¶ Here beginneth a new treatise divided in three parties.  
The first part is to know, & have in mind  
The wretchedness, of all mankind.  
The second is of the condition and manner  
Of the unsteadfastness, of this world here.  
The third part in this book you may read  
Of bitter death, and why it is to dread.  
THe might of the Father almighty  
The wit of the son all witty  
And the goodness of the holy Ghost  
God and Lord of mights most  
Be our help/ and our speed  
Now and ever in all our need  
And specially at this beginning  
And bring us all to good ending.  
AMEN.   

BEfore or that any thing was wrought  
And or beginning was of aught  
Before all times we should mean  
The same God, was ever in godhead clean  
And ever is full in his godhead  
And three persons, and in onelychehed  
And would ever with the father and the sone  
With the holy Ghost in one head bewone  
And is Lord in substance and being  
And ever was without beginning  
Beginning of him, might there never none be  
For ever he was God in trinity  
And ever is wise, and full of wit  
And ever almighty God as he is yet  
That might was ever in his throne  
There was never God, but he alone  
The same God was without beginning  
And maker first of all thing  
Without beginning we shall him call  
And endless Lord, of creatures all  
And end of all thing is he  
As men may in holy books see  
And as he made all thing  
So shall he at the last, make anending  
Of all things, both in heaven and hell  
Of man, of fiend, and of angel  
That after this life shall evermore leave  
And all other creatures to death be drive  
But God that us made, and the world began  
Is now and ever shall be, both God and man  
And all thing, through his might made he  
For without him, may nothing be  
All thing he ordained after his will  
In his kind to stand still  
And therefore creatures, that dumb be  
Can no reason, but buxom men them see  
loveth him, as the book beareth witness  
In their manner, and as their kind is  
For all things that, God hath wrought  
Doth their kind, and passeth it nought  
And loveth their maker, and honour in kind  
And so in that manner, they have him in mind  
And sith creatures, that reason hath none  
loveth him in kind, that they have taken  
Than should man, that hath reason and faith  
His Lord honour, by all manner of way  
And not to be of worse condition  
Than the brute beasts, that can no reason  
For all thing that God made, both more and lass  
Man is principal, and should all other pass  
As ye shall here afterward soon  
That God made of all thing, for man one  
For God to mankind, had great delight  
saying that he made all thing, for man's profit  
Heaven, and earth, and all the world broad  
He made first, but man till the last abode  
And him in likeness, of seemly stature  
As him thought most worthy creature  
Passing all beasts, that have any kind  
And gave him reason, both wit, and mind  
Ever for to know, both good and evil  
And thereto gave him wit at will  
Both to choose and to hold  
Good or the evil, whither he would.  
GOd ordained man also to dwell  
In earth here, both in flesh and fell  
And know his works, and him honour  
And keep his commandments, in every hour  
And if a man to God, boxum become  
To heaven bliss, he shall be nome  
And if he will from goodness wend  
To pains of hell, that hath none end  
Therefore I hold a man wood  
That taketh the wicked, and leaveth the good  
And God made man of most dignity  
And of all creatures in earth most free  
For after his likeness, he made him iwis  
As he should have part of his bliss  
And most God our Lord to him giveth  
More than to any creature, that in earth liveth  
For when Adam, had done amiss  
And for his sins, brought from bliss  
God took mankind, for his sake  
And for his ●oue, hard death can take  
And with his blood, again him bought  
And after to heaven bliss him brought  
Thus great love, God showed unto man  
And much more kindness, than I tell can  
Wherefore every man, both learned and lewd  
Should think upon the love, that God showed  
And that kindness, have in his mind  
That God hath done, to all mankind  
And serve him both night and day  
And find to please him, in all that he may  
And spend his w●ttes, in his service  
And them will hold in all manner wise  
But a man know kindly what God is  
And himself also, that he be one of his  
And how a man grieveth God, that doth nought well  
And maketh him through sin, both fierce and fell  
And how merciable God is, night and day  
And how grievous, to every man's pay  
And how rightful, and how soothfast  
And ever more hath been, both first and last  
And what he doth to all mankind  
That ever should have him in mind  
For the way that bringeth a man to heaven bliss  
And bringeth a man also out of anguish  
principally, that is the way of meekness  
dread and love of God, in all simpleness  
Than may that, before the way of wisdom  
Unto the which way, may no man come  
Without full knowing, of God here  
And of his power also, and his work so dear  
And or that he may, that knowing win  
Him behoveth, to know himself within  
And else he may no knowing have  
The foresaid way of wisdom to crave  
But many men hath good understanding  
And yet be of many things unknowing  
And of some things hath knowing none  
That might oft make God's will to be done  
Such men had need, to learn every day  
How that they should here God pay  
And know the thing, that might them lead  
To meekness and love, and God to dread  
The which is the way, as I tell iwis  
That leadeth a man even to heaven bliss  
For in great perryle of soul, is that man  
That hath wit and mind, and no good can  
And will nought learn for no saw  
The works of God, neither his law  
And knoweth not the ten hests  
But liveth as unskilful beasts  
That hath neither reason nor mind  
But leaveth ever against his kind  
For he excuseth nought his uncunning  
That useth not his wit in learning  
And namely of the thing, that he should know  
That should make his heart full low  
And he that can nought, should learn more  
To know what him needeth in God's lore  
For an uncunning man through learning  
May be brought to good understanding  
And of many things, both know and see  
That hath been before, and after shall be  
That to meekness might move his will  
The more to love God, and to fly the evil.  
MAny man delighteth, trifles to here  
And about folly, setteth all his cheer  
And evermore is busy, both in will & thought  
To learn things, that helpeth the soul nought  
And things, that needful were to know  
To listen or to learn, they be full slow  
Therefore no wonder, though they gone amiss  
For ever in darkness, their going is  
All far from the light of understanding  
And from things, that falleth to the right knowing  
Therefore every christian man and woman  
That hath any wit, and reason can  
Should be busy by all manner of way  
To learn such things, that longeth to the say  
And evermore learn, both loud and still  
Which is the good way, and which is evil  
And he that the right way, of knowing will look  
Should thus begin, as telleth the book  
first for to know, himself in cleanness  
And than may he come, to all meekness  
For that is the ground of all to last  
In whom all virtues be set fast  
For he that knoweth it, and well can see  
What himself was, and is, and after shall be  
The more wiser man, he might be called  
Whither that he be young man, other old  
Therefore every wise man, first must lere  
For to know himself, while that he is here  
And if he know himself, within and without  
Than shall he have ever, God in doubt  
And upon his ending, his thought must be cast  
And upon the dreadful doom, that shall come last  
And also know, what this world is  
That is but vanity, and full of wretchedness  
And forsake sin, and foul lusts all  
And think what shall after this life fall  
For knowing of all this, should him lead  
To have meekness in mind, and also dread  
For so may a man, come to good living  
And at the last, have good ending  
And when he shall, out of this world wend  
Come unto the joy, that hath none end  
The beginning of this matter is  
The right knowing of a man himself iwis  
But some men hath great letting  
So that they may not have full knowing  
Of themself, that first they should know  
And with meekness ever make them low  
And of that matter, four things I find  
That maketh men's wits, full blind  
And the knowing of themself letteth  
youth the which himself, he forgetteth  
Therefore saint bernard, speaketh to us  
And in his writing sayeth all thus.  
¶ Forma favour popu●i, sensus Iwenilis opesque  
Suppi puere tibi, noscere quid sit homo.  
¶ That is favour of fool, and moche fairness  
And heat of youth, and moth riches  
blindeth a man's reason and mind  
For to know himself, what he is of kind  
And thus these four, letteth him in sight  
So that he forgetteth himself out right  
And maketh his heart, proud and hawtey●e  
And all wayward, from God his sovereign  
For these nourisheth both pomp and pride  
And maketh other sins in them to bide  
For in what man any of these four is  
Seldom is seen in him, any manner meekness  
And letteth a man, that he may not s●  
The manners of the world full of vanity  
Neither the time of death, when he shall come  
Neither when he shall hence, to doom be nome  
Neither he ne can understand ne see  
The peril that after this life than shall be  
To all sinful men, that loveth folly  
Nay the joy that good men, shall have so hy●  
But in great delights, setteth their hearts fast  
And fareth as their life ever more should last  
And giveth them here to all idleness  
And to such things, that no profit is  
And such men be not with reason lad  
But in their follies evermore be sad  
And things that they should dread, they know not  
Therefore they have no dread, to set on their thought  
And that is for default of knowing  
Of things, that might to dread them bring  
Yet some men, will not understand  
Such things, that might them bring to shonde  
For they will here nothing, that them mysspeaketh  
Therefore saint David in his book thus sayeth.  
¶ Nosuit intellegere ut bene ageret.  
¶ He sayeth, man hath no will to be snell  
To understand things, to make them do well  
These words be said by them here  
That will nought understand, neither do lere  
To dread God, and to do his will  
But followeth their lusts, and liveth full evil  
And for default of true faith, this may be  
For they liveth nothing, but they ●t see  
But grudgeth when they should aught lere  
Therefore sayeth the Prophet, in this manner.  
¶ Non crediderunt set murmuraverunt.  
¶ The Prophet sayeth, that they beloved nought  
But grudged, and were heavy in thought  
Thus fareth many men, that liveth nothing  
That men telleth them, against their liking  
But grudgeth and waxeth all froward  
When men speaketh aught, that them thinketh hard  
Some can in book, such things read  
But lightness of heart, bringeth them dread  
So it may not with them dwell  
As God witnesseth in the Gospel.  
¶ Quia ad tempus credunt, & in temptationis recedunt.  
¶ He saith for the time, some leave a thing  
And soon passeth there fro, in time of tempting  
As witnesseth the prophet saint David  
In a verse of the Psalter, that accordeth therewith.  
¶ Et crediderunt in verbis eius, & laudaverunt laudem eius.  
¶ He sayeth in his works, they believed well  
And praised his works, as they caught somedeal  
But soon they had his works forgyt  
And thought of his council, no more to wit  
Such men be ever unsteadfast  
That neither love ne dread, may on them last  
But who that can nought dread, may soon l●re  
That heareth this matter, with good ere  
With such things, that he may conceive thereby  
And do good deeds, and fly folly  
Therefore these books, be out draw  
Of diverse matters, that be of God's law  
To lewd men, that be n●t of understanding  
And of latin speech, be all uncunning  
To make himself, first for to know  
And all sins, away to throw  
And to bring them, to perfyre dread  
When they this treatise, will here or read  
That shall move his conscience within  
And through that dread, may alone begin  
Through comfort of the joys of heaven bright  
As men may hereafter have a sight.   

