UIgilate et orate vt nō intretis in temp­tacionē. Wakyth & prayeth that ye entre not in to temptacōn Thise ben the wordes of our lorde Ihesu cryste. the whiche nede none other declaracōn than the same vnderstondyng of theselfe wordes Therfore I leue diuysions of ma­ters / playnly to write as god will gyue me grace somwhat of temp­tacōns / & of remedye again hem. to your ghostly comforte / Take now thēne good hede of thise holy wor­des / ¶ Wakyth & prayeth that ye falle not in to temptacōn / Ye shal vnderstōde / contynuell & besy prayer: whan he sayth / wakyth & pray­eth / & whan he saythe / that ye entre not in to temptacōn. ye shal vnderstōde that ye be not ouercome with temptacōn / Thus haue ye thenne by the techyng of our lorde a speciall remedye agayn al temptacōns & that is besie prayer / Prayeth thē ne besely in all tyme of nede / But now to our purpos take hede what our lorde saith. He sayth not prayeth that ye be not tempted / but he sa­yth that ye falle not in temptacion That good lorde knoweth wel by his grace & ordenaūce how prouffitable it is to good men & wymen moche to be tempted & to be trow­blid. y^e semyth by his wordes why­che he spekyth by the prophete to a man or to a woman that is trowbled / I am wyth him in his tribulacyon / I shall deliuer him. and I shall glorifye him. Of this we haue ensāple of our holy faders whyche greuously were tempted. as ye shall here after. and among all of our glorious lady whiche passed all other in holynes & moost was troubled / therfore he is disceyued y^e wenyth he be holy for he is not tēp­ted / For soth it is to good men & wymen that traueyle to be perfyghte ben more tēpted than other whyche be recheles of liuynge. And a cause why is / for a moūtayne the hyer he is there is the gretter wynde / In the same manere the hyer a mannes liuyng is the strenger is the temptacōn of his goostly en­mye / Wherfore yf men or wymen of religyon or of ony perfeccyon fele noo temptacōns thenne oughte they sorest to drede / for thenne they ben moost tempted whan they fele hem not tempted / therfore sayth saynt gregory / Thenne art thou moost assaylled whan thou felest the not assayled / Also whan our lord [Page] suffreth vs be tempted in our beginynge. he playeth wyth vs as the moder wyth the chylde. whiche somtyme fleeth away & hideth her / & suffreth the chylde to wepe & crye: & besely to seke hir wyth sobbyng & we pyng. but then̄e cometh the moder sodenly wyth mery chere & laughi­ge beclippyng her chylde & kyssyng & wipeth away the teres. Thus fareth our lorde wyth vs. as for a tyme he wythdraweth his grace & cō fort fro vs / In somoche that in his absence we ben al colde & drye / swetnesse haue we none ne sauour in deuocyon / Slowe we ben to prayer or to traueyle / the wretchyd sowle sodenly is chaūged & made full heuy & ful of sorowe & care Then̄e is the body sluggy & the herte full harde And all our spirytes so dulle. that the lif of our body is to vs noyous. All that we here or see thouh it be gode yet for the tyme it is not. And soth for to say / wery be we then̄e of goodnes / & like for to falle in to vices: & feble to withstō de temptacōns Suche heuynes we finde in absence of our fader / And yet our fader leuyth vs neuerthelesse / but hideth him for a tyme & playeth wyth vs for grete loue / Thys absence & forsakyng for a tyme the prophete vnderstode well whan he sayd. Lorde forsake me not at all tymes / therfore vpō thyse wordes sayth saynt gregory. he knew we y^e he sholde be forsake but for a while / that asked to be forsake not at all tymes / The presence of our lorde / I clepe his gracyous werkyng in vs. And I clepe his absence the wythdrawēg of his comfortes fro vs. But now some man that re­deth this / perauenture wylle saye this is a straunge playe / what is this play that thus heui we ben of the absence of our lord / The playe of loue is Joye & sorowe whiche to come diuers tymes one after a nother by the presence & by the absence of hym that is our loue. this is a properte of loue / that whan we haue hym presente whom we loue we knowe not how moche we lo­ue. But whan he is away / thenne we perceyue by his absence what mater we haue to loue him The ioy of his presence causeth sorowe in his absence / not soo that he is cau­se of sorowe / But for his presence is to vs so Joyfull. that wyth his absence we must nedes be sorow­full: ¶ I haue rehersed here short­ly what manere of sorowe we ha­ue in absence. For ye shall haue it more openly after But sayth now what Joy comyth & matere of Joy by his blessyd presence. Anone at his comyng the soule wexeth lighte & Joyfull / the conscyence is cle­re and moche in reste. the spirytes [Page] that were dull & dede ben quicke / & redy to traueylle / and all thyng y^t was harde & sharpe. & Impossible to semyng. anone they wexe softe & swete. and all maner of exercyse in fastyng & in wakyng & all go­de werkes of suche exercyse is tor­ned in to mirth for grete desire & loue / The soule is fyllid wyth charyte & all maner of clennes / She is fedde wyth suche ghostly swetnesse that for suche grete likyng in ghostly fedyng / all outwarde thynges ben almost forgoten Then̄e cometh soo mery meditacōns wyth plente of teres of cōpascyon / teres of cō ­pūccion / teres of loue / & of deuocyon / and though there comen no teres there come other vysitacōns y^t passen all worldly myrth / and therwyth so grete plente of grace / that what is askyd it is grauted / what is. sought is foūde / and the yate of grace is opened to al that aske thē ne to entree / ¶ By thise tokens whiche I haue rehersed / we mow well fele & know the presence & the absence of our lorde. Therfore that he wythdrawe hym not for yowre owne defawte. wakyth & prayeth that ye falle not in to temptacōn / ¶ Vigilate et orate / & c̄.

WHy our lorde withdraweth him fro some more than fro some / why he vysiteth some more than some. we maye not playnly determyn. But some causes of his wythdraweng I wyll shew now / or I wryte ferder more of o­ny matere / and after that I wylle shewe remedyes to gete agayn hys presence / One cause maye be that the louer sholde falle not by pryde: For many ryche gyftes & gladnes of chere / whiche ben gyuen & shew­ed by the presence of our lorde wheche sholde be our loue. The seconde cause may be that we sh [...]lde know our owne Infirmyte / and that is full prouffytable. for as saynt gregory sayth / It is a grete refeccōn a man to see & knowe his owne Imperfeccyon / The thyrde cause is for man sholde not holde hymselfe siker For grete trust of sikernes engendreth necligence & presūpcion / and those two togyder inobedyēce / The fourth canse is that we sholde the more besely seke hym / wepe and crye after hym / as the chylde after the moder / The fyfth cause is that we sholde receyue his comyng af­ter his wythdrawyng wyth more Joye & gladnesse / The sixte cause is that the sholde be the more wyse [Page] and the more stronge to kepe hym Whan we haue hym All thise causes of wythdrawynge ben but for our prouffyte after goddes ordenaunce / But other causes there may. be for our owne defawtes / somtyme for necligence / & somtyme for vnkūnyng vnkyndnes: Therfore this cause of wythdrawēg I wyll declare in partie / for Itrow it be spe defull to men & wymen in her beginyng to knowe of this matere whā they fele swetnes or deuocōn in ghostly liuyng. After the sayenge of the phylosophers: Whan ye see the son̄e is hye in the mydse of may / thēne hath the sonne dowble vertue of werkyng in trees herbes & all thyng that is growyng. yf y^e planetes then̄e whiche gouerne the nature be well ordeyned / after that the tyme of the yere askith / Then̄e draweth the son̄e the humours vp in to the ayre / of the whiche comen dewe & rayne wherby the fruyte of the erthe prouffyteth / & is multeplied. ¶ Now to our purpose / in the same maner̄ / whan that clere sone our lorde Ihesu is lifte vp in oure hertes aboue all other thynges of our kynde / thenne yf bodely dysposicyon be well ruled after dyscrecōn Yf vertues. whiche I clepe ghostly humours ben enhabyted by longe exercyse. whyche vertues shall be presented wyth thankynges / and worshyppes to that clere sonne ihesu / Then̄e somtyme of al thise vertues cometh a swete rayn of an inwarde beholdynge. and an heuenly dewe of the swetnes of the godhe­de. This is a specyall werkyng of our lorde Ihu cryst in hertes of his louers / And in all his louyd chyldern. of this heuēli swetnes cometh suche a likyng to the herte & to all the body. that it semeth a man In­wardly / that fully he is beclipped wyth the loue of god / This likynge is more delectable to the body. & soule than all the myrthe & likyng that all the worlde myghte gyue for the tyme: In this likynge god sendeth in to the herte soo grete sa­uours / comfortes. by gyftes of gladnes. that it thinketh for the tyme he is fulfullid wyth gyftes of gostly comfort / And of this comith a ghostly dronken̄es. whiche falleth to dyuers mē in many dyuers maners / This maner dronkenes makyth some men singe & worshyppe god for fulfylling of gladnes / Some men in that tyme stirynge wyth all the membres of her body soo that they must skyppe or ren̄e or daunce / Some for Joye bete her hondes togyder / Some crye lowde wyth an hye woys / Some ben stille & maye not speke. Somtyme se­meth hem that al the worlde faren as they done. And some haue wō ­der [Page] that alle the worlde fareth not as they done / Hem thynken ofty­mes that they maye neuer forgoo the likyng that they haue / Some men that haue suche likyng won­dren what hem eilen. and what thī ge it maye be that makyth hem soo mery & Joyfull. Somtyme it happeth this likyng is soo grete / that it semyth to some man that his herte sholde breke for Joye / Suche maner̄ werkīg ged wrouht oftymes to men & wymen in her fyrst beginnyng / whan they drewe to ghostli liuyng. and whan they torned hem holy to god / whan they forsoke all worldly comforte. and put her hope fully in god / And yet for all thys they ben right tender as chylderne that nede mylke & softe mete & swete / For harde metes & sowre they may not suffre / that is to say they may not suffre noo stronge temp­tacōns For they may not ne cūne not suffre easely the absence of oure lorde / For whan they ben forsa­ke alityll / that is to say. whan likī ge & comforte is wythdrawen for a tyme / Anone they ben grutchynge. and falle thēne in to suche heuynes / that for defawte of knowing how thei shold haue hem in his presence / thei ben soo necligent in his absēce. that some tyme they leue of moche of her traueyle / by cause they haue no likyng / Here is a grete vnkindnes / and for vnkindnesse grace is oft wythdrawen / But this vnkyndnes is caused of vn­cūnyng Yet for it is god to know how we sholde haue vs in his pre­sence / y^t for our vnkīdnes we cause not his absence / Also how we sholde haue vs in his absence that for ony slouth or necligēce we lese not his presence / Of this matere somwhat shortly I wylle weyte & shewe some shorte remedye to haue ayē our loue whā he is wythdraw But yet leest y^t ye lese him in your owne defawte / wakyth & prayeth that ye falle not in to temptacōn / ¶ Vigilate et orate & c̄.

HOw we sholde know y^e presence of our lorde Ihu. I ha­ue reherced before but some for vncūnynge of receyuīg of his yefte & al suche gostly cōfortes wene y^t they receyue hem by her owne merites / & that they deserue hem for her owne traueyle / This is a foule blindnes: whiche letteth & dystroy­eth y^e floures / & the frutes of al goostly vertues / ne here is noo loue shewed to him y^t mynistreth al mater of loue & what he be y^t thinkith thus / he hath him not dewely in the [Page] presence of our lord Therfore it is nedefull to eche man to set his hert in lowenes at all maner̄ tymes / & namly in wonderfull werkynges of our lord. & in his confortable visitacōns. that he of his endles mighte may soo werke. & of his grete goodnes wyll vysite so poor a creature wyth soo plenteuous yeftes And wel may he set him in lowe­nes / for what euer he deseruyth It cometh on̄ly of god / & yet eche low spiryte thīkyth hym vnworthy to ony suche yeftꝭ / Soo thēne I trow it be ful spedefull to eche man lowli to receyue the presence of our lorde / that is to say his wonderful visitacōns. & suche ghostly likynges whiche are not had but by his presence & with a meke spiryte yeuīg vp thankynges with enterly deuocōn / chynkyng & sayeng suche maner̄ wordes / ¶ A gracyous lorde cryst Ihu goddis sone full precyous ben thy yeftꝭ / worshyp be to the wythout ende in all thy noble bene feytes / I am not worthy ne can not thanke the as I ought of dette but after the cūnyng that I haue / thanke the my lorde for al this gostly comfort. Good curteys Ihu take me in to thy gouernaūce / & saue me by thy keping after thy moost pleysure. ¶ In not̄e pr̄is et filij. & c̄ Or elles in latyn ye may say thus / ¶ Laus tibi xp̄e pr̄is v (er)bū sūt hec tua dona de cuiꝰ veniūt munere tanta bona Agimꝰ tibi grās oip̄os deus ꝓ vniu (er)sis bn̄ficiis tuis / qui viuis & regnas deus ꝑ oīa scl̄a scl̄o (rum) / Salua me pie Ih̄u in tua custodia sicut scis & vis ad bn̄ placitū tuū dn̄e. In noīe pr̄is. & c̄. Wyth suche lownes & thākynges we sholde receyue the yeftes of our lorde / whā it pleyseth hī of his grace to vysite vs / ¶ Ferdermore yet other there bē whiche bē not dewli in ghostli visitacōns. for some rest to sore / & more delite haue of the cō fort & suche maner̄ swetnes. thā of the gracious louer / y^e freeli yeueth suche giftꝭ This is also a foule blī dnes & derknes. whiche feblith al y^e myghtes of the soule. & letteth the knowēg of very sothfastnes / and somtyme it happeth y^t wyth suche mē abydeth a maner̄ fals swetnes by the crafte of the fende / Therfore how ye sholde voyde suche maner̄ be gilinges. & how ye sholde haue you in receyuīg of suche yefte Iwyll sheew you first bi ensāple / & afterwarde more openly to the same purpose ¶ Amōg al bestꝭ ther̄ is a gracious best / whiche mē call apes. a bee is so wise in kīde y^t whan it wylle abyde styll / it wyll abyde & rest in a hieue with his felawes / & whā there is noo tempest in a pesible weder while the son̄e shineth it gooth oute & seketh floures. in the whiche he [Page] may fynde swetnes. But be the floure neuer so fayr / or haue neuer somoche swetnes it resteth vpō non̄ but wiseli dooth her profite & draweth out hony & waxe. whiche bereth to y^e hieue that she cam̄ fro. & there abyde wyth her cōpanye. & werketh in kynde tyll tyme com̄ that y^e son̄e shyne ayē / & that it goth & tasteth ayē of many fair floures: but euermore y^e frute of swetnes she bereth to the hieue / Thus shal eche wyseman doo that is in ghostly liuynge he shal wyth al meknes & al gladnes of spiryte whā our lorde Ihesu lightneth his hert inwarde receyue his yefte. & tast the swetnes wyth reyson & discrecōn / and beholde wy­sely y^e quātite of his benefeytꝭ. & take hem as cōfort as of ghostly likī ge But he shal not abyde & rest vpon suche cōfortꝭ be they neuer so fay [...] / ne sauour they neuer soo swete But with y^e comfort & swetnes / & wyth al the benefeytes / he shal tur­ne & flee ayē to the hyue / y^t is to oure lorde wyth worshippes & than­kynges / and there abyde & rest tyll the son̄e shyne ayē / y^t is to say tyll Ihu crist lightneth his hert / & ordeneth hī by grace to flee aboute while tyme is mery to tast of his benefeytes / But euermore as I said y^e cōfort & the swetnes that he fīdeth he shal lowely bere ayē to our lord in whose worship he receyueth and gadreth all suche swetnesse / ¶ Yf ye receyue in this maner̄ the vysi­tacōn of out lorde. thēne shal ye haue you deweli in our lordes presence / And that ye may soo haue you wakyth & prayeth that ye falle not in to temptacōn ¶ Vigilate [...] c̄.

HOw must we see ferdermore / whan he wythdraweth hym. how lowely we sholde bere vs in pleysure of hym. to gete agayn his presence / I liknyd before the comynge of our lorde to the vertuous werkyng of the sonne whan he is at his heigth in the midle of may / And for asmoche as I purpose to wryte of this wythdraweng I make an other liknes of the sonne goyng doūwarde. Whā the sonne in tyme of yere begyn̄eth to wythdrawe doūwarde / then̄e re igneth he in a planete that we call Virgyne. and the cause why it is callid virgyne is for that tyme of the yere it is not fructuous nomore than a mayde y^t bereth no fruyte of children / In this tyme of the yere / the hete of the wheder is mynys­shed. harde frute corne & wyne ben gadered home: And thenne is some seedes sowen to prouffyte of man: Als [...] the werkynge [Page] of the son̄e as for that yere is then̄ fulfillid. For thêne he withdrawith his werkyng. In the same manere whan our glorious son̄e cryste Ihu begyn̄eth to come doun / & to hide in the inwarde shinynge of his son̄e beme / & whan he forsakyth vs & leuyth vs alone / thēne is there lityll feruour of loue: thēne fīde we vs full poor & al forsakē as outla wes that was before likyng / & he­te is thēne ful colde & alayed / & all that was soo plenteuous is come in to nede & pouerte / Then̄e of youre wretchydnes we wonder / & see where is al this feruent loue & thā kyng to god. Where is all this ly: kyng & worshyp to god / where is all the soules cōfort. gladnes & sa­uour / what may this be. Wheder is all this become. Why fai [...]th this now / how is it / that all this stronge loue / & all thise noble yeftes ben away & dede / Thus we fare as mē vnwyse / that thynke our traueylle lost / & some time in some men & wimen / the bodely kynde is feblid by a soden heuynes in her begin̄ing and they wote not whi / & that is somtime for a stryfe betwene the spirite & the flesshe / Some by slouth & fo­ly / wylfully leue hir traueyle some fall in doubt wheder they shal tra­ueile or no [...] Some whā they sholde slepe. thēne hem list wake & pray

Some whan they sholde wake & pray. thenne hem lust to slepe. But many by grace kepe her Journey. & thēne falleth to hem whiche will a byde & traueyle / that somtyme our lorde for grete loue preueth hem sorer than other / for thēne of his suffraūce they lese outwarde benefay­tes & likynges / that his to frendes & kynes mē. & lightly bē forsake of al other knowleching / they that dide him chere before haue him now in soorne / trouth fynde they nowhere / but wronges / detraccōns / & vnkyndenes. They haue also grete infirmytees in body & in soule / Som̄ falle in perplexitees for a thyng y^e nought is to charge or lityl And there they cowde coūseyle other. in that & other doubtes / thēne stōdeth hymself desolate & in grete doubte / Some ben soo harde preuyd with goostly temptacyons / whyche passen all dyseases. that what for drede & doubte / all comforte is lost / sa­uf oonly hope of mercy / Of suche goostly temptacōns & trybulacy­ons ye shall see more openly afterwarde / ¶ A good god what gra­ce is in thy presence / how precious is thy loue / Whan all loue & gra­ce fayleth in thyne absence / Now thenne it were gode to know how a man sholde bere hym in alle this sorowfull mornyng. Fyrst I coū ­seyle euery mā to thinke or put it to his owne defawte that grace is [Page] wythdrawe by some maner̄ necly­gence / or specyall defawte by dyssolute bering / or for withdrawēg the hert from god by diuers vayn thoughtes. & though his conscyēce de­me not this alway in specyall / yet good it is to drede / & as openly as he can oft declare his conscyēce to his goostly fader / In specyall yf he can. or elles in generall wordes. And this is a souerayn medicyn to al temptacōns Also he shal not leue his traueyle for noo maner̄ heuynes / for your prayer sauour not as at that tyme / It is accept full hye to god. & turneth perauēture to more mede. than though he vysited wyth likynge & swetnes: And yet I will not coūseyle that he kepe al­way the same tyme of prayer / for somtyme it is spedeful to leue it for good entent / For what occupaciō it be / prayer or meditacōn. redyng writyng / or elles good comenyng or what thyng it be / that most ste­ryth hym to the loue of god / that I holde spedefull to vse / as for that tyme / for that dryueth away heuynesse / & comforteth the soule / Also it is nedeful in all suche tyme to take bodely sustenaūce / & other nedeful reste in resonable maner̄ / & soo the soule may be too wblid that hit is nede that he take a soppe in ale or in wine before mete. and after for com­forte of the spyrites to be the more stronge ayenst heuy temptacyons. Also is is good to suche men and wymen to visite seke folke that bē holden goostly lyuers. and wyth al meknes commende hem to her prayers. and yf nede be aske hem of her counseyle. ¶ Also for lowenes it is a nother remedye a man in su­che dysease sette hymselfe at noughte / and thynke in his herte that nought he hath / nought he had. ne noughte may haue. but oonly of god and after ensample of Job he may thenne saye or thynke / Our lorde hath yeuen / our lorde hath taken awaye / as it pleyseth our lorde soo it is doo / blessid be the name of our lorde god / ¶ Sn̄s dedit dn̄s abstulit sicut dn̄o placuit ita factum est sit nomen dn̄i bn̄dietū. Also he may thynke or saye. Good mercyfull lorde yf it pleyse the that I [...]e thus poore of all maner̄ comforte thenne wyll I desire this pouertee that thy holy wylle be fulfylled in me. And though the wylle of kinde grutche / the wylle of the spiryte grutcheth not. and though I wyll but fayntly / my wylle is to wylle perfyghtly. that thy wylle. and not my wylle in me / & in all thynge be fulfyllid ¶ Fiat volūtas tua.

By suche manere of lawes we maye soonest purchace the presence of our lorde ¶ Now thus haue I shewed you of the play of loue / & [Page] a lityll I haue spoken of the matere of temptacōns / But now of y^e mater̄ I thynke more opēly to write / as god wyl gyue me grace / but to eschew the peryll of vndyscrete heuynes in our lordes absence / contynual prayer is euermore nedful Wakyth therfore & prayeth that ye entre not in to temptacyons.

¶ Vigilate & orate. & c̄.

