & fals Iudgement / the Iewes dydē repreue wyckrdly the ryghtfull werkes of my sone / throwe wycked ve / nym of enuy / and pryde / demynge them with theyr falsenes and theyr lesynges (and sayde) this is he that casteth oute in y^e vertu of Bellabub. ¶ So the wycked Iewes weren so fulfylled w^t theyr owne propre loue / and grounded so in vnclennesse / as in pryde / auaryce / & lose of dyscrecy [Page]on / with impasence / & many other defautes that ben vsed / that alway they ben sclaundred in me / and in my seruaūtes / demȳge falsly / those vertues ben fened / and not trewe. ¶ And y^e cause is / for theyr herte is infecte / & hathe no ryght nor trewe rast of the soule / nor ghostly sauour / wherfore all good werkes semen to them vnsauory and wycked. ¶ O blyndnesse of mankynde / why wyll thou not beholde thy dygnyte / fro greate thou arte become full lytle / fro a lorde y^u arte made a seruaunte and bounde / for thou arte made ser­uaunte and soget to synne. ¶ And y^u arte made suche as he is / whome y^u serues. ¶ Synne is noughte / ther­fore thou arte become to noughte. ¶ Synne hathe taken thy lyfe fro y^e & hathe betaken y^e to dethe. ¶ This lyfe and dominacyon was taken to you / of the doctryne and the gloryo­us brydge / of my dere sone. ¶ Whā ye weren seruauntes of the fende / my sone toke you out of that seruage bycause y^e ye sholden not perysshe. ¶ I ordeyned my sone a seruaunte and I put in hym obedyence / that the inobedyence of Adam sholde be put out. ¶ And that pryde sholde be confounded / he meked hymselfe to the moost cruell dethe of the crosse. ¶ He dyscryed all vyces by the ver­tu of his dethe / that no man myght saye that suche a vyce was vnpunysshed / for throwe his passyon & byt­ter dethe / all vyces werē punysshed in hym. ¶ All remedyes weren gy­uen / for he wolde delyuer them fro euerlastynge dethe. ¶ They dyden dyspyse that holy blode / & they dy­den trede it vnder the fete of an vn­ordynate affeccyon. ¶ This is that vnryghtwysenesse / and theyr false Iudgement / with the whiche the worlde is repreued. ¶ And so it shal be repreued / in the greate daye of y^e Iudgement (so wytnesed my sone) that is my sothefastnesse / whan he sayde. ¶ The comforter that is cal­led the holy ghost / whome my fader shall sende in my name / he shall vn­dermyne y^e worlde of vnryghtwysenes / & y^e worlde was repreued whā I sende my holy spyryte in the apostles. ¶ Here is how chryste speketh this reason. O go mittam pa­raclitū qui mūdū arguet. &c. And how y^e one of these repreues is contynuall. THere bē thre vnder mynynges of y^e worlde. ¶ One was whan the holy ghost dyscended on crystes dyscyples (as I sayde be­fore) for whā they werē strengthed by my myght / and lyghtned with the wysdome of my sone / than they dyden receyue bothe grace and vertu / in the fulnesse of the holy ghoste. ¶ Than the holy ghoste whiche is one with me / and with my sone / re­preued the worlde / by the monycy­ons of his dyscyples / w^t y^e techynge of my holy sothefastnes / that is my sone. ¶ They and suche other whi­che came of them / folowynge that sothefastnesse / whiche they knewe by theyr techynge / dyden repreut the worlde. ¶ This is a contynuall vndermynynge / whiche I d [...] to the worlde (as y^e techȳge of holy scryp­ture saythe) and by the prechȳge of [Page]my seruaūtes / whan the holy ghost put hymselfe in theyr tongues / and shewed theym my sothefastnesse. ¶ And ryght so in the contrary / the fende receyueth hym on the tōgues of his seruauntes (that is to saye) on the tongues of them / whiche gon by the wycked floode. ¶ This holy vndermynynge / is put to y^e worlde cōtynually (in the maner as I sayd before) throwe the greate loue that I haue to y^e helthe of soules. ¶ And they maye not saye / we hadden no man to excuse vs / for y^e truthe ther­of is clerly shewed / whā vertu and vyce was shewed to them. ¶ And I made them to se the fruyte of ver­tues / and the harme of vyces / to y^e entent that I sholde graunte to thē bothe to loue and to drede me / with the hate of vyces / and loue of vertues. ¶ And now that doctryne is not shewed by an angell / for they sholdē not saye / an angel maye not offende for be is a blyssed spyryte. ¶ He fe­leth no greuaunce of the flesshe / as we fele. ¶ This they maye not saye / for that doctryne was gyuen to thē of my sone / the whiche was incar­nate / with very deedly flesshe as ye haue. ¶ Also other there weren / the whiche dydē folowe crystes techȳge (suffrynge creatures as ye ben) reasonable and deedly / with stryfe of y^e ftesshe agaynste y^e spyryte / as seynt Paule was / and full many seyntes the whiche weren trauayled with many passyons. ¶ Whiche passyōs weren suffred of my goodnesse / for y^t encrese of grace & vertues in theyr soules. ¶ And they weren borne in synne / as ye ben / & nouryshed with the same meet / and as I was god than / so I am god nowe. ¶ For my myghte was not made lesse / nor it maye not be made lesse. ¶ Also I wyll / I can / and I maye / gyue my helpe to all that ben of wyll to aske to haue helpe of me. ¶ A man desy­reth to be holpē of me / whā he gothe oute of that floode / and goeth vpon the brydge / folowynge the waye of my fothefastnesse / that is the waye of my beloued sone. ¶ Wherfore the Iewes / and wycked crysten men / sholden haue no excusacyō / for they ben repreued. ¶ I shewed thē contynually the sothefastnesse / and they woldē not receyue it. ¶ And for that yf they dyspose them not whā they haue tyme / all suche shall abyde / & be condempned in the seconde repre­uynge / whiche shall be in the laste tyme / wher my ryghtwysenes shall crye. ¶ Ye that ben deed / aryse you vp and come to youre Iudgement (that is to saye) you that ben deed to grace / and deed to bodyly dethe aryse ye vp and come ye with youre vnryghtwysenesse / & false Iudge­mentes / and with the lyght of very feythe / whiche is quenched in you / whiche lyghte was brennynge in y^e tyme of holy baptȳ. ¶ This lyghte was quenched with thy pryde / and with y^e vanyte of thy herte / whiche pryde and vanyte / thou hase nouryshed with thy propre loue / and with thy owne extollȳge / throwe thy propre repuytacyon. ¶ Wherfore by thy owne propre wyll / thou hase rennen throw the floode of delytes / folow­ynge [Page]the wȳcked & greuous temp­tacyons of the fende / and thy frele flesshe. ¶ To the whiche perell / thy owne wycked wyll hathe lad y^t / by a lower waye / in to the floode that is rennynge. ¶ And thus the fende & y^e peryllous floode / hathe brought the to euerlastynge derkenesse and tourment.

¶ The fyfte chapytre is of y^e seconde vndermynynge / in y^e whiche vnryghtwysenes ben repreued / bothe in specy­all and in generall. ¶ Also of foure pryncypall tourmētes of them that ben dampned / whiche all other tourmētes folowe / and in specyall of the foule syghte of y^e fende. ¶ Al­so of the thyrde reprefe in the daye of dome. ¶ Also of the Ioye of them that ben saued & blyssed / as is rehersed ī the kalendre. Ca. v.

OVre lorde god dyd shewe to this mayde of y^e secōde vndermynynge / and dyd saye to her thus. ¶ Dere doughter this secōde vnderminȳge is whan the soule cometh to the last ende of this lyfe / where is the reme­dy / for it is come to the extremytes of the dethe / where the worme of cō scyence hathe lyfe. ¶ And now in y^e, tyme of dethe / for in asmoche as he seeth y^t he may scape not fro my hā ­des / than he begynneth to se this worme. ¶ Therfore the soule freteth herselfe with ful greate reprefe and vndermynyge / beholdȳge that clerly throwe her owne defaures / she entreth in to peynes ītollerable. ¶ Yet yf this soule had that lyght of grace with the whiche she myght knowe what euyll she hadde done / & wolde sorowe therfore / not prȳcypally for drede of helpenes / but for she hathe offended my euer beynge goodnesse thā myght she fynde mercy. ¶ But yf the tyme of dethe passeth forthe without lyght of grace / onely with the worme of consyence / & withoutē hope of meryte / of my sones bloode shedde for her / or yf she sorowe more for her owne harme wylfully / than for me / she gothe thā to euerlastȳge dampnacyon. ¶ And than shall she myserably / and wretchydly be pu­nysshed / and cas vnder the fete of y^e [...]als Iudgement of vnryghtwyse­nesse. ¶ And not onely of vnryghte­wysenesse of fals Iudgementes ge­nerally ī all her werkes / but moche more sharpely she shal be put vnder the fete of vnryghtwysenesse and of fals Iudgemēt in specyall / whiche she vsed in her last ende / and that is in demynge & fals wenȳge / that her mysery and synne was more than my mercy. ¶ That is the greatest synne / whiche shal not be releshed in this worlde nor after / yf she dye so ther with / for by her owne wyll / she dyspysed and forsoke my mercy / for that is more greuous to me / than al y^e synnes that she dyd. ¶ Wherfore y^e dyspyracyō of Iudas / was more [Page]dysplesaunce and greuaunce to my sone / thā his betraȳge. ¶ Also they ben made blynde in this false dome / wher they dydē thynke that theyr trespases weren more / thā my mer­cy / that is so large / whiche may not be noūbred / therfore they ben tour­mented with fendes. ¶ Also they bē repreued of vnryghtwysenesse / and that is whan they sorowe more for theyr penes and harmes / than for my offences. ¶ Ther they done vnryghtwysenesse / for they yelden to me that is not myne / nor to thē that longeth to them. ¶ They sholden yelde to me loue / with contrycyō of herte / they sholden yelde to me / and offre vp to me bytternesse of soule / & sorowe for offences done to me / but they done the contrary / gyuynge to themselfe the loue & sorowe for theyr peynes that they abyden. ¶ They done also vnryghtwysenes / as thou sees / therfore whan they haue put behynde my mercy / they sholden be tourmēted for bothe. ¶ For I of my ryghtwysenesse haue ordeyned thē to be tourmented / of my mynysters the fendes / with y^e seruaūte of theyr sensualyte / and with the cruell spy­ryte of the fende / to whome they bē made sogettes and seruauntes / as they of theyr ꝓpre sensualyte dydē offēde me / my ryghtwysenes hathe sende them to be tourmented ryght sharpely / for they dydē wretchydly ¶ Of foure pryncypall tourmentes of them that ben dampned / and of y^e foule syght of the fende. My doughter no tongue suffyseth not to tell y^e grete peynes of suche wretched sou­les / as these thre pryncypall vyces deseruen and sholden haue (that is to saye) a mannes owne propre loue of y^e whiche loue cometh forthe the seconde (that is to saye) y^e extollȳge / and reputacyon of hymselfe. ¶ And of that reputacyon cometh forthe y^e thyrde (that is to saye) pryde / with false iustyfyenge themselfe / & with cruelte / and with other vnclene and wycked synnes / whiche done folow here after. ¶ So I sayde to the / y they receyue foure tourmētes afterwarde pryncypally in hell / whiche ben these. ¶ The fyrste is / that they se well how they ben pryued of my syghte / for y^e gyueth to thē so greate apeyne / y^e yf it were possyble / they wolden rather chose the fyre / and al other tourmentes & se me / thā to be out of tourmentes / and not to se me. ¶ This peyne encreaseth y^e secōde peyne / that is of the worme of consyence / whiche freteth alwaye / behol­dȳge how I haue worthely pryued them of my syght / and of the cōuer­sasyon of angels / seynge well them­selfe / that for theyr synnes / they bē made worthy / to haue the conuersacyon of fendes / and to haue the hor­ryble syghte of thē. ¶ Whiche syght of the fende / that is y^e thyrde peyne doubleth to thē al labour / al sorowe / and all peyne. ¶ For ryght as in the syghte of me / all seyntes haue glad­nesse / with Ioy of y^e fruyte of theyr labours / the whiche they broughtē for my name / with the plentuous­nesse of my loue / and greate dysple­saūce of themselfe. ¶ Ryght so in y^e cōtrarywyse / these synful wretches [Page]ben encreased in tourmentes / by y^t horryble syghte of fendes. ¶ For in suche a syghte they knowen them­selfe / more fully than they dydē / for there they se y^t throwe theyr owne defautes / they ben worthy to haue those tourmētes. ¶ And in this maner theyr worme freteth them more myghtly / and the fyre of this conscyence ceseth neuer of brēnynge. ¶ Also it is to suche wretches as bē dāp­ned more peyne / to se and to beholde the fende / as he is in his propre fy­gure / whiche beholdynge and syght is so horryble / that no mānes herte maye thynke it. ¶ And thou boughter yf thou remembre the well / thou knowes ī what forme he was shew ed to y^t / as in y^t mynute of an houre. ¶ And at the laste whan thy spyry­tes weren comen agayne togyder / an thy owne choyse / thy wyll was rather to go in a waye brennynge (as to hell) thy lyfe durynge / vnto the daye of Iudgement / than to se that syghte ony more. ¶ And yet not w^t ­stondynge thou sawe it in suche a forme / yet y^u knowes not how hor­ryble it is. ¶ For by y^e power of my dyuyne ryghtwysenesse / the fende sheweth hȳ more horryble in a wyc­ked soule / whiche hathe pryued herselfe of me / and more or lesse / after y^e greuaunce of her synnes. ¶ The fourthe tourment is fyre / this fyre ceseth neuer of brennynge / and yet he wasteth not. ¶ For the beynge of the soule maye not be wasted / nor y^t fuell of the fyre may not be wasted / for it is not bodyly. ¶ Neuerthelesse I suffre thē to be brente of that fyre by my dyuyne ryghtwysenesse / as by waye of tourment / whiche fyre tourmenteth them / & wasteth not / and tourmenteth and brenneth thē with grete penes / by many dyuers wayes / after the dyuersyte & multytude of syn̄es. ¶ Besyde these foure pryncypall tourmentes be other / & of these tourmentes comē all other with colde / here / and gnastynge of tethe / & after they gone wretchely to y^t euerlastynge fyre that is dethe after the tyme they ben Iudged / at the daye of Iudgemēt / of theyr vn­ryghtfull lyuȳge in theyr lyte / and they that done not amende them before dethe / in y^e fyrst vndermynȳge. ¶ Also yf they dye in the seconde vn dermynynge (that is to saye) yf at y^e poynt of dethe they wyll not haue hope nor trust in my mercy / nor so­rowe for offenses done to me prȳcy­pally / but rather sorowe for theyr owne penes whiche they sholdē suffre / after they haue receyued y^e euer lastynge dethe. ¶ Of the thyrde vn­dermynynge / whiche shall be at the daye of Iudgement. NOwe thou shal here of y^t thyrde vndermynȳge (that is to saye) of the laste daye of Iudgement / y^t thou maye se how moche a soule dysceyueth herselfe. ¶ Fyrste I shall tell the of the gene­rall Iudgemēt / in y^e whiche Iudgement / the peyne of a wretched soule shal be encreased throwe y^t oneheed whiche the soule shall make with y^e body / with an intollerable vnder­mynge / the whiche shal brynge her in to confusyon and shame. ¶ Thou shall knowe it forsothe / that in the [Page]laste daye of y^e Iudgement / whā my sone shall come w^t his ryghtwyse­nesse / to Iudge the worlde with y^t dyuyne myghte. ¶ For thā he shall not come as a lytle poore chylde / as whan he was borne of a maydens wombe / in a stable with beestes / af­terwarde he dyed w^t grete dyspyte / hangynge on the crosse bytwene .ij. theues. ¶ And that tyme I hyd my myght in hym / and I suffred hym to haue peyne & tourment vntolle­table / as a very mā. ¶ Not in that wyse that the dyuyne nature / as for that was departed fro hym / but I suffred hym to bere that passyon as a man / that he sholde make satysfaccyon for youre syn̄es. ¶ But dough­ter he shall not come so downe in the laste ende of the worlde / for he shall come than with a full grete myghte w^t his owne propre ꝑsone / to make correccyō. ¶ And ther shall no crea­ture be thā / but y^t he shal haue grete drede / and he shall yelde to euery creature after his werkes. ¶ To sou­les that shall be dampned / he shall gyue many tourmentes / and the beholdynge on hym shall be so dredful that a tongue suffyseth not to tell / he shall gyue to ryghtfull soules in his beholdynge / a drede of reuerēce / with full greate ioye and gladnesse. ¶ Not in that wyse that he shall be chaūged in face / for he is vnchaūgeable / for he is all one with me / with my dyuyne nature / & after nature of man / so y^t his face is not chaungeable / after his gloryous resurreccy­on. ¶ He shall shewe hym dredfull to y^t eye of thē y^t shall be dāpned / for they shall se hym with the dredefull and derke eyes whiche they haue in themselfe / as an eye y^t is hurts may not comprehende but derkenesse in a sayre shynynge sonne. ¶ An hole eye beholdeth lyghte / & that is not throwe the defaute of y^t lyghte / whiche shall gyue more & rather altera­cyon to a blynde mā / thā to hym y^t hathe syghte / but it is throwe y^t de­faute of y^t sore eye. ¶ So shal they y^t shall be dāpned / beholde my sone w^t a dredefull syght / and vntollerable in greate confusyon and hatered. ¶ Not throwe defaute of my diuine maieste / in the whiche maieste / he shall come to Iudge all the worlde / but they sholden se hym so dredeful­ly by theyr owne defautes. ¶ Howe a soule dampned / may not desyre no goodnesse. THe hatered of damp­ned soules / that they haue in them is somoche / that they maye not de­syre nor wyll ony goodnesse / but al­waye they dyspysen me w^t blasphe­mȳge. And wyll y^u knowe why they haue no appetyte nor desyre to goodnes / for y^t lyfe of a mā whā it is deed y^t fre choyse to good or yll is cōstrey­ned / and fro that tyme passed / they maye go no forther. ¶ Yf they dyen in hatered with deedly syn̄e / alway after the soule is bounde with the bōdes of hatered / of y^t dyuyne ryghtwysenes / & he abydeth obstynate ī y^e peyne y^t he suffreth / alway fretȳge hȳselfe w^t peynes / whiche bē added & encresed to hȳ / fro tyme to tyme. ¶ And specyally they bē partyners of theyr peynes / of whom they werē y^e prȳcypal cause of theyr dāpnacyō [Page]as the ryche man y^t was dampned gaue you ensample / whan he asked for grace / that Lazarus sholde go ī to the worlde to his brederne for to shewe them his cruell peynes. ¶ He asked not for compassyō / nor for charyte that he had to his brederne / for he was pryued of that compassyon and of charyte. ¶ And he myght desyre no goodnesse / nother to my worshyppe / nor to theyr helthe (for as I sayde to the) they may do no good to theyr neyghbour. ¶ Me they blas­feme / bycause they dydé ende theyr lyues in hatered of me / & in hate of vertues. ¶ Why does y^u aske thā the ryche mā y^t Lazarꝰ sholde shewe to his brederne / what peynes he suf­fred (this was the cause) for y^t ryche man had many brederne / & he was y^e oldest of thē / & he noryshed thē in synne and wretchydnesse / in y^e whi­che he was vsed alwaye hymselfe / wherfore he was cause of theyr dāpnacyon parpetual / for whiche cause he sawe before what encrese of pey­nes he sholde suffre / whā they werē comen to tourmētes to hym / in whiche peynes euermore they frete thē ­selfe w^t hatered. ¶ Of the blysse & ioy of chosen soules. IN the contrarywyse a ryghtfull soule / y^e whiche en­deth her lyfe in affeccyon of charyte and is k [...]yte with the bonde of loue / maye not be encresed in vertues / af­ter y^e tyme her lyfe is passed. ¶ But suche a soule maye alwaye loue / w^t the same loue y^t she cometh to me / & with the same mesure / she shall be mesured agayne. ¶ He that coue­teth me / alway hathe me / wherfore his desyre is not voyde / but whan he hathe me / he is fylled w^t replec­cyon. ¶ And whan he is replete / yet he is made hongry for desyre / but werynesse is fer tro repleccyon / and peyne is ferre frome suche hongre. ¶ With loue they Ioye togyder / in the euerlastȳge syght of me / and to be partetakers of that I haue ī my selfe. ¶ Euery soule as he hathe de­serued / more or lesse (that is to saye) in the same mesure of loue / in y^e whiche they came to me / the very same shall be mesured to them / for al they dyden lyue in the loue of me / and of theyr neyghbours. ¶ And so in that comyn charyte / with y^e whiche they were all ioyned togyder / and also w^t a specyall and a profounde loue the whiche cometh out of the bonde of the same charyte. ¶ They bē in ioye togyder with gladnes / and they bē all made glad with ioye togyder / & euery mannes goodnesse medled togyder the one with the other / with affeccyon of charyte besydes the v­nyuersal goodnesse / the whiche they reioyce togyder. ¶ They done ioye also with greate gladnesse / with the nature of angels / with the whiche angels / the soules of seyntes ben set after the multytude of dyuers vertues / whiche they hadden pryncypal­ly beynge in the erthe / and all ben knytte togyder with chayne of cha­ryte / the whiche maye not be dys­solued. ¶ Also they ioye with them in a synguler partycypacyō of blys with whome they were knyte togy­der w^t a partyculer loue in y^t worlde. ¶ Throwe the whiche loue they dyden [Page]encrese here in grace & vertues whā one gaue cause to an other / to shewe & to gyue laude & glory to my holy name / in thē & in theyr neygh­bours. ¶ Therfore they losen not y^t same loue / whan they comen to the lyfe that shall euer endure. ¶ But rather they haue y^t same / and parte togyder / with moche more plente of loue / thā they dyd here. ¶ And whā they haue this specyall gyfte / whi­che is added for encrese of theyr blys I wolde not that you suppose / that they shold haue this partyculer onely for thēselfe / it is not so. ¶ For that same goodnes is had of all the holy soules in heuen / whiche be my dere beloued & chosen chyldren / & of all y^e courte / & of all the ordres of angels. ¶ Therfore whan a soule is come to that blys of euerlastynge lyfe / all that be there / shall haue parte of the goodnes of that soule / & that soule hathe parte of theyr goodnesse and blys that be in heuen. ¶ But not so y^t y^e soules nede ony araye / but thou shall vnderstonde that they haue a maner of gladnesse / & a synguler ioy whiche is called Iub [...]lus (that is to saye) a soule of a glad songe / whiche may not be tolde by worde nor shewed by sowne of voyce. ¶ For gladde­nes & ioye / whiche ioye they haue by the knowynge whiche they had in suche a soule. ¶ They beholde suche a soule take vp frome y^e erthe by my mercy w^t plētuousnes of grace. ¶ Also they ioye togyder in me / & be glad in the possessyon of goodnes / y^t they knowe in y^t soule / for that grace / the whiche y^e soule receyued of my goodnes. ¶ That same soule is glad in me / & in the holy spyrytes / & in the blyssed soules in heuen / beholdynge in thē y^t fayre heed / and tastynge the swetenes of my charyte. ¶ And the desyre of thē crye alwaye to me / for the sauynge of al before my maieste for y^t lyfe of thē was ended / in y^t cha­ryte of theyr neyghboure. ¶ That charyte they lefte not / but w^t y^t cha­ryte they dyd pas throwe y^e gate of my dere sone / in the maner y^t I shall tell y^e afterwarde. ¶ Wherfore thou maye well conceyue y^t with y^t bonde of y^t same loue / wherin they dydde ende theyr lyfe / in y^t same they dwel & abyd / & euerlastȳgely they endure ¶ They be somoche ꝯformed to my wyll / y^t they maye not desyre / but y^t is my wyll. ¶ For theyr fre choyse is so boūde with y^e bonde of my cha­ryte / that whan y^e reasonable tyme of a creature / fayleth after his deth he maye nomore synne. ¶ And his wyll is somoche cōformed with my wyll / that thoughe they se & knowe the soules of theyr fader and moder & of theyr chyldren / or of theyr other frendes they charge them not / but rather they beholden they in as my enemyes. ¶ And whan they se them tourmēted / they dyscorde ī not hȳge fro my wyll / for theyr desyres be fullfylled / the desyre of soules in blysse is to se and beholde my worshyp fullfylled in you / that yet be walkers in y^e way / y^e whiche be straūgers & pylgrymes / goynge fast to the ende of dethe. ¶ All your soules helthe / they that be in blysse done couer / for the desyre y^t they haue to my worshyp. [Page]¶ Therfore they pray alway for you whose desyre is fulfylled of my par­ty / so y^t ye w^tstōde not my mercy / for tomoche ignoraunce & blyndenesse. ¶ Forthermore those soules y^t be in blys / desyre to take agayne theyr bodyes for encrese of blys / that they sholde haue / whā y^t soule & the body come togyder / but y^t desyre noyeth the not / though they haue not theyr desyre / ī acte or in dede. ¶ But they ioye with a ghostly desyre of knowynge / & they fele & tast ioyenge of y^t sykernes / whiche they haue of theyr desyre / y^t shall be fulfylled. ¶ Ther­fore thoughe they haue not theyr desyre in acte / it noyeth theym not / for thoughe they haue it not / theyr blys fayl [...] not / therfore y^e lacke of theyr [...] / causeth thē no peyne. ¶ And [...]nke you not y^t the body gyueth [...] blys to y^e soule after the resur­ [...]on. ¶ It is not so / for yf it were [...]o / [...]d [...]s [...] wolde folowe / y^t in to y^e [...]yme they had agayne theyr body­ [...] they sholde haue in partyte blys [...] may not be / for they lacke no [...]yon. ¶ Wherfore there is no [...] man y^t bryngeth blys to his [...] / but y^e soule shall gyue blys to [...]y. ¶ Thā shall y^e soule gyue [...] yeweher habūdaunce of newe [...] in the daye of Iudgemēt so [...] [...]othynge of her owne flesshe [...] iefte / whan the soule de­ [...] [...] [...]ody by dethe. ¶ Ryght [...] is made vndeedly / and al [...] in engthed in me / so shall [...] be made in the same vnyon [...] [...]oly. ¶ And all the heuynesse & [...]rosyte of the body shal awaye and shall be made sotell and lyghte. ¶ Wherfore thou shall vnderstonde y^t euery body gloryfyed / maye passe throwe y^e stonen walles. ¶ Nother fyre nor water maye noye them / & y^t is not by the vertu of y^e body / but by y^t vertu of y^u soule. ¶ Whiche soule is properly myne / gyuē to the body by grace / & by loue / throwe the whiche grace & loue / I formed thē / & made thē to my ymage & lykenes. ¶ The eye of thy intelleccyon suffyseth not to se / nor thy eres to here / nor tōgue to tell / nor mānes herte to thȳke / y^e grete goodnes other blys / whiche is inestimable. ¶ O doughter what grete ioy haue they / whiche euer be­holde me y^t am all good. ¶ O how moche solace they shall haue / whan they shal be gloryfyed in theyr bodyes. ¶ Whiche solace al be it they sholden not haue in to the daye of dome yet sholde the soules haue no peyne for y^t lacke of theyr bodyes / for y^t blyssed heed of the soule fayleth not / for she is euer full of blys in herselfe / to y^e whiche blys / she shall come w^t the body / as I haue sayde before. ¶ I tolde y^e of y^e goodnes y^t maye not be thought / y^e whiche a body gloryfyed shal haue in y^e humanyte gloryfyed of my dere sone / whiche humanyte gyueth to you clerely a sykernes of your resurreccyō. ¶ Ther they ioy & make thē glad in his woūdes / whi­che woūdes cese not to cry euery day mercy for you to me y^t am the fader. ¶ All blyssed soules be cōforted with hym in ioye and gladnes / eye with eye / and with honde / and with all y^t hole body of my onely sone. ¶ All [Page]ye sholde be confyrmed in me a by­dynge / & so ye sholde dwell in hym / for he is all one with me. ¶ The eye of your body as I sayde / shall haue gladnes ī the humanyte gloryfyed of my sone. ¶ And this is the cause / for theyr lyues ended in y^e loue of my charyte. ¶ And therfore with y^t cha­ryte they ben parseuer aūte / & abyd [...] euerlastȳgely. ¶ Not so y^t they may do ony good / but they Ioye in that loue whiche they had (y^t is to say) for they maye not haue ony merytory dede in excersyce. ¶ For here in this lyfe onely / mē synne & do merytory dedes as thē lyke at theyr owne wy [...] w^t theyr fre choyse. ¶ They y^t abyde ī blys / abyde not y^e dyuyne dome w^t drede / but w^t ioye. ¶ The face of my sone shall not be seen drede full to thē nor ful of hate / for asmoche as theyr lyfe ended in my loue / & in y^e benyuolēce of theyr neyghbours. ¶ Thou shall also vnderstonde / y^t there shall no chaūgȳge of face be ī hȳ to theyr syght / wha he cometh to Iudge in my maieste / but in thē y^t shall be [...]udged of hȳ / to thē ther shall be drede­full chaūgynge of lokȳge. ¶ He shal appere to y^t soules y^t shall be dapned w^t ryghtwysenes & hatered / & to thē y^t shall be saued / with mercy & loue ¶ Thā after y^e generall Iudgemēt the peyne of dampned soules shall encrese. DOughter I haue tolde y^t of the dygnyte of ryghtfull men / by the whiche y^u maye know y^t more lyghtly / y^e mysery of thē y^t be dampned. ¶ This is an other peyne to theyr myseryes / for to beholde so­moche blys of ryghtful mē / whiche beholdynge is to thē encrese of pey­nes / as it is to ryghtfull mē y^e dāp­nacyon of them that be dampned / an addycyon of gladnes of my good­nes / for lyghte is better knowe for derkenes / and derkenes for lyghte. ¶ Therfore y^e syght of seyntes shall be to them peyne / and with peyne they adyde the laste daye of Iudgement / for they se well therby grete encrese of peyne to them / & so it shal be. ¶ For whā it shall be sayde to thē w^t an hortyble voyce / Aryse ye y^t be deed & come to y^e Iudgement / than shall y^e soule go agayne to the body. ¶ And in ryghtfull mē y^e body shall be gloryfyed / of thē y^t shal be dāpned the body shall be tourmented w^tout ende. ¶ And grete stryues shall be ymonge them / and repreues in be­holdynge of my sothefastnes / and of blyssed seyntes. ¶ And thā y^e worme of conscyence freteth y^t marowz of y^t tree that is the soule / and the vtter rynde of the tree that is the body / y^e holy blode that was shed for theym they shold vndernyme. ¶ Also theyr dedes of mercy tēporal & spyrytual / they sholde repreue / & that they dyd to theyr neyghbour / & other dedes y^t they dyd in theyr wycked lyuynge for they wolde not leue theyr synne al shal be put in reprefe to thē than. ¶ Also they shold be repreued of the crueltes / y^t they dyd to theyr neyghbours / & of y^t syn̄e of pryde / w^t loue of vnclēnes / & theyr auarice. ¶ And whan they so y^t grete mercy whiche they myght haue had of me / theyr vndernymȳge shal be moche harder thā the soule had in tyme of dethe. [Page]¶ For at y^t general dome y^t soule & y^t body of suche shall be tourmented bothe togyder / for asmoche as y^e bo­dy was felowe w^t the souls / & instru­mēt to worke bothe good and yll / at theyr owne wyl. ¶ Euery workȳge good or yl / is wrought by some maner of a mānes neyghbour. ¶ Therfore doughter goodnes & glory w^tout ende is gyuē ryghtfully to my chosē soules / w^t theyr bodyes gloryfyed / & gracyously they be rewarded for theyr labours / y^e whiche they had togyder body & soule in my name. ¶ In y^t same maner euerlastynge peyne shall be gyue to wycked men w^t body & soule. ¶ Bycause y^t body was instrument of euyll / therfore y^t peyne shall be made newe & encrea­sed in y^t syght of my sone / whan the soule & the body shal come togyder / thā shall y^e wretched sensualyte be repreued with his vnclēnes / behol­dȳge y^t humanyte of cryst / ioyned w^t y^t iy [...]e of clēnes of my godheed / and whā they beholde your nature of Ada [...] / enhaūsed aboue y^t courte of angels. ¶ Also they shal se thēselfe put downe in to y^e depenes of hell / beholdynge y^t largenes & y^t mercy gyuen to them y^t be blyssed. ¶ And whā the blyssed soules receyue the fruyte of my sones blode / whiche sone is cal­led y^e lābe of god. ¶ Also y^t blyssed soules do se all y^t peynes whiche they suffre in y^t worlde / ordeyned for y^t or namētes of the bodyes / as a raye of golde is put vpō a clothe / & y^t is not by y^t vertu of y^t body / but onely by y^t plētuous blys of y^t soule / whiche re­presenteth to his body y^t fruyte of his trauayles / bycause that y^t body was assocyate to y^e soule & to y^e excersyces of vertues. ¶ Also y^t body shall be knowe outewardely / & ryght as a myrrour representeth and shew­eth the face of a man / ryghte so the fruyte of his labours shal be presented & shewed in his hyghe body as it is sayde before. ¶ And whā al these other soules full of mysery & derke­nes beholde somoche dygnyte ī blyssed soules / of y^e whiche dygnite they be pryued and excluded / than theyr peyne & cōfusyon encreaseth / for the token of theyr wyckednesse & synnes whiche they dyd / shall be shewed in theyr bodyes / w^t peynes & tourmentours to theyr tourmēt. ¶ Wherfore in that dredefull worde whiche they shal here / go ye to y^t fyre euerlastȳge thā shal theyr bodyes w^t y^e soules go downe euer to abyde w^t y^t fendes w^t ­oute ony remedy of hope. ¶ There they shall sorowe togyder in theyr peynes / & to y^e encrese of theyr pey­nes / & theyr wretchydnes w^t al theyr fylthes / euery mā by hymselfe in dyuers wyses / after y^t theyr euyll wer­kes were dyuers in erthe. ¶ A couetous mā w^t y^t fylthe of his auaryce / brēnynge ther in y^t fyre w^t worldely substaūce / mhiche wyckedly & false­ly he purchased / & loued in y^t worlde ¶ The cruell mā shall be tourmen­teb with his cruelte / y^t vnclene mā with his vnclēnes & w^t his wretched cōcupyssence ¶ An vnryghtful man with his vntruthe & vnryghtful­nes. ¶ The enuyous mā w^t his en­uy. ¶ An hatered mā w^t y^t hatered of his neyghbour. ¶ And forthermore [Page]there shall be b [...]ende [...] vnordynate loue o [...] [...]mānes loue / of the whiche [...]al [...]e [...] cometh all euyll. ¶ And y^e [...] a passy [...]ge peyne intollerable / for asmoche [...]s y^t synne was begynnȳge of all euyll & moder to pryde / whiche is moder of all syn̄es. ¶ Wherfore euery soule & body togyder / shall be punysshed togyder. ¶ And thꝰ myserably they go to theyr ende / which go by y^t lower way of the flode / & wyl not tourne to knowlege theyr owne defautes / & aske mercy as I sayd before. ¶ But so they gone to the gates of hell / for they haue folowed the techynge of y^t fende. ¶ And he is theyr gate / and theyr entrynge to hell / as it is sayde before. ¶ And in y^t cōtrary wyse my chosen chyldren whiche go vpon y^t brydge aboue / those go by y^t way of sothefastnes / & y^t sothefastnes is to thē y^t gate of entrȳge. ¶ Therfore my sone whiche is my sothefastnes fayde / [...] m [...]mdy come to my sader but by me. ¶ He is y^t gate & y^t waye by y^e whiche they passe ou [...]t y^t they may [...]ntre to me / whiche am y^t peaseble see. ¶ And so in y^t cōtrary / they y^t went by y^t way of pardycyon / whiche waye gyueth to them a deed water / & so be peryshed & loste. ¶ To y^t perel y^t fende calleth & [...]tyrreth suche blynde soules & fooles / by full peryllous tēptacyōs / & false suggestyons whiche for blyndenes and lacke of grace do not parceyue / nor they take no hede / how they haue lost y^t lyght of very feythe / & folowe y^t wyll & the wordes of the fende as thoughe he spake to them and sayde. ¶ Who so hathe thrust and desyreth water of dethe / let hem come to me / & I shall gyue it to hym.

¶ And here now moder and systren endeth the seconde parte of this orcharde / in the whiche we be taughte the waye to he uen. ¶ And how we be ordeyned to labour in this worlde / e­uery man in his owne vyneyerde. ¶ And of thre ladders whiche helpe a soule to the loue of god. ¶ In this party also oure lorde speketh ful comfortably of his grete mercy / and of dyuersyte of synnes. ¶ And how soules shall be repreued at the day of Iudgement. ¶ And of the pryncypall tourmentes in hell / and of the ioyes of heuen. ¶ Our lorde than graunt [...] so fer­uently to labour / euery man in his owne vyneyerde / that b [...] the prayer of his blyssed moder / and by his grete mercy / y^t we maye gracyously scape that drefull daye of Iudgement / [...] with his chosen chyldren / to entre in to the gates of blysse / the gloryous syght of hym euer to reioyce. Ame [...].

Tertia. ¶ The fyrste chapytre of the .iii. party / sheweth of y^t profyte of temptacyons / and how euery soule in y^t last ende of his lyfe shall tast and fele by knowynge [...] he fully pas / what peyne or ioye he shall haue after he is passed.
¶ Also how y^e fende catcheth soules budet the coloure of some goodnes / also this boke maketh mencyon of a vysyō that this blyssed vyrgyn had with dyuers and many ma­ters / as it is rehersed before ī the kalender. Ca [...] i

THe fende a mynys­tre ordeyned of my ryghtwysenesse to tourment soules / whiche greuously offende me. ¶ And I ordeyned theym in this lyfe / that they sholde tempte and do greate greuaunce to my creatures. ¶ Not for my creatures sholden [Page]be ouercome / but forthey shol­den ouercome the fende / and y^t they sholde receyue of me the glory of vyctory / throwe the vertu that is pry­ued in them. ¶ And therfore no mā shall drede the temptacyons of the fende / for ony batayle that shall be­fall hȳ. ¶ For I haue ordeyned mē to be stronge / and I haue gyuē thē the strengthe of a wyll / the whiche is made myghty in the blode of my sone / whiche wyll no fende nor creature maye remoue / for youre wyl is toyned to you of me with a fre chose therfore ye maye kepe that wyll at your owne choyse (as you lyke) and releshe it yf ye wyll. ¶ That wyll is an armure / whiche ye put in y^e hōde of youre aduersary. ¶ And but y^t ye take hede / it is a swerde wherwith he smyteth you / and sometyme sle­eth you. ¶ Neuerthelesse yf a man take not this sharpe swerde of his wyll in to the hondes of the fende (y^t is to saye) that he assente not to his temptacyons and greuaunces / he shall neuer be hurte w^t deedly synne throwe ony temptacyōs / but rather those tēptacyōs shall strengthe hȳ so y^t he opē his eye of intelleccyon to beholde my charyte / whiche charyte suffreth you to be tempted onely / y^t ye sholde come to the rewarde that is ordeyned for vertu. ¶ No man may attayne to vertues / but throw the knowynge of me / and of hym­selfe / whiche knowynge is most parfytely had in the tyme of temptacy­ons. ¶ For than a man knoweth hymselfe / that he is nought of hym selfe whan he maye not remoue and put awaye the peynes and greuaunces the whiche he desyred to voyde. ¶ And than he knoweth me also in his propre wyll / for his wyl is made stronge of my goodnes / for asmohce as he cōsenteth not to suche wycked thoughtes. ¶ More ouer the eye of his intelleccyon seeth that my cha­ryte suffreth those thoughtes / for y^t fende is feble of hymselfe / he maye do nought / but ī asmoche as I suf­fre and withdrawe my honde. ¶ I suffre hym not for hatered that I haue to you / but for grete loue / not for ye sholde be ouercome of hȳ / but that ye sholde ouercome hym / that ye maye therby come to the parfyte knowlege of me / and of youreselfe. ¶ Also that vertu maye haue expe­ryence therby / for vertu hathe no experyence / but by his contraryte. ¶ Therfore beholde well and se that the fendes be but my mynystres / other to tourment the that be dap­ned in hell / other to tourmente men in this worlde for excersyce in ver­tues / and experyence in the soule. ¶ And yet theyr entent is for no ex­cersyce in vertues / nor for expery­ence / for they haue not somoche charyte / but to that entent / that they wolde take awaye frome them ver­tues / and that maye they not / but ye wyll. ¶ Sees thou not doughter how moche is the foly of deedly men whiche make them so feble / so that I haue fulfylled them with so grete strengthe / & they put themselfe ī to y^e hondes & power of fendes. ¶ And therfore I wyl that thou knowe / y^t at y^e ende of theyr dethe / for asmoche [Page]as they made themselfe soget to the power of the fende / without constrenynge / for the fende maye not com­pel them / but wylfully they put thē selfe in to the power of y^e fende / therfore at the last ende whā they come to deth / they abyde not other iudgement / but with that wycked domynacyō / they deme themselfe by wyckednesse of theyr conseyence. ¶ And so without ony hope they pas forth to euerlastynge peynes of hell / and hell is streyned of thē with hatered and or euer that they come to hell / here they haue take it for theyr hyre and rewarde / this thou maye se by ensamble of a ryghtfull man. ¶ As ryghtfull men whiche lyued in cha­ryte / and dye in loue whan the ende or dethe cometh / y [...] they haue lyued party [...]ly in this lyfe in vertu / and be made lyght and bryght with the lyght of feythe with crylte shewth y^e cye of parfyte hope / the good and y^t profyte of the blode of y^e holy lambe my sone whiche I haue ordeyned to them / than that goodnesse they coll and clyppe with armes of loue / and [...]reyne me to them in the laste ende [...]theyr lyues / with hausynges of loue / whiche am y^e most souerayne & euerlastynge loue. ¶ Than in this maner suche men taste the euerlas­tynge lyfe / or they leue the heuy but then of theyr body (that is to saye) or the soule be departed fro the body ¶ Other ther be y^e lyued in comune charyte / y^t were not in so grete par­feccyon / and whan they came to the tyme of dethe / they dyd trust to my mercy with y^e lyght of feyth & hope / whiche lyght the parfyte soules had as I haue sayde before. ¶ But yet they haue not y^e lyght of teythe nor hope so parfytely / as parfyte soules haue / but they haue lyght and hope vnparfyte. ¶ And all be it they be vnparfyte / yet they haue my mercy whan they knowe and knowlege y^t my mercy is more and larger than theyr synnes. ¶ But wycked men worke in the cōtrary / they se and be­holde theyr abydȳge place of peyne without ony hope / & y^t they take w^toute my charyte / as I sayde before ¶ Wherfore nother of these twayne abyde other Iudgement / but whā they sholde pas / eueryone knoweth y^e place and abydynge whyder they sholde go / or they be departed fro the body (that is to saye) they y^e sholde be dāpned knowe theyr place with peyne without charyte & with hatered and dyspyracyon. ¶ They also that ben partyte and shal go to blys knowe theyr abydȳge in blys with the lyght of feythe / and with loue / and with truste of the vertu of the holy blode shedynge / of y^e holy meke lambe of my sone. ¶ And other that be vnparfyte with truste on mercy and with the lyght of feythe / passe forthe to y^e place of purgatory / wher they shall be purged and made par­fyte / and so to obtayne the blysse of heuē. ¶ How that the fende alwaye catcheth soules vnder the coloure of some goodnesse / and how they that gone by the grete floode and not by the brydge be dysceyued and go to losse. TAke thou hede nowehowe I haue tolde the / howe the fende [Page]calleth and styrreth men to the wa­ter of dethe (that is to saye) to y^e wa­ter that blȳdeth them with world­ly delyces and hyghe states / & cat­cheth them with a false hoke of de­lectacyon vnder colour of good / for otherwyse he maye not haue them / for they wolden not suffre themselfe to be takē nor dysceyued / yf they dydynot fele no goodnesse in thēselfe. ¶ For a soule of his owne nature / euer desyreth goodnes / but yet sothe it is that a soule sometyme is blyn­ded throwe his owne loue / and thā he knoweth not the venym / nor the dysceyte of the fende / and no dyscre­cyon he hathe to knowe y^t very goodnesse / nor what is profytable to the soule nor to the body. ¶ Therfore y^e fende whan he seeth a man so blyn­ded throwe his owne propre loue / he putteth to hym dyuers states vnder dyuers colours of some profyte or of some vertu or goodnes. ¶ And that he putteth to euery man after his state / and after the pryncypall vyces / in y^e whiche he knoweth eue­ry man after his dysposycyon more redy to fall. ¶ Some false suggesty ons he putteh to a relygyous mā / an other thyngehe putteth to prela­tes / an other to seculers / an other to lordes / and an other to seruauntes / to euery man after the degre of dy­uers states. ¶ This I haue reher­sed and tolde the of them / y^e whiche drownen themselfe in the floode of the water of dethe / hauynge no re­warde but onely to themselfe (that is to saye) louyge themselfe / & taken no hede of offences done to me / and of suche men I haue tolde the theyrende. ¶ And now forthermore I wyl she we the / how they dysceyuen thē ­selfe. ¶ The cause in general is / for whan wylfully they wolden fle fro peynes / they fallen in to peynes. ¶ For it semeth to thē / that it a full greate labour to folowe me (that is to saye) to go by y^e waye of y^e brydge of my sone / therfore they drawen a­backe for drede of the thorne / that is for drede of sharpenesse / and that is for they ben vtterly blynded / by the whiche they seen not / nor knowen not the waye of my sothefastnesse / as thou dyd knowe / whan I shew­ed it y^e in the begynnȳge of thy lyfe / whan thou dyd praye to me / that I sholde gyue mercy to all the worlde and to drawe them fro derkenesse of deedly syn̄es. ¶ Thou knowes wel that at that tyme / I shewed me to the in a fygure of a tree / of the whi­che tree thou sauoured begynnȳge nor endȳge / but onely thou dyd parceyue that y^e roote of that tree was ioyned with y^e erthe / and that was the dyuyne nature was knyt with y^e nature of youre hamanyte. ¶ In the fote of the tree yf thou haue good mynde / there was a thorne / fro the whiche thorne / all that dyden loue theyr owne sensualyte / dydē drawe themselfe fer awaye fro the thorne / and stedden in hast to an hyll / & ther was a pot / in y^e whiche hyll I shewed the by a fygure / all the delyces & vanytes of the worlde. ¶ In the pot it semed as ther had be where / but there was none / therfore thou sawe well y^t many soules dyden perysshe [Page]therin for hongre. ¶ Some y^t knowen the perelles of the worlde / dyden retourne agayne to the tree / & wen­ten myghtly by the thorne (that is to saye) some tokē a purpose of good wyll / to take a waye of sharpenesse / whiche purpose of sharpenesse / or it be parformed / is suche a thorne whiche semeth to a man sholde be folowed / to go in to the waye of sothefast­nesse. ¶ And yet on the one party y^e conscyence grutcheth / & on y^e other party y^t sensualyte grutcheth. ¶ Neuerthelesse anone as a man w^t hate­red and dysplesaunce of hymselfe / taketh a purpose myghtely / & sayth thus in his herte / I wyl folowe my lorde crucyfyed / than sodeynly that purpose breketh the throwe (that is to saye) the good wyll dothe awaye the sharpenesse / and than shall he fyude a wonderfull swetenesse / as I haue declared to the before / some man more / and some man lesse / af­ter the dysposycyon and besynes of dyuers men. ¶ Thou knowes at y^t tyme howe I sayde to y^e / that youre lorde was vnmouable / & sothe it is / for I am not chaunged. ¶ I with­drawe me fro no creature that wyll come to me / I haue shewed y^e sothefastnesse to all / and I haue shewed me to them and made me vysyble / where I was and am inuysyble. ¶ What is it to loue ony thynge w^t ­oute me / they knowen not me / nor themselfe / bycause they were made blyde / throwe a cloude of vnordy­nate loue and of desyre. ¶ Sees y^u. not how moche they ben dysceyued / for they had moche rather to be pe­rysched in y^e greate see / than to passe throwe a lytle sharpenesse. ¶ And there maye none passe oute of this lyfe without the cros / saue they that gone by the hyghest waye / and yet they passen not w^tout some peyne / but that peyne is to them a refres­shynge. ¶ And for asmoche as the worlde for syn̄e bryngeth you forthe thornes & breres / as I tolde the be­fore / and renneth throwe a stoode y^e is a see w^tout rest / therfore I haue ordeyned / and gyuen to you a sure brydge / wherby ye maye passe fro y^t worlde & you wyll. ¶ To this tyme I haue shewed the / how that suche men dysceyuē themselfe with an vnordynate drede / & how I am poure lorde god / whiche am not chaūged. ¶ And that I take no hede to y^e parsones / but to the holy desyres of the parsones / and this I haue shewed the in a fygure of a tree. ¶ How the world for syn̄es brought forthe thor­nes and breres / yet some there ben y^t ben not noyed with them / all be it y^e no man maye come to blysse / w^toute some peyne here suffred or he passe. NOw I am purposed to shewe y^e whiche they ben that be harmed of the thornes and breres / and whiche not. ¶ And for asmoche as to this tyme I haue shewed to the damp­nacyō of suche men (and my good­nesse) and I tolde the how they ben dysceyued of theyr owne propre sen­sualyte. ¶ Nowe therfore I wyll shewe to the / how they ben hurte of thornes onely. ¶ Soth it is / no mā that is comen in to this lyfe lyueth forthe with bodyly labour or ghost­ly. [Page]¶ My seruauntes bere grete bodyly labours / theyr soules be ful fre fro that trauayle / for they fele no trauayle / & y^t is for theyr wyll holy ac­cordeth with my wyll. ¶ And y^e wyl it is / y^t maketh mē haue peyne / they beren bothe bodyly peyne and ghostly (as I sayde before) whiche be­gynne to tast & fele here in this lyfe tokens of hell peynes / as my seruaū tes in the contrary do begynne here to sele and sauour the tokyns and sykernes of euerlastȳ lyfe. ¶ Knowes thou not doughter that it is a ful synguler and a greate good and re­warde / whiche the blyssed company in heuē haue. ¶ It is theyr ful wyll to haue his wyll / whom they desyre & loue / they couet me / and for that they couet me / they haue me / and sauour me without ony rebellyon or withstondynge / for they haue lefte of and forsaken the heuynesse of the body / whiche was a wycked lawe of y^e flesshe / whiche stryued agaynst the spyryte. ¶ The body was a meane to man / whiche body wolde not suffre hym to knowe y^e sothefastnes and that they myght not se me face to face / that myght not be / for y^e bo­dy dyd let them fro that syght. ¶ Af­ter that that the soule hathe forsake the greuous heuynesse of the body / than is his wyl fulfylled. ¶ For whā he desyreth me / he seeth me / ī whose syght abydeth al your blys. ¶ Whā the soule seeth he knoweth / & whan he knoweth he loueth. ¶ Whan he loueth me most souerayne and euer lastynge goodnesse / than he tasteth and sauoureth me. ¶ Whan he tas­teth / he fulfylleth his wyl (that is to saye) his desyre y^t he hathe to knowe and beholde me / and ī the desyre he hathe me / and whan he hathe me / he desyreth me. ¶ And as I sayd before / peyne is fer fro that desyre / & werynes is fer fro replecyon. ¶ Also thou sees that my seruauntes pryn­cypally sholde receyue theyr blysse in knowynge of me / and ī y^e syght of me / whiche syght and knowynge of of them / fulfylleth the wyll of them in all thynges. ¶ And what the wyl desyreth / it hathe / and so it is pleynly fulfylled / therfore I sayde to the / that syngulerly to tast and sauoure euerlastynge lyfe / was that whiche y^e wyll desyreth to haue. ¶ But yet thou shall knowe / that whā y^t soule seeth me and knoweth me / it is ful­fylled. ¶ And in this lyfe as I sayd he receyueth as for a rewarde a sy­kernesse of euerlastynge lyfe / begynnynge here ī a maner to sauour and tast / that they sholde haue after in full replecyō without ende. ¶ But here thou askes how a soule maye fele a sykernesse in this lyfe / I tell y^e it is in the syght of my goodnesse in hym / and in the knowlegynge and knowynge of my sothefastnes / whiche knowȳge y^e bryght & clere intel­leccyon he hathe in me / whiche intelleccyō is y^t eye of the soule. ¶ This eye hathe a lytle blacke in y^e eye / whiche gyueth syght of holy feythe / whiche lyght of y^e feythe / maketh a soule to knowe & to folowe y^e waye & y^e doctryne of my sothefastnesse / that is of my sone incarnate / w^tout this clere syght of feythe / that waye and doc­tryne [Page]is not seen / but as a man se­eth that hathe onely the forme of an eye / & not y^e syght / a cloude couereth y^t lytle blacke whiche gyueth lyghte to the eye. ¶ For that lytle blacke of of y^e intellectual eye / whiche gyueth clere syght / is the holy feythe whi­che blacke whā a cloude of vntruthe or of mysbyleue is cast ther vpon / it seeth ryght nought / whiche cloude of mysbyleue cometh of a mannes owne propre loue / and sothe it is / it seeth not / for it hathe a lykenes and forme of an eye / but it hath no lyght ¶ For throwe his owne propre loue he hathe take fro hȳselfe / his owne propre lyght. ¶ Thou sees also that in the syght of the intellectuall eye / they haue knowynge / & whan they knowe / they loue / and whan they loue / they leue and forsake theyr propre wyll. ¶ And whā they put theyr owne wyll / than they take my wyl / whiche desyre not but your satysfac­cyon. ¶ Suche that forsake theyr owne wyll / they gone away myghtly / fro the party of the lower waye / and begynne to ascende vp by the brydge / & gone vpō thornes. ¶ And for theyr feet (that is to say) theyr af­feccyons ben accordynge with my wyll / therfore the thornes do them no harme. ¶ Therfore I tolde the y^t they dyd suffre peyne bodyly / but no peyne to theyr soule / for theyr sency­ble wyll is deed / whiche bryngeth & causeth y^e peyne / and tourmenteth the soule of a creature. ¶ And whan y^t sencyble wyll is voyded / thā is y^t peyne auoyded. ¶ And more ouer they bere all thynges and do suffre w^t grete reuerēce / & take it to a grete grace / for my name to be troubled / and they desyre nothynge / but that I wyll. ¶ Yf I suffre them to haue ony peyne throwe temptacyon of y^e fende to preue vertu in them / as I sayd before / they make resystens w^t a good wyll / whiche wyll they haue made stronge and myghty in me / & haue meked & loued thēselfe. ¶ And with pease & rest of soule / they thȳke thēselfe vnworthy ony grace or rest demynge themselfe worthy to haue manyfolde peynes / and so withoute ony peyne / or dysease / they passe out of this worlde / w^t a full knowynge of themselfe / and with an inwarde ghostly ioye. ¶ And this shall be / wheder they be troubled of y^e fende / or wheder sekenesse tourment them or pouerte / or ony promocyō of state in the worlde / or dethe of chyldren / or of frēdes / whiche bē al ful sharpe thornes / the whiche y^e erthe brought forthe for synne. ¶ And al these thornes they do suffre ryght pacyently and full benyngely / with the clere lyght of reason / and lyght of the ho­ly feythe / beholdynge me most soue rayne goodnesse. ¶ For I maye no­thynge desyre but all good / yf passy­ons & penes I sende to thē it is not for hatered / but for a faderly loue. ¶ After tyme they haue knowen a parfyte loue ī me / anone they come agayne to thēselfe / knowynge theyr owne defautes. ¶ And than they seen with the lyghte of feythe / that al goodnesse shall be rewarded / synne shal be punysshed / and a lytle synne contynued / shall haue an infynyte [Page]peyne / for it was done agaynst me / the whiche am infynyte goodnesse. ¶ Also by the lyght of this feythe / they take it for a specyall grace / y^t I wyll amēde thē & punesshe thē here in this lyfe / and in this tyme y^t shall haue ende. ¶ So they reken theyr synnes togyder / & as they purchase meryte / with contrycyon of herte / or with parfyte pasyence / they ben rewarded with good without ende for theyr laboures. ¶ And yet they knowe well / that all the trauayle of this shorte lyfe is full lytle. ¶ The tyme onely is asmoche / as y^e poynte of an nelde and no more / and so pas­seth the labour with y^e tyme / for pa­cyētly they suffre and passe throwe the actuall sharpenesse of the thor­nes / and it toucheth not the hertes / for theyr hertes drawe out fro them (that is to say) fro the drede of sharpnesse / throwe the sensyble loue that is put in me / and confyrmed throwe desyre of loue. ¶ Than y^e sothefast­nesse is / y^t suche that passen pacyently y^e sharpenesse of the thorne / y^t they tasten the lyfe y^t shall laste / takynge in this lyfe a token / or an ernest / or a sykernesse of y^t euerlastynge lyfe. ¶ Whan they stonde in the water / they bathen them not / whan they passen by the thornes / they fele not the sharpenes. ¶ For with all theyr besynesse they soughte me / whiche am souerayne goodnes. ¶ And this they haue soughte / wher it is pleynly foūde (y^e is to say) ī y^e worde of my onely begoten sone. ¶ Of euyll that cometh of blyndenesse of y^e eye of intellecyon / and how good dedes done out of y^e state of grace / auayleth not to the euerlastynge lyfe. THis I purpose to declare the / bycause thou sholde knowe it y^e better. ¶ Also I haue declared to the how they taste the ernest of sykernesse of hell / of the whiche maner mē I haue tolde you they ben dysceyued. ¶ Now I shal tell the how sorowe cometh to them and how they receyuē the ernest or sykernesse of hell. ¶ And that is / for throwe theyr vntruthe that cometh of theyr owne propre loue / y^e eye of y^e intelleccyon is blȳded. ¶ For ryght as all sothefastnes is purchased and wonne mith y^e lyght of feythe / ryght so lesynge and dysceyte bē get & had w^t vntruthe. ¶ I speke of vntruthe and of infydelyte / of them y^t haue receyued the holy baptym / in y^e whiche baptym the lyghte was impres­sed to y^e eye of y^e intelleccyon. ¶ And whan the tyme of dyscrecyon was come / yf they haue excersyce in ver­tues / they kepe the lyght of feythe / and brynge forthe vertues of lyfe / & fruyte to theyr neyghbour. ¶ For ryght as a woman bryngeth forthe and bereth a quycke sone / and yel­deth that quycke sone to her spouse ryght so they that kepe the lyght of feythe gyuē to me vertues of lyfe / whiche am the spouse of the soule. ¶ These other y^e whiche kepē not y^e lyght of feythe / worke y^e cōtraty / for whā they come to y^e tyme of dyscre­cyō / in whiche tyme they sholde vse y^e lyght of feythe & brȳge forthe ver­tues w^t y^e lyf of grace / thā brȳge they forthe deed soules (they bē deed) for all theyr dedes bē deed / whā they bē [Page]indeedly synne / as to to the waye of sanacyō. ¶ And yf y^e lyght of feythe be takē away fro thē / yet they haue y^e forme of y^e sacrament of baptym / but they haue no lyghte / for y^e lyght is taken awaye by a derke cloude of synne / y^e whiche is cause of theyr propre loue / whiche synne couereth the roūde blacke in the eye / by y^e whiche he had syght. ¶ For suche it is layd feythe w^tout werkes is deed / wher­fore ryght as a deed man whiche se­eth not / so the ghostly eye seeth not / whā that is couered y^e gyueth lyght ¶ Also he knoweth not / y^t he hathe no beȳge of hȳselfe. ¶ Also he knoweth not his owne defautes / nor my goodnesse that I do to hym / of the whiche goodnes he had his beynge & all other grace aboue hym. ¶ So that whan he knoweth nother me / nor hȳselfe / he hathe not his owne propre sensualyte / but he loueth it & seketh it to make a way to his appe­tyte. ¶ And so he bryngeth forthe deed chyldren of many deedly syn­nes / and me he loueth not / and whā he loueth not me / he loueth not y^t y^t I loue / y^t is his neyghbour. ¶ And he hathe no maner lykȳge to worke nor yet to do that is plesynge to me (that is to saye) to do vertues / whi­che pleseth me to se thē done in you / not for my profyte / for ye maye not profyte me / for I am he that haue beynge / and nothynge is done with out me / saue syn̄e whiche is nought in hymselfe / for it taketh fro me the soule. ¶ Wherfore it [...]elyteth me for your profyte / that I may haue you nombred in my euerlastynge lyfe. ¶ And thus as thou sees euedently y^e feythe of that other party is deed / for it is without good werkes / and the werkes that they done / done not profyte to them / as to y^e euerlastȳge lyfe / for they haue not y^e lyfe of grace ¶ Neuerthelesse it is not to leue of good werkes / whether they be done with grace or without grace. ¶ For there is no good dedes vnrewarded nor the euyll dedes vnpunyshedde. ¶ Good dedes those ben done in the state of grace / without the infeccy­on deedly synne / & they done gyue to hym the lyfe euerlastȳge. ¶ And al those good dedes that ben done in deedly synne / they done not profyte to hym to haue y^e euerlastynge lyfe. ¶ Neuerthelesse in dyuers maners it is rewarded / as I haue sayde be­fore. ¶ Wherby sometyme I gaue them tyme of repentaunce / or els I impresse them in the mynde of my seruauntes and in theyr prayers / throwe whose prayers / they voyde thē fro theyr synnes. ¶ Somtyme whan they ben not rewarded with tyme of abydynge / nor with y^e pray­ers of my seruauntes / for y^e lacke of grace / with suche other / they ben rewarded than with temporall pro­speryte / or with temporall thynges and make of theym as of beestes to be made fatte in the flesshe / so those wretched and ryght synfull men the whiche alwaye haue ben contrary to my wyll / & haue done good wer­kes / not in the state of grace / but in deedly synne / whan they woldē not in theyr workynge receyue prayers nor other ghostly helpes nor socours [Page]with y^e whiche helpe I haue called them to grace in y^e tyme y they were repreuable / throwe theyr defautes. ¶ Than of my goodnes my wyll is to yelde them and rewarde them / in temporall thynges / there they ben wretchydly made fat / and yf they amēde not theyrselfe / they gone to euerlastynge derkenesse and peyne. ¶ Therfore doughter se how they bē dysceyued. who dysceyueth thē? They themselfe. They cal themselfe the lyghte of very feythe / and gone as blynde men gropynge & cleuȳge to that they touche / & bycause they se no thynge but with a blynded eye whiche is set by affeccyō / ī passynge thynges and vanytes. ¶ Therfore they ben dysceyued & done as fooles whiche onely done beholde y^t golde & not the venȳ. ¶ Therfore knowe thou for certayne that worldely va­nytes that ben take & kepte w^toute me / or with theyr propre and vnor­dynate loue ben repreuable / as I shewed it to y^e before ī the lykenes of a tree / whan I sayde to the / y^t suche men dyden bere golde before / and venym bevynde. ¶ The venym was not withouten golde / and the golde was not without venym / but the fyrste beholdynge is golde / & no mā kepte hymselfe fro the venym / but all those that weren made clere in syghte / with the very lyght of par­fyte feythe.

¶ The seconde chapytre tel­leth how the preceptes of god maye not parfytely be kepte but a man kepe the counsey­les. ¶ And how ī euery state oflyuynge / the whiche a mā she weth with a good wyll & holi to god is acceptable & plesynge to god / & how worlde­ly men with all theyr ryches & goodes can not holde them contented / and of theyr peyne which they deserue for theyr wycked wyll / aswell in this lyfe / as after theyr dethe / and of other maters / as it is shewed in the kalendre. Ca. ii.

THis that I saye is for thē y^t ben made clere in syght w^t the lyght of veri feythe with whiche they cutten awaye fro my loue / the wyll of theyr propre sensualyte / with a swerde of two poyntes (y^e is to saye) w^t hate of vyces / & loue of vertues / & whiche with the lyghte of reason dyde kepe & get golde ī the worlde. ¶ And this I say of thē / whiche wyl haue good & kepe good. ¶ But they that wolde vse greate parfeccyō / dydē dyspyse temporall goodes / bothe in wyl and in dede. ¶ Those dydē kepe y^e actu­all coūseyle (that is to say) they kep­ten y^e coūseyle in dede & actualy / & y^e was gyuē to thē of my sothefastnes. ¶ And they y^e haddē goodes & kepte in y^e maner / as it is sayde before / bē they that kepē y^e commaūdymētes / and also the counseles as in wyll but not actualy / for the counseyles [Page]ben so knytte togyder with the pre­ceptes / that no man maye kepe the preceptes / without he kepe the coū ­seyles (not actualy) but in wyll and good entent (that is to saye) bycause he kepeth suche rychesse with mekenesse / and w^t no pryde / but holdeth them as goodes lende / & hathe thē not as for his owne goodes / but as goodes taken to his vse of my good­nesse. ¶ So y^t whā ye haue goodes ye kepen thē to youre propre vse / in asmoche as I leue them. ¶ And ye kepe them asmoche as I suffre / & I gyue them and forgyue asmoche as I se they bē spedefull for you. ¶ In this maner wyse ye sholden vse ry­ches / & otherwyse. ¶ And whan a man so dothe / than kepeth he my preceptes / and loueth me aboue all other thynges / and his neyghbour as hymselfe. ¶ And so a mā lyueth with a fre herte / and casteth suche worldely rychesse frome his desyre (that is to saye) for he loueth them not / nor he kepeth them not / excepte I graunte them to hym. ¶ And all he it that he hathe actually / yet in affeccyons he kepeth my coūseyles (as it is sayde before) and casteth a­waye fro hym y^e venym of an vnru­led loue / suche maner of men abydē and lyue in comyn charyte. ¶ O­ther that kepen the foresayde coun­seyles bothe actually and mentally / and as in affeccyon / those bē in par­fyte charite. ¶ For with a very sym plynesse / they kepen the counseyles with my sothefastnesse whiche was incarnate / sayde to hym that asked. ¶ Mayster what shall I do / yf y^t I shall haue euerlastȳge lyfe? ¶ Oure lorde sayde agayne to hym. ¶ Kepe the commaundymentes. ¶ He sayd to hym agayne. ¶ I haue parfour­med al those. ¶ Ihesu sayd agayne yf thou wyll be parfyte / go and sell all the goodes that y^u hase / and gyue them to poore mē. ¶ This mā was sory than / for he kepte the good that he had with to moche loue. ¶ Par­fyte men kepen the counseyles / the whiche dyspysen the worlde with al his rychesse. ¶ Leue they maken theyr bodyes with greate penaunce as with wakynge / with meke pray­er / and deuoute and cōtynuall pray­ers / & with other afflyccyons. ¶ O­ther that abyden in comyn charyte and rysen not actually fro y^e worlde / yet therfore they losen not the lyfe euerlastȳge. ¶ For they bē not bounden to leue those ryches / neuerthe­lesse they sholden holde them as I haue sayde. ¶ And whan they kepē thē so / they offenden not / for all thȳ ­ges ben good and parfyte that ben made of me / for I am the hyghest and the most souerayne goodnesse / and all goodes ben made to do ser­uyce to my reasonable creatures. ¶ Not so that those creatures shol­den be seruauntes of the rychesse of the worlde / but that my reasonable creatures sholden lawefully kepe suche rychesse / and haue thē. ¶ And yf it lyke them to haue rychesse / and not to go to greater parfeccyon / so y^t the rychesse ben not preferred / but y^t they be euer vnder / and do seruyce to my creatures / than sholden they yelde to m [...]theyr desyre onely / and [Page]loue other thynges / and holde them not as theyr thȳges / but as goodes that ben lende them / and graunted to theyr vse. ¶ I take no hede nor nor rewarde / as for my parsones nor for states / for in euery state y^e a man wyll take and kepe / so that he haue a good and an holy wyll / it shall be acceptable to me. ¶ Who is he than that shall haue suche ryches / in the maner as I haue sayde / they onely that haue caste awaye the venym of theyr ryches / with hate of theyr propre sensualyte / and with loue of vertues / and vtterly putten fro them y^e venym of vnordynate and vnruled wyll. ¶ And they y^t haue set theyr wylles with my loue & drede / suche men and women maye chose & kepe eche state what pleseth them / & shall be able in euery state / to come to the blysse euer endurynge. ¶ Not with stondynge that the parfyte & plesea­ble state be more acceptable to me (y^t is to saye) to aryse parfytely / actually / and mentually fro all the ryches of the worlde. ¶ And that feleth hȳ ­selfe not able to y^t parfeccyō throwe his owne freylte / maye than stonde in the comyn state of lyuynge / euery man after his owne state. ¶ And y^t ordeyned my goodnesse / so that no man shall he excused in what state he stonde (for sothe it is) they haue no excusacyon. ¶ For by compassyō I condyscended to theyr feblenesse and passyons / in somoche that who so wyll abyde in y^e passynge worlde maye haue rychesse / and abyden in y^e state of matrymonye / & noryshe theyr chyldren / and besy them in y^e worlde for them / & kepe what state they wyll. ¶ So y^t they cut awaye the venym of theyr propre sensualyte / whiche bryngeth in the peyne & dethe euer endurynge. ¶ And sothely venym it is / for ryght as venym bryngeth peyne to the body / and at the laste dethe / but he caste it out y^t soner fro hym / or take some medy­cyne / ryght so it is of this cursed scorpyon and venȳ of worldely loue. ¶ I saye not that they sholde cast awaye temporall goodes fro themselfe / for temporall goodes in themselfe ben good / for of me they ben made and ordeyned that am moost souerayne good. ¶ And therfore a man maye vse them as he wyll / with holy loue and very trewe drede. ¶ But I say of the wycked wyll of a man / y^e whi­che poysoneth the soule bryngynge in dethe / but it be cast out hastely with all maner desyres of the herte by deuoute confessyon / the whiche confessyon / is y^e most souerayne me­dycyne / that delyuereth a man fro suche venȳ / thoughe it seme ryght bytter in the sensualyte. ¶ Sees y^u not how now all suche bē dysceyued that myghte and they wolde haue me / and also haue comforte & ghost­ly gladnesse and put awaye fro thē heuynesse. ¶ And yet rather they coueyten euyll vnder coloure of good thynge / euer with all maner besy­nesse and vnordynate loue to gader togyder gredyly golde. ¶ Neuerthelesse bycause they ben blynded with moche mystrustynge of infydelyte / they knowen not this venȳ. ¶ And they knowē well that they bē poyso­ned [Page]and venymed / and yet they wyl not receyue no medicyne. ¶ Suche people done bere the fendes crosse / and tasten without ony doubte the ernest of hell. ¶ How worldely men with all theyr rychesse and goodes / can not holde them contented / and of the peyne y^t they deserue for theyr wycked wylles / aswell in this lyfe / as after theyr dethe. I Sayde be­fore to the / that wyll alone is cause why man is punysshed and peyned all with my seruaūtes in asmoche as they lacke theyr owne wyll / and bē gouerned after my wyl / therfore they fele no peyne that greueth thē but they bē fulfylled in theyr soules felȳge me īwardeli by grace. ¶ And all suche that haue not me / maye in no wyse be fulfylled / & yf they had all the worlde. ¶ For all thynges y^t ben made / ben lesse of dygnyte than man / for they ben made for man / & not man for them / and therfore he maye not be fulfylled with thē. ¶ I alone maye fulfyll hym / & none but I. ¶ Therfore all suche worldely wretches / ben so clypped w^t y^t derke cloude of blyndenesse. ¶ Euer they ben besy / and labour in vayne / al­waye desyrynge to haue suche as they shal neuer haue / & so they may neuer be fylled. ¶ For of me y^e maye fulfyll thē / they wyll no thynge aske ¶ I tell y^e how it stondeth with thē in peynes / thou knowes well y^t loue causeth peyne / whan that thynge y^e is lost / to the whiche al worldely mē ben holy conformed. ¶ Worldely mē conformen them in al maner wyses by vnordynate loue to erthely thynges / and ther by they ben made all erthe. ¶ For they haue a maner of ghostly impressyon of lykenes with ryches. ¶ Who is that / what euer state he stondes in / y^t wolde for ony seruyce done to creatures / haue the losse of me. ¶ Or who is that y^e whiche maketh of his owne body by vn­clennesse of lyuynge / an vnreasona­ble beest? ¶ All suche feden them of the erthe / by desyrynge of dyuers worldely states. ¶ And they woldē y^t they sholden euerlast / but it wyll not be / for they passen awaye as the wynde / other by meane of dethe / or els I by ryghtwyse ordynaūce de­pryue them / fro suche thynges that they so loue vnordynately / and than is theyr peyne intollerable / for by asmoche as they had suche good in possessyō by an vnordynate loue / by somoche they lese thē with sharper peyne. ¶ Neuerthelesse yf they had­dē kepte them as goodes lente / and not as theyr propre goodes / doubte­lesse they sholdē haue forsake them w^tout peyne. ¶ And therfore theyr peyne is y^e more / bycause they haue not y^t they desyre. ¶ For as I sayde the worlde maye not fulfyll thē / and than they haue a grete peyne / what ben the paynes of his conscyence / and what peynes he suffreth that wyll be venged for worldely good / I shall tell the. ¶ Contynually he freteth hymselfe / and fyrste he sleeth his owne soule / soner thā his ghost­ly enemy. ¶ He is fyrste deed / for he hath sleyne hymselfe / with y^e swerde of hate. ¶ O what peyne suche a co­uetous worldely man y^e is enuyous [Page]suffreth in his conscyence / euer so fretynge hymselfe / and wyll not suffre hymselfe to haue no delyte of his neyghbours prosperyte. ¶ By this y^u maye knowe what peyne a worldly couetous mā suffreth of y^t thurste of his auaryce / the whiche wyll ne­uer fulfyll his owne nede / nor y^e ne­cessyte of other. ¶ Thus than of all suche thynges that a man loueth in y^e sensualyte of his flesshe / he draw­eth to hym by many vnordinate dredes / and moche peyne of cōscyence. ¶ They take vpon them wylfully for to bere y^e deuylles peynefull cros in tastynge here of the ernest of hell. ¶ And the seke people lyuen in this worlde / in many maner dyuers wy­ses of ghostly peynes at the last but yf they amende them / for to receyue dethe euerlastynge. ¶ All suche ben in the waye of sothefastnes / that in this worlde ben hurte by thornes of many trybulacyons / tourmentȳge thēselfe by theyr owne, vnordynate & mysruled wyll. ¶ All suche haue tourmente of body and of soule / for with peynes and tourmentes y^e bo­dy and the soule ben torne in peces / in asmoche as they gate golde / and wanne ryches of y^e worlde / w^t an vn­ordynate & myse ruled loue. ¶ And so they bē depryued of y^e lyfe of grace and affeccyon of charyte / and they ben made trees of dethe / and ther­fore all theyr werkes ben deed / for they lyuen in grete peynes / walow­ynge in the floode that ledeth to the water of dethe / passynge forthe with hate by the fendes gate / and so they receyue endelesse dāpnacyō. ¶ Now thou knowes how they that maken them wylfully the deuyls martyrs dysceyuē themselfe / and with what peynes they dyscende & gone downe to hell. ¶ What is that trowes thou that blyndeth them? ¶ Nothynge elles / but a cloude trewely of theyr owne mysruled & dysordynate loue layde ouer the clere syghte of y^e holy feythe. ¶ Thou knowes also how worldely trybulacyons / ī what ma­ner they come. ¶ They hurten one­ly bodyly my specyall seruauntes / bycause they bē cast out of y^e worlde but yet they ben not hurte spyrytu­ally (that is in the soule) in asmoche as with a very trewe wyll / they ben conformed and made lyke to me / & therfore it is to them greate cōforte & ioye / to suffre peyne for me. ¶ The seruauntes of the worlde ben tour­mented / bothe within and without and specyally within / for the greate drede they haue to lose theyr temporall goodes / and also for loue / desy­rynge y^t they maye not haue. ¶ O­ther maner vexacyons y^t they haue besyde these / ben two prȳcypall causes / that is drede of losynge / & loue of wynnȳge / whiche thy tongue is not suffycyent / nor yet able to tell. ¶ Sees thou not now therfore y^e in this lyfe ryghtwysemen bē at more ease in soule thā synners (me thȳke thou sholde) for thou hase nowe seen the lyuynge and y^e endynge of bothe. ¶ How a drede that is boūden / or a seruyle drede ben not suffycyent to obtayne euerlastȳge lyfe / and how with excercyse of this drede a man. may come to y^e excercyse of vertues. [Page]NNw I haue sayde to the and de­clared / that there be some y^e whiche felen them tourmented of worldely try bulacyons / and I wyll that it be so / that a soule maye knowe her im­parfeccyō and ende / & also to knowe that this wretched lyfe / & y^t worldely vanyce is vnparfyte and trāsytory. ¶ This a soule maye knowe by this token / whan she desyreth inwarde­ly me / that am her ende by suche inwardely desyre / a soule begynneth fyrst to put awaye the cloude that hathe longe blynded her fro y^e clere syghte of vertu. ¶ And than by ser­uyle drede of trybulacyons / she be­gynneth to come out of the floode y^t she had lōge be drēched in / castȳge out fro her the venym / with y^e hate that she was poysoned with / y^e whi­che was cast out of the scorpyon in y^e lykenesse of golde / and so was recey­ued vnmanerly / and nothynge ma­nerly / wherfore it was tourned to them that dyd receyue it / in to venȳ ¶ They knowȳge this begȳnynge gracyously to aryse / & towarde the hauen begyn to set theyr pases / cle­ [...]ynge fyrste to the same brydge / of the whiche I spake of before. ¶ Neuerthelesse it is not ynoughe onely for to go to this brydge with seruyle drede / for that drede dothe nothȳge ellys but purgeth a soule fro deedly syn̄es / but it fulfylleth not her with vertues groūded ī loue. ¶ And therfore it is not ynoughe onely in seruyle dride to wynue euerlastynge lyfe / but yf the fete be sette vpon the tyrste steppe of the brydge / that is desyre and affeccyon / the whiche be^e y^e fete of the soule / bryngȳge her in to affeccyon of my very sothefastnesse / of the whiche as I sayde before / I haue made a brydge. ¶ This is the ladder / vpon the whiche I wolde ye sholde step vp / for my very sone hath made ladders to step vpon. ¶ Ne­uerthelesse sothe it is / that this is a generall rysynge / whiche comynly worldely men do vse / that is for to ryse fyrste for drede of peyne. ¶ And also bycause that ofte tymes aduersytes of this worlde bryngeth them in to greate heuynesse / and therfore a man begynneth to be dyspysed w^t them. ¶ And yf they vse this drede with lyght of trewe feythe / doubte not but they shall come to the loue of vertu. ¶ There ben some y^t gone out so dull & so slugyshly out of this depe floode of worldely loue / y^t ofte tymes they fallen therin agayne. ¶ For after tyme they come to y^e ha­uē of y^t stoode / by comynge agaynst them of contrary wyndes / the ben ouertyrued agayne by y^e reawes of the see / vnto the cloudy vallaye of derkenesse of the wretchydnesse of this lyfe. ¶ And thoughe ther come a happy wynde / they wyll not in no wyse quyckely step vpon the fyrste degre / that is affeccyon and loue of vertu to ghostly delyces / but as mē y^e were made dull / & slugyshly they gone forthe / I doubte not but that with suche a myse ruled plesaunce / they shal tourne backewarde. ¶ Also yf the wynde or tempest blowe by vnpasyence / they wyll tourne theyr backes / bycause they hate not vere­ly synne / onely for the offence done [Page]to me / but onely fro drede of peyne / y^e whiche peyne foloweth them / as them semeth. ¶ This is no parfyte rysynge / for all vertues rysynge go forthe with parseueraūce / without whome / no man maye come to the effecte and spede of his desyre / that is to that ende for whome he brgan / to y^e whiche he shal neuer come with out parseueraunce / and therfore y^t his desyre maye be fulfylled / parse­ueraūce is ryght nedeful. ¶ I sayd also to the that suche tournen them after dyuers styrrynges / that fall to thē / other by impugnynge of theyr owne sensualyte within themselfe agaynst the spyryte / or els by tour­nynge of theyr affeccyons / by vnor­dynate loue to all creatures with­out me / or els by vnpasyence of wrō ­ges that ghey do suffre / other offen­des / or of dyuers outwarde batay­les / and other whyle by styrrynge & chastysynge or vexynge of ghostly enemyes / that they myght brynge them the soner in to shame and con­fusyō / sayenge thus to thē. ¶ The good thynge the whiche thou hase begonne / shall be to the no profyte / for thy synnes and defautes be more than those. ¶ This y^e enemy dothe / for he sholde leue of / & cees of suche vertues and desyres / that he hathe begonne. ¶ Otherwyse also he tēp­teth hym with to moche delyte and delectacyon of his good dedes / that is with the hope that he receyueth of my mercy / sayenge thus to hym. ¶ Why wyll thou laboure and vexe thyselfe / be glad and ioyfull in this lyfe / thynkynge that at the last thou shall haue mercy. ¶ In this wyse and in many other sotell & dyuers maners of temptacyons wretchyd­ly they gone abacke / and in no wyse they ben parseueraūt and stydfast. ¶ And y^e cause of al this is nothȳge elles / but that the roote of her owne propre loue is not fully put awaye. ¶ And therfore they ben not stable and abydȳge / but with ryght grete presumpcyon they receyuen mercy by the hope that theyr enemy hathe put them in. ¶ Not for they sholde worthely receyue my mercy / but y^t vncūnyngly as presumptuous people they shold trust therin / y^e whiche mercy is euery day offended by thē. ¶ I gyue not my mercy to thē / they for to offende it by presumpcyō / but bycause they sholden defende them therby fro wycked desyres of fendes fro the mysruled and dysordynate confusyon / and shame of the soule. ¶ But they done the contrary / for with the arme of my mercy / they of­fenden me / and that is bycause they vse not / nor haue not in excersyce / theyr fyrst chaungynge that they began / for to aryse w^t drede fro peyne / & fro manyfolde pryckynges of try­bulacyons / and fro wretchydnesse of deedly synnes. ¶ And therfore by cause they withdrawe them out fro this depenesse none otherwyse / therfore they maye not attayne for to come to y^e loue of vertues / nor they maye wynne no parseueraūce. ¶ A soule is euer mouȳge / and therfore yf it go not forth by vertues / it must nedes go backe warde in vyces / to stonde styll (y^e maye it not) all suche [Page]may neuer profyte in vertu / as lōge as they atteyne not the loue therof / but they must nedes go styll backe­warde.

¶ The .iii. chapytre telleth / how this soule fell in a mournynge for the blyndenesse of them whiche were drowned in the floode before sayde. Also how the grees bē fygured in the forsayd brydge / that is to saye in goddes sone / beto­keneth the very .iii. myghtes of the soule / and of other ma­ters / as is wryten before in y^e kalender. Ca. iii.

THan this deuoute soule anguysshed by grete desyre and coueted to knowe her imparfeccyō / bothe of herselfe and of other / hauynge ruthe & pyte vpon the blyndenesse of suche wretchyd creatures. ¶ And whan she had longe beholden the goodnes of god / that in what state ony crea­ture reasonable stōdeth in / yf he wyl hymselfe / he maye wynne wayes of sanacyon / and not be let. ¶ For all thynge may be to hym for excersyce and experyence of vertu. ¶ Yet ne­uertheles by theyr owne propre loue and vnordynate affeccyon / they go backewarde and wyll not amende them / but rather walke in the wa­ter of the falne floode beforesayde / & so as she semed / they went fyrste to hell. ¶ And many of them that dyd begȳn to go / went fast back warde / whan she had herde by the goodnes of god / y^e was his pleasure to shewe her of hym selfe / the cause of all this by the whiche she was brought in to greate sorowe / thā she set stydfastly her eye of vnderstondynge to the endelesse fader of lyght / and sayde thꝰ. ¶ O meruaylous loue of good­nesse / grete dysceyte is ymonge thy creatures / I wolde yf it were ple­sȳge to thi endeles goodnes / knowe more largely and dyffusely the thre degrees / fygured in the body of thy onely begoten sone / and what ma­ner men maye holde and kepe / that they maye come parfytely out of y^e floode / and to go vertuously in the waye of thy truthe / and also who be they that ascende vpon the ladder. ¶ How thre degrees ben fygured in the foresayd brydge (that is to say) in goddes sone / be to keneth the thre myghtes of the soule. Than y^e meruaylous goodnes of god / beholdȳge the desyre & ghostly hongre of that soule / with the eye of his mercy / answered & sayde thus. ¶ Ryght well byloued doughter / I am no dyspy­ser of holy desyres / but rather a de­uoute receyuer of holy desyres / and therfore I wyll declare to the / all y^t thou does aske of me. ¶ Thou does aske thre degrees to be declared to the / and also I shall tell the what maner of wyse they sholde haue thē that comen out of this floode / & wyl ascende vpon this brydge. ¶ And thoughe I tolde y^e before y^e dysceyte and blyndenesse of man / and how he tasteth in maner in this worlde the [Page]ernest of hell / and how they receyue euerlastynge dampnacyon / as y^e beuyls martyrres / whose maner of ly­uynge is rehersed before / y^e whiche I tolde the toke of the wycked wer­kes of fendes / wher also I tolde the by what maner wyse they maye w^t ­drawe thē fro suche maner lyuynge yf they wyll. ¶ Neuerthelesse to till fyll thy desyre / I shall declare to the them more largely. ¶ Thou know­es ryght well / that all maner of wylles be groūded in a mannes propre loue / the which loue is a maner of a cloude / that taketh awaye y^e lyght of reason / that is the lyght of very feythe / whiche the reason kepeth w^t ­in her / and that one may not be lost without the other. ¶ At the begyn­nynge whan I made mannes soule I made it to the ymage & lykenesse of me / gyuynge to her mynde / un­derstondynge and wyll. ¶ But the worthyer party of the soule is intel­leccyon or vnderstondynge / for vn­derstondynge is moued of affeccyō / and vnderstondynge moueth affeccyon. ¶ The mouynge or styrrynge of loue (that is to saye) of affeccyon / enformeth the mynde and teeheth it how that it sholde not forgete the benefytes receyued of me / by the whi­che mynde / the loue is made bely & nothynge slowe nor dull / and y^e loue or the affeccyon of loue / maketh the mynde kynde and nothynge vn­kynde. ¶ And thus one myghte or power of the soule / is helpynge and contrybutory to an other / and so is the soule fed in the lyfe of grace. ¶ A s [...]nle may by no maner of way lyue without loue / but euer it must loue some thynge / for of loue it is made. ¶ And therfore I sayde to the (yf y^u haue good remembraunce) that af­feccyon of loue is moued or styrred by vnderstondynge / as thoughe he sayde thus. ¶ I wyll loue / for the meet that I vse / is loue, ¶ Thā efte sones she felynge herselfe styrred by the effecte and spede of loue / anone she aryseth (as thoughe loue sayde thus) yf thou wyll loue well / that y^u askes I shall gyue y^e. ¶ And anone with that she arysethe vp / and be­holdeth so greate worthynesse of me and vnworthynese of the soule / in the whiche vnworthynes / she is fall by her owne synnes. ¶ And how by the worthynesse of theyr owne be­ynge / she tasteth my vncreate cha­ryte and meruaylous goodnesse / by the whiche I made her / and in be­holdynge of her owne wretchydnes she fyndeth and tasteth my mercy / for by my mercy I haue drawe her out of derkenesse / & lende her a tyme & space of amedement / thā is affec­cyon noryshed in loue / openynge y^e mouthe of her holy desyre / by y^e whi­che sheeteth & deuoureth by dysple­saūce & hate her propre sensualyte w^t very mekenes & parfyte pasyence / y^e whiche she hathe wonne by y^e hate of herselfe. ¶ After tyme therfore v (er)tues be cōceyued / whether a soule worke w^t them parfytely or vnpar­fytely / as she vseth parfeccyon / or vnꝑfeccyō in herselfe / as I shall tell the afterwarde. ¶ Yf it so be that y^e outwarde felynge of affeccyō moue herselfe so / that y^e eye of her vnder­stondȳge [Page]onely^e loue outewarde sensyble thynges / than y^e affeccyon moueth herselfe / and onely putteth be­fore the eye of vnderstōdynge with her owne propre loue worldely and trāsytory vanytes / w^t dysplesaunce of vertu and loue of vyces / wherby she draweth to her bothe pryde and vnpasyence. ¶ And so the mynde is with nothynge elles fulfylled / but with suche thynge that y^e mysse ru­led affeccyon hathe gyuen vnto her. ¶ This most wretched loue hathe so blynded y^e eye of intelleccyon / y^t it can nother deserne nor take more clere lyght / than it hathe receyued. ¶ For that is to hȳ as hym semeth ryght clere (& it is vyce colored) by the coloure of his owne propre good / and the soule so offended. ¶ But by­cause the eye of vnderstondynge se­eth not herselfe for her owne blynde­nesse / she maye in no wyse knowe y^e truthe / and therfore the erreth and goeth out of the waye / serchynge o­ther delyces and other goodes than [...] me. [...] In an other place I sayd so the y^e all worldely delytes be not [...] without me / but rather they be [...] / gethornes thā delyces. ¶ In the same wyse intelleccyō or vnder­standynge is dyseeyued in her owne [...]ght and wyll in her owne loue lo­uynge suche thynges as she sholde not loue. ¶ And in the same wyse mynde in her kepynge and retency­ons / vnderstondynge foloweth the maners of a thefe / y^e reueth an other fro his good. ¶ In the same wyse mynde cōtynually remembreth of suche thȳges y^t be vtterly w^tout me. ¶ And of suche thynges / the soule wylfully depryueth her from grace. ¶ These thre myghtes of the soule be so myghtely knytte togyder / y^e I maye not be offended of y^e one / but y^e I be offended of all thre / for one ta­keth of an other good or yll / as it is declared before. ¶ What y^t euer ly­keth or pleaseth y^e fre choyse / y^t same pleaseth the affeccyon. ¶ And ther­fore as y^e affeccyō lyketh / so she styr­reth and moueth fre choyse / or with out lyght of reason. ¶ Neuertheles ye haue y^e vse of reasou knytte in me so y^t fre choyse fall not in you by vn­ordynate loue. ¶ Ye haue also a con­trary lawe of the flesshe repugnȳge contynually agaynste the spyryte. ¶ Two partyes therfore ye haue in youreselfe / that is sensualyte and reason. ¶ Sensualy is a seruaunte y^e whiche is ordeyned to serue y^e soule / that ye maye haue experyēce of ver­tu by the instrumente of the body. ¶ The soule is fre fro synne / delyue­red by the blòde of my sone / and therfore she maye in no wyse be brought in bondage / but yf she consente by her owne wyll / the whiche is boūde & knytte by fre choyse / for fre choyse is made one with wyll accordynge w^t her. ¶ The whiche fre choyse is knytte to the same wyll / in the myd­des of sensualyte and reason / that to which of bothe she wyltourne she maye. ¶ Forthermore sothe it is / that whan that euer the soule wyll gadre togyder her myghtes in my name / by the honde of fre choyse / as I haue declared to the before / that what that she dothe / or yet all that [Page]she gadereth be spyrytuall thȳnges ¶ And so fre choyse with sensualyte is losed & knytte to reason / thā with truthe / I rest in the myddes of thē. ¶ This it is that my sothefastnes spake of (sayenge thus) whan two or thre ben gadered togyder in my name / I am in the myddes of thē. ¶ Also I sayde to the that no man maye come to me / but by my onely sone / that is the waye of sothefast­nes. ¶ And therfore I haue made a brydge of hym / with thre grees / the whiche grees be fygured by y^e thre states of the soule / as I shal tell the afterwarde. ¶ How thes thre myghtes of the soule / yf they be not oned togyder / ther may no parseueraūce be hadde / without the whiche par­seueraunce / no man maye come to y^e ende of parfeccyon. THe fygure of these thre grees ī general I haue declared to the / be the thre myghtes of the soule / the whiche by maner of symylytude be thre ladders. ¶ And he that wyl passe forthe by y^e brydge and doctryne of my truthe / he maye not ascende vp by that one ladder / but yf he ascende also by the other. ¶ Ryght so a soule may haue no parseueraūce of vertu / but yf she knytte and Ioyne togyder these thre myghtes / of the whiche parseueraune I tolde y^e before / whan thou dyd aske of me the maner / the whiche those y^t comen out of the floode sholde holde for to be delyuered out of the perell of the same floode. ¶ And there also I sayde to the / that I wolde declare to the more openly those thre degre­es. ¶ And than I sayde that with­out parseueraunce / there maye no man come nother to the ende of parfeccyon / nor of vyces / for vertues & also vyces do aske parseueraunce. ¶ Yf thou do couet to come to lyfe / thou must contynu and parseuer in vertu / and he y^e desyreth to go forthe to endelesse dethe / he must parseuer in vyces. ¶ So than a man maye come to me that am lyfe of all thyn­ges / with parseueraūce of vertu / and also with parseueraūce of vyce he may come for to tast the deed wa­ter of fendes. ¶ An exposycyō of the worde of cryst / where he sayde. Si quis sitit. &c. That is to saye / yf ony man haue thruste let hym come to me and drȳke. ALl ye be byd generally / and specyally of my sone (y^e lambe of truthe) y^e whiche dyde cry in the temple with a greate desyre / seynge thus to you. Si quis si­tit veniat ad me et bibat. yf o­ny man haue thrust / let hym come to me and drgnke / for I am a wel of water of lyfe / he sayde not go to my fader and drynke / but he sayd come to me. ¶ Why / ¶ For in me that am the fader / myght neuer peyne fall / but it was than in my sone. ¶ And therfore whyle ye be pylgrymes & passyngers in this worlde ye maye in no maner wyse passe withoute peyne. ¶ For of synne as it is sayde before / y^e erthe hathe brought forthe thornes & breres. ¶ And why sayde he so / come to me and drynke? ¶ By cause all that dyd sue his doctryne / or suche that dyd drawe nyghe to hym / otherby kepynge of his com­maundymentes [Page]with the coūseyles mentally / or by his preceptes / with the counseyles actually. ¶ That is in goynge by y^e waye of parfyte charyte / or by the waye of comune cha­ryte / as I haue tolde the before / by what maner of wyse in these wayes ye come to hym by shewynge of his doctryne / ye fynde anone what ye sholde drynke / that is the fruyte of his precyous blode. ¶ And also by tastȳge of his dyuyne nature knytte and oned in mankynde / and than ye so abydynge in hym / shal also fynde yourselfe in me / that am the peaseable see / for I am one with hym / and he one with me. ¶ In this maner ye be byd for to come to the well of lyfely water of grace. ¶ Therfore it behoueth to you for to kepe vertu & holde it with parseueraūce / that ye maye come to the same brydge be­fore sayde / so y^e nother thornes / nor contrary wyndes / nor prosperyte / nor aduersyte / nor no other tollera­ble peyne / remoue you away frome youre holy purpose / but rather ye sholde parseuer & dure tyll ye come to me that shall gyue you water of lyfely grace / the whiche I shall delyuer you by y^e medyacyō of my swete and ryght dere byloued sone Ihesu ¶ But why saydehe / I am a wel of water of lyfe? ¶ Bycause he was & is a well whiche conteyneth me / y^t gyueth lyfely water of grace / by the knyttynge togyder of y^e dyuyne na­ture / with the pure nature of y^e mā heed. ¶ Why sayde he also / come to me and drynke / for ye may not passe without peyne / and in me myght neuer peyne fall / but ī hym. ¶ And by­cause I haue made of hym to you a brydge / therfore there maye none come to me / but by hym / as he say­eth hymselfe. Nemo potest ve­nire ad patrē. &c. ¶ There maye none come to the fader / but by me / and so my onely sone that is the ve­ry sothefastnesse / hathe spoke my truthe. ¶ Now thou maye well parceyue what waye and what maner behoueth the to kepe and to holde y^t is with parseyueraunce. ¶ For by no other waye ye drynke of my well of lyfe / for parseueraunce is a vertu that lyueth vyctoryously by lyfe e­uerlastynge in me / & receyueth ioye and a crowne of a specyall rewarde. ¶ How euery reasonable creature generally may kepe all maner of gouernaunce / so that he maye pas out fro the see of the worlde / and go by y^e forsayd holy brydge. ANd therfore eftesones I take agayne those thre grees by whome ye muste nedes walke / lest y^e stoode aryse and ye pe­ryshe therin. ¶ And that ye maye also come parfytely to y^e water of lyfe / to whom ye be byden swetely for to come. ¶ And yf you wyll that I be in y^e myddes of you (that is to saye) within youre hertes / with parfyte loue and charyte / thā maye ye passe forthe moche y^e better vpō y^e brydge that is my onely begotē sone. ¶ For whan I am in the myddes of you / there is greate habundaunce of ver­tues / with benefytes and greate gyftes vnnumerable / whan ye suf­fre me ther to haue a dwellȳge place by ꝑfyte pusyence of herte & mȳde. [Page]¶ Therfore they that coueter for to walke / they must nedes haue thrust for onely all they that haue thruste / be byde to drȳke of this wel of grace for he saythe hȳselfe / he y^t thrusteth come to me and drynke. ¶ He that thrusteth not / pseuereth not in his Iournaye / but without contynual passynge forthe / he abydeth and ta­ryeth / other by delectacyon / other by werynesse of his labour. ¶ And suche one careth not nor yet gyueth no force thoughe he brȳge no vessell with hym / wherw^t he myght drawe water and brynge it with hym / nor he is not sory in his mynde yf he go alone without company / nor to assocyate vertu / & yet he gothe not alone for there as vertu fayleth / vyces do folowe. ¶ And therfore he gothe a­backe whan he seeth the pryckynge of parsecucyons come / the whiche ben full enemyes to his good pur­pose. ¶ He dredeth also for to haue felyshyp / & yet of a truthe yf he had vertuous fely shyppe / suche dredes sholde than passe awaye from hym. ¶ And also yf he hadde ascended vp ꝑfytely those thre grees beforesayde in truthe / he sholde be sure ynoughe. ¶Ye must haue therfore thruste / & gader yourselfe togyder vertuously for my sothefast sone saythe / where two or thre be gadered togyder ī my name / in y^e myddes of them am I. ¶ And why sayeth he .ii. or .iii? For ii. be not w^toute .iii. nor .iii. w^toute .ii. nor .iii. nor .ii. w^tout many .i. is fully excluded fro me / for in the myddes of hym maye I not be / and bycause he hathe no felyshyp / I maye not stonde in the myddes / he lacketh a felowe and is a lone / that abydeth and taryeth in his owne propre loue ¶ Suche one is departed from my grace / and also he is departed from the charyte of his neyghbour / and so depryued fro me bycause of his syn­nes / and so he is tourned veryly to nought. ¶ Therfore suche one that goeth so by hymselfe alone / and one by his propre loue / is not in y^e nom­bre nor tolde of the very sothefaste­nesse of my onely begoten sone Ihe­su. ¶ My sone he sayde also / yf two or thre be gadered togyder in my name / with parfyte loue and pre­synge to my name / than I am in y^e mydes of them. ¶ Also I sayde to the y^e two without thre myght not be / nor thre may not be nor stonde w^t oute two / and sothe it is. ¶ Thou knowes ryght well that the comaū dymentes of the lawe do stonde in two thynges onely / and withoute those two no cōmaundyment maye be kepte / that is to lou [...]me aboue all thynges / and thy neyghboure as thy selfe / this is the begȳnynge of the lawe of the commaundymen­tes / and also it is the myddes and the ende. ¶ These two without thre maye not be sette nor gadered togydre in my name / without gaderȳge togydre of the thre myghtes of the soule / that is of mynde / Intelleccy­on / and wyll. ¶ So y^t by the mynde or memory of my greate benefytes or gyftes / a man hathe mynde of the before sayde goodnes in hȳselfe. ¶ And the intelleccyon or vnderstō ­dynge / beholdeth onely and veryly [Page]in my vnspectable and meruaylous loue / the whiche loue I shewed you by meane & medyacyon of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryste / whome I put and set after the eye of youre vnderstondynge / that youre vnder­stondynge maye se in hym the grete myghte of my most brennynge cha­ryte. ¶ And than shall the wyll be gadered to hym louynge me & desy­rynge me theyr ende. ¶ With these thre myghtes & vertues of the soule gadered togyder by grace / in y^e myddes of thē I am. ¶ Thā in asmoche as a mā fyndeth hym fulfylled and replete / bothe with the loue and cha­ryte of me & also of his neyghboure / anone he parceyueth in hymselfe the grete felyshyp and company of ma­ny ryall vertues / and than he dysposeth hym to haue the thrust and the appetyte of y^e soule / y^e whiche thrust is nothynge elles / but the thruste of vertu and of my worshyp / and also of helthe of soules. ¶ Thā he gothe surely without ony seruyle drede / y^t thus hathe ascended the fyrst gre of his affeccyon. ¶ For affeccyon is dyspoyled fro his owne ꝓpre loue / ther [...]ore he ascendeth aboue hymselfe / & aboue all transyry thynges / louȳge and beholdynge all suche transyto­ry thynges / yf he wyll kepe them & holde them onely in my name / and in no wyse without me / that is with holy and very drede / and for loue of vertu. ¶ Than suche a man fyndeth well that he ascendeth the secōde de­gre / whiche is the lyght of vnderstō ­dynge / that beholdeth and consyde­reth my excessyue passynge loue in my sone cryst crucified. ¶ By whom as by a meane / I haue shewed the same loue to mankynde / thā he fyndeth pease and rest / for his memory or mȳde is not fer fro my feruēt charite. ¶ Thou knowes wel y^e a voyde vessell gyueth a sowne whā it is touched / whan it is full it dothe not so. ¶ In the same maner whā mynde / or memory is full with the vnderstō dynge or intelleccyō / and with affeccyon full of loue / yf it be touched thā other with trybulacyōs of y^e worlde other delectacyons / it cryeth not by vnordynate ioye / nor also by impa­syence weyleth not / for it is ful of me that am al good. ¶ After tyme that a man is ascended thus / he fyndeth hym gadered togyder / for yf reason haue those thre degrees of .iij. myghtes of the soule as I haue sayde (in my name) eche of them be gadered togyder. ¶ So than whan tweyne (that is loue of me / and loue of thy neyghbour) be gadered togyder / & mynde or memory is brought ther­to. ¶ As for the thyrde for to kepe & holde retentyfely and vnderstonde for to se and beholde / & also wyll for to loue. ¶ Than a soule fyndeth her felyshyp with me / thā I am her ve­ry sykernesse / and toure of strengthe ¶ She fyndeth than also the fely­shyp of vertu / & so she gothe ryghte surely / and dwelleth full parfytely / for I am in y^e myddes of her. ¶ Thā she moueth herselfe with a gredy desyre / for to folowe and shewe the ve­ry waye of truthe / by y^e whiche way it fyndeth the well of lyfely water of grace. ¶ Of the thrust that it hathe [Page]for the worshyp of my name / and she desyreth also y^e waye of helthe bothe for her owne soule / and also for her neyghboure / for without suche wayes / suche maye not parfytely walke and go. ¶ Than as she goeth / she bereth with her a vessell voyde fro all vnordynate affeccyon of the herte & worldely loue / and anone bycause it is so voyde / it is fylled agayne / for it maye not be voyde / for other it must be fulfylled w^t some materyal thȳge or els with the ayre. ¶ So the herte is a vessell y^t maye in no wyse stonde voyde / for whan it is voyded fro all thynges of transytory vanyte / it is full of ayre / that is with my heuen­ly and most swetest dyuyne loue / by the whiche meane she cometh to the water of grace. ¶ And than whā she is come therto / she dothe passe & go forthe by the gate of cryst crucyfyed & so tasteth the water of lyfely grace rennȳge as a ryuer quyckly in me / that am the peaseable see. ¶ Here is a repetycyon of some wordes spokē of before. NOwe clerely I haue shewed to the the maner that euery reasonable creature ī general sholde holde and kepe / that he myght passe out of y^e grete see of this worlde / lest he perysshe & go to euerlastynge dāpnacyon. ¶ Thre generall grees I haue also shewed to the / the whiche grees be y^e thre myghtes of y^e soule ¶ And also that there maye no mā assende vpon one degre / without he assende on bothe the other. ¶ Ouer more I tolde the of that worde that my sothefaste sone spake / where he sayde thus. ¶ Where to or thre be gadered togyder ī my name / in y^e myddes of them am I. ¶ And how those wordes be vnderstonde / the gade­rȳge togyder of those thre grees be­sayde / that is of the thre myghtes of the soule / the whiche thre myghtes accordynge to one / brynge with thē two pryncypall commaundymen­tes of the lawe / that is my loue and the loue of thy neyghbour. ¶ So­uereynly to loue me aboue all thyn­ges / and thy neyghbour as thyselfe ¶ After this whan y^e he hathe thus ascended the ladders by gaderynge togyder ī my name as I haue sayd he receyueth the water of grace to slake his thruste. ¶ And that recey­ued he setteth his fote for to go vpō the brydge of my very sothefast sone suynge and folowynge his doctryne ¶ Also I haue sayde / ye renne after his voyce / the whiche calleth you / and sayeth thus openly in the tēple ¶ Who that hath thrust / come to me and drynke / that am a well of lyfely water / where I declared to y^e / how these wordes sholde be vnderstonde that thou myght knowe the better the habundaunce of my plentuous charyte / and also the confusyon and shame of them that wylfully renne by the way of the fende / the whiche byddeth and calleth them to the water of dethe. ¶ Now also thou hase seen and herde of that thynge y^e whiche thou does aske of me / that is of the maner of retēcyon and kepynge that they perysshe not (and there he he sayde) they that haue the maner of retencyon & kepynge / must haue it by y^e ascendynge on the brydge / in [Page]the whiche ascendynge vp they be gadered togyder and knytte in one / dwellynge and abydynge in y^e loue of theyr neyghbours / offrȳge to me the affeccyon of youre hertes / as a vessell voyded fro all maner worldely & transytory loues / to the whiche vessell I put or powre in lycoure of lyfely graces / to them y^t aske suche drynke / kepynge the same drynke with parseueraūce / passynge forthe in the waye of my onely sothefaste sone cryst crucyfyed / vnto the laste ende of theyr lyues. ¶ This is that maner / y^e which al ye owe to to kepe in what state y^e euer ye stonde in / for there shal no state excuse hym what euer he be / but that he maye kepe this maner / and is bounde to kepe it. ¶ And also he maye do it / & ther­fore he sholde do it / & ther [...]o is boūde euery reasonable creature. ¶ Ther may no reasonable creature excuse hȳ fro it / thoughe he sayde (I haue lettȳge) other by his state of lyuȳge or by his chyldren / other by worlde­ly impedymētes / wherfore he saythe that he may not folowe suche a way of lyuynge. ¶ Nor also they maye not excuse them / for dyffycultes and hardenes that they fynde in y^e same waye. ¶ For I tolde y^t y^t euery state is to me plesaunte and acceptable / so it be kepte & had w^t an holy good wyll. ¶ For al thynges be good and parfyte made of me / y^t am most souerayne good. ¶ They be not made & graunted of me to you / y^t ye take by theym youre dethe but youre lyfe. ¶ There is nothynge so delectable to me / as is loue / & therfore I aske nothȳge elles of you / but loue / that is loue of me / & loue of youre neygh­bours / the whiche maye be had and kepte in all tymes / all places / and in euery astate that a man is in / lo­uynge and kepynge / to worshyp & glory of my name all thynges. ¶ Also knowes thou not how I sayd to the / y^t some passe forthe in this lyfe dysceyued w^t worldely goodes / not goynge with lyght / but couerynge them by vnordynate loue / & louȳge creatures / and kepynge suche tem­porall goodes w^tout me. ¶ All suche I tolde the be so greately tourmen­ted / that they be passyngely intolle­rable to themselfe. ¶ And yf they w^t drawe not / and put away suche vn­ordynate loue in the maner before sayde / they passe very faste to ende­les dampnacyon. ¶ And now at the last I haue tolde the / what maner a man shall kepe most generally.

