University of Virginia Library

[The fyrst parte is to know, & haue ī mynde]

Here begyn̄eth a newe Treatyse deuyded in thre parties.

The fyrst parte is to know, & haue ī mynde
The wretchednes, of all mankynde.
The seconde is of the cōdycion and manere
Of the unitedfastnes, of this world here.
The thyrde parte ī this boke you may rede
Of bytter death, and why it is to drede.
The myght of the Father almyghty
The wyt of the Sone all wytty
And the goodnes of the holy Ghoste
God and Lorde of myghtes moste
Be our helpe/and our spede
Nowe and euer in all our nede
And specyally at this begynnynge
And brynge vs all to good endynge.

Noluit intellegere vt bene ageret.

He sayeth, man hath no wyll to be snell
To vnderstande thynges, to make them do well
These wordes be sayde by them here
That wyll nought vnderstande, neyther do lere
To drede God, and to do his wyll
But foloweth theyr lustes and lyueth full euyll
And for defaute of trewe fayth, this may be
For they lyueth nothynge, but they it se
But grutcheth when they shulde ought lere
Therfore sayeth the Prophete, in this manere.

Non crediderunt set murmurauerunt.

The Prophete sayeth, that they beleued nought
But grutched, and were heuy in thought
Thus fareth many men, that lyueth nothynge
That men telleth them, agaynst theyr lykynge
But grutcheth and waxeth all frowarde
When men speaketh ought, that them thynketh harde
Some can in boke, suche thynges rede
But lyghtnes of herte, bryngeth them drede
So it may nat with them dwell
As God wytnesseth in the Gospell.

Quid ad tempus credunt, & in temptationis recedunt.

He sayth for the tyme, some leue a thynge
And soone passeth there fro, in tyme of temptynge
As wytnesseth the prophete saynt Dauid
In a verse of the Psalter, that accordeth therwith.

Et crediderunt in verbis eius, & laudauerunt laudem eius

He sayeth in his werkes, they byleued well
And praysed his werkes, as they cought somdell
But soone they had his workes forgyt
And thought of his counceyll, no more to wyt
Suche men be euer vnstedfast
That neyther loue ne drede, may on them last
But who that can nought drede, may soone lere
That hereth this matter, with good ere
With suche thynges, that he may conceyue therby
And do good dedes, and slye folye
Therfore these bokes, be out drawe
Of dyuerse matters, that be of Goddes lawe
To lewed men, that be nat of vnderstandynge
And of latyn speche, be all vnconnynge
To make hym selfe, fyrste for to knowe
And all synnes, away to throwe
And to brynge them, to perfyte drede
When they this treatyse, wyll here or rede
That shal moue his conscyence within
And throughe that drede, may alone begynne
Throughe comforte of the ioyes of heauen bryght
As men may hereafter haue a syght.

Here begynneth the fyrste parte of this boke/that speaketh of mannes wretchednes.

Nisi efficiamini sicut [illeg.]: non intrabitis in regnū celorū.

He sayeth, but ye be as meke as a chylde
That is to vnderstande, both meke and mylde
Ye shall nat come by any maner of way
In to the kyngdome of heauen on hey
But one thynge, maketh moste meke a man
To thynke in his herte, as often as he can
Howe he is made of foule mattere
Fouler thynge in earth, is none here
And so sayeth saynt Iob, in his morenynge lay
What is a man here, but earth and clay
And powder that with the wynde do breketh
And therfore the good man, to God thus speaketh.

Memēto quoth sicut lutū feceris me. & in puluerē reducie me.

He sayeth thynke Lorde, howe thou madest me
Of soule earth and clay, in this worlde to be
And therto shall I turne, at my last ende
Euen agayne to powdre, and to nought wende
And than sayth our Lorde, of myghtyes moste
To euery man, that hath in hym the holy Ghoste.

Memento quoth [illeg.], & in cinerem reuerteris.

He sayeth, thynke man that asshes art now
And into asshes agayne, tourne shalt thou
Than of this, euery man shulde haue mynde
And knowe the wretchydnes, of his owne kynde
For here a mannes lyfe, well cast may be
Pryncypally to tell in partyes thre
That ben maked, to our vnderstandynge
Begynnynge mydwarde, and last endynge
These thre partyes spaces, may be tolde
Of euery mannes lyfe, both yonge and olde.

Of the begynnyng of mans lyfe.

Ecce in iniquitatibus conceptus sum & in peccatis concepit me mater mea.

Beholde he sayeth, what mannes kynde is
In wretchydnes, I am conceyued ywys
And also my mother, hath conceyued me
In many synnes, and moche vylte
For there dwelleth a man, in a dercke dongyon
That is full of fylth and corrupcyon
Wherin he had, no maner of fode
But foule glat, and waltsome blode
And when that he hyther come was
From his mother wombe, that foule place
And was here brought, in to this worldes ryght
He had neyther power, ne myght
Neyther for to go, ne on fete stande
Neyther to crepe in fete, ne in hande
Than hath a man lesse myght, than hath a beest
When he is newe borne, and semeth leest
For when a beest is ybore, than it may go
And doth his kynde here euermo
But a man hath no myght, in his yongeheade
For he may nat go, but as men doth hym leade
For he may nother go nor crepe
But lye and spraule, crye, and wepe
For a chylde is nat fully ybore
That it ne cryeth as thynge forlore
And by that crye, men tell can
Whyther that it be woman or man
For when it is borne, it cryeth swa
And yf it be a man, it sayeth .A.
And that is the fyrste letter of the name
Of Adam our father that brought vs in blame
And yf it of a womans kynde be
When it is borne, it soundeth .E.
E. is the fyrste letter, who that taketh hede
Of the name of Eue, that brought vs in drede
Therfore a wyse Clarcke, made in this maner
A verse that telleth, of that same matter.

Dicentes .E. vel .A. quotquot nascuntur ab Eua.

All he sayeth, that cōmeth of Eue
May for nothynge, that letter leue
When they be borne, what soeuer they be
He cryeth fyrste .A. other els .E.
This is of our lyfe, the fyrste begynnynge
And after our byrth, sorowe and wepynge
And to wretchydnes, our kynde styrreth vs
And Innocent the bysshop, therfore sayth thus.

[illeg.] nascimus [illeg.] vt nature nostre miseriā cuprimamus.

He sayeth, we be ybore here euerychone
Makynge sorowe and reuthly mone
All for to shewe, our great wretchydnes
Of our kynde, that is full of brotelnes
And naked we come hyther, and bare
And so we shall all hence fare
Upon this thynke all, that any good can
For thus sayeth saynt Iob, the holy man.

Nudus egressus sum ex vtero matris mei et nudus reuertar illuc.

Naked he sayeth, in to this worlde I come
When from my mothers wombe nome
And naked I shall tourne hence away
And so shall all at the last day
Thus is a man, at his fyrste cōmynge
Naked and bare, and bryngeth nothynge
But a skynne foule and waltsome
That is his garment, when he shall come
And that is a blody skynne full thynne
That he brought, and was wounde in
When he in his mother wombe lay
Forsoth this was a symple aray
And thus is man made, as ye may se
In moche wretchydnes, and captyuyte
And afterwarde lyueth here, but a fewe dayes
As Iob openly vnto vs all sayes.

Homo natus de muliere breui viuens tempore.

He sayeth, man that is borne of a woman
Lyueth here lytell tyme, and soone is tan
And euery man is borne to nothynge elles
But to trauayle and sorowe, as the boke telles.