I Likened before the play of our lord wyth men & wymē whiche ben newe conuerted to a louynge moder / that listeth to play with her souking childe / whiche moder in her play somtyme hy­deth her / & cometh ayen to know by the coūtenaunce of the chylde how well it loueth y^e moder / But now we must see ferdermore. how y^e moder preueth the chylde after the tender age A good louyng moder suffreth her chylde to souke / & tenderly nourysshed tyll it haue more strēg the to suffre more hardnes / Then̄e she wythdraweth a lityll & a lityll the mylke & other delicacyes. & makyth asaye of harder & sharper me­tes to nourissh hī forth in hardnesse / She wythdraweth her glad che­re. and spekyth somtyme sharply / Somtyme she threteth. and yf the childe woxe wanton she beteth him fyrst wyth a lityll rodde / And the strenger he wexeth the gretter rod­de she takyth. & sharpely beteth on Somtyme to kepe hym in. whan nedes he wolde oute / And yf he haue ben oute ayenst the moders pleysure / she fetcheth hym home ayen And as a louyng moder she recey­uyth hym gladly / But the more she louyth hym y^e sharper she beteth hym / to make him abyde at home / and all is for loue / For loth she is to forgoo her chylde / the whiche she derely louyth. ¶ Now to our pur­pose on the same maner. our good louyng lorde Ihesu cryste goodis sone first in the begynnyng of his dere chyldern whiche ben goostly lyuers / he fedyth hem wyth softe me­tes / whiche is goostly swetnesse / But after tyme they ben streng­thed bi exercise of vertues / he with draweth in partye that swetnes / & asayeth hem wyth bytternesse. he takyth fro hem rest of hert: & suffreth hem be trowblid. to preue well her pacyence / easely fyrst wythoutwarde thynges / as bacbitynge & soor­nes / repreues. & wronges / & worldly dyseases / He spekyth afterwarde sharpely / and bryngeth hem in ddredfull doubtes / And yf they were wanton by dyssolute beryng in heete / or in dede / Fyrste he smyteth sof­tely wyth easy temptacions / And [...]n they neuer soo easy / yet they [Page] greue the soule. For how euer the sowle before was chastysed wyth doubtes & dredes. it felt noo smerte sharply tyll the rodde came. Whiche I clepe temptacōn / The strenger y^e soule is to the loue of god / by meknes & suffraunce. the sharper rodde our lorde takyth. for after the soule maye bere / he mesureth the strekes of temptacōns Yf the soule he necligent / or elles by Infyrmyte wyll walke oute abrode to ony manere vanyte. our lorde smyteth thenne sharply wyth some maner temptacōn. to take fro him that vain lust & for he sholde abyde wyth him. & le­se not his loue: And if it happe bi suffraūce that y^e soule hath be ferre oute. assentyng or perfourmyng to ony maner vanytee Yet wyll not that louyng lorde lese his dere childe / but by grace he clepyth hym / & yf he wylfully come home / gladli he is receyued / And for loue that oure lorde hath to his chosen chylde bit­terli he beteth him to purge him for his trespasse / & toucheth him wyth sharpnes euermore to abyde at ho­me in our lordes seruyse / & all thys chastysing is for loue / For as oure lorde sayth hymself. he chastiseth whom he loueth / Chastysing may be in many maners / But by cause your entent is oonly to here of tēptacyons / therfore at this tyme I leue al maner other chastysing / playnly to speke / & wryte of the sharpnes of thise ghostly roddes / whiche I clepe temptacōns But or I wryte ony more / fyrst alway I coūsey­le you. wake & praye that ye falle not in to tēptacōn. ¶ Vigilate & c̄

NOo man may. nombre tēptacyons in specyall but so­me temptacōns I wyll she­ew in generall. whiche falle gene: rally to dyuers men in eche degre. & afterwarde I wyll shewe some tēptacōns in specyall / wyth the why­che goostly liuers ben more specially traueylid than other men / Vj. general temptacōns there ben whiche traueylen a mānes spiryte thise temptacyons ben medlid after the settyng of a mānis bodi that is to saye / before & behynde / & aboue & be­neth / on the right side & on the lifte side / The temptacōn that is beneth is repreuable. the temptacyon that is aboue is wonderful. the temptaciō that is before is dredful the tēptacōn that is behynde is vnsemely. the temptacōn that is on the right side is mouable / the temptacōn that is on the lifte side is greuous. The first y^e is of beneth cometh of oure owne flessh / whiche s [...]orneth vs al day with glosig & flatrīg. bi cause we shold folow his lust & desires / & this tēptacōn is repreuable / [Page] The seconde temptacōn thāt is c [...]eped aboue / is of our reison / whiche is the ouer parte of our soule / as whan reison assenteth / & deliteth / & is drawen to serue the flesshe / whiche sholde be subget to reason / and this temptacōn is wonderfull.

The thyrde temptacōn that is cle­pyd before / is wycked I [...]sions. & fals suggestyons of the wyckyd deuylses. the whiche euer more whether we becom wakyng or slepyng they cast gynnes to catche vs that vneth we may scape / & this is ful dredefull / The fourth temptacyon, that is behynde / is mynde & thoughte of sinnes before done wyth ly­kyng & pleysaūce of y^e flesshe in vanytee / or ony thyng that noughte is, and this is vnsemely / The v­temptacyon that is on the right si de / is of grete prosperite. as whan all fortune & case fallen to a man euermore abidynge wythout ony losse or dysease / This is meuable. as a byrde that fleeth. Whiche som­tyme is soo mery / that in his beste flighte falleth downe & deyeth and that is meuable / The sixt tēptacy­on that is on the lift side / is grete aduersite. whiche somlyme brīgeth the soule in to soo grete heuynes / y^t eyther it makyth him sore grutche ayenst god / orels to thynke & saye amys ayenst god. & al is to brīge him into to dispeyre / & this tēptacion is greuous / Of thise vi. tēptacyons generally I clepe him for bo the worldly men & ghostly men bē traueylid wyth suche temptacōns some man more / & some sesse. some wyth one & some with an other. after dysposicōn of kynde / & ordenaū ce & suffraūce of god / so that euery mā in eche degree is somwhat tra­ueled that moost done hir befinesse to come to perfight loue / for to him the deuyll hath moost enuye / Therfore as I sayd before to some goostly liuers. there fallen many dredes bothe wakynge & slepyng / to some by horryble sightes / to some by wō derful heryng / & to some by dredful bodely felyng / Also to some in her begyn̄ynge cometh Imagynacyon of dredfull thynges / whiche they may not put away but by a specy­all grace of god / To some suche thoughtes bē soo dredful & greuous. that gladly they wolde suffre all manere bodely paynes / yf it plesed god / soo they myght be deliuerd of suche maner thoughtes / for thē ne the soule dredeth soo sore / y^t he recstyth not of the body. Aslonge as the soule pacyently suffreth suche tēptacōns. & desireth not bi wil of reison to haue him away / but to the plesing of god soo long thyse temptacyons ben noo synne, but purgacyon for the soule, and hye encrease of meryte / But wh [...]n a [Page] a man desireth him alwaye for his owne ease. & not to plesing of god Ye & though he wolde gladly suf­fre all bodely paynes for to be dely­uerde of hem & Yet in asmoche as he desireth his owne wyl. for his owne ease / he falleth into a nother tēptacōn by that desire / and sin̄eth / for asmoche as he assēteth to that vn­resonable desire agayn the wyll of god / And thenne suche temptacy­ons of thoughtes ben not merytory to the soule / by cause of the vn­resonable grutchīg. but rather per­auēture peyne for grutchyng / For as saynt gregory sayth / Eche syn̄e that is not soone wasshte awaye by sacrament of penaūce. as by cō trycōn / and confession. eyther it is sinne / & cause of sinne folowynge or elles it is syn̄e / & peyne of sinne done before / Soo it semyth well y^t whan a man wylfully grutchyth agayn suche temptacōns. ye shall abyde moche the lenger / and thēne suche temptacōns ben payn of synne / Suche dredful thoughtes that I haue spoken of / it nedeth not to specyfie. for they that haue be chastysed wyth suche ghostly temptacy ōs / knowēwel in her soules what I wolde meane / Also it is peryllo­us to specifie suche thoughtes / for some ben traueyled wyth one tho­ught / that a nother man or womā wolde neuer. ne neuer perauenture sholde Imagyne suche a thoughte but by other mennes tellyng Therfore I wyll not shewe suche thoughtes inspecyall: Also though I wolde I may not / ne can not / For there was neuer man ne woman that herde or asayed hem all / Ther­fore I sayd before / noo man maye nombre in specyall whyche all tēptacyons, for they ben out of nom­bre. But yet some wyll I shewe / whiche most comunely false in mē nys speche. & openly to knowenge / Some whan they here ony mischeef falle to ony man or woman / or here hem speke ony harde wordes or dredfull before her dethe / anone by temptacōn they fall in to a drede / y^e long tyme after they may not put it fro her hertes / for nyght & day / in prayer & all other tymes they ben soo trowblid therwyth that verely almoost they vaast away for dre­de of the soule / and makyth hem desire the deth of the body for to be deliuerde of that temptacōn / but that desire wythout pleysing of god is sinne / as I sayd before. Thus it fareth by hem also that wyll ymagyne of the predestynacōn & of y^e prescience / or of the foreknowinge of god. And suche men somtyme ben dredful for sinnes done before / & some tyme to dredfull. Wherfore so­me ben in poynt to falle in dispey­re / some agayn her wyll ben trauey [Page] led wyth dyspeyre / Notwythston­dyng they knowe well our lordes mercy passeth all her sinnes. So­me also ben traueysed wyth poyn­tes of the fayth moche ayenst her wyll / & wyth suche thoughtes stonden and abide in grete drede & doubte what god wyll doo wyth hem / Wyth suche maner̄ hardnes oure lorde asayeth his chyldern in the begyn̄yng after her conuersion. Thyse▪ many suche moo bē in his goostly roddes / wyth the whiche somtyme he threbeth, and somtyme sha [...]rly he smyteth to kepe in his chyl­dern that they shold not sterte abrode fro the soole of loue / Other rod­des there ben / that some men drede sorer. for to some of tender kynde they ben moche more dredful. sauf oonly the temptacōn of dyspeyre whyche comunely cometh of hem / or wyth hem / Thise temptacōns y^t Imeane ben horryble sightes / & dredefull ferdnes of wycked spirytes whiche come to some aswel as wakyng as slepyng / as I sayd before Some tyme they tarye the body outwarde / felingly that a mā may not slepe / ne ete / ne pray / ne drynke in rest / Some haue had oftfithes swete sauours two dayes or thre togider. or lenger tyme / that wheder euer they went / or what euer they dyde / it semyd as they smellid spy­ces. This sauour may be a temp­tacōn & yllusion of the deuyll / As whan it letteth deuocōn or prayer / Also some in the coūtree haue had somtyme wyckid sauours & fowle stenches in her nose, mouth / & thro­te. and all is yllusion of the wye­kyd spiryte to lete a man / whan he seeth hym soo feuent in the begynnynge. Somtyme they haue power to traueyle the body wyth Informyte. & somtymee thei entre in to y^e body by the suffraunce of god: & feble soo the bodely strengthe / that the kynde wittes & strengthe of y^e soule ben febled Also for the tyme soo forth. that what suche a man spekyth or dooth for that tyme. it is bi that wyckid spiryte / Some men also & wymmen ben tempted with presūpcōn, or sterynges of vayne glory for bodely vertues / & ghostly for specyall yeftes & comfortes: or for specyal grace that they haue to comfort other / by writyng or cun­nyng. or for reuelacōns. or vysiōs or for some other speciall yeftes of god / whiche they haue bigrace more passingly than other / Thise tēptacōns & like to suche ben more pe­ryllous than other / whiche I haue reherced before Therfor̄ I haue shewed hem here. & remedyes ayenst hem I wyll shewe herafter. Moo tomp tacōns ye shall see in the v. chapyters folowynge / how some for vnstablenes fall in to dyuers ghostli [Page] siknes / And how some for vnlust fall fro perfeccōn. & liue all contrariously ayēst goddis techyng. O­ther temptacōns in this chapytre I shewed not in specyall more thā I haue. for what euer temptacōn it be that I haue not rehersed or spece fyed here. it is a spyce or a braūche of some of those that I haue shew­ed in specyall or in generall / And for as ye see that tēptacōns bē soo dredfull & wythout nōbre / wakyth & prayeth y^t ye falle not in to tēptacōn / ¶ Vigilate / & c̄

IN certen tyme of the yere / the son̄e begyn̄eth in a pla­nete that mē call libra / that is asmoche to say as a balaūce / for thēne the dayes & the nyȝtes ston­de euēlike. for then̄e the son̄e departeth euen / & like proporcōn the liȝt & the derknes / In the same maner̄ our lorde Ihu cryst stondyth wyth his ghostly childern whiche vtterli haue forsakē hemself / & stonde euē after the wille of our louyng lord Whan that our blessid lorde Ihesu wyll visite hem wyth swetnesse. or chastise hem wyth sharpnesse / whā it is his pleysure to sende derknes or clerenes of liȝte / or what euer he put to his childern / alway thei stō de euē in al maner̄ thyng: sauf on̄ ly in sin̄e. whiche is neteful to flee for that cometh not of god / And whā suche childern bē perfitly ordeyned & stabled / & lacke all cōforte / & bē forsake of all creatures / yf they can then̄e well gader togider frute & herbes of vertues than shall the [...] be plenteuous / for all her vertues ben thēne rype & perfyte & well tem­pred without ony grutchyng of y^e soule What euer thēne y^e body may doo or suffre gladly the soule offer that our lorde god / Also all other inwarde vertues that euer he had before in likyng of the loue of god he hath thēne after his knowyng offre hem to Ihesu cryst & wyth all traueyle & wyth al the heit haue h [...] in exercyse / Suche oblacōns & mekenes wyth wertues liuynge ben more acceptable to god / and more worthy / more noble / & more clener than euer thei were before thēne & stondeth in suche perfeccōn / y^t glad­ly he wyll lacke all maner̄ comfort that euer god yaf hym before & stō de euyn at goddis wyll / not in liȝt now in derknes / and take al this in like wele / so it be to the worship of god / In this maner̄ as I haue rehersed eche perfyte lyuer shall ga­der in the frute of vertues / wyth y^u whiche he shal be ryche & plenteuo? [Page] and dwelle in the presence of god euer more lastyng. By suche mennes liuyng. & ensample of her pacience / all other men that hem knew or be wyth hem conuersaunt / or famylier ben taught & amended / and prouffyte in vertue / so that the frute & the herbes of her vertuous ly­uyng be sette and sowen / and plenteuously multyplied to other men­nes prouffyte / Euery suche man y^t hath this prefeccyon / and comyth to this lownes & suffraūce is first sharply threted & assayed. well prouyd. and tempted of god & of him selfe. and of all creatures / Therfore the forsakyng of hymselfe / & of his owne wyll. is to hym a specy­all & hye perfeccyon / neuertheles eche man that shall be saued / must forsake his owne wyll: and putte his wyll to goddis wylle. For el­les he is not obedyent to our fader in heuen / But now ye shal know ferdermore. that in this same time of the yere / the sonne cometh dow­ne. and the weder is full colde / therfor in some vnwyse man & vnauy sed the wyckyd humours ben sty­red. and make the stomocke replete / wherfore they falle in to dyuers siknesses / They put alway all delite and sauour of metes and drynkes. and somtyme it happeth that they brynge some men or wymen to the dethe / Of suche euyll humo­urs. some men ben chaunged oute of her owne kyndely complexion / & falle in to a dropesie or other Infyrmitees: Also somtyme of vnkindly humours wexe perillous feuers by whiche siknes after longe lan­gour men oftymes deyeng: In the same maner̄ whan some mē of goosily liuyng / or men of goode will or men that haue assayed of ghostly swetnes / & of other yefte of god fall away fro sothfastnes. and by necligence & Infirmytee goo oute fro god / & out fro the scole of loue / Anone they wexe soo seke that either they fall fro vertues of elles they falle in to perylle of deth. or elles vtterly they lityll / & deye by longe contynuaūce of ghostli siknesse For an vnwyse man or necligent that vndiscretly gouerneth himselfe. lightly falleth in to thyse Infyrmytees / by cause y^t tyme is to hym colde / Wherfore the kindly werkynge of vertues and of gode dedes wexen slowe & vnresonable Suche a man desireth & sekyth the prouffyte & ease to the body / more than hem nedith / Some men bi suche Infirmytee desiren comforte of god / soo he wold sende it him without traueyle & payne / Some thynke they ben soo feble & soo tender. & waasted for age / or for traueyle / y^t all thyng they thike nedeful what euer they may gete to the rest & profyte [Page] of the body / Some seken comfort & solace of men & wymen. & of other creatures more than nedeth: wherof fallith grete perylle of sowle. whan suche men vnresonably & vndyscretly encline soo to the rest & cōmodyte of the body / thēne alle thyse wycked humours make thr stomacke repfete / that is to saye / fulfyll the hert wyth euyll wyll / & lete the sauour of all good vertu­es / Also whan suche men wexe seke for colde / thēne they fall in to y^e dropesie / and anone they ben ouer­charged with water / that is to say they desire worldly goodes / And y^e more they haue the more they co­ueyte / by cause they ben seke of the dropesie. the body that is to say the lust & couetyse vexen fast / & swellē grete. But the thurst is neuer the lesse / The fatte face that is the conscyence wexeth lene. for he hath loste the sauour of good metes / that is to say he lackyth y^e frute of grace. For they wyll not werke with grace / & this is the cause of all thise siknesses for werkīg wyth grace is nedefull / as ye shall here & see after. ¶ now then̄e fyrst wyll I speke of ghostly feuers / and soo fourth of dyuers mennys errours / But that ye fall not in to noo suche siknes ne errours: wakith and prayeth y^t ye falle not in to tēptacion / ¶ vigilate / & c̄

Dnuers men as I speke of whiche ben so replete of wickyd humours / that is to sa ey to vnskylfully / and vnresona­bly ben encliued to lustes & cases of the body. fallen ofte tymes in to foure maner̄ of feuers. Dyuerse men in to dyuerse feuers / after he is dysposed. The fyrst feuer̄ is callid a cotydian / in whiche is properly in ghostly meuyng a varyaun­ce of the herte. For some there ben that wyll knowe of all thynges and of eche liuyng. they comyn of eche matere / and entremete of eche cause / bothe of temporell & spirytuell many thynges they deme & blame. but ofte tymes they forgete hē selfe / Gladly they bere outwarde charges & besinesses / And yf they here ony worde of matere of disple sure. lightly they ben styred. & som­tyme trowblid. Her thoughtes ben full chaūgable. now here / now there / now so / now thus like to wynde / this is cotydian feuer / for with suche varyaunce / they ben taryed & occupyed fro morow to euen / and some tyme of nyghte bothe slepynge and wakynge / Also though this Infyrmytee maye some tyme stonde wythout dedely sinne: It letteth neuertheles goostly exercyse [Page] and sauour of god. And soo lon­ge it may last that it bryngeth the soule in to peryll / ¶ The seconde feuer is callid a tercian: whiche may be sayd Inconstaūce / or vnstablenesse / And all though this goo & come. yet it is peryllous / This fe­uer tercian comyth somtyme of an vnordynate hete & somtym̄ of colde they that haue the tercyan the whiche comyth of hete / ben suche men y^t whan they ben styred to deuocyon­or whan they ben towehed of our lorde wyth ony ghostly comfort or elles after tyme they haue assayed & liued in perfyght liuynge yf our lord then̄e leuenth hem / and suffre hem stonde allone. some of hem fall anone in to vnstablenes / for thys day they chese one liuyng or deuo­cyon. tomorow they chese a nother. One certen tyme. or one hour they wylle kepe seylence. an other tyme they bucke the rule. and gladly they wyll speke & comyn / Some tyme they wyll yeue largely her goodes for the loue of god / and somtyme they ben soo harde / that neyther thei wyll yeue ne lene Some tyme thei wylle goo on pylgremage / Som­tyme they wyll be recluse / sōtime they wyll singe ofte yf they be preestes / and somtym̄ they take but lytyll hede of that maner̄ deuocyon ¶ Alle thise falle of vnstablenes whiche noyeth moche a man / and letteth of goostly vnderstondynge and putteth away the grounde of perfeccyon / But takyth here hede wherof this vnstablenes comyth: Whan a man setteth or stablith his entencōn & his besines & wer­kynges more to outwarde exercise of vertues / than to god Inwarde / or to be vnyed in herte & in spiryte wyth god / notwythstondyng tho­ugh he be thenne in grace / by cause he dwellith in vertues. yet his lif is chaungable & vnstable / For as moche as he felith not hym reste in god perfyghtly aboue all vertues / Therfore suche a man hath that he knoweth / for he hath hym in hymselfe / whō he sekyth wythout with grete bodely & goostly exercyse.

Therfore yf a mā wyll put away or ouercome this vnstablenes. he must rest hym / and make his aby dyng in god / & wyth god / aboue al other vertues / comfortes / & swet­nesse: and all other likyng as I sayd before in the thyrde chapytre ¶ The seconde feuer of vnstable­nesse / is caused of colde / to the whiche thynge they put her herte vnwisely. and loue it more than nede is Suche men ben dyuyded in hemselfe / Also suche men. now feble one waye. now a nother: now they wyll be shryuen of one man / and telle all her life. and aske of hym coūseyle / a nother day they chese a nother. [Page] but it happeth ful selde wheder suche done after coūseyle / of whom they ben blamyd / or for what thynge they shewe hemself ful In̄ocente & besie they ben to coloure theyr de­faute Fair wordes thei shew without. but the contrary is in hert. they desire her vertues to be knowen / & for a fewe vertues / yet they wolde haue worshyppe / Other men they wyll teche & blame hem for her defawtes. but they wyll not be taught of other / ne take of other correccōn An vnresonably enclinyn̄g of the flesshly kynde. & a derke pryde pre­uely hyd may be cause of suche vn­stablenes / ¶ In some men the feuer quartein is caused of vnstablenes / that is to say whan a man is aliened / or wylfully gooth out fro god / from hymself / fro all sothfastnes. & fro al vertues / Suche a mā comyth lightly in to a byewaye / & for many errours he slidethful folyly / soo that he wote neuer where he is. ne wheder he shal / what he hath ne what he shall doo. this siknesse is more perilous. than of the other whiche Ihaue rehercedOut of this quarteyn / that is callid alienacōn som̄ men false in to a nother feuer that is cleped double quartein / that is to saye necligence / or slowthe / whiche is liuynge wythoute charge of besines / thenne is the fourth day dowblid. & fro that day vneth he shall gete hele / by cause he is slo­ew & necligent in all maner̄ thynges that longeth to euery lastyng hele / Also by suche slowthe & necligēce / he is likly to fall in to sinfull liuing. as man y^t neuer had knowen god before. And some men in this siknes hold fals opinions in her owne conceytes / & dāynable be­fore god / of whyche men I wyll declare you more openly. four manere sectes. that ye maye be the more ware of hem. & of her opynyons.

And for asmoche as ye haue seen here before what Infirmytees fallē to ghostly lyuers. Wakyth & pray­eth that ye false not in to temptacicōn ¶ vigilate / & c̄.