¶ The fourte chapytre tel­leth whan oure lorde wolde shewe to this deuoute soule / y^t the thre grees of the brydge be fygured by the thre states of the soule. ¶ Than he bad her lyfte vp herself aboue herselfe to beholde this sothefastnesse. Also how this deuoute soule beholdynge in the myrrour of god sawe dyuers creatures go in dyuers wayes / & of other maters / as is rrher­sed in y^e kalendre. Ca. iiii.

BIcause I sayde to the be­fore how they sholde go y^t be in comyn charyte (that is for to saye / they y^t kepe the counseyles mentally / and the cō maudymētes actually. ¶ Now therfore I purpose to shewe to the of thē that haue begone to ascende vpon the ladder / and begynne to go in the waye of parfeccyon / that is in the obseruaūce of the commaūdymentes and counseyles actually / wherin I shall shewe to the thre degrres and states of the soule / also thre degrees the whiche I put to the before in generall for the myghtes of the soule / of the whiche degrees / one is vnparfyte / an other parfyte / and y^e thyrde is founde most parfyte. ¶ One is to me a hyred seruaunte / an other as a trewe seruaunte / and the thyrde is a well byloued sone / bycause he loueth me onely w^tout ony other cause but onely for myselfe. ¶ These ben those thre states the whiche must be in many creatures / and also they must be in one creature alone. ¶ In one creature they muste be / whan suche a creature with parfyte besy­nesse / renneth by the same waye be­foresayde / spendynge well his tyme ¶ So that he may with suche good vse of his tyme spēdynge / come fro the drede of bondage / vnto y^e drede of fredome / and so at the laste come fro fre drede / vnto y^e chyldely drede y^t is to y^e loue of chast drede. ¶ Lyft vp therfore thyselfe aboue thyselfe / and opē thy eyes of vnderstondȳge & beholde these pylgrymes & straū ­gers how they pas forthe. ¶ Some by the waye of coūseyle vnparfytely gon / and some partytely holdynge & vsynge the same waye. ¶ Se and beholde clerely by thē / where is parfyte parfeccyō / and also how greate y^e dysceyte is / that a soule receueth in herselfe / for the roote of her owne loue / is not yet put awaye fro her. ¶ In what state that euer a man stondeth in / hym nedeth therfore to slee and dystroye his owne propre loue in hymselfe. ¶ Than this soule brennynge in loue / and gredy in de­syre beholdynge herselfe / sawe in y^e swete myrrour of the godheed crea­tures goynge in dyuers maners & in dyuers wyses / atteynynge to the same ende / that they seken. ¶ Also she sawe many that dyd begynne to ascende vp / bycause they felde them prycked of seruyle drede (that is to saye) dredynge theyr owne propre peyne they lefte of. ¶ And some she sawe by excersyce of her fyrste cal­lynge / come by ascencyon to the se­conde gree / but sewe she sawe come to the most parfyte degre of parfec­cyon. ¶ How this deuoute soule be­holdynge in y^e myrrour of god / sawe dyuers creatures / go in dyuers maners. THan the goodnesse of god yeldynge satysfaccyon to the desyre of suche a deuoute soule / sa [...]de thus ¶ Sees thou not these that with seruyle drede haue cyse fro y^e vomy­te of deedly synnes / yf they ryse not with loue of vertu / seruyle drede is not suffycyent alone to gyue theym euerlastynge lyfe / but it be medled with holy drede and chaste / that is with my loue of vertu / for in loue & [Page]holy chast drede / the lawe is sette. ¶ The lawe of drede is y^e olde lawe / the whiche I gaue to Moyses / that was grounded onely in drede / by­cause assone as they had synned in his dayes / anone they dydde suffre peyne therfore. ¶ But the lawe of loue / is the newe lawe / gyuen of my very sothefast sone Ihesu / the whi­che is grounded in charytable loue. ¶ And yet the olde lawe is not broke for the newe / but rather fulfylled / so saythe my sothefaste sone Ihesu / I came not for to breke and vnlose the olde lawe / but for to fulfyll it. ¶ He coupled & knytte y^e lawe of drede / with the lawe of loue / the imparfec­cyō of the drede of peyne onely / was withdrawe fro it / onely by abydȳge the imparfeccyon of holy drede. ¶ I call that holy drede / that wyll not of sende me / that am moste souerayne good / and that rather is aferde to offende me / than for ony peyne that it sholde haue for ony offence y^e whi­ [...] dothe. ¶ And the lawe of impar­ [...]ccyon is made parfyte and holy / by the parfyte lawe of loue. ¶ After [...]me y^e brēnynge chare of my onely [...]othefast sone was come to the whi­che brought w^t hym fere of my bren­nynge charyte in to mankynde / the peyne of hasty punyshment of syn­nes done ī this lyfe / was done away by the habundaunce of my mercy. ¶ For creatures were not / nor be not punyshed anone as they hadde done offēses agaynst me / as it was done in olde tyme in y^e lawe of Moyses / without ony interuall of tyme / but nowe mercyably / I abyde the repentaunce of mankynde. ¶ Ne­uerthelesse synne shall not yet be vn­punyshed / for though it be not amē ded here / it shall be correcked in an other place / but yf it be worthely punyshed here / by dewe and parfyte cō trycyō. ¶ As longe as a mā lyueth here / it is tyme of mercy to hym / & after tyme he is deed / than is tyme of ryght wysenesse. ¶ Therfore euery man shold now aryse fro seruyle drede / and besy hym for to come to my loue and holy drede / or els with out ony remedy he shall be drowned in the floode beforesayde / by the wa­ues of trybulacyōs comȳge agaynst hym. ¶ And by y^e couetous thornes of worldely comforte / the whiche be very thornes pryckynge the soule / and loueth them vnornately / and kepeth them. ¶ How the drede of ser­uage w^tout loue of vertues / is not suffycyent to euer lastynge lyfe / and how the lawe of drede and the lawe of loue be oned togyder. I Sayde to the that ther maye no man go by the brydge / nor passe out of y^e floode but nedes he must ascende vpō thre grees. ¶ And sothe it is / that some ascēde vnparfytely / some parfytely and some with greate parfeccyon. ¶ All suche therfore that with ser­uyle drede ben onely lad and gouer­ned / ascende vnparfytely gaderȳge togyder the myghtes of the soule. ¶ That is whā y^e soule seeth peyne folowe synne / for fere of that peyne it ryseth out fro synne / and ascēdeth vp and gadereth the mynde togy­der / therby to pull awaye the remē ­braūce and mynde of synne. ¶ The [Page]¶ The vnderstōdȳge also is drawe to for to se and beholde what peyne is ordeyned for synne / and than his wyll is moued to hate synne. ¶ And thoughe this be the fyrst ascencyon / and the fyrste gaderynge togyder of the myghtes of the soule / yet muste the soule excersyce and vse the same ascencyon and gaderynge togyder of the same myghtes / by the lyghte of the inwardely vnderstōdynge in the clere syghte of very feythe / not onely beholdynge y^e peyne for synne but also and rather the dede of ver­tu / & the loue that they sholde haue to vertu / so that theyr affeccyō may ascende vp with the fete of loue / put tynge away seruyle drede. ¶ Yf they do thꝰ / thā they be made my trewe seruauntes / and not vntrewe / ser­uynge me onely for loue / and not for drede. ¶ To this they maye come / yf they myghtely orawe vp by y^e rote and put awaye with hate / the roote of theyr owne propre loue. ¶ And al­so yf they be wyse and pr̄udent / styd fast / and parseueraunt. ¶ But ther be many suche begynners / the whi­che begynne to ascēde / that be so dul and full of slothe / and so feyntly yel den to me my dewte / & with suche neclygence / and ygnoraunce / y^t they feynt and defayle / anone rennynge to the sayle for the lest wynde that cometh. ¶ And so they gone backe­warde / for they dyd ascende vnpar­fytely / & toke y^e fyrst gre of y^e brydge of my onely fothefast sone / and most byloued Ihesu crucyfyed / & therfore they maye not come to y^e secōde gre of the herte of loue. ¶ How a man y^t hathe excersysed hym in y^e drede of seruage whiche is the state of imparfeccyō / by whiche state is vnder stōde y^e fyrste grees of y^e foresayde holy brydge / he maye come so to the se­conde gre / whiche is y^t state of par­feccyon. SOme there be that be be­come trewe seruaūtes / that be those whiche seruen me trewly / without ony seruyle drede or bondage / that seruē not me for drede of peyne / but for loue / and with loue. ¶ That maner of loue by the whiche men seruē me for theyr owne profyte & auaun­tage / and for loue & plesaunce that they fynde in me / is vtterly vnpar­syte / and that maye well be knowen in this wyse. ¶ As sone as my com­fortes be withdrawe fro thē / anone they gyue of theyr loue / & therfore it is vnparfyte. ¶ By suche maner of loue vnꝑfyte / they louē theyr neyghbours / & therfore suche loue is not suffycyent nor durable / but rather suche loue ceaseth & ofte tymes fay­leth. ¶ It ceaseth anendes me / for this cause / oft tymes I w^tithdrawe fro them ghostly cōfortes of y^e soule / that they may the soner aryse from imparfeccyon / and be excersysed in vertues / suffrynge thē to haue tourment and heuynesse of herte / y^t they maye the more purely come to me. ¶ The whiche is done also bycause they sholde the soner come to the parfyte knowlege of themselfe / for they knowe not themselfe / nor they haue no grace of themselfe. ¶ And also y^t in tyme of trybulacyōs they myght lerne for to renne to me / y^t am theyr refute and comforte / knowynge me [Page]to be to them gyuer of al goodnes & graces / & so to serche me feythfully with very mekenesse / and for this cause / all suche trybulacyons to fall to thē / withdrawynge fro thē ghost­ly cōfortes / but not my grace. ¶ All suche maner of mē go than full sloly with greate vnpasyence of soule. ¶ And otherwhyle they leue & for­sake theyr ghostly excercyses in ma­ny maners and dyuers / and ofte tymes vnder colour of vertu / they say within thēselfe thus. ¶ This ghostly excercyse & workynge is nothyge profytable to me / and that is whan they fynde them and fele them fay­lynge & lackynge of inwarde ghost­ly comforte. ¶ Suche one holdeth & kepeth the condycyon of an vnpar­fyte man / for he hathe not yet ryght well lyfte vp and put awaye y^e veyle and the clothe of his ghostly loue / fro the clere syghte of the eye of ve­ry bryssed feythe. ¶ For yf he hadde well lyfted it vp / & put awaye that clothe / in sothe he sholde severyly / y^t all the trȳbulacyons comen fro me to proue hym / for y^e leest lefe of a tree maye not fall downe without my or­dynaūce & ꝓuydēce. ¶ And therfore all that euer I graunted to them by suffraūce of suche trybulacyons / I suffre it to come to them for theyr encrease o [...] vertu. ¶ That is that they maye haue a good ende / to the whi­che ende I haue made thē. ¶ This they sholde beholde and se and veryly knowe that I desyre nothynge of them / but vertu and good / in the precyous blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / in y^e whiche blode they be wasshed fro all theyr wyckednes in the same blode they maye knowe my very truthe. ¶ For that I wolde gyue to them euerlastynge lyfe / I made them to the ymage and symylytute of me / and haue made theym freslhe and quycke to grace as chyl­drē of grace / in y^e bloode of my onely sone Ihesu. ¶ But bycause they be vnꝑfyte / they do to me seruyse onely for theyr owne profyte / w^tdrawynge thē in y^e same wyse fro the parfyte loue of theyr neyghbours. ¶ The fyrste [...]o fayle for drede the whiche they haue for suffcynge of peyne. ¶ The secōde withdrawynge of thē fro y^e profyte / that they sholde shewe and do to theyr neyghbours / and so withdrawe thē fro charyte / bycause they parceyue in them that they be depryued / as they thynke fro ghostly comforte / whiche they were vsed to haue / and that is for theyr loue is not parfyte. ¶ But with y^e same im­parfeccyon that they loue me onely for theyr owne profyte / with y^e same imꝑfyte lour / they loue theyr neyghbours. ¶ And but yf they dyd know theyr owne imparfeccyon by grete desyre of parfeccyon / they must ne­des go backe. ¶ Therfore it is ryght nedefull for them / yf they wyl haue y^t durable lastynge loue / for to loue without beholdynge of ony maner rewarde. ¶ It is not ynoughe for to fle syn̄e for drede of peyne / nor for to lyue vertuously onely for his synguler auaūtage and profyte. ¶ For these be no grete thȳges for to wyn̄e therby heuen blysse / but it is spede­full for to eschewe synnes onely for [Page]they dysplesen me / and onely for my loue for to loue vertues & get them. ¶ Neuerthelesse the fy [...]ste callynge of euety creature (is that) for fyrste a soule is vnparfyte / rather thā parfyte / and fro imparfeccyon it sholde come to parfeccyō. ¶ Whyther eue­ry vertuous soule lyuynge in this lyfe hathe alwaye loued me onely w^t out beholdȳge of ony other thynge / or yf that it haue in the houre of de­partynge fro the body in this lyfe desyred / yf it hadde be tyme or space to serue me better than euer she dyd / withoute beholdynge of ony other thynge than of me alone / knowynge than her owne vnparfytenes or im­ꝑfeccyon. ¶ Suche soules I trowe there be many / so lyuynge in vnparfyte loue. ¶ Of the whiche Peter was one / that loued my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryst for his blessyd bodyly conuersacyon in this lyfe / but whan tyme of trybulacyō came he sayled in his loue / and he fell in to suche an inconuenyente / that for very drede of peyne he denyed hym & sayd y^t he knewe hym neuer. ¶ And therfore a soule that ascendeth vpō these grees onely with seruyle drede & hyred loue / she falleth in to greate incomodytes and inconuenyence. ¶ All they sholde therfore aryse as very trewe chyldren / seruynge me w^toute ony b [...]holdȳge of theyr owne profyte / for I am y^e rewarder of euery laboure / and yelde to euery man after his estate & excersyce. ¶ And therefore yf they leue not the excer­syce of good and holy prayers and of other good werkes / but moche rather encreasen in vertues with par­seueraunce / than they showe come worthely to y^e very loue of my sothefaste sone Ihesu. ¶ And I shall thā loue thē with suche loue / as I loue my owne very dere chyldren / for w^t suche lour as I am loued / I shall loue agayne. ¶ Yf I be loued with suche loue / as a seruaunt loueth his lorde / I as a lorde as he hathe de­serued / shall rewarde hym his dew­te. ¶ But I shall not make myselfe open to hym by my specyal graces / for to a trewe frende and a trewe lo­uer / my pryue secretes be made opē and shewed / y^e whiche is made one with me that am his frende. ¶ Ne­uerthelesse a seruaunte maye en­crees with y^e vertues and loue that he bereth to his lorde / in somocbe y^t he may be made a ryght dere frēde. ¶ Ryghte so it happeth of suche that loue me as hyred seruauntes done to thyr lordes / to suche I make me not open. ¶ But yf suche pull vp by the roote with a maner of hate theyr owne ghostly loue fro themselfe / & ascēde vp aboue y^e sete of theyr owne cōscyence / not leuynge this seruyle drede & hyred loue vnchastysed and vncorrecked with the lyghte of very deuoute feythe / than maye they be to me tyghte kynde and come to my very frendely loue. ¶ And so shal I than shewe me gracyously to them / as my owne sothefaste sone Ihe­su sayde whan he was conuersaunt ī this worlde / he y^t loueth me (he say the) shall kepe my worde / & my fa­der shal loue hym / and we shal come to hym / and make a dwellȳge place [Page]in hȳ. ¶ Also he saythe in an other place thus / he that loueth me / shall be loued of my fader / & I shall loue hym / and shewe hym myselfe gracy­ously. ¶ This is y^e very knowlege of dere louers / for in theym loue is transformed in the louer / by affeccy on & loue / & so ther be two bodyes & one soule / yf two haue but one soule it maye not be hyd fro that one / but it is knowe also to that other. ¶ And therfore my sothefaste sone Ihesu sayde thus / we sholde come & make togyder one dwellynge place. ¶ Of the imparfeccyon of them that louē and seruen god for theyr owne pro­fyte and loue / or for theyr comforte. DOughter wyl thou knowe how I shal make myselfe open in a soule that in truthe loueth me / shewynge the techȳge and the doctryne of my sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / here nowe in many maner wyses. ¶ I shewe my vertu in suche a soule / af­ter the desyre y^e suche a soule hathe. ¶ Neuertheles thre prȳcypal shewynges / I made to be had in a dere louynge soule. ¶ The fyrste is / that I shewe the affeccyon of my chary­te / by medyacyon and meane of the roorde of my ryghte well byloued sone Ihesu cryste / the whiche affeccyon is made open in the blode of hym shed oute by the feruent fere of brennynge charyte. ¶ In two ma­ner wyses this charyte is shewed / one is generall comune to all / dwellynge and abydynge in comune charyte. ¶ To suche it is shewed the whiche do se and haue experyence of my charyte / for many dyuers be­nefytes that they haue receyued of me / and in dyuers maners. ¶ The other maner of shewynge is party­culer to theym specyally y^t be made truly and feythefully my frendes. ¶ The shewȳge of this comune charyte that they do taste / they knowe they haue experyence / and they fele it parfytely in theyr soules. ¶ The seconde shewynge of charyte is at y^e tyme that I do make me open to them (by affeccyō of loue) not for I am a specyall rewarder of one more than of an other / but makynge me frely open in theyr soules / onely by holy desyre / in the same parfeccyon y^t they seke. ¶ Other whyle I make me open to them by another maner of wyse / and this is the maner of the other shewynge / gyuynge to them spyryte of prophecye / for to knowe thynges that be to come / and that is in manye wyses and dyuers ma­ners / after the indygence and nede that I aspy in suche a soule / and o­ther creatures. ¶ Other whyle also in y^e thyrde wyse / formynge in theyr soules / the presence of my truthe / y^t is y^e sothefastnes of my onely sothe­faste sone Ihesu in dyuers wyses and many maners / as a soule desy­reth the whiche hathe grete thruste or drynes. ¶ Other whyle they seke me in holy prayers / desyrynge for to knowe my myghte / and than I do suffre theym to taste the very vertu of my myght / other whyle I am sought in the wysdome of my sone / and than also I fulfyll theyr desyre shewynge openly to the syghte of the eye of theyr vnderstondynge / my [Page]sone Ihesu. ¶ Otherwhyle they do serche me in the mekenesse of the holy ghost / thā my endelesse goodnesse maketh them to taste the brēnynge fyre of my dyuyne charyte / and also maketh them to conceyue very ry­all vertues / groūded ī the pure cha­ryte of neyghbourhode.

¶ The fyfte chapyter telleth how god sheweth hymselfe somtyme to a soule that lo­ueth hym ¶ Also why cryste sayde not. Ego manifestabo. &c. I shall shewe my fader / but he sayde / I shall shewe myselfe what maner of go­uernaunce a soule shall kepe / that she maye come vp to the seconde gree of y^e holy brydge ¶ And of other maters / as it is rehersed before in the kalē ­der. Ca. v.

IN this wyse than maye y^e clerely comprehende and parceyue the truthe / after the sayenge of my sothe­fast sone Ihesu / wher he saythe thꝰ / he that loueth me / he shall be one w^t me. ¶ For al y^e shewe his doctryne / be made one with hym / by the affeccyō of loue. ¶ And lyke as ye be one in hym / so be ye one ī me / for he and I be but one togyder in substaūce / and so shewe I me to you / for we be all one. ¶ Neuerthelesse yf my sothefaste sone had sayde to you thus / I shal shewe you me the fader / he had sayd sothe / for yf he shewe hymselfe he sheweth me / and yf he shewe me he sheweth hȳselfe. ¶ But why sayd he not / I shall shewe you my fader onely? ¶ Truly for thre maner cau­ses. ¶ One is this / bycause he wolde it were knowe that I am not departed fro hym / nor he fro me / and therfore it was y^t he sayde to seynt Phy­lyp / y^t asked of hym thus. ¶ Lorde shewe vs thy fader / & it is ynoughe to vs? ¶ Phylyp he sayde / he that seeth me / seeth my fader / this was truly sayde / for he was one with me / & that he had he had onely of me / and not I of hym. ¶ And that was the cause that he sayde to the Iewes thus. ¶ My doctryne is not my doctryne / but his doctryne that sende me in to this worlde / that is my fa­der. ¶ Thꝰ by this cause my ryght swete & onely sothefast sone cometh fro me / & not I fro hym. ¶ And he he sayeth also we be all one / therfore it was that he sayde not / I shal not shewe you my fader / but he sayde / I shall shewe you me / y^t is bycause I am one / and the same with my fader. ¶ The seconde cause was / in asmoche as he shewed you hymselfe / he shewed to you no other / than he had of me his fader (as thoughe he sayde thus) my fader hathe shewed me hymselfe / bycause we be one. ¶ Therfore I shall shewe you my fader and me / by medyacyon of my­selfe. ¶ The thyrde cause was / for I that am inuysyble / may not be seen of you that ben vysyble / but whan ye be departed oute fro youre deed­ly [Page]bodyes / thā all ye shall se me face to face / and my sothefast sone Ihe­su cryst intellectually / vnto y^t tyme of y^e generall resurreccyon. ¶ Therfore now as I am / ye may not se me & for this cause I haue hyd & coue­red my dyuyne nature / by the veyle of your humanyte / y^t ye myght so se that is inuysyble as vysyble. ¶ As thoughe I gyue you dwellynge a­monge you my sothefaste sone Ihesu / couered in the vayle of youre mā hode. ¶ And soo he sheweth me to you / & therfore he sayde not / I shall shew you my fader / but he sayde I shall shewe you me. ¶ As thoughe he mēt thus / lyke as my fader hathe gyuen it to me / so shall I shewe me to you. ¶ Thus thou maye knowe that in this sheweynge of me / he shewed hymselfe. ¶ Aud thus thou hase lerned why he sayd not / I shal shewe you my fader (that is thus) bycause it is vnpossyble to you for you to se me in this deedly body (as it is sayde before / and also bycause he is one with me. ¶ And here after shall be shewed what maner of go­uernaunce a soule shall kepe / & how she shall ascende vp to y^e seconde gre of y^e holy brydge. NOw thou knowes in what maner of excellence he dwelleth / that cometh to the degre of the loue of a frende / suche one go­eth vpon his fete of affeccyon / and so cometh to the pryue secretes of y^e herte / that is fro the fyrste grees / to the seconde be fygured in the body of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu. ¶ I tolde the that those thre grees were betokened or marked in y^t thre myghtes of the soule / betokenynge pryncypally / the thre states of the soule. ¶ Now therfore or y^t he come to the thyrde gree / I shall shewe the how he shal come to be a dere frēde. ¶ And after tyme he is comē to be a dere frēde to me / anone he is made a chylde of my loue that he hathe to me / and I to hym / as to my owne dere chylde. ¶ But fyrste how that he worketh whā he is made a frēde / I shall tell it to the. ¶ At the begyn­nȳge he was vnparfyte / by seruyle drede / and by the parseueraūte vse of the same drede / he came to y^e loue of ghostly delectacyon / fyndynge in me comforte and auauntage of his owne profyte. ¶ In sothe this is y^e waye / and this waye he muste ge [...] that wyll come parfytely to parfyte loue of a dere chylde and of a frende. ¶ Why is that loue parfyte? ¶ Truly for he receyueth my herytage / in the loue of my sothefast sone Ihesu. ¶ And bycause y^e loue of adere sone is not w^tout the loue of adere frēde / and therfore I sayde to the / that of a dere frēde / cometh a dere chylde. ¶ But what maner of gouernaūce muste he holde / that shall come to this parfeccyon / I shall tell y^e? ¶ E­uery parfeccyon and euery vertu / cometh oute of charyte / and chary­te is nouryshed of mekenes / & mekenesse cometh out of knowlege and of holy hate of hymselfe / that is of his owne sensualyte and his very pro­pre wyll. ¶ And for to come to this a man muste abyde parseueraūtly / and dwelle in the Cell of his owne knowlege. ¶ In the whiche know­lege [Page]of hymselfe / he shall fynde my mercy in the blode of my sothefaste sone Ihesu drawynge to hym by holy desyre my dyuyne charyte / and also by excersysynge hymselfe in dys­troyēge al maner of wycked wylles bothe spyrytuall and temporall / hy­dynge hymselfe ī his owne house / as Peter and other dyscyples dyd / the whiche Peter after the trespas of negacyon or denyenge / the whi­che he dyd to my sone / he wepte full bytterly. ¶ Yet neuertheles his we pynge was vnparfyte / & so it was vnto y^e ascēcyon. ¶ And after tyme my sothefast sone came to me in his manhod / than Peter and all other dyscyples dyd hyde thē in an house / abydȳge there mekely the comȳge of the holy ghoste / as my sothefaste sone dyd promyse before to theym. ¶ And all that tyme they for fere a­bode in an house reclused. ¶ For e­uer the soule dredeth vnto the tyme it come to the very loue. ¶ But they were parseuerauntly abydynge in holy wakynge / and in meke and cō ­tynuall prayer / vnto the tyme that the holy ghoste came and fulfylled them with plentuousnes of graces. ¶ And whan they were fulfylled w^t that greate grace / than they caste awaye dredes / and so they folowed the steppes of my sothefast sone / in prechȳge his passyō ouer all. ¶ In the same wyse asoule that desyreth to come to this ꝑfeccyō before sayd / after tyme she hathe synned deedly / & is gracyously arysen / knowynge herselfe foule & wretched / for drede of peyne she begynneth for to wepe. ¶ And after that she aryseth fro y^e drede & beholdeth my mercy where she fyndeth delectacyon & profyte / & yet it is vnparfyte. ¶ Therfore lyke as it was done to Peter / & to the dyscyples that were closed in / so shall it be do to suche a deuoute soule that is rysen out of synne and cometh to my mercy. ¶ That is to saye / af­ter fourty dayes I shal make her to come to parfeccyon. ¶ That is af­ter these two states / otherwhyle I shal withdrawe me fro suche a soule not by grace / but by felynge. ¶ And so shewed well my sothefaste sone Ihesu / whan he sayde to his dyscy­ples thus. ¶ I shall go / and come to you. ¶ What that euer he sayde partyculerly to his dyscyples / it was sayde generally and comynly to all / bothe to them that be now on lyue / & to thē that be to come. ¶ Namely to them that sholde come to hym / he sayde thus. ¶ I shall go / and come agayne to you / and so it was. ¶ For he came vpon his dyscyples / whan the holy ghost came to them. ¶ The holy ghost came not alone / but with my myghte and power he came / and with the wysedome of my sothefast sone Ihesu / the whiche is one with me. ¶ And with the myldenes & mekenes of y^e same holy ghoste y^t cometh fro me & fro my sone / in the same wyse I saye to the. ¶ Whan a soule ryseth fro her imꝑfeccyō / I w^t drawe me fro her by felȳge / takȳge awaye y^e cōforte that she had. ¶ For whan she was in deedly synne / she wente awaye fro me / and I dyd w^t ­drawe me thā frome her synne / by­cause [Page]than she had shyt agaynst me the gate of her desyre / by the whiche the sonne of grace sholde go & shyne throwe. ¶ This is no defaute of the sonne / but of the creature that shyt y^e gate of desyre agaynst the y^t sonne and whan she knoweth herselfe and her owne derkenesse / than she ope­neth the wyndowes by holy confes­syon / castynge out therby the fylthe of syn̄e. ¶ And thā I come agayne in to that soule by grace / but yet I withdrawe me fro her by felȳge (as I sayde) and not fro grace. ¶ This I do bycause she sholde waxe lowe and meke / and that she sholde excersyce herselfe / in sekynge me truly. ¶ And also that she sholde be veryly proued in the holy lyght of feythe / so for to come to wysdome. ¶ Than yf she veryly / without lokynge of ony rewarde loue me with the lyghte of lyfely and quycke feythe / and with holy hate of herselfe / she is ioyful in the tyme of labour / and demeth her [...] vnworthy rest / and quyetnesse of soule. ¶ This is y^e seconde thynge of the thre / of whome I tolde the before / for thoughe she fele me with­drawe / she wyl not therfore go back warde / but rather she vseth mekely her ghostly laboure / stondynge stydfastly and abydynge enclosed in the house of her owne knowlege. ¶ And therfore she abydeth with a quycke feythe / the comȳge of the holy ghost (that is I my selfe) the whiche am y^e fyre of very charite. ¶ How abydeth she? ¶ Truly not w^t ydlenes / but w^t bodyly wakynge / and contynuall prayenge / and not onely with body­ly wakynge / but with intellectuall wakynge. ¶ For y^t eye of vnderston­dynge or Intelleccyon is not shytte but it is open and waketh with the lyght of feythe / dystryenge y^e thoughtes of the herte with holy hate / wa­kynge in the affeccyon of my charyte / and knowynge that I desyre no thȳge elles / but her holynes. ¶ And that is well certyfyed and made opē ynoughe / in y^e blode of my sothefast sone Ihesu. ¶ After tyme the eye of intelleccyon waketh thus in know­lege of her selfe and me / she prayeth cōtynually / offerynge to me prayer with a good wyll & an holy. ¶ This is the contynuall prayer / and also she vseth her in actuall prayer / that is in suche prayers as be ordeyned by holy chyrche. ¶ Thus is a soule occupyed that is departed fro imparfeccyon / and is come to parfeccyon. ¶ And bycause she sholde come therto / therfore I went fro her / not put tynge awaye grace fro her / but fe­lynge. ¶ I withdrawe me fro her / that she sholde knowe her owne de­fautes. ¶ And in that she knoweth herselfe pryued fro ghostly cōforte / she feleth peyne and fyndeth herself feble / not stronge for to stonde nor stydfast. ¶ By that she fyndeth the rote of ghostly loue in her owne selfe and therfore she fyndeth ī them ma­ter of knowlege / and in reysynge vp herselfe aboue herselfe / ascendynge vpon the sete of her conscyence / therfore to ly in wayte that suche felȳge is not suffred to passe without rebukynge of the conscyence / in dystry­enge of the roote of theyr owne loue [Page]with ioyfull hate and with the loue of vertu. ¶ How he that loueth god vnparfytely / loueth his neyghbour vnparfytely / and of y^e tokens of his vnparfyte loue. I wyll also y^t thou knowe / that all suche vnꝑfyte loue / and parfyte loue is soughte in me / by meane and medyacyon of creatu­res. ¶ They that be symple knowe this well that louen oftetymes me and seken me ī creatures. ¶ Neuer­thelesse yf a mā receyue purely loue of me / without beholdynge of ony creature / thā doubteles he sholde receyue purely and drynke the loue of his neyghboure / as a mā drynketh of a vessell / whiche is tylled in a wel whan it is drawe oute / and the lycour is drunke that was therin / than is the vessell voyde. ¶ And yf a man drynke of that vessell whyle it ston­deth in the well / it is neuer ydle nor voyde / but euer ful. ¶ Ryght so loue of neyghbours / bothe spyrytuall & temporall / wyll be drunke in me w^t ­out beholdynge and rewarde of ony creatures. ¶ I aske not that of you that ye loue me with the same loue that I loued you / for that maye ye not do / bycause I loued you / whan I was not loued of you. ¶ All ma­ner of loue y^t ye haue to me / [...] it to me of dewte / not of grace / by­cause ye sholde do it / but I loue you of grace / and not of dewte. ¶ Ther­fore that loue whiche I aske of you ye maye not yelde it to me / and for y^t cause I haue put a meane bytwyxe you and me (that is to saye) youre neyghboure that ye do to hym / that ye maye not do to me / and that is y^t ȳe loue hym of grace / without ony beholdynge / and without ony aby­dynge. ¶ For I holde it done to me that is done to hym for thy loue / & this shewed well my sothefast sone to seynt Paule whan be parsued me sayenge thus. ¶ Saule Saule why parsues thou me. ¶ This he sayde holdȳge me parsued / in that he par­sued my trewe seruauntes. ¶ And therfore suche loue wolde be pure / for lyke with the same loue that ye sholde loue me / ye sholde loue them. ¶ Yf y^u wyll knowe y^e tokēs of vnꝓ­fyte loue / I shall declare them to y^e. ¶ Yf a man loue an other ghostly & fele payne that tourmenteth hym / in asmoche as the creature that he loueth is not sene to hym for to satysfy to his loue / ī louȳge hym agayne as he loueth hym / his louȳge is vnparfyte. ¶ Also yf he se his conuer­sacyon be withdrawe or pryued / or desolate fro ghostly comforte / or yf he se an other beloued more than he hymselfe. ¶ All these be takens and many mo / y^t his loue bothe in me & in his neyghbour is vnparfyte / and this is for to drynke of the vessell w^t ­out the well. ¶ All be it he toke the lycoure of loue of me / yet his loue was not abydnge parfytely in me / as in the well of loue. ¶ Therfore it sheweth tokens of imparfeccyon in by / whom he loueth ghostly. ¶ And all this maye be the cause / for y^e rote of his owne propre loue / was neuer yet pulled vp wel. ¶ Therfore I suffre loue ofte tymes to be had / that he maye knowe his owne imparfeccyon / by my w^tdrawynge of felynge [Page]fro hym / that he maye shutte hym vp and enclose hymselfe in y^e house of his owne knowlege. ¶ In y^e whi­che knowlege / he shall get al maner of parfeccyon. ¶ And thā shall I en­tre with a greate lyght / & with very knowlege of my truthe (insomoche) that he shall holde it for a synguler grace / to mortyfy or sle (for my loue) his propre wyl. ¶ And he shall cease neuer to cutte awaye the superfluytes of his vyne / & to pull vp y^e thor­nes of his thoughtes / and buylde & edyfy very myghty stones of vertu / groūded & set in y^t blode of my sones passyon / the whiche be founde by goynge vpon the brydge of my onely sone crucyfyed before sayde / & grounded vpon the doctryne of my truthe in the vertu of his blode. ¶ For by vertues ye lyuen in the strengthe of his passyon.

✚ And here nowe mdder & systren thus endeth the seconde parte of this orcharde / in y^e whiche all we be shewed y^e very way to heuen / and in y^t same boke we be shewed how to cut of the supfluytes of our vynes / and how we shall pull vp the pryckynge thornes of oure thoughtes / with dyuers maters / as it is rehersed in y^e kalender before.

¶ The fyrste chapytre of the .iiii. party / speketh of prayer / & fyrste in what maner a soule shall gouerne her / y^t she maye come to pure loue and lyberall / and moche of this .iiii. partel speketh of prayers and of teres.
¶ But fyrste god sheweth here a doctryne of the holy sacramēt of crystes body. And how a soule shal come fro vocall prayer / to mentall prayer with other maters as it is rehersed to you in the kalender before. Ca. i.

AFter tyme a soule hath entred and gone by y^e doctryne of cristes passyon / crucyfyed w^t ve­ry loue of vertu / and hate of vyces / it stondeth with par­fyte parseueraunce / & namely suche a soule that is parfytely come to the house of his owne knowlege / aby­dynge myghtely and cōtynually in [Page]holy watche & prayer / drpted fully fro y^e cōuersacyō of y^e worlde. ¶ Wherfore hath suche a soule closed her in y^e house of her owne knowlege? ¶ In certayne for drede / knowynge her owne imparfeccyon / and also for desyre y^t it hathe / for to come to a pure and a lyberal loue / and also bycause it seeth well that it may come in no otherwyse therto. ¶ Therfore with quycke feythe she abideth y^e comȳge of me / by encrease of grace ī herselfe ¶ But wherby shall a man knowe quycke feythe? ¶ Truly by parseueraunce of vertu / and not goynge abacke for nothynge that falleth / nor for to cease nor leue ī dewe tyme fro holy prayers / but yf it be for cha­ryte / or for obedyence (or els not) for ofte tymes by vnordynate tyme of prayer / y^t fende cometh by many he­uynesses and batayles / more than she were founde without prayer / & that he dothe for to dysceyue her / & for to make her to leue holy prayers ofte tymes sayenge to her after this maner. ¶ This prayer profyteth y^t not / for thou sholde take hede to no thynge elles / nor thynke nothynge elles but to that and of that thou se­es / thus he saythe to make thy prayer to be heuy to the / and for bycause thou sholde cease of the excercyse of holy prayers / the whiche is an ar­mure by the whiche a soule is defended and kepte frome all her aduersytes with stretchynge forthe of the honde of loue / and with the arme of fre choyse / defendȳge her selfe w^t the same armure / and with the lyghte of very feythe. ¶ God sheweth here a doctryne / of the holy sacrament of the auter (that is to saye) of the holy sacrament of crystes body / and how a soule shall come fro vocall prayer / to mentall prayer / and here is shewed a vysyon / whiche this deuoute soule had on a tyme. THou knowes well dere doughter / that in meke contynuall prayer and feythfull w^t parseueraunce / a soule wynneth all vertu / and therfore she sholde parseuer and neuer leue it / nother for yl­lusyō of y^e fende / nor for theyr owne freylte y^t is by thoughte or mouȳge that cometh ī theyr owne flesshe / nother by spekynge of no creature / for ofte tymes y^t fende speketh by theyr tongues / for to let deuoute prayers. ¶ Of all these dysceytes she sholde set no store / but contynu in deuoute prayers / and ouerpasse suche dysceytes / by vertu of parseueraūce. ¶ O how swete is it to suche a soule and how plesaunte and lykynge to me / holy prayer excersysed in the hose of her owne knowlege / and also in the knowlege of me / openȳge the eye of vnderstondynge / with the lyght of very feythe / & with the habūdaunte affeccyon of my pure charyte / y^e whiche charyte is made to you vysyble of my vysyble onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / whan he made it opē in his blode / y^e which blode maketh a soule ghostly drunke / and arayeth it ryally with the fyre of dyuyne charyte / and gyueth to her the blyssed ghostly meet of the sacrament of y^e auter / the whiche is kepte for the tresoure of oure moder y^e holy chyrche / for to be mynystred to you by the hondes [Page]of a preest my vyker / the whiche ke­peth the kaye of the same blessyd body flesshe & blode of my onely sothe­faste sone Ihesu very god and very man. ¶ This blessyd ghostly mete is ryghte comfortable to a deuoute receyuer after the gretenesse of his desyre in what wyse that euer he receyue it / whether it be sacramental­ly or vertuously. ¶ He taketh it sa­cramentally whan he receyueth the blessyd hoste of the auter / and he re­ceyueth it vertuously and ghostly y^t taketh it by desyre / hauȳge mynde of y^t blessyd blode whiche was shed for y^e raūsome of mākȳde. ¶ Suche one is ghostly drunke with the mys­tery of that sacramēt / and also it is brenned & fulfylled w^t holy desyre / with the charyte bothe of me and also of his neyghbour. ¶ Where get­teth a soule this? ¶ Truly f y^e house of his owne knowlege / and w^t ryght deuoute prayer / in the whiche she hathe lost her imparfeccyon / lyke as the dyscyples and Peter loste theyr imparfeyccyon abydynge and ston­dynge w^tinforthe in deuoute prayer and holy wakynge and wanne the parfeccyō. ¶ Wherwith trowes y^u? ¶ Truly with parseueraūce knyte with holy feythe. ¶ Neuerthelesse vnderstonde not so / that a soule wynneth onely suche brennynge of loue by longe vocall prayer / as many soules vsen / whose prayer is rather in wordes than in affeccyon / the whi­che setten theyr entent to nothynge elles / but to say many psalmes and many pater nosters / and whan they haue fulfylled y^e nombre sette / they thȳke thā they haue done ynoughe. ¶ It semeth y^t al suche setten theyr entent and theyr affeccyon onely in vocal prayer / and so sholde they not do / for yf they do in no other wyse / they wynne full lytle fruyte / and to me all sothe it is but lytle worthe. ¶ Now thou askes me parauēture and sayes / sholde therfore suche vo­call prayer be lefte / syth it is so y^t all be not able to mētall prayer? ¶ To this I answere and say naye / for I knowe well lyke as a soule is fyrste vnparfyte soner than it be parfyte / lykewyse her prayer is fyrst vnpar­fyte. ¶ She shold also eschewe ydlenesse / thoughe she be parfyte & vse vocall prayers / that is whā she spe­keth or prayeth so / she sholde enforce her in all her myght for to reyse vp herselfe ghostly into mentall affec­cyon / with generall consyderacyon of her synnes / in y^e mynde of my blessyd sone Ihesu / wher is foūde largenesse of my charyte / and remyssyon of synnes / and that muste be done in this wyse / that as ofte as she con­sydereth herselfe bothe in generall & in comune wyse her owne defau­tes / so oft she must iwardely knowe my excellent goodnes / and so pro­cede in ghostly excersyce with very mekenesse. ¶ I wyll not y^t she thȳke vpon her synnes ꝑtyculerly and specyally / but generally / lest y^e soule be fyled by mynde of suche fylthy par­tyculer synnes. ¶ I sayde also y^e I wolde y^t she had nother cōsyderacy­on of her synnes in in generall / nor in specyall / w^tout consyderacyon and mynde of the bloode shedde by my [Page]sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / and of my large mercy lest she fall into dys­payre / for yf y^e knowlege of her and consyderacyō of her sysies were not medled with y^e mynde of the bytter passyon of my sone Ihesu / and also of my mercy / often tymes she sholde dwell styll in that shame and confu­syon / and so to go to endeles damp­nacyon with the same confusyon / and with that fende y^t hathe so lad her vnder the colour of contrycyon / and very dysplesaūce of her synnes. ¶ This is one of the moste sotell dysceytes y^t the wycked fende shew­eth to my seruauntes / and therfore for your profyte / and that ye myght eschewe the dysceyte of the wycked fende / and that ye maye be ryghte plesaunte to me / ye muste alwaye sprede oute youre hertes abrode to affeccyon & besyre with very meke­nesse in to the see of my greate myghty mercy / for thou knowes well the pryde of the fende maye not suffre a meke soule / nor his confusyon and shame may not suffre the brede and the largenesse of my goodnesse and mercy / wherin suche a meke soule hopeth feythefully and truly / & therfore thou dyd well / and as my wyll was that thou sholde do / whā thou dyd auoyde the fro that fende / whi­che was aboute to throwe y^t downe by confusyon and shame / sayenge to the that thy lyuynge was nothynge plesynge to me / y^t nor thou folowed nor vertuous lyuynge (after my entent and after my wyll) the whiche wyll is not hydde fro hym that desy­reth to haue it and lyue ther after. ¶ And bycause y^t lyfte vp thyselfe in to my mercy (& sayde thus) w^t mekenesse / I knowlege to my maker / y^t euer vnto this tyme I haue lyued in derkenesse / & so lad my lyfe / but yet I shall hyde me in the swete blessyd woūdes of my lorde Ihesu / & wasshe me in his blode / & so shall I waste awaye my wyckednesse / & ioye ī my maker / and than thou knowes well the fende fledde fro the / neuertheles he came yet efte sones to the with an other sotel temptacyon (that is) he was aboute to reyse the on hyghe by pryde (sayenge thus to y^e) beholde thou arte parfyte / and god is well plesed with the / now the nedeth no more to wayle for thy syn̄es. ¶ Thā by y^e lyghte of my grace / thou went in the waye of mekenesse / whā y^u an swered to y^t fende thus. ¶ O what wretche am I / seynt Iohn̄ baptyst synned neuer / and was halowed in his moders wombe / and yet lyued in ryghte greate penaunce / and I the moste wretched of all lyuynge / haue done ryghte greate synnes / and yet neuer began to knowe with very contrycyon & waylynge what god is / whome I haue so greately offended / and what I am / that haue so greuously offended hym. ¶ Than the fende not suffcynge suche meke­nesse of the soule / and y^e hope of my goodnesse / sayde agayne to y^u thus. ¶ Cursed be y^u / for I may nothynge auayle in the / yf I do my greate la­bour to throwe y^e adowne in to lowe thynges by confusyon and shame / thou lyftes vp thyself to mercy / and yf I wolde enhaunce the to hyghe [Page]thynges by pryde / thou descendes lowly by mekenes and parsnes me in to hell / so y^t I shall neuer tempte the more / for euer thou smytes me with the staffe of charyte. ¶ In all suche maners a soule sholde medle the knowlege of herselfe / with the knowlege of my mercy / & my know­lege with her knowlege. ¶ And af­ter suche maner vocal prayer is profytable to a soule that vseth it / and lykynge to me / and fro suche vnpar­fyte vocall prayer with excersyce & parseueraunce / she maye come to parfyte mentall prayer. ¶ Neuer­thelesse yf the entent be set symply for to fulfyll the nombre of the psal­mes / or pater nosters ytaxed / or le­uȳge mental prayer for vocall prayer / I tell y^e for truthe suche one shall neuer come to mental prayer. ¶ O­therwhyse suche a soule that whan she sholde praye and saye her nom­bre of psalmes or pater nosters / it is so vnsauory that her tongue is lothe and dull to say / and otherwhyle she hathe suche a conscyēce of leuynge vnsayde the psalmes and the pater nosters / whā I vyset her somtyme one wyse / & somtyme an other wyse as somtyme by y^e lyght of my knowlege with contrycyon of her synnes / somtyme by largenesse of my ryght greate habundaunte charyte / som­tyme by manye maner wyses ma­kynge open before the clere lyghte of her soule / as it is lykynge to me / the presence of my very truthe af­ter the deuoute and holy desyre of y^e same foule / yet she wyll not leue vn­sayde the nombre of psalmes or pa­ter nosters / but moche rather she wyll leue my specyall vysytacyon that she feleth ī her soule / and so she sholde not do / for that is one of the dysceytes of y^e fende. ¶ But anone as she parceyueth her soule touched with my specyall vysytacyon / than she shold leue vocal prayer & tourne therto. ¶ And whan that mental vysytacyon is withdrawe fro her / thā to tourne agayne to vocall prayer (yf she wyll) & make an ende of her psalmes and pater nosters that she was in purpose for to saye / & yf she haue no tyme / she sholde not charge it nor be heuy therfore in her soule / but yf it be dyuyne seruyce / to the whiche bothe prestes / clerkes / and all relygyous people be bounde for to saye / and yf they saye it not they offende / for vnto the ende of theyr dethe they be boūde ther to / yf they be in hele / and yf they were touched by specyall vysytacyon in dewe ty­mes and houres whan they sholde say theyr dyuyne seruyce / they shol­de puruaye an other tym? (other before or after) for to say theyr dyuyne seruyce / so y^t it be not lefte vnsayde / y^t sholde be sayd of dewte. ¶ Suche vocall prayer sayd / as it is before rehersed / brȳgeth a soule to parfeccyō / & therfore vocall prayer sholde not be lefte / & than w^t excersyce and par­seueraunce the swetenesse of prayer shall be tasted in truthe / & also y^e blessyd ghostly meet of the body of my sothefaste sone / as it is rehersed. ¶ And therfore I tolde the y^t some receyue chrystes flesshe & his bloode vertuously / & some sacramētally co­munynge [Page]that blessyd sacramente with affeccyō of charyte / for he that gothe to that sacrament with affce­cyon / he fyndeth moche swetenesse / and he that goeth ther to more of custome and vse than for affeccyon / he fyndeth lytle swetenesse / for he that enforceth hym with all his soule to make open his affeccyon in me / & knytteth it to me with y^e very lyght of intelleccyon he knoweth moche / and he that knoweth moche loueth moche / & he y^t loueth moche tasteth me swetely. ¶ By this thou maye knowe y^e parfyte prayer is not gotē with many wordes / but with affec­cyon of desyre (reysed in me & of me) with knowlege of hymselfe & of me. ¶ And he that prayeth thus / he shall haue bothe mentall prayer & vocall prayer / for they dwell togyder / lyke as actyue lyue and contemplatyue done. ¶ By many maner of wyses / vocall and mentall prayer ben vn­derstōde. ¶ For asmoche as I sayd to the and tolde the that holy desyre is contynuall prayer / that is for to haue an holy desyre and a deuoute wyll / the whiche wyll and desyre do aryse actually in tyme and place or­deyned / with the add [...]cyon of actu / all prayer. ¶ And so a soule shall vse in tyme sette and ordeyned with an holy wyll vocall prayer / and neuer oute of tyme ordeyned for to vse it namely contynually. ¶ Parauen­ture sometyme it muste be lefte for mynystracyō of charyte vsed to the helthe of neyghbours / somtyme for other necessary and nedeful causes / as the state & besynesse axeth / that I haue sette a creature in. ¶ Euery man sholde laboure to y^e helthe and necessytes of soules / after the state that he is called to / for what that e­uer he laboureth actually to y^e ease and helthe of his neyghboure / is for to praye vertuously. ¶ For as seynt Austyn saythe / he ceseth neuer to praye well / that ceseth neuer to do well / and therfore it was y^t I sayd / y^t prayer is in many maners. ¶ For actuall prayer done / (as it is before sayde) is done by affeccyon of cha­ryte / for with y^e affeccyon of charyte is cōtynual prayer. ¶ Thus I haue tolde the / howe thou maye come to mentall prayer / that is by excersyce and parseueraunce of vocal prayer / & how thou sholde leue vocall prayer for mentall prayer whan I vysyte thy soule. ¶ I dyd saye to the also what is comune prayer / for I sayde it was prayer of good wyll / that is excersysed of charytable besynesse / bothe in the and in thy neyghboure the whiche sholde be do with a good wyll. ¶ Thus a soule sholde neuer be ydle frome prayer / but other actually or mētally she sholde praye / lest she fall in to duldesse of spyryte / and in to an vnparfyte loue / for y^e more that she loueth / the more she shal fele profyte and loue bothe in me and in her neyghboure. ¶ And here shal be shewed of a dysceyte that creatu­res haue somtyme / whiche louē god and serue hym / for theyr owne com­forte & delectacyon. Of the whiche imparfyte loue somwhat shall I tell the / & of a certayne dysceyte y^t is go­ten of y^e loue / by y^e whiche they loue [Page]for her owne comforte. ¶ And ther­fore I wyl that you knowe that my seruaunte whiche loueth me vnparfytely / rather he seketh after com­forte / thā he loueth me enterely (onely for me) and by that thou maye vnderstōde whan cōforte fayleth ghost­ly or temporally / they be troubled in temporall comfortes / to the whiche worldely men the whiche lyuen w^t some maner outewarde dede of ver­tu / for to come to outewarde prospe­ryte / and whan trybulacyon cometh the whiche I gyue theym for y^e profyte of theyr soules / they be troubled in that lytle good the whiche they haue done / and yf ony man wolde aske them why they be so troubled / they wolde answere bycause they be so troubled in trybulacyons and an guysshes / and that lytle good whi­che we haue done (as vs semeth) stō deth to none auauntage / for vs se­meth we hadde more reste of soule before with the good that we dyden than / than we haue nowe / suche be dysceyued in theyr owne delectacy­on / and it is not sothe that trybula­cyon is cause / for they sholde loue ne­uertheles / nor do y^e lesse of good workes. ¶ For y^e good workes that they done in tyme of trybulacyon / it shall auayle them asmoche as they dyd defore in tyme of comforte / and yet it shal auayle thē more / yf they haue pasyēce / it fareth by suche as dothe by a mā y^t laboreth in his gardayne or in his orcharde the whiche hathe delyte & is rested in soule with his la bour / bycause of his fayre orcharde or gardayne / and so it semeth that he hathe more delyte of his fayre gardayne or orcharde than of his la­bour / neuerthelesse yf the gardayne or the orcharde were take away fro hym / he sholde soone fele his delyte & delectacyon withdrawe. ¶ Why? ¶ Truly for his pryncypall delyte was moche more set vpō y^e orcharde than vpon his laboure. ¶ But yf his pryncypall delyte were sette ra­ther vpon his laboure thā vpō his gardayne / than sholde he not lose y^e loue that he had to his neyghbour. ¶ In the same wyse a man that doeth good actuall dedes outewarde / he maye not lose the delyte of excer­syce ī suche workynge but yf he wyl / thoughe the delyte of prosperyte be withdrawe / so that he set his pryn­cypall entent vpon the labour / and not vpon y^e prosperyte. ¶ The cause why suche be dysceyued ī theyr owne workynge / is theyr owne passyon / for often tymes they breken out and thus they saye / I knowe ryght wel that I dyd better and hadde more delyte for to dwell & more comforte than I haue nowe / bycause I am more troubled now thā I was thā / and now I haue no delyte nor ple­sure to do good dedes / theyr sayenge is false and not trewe / for yf y^e good in it selfe hadde delyted them onely for y^e vertu of that good / they sholde neuer haue loste it / nor it sholde ne­uet haue fayled in them / but moche rather encresed / but bycause y^e wor­kynge of theyr good dedes / was set onely in her owne sentyble good / & therfore it fayled / this is a dysceyte that comynly the people receyue / all [Page]suche be dysceyued by theyr owne synful delectacyon. ¶ And nowe I shall shewe the here of the dysceyte that they haue whiche sette al theyr affeccyons in comfortes and ghost­ly vysyōs. ANd somtyme of suche delectacyō he receyueth very moche harme / for yf his affeccyon be sette in comfortes and ghosty vysyons / y^e whiche many tymes & ofte I gyue to my seruauntes / whan they be w^t ­drawe fro hym / than he falleth in to heuynesse and greate bytternesse of soule / as ofte as I withdrawe my comfortes fro his soule / so ofte hym semeth that I haue forsake hym / and therfore hym semeth that he is in hell / wherfore he falleth in to byt­ternesse / and in to many temptacy­ons. ¶ He sholde not do so / nor suffre hym so to be dysceyued / of his owne spyrytuall delectacyō / but he sholde lyfte vp his eye to me / and knowe me for very souerayne good / y^e whi­che receyue and kepe for hym / good [...] me of dyseases. ¶ He sholde [...] [...]mselfe / and holde hym­ [...] vnworthy for to haue pease & [...] of soule / and that is the [...] propre cause why I w^tdrawe [...] [...]rome hym / that he sholde loue [...]m and meke hȳ / and knowe that my very charyte and goodnesse (the whiche sholde be in hym) for to be founde with good and parfyte wyll and neuer elles / the whiche I con­serue and kepe in his tyme of trybu­lacyō. ¶ And also I withdrawe me for this cause / that he shold not one­ly receyue of me the mylke of my swetenesse / but also that he sholde apply hym with all his myghte for to cleue to the breste of my sothefast sone Ihesu cryste / where he shall bothe seke and fynde mylke & flesshe togyder / that is drawynge to hym the mylke of my very charyte / by meane or medyacyon of the blessyd body of my dere sone Ihesu cryste crucyfyed. ¶ To them therfore that gone so and seke my mylke of swetenesse / with prudence and not with ygnoraunce of my sones bytter pas­syon / to suche I tourne with a gre­ter delyte / & with ghostly strengthe and also with lyghte and brennȳge fyre of charyte. And yf it so be y^t they take suche withdrawynge of ghost­ly swetenesse dyscomfortably with heuynesse and confusyon of soule / they do not wynne no comforte therby / but moche rather they sholde a­byde in theyr owne dulnes. ¶ How all they that delyte them in suche cō fortes and vysyons maye be dyscryued / & how that they maye receyue a wycked spyryte vnder the forme / or colour of a good spyryte / and also of tokens how it maye be knowen whan it cometh of god / and whan that it cometh of oure enemy the de­uyll. After this ofte tymes of the fende they receyue an other dysceyte that is whan he transformeth hym selfe in to the lykenesse of lyghte / for the fende there he fyndeth a mā dysposed for to receyue ghostly comfor­tes / and therto setteth all his desyre on suche comfortes and ghostly vy­syons / wheron he sholde not set his desyre nor truste / but onely on very mekenesse / & thynke that he is vn­worthy [Page]for to receyue suche ghost­ly comfortes / to suche y^e fende trans­fygureth hymselfe / ī to lyght by ma­ny maner wyses / other whyle to the lykenesse of an angell / other whyle in to the fourme of my sone crucyfyed / and other whyle in to lykenes of some of my seyntes / & this he dothe bycause he wolde catche hym with the hoke of his owne ghostly spyrytuall delectacyon / y^e whiche hathe set all his affeccyō & desyre vpon ghostly vysyons. ¶ Yf a soule ryse not vp anone w^t very mekenesse / castynge awaye fro her all suche maner de­lyte / she is anone take by the deuyl­les hoke ī to his hondes / and yf she with very mekenesse dyspyse suche delectacyon and with loue betaketh her in to the affeccyon of me / y^e whi am a louer and not y^e gyfte / y^e fende for his owne pryde / maye not suffre y^t mekenes of suche a soule. ¶ Now yf thou wyll knowe a tokē how they ben dysceytes of the fende and not my reuelacyōs / I shal tel y^e. ¶ This is the token of suche a trasformacy­on of lyghte that vysyteth y^e soule / be of the fende / anone the soule in y^e comȳge of it loseth her ghostly gladnesse / and is lefte nothynge but he­uynesse and derkenesse and sharpe pryckynge in the soule / & yf it is ve­ryly vysyted of me that am sothe­fastnesse euerlastynge / the soule in y^e fyrste apperynge receyueth an holy drede / and with the same drede she receyueth ghostely gladnesse and sykernesse / with a maner of swete prudence / for she dredeth / and dredeth not / but in her owne thoughte / she holdeth her vnworthy suche vysytacyōs / & saythe thus to me. ¶ Lorde I am indynge and moche vnwor­thy to receyue suche ghoostly vysy­tacyons / and sythe I am not wor­thy / howe maye this be that I am thus vysyted / thā she tourneth her to me / consyderynge the wonderful large brede of my charyte / and seeth inwardely therin / that I consydre nothynge her worthynes / of no me­ryte y^t she deserueth to hane suche vysytacyō / but onely my owne dyg­nyte and worthynesse / by the whiche I make able and worthy / whome it lyketh me to receyue suche vysyta­cyōs bothe of grace and of felynge / for I dyspyse neuer that desyre that calleth to me / and this is the cause that she receyueth suche vysytacy­ons mekely sayenge thus / beholde the hādemayde of god / in me be thy wyll done / and thā she goeth forthe to prayer / euer ryghte mekely hol­dynge herselfe indynge and moche vnworthy suche holy & ghoostly vysytacyons / onely as I haue sayde / consyderynge that it cometh of me. ¶ This is a very token for to knowe whether that a soule be vysyted of me / or of y^e fende / for as I haue sayd in the fyrst apperynge / they fynde a greate drede / parceyuynge bothe in the myddes and in the ende hon­gre of vertu. ¶ Also an other whyle a soule whan that it is blynded of the wycked fende / fyrst it receyueth gladnesse and ioye / and at the laste it is broughte in to confusyon and derkenes of y^e soule. ¶ Lo thus haue I shewed the a token / for to knowe [Page]the dysceyte of the fende / y^t yf a soule wyll be meke & go wysely / she maye not be dysceyued / and yf she wyll al­gates go rather w^t vnparfyte loue of her ghostly comfortes / than with the ꝑfeccyon of my loue (as I haue sayde / she must nedes be dysceyued of the fende.

¶ This seconde chapytre telleth of theym that wyll not helpe nor cōfort theyr neygh­bours in theyr nede / bycause they wolde not be letted nor leue theyr owne cōforte / pe­ase / nor rest. ¶ Also of the dysceyte the whiche goddes ser­uauntes haue / that louē god with suche vnꝑfyte loue be­fore sayde / and other maters as it is rehersed before in the kalender. Ca. ii.

I Haue tolde the of the dys­ceytes of them that wyll receyue me and taste me ī theyr soules / after theyr owne maner and delectacyon / and nothynge after my wyll. ¶ Nowe shall I tel the of the secōde dysceyte of them / that al theyr delectacyon is set for to receyue ghostly comfortes / insomoche that oft tymes thoughe they se theyr neyghboure in greate nede spyrytually or tēporally / ryght vnder the coloure of vertu they ex­cuse them (& thus they saye) yf they sholde tende to suche outwarde be­synesse / they sholde lose rest & pease of soule / and also leue theyr houres vnsayd in dewe tyme / therfore they charge not to helpe them / leste they lose theyr ghostly comforte / and of­fende me / as they thȳke they sholde do. ¶ All such be dysceyued of theyr ghostly delectacyon of soule / & they offende me more in that they wyll not helpe theyr neyghbours ī theyr necessytes / thā in leuȳge of all theyr ghostly cōfortes / for all maner ghostly excersyce / be it vocall or mentall / was ordeyned of me / whiche a soule sholde vse for to come to parfeccyō / and to the charyte of his neyghbo­ur / and that the neyghboure sholde be kepte in charyte / so that a man offendeth me more / leuȳge vndone the charytable mynystracyon of his neyghboure in tyme of nede / for his actuall excersyce and reste of soule / than for to leue suche actuall excer­syce and reste of soule for his neyghbour / for he fyndeth me in the cha­ryte of his neyghbour and in y^e loue of hym / and yt they be not charyta­bly mynystred ī tyme of theyr nede / in that they losen theyr charyte / & whan charyte of neyghbourehode lacketh / my affeccyon is lessed / my ghostli cōforte is lessed (insomoche) that that they wolde wynne / they lose / and that y^t they wolde lose they wynne / that is by mynystracyon to theyr neyghbours / in tyme of nede / leuȳge therfore ghostly comfortes / they receyue and wynne bothe me & theyr neyghbour / & so in all tymes / they maye because of theyr mynys­tracyon / taste the swetenesse of my [Page]charyte / and if they do it not / they stonden in peyne (as thus) yf they must nedes do them some mynstra­cyon / other by very force / loue / bo­dyly or ghostly infyrmyte / that they do suffre / it shall be done so heuyly & with suche peyne of conscyence and tedyousnesse of soule / that the one vnneth maye suffre or bere y^e other / and yf ony man aske them why / it is so peynfull to them / that they sholde answere and saye / that as them se­menth / they lose therby bothe pease and tranquylyte of soule / and many thynges that they sholde do / they leue vndo therfore / & so offende god. ¶ It is not so / but bycause theyr in­warde syght is set vpon theyr owne delectacyon / therfore they can not se nor dyscerne in truthe where theyr offence is / for offence stondeth not in leuynge of ghostly thȳges / or excer­syce of prayers in tyme of nede of theyr neyghbours / but it stondeth whā they be had w^tout charytable mynystracyon of neyghbourhode / whom they sholde loue for the loue of me / and in tyme of nede for to serue them charytably. ¶ Thus y^u maye se and knowe / how a man is dyscey­ued onely by his owne ghostly de­lectacyon in hymselfe. ¶ Of the dysceyte which goddes seruaūtes haue and loue god with suche vnparfyte loue / as is beforesayde. ALso my seruauntes often tymes be dyscey­ued / all suche namely that as yet be vnparfyte / by delectacyon / louynge with affeccyon of loue / agaynst the ghostly comforte and delectacyon / y^e whiche they fynde ī me / for I am the rewarder of al goodes y^t be done lytle and moche / after the mesure of loue of hym y^t receyueth good. ¶ Of this I gyue ghostly comforte / some tyme in one wyse / and sometyme in an other wyse in the tyme of prayer. This do I not / for y^t a soule sholde receyue ghostly cōforte vnwyttȳgely (that is to say) that she rather be­holde the gyfte of my ghostly com­forte / graunted to her by my gracy­ous largenesse (thā me) but that she inwardely beholde rather the affec­cyon of my endelesse charyte / by the whiche affeccyō I gyue to her suche comfortes / yf it so be that she be yg­noraunt and wyll receyue her owne delectacyon without consyderacyō of the affeccyon of me she is dyscey­ued / for by her owne ghostly cōforte she is dysceyued / in asmoche as she delyteth therin. ¶ As lōge as she is thus ygnoraunte / she goeth after her owne delyte / sekynge of the ho­ly ghost suche ghostly comfortes af­ter theyr owne lust / as thoughe she wolde put a lawe to the holy ghost / for to gyue it to her as she wolde / so sholde she not do / but moche rather go myghtely forthe by my sones passyon / and therefor to receyue ghost­ly comforte / in suche wyse / in suche a place / and in suche a tyme / as it ple­aseth my goodnes for to graūte her / and thoughe I gyue it not / it is not done of hate / but of loue / y^t she sholde seke me truly and veryly / & not one­ly for to loue me of delyte / but rather with mekenesse she sholde receyue my charyte / than so to folowe theyr owne delectacyō / yf she do not thus [Page]but onely go to ghostly delectacyon ī her owne maner and not after my maner / she shall receyue an vntolle­rable peyne and shame / in asmoche as she seeth that obiecte or the cause of her delyte is withdrawen / the whiche obiecte or cause she sette before y^e cye of her itelleccyō. ¶ These be they that chosen ghostly cōforte after theyr owne maner / and wolde euery daye be fedde withal in theyr soules for the sencyble comfortes y^t they synden therin. ¶ And they be sometyme so ygnoraunt / that yf I byset them ony other wyse than so / they withstonde me in my vysyta­cyon and wyll not receyue it / onely desyrynge ī theyr owne purpose for to haue suche vysytacyons / as they fele sencyble comfortes. ¶ This is defaute of theyr owne passyon and ghostly delectacyō where [...] suche a soule is dysceyued. ¶ For it is ryght vnpossyble for her euer to stonde in one maner of ghostly vysytacyon. ¶ She maye neuer stonde onely in one maner of delectacyon / for my goodnesse wyll vylyte her in dyuets maners of vysytacyons. ¶ I gyue many dyuerse ghostly delytes to a soule / that is knyt stydfastly in me / somtyme she receyueth of me delec­tacyon / of a maner of ghostly glad­nesse / somtyme suche contrycyon & dysplesaunce of her synnes / that she semeth that she is ghostly troubled in herselfe / somtyme I shall be in a soule and she shall not fele me / som­tyme I shall shewe & forme before her my sothefast sone in dyuers mauers before the eye of her vnderstō ­dynge and yet shall he not be parceyued nor felte in the felynge of y^e soule in suche feruour and delectacyon as he sholde be felte. ¶ Al this I do for loue / & for to kepe her & encrees her in the vertu of mekenesse and par­seueraūce. ¶ And also for to enform her that she put no maner of rule to me / nor for to set her ende ī suche de­lectacyon / but onely in vertu that is grounded in me / & that with meke­nesse she receyue bothe tymes that is of withdrawynge and gyuynge and that also she receyue with her owne affeccyon / the affeccyon of me by the whiche affeccyon I gyue her suche comfortes / and also that she byleue and trust well with a quycke feythe / that I gyue suche thynges / whā I gyue it to y^e nede of her helthe that she myght come by suche vysytacyons to greate ꝑfeccyon. ¶ Therfore I wyll that she stōde euer mekely / settȳge euer bothe begynnȳge & her endynge in the affeccyon of my very charyte / and in y^e charyte for to receyue onely delectacyon / with de­syre after my wyll / and not after her owne wyll / al this haue I sayde for to eschewe dysceytes. ¶ How a soule y^t knoweth her selfe wysely in sothe­fastnes / kepeth herselfe fro all these foresayd dysceytes. FOrthermore I wyll not hyde fro the the dysceyte that deedly mē felen in theyr owne sencyble delectacyō / y^e whiche done them but lytle good namely of those thynges that they worke by vertu in tyme of suche sencyble comfortes. ¶ Ouermore of the ghostly sencyble delectacyon of ghostly comfortes of [Page]my owne seruaūtes / how that they with the loue of theyr owne delecta­cyon dysceyuen themselfe / y^e whiche delyte wyll not suffre theym lor to knowe the very truthe of me / nor y^e synne that they stonden in / nor the dysceyte the whiche the fende vseth in them. ¶ All this I tell the that thou and all my seruauntes sholde folowe and seke vertues in my loue. and after no other loue. ¶ These dysceytes and perelles often tymes be receyued namely of thē / that be yet in vnparfyte loue / that is onely for to loue me bycause of my myghte / and not symply me that am the gy­uer. ¶ But a soule that in sothefastenesse hathe entred the house of her owne knowlege / & excersyseth par­fyte prayer and ryseth vp in suche a­wyse / as I haue tolde the where I treted of prayer / for the imparfeccyon of theyr owne loue / and also fro the imparfeccyon of prayer / she re­ceyueth me by affeccyon of loue / se­kynge besyly to drawe ōute y^e mylke of my brest / the swetenesse of the doctryne of my sone Ihesu cryste crucyfyed / after tyme she is come ꝑfycely to the thyrde estate of a sone or of a frende. ¶ Than al suche haue no hyred loue / as seruauntes vnder bon­dage / but they be as dere and electe frendes hauynge the loue of dere & blessyd chyldren / for ryght as one frēde dothe to an other / so done they with me / ryght as a frēde gyueth a present to an other / for y^e eye is not set onely vpon the gyfte / but also it is sette in the herte and in the affec­cyon of the gyuer / and so he kepeth y^e gyfte byloue of affeccyō. ¶ Ryght so a soule that is come to the state of the thyrde parfyte loue whan she re­ceyueth my gyftes and my graces / she beholdeth not onely my gyftes / but with the eye of Intelleccyon she beholdeth the affeccyon of charyte of me that am the gyuer / and that a soule maye not be excused / but that she maye do so / yf she be mekely dys­posed / I haue puruayed before for to knytte the gyfte with the gyuer / and that was whan I graūted my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste y^e whiche is one with me and I with hym for to knytte and ioyne togyder my dyuyne nature with the kynde of manheed / and therfore by this v­nyeyō and oneheed ye must not be­holde my gyfte / but ye beholde the gyuer. ¶ Sees thou not now with how moche affeccyō of loue / ye shol­de loue and desyre the gyfte and the gyuer / yf ye do thus / ye shall be in ryghte pure loue / not in hyred loue / as they be that be euer locked vp in the house of theyr owne propre de­lectacyō. ¶ By what maner a soule cometh fro vnparfyte loue / and co­meth to parfyte / frēdely / & a louely louȳge loue. Hyderto I haue shewed y^t in many maner wyses / how a soule ryseth fro imparfeccyon / & at­tayneth to parfyte loue / and what it dothe after tyme y^t is to come / to the loue of frēdely & louely louȳge loue. ¶ That is how she shut herselfe vp / & closed her in the house of her owne knowlege / y^e which knowlege of her selfe wyll be medled with the know­lege of me / leste she fall in to confu­syon [Page]and shame by remēbraunce of her synnes and also by knowlege of herselfe / she maye wynne sencyble hate of her owne propre passyons / & also of y^e delectacyons of her owne ghostly comfortes / & so of hate groū ded in mekenesse / she maye wynne pasyence / in y^e whiche pasyence she shall be made stronge and myghty / for to withstonde the fendes batay­les and assaylynges / & also agaynst the parsute of mē / and also agaynste me / whan I withdrawe fro her profyte & good delectacyon of her owne ghostly cōfortes. ¶ All these she suf­rreth w^t these vertues of pasyence / & yf that her owne sensualyte for dyf­fyculte or hardenes wyl lyfte vp his heed and aryse vp agaynste reason / than sholde the Iudgement of y^e conscyence aryse and ascende vp aboue herself / & gyue a ryghtwyse Iudge­ment with holy hate agaynst sensu­alyte / and suffre not in ony wyse the styrrynges the whiche be of y^t soule to passe / without correccyon or exa­mynacyō / not onely those styrrȳges the whiche be agaynste reason / but also the styrrynges that come of my dyuyne charyte. ¶ For a soule that slondeth in holy hate / euery day she correcketh and repreueth herselfe / and foment my seruaunt seynt Gregory (whan he sayde thus) it is y^e cō dycyō of good soules euer for to fere synne there no synne is / that he sayd of clēnesse and purete of conscyence / so sholde a clene soule do / that wyll aryse fro imparfeccyon abydynge in the house of her owne knowlege and my ordynaunce and prouydence w^t y^t lyghte of very seythe / as my dyscyples dyde / whiche were dwellȳge in an house / abydynge therin with holy watche / meke prayers / and cō ­tynuall parseueraunce / the sendȳge downe of the holy ghoste / so must a soule do / that is in wyll for to aryse fro imparfeccyō to parfeccyon / that she be euer wakynge in the doctryne of my sothefast sone Ihesu / with y^e eye of vnderstōdynge / cōtynuynge euer ī deuoute prayer of holy desyre / and so shall she knowe the affeccyon of my charyte.

¶ This thyrde chapytre tel­leth of tokens / wherby it is knowen that a soule is come to parfyte loue. ¶ And how vnparfyte men wyll onely folowe y^e fader / but parfyte mē folowe the sone. ¶ Also god sheweth a vysyon / y^e whiche this deuoute mayde hadde / in y^e whiche vysyon is shew­ed of dyuers baptymes and of other fayre thynges & pro­fytable. ¶ And of other ma­ters / as it is rehersed before in the kalendre. Ca. iii.