Homo nascitur ad laborem: sicut Auis ad volandum.

He sayeth man is made, to trauayle aryght
As the foule is made to his flyght
For lytell rest he hath in his lyfe ywys
But euer in trauayle, full besye is
And yet is a man, when he is bore
The fendes of hell, and all ylore
Untyll he throughe grace, agayne ben ynome
And to baptyme afterwarde come
Therfore euery man, shall vnderstande so
That his lyfe, is but sorowe and woo.

Of the myddes of a mans lyfe.

Homo nihil aliud est quoth Sperma [illeg.] vermium

Saynt Bernarde wytnesseth, as the boke telles
That a man in this lyfe, is nothynge elles
But a foule slyme, horryble to all men
And is a foule lake, of stynkynge fen
And also wormes meate, that they wyll haue
When that he is deade, and layde in graue
But some men and women, fayre they semeth
To syght without, as men it demeth
And sheweth nothynge, but the whyte skynne
But who that myght openly loke therin
A fouler caryon, myght there neuer be
Than men shulde on them than se
Therfore who that had a sharpe insyght
And had as clere eyen, and also as bryght
As hath a beest, that Lux men calles
That may se throughe thycke stone walles
Than lytell lykynge shulde a man haue
To beholde a woman, or after her craue
Than myght he se, without any doubte
As well within, as he doth with out
For yf a man myght se her within aryght
It were full dredefull, to euery mannes syght
And so foule euery man within is
As the boke telles, and wytnesseth all this
And therfore, I holde a man nothynge wyse
That maketh hym selfe, of to moche pryse
Syth he may euery day, both here and se
What that he is here, and what he shall be
But a proude man, of this taketh no hede
For hym fayleth reason, that shulde hym lede
When that he is yonge, and loueth playinge
Other hath welth at his lykynge
Other that he be brought, in to great worshype
Than he of hym selfe, taketh he no kepe
For hym selfe than he knoweth all there leest
And fareth than as vnreasonable beest
That foloweth his owne wyll, and nothynge elles
As saynt Dauid wytnesseth, and telles.

Homo cum in honore esset non intellegit comparatus est in mentis insipientibus.

He sayeth, when a man in worshyp is brought
Ryght good vnderstandynge, hath he nought
Therfore he may be lykened, both in flesshe and bone
To beestes that reason and wyt can none
Therfore euery man, that hath wyt and mynde
Oft shulde thynke, on his wretched kynde
And that with fylthe he is all ynome
As he may se euery day from his body come
Both at nose and at mouth, and byneth also
All maner corrupcyon, cōmeth hym fro
And howe foule it is to euery mannes syght
Saynt Bernarde wytnesseth to vs full ryght.

[illeg.] diligenter consideres quid per os quid per nares ceterosque meatus corporis tui egreditur: vilius stet qui [illeg.] quoth videres.

He sayeth man, wylt thou inwardly se
And beholde, what thynge cōmeth from the
Throughe nose and mouth, contynually
And throughe other places of thy body
A fouler dunghyll, sawe thou neuer none
Than is a man, made in flesshe and in bone
For in all that tyme, that a man here lyueth
His owne kynde, no good fruyte gyueth
Whyther that he lyue shorte tyme, other longe
But thynges that stynketh, wonder stronge
And foule fylthed, and nothynge elles
As Innocent the great clarcke, in a boke telles.

Herbas inquit & arbores diligenter iuuestiga, ille de se producunt flores & frondes & fructus: & tu de [illeg.]. Ille autem de se effundunt oleum & vinū, & tu de te, sputum, vrinam, & stercus. Ille de se spirant suauitatem: & in abhominationem stercoris.

This Clarcke telleth thus in his boke
Thou man he sayeth, beholde well and loke
Herbes and trees, that in earth doth sprynge
Take thou good hede, what they forth brynge
Herbes bryngeth floures, and maketh sede
And trees fruyte, and braunches sprede
And thou bryngest forth, of thy selfe here
Both nyttes, and lyse, and other vermyne yfere
Of herbes and trees, spryngeth bawme good
Both oyle and wyne, in helpe of mannes fode
And that cōmeth from the, doth foule stynke
As dounge and pysse, and spatlynge
Of herbes and trees, cōmeth good sauoure
And of the man, foule breth and soure
For suche as the tre, beareth with the bowes
Suche is the same fruyte, that theron growes
For a man is as a tre, that standeth nat harde
Of whom the crop is tourned downwarde
And the rote is an hye, towarde the fyrmament
As wytnesseth in this boke, the clarcke Innocent.

Quid est homo secūdum formam nisi quedam arbor euersa cuius radicis sunt crines trinicus est caput cum collo, stipes est pectus cum alno, rami et vlne cum tibiis frōdes st. digiti cum artil. hoc est folium quod a vento rapiter, & stipula que a sole siccatur.

He sayeth what is a man, but in shape as a tre
Tourned vp so downe, as men may se
Of the whiche the rote, that therto belongeth
Is the heere on thyne heade, that theron hangeth
Than is the stocke nexte the rote growynge
That is thyne heade, with thy necke shewynge
The body of the tree, that is sette therto
Is thy brest, with thy wombe also
The bowes be thyne armes with thy handes
And the legges with thy fete, that thou on standes
Men may them braunches, by reason call
The toes, and the fete, with thy fynges all
Lyfe is the lefe, that hangeth nat fast
That wyll away, with the wyndes blast
And a man that is both yonge and lyght
Thoughe he be neuer so hardy in fyght
And comely of shape, and louely of chere
Yet syckenes and anger may hym dere
And his myght and fayrenes abate
And brynge hym soone, in to lowe state
And soone chaunge his fayre coloure
And make hym fade, as doth the floure
For a flour, that is fayre to mannes syght
Throughe stormes it fadeth, and leseth his myght
Angres and euylles, and myschyfes both
Ofte cōmeth to a man, that be hym loth
As feuers and dropsye, and Iaundyse also
[illeg.] and the gowte, and other euylles mo
That maketh his fayrenes, away for to wende
As stormes doth theyr floures shende
This shulde be euer ensample to vs
Therfore saynt Iob, in his boke sayeth thus.

Homo quasi flos egreditur & contritur & fugit velud vmbra, & num quoth in eod. &c.

Man he sayeth, as flour is bryght
When it cōmeth fyrste to earthly syght
And soone is broke, and passeth away
As doth the shadowe, in sōmers day
And neuer in the same state dwelleth
But euermore passeth as Iob telleth
Of this the Prophete wytnesseth ywys
In a psalme of the Psalter that sayeth this.

Mane sicut herba transeat mane floreat & transeat vespere descidat. &c.

The Prophete sayeth thus, in that case
A man passeth away, as doth the grasse
Early begynnynge of the day
He floureth, and soone passeth away
And at euen, it is downe brought
That fadeth and wexeth all to nought
In the begynnynge of man, hym was gyue
Nyne hundred yeare, in earth to lyue
As Clarckes in bokes, beareth wytnes
And sayeth, that mannes lyfe is drawe to shortnes
For God wolde, that it shulde so be
And God sayde hym selfe, so vnto Noe.

Non permanebit spiritus meus in homine [illeg.] caro est: erunt enim dies illius centum viginti anni.