SOme there ben. or haue bē that seme full good / & perfite of liuyng whyche life is contraryous to all manere of vertues and specyally I speke of hem at this tyme whiche in hemselfe se­ke reste in kynde. and wylfully se­ue the rest in god And the louyngly enclinyng of the soule in god & to god y^e whiche is aboue kide. all thei y^t liue without y^t blestfull loue whyche is aboue kynde / nedes thei ben enclined to hemself sekyng res [Page] te to some other thynge / For kyn­dely all creatures hen bowynge to haue rest / and desire so / that rest is soughte in dyuers maners / aswell of gode as of badde ¶ Vpon this ye may vnderstonde / that whan a man stondeth nakid in soule withoute ony Imagynacyons / or besy­nesses of kyndely wyttes / and all voyde & ydle / noo thynge yoccupyed wyth the ouyr wyttes of the sowle / thenne by very kynde he co­myth in to rest. This rest men maye fynde by very kynde in hem­selfe / wythout werkyng of grace / yf they can voyde / and deliuer hem from all maner̄ Imagynacyons and dedes & werkes / But in thys voydaūce & ydlenesse. a gode liuynge soule may haue noo rest. for good loue & feruēt charyte. & thīwar de werkīg & techyng of y^e grace of god. will not suffre a man rest in this maner̄ ydlenesse / or voydaūce Suche an Inwarde liuer / that is to say a ghostly louer may not longe endure in kindely rest wyth ea­se of herte / and hole of conscyence / But ferdermore it is good to knoew how kyndely rest maye be / and what exercyse it hath / In kyndely rest there is an Inwarde scylence that is to saye / peas & rest in the inwarde wyttes. & outwarde wyttes In a maner̄ ydlenesse / without thoughte / or Imagynacyon / wythout ony maner̄ exercise outwarde or inwarde / soo that reste in this wyse maye be hydde / and not lette by no maner̄ way / But rest in this ma­ner̄ is noo thyng lefull / For this maner̄ werkyng bryngeth a man in suche blindenes / that though he shal know & into a maner̄ of / bowyng doūwarde to hymselfe. and in to hymselfe wythouten ony dede or werkes This rest is not elles but a maner̄ ydlenes in hymselfe. & a­uoydaunce of in hymself / forgetinge hymselfe. god / & other thynge / This rest is contrarious to y^e reste in god. For the Reste in god whiche is aboue kinde / is a louyngly beholdyng in to an hye clernes / that may not be comprehē ded. this rest in god is soughte al­way / & had with a contynuell werkyng / & whan it is had. it is souȝte neuertheles. butasmoche desireth aboue kyndli reste as god is hy [...]st aboue all creatures Therfor̄ al thei bē fowle deceyued / the whiche beholde or entende on̄ly to hemself. & they also that bowē doūwarde in to kindly rest / ¶ Also that seke not god wyth contynuel desire / or fynde not god with a laftyng loue / sette euer to god / & in god by contynuell vse wythout chaūgyng in wyll. For all other that seke or desire kyndly rest / her [...]este stondeth in a manere y [...]e [...]es / To the whyche they ben [Page] bowed down by kynde by custome But in suche kinde rest god may not be foūde / for this kyndly reste bryngeth a man into suche ydlenes se that Jewes & paynems thay finde & all other men / be they neuer so sinful soo that they liue in synne wythout accusacōn of conscyence soo that can voyde all thoughtꝭ & Imagynacōns. In suche an ydle­nes kyndly rest is delectable. & su­che a rest in his owne proper being is noo synne / For somtyme it falleth in you / in me / & in all men. as whan a man stōdeth or sitteth as he were astonyed. or were in a thoughte / and in sothe ne he thynketh ne ymagyneth rihtnought / For he thynketh not vpō that thyng that he lokyth vpō / but yole he is & voyde for the tyme fro al maner̄ thouȝte & dede And this rest of his ownē propertee is noo sin̄e But whā a man besieth hym / & in full wylle desireth to haue suche rest / wythoute exercyse of vertues bodely & ghostly inwarde & outward / here is noo doubt the rest is turned in to a grete sin̄e. for then̄e he fallith perillously in to a ghostly pryde. that is to say in to a full pleasaūce of his owne wyll for his moost rest & ease / He weneth thēne y^t he is or that he hath / that neuer he shall haue or come to / Whā a man hath suche rest by a fals ydlenes / & whā all other exercyse that bryngeth in loue. / is to hym lettyng / then̄e he dwellith & abydeth on̄ly vpon hymself / & hymself vtterly voydeth fro al vertuoꝰ liuyng This errour is a fowle begyn̄yng of all ghostly vertues. by cause of the pryde & presūpcyon Of this ye maye see an ensample whā angels were fyrst made they had a free choys. soo some in y^e firste meuyng of the free wylle began to worshyp god by a grete feruour of loue / & fulli turned to god with all that they had receyued of god. euer to abide in blisse And [...]i y^t her wylle was conseruyd soo to stonde euermore wythout ony chaūgyng But those angelles that anone rested on hemself. and sought pleysa ūce in her owne light to folow hyr owne wylle ayenst the kynde of reson / her rest was full short by cau­se it was vnskilfull and also vn­lefull / therfore they lackyd lighte. and in her owne blyndenes slode & felle in to euerlastynge derkenesse And for vnresonable desire of her owne rest / they were put in to vnrest euer more duryng / Thus ha­ue I shewed you a grete errour / y^t some tyme falleth amonge goostly men. Wakyth therfore & prayeth that ye falle not in to temptacōn ¶ Vigilate & orate ne intretis in temptacōnem /

THe seconde secte of contrarious liuyng cometh of ther­rou [...]s. whiche Ishewed before in hem that sekē & desirē her ow­ne ease & rest by fowle pryde & pre: sūpcyon. Of this pryde comyth a spirituel or ghostli lecheri. for whā a man wyll haue rest in a maner̄ ydlenes / wythout ony desire or [...]esi sekyng to god. thēne he is full dyssposed to false in to all errours. by cause he is turned away fro god. & turned to hymself by a kindly loue And by cause he desireth & sekyth all that is to pleysure & to lust & liking Suche a mā is like to a marchaut. for in all his werkes he is euer enclinyng & bowyng by entencōn to his owne rest / & to his ow­ne profyte / but noo thynge for the worshyp of god. This man that thus resteth vpō his owne loue to his proper persone / may well be callid a proprytayre / the whiche vyce is dāpnable in al obeysaūt chylderne / Neuertheles some of thyse childern liue in grete penaūce / and doo many thynges outwarde / that her lyf maye be knowen / and her name in reputacyon amonge holy men. For eche suche loue of kynde is fauourable to hymself / Also some of thyse men by a grete singularytee desire of god some specyalle thefte abouen other / eyther of werkynge myracles / or vysions or of reuelacions / or some other specyalte: wherefor ofte tymes thei ben disceyued by the deuyll / For somtyme they haue of the deuyll that they desiren Then̄e they wene it comyth to hem for her meryte. and wene that it be sent fro god for her holy liuynge. Suche men / ben bothe prowde and blinde. for hem lacken all goostly lighte & felinge / And a full lityll thynge maye comforte suche men / for they knowe not what hem lac keth / This is cleped a spirituell lecherye. for it is an vnresonable & a vnordynal wylle ayenst reason. euer more boweng downe by the loue of kynde to his owne prouffy­te & all ease & rest / Suche men al­so ben prowde & full sullen of wyll and to harde of herte / Thefore her desyre. and her fowle couetyse ret­chyth some tyme / and spredeth soo ferforthe. that what they desire they. haue / And some in her liues haue ben taken of the fende / and longe tyme traueylid wyth wycked spy­tes / and some vnto the liues ende / Also thyse men that in this wyse [...] / [...]ue contrariously to charite & [Page] to the loue of god: / wyth the why che a man offreth hymself fulli / inwarde & outwarde. in all y^t he may in to the worshyp of god. For there may noo thynge suffyse to a perfight louer / ne noo thyng may hī plese. sauf on̄ly / one goodnes that may not be cōprehended / the whiche goodnes is god hymself / for he ys all chapyte / In goodnes of charyte is a bonde of loue / y^e whiche draeth vs to god. In the whiche loue we forsake ourself & therwyth we ben vnied to god But the loue of my nde dwellith vpon hymself. & euer is boweng to his owne prouffyte / Neuertheles the loue of kyn­de is as like to charyte / as to the werkyng outwarde / as two heres of an hede / but the willes of the meuynges bē moche discordyng & vn like / For a good mānys hert is e­uermore vpwarde to god & his entencyon. & alway desireth the worshyp of god / But in naturell loue a mānys will loueth to his owne profyte & ease / Whan the loue of kynde passeth thus y^e loue of god / & charyte by contraryous wyl & werkyng / thēne a man fallith into iiij peryllous sin̄es / that is to say into pryde. auaryce / glotenye. & lecherye. thus fylle adam in paradys / & all mākynde wyth him / For the cause of the loue that he had to hymselfe by turnyng fro the wyll of god / & by pryde he dide ayenst godis cōmaundement / & by auaryce he coueyted knowēg & wisdom / he sought bi glotenye sauour & delite / & thēne after this he was steryd to lechery / But our blessid lady fōde the grace ayē. whiche adā had lost y^t glorioꝰ ladi & moder of loue paf vs ensāple in liuyng how we shold loue. this noble lady for the tyme of the byrthe euermore turned her hert to god bo the actyf lif & ghostli. y^t it is to say with exercyse of outwarde & [...]war de vertues. by grete desire & feruēt loue to god receyued cryst wyth al maner̄ lownes & mekenes in this y^e blessid ladi fonde grace ayēst pryde. Also she offrid vp that worthi lorde her dere sone to the fader in heuen wyth her worldly possession & wyth al maner̄ plente or largenes of hert in ful affeccōn / yeldyng thā kynges & worshyppes to almyghti god. & in this she fonde grace ayē ste auaryce Also she rested neuer vpō cōfort. ne gracious yeftꝭ. whiche she plenteuously receyued of al myȝty god / but al y^t sauour & swetnes she yaf holi to hī y^t al goodnes sēt / & here she fōde grace ayēst glote: nye / Also what clen̄esse she had in body & soule / it nedith not texpresse for al cristē fayth know wel there was neuer erthli creature y^t had y^e grace of so ful clen̄es as she had / in whiche she fōde grace ayēst lecherye [Page] that grace that adam lost. that gloryous lady fonde ayen / Who so thē ne wyll ouercome & wythstonde y^e contrarious liuyng whiche I reherced before / muste folowe after his power our blessid lady outwarde & Inwarde / in mekenes & largenesse / in abstynence. & clennesse. But for we ben feble to stonde / & by fre­ylte dredfull to falle / therfor̄ as I sayd before / Wakith & prayeth that ye falle not in to temptacōn /

¶ Vigilate & orate. & c̄.

WHat tyme a mā hath in suche Jolenesse kindly rest as I sayd before / & oonly beholdeth hymselfe / & stondeth stably vpon his owne propre wyll / there whiles he may not be vnied togod by cause he liueth in all contraryousnes to haue the loue of god / for clene he is wythout charyte / Soo after begyn̄eth the thyrde contrari oꝰ liuing / the whiche is wers thā ony of y^e two that I haue reherced For thēne he begynneth a life vn­rightfull & vnskylfull / full of goosth errours & al maner̄ wretchidnes / What suche men ben / & how ye shall know hem / as by her opinions I wyll shewe you / Thise men in her owne sighte ben full contem platyf / but in goddes sighte they bē very fy [...]tifs [...]eyners / by cause they haue ronn away / & fledde ferre fro god / And as they ben fledde from god soo. soo it is nedefull that all men flee away from hem / as fro a ghostly enmye / Thise men wene y^e they ben the holiest men that lyuen Notwythstōdyng they lyue cōtra­ryously to all good men / For thy se bere her opynions / they holde by y^e kyndly rest whiche they haue. & by that ydlenes / the whiche they haue whan they stonde soo alone vpon hemself / that they ben free in spiry­te & vnyed to god wyth ony mea­ne. Also that thei ben enhaūced bi perfeccōn aboue all the obscruaūce of holy chyrche / Aboue the heestes of god. & aboue all goddes lawe / & aboue all vertues werkes that o­ny man may haue in exercyse / hem thynken that her ydlenes & her kin­dely rest is soo hie of perfeccōn: & so grete that they sholde not be letted wyth noo maner̄ werkyng / In as moche as that ydlenes / & that voy­daūce passeth all vertues / Therfor̄ they stonde in a maner̄ passion or suffreūce wythout werkynge / ne­ther vpwarde ne doūwarde / but e­uer abide still as a dede stock. or an [Page] other Instrumente that lieth stylleyd [...] tyll the werker come & sette it [...] werke / For they thynke yf thei dyde ony thyng wylfully werkynge by her owne werkynge / or besi­nes / god sholde then̄e be lette of his owne werkyng. Therfore they make hem voyde of all maner̄ vertu­es / In somoche that they wyll yel­de no thankynges to god ne worshyppes▪ nought thei will say / they wyll haue noo knowyng. noo lo­ue. ne worshyp. ne desire to god / For hem thynken they haue that they myghte desire or praye / By this they say they ben poore of spyrite / bi cause thei ben without will or desire / And that they haue forsake all thynges / and that they liue wythout ony choys or proper­tee / for to her sighte they stonde alle voyde / and as they say they bē passed al that wherfore exercyse of vertues & obseruaunce in holy chyrche is ordened / Also they say that noo man / ne god hymself maye make hem decreace & encreace / for they bē passed the traueyle of exercyse as they say. & dyscharged of all vertues / Also they say that a man nedeth more to traueyle to be discharged of vertues. than for to gete hē By all thyse opynions they wille stonde free. yeuing to noo man obedyence / neyther to the pope / nother to cardynall / ne to the bysshop / ne to the parysshe prest. ne to none o­ther man / not wythstondyng that some of them shew otherwyse out warde / but inwarde / nother in will ne in dede they will be subget to no man. for they ben passed & dyschar­ged of all maner̄ ordenaūce of ho­ly chyrche / Also vpon this they say that as long as a man besieth hī to gader vertues: he is not yet so perfight / but in her owne felynge they ben in perfeccyon aboue all sayntes & angels / & aboue alle mede that ony men may deserue / therfor̄ they trowe that they may encrease in vertues. & that they may deserue noo more mede and that ther may deo noo more sinne / in a smoche as to her owne sight ther liue withoute wyll / and that they had god her spiryte / and that they ben noned to god / Therfore freely & boldly hem thynkyth they may doo what y^e bodely kynde desireth. for they ben co­me to In̄ocence & subget to no law Yf her bodely kynde be styred to o­ny lust or likyng soo ferforth that the spiryte that hath not his free­dom / ne stondeth not in rest for the tyme. thenne they wyll fulfyll the wyll of the kynde that her ydlenes ne rest of the spiryte be not lette Of fastynge they take noo hede / ne of festes of holy chyrche / ne of the or­denaūce / ne obseruaūce of holy chirche. sauf on̄ly for speche of men for [Page] in all thynges they line wythoute dome of conscyence / Of thyse men whose liuyng & opinyons. I haue rehersed / I hope to god there ben but fewe / but sothe is is. there haue bē suche late in our dayes. and after haue ben turned & comen in to the right waye. But it is full harde or they be turned. for some ben harde of herte / that they wyll not be tourned / And thenne by suffraūce ce of god: the deuyl hath power of hem / and by this power & techyng they wexe soo wyser soo subtyll y^t they may not be ouercome with no reason / and soo they ben dysceyued but grace be goten by other men̄is prayers:

OTher men there ben of contrarious liuyng / and ypo­crites in kynde whiche wil ben called goddes pacyentes / thyse men holden the same obseruaūce y^e thise other mē done / whiche I reher­sed afore / for they kepe hem from al werkyng / and stonde all ydle as a Instrument of god in maner̄ abydyng & suffraūce tyl god wyl werke in hem / But somwhat they ben contrarions to tho before. in asmoche as they say that al the werkes whiche god werkith by hem be m [...] r [...]noble & medeful. than ony other men may deserue. They saye also y^t they ben goddes pacyentes. by cause they suffre alle thynge that god wyll werk in hem And thouh thei stonde voyde & ydle fro all werkynge / yet they wyll therwyth stonde voide fro al maner̄ rewardes & grete merytes. What euer thei done it may be no sin̄e / for what euer god wyll that is wrought in hē / & not elles / Thise men haue al forsaken hemself inwarde / & liue as hem thī ­ken in exercyse of mekenes / They can well suffre what euer falleth myscheif or dispytes / by cause they ben a mamer̄ Instrument of god. by the whiche goddes wyll is ful­fullio / Thise men in mekenes of wordes & coūtenaūce. & in mani outwarde thīges bē fullikly to good men & perfight / Also thise men holde y^t to what euer thing they be styred inwarde / wheder it acorde to cristes techyng or none / al it comyth of the holy / ghost / & in this they ben dysceyued / For sothe it is y^t the ho­li ghost werkyth in noo man y^t ys contraryous to cryst & holy chirche Some of thise men haue but litil knowēg. cūnyng / ne vnderstōdynge by grace inwarde / ne by trauey­le in soole outwarde / & yet they ben subtyl in contraryous answeres & gloses & exposicōns. y^e vneth ony [Page] man shall ouercome hem in cōmy­nyng ne dysputacon / They bē also soo harde of hert / & stonde soo stronge on her owne opyniōs / that will rather chese the deth / than leue & for sake ony poynt or artycle whyche they holde / by cause they wene hem self more ful of grace & holier than ony mā that now liueth / And yet amonge thise men ben contrarious opinyons / for some say they maye not prouffite ne decre [...]e ne deserue more mede / neyther vnserue / Som̄ of hem say the contrary / that for her liuyng they deserue more mede thā ony other men / in asmoche as they abyde y^e werkyng of god / for wh [...]teuer they doo / god werkyth / & not they. but god in hem. & by hem All thise men ben fowle deceued of the deuyll / for euery man that hath vnderstondyng or knowyng of holy wrytte: or feling in doctryne of ho [...] chyrche wote well they erre fowle / & liue contrarious to al gode men. And gretly it is to drede in auen ture they ben messagers of antcryste / by cause of her vntrouthe / they wene thei ben cōtemplatyf & holier than ony other / & yet they wyll preferre in obedyence & other vyces befor̄ al other werkes & vertue / The werst thyng that is they wyll colour it & make it fayr / & in al thinge they bē contrarious to god / to saintes / & to al perfeccōn / & yet they make hem to seme holy / & holiet than other Therfor̄ in the sight of god for her presūpcion they ben wers than ony other / & like to dampned / praytes / for al dāpned spyrites haue loste worshippes & thankynges to god / & ben al ydle / voyde fro al wet kynges of loue Now long I haue taryed you to shew you in general wordes & in specyall how som̄ mē walke to ferre out fro our louyng lorde Ihu cryst & ferre fro the [...]oo [...]e of loue / Some by Infirmytee som̄ by necligence & vnknowyng [...] some by presūp [...]ōn [...]o [...] some with her errours [...]take wyth wyckid spirytes. & how some in desert after her desire haue reuelacōns Many moo I myght shew to make you bewaar of hem / as of hem that now holde playnly. & yet not openly fro drede ayen confe [...]iōs: fastynges Ayenst worshyps of Images. & shortly as men say ayen al the states & degrees & lawes: ordenaunces of holy chyrche / But all [...]hise leue by cause it nedeth not gretly for I trowe here ben reherced thoos y^t been come in our knowyng [...]obe drad / Therfor̄ now I wyll to w [...] in the nexte chapitre what prouffite cometh of temptacōns / & the cause of hem: and so forthe of reme­dyes ayenst tēptacōns in specyall & in generall whiche I tow [...]d before / & of other maters wyche wyll [Page] fall to our purpose But sith ye see many perylles & dysceytes fall and haue falle to ghostly liuers / I coū ­seyle you at all tymes / Wakyth & patyeth y^t ye falle not in to tēptacion ¶ Vigilate / & c̄.

I Rede that Almyghty god in two mauers woundeth his childern. whiche he will brynge ayen to hele: Somtyme he smyteth the body & the flesshe / & softneth the hardnes of y^e soule by drede thus thēne god callith ayen by helthe whom he chastyseth outwarde▪ his chosen chyldern / for they sholde haue hele inwarde Therfor̄ saith our lorde by the prophete / I shall slece / & I shall make to liue. I shal smyte: & I shall hele / Our good lorde [...]leeth / for he wyll make to liue, he smyteth. that he maye hele / he be­teth outwarde. that he may hele in­warde. the woūdes of trespace / and thus he smyteth y^e flesshe / & maketh it tender the hardnes of the sowle / Also in a nother maner̄ god wo­ūdeth his chosen chyldern / whan he woūdeth y^• soule inwarde / & [...]aceth of his betyng outwarde / for thēne he smyteth the hardnes of our hert wyth his desire / But whā he smy­teth / he heleth. for he callith vs ayen to the feling of his rightwysnesse as whan we ben forfestned wyth a dart of his ferdnes. Our hertes ben full euyll helid whan they ben not woūded wyth noo loue of god Whan they fele not the harmes & the perylles of our begyn̄yng. whā they langour not bi way of cōpassion. ne by none affeccōns / ne for Infirmyte / or dysease of our neighbour. Also somtyme our lorde woundeth our hertes / for they sholde be hole / whan he smyteth our soules whiche haue no feling / Somtyme wyth sharpe dartes of his loue / & anone he makyth there a ghostly feling by the hete of charyte / Thus thenne ye haue herde hew our lorde woūdeth outwarde & inwarde his chosen chyldern to make hem hole. Afterwarde thēne skylfully may we say as Iob sayd / Blessid is y^e man that is vnder euermore [...]hastysed of our lorde. Two vertues bē in this vndernemyng. one is to make hym flee sin̄e / y^t he doo it not Or elles to amende those that bendone. & that is the seconde vertue of his chastysing / But oftyme it happeth y^t we flee not alonely blames & pery [...]les that we knowe / and see / But some tyme we wote not ne know not how ne whan we offende▪ and thus wexeth our soule blinde / and is full of derknes. in asmoche [Page] as it vnderstondeth not the harme & the peryll of h [...] blindnesse / Therfore some tyme of the largnesse of the yefte of god. payne foloweth the trespace / and sharpe s [...]orges & chastysing to open the eyen of y^e trespassours / whoos eyen amonge vices were made blinde wyth sikernesse / A slowe wyll is towched wyth a stroke of our lorde to awake him / & make hym quycke / that he maye see where he lieth by stro­kes & tourmentes, whyche by syc­kernes he had lost the hye way of rightwysnes / Thus is the sharpe­nes of vndernemyng & chastising begyn̄yng of clere lighte to the soule. therfor̄ sayth the wyse man / He ling shall make the sinnes to sease Also we rede that our lorde casty­seth whom he loueth. He soorgeth eche a chylde that he receyueth. Also our lord sayth to saynt Iohn. I vnderneme & chastyse hem / that I loue Thus chastysing is spedeful & nedefull to a mannys soule for Ioye that is to come / all though the sowle & the blisse maye not come togyder. Yet skylfully may be sa­yd before Blessid is that m [...] that is vnderneme of our lorde / T [...]se wordes whiche I haue sayd before ben the wordes of saynt gregorye: To this purpose of chastysing of goddis chyldern accordeth an other [...]ly clerke / Ysodorus / and sayth God spareth not the sinfull man that trespaceth / for eyther he chasty seth hym to pourge hym with his rodde. or elles he leuyth hym by his preuy dome to be punysshyd euer­lastyngly / Or elles a man punys­sheth hymselfe wyth penaunce for his mysdedes by his owne deuocyon / or by auctoryte of holy chyrche / And for that some time god withdraweth his roddes and spareth hym by his mercy / The mercy of god is full resonable & gracyous. that fyrst amendeth a man & pourgeth him here by sharpe chastising and deliuereth hym afterwarde fro euerlastyng tourment / A goddis chylde chosen of god is all to hur­lid wyth sorowe & paynes of thys life / that he maye wynne perfyghte Ioye. & euerlastynge life / Suche chastysinges in this worlde bryngeth a ryhtfull man to blysse without ende. Therfore a rightful man sholde be gladde here in paines and a wycked man may sore drede in prosperyte [...] ▪ Our lorde wythdraweth not his mercy / ne his rightwisnes fro a rightfull man / ne fro a resonable man / For he demyth go­de men by tourment / and dysease / and rewardeth hem in his blisse by his mercy / But here he rewardeth wyckyd men by a temporell case & prouffyte bi his goodnes / and punyssheth hem / and demyth hem after [Page] her dethe by his euer lastyng right­wysnes / soo that in this life oure lorde spareth not his louid chylderne. This chastysing that I speke of / is not oonly of bodely diseases / but also of ghoostly dyseases / For it is full nedefull some tyme a go­od man or woman to be tempted wyth vyces▪ and be b [...]ten [...]wyth a goostly rodde: That while he is assayled wyth vyces he shall not be prowde of vertues. Also whyle he is hurlyd with paynes of the soule / or of the body / he shall wyth [...]ra­ew his her [...]e fro the loue of the worlde / ¶ Suche prouffyte and moche more than I maye sheweyow comyth to the soule by assay­linge of temptacyon. ¶ But now I wyll tell fyue pryncypalle causes why temptacōns or trylulacyons ben sente to men / & what is the cause of suche chastysinge The fyrste cause is that a man or woman be not prowde of his ghos [...]ly gyftes / whiche god by specyalle grace hath gyuen hym / Therfore a wyckyd angell was sente to saynte poule▪ to tourment hym wyth temptacyons. that be sholde not be to highe. for the reuelacyons whyche he had / ¶ The seconde cause maye be for to make hym clenner to encrease his mede. Thus was Io [...] and thobye / and many other trowblid in this worlde. The thyr­de cause maye be / for god sholde be the more worshypped and glorifyed in his werkes / As it befelle by the chylde that was borne blynde▪ Of whom our lorde sayd / that he was not blinde for his sin̄e / ne for his fader. ne moder / but that y^e werkes of god sholde be shewed in him The fourth cause may be for chas­tisinge & purgyng hym of for hys synnes. as mary the suster of moyses was chastysed / Also the chyl­derne of Israhel / & other men & wymen. whyche god all daye chasty­seth wyth bodely siknesses / & other trybulacyons / bothe bodely & goostly. ¶ The fyfthe cause hath fallen to some men. for euerlastyng payn that they sholde suffre after her deth thus was herodes punysshyd. and they of Sodom. Dathan / & Aby­ron / & suche other / Thise ben fyue pryncypalle causes of trybulacy­ons & temptacyons / But many other skylles there ben. why some bē more traueyled wyth temptacōns And one notable skylle is for thei s [...]lde the better counseyle and com­forte other in maters of ghostly diseases / the whiche thei haue asayed and knowe by experyence. Therfore sayth an holy clerke Ysodorus▪ It is nedefull to ryghtfull men & holy men be towchyd wyth aduers [...] tre [Page] / to preue theyr pacyence / whyche sheweth prouffytably ensamples in prosperyte / maye haue theym in formacyon of the vertue of strengthe in temptacyons and other ad­uersitee / Also some there haue ben that after longe stryffe ayenst cer­tayne temptacyons / Sodenly they haue fallē by the suffraūce of god For they sholde be more lowly and pooer in spiryte afterwarde / And the cause of her fallyng. hath ben▪ For they thoughte not lowely in theyr sowle noo drede / not / mekely theyr owne Infirmytee. by her owne strengthe / or elles by bodely / or goostly werkynges / For suche presumpcyon. our lorde hath suf­fryd bothe men and wymmen of hye liuynge. falle in some sinne whyche wenyd neuer to falle in / Thyse wordes I trowe shall suffyse to yow / what prouffyte is in the chastysinge of goddes chylderne / & what is the cause of suche chasty­singe / ¶ Now ferdermore. I wyll wryte openly of temptacyons / of the whyche I towchyd before. and shewed you remedyes ayenst hem in specyall / and in generalle. And fyrst I wyll begynne at the temp­tacyon of dyspeyre / But yet thouh temptacyons and suche chastysin­ges ben prouffytable / as I sayd before. Wakyth & prayeth y^t ye falle not in to temptacion:

¶ Vigilate / & orate ne intretis in temptacionem.