NOwe shall I tell the how thou shall knowe whan a soule is come to parfyte loue / and y^t is by y^t same token that was shewed to the holy dyscyples after the tyme they had recyued the holy ghost. ¶ The whi­che [Page]wente out of theyr hose and pre­ched the doctryne of my very sothe­faste sone Ihesu / puttynge awaye fro them fere and drede / nothynge dredynge the dethe nor peynes / but rather were ioyfull of peynes / they were not aferde for to go before tyr­rauntes and wycked Iustyces / and there to saye before them the truthe in glory and presynge of my name. ¶ Ryght so sholde a soule do y^t hathe well abyd in knowlege of herselfe / as it is rehersed before. ¶ To suche a soule I shall come with fyre of my charyte / as longe as she dwelleth & abydeth with parseueraunce in the house of loue (by affeccyon) she con­ceyueth vertues / takynge parte of my myght and power / with y^e whi­che myghte & power / she receyueth suche domynacyon / that she ouered meth all her owne propre sencyble passyons vertuously / and in y^e same charyte also she taketh parte of my sones wysedome / in the whiche wysdome she seeth and knoweth my very truthe with the eye of Intelleccyon. ¶ And also she seeth therby the dysceyte of ghostly sencyble loue / y^t is y^e imꝑfyte loue of her owne ghostly cōforte / as I haue tolde y^t before. ¶ And also therby she knoweth & se­eth y^e dysceyte & malyce of y^e fende / the whiche dysceyte he gyueth to a soule boūde in y^e vnparfyte loue / & therfore sythe a soule is veryly rysē w^t hate of y^e same imparfeccyon / and loue of imparfeccyon / in y^e same cha­ryte also she taketh parte / & maketh strōge her wyll by grace & goodnesse of y^e holy ghost / they be of wyll for to suffre peyne for my loue / & to go out ī my name of theyr house to enforme theyr neyghbours vertuously in the knowynge of truthe. ¶ I saye not that she sholde go oute of y^e house of her owne knowlege / but I saye that those vertues shold go out of y^e house of y^e soule / y^e whiche were cōceyued by affeccyō of her owne cōforte / & to make thē encrese & growe ī tyme of nede / to the helthe & sanacyon of her neyghbours / for y^e drede is go y^e let­ted vertues for to be gracyously conceyued / & boldly for to sprede abrode (the whiche drede) wolde not suffre vertues to abyde for fere of losynge her owne ghoostly comforte / as I haue rehersed before. ¶ But after tyme she is come to parfyte & lybe­rall loue / she gothe oute (as I sayde before) leuynge and forsakynge her owne ghostly sencyble comfortes. ¶ And so this thynge ioyneth thē w^t y^t forthe state / that is in asmoche as a soule is rysen fro y^e thyrde state / y^e whiche is ꝑfyte / in y^e whiche thyrde state she hathe tasted / & put forth vertu for to encrese in her neyghbours / by the whiche vertu she receyueth an other / y^t is y^e last state of parfyte vnycyon & oneheed in me / y^e whiche two states be knytte togyder / for y^t one maye not be w^tout that other. ¶ For ryghte as my charyte maye not be w^toute charyte of neyghbour­heed / nor charyte of neyghbourheed maye not be without my charyte / y^e one maye not be departed fro that other. ¶ In the same maner it fa­reth of these two states / y^e one maye not be without that other / lykewyse [Page]as I shall shewe the nowe suyngly. ¶ How imparfyte wyl onely folowe the fader / but parfyte men folowe y^e sone. HEre I told y^t how they haue gone out / y^e whiche goȳge I sayd is a token that they be rysen fro imparfeccyon / & come to parfeccyon. ¶ O­pen than the eye of thy vnderston­dynge / and se them how they renne by the brydge of the doctryne of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste crucyfyed / y^e whiche was the very waye / rule / and doctryne / before the eye of her intelleccyon / for they put nothȳge elles before theyr eyen / thā my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryst crucyfyed / they put not me the fa­der before theyr eyen / as he dothe that abydeth and dwelleth in vnparfyte loue / the whiche wyll suffre no peyne / and bycause there maye no peyne fall in me / therfore suche one wyll lyue with ghostly delectacyon that he fyndeth in me without ony peyne / suynge me rather than my sothefast sone Ihesu / for suche cause it is y^t he sueth me / & yet not me / but ghostly delectacyon that he fyndeth in me. ¶ They that do loue parfyte­ly do not so / but as ghostly drūken men they be gadered togyder / and ascende vpon the thre grees or lad­ders the whiche I fygured to y^e by thre myghtes of the soule / and also vpon the thre actuall grees / y^e whi­che I fygured to the actually in the body of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryste crucyfyed. ¶ After y^e tyme they be thus ascended with the fete of affeccyon of the soule / they come to the greate hole of the syde of my sone / where they synde the pryue for cretes of the herte / and knowe there y^e water of baptym / y^e whiche hathe vertu in the bloode of my sones pas­syon / in the whiche blode a foule syndeth grace by holy baptym / where y^t the vessell of the soule is dysposed / & made redy for to receyue grace / also where she is oned in y^e blessyd blode of the lābe receyuynge so holy bap­tym of y^t bloode vertuously. ¶ In y^e whiche state she knoweth veryly & tasteth y^e brennynge syre of dyuyne charyte / & so shewed well my sothe­faste sone Ihesu to the / yf thou haue mynde whan he was asked of the in this wyse. ¶ O swete and vndefou­led lambe / whā thou was deed and thy syde was opened / why wolde y^u be smyt / and why wholde thou suf­fre thy herte to be cutte? ¶ He answered and sayde / yf y^u remembre y^t ma­ny causes there were why / but one pryncypall cause shall I tell the he sayde / for my desyre as to mākynde was infynyte and endelesse / and the actuall workȳge for to suffre peyne and tourment / was fynyte and had an ende. ¶ And therfore bycause my desyre and loue to mankynde was infynyte / I wolde that my pryuy­tes of my herte were sene to man­kynde / openynge to you for y^e same cause my syde / that ye myghte loke theron and vnderstonde therby that I loued mākynde moche more thā I couthe or myght shewe you of my peyne fynyte / shedynge bothe blode and water. ¶ And also ther I shewed in two maner of wyses baptym of bloode. ¶ One was as I sayde in [Page]them that be baptysed in blode shed by martyrdome for me / the whiche baptym hathe vertu of my bloode namely for thē that may not be baptysed in the holy baptym of water. ¶ Some also I sayde were and be baptysed in fyre / desyrȳge baptym of water with all the affeccyon of y^e soule and maye not haue it / al suche be baptysed in fyre / and yet is it not this taptym of fyre / without blode / for blode is medled with fyre of dy­uyne charyte / bycause it was shed out for loue. ¶ In an otherwyse al­so a soule receyueth this baptym before sayde / the whiche dyuyne pro­uydēce charytably hathe ordeyned / for the infyrmyte & freylte is know­en to hym / by the whiche freylte mā offēdeth / not bycause he is cōstray­ned for to offende by freylte / but by­cause as a frayle man he falleth in to the trespas of deedly synne wyl­fully / wherby he hathe loste grace y^t he had wonne in y^t baptȳ of blode by vertu. ¶ And therfore it was ryght necessary that my dyuyne charyte sholde puruaye a remedy for to put awaye suche greuous synnes / y^e whiche is cōtynall baptym of blode / y^t a soule wynneth by cōtynuall contry­cyon of herte and with holy confessyon / whan it maye be had of my my­nysters / the whiche holden the keye of that blode / and y^t blode they poure downe vpon the face of y^e soule in gyuynge of absolucyon. ¶ And yf con­fessyon maye not be had / cōtrycyon of herte suffyseth / for than y^t honde of myldnesse and mekenesse / largely gyueth to you the fruyte of y^t blode. ¶ Yf that ye maye haue confessyon / I wyl that ye haue it and vse it / for yf there be ony that maye haue it & wyll not / he shall be depryued fro y^t fruyte of y^t blode. ¶ Neuerthelesse syth it is ī the laste ende of a mānes dethe yf he wyll be confessed & maye not / yet than my goodnesse shal also receyue hym. ¶ Yet sholde not a mā be suche a foole / that wyll therfore vnder suche hope delaye his confes­syon / and abyde vnto the laste ende of his lyfe / for he is not syker whe­ther to go for his obstynacy / I with my dyuyne ryghtewysenesse wyll saye to hym thus. ¶ Thou dyd not thynke on me in the tyme of thy lyfe whā thou myght / & therfore I shall not haue mynde of y^e now in y^t ende of thy dethe. ¶ And thus for this cause / ther sholde none dyfferre and delaye his confessyon / and yf he de­laye it by his owne defaute / yet sholde he not cease and abyde in to y^e last daye / for to baptyse hȳselfe by hope in the blode of hertely contynuall cō trycyon before sayde. ¶ Therfore it is called a cōtynual baptyme / wherin a soule maye baptyse herselfe e­uer and at all tymes whan she wyll vnto the laste daye of departynge fro the body / as I haue sayde before. ¶ Also thou knowes therfore ī this baptym that my workynge by pas­syon of my sones crosse was fynyte / but the fruyte of that peyne y^e whi­che ye haue receyued of me / is infy­nyte / and that is in the vertu of my dyuyne nature that is ifynyte / and oned with the nature of man / the whiche was fynyte and hadde an [Page]ende / the whiche nature of man suffred peyne / arayed & clothed in your manhode / & therfore my workynge maye well be sayde and called infy­nyte / not for cause the peyne is infy­nyte / nother the actuall peyne that I suffred in my body / nor also the peyne of my desyre y^e whiche I had for to fulfyll & complete youre raun­some / for that I fynyshed and en­ded in my cros / whan y^e soule went out of y^t body / but the fruyte y^e came out fro the peyne / and of the desyre the whiche I suffred for your helthe is infynyte / and therfore infynytely ye sholde receyue the fruyte therof. ¶ For but yfthat fruyte were not infynyte / all man kynde sholde neuer be restored / nother they that be now present / nor they that be passed / nor they that be to come. ¶ Nor also a man that hathe offended / he sholde neuer haue myghte nor power for to aryse / yf this moste blessyd blode were not gyuen to you infynytely. ¶ This shewed I well to you mo­penyge of my syde / where that I shewed to you y^e priuites of my herte makynge so to be knowen to you / y^t I loue you more than I can shewe you w^t this fynyte peyne. ¶ Also I shewe to the infynyte loue / w^t what thynge trowes thourtruly with haptym of blode oned & medled with y^e fere of my charyte / the whiche blode was gotē out by loue / & in generall baptym also the whiche is gyuen to crysten men / and to whome that y^t wyll receyue it is water medled w^t blode & fere where a soule tourneth her & wyndeth her in my blode / and y^t was y^e cause why I wolde y^e blode & water sholde rēne out of my syde. ¶ Now haue I answered to y^e that thynge / y^t thou dyd aske me before. ¶ How a soule whan it is come vp to y^t thyrde gree of y^t brydge (y^t is to saye after the tyme it is come to the mouthe / anone it taketh y^t dore of y^t mouthe / & whan the propre wyll of a man is deed / it is a very tokē that it come thyder. ALso thou knowes well all that I haue tolde the now / my sothefast sone hathe colde the before / yet neuerthelesse I haue rehersed the same to the agayne / spekȳgem his persone / that thou myght the better knowe the worthy excellence in the whiche a soule is set in / that hathe ascended this seconde gree / wher she knoweth & seketh somoche fere of loue / by y^e whiche she cometh to the thyrde gre (y^t is to y^e mouthe) where is well shewed y^t she is come to the stare of parfeccyon / comynge thyder by the myddes of the herte / that is in hauȳge mynde of y^e blode in y^e whiche she is baptysed / leuȳge vnparfyte loue / by the knowlege y^t she drewe oute of the hertely loue se­ynge and tastynge and felynge by experyence the brēnynge fyre of my charyte / all suche be come to the ve­ry mouthe / and therfore they excer­syce and shewe openly the offyce of y^e mouthe. ¶ For ryght as y^e mouthe speketh with the tongue y^t is in the mouthe / and the taste tasteth / the mouthe receyueth & yeldeth y^t is re­ceyued to y^t stomake / y^t tethe chewe & breke that is receyued / for it may not elles be swalowed ¶ Ryght so a [Page]soule speketh w^t the tongue of his holy contynuall prayer / suche a tōgue yeldeth to me bothe actually & mē ­tally / for belth of soules ryght swete ghostly desyres & mery. ¶ Actually it speketh in shewynge / admony­shynge / coūseylȳge / & knowlegȳge the doctryne of my very truthe / w^t ­out ony fere of peyne / what peyne y^t euer the worlde gyueth / but boldely & hardyly before euery creature she knowlegeth the truthe before all creatures / & to euery creature after his estate ī dyuers wyses & maners. ¶ Suche a soule eteth the meet of y^e helthe of soules / takynge that same meet vpon the ryghte blessyd table of y^e cros / for otherwyse / nor vpon no other table she maye in no wyse parfytely ete it ī truthe / but it be vp on y^e table of y^e cros. ¶ Also I saye y^t suche a soule eteth it & breketh it w^t her tethe / for elles she maye neuer chewe y^t same ghostli meet / y^t is with holy hate and loue / the whiche two be two orders of tethe in y^t mouthe of holy desyre / y^e whiche receyueth ghostly meet / brekynge & etynge it with hate of herselfe & with loue of vertu / dystryenge & brekynge bothe in herselfe & in her neyghbour almaner of miuryes & wronges / that is derysyons / repreues / refrenynges / with many other parsecucyōs / suf­frynge hongre & thruste / colde and hete / heuynesse and waylynges / de­fyres / wepynges and werynesse for helthe of soules. ¶ All these she bre­keth and dystroyeth for the loue of me / supportynge and susteynynge her neyghbour charytably. ¶ And after tyme the meet is thus broke and the taste hathe tasted it / that is that it haue sauoure in suche ghost­ly laboute and loue of suche meet of soules / tastynge it in the fere of my brennynge charyte / and in the loue of her neyghbour / so that this meet that cometh in to the stomake / the whiche stomake is dysposed for to receyue suche meet of desyre & helthe that it hadde to soules / the whiche stomake is nothynge elles / but an hertely wyll for to receyue delectacy on & loue of charyte with her neyghbour / desyrynge & chewynge hym in herselfe by habundaunte chary­table loue. ¶ Suche a soule gyueth no force of the tendernesse of the bo­dyly lyfe / but rather set her with her myght for to ete y^t meet before sayde receyued and taken vpon the table of the cros of doctryne of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesucryst. ¶ Thā is suche a soule made fat in very ry­all vertues / and somoche made fat of the abundaunce of that meet / y^t the araye and clothȳge of her owne sensualyte that is of her body bre­keth of as y^e sencyble appetyte / and yf it breketh it / it dyeth / for what y^t euer it breketh dyeth / and thā with that dyeth the sencyble wyl / that is bycause the ordynate and well ru­led wyll of the soule leueth arayed and couered in me w^t a parfyte and a very blessyd endelesse wyll. ¶ And therefore the sencyble wyll is deed / and al this dothe the parfyte soule that is come in truthe & very sothe­fastenesse to the thyrde gree of the m̄outhe. ¶ And the token that it is [Page]come (is this) that she fyndeth her owne sencyble wyl mortyfyed / whā she tasteth the affeccyō of my charyte / and therefore she fyndeth in the mouthe of her soule peas / and suche peas that there maye none trouble her / bycause she hathe forsaken her owne sēcyble wyl. ¶ Al suche brȳge forthe vertues withoute peyne vp­on theyr neyghbours / not for the peyne that they suffre is no peyne to other / but to a wyll mortyfyed it is no peyne / for wylfully and frely in my name and for my name she suf­freth peyne / suche people do renne without neclygence / by y^e techynge and doctryne of my onely sothefastesone Thesu cryste crucyfyed / and let not theyr sournaye for no wronges that be done to them / nor for no parsecucyon / nor for no delectacyon that the worlde myghte gyue them / but all these they shold lyghtly ouerpas by ghostly strengthe and very parseueraunce / bycause theyr affeccyon is veryly [...]me out of the affeccyon of chary [...]e / taslȳge y^t meet of helthe of soules / with very parfyte pasy­ence. ¶ The whiche pasyence is a to ten that a soule loueth most parfytely and withoute lokynge of ony re­warde / for ys she loued me and her neyghboare for onye profyte or re­warde / she were vnpacyent / and she sholde ware slowe and dull in her iournaye / but that they loue me for me / bycause I am the moste soue­rayne good and worthy to beloued / and also they loue themselfe for me / and theyr neyghboure for me / that they sholden yelde laude and prē ­synge to my name / and therfore they be pacyent and strōge / and also par­seueraunte for to suffre. ¶ And now I shal declare to the of y^e workynge of the soule / after tyme it is ascēded the thyrde gre of that holy brydge. THese ben the gloryous vertues groūded ī very tharyte y^e whiche be abydȳge in y^e heyghte of the tree of that same charyte before sayd / that is pacyence / strēgthe / and parseue­raunce / whiche be crowned with the lyghte of blessyd feythe / with y^e whiche lyght they renne without derkenesse by the waye of truthe / and also be enhaunsed by holy desyre. ¶ And therfore there maye no man hurt [...] that soule / nor the fende with all [...]is temptacyons / for he dredeth suche a soule that is brent in the furneys of charyte / nor also backebyters nor wronges and miuryes of men / and yet thoughe the worlde parsu her / he is aferde of suche a soule. ¶ Thus by my endelesse goodnesse / suche a soule is made stronge and magnyfyed in the worlde before me / bycause of mekenesse in her owne syght / she is made lytle. ¶ This is wel knowe in my seyntes whiche for my loue made them lytle by mekenesse ī this worlde / & therfore I haue made thē grete ī my endeles lyf aboue. ¶ And also ī my mysteryal body of y^t moder of holy chyrche / wher of thē is made cōtynuall memory. ¶ For ī me whiche am y^e boke of lyfe / theyr names be wrytē / also y^e worlde hathe thē in reuerēce / bycause they dyspysen the worlde. ¶ All y^t lyuen yet in erthe of such cōdiciō hyde not vertu for dredt [Page]but for mekenesse / & yf theyr neygh­bours haue nede of theyr seruyse / they hyde not theyr mynystracyon for drede of peyne / nor for y^t drede of losse of theyr owne ghostly comfort. ¶ For in what maner of wyse they excercyse theyr lyfe and theyr tyme for my worshyp / they be glad & ioy­ful and fynde peas and rest of soule. ¶ Whiche is that? ¶ In sothe by­cause they chosen not for to serue af­ter theyr owne maner / but after my maner / and therfore they charge asmoche the tyme of ghostly comfort / as they do y^e tyme of trybulacyons and of prosperyte / as they do of ad­uersyte / asmoche greueth thē that one as that other / for euer in all thȳ ges they fynde my wyll / & they do besy them with all theyr desyre for to comforte them in all thynges / & ouer all bothe in thoughte & dede to seke & worke after my wyl. ¶ They se well & aspy in y^e pryuyte of my dyuyne prouydence / y^t without me is made nought / that is to saye synne / and therfore they hate synne / wher­fore they be so stedfaste & stronge in ghostly strengthe ī theyr owne wyl / y^e they go myghtely by y^e waye & in the way of truthe & waxe not wery / but feythfully & truly they seruen & mynystrē to theyr neyghbours / ta­kynge no hede to y^e ygnoraūce & vn­kyndenes of theyr neyghbours / nor thoughe a vycyous man saye to thē other whyle wrōge / & repreue theyr good dedes / but moche rather they crye ghostly in my syghte / by holy prayer prayenge for them / hauȳge more pyte & ruthe for y^e offence y^t is done to me / & for y^t harme of theyr soules / th ā for theyr owne imuryes and wronges / al suche do saye with my chosen seruaunte seynt Paule. Daledicimus et benedici­mus. &c. we be cursed of men and sayde euyl of / but we blesse agayne / we suffre psecucyōs / but we bere it pasyently / we be blasphemed / & we beseche & praye / for we be made as or fayle of all this worlde / y^e whiche is cast out therof. ¶ Sees y^u not dere doughter and consyders y^u not these swete tokēs / & specyally aboue al to kens / y^e synguler vertu of pacyence in the whiche a soule sheweth well in sothefastnes / y^t she is rysen tro vn parfyte loue & come in to ꝑfyte loue / folowynge & suynge y^e swere & vnde fouled lābe my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / y^e whiche hāgynge vpō the cros fast helde with nayles of loue come not done fro y^t cros for all the cryenge of y^e Iewes / y^t dyd crye to hȳ thus. Descendae nunc de cruce. ¶c. Come he downe now fro y^e cros & we shal byleue in hȳ. ¶ Nor also he w^tdrewe hȳ not nor came not downe fro y^e cros for no maner vn­kyndenesse whiche was shewed of you / but abode vnder my ovedyēce w^t suche pasyence / & y^t his crye was not herde / by no maner grutchȳ ge. ¶ In y^e same wyse these welbyloued chyldrē / & my deuoute seruaūte [...] / se then & folowen y^e doctryne & ensample of my sothfast sone Ihesu. And thoughe y^e worlde wold withdrawe thē for to loke backe warde / they wyl not / but onely loke forwarde in the [Page]myrroure of my very sothefastnes. ¶ suche wyll not go out of y^e felde of batayle for the coote that is lefte at home / y^t is for theyr owne coote of plesaunce to creatures / and them dredynge rather than me / but with loue and delyte in me they dwel styl abydynge full ghostly drunke with the blode of my blessyd sone Ihesu in the felde of batayle / whiche blode my endeles charyte hathe reserued & put it before you to be your shelde in batayle / whiche is mynystred by the herdes of holy chyrche / for to be strenghe to them that wyll be māly knyghtes / and fyghte agaynste the fende and the worlde / and agaynste theyr owne sensualyte and freylte of flesshe / with the swerde of hate of theyr ghostly enemyes / and with loue of vertues / the whiche loue is armure by whom they be defended and kepte fro strokes. ¶ For the enemyes maye not hurte none of my knyghtes / but whan they delyuer vnto theyr hondes theyr swerdes & armure / & tourne theyr backes fre­ly with y^e hāde of fre choyse. ¶ My knyghtes wyll not do so / but rather they dure and parseuer myghtely to ȳ dethe / for they be ghosty drūke with y^e precyous blode before sayd / by y^e whiche parseueraūce / al theyr ghostly enemyes be ouercome. ¶ O gloryous vertu of pasyēce / how plesaunt and lykynge arte thou to me / for in the worlde thou puttes awaye ygnoraunce / & gyues clere syghte to derke eyen / the whiche may not but algates they must take parte of the lyght of my seruaūtes. ¶ The meke nesse that my seruauntes haue / shy neth to the soules helthe of them / in hate of theyr synnes agaynste y^e en­uy of them / the wydenesse and the brede of theyrgrere charyte shyneth agaynst theyr cruelte / for they ben cruell agaynste them / and my ser­uaūtes do shewe pyte agayneward agaynste theyr wronges shyneth y^t quene of pasyc̄ce / the whiche hathe domynacyon and holdeth the pryn­cypall ladyshyp of all vertues / for it is the pythe and the marow of charyte / she it is that sheweth and ke­peth vertues in the soule & maketh to be knowe whether those vertues be grounded in me or not. ¶ She it is that ouercometh / and is neuer o­uercome / she it is (as I haue fayde) that is in felyshyppe with ghostly strengthe and parseueraunce / she it is that cometh home with vyctory / that is after tyme she is gone out of y^t felde of batayle / she cometh home to me the euerlastynge fader / there warder of all her laboure / of whome she shall receyue and take a crowne of endelesse loye. ¶ Of the state that is departed from the thyrde / and of workynges of the soule whiche is come to this state / and how god go­eth neuer awaye fro that soule by cō tynuall felynge. Hyderto I haue tolde the how they shewe that they be come to parfyte frendely & louely louynge loue. ¶ Nowe wyll I tell y^e in howmoche loue my seruaūtes y^t yet abyde ī the deedly body tast me / for after tyme they ben come to the thyrde state (in the same state as I sayde) they wynne the fourthe state. [Page]¶ Not for it is depted fro y^e thyrde / but they be togyder all one / for that one may not be without that other / lyke as my charyte and charyte of neyghbourheed maye not be depar­ted / as I sayde to the before. ¶ But there is a maner of fruyte that co­meth out of this thyrde gre / of a cer tayne parfyte vnyō / whiche y^e soule hathe in me / where she receyueth strēgthe aboue strēgthe / in somoche that not onely she bereth wronges with pasyence / but also she desyreth with a longynge desyre for to haue strengthe to suffre iniury and peyne for the laude and Ioye of my name / with that longynge pasyent desyre / she receyueth ī wardely ghostly loye in the repreues and wronges done to them for my sone Ihesu / as my gloryous precher seynt Paule sayd. Libenter gloriabor. &c. That is to saye / gladly & ioyfully I shall be mery in my infyrmytes / that the vertu of chryst maye dwell ī me / for I bere in my body the woundes of my lorde Ihesu cryste. ¶ In this maner all suche be so ful of loue and fro themselfe for the worshyp and ho noure of my name / and so hongry vpon the meet of soules helth / that they renne to the meer table of my sones crosse / and there desyrynge to suffre moche greuous peyne therby for to wynne and purchase vertues to edyfycacyon and profyte of theyr neyghbours berynge contynually the blessyd pryuytes of the woūdes of my sone Ihesu cryste in theyr bo­dyes / that is the inwardely loue y^t they haue for helthe of theyr neygh­bours soules crucyfyēge them so in theyr bodyes / and shewpnge by shy nynge to other / in somoche that they set ryght noughte by theyr owne bo dyes / but rather desyre with greate delyte for to suffre repreues / heuy­nes and peynes / reckynge neuer in what wyse they be gyu [...] to theym / for helthe of theyr neyghbours sou­les. ¶ To all suche dere chyldren / peyne is luste and delyte / & all other lust and delyte or comforte that the worlde maye gyue to thē / is no ioye to thē / for thoughe y^e worlde wolde fauoure them (that is) thoughe ser­uauntes of the worlde be coarte by dyspensacyon and ordynaūce of my endelesse goodnesse for to haue them in reuerence / and for to helpe them and releue them in theyr nedes / yet they haue no ioye therin / but onely in me. ¶ Nor they set not theyr herte to receyue no maner of comforte no­ther bodyly nor ghostly / but me a­lone / whiche [...]am endeles comforte that neuer maye fayle. ¶ This co­meth of the vertu of very mekenes / purchased and goten of holy hate / y^e whiche mekenesse is norysher of charyte / purchased & goten of y^e know­lege of herselfe & of me. ¶ Thus y^u maye se vertu shyne ī the gryuytes of crystes woundes / bothe in the bodyes and in the soules / of suche cho­sen parfyte seruauntes. ¶ To all suche it is profered by grace me ne­uer to be departed from them by se­lynge / as I was and am fro other / of the whiche I tolde the before / fro whome I went and came not / go­ynge fro thē withdrawpnge grace & [Page]ghostly felȳge. ¶ I do not so to these y^t be my most parfyte chyldre^t / y^e whiche be come to greate parfeccyon / mortyfyed in all thynges to theyr owne wylles / but cōtynually bothe by grace & felynge I rest ī theyr soules (that is) whā that euer they wyl haue thēselfe in me by affeccyon of loue they maye / & thā theyr desyre is come to suche an vnyon by affec­cyon of loue / y^t in no wyse it maye be departed fro thē / but euery place is to thē a place / & euery tyme is to thē a tyme of prayer / for theyr cōuersa­cyon is lyfted vp aboue y^e erthe and araysed vp to heuē (y^t is to saye) by­cause they haue w^tdra we & putte a­waye fro thē all maner erthly affec­cyon / & also theyr owne propre sency ble delectacyō / they be rysen aboue themselfe in to the heyght of heuē by the ladder of vertu / after tyme they haue ascended the grees / y^e whiche grees I lykened to the / by y^e body of my onely lathefast son [...] Ihesu cryst. ¶ In y^t fyrst gree they haue spoyled y^e fore of affeccyon fro delectacyon of vyces. ¶ In the seconde gree they haue tasted the secrete affeccyon of herte / wherby they haue conceyued delyte in vertu. ¶ In y^e thyrde gree / that is i [...]eas & trāquyllyte of soule / they haue experyence in thēselfe of ꝑfyte vertu / & so they be arysen fro vnparfyte loue / & be come to ryghte greate parfeccyō / by y^e whiche they fynde rest in y^e doctryne of my sothe­fastnes / so y^t therby they fynde bet­ter y^u meet table and the meet / and also a seruaunte for to serue them / whiche meet they tast with y^t mene and medyacyon of my onely sothe­faste sone Ihesu cryste crucyfyed. ¶ I am to them bothe place & meet table / this swere & delectable worde (my owne sothefast sone) is to them meet / for in that gloryous Ihesu / they taste meet whiche is helthe of soules / the whiche meet is graūted of me to you / bothe flesshe and blode all hole very god and very mā / the whiche in sothe ye receyue in the sa­crament of the auter / graunted to you and gyuen by my endeles goodnes / as longe as ye be wayegoers / or pylgrymes in the worlde / leste ye do fayle and feynt in the waye for fe blenesse or wekenesse / & leste ye for­gete the benefytes of that precyous blode shed out for you with somoche feruent & brēnynge fyre of loue that alwaye ye maye be made stronge and myghty therby / and be comfor­ted and haue Ioye in youre iour­naye ¶ The holy ghost is seruytour to luche and serueth them at y^e meet of that blessyd body / that is the af­feccyō of my charyte serueth them / the whiche charyte mynystreth to them bothe gyftes and goodly gra­ces. ¶ This ryghte swete and well byloued seruytoure / bereth / bryn­geth / and offreth to me bothe theyr peynefull / & swete / & also delectable desyres / & than fro me he bryngeth to thē for theyr labour & trauayle y^e fruyte of my dyuyne charyte / tas­tynge and noryshynge it in theyr soules by y^e very swetenesse of my loue. ¶ Thus thou maye se and knowe y^t to them I am a meet table / & my sone is to them meet / & y^e holp ghost [Page]is to them a seruytoure / the whiche cometh bothe fro me the fader / and also my sone. ¶ Thou knowes also that euer they taste me by felynge ī theyr soules / and the more that they dyspyse delectacyon and do coueyte peyne / the more they lose peyne and wynne delectacyō. ¶ Why is that? ¶ In sothe bycause they be brēned and scorged in the here of my chary­te / where is wasted vp & cōsumpte the propre wylles of them / and therfore the fende dredeth greately the state of theyr charyte / and that is y^e cause that he goeth ferfro them and dare not touche thē. ¶ The worlde onely smyteth them vpon the barke of the body / wenynge therby for to hurte them / & he hymselfe is hurte / for the arowe yf y^t it fynde no place wher it may entre / than it tourneth agayne to the shoter. ¶ Ryghte so y^e worlde shoteth arowes of iniuryes parsecucyons and grutchynges to my seruaūtes / & they fynde no place to them of entre / for the gardayne of theyr soule is close / and therfore the arowe tourneth agayne to y^e worlde that thre we it by shotynge enueny­med with the venym of sysse. ¶ Sees thou not how in no wyse suche a seruaūte maye haue harme. ¶ Why is that? ¶ Truly yf y^t he hurte the body / he maye in no wyse hurte the soule / for it stōdeth euer blessyd and dolefull / it stondeth dolefull for the offence of her neyghboure / & it ston deth blessyd by affeccyon and vnyō of charyte the whiche it hathe recey ued ī herselfe / these it be y^t do folowe the vndesouled lambe my onely soth faste sone Ihesu / y^e whiche beynge vpon the crosse bothe blessyd & dole­full berynge the tourment of y^e body in suffrynge of peyne / and also in be tynge of y^e cros of desyre y^t he myght satysfy & make a seet or place aboue for the trespas of mankynde. & He was also blessyd of dyuyne nature / the whiche so knytte with mākynde myghte in no wyse suffre peyne / & therfore be was bothe blessyd & dole full. ¶ In the same wyse / these that be my dere and well byloued chyl­dred / after tyme that they be come to the thyrde and fourthe state (before sayde) they be dolefull berynge the crosse of crystes passyon (bothe actually and mentally) in suffrynge of peynes in theyr bodyes / after y^e suf­fraunce of me. ¶ And also mentally tourmented by the cros of desyre / for the offence that is done to me & harme to theyr neyohbours. ¶ Also I saye y^t they be blessyd for y^e loue of charyte that maketh them blessyd / maye not be take fro them / by y^e whiche charite they take & receyue bothe ghoostly gladnesse and blessydnes. ¶ Therfore this sorowe and dolefulnesse is not called sorowe that tour­menteth the soule / y^e whiche sorowe shal somtyme passe and defayle / but suche sorowe fatteth the^o soule in af­feccyon of charyte / for suche peynes encresē vertues & maketh it strōge / by y^e whiche peyne vertu is preued / therfore peyne is y^e whiche maketh fat / and not tourmēteth / for nother peyne nor sorowe may drawe suche a soule out of the fyre of charyte / by­cause they be all brenned in the fur­neyse [Page]of my charyte. ¶ Wherefore there maye none take them our fro me / for they be made one with me / and I with them. ¶ I neuer with­drawe me fro them by felynge / but that theyr soules sele me euery daye in themselfe by specyal sencyble gra ces / fro other before I wente and rame. ¶ I went fro thē by felynge / and not by grace / and that was by­cause I wolde they sholde attayne to ꝑfeccyon. ¶ And after tyme they be full come to parfeccyō as it maye be hadde in this worlde / I with­drawe fro them the game of loue in goynge and comynge / the whiche maye well be called y^t game of loue / for by loue I go fro them / & by lone I come agayne to them (not proper ly I) for I am youre lorde whiche is vumoueable / that am neuer mo­ued fro place to place / but y^e felynge which my charyte gyueth to a soule whiche goeth and cometh. ¶ Dow god goeth not away o fro y^e forelayd partyre mē by felynge / nor by grace [...]ause of vuyon bytwyxe theym. ¶ Cell the y^t to suche parfyte folke it is graūted neuer for to lose me by [...]lynge / but yet in some wyse I go fro them / for the soule whiche is clo led in the body / is not suffycyent for to receyue sne. ¶ I withdrawe me not as fro felynge / nor yet grace fro them / but my vnycyōand oneheed / and that is the cause why oft tymes soules with longynge desyres / tēne with vertues by the brydge of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryst cru cyfyed (that is by his passyou / and after tyme they haue so longe rūne / they^t be come to the grete brode gate of the passyon / where they drynke & tast abūdaūtly the precyous blode of my onely sone Ihesu / tyll they be very ghostly drunke. ¶ And after tyme they be so ghostly drūke with that blessyd blode / and be brenned ī the fyre of my loue / anone they talt in me the endelesse godhecd / the whi che is to them as a peaseable see (in y^e whiche see) y^t soule hathe caughte suche an vnyon and oneheed / that suche a soule hathe no maner mo­uynge / but in me. ¶ And thoughe a man in suche a state of vnycyon be deedly / yet he tasteth than the endc­lesse good of innrortalyte & vndeed­lynesse. ¶ Wherby they receyue agy lyte and swetenes of body / not with stondynge the ponderosyte of the body. ¶ By the whiche parfyre vnyon often tymes the body is lysted fro y^e erthe / and so the greuous and pon­derous body is made lyght. ¶ This is the vnyon by the whiche the soule in me is more parfyte / than is y^e vnyon whiche is bytwene the body and the soule. ¶ Neuertheles yer is not therfore the ponderosyte of y^e body withdrawe / thoughe it other whyle by suche vnycyon be lysted / but it is the strengthe of the spyryte / y^e whis the is oned in me that lyfteth vp y^t ponderosyte of the body / and so y^e body is all brente by affeccyō of y^e soule (in somoche) that it were possyble for to lyue / yf my goodnesse byclyp­ped it not with a newe strengthe. ¶ And therfore I wyll that thon knowe that it is more myracle for to se / that a soule gothe not out of y^e [Page]body in this vnyon and oneheed / than for to se many bodyes aryse fro dethe to lyfe. ¶ For this cause it is that I withdrawe sometyme y^t vny on fro a soule / makynge it tourne a­gayne to the body / the whiche was alyened by affeccpō of y^t same soule ¶ For I wyll not that a soule sholde so departe fro the body / but onely by medyacyon of bodyly dethe. ¶ Ne­uexthelesse ur suche rapt / the mygh­tes of the soule and the affeccyon of the soule oned in me passen oute fro the body / for the mynde of the soule is not full (but with me) and the in­telleccyon on of the soule is lyfte vp / be holdynge y^e truthe of my very sothefastnesse. ¶ The affeccyon that fo­loweth intelleccyon loueth & oneth herselfe in that thynge the whiche y^t eye of intelleccyon sayeth. ¶ Whan all these myghtes of they soule be ga­dered togyder / oned and drenched by loue in me / the body loseth his fe­lynge in me / for the eye seynge seeth not / the ere herynge hereth not / the tongue spekȳge speketh not / but as I suffre it sometyme to speke / after the abundaunce of the herte of suche thynges that it feleth / for glory and laude of my name / so thoughe that it speke it speketh not / the hande also felynge feleth not / nor the fote also goynge goeth not. ¶ All these lym­mes and felynges of the body / ben bounde and occupyed by y^e in warde sencyble felynge and bonde of loue / by the whiche bonde of loue they be so bounde and subiecte to reason w^t affrccyon of the soule / that all they crye with one voyce to me / endelesse fader in wyll for to be departed y^t bo­dy fro the soule / and the soule fro the body / y^e whiche is in maner agaynst kynde. ¶ And suche a mā so yllumy ned by suche specyall onynge / cryeth w^t seynt Paule y^t gloryous apostle / wher he sayde thus. Oinfelix e­go sum. &c. That is to saye. ¶ O wretched man that I am / who shal departe me fro the deedly body that I bere aboute / I se an other lawe in my outewarde wyttes of the bo­dy / the whiche repugneth y^e iwatde lawe of my soule. ¶ Paule sayde not this onely of the impugancyon the whiche y^e sencyble felynges dyd agaynst y^e spyryte / for he was in ma ner certyfyed of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / and made syker therof whan he sayde to hym thus. Paule sufficit tibi gr̄a mea. That is Paule holde y^t well apaye / for my grace is suffycyēt for to kepe y^t / but wherfore sayde he so than? Truly for the eye was bounde and myght not se me end [...] lesse trynyte / by the syghte and vysyon of blyssed and vn deedly spyrytes / y^e whiche euer yel­den to my name ioye and laude / and for bycause he foūde hȳselfe amōge deedly creatures that euer and con tynually offenden me / departed fro my syght / that is not seynge me ve­ryly in my propre essencyal beynge / therfore he sayde so / for cuery vysy­on and syght that a soule receyueth as derke in rewarde of that syghte y^e whiche a soule hathe whan it is dr­patted fro the body / and so it semed to seynt Paule / that the felynge of [Page]the bodyly syghte impugneth y^e vy­syon and the lyght of the soule (that is) that mannts felynge / or the ponderosyte of the body letteth the eye of mtelleceyon / the whiche suffreth not it to se me face to face. ¶ It se­med that his wyl was bounde / that it myght not loue asmoche as it de­syred to loue / for cuery loue in this lyfe is vnparfyte / vnto y^e tyme that it come to the parfeccyon that it lo­ueth. ¶ I saye not this for the loue of seynt Paule / and y^e loue of other of my dere seruauntes y^t they were vnparfyte to grace / and to receyue the parfeccyō of charyte / for so they were parfyte / but thy were vnpar fyte / bycause theyrloue was not cō ­plete / and therfore in maner theyr loue was peyneful / bycause it was not full / for yf theyr desyre hadde be fulsylled (as they dyd loue) it sholde haue hadde no peyne / but whan y^t soule is departed fro the body / than theyr desyre is fulfylled / and than it loueth withoute p [...]yne. ¶ Neuer­thelesse [...]et than it hathe hōgre and desyre for to loue more / but peyne is there none in that hōgre and desyre and all bycause it is departed fro y^e peynfull body. ¶ Than is the bes­fell full in me stabled & made strōge in me in truthe / y^t it maye no thynge desyre but yf it haue it. ¶ She desy reth for to se me / & she seeth me face to face / she delyreth for to seloy and praysynge or louynge of my name in my seyntes / & she seeth one wyse in the nature of angelles / and an o­ther wyse in y^t nature of mā. ¶ How worldely men yelden glory and wor shyp to god / whyther they wyll or wyll not. ¶ ANd in somothe theyr syght is parfyte (y^t not onely they se my worshyppe and ioye pmonge heunly creatures y^t dwell in blysse without ende) but also ymōge deed ly creatures / for the worlde wyll he or not / he yeldeth praysynge and lo­uynge to the name of god / and yet in sothe they yelde me no suche lo­uynge and preysynge as a trewe lo­uer dothe / that loueth me aboue all thynges / but I wyll put oute and drawe oute fro them ioye and pray sȳge to my name / and that is for asmoche as my ioy shyneth in them / and also the abundaunce of my charyte / by the whiche I grasite thern to haue tyme & lēgthe oflyfe / & com maunde the erthe that he swalowe them not for theyr defautes / but I abyde them mercyfully / and bydde the erthe to gyue them of his fruyte and the sone to warme them & gyue thē lyghte and here / and the fyrma­ment y^t he moue and styrre / and all other creatures whiche I made for thē / by my greate mercy and chary te I make thē vse thē / not hynge of them withdrawynge for theyr wye­kednesse / but I graunte it them (& as well to thē) as to theryghtwyse lyuers / and ofte tymes more to syn­ners than to ryght wyse men. ¶ Of ten tymes I withdrawe fro them abūdaūce of goodes / y^e whiche can suffre / and be able to suffre that I myght gyue them more abundasit­ly y^e endeles goodnesse of heuen for theyr pasyence / & thus my mercy & charyte shyneth vpon worldely mē. [Page]¶ Otherwhyle also in parsecueyōs that seruauntes of the worlde do to my seruauntes / for suche parsecucy ons they be preued in pasyence and in charyte / the whiche they offre to me with meke contynuall prayer in theyr parsecucyons / and so worshyp and praysynge is yelde to my name. ¶ In this maner y^e worlde (wyll he or not) he yeldeth praysynge & glory to my name / thoughe his entent be not therfore / but rather for to do to mereprefe and shame. ¶ How that the fendes do yelde worshyp to god agaynst theyr wyl. ALl those that dwell in the worlde to the encrese of vertues in my seruauntes by y^e ctu­ell parsecucyōs / in maner they lyue and stonde in hell as fendes do / for they be as the fendes tourmentou­res / fulfyllynge the wyll of fendes whiche be theyr may sters vpon my seruauntes / and so they enerese the mede & meryte of them / that be my seruauntes ledynge them agaynste theyr wyll to the ryghte waye of he­uen. ¶ They encrese & exercyse thē in vertues / w^t many greuous temp tacyons & heuynesses in many ma­ners. ¶ Somryme they make one to do an other wrōge / and somtyme to styrre hym for to take awaye his goodes (and not onely for the good) but for to make them to lose charyte wenynge that my seruaunte wyl be out of charpte / for losse of worldely goodes. ¶ And in y^t that they wene for to make them for to lose charyte / wenynge that my seruaunte wyl be out of charyte / for losse of worldely goodes / & in y^e that they wene for to make them lose charyte / they be the more strengthed in charyte / and preued in vertu of pasyence / strengthe / and parseueraunce. ¶ In this wyse they yelde worshyp and praysynge to my name / and so in thē is fulfyl­led my truthe y^t I made them / for y^t worshy p an praysynge of me / & y^t they shold take ꝑte of my fayrenesse. ¶ But whan y^e fende rebelled to me by his pryde / he fell adowne & was departed & delyuered fro my syghte. ¶ And therfore nowe bycause they maye not yelde to me praysynge by by loue of hery charyte in themselfe. ¶ Cherfore I sende them as instru mentes of vertu to my seruauntes / for to excercyse them to vertu / & also for to punesshe all suche endelesly / y^t for theyr dedly trespases be dāpned I haue made them to them as Iu [...] tyces / and also for to purge them y^t gone adowne to purgatory. ¶ And thus thou maye knowe and se it is fothe that my truthe is fulfylled in them / that is that they yelde to me loye and wo / shyp / not as cytysyns of endelesse ioye / fro the whiche loye for theyr owne defautes / they be tul ly & vtrerly departed / but as instru­mentos for vertues to my speeyall seruaūtes & as my Iustyces bothe to dampnable soules / & also to those soules y^t gone to paynes o [...]purgato ry / to shew to thē my ryght wysnes.

¶ How a ꝑfyte soule y^t is pas­sed fro this worlde / seeth ful­ly the glory & the laude of the name of god ieuery creature. [Page]¶ And how in y^e soule is en­ded the peyne of desyre / and not the delyre. ¶ Also howe seynt Paule after tyme that he was take to se the glory of them that be in blysse / he co­ueted to be vnboūde and vn losed frome the body / and so done they whiche come to y^e thyrde & the fourthe foresayd state / and of other maters as it is shewed before in the ka­lender. Ca. iiii.

A what is he that seeth and tasteth veryly / bow that all creatures reasonable and vnreasonable & also ī fendes is seen y^e presynge & louȳge of my name / truly a soule that is de­parted fro y^e body and is cme to me his endelesse ioye. Suche a soule se­eth purely and knoweth the truthe in her syghte / for by the syghte that she hathe in me euerlastynge fader / she soueth / & by loue she is fulfylled / & by fulfyllynge she knoweth y^e tru­the / & by knowynge of truthe she is made stydfast ī her wyll / stablyshed & knytte to y^t mynde in suche awyse y^t she ma [...]e in no wyse fussre peyne / for she hathe y^t y^e whiche she desyred to haue before (onely for to seme) and y^e ioy & presynge of my name / y^e whiche ioye & praysynge she seeth in my seyntes veryly & fully & in other ho­ly spyrytes / & in all other creatures & in fendes / as I haue sayde to the before. ¶ And thoughe it so be that suche a soule se offēce & trespas done to me / wherof before she was dole­ful & forowful / thā whā she is in ioye than maye she haue no sorowe ther­fore / but onely compassyon without peyne / louȳge & prayenge for them that do trespas to me that I sholde shewe them mercy by affeccyon of charyte. ¶ For all be it that peyne is ended in suche a soule / charyte is encresed. ¶ Ryght as my onely sothe­faste sone I hesu ended peyne of his peynful desyre in his peynfull dethe vpō y^e cros / whiche peynful desyre he vare fro y^e begȳnȳge y^t I sende hȳ in y^e worlde for your helthe vnto y^e ende of his bodyly lyfe / & yet was not en­ded y^e desyre of your helth. ¶ Ryght so a blessyd soule by departynge fro y^e body endeth peyne / but y^e charpta ble desyre of soule helth endeth ne­uer. ¶ For yf y^t my affeccyon of cha­ryte / y^e whiche I shewed to you by meane of hym / had thā be ended a­gaynste you (ye sholde neuer be) in asmoche as ye be made of loue / & yf y^e loue were withdrawe fro me (y^t I sholde not loue) ye sholde neuer be / but my loue hathe made you / & my loue hathe kepte you & cōserued you ¶ And so my onely sothefaste sone ended ī his passyon peyne of desyre / but neuer loue of desyre. ¶ Thus loserth a soule in blysse / y^t euery seynt & euery soule y^t is in blysse / is there without peyne of desyre of helthe of soules / for y^e peyne ended in her de­partynge fro y^e body / but she is not there without affeccyon of charyte. ¶ For whā suche a soule departeth [Page]fro the body / she passeth out ghostly drunke in y^e blode of my onely sothefast sone that vndefowled lambe / and so bathed in his blode / and arayed with the cote of chary te of neygh bourheed / entreth ī me y^t am y^e pease able se. ¶ And than for euer suche a soule is departed fro mpatfeccyon / that is fro vnfulfyllyngenesse / and come to parfeccyon fullylled with al good / y^e whiche good she vseth ende lesly. ¶ And here it shall be shewed how that seynt Paule after tyme he was assumpte and take to y^e gloty of them that be in blysse / he coue­ted to be vnbounde and vnlosed fro the body / and so do they the whiche be come to the thyrde and y^e fourthe state before sayd. O Hat lame good Paule sauoured and tasted / whan I rauyshed hym to the thyrde heuē that is to the heyghte of the trynyte by the whiche tastynge he knewe the sothefastnesse therof / where he receyued fully my spyryte / and ler­ned verely and truly the doctryne of my onely sothefalt sone IIhesu cryst crucyfyed / and y^e soule of hym was oned by ryghte that tyme to me the fader by selynge / and arayed with the shynynge clerenesse or the bles­syd endeles lyfe / saue that his soule was not departed fro the vody / but onely by felynge and vnycyon. ¶ It plesed and lyked me tyght well / for to take vp and rauysshe suche a cho­sen vessel / bycause he sholde beholde and se in to the depenesse of my ende lesse trynyte / there for to lerne to suffre for my name by inspeccyō of my onely fothefaste sone Thesu cryste crucysyed / the whiche suffred ryght sharpe flagellacyōs with many byt ter peynes for the saluacyon of man kynde / by the whiche bytter passyon he was lerned and taught for to say as he sayde / whan y^e he sayde thus. ¶ Lorde what wyll thou y^t I shall do / tell me what I shal do / and that tyght gladly wyll I do. ¶ Than I taughte hym whan I putte before the eye of his intelleccyon / the passy on of my sothefast sone Ihesu cryst / endowynge hym with the doctryne of my truthe and yllumynynge hȳ with the lyghte of very knowlege / by the whiche very knowlege / he a­mended hym of his lyuynge / and so grounded in very charyte / aryde hym with the very doctryne of my sones passyon / and that doctryne of the passyō he kepte so truly / that as he sayde hymselfe it went neuer fro his backe / nother by temptacyon of fendes / nor by pryckynge of his flesshe / y^e whiche oft tymes ipugned hym / the whthe I suffred hym to haue for my goodnesse / that he shol­de encrese in grace / in mede / and al­so in mekenesse. ¶ This clothe of crystes passyon after the tyme that Paule hadde tasted the very depe­nenesse of the holy trynyte / myght neuer be take frome hym / nother by temptacyons nor trybuiacyōs / but he kepteit so streyte to hym / that he dydde lose his bodyly lyfe therfore. ¶ In this wyse the holy doctoure seynt Paule knewe the experyence what it was for to taste me without greuaunce of the body / not by sepa­racyon fro y^e body / but by felynge of [Page]oncheed. ¶ Therfore whā he was come to hymselfe so arayed with the clothe of crystes passyō / hym semed that his loue was inparfyte / consy­derynge the inparfeccyon of loue / the whiche he tasted in me aboue (& lyght) y^e whiche loue seyntes departed fro y^e body / dyd tast euerlastȳgely. ¶ Wherfore hȳ semed that y^e ponderosyte of y^e body rebelled agaynst hym / and letted the greate parfeccyon of endelesse plentuous desyre or loue / the whiche after departynge fro the body a chosen soule feleth & tasteth. ¶ His mynde also was as hym thoughte vnparfyte and feble the whiche inparfeecyon and feble the whiche inparfeccyon and feblenesse letted hym for to haue fresshe remembraunce of that he hadde tasted before in truthe with parfeccy­on / as seyntes receyuen of me in he­uen. ¶ So that al thynges as hym semed as longe as he abode in y^e bo­dy / were to hym a contrary lawe / the whiche inpugned and rebelled agaynste the lpyryte. ¶ Not onely by inpugnacyon of sytme / for as I haue sayde to the / I made hym sy­ket that he sholde not fall / excepte y^e he wolde wylfully worke agaynste grace / for I sayd to hȳ thus / Paule my grace is suffycyent to the / for to kepe the frome fallynge (yf thou wyll) bucdy suche inpugnacyon / y^t is lettynge parfeccyon of the spyry­te to se me / in my owne effencyall beynge / the whiche syghte was lette by greuous ponderosyte and con­trary lawe of the body / and therfore he gemented / & with greate wemy­tacyon he cryed thus. Infelix e­go homo. &c. That is to say. ¶ O wretched man that I am / who shal departe me fro this deedly body / the whiche I bere aboute. ¶ I se an o­ther lawe in the outewarde felynge of my body / the whiche repugneth the inwarde lawe of my soule / and ledeth me in to the lawe of synne / y^e whiche lawe is belefte in my body­ly sencyble wyttes. ¶ And thus in sothe it is / that the mynde is inpugnynge of the inparfeccyon of the body. ¶ The intelleccyon is also letted and bounde of the greuous pōderosyte of y^e body / bycause it may not se me ī my effncyall bynge as I am. ¶ And the wyll is also bounde / by­cause it maye attayne not for to tast me endelesse good with the greuo­us heuynesse of the body / but with greate peyne / as I haue tolde the before. ¶ And so seynt Paule sayde truthe / whan he sayde thus / Ileus my bodyly lymmes a straūge lawe repugnynge the inwarde telynge of the soule. ¶ Thus in y^e same wyse all my specyall seruauntes the whi­che be come to the thyrde and to the fourthe state or gree of parfyte vnyon / all they do saye as seynt Paule sayde / and desyre for to be departed fro y^e body. ¶ And here after it shall be shewed to you / for what causes y^t a soule desyreth to be losed fro the body / and thoughe it be not as he desyreth / it cōtraryeth not y^e wyll of god / but rather it gyueth worshyp / and laudes / with presynges to god. ALl suche do gyue no charge to be departed fro the body / for they de­syren it. ¶ And with parfyte hate [Page]they haue made warre with al theyr bodyes / ī asmoche as they haue for­sake y^t tendernesse whiche natural­ly is bytwyxe the soule & the body. ¶ This kyndely loue is throwe a­waye fro them / by holy hate of y^e bodyly lyfe / & for my loue they desyredethe / and thus they saye w^t seynt Paule. O upio dissolui. &c. y^e is to saye / I desyre to be departed fro the body and be with cryst / and also they be lyke to seynt Paule and saye as he sayde thus. Dors in desi­derio. &c. That is to saye / dethe is to me in desyre / and lyfe in pasyēce / for the soule lyfte vp in this parfyte vnyon desyreth to se me / and also to se ioye and praysynge to be yelden to me / that is after tyme it hathe ones belyft vp & is come downe agayne to the cloude of the body in felynge of bodyly wyttes / the whiche sency­bylyte was rapte by affeccyō of loue to me / all the bodyly felynges were drawe out by strengthe of affeccyon of the soules vnyte / & annexed par­fytely to me / by suche vnycyō as is bytwene a well dysposed body and soule / the whiche vnycyon bycause the body is not suffycyēt for to bere it / therfore I drawe it out of the bo­dy by affeccyō of loue to me. ¶ And therfore it is that oft tymes I with drawe me fro suche vnyō that is in the body and soule / not by grace but by felynge / as I haue made mency on in the thyrde & in y^e fourthe state or gree before. ¶ But yet neuerthe­les I come agayne to y^e soules helthe with encrese of more greter graces & more parfyte vnyon & with more depenesse and knowlege of my very truthe shewynge myselfe more opē ­ly to them. ¶ And whan that I go as I sayde before / by the whiche goynge the soule is come to the body­ly felynge / she waxeth vnpacyente for to lyue ī erthe. ¶ In asmoche as she consydereth that she is come fro the conuersacyon of vndeedly sou­les in blysse and comen downe to cō uersacyon of deedly creatures / by whome she seeth I am ryght wret­chedly offended. ¶ This tourmen­teth her desyre / for this cause she de­syreth to be with me / and se me with our cesȳge. ¶ Neuertheles bycause her wyll whiche is not her wyl (but onely my wyll) made by loue one w^t me / maye nothynge wyl nor desyre / but that y^t I wyll / therfore thoughe they couer for to come / they holde thē apayde for to abyde (yf I wyl y^t they abyde) thoughe it be to theyur peyne / for more ioye & presynge of my name / and also for more encrese of meryte and mede of theyr soules. ¶ And therfore thoughe they haue not theyr desyres / yet they leue ne­uer rennynge with lōgynge desyre / holdynge them faste by y^t brydge of my sones passyon / and so be gladde & ioyful of repreues & iniuryes done to them for my name. ¶ The more peyne they suffre / y^e more they ioye / the mooste refresshynge that they haue / is theyr desyre to be departed fro the body. ¶ For ryghte often tymes for desyre & wyll to fuffre pey­nes / the payne is mynyshed & made lesse that they haue / for to be dely­urred fro the body. ¶ These onely [Page]do not suffre with pasyence (as it is reherse before in y^e thyrde state) but they be gladde and ioyfull to suffre many trybulacyons for my name. in theyr suffraunce they be gladde (& yf they suffre not) they be fory & full of peyne dredynge that I wyll re­warde theyr good dedes in this lyfe or that the sacryfyce of theyr desyre lyketh me not / and yf it so be y^t they suffre ony peyne they be ryght ioy­full & glad / bycause they be arayed and clothed with the clothynge and araymēt of my onely sothfast sones passyon / without whiche passyon / or other maner of labours or veracyons yf it were possyble for them by grace for to wynne veriues / they wolde not haue them / but yf it come by labour / yf they myght chose with out dysplesaunce of me. ¶ For they hadde leuer wynne heuen blysse by delectacyon in peynes of crystes passyon / or by other maner vexacyons gyuen to them by the suffraunce of me (than other wyse) ¶ Why is y^t? ¶ Certayne for they be drenched in the blode of my sones passyon / wher in they synde my brennynge chary­te / y^e whiche charyte is fyre comȳge out fro me / y^t rauysheth bothe theyr myndes and theyr hertes / by y^e whi­che charyte I accepte and take y^e holy sacryfyce of theyr desyres / by y^e whiche charyte also they lyften vp the eye of theyr vnderstondynge se­ynge and beholdynge in my good heed / where theyr affeccyon is nory shed / y^e whiche affeccyō oneth hym selfe to the same charyte & foloweth vnderstondynge. ¶ This is one of the vysyōs and syghtes the whiche I make in suche a soule by infusyō of grace / the whiche loueth me veryly and serueth me. ¶ How they the whiche be come to y^t foresayde state of vnyō be yllumyned and lyghtned in theyr eye of Intelleccyō by grace with a lyght aboue nature / & how it is better to go for to haue counseyle for the soules helthe to a meke man with an holy conscyence / than to a proude lettered mā. By this same lyght whiche is put in the eye of in­telleccyon of suche a soule / that euer slepynge and wakȳge desyreth me / is purchased and get of very vnderstondynge of moche cūnynge. ¶ Seynt Auslyn / seynt Ierom / & other doctours and seyntes illumyned & lyghtned of my very sothefastnes / tokē hede & knewe veryly my truthe that is of holy wrytte / y^e whiche se­med derke / bycause it was not vn­derstonde / that was not for defaute of scrypture / but of y^e vnderstōders y^e whiche vnderstōde it not. ¶ And therfore I sende these laūternes be­fore sayde / for to yllumyne thē that were blynde by vnderstondynge / & for to open theyr eyes to knowe in derkenesse the truthe. ¶ For I y^e re­ceyuer of theyr sacryfyce / rauyshed them and gaue them lyght not of nature / but aboue all nature / and so in derkenesse they dyd receyue lyghte / in suche awyse knowynge y^e truthe. ¶ Wherfore those thynges that dyd seme somtyme derke / it apperetd & sheweth to rude and boystous folke of what condycyō they be / eueryone for to receyue after y^e he dysposeth [Page]hym to knowe me / whiche dysposy­cyons I refuse not. ¶ Thus y^u may se y^t the eye of intelleccyon receyueth lyghte in felynge by grace aboue nature / in the whiche lyghte doctours and other seyntes dyd knowe lyght in derkenesse / and of derkenes they dyd make lyght by the same grace. ¶ For intelleccyō was rather made than scrypture / wherfore cunnynge cometh of intelleccyon. ¶ In this wyse holy faders & propheres dyd knowe and had vnderstondynge / y^e whiche dyd prophecy bothe of the comynge and also of the dethe of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu. ¶ And in the same wyse the apostles dyd / after the comynge of the holy ghost by y^e same lyght aboue nature / were yllumyned the euangelystes / mar­tyrs / confessours / and vyrgynes / & all these were illumyned of this parfyte lyght. ¶ And eche of them had in dyuers maners after the nede of theyr helthe / and after y^e nede of creatures. ¶ Some dyd declare holy wrytte by the same lyght aboue na­ture (as docters dyd) some preched as y^e apostles dyd / some dyd expoū ­de the gospels of the euangelystes / and some dyd shede blode for decla­racyon of the truthe (as martyrs) & some dyd declare the truthe by purete and affeccyon of charyte / as vyr­gyns dyd. ¶ Some declared y^e tru­the ofobedyence of my onely sothe­fast sone Ihesu / in that that they do obey in theyr relygyō shewynge in theyr lyuynge parfeccyon of obedy­ence / the whiche appered shynynge­ly in my sone Ihesu cryst / whan by vertu of that obedyence whiche I put to hym / he ranne myghtely to y^e cruell dethe of the crosse. ¶ All this was done / & is by this lyghte aboue nature in the newe lawe / and that maye thou well knowe by the expo­sycyons and prechynges of the gos­pell / how in dyuers wyses it is de­clared to chrysten men. ¶ In y^e olde lawe also how holy faders and pro­phetes dyd prophecy by the same lyght aboue nature. ¶ And therfore bycause the newe lawe is expouned and declared / and the olde lawe pro­phecyed by a lyght / the newe lawe breketh not nor loseth not the olde lawe / but bothe be knytte togyder. ¶ And the newe lawe hathe take a­waye fro the imparfeccyon of y^e olde lawe / for that lawe was & is groun­ded in drede. ¶ But whan my onely sothefast sone Ihesu came in to the worlde with the lawe of loue / he fulfylled it gyuynge to it loue / remo­uynge awaye drede of peyne / and leuynge it full w^t holy drede? ¶ Ther­fore it was that my onely sone sayde to his dyscyples thus. Nō venisoluerelegem. &c. I come not for to breke the lawe / but for to fulfyll y^e lawe / as thoughe he sayde to them thus. ¶ The lawe is no we inꝑfyte / but with my blode I shall make it parfyte / and so I shall fulfyll in it y^e fayleth / with drawynge and remo­uynge drede of peyne / & groūdynge it in loue & holy drede. ¶ Thus than after the fulfyllynge of the lawe by loue and holy drede / al y^e truthe that cometh oute of holy wrytte / cometh by this lyghte aboue nature before [Page]sayde. ¶ And therfore vncunnynge proude clerkes / be blynded in that lyghte for pryde / and the cloude of theyr owne loue couereth & taketh awaye that lyghte fro thē. ¶ Wher­fore they vnderstonde rather holy wrytte after the letter / or after theyr owne felynge / than after the very vnderstondynge / & so by tastynge onely of the lettre / they make many bokes / but they taste not the pythe / and y^t mary of y^t same lettre. ¶ For they lacke the lyght that I spake of by the whiche is declared all holy wrytte. ¶ Wherfore they wondre & fall in grutchynge for to se so many rude folke & ydyotes of holy wrytte as themsemen. ¶ And yet neuerthe lisse they be so yllumyned and lyght ned by y^e lyght aboue nature ī know lege of the truthe / as yf they hadde studyed longe tyme therm. ¶ This is no wondre / for they haue the pryn cypall cause of the same lyghee / the whiche is mekenes / by the whiche cometh all maner of [...]ūnȳge. ¶ But bycause they haue loste that lyghte [...] the cause of the wynnynge therof / they se not nor knowe not my ende­lesse goodnesse in y^t lyghte / whiche is gracyously tecte oute or cast oute vpon my scruauntes. ¶ And ther­fore I saye to the / better it is for the to aske coūsayle of soule helthe to one that is meke & hathe an holy ryght cōsyēce / thā a proude lettered clerke the whiche hathe longe studyed in holy wryte / for he gyueth nothynge elles but suche as he hathe within hym / the whiche ofte tymes gyuen derke coūsayle / after theyr derkely­uynge. ¶ The contrary is hadde in manye seruauntes / for the lyghte that they haue within theym / they gyue it w^t desyre of helthe to mānes loule. ¶ Lo ryghte swete doughter all this haue I tolde the / that thou myght knowe y^t parfeccyō of y^t state of vnyon / where the eye of intelleccyon is rapte by y^t fyre of my endelesse charyte / in the whiche charyte is re­ceyued lyghte aboue nature / with whiche lyghte I am loued / for loue ren̄eth after vnderstōdynge. ¶ And the more a soule knoweth / the more it loueth / and the more it loueth the more it knoweth / y^t one norysheth y^t other. ¶ With y^t lyghte / soules come to the endelesse gloryfyed syghte of me / where they se me and in truthe taste me. ¶ Whan they be departed fro the bodyes / as I tolde the whā I declared to the of the blessydnesse that a soule receyueth ī me. ¶ This is that excellente state the whiche yet a deedly man lyuynge ymonge deedly creatures maye taste / by the which oft tymes he cometh to suche vnyon / y^t vnneth he knoweth whe­ther he be in his body or oute of his body / and so he tasteth the ernest of euerlastynge lyfe. ¶ That myghte he not do / but yf his wyll were morty fyed and sleyne before / by the whiche ghostly dethe / he is made one w^t me / for elles myghthe parfytely fele that blessyd ernest / but yf he were depryued frome his propre wyll / the whiche wyll dothe let hym for to receyue suche a blessyd and holy ernest. ¶ Here is a profytable repe­rycyon of many thynges whiche be [Page]sayde / and how god induceth this deuoute soule to praye for euery cre­ature / & for all holy chyrche. NOw hase thou seen with the eyes of thy intelleccyon / and herde with thy sencyble ere of me endelesse truthe how thou maye behaue y^e for to do bothe profyte to y^e and to thy neyghbour / by the doctryne and very knowlege of my sothefastnes (as I haue tolde the in y^e begynnynge) wher I sayde to the that thou maye come to the knowlege of of my truthe / by knowlege of thyselfe oned and medled w^t the knowlege of me / where y^u maye fynde mekenesse / holy hate / dysple­saunce of thy selfe / and feruent fere of my endelesse charyte / by the whi­che thou oughte to come to the loue of thy neyghbour / shewynge to hȳ bothe profyte by bodyly mynystra­cyon / and also profyte of doctryne & holy lyuynge. ¶ I shewed the also a brydge as it stondeth / and also I shewed the the grees generall put for thre myghtes of the soule / & how ther may none haue lyght of grace / but yf he ascende vpon all thre gre­es. ¶ That is that they be gadered togyder in my name. ¶ And also I declared to the the same thre grees partyculerly / for y^e states of y^e soule fygured in y^e body of my onely sothe­fast sone Ihesu chryst / which hathe made ladders for to ascende vpon / shewynge in his fete that were nay led a ladder to ascende vp by the openynge of his syde / the whiche is the seconde ladder for to ascende vp by to his mouthe / wher a soule tasteth peas & rest in a maner beforesayde. ¶ I shewed the also inparfeccyō of seruyle drede / & īparfeccyō of suche louers that loue me vnparfytely / for swetenes that they fynde in that loue. ¶ And also parfeccyon of the thyrde state of them the whiche become to peas and rest of y^e mouthe / by the rennynge vpon the brydge of my sones passyon with longynge desyre / fyrste ascendynge vp vpon the thre generall grees / that is to gader all y^e thre myghtes of y^e soule / wher they gader togyder all theyr vertu­es workynge in my name / and also of other thre grees partyculers the whiche they ascede after tyme they be passed out of the inparsyte state / and thus in sothe thou hase seen thē renne / and also I haue made the to taste parfeccyon of soule with aray­mētes of vertu. ¶ And also to know dysceytes / the whiche a soule fyrste tasteth or that it come to parfeccy­on. ¶ I haue also declared to the y^t wretchydnes of them that gone and drenchen them in the floode / not ke­pynge thē by the brydge of my sothefastnes / whiche I put bycause they sholde not peryshe. ¶ Yet as fooles they had leuer be drenched in wret­chydnes and fylthe of this worlde. ¶ Also this I haue declared to the that the fyre of holy desyre myghte encrese in the / and compassyon and sorowe of dāpnacyō of soules / that bothe sorowe & loue shold cōstrayne y^e to come to me with welȳge & we­pynge teres. ¶ With teres namely of meke and contynuall prayer of­fred to me with the fere of most brē ­nȳge desyre / and not onely to wepe [Page]for the / but also for many other creatures / and my seruauntes that he­ten all this / be they that sholde be cō strayned by charyte for to wepe (as thou does) so that thou and they to­gyder sholde praye / and in maner constrayne me for to shewe mercy to all the worlde / and to the mystery all body of holy chyrche / for whome thou prayes to me somoche / yf thou haue mynde y^t I sholde fulfyll theyr desyre / and gyue thē refresshynge to theyr laboure. ¶ Therfore for to satysty to your peynes full desyres / I graūt reformȳge of holy chyrche by good and holy curates. ¶ Not for to reform holy chyrche by warre or by cruelte / so for to dystroye the enemyes of holy chyrche / but by pe­ase and reste / and by waylynge and wepynge of my seruauntes whom I haue sende as labourers for wynnynge of soules in the mysteryall body of holy chyrche / and for to labour to increse vertues ymonge neygh­bours / offerynge to me contynuall mayer for them and for all my crea­tures for ymonge them is grete de­faute of vertuous lyuynge. ¶ And therfore I wyll that they and ye la­boure and shewe profyte to neygh­bours / and in suche wyse ye maye yelde to me the fruyte of your vyne. ¶ Yet shold ye not cese to gyue to me encense of youre wyll / smellynges / & tyghte swete prayers / for helthe of soules / for I wyll do mercy to y^t worlde / and to holy chyrche. ¶ For now late I shewed the how her face is all foule as a leper / and that was the defaute of her mynystres / and all crysten relygyon / the whiche do noryshe thē at y^e brest of this spouse of whose defautes I shall tell the in another place.

¶ The fyfte chapyter of this party sheweth of the state of holy teres. ¶ And fyrst how this holy soule desyreth for to knowe of y^e states & the fruy­tes of holy teres. ¶ Also of y^e dyfference of the foresayde te­res / and how ther be fyue maners of teres. ¶ Also a shorte repetycyon of the menes be­fore / and of other maters / as it is shewed in the kalender before. Ca. v.

THan that soule w^t a grete louȳge desyre dyd ryse vp as a drūken soule / as wel by the vnyon that she had in god / as by that she herde and tas­ted of his ryght swete sothefastnes. ¶ And also she had grete heuynesse of y^e ygnoraūce of creatures / y^e whi­che knewe not theyr maker & gracyous benefactour / the whiche tasted not affeccyō of his dyuyne charyte. ¶ And yet she had a maner of glad­nesse & hope / of the promyse whiche god shewed to her / techynge to her a maner of forme / y^t she & all his seruaūtes owe to kepe / for to styrre hȳ to gyue mercy to y^e worlde. ¶ And w^t y^t she lyfte vp y^e eye of intelleccyon to y^e ryght wel byloued sothefastnes [Page]wherin she was knytte / desyrynge somwhat for to knowe of the sayde states of the soule / of y^e whiche god tolde here / by the whiche she consy­dered that a soule cometh to y^t state with teres / wherfore she desyred to knowe of god the dyfferēce of teres / and what they ben & frome whense they came / and of the fruyte that fo­loweth after wepynge teres / & how many kyndes ther be of teres. ¶ Bycause y^e truthe of sothefastnes maye not be knowe / but by endelesse sothefastnes / therfore she asked the ende­lesse sothefastnesse. ¶ And bycause also nothȳge may be veryly knowe / but it be seen with the eye of intelleccyon / wherfore she desyreth of sothefastnes to haue clere syghte of very trewe feythe / in the clere syghte of her intelleccyon. ¶ Thā after tyme she knewe of god y^t he wolde gyue her clere lyghte / knowynge thereof she lyfte vp herselfe aboue herselfe / with a greate longynge desyre oute of the corse of the bodyly felynge / & with the lyghte of lyfely feythe / she opened her eye of intelleccyon in the endelesse sothefastnesse / in whome she sawe and knewe the truthe / of y^e thynge y^t she asked. ¶ For god shewed to her hymselfe / that is her endelesse benygnyte / and oned it w^t her brennynge desyre / & so fulfylled her desyre. ¶ Of the dyfference of y^e foresayde holy teres. THan sayde the ryghte swete sothefastnesse of god to her. O ryght well byloued and dere doughter / doughter thou askes and desyres to knowe of me the dyfferēce in kynde of teres / and of theyr fruy­tes / and I haue not dyspysed thy desyre. ¶ Opē therfore the eye of thy intelleccyon / and I shall shewe y^t by the thre states of y^e soule before sayde vnparfyte teres graūted and set in drede. ¶ But I shall fyrste tell y^t of the teres of wycked men / and these fyrst teres / be teres of dampnacyō. ¶ The seconde maner of teres be te­res of drede / of suche y^t ryse fro syn̄e for drede of peyne / & for drede they wepe. ¶ The thyrde maner of teres be teres of thē that after tyme they be rysen fro synne / they begynne to taste me / so w^t swetenesse they wepe and begynne to serue me. ¶ But bycause theyr loue is vnparfye / ther­fore theyr wepynge is vnparfyte / as I shall tell the afterwarde. ¶ The fourthe maner of teres be of them y^t become to parfeccyon in charyte of theyr neyghbours / louynge me w^t ­out ony maner beholdynge of them selfe / suche wepe and theyr wepȳge is parfyte. ¶ The fyfte maner of te­res / is oned & knytte with y^e fourthe before / castynge out teres of swete­nesse / the whiche is a vertuous we­pynge / as I shall tell y^e afterwarde. ¶ I shall also tell the of brennynge teres without wepynge of the eye / for to satysfy to thē that ofte tymes desyre teres and maye none haue. ¶ And I wyll y^t thou knowe that al these dyuers states maye be in one soule by rysynge vp fro drede & vn­parfyte loue / and comynge to par­fyte charyte / and to the state of vnyon. ¶ How there be fyue maner of teres. NOw I shall begynne to tell of these fyue maner of teres / & fyrste [Page]shortely of the teres of wycked men / whose loue is without me vnornately sette. ¶ At the begȳnynge I wyl that thou knowe / that al teres come out of the herte / for there is no membre in a mannes body / that wyll so­moche shewe and satysfy the entent of y^e herte / as wyl y^e eye. ¶ Yf y^e herte haue sorowe / the eye sheweth it / & yf it be a sencyble sorowe / the eyes do shede hertely teres / the whiche teres in a wycked man ben deedly teres and teres of dethe / bycause of his vnordynate loue / and affeccyō that he hathe wherfore his wepynge is no thȳge plesynge to me / neuerthelesse then greatenesse of the trespas & we­pynge is iesse or more after the me­ture and quātyte of his vnordynate loue. ¶ All suche vnordynate louers and wycked lyuers (thoughe they wepe) theyr teres be teres of dethe. ¶ Now shall I tell y^e of those teres that do begynne to gyue lyfe / that is or suche that knowe theyr owne synnes / and for drede of payne they wepe. ¶ These be teres of the herte and sencyble teres / that is bycause they be not yet come to the parfyte hate of synne / but for offence y^t they haue done to me / they arysen with a maner hertely sorowe for drede of peyne / the whiche peyne foloweth after the trespas done. ¶ Therfore the eye wepeth / bycause he satysfy­eth the sorowe of y^e herte / after this that the louie hathe excersysed her in vertu / she begynneth to leue that drede / for she knoweth well / y^e drede is not suffycyent ynoughe to graūte her the blysse of heuen / as I haue tolde the in the seconde state of the soule before. ¶ And therfore she ary­seth with loue for to knowe herselfe and my goodnes in her / and so be­gynneth to presume of hope in my mercy / ī the whiche the herte releth gladnesse medled w^t sorowe of synne & hope of my merci togyder. ¶ Thā begȳneth the eye to wepe / y^t moche wepynge gothe out of the well of y^e herte / & bycause it is not yet come to parfeccyō / oft tymes she casteth out sencyble teres / the whiche be called teres of ghostly loue (as thus) whā the soule desyreth ghostly comfortes by meane or medyacyon of ony creature whom he loueth ghostly / whan she is pryued of that she loueth / or of inwarde comfortes or out warde / & than yf temptacyons folowe or par­secucyons of men / than the herte anone hathe a sorowe / and than the eye the whiche feleth that sorowe & peyne of y^e herte / begȳneth to wepe by tēdernesse / and y^t is bycause theyr owne wyll is not yet fully forsake. ¶ Suche teres be called sencyble teres of ghostly loue / or of ghostly cō ­passyon. ¶ But whan a soule excer­cyseth and vseth herselfe in y^e lyghte of her owne knowlege / she concey­ueth a maner of dysplesaunce & parfyte hate in herselfe / of y^e whiched yf plesaunce and hate / she draweth out very knowlege of my goodnesse / w^t the fyre of loue / and begynneth to owne herselfe / and to conforme her wyll to my wyll / and so she begyn­neth to fele ioye & compassyon / ioye in herselfe by affeccyon of loue / and compassyon vpon her neyghboure. [Page]¶ For than the eye whiche wyll al­waye satysfy to the herte / wepeth for hertely loue in me / and for com­passyō of the offence that is done to me / bothe for y^e offence y^t her neygh­bour dothe to me / and for her owne trespas / and not for the peyne that she or they be worthy for to haue for theyr trespas / but for y^e offence that is done to me. ¶ Thā suche a soule delyteth with longynge desyre for to receyue ghostly meet and meet of comforte vpon the table of the bles­syd cros that is the passyon of my sone Ihesu cryst / conformynge her­selfe with meke pasyence / to the vn­defouled lambe my onely sone Ihe­su cryst / of whome I haue made the a brydge / as it is rehersed before to the. ¶ After tyme y^t she hathe thus swetely walked by y^e foresayde brydge / suynge the doctryne of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryst / suffrȳge with very swete pasyence all maner peyne & heuynesse for her soule hele / and not onely that she suffre pasyently / but gladly for my name to suffre parsecucyon / syth it so is y^t she hathe hym that she suffreth fore. ¶ Than suche a soule cometh to so greate a loue & tranquyllyte of herselfe / that her tongue is not suffycyent for to tell it. ¶ Than she resteth in me that am y^e very peaseable see / her herte is oned in me by affeccyon of loue / and so by the felynge of my endeles god heed / the eye begynneth to wepe te­res of swetenesse / the whiche teres be as a maner of mylke / that nory­sheth the soule with very pasyence. ¶ All suche teres / be as a maner of swete oȳntment / the whiche casteth out a ryght grete smell of swetenes. ¶ O my ryght swete doughter how gloryous is suche a soule / that so ry­ally can passe out of this troublous see of the worlde / and come to me y^t am the greate peaseable see / and fyll the vessell of y^e herte in the see of my euerlastynge souerayne godheed. ¶ What that euer the soule be that can do so / her eye the whiche is the cundyte of the herte / is aboute to sasatysfy the herte by shedynge out of teres. This is that last state / in the whiche a soule stondeth bothe bles­syd & doleful / she stondeth blessyd by vnyō / y^t she feleth in me hy tastȳge of my dyuyne charyte. ¶ She ston­deth also dolefull of offence that is done to me / bothe of herselfe and of her neyghbours. ¶ This state of v­nyon is not therfore let / the whiche shedeth teres of loue / for the know­lege of herselfe & of her neyghbour / of whome she fyndeth cōpalsyō / for to wepe w^t wepers / & for to ioye with ioyers / but rather encreaseth glory & ioye to my name. ¶ Thus y^e fyrste wepynge & the thyrde let not y^e last / but eche of thē medleth w^t other / for yf y^e last wepynge / ī y^e whiche a soule fyndeth so greate vnyon / toke no­thynge of y^e fyrst & of y^e seconde state of charite of neyghbourheed / it were no profyte. ¶ Therfore it were full necessary y^t one were medled w^t an other / els it sholde tourne to presūp­cyon / by the whiche sholde entre a sotyll wynde of elacyon / and of her owne reputacyon / and so it sholde fall frome heyghte / to the infyrmyt [...] [Page]of the fyrst vanyte. ¶ For this cause it is ryght necessary for to kepe cōtynually with very knowledge of theyr self charite of neyghbourheed. ¶ In this wyse she sholde sende out to me the feruent fyre of very charyte / for the charyte of neyghbourheed is raken of my charyte / y^t is of y^e charyte by the whiche a soule knoweth her­selfe & my goodnes ī herselfe / wherby also she consydereth wel / that she is loued of me meruaylously / & therfore with the same loue / she loueth al maner reasonable creatures / and this is the cause why she extendeth herfelf as soone as she knoweth me for to loue her neyghbour / by y^e whiche she knoweth wel y^t the most prolyte the whiche she maye do to me is for to yelde to me pure loue / by the whiche she feleth that she is loued of me / & therfore she dysposeth her to yelde to me suche loue by mene and medyacyon of neyghboureheed / y^e whiche is that same mene to whom suche a soule sholde shewe charyta­ble mynystracyō (as I haue sayde to the before) y^e whiche sholde be lo­ued with suche pure loue / as I loue you / for lyke as I haue loued you & loue you without ony maner behol­dȳge of merytes / & therto my owne increate loue without ony mene styrred me to make you of nought to my ymage & symylytude / y^e which loue ye may not yelde to me w^tout mene. ¶ Therfore ye muste yelde y^e same loue to resonable creatures / louȳge thē without ony rewarde of louȳge agayne / and also without ony beholdynge of theyr owne profyte ghostly or bodyly / but onely for to loue thē for y^e glory of my name / bycause they be loued of me. ¶ And so shold ye fulfyl y^e byddynge & y^e precepte of y^e ho­ly lawe / wher it is wrytē y^t ye sholde loue me as aboue all thynges / and your neyghbour as your selfe. ¶ It semeth well thā y^t a soule maye not come to y^e hyghe ꝑfyte loue w^t teres w^tout knyttȳge togyder of y^e secōde and y^e thyrde state before. ¶ And yet though she be come therto / she may not kepe it / yf she go fro y^e affeccyon therof / by y^e whiche affeccyon she cometh to the secōde kȳde of teres be­fore sayde. ¶ So y^t without y^e same affeccyō to neyghbourheed / y^e lawe of me y^t am endeles god may not be fulfylled. ¶ For there be two fete of affeccyō / by y^e whiche bothe y^e preceptes & y^e coūseyles be obserued & kept as I haue tolde y^e before. ¶ Ryghte so these two states of y^e whiche two states is made one by loue / noryshē y^e soule ī vertues / encresȳge y^e same vertu in parfeccyō by y^e state of vnyon / so y^t it encreseth ryches of grace by newe dyuers gyftes & meruaylous lystynges vp of y^e soule / w^t a ma­ner knowlege of veri sothfastnes as a deedly creature may haue in this lyfe / for the felynge of one sensualy­te / and also his wyll is mortyfyed by suche vnyon that he hathe foūde in me. ¶ O how swete is suche one­heed and vnyon to a tastynge soule / for that soule that tasteth seeth my secretes and pryuytes / by the whi­che secretes / ryghte often tymes she receyueth a spyryte of prophecy for to knowe thynges y^t be yet to come. [Page]¶ All this is done by my endelesse goodnesse / and thoughe it so be that a meke soule sholde alway eschewe / not the gyfte of affeccyon of my dy­uyne charyte / but the appetyte and desyre of theyr owne ghosty comfor­tes / yet she sholde deme herselfe vn­worthy for to haue suche rest & peas of soule / by the whiche meke Iudgement / she may noryshe inwarde vertues / and encrese therin / for there is none so parfyte a soule in this lyfe / but that it may encrese to more parfeccyon / that is to parfeccyō of loue. ¶ My ryghte swete and onely sone Ihesu cryst was and is youre heed / to whome maye encrese no parfeccyon / for he was and is one with me / and I with hym / his soule was and is blessyd by vnyon of dyuyne na­ture. ¶ But ye that be pylgrymes & his membres / be able euermore for to encrese in to greater parfeccyon. ¶ I do not saye that ye maye en­crese to an other state after tyme ye be come to the laste / but I saye that ye may encrese in y^e same last estate w^t suche parfeccyon as it is lykynge & plesynge to me for to gyue to you / by meane & medyacyō of my grace. ¶ A shorte repetycyon of the mater before / and how the wycked spyryte fleeth a waye fro them / y^e whiche become to the fyfthe teres / and how y^e angers of the fende be trewe wayes for to come to this holy state of teres. NOw hase thou seen the states of teres and the dyfference of them / as it lyketh my goodnesse for to do sa­tysfaccyon to thy desyre. ¶ Fyrste I tolde the of the teres of them / that do lyue in deedly syn̄e / wher I sayd that the teres of them come out of y^e herte / as al maner of teres done / for the greuaūce of theyr herte is shew­ed oute by wepynge / but bycause y^e lyuynge of them is corrupte / ther­fore the teres that do come frome suche a corrupte herte muste nedes be corrupte and wretched. ¶ The secōde state of teres be of suche as do begyn̄e for to knowe theyr owne synnes / and do thynke on the peynes that longen to them / and therfore they do begynne to wepe. ¶ This maner of wepynge is gyuen to me of dyuers persones and frayle / as a maner of a generall entente. ¶ But there be some that do knowe them­selfe without seruyle drede / that is without thynkȳge of peyne / & some that do go with a greate hate of thē selfe by y^e whiche hate they holde thē selfe worthy to haue peyne. ¶ And some serue me with a maner of symplenesse / sorowynge hertely for offences done to me. ¶ Neuerthelesse he that gothe with greate hate of hym self / is more able for to come and attayne to the parfyte state than to the other twayne / for thoughe those twayne excersyce theymselfe for to come to that ꝑfyte state / yet he that stondeth in greate hate of hymselfe / cometh fyrste therto / that one must be well ware that he abyde not lōge ī seruyle drede / and that other that he abyde not longe in his symple­nesse / lest it fortune hym to waxe dul and slowe. ¶ Now beholde my dere doughter / for is this one maner of mune callynge. ¶ The thyrde and [Page]the fourthe maner of teres is of all suche y^e be lyft vp fro seruyle drede / and be come to loue & hope / taslynge my endelesse mercy / & receyuynge of me many gyftes and ghostly comfortes / for whome the eye wepeth / satysfyenge the sencyble felȳge of the herte. ¶ But bycause that a soule is yet vnparfyte / medled with ghostly sencyble waylȳge (as I haue sayd) it cometh to the fourthe state / excer­cysynge herselfe in vertues / where a soule encreseth by desyre / oneth her selfe with my wyll / in somoche that she maye nother wyl nor desyre / but as I wyll / arayed with charyte of neyghbourheed / by the whiche charyte she draweth in to herselfe a ma­ner waylynge of loue / and also a so­rowe of loue of offence that is done to me / & for harme that theyr neyghbour receyueth / by offence y^t is done to me. ¶ In this wyse is a soule o­ [...]ed with the fourthe and y^e last parfeccyon / where in sothe she is oned & where also encreaseth the fyre of ho­ly desyre / f [...]o the whiche holy desyre the fende sleeth a waye and may not [...] suche a soule for no maner in­ [...]ury that is done to her / bycause she is [...]ade pacyent in very charyte of neyghbourheed / not for no comforte nother ghostly nor bodyly / for all su­che cōfor [...] the hathe dyspysed / bothe by hate and also by very mekenesse. ¶ Neuerthelesse yet y^e fende slepeth not / but his watche maye not hurte none suche / bycause he maye not suffre y^e here of her charyte / nor y^e swete smell of oneheed or vnyon that they make in me / y^e whiche am y^t peasea­ble se / in whome a soule may not be dysccyued / as longe as she stondeth oned in me / fro whom y^e fende fleeth awaye / as dothe a fle fro a boylȳge pot for y^e fere that he hathe of y^e fyre / yf it were but a lytle warme / he wolde not be aferde but he wolde flye in thoughe ofte tyme he were in poynt to peryshe / fyndynge more hete ther in thā he wende. ¶ Ryght so it fareth of a soule or that she come to y^e state of parfeccyon. ¶ The sende bycause he semeth y^t she is oft a lytle warme entret in her by dyuers tēptacyons. ¶ And yf he fynde there ony maner hete of loue or myslykynge & dysple­saunce of synnes / anone he is with­stonde so y^t he dare not enere. ¶ Euery soule therfore maye be glad & ioy­full y^t feleth many greuous heuynes for y^t is y^e way by y^e whiche she may come to this gloryous & swete face. ¶ Ther is no tyme that a soule is so well knowe yf I be in her / as is in tyme of trybulacyōs (& how) I shall tell y^e. ¶ She dyd knowe wel y^t whā she is in trybulacyōs & maye not be delyuered to make resystēce anēdes thē / but nedes she must haue them / saue onely she may w^tstōde y^e wyll of of thē / not for to cōset to thē / she may well knowe therby y^t she is noughte of herselfe / for yf she were ought / she wolde auoyde y^t she wolde not haue. ¶ In this wyse she is loued by knowynge of herselfe / & renneth to me her god by y^e lyght of holy feythe / by whose goodnes / she fyndeth y^t she kepeth ī her good wyl / y^e which wyl cō sēteth not ī tyme of many batayles / ī y^e whiche / many tymes she is trou­bled. [Page]¶ Thus than you be excercy­sed and taughte / by the doctryne of my ryghte ī wete & onely sone Ihe­su cryste / troubles and heuynesse & many trybulacyons peynes and aduersytes (bothe of men & of fendes) yf they be softely and mekely suffred they encrese you to vertues & make you to come to greate parfeccyon. ¶ How they that desyre to haue te­res of eyes and maye not haue thē / suche haue teres of fyre. ¶ And for what cause god withdraweth bodyly teres. I Haue tolde the of parfyte and vnparfyte teres / & how all ma­ner teres do come out of the herte / oute of that vessel cometh euery tere of what condycyon and maner that it be / and therfore all teres may well be called hertely teres. ¶ Neuerthelesse all the dyfference stondeth by­twene ordynate & vnordynate loue / and bytwene parfyte & vnparfyte loue / as is rehersed before. ¶ Now shall I answere to thy desyre / where thou dyd desyre to knowe what is y^e cause / why parfyte soules ī this lyte that wolde wepe maye not wepe / y^t I shall tell the. ¶ There is an other maner of wepynge than by teres of eyes / for ther is a maner of waylȳge and wepynge of fyre / that is of very holy desyre / the whiche desyre is cō ­sumed by affeccyon. ¶ They wolde spende theyr lyfe in waylynge and wepynge / by holy hate of themselfe / and helthe of soules / and they maye not haue it. ¶ All suche therfore (as I haue sayde) haue teres of fyre / in the whiche teres of fyre / y^e holy ghost wayleth and wepeth for thē and for theyr neyghbours before me (that is) my dyuyne charyte brēneth fer­uētly a soule w^t the flamme of y^t ho­ly ghost / y^e whiche offreth vp before me longynge desyres w^tout teres of eyes / for they be onely teres of fyre / y^e whiche I haue sayd / y^e holy ghost wepeth for he may not no otherwyse offre vp to me y^e desyre of theyr wyl les / but onely by fyre of brennynge loue. ¶ Thus it semeth y^t the gloryous apostle seynt Paule ment whan he sayde thus. Ipse enim spiri­tus orat pro nobis: gemitibꝰ in ennarrabilibꝰ. ¶ That is to saye / y^e same holy ghost endeles god prayeth for vs w^t teres & waylynges y^t be vnspekeable. ¶ By this there­fore it semeth y^t teres of fyre be as fruytefull as teres of water / & yet ofte tymes more / after y^e quātyre & mesure of loue / and therfore suche a soule sholde in no wyse be astonyed / nor she sholde not thȳke y^t she is de­pryued fro me / though she haue not suche teres as she wolde / but she sholde desyre thē w^t a wyll / accordȳge w^t my wyll. ¶ For other whyle I wyll not graūt her bodyly teres / bycause I wolde y^t she cōtynued in lowenes before me / tastynge me often tymes w^t contynuall prayer / & holy desyre. ¶ For yf she sholde receyue y^e of me y^t she desyreth / it shold be lytle profyte to her / in asmoche as she shall seme y^t her desyre is alway rewarded / by y^e whiche she hathe her askȳge / & so she sholde holde her apayde w^t y^t she hathe & desyre no more. ¶ Therfore I onely y^t she shold encrese ī vertu / [Page]withdrawe fro her actuall teres of the eyes / for y^e whiche teres / I gyue to her mentall teres full of fyre of dyuyne charyte / not able to be spoken. ¶ And so in euery state and at all tymes suche mentall teres sholde be lykynge and plesynge to me / so that the eye of intelleccyon with y^e lyght of syghte / be not shutte nor closed fro y^e reboūdȳge of my endelesse truthe w^t affeccyō of loue / for I am a leche / and you be seke folke / and therfore I gyue to euery soule as it is nede­full or spedefull to theyr helthe / so y^t parfeccyon may be encresed in your soules. ¶ This is y^t very sothefast­nesse and declaracyon of the slates of teres declared beforesayde of me endelesse truthe / to the my ryghte swete doughter. ¶ Forsake therfore parfytely thyselfe in the blode of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu encre­synge contynually in vertu / that the fyre of my dyuyne charyte maye be noryshed in the. ¶ How y^e foure sta­tes of y^e fyue states of teres gyue dy­uersytes of teres / and how that god wyll be serued with thynge y^e hathe no ende / and not onely with thynge that hathe ende. THese fyue fore­sayde states be as fyue water pot­tes pryncypall (of the whiche) foure of them do gyue infynyte dyuersy­tes of teres / & al those do gyue lyfe / yf they be excercysed in vertu (as it is beforefore sayd) but howe be they infynyte? I say not that ye sholde be infynytely in suche welynge & teres / but I call them infynyte teres / for the infynyte and endelesse desyre of those that haue suche teres. ¶ And thus euery tere cometh oute of the herte / and the herte gyueth it to the eye / the whiche fyrste is gadered to­gyder with a feruent brennynge desyre / that as a grene tree layde in y^e fyre casteth out water for y^e hete of y^e fyre / bycause it is grene / for & it were drye it wolde not auoyde water / as it dothe whan it is grene. ¶ In the same wyse an herte that flory sheth by renuynge of grace / sweteth oute teres of loue / lyenge in y^e chymnaye of dyuyne loue / and so fyre of loue & teres of loue be made all one by brennȳge desyre. ¶ And also bycause de­syre is neuer ended and fulfylled in this lyfe / for the more it loueth / the lesse it semeth that it loueth / and so it excercyseth holy desyre / the whi­che is grounded in charyte / with y^e whiche desyre y^e eye wepeth. ¶ And all thoughe suche a soule were de­parted fro the body and come to me fynaly (that am her ende) yet she for saketh not therfore her desyre / euer for to desyre me & the charyte of her neyghboure / for charyte it entred w^t in her / as a lady bryngȳge in with her y^e fruyte of al other vertu. ¶ Neuerthelesse yet as than her payne is ended (as I haue sayd here before) for she maye not than desyre with peyne / but without peyne / for than in her desyre she hathe me in sothe without peyne / & may not loue me w^t seruyle drede / that so longe tyme hath desyred me. ¶ And thus ī this wyse ghostly hongre is noryshed in a soule / that is thoughe they haue ghostly hongre of the desyre of me / yet they be fulfylled / and thoughe [Page]they be fylled / yet they be hongry / & yet is there no peyne in that hōgre / for there maye neuer lacke parfeccyon. ¶ And in this wyse youre desyre is infynyte and endelesse / for elles it were ryghte noughte / nor vertu were nothȳge quycke / yf I were serued onely with thynge that hadde ende / than bycause I am god ende­lesse / I wyll be serued of you with thynge infynyte and endelesse / and ye haue no other thȳge that is endelesse / but onely youre affeccyon and youre desyre of soules / & so I sayde y^e dyuersyte of teres were infynyte. ¶ Ryght so in y^e same wyse it maye be sayde of infynyte and endelesse desyre / the whiche is knytte and oned with infynyte teres / & whan a soule is departed fro the body / y^e teres be lefte without / but the affeccyon of charyte draweth to hym the fruyte of teres / consumynge outewarde te­res / ryghte as the soule is cōsumed in the fourneys of loue / not for the soule is out of the furneys of loue / but bycause the feruent hete of that fourneys of loue hathe soken her vp and drawen her to it. ¶ In the same wyse a soule after tyme it is come to cast the fyre of my dyuyne charyte / & after tyme it is passed out of this worlde with affeccyon of my chary­te and loue of her neyghbour / and w^t loue of oneheed / by the whiche she shed teres of loue / she ceseth neuer for to offre to me her ryghte blessyd and wepynge desyres without ony maner peyne / not with wepynge of the eye / for y^t is dryed vp (as I haue sayde before) but with wepynge of fyre of y^e holy ghost. ¶ This ryghte dere doughter y^u hase seen and herde howe teres be infynyte / for in this worldly lyfe / there is no tongue can tel how many dyuers waylynges & and wepynges there be in these fore sayde wepynges and state of teres. ¶ Of y^e fruytes of teres of worldly men. NOw shall I tell the of the fenytes of teres gyuen there that it is shedde out with desyre / and what it worketh in a soule. ¶ Fyrst I shal begynne of the fyfthe / of the whiche I made mēcyon in the begȳnynge / that is of suche as lyue wretchydly in the worlde / makynge to thē theyr god of creatures / and of theyr owne propre sensualyte / of the whiche procedeth all maner harme / y^e cometh bothe to the body and to the soule. ¶ I tolde the yf thou remembre y^e / that all maner of teres came oute of y^e herte (and sothe it is) for an herte of a louynge soule soroweth / in so­moche as it loueth worldely men / al suche soules do wayle & [...]epe / whā they fele sorowe in herte / that is whā they be depryued fro that thynge y^t they loued / yet neuerthelesse theyr wepynges & waylynges be moche dyuers fro wepynges of worldely men. ¶ Wyl thou know how moche? ¶ Certayne somoche as the loue is dyuers / and bycause the roote of her owne sēcyble loue is corrupte / what euer spryngeth therof muste nedes be corrupte / for that loue is as a maner of a tree brȳgynge nothynge els fourthe / but fruyte of dethe / styn­kynge floures / spotty leues / & braū ­ches al ybroke and bowed downe to [Page]the groūde by dyuers wȳdes / ryght so fareth the tree of y^e soule yf soules be well dysposed / than they be trees of loue / for w^toute loue they can not lyue / in asmoche as they be made of me by loue / suche a soule y^e lyueth so vertuously setteth y^e roote of her tree in the valaye of mekenesse / but al those that do lyue wretchydly / set theyr tree in the mouthe of pryde / & bycause it is euyll planted and set / it may not brynge forthe fruyte of lyfe / but deedly. ¶ The fruytes be the werkes of them / the whiche be venymed & poysoned with synnes / & thoughe it so be that they do ony good dede / in asmoche as y^e roote is corrupte / therfore al the fruyte that sueth therof is corrupte (y^t is) for as suche a soule is in deedly synne / eue­ry good dede that it dothe maye not protyte to lyfe euerlastȳge / bycause it is not done in grace. ¶ Neuerthelesse yet good dedes must be done at all tymes / for there is no euyll vn­punyshed / nor good dede vnrewar­ded. ¶ Euery good dede done out of grace / is not suffyeyent / nor profy­teth in no wyse to euerlastynge lyfe / as I haue sayd / but my dyuyne boū [...]le and ryghtwysenesse yeldeth therfore an vnparfyte rewarde / as the worke in it selfe is vnparfyte. ¶ O­therwyse I rewarde suche one in tē porall goodes for suche good dedes / otherwhyle I gyue hym tyme and space for to amede hȳ of his lyuȳge / and other whyle I do hȳ this mer­cy / that is whā I gyue hym lyfe of grace by some maner meane of my seruauntes / the whiche be to me acceptable and plesaunte / as I dyd to my gloryous doctour seynt Paule the whiche by the prayers of seynt Steuen rose fro his mysse byleue & parsecucyons that he dyd & shewed to trewe crysten folke. ¶ So thā by this thou maye well knowe that in what state a creature stōdeth in / he sholde not cese to do well. ¶ I sayde also that suche a foule is lykened to a tree brȳgeth forthe stynkynge floures / and sothe it is / the thoughtes of y^e herte of suche a soule be stynkȳge floures that lyke me neuer adele / & all the thoughtes of suche a soule be nothynge els but hate and dysple­saunce of her neyghbour / hauynge the condycyō of a thefe that robbeth worshyppe and honour fro me that am his maker / and yeldeth and ke­peth it to hymselfe. ¶ This floure bryngeth forthe the fylthe of ryghte wretchyd and fals Iudgement / the whiche Iudgement is in two wy­ses / one Iudgement is anēdes me / demynge and foriudgynge my pry­uy Iudgementes / & all y^t I graūte to hym for lyfe / and by my myste­ryall pryuytes he tourneth all in to hate mysse demynge me wyckedly / after his seke syght and vnderston­dȳge / bycause he hathe made blȳde y^e eye of his intelleccyō by his owne sencyble loue / and couered the clere seynge perle of his most holiest feyth the whiche suffreth not hym to se & knowe y^e truth. ¶ The other Iudgement & the last is anēdes his neyghbour / of the whiche ofte tymes co­meth moche euyll / for asmoche as a wretched mā knoweth not yet hym­selfe [Page]/ and take vpon hȳ for to knowe the herte and the affeccyon of an o­ther mā or womā / by one dede that he seeth or by worde / or wordes that he hereth or saythe of them / and so demethe affeccyon of thyr hertes. ¶ All my seruauntes deme the best / for they be grounded in me that am moste souerayne good / but all other euer deme euyll / bycause they ben grounded wretchydly in euyl. ¶ Of the whiche Iudgementes ofte ty­mes aryseth and spryngeth euyll hate / manslaughter / & dysplesaunce anendes neyghbourheed / and with drawynge fer fro the vertues of my parfyte seruauntes. ¶ I sayde also that suche a soule is lykened to a tre that bryngeth forthe spotty leues / y^e whiche be wordes goynge oute of the mouthe / in the whiche vnwor­shypp of me / and of the blode of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / and harme of neyghbours / & they fere neuer for to saye euyll of an o­ther / and for to blaspheme and con­dempne my workes / and for to saye enyll of euery reasonable creature / as it falleth ī to theyr mysse Iudge­mentes / and they thynke not suche wretched folke / that the tongue is made for to yelde to me honour and worshyppe / & for to knowlege theyr owne defautes / and for to worke by loue of vertues / for helthe of neygh­bourheed. ¶ Thus suche wretches wyll not occupy thyr tongues / but rather by myspekȳge brȳge fourth spotty leues of wretchyd synne / for the herte that they come fro is not clene and pure / but moche defouled with doublenesse and moche wret­chydnesse. ¶ Lo how moche perell falleth of suche myscheuoꝰ spekȳge and bryngeth in harme w^tout ghostly harme of pryuacyō of grace whi­che it dothe in the soule / for bycause of wordes / ye haue seen and herde many chaungynges of states / deso­lacyons of cytees / and moche manslaughter / ynd many other euylles for a wretchyd worde entreth in to y^e myndes of the herte of them that it is sayde to / where a swerde sholde not entre. ¶ I saye also that this tre hathe seuen wretchyd braunches y^e be bowed to the groūde / of the whi­che bothe floures and leues gone out / as it is rehersed before. ¶ Thes seuen braunches be the seuen deed­ly synnes / the whiche be full of ma­ny dyuers synnes knytte in y^e roote fro the stocke of the loue of hymselfe and of his owne pryde / the whiche maketh fyrste wretched and myserable braunches / and floures of many wycked thoughtes. ¶ After that cometh forthe spotty leues of wordes / and fruyte of euyll workes. ¶ These braūches do stōde bowed to y^e groūd (that is for to saye) that the braun­ches of deedly synnes do not tourne to none other thynges / but to the erthe of euery frayle & vnordynate substaunce of the worlde / and they do not loke after none other thynge / but in what wyse they maye be no­ryshed vnsacyably of the erthe / for they ben neuer fulfylled. ¶ They be vnsacyable / and vntollerable to thē selfe / and therfore it is requysyte & ryghte cōuenyent / that euer they be [Page]vnquyet and vnrestfull / sythen they desyre suche a thynge y^t neuer maye fulfyll thē / as I haue sayde. ¶ This is the cause whiche maye not be fulfylled / for they desyre euer a thynge that hathe ende / and yet they them­selfe be endeles (as to theyr beynge) for theyr beynge hathe neuer ende / thoughe they ende anendes grace / by the cause of deedly synnes. ¶ And for bycause a mā is set & put aboue all create thȳges / and not vntreate thynges be aboue hym / therfore he maye not be fulfylled nor stonde in quyetnesse / but in a thynge that is greater than hymselfe / and that is no other / but I god euerlastynge. ¶ And therfore I alone may fulfyll them / & for bycause he is depryued frome me for his syn̄e that he hathe done he stōdeth cōtynually in peyne and tourmēt / after y^e whiche peyne foloweth wepynges and welynges. ¶ How suche worldely wepers ben smyten with foure maner wyndes. ANd whan that the wyndes come they smyte the tree of the propre sen­sualyte / where he made all his begȳ nynge. ¶ Of these foure wyndes o­ther it is a wynde of prosperyte / or a wynde of aduersyte / or of drede / or of conscyence / these be y^e foure wyn­des. ¶ The wynde of prosperyte norysheth pryde / with grete presump­cyon / with magnyfyenge of hȳselfe and lytle regarde on his neyghbour ¶ Yf he be a lorde / the wynde of pro­speryte norysheth this pryde with moche vnryghtwysenesse and vanyte of herte / and with vnclēnes of bo­dy and of soule / with his propre re­putacyon / and with many other de­fautes whiche do folowe after them whiche thy tongue myghte not tell. ¶ Whether this wȳde of prosperyte is not corrupte in hymselfe? no / nor this wynde nor that other / but the pryncypall rote of the tree is corrupted / where throwe that rote maketh all thȳges corrupte whiche cometh fro that rote. ¶ For I that sende all thynges by my gyfte w^t abūdaunce am all souerayne god / what euer it be in this wȳde of prosperyte / wherfore waylȳge foloweth / for his herte is not fulfylled / for he desyreth that he maye not haue / and so whan he maye not haue that he wolde / than he hathe peyne / and that peyne he wayleth. ¶ Now I haue sayde to y^e that the eye wyll make a saute to y^e herte. ¶ After this there cometh a wȳde of seruage drede / in y^e whiche wynde a man maketh hym afrayde with his owne shadowe or derkenes dredynge to lose that y^t he loueth / or he dredeth to lose his owne lyfe / or of his chyldren / or the lyfe of other creatures / or he dredeth to lose his owne state / or the state of his frēdes and all for his owne loue / or for worshyppe / or for ryches. ¶ Here this drede hathe not his delyte in pease / for he hathe not that that he wolde redy ordeyned after my wyll / ther­fore that drede of seruage foloweth hym / and is made tymorate and the seruaunte of the wretchydful synne / and bycause he maye beholde (as is the thynge that he serueth) and that is synne whiche is nought / therfore he is come to nought / after y^e wȳde [Page]of drede hathe smyten hym. ¶ And after this anone thā cometh y^e wȳde of trybulacyon and of aduersyte of that same y^t he dredde / & taketh fro hym & pryueth hym of that he had / sometyme in a partyculer thynge / & sometyme ī a generall thȳge ¶ Ge­nerally is whā he is pryued of y^e lyfe for by the strēgthe of the dethe he is pryued of all thȳges. ¶ Sometyme also the wynde of aduersyte is par­tyculer / whiche somtyme taketh fro hym one thynge / and sometyme an other thynge / sometyme it taketh a waye of his helthe / or of his chyldrē or of his ryches / or of states or of worshyppes / after that I se that it be nedefull for youre helthe whiche am a softe leche / & therfore I gaue thē to you. ¶ And for asmoche as youre freyite it vtterly corrupte and with out ony knowynge / it dystroyeth the fruyte of pasyence / and therfore in­pasyence dothe brȳge fourthe sclaū ­ders and grutchynges / hateredes / and dysplesaūces / agaynst me and my curates / & they haue receyued in to dethe that I haue gyue them in to lyfe / after the mesure that they had of loue. ¶ Now it is come to the waylynge of inpasyence y^t tourmen­teth / and y^e whiche dryeth vp y^e soule and sleeth it / and taketh awaye the grace of lyfe / and dryeth vp and consumeth the body / and maketh hym blynde bodyly and ghostly / and pry­ueth hym of all delytes / and taketh awaye all hope / for he is pryued of that thynge / wherin he had delyte / wherin he set his affeccyon / hope / & feythe / so that euer he soroweth and wayleth. ¶ And not onely his teres make to hym so many inconuenyentes / but his vnordynate desyre and y^e sorowe of his herte / for if his herte were ordynate & had y^e lyfe of grace / than were his teres ordynate / and sholde constrayne me euerlastynge god / to do hym mercy. ¶ But why sayde I that this was and is y^e tere of dethe? For to y^e messanger whiche sheweth you the dethe or y^e lyfe that sholde be in y^e soule. ¶ Forthermore I sayde that there came the wynde of conscyence / and that maketh the goodnes of my godheed / for whā I haue ꝓued thē w^t ꝓsperyte / to y^t en­tent y^t I sholde withdrawe the fro theyr propre loue / throwe my loue. ¶ Also whan I ꝓued thē w^t drede / that throwe īportunyte they sholde sette theyr loue to loue me with ver­tu. ¶ Also after tyme I haue preued them with trybulacyō y^t they sholde knowe theyr freylte / and y^e lytle sta­blenesse of the worlde to some / there al this ꝓfyteth not / I gyue a prycke or a remors of conscyencè / for I loue more thā can be spoken / and that re­mors I gyue them / for they sholde aryse for to open theyr mouthe / and caste out the rotten fylthe of theyr synnes by holy cōfessyō. ¶ But they as obstynate ryghtfully renreued of me throwe theyr owne wyckednesse whiche wolde ī no wyse receyue my grace / fle fro that prycke & remors of conscyence and lede it all aboute with wretchydfull delectacyōs and with dysplesaūce of me and of theyr neyghbours / and all this falleth / for the roote with all y^e tree is corrupte / [Page]and tourneth all thynges to them in to dethe. ¶ They stoude in contynuall peynes / welynges and sorowes / as it is sayde before.. ¶ And yf they amende them not whyle they haue tyme to vse theyr fre choyse / they pas out of waylȳge & sorowe in this tyme whiche hathe ende / & so with y^t waylynge they sholde come to the sorowe y^t shall haue none ende / so y^t that sorowe whiche hathe ende / shal come to them to y^e sorowe that hathe none ende (& y^e cause is) for theyr te­res were shed w^t an hatered of vertu whiche was Infynyte (y^t is to saye) w^t a desyre of y^e soule groūded in hate red whiche hathe none ende. ¶ Ne­uertesse yf y^t they wolde / they sholde haue come out of y^e hatered by helpe of my dyuyne grace / in the tyme y^t they were fre / not withstōdynge. I sayd theyr hatered was infynyte (it is infynyte) for asmoche as it is of affeccyyon of the beynge of the soule / but not that hate nor loue / whiche sholde be in the soule. ¶ For whyle ye be in this lyfe / ye maye hate and loue as ye wyll / but yf youre hate or loue ende in the loue of vertu / thā it receyueth good without ende / whiche is called infynyte. ¶ And yf he ende in hatered of vertu / thā ye stonden in hate that is infynyte / and re­ceyuen euerlastynge dampnacyon (as it is sayde before) whan I shewed to the that they drenchen thēselfe in the floode (in somoche) that now whiche be so passed maye not desyre goodnesse / for asmoche as they be pryued of me and of my souerayne charyte / the whiche seyntes do sa­uour and taste one with an other. ¶ They be pryued also of youre charyte / whiche be put here of me as pylgrymes or wayegoers / so that they maye not come to youre ende / whiche is the ende of euerlastynge lyfe. ¶ Also prayers nor almes / nor no other goood workynges maye do profyte to them / they be y^t lymmes and the membres cut of fro the bo­dy of my dyuyne charyte / for whyle they dyd lyue they wold not be oned to the obedyence of the commaundymentes of my seruauntes in the pryuy body of holy chyrche / nor in the holy obedyēce of her / wherof ye do drawe out to you the blode of the holy lambe (that is to saye) of my one­ly begoten sone Ihesu cryste / & ther­fore they haue receyued the fruyte of euerlastynge dampnacyon / with wepynge and gnastynge of tethe. ¶ These be the deuyls martyrres / of the whiche I tolde y^t before / therfore the deuyll gyueth them y^e same fruyte / the whiche he hathe for hym selfe. ¶ Therfore thou sees ryghte well here that thus waylynge here gyueth to them the fruyte of peyne in this tyme that is fynyte / and in y^e laste ende it gyueth to them a cōuer­sacyon of fendes / whiche conuersa­sacyon shall be infynyte. ¶ Of the fruytes of y^e seconde & of y^e thyrde te­res. HOw shall I tell the of y^e fruytes that they receyue / whiche do be­gynne to aryse fro synne to grace by drede of peyne. ¶ Some there ben that do go oute fro dethe of deedly synne / by the grete drede of peynes / this is a general callȳge / as it is re­hersed [Page]before. ¶ What fruyte thyn­kes thou suche one receyueth / the whiche begynneth to auoyde so the house of his soule frome vnclennesse by the messanger of dred / the whi­che drede is sende by fre choyse / I shall the. ¶ After tyme that suche one hathe purged his soule by drede fro synne / he receyueth pease & reste of conscyence / and begynneth for to dyspose his affeccyon / & for to open his eye of intelleccyon / for to se his place wherin he stondeth / y^e whiche or than it was voyde / he myght not se clerely / for bycause it was fufylled w^t roten fylthe of many dyuers syn­nes. ¶ Also he begynneth for to re­ceyue comforte / for the worme of coscyence is in rest & pease / abydynge for to receyue the meet of vertu / as a man dothe / for after tyme his sto­make is heled and hathe caste oute bad humoures / he maketh redy his appetyte for to receyue meet. ¶ In the same wyse all suche abyde onely that the honde of fre choyse make redy within hymselfe for to receyue with loue meet of vertu / for after y^t tyme that meet is made redy / he a­bydeth for to ete it (and so it is in so­the) for an excercysed soule in vertu after tyme affeccyon of synne is voyded by drede / she begynneth for to a­raye y^e soule with vertues (thoughe it be yet vnparfyte) for all be it that it be arysen fro drede / it receyueth bothe delyte and comforte / for loue of the soule receyueth delyte of very sothefastnesse / bycause that I my­selfe am loue / and by the same com­forte and delyte that she receyueth of me and in me / she begynneth for to loue me y^e more swetely / felynge the swetenes of my comforte / orelles of creatures for me / excercysynge y^e very same loue in the house of the soule. ¶ And therfore what man that entreth in to this house of the soule / after tyme that drede hathe puryfyed and clensed it / he begyn­neth for to receyue the fruyte of dy­uyne goodnes / by y^e whiche dyuyne goodnesse / he hathe a house in y^e soule for to rest in. ¶ And than after the tyme that loue is entred for to take possessyon of that house / it begyn­neth for to taste / receyuȳge by suche tastynge / many folde & dyuers fruytes of comforte / an so abydynge to the laste state / it receyueth a fruyte for to set and make redy the meettable. ¶ That is after tyme a soule is passed fro drede to loue of vertu / she setteth and maketh redy the meettable / and that is entrynge in to the thyrde teres in the herte / by y^e whi­che teres the soule prepareth or ma­kethe redy and setteth forthe y^e meet­table of my ryghte wel beloued and sothefast sone Ihesu cryste crucyfyed on y^e cros / & of his blessyd passyō / in the whiche blessyd passyon / she fyndeth meet of ryghte grete swete­nesse and amyable wordes of helthe / the whiche wordes don [...] & shewe the greate honoure and worshyppe of me / and youre helthe / for the whi­che helthe / y^e syde of my ryght dere and well beloued sothefast and one­ly sone Ihesu cryste crucyfyed was opened / gyuȳge hȳselfe to you in to meet. ¶ Thā such a soule begȳneth [Page]to tast the worshyppe of me & helthe of soules / with dysplesaunce & hate of synnes / what fruyte suche a soule receyueth of this maner state of te­res? I shall tell y^e. ¶ She receyueth a maner of strēgthe ī holy hate / agaynste her propre sensualyte / groun­ded and sette stably in the ryght ple­saunt fruyte of very mekenes with a maner pacyence / the whiche auoydeth al maner sclaundre / and depryueth the soules fro al peynes / for bycause the propre wyll is sleen with y^e swerde of holy hate / in the whiche wyll dwelled and is belefte all pey­nes / for onely sencyble wyll is sclaundred by Iniuryes / orelles by temporall or spyrytuall comfortes (as I haue sayde to the before) & so a soule cometh to īpacyēce. ¶ But bycause wyll is mortyfyed with ryghte swete wepȳges & desyres / therfore y^e soule begynneth to taste the fruyte of te­res / as of ryghte swete pacyence. ¶ O fruyte of ryghte greate swete­nesse / o how swete & presaunt arte y^u to them that tasten the / and to me lykynge / for they that dwell in byt­ternesse tasten thy very swetenesse / and all those that tasten that fruyte in tyme of wronges / they receyue pacyence. ¶ And in that tyme that the soule of a man is possed vp and downe in the greate stormes or tempestes of the see of this worlde / by greate wawes of pereylous wyn­des / than is suche a soule ryght pacyent and peaseable without ony euyl couered and clypped with my ryght swete & endeles dyuyne wyll / where she receyueth a clothe of very bren­nynge charyte / in y^e whiche vesture or clothe / maye neuer water entre. ¶ O ryght well byloued doughter / this pacyence is a quenesette in the toure of strēgthe / and suche a quene it is that euer ouercometh / and ne­uer is ouercome / and yet she is not alone / but she is felyshypped w^t par­seueraūce. ¶ Suche pacyēce is cal­led y^e ryght pythe or marowz of cha­ryte / the whiche sheweth y^e vesture and the clothe of charyte openly / so to be knowen whether it be a wed­dȳge clothe or not. ¶ Yf that vesture or clothe be strayte in parfeccyō / thā it is shewed by some maner of con­rrary thynge of īparfeccyon. ¶ Vertues maye otherwhyle be hyd / shewynge themselfe parfyte / whan they be vnparfyte (outaken to the) they may not be hyd. ¶ For yf this ryght swete pacyēt be in thy soule / it sheweth all vertues vertuously / bothe quycke and parfyte / and yf it be not in thy soule / it sheweth all vertues vnparfyte / the whiche vertues ben not yet come to the meettable of the passyon of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryst crucyfyed vpon y^e cros / where that same pacyence is cōcey­ued by very knowlege of thyselfe / & by the swete knowlege of my ende­lesse goodnesse in thyselfe / spronge and broughte fourthe by an holy hate / anoynted by very mekenesse. ¶ To this pacyence shall not be de­nyed / nother the meet of my wor­shyppe and honoure / nor desyre of helthe of soules / but she it is that re­ceyueth and eteth contynually the very same meet / and that is sothe. [Page]¶ Beholde & se therfore ryght dere doughter / how gloryous martyres by suffraunce of martyrdome / dyd ete this meet / that is desyre of helthe of soules / theyr deth gaue lyfe / theyr deth areysed soules fro deth to lyfe / and auoyded fro them derkenesse of deedly synnes. ¶ The worlde with al his excellences and worthynesse / and tyrauntes / with all his pow­ers / myght neuer defēde thē fro thē / for the myght and strengthe of this pacyent quene was myghtyly wor­kynge in them. ¶ This vertu of pacyēce stondeth stydfastly / as a lyght on hyghe vpon a candlestycke / this is y^t gloryous very lyghte & fcuyte / y^e whiche teres hathe shewed after tyme it is come parfytely to chary­te of neyghbourheed / etynge and re­ceyuynge ghostly that blessyd charyte / with my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryst / y^t very vndefouled & vnue­nymed lambe in longynge desyre / & w^t an vntollerable peyne / dredynge the offence of me that am his ende­les maker / I saye not that suche pacyence is peyned with peyne / y^t tourmenteth in her langynge desyre af­ter charyte of neyghboureheed / for loue w^t suche very pacyence sleeth al suche dredes & propre loues that do shewe peyne / but I saye it is peyne w^t peyne cōfortable / foūded onely in my charyte / dredynge the offence of me & hurtynge of neyghbours / the whiche peyne maketh a soule set in grace / & ioyful in herselfe / for that is a token y^t sheweth me to be in a soule by a synguler grace. ¶ Of y^e fruyte of the fourth and the fyfth state of teres. I Haue tolde the of the fruyte of the thyrde teres / & therfore nowe shall I tell the of the fourth and the last state of teres of one heed or of v­nyon / y^e whiche is not departed fro the thyrde state of teres (as I haue sayde) but they be oned and knytte togyder / as charyte of me & charyte of neyghbours be coupled togyder / y^t one maketh y^e other sauory / but y^t profyte of it encreaseth so greately to the fourth state of teres / y^t a soule vsynge suche teres / suffreth not onely pacyently suche wrōges as it dyd in y^e thyrde state of teres before / but desyreth trybulacyons gladly (in so moche) that it setteth ryght noughte by ony maner of recreacyons / what wyse that euer they come / so y^t onely it maye be confyrmed at all tymes to crystes passyon. ¶ This thynge receyueth a fruyte of rest and quyetnesse & one parfyte vnyō by felynge / in my ryght swete dyuyne nature / where it tasteth mylke of a chylde y^t is peased resteth at his moders brest and takethe her mylke by y^e mene of the flesshe / in y^e same wyse a soule after tyme that it is come to this last state / it resteth at the brest of my dy­uyne charyte / holdȳge ī her mouthe of holy desyre / y^e flesshe of cryst cru­cyfyed (y^t is to saye) y^t she foloweth his steppes and doctryne / for she knewe well in y^e thyrde state / that by me y^e fader / she myghte not go so / for in me endeles fader myghte ne­uer peyne fal. ¶ But she knewe wel that she myghte go so / by my ryght well by loued or amyable and ryght swete sone / y^e whiche suffred peyne. [Page]¶ Without peyne ī no wyse ye maye folowe hym / by the whiche peyntull folowynge / ye sholde come to vertues / that be well proued by pacyence. ¶ And therfore she hathe well sette her at y^e breste of my onely sone Ihesu cryst crucyfyed / the whiche is my endelesse sothefastnes / by the whi­che breste she draweth to her mylke of vertu / in the whiche vertu is con­teyned lyfe of grace / y^t maketh her to taste my dyuyne nature / y^e whiche gyueth swetenesse to vertues / and sothe it is. ¶ For vertues in them­selfe be nothynge swete / but for by­cause they be holy and oned in me y^t am y^t dyuyne charyte / therfore they be swete. ¶ For a soule ī that plyght set vpon vertu / hathe no maner be­holdynge to her owne profyte / but onely to the honour and worshyp of me / and helthe of soules. ¶ Beholde therfore ryght swete doughter how swete this state is & how gloryous / in y^e whiche state a soule hath made suche an vnyon / and oned at y^e brest of charyte / for ryghte as a mouthe that souketh is neuer founde with­out the brest / nor the breste without mylke / in the same wyse y^t holy de­syre of suche a soule is neuer founde without cryst crucyfyed / nor with­out me endeles fader / y^e whiche soule fyndeth in me by tastȳge / souereyne and endeles godheed. ¶ O I wolde a man myghte se how the myghtes of the soule be fulfylled / y^e mynde is fulfylled w^t contynuall remēbraūce of me / drawynge by loue to her my benefytes / not onely the dede of my benefytes / but the affeccyon of my charyte / the whiche I haue gyuen to her / and namely the synguler be­nefyce of a creature / seynge herselfe made to the ymage of me and lyke­nesse / in the whiche benefyte reher­sed in the fyrst state before sayde / she knoweth in herselfe the peyne of vnkyndenesse / the whiche folowed her. ¶ And therfore by the benefytes of y^e blode of Ihesu cryst / she arose fro wretchednes / in y^e whiche blode I haue reformed her agayne to grace / wasshynge y^e faces of youre soules fro lepre of synne by the same blode / wherin a soule fyndeth herselfe in y^e secunde state / tastynge ther one maner of swetenesse of loue / the whiche mysse lyketh all synne / in y^e whiche swetenesse / she seeth well how synne dyspleaseth me somoche / that I pu­nyshe it vpon the body of my onely sone Ihesu vpon the cros. ¶ After this she fyndeth y^t cōforte of y^e holy ghost y^t hathe declared and clereth a soule in very sothefastnesse. ¶ But whan receyueth a soule this truthe? ¶ In sothe after tyme it knoweth in herselfe my benefytes / by y^e fyrste & secunde state. ¶ Than it receyueth a parfyte lyght of me / y^t am endeles fader / knowynge my very truthe & ryghtwysenes & sothefastnes that I haue made here by loue / for to gyue her endeles lyfe / this is y^t sothe and truthe / whiche truthe I shewed you w^t the blode of my onely sone Ihesu cryste crucyfyed. ¶ After tyme she knoweth this she loueth / & by loue she sheweth it / louȳge y^t I loue / & hatynge y^t I hate. ¶ Thus she fyndeth herselfe in the thyrde gre of chary­table [Page]neyghboureheed / so that the mynde at this brest is fulfylled with parfeccyon / for it hathe my benefy­tes in mynde. ¶ The intelleccyon also receyueth this lyghte / and for in­wardely beholdynge in mynde / it knoweth the truthe / & leuynge the blȳdenes of her propre loue / it dwelleth & remayneth stydfastly ī y^e clere syghte of eryst crucyfyed / where it knoweth bothe god & mā / y^e whiche knowlege cometh not of kynde (as I haue sayde) nother by workynge of her owne ꝓpre vertu / but of grace gyuen of my most swetest sothefast­nesse / the whiche very sothefastnes / dyspyseth neuer loue nor longynge desyre / nor labours / nor trauayles / that in suche loue lōgynge is offred to me. ¶ Wyll also and affeccyon y^t foloweth after intelleccyon / cometh and coupleth hym with parfeccyō / & most brennynge loue. ¶ Yf it were than asked / whan the myghtes of y^e soule be thus fulfylled / whether this be a soule? It myght be sayde yes / thoughe it be alterate by vnyon of loue. ¶ What tōgue were that / that myghte tell the excellēce of this last vnytyue state / & also of these dyuers fruytes that such a soule receyueth whan the myghtes ben fulfylled so by the techynge of my endelesse god heed. ¶ This it that swete cōgrega­cyon of the whiche I made mencyō to the in the thre generall grees be­fore / declarynge by the worde of my sothefastnesse / the whiche no tōgue is fuffycyent for to tell. ¶ But holy doctours illumyned by this gloryo­us lyghte / do shewe well that it is sothe / the whiche doctours declared holy wrytte by the same lyght / lyke as it is founde of the gloryous do­ctoure seynt Thomas Alquyn / the whiche had the cunnynge and scy­ence of all holy wryte / rather by contynuaunce & excersyce of holy and deuoute prayers / and by lyftȳge vp of y^e soule / & lyght of vnderstōdȳge / than by ony study and besynesse of man. ¶ He was a lyghte whiche I sende in to the mysteryall body of y^e moder of holy chyrche / for to quēche the derkenesse of erroures. ¶ And yf thou wyll tourne the to the glory­ous euangelyst seynt Iohan / thou maye se what lyght of grace he gate vpon that precyous brest of my one­ly sothefast sone Ihesu cryste / with the whiche lyghte by suche grace goten / he preched aboute / as longe as he dwelled in erthe. ¶ And so this gracious lyght ran aboute y^t it came to all the apostles & doctours of holy chyrche / so y^t all they dyd shewe the same truthe of crystes doctryne by y^e same lyghte / one one wyse / and an other an other wyse. ¶ Neuertheles the inwarde felynge y^t they had by y^t gracyous lyghte and vnspekeable swetenesse / & also ꝑfyte vnyō couthe nor can no tongue tel / for it was & is a thynge y^t is infynyte / & so it semed to seynt Paule (whā he sayde thus) no eye may se / nor no ere may here / nor in to mannes herte maye ascede the sencyble swetenes and parfyte vnyon that god hathe ordeyned to them that ben parfyte louers. ¶ O how swete is that swere mansyon / and that parfyte vnyon aboue all [Page]swetenesse that suche a soule hathe in me / for ī herselfe hathe she no wyl but her wyll was in me and she is one w^t me / suche a soule cryeth euer with the voyce of holy desyre / not w^t the voyce of a man in the syghte of my dyuyne maieste after heithe of soule. ¶ These be the vnytyue fruy­tes that a soule receyueth and eteth in this lyfe in the last state of teres / goten with moche labour / wepyn­ges / and syghȳges / and so it passeth parfytely forthe with very parseue­raunce fro lyfe of grace y^t is fro this vnyon the whiche is vnparfyte as longe as it is boūde in the body / for in this lyfe it maye not be fulfylled / of that thȳge that it desyreth. ¶ And therfore bycause it is yet bounde w^t a contrary us lawe / the whiche lawe thoughe it be a slepe by affeccyon of vertu / it is not yet deed / wherfore it may yet be waked / yf the instrumēt of vertu be put asyde / y^e whiche ma­keth it slepe. ¶ Neuertheles yet this inparfyte vnyō ledeth the soule for to receyue euerlastȳge durable par­feccyon / that in no wyse it maye be take awaye fro her / wher it shal tast with my very tasters me endelesse lyfe & most souerayne euerlastynge good / for I neuer fayle / but alwaye am euerlastynge / suche they be that receyue euerlastȳge lyfe / for y^e ende­lesse fruyte of theyr wepynge teres / the contrary of them / that receyue for the fruyte of theyr teres endeles dethe. ¶ Thes they be that be come parfytely fro waylynge to ioye / receyuynge euerlastynge lyfe for the fruyte of theyr teres / and they cry w^t feruent charyte / & offre teres to me for you / as it is rehersed before to you. ¶ Now I haue declared to the the grees of teres / and the inparfer­cyon of them / and also y^t fruyte that a soule receyueth of suche maner teres. ¶ And also that parfyte folke receyue me y^t am endeles lyfe for theyr mede / and wycked folke in the con­trary wyse perpetuall dampnacyō. ¶ How this deuoute soule whā she gaue thankynges to god / for the de­claracyon of y^e sayde states of teres / made thre petycyōs to god. THā that deuoute soule whiche was langorynge in greate desyre / for y^t swete declaracyon and satysfaccyon y^e whiche she had of the endelesse sothefastnesse / vpon the foresayde state of te­res (sayde) as thoughe she hadde be all rapte ī loue to endeles god thus. ¶ I thanke the endeles souerayne fader / satysfyer of holy desyres / and louer of oure helthes (that for loue) thou shewed to vs loue by mene and medyacyon of thy holy sone Ihesu cryst / whan we were agynst the in warre and batayle / by oure synfull lyuynge. ¶ For this grete depenesse of charyte / enflammed by grace and mercy / I aske that I maye purely come to the / with lyghte and not w^t derkenesse / and that I maye renne by the doctryne of the sothefastnes / of y^e whiche doctryne / it hathe plea­sed y^t to shewe to me clerly y^e truthe. ¶ And yet I beseche the endeles fa­der that thou declare to me openly other thynges. ¶ I wolde endelesse fader or that I passe out of these sta­tes / that these two were declared to [Page]me. ¶ One is that yf ony of thy ser­uaūtes aske coūsayle of me / in what wyse he maye best plese y^t and serue the / what doctryne shal I gyue hȳ. ¶ I knowe ryght well endelesse fa­der thou art he whiche delytes y^t in fewe wordes / but all thy delyte is in many good werkes. ¶ Neuertheles yf it lyke thy goodnes / of an other thynge also wolde I praye the / and it is this / yf otherwhyle I praye for thy creatures / & specyall for thy ser­uaūtes / in y^e whiche prayer I fynde one dysposed in soule for to serue the and hathe grete ioye in thy seruyce / and that other I fȳde that he hathe a soule wrapped in derkenes / whe­ther I shold endeles fader or ought to deme that one in lyghte / and that other in derkenesse / or yf I se one doynge greate penaunce / and an other none / whether I sholde deme hym y^t dothe greate penaunce in greater parfeccyō / than hym y^t dothe none / I praye the endeles fader suffre me not be dysceyued of my lytle lyghte. ¶ And also I besech y^e for to declare to me in specyall / the token whiche a soule receyueth / whan she is vysy­ted of the / & how it shall be knowe / whether it be of the endelesse fader or not. ¶ In this mater endelesse fader I haue good mynde that thou sayde / a soule whan it is vysyted of the / it is bylefte in greate ioye & fer­uent myghte / to all trewe pease and vnyte. ¶ Neuertheles yet wolde I knowe / yf that ioye myght be with­out ony maner dysceyte of our owne spyrytuall passyons / for yf it were so I wolde onely beholde to the token of vertu. ¶ These they be endelesse fader the whiche I aske of the / that I maye serue the & my neyghboure in trewe lyuynge / and that I fal not in to no false Iudgementes / vpon thy creatures and seruaūtes / in to the whiche incōuenyence / I wolde in no wyse fall. ¶ How the lyghte of reason is necessary to a soule / y^t wyll serue god in sothefastnes & truthe of a generall lyghte. THā endeles god had ryghte greate delyte of the helthe / and hongre of that deuoute soule and of her purete / and also of her greate desyre y^t she dyd aske for to serue hȳ. ¶ Therfore he tourned the eye of his pyte and mercy to her / and sayde thus. ¶ O ryghte dere / o ryghte swete / o ryghte well byloued doughter & spouse / lyfte vp thyselfe aboue thyselfe / and open the eye of thy intelleccyon for to se me endeles goodnesse / and the vnspectable loue that I haue to the / and all my dere seruauntes / and open the ere of thy desyrable felynge / for and thou dyd not se / thou myghte not here. ¶ As thus / yf a soule do not se with y^e eye of intelleccyon / y^e clere syghte of my truthe / she may nother here nor yet knowe my very sothfastnes. ¶ And yf thou wyll knowe it veryly / I wyl thou lyfte vp thy selfe aboue thy fe­lynge (y^t is aboue thy sencyble wyt­tes) and I shall than satysfy the of thy askȳge / not bycause that delyte myght encrease in me by you / for I am he that am / and he that maketh you encrese / and not you me. ¶ But I delyte in my owne delectacyō / of my makynge. ¶ Than whan that [Page]soule dyd obeye / lyftynge vp herselfe aboue herselfe / for to knowe y^e truthe of her petycyon. ¶ The almyghty & endelesses god sayd thā to her thus. ¶ Doughter that thou maye y^e bet­ter vnderstōde what I saye / I shal begynne at the begynnynge of thy petycyon / vpon the lyghtes whiche come out of my very lyghte. ¶ One is a generall lyght / to all suche that be in comune charyte / thoughe I haue tolde y^e of dyuers lyghtes / and moche y^t I haue sayde I shall re­herce agayne / that thy feble itellec­cyon maye the better vnderstonde y^t thou desyres. ¶ Two other lygh­tes be of them that be departed fro the worlde / and haue founde parfeccyon / and vpon this I shall declare to the of that thynge the whiche y^u does aske me / more specyally to be declared / that was fyrste touched in comune. ¶ Thou knowes wel what I haue sayde / that without lyghte of reason / may no man go by y^t way of truthe / the whiche lyght of reason ye take of me that am very lyghte / w^t the eye of intelleccyon & lyghte of feythe / the whiche I toke you ī holy baptym / and the fourme of feythe ye dyd receyue by meane and medyacyon and vertu of the blode of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu. ¶ The whiche seythe excercyseth in vertu­es with lyghte of reason / the whiche reason illumyned of this specyall lyghte (y^e whiche I speke of) gyueth you lyght and maketh you to go by the waye of truthe / and with that same lyghte ye sholde come to me / y^t am very endelesse lyghte / and with out that lyght ye maye not come to me y^t am lyght / but rather to derke­nes. ¶ These two lyghtes y^e whiche be dependaunte fro this lyghte / be ful necessary for you to haue / and in these two I shall gyue the y^e thyrde. ¶ The fyrst is / that all ye be ylluniyned / in knowynge of worldely tran­sytory thynges / y^e whiche ouerpasse as wȳde / but ye may not wel knowe them / vnto the tyme ye knowe fyrst your owne freylte / how slypper it is vnder a cōtrarius lawe / the whiche lawe is bounde in your bodyly lym­ines / rebellynge to me y^t am youre maker. ¶ Neuertheles ther is none constrayned by that lawe for to do y^t leest synne / but yf he wyll / and yet it impugneth agaynst the spyryte / and I gaue neuer that lawe y^t my reasonable creature sholde be ouer­come therby / but rather it sholde be encreased in vertu / and be preued in y^e soule by vertu / for vertu is neuer preued but by the contrary. ¶ The sensualyte is euer contrary to y^t spyryte / and therfore ī that sensualyte / a soule proueth y^e loue that it hathe in me her maker. ¶ Whan proueth she that? ¶ Certayne whan w^t hate & dysplesaunce she aryseth agaynst the sensualyte / & also I haue gyuen to her suche a lawe cōtrary to y^e spy­ryte / that she sholde be kepte in very mekenesse / for thou sees well that in makynge of a soule to the ymage & lykenesse of me / set in so grete a dygnyte / I haue felyshypped her with a thynge of ryghte lytle valewe / that is gyuen to her by a contrary lawe / byndynge the same lawe with y^t body [Page]y^t is made of a ryght foule erthe. ¶ That ī beholdȳge of suche fylthe / she sholde not lyftup her heed aga­ynst me by pryde. ¶ And therfore a frayle body that hathe this lyghte whiche I speke of / hathe cause for to loue her / and not for to enhaunse her by pryde / for therof hathe she no mater / but rather mater of very ꝑ­fyte mekenesse. ¶ Also this contra­ry lawe constreyneth neuer a crea­ture to synne by no maner inpugnacyon that it sheweth / but rather it gyueth cause for to make you y^e bet­ter to knowe the vnstablenes of this wretched worlde. ¶ This sholde se an eye of intellecyon / with the lyght of very feythe / the whiche I sayde to the before / is named the ball of y^e eye. ¶ This is that necessary lyght / the whiche generally is necessary to euery creature that hathe reason / & desyreth to take parte of the lyfe of grace / in what euer state that euer he stondeth in / yf he wyll receyue the fruyte of the blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu. ¶ This is a comune lyghte / that is that euery parsone sholde haue comunely (as it is rehersed before) and he that hathe it not / he dwelleth in state of dampnacyō / and this is the cause why y^t all those that haue not this lyghte be not in y^e state of grace / for by wātȳge of this lyghte / they maye not knowe y^e wyckednesse of synne / nor that y^t thynge whiche is cause of syn̄e. ¶ And ther­fore it may not eschewe offence / nor hate wycked lyuȳge. ¶ In y^e same wyse / he that knoweth no good nor cause of good that is vertu / he may neuer loue me nor desyre me y^t am endeles good / nor he may not know the vertu whiche I gyue as an in­strument and mene for to come to y^e grace of very good. ¶ By this thou maye se how necessary this lyght is to you for youre synnes stonden in no other thynge / but in leuȳge that I hate / and in haūtȳge that I loue / I loue vertu and hate vyce / he that loueth vyce and hateth vertu offen­deth me / & is depryued fro my grace ¶ Suche one gothe forthe as a ve­ry blynde man / not knowynge the cause of synne / whiche is his propre sencyble loue / and yet he hath it not / nor he knoweth not vyces nor the euyl y^t foloweth vyces / nor he knoweth not vertu / nor me that graūteth hym vertu / y^e whiche vertu gyueth hym lyfe / nor also y^e worthy dygny­te of vertu / by the whiche he is con­serued fro vyces / & cometh to grace. ¶ Thus thou maye se that he that knoweth not / is cause of his owne euyll / therfore as I sayd / this lyght is very necessary to you.