My Ghoste he sayeth, shall nat euer dwell
In man that is made of flesshe and fell
His dayes shall be to lyue in here
An hundred, and also twentye yere
But so great age, may no man bere
For death wyll hym, in shorter tyme dere
For the complexyon of euery man
Is nowe more febler, than it was than
Therfore mannes lyfe, myght shorter be
For nowe it is feblest, all for to se
For the longer, that a man shall lyfe
To more sorowe, he shall be dryfe
And lesse thynke, that this lyfe is swete
As in the psalter, wytnesseth the Prophete.

Si in potentatibus octoginta anni amplius eorum labor et dolor. &c.

If in strenghthes foure score yere, myght befall
The more is theyr trauayle, and sorowe with all
But nowe moche shorter be mannes dayes
As Iob the good man openly sayes.

Nun quid non paucitas dierum meorum finietur breui.

Nowe he sayeth my shorte dayes that fewe were
Shall come to ende, in lytell tyme here
And when a man waxeth to be olde
Than begynneth his kynde, to be feable and colde
And than chaungeth his complexyon
And his maners tourne vp so downe
Than waveth his herte, full heuy and harde
And his heade feble, and euer downwarde
Than reueleth his face, euermore and more
And fouler waxeth, than it was before
His wyt is short when he ought thynketh
His nose droppeth, his onde stynketh
His syght waxeth dym, he loketh vnder the browe
His backe is croked, he stopeth full lowe
His eares waxeth death, and harde to here
And his tongue to speake, is nothynge clere
Soone he is wroth, and waxeth all frowarde
To tourne hym from wrath, it is harde
He is couytous, and fast holdynge
And heuy of chere, and euer lourynge
He prayseth olde men, and holdeth them wyse
And yonge men hym lysteth to dyspyse
And often is sycke, and begynneth to grone
And often angrye, and playneth hym soone
All these thynges, to an olde man befalleth
That Clarckes propertyes of age calleth
Thus men may se, that rede can
The condycyons, that be in an olde man.

Here ye may here of the ende of a mannes lyfe.

Quid enim fetidius humano cadauere Quid horribilius homine mortuo. &c.

He sayeth, what thynge may fouler be
Than a deade mannes body, is for to se
And what is more horryble, in any place
Than is to behelde a deade mannes face
And when it is, in earth by wounde
Wormes wyll do eate it, in a lytell stounde
Tyll that foule flesshe, away be ybyte
And thus I fynde, in holy boke ywryte.

Cum autem moritur homo hereditabit serpentes & vermes.

The boke sayeth, that when a man shall dye
As his kynde herytage, he taketh the way
To wormes and adders, that foule be of syght
For to them falleth mannes flesshe by ryght
Therfore shall euery man after earth slepe
Amonge foule wormes, that on them shall crepe
And they shall gnawe his foule carkayes
And so sayeth holy wryt, and speaketh this wayes.

Omnes enim in puluere doimient & vermes operient eos.

That is in earth, shall slepe euery man
And wormes shall eate them, from the toe to the pan
For in this worlde, so wytty man is none
Neyther so fayre in flesshe ne bone
Neyther Emperour, Kynge, ne Ceaser
Ne none other Lorde, what state he haue here
Neyther ryche, ne poore, ne bonde, ne fre
Learned ne lewde, what euer he be
That he ne shall tourne, after his last day
To earth and to powdre, and to foule clay
Therfore in my thought, I haue moche wonder
Syth that wormes shall freate vs a sonder
That no man in earth, unneth wyll it so
What he was, and is, and what he shall be
But who that wyll here, in his herte cast
What he fyrste was, and shall be at the last
And also what he is, whyle he lyueth here
He shulde than fynde, full lytell mattere
To make any myrth here, whyle he dwelleth
As a wyse vercyfyour in his verse telleth.

Si quis sentiet quo tendet & vnde veniret Num quoth gauderet: set in omni tempore fleret.

He sayeth, who that wyll fele and se
Whence he cōmeth, and whyther shall he
All maner myrthes, he shulde forsake
And euer wepe, and sorowe make
For who that of a man, had than a syght
When wormes had gnawen hym out ryght
And eaten his flesshe, in to the harde bone
So horryble a syght, sawe he neuer none
As he myght se in that carkayes
As saynt Bernarde wytnesseth and sayes.

Post hominem vermis, post vermen fetor & horror Et sic in non hominem, vertitur omnis homo.

He sayeth after death, man is worme become
And after wormes, to stenche he is nome
And so euery man, here tourned shall he be
Fro man in to no man, as it were nat he
Thus may men se, as it is wryte
Howe that a man, in his mother is behyght
And of this matter, more myght I tell
But no lenger theron, thynke I to dwell.

Here begynneth the seconde parte of this boke/that speaketh of the worlde.

All this worlde here, both longe and brode
God it made, for mannes gode
And al other thynges, as clarckes can proue
He made onely for mannes byhoue
If a man loue any thyng more by any way
Than he doth God, that in heuen is on hye
Than is that man to God vnkynde
That so lytell on hym, setteth his mynde
For God is more worthye, loued to be
Than any creature, that men may se
Syth he is the begynnynge of all maner thynge
And of all thynge, make shall an endynge
And thus I say by them, that gyueth them ofte
To the worldes lykynge, that thynketh them softe
And loueth all thynge, that therto falleth
And suche men worldely men me calleth
For theyr loue moste, in the worlde is set
The whiche the loue of God, slaulyche doth let
And for the loue of this worldes vanyte
A man at the last, for barred may be
From the hye heauen, where all ioye is
There a man shall dwell without ende ywys
But a great clarcke telleth, that is Bartylmewe
There be two worldes, pryncypally to eschewe
And that one worlde, is inuysyble and clene
And that other bodely, as men may sene
And the ghostly worlde, that no man may se
Is the hye heauen, where God sytteth in trynyte
And thyther shall we come, and there lyue ay
If that we thytherwarde, holde the ryght way
Nowe wyll I no longer, vpon this matter stande
For soone after it shall come more to hande.
But the same worlde, that men may here se
In two partyes well deuysed may be
For both partyes, men may well knowe
For that one is hye, and that other lowe
The hyer lasteth from the moone ful euen
To the hyest place, of the sterred heauen
And that worlde, is bryght and fayre
For there is no corrupcyon, but clene ayre
But sterres and Planettes, bryght shynynge
As euery man may there haue vnderstandynge
But the lowest worlde, that may befall
Conteyneth holly, the Elamentes all
And in this worlde, is both well and wo
And ofte tyme chaungeth, both to and fro
To some it is softe, and to some men harde
As ye shall here soone afterwarde
But that worlde, that passeth all maner thynge
Was made for mannes, endeles dwellynge
For euery man, there shall haue a place
Euer to be in ioy, that here hath grace
And that was made, for our aduauntage
For there is ordeyned, our kynde herytage
But that other worlde, that lower is atwyne
Where that the sterres and planettes be set in
God ordeyned onely, for our behoue
By this reason, that I shall proue
For the eyre from thence, and the hete of the Sōne
Susteyneth the earth here, where that we wōne
And noryssheth all thynge, that fruyte here gyueth
To helpe man and beest, that in earth lyueth
And tempreth our kynde, and our complexyon
And setteth the tymes of the yere, in theyr season
And gyueth vs lyght here, where that we dwell
Elles were this worlde, as darke as hell
And the lowest worlde, was made for man
And for these encheasones, that I tell can
For man shulde therin, haue his dwellynge
And lyue in Goddes seruyce, and do his byddynge
And holde his cōmaundementes, and done his wyll
Them to knowe and kepe, and flye all euyll
And here to be proued, in ghostly battayles
Of many ennemyes, that man often assayles
So that throughe ghostly myght and vyctorye
He may gete to hym endeles glorye
And haue than the crowne, of endeles blysse
Where all ioye is, that neuer shall mysse
Twayne worldes togyther, here may befall
That all men may earthly call
One is this dale, that is our dwellynge
Another is man, that is therin abydynge
And this same dale, that we dwell in
Is full of sorowe, and all maner synne
That of wyse Clarckes, in bokes called is
The more worlde, that men may knowe by this
And of the lesse worlde, yet wyll I nought speke
For in to that matter, soone I wyll breke
And of the more worlde, yet wyll I tell
Or I go further therin to dwell
Than wyll I tell, afterwarde as it falleth
The cause why men, a man the worlde calleth.