¶ Here beginneth the first part of this book/ that speaketh of man's wretchedness.  
first when God made all thing of nought  
Man of the foulest matter was wrought  
That was of earth, to skyles to behold  
That is for almighty God so would  
Of soul matter, make man in despite  
Of lucifer, him therewith to a twyte  
When he fell in to hell, for his pride  
And many one more, that fell that tide  
For they should have the more shendship  
And the more sorrow, when they took keep  
That man of so foul matter, should dwell  
In that place, from whence they fell  
An other cause is, for man should see  
That a man the more meeker should be  
Ever when he seethe, and thinketh in thought  
Of the foul matter, that he was wrought  
For God through his great might  
Would sign that place in heaven bright  
That was made void, through sin of pride  
Would have it filled in every side  
As through virtue, of holy meekness  
That contrary to all manner of pride is  
He thought to amend it in some wise  
Wherefore men should, lucifer despise  
For there may no man, in to heaven come  
But he that in deed is meek and buxom  
And so telleth the Gospel, and saith to us  
That God spoke to his disciples, and said thus.  
¶ N●si eff●ciam●ni sicut ꝓuuli: non intrabitis in regnum ce●orū.  
¶ He sayeth, but ye be as meek as a child  
That is to understand, both meek and mild  
ye shall not come by any manner of way  
In to the kingdom of heaven on hay  
But one thing, maketh most meek a man  
To think in his heart, as often as he can  
How he is made of foul matter  
Fouler thing in earth, is none here  
And so sayeth saint job, in his morning lay  
What is a man here, but earth and clay  
And powder that with the wind do breaketh  
And therefore the good man, to God thus speaketh.  
¶ 〈◊〉 queso ꝙ sicut lutum feceris me, & in pu●uerē reducis me●  
¶ He sayeth think Lord, how thou madest me  
Of sou●e ●arth and clay, in this world to be  
And thereto shall I turn, at my last end  
●uen again to powder, and to nought wend  
And than saith our Lord, of mighties most  
To every man, that hath in him the holy Ghost.  
¶ Memento 〈…〉, & in cinerem renerteris.  
¶ He sayeth, think man that ashes art now  
And into ashes again, turn shalt thou  
Than of this, every man should have mind  
And know the wretchedness, of his own kind  
For here a man's life, well cast may be  
principally to tell in parties three  
That been maked, to our understanding  
beginning midward, and last ending  
These three parties spaces, may be told  
Of every man's life, both young and old.  

¶ Of the beginning of man's life.  
THe beginning of a man's life, first is  
conceived in moche wretchedness  
Therefore I think, or I further pass  
Tell what every man, in the beginning was  
Man was beget, as well it is know  
Of foul seed, within a woman sow  
And man sinfully, conceived was  
In his mother's womb, in a privy place  
And how his dwelling was there ydight  
Saint David telleth, and witnesseth full right  
¶ Ecce in iniquitatibus conceptus sum? & in peccatis concepit me matter mea.  
¶ Behold he sayeth, what man's kind is  
In wretchedness, I am conceived iwis  
And also my mother, hath conceived me  
In many sins, and moche vylte  
For there dwelleth a man, in a dark dongyon  
That is full of filth and corruption  
Wherein he had, no manner of food  
But foul glat, and waltsome blood  
And when that he hither come was  
From his mother womb, that foul place  
And was here brought, in to this worlds right  
He had neither power, ne might  
Neither for to go, ne on f●te stand  
Neither to creep in feet, ne in hand  
Than hath a man less might, than hath a be'st  
When he is new borne, and seemeth least  
For when a be'st is ybore, than it may go  
And doth his kind here evermore  
But a man hath no might, in his yongeheade  
For he may not go, but as men doth him lead  
For he may neither go nor creep  
But lie and sprawl, cry, and weep  
For a child is not fully ybore  
That it ne crieth as thing forlorn  
And by that cry, men t●ll can  
Whither that it be woman or man  
Fo● when it is borne, it crieth swa  
And if it be a man, it sayeth. A.  
And that is the first letter of the name  
Of Adam our father▪ that brought us in blame  
And if it of a woman's kind be  
When it is borne, it soundeth. E.  
〈◊〉 the first letter, who that taketh heed  
Of the name of Eve, that brought us in dread  
Therefore a wise clerk, made in this manner  
A verse that telleth, of that same matter.  
¶ Dicentes. E. vel. A. quotquot nascuntur ab Eua.  
¶ All he sayeth, that cometh of Eve  
May for nothing, that letter leave  
When they be borne, what soever they be  
He crieth first. A. other else. E.  
This is of our life, the first beginning  
And after our birth, sorrow and weeping  
And to wretchedness, our kind stirreth us  
And Innocent the bishop, therefore saith thus.  
¶ O●● nascimus ciusāte● ut nature nostre miseriam exprimamus.  
¶ He sayeth, we be ybore here everichone  
Making sorrow and reuthly moan  
All for to show, our great wretchedness  
Of our kind, that is full of brotelnes  
And naked we come hither, and bare  
And so we shall all hence far  
Upon this think all, that any good can  
For thus sayeth saint job, the holy man.  
¶ Nudus egressus sum ex utero matris me●: et nudus revertar illuc.  
¶ Naked he sayeth, in to this world I come  
When from my mother's womb nome  
And naked I shall turn hence away  
And so shall all at the last day  
Thus is a man, at his first coming  
Naked and bare, and bringeth nothing  
But a skin foul and waltsome  
That is his garment, when he shall come  
And that is a bloody skin full thin  
That he brought, and was wound in  
When he in his mother womb lay  
Forsooth this was a simple array  
And thus is man made, as ye may see  
In moche wretchedness, and captivity  
And afterward liveth here, but a few days  
As job openly unto us all says.  
¶ Homo natus de musiere brevi vivens tempore.  
¶ He sayeth, man that is borne of a woman  
liveth here little time, and soon is tan  
And every man is borne to nothing else  
But to travail and sorrow, as the book tells.  
¶ Homo nascitur ad faborem: sicut A vis ad volandum.  
¶ He sayeth man is made, to travail aright  
As the foul is made to his flight  
For little rest he hath i● his ly●e iwis  
But ever in travail, full resye is  
And yet is a man, when he is boar  
The fende● of hell, and all ylore  
until he through grace, again been nim  
And to baptism afterward come  
Therefore every man, shall understand so  
That his life, is but sorrow and woe.   

