¶ The lamentacyon of the dyenge creature.

ALas alas exscuse me I can not / and whome I myght desyre to speke for me I wote not / the day & tyme is so dredful / the Iuge is so ryghtfull myn enmyes be cruell my kyn my neyghbours my frendes my seruauntes be not fauourable to me / & also I wote well they shall not be herde there.

¶ The complaynt of the dyenge creature to the good aungell.

O My good aungell to whome our lorde toke me to kepe where be ye now me thynketh ye sholde be here now & answere for me for the drede of deth dy­stroubleth me so y^t I can not answere for my selfe here is my bad aungell redy & is one of my chefe accusers with legions of fendes with hym & I haue no creature to answere for me / alas it is an heuy caas.

¶ The answere of the good aungell to the dyenge creature.

AS to your badde dedes I was neuer consen­tynge. I sawe your natural inclynacyon more dysposed to be rewled by your bad aungell than by me how be it ye can not exscuse you but whan ye were purposed [Page] to do ony thȳge that was cōtrary to the cōmaū ­dementes of god I fayled not to remembre you that it was not well & counseylled you to flee the places of peryll and the company that sholde stere or moue you therto can ye saye nay hereto / how can ye thynke that I coude answere for you.

¶ The complaynt of the dyenge creature to reason drede and conscyence.

OYe reason drede & conscyence ye were assygned to be of my counseyll now come I requyre you & helpe me to answere for me for my defautes be so ma­ny & so abhomynable in the syght of hym that shall be my Iuge and my accusers be so many & so vnfrendly that they leue not one defaute behynde. Now come I require you & helpe to answere for me for it was neuer so grete nede. The fere & the drede that I am in dys­troubleth me so that one worde I can not speke for my selfe. Alas that euer I sawe this daye.

¶ The answere of reason.

BE ye remembred that our lorde ordeyned you a good aungell & a badde aungell / & he ordeyned you reason & dyscrecyon to knowe the good from the yll & he cōmaunded you to do good & leue the euyll / he put you in fre choyse whether ye wolde do well or euyl ye ought to call to your remembraunce how well god hath done for you & helped you in euery daunger & peryll he wolde haue ben loued dred & serued accordȳge to the many folde graces & kyndenesses that he hath shewed vnto you how to answere for you I wote not loth I am to accuse you / & excuse you I can not.

¶ The complaynt to the dyenge creature to drede saynge thus.

ADrede where be ye is there no helpe and so­cour with you to speke for me whan I shall come to my Iugement.

¶ The answere of drede.

NO certaynly for whan ye were set in pleasaūce & delectacyon of the worlde reason put in your mynde that ye dyde not well / & I drede was with you at all tymes and in euery place & fayled not to speke vnto you & to put you in mynde of the shame of this worlde and drede of dampnacyon & of the peryll that wolde folowe as well here as elles where rehersynge vnto you the punysshemētes that our lorde ordeyned for synne saynge vnto you. Se ye not how gracyously our lorde hath called you from synne & wretchednes yf ye wolde vnderstande it / how hath he longe kepte you in worshyp estate and in prosperyte & coude not knowe the goodnes of god / how hath he chaūysed you & how ofte by losse of your chyldren / losse of your kyn and frendes / losse of your goodes and losse of all tho thynges that ye coude not be pleased with & set you in the indygnacyon of the grete hyghe & myghty prynce and helpe you out of the daungers & perylles that ye haue ben in at all tymes / & yet haue ye not loued hym dred hym & serued hym that in all these perylles hath preserued & kepte you & hath ben so gracyous & good lorde to you who sholde speke for you. I. nay certaynly

¶ The complaynt of the dyenge creature to conscyence saynge thus.

ALas conscyence is there no helpe with you I haue herde saye longe ago the worlde was to curste / but I wolde hope that conscyence wolde haue compassyon of my dystresse and moche the more that I am frendles.

¶ The answere of conscyence to the dyenge creature.

I Am sory to accuse you & excuse you I can not for conscyence and drede haue ben but seldom from you & called vpon you in euery tyme & place of peryll & bad you flee the occasyons of synne ye myght haue fled at that tyme and wolde not / now ye wolde flee deth & can not / we sholde speke for you & dare not & though we wolde it auayleth not ye must sorowfully & mekely suffre y^e Iugementes that ye haue deserued.

¶ The complaynt of the dyenge creature to the fyue wyttes.

OYe fyue that were ordeyned deyned to be my seruaūtes & vnder myn obeysaunce & to haue be rewled at all tymes as I wolde haue you / is there no good word that ye may a forde to saye for me & recorde my deme­nynge to you & reporte of me how I haue rewled and gouerned you y^t were take me to kepe rewle & gouerne me thynketh ye sholde saye for me now / who myght soo well saye for me as ye fyue / ye haue ben with me contynually euer syth that I was borne nyght & daye and neuer at no tyme from me thynketh of your kyn denesse ye sholde haue compassyon vpon me and saye the best that ye coude saye for me. I haue ben frendly to you and brought you in euery place of pleasaunce and dysporte / now she we your kȳdenes agayne to me and speke to fayth and hope for me that they wolde [Page] charytably do my message vnto the moost gloryous prynce that euer was is or shall be.