Homo potest duobus [illeg.] seruire aut vnum odio [illeg.] & [illeg.] diliget & vnum sustinebit & alterum contempnet.

He sayeth, no man can serue God at wyll
Neyther two lordes, that he ne doth full euyll
For els he shall hate one in his dede
And that other loue in his manhede
Other he shall mayntayne that one outryght
And that other despyse, and set full lyght
The worlde is Goddes ennemye, and so men shulde it call
For it is contraryous to his workes all
And so be euerychone, that the worlde loueth well
As the holy euangelyst, sayeth in the Gospell.

Qui vult esse amicus huius mūdi inimicus dei cōstituitur.

He sayeth, he that wyll the worldes frende be
Goddes ennemye, forsoth than is he
And sore worldly men greueth God ywys
Therfore the Apostell, in his epystell sayth this.

[illeg.] diligere mundum nec ea que in mundo sunt.

Loue nought the worlde sayeth he
Ne nothynge that in the worlde may be
For all that is in this worlde, that any man tell can
Other it is couytous, or lust of flesshe of man
Other couytous of eyen, that men may with loke
Other pryde of lyfe, as wytnesseth the boke.

Omne quod est in mundo aut est concupiscentia carnis aut concupiscentia oculorum, aut superbia vite.

Couytous of flesshe, that is seynge
That parteyneth to a mannes lust or lykynge
Couytous of eyen, as euery man may gesse
Is ryches that cōmeth to a man with blysse
And pryde of lyfe, that men kepeth in thought
And euer desyreth, to great honour to be brought
And lyckynge and lust, of flesshely maiestye
Engendreth the foule synne of lecherye
But God made the worlde, as he is wytnes
For to serue man, in all maner of goodnes
Wherfore is man seruaunt to the worlde than
And make hym the worldes bonde man
Syth he may serue God, and euer be fre
And out of the worldes thraldom be
But wolde a man knowe ryght as he shulde
What the worlde is, and her falsenes beholde
He shulde haue no wyll, as I vnderstande
After the worlde any thynge to fonde
Lo what sayth Bartholomewe, the great clarke
That speaketh of the worlde, and of her warke.

Mundus nichil aliud est quoth quoddam exilium [illeg.] labore, dolore, dolo, & tristicia plenus.

He sayth that the worlde, is nothynge elles
But an harde exyle, that a man in dwelles
Both darcke and dym, and a dolefull dale
That is full of sorowe, and eke of bale
And a place full of all wretchydnes
Of anger and trauayle, and all besynes
Of sorowe and synne, and of all folye
Of shendshyp also, and eke vylonye
Of flyttynge also, and of moche taryinge
Of moche greuaunce also, and moche mournynge
Of all maner of fylth, and corrupcyon
Of moche wrath, and extorcyon
And full of gyle, and of falshed
Of great debate, and contynuall dred
So that in this worlde, is nought man to auaunce
But moche sorowe, and harde myschaunce
And pompe and pryde, with foule couytyse
With vayne glorye and slouth, that men ofte vse
The worlde to hym draweth all men
And so dysceyueth his louers then
And to many is greuous, and to fewe auayleth
For his louers, he dysceyueth and fayleth
And all that despyseth hym, he awayteth fast
And thynketh them soone, in to myschyfe cast
For them that he loueth, he wyll socour
And make them ryche, and great of honour
And to begyle them, he thynketh at the last
And in to great myschyfe, he wyll them cast
Therfore worldly worshyp, may be tolde
A vanyte, that dysceyueth both yonge and olde
And worldly rychesse, howe so it come
I holde nought elles, but as fantome
The worlde hath many a man, with vanyte defyled
And with pompe and pryde, ofte them begyled
Therfore an holy man, as ye may here
Speaketh vnto the worlde, in this manere.

O munde in munde vtinam ita in mundus esses vt me non tangeres, aut ita mundus esses vt me non conquaris.

And that is in englysshe, thus moche for to mene
O thou worlde he sayth, that euer arte vnclene
Why myght thou nat euer so vnclene be
That thou shuldest nener nyghe me
Other be so clene, in thy werkes all
That thou make me in to no synne fall.

Howe the worlde may be lykened vnto the see.

The worlde may by many encheason
Be lykened to foure thynges by good reason
Fyrste may the worlde be lykened ywys
Most proprely to the see, that long & brode is
For the see after her owne certayne tyde
Ebbeth and floweth, and may nat abyde
And throughe stormes waxeth kene and blowes
And than ryseth tempestes and stronge wawes
So fareth the worlde, with his fauour
Bryngeth a man in to ryches and to honour
But afterwarde, than he casteth hym a downe
Into moche pouerte, and trybulacyown
And those be the great stormes and kene
That bryngeth a man, in sorowe and tene.

Howe the worlde may be lykened vnto a wyldernes.

Yet may the worlde, that is brode and wyde
Be lykened to a wyldernes in euery syde
That is full of bestes that be wylde
As Lyons, Lybardes, and Wolfes vnmylde
That wyll strangle men and dystroye
And slee theyr beestes, and sore them noye
So is this worlde full of mysdoers all aboute
Of many tyrauntes, that bryngeth men in doute
That euer be besy, both nyght and day
Men to annoye, in all that they may.

Howe the worlde may be lykened vnto a Forest.

Also the worlde lykened may be
To a forest, that standeth in a wylde coūtre
That is full of theues, & wylde out lawes
That often tymes to suche forest drawes
Haūteth theyr hyre passe, robbeth & reueth
Both men and women, and nothynge leueth
So fareth this worlde, that we in dwell
Is full of theues, that be deuylles of hell
That? vs awayteth, and euer be besy
For? to robbe and reue our goodes ghostly.

Howe the worlde may be lykened to a battell in a felde.

And yet is this worlde, as ye shall here
May thus be lykened, in the fourth manere
To a fayre felde, full of dyuers battayles
Of straunge ennemyes, yt eche day vs assayles
For here we be brought in great doute
And set with ennemyes, all harde aboute
And pryncypally, with these ennemyes thre
But agaynst them, well armed we myght be
That is the worlde, the fende, and thy flesshe
That eche day assayleth vs lyke fresshe
Therfore vs behoueth both day and nyght
For to be redy agaynst them to fyght

Quanto magis in virtutibus crescimus, tanto plus timere debemus ne sublimius corruamus.

To this accordeth a clarcke Seneca the wyse
That counceyleth vs, the worlde to despyse.

Tunc salubre consiliū aduoca cū tibi alludūt [illeg.] vespeta.