¶ Of the mids of a man's life.  
THat other part of man's life, men calleth  
Is the midward, that after youth falleth  
And that is first, from man's beginning  
Of every man's life, until his last ending  
And how a man afterward, is foul become  
Saint bernard thereof▪ hath witness nome.  
¶ Homo 〈◊〉 aliud est ꝙ Sperma  
Sactus, fte●●orum & ●f●a vermium  
¶ Saint bernard witnesseth, as the book tells  
That a man in this life, is nothing else  
But a foul slime, horrible to all men  
And is a foul sake, of stinking fen  
And also worms meat, that they will have  
When that he is dead, and laid in grave  
But some men and women, fair they seemeth  
To sight without, as men it deemeth  
And showeth nothing, but the white skin  
But who that might openly look therein  
A fouler carrion, might there never be  
Than men should on them than see  
Therefore who that had a sharp insight  
And had as clear eyen, and also as bright  
As hath a be'st, that Lux men calls  
That may see through thick stone walls  
Than little liking should a man have  
To behold a woman, or after her crave  
Than might he see, without any doubt  
As well within, as he doth with out  
For if a man might see her within aright  
It were full dreadful, to every man's sight  
And so foul every man within is  
As the book tells, and witnesseth all this  
And therefore, I hold a man nothing wise  
That maketh himself, of to moche prise  
Sith he may every day, both here and see  
What that he is here, and what he shall be  
But a proud man, of this taketh no heed  
For him faileth reason, that should him lead  
When that he is young, and loveth playing  
Other hath wealth at his liking  
Other that he be brought, in to great worship  
Than he of himself, taketh he no keep  
For himself than he knoweth all there least  
And fareth than as unreasonable be'st  
That followeth his own will, and nothing else  
As say. it David witnesseth, and tells.  
¶ Homo cum in honore esset non intellexit comparatus est in mentis insipientibus.  
¶ He sayeth, when a man in worship is brought  
Right good understanding, hath he nought  
Therefore he may be likened, both in flesh and bone  
To beasts that reason and wit can none  
Therefore every man, that hath wit and mind  
Oft should think, on his wretched kind  
And that with filth he is all nim  
As he ma● see every day from his body come  
Both at nose and at mouth, and beneath also  
All manner corruption, cometh him fro  
And how foul it is to every man's sight  
Saint bernard witnesseth to us full right.  
¶ Simo diligenter con●ideres quid per os quid per nares ceterosque meatus corporis tui egreditur: vilius fterqui linium nunꝙ videres.  
¶ He sayeth man, wilt thou inwardly see  
And behold, what thing cometh from the  
Through nose and mouth, continually  
And through other places of thy body  
A fouler dunghill, saw thou never none  
Than is a man, made in flesh and in bone  
For in all that time, that a man here liveth  
His own kind, no good fruit giveth  
Whither that he live short time, other long  
But things that stinketh, wonder strong  
And foul fylthed, and nothing else  
As Innocent the great clerk, in a book tells.  
¶ Herbas inquit & arbores diligenter iuuestiga, ille de fe producunt flores & frondes & fructus: & tu de te lends & pediculos. Ille autem de se effundunt oleum & vinum, & tu de te, sputum, urinam, & stercus. Ille de se spirant suanitatem●● tu abhominationem ●tercoris.  
¶ This clerk telleth thus in his book  
Thou man he sayeth▪ behold well and look  
Herbs and trees, that in earth doth spring  
Take thou good heed, what they forth bring  
Herbs bringeth flowers, and maketh seed  
A●d trees fruit, and branches spread  
And thou bringest forth, of thyself here  
Both nyttes, and ly●e, and other vermin yfere  
Of herbs and trees, springeth balm good  
Both oil and wine, in help of man's food  
And that cometh from thee, doth foul stink  
As dung and piss, and spatling  
Of herbs and trees, cometh good savour  
And of the man, foul breath and sour  
For such as the tree, beareth with the bows  
Such is the same fruit, that thereon grows  
For a man is as a tree, that standeth not hard  
Of whom the crop is turned downward  
And the rote is an high, toward the firmament  
As witnesseth in this book, the clarcke Innocent.  
¶ Quid est homo secundum formam nisi quedam arbor eversa cuius radicis ●unt crines trinicus est caput cum collo, stipes est pectus cum alno, ram●et ulne cum tibiis frondes st. digiti cum artil. hoc est folium quod a vento rapiter, & stipula que a sole siccatur.  
¶ He sayeth what is a man, but in shape as a tree  
Turned up so down, as men may see  
Of the which the rote, that thereto belongeth  
Is the here on thine head, that thereon hangeth  
Than is the stock next the rote growing  
That is thine head, with thy neck showing  
The body of the tree, that is set thereto  
Is thy breast, with thy womb also  
The bows be thine arms with thy hands  
And the legs with thy feet, that thou on stands  
Men may them branches, by reason call  
The toes, and the feet, with thy fynges all  
Life is the leaf, that hangeth not fast  
That will away, with the winds blast  
And a man that is both young and light  
Though he be never so hardy in fight  
And comely of shape, and lovely of cheer  
yet sickness and anger may him dear  
And his might and fairness abate  
And bring him soon, in to low state  
And soon change his fair colour  
And make him fade, as doth the flower  
For a flower, that is fair to man's sight  
Through storms it fadeth, and loseth his might  
Angres and evils, and myschyfes both  
Oft cometh to a man, that be him loath  
As fevers and dropsy, and jaundyse also  
Tysyke and the gout, and other evils more  
That maketh his fairness, away for to wend  
As storms doth their flowers shend  
This should be ever ensample to us  
Therefore saint job, in his book sayeth thus.  
¶ Homo quasi flos egreditur & contritur & fugit velud vmb●a, & numꝙ in eod. etc.  
¶ Man he sayeth, as flower is bright  
When it cometh first to earthly sight  
And soon is broke, and passeth away  
As doth the shadow, in summers day  
And never in the same state dwelleth  
But evermore passeth as job telleth  
Of this the Prophet witnesseth iwis  
In a psalm of the Psalter that sayeth this.  
¶ Mane sicut herba tran●eat mane floreat & trans●at vesp●re descidat. etc.  
¶ The Prophet sayeth thus, in that case  
A man passeth away, as doth the grass  
Early beginning of the day  
He flowreth, and soon passeth away  
And at even, it is down brought  
That fadeth and waxeth all to nought  
In the beginning of man, him was give  
Nine hundred year, in earth to live  
As clarks in books, beareth witness  
And sayeth, that man's life is draw to shortness  
For God would, that it should so be  
And God said himself, so unto Noe.  
¶ Non permanebit spiritus meus in homine ineternumque caro est: erunt enim dies illius centum viginti anni.  
¶ My Ghost he sayeth, shall not ever dwell  
In man that is made of flesh and fell  
His days shall be to live in here  
An hundred, and also twenty year  
But so great age, may no man bear  
For death will him, in shorter time dear  
For the complexion of every man  
Is now more feebler, than it was than  
Therefore man's life, might shorter be  
For now it is feeblest, all for to see  
For the longer, that a man shall life  
To more sorrow, he shall be dryfe  
And less think, that this life is sweet  
As in the psalter, witnesseth the Prophet.  
¶ Si in potentatibus octoginta anni amplius corum labor et do●or. etc.  
¶ If in strenghthes four score year, might befall  
The more is their travail, and sorrow with all  
But now much shorter be man's days  
As job the good man openly says.  
¶ 〈◊〉 quid non paucitas di●rum meorum finietur breu●.  
¶ Now he sayeth my short days that few were  
Shall come to end, in little time here  
And when a man waxeth to be old  
Than beginneth his kind, to be feeble and cold  
And than changeth his complexion  
And his manners turn up so down  
Than waxeth his heart, full heavy and hard  
And his head feeble, and ever downward  
Than revealeth his face, evermore and more  
And fouler waxeth, than it was before  
His wit is short when he aught thinketh  
●is nose droppeth, his onde stinketh  
His sight waxeth dim, he looketh under the brow  
His bark is crooked, he stopeth full low  
His ears waxeth death, and heard to here  
And his tongue to speak, is nothing clear  
Soon he is wroth, and waxeth all froward  
To turn him from wrath, it is hard  
He is covetous, and fast holding  
And heavy of cheer, and ever louring  
He praiseth old men, and holdeth them wise  
And young men him listeth to despise  
And often is sick, and beginneth to groan  
And often angry, and plaineth him soon  
An these things, to an old man befalleth  
That Clarckes properties of age calleth  
Thus men may see, that read can  
The conditions, that be in an old man.   

¶ Here ye may here of the end of a man's life. ☜  
THe last end of man's life is hard  
When that he draweth to deathwarde  
For when he is sick, in any wise  
So feeble, that he may not arise  
Than be men in doubt, and uncertain  
Whither he shall ever recover again  
And yet can some men, that be slay  
Know whither he shall life, or die  
Through certain tokens, in pounce and breath  
That falleth to a man, that draweth to death  
For than beginneth his front downward to fall  
And his brows waxeth heavy with all  
And the left eye of him, shall seem lass  
And nearer than that other eye was  
And his nose before, shall sharp become  
And his chine than down shall be nome  
And his pounce, shall have no moving  
His feet wax cold, and his womb doth cling  
And if a young man, near his death be  
Ever he is waking, for sleep may not he  
And if an old man, draw toward death  
He shall not from sleep, keep him uneath  
clarks telleth, that these tokens eachone  
Be in a man, when he shall die soon  
For when a man liveth, he is like a man  
But when he is blodeles, and becometh wan  
Than may a man his likeness there see  
And all changed, as never had been he  
And when his life, is brought to the end  
Than shall he hence in this manner wend  
Both poor and naked, as he hither come  
When from his mother's womb, he was nome  
For he brought with him, nothing that day  
And so he shall hence pass away  
But it be only a winding cloth  
That shall about him be wrapped forsooth  
For when the life wynde●h from him away  
Than is he but foul earth and clay  
That turneth to more corruption about  
Than any carrion, that lieth there out  
For the corruption of him in every side  
If it lie above ground long, in any tide  
It might than the air so corrupt make  
So that men should their death thereof take  
So soul stinking it is, and so violent  
And so witnesseth, the clarcke Innocent.  
¶ Quid enim fetidius humano cadau●r●  
Quid 〈◊〉 homine mortuo. etc.  
¶ He sayeth, what thing may fouler be  
Than a dead man's body, is for to see  
And what is more horrible, in any place  
Than is to beheld a dead man's face  
And when it is, in earth by wound  
Worms will do eat it, in a little stound  
Till that foul flesh, away be ybyte  
And thus I find, in holy book ywryte.  
¶ ●um autem moritur homo hereditabit serpented & verines.  
¶ The book sayeth, that when a man shall die  
As his kind heritage, he taketh the way  
To worms and adders, that foul be of sight  
For to them falleth man's flesh by right  
Therefore shall every man after earth sleep  
Among foul worms, that on them shall creep  
And they shall gnaw his foul ●arkayes  
And so sayeth holy writ, and speaketh this ways.  
¶ Omnes enim in pu●uere doimien● & ver●es operient 〈◊〉.  
¶ That is in earth, shall sleep every man  
And worms shall ear them, from the ●oe to the pan  
For in this world, so witty man is none  
Neither so fair in flesh ne bone  
Neither Emperor, King, ne Cease●  
Ne none other Lord, what state he have here  
Neither rich, ne poor, ne bond, ne free  
Learned ne lewd, what ever he be  
That he ne shall turn, after his last day  
To earth and to powder, and to foul clay  
Therefore in my thought, I have moche wonder  
〈…〉  
That no man in earth, uneath will it see  
What he was, and is, and what he shall be  
But who that will here, in his heart cast  
What he first was, and shall be at the last  
And also what he is, while he liveth here  
He should then find, full little matiere  
To make any mirth here, while he dwelleth  
As a wise vereyfyour in his verse telleth.  
¶ Simo quie sentuet quo tendet & unde veniret  
Numꝙ gauderet: set in omni tempore fleret.  
¶ He sayeth, who that will feel and see  
Whence he cometh, and whither shall he  
All manner mirths, he should forsake  
And ever weep, and sorrow make  
For who that of a man, had than a sight  
When worms had gnawn him out right  
And eaten his flesh, in to the hard bone  
So horrible a sight, saw he never none  
As he might see in that carkayes  
As saint bernard witnesseth and says.  
¶ Post hominem vermis, post vermin fetor & horror  
Et sic in non hominem, vertitur omnis homo.  
¶ He sayeth after death, man is worm become  
And after worms, to stench he is nome  
And so every man, here turned shall he be  
Fro man in to no man, as it were not he  
Thus may mense, as it is write  
How that a man, in his mother is behight  
And of this matter, more might I tell  
But no longer thereon, think I to dwell.    