A Man that is sori for a thinge that is loste. the gladder he is whan it is foūde agayne / Of this our lorde putteth an emsample in the gospell by a shepe herde how gladly & wyth how gre­te myrthe and Joye he bereth some agayn his shepe that fyrst was loste▪ and after founde agayne / By this ensample and figure. no man shall haue mystrust of foryeuenes­se of what someuer synne man hathe done. And though saynt aus▪ tyn and some other doctours speke harde of theym / that euermore lye in synne. all the dayes of theyr lyf Yet saith an holy clerke Ysodorus that a man sholde neuer mystruste though he be not tourned in to the laste ende / soo that bi the lest tyme of repentaūce he shal be receyued in to mercy. Therfore sayth the same clerke / In eche mannys liuynge we sholde take hede of the ende. for our lord lokyth not oonly how we haue lyued before in our lyfe / But rather he takyth hede what [Page] we ben in the endynge of the lyfe To this accordeth saynt Johan Crysostom / and saith the goodnes of god. that is wythout mesure so gracyous hath ordeyned for vs / that he wolde not mesure our of to urnyng nother longe ne shorte. For in the leest moment of an houre: yf we tourne to hym / he takyth vs in to grace / The pety of god is so grete / that he dyspiseth neuer penaun­ce / where it is offred by in to hym cleerly and with a symple & meke herde / For yf a man haue be neuer so euyll. and he be in wylle to tour­ne fro vyces to vertues / our lorde gladly takyth hym / and beclippeth hym / and bi his mercy refourmeth hym agayn to his fyrst astate / It nedyth not to write moche of this matrre: and also I trowe ye desyre not as for yourselfe / for wel ye wote that the mercy of god is aboue all his werkes / But now as for remedye agayne for this temptacyon / Fyrst ye shal vnderstonde that dyspeyre comyth of thre thynges / that is to saye / of the gretnesse of synne. of the nombre of sin̄es / and of the contynuaunce / and longe a­bydynge in sinne / Agayne thyes maters of dyspeyre: there ben thre maners of remedyes / As for the gretnesse or quanty tre of synne / it is a good remedye to thynke on the passyon of Ihesu cryst / whiche passyon was strenger to vnbynde than ony snnne maye bynde. As for the multytude or nombre of sinnes / it is good to thynke on the techynge of cryste / whyche byddeth vs not oonly for thyse fewes sy­thes / but seuenty tymes seuen sy­thes / As for the longe contynua­unce or custome of in synne. It ys good to thynke / on the wordes of our lorde where he sayth / A man that tourneth from al his wyckidnesse that he hath done. he shall ly­ue / and he shall not deye / Of thyse thynges ven auctorytes / many bothe of holy wrytte / and of doctours ¶ Other thre remedyes there ben in dyspeyre of perseueraunce / For somme as I sayd before ben soo sore traueyled agaynst theyr wylle / that they drede to false / agaynst suche mystrust / there ben thre remedyes. The fyrste is to comforte hym to thynke that the fende is so feble of hymselfe. that he hath noo pow­er to ouercome ony mannys soule but yf a man wyll hymself. That the fende hath noo power / I shalle shewe after.

¶ The seconde remedye is that a man shall thynke on hys owne strengthe / that he hath by the yef te of god. This strengthe is concey­uyd of Joye / of libertee / of armour [Page] and of felishyp / It is a grete Joye to man whanne he thynketh howe he is dyscharged of the heuy burden of synne by the sacrament of confession & penaūce and this ioy is to him a grete stceingth ayenst the deuyll / Also it is a grete fredom & libertee whan a man is deliuerde of the seruage of the deuyll / & made free to god by y^e sacrament of confession & penaun­ce / this libertee is a grete strength ayenst the fende / Also he that had none armour while he lay in sinne now he is armed wyth goddes ar­mour / by crystis passion / and this armour is a grete strength ayenst the deuyll. Also he that was fyrst alone. while he lay in synne bi his conuersion & dooyng of penaūce [...] is assoylled / to the company of all rightfull men / this felishyp also [...] agrete strength ayenst the deuyll The thyrde remedye is for to thynke stedfastly. how our lorde light­neth vs. & defendeth vs / as the pro­phete sayd / Our lorde is my lighte & my helthe. whom shall I drede

Thise ben remedyes for hem that ben traueyled wyth the temptacōn of dyspeyre / to be saued / And remedies for hem that hen in dyspryre of perseueraūce after tyme thei ben turned / But now prrauenture some man wyll saye / I wote well. that goddis mercy is aboue al his wer kes / but how shall I knowe that I am able to receyue his mercy / To this me thynketh eche man maye see & fele / that he shell thynke hym­selfe able to receyue merci / yf he wil aske it. As thus / Yf ye were bro­ught by temptacōn in soo grete perplexyte that ye were in dredfull doubte / how it sholde stonde wyth you thēne ye myghte thynke and aske your ownself in your soule. wheder ye wolde forgyue ony man his trespace. whiche greuosly had offen­ded you. yf he asked you lowly mercy / and proferyd you wyth all his hert to make you amendes to this your reason wolde saye / & graunce that nedes ye wolde forgiue it him and take hym in to your mercy

[...]e sholde thynke thēne or aske yourself of whom haue ye this wyll & this mercyful hert nedis ye must saye. that ye haue it of god. Thesie maye ye conclude thus by reyson & thynke that god hath put in me & yeuen me suche a wylle & vertue and he gyueth noo thyng. but that he hath hymselfe / Thenne must it nedes folowe / that yf I aske hym mercy / he wyll take me in to merci This maye be a remedye to com­forte a man yf he wyll thus thyn­ke. ¶ Thus thenne by auctorytes es. and by scryptures. and some what by reason / ye maye see & fele how mercyfull our lorde is. What [Page] strengthe also a man hath agayn the fende / and how our enmie is holden down by strength of holy chyr­che / therfor̄ there shold noo man be in dyspeyre / but in eche drede & doubte: euermore a man sholde cast hys hert to god wyth a sadde truste / as the prophete sayth / Cast thy thoughte in god / & he shall nourysshe the Also for a nedful and a generall remedye in this tēptacōn specyalli & suche other peryllous & dredfulle temptacōns / it is good to shew to a manis confessour / or eles to one or to other ghostly liuers. & aske ofte counseyle / and to meke hym to other men̄is prayers / For there falleth mā ne womā in myscheif / but suche as gooth fro the / & wylle not shewe her hert to noo man / & so they ben accombred for elles they sholde not false in to tēptacōn: Therfor̄ it is good to aske coūserle in eche ne­de. & besily to pray for grace For he y^t stondeth / must drede dyscretly / that he falle not / Wakyth ye thēne and prayeth y^t ye falle not in to tēptacion / ¶ Vigilate / & c̄

I Sayd also in the sixt cha­pytre that some be n sore traueyled in Imagynacyons & thoughtes of predestynacyon / & of the prescyēce of god / of the whiche matere Idrede for to wryte for thise termes haue other sentence in latyn. than I can shewe in englisshe / Neuertheles sowhat I wyll shew you shortly. Predestinacōn cometh euermor̄ to god / Prescyēce of god may be vnderstonde to euyll / And in this tēptacōn / a man is tēpted wyth bothe / For in predestynacōn he doubteth whether god hath ordeined him to be saued / And in the y­maginacōn of y^t prescience of god he doubteth to be dāpned. Predesty nacōn is begon by the ordenaunce of god and it is holpen bi the pray er of sayntes / & it is ēded by a mā nys owne werkyng. Fyrst I say it is begon of god. Therof wytnesseth thappostle poul / & sayth thus Our lorde hath forsēt or made his predestynacyon / before the be­gynnyng of the worlde / But yet this predestynacyon / putteth not ne concludeth not a nedefull goode werkyng in hym to hym / that shol de be sauyd. Ne his prescience that is to saye in englisshe / his forkno­wyng putteth not a nedefull euyl werkynge. to theym that shall be dampned / For god hath gyuen a man a free wylle. both for to wylle to doo. and to perfourme that wylle in dede. As thus whan a man gooeth in to the feldes [Page] whyle he gooth. nedes he must goo there / and yet he gooth of his ow­ne free wyll / Therfore sayth thay postle poule. God hath wroughte in you a wyll / and to performe for the a good wyll. doth therfore / all thyng wythout grutching / & doubtes that ye may be wythout perylle and that ye be simple goddes chyl­der / By the whiche wordes we ben taught euermore to cōtynue in gode werkyng. & not werke for a ty­me / in a venture / that yf we leue our gode werkyng by our folie we ben acompted by the prescyence of god amonge hem. that shal be put out of the boke of life. For yf we liue in gode werkes and contynue thēne by the ordynaūce of god / we shal be acompted amonge the chyldern / of y^e whiche poul spekyth th [...] ¶ Our lord hath callid hem y^e whiche he ordeyned by predestynacōn. & he hath made rihtful hem y^e he hath callid / & he hath magnefyed hem in euerlasting lif whiche he made riht ful: Thus thēne is predestynacōn begon of thordenaūce of god. I sayd also that prrdestynacōn is hel­pen by prayers of sayntes & of holi men / Of this I rede that those thiges y^t holy men done / or wherof they haue grace in werkyng to other. they be soo ordeyned before by predestynacōn / that thei haue al suche werkinges thrugh her prayers to this acorde saynt austyn where he spekith of the fourth man y^t god shold haue reysed fro deth to life / of the whiche man. god said to one of his discyples / Suffre ye dede men bery dede mē / folow ye me Vpō thise wordes saynt austyn sayth. that our lorde reysed iij. dede men fro de­the by prayer of other And he her­de by shewyng of one of his dyscyples / that there was the fourth de­de man / But for there were none there / y^t shold pray for hym he was not reysed to the lif / Soo thus by prayer of other men predestinacōn is holpen / Also predestinacōn is p­ended by a manis owne werkyng To this acordeth saynt peul wher̄ he sayd that we be the helpers of the werking of god for predestinacōn of god / is fulfyllid by y^e prayer of sayntes. & by a manis deseruyng. And for asmoche as we be not knowyng whiche ben ordened of god / that sholde be in the boke of lyfe. For the whyche it is nedefull that we doo alway well and beseli werke wyth y^e grace that hath sen de vs for thenne may we trust se / kerly / that he hath ordened vs to be of the nombrr of his chosen childerne / ¶ An holy clerke Bonauenture putteth a remedye to this tēp tacyon / whyche accordeth to thyse wordes before sayd. as ye shall see / ¶ Yf ye be traueyled wyth [Page] ony thoughte of the predestynacy­on / or of ony prescience of god. thē ne may ye answere to the deuyll. y^t he putteth in you that suggestyon and say wyth the herte. & wyth the tongue in open speche to his confusion. For he knoweth not our thoughtes but by outwarde tokenes. And whan he knoweth that he is dyspysed / & set at nought. he leueth his pursute for shame of his confusion Therfore who euer be tempted wyth this temptacyon shall speke to hym thise maner̄ wordes. How euer it be of me soth it is. that thou arte dampned and though it be so the. by the prescience of god / that I shall not haue my lorde god after this life. yet I wyll traueyle wyth all my strengthe. that I may haue hym as moche as I may. and that I fall not. ne lacke not. soo moche goodnes. bothe in this life. & after this life / Yf I shall haue but wretchydnes after this life / I wyll not leue. ne lese the lityll tyme y^t I shall haue here. but after my power. I wyll sette my Joye & all my delite in my lorde god / A grete wodnes it were if I shold be turmēted with euerlasting payn to take me now in to myne enmyes hondes. & so for the to be wyth hym euer more / ther for̄ I will yeue me holy to my god that ordeyneth for me his predesty­nacōn. that there shal be noo thynge inme. to my poore herte. ne ton­gue. ne noo mēbre / but all shall be ocupyed in my lordes seruyse / how euer my lorde god hath knowyng what shal fall of me. I wote well he may not forsak hīself. therfor̄ hī I wyll beclippe with al my inwarde wyttes. and fast I wyll holde hī that he shall not leue me. but yf he yeue me his blessing Also I shall hyde me in depe holes of his woundes. & there I wyll ust me for [...]ut of tho he shall not fīde me: he wyll not compelse me to goo oute for he sayth hymself. I shall not cast hī out that comyth to me / & thus he shall not dāpne me. but yf he wyll doo again his owne dome / I will also fall downe to his moders fe­te & say to hyr lowly / that for syn­ful men she was made his moder. & hyr wyll I pray that she aske for me foryeuenes / That lady maye not put me away for all men saye & of her done write that she is well of pyte / Therfore of grete compas­sion she shall lowe her sone to mer­cy: Soo that in this I shall haue treble helpe & refute. for yf my lorde hath ordeyned me by predestynacy­on to be one of his chyldern in blysse fro this tyme forwarde. I wylse liue more like. an angels lif than a mās lif / To hym I yeye me holyly that hath yeue hymself to me. of his yefte I holde me apayde. frohens [Page] forwarde I desire nomore but hym therfore what euer shall be done of me / I wyll not fayle / ne leue the seruyse of my lorde / But woo is to the & euermore shall be / for y^u may ste not doo hym seruyce / ne neuer shall thou Joye in his blestful presence / Thus with be [...]ines & vertuous liuyng / & deuoute prayer shal ye wythstonth & ouercom̄ this tēptacyon: And traueyling of the J­maginyng & thynkyng of the predestinacōn / & prescyence of god▪ Wakith therfore and prayeth y^t ye fal [...]e not in to temptacion /

¶ Vigilate & orate / & c̄.

A Grete dyfference there is betwene prynes. that a rihtful mā suffreth bodely outwarde & temptacions whiche a goostly man suffreth inwarde / And all though a spiryte be euer besie to traueyle & dysease good men: Yet myght neyther power hath he no­ne / but what he hath by the suffra­unce of god. Therfor̄ saynt grego­ry sayth in his morallis. that the wyll of the deuyll is alway wyc­kyd / but his power is neuer vn­rightfull / for a wyll he hath of hī ­selfe. but power he hath of our lorde. what euer he purposeth or desire to pr [...] bi mali [...] god suffreth not but that it be rightfull. Therfore we rede in the boke of kynges thus the wick [...]d spiryte of our lorde styrte in to the saule / that is to saye the spiryte of our lord that is to byleue of a rightful power / and the wyckid spyrite / by the desire of an vnrightfull wyll / styrte in to Saul. Then̄e sholde we not drede hym / that nought may doo / but by suffraūce / Whan ony dysease fal­leth to goddis childern. it is tempered by tymes by a wonderfull grace of god / Therfore sayth saynt poul / It is a good true god whiche shall not su [...]re you be tēpted ou [...]t your power & myght of wythstondyng / but he shall doo some prouffyte wyth that temptacyon. that ye shall mow suffre it Therfor̄ saith the prophete in the psalme / Preue me lorde & tempte me. that is to say openly / Lorde fyrste beholde my strength / & thenne suffre me as I may bere. Thus thēne we haue y^t the wickyd spiryte hath noo power: but by leue & suffraunce of god ¶ What prouffyte is it to the soule in suffrynge of temptacyons / I wyll shew after / Therfor̄ I goo to my purpoos to shewe you as I sayd before what power the wyckid spirytes haue in man by suffraūce of god / To afferme the wordes of [Page] saynt Gregorye of the power of wyckyd spyrites. the story of Job sheweth openly. where y^• sende durste nomore tempte hym / than was graunted hym by the leue of god. Also the con [...]usion of y^e same wickyd spirytes▪ by rightwisnes: that they haue no power of hemself / by that. they said to cryst in the gospel yf thou cast vs out / sēde vs in to a [...]rde of hogges / Moche more than we shold trowe. that ther haue noo myght at her wyll to entre in to a man / whiche is made & fourmed after the soule to the ymage of god whan they had noo power wyth­out suffraūce of god to entre in to the dombe & sowle vnclene bestes / Also yf they had libertee & power to noye man at her owne wyll / thē ne shold not men▪ haue dwellid stably in wyldernesse by hemselfe / as our faders dyde by olde tyme.

¶ Also to shewe / that all power bothe of man / and of spyrites / co­myth oonly of god. We haue an open ensample by the wordes of criste / whan he sayd to Mylate / thou sholdest haue noo power in me. but yf it had be gyuen the from a­boue / ¶ But as of power of euil spyrytes / I [...] in the [...]ollacyons of our holy faders / that in theyr tyme the fendes had not so grete st [...] yngthe as they had before tyme▪ in the begynnyng of Ankers / & of other solitary men in wyldernes whan there was but lityll ony congregacōn of monkes / In that olde tyme the wyckyd spyrites were soo feers / that vneth there were [...]ny that myghte abyde in solitarye liuynge / though they were neuer soo stable. Where ony congregacy on that tyme was of monkes. of eyght. or ten togyder / the malice of the wydkyd spirytes was so grete in the comynge of hem / soo open to sighte outwarde / that the monkes durst not on nyghtes slepe togyder but while some toke rest / some woke in prayers & redyng And whā nede drew hem to slombryng / or slepe / they awoke her felawes to kepe hem whyle they slepte / But suche saw [...]es / & ferdnes of euyl spyrytes was moche asswaged in the tyme [...] of thise holy faders / that came af­terwarde / For yet that tyme & mo­che more now. there was so moche feblenes of spiryte / & vnlust. & vn­stablenes in many men. that nede­full it was with all softnes to tr [...] ten hem. & make hem abyde styl [...]t▪ Therfor̄ they wolde saye to hem / y^t were yonge & tender of hert. & feble in spyrite / Sytteth in your celles / & asmoche as [...]elustith yeteth. & drinkyth / & slepeth. soo that ye abide stil [...]e. and performe that ye ben comen▪ [...]ore▪ ¶ But to speke of the euyll spirytes. what power they haue [Page] to entree in to men / Sooth it is they may tary a man wyth thoughtes / though he be neuer soo holy / but entree may they not / wyth ful power to traueylle a man in soule. tyll they fynde a man voyde of the drede. & mynde of god / . and nakyd from all ghostly medytacōns & af­feccōns / Where they fynde a man soo clene / vnarmed fro all ghostly armoure / there somtyme they entre by the suffraūce of god / to vexe hī & traueyle sore wyth ghostly temp­tacyons▪ and somtyme wyth bode­li Infyrmytees. But yet bodeli vexacōn or bodely Infirmytees is not most to be dradde / for often tymes the wyckyd spirytes tormeten the body and dooth nought to the sowle / but god suffreth. & hath suffred that to holy men for punysshyng & chastysing / as ye shal here after / At this tyme I speke nomore of y^e power of wycked spirytes / For now ferdermore I wyll shewe you by ensample. how they haue vsed. and may vse her power by the suf­fraūce of god But sith. ye see. that her power is rightful / as I said befor̄ / bi cause it comyth of god. Be­waar therfor̄ / & wakyth & prayeth / that ye falle not in to temptacōn.

¶ Vigilate & orate / & c̄.

[...]Vll h [...]ly men for lighte de­fawtes haue ben take bodely to the wycked spirytes / for thei shold be traueilid wyth grete siknes / that noo spotte of sinne sholde be seen in her day of dome but that they sholden be clene purged [...] come streyghte to blisse as we rede ¶ God flamyth whom he louyth and chastyseth eche a chylde that he receyueth Also we fynde wel that fyre preuyth golde & siluer but mā is preuid by mekenes in chastisinge / Of this we haue ensample of a prophete. whiche for a defawte y^t he dyde / not wylfully. ne of malyce but by sterynge of a nother: Yet he was all to drawen of a lion In whiche chastysinge god shewed o­penly his trespace / for tho­ugh he was betake to the power of the beest / and slayne by that lyon Yet the lyon after his deth▪ had no power to towche his body▪

¶ Other ensamples we haue of our holy faders: One is of an a [...] ­ [...]t powle whan he went wyth an other monke to vysite a solitary▪ man / as they went by happe / soden [Page] ly they mette a woman / and anon̄ poule thabbot torned. & fledde with a grete spede home to his mynstre / and for crye ne for prayer of thol­de mōke / he wolde not a byde / & not withstondyng he dyde it of vertue yet be exceded thobseruaūce of hys rule / therfor̄ he was smyten wyth suche a palsey / that he had no mē ­bre of his body in case & in in reste. hondes ne▪ fete. eyen / ne tongue / ne e res at his wylle: but all had loste her strength. And after it happed y^t no kepyng myght suffyse hym but kepyng of wymen / whiche lasted thabbot iiij. yeres to his liues ende / And yet in al his feblenes there was suche grace in him by▪ vertue of holines. that what man was anoynted wyth oyle that tou chyd his body / he receyued hele of al maner̄ siknes Thus was that holi man chastysed for a lityll trespace done agayne the obseruaunce of his rule / ¶ Also the abbotte secun dus. an holy man / & of hye perfeccyon / whiche dwellid in wyldernesse This man by cause of an opyny­on / that he held styfli by sharpe wordes. in dysputacyon ayenst the holi man Macharium / anone he was soo feruently taken wyth the wyc­kyd spyrite / that he deliuerde at his mouth kyndly def [...]enge of mete & drynke / This chastysing he hadde by grace. for purgyng of the sowle that noo thynge sholde abyde vn­clensed But anone as Machary [...] prayed for hym / y^e wyckyd spirite fledde awaye / By thise ensam­ples▪ and many suche that we rede of / and haue rede of / we s [...]lde not dyspyse hem that bē traueyled with stronge temptacyons. nother hem that ben wexed wyth wyckyd spyrytes / For two thynges we sholde stedfastly hope / The fyrst is that noo man is tempted but by the suffraunce of god / The s [...]n [...]onde is that what soo euer god sendeth vs whether it seme sorowfull or Joye full. it is yeuen vs / & sende vs / fro our louyng fader. and fro our soue [...]yne leche▪ and for our grete prouf fyte / that whan we passe fro thys worlde. eyther we shall goo to blisse clene purged. or elles suffre the lesse payne in purgatorye.