Seneca sayeth, and gyueth good counceyll
When this worlde maketh his merueyll
Than seche thy wyt, and after counceyll call
That moche welth make the nat fall
For welthynes is but a shadowe somdele darcke
And so sayth saynt Gregory, the noble clarcke.

[illeg.] timenda est: magis tū prospeta quoth aduersa.

Saynt Gregory sayeth in this maner
That yf euery hap be for to drede here
Yet is hap of welth to drede more
Than any maner sorowe, thoughe it greue sore
For anger mannes lyfe clenseth and proueth
And welth to synne a man soone moueth
And so may man his soule lyghtly spyll
Throughe welthes, that men haue at theyr wyll
And so cometh afterwarde, to endles payne
And so wytnesseth the doctour saynt Austayne.

Sanitas continua, et rerum habundancia eterna dampnacionis sunt iudicia.

He sayth contynuall hele, and worldly wele
As to moche ryches and goodes fele
Be tokens as in boke wryten is
Of hell dampnacyon endles ywys
And to these wordes, that some men mysspeaketh
Accordeth saynt Gregory, and thus he sayeth.

Continuus successus rerum temperalium eterne dampnacionis est iudicium.

He sayeth, that contynuall hap cōmynge
Of worldly goodes, is a tokenynge
Of dampnacyon, that at the last shall be
Before God, that then shall fall without pyte
But the worlde prayseth none men onely
But them that to the worlde be happy
And vpon worldly thynges, setteth theyr herte
And euer flyeth the symple state of pouerte
Suche men be besy, and gathereth fast
And fareth as theyr lyfe shulde euermore last
To them the worlde is queynt and fauourable
In all thynge, that thynketh them profytable
And can moche of worldly queyntyse
The worlde calleth them good men and wyse
And to them falleth ryches many folde
But it is theyr dampnacyon, as I haue tolde
For in heauen, may no man haue an home
That foloweth the worlde, and his wysdome
And suche wysdome, sayeth a wyse clarcke and [illeg.]ytty
That before God, it is holde but foly.

Sapiencia huius mundi stulticia est apud

But many to the worlde, moche lysteth
And he is nat wyse, that theron trusteth
For it ledeth a man, with wrynches and wyles
And at the last hym it begyles
A man may be calde both wytty and wyse
That setteth the worlde at lytell pryse
And hateth the thynges, that the worlde loueth moste
And thynketh to blysse, to brynge his ghoste
And to the worlde trusteth ryght nought
But euer in that other worlde, setteth his thought
For no sure dwellynge, shall we here fynde
As the apostell Paule wytnesseth, thus sayende.

Non manentem ciuitatem hic habemus set futuram inquitimus.

He sayeth, no sure dwellynge here haue we
But seke we another, that euer shall be
And as gestes haue our soiourne
A lytell tyme tyll we hence tourne
And that may fall rather than we wene
For man is here, but as an alyane
To trauayle here in way all tymes
To wende in to our countre, as doth pylgrymes
Therfore the Prophete, vnto God speaketh thus
As Dauid in the Psalter telleth to vs.

Ne silias [illeg.] aduena ego sum apud te [illeg.] peregrinus vt omnes patres mei. &c.

Be thou styll Lorde, sayeth he
For why, I am cōmynge towarde the
And a pylgryme, as all my fathers were
Thus may euery man se, that lyueth here
That is to say, Lorde be thou nat styll
That [illeg.] make me here knowe thy wyll
And such comforte to my soule thou gyue
That may make her, both glad and blyue
And say thus therto, I am thy saluacyon
For thou arte my pylgryme trewe in deuocyon.

Of two wayes in this worlde.

Two wayes there be in this worlde full ryfe
One is way of death, another of lyfe
This worlde is the way and also passage
Throughe the whiche lyeth our pylgrymage
By this way all we must nedes go
And eche man beleueth, that it is so
In this worlde be two wayes of kynde
Who that wyll assay, the soth he may fynde
One is the way of death here tolde
And that other is the way of lyfe holde
But the way of death, semeth large and easy
For that may vs lede, euen and lyghtly
To the horryble lande of darckenes
Where sorowe and payne is, and wretchydnes
But the way of lyfe, semeth narowe and harde
That ledeth vs, euen to our countre warde
And that is the kyngdome of heauen bryght
Where we shall be in Goddes syght
And as Goddes sones there ben ytolde
If we do well, both yonge and olde
For the way of the worlde, is here vnstable
And our lyfe also, well chaungeable
As often is sene in many maner wyse
Through tempest of wethers, that maketh men anguyse
For the worlde, and the worldly lyfe yfere
Chaungeth full ofte, and in dyuers manere
And in her state dwelleth but a whyle
Unneth the space of a lytell myle
And for the worlde is so vnstedfast
For all thynge theron soone is ouercast.

Of the vnstedfastnes of this worlde.

God ordeyned, as it was his wyll
Uaryaunce of the season to fulfyll
And dyuers wethers, and other seasones
In token of the false worldes condycyones
That so vnstable be to mannes hande
That lytell tyme in theyr state may stande
For God wyll that men throughe tokens may knowe
Howe vnstable the worlde is in euery throwe
So that men theron the lesse shulde trust
And for no welth theron, to moche haue lust
The tymes chaungeth often, and be nat in one state
For nowe is the morenynge, and nowe it is late
And nowe it is day, and nowe it is nyght
And nowe it is darcke, and nowe it is lyght
And nowe is there colde, and nowe great hete
And nowe it is drye, and nowe it is wete
And nowe it is hayle, and snowe full stronge
And nowe fayre wether, and Sonne shyne amonge
And nowe is the wether clere, and fayre with all
And nowe it is darcke, and rayne doth downe fall
By all the varyaunce men may vnderstande
Are tokens of the worlde, that is varyande
Yet there be mo tokens, that we may lere
Of the vnstablenes, of this worlde here
For nowe is great myrth, and nowe mournynge
And nowe is laughter, and nowe wepynge
And nowe men be well, and nowe be wo
And nowe is a man frende, and nowe is fo
And nowe is a man lyght, and nowe is heuy
And nowe is a man glad, and nowe is drery
And nowe haue we ioy, and nowe haue we pyne
And nowe haue we cattayle, and nowe we it tyne
And nowe we be ryche, and nowe we be poore
And nowe we haue lytell, and nowe we haue more
And nowe we haue rest, and nowe we haue trauayle
And nowe fynde we our strength, what it may auayle
And nowe we be great, and nowe we be bare
And nowe we be well, and nowe we be in care
And nowe we be lyght, and nowe we be slowe
And nowe we be hye, and nowe we be lowe
Nowe loue, nowe hate, nowe peace, and stryfe
All these be the maners, of mannes lyfe
That euer betokeneth moche vnstedfastnes
Of this worldes welth, that so chaungeable is
And as this lyfe is euer away passynge
So is the worlde euery day apparynge
For the worlde to her ende draweth fast
As clarckes by many thynges can cast
Therfore the worlde, as clarckes hath me tolde
Is as moche to mene, as the worlde that is olde
For two earthly worldes to this lyfe befalleth
As tolde is before, as clarckes it calleth
But the more worlde, and also the lesse
Full chaungeable be, and away doth passe
The more worlde is this worlde, longe and brode
But the lesse worlde is lykened to manhode.

Howe the rowndenes of this worlde is lykened to a man.

