MAster tel me what thyn­ge is god. My chyl­de he is a thyng spyrytuall in y ^e whiche is all dygnyte / and all perfeccyon / the whiche is knowyn­ge all thynges / all myghtye / and euermore durynge without ende / and with­out begynnynge of another. and also he ne may be mesured ne comprehendid of man Inough for to se hym ne his beau­tes / ne may be noumbred / nor his dygne puyssaūce / nor maye be taken of any maner entendement so mo­che is he puyssaunt and grete. And also he is full of all bounte mercye and grace. ¶ Mayster may he be no moo but one onely god. My chylde / nay / For yf there were many goddes euery of them sholde be all puys­saunt & than myght they make thynges contrary cō ­uenable y ^t one to y ^e other the whiche is ayenst nature dyuyne so y ^t he ne may be but one substantyue / & one essence dyuyne the whiche is pryncypall cause effy­cyent [Page] of all thynges and he is y ^e soueraygne god vn­to the whiche euery herte desyreth to come the which entendement humayne ne maye comprehende ne I­magen. ¶ Mayster wherfore is god called father. My chylde for the engendrement apperteyneth pryncypally vnto the father more than vnto the mother / wherefore man sholde graunte vnto god the moost pryncypall partye. ¶ Mayster wherfore call we not the seconde parsone of the trynyte as well doughter as sone. My chylde for as moche as the sone is of more stronge nature / for he toke nature humayne in the fourme of man and not of woman. ¶ Mayster wher­fore is not the holye goost called of the sone and the so­ne were called mother. My chylde it is for that / that he procedeth and dyscendeth also pryncypally of the one as of the other. ¶ Mayster where was god befo­re that he made the worlde. My chylde he was not in noo place corporell. For nothynge was but he all onely / but he was in hym selfe father and sone / & ho­ly goost in one selfe essence. ¶ Mayster where is he now. My chylde god occupyeth no place. But his puyssaunce infynyte is ouerall / for he gouerneth y ^e thynges the whiche ben in the oryent / and those y ^e whiche ben in the occydent / and generallye all the worlde / and therefore a man sayth that he is all tyme and all thynges. ¶ Mayster knoweth god all thynges. my chylde / ye: for in lykewyse as he is all puyssaunt also he is all knowynge and all seynge. ¶ Mayster in what maner made god the aungelles. my chylde he them made fayre & shynynge and without body and full of meruayelous bounte and saiges for to be his specyall mynystres. ¶ Mayster how synned the aungels [Page] that god had made to his semblaunce. My chylde they yelded not graces vnto god of the grete grace and souerayne beaute that he had gyuē them / but enpryded thē ī mysknowynge of theyr creature. ¶ Ma­ster what came of them. My chylde the moost greate maysters of them fell in to hell & y ^e other about vs / & the other in the ayre. ¶ Mayster wherfore dyscended they not all togethers in to hell. My chylde for that / that the one synned more greuously than the other so abyde they all aboute vs / and in the ayre for to proue the holy persones. ¶ Mayster wherfore ne redemed them Ihesu cryste as these men. My chylde for that that aungelles ben of more stronge mater & without body & lynned of theyr owne malyce and wyll w ^tout ony tēptacyon of other / & also for y ^e nature angelyke sholde conuerte theym one tyme alonely vnto good or vnto euyll / so that whan it is conuerted in to the one it may be conuertyd into the other by the which they neuer had done well. ¶ Mayster wherfore ne made he them that they myght not synne. My chylde to y ^e ende that by their meryte they sholde haue grace and glory in paradyse. ¶ Mayster whan god wyste that they sholde synne wherfore made he them. My chyld for to desteny the good frome the euyll / and to thende that the good be the moore confermed in bounte / as the paynter y ^e whiche soweth the blacke and of other euyll coloures amōge them that be fayre for to make them shewe the more fayre / and in this suffreth god the euyll amonge the good / & also god maketh the de­uylles & hell for to execute and to punysshe the cursed and myserable synners of this worlde and he made paradyse and the aungelles for to gloryfye the good. [Page] ¶ Mayster knoweth the deuylles all thynges. My chylde of as moche as theyr nature is more spyrytu­all than the nature of man / of as moche ben they the more subtyles and more sages / and knowen all thynges paste & p̄sent / but of thynges to come they know nothynge without it be by some cōiectures as in de­faulte of the moone / and of suche semblables / but of thoughtes of the man they know nothynge / but god all onely. ¶ Mayster may they do what they wyll / My chylde they wyll not do no good / but they maye do moche yll / & not so moche as they wolde / but that that god theym suffreth lycenceth to do. ¶ Mayster the good aūgelles may they synne. My chylde whan the yll aūgelles fell from paradyse by theyr synne the good were in suche wyse confermed in good / that se­then they haue wylled to doo none euyll. ¶ Mayster knowe they all thynges / & mayen they all. My chyl­de they knowe as I tolde the ryght nowe of the cur­syd aungelles & do that / that they wyll / at the wyll & commaūdemēt of god / for ayēst y ^e wyll of god they may do nothynge

MAyster wherfore dydde god make men and women. My chylde for to knowe hȳ and to loue hym / & for to fulfyll paradys and for to put theym in the places of theym in the places of the cursed aū ­gelles in paradyse / the whiche they haue lost [Page] by theyr pryde & mysknowlege. ¶ Mayster wherof made god the man & the womā. My chylde he made them of the slyme of the erthe / and knowe thou that the body humayne is of the foure elementes y ^e which ben the erthe / the water / the ayre / and the fyre / so y ^t the flesshe answereth vnto erthe / the blode vnto the water / the wynde the ayre / and y ^e heete naturall vn­to the fyre. And knowe thou also my chylde that the man is made vnto the semblaunce of the worlde / for as the skye hath two gretelyghtes the whiche ben y ^e sonne and the moone. Also the man hath two lyght is in his heed / the whiche ben the two eyen. And as the skaye hath .vij. planettes / In lykewyse hath y ^e man vij. partycyons in his heed. And as the see receyueth in it all thynges / In lykewyse the wombe of y ^e man receyueth in hit all thynges necessary vnto the lyfe of man. And the hardenesse of the stones answereth vnto the bones and vnto the nayles. And vnto the trees answereth the membres of his bodye. And vnto the grasse the heres. Knowe thou my chylde that the bo­dye of the man is none other thynge but a tree ouer­throwen hauynge y ^e rotes vpwarde / so that y ^e heeres ben the rotes / & the body is the stocke / and the armes & the legges ben the braūches. The whiche thynge sygnyfyeth that we sholde be enroted vpwarde in to heuen in y ^e loue of our creature. ¶ Mayster wherfore was the woman made of the syde of Adam more so­ner than of ony other partye. My chylde yf the wo­man had be made of the hyghest party of the mā she had ben to proude & sholde haue mystaken the man / And yf she had ben made of the moost lowest partye of the man / the man sholde haue to moche dyspray­sed [Page] her. wherfore she was fourmed of the myddle to thende that y ^e man her helde for his cōpany. ¶ Mayster wherof made god the soule of the man & of y ^e wo­man. My chylde he it create vnto his semblaunce / for the soule is also a substaunce spyrytuall hauynge en­tendement / wyll / and remembraunce. ¶ Mayster made god the man and the woman with his owne hādes. My chylde he thē made all onely at his worde and commaundement. ¶ Mayster wherfore made god the man of so vyle mater. My chylde to the ende y ^• he were the more humble and to thende that the de­uyll be the more confusyd seynge the man made of so vyse mater to be in paradyse from whens he is fallē by his pryde. ¶ Mayster wherfore made god the be­stes. My chylde god hathe made the good beestes to thende that man be helped at his nede / and hath ma­de the cursed and myscheuous for to abate the pryde of the man / for whan they noyen hym / he maye well thynke that he is a lytell thynge as of hymselfe whā he may not resyst them. Also there be made many be­stes for to gyue vs exaumple to lyue as these antes / or pysmares / and spyders the whiche contynuallye trauayleth in theyr operacyons vnto the exaumple of whom we sholde euermore trauayle / and knowe that there is not any beest but that hath in him some marueylous nature whereof we sholde prayse god / and also we sholde take exaumple vnto theyr good cō ­dycyons as sayth y ^e holy scrypture that sayth thus. Respice volatiliaceli. &c. That is to saye beholde the byrdes of the skye the whiche ben purueyed of the purueyaunce of god / and haue no drede that god thē shall euer fayle / but lyue euermore in good hope in [Page] [...]synge god and in demaundynge of his mercye / [...] whome we sholde take exaumple / and by reason we sholde do hyt more soner than the beestes that ne haue wittene vnderstandynge / seynge the grete graces that god vnto vs hath done the whiche ben ma­de vnto his semblaunce and redemed w ^t his precyous blode / and the whiche gyueth vnto vs soo moche of good in this worlde. In suche wyse y ^t all the beestes plantes / trees / herbes / lande / & see / planettes / & star­res / and all other thynges ben made for to serue vnto the man vnto his prouffyte and vtylyte / and yet he hathe lente vs the realme of paradyse yf we wyll / of the whiche y ^e leest glorye surmounteth all the Ioyes of this worlde. By the whiche my chylde the man is wele to blame the whyche mysknoweth his creature y ^e whiche somoche of grace to hym hath done seynge that the beestes the whiche ne haue wytte / ne vnder­standynge / hym loue and thanke in demaundynge pyteously his ryghtdygne mercy. ¶ Mayster where was Adam create. My chylde he was create in ebrō & after was put in to paradyse terrester. ¶ Mayster what thȳge is in paradyse terrester / and where is it My chylde it is a place delectable in the oryont ouer y ^e mountaynes of egypt wherin ben trees of dyuerse vertues / and of suche there are that who so eteth of them he shall neuer haue hunger / and of other by na­ture shall neuer dye. ¶ Mayster where was the wo­man created. My chylde she was created in parady­se terrestre / but the man was create w ^tout for be put w ^tin in possessyon. ¶ Mayster wherfore synned the man and the woman. My chylde by the decepcyon of the deuyl and by theyr folysshe thynkynge trespassed [Page] the commaundement of god. ¶ Mayster whe [...]e it deceyued the deuyll them. My chylde / by enuy for [...] y ^e was full of sorowe of that that they sholde obtayne his place in paradyse y ^e whiche he had lost by his pryde. ¶ Mayster in what fourme tempted the ennemy theym. My chylde / the deuyll appered vnto them in the fourme of serpent tellynge them that yf they ete of that fruyte they sholde knowe as moche as god. ¶ Mayster wherfore ne created god the men confer­med in grace as the aungelles. My chylde god wolde that the men were semblable vnto hym as all thyn­ges to take of hym / god wolde that all were borne of Adam. ¶ Mayster why had he not made them that they myght not haue synned. My chylde to the ende that they had the more of meryte. ¶ Mayster howe had they engendred in paradyse terrestre. My chyld as thou sholdest put thyne one hande w ^tin thyn other without any delectacyon. ¶ Mayster how had these women chylded. My chylde w ^tout any doloure & [...] out ordure. ¶ Mayster how had they be in paradyse terrestre. My chylde as a generacyon gone one after the other. ¶ Mayster where is paradyse celestyall. My chylde it is in the tenth heuen the whiche is aboue all the other heuens and is clepyd the heuyn Im­peryall for as moche as it is more clere and more sub­tyll in substaunce / & more fayre than all y ^e other / In the whiche bē the holy men & women of paradys en­braced w ^t the loue of our lorde. ¶ Mayster wherfore made god man & woman whan he knewe well that they sholde trespace his commaundement. My chyld it was for his pleasure so to do for to shewe his infy­nyte myght / and vnto the ende y ^t he were praysed ser­ [...]ra [...] [Page] & honoured / for all thynges loue god in theyr be­ [...]ge and also for they knewe well y ^• there shall be yet many persones of more gretter meryte & holynes as if they had not lytell synned / as saynt Iohan baptyst and y ^e apostles & dyscyples of our lorde & many other for as wytnessyth y ^e scripture ryght happy is he that may do yll / & dothe it not whan he maye. ¶ Mayster how longe abode Adam & Eue in paradys terrestre. My chylde frome the mornynge tyll vnto y ^e houre of noone / for at the .iij. houre Adam put the names in y ^e thynges / & about mydday they syn̄ed / & at none they were banysshed / & at suche houre dyed Ihesu cryste. ¶ Maister in to what place yede Adam whā he was put out of paradys terrestre. My chylde he yode in to Ebr [...] where he was create / & there engendred he sones & doughters wherof we ben all comen where he went longe [...]yme his sone Abell that Cayn kylled by [...]. ¶ Mayster syth y ^t the deuyl tēpted Adā & Eue why were they so greuosly punisshed. My chylde for that / y ^t they mystoke the cōmaundement of god for to obey to the ꝑsuacyons of y ^e deuyll / & that they ne hel­de theym contente w ^t god that somoche of grace vnto them had gyuen. By the whiche they synned in .iij. maners. That is to vnderstande in pryde whan they mystoke the cōmaundement of god. And in couetyse whan they were not contente of y ^• / that god vnto thē had gyuen / and in the synne of the mouthe in etynge the fruyte that god them had defended. ¶ Mayster whan y ^t he repented hym: & also dyd grete penaunce / wherfore was he not restablysshed after his dethe in his fyrst estate. My chylde for as moche as y ^• penaū ­te was not suffycyent to the reparacyon of all those y ^t [Page] he had put from paradyse by his synne wherefoore was necessarye that the seconde persone in trynytee whiche is the blessyd sone of god made the reparacyon for hym / and how be it that the blessyd god is euer more mercyfull / he is ryghtwyse and reasonable. ¶ Mayster wherfore sente not god an aungell for to bye humayne lynage. My chylde for as moche that yf the aungell had redemyd the man / he had ben sub­iecte vnto the aungell and god hath made the man to be in the state of aungells. And also it was conuena­ble sythe the man hadde done the synne that the man hym repayred / and also my chylde thou sholdest kno­we & vnderstande that the blessyd sone of god in pro­pre persone wolde repayre the helth and synne of man and to bere the penaunce and to suffre dethe and passyon ryght dolorous for hym and to humble hym to ta­ke our fragylyte and nature in the wombe vyrgynall for to shewe the grete affeccyon and the greate loue y ^• he hath towarde vs the whiche he made vnto his semblaunce. ¶ Mayster wherfore ne made god that an aungell toke nature humayne. My chylde for theyse causes that I haue now telled the / and also for none aungell ne other creature ne had puyssaunce to open paradyse but god all onely / & it was close vnto y ^e man by his trespace / wherfore it was of necessyte that the sonne of god were sente downe here alowe for to rede­me nature humayne / and for to open hym paradyse / And knowe thou that he hadde in hym two natures. That is to vnderstande nature dyuyne / for he was and is very god / and nature humayne / for he was & is very man / and for as moche vaynquysshed he the deuyll the whiche had vaynquysshed the man & ope­ned [Page] paradys and was of the lygne of Adam and dyd for hym penaunce. ¶ Mayster wherfore ne toke the fader & the holy goost nature humayne as well as y ^e sone. My chylde for that / y ^t the sone is the semblaun­ce of the fader and graunteth vnto hym all thynges by the whiche it was a thynge conuenable y ^t the sone all onely drewe vnto hym the man for to drawe hym vnto his fader aboue in paradyse.