¶ Also we sholde not dyspise hem ne lothe hem y^t ben traueyled wyth wyckyd spyrytes. ne deme of hem that ben oute of her mynde / as we see all daye both men & wymen. come by feb [...]enes of brayne. come by disposicōn of kynde / come bi dyuerse Infyrmytres / and some by wy­kyd spiri [...]s we shold not deme none of thyse / For though the body of man be tormented by Infyrmy­te. & traueyled wyth foule doynges or coūtenance. or wyth [...]oule speche outward he may stonde ful wel in [Page] soule / For the soule of hym that is so traueyled / oft tymes goeth euin streyȝt to blisse▪ for he is Innocent of that / that the deuyll spekyth or werkyth in him. Of this we may see ful oft ensamples / bothe of men & of wymen. as clene of lif as ony chyld / & perfyght in liuyng / how in sickenes before her ende. & in her endyng / they haue spoken of fylth & fowle sinne. that neuer they knew & in all contynuaūce & werkynges & speche, fared also fowle / as thouh all her life / they had ben wyckid li­uers / and for all thyse tormentes / yet it is noo doubte the sowle was more blistful. Therfor̄ to suche mē & wymen that ben traueyled wyth wyckyd spyrites / it is fpedefull to haue prayers of holy chyrche / As our holy faders in olde tyme sayd / & soo saye some yet▪ that in some vex acōns / for a specyall remedye they myght receyue the sacramentes of holy chyrche / so that it myght be duely & honestly done. as what tyme they haue reason & deuocion for so were our holy faders deliuerde in olde tyme: For the ferder the fende se­eth a man departed from ghos­tly medicynes / the harder he tempteth hym / & traueylith him.

¶ But here ye must take hede / & vnderstone: that some men bē tra­ueyled of goddes suffraunce / bi the wyckyd spyrite / wyth bodely siknesnes / as wyth the palsey dropesie or other sickenes. as Job was. but e­uermore bi grace they had their wittes & reyson with hem. Also some ben styred or pryckid. some ben traueyled & toowbled with some temptacyons ayenst her wyll. wythout ony assentynge / as wyth dys [...]ey [...]e or obstynace. or elles wyth a spyrite of blaspfemye. or wyth doubt of predestynaciō / or wyth drede of pre destynacōn. or wyth drede of y^e prescyence of god / what shall falle of hym / or wyth doubtes of dredes. y^t nedeth not to reherce in specyall.

All suche temptacyons ben ful nedefull to men & wymen / and spede▪ ful to purge the soule / & to kepe [...]ē in vertues & for many other cau­ses as I shewed before. in the [...]wel­fthe chapitre Remedye to suche is ofte confessiō. & besy prayer and receyuyng of the sacrament. wyth other comfortes / as I wrote befor̄ a. yenst the temptacōns of dyspeyre / & of suche other dredful temptacy­ons / Other men & wymen that haue ben. that for defawte of coūseyle for asmoche as they wold aske no coūseyle in suche dredfull temptacions: or el [...]es for longe contynuaū ­ce in grete & horryble sin̄e wythoute repentaūce were acombred & trau [...]ilid contynuelly wyth the wyckyd spiryte. wherby they assented by se­myng outwarde to the temptaciōs [Page] and fell in to dyspeyre. wenynge y^t her sy [...]e was more than the mercy of the goodnes of god / In the same maner̄ some haue fallen in to obstynacy / whiche men haue bē so harde of hert. y^t of malice they will not be repentaūte / or elles that they sayd / or thoughte that they wolde doo penaūce / but not yet. & some haue ben that wold not aske forgyuenes. ne doo noo penaūce. but it ha­the stonde full harde wyth such. Neuertheles we shold yet pray for hem. how euer they dey in pryue prayers / wyth a condycōn as yf they [...]ē in way of saluacōn. or yf it plese god. But yf we knew a certen y^t suche men deyed wythout repentaū ce / thēne shold we not praye for hē But that / we may not know / for in the leest moment they may ask mercy in hert / & takē to mercy / Al­so some haue fallē into blasphemie whiche bē they that spekē vnhonestly of god / or elles thought the same pryuely in her hertes. In all thyse & suche other temptacōns like to thyse / some men & wymen haue bē traueyled. & ouercome to our sight outwarde / by specyall suffraūce in the pryue dome of god / To al suche men / whose inwarde wyttes bē bl [...] de. & soo stopped for the tyme. other menns prayers & wymens bē ne­deful / Also fastyng & other bodely affliccōns of her frendes. & specyally of her confessours: and of other holy men in charyte / Also to lede hem to holy reliques & to sayntes y^t ben shryned Also comynyng of good men & wymen wyth hem. & [...] ging of holy water / Also suche me dycynes may be spedefull. & remedy able by grace of god to suche / that ben comynly ocupyed & [...]r [...]ueyled wyth wycked spyrites. Thus I haue shewed shortly howe wyckyd spyrites haue vsed or maye vse her power by suffraūce of god / Moche more I myghte wryte you of this matere. whiche nedeth you not to knowe / This that I haue wryten I [...] it be nedeful to you [...]oknow both for your owne prouffyte. & cō forte of other / But here may ye see by y^e chastysing of our holy faders and other h [...]ly men / that nedes we must drede our lorde / whiche right­fully chastyseth & beteth his chyl­dern. Wakith therfore and prayeth that ye falle not in to temptacion /

¶ Vigilate & orate / & c̄.

AMonge other temptacions whyche I shewed before In generall: And in specyall I said that some men and wymen were ofte disceyued wyth vysions [Page] and [...]euelacyons / Therto I wylle fyrst shewe you here whyche ben the kyndes of vysions / and after how ye shall knowe hem. whan they come of a good angel and whanne not / After the wrytyng & opyny­ons of doctours / there ben thre prī ­cypall kyndes of vysions / The firste is called a corporal vision with bodely eyen / whan ony bodely thyn­ge by the gyft of god is shewed to a mannys bodely sighte / whyche o­ther men see not / ne maye not see As Heliseus saw brennyng chares / as they had ben al a fyre. whā Helias was taken vp in to thay­re Also Balthasar the kyng saw an honde wrytynge in the walle Mane techell phares / The seconde kynde of vysion. is callid a spyry­tuell vysion or Imagynatyf. whā a man is in his slepe / or whan a man is rauisshed fully in spi­ryte in tyme of prayer / or in other time / Seeth ymages & fygures of dyuers thynges. but noo bodyes be shewyng▪ of [...]euelacyon of god As saynt Johan the euangelist / whanne he was rauysshyd in spy­ryte sawe many figures and ymages. As we rede in the apocalipce

Also saynt peter sawe in suche a Rauysshynge a dysshe ful of dyuerse bestes / And herde a voys saye to hym / Sle [...] and ete /

The thyrde pryncypal kynde of vysions / is callyd an Intellectuel vision / whanne noo body / ne ymage. not fygure is seen. But whan in suche a Rauysshynge / the Insighte of the sowle / by a wonderfull myghte of go [...] / is cleerly fastnyd in vnbodely substaunce / wyth a soothfaste knowynge▪ To this vysion sa­ynt Poule was Rauysshyd as doe tours sayen / That he sawe wyth­oute ony fygure. or ymage god in himselfe That is to saye in the god hode / This thyrde kynde of vysiōs is more excellente▪ and more wor­thy thanne corporall. or spyrytuel or ony other Thise thenne ben thre pryncypall kyndes of vysions

The fyrst is callyd corporal. bi cause it is seen outwarde. bi bodely eye wit [...] The seconde is spyrituall. for eche thynge that is noo body if it be substancyall it is callid a spiryte / The thyrde is Intellectuell by cause of Inward vnderstondinge / and knowyng of y^e soule. wyth oute ony body or ymage. or fygure Balthasar in the fyrst vysion saw an honde wrytyng as I sayd befor̄ Anone as he saw it an ymage of suche bodeli thyng. was Impressid to his spiryte / & whan the vysion was done & passed awaye. it abode stylle / that ymage in his thoughte And all this was but ymagyna cyon of that corporall vysiō he saw well in spyryte by ymagynacyon [Page] all that he sawe befor̄ bodely / but nother in tyme of the vysions. ne af­ter in his ymagynacōn he had noo knowyng what it betokened. tylle Danyel came & tolde him by a spyrite of prophecie In the seconde vysion saynt peter sawe a dyshful of of beestes. as I sayd before / not slepyng / but in rauysshīg. whyche rauysshyng. after the sayeng of saīt austyn / may properly be callid a swownyng. as whā / the beholdī ge of the soule / or the entent of the inward wyl is fulli torned away fro the bodely wyttes / thēne it may skylfully be callid a rauysshīge / or a swowning. For what euer bodely thyng be thenne presented. it is not seē wyth the bodely eye / ne voyce herde wyth the ere / for thēne all the beholdyng of the soule. eyther it is in ymages / fygures / & ghoostly sight / or elles in thynges vnbodely wythout ony ymage / by a sothfast knowyng. by the wonderfull myghte of god. as it is in a vision In­tellectuel / as I sayd befor̄ ¶ After this vision of saynt peter whanhe had gadred ayen to him his bodely wyttes / the same y^t he had before in spiryte / he sawe after in y^e same spiryte by thought & ymagynacōn. & also those thynges y^t he saw in the fyrst tyme whā he was rauysshyd or afterwarde whā he had hē in thou [...]t / were no bodeli thīges / but ymages of bodeli thīges But in y^t tyme of his visiō / ne after in besy ythn­kīg / he wist not what it betokened till he was holpē bi y^e grace of god & thēne afterward he vnderstode bi ghostli felīg & knowēg what it sholde betokē / In y^e thirde vision y^t is callid Intellectuel / y^e soule seeth tho thīges y^t bē no bodies ne haue no liknes / ne forme of bodies. as mā ­nes soule. & eche a gode affeccōn of y^e sowle / y^t is to saye / loue charite & deuocyon / Joye. pees / & suche other / None of suche thīges bodeli maye be shewed by ymage / but on̄ly in y^e soule / by y^e myȝt of god. as it is in his owne substaūce For there may no man see ne know charite / as it is / but he y^t hathe it in his soule / & so it fareth by al other ghostly affeccōns of y^e soule This visiō had saint poul after y^e writyng of y^e doctours. for asmoche as he was rauys­shed into y^• third heuē. y^• is to say to y^• knowēg of y^• godhede / he herde preuy wordes / y^• is to saye he had a shewēg of y^• preuy beīg of god wyth out ony fygure. This thyrde visiō y^• is callid Intellectuell bi al doctours is most excellēt / for insuche visiōs our merciful & louīg lorde ofttymes liȝtneth mēnes soules & concsiēces by wordes of doctryne. & sō tyme cōforteth mē / & techith hem of thīges y^• bē to come / & of other holy techīges / & of his preuet [...]es wyth his inwarde [Page] speche of godhede / bi suche an inwarde vysion. of knowyng / as I sayd before / Of this speche of godhede saynt gregory makyth distyncōn / Eyther he saith we ben enfourmed wyth the wordes of god. whan he spekyth hymselfe or [...]elles whā his wordes comen to vs for our enformacyon by angels. whā he spekith to vs by hym [...]elfe / thenne is oon­ly the strength of thynwarde shewyng and knowyng opened to vs ¶ Also whan he spekith to vs bi hymselfe / thenne is the hert enfor­med & taught of his worde / wyth­outen ony worde or sillable / For the vertue of hym is knowen by a full liftynge vp of y^• herte. where the soule full of loue is sette / or hā ged bi a louyng desire ¶ Also the speche of god Inwarde to vs / is rather made. or done than herde / For anone as he minteth vs his speche wythouten ony taryeng of worde he lightneth the derknes of our vncūnyng with a soden liȝt of knowyng / ¶ Also saynt gregory sayth god somtyme spekyth to vs / & before our bodely eyen / by angels in y­mages takynge of the ayre for the tyme. as he dyde to Abraham. whiche sawe not oonly thre men. but power also he had to take hem into an erthly dwellyng for the tyme. Therfore sayth saynt Gregorye that angell. whiche shall shewe vs Inwarde thynges / or ony thyngē. But they took bodyes of the ayre for the tyme / they myghte not appere to our bodely eyen / And thus apperen wyckyd spyrytes / But euer ye shall knowe the one fro the other / in suche goostly sighte / by the Inwarde felinge / and en­crease of vertues / in the loue of god ¶ By this that I haue s [...]yde it semyth. and soo it is by docto­urs techinge / that this thyrde vysyon is moost acceptable / whiche ys an inwarde. and a clere vnderstondynge / and knowyng in the sight of the soule. of vnbodely substaun­ce / withoute ony ymage of fygure by the wonderfull myghte of god. ¶ Thus thenne haue I shewed you thre manere of vysions what eche is by hymselfe / Now w [...] I shewe you ferdermore howe suche men and wymmen sholden be [...] myned. that haue suche [...]u [...]lacy­ons or sighte / But sith it is soo that some haue ben deceyued wyth vysions for fawte of knowynge: Wakith therfore and prayeth y^• ye falle not in to temptacion:

¶ Vigilate / & orate ne intretis in temptacionem

BY the saieng of our holy faders & doctours of holi chyrche / wheder he be man / or woman that haue vysions / thus they sholde be examyned. to preue her [...]euelacyons. whether they ben of the good angell. or of the badde / Fyrst it is to take hede / whether he that seeth. be a goostly liuer. or seculer / & worldly / Also whether he liue vn­der obedyence / specyall. or contynu­all techyng. or dyscypline of some elder dyscrete vertuous holi & experte & preuyd man / whiche is his goostli fader / or elles at his owne proper wylle / Also whether he submytteth him in his vysions lowely to the dome of his ghostly fader / or of other dyscrete / and sadde ghostly lyuers / for drede of yllusions / or elskepith hem preuy. & shewe hem not but stondeth to his owne examinī ge & to his owne dome. Also whe­ther he haue ony presūpsion of his visions / or make ony boost of hem wyth vaynglory. or holdeth hymselfe the more of reputacyon. or hath ony other men in dispyte or indygnacōn / Also yf ony gode dedes or vertues of obedyence / or mekenes or charite. or besy. prayer be Joyful or likyng to hym for that tyme / or elles whether there be in hym ony sheweng of vaynglory / or presūp­cōn of [...]lacyon. of pride. of neclig [...] ce of prayer / or elles desire of wor­ship or dignyt [...]e. Also wheder this man or woman be holden. & preuid among ghostly liuers / holi & true obediēt to his prelates & souer [...]ynes & gouernours of holi chirche / or elles wheder he be holde defectyf. or suspect in the fayth. or holdyng opynyons. ayenst thordinaūce & techiug of holy chirche. & not obeyeng to the hedes & prelates of holi chirche / Al­so whether he haue long contynued in gholi liuyng mekely / & in penaū ce & in exercysing of vysions & reuelacōns. or elles whether he be but a nouyce. as in the begyn̄yng / Also whether he haue kyndly vnderstō dyng or feling. or ony ghostli kno­wyn. or ony true or dyscrete dome of reison or of ghostly ma [...] y^• longeth to y^• soule / Also whether he be light in kynde or light of fr [...]ylte in chere & worde, or in dede / or elles whether he hath feble vnderstōdyng: or whether he haue a sadde knowyng or felinge or elles a soden wytte or fantastyk. Also whether he haue be oft tymes examined in suche materes of visiōs or reuelacōns of wise mē & lettred / & dyscrete ghostli lyuyng men or none. This examy­nacōn nedeth to hī / that hath vysi­ons / For saynt gregory sayth / holi mē haue a special grace & discrecyō or an insight of knowēg betwene reuelaciōs & visions in heringe of voyces [Page] And seyng of ymages. wyth bodely / or goostly eye / that they maye knowe. what ye shall take of a good spyryte for comforte / And what thei shal suffre of y^• wyckid spyrite by yllusion / Therfor̄ he that hath vysions or reuelacions / it is good to shewe hem to other by me­kenes and that he stōde not to his owne dome / for drede of pride or of presūpcyon. As to the maner̄ of sayeng. or heryng / or receyuyng reuelacyons / yet must the seer be ex­amyned. ferthermore / Also wheder he that hath hem▪ seeth / or heryth hē wakyng / or slepyng / or dremynge Also whether in bodely sight. or by ymagynacōn / or ghostly fighte or elles by an Inwarde vnderstondinge. & true knowyng of the yefte of the holy ghost / Whiche thre dinysions of vysiōs I haue shewed you before. ¶ Also whether he fele in his soule ony ghostly swetnesse of the loue of god aboue kindly swetnes. or sauour / or likyng. whan he is fo [...] rauysshed in spyryte by ghostli [...] / w [...]r he seeth. [...]reth ony [...] shewe hym by speche ony [...] / or holy techynges. or goostly Informacyons. and how he seeth hem / and in what liknes / and wheder he see thenne ony lightnygt or shinyng aboue kynde / with soth fast vnderstondyng. and shewyng of soothfastnes by god in tyme of that vysion / Yet must the [...] be examyned ferthermore / And the quantyte also of the vysions. ¶ Also whether the vysions or [...]euelacyons accorde wyth holy scrypture / or not. Also whether that vysion accorde / or besteryng of vertues liuynge / and helpynge to mannys soule / Also whether that vysion in shewynge / is en [...]linyng to ony errour of holy chyrche of the fayth or to ony wonder / or to ony newe thynge / or to ony thynge a­gaynst reyson / Also whether that vysion tourne a man / or hem that [...]eeth hem from vertues / or fro lowely and m [...]ke man [...]res Also [...] ther thise vysions that [...] alwaye sooth or non [...] Also [...] ther thise vysions to styre in [...] manere. to worshyppes / or [...] of the worlde. Also whether they styre vs to more pryde or presumpcyon / or to ony truste of vertues Or whether they styre vs to obey [...] to holy men and symple to [...] & soueraynes of holy chyrche / Thus and in many other wise as falleth to a mannys mynde. must they be examyned the whyche haue [...]eue­lacyons. For but yf there were suche examynacyon before. there myighte be falle grete errour / and grete peryll / Somtyme in the aff [...] mynge of the vysions: And so [...] tyme in the [...]eceyuynge [Page] bothe of the vysions and of hym y^• receyueth hem For yf they be demed sodenly & vndyscretly thenne shall soth be take: for fals. & fals somty me for sooth in to grete peryll / and soo good vysions & sooth sholde be forsake. and men sholde not obeye to the preuy speches of god. ne gy­ue noo credence to hem / but rather take errour for trouth / as oftymes hath fallen all day. for defawte of discrete & true examynacōn / And all suche lightly takyng of vysiōs & reuelacions ben but temptacōns Wakyth therfor̄ & prayeth that ye falle not in to temptacōn ¶ Vigilat [...]et orate / & c̄ /

NOw ferdermore ye shal see how ye shall knowe vysi­ons of a good spyrite fro yllusion of the deuyll by vij. toke­nes / The fyrst token / is siker / that it comyth of a good spiryte. whan the persone that seeth the vysion is preuyd meke Inwarde vnder the o bedyence & techyng of his goostly fader / or vnder the coūseyle & techin ge of some sadde preuyd man / dys­crete & vertuous / and of ghostly lyuyng. And whan he hath noo pre sūpcyon / ne makyth noo bost / ne desireth noo praysing / ne hydeth not his vysions / but wyth very mekenes sheweth his temptacōns & vysions to the dome of suche a good man / to be examyned / And thēne that he holde forsooth. that gode mē approue / suche a soule maye not be dysceyued after the sentence of our holy faders / For amonge other col lacyons I rede of one that heyghte Moyses / whiche sayd in this wyse There may noo man be dysceyued that liueth vnder the dome & ensample of elder & dyscrete mē / Of this ye haue ensample of that noble la­dy & precyous saynt Bryde / As longe as she liued. yonge & olde / she liued euer vnder obedience & techinge of holy clerkes / & vertuous and dyscrete elder men. Therfor̄ by the wordes of that holy man moyses & other holy faders acordyng to the same▪ cleerly it is preuyd / that all her reuelacōns in her bokes came of y^• holy ghost. & not of the deuyll▪ and this is a generall techyng / amon ge al ghostli liuers / thus for to do [...] [...]or to voyde / or wythstonde temp­tacyons. or suggestyons / or yllusions of the deuyll / ¶ The seconde token to knowe a good vysion of a soule / that he be not dysceyued / is whan the soule that s [...]th that vysion / [...] hymself fulfyllid / o [...] [...]a uysshyd / or chau [...]ed / or [...] wyth a ghostly sauour in the loue of god This inwarde charite & swetnes [Page] of loue / the deuyll maye not gyue for noo man / ne the deuyll gyueth not that he hath not / as I sayd be­fore / therfor̄ in this it may be soth­ly concluded / that it is god that so werkyth in a mānnes soule. & that namly yf the soule be thēne streng thed in the full fayth of holy chyrche. wyth obedience / & lowely mekenes / to the hedes & the ordenaūce of holy chyrche. Thus preueth an holi man Hugo de sancto victore / Also saynt Antony in vitas patrum Also sayth saynt Gregory / where he sheweth howe god spekyth to vs by hymself / as I shewed befor̄ in y^e xviij. chapytre. The thyrde token to know a vysion. is whā he that seeth that vysion / whether in bodely sighte or in ghostly sighte. felith in his soule a soden ghostli thyng sprī gyng / wyth an Inwarde felinge / & a knowyng of sothfastnes / what it meneth & betokeneth / that sighte that he seeth and whan the vnder stondyng of all the matere that he seeth is verely shewed to hym in his soule / & clerly is opened to him and playnly all that is nedeful to be knowen of that vysion. This Inwarde knowyng & goostly lighte of true shewyng. comyth not of the deuyll. for he may not put that in the soule / but oonly god / To this acoordeth saynt Thomas Alquynus & sayth. the deuyll sheweth not to men that they knowē by goostly lighte of vnderstondyng aboue kynde. but by some other vysion ymagynatif / or elles by sensible s [...] che / and soo in this manere shew­eng. ye shall knowe a fals vysion or reuelacyon / or prophecye fro a true. To this mater̄ acorden many other doctours. whos wordes it ne deth not to shewe▪ for it suffiseth to you to here y^e clerkes acorde to th [...] ye see of other mennes writynge The fourth token is whan he that seeth fyndeth alway sooth that he s­eth. and whan it is alway shewed to him in suche visions [...] techyng acordeth to honest & to vertuous liuyng. Suche tokens whan they come. they come of god for the deuill in his yllusions somtyme seyth soth to dysceyue & somtyme false But the holy ghost sheweth & tellith alway so the & neuer fals therfore sayth saynt Thomas alquin [...] In som̄ outwarde signes the prophecye of the deuyll may be knowē fro reuelacyons of god / Therfor̄ saith saynt John Crysostom Some sheew prophecye in the spyrite of deuil as ben thise men & wymen whiche men calle dyuynours / or sothsay­ers Suche men saye soth by her spirytes. & somtyme fals / But the holi ghost alway sayth soth / The fyf­the token to knowe thise vysions is by the werkes & the liuyng of [Page] hem that haue thise vysions. For as we rede / A badde tr [...]e may not bryng forth good fruyte / Also oure lorde sayth ye shall knowe hem by the fruyte that comyth of hem The sixt token is whan a vysion comyth of god by the endyng and worshypful deth of hem that haue suche reuelacions / For whan ony suche man that hath vysions / & yf he be disceyued wyth suche yllusiōs of the deuyll. As whan thei shew some thynges sooth to dysceyue hē in some other comynly▪ w [...]fynde bi our holy faders wrytyng. that su­che men make a dredfull ende. for eyther thei falle in to errours in endyng / or deyen peryllously: or soden deth / & wythout sacrament of holy chyrche. & that is the wyll of god For he wolde that other men shold drede suche yllusions / & better beware But it is the contrary in holi mē whiche ben comforted wyth vysi­ons in her lif. For god in her endī ­ge comynly werkyth or sheweth bi grace As was in the deth of sayn te Johan the euangeliste / & many other sayntes / The seuenth token to knowe vysions or reuelacōns cometh of a good angell / or of the holy ghost. is shewing of myracles after the dethe of hem that seeth the vysions: For he that is ouercome by begyling of vysiōs of the deuil in all his life / is not worthy that myracles shelde be shewed for hī after his deth / Therfor̄ after the deth of sayntes. good shewed myracles in reyfing of dede men / In gyuyng sight to blinde men. herynge to deef men / speche to dombe men. & in ma­ny other myracles / by cause thei were not begyled wyth yllusions in her life / For they yaf noo credence to noo vysion ne reuelacyon / tyl it were examyned in maner̄ as I sa­yd befor̄ / Thus thēne by thise seuē tokens & examynyng of vysions whiche I haue shewed ye may saye shortly after the sayeng of our hol [...] faders▪ that a man or a woman whiche seeth. or hath reuelacyons. yf he be founde meke in examynac [...] on / and namly yf he liue vnder obe­dyence / or gouernaūce or techynge of his ghostly fader / [...]or some sadde dyscrete holy liuer. and yf he felith his hert & his mynde rauysshed vpwarde to god in tyme of prayer wyth a specyall ghostli sauour of y^• loue of god. and he thēne beyng in ghosttly vysion / whether it be in bodely ymage. or vnbodeli / by an In­warde symple vnderstondyng. thē ne yf he be shewed to hym clere knowyng / & fulfyllyng wyth a soden comyng of an holy heet [...] & swetnesse of the mater̄. that he seeth in suche suche vysions. and yf euermore it be shewed sooth / that he seeth in his vysions / he and his euyn crysten [Page] ben edefyed / and amended, Suche a persone what he be / is not begiled of the deuyll. ne his vysion sholde not be dyspysed but [...]lowly they shol de be receyued. As of the sowle of god: In manere as I sayd before after the techyng of doctours of holy chyrche / and other holi faders