Senuit iam inūdus vterque & maior mundus & minor & quanto proluvius vtriusque senectus perducitus tanto deternis vtriusque natura conprobatur.

He sayeth, as it is in latyne tolde
Eyther worlde, nowe waxeth full olde
And the longer that theyr tyme is here sought
And the age of eyther, other forth ybrought
The more in malyce, and in feblenes ywys
The kynde of ey? her other medled is.

Of the condycyons of worldly men.

Et irritauerunt deum in vanitatibus suis.

And they meued hym to wrath sayth he
In theyr newe fyndynges of vanyte
This may be called, as the boke proueth
By them that suche dysguyses vseth
For suche men therwith God greueth
And therfore from them his grace he reueth
And God at the last to them wyll sende
Great vengeaunce, but they them amende
God suffreth them a whyle to haue theyr wyll
And in theyr folyes, for to abyde styll
And that may be knowen, by many maner of guyse
As saynt Dauid wytnesseth in this wyse.

Et dimisi eos secundum desideria cordis corum.

The prophete Dauid speaketh, and sayeth thus
In Goddes name, as the Psalter telleth vs
I let them he sayeth, without all maner couerte
After custes and lykynge of theyr owne herte
And in theyr newe fyndynges, they shall go
Well may this be sayde, by them and other mo
That God suffreth in folye, and theyr tyme leseth
And after theyr lustes, newe fyndynges cheseth
That to the worlde maketh them gay
And from God tourneth, both nyght and day
And at the last they shall hence wende
To the p[illeg.]nes that be without ende
Therfore I counceyll all vanyties to forsake
And in this worlde, betymes amendes make
Yet hath the worlde, that is so trecherous
Many other maners, that be contraryous
For nowe is vertue tourned into vyce
And playeth myrth and game into malyce
And nowe is deuocyon, in many a mannes syde
Tourned all into boste, and to foule pryde
And nowe is wyt and wysdome, holde folye
Both amonge yonge and olde, tourned to trecherye
And nowe is folye, holde great wysdome
And therto is tourned nowe, both mayster and grome
And nowe is clene loue, tourned to lecherye
And all ryghtfulnes in to trecherye
And thus is this worlde, tourned vp so downe
To many a mannes soule, great dampnacyown
But suche semeth as they were wode
For good thynge they holde euyll, and euyll thynge gode
Wo shall they be therfore, as clarckes can tell
For God hym selfe, wytnesseth it in the Gospell
Wo to you sayth Chryst, that thynketh with your wyll
That euyll thynge is good, and good thynge euyll
That is to say, that them selfe shulde be wo
That in this worlde, myslyueth theyr lyfe so
And thus is the worlde, and mannes lyfe therin
Full with vanyte, and wretchednes of synne
But some men loueth, so moche this lyfe
And also the worlde, that is full of stryfe
And so they thynke, neuer to wende there fro
But euer to dwell here, yf it myght be so
And loueth so moche this worldes vanyte
And neuer desyreth here, in other lyfe to be
But wolde a man, well hym vnderstande
That the worlde is besy, a man for to shonde
And what he shall haue therof at the last ende
When he shall from the worlde wende
Than shulde hym lyst, both nyght and day
To forsake myrthes, and synge well away
A man therfore must suche workes forsake
And to Goddes mercye, all his herte take
And lede here his lyfe, in mekenes and pouert
In fastynge, and in penaunce, and other workes smert
And knowe his conseyence, that is inwarde
To haue the ioy of heauen than afterwarde
And thus shulde euery man, hym well be thynke
If he wyll Goddes grace in hym synke
Nowe haue I tolde you in dyuerse manere
The condycyons of mānes lyfe, and of the worlde here
And nowe I wyll passe furthermore
And speake of the thyrde parte, and of his lore
That telleth specyally, as I shall rede
Of death, and wherfore it is to drede.

Here begynneth the thyrde parte of this boke/that speaketh of death.

Death is moste dredefull thynge that is
In all the worlde, as the boke wytnesseth this
For there is no quycke thynge lyuynge
That agaynst death is sore dredynge
Fleeth it as long as he may/but at last it is deathes pray
And when death cōmeth, and maketh debate
All thynge he bryngeth, in to another state
For no man may agaynst hym stande
Whyther he come by water, or by lande.

Of thre maners of death.

As Clarckes fynde wryten, theyre deth
Thre maners of death ben yt men dredeth
One is bodely that after kynde doth wende
And yt other ghostly, that other wtout ende
And bodely death, that kyndly is wrought
Is when body and soule, a sonder is brought
Death is full harde & bytter, as I shall tell you here after
For ghostly death is departynge of synne
Betwene God, and mannes soule within
For ryght as the soule is lyfe of the body
Ryght so the lyfe of the soule is God almyghty
And as the body is without any doubte
Deade as stone, when mannes soule is out
So is the soule of man deade also
When almyghtye God departeth there fro
For where synne is, the deuyll is of hell
And where synne is, God wyll nat dwell
For deedly synne, and the deuyll, and he
In one place, may nat togyther be
And when mannes soule, is bounde with synne
God is thence, and the deuyll dwelleth therin
Than is the soule deade, before God in dede
Whyle synne and the soule, dwelleth in one stede.

Howe a mannes soule is deade throughe synne.

Nolo mortem peccatoris sed magis conuertatur vt viuat.

I wyll nat the death of a synfull wyght
But he tourne hym, and do penaunce ryght
Than may a synfull man, that his soule hath slawe
Be tourned to grace, and from dampnacyon be drawe.

Howe in hell is death without ende.

Endeles death, is death of hell
That they shall haue, that there shall dwell
For hell is counted a peryllous place
For there is endeles wo, without any grace
Care and sorowe, that neuer shall lynne
yet may nat the soule dye therin
And it myght dye, as the body doth here
Of all her payne, than delyuered she were
For the death of hell, is euermore lyuynge
And is stronge death, euermore lastynge
Of this death men may rede and loke
In the Psalmes of Dauid in his boke
That speaketh moche, of the paynes of hell
Therfore vpon this matter, I wyll no longer dwell

What maner thynge is death.

Death is nought els sothly
But departyng bytwene the soule & the body
And as I haue somdele before sayde
This may be called a deathes brayde
And a very remembrynge of mannes lyfe
When the soule parteth from the body with stryfe
As ye may knowe in your thought
That kyndely darckenes is to be felt nought
But where that no maner lyght is se
Proprely there is darckenes in euery degre
So that darckenes is byreyuynge of lyght
So is death of lyfe, when a man is hence twyght
Thus fareth death, that all men dredeth moste
When the lyfe fayleth, they yelde vp the ghoste.

Men dredeth death for foure thynges.

Mors soluit omnia.

Death he sayeth, vndoeth all maner thynge
And of mannes lyfe, maketh an endynge
Wherfore death is greatly to be dred
As hereafter it shall be more playnely shewed.

Of the fyrste encheason why men dredeth death.

Non miserietur in opie nec reueretur diuiciis nec sapientie, nec moribus, nec etati.

He sayeth that death of pouert no mercye taketh
Neyther to ryche men, rewarde he hath
Neyther to wysdome, that men can shewe
Neyther to olde men, for theyr dayes be fewe
Death wyll haue neyther reuerence nor fauour
Neyther frendshyp of kynge, ne Emperour
Neyther of bysshop, ne yet of prelate
Neyther of other, what soeuer they be of state
Therfore saynt Bernarde, sayth thus in his wrytynge
For euery man shulde drede deathes cōmynge.