¶ And nowe moder and systren I haue made an ende of the .iiii. boke / y^e whiche dothe speke for the most parte of prayers and teres. And fyrste how god sheweth a doctryne of the sacramēt of y^e auter / as it is rehersed ī the begyn­nynge of the fourthe boke / nowe fy­nyshed / with dyuers maters.

¶ Also of y^e thyrde and more parfyte lyghte of reason / and of the werkes y^t a soule dothe whā it is come to that state / and of many maters and dy­uers / as it is rehersed & shew­ed to the before in the kalen­der. Ca. i.

AFter tyme y^t a soule is come and hathe goten this generall lyght (as I haue rehersed be­fore) she sholde not holde her apayde without more / for the whyle ye be in this lyfe as pylgry­mes / ye be able for to receyue more & for to encrese not forthwarde / ye de­crese goȳge backewarde. ¶ Other [Page]they sholde encrese in the comune lyghte that they haue gotē by mene and medyacyon of my grace / orelles they sholden enforce them with all besynesse for to come to the secunde parfyte lyght / and so fro the vnpar­fyte / for to come to y^e parfyte / for w^t ­out lyghte / maye none come to par­feccyon. ¶ In this seconde parfyte lyghte be two maners of parfeccyō / they be parfyte / whiche be rysen fro the comune lyuynge of the worlde. ¶ In this parfeccyon be two thyn­ges (one is) there be some that par­fytely chatyse theyr bodyes w^t ryght greate penaunce (and the cause is) that theyr sensualyte sholde not re­bell agaynst reason / suche haue set all theyr desyre rather in mortyfy­enge of y^e body / than in dystroyenge of theyr owne propre wyl / as I haue tolde the ī an other place. ¶ Al suche sede thē at the table of penaunce / & they be good and parfyte / yf theyr purpose were founde in me with y^e lyght of dyscrecyon / that is with very dyscrecyon of thē & of me. ¶ And also that al those were conformed to me with greate mekenesse / as Iudges of my wyll / and not of the wyll of men / yf they be in no wyse so con­formed and arayed in my wyll with very mekenesse / often tymes they sholde offende theyr parfeccyon / de­mynge other y^t gone not by y^e same way of penaūce / as they done. ¶ Does thou not knowe why that to all suche this happeth? ¶ Certeynly by cause they haue put rather theyr be synes and desyre in mortyfyenge of theyr propre wyll. ¶ All suche wyll euer those tymes and places & ghostly comfortes ī theyr owne wyse / and also trybulacyons of the worlde and batayles of fendes / as it is rehersed in y^e secunde vnparfyte estate before. ¶ All suche that be so dysceyued of theyr owne wyl (say thus) I wolde euer haue suche comfortes / and not suche heuynesse and temptacyon of fendes / I saye not this for my ease / but bycause I wolde y^e better please god / & bycause I wolde euer haue hym in my soule / by gracyous com­fortable felȳge / for better me semeth it were to haue hym so / & for to serue hym in suche wyse / than with temptacyons & batales of fendes / and so in this wyse suche one falleth in to peyne and tedyosyte / and is made vnparfyte to hymselfe / and so is parfyte state offended / and he consyde­reth not nor wyll not knowe / & ther lyeth the fylthe of pryde / and he hȳ ­selfe lyeth therin / for yf he laye not therin / he sholde be very meke and not presumptuous / and yf he were out of the fylthe of pryde / he sholde thynke with that lyghte (that is re­hersed before) that I the fyrst & most swetest truthe / graunte and gyue / state / tyme / and place / comfortes / & trybulacyons (as it is rehersed necessary for youre helthe) and for to ful­fyll parfeccyon in the soule / to y^e whiche ꝑfeccyon / I haue chosen y^e soule before / and than sholde he se that I graunte all thynges for loue. ¶ And therfore with loue and reuerence / be sholde receyue all thynges that I sende / as the seeside and y^e thyrde state of ꝑfeccyon downe / of whome [Page]I shall tell the. ¶ For they be two states that abyde and dwell in this most parfyte lyghte. ¶ Of y^e thyrde and moste parfyte lyghte of reason / and of the werkes that a soule dothe whā she is come to that estate / and how I shewed there a fayre vysyon whiche this soule hadde / in y^e whi­che vysyon / is shewed fully of y^e ma­ner of comynge to parfyte purete & clēnes of y^e soule. ALl suche bothe the seconde and the thyrde after they be come to this gloryous lyght / they be in euery state ꝑarfyte y^t they ston­den in. ¶ And what that euer I suf­fre them to haue / they holde it and kepe it in dewe reuerence / as it is made mencyon before in the thyrde vnytyue state. ¶ All suche holde thē selfe worthy peynes and sclaunders of the worlde / and desyren to be pry­ued fro theyr owne ghostly comfor­tes / what comforte that it be / & as they holde them worthy peynes / so they holde thēselfe vnworthy ghost­ly fruyte or comforte. ¶ In y^e lyght [...] they haue knowē & tasted my ende lesse wyll / the whiche wyll it none other thynge / but onely youre good­nesse / and that ye made holy in me. ¶ And therfore I gyue you and suffre you to haue suche thynges. ¶ After tyme y^e the soule knewe y^e wyl of me / she arayed her w^t the same wyl / and toke heve to none other thynge / but for to asspy how she myghte en­crese and kepe the state of parfeccy­on / for ioye and preysynge of my holy name / openynge her eye of intel­leccyon with lyghte of feythe in the clere syghte of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste crucyfyed / louȳge and folowynge his doctryne / y^e whiche is the waye bothe to them that be parfyte / and to them that he vn­parfyte / and so she saythe y^t the loue­ly lambe / that is my endelesse sothe­fast sone gyueth to her lyfe of parfeccyon / in the syght therof / she herselfe is rapte with loue. ¶ This parfeccyon is nothynge elles but this / that by suche she knoweth my onely sone Ihesu cryst / the whiche noryshed hymselfe at the table of holy desyre / sekynge the worshyp of me endeles fader / and helthe of youre soules / & with this desyre he came w^t greate haste to his passyon of the cros / the whiche was y^t moste horryble dethe that euer was / where he fulfylled his obedyence that was put to hym of me y^t am his endeles fader / neuer eschewynge labours / nor repreues for youre sake / nor withdrawynge neuer hymselfe for no vnkyndenes that he sawe in you / nor for no ma­ner of ygnoraunce that was in you / that is for none vnknowȳge of his benefytes that he gaue to you / nor for no parsecucyon of y^e Iewes / nor for illusyōs / repreues / & grutchȳges and cryenges of the people / but all this he suffred and ouerpassed / as a very knyghte / and youre capytayne that put hymselfe so to batayle for to fyghte ī the felde / that ye sholde be delyuered fro the fendes hondes / & that ye sholde be fre and out of y^e fendes bondage or daunger / y^e whiche ye sholde haue be in / yf he hadde not foughten for you / & also for to teche you his waye / rule / and doctryne / y^t [Page]ye myght come to me y^e gate of endeles lyfe with the keye of his precyo­us blode / shed with the fyre of ryght greate feruēt loue / and with grete hate and dysplesaunce of youre synnes / as thoughe my onely sothefast sone & lambe Ihesu cryst crucyfyed myghtsay thus to you. ¶ Lo I haue made awaye to you and opened the gate with my blode. ¶ Be not ther­fore neclygent to folowe that waye / so to rest onely vpon your owne propre loue / and by ygnoraunce not for to knowe that waye / but rather de­syrynge for to serue me presumptuously after your owne styrrynge and felynge / thā after my styrrynge and grace / y^e whiche haue made to you a ryghte waye by medyacyon and mene of my sothefast truthe / that is of my onely sothefast sone incarnate expressed playnly by shedȳge of his precyous blode. ¶ Aryse you ther­fore and folowe hym / orelles in no wyse ye maye come to me the fader / but by hym. ¶ He it is that is bothe waye & gate / by the whiche ye must entre to me / that am the peaseble see. ¶ Thā whan this soule cometh for to taste that lyghte / bycause she sawe it and knewe it / therfore she ranne as she had be all rapte in loue to the table of holy desyre / and she myghte in no wyse se herselfe / for she herselfe that is nother sekȳge in her­selfe nother temporall comforte nor spyrytuall comforte / but she was as a p [...]rsone y^t had in all thȳges slayne her owne propre wyll / she eschewed no maner of laboure in what wyse that euer it was put to her / but ra­ther she ete with greate compassyon and sorowe meet of me endelesse god and helthe of soules vpon the table of the crosse / suffrynge repreues / in­iuryes / and heuynesse of the fende / and many gronynges & grutchyn­ges of mē. ¶ And she loked after no rewarde nother of me nor of other creatures / for she was spoyled fro the loue of ony mede / in asmoche as she dyd loue me withoute consyde­racyon of ony rewarde. ¶ Thus she was arayed with this parfyte and moste pure lyght / louynge me purely withoute ony rewarde / but onely to the glory and praysynge to my name / not seruynge me by her owne propre delectacyon / nor her neygh­boure / for her owne profyte / but for the very pure loue of me. ¶ Al suche haue loste themselfe / for they haue done awaye the olde conuersacyon of man / that is theyr owne propre sensualyte / and they be arayed with a newe conuersacyon / y^t is my one­ly sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste my endelesse and sothefaste truthe / su­ynge hym myghtely. ¶ These they be that sette them at the table of ho­ly desyre and be more besy in dystroyenge & mortyfyenge [...] theyr owne wylles / thā in mortyfyenge of theyr flesshe. ¶ And they haue mortyfy­ed well ynoughe theyr owne flesshe / not pryncypally for the chefe affeccyon / but as a very instrument that is for to helpe and slee the propre sencyble wyll (as it is reherced before) where that I declared to the in that worde (where I sayde thus) that my delyte it was in fewe wordes / [Page]and in many good werkes. ¶ And this ye sholde do / for the pryncypall affeccyon sholde be for to slee y^e pro­pre wyll / the whiche affeccyon none other seketh nor desireth other thȳge than for to folowe my ownely sothefast sone Ihesu cryst crucyfyed / ī hȳ sekynge and fyndȳge the glory and worshyp of my name / and helthe of soules. ¶ They that be in this gloryous lyght / so they do / and therfore they lyue euer in peas & quyetnesse of conscyence / for there is nothynge maye hurte it nor sclaundre it / in asmoche as they haue withdrawen fro them that thynge that hurte it and sclaūdred it / y^t is theyr owne propre wyll. ¶ And all maner ꝑsecucyōs y^t y^e worlde or the fende maye do to thē they put all vnder theyr fete. ¶ And yet they stonde in the water of trybulacyons and temptacyons / whiche do to them no dysease / bycause they stonde bounde to y^e beame of feruēt desyre / suche do ioye in all thynges / and they be no Iudges / nother of my seruauntes / nor of my other reasonable creatures / but they be glad of euery state that they se / sayenge to me thus. ¶ O endeles fader thā ­kynge be to the / for in thy house be many dwellynge places / & yet they be more glad of dyuers states that they se / thā yf they se thy dwellynge places / all they do kepe one waye of lyuȳge / for ī many states of lyuȳge / they se y^e magnyfysence of my good­nes spred abrode / of al therfore they be ioyful. ¶ And they wyl ī no wyse gyue no Iudgementes / nor deme nother them that be good / nor them that by euyll & done open synne / but rather with a maner of very holy cō passyon / prayenge to me for them / & with parfyte mekenesse saye thus. ¶ To daye thou / to morowe I / but yf the grace of god do kepe me. ¶ O ryghte well byloued doughter be y^u ioyfull therfore of this ryghte swete excellent state / & beholde how they renne in this gloryous lyghte / and se theyr excellence and worthynes / for they haue theyr myndes full set to me / and ete at the table of holy de­syre / & with lyghte they come to no­ryshe thēselfe of y^e meet of soules / for the honour and worshyp of me endelesse fader / arayed with the swete clothe of my onely sothefast sone that blessyd lambe / that is with his brē ­nynge charyte. ¶ All suche do neuer lose theyr tyme / in gyuynge of false Iudgementes / neuer agaynste my seruauntes / nor agaynst the seruaū tes of the worlde / & they neuer hurte nor sclaundre themselfe / for no ma­ner grutchynge done agaynste thē or agaynst other / for yf it be done a­gaynst thēselfe / they be well apayde to suffre it for my name / and yf it be agaynste other / they bere it easely w^t them y^t suffreth / & neuer grutchynge agaynste hym that dothe it / nor a­gaynste hym y^t receyueth it. ¶ For the loue of suche is ordynate in me endeles god / and also in theyr neyghbour and neuer vnordynately sette. ¶ All suche dere doughter conceyue neuer sclaundre / agaynst thē whom they loue / nor agaynst none other reasonable creatures / for theyr syght ī suche thȳges is deed & not quycke / [Page]and therfore they wyl not haue to do with the Iudgementes of the wyl­les of men / but onely of the wyll of my myldenes. ¶ All suche also kepe the doctryne that thou knowes well that was gyuen to the of my sothe­fastnesse / in the begynnynge of thy lyfe / whan thou asked with a greate desyre for to haue a wyll to come to parfyte purete / thynkynge thā how y^u myghte come therto. ¶ I knowe well than was gyuen to the an an­swere / whyle thou dyd slepe vpon y^e holy desyre / not onely ī thy soule / but in the sowne of thy ere / a voyce fro god spake to the. ¶ For yf thou remē bre the well / thou was thā tourned than to thy sencyble wyttes of y^e bo­dy / whā my onely sothefast sone Ihesu spake to the / sayenge thus. ¶ Yf thou wyll come to parfyte purete & be depryued fro sclaunders / y^t is y^t thy soule for nothynge shall be sclaū dred. ¶ Do so that than thou maye alwaye lyue in affeccyon and desyre of loue / for I am moste souerayne & endelesse purete / and also I am that fyre that puryfyeth the soule. ¶ And therfore y^e more y^t a soule draweth & cleueth to me / the more purer it is / and the forther that it gothe out fro me / the more vnclene it is. ¶ And y^e cause why that deedly wātayne mē fall in to so many lyuynges of wyc­kednesse / is for they be departed fro me.¶ But y^e soule w^tout y^t ony mene oneth her to me / she taketh parte of my purete. ¶ Also thou muste do an other thynge that thou maye come to this vnyon of purete / that is that thou Iudge neuer in ony parsone / that y^u thou sees thē do or saye / whe­ther it be agaynst y^e or agaȳst other / after the wyll of ony man / but after my wyll / bothe in them and in the. ¶ And thus yf y^u se a synne or a de­faute in thē / drawe out of y^e thornela roofe / that is that thou offre that defaute before me with holy compassyon / & of the wrōges whiche be done to the / Iudge that my wyll dothe fuffre them to be done in the / that vertu maye be proued in the and in other of my seruauntes / demynge that he that dothe this to the or to them / is as an instrument sende of me / seynge rather ī them a good entent thā an yll entent. ¶ For ther is none cau Iudge truly the pryuyte of mannes herte / and that thynge that thou sees not expresly euyl and openly deedly synne / thou shall not iudge it in thy soule / but onely iudge that my wyll suffreth many thyn­ges in them. ¶ And yf thou se ony open expresse synne in them / yet as I haue sayd / Iudge them not / but offre it before me with holy compassyon. ¶ In this wyse y^u maye come to parfyte purete / for yf thou do so / thy soule shall not be sclaundred / no­ther in me nor in thy neyghboure. ¶ For all the indygnacyon that fal­leth ymonges neyghbours / is by­cause of Iudgementes / the whiche indygnacyō & sclaūder departeth a soule fro me & letteth parfeccyon / & in some thȳges they w^tdrawe grace more or lesse after y^e gretenes of in­dygnacyon / & hathe conceyued it in y^e neyghbour of suche Iudgemētes. ¶ The cōtrari receyueth a soule y^t demeth [Page]euer after my wyll (as I haue sayde before) the whiche wyll wyll nothynge elles but youre good and profyte / and what that euer I suffre or gyue / I do it for the ende that ye sholde euer set youre entent to that ende that it is made to / for aslonge as it stondeth in the loue of neygh­bourheed / solonge it stondeth in my loue / and so abydynge in that that abydeth in me and is oned to me. ¶ And therfore it is full nedefull to the / that desyres for to come to that purete whiche thou does aske of me for to do these thre pryncypall thyn­ges. ¶ One is that thou gyue the to me by affeccyon of loue / for the mer­uaylous loue that I haue to the / & to all creatures. ¶ Another is that thou Iudge not in the wyll of ano­ther man / my wyll. ¶ And y^e thyrde is that thou gyue no Iudgemen­tes of thy owne wytte / that my wyll sholde be thy wyll / for I am y^e Iud­ge / & not thou. ¶ And yf thou kepe these pryncypall thynges / all parfeccyon shall fall to the. ¶ This was y^e same doctryne yf thou remembre y^t that was taughte to the of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryst. ¶ Now therfore dere doughter I saye to y^e that all suche (as it is rehersed be­fore) the whiche haue lerned this hol­some doctryne & excercysed it / they taste ernest of endelesse blysse in this lyfe. ¶ And therfore yf y^u kepe well this doctryne in thy soule / thou shal not fall in to temptacyon of y^e fende / though thou be tempted with hym. ¶ Neuerthelesse yet for to satysfy more clerely thy desyre / I shall tell the & declare to y^e more openly / that ther sholde no Iudgement of suche parfyte soules be vsed / w^tout maner but holy cōpassyon. ¶ By what ma­ner wyse they receyue the ernest of sy­kernesse of euerlastynge lyfe / suche as abyde ī the thyrde lyght / whiche is most parfyte lyghte. ANd why sayde I to the / that al suche receyue the ernest or sykernes of euerlastȳge lyfe / I shall saye to the. ¶ They re­ceyue sykernesse / but no deꝑtȳge fro y^e body / for they receyue it ī abydȳge in the body of me y^t am lyfe euerlas­tynge / in suche a place where lyfe is w^tout dethe / & fulnesse w^tout nede / & hongre w^tout peyne / for peyne there is fer fro hongre / bycause they haue y^t they desyre / & ther also is nede fer fro fulnesse / for I am to them meet of lyfe w^tout defaute. ¶ Neuertheles yet ī this lyfe it is so y^t they receyue sykernesse & the ernest of blysse / and they taste it in this wyse / that is the soule begȳneth to hōgre / y^e worshyp of me endeles good / and also y^e meet of helthe of soules. ¶ And lyke as y^e soule hongreth / so it is fedde / that is ryghte as a soule is noryshed by cha­ryte of neyghbourheed / of whome it hathe desyre and hongre the whiche is to hȳ a meet of y^e whiche it is no­ryshed / & neuer fulfylled bycause it is vnsacyable / therfore his hōgre is cōtynuall / & ryghte as y^e ernest is a begȳnynge of sykernes y^t is gyue to mā / of y^e whiche it desyreth to haue deꝑtȳge fro y^e body / not y^t I say y^t / y^t ernest is ꝑfyte ī it selfe / but it gyueth sykernes by feythe to come to y^e ful­nesse therof / & to receyue departȳge [Page]of the body / but suche a soule so rapt in loue / and arayed with y^e doctryne of my sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / the whiche soule hathe receyued er­nest in her lyfe of my charyte / and of charite of neyghbourheed is not yet parfyte in herselfe / for she abydeth parfeccyon of lyfe that is endelesse. ¶ Therfore it is that I sayde / that this ernest or sykernesse is not yet parfyte / for the soule that tasteth it / hathe yet no parfeccyon / but alway it feleth peynes / bothe in herselfe & ī other. ¶ In herselfe she feleth pey­nes / of the trespaces that she dothe to me by the contrary lawe / that is within her bownde in her body / for it wyll euer impungne and fyghte agaynste the spyryte / in erthe she fe­leth peynes of trespaces done to me by her neyghbours. ¶ Neuertheles yet they haue parfeccyon to grace / all be it they haue not yet parfeccy­on of my seyntes / y^e whiche become to me that am endelesse lyfe. ¶ For as it is sayd before / theyr desyres be with peynes. ¶ And therfore these y^t ben my seruaūtes the whiche do no­ryshe themselfe at the table of holy desyre / they be bothe holy / blessyd / & sorowful / as my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryste stode vpon the crosse / for his flesshe was so sorowfull whi­che suffred tourment / but his soule was blessyd and holy / by the vnyon of diuine nature. ¶ In y^e same wyse all suche be blessyd / by vnyon of holy desyre of them in me / arayed w^t my ryghte holy wyll. ¶ And they ben sorowfull by compassyon of neygh­bourheed / and also they be sorowfull and peynful in tourmētȳge of theyr owne propre sensualyte / the whiche maye not be done w^tout peyne / in w^t drawynge of delytes and sencyble comfortes. ¶ How oure neyghboure shall be lyfte vp that he fall not in to a false Iudgemente. NOwe dere doughter take thou hede of a more o­pen declaracyon of that thynge that thou does aske me. ¶ I tolde the of a comune lyght / y^t all ye sholde haue in what state that euer be / & name­ly of them that dwell in comune charyte. ¶ And also I tolde the of them that be in parfyte lyght / the whiche lyght I dystyngued in two maners that is of them that were departed fro the worlde / and besyed them to mortyfye theyr bodyes / & of them y^t mortyfy and destroye theyr owne propre wylles / and these were those ꝑfyte folke (as I tolde y^t) y^e whiche do noryshe themselfe at the table of holy desyre. ¶ Now therfore I speke to the in specyall / and by the to all in generall in satysfaccyō o [...] thy desyre ¶ I wyll that thou knowe and vse thre synguler thynges / y^e ignoraūce let not thy parfeccyon (to y^e whiche I call the) and that the fende vnder a mātel of vertu / noryshe not in thy soule the roote of presumpcyon / for therby thou sholde fall ī to fulse & vnryghtwyse Iudgemētes / y^e whiche I haue forbode y^e / y^u sholde thā seme that y^u demes truly / and yet y^u sholde by suche presūpcyō deme falsly shewynge after thy owne felynge. ¶ And ofte tymes the wycked spyryte shol­de make the to se many and straūge dyuersytes / and all for to brynge [Page]the in to lesynges / and that wolde he do to make the a demer of hertes / and of inwarde thynges of reasonable creatures / the whiche Iudgemē tes as I haue sayde to the / be onely reserued to me. ¶ This is one of the thre thynges that I wolde thou had and dyd vse / that is that thou gyue no Iudgemētes without a maner / but I wyll that thou gyue thē with a maner. ¶ The maner of Iudge­mētes is this / but yf I expresly not ones or twyse / but ofte tymes make open to the defautes of thy neygh­bour in thy soule / thou shall neuer tell it specyally to hym that thou se­mes thou sholde deme / but y^u sholde in generall correcke his defautes / yf he come to the and plante vertu charytably with benyngenyte / & other whyle shewe sharpenes yf it be nede ¶ And yf it were tolde to the oftē ty­mes defautes of other / but if it were opynly shewed to the ī thy soule (as I haue sayde) thou shall not tell it them in specyall / but rather take a sure waye for to fle the dysceyte and malyce of the fende / for with y^t hoke he wolde take the yf he myghte / for to make y^e ofte tymes to deme in thy neyghbour that thynge that is not / and so sholde thou ofte tymes slaundre hym. ¶ Therfore for y^e surer party kepe scylence / or yf y^u sholde speke speke holyly of vertu in oyspysynge of vyces / and in suche spekynge / the vyce that thou semes sholde be in another / holde thyselfe gylty of the same with hym / y^t the semeth sholde be gylty / euer vsynge veri mekenes and yf in sothe it were so that suche a vyce were in suche a parsone / he sholde rather amende hym / consyde­rynge hymselfe so swetele coūseyled ther fro / & so he shall be constreyned charytably to amēde his defautes / and than shall he tell the / that thou wolde tel hym. ¶ Stonde thou therfore sure / and so shall thou auoyde & bowe away fro the deuylles wylles / that he shall in no wyse dysceyue the nor let the parfeccyon of thy soule. ¶ I wyll also that thou knowe that in no wyse thou trust in all thy con­ceytes after thy semynge / but caste them behȳde the and regarde them not / and onely abyde in y^e knowlege of thyselfe / and so in the knowe my largenesse / and my endelesse good­nesse / ryght so do they that be come to the laste state of parfeccyon / for e­uer they tourne agayne to y^e valaye of theyr owne knowlege / and yet let they not the vnyon nor the hyghnes that they haue in me / and so this is one of those thre thynges y^t I sayde I wolde that thou sholde vse / that thou myght serue me in very sothe­fastnesse. ¶ If a mā praye for a par­sone / and god sheweth in the soule of hym that thou prayes / y^t same soule is full of derkenes for whom he prayeth / yet it shal not be Iudged amys NOw shall I tel the of the secunde (that is to saye) that yf otherwhyle it sholde happethe that thou sholde praye specyally for ony creatures / & in suche prayers the semeth in hym y^t thou prayes fore is lyght of grace / and in another not so / and bothe ben my seruauntes / but it sholde seme to the that the one were in derkenes [Page]of soule / and that other in lyghtnesse of grace / thou wold knowe whether thou sholde Iudge hym ī derkenes that the semeth is in derkenesse / or not? ¶ I saye thou sholde not ther­fore Iudge hym in defaute of grete synnes / for ofte tymes so thy Iudgemētes shold be false. ¶ And I wolde y^t thou sholde knowe y^t other whyle it happeth that whan thou prayes me for one ꝑsone / y^e same ꝑpsone shall seme somtyme to y^e that he is so full of lyght and holy desyre before me / in somoche that of his vextuous ly­uynge / thy soule is so yllumyned af­ter affeccyon of charyte / that eche of you shall comune homely youre vertues togyder. ¶ And otherwhyle y^t shal seme that his soule is fer fro me and all full of derkenesse and heuy­nesse / in somoche that to the it shall seme full heuy for to praye / for hym to me. ¶ This somtyme happeth for the defaute that is in hȳ / for whome thou prayes / & ofte tymes it is not for defaute of hym / but rather for w^t drawynge of me fro hym / y^t I ende­lesse god shewe in suche a soule / the whiche ofte tymes I do / bycause y^t suche a soule sholde drawe quyckly to parfeccyon / as I haue tolde y^t be­fore in the states of the soule / I w^t ­drawe me fro them by felynge / and not by grace / that it but onely fro felynge of comfortes and swetenesse / and therfore suche a barayne soule is belefte drye and peynfull / y^e whi­che peyne I make suche a soule to fele that prayeth for hȳ. ¶ This I do of grace and for loue that I haue to suche a soule y^t prayeth / for suche folke that she sholde helpe by prayer to put away that cloude frome hym that she prayeth for. ¶ And thus y^u maye knowe dere doughter howe greate offence it were for to deme suche a man vycyous / in whome no vyce were / thoughe he semed to the derke / where also thou may knowe y^t he is not depryued fro grace / but fro felynge of swetenesse the whiche he had of me. ¶ I wyll also yf thou sholde be of wyll / bothe thou and all my other seruauntes / y^t ye knowe ꝑfytely yourselfe / by y^e whiche knowe lege ye maye come parfytely to my endeles goodnes / & reserueth to me bothe this & other maner of Iudgementes / for to me it longeth / and for saketh the Iudgement that lōgeth to me / and take vpon you compassyon with hōgre of the honour of me / and helthe of soules / and with loue longynge desyre / sheweth & telleth vertu / and repreueth vyces in you and in them / in the maner that it is sayde before. ¶ In suche maner y^u maye in sothe come to me / & so shall thou wel shewe that thou hase kepte in thy soule y^e doctryne that was gy­uen to the of my sothefast sone Ihe­su cryst y^t is for to Iudge my wyll / and not the wyll of men. ¶ Thus sholde y^u do / yf thou wyll haue pure­ly vertu / and stonde in the last / most gloryous / and most parfyte lyghte / fedynge thyselfe at the table of holy desyre / with y^e meet of he [...]the of sou­les / to y^e glory and praysynge of my holy name. ¶ How bodyly penaūce shall not be take for a prȳcypall foū ­dament nor for a pryncypall desyre / [Page]but y^e desyre & loue of vertues shall betake for a prȳcypall foūdamēt. I Haue sayd to y^e dere dougeter of two thynges that y^u sholde vse / now shal I tell the of the thyrde / to the whiche I wyll that thou take ryghte good heed / and repreue and withdrawe thyselfe therfro. ¶ Yf otherwhyle y^e fēde / or thy owne cōceyte haue enuy at the somoche / y^t they wolde styrre the for to aspy / & se where all my ser­uauntes to go by the same waye y^t thou goes ī or wolde go in / y^u myght well knowe that it were a dysceyte / for it is agaynste the doctryne whi­che is gyuen to the by my sothefast­nesse. ¶ For ofte tymes it happeth y^e y^u sholde se many creatures walke by y^e waye of ryght greate penaūce / and to some it were ryghte heuy for to se them walke y^t waye / for as they seme they do not well. ¶ Sees thou not how al suche be dysceyued / wyl thou se howmoche? ¶ Certayne it is sometyme that suche one so lyuȳge in greate penaūce / dothe better thā he that semeth he dothe amysse / for he dothe more penaunce and also is more vertuous / than he that grut­cheth of hym / and therfore I sayde to the before / that they the whiche feden them at the table of penaunce / yf they do it with very mekenesse & that they sette not suche peynfull ly­uynge in penaunce for theye pryn­cypall affeccyon / but for an instru­mēt of vertu / ofte tymes suche grutchynge turneth them in to greate parfeccyon / and therfore they sholde not be vncūnynge / but knowe wysely that parfeccyon stondeth not one­ly in mortyfycacyō of the body / but in destroyenge and mortyfyenge of the propre wycked wyll. ¶ This is the doctryne of lyghte comynge and procedynge of that gloryous lyghte wherin a soule renneth in rapte in loue / and is arayed w^t my truthe. ¶ I dyspyse not therfore penaunce / for penaunce is good to mortyfy y^e body / y^e whiche wyll stryue agaynst the spyryte. ¶ But I wyll therfore dere doughter that thou knowe this for a generall rule / that some in do­ynge of penaunce / be more myghty­er of kynde than some / and therfore they may suffre the more and please god ryghte vertuously / yf it be done (as it is sayde before) and also some it happeth that penaunce whiche is begon̄e must somtyme beleft for many causes that may betyde / orelles the foundament whiche is set in y^t and in other of my seruaūtes sholde defayle / for suche penaunce excercysed / and so sholde the foundamēt be vnparfyte / and you bothe ghostly comforte sholde defayle / & also ver­tu of the soule. ¶ And where that ye be so depryued of suche thynge that ye loue by suche synguler affeccyōs by doynge of penaūce / it sholde seme to you that ye were depryued fro me and so sholde ye come to greate he­uynesse and bytternesse and confu­syon. ¶ And also in suche a wyse ye sholde lose y^e excercyses of deuocyon and feruent prayer / the whiche ye were wont to haue / to some y^t haue longe vsed this penaunce. ¶ This sodeyne chaungynge sholde tourne them to greate heuynesse / so for to [Page]leue y^t they haue so longe vsed / why it is that trowes thou? ¶ Certeynly for the grounde worke or fundacyon was sette in affeccyon for to do pe­naunce / and not in loue lōgynge de­syre. ¶ Therfore wher penaūce is v­sed / as it is to me plesaunte that it be vsed / it muste be sette on a good grounde. ¶ Thus thou may se that there sholde be no grutchynge aga­ynst none of my seruauntes y^t done penaunce / thoughe it semeth to you they gone not in the same waye that ye gone in. ¶ For I wyll be serued of infynyte goodes / y^t am endelesse & infynyte good / and ymonge al other mortyfycacyō it is good to dystroye euermore and mortyfy y^e propre wyl and than w^t that wyll so made sub­iecte to my wyll / ye sholde yelde to me swete hongre & infynyte desyre / sekynge the worshyp and honour of me / and helthe of soules / & so sholde ye noryshe and fede youreselfe at the table of desyre / the whiche desyre is neuer sclaundred / nother ī hymselfe that hathe it / nor in his neyghbour / but it is ioyfull of all states / and it draweth out fruyte of euery dyuers maners of lyuynge that I gyue to dyuers soules. ¶ Thus wretches done not / the whiche do not folowe this swete doctryne / and the ryghte waye gyuen of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / but they do the cō trary / & deme after theyr owne blȳde couetyse / and therfor they do walke as wode men / and depryuen them­selfe fro the good of charyte of heuē ­ly vertues (and as I haue sayde be­fore) they taste in this lyfe the ernest of hell. ¶ A shorte repetycyō of wor­des y^t be sayd before / with an addy­cyō of the loue of oure neyghboure. LO dere doughter thus haue I satysfyed to thy desyre / & I haue de­clared to the of y^e thynge that thou dyd aske of me / that is how y^u sholde loue thy neyghboure that y^u be not dysceyued of y^e fēde / nor of thy owne conceyte. ¶ And there I sayde to y^e that thou sholde loue hym general­ly & not specyally / where that thou had it by specyall shewynge of me in thy soule of his synnes / and than I tolde the that with mekenesse and in the maner as I tolde y^e / thou sholde repreue ī loue bothe thy neyghbour and thyselfe. ¶ Also I sayde and yet I saye that in nowyse thou Iudge ony creature / nother generally nor specyally / nor the soules of my ser­uauntes / whether thou fynde them dysposed or not / and there I tolde the the cause why thou sholde not Iudge / for yf thou dyd gyue Iudgement / thou sholde be dysceyued in thy owne conceyte. ¶ But y^u sholde haue compassyon bothe thou and al my other seruauntes / and commyt Iudgementes to me. ¶ I taughte the also a doctryne / as for a pryncy­pall foūdament how thou sholde be­haue the to them that do come to y^t for to aske counseyle / of suche namely that were in purpose for to haue gone out of the waye of derkenesse of deedly synne / and folowe y^e waye of vertu. ¶ That is that thou gyue to them in y^e waye of coūsayle y^e pryncypall foundament / that they sette theyr affeccyon and loue in vertu & [Page]in knowlege of themselfe and of my goodnes in them / and that they flee and forsake fully theyr owne propre wylles / that in no wyse that they be rebell to me. ¶ And counseyle them to do penaunce / and that they take it as for an instrument / and not for a pryncypall affeccyon (as it is re­hersed before) not to eche lyke / but as they be able for to bere and after theyr myght and state / to some lesse and to some moche as they maye. ¶ And bycause I sayde to the / that vndertakȳge was not lefull to y^e for to vse it but in generall (after y^e ma­ner as I haue tolde y^e) yet I wolde not that thou shold suppose / that yf thou sawe hym synne deedly / that y^u myghte not correcke hym charyta­bly bytwene the and hym / suppose not that / for so thou maye not do / & also yf he were obstynate / & wolde not correcke and amende hym / thou maye than tell his synne that thou hase seen to two or thre / and yf that profyte nor / thou maye tell it to the mystery all body of youre moder ho­ly chyrche. ¶ But I tolde the that it was not fefull to y^e after thy felȳge within thy soule / nor after thy out­warde felynge / lyghtly to styrre thy­self to vndertake hȳ / but yf y^u knowe veryly y^e truthe / orelles that y^u haue in thy soule by expresse reuelacyon / y^t y^u shold vndertake hȳ vnder suche a fourme as I haue tolde y^e. ¶ For that I tolde the is the surer party / in the whiche y^e wycked fende maye not dysceyue the vnder the mantell of the parfyte charyte of thy neyghboure.

¶ The secūde chapyter is of tokens to knowe vysytacy­ons or ghostly vysyons / whether they come of god or of y^e fende. ¶ Also how god is the fulfyller of holi desyres of his seruauntes. ¶ And howe it pleaseth god moche whan a mā axeth and prayeth with parseueraūce / and knocketh at y^e gate of his sothefastnes / and of other maters / as it is shewed before in the kalen­der. Ca. ii.

I Haue fulfylled here dere doughter to the now & de­clared that that is spede­full to cōserue and encrese parfeccyon ī thy soule. ¶ Now ther­fore I shall declare that that y^u askes of me by what tokē y^u sholde knowe whan a soule receyueth my vysyta­cyon / whether it were of vysyons / or of other ghostly comfortes / wher I shewed the tokens / how y^u sholde knowe whether it were of me or not. ¶ And it was this token / gladnes y^t be lefte after vysyons in a soule / and hongre of vertu / and namely whan it were oned with the very vertu of mekenesse / and also brenned w^t the fyre of charyte. ¶ But bycause thou askes me whether in suche gladnes maye be receyued ony dysceyte of y^e fēde / for yf thou kewe it / thou wolde cleue to the surer party. ¶ Therfore I shall tell the the dysceyte y^t maye [Page]be receyued in suche gladnes / and how thou shall knowe whan glad­nes is very trewe / & whan it is not trewe. ¶ Dysceyte may be receyued in this wyse / I wyll y^u thou knowe that what maner thynge a reasona­ble creature loueth or desyreth to haue / after tyme he hathe it / he ha­the it ī hate. ¶ And y^e more he loueth that he hathe / the lesse he seeth ther­in / and the more vncunnynge he is for to knowe with prudence whens it cometh that he hathe / and that is for the loue that he hathe in that cō ­forte / for the ioye in y^e receyuynge of that thynge that he loueth wyll not suffre hym for to se it / nor he repen­teth not though he neuer se it. ¶ In the same wyse / they that delyte thē moche and loue mentall comforte / they seke after vysyons / and they set more theyr pryncypall affeccyon in delyte of comforte / thā pryncypally in me / as I haue sayd to the before. ¶ And of all suche namely that be yet in the state of imparfeccyon the whiche rather beholden to the gyfte of comfortes that I gyue them thā to affeccyon of my charyte / whiche I gyue them more specyally. ¶ In this they maye receyue dysceytes / how they be dysceyued I shall tell the. ¶ After tyme suche haue cōcey­ued a grete loue ī receyuȳge of ghostly cōfortes or vysyons / ī what wyse that euer they come they fele a ioye / for they haue y^e thynge whiche they loue and desyre / and this maye come of the fende / for thoughe it come w^t gladnes / yet it endeth with peyne & pryckynge of cōscyence / and voyde fro y^e desyre of vertu. ¶ For yf suche gladnesse be founde without seruet desyre of vertu and very mekenesse / brenned in y^e ouen of my dyuyne charyte / that vysytacyō / comforte / and vysyon / that suche a soule receyueth is of the fende & not of me / thoughe she fele a token of gladnes / but by­cause gladnes is not oned with affeccyon of loue (as it is sayde) y^u maye openly knowe that suche gladnesse is of her owne propre delectacyon / and that is the cause of her ioye / by­cause that [...]he hathe that she desy­reth / for y^e condycyon of loue is this / for to loue that ioye that it feleth. ¶ Therfore thou maye not truste ī ioy alone / though it seme y^e ynoughe in receyuynge of suche ghostly com­fortes / for an vncunnynge loue in suche ioye maye lyghtly be dyscey­ued of y^e fende / yf it haue none other prudēce. ¶ And yf it be w^tyse / it shall se a token withoute dysceyte of the fende / that is yf it walke with affec­cyō of vertu / or not. ¶ This is a very shewynge tokē for to knowe whā it is dysceyte / and whan not. ¶ In the same wyse it is of the gladnesse that y^u receyues in thy soule of me / and of that gladnesse whiche thou receyues in y^e soule of thy owne pro­pre spyrytuall delectacyon. ¶ For y^e gladnesse the whiche is of me / is o­ned to affeccyon of vertu / and that gladnesse the whiche dothe come of the fende / is but gladnesse alone w^t ­out folowynge of ony vertu / for as­moche vertu he feleth whā it is gone as he dyd at the begynnynge. ¶ An suche gladnesse cometh of the loue [Page]that they haue in the ghostly com­forte / as it is rehersed before. ¶ I wyll also that thou knowe that al be not dyseeyued by suche gladnesse / but onely suche vnꝑfyte folke / that set all theyr ioye more in the gyfte of comforte and delyte of vysytacyon / than in me y^t am the gyuer. ¶ And all suche that with ony beholdynge of other thynge than of me / beholdē feruently rather to affeccyon of me that am the gyuer / thā to the gyfte / and so they loue the gyfte for me / & not for theyr owne cōforte maye ne­uer be dysceyued of theyr gladnesse / in tyme of vysyōs or vysytacyons. ¶ And therfore they knowe ryghte well whan y^e fende cometh in forme of lyghte / for to dysceyue by suche maner of gladnes / as soone as they aspy it is he / anone they knowe thē ­selfe with theyr owne very knowlege / and dyspyse suche comforte / grypynge and clypped the doctryne of my charyte. ¶ And for shame the fende gothe fro them / but all suche that loue theyr ghostly comforte do the cōtrary. ¶ For they may knowe yf they wyll his dysceytes (as I haue sayde) that is fyndȳge in theyr owne soules ioye withoute vertu / not goynge oute of the same pathe of mekenesse / and very charyte / and hongre of my worshyp endeles god / and also of helthe of soules / lyke as my parfyte and trewe louers done. ¶ Lo doughter my endelesse good­nesse hathe prouyded thus / for par­fyte and vnparfyte / in what state y^t they stonde / for to knowe dysceytes of the fende / in tyme of vysyons and vysytacyons / that they be not dys­ceyued / yf they wyll kepe the lyghte of intelleccyon / the whiche I haue gyuen to you / with the clere syghte of ryghte holy feythe / the whiche lyghte letteth the fende for to sha­dowe vpon you his dysceytes / and therfore neuer auoyde this lyghte of grace awaye fro you / for yf ye ne­uer auoyde it awaye fro you / there is none that maye take it awaye fro you. ¶ How that god is y^e fulfyller of holy desyres of his seruauntes / & how it pleaseth god moche whan a man dothe aske with parseueraūce / and knocketh at the gate of his sothefastnesse. NOw dere doughter I haue fully declared to the and yllu­myned the eye of thy intelleccyon / agaynste the dysceytes that y^e fende maye do to the / and so I haue satys­fyed thy desyre of that thynge thou dyd aske me / for I am not a dyspy­ser of the desyres of my seruauntes / but I gyue to the the asker / & styrre the for to aske / & he dyspleaseth me ryghte moche that knocketh not ve­ryly at the gate of my sothefastnesse (that is Ihesu) suynge the doctryne of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryst / shewȳge his doctryne / whiche is nothynge elles / but a maner kno­ckynge and cryenge to me endelesse fader / by the voyce of holy desyre / w^t meke and contynuall prayers. ¶ I am that fader y^t gyueth to you breed of grace / by medyacyon of the gate that is of my sone Ihesu / and other whyle sor to proue your desyres and ꝑseueraūce / I feyne me as thoughe I vnderstode you not in youre as­kynge / [Page]and yet I vnderstonde you well ynoughe / and yet in the mene whyle / that that is spedefull for you I gyue you. ¶ For I gyue you bo­the hongre and wyll / by the whiche ye cryen to me. ¶ And thā I seynge your stydfastnes and parseueraūce / in that that they be ordynately dy­recte to me I fulfyll. ¶ To this cal­lynge my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu hathe styrred you / where he say­the thus / knocke and it shall be ope­ned to you / aske and you shall haue / serche and you shall fynde. ¶ So I wyl that thou do / that thy desyre ne­uer cease ī askynge of my helpe / nor bowe not awaye thy voyce fro me endelesse fader / that I maye shewe and do mercy to the worlde. ¶ Nor cese not for to knocke at the gate of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / in suȳge of his steppes. ¶ Delyte therfore ī his passyon / erynge with hym vpon the table of the crosse y^e meet of helthe of soules / for ioy / presynge / and honour of my name / and wayle there hertefully the bethe of man­kȳde / whome thou sees fall in grete wretchednes. ¶ For ther is no tōgue in erthe suffycyent / to tell the wret­chednesse that is vsed ī this worlde / & therfore by suche waylynge / we­pynge / and cryenge / I wyll shewe mercy to the worlde. ¶ This thȳge it is that I desyre and requyre of my seruauntes / and that is a tokē that they loue me veryly (and therfore as Isayd) I shal neuer dyspyse nor sette lytell by theyr deuoute desyres. ¶ Howe this deuoute soule dothe meke her and yeldeth thākynges to god / and how that she prayeth for all the worlde / and specyal for holy chyrche / and also specyally for her ghost­ly dyscyples / and for her two ghost­ly faders / and after this she asketh to her of the dedes of mynystres to holy chyrche. T'Han that deuoute soule was veryly drunke by vnyon of loue / by the whiche she was alye­ned and rapte fro herselfe / and her bodyly felynges / and araysed her­selfe aboue herselfe / beholdynge w^t the eye of intelleccyon in the endeles truthe of god / and sayde thus. ¶ O souerayne endeles goodnesse of god what wrecthe am I / that it shall please the my swete souerayne endeles fader to shewe to me thy sothefast­nes / and also the pryue subtyltes of the fende / and dysceytes of my owne sensualyte / y^e whiche dysceytes bo­the I and other myghte receyue in this wepynge worde / and knowe them not / but yf we hadde be enfor­med before. ¶ Good lorde who styr­red y^e here to? ¶ Certayne thy owne loue / for thou dyd loue me / or than I loued the. ¶ O fyre of loue / than­kynge be to y^t endelesse fader / I vn­parlyte and full of derkenesse / and thou parfyte and full of lyghte hase shewed me parfeccyon / and a clere shynynge waye of doctryne / of thy onely sothefast sone Ihesu. ¶ I was deed / and y^u hase yraysed me / I was seke and thou hase gyuē me medycynes / and not onely the medycyne of y^e blode y^t y^u gaue to mākynde by medyacyō of thy sones passyō / but thou hase gyuē me an other specyal medycyne agaynst my pryuy sekenesse / y^e [Page]whiche I neuer knewe before / by y^t doctryne that thou hase gyuen me / y^t in no wyse I shold Iudge ony maner reasonable creatures and specy­ally thy seruauntes / of whome oftē ­tymes as a blynde wretche / and lan gorynge in this sekenes / vnder co­lour of the honour & worshyp of thy name and helthe of soules / I haue gyue Iudgementes. ¶ Wherfore I thanke the endeles & infynyte good­nesse / for thou hase made me knowe by manyfestacyō or shewynge of thy sothefastnesse / bothe dysccyte of the fende / and also the infyrmyte of my owne passyō / wherfore of synguler grace and mercy I beseche the / that fro this dare forewarde I go neuer oute fro thy doctryne / that thy ende­lesse goodnesse hathe taughte me / & also for all those that wyll folowe the same doctryne. ¶ For withoute the is nothynge done / to the therfore I fle the endelesse fader / and I maye not praye for me to the endelesse fa­der / but for all the worlde / and specyally for the mysteryall body our moder holy chyrche / that this truthe of doctryne shyne in the mynystres of holy chyrche / & yet specyally I praye the for them all / that thou hase take for to loue in specyall loue / whome thou hase made one with me / for they sholde be my refresshȳge & cōforte / whan I se them renne by this doc­tryne vndefouled / and mortyfyed to all theyr owne wylles. ¶ And with­out ony demynge or / sclaūdrynge / or grutchynge of theyr neyghbours to the worshyp & honour of thy holy name. ¶ I praye the therfore infy­nyte loue / that none of thē be with­drawe fro thy hondes by the fende of hell / but that they maye come to the / that arte the ende of all theyr la­boure. ¶ Also I praye y^t for two pyllers / the whiche be my two ghostly faders / whome thou hase lēde to me for my kepynge and doctryne of me most wretched and seke fro y^e begynnȳge of my lyuȳge vnto this tyme / that y^u make thē bothe one of two bodyes & one soule / & that none of thē take hede to none other thynge pryncypally / than for to fulfyll the my­nystery of theyr offyces the whiche thou hase put in to theyr hondes for helthe of soules to y^e worshyp of thy holy name. ¶ And I vnworthy & moste wretched seruaunte (and not a doughter) may tēderly kepe theyr doctryne with du reuerence and ho­ly drede / and that also I maye drede them reuerently for thy loue / that it be to the worshyp / and to thē pease and quyetnesse and edyfycacyon of theyr neyghboure. ¶ I am ryghte certayne endelesse truthe / that thou shall not dyspyse my desyre / nor my askynges that I haue asked of the / for I knowe well by the shewynge that thou hase shewed to me / and moche more by experyēce that thou art accepter & taker of holy desyres. ¶ Therfore I thy vnworthy seruaūt shall besy me after y^e grace y^t y^u hase gyuen me for to kepe thy doctryne & byddȳge. ¶ O endeles fader I haue mȳde of thy worde y^t y^u told me / whā y^u tolde me certayne thynges of thy ministers of our moder holi chyrche & y^u sayde y^t thou wolde tell me more [Page]playnly ī an other place of theyr wyckednesse that they vse these dayes / wherfore yf it be lykȳge to thy goodnes / I desyre that thou tell me some what therof / that I maye haue mater therof for to encrese in sorowe & compassyon and lōgynge desyre for the helthe of theyr soules. ¶ For as I remembre me nowe / thou sayde that to all those that haue compassyon / peyne / wepynges / sorowes / swetynges / and prayers for synners / y^u wolde gracyously refresshe them by reformynge of holy chyrche / with good and holy pastoures or shepe­herdes. ¶ Therfore bycause al these sholde encrese in me / I aske the and praye the of this thȳge. ¶ How that god beholdeth the besynes of this soule aboute prayer / and answereth to some of her petycyons. ¶ Than endelesse god tournynge to her the eye of his mercy / not dyspysynge her desyre / but rather receyuynge and alowynge her askynge / wyllȳge for to satysfy to the laste petycon y^t she made of his behestes / sayde thus. ¶ O ryghteswete and dere dough­ter ī that that thou hase asked of me / I shall satysfy thy desyre / so that y^u be not vpon thy syde ygnoraunte & neclygente / for it were more greuo­us to the and worthy more reprefe / suche ygnoraunce and neclygence now than fyrste / for thou knowes now more of my truthe / than thou knewe than. ¶ Besy the therfore for to pray for al reasonable creatures / & for y^e mysteryall body of holy chyr­che / and for them whome I haue cō mytted to y^e / that y^u loue them specyally / & that y^u be not neclygent for to praye for thē / bothe by ensample of lyuynge & spekynge by worde / repreuynge vycys / & cōmendynge vertu after thy power. ¶ Of those pyllers whome I haue lēde to y^e / of whome thou hase tolde me / and sothe it is y^t they be pyllers. ¶ Do so that thou be a mene for to yelde to eche of thē after the ablenes of them / as I thy maker shall make open to the / for w^t out me / y^u may nothȳge do. & Thā I shall fulfyll thy desyres / therfore loke thou fayle not / nor they neuer in my hope / for in you shal not lacke my prouydence / and eche of thē shal receyue that thynge / the whiche he is able for to receyue. ¶ And in the same wyse euery mynystre shall re­ceyue y^t thȳge y^t I shall gyue hȳ for to mynystre / after his maner as he receyueth & taketh of my goodnes.

¶ In this thyrde chapyter god sheweth to this soule of y^e dygnyte of preestes / & of the sacrament of his holy body / & of them y^t do receyue y^t sacra­ment worthyly. ¶ Also how all y^e bodyly wyttes or felyn­ges be dysceyued ī y^t foresayd sacramēt / but not y^e felȳunges of y^e soule. ¶ Therfore with y^t felynges or wyttes of y^e soule y^t holy sacrament shall be se­en / rasted / & feled / and of other maters / as it is rehersed be­fore in y^e kalender. Ca. iii.

I Shall answere to the of y^t thou askes me of the my­nysters of holy chyrche / & that y^u may veryly knowe the truthe / open the eye of thy intel­leccyon / and beholde the excellence of them in how greate dygnyte I haue sette theym. ¶ But bycause a contrary is lyghtly knowe by his contraryte / I wyll shewe the fyrste the dygnyte of them that haue ver­tuously onely excercysed the tresour that I haue betake to theyr hondes and so by that thou shall the better knowe theyr wretchydnes / y^t these dayes fede them at the brest of this spouse holy chyrche. ¶ Than this deuoute soule for to obeye to his byddynge / dyd beholde cōtemplatyfely in the sothefastnesse of hym / in the whiche sothefastnesse she sawe ver­tues shyne / in very tasters. ¶ Thā endeles almyghty god sayde to this deuoute soule / dere doughter fyrste I wyll tell the the dygnyte of them (in y^e whiche dygnyte) I of my goodnesse haue sette them and ordeyned them / and shewed them loue aboue the generall loue / that I haue to all other creatures / makynge thē fyrst as I haue made all other reasona­ble creatures / to y^t ymage & lykenes of me. ¶ And also in y^e reformynge of thē / as I haue reformed all other reasonable creatures / ī y^e precyous blode of my swete sone Ihesu. ¶ Al­so aboue all this I haue sette you in suche excellēce by vnyon of my god­hed / y^t I haue to them in mākynde / y^t they haue more excellence & dyg­nyte thā an angell / for youre kynde I haue take vpon me / & not y^t kȳde of an angell (for as I haue sayde to the) I god was made man / & man was made god / as by vnyon of my dyuyne nature / in youre nature. ¶ These thȳges in generall I haue gyuē to euery reasonable creature / but ymōges these creatures I haue chosē my specyal mynystres for your helthe / that by thē maye be mynys­tred to you y^e blode of my onely meke and vndefouled lambe Ihesu cryst. ¶ To suche I haue gyue y^e sone for to be mynystred / gyuynge also ther with to them the lyghte of cunnȳge and the fyre of my dyuyne charyte and also oned with lyght of hete / y^t is with the blode and the body of my sone / the whiche is one sonne / for it is the same with me / that am very sonne. ¶ And in somoche it is oned to me / that the one of vs maye not be departed fro that other / no more than maye the hete of the sonne fro the lyghte / nor the lyghte fro y^e hete. ¶ That sonne is neuer deuyded / & yet to all the worlde / and to ony cre­ature that wyll be made warme by hym / it gyueth lyghte / & this sonne is neuer defouled / for none vnclen­nes. ¶ In the same wyse my onely sone that is flesshe and blode / is one sonne / all god / and all man / for it is one the same with me / and I with hym / my myghte is neuer departed fro his wysedome / nor the heer of y^e fyre of the holy ghost is neuer departed fro me y^e fader / nor fro my sone / for he is one w^t vs / for the holy ghost goth out fro me y^e fader / & my sone / and not fro the trynyte / and we be [Page]one the same sonne. ¶ I am y^e same sonne endeles god / of whome gothe out bothe the sone and y^e holy ghost also. ¶ To the holy ghost fyre is ap­propryate / to the sone wysedome / in y^e whiche wysedome my mynystres do receyue a lyght of grace / for that same lyghte is mynystred w^t lyght / and with kyndenes of benefytes re­ceyued of me endelesse fader / shew­ynge the doctryne of this wysedome that is of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu. ¶ This is the same lyghte / that hathe ī hym the colour of youre manheed / the one is knytte with y^e other / so the lyghte of my godheed was the same onely lyghte with the colour of youre manheed / y^e whiche colour was man shynynge / whā he was impassyble by vertu of the god heed in dyuyne nature / and that by mene & medyacyon of this my one­ly sothefast sone incarnate / cōmyxte and medled with the lyghte of my goodheed in dyuyne nature / and w^t fyre and hete of the holy ghost / ye receyuen lyghte. ¶ To whome haue I gyuen that lyghte to be mynys­tred? ¶ Certeynly to my mynysters mynystrȳge in the mysteryal body of holy chyrche / & that ye may very­ly haue euerlastynge lyfe / I make them for to gyue to you that blessyd body in sacrament of the auter vn­to youre ghostly meet / and that blessyd blode in to ghostly drynke. ¶ I sayde also to y^e / that that body maye not begyue without blode / nor blode and body withoute the soule of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / nor soule and body withoute godheed of me endelesse god / for there maye none of all these be departed fro other / for byuyne nature ones knyte to man­kynde / maye neuer be departed fro it / nother by dethe nor by yet no o­ther thynge / and so ye receyue all the sencyble beynge of god in that swete sacrament / vnder the whyte­nesse of breed. ¶ And ryghte as the sonne maye not be departed / ryghte so all god and all mā in this whyte­nesse of the blessyd sacrament maye not be departed / thoughe the hoste were deuyded in to a thousande partes / ī euery party I am all god and & al man / ryghte as a myrrour that is dyuyded / in euery dyuysyō is se­en the ymage of a man / and yet the ymage is not deuyded / ryght so this host dyuyded / and yet it is not dyuyded all god and all man / but it is in euery party of it hole and al / nor it is not therfore lessed in it selfe. ¶ For ryghte as the lyghte of a candell / to the whiche thoughe all the worlde come for to fetche parte of his lyght / his lyghte is neuerthelesse / and yet eche y^t fetcheth therof haue al lyght ¶ Neuerthelesse y^u maye parceyue y^t all take not lyght egally / for some take more & some lesse / after y^e mater y^t the fetcher brȳgeth w^t hȳ / & that y^u may y^e better vnderstōde m [...] / I shal shewe y^e an ensāple. ¶ Yf ther were many y^t bare cādels or tapers / some of an oūce / some y^e weyghte of two oūces / some of a poūde or more / & al sholde go fetche lyghte w^t theyr ta­pers / y^u wolde saye thou sawe theym all bere lyght / hete / and colour / and yet neuerthelesse thou wolde deme [Page]that he bate lesse lyght in his taper of an ounce / than he y^t bare the can­of a poude. ¶ In the same wyse it happeth of thē that do receyue this sacrament and bere theyr candeles / that is theyr holy desyre / by the whiche holy desyre this sacrament is receyued / the whiche cādell of holy de­syre is quenched in it selfe / and by receyuynge of this holy sacramente / it is extyncte and quenched (as I se it in it selfe) for of youre selfe you be noughte. ¶ Neuerthelesse I gyue you mater / by y^e whiche ye maye re­ceyue and noryshe in yourselfe this lyghte. ¶ This mater is nothynge elles / but loue / for pure of loue I haue made you / and therfore with­out loue ye maye not lyue. ¶ This essencyall beynge gyuen to you by loue receyueth dysposycyon in the holy baptym / the whiche baptym / ye dyd receyue in y^t vertu of y^e bles­syd sacrament of my onely sothefast sone for in none other wyse ye maye take parte of y^t lyghte (that is reherced before) but rather ye sholde be lyke to a candell without wyke / that in no wyse maye brenne / nor receyue that lyghte within hym. ¶ In the same wyse / yf you do not receyue in youre soule the wyke that receyueth this lyghte / the whiche is called the lyght of very fey the / and also be not come to y^t grace / the whiche ye dyd receyue in the holy baptym / with affeccyō of youre soule / formed and a­bled by me for to loue / the whiche affeccyon is so apte for to loue / that w^t ­out loue it maye not lyue / for loue is his meet. ¶ But where catcheth suche a soule lyght so oned / as I haue sayde. ¶ Certayne at the fyre of my dyuyne charyte / louynge me & dre­dynge me / and suynge the doctryne of my onely sothefaste truthe. ¶ Neuertheles as I sayd some do catche more lyghte / and some lesse / after y^e mater that he bereth / and gyueth to the fyre. ¶ For thoughe all ye haue one mater / that is bycause ye be all made and create / and formed to the ymage of me. ¶ And y^t also ye haue receyued the lyghte of holy baptym / and so be made crysten men / eche of you maye encrese in loue and vertu as it is plesaūte and lykynge to my grace for to gyue you. ¶ Not for to chaunge the shappe and forme that I haue gyuē you / but that ye make encrese / and y^t vertues maye growe in you by loue / vsynge in youre vertu fre choys / and vsynge also affec­cyon of charyte / & so in loue ye maye encrese (as it is reherced) with the whiche loue / ye sholde come for to receyue y^t swete and gloryous lyghte / the whiche I haue gyue to you for to be mynystred / by mene of my mynysters that I haue gyuen to you / in to youre ghostly meet / and ye re­ceyue somoche of y^t ghostly lyghte / as you bere of loue and holy desyre / and thoughe it so be (as I sayde) y^e ye receyue all the lyghte (by ensam­ple as I shewed to you by them that bare tapers) that after the quanty­te of y^e weyghte / so they dyd receyue lyghte lesse or more / all be it thou se hole lyghte in eche of those tapers / not dyuyded / for that maye not be for no maner of imparfeccyō of you / [Page]nother of the receyuer nor of the my­nystre / but ye take asmoche of that lyghte in you that is of grace / whi­che ye receyue in this sacramente / as ye dyspose you for to receyue by holy desyre. ¶ And yf ony go to this blessyd sacrament with trespas of deedly synnes / he shall in nowyse receyue grace of it / all thoughe he re­ceyue actually all god and all mā in the same sacrament / as it is before sayde. ¶ Wyll y^u knowe how suche a soule stondeth that receyueth this sacrament vnworthely? ¶ It ston­deth lyke a cādle / in the whiche wa­ter is fall / y^e whiche neuer ceseth to crye & make noyse / as lōge as y^e wa­ter toucheth y^e fyre in y^e wyke / & as soone as the water is fully entred ī to the wyke / it is quenched & is lost / than is no fyre ī it / but onely smoke. ¶ In the same wyse y^e soule bereth ī herselfe a cādell of gracyous lyght / that it receyued in the sacrament of holy baptym / in to the whiche soule entreth water of synne / and quen­cheth the wyke of lyght of gracyous baptym / where it waxeth vndyspo­sed / and so vnchaufed at the fyre of very contrycyon / she is confessed generally of al her synnes / and in that wyse she gothe to the auter for to re­ceyue that blessyd sacrament actu­ally / and not mētally. ¶ Thus this very gracyous lyghte dwelleth not in a soule vndefouled by grace / that dysposeth her not as the sholde dys­pose her to suche a worthy sacramēt but it gothe awaye / & than in suche a soule dwelleth and abydeth ryght greate confusyon & shaiue by greatenes of y^e synne / after tyme y^t lyght is so quēched / for of that blessyd sacra­ment suche a sole feleth none other thynge / but onely cryenge & noyse by remors of conscyence / not for de­faute that is in the lyghte / for that maye in no wyse be hurte / but for defaute that is in the water whiche is founde in the soule / and letteth affeccyon of y^e soule / in suche maner that the soule maye not receyue this gracyous lyghte. ¶ And thus y^u know­es well / that in no wyse this lyghte maye be departed / fro the hete and coloure of y^e same lyghte / nother for the lytell desyre that the soule hathe in receyuynge of this sacrament / nother for defaute that is ī the soule y^e whiche receyueth it / nor also of hȳ that mynystreth it / as I haue tolde the by ensample of the sonne / that thoughe it shyne vpō a foule thȳge / yet it is not therby defyled. ¶ In y^e same wyse this ryght well byloued lyghte in this blessyd sacrament in no wyse maye be defouled / nor deuyded nor lessed. ¶ I sayde also that y^t lyghte of the sofie maye not be deꝑ­ted fro his spere / though al y^e worlde take bothe lyghte and hete of hym. ¶ In y^t same wyse this blessyd bo­dy the sacrament of the auter / my blessyd onely sothefaste sone / that very sonne maye not be departed fro me the sonne that am endelesse fa­der / thoughe all it be mynystred by the mysteryall body of holy chyrche / to what reasonable creature y^t wyll receyue it / but rather it is all hole / & it is all receyued bothe god and mā as I gaue the ensample by lyghte / [Page]wher I sayd / thoughe all y^e worlde toke lyghte of thy candell / yet is thy lyght neuer y^t lesse / but it is all hole / and neuerthelesse al receyue it hole. ¶ How all the bodyly wyttes or fe­lynges be dysceyued ī the foresayde sacrament / but not the felynges of the soule / therfore with felynges & wyttes of the soule that holy sacra­ment shall be seen / tasted / and feled / and here of is a vysyon whiche this deuoute soule dyd se within this mater folowynge. DEre doughter o­pen the eye of thy intelleccyon for to se y^t depenes of my charyte / for ther is no reasonable creature but that he sholde melte & dyssolue his herte by affeccyon of loue / yf ymonges al other benefytes the whiche he recey­ueth of me / he beholde worthely to the benefyte y^t he receyueth in this blessyd sacrament of y^e auter. ¶ And with what eye dere doughter sholde thou & other beholde / & se / touche / & parceyue this blessyd mystery? Not onely with touchynge and syghte of the body / for all the bodyly felynges and wyttes fayle ī that sacrament / thy bodyly eye seeth nothynge / but whytenesse of breed / the same tou­cheth thy hondes / and the taste sauoreth nothynge elles / but the sauour of breed / & so the grete bodyly wyt­tes be dysceyued. ¶ The felynge & the wyttes of the soule maye not be dysceyued therin (but yf they wyll) that is in withdrawynge the lyghte of feythe / by medyacyon of feythe­fulnesse. ¶ Who is he that tasteth / seeth / and toucheth / this blessyd sa­cramente? ¶ Certayne the felynge of the soule. ¶ With what eye seeth the soule that blessyd sacramente? ¶ With the eye of intelleccyon / yf in that eye be the perle / or clere syghte of very feythe. ¶ This eye than se­eth in that whytenes all god and all man / dyuyne nature oned with the nature of man / body / soule / & blode / of cryst / the soule oned in the body / and the body and soule oned with my dyuyne nature / neuer fro me dyscordynge (as I tolde the) yf y^u haue mynde in the begynnynge of thy cō ­uersyon. ¶ And not onely with the eye of intelleccyon / but also with the bodyly eye / and thoughe it so were that thy bodyly eye had lost a greate parte of his syghte / yet the eye of in­telleccyon hathe euer clere syghte. ¶ I shewed the ones for a declaracyon of the same sacrament / agaynste the batayle that the fende put to the of the same sacrament / and that I dyd to the for to make the encrese in loue / and in y^e lyghte of holy feythe. ¶ Also thou knowes well that thou wente to the chyrche very erly in a morowe for to here masse / and be­fore that thou was sore vexed of the fende / and ther thou stode before an auter of the crucyfyxe / where as a preest came and sayde masse / and al that masse tyme thou dyd consydre thy defautes / and thou was aferde for to offende me / for all the tempta­cyons y^t the fende dyd to the. ¶ And than thou beganne for to consydre the greate affeccyon of my endelesse charyte / the whiche hathe made the ryghte worthy for to here masse / al­though y^u demes thyselfe vnworthy [Page]for to entre ī to my holy tēple. ¶ Thā after tyme y^e preest came to y^e tyme of consecracyon / thou dyd beholde tyght besyly the preest / and whā he sayd wordes of cōsecracyō / I made me open to the / and so thou sawe co­mynge out of my brest / a lyghte as it hadde by a sonne beme comynge out fro the whele of the sonne / and not departynge fro the same whele or rundel of the sonne / in the whiche lyghte came a culuer and flykered or dyd smyte his wynges togyder a­boute the hoste of shewynge ioy and gladnesse / for vertu of those wordes that the preest sayde in tyme of cōse­cracyon. ¶ And so thy bodyly eye was not suffycyent for to suffre to se suche a lyghte / but thy syghte onely belefte in the eye of intelleccyon / there thou sawe and tasted the depenesse of the trynyte / all god & all mā hyd and couered vnder whytenesse of breed. ¶ And nother the greate lyghte that thou haddest of me / nor the worthy presence of me that thou dyd fele in the intellectually / toke not awaye nor mynsshed the wyte­nesse of breed / for that one was no lettynge to that other / that is for to se me intellectually very god & ve­ry man in that lykenesse of breed / nor also that lykenesse of breed was not yet yletted by me / for fro that lykenesse of breed / was neuer with drawt whytenesse / nor touchynge / nor sauour. ¶ This reuelacyon and vysyon was shewed to y^e of my ende lesse goodnesse / the whiche endelesse goodnes gaue to the eye of thy intelleccyon / a clere syght w^t holy feythe. ¶ Therfore the eye of intelleccyon sholde be thy prȳcypall syghte / and with that syghte ye sholde beholde the sacrament of the auter. ¶ But who toucheth y^t sacrament? ¶ Cer­tayne the honde of loue / for that sa­crament the whiche is seen & know­en w^t the eye of intelleccyon / is tou­ched with y^t honde of loue / of feythe it is touched / with the hōde of loue / as thoughe he certyfyed hymselfe of that thynge that he seeth by feythe / and knewe by intelleccyon. ¶ But now what thȳge tasteth that sacrament? ¶ The taste of holy desyre / y^e taste of the body tasteth nothynge elles but sauour of breed / but y^t taste of y^e soule that is holy desyre tasteth bothe god and man in that holy sa­cramēt / vnder forme of breed. ¶ Sees thou not now how thy bodyly fe­lynges be dysceyued / and not y^e wyttes of y^e soule / for they be claryfyed and cerfyfyed in y^e sothe / in asmoche as the eye of intelleccyō sawe it with the perle of very clere feythe. ¶ The taste also of the soule / tasteth it with feruent desyre of my brennȳge cha­ryte / by the whiche brennynge cha­ryte / I made the soule worthy for to receyue that worthy sacramente / and also the grace of the sacrament. ¶ Thus thou maye thā se / [...]hat not onely withoute the bodyly wyttes / ye shold se and receyue that blessyd sacrament / but also with ghostly fe­lynges / dysposynge the wyttes of youre soule with affeccyon of loue / for to se / receyue / & taste (as I haue sayde) that moste blessyd sacramēt of the auter / the body of my blessyd [Page]sone Ihesu. ¶ Of the excellence in the whiche a soule stondeth / that receyueth this sacramēt ī grace. BE­holde now dere doughter ī what ex­cellence dwelleth a soule that recey­ueth this blessyd sacrament / y^e whi­che is called quycke breed or breed of lyfe / & angels fode. ¶ Whā suche a worthy soule receyueth y^t blessyd sacrament / he dwelleth in me & I in hym / as a fysshe dwelleth in the see / and the see in y^t fysshe. ¶ In y^e same myse suche a soule dwelleth in me y^t am the peaseable see / and I y^e pease able see dwell in suche a soule. ¶ In suche a soule also dwelleth grace / for whā suche one receyueth this breed of lyfe / grace dwelleth in grace after the consumpcyon of that musteryal quycke breed / and so I leue in you / the ymage of my grace. ¶ Ryght as a seyle put vpon hote waxe / after y^e tyme that it lyfte vp & takē awaye / the prynte of the ymage dothe re­mayne. ¶ In y^e same wyse y^e vertu of this sacrament remayneth in the soule / for to you remayneth the hete of charyte / the mekenesse of the ho­ly ghost / and y^e lyghte of wysedome of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / by Illumynynge of the eye of intellec­leccyon / in the same wysedome for to knowe and se ī hym the doctryne of my charyte. ¶ In y^t same wyse a soule is stronge / of my strengthe ra­kȳge parte of my heuēly myght / & so I make suche a soule stronge aga­ynste his owne sencyble passyon / a­gaynst the temptacyōs of y^e fendes / and agaynste the wretched worlde. ¶ And thus thou maye se that ther remayneth alwaye a prynte or an ymage of grace / after tyme y^t ghost­ly mater of the sacrament of the au­ter is receyued & ghostly consumed. ¶ This ghostly mater thus recey­ued and ghostly consumed / thā this very sonne tourneth agayne to his whele and roundell / not that it was departed fro the same whele / but y^t it was and is euer oned and knytte with me togyder in one. ¶ But the depenesse of my dyuyne charyte for your helthe / hathe gyuē to you meet in this lyfe / in the whiche lyfe ye be pylgrymes and straūgers / for to re­ceyue you / and for ye sholde not lose y^e mȳde of my benefites of my sones precyous blode. ¶ Also therfore it is gyuē to you in to your ghostly meet by my dyuyne dyspensacyon / for helpynge of youre necessytes or nedes. ¶ Thus than beholde howmoche ye be bounde to me / for to yelde me loue agayne / for so greate loue that I haue shewed to you / and also for bycause that I am endelesse & most souerayne sothefastenesse / worthy to be loued of you. ¶ How the wor­des that be sayde of the excellence of the sacrament / ben sayde of the dygnyte of preestes that sholde better knowe / and how god asketh more purete & clennesse of body & soule of thē / than of other of his creatures. ALl this haue I tolde the dere doughter that thou maye the better knowe the dygnyte in the whiche I haue sette my mynysters. ¶ And also that thou haue y^t more compassy­on of theyr wretchydnes / for yf they themselfe beholde theyr owne dyg­nyte / [Page]they wolde neuer dwell in the derkenes of deedly synnes / nor they wolde neuer defoule y^e faces of theyr soules with y^t spottes of deedly syn­nes / and not onely that they sholde ascape withoute offence of me and theyr owne dygnyte / for thoughe y they betake theyr bodyes to the fyre it sholde be ryghte lytell satysfaccy­on of the trespas / to so grete grace / & so greate a benefyte as they haue receyued / for in this worlde they myght neuer come to so grete a dygnyte. ¶ They be onely my anoȳted people for I call them my crystes / and to them haue I betake myselfe for to be mynystred to you / and also I haue sende them in to the myste­ryall body of holy chyrche / as ryght swete smellȳge floures. ¶ This dygnyte hathe not an angel / but I haue gyuen it to mē / to suche as I haue chosen for my mynysters / whome I haue ordeyned ī erthe as angels / and they sholde be called angels of erthe in this lyfe / for as angels they sholde be. ¶ In euery soule I re­quyre purete and charyte / by y^e whiche he sholde loue me pryncypally & his neyghboure / & also for to helpe hym in that he can and maye / other by temporall good / or by mynystra­cyon of prayer / and so for to dwell togyder in the loue of charyte / as I haue vpon this same mater tolde y^t ī an other place. ¶ Moche more therfore I requyre purete and loue ī my mynystres / bothe anendes me and also anendes theyr neyghbours / mynystrynge bothe to themselfe and to theyr neyghbours / the body and the blode in the sacrament of the auter / of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / with the fyre of charyte / and hongre of helthe of soules / for the glory and laude of my name. ¶ For ryghte as my mynysters wyll haue clene cha­lyces for to put in that blessyd sacra­ment / so I requyre in them y^e pure­te of herte / and clennesse of soule in them. ¶ I wyl also that the body of them the whiche is an instrumēt of the soule be kepte in parfyte purete and clennesse / and I wyll not that they noryshe it in the fylthe of vnclē nes / nor y^t they be proude nor hyghe of herte / sekynge grete prelaces / nor that they be cruell anendes thēselfe & theyr neyghbours / for they maye not vse theyr owne cruelte without harmynge of theyr neyghbours / [...]or yf they be to themselfe cruell / they be cruell in receyuȳge of synne / and so they be of y^e soules of theyr neygh­bours / bycause they gyue to theym no ensample of lyfe. ¶ Nor all suche haue no fere [...]or to pull [...]ute soules out of the fendes hondes / nor for to mynystre to them the body and the blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / & also me very lyghte (as I haue sayde) nor also none other sacramēt of holy chyrche. ¶ And thus all the whyle they be to thē thꝰ cruell / they be in the same wyse to other so cru­ell. ¶ How that sacramentes sholde neuer be soulde nor boughte / & they that receyue the sacramentes sholde helpe the mynystres with theyr temporall goodes / whiche goodes the mynysters sholde dyspose & ordeyne for to be dysposed in to thre partes. [Page]¶ I wyl that they be large and not scarse / y^t is nother for couetyse nor a­uaryce / they sell the grace of the ho­ly ghost / so shold they not do / nother I wyll that they do so / but rather of the gracyous gyfte and the wydenes of charyte that they haue receyued of my endelesse goodnes / for to gyue it frely of large herte by affeccyon of loue for y^e worshyp of me and helthe of soules / to euery reasonable crea­ture the whiche asketh it mekely / & they sholde nothynge take therfore / in asmoche as they boughte it ne­uer / but they dyd receyue it of me by grace / for to mynystre it to you. ¶ Also they maye and sholde well by the waye of almes receyue / & so sholde the subiecte do that receyueth the sacramente / for on his syde he sholde gyue that he myghte for almes som what gyue / for in asmoche as they sholde be ghostly fedde of them / therfore they sholde helpe them at theyr nedes of temporal goodes. ¶ I wyl that ye were that without ony com­paryson / they gyue to you more thā ye gyue to them / for there maye be sette no comparyson bytwyxe thyn­ges that haue none ende / as transytory thynges of the whiche ye helpē them to me endelesse god that am infynyte [...] whome by prouydence and dyuyne charyte I haue ordeyned for to mynystre to you ghostly thynges and graces / that is the sacramēt of holy chyrche / and not onely of suche mynysters / but also of other ghostly graces & prayers / and of other ghostly thynges / of what preest that euer it be that it be gyuen to you / for that ghostly good maye not be lykened to no maner of temporall good / y^e ye gyuen to thē. ¶ Also now shal I tell the how they sholde departe that tē ­porall good y^t they receyue of you / I saye that they sholde departe y^e sub­staunce of those temporall goodes y^e whiche they receyue of you in to thre ꝑtes / one for theyr owne lyuelode / an other to poore men / and y^e thyrde for necessary thȳges to holi chyrche & in none other wyse / for & they do otherwyse / they offēde me gretely.

¶ The .iiii. chapyter speketh in the begynnynge of y^e dyg­nyte of preestes / & how y^t ver­tu of the sacramentes is not lessed nor mynyshed throwe the synnes of them that my­nystre them / nor throwe the synnes of y^e receyuer. ¶ And how god wyll not that secu­lers of the worlde / correcke y^e mynystres of holy chyrche. ¶ Also how god arecteth the parsecucyō y^t is done to holy chyrche or to the mynystres / as it were do to hymselfe / & so of other maters / as is reher­sed in the kalendre / in the be­gynnige of y^e boke. Ca. iiii.