¶ The answere of the fyue wyttes.

CErtaynly we meruayll that ye wolde desyre vs to speke for you vnderstandynge these worship full people haue denyed and refused to speke for you your good aungell reason drede and conscyence how sholde we be herde or what credens wyll be gyuen vnto vs that haue ben your seruauntes and vnder your obeysaunce and no thynge at all tymes but as ye haue cōmaunded vs to do call to your remembraunce how ye haue rewled vs fyue syght herynge felynge and thought ye haue at all tymes brought vs in places of pleasaunce & dysporte & thoughe it were dysporte & pleasaunce / for the tyme it is now sorowe wepynge & waylȳge for your sake that we can not excuse you nor no thynge saye for you that myght be to your wel or to your ese for we haue ben preuy & partyners to all that hath ben mysdone in ony wyse and in euery place and youre offences in euery thynge is in your defaute for and ye had sadly rewled vs and lyke a souerayne ye sholde haue restrayned in vs euery vyce / for we sholde haue be ruled by you in euery thȳge / & otherwyse than ye wolde haue vs do we wolde not do / therfore of necessyte your defautes must be layd vpon you for we haue do as seruaūtes shold do & obeyed you in euery thȳge & dysobeyed you in no thynge / wherfore of ryght the peryll must be yours what eredence wyll ye gyue to vs than / yf we sholde say well of you the people wold say that we were fals dyssymulours & fauourers of sȳne.

¶ The lamentacyon of the dyenge creature.

ALas there is no creature that I can complayn me to but vtterly refuseth to saye ony thynge that myght be to my comforte.

The cōplaynt of the dyenge creature to fayth & hope.

O Holy fayth & hope in you is all my trust for how greuously & how myscheuously y^t euer I offen­ded god you displeased I neuer. I haue alway byleued as the chyrche of crystendome hath taught me & specy ally is of the moost holy incarnacyon I was neuer in thought. I haue byleued in the blessyd and moost glo­ryous trynyte fader sone & holy goost. I haue byleued that the seconde persone of the trynyte descended in to the bosom of the moost gloryous and pure chast meke vyrgyn that euer was is or shall be & medled his very godhede with her pure chast virgynyte & maydenhede and in her bosom was parfytly very god & man con­ceyued by the grete mystery of the holy goost without knowlege or company of ony erthly man & she a pure chast virgyn flowrynge in virgynyte and by herynge of the holy archaungell Gabryell whiche brought vnto her the moost gracyous & good tydynges that euer came to man kynde. Now holy Fayth take with you hope & ye twayne of your perfyte charyte be my aduocates in the hyghe courte / and refuse me not nor dys­dayne me not for myn hortyble and abhominable synnes that I haue done / whiche asketh vengeaunce in this worlde and dampnacyon eternall without the mercyes of hym whiche is almyghty / What meane [Page] mygth I haue therto. I praye you counseyll me for ye knowe well that my reason neuer dyscorded with the fayth / & as to you Hope I hope all wayes that ye wyll saye for me that I haue alwayes hoped to the mercyes of god almyghty and that I sholde be one of the chyl­dren of saluacyon and one of tho that sholde be rede­med by the precyous and bytter paynfull passion as other synners haue be and certaynly other plee nor resystence I can not make. But and ye twayne wolde be a meane for me to that moost gloryous and pure chaste virgyn that chosen was by one assent of all the hole gloryous trynyte to do the moost gloryous and worshypfull acte that euer was done for her chastyte her pure virgynyte her mekenesse her vertue and her constaunce was cause that she was chosen by all the hole gloryous trynyte to be doughter mother & spouse to the moost gloryous trynyte & that she sholde bere hym that sholde redeme all mankynde from dampnacyon who may so well be aduocatryse to the fader the sone and the holy goost as she and ye wyll be meane to her sone for me I hope she wyll not refuse me / for I vnderstande and knowe well that she hath holpe ma­ny a synner that hath ryght greuously offended and in the holy psalme that was made bytwene her & her cosyn saynt Elyzabeth it was sayd that all generacyons sholde blysse her. I hope at the begynnynge of the worlde our lorde put not me out of his nombre of tho that sholde blysse his moost holy moder & recorde her mercy pyte & grace that she shewed to synners whan they haue none other socour ne helpe. She is moder of orphans / and she is consolacyon of them that ben dyssolate / she is guyde to all tho that be out of the way [Page] to set them in the ryght waye. I am an orphan I am dyssolate. I am out of the waye I wote not where to crye and call after socour and helpe but onely to her that bare our redemptour who may so well be meane to the sone as the moder. And ye twayne Fayth and Hope wolde be meane to the moder of mercy for me. Now gracyous Fayth and Hope do your parte and dysdayne not my request thoughe I desyre you to this occuparyon / for and ye twayne wolde denye to saye for me I thynke I shall fall in dyspayre for on whome to call after socour I wote not / and to put my selfe in prees as a poore naked best vnclothed of vertue and repleted with vyces naked of grace and in myn owne defaute and to come to the presence of the kynge of all kynges and vnpouruayed of all thynges that wolde accorde with his moost ryall and Imperyall estate I dare not take it vpon me I sholde be in suche drede & fere I sholde not con ne dare not speke for my selfe for I haue prayed my good aungell to speke for me and he hath denyed it. I haue called vpon Reason Drede and Conscyens & they haue answered me full heuyly that they be loth to accuse me and exscuse me they can not / & alledgeth many a grete resonable cause why y^t I can not saye nay to. I haue called vpon my seruauntes whiche were take me to rewle and gouerne as I wolde answere for them / and they answere me ryght sorowfully & saye yf they sholde saye ony good worde for me they sholde not saye trouth of me & casteth to me that peryll that no body wolde gyue credence vn­to them yf they wolde saye well on me but call theym flaterers fals dyssymulours and flaterers of synne.