Mortem esse cōmunem, cunctis scito viuentibus.

Understande thou he sayth, that death is
To all cōmon, both to more and lesse
And thus shall death vysyte euery man
And yet what he is, no man dyscerne can
But the payne of death, that all shall fele
As telleth a Phylosopher to vs full well.

O mors quoth amara memoria tua homini iniusto.

O thou bytter death, and dredefull sayth he
Full grysely thynge it is for to thynke on the
And namely to that man, that is full of synne
Wherfore his conscyence, is greued within
Therfore me thynketh a man is nat sly
That maketh nat hym to death redy
For so certayne in earth, is no maner man
That his endynge day, forsoth tell can
Neyther the tyme of death, can nat loke
And so saynt Bernarde sayeth in this boke.

Quid in rebus humanis certius est morte Quid incertius hora mortis inuenietur.

He sureth, what is to a man more certayne
Than is death, that is so sodayne
And what is also more vncertayne thynge
Than is the tyme of deathes cōmynge
Therfore saynt Austyne, the holy man
Sayeth thus in his boke, as I proue can.

Nescis qua hora veniat mors ideo sēper vigila vt cū venerit te patū inueniat & tēpus illius forte nescis vt sēp ideo cēs peratus.

Man thou knowest nat sayeth he
What tyme deathes cōmynge shall be
Therfore wake as thou haddest euer knowynge
The tyde and tyme of deathes cōmynge
That death fynde the when he shall come
All redy to God and buxome
For thou shuldest nat, perchaunce knowe
The cōmynge of death, to holde the lawe
And in thy conscyence, to make the yare
For when death cōmeth, he wyll nat spare
Than behoueth vs our lyfe so to cast
As euery day of our lyfe, were the last
And euery day vs aredy to make
As we shulde eche day, the death take
And nat abyde, tyll death vs vysyte
For? saynt Austyne in his boke thus doth wryte.

Latet nobis vltimus dies vt obseruerentur bene ceteri dico Raro enim perantur remedia, cum mortis venerūt pericula.

The last day of man here sayeth he
For all other dayes, better kept shulde be
For men ordeyneth remedye to late
When perylles of death standeth at the gate
And in the same state, that he is than
He shall be demed when he is gone
Therfore euery man, for drede of lettynge
Shulde nat abyde, deathes cōmynge
But make hym redy, or he death fele
And than after kepe hym selfe wele
For when death is to the gate come
Than to late hath he his warnynge nome
For death from a man, his mynde byreueth
And no kyndely wyt in hym byleueth
For than shall he fynde suche payne and drede
That he shall thynke vpon no mysdede
But in this payne, and in nothynge elles
As the holy man, saynt Austyne telles.

Timor mortis totam vitam sibi vendicat vt de peccatis tunc libeat cogitare. &c.

Drede of death he sayeth, when he assayleth a man
Chaungeth the soule, and maketh the body wan
So hym luste than to haue no thought
Of the synnes, that he hath here ywrought
Therfore euery man amende hym here
Or death come and sende his messengere
And yf a man wyll before beware
Than of all synnes, death shall fynde hym bare
His messenger, well may be called syckenes
That goeth before, and bryngeth hym indystres
For syckenes ofte tymes, pyneth a man so
That for great syckenes his mynde is go
For than may he thynke, vpon nothynge elles
But vpon the payne, that vpon hym dwelles
But when death cōmeth to hym soone afterwarde
Than paynes shall he fele, that be more harde
For than shall he be set in suche drede
So that of hym selfe, he taketh lytell hede
And that is reason, for he wolde nought
Whyles that he myght, haue God in thought
Therfore he shall then lese clene his mynde
And thus we may in saynt Austyne fynde.

Hac animaduersione percuititor peccator vt moriens obliuiscatur sui qui dum viueret oblitus est dei sui.

The synfull man he sayeth, as it is wryte
With the payne of death, shall be ysmyte
That for the payne, that in hym shall fall
Forgetteth hym selfe, when he hence shall
For whyle that he lyued, at his owne wyll
He forgate God, and his hestes wolde nat fyll
And also synnefull men, haue here no grace
To haue repentaunce, neyther tyme ne space
Thus shall he dye, and so lese heauen blysse
And be put in to payne, without any lysse
For they be vnkynde, and to God vncurtayes
Therfore saynt Dauid, in the Psalter thus sayes.

Uos autem sicut homines moriemini, & sicut [illeg.] de principibus cadetis.

And sayeth thus to men, ye shall dye all
And as on of the prynces ye shall fall
That is ye shall dye in the same manere
As all men dyed in this worlde here
And as the gostes, that fell from heauen
And were put to hell, with an horryble steuen
Therfore to euery man, it were wysdome
To amende hym of synnes, or death come
And haue God in mynde, whyle his lyfe is
As the Prophete cōmaundeth, and sayeth this.

Memento creatoris tui antequā veniat tempus visitationis tue.

Thynke man he sayeth, and haue in thought
Hym that made the fyrste of nought
Whyle thou lyuest, and or thy tyme be
When God with death, wyll vysyte the
For death clene mannes mynde breketh
And therfore saynt Dauid to God thus speaketh.

Domine non est in morte qui memor sit tui.

Lorde he sayth, that man alyue is nought
That in tyme of death, hath nat the in thought
But men may vnderstande therby
The death of soule, throughe synne namely
For the man that of God myndeles is
It semeth in soule, that he deade is
For God vysyteth vs by euery maner way
Where that the tokens of death fele we may
For yf we coulde vs well vnderstonde
The tokens of death, eche day doth vs fonde
Wherfore me thynketh, all that here semeth
Is more deade than alyue, as wyse men demeth
For the boke telleth, and wytnesseth before
That a man anone as he is bore
Begynneth towarde his death to drawe
And with dyuerse euylles, often is gnawe
As angers and syckenes, that falleth all day
The whiche deathes throwes, call we may
And in other wayes, and perylles many one
That oft greueth men, in flesshe and in bone
Than is our byrth here but abydynge
A bodely death, that is our endynge
For the longer, that a man waxeth olde
The more may this lyfe death be colde
Than semeth our lyfe here nothynge elles
But as it were death as the boke telles
And to that other lyfe, come we nought
Tyll death this lyfe, to ende hath brought
But when death of our lyfe, hath made an ende
Than knowe we nought, whyther for to wende
Whyther that we shall to well other to wo
But certes to that one we shall go
And to good men, than death is the way
To the ioy of heauen, that lasteth ay
And to the wycked men, that passeth that entre
In the payne of hell, they shall euer be
Therfore saynt Dauid the holy prophete
Thus speaketh to God, with wordes swete.

Qui evaltas me de portis mortis vt [illeg.] laudes tuas.

Lorde almyghty God, forsoth thou arte he
That from the gates of death, hast take me
So that I may tell passynge all thynges
The great multytude of thy praysynges
In the holy gates of thy doughter Syon
That gate as Clarckes telleth, that can theron
Is holy Churche, that God fyrste cheace
Throughe the whiche, men cōmeth to the gate of peace
And by the gates of death, as we may se
The bytter death of hell, vnderstande may be
From that same place, God kepe vs nyght and day
And graunt vs his loue, as he well may
Therfore we shulde hym serue, and his wyll worche
In the trewe beleue of holy Churche
So that we may, than afterwarde wende
To the cytie of peace, that hath none ende
But all men that shall to that place come
Hence shall wende throughe death all and some
But that death to them is nothynge euyll
That lyueth here in earth after Goddes wyll
And in suche holy lyfe stedfastly dwelleth
As saynt Austyne the holy man, in a boke telleth.

