A Ryght Profytable Treatyse Compendiously Drawen Out Of Many and Dyvers Wrytynges Of Holy Men Part 2

Gaude petre cu sodali Paulo. cristo speciali Lucens...o...b..s climata Et caterna generali Vestra sita loco tali Nos cu eis adiuua

-- Ad martires.

Gaude thoma spes glo[rum]

Et georgi tutor ho[rum]

c.u.m Edwardo n.o.bili Tu laurenti rege lo[rum]

Vt tuamur poli cho[rum]

c.u.m fauore stephani

-- Ad. s. confessores.

Gaude presul o martine Nicholae. hugo. line.

Posce n.o.bis graciam Erkenwalde q[ue] birine Iam cu tuis augustine Da supremo gloriam

-- An. s. virgines.

Gaude virgo katherina Margareta. magdalena c.u.m brigitta. brigida Anna. fides. et cristina Nos serudo nuc diuina Gens celo[rum] iubila

[*V*]. Letamini in [domino].

[*R*]. Et gloriamini.

Oratio.

Concede quesum[us] omnipotentes deus. vt intercessio sancte dei genitricis marie sancta[rum]q[ue] omnium celestium virtutum.

et beatorum patriarcharum. [pro]phetarum. apostolorum.

euangelista[rum]. martirum. confessorum. atq[ue] virginum. et omniu electorum tuorum nos vbiq[ue] letificet. vt dum eo[rum]

merita recolim[us] patrocinia senciamus. Per eunde [christum]

[dominum] nostru. Amen.

-- Here folowen the seuen degrees of humylyte.

-- Caste thy syght downwarde / and shewe mekenesse / bothe in thy herte and body.

-- Beware of hyghe speche & clamorous / and see that thy wordes be fewe well sette & resonable. Be not lyght for to laugh / but vse euer sadnesse.

-- Be stylle & kepe sylence / tyll nede requyre that answere must be hadde. Kepe well the comyn rule as the holy place hath vsed.

-- Thynke the moost vylest of all other / & so p.r.o.nouce thyself.

Knowlege the vnworthy & not profytable to ony thynge / & to byleue in dede.

-- Make ofte confessyon of thy synnes / and that with greate contrycyon. Kepe pacyence in thy obedyence at all thy paynes & trouble.

-- To all people be thou subgette for thy maysters sake / thyn owne wyll forsake it / and loue it in no wyse.

-- And euer kepe the from synne / for fere of hym aboue. Amen.

-- Here folowen the seuen degrees of obedyence.

-- The fyrste is to do that is cmauded of thy souereyne without grutchynge.

-- The seconde is to make none excepcyon / neyther of the tyme / neyther of the dede that is to be done.

-- The thyrde is to be gladde & cherefull in thy herte to do suche dedes cmauded without ony cpulcyon / settynge a side all beestly condycyons.

-- The fourth is to be quycke in suche dede doynge & leuynge all other occupacyons for that tyme or ony maner of excuse.

-- The fyfthe is to do suche thynges with all thy myght and power / thynkynge that thy rewarde shall be grete.

-- The sixte is to do them also with al mekenesse bothe in spyryte and gesture.

-- The seuenth is to contynuye suche obedyence for the ende of thy lyf / euer folowynge thy mayster Ihesu cryste / that was moost obedyent for thy synne vnto deth Amen.

-- The seuen degrees of pacyence thou mayst beholde here.

-- To euyll done to the or aduersyte / make no resystence. -- Do no euyll for euyll / ne gyue an euyl answere. -- Loue thyn enmye / & do good for euyl to hym in recompence. -- Grutche not ayenst aduersyte / but take it as swete as encence. -- Accpt it for best medycyne / and be gladde in thy payne. -- Thanke G.o.d therfore / & loke for more with all benyuolence. -- And whan thou hast no grutchynge in these / thenne meyst thou be fayne.

-- The .xv. degrees of charyte.

-- These make parfyte charyte after Poules epystle. -- Be pacyente contynuelly for ony aduersyte. -- Lyberall to the nedy / & do good for euyll. -- Of other menes welfare. enuye not ne be heuy -- Lette not by thy crokednesse good werkes to multeplye. -- Swelle not inwarde by malyce yf thy nyghbour prospere. -- Loue to be in lowe degree / & loth to be hye. -- To labour for other as thyself do thy vtter deuour. -- Be not moued for ony cause to vegeauce or to yre.