Alas alas I haue heuyly dyspēded my longe lyfe that [Page] in all this longe tyme haue not purchased me. One frende to speke for me had our lorde of his moost am­ple grace ordeyned me unmedyatly after my crysten­dome to haue dyed forth with I myght saye I had be borne in a gracyous houre. But wolde it please your goodnes to speke for me and vnderstande whether I shall haue hardynes to make a byll to the blessyd lady and moost holy vyrgyn that euer was and she that dysdayneth not nor denyeth not sȳnard sȳners whan they call after grace. Notwithstandynge her chastyte and her pure virgynyte excelleth all other virgyns. Now good go your waye & lette me wete how I shall spede for all this tyme I lyue in suche drede & fere that me were better dye anone than lyue ony lenger in the drede that I am in. And also I haue so grete drede & fere of the ryghtwysnes of almyghty god that I am almoost deed for fere. For reason drede & conscyence sayd to me full shortly that the hyghe Iuge wolde not be percyall nor he wolde not be corrupte with good but he wyll mynyster to me Iustyce certaynly but and he atteyneth to mynystre to me Iustyce without fauour I wyll appele to his mercyes certaynly for other remedy is ther̄ none par de. Origene our blessyd lady helpe Thyofull / & syr Emery how sholde they haue done ne the moder of mercy had ben & many another synner that her grace hath holpe. She is quene of heuen lady of the worlde and empresse of hell / and saynge to her sone cryst Ihesu hath dyed & suffred so tourmentous a deth & in her owne syght to her grete socour and motherly compassyon I hope she wolde be loth that theke precyous passyon sholde be loste in ony creature that her blessyd sone suffred so pacyently.

¶ The answere of fayth & hope to y^e dyenge creature.

HAue ye none acqueyntaunce wyth our brother Charyte we meruayle that ye haue not spoken of hym in all this tyme / for and ye were Ioyned with vs twayne your message sholde be the more accepta­bly herde manyfolde.

¶ The lamentable complaynt of the dyenge creature to fayth hope and charyte.

CErtaynly I haue but lytell deled with hym. I was neuer conuersaunt with hym & that me repenteth now / for I fele by you twayne that he may do moche in the hygh courte. I haue more deled with ven geaunce than I haue with charyte / for I wolde haue ben auenged vpon euery man by my wyll whan the people had slayne my chyldren my kyn my frendes & robbed & spoyled my selfe certaynly I wolde haue ben a wroke ryght fayne and I had had power to my wyll but though my power were lytell certaynly I haue hated them and wylled them to haue ben done to as they haue done to me / and wel I wote that is not the ordre of charyte. But now I hertely crye god mercy our bles­sed lady & you holy charyte of the that myn enemyes here afore god oure blessed lady & you thre. I forgyue them all that they haue done agaynst me / & wyl not be auenged thought I myght: And I pray you holy charyte thoughe it were longe or I were acqueynted with you be not the lother to doo for me I sore repente me that I haue thus vnresonably & vnwyttyngely absen­ted me frome you & hertely I crye you mercy / & praye [Page] you of your charyte to put out of your mynde my pre­sumptuous foly for certaynly I shall neuer do so mo­re agayne but in euery thynge that I haue to do I shal desyre your fauoure socour and your counseyll and I vttery denyle & desyre vengeaunce and neuer to dele with hym no more how someuer I be done to but take it in pacyence and thynke as me ought of rrght that worse than I haue ben done to I haue deserued to be done to / but that is not the worlde / for hym haue I serued and pleased and dyspleased almyghty god that is maker of al thynge and his holy begotensone that con­ceyued was of the holy goost and borne was of a pure chaste vyrgyn and dyed for our redempcyon whan I haue greuously offended and broken his commaunde­mentes in all thynge knowynge that I dyde not well wherfore my peryll is the more. Nor I haue not called after the blessed holy goost graces mercy socour & her helpe whan I haue ben in places of peryll of deedly synne. Nor I haue not called vpon y^t moost holy pure chaste and moost excellent vyrgyn and I haue be sou­ght her of grace and she tourned her vysage frome me not for lacke of fayth but for me thoughe y^t her moost excellent charyte and chastyte muste of very ryght ab­horre my synnes & all thynge that I pleased the worl­de with I knowe well that I dyspleased hym that or­deyned me with his precyous passyon. And this I wo­te well deserueth a grete punysshemente than I haue it suffred and there as me lacked suffycyaunce and bol­denes to come in the presence of theym that I haue so greuously offended / wyll it please your goodnes Fay­the Hope and Charyte charytably to goo and stere and be meane for me to the mother of mercy and pyte [Page] that she wolde go forime to the gloryous trynyte and take you thre with her / for well I wote the gloryous trynyte wyll no thynge denye that she desyreth they vnderstande her perfyte charyte suche that euery creature that calleth after grace she hath pyte vpon theym haue they neuer so greuously offended I sholde fall in dyspayre & I had not perfyte trust in her grace mercy & pyte. And so I haue grete cause for to haue brought my Ioly soule in to grete bondage and in suche aduer­syte withoute remedy that it passeth my power to ease hym or helpe hym nor the grete specyall truste that I haue in that moost blyssed good lady and in you holy Fayth Hope and Charyte.