MAyster wherefo­re wolde god be borne of y ^e vyrgyn Ma­ry. My chylde god ma­de the man in foure maners. The fyrste was w ^tout man & w ^tout wo­man as Adam. The .ij. was of a man without woman as Eue. The .iij. was of the man and of y ^e woman as we ben Now was to make the iiij. maner the which is of the woman which is man as is Ihesu cryst. And the other reason is suche for lykewyse as the dethe come in erthe by y ^e woman the whiche was Eue. Also y ^e lyfe came in to the erthe by the woman. That is to knowe the blessyd Vyr­gyn Mary the whiche vs hath borne the frute of ly­fe eternall. ¶ Mayster how chylded she. My chylde she chylded w ^tout payne and w ^tout dolour and abode entyer vyrgyn / & pure / & clene from all spotte before the chyldynge / at the chyldynge / & alter the chyldyn­ge [Page] as the glasse thorowe the whiche y ^e sonne passeth without makynge therin any openynge. But for as moche as god wolde holde the ordre of nature he abo­de nyne monethes in the wombe vyrgynal / & he walked not incontynent that he was borne. ¶ Mayster at what houre was he borne. My chylde he was borne at mydnyghte / and at that houre appered in the skye a starre moche fayre and clere that it was mar­ueylous to be holde / the sonne was fayre as y ^e golde / and peace and vnyte was thorowe oute the worlde / and obeyed vnto one onely prynce the which was named Cesar / & at that houre the dombe beestes spake / & Idolles of the sarazyns & paynyms fell to the erthe ¶ Mayster wherefore toke he the gyftes of the thre kynges. My chylde for in takynge the golde he she­wed y ^t he was kȳge almyghtly / and by the ensence y ^t he was wery god: & by the myrre very man / and the kynge the whiche bare the golde was called Balthasar / and Iasper bare the myrre / & Melchyor bare the ensence. ¶ Mayster in howe many maners ben our synnes pardoned. My chylde they ben pardoned vs in .v. maners. First by the sacramētes of holy chyrch y ^• whiche ben .vij. that is to knowe baptym / confyr­macyon / confessyon / the order of preesthode / the sacrament of the auter / the sacrament of mariage / and the vnccyon / but baptym is the fyrst / & that the whiche moost clenly putteth oute the synnes / and after bap­tym / confyrmacyon and confessyon ben the moost ne­cessaryes. Secondly our synnes vnto vs ben pardo­ned by almesdede. Thyrdely by oryson [...] / and by fa­stynges. Fourthlye by pardonynge vnto oure enmy­es / & fyfthely by charyte. ¶ Mayster ben all our syn­nes [Page] pardoned by baptym. My chylde ye / for by bap­tym we ben as men vnto Iesu cryste in doynge hym this homade / & we ben delyuered from y ^e seruytude of synne. ¶ Mayster wherfore ben they baptysed the whiche ben borne of thē y ^t ben baptysed / & also y ^e chyl­dren the whiche haue nothynge offended. My chylde if any paast were corrupte with venym all the breed y ^• whiche of it sholde be made shold be venymous and corrupte. And for as moche as our fore fathers were corrupte by synne they and all theyr [...]ygnee were ba­nysshed out of paradys terrestre / & vnto theym were shytte the gate of paradyse celestyall / the whiche ne may be opened vnto the man / yf he be not first bapty­sed as wytnessyth the holy scrypture / and how be it y ^t the father and the mother ben baptysed y ^t suffyseth not vnto the chylde for to be baptysed / for whā a mā him baptyseth / nature comune ne baptysed hym but all onely the persone pertyculer / wherfore it is of ne­cessyte that we ben all baptysed in pertyculer. ¶ Ma­ster wherefore ne named god that all were baptysed to be saued. My chylde hit is not the deuaute of god that all ne byn baptysed / for he hath gyuen vnto euery man and woman lyberall arbytre and fre wyll y ^• to do. Also baptyme sholde be made of free wyll and without constraynt for yf god constrayned the man to be baptysed he had not his lyberall arbytre / and so all his baptyme had no meryte. ¶ Mayster wherefore espouseth not man now his cosynes as in the aū ­cyent lawe. My chylde hit is for to encreace amyte & loue betwene straungers / For those the whiche ben of blode loueth eche other Inoughe more than these other / wherfore it behoueth for to put loue & charyte [Page] where it is not / and the other reason is suche. For the chyldren had two proximitis togyders as to be sone and neuew wherfore for honeste it was ordeyned to make maryage betwene estraungers / but in the olde lawe men espoused the women of lygnage / & it was for to multyplye & to encrease y ^e worlde. ¶ Mayster wherfore was Ihesu cryste baptysed. my chylde he was circumsyzed for to accomplysshe the olde lawe. and baptyzed for to begyn the new lawe & for to she­we his grete humylyte in gyuynge vs example that we all sholde be regenerate by baptym. ¶ Mayster wherfore is baptym in water. my chylde for that water is contrary vnto fyre / wherfore for to quenche the sayd fyre of synne we ben baptysed in water. And in lykewyse as the water wassheth all ordures and fyl­thes. Also the baptym wassheth all synnes / and god theym establysshed in water for as moche as the wa­ter is comune ouer all the worlde to the ende y ^t a man fynde the soner water of y ^e sayd sacrament to y ^e ende y ^t none ne may excuse hym that he ne coude fynde wherof that he myght make hym to be baptysed or that he myght haue. ¶ Mayster what worde ought a man to speke in baptym. My chylde a man oughte to saye thus. I baptyse the in the name of the father / & of the sone / and of the holy goost amen. In puttynge thre tymes of water vpon y ^e heed of hym that a man bap­tyseth / and so may they say in all languages / so that it be in good beleue & in good intencyon & other wor­des the whiche ne ben of the necessyte of the sayd sa­crament of baptym. ¶ Mayster was it a thynge re­sonable that god the fader gaue so noble thynge as is the sone for to by agayne so caytyf a thynge as is the [Page] man. My chylde in that vs sheweth god the father y ^e grete and abūdaunt loue that he hath vnto creature humayne. ¶ Mayster syth y ^t god hath sent downe here alowe his sonne by so grete charyte and for to re­deme y ^e humaynes wherfore dyd men to hym so mo­che of payne. My chylde Iudas hym betrayed by co­uetyse. Pylate him cōdēpnyd for drede to lese his offyce / & the Iewes him put to deth by enuy. ¶ Maister wherfore dyed Ihesu cryste on the tree of the crosse / My chylde for as Adam synned by the tree of lyfe. Also god hym wolde bye agayne by the tree of the crosse & thou sholdest knowe that by the foure partyes of y ^e crosse the which sheweth all the worlde / it is agayne shewed vnto vs that the dethe of Iesu cryst was suf­fycyent for to bye not onely nature humayne / but al­so all the vnyuersall worlde if it had be loste. ¶ May­ster how longe abode Ihesu cryste in the erthe deed / My chylde he there abode .xl. houres. And whan we say that he arose the thyrde day / & that in thre dayes is nor .xl. houres thou sholdest vnderstande that he dyed the fryday at the houre of noone / and all the sa­terdaye he was deed in the holy sepulcre y ^e whiche is the seconde day / and the sonday after he arose ryght erly / and for as moche as the course of nature is rene­wed at mydnyght and the daye / in takynge one par­tye of the day for all the day entyer. ¶ Mayster whyther yede the soule of Ihesu cryst whan he was deed My chylde he yede in to glory towarde god the fader in yeldynge vnto hym thankes and praysynges in demaundynge hym the holy soules the whiche he had redemed by the meryte of his holy passyon / the whi­che thynge god hym graunted. Than opened the soule [Page] of Ihesu cryst the whiche was coniuncte with the deite the gates of paradys the whiche had ben shyt by longetyme vnto all humayne lygnage / and y ^e sa­terday about the houre of mydnyght he descended in to hell and brake the gates & yede to vysyte his good frendes. That is to vnderstande the soules of the ho­ly auncyent fathers the whiche greatly hym desyred and theym delyuered frome the pryson of the lymbe with all the holy soules the which haue meryted pa­radys by their holy werkes / and this fayre company mounted in to heuen and theym presentyd vnto god the father the whiche them receyued benygnely and them putteth in to the realme of paradise in y ^e places and syeges that the cursed Aungelles loste by theyr pryde. And he delyuered not the soules of the damned as Iudas / and of the cursyd ryche man dyues and of many other / but theym he lefte in hell in payne and in turment with all the deuylles without gyuynge them ony comforte where they ben yet and shalbe for euer. And on y ^e sōday before the sonne rysynge retur­nyd the soule vnto the body of Ihesus that lay in the Sepulcre / and rose from dethe vnto lyfe. ¶ Mayster wherfore arose not he as soone as he was deed. My chylde for a man had lytell presumed that he had ben deed / and he wolde begyn for to renewe the worlde on the Sonday by his resurreccyon. For at suche an houre all the worlde began to be. ¶ Mayster where was he after his [...]esurreccyon / forty dayes before his ascencyon. My chylde he was in Paradys terre­ster. with Helyas and Enoch in enstructynge theym y ^• which was done as whan he appered. ¶ Mayster how many tymes apered he. My chylde / he appered [Page] fyrst vnto Ioseph of barmathye y ^• had buryed hym / y ^e whiche for so doynge was put in pryson. After vn­to his mother: after to the blessyd Mawdeleyne: af­ter vnto the .ij. pylgrymes comynge from the holy sepulcre: after to saynt Iames the whiche wolde not ete tyll that he had seen hym. After vnto saynt Peter after to the two pylgrymes y ^e whiche went to the castell of malux after he appered vnto his dyscyples y ^e gates shytte: after vnto saynt Thomas whan he put his hande in the syde of our lorde Ihesu cryste: after vnto his dyscyples in the see of Tyberyon / and so my chylde thou shold vnderstāde y ^t our lorde Ihesu cryst appered .xij. tymes before that he ascendid in to heuē ¶ Mayster who ascēdyd in to heuen with hym. My chylde the Soules of the blessyd the whiche than by theyr merytes were saued / and also grete multytude of aungelles of heuen y ^e which hym accompanyed in syngynge melodyously & yeldynge thankes vnto god ¶ Mayster wherefore abode he .xl. dayes to mounte in to heuen after that he was rysen. My chylde for y ^• that he gaue grete payne .xl. houres whan he abode in the erth vnto his frendes & dyscyples wherfore he wolde cōforte them .xl. dayes / that is one day for eue­ry houre in tokenynge y ^t for payne he gyueth greate Ioye / & also he dyd it for to conferme them in the ho­ly faythe / as saynt Thomas & other / vnto whom he apperyd vysybly. ¶ Mayster what is that to say / y ^t the sone is sette on the right hande of his father. My chylde it is to saye that y ^e humanyte is in glory with the dyuynyte. ¶ Mayster in what maner and forme ascendyd Ihesu cryste in to heuen. My chylde he sty­ed in to heuen in suche fourme and maner as whan [Page] he hym transfygured before some of his dyscyples in the mountayne of Tabor that is to vnderstande that he had the armes stretched & lyfte vp in heyght / and his face shynynge as the sonne. And his vestemētes were whyte as snowe / and a fayre and clere clowde descendynge from heuen / & it closed roūde about hym and so mountyd in to heuen in suche wyse y ^t they lost the syght corporall of hym. ¶ Mayster wherfore is y ^e sacrament of the awter made of breed / and of wyne My chylde for as the grayne of the corne hath ben beten and flayled and had the sede clouen In lykewyse the precyous body of Ihesus was beten & scourged / and had the syde opened / out of y ^e whiche Issued blo­de and water / wherfore men put water vnto the sayd sacrament. And as the wyne lepeth from y ^e grape by force of the wryngyuge in the pressour. In lykewyse the precyous blode of Iesus lepte from his precyous body on the pressour of y ^e crosse / and it was not esta­blysshed of the flesshe nor of the bloode for a man may horrour to drynke blode and to ete flesshe / but it was establysshed of breed and wyne / that is the moost co­mune refeccyon that is / and also the breed / and the wyne ben the moost comune and the moost profyta­ble for to nourysshe the body. In lykewyse the sacra­mente of the awter is the mooste commune / and the moost profytable refeccyon for to nourysshe the sou­le. ¶ Mayster howe shall we vnderstande that hit is the holy bodye of Ihesu cryste and his precyouse bloode vnder the kynde of breed and of wyne. My chylde as the breed and the wyne that thou eatys & drynkest conuerte theym in to thyne owne bodye and in to thyn owne bloode. In lykewyse the sacrament [Page] of the awter the breed and the wyne sayenge the holy wordes by the wyll of god / also chaungeth them vn­to the precyous body and blode of Ihesu cryste. And also he wolde do it for the grete loue that he hathe in vs he wolde euermore be with vs. And it is in his power that to do / as of nothynge he hath made all the worlde y ^e whiche is a more grete thynge. Than my chylde thou sholdest beleue stedfastly and withoute doubte for his pleasure was hit to instytute in suche wyse. And how be it that thou seest it not corporally / for a body gloryfyed is inuysyble thou hast the more of meryte. For fayth is none other thynge but to bele­ue that thynge that he seeth not.