¶ Now thus haue I shewed you seuen tokens / to knowe whiche bē reuelacyons▪ & vysions of a goode angell / But some perauenture, for suche vysions: and for other grace that they haue to teche or comforte other ben tempted with presūpcōn Therfor̄ some wordes of this ma­tere I wyll shewe you / and for as­moche as men & wymen haue ben dysceyued by yllusions of the deuil in suche vysions & reuelacyons / e­uery man sholde mekely drede vysions / for peryll that myghte falle Wakith and prayeth that ye falle! not in to temptacion /

MAny men and wymen haue had and haue reuelacy­ons and vysions. and som̄ haue a spyryte of prophecye / Also haue deuocion and grete plente of teres / and comfort moche other folke. and coūseylle and conuerte hem wyth her holy speche / and wyth her techynge / as other wyth deuoute speche / or prechynge / or wyth holy termes in wrytynges / and makinge of bokes in latyn or in englissh But all thyse and suche other preue not a man ne woman holy ne perfyghte / For a repreuable maye haue all thyse vertues / and many other / Therfore in all suche vertu­es / the whiche s [...]yre vs to ony va ynglory / or ypoc [...]sie. we haue grete nede to drede. and sette our [...] euermore in lowenes and meke­nes / in loue & charyte. For what man hath mekenes and charyte he is holy and perfyghte though he haue none of all the other before / And though he haue all the ver­tues togyder▪ but yf he haue meke­nes and charyte. he is nother holy ne good /

¶ I rede of our lordes dyscyples whan they had preched. they came ayen to our lorde wyth grete glad nesse / and sayd / Lorde in thy name wyckyd spyrites ben subget to vs and obeye to our com̄aundementes And anone our lorde answerde thus / Maketh noo gladnes for y^• but rather be gladde / for your na­mes ben wryten in heuen. In as [...]o [Page] che as they were gladde oonly of her myracles. they had in her herte a preuy temporell Joye / But in thoos wordes that our lorde badde hem be gladde. For her names were wryten in heuen / they were called ayen fro her a pryuat gladnes in a comyn / & fro a temporall gladnesse in to euerlastīg / All holi mē & wy men whiche I calle goddes chosen chyldern / how they werke noo my­racles. ne haue noo spiryte of pro­phecye. ne reuelacōns ne vysions. & yet her names ben wryten in y^• boke of life / Good goddes chyldern & good louers shall noo Joye haue but in comyn among all men & in hym / or in y^• where no ēde is of Joy & gladnes / It is ful nedefull in all our werkes outwarde / whether they ben in deuocōn / & comforte / or or techyng to other▪ or in ony spe­cial grace / put in vs. y^• wysely we deme ourselfe fyrst of ony thyng. & s [...]ly serche ourself. that we see and know what we ben within / And thēne thynke that all thise yeftes / whiche we receyue ben yeuē to vs / not for our merites. but forher grace & for her profyte. that ben comforted wyth suche yeftes / that god [...]ē ­deth vs / Thus thēne to thynke y^• suche yef [...] comē for her grace & her profyte / & to thynke on our sinnes & vnworthynes / though we be sty­red or pryckyd wyth vaīglory. we sholde wyth lowenes of hert put it away. we sholde also drede in al suche specyall yefte. For as I sayd be for̄ / our holi faders for a lityll tres­pace to our knowyng outwarde our lorde chastysed hem sore / & for a tyme wythdrewe his gyftes. & his specyall grace fro hem / ¶ Of this also we haue an ensāple of Moy­ses. We rede & knowe wel that by specyal grace he brought goddes peple out of egypt / Also of his miracles we rede that in the moūt of si nay after his fastynge / he receyued the tables of the law / whiche god wolde haue kept: Also that in all the lightnyng & thondryng whan all the peple d [...]ad. he alone spake ho [...]mly wyth god / He departed the re [...]d see / that the peple myght sauf go ouer By his prayer the peple had mete fro heuen to asswage her hun gre / He yaaf hem also flessh by myracle / But what tyme thei had nede of drynke. for grete thurste that they had / thēne moyses felle in mis trust / & was in doubte whether they shold haue water of the stones there god badde him smyte or none / But yet he smote on the stone / and they had plente of water. Thyrty yere after this. he wroughte many myracles: And whā he came to y^• londe of beheest / he was called to an hylle / and there he herde how moche was his trespace / whan he doubted [Page] and trowed not to haue water oute of the stone▪ and for that offen­ce he wyst well he myght not come in to the londe of beheest / By thys we may see how we sholde euer more drede y^• preuy dome of god. that soo punissheth his seruaūt / after so many myracles & visions / & many wonderfull werkes / & after so many yeres / oonly for one trespace / Yf thenne suche a man soo specially chosē of god was punysshed for one trespace / howmay we haue pride & vaynglorye of vysions / or of ony other yeftes & tokens outwar warde ¶ Also to shewe how re­preual men maye haue suche yef tes / we haue in the gospel how oure lorde sayth / Many shall come to me in that day & say. lord in thi name we haue shewed prophecyes. & in thy name we haue cast out fendes / & done many vertues dedes But I shall say ayen to hem / I know you not / goo away fro me werkers of wyckidnes / Yf thēne myracles & suche open vertues bē not gretly to be charged / we shall then̄ lityll sette by reuelacōns. or vysi­ons / as to haue hem in ony deynte as for hemselfe / or for our comforte here. But as moche as they styre vs. or encrease vs in to the loue of god▪ wyth mekenes & charyte. soo that the conclusion of this matere for remedye to hem that ben traueyled with pryde / or vaynglory: for il lusions or for other specyall grace is best to eche mā & woman to tra­ueyle for mekenes & charite. and to grounde hem on thise two vertues passyng all other / Also I sayd beforo in the v [...]. chapytre / that some for tendernes of kynde. ben soone sty­red to wepyng teres & to other goostli comfortes as I reherced in the seconde chapitre ¶ Of this matere I rede that the dyscyple of loue asked howe he myghte torne to the worship of god suche te [...]es. & ot [...]er goostli comfortes. of the whiche he was in doubte whether they [...] of tendernes of kynde or n [...] [...] wysdom of god answerde thus to his Inward vnder [...]o [...]yng [...] is harde to know of suche maner̄ te [...] ­res whiche bē of kinde [...] whiche bē aboue kynde for by cause they bē so like▪ Therfor̄ as soone as thou fe lest ony suche gladnes. or Joye in thy soule / or ony suche swetnes of teres / or of other tokens of comfort. y^u shalt lift vp thyn [...]ert & [...]on­des. as a bel dyde in maner of sacr [...] fyse to him y^• sendeth al gladnes: & offre vp al gladnes & ghostli Joye desiryng wyth ful hert y^• it myghte be torned & spended to his worship that is maker of al mākynde & gyuer of al grace. & thēne suche teres & tokēs of grace whiche were per­auēture fyrst but of the naturell kynde. & wythout meryte / maye be [Page] made merytorye and aboue kynde. Thꝰ thēne in this chapytre I ha­ue shewed you y^• noo man sholde be presūpt [...]oꝰ for noo reuelacōn / ne for none other special yeftes of god / Also how a mā shal turne kī deli affecciōs / & make hē merytory aboue kynde. ¶ Now ferdermor̄ I wyl answer̄ to thy ghostli sickenes se▪ whiche I spake of in the vij. & viij. chapiters / & to iiij. sectes of lyuyng / y^• I shewed befor̄ after y^• viij chapyter / But for asmoche as ye see euermor̄ that mani perilles fallē to ghostli liuers be they neuer so holi Therfor̄ wake & praye that ye falle not in to tēptacōn / Vigilate:

IN suche sickenes it is gode to know what is the cau­se of the sickenes / & thenne for a pryncipal remedye. it is spede ful to voyde the cause if it maye be voyded / Right so to our purpose it is gode to see / what is the cause of thise ghostli feuers & errours whyche I haue shewed / and so by a voy daūce of the cause. cast remedye for the sickenes / I said in the vij. chapytre / that by cause so [...] men wylle not wyth grace. they fall in to suche sickenes. the whiche I shewed in y^• same chapitre / or other chapitres foloweng. for as I sayd there / Slouth gendreth sickenesse & werkyng wyth grace is nedeful In this y^• men wyll not werke by grace / many perisshē / for they finde not grace: or see it not / or elles tho­ugh they fynde grace. they leue it & forsake it for dyfficulte of traueyll / Therfor̄ sayth an holi clerke / [...]i cardus de s [...]to victore / They erre foule & go ferre out of the hie way whiche trust somoche on grace that they leue the werkyng of her own̄ free wyll. But yet they erre moche more▪ y^• stonde vpon her owne free wyll. & take noo hede of grace / Meryte of gode lyuynge maye not be without grace. there is noo merite but al euyll / therfor̄ they goo in the euyn riht way that fele in werkynge by dyscrecōn / y^• nother free will may be meritory without grace. ne that grace may not werke▪ withoute a free wyl For nother god without mā ▪ ne man wythout god / but god & man werke togider. Therfor̄ sayth thapostle / not on̄li I myselfe but y^• grace of god with me. for we bē werkyng with god / & god with vs. the grace of god gooth before our wyll. y^• god shold be the leder / & [Page] not man For mā shal yelde & offre to god / & not to hīself all y^• he may doo to the worship of god. & werke wyth grace / By thise wordes slou the gēdreth sickenes. & werkynge with grace is nedful [...] for y^• brīgeth perfeccōn. that is a specyal remedy to put away that noieth / & take to vs that helpeth / & that is the most so [...]eyne medycin to suche ghostly sickenes / Other sickenes there ben as I sayd before / whiche I liken to dyuers kyndes of feuers. thise gho stli feuers also may be holpē as I said befor̄ in y^• maner̄ / to put awai y^• cause of the siknes. whiche cause is vnstablenes Thre kindes of mē fall in to vnstablenes. the fyrst bē they. make ony vowe or begyn oni thyng / & holde it not / y^• secōde bē thei that forsake her charge / after tyme they haue bē charged. the thirde bē they that chaūge h [...]r state. or her de­gree / The fyrst kynde of vnstable­nes is repreued in the law of holy chirche / Where saynt gregory sheweth / how a man y^• was named A­nanias deyed a fowle dethe. for he yelded not the money that behote. as we haue by holi wrytte. Vpon the whiche texte doctours sayē / that it is moche more alienacōn a man̄es owne persone / than alyenacyon of money. Yf thenne soo grete peryll felle by vnstablenes / for brekynge of byheest of a dedely thyng. Moche more thenne ben they in perill that wythdrawe her liuyng. whiche thei haue behight to god. Therfore say the the wyse man. the vnstablenes of a man by lustfull couetyse tur­neth vp sodowne the wytte / The seconde kynde of vnstablenes also is repreuyd by saynt Jerom of a mā whiche after tyme he had chosen so­litary liuyng he wolded welle in cytees. Also right as a man in hys baptesme taketh a name of his [...] stendom. and behoteth a g [...]od [...]rys­ten life. yf he breke then̄e afterwarde / he is vnstable in all wayes Right so in the same manere [...]e vnstable that chaungeth his sadde loue from god. & by a fals colour [...] loueth other thynges more than ne­deth / As whan he wyll chaunge his liuyng / to haue now one ma­ner̄ liuyng / tomorough a nother The thyrde kynde of vnstablenesse is also repreued by a decree where men of holy chirche ben repreuyd. y^• forsake: or chaunge that they haue taken tofore / and goo to a nother. for her owne case whiche is lighter and not of soo grete meryte: ne soo helpyng to his soule / Yf he thenne be to blame▪ that hath hym soo vn­stable in his charge. of a nother man It is noo doubte but he is mo che more worthy grete blame that him soo vnstable in kepyng hīself [Page] therfor̄ y^• souereyn remedye ayē all thise ghostli feuers. in what degree a man stonde. It is good that he to werke by coūseyle that he falle not fro noo good liuyng. ne fro his deuocyon / ne. chaūge not to wers bi his owne vnstablenes / I shewed you also befor̄. after thise infyrmy­tees of iiij. manere sectes of men but they bē knytte togider thise mē ben soo blinde in her soule. that they holde by presūpcion & ypocresye false opinyons & errours / and liue cō traryousli to all good liuyng / they forsake all ghostli traueyle & exercise of vertues. & besieth hem to geteful rest of kide / Also thrugh this rest. they leue all charite. & s [...]ke on̄ ly loue of kynde / & all her bodeli ple saūce Also there they holde that her ydlenes & kyndly rest is so hie per­fercyon / that they sholde not be lette wyth noo maner̄ werkyng / & soo they saye / they ben poore of spyrite by cause they haue forsakē al wil & desire / Also they saye what euer they doo it maye be noo sinne For what euer they doo they be ladde bi the ho [...]i goost therfor̄ they maye do what they wyll wythout ony synne / Al thise men liue moche contrariously to god / & to holy chyrche te­chyng. For by all holi wrytte & doe tours of ho [...]i chyrche / it is nedefull to eche man soo to lyue / that he liue not contraryousū to vertues. al though he haue not vertues perfyghtly. For yf a man liue contrarious to vertues. he liueth in sinne / To this accordeth y^• wordes of our lorde / there he sayd. he that is not with me: he is ayēst me / or contraryous to me. / Therfore he that is not meke. is proude / & longeth not to god & soo of other vyces & vertues, thē ne semeth it well / that it is nede full / either to haue vertues / & be in grace. or elles liue contrariously to vertues / & abyde in sin̄e for that ty­me. Also they liue contraryously / For by holi scrypture that we rede / a man may neuer holde himself perfyght while he is in this life / For the more perfyght that he is. y^• more he wyll holde hymself vnperfighte / Therfor̄ euery perfight man encrease in some ghostli vertues / & traueilith fro tyme to tyme / & in al his werkes. he desirethon̄li goddes worship in to his liues ende. with al deuocōn & vertues / & wyth al exercyce of bodeli traueyle or ghostly▪ for god muste be loued in al goode werke. for in wicked werkes god may not be loued / In suche werke yf a mānes entencōn be set to y^• louynge & worship of god. thēne y [...] his purpose or entencōn more rihtful / & more acceptable to god / & more loueth & restoreth hī to god thā ony other loue or desire / wythoute ony werkyng / To this accordeth Bonauenture. I trow whan he sayd thus / he that wyll come to the he [Page] yth of contemplacōn he may neuer rest while he wakyth / but euermor̄ he must areyse his herte vpwarde / For in stirynge vpwarde. vnrest is rest: [...] he that desireth rest is ta­ [...]yed. & traueyled. and maye not so lightly goo vpwarde / as he dyde before while he traueyled. Thus thē ­ne I haue shewed you howe suche men ben deceyued. & falle in to errours whan they traueyle & seke kī ­dely rest / But harde it is to telle a remedye to suche men that ben dysceyued / for vtterli they ben soo blinded that they see noo defawte in hē self / And though her prayer or cō ­fessōn myght helpe hem it wyl not be for they set at nought all the or denaūce & obseruaūce of holi chirche so that it is more to drede of suche men thanof ony other mē y^• ben en cōbred wyth ony other ghostli tēp­tacōns / whiche I haue sayd before therfor̄ as ferre as I fele. I can see none other helpe / but other mennes praiers to gete hē grace y^• thei may see hēself how they ben blinded. For yf they may bi grace see y^•. thei shal sone tu [...]ne / Of this mater̄ I shew you nomor̄. for I wyll▪ answere to affeccōns / for in asmoche as I sayd befor̄ in the vn. chapytre / y^• som̄ seke gostli cōforte in mē & wymen more than nedeth / But for asmo­che as ye see here / y^• contynuel prayer is nedeful / Wakyth / & c̄ /

AFfeccōn is a wylfull bowyng / or enclinyng of a mā nys [...]ert with loue to a nother man / Of this affeccōn there bē thre dyuers kīdes. Som̄ affec­cōn is gostli som̄ is resonable. & some is vnresonable. som̄ is offycial som̄ is naturel & som̄ is carnel of ghostli & resonable affeccōn I wil shew you & passe ouer fro all other affeccōns ¶ An ho [...]i clerke A [...]d abbot of [...]yuars s [...]kyth of holi affeccio [...] & sayth y^• ghostli affeccyon may be vnderstōde in two maners For the hert or the wyll of a man is st [...]ed what tyme the soule by [...]ō puccōn is made softe [...] lighte. & is moltē in to the swetnes of the loue of god. or in to a tendernes of cha­rite in broderhede with a preuy [...] also thēne visitaciō of y^• holi ghost y^• maners & y^• tokēs of suche visita­ciōs. Ishewed you befor̄ in y^• ij. chapitre The ij. ghostli affecciō is y^• [...] whiche is al contrario [...] to this. the whiche is gēdred & stired of y^• wi [...] bid spiryte. by y^• whiche fals affecciōs a mā is stired to al filth & si­ne / of y^• whiche spiryte the prophete spake / whā he sayd. y^• spirite of for nyciō hath deceyued hē Of this affeccyon I speke noo more /

¶ Another affeccyon there is [Page] that falleth moost [...] purpose whiche is [...] resona­ble affeccy [...] comyth [...] inwarde beholdy [...] a nother mannes vertue as [...] a vert [...] an holines knowe of [...] woman. by comyn fame / or by [...] dyng of ony mannes life / moueth our soules in to a tender softnes of loue / this affeccyon styreth a man to a softe compuccōn▪ and makith hym haue mynde wyth a likynge ghostly medytacyon of vertues dedes that ben done before As whan he heryth of the gloryous passyon of martyrs / and of other sayntes liues. Also it is a resonable affeccyon whan we ben styred to loue of man or of woman more thanto a nother / for vertuous liuynge or techyng / or ensāple of hem. by whō we be edefied ghostly & styred to better liuynge. Also reson somtyme moneth a man to the loue of god & of his eu [...]cristen / or neyghbour al though none affeccōn me [...] Butthe holier the loue is. it is more sikeret & the more resonable / and the more profytable. Therfore rea­son dryueth vs for thre skylles to the desire of the loue of god & to lo­ue god / The fyrst is for our owne mede / the seconde is for our profite. & the thyrde is for he is worthy to be loued / It it is nedeful to vs tes­che we dāpnacōn / it is profitableto get [...] vs blisse / & he is worthy to be [...] / for he loued first vs withoute deseruinge / of vs. But this loue is not most ꝓfytable loue. ne it is not most perfite skylle / whi we sholde loue hī pryncipalli / for himself & for his godenes / & for he is al go [...] [...] gode god & lorde be [...] for his godenes & worthyn [...] without his godenesse we [...] wretches. & wyth his gode [...] full blessid / y^• good lor [...]s goodnes / whiche hath no [...] to our godenes for man / wo [...] mā & dey for mā / [...]esō th [...] dryueth vs to loue thys good Ihu / & yf y^• hert of the soule assēt to this reson / all thouh a mā haue it not of ghostli affecciō / as I sayd befor̄ / soo y^• of a gode wyll be he stired into a desire ofy^• loue of god reson doeth his deuour / & thus loue maye be callid a resonable loue to god / thouh it be not full ghostli affecciō / Also bi the heest of god eche mā is loūde to loue his neighbour as hīself. also bi reson eche mā shal be stired to yelde good to his neighbour But first must we see what he is y^• is our neighbour / eche mā y^• is our neighbour / eyther he is oure frēde or he is not our enmye. or elles he is our enmye. perauēture oure frēde. for he profiteth vs. or hath profited vs / he is not our ēmye for he noyeth vs not. or hath not noted vs. he is our ēmy for he doth v [...]ha [...]m̄ / or hath done / or wold vs [Page] harme / he is our frende / eyther by kynrede or by grate: He is not our enmye / by cause he is In̄ocent / he is our enmy for wronge that he doeth Therfor̄ reason putteth thre skyl­les why a man sholde loue his frē ­de / He putteth two skylles why he sholde loue his enmye. We sholde loue our. frende by naturell reison. for he is a man of familiarte with vs. and by offyce that is to say to reward him ayē for his frendship And for we be boūde by the precepte of god to loue our euyn crysten / we shall also that is not our ene­mye. by kynde / for he is a man. and by the precept of god / we shall lo­ue our enmye only / for god badde vs loue our enmyes / Eche man y^• can thus bowe his wyll to reyson for to loue his neyghbour. thoughe he fele none affeccyon / he shall not lease charyte / ¶ I haue shewed you more of this loue to god. & to our neighbour. than I was in purpoos at the begyn̄yng of this chapytre / neuertheles it may prouffyte other symple folke whan ye co­myn wyth hem. But now to oure purpoos amonge resonable affec­cyons that is most perfyghte / whyche cometh for a nother mannes vertues liuynge / For that loue is full vertuouse / and full prouffitable / for what desire of vertues that we ben excyted or styred to bi affeccyon / And what for the lo­thynge of sinne and drede that we haue by techynge or ensample of liuyng of suche goostly liuers. & yf our mynde stondeth alway euyn. & clere wythout ony corrupcōn in suche affecyon / thenne is it none harme / yf we desire the presence of su­che men that we haue in affeccion For by her ensample we ben corrected yf we ben euyll / yf we ben gode we be strengthed by hem. Yf we haue the same perfeccōn that they haue / eyther maye be stabled & comforted by other But though it be profytable to desire the bodely presence in gode affeccōn of good men & of holy men & wymen. It is not profitable to seke hem ofte. or to be tom [...] che wyth hē for somtyme thei may be sought more than it nedyth as I sayd befor̄ By bodely presence of saynt poule & barnabe was ful cō ­fortable to her ghostli bredern in an tioche▪ Yet they herde how it was said to hem th [...] by the holi ghost. De­parte poule & barnabe in to mynys tracyon / in y^• whiche I haue callid hē to her prayers & lete hē goo. Also in all suche affeccions it is ful nedefull to see the ende. that myghte falle. therof. as well as the beginynge / that the cause of that affeccyon for fals suggestyons and subtyltees of our enemye. and by our own̄ vnstabylnes & infirmite [Page] ¶ Thise affeccyons ben in the be­gynnyng holi & resonable / but som̄ tyme they ben ēded in a nother manere affeccyon / or somwhat chaū ­ged / Of this chaungyng I rede many ensamples / how full holi mē haue ben begyled / whiche ensāples nedennot to be shewed at this tune in specyall / also I wyll not / For so me whan they rede suche ensāples that ben writen for good entent / they torne it after to theyr nyce conceytes. and make therof sportes & scornes. and the cause is. for they ben soo blinde. that they maye not ne can not see her owne Infyrmite But this I say for a generall rule what man or woman / religious or other degree that dredeth not suche affeccyons / he stondeth or goth in a ful slipper waye / and he or she what he be: is likly to haue a foule false / but he bewaar / The cause of chaūgyng of suche affeccōns is to moche famyliarite / or for tobe to hoomly / Therfor̄ the beste remedye to flee the peryll of vnresonable affeccyon, is euermore to drede the ende that the affeccōn in the ende be no­ne other thrugh to moche famyliaryte that it was in the begynnyng For amonge all preuy deceytes & temptacōns this is one of the moost preuy & the moost deceyuable