¶ How the sorowfull soule complayneth hym to the dyenge creature saynge thus.

HOw nyghe haste thou done with thy mayster the worlde / how nyghe be ye twayne departed vnderstandest thou not how vnsure he is / and at thy moost nede wyll fayle the / haste thou not syth afore this tyme in the tymes of thy grete aduersytees and troubles / what hath he eased or profyted the. Certay­ne but lytell or nought / for and he haue flatered or dyssymuled with the one daye or one houre he hathe lowred and grutched with the more than an hole yere therfore. Haste thou not vnderstande hym afore in all this tyme / but hanged vpon hym alwayes as longe as thou myght est / and yet more lenger woldest thou yf that thou myghtest / but now the season and tyme is come that he wyll departe and go frome the / and what [Page] dystresse that euer thou arte in lytell wyl he fauour so­cour or helpe the / suche as thou thynkest be thy fren­des wyll shewe the a fayned fououre tyll they knowe the certayne of thy ryches / and yf thou haue good they wyll cherysshe and fauour the for the season / and complayne and wayle thy deth. And yet they wolde full fayne thou were ago & be ryght gladde with thy deth and whan tyme thyne eyen be closed / thy herynge ago thy speche withdrawen & may not speke / than shalte thou se what thy mayster the worlde wyll doo for the / seke thy cofers he wyll & euery corner by the waye of lykelyhode that ony good is in / and lytell wyl they de­parte with to the than / & lytell compassyon wyll they haue vpon thy poore soule / and they fynde lytell or nought in thy cofers what wyll they saye / thou thou than they wyll saye thou were a fole a waster thou cou dest not kepe / thou spendest more than than haddest thus wyll they saye by the / & though they fynde moche thou shalte haue but lytell therof & fare but lytell the better / and yf they fynde but lytell they wyll grudge with the & saye the neuer a good worde / thynke theron by tymes & be thyne owne frende / for & thou can not loue thy selfe who wyll loue the / canst thou loue ony creature better than thy selfe / & yf thou do soo in fayth thou arte not wyse / remembre what I saye now / for thou shalte fynde this true euery worde / and thoughe I speke thus greuously & straytly vnto the meruayll not for it. I am that shall abyde suffre and endure the paynes for thy defences. Alas that euer I was cow­pled with the / & so haue I cause to saye / for I shall be punysshed without fauour for thy dedes / how hastely how sone I can not saye. ¶ How vnauysedly and how [Page] vnredyly thou purueyest for me I wote neuer how sholde ony other creature haue compassyon vpon me whan thou haste not that syght that thou were fyrste fourmed a creature I haue alwayes be with the and neuer frome the and in the aege of thyne Innocencye was kepte full vertuously to my grete comforte. And in thy myddle age was kepte full vycyously and syn­fully to my grete sorowe / and in thyne olde age lytell or noughte remembred thy wretched lyuynge. Alas Alas Alas that euer thou & I were coupled togyder for the season hasteth faste that I must goo to paynes for thy mysrewle and endure payne whether it be eter­nall or for a longe season I wore not what remedy thy worldely frendes wyll fynde to ease me. I am in grete drede I trowe they wyll haue but lytell compassyon on me that am thy poore soule / but gyue theyr attendaunce for to bery the rychely and worshypfully and make thy houses clenly and to make thy purse emptye and lytel compassyon or remembraunce wyl they haue vp­on the and me certaynly but lette me brenne eternal­ly but yf the mercyes of hym that is almyghty by the meanes of his moost holy mother that pure chast may­den that helpeth euery synner that calleth after grace whan there is none other remedy. Now farwell body thou shalte to erth and ly and rotte and wormes shall ete the and I shall to paynes longe or elles eternally mercy blessed lady that bare cryste Ihesu our redemp­tour for in none other helpe I assure me.