MAister what say ye of th [...] the which receyueth the sayd sacrament in mortall Synne. My chyld / they crucyfye of newe oure lorde Ihesu Cryste and him receyueth vnto their dampnacyon. ¶ Mayster y ^e preest that is īmor­tall synne / maye he sacre and admyny­ster the holye bodye and blode of Ihesu Cryste. My chylde ye / for the sacramēt [...]e empayreth / ne amendeth by the condycyon of the [Page] preest / as the sonne whan that it shyneth vpon foule thynges and stynkynge lesyth not his clerete / but y ^e preest it doth vnto his dampnacyō / and yf he be with out synne it is vnto his saluacyon. ¶ Mayster howe longe abydeth the body of Ihesu cryste in the wom­be of hym the whiche hym receyueth. My chylde he there abydeth as longe as the substaūce of the breed there may amyde vndegested and no more / but thou shalt vnderstande that god there is and also abydeth euermore with theym the whiche ben in the state of grace. ¶ Mayster / whā many prestes syngeth masse the bodye of cryste is it ouer all / My chylde / ye / For god is and maye be ouer all as thy soule the whiche is hoole in euerye partye of the bodye. ¶ Mayster shold a man hate the yll. My chylde a man sholde ha­te theyr cursydnes and folyes and not to do euyll as they done / but we sholde loue oure nature / for we be all y ^e sones of one father and of one mother & bought and redemed with one selfe blode / and if they doo the ony wronge thou sholdest pardon them and praye for theym vnto the example of Ihesu cryst / the whiche prayed for them that him crucyfyed and put vnto the dethe. For it is the werke mooste merytoryous that we maye do. ¶ Mayster wherfore haue the euyll so many of goodes and of prosperytees in this worlde. My chylde there is not so yll in this worlde but that somtyme dothe some good dede. And for as moche as man dyde neuer any good dede but that it were recō ­pensed / nor neuer dyd euyll but that hit be punysshed And for this cause god them sendeth of grete goodes & prosperytees in retrybucyon of theyr good dede / & so vnto them gyueth puyssaunce & auctoryte vpon y ^e [Page] good to the ende y ^• the good ben proued by them / and sometyme god sendeth trybulacyon vnto the yll / to thende that they amende them / and yf they do it not neuerthelesse that shall be in dymynucyō of theyr synnes that they shold suffer & haue in hell. Or they shal haue encreasynge of other grete goodes temporals / but god gyueth of trybulacyons & aduersytees vnto the good for to proue them as vnto Iob / & vnto Tho­bye to the ende y ^• they dyspraysed the vanytes of this worlde / & that they sholde not forgete theyr creature and that by theyr merytes in takynge all in pacyence they may haue the glorye of paradyse / and somtyme god theym gyueth of goodes to thende y ^t they be the more charytable and that they augment in glorye in paradys. The good dyeth somtyme anone to the en­de that they empeyre not for to auoyde the perylles & temptacyons the which ben in this worlde / and also y ^e good lyueth somtyme longely for to encreace theym in bounte / & to thende that by theyr good example & doctryne the ylle may amende them / and also the ylle dyeth anone sometyme for to make these other ylle a ferde to y ^e ende that they amende them / and somtyme the ylle lyueth longely for to proue the good / and also for god taryeth that they sholde amende them / and so thou sholde vnderstande my chylde y ^t the opynyon of some doctours is y ^t y ^e mercy of god is so grete y ^t he suffreth euermore y ^e man to dye in y ^e best estate & purpose that he may fynde hym. For god wyll not ne also suf­freth not the dethe & dāpnacion of a man / but wylleth that conuerte hym & lyue eternally in paradys / and how be it that many dyeth sodeynly & w ^tout hauyng space to confesse them & to do penaunce & satysfaccyō [Page] How be it vnto suche purpose may they dye and in so grete contrycyon of herte that god them taketh vnto mercy. ¶ Mastier shall the ryche & the poore be egal­lye guerdoned & rewarded. My chylde of as moche as they be the more sage and y ^e more dygne of as mo­che shall they be the better rewarded whā they shall be good / and whan they shall mowe be euyll of vs moche shall they be the more greuouslye punysshed. ¶ Mayster maye god do euyll. my chylde / nay: for how be it that he be all puyssaunt / neuerthelesse it is not entendyd that he may do thynges contrarye vn­to reason / and that they ben Impossyble for to be. ¶ Mayster wherfore suffreth god y ^t the beestes haue so moche of payne / and also they haue not deserued it my chylde it is somtyme that by y ^e synne of the man the vengeaūce of god falleth vpon the beestes & vpon theyse other goodes to the ende that he amende hym or for to proue hym as Iob. And also than beestes bē made to susteyne & to nourisshe the man by y ^e whiche they ben vnder his subieccyon. And also for all thyn­ges sholde serue vs to that wherunto they ben ordey­ned / as the brydge the whiche is made to passe / or to go ouer. In lykewyse my chylde god it suffreth to thende that therby we take example / for syth that y ^e beestes suffreth so moche of payne for theyr poore lyfe corporall / we shold well more trauayle and take payne to gete the lyfe eternall of paradys in the whiche a man shall lyue eternallye. ¶ Mayster knoweth god whether that a man shall be saued or dampned before that he be borne. My chylde yes / not that god it dothe in entencyon for to dampne hym / for god ne dampnyth hym but y ^e man dampnith hymselfe with [Page] out ony constraynt but of his owne wyll the whiche is at his owne lyberall arbytre or fre wyll. As we se the boterflye y ^e whiche of hym selfe and of his propre wyll hym brēneth in the candell. And how be it that the sayde boterflye is sometyme scalded w ^t the fyre of the candell in suche wyse that often he falleth vnto y ^e erthe / also he ryseth agayn the best wyse he can / and with all his power he putteth hymselfe agayne in y ^e fyre of the candell all holly that he there abydeth / not withstandynge that he seeth well the daungere. Also done those the whiche dampneth themselfe / for how be it that they se and knowe the daunger that therin is / and also that they ben often scalded by trybulacy­ous / and aduersytees to thende that they conuert thē and that by inspyracyon dyuyne they haue some re­mors / how be it for that they cease not tyll vnto that / that of theyr owne wyll & w ^tout ony constraynt they put them so depe in y ^e fyre that they there abyde and shall neuer go forthe. And how be it that good wyll of symple wyll y ^t all men be saued and hath one so grete a gyfte as the realme of paradys without ony mery­te / and by suche wyse my chylde knowe thou y ^t god hath made y ^e man not to thende that he be dampned but to thende that by his holy operacyōs in suffryng pacyentlye trybulacyons and aduersytees / and in resystynge and fyghtynge valyauntlye ayenst the de­uyll / the worlde and the flesshe / he may meryte to be saued. ¶ Mayster those y ^e whiche ben predestynate to be saued may they be saued without deseruynge it & to trauayle therefore. My chylde nay / for god kno­with well that by theyr merytes and trauayles they shall be saued. And in lykewyse may a man say of the [Page] dampnyd. ¶ Mayster syth that those the whiche bē predestynate to be saued may they not be dāpned and those y ^e whiche shold be dampned may they be sauyd what auayleth it elles so moche to trauayle for to ha­ue paradys or hell. My chylde if thou be predestyna­te to be saued in the glorye eternall thou sholdest not encrease thy paynes in purgatory / & to lesse thy glory in paradys by faute to do well / & yf thou be predesty­nate to be dāpned thou sholdest not therfore euermo­re lyue in synne / but thou sholdest euermore enforce y ^e to do well / & to do penaunce for to lesse thy paynes in hell & for as moche as thou knowest not whereunto thou art destynate / thou sholde alwayes thynke on y ^e better ꝑty y ^t is to vnderstāde y ^t god the hath made vnto his sēblaunce / & hath bought y ^e with his precyous blode for to saue y ^e & not to dampne the. wherfore my chylde thou shold euermore do good dedes & to fle the yll & knowe thou my chylde y ^t god y ^e hath gyuē wytte & vnderstādynge reason & fre wyll & lyberall arbytre to chose the good or y ^e yll to thende that thau haue not ony cause of Ignoraunce or of Impuyssaūce. ¶ Ma­ster what say ye of them y ^e which neuer hereth the cō maundementes of god ne none they done. My chyl­de the men ben made vnto the Image & vnto y ^e sem­blaūce of god to thende y ^t they hym loue serue & drede and therfore if they knowe not theyr creature in this worlde we shall not knowe them in y ^e other / ne yet by theyr Ignoraunce they shall not be excused but more soner accusyd / for y ^e Ignoraūce excusyth not y ^e synne. ¶ Mayster yf a chylde were nourysshed in a wood & he had neuer harde speke of the fayth of Iesu cryste shal he be dāpned yf y ^• he dye in suche wyse. My chyl­de [Page] it is a thynge to beleue y ^t god maketh reuelacyō vnto euery persone of y ^e fayth of Iesu cryst by techynge of man or by reuelacyon dyuyne or otherwyse / & if he go ayenst the sayd reuelacyon knowe thou y ^t he shall be dampned. ¶ Mayster ben the soules made from y ^e begynnynge of the worlde. My chylde nay / but god them createth all the dayes & thē putteth in y ^e bodyes of y ^e chyldren w ^tin the wombe of theyr moder that is to vnderstāde vnto men at .xl. dayes after theyr cōcepcyon. Mayster what auayleth vs cōfessyō. My chyl­de it is the secōde baptym. For in lykewyse as by baptym all synnes be pardoned. In lykewyse by y ^e vertu of the sacrament of cōfessyon all our synnes be pardoned / for as moche as a man knowlegeth his defaute before god or before his lyeutenaunt for God loueth more obedyēce thā sacryfyce / for obedyēce is mother of all v (er)tues. ¶ Mayster auayleth more penaūce don by enioynynge of the cōfessoure than penaūce don by wyll. My chylde if thy cōfessoure y ^e hath enioyned in penaūce one pater n [...] all onely / & thou leue it to say an hole sauter syn̄est / & thou shalt not acquyte y ^e of thy penaūce / but yf thou saydest the Pēnr̄ y ^• which to the was enioynyd / and y ^u leuest to say the sauter or other many fayre orysons / y ^t y ^u sayst by symple wyll y ^u shalt not syn̄e / but y ^u shalt acquyte y ^e of thy penaūce / for as I haue tolde the more better is obedyēce done to our lorde than doth the sacryfyce. ¶ Mayster what auayleth contrycion at the poynt of deth. My chylde those the which abydeth thē to repent tyll vnto y ^e houre of deth ben trechoures vnto our lord as the trechoure & yll payer y ^t promyseth for to paye at a certayne terme but he wolde that the terme sholde neuer come / and [Page] for this mater & cause he maketh a .M. trecheryes vnto his creature to thende that he ne paye hym so sone or neuer / and of y ^e other parte saynt Luke sayth that god is not well payed of hym the which hym payeth of that thynge y ^t he ne may no lenger holde. Howe be it / it is wryten that at what houre y ^t the synner shall declare his synne in grete repentaunce and cōtrycyō that it vnto hym shall be pardoned. But my childe it is a ryght grete parell to abyde hym to repēt / for thā a man is so troubled that a man knoweth not hym­selfe nor none other / for as sayth the psalmys (Om̄ nō est in morte q memor sit tui: in iferno aūt quis con­fitebitur tibi) That is to say y ^t as the deed man hath no remembraunce of god / and that is no tyme hym to repent and to confesse his synne whan that a man is in hell for the sentēce of god is gyuen. Than my chyl­de thou shold repent & cōfesse y ^e whā thou hast tyme & space / & thou sholdest not tarye tyll to morowe / for y ^u knowest not whether thou shalte deye to mo­rowe or sooner.