Mala mors illi putanda non est, quem in vita sua boni actus processerunt.

He sayeth men shulde nat, to them euyll death wene
That in good dedes, wolde his lyfe mene
For nothynge maketh a man so hye of boste
As euyll dedes that foloweth the death moste
For all be deedly, that synne wyll do
And therfore saynt Austyne, sayeth thus therto.

Non potest male mori qui bene viverit & viv bene moritur qui male viverit.

He sayeth, he may no euyll death haue
That lyueth on earth throughe Goddes lawe
But vnneth may men by any reason
Dye in good death, that leadeth his lyfe in treason
But that man, that hateth this lyfes lykynge
Dare neuer drede of deathes cōmynge
For after his death here, no payne hym deres
As Caton wytnesseth in this verse.

Non metuit mortem qui sit contempnere vitam.

He sayeth, he that can this lyfe despyse
Shall nat drede death, in no maner wyse
For so dyd martyres, that theyr death sought
For after this worlde, nothynge they wrought
And also holy men, wylled to death be dyght
To dwell in heauen, with God almyght
As the bokes of theyr lyues, telleth to vs
For so dyd an holy man, that sayeth thus.

Cupio dissolui & esse cum christo.

I couet he sayeth, hence for to wende
Out of this lyfe, and be with Chryste without ende
For holy men, thought here this lyfe
Was nothynge els, but sorowe and stryfe
Therfore they coueyted, the ende of theyr day
As sayeth an holy man, as I tell may.

Melius est dies mortis quoth dies natiuitatis.

He sayeth, better is the day of death alone
Than the day of byrth, that is full of mone
For a good man dyeth, for to go vnto rest
Theyr lyfe is endeles, and ioy alther mest
When the soule from the body shall begon
As in Apocalyps, wytnesseth saynt Iohn̄.

Beati mortui qui in domino moriuntur.

Blessyd be all they, in dede and in worde
That dyeth here in earth, in the honour of our lorde
For all that men seth in good lyfe ende
They dye with God, and to hym shall wende
Into the ioy of heauen, that is on hyghe
Well is hym that throughe death, that stede may nyghe
And doubteles, thoughe holy men dyed here wele
Yet the paynes of death they shall fele
But when they shall, a newe lyfe wynne
When the body and soule, departeth atwynne
Somedele they shall than haue drede
Throughe mankynde, and throughe manhede
Syth that Chryste dred death in his passyon
Throughe kynde of his flesche, as it was reason
Than ought a man both lesse and more,
The bytter paynes of death, drede full sore.

The .ij. encheasō why mē dredeth death.

Omnes amici eius apprehenderunt eam interangustias.

He sayeth, that amonge his anguysshes great
His ennemyes shulde hym take, and nought let
Than is no wonder, thoughe the deuylles come
To the synfull man, when death hath hym nome
As the deuyll to saynt Bernarde came at the last day
To brynge the holy man, into great afray.

Howe the deuyll came and appered vnto saynt Bernarde.

It is founde in the lyfe of saynt Bernarde
When he drewe to his deathwarde
That the deuyll of hell, so horryble of hewe
Asked of saynt Bernarde, wt wordes fewe
Wherfore he asked the kyngdome of heuen
Syth he had gylt in the synnes seauen
Then answered saynt Bernarde to hym this
That I am nat worthy, I wote ywis
Throughe myne owne synnes, it for to haue
When I shall hence wende to my graue
But throughe my lorde Iesus full of myght
That all thynge gouerneth, as it is ryght
As throughe ryght of his fathers herytage
And also for chrysten mennes auauntage
And throughe ryght of his harde passyon
That he suffred here, for our saluacyon
That herytage frely, he graunted me
And also that other parte to hym shulde be
Of whose ryght, I aske that heauen ryche
After his mercye, that nothynge is lyche
When the deuyll harde hym thus say
As ouercome he went his way
And anone saynt Bernarde, when this was done
Came agayne to his mynde, that erst was gone
And anone dyed afterwarde tho
And euen his soule to blysse gan go
But it is more wonder all for to tell
Why that God suffreth, the deuyll of hell
To appere to hym, that is of myght moste
Whan that he dyed, and gaue vp his ghoste
For the great Clarckes, wytnesseth it
In theyr owne bokes, that be of holy wryt
Than semed it well, that God wolde thus
Suffre the deuyll of hell, to appere to vs
In tyme of death, at our last ende
When we shall all hence wende
But a stronge payne, to vs that shall be
The great syght of deuylles, that than we shall se
For they be so horryble, as telleth the boke
And so blacke, and dredefull vpon to loke
So that all maner of men, that I may deuyse
Of the foule syght of them, may sore agryse
For all maner men, that be in earth alyue
So horryble a syght, can neuer descryue
Nor none so queynte a payntour, yt myght brynge to passe
Neyther man so wytty, neuer yet was
That coulde ought ymagyne, of theyr horryblenes
Other paynte any poynte after theyr lykenes
For theyr shape in this worlde, may no man make
Ne se the same fourme, that they haue take
But yf the deuylles, had of God so large powere
In theyr owne fourme, to shewe them here
Lese they shulde theyr mynde, and be sore agast
For cause that they be into suche fourme cast
But so hardy man was neuer yet none
That lyued in earth, in flesshe and bone
If he sawe the deuyll, in his fourme aryght
That he ne shulde for drede of that foule syght
Anone ryght to dye, other to lese his wyt
As soone as he had beholden it
But in the same fourme, as I tell can
Se them neuer here no lyues man
But onely to them, that death is nere
For God hath bynome them theyr powere
So that they may tempte no man, ne greue
Further then our lorde God, hath gyuen them leue
But anone as death asayleth a man
In the foulest fourme, they wyll appere than
For bycause that euery man, dredynge shulde be
Agaynst the same tyme, that he shulde them se.
But to you all, I wyll tell sothly
Wherfore the deuylles be all so gresely
For when that they were Aungels bryght
As tho ye be in heauen, before Goddes syght
And from ye place, throughe synne they fell
And anone bycōmen foule fendes of hell
And were horryble fygured throughe synne
And so they were all wrapped therin
For yf synne ne were, they had be styll
Bryght Aungelles, as they were throughe Goddes wyll
And nowe they be horryble, and vnsemely
And that was throughe synne of pryde onely
Than is synne fouler, and more lothsome
Than is the deuyll, that from hell may come
For Clarckes telleth it, that be of cōnynge
That synne is so foule, and so horryble a thynge
That yf a man myght se, before hym his synne
In the same lykenes, that he falleth in
He shulde rather than for drede it fle
Than any deuyll of hell, that he myght se
Than is the soule of a synfull man within
Fouler than the deuyll, yf he be in synne
Therfore a man shulde, where that he wendes
More drede synne, than any syght of fendes
That shall come to hym, at his endynge
For his synnes in dyspayre hym to brynge
Of whiche synnes, he wolde hym nat shryfe
Ne take no repentaunce here in his lyfe
For vs behoueth euerychone, in Goddes owne syght
yelde our accomptes of wronge and of ryght
And of all thynges, that euer we haue wrought
Both in werke, and in wyll, and euery mysthought.

Of the thyrde encheason why men dredeth death.

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.