¶ The lamentable lamentacyon of the dyenge body to the soule.

ALas sely soule the tourmentes and the paynes of myne offences shall ye suffre I am soo sory there can no tunge tell the sorowe that I endure that haue brought you in suche bondage peryll daunger & aduersyte without remedy nor the hyghe and myghty mercyes of almyghty god whose mercyes can not be had but by the meanes of his blessed holy mother and yf she that is soo chaste so pure and soo holy wolde ab­homyn the abhomynacyon of our synnes what shal I do. I haue desyred fayth hope & charyte to be my ad­uocates to her that bare oure lorde Ihesu cryste. And whan I am answered agayne suche answere as I ha­ue I shall lette you wete.

¶ How the dyenge creature complayned hym to. fayth hope and charyte saynge thus.

OYe holy fayth hope & charyte where haue ye ben so longe I haue lyued in grete drede how haue ye spedde haue ye ben with the quene of heuen lady of the worlde and empresse of hell that moost gloryous pure and chaste vyrgyn that bare the sone of god that sholde redeme all mankynde / how wyll her chastyte her pure vyrgynyte receyue me that am a synner and suffre me to come to her presence and putte a supplycacyon to her moost gloryous hygh and excellent prynce that I haue so greuously offended her blessyd sone and her / wyll she not abhorre ne dysdayne to looke on me that am of all synners the moost horyble and abhomy­nable / and haue soo done that I can not without her moost haboundaunt grace fynde a meane how to ma­ke a syght / but I haue herde saye of olde antyquyte [Page] that she is soo mercyable and so gracyous to synners whan they call after grace and haue holpen soo many synners that of ryght must haue perysshed neher gra­ce had be. But what comforte ye haue of her moost ha­boundaunt grace I praye you lette me wete / for cer­taynly I lyue in grete dyspayre / for here hath be with me sythen that ye wente my soule & complayned that he muste perysshe eternally in my defaute and cryeth and wayleth the tyme that euer he was coupled with suche an vngracyous body that soo hath rewled hym / & I can not gyue hym no comforte whithout you thre.

¶ The answere of fayth hope and charyte to the dyenge creature.

MEsemeth fayth hope & charyte haue done your message and fynde that prynces full gracyously dysposed and fayth that she re­membreth well how the gloryous trynyte chose of one assente to be medyatryx and meane bytwene god and man and that her grete wor­shyppe & Ioye was caused for oure redempcyon whi­che she can not putte in oblyuyon / ano also the grete sorowes not one but many that she had atte her sones passyon and sawe her blessed and beste beloued chylde dye soo tourmentously for the redempcyon of synners and he gylteles hym selfe in euery thynge but of his grete and moost ample grace mercy and charyte that he shewed vnto all synners and soo precyous so glory­ous and soo tender was neuer man as he was for he was the veray pure / and godhede medled with her pure chaste vyrgynyte and maydenhode and in her [Page] precyous body made his holy habytacyon nyne mone thes and in her soule eternally. And whan she vnder­stode the prophecy of her grete mekenes desyred that she myghte be one of those and symplest seruaunt to her that sholde bere the sone of god & hym that sholde redeme all mankynde and her grete mekenes thought her selfe not worthy to that moost holy occupacyon: And therfore be of good chere for we fayth hope and charyte wyll brynge you there and not leue you tyll ye be answered and syth ye haue put your specyal trust in vs to be your aduocates and layde aperte all temporal and wordely truste we thre wyll not fayle you / & ther­fore putte your soule in comforte / and arme you with the armure of a sure and a hole confessyon with a so­rowfull contrycyon purposynge to doo very satysfac­cyon and out of doubte / we hope ye shall spede ryght well yf it be in your herte as ye speke with your mouth and elles trust not to our frendshyp in no wyse but go and labour your supplycacyon as effectually as ye can deu yse and be out of all dyspayre for we fayth hope & charyte wyll not leue you for the truste that ye haue al­wayes had in vs.

¶ How the dyenge creature calleth after the soule agayne.