MAyster sythen that the synne of pryde is ꝑdoned by baptyme wherfore dy­eth those the which ben baptysed. My chylde the good deyeth to the ende that they ben ta­ken from the trybulacyon [Page] of this worlde / & they be crowned in the realme of paradys / and the euyll deyeth by theyr synnes to the ende that they be put from the Ioyes and delytes of this worlde / & ben in greate doloure punysshed eter­nally in hell. ¶ Mayster what noyeth y ^e sodyen dethe vnto the man. My chylde y ^t man the whiche dyeth so daynly / so that he be in the state of grace he gothe in to paradys or in to purgatory to accomplysshe his penaunces / and vnto hym the sharpe deth is merytory­ous agaynst his syn̄es venyalles & vnto y ^e dymynu­cyon of the paynes of purgatory & vnto the augmen­tacyon of the glory of paradyse / & yf he dye sodeynlye in mortall Synne the sodeyn deth hym putteth in as moche as he is vnpourueyed and without cōfessyon ne repentaūce takynge / than he is damyned eternal­ly / & by this and for this cause my chylde thou sholde be euermore redy for to deye in kepynge y ^e from syn̄e / for thou knowest not whan ne of what dethe thou shalte dye. ¶ Mayster what auayleth it a man to be buryed in the chyrche yarde. My chylde if he be ī purgatorye he is the soner delyuered as well by the prayers of the chyrche as of his kynnesmen and frendys y ^e whiche vysyteth his sepulture in prayenge god for hym. And oftē it happeth that the chyrcheyardes bē sanctyfyed by the bodyes of some sayntes that there be / & prayeth for them / wherof if those that there ben buried ben saued they be right Ioyfull whā theyr bodyes ben w ^t the bodyes of other sayntes / but yf they ben dāpned it profyteth them nothynge. For the good dedes y ^t men there done for them ne may helpe them. ¶ Mayster what maner of lyfe is the moost excellent and best for to make his saluacyon. My chylde to ha­ue [Page] a true affeccyon of true loue in our lorde in seruyn­ge hym & honourynge w ^t all his herte & in eatynge y ^• breed y ^t thou hast Iustly & laufully gotten by the tra­uayle of thy body as wytnessyth y ^e psalmyst y ^e which sayth. Labores manuum tuarū qr manducabis. &. That is to say that thou shalt be right happy if thou eate the labour with thyn owne handes wherunto it is shewed the y ^• thou ne sholdest vse of the goodes the which by y ^e or by thyne be gotten falsely / but y ^u sholde yelde them yf thou knowest vnto whome / & to vse of them the whiche ben Iustly & loufully gotten.

MAyster he y ^e which is in mortall synne may he belonge w ^tout cō myttynge syn̄e▪ my chylde naye / For as one good dede dra­wes another. In lyke wyse one yll dra­weth another / for so y ^e deuyll maketh of the man the which is in mortall synne as a man dothe of a beest y ^• he ledyth by y ^e toppe where him semeth best. master whyder go y ^e soules of them y ^t be deed. My chylde y ^e soules of y ^e Innocen­tes y ^t deyeth without baptym gooth vnto y ^e lymbe y ^t [Page] which is a chambre of hell where they haue no Ioye nor heuynes / for they haue nothynge meryted / but for as moche as they be not purged frome orygynall syn̄e by baptym they be put from paradys / & from y ^e vysyon of god / and the soules of them the whiche ben baptysed the which dyeth in the state of Innocencye gooth in to paradys all ryght / and the soules of them the whiche dyeth in the state of grace & without syn̄e where if they haue synned and if they haue done pe­naunce suffycyent in this worlde gooth all ryghte in to paradyse / & ben in glory after that / that they haue meryted by theyr holy werkes / and y ^e soules of thē y ^e which haue had contrycyon & dyspleasaunce of theyr synnes & ben returned vnto god in cryenge hym mercy that they haue not accomplysshed theyr penaūces ī this worlde gothe in to an other parte of hell named purgatory & there they accomplysshe theyr penaun­ces and ben purged of theyr synnes / & that done they go in to the glory of paradys. And the soules of them the whiche dyeth in one mortall synne or many goth in to the depenes of hell / where they bē punysshed af­ter theyr deseruynge / and the soules of the Iewes / and of the myscreaūtes y ^e whiche dyeth in the estate of Innocencye gone in to a parte of hell with all the other chyldren y ^e whiche dyeth without baptym / but the soules of y ^e other Iewes & myscreauntys y ^t haue wytte & vnderstādynge goth in to hell w ^t the dāpned. ¶ Mayster in how lytell tyme ben the soules delyue­red from purgatory. My chylde some there abydeth more longely than other after as they haue deserued for some ben delyuered at y ^e ende of .vii. dayes / & ther­fore maketh a man the semell otherwyse called the returne in makynge prayers & almesdedes for their de­lyueraunce / [Page] for greatlye vnto them may profyte the prayers & almesdedes that is done for them. These other ben delyuered at the ende of .xxx. dayes / & ther­fore is made the trentall. These other ben delyuered at the ende of one yere / & therfore is made the yeres mynde / & these other abydeth there by many yeees / & by longe tyme after y ^t they haue deseruyd / & therfo­re make men remembraunce euery yere of them / and whan they ben all purged & that they ben delyueryd as by theyr penaūces accomplysshed / as by our prayers and oraysons / they go all ryght vnto the glory of paradys. ¶ Mayster in what place is paradys. My chylde there ar .iij. maner of paradys / that is to wyte paradys celestyall / paradyse terrestre / and paradys spirituall. Paradyse celestyal is aboue all the heuens in the whiche is god and all y ^e sayntes holy men and women as I haue sayd before / paradyse terrestre is in the erth towarde the oryent / & paradys spyrytuall is ayenst god / & to loue hym perfytely & y ^t is ouer all In that paradys ben our good aūgelles y ^e whiche seeth & loueth god. ¶ Mayster where is hell. My chyl­de there are .ij. maner of helles / y ^t is to wyte hel spiri­tuall & hell corporall / hell spūall is ouer all where the soules & y ^e cursed aungels bē in payne & tourment be it in erth or in y ^e see / & this may be in many places / as we rede of a soule that was turmēted w ^t a flage of yse y ^e a bysshop delyuered by .xxx. masses / who was boū ­de to be there lōge tyme. Hell corporall is in y ^e myddle of y ^e erthe as y ^e carnell of an apple is in the myddle of y ^e apple & is a grete caue blacke & darke in which ben iiij. stages y ^e one aboue y ^e other. At y ^e fyrst stage is the place wherin were the holy soules of y ^e holy fathers aūcyētes & of them y ^t by theyr holy lyfe & cōuersacion [Page] haue meryced the realme of paradys the whiche our lorde Ihesu cryst delyuered whan he dyed on the tre of the crosse and now there is none / For at that tyme were all delyuered. At the seconde stage is purgatory wherin the soules the whiche sholde be saued goth to accomplysshe theyr penaūce the which they haue not accomplysshed in this worlde in theyr lyfe. In y ^e .iij. stage ben the soules of the Innocentes the whiche dyeth without baptym. And ī the .iiij. stage y ^e which is the moost lowe in depnes ben the deuylles and the soules of the poore & myserable dampned.