Of this mater̄ now nomore Moche more I myght wryte yf nede were. But this I hope suffyseth to you / ¶ Now ferdermore I wyl she we generall remedyes ayenst al ghostli temptacōns: But for a so­uereyne remedye ayenst all this & all other / euermor̄ I coūseyle yow

Wakyth & prayeth that ye falle not in to temptacion /

¶ Vigilate / & c̄ /

IN all trybulacyons & tēp. tacyons / it is nedefull to be pacyent / as for pryncypall remedye ayenst all hodely dyseases & goostly. eche man yf he serche hys conscyence wel & his defawtes / for the whiche he is rightfully chasty­sed. he shall bere moche the more liȝter the chastysing that he suffreth / Therfor̄ sayth an holy clerke Ysi­derus / Noo man ne woman sholde grutche in goddes scorgynges / for as moche as he is amended by that that he is vndertake & chastysed. And in this we shold lerne not to grutche whan we suffre hardenes or aduersitee. though it be soo / that we knowe not / for what defawte we suffre. For he that is chastysed of god. & grutcheth ayenst god. ac­cuseth the rightwysnes of hym / that demith rightfully. Thes [...]e it is [Page] spedefull in all the chastysinge of god mekely to suffre wythout o­ny grutchyng / Also it is a nother remedye to deme ourselfe worthy all suche chastysinges and many harder / / though they come / For in that demyng we shall the better suffre hardenes & sharpnes. And well we maye suppose that right­fully we shall suffre / For of hym we ben demed. whose dome may neuer be vnrightfull / Therfor̄ sayth the clerke Ysiderus he that knoweth in his herte. that all his chasti singe that he suffreth comyth of a ryghtfull dome of god. thoughe he know not for what defawte he suffreth. yet he is Justified in the sighte of god. in asmoche as he acuseth hymself & worshipeth & cōmendeth the rightwis god / And though y^• soule be tormēted wyth ghostle tēp­tacyons of the wycked spiryte we sholde not suppose therfor̄ that we ben not aliened or forsake of oure good lorde. But we shall trustly hope that we ben the more acceptable to god. whan we deme soo of ourselfe / and worship god & thāke him of his rightwysnes. Also it is a nother remedye ayenst suche tēptacyons / to thanke god for his rightfull chastysing / For he chas­styseth vs neuer: but for our grete profyte. Therfor̄ sayth the same clerke Ysiderus. A rightful man soule is traueled wyth dyuers tēptacyons for his grete profyte by y^e dome of god. For the whiche yf he yeue lowely & louely thankynges to god / and deme al chastising r [...]t fulli sende of god for his owne de fawte. thenne shall all that passy­on that he suffreth be accompted to hym for vertue. For as moche as gladly he suffreth & demyth hymselfe worthy to suffre. and thankyth god lowely for his passions that he suffreth ¶ Thus thenne haue we shewed you thre pryncypall remedyes ayenst temptacions. Firs te to suffre paciently the s [...] to deme ourself worthy to suffre and y^• thirde to thanke god for his chastysing loweli Also in eche temp­tacōn & trybulacion bodely or ghostly it is full comfortable to thynke on the wordes that sayth by y^• pro­phete in the psalme. Cū ip̄o sū intribulacione [...] c̄: As I sayd in the begynnyng of the fyrst chapytre / Vpon thyse wordes thought sain te bernarde whan he sayd / Lord yeue me alway trybulacōn / that y^• inwarde alway be wyth me By thyse wordes the wyl of reson desireth alway temptacōn or trybulacyon. for purgynge or chastysing of the soule / but the wyll of kynde desireth the contrary. And aslonge as we wythstonde tēptacion / neuer assentyng to hem bi the wyll of reson. so [Page] longe they trowblid vs. and by y^• they ben nedefull / For yf we assente to hem ayenst reyson / thēne shold we encline to y^• nether wyll / whi­che is the wyll of kynde / & thenne we stonde in grete peryll. Therfore what euer grete temptacōn a man haue / whether it be of the fayth / or of ony drede. or of ony stirynge of dyspeyre / or blasphemye / or of ony wicked temptacōn. ghostli or other Aslonge as the wyll of reyson saith contrary / there is noo drede. for it is noo sinne. For though ony be traueyled by thynstygacōn of y^• fende / that he is in doubte of the byleue of the sacrament of the awter Aslonge as he is sory therof: that he may not byleue it fully / but fayne he wolde / this man therwhyles sin̄eth not in that. & thus it fareth by all hie temptacyons / Also yf a man or woman / loue not his neighbour. or brother or suster / or elles perauenture hath enuye to hem / yf it soo he that he wolde loue hem. & is soo be that he loue hem not / in this he syn̄eth not / For as sayth saynte austyn / that eche synne that is not wylfull is noo sin̄e / that is to say. noo dedeli sinne. But all though suche temptacōns ben no sin̄e. whiche ben not wylfull. yet it is nede­ful to deme in ourself / that they come to vs for some sinne. knowen to vs / or vnknowen. As I sayd befor̄ / for a generall rule ayenst al temptacōns. It is nedeful to shew it to our confessours / eyther in ge­nerall wordes / or in specyall. For suche a confessour it might be / that it were not spedefull. to shewe hym all goostli temptacōns in pecy all that falle or may falle to a ghostli liuer / Therfor̄ to suche a confessour it suffyseth to speke of temptaciōs generally / in to tyme a man maye com̄ & aske coūseyle of a nother mā more discrete & more experte in su­che mater̄ / Thus thēne shal ye conferme your wylle to goddes wylle! in all temptacōns / & say or thinke in the maner̄ as I sayd befor̄ in the fyrst chapitre ¶ Also a nother remedy is & a specyall ayēst wyckid spyrites to thynke on the passion of cryst. crossing vpon the forhede & the brest. and some done pryncy­palli wyth the tokē of thaw / & say ¶ In not̄e Ihu signo me thaw. & wyth other blessinges / Some say a vers that is in the ympne Cultor dei memēto / in this maner̄ ¶ O tortuose serpens discede disce de xp̄s hic est. cristus hic est liquesce signū [...] ipsi nosci dāpnat tuam cateruā. Some say ¶ Ihus autē transiēs p mediū illo [...] that: In noīe pr̄is / & c̄. Per crucis hoc signū. & c̄. Ihesu / whan it is callid to our helpe it is to vs a gracyous li­ight / to light vs in derknes of our [Page] soule / It is also mete fulfyllīg vs wyth grete ghostli sauours / & it is to vs medicyne / to all to hele al oure sores Therfor̄ saith saynt bernarde vpon the cantycles / Noo thyng refreyneth the feernes & the malen colie or of Ire / as to calle this na­me Ihu / noo thyng so swageth hi enes of pryde as y^• holi name / Noo thyng so helith the woūde of enuie as the vertue of that name / Noo thyng tempreth soo couetyse / as to thynke on that name / Noo thyng soo resceyneth the lust of lecherye as to thynke on the vertue of that name / Noo thyng voydeth soo so­ne slouthe as this name / and soo forth of al other / All thise & suche other ben siknes & sores of the soule. But to calle to this name Ihu / & to thynke on the vertue / that ys souereyne medycyn to all thyse go ostli sickenes. & that our lord sheweth vs by his owne teching / whā he sayd by the wordes of the prophete. Calle me in the day of trybulas­cyon. for I shal deliuer the. & I shal worship the / Soo in all maner̄ of temptacōn. it is a souereyne reme­dye / to vse & calle this name Ihu / Saynt Ancelme thought wel also / there was grete vertu & comforte in this name. & therfor̄ he vsed to saye oft ¶ Ihesu Ihu ihu / ꝓpter nomē tuū s [...]tm sis michi Ihus Also some vse moche to saye thys vērs / Deus in adiutoriū meum intende. Of this vers I rede / that saynt Ildegare an heli non̄e / whan she sayd her sawter / though she vn­derstodenot what she [...]ad / yet acertē vers / & specyally anone as she be­gan this psalme. she sawe how the fendes tanne away fro her / Also an holi fader Ysaac / as I reede in y^• collacōn of the faders taught that vers. Deus in adiutoriū meū in­tende. & c̄. for a generall remedye ayenst all steringes of temptacōns todely or ghostly sleping. or wakinge Also many other mē vse other verses of the saulter. whiche ben of grete vertue ayenst vyckyd spyrites / & all temptacōns: Some v­se to say the laste vers of the psalme / Inclins / whiche ben thise ¶ Respice ī me. & c̄ / & fac mecu [...]n signū in bonū & c̄ / Some vse also this vers / Diripusti dn̄e vineula mea. & c̄. whiche vers after the opinyons of some clerkes is of grete vertu Also some vse thise four laste verses in the psalme Dn̄e [...]yau di the latter. whiche verses ben thyse ¶ Eripe me de inimicis meis & c̄ / Spūs tuꝰ bonus / & c̄. Educes de tribulaciōe / & c̄. Et pdes oēs qui tribulant aīam / & c̄ All thise ver­ses wyth other vertues siuynge: & other holy prayers may be strength & comfortable & remedyable ayenst all temptacōns & tribulacōns. [Page] ¶ Also I rede how our ladi taughte saynt Bride whā she was tēpted wyth ony wyckyd spiryte. that she sholde saye wyth a lowde voys to the fende dyspysing hym. Rescede a me maligne sp̄us nolo vias tuas / That is to saye / goo awaye fro me thou wyckid spiryte / I will not of thy wayes Also it is a grete confusion to the deuyll / whan he is repreuyd & dyspised / as I said before in the xv. chapitre. Therfor̄ it is a spedeful remedye / whan a mā or woman felith ony stirynge of thise hye temptacōons / anone thē ne to speke out. & say that the deuil may know what a man sayth / to his shame & confusion in this maner̄, Almyghty god fader in heuen yf it be pleysinge to the / wyth all myne hert I desire y^• my soule myghte haue a place & an offyce in thy blisse. where this cursid spiryte miyght haue ben yf he had wold / There lorde graūte me to be euermor̄ to worshyp the. where this fals fend shold haue be that thus is abowte to begyle me / A my good curteys lorde fader almyghty. my wyl [...] is as ofte as this fowle spiryte trow blith me wyth temptacyons to of­fre to y^• myn hert in sacrefice wythal deuocōn & worshippes that may be to thy plesinge / In this maner̄ as I rede by many examples shall the deuyll soonest be discomfited Thus thenne I haue shewed yow [...]emedyes ayenst dredfull ghostly temptacōns. and for as moche as many men & wymen that ben full holi of liuyng / and euery mā & wo man is somwhat traueyled wyth some passions. or elles at the leest wyth some manere passion of the vij. pryncypall vyces / or of the braunches of hem / therfor̄ now I will shewe you some speciall remedyes ayenst suche generall passyons

But euermor̄ in al passions & dis eases. prayer is most souereyne remedye / Wakyth therfor̄ & prayeth that ye falle not in to temptacion / ¶ Migilate & orate / & c̄.

AChe man & woman knoweth or shold knowe / whiche ben the vij. dedeli sin̄es / other many fraūches there ben / whiche men know not! but ye bi discrecōn & by that ye haue redde & herde. I hope in god ye know more than ma­ny other: bothe whiche ben the sin̄es & whiche ben the braūches / whan ye be prycked wyth ony of hem But perauenture ye haue not alway in mynde / the medicynes & remedyes to wythstōde hem / or to quēche hem yf nede were / therfor̄ both for yourself & helpe to other: suche remedies [Page] as clerkes shew I wylle wryte to you here y^•ye mayhaue hē redi in time of nede. ¶ Thise ben the vij. vyces. Pryde. couetyse. wrathe / en uye. slouthe / glotenye & lecherye / o­therwyse mē setteth hem in order in dyuers maners / but therfor̄ lityll charge at this tyme / For I wylle shew but specyall remedyes ayenst eche of hem. Fyrst thēne ayenst pride & ayenst the spices of pryde / it is a specyall remedye to beholde oure owne fylthe & freyltee / that is to say to beholde in our selfe what we ben in kynde / fro the tyme that we ben fyrst conceyued vnto the dethe & in the deyeng & after the dethe We sholde also thynke / that all tē ­porell godes ben not lastyng: For riches & worshippes ben but lente / to man / for a tyme. to yelde rekenī ­ge of hem how they ben spended Also we sholde thynke that the ryches & y^• ghostli yeftes that the soule hath. be not ours. but they ben y^• yeftes of god / as wytte & knowynge. & other yeftes of al whiche shal yelde harde rekenyng. The euyll dedes bē sikerli ours / therfor̄ but we do mekeli penaūce for hem / we shal fynde hem in payne after our dethe Therfor̄ sayth saynt Gregorye to prowde men / Thou man that arte but erthe & asshes / or powder fowle & freyl in kynde / herken what y^e wise man sayth. The gretter thou art in worshyp or in dignyte / or in o­ny reputacōn. meke the in all thinges. & thēne thou shalt fynde gra­ce befor̄ god & man / Also it is ne­defull to eche man that is trauey­led wyth ony spyce or pryde. to vse dedes of mekenes / that is to say to vysite the seke. & the dede and to be holde hem inwardly & to ky se y^• ba regroūde / & other suche lowlynes. wherby a man may abate the pride that is wythin. Also meknes of prayers / is a specyall remedye ayēs te pryde. Ayenst couetyse & ayenst the spyces therof it is a rem [...] to thynke. what [...]ryll it is in g [...] of ryches what besines [...] tra [...]y [...]e is in the kepyng fro [...] & [...] deceyuable men Also it is good to thynke that a ryche man is no [...] ­re siker. [...] maye lityll & lityll multeplie / but soden [...] they ben dys perklid Also ryches encreaseth anatyce in a couetous man as drinke encreseth thurst in a man that ha the the dropesie. therfor̄ it is a grete folie to coueyte that dyseaseth bothe body & soule. Also a pryncipal remedye ayenst auaryce / is to trust stedfastli in god whiche forsakyth not hem that truste in hym after his beheest where he sayth / Be not besie in thynkyng what ye shall [...] te or drynke and soo forthe / [Page] Your fader in heuen knoweth wel what ye haue nede of al thise thyn ges. Yf wycked men & cruell mē or bestes nourysshe her childern. moche more than that noble and soth fast fader wyll not forsake his childern / whiche truste on hym / Oure lorde will ordeyne one of thre thynges for hem that cast away coueti se. and put her trust in hym For eyther he wyll [...]deyne for hem that nedeth / er elles [...]est for her liue­lode. or elles he wyll ordeyne a mā in suche nede & myscheyf / as grete strēgth / as though he were in grete plentee / and that is mery to be strō ge with a litil / or elles that he with draweth fro the body. he putteth in the soule by goostly comforte / that wyl fully & gladly he wyl lacke bo deli plentee to haue ghostli rychesse Also it is good to thynke that he deseruyth grete blisse / y^• for the loue of god wylfully suffreth bodeli nede / For as our lorde saith / poor mē ben blessid / for he is y^• blisse of hem. Also it is a specyall remedye aga ynst this temptacyon. to thynke moche on the deth / For saynt Je­rom sayth a good worde / Lyghtly he dyspyseth al in this worlde that thynkyth alwaye he shall deye / Al so it is a remedye to hym that ys traueyled wyth couetyse / to yelde a­gayne other mennes goodes / and to gyue freely of his owne godes Thise that I haue reherced wyth prayers maye be remedyes ayenst the passion of couetyse:

Ayenst wrath or malencolie. and spyces therof / It is good a man to thynke on his owne mysdedes what maye come to mynde for the tyme / Also it is good & spedeful to eche man that hath grete pasion of malencolie / or of Ire: to refreyne his tongue. whan he hath occasōn of wrathe / vnto the tyme that hys malencolie be abated. Also in ty­ne of wrathe it is good to chaun­ge his occupacyon / and put hym to some other likyng besines / wher by the herte may be occupyed wyth some good communycacyon / or wyth some wysdome to make him forgete his wrathe. Of this passy on it is good to bewar̄ For it hurteth soone the conscyence / and takyth awaye a mannes fame / It sclaundreth other men / It ma­kyth the herte in vnrest: It dryueth oute the holy ghost / It deseruyth paynes / Also it is a remedie for this passion to vse dedes of lowlynes and sofnes / As a man to aske for gyuenesse fyrst of hym that wra­thyd hym. Also for to vse kneling as for satysfaccyon of thys synne / Also to wasshe poore mennes fe­te / To speke fayre and softe. and [Page] in good lowely / and in gladde che­re. Thise remedyes wyth the remedye of kepynge of scylence. & wyth prayers for hem that wrathe vs maye be spedefull and comfortable in tyme of nede / and remedyable to refreyne his passyon /

Ayenst enuye and the spyces ther of / it is remedye to desire not / ne loue not that the worlde loueth. As worshippes. richesses. lustes / or vanytees. and suche passing thynges For he that desireth suche. hath co nunely enuye to hem. that hath suche. but yf he maye haue the same or like. Also it is good to thynke that though he had not that thynge / for the whiche he hath enuye to other Yet perauenture sholde he not haue it. Wherto thenne sholde we be trowblid for ony good / or worshyp or for ony other thyng / that a nother man hathe. wythoute oure harme. In this enuye / yf a man falle in to hatred: thenne it is goode to thynke / that god forgyueth not a mannes sinnes / aslonge as he hateth his neyghbour. Also it is good to thynke / yf a man shall be saued he must conferme hym to his brother. therfor̄ beter it is to do at betyme. than abyde tyll it be to late. Also it is good to thynke / that it helpeth not to thynke longe on wronges. but rather it turmenteth & bryndeth a man in to vnrest / therfor̄ it is good doo after techyng of saynt poul. that saith Be not ouercome of euyll / but ouercome euyll in good. Also ayēst the passion of enuye / it is a souereyne remedye a man or a woman to be bon [...] / & to vse dedes of charyte. & to loue his enmyes to praye for hem y^t dysease hym / to do good to hym that hateth hym / to comfort hem y^t ben heuy & sory. to teche hem that ben vncūnyng & to part wyth other that haue nede of his goodes. bothe bodeli & ghostly / suche as god hath sent to hym / Thise remedyes wyth contynell prayers may helpe moche ayenst the passion of euie or hate / Ayenst slouth & the spices therof it is a reme dye to thynke ofte vpon the traueile / that crist had in erth & vpon his good werkes to whose goodnesse al good werkes: that all mē may doo ben not in cōparyson. but as a drope of water to the quantyte of the grete see / Also it is good to be ofte wyth good mē & wymen that gladly wyll speke of god.

¶ Also some tyme grete heuynes comyth of slowthe. Therfore to suche dyuerse occupacyons. and chaungynges from one good werke to a nother. ben to suche men or wymmen to putte awaye heuynes ¶ Also though that [Page] a man or woman be heuy or wery in goostly werkes. as for prayer or other deuocyon / It is a remedye to stryue therwyth & kepe styll his traueyle / tyll he may haue comfort by grace / as I sayd befor̄ in the fo­urth chapytre. Also ayenst slouth it is a remedye to thynke what pe­rylles we falle in nyghte & day / slepyng & wakyng. In slepyng men falle somtyme in perill of fyre and water / & theues wakyng. there ry­seth vp in our hertes grete floodes of vanytees / & many vycked tho­ughtes / or elles fyre of some wyc­ked desires / is kyndled in our con­scyence / or elles theues. that is to say wycked spirytes. or wyckyd men [...]he day assayle vs / Therfore saynt Jerom sayth / Doo alwaye some good that the deuyll fynde ye neuer vnocupyed Also ayenst slouth it is a remedye to thynke how good & how delectable is the euer­lastyng mede. to the whiche maye noo man come wythoute fructuo­us labour. Also to thynke how herryble & how dredful. is the euerlastyng payne / to the whiche payne men maye be broughte by s [...]outhe and ydlenes and werynes of go­od dedes.

¶ Thus thenne haue I shewed that besinesse and ocupacyon / and chaungyng of werkes / As some tyme to rede some tyme to praye and other honest traueyle, [...]en speciall remedies agaynst slouthe / and ydlenesse /

¶ Ayenst Glotenye and the spyces therof. It is to take hede. that mete whan it is mesurably taken and well defyed: it makyth a man hole in body▪ and sharpeth a mānys wytte / and makyth hym well dys­posed to serue god. And excesse of mete werkyth all the contrary It feblith and dulleth a mannys wyttes / It gendreth sicknesse / It bryngeth a man soone to deth▪ and moost peryll of all. It makyth a man lyke a beest / In that / that he dystroyeth in hyms [...]lf the vse of reson. Also it is good not to ete of­ter / than at [...]ouenable tyme. but yf sicknesse make it / For the law is not put to sike men / Also the mo­ost spedefull remedye is to hym that is traueyled wyth this passy­on / is for to forbere curyou [...] and delicate metes / and drynkes / to re [...] freyne the luste of glotenye / In this passyon / it is nedefull to stry. ue. and fyghte dyscretely. For the leesse we stryue therwith. the stronger it wylle be / And the lesse it is ouercome / the stronger all other vyces ben ayenst vs / And we ben the more feble agaynst h [...]m / By this sinne dethe entreth in to [Page] mankynde / therfor̄ the deuyl tēpted fyrst cryst by glotenye. as by then tryng of all vyces / supposing therby that he myght lightly afterwarde tempte him bi other temptacōns Also ayenst glotenye dyggyng of water. & abstynēce of flesshe / al thyse wyth prayer bē remedyes ayēste the vyce of glotenye. Ayenst lechery & ayēnst the spyces of lechery / to destroy vtterli that vice. fastyng is nedeful / Also a pryncipal remedy & a nedefull is to eche man or wo­man to flee thoccasion that is cause of his passōn. this nedeth not to be expressed to you. For ye knowe well that in dyuers men & wymen ben dyuerse passions of the spyces of this s [...] / And eche man or woman felith in hymself to what spyce he is moost dysposed / therfor̄ it is the moost souereyne remedye therto: to put away the pryncipal occasion. what euer itꝰ. Also it ys a remedye euermore to drede hys owne dysposicyon / though he seme neuer so siker / for fulholi mē [...] wymen after many yeres in her liuynge / haue fallen by the suffraūce of god: & perauentur̄ presūpcion hath be cause therof / for it is a remedye euermor̄ to drede. We haue ensample herof in the olde lawe. how Dauyd that was soo holy felle. Salamon / that was so wyse felle / Sāpson that was soo stronge felle. & so of other men & wymen / Also yf this passion or stiryng come of the hyenes of the flesshe. It is nedefull thenne to tempre it / wyth abstynē ce or wakyng or some other bodely traueyle. & with some sharpe weringes & harde / soo it be done dyscretly For it is not good to destreye the more for the lesse▪ ne the substaunce for the accydent. Also somtyme this passion comyth of grete trowbling of thoughtes by temptacōn of the fende. And somtyme by dys­posicyon of a man. or of a woman though he be right feble of comp [...] yon / or [...]ll [...] for payne to hym for his sinnes done befor̄. w [...] [...] of sinne [...]o not fully dystroyed by satysfaccyon thenne it is a reme­dye euermore to drede as I said before And thynke that the r [...] of his olde sinne eleuyth: alway v [...] hym And that ofte confession knowlegyng his owne Infirmy [...]. [...] vse also lowlines. shar [...]e dyseypli­nes wyth his owne [...]ndes wyth [...]oddes. as in par [...]ye of satysfaccyon for suche vnresonable luste of the flesshe. Also it is a remedye to thynke ofte on the dethe. Therfore sayth the wyse man. Sone be­thynke the on thy last ende. & thou shall neuer sinne / Also ocupacōn in good & honest besines is a sou [...] reyne medicyn. Therfor̄ sayth sa [...] [...] Alwa [...] doo some gode [Page] ¶ Also some vse for to traueylle of thou [...] of stirynges of the flesshe / to saye th [...]se wordes wyth smy [...]yng on the brest ¶ Scrutator [...] diū & renū deus miserere miserere mei. Thise wordes serue for Jole thoughtes / & for delectacōn in thynkynge / Also some vse to refreyne suche lustes / for to thynke on y^t passyon of Ihu. & say thries this verse wyth smyting on the brest. Saluator mūdi salua nos / qui ꝑ crucē & sanguinē tuū redemisti nos auxiliare nobis te depcamut d [...]e deus [...] / Also some vse that discypline & soorgynges for suche passiōs / say therwyth thise verses / Vulnera quinque deisint medicina mei / & this vers of the saulter therwyth. Qm̄ lūbi mei [...]pleti sūt illusioni (bus) et nō ē sanitas in carne mea. Al­so in the same tyme some vse this vers / Quinque plage dn̄i [...]i [...] xp̄i profuit michi ad remissionem p [...]tō [...]. meorū & ad vitā eternam / ā wyth this vers of the saulter / Delicta iuuētut mee & ignorancias meas ne memineris dn̄e: Thise remedies with other praiers / & with ter [...]s of contricōn. or of cōpassion. & of deuocōn wyth redyng & medytacions ben spedefull ayenst suche stirynges of lecherye.