WHere be ye dere soule that was with me but la­te complaynynge that ye muste to payne for a longe whyle or elles teternally and in my de­faute and withoute remedy I haue ben in suche drede sorowe & fere for you that no thynge coude cōforte me [Page] tyll Fayth and Hope came to me and asked me yf that I were not acqueynted with Charyte. And I haue an swered them semely that I was neuer acqueynted ne conuersaunt with hym & that me repenteth sore / now Fayth & hope haue brought me with hym and I haue humbly and lowly submytted me to hym and lowly cryed hym mercy of my presumpcyous foly promy­synge that I wyll neuer effende hym more denyenge all suche as be his enemyes and as he loueth not vengeaunce / hatered / and cruelte and promysed hym fayth­fully that I wyll neuer dele with them more & I hope he hath pardoned me / and hath be in the company of Fayth & Hope to the moder of mercy for me & brought me a ryght gracyous answere agayne. That she can not put in oblyuyon the grete Ioye worshyp and comforte that she had of y^e sone of god for the redempcyon of vs synners / nor the maydenly & moderly compas­syons that she suffred for hym in y^e tymes of his moost precyous paynefull and bytter passyon & that I shall haue herdynes to come to the presence of that moost royall and emperyall prynces & put a supplycacyon to her / and therfore be of good chere and suffre your pay­nes pacyently for thoughe it be longe I hope it shall not be eternally and good dere soule whyle ye and I be togyder or y^t we departe puruey in youre wysdome some remedy what can be do to your ease & I wyll be ryghte agreable therto / for whan we twayne ones be deuyded and departed fewe or none wolde haue com­passyon on your payne. Se ye not how the worlde low­reth vpon vs now euery daye and is redy to departe frome vs euery daye for lytel thynge or nought & lesse wolde they doo for vs and we twayne were departed. [Page] Therfore dere soule the remedyes that may be founde thorughe your wysdome I praye you fynde them and I shall be ryght fayne to execute theym / for I am at this houre as sory as is possyble ony wretche to be that I haue brought you in the peryll of daunger that ye be in & as fayne wolde be to doo that sholde ease you & gladder than euer I was to do ony thynge that hath hurte you.

¶ How the dyenge creature putteth his supply­cacyon to the moder of mercy Mary replete with grace prynces of reuth / mercy & pyte to whome all synners resorteth whan they be socourles.

MEkely besecheth and sorowfully complayneth your dredfull supplyaunt than al my longe lyf vnto my eldest age haue lyued and not obeyed y^e com­maundementes of almyghty god in noo thynge but mysused my lyfe in all the seuen deedly synnes / and synfully and symply haue occupyed my fyue wyttes and sette asyde all vertues and vsed and occupyed all vyces and sexued the deuyll the worlde and the flesshe hauynge very knowlege bothe of good and euyll and knewe well that y^t pleased theym despysed dyspleased almyghty god. I spared not to dysplease god but I drede to dysplease theym and now hath a sergeaunt of armes be with me and layde vpon me the mace of his offyce cruelly & hath cōmaunded me to make me redy euery houre for I shal not wete whan I shal be called to my Iugement y^e certaynte of deth he hath brought me in to the greuous infyrmyte that none erthly me­dycyne can cure me myn enemyes be so grete in multytude [Page] & haue ouercome me & all my defautes brought with them / and I wote well they wyll accuse me my worldly frendes hath for sake me I haue cryed & cal­led after them to answere for me and they haue answered me ryght straytly & vnfrendly that they neyther dare ne can ne wyll not answere for me nor excuse me And shortly they be departed away from my good aū ­gell fyrste reason drede and conscyence and my fyue wyttes hasteth them faste from me warde and leueth me destytute and all one / and where to haue socourne helpe I wote not but as it fortuneth me in good tyme may I saye I mette me with Fayth Hope & Charyte and they haue promysed me y^t they wyll speke to your moost excellent benygne grace and mercy for me and so I truste they haue for certayne of your moost pure chaste vyrgynyte & vnwemmed maydenhode I was neuer in thought. And I haue hoped & trusted to your mercyes alwaye I haue herde saye that ye be mother of orphans and I wys I am a very orphan fatherles and motherles / ye be dyssolat comforte and socour to all tho that be destytute dyssolate and socourles I wys lady that am I for I haue neyther socoure helpe nor conforte of no creature but onely the trust that I haue in your benygne grace ye be guyde vnto them that be out of the waye and seke the meanes for to come in to the ryght waye. A blessed lady I haue be so longe out of the waye that I fere and drede for too call to you for grace / but as Fayth Hope and Charyte haue put me in comforte how loth ye be to see your blessed sones precyous and bytter passyon loste in my creature and they haue gyuen me hardynes for to call vpon your moost noble and benygne grace. And soo good blessed [Page] lady with humble dredfull & sorowfull herte & mynde I beseche your moost benygne grace mercy and pyte to set me in the ryght way of saluacyon and make me one of the partyners of youre blessed sones precyous passyon & of your maydenly & motherly compassyons & as ye be come borowe for Mary Egypcyan to your blessed sone. So good lady be my borowe that I shall neuer frome hens forth wylfully offende your blessed sone nor you but sore repente that euer I sawe / herde or dyde ony thȳges that hath dyspleased your blessed sone or you beynge in wyll neuer to retourne to synne and wretchednes agayne but rather to dye than wyl­fully to doo ony thynge that sholde dysplease my lorde cryst Ihesu or you. Now prynces excellent & excellȳge of myght & worthynes al creatures as in dygnyte my herte lady my worldly chefe goodes pray your sone to haue mercy vpon me syth in all my gretest myschefe to your grace I flee I can no ferder refute to fynde ony consolacyon / & syth my hope and truste is onely set in you be ye my refuge now in this grete trybulacyon co­uer my synfull sowle with the mantyll of your mercy es and set your sones precyous passyon bytwyne me and eternall dampnacyon.