MAister what paynes ha­ue they y ^e which bē in purgatorye. My chylde they ben turmented with the fy­re of hell moche mo­re hotter than y ^e fy­re matery all of this present worlde in cōparyson ayenst a fyre paynted vpon a wall / and they ben there bounde with chaynes of fyre all brennyng so sperke lynge that a man ne can speke it. In the whiche place some ben there more punysshed than [Page] these other / and there abyde more longely than the o­ther after as they haue deserued. ¶ Mayster what payne is there in hell. My chylde there are soo many dyuers paynes & tourmentes y ^t there is none enten­dement humayne y ^e which can comprehēde ne Ima­gen as of fyre stynkynge and ryght brennynge / of to­des / serpentes / dragons / and of al foule and cruell be­stes / & of deuylles enraged & wode the whiche neuer ben wery for to bete & tourment the poore & mysera­ble dāpned / but euermore ben for to begynne in suche wyse that the leest payne of hell surmounteth all the paynes of this world / but the one is more punysshed than the other after their desert / and at the day of Iugement theyr payne shall doubte / for than they shall aryse & shall be dampned in body & in souse. ¶ May­ster what payne haue the soules of the Innocentes y ^• which dyeth w ^tout baptym. My chylde they ne haue payne / ne doloure / ne Ioye / ne gladnes. For they ne­uer dyd good nor euyll / by y ^e which they haue not me­ryted to haue ony good / ne to haue ony euyll & howe be it y ^t the place wherin they ben be dym & derke. All be it there is nothynge the which them greueth / and whan the day of Iugement shall come that they shal ryse they shall be of the aege that oure lorde Ihesu cryste was whan he dyed on the tre and all the other. Also the sayd chyldren not baptysed shall be contente with the ordenaūce of god / & thā shall returne agayn in to theyr sayd place without euer to haue Ioy ne heuynes no more than thou hast of that / y ^e thou hast no wynges for y ^t apertayneth vnto y ^e byrdes & not vnto men / or as thou hast whā a kynge or ony grete pryn­ce dyeth & thou shalte not succede his realme & syng­ [...]ourye [Page] for thou knowest well thou arte not he the which sholde enheryte. Also they sholde not enheryte the gloryous realme of Paradyse for they ben exyled by y ^e synne of Adā & of Eue / of the whiche synne they haue not ben purged by baptyme. ¶ Mayster those of paradys se they those of hell. My chylde ye / and y ^• vnto them is a grete encreasynge of glory whan they se the paynes y ^t they haue escaped wherof they than­ke god without ceasyng / and also the dampned seeth the saued in paradys as we haue in the gospell of the cursed ryche man Dyues the whiche sawe the soule of the poore Lazare in the bosome of Abraham in pa­radys / the whiche thynge is to them a grete encrea­synge of theyr doloure & anguysshe whan they se the grete goodes spyrytuall that they haue lost by theyr synnes & by theyr neclygēce / & after the day of Iuge­mente as the bodyes of the saued shall be gloryfyed / they shall se the dāpned corporally / but the dampnyd may not se them corporally. ¶ Maister ben the saued wroth of the payne of the dampned. My chylde they that ben in paradys wolde well that those the which ben in hell hadde soo well lyued whan they were in this worlde / that by theyr holy werkes they had ben saued with them. For without ceasynge they praye for the humaynes lyuynges within this p̄sent world but sythen that they by their cursyd lyfe and by theyr Synnes they ben dampned for euer / theyse of para­dyse neyther ben heuy nor dysplesaunt. For in Para­dyse there is not of heuynes / nor of dyspleasaunce of ony manes thynge. But all Ioye / myrthe / and glad­nesse without ende. ¶ Mayster the auncient fathers suffred they ony maner of payne in the lymbe of hell [Page] My chylde nay / but all onely that they were holden in derkenes and in captyuyte. And were put from the vysyon of god and aboue euermore theyr delyueraū ­ce. ¶ Mayster what knowlege haue the Iuste the whiche ben in paradys. My chylde they knowe the good & theyr merytes & of the cursyd also / and y ^e cur­knoweth wherfore they ben dampned / & knoweth as we that thynge that they se and feele. And those of purgatory ne knoweth nothynge of this worlde / yf it be not by reuelacyon of aūgels y ^e whiche them cō ­forteth or of y ^e sayntes of paradys. These of paradys sheweth theym whan they wyll / and vnto whome they wyll / but the dampned shall neuer come forthe of hell tyll vnto the daye of Iugement that they shal come to take agayne theyr bodyes and to here the sentence of the soueraygne Iuge / & after they shall returne in to hell from whens they shall neuermore retur­ne. And if that it happen somtyme that it semeth vn­to vs y ^t they shewe them it is but y ^e deuyll y ^e whiche sheweth them vnto theyr semblaunce / yf it be not by the suffraunce of god that they shewe them somtyme vnto some holy persones as god it wyll by his my­racle as mē sayth on many / but it is not at ther wyll ne they be not eased of theyr paynes. For they bere e­uermore theyr hell with them / and so they ben euer more in hell. ¶ Mayster how say ye of these women the which sayth that they them se in the ayre of these feyryes / and of these gobelyns the whiche them cal­leth elues / and many other thynges. My chylde the women ben moost varyables and more lyght of bele­ue than men / and therfore was Eue tempted before Adam. For the ennemy thought well y ^t whan he had [Page] wonne her that she shold helpe hym to wynne Adam and therfore the deuyll shewed more soner his vysy­ons vnto women than he dyd vnto men / how be hit that some men of lytell feyth there bē often deceyued & for as moche that some women ben of more lyghte beleue of as moche the more the deuyll sheweth of vysyons vnto them in theyr mynde for to drawe theym from the fayth of Ihesu cryste / And thou sholdest vn­derstande that these olde wytches the whiche sayth that they go on the satyrday farre from theyr houses or that they do or se thynges maruaylous that they ne do nothynge / but by the grete faute of fayth that they haue and by theyr foly [...]she beleue & for as moch as they ben in synne / for they be Idolatres and with out fayth the deuyl vnto them sheweth those folysshe vysyons in theyr entēdement for the better to brynge them vnto his lyne / for in trouthe elles they remeue not from theyr place noo more than doth a stone / and theyr vysyons ben semblables vnto theym of a man the whiche is dronke / vnto whom it semeth that the house turneth vnder his fete / by y ^e whiche he falleth and all the house ne the erthe remeueth not. In lyke wyse the deuyl them sheweth these vysyons in theyr entendement / and also the deuyll hym sheweth in the fourme & semblaunce of some personage / the whiche they knowe that sholde be dede .xx. or .xxx. yeres past or in fourme and semblaunce of some of theyr neygh­boures / and shall speke to them famylyerly as it we­re themselfe to thende that they beleue hym the bet­ter / & that he deceyue them the more lyghtly / but it is nothynge ellys but y ^e deuyll hymselfe y ^e whiche hym sheweth vnto them in body fantastycall as for to de­ceyue [Page] them / & also maketh he y ^• it vnto theym semeth y ^t they goo in to a medowe grene full of fayre sloures vnto whom they make grete there. But it is nothynge / for they ne be put Illusyons made by the ennemy of mature that he putteth in theyr entendement / and it semeth them somtymes y ^• they entre in to an house the gates shytte / and that they take the gaders of a chylde & eteth them & goth in to the celler / & drynketh as moche of the best / & of that dede they go awaye w ^t out that / y ^t the chylde hath ony ylle / & that y ^e wyne is nothynge y ^e lesse in the tonne the whiche is a thynge Impossyble / for all y ^e sorcyers of the worlde ne all the deuylles ne can make passe a ryght grete bodye hu­mayne by a lytell clyfte / ne entre w ^tin a house / but y ^• he haue open passage for to entre / ne to drawe the en­trayles fro y ^e body of a chylde w ^tout kyllynge or hur­tynge it / & whan it shall be deed they can not areyse it / ne they can not drawe y ^e wyne of a ton̄e without y ^t there be lesse of one droppe / for they ben werkers y ^t all onely ben vnto the puyssaunce of the souerayne crea­ture / wherfore my chylde thou shold put no fayth vnto theyr sorceries & deuynemētes / for they ne ben but false Illusyōs made by the enemy of nature y ^t he sō ­tymes sheweth somethynges for to come y ^e which he knoweth by some cōiectures as I haue tolde y ^e before in spekynge of y ^e scyence of y ^e deuyll / and somtyme the deuyll vnto them shall shewe a thefte in sayenge the trouthe to thende y ^t they beleue the better in hym / & y ^• the malfactoure be y ^e more defamed / & also shall saye often trouthe to thende y ^• he be y ^e soner beleued whan by his false reuelacyon he shall accuse some holy and deuout personage / of whome he ne may be otherwy­se [Page] auenged / & for this cause a man shol [...]e not beleue them / for they ne be but Illysyons and false vysyons of the ennemy the which ne doth but lye for to decey­ue the man / & also a man sholde not beleue suche peo­ple / for y ^e deuyl hath not ony puyssaūce vpon the man w ^t out so be y ^t god hym suffre / & vnto the regarde of y ^e feyryes the which man sayth were wonte to be in tymes past / they were not men nor women naturalles but were deuylles y ^e which shewed themselfe vnto y ^e people of y ^t tyme for they were paynyms / Idolatres & w ^t out fayth / & the sayd feyryes chaunged theym in to many fourmes / as of an hors / or of a dogge / or o­therwyse the which is Impossyble vnto nature but y ^e deuyll may well shewe hym ī many maners & chaū ge y ^e body wherin he shall be put & in takynge agayn another of an other fourme as y ^u mayst chaūge thyne habyte in takynge the habyte of a relygyous man / or of a woman / but vnto the trouthe all the wytches of the worlde ne all y ^e deuyls of hell can not chaunge one kynde in to an other / as a man in to a dogge / or a dog in to an asse / for it is Impossyble vnto theym y ^t to do / wherfore thou mayst well thynke y ^t theyse feyryes y ^• in suche wyse shewid them in dyuers fourmes & kyndes ne were men ne womē / ne other thynge naturall but were deuylles y ^t in suche wyse shewed them / & y ^e whiche put thē in theyr Idolles & spake & sayd some thynges for to come by some coniectures / as by the Influences of the bodyes celestyalles / for otherwyse y ^e deuyll hathe no knowlege of thynges for to come & by this meane y ^e sayd feyryes sayd y ^t y ^e people were destenyed y ^e one vnto good y ^e other to yll after the cour­se of heuen and of nature / as a chylde borne in suche [Page] an houre & at suche a course / he was destenyed to be hanged or drowned / or y ^t he sholde be ryche or poore or y ^t he sholde wedde suche a woman / y ^e whiche thyn­ges ben false / for the man hath in hymselfe lyberal arbytre & fre wyll to do good or ylle in suche wyse that if he wyll he shall do nothynge wherfore he sholde be hanged / nor yet put hym in the daunger to be drow­nyd / nor also he shall not marye a woman but yf he wyll / & so hir destynacyons shall be selfe. By theyse reasons a man sholde put to no faythe / for as sayth y ^e psalmyste (Vir sapiens dominabitur astris) That is to say / that the wyse man sholde haue lordeshyp abo­ue the sterres and planettes / For he shall not gouerne hym after his sensualyte and inclynacyon naturall / but he sholde gouerne hym wysely by reson folowyn­ge the good & eschuynge the ylle / for the wyll of man is so free y ^t nothynge may not make hit vnfree / & yf y ^t man sholde do good or euyll by force ageynst his wyll he sholde not haue lyperall arbytre / & so his lyfe shold haue no meryte / the which thynge is false & agaynst the faythe / wherfore my chylde thou sholdyst not be­leue hit. It is also defendyd vpon the payne of dethe / and of dampnacyon eternall / and in regarde of these wordys / and of these spyrytes and elues / and also of many other vysyōs that men say y ^t they se by nyght they ben often deuylles that put theym in fourme of some deed body in faynyng his voyce to tempte y ^e persone of some thynge / for as sayth y ^e psalmyst. (Spiri­tus vadens & non rediens.) y ^t is to say y ^t after that the soule is departed from the body she goth vnto y ^e pla­ce where she hath deserued w ^tout euer to returne tyll vnto the day of Iugement / yf hit be not by grete ne­cessyte / [Page] & by grete myracle / as we rede of lazare & of many other / but elues / gobelyns / & helquīs y ^e which men se by nyght / as men of armes trotrynge on horsbacke with grete assembles / they ben all deuylles y ^e whiche ben amonge vs the whiche sheweth them in suche a fourme & ī many other fourmes as of a dogge of an horse / of a tree / or of a stone / and in many other fourmes for to tempte the man of some vyce / and for to make hym erre in the faythe / and somtymes these deuylles cometh vnto the stables & fyndeth the horse and tourneth all that the whiche was aboue vnder­neth by derysyon of the man and for to tempte hym / and some tyme they vnbynde the lytell chyldren and them casteth from the cradell for to make the father / and the motherwroth and often kyll y ^e chyldren whā god it suffreth / for the synne of the fader / or of the mo­der / or for to proue them as he dyd Iob whan he suf­fred that the deuyll hym dyd so many of ylles / and of tourmentes for to preue hym in his grete pacyēce for without the permyssyon of god they haue noo puys­saunce / but ben as the hange man y ^e which without the byddynge of y ^e Iuge may not hange nor bete ony euyll doer. wherfore my chylde thou sholdest retour­ne the vnto god and vnto the sayntes and to lyue ho­lyly as sayth the psalmyst (Non timebis amore noc­turno. That is to say thou shalt not drede of those fo­lysshe vysyons by nyght. For they be not but Illusy­ons made by the ennemye as it is sayde. ¶ Mayster may the ennemy be constrayned to come by wordes or by sygnes. My chylde nay / yf he ne wyll / but they ben the coūtenaūces y ^t he hath w ^t those that bē of his secte y ^e which in sayenge some wordes / or ī makynge [Page] some tokens or carateres thyder cometh and maketh that / that he demaundeth / to thende y ^t he them holde the better in his lyne.