¶ Here beginneth the second part of this book/ that speaketh of the world.  
ALl this world here, both long and broad  
God it made, for man's good  
And all other things, as clarks can prove  
He made only for man's byhove  
If a man love any thing more by any way  
Than he doth God, that in heaven is on high  
Than is that man to God unkind  
That so little on him, setteth his mind  
For God is more worthy, loved to be  
Than any creature, that men may see  
Sith he is the beginning of all manner thing  
And of all thing, make shall an ending  
And thus I say by them, that giveth them oft  
To the worlds liking, that thinketh them loft  
And loveth all thing, that thereto falleth  
And such men worldly men me calleth  
For their love most, in the world is set  
The which the love of God, slaulyche doth let  
And for the love of this worlds vanity  
A man at the last, for barred may be  
From the high heaven, where all joy is  
There a man shall dwell without end iwis  
But a great clerk telleth, that is Bartylmewe  
There be two worlds, principally to eschew  
And that one world, is invisible and clean  
And that other bodily, as men may seen  
And the ghostly world, that no man may see  
Is the high heaven, where God sitteth in trinity  
And thither shall we come, and there live ay  
If that we thitherward, hold the right way  
Now will I no longer, upon this matter stand  
For soon after it shall come more to hand.  
BUt the same world, that men may here see  
In two parties well devised may be  
For both parties, men may well know  
For that one is high, and that other low  
The higher lasteth from the moon full even  
To the highest place, of the stirred heaven  
And that world, is bright and fair  
For there is no corruption, but clean air  
But stars and planets, bright shining  
As every man may there have understanding  
But the lowest world, that may befall  
Containeth holly, the Elamentes all  
And in this world, is both well and woe  
And oft time changeth, both to and fro  
To some it is soft, and to some men hard  
As ye shall here soon afterward  
But that world, that passeth all manner thing  
Was made for man's, endless dwelling  
For every man, there shall have a place  
Ever to be in joy, that here hath grace  
And that was made, for our advantage  
For there is ordained, our kind heritage  
But that other world, that lower is atwyne  
Where that the stars and planets be set in  
God ordained only, for our behove  
By this reason, that I shall prove  
For the air from thence, and the heat of the Son  
sustaineth the earth here, where that we won  
And nourisheth all thing, that fruit here giveth  
To help man and be'st, that in earth liveth  
And tempreth our kind, and our complexion  
And setteth the times of the year, in their season  
And giveth us light here, where that we dwell  
else were this world, as dark as hell  
And the lowest world, was made for man  
And for these encheasones, that I tell can  
For man should therein, have his dwelling  
And live in God's service, and do his bidding  
And hold his commandments, and done his will  
Them to know and keep, and fly all evil  
And here to be proved, in ghostly battles  
Of many enemies, that man often assails  
So that through ghostly might and victory  
He may get to him endless glory  
And have than the crown, of endless bliss  
Where all joy is, that never shall miss  
Twain worlds together, here may befall  
That all men may earthly call  
One is this dale, that is our dwelling  
Another is man, that is therein abiding  
And this same dale, that we dwell in  
Is full of sorrow, and all manner sin  
That of wise clarks, in books called is  
The more world, that men may know by this  
And of the less world, yet will I nought speak  
For in to that matter, soon I will break  
And of the more world, yet will I tell  
Or I go further therein to dwell  
Than will I tell, afterward as it falleth  
The cause why men, a man the world calleth.  
THe more world, God would in earth set  
For it should to man be subject  
Man to serve, after his own delight  
And so God ordained, for man's profit  
But now this world, that man liveth in  
So wicked is, and so full of sin  
For many maketh the world, their sovereign  
So that all their works, turneth in to vain  
And some man doth thereto, all that he may  
To serve the world, both night and day  
But this world, is nothing else  
But the condition of men, that therein dwells  
For the worldly men know may nought  
But by the conditions, that they hath wrought  
For what might men by the world understand  
If none worldly men lived in land  
But he that serveth the world, and hath thereto love  
Serveth the world, and nothing God above  
For the world is here, the devils servant  
And he that it serveth, and thereto will grant  
And many a man now after the world listeneth  
But I hold him not wise, that thereon trusteth  
For this world is false, and deceivable  
And in all things wonderly unstable  
Therefore I hold a man nothing witty  
That about the world, maketh him busy  
For a man may not God's servant be  
But he the manners of the world will i'll  
〈◊〉 he may not love God, but he the world despise  
〈◊〉 the holy Gospel sayeth in this wise.  
¶ ●emo potest duob●s 〈◊〉 ●eruire a●t unum odio habebit 〈…〉 & unum sus●inebit & asterum contemp●●et.  
¶ He sayeth, no man can serve God at will  
Neither two lords, that he ne doth full evil  
For else he shall hate one in his deed  
And that other love in his manhood  
Other he shall maintain that one outright  
〈◊〉 that other despise, and set full light  
The world is God's enemy, and so men should it call  
For it is contrarious to his works all  
〈◊〉 so be everichone, that the world loveth well  
As the holy evangelist, sayeth in the Gospel.  
¶ 〈◊〉 vust esse amicus h●ius mund● inimicus dei constitultur.  
¶ 〈…〉, he that will the worlds friend be  
God's enemy, forsooth than is he  
And sore worldly men grieveth God iwis  
Therefore the apostle, in his epistle saith this.  
¶ No●●te diligere mundum nec ea que in mundo su●●t.  
¶ Love nought the world sayeth he  
Ne nothing that in the world may be  
For all that is in this world, that any man te●● can  
Other it is covetous, or lust of flesh of man  
Other covetous of eyen, that men may with look  
Other pride of life, as witnesseth the book.  
¶ Omne quod est in mundo aut est concupiscentia carnis aut concupiscentia ocu●orum, aut superbia vite.  
¶ covetous of flesh, that is saying  
That pertaineth to a man's lust or liking  
covetous of eyen, as every man may guess  
Is riches that cometh to a man with bliss  
And pride of life, that men keepeth in thought  
And ever desireth, to great honour to be brought  
And licking and lust, of fleshly majesty  
Engendereth the foul sin of lechery  
But God made the world, as he is witness  
For to serve man, in all manner of goodness  
Wherefore is man servant to the world then  
And make him the worlds bond man  
Sith he may serve God, and ever be ●re  
And out of the worlds thraldom be  
But would a man know right as he should  
What the world is, and her falseness behold  
He should have no will, as I understand  
After the world any thing to fond  
Lo what saith Bartholomewe, the great clerk  
That speaketh of the world, and of her work.  
¶ Mundus nichil aliud est ꝙ quod●am exilium erumpna, labore, dolore, doso, & tristicia plenus.  
¶ He saith that the world, is nothing else  
But an hard exile, that a man in dwells  
Both dark and dim, and a doleful dale  
That is full of sorrow, and eke of bale  
And a place full of all wretchedness  
Of anger and travail, and all business  
Of sorrow and sin, and of all folly  
Of shendshyp also, and eke villainy  
Of flitting also, and of moche taxyinge  
Of moche grievance also, and moche mourning  
Of all manner of filth, and corruption  
Of moche wrath, and extortion  
And fill of guile, and of falsehood  
Of great debate, and continual dread  
So that in this world, is nought man to advance  
But moche sorrow, and hard mischance  
And pomp and pride, with foul covetise  
With vain glory and sloth, that men oft use  
The world to him draweth all men  
And so deceiveth his lovers then  
And to many is grievous, and to few availeth  
For his lovers, he deceiveth and faileth  
And all that despiseth him, he awaiteth fast  
And thinketh them soon, in to mischief cast  
For them that he loveth, he will succour  
And make them rich, and great of honour  
And to beguile them, he thinketh are the last  
And into great mischief, he will them cast  
Therefore worldly worship, may be told  
I vanity, that deceiveth both young and old  
And worldly richesse, how so it come  
I hold nought else, but as fantome  
The world hath many a man, with vanity defiled  
And with pomp and pride, oft them beguiled  
Therefore an holy man, as ye may here  
Speaketh unto the world, in this manner.  
¶ O munde inmunde utinam ita inmaundus esses ut me non tangeres, aut ita mundus esses ut me non conquares.  
¶ And that is in english, thus moche for to me●●  
O thou world he saith, that ever art unclean  
Why might thou not ever so unclean be  
That thou shouldest never nigh me  
Other be so clean, in thy works all  
That thou make me in to no sin fall.  

¶ How the world may be likened unto the see. ☜  
THe world may by many encheason  
Be likened to four things by good reason  
first may the world be likened iwis  
Most properly to the see, that long & broad is  
For the see after her own certain tide  
Ebbeth and floweth, and may not abide  
And through storms waxeth keen and blows  
And than riseth tempests and strong waves▪  
So fareth the world, with his favour  
Bringeth a man in to riches and to honour  
But afterward, than he casteth him a down  
In to much poverty, and trybulacyown  
And those be the great storms and keen  
That bringeth a man, in sorrow and tene.   

¶ How the world may be likened unto a wilderness.  
YEt may the world, that is broad and wide  
Be likened to a wilderness in every side  
That is full of beasts that be wild  
As Lions, Lybardes, and Wolves unmild  
That will strangle men and destroy  
And slay their beasts, and sore them noye  
So is this world full of misdoers all about  
Of many tyrants, that bringeth men in doubt  
That ever be busy, both night and day  
Men to annoy, in all that they may.   

¶ How the world maya be likened unto a Forest. ☜  
ALso the world likened may be  
To a forest, that standeth in a wild country  
That is full of thieves, & wild our laws  
That often times to such forest draws  
Haunteth their hire pass, robbeth & reaveth  
Both men and women, and nothing leaveth  
So fareth this world, that we in dwell  
Is full of thieves, that be devils of hell  
That us awaiteth, and ever be busy  
〈◊〉 to ●obbe and reave our goods ghostly.   