I Wolde that y^u knewe y^t ex­cellence of my very swete and gloryous mynystres whome I haue made and [Page]called my crystes / as I haue sayde. ¶ They y^t excercyse y^e vertuous dygnyte ī vertues / be arayed w^t the glo­ryous sonne y^t I haue gyuē to them for to mynystre forthe / as y^u maye be holde and se of gloryous Gregory / Syluester / & other y^t went before thē & also y^t dyd folowe them / y^e whiche dyd succede after y^t pryncypal hyghe bysshop Peter / to whome were de­lyuered the keyes of y^t kyngedome of heuen of my onely sothefast sone / sayenge to hym thus. ¶ To y^e Peter I shall gyue y^e keyes of y^e kȳgedome of heuens / & what y^u vnbyndes here in erthe / it shall be vnboūde & losed ī heuē. ¶ Take hede dere doughter & se how I haue made open to the the excellent vertuous dygnyte of my mynysters / and nowe more playnly shall I declare to y^t the dygnyte y^t I haue put thē in. ¶ This keye is the keye of my blode of my onely sothe­fast sone Ihesu cryst / y^e whiche keye hathe made open to crysten soules endelesse lyfe / that was longe tyme shyt fro mākynde for y^e synne of A­dam. ¶ And after tyme I graūted you my sothefastnesse / y^t is my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / for to suffre pas­syon & dethe for you / w^t y^e same dethe he dystroyed youre dethe / makynge to you of his precyoꝰ blode a bathe / & so his blode & his dethe oned in the vertu of my dyuyne nature w^t man­kynde / haue opened euerlastynge lyfe. ¶ But to whome lefte he y^e key­es of his precyous blode in kepȳge? ¶ To y^e gloryous apostell Peter / & to other popes y^t dydē succede after / & so vnto y^t last daye of Iudgement they haue & shall haue y^e same auctoryte & power y^t Peter had / & y^t aucto­ryte is neuer mynyshed nor lessed / for no maner defaute y^t is in thē / nor it w^tdraweth neuer awaye y^e parfeccyō of y^t blode / nor fro no sacrament / for I sayde y^e ryght nowe y^t this glo­ryous sonne maye not be defouled / for no fylthy nature / nor to lose his lyght for no derkenes of deedly syn̄e / y^t is other in y^e mynystre / or in hym y^t receyueth / for y^e syn̄e of ony mynystre of holy chyrche maye not hurte nor lesse y^e vertu of it / but yet neuer­thelesse grace maye be mynyshed / & synne maye encrese in hȳ y^t mynys­treth / & in hȳ y^t receyueth it vnwor­thely. ¶ And yet cryste kepeth y^t keyes of his blode w^tin suche vnworthy mynysters / as yf you haue mynde / I haue shewed to y^e by a symylitude wher I shewed to y^e what reuerēce seculer men sholde do to my mynys­ters / whether they be good or bad / & how moche y^e vnreuerēce of thē to mi­ministers dysplesed me. ¶ Knowes y^u not well y^t I put y^e in ensample the mystery all body of holy chyrche / to y^e lykenes of a celer / in y^e whiche the blode of my sone Ihesu was kepte in / in y^e whiche blode / all y^e sacramē ­tes be made ꝑfyte / & they haue receyued lyfe of y^e same blode in vertu / at y^t gate of y^e whiche celler / cuyst was here ī erthe / to whom was cōmytted of me endeles fader / for to mynystre y^t same blode / & therfore to hȳ it longed to chose such ministers y^t myght helpe hȳ for to ministre y^e same blod to all y^e vnyuersall body of crystē re­lygyō. ¶ He y^t was accepted of hym / [Page]was made very mynystre vnder hȳ & none other / but suche one. ¶ Fro y^t accepcyon cometh forthe all y^t order of clergy / whome he hathe chosen & set eueryone of thē in theyr offyce for to mynyster y^t precyous blode / and lyke as he hathe set / as for his hel­pers in y^e mynystracyon y^e sacramē ­tes of holy chyrche / so to hȳ it lōgeth onely for to correcke thē for theyr defautes / & so I wyl it be. ¶ For of y^e excellence & auctoryte y^e I haue gyue to them / I drewe thē out of bōdage & seruage / y^t is fro subieccyon of temporall lordes. ¶ Tēporall lawe may nothynge punyshe thē / but he one­ly y^t is set aboue for to mynystre ī my lawe y^t am endelesse god (as be suche y^t be anoynted of me) they sholde cor­recke thē vnder me whan they tres­pas. ¶ And therfore by holy wryte I haue sayde thus. Nolite tan­gere. &c. ¶ To tēporall lordes / tou­che not my crystes y^t be my mynys­ters whiche be anoynted of me / for a mā maye come to no greater a fal / thā for to defoule and to dyspyse my mynysters. ¶ How god arecteth y^e ꝑsecucyon y^t is done to holy chyrche & to y^e mynysters as it were done to hymselfe / & how y^t synne is more greuous than ony other synne. ANd yf y^u wyll aske me why I saye y^t the synne of thē is more greuous y^e whi­che do parsu holy chyrche & my my­nysters / thā ony other synne y^t they do / & also why I wyl not y^t reuerēce be mynyshed anendes thē (not with stondynge theyr defautes) I shall tell y^t. ¶ Euery reuerēce y^t is done to thē / is not done to thē but to me / by vertu of the blode y^t I haue gyuē to thē for to mynystre (for yf y^e ne were) ye wolde do asmoche reuerēce to thē as ye wolden do to worldely men (& no more) and for y^t mystery ye be cō ­strayned for to do thē reuerence / for nedes ye must come to theyr hōdes / not to them for themselfe (but for y^e vertu that I haue gyuen to them) yf ye wyll receyue ony sacramētes. ¶ For yf ye maye haue thē and wyll not / ye sholde dye ī state of dampna­cyon / therfore it is my reuerence / & the reuerēce of this gloryous blode / and not theyr reuerence / for we be one by the vnyō of dyuyne nature / knyte and oned w^t mākynde. ¶ And ryghte as the reuerence is myne / so is the vnreuerence myne (for as I sayde) ye gyuen them no reuerence to themselfe for theyrselfe / but for y^e auctoryte that I haue gyuen to thē / and therfore they sholde not be offē ­ded / for whā they offende them / they offende me and them. ¶ I haue for­byd them for to touche my crystes / y^e is my anoynted people / with han­des of vyolence. ¶ There oughte no temporall man to excuse hym and saye (I do thē no wronge) nor I am not enuyous to oure moder the holy chyrche / thoughe I punyshe y^e de­fautes of euyll curates. ¶ Here su­che one lyeth & saythe not sothe / for he maye not se / he is so blȳded in his owne loue (& yet though he se) he feyneth hymselfe blynde / for to couer y^e prycke of his conscyence. ¶ For whā that euer they parsu them / they par­su me / and so they do me wrōge / for ryghte as the reuerence is myne / so [Page]is al y^t harme myne / bothe scornes / repreues / harmes / shames & also blames. ¶ Al those I arecte to me y^t be done to them / for I haue forbyd thē & warned thē / not for to touche ī vyolence by worde nor dede my mynys­ters / I sholde punyshe them whan they offēde / & not they. ¶ Thus thā what that euer they be in lyuynge / the reuerence of them sholde neuer be mynyshed / for whā they mynesh it / they offende me / & therfore this synne is more greuous than ony o­ther synne. ¶ And thoughe they be wycked in lyuȳge & done many wyckednesses / of whose wyckednes it shal be sayde in an other place / yet yf to them be done reuerence onely for me / it is arected to me & not to thē. ¶ But now thre pryncypall causes ther be / why y^t synne of vnreuerence is more greuous synne than ony o­ther. ¶ One is / for y^t reuerence whiche is done to them is done to me. ¶ Another is / for they breke my byddynge / in y^t I forbade thē not for to touche thē vyolētly / by y^e whiche vn­reuerent touchȳge / they dyspyse my blode / whiche they haue take of holy baptym / for they dysobeye / doynge y^t thynge y^t is forbyd theym. ¶ And therfore they be rebell to this blode / for they haue sette reuerence asyde / & be rysen w^t greate parsecucyon / & so they be stynkynge membres / cut awaye fro y^t mysteryall body of ho­ly chyrche / & as longe as they dwell obstynate in that rebellyon & with y^t vnreuerence / withoute ony doubte they renne to endelesse dampnacyō. ¶ Neuerthelesse yf they meke thē & lowe thē and knowlege theyr defau­tes / they shall receyue mercy and forgyuenesse. ¶ Another cause is why that theyr synnes be more greuous thā other / for it is a synne y^t is done of theyr owne malyce & with a vyse­ment / for to knowe wel that w^t good cōscyence / they must not do as they done / and therfore in theyr doynge they offende greuously / whiche of­fence is a maner of cursed pryde / w^t ­out bodyly delectacyō / for it wasleth bothe body & soule / the soule is con­sumed / for it is pryued fro grace / & often tymes the worme of conscy­ence freteth suche folke. ¶ Also the bodyly substaūce is cōsumed in the seruyce of the fende / theyr bodyes be as deed beestes / & thus this synne is properly anēdes me / for it is done without ony coloure of his owne profyte / and with malyce and y^e smoke of pryde / whiche pryde spryngeth out of sencyble loue / & of that wye­ked drede y^t Pylate hadde / that for drede of losynge of his lordeshyppe / he dyd slee my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / so done all suche. ¶ All other synnes that they done be done of yg­noraūce or symplynes / but this cur­sed synne is done by malyce / for he knoweth the euyll that he dothe / it is all done of vnordynate dylectacy­on and plesaunce that they haue to that synne / orelles of some maner of profyte that they fynde ī that synne / and so the offender / dampneth / and hurteth / his owne soule / & me / and his neyghboure. ¶ Me he hurteth & offēdeth / for he yeldeth no thākes to me his maker. ¶ His neyghbour [Page]he offendeth and hurteth / for he yel­deth not to hȳ loue of charyte. ¶ Al­so he offendeth & hurteth hymselfe / thoughe he do it not by actuall smy­tynge / y^e whiche offence dyspleaseth me / for y^t harme y^t I se ī hȳ. ¶ And thus as I haue sayde without ony mene / this offence is onely done to me. ¶ All other synnes haue some coloure / for they be done with some coloure & w^t a mene / for I haue sayd in another place y^t euery synne & euery vertu was done by medyacyon & mene of neyghbourheed / for synne is y^e cause of y^e pryuacyon of y^e loue of god & of thy neyghboure. ¶ Ther­fore they y^t offēde theyr neyghbours offende me by mene of them. ¶ But ymonge al my creatures y^t haue re­son w^tin thē / I haue chosen my my­nysters (as I haue told y^e) whiche be called my anoynted people for to mynystre y^e body and blode of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / y^t is knytte & oned to the flesshe of youre māheed with my dyuyne nature. ¶ And so suche mynystres whan they conse­crate y^t blessyd body & blode / stonden in y^e parsone of my onely sone Ihesu. ¶ Thus thou maye se and knowe y^e offence whiche is done to my mynysters / is done to my sothefaste sone Ihesu / & yf it be done to hȳ / it muste be done to me / for he & I be oned to­gyder. ¶ All suche wretches y^t parsu my mynysters / they parsu y^t precy­ous blode / & pryue thēselfe fro y^t tre­sour and fruyte of y^t precyous blode / wherby thou maye knowe that the offence so done to me is more greuous than ony other synne. ¶ For yf all the synnes y^t euer they dyd stode vp on y^t one syde of them / & this synne alone vpon y^t other syde / this synne sholde more greue me than all other synnes. ¶ Thus than for to gyue y^e cause to sorowe and haue compassy­on of my offence / and of dampnacy­on of suche myserable wretches / I haue declared the how and in what wyse I am offended / that throwe y^e sorowe and bytternesse bothe of thy­selfe and also of other of my seruauntes by my goodnesse & mercy / suche wretches maye be knowen in theyr owne derkenesse / so put out fro the body of holy chyrche / orelles the so­ner maye be recounseyled to grace / for I fynde no maner persone that soroweth veryly of the parsecucyon whiche is done to my precyoꝰ blode / I fynde ynowe that contynually do smyte me with arowes of vnordy­nate loue and seruyle drede / & with theyr owne propre reputacyon / as thoughe they were blȳdefelde / dyd arecte to theyr owne worshyp / suche as is to them grete shame & reprefe / and that that is to thē worshyp / they tourne to shame & reprefe / as is for to meke them and lowe thē. ¶ Here god speketh agaynst them y^e do parsecucyō to holy chyrche / & of the my­nysters of holy chyrche ī dyuers maners. TAkes y^u not hede y^t I sayde they smyte me (sothe it is) ī asmoche as they parsu my mynysters / they smyte me by theyr entent ī asmoche as they can or maye. ¶ I saye not y^t I may in myselfe receyue ony maner hurte of thē / but I do as a stone y^e whiche whā it is smytte / it recey­ueth [Page]no stroke nor hurte of thē / but it tourneth agayne agaynst the smy­ter / in y^e same wyse the smytynge of theyr offences whiche is throwen to me maye not noye me. ¶ But y^e ve­nemousnesse of syn̄e tourneth agay­ne to thē / y^e whiche syn̄e in this lyfe pryueth them fro grace / & also they lose y^e fruyte of that precyous blode / and at the laste yf they amēde them not with holy confessyon and cōtry­cyon of herte / they sholde go to ende lesse dampnacyon out fro me / & cou­pled with fendes without ende / and that copulacyon bytwene fendes & thē is begonne ī this worlde. ¶ For as soone as a soule is depryued fro graces / anone it is boūde in synne / y^u whiche is the bonde of hate of vertu and loue of vyces / y^e whiche bōde they haue putte in the fendes hon­des with fre choyse / & with y^e same bonde the fende byndeth them / for otherwyse maye they not be boūde with the same bonde / the parsuers of my blode be bounde togyder / for as mēbres coupled to y^e fende / they take vpon thē the offyces of y^e fende. ¶ Fendes be aboute in all that they maye for to vexe my creatures / and for to withdrawe them fro grace / & brynge them to the offence of deedly synnes / that of the same euyll that they haue of themselfe / they entyse creatures in the same. ¶ In y^e same wyse all suche that be lyke to sendes and be as deuylles membres / ouer­turnen the chyldren of my spouse / y^t is the chyldren of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / dyssoluynge them fro y^e bonde of charyte / and byndynge thē with the wretched bonde of synne / so depryued fro the fruyte of my so­nes blode / and that bonde is knytte with the chayne of pryde / and with theyr owne propre reputacyō with y^e bōde of seruyle drede / y^e whiche for drede and losse of temporall goodes they lose grace and fall in to more cō fusyon and shame than they myght fall in before / or they were depryued fro the dygnyte of my sones blode. ¶ This bōde is seyled with y^e seyle of derkenes / for they knowe not in to how many inconuenyences and wretchednesses they be fall / and so make other to fall in the same / and therfore they amende them not / nor correcke them not / bycause they do not knowe how for derkenes / for as blynde folke they ioye bothe of theyr dāpnacyon of soule & body. ¶ Be so­rowfull doughter therfore / for to se suche blyndenesse and wretchednes in suche as be wasshed in that precyous blode (as thou arte) and ben no­ryshed with y^e same blode at y^e brest of holy chyrche / and now as enuyo­us folke for seruyle drede / and vnder colour of correccyon of defautes of my mynystres / of y^e whiche I haue forbyd them y^t they shold not touche thē / they be withdrawe fro that ho­ly breste. ¶ Wherfore tremblynge & drede sholde bothe occupy the & my other seruauntes / whan thou heres that wretched bonde named. ¶ Thy tōgue were not suffycyēt to tell how vyle it is to me / & yet worst of al it is y they wyll couer thēselfe w^t the mā ­tell of correccyon of defautes of my mynysters / wenynge therby y they [Page]hyde theyr owne defautes / and they thynke not that there may no man­tell hyde fro my syghte onythȳge / they maye well hyde them fro y^t eye of a creature / but not fro me / for ther is nothynge hydde fro me. ¶ I lo­ued you and knewe you or than ye were / and this is one of the causes why deedly creatutures wyll not a­mende theyr lyuynge / for in suche they byleue not with y^e lyghte of ve­ry quycke feythe that I beholde thē / for yf they dyd byleue veryly that I behelde theyr defautes / & that eue­ry defaute shal be punyshed / lyke as euery good dede shall be rewarded / they sholde neuer do somoche euyll as they do / but of that that they had done they wolde amende them and mekely aske my mercy / and than I with the mene of my sones bloode shall graunte them mercy / but they be as obstynate folke and reprobate folke fro my endelesse goodnesse / & they bē fal in to the vttermoste fall y^t they myghte fall in / depryued fro lyghte by theyr owne defautes / and they be made as blynde folke parsuers of my blode / y^e whiche sholde not be for no defaute that is done of my mynysters / whiche do mynystre the mysteri of my sones precyous blode. ¶ A shorte repetycyō of y^t y^t is sayde before / of holy chyrche and of y^t my­nystres. I Haue somwhat tolde y^e dere doughter of the reuerence whi­che sholde be done to my mynystres (not withstondȳde theyr defautes) for y^e reuerēce is not done nor ought not to be done to them for them / but for the auctoryte that I haue gyuē to them. ¶ And also I haue tolde y^e that the mystery of the sacramente may not be deuyded nor lessed for no defaute that they do / and therfore shall no reuerence be mynushed no­ther made lesse anendes them / for it is not done for thē / but for y^e tresour of the blode that I haue gyuen in to theyr kepynge. ¶ The contrary of this haue I shewed the how greuo­us it is and how it dyspleseth me / & what harme it is to them / y^e vnreuerence and parsecucyon of my sones blode. ¶ I also haue tolde the of the bonde that they make agaynst me / and how so ybounde they serue the fende / that thou maye haue y^e more cōpassyon. ¶ Lo this is one defaute that I haue tolde the in specyall for the parsecucyon of holy chyrche / and the same wyse generally I saye the of crystē relygyon y^e whiche do dwel in deedly synne / and dyspyse y^t blode of my sone Ihesu / depryuynge thē ­selfe fro the lyfe of grace. ¶ In this wyse it dyspleaseth me y^t greuous synne. ¶ Of the excellence and ver­tues / and of the holy wetkes of ver­tues and holy mynystres / and howe they haue the condycyon of y^e sonne / and of the correccyons to theyr sub­iectes. NOw shall I gyue the a lytell refresshynge to thy soule / I shal swage y^e sorowe of derkenes of these wretched subiectes with the holy ly­uynge of my mynystres / of whome I sayde to the they haue the condy­cyon of the sonne / for with the odour of theyr holy vertu / the stynkynge fylthe of theyr wretchyd lyuynge is swaged / and the derkenesse of them [Page]is swaged w^t theyr lyghte. ¶ Open therfore the eye of thy intelleccyon / and beholde in me the lyghte or the sonne of ryghtewysenesse / and thou shal se my gloryous mynysters how they mynystre by mynystracyon of the sonne that they mynystre / they take vpon them the condycyon of y^e sonne (as Peter the prynce of all the apostles) that receyuen the keyes of heuen. ¶ And ryght so of other that in the holy orcherde of holy chyrche mynystred lyghte / that is the body and the blode of my onely sone Ihe­su / and also the sacramentes of holy chyrche whiche auaylen greately / & gyuen lyfe in vertu of that precyous blode / eche of them be sette and put in dyuers degrees after the state of theyr callynge / for to mynystre the grace of y^e holy ghost. ¶ Wherwith haue they mynystred? ¶ Certayne with the lyght of grace whiche they haue take oute of this very lyghte / is that lyghte alone. ¶ Naye? ¶ For y^e lyghte of grace may not be alone / nor it maye not be departed / but it muste nedes other be hole (or not) & he that is in deedly synne / is depry­ued fro that lyghte of grace / and he that hathe grace / hathe the eye of intelleccyon illumyned / in knowynge me that haue bothe gyuē hym grace and vertu / the whiche vertu conser­ueth and kepeth that grace / and in y^e lyghte he knoweth wretchednes of synnes and causes of them (that is the propre sencyble loue) & therfore he hateth it / and so by hatȳge / he re­ceyueth also the het [...] of dyuyne cha­ryte in his affeccyon / whiche affeccyon renued after intelleccyon / he re­ceyueth also the hete of this gloryo­us lyghte / she wynge the doctryne of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / Wherby his mynde is reformed to remembre hym of the benefytes of his precyous blode of my sone Ihe­su / and he may not haue one power of the soule fulfylled in receyuynge of me very sonne / but yf he haue all thre / wherby that they be sette in ordre / & gadered togyder in my name. ¶ For as soone as the eye of intelleccyon aryseth hym with the lyghte of feythe for to se sencyble hymselfe be­holdynge in me / anone affeccyon rē ­ueth after / louynge y^e thynge whi­che the eye of intelleccyon seeth and knoweth / and also the mynde is ful­fylled with the same thynge that af­feccyon loueth. ¶ And than anone whan they be dysposed / they taken parte of me endelesse sonne / and so they be illumyned in my power / and in y^e wysedome of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / and in the myldenes of of the fyre of the holy ghoste. ¶ And thus thou maye knowe that they haue take vpon them the condycyō of the sonne (that is to saye) they be arayed with me y^t am y^t very sonne / & they do as the sonne. ¶ The sonne heteth and yllumyneth & with his hete / it maketh the erthe for to brȳge forthe fruyte. ¶ In the same wyse my deuoute ministers chosē / anoyn­ted / and sende in to the mysteryal body of holy chyrche by me / do mynys­tre me that am very sonne / that is y^e body and blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu with other sacramētes / [Page]whiche receyue lyfe of this sacramēt. ¶ They do mynystre that sacramēt of the auter actually / for they gyuē lyghte in the mysteryall body of ho­ly chyrche / whiche is lyghte aboue naturall cūnynge / that is called cū ­nynge aboue kynde / with honest ly­uynge and holy shewynge of y^e doc­tryne of my sothefaste sone / and so they do mynystre heet of brēnynge charyte / with the whiche brennȳge charyte / they make barayne soules to burgyon floures of vertu / yllumynynge them with the lyghte of ver­tu and cūnynge / and wich theyr ho­ly ordynate and well ruled lyuynge / they put away derkenesse of deedly syn̄es and moche infydelyte. ¶ And also they sette in rule the lyfe of thē that lyue vnruly / that also lyue in derkenesse of synnes / and in dulnes of pryuacyon of charyte. ¶ Thus y^u maye knowe y^t they be y^e sonne / for they haue take vpon thē y^e cōdycyō of the sonne / of me y^t am very sonne / and by affeccyon of loue they be one with me and I w^t them / as I haue tolde the in another place. ¶ Eche of them after theyr state and lyuȳge (as I haue chosen them) do gyue lyghte ī holy chyrche. ¶ Peter gaue lyghte with his techynge and pre­chyng [...] and at the laste by shedȳge of his blode. ¶ Gregory with his cū nynge & declaracyon of holy wryte / and also with the myrrour of holy lyuynge. ¶ Syluester gaue lyghte in holy chyrche whan he dysputed a­gaynst the paynyms / so bryngynge in by dysputacyon / and lyghte / and prefe of holy feythe amonges them / the whiche he shewed to the bothe by his wordes & by his dedes. ¶ Yf thou tourne y^t to Austyn and to glo­ryous Thomas / or to Ierome / or to other doctours / y^u shall se how moche lyght they haue sende ī to my spouse holy chyrche (dystroynge errours) as lanternes sette on hyghe vpon a cādelstycke / with very parfyte mekenes. ¶ And as they that hongre my worshyp and honoure & also helthe of soules / that very meet with grete delyte they ete vpon the table of the blessyd crosse. ¶ Martyrs also with theyr blode shedynge / whiche blode in my syght gaue ryght swete smell and broughte in lyghte with vertu ī to my spouse holy chyrche. ¶ They spredde abrode the feythe / and they that were in derkenesse came to the lyghte of feythe / & in thē the lyghte of feythe dyd shyne. ¶ Prelates al­so sette in the state of prelacy by my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / he beynge ī erthe yelded to me with holy honest lyuynge the sacryfyce of ryghtewysenesse / the ghostly precyo­us stone of Margaryte / that is cal­led the Margaryte of ryghtewyse­nesse / the ghostly precyous stone shyned in them and in theyr subiectes with very mekenesse / brēnynge charyte / and lyghte of dyscrecyon in thē pryncypally ryghte wysely they yel­dē to me my de we dewte / that is glo­ry and laude to my name. ¶ To thē they yelde hate and dysplesaunce of theyr owne propre sensualyte / dys­pysynge vyces and takynge vertu with the charyte of me and of theyr neyghboure / with mekenesse they [Page]dyspyse pryde / and as angels they wente to y^e auter with purete bothe of herte and of body / and so w^t grete clennes of soule they sayd theyr masses / ryghte feruently brennynge in the ouen of charyte / & bycause they dyd ryghtwysenesse of thēselfe / therfore afterwarde all they dyd in the same wyse ryghtewysenesse to theyr subiertes / for to make thē to lyue vertuously. ¶ They dyd blame them without seruyle drede / whan they were blame worthy / for they behold nothynge to themselfe / but onely to my worshyp and helthe of soules / as good curates suers of my sothefaste sone Ihesu / that is the hyghe soue­rayne curate whome I haue gyue to you for to gouerne you y^e be bees­tes / & he gaue his lyfe for you. ¶ All suche curates do folowe the steppes of hym / wherfore they do correcke & wyll not suffre stynkȳge mēdres to growe in holy chyrche without cor­reccyon / but charytably with that oyntmente of benygnyte / and with sharpnesse of fyre curtynge the woū des of theyr defautes awaye / by vn­dernymynge and penaunce moche or lytell after the greatenesse of the synne. ¶ And for suche correccyon so truly and feythe fully done for y^t loue of me / they dyd not fere for to dye. ¶ These were very gardyners / that with grete besynesse and holy drede pulled vp the thornes of deedly syn­nes / and they dyd plante the plātes of swete vertu / wherby y^e subietes dyd lyue in very holy drede / & they dyd encrese vertuously / as by smel­lynge of floures in the mysteryal body of holy chyrche. ¶ And bycause there was in theyr curates no venȳ of deedly synne / therfore they dyd kepe holy ryghtewysenesse / & with­oute ony seruyle drede / they vnder­toke theyr syntull subiecces myghtely. ¶ This was and is y^e very Mar­garyte / y^e whiche gaue bothe pease and lyghte in to the soules of reaso­nable creatures / and made them to stonde stydfastly in holy drede / theyr hertes were one in me / and eche of them togyder in very charyte / wherfore I wyll that thou knowe y^t ther was neuer nothynge that brought in somoche derkenesse and dyuysyō in to the worlde bytwene seculers & relygyous clerkes & curates of holy chyrche / as hathe the derkenesse of vnryghtful lyuynge / by the whiche the lyghte of ryghtewysenesse defayleth. ¶ There may no state be kepte nother in temporall lawe / nor in dy­uyne lawe / w^toute holy ryght wyse­nesse. ¶ For he that is not blamed / nor vndernome fro his trespas of his curate / he begȳneth [...]or to waxe a stynkynge mēbre of the body of holy chyrche / vpō the whiche mēbre yf a leche y^e is a curate of holy chyrche laye on oyntement of softe and easy spekynge / and dothe not serche fyrst the wounde by represe and vnder­nymȳge / y^e woūde waxeth corrupte by encrese of his deedly synne / and so roteth al the body of holy chyrche / but it be the soner cutte a waye & de­ꝑted therfro. ¶ And yf he be a trewe and a good curate of soules / as other gloryous curates of soules haue be before / he wyll not laye an oyntmēt [Page]of softe and easy spekynge / without the fyre of blamynge / & yf y^e membre were all obstynate ī his euyl worke / than he wyll cutte hȳ awaye fro the cōgregacyon of holy chyrche / lest he enfecte other with the stynke of deedly syn̄es. ¶ Curates as these dayes done not so / but they feyne and wyll not se defautes of theyr subiectes. ¶ Knowes y^u not why? ¶ Certayne for y^e roote of theyr owne propre loue leueth in thē / for y^e whiche they haue take a wycked cowherdes drede / for by tere of losynge of theyr state or tē ­porall goodes or prelacy / they wyll not correcke defautes (or dare not) but they to as blynde men do / & therfore how theyr state sholde be kepte (they knowe not) for yf they wyste how it sholde be kepte w^t holy ryght wysenes / they wolde kepe it to y^e vt­termost. ¶ But for bycause they be depryued fro lyghte / therfore they do knowe not howe they sholde kepe it / they be dysceyued of theyr owne propre sencyble pass [...]n / & of desyre of domynacyō of prelacy / & also they correcke not defautes of other / for they thēselfe be gylty ī y^e same or greter / & therfore they lose bothe syker­nes & boldenes / & be boūde ī y^e bōde of seruyle drede / by the whiche they myll not se whā they may se / but suffre thē [...]o tēne forthe in theyr syn̄es. ¶ In thē is cōplete y^e wordes of my sothefast sone Ihesu / wher he say­the in y^e gospel. ¶ Suche curates be blȳde & leders of blȳde folke / & yf y^e blȳde lede y^t blynde / bothe fall in to y^e dyche. ¶ Thus they dyd not that somtyme were curates (suche as I haue rehersed before) nor yet done some y^e lyue nowe / suche as be my very trew mynysters / for they haue y^e very properte of y^e sonne / for in thē is no derkenesse of deedly synne nor of ygnoraunce / in asmoche as they do folowe the doctryne of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu. ¶ Nor they be not dull / for they be all brēned in y^e ouē of my charyte / & be dyspysers of states & domynacyōs in thēselfe / & other delices of y^e worlde. ¶ They fere not for to vndernyme whan / y^e tyme is / for he that desyreth no be­nefyce nor prelacy / is neuer aferde for to lose it / but myghtyly vnder­nymeth. ¶ He y^e feleth not hymselfe in his conscyence repreued by synne (fereth not) and therfore this derke Margaryte was not / nor is not in my very trewe mynysters / but ī thē it is shynynge / the whiche maketh theym to desyre pouerte wylfully / whan they make serche with very mekenesse / and therfore they do not fere stormes / repreues / detraccyons of men / Iniuryes / peynes / and turmentes / they were cursed of men wrongefully / and of suche as hadde no auctoryte for to curse them / and they blessyd agayne / and they dyd suffre theyr wrongefull cursynge / and with very pasyence as heuenly angels and more than angels (not in kynde) but by the mystery and greate grace gyuen to them aboue kynde / for to mynystre the body and the blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryste crucyfyed on y^e cros / & in sothe they be very angelles / for as an angell whiche I gyue to kepe [Page]you / he mynystreth holy and good vertues / & ryghte so my mynysters be angels / and therfore contynually they set theyr eye vpon theyr subiec­tes as very gardyners / brethȳge in y^e hertes of theyr subiectes good werkes and holy / offrynge for thē swere desyres and mery ī my syghte by cō ­tynuall prayer with the doctryne of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / and w^t ensāple of good lyuynge. ¶ Thus may thou se that they be angels set of my brēnȳge charyte / as lanterns in y^e mysteryall body of holy chyrche for youre kepynge and helthe / that ye blynde maye haue a leder y^e may lede you in to the waye of truthe / brethynge to you vertuous lyuynge. ¶ They drede neuer / that nother to thē nor to theyr subiectes shall fayle temporall substaūce / in asmoche as they do lyue ymonge them / with ve­ry mekenesse / hope / & feythe / & ther­fore with largenesse they do departe to the poore men / the temporall substaūce of holi chyrche. ¶ And so they dyd kepe to y^e full / that y they sholde kepe & do / for asmoche as they dyd departe the temporall substaūce of holy chyrche to the nede and necessy­te of pore mē ī holy chyrche. ¶ They dyd not kepe no tresour of temporal goodes / for to departe to poore men after theyr dysceyses. ¶ But there were many of them that for large­nesse that they dyd to poore mē / lefte theyr chyrches in dette / and y^t was for the greate charyte and hope that they had in my prouydēce. ¶ They auoyded fro them all seruyle drede / and therfore they were aferde of no lackynge / nother spyrytual nor temporall. ¶ This is a very token y^t my creature hopeth in me and not in hȳ selfe / in asmoche as he dredeth not by seruyle drede / but all suche that hopē in themselfe / dredē theyr owne shadowe / and euer they thynke that heuen and erthe wyll fayle theym. ¶ With y^t drede and y^t wycked hope that they put in theyr lytel felynge / they take so grete wretched besynes vpon them in gettynge of remporal goodes and in kepynge therof / that they put behynde them as it semed all ghostly goodes / & vnneth is ther ony foūde y^t chargeth those goodes. ¶ But suche proude vnfeythful wretches / thynke not alone that I am he that prouyde and ordeyne for all in dewe tymes bothe for bodyes & sou­les / though it so be that w^t the same mesure y they hope w^tin me / with y^e same shall be yelde to you my pro­uydence & godly ordynaunce. ¶ All suche presumptuous wretches be­holde not veryly / that I am he that am / & they be they that be not / here beynge they receyue of my endelesse goodnesse / and they receyue therto grace aboue their beȳge. ¶ And therfore he laboreth in vayne y^t kepeth his Cyte [...] / but it were kepe w^t me & for me / all his labour is in vayne / yf he thynke by his laboure or desynes for to defende hȳselfe withoute me / for I am he alone that kepeth hȳ (& sothe it is) y^t the beynge and y^e grace that is set aboue the beynge of you / I wyll that in tyme ye excercyce it in vertu / vsynge fre choyse y^t I haue gyuē you with lyghte of reason / for [Page]I haue made you without you / but without you I maye not saue you. ¶ I loued you or that ye were / and that my well beloued mynynsters do knowe & saye ryght well. ¶ Wherfore wōderly of y^e loue that they had with so greate largenesse they dyd hope in me / and they had no drede in nothynge. ¶ Syluester dredde not whā he stode before the emperoure Constantyne / dysputynge with the twelue Iewes before a greate company / but by feythe he byleued as longe as I was w^t hym / ther myght none be agaynst hym / & all my other mynysters dyd after the same ma­ner. ¶ They were neuer alone / but they hadde the felyshyp of me / in asmoche as they dyd stonde and dwell in me by loue of charyte / and of me they soughte the lyght of wysdome / y^t is of my onely sothefast sone Ihe­su. ¶ Of me in sothe they dyd take myghte / and beynge strōge & myghty agaynste prynees and tyrauntes of the worlde / & also of me they had the fyre of y^e holy ghost. ¶ This loue in them was and is felyshypped to h [...]m that wyll parte with other / w^t lyght of feythe / w^t hope / & strēgthe / w^t very pease / & w^t lōge ꝑseueraūce / in to y^e last ende of y^t dethe. ¶ Thus y^u may knowe that they be not alone (but they be felyshypped) and ther­fore they be not aferde. ¶ Onely he that feleth hymselfe without me (hopynge in hymselfe) and depryued fro the loue of charyte dredeth / and eue­ry lytel thȳge maketh hym aferde / in asmoche as he is depryued fro me / whiche gyue grete sykernes to sūthe a soule namely that hathe me by af­feccyon of loue. ¶ They proue this wel that be my wel beloued chyldrē / there maye nothȳge noye theyr sou­les / but they themsefe noye fendes / and oftē tymes they be lefte boūde / & may not complete the malyce / for the vertu and strēgthe that I haue gyuen to them / to worke vpō suche fendes. ¶ Thy tongue is not suffy­cyent to tel the vertues of them / nor the eye of thy intelleccyon for to be­holde the fruyte y^t they receyue in e­uer lastȳge lyfe. ¶ They be as precious stones / and so they dwell in my syghte / for I haue receyued theyr labour / and the lyghte that they haue sende in with odour of vertu in to y^e mysteryall body of my spouse holy chyrche / and therfore I haue set thē in endelesse lyfe y^e neuer shall fayle / and in greate dygnyte ymonge y^e or­dres of angels. ¶ And they also re­ceyue blessydnes and ioy in my mer­uaylous syght / for they gaue ensample of honest lyuynge / and w^t lyghte they dyd mynystre the lyghte of my onely sothefaste sones body & blode / and also other sacramentes. ¶ And therfore syngulerly they be moche loued of me / not onely bycause they haue mynystred my tresoure with mekenesse & all other vertues whiche I haue put ī theyr hondes / but bycause they dyd cease neuer to re­duce and brynge in beestes y^t were loste to the felde of holy chyrche / as good shepeherdes or curates sholde do. ¶ For they dyd dyspose them for hōgre and helthe of soules / by affec­cyon of loue to dye for soules / y^t they [Page]myght therby pull out soules out of the fendes daunger. ¶ They were seke with seke men / that they sholde not fall to dyspayre / they dyd wepe also with wepers / & ioyed w^t ioyers. ¶ And so swetely they do couet to gyue to eche soule meet of his helth by cōpassyon & ioyfulnesse / conser­uynge them that were good by ioy­enge of theyr vertuous lyuynge / & confortynge them therin / they fre­ted not themselfe not with enuy for theyr owne good lyuynge / but they were large in charyte to me and to all theyr subiectes / and they y^t were enfected / they drewe out charytably of theyr defautes / makynge thēselfe vertuously ful of fautes / & seke with thē (as I haue sayd before) & so with holy and very cōpassyon / w^t chary­table correccyon and penaunce for theyr defautes / they bare penaunce with them / that is for the loue that they had to theyr soules / they bare more peyne on themselfe by compas­syon than they dyd receyue of them / and somtyme ther were some of thē that wolde bere the same penaunce that they bare actually / and namely whan they sawe that theyr penaūce was harde to them and so deedly / & so shortly the penaunce y^t they bare was tourned to them in to swetnes. ¶ All suche mynysters whan they were made p̄lates / they wolde som­tyme make themselfe subicctes / and somtyme seruaūtes whā they were lordes / and somtyme (as I sayde) they wolde make them by compas­syon lyke olde people / and whā they were stronge & myghty / they made themselfe feble ymonge feble / with fooles & ryghte symple people / they shewed themselfe symple / and so w^t all maner of people by mekenesse & charyte they couthe lede theyr lyues and gyue eche of them meet. ¶ But who dyd this? ¶ Certayne the hon­ger of desyre that they dyd conceyue in me / of my worshyppe and helthe of soules. ¶ They ranne for to ete y^e blessyd meet / vpon the table of my blessyd sone Ihesu cryste on y^e cros / eschewynge no maner labour / but as louers of soules & good curates of holy chyrche / for the spredȳge abrode of holy feythe / they wente ymonge thornes of many try bulacyōs / and they punyshed themselfe with very pasyence / offerynge to me encens of loue longynge / and swete smellynge desyres of meke and cōtynual prayer / with wepynge and waylynge. ¶ And so they anoynted the woun­des of theyr neyghbours sores (y^e is to saye) the woundes of deedly syn­ses / by the whiche anoyntynge they were made parfytely hole / yf they with mekenesse dyd receyue suche denoute oyntementes. ¶ A repety­cyon of wordes sayde before / and of the reuerence that shall be done to preestes / whether they be good or badde. NOw my dere doughter I haue shewed to the a lyted sparcle of the excellence of theym. ¶ I call it a sparcle in comparyson of that excellence that is with me in heuen of theym. ¶ I haue also tolde vnto the of theyr dygnyte and worthynesse / in y^e whiche dygnyte I haue put thē s [...]che as I haue chosen to my specyall [Page]mynysters / and of that dygnyte and auctoryte that I gaue them / I wyll not that for no defaute y^t they done / they be touched by the hondes of seculer men in vyolēce / for yf they so touche thē / they offende me mer­uaylously. ¶ But I wyll that they haue them in dewe reuerēce (not for themselfe) but for me / that is for the auctoryte that I haue gyuē them / and that reuerence sholde neuer be mynyshed / thoughe vertu be mynyshed in them. ¶ I tolde y^t also of vertuous mynysters and of theyr ver­tues / for I sayd they be mynysters of the sonne / y^t is is of the body and the blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu. ¶ And also they be mynys­ters of all other sacramētes / for that dygnyte toucheth & lōgeth bothe to good mynysters & to bad / eche of thē maye do y^t mynystracyon. ¶ I sayd to the also y^t they that be suche bles­syd mynysters / haue y^e condycyō of the sonne / yllumynynge & hetynge by the loue of charyte theyr neygh­bours / & with y^t hete they make verrues to bur [...]owne and growe in the soules of theyr subiectes. ¶ I sayde also to y^t / y^t they were angels ordey­ned of me for youre kepynge / for to kepe you & brethe ī you to your holy cōuersacyō of lyuȳge ꝑfyte prayers & doctryne w^t the myrrour of good lyuynge / & also y^t they may serue you / mynystrȳge to you y^e holy sacramē ­tes. ¶ Thus y^u maye se how moche they be worthy for to be beloued / & ī what reuerēce they shold be had / for euery vertuous minyster is worthy to be beloued & had in reuerēce / [...]or y^t auctoryte y they haue of me in mynystrynge of y^e sacramentes of holy chyrche. ¶ And so for theyr vertu & dygnyte they shold he loued / & theyr defautes shold be hated y^e lyuē wretchedly / yet sholde ye not make youre selfe Iudges (for I wyll not y^t) by­cause they be my mynysters anoynted. ¶ Ye knowe wel y^t yf an vnclene mā & yll arayed sholde brȳge to you fro a grete lorde a worthy tresour / of the whiche tresour ye muste take gladly / what for y^e loue of y^e tresour & y^e lorde y^t sende it / ye wyll not hate y^e brȳger / though he be torne & rag­ged. ¶ I trowe ye wolde besy you for reuerēce of the lorde w^t all youre myght to wasshe or auoyde awaye his vnclennesse / & hȳ to araye more better. ¶ Ryght so sholde ye do after y^e ordre of charyte and of dewete to suche vnworthy mynysters / and I wyl y^t ye do so to suche vnworthy mynysters / y^t w^t vnclēnesse & torne clo­thes of vyces departed fro charyte / brȳge to you grete tresours / y^t is ho­ly sacramentes of holy chyrche / of y^e whiche sacramētes / ye receyue lyfe of grace / thoughe they be in so grete defautes / of y^e which ye receyue thē mekely for y^e loue of me endeles god / whome I sende to you for to mynystre y^e sacramētes / as I haue sayde. ¶ Theyr defautes sholde be dysple­synge to you / & ye sholde w^t all youre myght charytably w^t holy prayer a­raye thē agayne in vertuos lyuȳge / and washe w^t teeres theyr vnclen­nesse awaye fro them / that is offre them vp to me with wepynge and waylynge and holy desyre / that I [Page]maye araye thē agayne of my ende­lesse goodnesse with y^e vesture of charyte. ¶ Ye knowe well that I wyll shewe and do to them grace / so that they wyll dyspose thē for to receyue it / and that ye also dyspose you for to beseche me and praye me for them / for it is not my wyl that they mynystre to you my gracyous sonne (as I haue sayde) in derkenesse / nor that they be naked fro y^e clothe of vertu / nor y^t they be vnclene by dyshonest lyuynge / but I haue put them to you as angels ī erthe / and as my sonne y^t sholde gyue lyght. ¶ Thus sholde ye praye for them to me / and not for to Iudge thē / but suffre me to hane the Iudgement of them / and I by youre prayers yf they wyll receyue mercy / I shall gyue them mercy / & yf they wyll in nowyse correcke thē ī this lyfe / y^e dygnyte that they haue shall tourne them to greate harme / for with greate reprefe ī the ende of theyr dethe / they shal be sende of me to endeles peyne / yf as I sayde they amende them not in theyr lyuynge and receyue not the largenesse of my mercy. ¶ And of the dedes and wyc­ked lyfe of euyll preestes / and euyll mynysters. NOw take hede dere doughter / to the ende that thou and other of my seruauntes maye haue more mater to offre for them to me meke and contynual prayer / I wyl shewe the the wretched lyuynge of thē. ¶ They that be wycked what euer syde thou tourne the / be they seculers or relygyous clerkes or prelates / smale or greate / yonge or olde / in what maner of kynde they stonde in euer thou shall fynde synne & offē ­ces / and all they caste to me fylthe of deedly synnes / and yet that fylthe hurteth not me nor defouleth me / but it defouleth thēselfe. ¶ Beholde doughter lyke as I haue tolde to the the vertuous lyuynge of my chosen mynysters / so nowe I tel the y^e wretched lyuȳge of wycked mynysters / to make the haue ruthe and compassyon of them / and also to make the to knowe what peynes they be worthy to haue / lyke as good mynysters be worthy endeles ioye / that is for to be sette in my syghte for euer more / as ghostly margaryte stones / and y^t contrary shall be done to suche wretched ministers / for they shal receyue cruell peynes. ¶ Knowes thou not my dere doughter with sorowe and bytternesse of thy herte where they haue set theyr begȳnȳge & groūde? ¶ Certayne they haue set theyr be­gynnynge and grounde of synne in theyr owne propre loue / by the whi­che propre loue / the tree of pryde is sprunge in them with leues of vn­dyscrecyon / for as vndyscrete folke they take vpon them and arecte to themselfe grete glory of the worlde / and they serche for hye p̄laces with araymētes and delyces of theyr bo­dyes. ¶ To me they do yelde reprefe and blame / so they yelde to thēselfe that is not theyrs / and to me that is not myne / for to me sholde be yelde glory and praysynge / & to thē sholde be yelded hate of theyr owne propre sensualyte / with very knowlege of themselfe / holdynge themselfe vn­worthy for to haue suche mynystra­cyon [Page]as they haue receyued of me / but they do the contrary for they be proude and maye not be fulfylled w^t no worldeli good / but euer they frete y^e erthe of worldely rychesse / strayte / couetous / and ful of iniury / agaynst theyr neyghbours. ¶ And by suche wretched pryde and iniury that they take of theyr owne sēcyble loue / they leue cure of soules / and putte them for to kepe onely temporall goodes / and so sende out my beestes whiche they haue in kepȳge / as shepe with oute a shepeherde / for they nother fede them nor noryshe them bodyly nor ghostly. ¶ For all be it that they mynystre to you ghostly the sacra­mētes of holy chyrche / yet they fede you not ghostly with hertly prayer / with the hongre and desyre of helth of youre soules / nor yet with holy & honest lyuynge. ¶ And also they fede not theyr subiectes temporal­ly with & mporall goodes / as poore folke and suche other nedy folke / whose substaūce of tēporall goodes (as I haue sayd the) sholde be deuyded ī to thre partes / one to the neces­syte & releuynge of theyr one nede / another to poore folke / and y^e shyrde to the profyte of the chyrche. ¶ They do not thus / but they do the contra­ry / all that good whiche they sholde departe [...]o poore people (as they be bounde) they do spende it in Symo­ny / and so they sell the grace of the holy ghost / for wynnynge of benefy­ces. ¶ And of these curates some be so wretched / y^t in no wyse they wyll gyue to the poore of the substaunce of tēporall goodes / suche as I h [...]e gyuen to thē / but euer they loke for to haue of theyr subiectes. ¶ And so moche they loue theyr subiectes / as they receyue tēporall goodes of thē / and no more. ¶ All the goodes of holy chyrche they spende in none otherwyse / than aboute bodyly araymentes and delycate clothes / not as clerkes and relygyous folke / but as lordes and courtyers. ¶ And they besy themselfe for to haue formall horses / moche syluer / vesselles / and cuppes of golde / w^t other curyous araymentes of houses / kepynge and vnryght wysely holdȳge suche thȳge as they sholde not holde / with moche vany­te of herte / and ofte tyme ymonge suche vanytes / theyr herte speketh and thynketh vnornately / euerde­syrȳge (as neuer sacyate) more and more. ¶ And all theye desyres is in festes or dyuers / makynge to them­selfe a god of theyr wombes / etynge and drynkynge oute of tyme as ve­ry glotōs. ¶ Alas alas of suche my­serable and wretchedfull lyuynge / for that onely my swete sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste hathe purchased with greate peyne vpon the crosse / they spende it with open comune womē. ¶ They be deuourers of soules that my sone Ihesu cryst bought w^t his precyous blode / deuourynge and spyllynge the same soules / with very moche wretchedde lyuynge in manye maner wyses / and of that good that sholde lōge to poore folke / they do fede and nory she theyr owne chyldren. ¶ O you temples of the deuyl / I ordeyned you as angels in erthe / & you haue cōformed & made [Page]youreselfe deuylles / for ye do the ser­uyce of deuylles / suche derkenes as they haue / they gyuen forthe & they mynystre also cruell tourmentry. ¶ They withdrawe soules frome grace with many dyuers temptacyons / so for to brȳge them in to deed­ly synnes (y^t is to saye) they do what they may for to brȳge a soule to deedly synne / thoughe it so be y^t no soule maye fall in to deedly synne / but yf it consent therto. ¶ Ryghte so done all suche wretched mynysters whiche be not worthy to be called my my­nysters / for they be deuylles incar­nate / in asmoche as they be confor­med in wyll to the condycyon of de­uylles / and therfore they done and fulfyll theyr offyces / mynystrynge me that am very lyghte with derkenesse of deedly synnes / & so they my­nystre me cursedly to theyr subiec­tes / and to other reasonable creatu­res. ¶ Lo thus y^u maye knowe how they mynystre confusyon / shame / & peyne / in to the soules of theyr sub­iectes / the whiche [...] subiectes se them and beholde them how they lyue vn­ordynately / withdrawȳge them fro the state of grace & waye of truthe / and ledynge theyr subiectes in to greuous synnes / by ensample of theyr wycked lyuȳge. ¶ And yet ther shol de no subiecte folowe them in synne / nor beholde to the euyll dedes y^t they done / but do as my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu sayeth in y^e gospell / y^t is for to do as they do se by prechynge and techynge my doctryne of holy chyrche / suche doctryne as they haue lerned by doctours of holy wryte / & eschewynge theyr euyl lyuynge / nor folowe thē not therm / nor punyshe them not therfore / for so sholde ye of sende me / but leue you theyr euyll lyuȳge and folowe theyr holsome doc­tryne. ¶ For I am swete god & endelesse / that rewarde all good / and punyshe all euyll / I spare not for to punyshe thē for theyr dygnyte bycause they be my mynystres / but I do punyshe suche whan they trespas so of malyce more greuously thā I do o­ther (but yf they amende them) for they haue receyued of my goodnesse more thā other / & therfore whā they trespas maliciously / they be worthy more peyne thā another. ¶ Thus y^u may knowe & se y^t suche wycked mynysters be deuylles / as I haue shewed y^t / / lyke as my chosen mynysters be angelles in erthe / doynge the offyces of angels. ¶ How vnryghtwysenes reyneth ī yll mynysters / & in thē specyally y^t correcke not theyr subiec­tes. I Sayde to the that in my chosen mynysters shyneth a ghostely Margaryte stone of ryghtwysenes / ryghte so these wretched mynysters bere in theyr brestes vnryghtewysenesse / whiche vnryghtwysenesse co­meth out of theyr owne propre loue / for by y^t propre loue they do vnryghtwysenes bot he agaynste theyr owne soules & also agaynst me w^t de rknes of vndyscreciō. ¶ They yelde me no thākes / & to thē they yelde no hones­te / good lyuȳge / nor desyre of helthe of soules / nor hongre of vertu / & ther fore they trespas ī vnryghtwysenes agaynst theyr subtectes and neygh­bours / & they directe no defaute / but [Page]they be as blynde folke that wyl not knowe theyr defautes for vnordy­nate drede y they haue / for bycause they wolde dysplease creatures / & in suche wyse they suffre them for to slepe and ly styll in theyr owne seke­nesse. ¶ They consydre not that all those whiche wyll please creatures in suche wyse / they dysplease bothe themsefe and me that am theyr maker. ¶ And other whyle they do cor­recke the lesse defaute / bycause they wolde couer themselfe with a man­tell of excusacyō for doynge of suche lytell ryghtwysenesse / but they wyll not correcke the more defaute in greter ꝑsones / for drede that they haue in losȳge of theyr state / or therselfe / or theyr benefyce. ¶ All other lesse ꝑ­sones that maye not noye them / nor dysease them / nor withdrawe theyr benefyce or state fro them / they do correcte. ¶ This vnryghtwysenes is done with theyr owne ꝓpre wret­ched loue / for a mannes propre loue enuenymeth all the worse / and the mysteryall body of all holy chyrche / and hathe made the orcharde of this spouse wylde / and hathe arayed it w^t stynkynge floures / the whiche or­charde was renued / whan my very trewe tyllers (y^t is my mynysters y^t be holy) were therin w^t many swete floures / for y^e lyfe of subiectes were not enuenymed than by y^e wretched lyuynge of curates / for ofte tyme it happeth y^t of wycked curates / sub­iectes be also wycked. ¶ But nowe this spouse holy chyrche is full of dyuers thornes (y^t is of all maner syn­nes) not for it maye receyue in h [...]r the stynke of synnes / for the vertu of y^e holy sacramētes maye receyue no hurte / but all those wretches that feden thēselfe at y^e brest of this spouse / receyue in theyr soule the stynkȳge fylthe of synne / puttynge awaye fro them the worthy dygnyte that I set them in. ¶ Not for y^e dygnyte of thē shold decrese / but for theyr wretched defautes / the blode of my sone is set lytell by / that is seculer men put a­waye dewe reuerēce / thoughe they sholde not do so / that they sholde do to them for reuerence of that blode / and yet yf they do to them no dewe reuerēce as they ought for to do (not withstondynge theyr wretchyd ly­uynge) theyr synne is the more / ne­uerthelesse these wretches be to thē a myrroure of wretchednesse / there they sholde be a myrroure of vertu. ¶ Of many other defautes of y^t fore­sayde mynystres / & specyally of go­ynge to tauerns / and of theyr vay­ne playes / and of holdynge of theyr concubynes. AS y^u thynkes wherby receyueth y^e soules of suche wretchyd mynisters suche fylthe of syn̄e? ¶ Certayne of theyr owne ꝓpre sensualyte / for they haue made theyr owne sensualyte a lady with theyr owne ꝓpre loue / & theyr owne soule they haue made a tapster. ¶ Not­withstondynge that / fyrste I made this soule fre / w^t the precyous blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu at the generall delyueraunce / whā all mankynde was delyuered oute of y^e deuylles bondage and of his domy­nacyon. ¶ This grace receyued euery reasonable creature / but all those [Page]that I haue anoynted to my specyal mynysters / I haue delyuered oute of worldely bondage / and put them onely for to serue me endelesse god / & for to mynystre the sacramentes of holy chyrche / and I haue made thē so fre / that I wyll not that no tem­porall lorde Iudge thē. ¶ And now thou sees dere doughter how they yelde me agayne for the good deed y^t I haue do to thē / the rewarde that they gyue me agayn is this / that e­uery daye they parsu me in ryghte many and dyuers cursed synnes / y^t thy tonge can not tell them / and yf y^u herde them thou myghte not suffre them. ¶ Neuerthelesse somewhat shall I tell the of theyr defautes / a­boue that I haue tolde the / y^t thou maye haue the more cause of cōpas­syon and waylynge. ¶ They sholde stonde at the table of my holy crosse / ther for to be fedde with holy desyre / and to be noryshed with the meet of soules for my loue / and thoughe all creatures that haue reason sholde do y^e same / yet moche more my my­nysters whome I haue chosen for to mynystre to you y^e body & the blode of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / & that also they gyue to you ensam­sample of holy lyuynge. ¶ And so by shewynge the doctryne of my sothe­fast sone Ihesu w^t holy desyre / they sholde receyue hongre of the helthe of youre soules / but they do no we y^e contrary / fro the table of the crosse / they entre to the table of tauernes / there they swere and forswere them openly / and done many other defautes / beynge so blynded w^tout lyghte of reason. ¶ They be also in deed lyghte and desolate fro there / and what theyr offyce is (they knowe it not) and yf ony tyme they sholde say theyr seruyce / it is is sayde rather with the mouthe than with y^e herte / for y^e herte is fer fro thense. ¶ They be also trecherers and venyable ry­baudes / and reuelers / & after tyme they haue thus played w^t theyr sou­les in cursed lyuynge / and so put it to the fendes hondes / thā they playe the temporall goodes and substaūce of holy chyrche / by the whiche poore folke sholde be releued / and to is ho­ly chyrche begyled / and poore men defrauded / and it is no wondre / for bycause they themselfe be made the deuylles temples / therfore they fere nothynge my temple / but that same arayment that they sholde do in my temple / and in chyrche for the reue­rence of my sones blode / they do [...]u in theyr houses where they do dwell. ¶ And the worste of all is / that they with the goodes of holy chyrche a­raye theyr concubynes / as an hus­bande wolde aray his wyfe / so these incarnate deuylles of holy chyrche goodes aray theyr deuylles / that is theyr cōcubynes / with whome they lyue vnclenly & wyckedly / and w^tout shame they make them go stonde & come ī to y^t chyrche / whyles they be at y^e auter. ¶ They take no thought thoughe theyr wretched deuylles do come to theyr hondes w^t other chyl­dren of holy chyrche / for to offre as other folke done. ¶ O ye fendes / and yet more than fendes / ye sholde at y^e of [...]e hyde youre synnes in y^e syghte [Page]of youre subiectes / for yf ye hyde it / y^t offēce is to me alone / & the harme to yourselfe. ¶ But nowe ye do euyl to your neyghbours for to gyue thē suche ensamples of cursed lyuȳge / throwe youre ensample / they fall in to y^e same synnes or greter. ¶ This also is another wyckednesse y^t they vse / they aryse erly by the morowe / with a defouled soule and a corrupte body that hathe layen all nyghte in deedly syn̄e / they go and saye masse. ¶ O deuylles tabernacle / where is the watche of the nyghte that sholde be waked with deuocyon & dyuyne seruyce / where is contynual prayer and deuoute in the whiche y^u sholde dyspose y^e anēdes tyme / for y^e myste­ry y^t thou sholde do on the morowe / with knowlege of thyselfe to knowe thyselfe vnworthy to that offyce / & also with knowlege of me / for of my goodnesse I haue made y^e a mynys­ter / not by thy deseruynge and me­rytes / but for my goodnesse I haue ordeyned the a mynyster for to my­nystre to my creatures the sacramē tes of holy chyrche. ¶ How the syn̄e agaynst kynde reyneth in some of y^e foresayde mynysters / and of a fayre vysyon whiche the soule hadde vp­on this mater. DEre doughter I make the knowe that I requyre so greate purete of you and of them in this blessyd sacrament / as maye be hadde to man in this lyfe / and ther­fore asmoche as you maye on youre syde and on theyr syde / eche of you sholde contynually with all youre myghte wynne suche purete / and thynke yf it were possyble an an [...]els kynde to be puryfyed to that myste­ry it were ryghte necessary / but it is not possyble / they nede not to be pu­ryfyed / for in them maye neuer fall the venym of synne. ¶ This I saye the that thou maye knowe what clē nesse and purere I requyre bothe of you and of them in this worshypful sacrament / and namely of them that be my mynysters / but they do the contrary / for al they be vnclene / and no onely of vnclennes and freylte to the whiche ye be prone and redy of youre owne freyle nature. ¶ But they wretches be so vnclene / y^t they do the wycked syn̄e agaynst kynde / and as blynde fooles of theyr intel­leccyon they knowe not the fylthe & stynkynge wretchednesse that they be in. ¶ And it dyspleaseth not onely me that am endelesse purete / the whiche synne is so abhomynable to me / that for y^e synne by my Iudge­ment fyue Cetees were ouer tour­ned / for I myghte not suffre y^e vyle stynke of that cursed synne n [...] lon­ger / it dysplesed me somoche (& not onely me as I sayde) but it dysple­seth deuylles (not bycause the euyll dothe dysplease thē / that god sholde please them) but bycause theyr na­ture was somtyme angels nature / and therfore that nature escheweth to se y^t actuall cursed synne / thoughe it so were that the fende thre we fyrst an arowe to them enuenymed with the venym of concupyssence. ¶ But whan they come to the dort of that cursed synne / than he gothe his way for the cause that I haue tolde the / for yf thou remembre the I towe y^e [Page]how that cursed synne somtyme be­fore the incarnacyon myslyked me / for all the worlde was corrupte thā therof. ¶ And thā thou lyfted vp thy selfe aboue thy selfe with holy desyre where I shewed the all the worlde / and ī that syghte thou sawe that al­moste euery parsone was corrupte with that wretched synne / and thou knowes well that it was so greate a peyne to the for to se it / & for to smell the stynke of that synne in thy soule / that the semed it shold be thy dethe / for thou dyd se no place wher thou & other of my seruaūtes myght stōde for corrupcyō / that this lepre sholde not defoule you / nor to enfecte you. ¶ Thou dyd se no place where thou myghte stōde nother ymonge small nor greate / yonge nor olde / clerkes nor relygyous / prelates nor subiec­tes / lordes nor seruauntes / but all these were defouled bothe body and soule of this cursed synne. ¶ This I shewed the thā in generall / I tell the not what they be in specyall / for whose vnryghtwysenesse / I with­holde yet my ryghtwysenesse / for I cōmaūde not stones to oppresse thē / nor the erthe to deuoure them / nor beestes to dystroy them / nor fendes for to bere them awaye bothe body and soule. ¶ But I fynde wayes for to shewe thē mercy (yf they wyll amende thē) and for intercessoures bytwene me and them / I sende my seruaūtes suche as be vndefouled in that cursed synne / and in all other deedly synnes / for to praye for them to me / & otherwhyle I shall shewe them suche wretched synnes for to make them more besy aboute theyr soule hele / & with y^e more cōpassyon for to offre thē to me by prayer / for it is a ryght cursed syn̄e. ¶ I shewed y^e but one sparcle of the stȳke of that synne / & y^u was broughte to suche a plyte / y^t thou myght no lōger suffre to bere it / & therfore y^u sayde thus to me. ¶ O endeles fader haue mercy vpon me & on thy creatures / orelles take my soule out of my body / for I maye nomore / & therfore refresshe me endeles fader / and shewe me in what place I & thy seruaūtes maye rest vs / y^t this lepre noye vs not / nor take away fro vs purete bothe of body & of soule. ¶ I answered y^e thus & tourned to the the eye of my pyte (and sayde) and yet saye. ¶ Doughter youre reste is in gyuynge to my holy name ioye and praysynge / and besy you in that ye can and maye for to throwe encens to me of contynu­all prayer / for these wretches that haue put themselfe in somoche wretchednesse makynge thēselfe vnwor­thy to be my mynysters / [...] y^t cursed synne. ¶ The place there ye sholde stonde / is cryste crucyfyed my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / there sholde ye dwell / & hyde you in y^t holes of his woūdes / & namely in y^e grete woūde of his syde / in the whiche woūde by affeccyon of loue ye sholde be ioyfull in that open wounde of my sones herte / ye sholde fynde the feruente boylynge charyte of me and of your neyghboure / whiche for the reue­rence of me the endelesse fader / and for to fulfyll the obedyence that I pu [...] to hym / & for youre saluacyon & [Page]helthe / he ranne gladly to the moste reprouable dethe of the crosse / by se­ynge and tastynge of this loue you folowe his doctryne / noryshȳge your selfe vpon the table of the crosse that is with pasyence and charyte. ¶ Also you sholde bere peynes for youre neyghbour / turment / and laboure / in what wyse y^t euer it come / in this wyse ye sholde scape and fle that cursed lepre. ¶ Thus haue I taughte other / but yet this thynge hathe not left thy soule fully fro the felynge of the stynke of y^t syn̄e / nor withdrawe fro thy eye of intelleccyon the derkenesse / but my prudēce puruayde for the thus / that whan y^u dyd receyue y^t body and y^e blode of my sone Ihe­su all god & all mā / as it is receyued in the sacrament of the auter / in to­ken that this is sothe that I saye / the stynke of that cursed synne pas­sed awaye fro the by receyuynge of that sacrament / and the derkenesse auoyded by the lyghte that thou re­ceyued in that sacrament. ¶ And so that sacrament bylefte with the in a meruaylous wyse / as it was ly­kynge to my goodnesse for to gyue y^e / for ī thy mouthe bylefte a sauour of that blode / and in the taste of thy body in the same wyse many dayes suynge / as thou knowes well. ¶ Lo doughter by this thou maye se how abhomynable this synne is to me of all creatures. ¶ Thynke than that it is more abhominable to me of thē that be my mynysters / whome I haue chosen for to lyue ī the state of contynence / ymonge whiche chaste mynysters / some there be that [...] departed fro the worlde / as relygyous men / as very specyall plantes whi­che be sette in holy chyrche. ¶ And ymonge suche yf ther be mynysters of the whiche thou maye not here / how moche more the defaute in thē dyspleaseth me / for it is more dyspleasaunce to me that synne in thē than ony other minystre of myne / whiche be reherced before / for they shold be as lyghte set vpon a candelstycke / mynysters of my very sonne ī lyght of vertu / and of honest and holy ly­uynge / and they mynystre to me in derkenesse of synne / and they be so derke / that of holy wrytte whiche is yllumyned by my chosen doctours / with the lyghte aboue kynde (as I haue tolde the before) they be so bol­ned with pryde in y^e cunnynge ther­of / and bycause they be vnclene and rechylesse in wātayne lyuȳge / they nother se nor vnderstonde the swetenes therof / but onely the bare barke of the letter / and so they rede it with out ghostly fauour / in asmoche as the taste of the soule is not well ru­led / but corrupte of the propre vysy­ble loue / and of pryde & vnclennesse / by the whiche vnclēnesse they couet for to fulfyll theyr lustes / and so ful­fylled with luste and couetyse without ony shame / they trespas and vse wretched vsury whiche I haue for­byd. ¶ How subiectes whiche be in the foresayde defautes amende thē not / and of defautes of relygyous ꝑ­sones whiche do not correcke y^t fore­sayd defautes. IN what wyse therfore maye suche full of so greate de­fautes do ryghtwysenesse to other & [Page]repreue other of theyr subiectes for theyr defautes? ¶ Certayne they cā not for theyr owne defautes with­draweth fro themselfe boldenes / for to vndernyme other / and also the holy zele of ryghtwysenes / and yf they otherwhyle do it / theyr subiectes y^e be gylty as they be / can sayt to thē thus. ¶ Leche fyrste hele thyselfe / & than hele me / & than shall I receyue thy medycyne. ¶ Thoughe thyselfe be in more defaute than I / and thou vndernymes me / full yll dothe he y^t repreueth and vndernymeth suche by wordes / and not ī good lyuynge. ¶ I saye not this bycause he sholde not vndernyme & blame defautes of his subiectes be he good or yl / but he is bounde therto. ¶ And yet ne­uerthelesse he dothe yll / bycause he a­mendeth not hym / and set hymselfe fyrste in good lyuynge / or than he vndernyme other / and yet the sub­iecte dothe moche worse that recey­ueth not mekely y^e repreues and vn­dernymynges of his curate (be he good or yll) ymendynge by suche vn­dernymynge his wretched lyfe / for he hurteth hymselfe & none other / & he alone shall be punyshed for his owne defautes / & none other. ¶ The cause why all euylles dere doughter ben so ryue / is for they be not vnder nyme with good lyuynge / and why be they not correcked ī good lyuȳge? ¶ Certayne for curates be blȳded w^t theyr owne ꝓpre loue / ī the whiche loue al theyr wyckednes is groūded & set / & they beholde & se no forther / but how they may fulfyl theyr owne mystruled delectacyons and lustes / as well subiectes as curates / & also as well clerkes as relygyous. ¶ O swete doughter wher it y^e very obe­dyence of relygyous people / whiche be put as angels in holy relygyon / and be worse than fendes / for bothe in techynge & prechȳge / they sholde shewe my worde. ¶ They onely crye & preche with sowne of the mouthe / and therfore there maye growe no fruyte in y^e hertes of y^t herers / theyr prechȳges be rather for plesynge of men & for delectable herynge of mē ­nes eres / than for my worshyp / that is the cause why they study rather in curyous spekȳge / thā for to please in good lyuynge. ¶ All suche do not sowe my sede in sothefastnesse / for to take hede for to pul vp vyces & plāte vertues (and the cause is) for they be not besy to drawe out thornes & breres out of theyr owne gardeyne. ¶ Therfore they endeuer them not to pull them out of the gardeynes of theyr neyghbours. ¶ All theyr de­lytes is in arayenge of theyr bodyes and theyr celles / & for to go aboute by townes and Cytees. ¶ Of suche it happeth / as it fareth of fysshes y^t be without water / they dye anone. ¶ In the same wyse suche relygyo­us folke yf they beoute of theyr cel­les with vanyte and vnhoneste ly­uynge they dye anone / they go oute of theyr cell of y^e whiche they sholde make an heuen to them / and they renne aboute by broken houses / se­kynge frenshyp of theyr kynne and of other seculer people after theyr owne wretchydnesse / by vnlawefull lys [...]te of theyr wretched soueraynes [Page]whiche haue tyed them not shorte / but longe. ¶ All suche wretched cu­rates and prelates take no thought thoughe they se theyr subiectes in the fendes hondes / but ofte tymes they sende them thyder / and other­whyle they knowe well that they be deuylles incarnate by cōdycyō / they sende them to monasteryes of Nunnes / to suche as be incarnate deuyl­les as they be / and so one distroyeth the other with many subtyltes and dysceytes. ¶ The begynnȳge of thē is set in colour of deuocyon / but by­cause theyr lyuynge is wantayne & wretched / it stondeth not coloured longe with deuocyon / but anone y^e the fruyt [...] of theyr deuocyon is shewed. ¶ Fyrite they seme to be floures of stynkynge dyshonest thoughtes / with corrupte leues of wordes / and so with wretchyd maners they ful­fyll theyr desyres. ¶ The fruyte that foloweth theron / thou knowes well they be but leues / & ofte tymes they be come so ferforthe [...]hat eche of thē go out of relygyon / he foloweth her ouer all / and she is made a comune woman. ¶ Of all these wyckednes­ses & many mo / prelates be y^e cause / for they regarde not theyr subiectes but they gyue them large leue / for they themselfe sende them thyder / & yet they feyne for to se theyr wret­chedness / and bycause also the sub­iecte hadde no delyte of hymselfe / & thus on bothe the partes foloweth dethe. ¶ Thy tonge maye not tell to many defautes as they offende me with / for they be made the deuylles armure / and with theyr c [...]sed lyuȳge they enuenyme bothe with­in and without / without they enuenyme ymōge seculers / within they enuenyme ymōge relygyous / they be depryued fro charytable brother heed / and eche of them wyll be more than other and greater than other / and eche of thē wyll haue more thā other / and so they do agaynste y^e precepte and auowe y^t they haue made. ¶ They haue made a vowe for to kepe theyr order (and they breke it) and not onely that they kepe it not / but they do as hongry wolues do y­mōge shepe / & they y^t wyl kept theyr ordre / them they deryde and scorne / and suche wretches thynke with suche parscucyōs and scornes that they do to good relygyous people / whiche kepe y^e order for to couer thē selfe / and they dyscouer themselfe y^e more / and therfore moche myschefe falleth in the orcharde of holy rely­gyon. ¶ The relygyon in it selfe is holy / for it is grounded by the holy ghoste / and therfore the order in hȳ ­selfe maye not be dysceyued / nor cor­rupte by the defaute of the subiecte. ¶ Wherfore he that wyll entre in to relygyon sholde not beholde to them y^t be euyll / but he sholde rowe forthe vnder the wynges and fynnes of relygyon / kepynge the same relygyon after the fyrste entente to his power vnto the dethe / but yf he be seke or dyseased. ¶ I sayde to the also that relygyon is come in to suche a cōdy­cyon by euyll prelates and euyll subiectes / that he whiche wolde kepe y^e ordre fully / semeth to mysculed rely­gyous people (in the same cōgrega­cyon / [Page]that he breketh the order / in asmoche as he foloweth not theyr wā tayne maner of lyuynge in cerymo­nyes and other maner of dysportes suche as they haue ordeyned ymon­ges them / and they wyll kepe the cerymonyes for to please seculers / & so to hyde theyr defautes. ¶ Thus thou maye se that y^e fyrste voue that they make to kepe theyr order they fulfyll not / of the whiche obedyence I shal tel y^t ī another place. ¶ They make also a voue for to kepe wylfull pouerte / and euer for to lyue chaste and contynent / how trowes thou y^t these be kepte? ¶ Se theyr possessy­ons and abundaunce of monye that they kepe pryuyly / departed fro the comune charyte / not comunynge w^t theyr brederne / nor partȳge nother temporall substaunce / nor ghostly substaunce / as the order of charyte dothe aske / and also theyr owne or­der. ¶ They wyl no mo make fatte but themselfe and theyr beestes / and one beest noryshehe another / but his poore broder dyeth for honger and colde / and after tyme he is wel fode­red and noryshed and hathe greate feestes / he thȳketh not on his poore broder / nor he wyl not ete with hym at the poore table of the trayter / his delyte is for to stonde there where he maye fulfyll his luste with glotony. ¶ It is vnpossyble to suche one / for to fulfyll & kepe the thyrde voue of contynence / for a full wombe maketh no chaste soule / but wantaynly they go with mysruled lustes / and so they do walke fro euyll to worse / & moche myschefe falleh ymonge them for kepynge of that properte / for yf they hadde not for to spende / they wolde neuer lyue vnordynate­ly / nor they sholde neuer haue suche curyous frendeshyppes / for yf they had not for to gyue / they sholde ne­uer haue loue nor frēdeshyp of secu­lers or of men of the worlde / whiche frendeshyppe is grounded for loue of the gyfte / and for a maner delyte and pleasaūce that one taketh of an other / and not of the pure and par­fyte charyte. ¶ O wretches so set in so grete wretchednesse / & of me you be set in so greate dygnyte / they fle fro the quere as they tasted venyme therin. ¶ And yf they stonde therin / they crye w^t theyr voyces / ut theyr hertes be fer fro me / to go to y^t masse they haue it of custome withoute o­ny dysposycyon / as thoughe they sholde go to the meet. ¶ All these e­uylles and many mo / of whome I shall no more tell the / bycause it shal not make foule thy eres / nor to fo­lowe the vyle / vngracyous / and wycked prelates / the which [...] do neuer amēede / nother correcke nor punyshe the stynkynge defautes of theyr subiectes / nor yet they haue no fere / nor they be no louers nor well wyllȳge that theyr order sholde be kepte / in asmoche as they themselfe do not kepe theyr order / but rather breke it as I haue sayd before. ¶ They wyl gladly laye vpon the heedes yf them the whiche wolde kepe the order / heuy stones of ryght greate preceptes and cōmaundemētes / punyshynge them of trespases / that neuer they were gylty in. ¶ And all this they [Page]do bycause in them shyneth not the ghostly Margaryte precyous stone of ryghtewysenesse / but of vnryghtwysenesse / & therfore vnryghtwyse­ly they gyue to theym that deserue grace and benyuolence / penaunce & hate. ¶ To suche as be the deuylles lymmes by mysruled lyuynge / they commytte bothe offyces and states of the ordre (for as blynde they lyue) and as blynde they gyue offyces / & and thus they gouerne theyr subie­ctes / and yf they correcke them not and them amende or that they dye / with the same blyndenesse / they shal go to derkenesse of endelesse damp­nacyon. ¶ And yet they must nedes to me endelesse Iudge / yelde a reke­nynge of the soules of theyr subiec­tes. ¶ Ryghte euyll shall they gyue to me a rekenynge / & therfore ryght­wysely of me they shall receyue as they haue deserued. ¶ How y^t syn̄e of Lechery reygneth in euyll mynys­ters of holy chyrche. DEre dough­ter some maner of [...]arcle I haue shewed the of y^t wretched lyuynge of them (whiche do lyue in holy rely­gyon) w^t howmoche wretchednesse they dwell in theyr order / as raum­pynge wolues in shepes clotynge. ¶ Now I shall tell the of clerkes & seculer mynysters of holy chyrche / that thou also may haue ruthe and compassyon of theyr mysruled ly­uȳge. ¶ Thre pyllers of synnes ther be / of the whiche I tolde the in ano­ther place / wherof I shall make my complaynt to the / one is of vnclen­nesse / another is of hyghe pr [...]de / & the thyrde is of greate couetyse that reygneth ymōge them / for they sell the grace of y^e holy ghost / as I haue sayd before. ¶ Eche of these thre vy­ces / one foloweth and is dependaūt vpon another / and the fundamente and grounde of these thre wretched pyllers / is propre loue of themselfe. ¶ These thre wretched pyllers the whyle they stonde vpryghte (that is to saye) that they fall not downe by loue of vertu / they be suffycyent ynought for to holde styfly an obsty­nate soule in ony maner vyce / for e­uery vyce (as I sayde) spryngeth of the propre loue. ¶ Of propre loue y^e pryncypal vyce of pryde spryngeth / and a proude man is depryued fro the loue of pure charyte / and so fro pryde / he cometh to vnclennesse and auaryce / and thus they chayne thē ­selfe with the deuyls chayne togy­der. ¶ Se now dere doughter with what wretchednesse of vnclennesse they defoule bothe theyr bodyes and soules / as I haue tolde the in ano­ther place. ¶ But nowe of another thynge wyll I tell the y^t thou maye the better knowe the wel of my mercy / and that also thou maye the ra­ther haue cōpassyon of thē. ¶ Ther be some that be so deuyll lyke / that not onely they take that blessyd sa­crament in vnreuerence / wherin I haue sette thē for to mynyster it worthely / after the excellence y^t I haue sette them in / but they for the loue y^t they haue to certayne creatures / yf they may not optayne as they wolde haue / they wyll haue thē with char­mes and incautacyons of fendes / & with the blessyd sacrament that is [Page]gyuen to you for meet of lyue / they worke therwith malycyously for to fulfyl theyr vnhoneste and wretched thoughtes / and that they maye ther by the soner brynge theyr wylles to effecte / and those beestes that be vn­der theyr cure whome they sholde fede bothe ī body and soule. ¶ With suche maner wyse they tourmente and in many other maners whiche I ouerpasse / that thou haue y^e more peyne in herȳge of suche myseryes. ¶ By suche mysruled gouernaunce they renne out of theyr myndes / and that causeth the fende that is incar­nate within them / for to tell the in specyall how he dothe this & suche o­ther wretchednes / it is not spedeful y^t I tell the. ¶ But generally I tell the theyr lyfe is ryght wretched and dyshonest. ¶ O dere doughter the flesshe that is exalted aboue all the orders of angels oned with my dy­uyne nature / suche wretches gyuen it to suche cursed wretchednes. ¶ O abhomynable and wretched man / and yet not a man but a beest / that thy flesshe whiche is oned to and ha­lowed / gyues to comune women / & yet thou gyues it a wors thȳge / fro thy flesshe and fro all mankynde / the wounde of synne was take awaye vpon the crosse / whiche wounde A­dam by his synne broughte in. ¶ O wretche to y^e my sone dyd worshyp / and thou does vnworshyp to hym / he heled thy woūde with his blode / and therto made the a specyall my­nyster of the same blode / and thou smytes hym agayne with wretched synnes. ¶ That good shepeherde wasshed his beestes in his blode / & y^u defoules them y^t be pure & clene / y^t does thy power for to caste them in to fylthe / y^u sholde be a myrroure of honeste / & y^u arte a myrrour of dyshoneste. ¶ All the lymmes of thy body you hase put to wretched workes / & y^u does y^e cōtrary of it y^t my sothefastnesse hathe do to the. ¶ I haue suf­fred y^t he sholde be youre drynke w^t gall & eysell / & y^u as an vnordynate & mysse ruled beest delytes y^e in dely­cate meetes & drynkes / makȳge thy wombe a god. ¶ I suffred that his eyen sholde be blyndefelde for to yl­lumyne the / and thou with slyper syghtes in thy soule beholdes vene­mous dartes / and also in the hertes of them / in whome thou lecherously beholdes. ¶ In thy tongue do dwel dyshonest and vayne wordes / with thy tongue thou arte bounde to cor­recke & amēde thy neyghbour / & for to tell hym and teche hȳ my worde / and for to saye thy seruyce bothe w^t tongue & w^t herte / & I fele nothȳge elles but stynke & sylthe / swerȳge & forswerynge / as it were a baratour ofte tymes it blasphemeth me. ¶ I dyd suffre also that his hōdes sholde be boūde / that bothe they and al mā ­kynde he sholde lose and vndo fro the bonde of synne. ¶ And thy hondes be anoynted and halowed for to my­nyster that blessyd sacrament / but thou in wretched and ryghte vyle touchynges does vse thy hondes / all thy workes the whiche de vnder­stonde by thy hondes ben corrupte and put to the deuyls seruyce. ¶ O wretche I haue putte y^e in so greate [Page]dygnyte for to serue me onely / and thou dyd dysceyue bothe me and the & all reasonable creatures. ¶ I suf­fred his feet to be fastned makynge to y^e of his body a ladder for to ascēde vp to mercy therby / his syde was o­pened / for to make these the pryuy­te of his herte. ¶ I put hȳ all to you as an open shoppe / where ye myght se and tast y^e meruaylous loue y^t I hadde to you / fyndynge there also my dyuyne nature oned in youre kynde / there maye thou se that of y^e blode whiche thou does mynyster to me / I haue gyuen the a bathe / y^e youre wyckednes maye be wasshed awaye therby / & y^u of thy herte hase made the deuylles tēple. ¶ For thy feet whiche be thy affeccyō bere thy soule to none other place / but to the deuylles place. ¶ Thus with al thy body thou smytes the body of my sone Ihesu / doynge the contrary to hym that he dothe to the / to whome y^u and al creatures be hyghly boūde. ¶ All these instrumentes of thy bo­dy do sowne to euyll / for all y^t mygh­tes of the soule be gadered togyder in the name of the deuyll / and not in y^t name of me. ¶ Thy mynde sholde be full occupyed / with the benefytes of me whiche thou hase receyued / & thou does the contrary / for thou fulfylles it with wyckednesse and dys­honeste of lyuȳge. ¶ The eye of thy intelleccyon thou sholde put full of lyghte of feythe vpon the passyon of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryst whose mynyster thou arte made / & thou before hym hase set delyces & rychesse of the worlde with wretched vanyte. ¶ Thy affeccyō sholde one­ly loue me without ony other / & thou hase sette wretchedly for to loue cre­atures and thy owne body / and so thou loues beestly thynges more thā me. ¶ What is y^t cause of this? ¶ Certayne the propre vnpasyence that thou hase to me / what thynge that I take awaye / that thȳge that thou loues more than me. ¶ And al­so the dysplesaunce that thou hase to thy neyghboure / whan it semeth to the that thou does receyue some tē ­porall harme of hym / and so thou hase hym in hate and blaspheme / goynge awaye fro my charyte. ¶ O vnhappy wretche thou arte made mynyster of the fyre of my dyuyne charyte / and thou for thy owne pro­pre mysruled delectacyons and for one harme y^t thou receyues of thy neyghboure / thou does lose that mynystracyō. ¶ O dere doughter this is one of those thre wretched pyllers y^t I haue rehersed before. ¶ How that auaryce reygneth in wycked mynysters in lenynge to vsury / and specyally in byenge and sellynge of benefyces and prelaces / & of moche euyll y^t hathe come in to holy chyr­che for his couetyse. NOw shall I tell the of the secunde that is of auaryce / for that thȳge whiche my sone gaue in greate largenesse / that is al his blessyd body hangynge vpon y^t crosse full of turmētes and peynes / where as my blessyd lambe ryghte largely shedde his moste precyous blode / & thus my swete lābe payde the raūsome of mankynde / with no golde nor syluer / but w^t y^t precyous [Page]blode. ¶ And yet not halfe y^e worlde he raūsomed / but all y^e worlde / bothe they that be passed / they that be present / and they that be to come / and yet he gaue you not onely his blode / but also he gaue you fyre of brēnȳge loue / for he gaue hymselfe to you by the fyre of brennynge loue / and yet not onely his precyous blode and y^e fyre of brennynge loue / without my dyuyne nature. ¶ For the nature of the godheed was and is parfytely owned to the nature of manheed / & yf that blode so oned with the large­nesse of dyuyne loue hathe made the a mynyster / and thou with so grete couetyse and auaryce that thynge whiche my sone gate on the crosse (y^t is soules raunsomed with so greate loue) and that also he hathe graun­ted the that thou sholde be a specyall mynyster of that blode / y^u does sel by suche couetyse the grace of the holy ghost / makynge thy subiectes to by of the that thou hase frely receyued of me. ¶ Thou hase not dysposed thy throte for to wyn̄e soules by techȳge but to deuoure soules by monye ta­kȳge / and thou arte made so strayte in charyte (of that thynge the whi­che thou hase take in so greate large­nesse) that thou may nother receyue me by grace / nor thy neyghbour by loue. ¶ The substaūce of temporall goodes that thou receyues by ver­tu of y^e blode / thou receyues it large­ly. ¶ And thou auarycyous wretche does good to none (but to thy selfe) & yet not to thy selfe / but as a thefe worthy endelesse peyne does robbe y^e goodes of thy moder holy chyrche and the goodes of poore men / also y^u spendes it vycyously with women and dyshonest men / and in delyces / and with thy kynred / and also there with thou noryshes thy chyldren. ¶ O you vyle wretches where be youre chyldren of vertu y^t ye sholde haue vnder your gouernaūce / wher is youre feruent charyte with the whiche ye sholde mynyster / where is also y^e greate desyre of my honour and helthe of soules that ye sholde haue / where is that greate and dole full sorowe that ye sholde haue for to se the wolfe of hell to bere awaye thy shepe. ¶ There is none in thy strayte herte thou couetous wretche nother loue of me nor of them / thou alone loues thyselfe with thy owne sencyble loue / with the whiche loue thou enuenymes thyselfe & other. ¶ Thou arte that wycked spyryte and fende of hell that deuoures thē with mysruled loue / thy throte de­syreth no other / and therfore thou takes no thoughte thoughe the inuy­syble deuyll bere thē away. ¶ Thou thyselfe arte a very instrument for to sende them to the inuysyble deuyl of hell. ¶ Of the goodes of thy mo­der the holy chyrche / thou delycate­ly arayes thyselfe and other synfull and wretched lyuers with [...]he / and thou byes grete horses more for lust than for nede / there as thou sholde haue them for nede / and not for lust. ¶ These lustes worldely mē do vse / but lustes sholde be for to fede and a­raye the poore men / and for vysyte the seke men / helpynge all suche pe­ple in theyr nedes bothe ghostly and [Page]bodyly / for I haue ordeyned y^e a mynyster for none other / nor gyuen the suche a dygnyte / but for thē. ¶ But bycause thou arte become a wylde beest / therfore thou settes thy ioy in suche beestes (thou sees not) but y^u arte blynde and wyll not se the tourment y^t is ordeyned for the. ¶ Thou sholde amende the wretche / and so­rowe that thou hase thus bone / and so amēde the. ¶ Sees thou not dere doughter what wretchednesse reyg­neth ymōge these wretched synners what shall I more saye. ¶ I sayde to the that some of thē lene to vsury (not for to beyholde open vsurers) but in many subtyll wyses by theyr couetyse / for selden tymes to theyr neyghbours they lende of theyr goo­des / y^e whiche in no wyse is lawfull to be vsed. ¶ Yf it were a gyfte of ly­tell valu / and he with entent recey­ueth it for a prys aboue the loue that he hathe lent it hym (it is vsury) and so of all other thynges that he receyueth in the meane whyle with suche entent. ¶ I haue ordeyned hym for to forbydde leculers fro that synne / and he dothe y^e same / & moreouer yf one come to hym for to aske coūseyle of his mater / bycause he is gylty in the same and hathe loste therby the lyghte of reason / he gyueth derke counseyle of the same passyon that he feleth in his soule of the same mater. ¶ These and many other defau­tes do sprynge of suche streyte coue­tous hertes / it maye be sayde of thē the worde that my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu sayde whan he wente in to the tēple where he founde sellers and byers / and he bette them out w^t scourges (sayenge thus to thē) my house shall be called a house of prayer / & ye make it a denne of theues. ¶ Thou sees well doughter y^t this is sothe / y^t of my house whiche sholde be a house of prayer / nowe is made a denne for theues / they by and sell therin / and make marchaundyse of the grace of the holy ghoste / for they wyll haue greate prelaces and bene fyces of holy chyrche / & they bye thē with grete gyftes. ¶ And thus they plāte in the orcharde of holy chyrche this stynkynge plante. ¶ Thus in this wyse bothe the byer and the seller do vse falsenesse & dysceyte / there as they sholde go vpryght and vse al maner of truthe. ¶ Yf the vycar of my sone knewe this / he wolde cor­recke them / and take fro them theyr offyces (bothe of the byer and of the seller) and yf they amēde theyr wretched lyuynge / it shall be lawfull for them to receyue theyr benefyces a­gayne. ¶ He that boughte it sholde be put in pryson / so for to amēde his defautes / and that other maye take ensample therof / that they do not y^e same. ¶ Yf the vycar of my sone do this in erthe / he dothe duly (and yf he do it not) it shall not be vnpuny­shedde whan he shall yelde his reke­nynge to me for his offyces. ¶ By­leue me dere doughter / in these day­es it is not punyshed / and therfore my chyrche stondeth in grete defau­tes and full efabhomynacyons / for the vycar of my sone sercheth not y^e lyuynge of them whan prelacy is gyuē to them whether they be good or [Page]yl. ¶ And yf they enquyre ony thȳge of theyr good cōuersacyon / they aske of suche as be yll as they be / for they be holde nothȳge elles in thē / but y^e greatenesse of theyr astates / & wor­thynesse of the worlde and rychesse / and that they be greate spekers (& the worst of all is) otherwhyle they wyll choke the offycers with golde / and commēde the same man to thē / y^e holy chyrche hathe of hȳ a semely prelate. ¶ Here good doughter be y^e deuylles workes / for there as they shold enquyre of vertuous lyuȳge & fayrenes of vertu / they beholde one­ly y^t semelynes & fayrenesse of body / they sholde serche after meke men & poore for to auaunce them / suche as forsake benefices / & they take veyne people and proude. ¶ They serche not onely after cunnynge (and cun­nynge is ryghte good and parfyte) there as it is felyshypped with ho­nest lyuynge & very mekenesse. ¶ Yf cunnynge be in a proude man / that is also dyshonest & cursed of lyuȳge / that cunnynge is venym / for suche one vnderstondeth holy wryte none otherwyse but after y^e letter / ī derke­nesse he vnderstōdeth it / for he hathe loste the lyght of reason / and his eye of intelleccyon is blynded. ¶ In the whiche lyghte with lyghte aboue nature / was declared & vnderstōde holy wrytte of worthy doctours / as I haue sayde before. ¶ Thus thou maye se that cunnynge is good in it selfe (but not in suche one) for he ly­ueth not ther after / but his cūnȳge is to hym fyre of endelesse dampna­cyō / but yf he amēde his lyfe. ¶ And therfore they sholde rather beholde to holy lyuynge / than to a cūnynge man that lyueth euyll / they do the contrary / for all those that be good / vertuous / and also cunnynge / they holde them fooles (of poore folke for to auaunce them) they haue indyg­nacyon. ¶ Therfore thou maye se y^t ī my house whiche shold be a house of prayer / and in the whiche sholde shyne the ghostly Margaryte stone of ryghtwysenesse / and lyghte of cū ­nynge / with honest & holy lyuynge / and swete smell of truthe / and now aboundeth the synne of lesynges. ¶ They sholde haue wylfull pouer­te with very besynesse for to cōserue soules / and to pull them out fro the deuylles hondes / and they gader ry­chesse & sette theyr besynesse more a­boute temporal goodes / thā aboute ghostly goodes / and they take hede to none other thynge than to myr­thes and games / and for to encrese and multyply temporall substaūce / and they wretches do not consyder that this is a maner of losynge of tē porall goodes / for yf the abounded in vertues / & token vpon thē ghost­ly besynesse (as they sholde do) they shold haue temporal goodes ynowe. ¶ They sholde fuffre deed mē to bu­ry theyr deed men / and they sholde sewe me and my doctryne and ful­fyll my wyll / y^e is for to do y^t thynge that I haue ordeyned them to / but they do all the contrary / for deedly thynges and trāsytory thȳges they bury in themselfe with a mys ruled besynesse and affeccyon / and they do take vpon them worldely mennes [Page]besynesse. ¶ Thus is to me a greate dysplesaunce / and a greate hynde­raunce to holy chyrche / they sholde leue suche thynges to the worlde / & suffre one of thē bury an other. ¶ A deed man is vnderstonde in two maners / one is whā a man of holy chyr­che mynystreth and gouerneth temporall goodes with deedly synne of vnordynate loue & affeccyon. ¶ An­other is for to excersyce onely bodyly workes and leue ghostly / for the bo­dy in hymselfe is deedly and hathe no lyfe / but that it hathe of y^t soule / and as longe as the soule is in y^e bo­dy / so longe it receyueth lyue and no longer / therfore suche bodyly wor­kes onely be deed. ¶ Wherfore my specyall anoynted seruauntes and mynysters y^t sholde lyue as angels / sholde leue deed thȳges to deed thynges & they sholde gouerne soules y^t be quycke thynges and dye neuer / as to the beynge of thē gouernynge them and mynystrynge to them the sacramentes of holy chyrche / & gra­ces of the holy ghost / & thē fedynge with ghostly meet and and godly ly­uȳge. ¶ And in this wyse my house sholde be a house of prayer / aboun­dynge in graces and vertues / & by­cause they do not thus (but rather y^e contrary) I maye saye y^t it is made a denne of theues / for there they bye and sell as marchauntes / and it is made a receyuȳge place of beestes / for they lyue as wylde beestes vnhonestly. ¶ And therfore therof they haue made a stable for theyr lyenge in the fylthe of dyshoneste / & so they holde with them ther in the chyrche theyr deuylles / as a spouse holdeth his wyfe. ¶ Thus y^u maye knowe howmoche euyl is vsed ymōge thē / and yet moche more without ony cō paryson thā I haue tolde y^u. ¶ How pryde reygneth in the foresayde mynysters / by the whiche pryde the fe­lynge in god is loste / and whan that felynge is awaye / than fall they to this faute (y^t is to saye) suche mē do feyne them to make consecracyon / & they make none. NOw I wyll tell the of y^t thyrde pyller (that is pryde) and thoughe I haue set it laste / yet it is better laste than fyrste / for al vyces come of pryde / lyke as all vertu­es do come of charyte. ¶ Pryde be­gynneth and spryngeth and is noryshed of poore sencyble loue / of y^e whi­che loue I tolde the that it was and is the grounde and fundament of al these thre pyllers / and also of all maner euylles that creatures do / for he that loueth hymselfe with vnordy­nate loue / is depryued fro the loue of me (in asmoche as he loueth me not) and in that he loueth not me / he offendeth me / bycause he kepeth not the commaundymentes of the lawe / the whiche is for to loue me aboue all thynges / and theyr neyghbours as thēselfe. ¶ This is y^e cause why that they loue not me nor theyr neyghboure / for they loue themselfe with sencyble loue / so they maye no ther well serue me nor loue me / but rather they serue and loue y^e worlde. ¶ All suche sencyble loue & y^e worlde maye not acorde with my loue nor with me / and they that haue none a­corde with me they be fer fro me / for [Page]they that louen the worlde with sen­cyble loue and serueth hȳ sencybly / must nedes hate me / and he that in sothe loueth me / muste nedes hate the worlde. ¶ And therfore my one­ly sothefaste sone sayde / there maye none serue two contrary lordes / for yf he serue the one / he shall be hated of the other. ¶ Thus thou maye se that propre loue pryueth a soule fro my charyte / and arayeth hym with the vyce of pryde / of the whiche all maner defautes do sprynge of euery reasonable creature that is in those defautes / it is for to sorowe & wayle and namely of my mynysters whi­che sholde be meke (as wel so meke) that they myght noryshe charyte y­monge theyr neyghbours / as for to be meke in mynystracyon of the bo­dy of my sone y^t vndefouled lambe. ¶ And they be not ashamed of theyr pryde / for to se me comen mekely to mankynde / in to y^e flesshe of my one­ly sone. ¶ Yet thoughe y^e same body renne to the dethe of the crosse lowly & mekely by obedyence / he boweth there his heed to salute the & grete y^e. ¶ He spredeth his armes abrode there / the for to clyppe and brace to hym / & he stretcheth forthe his feet for to stonde with the / agaynste thy ghostly enemy. ¶ And y^u wretched man that arte made his mynyster flees and shoues hym / and thou by­clyppes and enbraces to the vnclene creatures. ¶ Thou sholde dwell sta­ble and stydfaste / shewynge the doc­tryne of my onely sothefast sone Iheso / and fastnynge thy herte and thy soule in hym / and thou arte vnsta­ble and vnstydfaste as the wynde / for euery thȳge rēneth aboute vaynly. ¶ Yf thou haue ony prosperyte / thou arte moued with all mysse ru­led gladnesse / and yf thou haue ad­uersyte / thou arte moued with vn­pasyence / and so thou drawes oute the mary and y^e pythe of pryde that is vnpasyence / for ryght as charyte hathe mekenesse / for his pythe and mary / so is vnpasyence the pythe & mary of pryde (for of al thȳges most) proude mē be troubled / sclaūdred / & yrous more thā other. ¶ Pryde ascē deth neuer to heuen / but plungeth downe into hel (& therfore my onely sothefast sone sayd) he y^t exalteth hȳ in pryde shall be broughte lowe / and he that meketh hym shal be exalted. ¶ In euery kȳde of folke pryde hyghly dyspleaseth me / and moche more in my mynysters / for them I haue sette in a meke state for to mynyster my meke lambe / and they do the cō ­trary. ¶ And why is not suche a wycked and wretched preest ashamed / seynge meke so me & lowly ī my one­ly sothefast sone Ihesu / for whom I haue ordeyned thē to be mynysters / and my sone meked hymselfe by o­bedyence vnto the dethe of the cros / he bowed his heed corowned with thornes / and this wretched mynys­ter arayseth his heed agaynste me & agaynste his neyghboure. ¶ And there as he sholde be a lambe (my­nystrynge to my very lambe) he is a ramme with hornes of pryde / and he smyteth all those that cleuē to hȳ. ¶ O wretched man thynkes thou not that thou arte in my seruyce / is [Page]thy offyce for to smyte me with thy hornes of pryde / doynge bothe me wronge & thy neyghbours wronge / and so for to lyue ymōge thy neygh­bours w^t wronge / is this thy meke­nesse with whiche thou sholde saye masse / and mynyster the body and blode of my sone. ¶ Thus thou arte made in sothe as a wood beest and a cruel without ony drede of me / thou deuoures thy neyghboure / and le­des thy lyfe with dyscencyō and de­bate / and thou arte made accepter of parsones. ¶ They that do scrue the and do y^e profyte thou acceptes / or suche as flater and please the / & those that lyue as thou dors / them y^u loues and acceptes and none other / whome thou sholde hate & correcke theyr defautes. ¶ But thou does y^e contrary / for thou gyues them en­sample to do the same or worse / yf y^u were good thyselfe / thou wolde cor­recke them / but bycause thou arte a wycked man / thou wyll not vnder­nyme them / nor be dyspleased with theyr defautes. ¶ Thou dyspyses meke / pure / and vertuous people / y^u goes awaye fro thē / neuerthelesse y^u hase a cause to fle fro thē / thoughe y^u sholde not fle fro thē. ¶ For y^u flees thē / bycause y^e slynke of vyces may not suffer the swete smell of vertu. ¶ Thou holdes a grete reprefe to y^e / for to se at thy dore poore men stōde / thou eschewes for to vyset them in nede / thou sees them peryshe for hō ­ger and wyll not helpe them. ¶ All this dothe the hornes of pryde / whi­che wyl not bowe for to vse one lytel dede of mekenesse. ¶ Why wyll they not bowe? ¶ For theyr owne propre loue whiche norysheth pryde / they put not away fro them. ¶ And therfore he y^t wyll not cōdescende & my­nyster poore folke nother of tēporall goodes nother spyrytual without a thanke therfore. ¶ O cursed pryde groūded & set in thy owne loue / how hase y^u so blynded the eye of thy intelleccyon in suche a wyse y^t whā they wene they loue thēselfe and be tēder of thēselfe they be ryghte cruell / and whā they wene they wyn̄e they lose / & whā they wene they stōde in dely­ces / ryches / & grete hyghnesse / they stonde in grete pouerte & wretched­nesse / for they be depryued fro the ryches of vertu / & be come downe fro the heyghte of grace / to y^e sekenesse of deedly synnes / they thynke they se & they be blynde / for nother they knowe theyr selfe nor me. ¶ They knowen not theyr owne estate / nor theyr dygnyte that I haue set them in / nor they knowe not the freylte of y^e worlde / nor theyr owne lytell sta­blenesse / for yf they knewe all this / they wolde not make thē a god therof. ¶ What thynge hathe w^tdrawe fro thē this knowlege? ¶ Certayne pryde / of all suche I haue made in­carnate deuyls / & I ordeyned them for angels / y^t they sholde be erthely angels as in this lyfe / & they fall fro the heyghte of heuē / to y^e depenes of derkenesse. ¶ And in so moche is the derkenesse of thē encreased / y^t other whyle they fal to defaute / as I shal tel y^e after. ¶ Ther be some īcarnate deuyls that feyne ofte tymes to cō ­secrate and they do not consecrate [Page]for fere of my Iudgement / and also bycause they wolde do away fro thē all maner drede / and the brydell of theyr euyl dedes. ¶ For they ryse not by the morowe fro vnclennesse / and at euen fro mysse ruled etynge and drȳkȳge / yet they thynke it is ryght nedefull for to satysfy the people for to say masse / not w^tstōdȳge y^e people do consyder theyr wyckednesse (that is to saye) they thynke they sholde not so soone by good conscyence saye masse / for fere & drede of my Iudge mētes. ¶ Sees y^u not dere doughter how blynde they be / they renne not to cōtrycyō of herte / and dysplesaūce of theyr defautes / for to amēde thē. ¶ But they go boldely to masse / as for a remedy to satysfaccyon of the people (not for to consecrate) but for to saye masse / for to ouerpasse at con­secracyon the wordes of consecracy­on / consyderynge nothynge that y^e laste erroure and defaute is more & y^t by moche than the fyrste / bycause he maketh y^e people to do ydolatry / makynge them to do worshyp to an hoste vnconsecrate / as they wolde do to the very body and blode of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / all god and all man. ¶ For that that they worshyppe is very bredde / sees thou not what abhomynacyon here is / & how greate my pasyence is y^e dothe suffre them / yf suche one amende hȳ not / he maye loke after sharpe dāp­nacyon at the daye of Iudgement. ¶ But nowe what sholde y^t people do that they fall not in to suche incō ­uenyence / they sholde praye with cō dycyō thus whā they be in doubte. ¶ Yf this mynyster haue sayde that he sholde saye / I byleue that thou arte goddes sone on lyue / gyuen to me to my ghostly lyuelod fro y^e fyre of thy meruaylous charyte / & in the mynde of thy swete passyon where y^u shedde thy blode for to wasshe vs fro oure synnes / yf they do thus they shall so worshyp veryly me (though the mynyster haue wretchedly syn­ned) ī doynge ther they shold not do. ¶ O ryght swete doughter who w^t ­holdeth y^e erthe y^t it maye not swa­lowe thē quycke / who w^tholdeth my myght / y^t it myght make thē vnmo­uable & y^t they may be deed ymages for theyr cōfusyō before all y^e people? ¶ Certayne my mercy / & I holde myselfe (that is with my mercy) I holde my dyuyne ryghtwysenesse / y^t they may be ouercome by strēgthe of mercy / but they as deuyls obsty­nate wyll not knowe this nor se my mercy / for they thynke they sholde haue it of dewte / what y^t euer they haue of me / so they be blyndefelde for they se not y^t they haue it of grace onely / but of dewte. ¶ Of many o­ther defautes / the whiche do come of pryde of a mannes owne propre loue. ALl this haue I tolde the y^t thou maye haue the more cause of waylynge and compassyon of theyr blyndenesse / so for to se them stonde in state of dampnacyon / & also that thou may the better knowe my mercy / so for to truste therin / and for to receyue therof greate sykernesse / of­frynge the same mynysters of holy chyrche and all the worlde to me as­kynge mercy for theym / and y^e more [Page]sorowfull and delectable desyres y^u offers to me fro them / the more thou shewes thy loue y^t thou hase to me / for y^t same profyte the whiche thou maye not do me / nor none of my seruauntes / the same ye sholde shewe to me by the meane of them / and thā shal I forgyue so cōstrayned of your desyres / by pepynge and by pray­enge bothe of the and other of my seruauntes / and also haue ruthe of my spouse holy chyrche / reformȳge her with good and holy curates / y^t by suche reformacyon of good cura­tes / wycked subiectes maye be cor­recked / for the euylles that be done by euyll subiectes / wycked curates be the cause / for yf they were amen­ded and in them dyd shyne y^e ghost­ly Margaryte stone of ryghtwyse­nesse with holy and honest lyuynge / they wolde not do so / and wyll thou knowe what is y^e cause of suche wretched lyuynge / that one foloweth so another in lyuynge / bycause y^e sub­iectes be not obedyent / for whā the prelate was a subiecte / he was not obedyent to his prelate / & therfore he receyueth of his subiectes / suche as he gaue to his soueraynes / badde is that one / and badde is that other. ¶ Of all this / and of all other defautes pryde is the cause / grounded in theyr owne propre loue. ¶ The sub­iectes were vncūnynge & proude / & moche more is the souerayne vncū ­nynge & proude / and ther is so grete ygnoraunce & vncunnynge ymōge the prelates / and they he so blynde / that they wyll gyue y^e order of prest­heed to a man that is an ydyot / whiche can vnneth rede & saye his ser­uyce / and oftentymes of theyr ygnoraūce / suche preestes be made y^t can not say the wordes of the sacramēt / and so of this cometh that defaute / whiche is rehersed before / that they cōsecrate not. ¶ And there as suche prelates sholde chose wysemē groū ­ded in vertues / and that couthe vn­derstonde suche as they dyd rede / they do all the cōtrary / for they take no hede of theyr cunnynge / nor to y^t dyscrete age of them / but of lust they make chyldren and not sadde men / nor they do not take hede of y^t good & pure lyuynge y^t they sholde haue / nor of the dygnyte and mystery to y^e whiche they be chosen / but onely for to multyply people (and not vertuous) they themselfe be blynde & they gader togyder the blyndenesse / and they cōsyder not that I of that shall aske a rekenȳge at y^e daye of Iudgemente. ¶ Yet they do more / for whā they haue so made blynde preestes / anone they commytte to them cure of soules / and they se well they can not gouerne themself / and yet they make them gouernoures of other. ¶ And thus the shepe that do lacke a trewe shepeherde / whiche sholde take hede to them and that couthe lede thē y^e ryght waye (lyghtly they peryshe) & oftentymes be all to rent and deuoured of wolfes / bycause y^e shepeherde is wycked / he recketh not to kepe a hounde y^t sholde berke agaynst the wolfe that cometh to the shepe / but suche one he holdeth in kepynge as he is. ¶ And so these mynysters and shepeherdes be y^t cause [Page]that they haue no besynesse them­selfe aboute thē / they wyll not haue the hounde of conscyence / nor y^e state of ryghtewysenesse / nor the rodde of cōreccyon (it is no wonder) for theyr owne conscyence wyll not barke a­gaynste theyr owne defautes / and therfore they can not well vnder­nyme theyr subiectes that be spred a brode in mysse ruled lyuȳge / wherfore the hell wolfe deuoureth theym. ¶ Yf they wolde suffer the hounde of conscyence to barke / and they to take theyr defautes vpō them with y^e staffe of holy ryghtwysenesse / they sholde auoyde theyr shepe out of the deuyls crouches / and brynge them home agayne to the folde / but by­cause suche shepeherdes be without the roodde and hounde of barkynge conscyence / theyr shepe do peryshe / & it is no wonder thoughe y^e hounde of theyr conscyence barke not / for he is made feble for defaute of meet. ¶ The meet that sholde be gyuē to this hounde of conscyence / sholde be the meet of my vndefouled lambe Ihesu cryst / for yf the mynde be full of his precyous bloode / y^e conscyence is fedde therw^t / that is for mynde of that blode the soule is strengthed to hate vyces / and for to loue vertues / whiche hate & whiche loue do pury­fy y^e soule fro y^e fylthe of deedly syn̄e / & it gyueth so greate strengthe to y^e cōscyence y^t is noryshed therby / y^t as soone as ony enemy of y^e soule (whi­che is synne) wyll enter in / anone y^e conscyence as an hounde barketh a­gaynst it & eycyteth reason to helpe hȳ for to do ryghtwysenesse agaynst hym / for he y^t hathe cōscyence hathe ryghtwysenesse / & therfore all suche vnworthy mynysters (y^e whiche be worthy to be called vnreasonable creatures) for they be lyke to beestes in theyr lyuȳge / it may not be sayde of thē y^t they haue y^e hounde of cōscy­ence / nor y^e staffe of ryghtwysenesse / nor y^e y^t rodde of correccyon / for they haue somoche fere / y^t they be afrayde of eueri shadowe (not for holy drede) but seruyle drede. ¶ And y^t cause is that they be encūbred w^t theyr owne mysse lyuynge / they sholde dyspose them to dethe / for to delyuer theyr shepe fro y^e fēdes hōdes / & they thē ­selfe fēde thē to y^e fende / not gyuȳge thē doctrine of good lyuȳge / nor they wyll not suffer one worde of wrōge for thē / & oftetymes it happeth y^t the soule of his subiecte is encūbred w^t ryght greuous synnes / & he taketh no hede to y^e / but to his householde / he ordeyneth rather y^e another wret­ched preest shall here y^e confessyon of suche a troubled soule thā he hȳselfe / whiche hathe y^e charge therof. ¶ O what wretched leche is he to whom is cōmytted y^e cure of soules / & wyll not do his dewte / he shold lyue y^t he myght fulfyll his dewte ymōge his subiectes / but suche a wretche hathe fere to do his dewte / other for a wor­de y^t is sayde to hym of wrēge / or for drede / or suche other y^t he dare not fulfyll his charge / so y^t what for drede & what for dysplesaūre / he shall leue y^t soule in y^t deuyls hondes & armes / and dare not saye hym the sothe / & in that wyse shall he take hym y^e bo­dy and the blode of my onely sothe­faste [Page]sone Ihesu / and veryly seeth he that / y^t he is not losed fro y^t derkenesse of deedly synnes / and yet ne­uerthelesse for plesaūce of worldely men / and for a mysse ruled drede / or for some gyfte / or by the queste that he receyueth of hym / he mynystreth to hym the sacrament / and yet ther to he buryeth the same cursed man in holy chyrche with grete worshyp / where they sholde rather throwe hȳ out as a beest / or as a membre cut fro the mysteryall body of holy chyr­che. ¶ Who is cause of this? ¶ Cer­tayne proper loue / and the hornes of pryde / for yf they dyd loue me aboue al thȳges / & also y^e soule of y^t wretche for me / & they themselfe also were meke / than without seruyle drede / they wolde be dylygent aboute the helthe of that wretched soule. ¶ Sees thou not what euylles do folowe these thre vyces / whome I put to y^e as thre pyllers / of whome all other synnes do come / that is pryde / coue­ryse / and vnclennesse / bothe of theyr bodyes and vf theyr soules / thy eres be not suffycyent to here those euyl­les y^t do come of these thre pyllers / as they dyd come fro the deuylles mēbres / for pryde they do many dyshonestes & moche couetysenesse / as somtyme thou dyd knowe to whom suche thynges dyd happe / y^u know­es wel somtyme ther were certayne parsones of good feythe and of good lyuynge / whiche were taryed in thē selfe with certayne dredes / wenȳge y^t they had in thē a wycked spyryte / they comen to a wretched preest / supposynge to be delyuered there of by his counseyle / and he as a couetous man receyueth gyftes of thē / & also as a dyshonest & wretched mā spake to thē of dyshonest & wretched lyn­nes (sayēge thus to them) this de­faute y^e ye fuffre maye not be heled (but ī suche a wyse) & so wolde wret­chedly haue do cursed synne with thē. ¶ O deuyll aboue all deuyls / in all thȳges y^u arte worse thā a deuyll. ¶ There be many deuylles y^t hate y^t synne / y^u that arte worse thā he walowes therin / as a hogge in y^t myre. ¶ O vnclene beest / is it the thynge that I aske of the / I ordeyned y^e tor to put out deuyls out of soules by y^e vertu of my sones blode / but y^u put­tes in deuyls. ¶ Sees y^u not wret­che how the axe of my ryghtewyse­nesse is sette at the roote of thy tree. ¶ One thȳge I saye to the / y^t suche thynges sholde stōde to y^e to vsury / for one tyme shall be y^t I shall aske y^e (bothe of mysspēdȳge of thy tyme & of thy place) but yf y^u amende the & punyshe thy wyckednesse here with penaūce & cōtrycyon of herte I shal not spare the thoughe y^u be a preest / but more wretchedly shall thou be punyshed / and greater peyne shall be putte to the / & more cruelly than to other. ¶ Than loke y^u whether y^u can put awaye the deuyll fro the / w^t the deuyll of couetyse. ¶ Ther was also another wretche / & yet is suche to whome creatures y^e be bounde in deedly synne come to for to be assoy­led and losed of those synnes / & they bynde thē faster ī some other synne lyke them or greater / & with newe fyndynges and wayes of wretched­nesse [Page]they fall with them in synne / yf thou haue mynde ther of thou kewe suche a creature / for thou dyd se her w^t thy eyes / to whom suche a thȳge befell / suche a wrethed preest is w^t ­out a hounde of conscyence in hym­selfe / for he aspyeth nothynge his owne defautes / nor barketh not / in correckynge of the defautes of his subiectes / but rather he strangleth his owne conscyence in himselfe and other / also I ordeyned suche cura­tes for to synge and rede dyuyne seruyce / & they lerne for to worke ma­lycyous thynges / and for to charme and enchaūte deuyls / & for to make womē to come to thē by dysceyte of y^e fende aboute mydnyghte. ¶ Or­deyned I the for to spende thy wa­kynge in the nyghte in suche wyse? ¶ Naye certayne / but for to spende the nyghte in holy wakynge / & prayer by good dysposycyon / on the mo­rowe thou maye go to masse & gyue the people swete smell of vertu / and not the stynkynge fylthe of vyces. ¶ Thou arte putte in the state of an angell / that thou maye be conuer­saunte with angels by holy medya­cyons in this lyue / and at the laste come to me with thē to taste in euer lastynge blysse / and thou delytes y^e to be a deuyll / and to be conuersaūte with hym or that thou dye. ¶ But I knowe well the hornes of thy pryde hathe smyten y^e clere shynȳge perle of holy feythe within the eye of thy intelleccyon / and so thou hase loste thy syghte / and therfore y^u sees not in howmoche wretchednesse thou dwelles in / and thou byleues not y^t euery synne shall be punyshed / and euery good dede shall be rewarded / for yf thou beleued it in sothe / thou wolde not do as thou does / nor suche conuersacyō thou wolde not shewe / but whan that euer thou herde that name of synne named / thou wolde haue abhomynacyon therof. ¶ But bycause thou parsues his wyll / hȳ / and his workes / thou hase greate delyte therof. ¶ Thou arte blȳde / and yet thou arte more than blynde / I wolde that thou wolde aske of that deuyll that thou serues what mede he wyll gyuey^e / for the seruyce that thou does to hym / I knowe well he wyll gyue the to answere (& saye) y^t he wyll gyue the suche fruyte as he hathe / for he maye gyue the none o­ther / but suche cruell turmentes & fyre in the whiche he brenneth euer hymselfe / in whome he fell for his pryde fro the heyghte of heuen / and y^u erthely angell falles fro y^e heyght of thy preestly dygnyte by thy hygh pryde / and fro thy trefour of vertu / in to the pouerte of many wretchednesses / and but yf thou amende the here / thou shall descende ī to y^e depe­nesse of hell. ¶ Thou hase made the worlde and thyselfe / thy god & thy lorde / beholde to the worlde with all his delyces / that thou in this lyfe hase receyued of hȳ / and also to thy owne propre sensualyte / wherwith y^u hase vsed worldely thynges / wher I sette the in state of preestheed for to dyspyse them / say therfore to thē / that for the they muste gyue a reke­nȳge before me y^e souerayne Iudge. ¶ They sholde answere than and [Page]saye that they maye not helpe the / and so sholde they tryffe the forthe (and saye) that thou thyselfe shall reken or gyue acompte / and not they. ¶ Lo thus y^u maye conceyue se that before me and all the worlde y^u shall be a shamed / all this thou can not se (for as I sayde to the) the hornes of thy pryde hathe blynded the / but y^u shall se them at y^e ende of thy dethe / where thou can not w^t al thy myght fynde no remedy / but onely in my mercy / thrystynge in y^t swete blode that y^u was made my mynyster of / that blode shal neuer be take awaye fro the / nor fro none other (yf y^u wyll truste therin) & in my mercy. ¶ Yf there sholde neuer none be so greate a foole nor so blynde as thou arte / for to abyde of repentaunce to the laste houre / yet sholde they thȳke in that laste houre on my mercy / for a man that than is founde that he hathe lyued wyckedly / is accused of fen­des / of the worlde / and of his owne freylte / for he wyll not than glose hȳ nor stater hym / nor shewe hym thā no maner delectacyon / but bytter­nesse / nor make hym than parfyte / but vnparfyte / nor shewe hym than lyght for derkenes / as he was wōte by his lyfe / but he sheweth hym the truthe as he is / the hounde of conscyence that somtyme was feble for to barke / than myghtely he barketh & rebuketh hym of his synne / that it is aboute to brynge the soule in to dys­peyre / though no creature sholde fal therto. ¶ But than shold a creature so rebuked w^t greate thryste receyue my sones blode / not withstondynge all his defautes that he hathe done / for withoute ony comparyson / my mercy is more that they receyue in that blode / than all the synnes that ony creature myght do in y^t worlde / neuerthelesse I sayde there sholde none prolonge the tyme nor tary so longe / but repente hȳ euer as he synneth / for harde it is than for hym to be founde vnarmed ymōge his ene­myes in the felde of batayle. ¶ Of many other defautes whiche be in wycked mynysters. DEre dough­ter these wretches of whom I haue tolde the haue in this no consydera­cyon (for yf they hadde) they wolde neuer fal in to so many defautes (no ther they nor other) but they wolde lyue ryghte vertuously / and rather the wolde chose to dye / than for to offende me in ony wyse wylfully / and defoule so the face of theyr soules / & for to mynyshe the dygnyte and worthynesse wherin I haue sette them / but moche rather they wolde encres theyr dygnyte in y^e fayrenesse of vertu (not for the dygnyte of a preest maye encrese by vertu) nor lessed by his defautes / but vertues be cōnyx­ed to the dygnyte of preestheed / as ornamentes the whiche do araye y^t dygnyte of preestheed / and yet all togyder is but one dygnyte aboue the pure fayrenesse of the soule / whiche the soule hadde at the begynnynge / whan that I made and formed her to the lykenesse and symylytude of me. ¶ At y^e begynnȳge they knowe ryghte well the vertu of my good­nesse / y^e fayrenes & dygnyte of thē / for pryde and pure loue dyd blynde| [Page]felde them not than / nor they take not awaye fro them the lyghte of re­ason / for y^e tyme they dyd not knowe suche thynges to theyr harme / but they dyd loue me and helthe of sou­les. ¶ But suche wretches recke not to go fro vyce to vyce / tyll they fall in y^e dytche / for they do lacke lyghte / and of the temple of theyr soules / & of holy chyrche / whiche sholde be my specyal orcharde / they make a place for to receyue beestes. ¶ O my dere doughter how abhomynable is this to me / y^t theyr houses whiche sholde be a receyuȳge place of poore mē of my seruauntes / and it sholde be a place for my spouse / therin to teche & preche / and therin bokes to be kepte of holy maters and seyntes lyues / and they to delyte them therin / and for to gyue ensample of holy lyuȳge to theyr neyghbours / & they make them receyuynge places of vnclen­nesse / and of wycked parsones / and there they do not trete of chastyte / but of auoutry / & therin they lodge theyr concubynes / w^t whome they lyue vnclenly. ¶ Theyr bokes they be not for to study vpon / but y^e syght of theyr chyldren / & with they theyr chyldren that they haue goten with suche wretchednesse withoute ony shame / they haue greate delyte therin. ¶ On holy dayes / & on solempne dayes whan they sholde yelde pray­synge to my name ī dyuyne seruyce / and for to offer to me the presentes of meke deuoute prayer / than they go to playe with theyr incarnate deuylles / and with seculers hawkynge & hūtynge / as thoughe they were seculers or tēporall lordes. ¶ O wret­ched man wherto arte thou comen nowe / thou sholde hunte and hauke after soules / for the worshyp and re­uerence of my name / and stonde in y^e orcharde of holi chyrche to preche / and thou goes aboute in wodes and feldes. ¶ But bycause y^u arte a beest / thou lodges be [...]stes of deedly syn­nes within thy soule / and therfore y^u arte become an hunter and hauker of beestes / by y^e whiche y^e gardayne of thy soule is made wylde and full of thornes / therfore thou delytes the to walke in deserte places / for to ser­che after wylde beestes. ¶ Se thou defouled mā and beholde thy defau­tes / for y^u hase a ryghte greate cause to be a shamed / on what syde y^e euer thou turnes the on / but thou arte not a shamed / for thou hase loste the drede of me / & as a comune woman thou arte not ashamed / thou makes greate bostes and crakes that thou hase greate states in the worlde / & that thou hase a fayre meyne and a grete nomber of chyldren. ¶ And yf thou haue them not / thou wyl haue them yf thou maye / that thou may haue heyres after the. ¶ But thou thefe thou knowes ryghte well that thou maye nothynge leue to them / for thy heyres be poore men of holy chyrche. ¶ O thou wycked and in­carnate deuyll / withoute the pure lyghte thou serches that thynge the whiche y^u sholde not serche. ¶ Thou makes greate bostes of thynges / of y^e whiche thou sholde be ashamed before me / that se the pryuyte of thy herte / and also before all creatures. [Page]¶ Thou arte all shent / and yet y^e hornes of thy pryde wyll not fuffer the to se thy owne confusyon. ¶ O dere doughter I haue sette hym vpon y^e brydge of doctryne of my onely soth­fast sone Ihesu for to mynyster to you pylgrymes the sacramentes of holy chyrche / and he stondeth in the wretched floode vnder the brydge / and in the floodes of delyces & wret­chednesse of the worlde / they myny­stre the sacramentes to you. ¶ And they cōsyder not y^t the floode of dethe is come to hym / in y^e whiche floode he shall be drowned with his lordes that be fendes / whome he hathe ser­ued. ¶ To that endelesse dampna­cyon shall he go / but he amende hym here / with greate reprefe & shame / the whiche thy tongue is not suffy­cyent for to tell / and moche more he than ony other seculer / for the same synne that is in a seculer man shall be moore punyshed in hym / thā in a seculer man / and with more reprefe of his enymyes / y^t do aryse agaynst hym in the ende of his dethe.