¶ Master what say ye of these dremes. My chylde y ^u sholde take none hede vnto them for they ne be but vysyōs of some thȳges on y ^e whiche a mā hath thought or sene before wa­kynge / & a man dre­meth often of that y ^e which is semblable vnto his complexiō master how knowe y ^e ꝓphetes tho day­es that: y ^t they sawe by dreme. My chyl­de that was not by dremes all onely / but it was by the reuelacyon of god for with the vysyon they had an Imagynacyon and beleue especyall in the bounte of our Lorde that / that same thynge that they hadde seen in slepynge came. ¶ Mayster syth that God dyscendyd in erthe for to saue the synners wherfore bē they dāpned. My chyl­de there is not so grete a synner in this worlde that & if he reknowlege his synne and crye god mercy with good herte but y ^t he be pardoned by the meryte of the deth & passyon of Ihesu cryste / but those y ^t wyll not [Page] knowlege thyr synne but ben obstynate tyll vnto the deth / know thou that they ben damned eternally for God saueth not the synner the whiche wyll not saue hymselfe / and also paradyse is not deseruyd by synne but it is lost. ¶ Mayster syth y ^t god dyed for our syn­nes / wherfore be we baptysed. My chylde for y ^e bap­tym is the homage y ^• we owe vnto oure lorde Ihesu cryst by the whiche all our synnes ben pardoned and in suche wyse ordeyned he it as telleth y ^e gospell that sayth thus (Quicū (que) baptisatꝰ fuerit. That is to say who so shall be baptysed shall be saued / and he that is not shall be dampned. ¶ Mayster how many perso­nes shall be saued. My chylde there shall be as many saued as there fell of the cursyd aungelles of paradys by theyr pryde / for the men and the womē ben made for to be in theyr place / and for that cause is the enne­my so enuyous ayenst man. ¶ Mayster from whens came the fyrst Idolatres. My chylde they were fyrst founde in abell the whiche is now callyd babylon y ^• grete and there shall the antecryst be borne and there was the toure with the gyauntes the which is of .xl. stages. There regned the fyrst kynge of this worlde the whiche men called Neron y ^e whiche caused to be made an Image of Appolyn / and commaundyd all those of his realme that they sholde do hym sacryfyce and worshypped hym / and in lykewyse dyd they the whiche came after hym in suche wyse that whan so­me grete princes were deed theyr successoures caused to make of Images maruaylously ryche ī the name of theyr predysessoures / and made theyr subgettes to adoure thē / & to do sacryfice & were callyd Idolles in to whom y ^e deuyll entred & spake & tolde them many [Page] of abusyons & so dyde they of grece vnto theyr kynge and they of rome vnto Romulus as men fynde by y ^e wrytynges and auncyent cronycles.

¶ Mayster wher­fore ne made God that man ne sholde ete but one tyme in a weke. My sone y ^e honger is one of y ^e passyons y ^• we suf­fre by the synne of Adam / and so we haue euery day hō ger: & thyrste / colde and heet / and ma­ny other passyons / to thende that we trauayle alway for to thynke on oure nedes and of our neyghboures / to the ende that by oure trauayle / and laboure contynuall we haue the more meryte / for yf the man hadde not of necessyte he sholde haue no care to trauayle but he sholde be euer­more in slouthe / and sholde not knowe what good were worthe / and also he sholde mysknowe his crea­toure. And howe be hyt that the grete lordes and gē ­tylmen and other that be ryche trauayleth not cor­porallye. All be it that they trauayled spyrytuallye euermore. That is to vnderstande in theyr vnder­standynge and wyll in hauynge euermore desyre to gete / for he that moost hathe and more wolde haue [Page] moost hath in thynkynge / and so my chylde none ne may lyue without payne & trauayle / but euery man hath moche to do in his ryght.

MAster what by tokenyth the mysteryes / and cermonyes that mē make vnto the chyrche. My childe they shewe vs good ex­aumple / and we fy­gure the olde testa­ment and the newe and our lorde Iesu cryste is louyd in y ^e chyrche at the hou­res of matens / For at such an houre he was takē of the fal­se Iewes and ledde vnto the grete pre­stes of the lawe / as it is wryten in the houres of the crosse / at pryme / for at suche houre he was ledde and brought before Pylate where he was falsely accused and vylaynously scourged at the thyrde / for at suche houre he was crowned with thorne & clothed w ^t purple by derysyon and was cladde w ^t a whyte robe in y ^e house of Herode by grete mockerye / at the syxte / for at suche houre he was hanged & nayled on the crosse at noone / for at suche houre he dyed on the tree of the crosse / at euen songe tyme / for at suche houre his pre­tyous [Page] body was taken downe frome the crosse and anoynted w ^t precyous oyntementes / & at cōplyne / for at suche houre he was buryed / & thou shalte vnder­stande that in the masse vnto vs is fygured y ^e dethe & passyon of Ihesu cryst by y ^e aulbe y ^e white robe wherwith he was cladde / and by the chasuble the robe of purple & men say the pystle on the ryght hande / for it is the token of the good lyfe the whiche ledeth vnto y ^e ryght hande of paradys / and men rede the gospell on the lefte hande / for by the lefte hande vnto vs is syg­nyfyed synne / for the gospell is the moost stronge and of moost grete vertue / and therefore it is put on the lyfte hande for to defende vs ayens synne / for a man sholde euermore put the moost strongest ayenst y ^e partye from whens cometh y ^e strokes / and the Images well hydden in shewynge y ^t god & the sayntes of pa­radys haue abhomynacyon of our synnes & to speke well there ne is cermonye / but that it shewe vnto vs some grete mystery. ¶ Mayster how shold a man cō ­fesse hym. My chylde thou shold fyrst examyn by thy cōscyence in recordynge y ^e places where thou hast ben & how thou there hast lyued / for there ne is thynge y ^t better doth to thynke of synnes as to recorde the pla­ces where a man hath be / & in so doynge y ^u sholde ex­amyn thy conscyence. Fyrst of thy fyue wyttes natu­ralles. That is to knowe of thyne eyen / of eeres / of handes / of touchynges / of the mouthe / of the nose / & of all thyne herte. Secondely also of the .vij. mortall synnes / & of theyr braūches the whiche ben .vij. that is to vnderstande pryde / couesyse / enuye / Ire / gloto­ny / lechery / & slouthe. Thyrdely of y ^e .xij. artycles of y ^e fayth y ^t ben conteyned in the crede. Fourthly of the .x. [Page] cōmaūdementes of the lawe the whiche oure Lorde gaue vnto Moyses. Fyfthly of y ^e .vij. werkes of mer­cy if thou accōplysshe them whan thou mayst well do it. Syxtely of y ^e .vij. sacramētes of the holy chyrche if thou ne hast had in them perfyte beleue. And seuenthly of the .vij. cardynall vertues / yf y ^u haue had them ī the & kepte as thou arte bounde to do: & that don thou sholde go to confesse the with grete humylyte and cō ­trycyon and dyspleasaunt of thy synne / in hauynge ferme purpose to commytte them noo more / for other wyse thou repentest the not. And whan thou shalt be before thy confessoure in grete humylyte confesse vn­to hym all thy synnes entyerly / and clerely that he vnderstande it in tellynge hym all the fourme & ma­ner how & wherfore thou hast commytted them / and also thou sholde tell the tyme and the place if thou re­membre it for if thou synne the holy dayes / thou syn­nest more greuously than on the werkynge dayes / & if thou synne in place halowed thou synnest more thā in an other place / and in confessyoge the thou sholdest holde the ordre of confessyon in techynge by ordre thy Synnes as thou haste theym recorded before to the ende that thou forgete not / and so thou sholde tell all vnto thy confessoure / for yf thou leue one vnto thy wyttynge for shame or otherwyse thy confessyon is none / for it is not entyere. Ne also thou ne sholde de­parte thy confessyon in tellynge the one halfe vnto one confessoure / and the other halfe vnto an other confessoure / For also hit is not entyer and hole / and hit is nothynge worthe / but thou sholdest cōfesse & shry­ue the entyerlye vnto one confessoure of all that / that thou mayst remēbre / How be it yf after thy cōfessyon [Page] thou remembrest some thynge thou mayst well con­fesse the vnto an other / but yet thou shalt doo better to returne vnto the fyrst if thou mayst. Also my chyl­de thou sholde confesse the cyrcūstaūces of thy synnes in tellynge that the which hath moued the vnto syn­ne / the fonrme & the maner that thou haste holden in cōmyttynge thy synne / & the ylle the whiche cometh vnto an other & vnto thyselfe. Also thou sholdest con­fesse the of yll examples that thou haste gyuen vnto an other by thy synne and also thou shalt confesse the of wyll & consentynge that thou hast had / and of the payne that thou hast taken for to cōmytte it / for who so consentyth to synne all onely if it be mortall / he synneth mortally as witneslyth the holy gospel. Also my