¶ The supplycacyon of our lady to our lorde Ihesu her sone for the seke creature.

O Ihesu my lorde my god moost blessed sone in whome is all plente of grace & of vnthoughted mercye to & for al synners that in sted fast fayth and as­sured hope deuoutly call vnto you for helpe and grace & hūbly besechynge mercy & foryeuenes of theyr mys­fawtes [Page] and offences to you I come as a solyciter and a besecher for this seke creature whiche with humble and sorowfull and a contryte herte sueth contynually for your grace and pardon that it myght lyke you to in clyne you of your vnyte pyte to his requestes and complayntes and graciously to consyder his nedes and causes he is sore abasshed and dyscomfyted in hym selfe & as who sayth vtterly confounded consyderynge his greuous and depe synnes by the whiche he hath prouo­ked your wrath and indygnacyon by the whiche also he is sore encombred and standeth in grete daunger of his enemy and namely he fereth hym of your dredfull Iugement for well he woteth yf ye do hym Iustyce he is but loste for euer / yet for all this he dyspayreth not of your mercy for he is in good opynyon and trusteth to reioyse your pardone and to be reconsyled to grace wherupon he sueth contynually vnto you as he maye and dare / for he knoweth hym selfe so depely charged in synne & soo ferre elonged for synne grace by synne y^t he thynketh hym selfe vnworthy to approche to offre his owne prayer / therfore he sueth by meanes and specyally by me to whome he calleth inportunely with pyteous & waylynge voyce & seketh not but contynueth to sobbynge & wepynge soo lamentably that my herte erneth to here / and certes I can not me no lenger con­teyne but to instant his prayers and to put me in your grace for hym for he calleth me the mother of mercye for encheson that I bare you with be the very fountay nes and welles of mercy and haue it of vnseuerall pro­prete to be mercyable to all synners / & for this he cha­sengeth me in maner as though I sholde owe of dute to enterparte my labours and prayers in this behalfe [Page] with hym and for hym / and to sue for the hasty spede of his reconsylacyon and that he letteth not to put me in mynde that I was ordeyned of god to be meane by twene hym and man / & certes I alowe wel his mynde therin / for true it is that I ought soo to be that lyke wyse that ye my dere lorde and sone descended frome heuen to erth by me and be came pertyner of mannes nature by me. Soo all synners that be not in estate of grace sholde be reconsyled and restored to grace by me and be made pertyners of your Ioye by me. ¶ This is well sygnyfyed in the fygure of aarons rode whiche bare a floure myraculously as scrypture wytnesseth. The whiche rode sygnyfyeth me lyke as the floure be tokeneth you / for as a rode groweth dyrectly upwar­de and is the streyght meane bytwene y^e rode and the floure / and he that wyll clyne togyder the floure must ascende by the rode or elles bowe the rode & cause the floure to stoupe / so he that wylleth to ryse frome synne must ryse by me / and he that wyll acclyne your grace and reioyse your pardon must bowe me by prayer that I may cause you to stoupe that is to saye too inclyne to here prayer and requestes and to let dyscende your bemes of grace to theym. ¶ Lo thus my dere sone and lorde it is open and euydent that I am ordeyned to re­consyle man and that / it is in maner my dewte and offyce so to doo / wherfore syth this seke creature thus contynually and vnfatygably cryeth to me with py­teous and doulfull complaynt and requyreth me soo straytly that I can not seas to put me in endure for hym and enterparte my labours with hym for hym / and certes it is not onely for his inportune suyte and prayer but also for other consyderacyons resonable & [Page] charytable that moueth me to tender and instant his causes / one is that he is alyed to me ryght nye by spy­rytuall cognacyon for bothe we haue one fader that is god whiche is your fader by creacyon and one moder the chirche whiche is our moder by regeneracion thus is he my broder and I his syster and now my lorde me semeth ryght vnsyttynge me beynge a quene to se my brother a prysoner I at lyberte and he in thraldome I in blysse and he in tourment / wherfore I am constray ned as who sayth by nature to sue for his delyuerynge and reconsylynge & this is one of the consyderacyons that resonably moueth me to sue for his pardon.

¶ The seconde consyderacyon.

ANother is that syth it lyked you of your grete bounte and inestymable charyte for y^e reconsy­lynge of man to take of me your handmayden flesshe and blode and bone and the sayd flesshe and bloode to offre in sacrefyce for redempcyon of me and this & all other whome it hath and shall lyke you to call to your fayth me semeth I ought not / for as moche as in me lyeth to see that thynge myscarye whiche you haue soo precyously redemed & bought as derely as ye bought me and with the same flesshe and blode that ye toke of me your humble creature and handmayden.