¶ This fyfte chapyter spe­keth of the dyfference of the dethe of ryghtfull men. ¶ Also of the dethe of greate syn­ners and of theyr peynes in y^e ende or poynt of theyr dethe. ¶ And a repetycyō of moche more that is sayde after / and of dyuers & many other ma­ters / as it is specyfyed in the kalender before. Ca. v.

BIcause I tolde the how y^u worlde / deuyls / and pro­per sensualyte shal accuse hym / therfore now I shal tell the of these wretches / how grete it is bytwene the dethe of a synner / and the dethe of a ryghtwyse man / for the dethe of a ryghtwyse man is in greate peas / more or lesse after y^e ꝑfyte lyuynge of his soule. ¶ Ther­fore I wyll that thou knowe that al the peynes that reasonable creatu­res haue is in wyl of thē / for yf theyr wyll were well ruled and ordynate­ly set / and acorded with my wyll / it sholde suffer no peyne. ¶ I saye not therfore theyr labour sholde be take awaye fro them / but to that wyll y^t suffreth wylfully for my loue shall no peyne be / for he bereth it gladly / seynge that it is my wyll / & of that holy hate whiche they haue of them selfe / they haue warre w^t the worlde with y^e fende / and with theyr owne propre sensualyle. ¶ And whā they come to the poynt of dethe / theyr dy­enge is in peas / for theyr enemyes ī theyr lyues were ouercome ī ghostly batayle. ¶ The worlde maye not accuse hym / for he knewe his dysceytes / & therfore he forsoke y^e worlde / and all his delyces / his freyle sensu­alyte and his flesshe accused hȳ not / for he helde hym vnder the brydell of reason / as a seruaūt chastysynge the flesshe with penaunce / with wakynge & with meke cōtynuall pray­er / his sencyble wyll he dyd slee with hate and dysplesaunce of synne and loue of vertu / dystryenge in al wyse the tendernesse of the flesshe / whiche [Page]tendernesse and loue that naturally is bytwene the body and the soule / maketh dethe to appere the harder / & therfore naturally a man dredeth dethe. ¶ But bycause that vertu is in a parfyte ryghtwyse man / he passeth nature (y^e is to say) he y^t sleeth y^e drede whiche is naturall and kyndely / and ouerpasseth it with very ho­ly hate / and with desyre to come to his ende / for the naturall tēdernesse of the flesshe can not make warre / where the conscyence stōdeth in quyetnesse. ¶ The cause of a quyet con­syence / is in a mannes dyenge / by­cause by his lyfe he hadde good ke­pynge / barkynge whan enemyes came by and wolde entre the Cytee of the soule / as an hounde stōdynge at y^e gate that seeth enemyes & bar­keth / and so by his barkynge awa­keth the kepers / in this same wyse this hounde of the conscyence wa­keth y^e keper of reasō / therfore bothe cōsyēce & fre choyse togyder / knewe well ynoughe by lyght of ītelleccyō / who was his frende & who was his enemy. ¶ To the frēde (y^t is to ver­tuous and holy thoughtes of the herte) they gaue loue & affeccyon of loue / excercysynge thē with greate ghostly besynesse. ¶ And to the ene­my y^t is to vyces & shrewde though­tes / they gaue hate & dysplesaunce / and with the swerde of loue / & hate / and with the lyght of reason / and y^e hōde of fre choyse / they smyte myghtely theyr enemyes / so y^t afterwarde in the poynt of of dethe / the conscy­ence freteth not hȳselfe / for he hathe made good kepynge / and so stōdeth ī peas / neuertheles a soule of meke­nesse vndernymeth hymselfe in the tyme of dethe / for y^t tyme he know­eth clerely the tresour of his tyme / and the precyous ghostly stones of vertu / consderȳge than y^e he hathe excercysed that tyme ryghtely tell / yet that is no peyne that tourmen­teth hym / but it is a peyne that im­pugneth hym / for it maketh y^e soule to gader all hole in to herselfe / put­tynge before her the blode of y^e meke and vndefouled lābe my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / and he turneth hȳ not to his vertues that he hathe v­sed before / for he wyl not nor he may not hope in his vertues / but onely in that blode / ī the whiche he fyndeth my mercy / and as he hathe lyued in his lyfe / hauȳge mȳde of my blode so in his dethe / he shall be fulfylled with the same / & made drunke ther with / and he forsaketh than hȳselfe in y^t blode. ¶ Fendes maye not than vndernyme hym of synnes / for the malyce of them he ouercame in his lyfe with wysedome / yet they came for to se hym / yf they myght thā ony thynge wynne / and of them cometh in a mānes dethe horryble syghtes to make hym afrayde w^t theyr foule lokynge / and with many & dyuers fantases. ¶ But bycause in y^e soule is no venyme of syn̄e / theyr lokȳge shall in no wyse make thē afrayde / as they shall make suche afrayde y^e haue lyued in the worlde wyckedly. ¶ Whan the fendes do se that suche a soule is entred in to crystes blode with feruent charyte they maye not suffre that / but they stonde all a fer [Page]throwynge to the soule dattes / yet theyr batayle / theyr warre / & theyr greate cryes maye not noye it / by­cause the soule begynneth to taste endelesse lyfe in heuen / for with the eye of intellecyon / he hathe the clere lyght of holy feythe / that is me that am his infynyte good / whiche he hopeth to haue of grace (& not of dew­te) but in y^e vertu of my sones blode shed in his passyon / and therfore the same soule spredeth out his armes of hope / and with the hōdes of loue clyppeth that bolde to hȳ / entrynge in to the possessyon therof / or than he be therin. ¶ Howmoche galdnes trowes thou receyueth than a soule that seeth hymselfe parfytely come to this peas / for he tasteth of y^e good of angels kynde / and ryghte as he lyued in charytable fraternyte with his neyghboure / ryght so he than re­ceyueth y^e good of all trewe tasters fo charyte / & eche of thē with other / generally all suche as do passe oute of this worlde so swetely / receyuen this thynge. ¶ But my mynysters of whome I tolde / the whiche dyd lyue as angels ī erthe / they receyue of it moche more / for ī this lyfe they dyd lyue with more knowlege and with more honger of my worshyp & helthe of soules. ¶ I saye not that they do receyue onely of the lyghte of vertu purely (whiche generally al maye haue) but these had the lyghte of of cunnynge added to the lyght of vertuous lyuynge / the whiche is a lyghte aboue kynde / by the whiche cunnynge they knowe more of my truthe / and he that moche knoweth moche loueth / & he y^e moche loueth more receyueth. & Your mede is mesured to you after y^e mesure of loue / for one that hathe no cūnynge (this is not comunely sayde of all) but of certayne specyall folke / and yet they receyue more worthynesse by state of theyr preestheed / for properly to them it is gyuen for to hōger soules for my worshyp (thoughe it longeth to all in generall) for all sholde stōde in y^e dewe loue of charyte of neygh­bourheed. ¶ But these that be my mynysters / is gyuen mynystracy­on of my sones precyous blode and geuernaunce of soules / & all suche y^t be so besy with affeccyon of vertu / sholde receyue more thā other. ¶ O how blessyd be theyr soules whā they come to the poynt of dethe / for they were shewers and defenders of the feythe for theyr neyghbours. ¶ Al­so they haue incorporate the same feythe in the pythe of theyr soules / with the whiche feythe they se theyr places in me. ¶ The hope also that they lyuen with / hopynge in my prouydence / losynge the hope of theyr owne truste / that is not hopynge in theyr owne proper conceyte / by the whiche losse of theyr owne truste / they sette no ordynate affeccyon in no maner creature / nor in no maner create thȳge / for they do lyue ryght poore wylfully / wherfore that same blessyd hope they dyd extende to me with greate delyte. ¶ The herte also of them whiche is a vessell of loue that bare my name aboute w^t ryght feruent and brennynge charyte / te­chynge and prechynge bothe with [Page]ensample of good and holy lyuynge and doctryne to his neyghboure / a­ryseth with meruaylous loue / and clyppeth me with affeccyon of loue that am his ende / bryngynge to me the Margaryte stone of ryghtewysenesse / for euer he bare that precyous ghostly stone before hym / doynge to euery creature ryghtwysenesse / and yeldynge his dewte dyscretely / and therfore he yeldeth to me with very mekenesse ryghtwysenesse / he yel­deth also ioy & presȳge to my name / to hymselfe he yeldeth indygnacy­on / holdynge hymselfe vnworthy to receyue so greate grace. ¶ His con­scyence also yeldeth to me good wytnesse / & I yelde to hym the corowne of ryghtewysenesse arayed and set with Margaryte stones of vertu / that is of the fruyte that his chary­te drewe out of vertu. ¶ O erthely angell all this is good to y^e / for thou was neuer vnkynde of the benefy­tes that thou receyued of me / nor thou was neuer ygnoraūte nor nec­lygent / but besyly with very lyghte thou hadde the eye of thy intelleccyon open vpon thy subiectes / and as a trewe and a māly shepeherde thou folowes y^e doctryne of y^e very shepe­herde Ihesu cryste my onely sothe­faste sone and lambe / and therfore thou goes by hym all bathed in his blode with the flocke of thy beestes / whome by thy holy lyuynge and te­chȳge many of them y^u base brought to lyfe euerlastynge / also thou hase lefte many of theym in the state of grace. ¶ O my dere & swete dough­ter to these the syghte offendes may do no domage nor hurté / for by the gloryous syghte of me that they se by feythe and holde by loue / bycause in them is no venyme of deedly syn­nes / y^e derkenesse and theyr horryble syghte gyueth thē nother noyaunce nor drede / for they haue in thē no seruyle drede / but good & holy drede / wherfore they nother drede nor fere of theyr dysceytes / bycause they do knowe theyr dysceytes with lyghte aboue kynde / and lyghte of vnder­stondynge of holy wryte / and ther­fore they do not of them receyue no­ther derknesse nor trouble of y^e soule. ¶ And thus they do passe gloryous­ly bathed in the precyous blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryst / with honger of helthe of soules ful­ly brenned in charyte of neyghboure­heed / goynge by y^e gate of my sothe­faste sone Ihesu cryste / and so they entre in me and of my goodnesse / all be sette eche in his owne state / and to them is mesured of me of the af­feccyon of charyte / after the mesure that they brynge with them. ¶ Of the dethe of greate synners / and of theyr peynes in the ende or poynte of dethe. DEre doughter the exce­lence of these be not so greate / but y^e cursed & wycked wretches haue more mysery / of the whiche I haue tolde to the somewhat before / how dredeful and how derke is the dethe of theym (as thou thynkes) at the poynte of dethe (as I sayde) fendes accusen theym / shewynge to theym with grete drede and terryble derkenesse theyr proper lykenesse / for thou knowes wel it is so horryble / y^t a creature [Page]had leuer suffer all maner peynes in this worlde / thā for to se that syghte / and therto the prycke of cō ­seyence is renued that wretchedly freteth and turmenteth hym in his conseyence vnordynately / also dely­ces and his owne proper sensualyte whom he made his souerayne lady / and his seruaunte reason wretchedly accuseth hym / bycause he know­eth the truthe of that / that somtyme he knewe not / wherby he is come to greate confusyon in hymselfe of his erroure / for in his lyfe he lyued not to me as a trewe man / but as an vntrewe and vnfaytheful man / for his owne propre loue couered the clere syghte of holy feythe / & that fende therfore vexeth hym than of mysby­leue / for to brynge hym to dyspayre. ¶ O how harde a batayle is this to hym / for than he fyndeth his soule vnarmed / hauynge no maner ar­mure of the affeccyō of charyte / for he is in all wyse depryued of chary­te / and arayed with the deuyls ar­mure / they haue not than the super naturall lyghte / nor yet the lyghte of cunnynge / bycause they vnder­stonde it not / for the hornes of pryde wyll not suffer them to vnderstōde y^e swetenesse of cunnȳge / why maye they not do some maner of resystēs ī this batayle? ¶ For certaynly they be not noryshed in hope / they hadde neuer hope nor confydence in me / nor of the blode of y^e whiche I haue made them mynysters / but onely in themselfe an in theyr states / and in delyces of y^e worlde. ¶ And y^t wret­ched incarnate deuyll consydereth not / that of all that euer was cōmyt­ted to hȳ / he sholde gyue rekenynge to me / now he seeth hymsefe naked without ony vertu / for on what syde that euer he turneth hym / he hereth nothȳge elles but reprefe & shame / the vnryghtwysenesse that he vsed in his lyfe dyd accuse hym / therfore he dare none other aske of me / but ryghtewysenesse (and one thynge I saye) theyr confusyon and shame is somoche / that but they hadde it in vse by theyr lyfe for to hope in my mercy / they shold be brought to dys­payre / yf suche hope came by presūpcyon. ¶ For he y^e offendeth in hope of mercy / maye not saye effectually that his hope is hope of mercy / but it is rather called presumpcyon of mercy. ¶ Neuerthelesse yet he toke vpon hym the dede of mercy / for in the ende of dethe yf he knewe his de­fautes / and that he dyd dyscharge his conscyence by confessyon / & put awaye presumpcyon of hope / than mercy abydeth / and of that mercy they may receyue hope yf they wyll (for yf y^t were not) there sholde none be / but that he sholde dyspeyre / and go to the dampnacyon of the fende. ¶ This mercy maketh thē to hope in theyr lyfe of my mercy / thoughe than I gaue them none / leste that they hadde offended with my mer­cy / but is was gyuen to them onely for that they sholde extende thēselfe in my charyte / and in the consyderacyon of my goodnesse / and they do vse my mercy in the contrary / for w^t hope that they toke of my mercy in the cōtrary / for with hope that they [Page]toke of my mercy / they dyd offende me / and yet neuerthelesse yet I kepe them in hope of my mercy / that in y^e ende of y^e dethe they may haue som­what for to lene to / and that they vt­terly defayle not by vndernymynge offendes / and so fall to dyspeyre / for it is more dysplesaūce to me / & more harme to thē this synne of dyspeyre than all other euylles and wycked­nesses than they dydde euer before. ¶ And the cause why y^t it is more harme to them / and to me greate dysplesaūce is this. ¶ For all other synnes that they do is done with delec­tacyon for theyr owne proper sensu­alyte / for the whiche somtyme they sorowe / and they muste sorowe so­moche therfore / y^t they maye wynne mercy therby. ¶ But to the synne of dyspeyre they be not moued by freylte / for they fynde therin no ma­ner of delectacyon / nor none other thȳge / but onely intollerable peyne / and in desperacyon they dyspyse my mercy / makynge theyr defaute the more by dyspysynge of my mercy & my goodnesse. ¶ And after tyme y^t they be fall in to this synne they re­pente them not / nor they haue no sorowe for y^e synne that is done to me / by that synne as they shold do / they sorowe for theyr owne harme / but nothȳge for the offence that they do to me / and so they receyue endelesse dampnacyon. ¶ Thus thou maye se that this synne onely ledeth a mā to hell / and there he is bothe turmē ted bothe for this and for other / he sholde haue had my mercy yf he had repented hym / and sorowed for the offence that is done to me. ¶ And yf he had hoped in my mercy / for with out ony comparysō (as I sayde) my mercy is more than all the synnes y^t euer were done / and therfore it dys­pleaseth me moche / that they putte theyr defautes more than my mer­cy / for this is that synne that shall not be forgyue / nother in this lyfe / nor in that other (that is to saye) it shal not be easyle punyshed / but greuously punyshed / and therfore in y^e poynte of dethe / namely after tyme y^t they haue thus wyckedly lyued / & bycause dyspeyre dyspleaseth me very moche / I wyll y^t they hope thā in my mercy / & y^t is y^e cause why ī theyr lyfe / whan they dyd lyue cursedly / I haue made them vse that well by loued dysceyte / that is for to largely hope in my mercy / for whan they be so noryshed ī this hope / as soone as they come to this poynte of dethe / they be not ryghte gladde for to leue it / for y^t greate repreues and vnder­nymynges that they here of other as they wolde do / yf they were not noryshed therin / somoche hathe the depenesse of my endelesse charyte gyuen to thē. ¶ But bycause they haue vsed it with derkenes of theyr owne proper loue / of y^e whiche cometh all suche defautes / they myghte not knowe it truly / and therfore it was arected to hym for greate presump­cyon / in asmoche as the swetenesse of the same mercy rested not ī theyr affeccyon / & this is another vnder­nymynge that the conscyence repre­ueth them within / the syghte of fen­des that also rebuketh them / that is [Page]that the tyme and largenesse of my mercy in whom they dyd hope / they sholde haue encreased it in charyte & loue of vertu / and spende the tyme in vertu that I haue gyuen to them by loue / and they bothe with the tyme / & also with the large hope of my mercy / wretchedly haue offen­ded me. ¶ O blynde wretche aboue al blynde / thou buryes and hydes y^e precyous ghostly Margaryte stone that I haue gyuen y^e / that y^u sholde wynne ther on / & thou as a presumptuos wretche wolde not do the wyll of me / but thou hydes that same be saunt vnder the erthe of thy owne mysruled loue / whiche now yeldeth y^e fruyte of dethe. ¶ O wretche how moche is thy peyne that thou recey­ues now in thy ende / and thy wret­chednesse be not nowe hydde to the / for the worme of conscyence slepeth not nowe / but freteth the peynfully. ¶ Fendes also do crye and yelde to y^e thy mede / that they were wonte for to yelde to theyr seruauntes / that is shame & reprefe that is in y^e poynte of dethe thou shall not ascape theyr hondes / they wyll that thou come to dyspeyre / and therfore they gyue y^e confusyon of conscyence / that at the laste they maye yelde to the suche as they haue for thēselfe. ¶ O wretche the dygnyte that I sette y^e in semeth in the shynynge / and all to thy ende­lesse shame / knowynge well that y^u hase had it / and vsed it in derkenesse of synne. ¶ Also he putteth before y^e y^e substaūce of holy chyrche / in the whiche thou was a thefe / for thou dyd robbe poore folke fro theyr dewte / and holy chyrche also. ¶ Than thy conscyence representeth y^e same to the that y^t thou dyd spende ymōge comune women / also therwith thou noryshed thy chyldren / & thou made ryche thy kynne therwith / and as a gloton it spende in metes and dryn­kes / and arayment / housynge / and in syluer vessels / where thou sholde lyue vnder wylfull pouerte. ¶ Con­scyence also than representeth to the dyuyne seruyce / that thou lefte vn­sayde / for the whiche thou toke no thought yf y^u dyd fal ī to deedly syn̄e / & yf thou sayde it with thy mouthe / thy herte was fer fro me. ¶ And also thy conscyence vndernymeth the thā of thy subiectes / whom y^u sholde haue noryshed w^t charyte & truthe / shewynge theym ensample of good lyuynge / and chastyse them with y^e houndes of merry / and the rodde of ryghtwysenesse / but bycause thou dyd the contrary / thy conscyence vndernymneth the there in the syghte offendes. ¶ And yf thou beynge & prelate gaue prelaces or cure of sou­les to ony subiecte of thyne vnryght wysely / that is that thou sees not before how to whome after a well ruled conscyence thou sholde gyue thē / for thou sholde not gyue it to theym for no fayre wordes / nor for to please creatures / nor for gyftes / but onely for vertu and for my worshyppe and helthe of soules / and bycause thou does not thus / thou arte repreued there for the more peyne and confu­syon / and there is putte before thy conscyence & before the clere syghte of thy intelleccyō / that whiche thou [Page]hase done. ¶ And I wyll that thou knowe dere doughter that the co­lour of whyte is better knowe / nexte the colour of blacke / & blacke nexte whyte / than one deꝑted fro another. ¶ Ryght so it happeth to these wretches / to them in specyall / & to other ī general / for in y^e dethe where a wretched soule seeth more veryly his turmentes / and a ryghtwyse man his blessydnesse / there is bothe wycked lyuynge shewed / and also good ly­uynge. ¶ And it is not nedefull that ony man before that soule tell y^e wycked lyuynge therof / for his owne cō ­scyence dothe that / bothe of vyces y^t he hathe done / and of vertues that he myght haue done. ¶ Why vertu­es? ¶ Certayne for his more confu­syon / for yf vyce and vertu be nyghe togyder / by y^e vertu y^e vyce is better knowe / & the more y^t it is knowe / y^t more is the shame / & for y^e defaute & y^e parfeccyō of vertu is the more ve­ryly knowe / for the whiche he hathe y^e more sorowe / bycause he seeth his lyuynge withoute vertu. ¶ And I wyll also y^u knowe / y^t in y^e knowlege whiche they haue ī vyce and vertu / they se clerely the good that sueth after vertu to a vertuous man / and also the peyne y^t foloweth to a synfull man. ¶ This knowlege I gyue thē not / for they sholde fall to dyspeyre / but y^t they maye come to y^t parfyte knowlege of thēselfe / & to shamefastnesse of theyr defautes w^t hope / that bothe with knowlege & shame they myghte repent thē of theyr defautes & aske mekely my mercy. ¶ A vertuous mā therby encreaseth in ioye & in knowlege of my charyte / for he knoweth well that bothe grace and vertu was & is begon̄e in hȳ / by me & by y^e doctrine of my charite / & therfore in me he ioyeth with this very knowlege & lyghte. ¶ And so he tas­teth & receyueth swetely his ende. Thus y^u may se y^e one ioyeth ī glad­nesse as a ryghtewyse mā y^t hathe lyued in feruent charyte / & a wycked man by derkenesse is confounded in peyne. ¶ To a ryghtewyse man no­ther derkenesse nor syghte of fendes fereth nor noyeth hym not / for it is synne alone that he receyueth drede. ¶ They y^t wantaynly & wyckedly haue ledde theyr lyues / receyue ferefull drede by the syghte of fendes / yet is it not ferefull of dyspeȳre / but yf they wyll themselfe. ¶ But fere of peyne / of reprefe / and of the cōscy­ence and of drede and tremblynge in the horryble syghte of fendes. ¶ Sees y^u not dere doughter how greate dyfference it is bytwene the peyne of dethe / and the batayle that they receyue in theyr dethe / and how fer that one is fro that other / and howe greate dyfference is of the endynge of euery of thē. ¶ I haue tolde y^e leest party & shewed it to thy eye of intel­leccyon / & yet it is so lytell ī rewarde of y^e peyne y^e one receyueth / and of y^e good that another receyueth / that it is ryghte nought. ¶ Sees thou not what blyndenesse is in mā / and spe­cyally in these wretches / for y^e more they be yllumyned of holy wrytte / y^t more they be bounde / and the more vntollerable peynes of confusyon they shall receyue. ¶ And the more [Page]by theyr lyfe they dyd knowe of holy wrytte / the more in theyr dethe they knowe theyr defautes to be greate / and therfore whan they dye / they be sayde in more greater peynes than other be / lyke as good folke be sette in greater excellence of blysse / it happeth to them as it happeth to false crysten men / whiche be in hel in greter peyne and turment thā a Iewe or a paynym / bycause he hadde the lyghte of feythe and forsoke it. ¶ In the same wyse these wretches shall haue more peyne for a lyke synne y^t other men do / than ony other crys­ten man / and that is for the mystery the whiche I haue gyuen to them / for to mynyster the sonne of the bles­syd sacramēt / and also bycause they haue receyued y^e lyght of holy feythe more thā ony other / wherfore ryght wysely for theyr mys ruled lyuȳge / they shall haue more peyne than o­ther. ¶ But suche wretches knowe not that / for yf they hadde ony ma­ner of knowlege of theyr state / they wolde not fall in to so many wyckednesses / but they wyll be suche as they sholde be / and bycause they be not / all the worlde is more corrupte by them / than by all the mysse ru­lynge of seculers / & with theyr styn­kynge synne they defyle the face of theyr soules / & corrupte theyr owne subiectes / sekynge the blode of my spouse holy chyrche / for whose defautes that same spouse waxeth pale for loue and affeccyō of charyte that they sholde haue to this spouse whi­che they take to themselfe / and they take no hede to none other thynge / than for to take prelaces and greate benefytes / wher rather they sholde gyue attendaunce to cure of soules / by the whiche euyls / seculers do ly­tell reuerence and obedyence to ho­ly chyrche / thoughe they sholde not do so / for theyr defautes be neuer y^e lesse / nor they shall not be excused for fautes of my mynisters. ¶ And now here shall be shewed of a repetycyon of moche that is sayde before / & how that god forbyddeth all seculer par­sones to touche his mynysters (in y^t waye of hurte to thē) and how that god styrreth this soule to pray and to wepe by greate compassyon vpon suche mysse lyuynge preestes. MA­ny defautes I haue for to tell the / but I wyll nomore make foule thy eres / all this haue I tolde the to sa­tysfy and fully thy desyre / that thou maye be the more besy for to offer to me for them / swete / delectable / and bytter desyres. ¶ And also I haue tolde the of y^e greate excellence wherin I haue sette them / and of the tre­soure whiche I haue commytted to theyr hondes for to be mynystred / that is y^e blessyd sacramēt / in whom is all god and all man conteyned / shewynge to the an ensample there of the sonne / that thou myghte ther by ꝑfytely knowe for no defaute the whiche they done / that the vertu of that sacrament maye in no wyse be mynyshed nor made lesse. ¶ And therfore I wyll not that reuerence be withdrawe fro them. ¶ And also I shewed the the exsellence of vertuous mynysters / in whom y^e Margaryte stone of vertu dothe shyne / & of [Page]holy ryghtewysenesse. ¶ I shewed the also howmoche the offence dys­pleased me / that parsuers do to ho­ly chyrche / & y^e vnreuerence whiche they shewe to the precyous blode of my onely swete sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / for all those that parsu my mynysters of holy chyrche / I arecte it done to my sones blode / and not to them / for I haue monyshed theym that they be not of wyl to touche my preestes & my anoynted mynysters. ¶ I haue also tolde y^e of theyr wret­ched lyuȳge / and howmoche peyne they haue and confusyon in theyr dyenge / and how cruelly that they be turmented after theyr dethe / & thus that I dyd promyse y^t I haue tolde the / and I haue so satysfyed to the of that thynge whiche thou dyd aske of me / for I must kepe my promyse. ¶ Now notwithstondynge al these defautes (thoughe they were mo) I wyll not that no seculer medle w^t them / in punyshynge of theyr defautes (for yf they do) theyr trespas shal not be vnpunyshed / but yf they pu­nyshe it whyle they lyue ī this lyfe / and so amēde theyr lyuynge. ¶ But these and suche other be incarnate deuyls / and of my dyuyne ryghtwyse­nesse / one deuyl punysheth another / & eche offendeth other. ¶ A seculer is not excused by the synne of a pre­late / nor a prelate by the synne of a seculer. ¶ Now therfore dere doughter I styrre the and all my other ser­uauntes / to wepe and wayle vpon all these deed wretchesse / and for to stonde as chosen shepe in y^t orcharde of holy chyrche to be fedde by holy desyre / offerynge to me deuoute & cō tynual prayer / for my wretched mynysters / for I wyll do mercy to the worlde / and withdrawe you not fro this pasture / nother for wrōges done nor for no maner prosperyte that is / I wyl not y^t you lyfte vp your hedes nother for vnpasyence nor yet mysse ruled ioye / but mekely to take hede to my worshyppe & to helthe of sou­les / and to the reformacyon of holy chyrche / and this is a very token to me / y^t thou loues me ryghte ꝑfytely and truly. ¶ Thou knowes ryghte well that I haue shewed to the / that I wolde thou and other were trewe shepe / euer for to be fedde in the or­charde of holy chyrche / lyuynge with labour to the last ende (yf ye dyd so) than wolde I fulfyll youre desyres. ¶ And here it shall be shewed howe that this deuoute soule yeldeth thā ­kes and praysynges to god / & howe that she prayeth specyally for holy chyrche. THan that soule all brē ­nynge in loue / and ghostly drunke / was wonderly wounded in herte of so greate bytternesse / and so feruent in loue and langorynge / vertuously turned her all hole to the souerayne endelesse goodnesse of good / & sayde thus. ¶ O endelesse god / one lyghte aboue all other lyghtes / of whom cometh all lyghtes / and fyre passȳge all fyres / for thou arte that fyre that brennes and wastes not / but thou consumes all synne / and the propre loue that thou fyndes ī a soule / and yet thou does not waste it playnly / but thou fyghtes agaynste it w^t vn­sacyable loue / for thoughe thou dyd [Page]fyll it / yet is it not full / but euer it desyreth more and more of thy loue­ly fyre. ¶ O souerayne endeles and good he styrred the or moued the in­fynyte god so for to illumyne me thy creature / that thou shall haue ende w^t the lyghte of thy truthe. ¶ Thou thy selfe arte y^t same fyre / and cause of loue / for euer he is loue that mo­ued the and moueth yet / to make vs of noughte to the ymage and lyke­nesse of the / and for to do vs mercy. O goodnesse aboue all goodnesse / thou arte onely he that arte moste souerayne good / and yet neuerthelesse thou hase gyuen thy onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryste to vs / for to be cō ­uersaunte ymonge vs that be ful of siynkynge and vyle synnes derke­nesse. ¶ Who was the causer of this? ¶ Certayne loue / for thou loued vs or that we were. ¶ O good god and euerlastȳge in magnyfysence / thou made thyselfe lowe & lytell to make vs mykell. ¶ On what syde that e­uer I turne me I fynde none other than the depenesse and fyre of thy most swete charyte / whether I shal be that wretche that shall yelde thā ­kynges to thy feruent charyte and loue that thou hase shewed and yet shewes to vs / that is so greate bren­nȳge loue in specyal / aboue comune loue and charyte that thou shewes to creatures? ¶ Nay but thou alone swete and louely fader arte he that shall take thankynge of thy endeles goodnesse for me / that is that the affeccyon of thy charyte alone shall yelde thankynges to the / for I am she that am noughte / and yf I sayd I were oughte of myselfe I sholde ly on myselfe / and I sholde be called the lyenge doughter of the fende / y^e whiche is fader of lesynges. ¶ For thou onely arte he that is / and ther­fore beynge / and all grace that thou hase sette & ordeyned aboue beynge / I haue of the / for that that I haue / thou gyues me of thy propre loue / & not of dewte. ¶ O ryghte swete fa­der / whan that mankynde laye seke for the synne and trespas of Adam / thou sende it to thy leche / that is thy onely sothefaste / swete / and well be­loued sone Ihesu cryste. ¶ In the same wyse whā I lay seke (as now) by the sekenesse of neclygence and of moche ygnoraunce / than thou moste swete and well byloued leche ende­lesse god gyues me ryght swete and bytter medycynes that I myghte therby be delyuered / and to ryse out of my sekenesse. ¶ Swete thou arte to me / for with thy swetenesse and with thy charyte / thou shewed y^e to me / also thou arte to me aboue all y^e swetenesse that euer was / for thou hase yllumyned the eye of my intel­leccyon with lyghte of holy feythe / in the whiche lyghte as it was ly­kynge to thy endelesse gooodnesse for to shewe me / I knewe y^e greate excellence and grace whiche thou hase gyuen to mankynde / mynys­trynge to them by thy mynysters all god and all man / that is the bles­syd sacrament in the mysteryall bo­dy of holy chyrche. ¶ And also I haue knowe the dygnyte of thy my­nysters / by whose hondes thou hase ordeyned thy body to be mynystred [Page]to vs / I desyred y^t thou wolde sa­tysty my desyre whiche I asked of y^t / and thou hase fulfylled that and moche more / enformynge me of thȳ ges that I couthe not aske / wherby I knowe veryly that the herte of a man can not aske somoche & desyre / but y^t thou of thy greate mercy gy­ues hym more. ¶ And so I knowe well that thou arte he that arte infynyte and endeles good / and we be they y^t be vyle corrupcyō & noughte of oure selfe / but thou arte infynyte and euerlastynge / and we be fynyte and mutable. ¶ Thou gyues that thynge the whiche a reasonable creature maye not nor can not desyre in that wyse / as thou can and maye and wyll satysfy a soule / and fulfyll it of those thynges that it asketh not nor in that wyse so swetely and so ryghte plesauntely / as thou gyues it to hym. ¶ And therfore I haue receyued lyghte in y^e magnyfysence of thy charyte / for to se that loue the whiche thou hase shewed to man­kynde / and specyally to thy mynys­ters whiche be thy anointed people / and sholde be erthely angels in this lyfe. ¶ Thou hase shewed the bles­sydnesse and vertu of thy anoynted specyall mynysters / that lyue as brē nynge lanterns / with y^e ghostly pre­cyous Margaryte stone of ryghte­wysenesse in holy chyrche. ¶ And by theym I haue the better know­lege of the defaute of suche that lyue wretchedly / by whome for y^e offence of the / and harme that is done to all the worlde / I haue conceyued a so­rowe in my soule / bycause they do so moche harme to the worlde / and so to be myrrours of wretchednesse / there as they sholde be myrrours of vertu. ¶ And also for asmoche as y^u hase made the open to me most wretche / whiche am the cause and instrument of the defautes of many peo­ple / and thou hase complayned the to me of theyr wyckednesse / and I fynde in myselfe a meruaylous and greate and passynge sorowe of byt­ternesse. ¶ Thou that arte a merua­ylous parfyte louer / thou hase also shewed the to me bothe swete & me­dycynable / and also bytter / wherby I myghte aryse hole fro y^e sekenesse of ygnoraunce and neclygence / and with ryghte parfyte besynesse / also with feruent desyre of loue / that I myghte renu me to the / bothe knowynge thy goodnesse and myselfe / and also the offences whiche be done to the of men / and specyally of thy my­nysters / that I myght therfore cas [...] water of teeres on me wretche for my wretchednesse / wy [...]ynge the fruyte of suche teeres / by knowlege of thy infynyte goodnesse / and also vpon these deed folke / that do lyue also wretchedly / for whom I wolde endelesse fader (meruaylous fyre & loue of charyte) that my desyre be neuer wery for to desyre thy worshyp and helthe of soules / and that my eyes neuer cese to wepe. ¶ But now swete fader I aske the of grace that I may haue two floodes of teeres. the whiche floodes maye come oute frome the / that arte the parmanents peaseable see. ¶ I thanke the fader / and endelesse thankynge be to the / [Page]that hase satysfyed to me of that I asked the / and of that I knewe not / whiche I asked not of the / and also bycause y^u hase styrred me to wepe / and taught me mater of wepynge / for to offer in prayer / swete thȳges / delectable thynges / and longe desy­res / before the with meke & contynual prayer. ¶ Now therfore I aske of y^e / y^t thou shewe mercy to y^e worlde / and to holy chyrche I praye the that thou fulfyll that thynge / whiche y^u wolde I prayed for. ¶ Wo be to me most wretche y^t am cause of all euyl / and yet can not sorowe it within my soule. ¶ Good lorde tary no longer / but haue ruthe and pyte on all the worlde / bowe the lorde and fulfyll y^e desyre of thy seruaunte. ¶ O what am I / thou arte he y^t makes bothe me and thy seruauntes for to crye to the after mercy / and therfore gracy­ously here the voyces of thē. ¶ Thy sothefastnesse sayd thus / serche and ye shall fynde / knocke and it shall be opened to you / aske & it shal be graū ted to you. ¶ O endelesse fader / thy seruauntes crye to the for mercy. ¶ Good fader answere them after theyr desyres / for I knowe well properly it longeth to y^e for to haue mer­cy and for to gyue mercy / and ther­fore thou maye not deny it / but thou muste nedes gyue mercy to them y^t aske it. ¶ They knocke at the gate of thy sothefastnesse / for in thy onely sothefaste sone Ihesu they knocke thy meruaylous loue whiche thou hase to man / and so they crye at the gate / wherfore the fyre of thy charyte sholde not nor maye not w^tholde / but that it muste nedes open y^e same gate to thē y^t knocke with parseue­raunce. ¶ Therfore endelesse fader / open the breestes / & breke the harde hertes of thy creatures (not for thē that do not knocke) but do it for thy infynyte goodnesse / and for the loue of thy seruauntes / whiche for them do knocke at the gate. ¶ Graunte y^u endelesse fader theyr askȳge / whom thou sees stōde knockynge at y^e gate of thy goodnesse / and what do they aske good lorde? ¶ Certayne y^e blode of this gate / that is the blode of thy onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / for in that blode / thou hase wasshed a waye the wyckednesse & stynkȳge fylthe of synne / whiche came by the synne of Adam (y^t is oure blode good lorde) for of that blode y^u hase made to vs a bathe / I knowe wel therfore thou maye not nor wyl not deny thē y^t aske y^e in parseueraunce. ¶ Gyue therfore good lorde y^e fruyte of that blode to thy creatures / putte good lorde the pryce of that blode vpon y^t balaunce of thy sone / lest the fendes of hell lede awaye thy shepe w^t hym. ¶ Thou art a veri good shepeherde that hase gyuen to vs a very trewe shepeherde / that is thy sone Ihesu / the whiche for thy obedyence gaue his lyfe for his shepe / & of his blode made a bathe. ¶ This is y^e blode that thy seruaūtes do aske of the as hongry soules at thy gate (by the whiche blode) they aske that y^u shewe mercy to the worlde / & make holy chyrche smell swetely in swete smel­lynge floures of vertu / and deuoute and holy curates / with whose swete [Page]smell / they put awaye the stynkȳge smell of stynkynge floures. ¶ Thou endelesse fader dyd saye / that for the loue whiche thou hase to thy reaso­nable creatures / & for the prayers of thy seruauntes / y^t suffer moche labour for soules / thou wolde shewe mercy to the worlde / and araye holy chyrche worthyly / and so refresshe vs. ¶ Therfore delaye not / nor tary not endeles fader for to turne to synners thy eye of mercy (but say to thē thus) or y^t ye cryed to me for mercy / I herde you with my ere of mercy. ¶ Open good lorde the gate of thy meruaylous charyte / the whiche y^u hase graunted to vs by the grace of thy sone. ¶ I knowe ryghte well good lorde that thou openes y^e gate or that we knocke ther at / for with the affecyon and loue that thou hase gyuen to thy seruaūtes / they knotke to the & crye / sekynge thy worshyp & helthe of soules. ¶ Therfore ende­lesse fader graunte thē breed of lyfe / that is the fruyte of thy blode of thy onely sone sothefaste Ihesu / whiche fruyte they aske of the / for ioye and worshyp of thy name and helthe of soules. ¶ For it semeth (and sothe it is) that it is more ioye to the / & wor­shyp for to saue soules of thy creatu­res / than for to suffer them obsty­nately in hardenesse of herte. ¶ To the endeles fader al this is possyble / for thoughe thou made vs withoute vs / yet thou wyll not saue vs with­out vs. ¶ And therfore constrayne theyr wylles gracyously / & dyspose thē for to desyre and wyll / that they wyll not. ¶ This I aske the for thy infynyte mercy / thou hase made vs of noughth / therfore nowe to suche as we be / shewe mercy / & refresshe the vessels that thou hase made and formed to the ymage and lykenesse of the / reforme them to grace / in the mercy & in the blode of of thy ryght swete and well byloued sone Ihesu cryst.

✚ LAVS DETVR DEO.

¶ Nowe moder and sys­tren here I haue made an ende of this the fyfte boke / in the whiche you may fynde ghost­ly / good / & holy doctryne for y^e helthe of sou­les / with greate consolacyon & comforte to youre­selfe / with swete herbes and plantes of swete odour and smell. In the whiche boke is made mēcyon of the blessyd sacra­ment and of his vertues / with the reformacyō of preestes and theyr subiectes / with many and dyuers maters / and ensamples of good lyuȳge / as is conteyned in the sayde boke.

¶ The fyrst chapyter speketh of y^e syxte party / and it treateth moche of the prouydence of god / and fyrste of his prouydence generally / that is to say / how god prouyded man to be man / & how he formed hym of noughte to his ymage and lykenesse.
¶ And howe god prouyded man to sanacyon with incarna­cyon of his sone / whan the gates of Paradyse were shyt for the synne of Adam.
¶ And how he prouyded hymselfe / gyuynge hymselfe contynually to vs in the meet of the auter. ¶ Also how god prouy­ded to gyue hope in his creatures / & how he that moste par­fytely hopeth / moste tasteth the prouydence of god. ¶ And of other maters / suche as be rehersed to you before in the kalen­der. Ca. i.

THan the moste so­uerayne and endeles fader with his meruailoꝰ benygnyte tourned his heed of mekenesse to y^t soule / shew­ynge her that his prouydence neuer sayled to man / yf he wyll receyue it / shewynge in this wyse to her / with a swete couplynge sayenge thus. ¶ O my dere doughter / lyke as I haue sayde to the in manye places / I wyll shewe mercy to the worlde / & prouyde to euery reasonable crea­ture in all his nedes. ¶ But an ygnoraunte man taketh that to dethe y^t I gyue hym for lyfe / & so he is cruell to hymselfe / and yet I wyl prouyde for hym / for I wyl that thou knowe it / that what y^t euer I gyue to man it is of my souerayne prouydēce / for with my prouydence / I made hym of noughte. ¶ It lyked me and dys­pleased me for to make hym with grete prouydence / to the ymage and lykenesse of me / by the whiche I pro uyded so for hym / that I gaue hym mȳde for to kepe and thynke on my benefytes / so to make hym parteta­ker of the myghte of me endelesse fader. ¶ I gaue hym also intelleccyō / that in the wysedome of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / he myght vnderstonde and knowe the wyll of me endelesse fader / that haue gyuen hȳ grace with so grete fyre of loue. ¶ I gaue hȳ also wyl for to loue y^e myldenesse of y^e holy ghoste / that he myght the better loue that thynge / whiche intelleccyon seeth & knoweth. ¶ All this hathe my prouydence done / onely that he myghte be partetaker and able for to receyue y^e grace of vnder­stondynge and tastynge of me / and so ioyenge of my endelesse goodnes in euerlastȳge blysse. ¶ And I haue tolde the in many places before that heuen was shytte for the synne of A­dam / y^e whiche knewe not his owne dygnyte / consyderynge nothynge w^t what prouydence and meruaylous loue I made hȳ of nought. ¶ Wherfore he fell by suche ygnoraunce in to inobedyence / and fro inobedyence to vnclennesse / by pryde & plesaunce of women / rather wyllynge for to cō descende to please his felowe / in gy­uynge to her credence of y^t she sayd / than for to obeye to my byddynge / & so he condescended rather to breke my byddynge / that for to make her fory. ¶ And thus by this inobedy­ence came al maner euyll / al ye that haue take of that venym / of the whiche inobedyence I shall tell y^e in an­other place how perylous it is / in cō mendynge of very obedyēce. ¶ And for bycause this dethe sholde be take awaye fro man / I prouyded & gaue to you my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste with greate prudence and prouydence / so to prouyde to youre nede. ¶ I saye that I dyd it w^t pru­dence / for with the meet of your mā heed / and the hoke of my godheed / I toke y^e deuyll whiche myghte not knowe my truthe / whiche truthe y^t is my onely sone came for to dystroy his lesynge / wherwith he dysceyued man / and therfore in that I dyd vse g [...]ete prudēce & prouidēce. ¶ Thȳke [Page]dere doughter that more myghte I not vse / thā for to gyue you my sone / to hȳ also I gaue a greate obedyēce / that I myghte pull awaye that ve­nym whiche fell to mankynde by in obedyēce. ¶ Therfore he as a louer that is rauyshed / and as a very obe­dyent lambe ranne to y^e most shame­full dethe of the crosse / and with that dethe / he gaue you lyfe / not in y^e vertu of his manheed / but in the vertu of his godheed / whiche for satysfac­cyon of syn̄e that was done agaynst me / whiche am infynyte good / requyred a satysfaccyon infynyte (that is to saye) for that mankynde whi­che had offended and was fynyte / sholde be oned with an infynyte / so to satysfy infynytely / to me that am infynyte. ¶ And as ofte as a man offendeth / yfhe wyll tourne to me in his lyfe / he shall fynde euer par­fyte satysfaccyō. ¶ This is done by my prouydence (that is to saye) for bycause the peyne that my sone suf­fered on y^e crosse was infynyte / therfore ye receyue infynytely by vertu of the godheed. ¶ Thus prouyded the infynyte endelesse prouydence of me god y^e fader in euerlastȳge trynyte for to araye man / after tyme that he hadde loste his arayment of inno­sency / and so was made naked fro al vertu / and peryshed for hōger / and dyed for colde in this lyfe / & so was subiecte to all wretchednesse. ¶ The gate of heuen was locked / and of he­ue he lost al his hope / for yf he myght haue hadde hope / it hadde be to hȳ a greterefresshynge in his lyfe / but he hadde it not / therfore he stode [...] greate afflyccyō. ¶ I therfore with my seuorayne prouydēce prouyded a remedy to this necessyte / not coacte nor cōstrayned by youre ryghtewysenes nor by youre vertues / but of my owne goodnesse. ¶ I gaue you ray­ment by meane of my onely sothe­faste sone Ihesu / whiche vnarayed hymselfe fro lyfe / and arayed you w^t innosency and grace / whiche inno­sency & grace ye dyd receyue in holy baptym by vertu of his blode / for y^t baptym wasshed awaye the spotte of orygynall synne / in the whiche ye be conceyued / takynge it o [...] your fa­der and moder / and therfore my prouydence hathe prouyded to you that same remedy of baptym / to putte a­waye the spotte / not with peyne of body / as it was vsed in y^e olde lawe whan chyldren were cyrcumsysed / but with swetenes of holy baptym / & so is man arayed. ¶ Also I made hym warme by the fyre of charyte / whiche was shewed to you by y^e ho­les of my sones woundes / whiche was couered with the clothynge of youre manheed. ¶ Whether y^e this myght not make warme the colde herte of mankynde / that by obstynacy is made colde / and blynde by his owne proper loue / yet maye it yf he wyll forfake the loue of hymselfe / & loue me. ¶ My prouydēce also hath gyuen hym ghostly meet for to com­forte hȳ / as lōge as he is in this lyfe a pylgrym / as I haue tolde the in another place. ¶ I haue also made his ghostly enemyes feble / for none maye dysease hym but he hymselfe. And what meet is this? As I haue [Page]tolde the before / it is the body and y^e blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryste crucyfyed / all god & all mā / meet of angels & meet of lyfe / suche meet as fulfylleth y^t ghostly honger / of suche that delyte to ete of y^t meet. ¶ That meet muste be receyued in ghostly gladnesse and delectacyon / with the mouthe of holy desyre / and tasted by loue ¶ Thus thou maye se that of my good & godly prouydence I haue prouyded to hym cōfortacy­on in his pylgrymage of this lyfe. ¶ How that god prouyded to gyue hope in his creatures / and how he that moste parfytely hopeth / moste tasteth the prouydēce of god. ¶ For­thermore I haue gyuen to hym re­fresshynge of hope / yf he be holde w^t lyghte of very feythe y^t pryce of my sones blode / whiche was payed for to gyue hym stydfast hope and sykernesse of helthe / and y^t shame and re­prefe that cryste Ihesu suffered in his passyon is his worshyp. ¶ For yf he in all the lymmes of his body of­fended me / as anendes that for a remedy / my blessyd swete sone ī all his body suffered greuous tourmente. ¶ And also w^t his obedyence he rele­ued youre inobedyence / of whose o­bedyence ye haue all take grace / and for inobedyence / al ye haue take and receyued synne. ¶ This is graūted and prouyded by my prouydence / & was fro the begynnȳge of y^t worlde vnto this daye / and shall be vnto y^t laste daye / euer for to ordeyne a re­medy to youre necessytes / and to y^t helthe of mankynde / by dyuers and sundry wyses / as I that am a very ryghtewyse leche / se it be spedefull to your infyrmytes / y^t parfyte helthe maye y^t soner be restored / orelles for to kepe hym in helthe. ¶ Therfore my prouydence shal neuer fayle thē / to suche as wyll receyue it and haue parfyte hope in me / for all that haue parfyte hope in me they knocke and crye in sothefastnesse (not onely by worde but by affeccyon / and so with lyghte of very feythe they shall taste me ī my prouydēce. ¶ But not suche that knocke & crye in sothefastenesse with the voyce of wordes / sayenge thus to me (lorde lorde) all suche but yf they crye and aske me other wyse / I shall not knowe them by my mercy / but by my ryghtwysenes. HOr in sothe my prouydence shall neuer fayle to hym that veryly hopeth in me / but he that hathe dyspeyre ī me and hopeth in hymselfe (knowes y^u not well) that hope can not be sette in two contraryes / whiche my sothe­faste sone taughte you in the gospel / where he sayd thus. ¶ No mā may serue and please two lordes / for yf he serue that one / he hateth y^t other. ¶ Seruyce is not w^tout hope / for a seruaunte that serueth serueth for hope of his rewarde & profyte that he seeth in his seruyce shall come to hym / or els for hope that he hathe to please his lorde. ¶ In y^e same wyse thynke dere doughter that it hap­peth to a soule / for other it muste be that she serue and hope in me / or els that she serue and hope in y^e worlde and ī herselfe / for by somoche she ser­ueth y^e worlde w^tout me / in asmoche as she serueth and loueth her owne [Page]ꝓpre sensuàlyte / of y^e whiche loue & seruyce / she hopeth to haue delyte / plesaunce / & sencyble felȳge. ¶ But bycause theyr hope is set in vanytes and transytory thynges (suche as haue ende / therfore it muste nedes fayle here / and of that she loued she maye haue none effecte / & as longe as she hopeth in herselfe and in the worlde / she maye not hope in me. for the worlde that is worldely desy­syres of man / be to me hate / & they were to me somoche in hate and ab­homynacyon (that is for dystruccyō of them) I sende my onely sothefast sone Ihesu to the most repreuable dethe of the crosse. ¶ The worlde & I maye not acorde / but a soule that parfytely hopeth in me / and serueth me with all her herte / and all her affeccyon / anone by very nede it must mysse trust of herselfe & of y^e worlde / and of suche hope namely y^t is set w^t her owne freylte. ¶ This is very ꝑ­fyte hope (more or lesse parfyte) af­ter parfeccyō of loue whiche y^e soule hathe in me / and so parfyte and vn­parfyte do taste of my prouydence / but he that setueth and hopeth for to please me onely for my selfe / re­ceyueth and tasteth me more ꝑfyte­ly / than they that serue me w^t hope of fruyte y^t they fynde in me. ¶ These be the fyrste of whome I haue tolde to the the parfeccyon ī the laste state of the soule. ¶ But these that I tell y^t now whiche go with hope & loue of fruyte / be the vnparfyte soules / bothe the seconde and the thyrde / of whome I tolde the before / of y^e sta­tes of y^e soule. ¶ But yet in no w [...]se nother to parfyte nother to vnpar­fyte my prouydence shall not fayle / so that a man presume not / nor hope not in hymselfe / whiche presumȳge and hopynge in hymselfe / is cause of nothȳge elles / but by goynge out fro my loue / and entrynge in to his owne loue / wherby y^e eye of intellec­cyon is blȳdfelde / he withdrawynge of y^e lyghte of very feythe / and ther­fore he walketh not with lyght of reason for to knowe my prouydence. ¶ Neuerthelesse to a man be he ne­uer so synfull or ryghtewyse / I wyl prouyde / and gyue my prouydence and ordeyne for hym / for all thȳges be made by crafte of my goodnesse / and I it am that am / and withoute me is nothynge / but synne the whi­che is noughte. ¶ Thus thou maye knowe that they recerue my prouy­dence / and yet they vnderstonde it not / and yf they knowe it not / they maye not loue it / and therfore they maye not receyue y^e fruyte of grace therof. ¶ All that be ryghte and to suche it semed croked and as blȳde men / they se in derkenesse / bycause they haue sette theyr hope in derke­nesse / wherby they fall in to murmuracyon and in to inpasyence / & how be they somoche fobles? ¶ O dere doughter how maye they byleue y^e I moste souerayne & endelesse good­nesse maye nothȳge wyl but y^e good of them in small thynges / that eue­ry day suffer to come to thē for your helthe / whan they proue by expery­ence / y^t I wyll nothynge haue but satysfaccyō of them for theyr helthe in greate thȳges. ¶ Sythen it so is [Page]that not w^tstōdynge all theyr blȳdenesse they may nothynge do be it ne­uer so lytell / but yf they se my good­nesse with some maner lyght aboue kynde / and also the benefyce of my prouydence whiche they fynde / and that they maye not deny / what in the fyrste creacyon / and in the secōde creacyon that a man receyueth in y^t blode of my sone / wherin I haue re­formed hȳ by grace / as I haue sayd to the. ¶ This is so clere and so opē that they can not saye the contrary / neuerthelesse they defayle beynge afrayde of theyr owne shadowe / for they haue not vsed nor excercysed this lyghte w^t vertu. ¶ An vnwyse man seeth not that fro that tyme to tyme I haue prouyded generally to the worlde / and specyally to some after theyr astate / for there is none in this lyfe that stōdeth stydfastly / but that he moueth hȳ fro tyme to tyme tyll he come to stydstast state / alway therfore I prouyde to suche one of suche thynges / as is behouefull to hym in tyme of nede. ¶ How god in the olde testament prouyded y^e lawe and y^e prophecyes / and afterwarde he sende his worde by apostels / mar tyrres / and by other holy mē / & how no thynge falleth in creatures / but that all is y^e very prouydence of god. O Enerally I haue proued / and w^t the lawe the whiche I dyd gyue vnto Moyses in the olde testamēt / and with many other holy prophecyes. ¶ Also I wyll that thou knowe that before y^t comynge of my onely sothe­faste and swete sone Ihesu cryste crucyfyed / the people of the Iewes dyd stonde moche without prophe­cyes / that the people myghte be en­formed with suche prophecy es / ho­pynge therby that my onely sothe­faste sone Ihesu cryste the prophet of all prophettes myghte the soner drawe them out of bondage / bothe them and theyr chyldren / and that also he myghte therby the soner opē to them heuen / whiche so lōge tyme was shyt fro thē. ¶ But after tyme my swete sone came / there roos no prophet ymonge thē / y^t they myght well knowe / that he of whome they dyd prophecy was come / wherfore it was not spedefull that mo prophe tes sholde prophecy of hym to them / all thoughe they knewe hȳ not / nor wolde not knowe hȳ for theyr blȳde nesse. ¶ After thē I prouyded (as I haue sayde) y^t my owne sone sholde come / whiche was youre medyator bytwene me endelesse god and you. ¶ After hym came y^e apostels / martyrs / and doctours / & confessoures / all this hathe my prouydence done & ordeyned. ¶ And as I sayde to the he shall ordeyne and prouyde to the laste daye / that is by generall prouydence gyuen to all reasonable creatures / whiche wyll of that prouydence receyue fruyte. ¶ In specyal also al thynges I haue gyuen them bothe lyfe and dethe / in what whyse that euer it come to thē / hōger / thryst / losse of state ī this world / nakednes / colde hete / wrōge / reprefe / scornes / & derysyons. ¶ All these I suffer for to fall to thē / or for to be sayd to thē / and of men / not that I shall make in them malyce of euyll wyll that done euyll [Page]and wronge. ¶ But the beynge and the tyme that they haue they haue of me / whiche beynge I haue gyue to them / not for they sholde offende me nor theyr neyghbours / but by­cause they sholde serue bothe me & them with loue and charyte / wher­fore I suffer them for to do suche dedes of wronge / or for to preue y^e ver­tu of pasyence in the soule whiche receyueth suche wrōges / or els to make hym knowen that he must haue pa­syence / other whyle I suffer y^t to a ryghte wyse man / all y^t worlde be cō trary / & at y^e laste I make thē dye so wonderly / y^t many men of y^e worlde wondereth theron / for it semeth to thē vnryghtewysely done / so to se a ryghtwyse mā peryshe / otherwhyle in water / otherwhyle in fyre / other­whyle to be deuoured of beestes / o­therwhyle I suffer a house to fal vp on thē / wherby they lose theyr bodyly lyfe. ¶ O how moche out of reason or maner this semeth to theyr eyes / in y^e whiche eye is no lyghte of very feythe / but all this is no wonder to feythfull folke / for they haue foūde & tasted by affeccyon of loue in suche greate thynges my prouydēce / & so he seeth & holdeth stydfastly / y^t with my prouydence onely / all thynges I prouyded & I do for y^t helthe of mā / wherfore all thynges he holdeth in reuerēce / & it is not sclaūdred nother in hȳselfe nor in his workes / nor also in his neyghbours / but all he ouer­passeth w^t very pasyence. ¶ My pro­uydence is withdrawe fro no crea­ture / for all thynges ben made for hym / other whyle it semeth to a mā that hayle or tempest or dartes that I caste vpon the body of creatures is cruelte / n I couthe not / nor wyll not prouyde to his helthe / and I haue done that for to make hym ascape fro endelesse dethe / but he holdeth the contrary. ¶ And so men of y^e worlde in all thȳ ­ges wyl defoule my workes / and vnderstonde theym after theyr vnder­stōdȳge. ¶ And here it shall be shewed how that what that euer god suf­fereth be done to vs / it is onely for our good / and for our soules helthe / and how they be blynded and dys­ceyued that deme or Iudge the con­trary. I wyll y^t thou se dere doughter w^t how moche pasyence I muste supporte and suffer my creatures / y^e whiche creatures I haue made and formed to the ymage and lykenes of me / as I haue tolde the with ryght greate swetenesse of loue. ¶ Open therfore the eye of thy intelleccyon and beholde on me / and I putte the a certayne specyall case that byfell by a certayne persone / for whom (yf thou remembre the well) thou dyd praye to me that I sholde prouyde / and I haue prouyded for hym / as thou knowes ryght well / that with oute ony peryl of dethe he hadde his state agayne. ¶ And this is a specy­all partyculer thynge / in the same wyse generally it is in all maner pe­ople. ¶ Thā that soule opened the eye of her intelleccyon / and behelde with y^t parfyte lyghte of holy feyth in his dyuyne mageste with greate loue and longynge desyre / for of his wordes she knewe veryly many thȳ ges [Page]in his swete prouydence / that she sholde obeye to his byddynge / seynge herselfe in y^e depenes of his charyte / y^t he was & is moste souerayne endelesse good / & y^t onely of loue he made vs / and raūsomed vs with y^e precyous blode of his sone / & y^t also by the same loue / he gaue to vs all thynges / & suffered all thynges for to come to vs / y^t is bothe trybulacy­ons & cōfortes / prouydynge thē one­ly to y^e helthe of man / & to none other ende. ¶ The blode whiche was shed with so greate fyre of loue / made it knowe to her as she sawe all this / y^t it was veryly sothe. ¶ Thā sayde y^t hyghe souerayne and endeles fader / suche as can not consyder my prouydence / be blynde in theyr owne pro­per loue y^t they haue to theymselfe / swclaūderȳge thēfelfe w^t moche vnpa­syence / I shall nowe speke to the in specyall & also in generall of y^t thȳge whiche I tolde the / suche as I haue tolde y^t as deme euyll to theyr owne harme / of y^t thynge whiche I do of loue & for theyr good to auoyde thē fro endelesse peynes / & for theyr lu­cre y^t they may y^e soner receyue euer­lastȳge lyfe. ¶ And why thā playne they on me? ¶ Certayne for they in me haue no hope / but onely in thē ­selfe / wherby they come to derkenes and so they knowe / & yet they hate y^t thynge whiche they sholde haue for theyr beste. ¶ And as proude folke they deme my pryue domes whiche be ryghte wyse / but they as a blȳde man that with touchȳge of his hōde or with tastynge of his mouthe / or w^t sowne of his voyce wyll deme good for yll / & yll for good after his feble knowelege. ¶ And they wyll not truste in me that am very lyghte / and I it am that bothe bodyly and ghostly noryshe them / for withoute me they maye nothynge haue / and yf it hap otherwhyle that they be serued of ony creature / I am he y^t haue gyuen to that creature wyll / able­nesse / myghte / and also cunnynge for to serue thē. ¶ But he as a blȳde man the whiche goeth after felynge of his hondes / whiche is dysceyued in his touchȳge / for he lacketh lyght to Iudge colours / and in the same wyse his taste is dysceyued / and for he maye not se what vnclene beest sytteth bpon his meet / his ere is al­so dysceyued in delyte of sowne / for he seeth hym not that syngeth / whi­che with y^e same sowne (yf he be not well ware by the same delectable sowne) maye bytraye hȳ to y^t dethe. ¶ In this same wyse do they that be made as blynde / lackynge the ve­ry lyghte of reason / touchynge with the honde of sencyble felynge delac­tacyons and pleasures of y^e worlde (semynge to them good) but for by­cause they do not se / they can not to eschewe perels / for he is a cloth medled with many thornes / with moche wretchednesse / & many anguyshes / (in somoche) that the herte whiche feleth them is withoute me intolle­rable to hymselfe. ¶ In the same wyse also to the mouthe of desyre / y^t thynge that he loueth inordynately semeth swete in receyuynge / & yet vpon y^e delycacyes there syt vnclene beestes / and many deedly synnes / [Page]whiche make the soule vnclene / and so they bothe withdrawe thē fer fro my symylytude and lykenesse / and also fro the lyfe of grace. ¶ And therfore yf he drawe not nyghe agayne / with the lyghte of very feythe / to y^t lykenesse and lyfe of grace / for to be clensed with my sones blode / he shal haue endelesse dethe. ¶ Herynge is to hym his owne proper delectacyō / of the whiche delectacyon / it semeth to hȳ that it maketh a swete sowne. ¶ Why semeth it so? ¶ Certayne for y^e soule foloweth y^e loue of his owne proper sensualyte / and bycause he seeth it not / therfore he is dysceyued of the sowne / and also bycause he foloweth hym by vnordynate loue / wher he fyndeth hymselfe in the dytche / bounde with the bonde of synne / & ledde in to the hondes of his enemy­es. ¶ For as a blynde soule by his owne loue / and with hope whiche he putteth ī hymselfe / and in his owne cunnynge / he trusteth not to me / y^t am bothe the leder and the waye of hym / whiche waye is made to hym of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu y^t sayde thus. ¶ I am waye / truthe / & lyfe. ¶ And he is lyghte / that who y^t seeth therby shall not be dysceyued / nor walke in derkenesse / & ther may none come to me but by hym / for he is one with me / and I with hym. ¶ Of hym (as I haue sayd to the) I made to you a brydge / y^t ye myght all come to me y^t am your ende / and yet neuerthelesse for all this / they trust not ī me / whiche wyll nothȳge els haue of thē / but theyr holynesse. ¶ To this ende with greate loue I gyue them all thynges / and suffer all thynges to fall to them / bothe cō ­fortes and trybulacyons / but they euer be sclaūdred in me / & I bere thē alwaye and suffer them with pasy­ence / for or they had ony loue to me / I loued them without theyr loue / & they alwaye parsu me with moche inpasyence / hate / grutchynge / and with moche vnfeythefulnesse / wyl­lynge & desyrynge after theyr owne blynde syghte / deme my pryue do­mes / whiche be all ryghtwyse / and done for loue / and y^e cause why they deme thus falsely / is for that they knowe not themselfe / for he y^t know­eth not hymselfe maye not knowe me / nor veryly my ryghtwysenesse.

¶ The secōde chapyter sheweth how that god prouyded ī some specyall case to y^e soule y^t falleth. ¶ Here god shew­eth his prouydence agaynste his creatures in dyuers ma­ners / & maketh his cōpleynte of y^e vntruth of his creatures / & he expouneth a fygure of y^e olde testament / and sheweth there a profytable doctryne / with other maters / as is re­hersed in y^e kalender. Ca. ii.

DEre doughter yf thou wyl y^t I shewe y^e how moche y^e worlde is dysceyued of my mynysters. ¶ Open y^e eye of thy intelleccyon / & beholde ī me & [Page]so shall thou se specyally of hym that I tolde the of / and ryght as I tell y^e of hym / so maye I tell y^e generally of other. ¶ Thā y^e soule for to obeye to y^e endelesse fader / behelde in her­selfe w^t a loue longynge desyre / and than endelesse god shewed to her y^e dampnacyon of hȳ by whome y^t fal­lynge dyd fortune / sayenge thus to her. ¶ I wyll y^t thou knowe y^t for to make hym ascape fro this endelesse dāpnacyon (in y^e whiche y^u sees well he was) I suffered hym so for to fal / y^t w^t his blode he myghte haue lyfe / in the blode of my onely sone Ihesu / for I forgate not y^e reuerence and y^e loue whiche he hadde to y^e swete moder Mary / y^t moder of my oneli sone sothefast Ihesu / to whome worthe­ly is graūted for y^t reuerence of my sone Ihesu / that who so euer (ryght wyse or synner y^e hathe her in dewe reuerence / he shall not be pulled a­waye & deuoured of y^e fende of hell. ¶ She is sette and putte as meet of my endelesse goodnes / for to be take to reasonable creatures / y^e whiche is is done of my greate mercy / not for to cause men therby to do euyll & so for to hope in my mercy / for y^t were rather cruelte thā mercy. ¶ And all y^t causeth a man to do euyll / & than to fall / & that is nothynge but y^e loue of hȳselfe / whiche withdraweth fro hym lyghte / wherfore he maye not knowe my truthe. ¶ Yf they wolde / they sholde lyfte vp the cloulde that is before the eye of theyr intelleccy­on / than sholde they veryly knowe & loue my sothefastnes / and so sholde they haue all thynges in dewe reuerence / and receyue there of y^e fruyte in dewe tyme. ¶ But dere doughter be not afrayde / for of hym whome thou does praye for to me / I shall bothe fulfyl thy desyres / and also the desyres of my seruauntes. ¶ I am youre god rewarder of all youre la­bours and trayuayles / and fulfyller of youre holy desyres / so y^e I myght fynde veryly suche one that truly knocketh with the lyghte of feythe at the gate of my sothefastenesse / that they nother erre nor fayle in y^e hope of my endelesse prouydence. ¶ Here god sheweth his prouydence aga­ynste his creatures in other dyuers maners / and how he maketh his cō playnte of the vntruthe of his crea­tures / and how he expowneth a fy­gure of the olde testamente / and he sheweth to vs a profytable doctryn. I Haue tolde the of that specyall & partyculer fallynge / but now shall I tell y^e in generall wyse / thou maye neuer se nor knowe howmoch a mā ­nes ygnoraunce is / he is withoute ony felynge and knowlege / whā he putteth fro hym y^e knowlege of me / hopȳge and trustynge in hymselfe / in his owne knowledge & cunnynge. ¶ O thou foole and vnwyse man knowes thou not ryghte well / that thou hase not thy owne knowlege of thyselfe? It is my goodnesse y^t hathe gyuen it to the / whiche do prouyde for thy nede & necessyte. ¶ Of whom hase thou that the whiche thou pro­uydes in thyselfe / for other whyle y^u wolde do a thynge / and thou maye not nor cā not do it. ¶ Other whyle it happeth that thou hase cunnȳge / [Page]but y^u hase no power / other whyle y^u hase power and hase no sauour therin / & other whyle thou hase no tyme (and yf thou hadde tyme) yet para­uenture thou shold lacke wyll. ¶ All this is gyue to y^e of me for thy helthe that y^u shold knowe thyselfe nought / and haue the more mater of meke­nes / and not of pryde / wherby thou fyndes in all thynge chaungynge / & pryuacyon / for they dwel not in thy lyberte and fredome. ¶ Neuerthe­lesse onely my grace is stable & styd­fast / whiche maye not be take away fro the nor chaunged / that is not for to be departed fro y^t grace and turne to synne / yf thou thy selfe take it not awaye fro y^t. ¶ Therfore how maye thou lyfte up thy heed so lenynge on thyselfe to me endelesse goodnesse? ¶ Certayne thou maye not yf thou wyll lyfte it vp to me / thou may no­ther hope ī thyselfe / nor trust in thy cunnynge / but bycause y^u arte made a beest w^tout reason / thou maye not knowe and se that all thynges chaū ­gen outrake my grace onely) & why dyd thou not truste in me y^t am thy maker / but rather trust in thyselfe? Am I not to the trewe and feythe­ful? ¶ Yes certayne it is not vnknow en to the / for thou hase proued it con­tynually. ¶ O dere doughter / Adā the fyrste man was not trewe to me and feytheful / for he forfeted my obedyence / whiche I put to hym / by y^e whiche he dyed / but I was trewe to hym / conseruynge and kepynge hȳ to that thȳge / for y^e whiche I made hym / wyllynge for to gyue to hym endelesse good / & for to fulfyll this / I oned my godheed (that is my so­uerayne heyghte) with the insyrmy­te of his manheed / whā he was raū somed and restored by grace / by me­dyacyō of y^e blode of my onely sothe­faste sone Ihesu. ¶ This he prouy­ded wel / and hadde it in experyente / but it semeth that they byleuen not / that I am myghty for to helpe thē / stronge for to socour them / and for to defende them fro theyr enemyes / wyse for to yllumyne the intelleccy­on of theyr ghostly eye / nor y^t I haue no mylde mekenesse for to gyue thē suche thȳges as is nedetul to theyr helthe / nor that I am not ryche for to make them ryche / nor that I am not fayre for to gyue them fayrenes / nor that I haue not meet for to fede them / nor clothes for to araye them / theyr workes do showe that they by leue not this / for yf they byleued it veryly / they sholde be full of good workes & holy prayers / & yet neuer­thelesse they haue it in experyence & they proue it contynually that I am stronge / whiche kepe thē in beynge and defende thē fro theyr enemyes / and they se well there maye none w^t ­stonde my myghte and strengthe / & yet they se it not / for they wyll not se it / with my myghte and strengthe I of my goodnessehaue ordeyned & gouerned and sette ī suche a kynde all y^t worlde / that nothynge lacketh ther in / and no man maye put more to / than I haue put. ¶ I haue also prouyded for the soule and for y^t bo­dy / all thȳge that is nedefull therto / not coacte and constrayned for to do it by youre wyll / for ye were not but [Page]onely coate of my myldenes & mekenesse (y^t is to saye) I made all thȳge by myfelfe / as it is erthe / see / and y^e fyrmamēt / that is heuē for to moue and styrre aboue you / the erthe by y^e whiche ye maye respyre and brethe / fyre & water y^t one contrary myghte be tēporate with another contrary / the sonne that he dwell not in derkenesse / so that all thynges be made & ordeyned for to helpe the necessyte of men / heuē (whiche is called y^e ayre) I haue arayed with byrdes / y^e erthe bryngeth forthe fruytes and beestes theron for mannes lyuynge / the see is arayed with fysshe / all these thynges I haue made in theyr kynde w^t greate prouydence. ¶ After tyme I hadde made all these thynges good and parfyte / than made I reasona­ble creature to the ymage and lyke­nesse of me / and sende hym in to the orcharde / whiche orcharde by y^e syn̄e of Adam hathe brought forthe thor­nes / where fyrste it broughte forthe floures of swete smellynge innosen­cy. ¶ All these than obeyed to man / but for synne & inobedyence in whi­che he fell in / he founde in hymself re­bellyon with all creatures / & so mā and the worlde were wylde / & than I prouyded for hym in this wyse / I sende my onely sothefast sone Ihesu in to the worlde for to take incar­nacyon / so to auoyde the infecundy­te and baraynesse of mākynde / & to take fro hym y^e thornes of orygynall synne / and made of y^e man a maner of orcharde / spryncled with y^e blode of cryste crucyfyed / settynge therin plantes of the seuen gyftes of y^t ho­ly ghoste / takȳge out of hym deedly synne. ¶ And all this was done af­ter the dethe of my sone / and not be­fore / as it was fygured in the olde testament / whan Elyse was prayed for to reyse a yonge chylde fro dethe to lyfe / yet wolde he not go thyder / but he sende Gyezy with his staffe / sayēge to hym thus / that he sholde laye y^e staffe aboue y^e chyldes backe. ¶ Gyezy wente forthe and dyde as Elyse badde hȳ / but y^e yonge chylde arose not. ¶ Than Elyse sawe that the chylde rose not / he wente thyder hymselfe parsonally / and conformed hym in all thynges to the chylde / w^t all his lymmes / and he brethed vp­on the chylde seuen tymes / in token y^t he sholde aryse. ¶ This also was fygured by Moyses / whom with y^e staffe of the lawe I sende vpon the deed lyues of mankynde / by y^t lawe it myghte receyue no lyfe. ¶ I sende than my sonr (whiche is fygured by Elyse that conformed hym to y^t deed chylde) by vnyon of dyuyne nature of manheed / so that with all maner of lymmes of mākȳde this dyuyne nature oned hym and knytte hym / y^t is with the myghte of me / with y^e wysedome of my sone / and with the mylde mekenesse of the holy ghost / and so all y^e depenes of my godheed in trynyte was conformed and oned w^t youre nature of manheed. ¶ Af­ter this vnyon / my onely sone Ihe­su and well byloued sothefastenesse made another vnyon (y^t is to saye) he ranne as he hadde be rauyshed in loue to y^e moste reprouable dethe of the crosse / where he pressed hym­selfe [Page]downe / by the whiche pressyon he graūted to this deed chylde (that is mankynde) by inspyracyon of ho­ly brethynge / the seuen gyftes of y^e holy ghost / brennynge in y^e mouthe of holy desyre of the soule / takynge awaye fro hym dethe by holy bap­tym. ¶ He bretheth in token that he hathe lyfe / throwynge out of man­kynde the seuen deedly synnes / and thus is this orcharde made w^t swete fruyte. ¶ Neuerthelesse the Gardy­ner of this orcharde (whiche is fre chose) may make this orcharde wylde yf he wyl / for yf he sowe therin venym of his owne proper loue / for y^e whiche all the seuen deedly synnes do sprynge and many other synnes whiche come out of these. ¶ He put­teth than awaye therby the gyftes of the holy ghoste / and so depryueth hȳ fro al vertu / there is no strēgthe for he is made all feble / there is also nother temporaunce nor prudence / for he hathe loste the lyghte wherw^t he vsed reason / ther is nother feythe nor hope nor ryghtwysenesse / for he is made vnryghtwyse / he hopeth in hymselfe / and byleueth with deed frythe to hymselfe / he trusteth in creatures / & trusteth not in me his maker / there is nother charyte nor py­te / for by hymselfe with the loue of his owne freylte is made to hym cruell / wherfore he maye nother be py­teous to his neyghbour nor to hym­selfe / he is depryued fro all good / & he is fall in to an euyll / howe maye suche one haue lyfe? ¶ Certayne of this Elyse / that is of my onely incarnate sothefaste sone Ihesu. ¶ How? ¶ That the Gardyner of mākynde sholde dystrye y^e thornes of synne w^t his hate / for yf he had neuer synne in hate / he myghte neuer drawe thē out of his orcharde / and than with loue he muste renne / and with loue for to conforme hym w^t the doctryne of my truthe / medlȳge y^e same doc­tryne w^t the blode / whiche is layde vpon his heed of my mynyster whā he goeth to confessyon / with hertely contrycyon / dysplesaunce of synne / and with satysfaccyon and purpose neuer to offende / and in this wyse he maye renewe this orcharde of y^e soule whyle he lyueth / for after the tyme that he is passeth oute of this worlde / he maye gette no remedy / as I haue tolde the in many places before. ¶ How god prouydeth for vs that we haue trybulacyons for the helthe of oure soules / and of the mysery of them that haue truste in thē ­selfe / & not in the prouydence of god. THus thou knowes that with my prudence / y^e seconde worlde (whiche is called man) I haue made hym a­ble to the endelesse worlde / fyrste he broughte forthe thornes of many trybulacyons / and so in all thynges he fonde rebellyon. ¶ This was neuer done withoute my prouydence / but with my greate prouydence and for youre profyte / that the hope of y^e worlde sholde be take awaye fro hȳ / and thā for to renu and set his pace for to come to me / whiche am his ende. ¶ And so at the laste by suche inportunyte of greuaunce for to re­moue his herte and affeccyon fro it. ¶ And neuerthelesse a mā is so vn­cunnynge / [Page]y^t he can not knowe this truthe / and so frayle for to sprede hȳ abrode in the worlde / that not with­stondynge suche labours & thornes by the whiche he was prycked in the worlde / it semeth that he wyll not auoyde fro theym / nor he taketh no thoughte thoughe he come not to his owne cūtre the blysse of heuen. ¶ What trowes thou doughter he wolde do thā yf he foūde in y^e worlde euer delectacyō & rest w^toute peyne? ¶ Lo all this I fuffer them for to do by my prouydence / and I graunte that the worlde burgyne to thē ma­ny trybulacyōs / that vertues may be proued ymonges them / and for y^e peyne and vyolence that they do to thēselfe / I haue cause for to rewarde them. ¶ Thus in all thynges / my greate prouydence with wysdome hathe prouyded & ordeyned for thē / I haue gyuē them that they haue / for (as I sayde) I am ryche / and I maye gyue them. ¶ My ryches be infynyte / for al thynges be made of me / & withoute me maye nothynge be / for yf he wyll haue fayrenesse / I am fayrenesse / benygnyte / pyteous / ryghtewyse / and mercyable god / I am large and no nygarde / I am he that graunte to the asker his reaso­nable askynge / and open veryly to the knocker / and I answere to hym y^t calleth me. ¶ I am not vnkynde / but full of kyndenesse / ¶ I rewarde hym that laboureth for me / that is for glory & laude of my name. ¶ I am he that is iorunde and mery / y^e whiche kepe a soule in ghostly glad­nesse / that arayeth herselfe with my wyll. ¶ I am y^t hyghe prouydence that neuer fayleth my seruaūtes / y^e whiche hope in me / nother body nor soule. ¶ Why wyl not a man byleue in me / y^e seeth how I fede y^t worme in the drye tree / brute beestes in the felde / fysshes in the see / and al other beestes bothe of the erthe and of the ayre vpon the plātes of the worlde / I sende reyne & sonne for to make y^t erth fatte / and he byleueth not that I noryshe it / whiche is my creature. ¶ Sythen it is so y^t all this is done for the seruyce of man of my ende­lesse goodnesse / for on what syde he turneth hym (be he spyrytual or temporall) he fyndeth none other thȳge than fyre of my endelesse charyte / & y^e greate depenesse of my very swete prouydence (he seeth not this) for fro hȳselfe he hathe take awaye lyghte / & so taketh no thought to be blynde / wherfore he sclaundereth hymselfe / refrenȳge charyte anēdes his neyghbours / and so with Auaryce and ny­gardeshyp he thynketh how he shallyue on the morowe / whiche is for­bydde hȳ of my sothefaste sone Ihe­su / where he saythe thus. ¶ Thȳke not on the morowe on nygardenesse and Auaryce / for the malyce and y^e besynesse of the daye / is suffycyent and ynoughe for hȳselfe. ¶ Of this here he repreueth you of youre infydelyte / shewynge to you my prouy­dence and shortenesse of tyme / say­enge thus. ¶ Thynke not on y^t mo­rowe (as thoughe my sothefast sone sayde thus) thynke not on y^t thynge wherof you be not syker / and he te­cheth you fyrst the kyngedome of he­uen / [Page]that is good and holy lyuȳge / for I knowe well of these small thȳ ­ges ye haue nede / & therfore I haue bydde and commaunded the erthe to gyue you of his fruyees. ¶ This wretche whiche y^t of his mysse trust hathe restreyned his herte and his hōdes fro charite of his neyghbour / hathe not redde this doctryne that my sone hathe gyue hym / bycause he foloweth not his steppes / he is intollerable to hymselfe / oute of this truste in hymselfe / and mysse truste in me / cometh all maner euyll. ¶ Also they make themselfe Iudges of other mennes wylles / & they se not that I shal Iudge them & not they / my wyll they vnderstonde not nor Iudge it goodly. ¶ But whan ony prosperyte or delectacyō or plesaūce of y^e worlde falleth to them / & what y^t fayleth to them in whiche al theyr affeccyon and hope was sette / than they can nother sauoure nor fele nor receyue my ꝓuydēce nor none other maner goodes / but thē semeth they be depry [...]ed fro all maner of good / & bycause that they be blȳded of theyr owne proper passyon / they knowe not y^e rychesse whiche is within my prouydence / nor the very fruyte of pasyēce / but rather therby they tast dethe / and y^e ernesse or sykernesse of hell in this lyfe / and yet not w^tston­dȳge this I cees not / but that I prouyde for them / for I bydde y^e erthe that he gyue to a syn̄er of his fruyte / as he gyueth to a ryghtwyse man / and so to his feeldes I sende sonne & reyne / as I do to a ryghtewyse mā ­nes feelde / and oftentymes a syn [...]er hathe more than a ryghtwyse man. ¶ This do the my goodnesse / for I wyll that the soule of a ryghtewyse man be fulfylled more with ghostly rychesse / than w^t temporall rychesse / in asmoche as for my loue he hathe spoyled hȳselfe fro tēporall goodes / forsakynge y^e worlde with all his de­lyces / & also his owne wyll. ¶ These be those that make theyr soules fat / in spredynge themselfe abrode in y^e depenesse of my charyte / and they forgote the charge of themselfe / for not onely of y^e delyces of the worlde they sholde no charge haue / but also no charge haue of themselfe. ¶ Thā to suche I am veryly made theyr gouernaunce / bothe bodyly and ghost­ly / and I vse in them one specyall prouydēce aboue other general pro­uydences / for my mylde mekenesse of y^e holy ghoste puruayeth for suche as serue hym. ¶ This thou knowes well yf thou remēber y^e by redynge of lyues of holy faders (as vitas pa­trum) and suche other / for whan a certayne solytary man was seke / in asmoche as he veryly forsoke hym­selfe hooly for ioye and praysynge of my name / my mylde mekenesse prouyded for hym / and I sende an an­gell for to gouerne hym / and for to putuaye for his necessyte / his body was so releued in his nede / and his soule was fulfylled with meruaylo­us ioye and swetenesse of the angels conuersacyon. ¶ The holy ghost to suche one is a moder noryshynge hȳ at the breste of my dyuyne charyte / he hathe made hym fre as a lorde / by puttynge fro hym the bondage & [Page]thraldome of his owne propre loue. ¶ For where the charyte of my fyre is / there maye be no water of that loue whiche quencheth this swete fyre in the soule. ¶ This mynyster y^t is the holy ghoste / whome I haue gyuen to them by my prouydence / arayeth them / norysheth them / and maketh them ghostly drunke with my swetenesse / gyuȳge to thē grete rychesse / for ī that he hathe lefte all / he fyndeth all. ¶ And for bycause also he hathe all spoyled hymselfe of hymselfe / he fonde hymselfe all aray ed w^t me / he hathe made hymselfe a seruaūte of mekenesse / and therfore he is made a lorde to the worlde and to his owne sensualyte / and for he hathe all blynded hȳselfe ī his owne syghte / he dwelleth in parfyte lyght mystrustynge hymselfe / and with quycke feythe he is corowned / and with parfyte and ful hope he tasteth euerlastȳge lyfe / de parted fro peyne and bytternesse y^t myghte turment hym. ¶ All thȳges he Iudgeth for the beste / for in all thynges he Iud­geth my wyll asmoche as he maye se by the lyghte of feythe / and I de­syre nor wyll nothynge elles of hym but holynesse / & therfore he is made pascyente. ¶ O how blessyd is suche a soule / that yet dwellȳge in y^t deedly body tasteth vndeedly good / all thynge suche a soule hathe in reue­rēce / his lyfte hōde weyeth asmoche and as truly as his ryghte honde / asmoche he chargeth trybulacyō as he dothe comforte / asmoche honger as he dothe thyrst / asmoche meet as he dothe drynke / asmoche colde as he dothe hete / asmoche scarsyte of clothes as he dothe pleynte pf clothes / asmoche lyfe as he dothe deeth / as­moche worshyp as he dothe shame / and asmoche turmente as he dothe romforte and solace. ¶ In all thyn­ges he is stydfast and stable / for he is groūded vpon a quycke stone / he knoweth well and seeth with lyght of feythe and stydfast hope / that I gyue al thynges w^t one maner loue and one maner be holdynge that is for youre helthe / and in all thynges I prouyde / for in greate laboure I gyue greate strengthe / and I gyue a mā nomore for to bere thā he may bere / so y^t he wyl bere it for my loue. ¶ In the blode of my sone it is well knowen to you / that I wyll not the dethe of a synner / but I wyl that he he turne to hym and lyue / & for his lyfe I gyue hym that is nedefull for hym. ¶ Suche a soule so dysposed fro herselfe / ioyeth in all suche thyn­ges y^t she feleth or seeth of me in her selfe or ī ony other / she doubteth not that smal thynges shal fayle to her / for with the lyghte of feythe she is certyfyed and made syker of greate thynges / of the whiche thynges in y^e begynnȳge of this tretys I tolde y^e. ¶ O how gloryous is this lyghte of very feythe / with the whiche she seeth / knoweth / & preueth my truth / this lyghte is hadde of y^e blessyd mynyster the holy ghoste that I gaue to them / whiche is a lyghte aboue kynde that the soule purchaseth of my goodnesse / vsynge the same su­pernatural lyghte / as I haue gyue them. ¶ How god hathe prouyded [Page]for soules / gyuynge them the sacra­ment for theyr helthe / & how he pro­uyded for his seruauntes whiche be full hongry of desyres / whan he or­deyneth them to be fedde with his sones body Ihesu cryste / where he telleth that oftentymes he prouyded crystes body by a wonderfull maner to a soule y^t was ful hōgry. H Nowes thou not wel dere doughter how I haue prouyded for my seruaun­tes that hopen in me by two maner of wyses / for all the prouydence the whiche I vse in my reasonable creatures / is in the soule and the body. ¶ And what maner of prouydence I vse in the body / it is done for the seruyce of the soule that it maye en­crese and growe in y^t lyght of feythe / wherby she maye hope in me / and mystruste in herselfe / and that she may knowe that I am he that am / whiche maye / wyll / and can / releue bothe her helthe / & also her necessy­tes. ¶ Sees thou not that I haue gyuen to the soule for her lyfe the sacramentes of holy chyrche / for it is her meet / & not greate bodyly meet whiche is gyuen to the body / but y^e soule is vnbodyly / and therfore it lyueth with suche meet that is vnbo­dyly / that is with my worde. ¶ And therfore my oneli sothefast sone sayd in the holy ghospell thus. ¶ A man lyueth not he sayde onely by bodyly breed / but with euery worde that cometh out of my mouthe / that is for to folowe my ghostly entent / the do­ctryne and the worde of my onely incarnate sone Ihesu / y^e whiche worde by vertu of his blode gyueth lyfe to you in y^t that he gyueth to you these sacramentes / and so this soule re­ceyueth ghostly lyuelode / by y^e īstru­ment of the body. ¶ That acte one­ly of receyuȳge sholde not gyue lyfe of grace / yf y^e soule dysposed her not for to receyue it w^t very holy ghostly desyre / whiche desyre is in the soule and not in the body. ¶ And therfore I sayde to the that those thynges be spyrytuall and ghostly / whiche be gyuen to the soule / for it is vnbody­ly / thoughe they be gyuen by medyacyon & meane of a body (as I haue sayde before / and so by desyre of the soule they be gyuē for to be receyued other whyle for to encres her holy honger / in ghostly honger I made her for to desyre it / and yet she may not haue it / and in that she may not haue it / her ghostly honger encrea­seth / and in that ghostly honger en­creaseth the knowlege of herselfe / holdȳge herselfe vnworthy by meks nesse / & so I make her worthy. ¶ Of tentymes in dyuers wyses I prouy ded to her of this blessyd sacramēt / and thou knowes well that it is so / for yf thou remembre the well / thou hase ꝓued it ī thyselfe / for my mylde mekenesse of the holy ghoste y^t my­nystreth hym blysfully of my good­nesse / enspyreth so the soule of some of my mynysters / whiche owen of dewte for to mynyster to them that ghostly meet the sacrament of y^t au­ter / that they be coacte and constrayned of the fyre of my charyte / that is of the same holy ghoste / whiche gy­ueth them a prycke of conscyence / & styrreth them for to fede hongry sou­les / [Page]w^t y^t ghostly blessyd breed / & so to fulfyl their vertuous desyres ¶ And somtyme I make thē & styrre them for to dyfferre theyr desyre to y^e laste ende / thā after suche lōge abydȳge in holy desyre / for to fulfyl theyr de­syre myght I not to suche a soule as well in y^e begȳnynge as I do at the later endynge? ¶ Yes certayne as wel / but I do it for to make her to encrese in the lyght of holy feythe / and that she neuer defayle / but that al­way she must nedes hope ī my goodnesse / & for to make her bothe warre & wyse that she tourne not her heed abacke vnwysely / I leue with her honger of holy desyre / and therfore I delayd it for to make y^e haue mȳde of y^t soule whiche came to holy chyr­che w^t greate ghostly honger / & whā my mynyster came to the auter / she asked crystes body / whiche is al god & all man / & he answered y^t he wolde not gyue it to her / than encreased in her waylynge / wepynge / & moche holy desyre. ¶ And in my mynyster whā he came to y^e oblacyon of y^e cha­lyce / encresed y^e prycke of cōscyence / cōstrayned & coacte by y^e holy ghost / whiche ꝓuyded for y^t soule / & ryght as he prouyded to y^t soule w^tinforth / ryght so he shewed it w^tout forth / sayenge to hȳ y^t sholde mynyster thus. ¶ Aske her yf she wyl be houseled / & I wyll gyue me to her gladly. ¶ Yf she had fyrst a lytell sparcle of feythe & of loue / her desyre encresed so abū ­daūtly / y^t her semed her lyfe wolde departe fro y^e body / & therfore I suffered y^t it sholde encrese / & y^t her pro­per loue / vnfeythefulnesse / & hope y^t she had ī herselfe shold be dryed vp. ¶ The holy ghost alone prouydeth this w^tout ony meane of other crea­tures / y^e whiche oftetyme happeth to my seruaūtes. ¶ And ymonge al other I shall tel y^e of two grete mer­uayles / that y^u may delyte in seythe to y^e cōmēdynge of my prouydence. ¶ Haue mynde & remēbre y^e in thy­selfe what thou herde of that soule / whiche whyle she was in my temple of holy chyrche vpon the daye of the conuersyon of seynt Paule my apo­stell / with so greate and brennynge desyre for to receyue this blessed sa­crament / breed of lyfe / and meet of angels / gyuen to men in erthe / that she asked to receyue it of euery my­nyster of myne / whiche come to the auter for to saye masse / and of all by my ordynaūce / she was denyed / for I wolde y^t she knewe thoughe men dyd fayle her / I y^t am her specyall louer & maker fayled her neuer / and therfore in y^e laste masse I kepe this maner as I shall tell the. ¶ And I vsed a maner of swete dysceyte / that she sholde be the more ghostly drūke w^t my dyuyne prouydence. ¶ That dysceyte was this / whan she sayde that she wolde be houseled / and re­ceyue the holy body of cryst / the my­nyster whiche serued y^e preest wolde not warne hȳ. ¶ She than bycause she was not denyed / wened and a­bode with grete desyre for to be hou seled / and whā masse was fynyshed and she sawe that she myght not be houseled / she encresed in so greate honger and in so greate desyre / for she myghte not receyue that bles­syd [Page]body / y^t w^t very^u mekenesse she helde herselfe vnworthy for to re­ceyue it / & so she vndernymed her ꝓper presūpcyō (for as her semed) she presumed presūptuousli to y^t blessyd mystery. ¶ I thā y^t enhaūsed meke folke / drewe y^e desyre & affeccyō of y^t soule to me / gyuȳge to her knowlege in y^e depenesse of my endelesse trynyte / illumynynge her eye of intelleccyon ī y^e power & myght of me endeles fader / in y^e wysdome of my sothefast sone / & in y^e mylde mekenesse of y^e holy ghost / whiche be all one / & y^t soule thā oned herselfe ī to grete ꝑfeccyon in y^t holy trynyte / y^t her body was takē fro y^e erthe (for as I haue sayd) y^e vnyon of a ꝑfyte mā is as well in y^e body as in y^e soule / & so in this grete depenes / y^t soule for satysfyenge of her desyre receyued of me y^t blessyd sacramēt / & ī tokē y^t this was sothe / many dayes after warde in meruaylous wyse / she feled ī her bodyly tast swete odour of y^t blessyd bodi & blode of my sone Ihesu / wherfore she re­newed herselfe in y^e lyght of my pro­uydēce / whiche she tasted so swetely. ¶ All this was vysyble to her / & in­uysyble to all creatures / the seconde tyme whā she was thus houseled / it was vysyble to y^e mynyster whiche sayde y^e masse / to whom suche a case betell / in a tyme whā y^t soule w^t grete desyre wolde come to chyrche to here masse / & for to behold for bodyly passyōs y^t she had she myght not come thyder at dutyme / neuerthelesse she came thyder late / y^t is to y^e tyme of cōsecracyō whā y^e preest sacred / thā in y^t one ende of y^e chyrche she kneled downe / for she myght not lōge stōde for bodili feblenes / & ther she kneled w^t greate waylynge / sayenge thus to herselfe. ¶ O wretched soule sees y^u not how moche y^u hase receyued of grace / for y^u art nowe in holy chyrche & sees y^t preest at masse / y^t art worthy for thy syn̄es to dwel ī hell / & y^t more she was oppressed by mekenesse / the more she was exalted in my syghte / wher she had knowlege of my good­nesse / & so she trusted y^t y^e holy ghoste sholde noryshe her hōger. ¶ Thā I gaue to her suche a thynge y^t how y^t it came to her she knewe not / & this it was whā y^t preest came to y^e fraccyon of y^e host ther he shold comune hȳ selfe / it happed y^e one ꝑte of y^e hooste whiche was ī his hōdes by vertu of my ordynaūce / it passed fro y^e auter to y^e lower ende of y^e chyrche / & so en­tred ī to y^t soule / & she vnderstode wel y^t she was houseled / but she wēde it had be inuysyble / & thought w^t brennynge desyre y^e as it befell to her oft / so she supposed y^t I had satysfyed to her after her desyre inuysyble / & yet y^t semed not to the preest / bycause he foūde not y^e resydu of y^e hoste / wher­fore he was in greate sorowe / saue that the mylde mekenesse of the ho­ly ghost shewed it in his soule who had it / & yet alwaye he doubteth vn­to y^e tyme she declared it to hym / I myghte not in her auoyde y^t impedymēt of bodyly feblenes / y^t she myght in dewe houre haue gone to y^e auter for to receyue y^t blessid sacramēt therof y^e preest (Ihesus certayne) but I wolde she shold haue it in experyēce & proue it / y^t by medyacyon of a creature [Page]& w^tout her / in what state & in what tyme y^t euer it be / and in what wyse she couthe desyre it / & yet more thā she couthe desyre it / I maye / cā & wyll / satysfy her as it is sayde be­fore. ¶ Lo dere doughter thus may y^u knowe how I vse my prouydence w^t hōgry soules / now shall I tell the somwhat what I vse w^tin y^e soule w^t out meane of y^e body / that is what I vse w^tout outwarde īstrumētes / for thoughe I tolde y^e somwhat of y^e states of soules / yet also I shall tell the my prouydēce which I vse agaynst them y^t be abydynge in deedly syn̄e.