¶ How the world may be likened to a battle in a field.  
ANd yet is this world, as ye shall here  
May thus be likened, in the fourth manner  
To a fair field, full of divers battles  
Of strange enemies, that each day us assails  
For here we be brought in great doubt  
And set with enemies, all hard about  
And principally, with these enemies three  
But against them, well armed we mught be  
That is the world, the fiend, and thy flesh  
That each day assaileth us like fresh  
Therefore us behoveth both day and night  
For to be ready against them to fight  
THe world, as clarks doth us to understand  
Against us fighteth ever, with double hand  
Both with the right hand, and the left also  
That ever yet, hath yben our flesh foe  
And wealth the right-hand, may been told  
And the left hand is hap, and angers cold  
For the right hand, assaileth men some while  
With wealth of the world them to beguile  
And that is wealth, without anger and dolour  
Of worldly riches, and great treasure  
And with the left hand, he assaileth eftsoon  
And maketh men sorry often, and groan  
And that is anger and tribulation  
And also poverty, and moche persecution  
Such things clarks, the left hand calleth  
That in this world, amongs men falleth  
And with the world cometh dame fortune soon  
That either hand changeth, as the new moon  
For ever he turneth about her wheel  
Sometime in to woe, and sometime to weal  
And when she letteth the wheel about go  
Sometime she turneth from well in to woe  
And eftsoons again, form woe in to bliss  
And thus turned her wheel often is  
And that wheel clarks, nought else calleth  
But hap or chance, that suddenly falleth  
And such hap, men holdeth nothing else  
But wrath or ha●e, that in men dwells  
Therefore worldly wleth, is ever more in doubt  
While dame fortune, turneth her wheel about  
Wherefore perfit men, that good life lead  
The wealth of the world, sore they dread  
For wealth draweth a man from the right way  
And leadeth him from God, both night and day  
Thus may each man dread wealth, who that can  
And so saith saint Jerome, the good holy man  
The more he saith, that a man waxeth up right  
In wealth other in any worldly might  
The more he should, have dread in thought  
That from the bliss, he ne fall nought.  
¶ Quanto magis in virtutibus crescimus, can to 〈◊〉 ●mere debemu●nt sublimius corru●mus.  
¶ To this accordeth a clerk SEneca the wise  
That counseleth us, the world to despise.  
¶ Tune salubre consilium ad●oca cum tibi affudunt mundi despera.  
¶ Seneca sayeth, and giveth good council  
When this world maketh his merucyll  
Than seek thy wit, and after counceyll●all  
That moche wealth make the not fall  
For wealthiness is but a shadow somdele dark  
And so saith saint Gregory, the noble clerk.  
¶ 〈◊〉 fortunis timenda est: magis 〈◊〉 prospera ꝙ adnersa.  
¶ Saint Gregory sayeth in this ma●er  
That if every hap be for to dread here  
yet is hap of wealth to dread more  
Tha● any 〈◊〉 sorrow, though it grieve sore  
For anger man●es life cleanseth and proveth  
And wealth to sin a man soon moveth  
And so may man his soul lightly spill  
Through wealths, that men have at their will  
And so cometh afterward, to endless pain  
And so witnesseth, the doctor saint Au●ayne.  
¶ Sanitas continu●●, et rerum habundancia eterna dampnacionis sunt indicia.  
¶ He saith continual hele, and worldly weal  
As to much ruches and goods feel  
Be tokens as in book written is  
Of hell damnation endless iwis  
And to these words, that some men mysspeaketh  
Accords saint Gregory, and thus he sayeth.  
¶ Continuus successus rerum temperasium eterne dampnacio●● est judicium.  
¶ He sayeth, that continual hap coming  
Of worldly goods, is a tokening  
Of damnation, that at the last shall be  
Before God, that then shall fall without pity  
But the world praiseth none men only  
But them that to the world be happy  
And upon worldly things, sette●●; their heart  
And ever flieth the simple state of poverty  
Such men be busy, and gathereth fast  
And fareth as their love should evermore last  
To them the world is quaint and favourable  
I● all thing, that thinketh them profitable  
And can much of worldly quey●tyse  
The world calleth them good men and wise  
And to them falleth riches many fold  
But it is their damnation, as I have told  
For in heaven, may no man have an home  
That followeth the world, and his wisdom  
And such wisdom, sayeth a wise clerk and 〈◊〉  
That before God, it is hold but folly.  
¶ Sapiencia hu●u● 〈…〉  
¶ But many to the world, moth lystet●  
And he is not wise, that thereon trusteth  
For it leadeth a man, with wrynches and wiles  
And at the last him it begyles  
A man may be called both witty and wise  
That setteth the world at little prise  
And hateth the things, that the world loveth moste  
And thinketh to bliss, to bring his ghost  
And to the world trusteth right nought  
But ever in that other world, setteth his thought  
For no sure dwelling, shall we here find  
As the apostle Paul witnesseth, thus sayende.  
¶ Non manentem civitatem hi● habemus set futuram inquitimus.  
¶ He sayeth, no sure dwelling here have w●  
But seek we another, that ever shall be  
And as ge●●●s have our so●●urne  
A little time till we hence turn  
And that may fall rather than we wen●  
For man is here, but as an alya●e  
To travail here in way all times  
To wend in to our country, as doth pylgryines  
Therefore the Prophet, unto God speaketh thus  
As David in the Psalter telleth to us.  
¶ 〈…〉 advena ego sum apud te 〈…〉 ut omnes patres mei. etc.  
¶ Be thou still Lord, sayeth he  
For why, I am coming toward thee  
And a pilgrim, as all my fathers were  
Thus may, every man see, that liveth here  
That is to say, Lord be thou not still  
That 〈◊〉 make me here know thy will  
And 〈…〉 to my soul thou give  
That may make her, both glad and belive  
And say thus thereto, I am thy salvation  
For thou art my pilgrim trow in devotion.   

¶ Of two ways in this world.  
TWo ways there be in this world full rife  
One is way of death, another of life  
This world is the way and also passage  
Through the which lieth our pylgrymag●  
By this way all we must needs go  
And each man beloveth, that it is so  
In this world be two ways of kind  
Who that will assay, the sooth he may find  
One is the way of death here told  
And that other is the way of life hold  
But the way of death, seemeth large and easy  
For that may us lead, even and lightly  
To the horrible land of darkness  
Where sorrow and pain is, and wretchedness  
But the way of life, seemeth narrow and hard  
That leadeth us, even to our country ward  
And that is the kingdom of heaven bright  
Where we shall be in God's sight  
And as God's sons there been ytolde  
If we do well, both young and old  
For the way of the world, is here unstable  
And our life also, well changeable  
As often is seen in many manner wise  
Through tempest of wethers, that maketh men anguyse  
For the world, and the worldly life yfere  
Changeth full oft, and in divers manner  
And in her state dwelleth but a while  
Unneth the space of a little mile  
And for the world is so unsteadfast  
For all thing thereon soon is overcast.   

Of the unsteadfastness of this world.  
GOd ordained, as it was his will  
Uaryaunce of the season to fulfil  
And divers wethers, and other seasones  
In token of the false worlds conditions  
That so unstable be to man's hand  
That little time in their state may stand  
For God will that men through tokens may know  
How unstable the world is in every throw  
So that men thereon the less should trust  
And for no wealth thereon, to moche have lust  
The times changeth often, and be not in one state  
For now is the morening, and now it is late  
And now it is day, and now it is night  
And now it is dark, and now it is light  
And now is there cold, and now great heat  
And now it is dry, and now it is weet  
And now it is hail, and snow full strong  
And now fair wether, and Son shine among  
And now is the wether clear, and fair with all  
And now it is dark, and rain doth down fall  
By all the variance men may understand  
Are tokens of the world, that is varyande  
●et there be more tokens, that we may lere  
Of the unstableness, of this world here  
For now is great mirth, and now mourning  
And now is laughter, and now weeping  
And now men be well, and now be woe  
And now is a man friend, and now is foe  
And now is a man light, and now is heavy  
And now is a man glad, and now is dreary  
And now have we joy, and now have we pine  
And now have we cattle, and now we it tyne  
And now we be rich, and now we be poor  
And now we have little, and now we have more  
And now we have rest, and now we have travail  
And now find we our strength, what it may avail  
And now we be great, and now we be bare  
And now we be well, and now we be in care  
And now we be light, and now we be slow  
And now we be high, and now we be low  
Now love, now hate, now peace, and strife  
All these be the manners, of man's life  
That ever betokeneth moche unsteadfastness  
Of this worlds wealth, that so changeable is  
And as this life is ever away passing  
So is the world every day apparing  
For the world to her end draweth fast  
As clarks by many things can cast  
Therefore the world, as clarks hath me told  
Is as much to mean, as the world that is old  
For two earthly worlds to this life befalleth  
As told is before, as clarckes it calleth  
But the more world, and also the less  
Full changeable be, and away doth pass  
The more world is this world, long and broad  
But the less world is likened to manhood.   

¶ How the rowndenes of this world is likened to a man.  
ANd as the more world, is round yset  
So is the less, as a man that is mer  
For in y● breed of a man, as god world send  
As much space fro the long fingers end  
Of the right hand, the arms out spreading  
To the fingers end of the left hand out stretching  
And also fro the top above at the crown  
Straight to the sole of the foot there down  
Than if a man his arms out spread  
No more is the length of him, than is the breed  
And so may a man be met all about  
Ever as acompas, himself without  
And thus hath the less world, that a man is  
Even after the shape of the more world iwis  
But these two worlds, the more and the less  
At the last time away shall pass  
For the more eldre, that they shall bear  
The more they enpereth, and become feblere  
As me ● may see, that giveth here intent  
And so witnesseth the great clerk Innocent.  
¶ Senuit iam mundus v●erque & maior mundus & minor & quanto proluxius utriusque senectus ꝓducitus tant● deterni● utriusque natura conprobatur.  
¶ He sayeth, as it is in latin told  
Either world, now waxeth full old  
And the longer that their time is here sought  
And the age of either, other forth ybrought  
The more in malice, a●d in feebleness iwis  
The kind of either other m●●led ●s.   

Of the conditions of worldliness,  
OF those worldly men/ great outrage men may see  
Of pomp and pride, and all vanity  
In diverse manner, and in diverse guise  
That now is used in many manner wise  
In worldly having, and high bearing  
As in idle apparyle, and foul wearing  
The which asketh over great costage  
And at the last, it turneth to much outrage  
For such disguising, and such manner  
As young men now hath, as we may lere  
For now is every day continually say  
That might before, have be by no way  
For thing that sometime was called villainy  
Now young men holdeth it for great courtesy  
And that men sometime for courtesy would call  
Arwe in little time to bylonye it is fall  
For now maketh men so oft their changing  
In many manners, and also of diverse clothing  
Nowemen useth short clothes, and now wide  
And other while narrow clothes, and over side  
And some have their clothing, hanging as stools  
And some goeth tatered, as it were fools  
And some goeth wrycking toward and fro  
And some goeth skipping, as doth ado  
And so useth men all the new get  
And therewith the devil taketh them in to his net  
And through such uncomely pomp and pride  
They ne wot whither they may gone or ride  
For so moche pride, as now is ywene  
Was never before, among men seen  
For such guises, that cometh of wantonhede  
I trow that they may be tokens dread  
Of great myschyfes, and hasty to understand  
That is now in to this world command  
And therefore God's wrath, with them shall meet  
As witnesseth David the prophet.  
¶ Etirritaverunt deum in vanitatibus suis.  
¶ And they moved him to wrath saith he  
In their new findings of vanity  
This may be called, as the book proveth  
By them that such dysguyses useth  
For such men therewith God grieveth  
And therefore from them his grace he reaveth  
And God at the last to them will send  
Great vengeance, but they them amend  
God suffereth them a while to have their will  
And in their follies, for to abide still  
And that may be known, by many manner of guise  
As saint David witnesseth in this wise.  
¶ E● dimisi ●os secundum desideria cordis eorum.  
¶ The prophet David speaketh, and sayeth thus  
In God's name, as the Psalter telleth us  
I let them he sayeth, without all manner covert  
After jousts and liking of their own heart  
And in their new findings, they shall go  
Well may this be said, by them and other more  
That God suffereth in folly, and their time loseth  
And after their lusts, new findings chooseth  
That to the world maketh them gay  
And from God turneth, both night and day  
And at the last they shall hence wend  
To the 〈◊〉 that be without end  
Therefore I council all vanities to forsake  
And in this world, betimes amends make  
yet hath the world, that is so treacherous  
Many other manners, that be contrarious  
For now is virtue turned in to vice  
And playeth mirth and game in to malice  
And now is devotion, in many a man's side  
Turned all in to boast, and to foul pride  
And now is wit and wisdom, hold folly  
Both among young and old, turned to treachery  
And now is folly, hold great wisdom  
And thereto is turned now, both master and groom  
And now is clean love, turned to lechery  
And all rightfulness in to treachery  
And thus is this world, turned up so down  
To many a man's soul, great dampnacyown  
But such seemeth as they were wode  
For good thing they hold evil, and evil thing good  
Woe shall they be therefore, as clarks can tell  
For God himself, witnesseth it in the gospel  
Woe to you saith Chryst, that thinketh with your will  
That evil thing is good, and good thing evil  
That is to say, that themself should be woe  
That in this world, myslyveth their life so  
And thus is the world, and man's life therein  
Full with vanity, and wretchedness of sin  
But some men loveth, so much this life  
And also the world, that is full of strife  
And so they think, never to wend there fro  
But ever to dwell here, if it might be so  
And loveth so much this worlds vanity  
And never desireth here, in other life to be  
But would a man, well him understand  
That the world is busy, a man for to shonde  
And what he shall have thereof at the last end  
When he shall from the world wend  
Than should him list, both night and day  
To forsake mirths, and sing well away  
A man therefore must such works forsake  
And to God's mercy, all his heart take  
And lead here his life, in meekness and poverty  
In f●stynge, and in penance, and other works smart  
And know his conscience, that is inward  
To have the joy of heaven than afterward  
And thus should every man, him well be think  
If he will God's grace in him sink  
Now have I told you in diverse manner  
The conditions of man's life, and of the world here  
And now I will pass furthermore  
And speak of the third part, and of his lore  
That telleth specially, as I shall read  
Of death, and wherefore it is to dread.    

