University of Virginia Library

Of the thyrde encheason why men dredeth death.

The thyrde encheason, is to our vnderstandynge
Why euery man dredeth deathes cōmynge
For all thynge shall be shewed and sene
Both good, euyll, foule, and also clene
And there ben rehersed, as the boke telleth ryght
Bytwene foule fendes, and Aungelles bryght
Than shall they despute there, all our lyfe
With great sorowe, both care and stryfe
For in the same tyme, all thynge shall be knowen
And in the same day, nothynge ben hydden
But onely synne, that is clensed here
And all good dedes done in good manere
Than shall we all there, both here and se
All maner pryuyties, that euer wrought we
And therfore God sayeth in his Gospell
In the same maner, that I wyll you tell.

Nichil opertum quod non reuelabitur.

There is no maner of thynge here so hydden
That ne shall than be shewed and knowen
And styll there abyde must we
Tyll there all our lyfe clene examyned be
Therfore saynt Ancelme, as the boke telleth vs
Speaketh to the soule sharpely thus
Thou wretched soule sayth he, what myght thou wyn
When thou from thy body departe shall atwyn
For than behoueth the acomptes to yelde
Of all that thou hast done in youth and in elde
From the begynnynge, that thou couldest wyt
Unto the last day, for thou myght nat flyt
And than shall wel away, forsoth be thy songe
For thou hast spended thy lyfe here in wronge
And than shall all thy synnes here ben shewed
Whyther so that thou be lered other lewed
Of whiche synne, thou shalt more drede
Than of all the deuylles, that thyther the wyll lede
And thus shall euery man, at his endynge
There be brought to an harde rekenynge
For no synne than to hym shall be vntolde
Be it neuer so pryue, other kept in holde
And I fynde wrytten, thre causes why
That no man may trust than sykerly
Upon his good dedes, that he hath done here
And the causes why, be good to lere
One is that all thynges, that good be
From God they come, and nat from the
So that all good dedes, that here be wrought
Be Goddes owne dedes, and ours ryght nought
But all our synnes, that we may do knowen
Cōmeth all from our selfes, and they be our owne
And an other cause there is also
For bycause that we be redy euermo
An hondred tymes rather to do synne
Than once a good dede here to begynne
And thus we may acompte, reken, and rede
An hondred synnes agaynst one good dede
The thyrde cause is, for to shewe amonge
For oft tymes our dedes be done with wronge
And nat in good maner, as they ought to be
And perchaunce they be done out of charyte
And therfore our good dedes, pure good are nought
But saynt Austyne sayth, our euyl pure euyl are wrought

Omnes iniusticie nostre quasi pannus menstruatus.

He sayeth, our good dedes may be sene
As a cloth defouled with thynge vnclene
Therfore for certayne knoweth no maner man
Howe he shall fare, when he his way take can
But we shall byleue without any maner drede
That euery man shall haue after his owne dede
But therof be we nat syker in our lyfe dayes
As wytnesseth an holy man, and in this maner sayes.

Nescit homo vtrum sit dignus, pro actibus suis amore vel odio.

He sayeth for certayne, a man knoweth nought
Thoughe he haue here, neuer so moche good wrought
Whyther that he be worthy after his dede
To haue the loue of God, other els hatred
And also Isodore, as the boke telleth vs
Accordeth well therto, and sayeth all thus.

Seruus dei dum bonum agit, vtrum sit ei ad bonum incertus est. &c.

He sayeth, the man that is Goddes seruaunt
That to all goodnes, maketh his haunt
Yet is he nothynge certayne in thought
Whyther it be good to hym, other it be nought
Wherfore our lyuynge is here full harde
As wytnesseth the holy man, saynt Bernarde.

Quis potest hic vitam suam ducere sine tribulatione & dolore.

He sayeth, who may here this lyfe lede
Without trybulacyon, anger, and drede
Therfore saynt Bernarde, sayeth thus here
And speaketh of mannes lyfe, in this manere.

Terret me tota vita mea que diligentur discussa apperet michi aut peccatum, aut sterilitas, aut res sunilata et imperfecta. &c.