¶ The thyrde chapyter is of y^e prouydence of god / agaynst thē y^t be abydynge in deedly synne / of y^e whiche prouydēce y^t god vseth & ordeyneth for thē y^t be ī vnꝑfyte loue & cha­ryte / & a shorte repetycyon of y^e foresayd wordes / & of other maters / as is rehersed in y^e kalender. Ca. iii.

A Soule other it is ī y^e state of deedly synne / or vnparfyte in grace / or els ꝑfyte in euery of these states / I vse to sprede abrode / & gyue my pro­uydenee in dyuers wyses w^t greate wysoome / as me semeth is spedeful to thē / mē of y^e worlde whiche lye in shadowe of deth (y^t is of deedly syn̄e) I shall excyte them w^t y^e prycke of cō scyēce / or els w^t vexacyon y^t they fele in y^e myddell of theyr hertes in dy­uers maners / & in so many wyses y^t thy tōgue is vnsuffycyent for to tell thē / & oftetymes they passe out of y^t īportunyte of peynes & prycke of cō scyēce whiche is w^tin y^e soule / for the offēce of dedly synnes / & other whyle bycause I drawe out of youre thor­nes roses / whā a mānes herte cōceyueth a loue to deedly syn̄e / or to ony creature w^tout my wyll / I shal take fro hym bothe tyme and place / y^e he shall not fulfyll his wycked wylles / in somoche that for werynesse of peynes of herte / which is caused for wā tynge of his wyll / in asmoche as he maye not fulfyll his mys ruled wyl / he tourneth to hymselfe w^t cōtrycyō of herte & prycke of cōscyēce / & there w^t he throweth fro hy^t his wretched frenesy / whiche maye well be called a fernesy / for ther he thought for to haue put his affeccyō in some thȳge he thā seeth well y^t it is nought / ne­uerthelesse y^t creature whiche he lo­ueth wretchedly / was & is a crea­ture / but y^e whiche he desyred of her was noughte / nor is noughte / for syn̄e is ryghte noughte / of y^e ylnesse of syn̄e which is a thorne y^t prycketh y^e soule I haue drawe out a rose (as is rehersed before) y^t is to prouyde to theyr helthe. ¶ Who cōstrayneth me to do this? Not he y^t sercheth me not nor sueth after my ꝓuydēce / but in trespas of synne / y^t is in delyces / ry­chesse / & states of y^t worlde / but my owne loue cōstrayneth me / for I lo­ued you or y^t ye loued me / I loued you meruaylously / y^t it is whiche cō ­strayneth me / & also y^e prayers of my se [...]uaūtes / & by y^e mylde mekenes of [Page]y^t holy ghost / y^t mynystreth to thē y^e worshyp of me & loue of theyr neyghbours / by y^e whiche they serche helth of theyr soules w^t meruaylous charyte / besyenge thē to please me / and to bynde my hōdes of dyuyne ryghte­wysenesse whiche a wycked mā de­serued to haue / thus I am cōstray­ned w^t meke waylynge & cōtynuall prayer. ¶ Who maketh thē so for to crye? ¶ My prouydēce / for I prouy­ded to y^e nede of this deed creature / ī asmoche as it is sayde of me thus. Nolo mortē. &c. I wyll not the the dethe of a synner / but I wyl y^t he be tourned & lyue. ¶ In thy soule also dere doughter y^u sees my prouy­dēce / yf y^u opē y^e eye of thy soule / that wycked mē whiche ly ī so greate mysery / y^t be made stynkynge fylthe of dethe / & derke by wantynge of lyght of grace / for they go sȳgȳge & laughynge spēdynge theȳr tyme w^t vany­tes / in delyces / & in greate vnhones­tes / wātayne in all thynges / greate glotōs / eters & drȳkers (so ferforth) y^t of theyr wombes they make theyr god / w^t hate / rācoure / & pryde / they go also with all wretchednesse (as I haue tolde y^e in another place) they do not knowe theyr owne astate / for they walke in suche awaye y^t wyll brynge thē to y^e dethe euerlastynge / but yf they amēde them in theyr ly­uynge & go more warely. ¶ It were a greate foly for a mā y^t were cōdēp­ned to y^e dethe to go syngynge & daū syng as he gothe by y^e way towarde his dethe / shold it not as y^u thynkes? yes certayne. ¶ In suche foly ben suche wretches / & in somoche y^e more w^tout ony cōparyson y^t they receyue more harme thā they (y^t is peyne of y^e dethe of soule) whiche is more thā y^e peyne of the body / suche lose y^t lyfe of grace / & they but lyfe of body / such receyue endeles peyne / & they but peyne y^t is fynyte / & thus they dye in state of dāpnacyō / they go thyder syngynge / blynde / fooles / & fooles aboue all other fooles / my seruaūtes be in y^e state of waylynge & wepīge / in afflyccyon & tourmēt of body ī holy wakynges / & in cōtynuall prayer w^t syghynges & sobbȳges / makȳge theyr bodyes lene for the helthe of theyr soules. ¶ But suche syngers as be rehersed before / they scorne all suche and theyr owne scornes fal on theyr proper heeddes / whan they be in peyne / to them that labour for y^e loue of me / shall be gyuē fruyte of theyr labour in y^e blysse of heuē / whiche my owne endeles goodnes haue made hȳ for to dyscerne / for I god y^e fader am ryghtwyse / y^t yelde to eche after his labour / but sothely my ser­uaūtes cesse not / nother for ꝑsecucy­ōs / scornes / nor vnkyndenes of thē / but rather they encrese in more de­syre & ghostly excercyse. ¶ Who maketh this y^t they knocke w^t so greate hōger at y^e gate of my mercy? ¶ My ꝓuydēce y^t maketh me prouyde to y^t helthe of these wretches / & to encrese vertu & y^e fruyte of loue & charyte in seruauntes. ¶ These maners of my prouydences be infynyte whiche I vse in the soule of a synner / that I myghte therby drawe hym out fro y^t trespas of deedly syn̄e. ¶ Now shall I speke to the of suche y^t be rysen fro [Page]synne / what my prouydēce dothe in thē / & yet be vnparfyte / I shall not declare y^t agayne by repetycyon the state of the soule / for therof I haue told y^e by order / but shortli somwhat shall I saye y^t. ¶ Of the prouydēce whiche god vseth & ordeyneth / for thē y^t be vnparfyte in loue. Wyll y^u knowe dere doughter what maner I vse for to arayse an vnꝑfyte soule fro her imꝑfeccyō / other whyle I ꝓ­uyde to her of many dyuers thoughtes / & brynge hre somtyme in to ba­raynes of soule / oftetymes it semeth to suche y^t be forsake of me vtterly / for they fele nothȳge ghostly / & they thynke they be not in y^e worlde / out­take y^t they fele this / y^t his wyll wyll not offēde me / this gate of wyll whiche is fre / I wyll not suffer ghostly enemyes to vndo it / but yet I gyue thē leue bothe fendes & other enemyes / y^t they maye smyte at al other gates / but not at this y^e whiche is the pryncypall gate / whiche kepeth y^e cytee of y^e soule / neuerthelesse y^e soule hathe a keper (y^t is fre chose) whiche dwelleth at y^t gate / & for this cause I haue made fre chose keper of that gate / y^e after hȳ y^e gate be opened / & as he wyll so be it done or not done. ¶ There be many gates lōgynge to y^t cytee / but princypally there be .iij. of whome there is one whiche euer holdeth hȳ closed & shyt yf he wyl / & is y^e keper of all y^e other gates / these iij. gates be these / mȳde / intelleccy­on / & wyl / but y^t specyal gate whiche I speke of is wyll / for yf wyll cōsent thā by y^t gate entreth y^e enemy of ꝑ­pre loue / & other enemyes y^t folowe hȳ / thā intelleccyō receyueth dethe­nesse / whiche is the enemy of lyght / & y^e mȳde receyueth hate & kepeth it / thȳkynge vpon y^t iniuryes & wrō ­ges / whiche gate is y^e enemy of loue & of charite of neyghbourheed. ¶ It receyueth also & kepeth delectacyōs of y^t worlde in dyuers maners / after dyuersyte of synnes / whiche be con­trary to vertu. ¶ After tyme y^t these gates be thus opened / y^e smal dores of y^e bodyly wyrtes be opened / whi­che be instrumētes answerynge to y^e soule / for y^u knowes well y^e y^t mysru­led affeccyō of mā y^t hathe his gates open / answereth w^t these instrumē ­tes / whose workes be desyled / y^e eye of suche an vnordynate affeccyō brȳ geth none other thȳge thā dethe / for it seeth nothȳge els but deed thȳges vnordynately / where he sholde not. ¶ Suche vanyte of herte & lyghte­nes w^t other vnhonestes / is cause of ghostly dethe / bothe to hȳ & to other. ¶ O wretched man y^e eye whiche I I haue gyuē y^e for to beholde heuē & other fayrenes of creatures for me so to se & behold my mynysters / y^u be holdes rather fylthe in wretchednes of lyuȳge / & so wynnes dethe / in the same wyse the ere delyteth in dysho­nest thynges / other to here y^e dedes of thy neyghbours by false domes / where I wolde y^u herde me / & y^e ne­cessite of thy neyghbour / a tōge also I gaue the for to shewe & teche my worde / & for to cōfesse thy defautes / & that y^u shold worke w^t it to y^t helthe of soules / & thou vses it to the blas­phemynge of me y^t am thy maker / & y^u vses it to harmȳge of thy negh­bour / [Page]bacbytynge / grutchynge / and demynge good workes for euyll / & euyll for good / thou also blaphemes with it berynge false wytnesse with slyppery wordes / puttynge thyselfe in perell and other / and thou brekes out with wordes of wronge / whiche be as swerdes cuttȳge hertes of thy euen crysten / whiche wordes styrre hym to wrothe. ¶ O how moche euyl and manslaughter / how moche dys­honeste & wrothe / how moche hate & losse of tyme that comethout of that bodyly lymme. ¶ The odour also in his beynge hurteth w^t vnordynate & mysse ruled plesaunce in his smel­lynge / & in y^e same wyse of tastynge with vnmesurable gulosyte / & mysruled appetyte / desyrynge many dyuers delyces he loketh after none o­ther thynge but for to fyll his wōbe / suche a wretched soule seeth not nor aspyeth not how her gate is open / whiche gate by vnordynate recey­uynge of meet and drynke / maketh the trayle flesshe proude / redy for to be corrupt by vnordynate appetyte. ¶ The hōdes also in withdrawynge of his neyghbours goodes / & with foule wretched touchynge / whiche be made to do seruyce to his neygh­boure in tyme of his sekenesse / & for to releue hym in his nede w^t almes. ¶ Fete also be gyuen to hym for to serue the body / and for to spēde his goynge to the profyte of his neygh­bour / for the glory and laude of my name / but he īpendeth the vse of thē for to bere y^e body to places of reprefe ¶ And thus in many dyuers wyses they tryfle and scorne other creatu­res / and they corrupte them with theyr wycked lyuynge / after that it is lykynge & plesynge to theyr mysruled wyll. ¶ All this haue I tolde y^e dere doughter / for to gyue y^e cause and mater of waylynge & we pynge / and y^t thou maye knowe how moche euyll cometh fro the pryncypal gate whiche is euyll / in to y^e whiche gate I wyll gyue leue to none enemy for to enter (as it is sayd before) but as I sayde to y^e / I gyue enemyes leue for to smyte at the other gates (but not at this) by y^e whiche I suffer the intelleccyon for to be smytte of a maner derkenesse of the soule / & other whyle it semeth y^t y^e mȳde hathe for­gete me / & otherwhyle it semeth y^e al other bodily wyttes be in dyuers batayles / in beholdȳge & touchȳge ho­ly thynges / herynge delycyous son­ges / and smellynge swete odours / & in goynge to them / all suche thȳges semen to hym y they sholde brynge in to the soule dyshonestes and cor­rupcyons / but all these sleen not the soule / nor brȳgeth it ī to deedly syn̄e / for I wyll not that he dye so / but yf he be suche a foole for to open y^e gate of his wyll / I gyue all suche temp­tacyons & ymagynacyons leue for to stonde without y^e gate / and in no wyse for to enter / for they maye ne­uer enter / but whan that wyll cōsenteth. ¶ Why than do I holde suche a soule in so greate peynes & afflyccy­ōs by her enemyes? ¶ Certayne not for she sholde be take of them & lost / and so lose the rychesse of grace / but I do it for to shewe it my prouydēce and for to make hym truste in me / & [Page]not ī hymselfe / and also for to make hym aryse fro neclygēce / and renne to me with all his ghostly excersyce and besynesse / whiche am his protectour & defendour / I am a benȳge fader / for I prouyde for his helthe / that he maye be meke & se hymselfe noughte / but his beynge and al his grace sholde be set aboue hymselfe / in knowȳge of me that am his lyfe / this lyfe he must knowe / yf he wyll receyue the fruyte of my prouydēce in all his ghostly batayles / for I suffer not suche batayles alwaye to cō ­tynu ī all tymes / but they go & come as me semeth to be nedefull & spedeful for y^e soule / other whyle it semeth to suche a soule for the greate heuy­nesse that it hathe in suche tempta­cyon / and for the wantynge of good­ly excercyse that it is in the peynes of hell / and yet not w^tstōdynge suche baraynes yf she do stryue ther with and open not y^e gate of wyll / she shal haue and taste endeles blysse for her mede. ¶ A clere clensed soule dwel­leth hooly with me / what that euer she seeth in suche thynges / for her semeth y^t she cryeth to me / all for bren­ned in my feruent charyte / by consy­deracyon y^t she feleth than & hathe in my prouydence / for she feeth welshe shall be drenched in y^t greare floode of temptacyons / but gracyously by hym she maye come out / & not by her ghostly excercyse onely / in asmoche as sodeynly she hath receyued lyght (not by her owne fyndȳge) but of my meruaylous charyte that I prouy­ded to her nede in the tyme of neces­syte / for than not withstōdynge her ghostly besynesse I wolde not putte it awaye fro her. ¶ And why in all her ghostly excercyses whā she vsed prayer and other ghostly meanes / wolde I not gyue her lyghte in put tȳge away suche derkenesse? ¶ Cer­tayne for aslonge as she was so vn­parfyte / I wolde not lest she aretted to her owne exercyse / whiche was not done by her. ¶ This thou maye se that vnparfyte men by excercyse of batayles maye come to parfeccy­on / for in suche batayles he proueth by experyence my dyuyne mekenes whiche prouyded hym / and so by experyence I haue made hym syker / wherby he cōceyueth a parfyte loue in my dyuyne prouydence / and so he knoweth my goodnes / whiche hath made hym aryse fro vnparfyte loue ¶ Forthermore I vse fyrste in hym a maner of holy dysceyte / for to reyse hym out of imparfeccyon / whan I make hym conceyue in his soule spe cyally a ghostely loue / of some cer­tayne deuoute creature / aboue the generall loue had to all ghostly cre­atures / by the whiche mene he wynneth more vertu thā he had before / and so auoydeth his inparfeccyon / for suche specyall loue maketh hym make his herte naked and spoyled of euery other creature whiche he loued sencybly / be it fader / moder / sys­ter / or broder / he w^tdrawith fro thē propre sensuall loue / & begynneth to loue them that be ghostly / onely for me endelesse god / and this ordynate lone of that meane whiche I haue gyve hym / puttynge awaye vnor­nate loue / where fyrste he loued cre­atures. [Page]¶ Thus thou maye knowe that suche ghostly loue set in specyal creatures dothe awaye imparfercyon / but now take hede y^e loue of this meane techeth more / for it maketh hym proue whether he loueth me / and y^t meane whiche I haue gyuen hym ꝑfytely or not / also I gaue hȳ that meane for to proue hym / & for to gyue hym cause and mater for to knowe hymselfe / for yf he knewe not hymselfe the whiche is within hym the whiche is myne / he sholde neuer please hym nor dysplease hym / and yet not withstōdȳge this knowlege of hymselfe / he is vnꝑarfyte (it is no wōder) for beynge of y^t vnāfyte loue which he hath to me / he must nedes bevnꝑfyte / for he loueth me by meane of a reasonable creature whiche is vnꝑfyte / but ꝑarfyte charyte of neyghbourheed cometh of my ꝑfyte charyte / & not my charyte fro them / but w^t y^e same ꝑfyte meane wher w^t he loueth me he sholdè loue creatu­res / yf he wyll auoyde imparfeccyō. ¶ But how shall this be knowe by suche a meane? ¶ In many thȳges / for yf he wyll open the eye of his in­telleccyon / than shall no tyme passe / but that he shall bothe se it & proue it / and for bycause I haue shewed y^t in party this in another place / ther­fore a lytell more shall I tell y^e there of nowe. ¶ Se whan that he loueth a creature with synguler loue (as it is sayde to the before) by processe of tyme he shall se well that the delectacyon of that loue shall be mynyshed / and also ghostly cōfortes as he was wonte to haue of the same creature and other suche mo / or els yf it seme to hym that y^e creature hathe more and ofter conuersacyon with other creatures than with hym / he feleth than a peyne / whiche peyne maketh hym to enter ī to hymselfe & knowe hymselfe / and than yf he wyll walke and go with the lyghte of my prouydence as he sholde / thā shall he loue more parfytely y^e meane than euer he dyd / for w^t knowlege of hymselfe and hate that he hathe in his owne proper sensualyte / he auoydeth im­parferccyon and gothe with parfeccy on / and whan he is thus parfyte / he shal loue creatures with more purer specyall loue thā euer he dyd before. ¶ Lo thus I haue shewed my good nesse by prouydence of suche a me­ane / whiche meane I make hym to vse with hate of hymselfe / and loue of vertu ī this way of pylgrymage / but he muste well be ware that in y^e felynge of the peynes of y^e loue of cre­atures (lyke as it is rehersed before) he brynge not hymselfe in to confu­syon and tedyosyte of the soule / and in to heuynes of herte / for y^e were pereylous / for so that thȳge whiche I haue ordeyned for hȳ to lyfe / myght tourne hȳ to dethe / therfore so shold he not do / but with good besynesse & ghostely excercyse / and mekely hol­dynge hȳselfe vnworthy for to haue suche comforte as he hathe desyred / and so shall he se that vertu by y^e whiche suche creatures sholde be loued is not lessed nor mynyshed in hym / for than he shall fele that with hon­ger and desyre he wyll suffer all ma­ner peyne / of what syde y^t euer it co­meth / [Page]for the glory and laude of my name. ¶ In this wyse he shal fulsyl my wyll / receyuynge in hymselfe fruyte of ꝑfeccyon / wherby I haue suffered trybulacyon / and y^t meane and suche other that he sholde come to the lyghte of parfeccyō. ¶ Thus in suche wyses I vse my prouydēce in vnparfyte men / and yet in many moo wyses (in so many) y^t I knowe well thy tonge is not suffycyent to tell thē. ¶ Of the prouydēce whiche god vseth & ordeyneth for thē y^t be ī parfyte loue & charyte. NOw shall I tell y^e of parfyte folke how I pro­uyded for them in kepynge of them and prouynge theyr parfeccyon / & that they maye alwaye encrese and growe in vertu / for there is none in this lyfe so ꝑfyte / but that he maye encrese in this lyfe to more parfeccy­on / & ymonge all other I kepe that forme after the wordes whiche my sonefast sone sayde / whiche be these. Ogo sū vitis vera. &c. I am a trewe vyne he sayd / & my fader is a tyller / & ye be the braūches / he that dwelleth in that very vyne whiche cometh out fro me the fader suynge his doctryne / he hathe fruyte / & that youre fcuyte maye growe & encrese & be parfyte / I water you as braunches of the same vyne / and gyue you to drynke many trybulacyons / that is with wronges / derysyons / sha­mes / repreues / & sclaunders / bothe with worde & with dede / also with honger and with thyrste / as it is ly­kynge to my goodnes for to gyue to you / and as eche of you is able for to bere / for trybulacyon is a token y^t shew^teth parfyte charyte of y^e soule / & also the imparfeccyon of the soule / whan it tasted with iniuryes / wronges and labours / whiche I suffer for to come to my seruauntes (pasy­ence is proued) and the fyre of charyte encreaseth & groweth in y^t soule by compassyon / that it hathe to that soule whiche dothe hym y^e wrōge / for he soroweth more for the offēce whi­che he dothe to me / and also for the hurtynge of his owne soule / thā for his owne iniury. ¶ Thus do they y^t be in greate parfeccyon / and so they encrese / and therfore to them I suf­fer these wronges and suche other / but I leue to them a maner of pry­ckȳge of y^e helthe of soules (in suche wyse) that bothe daye and nyghte they knocke at the gate of my mer­cy for them that done them wronge / so ferforthe that they forgoten them selfe (as I haue tolde the before in y^e state of parfyte soules) and the more they forsake thēselfe / the rather they fynde me. ¶ But where fynde they me? ¶ Certayne ī my sothefast sone Ihesu / goynge ꝑfytely in his swete doctryne / they haue redde in y^t swete and gloryous boke his doctryne / & by redynge they haue founde / that he was euer well wyllynge to fulfyl my obedyēce / and for to showe how­moche he loued my worshyppe and mankynde / he ranne vnder my obe­dyence with peyne and reprefe vnto the table of the holy crosse / where he ordeyned meet for mankynde w^t his peyne / and so with his sufferaūce & w^t the meane of mākynde / he shewed to me how moche he loued my wor­shyp / [Page]and therfore I saye that these well byloued chyldren that be come to parfyte state with parseueraūce / with whiche and contynuall prayer shewed to me / that in truthe & sothe­fastenes they loue me / & y^e also they haue well studyed y^t same doctryne of my sone / folowynge y^e same with peyne & labour whiche they bere for helthe of theyr euen crysten / for they fȳde none other meane wherby they myghte she we very loue to me (thā by that) but al other meanes by the whiche it maye be shewed that they loue me / is set vpon the pryncypall meane of a reasonable creature (as I haue sayde to the before) where I tolde the that euery good dede must be done vy medyacyon and meane of thy euen crysten / and euery good worke also / for there maye no good be do / but in the charyte of me and of thy neyghboure / & but it be do in y^t charyte / it may be called no good / thoughe the dedes of them be vertuous / and iif y^e same wyse euery euyl dede is doone by this meane / that is by pryuacyon of charyte. ¶ Thus y^u sees well that in this meane whiche I haue put to you / ꝑfeccyon is shewed and pure loue whiche they haue to me euer procurynge the helthe of theyr noyghbours with moche sufferaūce & pascyence / therfore I purge them that they maye brynge forthe more and sweter fruyte with moche trybulacyon. ¶ Here pascyence cas­teth to me ryghte good and swete smell / o how swete is this fruyte & bow profytable to the soule / for she suffereth without synne / whiche pascyence yf she veryly se it / ther is no creature but that she wolde serche with greate besynes and ioye for to suffer / wherfore I prouyded for to put to them the charges of greate labours / that I myghte gyue them this greate tresoure of paseyence / & also that the vertu of the same pascyence waxe not rusty in suche wron­ges and labours / so y^t whā tyme co­meth that it be nede for to proue the same pascyence / and it shall be foūde rusty with the ruste of pryue vnpa­scyence whiche freteth y^e soule / som­tyme I vse in suche a maner of a plesaunte desyre that they maye y^e bet­ter be kepte in y^e vertu of mekenesse / for in the tyme of aduersyte I shall make theyr felynges slepe / y^t it shall seme to them bothe in wyll and in felynge / y^t no maner trybulacy on nor aduersyte greueth thē not / for they fele it not / but as parsones y^t were aslepe (I say not as deed parsones) for the sensyble felynge slepeth in a parfyte soule / but it dyeth not / for assoone as they leue deuoute excercyse and y^e fyre of holy desyre / anone try­bulacyons and aduersytes waken them as sore as it was wonte to do / therfore a man that trusteth in this maye be as parfyte as he wyll / but yet it is ryght spedefull for hȳ that he dwell alwaye stydfastly in my holy drede / for many that trustē in thē selfe do fall full wretchedly / whiche sholde not fall yf they put awaye y^t truste / and therfore I saye in suche that be so occupyed in ghostly excer­cyse the felynge of them slepeth / for thoughe they bere grete burthons / [Page]it semed to them that they fele it not and without grutchynge / of y^e whi­che afterwarde whā they haue lefte theyr ghostly excercyses / they sholde wonder that they dyd not fele none of theyr burthōs / this dothe my prouydence that suche a soule myghte encrese and go in the waye of mekenesse / for than suche a soule wysely ryseth vp aboue herselfe / not spa­rynge herselfe / but with holy hate & rebukynge she chastyseth her owne felynge / whiche chastysynge is no­thynge els / but for to make it slepe more parfytely. ¶ Otherwhyle also I prouyded & ordeyned to my grete and ryght specyal seruaūtes in this wyse. ¶ I leue to them a certayne pryckynge / as I dyd to my swete a­postell Paule that chosen vessell of eleccyon / to whome whan he had receyued y^t doctryne of my sones sothe­faste truthe in the depenesse of me endelesse fader / yet I lefte with hym a prycke & dyuers impugnacyons and conflyctes of his flesshe / where that I myght not nor yet maye not / bothe to Paule and to other of my worthy seruaūtes / in whom I haue le [...]te a prycke by dyuers maners / y^t they sholde not haue it / Ihesus cer­tayne. Why thā dothe my ꝓuydēce so? ¶ Certayne for they shold y^e more deserue mede / and be kepte in theyr owne knowlege / by y^e whiche knowlege they wynne very mekenesse / & also that they may therby be mylde and meke to theyr neyghbours and not cruell for to haue compassyon of theyr laboure / for they haue moche more compassyon of thē that be troubled and dyseased / yf they suffer dysease themselfe / than yf they hadde none / and also they encrese in more loue / bycause they be so anoynted w^t very mekenesse & brenned in y^e ser­uyce of my dyuyne charyte. ¶ Thus with these maners and other mo in­fynyte wyses / they come to parfyte vnyon (as I haue tolde the before) in somoche vnyon and knowlege of my goodnesse / that not w^tstōdynge they stonde in theyr deedly body / yet they fele and tast the endelesse good of vndeedlynesse / for thoughe they be in the pryson of the body / yet they thynke that they be out of the body. ¶ And bycause they knowe moche of me / they loue me moche / and he y^t loueth moche soroweth moche / for to whome loue encreaseth / sorowe also encreaseth / in the whiche pey­nes and sorowes / they dwell not in wronges that be done to them / nor ī sorowes for bodyly peynes / nor for heuynesse done to them by sendes / nor for none other peyn [...] that maye come to them / but onely they sorowe for the offence whiche is done to me / seynge and knowynge y^e I am wor­thy to be loued & serued. ¶ And also they sorowe for the harme that fal­leth to soules / seynge them fall into the derkenesse of y^e worlde / & so dwellynge & abydynge in y^e same blynde­nesse / for in y^t vnyō whiche he hathe made in me by affeccyon of loue / he knoweth and beholdeth in me how­moche he loueth my creature / and in suche beholdynge that she seeth y^e a reasonable creature representeth my ymage / she is ther with rapte by [Page]loue for the loue of me / by y^e whiche loue she feleth an vntollerable peyne whan she seeth suche creatures be fere sro my goodnes / & those peynes be so greate / that all other peynes be the lesse and fayle in the same / of whome he recketh neuer nor careth therfore / for he fareth as thoughe it were not he y^t receyueth suche trybulacyons. ¶ Why is y^t? ¶ For I pro­uyde for thē. ¶ Wher with? ¶ With she wynge to them clere syghte and knowlege of myselfe (as it maye be in this lyfe) in the whiche syghte I shewe them wyckednesse and myse­ry of the worlde and dampnacyon of soules in comune & in specyall w^t greate bytternessr of themselfe / as it is lykynge to my goodnesse for to shewe them / so for to encrese y^e more in loue and in peyne / and that also they crye to me w^t stydfast hope / and with the lyghte of holy feythe so prycked / and with y^e fyre of my desyre / for to haue helpe of me / and that I wolde releue them in suche nedes. ¶ Also I proued with my dyuyne prouydence for to releue & helpe the worlde / sufferynge myselfe to be cō ­strayned of peynfull / swete / and longynge desyres of my seruauntes / & noryshynge them & encresynge thē therby in to more parfyte knowlege and vnyō of me. ¶ Thus thou may se how I prouyde to these parfyte folke in dyuers wyses & many way­es / for alwaye as longe as ye lyue / ye be able to encrese ī state of parfec­cyon / and for to deserue mede / & therfore I purge them fro all theyr pro­per vnordynate loue spyrytuall and temporall / and gyue them drynke with the chalyce of many trybulacyons / for to make thē to haue y^e more parfyte fruye (as it is sayde before) and that greate trybulacyō whiche they suffer / seynge me offended and fooles pryued fro grace / all the lesse felynge is quenched (in somoche) y^t all the labours that they maye suf­fer ī this lyfe / they hold it for nought and by that they charge asmoche trybulacyons as they do cōfortes / for they seke nothynge theyr owne cōfortes / & they loue not me for no rewarde / nor for theyr owne loue / but they seke the glory / laude / & honour of my name. ¶ Dere doughter sees y^u not now / y^t in euery reasonable creture I extende & vse my prouydēce in many places / and in infynyte places w^t meruaylous wyses / vnknowen of men of derke lyuȳge / for theyr derkenesse maye not receyue suche lyght / but onely they y^t haue lyght / and knowe parfytely & vnparfytely after the parfeccyon of the lyghte y they haue / whiche lyghte is wonne & gotē by knowlege y^t a soule hathe of herselfe / wherby it is araysed to lyght / hatȳge most parfytely derkenesse. ¶ A shorte repetycyon of the foresayde wordes / and how god speketh afterwarde of that worde whi­che cryste sayde to Peter. Mittite rethe ad dexterā partē nauis: & inuenietis. That is to say / caste ye the nette on the ryghe syde of the shyppe / and ye shall fynde. I Haue tolde y^t how that I prouyded for my seruauntes / and how I haue tolde [Page]the bothe generall & specyall / & fyrst I tolde y^e of y^e blessyd sacramēt how I proued it and by what maner for to make y^e honger of y^e soule encrese / & how I procure w^tin y^e felynge of y^e soule to thē grace / ymynystred by y^t meane of y^t blessyd mynyster y^e holy ghost / to a wycked mā for to reduce hym y^e soner to grace / to an vnꝑfyte mā for to brȳge hȳ y^e soner to grace / & to ꝑfyte mē y^t they maye the more gracyously encrese / & that ꝑfeccyon myghte growe in thē / for they be a­ble to encrese be they neuer so ꝑfyte / & also I prouyde for thē / y^t they may be good ꝑfyte meanes bytwene me & mā / whiche is fall to me in warre endeles god / for yf y^u remēbre y^e wel / y^u knowes well y^t I haue tolde the y^e w^t meane & medyacyō of my seruaū tes I wylshewe mercy to y^e worlde / & w^t suche sufferaūce of thē / I shal reforme my spouse holy chyrche / cer­tayne all suche maye well be called another cryst crucyfyed / for lyke as cryst my sone toke vpō hym y^e peyne of y^u crosse for mānes helthe / tyght so they take vpō thē his offyce / for he came as a meane bytwene mā and me / for to dystroye batayle & warre bytwene vs both / & for to recoūseyle mā to be ī peas by moche sufferaūce vnto y^e cruell dethe of y^t crosse / in the same wyse these gone as all for tur­mēted by cōpassyō / makȳge thēselfe meanes w^t holy prayers / good & holy cōuersacyō for theyr wyckednesse bytwene me & thē. ¶ All suche done shyne ymōge synners as precyous stones of v (er)ttu / berȳge & supportȳge w^t pascyence defautes of thē / they be my hokes wherby I wynne soules / they also throwe forthe theyr nette vpon y^e ryght hōde & not vpō y^t lyfte hōde / as my soly sothefast sone Ihesu bad Peter & other dysciples after y^e resurreccyō. ¶ For y^e lyste hōde y^t is theyr owne loue is deed ī thē / but y^e ryght hōde lyueth by a maner of very clere & swete dyuyne loue / w^t y^e whiche loue they caste forthe y^e nette of holy desyre ī to me y^e am y^t peasea­ble see / & ryghte as it was in y^e story whan Peter & other y^t were w^t hym drewe his nette / it was foūde so full of fyssh / y^t they called for helpe of thē of y^e other shyppe. ¶ In y^e same wyse whā they drawe theyr nette of holy desyre / they catche so greate copy of yte of fyssh (y^t is of soules) y^t it is spedefull for thē to call a felowe to thē for to helpe thē to drawe vp y^t nette / for one a lone maye not do it / & therfore bothe in castȳge & in drawynge vp / they must nedes haue felyshyppe / y^t is of very mekenesse they call theyr neyghbours by loue. ¶ Peter as I sayde & his felyshyp dyd aske helpe for to drawe vp these fysshes of sou­les / in y^e same wyse it is sothe in my parfyte seruaūtes / as y^u hase well ꝑued / for them semeth it is so greate a burthon for to drawe these soules whiche be take in y^t nette of theyr desyres / that they call and crye after felyshyppe / for they wolde that eue­ry reasonable creature sholde helpe them / holdynge themselfe w^t meke­nes vnworthy without theyr helpe / & therfore they cry after helpe / & thā they drawe vp soules greate plēte / thoughe some for theyr owne defautes [Page]lepe out of the nette and wyl not abyde therin / the nette of desyre re­ceyueth all / for an hōgry soule of my worshyp holdeth her not apayde for to haue one ꝑty / but she wolde haue all / she seketh good y^t it maye helpe her to caste fysshe ī to her nette / & for to kepe thē therin to the encrese of theyr parfeccyō / she sercheth vnparfyte people for to helpe to make thē parfyte / & bad to be made good / vn­feytheful & mysbyleuers & also men lyuȳge in derkenes of synne / w^toute y^e feythe of baptym of holy chyrche / to be made feythefull & to receyue y^e feythe of holy baptym. ¶ Suche a soule wolde haue all people / of what state or what cōdycyō y^t they be / for they cōsyder and se all how they be made of my goodnesse in my greate fyre of loue / & raūsomed by y^e blode of my sone cryste crucyfyed. ¶ And thus y^u maye well knowe y^t suche a soule receyueth & taketh all ī y^e nette of her holy desyre / but yet as it is sayde before / many of them go oute of y^e nette / whiche go away fro grace by theyr owne defautes / both mysbyloued people & other y^t lyue ī deedly synnes / & yet neuertheles they be in y^t nette by cōtynuall prayer / for yf a soule passe awaye fro me by her owne trespas / & fro loue & cōuersa­cyon y^t she sholde haue to my seruaū tes / & also fro y^e dewe tyme & reue­rēce of thē / yet sholde not affeccyō of charyte be lessed nor mynyshed agaynste thē / for swete desyrous soules haue caste y^t nette of holy desyre vpō y^e ryght syde. ¶ O dere doughter I wolde y^u wolde cōsyder y^e acte y^t my gloryous apostell Peter dyd / as my onely sothefaste sone made hym do / whan he badde hȳ throwe his nette in to y^e see / whiche acte is cōteyned in y^e holy gospel / & thā myght y^u knowe what Peter sayde to hym. ¶ What sayde he. ¶ Peter answered agayne to my sone thus / all this nyghte we haue laboured ī fysshynge & toke no thynge / but nowe in this worlde I shall caste my nette / & whan y^t was done / they caughte so grete copyosyte & multytude y^t they called to theyr felowes in y^e other shyp for to come & helpe them. ¶ Doughter yf this fy­gure was sothe (as y^e gospell saythe) yet it is fygured to the (as I haue sayde) & I wyll y^t y^u knowe y^t all my­steryes y^t my onely sothefast sone / o­ther to y^e worlde / or to his dyscyples / or els w^tout his dysciples shewed / be fygured w^tin y^e soules of my seruaū ­tes / y^t in al suche mysteryal fygures ye maye haue a rule & a doctryne / wherin ye maye beholde w^t lyght of reason / so y^t bothe to boystyous par­sones & also to clere wytted ꝑsones / whiche haue a depe infynyte intel­leccyon / it maye so tourne by ensam­ple so y^t bothe may haue theyr parte yf they wyll. ¶ I tolde y^e y^t Peter by the cōmaūdyment of my sones wor­des cast his nette / in y^t he was obedyent / byleuynge with quycke feythe for to haue myght & power to catche fysshe / & therfore he toke many / but not in the tyme of nyghte. ¶ Know­es y^u well what the tyme of y^e nyghte meaneth? ¶ It is nothynge els but y^e derke nyghte of deedly synne / whā a soule is depryued fro the lyghte of [Page]grace / in this nyghte is nothynge take / for he casteth not his nette of affeccyon in the quycke see but in y^e deed see where synne is founde whiche is ryght noughte / therfore he y^t laboureth all in vayne & w^t grete vn­numerable peynes w^tout ony pro­fyte / by which they be made y^e deuyl les martyrs & not the martyrres of my sone cryste crucyfyed / but whan y^e daye is come y^t they be gone out of synne & come to the lyghte of grace / than appereth to thē in theyr soules the preceptes & y^e byddynges of the lawe / whiche byddeth them for to caste theyr nette in y^e worlde of my sothefast sone / y^t is to loue me aboue all thynges / & theyr euen crysten as thēselfe / & so w^t obedyence & lyghte of feythe & with stydfast hope they cast theyr nette in his worlde / shewynge y^e doctryne & y^e steppes of my ryghte swete sone / & of his dyscyples / and how y^t he taketh soules / and who he calleth for to helpe / it nedeth not to be rehersed / for it is sayde before. ¶ How some man casteth his nette more parfytely thā another / & of the excellēce of suche ꝑfyte mē. THis haue I sayde y^t thou myght knowe with how moche prouydēce my sothefaste sone Ihesu cryst for y^e tyme y^t he was conuersaunte ymonge you / he wroughte suche mysteryes & other mysteryall actes for y^t thou sholde knowe thē / & y^t ye sholde do y^e same ghostly in y^e soule / & namely suche soules as dwell ī this moste parfyte state / & thynke dere doughter y^t one dothe more profyte thā another / af­ter that one is more redy for to obey thā another to this worde / & gothe with more clere & parfyte lyghte / a­uoydȳge the hope of hymselfe / and onely hopeth ī me his maker / for he that obeyeth casteth his nette more parfytely / kepynge bothe y^e cōmaū ­dymentes & the counseyles mentally & actually / for that kepeth not the counseyles mentually / he maye not kepe the cōmaundymētes actually / for they be annexed & knytte togy­der (as I haue declared to y^e before in another place more playnly & ful­ly) & therfore suche one catcheth parfytely / as he casteth parfytely / but ꝑfyte folke catche abūdaūtly & ī grete ꝑfeccyon. ¶ O how they haue theyr nettes well ruled and ordred / for y^e good swete kepynge y^t the keper offre choyse dothe at y^e gate of wyll / altheyr wyttes and senscyble felȳges make swetete sownes / whiche sow­nes come out fro w^tin / y^t is fro y^e cyte of the soule / for all y^e gates there be shutte & opened. ¶ The gate of wyll is shutte to his proper loue / & it is opened for to loue & desyre my wor­shyppe / and loue of neyghbourheed: ¶ Also y^e gate of intelleccyō is shut / y^t it shall not beholde delyces / vany­tes / & wretchydnes of y^e worlde / whiche be all as nyght y^t gyuē derkenes to intelleccyō / y^e whiche beholdeth thē vnornately / & it is opened with lyghte sette in the open knowlege of y^t lyght of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu. ¶ The gate also of mynde is shut / that it hathe no mynde of the worlde nor of his owne sencyble fe­lynge / & it is opened for to receyue & brynge to mynde y^e remembraunce [Page]of my benefytes / thā y^e affeccyon of the soule maketh a ioy and a sowne temperynge y^e strynges and cordes of the herte w^t prudēce & lyghte ma­kynge thē to acorde ī one / that is to the ioye and praysynge of my name. ¶ In this same sowne in y^e whiche y^e greate strynges & myghtes of the soule ben acorded / y^e small strynges & cordes of y^e bodyly wyttes be also acorded / whiche wyttes be y^t instru­mentes of y^t body / as I tolde y^e whā I spake to y^e of wycked men / for all they sowned deedly sownes w^t theyr bodyly instrumētes / for asmoche as they dyd receyue theyr ghostly ene­myes / & lyke as they sowne dethe / so these parfyte folke do sowne lyfe / rereyuynge theyr frēdes of very effec­tuall vertues / whiche be instrumentes of good and holy workes / euery lymme and euery mēber trauayleth in y^t worke whiche is gyue to hȳ for to labour in his parfyte state / that is his eye ī his lokynge / & e [...]e in his herynge / y^e smell in his smellynge / y^t taste in his tastynge / y^e tōgue in his spekynge / y^e hōde in his touchynge & workynge / & y^e fete ī theyr goynge / & al they acorde ī one maner of sowne for to serue theyr euē crystē for glory & laude of my name / & for to serue y^e soule w^t good / holy / & vertuous workes & for to answere as īstrumētes y^e obedyēt soule / they be ryght plesaūt to y^e nature of angels / & ryghte ple­saūt to very tasters / whiche abyde thē w^t greate loye / where one shall parte with the endelesse good of an­other / they also be plesaunte to the worlde (whyther the worlde wyll or not) wycked mē maye not / but that they must nedes fele of this plesaūt sowne / & yet many of them w^t that fysshynge hoke and with that instrumēt betake / that is they passe away fro dethe & come to lyfe / all seyntes wroughten & toke w^t y^t instrument. ¶ The fyrste y^t sowned in the sowne of lyfe was my ryght swete & ryght wel byloued sone / takynge vpon hȳ youre manheed / with y^e whiche ma­heed oned to the godheed / he made a ryght swete sowne vpon the cros / & so he toke the sone of mākynde fro y^t deuyll / y^e whiche he hadde so longe tyme kepte for his syn̄e / all ye sholde folowe the doctryne of his mayster in youre best maner. ¶ Of hym the apostels toke theyr doctryne / suȳge and sowynge his worde throughe all the worlde / Martyrs also & Con­fessours / Doctours & Vyrgyns / all by theyr maner of seynge. ¶ Also the gloryous mayde Vrsula whiche sowned so swetely her instrument / y^t she caughte fyrste there with a .xi. thousande vyrgyns / & after warde mul­typlyed the nombre meruaylously / bothe of them and of other with the same sowne. ¶ In the same wyse thus do other / some in one wyse and some in another. ¶ Who is cause of this? ¶ Certayne my infynyte pro­uydence / whiche haue prouyded to gyue to them instrumentes / and al­so I gaue to them awaye and a ma­ner / by the whiche they myght gyue sowne / and what that euer I gyue to them / or what that I do suffer for to fall to thē in this lyfe / it is to thē a way for to encrese theyr instru­mētes [Page]yf they wyll knowe it / & that wyll do theyr lyghte awaye fro thē. ¶ Wherwith se they? ¶ Certayne w^t y^e cloude of theyr owne ꝓper loue / & w^t plesaūce of theyr owne conceyte.

¶ The .iiii. chapyter is of the prouydēce of god in generall that he vseth ī his creatures in this lyfe & in y^e other. ¶ Al­so of the prouydēce of god for his poore seruaūtes / helpige thē with tēporall goodes / & other maters as it is specyfy­ed in y^e kalender. Ca. iiii.

DOughter thy herte shall be made larger / & therfore open the eye of thy intel­leccyon with the lyghte of feythe / for to beholde w^t what loue & prouydēce I haue made & ordeyned mā / y^e is y^t he sholde Ioye ī me most souerayne endelesse good / for fully I haue prouyded for hym bothe in soule & body (as I haue tolde the) bothe to vnparfyte & parfyte / good & euyll / ghostly or bodyly / in heuē & ī erthe / ī this deedli lyfe & also ī y^e lyfe of vndeedlynesse. ¶ In this deedly lyfe as lōge as ye lyue here / I haue boūde you w^t y^e bōde of charite (why ther a mā wyll or no) he is boūde in y^e same bōde / yf he vnlose hȳselfe fro affeccyō / y^t is yf he be not in y^t chary­te of his neyghbour / he is boūde of nede y^t bothe ī wyll & dede he sholde vse charyte / & yf ye lose it in your af­feccyō bycause of your wyckednesse / thā be ye bōde & cōstrayned namely of nede for to vse it ī acte / for I haue not prouyded for to vse it to one mā alone / nor made eche man knowe y^e thynge whiche is spedefull for hym ī all his lyfe / but one hathe one thȳge of grace and another hathe another thȳge / y^t a mā may haue cause & mater for veri nede / one to be enformed by another. ¶ O this y^u sees by en­sample y^e a workemā or a crāftymā gothe for to lerne somthȳge of y^e tyl­ler / & y^e tyller of y^e craftymā / so y^t one nedeth to be enformed of another / for y^e one can not do y^t the other can / in y^e same maner a clerke & a relygy ous mā haue nede of seculers / & seculers relygyous / for y^e one w^toute the other cā nothȳge do / & thus of all o­ther. ¶ Myght I not gyue to euerē y^t y^t is nedefull? ¶ Yes certayne / but I wolde w^t prouydēce y^t one meked hȳ to another mekely / & y^t they shold be coacte by mekenesse eche of thē to vse togyder bothe acte & affeccyō of charyte. ¶ I haue thus sheded ī thē my magnyfysence / my goodnesse / & my prouydēce / & yet they suffer thē ­selfe to be led in derkenes of theyr ꝓper freylte / y^e lȳmes of your body do you shame / for they vse charyte togyder (& not ye) for whan y^e heed aketh y^e honde helpeth it / & whā y^e fynger whiche is y^e leest lȳme suffereth ony peyne y^e heed is anyuyshed ther with thoughe it be y^e more worthy lȳme of y^e body^e. ¶ In y^e same wyse euery lymme helpeth other w^t cōpassyon / bothe y^e eye & herȳge w^t all other partes / so doth not a proude mā y^t seeth his pore lȳmes seke & feble / y^t is pore [Page]folke / and yet w^tyl not helpe them in theyr nede / not onely with ony tem­porall good that he hathe / nor with the leest worde of his mouthe / but rather with lytell settynge by them & repreuȳge them / he turneth his face fro them / he is ryche / and yet he suf­fereth hȳ to dye for hōger / but suche one seeth that his wretched cruelte casteth cruelte to me / so y^t his proude dedygnacyon descendeth done to the depenesse of hell / neuerthelesse yet I prouyde to that poore creature / to whome for the pouerte shall be re­warded in blys w^t endeles rychesse / and y^t proude wretche shall be sharply repreued of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / in suche wyse as the ho­ly gospell saythe / but yf he amende hym or that he dye / it is wryten in y^e holy gospel thus. O suriui & nō dedistis michi māducare. &c. I hōgred and ye gaue me no meet / I thrysted & ye gaue me no drynke / I was naked & ye couēred me not / I was seke and ī pryson & ye came not to me / it shall no profyte be to hȳ thā in y^e laste daye for to excuse hym thus. ¶ Lorde I sawe y^e neuer / for yf I hadde sene the / I wolde haue done al this to the. ¶ That wretche knoweth well that thus he seeth / y^t the whiche ye do to the lest of myne / ye do to me / & therfore ryghtewyse­ly to hȳ shall be gyuē endeles peyne with fendes. ¶ Lo now thou know­es I haue prouyded in erthe for thē / that they ge not to endeles sorowe / yf thou dyd beholde me than aboue in the endelesse lyfe in the kyndes of angels / & ymonge y^e cytesyns dwel­lynge in that endeles blysse / whiche by vertu of my sones blode that vn­defouled lambe haue receyued that lyfe / that I sholde so ordeyne them and set them in order / that is for to set one for to tast onely his owne proper good in that blessyd lyfe / and not for to comune charytably & be partener of the goodes of other / naye I wyll not so / but theyr charyte is so par [...]ytely ordeyned that the greate tasteth the good of the lesse / and the lesse of the greate / I call it lytell as for the mesure / not for that the lesse is full of ioye as the moste / for eche after his degre is ful of ioye / as it is rehersed ī another place before. ¶ O howmoche charytable broderheed there is / and howmoche oneheed in me / and one with another / for they haue that of me / & they knowe well that they haue it of me whiche they haue / & they kepe it w^t holy drede & du reuerence / seynge and knowȳge theyr owne dygnyte wherin I haue set them / there angels comune with men / that is with the soules of bles­syd men / and blessyd soules with angels / and so eche of them be ioyfull of the good of other in the brēnynge loue of charyte / and so they ioye in me with ioye and gladnes without ony sorowe / & swetely without byt­ternesse. ¶ For whā they dyd lyue in erthe / ī theyr dyenge they tasted me by affeccyon of loue in the charyte of theyr euen crystē. ¶ Who ordeyned this? ¶ My wysdome with ryghte meruaylous and swete prouydēce / and yf thou tourne thy thoughte to purgatory / thou shal also fynde ther [Page]my swete & ryght meruaylous pro­uydence in the wretched soules that haue loste theyr tyme in this worlde by ygnoraunce / and bycause y^t they maye be departed frome the body / they haue no more power for to helpe them / as for deseruynge of ony de­lyueraunce of peyne / and therfore I haue prouyded for thē by meane of you that yet do lyue ī erthe / whiche haue tyme for thē for to raūsome thē out of peyne by almesdedes and by masse syngȳge whiche they ordeyne for to be sayde of my mynysters / by fastynge and by prayers done in the state of grace / with al these meanes ye abredge theyr tymes of peyne / by medyacyon of my mercy. ¶ Nowe is this doughter a swete prouydēce all this haue I sayde to the y^t thou shold be rapte with loue with in thy soule / in suche thynges as longen to the helthe of a soule / & also for thou sholde araye thyselfe w^t lyght of holy feythe with stydfaste hope ī my prouydence / & that y^u sholde throwe out thyselfe fro thyselfe / and in all that thou sholde do for to hope in me w^t ­out ony seruyle drede. ¶ Of the prouydence of god for his poore seruaū tes / helpynge them with temporall goodes. NOw dere doughter wyll I tell the a lytell party of the maner whiche I helpe and releue my poore seruauntes in theyr bodyly necessy­te that hope and trust in me / and yet neuerthelesse they be well apayde of theyr nede (other parfytely or vnꝑ­fytely) as they themselfe be parfyte or vnparfyte. ¶ I prouyde also to my poore folke dwellȳge in y^e worlde whiche be poore in spyryte and wyl / that is w^t spyrytuall entent / I speke not of suche as be symple & poore in the worlde / for there be many suche poore whiche wolde no poore men be / suche be ryche folke (as touchȳge theyr wyll) for they hope nothynge in me / nor they bere not ryghte gladly they pouerte whiche I haue gyuē to them for a medycyne to theyr sou­les / for rychesse sholde haue done thē harme and turned them to dampnacyō / all my seruaūtes be poore folke and not beggers / a begger oftetyme hathe that he wolde haue / and ther­fore he suffereth grete necessyte / but I defayle neuer my poore seruaun­tes / as longe as they hope in me / & I lede them forthe in that pouerte / somtyme to the laste ende / that they sholde the better knowe & se that I am he whiche wyll prouyde for thē / by y^e whiche truste they shold make them stronge with loue in my prouydence / and so gladly for to receyue y^e spouse of very pouerte / wherfore y^e holy ghost theyr mynyster w^t mylde mekenesse wyll puruaye for thē all that is nede bothe to theyr bodyes by gyuynge of a greate desyre in the hertes of other folke y^e whiche maye gyue them / so that they shall go and releue them in theyr bodyly nedes / al the lyfe of my swete poore folke is thus gouerned with the besynesse whiche I gyue to the seruauntes of the worlde for them / neuerthelesse yet I proue thē in pascyēce / ī feythe / and in parseueraunce / for I suffer somtyme to be sayd and done to thē bothe repreues and wronges / & yet [Page]he that dothe suche wronges to thē / I styrre them to do them almes / & for to helpe them ī theyr nedes / this is a generall prouydēce gyuen to my seruauntes / but somtyme I vse it in my ryghte specyall seruauntes w^t out meane of ony creature onely by myselfe / as y^u knowes well I dyd to my gloryous seruaūte seynt Domynycke / for in the begynnynge of his order / his brederne dyd sufter greate nede and penury of meet / so ferforth that whan the houre of meet was come and they had nothynge to ete / my well beloued Domynycke with the lyghte of feythe hopynge in me y^t I shold prouyde for thē / sayd to his brederne thus. ¶ Chyldren sette ye downe to meet / his brederne anone were obedyent to his wordes & sate downe / than I prouyded to all thē y^t had trust in me / & sende two angels with ryghte whyte breed to thē (in suche plente) that they had greate abundaunce therof many tymes after / this prouydence was not done with meane of man / but onely by y^e benynge myldenes of y^e holy ghoste / somtyme also I ꝓuyde for my ryght specyall seruaunces a lytell quanty­te of lyuelode whiche was not suffy­cyent for thē / as thou knowes well I dyd to y^e swete mayde seynt Ag­nes / which serued me fro her chylde heed vnto her laste ende w^t greate mekenesse / by y^e whiche mekenesse with quycke feythe / at the commaū dyment of my blessyd Mary my so­nes moder / she drewe her to greate parfyte pouerte / and so without ony temporall substaunce she bylded a Monastery in suche a place / where somtyme was as y^u knowes well a comune house of womē / she thought not whan she sholde bylde it thus / how myght I parforme this / but besyly w^t my prouydence she made there an holy monastery / where she gadered togyder in the begynnynge xviij. maydens whan she had ryght noughte for to gyue them of meet & drynke / but as I prouyded for thē / ymonge all other thynges whan I hadde longe prouyded for them as for theyr bodyly nede / I sufferd thē thre dayes to be without breed / one­ly lyuȳge with herbes / yf thou aske me thā why I withdrawe fro them theyr necessary lyuelode / nameli fro suche as had hope in me / sythen I haue sayde before that I wolde not fayle my seruauntes that put theyr hope in me / but y^t they sholden haue suche as them nedeth / wherfore the semeth that they lacked theyr nede / for onely with herbes the body of a reasonable creature lyueth not / for to speke comunely of suche as be not parfyte / for thoughe Agnes was ꝑ­fyte / other of her susters were not parfyte in the same ꝑfeccyon / to this I shall answere the thus. ¶ I suf­fred that ī her / that she sholde be fulfylled plentuously in my prouydēce / and other that were yet vnparfyte of her systers / myghten haue cause by the myracle that sheweth for to parforme her begynnynge & fundament in the lyghte of holy feythe / neuerthelesse in those herbes or ī suche other / I myghte gyue moche grace of releuynge / or els in gyuȳge suche [Page]dysposycyon to mankynde that he sholde better lyue with y^e lytel herbe and somtyme without meet / thā he dyd before with breed and other ma­ner of meet that be gyuen and ordeyned for the lyfe of man / thou know­es well this is sothe / for y^u hase pro­ued this thyselfe / neuerthelesse whā that Agnes had lyued so longe (as I haue sayde) with so lytell quantyte of lyuelode / she lyfte vp the eye of her soule to me with lyghte of feythe and sayd thus / fader my lorde ende lesse spouse hase thou made me for to take out these maydens out of theyr faders houses / that they shall now peryshe for honger / good lorde / good spouse prouyde for theyr nede. ¶ Lo doughter I was he that made her for to aske me so / for that I wolde haue her feythe proued / that meke prayer was ryghte lykynge to me / therfore I extended my prouydence in her / that whan she stode so before me / I constrayned a certayne crea­ture in his soule by inspyracyon of y^e holy ghoste for to bere to those wo­men fyue small loues / by the whiche the soule of Agnes had reuelacyon / by the whiche reuelacyon she tour­ned to her systers and sayde thus / go doughters and answeree at the whele / and take in theyr breed / they went as they were cōmaunded and and brought in breed / whiche was departed ymonges them / & I gaue so greate myght and vertu to those loues in the departynge of them / y^t all they were plentuously fulfylled / and whan they hadde eten / there remayned asmoche whiche they toke fro the table / that they had another tyme to the full for the nede of theyr bodyly lyfe. ¶ Thus do I with my prouydence whiche I vse with my seruauntes that be wylfully poore / & yet not onely wylfully poore / but poore in spyryte / for without a spyrytuall entent / it were ryght noughte worthe for thē / as it happed to phy­losophers whiche for the loue y^t they hadde to cunnynge and for the wyll that they hadde to lerne it / they set not by ryches / & therfore they made them poore wylfully / knowynge ve­ry well y^t besynesse of y^e worldely & ryches wolde let them / and not to suf­fer them to come to y^e parfyte know­lege of cunnynge / whiche cunnynge they sette before the eye of theyr in­telleccyon (as for one ende) but by­cause this wyll of pouerte was not done for the glory and laude of my name / therfore they had nother lyfe of grace nor of ꝑfeccyon / but rather of endelesse dethe. ¶ Of euylles whiche do come for kepynge and desy­rynge of temporall goodes vnordy­nately. I Haue touched y^e somwhat that thou maye the better knowe y^e tresour of wylful pouerte in spyryte. ¶ Who knoweth that? ¶ Certayne my well beloued poore seruauntes / whiche haue ythrowe awaye fro thē the burthō of rychesse in to y^e erthe / that they myght lyghtly passe forth in theyr iournaye and so to enter by the strayte gate. ¶ There be some y^t bothe actually and mentally throwe it awaye fro them / and they be those that bothe actually and mentually do kepe the commaūdymentes and [Page]the coūseyles / but some ther be that onely kepe the coūseyles mentally / spoylȳge theyr affeccyon fro ryches / for they kepe theym by vnordynate loue / but ordynately and with holy drede I made no possessoure of thē / but a dyspensatour & a puruayoure for poore folke / suche one dothe wel / but yet y^e fyrste be ꝑfyte bothe with more fruyte thā these haue / & also w^t lesse impedymēt / in whome my pro­uydēce semeth more shynynge actu­ally thā in these / for suche one by y^e vertu of very pouerte holdeth hym­selfe meke & lowe ī his owne syghte / of y^e whiche mekenesse I haue tolde the before in another place / therfore I shall tell the more now onely of y^e vertu of pouerte. ¶ I haue tolde y^e yf thou haue mynde / y^t all euyll / all harme / & all y^e peyne in this lyfe / & in y^e other lyfe of peynes / do come fro the loue of delyces / but now shall I tell y^t what good cometh of pouerte / all peas & rest cometh of pouerte / be holde now & se of what chere my ve­ry poore seruaūtes be of / with how­moche ioye & iocundyte they dwell / they be neuer sory / but for offence y^t is done to me / whiche sorowe tour­mēteth not theyr soules / but it ma­keth y^e soule fatte in grace / for theyr pouerte they wȳne endeles ryches / & bicause they haue forsakē derknes they fynde y^e most ꝑfyte lyghte / for y^e forsakȳge of y^e worlde / they haue spyrytual ioy / for y^e forsakȳge of deedly goodes / they fȳde vndeedly goodes & so receyue ghostly cōfortes / for to haue laboure & peyne / it is a refres­shynge of y^e soule w^t ryghtwysenesse a fraternal charyte / they lyue w^t euery reasonable creature / they accepte no more one creature than another / but yf they be suche y^t be more vertuous thā other / ī suche shyneth y^e vertu of holy feythe & of veri hope / ī thē brēneth y^e fyre of dyuyne charyte / y^e whiche do lyfte vp & auoyde theyr hope fro y^e worlde / & fro all va [...]nerychesse / & they haue enbraced y^e very spouse of pouerte w^t y^e lyght of very feythe / whiche they haue in me y^t am most souerayne & endelesse blessyd­nesse. ¶ Wyll y^u knowe whiche be y^e honde maydens & seruaūtes of very pouerte? ¶ Certayne vylyte / abiec­cyon / cōtempte of mā & of hȳselfe / & very mekenes / whiche do serue & noryshe affeccyō of pouerte in y^e soule.

¶ The fyfte chapyter is of y^e excellence of them whiche be poore ī spyryte / & how cryste taughte vs of this pouerte / not oneli bi worde / but by ensāple / also of y^e prouydence of god for thē y^t take this pouer­te / & a short repeticiō of y^e fore sayde dyuyne prouydēce / al­so other maters / as is reher­ced in the kalender. Ca. v.

My very seruaūtes brēned ī y^t fyre of charite / forsoke rychesse & theyr sencyble fe­lynge / lyke as the apostell Mathewe dyd / y^e whiche forsoke ry­ches / & sued my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / whiche taughte you bothe [Page]a maner & rule for to loue & folowe very pouerte / & he taughte you not onely by worde / but by ensample / for fro the begȳnynge of his byrthe vnto y^e last ende of his lyfe / he taught you this doctryne by ensample / he hȳselfe wedded fro you this spouse of very pouerte / not withstondynge that he was most souerayne blessyd­nesse by vnyon of dyuyne nature / by the whiche he is one with me and I with hym / and yf thou wyll se hym meke & lowe in greate pouerte / be­holde god made and arayed with y^e vylyte of youre māheed / so y^u maye se that swete & ryghte well byloued Ihesu borne in a stable / for to teche you that lyue in this lyfe / euer for to be borne in the stable of youre owne knowlege / wher ye sholde fynde me borne by grace within youre soules. ¶ Also thou maye se hym lyenge in y^e mydle ymonge beestes / in so grete penury y^t Mary his moder had not wher with to couer hym / but in the colde tyme w^t the brethynge of those beestes and with haye he was made warme. ¶ Lo he y^t was the fyre of charyte wolde suffer colde in his mā heed all the whyle that he was in y^e worlde on lyue / bothe in presence of his dyscyples and in the absence of his dyscyples / so that otherwhyle for honger his dyscyples dyd gader the eres of corne and ete them / & yet in y^e laste ende of his lyfe he was dys­poyled of his clothes and scorged all aboute a pyller / and also with grete thruste he hanged vpon the crosse / ī suche penury and pouerte y^t bothe the erthe & the tree whiche he hāged vpon defayled hym so that he hadde no place where he myghte laye his heed / but that he muste nedes reste his heed vpon his shulder / and also he that was drūke w^t loue / he made to you a bathe in his blode / by she­dynge of his blode / in openynge of his body on euery syde / & he beynge so in suche myseri gaue to you grete rychesse / and also he beynge vpon the strayte tree of the crosse / he gaue plentuously his largenesse to euery reasonable creature / & by tastynge of the bytternesse of gall he gaue to you swetenesse of greate suauyte / & he beynge in sorowe gaue to you cō ­forte / and he beynge bounde & nay­led to the crosse delyuered and vnlo­sed you fro y^e bonde of deedly synne / and in that he was made seruaūte / he made you fre and delyuered you fro the deuylles daunger / and ī that he was solde he raunsomed you by his blode / and in that he toke dethe he gaue you lyfe / in y^e whiche dethe he gaue to you the rule of loue / shewynge more loue to you thā he ought for to do to you / that were to hym & to me endelesse fader deedly enemy­es / he gaue to you also a rule of very mekenesse / in that he suffered in the most repreuable dethe of the crosse / repreues / & shames sufferynge thē ryghte mekely / he gaue you also a rule of very pouerte / for as it is wry­ten of hym / Foxes haue caues & dennes / & byrdes of y^e ayre haue nestes / but y^e sone of mā hathe not wher he maye laye his heed. ¶ Who maye veryly knowe this? ¶ Certayne he y^t hathe y^e lyghte of very feythe. ¶ In [Page]whome may thou fynde this f [...]ythe? ¶ Certayne ī poore folke of spyryte y^t haue take for theyr spouse y^e quene of pouerte / this quene hathe a realme in y^e whiche realme is neuer warre / but pease & reste / she is full of ryghtwysenesse / for all vnryghtwysenesse is departed fro her / y^e walles of her cytee be welles / for the foūdamente therof is not sette vpon the groūde / but on a quycke stone Ihesu my onely sothefaste sone / within is lyght / without derkenesse / for the moder of this quene is the depenesse of my dyuyne charyte / the raymēt of this cytee is pyte & mercy / for the tyraūt of ryches whiche vsed cruelte is pulled away fro thens / there is one ma­ner benyuolence w^t all the cytesyns / that is loue of neyghbour heed / ther is also lōge parseueraūce with pru­dence / whiche gouerneth not his cytee vnprudētly / but with greate prudence besyly wakynge / and therfore a soule that is wedded to this ryght swete quene of pouerte / she hathe made herselfe a lady of all these ry­ches / & she maye not be lady of one / but she be lady of all / and as ofte as y^e appetyte of ryches falleth in that soule / so ofte she is departed fro this good / and fyndeth herselfe w^t greate mysery without the cytee / and yf it so be that she be founde feythfull & trewe to this spouse euer & alwaye / y^e same spouses pouerte wyll large­ly departe with her abundaunt ry­ches. ¶ Who maye se this grete ex­cellēce of pouerte. ¶ Certayne none but suche a soule / ī whome shyneth the lyght of feythe / this same quene pouerte / arayeth a soule with grete purete w^tdrawȳge rychesse / whiche made her clene & depryued her from wycked thoughtes / & gyuȳge to her good / she draweth out also fro her y^e besynesse of the worlde / and whan y^t bytternesse is gone / thā remayneth in her swetenesse / she cutteth awaye fro her the thornes / and thā remay­neth the rose / she also dyscargeth the stomake of the soule fro the corrupte humours of vnordynate loue / & maketh it lyght / and after tyme it is so voyded / she fylleth it w^t meet of ver­tu / whiche gyueth grete swetenesse / she setteth there also the seruauntes of holy hate & of loue / for to purge & araye the place for those seruaūtes of holy hate of vyces and of proper sensualyte / turneth y^e soule & bothe clenseth it & purgeth / & loue of vertu arayeth her / by puttynge awaye fro thēs all maner doubtes / depryuȳge her fro seruyle drede / and gyuyne to her sykernesse with holy drede / all graces / all plesaunces / & all delyces that suche a soule y^t hathe wedded y^e quene of pouerte can than desyre. ¶ She fyndeth / she is not than a­frayde of brydges / for there is none that maye make debate and warre w^t her / she is not yet afrayde of hon­ger nor of derthe / for feythe seeth & hopeth in me his maker / of whome cometh out all ryches and prudēce / whom alwaye I noryshe and fede. ¶ Was ther euer foūde ony very seruaunte of my spouse of this pouer­te / whiche dyd euer peryshe for hon­ger? ¶ Naye certayne / but there be founde ynowe y^t do peryshe of them [Page]whiche abounden in greate ryches / & trusten rather in theyr ryches thā in me / I fayle neuer the ryghtwyse man / for he fayleth neuer to hope in me / and therfore I prouyde to them as a benynge fader and a pyteous / o w^t howmoche ioye & largenes of her tes many haue runne & come to me / whā they knewe well w^t very lyght of feythe / y^t fro the begynnynge vn­to y^e ende of worlde how I vse and haue vsed & shall vse my prouydēce in all thynges bothe spyrytuall and tēporall / all suche I make them suf­fer moche thȳge for to encrese them ī feythe and hope / & yet I rewarde thē euer for theyr trauayles / for I fayled them neuer in nothynge that is nedefull for them / they haue ful­ly proued y^e depenesse of my prouy­dēce / by tastinge therin the mylke of midiuine swetenes / wherfore they drede not y^e bytternesse of dethe / but with longynge desyre as deed folke they renne to this quene of pouerte / as suche y^t be rapte in loue / & quycke in my wyll / for to suffer colde / hon­ger / tryst / hete / scornes / & repreues / puttynge awaye fro them theyr proper sensualyte & ryches w^t greate desyre gyuȳge theyr lyues / for loue of lyfe y^t is of me y^t am endelesse lyfe / & shedynge theyr bloode / for y^e loue of my sones bloode. ¶ Beholde and se what louers of pouerte haue be be­fore the / that is apostels / martyrs & other gloryous seyntes / as Peter & Paule / Steuen and Laurence / and suche other / whiche whā they were put in the fyre for to brenne / they se­med that they stode in no fyre / but rather on floures of greate delyte / & Laurence was ioy full whā he sayd to the tyraunt thus / that one syde is rosted ynoughe / turne it & begynne to ete therof. ¶ What was y^e cause? ¶ Certayne for y^e fyre of dyuyne charyte had quenched in hym y^e felynge of his lytell sensualyte. ¶ To Sce­uē also stones were swete. ¶ What was y^e cause? ¶ Certayne loue / with the whiche loue he wedded y^e quene of pouerte / and forsake y^e worlde for glory and laude of my name / & toke that quene pouerte with the lyghte of holy feythe / with stydfaste hope & very obedyence / bothe obeyenge to the commaundymentes and also to y^e coūseyles / whiche my onely sothe­faste sone Ihesu hathe gyuē to thē / for to be kepte bothe actually & men­tally (as it is sayde before) all suche trewe seruauntes of myne haue de­syre for to dye / for this bodyly lyfe is to them dysplesaūce / they desyre not for to dye / for this bodyly lyfe is to them dysplesaunce / they desyre not for to dye for to eschewe labour / but onely for to lyue in me endelesly that am theyr ende. ¶ And why do they not drede dethe whiche naturally a mā oweth to drede? ¶ Certaine for y^e spouse of pouerte whome they haue wedded hathe made thē sure / with­drawynge fro thē bothe loue of thē selfe & also of ryches / & so with v (er)tu they haue putte vnder fore naturall loue / & haue receyued y^e lyght & that diuine loue / whiche is aboue nature it is no peyn for suche a man for to for sake his lyfe & his ryches / for to hȳ y^e loueth not his naturall lyfe / & [Page]also worldely ryches / he may not so­rowe for thē / but rather he delye thin forsakynge thē whome he hateth / so y^t on what syde y^u turne the / y^u shal fynde in thē ꝑfyte peas & quyetnesse & all good / & to wretches y^t haue pos­sessyon of tēporall goodes w^t moche vnordynate loue / it is ryght greate vntollerable peyne bothe to forsake theyr ryches / and also for to forsake theyr lyues / thoughe it seme the contrary by outwarde syght / but in ef­fecte is so / many wolde saye y^t poore Lazar stode in greate mysery whan y^e ryche mā stode ī greate ioye & quyetnesse / and yet was it not so / for the ryche mā suffered more peyne w^t his ryches / thā pore Lazar dyd w^t al his sores. ¶ Why was y^e? ¶ Certayne for in hȳ of hymselfe was a quycke wyl / fro y^e whiche cometh out al peyne / & in Lazar his owne wyll was deed & quycke in me / whiche ī peine had cōforte / whan he was expulsed fro mē / & nameli y^e riche mā y^t is dāpned / this Lazar was nother nory­shed nor gouerned of mē / & therfore I prouided for hȳ thus / y^t an vnreasonable beest sholde lycke his woū ­des / & in y^e dyenge of bothe / Lazare was take vp to lyfe euerlastynge / & y^e ryche man was buryed inhell / & therfore ryche mē be dwellȳ ge in sorowe / & poore mē whiche be my parfyte seruauntes euer ī greate ghostly ioy / for I gyue thē to souke mylke of many trybulacyōs / & so bycause they haue forsake all thynge / they haue all me / the holy ghoost also is bothe noryshed of theyr soules & ho­dyes / in what state y^t euer they stōde in / I prouyde also for thē of beestes in dyuers wyses / as they haue nede to serche solitary folke / also I make another solytary man go oute of his Cell & releue hym in his nede / for y^u knowes wel how oftētymes it hath happed to the y^t I haue made y^e go out of hy Cell for to socour y^e poore / also I haue made y^e thyselfe to pue this prouydēce in experyēce / whan I haue made other to satysfy to thy nede / & yet whā creatures fayled y^e / I fayled y^e neuer y^t am thy endeles maker therfore thus ī al wyses I ꝓuyde for creatures. ¶ But whēse cometh this trowes y^u y^t a mā stōdȳge in ryches & in so grete charge of his body w^t moche rayment & many clo­thes / & euer is seke / & also of whome maye this come / that a mā whiche hathe dyspysed ryches & chosen po­uerte for y^e loue of me hauynge but one coote for to couer his body there somtyme he hadde many and is by come bothe strōge & hole / & yet more ouer hȳ semeth y^t it greueth hȳ not / nother harme of y^e body / colde / hete / nor yet no greate boystyous metes. ¶ Whēse cometh all this trowes y^u? ¶ Certayne fro my prouydence y^t I haue ꝓuided for hȳ / & take y^e charge of hȳ vpon me / ī asmoche as he hath fully forsake hȳselfe / thꝰ dere doughter y^u maye se in howmoche delyces my poore seruaūtes enhabyte. ¶ A shorte repecycyon of y^e foresayde dyuyne prouydence. NOwe haue I tolde y^t y^e lest ꝑty of my prouydēce in euery creature / & in all maner of people / shewynge y^t y^e fro y^e begynnȳge whā I made y^t worlde & also creatures / [Page]gyuȳge thē beȳge to y^e ymage & lykenesse of me / vnto the laste daye I vse and haue do & do what y^t euer I do with prudence / so to ordeyne & prouyde for youre helthe / for I de­syre nothȳge of you / but youre holynes / & al thȳge y^t is gyuē to you whiche is of my substauce & beynge / is gyuē to you onely for y^e same ende / y^t I myght vse in you my prouydēce / this is not knowē w^t wycked worldely mē / whiche haue put fro them the lyghte / by the whiche they sholde se this / & also I haue tolde y^t bycause they knowe it not / they be sclaūdred in me / neuerthelesse w^t pacyence I suffer thē / abydynge euer vnto the laste euer prouidȳge to thē for theyr nedes / as well to sȳners as to ryght wyse mē / bothe in spyrytuall & tēpo­rall thȳges. ¶ Also I tolde y^t of the imparfeccyon of ryches / y^t in what wretchednesse they be broughte in / whiche haue ryches in possessyō by vnordynate loue / & also I tolde y^e of y^e excellēce of pouerte & of ryches / y^t y^e quene of pouerte gyueth to a soule which hath chosē her for her spouse / felyshypped w^t y^t suster of vylyte / of y^e which vylyte w^t obediēce togyder / I shall tell the afterwarde. ¶ Also there I shewed to the / howmoche pourte pleaseth me / & how dere it is to me / & how y^t I ꝓuyde to it meruaylously w^t my ꝓuydēce. ¶ Al this haue I tolde y^t for y^e cōmēdacyon of this vertu of pouerte / & also for y^e cō mēdacyon of ꝑfyte feythe / w^t y^e whi­che feythe a soule cometh to this the most ꝑfyte & most excellēt state of pouerte / y^t she myght encrese in feythe & hope / & y^t also she myght sorowfully knocke at the gate of my mercy. ¶ Therfore dere doughter thynke this in thy soule w^t quycke feythe / y^t I shall vtterly fulfyll thy desyre / & also the desyre of my seruauntes / thoughe they suffer moche vnto the laste ende of theyr dethe. ¶ But be not dysconforted / be glad & ioyful in me y^t am thy defender & cōforter / lo doughter now haue I satysfyed thy desyre of my prouydēce / of y^e whiche y^u prayed me y^t I sholde prouyde for y^t necessites of my creatures / & thus y^u knowes & hase well sene / y^t I am no dyspyser of very holy desyres. ¶ How this soule whā she gaue worshyp & thankynge to go / she prayed y^t he wolde speke to her of the vertu of obedyence. THā that soule had suche delyte in that very holy pouerte / & rapte by loue as a drūkē soule in the endelesse magnyfycence and transformed in the depenesse of his meruaylous prouydēce (so ferforth) that she beȳge in y^e vessell of y^e body / wened that she hadde be without the body / by rauyshynge of the fyre of his charyte made ī her / she behelde stydfastly with y^e eye of her intellec­cyon ī his dyuyne maieste / sayenge thus to y^e endelesse fader. ¶ O endelesse fader / o blessed fayrenes / o endelesse wysdome / o endeles goodnes / o endeles myldenes / o worthy hope / o refute and refressher of synners / o meruaylous largenesse / o endeles & infynyte good / o all wounded in loue / me semeth y^t y^u hase nede of vs wretched creatures / for thy speche sheweth as thou couthe not lyue [Page]without vs / not withstōdinge thou arte endelesse lyfe of whome all thȳ ­ges taken lyfe / without whom may no thynge lyue / why arte y^u so wounded in the loue of thy reasonable creatures / they forsake y^e and thou serches them / they fle fro the / and thou comes nyghte to theym / more nerer thou myghe neuer come / than for to sēde thy onely sothefast sone Ihesu to take oure flesshe vpon hym. ¶ O good lorde what shall I saye what shall I speke / all my spekynge is to the no spekynge / therfore I shal say thus as a chylde dothe / a / a / a / for I can none other speke / the tongue of my body is suche that it shall haue ende / and therfore it can not expresse the affeccyon of the soule / whiche desyreth īfynytely / me semeth that I may saye as y^e blessed apostell seynt Paule sayde that was thus. ¶ The eye may not se / y^e ere maye not here / nor in to the herte maye nor ascende suche thȳges / as I haue sene ¶ And what hase thou sene wretched soule ¶ I haue sene the pryuytes of god / whiche is vnsefull a man to speke. ¶ What shall I than saye? ¶ Cer­tayne I maye nothȳge saye worthyly / thus abydynge ī my bodyly wyttes / butone thȳge I saye to y^e soule thou hase tasted & sene y^e depenesse of the endelesse prouydence of god / therfore blessed fader withou ende I thāke the of thy greate goodnesse shewed to me most wretche vnwor­thy grace / & bycause I cōsyder wei y^t y^u arte a fulfyller of holy desyres / I desyre the y^t yet a lytell y^u vouche safe to speke to me of the vertu of obedyence / and of his greate excellence / as thou endeles fader behyght me / that I maye also be rapte in loue w^t that vertu / and that I maye neuer be departed nor pass awaye fro thy obedyence / therfore endeless fader I beseche the for thy infynyte good­nesse tell me som what of the parfec­cyon of vertues / and where I may fynde it / and what is the cause why it is taken awaye fro me / and what thynge it is that gyueth it to me / & a token that I maye knowe whyder that I haue it or not.

And here now moder and sus­tren endeth your .vi. booke / in the whiche you may fynde ghostly fruytes and herbes ryght many with grete ver­tues and odyferous smelles / ryghte plesaunte and pro­fytable for the infyr­mytes & sekenesse of y^t soule / also dyuers ma­ters and ensamples of good and holy lyuȳge / with the parfyte maner of fysshȳge of soules / with other mo.

¶ The fyrste chapyter of the seuēth party / and the chapyters of this party speke of the vertu of obedyence / & fyrste how odedyence is had / and what is that thynge / whiche putteth obedyence fro vs / & what is the token of obedyence y^t a mā hathe it or that he haue it not & who is the felowe of obedyence / and of whome it is noryshed / and of other maters / as it is specy­fyed in the kalender. Ca. i.