¶ Here beginneth the third part of this book/ that speaketh of death.  
DEath is most dreadful thing that is  
In all the world, as the book witnesseth this  
For there is no quick thing living  
That against death is sore dreading  
Fleeth it as long as he may/ but at last it is deaths pray  
And when death cometh, and maketh debate  
All thing he bringeth, in to another state  
For no man may against him stand  
Whither he come by water, or by land.  

¶ Of three manners of death.  
AS clarks find written, they readeth  
Three manners of death been that men dreadeth  
One is bodily that after kind doth wend  
And the other ghostly, that other without end  
And bodily death, that kindly is wrought  
Is when body and soul, asunder is brought  
Death is full hard & bitter, as I shall tell you hereafter  
For ghostly death is departing of sin  
Between God, and man's soul within  
For right as the soul is life of the body  
Right so the life of the soul, is God almighty  
And as the body is without any doubt  
Dead as stone, when man's soul is out  
So is the soul of man dead also  
When almighty God departeth there fro  
For where sin is, the devil is of hell  
And where sin is, God will not dwell  
For deadly sin, and the devil, and he  
In one place, may not together be  
And when man's soul, is bound with sin  
God is thence, and the devil dwelleth therein  
Than is the soul dead, before God in deed  
While sin and the soul, dwelleth in one stead.   

¶ How a man's soul is dead through sin.  
AS a man's body may be s●awe  
With w●pyn, that to him may be draw  
So is the soul slain through foul sin  
〈…〉  
Than is ghostly death for to dread more  
Than any bodily death, though it grieve sore  
And in as moche, as the soul principally  
Is more worthy, than a man's body  
For though a man's soul, through sin be dead  
And departed from God in his manhood  
yet it might ever live, and hard pain find  
But the body is deed anon through fleshly kind  
But of bodily death is none again turning  
For of all earthly death, it maketh an ending  
And that is the way, that we must wend  
To ●oye other to pain, that is without end  
Nevertheless if the soul with sin be slain  
yet he may through grace, be quycked again  
For God bought it dear, upon the road tree  
In the joy of Paradise, with him for to be  
For all ghostly wounds, that be of fin  
May here through penance, take hele to win  
And though God ever be rightful and mighty  
yet he evermore is full of mercy  
And to save man's soul, more ready is he  
Than any man will, to his mercy i'll  
For the life of the soul, pleaseth him more  
Than doth man's death, as saith his lore.  
¶ No●o mortem peccatoris sed magis convertatur ut vivat.  
¶ I will not the death of a sinful wight  
But he turn him, and do penance right  
Than may a sinful man, that his soul hath slawe  
Be turned to grace, and from damnation be draw.   

¶ how in hell is death without end.  
Endeles' death, is death of hell  
That they shall have, that there shall dwell  
For hell is counted a perilous place  
For there is endless woe, without any grace  
Care and sorrow, that never shall sin  
yet may not the soul die therein  
And it might die, as the body doth here  
Of all her pain, than delivered she were  
For the death of hell, is evermore living  
And is strong death, evermore lasting  
Of this death men may read and look  
In the Psalms of David in his book  
Taht speaketh moche, of the pains of hell  
Therefore upon this matter, I will no longer dwell   

¶ what manner thing is death.  
DEath is nought else soothly  
But departing between the soul & the body  
And as I have somedeal before said  
This may be called a deaths brayed  
And a very remembering of man's life  
When the soul parteth from the body with strife  
As ye may know in your thought  
That kindly darkness is to be felt nought  
But where that no manner light is see  
properly there is darkness in every degree  
So that darkness is dyreyving of light  
So is death of life, when a man is hence twyght  
Thus fareth death, that all men dreadeth most  
When the life faileth, they yield up the ghost.   

Men dreadeth death for four things.  
Four encheasones in books I read  
Why men death so much dread  
One is for death is strong and fell  
And hath more pain, than man can tell  
Another is, for the sight that he shall see  
Of horrible devils, that about him shall be  
The third is for account that he shall yield  
Of all that he hath done in youth and eld  
The fourth for he is ever than uncertain  
Whither he shall wend to bliss or pain  
He woteth not than, how he shall far  
For death is bitter, and full of care  
And so it seemeth well, as saith the book  
For when christ died in manhood that he took  
And or he died upon the holy road  
For dread of death, he sweet drops of blood  
For he wist, or he to death 'gan pass  
What the hard pain, of bodily death was  
Than may we know thereby full weal  
That the pain of man's death, is hard to fel●  
And of that death, I may think wonder  
For all thing death may break asunder  
As it showeth by many ways to us  
Therefore an holy man, in his book saith thus.  
¶ Mors soluit omnia.  
¶ Death he sayeth, undoth all manner thing  
And of man's life, maketh an ending  
Wherefore death is greatly to be dread  
As hereafter it shall be more plainly showed.   