-- Thynke none euyll to another for ony prouocacyon. -- Ioye thou not in wyckednesse but sorowe [thou] rather. -- Be gladde in trought & ryghtwysnesse & hate dyssymulacyon. -- For suche ryght bere aduersyte or ony trybulacn. -- To [that] the chirche techeth the put ful credulyte. -- That G.o.d hath promysed trust it well without defalcatyon. -- In hope abydynge his rewarde and euerlastynge glorye. Amen.

-- A lytell Instruccn for them that shall entre in to religyon / drawen out of the longe rule of sa[yn]t Iherom that he wrote to saynt Eustochiu &c.

Loue G.o.d aboue all thynge / & thy neyghbour as thyself. In these two is fulfylled all [the] lawe & cmaudementes of G.o.d & parfyte charyte [with]out whiche can noman or woman be relygyous & come to heuen / & the whiche had among them they make theyr place or monastery a paradyse in erthe & themself professed therin angelles full pleasaut vnto G.o.d. Wherfor amonge [the] spouses of G.o.d ben one wyll / one comfort / one heuynes Remembrynge [that] he is prynce of peas & charyte. in whom they shalbe wedded vnto. Forsake [the] desyre of teporall goodes / for better it is to be ryche with other in the worlde than to be poore in a monasterye & to haue a desyre to haue G.o.d. Blessyd be they sayth our lorde [that]

ben poore in spyryte &c. -- The more n.o.ble [that] ye ben & come of worshypfull lynage [the] more ye shal meke your self / & euer be gladde of poore & vyle habyte or clothynge / beware of obstentacyon & pryde or to desyre to be better arayed than an other syster is. And remembre [that] ye shall be professed & wedde elyke to one spouse Ihesu cryste in one wyl & vowe / whiche loue none suche syngularyte / pompe & vayne glorye. For in his court shall not a kynges doughter haue prerogatyf afore an other in lower degree borne. Goostly lyf requyreth no dignyte temporall / though all ye be neuer so meke / yet your spouse was & is moche more meker. See in your mynde how [that] sa[yn]t Peter was a poore fyssher / and Bartylmew a n.o.ble man of byrth. Netheles Peter was preferred & made prynce of Bartylmew & of all the worlde. Beware of grutchynge [that] whiche gretly dyspleaseth G.o.d. Commende neuer your self of ony goodes gyuen or to be gyuen of you or by yours to [the] monasterye or els where / but euer lerne & vse you to take [the] crosse & to folowe your spouse in penauce / & do that ye come for / kepynge obedyence / pacyence / mekenesse / sylence / prayer / fastynge / & suche other as your relygyon wyll gyue you Instruccyon. And in ony wyse shewe mekenesse in your langage / countenauce & all other behauyour / & in especyall to your heed & souerayne / the whiche representeth cryste your spouse / & that in all obedyence / drede / loue / & reuerence. Neuer disputynge of theyr wyll or of other that be your souerayns / but thynke [that]

all is ryghtfull [that] they do / presume not to correcte theyr Iugementes. For as by example yf eche man sholde haue the guydynge of a shyppe [that] they be within / it sholde neuer prospere ne come to the hauen [that] it desyred. And as ye be professed deed to the worlde so be ye deed in other mennes dedes. -- Also remebre that ye must forsake your owne wyll & offre it vp & gyue it to G.o.d & to them that shall be your souerayne & heed for euer more.

Enforce eche one of you that shall come to religyon to pa.s.se an other in obedyence / for than doubtles ye shall please G.o.d A true obedyencer that hath vtterly forsaken his owne wyll / knowe not ony thynge harde to do [that] is cmaunded of theyr souerayne ne ony thynge vnryghtfull. -- Beware of ydelnes the whiche is moder of all synne & vnclennesse / so that by your offyce that ye be called to / or by prayer / redynge / wrytynge / sewynge / or other handewerkes doynge / ye may make your bodyes dayly wery & crucyfyed. And therby make your spyrytes the more quycke and apte to the seruyce of our lorde in confusyon of your enemye and encreace of glorye. -- Beware to be Inquysytyf / or to muse on hyghe maters and subtyll. And leue them to worldely people / and to clerkes / for otymes the letter may hurte you Thynke euer [that] ye had leuer dye than ones to pa.s.se the clausures or boudes of your monasterye. Yf ye haue a faythfull & a Iuste frende / to whom ye may open [the] secretes of your herte / than ye haue a grete tresour / for oftymes one shall be deceyued & seldome can iuge the trouth in his owne maters so well as other. Knowe your owne synnes & wayle them & medle [with] none other. Beware euer of detraccion & flee it as it were a venemous serpent / [that] the speker therof be your contenauce & departynge from them may be ashamed / & therwith lothe for euer so to speke or do. Moreouer yf ye wyll see your spouse Ihesu cryst in your mynde by contemplacn euer kepe your sylence. For saynt Ierom sawe many in Egypt amonge holy faders that .vij. yeres togyder spake not owne worde / but only to G.o.d & to his saynt. Yf the caas be so [that] ye must speke / lete it be in all peas & charyte & [with] fewe wordes.