chylde thou sholdest tell the dygnyte and proximite of y ^e persone w ^t whome thou hast commytted the synne as if she were a virgyn / or a relygyous wo­man / or maryed thy kynneswoman / or a comyn woman w ^tout namynge hir otherwyse. For ī thy confessyon thou shuldest not cōfesse the of the syn̄e of another / nor dyffame hir / but thou sholdest all onely tell hir estate for to declare the gretnes of thy synne / for of as moche as y ^e persone is dygne in whome the synne is commytted of as moche is it the more grete / and whan thou hast [Page] well confessyd all thy synnes whereof thou remem­bred the thou sholde crye god mercy with good herte in grete contrycyon & dyspleasaunce / and in demaundynge of thy confessour the whiche is y ^e lyeutenaunt of God absolucyon and penaunce / the whiche thou shold accomplysshe entyerly vnto thy power in grete reuerence / and thou sholdest kepe the from synne as moche as thou mayste / and specyally durynge the tyme of thy penaunce. ¶ Mayster vnto whome sholde a man confesse him. My chylde vnto a preest dyscrete and wyse the whiche knoweth what it is of Synne and who hath it not / and who that can dyscerne be­twene the synne mortall and venyall / for who so con­fessyth hym vnto preest not knowynge / and Igno­raunt puttyth his soule in grete aduenture for ryght often the confessyon is nothynge worth. ¶ Mayster may a man confesse hym vnto ony other but vnto his curate. My chylde yf thou be in a straunge countrey thou mayste confesse the vnto hym that thou wylte / And if thou be in thy parysshe and thou wylt not confesse the vnto thy curate the whiche is Ignoraūt / or that thy Synne touche his persone / or that he shewe thy confessyon wherby there myght come ony sclaū ­der / or by many other reasons thou sholdest demaun­de lycence / and if he wyll not gyue it the thou mayste take another of thyne owne auctoryte. But & if thou confesse the vnto them the whiche haue the power / and the puyssaunce of the bysshop / or of the Pope / as there be many grete clarkes and grete prechoures / thou mayst do it without lycēce of thy curate / so that thou be confessyd vnto thy curate one tyme in the ye­re / thou mayste confesse the elles where as often as [Page] thou wylt without lycence.

MAyster howe & fro whēs shall the Antecryst come. my chylde he shall be borne in babylon of a cursyd man & of a cursyd wo­man the which shall be of the lygnage of Dam & of y ^e wōbe of his mo­ther he shall be full of y ^e cursed spyryte & shall be nourysshed and confer­med in enchauntemen­tes and shall be Empe­rour of all the worlde / & shall put y ^e people vnder him in foure maners. That is to vnderstande the prynces & other ryche / & couetous by gyftes / for he shall haue by his enchauntementes all the tresoures hydde in y ^e erthe. The poore by grete drede & rygoure of Iustyce for he shall make them greuously to be martred. The clergy by connynge whereof he shall be full / For he shall conne y ^• .vij. artes & all y ^e other scryptures. & the deuoute persones by tokens & by myracles y ^t shall be marueylous. For he shall make the fyre to dyscende y ^t shall brenne his ennemyes before hym / & also he shall make the deed men to aryse / not truely / but y ^e deuyll shall entre in to y ^e bodyes of some dāpned and the de­uylles shall bere them / & anone make them to speke by his enchauntement & to walke as if they were on lyue / & shall reedyfye Ihrlm and there he shall make [Page] hym to be honoured as god & there shall be receyued in grete honoure / & men shall come to hym frome all partes / & he shall make semblaūce to y ^e people by his enchaūtementes y ^t he shall dye & that he shall aryse & shall make hym to be lyft vp in heyght by the deuyls sayenge y ^• he wyll wounte in to y ^e glorye of paradys / & than god seynge his grete pryde thyder shall sende his aūgels of paradys for to confounde hym in suche wyse y ^t y ^e deuyls y ^• shall lyfte hym shall fle & shall lette hym fall to the erthe in suche wyse y ^t he shall gyue so grete a stroke vpō y ^e erthe y ^t he shall scatter so y ^t y ^e try­pes shall lepe out of his bely & so shall he dey mysche­uously & the deuylles shall bere hym vysybly ī to hell Than those y ^t by hym hath bē deceyued shal returne­them vnto god & to y ^e holy predycacyons of Helye & of Enoch y ^t they haue before herde & shall be confermyd in the holy fayth of Iesu criste / and they shall haue xl. dayes of space for to do penaunce / and anone after they shall suffre sharpe deth. ¶ Mayster ī what age shall Helye & Enoch come. My chylde they shall come in suche aege as they were whā they were rauysshyd in to paradys terrestre wherin they be yet and shalbe tyll vnto the comynge of Antecryste the whiche shall kyll them / and shal reygne by thre yeres and an halfe and shall holde his syege in the mounte of olyuete for to vaynquysshe and to trede vnderfote the Iuste men and there shall deye of a sodeyn dethe by the wyll and cōmaūdement of our lorde as it is sayde. ¶ Mayster what thynge is y ^t / y ^e resurreccyō. My chyld it is whā y ^t a man cometh agayne from deth to lyfe & there ben two / that is to vnderstande the resurreccyon of the soule whan that it is deed by mortall Synne / and is [Page] returned vnto lyfe by confessyon and penaunce / and the other resurreccyon is of the body as whan the bo [...]y the whiche is deed retourneth vnto lyfe whan the soule is put agayne in y ^e body / as we rede of Lazare and of many other. And as we shall be all at the daye of Iugement.

¶ Master at what houre and in what tyme shall all man­kynde arryse. My chylde / we shal aryse at such a day and at such an houre as Ihesu Cryste arose at Eester: and the good shall be rauys­shed in the y ^e ayer w ^t the other good the which shall be arey­sed. And in that ra­uisshemēt they shal deye / and anone af­ter they shall ryse / and in lykewyse be­leue we that it was done of our ladye and of Saynt Iohan the euangelyste. But the euyll shall dye vpon the erthe in grete anguysshe and doloure of the gre­te drede that they shall haue / and we all shall be of y ^e aege as oure Lorde was whan he deyed on the tree of the crosse. That is to vnderstande of .xxxiij. yeres. [Page] ¶ Mayster shall they aryse in the same flesshe in the which they haue lyued in this worlde. My chylde / ye for yf a man were eten with a wolfe / and that wolfe of an other / and the other of alyon / yet sholde heryse in his owne body entyerly without that / that there shall fayle ony thynge vnto the perfeccyon of nature for as the holy scrypture sayth. Capillis de capite ve­stro non peribit. That is to saye / that he shall not lose one onely heere of his heed / but that there shall be all entyerly / For he that made all of nought can wele se­uer one mater from another and it returne in his en­tyer and better than it was before. And ī suche wyse those the whiche haue ben croked or lame / and yll for­med / or who so hath had ony faute in ony mēbre shall be ryght and perfyte entyerly. But the dampned shal not be but as they were or had be in the aege of .xxxij. yeres. And frome the tyme that they shall be areysed they shall neuer deye / but shall lyue / the good in glo­rye eternall / the yll euermore in dyenge in the fyre of hell where they shall brenne without power to con­sume ony thynge / but shall be in that doloure and in y ^e payne eternally. ¶ Mayster at what houre shall y ^e Iugement be made. My chylde at mydnyght / at the houre that he dyscendyd in to hell. ¶ Mayster howe shall god come in Iugement. My chylde as he was whan he moūted in to heuen. ¶ Mayster where shal the grete Iugement be made. My chylde hit shall be made in the vale of Iosophat the which is as moche to saye as the vale of Iugement. The whiche is nere to Iherusalem for to confounde the ylle whan they shall se the place where our lorde dyed for the synners In that place shall be all good and ylle / the good shall [Page] haue theyr good aungels with them / and the yll shall haue theyr yll aungels. And all shall be of the aege y ^• our lorde was whan he dyed on the tree of the crosse that is at .xxxij. or .xxxiij. yeres / and the good shall be lyfte vp in to the ayre with god and his sayntes / but the yll shall be in erthe with the deuylles for the gra­uyte of theyr synnes / and oure lorde shall shewe hym in two maners / that is to vnderstande vnto the good as he was whan he transfyguryd hym in the moun­tayne of Thabor. But vnto the euyll he shall shewe hym as he was whā he honge on the crosse and there shall not be the wood of the crosse / but a ryght fayre and clere clowde in the fourme and semblaunce of y ^e crosse. And there shall be with oure lorde the vyrgyn Marye on the one syde / and saynt Iohan baptyst on the other syde / and the .xij. appostles the which shall Iuge with god lyke as wytnessyth the gospell / the which sayth thus. (Sedebitis et nos iudicantes tri­bus Israell. And our lorde Ihesu Cryst shall say vn­to the good. Come you vnto me the whiche ben the blessyd sones of my father and I shall now gyue you the realme of heuen / the whiche vnto you is made re­dy from the begynnynge of the worlde. For whan I haue had hunger ye haue fedde me in nourysshynge the poore the whiche ben my membres / and whan y ^• I haue had thyrste ye haue gyuen me to drynke / and whan I haue hadde colde ye haue warmed me / whā I haue bē naked ye haue clothed me / and haue done many werkes charytables / wherof I wyll now re­cōpence you. And vnto the cursed in castynge his sen­tence shall saye thus. Go [...] ye acursed vnto the fyre of hell eternally y ^e whiche is made redy vnto you frome [Page] the begynnynge of the worlde w ^t all the deuyls. And this done our lorde Iesu cryste and all his holy aun­gels & archaungels shall mounte with the good in to the glorye eternall of paradys. And the cursed so shall descende in to hell with all the deuylles from whens they shall neuer come nor departe / but shall be euer­more in payne / doloure / & heuynes in y ^e fyre of hell perdurably. ¶ Mayster which ben those y ^t shall be dam­ned. My chylde y ^t shall be the Iewes / & mysbeleuers & the cursed crystyens that shall deye in mortall syn̄e withoute repentaūce. And men shall se clerely at the day of Iugement the conscyence the one of the other / wherby euery man shall gyue Iugement of hymself and in this maner shal be knowen all the good dedes & the yll. For a man dyd neuer ony yll ne synne be hi [...] neuer so secrete / but that than it shall be clerely seen & shewed openly before god and before all the worlde. ¶ Mayster what ben y ^e Ioyes of paradys. My chylde they ben so ryght grete that a man ne can tel them For the saued shall se god face to face and shall knowe al thynges as the aūgelles. The bodyes of the saued shall be clere and shynynge as the sonne / they shal be incōtynent where they wyl be as y ^e thought y ^e which in contynent is borne thyder where hit lyketh. They shall haue no shame to be all naked the one afore the other for they shall be all clensyd from synne & shal be so cōfermed in the grace & in y ^e loue of our lorde & they may neuer synne more ne haue ony yll thought / they ne shall haue hunger ne thyrst / for they ne shall be more subiectes to the influēces of y ^e planettes meanly y ^t also maketh y ^e degestyon vnto the body humayn but shall be there aboue in corruptyble and perpetualles [Page] and fedde of the grace of god / they can not cease to yel­de graces and praysynges vnto god of the grete mercy that he vnto them hath done. And to speke shortely the Ioyes of paradys ben so grete that there ne is entendement the which them can comprehende / For yf all the goodes / and all the Ioyes and gladnesses the whiche ben / was / and shall be in the worlde were all to gyders all that shold be nothynge vnto the compa­ryson of the leest glory of paradys. For all the Ioyes of this worlde ben transytoryes / and also passeth as moche. But the Ioye of paradys ben perpetuallys / and without ende.