¶ Of the first encheason why men dreadeth death.  
first a man should dread death in his heart  
For the pains of death, that be full smart  
That is the last, and also the end  
When the soul from the body shall wend  
A sorrowful departing is that for to tell  
For they love together, evermore to dwell  
And none of them, would froin other go  
So moche love, is between them two  
And the sadder that two be together in love  
As a man and his wife, through God above  
The more sorrow, and the longer mourning  
Shall be between them, at their departing  
But the body and the soul, with the life  
loveth more together, than doth man and wife  
And whither that they gone, in good way or evil  
Ever together they would be still  
But there is encheason, as men may see  
Why that they would ever together be  
For encheason that God, through his might and wy●  
That body and soul, first together knit  
Another is, for that one may nothing do  
But if that other, will help thereto  
The third is, for they shall together come  
Before our Lord God, to their doom  
The fourth encheason is, when they come there  
Together they shall dwell, without any where  
Therefore the more is their pain and care  
When that one shall from that other fare  
And this departing, may be called death  
That flieth about, as doth a man's breath  
Through all lands, both far and near  
And spareth nothing, for any power  
For prayer ne gift, that any man may give  
Where that death cometh, he suffereth no man to live  
For he ●e spareth neither high ne low  
That he ne reaveth their life in a little throw  
So death hath no mercy of no wight  
As saint bernard witnesseth full right.  
¶ ●on miserietur in opie nec reuereiur diviciis nec sapientie, nec moribus, nec etati.  
¶ He sayeth that death of poverty no mercy taketh  
Neither too rich men, reward he hath  
Neither to wisdom, that men can show  
Neither too old men, for their days be few  
Death will have neither reverence nor favour  
Neither friendship of king, ne Emperor  
Neither of bishop, ne yet of prelate  
Neither of other, what soever they be of state  
Therefore saint bernard, saith thus in his writing  
For every man, should dread deaths coming.  
¶ Mortem esse communem, cunctis scito viventibus.  
¶ understand thou he saith, that death is  
To all common, both to more and less  
And thus shall death bysyte every man  
And yet what he is, no man discern can  
But the pain of death, that all shall feel  
As telleth a Philosopher to us full well.  
HE likeneth a man's life unto a tree  
That were waxing, if it might be  
Through a man's heart, wrotes to spring  
And in every place, a branch growing  
And the crop at the mouth, out come might  
And to each a joint, a root were dight  
And every vain, that is in a man's body  
Had a rote fastened full hard thereby  
And to every finger, and toes also  
Were a rote from the tree growing thereto  
That in each limb, that is in every side  
The roots of the tree, should thereon betide  
If that tree were so sore pulled out  
That the roots should arise all about  
Than should the roots, the joints strain  
And each bone, and sinew also with vain  
Than a more pain, can no man cast  
Than this 〈…〉 long as it might last  
And yet the pain of death is hold more  
And harder in his time, than this wore  
Therefore every man before as it is said  
May greatly dread, the hard deaths brayed  
But the most dread is then all within  
If a man's soul be in deadly sin  
And therefore the Prophet, saith thus in his book  
And warneth us eachone thereto to look.  
¶ O mors ꝙ amara memoria tua homini iniusto.  
¶ O thou bitter death, and dreadful saith he  
Full grisly thing it is for to think on the  
And namely to that man, that is full of sin  
Wherefore his conscience, is grieved within  
Therefore me thinketh a man is not sly  
That maketh not him to death ready  
For so certain in earth, is no manner man  
That his ending day, forsooth tell can  
Neither the time of death, can not look  
And so saint bernard sayeth in this book.  
¶ Quid in rebus hymanis certius est morte  
Quid incertius hora mortis invenietur.  
¶ He 〈◊〉, what is to a man more certain  
Than is death, that is so sudden  
And what is also more uncertain thing  
Than is the time of deaths coming  
Therefore saint Austyne, the holy man  
Sayeth thus in his book, as I prove can.  
¶ ●rscis qua hora veniat mor● ideo semper vigila ut cum veneri● te ꝑatum inu●niat ● tempus illius forte nescis ut semper ideo eens ꝑatus.  
¶ Man thou knowest not sayeth he  
What time deaths coming shall be  
Therefore wake as thou hadst ever knowing  
The tide and time of deaths coming  
That death find the when he shall come  
All ready to God and buxom  
For thou shouldest not, perchance know  
The coming of death, to hold the law  
And in thy conscience, to make the yare  
For when death cometh, he will not spare  
Than behoveth us our life so to cast  
As every day of our life, were the last  
And every day us aready to make  
As we should each day, the death take  
And not abide, till death us visit  
For saint Austyne in his book thus doth write.  
¶ 〈◊〉 nobis vltimu● dies ut obseruerentur bene ceteri di●●  
Raro enim perantur remedia, cum mortis venerunt pericula.  
¶ The last day of man here sayeth he  
For all other days, better kept should be  
For men ordaineth remedy to late  
When perils of death standeth at the gate  
And in the same state, that he is than  
He shall be deemed when he is gone  
Therefore every man, for dread of letting  
Should not abide, deaths coming  
But make him ready, or he death feel  
And than after keep himself weal  
For when death is to the gate come  
Than to late hath he his warning nome  
For death from a man, his mind byreveth  
And no kindly wit in him believeth  
For than shall he find such pain and dread  
That he shall think upon no misdeed  
But in this pain, and in nothing else  
As the holy man, saint Austyne tells.  
¶ Timor mortis totam vitam sibi vendicat lt de peccatis tunc libeat cogitare. etc.  
¶ dread of death he sayeth, when he assaileth a man  
Changeth the soul, and maketh the body won  
So him lust than to have no thought  
Of the sins, that he hath here ywrought  
Therefore every man amend him here  
Or death come and send his messengere  
And if a man will before beware  
Than of all sins, death shall find him bare  
His messenger, well may be called sickness  
That goeth before, and bringeth him indystres  
For sickness oft times, pineth a man so  
That for great sickness his mind is go  
For than may ●e think, upon nothing else  
But upon the pain, that upon him dwells  
But when d●ath cometh to him soon afterward  
Than pains shall be 〈◊〉, that be more hard  
For than shall he be let in such dread  
So that of himself, he taketh little heed  
And that is reason, for he would nought  
Whiles that he might, have God in thought  
Therefore he sha●l then lose clean his mind  
And thus we may 〈◊〉 saint Austyne find.  
¶ Hac animaduersione percuttitor peccator ut moriens obliviscatur sui. qui dum viveret oblitus est dei sui.  
¶ The sinful man he sayeth, as it is write  
With the pain of death, shall be ysmyte  
That for the pain, that in him shall fall  
Forgetteth himself, when he hence shall  
For while that he lived, at his own will  
He forgot God, and his hests would not fill  
And also sinful men, have here no grace  
To have repentance, neither time ne space  
Thus shall he die, and so lose heaven bliss  
And be put in to pain, without any lysse  
For they be unkind, and to God uncurtayes  
Therefore saint David, in the Psalter thus says.  
¶ 〈…〉 sicut homines inoriemini, & sicut unno de prin●●pibus cadetis.  
¶ And sareth thus to men, ye shall die all  
And as on of the princes ye shall fall  
That is ye shall die in the same manner  
As all men died in this world here  
And as the ghosts, that fell from heaven  
And were put to hell, with an horrible steven  
Therefore to every man, it were wisdom  
To amend him of sins, or death come  
And have God in mind, while his life is  
As the Prophet commandeth, and sayeth this.  
¶ Memento creatoris tui antequam veniat tempus visitationis tue.  
¶ Think man he sayeth, and have in thought  
How that made the first of nought  
While thou livest, and or thy time be  
When God with death, will visit the  
For death clean man's mind breaketh  
And therefore saint David to God thus speaketh.  
¶ Domine non est in morte qui memor sit tui.  
¶ Lord he saith, that man alive is nought  
That in time of death, hath not the in thought  
But men may understand thereby  
The death of soul, through sin namely  
For the man that of God myndeles is  
It seemeth in soul, that he dead is  
For God visiteth us by every manner way  
Where that the tokens of death feel we may  
For if we could us well understand  
The tokens of death, each day doth us fond  
Wherefore me thinketh, all that here seemeth  
Is more dead than alive, as wise men deemeth  
For the book telleth, and witnesseth before  
That a man anon as he is boar  
beginneth toward his death to draw  
And with diverse evils, often is guawe  
As angers and sickness, that falleth all day  
The which deaths throws, call we may  
And in other ways, and perils many one  
That oft grieveth men, in flesh and in bone  
Than is our birth here but abiding  
A bodily death, that is our ending  
For the longer, that a man waxeth old  
The more may this life death be cold  
Than seemeth our life here nothing else  
But as it were death as the book tells  
And to that other life, come we nought  
Till death this life, to end hath brought  
But when death of our life, hath made an end  
Than know we nought, whither for to wend  
Whither that we shall to well other to woe  
But certes to that one we shall go  
And to good men, than death is the way  
To the joy of heaven, that lasteth ay  
And to the wicked men, that passeth that entre  
In the pain of hell, they shall ever be  
Therefore saint David the holy prophet  
Thus speaketh to God, with words sweet.  
¶ Qui ●xaltas me de portis mortis ut annuncien oens lands tuas.  
¶ Lord almighty God, forsooth thou art he  
That from the gates of death, hast take me  
So that I may tell passing all things  
The great multitude of thy praisings  
In the holy gates of thy daughter Zion  
That gate as clarks telleth, that can thereon  
Is holy Church, that God first cheer  
Through the which, men cometh to the gateof peace  
And by the gates of death, as we may see  
The bitter death of hell, understand may be  
From that same place, God keep us might and day  
And grant us his love, as he well may  
Therefore we should him serve, and his will work  
In the true believe of holy Church  
So that we may, than afterward wend  
To the city of peace, that hath none end  
But all men that shall to that place come  
Hence shall wend through death all and some  
But that death to them is nothing evil  
That liveth here in earth after God's will  
And in such holy life steadfastly dwelleth  
As saint Austyne the holy man, in a book telleth.  
¶ Mala mors illi putanda non est, quem in vita sua boni actus processerunt.  
¶ He sayeth men should not, to them evil death ween  
That in good deeds, would his life mean  
For nothing maketh a man so high of boast  
As evil deeds that followeth the death most  
For all be deadly, that sin will do  
And therefore saint Austyne, sayeth thus thereto.  
¶ Non potest male mori qui bene vixerit & vix bene moritur qui male vixerit.  
¶ He sayeth, he may no evil death have  
That liveth on earth through God's law  
But uneath may men by any reason  
Die in good death, that leadeth his life in treason  
But that man, that hateth this lives liking  
Dare never dread of deaths coming  
or after his death here, no pain him deres  
As Caton witnesseth in this verse.  
¶ Non metuit mortem qui sit contempnere vitam.  
¶ He sayeth, he that can this life despise  
Shall not dread death, in no manner wise  
For so did martyrs, that their death sought  
For after this world, nothing they wrought  
And also holy men, willed to death be dight  
To dwell in heaven, with God almight  
As the books of their lives, telleth to us  
For so did an holy man, that sayeth thus▪  
¶ ●upio dissolui ● esse cum christo.  
¶ I covet he sayeth, hence for to wend  
Out of this life, and be with christ without end  
For holy men, thought here this life  
Was nothing else, but sorrow and strife  
Therefore they coveted, the end of their day  
As sayeth an holy man, as I tell may.  
¶ Melius est dies mortis ꝙ dies nativitatis.  
¶ He sayeth, better is the day of death alone  
Than the day of birth, that is full of moan  
For a good man dieth, for to go unto rest  
Their life is endless, and joy alther most  
When the soul from the body shall begun  
As in Apocalyps, witnesseth saint Iohn.  
¶ Beati mortui qui in domino moriuntur.  
¶ blessed be all they, in deed and in word  
That dieth here in earth, in the honour of our lord  
For all that men seth in good life end  
They die with God, and to him shall wend  
In to the joy of heaven, that is on high  
Well is him that through death, that stead may nigh  
And doubtless, though holy men died here weal  
yet the pains of death they shall feel  
But when they shall, a new life win  
When the body and soul, departeth atwynne  
Somedele they shall then have dread  
Through mankind, and through manhood  
Sith that christ dread death in his passion  
Through kind of his flesh, as it was reason  
Than ought a man both less and more,  
The bitter pains of death, dread full sore.   

¶ The two encheason why men dreadeth death.  
THe second encheason is, as I in book read  
Why that death is so greatly to dread  
For the dreadful sight of many foul fiends  
That a man shall see than, & few other friends  
When that this life here draweth to the end  
And woteth not whither he shall with them wend  
For when the life of a man, is in doubt  
Than will devils come him about  
To take the soul, with them away  
In to the pain of hell, and that is their prey  
For as wode Lioness, they shall then far  
And on him green, roar and stare  
And horrible rolling, and on him blere  
And with hideous looks, to make him fere  
And so they will stand, at his ending  
If that they might, in wanhope him bring  
Through such thretuing, as they will then make  
And through dread, that they shall take  
Through hideous sights, that they then will show  
The horrible company, that stand shall in rue  
And therefore the prophet saint Jeremy  
witnesseth these words in his prophe●ye.  
¶ Omnes amici eius apprehend crunt eam inter angustias.  
¶ He sayeth, that among his anguishes great  
His enemies should him take, and nought let  
Than is no wonder, though the devils come  
To the sinful man, when death hath him nome  
As the devil to saint bernard came at the last day  
To bring the holy man, in to great afray.   