Remembrynge [that] your spouse loueth no voyde claterynge / but wolde be [with] you alone in all quyetnesse in your soules.

Wherfore be ye aferde to dysplease hym or to dryue hym out from you [with] stryues or debate / sclaundres / othes / and suche other / -- Saynt Iames couselleth eche man to refrayne his tonge / sayenge that lyf & deth ben in the power of [the] same tonge / wrytynge thus. Who that refrayneth his tonge he shalbe blessyd in all dedes &c. Knowleche your self at all tymes carayne and erthe / & the glory therof is as a floure in the medowe. Absteyne you as pylgryms from all desyres of [the] flesshe / the whiche dayly bataylleth ayenst the soule. Absteyne also from lyes at all tymes / as ye wolde from h.e.l.le / for them in no wyse loueth Ihesus your spouse. And also beware to mayntene or botrace suthe lyes whiche is abhomynable in the syght of G.o.d. Yf there come ony strauger vnto you / lete hym knowe by your heuenly talkynge & behauyour [that] ye be a well taught spouse of cryste & [that] they may glorefye in you & for you & be amended by you. Bere [the] wordes of saynt Ierom in your mynde that sayth thus. Truste me verely [that] theris no thynge more peryllous to a man. than is a woman / & to a woman no thynge more contagyous than is a man / for eyther of them is chaff & eyther is fyre. And note this for a truth / [that] preuy talkyng lacketh no suspycyon. That thynge is not lefull to be seen / [that] is not lefull to be desyred. More than ony man can suppose or wryte / [the] deuyll reioyseth whan memorye of o man is fixed & had in a womnes herte. There is no venym in the worlde so noysom to woman as is affeccn towarde man of what soeuer cause it procede or growe. Ye may see [that] the desyre of worldly wymen is euer in vesture / golde / precyous stones / & ornament outwarde of the body / & therin they put theyr glorye & felycyte. In so moche [that] it suffyseth not them theyr l.u.s.te gyuen by nature only / but they seke occasyon & craft by the sayd premysses to encreace theyr sayd l.u.s.te & desyres to theyr grete dampnacn / beware ther fore of ony costely habyte or suche vanytees &c. Certaynly sayth the sayd saynt Ierom / [the]

pryncypall desyre is of suche wymen [that] men sholde fest theyr eyen in [the] faces of them by the prouocacn & syght of theyr precyous arraye. But they sholde csyder though nature hath gyuen to golde / & suthe other a precyosyte wherby they ben praysed / what is [that] to the vyle carkas [that] it hangeth vpon / the whiche is but a sach.e.l.l of dounge brought forth of vnclene seed & fynally shall be wormes mete.

-- The wordes of saynt Ierom.