Saynt Bernarde, the holy man sayeth this
All my lyfe here, sore greueth me ywis
For yf it well and euen dyscussed be
Nothynge elles it semeth to me
But synne that the soule moste dereth
Other barayne thynge, that no fruyte bereth
And yf any fruyte myght theron seme
It must thus be sayde, ryghtly to deme
Other a faynynge thynge, to shewe in syght
Other a thynge that is done nought by all ryght
So it may for nothynge ben forth brought
To please almyghty God, that made vs all of nought
So that all a mannes lyfe, is with sorowe lad
Therfore no wonder, thoughe a man selde be glad
What may a synfull man say therto
Syth he that was an holy man of lyfe euermo
Coulde no maner fruyte in hym selfe se
Than may another man, drede and sory be
Of this lyfe here, that euer is so vnclene
In the whiche there may no fruyte be sene.

Of the fourth encheason why men dredeth death.

The fourth encheason is, and the last to tell
Why men dredeth death, yt is so bytter & fell
Is for a mā knoweth nat whyther to wende
To ioy other to payne, after his lyfes ende
For so wyse a man, was neuer yet none
That wyst when to death, he shulde gone
Ne whyther he shulde from hence fare
To ioy without ende, or els to care
For when deuylles and the Aungelles bryght
Hath desputed our lyfe aryght
Whyther that God wyll vs dampne or saue
For than our dome we shall haue
And whyther that we shall to ioy, or payne
And therfore in certayne putteth vs saynt Austayne.

Bene de die nouissimo vnusquisque pensare debet quia vnumquem in eodem statu quo inuenerunt eum suus nouissimus dies: talis eum dominus iudicabit in nouissimo iudicio. &c.

Euery man he sayeth, that hence shall away
Shulde haue drede of his last day
For in what maner state, that he than be founde
In suche he shall be demed, in a lytell stounde
Therfore the last day, that may vs befall
Our day of dome, we may well call
But at our last day, when Goddes sone shall come
Than with our bodyes, vp we shall be nome
Before our Lorde God, that almyghty kynge is
That all thynge shall deme that day ywis
For all bodyes shall wende into that place
Where soules shall be demed, throughe Goddes grace
And other they shall haue full ioy yfere
Other full payne, when they be there
And afterwarde, they shall both togyther dwell
Whyther that they wende to heauen, other to hell
But here in earth, shall the bodyes all
Abyde tyll the day of dome shall fall
And that day shall be full streyght and harde
As this boke telleth soone hereafterwarde
But the synfull soule, goeth than to hell
There without ende in payne for to dwell
But the good soule than goeth full euen
Without any lettynge, into the blysse of heauen
But many a soule, that God wyll saue
He graunteth them mercye, that it wyll craue
For in the blysse of heauen, may no soule be se
But he for his synnes penytent before be
Other here doth penaunce, as Clarckes telleth
With a contryte herte, who God forgyueth
And when mannes soule, is clensed well
Of all deedly synnes, and also of venyell
Throughe penaunce here done, and also al mysdede
Aungelles full soone to heauen shall hym lede
Or els when it is passed from the body away
Into the payne of hell, that shall last ay
Therfore euery man, that can wysdome
Shulde here beware, or that death come
And make hym all redy, and clense hym clene
Of all maner of synnes, that none be sene
So that death hym fynde clene of all
When the body and soule departe shall
And euermore thynke, vpon his lyfes ende
Whyle that he lyueth here, or he hence wende
And so he may hym kepe, from the deuylles seruyse
And thus teacheth vs all, Salomon the wyse.

In omnibus operibus tuis memorare nouissima tua.

Nowe haue ye harde, this treatyse yrade
And this in your conscyence openly sprade
For the loue of our lorde Iesu
Pray for hym that this boke drewe
And for hym also, that redeth it here
Whyther so be that he go ferre other nere
As for the moste synfull man, that lyueth by breade
That God forgyue hym his synnes, or he be deade
And that God saue them both, from all wyckednes
And mayntayne theyr lyues in all goodnes
And brynge them both to that ioyfull place
To endles ioyes, in syght of Goddes face
Unto that same ioy, he vs brynge
That for our loue, maked all thynge
Sende vs to that ioy, that is fayre and bryght
Where euer more is day, and neuer nyght.