¶ Mayster howe many orders of aū ­gelles ben in para­dys. My sone there be nyne. The fyrste order is callyd the ordre of seraphyns the whiche is the moost hyghest / the seconde of the Che­rubyns. The thyr­de is of the thrones The fourthe of the puyssaunces. The fyfte is of the pryn­ces. The syxte is of y ^e lordeshyps & seygnourys. The seuēth is of y ^e v (er)tues [Page] The eyght of y ^e .ix. ordres as lordes & sygnours aboue theyr seruauntes archaungels. And the nynth of the aungelles the whiche is moost lowe and all the sayn­tes holy men and womē of paradys ben aboue them ¶ Mayster haue we euery of vs his good aūgell the which kepith vs: My chyld euery one haue his good aungell the which hym defendeth from the ylle / and styreth hym to do well / and so hadde our lorde Ihesu cryste of good aungelles for to mynyster vnto hym. And the Antecryst shall haue one to kepe hym frome doynge of somoche ylle as he may well. And the aun­gelles ben of the laste & moost lowe ordre that is cal­led properly the ordre of aungelles I haue nowe tol­de the. ¶ Mayster wherfore loseth the moone some­tyme his clerenesse. My chylde the mone hath none o­ther lyght but y ^t / the sonne vnto hir gyueth / so it hap­peneth often that the erthe is foūde betwene the son­ne / and the mone in suche wyse that y ^e sonne ne maye gyue her clerenes / and than she is all blacke / for the erthe shadoweth her. But whan the erthe is not dy­rectely betwene them / but some parte all onely than is she clere in as moche as the sonne may se her / and whan the erthe is nothynge betwene them thā is she clere / for there is nothynge betwene theym. And for that cause hath the mone the backe towarde the son­ne. ¶ Mayster what thynge is the bowe of heuen the whiche we se in theayer. My chylde they ben the beames of the sonne the whiche meddle theym in the mater of the mone y ^e whiche is thycke the whiche ta­keth foure coloures y ^e whiche ben dysposed to recey­ue many & dyuers coloures after y ^e nature of herbes & of y ^e place where they growe. ¶ Mayster fro whēs [Page] cometh the wyndes / thondres / frostes / snowes / ray­nes / dewes / & suche femblable thynge. My chyld all these thynges cometh of some vapoures y ^e whiche a ryseth from the erthe in heyghte by the vertue of the sonne / of y ^• whiche some ben drye / and y ^e other moyste & whan suche y ^e whiche bē lyft vp tyll vnto y ^e meane regyon of y ^e ayre y ^e whiche is ryght colde they bē ma­de thycke & begyn to droppe / and from thens cometh the rayne. And whan the colde is greatly destraynynge aboue so they assemble and congeleth / and frome thens cometh the hayle / and whan these droppes falleth here alowe / & fyndeth this bace regyon of y ^e ayre colde as in wynter they also congele meanly y ^e wyn­de the whiche is colde & from thēs cometh y ^e snowes and this dewe is made of y ^e selfe vapoures / y ^e whiche whan they dyscende vpō the erthe / and there fyndeth colde they conuerte them in to water. But whan that these vapoures ben drye and lyght they aryse vp more hye vnto the thyrde regyon of the ayre the whiche is hote / for it toucheth the regyon of the fyre in suche wyse whan the vapoures drye that these clerkes calleth exaltacyons passeth in the ayre & meteth the one with the other / the moost strōgest gadereth the most weykest by the vertue of the sonne and of the moone & from thens cometh y ^e wyndes / and whan these ex­altacyons passeth in mountynge by the meane regy­on of the ayre the whiche is ryght colde they meddle them w ^t the cloude & closeth them w ^tin y ^e colde: and the heet of y ^e sōne stryketh brēnyngly betwene these cloudes in suche wyse y ^t these exalacyons hote that ben enclosed w ^tin y ^e clowdes wyll go forth / but they may not for the cloude is colde & thycke y ^e whiche holdeth the [Page] se exalacyons enclosyd / yf it be not by grete force / and vyolence / & whan it breketh it maketh a grete bruy­te in the ayre / y ^t is the thunder in brekynge his exala­cions lepeth out fro y ^e cloude the whiche bē enflamed and it is the departynge / than y ^• erelacyon enflamed medleth hym & brenneth w ^t the colde / & whan y ^e ma­ter is well nere wasted & so it falleth here beneth al enflamed & that is the lyghtuynge the whiche is more hote than a brennynge fyre / for that fyre aboue is also more hote than this here alowe. But whan these exalacyons ne fydeth no cloude in moūtynge / they moū ­te in to the thyrde region of the ayre the whiche is hote / for it toucheth the regyon of the fyre / than they enflame them and brenneth semynge to be sterres / and whan the mayster is almost brent it falleth / and it is that that semeth vs y ^• the starres falleth here alowe.

¶ Mayster wherfore is the see salte. My childe it is by the nature of y ^e mater vpon y ^e which it is set and of the mone y ^e whiche maketh it. & the mone hit maketh to renne and to come bac­ke as the adamāde draweth vnto him y ^e Iron so y ^e mone vnto hir dra­weth y ^e see. ¶ Mayster what tokens and syg­nes shall our Lorde make before that he shal begynne his Iugement. My chylde he shall make .xv. the whiche shalbe gretelye maruaylous and ferefull [Page] The first shall be that the see shall moūte in to y ^e ayre aboue all the mountaynes .xv. cubytes. The .ij. shall be that the see shall dyscende in depnesse so lowe that men shall lose the syghte. The .iij. that the see shall re­turne in to his fyrst estate. The .iiij. that the fysshes ī the see shall assemble theym in grete hepes and shall crye and wayle them moche pyteously. The .v. y ^t the byrdes shall assemble them in grete hepes makynge pyteous playntes / and syngynge moche pyteouslye without drynke and withoute meet. The .vi. that y ^e lyghtenynges shall come out from the oryent towar­de the occydent & shall brenne all that that it shall me­te. The .vij. that the starres shall haue theyr beames longe lyke here hangynge. The .viij. that all y ^e erthe shall tremble in suche wyse by ouer all / that there ne shall be beest in the worlde that may abyde vpon his fete without fallynge. The .ix. that the stones & grete toches shall cloue all in powder. The .x. that y ^e trees and the grasse shall sweet a dewe as redde as bloode. The .xi. that the mountaynes shall knocke the one a yenst y ^e other with so grete force that they shall retur­ne in to pouder. And at that daye all buyldynges and batylmentes shall fall / and there shall not abyde one stone vpon another. The .xij. y ^t the wylde bestes shall renne out of y ^e wode & shall go vpō the erth makynge horryble cryes ī waylyng ryght hitcously. The .xiij. y ^t y ^e men & the women shall go on y ^e erthe as without wyt & w ^tout meet / & w ^tout power to speke the one vn­to the other for the grete distresse y ^t they haue in theyr hertes. The .xiiij. y ^t all the sepultures & tombes of y ^e deed bodyes shall open to thende that all they that be deed goo out whan they shall aryse. The .xv. token [Page] shall be that all those the whiche than shall lyue vpō the erthe shall deye / and after aryse with all them the whiche haue ben deed frome the begynnynge of the worlde tyll vnto thende the whiche shall be than / and shall aryse all at the voyce of the aungels the whiche shall crye in sayenge. Ye deed bodyes aryse and come vnto your Iugement / at the whiche voyce they shall aryse all / and in a moment they shall be borne in to y ^e vale of Iosophat where incontynent the Iugement shall be made. ¶ Mayster how may a man well saue hymselfe. My c [...]ylde ī louynge god his maker more than he doth hym selfe / and his neyghboure as hymselfe. ¶ Mayster what ben the sacramentys of holy chyrche. My chylde there ben .vij. That is to vnder­stande baptyme / confyrmacyon / confessyon / the ordre of preesthode / the sacrament of awter / the enclynge / and the sacrament of Maryage. ¶ Mayster what ben the artycles of the faythe. My chylde there ben. xij. The fyrste artycle is that thou sholdest beleue in one god onely all myghty creatoure of heuen and of erthe. The seconde that thou sholdest beleue in oure Lorde Ihesu Cryst the onely sonne of God eternall. The thyrde that he was conceyued of the holy goost▪ in the precyous wombe of the vyrgyn Marye / with out the sede of man / the whiche chylded w ^tout payne & w ^tout doloure and w ^tout corrupciō ne spotte of synne and so abode vyrgyn entyerlye in the chyldynge and after the chyldynge. The .iiij. artycle that he suffred deth and passyon vnder the hande of ponce Pylate & was crucyfyed & deyed on the crosse for vs / & was bu­ryed in the holy sepulture. The .v. that he dyscendyd in to hell and delyuered the holy soules y ^e whiche were [Page] in y ^e lymbe / and that he arose the thyrde day frome deth to lyfe. The .vi. that he styed in to heuen and set hym on y ^e ryght hande of the father almyghty. The vij. y ^t he shall come at the daye of Iugement to Iuge the quycke & y ^e deed. The .viij. that thou sholde beleue in the blessyd holy goost. The .ix. that thou shold bele­ue in y ^e holy chyrche in beleuynge that / that she bele­ueth & in doynge hir cōmaūdemētes in y ^e which eue­ry one may make his saluacyon & to haue remyssyon of his synnes / & that y ^• good done of one persone may helpe another. The .x. that thou shold beleue y ^e remyssyon of synnes y ^t is to say that whan thou hast duely cōfessyd y ^e of all thy synnes & hast accōplysshyd thy penaunce after y ^e ordenaunce of thy confessoure & haste made satysfaccyon suffycyent y ^t they ben pardoned y ^• & forgyuen. The .xi. that we shall aryse all from deth vnto lyfe at the day of Iugement in our owne flesshe & body entyerly. The .xij. y ^t fro that tyme y ^t we ben a rysen y ^t we shall lyue eternally without euermore to deye / & the good shall be in the glory eternall of para­dys & the ylle in hell in wepynges & waylynges eternally. ¶ Mayster what ben y ^e cōmaundementes of y ^e lawe. my chyld / there are .x. The first is y ^t thou shold worshyppe serue and honour one onely god almygh­ty. The .ij. is that thou sholde not swere by y ^e name of god in vayne w ^tout cause lefull & necessyte as in Iu­gemēt or in other cause semblable. The .iij. that thou sholde halowe the feestes in seruynge our lorde w ^tout doynge ony operacyon corporall / & also in kepynge y ^• from synne as moche as thou mayst / for the [...]estes be made holy for to serue god and for to make the helthe of the soule. The. iiij is y ^t thou bere houour & reuerence [Page] & all obeysaūce vnto thy frendes spyrytualles and temporalles as ben thy fader & thy moder & the pastures of holye chyrche. The .v. commaūdement is that thou ne shalte bete ne stryke no man nor do hym ony outrage of dede / ne of thoughte. The .vi. is that thou sholde be no thefe in takynge from another / as by ex­torcyon / vsury / by stryfe / by dysceyte / or otherwyse by falsenesse. The .vij. is that thou shalt not accōplysshe the synne of fornycacyō. The .viij. that thou shalt not bere false wytnesse / as in forswerynge the in Iu­gement / or in spekynge some false wordes of de trac­cyon and defemacyon of ony persone. The .ix. is that thou shalt not coueyte another mannes wyse by con­cupiscence carnall. The .x. that thou shalt not be enuyous of another mannes welth in desyrynge to haue his by falsenes / or procurynge his domage. ¶ May­ster howe farre is it to walke frome hens vnto para­dys & from hens in to hell. My chylde this questyon is Inough tyll another tyme. But god gyue vs gra­ce to go out of the may of hell & so well to folowe the waye of paradys that we maye all thyder come.

AMEN.