O Thou moost vylest & worse than ony beest how shamefast sholdest [the] be in thy body yf thou woldest beholde thyself / [that] so in thyn arraye auaucest thyself. And this blessyd Ierom sayth. I take them for no relygyous wymen [that] ben cladde in costlyous araye or in a wanton & pynched habytes but he calleth them in latyn. Pessimas meretrices et storta. Wherfore desyre ye to go in vyle & vnshapely vesture. that wanton & dissolute persones may rather be prouoked to scorne & laughe at you than to thynke euyl or desyre you / for they say not trouthe that do ensure themself with a glorye to kepe chastyte in a costely or ony shapely vesture / ye shal be called ladyes / for bycause that ye shall be spoused to the kyng of all kynges. Beware than & take hede with all mekenesse to your dygnyte / in lesse than your spouse be greued & make a deuorce & to departe from you. Yf that ye wyst & ones had tasted how swete your spouse were. ye sholde haue pleasyr ynough that pa.s.seth all worldly pleasyrs. This Ioye & pleasye had saynt Ierom & many other both of men & wymen / kepe the mansyon of your spouse clene / & garnysshe it with floures of vertue / and accompte your self moost vyle & outcaste of this worlde. Remembre also how in your baptysme ye forsoke the worlde / the enuye / and all theyr pryde & glory / the whiche now ye shall cferme vnder [the] grettest othe that may be / & therwith receyue our lorde G.o.d in sacramet in this your fyrste entrynge in to religyon. Beware also of vayne glory / lyftynge vp your vysage & voyce on hyghe as wymen done in the worlde. Rebukyng other or to speke of your n.o.ble blood or kynrede / for in the spousage and seruyce of G.o.d / the poorest mannes doughter lyuynge shall be egall & lyke to the gretest kynges doughter lyuynge in erthe. Ye muste forsake all suche worldely pompe & vanyte & take a newe & a more sure n.o.ble dignyte by your spouse Ihesu cryst that neuer shall haue ende / the poorest of you bryngeth more to the monastery / so that ye come with a meke herte and in wyll to forsake yf that ye hadde neuer so moche / than she that bryngeth moche with a proude herte / and therwith to other wolde haue it knowen. Beware euer that no foule worde or stryue be amonge you [that] ben deed folke in this worlde. But euer thynke [that] the trompe of the last daye of Iugement soundeth in your eeres / and calleth you sayenge. Ryse doughters Ryse / & come to your Iugement. Lete euer your mynde be with your spouse / and with your moder blessyd Marye / & the sayntes as often as ye synge or rede. Remembrynge [that] G.o.d is there present and seeth what ye do Lete none see you from the seruyce of G.o.d or vnoccupyed. In redynge of prophetes epystles / gospelles / sayntes lyues / & other dedes of vertue doynge / hauynge euer bokes in your handes / studyenge or wrytynge / [that]

people seynge you may saye. Beholde here the seruaut of G.o.d / & the lanternes of the worlde. Beware also of glotony whiche is moder of all vnclennesse & bocheres of chastyte / & kepe your stomake rather voyd than to take to it superfluyte wherthorugh ye shall not nede to take medicynes for a digestyon. Vse curtesly to ete & not gredely nor hastely / for therin may ye synne. It is wryten in the lyf of saynt Benet [that] a religious woman [with] a gredenes receyued a wycked spiryte in etynge of letuse in [the]

gardeyn. Also they [that] vse to dr[yn]ke wyne go not [with]out fyre i theyr bosom. And euer beware of dronkenshyp / remenbrynge [that] abstynence & fastynge is a sure medycyne for all sekenes.

And by them cometh grete vertue & grace. Not for thy beware of vndiscrete abstynence / whiche myght cause you to haue payne here & in tyme to come. Whan tyme is of redyng at your meles & repast or ony other good doctryne than beware of speche or laughynge / but take hede to [the] lecture. And knocke pryuely your brestes & that yf ye may with fallynge of teeres / after your meles reherce your lectures or some notabilytees of sermons or other holy thynges [that] ye haue herde or seen afore. And whan ye praye be sory for the Ignorauce of the people & theyr synnes / & mynde the soules that ye be specyally boude to praye for with all other crysten soules. And yf ye wyl haue [the] swetenes of contemplacn / clense your herte from all worldly thynges. And be as ye were deed amonge them & as ye were buryed in your sepulcre the whiche betokeneth your monastery / to the tyme ye aryse & appere afore your spouse to haue your rewarde of his glory. Whan ye shal go to your garden & seen the herber & grene trees smellynge [the]

floures & fruytes with theyr swetnesse / meruaylle the grete power of G.o.d in his creatures / & thenne labour & engendre in your mynde / or talkynge of deuocn & lyfte vp your herte to heuen / & thynke verely [that] the maker of them that is your spouse in heuen is vnspekable fayre / swete / delectable / and gloryous. But beware touche there nothynge to a vayne vse or nycete of the worlde.

After complyne kepe your tonge & take you to prayer & contemplacion. And call to your mynde suche heuenly thynges that ye haue herde or redde afore. See in ony wyse that ye kepe this poynt of G.o.ddes lawe & of [the] lawe of nature. Do euer to an other as ye wolde be done vnto

-- Deo gracias.

-- Thyse short prayers folowynge taught our lorde saynt Brigytte.

Saye ye them ofte in the daye.