¶ The thyrde conderacyon.

AN other is this I and euery your other creatu­res before youre partye bowed to sue meanes to honoure to worshyppe to gloryfye you in that we [Page] can or may / but so it is that in Iustyfyenge of this synner grete honoure and glory shal be to you and to your sayntes for your scrypture sayth. Gaudiū est angelis dei super vno peccatore penitenciam agenti. That is to saye Ioye and gladnes is to your aungelles the conuersyon of one synner contryte & penytent and in an­other place your scrypture sayth. Magis gaudium est super peccatore penitenciam agenti quaui super nona ginta nomen iustis. That is to saye and to sygnyfye that more Ioye and honour is to god in reconsylynge a synner that is in full and assured purpose to perseuer in grace than in grete multytude of other ryghtwys that neuer offended. ¶ Wherfore my lorde as I am bounde to honour and gloryfye you so am I bounde in maner to make instaūce for reconsylynge of this your creature in the whiche thynge ye shal be gretely honoured and gloryfyed & these be the thynges that moueth me to instaūce and solycyt his causes and to submytte me for hym.

¶ The fourth consyderacyon.

FOrthermore I se in hym grete abylyte and ly­kelyhode to se that creature that may serue you honoure and gloryfye you for he is entyerly dyspleased with hym selfe that he hath soo greuously synned and offended your grace and he is ryght heuy and contryte therfore and he remembreth hym many sythes of his olde synnes not as delytynge ne hauynge pleasure in theym but to his shame and grete remors and he hath theym in perfyte hatred in so moche that he wolde not offende agayne in the leest of theym for all the worlde [Page] he hathe fastened his entente and purpose to be here after all of other demeanynge thrugh your helpe and grace and he wyll gladly do penaunce for that he hath trespassed and he lowly submytteth hym selfe to the correccyon of youre chirche and wylfully assenteth to paye the fynaūce and suffre the penaunce atttaxed by your chirche and to do satyffaccion as is for his freylte possyble. And where as he sayth hym selfe not of aby­lyte ne power to do satysfaccyon as hym oweth in that behalfe he putteth hym selfe holy in your grace and re­mytteth hym to your grete mercy and to the meryte of your passyon whiche counteruayleth and preuayleth all the penaunce and satysfaccyon that myght be pos­syble for to be done by all the worlde from Adam tyll to the laste creature that shall be borne. ¶ And he py­teously cryeth to me and besecheth me to enterpose my merytes betwene your Iugement and hym & to offre in sacryfyce for hym the sobbynge and syghynges the sorowfull and lamentable terys that I wepte for you in your tender age and chyldhode whan Symeon prophecyed to me your passyon / and whan I had lost you in Iherusalem and the sorowes that I suffred for you in tyme of your paynefull and greuous passyon whan the swerde of sorowe perysshed my herte. And certes I am ryght wyll content and gladde so to do. And I beseche you soo to accepte my merytes for his / as he goodly desyreth and to set my sorowes & teres of pyte in place of his penaunce and contrycyon. ¶ Forther­more it myght lyke you to consyder the grete labour & besynes of Fayth Hope and Charyte and namely for charyte whiche sueth for hym contynually and neuer is ydell but besy to labour for hym / and she cleueth and [Page] calleth for me for hym incessauntly to se the expeccyon of his causes / and she vndertaketh for his aberynge & well ye wote that her desyre and prayer maye not be voyde ne frustratte but she must be gracyously herde in all her goodly requestes and desyres. She hath al­so receyued fayth and hope on her partye for this seke creature and hath professed to kepe your fayth inuyo­lably and hope hath put hym in ful assuraunce of your mercy / for thoughe it soo be that he se not in hym selfe wherof he may truste to reioyse your pardon / yet she sheweth hym that in you is soo greate promptues of mercy and contynuall costome that you be wonte and vsed alwaye to forgyue and haue of naturall proprete for to be mercyable to all synners that it maketh hym bolde to fasten the anker of his hope in you & trusteth fynally to make a vyage in the porte of your mercy.

¶ The conclusyon of our ladyes supplycacyon.

NOw my lorde syth all the good abylytes & dys­posicōns vnto grace be in this creature by your suffraunce / there is no more to doo but that ye let des­cende your grace to the vessell so dysposed and that you vouchesaufe to suffre hym reioyse your pardon and reconsyle hym to your chirche and make hym a membre therof the soner and spedlyer for this my prayer and request. I you beseche my moost dere lorde and sone who me it hathe lyked you alwaye to here gracyously and neuer suffre to departe boteles of petycyon for whiche be to you and to your moost honourably and drad fa­ther with the holy goost your egall pere euerlastynge Ioye honour and glory. Amen.