THan the most soue­rayne / endelesse / & pyteous fader tur­ned his eye of mer­cy & myldenesse to the beudure soule / & sayde thus. ¶ O dere doughter holy desyres & ryght­wyse petycyons sholde be herde / & therfore I moste souerayne truthe shall fulfyll truly my promyse / in y^t that I behyght to satysfy to thy de­syre / thou hase asked me of obedyēce where thou myght fynde it / & what [Page]is that thynge that putteth awaye obedyence fro the / and what is y^e [...]o­kē how it maye be knowen whyther a man haue obedyence or not. ¶ To this I answere and saye / that thou fyndes obedyence moste p [...]rfytely in my ryght swete and well byloued onely sone Ihesu / for in hym y^e ver­tu was so parfyte / that he ranne for to fulfyll it vnto y^e moste [...] dethe of y^e crosse / & what thynge it is y^t withdraweth obedyēce awaye fro the / I shall also tell y^t the cause that y^u must beholde in y^e fyrste mā Adā / & there thou shall fynde y^e very cause y^t auoyded very obedyence fro hym / whiche was putte to hȳ of me endelesse fader / beholde well & y^u shall se y^t it is pryde / whiche came out fro his owne proper loue & plesaūce of his felowe Eue / this is the cause y^t withdrewe y^e parfeccyon fro obedyēce / & broughte in vnobedyence / by y^e whiche lyfe of grace is withdrawe and dethe is brought in / fro innosency vnto vnclennesse y^t mā is fall in / & in to greate mysery / y^t token for to knowe y^t thou hase this vertu is pacyence / & he y^t hathe not pacyence / sheweth well that he hathe no obedyēce / but take hede y^t in two maner of wyses obedyence is kepte. ¶ The one is more ꝑfyte than y^e other / yet be they not departed ysonder / but knytte to­gyder (as I haue tolde y^e beofre) of y^e coūseyles & p̄ceptes / y^t one is good & parfyte / but y^e other is more ꝑfyte / & there maye none come to lyfe euer­lastynge / but he be obedyent / for w^t ­out obedyēce maye none enter ther / bycause it is opened w^t y^t keye of obedyence / & shutte w^t the keye of inobedy [...] neu [...]r the lesse I [...] by my infynyte goodnesse seynge that mā whiche I ioued somoche / [...] not come agayne [...] am his parpetual ende / toke y^e k [...]yes of obedyice & [...] thēm y^t hādes of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / & hȳ as a porter hathe shutte y^e gate of Ihesu / so y^e wout this [...] of [...] & this porter maye none enter ther. ¶ And therfore my sone sayde in y^e holy gospell / y^t none maye come to y^e fader / but by hym / helest w^t you his swete keye of obe­dyēce / whā he ascēded to me / for he lefte it with his Vycar in erthe / to whome all ye owe to obeye vnto the dethe / & he y^t is out of obedyence / he dwelleth ī y^e state of dāpnacyō. ¶ I wyl now y^t y^u se & knowe this greate excellēt vertu / in my meke vndefouledlābe Ihesu cryste. ¶ Fro whēse came y^t obedyēce? ¶ Certayne of my blessyd sone Ihesu cryste / for loue y^t he hadde to my worshyp / & to youre helthe. ¶ But whense came y^e loue? ¶ Fro y^e lyght of clere syght / w^t the which a soule seeth clerely y^e dȳuyne essencyall beynge & y^e endeles tryny­te / & so alwaye it seeth me endelesse god. ¶ This vysyō wrought so parfytely in hȳ / y^t he put awaye fro you youre infydelyte / whiche also was to me his endelesse fader so trewe / y^t he ranne w^t y^e gloryous lyght by the waye of obedyēce / as suche one that were all rapte ī loue / & bycause loue goeth not alone / but ture w^t felyshyp of very ryall vertues / for euery ver­tu taketh lyfe of the loue of charyte / than my sone Ihesu had whi [...] loue [Page]vertu assocyate therto / thoughe vertues were otherw [...]se on hȳ / & all o­therwyse in you / but ymōge all vertues they y^t be very obedyēt / be very pacyent whiche is y^e pythe of obedy­ence / & it is a very parfyte token for to knowe whyther a soule haue obedyēce vertuously or not / or whyther it be ī grace & loue truly or not / therfore y^e moder charyte hathe gyuen pacyēs to y^e vertu obedyēce / for her syster & she hathe so coupled thē togyder / y^t y^e one may neuer be departed fro the other / for other y^u hase bothe or none. ¶ This vertu of obedyēce hathe also a norse whiche norysheth her y^t is very mekenesse / for a mā is somoche obedyēt / as he is meke / & so moche he is meke / as he is obedyēt / this mekenes is y^e berer & norse also of charyte / for y^e mylke of charyte no rysheth y^e vertu of obedyēce / the clo­thynge y^t this norse gyueth to this vertu of obedyēce is vylyte / y^t is set­tȳge lytell by theyr selfe / & arayenge theyr selfe w^t shamis & repreues / in dysplesynge of theyr selfe / & plesynge of me. ¶ In whom shal y^u sȳde this? ¶ Certayne in cryst my onely swete sone / who dyspysed & set lesse by hȳ ­selfe thā he dyd / he fulfylled hȳselfe w^t repreues / shames / & scornes / & he to y^e vtterest dyspleased hymselfe (y^t is his bodyly lyfe) for to please me / who was more pacyent than he / for thers was no noyse of grutchynge herde of hȳ in no maner of wyse / but w^t pacyence he fulfylled lowly my o­bedyēce / y^t was put to hȳ of me / therfore in hȳ ye sholde fynde this vertu of obedyēce parfytely / he lefte to you this doctryne and this rule / whiche rule he kepte fyrst hȳselfe / he is that rule whiche gyueth lyfe / for he is y^e ryghtwaye to lyfe / and therfore he saythe hȳselfe thus. ¶ I am waye / truthe / & lyfe / & he y^t goeth by hym / gothe ī lyght / & he y^t goeth in y^e lyght maye not stāble nor fall / for y^e lyght dothe awaye fro hym derkenesse of his owne proper loue / by y^e whiche he fell in to inobedyence (as I haue sayde y^e) y^t the felowe of obedyēce is mekenesse / so I saye to y^e y^t inobedy­ence cometh of pryde / whiche pryde procedeth out of y^e proper loue & de­pryueth a soule fro mekenesse / y^e su­ster of inobedyēce y^t cometh oute fro ꝓper loue is vnpacyēce / & pryde no­rysheth it w^t the derkenesse of infydelyte / rēnynge by y^e derke waye / that yeldeth & gyueth endelesse dethe / therfore I wyll y^t all ye rede in this gloryoꝰ rule of my sone Ihesu / wher ye shal fȳde al maner vertu. ¶ How obedyence is a keye wherwith heuē is opened / & how y^e keye must haue a thonge and be borne by a gyrdell. Sy then I haue tolde the where y^u shall fynde the vertu of obedyence & fro wense it cometh / & who is her fe­lowe / and of whome it is noryshed / therfore nowe shall I tell the bothe of them that be obedyent / and also of theym that be inobedyent togy­der / and of obedyence bothe in gene­rall and in specyall / that of obedy­ence / all the commaundymentes / & all y^e coūseples / & all youre feythe is groūded vpon obedyēce / for in y^e vertu of obedyēce / ye shewe youreselfe feythful and trewe / generally of my [Page]sothefastnesse be put to you the pre­ceptes of the lawe. ¶ The prȳcypal cōmaūdyment of the lawe is to loue me aboue all thynges / & youre euē ­crysten as youre selfe / and these two be so knytte and coupled togyder w^t other / that one of these maye not be kepte / but all other be kepte / for he y^t kepeth this kepeth all other / and is bothe to me and to his neyghboure feythefull and trewe / he loueth me & stondeth in the loue of my charyte / and therfore he is obedyent / he ma­keth hymselfe so get to the commaū dymentes of the lawe / and to reaso­nable creatures for me / and w^t mekenesse & pasyence he suffereth all ma­ner labour & detraccyō of his neyghbour. ¶ This obedyēce was and is of suche excellence / that all ye therof haue take and receyued grace / lyke as of inobedyence ye toke and recey­ued dethe / it hadde not be ynoughe for you that that same obedyēce had be soly in my sone / and you yourselfe had not excercysed it. ¶ I tolde the ryghte nowe of that obedyēce was & is a keye wher with heuen is ope­ned / whiche keye my sone he hathe putte in his Vycars hondes / & his Vycar hathe putte the same keye in the hondes of them that haue take the sacrament of holy baptym / in receyuynge of the whiche baptym / he promytteth to forsake and renoūce the deuyll / the worlde / delyres / and all his pompes / and so in suche pro­myse for to obeye / he receyueth the keye of obedyence / & thus eche man hathe it in specyall / and it is y^e same keye that my sone had. ¶ Therfore yf a mā go not with lyghte of feythe and with the honde of very loue, for to open with this keye the gate of heuen / he shall neuer enter ther­in / thoughe my sone haur opened it by his ascēcyō / for thoughe I made you without you / and loued you or y^t ye loued me / yet w^tout you I may not saue you. ¶ Therfore ye muste bere youre keye of obedyēce in your honde / and ye muste be euer goynge and no syttynge / that is goynge by the doctryne of my onely sothe­faste sone Ihesu (and not sytte) that is not settynge youre affeccyon in thynge y^t shall haue ende / as fooles do that folowe after the olde man / that is theyr fyrste fader Adam / do­ynge and workynge as he dyd / whi­che threwe fro hym the keye of obe­dyence in the fenne and fylthe of vn­clennes / brekynge it with y^e hamer of pryde / and made it rusty with his owne proper loue / and ther it laye & rusted vnto the tyme my sone came whiche toke that keye of obedyence out of the fenne / and clensed it in the fyre of his dyuyne charite / & washed it in his precyous blode / & he made it bryght with the swerde of ryght­wysenesse / rubbynge awaye youre wyckednesse vpon the Anuelde (his blessyd body) and there he shope it & made so parfytely / that as ofte as a man dystroyeth y^e keye by his owne fre choyse / by medyacyō of my grace he maye yf he wyll with these instrumentes make it and shape it newe agayne. ¶ O blynde man and more than a blynde man / that after tyme thou hase dystroyed the keye of obe­dyence / [Page]takes y^u no hede nor charge for to make it agayne / byleues thou not that ryght as inobedyēce hathe shutte and closed heuē / ryght so obe­dyence maye open it / trowes thou y^t pryde whiche fell fro thens shall as­cende thyder agayne / trowes thou for to come in thyder to y^e weddynge feest with thy foule torne cote / we­nes thou that yf thou sytte & bynde thyselfe in y^e bonde of deedly synne / that thou maye come thyder & open the gate without the keye of obedy­ēce (thȳke it not) for thā thy thought is dysceyued / thou must be vnlosed out of deedly synne by holy confessy on and contrycyon of herte / and sa­tysfaccyon with an holy purpose neuermore so to offende. ¶ Than shall y^u caste thy foule ragged cote in to y^e erthe / and thou shall renne with thy weddynge cote with lyght of feythe and with the keye of obedyēce in thy honde for to open the gate of heuen hāge therfore this keye by y^e thōge of abieccyon & bylyte / & dysplesaūce of thyselfe and also of the worlde / of the whiche dysplesaunce thou shall make the a gyrdell / than gyrde the faste that thou lose not thy keye of obedyēce. ¶ Knowe well dere doughter that there be many whiche haue take this keye of obedyence / for they knowe well and se with the lyght of feythe / that they maye none other­wyse ascape endelesse dampnacyon yet withoute gyrdell gyrde to them they holde it in theyr honde / and al­so without thonge with inforthe / y^t is that they araye them not within with the cote of my plesaūce / but ra­ther plesen themselfe / al suche haue not yet the thonge of abieccyon and vylyte / desyrynge to be most abiecte and vyle / but they haue more delyte of the presynge of mē / these be ryght able for to lose theyr keye of obedyē ­ce / whan there cometh neuer so ly­tell trybulacion be it bodyly or ghostly / and but that they be ryghte well ware by foly of the honde (of holy desyre they lose it) y^e whiche losse is no­thynge elles / but a maner forsakȳge for all y^t wyll serche therafter / they fynde it as longe as they lyue / and those that wyll not serche therafter / they may neuer fȳde it. ¶ But how maye it be knowen whan it is loste? ¶ Certayne by impacyence / for pa­cyence is knytte with obedyence / he that is not pacyent / it sheweth well that there is no obedyēce in y^e soule. ¶ O how swete in this vertu of obedyence and how gloryous in y^e whi­che be all heuenly vertues / for she is conceyued and borne of charyte / in her is grounded and set the stone of holy feythe / she is a quene / for he of whome she is a spouse / feleth neuer, no euyll / he feleth euer peas and quyetnesse / for there maye neuer no tē ­pestes of the see greue hym nor noye hym / he feleth neuer wronges / for he wyll euer obeye as it is commaū ded to hym / he hathe no peyne / for his appetyte is euer ful / in asmoche as obedyence hathe made hym well ruled & ordeyned onely for to tast me that maye / can / & wyll fulfyll his desyre. ¶ He hathe also dyspoyled hymselfe fro worldely ryches / and so ī alother thynges whiche were to lōge [Page]to tell / he fyndeth peas & quyetnesse. ¶ O obedyence y^t without labour of shyp & perell / y^u comes parfytely to y^e hauen of helthe / y^u cōfortes y^e with my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / for y^u ascēdes to y^e shyp of the holy crosse / ther makynge the redy for to suffer / where thou desyres not to passe the very obedyēce of my sone / nor for to go out of his doctryne / thā y^u makes to y^e of y^e crosse a meettable / where y^u etes & receyues meet of y^e helthe of thy soule / dwellynge and abydynge in the loue of neyghbourheed / thou arte oned & coupled with very mekenesse / and therfore y^u desyres not thy neyghbours good agaynst his wyl / y^u arte ryght w^tout ony crokednesse / for thou makes a ryghte herte & not a feyned herte to loue my reasonable creatures frely & not feyntly / y^u arte a graye mornynge / whiche ledes w^t the lyghte of dyuyne grace / y^u arte a sonne y^t warmes / for y^u arte not with out the hete of charyte / y^u makes the erthe to brynge forthe fruyte / y^t is y^t all the instrumētes bothe of y^e body & soule do brynge forthe fruyte / whiche fruyte gyueth lyfe bothe to hym selfe & to his neyghboure / y^u arte all [...]ocunde & mery / for thy face is not troubled by vnpacyence / but y^u hase a peaseable & plesaūte syghte in thy selfe / thou arte all clere w^t a greate clerenes / & strōge w^t a grete strēgthe & abydynge w^t longe ꝑseueraūce (in somoche) y^t what y^e euer y^u holdes or occupyes / y^u hase heuē opened with the / y^u arte also a precyous Marga­ryte stone hyd & vnknowen & caste out of y^e worlde / in settynge nought by thy selfe / but puttȳge thyselfe by subieccyon vnder all reasonable cre­atures / thy lordeshyp is so greate y^t there maye none passe y^e in domyna­cyon / for y^u arte gone out of y^e deedly bondage of thy proper seusualyte / whiche withdraweth y^e fro thy wor­shypfull dygnyte / & whā y^t this ene­my was dystroyed w^t hate & dysple­saūce of thy proper cōplayntes / thā y^u had agayne vtterly thy fredome. ¶ Here also he speketh of y^e mysery of thē y^t be not obedyēt / & of y^t excel­lēt grace of thē y^t be obedyēt. O Ere doughter all this hathe my goodnes & prouydēce done / whiche hathe prouyded that my onely incarnate sone sholde reforme this keye of obedyēce (as it is sayd before) but worldly mē destytute & barayne fro all vertu do worke y^e cōtrary / for they be as bees­tes w^tout brydels / ī asmoche as they haue not y^e youke of obedyēce / & therfore they renne fro yll in to worse / & fro syn̄ to syn̄e / fro wretchednesse to wretchednesse / fro derke to derker / & fro dethe to dethe (in somoche) y^t at y^e last they come to y^e pytte of dethe / w^t y^e worme of cōscyēce whiche shall euer frete thē / & all be it y^t they maye yet other whyle take vpon thē obe­dyēce / y^t is to obey to y^e cōmaūdymē ­tes of y^t lawe / sorowynge for y^e tyme y^t they haue loste by inobedyēce / yet neuertheles it is full harde to wyn̄e it agayne / for y^e lōge custome of syn̄e & therfore ther sholde none truste in this delayenge for to take y^e keye of obedyēce in y^t laste ende / thoughe it so be y^t euery man oweth and sholde hope as lōge as he hathe tyme and [Page]space of lyfe / but yet he sholde not truste therin / so y^t therby he delaye for to correcke and amende his lyfe. what is y^e cause of so greate euyl & so greate blȳdenesse / y^t they knowe not this blessed treasure? ¶ Certayne y^e cloude of ꝓper loue with wretched pryde / by y^e whiche they be gone out of obedyence / & fall in to inobedyēce / & as lōge as they be vnobedyent / so longe they be vnpacyēt (as I haue tolde the before) & with vnpacyēce / they suffer vntollerable peines / whiche vnpacyence hathe draw thē out fro y^e waye of truthe / so makȳge thē selfe felowes to fendes / w^t whome (but yf they amende thē) they go w^t theyr owne inobedyēce in to y^e ende­lesse turmētes / lyke as my dere ser­uaūtes / frēdes / kepers / & very obeyers to my lawe shall loye & be glad ī euerlastȳge blysse / w^t my onely soth­faste sone Ihesu / y^t meke and vnde­fouled lābe / maker / keper / & gyuer of y^e lawe / ī this lyfe all those y^t kepe very obedyēce / they taste peas & re­ceyue blessed lyfe / & they aray thē w^t y^e most parfyte charyte / in whom is peas w^tout warre / good w^tout yl / ly­kernesse w^tout drede / honger w^toute peyne / lyghte w^tout derkenes / & one souerayne good / of whome all very rasters take parte. ¶ Who hathe so brought to mā so grete good? ¶ Certayne y^e blode of y^e vndefouled lābe / by whose vertu y^e keye of obedyence hathe loste his rust / y^t ye maye opē y^e gate of heuē w^t y^t same keye thus thā obedyēce by v (er)tu of my sones blode / hathe opened to y^e the gate of heuen ¶ O fooles very vnwytty folke / de­laye no longer for to come out of the fylthe of vnclennesse / for it semeth y^t ye do as hogges / y^e whiche walowe them in fylthe / so it semeth y^t ye do ī the fylthe of carnall delyte / forsake your vnryghtwysenesse / māslaughter / hate / rancour / detraccyon / gro­nynge / false Iudgemētes / & cruel­tes / by the whiche ye vse for to do thefte and trechery to youre neygh­bours / w^t mys ruled pleasures & delyces of y^e world. ¶ Cut a way your hornes of pryde / by the whiche cut­tȳge awaye / ye shall dystroye y^e hate y^t ye haue ī your mouthes / agaynst thē whiche do you wronge / mesure y^e wronge y^t they do to me & to your neyghbours / & than shall ye fynde in rewarde of them / that wronges whiche be done to you be noughte / ye knowe wel y^t yf ye abyde in hate / ye do me wronge / in asmoche as ye breke my commaundymētes / there ye sholde loue me aboue all thȳges / & youre neyghboure as youreselfe / you do wronge to your neyghbour / so depryuynge you fre y^e loue of cha­ryte / for I haue gyuē you by cōmaū dyment / y^t ye sholde loue me aboue all thynges / and youre neyghboure as youreselfe. ¶ There was neuer sette nor putte other glose (thā as is sayde) and yf they do you wronge / sholde ye not therfore loue thē? yes certayne ful & hole / for y^t was byd to you of my onely sothfast sone Ihesu whiche kepte fully y^e same / y^t ye with the same fulnesse sholde kepe & do y^t same to youre enemyes / & yf ye kepe it not / thā ye do harme to yourselfe and wronge to youre soule / depry­uynge [Page]it fro y^e lyfe of grace. ¶ Take you therfore & receyue the keye of o­bedyence with the lyghte of feythe / go ye no more fro this tyme forthe­warde with suche blyndenesse and derkenesse of synne / nor with suche dulnesse / but with brennynge loue kepe this obedyence / that with the trewe kepers of my lawe ye may at the last taste very lyfe euerlastynge Amen.

¶ The secōde chapyter is of them that sette somoche loue to obedyēce / that it suffyseth not to them for to obey to the generall obedyence / as to the commaundymentes of god / but yf they take & be bounde to some specyall obedyence. ¶ Also how a mā cometh & by what maner fro the gene­rall obedyence to the specyal / and of the excellences of rely­gyon / and of other maters as be rehersed before in the kalē ­der. Ca. ii.

Ryght dere doughter there be some / in whome y^e fyre of loue encreseth sore anendes this obedyēce / and bycause the fyre of loue is not without hate of proper sensualyte / for by en­cresynge of that fyre / hate encreseth in theym / so that what by hate and what by loue they holde thē not con­tent / onely to lyue vnder y^e generall obedyence of the commaūdy mētes of the lawe / to the whiche (as it is sayde before) all ye be boūde to kepe yf ye wyll haue lyfe euer lastynge / but they take vpon thē a more spe­cyall obedyence / whiche is a syngu­ler obedyēce that gouerneth a soule in greate perfeccyon / by the whiche they make themselfe special kepers of the coūseyles / bothe actually and mentually / all suche wyll for hate y^t they haue to themselfe slee in them selfe theyr owne wyll / & bynde them more straytly in relygyon or els out of relygyō / for to bynde thē to obeye to some creature / submyttynge to them theyr wylles / that they maye therby more spedefully open the ga­tes of heuen. ¶ These be those of whome I spake to the before / whi­che haue chosen the moste parfyte obedyence. ¶ Lo doughter I haue tolde the fyrste of the generall obedyence / and bycause I knowe well thy wyll is that I sholde tell the some­what of the moste parfyte and specyall obedyence / therfore now I shall tell the of the seconde / the whiche is neuer separate fro the fyrste / but it is more parfyte (for as I haue tolde the) they be so coupled and knitte togyder / that they may not be depar­ted. ¶ Also I tolde the fro whense y^t obedyēce came / & where it is foūde / & what thynge it is that wihdraw­eth it fro you / therfore now I shall tell the of the specyall obedyēce / not for to withdrawe the fro the fyrste. ¶ Now a man cometh and by what maner fro the generall obedyence to the specyall / and of the excellence of [Page]relygyon. A Soule that with loue receyueth the youke of obedyence of y^t cōmaūdymētes of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / suȳge his doctryne & excercysynge hȳselfe ī suche wyse (as I haue tolde the vertuously in this generall obedyēce) he shal come to the seconde obedeynce w^t the same lyghte as he came to the fyrste / for with lyghte of holy feythe he knewe my sothefast truthe / & my meruay­lous loue whiche I haue to the freylte of mākȳde / in y^e blode of my meke lambe / & bycause suche a soule can not vertuousli answere to me ī suche parfeccyon as he sholde / therfore he seeth with the same lyght in what place & ī what wyse he myght yelde to me my dewte / and ouercome his ownefreylte / & also sle his owne wyl ī this cōsyderynge / he fyndeth with lyght of feythe a place (y^t is holy rely­gyon) whiche is made and set of the holy ghost / as a shyp for to receyue soules / wyllynge for to renne to par­feccyon / thē for to lede & brynge to y^e hauen of helthe. ¶ The patrone of this shyp is y^e holy ghost / whiche neuer sayleth in hymselfe / for no defantes of ony maner relygyous sub­iecte y^t trespaseth in relygyon / what that euer he be that trespaseth in re­lygyō / he offendeth in the shyp of re­lygyon / but he maye not offende y^e relygyon in it selfe / but he offendeth & hurteth hymselfe. ¶ Neuertheles yet it happeth so y^t for the defaute of hym y^t trespaseth in y^e shyp / by mys gouernaūce of holdȳge of y^e sterne / oftetyme the shyp stōdeth in greate perell / & is in poynte for to be dren­ched / these be wretched and wycked gouernoures / & prelaces sette in gouernaunce of relygyon / by the pa­trone of this shyppe of relygyon. ¶ This shyp of relygyon is of suche excellence in it selfe / that thy tongue is vnsuffycyent for to tell it / (& ther­fore as I sayde) suche a soule after the fyre of desyre / is increased in her with holy hate of herselfe / whā she hathe founde a place of relygyon w^t the lyght of feythe / as all deed & mortyfyed to y^e worlde / she entreth in to the same / yf she be a very obedyent soule / that is yf she haue before kepte parsytely the generall obedynece of the commaūdymētes / & yet though she enter vnparfytely (that is y^t she kepte not parfytely the commaūdy­mentes) she maye yf she wyll excer­cyse herselfe in vertu of obedyence / & attayne and come to the parfeccyon of relygyon / all be it that yet for the more party whiche enter in to rely­gyon be vnparfyte / for some enter w^t parfeccyon / some for drede / some in chyldeheed / some for peyne / & some by fayre speche & glosynge / all suche maye be good and holy / yf suche wyl deuoutely excercyse thēselfe in ver­tu / and contynu to the laste ende of dethe / for onely as touchynge the entre maye no mā deme / but in y^e par­seueraūce & abydȳge therin / for ma­ny enter as it semeth parfytely / whiche afterwarde wolde fayne turne agayne to y^e worlde / or els w^t moche vnparfeccyon they lyue & stonde in relygyon / and therfore the maner & the dede by whiche a soule entreth in to this shyp of relygyon / whiche [Page]maners be all ordeyned of me / cal­lȳge soules to relygyō / it sholde not be demed / but onely the affeccyon of suche a soule that abydeth in y^e same relygyon with very parseueraūce. ¶ This shyp of relygyon is ryche / & therfore it nedeth not to a subiecte not for to thynge of his nede ghostly nor bodyly / for yf he y^t entreth by ve­ry obedyēce & a trewe keper of his re­lygyō / it shal be proued for hȳ by his patrone / y^t is y^e holy ghost / oreles as y^u knowes well I tolde the whan I spake to the of my prouydēce (where I sayd thꝰ) y^t my seruaūtes though they be poore / they be not therfore beggers. ¶ In y^e same wyse all such as be entred in to relygyon / yf they be very obedyent / they shall haue y^t they nede. ¶ Of this they y^t be very kepers of theyr orders / haue this in experyēce / & preue it daye by daye. ¶ In olde tyme also whan that or­ders of relygyon were gouerned by the floure of vertu / y^t is w^t very po­uerte & frat [...]rnall charyte / tēporall substaūce fayled them neuer / but y^t they hadde euer ynoughe (as nede requyred) & the more that they had of temporall substaunce / y^e more ne­dy they were. ¶ Therfore it is ryght reasonable y^t they be pryued to y^e vtterest / what fruyte they haue by in­obedyēce / for yf they were very obe­dyent kepȳge the vowe of pouerte / they wold neuer be ꝓprytaryes nor lyue partyculerly / but in comune. ¶ In suche poore comune lyuynge they fȳde ryches of holy ordynaūce / set & ordeyned w^t greate dyscrecyō & greate lyght of suche y^t were ī erthe / y^e tēple of y^e holy ghost. ¶ Beholde & se seynt Benet / w^t what dyscrecyon he ordeyned his shyp of relygyon / be holde also seynt Frauncys w^t what parfeccyō and pouerte / & with how many precyous Margaryte stones of vertu / he ordeyned y^e shyp of his order / ledynge thē y^t be entred therin vnto the waye of hyghe parfeccy­on / & he hymselfe was the fyrst that kepte the same rule / gyuynge to thē that enter to the same relygyon / ve­ry & holy pouerte for theyr spouse / y^e whiche pouerte he toke also for his owne spouse with his suster vylyte / and settynge ryght nought by hym selfe / but he vertuously myslyket hymselfe / and he desyred neuer with out my wyll for to please ony maner creature / but rather he desyred to be sette lytell by in the worlde / euer turmētynge and punyshȳge his body / and also sleynge his owne proper wyll / arayēge hymselfe with repre­ues / peynes / and shames / for y^t loue of my sone that meke and vndefou­led lambe Ihesu cryste / w^t whome he was fastned and nayled vpon y^e cros by affeccyō of loue (so ferforth) that by specyall and synguler grace in his body apered the woundes of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryst crucyfyed / and so was shewed in the vessell of the body / the whiche was in affeccyon of the soule. ¶ Thus he made awaye hymselfe to his subie­ctes / but now y^u wyll aske me & saye / whyther all other relygyous be foū ded & set in y^t same parfeccyō (I say yes) but in euery order this vertu of pouerte is not pryncypall / thoughe [Page]it so be y^t al vertues be groūded in y^e same v (er)tu / of vertues it fareth thꝰ / y^t all they take lyfe of y^e vertu of cha­ryte / & yet neuerthelesse (as I haue tolde y^e ī other places before) to some one vertu is specyall / & to some an­other / & yet all they dwell in chary­te. ¶ In y^e same wyse very ꝓper pouerte was w^t this poore Fraūcys as a pryncypall vertu / settynge y^e begȳ nynge of his relygyous shyp / pryn­cypally by his affeccyon of loue in y^e vertu of pouerte / and so makynge a strayte order / for all parfyte people & not for comune people / but for fewe & good (I saye fewe) for there be not many y^t chosen this pouerte ī y^e same order / & therfore theyr defautes be multyplyed ymōge y^e people / and so they fayle of vertu. ¶ This is no defaute of y^e shyp / but it is for defaute of vnobedyent subiectes & mys ru­led gouernoures. ¶ Also yf thou be­holde nowe the shyp of thy fader se­ynt Domynycke my blessyd chylde / y^u shall se how he setteth a parfyte order / & he wolde that subiectes whi­che enter in to y^e shyp / sholde onely take hede to my worshyp & helthe of soules / w^t the lyght of cūnȳge / & vp­on y^e lyght / he made y^e pryncypall begȳnynge of his relygyon / yet it was depryued fro y^t very wylful pouerte / but he had it / & in tokē y^t he had it / y^e cōtrary therof dysplesed hȳ somoch / y^t he lefte to his chyldrē in y^e same re­lygyon by his testamēt for theyr he­rytage his curs & myne / yf they e­uer sholde be of wyll to haue or kepe ony maner of possescyons / in specy­all or in generall. ¶ This was a ve­ry token that he chose to his spouse y^e quene of pouerte / but for his pryn­cypall vertu that he sette his relygyon vpon / was y^e lyghte of cunnynge / whiche he toke myghtely vpō hym selfe / for to dystroye erroures & here syes / whiche reygned in those day­es / he toke vpō y^e offyce of my sone / so that in y^e worlde he was worthy­ly called a postell / bycause w^t ryghte greate truthe he shewed my worde / puttynge awaye derkesse & gyuȳge lyghte / he was one lyghte that shy­ned ī y^e derke worlde / whiche lyghte I gaue to the worlde by meane and medyacyon of Mary my sones worthy moder / that was sende to the mysteryall body of holy chyrche / as a dystroyer of heresyes / for she gaue hȳ his abyte / whā y^e offyce of prechynge was commytted to hym by my sone. ¶ Why sayde I by meane and me­dyacyon of the most blessyd Mary? ¶ For she prayed that the heresyes myght be dystryed in holy chyrche / wherfore I chose Domynycke for to labour ther vpon with lyghte of cunnynge / of the whiche lyghte of cunnynge / he made his chyldren in the same relygyon to ete vpon y^e ta­ble of y^e crosse / vpon y^e whiche crosse was sette ymonges them the table of holy desyre / wher soules do ete for my honour and worshyp / he wolde not y^t his chyldren sholde take hede to ony other belynesse / thā onely for to stonde vpon this table with the lyghte of cunnynge / for to seke y^e glory and laude of my name / & helthe of soules / that they sholde haue no mater for to beletted in other thyn­ges / [Page]he dyd withdrawe fro thē the besynesse of tēporall goodes / whom he wolde were poore / he doubted ne­uer for no lyuelod for thē / nor he ne­uer dredde y^t / for he had myghtyly arayed hȳ in very feythe & in stydfast hop / & so hoped in my prouydēce / he wolde also y^t they sholde kepe obedyence / & y^t they be obedyent for to do y^t thynge to y^e whiche they be chosen / & also bycause that by vnclene lyuȳge the eye of intelleccyon is blynded (& not onely the intelleccyon) but by y^t wretched vyce y^e bodyly syghte fay­leth / wherfore he wyll not y^t therby theyr lyght were letted / w^t y^e whiche lyghte they wynne the lyghte of cū ­nynge y^e better & more ꝑfytely / ther­fore he put to thē the thyrde vowe / that is of contynence / & ymonge all his chyldren he wolde it were kepte with very ꝑfyte obedyence (though it be these dayes euyl kepte) for now they paruerte the lyght of cūnynge in to derkenesse / with y^e blyndenesse of pryde (not for this lyghte of cun­nynge may receyue derkenesse) but I saye this as for the derkenesse of theyr soules / for where that pryde is / there maye no obedyence be (for as I tolde y^e lately) a very obedyen­cer is asmoche in mekenesse / as he is in obedyēce / and asmoche in obedy­ence / as he is mekenesse / therfore he that breketh the vowe of obedyēce / seldon it is sene but y^t he breketh the vowe of contynence / other mentual­ly or actually / & thus y^u maye knowe and se well that he hathe ordeyned for to bynde his relygyous shyp w^t these thre cordes / that is with obedyence / contynence / and very pouerte / it is made all ryally / for all deedly synne maye be eschewed therin / he was so yllumyned of me with very lyghte and prouydence / that he prouyded to them whiche were of lesse parfeccyon than other / as well as he dyd for them that were parfyte in the same relygyō / for thoughe all that do kepe this order be parfyte / yet in y^t waye of lyuynge ther maye be one more parfyte than another / and so he prouyded therfore / that bothe parfyte and vnparfyte maye dwell all togyder in this relygyous shyp / he fastned hymselfe myghtyly to my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / shewynge his doctryne / & y^t he shewed well in that he wolde not y^e dethe of the synners / but that they were gracyously turned and so to lyue / he was vertuously all large / all mery and full of iocundyte / and all swete in vertu as a delectable vyrydary / but wretches suche as kepe not the order but brekers of the same / they make foule & enfecte other whiche be noryshed in the same relygyon at y^e breste of vertu with the lytell lyghte of cunnynge that they haue / I saye not of y^e order ī it selfe (for as I sayd) it hathe ghostly deleccacyō ī it selfe / but ī y^e begȳnȳge I sayde ther was none suche infeccyō ymōge thē / for thā all as one floure well smellȳge / in y^t tyme men were of so greate parfeccyon that ther was no derkenesse of errour nor heresyes / but y^t it was with the lyghte of cunnynge of thē put away. ¶ Se and beholde seynt Thomas Alquyn / whiche with the [Page]lyght of his intelleccyō / worthyly he behelde in the myrrour of my truthe where he wanne lyghte aboue na­ture / & cūnȳge infuded by grace / for bothe by prayer & mannes study he wanne suche cunnynge. ¶ He was as a brennynge lyght / y^t gaue lyght in his order / & quēched derkenes in the mysteryal body of holy chyrche. ¶ Beholde also seynt Peter of My­lan y^t vyrgyn and martyr / whiche with shedynge of his blode by mar­tyrdome / gaue lyght in destroyenge of many heresyes / whiche heresyes he had in so greate hare / that he dys­posed hymselfe for to dye / rather thā to suffer them / & all the whyle he ly­ued in erthe / he dysposed hȳ to none other thynge / thā for to excercyse hȳ in prayer / prechynge & dysputynge w^t heretykes / shewynge the truthe / & spredynge the feythe ouer all with out ony drede / & y^t not oneli he wolde knowlege it by his lyfe / but vnto y^t dethe (so ferforthe) that ī the ende of his dethe / whā his tongue fayled hȳ in receyuȳge of the stroke / he wette his fynger ī his blode / & bycause he lacked a charter to wryte vpon / he put his fynger to the erthe & wrote / knowlegynge his feythe & byleue in this wyse. O redo in deum. &c. His herte brenned in the depenes of my charyte / and therfore in his pas­syon he turned not his heed abacke / knowynge well that he sholde dye / for or than he dyed / I shewed hȳ by reuelacyō his maner of dethe / wher fore as a very knyghte without ony seruyle drede / he stode in the felde of batayle. ¶ And thꝰ of many I may tell the that thoughe they dyd suffer no martyrdome actually / yet they dyd suffer martyrdome mentually / as seynt Domynycke & other suche. ¶ Here nowe what tyllers I haue sende in to my vyneyerde / for to pull vp thornes of vyces / and for to plāte vertues. ¶ Certayne Domynycke and Frauncys were two pyllers in holy chyrche / Fraūcys with his po­uerte / whiche was gyuen hym prȳ ­cypally as his owne proper vertu / as it is before rehersed. ¶ Of the excellence of them that be vnder obe­dyence and be obedyent / of the my­sery of them whiche be vnobedyent that be in the state of relygyon. Sy­then it so is that the places of relygyon be now yfounde (that is to saye) shyppes ordeyned by the holy ghost to cary soules to heuē / by medyacy­on of y^e blessyd patrone y^e holy ghost founded with the parfyte lyghte of holy feythe. ¶ Nowe therfore I shal tell the bothe of the obedyence and of the inobedyence of them that haue enhabyted or made to them a dwellynge place in this shyppe of relygyon (and not onely of one order) but of all togyder in generall (that is to saye) no more spekynge of one order than of all other orders / and in the same I shall tell the togyder bothe of the defautes of them whiche lyue obedyently / and also the defautes of them that dolyue vnclenly and vn­obedyently / that thou maye haue y^e more parfeccyō / and more swetely / and the better to knowe that one fro that other / and also I shall tell the how he shall go / that goeth for to en­tre [Page]y^t relygyous shyp of onȳ maner of order. ¶ How sholde a man go y^t wyll enter a partyculer relygyon? ¶ Certayne w^t lyghte of holy feythe / by the whiche lyghte / he shal knowe y^e nedes he must slee his owne wyll with the swerde of holy hate / of euery proper sencyble passyon / and so sholde he enter to relygyon / & be coupled to the spouse of very obedyēce / with her suster pacyēce / and with y^t norse of mekenes / for yf he haue not this norse / obedyence shall peryshe for honger / for in that soule where this vertu of mekenesse is not / obe­dyence dyeth anone / & mekenesse is not alone / but she hathe a seruaunt that is vylyte & cōtempte bothe of y^e worlde and of herselfe / whiche ma­keth a man to set lytell by hymselfe / and not for to desyre honoures & worshyppes / but repreues and shames. ¶ Thus sholde a man go deed to y^e relygyous shyp of ony order / & therin to lyue mekely / but in what ma­ner wyse that he entreth / that is by dyuers maners as I call thē (lyke as I haue tolde y^e before) they sholde serche anone the parfeccyon of the same order / and kepe it eche in thē ­selfe / & quyckely receyue the keye of obedyēce of the same order / whiche keye openeth the wyket / that is the greate gate of heuē. ¶ Lo by this y^u maye knowe that there is bothe a gate and a wyket of heuē / and ther­fore all those that gone to some par­tyculer relygyon / they take the keye of obedyence / whiche shall open the wyket of the gate / not leuynge the greate keye of generall obedyence / whiche openeth y^e greate gate of he­uen / as I haue tolde the. ¶ In this gate is a wyket / of y^e whiche wyket they haue receyued a subtyll keye / for to open y^e same lowe wyket / ther throwe straytely for to passe / whiche wyket is not departed fro y^e greate gate / but it is in the gate / as y^u may se materyally a wyket in a gate / & thoughe they haue receyued this lytell keye of the strayte wyket of he­uen / yet sholde they not caste awaye fro them the greate keye / & bycause very obedyencers kowe well with y^e lyght of feythe / that they maye in no wyse enter by this lytell wyket of streyte obedyēce w^t burthons of ry­ches / nor with theyr owne wyll / nor y^t they maye in no wyse enter there goynge vpryght / but yf they stoupe leste they breke theyr heedes / ther­fore they cast away fro thē ryches & also theyr owne wylles / kepynge y^e vowe of wylfull pouerte / and they wyll ī no wyse receyue nor kepe ony thȳge in possescyō (as theyr owne) lest they breke the vowe of wylfull pouerte promytted / and so to breke theyr obedyēce. ¶ All suche as gone vpryght in relygyon / wenynge so to enter that wyked / be all proude obe­dyencers / kepȳge theyr owne wyll / for other whyle whan they must nedes obeye / they bowe not to y^e obedyence mekely / but w^t pryde they ful­fyll theyr obedyēce / bowȳge downe theyr heedes by strengthe & not by mekenesse / whiche strēgthe breketh the heedes of theyr soueraynes (y^t is) y^t obedyence done in suche wyse y^t it pleaseth not theyr soueraynes / ī [Page]gyuynge of euyll ensample to theyr subiectes that wolde obeye mekely / after the whiche proude obedyence / oftetymes they fall in brekynge of the vowe of chastyte & in contynēce / for he y^t hathe not his appetyte well ruled and ordynately / nor hathe not yet dysposed hymselfe fro temporall substaunce / he taketh vpon hym for to knowe many newe conuersacyōs of men and womē / and fyndeth ma­ny frendes whome he loueth and v­seth with his owne proper wyll / by the whiche knowlege of conuersacyon / they become ryght specyall fren­des / and so togyder they do noryshe theyr bodyly conuersacyons in delyces / bycause they haue not the norse of mekenesse / nor her seruaūtes vylyte and abieccyon of themselfe / wherfore all they stōde in plesaūce of theyr owne sensualyte lyuynge delycate­ly (not as relygyous folke) but as lordes without watche and prayer / & all this and many mo it happeth them that haue proper goodes in kepynge for to spende (whiche yf they hadde not) it sholde not so fall w^t thē as it dothe / and also they fall in vn­clennes other bodyly or mentally / & yf it happe other whyle y^t for shame they abstayne them bodyly fro vn­clennesse / yet they abstayne thē not mētally / for it is vnpossyble to hym that hathe moche conuersacyon of flesshly men / and in delyces of y^e bo­dy in receyuynge of meet and drȳke vnordynately / and also lyueth with out deuocyon / wakynge / and pray­enge / for to kepe his soule clene / & therfore a very meke obedyencer se­eth al a fer with the lyght of feythe / the euyll and harme that sholde fall to hym / by kepȳge of ony temporall substaunce in proper / and so for to go w^t his owne wyl / & he seeth well also y^t he muste nedes by his order passe throwe his lytell wyket with y^e keye of obedyence / whiche shall opē that wyket. ¶ Why trowes thou that I haue sayde the that in ony wyse they must nedes go throwe that lytell wyket? ¶ Certayne for I saye sothe / for wyll he or not / yf he abyde in the or­der / he muste nedes go throwe that wyket / by the hardenes of obedyēce of his prelate / and therfore a parfyte obedyencer lyfteth hymselfe aboue hymselfe / and hathe the domynacyon of his owne proper sēsualyte / reysynge hymselfe aboue all his bodyly felynges and styrrynges / and with quycke feythe he sendeth in to the house of y^e soule holy hate / for to put out the enemy of his owne proper loue / for he wyll not that his spouse of obedyence / whiche was gyuen to hym by the moder of charyte / be of­fended / and therfore he putteth out the enemy of his owne wyll / & sen­deth in the felowe and the norse of y^e same spouse mekenesse / and many other louers of y^e same spouse / whi­che be very ryall vertues / maners / customes / and obseruaunces of the order / for to make redy anendes the entre of the spouse of obedyence / and so thā entreth this swete spouse obe­dyence in to y^e soule with her suster pacyence / and with the norse meke­nesse well kepte and warded w^t her seruauntes vylyte and abieccyon / & [Page]also dyspleasaūce of herselfe / & after tyme she is thus entred / she is all in peas & quyetnesse / stondynge in the orcharde of very cōtynēce / w^t y^e clere sonne of intelleccyō / where y^e lyghte of feythe sheweth her clerely / y^e clere syght of my sothefastnesse / there is also fyre whiche warmeth & gyueth here to them all / y^t kepe y^e obseruaū ­ces of y^e order purely for the loue of me. ¶ What be these enemyes whiche be put out? ¶ The fyrste pryncypall enemy is proper loue / y^e enemy of charyte & mekenes / y^e whiche brȳ geth forthe pryde / another is inobe­dyence / agaynst very obedyēce / the thyrde is infydelytē / cōtrary agaȳst y^e vertu of feythe & also presumpcyō / for to presume & hope in hȳselfe / whiche acordeth not w^t very holy hope / y^e whiche a soule sholde haue. ¶ Also vnpacyence whiche is agaynst pacyence / vnryghtwysenesse whiche cō ­formeth hȳ not to y^e vertu of ryght­wysenes / nor imprudēce w^t prudece / nor vnteporaūce w^t tēporaunce / nor crasgreliyō of y^e brekynge of y^e com­mandymētes of the order / w^t obser­uaūce of y^e order / nor euyll cōuersa­cyō of wycked lyuers / w^t y^e cōuersa­cyōs of good lyuers / all these be ene­myes and ryghte cruell enemyes / ymōge whome is foūde y^e capytall enemy of yre agaynste benyuolēce / & cruelte agaynst loue of vertu / vnclē ­nes agaynste purete / neclygēce a­gaynst besynes / ygynoraūce agaynst cūnynge / & sompnolēce agaynst wakynge & cōtynual prayer / & bycause y^t a trewe obedyencer knoweth well w^t the lyght of feythe y^t all these be e­nemyes / whiche make foule y^e spouse of holy obedyēce / therfore he sende ī holy hate to put thē out / & also loue to take in his frēdes / whiche be ver­tues / where holy hate w^t his swerde of dred dyd slee wycked proper wyl / whiche wyll was and is noryshed of ꝓper loue y^t gaue lyfe to all these enemyes of very obedyence / & whan he had smyten of y^e heed of this pryncy­pall enemy / by whom al were kepte in / thā this spouse obedyēce is fre & in peas w^tout ony warre / she hathe thā no enemy w^tin y^t maye dysplease her nor hurte her / for he is put out / whiche was cause of her bytternesse & sorowe. ¶ What warre trowes y^u y^t a very obedyēcer hathe / whyther wrōges shewe to his warres? Nay. why? ¶ Certayne for very obedy­ēce is pacyēt / whiche pacyēce is su­ster of obedyēce. ¶ Be y^e obseruaun­ces of y^e order cōtrary to her? Nay. why? ¶ Certayne for obedyēce wyll kepe theym all purely. ¶ Is it ony peyne to her y^e preceptes & strayte cō maūdymētes of prelates & soueray­nes? Nay. why? ¶ Certayne for ve­ry obedyence hathe ouercome her owne wyll / & wyll not make questy­ōs of her soueraynes wyll / nor deme her what y^t euer she byddeth / but w^t y^e lyght of feythe she demeth my wyl in her souerayne / thȳkȳge veryly y^t my myldenes maketh hȳ to byde so (as it is necessary for y^e helthe of her soule) / it is neuer shame to suche for to do the moste vyle abiecte thynge in the order / nother in sufferynge of derysyons / repreues / detraccyons / & dyspysynges / whiche oftetymes [Page]be done & sayd / but euer they wolde be take as vyle & abiecte in y^e syghte of mā / and y^t is for they haue cōcey­ued alone in vylyte / abieccyō / & dys­pleasaūce of thēselfe w^t parfyte hate / & so they ioye w^t the spouse of very obedyēce / & w^t her suster pacyēce / he y^t is thus obedyēt is neuer sory / but for offence whiche is done to me y^t am his maker / for his cōuersacyō is w^t suche y^t veryly & louely drede me / and thoughe other whyle suche one haue cōuersacyō w^t thē y^t be deꝑted fro my wyll / they do not y^t for to con­forme thēselfe to theyr defautes / but for to w^tdrawe thē fro theyr wycked lyues / for y^e good whiche they haue in thēselfe w^t fraternall charyte / they wyll departe it w^t other / cōsyderȳge well y^t it were to my name more worshyp & honour to haue mant ymōge thē y^t myght kepe y^e obseruaūces of y^e order (thā onely they kepte it thē ­selte) & therfore they enforce thēselfe for ta call seculers to relygyō / bothe by wordes & prayers / & in y^e moste honest wyse they can / they besy thē for to pull thē out fro y^e derkenesse of deedly synnes. ¶ Thus thā y^u maye well knowe / y^t y^e cōuersacyōs of a very obedyēcer be good & ꝑfyte (why­ther they be conuersaūte w^t good or w^t bad) for they be set in an ordynate affeccyon / & in y^e brede & latytude of charite. ¶ Of his Cell he maketh hȳ an heuen / hauynge delyte there for to speke & haue cōuersacyō w^t me by affeccyon of loue / he fleeth ydlenesse by cōtynuall prayer and mekenesse / and whan thoughtes abounden to hym by illusyon of the fende / in his Cel he layeth hym not downe anone in y^e bed of of neclygence so beynge ydell / nor he wyll not by reasō make inquysycyō of the thoughtes of his herte / nor his owne conceyte / but he fleeth ydlenesse / lyftynge hymselfe aboue hȳselfe w^t holy hate vpon his sencyble felynge / & w^t very mekenes & pacyence to bere & suffer labours / & so he w^tstondeth suche thoughtes / as he feleth in his soule w^t wakȳge & meke prayers / he waketh in me w^t his eye of intelleccyō / beholdȳge & seynge w^t the lyghte of feythe y^t I am his helper / & y^t I may / can / and wyll helpe hȳ / to whome I opē my armes of benygnyte / & suffer suche thȳges for to fall to hȳ / for to make hȳ y^e more besy for to fle fro hȳselfe / & to come to me / to whō I benȳgely opē my armes / & yf suche one seme y^e mētall prayer cōforteth hȳ not / for y^e grete labour y^t he suffereth ī suche resystēce / he breketh out w^t vocall prayer / other he vseth some bodyly excercyse / y^t so both w^t vocall prayer & bo­dyly excercyse / he myght put awaye ydlenes / also he beholdeth in me w^t y^e lyght of feyth / y^t suffer hȳ to be tē ­pted w^t suche tēptacyō of thoughtes for loue y^t I haue to hym / waytynge how myghtili he wolde w^tstōde thē. ¶ Than he putteth out his heed of mekenes / yrectynge hȳselfe vnwor­thy rest of soule (as other worthy seruauntes of myne be worthy) but he holdeth hȳselfe worthy peyne / suche one setteth nought by hȳ selfe / but w^t holy hate he rebuketh hȳselfe / hym semeth that he maye not do hȳselfe peyne ynoughe / but yet blessyd hope [Page]of my prouydēce fayleth hym not / & therfore he so passeth out of this trouble w^t quycke feyte & w^t y^e keye of obedyēce in his hōde in to y^e relygyous shyp of y^e order / & so he is bycome a keper of his Cell / fleynge ydlenesse (as I haue sayde) a very obedyēcer wyll be y^t fyrst y^t shall enter y^e quere / and y^e laste y^t shall go out / & whan he seeth one of his brederne or sustren more besy in bodyly or ghostly besy­nesse thā he is / he waxeth holy enuyously / & taketh hymselfe y^t vertu to hȳ by pryue ghostly stelthe / not wyl lynge y^e y^t vertu be lessed in his bro­der / for yf he wolde so / he were not in fraternall charyte. ¶ A very obe­dyēcer forsaketh not y^e fraytur / but oftetymes & many tymes he vysy­teth it / & delyteth therm to ete poorely his meet / & in token y^t he hathe no delyte for to be out of the fraytur / he hathe auoyded fro hȳ all tēporal substaūce / ꝑfytely kepȳge y^e vowe of pouerte (& so ꝑfytely) y^e he hath nede of y^e bod [...] / & yet kepeth wylfull [...] y^e same [...]de w^t grete dysease / his Cell is ful of y^e odour of pouerte / & not ful of clothes / he thȳketh nothynge y^t theues sholde come & stele his clothes / nor y^e y^t moughte nor duste sholde ete nor waste his clothes / & yf ony thynge be gyuē hȳ or delyuered hym / he thyn­keth not for to hyde it / but make it freli comune w^t his brederne / he thȳ keth not on y^e morowe / but his necessyte he taketh dayly / thynkynge no more but on y^e kyngedome of heuē / & on very obedyēce / how he myghte best kepe it / & bicause it is best kepte by mekenes / he submytteth hym as­moche to y^e leest chylde as he wold^e to y^e gretest mā y^t is / & to y^e poore as he wolde to y^t ryche / he maketh hym seruaunte to all / neuer refusynge la­bour / but he doth seruyce mekely to euery creature. ¶ A very obedyen­cer wyl not make obedyēce after his owne maner / nor chose nother tyme nor place / but as his souerayne wyl & as y^t maner of y^e order wyll / al this a very obedyēcer dothe w^tout peyne or tedyosyte of soule / suche one pas­seth lyghtli by y^e harde wyket of y^e or der / w^t y^e keye of obedyēce ī his hōde w^tout ony vyolēce / by cause he hath kepte & kepeth y^e vowe of chastite / of very obedyēce & pure contynece / a­uoydȳge y^e hyghnes of pryde / & bow ynge y^e heed of obedyent mekenesse / wherfore he maye in no wyse breke his heed by vnpacyēce / for he is ve­ry peaseable w^t ghostly strēgthe & ꝑ­seueraūte pasyēce / whiche be y^e fren­des of obedyēce / suche one is in wyll neuer to offēde / by styrrynge of the fende / his flesshe / nor y^e worlde / for he chastyseth his flesshe by mortyfy­cacyō / spolynge hȳ fro delectacyōs / & arayeth hym w^t labours & trauayles of y^t order w^t quycke feythe & w^t ­out dedygnacyō (as a chylde which forgeteth the rebuke y^t his fader gy­ueth hȳ) in y^t same wyse this chylde nother thynketh in his soule of wrō ges done to hym / nor of labours nor greues whiche be done to hym in y^e order & gyuē of his souerayne / but whā he is called of hym he goeth to hȳ / nothynge moued with yre & ran­coure / but with all maner of meke­nesse & benyuolence. ¶ These be the [Page]chyldrē of whome my sothefast sone Ihesu spake of / whā his dyscyples dyd stryue togyder / whiche of them sholde be ymōges thē y^e most / where he made a chylde to come to hym & sayd thus. ¶ Suffer chyldren come to me / for of suche is y^t kyngedome of heuen / & he y^t loweth hym not as mekely as this chylde (that is) yf he haue not his cōdycyō / he maye not enter in to y^e kyngedome of heuen. ¶ For dere doughter he y^t loueth hȳ shall be enhaūsed / as my onely soth­fast sone sayth in y^e gospell / & as it is ofte foūde ī other bokes of holy seyntes / therfore these chyldren ryght­wysely maye be called meke / y^t for loue make thēselfe lowe & subiectes w^t very holy obedyēce / not stryuȳge nother agaynst theyr order nor aga­ynst theyr prelates / all suche shal be enhaūsed anēdes me endeles fader / & dwell w^t my very cytesyns ī ende­lesse blysse / where they shall be wor­thely rewarded for all theyr labour / & for to be syker of y^t / I make thē in this lyfe for to taste som what of the endeles blys for theyr ernest. ¶ How they y^t be very obedyent receyue an hūdreth for one / & euerlastȳge lyfe / & what is vnderstōde by y^t one / and what by y^t hūdreth. IN suche dere doughter is fulfylled y^t thȳge which my onely sone sayde to Peter whan he sayde thꝰ. ¶ Mayster lowe haue for sake al thynge & folowe the / what shall we haue therfore. ¶ My sone sayde / ye shall receyue an hūdreth & euerlastȳge lyfe / as & my sone sholde saye thus. ¶ Peter ye haue do well / for in none other wyse ye myght fo­lowe me / but in forsakynge of al thȳ ges / therfore I shall gyue y^e in this lyfe an .C. And what is this. C? dere doughter after y^e whiche / endelesse lyfe foloweth. Of what thȳge vnder stōdeth my sone this / of tēporall substaūce? Nay. not properly / yf other­whyle by doynge of almes dedes I multyply temporall goodes / but of what thȳge thā? Certayne of hym y^e gyueth his proper wyll / for y^e wyl of mā is but one / & for y^t one I gyue hȳ an .C. ī this lyfe. Why is this nōbre of an .C. set? Certayne for an .C. is a ꝑfyte nōbre / & to y^t maye no more be added to / but yf y^u begyn̄e at one / in y^e same wyse charyte is y^e most par­fyte vertu aboue all other vertues / for a more ꝑfyte vertu maye neuer a mā ascēde to / neuerthelesse y^u recey­ues well all other vertues / whan y^u encreces thē in merytes to this .C. y^e vertu of charyte / but yet y^u comes ꝑ­fytely to this .C. by multyplyēge of other vertues / in knowlege of thy­selfe / this is y^t .C. whiche is gyuen to thē / y^t haue gyuē theyr wylles alone / in generall / ꝑtyculer / & specyall obedyēce / & w^t this .C. they shal receyue euer lastynge lyfe / for charyte alone is y^e lady whiche entreth ī / ledȳge w^t her the fruyte of all other vertues / & they abyde within me endeles lyfe / ī whom they tast endeles lyfe / for I am y^t endelesse lyfe / to whome they come / for they be ī mi possesciō / whō they hoped before to haue (& so all o­ther v (er)tues) charite alone as a quene entreth and hathe me / y^e hathe her. ¶ Thus these lytell chyldrē receyue an .C. & euer lastynge lyfe ī hȳ / here [Page]ye receyue the fruyte of dyuyne cha­ryte / set for the nombre of an hun­dreth (as it is sayde) & bycause they haue receyued of me this hūdreth / they abyde and dwell in themselfe with a meruaylous hertely ioye / for ī pure charyte falleth neuer sorowe / but euer holy gladnesse / they that haue this charite / haue a large herte & lyberall / and not double & strayte / for a soule that is wounded w^t this swete darte of loue / sheweth not one in the face / another in the tongue / & another in the herte / suche one ser­ueth not feyntly and mynystreth to her neyghbour with bolnȳge bryde for her charyte is open to all creatures largely without fenynge / & ther fore a soule that hathe and is had of charyte / falleth neuer in peyne nor sorowe whiche turmenteth / nor it delayeth neuer for to obeye redyly / but euer it is obedyēt vnto y^e dethe.

¶ The thyrde chapyter is of the paruersytes / myseryes / & labours of thē whiche be not obedyent / and of the mysera­ble fruytes that come of vno­bedyence / of the imparfeccyō of them that be slowe or vn­lusty in relygyō / all be it they kepe them fro deedly synne / & of y^e remedy how they sholde come out of that vnlustynes / and of other maters / as be re­hersed to you in the kalder before. Ca. iii.

A Wretched vnobedyencer dothe the contrary of all this / whiche stōdeth in y^e relygyous shyp of order / with ryght greate peyne (bothe of hȳselfe and of other) that he tasteth in this lyfe the ernest and the syker­nesse of hell / he euer is in sorowe / cō ­fusyon / and pryckynge of cōscyence and is dyspleased with his order & also with his souerayne / suche one is vntollerable to hȳselfe / lo dough­ter suche one hathe take the keye of obedyence in relygyon / and lyueth vnobedyētly / for inobedyēce is made a lady assocyate with vnpacyence / & noryshed with pryde & proper cōpla­cēs of herselfe / whiche pryde cometh out of proper loue (as it is sayde be­fore) he dothe all y^e cōtrary agaynste very obedyence / how maye suche a wretche stonde without peyne / that is depryued fro charyte / he sholde myghtely bowe downe his heed of proper wyll / and pryde holdeth it vp ryght / all his wyll dothe dysacorde to the wyll of the order / y^e order wyll that he sholde lyue vnder very obe­dyence / and he foloweth and loueth inobedyence / the order wyll that he sholde lyue with wylfull pouerte / & he fleeth it and desyreth ryches & gadereth it / the order wyll that he lyue in purete and clennesse / and he ly­ueth ī vnclennes. ¶ My dere doughter whan that a relygyous man breketh these thre vowes / he falleth in to so many defautes / y^e his lokynge semeth nothynge after a relygyous man / but after an incarnate deuyll (as I haue more largely tolde y^e before [Page]in another place) & yet shall I not lene therfore / but that somwhat I shall tel the of theyr destynable ly­uynge / & of the fruyte y^t they wynne by vnobedyence / to the more cōmē ­dacyon of very obedyēce. ¶ Suche a wretche is dysceyued of his owne proper loue / for y^e eye of his intellec­cyon is set w^t deed feythe in to y^e cō ­placens of his owne proper sensua­lyte & in worldely thȳges / he is lope w^t his herte in to y^e worlde / & therin he dwelleth by affeccyon (thoughe his body be in relygyon) & bycause obedyēce is laborous to hȳ / he wyll not obeye / but eschewe labour / & so he falleth in more myscheuous la­bour / for nedes he must obeye / other by cōstraynynge or by loue / it were better for hym & lesse labour for to fulfyll his labour w^t loue than w^tout loue. ¶ O howmoche suche one is dysceyued / & there is none y^t so dys­ceyueth hym as himselfe / for in that he wyll please hymselfe / he dysplea­seth hymselfe / in asmoche as y^e wor­kes whiche he dothe enioyned to hȳ by obedyence / be dyspleasynge and mys lykynge to hym / he wolde lyue in greate delyte and so wynne ende­lesse blysse in this lyfe / and his order wyll that he be a pylgrym (not for to truste in no abydȳge ī this worlde) & in token here of / whā y^t he purpo­seth hȳ for to dwell in one place of y^e order / ther as it lyketh hym best for to dwell / and where he myght fynde more delyte to his bodyly plesaūce / by the order he is remoued in to an­other place. ¶ In suche remouynge & chaūgȳge fro one place to another such one fȳdeth grete peyne. ¶ Why is y^t? ¶ Certayne for his owne pro­per wyll is quycke for to wyll there he sholde not wyll / nor none other­wyse than y^e order & the soueraynes wyll / & yf suche one obeye not after y^e order & y^e soueraynes wyll / he shal be coacted by dyscyplyne & dures of y^e order / & so he dwelleth (as I sayd) in cōtynuall turment & peyne / sees y^u not nowe how suche dysceyue thē selfe / for there as he weneth to flee peynes / he falleth in to peynes / his blyndenesse wyll not suffer hym to knowe y^e waye of very obedyence / y^e whiche is awaye of sothefastnesse & truthe / groūded in my very obedyēt lābe my sone Ihesu cryste. ¶ Ther­fore thus blȳdely he goeth by y^e way of vntruthe & mys lykynge / wenȳge for to fynde delyte ther / & he fyndeth there peyne and bytternes. ¶ Who hath broughte hym therto? ¶ Loue whiche he hathe not for to obey / & y^t is his own [...] passyon / suche one wor­keth as a foole / for he wyll swymme w^t his owne armes ī this perylous see / whiche is full of tēpestes & wa­ues / crustȳge in his owne wretched lyuȳge / & he wyl ī no wyse swymme w^t y^t armes of y^t order & of his soue­rayne / he dwelleth thꝰ soly w^t his bo­dy ī y^e relygyous shyp of y^e order (but not w^t his soule) for he is gone oute therof by desyre / not kepȳge y^e statu­tes / nor y^e maner of y^e order / nor the thre howes takē by his psessyō / he dwelleth rather in y^e tēpestyous see there to be drenched / thā in y^e swete­nes of relygyō / he is rather boūde ī relygyō by abyte of his body / thā by [Page]y^e abyte of his soule / suche one is no relygyous mā / but rather a beestly man arayed in y^e habyte of relygyō / & yet in his affeccyō & in his lyuȳge he is worse thā a beest / he seeth not y^t it is more labour for hȳ to swȳme rather with his owne armes / thā w^t y^e armes of his souerayne / he seeth not also y^t he stōdeth in myscheuous perell of endelesse dethe. ¶ Why is that? ¶ Certane for the cloude of his owne proper loue / of whome came to hym his inobedyence y^t hathe stopped his clere syght / that it suffereth hym not for to se his o [...]ne harmes / therfore he is wretchedly dysceyued. ¶ What fruyte bryngeth forthe the tree of suche a myserable wretche? ¶ The fruyte of dethe / for he hathe set & planted the roote of dethe in y^e pryde of his affeccyon / whiche he drewe out of his owne proper loue & plesaunce of hymselfe / and therfore all y^e fruyte & floures that come out fro thense be all corrupte / & also y^t le­ues and y^e braunches of y^e same tree be spotted & defouled. ¶ Thre braū ­ches y^t this tree hathe be corrupte & defouled / that is the braunche of obedyēce / of pouerte / and of contynēce / whiche be those thre braūches that be conteyned in the stocke of affeccyon / whiche is euyll planted and set / as I haue sayde before. ¶ The le­ues that this tree bryngeth forthe (y^e be wordes) be also corrupte / that y^e most seculer rybaude y^t lyueth wolde not saye as they sayen / & yf it so hap y^t he must preche & shewe my worde to y^e people / he sheweth it w^t moch curyosyte / not ryghtfully as he sholde onely for to fede and wynne soules / but onely to speke w^t gaye wordes of pōpe / & yf y^u beholde the floures of this tree (whiche be dyuers thoughtes) suche as be receyued w^t greate delectacyō & lust / they gyue a styn­kynge smell / for they fle not y^e places & wayes whiche brynge them in to suche corrupte thoughtes / but they serche after suche occasyons / y^t they myght come to y^e fulfyllynge of the synne. ¶ This is y^e fruyte y^e sleeth hȳ & bynemeth hym lyfe of grace / & gyueth hym endelesse dethe. ¶ But what stynke casteth out this fruyte brought forthe with the floure of the tree? ¶ Certayne it casteth out stȳke of inobedyēce / by y^e whiche he wyll w^t the thoughte of his herte enquyre & deme in euyll y^e wyll of his soue­rayne / he casteth out also vnclennes w^t many wycked conuersacyons / de lytynge hymselfe wretchedly w^t his name of a deuoute mā. ¶ O wretch thou cōsyders not that vnder colour of thy deuocyon shall folowe to the many myscheues / as chyldren of in­obedyence / for thou hase not recey­ued nor take to the chyldren of ver­tu / as a very obedyēcer dothe / suche one sercheth for to dysceyue his souerayne / vsynge to hym leues of state rynge wordes / spekynge vnreuerēt­ly & with greate repreuynge / suche one supporteth not his broder / nor he maye not the leest worde saye a­nendes hym whan he is vnderny­med for his defautes / but anone he casteth out venemous fruyte of vn­pacyence and Ire and hate agaynst his broder / demynge in euyll / y^e he [Page]dyd to hym for good / & thus suche a soule so sclaūdred liueth ī peyne both w^tin & w^tout. ¶ Why is suche one dyspleased w^t his broder? ¶ Certayne for he dyspleaseth hȳselfe sencybly / such one fleeth his Cell / as he wolde fle venȳ (& y^e cause is) for he is gone out of his owne proper Cell of knowlege / wherby he is fall in to inobedyence / & therfore he maye not abyde in his materyall Cell / he wyll not also come to y^e fraytur / but as he wold go to his enemy / as lōge as he hath ony thynge to spēde / & whā he hathe no more / thā nede dryueth hym thy­der. ¶ Therfore trewe obedyēcers done wel whiche kepe so wel y^e vowe of pouerte / y^t they wyl nothȳge haue for to spēde / bycause they wolde euer be fed at y^e swete table of y^e fraytur / where a very obedyencer norysheth both his body & soule in peas & quy­etnes / he wyl neuer thȳke nor make ordynaūce for sweter not better lyue lode thā he fyndeth there. ¶ The cō trary dothe an inobedyēcer / he wyll be y^e laste comȳge ī to y^e quere / & the fyrste y^t shall go out / w^t his lyppes he draweth nygh to me / but his herte is fer fro me / he fleeth also for drede of penaunce y^t chapyter. ¶ What is cause of all this? ¶ Certayne inobe­dyence / suche one also neuer waketh nor prayeth / & yet ofte tymes whan he sholde say his dyuyne seruyce / to y^e whiche he is bounde / and it is vn­sayde / he hathe no fraternall charyte w^tin hȳ / for he loueth none but hȳ ­selfe / and yet not w^t reasonable loue / but w^t beestly loue. ¶ Thus many euylles ther be y^e fallē vpō y^e heed of an vnobedyēt mā / & thus many so­rowfull fruytes he brȳgeth forthe / & many mo whiche no erthly tōgue cā tell. ¶ O inobedyēce whiche depry­ues the soule fro lyght of obedyence. ¶ O inobedyēce whiche depryues y^e soule fro all vertu / & arayes it w^t all vyces / y^u takes awaye fro hȳ peas & gyues hȳ warre / y^u takes fro hym lyfe & gyues hȳ dethe / y^u drawes hȳ out of y^e shyp of his order & drenches hym ī y^e see of this wretched worlde / & so strāgles hȳ in synne / makynge hym to swymme with his owne ar­mes / ther he sholde swymme w^t the armes of his order / y^u arayes hym w^t all maner wretchednesse / y^u makes hym dye for hōger / takynge awaye fro hym the meet of y^t meryte of obe­dyence / y^u gyues hym cōtynuall bytternesse / & fro all delectacyō of swetenesse thou depryues hym and fro all good / & makes hym to stonde in all maner of euyll. ¶ In this lyfe y^u makes hȳ bere y^e ernest of endelesse tur­mēt / & yf he amēde hȳ not or thā he passe out of this worlde / y^u ledes that same inobedyent soule to endelesse dāpnacyō / euer to be turmented w^t y^e fendes y^e [...]ll out of heuen for [...]yr inobedyēce / by y^e whiche they were rebell to me / & now be in the armes of hell / ryght so thou inobedyence by cause thou was rebell to obedyence / & dyd throwe a waye fro y^e this keye of obedyēce w^t whiche y^u sholde haue opened y^e wyket in y^e gate of heuē / & y^u dyd take ī thy hōde y^u keye of inobe­dyēce / wherwith y^u hase opened the gate of heuē. ¶ Of the imparfeccyō of thē whiche be slowe & vnlusty ī re­lygyō / [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page]all be it y^t they kepe them fro deedly synnes / & of y^e remedy how y^t they may come out of y^t vnlustynes. O Dere doughter howe many be there nowe of y^e wretched inobedyen cers / whiche in these dayes be fedde & noryshed in y^e shyp of relygyon / & ryght fewe there be y^t be very obedyencers (neuertheles sothe it is) that bytwene these ꝑfyte obedyencers & these wretched obedyencers be ma­ny / whiche lyue comunely in the or­der / for nother they be ꝑfyte as they shold be / nor they be moche wycked / bycause they kepe clene theyr cōscy­ēce fro deedly syn̄e / but yet they stōde in dulnesse & neclygēce of herte / & yf suche excercysed not theyr lyuynge in kepynge somwhat of theyr obseruaūces of y^e order / they sholde fall to greate perell / & therfore they haue nede to be ryght besy and slepe not ī derkenesse / but y^t they aryse fro dul­nesse & slothe / for yf they aby [...]e lōge therin / they be able for to fall ryght lore / & yet though they fall not / they sholde slode vnder mānes praysȳge a plesaūce / colored w^t y^e colour of re­lygyō / besyēge thē rather in kepȳge of some outwarde cerymonyes in y^e syght of mā / thā for to kepe proper­ly y^e pure religyō / & oftetymes suche w^t lytellyghte y^t they haue be able to fal to domes & demynges of them y^t kepe y^e order more straytely thā they & in lesse ꝑfeccyon of ceremonyes / of whom they make thēselfe specyal kekers. ¶ To all suche it semeth to thē ryght noyus for to dwell in comune obedyēce / in asmoche as they necly­gently ouerpasse trewe obedyēce / & with moche peyne & labour & with a colde herte they bere y^t obseruaūces of y^e order. ¶ Thus they offende ꝑfeccyon / by y^e whiche they entred / and thoughe they do lytell harme (as I haue sayd to other) yet neuertheles they do full euyll / y^e is bycause they come not clereli out of y^e world / wher they shold haue lyued & kepte y^e keye of generall obedyēce / and than for to come to relygyō so for to receyue y^e ly tell keye of partyculer obedyēce / for to opē ther w^t the wyket of heuē gate / the whiche keye sholde be tyed by a thōge of vylyte & abieccyō / settynge noughte by hymselfe / & w^t the same thōge of vylyte to kepe it myghtely in y^e hōde of feruēt loue. ¶ All suche doughter be able to come to ꝑfeccyō yf they wyll / for they be more nere to ꝑfeccyō thā other wretches / & yet it maye be sayd of suche otherwyse / y^t they be more harder for to be raysed vp fro they īꝑfeccyō in theyr degre / than a wycked lyuer in his degre. ¶ Wyll y^u knowe why? ¶ Certayne for it is opēly knowe y^t a wycked mā dothe euyll / his his owne cōscyence telleth hȳ so / but for his owne ꝓper loue whiche hathe so blȳded hȳ / he hathe no myght for to aryse out of synne / he seeth well w^t one naturall lyght y^e it is euyll whiche he doth / for yf it were asked of hym whyther it were euyll do y^t he dothe / he wolde saye yes / but yet he wolde excuse hȳ & saye y^t his freylte is somoche / y^e he maye in no wyse ryse hp / thus he wyl say thoughe he saye not truthe / for with my helpe he maye aryse yf he wyll. ¶ But these y^t be so necly­gēt [Page]& slowe / whiche nother do grete euyl nor grete good knowe nor theyr owne dulnes nor wyll not knowe it / nor howmoche harme they do to thē selfe / nor they recke neuer thoughe they aryse neuer thēs / nor thoughe it neuer be shewed nor tolde to thē / & yet whā it is shewed thē they wyl not aryse / bycause they be boūde by y^t vnlustynes of theyr owne hertes / by the lōge corde of custome. ¶ In what maner maye suche aryse? Certayne y^t they knowlege w^t theyr ton­ges how they haue myslyued / & thā w^t hate of theyr owne pleasaūce & lykynge / sende y^t meke knowlege in to the fyre of my dyuyne charyte / wed­dȳge thēselfe now to y^t spouse of obe­dyēce / as thoughe they sholde now enter in to relygyon w^t y^e rynge of holy feythe / & let thē no more slepe in y^t wretched state / for it was & is grete dysplesaunce to me & moche harme to thē / it maye well be sayde to suche y^t worde y^t seynt Iohā reherseth in y^e Apocalyps thus / wolde god they were colde or hoot / but bycause they be nother colde nor hoot / but onely lewe warme / therfore I shal begȳne to throwe suche oute of my mouthe / for yf they turne not fro y^t vnlusty­nesse & dulnesse / they be able to fall ryght sore (and yf they fall) they be worthy to be reproued of me. ¶ It were more ioyful to me y^t suche were as Ise / lyuynge in y^t worlde w^t gene tall obedyence / whiche in regarde of y^e fyre of very obedyencers / they be but as Ise / & therfore I saye it were leuer to me that they were as Ise. ¶ Lo doughter to y^e haue I decla­red this parable / lest y^t errour fal in y^t / wenȳge y^t I had leuer suche one were in y^e see of deedly synne / thā so ī y^e vnlustynesse & neclygēce of īparfeccyō / for by such īparfeccyō he myght fall to syn̄e / & y^e synne of mā is so dysplesaunt to me & so venemous / y^t I maye in no wyse suffer it passe vnpunyshed / therfore they sholde aryse gracyously fro suche dulnes & neclygēt lyuȳge / by some maner of ghostly excercyse w^t wakȳge / mekenes / & cōtynuall prayer & se inwardely thē selfe & beholde ī those relygyous mē y^t haue lyued in relygyō before / whiche were mē as they be / noryshed w^t y^e same mylke / & in the same maner borne / & I am y^e same god now y^t I was thā / my myght is neuer feble / my wyll is neuer lessed / nor also my wysdome for to gyue you clere lyght to se & knowe my truth / therfore (as I haue sayde) they may yf they wyl come to parfeccyō of theyr order / so y^t they wyl put away fre y^e eye of theyr intelleccyon y^e cloude of theyr owne loue / & thā they maye rēne w^t lyghte ꝑfytely w^t thē y^t be my very obedy­ēcers ī relygyō. ¶ Thus they maye come to ꝑfeccyon by this remedy & neuer elles. ¶ Of y^e excellēce of obe­dyēce / & of y^e goodes whiche obedyēce gyueth to hȳ y^e taketh it in sothefastnesse. THis is y^t very remedy whiche my very obedyencer kepeth euery daye / encresynge in hȳselfe y^t vertu of obedyēce w^t lyght of feythe / desyrȳge scornes & repreues for my loue / & y^t his souerayne sholde put alway on hȳ strayte charges / y^t the vertu of obedyēce & her suster pacyence [Page]ruste not / lest whā they had nede to worke w^t them / they myght defayle them / or els that they were to them for faute of suche harde imposycyōs of soueraynes to harde to worke w^t / and therfore contynually the desyre worketh / and suffereth no tyme to ouer passe / for of desyre they be ryght hongry. ¶ Desyre is as a besy hus­wyfe that neuer wyll be ydel / one delectable obedyence / one peaseable o­bedyence / one swete obedyence / one shynynge obedyēce / yllumyned full of lyghte / that hathe put awaye the derkenesse of proper delectacyō / one obedyēce that quyckeneth & gyueth to suche a soule lyfe of grace / y^e hathe chosen the for his spouse / thou hase put a waye fro hȳ dethe of his owne proper wyll / whiche proper wyl maketh warre and brȳgeth in dethe in to the soule / thou arte large / for thou makes the subiecte to euery reasonable creature. ¶ Certayne also thou arte benynge / & with meke benygny be and myldenesse thou beres euery greate charge / for thou arte coupled with the vertu of strengthe and ve­ry pacyēce / thou arte also corowned with the vertu of parseueraunce / y^u fayles neuer by y^e īportunyte of thy prelate and souerayne / for thoughe he ly vpon y^t grete importable char­ges without dyscrecyon / thou beres them all gladly and pacyently with the lyghte of feythe / y^u arte so knytte with mekenesse / that no maner creature maye drawe it out of thy honde for holy desyre / and what shall we saye more dere doughter of this ex­cellent vertu / we saye y^t it is a good without euyll / it stondeth hyddein the shyp / whome no cōtrary wynde maye noye nor dysease / for she ma­keth a subiecte in relygyon to rowe with the armes of her souerayne / & not with her owne. ¶ A very obedy­encer shal not gyue rekenynge of hȳ selfe to me / but his souerayne shall reken for hym / be glad therfore dere doughter / and haue grete delyte in this relygyous vertu / and thou wyl be kynde to me endelesse fader / be o­bedyent / for obedyence shall shewe yf thou be kȳde / whiche cometh out of charyte / and charyte cometh fro y^e knowlege of my endelesse sothefast­nesse / so that it is a parfyte know­lege in my onely so the fast sone Ihe­su / whiche sone shewed to you by his charyte the waye of very obedyēce / makynge hymselfe obedyent vnto the dethe of the crosse / techynge the therby a rule for to contynu in very obedyence vnto thy ende / in whose obedyence whiche was the keye y^e opened heuen / is founded the generall obedyence that is gyuen to you / and also this partyculer obedyence (as I haue tolde the before in y^e be­gynnynge of this treatyse) this obedyence gyueth suche a lyghte in the soule / that it maketh a soule trewe bothe to the order / and also to his so­uerayne in relygyon / in the whiche lyghte (y^e is y^e lyghte of holy feythe) a soule forgeteth her selfe (not in re­quyrynge in what wyse obedyence of his souerayne is gyuen to hym) for in what soule very odedyence is / it sheweth well that it is deed in his owne felynge / whiche sencyble fe­lynge / [Page]sercheth and enquyreth more after other thynges than his owne / as an inobedyent soule dothe / whi­che wyll euer enquyre the wyl of his bydder / and deme it after his derke knowlege / a very obedyencer with y^e clere lyght of feythe / demeth euer the wyll of his souerayne to good / & therfore suche one feleth not nor in­quyreth not his owne wyll / but boweth his heed obedyently to the wyll of his souerayne / & so with the bles­syd odour of very holy obedyence / y^e soule is noryshed / and this vertu encresed somoche in y^t soule / as y^e soule delyteth in the lyght of holy feythe / for charyte whiche hathe brought forthe obedyence / cometh of y^e lyght of feythe / and with the same lyghte of feythe / with the whiche a soule knoweth bothe hymselfe and me / he loueth me & loweth hym to me / & the more it loueth & is so loued / y^t more rather it obeyeth. ¶ Than obedyēce with her suster pacyence they shewe yf suche a soule be arayed with her weddynge cote of charyte / with the whiche cote ye shall enter in to ende lesse blysse / wher obedyēce shall open the wyket of the gate with her keye & stonde w^tout / but charyte whiche gaue this keye to her / shall enter in with the fruyte of obedyēce. ¶ Eue­ry vertu (as I haue sayde) stondeth without / but his vertu of charyte shal enter in / obedyēce hathe y^e keye / and she herselfe is the keye that openeth / for with the inobedyence of the fyrste man Adam heuen was shut / and with the meke and feythfull o­bedyence of my onely sothefastsone Ihesu that vndefouled lambe / ende lesse lyfe was made open / y^e whiche stode longe tyme closed fro mā and shutte.

¶ The fourthe chapyter is dystynccyon of two maners of obedyences / that is to saye of obedyence of relygyous people / and of obedyēce whiche is done to a certayne parsone out of religiō for god. ¶ How god rewardeth not after the trauayle of obedyence / nor after the lengthe of y^e tyme / but after the magnytude of cha­ryte / and of other maters longynge to obedyence / as it is specyfyed before in the kalender. Ca. iiii.

AS I haue sayde to y^e dere doughter / my onely sothefast sone hathe gyuen to you obedyence / as for a rule and a doctryne / and as a keye for to open with the gate of heuen / and so to come to youre ende / for the whiche ende ye haue longe trauay­led. ¶ He also lefte to you a precepte for to lyue vnder generall obedyēce / counseylynge you also y^t yf ye wolde come and attayne to more parfeccyon / and so enter by the strayte gate of heuen / as they do that lyue in re­lygyon and order / and also as they do that lyue and neuer receyue order of relygyon / and yet be in the shyp [Page]of parfeccyon / as all suche that do kepe parfeccyon of the coūseyles w^t ­out ony order / refusynge rychesse & worldely pompes / bothe actual and mentall / kepynge also contynence / whiche lyue in the state of vyrgyny­te / or els in the state of chastyte / ke­pynge also obedyence / submyttȳge themselfe (as I haue sayde to y^e in another place) to some creature to whome they enforce w^t parfyte obe­dyēce for to obeye vnto theyr lyues ende. ¶ Yf thou wyl aske me whiche of these obedyences be more mede­full / whyder he that stondeth in y^e order of of relygyō or this / I shall tell the / the meryte of obedyence is not mesured / nother in the dede doynge nor in the place nor in whome (that is to say) whyther it be of more worthynesse in a seculer or in a relygyo­ns / but after y^e mesure of loue that an obedyencer hathe / with that me­sure he inesureth to hym that is ve­ry obedyent / the imparfeccyō of an enyll prelate is no dysease in hȳ nor griueth hym not / but otherwhyle it is greate profyte to hym / for w^t par­ [...]ecucyons and vndyser ere charges of greuous obedyence / the vertu of obedyence is encreased / and also pa­syence her suster / nor also vnparfyte place letteth nor noyeth hym not (I saye vnparfyte for this cause) for re­lygyon is more parfyte / more styd­faste / and more stable / thā any other state is / and therfore I cal an vnparfyte place of suche that haue a lytell keye of obedyence kepynge without relygyon the counseyles (but yet I call not theyr obedyence vnparfyte nor of lesse mede) than of them that lyue in relygyon / for euery obedy­ence (as I haue sayde) & euery ver­tu els is mesured after the mesure of loue / yet in many other thynges / as of the vowes whiche be made in the hondes of a souerayne in relygyon / and for many suffraūces whiche a man suffereth in relygyon / obedy­ence is better and more proued in relygyon than out of relygyō / for ther euery bodily acte of a relygyous mā is boūde to the youke of obedyēce / so strongely that it maye not be lostd whan he wyll / that is bounde with­out the trespas and offyce of deedly synne / in asmoche asthat vowe is approued of holy chyrche / but this vowe is not so / this byndeth hȳselfe wylfully for loue y^t he hathe to obedyence / but with no solempne vowe / therfore he that bȳdeth hym to this bowe / he maye go therfro without offēce of ony deedly syn̄e / yf he haue lawfull excusacyōs (that is to saye) that he go not therfro by his owne defaute / for yf he wente therfro & for soke it throughe his owne defaute / it were not without greuous synne / yet were he properly bounde to deedly syn̄e by that forsakynge. ¶ Sees thou not nowe what dyfference is bytwene the one and the other / that one maketh a vowe frely with intē cyon neuer for to breke it / but with no charter of affyrmacyon / y^t other hathe made a vowe with affyrma­cyō of a charter or of an instrumēt / and he offereth vp y^e same instumēt or charter with an open solempne professyon in to the hondes of his souerayne / [Page]ther forsakynge hymselfe / and promyttynge to kepe obedyēce / contynence / and wylful pouerte / & his souerayne in my name there promytteth to hym agayne (yf he kepe these) for to receyue for thē endelesse lyfe / therfore this is more parfyte / & y^t other is of lesse parfeccyō / this is more syker / for yf he fall / he is more apte for to aryse / for he hathe more helpe / but y^t other is more doubte­full and of lesse sykernesse / and is rather more apte yf he fall to turne his heed backwarde / for he feleth hȳ nothynge bounde by vowe of professy­on made / yet he stondeth as a relygyous man or than he be professed / for vnto the tyme that he be professed he maye go therfro / the mede (as I sayde) and yet saye of obedyence / is gyue after the loue that an obedyencer hathe / so that euery mā in what state he stondeth in maye parfytely wynne mede for his obedyēce / yf he be sette in loue / for some I cal in one state / and some in another / as a mā is able for to receyue y^t state that he is called to / but yet euery mā in the same state that he is called to maye be fulfylled w^t this fore sayde mesure of loue / yf he be a seculer & loue more than a relygyous man / he shall re­ceyue more mede / and in the same wyse a relygyous man more than a seculer. ¶ How god rewardeth not after the trauayle of obedyence nor after the lengthe of the tyme / but after the magnytude of charyte / of y^e redynesse and quyckenesse of them that be very obedyencers / and of the myracles whiche god sheweth of this vertu. ALl you haue I sende in to the vyneyerde of obedyēce for to tyll it ī dyuers wyses / to euery mā shall he gyue a rewarde / after the mesure of his loue / & not after his laboure / nor after the mesure of his tyme (y^t is to saye) he that came fyrste shall no more haue / thā he that came last / after y^e sentence of y^e gospell / whiche my sone hathe put to you for ensample of thē that were hyred of a lorde for to tyll in his vyneyerde / & of thē that were ydele / the fore sayde lorde gaue asmoche to hym that came at euen at the laste houre / as he gaue to hym that came in the morowe at the fyrste houre / or thryde / or syxte / or .ix. or at euen songe / by this maye ye knowe that ye shall not be rewarded nother after youre tyme / nor af­ter youre worke / but after y^e mesure of loue / many be sende ī to this vyne yerde in chyldeheed for to tyll it / and some enter later / & some ī theyr olde age / these y^e come last / many of them sholde go and worke in y^t vyneyerde of relygyon with greate feruēt loue / as they that came fyrste. ¶ Why is y^e? ¶ Certayne for they thynke theyr tyme is shorte / and so they be equy­polent and euen with them y^t came before / and they went easy pases by loue / therfore by loue of obedyence a soule receyueth his mede / there he fylleth his vessell in me that am the peaseable see / but many there be / y^e whiche be so redy for to obeye / for o­bedyēce is so very incarnate & groū ­ded ī theyr soules / that they beholde not the cause why certayne thynges be byd to them of hym that byddeth [Page]thē / but vnneth they maye abyde so lōge / tyl y^e worde of theyr souerayne be out of theyr mouthes / for he vnder stondeth of his souerayne more the entent of his byddȳge thā he dothe y^e worde / and therfore a very obedyencer obeyeth more to the entēt thā to the worde / demynge y^e wyll of his souerayne for to be my wyll / and that he byddeth hym by the wyl and dyspēsacyon of me / and therfore (as I sayde) suche one obeyeth rather to y^e entent than to the worde / and so he obeyeth to his worde / for fyrste he o­beyed w^t affeccyon to his wyll / this was well shewed to hȳ / as it is red In vitas patrum. whiche fyrst obeyed in his affeccyon / for whan y^e he beganne to wryte an. o. his pre­late and his souerayne bad hym do a certayne thynge of obedyence / to y^e whiche he was so redy / that he gaue no space to hymselfe for to fulfyll y^t lytello / but anone without ony ta­ryenge / he went to his obedyence & lefte his o / vnwryten halfe / than I for to shewe you how moche acceptable obedyence is to me / y^e other halfe of y^e same o / I parformed and fulfylled it with golde / therfore this glo­ryous vertu of obedyence is so ple­saūt & lykȳge to me / y^t in none other vertu so many myracles & tokens be shewed of me (as be for y^t) for y^t ver­tu cometh fro the lyghte of feythe / erthe is to this v (er)tu obediēt / beestes be obedyent / water is obedyent ther to / y^t the erthe obeyeth to y^t vertu / y^u hase mȳde how thou hase redde In vitas patrum. of a dyscyple whi­che was byd of his fader y^e abbot for to sette in y^e grounde a drye tree / & of obedyence euery daye to water it / y^e same obedyent dyscyple asked no questyons how that myght be / but without ony inquysycyon of possy­bylyte he fulfylled his obedyence (in somoche) y^t by the vertu of y^t obedy­ence & of feythe the drye tree waxed grene & bare fruyte / in token that y^t soule was lyfte awaye fro y^e drynes of inobedyence / & than after y^t grentnesse it bare fruyte / so y^e y^e apples of tree were called of brederne fruyte of obedyence / in the same wyse it is of beestes / y^t they obey to this vertu / for ther was In vitas patrum. a certayne dyscyple was sende oute by obedyence / and in the waye as he went he founde a dragon / & he toke hym and bounde hym in a bonde / & so lad hym to his abbot / but his ab­bot as a dyscrete leche / leste that dyscyple shold haue be extolled by pryde of vayne glory for that dede / and al­so for to preue his pacyence / he dys­cretely put hym & the beest fro hym with boystous wordes (sayenge to hym thus) y^u beest hase y^u brought an other beest bounde with the. ¶ In the same wyse it is of y^e fyre / for that obeyeth to this vertu / for as thou knowes ryght well in holy wrytte / y^t many bycause they wyll not offende my obedyēce / but y^t they were euer redy for to obeye to me redyly whan that they were caste in to the hote brennynge fyre / it noyed them not / lyke as y^u fyndes of thre chyldren y^t were caste in y^t brēnȳge ouē / & of many other / whiche were to longe to tell. ¶ Also in the same wyse of the [Page]water / for that obeyed to this vertu whiche was wel knowe by Maure / for whā he was sende for to take out that dyscyple whiche was sonke in the water / he ranne vpon the water as he wolde vpon y^e erthe & brought out that dyscyple / he thoughte not one hymselfe / but with the lyghte of feythe he purposed for to fulfyll the obedyēce of his souerayne / in all thȳ ges yf thou open the eye of thy intel­leccyon / thou shall well fynde that y^e excellence of this vertu is specyally shewed / so that all thynges that a relygyous man dothe sholde be lefte for obedyence / for thoughe a relygyous man were in somoche araysed by contemplacyon and vnyon of his soule in me / that his body were ther with lyfte vp fro the erthe / & to hym were commaunded a certayne obe­dyēce of his souerayne / y^t is spekȳge & byddȳge to hȳ generally & not partyculerly / whiche generall spekȳge setteth no lawe of tulfyllynge yf he myght / he sholde enforce hym for to leue his hyghe contemplacyō for to fulfyll his obedyēce / in y^e same wyse a relygyous mā sholde leue his tax­ed specyall prayers for nede / for charyte / and for obedyence. ¶ All this commendacyon I tell the of obedy­ence / for I wolde that thou knewe how lykynge it is to me & how plea­saūte / and also that I wolde it were ryght prompte and redy in my ser­uauntes / for what that euer a very obedyencer dothe / it turneth to hym for meryte & mede / yf he ete he eteth for obedyence / yf he slepe he slepeth for obedyence / yf he go / stonde / faste / wake / al this he dothe for obedyēce / also yf he do seruyce to his broder or to his euencrystē / he dothe it for obe­dyence / yf he be in the quere or in the fraytur or in his Cell. ¶ Who ledeth hym or maketh hym stonde in these places? ¶ Certayne obedyence with the lyghte of very feythe / with the whiche lyght / he hathe mortyfyed hymselfe to al his owne proper wyl / and lowed hymselfe with holy hate of hymselfe in y^e armes of his order / and in the hondes of his souerayne / with this obedyence he resteth in y^e shyp of relygyon / he roweth in the same shyp throwout all this tempe­styous see of this wretched lyfe / w^t greate ghostly prosperyte / w^t a clere shynynge soule and tranquyllyte of herte / for obedyēce with feythe hath put awaye all derkenes / he is ryght stronge and syker / for obedyēce hath put awaye fro hȳ feblenesse & drede / by auoydȳge of his owne wyl. ¶ Of whom cometh suche feblenesse & vnordynate drede / and what eteth this spouse obedyence? ¶ Certayne her meet is y^e knowlege of herselfe and me / for a relygyoꝰ mā sholde knowe hymselfe full of defautes and ryght nought without ony beynge of hym selfe / and me that am he that am / in whome he tasteth & eteth my sothe­faste truthe / whiche he knoweth in the sothefastnesse of my onely incar­nate sone Ihesu. ¶ And what dryn­keth this spouse obedyence? ¶ The drynke y^t she drynketh in my sones bloode (in y^e whiche bloode) my sone sheweth to a religyous mā my truth and meruaylous loue that I haue [Page]to mankynde / in that blode he shew­ed his obedyēce / that was put to hȳ of me endelesse fader for you / & ther fore a very obedyencer maketh hym very drunke ghostly in that blode / & after tyme he is so drūke with that blessyd bloode / he hathe all loste and hyd hymselfe in obedy&ce / & al his cō ceytes and felynges and by grace he hathe me full / tastynge me by affec­cyon of loue / with lyghte of feythe in obedyence / all the lyfe of suche an obedyencer cryeth peas / and in his dethe whan he is departed fro this lyfe / he receyueth y^e thynge y^e was promysed hym of his souerayne in my name / that is euer lastȳge lyfe / syghte of peas and of endelesse tran quyllyte and reste / whiche is a good vnestymable / that none lyuynge in ecthe maye thynke nor cōprehende in his wyttes howmoche it is / for it is infynyte / in asmoche as it maye not be cōprehēded of a lesse thynge / for euery lesse thȳge is so it as a ves­sell put in the see / but onely y^e same quantyte whiche it hathe receyued / the see is that whiche comprehen­deth / and not the vessell put in to y^e see [...] tyght so I that am y^t peaseable see / am he alone that comprehende myselfe and compas myselfe / and of my owne comprehencyon and esty­macyon I ioye in my selfe / whiche ioye and good y^t I haue in myselfe / I parte it with you / to eche of you after his mesure / for I fyll his me­sure / and neuer holde it to be voyde / gyuynge to hym ꝑfyte blessednesse / and he comprehendeth & knoweth of my goodnesse / asmoche as I wyl that he knowe / thus is a very obe­dyencer with the lyghte of feythe in my truthe / all brenned in y^e furneys of my endelesse charyte / noynted w^t mekenesse / drunke with my sones blode / he is also proued with pacy­ence the suster of obedyence / and he dyspyseth hymselfe by vylyte & ab­ieccyon / and with strengthe he aby­deth in longe parseueraūce / byclyp­ped al aboute with many other vertues / and with the fruyte of them / he receyueth his ende and rewarde of me that am his maker.

¶ The fyfte chapyter of this laste party is of a repetycyon of all the hole boke / and how this deuoute soule yeldynge worshyp and thankynges to god / made a prayer for all ho­ly chyrche & for al the worlde / and here is commended the vertu of feythe / & so is y^e ende fulfylled of this boke. Ca. v.

NOwe ryght swete & dere doughter I haue satysfyed thy desyre / fro y^e begynnynge therof vnto y^e laste of obedyence / thou knowes well at the begynnyge thou prayed to me with loue and longynge desyres / by the whiche desyres / I made the to aske of me / that is that I sholde en­crese in thy soule the fyre of my brennynge charyte / and than thou dyde aske of me foure petycyons. ¶ One was for thy selfe / whome I satysfyed [Page]pllumynȳge me by my endelesse truthe / there shewynge y^e how thou myght knowe my sothefast truthe / whiche thou desyred to knowe / and there I tolde y^e that with knowlege of thyselfe and of me by the lyght of feythe thou myghte come to y^e knowlege of my truthe. ¶ The secūde pe­tycyon that y^u made was y^e I sholde shewe mercy to the worde. ¶ The thyrde was y^t thou prayed to me for my mystery al body of holy chyrche / y^e I wolde auoyde thens derkenesse and parsecucyons / desyrynge thy­selfe y^e I sholde punysshe y^e wyckednesse of them vpon the / and there I declared to y^e that no peyne / whiche is gyuen in a tyme that hathe ende / maye satasfy y^e synne done agaynst me that am endelesse good (namely the pure peyne alone) but it satysfy­eth thus / yf the peyne be oned with desyre of soule / & cōtrycyon of herte and the maner how / there I decla­red the / and also I answered y^e ther y^t I wolde she we mercy to y^e worlde / and there I tolde the / that mercy is enpropryed to me / for by mercy and by meruaylous loue that I haue to mankynde / I sende my onely sothefaste sone / whome I put to the in y^u lykenes of a brydge that recheth fro heuen to erthe / by vnyon of my dy­uyne nature oned to youre nature / this I shewe the for to yllumyne y^e the more in my truthe / and there also I tolde the how a man maye as­cende vp by that brydge by thre grees / that is by thre myghtes of the soule / to these thre grees how thou sholde ascende vpon the brydge of my sone there I tolde the / that fyrst thou muste ascende vpon the grees of his feet / and than vpon the syde / and so at the laste vpon the grees of his mouthe / in the whiche grees I put thre states of the soule / that is vnꝑfyte state / parfyte state / & moste parfyte state / in the whiche moost parfyte state / a soule is come to y^e ex­cellence of vnytyue loue / in eche of them I shewed the clerely ther that thynge whiche dothe awaye fro that soule imparfeccyon / and maketh it to come to parfeccyon / and of y^e dys­ceytes of fendes / and of proper spy­rytuall loue / and also there I tolde the in these states of thre vnderny­mynges that my myldenesse dothe to a soule / one I tolde y^e I do in this lyfe / another in the dethe (in suche that with hope dye in deedly synne) of whome I tolde the that all suche dyd go vnder the brydge by the fen­des waye / of whose wretchednesse there I tolde the / and the thyrde of y^e laste generall dome / & of y^e peynes of dampned soules / and of the ioye of blessed soules / whā eche soule shal be arayed with the dowerys of his body / also there I behyghte the / & yet I promyse the that with many passyons of my seruaūtes I shall reforme my spouse holy chyrche (styr­rȳge you to suffer dysease for it) and for to sorowe for y^e wyckednes of thē that do parfeccyō to it / there also I shewed the the greate excellence of my mynysters / and also of the reue­rence whiche I requyre of seculers / for to be gyue to thē ī my name / for y^e defaute of thē shall not mynesshe [Page]theyr reuerence whiche sholde be do to them ī my name / and howmoche the cōtrary of this dyspleaseth me / and of the vertu of thē that myny­ster to me as angels / where I tou­ched to the of the greate worthy ex­cellence of y^e blessed sacrament / also there I tolde y^e of y^e states of teeres & whense they came / where I tolde the y^e all teeres come fro y^e well of y^e herte. & so by rowe ther I tolde y^e of .iiii. states of teeres / and of the fylthe whiche bryngeth in dethe. ¶ I an­swered y^e also to the fourthe petycy­on of that whiche thou prayed me y^e to partyculer fallynge I sholde prouyde / and so I prouyded (as thou knowes) moreouer I declared to y^e bothe in generall and in specyall my prouydence / fro the begynnynge of the worlde vnto the laste ende / how that all thynges that I haue do / I do w^t my dyuyne prouydence / bothe in trybulacyons & comfortes body­ly and ghostly / all is done for youre beste after my dyuyne prouydence / that you maye be in me holy / and y^e in you my sothefaste truthe maye be fulfylled / for my sothefaste truthe was to make you of noughte / & for to gyue you lyfe euerlastynge / whi­che ryghtwysenes was shewed and is gyuen to you / with the precyous bloode of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / forthermore at y^e laste I sa­tysfyed thy desyre / in that that thou desyred to here of parfeccyon of obedyence / and of the imparfeccyon of inobedyence / and whense obedyēce cometh / and what thynge draweth it fro you / I put it to the as for agener all keye (& so it is) I tolde y^e ther also of partyculer obedyēce / & of thē y^t be parfyte and vnparfyte / bothe of suche that be ī order and of suche as be out of order / dnd of eche of thē by rowe / of peas also whiche very obedyence gyueth / and howmoche an inobedyencer is dysceyued / tel­lynge the ther that dethe entrede in to this worlde / by the inobedyēce of Adam / therfore now I endelesse fa­der moost souerayne and endelesse truthe conclude to the / that in y^e obedyence of my sone all ye receyued lyfe / for ryghte as in the inobedyēce of the fyrste olde man all ye receyued dethe / so all those that wyll bere the keye of obedyēce maye receyue lyfe of y^t newe mā Ihesu cryst / of whom to you I made a brydge / for y^e strete of heuen was broke / therfore yf ye wyll go by this ryght swete waye w^t the keye of obedyēce / ye maye lyghtly ouer passe all maner derkenesse of the worlde and not offende / and so at the laste with the same keye for to open heuen. ¶ Now dere doughter I styrre the for to wayle and wepe / & my other seruauntes / for by way­lynge and wepynge and by meke cō tynuall prayer / I wyll shewe mer­cy to y^e worlde / renne therfore now by this strete of truthe all mortyfy­ed / lest that y^u be vndernome in thy slowe goynge / and therfore I wyll that thou renne / for I shall now re­quyre more of the than I dyd fyrst / bycause I haue shewed my selfe o­penly ynoughe to the in my sothfastnes / be ware nowe that thou neuer go out of thy Cell of knowlege / but [Page]there in that Cell kepe the / & spende the tresoure whiche is gyuē to the / that is the doctryne of truthe grounded vpon a quycke stone cryste Ihe­su arayed with lyghte / whiche for­saketh derkenesse ī this lyghte / dere and well beloued swete doughter / araye y^e theri. ¶ How this deuoute soule yeldynge worshyp and than­kynges to god / made a prayer for al holy chyrche and for all y^e worlde / & here is commēded y^e vertu of feythe / & so is y^e ende fulfylled in this booke. THan that soule whan it had thus seen and beholde with the eye of in­telleccyon & with y^e lyghte of feythe knewe my sothefastnesse and the ex­cellence of obedyence / and whan it had so herde with ghostly herynge and tastynge by affeccyon all these thynges with loue longȳge desyre / she lyfte herselfe aboue herselfe and behelde in the dyuyne maieste and sayde thus. ¶ Thankynge be to the endelesse fader / that hase no abhomy nacyon of me thy creature / nor hase not turned thy face fro me / nor thou hase not dyspysed my desyres / thou endelesse lyghte consyders no thȳge my derkenesse / thou lyfe wolde not consyder that I am dethe / nor thou leche wolde not forsake me for my greuous abhomynable ghostly sekenesse of synne / thou endelesse purete dyspyses me not y^t am ful of fylthe of moche wretchednesse / thou that arte infynyte hates me not that am fy­nyte & able to haue ende / thou wys­dome lettes not to speke [...] me that am a foole / for all these / and many other infynyte euyls and defautes that be ī me / thy wysdome / thy goodnesse / and thy myldenesse / haue not dyspleased me / but ī thy lyght thou hase gyuen me lyghte / & in thy wys­dome y^u hase gyuē me trewe know­lege / and in thy myldenesse I haue founde loue of the and of my neygh­boure. ¶ Who constrayned the ther to? ¶ Certayne not my vertues / but onely thy charyte / that same loue hathe constrayned the to yllumyne the eye of my intelleccyō in y^e lyght of holy feythe / that I myght vnder stonde & knowe thy sothefast truthe shewed to me. ¶ Graūte to me ther­fore blessed endelesse fader / that my mynde maye be able for to kepe thy benefytes retentyfely / and that my wyll maye brenne feruētly in y^e fyre of thy charyte / y^t I may bathe soule & body buriowne ī thy sones bloode / and that with y^e same bloode and y^e keye of obedyence / I maye open the gate of heuen / & this same I praye the hertely for euery reasonable cre­ature / bothe in generall and in spe­cyall / and for the mysteryall body of holy chyrche. ¶ I knowlege well & denye not that thou loued me me or that I loued the. ¶ O endelesse trynyte / o very godheed / thy dyuyne nature hathe made the pryce of thy sones bloode of so greate valu / thou endelesse trynyte arte a depe see / in the whiche y^t moore I enter / y^e more I fynda / thou arte vnsacyable / for a soule that fulfylleth hym in thy depenesse / is not so fulfylled / but euer it is made hongry in the / it thrysteth in the endelesse trynyte / desyrynge w^t lyghte to se the in endeles lyghte / [Page]for as an harte desyreth to the well of rennynge water / so desyreth my soule to go out of the derke pryson of my body and se the in sothefastnesse as y^u arte. O how longe tyme shall thy face be hyd fro my eyes / o ende­lesse trynyte the depenesse of fyre & charyte / vnlose and vnbynde fro y^e soule y^e cloude of my body / the knowlege that thou hase gyue me of the / causeth me in truthe to desyre for to ouer passe the burthon of my body / for I haue tasted and sene with the lyghte of intelleccyon w^t thy lyghte / the depenesse of thy endelesse tryny­te / by the whiche syghte I sawe me in the / to be the ymage of y^e / hauȳge mynde by the myght of the the endelesse fader and intelleccyon / by y^e wysdome of thy sone and of y^e holy ghost that cometh bothe fro y^e and fro thy sone (wyll) by the wiche wyll / I am able for to loue / thou endelesse tryny rearte my maker / & I thy creature / I knowe well endelesse trynyte by the shedynge of y^e bloode of thy loue / that thou arte a Iolyous louer of y^e fayrenesse of thy creature / o endeles depenes / o endeles godheed / o depe see / what myghte y^u gyue me more than thyselfe / thou wastes and con­sumes in the hete of the loue of the soule / thou arte the fyre / thou does awaye all coldenesse / thou arte that fyre that yllumyneth / and with thy lyghte thou hase made me to knowe thy truthe / thou arte y^t very lyghte aboue nature (in so greate habun­daunce & parfeccyon) that thou ma­kes clere y^e lyghte of feythe / in y^e whiche feythe / I se that my soule hathe lyfe / and in that lyghte it receyueth the that arte very lyghte / in y^e lyghte of feythe it hathe wonne wysdome / that is the wysedome of thy onely sone / In lyghte of feythe I am stydfaste / stronge / and parseueraunte / in the lyghte of feythe I hope / whi­che suffereth me not to defayle ī my iournaye / that lyghte techeth me the waye / without this lyghte I must nedes walke in derkenesse / and ther fore endelesse fader I praye the yl­lumyne me with the lyghte of holy feythe / for that lyght is a see whiche norysheth the soule in the that arte the peaseable see endelesse trynyte. ¶ The water of thy peaseable see is not troublous / therfore hym nedeth not to drede that is in that see / for he knoweth y^e truthe of thy onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / he is suche a myrrour y^t nedes I muste beholde / in / the whiche myrrour is represen­ted to me that am thy ymage & creature / the whiche myrrour also representeth to me the that arte moost so­uerayne / īfynyte / and meruaylous good / and suche good as is aboue al good / blessed good incomprehensy­ble good & meruaylous good / fayre­nesse aboue all feyrenesse / wysdome aboue all wysdome / y^u arte the meet of angeles / and with the fyre of loue thou hase gyuen thyselfe to vs wretches / thou arte that vesture whiche couers all nakednesse / thou arte he that fedes all hongry in thy swete­nesse / thou acte swete without ony bytternesse. ¶ O endelesse trynyte / in thy lyghte whiche I haue recey­ued lyghte of holy feythe / I haue [Page]knowe by many meruaylous decla­racyons of the waye of parfeccyon that with lyghte and not with derkenesse I maye nowe serue the / ther­fore I praye the endelesse trynyte that I maye be a myrrour of good and holy lyuynge / that I maye a­ryse gracyously fro the derkenesse of my wretched lyuynge / in y^e whi­che derkenesse I haue alwaye hy­derto be blȳded / by y^e whiche know­lege of thy truthe as I sholde / ther­fore I myghte not well and parfytely loue it. ¶ Why knewe I the not? ¶ Certayne for I sawe y^e not with the gloryous lyghte of holy feythe / and also for the cloude of my owne proper loue had blynded y^e eye of my intelleccyon / and yet thou endelesse trynyte with thy lyghte hase dyssol­ued my derkenesse. ¶ Who maye at tayne for to come to y^e heyghte and to yelde to y^e thākynges for so grate a gyfte / and for the large benefyces which y^u hase gyue me of y^e doctryne of thy endelesse sothefastnes / y^e whi­che is a specyall grace aboue the generall grace that y^u gyues to other creatures / who gaue al this? ¶ Certayne thou thy selfe / wherfore good lorde endelesse trynyte gyue me a lyghte of thy grace / y^t with the same lyghte I may gyue the thākynges / araye me with the endelesse truthe / that I maye feythfully renne w^t parfeccyō ī this deedly way w^t very obe­dyence and with the lyghte of holy feythe / with the whiche lyghte me semeth y^u hase made me now lately ghostly drunke / Ioye and euerla­stynge worshyp be to the withoute ende. AMEN.