¶ How the devil came and appeared unto saint bernard.  
IT is found in the life of saint bernard  
When he drew to his deat●, ward  
That the devil of hell, so horrible of hew  
Asked of saint bernard, with words few  
Wherefore he asked the kingdom of heaven  
Sith he had guilt in the sins seven  
Then answered saint bernard to him this  
That I am not worthy, I wot iwis  
Through my●e own sins, it for to have  
〈◊〉 I shall hence wend to my grave  
But through my lord jesus full of might  
That all thing governeth, as it is right  
As through right of his father's heritage  
And also for christian men's advantage  
And through right of his hard passion  
That he suffered here, for our salvation  
That heritage freely, he granted me  
And also that other part to him should be  
Of whose right, I ask that heaven rich  
After his mercy, that nothing is like  
When the devil hard him thus say  
As overcome he went his way  
And anon saint bernard, when this was done  
Came again to his mind, that erst was gone  
And anon died afterward the  
And even his soul to bliss 'gan go  
But it is more wonder all for to tell  
Why that God suffereth, the devil of hell  
To appear to him, that is of might moste  
When that he died, and gave up his ghost  
For the great clarks, witnesseth it  
In their own books, that be of holy writ  
Than seemed it well, that God would thus  
Suffer the devil of hell, to appear to us  
In time of death, at our last end  
When we shall all hence wend  
But a strong pain, to us that shall be  
The great sight of devils, that than we shall see  
For they be so horrible, as telleth the book  
And so black, and dreadful upon to look  
So that all manner of men, that I may devise  
Of the foul sight of them, may sore agrise  
For all manner men, that be in earth alive  
So horrible a sight, can never describe  
Nor none so qu●ynte a payntour, that might bring to pass●  
Neither man so witty, never yet was  
That could aught imagine, of their horryblenes  
Other paint any point after their likeness  
For their shape in this world, may no man make  
Ne see the same form, that they have take  
But if the devils, had of God so large power  
In their own form, to show them here  
Less they should their mind, and be sore aghast  
For cause that they be in to such form cast  
But so hardy man was never yet none  
That lived in earth, in flesh and bone  
If he saw the devil, in his form aright  
That he ne should for dread of that foul sight  
Anon right to die, other to lose his wit  
As soon as he had beholden it  
But in the same form, as I tell can  
Sethem never hear no lives man  
But only to them, that death is near  
For God hath bynome them their power  
So that they may tempt no man, ne grieve  
Further than our lord God, hath given them leave  
But anon as death assaileth a man  
In the foulest form, they will appear than  
For because that every man, dreading should be  
Against the same time, that he should them se.  
BUt to you all, I will tell soothly  
Wherefore the devils be all so gresely  
For when that they were Angels bright  
As though that be in heaven, before God's sight  
And from that place, through sin they fell  
And anon bycommen foul fiends of hell  
And were horrible figured through sin  
And so they were all wrapped therein  
For if sin ne were, they had be still  
Bright Angels, as they were through God's will  
And now they be horrible, and unseemly  
And that was through sin of pride only  
Than is sin fouler, and more loathsome  
Than is the devil, that from hell may come  
For clarks telleth it, that be of cunning  
That sin is so foul, and so horrible a thing  
That if a man might see, before him his sin  
In the same likeness, that he falleth in  
He should rather than for dread it i'll  
Than any devil of hell, that he might see  
Than is the soul of a sinful man within  
Fouler than the devil, if he be in sin  
Therefore a man should, where that he wends  
More dread sin, than any sight of fiends  
That shall come to him, at his ending  
For his sins indyspayre him to bring  
Of which sins, he would him not shryfe  
Ne take no repentance here in his life  
For us behoveth everichone, in Gods own sight  
yield our accounts of wrong and of right  
And of all things, that ever we have wrought  
Both in work, and in will, and every mysthought.   

¶ Of the third encheason why men dreadeth death.  
THe third encheason, is to our understanding  
Why every man dreadeth deaths coming  
For all thing shall be showed and se●e  
Both good, evil, foul, and also clean  
And there been rehearsed, as the book telleth right  
between foul fiends, and Angels bright  
Than shall they dispute there, all our life  
With great sorrow, both care and strife  
For in the same time, all thing shall be known  
And in the same day, nothing been hidden  
But only sin, that is cleansed here  
And all good deeds done in good manner  
Than shall we all there, both here and see  
All manner privities, that ever wrought we  
And therefore God sayeth in his Gospel  
In the same manner, that I will you tell.  
¶ Niehil opertum quod non revelabitur.  
¶ There is no manner of thing here so hidden  
That ne shall than be showed and known  
And still there abide must we  
Till there all our life clean examined be  
Therefore saint Ancelme, as the book telleth us  
Speaketh to the soul sharply thus  
Thou wretched soul saith he, what might thou win  
When thou from thy body depart shall atwyn  
For than behoveth the accounts to yield  
Of all that thou hast done in youth and in eld  
From the beginning, that thou couldst wit  
Unto the last day, for thou might not flit  
And than shall wellaway, forsooth he thy song  
For thou hast spended thy life here in wrong  
And than shall all thy sins here been showed  
Whither so that thou be lered other lewd  
Of which sin, thou shalt more dread  
Than of all the devils, that thither the will lead  
And thus shall every man, at his ending  
There be brought to an hard reckoning  
For no sin than to him shall be untold  
Be it never so prive, other kept in hold  
And I find written, three causes why  
That no man may trust than sickerly  
Upon his good deeds, that he hath done here  
And the causes why, be good to lere  
One is that all things, that good be  
From God they come, and not from the  
So that all good deeds, that here be wrought  
Be Gods own deeds, and ours right nought  
But all our sins, that we may do known  
cometh all from ourselves, and they be our own  
And an other cause there is also  
For because that we be ready evermore  
An hundred times rather to do sin  
Than once a good deed here to begin  
And thus we may account, re●en, and read  
An hundred sins against one good deed  
The third cause is, for to show among  
For oft times our deeds be done with wrong  
And not in good manner, as they ought to be  
And perchance they be done out of charity  
And therefore our good deeds, pure good are nought  
But saint Austyne saith, our evil pure evil are wrought▪  
¶ Omnes iniusticie nostre quasi pannus menstruatus.  
¶ He sayeth, our good deeds may be seen  
As a cloth defouled with thing unclean  
Therefore for certain knoweth no manner man  
How he shall far, when he his way take can  
But we shall believe without any manner dread  
That every man shall have after his own deed  
But thereof be we not sicker in our life days  
As witnesseth an holy man, and in this manner says▪  
¶ Nescit homo utrum sit dignus pro actibus suis amore vel odio.  
¶ He sayeth for certain, a man knoweth nought  
Though he have here, never s● much good wrought  
Whither that he be worthy after his deed  
To have the love of God, other else hatred  
And also Isodore, as the book telleth us  
Accords well thereto, and sayeth all thus.  
¶ Seruu & dei dum bonum agit, utrum sit ei ad bonum incertus est. etc.  
¶ He sayeth, the man that is God's servant  
That to all goodness, maketh his haunt  
yet is he nothing certain in thought  
Whither it be good to him, other it be nought  
Wherefore our living is here full hard  
As witnesseth the holy man, saint bernard.  
¶ Quis potest hic vitam suam ducere sine tribulatione & dolore.  
¶ He sayeth, who may here this life lead  
Without tribulation, anger, and dread  
Therefore saint bernard, sayeth thus here  
And speaketh of man's life, in this manner.  
¶ Terret me tota vita mea que diligentur discussa apperet michi aut peccatum, aut sterilitas, aut res sunilata et imperfecta. etc.  
¶ Saint bernard, the holy man sayeth this  
All my life here, sore grieveth me iwis  
For if it well and even discussed be  
Nothing else it seemeth to me  
But sin that the soul most dereth  
Other barren thing, that no fruit beareth  
And if any fruit might thereon seem  
It must thus be said, rightly to dame  
Other a feigning thing, to show in sight  
Other a thing that is done nought by all right  
So it may for nothing been forth brought  
To please almighty God, that made us all of nought  
So that all a man's life, is with sorrow lad  
Therefore no wonder, though a man seld be glad  
What may a sinful man say thereto  
Sith he that was an holy man of life evermore  
Could no manner fruit in himself see  
Than may another man, dread and sorry be  
Of this life here, that ever is so unclean  
In the which there may no fruit be seen.   

¶ Of the fourth encheason why men dreadeth death.  
THe fourth encheason is, and the last to tell  
Why men dreadeth death, that is so bitter & fell  
Is for a man knoweth not whither to wend  
To joy other to pain, after his lives end  
For so wise a man, was never yet none  
That wist when to death, he should gone  
Ne whither he should from hence far  
To joy without end, or else to care  
For when devils and the Angels bright  
Hath desputed our life aright  
Whither that God will us damn or save  
For than our doom we shall have  
And whither that we shall to joy, or pain  
And therefore in certain putteth us saint austin.  
¶ Bene de die novissiino unusquisque pensare debet quia unumquemque in eodem statu quo invenerunt eum suus novissimus dies: talis eum dominus iudi cabit in novissimo judicio. etc.  
¶ Every man he sayeth, that hence shall away  
Should have dread of his last day  
For in what manner state, that he than be found  
In such he shall be deemed, in a little stound  
Therefore the last day, that may us befall  
Our day of doom, we may well call  
But at our last day, when Gods son shall come  
Than with our bodies, up we shall be nome  
Before our Lord God, that almighty king is  
That all thing shall dame that day iwis  
For all bodies shall wend in to that place  
Where souls shall be deemed, through God's grace  
And other they shall have full joy yfere  
Other full pain, when they be there  
And afterward, they shall both together dwell  
Whither that they wend to heaven, other to hell  
But here in earth, shall the bodies all  
Abide till the day of doom shall fall  
And that day shall be full straight and hard  
As this book telleth son hereafterwarde  
But the sinful soul, goeth than to hell  
There without end, in pain for to dwell  
But the good soul than goeth full even  
Without any letting, in to the bliss of heaven  
But many a soul, that God will save  
He granteth them mercy, that it will crave  
For in the bliss of heaven, may no soul be se  
But he for his sins penitent before he  
Other here doth penance, as clarks telleth  
With a contrite heart, who God forgiveth  
And when manues soul, is cleansed well  
Of all deadly sins, and also of venyell  
Through penance here done, and also almsdeed  
Angels full soon to heaven shall him lead  
Or else when it is passed from the body away  
Into the pain of hell, that shall last ay  
Therefore every man, that can wisdom  
Should here beware, or that death come  
And make him all ready, and cleanse him clean  
Of all manner of sins, that none be seen  
So that death him find clean of all  
When the body and soul depart shall  
And evermore think, upon his lives end  
While that he liveth here, or he hence wend  
And so he may him keep, from the devils service  
And thus teacheth us all, Solomon the wise.  
¶ In omnibus operibus tuis memorare nouissim● tua.  
¶ He sayeth think every man, on thine ending day  
If that thou thinkest, almighty God to pay  
Ever when thou thinkest any thing begin  
Than shalt thou not fall in to any manner sin  
And think that thou shalt die, and knowest never when  
Nother in what state thou might be than  
Therefore upon the morn, when thou seest light  
Think that thou mayest die, long or it be night  
And when thou goest to bed, if thou be wise  
Think that thou shalt die, haply or thou arise  
For saint Austyne the holy man, saith thus in his book  
Let ever thine heart, thine last day look.  
¶ Now have ye hard, this treatise yrade  
And this in your conscience openly spread  
For the love of our lord jesus  
Pray for him that this book drew  
And for him also, that readeth it here  
Whither so be that he go far other near  
As for the most sinful man, that liveth by bread  
That God forgive him his sins, or he be dead  
And that God save them both, from all wickedness  
And maintain their lives in all goodness  
And bring them both to that joyful place  
To endless joys, in sight of God's face  
Unto that same joy, he us bring  
That for our love, maked all thing  
Send us to that joy, that is fair and bright  
Where evermore is day, and never night.  
Amen.   
FINIS.   

¶ Imprinted by me Robert wire/ dwelling in saint martyn's parish/ at the sign of saint Iohn evangelist/ beside Charing cross. ☜  
Ad imprimendum solum.