And for as moche as this ma [...] longeth sōdele to satysfaccōn whā it is doo by auctorite. therfor̄ now I wyll shewe you of satisfaccōn / & other ghostly ne [...]. prayer is taken for a souereyne remedye / Wakyth therfor̄ & prayeth that ye falle not in to temptacōn ¶ Vigilate / & [...]

IT is nedeful [...]ule in gene­ral order or liuyng to a mā or woman. whiche hath do­ne vnlefully / that he ref [...]yne hym self fro that / whiche is lefull / In this refreynyng we muste holde ij. thynges. that is to say / the manere of satysfaccōn. & the nede of purgacōn. The maner of satysfaccōn is that af [...] the trespaas. the refrey­nyng of that / that is leefull / be mesured by auctoryte of holy chirche that after the wordes of saynt Johan / we maye doo worthy fruytes of p [...]aūce / But this manere of satysfaccyon longeth to hym to knowe that hath cure of soule. as it is writen in holi chirche lawe. to yow / It nedeth not to knowe / Therfore I passe ouer of satysfac­cyon. ¶ But now to shewe of the nede of purgacyon of the soule Ye shall vnderstonde that it is not oonly nedefull to [...]e▪ [Page] freyne fro thynges / that ben lefull for satysfaccōn. but also to vse af­fliccōns / or traueyle in ghostli werking outwarde / to put away passions / or make hem lesse▪ whiche we haue in custome. For Itrowe eche man & woman hath some traueyle wyth [...] thyng more than wyth a nother thynge: & that traueylle we calle a passion / Thise traueylles whiche we done outwarde / whyche ben callid exercyse / ben Instrumentes of the soule Inwarde / wyth suche exercyse & Instrumentes. wyc­kyd passions ben put away / why­che deface the soule / Therfor̄ it is nede to eche man & womā fyrst to ta­ke hede besely / what passiō is most ayenst hym. & moost traueyle hym and to seke out wyseli whiche ben the Instrumentes ayenst all suche passions▪ Then̄e it is good to sette ayēst eche passion a maner̄ Instrument that is most acording to fighte wyth that passion. As thus wakyng ayenst vnvable hert. Scilence ayenst wrathe. occupacyon & traueyle ayenst slouth & heuynesse. Abstynence & sharpe dyscypline ayenst the passion of lecherye. & so for the of other passions / that eche passion be chastysed wyth an Instru­ment of the sowle / whiche Instru­ment as I sayd befor̄ is an exercyse of y^• body outwarde / in some bodely penaūce & traueyle But yet muste we here bewaar that we be not so feruent to quenche one passion on̄ ly▪ that the Instrument of the bodi fayle to fyght ayenst another / Ne it is not good to traueylle vtterly to quenche al maner̄ passions. but dyscreyli soo to traueyle & so to vse other instrumētes. that whan ony passyon aryse it may be aswage [...] tēpered by the dome of reison Thise affliccōns & wylfull traueylle in­warde. & pacyence in temptacōn bē nedefull purgynges for a mānes soule: All suche traueyles wylful­li offred to almighti god. may skilfully be a [...]ūpted for acceptable sacrefyse / therfor̄ sayd the pro [...] [...] spiryte trowbled is sacrefyse to god ¶ But now ye shall vnderst [...]nde that there. is a wylfull sacrefys [...] whiche is more acceptable to god y^• is not constreyned For the other sacrefyse in maner̄ is constreyned by y^• trowbling & the traueyle of y^• spirite / Of this wylfull sacrefise the ꝓphete thouȝte whā he sayd Lord wilfulli I shal to y^• sacrefise. for it is gode. This wylfull sacrefyse is whā a man by free liberte of y^• spyrite lifteth vp his [...]rt b [...] feruour of y^• [...]oue for thiges that [...] graūted wyth hē / or bi hem y^• ben com̄aunded to y^• medes of the blisse. whiche y^• ordened to hē that traueyle for hē. to this perfeccyon our lorde & our sa­uyour calleth suche men & wymen [Page] that ben of feruent loue & fayth. yf thou wylt be perfyght / goo & selle all thy godes. and gyue hem to po­re men. and come & folowe me / Thus thenne thyse ben wylful sacrefysesas thus. whan a man wilfully / and of deuocyon forsaketh y^• worlde. or whan he voweth chastite / or byndeth him to ony streyt liuyng / by auctoryte or perfeccion: & though it be soo. that by Infyrmy­te or vnstablenes of hert / somtyme by temptacyons a mannes herte torneth ayen to the desire of y^e worlde / after tyme he hath forsake it Also / though a man or woman fele corrupcōn in his flesshe / after tyme he hath auowed chastyte / and tho­ugh a man or woman taketh more rest & ease / after tyme he is bounde to a streyghter liuyng / wyll ne­uer leue god therfor̄ / That perfeccion of liuyng shall be acooūpted a­monge wylfull sacrefyse / for as moche as in the begyn̄yng wylfully he offred hymselfe to suche a perfeccion / Therfor̄ it is good for eche man & woman that freeli hath take ony perfeccyon / besely to beholde fyrst / what longeth to his vowe / and in what thinges / and how moche he is bounde / and thenne dyscretely fele in hymselfe / what outwarde bodeli strengthe & Inwarde he hathe to contynue in exercerse of tra­ueyle bodeli & goostli / as his vowe or bonde of perfeccyon askyth / Inwarde strengthes I calle pacyence in dysese. and stablenes of herte / and wyll & strength by feruour of loue in prayers redynge & other goostli affliccyons / wyth the whiche a man stryueth al daye in batayll of temptacyons / Outwarde strengthes I calle. helthe of body strength of brayne / and of other. bodeli limes / wyth the whyche he may contynue / . and suffre his charges of his bodeli traueyle / to the whiche he is bounde / And all though outwarde & Inwarde labour be nedful to hem that ben not fully perfighte Yet bodely traueyle & affliccyons specyally purge the soule / from fylthes of passyons / And ghostli teaueyles & exercyse of prayer / & medytacyons. & redyng fulfyll the sou­le moost specially of swetnes of loue. Therfor̄ affliccyons & bodeli penaunce outwarde wyth prayer bē nedefull to hem that ben traueyled wyth passions. Whan the passyons ben aswaged. or quenched. thē ne it is leeful to abate the penaun­ce bodeli. and vse more feruent Inwarde traueyles / as redyng / medi­tacyon / prayer / & contemplacyon is yeuen him by specyall grace. soo that all thyng in dewe tyme he discretli & loweli vsed / and not wyth presumpcyon / in noo poynte / that is contrary to his vowe / or to his [Page] rule / Thus thenne haue I shewed you of nedeful purgacōn for a mā nes soule. and of a wylful sacrefyce. and how bodeli penaūce & traueyle purge the sowle fro the fylthes of passions ¶ Now wyll I shortly reherce the matere of the chapy­trees befor̄ / & soo forth make an ende / But for as moche as I spake of passiōs / yf ye fele ony of those that I haue shewed Wakith & prayeth that ye falle not in to temptacōn / ¶ Vigilate / & c̄

AFter your desire / [...]eligious suster a fewe wordes I ha­ue wryten to you of the chastysing of goddes childern. Firste how our louyng lorde Ihesu criste playeth with his chylder by ensāple of the moder & her chylde / As somtyme he wythdraweth his cō ­fortable yeftes / whan he absenteth hym [...]s by his gracōus werkyng Also how ye shall bere you in his presence / & in his absence / & what is his presence & his absence. & whiche may be the cause of his absence / But for as moche as necligence & vnkyndenes were the moost dredful causes of his absence. therfore I say to you. Wakyth & prayeth y^• ye falle not in to temptacōn / I haue shewed you also bi exāple of a louyng moder / how our good lord as sayth & preuyth his chyldern wyth hardnes / after tyme they ben strengthed wyth exercyse of vertues / Fyrst how he wythdraweth his cō fortes to preue his chyldern wyth stablenes / Afterwarde how sharpely he spekith: & threteth his childern sore by dredfull temptacōns / whiche bē greuous passions But som̄ as I say wylfully ren̄e out / & fall in foule errours for presūpcyon or for vnstablenes Also I haue shewed you of y^• power of wyckid spitrytes. & howe some in olde tyme for lityll / or light defawtes by the suffraūce of god haue be traueyled by wycked spirytes / Also how some wyth vysions & reuelacōns haue be deceyued. Suche perylles I haue shewed you in generall wordes [...] some in speciall for yesholde [...] of your enmye / and therfor̄ I sayd Wakith & prayeth that ye fall not in to temptacōn.

I Haue shewed you also what profyte is Also I haue shewed you specyal remedyes ayenst certen dredful temptacōns. & general remedye ayenst all ghostli temptacōns / And specyall remedyes ayē suche passions. that comen of y^e vij peyncypall vices Also how bodeli affliccyons wyth ghostli traueylle is nedefull to eche man & woman as longe as he f [...]h the grenaunce [Page] of passions. and by cause that contynuel traueyle outward & inwarde wyth deuoute prayers ben nede­full in all tēptacōns / therfor̄ for a specyall remedye euermore I saye / Wakyth / & c̄ / ¶ Prayeth thēne ententyfli in tyme of prayer / of your dewe seruyce / for to y^• prayer ye be most boūde. & in y^• tyme of pray­er ye sholde desire / & therto doo your besines. & dispose you to haue swetnes of deuocyon / yf it wolde falle / than ony other priue prayer / But ofte tyme it falleth / that some men & wymen in her begynnyng wene they fele grete deuocōn. or ghostli liking in her owne priue prayers / or meditacōns / or elles in her time of her contemplacōn / they say the more hasty & wyth lesse sauour her seruyce that they ben boūde to doo / for grete desire that they haue to other specyall deuocōns / whiche they ha­ue not in charge. this is a tempta­cōn / of the whiche I shold haue made a mencōn befor̄ amōg other tēptacions. but it was not thēne present to my minde. Of this defawte it is gode to bewaar. for many mē & wymen ben deceyued in this defawte. wenyng it be noo syn̄e / But soth it is syn̄e to hem whyche haue knowing. that it is / sin̄e soo for to doo. but they doo her besines with al hert to say her seruice / with as moche deuocōn as god wyll sende for y^• time. for yf they hye hem wylfully [...] wythoute resonable cause. more in y^e tyme than in her other preuy prayers. they maye not exscuse hē. but that they ben necligēt of goddes seruyce. Then̄e it is nedeful as ferforthe as I fele. & as I haue lerned / y^• we dooo our besines to pray entyf­li in tyme of our seruyce / that is to say. in tyme that we say houres of the nyght & the day. & in the tyme y^• we say masse. or here / after the ordenaūce of holi chyrche. & in the manere as it was ordened of our holi faders. I say in the maner̄ as it was ordened for some now in thise dayes vse to say in englissh her sawter & matynes of our lady / y^• vij / psalmes / & the letanye / Many repreue it to haue the sawter / matynes / or the gospel. or the byble in englisshe / by cause they may not be trāslated into no vulgare worde. by worde / as it stōdeth: wythout grete circū ­locucōn: after the feling of the firste wryters. whiche translated. that in to latyn / by techyng of y^• holi goost. neruertheles I wyll not repreue to haue hem in englissh / ne to rede on hem / where they may stire you more to deuocyon / & to the loue of god. But vnterli to vse hem in englissh. & leue the latyn I holde it not com̄endable. & namly in hem y^• [...]ē [...]oūde to saye her sawter / or her maty­nes of our lady. For yf a mānes [Page] confessour gyue hym penaunce to say his sawter. wythout ony other wordes / and he gooth forth & say it in ēglissh / & not in latin as it was ordeyned. this man I wene dooth not his penaūce / Causes I myght shew resonable & many. but by cause I truste to god: that ye wyll not vse your sauter in that maner̄. therfor̄ I leue to speke of this matere / and coūseyle you as I said befor̄ to pray ententyfli in tyme of your seruyce / wherto ye ben boūde. after the ordenaunce of holy chirche / & in the maner̄ as it was ordeyned of our holi faders. Yf ye wyll aske how ye shall praye deuoutely in prayer. whiche ye vnderstde ōnot / I wyl answer̄ therto. & saye that for the vertue of the wordes / & your lowenes & obeysaūce m holi chyrche / with feruert desire vpward to god after your entent / though ye vnderstonde noo worde that ye say / it may be to you more medefull & more acceptable to god. than grete deuocōn that ye wene ye haue in other preuy deuocyons. Of this we haue ensā ­ple of mani saintes / whiche nedeth not to reherce here / for I trow euery man that hath resonable or ghostli feling will say the same / Also ferdermore some man perauētur̄ wyll make obieccion here. & pleyne or exscuse him / that in tyme of seruyce ofte he is lette & taryed with dyuerse thoughtes. wherfore he maye neuer haue deuocōn to god warde. ne haue his herte vpon that he sholde say. Sooth it is that many man & womā hath this Infirmite & passion / that by temptacion of the fende they be more trowbled wyth thoughtes in sayeng of her dewe seruice / than in other tyme of priuat prayer or of medytacōn / & some ben so ferforth distraught / & her hert so oft & soo ferre / & so longe tyme a [...]ened that whan they come ayen to hem­self it is clene fro her mynde where they left. & what they said or what they sayd not. And thus some be­gyn ayen so oft there they left that vneth in al a day & night the [...] may come away to saye her seruyce / y^• [...] conscyence myght be dyscharged In this obieccōn I perceyuen. dyseases / the fyrst is a grece drede in cō scyence. & the seconde is a noyous traueyle by temptacōn & thoughtꝭ To thise two dyseases it nedeth to shew cōfort & remedye. cōfort to the conscyence / & remedye to the traueile. To shew you cōforte of conscyē ce in this mater̄ / it is nedeful to e­che man or womā that duely wyll say his seruyce / that he dispose him outwarde to put away occasyons of all maner̄ lettyng outwarde / to take time & be in place whan & where he shal haue leest lettyng / inwarde. to set his entent in full wyll to [Page] voyde all ydle thoughtes / & holy to sette his mynde vpward to god. in all maner̄ deuocōn yf thēne after / in tyme of sayeng his herte be alie­ned ony tyme by [...] or by temptacyon of thought [...] / & whan he perceyueth that his mīde was away & turneth then̄e his b [...]rt anone ayē to god though thēne he fareth s [...] oft in a lityl tyme / hym nedeth not to [...] ayen. soo that he be si [...]er that he sayd it or wote where he lefte For suche ofte rehersing may be a taryeng of y^• [...]ende. to heuy a mā in conscyence / and by that to lette hym fro other ghost. i besines. & yet to some it h [...] [...]th: that both before [...] after. they ben skylfully in peas of [...] st [...]yd to deuocion / But of this sayeng of seruyce it is noo drede of conscyence though a man haue not his mynde therupon / soo that he dyspose hym outwarde & inwarde in the maner̄ as I haue re­herced Neuertheles all suche neclygence by interupcōn of thought in g [...]ddes seruyce. we muste shewe to our confessours / in eche confession to ston [...] more clere in conscyence / for our owne demyng in open con­fession putteth awaye drede of conscyēce: Ferdermo [...] as for remedye ayenst the traueyle & of temptacōn of thought [...] it nedeth not to reherce here. for of this mater̄ in partye. ye haue in some chapitre befor̄. But yet specyal Remedyes may be shewed to hem that ben moche traueyled wyth ony thought or ren̄yng tho­ughtes in tyme of her seruyce / Oo remedye is to say all thyng vpon the boke / what thyng he wyll saye. though he can it neuer soo well bi hert / A nother remedye there is [...] a more siker. whan a manfelith hī so vnsiable of minde to say with a felaw / asofte & asmoche as he may Thise ben spedefull remedies to hē that in her seruyce ben lette / o [...] trowblid wyth thoughtes to make more ententyfli to praye And haue hert to god warde. Prayeth therfore ententyfli in tyme of your seruice. prayeth also deuoutly in other time of prayer / & for asmoche as many men & wymen desire to knowe a manere rule of prayenge in tyme of prayer / therfor̄ I wyll shew you of feur maner̄ of prayers in tyme of prayeng / Befor̄ ye goo to prayer / occupye your Inwarde wyttes with some maner̄ meditaciō of goostli mater̄ whiche ye haue redde befor̄ or herde by com̄unycacion: that by some ghostli sauour ye may the soner be styred & better be dysposed to deuocion. Praye then̄e fyrst for yourself. as ye thinke most nedful & spedfull / both for mercy & for grace. with a specyal prayer as cometh to your mynde / by the yefte of god for th [...] atyme. Praye also for your [Page] frendes. and for your enmies / and also in generall for all other bothe quycke and dede / Your thyrde prayer shall be oblacyon. and sacrefyce offryng vp to god your open vow that ye haue made in your holi baptesme: Your other preuy vowes that ye haue made bi waye of deuocyon / All other deuocyons preuy or peert. all your ghostli affeccōns & all your bodeli affliccyons. wyth meke hert. besechyng that all thyse may be acceptable to hym / as sacrefyce & oblacyon. for you. & for all other / for whom ye be bounde to pray or haue com̄ended hem to your prayers. Your fourth prayer shall be worshyp herynges & thankynges yeldyng to god for yourselfe / and for all his gracyous yeftes freely yeuen to you / & to your frendes / In thise foure maner̄ of prayers. ordeyneth your tyme of prayer / af­ter your dysposicyon / as god wyll gyue you grace / For thise manere of prayers. shold goostli lyuers v­se. by the techyng of our holi faders and by specyal ensample of our lorde Ihu crist / whan he prayed to his fader in heuē. As for the fyrst maner̄ of prayeng he shewed vs ensā ple / whan he sayd ¶ Pater fipossibile. & ē. Fader if it be possyble suf­fre this passyon goo fro me / Also whan he sayd ¶ Deus meꝰ deus me [...]. & ē. My god my god whi hast thou forsaken me. In the same manere sholde we pray to almygh­ty god our fader in heuen. Fyrst specyally for mercy for all defawtes / in whiche we haue offended hym And thenne with condicyonall prayer in all temptacions & trybu­lacyons / in all ang [...]es & dyseases / & in all other nede / that [...]f it be hys wyll / he sende vs comfort in aduersite: & grace & strength to wythstō de temptacōns / & all maner̄ sin̄e. [...] perseueraūce in vertue / & tem [...]aū ce in prosperyte. As for the seconde manere of prayeng. our lorde gaaf vs ensāple. whan he said ¶ Pater quod dedisti michi / & ē. Fader hem that y^• haste gyuen to me / I wyll y^• where I am / they be wyth me. that they see my Joye whiche y^• hast gyuen to me / Also whan he sayd / ¶ Pater igno [...]e illis / & ē / Fade [...] forgyue hem that wote not what they doo. In the same maner̄ s [...]el [...] we pray. fyrst for all the sta [...]e of holi chirche. & for al the states reyny [...] ge in erthe. & specially for our frendes both bodeli & g [...]stli. as we wolde pray for ourself / & as most m [...]ȝ [...] be profytable to body & to sowle / as falleth to mynde for the time Also for our enmyes y^• god graūte hem charyte / & forgyue hem her ignoraū ce / For the third maner of prayer / our lord gaaf vs ensāple whan he sayd. Ego clarificaui de sup terrā [Page] I haue clarifyed the vpon the erth I haue made an ende of that werk that y^• yauest me to doo. Also whā he sayd ¶ Pro eis scīfico. & ē / For h [...]m I halowe my selfe y^• they may be halowed in sothfastnes. In the same maner̄ we sholde offre vp oureself bothe body & sowle wyth all our herte. wyth all our vowes preuy or peert / Al our deuocions & al our affeccyons / all ghostly traueyles / & all our bodly affliccyons / & all graces & giftes. [...]yen to hym in a maner̄ of sacrefyce▪ both for ourselfe / & for all our frendes quycke & dede / and for all other that nedeth helpe or comforte / Thus prayed the prophete whan he sayd. Volūtarie sacrificabo tibi qm̄ bonū est / Also in a nother place whan he say ¶ Dirupisti dn̄e vincula mea tibi sacrificabo hostiā laudis et no­men dn̄i inuocabo / For the fo­urth maner̄ of prayenge we haue ensample of our lorde whan he sa­id ¶ Confitebor tibi / & ē. I knowlege to y^• lord fader of heuē & of erth for thou haste hyd thyse thynges fro wise men / & fro men of grete cū ning. and thou hast shewed hem to smalle chyldern Also whan he layd ¶ Pater gr̄as ago tibi / & ē / Fader I yelde thankynges to the for thou hast herd me / In y^• same maner̄ sholde we lowely knowleche to our fader of heuen his myght / his wysdo me and his godenes. his sothfast­nes his rightwysnes. & his mercy his benygnytee / his softnes / & his swetnes. & suche other vertu of his godhede. wyth lowely thankynges for ourself: & for our frendes / Fyrste for our creacōn / & for reformacyon. & for our preseruyng / For our grace & comfortes: for helth & prosperyte. & for all his gracyous gyftes to body & soule / In this knowlegīg & thankynges. we worship our fader in heuen / For worship & h [...]ryng to god is knowlegyng of his yeftes / & all suche knowyng / is wor­shipyng & thankynge to hym. thē ne wyth suche knowlegyng & thā kynges / we sholde worshyppe god in thise four maner̄ of prayers / ¶ Thus haue. I shewed you four maner̄ of prayeng / The fyrst is callid properly obsecracyon / the se­conde postulacyon. the thyrde ory­son / & the fourth thankynges. Thise four maner̄ of prayeng / the apostle shewed in eche oryson & obsecracion / wyth thankynges your pos­tulacyon muste be knowen. & for god / In this maner̄ thēne prayeth after the techynge of the apostle / Wakith & prayeth that ye fall not in to temptacōn ¶ Vigilate & orate vt non intretis in temptacionē ¶ Of t [...]is pistle now I make an ende wyt [...] thankynges to god. & yf I haue [...] in my simple wry­tyng [Page] / for ygneraūce / or for defaw­te of felinge / I com̄ende me to your prayers. & lowely submytte me to other men̄es correccōn / And as I am wonte to say. or to wryte: so here I say for all defawtes. A Ihu mercy he thēne that his almyghty rightful & merciful in his tihtw [...]s chastysing haue mercy on the syn full Amen / ¶ Ihu xp̄e vere quos castigas miserere /

Amen.